Date: 21/11/2004
Title: Zuma: Launch of Kenneth Kaunda Work Project
ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE KENNETH KAUNDA WORK PROJECT, The Wanderers Club, Johannesburg
Director of the Programme,
The First President of the Republic of Zambia, Dr Kenneth Kaunda,
The Minister of Housing, Dr Lindiwe Sisulu,
Captains of Commerce and Industry,
Distinguished Guests,
I am pleased to have this opportunity to interact with you today, as we open the Kenneth Kaunda Work Project, which in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity South Africa, will see a number of families move into newly constructed homes.
It is especially a momentous event to spend this special day with one of the great leaders of the African continent, and founding President of the Republic of Zambia, Dr Kenneth Kaunda.
As South Africans, we will always be grateful to President Kaunda for the immeasurable support he provided to our struggle for liberation. Zambia was our home, and as such, South Africa is your home.
Given his dedication to working for upliftment of the peoples of the African continent, it is not surprising that Dr Kaunda is involved in this project.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is particularly a welcome development that we are meeting to discuss progress, especially given the challenges we face as nations of the world - the quest for sustainable development, world peace and stability, the transformation of the global economic and political order and the eradication of hunger and poverty.
As governments, we have a responsibility to improve the lives of the poor, and to work for a peaceful, just and equitable world order. We are aware that to execute this responsibility more efficiently and faster, we need to continue seeking, and harnessing partnerships with the private sector and non-governmental organisations, as well as international and continental development institutions such as Habitat for Humanity and the Kenneth Kaunda Work Project.
Housing is one of the greatest challenges facing our country and indeed the African continent as a whole. The image of families living in shacks in informal settlements is one that drives us to tirelessly work to ensure proper and habitable housing for all our people.
In our regular discussions with ordinary South Africans, we learn about the extent of the grip structural poverty has on them, of which housing is only one component. More importantly, we get to interact, share ideas and learn from them as we continue to assess the impact of the legislation we pass to build on the foundations we have laid for a better life for all.
The housing challenge in this country is immense, and is an undeniable legacy of the previous system of apartheid.
We are making every effort to meet the goals we have set for ourselves, in line with Millennium Development Goals, to eradicate informal settlements through the provision of decent housing within the broader, comprehensive National Housing Strategy.
We have produced a detailed programme of action with regards to housing and shelter.
As stated in the State of the Nation Address in June, we are still committed to achieving the following goals relating to housing and sanitation:
* In the next three years we will spend R14, 2 billion to help our people to have access to basic shelter
* We will ensure that within the next five years, all households would have easy access to clean running water;
* During the current year more than 300 000 households will be provided with basic sanitation;
* Through our integrated system of government, with a strengthened local government working with our state enterprise, ESKOM, we will, within the next eight years, ensure that each household has access to electricity;
Ladies and gentlemen, we are also pleased to have beaten our own deadline with regards to water. We had said that by December this year, through our programmes, we have provided clean and potable water to the 10 millionth South African since 1994.
Last Sunday, 14 November, the 10 millionth family received water in their home, Mr and Mrs Coetzee of Soverby in the Northern Cape.
We are a government in action. We are therefore always excited to receive partners who assist us in achieving these goals.
Habitat for Humanity South Africa has already scored successes, evidenced by the provision of more than 1 300 homes to historically disadvantaged families. This is a very welcome contribution indeed.
In conclusion, let me again thank Dr Kaunda for choosing South Africa, as the beneficiary of the Project's second year of existence. We hope the initiative will prove to be a shining light to the rest of the continent as we grapple with giving life to the ideas and programmes of the New Partnership for Africa's Development.
After all, it is true that the development of Africa will remain incomplete as long as there remain a single community without the most basic needs of shelter, food, education, health and employment, whether in the Sudan or Somalia, Namibia or Nigeria, or Malawi or Morocco.
Ladies and Gentlemen let me reiterate our deep and sincere appreciation as Africans that Dr Kaunda chose to use his retirement to continue the struggle for the improvement of the lives of the poor and marginalised in the African continent.
This displays Dr Kaunda's ongoing commitment to serve the people of the continent. His actions and commitment serves as a reminder to all the elder statesmen in our continent that we still require their wisdom and experience even when they have left the presidential office.
There are many challenges that still face the African continent, which require the participation of former heads of states beyond office, to assist in addressing. We are therefore fortunate to have statesmen such as Dr Kaunda, Madiba, Former President Masire of Botswana and others who are continuing to work to serve the poor.
Such social responsibility also applies to other retired eminent persons in our society who can contribute in many programmes particularly the fight against poverty and the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the poor.
We are also pleased that Habitat for Humanity South Africa has placed our challenges and concerns on the agenda of its global counterpart, Habitat for Humanity International. We will indeed be honoured to receive the additional homes that you will build in the Homes and Hope campaign in 2006 as part of the 30th anniversary of the umbrella body.
We also pay tribute to the interventions and contributions made by the multitude of corporate and business entities, without which our efforts would certainly have been hampered.
Your continued dedication to this country, its robust economy and its people is a vital cog in the hard work we put into marketing South Africa internationally, as a country alive with possibilities.
Once again, it should be clear to everyone that South Africa and Africa are hard at work, busy with the things that matter most to the majority of our peoples.
Let us all join such partnerships and keep the promise of hope alive.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
21 November 2004
Source: SAPA
Title: Zuma: Launch of Kenneth Kaunda Work Project
ADDRESS BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT JACOB ZUMA ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE KENNETH KAUNDA WORK PROJECT, The Wanderers Club, Johannesburg
Director of the Programme,
The First President of the Republic of Zambia, Dr Kenneth Kaunda,
The Minister of Housing, Dr Lindiwe Sisulu,
Captains of Commerce and Industry,
Distinguished Guests,
I am pleased to have this opportunity to interact with you today, as we open the Kenneth Kaunda Work Project, which in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity South Africa, will see a number of families move into newly constructed homes.
It is especially a momentous event to spend this special day with one of the great leaders of the African continent, and founding President of the Republic of Zambia, Dr Kenneth Kaunda.
As South Africans, we will always be grateful to President Kaunda for the immeasurable support he provided to our struggle for liberation. Zambia was our home, and as such, South Africa is your home.
Given his dedication to working for upliftment of the peoples of the African continent, it is not surprising that Dr Kaunda is involved in this project.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is particularly a welcome development that we are meeting to discuss progress, especially given the challenges we face as nations of the world - the quest for sustainable development, world peace and stability, the transformation of the global economic and political order and the eradication of hunger and poverty.
As governments, we have a responsibility to improve the lives of the poor, and to work for a peaceful, just and equitable world order. We are aware that to execute this responsibility more efficiently and faster, we need to continue seeking, and harnessing partnerships with the private sector and non-governmental organisations, as well as international and continental development institutions such as Habitat for Humanity and the Kenneth Kaunda Work Project.
Housing is one of the greatest challenges facing our country and indeed the African continent as a whole. The image of families living in shacks in informal settlements is one that drives us to tirelessly work to ensure proper and habitable housing for all our people.
In our regular discussions with ordinary South Africans, we learn about the extent of the grip structural poverty has on them, of which housing is only one component. More importantly, we get to interact, share ideas and learn from them as we continue to assess the impact of the legislation we pass to build on the foundations we have laid for a better life for all.
The housing challenge in this country is immense, and is an undeniable legacy of the previous system of apartheid.
We are making every effort to meet the goals we have set for ourselves, in line with Millennium Development Goals, to eradicate informal settlements through the provision of decent housing within the broader, comprehensive National Housing Strategy.
We have produced a detailed programme of action with regards to housing and shelter.
As stated in the State of the Nation Address in June, we are still committed to achieving the following goals relating to housing and sanitation:
* In the next three years we will spend R14, 2 billion to help our people to have access to basic shelter
* We will ensure that within the next five years, all households would have easy access to clean running water;
* During the current year more than 300 000 households will be provided with basic sanitation;
* Through our integrated system of government, with a strengthened local government working with our state enterprise, ESKOM, we will, within the next eight years, ensure that each household has access to electricity;
Ladies and gentlemen, we are also pleased to have beaten our own deadline with regards to water. We had said that by December this year, through our programmes, we have provided clean and potable water to the 10 millionth South African since 1994.
Last Sunday, 14 November, the 10 millionth family received water in their home, Mr and Mrs Coetzee of Soverby in the Northern Cape.
We are a government in action. We are therefore always excited to receive partners who assist us in achieving these goals.
Habitat for Humanity South Africa has already scored successes, evidenced by the provision of more than 1 300 homes to historically disadvantaged families. This is a very welcome contribution indeed.
In conclusion, let me again thank Dr Kaunda for choosing South Africa, as the beneficiary of the Project's second year of existence. We hope the initiative will prove to be a shining light to the rest of the continent as we grapple with giving life to the ideas and programmes of the New Partnership for Africa's Development.
After all, it is true that the development of Africa will remain incomplete as long as there remain a single community without the most basic needs of shelter, food, education, health and employment, whether in the Sudan or Somalia, Namibia or Nigeria, or Malawi or Morocco.
Ladies and Gentlemen let me reiterate our deep and sincere appreciation as Africans that Dr Kaunda chose to use his retirement to continue the struggle for the improvement of the lives of the poor and marginalised in the African continent.
This displays Dr Kaunda's ongoing commitment to serve the people of the continent. His actions and commitment serves as a reminder to all the elder statesmen in our continent that we still require their wisdom and experience even when they have left the presidential office.
There are many challenges that still face the African continent, which require the participation of former heads of states beyond office, to assist in addressing. We are therefore fortunate to have statesmen such as Dr Kaunda, Madiba, Former President Masire of Botswana and others who are continuing to work to serve the poor.
Such social responsibility also applies to other retired eminent persons in our society who can contribute in many programmes particularly the fight against poverty and the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the poor.
We are also pleased that Habitat for Humanity South Africa has placed our challenges and concerns on the agenda of its global counterpart, Habitat for Humanity International. We will indeed be honoured to receive the additional homes that you will build in the Homes and Hope campaign in 2006 as part of the 30th anniversary of the umbrella body.
We also pay tribute to the interventions and contributions made by the multitude of corporate and business entities, without which our efforts would certainly have been hampered.
Your continued dedication to this country, its robust economy and its people is a vital cog in the hard work we put into marketing South Africa internationally, as a country alive with possibilities.
Once again, it should be clear to everyone that South Africa and Africa are hard at work, busy with the things that matter most to the majority of our peoples.
Let us all join such partnerships and keep the promise of hope alive.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
21 November 2004
Source: SAPA
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