Speech by the City’s Executive Mayor, Alderman
Patricia de Lille, at the City’s New Years Eve party on the
Grand Parade
Assembled dignitaries,
Honoured guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening, goeienaand, molweni, as-salaam alaikum, shalom.
It is my great pleasure to speak to you tonight, on the eve of the New
Year.
While tonight is always a time of celebration, it has a special significance
for us here in Cape Town.
From tomorrow, and for the rest of 2014, Cape Town is the World Design
Capital.
Our city will be the centre of design, creativity and innovation for the
globe.
As we celebrate tonight, we must not forgot the remarkable journey of
what it took to get here today.
A few years ago, in 2010, we prepared our bid.
In 2011, we submitted that bid in competition against some really
impressive cities.
After a shortlisting process, we went to South Korea where we were
confirmed as the World Design Capital at the end of 2011.
From then, we have worked flat-out to make our dream a reality.
We set up a special department in the City to facilitate our involvement.
We set up a special company that could act independently of the City and
take ownership of the plans and processes that would make the World
Design Capital come to life.
Our approach has broadened the list of stakeholders to include the
universities, civil society, business, the design community, government
and ordinary Capetonians.
It is the kind of inclusive approach that will ensure that the World Design
Capital belongs to everyone in the city.
For me, the central thesis of the City of Cape Town’s approach to the
World Design Capital 2014 is: Excellence in design is using what you have
to realise what you want.
It is designing the change we want to see in our city using the very
building blocks of which our city is comprised.
It is these realities that help us focus on the outcomes we want to see for
2014.
Using these principles, and the realisation that design is based on organic
networks of change that transform the city and not centralised plans, I
believe we can transform Cape Town.
In 2014, we will celebrate 20 years of freedom and 20 years of
democracy.
Let us use this opportunity to work to put aside the old design principles
of apartheid that sought to divide us and create a new city – one that
embraces design and is open and accessible to all.
Let us show that Cape Town will take the lead in building the New South
Africa that former president Nelson Mandela dreamed of.
And let us show that we are a people united in our diversity and a global
centre for creative and innovative thinking.
In conclusion, I would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to
make Cape Town the World Design Capital of 2014 and I thank Icsid for
choosing Cape Town as the World Design Capital for 2014.
On behalf of all Cape Town, let me say that we will truly show the
application of humanity and the principle of Live Design: Transform Life,
as the guiding force of design to create better lives in the 20th anniversary
year of our democracy.
Thank you, baie dankie, enkosi and happy New Year!