Minister Anroux Marais' Speech at the DCAS Long Service Awards

WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPORT, ANROUX MARAIS

2019 LONG SERVICE AWARDS

8 MARCH 2018

Good evening, molweni, goeienaand

It gives me great pleasure to present the Long Service Awards to deserving officials of our award-winning department.

This ceremony serves to celebrate and honour long serving officials for loyalty, commitment, dedication and their significant contribution to our vision of a socially inclusive, creative, active and connected Western Cape.

Dis vir my ’n eer en voorreg om die Langdiens-toekenning aan hierdie buitengewone staatsamptenare te oorhandig, want dis simbolies van die Wes-Kaapse Regering se opregte waardering vir u bydrae tot ons visie om goeie regering en geïntigreerde dienslewering in te sluit. Die 10 – 40 jaar diens is inderdaad ’n verpersoonliking van passie, deursettingsvermoë en die wil om betekenisvolle verandering in die lewens van die mense van ons provinsie te weeg te bring. U uitstekende voorbeeld in die kunste, taal, kultuur, sport, biblioteke, argiewe en museums is niks minder as inspirerend. Hiermee my opregte dank vir u kosbare tyd en die professionele manier waarop u pligsgetrou ’n bydrae gelewer het om te help om die Wes-Kaap Beter Tesame te maak.

Through cultural affairs and sport, this department offers and delivers services which affords our province the opportunities to escape the cycles of poverty thriving in our communities. Our department makes a significant difference in bringing about positive change to our communities. We improve the self-esteem of our youth and identify in them talents they would otherwise not explore. The nature of our business plays a powerful role in shaping, framing, communicating and influencing the future. In fact, according to the South African Cultural Observatory, “it is our responsibility to reflect, question, resist, review and rebuild when and where necessary. In short, it is our duty to reimagine the future”. Our department has made great strides in implementing a reimagined future in trying times, but there will be no department and we would not be as fundamental without our hardworking and loyal officials.

Those receiving awards tonight, you are this department and I hope you have realised that over these 10 – 40 years of public service, you have made a meaningful difference in the lives of others and you can be rest assured that you have significantly contributed to the reimagining and implantation of a better future against all odds and challenging circumstances. For that, I am profusely grateful to you.

Vince Lombardi once said, “individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work”. The success of our department and the long service of all those receiving awards tonight are testament to these words.

I thank you.