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Date
: 18/04/2005
Source: Department of Foreign Affairs
Title: van der Merwe: Zimbabwe’s 25th anniversary
celebration
Congratulatory remarks by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Ms Sue van der Merwe, on the occasion of Zimbabwe’s 25th
anniversary celebration, Pretoria
Your Excellency, Ambassador Moyo
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Government and the people of the Republic of South
Africa, it gives me great pleasure to join the Government and the
people of the Republic of Zimbabwe in celebrating 25 years of
independence. The 18th of April 1980 marked a milestone in the
history not only of Zimbabwe, but also that of the entire
continent.
The attainment of freedom in Zimbabwe carried enormous significance
for us in South Africa. Zimbabwe and South Africa, as immediate
neighbours, are tied together by history, language, culture and a
similar legacy. Our peoples cross our common border back and forth,
maintaining family ties, to engage in trade and commerce, and are
inextricably linked to each other and share a common destiny.
Your attainment of independence and leadership of the Frontline
States instilled in us a sense of hope during our darkest moments.
The people and the government of Zimbabwe never wavered in their
support for the liberation of the South African people from the
yoke of oppression. Our sisters and brothers from Zimbabwe
sacrificed their own lives and enjoyment of their newly attained
freedoms and liberties so that we could also enjoy the same
rights.
Without a doubt, the transition from Southern Rhodesia to Zimbabwe
was not an easy one, but you and your countrymen and women stood
resolute in your commitment for a free Zimbabwe and ultimately it
was a price worth paying. Since Zimbabwe gained its independence, a
great number of changes have taken place on the continent in
general and Zimbabwe in particular. Today, we face even more
challenges than before, which require our collective efforts to
overcome. To safeguard the legacy of our common struggle and at the
same time safeguard the future of the children of Africa we now,
more than ever, need to act in unison to overcome these
challenges.
The 25th Anniversary celebrations take place immediately after the
people of Zimbabwe have elected a new government through the
elections on 31 March 2005. We congratulate the people of Zimbabwe
and encourage them in their tireless efforts to contribute to the
continental drive to bring about democracy in Africa as well as
contributing to an equal and just world.
Within the region we have together transformed the former Southern
African Development Co-ordinating Conference, of which Zimbabwe was
a founder member, to the Southern African Development Community
(SADC). We have just concluded the restructuring of SADC and
believe that our systems are now more aligned to carry forth the
mandate of the transformation of our region to focus on our
developmental goals, so that we are able to attain our continent
vision of Consolidating the African Agenda.
As a founder member of the African Union, Zimbabwe remains a
critical player to the rebirth of the continent and we will support
the efforts of the Zimbabwean people to regain its position as one
of the leading economies in Africa. Zimbabwe, like all of us in
this sub-region, and indeed throughout our continent, has to
respond to the massive challenges of working towards our common
goals of a better life for all.
On the continent we have taken a bold step to declare this an
African century, and as such, we need to harness our collective
experience to create a better Africa and a better world.
In his 1961 speech entitled ‘I speak of freedom’, Kwame
Nkrumah spoke about how for centuries, Europeans dominated the
African continent robbing it of valuable opportunities to develop
and attain the same standards of living for its people. While
acknowledging the tragedy of the colonial years, we must be
prepared to bury the past with its unpleasant memories and look to
the future. It is thus clear that we must find an African solution
to our problems, and this can only be found in African unity.
It is perhaps also worth noting that Zimbabwe’s 25th
Anniversary coincides with key global governance reform processes.
The Millenium Review Summit, the reform of the United Nations, the
10-year review of the Beijing Platform of Action, the 50th
anniversary of the Bandung conference, which laid the foundation
for the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement, amongst other, all
present us with the ideal opportunity to lay the foundations for
the African century.
May I once again reiterate that South Africa is happy to celebrate
together with Zimbabwe her silver jubilee, and express her
commitment to work for consolidating the relations between both
countries.
As you celebrate your 25th Anniversary, the Government and the
people of South Africa salute and congratulate you on your
achievements. An occasion like this reminds us to take stock on how
far we have come and ensure that our people reap the fruits of
their struggle for liberation, peace and development.
I thank you.
For further details contact: Vincent Hlongwane
Cell: 082 385 1169
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
18 April 2005
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