farewell dinner of Mr Toy Mzimela
18 April 2006
Programme Director
The guest of honour, Mr Toy Mzimela
Members of the Executive Council
Members of the Provincial Legislature
The business community
Ladies and gentlemen
We are gathered here tonight to pay tribute to a distinguished and eminent
son of Africa. Although others decided to call this a farewell, it is more
appropriate to say itâs a celebration of an outstanding achievement. We are not
here to say goodbye to Mr Mzimela but to honour and wish him well in his new
responsibilities at Standard Bank KwaZulu-Natal.
Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight as we celebrate his achievement we are called
upon to reflect on the contribution that both Mr Mzimela and Standard Bank made
in the development of our province. As many of you will recall, the Provincial
Growth and Development Strategy is a jointly determined plan for the
sustainable growth and development of our provincial economy. This plan is an
outcome of a consultative process amongst all stakeholders from the public,
private and parastatal sectors together with labour and civil society.
I highlight this because it was through Mr Mzimelaâs vision and leadership
that Standard Bank played a very important role in both the formulation and
launch of the Northern Cape Provincial Growth and Development Strategy.
I have no doubt that a man of your distinguished business pedigree, academic
background and experience as well as leadership skills will ensure that
Standard Bank continues to contribute to the growth of the South African
economy.
Nonetheless the people of the Northern Cape are well aware of your
credentials and achievements thus far. Programme Director, as we are gathered
here tonight to wish Mr Mzimela well, we also remember his contribution to
development in our province.
In particular we are mindful of your centrality in the Premierâs Excellence
Awards. These awards are accorded to those departments and institutions who
display excellence in providing services to our people.
The aim of the awards is to recognise and measure and evaluate the efforts
of people who go above and beyond the call of duty to provide excellent
services to the citizens of the Northern Cape through the implementation of the
Batho Pele Principles.
These awards were initiated by the provincial government to recognise,
encourage and motivate public service delivery units and individuals within
government to continuously improve government services through Batho Pele. The
ultimate goal is to provide services at a level comparable with national and
international best practices.
For this we will be forever grateful for the contribution of Mr Mzimela who
made these awards a reality. Indeed your zeal and enthusiasm as a true partner
of growth and development will forever be appreciated.
Nonetheless the developments around the transformation of the management
structure at Standard Bank encourage us to acknowledge that this industry has
made some progress in an attempt to address some of the challenges facing our
society.
It is for this reason that we continue to value the importance and
centrality of the industry in our society. Your achievements and contribution
to economic productivity is truly remarkable.
The fact that transformation remains one of the most pertinent issues in our
country, it is for this reason that we derive joy from Mr Mzimelaâs position in
KwaZulu-Natal and the appointment of Mr Tlhoaele. These achievements contribute
in some way to the transformation agenda.
Ladies and gentlemen, today as we send-off Toy Mzimela and reflect at some
of the challenges facing our society, we challenge him to continue ensuring
that Standard Bank makes a contribution to the broad transformation and
development of our country.
We hope that as government of the Northern Cape we can also count on your
assistance as we work towards the betterment of the quality of the lives of our
people.
At the same time we wish to extent a hand of warm welcome to Mr Kgalaletso
Tlhoaele who succeeds Mr Mzimela as the Provincial Director.
We welcome you and your family to the Northern Cape Province and Kimberley
in particular, confident that you will continue with the good work that Mr
Mzimela started. It is our hope that it your own way you would also ensure that
Standard Bank expands the role it plays in the development of our province.
We welcome you and hope that your tenure at Standard bank will be productive
and prosperous.
I thank you.
Ke a Leboga.
Ndiyabulel.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Northern Cape Provincial Government
18 April 2006
