The late President Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” In that spirit the hour has struck for all students registered to seat for matric examinations to do so. This marks the culmination of 12 years of hard-work, perseverance and commitment. The final hurdle that ends the basic education chapter is here and new opportunities and challenges are within reach.

On behalf of Newcastle Municipality and the entire people of Newcastle, I wish to extend my well wishes to all those who would be seating for their matric examination. We have confidence in you that you will make us proud and produce results that would put our municipality and district on the map of excellence. We plead with you to work harder on your studies, to manage your time smartly and put entertainment on ice for the few weeks of exams so as to ensure that every moment of day is dedicated to your studies.

Matric serves as a gateway to multiple opportunities in life and affords those who succeed an opportunity to enter tertiary institutions to pursue a variety of careers that are pivotal for the socio-economic growth of our country. The success of Newcastle and Amajuba District rests on your shoulders and in you acquiring skills and knowledge that would impact the lives of our people positively.

I wish the class of 2017 all the best in your examinations and please make us proud!

Two awards were bestowed at the Newcastle Municipality when the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements hosted the Govan Mbeki Awards on the 14^th of September 2017, at the Greyville Convention Centre. Newcastle Municipality took to stage to accept the award for Best Accredited Municipality: Level 2, beating the City of Mhlathuzi Municipality, KwaDukuza Municipality and Alfred Duma Municipality. Newcastle Municipality also took second runner-up under the category; Best Rural Housing Project for the Khathide Phase ll Rural Housing Project.

Newcastle Municipality was awarded a Level 2 Housing Accreditation status in September 2012 which gave the municipality a full programme management and administration of housing programmes within its municipal area jurisdiction. This encompasses project planning, evaluation and approval, subsidy planning, registration and administration as well as ensuring technical quality assurance at construction stages of housing projects.

The Govan Mbeki Awards 2017 was hosted by the Honourable MEC Ravi Pillar and dignitaries from the Department of Human Settlements and KZN Municipalities. This was not the first time Newcastle Municipality took to stage to accept an award from the MEC of Human Settlements. In 2013, Newcastle Municipality won the Provincial Govan Mbeki Awards for the Best Level 2 Accredited Municipality in KZN and later was also awarded the status for the Best Level 2 Accredited Municipality at the National level at the Prestigious Awards held at the Gallagher Estate in June 2013. In 2016, the Municipality received first runner-up, sharing the award for Best Level 2 Accredited Municipality with eThekwini Municipality.

The Govan Mbeki Awards aim to promote a culture of excellence within the Human Settlements sector in the delivery of quality human settlements and dignity to communities. The awards are named after Govan Mbeki to acknowledge the role he played and the vision he had regarding the preservation of human dignity and the provision of human settlements for all.

This is one of the greatest achievements for Newcastle Municipality, we are committed in making a difference in terms of housing development and changing our people’s lives. We have greater plans as a municipality to deliver different housing opportunities to cater for all.

The Newcastle Municipality’s Culture and Amenities department hosted a two day heritage event celebration which kicked off with a heritage seminar for schools at the Newcastle Town Hall on the 14th of September 2017 and concluded with a heritage visual art exhibition on the 15th of September 2017 at the Newcastle Carnegie Art Gallery.

This heritage celebration was started in 2015, under CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND IGUGU LESIZWE in 2016, and this year, under the theme, “My Mirror/Isibuko Sami”, the main purpose of the event was to expose learners to the historical backgrounds and the significance of heritage in the country through visual art displays and presentations, other objectives include promoting social cohesion among diverse cultures and young explorers, tourism, Carnegie Art Gallery and other museums in South Africa.

The seminar featured presentations to educate the teachers, learners and visitors on the years of transitioning from colonialism and apartheid in which South Africa has progressed in realising a dream of building a non-racial, non-sexiest, united democratic prosperous nation. One of the presentations also touched on Dr Nelson Mandela and his liberation stalwarts who worked tirelessly and selflessly to build a rainbow nation, through truth and reconciliation and other initiatives to bridge the gap in creating a united South Africa.

“We have a rich history and heritage in South Africa which is collected, stored, protected and preserved in different museums such as natural, cultural, living, archaeological, ethnographical, art, indigenous knowledge, oral history, etc. Each and every tangible or intangible item collected in these museums has a story to tell about our early lives to the present. That knowledge needs to be nurtured and shared with the present generations so that they can pass it on to the next generation”, said Curator; Ms Phumzile Dlamini.

The visual art exhibition welcomed walkabouts and showcased visual artists from different backgrounds and a variety of artworks which included sculptures, paintings, textile and beadwork and performing arts (fashion design, music and poetry).

Newcastle Mayor; Adv EM Nkosi highlighted the role of visual art in a South African context. “We can say that the actual act of creating the visual imagery is informed by the community and that it is the community which will or must act as an audience. The development or underdevelopment of visual art in South Africa, in this century, was shaped by the factors that wield political power”.

Mayor also made reference to King Kong, An African Jazz which was the first all-Black South African musical, as an example of a visual art in musical. “The musical chronicles the rise and fall of champion boxer Ezekial ‘King Kong Dhlamini’. It helped create a new set of opportunities for Black South Africans in the arts and has taken South Africans theatre to new dimensions. This musical then assisted like all other artistic inventions, all South Africans to be in touch with their roots and the role they played in the invention of the modern world, he concluded.

 

THE KWAZULU-NATAL FILM COMISSION INVITES YOU TO AN INFORMATION SHARING SESSION ON TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

The Human Capital Development division will be hosting an Industry Development workshop. The aim of the workshop is to introduce the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission’s (KZNFZ) planned training programmes. The session will also cover bursary opportunities for studies in film and television.

All filmmakers in Amajuba district and surrounds are encouraged to attend!

Venue: Newcastle Show Hall (Council Chamber, known as Farmers Hall)

Address: Corner Hardwick and Allen Street, Newcastle

Time: 13h00

Date: Wednesday, 13 September 2017

RSVP: Mbali Makhoba

MbaliM@kwazulunatalfilm.co.za