Speaker: At this point I’m going to be taking questions for the ministers.
Press: Who might be coming on Tuesday - any celebrities or any dignitaries or any names you might have in addition to the Americans and Brazilians that the Minister mentioned.
Press: I’ve got a question on logistics with regard to transport.
Press: Thank you - Alex from Eyewitness News. Any chance that you could talk us through some of the things that we can expect during the memorial service itself, in terms of who will be speaking, if there are going to be special performances? Any details you couldn’t share yesterday, any chance we can hear a bit more about that today? Thank you.
Press: Graham Hosking from The Times - any idea yet on the routes that Mandela’s body will travel on between the 11th and 13th and also, are you able to elaborate on any security details as well, please for both the memorial service and for the funeral and the rest of the week?
Press: Hullo, my name is Given from [Unclear] News. My question is to Minister Peters. As you know a large number of South Africans will be travelling to FNB using your e-toll roads. Will your departments stop with the e-toll altogether during the mourning period? Has that been considered? Thank you very much.
Press: My name is Warren from The New Age. Mr Minister Chabane, can you give an idea of how much money the government will spend on the funeral and the second question is for [Break in Transmission].
Press: …body lying in state? Can you clarify what the process will involve [Break in Transmission]
Minister Peters: Ministers Chabane and Nkoana-Mashabane, the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, the bereaved family represented by General Matanzima and Mr Ndaba Mandela, ladies and gentlemen of the media, good afternoon. I just want to indicate that there’s only one question that properly relates to the area of my responsibility because you have heard the presentation of the mayor. It covers the work that we have done with regard to transport for the three spheres which means the Gauteng Province with National as well as the municipality that would make it impossible for us to ferry the mourners with ease. And I just want to indicate that in the statement, even the one presented by Minister Chabane on our behalf, there’s indications of what is going to happen about road closures and public transport as well as provision for Park and Rides.
And the statement does make it clear that we should desist from using personal transport and make it possible that we use the public transport that will be provided, because no cars will be allowed in the vicinity of the FNB. So I just want to indicate that the Park and Ride provisions that we have made are adequate to move the masses and in particular if you can consider the fact that the bulk of the people will be moved with buses and trains - so I just want to indicate that the issue of putting or cancelling or halting the operation of the toll system does not arise. Thank you very much.
Maite Nkoana-Mashabane: We will gain some spin-offs from a funeral? I think it was a bit of an unfair question. I think it is important that we reiterate that this is a funeral. The over-pouring messages of support, of condolences that we received from the international community confirm once again that the struggles for the under-privileged and the oppressed, that the father of our nation Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela stood for, have borne fruits, that people associate his peoples’ struggles, the struggle of the people of South Africa are still the struggling masses, the voiceless, across the world.
The message we’re already witnessing is what Madiba said - it always seems impossible until its done and it can be done peacefully. We believe that when our visitors get back after this funeral will say, indeed the Long Walk to Freedom has been tedious, has been long but this is what the people of South Africa have achieved in the 19 years since the dawn of democracy and freedom led none other than our father, the international icon, that Mandela leaves a South Africa that’s a better place than it was pre-1994, that more people now have access to clean potable water, that there’s full access to children’s basic education, that there’s more basic healthcare to our people than it was in yesteryear’s, that we continue to grapple with the challenges of inequality or unemployment or also of making sure that we grow economically to create space for all South Africans who live in this very beautiful country.
I think the message that Madiba leaves for us is that his life was on how we should take the country forward and how we should continue championing diplomacy and how we should continue maintaining and fighting for a peaceful and prosperous Africa living at peace with itself and with the international community, for this funeral. This is how we take care of funerals in our villages. Thank you. The question is, is there any special guest who has a special invitation? I am answering the question because we were confirming only those who had said we are coming to the funeral. So please, I am sharing with you traditions.
I answered the question the way I did because I have been sent letters of invitations to funerals in other countries. Here where we live we do not issue invitations to funerals. This is how the family had asked us to communicate the message, so people who heard about Madiba’s funeral have said they are coming - have said so! But as South African representatives we also have received the past - strictly non-transferable letters of invitations to attend funerals. Here where we live, we do not issue invitations to funerals. Thank you.
Press: If he does change his mind…
Unknown: You’re asking us to speculate. He hasn’t changed his mind.
Press: But if he does?
Minister Chabane: Thank you very much. I did indicate yesterday that for what we have been asked to do, we think we are on the spot by doing everything possible regardless of the complicated nature of the event we are dealing with and I did indicate that should anyone of our guests or people who are coming, wishes to proceed to Qunu, our systems are ready to handle it even if all of them decide to go there, regardless of the challenges which are there. We can’t say no, don’t go! So its in response to the question we have been asked - should President Obama decide to proceed they will inform us accordingly and then we take the necessary arrangements like we promised to make it possible. So anyone who would like to come, as we said, not only President Obama - ordinary South Africans, whichever way you want to go, we are there to try and assist to the best of our ability. Thank you.
Speaker: Thank you. We’ve come to the end of the media briefing.
