Minister Speeches 2014 - 2010
Celebrating Chief Luthuli: We meet here to celebrate the life and legacy of Chief Albert Luthuli, we are reminded of how far we have come and indeed how many people, individually and collectively, paved the way for our freedom.
We gather here today for the third annual Africa Century International African Writers Conference - a legacy project of the South African Literary Awards in partnership with the Department of Arts and Culture.
As we gather here today, we note with shock and sadness, the passing away of two National Sporting Heroes, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Senzo Meyiwa, one after the other. This is a great tragedy for the sporting fraternity and the South African nation and our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and loved ones.
We gather here to launch the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance on South African this morning. We remember a great African composer, Enoch Sontonga who, in 1897 composed the African Renaissance Anthem, “Nkosi sikelel ’ iAfrika.”
On this day 24 September, we remember the assassination of the king of the Zulu Nation, King Shaka, I lembe eleqa amanye amalembe ngoku khalipha. Unoduma ehlezi kaMenzi.
It is with sadness that in the week that we commemorate the brutal death of Steve Biko we have learned of the passing on of the poet and short story writer Pascal Mafika Gwala.
We gather here today in the full understanding that music is a global business that contributes to the international economy and, above all, creates employment, fights poverty and enables a decent standard of living for musicians and other professionals.
Those of us who live and work in South Africa today are the heirs of everything that the struggle was fought for over the last three centuries.
It is a great pleasure for me to be here today, to present this exciting and invigorating programme of 2014 National Book Week.
We gather here to highlight and celebrate the role played by business in the art of leadership – building business and arts alliances.