Item 1070 - Address at Opening of Mandela House (now the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory)

TRANSCRIPT

Ministers
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Friends
Ladies and Gentlemen

All that remains for me is the pleasant task of thanking you for attending this evening's event.

My staff want to make sure that I have no real speaking opportunity because they are not sure what I shall be saying if they give me too much of an opportunity. So I shall spare their nerves and be very brief.

We are indeed very honoured by your presence here tonight. Your attendance at this occasion signals to us your support for our Foundation and for the work it does and the values it seeks to represent and promote.

It is your support and contributions that make us proud to launch this building as the home of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. My colleagues have spoken about the processes and the planning that led up to this event. We can only say how thankful we are that the Foundation can now have this well-functioning and beautiful building from which to operate. We trust that the quality of work we perform will match the beauty and efficiency of the building.

Many have contributed in various ways to this building and we thank each and every one of you. We need to particularly mention the Government of India, represented here tonight by the High Commissioner, for its generous contribution to the building costs. And in the same vein, the Rhodes Trust - represented tonight by its Chief Executive Officer - for its contribution, also as a concrete step towards consolidating the Mandela-Rhodes Trust.

I cannot conclude this formal part of events without noting that this day is one on which an entire nation mourns the passing of one of its greatest sons and leaders, Walter Sisulu.

As we have so often observed: many of us had gained positions, received honours and accolades and had been acclaimed in many places. None of us, however, can match the leadership and the humanity of this man, Walter Sisulu, who chose not to draw upon himself the spotlight but always built and praised others. When there was work and battle to be done, he was in the forefront. When acclaim was offered, he stood back.

Tonight once more a building is named after one of us. We know that Walter deserved these acclaims more than all of us put together. It is in remembrance of that, too, that we open this building.

I NOW DECLARE THE MANDELA HOUSE OFFICIALLY OPENED.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Note: 107 Central Street, the premises of the NMF is no longer called Mandela House. It is now the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory