Date: 22/11/2002
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs
Title: Buthelezi: Launch of joint venture between Multiconsult SA & Paradyne Corporation
LAUNCH OF A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN MULTICONSULT SOUTH AFRICA AND THE PARADYNE CORPORATION, ADDRESS ON THE THEME OF "SOUTH AFRICA, COUNTRY WITH A CONDUCIVE CLIMATE TO INVESTMENT" BY MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI, MP, MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND PRESIDENT, INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY, Hilton Hotel, Durban, 22 November 2002
I am very pleased and honoured to be part of this launch. I welcome the initiative of this joint venture between MultiConsult South Africa and Paradyne Corporation and consider it to be a step in the right direction. This evening, we are gathered to share in the celebration of what is to come as these two entities share their knowledge, resources and capacity in pursuit of a vision of enhanced telecommunication throughout Africa. I hope that this will be one of those occasions in which two plus two can indeed make up to six through the increased synergism of the two companies and wider horizons opened through this venture.
The fact that the long-term goal of this venture sets its foundation in South Africa, in KwaZulu-Natal and in Durban specifically, speaks of the vast potentials inherent in this place, which are only now beginning to be tapped. For years I have promoted Durban as a hub of development with the seed of greatness within it. I am pleased that Paradyne Corporation has shown such insight, seeing in our country the potential for success, prosperity and benefit from investments. This is the South Africa we are determined to promote, because it is the South Africa that visionary leaders and hard-working individuals know to be real.
MultiConsult South Africa has made a name for itself in telecommunications, development and the service arena. Perhaps one of the most outstanding features of this company is the fact that it has been established and is wholly owned by black professionals from various fields, three women's groups and two trusts. In this sense, MultiConsult is vivid proof that there is no lack of potential among previously disadvantaged groups in our country. In fact, I would almost be inclined to repeat the trite saying that "where there is a will, there is a way". Through years of experience in leadership, I have had the opportunity time and again to witness the astonishing and often unexpected results of seemingly disadvantaged people. Before 1994, I worked with poverty-stricken communities who received little or no financial assistance from the Government of that time, and together we built schools, conducted small businesses, opened and ran clinics, manufactured basic goods and secured enough food through subsistence farming to feed each person.
Since 1994, I have had the opportunity to see the same tenacity, goodwill and hard work put into practice in many communities, and the results are often quite as astounding. There is no fear of hard work among many of our people and I often exhort those who find themselves unemployed to nevertheless do the work that needs doing. I have seen particularly how our women are industrious and creative, taking the initiative to stimulate income from unexpected quarters. These are basic, on-the-ground realities of South Africa. On a higher level, our country is a giant on the continent of Africa due to our commitment to develop and secure progress in line with more developed countries throughout the world. South Africa has moved from pariah status firmly into the global arena of international business, technology and industry. In the fields of telecommunications, information technology and structural development, we are ahead of many other African countries. In this sense, we are in a position to lead the way on our continent towards greater development, greater prosperity and greater self-reliance.
I feel that we need to make an even greater investment in technology and in training all our people to become competent citizens in a modern world. For years I have been advocating the need to leap-frog, jumping past some of the intermediary stages of technological development to connect with more technologically advanced countries, such as the United States. The US has much to teach us in this field and the joint venture, which MultiConsult SA is entering into, could bring tremendous results for our people. We cannot allow South Africa to be left behind in the global technological march of progress. In many respects, we are well equipped to become leaders in information technology and telecommunications and I have no doubt that MultiConsult SA is assisting this dream to become a reality.
In coming to speak here tonight, I am aware of the fact that internationally I am known to be outspoken on the issue of investment in South Africa. My voice is often recognised as the isolated voice that spoke against disinvestments in our country during the apartheid regime. Mine is the voice that went against popular politics, for I spoke to not join the political chorus of the day, but for the sake of the future country I knew we would finally inherit as a democratic and equal people. When Dr Oliver Tambo rose to address the United Nations General Assembly in 1976 and called for economic sanctions against South Africa, I foresaw how the poor would become poorer as a rich elite consolidated its wealth in the absence of external competition. In the end, I was proven right, as disinvestments caused a drought in which the most severely affected victims were in fact the very people whom we sought to liberate from oppression, degradation and poverty.
Foreseeing this outcome, I became outspoken in calling for greater foreign investment. At the time I was able to look into our future and see that we would need to inherit a country in which the economy was healthy and growing, in order that we could meet the vast ocean of need among the majority of our people. Today, in a democratic South Africa, I am still looking ahead to what we will need in ten or twenty years, and I am determined to make the necessary investments now to see our future in better shape. Therefore, I continue to call for investment, to facilitate investment, and to actively seek investment for South Africa. Today, South Africa has a lot to show to support its call on foreigners to invest their money and hopes in our country. In Durban in particular I have been vociferous in seeking international partnerships, beneficial joint ventures and long-term investment, because I see in this city the potential to become a powerhouse of South Africa's economic growth.
I am deeply aware that we will not fulfil the vast needs of our people through redistribution alone. There is simply not enough for us to cut the cake any differently and hope that everyone will be fed. Redistribution is not a solution. Redistribution to me has always meant redistribution of opportunities. The real solution we ought to seek is empowerment. Today's event proves this point. Our country, our people, our professionals are not looking for handouts, but only for an opportunity to prove our worth and to grow and prosper through hard work. I have worked for almost half a century with the poorest people of our country and also with some of the greatest businessmen and visionaries one could hope to meet. I am well aware that self-help and self-reliance is the only route towards real results, on time, where it matters. I have also learned that in life there are no real short cuts and no substitute for hard work. I believe there is a store of potential within our people, which needs to be released through empowerment. It is a good sign that MultiConsult SA is a black empowerment organisation. It is likewise a good sign that they are reaching out for international partnerships. This is the kind of initiative that will set our African Renaissance on course.
It is time for South Africa to choose her path according to the future we would like to see and to accept to make the necessary decisions and take the necessary actions in order to get there. Although we have attained political liberation, I believe we have a long road ahead before we will see all our people living free from the shackles of poverty, unemployment, ignorance for lack of education, experience and exposure, and degraded circumstances. Genuine liberation has not yet been achieved. I myself refuse to give up on the freedom and liberty of South Africa and I will pursue this goal until we see every South African living with the quality of life previously reserved for a small white minority. In pursuing this goal, I have made both friends and enemies. I am proud to have had opposition throughout my life. I believe it means I am doing things right. However, I am far more pleased with the friends, which my work has afforded me.
For many years, I have maintained an excellent friendship with the Government and the people of the United States. I have been honoured to work closely with several American businessmen and leaders in the pursuit of justice, the rule of law, economic partnerships, humanitarian service and good relations. I have met with three presidents of the United States and with three Vice-Presidents. Therefore as a good and trusted friend of the American people I wish to welcome our overseas partner in South Africa and hope that our land may produce yields for it which exceed its expectations. I trust that MultiConsult SA will find in Paradyne Corporation the help it needs to move South Africa forward on the road towards better telecommunications. It is my firm hope that through its experience in our country, Paradyne Corporation will come to know South Africa as a country with a conducive climate to investment. With these words, I wish you every success as you embark upon this joint venture. I look forward with great expectation to seeing the results for the benefit of all our people.
Issued by Ministry of Home Affairs
22 November 2002
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs
Title: Buthelezi: Launch of joint venture between Multiconsult SA & Paradyne Corporation
LAUNCH OF A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN MULTICONSULT SOUTH AFRICA AND THE PARADYNE CORPORATION, ADDRESS ON THE THEME OF "SOUTH AFRICA, COUNTRY WITH A CONDUCIVE CLIMATE TO INVESTMENT" BY MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI, MP, MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS AND PRESIDENT, INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY, Hilton Hotel, Durban, 22 November 2002
I am very pleased and honoured to be part of this launch. I welcome the initiative of this joint venture between MultiConsult South Africa and Paradyne Corporation and consider it to be a step in the right direction. This evening, we are gathered to share in the celebration of what is to come as these two entities share their knowledge, resources and capacity in pursuit of a vision of enhanced telecommunication throughout Africa. I hope that this will be one of those occasions in which two plus two can indeed make up to six through the increased synergism of the two companies and wider horizons opened through this venture.
The fact that the long-term goal of this venture sets its foundation in South Africa, in KwaZulu-Natal and in Durban specifically, speaks of the vast potentials inherent in this place, which are only now beginning to be tapped. For years I have promoted Durban as a hub of development with the seed of greatness within it. I am pleased that Paradyne Corporation has shown such insight, seeing in our country the potential for success, prosperity and benefit from investments. This is the South Africa we are determined to promote, because it is the South Africa that visionary leaders and hard-working individuals know to be real.
MultiConsult South Africa has made a name for itself in telecommunications, development and the service arena. Perhaps one of the most outstanding features of this company is the fact that it has been established and is wholly owned by black professionals from various fields, three women's groups and two trusts. In this sense, MultiConsult is vivid proof that there is no lack of potential among previously disadvantaged groups in our country. In fact, I would almost be inclined to repeat the trite saying that "where there is a will, there is a way". Through years of experience in leadership, I have had the opportunity time and again to witness the astonishing and often unexpected results of seemingly disadvantaged people. Before 1994, I worked with poverty-stricken communities who received little or no financial assistance from the Government of that time, and together we built schools, conducted small businesses, opened and ran clinics, manufactured basic goods and secured enough food through subsistence farming to feed each person.
Since 1994, I have had the opportunity to see the same tenacity, goodwill and hard work put into practice in many communities, and the results are often quite as astounding. There is no fear of hard work among many of our people and I often exhort those who find themselves unemployed to nevertheless do the work that needs doing. I have seen particularly how our women are industrious and creative, taking the initiative to stimulate income from unexpected quarters. These are basic, on-the-ground realities of South Africa. On a higher level, our country is a giant on the continent of Africa due to our commitment to develop and secure progress in line with more developed countries throughout the world. South Africa has moved from pariah status firmly into the global arena of international business, technology and industry. In the fields of telecommunications, information technology and structural development, we are ahead of many other African countries. In this sense, we are in a position to lead the way on our continent towards greater development, greater prosperity and greater self-reliance.
I feel that we need to make an even greater investment in technology and in training all our people to become competent citizens in a modern world. For years I have been advocating the need to leap-frog, jumping past some of the intermediary stages of technological development to connect with more technologically advanced countries, such as the United States. The US has much to teach us in this field and the joint venture, which MultiConsult SA is entering into, could bring tremendous results for our people. We cannot allow South Africa to be left behind in the global technological march of progress. In many respects, we are well equipped to become leaders in information technology and telecommunications and I have no doubt that MultiConsult SA is assisting this dream to become a reality.
In coming to speak here tonight, I am aware of the fact that internationally I am known to be outspoken on the issue of investment in South Africa. My voice is often recognised as the isolated voice that spoke against disinvestments in our country during the apartheid regime. Mine is the voice that went against popular politics, for I spoke to not join the political chorus of the day, but for the sake of the future country I knew we would finally inherit as a democratic and equal people. When Dr Oliver Tambo rose to address the United Nations General Assembly in 1976 and called for economic sanctions against South Africa, I foresaw how the poor would become poorer as a rich elite consolidated its wealth in the absence of external competition. In the end, I was proven right, as disinvestments caused a drought in which the most severely affected victims were in fact the very people whom we sought to liberate from oppression, degradation and poverty.
Foreseeing this outcome, I became outspoken in calling for greater foreign investment. At the time I was able to look into our future and see that we would need to inherit a country in which the economy was healthy and growing, in order that we could meet the vast ocean of need among the majority of our people. Today, in a democratic South Africa, I am still looking ahead to what we will need in ten or twenty years, and I am determined to make the necessary investments now to see our future in better shape. Therefore, I continue to call for investment, to facilitate investment, and to actively seek investment for South Africa. Today, South Africa has a lot to show to support its call on foreigners to invest their money and hopes in our country. In Durban in particular I have been vociferous in seeking international partnerships, beneficial joint ventures and long-term investment, because I see in this city the potential to become a powerhouse of South Africa's economic growth.
I am deeply aware that we will not fulfil the vast needs of our people through redistribution alone. There is simply not enough for us to cut the cake any differently and hope that everyone will be fed. Redistribution is not a solution. Redistribution to me has always meant redistribution of opportunities. The real solution we ought to seek is empowerment. Today's event proves this point. Our country, our people, our professionals are not looking for handouts, but only for an opportunity to prove our worth and to grow and prosper through hard work. I have worked for almost half a century with the poorest people of our country and also with some of the greatest businessmen and visionaries one could hope to meet. I am well aware that self-help and self-reliance is the only route towards real results, on time, where it matters. I have also learned that in life there are no real short cuts and no substitute for hard work. I believe there is a store of potential within our people, which needs to be released through empowerment. It is a good sign that MultiConsult SA is a black empowerment organisation. It is likewise a good sign that they are reaching out for international partnerships. This is the kind of initiative that will set our African Renaissance on course.
It is time for South Africa to choose her path according to the future we would like to see and to accept to make the necessary decisions and take the necessary actions in order to get there. Although we have attained political liberation, I believe we have a long road ahead before we will see all our people living free from the shackles of poverty, unemployment, ignorance for lack of education, experience and exposure, and degraded circumstances. Genuine liberation has not yet been achieved. I myself refuse to give up on the freedom and liberty of South Africa and I will pursue this goal until we see every South African living with the quality of life previously reserved for a small white minority. In pursuing this goal, I have made both friends and enemies. I am proud to have had opposition throughout my life. I believe it means I am doing things right. However, I am far more pleased with the friends, which my work has afforded me.
For many years, I have maintained an excellent friendship with the Government and the people of the United States. I have been honoured to work closely with several American businessmen and leaders in the pursuit of justice, the rule of law, economic partnerships, humanitarian service and good relations. I have met with three presidents of the United States and with three Vice-Presidents. Therefore as a good and trusted friend of the American people I wish to welcome our overseas partner in South Africa and hope that our land may produce yields for it which exceed its expectations. I trust that MultiConsult SA will find in Paradyne Corporation the help it needs to move South Africa forward on the road towards better telecommunications. It is my firm hope that through its experience in our country, Paradyne Corporation will come to know South Africa as a country with a conducive climate to investment. With these words, I wish you every success as you embark upon this joint venture. I look forward with great expectation to seeing the results for the benefit of all our people.
Issued by Ministry of Home Affairs
22 November 2002
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