Programme Director
Members of the Executive Council
Mayors and Councillors
All Government officials present
Family of the late Latlhi Mabilo
Members of the media
Ladies and Gentleman

I am very glad to be able to spend this morning in the company of such esteemed people albeit only for a short while. But it is a very important and occasion and one I am extremely honoured to be part of. It is always a special pleasure to be with colleagues, public servants, parents and my favourite kind of people, the youth.
Vandag is dit vir my 'n besonderse voorreg om nog 'n stap te neem in die behoud van ons geskiedenis van ons gevalle helde en heldinne en in dieselfde trant by te dra tot nasiebou. Vandag het ons die voorreg om in 'n vrye en nie-seksistiese demokratiese samelewing te bly, maar dit is belangrik dat ons moet onthou dat hierdie Vryheid het nie op ‘n skinkbord gekom. Dames en here, dit het ongelukkig teen ‘n baie hoë prys gekom.

Ladies and gentlemen, few things in life are as painful as losing one's child. Anyone who doubted that, had only to listen to the testimony of Latlhi Mabilo’s mother Mary, as she told her story to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The memory of the suffering, frail woman, like thousands of other mothers who appeared before the Truth Commission, still brings us as much pain as the inhumanity of her son's death.
Our people were subjected to the most inhumane treatment and most vile of human rights abuses. Despite all these crimes against humanity, great men and women rose with courage and conviction to fight not only an unjust system but to liberate all of us and free us from the shackles of Apartheid. Today, as part of commemorating of our heritage, we want to reflect on our past and value the journey of sacrifices made by those who have crossed our paths, and those who have gone before us.

Ladies and gentlemen, heritage is a loaded and powerful idea. It is rooted in a sense of history but it is also a concept of the future because when we think about the past, it will help us reflect in order to shape the future as we move forward.

Heritage then, is about the interrogation of our identity. It is about understanding the things that have made us what and who we are, as individuals and a society. By having that understanding, we no longer remain the passive victims of the time into which we were born. Instead, we can liberate ourselves and determine our own destiny.
 
We are privileged to understand these things now.  We are the beneficiaries of a legacy of ideas that helped us free ourselves and our country. But like all great movements, this revolution of the mind had its leaders. And we honour one of those leaders here today.

Like most of you, I did not know Latlhi personally. But all of us, I'm sure, wonder who he would be if he were alive today.
Would he have been a father, and an official himself and perhaps have worked at this very building that we are renaming in his honour. 
What we can say with certainty, is that Latlhi was a brave young man who believed in freedom and justice, and who fought for non-racialism and democracy.
Latlhi would have been proud to be citizen of a democratic South Africa, where all our cultures and religions are guaranteed by the constitution. He would have rejoiced in the fact that we concluded the transition from an oppressive system to the democracy we enjoy today. He would surely have been amongst the first to register and to partake in our first democratic elections and to mobilise others to do so, so that they can make their voice heard in 1994 and beyond.  
He would have encouraged the community to be active in the building of the new South Africa, and not to sit back and wait for government to do everything. Democracy brings us the opportunity to have a say over our lives, and we should do everything possible in partnership with government to tackle the problems of crime, poverty and injustice that still prevail. Latlhi would have encouraged those with skills to share them with the less privileged.
Today we pay tribute to a young man, who at the tender age of 20, was forced to leave his home and flee to Angola because he had been very vocal about the oppression suffered by our communities at the hands of Apartheid. He was a leader in true form and was one of the Founding Members of the Galeshewe Students Organization, GASO in 1985.

As a result of his bravery and courage, the Provincial Government deemed it necessary to honour him as part our unsung hero programme as we do with our all our struggle veterans. We will never be able to repay him for his sacrifice nor do his family who suffered many a sleepless night after every search for their son yielded no results. We however want to thank him for the role that he played in paving the way for us to enjoy a free, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa.

Ladies and gentlemen, as South Africans from all walks of life, we have a responsibility to respect and acknowledge the past, celebrate the present and build the future together.

Government has an extensive ongoing heritage programme that includes the upgrading and declaration of historic sites to ensure a more representative and inclusive South African history and heritage. More importantly, this also contributes towards shared values and a common national identity in the country.

Furthermore, the renaming of buildings, building and maintenance of new monuments and historic sites has a greater potential to stimulate economic activity and create much needed jobs in communities where these sites are located. These sites will also contribute towards cultural tourism both domestically and internationally.

As Government, we will continue to work together with the people of this Province and the world to ensure that we preserve and promote our rich cultural heritage. We regard this work as central towards transformation, nation building, national identity and building a socially cohesive South African society that is non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, united and prosperous.

Today we had the privilege to hear the rich history of a remarkable brave young man who sacrificed not only those near and dear to him but he was prepared to give up his own life for the liberation of others.

This new name should create a general feeling of belonging because it captures our history and creates a context of relevance. We are pleased therefore to Kick off Mandela Month Activities with such a historic event. This renaming today also marks a historical milestone in our heritage.
In honour of the memory of Latlhi Mabilo, the Mimosa Complex is herewith renamed as the Latlhi Mabilo Complex.
To the family and close relatives of Latlhi Mabilo I want to say that I am glad that on this day and through the working together of all stakeholders, we are able to honour him in such a small but very significant manner. May you find inner peace and be proud of the contributions made by this heroic young man. 

In conclusion ladies and gentlemen, this is the start of a reconciliation programme that tries to shape a better future from a divided past. It is by building, brick by brick, the Northern Cape of tomorrow that truly belongs to everyone. These are the bricks with which we build the most powerful parts of our heritage.

They are the people and ideas that made us who we are and that will help us move this beautiful Province of ours forward.
“There is no struggle without casualties”
We salute all our cadres who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
Long live Latlhi Mabilo
I thank you