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Master of ceremonies;
Minister of education, Prof. Kader Asmal;
Premiers present tonight;
Governor Yokoyama;
Ambassadors;
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a great honour to join you tonight in acknowledging the achievements of our award winners. I am particularly pleased to be a part of the celebration of a relentless pursuit and commitment to the upliftment of fellow South Africans through education.

In the past five years, this awards ceremony has blossomed into a truly fitting celebratory tribute to the most outstanding members of our country's education fraternity. Selected from hundreds of entries, our finalists come from 45 organisations, schools, and businesses, ranging from well-established institutions, to remote farm schools. They represent the entire spectrum of South African society, but more than that, they represent ordinary men and women.

They represent people in our society who are motivated on a daily basis by a conscience that is not silenced by the desire for material rewards, and who are achieving the extraordinary - an education renaissance in our country.

This is what our country most desperately needs on the cusp of a new century. Earlier this year, a question was asked whether our education system is indeed on the road to the 21st century. In response to this our Minister of Education, issued a call to action, for all South Africans to mobilise and to build a South African Education and Training system for the 21st Century.

To take action and travel this road to renaissance will require initiative and commitment of the kind that has been demonstrated by our finalists and especially by our winners tonight. South Africa, as a nation, needs to lead the way for the rest of Africa, so that together we might bring our continent into the next century as a fully-fledged, economically self-sufficient member of the global village.

Our journey towards educational rebirth in South Africa must begin with addressing the most basic educational needs of the citizens of our country. Early childhood education, adult basic education, training and education for people with special educational needs - these three areas which I will award on behalf of our President tonight, are priorities in this quest.

Ladies and Gentlemen it is now an accepted fact that government on its own cannot achieve all the educational goals that we have set for our nation.

What is needed therefore is for us all to continue to harness the energies of business; non-governmental organisations and community organisations in the ongoing transformation of education so that all may be freed from the shackles of ignorance.

I would like to reiterate the challenge made by former President Mandela at a similar ceremony two years ago, to work together with us and to be a part of the success story that our country is bound to be if we all pull together.

We are gathered this evening in the name of the advancement of education; to provide evidence of the wisdom to be found in utilising the collective energies of a nation of wonderfully diverse and resourceful people. It is appropriate to recognise businesses of all sizes that are committed to this goal and have contributed in various ways towards its attainment.

It is also important to recognise the efforts of the people, in each of the provinces, who form part of our nation's collective desire for positive change and advancement in education.

Over the years these awards have become an annual testament to progressive change being accomplished in South Africa and rightly so. I commend Education Africa's commitment to these Awards and look forward to working with them under the leadership of Professor Kader Asmal. I hope to see the Awards continue to grow in years to come.

In conclusion, I also commend tonight's sponsors, Educor, Financial Mail, Iscor, SABC and Telkom. They continue to serve as a shining example of what can be achieved if we all play a part in the betterment of our country and its citizens.

Ladies and Gentlemen, our best strategies for the general improvement of our lives will, in the long run, come to nothing if we do not invest in the future of our country, in this instance through education - thus ensuring the continued development and success of our nation.

I now invite you all to enjoy this evening that celebrates above all, in the spirit of a renaissance, hope for millions of South Africans yearning for the possibility of attaining a better life for themselves.

I thank you.