South African History Online

Address by President Nelson Mandela at the Annual Gold Award ceremony of the
President't award

Pretoria, 25 November 1994

Minister Glover,
Premiers of the Eastern Cape and Northern
Transvaal;
Craig Andrew;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and
Gentlemen;
Recipients of the Gold Award.

Tonight's Annual Gold Award ceremony is unlike any previous one. It is the
first year that the programme under which the awards are made has been known as
the President's Award programme. And that is because it is the first such
ceremony since our country became a democracy.

Thus we are celebrating effort and self-improvement amongst young people, at
the very moment that our country as a whole is transforming itself. It is a
joyous occasion and I feel most privileged to be sharing it with you. I should
add that for someone of my age, the experience of being amongst so many young
people, representatives of the future, is a rare and invigorating one!

As Patron-in-Chief of the President's Award programme, I would like to
compliment those who organised this impressive event. I would also like to thank
those people and organisations, many of them represented here tonight, whose
support has made the success of the programme possible. But above all tonight
belongs to the young people receiving the Gold Award. Your efforts and your
success in developing your own potential are an example to all of us: to your
friends; to your communities; and to the nation as a whole. Some of you have had
to contend with extremely difficult, and indeed daunting, circumstances. You had
to assert your own worth from the margins to which society had pushed you.

The reconstruction and development of our country, which is aimed at bringing
a better life for all South Africans, requires of every person and institution
the qualities which your have displayed.

Ladies and gentlemen

Our country needs enterprise, initiative, courage and compassion.

It needs the active involvement of disadvantaged communities in their own
upliftment. That is the key to the success of the Reconstruction and Development
Programme. There is no other way. That is why we are all so eagerly awaiting the
local government elections which will give communities the means to take their
own local affairs in hand.

South Africa needs all its people and all its communities to work together
with others in pursuit of common goals. None of the goals we have set ourselves
as a nation can be achieved by any one group or sector of society on its own.

Changing our society as a whole, in order to address the basic needs of
especially the poor, requires of each and every community and institution that
it changes itself in order to free itself from the constraints of the past. All
of us can then contribute our energies and the best of our potential to building
our country.

There can be no process more important for the future of South Africa than
the realisation of the potential of our youth. Freedom would be hollow if it did
not bring about their liberation from the heavy weight that restrained their
energy, dampened their enthusiasm for life and cast an angry shadow on their
self-esteem.

By convincing so many young people that they have the power to change their
circumstances and their lives, the President's Award programme is making a very
important contribution to realising the potential of our youth.

The growth and transformation of the President's Award programme itself over
recent year points the way forward for other organisations and institutions
still struggling to break free from the past. May you plans for expanded
activity come to fruition. We need you.

We also need the continued support of those who have made the work of the
programme possible, whether it has been through financial assistance, the
voluntary giving of your time and skills, or dedication.

We are encouraged by the presence here tonight of the distinguished Minister
of Sport of Mauritius. We welcome you and hope that your visit to South Africa
is pleasant one. Strengthening the sporting ties between our two countries can
only contribute to the development of young people in both South Africa and
Mauritius.

In conclusion, may I say to all those who are about to receive their Gold
Awards: Congratulations. We are proud of you. May this award inspire you to
continue in your efforts to draw the most out of yourselves and to encourage
others to do the same. In so doing, you will be helping to build our country.

Issued by: The Office of the President