The Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality will host a series of events in the next seven days to kick-start the countdown to the provincial Freedom Day celebrations next week.
The Freedom Day celebrations will be held in Port Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela Bay, on Tuesday, 27 April 2010 at Finnis Sport Complex in Bethelsdorp. The events include the opening of a new Customer Care Centre at KwaMagxaki on Thursday, 22 April 2010 and a visit to various areas in the Northern Areas by high profile political leaders serving in the National Assembly and the provincial legislature.
There will be a memorial lecture about the significance of the Freedom Day to South Africans at George Botha Sport Centre in KwaNoxolo on Sunday, 25 April 2010 at 15h00. Two housing launches are scheduled on Monday, 26 April 2010 wherein 50 houses will be given to the beneficiaries in McNaughton Street at 09h00 and a house will be handed over to a 76 years old woman from NU 12 Motherwell at 12h00.
"Access to housing is one of the ways in which we as government continue to make freedom and democracy meaningful to our people. By handing over the houses in the build up to Freedom Day, we reemphasise this vital link, restoring the dignity of the people of South Africa," says Councillor Mfunda, Portfolio Councillor for Human Settlements at Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
"As we will be celebrating our Freedom as South Africans, we will be remembering the people of Haiti who still suffer from the natural disaster which befell their land through the Haiti solidarity walk and fun run on 27 April 2010 from the Aspen Spar at 08h00 to the Finnis Sport Complex," said MEC Xoliswa Tom, who is the political champion for the programme.
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality has heeded a call by the provincial government to mobilise the people of Nelson Mandela Bay to contribute to the national Haiti relief fund. To this effect, a gala dinner will be held on 26 April 2010 at Nangoza Jebe community hall in New Brighton. Companies are invited to buy tables for the event.
The new Finnis Sport Complex Club House will be officially opened on the morning of the Freedom Day as one of the much welcome initiative in boosting sport facilities in the northern areas. More events are expected to
These will coincide with the international Ironman triathlon which will be held in Nelson Mandela Bay over the weekend.
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture and the Office of the Premier are meeting almost daily in preparation of the Freedom Day celebrations and the build-up events. High ranking local and political principals are already in the city mobilising communities to this event of national significance.
The Freedom Day event will mark 16 years of freedom and democracy in South Africa, 20 years of Tata Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela's release, the 17th year of the assassination of struggle stalwart Chris Hani and the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Issued by: Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
21 April 2010
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za/)
