Hon Deputy Speaker, hon President and Deputy President, hon members, our hon President laid out a comprehensive work programme for government. He identified both the tremendous possibilities that lie before us and the challenges we face today. He also emphasised the role that our country needs to play in the international world and in rejuvenating our economies, not only of South Africa, but of the continent as well. It must be the spirit of collectivism that guides us as South Africans and as Africans, otherwise ...
... ka Sepedi ba re: Tau t?a hloka seboka di ?itwa ke nare e hlot?a.Se se bolela gore ge re sa ?omi?ane mmogo le dinagamabapi, re tla ikhwet?a re le mathateng ao a fetago a re lebanego le wona. (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)
[... in Sepedi they say: United we stand, divided we fall. This means that if we don't work together with other countries, we will find ourselves in more trouble than we already are.]
We are therefore called upon to play our role in the design of the international order that will better deliver for the peoples of the world, many of whom still live in conditions of abject poverty and squalor. The message of our movement, "Working together, we can do more", is relevant and apt to our international relations work. It will guide us as we build partnerships with other nations of the world to address the many challenges that face the international community.
Our people declared through the Freedom Charter that there shall be peace and friendship. Based on this vision of the Freedom Charter, the democratic South African government is at peace and enjoys friendly relations with the nations around the globe. Thus, as we start our new term of government, we can do no less than preserve this proud heritage. We are expected to marshal these peaceful and friendly relations for further advancement of our country and our people.
Mohlomphegi Modulasetulo, ge e le bothata bja ekonomi ya lefase, gora gore kgomo e tswalet?e mphorogohlong wa dithaba, e gana ge ba?emane ba t?ea mohlana wa yona ka gobane e hlaba. [Hon Chairperson, there is a huge problem which is difficult to resolve with regard to the economy of the world.]
If anyone had any doubt, the financial crisis has proved that today we live in a global village. A crisis that originated in one part has quickly spread to all the corners of the globe. In its wake it has left no country untouched, increasing unemployment in some countries and causing a recession in others. In general it is setting us back many years against the gains that we made in pushing back the frontiers of poverty in the developing world.
We know that the crisis was caused by, amongst other things, a lack of effective regulation of global finance. Significantly, the crisis has also exposed the democratic deficit in global governance. The existing global institutions do not reflect the world of today. They were not created to deal with the challenges that the world is facing currently. We should see in this crisis an opportunity to hasten the reform of global governance. We should not let this opportunity pass. We urge those who occupy positions of privilege in the current global architecture to realise that it is also in their interest that these institutions are reformed.
It is these perspectives that will inform us in our participation in both the UN conference on the global financial crisis in June and the next group summit of the Group of 20 and the G8 plus 5, as well as in all the WTO processes. Our view is that the strategy for South Africa out of this crisis would include, amongst other things, strengthening South-South relations, as those countries offer new market opportunities for South Africa's exports as well as opportunities for investment. We need to develop strong links with countries in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, and further enhance our partnerships with IBSA and China and other like-minded countries.
It is our considered view that the United Nations as an institution that is at the centre of multilateral systems is also in need of urgent reform, both politically and structurally, in particular with regard to its key organs such as the Security Council. You may wonder why we are talking so emphatically about the reform of global governance. We talk about reform because of our strong belief in the importance of multilateralism. We therefore talk about reform, because we wish these institutions of global governance to be more effective in discharging their mandates.
I also wish to submit to this esteemed House that we will struggle to achieve the objectives that we have set for ourselves as a country without a conducive international environment. The current global environment also convinces us of the correctness of our quest for stronger and more effective integration of our continent. We have always been convinced that it is when Africa is united that our voice will be stronger in the world. As we conclude our term as the chair of the SADC, we are happy with the strides that our region has made. In addition to the launch of the SADC free trade area, work is advancing towards the implementation of other protocols that will further enhance the integration of our region. We have to continue pursuing this important objective.
What we seek is a regional integration process that is underpinned by our developmental perspective.
The President called upon the international community to support Zimbabwe's inclusive government to achieve their economic recovery. We can only add to that call by stressing that this is an important window of opportunity for all of us to help the people of Zimbabwe to help themselves. We believe that this support should not be delayed any longer, since it is critical for the consolidation of the political process in that country.
Bjale ka ge Mopresidente a bolet?e gore mo nakong ye re lego mo go yona e boima, e nyaka kopano magareng ga baagi?ane. [The President has alluded to the fact that we are in a difficult era, and the situation requires unity among neighbouring states.]
We will also continue to work with other SADC countries for the restoration of the democratic government in Madagascar.
We have always looked at the African regional economic communities, such as SADC, as building blocks to stronger continental integration. Indeed, this was the wisdom that informed the Abuja Treaty of 1991. Since then, we have also seen the entry into force of the African Union in 2002. The birth of the African Union marked a new dawn in the history of the integration of our continent.
What we have witnessed on the continent in the recent past could not have been foreseen a few decades ago. Then some saw our continent as a place without hope. In the eyes of some, Africa was defined only as a place of conflict and misery. But today we can boldly say that that these sceptics of yesteryear are also witnesses of the important progress that our continent is making. The spread of democracy and the increasing recognition of the need to respect human rights, the emergence of institutions such as the African Court for Human and People's Rights and the Pan-African Parliament all give us hope and give hope to the people of the entire continent. They also serve to redefine the image of our continent in the eyes of the world.
We also have to contend with the fact that challenges remain on our continent. Indeed, some of the progress that we speak of can still be reversed if we do not apply the necessary vigilance, and if we decide to rest on our laurels. What this calls for are strategies that include effective post-conflict peace-building and the provision of support to those who wish to build democratic institutions on our continent. It also means that we have to promote these and other values within the SADC and the African Union.
South Africa's role in post-conflict peace-building initiatives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Sudan is contributing to the consolidation of the peace processes in those countries. We have to continue on this path. As the President has said, and I quote:
We will continue to encourage a peaceful and sustainable settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the two-state solution. We will support the peace efforts of the African Union and the United Nations on the African continent, including in the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic and Darfur in Sudan.
We also welcome the rapprochement between the United States and Cuba, and look forward to the normalisation of relations between these two countries.
At the ANC's 52nd national conference, we said that South Africa should be proactive in the debate and processes that lead to the creation of the African Union government, including the mobilisation of progressive forces and governments towards a common understanding of the strategic plan. This Union government must be built through regional structures as building blocks, with strong economic integration at all levels.
To achieve these objectives, we will partner with countries on the continent and others outside of the continent. It also means working for the implementation of Nepad and the strengthening of the African Peer Review Mechanism. It is also in this context that our government has taken the important decision to change the name of our department to the Department of International Relations and Co-operation. The President also reminded us that we will establish, as agreed at the 52nd national conference of the ANC, the South African Development Partnership Agency, which will enhance our capacity to contribute to the development partnerships that Africa needs.
Our work in international relations will continue to be informed by the domestic priorities of our government. The international relations work that the President highlighted in his address to this Chamber and the decisions of the ruling party's conference are based on the Freedom Charter and South Africa's own national interests.
The first President of democratic South Africa, Isithwalandwe, Tata Nelson Mandela, correctly and wisely reminded us that South Africa could never be an island of prosperity in a sea of poverty. We must use Mandela Day to propagate to the world the spirit of ubuntu.
A re kopantsheng lefase ka let?at?i le, re le dire let?at?i la bodit?habat?haba, le dinageng mabapi le mose wa mawatle. Serokolwana se senyane se ikoket?a ka monkgo. [Let us unite the world today, including our neighbouring states, countries abroad and make it an international day. Unity is power.]
We also join the President in popularising Mandela Day.
I have talked mainly about our work in advancing the consolidation of our African agenda. South Africa is privileged to enjoy peaceful relations with countries all over the world, both in the North and in the South. As the President indicated, we will continue to enhance these relationships. Our success as a country is predicated on peace in the world as well as on strengthening our cordial relations with countries both in the North and the South.
To achieve all these goals we also have to recognise the important role that nonstate actors play in international relations. Therefore, among the partnerships we will seek to build are partnerships with South Africa's own business community and civil society, including academics and the media. We have to enhance the potential and the capacity of all these partners to represent brand South Africa abroad.
In conclusion, the President also reminded us that we should continue to extend our solidarity with the suffering people of Palestine and Western Sahara. To all of us, and to the rest of the international community, it should not be acceptable that the sister peoples of Palestine and Western Sahara should continue to live in the conditions that they are in today.
Ours is to export ubuntu and partnership amongst the people of the continent and the world. Let their problems be our problems because "I ndlopfu ya hina leyi" [This is our responsibility.] We are, because they are. I thank you. [Applause.]