Date: 09/05/2004
Source: The Presidency
Title: J Zuma: 10 Year Democracy celebration & Inauguration of WC Premier
ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA AT THE TEN YEAR DEMOCRACY CELEBRATION AND INAUGURATION OF WESTERN CAPE PREMIER, EBRAHIM RASOOL, Khayelitsha Stadium, Cape Town, 9 May 2004
Honourable Premier of the Western Cape Ebrahim Rasool
Honourable Speaker of the Western Cape Legislature
Honourable Members of the Western Cape Executive Council and Legislature
Member of the New National Party and other opposition Parties
Mayors and Councillors
Religious leaders, Civic Leaders, Business Leaders
Distinguished Guests
Today is a turning point in the history of the Western Cape province.
We are honoured to join you to celebrate not only a decade of freedom and democracy, but also the beginning of a new era, as we welcome Premier Ebrahim Rasool and the new provincial government.
This is indeed a momentous occasion given the history of this province in general, and specifically that of Cape Town - the mother of the modern cities in our country.
It is significant that this city is today becoming a centre of hope, and beginning a real and final journey towards unity and reconciliation. It is a remarkable achievement for a city that was once the starting point of the colonial conquest of Southern Africa, the only centre of slavery in our country, and the place of the incarceration of many illustrious leaders of our people among them Makana, Langalibalele, King Cetshwayo, to Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Harry Gwala and many others.
In preparing to chart the way forward to the new era, we today warmly welcome the Premier and the new provincial government, who will lead this province in the mammoth task of making it a home for all its citizens, where nobody would feel less important simply because of the colour of their skin, gender, or religion. South Africans said in Kliptown in 1955, in the Freedom Charter, that "the people shall govern", and that no government could claim legitimacy unless it was based on the will of the people. In that spirit, just a few weeks ago, political parties campaigned through the length and breadth of our country and in the province.
We met the people in big public meetings, taxi and bus ranks, railway stations, and in heir own homes when we conducted a door-to-door campaign, putting across our policies and programmes. The people made their free choice, and we now humbly invite them to begin working with their chosen representatives.
As we inaugurate the Premier and celebrate the decade of freedom, we do so fully aware that election victories come with responsibilities and challenges, to the elected government and more specifically to the individuals deployed in that government.
One of the key tasks that face all of us is that of nation building, which we must work on jointly as citizens of the country in every corner. In this province, the Premier and his team have already begun to show the way.
We therefore have no doubt that Premier Rasool and the Executive Council will provide good leadership in all spheres, from nation building and reconciliation, to implementing and overseeing programmes to improve the lives of the people. But we need to remember that all of us have a responsibility and a role to play in achieving these objectives, to reduce the gap between rich and poor, have and have nots. It cannot be the responsibility of government alone, it has to be a partnership between government and all sectors of our society.
Let me emphasise that as government we are deadly to play our part, to make a difference in the lives of our people. Informed by progress made so far, as well as lessons from our first decade of democracy, we are determined to continue to accelerate change and usher the country into a new course of development.
This we must do by ensuring continuity in the government's policy frameworks, as well as significantly increasing the pace of delivery and implementation.
In this province, you are already aware of the provincial government's determination to speed up change. They will spend the next five years implementing and driving a complete set of government programmes aimed at the socio-economic transformation of the province. We trust that you will give them your undivided support.
When we return to celebrate two decades of freedom here on 27 April 2014, we should be able to see the fruits of the hard labour of all the people of this province, in a united, non-racial and prosperous Western Cape. Compatriots, let me reiterate that many years from now, we will look back at this occasion as having been a crucial turning point in the history of our country.
The Western Cape has had a long and troubled history of dehumanisation and oppression. This has ranged from the destruction and extinction of many of the Khoisan people, discrimination against the Coloured people to the severe restrictions on African people who wanted to move to the cities and towns of this Province in order to find work. Due to this, the Province has inherited a legacy of inequality and severe backlog in service delivery.
We therefore owe it to future generations that the legacy of the past is overcome, and to ensure that the province is not left behind as the rest of the country surges forward to a better future.
The people of this province, like all other citizens, deserve a life of equal opportunities, respect for human rights and rights of women and children; a life of sound economic growth and social development, a life without poverty, disease and suffering, and more importantly, a life where elected representatives are known and accessible to the people who elected them.
Today, at this historic occasion, we lay the foundation for some of these ideals, as further commit this new government to implement policies that will improve the lives of the people, and strive for sustainable development and the eradication of poverty.
Programme director, in line with this spirit of celebration, allow me to use this opportunity to wish all Mothers here, and in our country as a whole, a Happy Mother's Day!
Perhaps it was no coincidence that a Premier based in the Mother City, is being inaugurated on Mother's Day!
We wish you Honourable Premier and your team well as you chart the way forward, to build a new legacy for this province.
Congratulations to all of you, and be assured of our support at all times at the national level.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
9 May 2004
Source: SAPA
Source: The Presidency
Title: J Zuma: 10 Year Democracy celebration & Inauguration of WC Premier
ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA AT THE TEN YEAR DEMOCRACY CELEBRATION AND INAUGURATION OF WESTERN CAPE PREMIER, EBRAHIM RASOOL, Khayelitsha Stadium, Cape Town, 9 May 2004
Honourable Premier of the Western Cape Ebrahim Rasool
Honourable Speaker of the Western Cape Legislature
Honourable Members of the Western Cape Executive Council and Legislature
Member of the New National Party and other opposition Parties
Mayors and Councillors
Religious leaders, Civic Leaders, Business Leaders
Distinguished Guests
Today is a turning point in the history of the Western Cape province.
We are honoured to join you to celebrate not only a decade of freedom and democracy, but also the beginning of a new era, as we welcome Premier Ebrahim Rasool and the new provincial government.
This is indeed a momentous occasion given the history of this province in general, and specifically that of Cape Town - the mother of the modern cities in our country.
It is significant that this city is today becoming a centre of hope, and beginning a real and final journey towards unity and reconciliation. It is a remarkable achievement for a city that was once the starting point of the colonial conquest of Southern Africa, the only centre of slavery in our country, and the place of the incarceration of many illustrious leaders of our people among them Makana, Langalibalele, King Cetshwayo, to Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Harry Gwala and many others.
In preparing to chart the way forward to the new era, we today warmly welcome the Premier and the new provincial government, who will lead this province in the mammoth task of making it a home for all its citizens, where nobody would feel less important simply because of the colour of their skin, gender, or religion. South Africans said in Kliptown in 1955, in the Freedom Charter, that "the people shall govern", and that no government could claim legitimacy unless it was based on the will of the people. In that spirit, just a few weeks ago, political parties campaigned through the length and breadth of our country and in the province.
We met the people in big public meetings, taxi and bus ranks, railway stations, and in heir own homes when we conducted a door-to-door campaign, putting across our policies and programmes. The people made their free choice, and we now humbly invite them to begin working with their chosen representatives.
As we inaugurate the Premier and celebrate the decade of freedom, we do so fully aware that election victories come with responsibilities and challenges, to the elected government and more specifically to the individuals deployed in that government.
One of the key tasks that face all of us is that of nation building, which we must work on jointly as citizens of the country in every corner. In this province, the Premier and his team have already begun to show the way.
We therefore have no doubt that Premier Rasool and the Executive Council will provide good leadership in all spheres, from nation building and reconciliation, to implementing and overseeing programmes to improve the lives of the people. But we need to remember that all of us have a responsibility and a role to play in achieving these objectives, to reduce the gap between rich and poor, have and have nots. It cannot be the responsibility of government alone, it has to be a partnership between government and all sectors of our society.
Let me emphasise that as government we are deadly to play our part, to make a difference in the lives of our people. Informed by progress made so far, as well as lessons from our first decade of democracy, we are determined to continue to accelerate change and usher the country into a new course of development.
This we must do by ensuring continuity in the government's policy frameworks, as well as significantly increasing the pace of delivery and implementation.
In this province, you are already aware of the provincial government's determination to speed up change. They will spend the next five years implementing and driving a complete set of government programmes aimed at the socio-economic transformation of the province. We trust that you will give them your undivided support.
When we return to celebrate two decades of freedom here on 27 April 2014, we should be able to see the fruits of the hard labour of all the people of this province, in a united, non-racial and prosperous Western Cape. Compatriots, let me reiterate that many years from now, we will look back at this occasion as having been a crucial turning point in the history of our country.
The Western Cape has had a long and troubled history of dehumanisation and oppression. This has ranged from the destruction and extinction of many of the Khoisan people, discrimination against the Coloured people to the severe restrictions on African people who wanted to move to the cities and towns of this Province in order to find work. Due to this, the Province has inherited a legacy of inequality and severe backlog in service delivery.
We therefore owe it to future generations that the legacy of the past is overcome, and to ensure that the province is not left behind as the rest of the country surges forward to a better future.
The people of this province, like all other citizens, deserve a life of equal opportunities, respect for human rights and rights of women and children; a life of sound economic growth and social development, a life without poverty, disease and suffering, and more importantly, a life where elected representatives are known and accessible to the people who elected them.
Today, at this historic occasion, we lay the foundation for some of these ideals, as further commit this new government to implement policies that will improve the lives of the people, and strive for sustainable development and the eradication of poverty.
Programme director, in line with this spirit of celebration, allow me to use this opportunity to wish all Mothers here, and in our country as a whole, a Happy Mother's Day!
Perhaps it was no coincidence that a Premier based in the Mother City, is being inaugurated on Mother's Day!
We wish you Honourable Premier and your team well as you chart the way forward, to build a new legacy for this province.
Congratulations to all of you, and be assured of our support at all times at the national level.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
9 May 2004
Source: SAPA
Advertisement
EMAIL THIS ARTICLE SAVE THIS ARTICLE FEEDBACK
To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
