N Dlamini Zuma: Debate on State of the Nation Address

8 February 2006

Madam Speaker
President Thabo Mbeki
Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Ministers
Comrades
Honourable Members

President, we thank you for your accurate diagnosis of the state of health
of our nation. It is reassuring, celebratory and optimistic, yet it also
captures the challenges that lie ahead. You correctly proclaimed that today is
better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today. The Soweto
uprisings and the reaction of the desperate regime epitomise yesterday.

I Ningizimu Africa yonke yayigubuzelwe ubumnyama kukhona ukukhala nokugedla
kwamazinyo, kodwa kubo bonke ubunzima esasibhekene nabo sasiloku sinalo
ithemba. Ithemba lethu kwaku umbutho wesizwe uKhongolose.

At the time, the apartheid regime had embarked on desperate self-destructive
actions of killing, and imprisoning children. The African National Congress
(ANC) was the only hope of all South Africans, black and white.

The ANC was always able to galvanise, inspire and strengthen the spirit of
resistance which had characterised our people everywhere through the length and
breath of our country since 1652. The ANC was able to turn the tears of sorrow,
anger, humiliation and pain into tears of joy and freedom in 1994 when Comrade
Nelson Mandela became the first President of the democratic South Africa after
27 years in jail.

Ngaleyomini zehla izinyembezi.zokujabula sibona uTata efungiswa ukuba
uMongameli wokuqala okhethwe intando yeningi aNingizimu Afrika
ekhululekile.

The ANC had turned hope into the reality of freedom. All South Africans
proudly witnessed Nelson Mandela take the first salute as
Commander-in-Chief.

Madam Speaker,
This freedom means all South Africans can proudly stand. This freedom means
indeed that all South Africans journey through Africa and the whole world
without fear and shame.

All South Africans can now together with the government struggle against
poverty and work for a better life for all.

Indeed life is better today than yesterday. Yesterday we were struggling for
survival. Today we are struggling to improve the lives of all South
Africans.

Today we can complain about the pace of change. We can criticise ourselves
for not eradicating illiteracy, poverty, the bucket system, landlessness fast
enough but nobody can deny that we are improving the lives of all South
Africans.

Nobody can deny that South Africa is a totally different country than it was
even 10 years ago.

Nobody can deny that the ANC and the government have been true to the words
of that young inspiring South African intellectual Pixley ka Seme and later one
of the founding members of the ANC when he wrote 100 years ago about "The
Regeneration of Africa."

He called for Africa’s renewal so that "a new and unique civilisation" would
be added to the world.

Recalling Africa’s pre-colonial past, he argued that: "The African is not a
proletarian in the world of science and art. He (sic) has precious creations of
his own, of ivory, of copper, of gold, fine, plaited willow-ware, and weapons
of superior workmanship."

He described civilisation as resembling "an organic being in its
development- it is born, it perishes and can propagate itself. More
particularly it resembles a plant, it takes root in the teeming earth, and when
the seeds fall in other soils, new varieties sprout up."

For him and for many of his generation, Africa was in need of a regeneration
"thoroughly spiritual and humanistic – indeed a regeneration moral and
eternal."

True to its tradition, the ANC has made a commitment to stay the course and
not betray the founding leadership of the movement.

The leadership of the ANC have sought to bring about a better South Africa
in a better continent and a better world. Thus our national efforts for a
peaceful, prosperous country and winning nation, of entrenching a human rights
culture and strengthening democracy is also what we have sought for the rest of
Africa and for the world.

Madam Speaker,
The President said in the State of the Nation: "The Age of Hope and the
People’s Season of Joy are upon us." This is also true of the rest of the
continent.
Africa’s regeneration is becoming a living reality for many African people.

The majority of African people now live under democracies, which was not the
case yesterday.

The Organisation of African Unity of yesterday is now the African Union (AU)
of today and tomorrow who knows we might have a "United States of Africa" or a
different version of integration.

As Antonio Guerrero said in his book, My Altitude: "You will see the wonder
of the world when you give it more love and the most profound of its splendour
when we live in peace."

We are not completely there yet but we are slowly making progress.

Madame Speaker,
* The African Union continues to make progress. Congo-Brazzaville has been
given the Chair for 2006 and we look forward to working under their leadership
in this regard.
* There is ongoing discussion and action on the political and economic
integration of the continent. In our region, this finds expression in the
timetable we have adopted for the integration of Southern African Development
Community (SADC).
* In the area of peacekeeping and conflict resolution, progress has been made
notably in Burundi, Liberia and Sudan, North and South, all of which are now
engaged in the processes of post conflict reconstruction.
* Burundi has a new democratic government.
* Liberian people have entrusted their hard earned peace to a woman who is the
1st female elected President on our continent – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
* In Guinea Bissau, a progressive government is now in place and constitutional
order restored.
* Elections are to take place in April in the Comoros, which will constitute a
transfer of power in terms of the Fomboni agreement,
* Elections are planned for both the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and
Cote d’Ivoire in 2006. South Africa continues to support peace processes in the
Ivory Coast.

Patrice Lumumba’s "profound trust in the destiny of his country" was not
misplaced. "History" he said "will have its say."

But much as we celebrate these advances, those of us involved in the daily
struggles to make our continent a better place know that it will not be easy to
attain our objectives. This is why we will not shy away from acknowledging and
confronting the challenges still facing our continent.

Problems do remain:
* the Ethiopian – Eritrean border dispute
* the situation in Darfur, Sudan.
* the situation in Somalia.

These will continue to preoccupy the African continent and South Africa will
continue to play its role within the African Union.

Madam Speaker,
Indeed today is better than yesterday.
An average African economic growth rate of 5.1% was registered in 2004 and
similar levels in 2005.

Whilst South Africa is going to implement the Accelerated Shared Growth
Initiative (ASGISA) to achieve 6% growth, Africa as a whole is implementing the
New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

Africa is on the steady but sure path to its regeneration. Its women are on
the move. There are no positions that are taboo for them. Presidents, Deputy
Presidents, Premiers, Speakers, Judges, Academics, Engineers, Doctors and
Entrepreneurs.

Madame Speaker,
South Africa has also continued to contribute to a world of hope and peace,
free of racism, sexism and poverty. A world free of weapons of mass
destruction.
We believe in a nuclear free world.

South Africa, as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
board of Governors, has been pre-occupied with the question of the
implementation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement in
the Islamic Republic of Iran for about three years. We have engaged with
concerned parties to find a peaceful and long-term sustainable solution within
the IAEA.

The IAEA has been working to correct the past failures of Iran and clarify
various outstanding issues. The Director General of the Agency, Dr El Baradhei,
is due to present an updated assessment of the progress to date to the
scheduled meeting of the Board in March.

We have recently experienced a regrettable turn of events: Iran’s decision
to withdraw two of its voluntary, non-legally binding confidence measures has
resulted in the EU3/EU initiating decisions by a vote of Board members in
September 2005, and again last week to report the matter to the United Nations
(UN) Security Council.

South Africa has always worked for consensus decisions by the Board (and
since 1995, we joined the Board, these are the only two decisions adopted by
vote).

During last week’s meeting, members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and
several others agreed that a report could be sent to the Security Council in
March after consideration by the Board of Governors. Consensus was within our
grasp but the sponsors of the resolution insisted on sending "… all IAEA
reports and resolutions: to the Security Council now. This decision has in turn
led Iran to withdraw all its voluntary confidence building measures including
the Additional Protocol (which it was implementing as if it had been
ratified).

This decision also means that Iran may resume its enrichment programme
though it remains committed to the Safeguards Agreement and retains its
membership of the NPT.

South Africa believes that the matter can be resolved through negotiations
and dialogue within the IAEA, which has the necessary competence and expertise
to address this issue. We therefore appeal to all parties not act in a hasty
manner that can increase tension and confrontation but to await the
Director-General’s (DG) report next month.

The Board should be allowed to consider the DG’s Report and thereafter
convey to the UN Security Council and General Assembly the Report together with
its own conclusions.

Madam Speaker,
As we celebrate this Age of Hope and the People’s Season of Joy, let us not
forget the people of Palestine and Western Sahara struggling for
self-determination. Let us hope that the Quartet, the people of Israel and
Palestine, will get to the two stage solution as spelt out in the Road Map.

We shall spare no effort in making sure that the UN of tomorrow should be
better than the UN of today. Through the G77 and China and the Non-Aligned
Movement we shall use our collective strength to achieve a reformed United
Nations.

In conclusion (in the words of Ben Okri in The Famished Road):
"The road will never swallow you. The river of your destiny will always
overcome evil. May you understand your fate. Suffering will never destroy you,
but will make you stronger. Success will never confuse you or scatter your
spirit, but will make you fly higher into the good sunlight. Your life will
always surprise you."

If we remember that the ANC has always been the hope of this country and the
agent of progressive change, indeed the road will never swallow us and we will
see the most profound of its splendour as we live in peace.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
8 February 2006