By Matefu Mokoena
It was a night of glitz and glamour at Cornelia Town Hall this past Saturday. And, the occasion was the First Annual Cornelia Leaders Awards.
The night was filled with ecstasy, celebrations, ululations, dance, music, poetry and Scriptural motivations before culminating into the presenting of awards to various leaders of this little town of the Northern Part of the Free State, popularly known as Ntswanatsatsi.
This little town of Ntswanatsatsi, Cornelia, lived up to the words of the then basketball player John Wooden who once said, “Little things make big things happen.” Indeed, big things happened in this little Free State town over the weekend.
The purpose of these awards was to recognise, celebrate and honour leaders in Ntswanatsatsi. There were six categories of the awards, which were:
- Youth Leader of the year
- Business Leader of the year
- Community Leader of the year
- Academic Leader of the year
- Religious Leader of the year
- Lifetime Achievement
The awards are the brainchild of Well of Life Movement and the convenors were Pastor Jacob Mabote, Apostle Nhlanhla Khoza and Evangelist Isaac Radebe, who is a well-known Ntswanatsatsi citizen and former Municipal Manager of Mafube Local Municipality.
Outlining the purpose of the event, Mabote said the vision of the awards is to recognise, celebrate and award leaders who impact lives and make difference in their communities.
“If you don’t celebrate your successes, the enemy will always remind you of your failures. We believe this vision will change many lives here in Cornelia. This is our first awards and our intention is to host them annually. Next year we want to start involving the community as early as possible to nominate leaders in the various award categories.”
Joy and jubilation hung in the atmosphere as winners ascended the stage to receive awards. Also honoured and recognised posthumously were some of the late teachers and pastors of the area, who contributed immensely to the development of the town while they were still alive.
Adding the flavour to the event was the rendition of melodious items by two local girls-only musical groups called Dimomotela and Dinaledi tsa Bokamoso. These groups brought the house to its feet with their powerful and lively performances.
The event culminated in the presentation of the awards. The first award to be presented was that of the Youth Leader of the year and it was scooped by Teboho Mphuthi. He was followed by Tumelo Tsotetsi, who was presented with the Business Leader of the Year award.
Accepting the award, Mphuthi said: “God is great. Thanks to the organisers. I thought it will be my peers, the young people, who will recognise and honour me but to my surprise I am being given recognition by the Well of Life Movement. I am so much grateful.”
The Community Leader of the year award went to Motlalepula Tsotetsi while the Academic Leader of the year award was scooped by two teachers, Dimakatso Mhlambi and Jabulane Ndlebe.
Mhlambi, a Grade 1 teacher, had previously been given recognition as the best Foundation Phase educator.
“I worked tirelessly and God gave me strength and ideas. Parents were also happy with my work. Some of the parents I taught them and their children as well,” she said.
The fifth award to be presented was that of the Religious Leader of the year, which was lifted by Reverend Petros Tsotetsi.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Selina Skhosana, who spearheaded a community development organisation in the area.
“We started with baking fat cakes using a primus stove. I worked with women, who had their own personal problems, and God gave me strength as well as the courage to speak to them and to encourage them. I am grateful to God who has been with me through all these years,” she said.
At the end of it all it was a night never to be forgotten. In his vote of thanks, Evangelist Radebe said many a towns – small and big – will learn a lesson from the little town of Ntswanatsatsi, Cornelia.
