30 September 1999
Master of Ceremonies, Mr A.B Moosa;
Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Dr Ben Ngubane,
The Minister in the Presidency, Mr Essop Pahad,
Members of Parliament present
The Mayor of the Durban Metro, Mr Obed Mlaba
Avalon Group Chief Executive and Group Chairman, Mr Moosa
Moosa and Mrs Mariam Moosa
Representatives from the American movie industry
Ladies and Gentlemen
We are gathered here tonight to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Avalon Group. This celebration also marks the re-birth of this distinguished company, whose history spans generations. It is indeed an honour for me to be a part of such an important occasion.
The Avalon Group, established in 1939, on the eve of the formalisation of the apartheid system, has played a very significant role in the lives of our people.
At a time when our people were denied access to all mainstream entertainment facilities, the Avalon Group emerged to fill a vacuum in their lives. In September 1939, Black people had a whole new world opened to them. The first Avalon cinema was opened, and the first film shown was called "The Road to Glory." Oh just how long that road to Glory has been for all of us!
The struggles for survival that marked the last six decades for the Avalon Group have very significant parallels with the struggles for freedom of the Black people in this country. The scores of segregation laws coupled with monopolistic practices of multi-national corporations, that sought to stifle the growth of Avalon Cinemas, had a similar impact on the development of the lives of our people.
In the same way that we survived the long and treacherous years of struggle, so too has the Avalon Group, survived the many attempts by successive apartheid Governments to shut them down. From Salt River, to Durban, to Kimberly, The Avalon triumphed! It entertained and educated our people, filling an enormous vacuum left by the deliberate absence of recreation facilities in the desolate townships that they were relegated to. Despite all this the spirit of the people and of the Moosa family was never broken. Hence, today, at this function we can say that we are nearer to the end of the road to Glory.
As the Avalon Group revitalises itself and refines its path to meet the challenges of the 21st Century, it is important that the Moosa family reflects on the role that they have to play in the lives of the ordinary citizens of our country. It is often said that the media is the window on the world - conversely it is also true that the media influences and shapes the course of society. The challenge to the Avalon Cinema Group is to take their place in charting the course towards the African Century and beyond.
With the experience and expertise that they have gained in the past six decades, they have a responsibility to be major players in ensuring that this dream becomes reality.
As we shape our country and prepare for the challenges of the next century, we need to seriously look at the role that the arts can play in promoting and preserving the diverse cultures that exist in South Africa. And to this end, the movie industry has an important contribution to make.
We need to focus inward and identify the potential that exists amongst our people. In doing so, we will not only be creating opportunities for them, but we will also be promoting our diverse cultures, and customs and our traditions. We need to find ways of translating the appreciation of our cultures into a vibrant local movie-industry that can stand its own in the international arena. There is no doubt that the talent exists. The challenge to the South African film industry is how best to harness and develop the talent, and to be resourceful in order to achieve an industry that we can all be proud of. They must serve as a link challenge to Avalon in particular is the development of the emerging film industry, they must play a role in it.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to take this opportunity to invite the movie industry to join us, as Government, in our fight to restore the moral fibre of our society. We recongise the democratic right of our people to freedom of expression. Within this context, however, rests the responsibility between us as Government and you, as an industry, to discourage violence against women and children in particular, and against society in general must help to educate society and reshape the attitudes and value systems.
In conclusion, I would like to extend a word of appreciation to all the artists, local and foreign, who stood by us and supported our course throughout the long and hard years of struggle.
To the Avalon Group, I wish to extend a word of congratulation. May you grow from strength to strength.
Thank you