Date: 24/10/2003
Source: The Presidency
Title: Zuma: Launch of Cape Town Unicity Moral Regeneration Movement
ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE CAPE TOWN UNICITY MORAL REGENERATION MOVEMENT, Cape Town, 24 October 2003
The Executive Mayor of the Cape Town Unicity, Councillor Noma-India Mfeketo,
The National Coordinator of the Moral Regeneration Movement, Ms Zandile Mdhladhla,
Distinguished guests,
We are meeting this evening, to take one step further in our priority task of nation building.
The launch of the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) in Cape Town is a progressive development, which indicates that a lot of work is being done behind the scenes to build the MRM within communities.
When the movement was launched last year in Pretoria, it was made clear that for the renewal of the moral fibre of our nation to take place, the MRM must be deeply rooted in communities. We are pleased that Cape Town has responded to this call, hence the launch here today.
We are launching this structure just a few months before celebrating the 10th year anniversary of our freedom. You would be aware of the report issued by government, our own assessment of progress we have made since 1994.
While there are still clear challenges ahead, we nevertheless believe we have achieved far more than expected, given the legacy of apartheid we had inherited.
Almost ten years into democracy, statistics reveal that millions more South Africans have access now to basic amenities than ten years ago. Between 1996 and 2001, for instance, the number of South Africans with access to clean water increased by nine million. Electricity connections rose from 32% to 70%, while 2 million housing subsidies were approved since the advent of democracy in 1994 and now.
These statistics are important, programme director, because we realise that an extremely important aspect of ensuring success of the moral regeneration programme is to improve the quality of life and eradicate poverty.
As we launch the Cape Town Unicity Moral Regeneration Movement, we reaffirm our belief that humans are essentially moral beings and that South Africans have high moral values. The values espoused in our Constitution, which emphasises human rights - including the right to life, human dignity and equality - should encourage us to walk in the path of respecting one another and respecting what it is that holds our communities together.
When we launched the MRM in April last year, we made the call as we also do today, that we should commit ourselves to the promotion of a collective common South African identity based on the positive values espoused in our Constitution.
On this launch, we commit ourselves to promoting the common good that is based on our humanity and to the promotion of the values of compassion, integrity, freedom, peace, justice and respect for one another. We call on non-governmental organisations, institutions of higher learning, schools, churches, women and youth organisations to join the fight against social ills like crime, family disintegration, drug and alcohol abuse.
The building of strong families should be the cornerstone of the campaign, as families are the foundation of communities and nations. Regardless of the type of family - whether single or two parent families - we need to ensure that our children get the love and respect that is required to mould them into responsible adults.
Ladies and gentlemen, the building of caring communities goes hand in hand with fighting crime and building safer neighbourhoods.
Earlier this year I visited the Cape Flats community and was shaken by the violence meted out against defenceless children by gangsters. We are pleased that there are signs of success in the war against drugs and gangsterism in this city. Through Operation Tswikila the crackdown operation performed by the South African Police Service, in conjunction with various law enforcement agencies in the Western Cape, incidents of gang-related violent crime are being reduced.
This has had a positive effect in restoring confidence in our law enforcement agencies as well as increasing morale. In the three months between June and September alone, Operation Tswikila has for example managed to make 2 476 priority crime arrests, in the process confiscating 2 695 firearms, more than 2 million kilograms of dagga and about 700 000 mandrax tablets.
Also through the efforts of the provincial government, the problem of drugs and gangsterism is being tackled head-on by the Department of Community Safety through the Bambanani Against Crime Campaign. Community participation in the fight against crime is crucial, and we are pleased to hear that since the start of the campaign in February this year, 52 000 community members have attended the Bambanani meetings. We hope the participation by residents increases. We need to blow the whistle on those who continue to terrorise our communities.
Coupled with the fight against crime, which our government is serious about, we are also determined to continue running a clean government, hence the effective campaign against corruption. Having said that, we should also ensure that our determination to fight corruption does not become a destructive crusade or a vehicle to carry out hidden agendas and motives. We should not be allowed to corrupt institutions of a democratic state or abuse them and the corresponding power and authority.
You would have been following the saga, which continues to dominate the media, flowing from an investigation against me by the National Prosecuting Authority that apparently began three years ago. I have said before and I repeat that three years is a long time for any investigating authority to fail to find wrongdoing or corruption if it really existed. The investigators found no evidence of wrongdoing relating to the arms deal simply because there was no wrongdoing. I have embarked on a process to clear my name and to correct the lies and distortions that have dominated the media in recent months. Whatever it takes, the lies and real motives behind the lies must be exposed. The truth must be told and shall be told.
Ladies and gentlemen, as we head for the 10th anniversary of our freedom we must all rejoice, as the first decade of freedom has been a huge success. Our democracy is solid and has passed all tests since 1994. The heated political or legal debates in the public arena should not be viewed as an indication of a nation or government that is under siege or facing any insurmountable crisis.
The government has continued to function properly and efficiently at all levels, despite the media frenzy about corruption or spying allegations. We will continue to serve the people of this country, and to put them first before everything else. That is our primary task.
Ladies and gentlemen, let us all re-affirm our belief in the dictum that "Every Child is My Child", as we prepare for National Children's Day and the Campaign of 16 Days of Activism against violence directed towards women and children, next month.
I trust that this province will be awash with activities from November to December, to promote the caring society that the MRM seeks to build.
I wish the Cape Town MRM structure all the best in the challenging road ahead.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
24 October 2003
Source: The Presidency
Title: Zuma: Launch of Cape Town Unicity Moral Regeneration Movement
ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE CAPE TOWN UNICITY MORAL REGENERATION MOVEMENT, Cape Town, 24 October 2003
The Executive Mayor of the Cape Town Unicity, Councillor Noma-India Mfeketo,
The National Coordinator of the Moral Regeneration Movement, Ms Zandile Mdhladhla,
Distinguished guests,
We are meeting this evening, to take one step further in our priority task of nation building.
The launch of the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) in Cape Town is a progressive development, which indicates that a lot of work is being done behind the scenes to build the MRM within communities.
When the movement was launched last year in Pretoria, it was made clear that for the renewal of the moral fibre of our nation to take place, the MRM must be deeply rooted in communities. We are pleased that Cape Town has responded to this call, hence the launch here today.
We are launching this structure just a few months before celebrating the 10th year anniversary of our freedom. You would be aware of the report issued by government, our own assessment of progress we have made since 1994.
While there are still clear challenges ahead, we nevertheless believe we have achieved far more than expected, given the legacy of apartheid we had inherited.
Almost ten years into democracy, statistics reveal that millions more South Africans have access now to basic amenities than ten years ago. Between 1996 and 2001, for instance, the number of South Africans with access to clean water increased by nine million. Electricity connections rose from 32% to 70%, while 2 million housing subsidies were approved since the advent of democracy in 1994 and now.
These statistics are important, programme director, because we realise that an extremely important aspect of ensuring success of the moral regeneration programme is to improve the quality of life and eradicate poverty.
As we launch the Cape Town Unicity Moral Regeneration Movement, we reaffirm our belief that humans are essentially moral beings and that South Africans have high moral values. The values espoused in our Constitution, which emphasises human rights - including the right to life, human dignity and equality - should encourage us to walk in the path of respecting one another and respecting what it is that holds our communities together.
When we launched the MRM in April last year, we made the call as we also do today, that we should commit ourselves to the promotion of a collective common South African identity based on the positive values espoused in our Constitution.
On this launch, we commit ourselves to promoting the common good that is based on our humanity and to the promotion of the values of compassion, integrity, freedom, peace, justice and respect for one another. We call on non-governmental organisations, institutions of higher learning, schools, churches, women and youth organisations to join the fight against social ills like crime, family disintegration, drug and alcohol abuse.
The building of strong families should be the cornerstone of the campaign, as families are the foundation of communities and nations. Regardless of the type of family - whether single or two parent families - we need to ensure that our children get the love and respect that is required to mould them into responsible adults.
Ladies and gentlemen, the building of caring communities goes hand in hand with fighting crime and building safer neighbourhoods.
Earlier this year I visited the Cape Flats community and was shaken by the violence meted out against defenceless children by gangsters. We are pleased that there are signs of success in the war against drugs and gangsterism in this city. Through Operation Tswikila the crackdown operation performed by the South African Police Service, in conjunction with various law enforcement agencies in the Western Cape, incidents of gang-related violent crime are being reduced.
This has had a positive effect in restoring confidence in our law enforcement agencies as well as increasing morale. In the three months between June and September alone, Operation Tswikila has for example managed to make 2 476 priority crime arrests, in the process confiscating 2 695 firearms, more than 2 million kilograms of dagga and about 700 000 mandrax tablets.
Also through the efforts of the provincial government, the problem of drugs and gangsterism is being tackled head-on by the Department of Community Safety through the Bambanani Against Crime Campaign. Community participation in the fight against crime is crucial, and we are pleased to hear that since the start of the campaign in February this year, 52 000 community members have attended the Bambanani meetings. We hope the participation by residents increases. We need to blow the whistle on those who continue to terrorise our communities.
Coupled with the fight against crime, which our government is serious about, we are also determined to continue running a clean government, hence the effective campaign against corruption. Having said that, we should also ensure that our determination to fight corruption does not become a destructive crusade or a vehicle to carry out hidden agendas and motives. We should not be allowed to corrupt institutions of a democratic state or abuse them and the corresponding power and authority.
You would have been following the saga, which continues to dominate the media, flowing from an investigation against me by the National Prosecuting Authority that apparently began three years ago. I have said before and I repeat that three years is a long time for any investigating authority to fail to find wrongdoing or corruption if it really existed. The investigators found no evidence of wrongdoing relating to the arms deal simply because there was no wrongdoing. I have embarked on a process to clear my name and to correct the lies and distortions that have dominated the media in recent months. Whatever it takes, the lies and real motives behind the lies must be exposed. The truth must be told and shall be told.
Ladies and gentlemen, as we head for the 10th anniversary of our freedom we must all rejoice, as the first decade of freedom has been a huge success. Our democracy is solid and has passed all tests since 1994. The heated political or legal debates in the public arena should not be viewed as an indication of a nation or government that is under siege or facing any insurmountable crisis.
The government has continued to function properly and efficiently at all levels, despite the media frenzy about corruption or spying allegations. We will continue to serve the people of this country, and to put them first before everything else. That is our primary task.
Ladies and gentlemen, let us all re-affirm our belief in the dictum that "Every Child is My Child", as we prepare for National Children's Day and the Campaign of 16 Days of Activism against violence directed towards women and children, next month.
I trust that this province will be awash with activities from November to December, to promote the caring society that the MRM seeks to build.
I wish the Cape Town MRM structure all the best in the challenging road ahead.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
24 October 2003
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