KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE ACTING PREMIER MS NANDI MAYATHULA-KHOZA ON THE OCCASSION OF THE FREEDOM MONTH INTERDENOMINATIONAL PRAYER SERVICE

Sunday 21, April 2013

Cosmo City Hall

Thank you Programme Director,

Members of the Executive Council present,

Councillors,

Abefundisi bethu,

Distinguished guests,

Members of the media,

The people Gauteng:

The supreme law of our land contains the following words in its preamble:

“We, the people of South Africa,

Recognise the injustices of our past;

Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land;

Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and

Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.

We therefore, through our freely elected representatives, adopt this Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic so as to

  • Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights;
  • Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law;
  • Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person; and
  • Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.

May God protect our people.

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika. Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso.

God seën Suid-Afrika. God bless South Africa.

Mudzimu fhatutshedza Afurika. Hosi katekisa Afrika”.

(Preamble to the constitution of the Republic of South Africa)

This year marks the 19th anniversary of the attainment of formal freedom by our country.

Next year will mark the second decade of freedom as we begin with earnest the march to the third decade of our liberation.

As we mark this anniversary we are also called upon to pause and take some time to reflect on the progress we have made as a nation in the forward march to social, economic and political transformation.

We will also have to assess the challenges we continue to face as we seek to overcome centuries of colonial and minority rule; based on racial bigotry and institutionalised apartheid.

In this regard we have already begun with the process of defining all of the things that we believe we must do in order to ensure that we attain more decisive victories in our drive to change the lives of the people for the better.

In the spirit of the assertion made by the Freedom Charter that The People Shall Govern; Government has been hard at work engaging the people with regard to re – engineering the vision of the future of a South Africa we want generations to inherit.

As a consequence of this engagement we have emerged with two documents that we believe constitute a blue print of the tasks we must undertake as part of consolidating and advancing the gains of freedom; but also to take our nation to the next level of this civilising mission: a better life for all.

Thus as we meet today in prayer we will be asking the Almighty to grant us the strength and wisdom to display the will and courage to tackle our challenges with forthright honesty and fearlessness.

As proud South Africans we draw inspiration from those who have come before us. They have taught us that in order for us to successfully march to victory we must not dishonour the cause of freedom.

They have taught us to confound the prophets of doom who like witches of old march on the streets of our beloved country and want to compare us to our erstwhile oppressors.

Their courage; comparable to none demands of us to fight tirelessly against those who are enemies of progress, engaged in activities aimed at reversing the gains of our revolution. These are ones who engage in such activities as:

-Pillaging state resources through fraud and corruption by manipulating government procurement processes

-They who are hard at work defrauding the public purse by stealing old age and social grants that are meant to benefit the poor of our country

-They who are engaged in a relentless sadistic campaign of violence against women and children

-Those who are peddling drugs in our communities; destroying the future of our youth

-Those who sell stolen goods including those who buy these goods making markets available for criminals who thrive on the hard work of honest citizens

-Those who on a rampage and destroy public property in the name of service delivery protests

-Those who collude with criminal syndicates to issue fraudulent documents enabling these syndicates to commit crimes against the citizens of our land

The struggle for liberation has been about affirming the black majority who have suffered the brunt of apartheid.

These are native citizens who have not had the privilege to education, economic opportunities and other privileges due to them.

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Over the past nineteen years we have made progress in the provision of infrastructure. We have built a considerable network of roads and work is underway to improve our rail infrastructure.

We have extended the frontiers of opportunity in education, business opportunities; creating job opportunities and improving the levels of literacy among the youth and the adult population.

We have done good work in providing clean water; sanitation and houses for millions of our people who would otherwise have not had the opportunity.

Programme Director;

The constitution of the republic enjoins us to strive for a better society based on non racialism, non sexism, prosperous and peaceful.

The book of Proverbs in the holy bible has the following to say:

“Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

"Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. Strive not with a man without cause, if he has done thee no harm. Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways."

In this regard, assuming what the Proverbs to be correct – it therefore stands to reason that the people of our country must recommit themselves to the agenda of reconstructing our land.

Both the preamble of the constitution and the book in the holy bible are correct in their assertion that we must strengthen the bonds of human solidarity inspired by the knowledge that whilst our past may not be one to be proud of; all of us stand to benefit from the prosperous future that stands in front of us.

Our beloved Father we come before you and ask for your guidance as we recommit ourselves to the arduous task of rebuilding our nation. We ask for your wisdom and courage for our leaders in all sectors of society.

God Bless our land!