Honourable Deputy President Motlanthe,
The Chief Justice of the Republic, Honourable Mogoeng Mogoeng,
The Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Honourable Ms Memela,
Honourable Minister of Arts and Culture and all Ministers Present,
Honourable Premier of Gauteng and all Premiers,
MECs and Mayors,
Fellow South Africans,
The Preamble of the Constitution of the Republic South Africa states as follows and I quote:
“We, the people of South Africa,
Recognise the injustices of our past;
Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land;
Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity’’.
The Preamble emphasizes forgiveness, reconciliation and nation building.
As we gather today on the summit of the Salvokop hill to commemorate the National Day of Reconciliation, we are guided by this Constitution, which is the blueprint for the building of a new nation, from the ashes of our painful past.
All three arms of the State, the Executive, Judiciary and the Legislature, are represented at a high level for the first time at this national ceremony.
This demonstrates our collective responsibility of nation building, regardless of the autonomous and independent roles we play, and the differences we may have in the implementation of our respective programmes.
Compatriots,
As we commemorate this great occasion, we solemnly remember that our freedom was not free. It came at a high price.
Many gallant heroes and heroines, whose names are immortalised on the Wall of Names here in S’khumbuto, made the ultimate sacrifice for humanity and freedom.
By commemorating this day, we remember the generations of leaders and ordinary South Africans who came before us.
As the Preamble states, we salute those who fought to create a free, just, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society, in which people are not judged by the colour of their skin, culture or religion but are accepted simply because they South Africans.
Compatriots,
There is no better place to commemorate this day than here at Freedom Park, which stands as a monument to human dignity, democracy and national reconciliation.
We are a unique nation indeed, for we were able to move beyond deep-seated pain and divisions to build our country. The manner in which this day was marked is a case in point.
At the height of apartheid, December 16 was a blatant display of the divisions and pain.
But exactly 16 years ago, the newly elected democratic government, under the leadership of President Nelson Mandela, decided to begin the process of cleansing and healing.
Amongst many progressive measures, government declared 16 December as a national day of reconciliation.
Renaming 16 December in 1995, President Mandela said: “the Government of National Unity chose this day precisely because the past had made December 16 a living symbol of bitter division”.
In the same year, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission chose 16 December as the starting date for its work of national healing.
The National Day of Reconciliation is crucial in our continued national endeavour to heal the wounds of the past and to build an inclusive society.
As government, we are conscious of the fact that reconciliation is a journey and not a one-day-a-year event.
It is also a two-way process. For reconciliation to take root, all communities must participate in the journey of wiping away the tears and covering the wounds. Reconciliation will succeed if it is a two way process.
We are making progress in moving towards that goal, although a lot more must still be done. This morning, we officially opened the access road that links the Voortrekker Monument and Freedom Park.
Freedom Park and the Voortrekker Monument have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as a symbol of goodwill between the two institutions.
The access road will enable easy access of visitors to both institutions. The initiative symbolises commitment to reconciliation, social cohesion and nation building principles as well as a willingness to exchange ideas and learn from each other.
The gesture indicates progress in the national project of reconciliation.
Compatriots,
The establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995 and the declaration of a special day dedicated to reconciliation, was just the beginning of the journey of reconciliation.
The journey continues. Part of the important achievements on this journey includes the establishment of the Department of Military Veterans within the Defence portfolio.
While the veterans of the apartheid defence apparatus were catered for, those who were in the liberation movements remain largely destitute.
This department has been given the task of improving the lot of our military veterans, especially former combatants of liberation movements.
Another milestone on this journey of reconciliation includes the opening of the Pretoria Central Prison Gallows Museum, where 134 political prisoners were executed.
Yesterday, the Gallows at Cmax Correctional facility formerly known as Pretoria Central Prison, were re-opened as a museum.
It was a difficult moment as families visited the horrific killing floor at the prison for the first time, and walked the 52 steps that our compatriots took to face the hangman.
They were also assisted to find the graves of their loved ones, who were buried as paupers by the apartheid state after the executions.
There can be no powerful gesture of reconciliation, than the re-opening and conversion of the gallows into a museum.
This will bring much-needed closure and healing, not only to the families of those executed, but also to the former guards and warders who looked after condemned prisoners.
We have directed the Department of Correctional Services to do all possible to assist the warders who worked at the gallows to find closure as well.
Fellow South Africans,
The most fundamental steps taken towards full reconciliation, is the extension of basic services and the improvement of the quality of life of all, especially those who suffered profoundly under apartheid, the black majority.
The ongoing provision of housing, water, electricity, sanitation, roads and other services in areas that were deliberately excluded from development by the apartheid regime is a major contribution to the national process of healing.
Further, we have taken decisive measures to improve the quality of education and health services to all our people.
Education in particular, was used as an instrument of subjugation. Therefore, the more we invest in education and skills development; we would be reversing the legacy of apartheid and colonial oppression, and we will be closing the societal gap that was created.
Another key project with regards to promoting national reconciliation and social cohesion is the establishment of integrated human settlements across racial divides.
As part of reconciliation, we are undoing the legacy of the Group Areas Act, Influx Control Laws and other apartheid laws. One such new settlement is the Chief Mogale Gardens in Kagiso in Mogale City Local Municipality.
The artificial boundaries have been removed. Black and white South Africans live together in friendship, social harmony and a sense of community.
Compatriots,
We know that while we have extended services, and improved the lives of our people considerably since 1994, many still live in poverty.
Inequality and unemployment stubbornly remain.
To alleviate poverty, government instituted a highly successful and progressive social security system in our country. More than 15 million South Africans receive social grants, 10 million of whom are orphans and vulnerable children. Social grants are the main source of income for many poor households.
And in order to deal adequately with unemployment, poverty and inequality, we are steadily transforming the economy to promote inclusive growth and economic emancipation.
The majority in our country must participate meaningfully in the economy. Therefore, we are striving for inclusive growth which creates decent work.
To achieve inclusive growth, we have introduced programmes such as broad-based black economic empowerment and affirmative action. These are powerful tools of building social cohesion and national reconciliation.
By 2007, the black middle class had grown to more than 2,7 million.
It is a small number, but still indicates progress that is being made to open up opportunities that were previously the preserve of a few.
All of us, black and white, must join hands to transform our economy into one that is not only owned, controlled and managed by the minority, but one in which the majority plays a meaningful and leading role.
In that way we would have moved many steps forward to achieve national reconciliation and to lay the foundation for sustainable economic development.
Compatriots,
Broadly speaking, government has identified job creation, education, health, the fight against crime and corruption, and comprehensive rural development as priorities, in order to reverse the legacy of colonial oppression and apartheid.
Each of these priorities is aimed at addressing the economic and social inequalities and pave way for true national reconciliation.
The achievement of these priorities is a national responsibility of not only government, but all South Africans and all sectors of society.
We have to put our differences aside for the common good of our country.
From business, labour, religious sector and indeed all communities, black and white, working towards uplifting our communities and developing our country, is our responsibility, all of us.
The journey towards national reconciliation still continues and awaits us all.
The road is long and hard because the colonial oppression and apartheid we lived through also took centuries.
Let us move forward together so that eventually, we can stand together as true equals, when the gap between rich and poor has been significantly reduced, when the quality of life has improved for all our people, and when we can all say with pride, that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white.
Today, let us recommit ourselves to continue with this journey. There can be no short cuts, and there will continue to be obstacles along the way.
However, if we remain united on the ultimate goal, we will together build a South Africa that is truly free, non-racial, united, democratic and prosperous.
On behalf of Government and also on behalf of the other two arms of the State, the Judiciary and the Legislature which are represented at a high level here today, I wish all South Africans a meaningful National Day of Reconciliation.
I thank you.
