Members of the Mayoral Committee
Councillors present
Mogale City Arts, Culture and Heritage Advisory Council members
Municipality Officials
Our Stakeholders in the arts, culture and heritage fraternity
Programme Director
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and gentlemen

Programme Director, I would like to congratulate the Mogale City Arts, Culture and Heritage Advisory Council members on their appointment to this important structure of council and I wish them all the best during their term of office.

I would also like to thank the members of the interim arts and culture council for the sterling work they did before this new structure was formalized. I hope that they will still make valuable contribution to the development of arts, culture and heritage in Mogale City.

It is no doubt that the diversity of Mogale City Community could play in important role in cultural enrichment, as it will lead to the cross-pollination of our valuable ideas and exciting customs. We have to remember that arts, culture and heritage is the soul of our city.

As you are aware, like every sector of our society, arts, culture and heritage have been negatively impacted by legacies of our past dispensation. Arts, Culture and heritage had skewed resource allocation to support them.

The distribution of the necessary infrastructure was uneven, lack of recognition of skills especially indigenous knowledge system and skills. What was even more damaging was that our people were excluded from the governance institution of arts, culture and heritage.

Mogale City acknowledges these deficiencies and also the countrywide initiatives to address these challenges. We will align ourselves as the city to correct the imbalances. Furthermore, our citizens to appreciate our heritage wealth.

Mogale City is willing to work tirelessly with all the relevant stakeholders to ensure that these challenges are overcome. Mogale City has for some time endeavoured to promote the sustainable development of arts, culture and heritage within its borders.

We have facilitated a number of art development workshops, supported emerging artists through gallery exhibitions and also assisted them to access resources they needed most to pursue their respective talents.

Programme Director, already we have a database of existing arts, culture and heritage activities and organizations involved in this sector. Most of these stakeholders receive financial support from Grant-in Aid Programme of the Municipality. This year, about 12 groups received grants to continue with their planned developmental programmes.

We recognize the need to develop appropriate policies and strategies to achieve our goal of sustainable development and promotion of arts, culture and heritage. Mogale City will soon be developing plan to ensure that all the heritage resources within our city are well documented and managed in according with the requirements of the National Heritage resources Act, 25 of 1999 and other applicable legislations. We are working on transforming the museum to truly reflect the characteristics of Mogale City.

The Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr. Pallo Jordan in his keynote address at the third meeting of the National Heritage Council in Mpumalanga said that "Before 1994 museums tended to reflect the history and achievements of only one section of the people of this country. We expect them to reposition themselves so that they serve all the people of South Africa. That imperative poses a series of challenges to all of us charged with the preservation of our heritage." The challenges that Minister Jordan identified were as follows:

• Accessibility with regard to the museum infrastructure.
The development of new clientele.
• The development of human resources.
• The implementation of affirmative action
• The grooming and appointing of a new generation of curators and managers drawn from across the colour spectrum.
• Mounting exciting community outreach programme.
• Introducing acquisition policies that recognize the value and validity of indigenous artifacts.
• Integrating living heritage in the form of oral tradition, oral history and pre-modern African knowledge systems into the museums.

We are also faced with some of the abovementioned challenges and we will decisively address them.

Our significant milestone to date is the establishment of Mogale City, Culture and Heritage as a statutory body of council and the respective technical unit in the Directorate of Rural Development and Tourism.

We sincerely hope that with your collective wisdom and passion for this sector the future of arts, culture and heritage resources development will be consistent with the goal of our democracy and national reconciliation.

Programme Director, we will ensure that the full range of art forms, cultural activities and heritage are promoted. We will also endeavour that the arts and cultural industries are developed and open up access to the sector.

The Advisory Council would be expected to carry out its mandate, which is to assist Mogale City and its relevant stakeholders to champion the implementation of national principles of arts, culture and heritage development and promotion.

Amongst others these national principles seek to ensure that:

• Human rights are respected by ensuring that all person, group and communities have the right to equal opportunities to participate in the arts and culture, to conserve and develop their cultural heritage.
• Freedom of Expression is upheld by ensuring that all persons are free to pursue their vision of artistic creativity without interference, victimization and censorship.
• Ensuring unhindered access to the means of artistic and cultural activity, information and enjoyment in both financial and geographical senses.
• Equitable distribution of resources to all forms of art and culture, with due regard to the specific needs of each art form is promoted.
• Redress is vigorously pursued by ensuring the correction of historical and existing imbalances through development, education, training and affirmative action with regard to race, gender, rural and urban considerations.
• National building remains the ultimate goal through fostering a sense of pride and knowledge in all aspects of South African culture, heritage and the arts.
• Diversity is maintained and enjoyed by ensuring the recognition of aesthetic pluralism and a diversity of artistic forms, within a multicultural context.

I am confident that with the launch of the advisory council, this is one of the first steps to turn Mogale City into a Cultural and Human rights City, where all our people will enjoy a better and sustainable quality of life.

I thank you.

• Speech by Mayor: launch of the Mogale City Arts and Heritage Advisory Coucil
• Speech by Mayor: Kagiso reservoir
• Speech by Mayor: 2004/2005 Budget
• Speech by Mayor: Mogale City's Youth Forum Workshop



• Speech by Mayor: unveiling of tombstones for Bimbo Madikela



• Speech by Mayor: SADC countries



• Speech by Mayor: Provision of education in the past decade



• Speech by Mayor: Oxygen for life



• Speech by Mayor: National Masters Baseball



• Speech by Mayor: launch of Mogale Foundation



• Speech by Mayor: Inaugural Mayoral Golf Day



• Speech by Mayor: Matric Farewell Function



• Speech by Mayor: Launching of the Empowerment Room



• Speech by Mayor: International Film Festival



• Speech by Mayor: International day of disabled persons



• Speech by Mayor: Mogale City's Enrichment Project



• Speech by Mayor: Research findings on drug and substance abuse---



• Speech by Mayor: Disabiblity Sports Event



• Speech by Mayor: Gala dinner in honour of Ace Ntsoelengoe



• Speech by Mayor: Mogale Chamber of Commerce and Industry



• Speech by Mayor: certificates for attending training



• Speech by Mayor: 14th West Rand Careers Exhibition



• Speech by Mayor: Bethany House Trust's Award ceremony



• Speech by Mayor: 20th Anniversary of Dr. Yusuf Mohammed Dadoo



• Speech by Mayor: 10 years of Freedom



• Speech by Mayor: 10th Anniversary of Carnivore



• Speech by Farouk Bhayaz: winter project



• Speech by Patrick "Ace" Ntsoelengoe: Lifetime Award



• Speech by Ace Ntsoelengoe: Ace Ntsoelengoe's honour



• Speech by Mayor: Mogale City honours Pule "Ace" Ntsoelengoe



• Official address at the opening of Council
  (26 February 2003)
  
  
• Senior citizens' luncheon



• Year-end message (2002)



• Message for Dikgang Tsa Mogale