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Address by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini
Zuma on the Occasion of the Budget Vote of the Department of Foreign Affairs,
Cape Town, 29 May 2006
Madame Speaker
President Thabo Mbeki
Deputy
President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Members of the Portfolio Committee of Foreign
Affairs
Honourable Members
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Distinguished
Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Madam Speaker, Before I begin my speech
may I express our condolences to the government and people of Indonesia following
the tragic loss of lives during the recent earthquake. On the centenary
of both the Bambatha rebellion and the Satyagraha of Mahatma Gandhi- both campaigns
of civil resistance against unjust laws, it is worth recalling the words of another
fine son of this continent Patrice Lumumba. From a letter to his wife entitled
'History will one day have its say': "My dear wife, I am writing these
words not knowing whether they will reach you, when they will reach you, and whether
I shall still be alive when you read them. All through my struggle for the independence
of my country, I have never doubted for a single instant the final triumph of
the sacred cause to which my companions and I have devoted all our lives. But
what we wished for our country, its right to an honourable life, to unstained
dignity, to independence without restrictions, was never desired by the Belgian
imperialists and their Western allies who found direct and indirect support, both
deliberate and unintentional amongst certain high officials of the United Nations,
that organisation in which we placed all our trust when we called on its assistance.
They have corrupted some of our compatriots and bribed others. They have helped
to distort the truth and bring our independence into dishonour. How could I speak
otherwise? Dead or alive, free or in prison by order of the imperialists, it is
not I myself who count.
It is the Congo, it is our poor people for
whom independence has been transformed into a cage from beyond whose confines
the outside world looks on us, sometimes with kindly sympathy but at other times
with joy and pleasure. But my faith will remain unshakeable. I know and I feel
in my heart that sooner or later my people will rid themselves of all their enemies,
both internal and external, and that they will rise as one man to say no to the
degradation and shame of colonialism, and regain their dignity in the clear light
of the sun...
As to my children whom I leave and whom I may never see again,
I should like them to be told that it is for them, as it is for every Congolese,
to accomplish the sacred task of reconstructing our independence and our sovereignty:
for without dignity there is no liberty, without justice there is no dignity,
and without independence there are no free men. Neither brutality, nor cruelty
nor torture will ever bring me to ask for mercy, for I prefer to die with my head
unbowed, my faith unshakeable and with profound trust in the destiny of my country,
rather than live under subjection and disregarding scared principles. History
will one day have its say, but it will not be the history that is taught in Brussels,
Paris, Washington or in the United Nations, but the history which will be taught
in the countries freed from imperialism and its puppets. Africa will write its
own history, and to the north and south of the Sahara, it will be a glorious and
dignified history.
Do not weep for me, my dear wife. I know that my country,
which is suffering so much, will know how to defend its independence and its liberty.
Long Live the Congo. Long Live Africa!" It is such revolutionary patriots
that continue to inspire us all, to work with the continent for its renewal. How
inspiring and fulfilling it is to all people in the continent and international
community that we are at the dawn of that day when history will have its say in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The continent, the UN and the world are
supporting the Congo as it prepares for its first democratic election since Patrice
Lumumba wrote that letter. The ballot papers are being printed as we speak and
I wish to salute our IEC and other Government agencies for their cooperation with
their counterparts in the DRC in tackling this task. A successful election
in the DRC will unleash a vast amount of human energy in the struggle against
poverty and underdevelopment both in the Congo and in the rest of the continent.
Peace and stability in the Congo will consolidate peace and stability in the Great
Lakes region. To assist the Congolese people to meet the challenge of development
we shall invest more effort in the Bi-national Commission for the reconstruction
of the Congo. Madame Speaker
Last Friday we were honoured to witness
the peaceful transfer of power in the Comoros from President Azali Assaumani to
Ahmed Abdallah Mohammed Sambi. We know that more still needs to be done and wish
to assure the peoples of Comoros that we will not walk away. Comoros, Liberia
and Burundi can now deal with the challenges of development like all of us. We
wish Minister Charles Nqakula strength and wisdom as he continues the last leg
of the facilitation effort between the government of Burundi led by President
Nkurunziza and the leadership of PALEPHEHUTU-FNL. We are humbled by the confidence
shown by the Barundi and the regional leadership in South Africa's facilitation. The
Mano River Basin will require our constant attention. Honourable members, The
signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the establishment of the government
of National Unity in Khartoum and the government of Southern Sudan, ushered in
a new era for the Sudanese People. However, there were also setbacks: The
people of Sudan, Africa and the World lost that outstanding revolutionary intellectual
John Garang; and a humanitarian crisis in Darfur unfolded, compounded by events
in Chad. Thankfully, the SPLM has displayed remarkable maturity in keeping
the focus on the essence of what Garang and the people of Southern Sudan stood
for. Amid grief, an orderly transition took place allowing Silva Kiir to assume
leadership of the SPLM. The Abuja talks have yielded some outcomes, which
though not perfect, constitute an advance. We call on those who have not signed
to do so. We express the hope that the UN Force as called for by the Peace and
Security Council, will proceed without hindrance. We are however following,
with concern, the developments in Chad. Our President and government has
been working tirelessly to bring to an end the conflict in Cote d' Ivoire. We
also work through the mechanism of the International Working Group (IWG). We
are encouraged by the commitments made by President Gbagbo and Prime Minister
Banny to work together in recognition of their responsibility to their country.
The implementation of the first phase of the disarmament process between
the New Forces and the Armed Forces of Cote d' Ivoire constitutes progress. We
shall continue encouraging forward movement particularly on the key outstanding
issues on the DDR and National Identification processes. We are very concerned
about the outbreak of violence in Somalia that has led to the loss of civilian
life. We urge the parties to adhere to the principles of the ceasefire agreement.
We welcome the agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia to resume negotiations
to settle their border dispute. Zimbabwe remains a challenge and we will
continue within SADC to support efforts by Zimbabweans to solve all their problems.
South Africa continues to contribute to the building of the African Union
and its structures. As hosts we have gone well beyond our legal obligations
to assist the Pan African Parliament find its feet. We do so conscious of the
enormous contribution that a well-functioning Parliament of the representatives
of the continent's people will make to nurture common values. Honourable
members, We are pleased that the AU has put on our shoulders the responsibility
of hosting a Global Diaspora conference early next year. NEPAD As
we prepare to mark the fifth anniversary of NEPAD in July 2006, it is important
to reflect on what we have achieved so far and the great challenges that lie ahead.
NEPAD has been recognised as the major development plan that has the potential
to enable Africa to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However,
analysts inform us that Africa is not likely to meet its MDG targets within the
specified time frame. This makes it imperative that we redouble our effort to
mobilize the necessary resources. We welcome initiatives such as the conference
held in Paris early this year aimed at finding innovative ways of financing development. Another
challenge is the integration of NEPAD programmes into national budgets and development
plans.
Whilst it would be true to say that much has been achieved in the
first five pioneering years, we are now in the phase where we need to concentrate
on the implementation of our plans and programmes. The African Peer Review
Mechanism (APRM) has completed the reports for Ghana and Rwanda and important
progress is being made with regard to other countries including South Africa.
However, we also realize that all our development efforts can seriously
be undermined and even destroyed by the current high oil prices. Some of
these issues will be discussed again at the forthcoming G8 Summit in St. Petersburg
in July to which we have been invited.
Madam Speaker, There is much
that still remains to be done in respect of gender mainstreaming: we must redouble
all our efforts to ensure that our people and government realize that we cannot
have real development unless we place women at the centre of all development plans
and programmes. This year we celebrate 50 years of the Women's march to
the Union Buildings in Pretoria where the women declared that "We
shall not rest until we have won for our children their fundamental rights of
freedom, justice and equality." Two years before this in 1954, women
had come together to draw up the Women's Charter. In this document, they aimed,
among other things, "To cooperate with all other organisations that
have similar aims in South Africa as well as throughout the world." To
strive for permanent peace throughout the world." With this march and
this Charter, the women opened the road to a different future and asserted the
alternative values of a different order, the values of equality, justice and the
emancipation of women, among others. They recognised that the struggle
for women's equality was a part of a broader international struggle for peace
and justice in the world. True to this spirit we are preparing for the
Pan African Women Organisation (PAWO). We understand that the women of the continent
are keen that we host the conference and that the Secretariat should be permanently
hosted here. Those discussions will continue and we shall report on progress in
due course. Madam Speaker, South Africa recognises that for us to
reach our full potential the continent should also reach its full economic potential.
At the same time efforts in peacekeeping and in post conflict reconstruction will
only be sustainable if there is a conscious effort to improve the economic wellbeing
of countries that have come out of conflict. In this regard, we encourage engagement
of our private sector on the African continent. Recent international reports register
South Africa as the greatest contributor of Foreign Direct Investment to the rest
of the continent. · In an UNCTAD study of prospects for FDI outflows
for 2005/6, South Africa featured in the top 15 leading sources of FDI. South
Africa also heads the list of expected leading sources of FDI to Africa, followed
by China, the UK, India, France, the US, Malaysia, Italy and Germany. ·
According to Who Owns Whom and SAIIA, South African companies doing business in
Africa have more than doubled since 1994. An analysis of South African investments
showed that 232 South African investments employed a total of 71 874 people -
of these 69617 are drawn from the local population and 2257 are South African. ·
There has been significant trade with the continent. · The rest of
the continent contributes two thirds of foreign tourists to South Africa annually. It
is however important that our engagement with the continent be aimed at forging
true partnerships for sustainable development.
Economic investment must
be coupled with social and economic development. Madame Speaker, When
Chief Albert Luthuli, President of the ANC, opened the 42nd Annual Conference
of the ANC in 1953, he declared: "Our interest in freedom is not confined
to ourselves only. We are interested in the liberation of all oppressed people
in the whole of Africa and in the world as a whole... Our active interest in the
extension of freedom to all people denied it makes us ally ourselves with freedom
forces in the world." Guided by these words we shall continue to support
the people of Western Sahara and Palestine in their struggle for self- determination.
Recent events in the Middle East are a major cause for concern. The Israeli-Palestinian
conflict seems to be once again taking a dangerous course. We appeal to the Palestinian
and Israeli leadership to exercise restraint and recognize that only through negotiations
can there be guarantee for peace and security.
We also note with concern
the unabating and unacceptably high levels of violence in Iraq. We were happy
to share our experiences with the Iraqi Parliamentarians. We welcome the establishment
of the new government and hope that it will contribute towards peace and stability.
IRAN We wish to re-affirm that we will continue to throw
our weight behind the implementation of international treaties and instruments
in the fight against international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction. In this regard, as committed multilateralists we shall defend
the role of multilateral instruments such as the NPT (Nuclear Non Proliferation
Treaty) and the IAEA.
We appreciate the professional manner in which the IAEA
and its Director General, Dr ElBaradei, have discharged their responsibilities,
including with regard to the thorny issue of Iran, and congratulate them on being
honoured with the well-deserved award of the Nobel Peace Prize. We recognise
the inalienable right of all NPT members, including the Islamic Republic of Iran,
to the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and underline the importance of voluntary
confidence building and transparency measures by Iran, and full cooperation with
the IAEA, in accordance with its obligations, to resolve this issue. We
believe that this matter can be resolved within the IAEA and appeal to all parties
to reduce confrontation and resort to dialogue and negotiations instead of aggravating
further the tense and explosive situation in the region. Escalating confrontation
and war talk is truly a recipe for disaster, which will benefit no one. The
2005 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
(NPT) ended in deadlock. Over the 36 years of its existence it has yielded hardly
any results in terms of nuclear disarmament by the Nuclear Weapon States. Indeed,
we read constantly about the development of new types of nuclear weapons by some,
not for deterrence but actual use. Madam Speaker and Honourable Members, This
is the extent of the increasing threat to world peace and to the NPT itself. In
this regard, we must re-dedicate ourselves to the cause of international peace
and security and continue to struggle for a world totally free of all weapons
of mass destruction. And we must let the Nuclear Weapon States understand that
as long as some possess these deadly weapons, there will always be others who
aspire to them. UN REFORM We remain seized with the issue of the reform
of the UN. We advocate for a system of global governance that is representative,
fair, based on international law and built around the UN. We favour an approach
that is more responsive to the needs of our people and to the good of the collective,
namely all the UN countries as a whole. We believe that only such an approach
will effectively mobilize the international community to tackle the challenges
of underdevelopment, global security and the promotion of human rights. Important
developments have taken place in the reform agenda- The establishment of the Human
Rights Council and the Peacebuilding Commission. The creation of the Human
Rights Council is a landmark for the promotion and protection of human rights.
South Africa is pleased to take its place in this new Council that meets for the
first time in June this year in Geneva. The Peacebuilding Commission is
yet to be operationalised but it will play a pivotal role in the transition from
conflict to post conflict reconstruction that is sustainable. The struggle
continues on the issue of expansion of the Security Council. This issue will receive
attention at the AU Summit in Gambia in July this year. We also welcome
the initiative of the Secretary General for the management reform of the UN, which
is currently work in progress. We believe that an efficient, more focused and
more streamlined UN can better discharge its mandate. However, in so doing, we
are anxious that the inclusive and intergovernmental character of the UN should
be preserved. We must ensure democratic participation of big and small states
and resist attempts to cause further alienation of particularly small and developing
countries. We were privileged to host the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
whom we wish to thank sincerely for his enormous contribution to the work of the
UN. This year saw our assumption of the Chair of the G77 and China. We also
express our readiness to serve as a non-permanent member of the Security Council
in 2007/2008 following the endorsement of our country by the New York based permanent
representatives of the African continent. South-South Co-operation Madam
Speaker, The 3rd Ministerial Trilateral Commission of the IBSA Dialogue
Forum took place in March 2006 in Brazil, and will be followed by the IBSA Summit
in September this year. The Summit will focus on Energy, Transport, Climate
Change, Science and Technology, ICT as well as Trade and Investment. We
are looking forward to the visit of the Chinese Premier in June. We will also
participate in the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation in Beijing
in early November 2006. [Currently South African bilateral trade with China
in 2005 was approximately R47 billion, which was about 22% of the trade with Africa.] Madam
Speaker, Our Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad is currently leading a delegation
at a NAM meeting in Malaysia in preparation for the NAM Summit in Havana later
this year We will also have the honour to host Senior Officials from Africa
and Asia in South Africa on 1 - 3 September as a follow-up to the New Asia Africa
Strategic Partnership established in Bandung last year. GLOBAL GOVERNANCE:
SOCIO-ECONOMIC While we were disappointed with the lack of progress at the
Hong Kong meeting in December last year, we are still pressing for a conclusion
to the Doha Round that is favourable to developing countries. We shall
continue to keep up the pressure together with other countries to ensure trade
that favours real development. Madame Speaker, We shall soon announce
the successful bidder for the building of our new Headquarters. This will improve
the general operations and reinforce a number of initiatives currently underway
in the Department. Deputy Minister Van der Merwe will expand on these during this
Debate. Let me also take this opportunity to extend our best wishes to the
five African Teams participating in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Madam
Speaker I would like to thank the President and the Deputy President for
their stewardship of our country and their guidance in international affairs. I
acknowledge the cooperation and support of Ministers and Deputy Ministers. I would
like to thank Mr Job Sithole, the chair, as well as all the members of the Portfolio
Committee. May I also convey my gratitude to Deputy Minister Pahad and
Deputy Minister van der Merwe for their contributions as well as to the Director
General, Ayanda Ntsaluba, and his team for their collective efforts in building
a better South Africa in a better Africa and for a better world. In conclusion,
as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of our Constitution, we continue to be inspired
by the struggle of our youth who, through their own efforts thirty years ago,
ensured that the students of today enjoy a better life than yesterday. We
cannot truly celebrate the tenth anniversary of our Constitution without paying
tribute to the workers' struggle which paved the way for our freedom, especially
since it is the 60th anniversary of the historic African mineworkers strike of
1946. It is in the spirit of all these heroic struggles - of the Bambatha
Rebellion, of Satyagraha, of the workers' struggle, of the women's march, of the
student uprising - that today we are part of Africa that is writing its own history
- "a glorious and dignified history". I ask this House to approve
the Budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs for this financial year. I
thank you. | 
