bilateral workshop with the province of Gaza in Mozambique, Makgobaskloof,
Mopani District, Limpopo province
19 July 2007
Programme Director
His Excellency Mr Djalma Lorenco, the Governor of Gaza province and your
entourage,
My colleagues in the Executive Council,
Honourable Mayors,
Our Director General,
Your Excellencies from the two provinces,
Honoured guests,
Ladies and gentlemen
We are highly honoured to once again receive His Excellency the Governor of
Gaza province and his entourage to our country. Please accept the warm
hospitality and greetings from the people of Limpopo and South Africa in
general. As all of you know, our relations with Mozambique does not start
today, but come a long way when both our people shared deep trenches in the
fight against colonialists.
Needless to say that many South Africans were shielded by Mozambiqueans who
provided everything from food to safe havens when the apartheid regime was all
out to crush our liberation movement. It is this kind of support which today
has served to cement the good relations and profound feelings of solidarity and
love between our two people.
Programme director
Obviously, a lot has happened since 1998 when our two provinces signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on joint co-operation and trade relations.
Since 1998, we have welcomed a number of delegations from your province
visiting Limpopo in an endeavour to strengthen these ties and the same has also
happened for South African delegations visiting your province and country.
Our relationship has matured and as highlighted by previous speakers, we
signed a work plan in May last year which clearly outlined programmes and
projects to be implemented by both provinces. The work plan requires us to
implement projects in a number of areas such as health and social development,
agriculture, education, mining, transport, sport, arts and culture, security,
environment and tourism. This encounter must help us to assess progress that
has been made in each of these areas and the steps that need to be taken to
remove obstacles that impede our way.
From close observation it seems that, we are making tangible progress in a
number of areas especially in Health and Social development and Agriculture. We
obviously are concerned that there seems to be slow implementation of
programmes in other areas of our agreement. If the main challenge to
implementation is language barrier, it is important that we identify this and
find ways of dealing with it. However, if the challenge relates to budgeting
and structural weaknesses, again let us find innovative ways of addressing
these.
The objectives of this bilateral co-operation are very critical for the well
being of both our peoples and have to be prioritised. We have committed
ourselves as Limpopo because we are confident this partnership is intended to
fulfil one of the strategic objectives of the province, which is regional
integration. At a national level, this will surely help achieve the objectives
of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad).
We are also convinced that our collaboration is crucial in the fight against
poverty, which must be alleviated if we need to prosper and create a healthy
population within the region. The high incidence of HIV and AIDS and other
communicable diseases in the region and the catastrophic effects they are
likely to have in the long-term, makes the promotion of health within Southern
African Development Community (SADC) of paramount importance. Whilst bilateral
trade with SADC countries has increased dramatically over the last few years,
our government is fully aware of trade imbalances that exist between and
amongst countries of the region hence we are actively promoting mutually
beneficial trade. Closely allied to the promotion of trade and investment, is
the promotion of economic routes and regional tourism.
In this regard, the upgrading of Maputo port in neighbouring Mozambique
would give Limpopo and other provinces in South Africa, the opportunity to
easily access world markets. Maputo is much closer to Limpopo than more distant
South African ports where congestion often hampers trade. It is being estimated
that Limpopo based exporters can save about one third of their transportation
costs by using the facility. Linked to Limpopo by road and rail, Maputo port is
situated 300 and 400 kilometres from the main mining and agricultural centres
of Limpopo. The traditional port of Durban, for example, is 1 000 kilometres
from these areas.
Programme director
The promotion of people to people contacts between South Africa and
Mozambique also cannot go unmentioned. The sharing of expertise and technology
between our two peoples is fundamental to the achievement of many other
regional objectives, such as skills development, infrastructural development
and health.
Programme director
This interaction is principally aimed at assessing and harnessing all the
opportunities available, since our last engagement as the leadership of the two
provinces. We hope and trust that it will indeed live up to the expectations of
both countries. We are confident that we shall emerge from this bilateral, more
fortified and clearer about the way-forward with regard to our various areas of
co-operation.
Each time we meet as the two provinces, we renew our brother or sisterhood
and solidarity. We also reaffirm our commitment and loyalty to the continent
which has given birth to all of us. It is our hope that this interaction will
strengthen friendship between ourselves; and give all members of our delegation
a better sense of what needs to be done to improve trade and development
between the peoples and governments of our two provinces.
I thank you.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Limpopo Provincial Government
19 July 2007
Source: Limpopo Provincial Government (http://www.limpopo.gov.za)
