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Media Launch of the Outreach Programme
of Renaissance South Africa
The OAU Extra-ordinary Summit of Heads of State and
Government held in Lusaka, Zambia in July 2001, adopted
a resolution calling on all member-states to popularise
the African Union among their citizenry.
South Africa, was greatly honoured to be chosen as
the host of the Inaugural Summit of the African Union
scheduled for July 2002. The decision imposes greater
responsibility on South Africa to ensure a successful
mobilisation campaign behind the African Union. Yet
it is historic in the sense that South Africa was not
part of the formation of the OAU due to its former apartheid
policies.
Accordingly, the Renaissance South Africa, comprising
a team of members of the Presidency; Department of Foreign
Affairs; Government Communication and Information systems;
Africa Institute; NEPAD Secretariat and the South African
Chapter of African Renaissance has been constituted
to develop and oversee the mobilisation campaign behind
the African Union.
The campaign will be two fold:
mass mobilisation through a national launch in the
Free State led by President Mbeki, provincial workshops
for members of parliament and provincial legislatures,
mobilisation of the diplomatic corps, continental expert
meeting, organisation of the continental civil society
summit including the youth and the utilisation of the
mass media
and involvement of large section of our people in discussions
and debates around the Union with a view to making our
humble contribution towards the strengthening of the
Union.
In this regard, it is our firm conviction that there
exists a symbiotic relationship between building and
consolidation of our continental organisation, the African
Union and plan of action, the New Partnership for Africa’s
Development (NEPAD).
Accordingly, Renaissance South Africa will be mobilising
a broad section of our population and beyond in an attempt
to popularise both the African union and the New Partnership
for Africa’s Development.
Critical to this campaign is the need to bring the
African Union and NEPAD to the doorstep of the people
of South Africa and in a manner that will incorporate
the two into the campaign of Vuk’Uzenzele recently
unveiled by President Mbeki in his state of the nation
address.
The Renaissance South Africa has already produced and
distributed thousands of NEPAD/AU pamphlets in English,
Afrikaans, Zulu and Sotho to schools throughout the
country via the provincial education departments. An
in-depth booklet explaining the Constitutive Act of
the African Union and NEPAD is in a process of being
translated into Zulu, Sotho and Afrikaans for further
distribution in all centres of our country.
Clearly, the success of the New Partnership for Africa’s
Development and the African Union will only be guaranteed
if all the people of Africa see themselves as part of
the process, not only of deepening democracy and halting
conflict, but also as activists and partners with their
respective governments in the implementation of projects
and programmes.
Let us join hands in the struggle for the regeneration
of our continent in a true and equal partnership with
our fellow citizens of the global community.
Issued by Renaissance South Africa
C/o Department of Foreign Affairs
P/Bag X152
Pretoria
0001
19 February 2002
For more information contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853
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