Thank you, Chairperson. Hon members, yesterday the Inter-Parliamentary Union and parliaments around the world celebrated the second International Day of Democracy, declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007.
In its Resolution 62/7 establishing the International Day of Democracy, the UN says:
Reaffirming the Charter of the United Nations, including the principles and purposes contained therein, and recognizing that human rights, the rule of law and democracy are interlinked and mutually reinforcing and that they belong to the universal and indivisible core values and principles of United Nations, ...
reaffirms -
... that democracy is a universal value based on the freely expressed will of people to determine their political, economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their lives; ...
3. Encourages governments to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy, including through increased bilateral, regional and international co-operation, taking into account innovative approaches and best practices; ...
4. Encourages regional and other intergovernmental organisations to share their experiences in the field of democracy promotion with each other and with the United Nations system where appropriate, ...
The International Day of Democracy is meant both to celebrate democracy and to serve as a reminder that the need to promote and protect democracy is as urgent now as ever.
The choice of 15 September for the International Day of Democracy corresponds to the adoption, in September 1997, by the IPU, of a Universal Declaration on Democracy. That declaration affirms the principles of democracy, the elements and exercise of democratic government and the global scope of democracy.
The 2009 International Day of Democracy was held under the theme, "Democracy and Political Tolerance". In a statement released yesterday to mark this day, IPU President Dr Theo-Ben Gurirab described political tolerance as follows:
... accepting and respecting the basic rights and civil liberties of persons and groups whose viewpoints differ from one's own. ... It is the foundation of democratic dialogue and political pluralism.
This year's International Day of Democracy has been defined as an opportunity for parliamentarians to emphasise the importance of democracy, what it involves, the challenges it faces as well as the opportunities it offers, and the central responsibility that all parliaments have as the key institutions of democracy; to examine and discuss how well parliament performs its democratic functions, possibly on the basis of self-assessment and identify what steps it may take to strengthen its effectiveness; and to promote awareness and practice of political tolerance within parliament and the greater society.
As noted by the UN in 2007, we are mindful of the central role of Parliament and the active involvement of civil society organisations and media and their interaction with government at all levels in promoting democracy, freedom, equality, participation, development, respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.
The Freedom Charter, the seminal document adopted in 1955 and which gave meaning to our struggle for democracy, states that the government of the country shall be based on the will of all people, black and white, and that all adults shall be entitled to a universal suffrage; and that all national groups shall be equal and racialism shall be considered a serious state crime.
In 1994 this dream was realised when South Africa joined the rest of humanity as a free nation. In the 15 years of our democracy we have been applauded for entrenching democratic practices. We have done more than many established democracies in espousing political tolerance. This is not surprising because our struggle for freedom was informed by a deeper yearning for democratic rule.
Bidding farewell to the UN General Assembly in September 1998, our first President and struggle veteran Nelson Mandela, said that in his retirement he would -
... continue to entertain the hope that there has emerged a cadre of leadership in my own country and region, on my continent and in the world, which will not allow that any should be denied their freedom as we were; that any should be turned into refugees as we were; that any should be condemned to go hungry as we were; that any should be stripped of their human dignity as we were.
As we mark the International Day of Democracy, we are reminded of the many in our land and abroad who sacrificed their lives for others to enjoy freedom. We salute the veterans of the struggle who were inspired by the vision enshrined in the Freedom Charter, that the government of the day shall be based on the will of all people, black and white.
South Africa is now a better place, the envy of many nations. As we forge ahead, building our nonracial democratic society, we must continue to work hard to create a better place for present and future generations.
Our democracy will be meaningless if it does not lift our people from poverty. It will be meaningless if the wealth of our country is not shared among all the people.
History is an important teacher for us. Building strong democracy remains our goal as a nation. Central to this is the building of strong institutions of democracy, promotion of political tolerance and ensuring a government that is open and accountable to the electorate.
Parliament, whose role is to oversee the work of government on behalf of the people, is an important institution in the world, and therefore people should regard it as such and respect it.
As President Mandela said, we must -
... not allow that any should be denied their freedom as we were; that any should be turned into refugees as we were; that any should be condemned to go hungry as we were; that any should be stripped of their human dignity as we were.
We should not allow this as parliamentarians. We should guard against it. We should go around in our country and make our democracy stronger, and protect our Constitution that was not just drafted by us as parliamentarians, but by the entire society of South Africa that we've engaged in completing this document, which is so wonderful and praised by the entire world. Thank you. [Applause.]