Adress by the Hon SW Lubisi: Speaker of Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature on the occaasion of the hand over of books, Sabie Library

22 October 2010

Programme Director Hon KC Mashego Dlamini
MEC for Human Settlement Hon. MB Masuku
Members of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature
Deputy Mayor of Ehlanzeni District Municipality Clr. Selby Khumalo
Councillors from Thaba Chweu Municipality
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Afternoon

It is an honour for me to be accorded this opportunity to address you on this occasion aimed at Handing-over of Books to the Sabie Library and Memezile High School.

In his 2010 State of the Nation Address to the People of South Africa delivered on the 11th of February 2010 the President of the country Honourable JG Zuma declared the year 2010 as "The Year of Action" He further said "The defining feature of this administration will be that it knows where people live, understands their needs, and responds faster."

Ladies and Gentlemen

The injunctions in the statement made by President JG Zuma on the 11th of February 2010 are inherent in all Legislatures and Parliaments. In this context, we have over the past four days, embarked on a decisive journey and took the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature to the People of Thaba Chweu Municipality. Our coming here was a reaffirmation of the Legislature as a repository of people's hope for stronger government accountability through oversight and public participation.

As the President clearly articulated about the need of a People centred Government, We in the Legislature should equally say The Legislature must be where the people are and understand their needs and ensure that the state is addressing their needs.

The World Bank Institute's program on building knowledge economies in its publication known as "Knowledge for Development" states the following "Knowledge and technology are the heart and mind of the global economy .It Further States that "The countries that thrive will be those that encourage their people to develop the skills and competencies they need to become better workers, managers, entrepreneurs, and innovators. Today's policy makers must extend their country's existing strengths through careful investments in education, institutional quality, and relevant technology"

In order to achieve the goal of building the knowledge economy in South Africa the African Nation Congress (ANC) in the52nd Conference held in the year 2007 adopted Education as one its key Priority Area for the next five years. In order to achieve this goal there is a serious need to encourage the Culture of reading as one significant access point to knowledge and the Knowledge economy. Our Handing over of Books to Sabie Library and Memezile High School Seeks encourage our people develop themselves through reading as a source of knowledge and information, No doubt those who seek knowledge through continuous reading shall be better citizens tomorrow.

Our coming here over the past four days sought to bring ourselves and the business of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature closer to the people, our closer assessment of the situation on the ground during our pre-assessment by the Research Unit of the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature and the general observation of the current state of affairs in the two targeted recipient all held together by nothing more than our dreams and our mutual commitment to leave a lasting legacy in Thaba Chweu Municipality . Today we record the significant stride with 120 books to be distributed between Sabie Library and Memezile High School

Given the circumstance of the majority of our people, that as we know arise from the legacy of apartheid, it would be a crime to deny them the opportunity to have access to knowledge through reading. Equally it would be suicidal for people to continue to burn down Libraries and other resource centre in pursuit of a narrow interest. For this would imply that the legacy of our past shall make irremovable footprints in the landscapes of our urban and rural spaces but also that the dark past itself shall then never depart from our landscape and mind.

Ladies and Gentlemen

It gives me pleasure to Hand over this small contribution of the Mpumalanga Legislature to the two institutions as part of our living Legacy to the Thaba Chweu Municipality. As we hand over these books, we plead with you to ensure that they serve the noble objective they are intended for; furthermore we call on you to protect them and use them productively to build a better country.

Thank You.

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