Your Excellency, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Mrs Museveni,
Deputy President, Mr Kgalema Motlanthe,
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Alzubeidi of Libya,
Your Excellencies, Ambassadors and High Commissioners,
Distinguished guests,
It is a great honour to welcome you to our country, your Excellency, my brother and friend and your dear wife as well as your distinguished delegation.
Your acceptance of our invitation to undertake this State Visit is a clear demonstration of our resolve to work together to consolidate our relations for the benefit of our two countries.
We are pleased that this State Visit takes place less than a year since our very successful and memorable State Visit to Uganda last year.
We thank you once again for the hospitality accorded to us during our visit.
Your Excellency,
Our relations have a strong foundation as the people of Uganda stood united with us in the fight against apartheid, taking great risks in housing our liberation movements especially the combatants of uMkhonto we Sizwe.
The people of Uganda demonstrated their incredible kindness and humanity, to us for which we are eternally grateful.
During my visit to Uganda in March 2010, I had the privilege and honour to preside over the commissioning of the OR Tambo School of Leadership and the unveiling of the South African Wall of Remembrance.
These monuments will remain as signs of South Africa’s gratitude and symbols of comradeship shared during the liberation struggle.
Your Excellency,
During your stay, you will be able to join us in the commemoration of the the one hundred and thirty first anniversary of the Battle of Isandlwana in KwaZulu-Natal, to see for yourself a part of South African history. This is where the amaZulu Warriors defeated the British Troops in 1879.
The Battle at Isandlwana stunned the world.
It was unthinkable that warriors armed substantially with shields and spears could defeat the troops of a western power armed with rifles and artillery.
This proves that anything is possible in Africa’s quest to claim her rightful place in on the world stage.
Your Excellency,
We have a duty to translate our historical ties into stronger economic, social and developmental relations between our two countries for the tangible benefit of our peoples.
We have a good foundation on which to work together to fight poverty and ensure economic growth and development in both countries.
We are therefore encouraged by the progress that has already been made since my visit to Uganda during March 2010, as indicated during our discussions earlier today.
We are further delighted that you are accompanied by a Ugandan business delegation on this historic visit.
I am certain that the two business delegations have a clear view on how to boost trade and investment between South Africa and Uganda.
In this regard, we note with great appreciation the increasing number of South African companies doing business in Uganda. This has resulted in a steady growth in trade and investment between our two countries.
We trust that the operations of South African companies in Uganda will continue to contribute to the growth and development of the economy of Uganda.
Your Excellency,
Last year we signed two Agreements, namely an Agreement of Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between the Customs Administrations of the two countries and the Ministerial Statement on Trade and Economic Cooperation.
Today we have witnessed the signing of the Agreements and MoUs on Cooperation in the fields of Agriculture, Social Development, Public Works and Infrastructure Development, an MOU between our repective National Bureau of Standards as well as between the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the Uganda Industrial Research Institute.
The implementation of these agreements will surely take us many steps forward in ensuring that ordinary South Africans and Ugandans benefit from this relationship.
Your Excellency,
Allow me, on behalf of the South African Government, to congratulate Uganda for its exemplary tenure in the UN Security Council as a non-Permanent member.
Your country played a visible role in highlighting common African Union positions and concerns within the Council, particularly regarding peace and security on the continent.
Indeed, during your term you represented not only our continent, but the collective voices of the peoples of the world particularly in calling for the reform of the UN Security Council and dealing with new threats such as the terrorist attacks inflicted upon soccer revellers in Uganda during the FIFA World Cup.
May I on behalf of South Africa reiterate to you in person, our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and the Ugandan nation as a whole. This cowardly act of terrorism can never be justified.
We can assure you that as we succeed Uganda in the UN Security Council, South Africa will work tirelessly to raise issues of international peace and security in the interests of our regions and the African continent.
Furthermore, South Africa will be hosting the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change from the 28th of November to 09 December 2011 in Durban.
Our cooperation in this field will enable us to push the African Agenda in these forums in a manner that benefits the African continent.
Africa has been identified as the most vulnerable continent to the adverse impacts of climate change.
Africa is therefore is able to negotiate from a strong moral position with regard to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
The Africa Group will therefore be important for advancing support for adaptation, finance, technology and capacity building in response to climate change, and the idea that developmental priorities are foremost.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me also take this opportunity to wish Uganda a free, fair, exciting and successful election, on 16 February 2011.
Your Excellency,
May I take this opportunity once more to warmly welcome you and your delegation to our country and trust that you will enjoy your stay.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Please rise and join me in a toast to the good health and prosperity of His Excellency, President Museveni and Mrs Museveni, and to the continued excellent relations and friendship between the peoples of Uganda and South Africa!
To good health, prosperity and friendship!
I thank you.
