PREMIER'S SPEECH
Master of ceremonies
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen.
I feel extremely honoured for having been invited to address this gathering today. When I received the invitation to speak here I accepted. Not because I thought I was the best person to speak on the topic.
No, I accepted because my passion for motivational talks is deeply rooted.
That' s why I would, first of all, like to thank the messengers of God for having humbled themselves by taking time off from other important engagements to be with us here today.
I say this not to conform to routine, but because I genuinely believe that it is important, always, to give thanks to the Creator for the little mercies – for being able to be part of this wonderful miracle that is South Africa.
A few years ago many people the world over believed that our country was going to explode – to become an inferno.
It was not through our wisdom and designs that we came back from the brink of total chaos, disaster and mayhem to produce what must surely be the miracle of the century – if not of the millennium.
Let us praise the Almighty for that. I warmly welcome the commitment made by you that you will guide us and pray for the provincial and national government leaders. Your appeal for closer co-operation cannot and will not be ignored or brushed aside.
So strong is your commitment to working with us that some of your members sacrificed watching the Bafana Bafana game against Nigeria tonight to be with us.
Dr Tibane, thanks for your inspiring talk, Your words of wisdom deeply enriched us. And for that we will forever be grateful.
I have on several occasions expressed the wish that there should be greater co-operation between government and other organs of civil society: Business, academics, burial societies, chiefs and traditional leaders, religious leaders etc.
Government can only succeed in partnership with the people. This means a government that is in daily and respected contact with the people; a government that listens and learns from people.
It means communities that take full responsibility for their upliftment in partnership with government . It requires discipline and responsibility at work and at leisure.
Everywhere, a New Patriotism must make itself felt among citizens who care for one another; citizens who build one another; citizens driven by new morality in the public and private sectors.
We look up to you to lead the moral regeneration that will result in us as human beings behaving and acting like people made in the image of the Almighty.
Through your prayers you should lead the fight against crime, corruption, human greed, violence against women and children and the fight against HIV/Aids.
Master of Ceremonies, you asked me to give a motivational talk or at least say something motivational. It reminds me of the man who every Sunday in church would shout out, “lord please use me”.
The priest, realising how motivated this person was, asked him to paint the church benches. A week later the man was back in church. This time he was shouting, “Lord please use me in an advisory capacity.”
I always say that one can only create a beautiful painting, a symphony or doing any kind of work well if one is motivated and dedicated.
David did not become great when he slew Goliath. He became great at the moment he decided to try.
The secret is to find something positive in everything that happens, and keep going. It is not how hard you fall that counts but how often you stand up. As it is said, I would rather be on the side of a man who has lost and came back than on the side of a man who has tasted only known victory.
A small glowing amber in your heart can only become a raging furnace when you stoke it with stories of people who experienced of success. Faith is the most powerful driving force. Faith in a creator mightier than ourselves gives direction, momentum and a sense of responsibility to our existence.
On the other hand wisdom is to have the appropriate knowledge for a specific set of circumstances at a given point in time. Judgment is the ability to judge soundly in whatever you plan – whether it is your future and improving on your past performance.
Sound judgment is a prerequisite to achieve optimum utilisation of people and natural assets.
When a horses comes first in a race its owner gets paid R100 000. The scale slides to R50 000 for second and R10 000 for third. But we have all seen things called photo-finishes. This means the winner can only be decided by looking at slow-motion photographs.
Do you think the horse in front is ten times better than the one that came third?
For only being a fraction better let's meet the challenge. Let's be a fraction better from now on. Let's get motivated.
William Wordsworth said: “The heights that great men reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight, but those while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night”.
That's why I call upon you, people of God, to become the people that the time in which we are living demands of us. We need strong minds, strong hearts and true grit
We can and must get the country and the province back to work. But we need men and women who can stand before the agitator and damn his treacherous lies. We need people who the spoils of crime cannot buy.
We need people with honour, who respect the rule of law and justice so that we can once again live without fear and apprehension in this wonderful province of ours,
We must do more than just exist – we must live
We must do more than just touch – we must feel for one another
We must do more than just look – we must see the other person's view.
We must do more than just hear – we must listen to the cry of our people. Listen
to what they are saying.
We must do more than just speak we must say something meaningful and
constructive.
We are privileged to be living in the most exciting times in the history of our
country.
Because we are motivated we can be used for a greater purpose than ourselves. We must, however, always recognise that life is a journey not a parking garage. Life is for growth, for movement, for purpose and for achievement – not for ourselves only but also for those less privileged than us.
Ask not what your province can do for you, but rather what you can do for Mpumalanga and for the country. As you leave to go and administer to the flock out there remember to keep us in your prayers.
Pray for those civil servants, government officials, MECs and other components of government to execute their duties with due regard for the creation of a better life for all our people.
I thank you.