Corporate Social Review Magazine 1st Quarter 2013 | Page 49

MESSAGE OF SUPPORT
From the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Black Lawyers
Association-Legal Education Centre
We started in 1984 as a small group of legal professional volunteers who were concerned
about the community and their access to justice. Since that inception, thousands of legal
professionals, students and leaders have benefited from the services of the centre.
The Centre’s efforts have raised public awareness by improving access to the legal
profession as well as justice for the historically disadvantaged people, and promoting
the rule of law in South Africa. We have provided legal assistance for the public interest
at no cost to individuals, vulnerable groups, and rural poor in need of such assistance
and also generated legal education and legal research.
In support of the National Lotteries Board, I pledge the Board’s commitment to include
programmes that are aimed at promoting capacity building and supporting ordinary
community initiatives not just to the legal professionals.
Adv. Mc Caps Motimele SC.

Message to the National
Lottery Board, from the Head
Judge of the NGO Awards
Mr. Oscar Churchill Motsepe
When I was first approached
by the National Lottery Board’s
Non-Government Organisations
Awards Committee to be invited
as a member of their judging
team for the first ever NGO
Awards, many questions went
through my mind.
I was humbled yet excited to be
included in an initiative that could
bring about change in the social
sector of South Africa. I was even
more surprised when the panel of
judges at the end of our meeting
decided that I should head the delegation.
I am so glad that finally this stepchild of our society has received
a platform where all the hard work, commitment and dedication
of these extremely special members of our society will begin to
receive the recognition they deserve, as a first step to bring us
on par with the global perspective on social issues.
On the evening of the awards I recalled the question I had initially
asked myself: Is it possible to give recognition to one NGO
above the other when everyone is doing something so important
and so worthy of recognition and reward? Is any single deed
‘better’ than another when every deed is an act of kindness that
changes the world?
The National Lottery Board’s Vision for the NGO sector is to
work towards sustainable NGOs that can ultimately develop or
generate their own funding streams and act as mentors for other
smaller NGOs.

I see the growth and development of the NGO awards in South
Africa of critical importance with great motivational potential
for growth and sustainability of all NGOs in this sector. The
NGO awards are not only a pat on the back, they are not just
a ‘well done’ … they are a bench mark for good governance
and compliance and as such they perfectly align with the
Government’s own National Development Plan.
After much deliberation there was only one way that we as a team
of judges could make this happen. We needed to look forward to
the future of NGOs in SA. We needed to consider the invaluable
contribution that NGOs bring to different sectors of civil society,
business and government. We needed to look at sustainable
growth and development within the sector. We need to consider
a standard on Corporate Governance and Compliance, then we
need to realize that by rewarding one, we are recognizing all.
One need to understand that the standards we set, the criteria
we established and the behavior we encouraged would help to
encourage growth, sustainability and development within this
sector for years to come.
Well done to Prof Nevhutanda and his team at the National
lotteries Board for having the vision and taking the initiative to
make this a reality – I am proud to be associated the NLB NGO
Awards 2013 and look forward to contributing more in the future.
The National Lottery Board initiated the NLB Awards to
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Provide a National platform from which to promote
good standards and practices in governance, resource
mobilization, transparency and accountability;
Recognize and celebrate success and excellence in the
NGO sector;
Strengthen civil society through recognizing best practice;
Promote credibility and trust in this sector on the long-term;
Promote examples and inspiration to other NGO’s and share
learning experiences;
Strengthen and Identify successful funding programs.

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