Soft-spoken rural doctor chosen as Citizen of the Year

By Tabelo Timse

AFTER weeks of searching for the Southern and Eastern Cape‘s most outstanding citizen, Dr Carol Baker of Hamburg has walked off with the honour.

Baker, who also took the community service category award, was deeply touched when her name was announced by The Herald editor-in-chief Jethro Goko at the glittering function in the Tsitsikamma Conference Centre at the Boardwalk.

There was loud applause from the floor for the soft-spoken medical doctor as she stood up to go and receive her trophy.

“I would like to thank the people of Bodium, Bell and Hamburg villages who gave me the opportunity late in my life to become what I was meant to be,” she said.

In between shaking hands and enjoying hugs for winning the award, Baker said she was overwhelmed and very grateful to The Herald and General Motors for the exposure they had given to her projects – especially an HIV/Aids project she runs.

She thanked the other finalists for the prestigious award for the “wonderful work they do”. “They are all doing amazing work and I am going to invite them all to Hamburg because I can use them there, even the race driver (Tschops Sipuka),” Baker said.

In addition to Sipuka, who won the sport category, other category winners were Moki Cekisani (environmental conservation), Boya Chetty (business) and Heidi Kühne Boekkooi (arts and culture).

The glitzy award evening was attended by more than 300 people.

Goko, General Motors SA managing director Robert Socia, and The Herald/Greenacres Miss PE Chuma Myoli presented the category winners‘ awards. Each category winner was profiled through a pre-recorded video interview.

Community Chest chief executive officer Beulah Lumkwana, who was one of the judges, said Baker was a worthy winner because her projects touched on arts and culture, social upliftment and HIV/Aids.

“She has dedicated herself and her time to helping others, bearing in mind that the area where she works is rural, with limited resources.

“Instead of staying at a townhouse somewhere, she chose to stay among the people and she really goes beyond the call of duty. Through her we have seen real ubuntu at work,” she said.

Popular morning television show presenter Leanne Manas, who was programme director for the evening, ensured the smooth running of proceedings.

Grace was sung by Sister Ethel Normoyle, the awards‘ inaugural winner in 1989.

Entertainment was provided by Cape Town-based group Zamar who took the guests on a musical whirlwind tour around the world with their Hungarian Rhapsodies, Ukrainian folk melodies, South American tangos, Irish folk music and their own songs.

� Lindy van Tonder from Westering won a year‘s subscription to The Herald, as well as a R2 500 cash prize for correctly predicting Dr Carol Baker as The Herald Citizen of Year for 2006 in an SMS competition that was run ahead of Friday evening‘s gala dinner.

ttimse@johnnicec.co.za