Honourable Speaker Ramoeletsi Mahumapelo
Honorable Deputy Speaker Philemon Mapulane
Honourable Premier Thandi Modise
My Colleagues in EXCO
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Mayors and Councilors
Traditional Leaders
Religious Leaders
Women in business
Young entrepreneurs
NGO’s
Members of various Boards
Heads of Departments
Comrades and friends
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Dumelang.
Honourable Speaker, words sometimes are deficient to express one‘s sincere gratitude and sentiments about what it means to be standing here before this august house, to reaffirm our commitment as engraved in our constitution of the Republic in our preamble that says; “We the people of South-Africa declare that we will improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person.”
It’s an ideal we should strive for, it’s an ideal we hope for, it’s an ideal we aspire to, and it’s an ideal if need be, to paraphrase the former state president Nelson Mandela, it’s an ideal we should be prepared to perish for: South-Africa belongs to all who live in it irrespective of creed, skin, and gender, so says the injunction of the Freedom Charter of 1955: It’s a country wherein vision 2030 says we should mirror, It is a land that imbues us with a sense of patriotism, compassion and unflinching sense of justice. Its land of winners and doers, achievers and go getters, it’s a beautiful land. It’s an ideal destination, I say what’s not to like about that, we all should go there, but for now we are here.
Full speech [PDF]
