Nkosi Zanomthetho
Nkosi Zanethemba
Councillors Ngcobo and Jafta
DoE team
Team DoC: Mr Mashile ( Sentech acting Chair), Lumko Mtide (CEO MDDA n SABC board member) and my wonderful officials
KSD team
Ladies and Gentlemen
Jongintaba SSS team
Mqhekezweni JSS team
Each one! Teach one!
We are the Future, no one can stop us!
We are meeting here today a day after we have celebrated the National Human Rights Day throughout the country. The struggle for freedom and justice during colonialism and apartheid was about a free, just, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society. Eighteen years since the dawn of democracy the ANC government has been at centre of ensuring that South Africans enjoys human’s rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic.
Education is one of the fundamental rights and ensuring that this right is adhered to, the ANC Government hitherto has progressively allocated a big slice of the budget goes to education.(60% EC) To further this right Government has committed to ensure that all public schools have access to computers and internet connectivity. Today, we come to you as the Department of Communications and its implementing entities that are Sentech and USAASA.
Sentech and USAASA have worked together to provide computers and internet connectivity to school for a period of five. This is just a tip of ice berg toward connecting all of the 27 000 schools in the country. This year will connect 1650 schools and the rest should be finalised in the 2013/2014 financial year yearish to urge the community at large to safe guard this computers as they will benefit the entire community as they will have access to them. Our philosophy as Government is that we connect a schools and the broader community is connected. If as this community we take charge in protecting schools assets, we are chasing and locking criminals away so they cannot prey on these community resources.
To the youth in general and learners in particular, I trust you have read and/or been told about the struggle for freedom in South Africa. I believe you are aware that this freedom did not come cheap or on a silver platter. It came through the bloodshed and some have paid a supreme sacrifice. So, it is imperative that you take advantage of the benefits and rights democracy provided to as all. Please do not violent rights by spending your precious youth life at shebeens or taverns and in drugs related activities. You have a responsible to arm yourselves with knowledge, skills and education to enable yourselves to lead a better and brighter future. When you arm yourselves with education I promise you, no one will ever take it from you. It is one like human rights which no one can take them from you unless you infringe on other rights. Tata Mandela once said " If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal" kubahlali nabazali please utilise the history that this area prides itself with, make sure u disappoint those that have made this area proud.
This Government led by President Zuma when it took office in 2009 it made education an apex priority amongst others. By making education our priority we made it clear that education is not the responsibility of Government alone. Every sector in society has a role to play to ensure that South Africa develops and produces the type of citizens required by a modern society, which are enabled to meet the demands of a knowledge economy. Ngabula mculi waseWesile on Jerusalem "Mzantsi Afrika omtsha ndiyakulangazelela".
Our 2009 elections manifesto, which was translated into Government’s policy and programme stated ‘working together we can do more’. Today again is a demonstration of working together as Sentech and the Ministry of Communications hand over these computers in partnership the school. "Money won't create success, the freedom to make it will" Nelson Mandela.
I wish to plead with you as a school community to work together as Parents, Educators, Learners and non-teaching staff for the development of our school and the community. I heard that this school was a community initiative and that shows that this community has interest in building a well informed second layer leadership. Chief Zanomthetho and your people as from today I am part of this community and the school and I want to see you succeeding in producing progressive leaders of tomorrow as we begin a journey of building a knowledge society and responsible disciplined communities.
Nkosi Zanomthetho, asikho iisizwe esakhiwa ngotywala,iziyobisi kunye nentswelambeko masibabongoze abantwana nolutsha jikelele ukuba bayeke ukuhlala etarven. Ithi ibhayibhile bavumeleni abantwana beze kum, igqithe ithi " it is through humility that we receive riches, wisdom and long life". Njengabantu abatsha masilindele ukuphatha nokukhokela ilizwe lethu. Kuni bafundisintsapho yanga ningenza lento niyifundeleyo nade nabe niyayibhatalelwa ( ukufundisa) manditsho ndithi eneneni asonwabanga ngemeko yezemfundo yephondo lethu. Tatar Mandela says in oneof his quotations " Discipline is the most powerful weapon to get liberation. let us therefore not disgrace what he fought and stands for.( Family values n disciplines my growing up).
Technology has proven transformative through its singular capacity to enable us not just to do familiar things better or more efficiently, but to do familiar things differently, and new things that have never before been possible or even imagined. ICTs are the catalysts that are changing the behavior and culture of most institutions in society, including education institutions.
As, I handover this computers I wish to encourage parents to take part in the education of their children unapologetic and work very close with educators in molding of our future leaders to become better citizens demanded by modern society. Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting parents takeover the administration, teaching and management of the schools. Yours is to govern the school through developing and determining school policies including the language of schools.
Phambile with universal access and bridging the digital divide in our lifetime phambili!
I thank you
Speech by Deputy Minister of Communications Honourable Stella Tembisa Ndabeni at the handover Ceremony of Computers to Mqhekezweni Secondary School, Eastern Cape
