Heads of delegations, officials, ladies and gentlemen
Our host, the Governor of Georgia, Governor Nathan Deal has expressed the importance of us sharing the global vision of building a better world nation and we thank him for that. It is a vision that speaks to the importance of connecting people, products and cultures. This Regional Leader’s Summit has chosen major events and logistics as themes and the reason for this is that both provide the platform to connect our regions to each other and to the rest of the world.
With the sad passing of the father of our democracy, Nelson Mandela our Premier of the Western Cape made the following comment:
“More has been written about Nelson Mandela than of any other person this century. So what is there to add? Time will heal the pain. What must remain, and grow within us, is a sense of the enormous responsibility we have inherited to continue his work. He has handed the baton to us. We dare not drop it.
The Government and the people of the Western Cape have taken up the challenge to continue Nelson Mandela work, but we also are mindful of the fact that it is a journey best taken with partners.
In the words of Marin Luther King Jnr:
“In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in the inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects me directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the inter-related structure of reality”
The Regional Leaders Summit recognises this reality. Our respective co-operations which in some instances go back nearly twenty years is testimony to the fact that regional co-operation can yield mutual benefits in the field of education, sport and culture and more importantly in the area of economic development.
There is absolutely no reason why this forum of regional leaders cannot begin to have the same impact as the World Economic Forum. With commitment and hard work we can create the same buzz amongst ourselves...a buzz that translates into real benefits and greater opportunities for our regions.
Heads of delegations, colleagues the following anchor priorities will form the basis of our drive to create economic opportunities in the Western Cape. They are renewable energy, broadband and ICT, agriculture and agri-processing, innovation and (Research and Development) and skills development.
The Western Cape Government understands that good governance lays a credible foundation needed to attract business into our province. We have indicated our intention to be the best run region in the world and we can confidently say that all indications are that we are well on our way to achieving this within the African context…..a fact that is acknowledged by our national government.
The Western Cape is the Cape of Cape-ability. We have demonstrated that we are capable and able to deliver major events such as the world’s largest timed cycle event, the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour which attracts 35 000 cyclists or the world’s most beautiful race, the Two Oceans Marathon, which attracts in excess of 26 000 runners or the Africa’s Grandest Gathering, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, which attracts 30 000 visitors.
These events which take place under the shadow of our iconic Table Mountain underscore our capability to host major events as we did when we hosted as described by the President of FIFA Sepp Blatter, the best world cup to-date.
The economy of the Western Cape has since 2005 consistently outperformed the national economy in terms of Gross domestic product (GDP) growth per annum. The Western Cape has also consistently outperformed seven out of the eight provinces in terms of annual average growth since 2001.
Cape Town’s strategic position makes it the perfect springboard into Africa and Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Southern African Customs Union (SACU). It is the gateway into Africa.
We have the logistical expertise within our province to ensure that your entry into Africa is indeed a successful one.
We have benefited greatly from our relations with our colleagues from Georgia, Shandong, Upper Austria, Bavaria, Quebec and Sao’ Paulo and we are confident that together we will tackle our common challenges. Thank you for your investment into the Western Cape.
As we look towards the 8th Regional Leaders Summit which will be held in Bavaria 2016, let us be mindful of the fact that the three greatest challenges we will have to address over the next twenty years is water, energy and food security.
The question is how do we go about it? Well, let me conclude by quoting the late Nelson Mandela.
“It always seems impossible until it is done.”
Regional Leaders, officials and colleagues, let’s not waste time let’s get it done.
