MatsepeâCasaburri, at the launch of Magic Cellar, Africaâs first 3D animated
series, Nu Metro, Monte Casino
25 March 2006
Programme Director
Your Excellency, Miss Sandelle Scrimshaw, High Commissioner for Canada
Mr Mfundi Vundla of Morula Pictures
Mr Firdaus Kharas of Chocolate Moose Media
Industry players, present here today
Esteemed guests
Ladies and gentlemen
I have looked forward to this momentous occasion with great expectation and
excitement because like all of you gathered here today, I am extremely
passionate about any programme or project that places the interest of our
children high on its agenda. You will also recall that it is for this very
reason, of developing our children, that I have chosen to support the Minister
of Education, Ms Naledi Pandor, on the READ Project to encourage the habit of
reading among our children.
When adults often say, âchildren are our futureâ, children reply, âTomorrow
is oursâ. Hence it is our responsibility, our duty as parents, as adults, as
society, that we put in place the appropriate environment that will facilitate
their entry into and claiming their tomorrow.
We meet today when our society has been expressing great concern about how
we treat our children and prepare them for the future. Media is one mechanism
by which we interact with our children; by which they learn or receive values,
spiritual and functional abilities, which they need to engage with their world
and shape it for the future.
Therefore, this launch today, is a perfect demonstration of the role that
both public and private media can and must play in meeting the challenge to
develop our children so that they would embrace correct and healthy values
necessary to live successful and productive lives as responsible citizens.
This partnership between public and private, local and international
partners commissioned by the South African Bureau for Standards (SABS) that has
resulted in Magic Cellar created and which commits itself to showcase and
profile stories and folktales that celebrate cultural values; tell stories that
will ignite and light up self knowledge, restore feelings of self worth, self
esteem and self love in children of Africa; children who are proud of their
heritage and traditions. That the programme will eventually be broadcast in all
our 11 languages is a step in the right direction for it is recognition and
respect for our language and cultural diversity in terms of our
constitution.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to congratulate Mfundi and Firdaus as
well as everyone who has been involved with this production. Animation has been
proven to be quite an effective while also entertaining medium, which our
production houses have embraced. If this message alone captures our young we
will know we have tried to help them shape their future. We thank you all
especially our Canadian partners.
Thank you for your commitment. History will not forget. Coming after the
success of our local elections; the first 400+ runs in one-days cricket and our
Oscar for Tsotsi; our success at Commonwealth Games, it will build on the
spirit of âthe age of hopeâ to remind us that we can!! We will always try to
make this impossible, possible.
Magic Cellar has shown itself to be a credible partner within the world
vision that we improve our quality of life through the use of information and
communication and technologies (ICTs).
It is also important that I locate this event we are celebrating here today
within the broad objectives of the fifth World Summit on Media for Children.
The Summit will take place in South Africa next year hosted by the Children and
Broadcasting Foundation for Africa (CBFA).
You will recall that in 1995, we ratified the International Charter on
Television for Children while in 1997 we then ratified the Africa Charter on
Childrenâs Broadcasting. As a result, it is a joy beyond words to see Magic
Cellar and know that it will uphold the principles and spirit of the Charter in
all its aspects.
Once again, I express my sincere and hearty congratulations to Magic Cellar.
May the enterprise grow and become what the country and our people expect it to
be.
Thank you.
Issued by: Ministry of Communications
25 March 2006
