Hon Speaker Mr Max Sisulu, hon President Mr Jacob Zuma, hon Deputy President Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, a few days ago our fourth democratic government turned one year old. This reminds us of the journey we began in 1994, which was a result of a rich history and heritage from which we must learn, as we move forward to consolidate our democracy.
In moving ahead, we must follow in the footsteps of our forebears who, in the early 20th century, saw the need for unity in action to liberate all South Africans from the yoke of racist oppression. This need for unity inspired the formation of the ANC in 1912.
Since its inception, the ANC has pursued the principle of united action. Therefore, it forged unity with other progressive movements, in the spirit of solidarity, with other oppressed South Africans and with white compatriots committed to ending the scourge of apartheid. This formed the foundation of the dream of a nonracist and nonsexist society. It is around this dream that our people mobilised all sections of South African society to fight for freedom, human rights and dignity.
The history of our struggle teaches us that victory against any form of adversity requires the participation of multitudes of people and their organisations. In bringing all these actors together, the ANC built a national liberation movement guided by the value of unity, despite the diversity of the peoples and organisations in our society.
So, the ANC has experience in working with diverse communities. You can go back into its history. I want to name but a few of the pacts that have been signed: the Three Doctors' Pact, the Women's Charter, the Freedom Charter, the Women's March, the UDF, and so on. This is what has made the ANC strong and why the ANC has been able to come up with very strong, uncontested views that have been able to stand the test of time.
In this context, it is fitting to recall the words of the great pioneer and revolutionary Pixley ka Isaka Seme, who called on Africans to forget the differences of the past and unite together in one organisation. He said, "We are one people. These divisions, these jealousies, are the cause of all our woes today."
It is our view that Seme's guidance should find expression in the society we live in today and inspire us to work together in building a united, nonracial, nonsexist and prosperous South Africa. In this regard, we must build a new social movement, which will re-energise every citizen of our country - irrespective of race, gender, religion, age and irrespective of whether they reside in rural or urban areas - around the idea that the future and prosperity of our nation is in our hands.
Accordingly, let us strengthen a social compact between government and the all the people of South Africa, and ensure that we base it on progressive social values that seek to build our society rather than destroy it. Mr President, we need to follow your example in this regard, as you recently demonstrated when you reached out to the poor and working-class members of the Afrikaner community.