J Maswanganyi: Africa Day Celebration

25 May 2006

Programme director,
Executive Mayors,
MECs here present,
Members of the Provincial Legislature,
Distinguished guests,
Fellow Africans,
Ladies and gentlemen

Au-Theme: “Working Together For Integration and Development”

The degeneration of the continent as we know it today was accentuated
primarily by the legacy of colonialism, apartheid, the Cold War, the legacies
of structural adjustment systems of the 70s and 80s, and the inadequacies and
shortcomings of the policies pursued by many African countries in the
post-independence era.

Attendant to these, was the fact that, Africa has been, for centuries, a
supplier of cheap labour and raw materials; meaning that Africa's resources
served to enrich European economies; in the expense of the continent’s success
and development. This has as a result, made Africa to remain the poorest
continent in the globe, despite being one of the most richly endowed regions of
the world. We also know that this situation has further been exacerbated by
sporadic conflicts and civil wars sponsored by erstwhile colonial masters in
the last century.

As a result, our continent has been left in a situation where, almost 340
million people, or half the population of the continent, live on less than ($1)
1 US dollar per day. It is also being said that, amongst all the continents in
the world, (of course with exception of South Africa) Africa seems to be the
only region unlikely to meet any of the UN millennium goals by 2015. Whilst all
of these is true, globalisation on the other hand, has not made things easier
for poor countries in the continent. Everyone seems to agree that, in the
absence of fair and just global rules, the leverage of stronger nations has
increased double-fold to the detriment of weaker and poorer States, thus
leaving developing countries with limited control over their own development.
This situation is mostly evident in the areas of trade, finance and technology,
where Africa has got a lot of catching up to do.

Programme director
This is indeed a sad development in a continent which, has been characterised
by modern science as the cradle of humankind. A continent which, as has been
empirically proven, led the very evolution of human life and was a leading
centre of learning, industrialisation, technology and the arts in ancient
times. Here in our own province, there are telling examples of these
illustrious civilisations which our people can point to; such as the great
Mapungubwe and Thulamela ruins that existent almost 1 000 years ago.

Programme director
As we celebrate Africa Day, we must look back with appreciation at the
pioneering role played by progressive African leaders like, Kwame Nkrumah who
on this day in 1963, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, founded the Organisation of
Africa Unity (OAU). Conversely, it was on 9 July 2002 in Durban, South Africa,
that the successor of the OAU, the African Union (AU) was founded with New
Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) as its programme. Through this
programme of NEPAD, we must mobilise our resources and people to once and for
all defeat the negative perception that Africa is nothing more than "A Dark
Continent", which invokes memories of diseases, wars, genocide and endemic
poverty. Through NEPAD, we are convinced that the continent can significantly
arrest this vicious cycle of underdevelopment which has consequently led to
unacceptable levels of human degradation and economic decline over the
centuries.

Programme director
No one can deny that the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) on the other hand
has afforded us an opportunity to examine our own systems, so as to improve our
economic and political governance. We believe that the African Peer Review
Mechanism remains an imperative in our forward march for the attainment of
peace and a better life for all peoples of the continent. Our conviction stems
from the belief that these are necessary preconditions for sustainable social
development and economic growth. It is in this regard pleasing to note that in
the last decade, we have seen much progress in the deepening of democracy
through democratic elections in many parts of our continent. This affirms the
fact that Africa’s journey to self-discovery is well on course; and Africa’s
intelligentsia and civil society have got much more to contribute to the
building of this momentum.

This is why we would like to congratulate those bodies and organisations
that deemed it fit to participate in our recent APRM hearings in the province.
Through the participation of these bodies, our province was able to compile a
detailed provincial APRM report that has since formed part of our country’s
APRM report. Our Government is committed to a continuous dialogue with
representatives of trade unions, business people, women, youth, traditional
leaders, and the media in re-building the continent. We recognise that the
continuing stability of our country and of the continent depends on the input
and participation of these bodies and organisations amongst others.

On this year’s Africa day, we recommit ourselves to the strengthening of
regional integration as it is one of our Provincial Growth and Development
Strategy (PGDS) objectives. We are proud that progress is being achieved in
this front as can be attested by the success of our recent mission to the Gaza
province of Mozambique, where mutually beneficial programmes where agreed upon
between the two provinces. Africa’s integration must certainly help bring us
closer to what comrade Pixley Ka Isaka Seme, one of the greatest ANC Presidents
said in 1906, in his famous paper, “the regeneration of Africa”: “The brighter
day is rising upon Africa. Already I seem to see her chains dissolved, her
desert plains red with harvest, her Abyssinia and her Zululand the seats of
science and religion, reflecting the glory of the rising sun from the spires of
their churches and universities. Her Congo and her Gambia whitened with
commerce, her crowded cities sending forth the hum of business, and all her
sons employed in advancing the victories of peace-greater and more abiding than
the spoils of war.”

Judging by the momentum we have built within the continent, there is no
doubt that Africa has all it takes through NEPAD, African Peer Review Mechanism
and other means to face up to its own challenges. We indeed look forward to a
brighter day when, in the words of Pixley ka Isaka Seme, “the desert plains
will indeed be red with harvest”.

Happy Africa day!

I thank you

Issued by: Office of the Premier, Limpopo Provincial Government
25 May 2006