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The 2nd of February 1990 ushered a no turning point in the democratisation
of our country. The announcement made by the then President of the
apartheid South Africa, FW de Klerk, the unbanning of all political parties,
the release of Nelson Mandela, the return of all exiles and the subsequent
negotiations that led to the democratic elections in 1994, came as a result
of our people struggles in our communities and in our factory floors.

The contribution of the international community of isolating the South
African apartheid regime cannot be over emphasised. We owe this isolation
of apartheid South Africa by the international community in the main to the
mobilisation that was undertaken by our leader and President of the ANC, OR
Tambo.

Whilst we appreciate the bold step that FW de Klerk took in February 1990,
we nonetheless are convinced that such a step was inevitable.

It is indeed a matter of pride on all South Africans that the ANC led
government has over the 16 years period after our liberation made South
Africa to be a respected member of the community of nations.

We can also look back with pride over the twenty-year period on the work
that has been undertaken by South Africa led by the ANC to democratise the
South African society. It is in this context that advances have been made
in taking forward the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) that
underpin our work in taking our country forward. We can within the RDP
programme be proud that the various pillars of the RDP programme of meeting
basic needs of our people; developing our human resources; building the
economy; democratising the state and society has been in the main been
achieved, though there is still a lot that has to be done to make all South
Africans proud of being South Africans in every aspect and facet of their
lives.

Off-course, we cannot delude ourselves by thinking that the ANC led
government could have in the aftermath of twenty years of unbanning and 16
years of governing, that it could have undone colonial and apartheid
legacies of neglect spanning over hundreds of years since 1652, imposed
amongst the South African population, particular the African majority.

We are nonetheless happy that ourselves, our government and our people have
committed themselves to creating a better life for all within a foreseeable
future and further advance our reconstruction and development programme.
The ANC priority of enhancing our education, our health system, fighting
crime and corruption, ensuring rural development in our communities,
accelerating our economic growth, thus making job opportunities for our
people and stopping poverty is an attestation to our commitment to a South
Africa that is united, that is democratic, that is non sexist, that is not
racial but also that is prosperous to all South Africans.

What ever all of us do in the democratic space that we all enjoy now, we
must keep it in our minds that there were sacrifices that ushered our
democracy. There are those who died for us to enjoy the democracy we now
have, there are those who had to flee to exile for us to be free and there
are those who had to endure prison life for us to be free, there are those
who were maimed for use to be free. Our freedom and democracy did not come
cheap.