Pretoria – A diverse spread of South Africans will be honoured at the upcoming Siyabakhumbula Tribute Awards.
The event will be held at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, on June 4.
Arts and Culture Minister, Paul Mashatile, will deliver the keynote address at the event which is intended to posthumously honour a number of extraordinary South Africans who changed the landscape of the country.
Among those being singled out at this year’s Siyabakhumbula Tribute Awards are Dr Allan Paton, novelist and author of Cry, The Beloved Country; Moffat Zungu, a photographer whose works shaped the way the world perceived South Africa; Hansie Cronje, South Africa’s famed cricket legend and Dr T W Khambule, a gifted mathematician.
The Siyabakhumbula Tribute Awards are received by family members of the honourees and cover many different areas of South African life including journalism, the arts, sports, administration and education.
Now in their second year, the awards were conceived after Vhutsila Arts Ensemble’s Mzwakhe Mbuli saw a need to pay homage to those South Africans who have played an important role in creating and building a democratic South Africa.
Both prominent and ordinary citizens are honoured in these posthumous awards. “Too often, people forget what they should remember, but remember what they should forget,” he said.
The Siyabakhumbula Awards are also being used to highlight the challenges faced by South Africa’s physically disabled citizens.
Presenters, performers, and honourees will demonstrate the fact that individuals with disabilities have as much a role to play in South Africa’s society as the able-bodied.
In order to maintain the level of integrity that the Siyabakhumbula Awards earned in the first year (2010), the awards are built around a consultative process with all the family members in terms of gathering facts and historical documents such as photographs, which also play a descriptive role in the ceremony.
The 2011 Siyabakhumbula Awards honourees include SA football administrator Solomon “Sticks” Morewa; author of Cry, The Beloved Country Dr Allan Paton; Acclaimed actor of Shaka Zulu fame Henry “Black Cat” Cele; Journalist Zodwa Mshibe; Former boxing champion Jacob Morake; Anthropologist Dr David Webster ; Popular radio and television presenter Cyril “Kansas City” Mchunu; Tsonga disco king Paul Ndlovu ; Gold medal winning long distance runner Matthews “Loop en val” Motshwarateu; Tap dancer Mad Joe Sennakgomo; Film and television personality Sam Williams; Saxophonist, Zakes Nkosi; Comedian Ndaba Mhlongo; Elliot Makhaya Entertainment journalist and editor; Scarra Sono, Soccer maestro and father of Jomo Sono; Boxing trainer; Theo Mthembu and Veteran actor and father of Tu and Marilyn Nokwe, Alfred Nokwe. -BuaNews
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