Minister of Finance
29 April 2006
Dear Friends
Thank you for joining us here in this special centenary celebration of
Satyagraha and the commemoration of that great individual, Mahatma Gandhi,
whose life and contribution was shaped by his own experiences in this part of
the world. Moreover, we need to remind ourselves that we are celebrating his
life and contribution over this very special weekend which affords a time for
celebration and reflection about ourselves. Lest we forget, this extended
weekend started with the celebration of our nationhood and it will end on
Mayday, in recognition of the contribution of workers to what we are.
The concept of nationhood is as important now as it was in the life and
struggles of Mahatma Gandhi. He said, ânations are born out of travail and
suffering.â Against this criterion, we as South Africans have certainly earned
our right to nationhood. Our nationhood and our freedom were not handed on a
plate, nor did it occur only in recognition of the fact that we live together
in one geographic space. Our nationhood was born of struggle and suffering. Our
nationhood was earned. Our nationhood must therefore be cherished and handed
down with full appreciation from generation to generation. Nationhood is not an
event. Its form and shape cannot be predetermined. Nationhood is an active
building process. For us, the outlines of what must be built are set out in the
Preamble to our Constitution, which reads 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.
We therefore, through our freely elected representatives, adopt this
Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic so as to Heal the divisions of
the past and establish as society based on democratic values, social justice
and fundamental human rights; Lay the foundations for a democratic and open
society in which government is based on the will of the people and every
citizen is equally protected by law; Improve the quality of life of all
citizens and free the potential of each person; and Build a united and
democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in
the family of nations.
May God protect our people.
Nkosi Sikeleâ iAfrika. Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso. The âweâ who desire
all of these good things can surely not be merely government as the elected
representatives of the people. The âweâ includes all of us. We must all then
commit to working for that quality of nationhood that the Constitution speaks
of. We have to act for what is right and we have to act against what is wrong.
So, when we observe crime around us, and we fail to act, we are not
contributing to the building of a nation. So, when we observe wrongs in the
community, like those who wage chemical warfare against our youth â we must
act, because that is what we committed to do when we adopted the Constitution.
When we observe the abuse of the rights of any of us, we must act, because that
is what we committed to do when we adopted our Constitution. When we see
activities that deny the potential of any of us, we must act. When we observe
blatant criminality exercised against the vulnerable, we must act. If we wish
to live out the spirit of the Constitution, which is the same as the spirit of
Gandhijee, then we will soon find out that it is better to prevent bad acts, by
building strong communities. If we want to build, then we need to strengthen
our own integrity.
If we wish to strengthen our own integrity, then it is worth remembering
what Gandhijee called the Seven Sins:
* wealth without work
* pleasure without conscience
* knowledge without character
* commerce without morality
* science without humanity
* worship without sacrifice
* politics without principle.
These âSeven Social Sinsâ are the words engraved on the tomb of Mahatma Gandhi,
just outside of Delhi. These are the words that we should remember him by.
These words must live on in each of us, as these words will define the quality
of service we are each prepared to render. The building of a caring democracy
depends on the contribution of each one of us. Let us work to make a
difference.
Thank you.
Issued by: Ministry of Finance
29 April 2006
Source: National Treasury (http://www.treasury.gov.za)
