Professor Loyiso Nongxa, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand;
Professors Lee Berger and Paul Dirks and academics and researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand;
Premier of Gauteng Province, Nomvula Mokonyane;
Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor;
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Derek Hanekom;
Mayors, Members of the Gauteng Executive Council and Councillors;
Members of the media and all who are watching around the world, particularly on the African continent;
Ladies and gentlemen:
I would like to thank the University of the Witwatersrand for inviting me to this remarkable event.
As every parent knows, one of the most common questions a child asks when they are first capable of reason is ‘Where do I come from?'
And, as has become increasingly clear in recent years, the answer to that question is: ‘Africa - your ancestors are from Africa'.
In 63 days the eyes of the world will be on South Africa when the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off - the first time that this competition is hosted on the African continent.
Players and spectators from Asia, the Middle East, North and South America, East, West and central Europe, Oceania and beyond will be returning to the land of their forbears - the territory of their genesis.
We will be able to welcome them home with fresh news concerning our past - we will be able to add yet another fascinating layer in the answer to the question ‘Where do I come from?'
Eighty five years ago, a South African scientist from the University of the Witwatersrand - Professor Raymond Dart - identified the first early human ancestor to be discovered in Africa.
This discovery, "the Taung child", has become an iconic image of our ancient past on this continent.
In 1947, a stone's throw from here, Dr Robert Broom and Professor John Robinson, discovered the famous "Mrs Ples" at the Sterkfontein caves.
This primitive human-like creature lived in this area more than two million years ago.
Forty years after the discovery of "Mrs Ples", Professor Ron Clarke with the assistance of Pologo Motsumi and Nkwane Molefe, made the amazing find of the 4.1 million year old "Little Foot", the first almost complete hominid fossil skeleton.
No wonder then that this area of remarkable fossil discoveries has been declared a World Heritage Site and symbolically named ‘The Cradle of Humankind'.
The "Taung Child", "Mrs Ples" and "Little Foot" are just three of a very large number of hominid fossils which have demonstrated conclusively that almost every critical event in the emergence of our own species, Homo sapiens, occurred first on this continent: our continent, Africa.
Today it is with a deep sense of awe and pride, as the South African Government, that we are present for an unprecedented announcement by Professor Lee Berger of the University of the Witwatersrand, Professor Paul Dirks, and their colleagues.
Not far from here, on the Nash family property, this team of scientists have unearthed an entirely new hominid species!
The discovery opens an unusually panoramic window, revealing more about our African origins.
Typically, by the very nature of the fossil record, our glimpses into the earlier parts of human history are merely that - glimpses - often represented by only tiny fragments of bone or stone.
The announcement today of two more almost complete skeletons write another page in the largely unwritten record of our origins, offering a new perspective on the evolution of humankind.
These time travellers have found their way into the present, and, with the assistance of our scientists, they are able to speak to us from the distant past.
Due to their remarkable completeness and unprecedented preservation, as their story is deciphered, it will take on its own momentum and add many new pages to scientific journals and text books.
The exact position of this new species in our family tree will no doubt spur scientific debate for decades to come.
Even those of us who are not scientists can see clearly, from the very fact that these skeletons exist, that the known deepest roots of humankind are lodged firmly in the soils of Africa.
I am very pleased to re-confirm that Government has identified palaeontology as a scientific area in which South Africa is uniquely placed to contribute to global knowledge.
In addition to hominid evolution, South Africa has the oldest evidence of life on Earth, extending over 3 billion years, as well as the most complete record of mammal ancestry, extending over 80 million years.
The Department of Science and Technology is committed to providing the necessary support to our scientists to enable them to reach even greater heights.
Working closely with the Gauteng Provincial Government and our universities, we will ensure that these discoveries are presented to the world. Indeed, these discoveries symbolise and underline the unity - the oneness - of the people of the world.
We may have differences in language, culture and beliefs, but we are one species bound together by a single ancient history. Our technological advancement, our highest ideals are a single thread which binds humankind together.
It is only by understanding our past that we can better understand the present, and act together to tackle the common challenges threatening the future of humanity, such as climate change.
The fossils unearthed here on the tip of the African continent, together with important finds elsewhere on the continent, oblige the world to look at Africa with new eyes.
As Professor Emeritus Phillip Tobias puts it - ‘What has Africa given the world, people often ask in a sneering and derogatory way, as if they already know the answer - nothing! But Africa has given the world humanity - and that is no small thing. And secondly, it has given the world the first human culture. And that is also no small thing!'
Truly, visitors to South Africa, including football fans and players, will be coming home. And like all home comers, they will no doubt wish to explore their home - to see where their ancestors lived and to discover their roots.
And this will of course include a visit to Maropeng, meaning the place where we all come from.
It is an iconic place - a place of pilgrimage, belonging to the people of the world - the place where our collective umbilical cord is buried.
Since its inception, the University of the Witwatersrand has displayed great leadership in the palaeo-sciences. Professor Nongxa, you can rightly feel proud of the outstanding work done by your scientists and researchers!
In conclusion, I wish to congratulate Professor Lee Berger, Professor Paul Dirks and the many more scientists from the University of the Witwatersrand and other universities for opening a new window of understanding of our remarkable African human heritage.
It is truly an immense honour and privilege for me to celebrate this historic moment with you, as we trace new footprints of humankind.
These extraordinary revelations speak to every single human being in the world who asks, ‘Where do we come from?'
As we know now, the short answer is ‘We all come from Africa'
I thank you! Keya leboga!!!
Source: SAPA
