opening of the Kedar Country Hotel and Conference Centre, Rustenburg
7 July 2006
Programme Director,
The Queen Mother of the Royal Bafokeng, Mme Semane Molotlegi,
Bogosi ba Bafokeng,
The Executive Mayor of the Moses Kotane Municipality
The staff and management of the Kedar Hotel and Recreation Africa,
Members of the board of directors of the Recreation Africa Group present,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen:
It is my distinguished honour to officially open this refurbished facility
of the Kedar Hotel and Conference Centre. The North West Provincial Government
is very pleased and excited to be associated with this development.
It is often said that when people come together something good comes out.
This has been the story of the Kedar Hotel, the Royal Bafokeng nation and the
people of the North West Province.
As most of you here would know, the hotel we are opening today is situated
at the farm that belonged to the President of the Transvaal Boer Republic, Paul
Kruger.
President Kruger had a very special relationship with Kgosi Mokgatle of the
Royal Bafokeng nation. At some stage during their relationship, Kruger is said
to have impressed upon Kgosi Mokgatle the need to register his title over his
nationâs land. This the King did resulting in the Bafokeng becoming one of the
richest African nations due to the mineral resources that are found in the
royal Bafokeng land.
I am certain that the Queen Mother will agree with me when I say the
Bafokeng continue to hold Paul Kruger in the highest of esteems. For us also
both Paul Kruger and this Kedar Hotel situated on his old farm hold a special
historical significance.
In the spirit of Boer Republic President Paul Kruger and the Mofokeng Kgosi
Mokgatle, we hope this hotel will continue to play an important role in the
unfolding growth and development of the province and the people of North
West.
In particular, we view this hotel as part of the critical growth path that
we have taken as a province which focuses on such priority programmes as
tourism and the hospitality industry as a basis for sustainable economic growth
and employment creation in the North West Province.
In supporting initiatives like the Kedar Hotel, government makes no secret
of its objectives of building a competitive and labour absorbing economy,
massively increasing public investment and actively promoting equity and
development.
As a matter of fact our Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS)
makes it virtually impossible for any business to thrive in the province if it
does not involve key stakeholders such as government, the business community in
general, organised labour and the general community of the province.
But most importantly in this era of Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative
for South Africa (AsgiSA), it is absolutely critical that economic growth in
the province must be shared. That is the essence of AsgiSA. It is not some
strange sophisticated animal that government has invented. It is a way of
saying whatever we do as government, as business and labour whatever programmes
we support must accelerate growth and development while at the same time that
growth must be shared among the people.
The economic region around Rustenburg presents us with a particularly strategic
opportunity to build the economy, develop our communities and make reality the
better life that all citizens of this province deserve.
I will not be exaggerating when I say that Rustenburg is the fastest growing
city in the whole continent of Africa. In market terminology it is simply the
city to watch, particularly as peoples of the world start descending on our
shores in anticipation of the greatest football showpiece of the world the 2010
FIFA World Cup.
This economic region is even more strategically located, considering that
the Royal Bafokeng Stadium has been chosen as one of the stadia in which the
footballing nations of the world will compete in 2010.
We can therefore never overestimate the necessary spin offs that will accrue
to us as a province and to the welfare and development of the people of the
province in general.
Because of the foregoing reasons, Kedar Country Hotel is definitely an ideal
ecotourism destination offering services and products in the fields of
environmental education, hospitality and recreation.
We commend the owners and management of Kedar Hotel for having the vision
and commitment to harness the economic growth potential of this area in general
and the hospitality industry in particular.
We assure them that there will be many returns on this valuable
investment.
I am told that the Kedar Country Hotel has undergone a major upgrade and now
offers 63 bedrooms - 12 standards, 33 de luxe, a two-roomed Presidential Suite
and royal suite - five curio shops and a health spa will be added soon.
I myself am looking forward to my day off, which I will spend absorbing the
ambience of this place in complete relaxation, assured of the best services and
hospitality that this place provides.
In conclusion, let me thank the management and board of directors of
Recreation Africa who saw it fit that I should come and officially open this
important facility. Thank you very much.
I wish Kedar Country Hotel thrives in business as it continues to grow and
improve the lives of the communities around which it is situated.
Allow me then the honour of declaring the Kedar Country Hotel and Conference
Centre officially open. I thank you very much.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
7 July 2006
