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| Ms Hellen Manakedi Ntlatleng |
Year-End Function 2011
December 2011
Members of Council present, Management, ladies and gentlemen - a very
good afternoon. Thanks for honouring the invitation and giving us the
opportunity to say to you "goodbye and thank you". I hope this is
not a connotation of the last supper - we are here to "kiss and say
goodbye." A kiss is something that is the seal of approval. You
guys always felt that getting the first kiss from a young lady was the start
of something great. A kiss is usually how you greet your beloved ones. It is
how you say good night to your children - with a hope of seeing them the
following day. Learn to love, leave and live your life as God intended. That
is the reason we are here this afternoon to "kiss and say
goodbye".
Over my life I have learned a few things - I decide to be happy and the
rest is a matter of circumstances. Happiness will always be found in
forgiveness and loving yourself and others. It is nobody's responsibility to
make me happy. Ladies and gentlemen I am happy to be the torch bearer of
EWC without reservations.
Let me thank you most sincerely for the comradely manner in which we have
worked together and are still, the openness of our debates, the friendship
among ourselves which we enjoy, and your firm commitment to the realisation
of the goals which is dictated by reality. You have placed and demonstrated
confidence and patriotism to me as the leader of the Executive Management of
the college. Please accept my humbly thanks to you for this- I would like to
assure you that I have respect for you.
I would also like to thank you for the contribution you have made in
achieving our vision………. "to be the leading college in South
Africa." I know some might not agree with us or have a different
view to this - I nevertheless thank you.
I always emphasize that we have consciously and voluntarily
joined this college - I wish to thank you for not shying away when faced
with challenges and thanks to the management for sticking together even when
things were tough. We have made mistakes as Management of the college and
the only way we could have avoided these mistakes would have been if we had
done nothing. In this context, I am open to criticism and self - criticism,
precisely to ensure that we can identify whatever mistakes that might have
occurred and correct them.
I am aware of the reality that some in the college are convinced that
some actions are deliberate. This is what makes us "tried and
tested" soldiers of our time. I know that it would be hard and
painful to Management to accept such unfair criticism - it is as painful
as the phantom pain of an amputee.
Ladies and gentlemen I wish to adopt this posture not out of arrogance or
self - satisfaction to say I am proud of what we have done as a college - I
am proud of the manner in which the college function. I am happy and feel
privileged to have the possibility to work as part of such a collective. We
have indeed proved through our deeds not our words that we are true
revolutionaries.
Let us continue to walk the long and hard road to freedom. We are aware
that there is "sugar candy mountain" at the end, but the road is
not smooth and short, it needs perseverance.
The students have just finished writing examinations and some of us have
finished marking. Thanks once more to the hard - work displayed at the
marking centre - it did not go unnoticed. This will assist us in zero
tolerance to pending results. A few of us had to go to Marabastad to
sort out such problems and the experience is not exciting.
Thanks for finishing the claims of the DHET bursaries - it was another
long road we travelled with serious pains. We have learnt some lessons and
hope in 2012 we will do it better and smarter - this is one way of
serving masses of the college.
We have at last started with buildings of Boksburg and Tembisa which are
long overdue - I hope in 9 months time we will receive them happily so. We
are trying hard to do a general maintenance of the whole college to have
happy students, who will make happy staff, then happy Management, happy
council and a happy community at the end.
As we prepare to go home to rest join me in thanking the Lord for keeping
us alive and safe through 2011 year. My sincere thanks to my beautiful PA,
Tebogo Marema, for keeping with me and work at the office - she has grown
amazingly so to be a professional person that I also admire. Give my humbly
thanks to your families that have supported you in enabling you to perform
the outstanding public service - for which I am sincerely thankful. Let us
also remember our colleagues who have passed on during these times.
Kea leboga! Merry Christmas and happy New Year!
Hellen Manakedi Ntlatleng -
Principal
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