Date: 09/08/2004
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Title: T Makwetla: Women's Day celebrations


WELCOMING REMARKS BY PREMIER TSP MAKWETLA DURING THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATIONS, Witbank, 9 August 2004

Your Excellency Honourable President Thabo Mbeki,
The Speaker of the National Assembly Honourable Baleka Mbete,
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Members of the Executive Council of Mpumalanga,
Members of Parliament and Members of the Provincial Legislature,
Your Excellencies, Ambassadors and High Commissioners,
Your Majesties, Amakhosi,
Honourable Mayors and Councillors,
Directors-General and Senior Managers of Government,
Religious leaders, and all Community Leaders,
Distinguished Guests,
The Community of Emalahleni and Mpumalanga as a whole,
Comrades and Compatriots.

It is with a deep sense of pride and appreciation of the privilege accorded our province that we host the National celebration of South Africa Women's Day, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of our freedom.

The warrior women who marched on Pretoria forty-eight years ago, made a profound impact, not only on the place of women in our struggle for liberation, but most significantly on the character of the society we seek to achieve.

As we celebrate the spirit of 9 August 1956, it gives us great pleasure to welcome to Mpumalanga the vanguard movement of courageous women and men from across our entire country and our own province, who continue to ensure that our democracy guarantees genuine equality for all, in particular the majority of our citizens, our women-folk.

Honourable President, Comrades, welcome to the warm people of Mpumalanga, South Africa's energy province;

Welcome to the legendary Kwa-Guqa, Emalahleni. Welcome to South Africa's inexhaustible coal deposits; Welcome to the splendour blue-skies of the Highveld and the magic beauty of the pristine Lowveld.

As we have converged in Emalahleni today, we can draw inspiration from the knowledge that in this region of our country too, we have made courageous advances towards the emancipation of women. The thousands of households that are headed by women have witnessed a steady improvement in their fortunes as the combination of a whole host of policies that are intended to achieve gender equity is transforming our landscape.

Our people-centred democracy is increasingly mobilising women for decisive participation in local government affairs in our province too. In health, education, social development, housing and community development projects, women are providing leadership in community participatory structures.

As we celebrate 9 August your presence in our midst today is a source of inspiration and a reminder that we cannot afford to rest, not for a moment, because the journey to the summit is still just as long.

As a rural province we must continue to grapple with the overwhelming legacy of patriarchy embedded in many of our cultures, which in part disadvantages women.

We must further accelerate women's access to social grant services, health care, further educations and training, skills development, learnerships and the lifelong learning. We must also ensure that women benefit from the work opportunities created through our extended public programmes as well as food security programmes aimed especially at female-headed households.

Let your presence here today serve to galvanise all our gender-equality activists and structures in our province. Let the experience of this rally linger on and raise even higher the intolerance of gender inequality, and women oppression in our communities.

Once again, welcome to Mpumalanga, enjoy this popular manifestation of our collective spirit to build a truly non-sexist democratic society.

I thank you.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, Mpumalanga Provincial Government
9 August 2004