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Debate on the President's State of the
Nation Address, 22 February 2002
Madam Speaker, President, Deputy President, Honourable
members,
96 years ago the founding father of the ANC, Pixley
Seme, speaking in New York said:
"The brighter day is rising upon Africa…Yes,
the regeneration of Africa belongs to this new and powerful
period. The regeneration of Africa means that a new
and unique civilization is soon to be added to the world".
Sadly, slavery, colonialism, imperialism, neo-colonialism
and the Cold War defeated Africa’s efforts for
regeneration.
Today, we confidently proclaim the 21st century the
African century. We do so because there is a new generation
of African leaders who are willing to accept their responsibilities
and leadership role to struggle for and to achieve an
African revival.
The ANC’s January 8th statement on the occasion
of the 90th anniversary calls on us "to ensure
that the process of globalization does not result in
the further all round widening of the gap between the
rich developed North and the poor developing South….
Which would condemn billions of people to poverty….
This would be a certain recipe for the most catastrophic
social upheavals engulfing the whole globe". Mr
President, your visionary understanding of the challenges
of the New World order is highly respected internationally
and you have become a true champion of Africa and the
South.
In September 2000, the world’s leaders who convened
in New York for the historic United Nations Millennium
Summit declared that they "will support the consolidation
of democracy in Africa and assist Africans in their
struggle for lasting peace, poverty eradication and
sustainable development, thereby bringing Africa into
the mainstream of the world economy".
This is the message, Mr President, you have been giving
for many years. It is therefore important for you to
ignore the suggestions from the opposition that you
remain at home. These ignorama fail to see the dedication
relations between developments in South Africa and the
world.
The year 2002 is therefore one of the most challenging
for South Africa’s foreign policy. Questions are
often raised as to why South Africa is playing such
a prominent role in international affairs? South Africa,
by the very nature of its strong visionary leadership,
its inept Democratic Alliance, its successful democracy,
the strength of its economic fundamentals and technological
base, and its efforts to address the inequalities and
injustices of the past, is in an unique position to
contribute positively to the reforming and shaping of
the new global order, especially ending global inequality,
poverty and the marginalisation of Africa.
Madame Speaker,
The greatest challenge facing us is the implementation
of NEPAD. NEPAD is our hope to eradicate Africa’s
underdevelopment and poverty. It is a pledge by African
leaders, based on a common vision and a firm and shared
conviction that they have a pressing duty to eradicate
poverty and to place their countries on a path of sustainable
growth and development, and at the same time to participate
actively in the world economy and body politic. The
Initiative is anchored on the determination of Africans
to extricate themselves and the continent from the malaise
of underdevelopment and exclusion in a globalising world.
It is a call for a new relationship of partnership between
Africa and the international community to overcome the
development chasm. The partnership is to be founded
on a realisation of common interest, benefit and equality.
"NEPAD recognises that there have been attempts
in the past to set out continent wide-development programmes.
For a variety of reasons, both internal and external,
including questionable leadership and ownership by Africans
themselves, these have been less than successful. However,
today there is a new set of circumstances, which lend
themselves to integrated practical implementation."
President Mbeki said that: "We speak here of a
realistic Programme of Action and not a mere wish list.
As we have taken these decisions, we have also made
the commitment that we will ourselves, as African, ensure
that we discharge our own responsibilities to implement
what we have committed ourselves to implement. In our
actions, we will be guided by the principle – nothing
is done until it is done!"
I am delighted to report that good progress has been
made in developing and finalising the NEPAD Strategic
Framework Document.
The critical phase of implementation has now begun.
The 15-member Task Force for the implementation of NEPAD
established five task teams to urgently identify and
prepare specific implementable projects and programmes.
The five identified priority areas of the NEPAD Programme
of Action are:
Capacity building on peace and security;
Economic and corporate governance;
Banking and the financial sector;
Regional infrastructural projects;
Agricultural development and market access for African
products.
The five priority areas do no exclude overarching issues
such as debt reduction, communicable diseases, capacity
building and ICT.
These priority areas hold tremendous opportunities
for South African business and civil society to become
involved in the implementation process. The South African
Government strongly welcomes their participation.
It is often stated that the crisis situation in Zimbabwe
is the litmus test for the success of NEPAD. We strongly
disagree with the threats that there should be collective
punishment, against all in Africa because of the developments
in any one country.
The meeting this week of high-level representatives
of the G8 countries and members of the Implementation
Team will ensure that our detailed and concrete preparations
for the G8 Summit in Canada in June is on course.
We also look forward to the visit of the Canadian Prime
Minister, Mr Chretien, who is visiting six African countries
including South Africa, to discuss NEAPD in preparation
for the G8 Summit.
Madame Speaker
To achieve the objectives of NEPAD we need strong institutions.
We are therefore proud that in July we will host the
first session of the AU, a continuation of the OAU which
is aimed at consolidating the unity of African states
in order to place Africa in a better position to take
advantage of the benefits flowing from globalisation
and, simultaneously, to be able collectively to withstand
the negative consequences of this process. The transition
to the AU reflects the continuation of Africa’s
own resolve to deal with the legacy of colonialism,
and underdevelopment and focus on meeting the human
basic needs of its people.
Our immediate objectives will be to put in place the
core structures of the AU. These are the Assembly of
the Heads of State and Government, the Executive Council
of Ministers, the Permanent Representative Committee
of Ambassadors, and the Commission that will be providing
the secretariat services of the Union. We are currently
negotiating the Rules of Procedure governing the functioning
of these structures and we aim to ensure that these
structures meet with the goals and ideals of the African
Union.
In addition, we are negotiating the re-structuring
of the Central Organ of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention,
Management and Resolution, to empower this organ to
pro-actively fulfil its mandate of conflict prevention,
management and resolution on the continent. In particular,
this Mechanism should be provided with the means to
fulfil its primary objective, and the anticipation and
prevention of conflicts.
Apart from the core organs which will all be housed
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, South Africa needs to decide
which one of the other organs, if any, we may want to
host.
Madame Speaker
We will also be hosting the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg from 26 August to
4 September 2002. It will be the largest international
conference ever with approximately 65 000 people attending.
The main goals for the WSSD are the reinvigoration,
at the highest political level, of the global commitment
to Sustainable Development, the forging of a North –
South partnership to promote Sustainable Development,
and the acceleration of the implementation of Agenda
21.
Three broad themes reflect the essential prerequisites
for moving towards Sustainable Development, namely alleviating
poverty and promoting sustainable livelihoods, realising
sustainable consumption and production, and protecting
the integrity of life-supporting ecosystems.
Some of the important issues for the WSSD include:
Establishing the link between global security and development,
and strengthening the international commitment to global
peace and security and the need for increased multilateralism;
Strengthening the system of international governance
for Sustainable Development by developing smart partnerships
aimed at poverty eradication;
Ensuring that all stakeholders are committed to the
improved implementation of Agenda 21;
New issues to be addressed include the biotechnology
revolution, combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria
and other pandemic diseases, as well as the explosive
growth in information and communication technologies.
The Johannesburg Summit should mark a turning point
by putting people at the center of sustainable development.
The question frequently asked is why is South Africa
the favoured destination for so many major international
conferences.
The President, in his State of the Nation Address said:
"The nations of the world elected to come to our
country because they understand and appreciate what
we have done in the last seven-and-half years to address
within our own borders precisely the same questions
that constitute the global agenda."
Madame Speaker
On September 11th the world was shocked by the terrorist
attacks on New York and Washington. The South African
Government immediately and unequivocally condemned these
acts of terrorism, We have committed ourselves to co-operate
against all forms of terrorism under the aegis of the
UN.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations speaking
in the UN General Assembly:
"Let us remember that none of the issues that
faced us on 10 September has become less urgent. The
number of people living on less than one dollar a day
has not decreased. The numbers dying of HIV/AIDS, malaria,
tuberculosis and other preventable diseases have not
decreased. The factors that cause the desert to advance,
bio diversity to be lost, and the Earth’s atmosphere
to warm have not decreased. And in may parts of the
world afflicted by the scourge of war, innocent people
have not ceased being murdered, mutilated, or dragged
or driven from their homes.
In short the agenda for peace, development and human
rights is no less pressing. If anything, it has taken
on a new urgency. Seldom has the danger of division
within the human family, and the need to resist that
danger, been more clearly understood.
We face two possible futures: a mutually destructive
clash between so-called "civilizations" based
on the exaggeration of religious and cultural differences:
or a global community, respecting diversity and rooted
in universal values. The latter must be our choice –
but we can achieve it only if we bring real hope to
the billions now trapped in poverty, conflict and disease".
The Secretary-General’s statement confirmed South
Africa’s long held view that in order to defeat
terrorism we must adopt a holistic approach by dealing
with the root causes, inter alia, conflicts and underdevelopment.
There can be no "good terrorists" and "bad
terrorists".
In this regard conflict prevention, management and
resolution on the African continent will remain a key
foreign policy objective of the South African Government.
There can be progress and development in Africa if there
is peace, democracy and stability.
I am happy to note that much progress has been made
in finding a long-lasting solution to the conflict in
the DRC. We are honoured that the ICD will start its
proceedings in South Africa on the 25th of February.
It is estimated that over 300 Congolese will gather
in South Africa to map out their future. This dialogue
is expected to last 45 days. We will do everything possible
to ensure that the ICD is a success.
In Burundi, former President Mandela and Deputy President
Zuma’s efforts led to the groundbreaking signing
of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement by
nineteen organisations and groups, excluding the two
armed groups. Deputy President Zuma and President Bongo
of Gabon have continued to meet with the armed groups
in an effort to achieve a cease-fire agreement. Unfortunately,
there has been very slow progress. However, the interim
government has been established and is beginning to
function.
All South Africans can be proud that the South African
National Defence Force is providing VIP protection for
members of the interim government. The SANDF has done
a sterling task and should be highly commended. It is
envisaged that South Africans will, eventually, train
Burundians to take over the VIP protection functions.
The proposed regional Summit, involving all stakeholders,
which will take place during the first half of this
year, should consolidate the peace process in Burundi.
South African troops have also been making outstanding
contributions to the peacekeeping operation in the Ethiopia-Eritrea
situation, in the DRC where 98 South Africans are deployed
as part of MONUC, as well as UN-sponsored de-mining
operations in the Horn of Africa.
With regard to Zimbabwe, unlike Tony Leon’s selected
democratic outpourings the South African Government
is committed to continue assisting the people of Zimbabwe
in exercising their political will in a conducive environment
for the upcoming elections, as well as to assist to
ensure peace, stability and economic recovery after
the elections. It is in the interest of all Zimbabweans
that the presidential election in Zimbabwe is free and
fair.
Towards the realisation of this goal, Government will
be sending a multi-sectoral South African Observer Mission
(SAOM) of fifty persons, under the leadership of Dr
Motsuenyane. The fifty persons will be drawn from trade
unions, big business, black business, judiciary, academia,
agriculture and religious organisations. The observers
will be deployed in three phases, commencing on 13 February
2002 and the last on 3 March 2002. A 15-person multi-party
Parliamentary Team will depart on 20 February 2002.
We will also have to consider our participation in the
AU, Commonwealth and the ACP-EU observer teams.
The reports of the attacks on the Daily News and the
Daily Press is a matter of concern and we urge the police
to investigate these attacks and ensure that justice
is done.
Madame Speaker,
South Africa was appointed by the Organization of African
Unity as the Co-ordinator of the Countries of the Region
in June 1998 to address the constitutional and secessionist
crisis that had arisen in the Comoros.
South Africa has made financial contributions to the
amount of US$1.1 million towards the implementation
of the 17 February 2001 Fomboni All-Party Framework
Agreement, electoral assistance, development of the
health sector and humanitarian assistance. South Africa
also provided SANDF technical assistance.
The Presidential elections are scheduled for 14 April
2002. The Independent Electoral Commission is currently
investigating possible areas of assistance and co-operation
with the relevant Comorian authorities.
Madam Speaker,
One of the conflicts that has given rise to the worst
forms of terrorism is the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
We remain deeply concerned about the continuing occupation
of Palestinian territory, the excessive use of force,
the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,
the wanton destruction of property, the house arrest
of President Arafat and the deliberate destruction of
the Palestinian authorities. Such actions create a fertile
environment for suicide bombers and those opposed to
peace.
Israelis and Palestinians have to unconditionally engage
with each other as equal partners in a joint effort
to reach a mutually acceptable outcome in terms of the
UN Security Council Resolutions 224 and 338 as well
as other UN resolutions.
South Africa will make a particular effort to create
and exploit opportunities to strengthen the pro-peace
lobbies, even beyond Israel and Palestine.
The Spier Presidential Peace Retreat (PPR) was an outstanding
success and has set an example which is being followed
by other nations in bringing Israeli and Palestinian
peace activists together. The Spier PPR has also inspired
pro-peace elements in the region to take public positions
which challenge the logic of confrontation.
We welcome the recent statement of the former head
of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency that it would
be a disaster for Israel to seek a military victory.
We welcome the decision by the European Union to officially
recognise an independent Palestinian state.
We are also encouraged by a recent poll which showed
that 47% of Israelis believe that a peace agreement
should be concluded.
We will continue to support all those genuinely committed
to peace. This is in the interests of Palestinians and
Israelis.
Conclusion
In this year of the volunteer we will intensify all
our efforts to achieve peace, stability and prosperity
in our continent.
The challenges are many but we are inspired by the
slogans: Mayibuye Afrika. Vuk’ Uzenzele [arise
and act].
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