Celebrating SA’S women of substance at BPI awards
ON SEPTEMBER 6, the Broad Pool of Ideas (BPI) held an awards ceremony. It was the first physical congregation of members after almost two-and-half years of Covid-19.
This after the pandemic created conditions for virtual congregations via information technology. However, in-person events are much more invigorating, enabling the flow of ideas non-stop.
I chatted to business guru Dr Hlengani Mathebula, chairperson of the awards proceedings, about the wealth and range of exchange on the BPI platform. In this library of exchange is the remaking of South Africa.
The BPI bestowed a spectrum of awards on women who had done things which in their own mind and opinion might have not been big, but in the eyes of observers have been life-changing to humanity.
Those nominated were people who have made significant contributions to the lives of others and inspired many. This is significant in our South African milieu, where corruption and greed are the order of the day.
Former first lady Mama Zanele Mbeki was in the “church” to hand over the awards.
On arrival at the parking lot in the basement, I had the pleasure of shaking hands with Justice Navi Pillay, who showered me with praises for my role as the former statistician-general. How do you reciprocate accolades with one whose lifetime contribution has been much larger than life to humanity, at their greatest moment of need?
For her lifetime contribution at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), the BPI recognised Justice Pillay. Mathebula hosted an insightful chat with her. And while she revealed her octogenarian status, she hardly looked it with her busy bee life!
Justice Pillay was moved by the experiences at the ICTR. In many instances, when victims were asked how many family members they had lost in the genocide, they would give numbers in the hundreds. This was the scale of disruption of village life in Rwanda.
Her insights into the commitment to rights and fight against gender-based violence and discrimination of victims of sexual violence on the basis of their sex has been extraordinary.
While appreciating the complexities facing other countries as well, Justice Pillay was scathing about the practice of politics in South Africa, yet hopeful about the country’s future.
Salukazi Hlongwane, who was my senior at the National University of Lesotho, and was later in the same department of Economic Affairs in Bophuthatswana as me, where she had a very short stint, was also a recipient.
Another leading light was Nolitha Fakude, the chairperson of Anglo American SA, who delivered a keynote address about the war in South Africa.
This as femicide and infanticide continues unabated, a blight on South Africa, and just as the nation celebrated Women’s Month in August. She challenged the BPI to speak out and act decisively against this scourge engulfing our country with no end in sight.
South Africa certainly has people, and especially women, of substance, who are very capable and ready to fix the maladies that our dismal political governance has plunged us skull-first into. They are in justice, business, sports, education and more.