Address By The Premier Of The Northern Cape, Ms Sylvia Lucas, On The Occasion Of The Roadshow Of The Motsepe Foundation, At The Gasegonyana Banquet Hall, 20 June 2013

Programme Director's
MEC's Present
Mayors and Councillors
Chairman and Founder of the Motsepe Foundation,
Mr. Patrice Motsepe
Trustees of the Motsepe Foundation
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to attend today's road show and witness the historic step and the determination by the Motsepe Foundation to improve the lives of our people. We salute Mr Motsepe for being an outstanding South African to share the proceeds of his hard earned business interests with the poor South Africans through the Motsepe Foundation.

We believe that this gesture of philanthropy will assist many destitute South Africans to experience some relief that compliments government initiative through the social safety net that has been a policy instrument to mitigate poverty and indigency. We hope that this gesture of generosity will send a clear message to our corporate citizenry of responsive consciousness in building cohesion and collaborative development.

Indeed Ladies and Gentlemen, the Motsepe Foundation has vowed to inspire our people to act in unison and help find solutions communities with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. I would like to convey my sincere appreciation for the efforts and dedication of the Foundation which will give new life to ordinary South Africans. As government we are indeed very grateful and encouraged by the goodwill gestures of the Motsepe Foundation to improve the lifestyles and living conditions of the poor, disabled, unemployed, women, youth, workers and marginalised South Africans.

This laudable initiative by the Motsepe Foundation is testament to what can be achieved when government, business and communities work
together to give hope and promise to build a better and brighter future for all our people. We believe that business is an essential partner in
development and in confronting socio-economic challenges like poverty and unemployment. The approach to address our social problems is based on the common
recognition by our social partners that we need to address underdevelopment, create more jobs for our people and help improve
the quality of life of all South Africans especially the poor and marginalise sectors of our society.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are confident that these laudable efforts will significantly impact on the lives of our people especially the poor, the
youth, women and people with disabilities. The benefits that will be derived from this initiative will reach many more
people through sustainable, decent work and economic opportunities, rural development, climate change, health and education etc.
I want to thank the Motsepe Foundation for stepping up to the plate in a time of great need. The charitable sector is an important and fascinating
one, economically, socially and culturally. Everyone of the world's great religions emphasizes the moral imperative of charitable giving. There is
no code of ethics, whether religiously based or secular, that does not mandate the strong to look after the weak. The work that you have set out to do is vitally important and will undoubtedly contribute and advance social upliftment of our communities. Being kind and generous in helping others is the common
merits deep-rooted in the culture of our African society. There's a proverb that goes like this, 'Give a man a fish; feed him for a day. Teach
a man to fish; feed him for a lifetime'.

This is exactly what the Foundation committed itself to accomplish. Our communities, especially in the underdeveloped rural areas require
an array of amenities that support the social fabric of the societies they live in and build the capabilities of community residents.
The Motsepe Foundation will complement our efforts to help transform the lives of those with disabilities who have not yet been given such
opportunity to be nurtured and their everyday lives made much more convenient, productive and enjoyable.

It will also afford our young people ample opportunities to transform their lives and become productive and responsible citizens who will contribute
to the wellbeing of our society. It will further help empower the women of our society to play a meaningful and integrated role in all spheres of society.
It commits in particular to improve education and training opportunities for our young people, who represent the future of our country. On the other, long-run economic development and growth, which is a core interest for all these parties, can only be sustained if more people, and especially more ordinary South Africans, see the benefits. None of us can hope for a peaceful, united and prosperous South Africa unless we work together.

Programme Director, I wish to take this opportunity to encourage all the members of our society to make use and grab the countless opportunities that this Foundation presents to us. It will certainly change lives from that of despair to one of hope. I am confident that this Foundation will make a meaningful difference in our circumstances no matter where we live.

My personal appreciation of the importance of charity comes from my Christian family background that shaped me. To help others is a
vocation and a calling. And I wish you the very best in your future pursuits of your noble goals. With that in mind, Mr Patrice Motsepe and his family should be lauded
for exemplary leadership that can be seen as reflecting new realism and the role of business in their social commitment to eradicating deep seated poverty that confronts under developed countries.

I am confident that with the insights you provide, together with the opportunities to learn from the experiences of other communities, you
will be better prepared and thus more successful in meeting the very difficult challenges our communities face.

I thank you