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Parliament’s Presiding Officers, National Assembly Speaker Ms Baleka Mbete and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Ms Thandi Modise, will tomorrow join the rest of the continent to celebrate Africa’s special day in a week which promises exciting Africa-themed highlights in Parliament.

Included among the planned activities for the week are:
·       A public discussion by leading academics and civil society representatives on unity and integration on the continent
·       Signing of a special pledge about Africa Day
·       A joint sitting to debate Africa Day. The theme of the debate is: ”We are Africa - united in our diversity in advancing the ideals of Agenda 2063”

Africa Day marks the day - on 25 May 1963 - when countries in Africa that had achieved freedom, came together to sign a declaration to form the Organisation of African Unity (OAU),

The OAU was transformed into the African Union (AU) in 2002, which was launched in Durban in July that year. The AU has brought together African states to collectively address the problems challenging us.

South Africa is an integral part of Africa and our national interest is fundamentally linked to the stability, unity and prosperity of the continent. The fifth democratic Parliament will continue to strengthen relations with other Parliaments in Africa.

Our country’s celebration of Africa Day is a time for us to celebrate the progress that we - as Africans - have made, while reflecting upon the common challenges we face in the global environment. It is a time for us to take part in deepening integration and unity on our continent and to support plans to develop a better Africa and a better world.

It is also a time for us to remember that it was only in 1994 that South Africa unshackled itself from oppressive, race-based minority rule and became part of the OAU and the community of nations of the world.

It is a time for us to pay tribute to the people and states of Africa, which supported our struggle for liberation - politically, materially and militarily and by giving us refuge, often at great cost to themselves.

A detailed programme for Parliament’s activities will be issued to media on Tuesday, 26 May.

Issued by The Parliament of RSA