Former Minister Speeches
I am deeply delighted to be present at the launch of what promises to be a great institution. I applaud the women in the arts for coming together and organizing themselves in this manner, it could not have come at a better time. This is an important move as your very presence indicates a critical mass as women artists and as part of a Women’s Movement for emancipation, as we still face challenges as women.
It is my privilege to address you here today. There is a lot of excitement as we go further and further into the World Cup tournament.
I am delighted and honoured to address you this evening. This is the first time that that South Africa, indeed Africa, is enjoying an Arab Cultural Week with 19 Arab Embassies participating in various cultural manifestations including music, folkloric dance, visual arts, crafts and food.
I am delighted to be here at this very significant occasion.We are here today to celebrate the return of an artefact symbolizing an important moment in our history.The important moment of course was the inauguration of the first president of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Nelson Mandela.
Today we mark the official launch of the renovated and refurbished Social History Centre on Church Square in Cape Town.The event takes place during Heritage Month in which we reflect on our rich cultural diversity and the way in which different cultural expressions have intermingled in the making of South Africa.
This Heritage Month as we celebrate our heritage and the hard work of our nation united in its diversity, we also thank the people of this nation for all the good work done at the historic first world cup to be held on African soil.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly in October 1976, President of the African National Congress and a great patriot and internationalist, Comrade OR Tambo spoke about the contribution of the student uprising in helping to free South Africa. In the same speech he projected the vision of the ANC of a Future South Africa.
We open South Africa’s inaugural National Book Week on a very sad note. One of our literary icons, Prof Lewis Nkosi, was laid to rest in Durban earlier today. Nkosi succumbed to death before midnight on Sunday after a long illness.
My deepest condolences go to the Nkosi family, the South African literary fraternity and the lovers of the word across the globe. Through his work, Nkosi will always linger in our collective memory as a courageous writer, critic, journalist and literary scholar who kept the torch of South African literature aloft for over four decades.
The Department of Arts and Culture and the Kwazulu-Natal provincial government will host the 2010 national Heritage Day celebrations. The event will take place in Durban on 24 September 2010.The focus of the celebrations is: Celebrating 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup successes: our heritage.This is a call to South Africans to celebrate our collective achievements during the FIFA World Cup.We will use the event to acknowledge and recognise the hard work and sacrifices of the various sectors of our society during the World Cup.
I am both humbled and honoured to address you all this morning. It is heartwarming to see so many women writers gathered here both local and from Africa and the Diaspora.The title of this gathering of African women writers is : “Women’s Words: African Worlds”: renewing a dialogue between African Women Writers and Women of African Descent”.