Pictured H.E. Bruce Koloane Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa.
By Roy Lie A Tjam.
Freedom Day (27th April) is a national public holiday in South Africa that serves to celebrate the country’s first democratic post-Apartheid elections, held in 1994. In fact, it celebrates South Africa’s unique constitution and democratic freedom, guaranteeing all those within the South African border freedom from the hatred and oppression that ruled the past.
Freedom, it is precisely for this reason that H.E. Bruce Koloane Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa in the Netherlands invited fellow Ambassadors, dignitaries and many others to the Marriott Hotel in The Hague on the 29th April 2016, to celebrate Freedom Day.
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The turnout was huge and Ambassador Koloane particularly highlighted the presence of the MFA Director of Protocol and ICC prosecutor.
Moreover, he thanked the Netherlands for standing by South-Africa during the challenging years of the apartheid and the positive relationship between South-Africa and the Netherlands. This is demonstrated by Dutch investments in South Africa.
From a political viewpoint, Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s visit to South-Africa in November 2015 and the visit of South-Africa’s Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Netherlands also in 2015. A MOU has been signed which resulted in visits at Ministerial level.
The evening’s program featured: live music by Modern Jazz Association, dance by choreographer Kirvan Fortuin and poetry by Dianna Ferrus, a South African writer, poet and storyteller. In conclusion, an excellent South-African buffet followed which enriched the celebrations.
Inauguration of a South African Art Exhibition
On the heels of the Freedom Day celebrations, the South Africa Embassy and Gallery Patries van Dorst jointly organized a three weeks long art exhibition to exhibit South African Art.The inauguration of the exhibition was held at Gallery Patries van Dorst Landgoed De Wittenburg, on a bright Sunday afternoon on May the 1st 2016 by H.E. Bruce Koloane Ambassador of South-Africa.
The Ambassador bid a special welcome to the South-African ICJ Justice Bakone Moloto and Madam Pauline Burmann of Thani Mnyle Foundation of Amsterdam which promotes the exchange of art and culture between Africa and the Netherlands. The foundation offers three scholarships per annum to individuals from South Africa and other African countries.
Ambassador Koloane spoke about how he first met Mr. Carel Reisch of Gallery Patries van Dorst. He also reflected upon the outstanding cooperation between the Netherlands and South-Africa. The Netherlands has been one of the most vigorous anti-apartheid movements in the world. Next speaker was Madam Patries van Dorst (proprietor of the gallery) she thanked all those who attended.
The signing of an agreement between the Netherlands and South Africa on science and art will lead to several exchanges between the two countries in the coming years.
An impressive list of established and young emerging South African artists are exhibiting: Adriaan de Villiers, Esther Mahlangu, Fortune Dlamini, Francois du Plessis, Gavin Rain, Heidi Sincuba, Ira van der Merwe, Jon Eiselin, Lehlogonolo Mashaba, Marlene Dumas, Mbongeni Buthelezi, Mia Chaplin, Mongezi Ncaphayi, Ruan Hoffmann, Samson Mnisi, Sara-J and Thema Khumalo.
The staff of the Embassy of South-Africa, Ms.Namhla Neliswa Gigaba, Mr Lindsay Louis and others should not be forgotten as their tremendous efforts resulted in the fantastic art exhibition. Admission to the art show is by appointment. The exhibition will close on May 20th, 2016.
