The great father of our nation, Nelson Mandela, once said: ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’
Today we are doing our part to continue his legacy and carry on the work started by Tata Madiba in serving the people and especially the children of our beautiful country.
Learners at Uitsig Primary will soon be reading their books in a new mini-library that opened today.
I joined Ward Councillor Beverley van Reenen at the school where we painted the library.
Staff from my office, the school and Sakh’ikhaya construction assisted in decorating the library which will serve as a new hub of learning for pupils at the school.
The handover today follows a visit to Uitsig a few months ago when I was made aware of a need for a library as the existing one was small and cramped.
The City of Cape Town donated a container that has been converted into a library. A section of container will be adapted into a reading room to help improve the learners’ literacy levels.
Van Schaik Bookstore has also made a donation of books to populate the library.
I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Van Schaik for their generosity and to Councillor Van Reenen for initiating this project and getting so many sponsors involved.
A big thank you also goes to the various businesses and residents who have given their time and resources to make this possible for the learners of Uitsig Primary.
I also extend my great appreciation some private sector partners including Mackie Hardware in Maitland, Amcor, SAF, Simba and Pepsico for their contribution to the school. Their assistance will go a long way in improving the lives of the children of Uitsig.
I’m also very proud of the staff in my office who have made personal donations to ensure that the little ones at the school enjoy a treat as we celebrate 100 years since the birth of Madiba.
This is in the spirit of Mandela Day where South Africans give what they can to help those less fortunate.
Each year, in celebrating the 67 years of service and sacrifice for our country by former president Nelson Mandela, our country comes together to give their time for charitable causes.
This work goes hand-in-hand with the City of Cape Town’s efforts to build a caring city which encourages partnerships with community organisations, and underpins the ethos of making progress possible together.
Each year in July we see a marked increase in volunteerism to improve the lives of the most vulnerable in our communities. However, I want to make a call to all of us to make this an everyday occurrence.
In this way we can honour Tata Madiba and emulate the values he lived by in dedicating his life to serving others. We must all go beyond the 67 minutes and Mandela Month to do even more for those in need.
In doing so, we will make greater strides in building the country he fought for and dreamt of and ensure that more people taste the fruits of our democracy.