Date: 25/02/2003
Source: The Presidency
Title: J Zuma: Farewell dinner for former Minister of Housing
ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE FAREWELL DINNER FOR FORMER MINISTER OF HOUSING, Pinelands, Western Cape, 25 February 2003
Programme Director,
The Former Minister of Housing,
Ministers, Deputy Ministers,
Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP,
Directors-General present,
Colleagues and Friends,
I am very happy and honoured to be part of this celebration tonight as we as the Government and country bid farewell to one of our outstanding colleagues, the former Minister of Housing.
I am saying celebration because I feel it is the best way to describe an otherwise odd contradiction of being sad to lose a colleague, and at the same time being elated that she is still very much part of the family.
Comrade Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele has been part of this democratic government since its inception, and her contribution has been remarkable, outstanding and indeed befitting a cadre with the kind of background that she has in the struggle for freedom, justice and a better life for all.
Her contribution to the ANC and the struggle for freedom speaks for itself. Among other things, comrade Sankie worked as a radio journalist, and edited the ANC women's section journal, Voice of Women, in addition to performing other responsibilities in the women's section between 1979 and 1992.
Comrade Sankie occupied a number of diplomatic positions in ANC missions in Sweden, Nigeria and other parts of the continent, and later became ANC chief representative for Germany and Austria.
Upon her return to her country of birth in October 1993 she became the deputy head of the department of international affairs of the ANC until 1994. Former President Mandela thought it prudent to assign her to the post of Deputy Minister of Welfare in May 1994. Barely six months later, he asked her to assume the duties of the National Minister of Housing.
In this portfolio, she pursued the mission of improving the quality of life for all, and made dreams come true for thousands of poor South Africans who were homeless due to systemic denial of homeownership.
Because of the correctness of this government's policies, and the drive of committed leaders, like comrade Sankie, people saw, for the first time in their lives, thousands of houses being built. In fact, since 1994, our government has built 1,46 million homes worth R24,2 billion in eight years, and housing 6 million poor people in the process.
Under the inspired leadership of comrade Sankie we have transferred 400 000 of the old council homes worth R32 billion to the people who had been renting them, benefiting about 2 million people.
She also launched groundbreaking initiatives that not only embraced all of our people, like the first rural housing project (on tribal land) at Mhingaville in Limpopo Province in 1996, but also specifically focused on the poorest of the poor, like the first rental housing/urban renewal project at Jeppe Oval on 19 May 1997. The project had a total of 240 housing units and became the first social housing project in Gauteng. Not to mention the innovative saving schemes to assist the poor to secure homes and other initiatives.
The demands on all of us are huge, and we should use this opportunity of celebrating with our colleagues to recommit ourselves to fighting even harder to push back the frontiers of poverty. Let us, in saying thank you and farewell to this warrior against injustice and indignity, pledge to continue our work with renewed vigour.
Comrade Sankie, we have been fortunate for the opportunity to work with you in Cabinet. What is most gratifying is that we will continue to gain from the knowledge that you have accumulated over the years, in your new deployment at Luthuli House.
You will be taking up an exciting yet extremely demanding task of building and strengthening the oldest liberation movement in this continent, and one, which has brought democracy and freedom to the people of this country.
We will all be looking up to you and colleagues at Luthuli House to lead us in the next decade of freedom, and in channelling this ship in the right direction, so that the ANC never loses track of its historical mission and duty to the people of South Africa.
On behalf of the President of the Republic of South Africa and the Cabinet, I thank you for your selfless service. You have done sterling work in a most challenging portfolio. Let me also thank your family for their support to you, regardless of the long hours and absences from home.
However, they should not celebrate as yet, because the situation is likely to get worse. So we once again beg them to bear with us, and support you in this new demanding responsibility in the engine room of the ANC.
Colleagues, let me also use this opportunity to welcome the new colleagues who were sworn in this evening, the incoming Minister of Housing, Brigitte Mabandla and new Deputy Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Buyelwa Sonjica.
To all three comrades, good luck in your new deployment, and best wishes.
We know that you are up to the challenge and that you will all continue to make a positive contribution to building a better life for all.
I thank you
Issued by The Presidency
25 February 2003
Source: The Presidency
Title: J Zuma: Farewell dinner for former Minister of Housing
ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE FAREWELL DINNER FOR FORMER MINISTER OF HOUSING, Pinelands, Western Cape, 25 February 2003
Programme Director,
The Former Minister of Housing,
Ministers, Deputy Ministers,
Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP,
Directors-General present,
Colleagues and Friends,
I am very happy and honoured to be part of this celebration tonight as we as the Government and country bid farewell to one of our outstanding colleagues, the former Minister of Housing.
I am saying celebration because I feel it is the best way to describe an otherwise odd contradiction of being sad to lose a colleague, and at the same time being elated that she is still very much part of the family.
Comrade Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele has been part of this democratic government since its inception, and her contribution has been remarkable, outstanding and indeed befitting a cadre with the kind of background that she has in the struggle for freedom, justice and a better life for all.
Her contribution to the ANC and the struggle for freedom speaks for itself. Among other things, comrade Sankie worked as a radio journalist, and edited the ANC women's section journal, Voice of Women, in addition to performing other responsibilities in the women's section between 1979 and 1992.
Comrade Sankie occupied a number of diplomatic positions in ANC missions in Sweden, Nigeria and other parts of the continent, and later became ANC chief representative for Germany and Austria.
Upon her return to her country of birth in October 1993 she became the deputy head of the department of international affairs of the ANC until 1994. Former President Mandela thought it prudent to assign her to the post of Deputy Minister of Welfare in May 1994. Barely six months later, he asked her to assume the duties of the National Minister of Housing.
In this portfolio, she pursued the mission of improving the quality of life for all, and made dreams come true for thousands of poor South Africans who were homeless due to systemic denial of homeownership.
Because of the correctness of this government's policies, and the drive of committed leaders, like comrade Sankie, people saw, for the first time in their lives, thousands of houses being built. In fact, since 1994, our government has built 1,46 million homes worth R24,2 billion in eight years, and housing 6 million poor people in the process.
Under the inspired leadership of comrade Sankie we have transferred 400 000 of the old council homes worth R32 billion to the people who had been renting them, benefiting about 2 million people.
She also launched groundbreaking initiatives that not only embraced all of our people, like the first rural housing project (on tribal land) at Mhingaville in Limpopo Province in 1996, but also specifically focused on the poorest of the poor, like the first rental housing/urban renewal project at Jeppe Oval on 19 May 1997. The project had a total of 240 housing units and became the first social housing project in Gauteng. Not to mention the innovative saving schemes to assist the poor to secure homes and other initiatives.
The demands on all of us are huge, and we should use this opportunity of celebrating with our colleagues to recommit ourselves to fighting even harder to push back the frontiers of poverty. Let us, in saying thank you and farewell to this warrior against injustice and indignity, pledge to continue our work with renewed vigour.
Comrade Sankie, we have been fortunate for the opportunity to work with you in Cabinet. What is most gratifying is that we will continue to gain from the knowledge that you have accumulated over the years, in your new deployment at Luthuli House.
You will be taking up an exciting yet extremely demanding task of building and strengthening the oldest liberation movement in this continent, and one, which has brought democracy and freedom to the people of this country.
We will all be looking up to you and colleagues at Luthuli House to lead us in the next decade of freedom, and in channelling this ship in the right direction, so that the ANC never loses track of its historical mission and duty to the people of South Africa.
On behalf of the President of the Republic of South Africa and the Cabinet, I thank you for your selfless service. You have done sterling work in a most challenging portfolio. Let me also thank your family for their support to you, regardless of the long hours and absences from home.
However, they should not celebrate as yet, because the situation is likely to get worse. So we once again beg them to bear with us, and support you in this new demanding responsibility in the engine room of the ANC.
Colleagues, let me also use this opportunity to welcome the new colleagues who were sworn in this evening, the incoming Minister of Housing, Brigitte Mabandla and new Deputy Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Buyelwa Sonjica.
To all three comrades, good luck in your new deployment, and best wishes.
We know that you are up to the challenge and that you will all continue to make a positive contribution to building a better life for all.
I thank you
Issued by The Presidency
25 February 2003
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