on the State of the Nation Address, NA
8 February 2006
Madam Speaker, Mr President, there is a groundswell of support from millions
of South Africans who have accepted that they can and will act to give
practical meaning to the challenge of giving expression to our âshared
destinyâ.
Sadly all we have heard from the opposition leadership is a whinge here and
a whine there.
Listening to the debate reminded me very strongly of some of the bitter
irony of the magnanimous settlement the liberation movement agreed to after
years of struggle. It is most peculiar to have opposition party members stand
here and pontificate, in false morality, about the challenges and impediments
that face our government and the people of South Africa.
Strange, because many of the reborn purists had the power to effect change
at many points in their privileged lives in apartheid South Africa, and when
push came to shove they did not fight for freedom, they stood back and left the
battle to the African National Congress (ANC). As student leaders or army
recruits, as former MECs of Education, as heads of apartheid created bodies,
they had a moment when they could have signalled their intent to work for
freedom; but sadly they missed the moment and failed to heed the call to be
freedom fighters.
Today and yesterday they have sought to impose on this government the badge
of failure, the stain of false accusation, because they know they failed the
people and the ANC led the people to freedom.
These reborn failures of history, the cause of much of the awful legacy we
deal with today, should admit their culpability gracefully, and have the moral
courage to say to the ANC, thank you for doing what I could not do, thank you
ANC thank you President Mbeki.
They cannot be so brave, Madam Speaker, and we all know why - lack of
vision, lack of purpose, lack of engagement with the real challenges facing
South Africa.
We have a vision, we have purpose, we are engaged.
Further, Madam Speaker, Mr President, we firmly believe that along with the
goodwill of the millions who believe we have a shared destiny we will be able
to create a society that grows its economy, that shares its wealth, and that
allows each person the opportunity to realise their fullest potential. We hold
the view that each day, inexorably, South Africans are building a firm
foundation for entrenching those elements of social action that confirm South
Africaâs desire to strive toward and arrive at a shared destiny.
Mr President, you have issued a challenge to South Africa. What will she and
her people make of this moment in history? Will they wail like the banshee,
destroying all in its wake, or will they grasp life from the glorious
opportunity offered by our shared destiny.
Unity in purpose, such as that suggested by the President, requires
agreement on the direction our country pursues. Various opinion polls show
there is agreement on our economic progress. We will intensify our efforts at
ensuring shared enjoyment of the fruits of economic growth. We are committed,
as the president stated, to supporting small business to grow, to encouraging
micro industries to flourish, and to promoting business activities that enhance
expanded access rather than narrow acquisition. This approach does not imply as
the opposition assumes that black businesspeople should be the only ones who
share opportunity.
All private sector actors should begin exploring and indicating how they
intend to distribute access to wealth through new share ownership, through
creating jobs and through supporting skills training in the workplace.
The women of South Africa are encouraged by the opportunities suggested by
Accelerated and Shared Growth-South Africa (ASGISA). We believe, to make a real
difference in growth, women must be at the centre of economic activity. The
inclusion of women, their empowerment and business skilling will create a force
for building a new South Africa that will be immeasurable in its positive
impact.
We are always told that business is the best at wealth creation. Business
now has a chance to accelerate the creation of real wealth for all.
We will of course have to ensure that we provide South Africans with quality
education and training if we are to succeed in our other endeavours. The
changes we have made in the past twelve years have been directed at promoting
quality and many of the policies have had a positive impact. We are the first
to acknowledge that there are enormous challenges, but of course if we had all
the answers we would have done better as former MECs, former homeland leaders
and former administrators. We are building classrooms and schools as quickly as
we can, we are training teachers better, and we are working with experienced
teachers to develop cutting-edge curricula and assessment tools.
Further, we intend to revolutionise artisanal and technical and service
skills training through our colleges of further education and training. The
recapitalisation process will modernise the colleges and our partnerships with
Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SETAs) and the Umsobomvu
Youth Fund will expand the skills pool in South Africa.
Belief in a shared destiny requires all to feel they are worth something in
our society. This means skills opportunities should not stop at formal
institutions. We must offer men and women in our villages literacy on their
doorsteps, we must recapture thousands of marginalised youth in the centre of
society, and we must utilise all available vacant space for engendering a
skills opportunity revolution in South Africa.
That Mr President will convince millions that we are making something of our
shared destiny.
Sharing occurs between people. The deputy president has initiated
wide-ranging and inclusive consultations in the work she has done to put meat
into ASGISA. That process has created significant stakeholder buy-in to the
emerging proposals.
Partnerships will be absolutely vital in the leadership role we assume in
creating this affirmation of our shared vision. Again our government has based
much of its actions since the advent of democracy on the securing and nurturing
of partnerships with civil society organisations. The departments of health and
social development have been especially exemplary in this regard. Both
departments support and are supported by firm relationships with
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations
(CBOs).
They are able to work with thousands of community-based workers because this
government and all the post 1994 governments have the mass-based legitimacy
that allows or such partnerships. NGOs working with government are a vital
resource in our promotion of social upliftment and progressive ideas. Making
good on our shared destiny requires strong links with social partners.
MoPresidente o re thusitse ka tiro e ya go aga setshaba. O Simulotse
tsamaiso e re kopanyang le batho ba Afrika Borwa ka tsela e e baneeang lenstwe
le seriti. Mmuso wa gago ke wantlha o o direleng selo se sentle jana. Ga re bua
ka tshwaragano batho ba le fatsees le ba a irtse gore re bua ka eng. Ga re a
magaeng re bua gore tswelelopele e thloka mabogo otlhe ba a thlaloganya.
The people of South Africa believe that we can make a success of what we
have.
Mr President, when you posed the challenge to us all last week, a challenge
the opposition have failed to respond to - because they do not believe we have
a shared destiny - I am sure you were also challenging us to confront the
impediments that could lead to regression.
The first impediment remains the signs of a society still shaped and
sometimes polarised by race. The court cases where some lives seem worthy of
hefty sentences while other lives merit short prison terms.
A second impediment is the persistence of sexual abuse and violence against
women and the most vulnerable in our society. Standing here pointing fingers at
government will not protect women; urging our congregations and communities to
reject violence actively would be a good beginning to shaping the new vision
the president referred to. It is impossible for women to feel included if they
are afraid or unsafe.
A third impediment lies in exclusionary institutional cultures. Every
institution has a role to play in reshaping our society. The institutions
promoting democracy, the judiciary, universities, religious institutions,
schools, winning sports teams all have a role to play in delivering the vision
the president has place before us; a South Africa acting as one to make a
success of the opportunities created by our hard fought freedom.
The children of 1976 who stood before bullets unseeing because of tear gas,
the women of 1956 marching to challenge racism, the leaders of South Africa,
the treason trialists standing before unjust courts; all these and the many
more we shall honour this year, did these things of courage because they
believed correctly that a âshared destinyâ was the only path that would assure
South Africa peace, prosperity, success.
Issued by: Department of Education
8 February 2006
