State of the Nation debate: "A better Africa and a better world"
9 February 2009
Madame Speaker
Honourable President and Deputy President
Honourable Members
Addressing the Organisation of African Unity in 1994 former President Nelson
Mandela said, "If freedom was the crown which fighters of liberation sought to
place on the head of mother Africa, let the upliftment, the happiness,
prosperity and comfort of her children be the jewel of the crown. There can be
no dispute among us that we must bend every effort to rebuild the African
economies."
Madame Speaker
I am honoured to address this august chamber on the question of "A better
Africa." All of us gathered here today are unequivocally desirous of a peaceful
and stable Africa, where in every city, town and village - in every community -
people live in peace and harmony with all the basic necessities of life - an
Africa in which all our people have access to shelter, education and
healthcare, decent employment and equal opportunity to advance and improve
their lives lifting themselves out of the abject poverty we must unwaveringly
strive for this dream - a dream we should champion, advocate and eventually
achieve.
Madam Speaker
Honourable Members
Central to the vision of a better Africa is the greater regional and
continental political and economic integration as indicated by our fore bearers
in their call for unity. In this era of regional integration which has moved
the world towards economic blocs and stronger multilateral diplomacy, most
economies on the continent remain small and fragile. It is imperative that we
also consolidate and deepen our political cohesion and economic integration as
we move towards a united continent.
The financial crisis and economic depression serves to emphasise that
economic regional and continental integration is not optional but a must.
If we seek to build a better Africa through continental integration as we
must the development of shared values becomes critical. It would be difficult
to envision this continental economic, social and political integration if we
did not agree on a set of common shared values. South Africa must and shall
therefore continue to promote the importance of democracy, good governance, the
rule of law, the protection of human rights, non racialism and gender equality.
Particular attention should also be given to building the capacity of
sustainable democratic institutions as well as deepening of the culture of
democracy among our people in Africa.
The African Peer Review Mechanism and the Pan African Parliament should play
a critical role in nurturing these common values.
As stated in the Manifesto of the African National Congress (ANC) government
will continue to work together with people of our continent and its Diaspora
for cohesion, unity, democracy and prosperity of the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) and African Union (AU) and strengthening our
capabilities to respond to the challenges we face.
Guided by the Freedom Charter of the ANC South Africa shall strive to
maintain world peace and the settlement of all international disputes by
negotiations-not war.
As we continue to work towards the realisation of an African Union
government, which must necessarily, amongst others, contribute to the reduction
of some of the destructive conflicts that we have been experiencing. A united
Africa speaking with a single voice would also be more influential in global
affairs. Furthermore the benefits of political and economic integration are
evident when we look at the experience of other regions of the world. The
history of the continent itself shows that we have indeed continued to build
incrementally towards the goals of continental unity. The Abuja treaty, the
formation of the African Union, and its institutions and the adoption and
implementation of New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) have all
been important stages in this regard.
There can be no doubt that a better Africa requires that we accelerate
investments in some critical sectors like energy, infrastructure such as roads,
ports and telecommunications, facilitating easier intra and inter-regional
trade, especially because Africa has most of the landlocked countries.
Acceleration of the free movement of people and goods
If we are to achieve a better Africa like the warrior of light in Paulo
Coehlo's book. We should not be paralysed by the fact that other countries have
more opportunities than we do. "A warrior tries to make most of his
virtues."
"He knows that the gazelle's power lies in its legs. The power of the
seagull lies in the accuracy with which it can spear a fish. He has learnt that
the reason the tiger does not fear the hyena is because he is aware of his own
strength. We have to define for ourselves what we can truly rely on."
* We should rely on our human resources. The regions and the countries that
show sustainable growth and human development have all paid special attention
to education, skills development and health. We must prioritise these in the
continent as we do nationally.
* We should rely on our fertile African land - develop our agriculture.
* We should rely on our abundant natural resources. How we manage these will
determine how quickly we reach the African dream.
* We should preserve the environment as part of a global effort so as to
bequeath future generations with a liveable planet.
As this generation we like Paulo Coehlo should ask ourselves how will our
actions 'affect the fifth generation of my descendants? Because everything a
person does, has enduring consequences and he needs to understand what kind of
world he is leaving behind for the fifth generation.'
A better Africa will also have to assume its share of global
responsibilities. In this context South Africa was honoured to serve in the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2007 and 2008. In this role we did
our part in advancing the goals of a better Africa. We promoted the importance
of the co-operation between the UN and the African Union. Indeed as we seek to
build a better Africa I believe that we have a duty to look forward to a day
when African conflict situations will no longer be the predominant agenda of
the UNSC. We owe this to future generations.
You mentioned, Mr President, that our country stands ready to walk the next
steps with the people of Zimbabwe as they embark on the difficult path of
economic recovery. Accordingly, we appeal to the goodwill of the international
community which has to be matched by the political will of the people of
Zimbabwe to take up the challenges of the reconstruction and development of the
country.
We have just come from Addis Ababa where it was decided that the African
Union Commission should be transformed into the African Union Authority in an
effort to strengthen it. The details are still to be worked out.
As part of creating a better Africa, we have ourselves contributed our own
sons and daughters of our country to various positions both in continental
structures as well as international organisations. In this regard we have taken
the decision to advance the candidature of Ambassador Abdul Minty for the
position of Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
We believe he has the capacity to truly contribute to humanity's balanced
approach, characterised by a burning desire for a peaceful world. We shall
continue to identify other suitable qualified South Africans for deployment to
such international organisations in pursuit of a better Africa and a better
world.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
9 February 2009
