[ Home ] [ Speeches & statements ]

5 September 2008

Programme Director
Management of the Department
Ladies and gentlemen

I would like to thank you for inviting us to this most wonderful of shows. The Pretoria Show has been going on for a long time and I see that it is still growing strong after all these years. It is interesting to note that this event started off as an agricultural show where only farming implements were exhibited. But like everything that needs to grow, the Pretoria Show has grown to be an all-encompassing event that really caters for everyone and anyone who has something to show off. That growth has ensured that it has survived through all these years.

Growth means evolving, taking different forms and shapes in order to survive and remain relevant. I am happy to see that we have made this commitment as a department to always exhibit at these big public events. The need to remain relevant and known to the larger public has been the main reason, I assume, that has made our departmental officials in communications to come and exhibit at this event and the Rand Easter Show. Even though the department is not really selling anything to the public, we need to remain relevant and known to our customers and clients which is the South African public. We need to justify our pay off line that says: South Africa works because of public works. People need to know what we mean by that and standing here and exhibiting our services ensures that the people know that we exist and we have a particular mandate that we discharge on a daily basis.

We may not be selling anything but we certainly need to advertise ourselves. I am sure that our advertising ourselves and our services is not in vain as I have been told that our exhibition stands, both here at the Pretoria Show and the Rand Show always prove to be very popular with other exhibitors as well as the larger public. I know that we have won a number of awards as the best stands both here and at the Rand Show. So we definitely rock as public works.

I would like to thank all our staff members who have dedicated their time and effort to man or should that be staff, our exhibition stand in the last two weeks. Your effort is valued by the ministry and the management of the department. Your work is very important in keeping the public informed about the department, its programmes as well as objectives.

Congratulations on a job well done. We are proud of you.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Public Works
5 September 2008