Date: 23/10/2004
Source: The Presidency
Title: T Mbeki: Zambia State Banquet


TOAST REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, THABO MBEKI, AT THE STATE BANQUET IN HIS HONOUR BY THE PRESIDENT OF ZAMBIA, LEVY MWANAWASA: LUSAKA, Zambia, 23 October 2004

Your Excellencies, President and Mrs Mwanawasa
Your Excellency, President Kagame
Your Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen:

Thank you very much President Mwanawasa for inviting us to the 40th independence anniversary, which will be celebrated tomorrow.

As you know, many of us who were in exile, Zambia was and continues to be our home. Had it not been the hospitality and sacrifice of the people of Zambia, South Africa would not have been liberated in 1994. Accordingly, we have come to celebrate 40 years of our own independence.

Your Excellency, this country suffered a great deal for being at the frontline of the liberation wars of Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa. Lives of many Zambians were lost while others were maimed for life because of the principled and correct decision that Zambia cannot enjoy her independence while surrounded by fellow Africans who were still under the heavy burden of colonialism and apartheid imposed by the Portuguese, the British and white South Africa.

Your economy was deliberately sabotaged so as to discourage you from doing the natural thing of joining your brothers and sisters in the trenches of liberation. I think I would be speaking for many of our African compatriots from these countries that enjoyed your hospitality that we are very much indebted to the Zambian people for your courage, sacrifice and engagement in the struggles of all these Southern African countries.

Today, Zambia, like many other African countries, is faced with many socio-economic challenges, the legacies of colonialism and neo-colonialism. As Africans, we have decided to respond to these challenges collectively and we are doing so through the African Union and its development programme, The New Partnership for Africa