Date: 23/04/2003
Source: The Presidency
Title: J Zuma: "Stop the War" campaign opinion makers function


ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA TO THE "STOP THE WAR" CAMPAIGN OPINION MAKERS FUNCTION, Phoenix, Durban, 23 April 2003

(Check against delivery)

Chairperson,
The leadership of the Stop the War campaign,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are meeting to discuss a rather challenging subject; the war in Iraq, which has claimed many lives and caused a lot of destruction during the past month.

Regardless of where one stands in this war, whether in support or opposition to it, the fact remains that war is ugly and causes death, untold human suffering and pain.

As we speak, the world needs to prepare for the long and arduous task of rebuilding Iraq's socio-economic and political infrastructure. Most importantly, is the need to normalise the lives of ordinary Iraqis, especially the children, who have become victims of this war.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is in this context that we find ourselves today, and in which we must locate our discussions.

Compatriots, the foreign policy of this Government is not a haphazard affair that we make up as we go along.

Rather, it is the product of a long and proud record of struggle for justice and of a tradition of broad consultative processes.

For instance, when our people converged on the town of Kliptown in 1955 to draft and adopt the Freedom Charter, they said about peace, and I quote:

"There Shall be Peace and Friendship!

South Africa shall be a fully independent state, which respects the rights and sovereignty of all nations;

South Africa shall strive to maintain world peace and the settlement of all international disputes by negotiation - not war;" (end quote).

You will agree with me, when I say these truly insightful words have continued to capture the imagination, and resolve of generations of South Africans.

You will also agree that it was exactly these sentiments, echoed by the Congress of the People, that has found resonance in, and informed, your own resolve to launch the "Stop the War" campaign.

This campaign call mobilised hundreds of South Africans into the streets in opposition to war, and countless more pledged their support in their homes, or in their cars.

This is precisely because South Africans have a deep-rooted craving for peace, for talking and not bloodshed, and for embracing and tolerating differences of opinion.

In line with all of these, the South African government has said, throughout the prelude to and during the war in Iraq, that conflict and war could and should be avoided at all cost.

Given our own successes in negotiating a peaceful future for a democratic and united South Africa, which left the world in admiration, we believe in the age-old tradition of gathering around a table and discussing difficult problems with the serious intent of solving them.

It was this tradition that informed our consistent call for ongoing debate, decisions and actions under the auspices of the United Nations.

Of course, the fact that we are increasingly living in a global village, where all of us are interconnected and affected by all that we do, also make multilateralism the preferred option.

It does stand to reason and logic that if we act together we would be better placed to deal with consequences of our actions in a uniform and united way.

Ladies and gentlemen, the continuing war in Iraq has kept in the public spotlight, the issue of our relations with the warring parties and the impact of the war on our country.

It is crucial that we emphasise that the war will not impact on the many-sided relations that we have with the United States-led coalition.

We are very clear about the fact that the relations we have with, among others, the United States, Britain and Australia, are based on more than just the issue of Iraq.

We will continue to strengthen these relations, in pursuit of the reconstruction and development of our country, and in pursuit of a just world order.

In the same vein, until the UN reaches any decision that is different from the current legality of the Iraqi state, South Africa will not break our state-to-state relations with that country.

The principle of multilateralism and the provisions of the Vienna Convention in this regard informed our decision. As such, government will be guided by any relevant decision taken by the UN.

Let me urge you, and all South Africans, to deepen your own people-to-people relations with the Iraqi people, especially with regard to solidarity with their pain and suffering, their dire need for humanitarian aid, and their quest for peace, freedom and development.

With regard to the effect of the war, Cabinet has agreed that the task team of Ministers it appointed recently should continue to assess the impact of the war. At this time there are no major developments that require special action on our part, as Government.

Fellow South Africans, we have a duty to continue to give concrete meaning to our unchanged preference for a peaceful solution of the ongoing differences with regard to the Iraqi situation.

We have already seen too much unbearable loss of life, especially that of women, children and the elderly. What the world needs, and must rightfully demand, is that we work even harder to build peace in all regions of globe, especially in the fragile Middle East.

In this regard, I must reiterate our firm conviction that as we prepare ourselves for the post-conflict period, that it is incumbent on all of us as South Africans to strive for a fair and peaceful world order, governed by democratic, multilateral global institutions.

That is why we repeat our call on the UN to ensure that international law is observed on the conduct of war.

We will also continue to step up our efforts to contribute to the promotion of a world system based on multilateral institutions that serve common global interests.

In the same way, we call on the entire world community of nations to work tirelessly to strengthen the various multilateral regional institutions of the world.

We are already hard at work to establish and strengthen the African Union and all its instruments, presiding over the implementation and establishment of the Peace and Security Council, the Pan-African Parliament and the Peer Review Mechanism, among others.

We need strong regional and global institutions, where the peoples of the world interact with each other on matters of common concern and interest.

On the other hand, the propensity for unilateralism is a real and present threat not only to world peace, but also to sustainable development, progress and prosperity. There is the real danger that it will breed more and more unilateral actions at the dire expense of the poor and powerless.

Therefore, the multilateralism that world nations must strengthen should guarantee national independence, sovereignty of states and an omnipresent democracy. It should use at its tool, meaningful diplomacy, and not the barrel of a gun.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me congratulate all the South African "Stop the War" campaigners for the peaceful manner in which they have carried out their protests.

The "Stop the War" campaign made the voices of the people heard and their rejection of war is now well known and understood.

Let us, together, continue on this journey, of seeking world peace, which has as its destination the gift of life, peace and security.

Let us strengthen a people's contract for peace and a better world.

I thank you.

Issued by The Presidency, 23 April 2003