Keynote address by Doctor Tshepo Motsepe at the Netflix premier of Silverton Siege

Good evening programme director, to the cast, crew and production team of Silverton Siege, the Netflix team and to all here present this evening.

Thank you for the opportunity to address you all today. My congratulations to the Pambili Media team that was involved in the successful production of Silverton Siege. A special mention goes to Mr. Mandla Dube, who is no stranger to the creative industry, for breathing life into a story which is so momentous in the story of our struggle against the apartheid regime.

I am advised that Silverton Siege will be available to the entire Netflix audience on 27 April - which is also our country’s Freedom Day.

In numbers, this means that 222 million people in 190 countries across globe will have an opportunity to watch a story inspired by 3 important figures in our country’s history, Stephen Mafoko, Humphrey Makhubo and Wilfred Madela - the real life Silverton Siege trio - all of whom lost their lives during the stand-off with the police on the 25th of January, 1980. The global exposure of their story will ensure that their memory lives on as we continue to tell their story for generations to come.
 
Furthermore, the global exposure of Silverton Siege is also an opportunity for us to showcase to the world the depth of creative skills that reside with South African people, whether in the form of talent or below-the-line professionals such as script writers, directors and producers.

It is my hope that Silverton Siege is a snapshot of things to come and that further opportunities await our young people in the creative sector. Indeed, it is an exciting time for the creative industry. I was pleasantly surprised by the participation of a number of entertainment companies at the recent South African Investment Conference which saw Netflix pledge an amount of R929 million which I am advised will be invested into the local creative industry during the course of 2022-2023.

Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy the screening. To the Silverton Siege team, I wish the title every success!
 
Thank you.