SOUTH Africans should help to rebuild Northern Cape and any other part of the country in dire need of being lifted out of the depths of poverty.
This was the gist of the keynote address by Social Development Deputy Minister Maria Ntuli, delivered at the Northern Cape Community Builder of the Year Awards in Kimberley at the weekend.
Most admirably, the Northern Cape and North West social development departments - which were provincial partners of the national Sowetan, Old Mutual and SABC-organised and sponsored but now defunct Community Builder of the Year Awards - are continuing with the noble tradition of seeking and honouring unsung heroes.
Youths, adults, senior citizens and disabled people who lead in community development are nominated by the public and the social services authorities start interacting and co-operating with the nominees.
Ntuli said the task of contributing to the common goal of nation-building and supporting those dedicated to community development was the responsibility of everyone.
She said the people of Northern Cape and elsewhere in South Africa where there were social development needs should be inspired by the nation-building leadership of the late Sowetan editor-in-chief Aggrey Klaaste and one of his most vocal nation-building movement aides, the late Sam Mabe.
"The Community Builder of the Year awards we are hosting this evening will certainly go a long way to advancing the proud culture of our movement," Ntuli said.
"I take this opportunity to salute and honour men and women who are making a meaningful contribution to the lives of our people by dedicating their energy to building, serving and developing our communities.
"It goes without saying that a province like Northern Cape - which suffered immensely under apartheid - needs more courageous men and women who are committed to working together with our government to restore the dignity of our people.
"We must continue to ensure that as we lift our people out of the depths of poverty, we exert that extra effort in empowering our rural poor and advance the economic development of rural areas. This is one of our greatest challenges."
While acknowledging that progress had been made in nation-building, Ntuli said much more work needed to be done to free "our people from the shackles of poverty and its associated challenges of HIV and Aids, underdevelopment and unemployment, particularly among our young people".
ALL the winners of the 2011 Northern Cape Community Builder of the Year Awards:
- Youth category: Dineo Leutlwile, Dithakong Talent Identification Project;
- Adult category: Mercia Pheza, Keimoes Diocese HIV-Aids Ministry;
- Senior category: Petro Raath, Britstown Spirit of Passion Project;
- Group category: Tony Kock, Kimberley, Galeshewe Maths, Science and Technology Youth Initiative;
- People with disabilities category: Dorothy Ann Howitson of the Kimberley Knitting Guild.
Seeking, honouring unsung heroes
SOUTH Africans should help to rebuild Northern Cape and any other part of the country in dire need of being lifted out of the depths of poverty.
This was the gist of the keynote address by Social Development Deputy Minister Maria Ntuli, delivered at the Northern Cape Community Builder of the Year Awards in Kimberley at the weekend.
Most admirably, the Northern Cape and North West social development departments - which were provincial partners of the national Sowetan, Old Mutual and SABC-organised and sponsored but now defunct Community Builder of the Year Awards - are continuing with the noble tradition of seeking and honouring unsung heroes.
Youths, adults, senior citizens and disabled people who lead in community development are nominated by the public and the social services authorities start interacting and co-operating with the nominees.
Ntuli said the task of contributing to the common goal of nation-building and supporting those dedicated to community development was the responsibility of everyone.
She said the people of Northern Cape and elsewhere in South Africa where there were social development needs should be inspired by the nation-building leadership of the late Sowetan editor-in-chief Aggrey Klaaste and one of his most vocal nation-building movement aides, the late Sam Mabe.
"The Community Builder of the Year awards we are hosting this evening will certainly go a long way to advancing the proud culture of our movement," Ntuli said.
"I take this opportunity to salute and honour men and women who are making a meaningful contribution to the lives of our people by dedicating their energy to building, serving and developing our communities.
"It goes without saying that a province like Northern Cape - which suffered immensely under apartheid - needs more courageous men and women who are committed to working together with our government to restore the dignity of our people.
"We must continue to ensure that as we lift our people out of the depths of poverty, we exert that extra effort in empowering our rural poor and advance the economic development of rural areas. This is one of our greatest challenges."
While acknowledging that progress had been made in nation-building, Ntuli said much more work needed to be done to free "our people from the shackles of poverty and its associated challenges of HIV and Aids, underdevelopment and unemployment, particularly among our young people".
ALL the winners of the 2011 Northern Cape Community Builder of the Year Awards:
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