SPEECH BY MEC NANDI MAYATHULA-KHOZA
BONTLE KE BOTHO (BKB) AWARD CEREMONY
BIRCHWOOD HOTEL
12 JULY 2012
Programme Director
Honourable MECs present,
MEC for Health, Mme Ntombi Mekgwe
MEC for Roads and Transport, Mr Ishmael Vadi
Former MEC For Agriculture, Conservation and Environment
Honourable Speaker, Mme Lindiwe Maseko
Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Mme Nokuthula Sikakane and all Members Presenters,
Executive Mayors
Clr Lerato Maloka (Lesedi Local Municipality)
Municipal Speakers
MMCs
Ward Councillors
Officials – National, Provincial and Local Government
HODs, Municipal Managers, Executive Directors and Co-ordinators of BKB
Schools representatives,
Business and NGO Partner
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Members of the Media
Dumelang, Molweni, Sanibonani, Gooie More, Good Evening, Dimatsheroni
Honourable MECs, Honourable Speaker, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades and Friends from the private and public sector, Good evening and welcome to the 10 year celebration of the Bontle Ke Botho (BKB) Campaign and Award Ceremony.
It is truly an honour for me to deliver this speech as we celebrate a milestone in the Bontle Ke Botho (BKB) Campaign. Under the theme “Celebrating a decade of collaborative environmental protection”, it is indeed gratifying and uplifting that we have collectively managed to sustain the Bontle ke Botho Campaign for a decade.
Initiated in 2002, the Bontle Ke Botho (BKB), Gauteng’s Clean and Green Campaign is an Educational Education project and a strategy through which the Gauteng Province seeks to respond to the requirements of the Johannesburg Plan of implementation (JPOI) agreed to by countries at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).
There is no doubt that this milestone of the BKB Campaign reaching a decade is a phenomenal and historic feat for our Province of Gauteng, our Country, and the entire environmental fraternity, considering that very few projects initiated prior or post the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) did not last very long, which is truly unfortunate.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the BKB milestone which we have all assembled here today to celebrate, clearly demonstrates that working together as Social partners, Business, Citizens and Government, we can indeed do more. This confirms that through the collaborative approach adopted for the implementation of this campaign, we ensured that the campaign remained relevant and able to respond to the global, national, provincial and local environmental strategies as well as the legislation supporting the Constitution of the country.
As we are all aware, enshrined in our Constitution is the right of all citizens to a clean and healthy environment. “Everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations,”
It is therefore incumbent upon us Ladies and Gentlemen, to ensure we strive to protect the environment for the present and future generations.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this 10 year BKB celebration is also an opportune time for us to reflect on the past decade. To identify our challenges and successes in order to afford us an opportunity to rectify where we need to and fast track where we should, to ensure our communities enjoy a clean and healthy environment.
Equally important about this year’s BKB celebration and award ceremony is the opportunity it presents for us to pay homage to the fore-bearers of the BKB Campaign. The touch-bearers who initiated this important campaign amid very challenging circumstances and preserved despite and so tonight, we will also be honouring them for a job well done.
I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Honourable Speaker, Mme Lindiwe Maseko’s message in support of the BKB Campaign. During her Budget Vote Speech on 12 June 2012 the Honourable Speaker Maseko said “The second joint project that we will be working on, hopefully in partnership with the Premier and the entire provincial government, is that of cleaning the streets of Johannesburg. Our view as Speakers is that the “Bontle ke Botho” campaign must become the second nature to all the people of the province. We must reach a stage wherein every one of us does not litter our streets; pick up papers lying around our streets every day as we walk around doing our business, and dedicate a period every year for mass-based cleaning campaign.” So thank you for supporting the BKB Campaign and pledge our commitment to forge a partnership with you to ensure that indeed the BKB Campaign becomes second nature to our Johannesburg citizens.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I also wish to take this opportunity to congratulate all the schools and wards that will be receiving prizes today, well done to you all. I also wish to thank and encourage the schools and wards that will not receive prizes today for participating in the campaign, your efforts towards a clean and healthy environment are not in vain and contribute towards making a better life for our people, therefore, thank you and always remember you are all winners.
While we celebrate the winners of tonight awards ceremony, it is also imperative to remind us all that the prize money must be utilised for improving and expanding the existing projects as well as initiating new projects. We should bear in mind that non-expenditure with the BkB prize money translates to a delay in service delivery, which we should not allow to happen Ladies and Gentlemen.
In conclusion, allow me to remind us of the significance of the month of July, the month in which we celebrate the BKB Campaign and Award Ceremony. July 18th as we all know is Nelson Mandela International Day.
A day we annually celebrate and honour our former Statesman and icon, Nelson Mandela’s 67 years of selfless public service. This year again, we join nations of the world in celebrating a milestone in Tata’s Mandela’s life, as he turns 94.
Fellow South Africans, when we celebrate this historic day in 6 days time, we must be cognizant of the objective of the Mandela Day, which is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in so doing, build a global movement for good.
We therefore urge companies, individuals, leaders and the youth to take heed of this call to service in honour of Tata, who despite the threats of persecution and death, remained resolute to this commitment to serve humankind. Not even 27 years of imprisonment on Robben Island could deter that drive, Tata’s dedication was unwavering and his commitment resolute to seeing that dream a reality.
The theme for Mandela Day 2012 is “Celebrating our Children”. An apt theme for an Icon who’s love, passion and dedication towards the children is truly unsurpassed. I therefore want to remind us all that our actions today will affect our future and children, and therefore what better way to celebrate our children than to love and protect them and the environment in which they live in?
I therefore urge us all, that in honouring uTata next week, we also include environmental work during the Mandela Day. This can take the form of cleaning our parks, schools, rivers and removing litter in old Age Homes, Children’s Home, Places of Safety and Planting trees in honour of Tata Mandela at a school.
Remembering, fellow South Africans, that giving of ourselves towards the improvement of humanity is a continuous practice that should not be limited to only the 18th July.
Also bearing in mind that living in a clean and healthy environment is a Constitutional Right that should be enjoyed by our people, this is a Right, Ladies and Gentlemen, that we should all cherish, protect and ensure becomes a reality for the millions of our people who currently live in unhealthy environments.
As I conclude, let me re-iterate that taking care of our environment is our collective responsibility. This responsibility and environmental activism can be shown through supporting and participating in the BkB campaign in 2012 and beyond.
Let’s work together in ensuring that we live Clean and Green - Bontle ke Botho!!! Kuyasheshwa: Gauteng Working Better
Thank you,
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