Address by the President of South Africa, His Excellency Mr Jacob Zuma, at the opening of the Pan Africa Mall, Alexandra, Johannesburg

The Premier of Gauteng, Nomvula Mokonyane
Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture and Provincial Chairperson of the ANC, Paul Mashatile
MEC for Local Government and Housing, Kgaogelo Lekgoro
Mayor of the City of Jo'burg, Amos Masondo
Pan African Development Company head, Mr Tebogo Mogashoa
The community of Alexandra
Ladies and gentlemen

No township personifies the resilient spirit of our people like Alexandra!

It is therefore inspiring for us to be in Alex today. This township is home to many leaders of the ANC.

We can count the country’s Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, the late former ANC secretary general Alfred Nzo, ANC stalwart Florence Mophosho and the late ANC Treasurer General Thomas Nkobi to name just a few. You have therefore given this country talent and expertise as the people of Alex!

This township became well-known for the Alexandra Bus Boycott of 1957 and many other actions of resistance against the Apartheid State. Alex must now be known for development and progress. We have always argued that economic development and economic facilities should not be the sole preserve of previously whites only suburbs.

The opening of the Pan Africa Mall, which is part of the Presidential Alexandra Renewal Project, is a step forward in achieving our goals of bringing development to where our people are. We said during the elections that we believe that 'working together we can do more.' The opening of this mall is ample evidence of this. As you have heard of the partnership that has emerged during this project.

The launch of this mall today is a result of the partnership between the Gauteng government, the City of Jo'burg and the Pan African Development Company. It has thus come about as a result of the efforts of all three spheres of government as well as the private sector and the community. Earlier today I visited Soweto's first major shopping centre, the Maponya Mall.

We were able to pay tribute to the pioneering spirit of Richard Maponya who has laid the shown the way for all our businesspeople that it is prudent to invest in our townships. Slowly but surely we are changing the face of townships in our country.

The Alex Mall will serve as a catalyst for further growth and development. It will provide a quality, shopping environment and hosts the first fully integrated shopping mall and taxi facility.

Let this centre serve as an example of what we can achieve by working together. This centre will create employment opportunities and will assist in ensuring that consumer spends remains within the local economy, bringing with it all the associated financial, social and employment benefits to the residents of Alex.

As you would be aware, the Pan Africa Shopping Centre forms part of the Presidential Alexandra Renewal Project. The project is a massive initiative aimed at improving living conditions and upgrading human capacity, including environmental development, human skills, housing and infrastructure programmes.

The Alexandra Renewal Project entails working with the Greater Alexandra community, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and community-based organisations. This project has been extended by the Premier to run until 2010. Thus far the Project has had a number of successes. Efforts have primarily focused on providing housing and basic infrastructure. The construction of houses, Ekukhanyisweni Primary School and the River Park Library are but a few of the completed projects.

Our townships need to have proper shopping facilities, proper roads, electricity, water and sanitation, quality schools and clinics, affordable public transport and all basic services that are taken for granted in historically white areas. We will not rest until that happens.

As we launch this project on the eve of Africa Day, we hope that the opening of the aptly named Pan Africa Mall will go someway towards strengthening the bonds of friendship between South Africans and their brothers and sisters from around the continent.

We highly appreciate this initiative and we hope that the business sector can grow on this.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honour and privilege to declare the Pan Africa Mall open.

I thank you.

Source: The Presidency

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