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State Of The Nation Address at the Opening
of Parliament, 4 February 2000
National Assembly Chamber
Madame Speaker and Deputy Speaker,
Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP,
Honourable Members of our National Legislature,
President of the Constitutional Court,
Chief Justice,
Heads of the Security Services,
Honourable Premiers,
Representatives of Local Government,
Distinguished guests:
At no other point of time have we ever been as well
placed as we are today to take decisive forward steps,
towards the creation of the humane and people-centred
society for which the organisations that were unbanned
ten years ago struggled for many decades.
It is now ten years since the people's organisations
were unbanned, the last political prisoners released
and the exiles began the journey back to the land of
their birth.
In the course of a mere decade, we ended the entrenched
and pernicious system of apartheid white minority rule.
We have put in place a constitutionally governed and
stable democratic system whose permanence has been underwritten
by two successful general elections.
We have put behind us the practice inherent within
our social order for three centuries and more, of the
resolution of competing interests by resort to repression,
violence and war.
We have turned an economy that was headed towards a
catastrophic meltdown into one that is poised to advance
in a way that will address the needs of all our people.
Where suffering and degradation were the only things
that were certain in the lives of millions of our people,
we have created the situation in which these millions
are now better able to carry their pain, because hope
has taken the place of despair.
Having ended our dark days as a pariah country, we
can rightly say that, today, the nations of our common
universe are confident that out of South Africa will
emerge a thing of value that will contribute to the
building of a more humane world.
Surely, Madame Speaker, we are entitled to make the
claim that, as a people, both black and white, we did,
in a mere decade, carry out a multi-faceted task whose
accomplishment speaks highly of the capacity of our
people and all humanity to achieve results which can
only be described as good and noble.
I am therefore privileged to have this opportunity
to extend heartfelt congratulations to all our people,
regardless of race, colour and gender, for the extraordinary
and sustained effort over the last ten years which has
enabled the overwhelming majority among us to say -
we are proud to be South African!
The good that has been done puts into very sharp relief
everything that has still to be done, to extricate millions
of our people from the conditions of poverty, racism,
sexism and violations of their human dignity, from which
too many of our people continue to suffer.
However, I am certain that we are all inspired to act
with greater vigour and will indeed act with greater
vigour, to achieve the fundamental transformation of
our country, because at no point during its entire history
has our country been in a better position to confront
the challenges we face than it is today.
At no other point of time have we ever been as well
placed as we are today to take decisive forward steps,
towards the creation of the humane and people-centred
society for which the organisations that were unbanned
ten years ago struggled for many decades.
Last month, the Food and Allied Workers Union came
across correspondence in the electronic mail of one
of our companies. This correspondence originated from
an engineer within this company, who has since been
dismissed.
As the Honourable Members will recall, among other
things, this engineer wrote:
" I would like to summarise what the Kaffirs have
done to stuff up this country since they came into power...If
a white buys a house, he pays transfer duties. If a
kaffir buys a house it is free of duties because he
was 'previously disadvantaged'...More than 20% of the
GDP is embezzled by the kaffir politicians and corrupt
civil servants...The UIF and state pension funds have
been embezzled...Our girlfriends/wives are in constant
threat of being brutally raped by some AIDS infested
Kaffir (or gang of Kaffirs)...Everyday someone you know
is either robbed, assaulted, hijacked or murdered...Half
these black bastards have bought their (drivers) licences
from corrupt traffic cops...AND AND AND AND AND...All
I am saying is that AIDS isn't working fast enough!!!"
Our successes in the struggle to move our country from
apartheid to democracy have led many in our country
to reach the premature conclusion that racism in South
Africa is dead.
This is despite the obvious and naked fact that to
this day and unavoidably, the racial divisions, inequalities
and prejudices of the past continue to characterise
our society.
Some in our country are so determined to close their
eyes to this reality that those who are forced to swallow
the bitter fruit of racial inequality and arrogance
are regularly rebuked for speaking out against the pain
they continue to endure.
Such unadorned statements as those made by the company
engineer serve a very important function in that they
bring us face to face with the brutality of the racism
that will continue to exist in our society unless all
of us engage this monster consciously and systematically.
After discussions between the Government and the Human
Rights Commission, agreement has been reached that the
Commission will, later this year, convene a National
Congress against Racism.
We are convinced that this important initiative will
help to move our country faster towards the realisation
of the goal contained in our Constitution of the creation
of a non-racial society, as well as impact positively
on our continuing struggle for a non-sexist society.
During this year, the Government will therefore give
all necessary support to the Human Rights Commission
to ensure that it succeeds to engage all sectors of
our society in the common effort further to intensify
our offensive against racism and sexism.
Next year, at the request of the United Nations Human
Rights Commission and High Commissioner Mary Robinson,
our country will also host the International Conference
against Racism.
We feel greatly honoured that the international community,
in recognition of our commitment to the struggle for
a non-racial world, should have chosen our country to
host such an important international gathering, which
will be the first of its kind.
The Honourable Members will have taken note of the
deep concern expressed by various European governments
at the growth of the extreme right wing in their part
of the world.
In one of his plays, Arturo Ui, the outstanding German
playwright and poet, Bertold Brecht, warns against the
resurgence of fascism with the unforgettable words -
the bitch is in heat again!
We are committed to act in unity with the rest of the
world to confront this challenge and will therefore
begin the work this year, together with and under the
guidance of the United Nations Commission for Human
Rights, to ensure that the international conference
next year discharges its responsibilities to the peoples
of the world.
Because we have never been better placed than we are
today further to push back the frontiers of racism,
we are convinced that our own National Congress against
Racism will also succeed to discharge its responsibilities
to our people.
I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate
the Honourable Members for the work they did to approve
on time, the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of
Unfair Discrimination Act and the Preferential Procurement
Policy Framework Act.
We have assented to these and other pieces of legislation
approved last month.
The Government will act to ensure the observance of
these laws as part of our common national offensive
against all forms of inequality and discrimination,
including racial and gender inequality and discrimination
as well as discrimination on the basis of disability.
The recently completed gender audit will help us to
carry out this task as will the objectives set out in
the Integrated Strategy on Disability.
Madame Speaker:
The elimination of poverty remains one of the central
objectives of the government and the country. As we
are all aware, this poverty is intimately related to
the issues of racism and sexism which we have been discussing.
Its elimination is fundamental to the realisation of
the goal of the restoration of the dignity of all our
people.
Accordingly, this places high on our agenda the task
of ensuring that all of us act together to achieve high
and sustained rates of growth for our economy.
Once more, we would like to make the point that we
have never been better positioned than we are today
to achieve the progress we have to attain with regard
to this important challenge.
Many major indicators point to the excellent work that
has been done to place our country on a strong growth
path. All indicators also signal that during this year,
our economy will register much more vigorous growth
than it did last year. Of great importance in this regard,
indicating the resilience, the effective restructuring
and therefore the improved international competitiveness
of our economy, was the success we achieved in withstanding
the effects of the East Asian economic crisis of the
late 1990's.
Let us now turn to some of the major indicators to
which we have referred.
Whereas the Reuters December 1999 Survey resulted in
the highest projected GDP growth rates of 3.5% and 3.7%
for the years 2000 and 2001 respectively, the January
Survey sharply raised these figures to 6.5% for both
years.
We should also compare these figures to average GDP
growth achieved in the period 1993-1998, which amounted
to 2.7%.
In 1993 foreign direct investment amounted to R941
million as compared to just under R6.5 billion in 1998,
with portfolio investment growing from R2.4 billion
to R20.4 billion in the same period.
Whereas the level of inflation was 12.5% during the
period 1990-1994, it had come down to 5.2.% for 1999
and is projected to come down further during this year
to 5.0%.
At the height of the Asian crisis, the interest rate
rose to 25.5% but is now currently down to 14.5%.
Whereas the foreign reserves stood at R32.6 billion
in January 1999, as of day before yesterday they had
reached R46.4 billion.
During the period 1990-1994, the budget deficit as
a percentage of the GDP averaged out at 6.6%, but had
been managed down to 2.9% during the period 1998-1999.
In the last few days, because of the sound management
of our financial system, a major international rating
agency ranked South Africa with regard to the potential
level of non-performing loans in the same bracket with
countries such as Austria, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland,
New Zealand, Norway, Singapore and Spain.
Similarly, the announcements again within the last
few days concerning investments in the automobile and
air transport sectors by major international corporations
reflect the confidence of the international business
community in our economy and our country.
These and other developments vindicate the statement
made by Mr Julian Ogilvie Thompson, Chairperson of Anglo
American PLC, when he spoke in Canada on the 1st of
November last year.
Speaking at the CIBC Wood Grundy Annual Dinner he said:
"We believe that foreign investors who have been
slow in placing direct investment as opposed to portfolio
investment will increasingly share our assessment that
South Africa is one of the most attractive emerging
markets."
Our Government fully shares this confidence, which was
also communicated to us by all the business leaders
with whom we had the privilege to interact at the World
Economic Forum at Davos.
When we spoke at the opening of our second democratic
parliament in June, we reported on steps that would
be taken further to enhance the partnership between
the public and private sectors with a view further to
reinforce the growth and development of our economy.
The four working groups we announced have now been
established. Three of these have already met.
The four working groups comprise:
Big business;
The trade union federations;
Black business; and,
The agricultural sector.
Of these only the latter group has not yet convened,
owing to time constraints.
These working groups do not replace NEDLAC but provide
the possibility for Government to interact with these
various sectors on the steps we should take as a country
to achieve economic growth and development and to remove
all obstacles that might impede the realisation of this
goal.
I am also pleased to announce that the International
Investment Council has also been constituted, except
for three or four confirmations we are still expecting,
about which, unfortunately, I am not at liberty to give
any further details.
The following constitute the membership of the Council:
Mr William Rhodes, Vice President of the Citigroup
Inc. of the US;
Dr George Soros, Chairperson of Soros Fund Management;
Mr Frank Savage, Chairperson of Alliance Capital Management
International of the US;
Mr Percy Barnevik, Chairperson of Investor AB of Sweden;
Mr Niall FitzGerald, Co-Chairperson of the British-Dutch
Unilever;
Mr Minoru Makihara, Chairperson of Mitsubishi Corporation
of Japan;
Mr Sam Jonah, CEO of Ashanti Goldfields of Ghana;
Dr Tony O'Reilly of the Independent Newspapers of Ireland;
Mr Ratan N. Tata, Group Chairperson of Tata of India;
Mr Hassan Marikan, President of Petronas of Malaysia;
Sir Robert Ross, Chairperson of the D-Group of the UK;
Mr Martin Kohlhausen, Chairperson of Commerzbank of
Germany; and,
Mr Jurgen Schrempp, CEO of Daimler-Chrysler.
We would like to take this opportunity sincerely to
thank these eminent international business leaders for
their readiness to serve on the International Investment
Council and the firm and unwavering confidence in our
economy and our country.
We look forward to working with them as the all-weather
friends of our country and people that they are.
Madame Speaker and Honourable Members:
The Government is committed to the enhancement of the
sound macro-economic framework which is fundamental
to the accomplishment of our economic goals.
In this regard, we have already announced that we will
be setting inflation targets as one of the measures
to ensure this sound framework. I hereby confirm that
we will proceed with this issue as we have indicated.
The Honourable Minister of Finance will address this
matter when he presents the budget in 19 days time.
Driven as we all are by the determination to ensure
that our economy continues to expand and transform,
I am confident that all our social partners will work
with us to achieve the purposes which informed the decision
to set inflation targets.
For some years now, we have maintained the position
that we will work continuously towards the removal of
the foreign exchange controls we inherited from the
apartheid regime.
Accordingly, we have already removed all foreign exchange
controls with regard to foreigners.
The remaining controls therefore relate only to South
Africans. Again, the Minister of Finance will address
this issue when he presents the budget on the 23rd of
February.
Madame Speaker:
The Government is concerned about our low savings ratio
and the negative impact this has on our rate of investment.
We have therefore constituted an inter-ministerial
group to work on this important issue.
After the necessary interaction with our social partners,
and later in the year, the Government will announce
to parliament and the country the steps it proposes
should be taken to address this matter.
Last June, when we presented the State of the Nation
Address, we said that an area that had "attracted
considerable comment is the labour market and its actual
or perceived impact on investment and job creation."
We went on to say that "The Government will continue
to give priority to the issue of job creation. If perceptions
or realities influence the process negatively, these
must be addressed."
Consistent with these observations, the Honourable
Minister of Labour has led a review of the labour market
legislative framework. This has included interaction
with our social partners at NEDLAC.
As a result of this review, the Government has concluded
that certain aspects of the legislative instruments
aimed at giving effect to our labour market policies
have led to unintended consequences.
For this reason, to ensure that we address simultaneously
such issues as fair labour standards and the fostering
of economic growth and job creation, amendments to certain
provisions of the Labour Relations Act, the Basic Conditions
of Employment Act and the Insolvency Act will be introduced
this year.
The Minister of Labour will provide the details of
the areas identified for legislative review.
The Government is also concerned to improve the level
and effectiveness of investment by the Government itself.
This includes capital expenditures directed at encouraging
the growth of small, micro and medium enterprises.
We have therefore carried out a comprehensive review
of Khula and Ntsika to ensure that they discharge their
responsibility to give financial and other support to
small and medium business.
This, coupled with other measures, should enable us
to speed up the growth of this sector of our economy,
with a positive impact on employment creation, among
other things.
Work is also going on to address the issue of micro-lending
especially as this relates to micro-lending for productive
economic purposes. This is especially relevant to the
issue of the alleviation and elimination of poverty
which continues to afflict millions of our people in
both rural and urban areas.
As part of the process of encouraging economic growth
and development, we have also established the Local
Economic Development Fund to support municipalities
as they work to meet their mandate of stimulating economic
development at the local level.
The Fund has already started to make its disbursements,
thus helping to give hope and incomes to people who
are unemployed in both urban and rural areas.
Improvements are also being effected with regard to
our Public Works Community Programmes. These programmes
will focus in particular on such infrastructure as rural
roads, which are of critical importance to the success
of our rural development strategy to which we will refer
later.
Our activities will also continue to focus on the important
issue of the deracialisation of our economy, and therefore
the encouragement of black economic empowerment.
The working group with black business will facilitate
this process, including the consideration of the reports
prepared by the Government and the Black Economic Empowerment
Commission respectively.
At the same time, the Government will continue with
its work to improve our infrastructure.
Of particular importance in this regard will be the
activities of such state corporations as Transnet, Eskom,
Telcom as well as the Roads Agency and the Municipal
Infrastructure Investment Programme with regard to the
expansion and the improvement of our transport, electricity
and telecommunications infrastructures.
The programme for the restructuring of state assets
is also being speeded up to address these objectives,
to increase the levels of investment and further to
modernise the economy.
During this year we will pay particular attention to
the Transnet Group to continue the process of change
represented by the acquisition of a valuable strategic
partner by South African Airways last year.
Of especial importance will be our capacity to ensure
that the cost structure of our transport network is
consistent with the high and sustained growth rates
we have to achieve.
Consistent with the decisions taken at the Job Summit,
both the public and the private sectors have committed
the necessary funds for the promotion of the tourism
sector, commonly accepted as potentially one of our
most important sectors with regard to job creation.
The work has therefore begun vigorously to promote
the growth of this sector. We are certain this will
produce the necessary beneficial results.
While we were at Davos, I received a letter from Professors
Nicholas Conard and John Parkington of the Universities
of Tubingen and Cape Town respectively.
They make the important observation that:
"The archaeological record of South Africa, including
human fossils, artefacts and organic remains, has an
international significance that extends far beyond the
country's borders...(Less well known) are the hominids
that demonstrate the earliest signs of modern people
and the treasure trove of rock art sites."
While correctly pointing to the need to protect this
heritage, to which we must surely respond, they also
indicate the potential for job creation in the preservation
and other activities at the various archaeological sites.
Needless to say, these can also be powerful tourist
attractions, thus emphasising the importance raised
by the two professors with regard to the challenge of
looking after what we have inherited which is as old
as the origins of humanity.
Madame Speaker and Honourable Members:
As we indicated would be done when we opened the new
parliament last June, the Government has carried out
extensive and intensive work to elaborate an Integrated
and Sustainable Rural Development Programme.
The implementation of this Programme will begin this
year. The strategic objective we will pursue will be
to ensure that we achieve integrated and sustainable
development in our rural areas outside of and in addition
to the commercial farms by the Year 2010.
We chose to focus on these areas to reverse a century-old
legacy of white minority rule, according to which millions
of our people were confined in poverty stricken areas
alternatively described as native reserves, bantustans
and homelands.
The Honourable Deputy President and Leader of Government
Business will provide the details on this matter.
Last June, I made specific reference to our commitment
to deal with the relationship between poverty and crime.
Accordingly, the Government has been working to address
the multi-faceted crime and poverty challenges thrown
up by the urban areas we identified.
Time will not allow us to detail the varied work that
is being done in these areas. An opportunity will have
to be found in future to present this detailed report.
At this stage, suffice it for me to say that these
areas of high population density will be at the centre
of our Urban Renewal Programme. This is particularly
important in the light of the fact that, in reality,
the urban areas contain the largest concentrations of
poverty in our country.
Madame Speaker:
I would like to take this opportunity once more to
emphasise the importance we attach to the strategic
objective of building the partnership between the public
and the private sectors.
We will therefore further intensify our links and cooperation
with the private sector for the successful implementation
of the various economic initiatives we have mentioned.
Similarly, we are very encouraged by the response of
our people as a whole that we should transform ourselves
into a nation at work.
Throughout the country, from the wine farms in the
Western Cape to rural communities in the Northern Province,
the people are responding to this call by taking the
initiative to engage the challenge of productive economic
activity.
The Government will work further to encourage its partnership
with the people for development, which will help to
lay to rest the false notion that the Government has
the exclusive responsibility to create jobs and therefore
that everybody should wait for the Government to create
these jobs.
In this context we must warn very strongly that illegal
and unjustified strikes such as the one recently experienced
at Volkswagen in Uitenhage cannot be tolerated.
Jobs, a better life for our people in the context of
a growing economy and our standing in the eyes of the
investor community cannot be held hostage by elements
pursuing selfish and anti-social purposes.
Accordingly, the Government has worked with the management
at Volkswagen as well as NUMSA to ensure that the problem
created by some irresponsible elements at this plant
is resolved. The Government will not waver from this
position.
In this context, I must also make this clear that the
Government is determined to carry out the programme
for the renewal of our minibus taxi fleet as well as
the introduction of other measures to ensure that this
sector provides a safe, dependable and disciplined service
to the public.
Ageing minibuses which were designed as family vehicles
cannot be allowed to roam our roads condemning paying
passengers to risk their lives by travelling in mobile
coffins.
As some of our provincial governments demonstrated
when they closed down taxi ranks to deal with the continuing
problem of taxi violence, and while we are ready to
engage in genuine consultations, it is a mistake to
think that the government can be intimidated into taking
wrong decisions.
Here, we would also like to make the point that low
tax morality has led to an increase in tax criminality.
The Revenue Service will therefore introduce new measures
which will result in tough action against non-compliant
tax payers, who defraud the fiscus of millions of Rand
through VAT and Customs fraud, tax evasion or not registering
for tax at all.
Tax criminality feeds other forms of criminality and
will not be tolerated.
Madame Speaker:
We are certain that the combination of the various
economic initiatives and processes we have mentioned,
including the continuing implementation of all the commitments
made at the Job Summit, will take us further forward
as we address the ever urgent questions of economic
growth, development, job creation and poverty reduction.
In this regard, we must also mention our hope that
the European Union will overcome the problems that have
arisen within its ranks which have affected the unhindered
implementation of the Trade and Development Agreement
which was concluded between ourselves and the EU.
Similarly, we continue to work hard to conclude the
matters relating largely to the issue of rules of origin,
which have delayed the implementation of the SADC Trade
Protocol.
We remain convinced that this Protocol will come into
force during the first half of this year, signifying
a critically important step forward towards the transformation
of our region into a common economic area.
At the same time, we will continue purposefully and
systematically to increase our economic relations with
countries of the South for the mutual benefit, including
Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, India, Malaysia and China.
As the Honourable Members are aware, all these matters
are of great importance to the success of our economy
and will therefore receive the necessary attention.
Also receiving similar attention is the problem represented
by the fact that we have still not removed the bottlenecks
which result in a slow disbursement of funds allocated
for poverty relief.
The Government has determined that this is unacceptable,
while recognising that it reflects the fact that we
have not yet completed the work of the fundamental restructuring
of our system of governance.
These poverty relief funds represent an important part
of our social expenditure, which continues to be focussed
on meeting the social needs of the most disadvantaged
in our society.
The Government will continue to allocate significant
resources to address these needs as best we can.
We will therefore continue with our programmes to address
such matters as pensions and social welfare, housing,
education and medical care.
At the same time, we are working towards the creation
of an integrated social security system further to improve
the quality of our social spending and to enhance its
positive impact on those in our society who are most
in need.
It is however also clear that we need to strike the
proper balance between such expenditure and more directly
economic expenditure by the public sector, to ensure
that we address the challenges of growth and redistribution
together. This is being attended to.
Later this year, at the beginning of July, our country
will host the 13th International AIDS Conference. This
will help further to focus our attention on this important
challenge.
As we announced when we addressed the NCOP last year,
the Honourable Minister of Health continues to address
the complex questions which relate to the issue of AIDS.
What seems to be clear, as of now, is that in addition
to the work that is being done and which must be intensified,
regarding the sexual behaviour of our people and the
use of condoms, all possible interventions will have
to be made to deal with the challenges of poverty and
malnutrition, a whole range of well known diseases such
as tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis and others, as well
as the development of the required vaccines.
It is necessary that we further strengthen our Partnerships
Against AIDS to ensure that the anti-AIDS message reaches
all our people. I would also like to take this opportunity
to wish the National AIDS Council success in its work.
Madame Speaker:
Of great importance to our successful development is
the matter of Human Resource Development. Both the Skills
Levy and the Umsobomvu Fund will be used to help us
to deal with this matter.
The Tirisano programme launched by the Honourable Minister
of Education also constitutes an important plank in
our offensive to ensure that we develop the necessary
levels of education and training.
In particular, this year, we will pay special attention
to the improvement of the quality of the management
of our schools with the intention to ensure that we
really reinculcate the culture of learning, teaching
and discipline throughout our school system.
Two days ago I had the privilege to participate at
the celebration of the success achieved by a group of
Soweto high school students who obtained their matriculation
exemptions.
What was remarkable about this group is that both their
parents and their teachers had given them up because
of their involvement in crime and other deviant behaviour.
Nevertheless two outstanding South Africans, Mrs Jacky
Maarohanye, who participated in the Soweto Uprising
of 1976 and Dr T. W. Kambule, an old and distinguished
teacher and principal now aged 79, decided to act as
parent and teacher to these young people.
Through the work of their Ithuteng Trust, we now have
1 500 Soweto youth who not only study hard but also
carry out important voluntary community work, including
educating their peers to turn against crime, rape and
drug abuse.
We have to inspire all our schools to emulate the example
of the Ithuteng Trust which can truly be described as
an outstanding example of the South African miracle.
Madame Speaker:
When we addressed parliament at the end of June last
year, we made a commitment to step up the fight against
crime. This we have done and will continue further to
intensify our offensive.
Among other things, this involves the restructuring
and revamping of our entire criminal justice system.
This work is also proceeding apace and includes the
improvement of our capacity effectively to deal with
the crimes of rape and the abuse of women, children
and the disabled.
Similarly, we will not relax our efforts to root out
corruption in our society, with special focus on the
public sector.
The Honourable Ministers heading the criminal justice
system, including the Ministers of Home Affairs and
Defence, will have occasion to report on the important
work they are doing severally and collectively within
the context of our National Crime Prevention Strategy.
We are still faced with the task of completing the
process of the restructuring of the machinery of government.
Among the objectives we are pursuing are:
the raising of the skills levels within the public
sector and retaining professional personnel;
improving management, financial accountability and service
delivery;
combating corruption and the abuse of public resources;
enhancing the motivation of all public sector workers
to serve the people of our country; and,
increasing the proportion of public funds spent on investment.
Additional steps will therefore be taken this year to
ensure the right-sizing of our public service.
Madame Speaker:
This year we will be holding our second local government
elections. We are confident that once again, we will
all work together to ensure that these elections are
held in conditions of peace and peaceful political competition
and that they are free and fair.
We will appeal once more to members of the public service
and our population at large to volunteer their services
to assist the Independent Electoral Commission to carry
out its tasks as effectively as it accomplished the
task of organising and conducting the general election.
I am also convinced that we will also succeed to remove
the misconceptions that have arisen with regard to the
local government Demarcation process.
This relates in particular to issues relating to communal
areas and the constitutionally guaranteed place and
role of the traditional leaders and institutions of
government.
Once again, I would like to assure our traditional
leaders, whose representatives around our country I
will see during the coming weeks, that the demarcation
process bears no relationship whatsoever to, and has
no negative impact on, their role and powers.
Accordingly, we will still rely on them to continue
to mobilise the people they represent to participate
in the processes of the further entrenchment of democracy
and the enhancement of development in the rural areas.
Madame Speaker and Honourable Members:
When we spoke from this podium at the Millennium Debate
last year, we urged that we should use this year to
prepare for the launch of the African Century.
Specifically, we said that:
"we should devote the Year 2000 that is upon us,
to do everything that needs to be done to ensure that
by its end, we see our entire Continent at the ready
to join in a powerful movement of the peoples of Africa
for the realisation of Africa's century."
The Government is committed to this goal and will do
everything it can to ensure that it is realised. We
also call on all our people in their various formations
to respond to our call.
The Government pledges its full support both to Nelson
Mandela and Sir Ketumile Masire of Botswana as they
work with the governments and people of Burundi and
the Democratic Republic of Congo to bring peace and
democracy to these sister African countries.
I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate
our Honourable Minister of Trade and Industry for the
work he has done in the last three years as President
of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development,
an important international post he will relinquish next
month.
Many around the world, including our own people, will
continue to rely on the Honourable Minister of Trade
and Industry to defend the interests of the poor of
the world within the forthcoming World Trade Organisation
negotiations.
We will ourselves continue to do our best to discharge
our responsibilities as current chairperson of both
the Non-Aligned Movement and the Commonwealth.
As much as the rest of the world stood with us as we
fought to end the system of apartheid, which struggle
brought about the announcements that were made from
this rostrum as the apartheid parliament opened 10 years
ago, so do we have an obligation ourselves to contribute
to the construction of a better world for all humanity.
From this, we cannot walk away.
We should aim to make a meaningful contribution in
this regard because with regard to all the important
objectives we have to pursue, at no point during our
entire history have we ever been as well placed as we
are to meet the challenges that confront us. Our national
soccer team, Bafana Bafana, is in West Africa participating
in the African Cup of Nations tournament. We wish them
well in their campaign, convinced that once more they
will return with the Africa Cup.
At the same time, it is clear that fairness and the
development of soccer, this most popular world sport,
demand that, for the first time in the Year 2006, the
Soccer World Cup competition should take place in Africa.
For these purposes, there can be no better venue than
the land of human hope, that has all the necessary facilities,
which our country is. One among us, who sits on the
back benches of the majority party, has composed a "Freedom
Lament and Song".
In his lament, he says of the men and women that constitute
humanity that:
" they are of spirit which is like the wind
mind them
when you touch them
when you hurt them
when you kill them
when you are unkind to them
when you are cruel to them
mind them
they will live in you
and you in them
like a story which does not end..."
It is out of these noble feelings that our own new world
will be born, whose sighting, perhaps at a distance,
has inspired the spirit of hope which reigns so confidently
in all corners of our beautiful land.
His name is Mongane Wally Serote, MP.
I thank you for your attention.
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