Programme director
Your Excellency, Dr Jean Ping
Your Excellency, Dr Salamao
Ministers and Deputy Ministers present here
Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP)
President and Members of the Pan African Parliament
Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Mr Moyo
Your Excellencies, Ambassadors and High Commissioners
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Leaders of opposition Parties
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It is a great honour and privilege for us to host, on this auspicious occasion, the 46th Anniversary of Africa Day. We do so in humble remembrance and recognition of the great struggles and tireless efforts deployed to attain and ensure the freedom of all people and countries of this beautiful continent of ours. As we do so, we also reflect on the great strides that we as the collective people of Africa have made in carrying forward and establishing the vision of our predecessors who signed the historic Abuja Treaty on 3 June 1991 embodied in the African Agenda.
The objective of this treaty is to promote economic, social and cultural development and the integration of African economies, in order to enhance economic self reliance, as well as to promote an endogenous and self sustaining development. This involves the coordination and harmonisation of policies among existing economic communities, to foster gradual establishment of the African Economic Community.
This year's celebration is particularly special in that it has been graced by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, His Excellency Dr Jean Ping, whose leadership has been outstanding in steering the continent's integration programme.
At this juncture, it is important to reflect on the theme of this year's Africa Day Celebrations being "Towards a united, peaceful and prosperous Africa". In this regard, we note and commend the fruits that have been yielded from our collective efforts to establish peace on the continent. In many of the African countries the guns are silent and mechanisms towards peaceful resolution of conflicts are in place and peace is being realised.
This situation gives us confidence and hope that we are on the right path towards a possible "just world and a better Africa" for humankind. We can therefore today proclaim that a "just world and a better Africa" is a possibility although this work is not complete. Despite the many challenges ahead, we the people of South Africa and indeed the people of Africa at large remain committed to intensify our efforts to achieving lasting peace in every part of our continent.
Excellencies, I want to salute the efforts that have been undertaken by the African Union to resolve conflicts, in particular in Madagascar, Mauritania, Somalia and Sudan. We hope that durable peace and stability will be found in these countries. Furthermore, we need to reflect on the state of integration in Africa, both at an economic and political level, as well as emphasise the importance of remaining seized with this process going forward as it forms the pillars on which the establishment of the African Economic Community is premised.
In this regard, we commend the ongoing efforts of the eight Regional Economic Communities to harmonise their policies and programmes, and as the current Chair of Southern African Development Community (SADC) we are especially proud of the launch of the SADC free trade area in August 2008. We as the Government of South Africa and a member of SADC will continue to work towards regional economic integration in Southern Africa on a fair, equitable and developmental basis, promoting SADC integration based on a developmental model that includes infrastructure development, co-operation in the real economy and development of regional supply chains. We also continue to support the collective efforts towards attaining continental integration through the establishment of the African Union Authority as a step towards the strategic goal to integrate Africa. However, the process must be informed by a developmental agenda for Africa with its primary focus on building Regional Economic Communities as the building blocks of regional integration.
We therefore welcome the outcomes of the 12th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union held in Addis Abba, Ethiopia this year especially the recommendations of the Council of Ministers in this regard and remain seized with the process.
As we celebrate, we also recognize the efforts deployed by our Brothers and Sisters in the Diaspora for their continued partnership in strengthening South-South co-operation and working together to make our world a better place. Excellencies, we therefore pay tribute to the millions of African people who are dispersed in various parts of the world. In this regard, we are inspired by and indebted to the trans-national movements for emancipation, through the life's work of individuals like Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and others who fought for an end to slavery in the 1800s.
Furthermore, as we reflect on the requirements needed to create a prosperous Africa, in the promotion of continental peace and unity, we need to strengthen the African Union and its structures. This will require even more vigorous efforts to promote democratic rule and good governance, respect for human rights, economic development of the continent. Our priorities should remain the eradication of poverty, combating the diseases and we strive towards attaining Africa’s millennium development goals.
These issues remain priorities for African Continent and we will continue to join hands with our fellow African brothers and sisters as we address these issues as a collective. We need to encourage intraAfrica trade, strengthening South-South relations, work towards equitable NorthSouth relations as well as transform and harness Africa's natural resources to the benefit of the people of Africa. This will allow us to attain increasing market access for African products to generate employment and in so doing contribute towards poverty eradication, working towards ensuring access to basic health care for all, as well as ensuring primary education for all the children of Africa.
Excellencies, as we are all aware, we have just concluded a successful 11th Ordinary Session of the Pan African Parliament (PAP). It is indeed an honour for me to acknowledge with gratitude, the important role that this august body continues to play in our continent and also commend those who have led this remarkable milestone of our era. Since its birth in March 2004, the PAP has provided a platform for representatives of our people across the Continent to act as agents of peace, democracy and development.
The voices of our Parliamentarians have contributed greatly to the deepening of democracy in Africa. In this regard, the words of His Excellency, John Mahama, Vice President of Ghana are instructive and I quote "The democratic elections at constitutionally determined intervals is becoming an accepted practice in much of the continent noting that Africa is now awake to the political and economic transformation taking place all over the world."
To this end, I would like to congratulate the outgoing President of the Pan-African Parliament, Her Excellency, Dr Gertrude Mongella and the Bureau for their invaluable contribution in guiding the PAP since its establishment. Through her effective leadership and wisdom, Dr Mongella has steered the PAP through many challenges in the last five years. I also wish to congratulate the Honourable Dr Moussa Ndele Idriss of the Republic of Chad on his election as the new President of the PAP as well as the members elected to the Bureau. The cooperative spirit displayed by all MP’s at the 11th Session of PAP to forge towards consensus, demonstrates the commitment of all the AU Member States to ensure that the PAP remains on course.
The PAP has made significant achievements in the last five years, the strongest of which is the strengthening of its oversight role expressed among others, in its debates to ensure that policies, programmes and activities of the African Union are effectively implemented. It is very important that the PAP continue to making recommendations to our Heads of State and Governments on matters of good governance and democracy, human rights and socio-economic issues that will uplift the African Continent.
Furthermore, the 11th Ordinary Session of the PAP is significant in that the new leadership will reenergise and synergise the ongoing efforts of the PAP to promote good governance, democracy, human rights and the rule of law on the Continent. Notwithstanding the above, the new President of the PAP, The Honourable Dr Idriss and the Bureau will continue to be face with challenges in the next five years as it moves from its transition from an advisory to a legislative body.
I wish the new leadership at the PAP to continue its good work in the promotion of good governance and democracy and human rights on the African continent in creating a better life for all.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I stand before you, encouraged by the great strides we have made to date, confident that a peaceful, united and prosperous Africa is within our reach. We will therefore continue to do our level best to ensure that the future of our Continent will be one that we can be proud of.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of International Relations and Co-operation
29 May 2009
