Cape Town’s Artscape Chief Executive Marlene le Roux has been awarded the Jaap du Rand-Denise Ackerman Award for Unity, Reconciliation and Justice during the Andrew Murray Prize Fund awards.
Le Roux has been directly involved in youth development over the years and co-founded the Women’s Achievement Network for Disability in 2014. She also served on the London Olympic Committee and Arts Council to select art projects for the London Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2012. In 2018, she received royal recognition – the Commonwealth Point of Light Award – from Queen Elizabeth II for her work in the disability sector.
She was also honoured for her work in disadvantaged communities, receiving the German-Africa Prize from the German government, and also obtained honorary doctorates from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and Stellenbosch University. As per the Andrew Murry Prize Fund, Le Roux has made ‘Artscape a centre for all communities and all art forms and strives wherever she’s involved towards furthering unity, reconciliation and justice.’
She is among six other award recipients, IOL reports. The winners include:
- Author Martin Laubscher, in the category: Theological Books in Afrikaans.
- Retief Muller’s book, The Scots Afrikaners: Identity Politics and Intertwined Religious Cultures won the Andrew Murray-Desmond Tutu Prize for General Christian Publications in an Official Language of South Africa.
- An-Mari do Carmo, the Desmond Tutu-Gerritt Brand Prize for Debut Work in an Official Language of South Africa.
- Johan Vorster for Kerslied (Christmas song), the Andrew Murray Fak Award for Christian Music.
- Professor Johan Buitendag, former dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria, won the Clf-Elise Tempelhoff Award for Environmental Conservation and Justice.
Referring to key events in her life, Le Roux says it is important to tell each other’s painful stories.
“Why do I relate these events of more than 30 years ago? So that we can learn from each other and start believing in each other; so that we can rediscover our humanity, heal together and hope together.”
“Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela writes that forgiveness is the wrong word for describing what unfolds when a victim encounters the perpetrator, like the young white soldier from my youth. When we witness and acknowledge each other’s pain, we bear a responsibility that conveys compassion and care.”
She refers to this process as “empathetic repair”, a process that urges society to share one vision.
“I want to end with a quote from the Arch since I am receiving this award in his memory as well. Transformation begins in you, wherever you are, whatever has happened, however, you are suffering. Transformation is always possible. We do not heal in isolation.’”
Shared by Cape ETC.
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Feature Image: Artscape Theatre / Facebook
