Date: 31/12/2008

Source: The Presidency

Title: SA: Motlanthe: Press Statement - New Year message to the Nation by the President of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe

Fellow South Africans

As we stand at the threshold of time to bid farewell to 2008 and to wade into the New Year a deep sense of ambivalence takes grip of us because our immediate circumstances are likely to change for the better or for worse.

We celebrate our blessings and bemoan our misfortunes. Many among us have experienced losses of innocence, health, physique, property and life whilst many others scored victories, achieved commendable results in their endeavours, realization of their full potentialities as well as attaining fulfillment in life.

Throughout 2008 our country continued to fight against poverty and unemployment, to tackle HIV and AIDS and other communicable diseases to attack crime and corruption, to promote education and health, to strengthen the institutions for supporting democracy as well as cementing social cohesion.

Our government is aware that to attain social cohesion we must continue to improve the economic situation of all our people.

This includes, among others, narrowing the income gap among all South Africans and launching an all-out assault on inequality and poverty.

Accordingly, I would like to appeal to all South Africans to treat each other with respect.

This includes tolerance towards foreign nationals who, for one reason or the other, have made South Africa their home.

Let us work towards building a united, democratic, non-sexist, non-racial and prosperous nation that derives strength from the diversity of its people.

Importantly, all of us, including the private sector and government departments, must act together to reduce inefficient use of electricity and develop alternative sources of renewable energy.

Like many years before, this year has also had its fair share of road fatalities. Nevertheless, it is encouraging to note that the number of road fatalities, regrettable as they are, is less than they were this time last year.

Government has intensified efforts to eradicate the scourge of crime in our country. It is also important that we guard against and report crime.

We remain committed to rooting out crime, especially high-priority categories. These include violent crimes against women and children, house robberies, organized crime and corruption as well as illegal firearms, which continue to terrorize our people.

Our infrastructure and systems for hosting the FIFA WORLD CUP is nearing satisfactory completion.

In addition, our nation will be hosting the FIFA Confederation Cup in June
2009. This is a very important barometer of not only how our national team will perform during the 2010 FIFA World Cup Competition, but also, of how hospitable we are as a nation. I am confident that in the event, we will succeed!

Let me take this opportunity to congratulate matriculants who sat for and passed their matric in the new education system, the National Curriculum Statement that we adopted some years back. The challenges that you and your teachers went through will be instructive for the future, as we seek best ways to make our education system fully functional and responsive to the national and global challenges.

To those who did not pass their matriculation examinations do not despair.
Try again with more determination in the New Year.

The scourge of HIV and AIDS is still a concern to this country. Our partnership against HIV and AIDS geared to mobilize the entire nation against this disease is continuing apace. From its side, government will continue to explore many ways to fight this pandemic, and all of us must take preventive measures such as abstinence and the use of condoms, to prevent the spread of this scourge.

On the sporting front our nation has seen numerous noteworthy achievements for which we are proud.

In this regard, our under-performance at the Beijing Olympic Games has been offset by our glorious achievements at the Paralympics.

Both our national Rugby and Cricket Teams are riding the crest of the waves in the arena. They are awesome and have made us proud.

I am hopeful that the relevant sporting authorities will address whatever shortcomings in our sporting system to ensure that from 2009 onwards we improve in all these areas to be internationally competitive.

Right now our country is preparing for our fourth democratic elections, which will be held sometime next year.

I want to thank all those who registered as voters and to encourage those who have not registered, and those who will qualify later, to continue registering at the various municipalities and other outlets that will be provided by the I.E.C.

Let us once more relish this moment of deepening our democracy by exercising our choice freely in the elections, and help create a peaceful climate where each and every one of us will excise his or her choice without intimidation and fear.

Let us respect the right of all to campaign in all the regions of South Africa.

As a country we will continue to strive for and meet our obligations of realizing a better life for all our people, irrespective of race and gender.

We stand for peace and stability in our country and the entire world. The recent spate of undemocratic usurpation of political power through military means need to be condemned by all peace loving nations of the world.

Our government joined the UN Secretary General in calling for the immediate cessation of the attacks and retaliations between Israel and Hamas.

The sheer savagery of the attacks launched by Israel against the residents of Gaza serves to conceal the fact that underlying this conflict is the reasonable demand for both peoples (Palestinians and Israel''s) to live together in peace and prosperity within their internationally recognized homelands.

The current Israeli aggression proves the folly of the notion of "waging the war to end all wars". War begets war. The UN Security Council must act now to save lives and to create peace.

Peace means more than absence of war... peace means the right of self-determination, it means eradication of hunger and poverty, it means free trade. It means the right to life.

Once again, I wish all of you a Happy and Successful 2009 and a safe and enjoyable passage through the remaining period for the festive season.

Thank you