Remarks by Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Mr Sibusiso Ndebele, at the occasion of the dinner hosted by South Africa's Ambassador to Japan, Dr Ben Ngubane, at the Ambassador's Residence in Tokyo, Japan

On behalf of the people and government of KwaZulu-Natal, I would first and foremost like to convey our sincere appreciation to his Excellency, Ambassador Dr Ben Ngubane and the officials from the South African Embassy for the invitation extended to KwaZulu-Natal to come to Japan.

Tonight, all this sterling work that has gone into the preparations for this visit and this function has made us to feel at home.

Indeed, we are at home, as Dr Ngubane is a son of KwaZulu-Natal.

We are proud of this exemplary and visionary Alumnus of our province. We are proud of him as former Premier of the province, as former national Minister for Arts, Culture, Science and Technology and now carrying the very important responsibility of representing our country in Japan.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, the significant role that Japan is playing in the global arena today is unquestionable. However, the focus of Japan in furthering the Africa agenda since 1993 through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) is also significant; not only has Japan provided assistance in the elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the training of the DRC police force, but significantly for us, Japanese support to South Africa as a gateway to the rest of Africa is important. As a result, both countries are exploring tripartite co-operation on specific projects as the new frontier for co-operation between South Africa and Japan.

The fact that Japan boasts the second largest economy in the world enjoys a trade balance that indicates strong annualised growth and its particular focus on science and technology makes Japan a strategic partner.

During this visit to Japan, we reconfirm our commitment to the relationship between our two countries as represented by the province of KwaZulu-Natal and the relevant prefectures in Japan. We have no doubt that Japan will discover that coming to KwaZulu-Natal also opens the way to the rest of Africa, as KwaZulu-Natal is the gateway to South Africa and Africa.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, you will have noticed from the short video presentation that our province has much to offer. Not only are we one of the most vibrant provinces with natural beauty and a rich and diverse cultural heritage, but we have a solid and well planned path toward the future.

In spite of tremendous challenges, we are well on track towards achieving the 2014 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which includes amongst others access to basic services such as water, sanitation and electricity. This, together with a focus on food security through the agrarian revolution, is the first step in improving the quality of life of our people.

However, it does not end there, KwaZulu-Natal is now the second strongest economic performer in South Africa. Therefore of particular significance for us is the doubling of export volume at the Toyota South Africa Motor Plant in Durban to 220 000 units (Hilux and Corolla) in 2007. As a consequence, Toyota Motor Corporation and their affiliated automotive supplier companies in South Africa have seen it fit to expand and introduce new investments.

Our tourism industry consistently retains its number one status as South Africa's leading domestic and international tourism destination. Indeed, we have become the Mecca for international conferences and sporting events such as the A1 Grand Prix.

Therefore, in this financial year we have announced an investment of close to R8 billion for key projects in the province. This is the single largest investment made by government at any time in the history of our province.

This includes the building of the R2,2 billion stadium in Durban that will host one of the 2010 soccer World Cup semi-finals and the R6,8 billion Dube TradePort, which will consist of an international airport and aerated logistics platform for the import/export of cargo. Direct flights from KwaZulu-Natal to most overseas countries have now become a reality.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, to make this vision work we need to adopt best practices, we need to apply science and technology. We need to learn from our partners in development.

That is why we are here.

We can learn from the massive expansion of exports by Japan. We can learn from the commitment to hard work and enterprise that is currently driving the economy of Japan. The efficient working culture based on notions such as Keisan must be encouraged.

One of the reasons KwaZulu-Natal had set its sights on Japan is to help improve our tea production in the province in order to meet international standards. Despite its potential, tea production in KwaZulu-Natal has not reached the desired levels. We have projects such as Ntingwe Tea and Paddock Tea Farms and our co-operation with Japan will help improve their production capacity.

We also admire Japan's best practice in respect of the management of world heritage sites and a partnership between our St Lucia Wetlands and Shirotake in Hokkaido could be considered. We can learn from the city of Kitakyushu about environmental management, notably mitigating pollution.

We can partner with Japan's International Co-operation Agency (JICA) for collaboration on poverty alleviation and skills development. Of interest to us in this area is the One-Village-One-Product Initiative.

The volume of trade between KwaZulu-Natal and the rest of Africa is growing at a vibrant rate. Investors and exporters within KwaZulu-Natal have taken advantage of South Africa's preferential trade arrangement with the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA). Now we are trying to concretise our business and trade relations with Japan.

Therefore, we responded urgently to the invitation by our Ambassador Dr Ngubane to come to Japan. This visit will set the path toward a shared vision and building Africa through the gateway called KwaZulu-Natal.

Once again, your Excellency Dr Ngubane and honoured guests, thank you for receiving us. We look forward to a long and beneficial relationship between Japan and KwaZulu-Natal.

I thank you!

Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
6 July 2007