May Day celebration in Kuruman
1 May 2006
Programme Director,
MECs, MPs and MPLs,
UNION representatives,
Distinguished guests,
Representatives of women's groups,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Members of the media,
We are converging here to celebrate May Day soon after we celebrated and
held the National Freedom Day event in our province.
We also gather to remind ourselves of the fateful May Day in 2003, where 51
workers from across the province drowned in Bethlehem.
1 May 2003 marked an indelible and permanent spot on the political map of
the Northern Cape. Husbands, wives, fathers and mothers, daughters and sons
were lost and many families were left with voids which would never be
filled.
We must dedicate this day to their memories.
Those heroes and heroines of the struggle must never be forgotten for they
paid the ultimate sacrifice, when they wanted to join other workers to
celebrate the achievements of the workers of this country and the world at
large.
I know request that we all rise and observe a moment of silence in their
honour. May their souls rest in peace.
Comrades and friends, as we today also launch the Investing in Culture
projects, we must seek to link these struggles and contributions of the workers
within the broader context of culture, to the achievements and contributions of
workers to our freedom.
We are reminded that the lives of workers on the mines and factories are not
easy. The lives of these workers capture the culture of the Africa people in
many ways through their dance and struggle songs.
Through culture mineworkers in the mine compounds took part in cultural
activities in order to express their pain and anguish, but more than that, they
used such activities to articulate their aspirations for a better life.
Twelve years of our democracy has indeed made it possible for us to advance
the struggles of all our people, in particular the workers and the poor.
Over the years we have not only enacted progressive legislations, we have
actively sought to ensure that these rights are not only on paper, but are
actively implemented and contribute towards a quality life for all.
Our legislative framework sets in place a conducive environment for the
realisation of a better life for all, in particular the most deprived and women
and children in particular.
The year of 2006 has been declared as the "Year of Women in South Africa".
Its significance arises from the fact that it marks the 50th anniversary of the
women's march to the Union Building on 9 August in 1956 in defiance of the
oppressive pass laws.
Women are now being celebrated for the contribution they made and continue
to make in shaping the history of our country as members of organised labour,
business, religion and political organisations.
I wish to acknowledge that despite the support provided to women by the
established gender machinery, many challenges still remain.
The path towards the envisaged non-sexist society still remains as a
challenging one.
You'll agree with me that transformation is taking place both at the level
of practical needs with more people especially women having access to basic
services such as water, electricity, health and education improves the quality
of life of women.
Women are beginning to regain their dignity and taking responsibility for
their lives in many areas of our communities.
Society's patriarchal attitudes are beginning to change as evidenced by the
growing anger towards violence against women.
In the private sector and civil society women are making their mark and
gaining recognition, shifting the patriarchal mindsets and changing
stereotypes.
Among the remaining challenges of our government, are poverty and
unemployment among women, the ongoing marginalisation of people in mainstream
economy, continued violence against women, higher levels of illiteracy among
our people, and the negative impact of HIV and AIDS.
The majority of our people in this district continue to be trapped in
poverty.
We have to stand together side by side and continue to work for the
empowerment of our workers in areas of development from which they have been
historically.
Ladies and friends, society needs to put in place mechanisms which will
accelerate chances for our workers to access economic opportunities.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time that the freedoms guaranteed by our
Constitution become fully entrenched in our societies in resonance of the
struggles of our heroes and heroines.
Our programme of action as government identified poverty eradication and
social cohesion, social justice and nation building as critical goals towards
an economically vibrant South Africa.
This makes it imperative to bring our labour force to the centre of all
development projects in the country.
I thank you,
Ndiyabulela,
Ke a leboga,
Baie dankie.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Northern Cape Provincial Government
1 May 2006
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.northern-cape.gov.za)
