Programme Director;
Your Worship the Executive Mayor of Fezile Dabi District Municipality Cllr MP Moshodi;
General Manager of MTN Foundation: Kusile Mtunzi Hairwadzi;
All Government officials;
Distinguished guests;
Members of the School Governing Body;
Principal, educators and learners;
Members of the community;
Members of the media;
Ladies and gentlemen
I am glad to be part of this prestigious event of the official handing over of the MTN media classroom.
We are handing over this media classroom now in the month of September as South Africans from all walks of life commemorate both heritage and tourism month.
Earlier this month we afforded South Africans an opportunity to visit our parks free of charge as part of our annual National Parks Week. I am told that thousands of our people including those residing adjacent to the parks who had never seen some wild animals took the advantage to access the parks. South Africa is a water scarce country, faced with a challenge of rapid growth of population and demand of water by all sectors. Please note that the amount of our annual rainfall is not increasing as the demand increases.
Most people are not aware of this situation; they use water inefficiently and pollute our water resources. The vision of sustaining our resources will be realized only if our society is empowered with knowledge and skills that will enable them to use water efficiently, protect it, practice good hygiene for a healthy life, and be aware of the impact that alien invasive species have on our water resources.
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the year of International Water Cooperation.
The Department of Water Affairs thorough its 2020 Vision for Water Educational Programme presents the Baswa Le Meetse (BLM) competition which links water and sanitation with arts and culture by encouraging learners to showcase our cultural heritage while preserving our natural resources.
The Grade 6 learners convey health and hygiene messages through drama, music, poetry, praise singing and poster development. Their projects are guided by the theme “Washing of Hands, use and care for Sanitation Facilities for a Healthy Life”.
By using arts and culture we are preserving one of the traditions that make us a great rainbow nation. The Baswa Le Meetse competition takes us to the roots of our heritage in the performing arts.
In 2011 Kenny Theoane from Sindekile Intermediary School represented the Free State Province at the National Baswa Le Meetse Competition. Kenny put Parys on the national map when he scooped the first position in Poster Category during the Annual Youth Water Summit. Our collaboration with our sister Department of Education has been excellent and we look forward to strengthen this relationship.
Ladies and Gentlemen we are here today to congratulate Sindekile Intermediary School which is the national winner of the state of the art media classroom sponsored by MTN Foundation equipped with 21 computers, an inter-active board and R6 000 cash prize.
We would like to thank the principal and educators and the school governing body for their commitment, support and encouragement that they gave to this learner to participate in our educational programme. Sindekile will be one of the schools that will partake in the Eco Schools as we want it to be a model school in water and environmental management. Learners and educators of this school will be Ambassadors of Water and Environment.
The department, municipalities and our partners will provide ongoing support on the Eco School project. We will visit this school again to monitor progress.
Eco School will enable us to achieve water and environmental sustainability in schools and their surrounding communities as well as supporting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the national Curriculum.
To the learners, I encourage you to continue or to start participating in the Eco schools project.
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to acknowledge the role played by MTN Foundation for partnering with us on the 2020 Vision for Water Educational Programme.
In conclusion, I would like to thank all our partners namely the Department of Education, Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, MTN Foundation, Rand Water, Fezile Dabi District Municipality and Ngwathe Local Municipality for making this day a success.
Water is life: Respect it, Conserve and enjoy it.
I thank you.
