On Thursday, 30 June I had the honour of closing the South African Reserve Bank’s Centenary with a special poem that I wrote for the occasion titled, A Purposeful Journey. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s third wave in South Africa and the majority of the population still being unvaccinated, the Reserve Bank marked this milestone with a virtual celebration that was broadcast through their YouTube channel. The programme director was BBC presenter and journalist, Lerato Mbele, and there were special video messages from former Governors, Dr Chris Stals, Ms. Gill Marcus and Minister Tito Mboweni with Governor Lesetja Kganyago closing off the speeches before it was my turn to take the stage.
I said yes to this opportunity because I appreciate every blessing that comes my way and because challenging myself is important. Writing a commemoration to a bank would likely be hard but worth it in the end because it was for such a momentous occasion. I also love learning so having the chance to be taken through the bank’s history and visual archives allowed me to gain a whole lot of knowledge that I may not have encountered otherwise. In the end, the poem was written and delivered without any glitches! A Purposeful Journey is an ode to South Africans, here and gone, who contribute/d to the freedoms that we enjoy today and the South African Reserve Bank which provides the fuel for many of our dreams by doing their important work. It is an honour to contribute to such an extensive history. You can watch the video of the centenary below:
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Thank you, Jenny and Thoraya!
Lebohang Masango 