Hon Speaker of the National Assembly, Your Excellency Mr Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa, hon Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, hon Members of Parliament, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, distinguished invited guests, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.
Hon Speaker, I take the opportunity through this august sitting of the National Assembly of the Republic of South Africa to convey to all dear brothers and sisters, the citizens of South Africa, a warm and a fraternal greeting from the government under the people of the Republic of Namibia. I wish to express our deep gratitude to His Excellency President Zuma, the government and the people of the Republic of South Africa for the warm reception accorded to my delegation, and to me personally, since our arrival in the beautiful City of Cape Town.
It is a great privilege for me to have been accorded this rare opportunity and honour to address the National Assembly of the Republic of South Africa. I stand before you this afternoon fully conscious of the weight of the common history that our people share. It will be recalled that during the apartheid era repressive and discriminatory laws, with a lasting impact on the lives of our citizens, were passed in this House. Many citizens of Namibia and South Africa, including His Excellency Nelson Mandela, our compatriot Comrade Andimba Toivo ya Toivo and many others served long prison sentences on Robben Island and in other prisons in South Africa and Namibia.
Following a protracted struggle for freedom, democracy and justice by the people of South Africa under the leadership of the National Liberation Movement, the apartheid authorities were compelled to release political prisoners; among them, one of the great sons of Africa, His Excellency Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for 27 years on Robben Island. His release from prison set in motion the irreversible process towards democratisation of South Africa in 1994. The people of Namibia were very happy to join the people of South Africa and the international community in welcoming His Excellency Nelson Mandela as the first President of a democratic and nonracial South Africa. As you are aware, the people of Namibia, under the leadership of the South West Africa People's Organisation, Swapo, waged a long and bitter struggle for freedom and national independence. It was crowned with the final victory on 21 March 1990. On that day, the founding President of our Republic, His Excellency Dr Sam Nujoma, declared that Namibia was forever free. The flag of apartheid oppression was lowered and our own flag of freedom was hoisted in the presence of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Various heads of state and governments from around the world, and the liberation icon His Excellency Nelson Mandela, also attended that very important occasion.
Today, our two countries are free and democratic. We are now working together to build a common future as neighbours and as members of the Southern African Customs Union, Sacu, the Southern African Development Community, SADC, the African Union and the global community of free nations. Reconciliation and nation-building have become the hallmark of our common efforts to build more humane societies where justice, fairness and equality are the defining characteristics of our respective national Constitutions. We should spare no time or effort, and we should never relent in our pursuit of bringing about equitable social and economic development for all our people, especially for the millions who endured the brutality of apartheid oppression.
In this regard, our two Parliaments should continue to co-operate and share experiences with a view to enacting laws that address the social and economic challenges facing our people. I commend South Africa for hosting the Pan-African Parliament, which is an important continental institution for African lawmakers to promote and strengthen the ideals of Pan-Africans and democratic governments.
I take this opportunity to congratulate Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a seasoned South African diplomat and a former member of this House, on her historic election as the first female Chairperson of the African Union Commission. [Applause.] Namibia will extend its full support to Dr Zuma in carrying out her important responsibilities. [Applause.] We wish her well.
With regard to bilateral co-operation between our two countries, good progress has been made over the years. We must continue to build on the existing momentum with the emphasis on increased co-operation in the areas of trade, capacity-building, energy, infrastructure development, environmental conservation and sustainable socioeconomic development.
The mechanisms that our country has put in place to enhance bilateral co- operation have made it possible for us to make progress in several areas. For example, the Heads of State Economic Bilateral Meeting has provided a platform for the discussion of issues of common interest at the highest level. Today, we have taken another important step to further strengthen our relations by signing the agreement on the establishment of a binational commission which will serve as a crucial mechanism for the promotion and the strengthening of economic, diplomatic, cultural, education, scientific and technical co-operation between our two countries. I have no doubt that this is the correct course of action that we have taken as good neighbours.
Our two countries are actively involved in the promotion of regional integration within the framework of the Southern African Customs Union, Sacu, and the Southern African Development Community. The Southern African Customs Union has become a working model for enhancing deeper regional economic integration here in the SADC region and elsewhere on the African continent.
Similarly, we are also involved in negotiations towards the establishment of the East Africa community, SADC, Community Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Comsa, tripartite free-trade area. The SADC parliamentary forum and the SADC secretariat are also being brought closer together for better co-ordination. The ultimate aim is to move speedily towards continental economic integration, in line with the Abuja Treaty, and the other relevant policy pronouncements of the Organisation for African Unity and its successor, the African Union.
We recognise that the task of developing our countries, our region and continent has not been easy. However, we must remain steadfast in our resolve that we can overcome the challenges ahead. We must further strengthen unity and work together to harness the vast human and natural resources on our continent for the benefit of all our people. In this regard, we must commit ourselves to do all that is necessary to give hope to all our people on our continent, especially the women and children who endure suffering as a result of war, hunger, disease and poverty through no fault of their own.
Both our countries are committed to multilateralism under the maintenance of international peace and security. It is in this context that all efforts must continue to resolve conflict situations in African countries such as Somalia, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, and other flashpoints on the continent. Unconstitutional changes of government in Africa must be denounced and rejected. Namibia continues to call for the speedy reform of the United Nations system, especially the Security Council, in order to make it more representative and democratic. [Applause.] As it is now, it is neither representative nor democratic.
We congratulate the people of South Africa for honouring His Excellency Nelson Mandela with the launch of the new bank notes bearing his portrait ... [Applause.] ... in recognition of his outstanding service to this country, his people and his unyielding commitment to the struggle for freedom, social justice and democracy. Comrade Nelson Mandela has had many institutions named after him, including a university, I am told. But I think the portrait of Comrade Mandela on the bank notes is going to be more popular than the institutions which are named after him. The buildings do not move, but the bank notes move. [Applause.] The bank notes move. Every citizen of this country including my country, where the rand is a legal tender, know who Mandela is.[Applause.]
My speech is very short and I am moving to the conclusion. Let me, once again, express my profound gratitude for the rare honour bestowed upon me to address this august sitting of the National Assembly of the Republic of South Africa. Today, when I sat at the reception which was held for me, they did not see me, but I was shedding tears. I was shedding tears because I never thought in my life that I would be able to stand here, in a free South Africa. [Applause.]
Let me tell you a short story. I am one of the founding members of Swapo. [Applause.] I went into exile for the first time in 1961. As we continued fighting, I never thought, and I did not believe that I would be in an independent Namibia. I thought the children of my children were the ones who were going to get the independence and live in an independent Namibia. I looked at South Africa, a very strong establishment with war machines, etc. I didn't think of it.
So today, as I am standing here, addressing the South African National Assembly, it is something for me. When I was in Tanzania, Zambia, Algeria and in London, I would hear that the South African Parliament had passed a law which would be used to repress the people of South Africa and my own people in Namibia. But today, I am here addressing you. I had never thought it possible. [Applause.] Things happen. When I look at my colleagues, with whom I shared a ditch in the struggle, today we meet at international fora, including the United Nations, walking with our heads up, saying we are from independent states. [Applause.] Independent states whose freedom and independence was not delivered, but independent states which we participated in liberating. I was restricted to read my speech, but I felt I should speak from my heart. [Laughter.]
My delegation and I will leave this historic City of Cape Town with fond memories of the warm reception extended to us during our stay. We are a family and good neighbours. Long live the bonds of friendship and solidarity between the people of South Africa and the people of Namibia!
HON MEMBERS: Long live!