Madam Chairperson, I would like to start off by saying that a unique generation of South Africans from across the spectrum of our nation occupies this House today. This generation is distinguished by the fact that it was born into apartheid South Africa but had the unique opportunity to contribute and see apartheid to its end. It had a dual obligation because at the same time it had to lay the foundation for a new order of things - something that many generations before us had dreamed about. We ourselves had dreamed about it.
So, when at times we celebrated events of a nature that made us take hands - as we did at the beginning under the leadership of President Mandela, when we celebrated the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and after that, at events such as the 2010 World Cup - what we were emulating and making vivid was the picture of the kind of South Africa we had dreamed about. We did so because we recognised and understood the obligation on our shoulders. Whether we in fact understand the immensity of the task of actually constructing that dream in reality is a question that we must revisit from time to time. We must not stop. We must at every available opportunity create that vivid picture of the future of our dreams; the future we want our children to buy into. So we must hold hands whenever opportunities arise, but we must go beyond that because the task requires more than holding hands. It has to do with laying the foundations of educating the generations who will become the real South Africans.
Let me explain why I say "real". Those of us who were born under the conditions of apartheid were in some ways denied the atmosphere necessary to cultivate us as the best that South Africa required. It was Karl Marx who observed that social conditions shaped the consciousness of man. Those of us who grew up in conditions that were harsh and hostile were not being educated about human dignity. Those conditions did teach us but also distorted us. From us arose a generation of men and women on both sides of the colour line who understood the challenge of their time and had the courage to shape a movement that brought to an end that order of things. In the process, they imbued us with the capacity and courage to take what we inherited from them and we must now build on that. [Applause.]
On this occasion, I would therefore like to say that our forebears had a saying:
"E kojwa e sa le metsi". Leeto la botjhaba ba batho ba Aforika Borwa le qadile mathateng, empa re fihlile moo e leng hore motsotsong wa jwale, haeba re batla ho aha Aforika Borwa e ntjha, re lokelang ho kopanya dikelello, tsebo, matla le maruo ao re nang le ona mme motsotso oo ha ho batlehe hore re o tlohele ho ka re feta. (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows.)
["Children should be taught from a young age." The cultural journey of the people of South Africa had a rough start, but we are now at a stage where, if we want to build a new South Africa, we should bring together our ideas, knowledge, power and wealth, and we should not let the opportunities pass by.]
So, where are we going to start? We must start with the young ones.