Facilitator: Mr Moses Tembe
Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa: Your Excellency, Mr Kgalema Motlanthe
Premier of KwaZulu-Natal: Dr Zweli Mkhize
Executive Mayor of eThekwini Municipality: Your Worship, Councillor James Nxumalo
Chairperson of the African Renaissance Organising Committee: Prof Sihawukele Ngubane
Minister in the Presidency: Mr Trevor Manuel
Minister of Rural Development & Land Reform: Mr Gugile Nkwinti
Other Ministers present
MECs
Members of Parliament and Legislatures
Government Officials
Representatives from Business and the Private Sector
Representatives of Community Based Organisations
Conference delegates
Members of the media
Distinguished guests.
We are assembled here today on the occasion of the 15th annual African Renaissance Conference. On Saturday, Africa Day, South Africa will join the continent in commemorating the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity. This annual African Renaissance Conference all started here in KwaZulu-Natal in 1999. That year, the keynote speaker, President Nelson Rolihlanhla Mandela, remarked: “Too often we converge to discuss on differences or to organise against one another.
Today we celebrate what we share and we affirm our community of interests”. Indeed, these are great words uttered at a time when South Africa had re-discovered itself. The conference, then, was held under the theme “Beyond Conflict.” Following years of conflict in South Africa, and in KwaZulu-Natal in particular, the moment had arrived to move on and put peace, democracy and development at the top of the agenda. In re-discovering itself, South Africa had re-invigorated its relations with the continent and the African Diaspora. To give effect, and meaning, to this intra-African people-to-people connectedness, an American delegation, led by Ambassador Andrew Young, attended the festival.
It was a moment to re-live the role of African-American people in affirming the place of all Africans in the community of nations of the world. In the year 2000, “Beyond Conflict” was further developed to the theme “Beyond conflict in the New Millennium”. By then, some 20,000 lives had been lost in political conflict that was absolutely unnecessary. In delivering his address to the African Renaissance 2000, Dr Mangosuthu Buthelezi advanced the call for peace when he deplored Black-on-Black violence concluding that the resolution of conflict was a condition we had to go through to achieve the African Renaissance. There can be no African Renaissance in the middle of conflict, death and instability.
It was during the 2000 conference where the guest of honour, then Deputy President and now President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Mr Jacob Zuma, defined the African Renaissance as a moment where the continent of Africa needed to be taken to a better place in the world of nations and called for speedy resolution of conflicts. Today, President Zuma continues to be seen in various forums, on the African continent, implementing the message ignited at this forum. In 2001, the two crucial issues of poverty, and underdevelopment, were raised by President Thabo Mbeki as critical to the affirmation of the African Renaissance if properly addressed by citizens and effective states.
The “Star Walk” concept was impelled in 2001, and gained root in 2002, to recognise those of our people, in Africa and the African Diaspora, who made outstanding contributions to the social, political, economic, cultural and sporting fields. In 2002, the theme, “IBUYA-Our Time Has Come”, was adopted to mark Africa’s return to the conglomeration of world nations. The keynote speaker, Mr Sydney Mufamadi, said: “The idea of the Renaissance implies a conscious and determined decision to extract society from its prolonged moments of decay.”
The African Renaissance 2003 was held under the theme, “NEPAD: Quest for an African Renaissance”. Its objectives included prevention of conflict, promotion of democracy and human rights, the role of women in social and economic development, education, technical training, health, macro-economic stability, transport legal and regulatory framework and the building of capacity of African states.
In 2004, President Mbeki returned as keynote speaker and focused on Haiti with the problems of poverty and underdevelopment. The year 2005 marked the 50th celebration of the Freedom Charter, and the theme, “Reflecting on the Human Right Triumph”, was adopted. To expand the horizons, the African Renaissance programme had been introduced, and incorporated, into the work of the Martin Luther King Junior Committee whose voice was the late Rev. James Orange.
In 2006, under the theme “African Renaissance and African Intellectuality”, the time had come for this forum to identify the role that intellectuals in Africa can play in the development, and advancement, of African scholarships. In 2007, the theme “Peace and Security through Partnerships” was adopted, as peace is a pre-requisite for democracy and development. Peace and security were further explored in 2008 with “Uniting the African Diaspora” being the theme for 2008, and “Uniting the African World” being the theme for 2009.
In 2010, the focus was on the FIFA World Cup with the theme “Take charge Africa – the future is in your hands”. In 2011, the theme was “Connecting Africa”. Emphasis was placed on the fact that in 2011 it should not be easier for a foreigner in Europe to move with ease from London to Paris by rail or road, but much more difficult to move from South Africa, across Swaziland to Mozambique or from South Africa to Zambia, because of physical restrictions at our borders as well as the condition of our road/rail network. Indeed, it becomes easier to fly than to travel by road or rail. The conference presented an opportunity for dialogue around the planning, development, operation and management of transport infrastructure as a means to promoting African connectivity.
The African Renaissance Conference 2012 offered further opportunities for ideas advocating a coordinated approach to knowledge generation and leadership development. We recalled how institutions, including Fort Hare and Makerere University (Uganda), became centres to generate ideas to share and build on our common experience of connectivity. This year (2013), whilst we are continuing with the theme of connecting Africa, we are not only focusing on physical infrastructure but we are also dealing with human development.
On Tuesday, at the Youth Pioneers Conference together with ignite SA, we spoke about the Great Generation, the Grasshopper Generation and Re-Generation. The Great Generation gave their today for our tomorrow. They knew war, poverty, unemployment first-hand. They believed in hard work, and saving to make a down payment on a home. They ate what they planted or slaughtered, and lived within their means.
The threats they faced were real, immediate, overwhelming and inescapable. The Grasshopper Generation consumed everything, without producing anything. They did not even maintain what they found, and allowed it to deteriorate in front of their eyes without a twinge of conscience or guilt. Indeed, destroying became heroic. The Regeneration believed in themselves, saw what had been lost or wasted, and started the process of regeneration, building all over, block by block. They built lasting structures that reminded many future generations about the nature and value of their inheritance. They reinvented lost democratic values, and walked in the footsteps of the Great Generation before them. However, whilst we had Luthuli, Tambo, Mandela and Sisulu, we also had the Msomi gang which destroyed families, enterprises and whatever the Black community was trying to build.
They saw themselves as heroes even in their destructiveness. The discussions at the Youth Pioneers Conference give us great hope that, in us, we have the capacity of regeneration to build a new society. All the ingredients all already there such as a democratic state and the necessary laws. What needs to be developed is the human capital to be the best we can be. Unlike John the Baptist who always said there is a greater being coming, unlike the struggles of the youth of 1976 and the UDF of the 80s who could always say Tambo is coming back, Mandela is coming back, we are it; we are the people we have been waiting for. It is in our hands to transform our families, our communities, our society, our country and continent.
As South Africa commemorates 20 years of democracy, 20 years has given us enough experience to know what works, what doesn’t and which values enrich us. So let the 20 years of democracy be that great experiment in creating a society envisaged in our Constitution. “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.” With those few words, we wish you well in your deliberations at this conference. Working together, let us strive to promote an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.
Thank you.
