Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers,

The President of the African First Ladies Peace Mission and First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Patience Jonathan, 

Our gracious host and Vice-President of the African First Ladies peace Mission, Excellency Mrs Nompumelelo Zuma,

Excellencies all First Ladies, members of the Executive Bureau of the African First Ladies Peace Mission,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my delight and honour to welcome most heartily the Executive Bureau of the African First Ladies Peace Mission in our beautiful country.

We feel most honoured as a country to host the esteemed First Ladies of our beloved continent.

On behalf of the government and the people of South Africa, I welcome you most heartily to our shores.

It is indeed a blessing and a good sign for us to receive messengers of hope and goodwill in our country.

Our people in this country and the entire continent need the reassurance and hope that you bring to the people no less.

Excellencies, First Ladies,

I am saying this because I am aware of the important work that you do under the auspices of the African First Ladies Peace Mission.

This is an important platform to seek common solutions to the challenges facing the African continent and I encourage you to continue its good work.

It is encouraging that you folded sleeves to support peace initiatives in this continent, and in particular to safeguard and advance the interests of women and children.

Your support to the victims of war, refugees and displaced people is very important in healing the wounds of conflict.

Your advocacy and activism around health issues, the cancers, HIV, teenage pregnancy, education and many others have proven true to the protective and nurturing character of women, and this is a blessing to our continent.

I am very much aware of your efforts in fighting poverty, and to advance sustainable development in the continent.

Your successes in mobilising support to provide food, medication and other material to refugees in the continent illustrate the extent of your determination to help bring change in the continent.

It is humbling that in Kenya for example, you were able to provide food, medication and non-food material to over seven hundred thousand refugees and asylum seekers in June last year.

All these are central pillars to lasting peace in the continent, and indeed an advancement of the African Agenda that we are seized with as leaders in this continent.

It is recognition that states cannot be the sole actors in improving the human condition in the continent, we must all be involved.

In a unique way, this is also part of bringing African solutions to African problems and we appreciate it.

We wish you fruitful deliberations, and please make time to enjoy the hospitality of our country and take back our warmest greetings to the people of your beloved countries.

I Thank You!