Issued by: Office of the Deputy President
On behalf of the government and the people of South Africa, I wish to extend our best wishes to the entire Hindu Community and to all those who share in these celebrations in our country, on the occasion of the last celebration of Deepavali before the dawn of the new millennium.
"From Darkness into Light" is indeed a road that all South Africans and Africans can relate to. It aptly describes the process that we have been engaged in since the earliest days of our struggle against slavery, colonialism and Apartheid.
As we stand on the eve of what the world describes as the new millennium, we in South Africa celebrate the symbolism and importance of coming into the light. For South Africans the first democratic elections was a moment of light shining on us after years of having to fight and push back the frontiers of Apartheid that all of us experienced.
In the same way that the lamps of the people brought light to the path of the returning exiles, we have experienced the flickering of light on the road of building and sustaining a democratic, people centred country and society.
Those of us who are at the cutting edge of government want to believe that we are guided in our daily tasks of improving te conditions of the poorest of the poor and building a better life for all, by this spirit of Deepavali.
Indeed, this remains true in our efforts to:
Yet government alone cannot achieve all these tasks. Only through partnerships with al the people of South Africa can we achieve these goals.
We have made strides!Yet more still needs to be done!
There are still pockets of darkness that have to be illuminated in our efforts to build a "Nation at Work for a Better Life for All".
The light showed that as a nation we have to rebuild the moral fibre of our society. The tide of the seemingly profit-alone-at-all-cost-and-by-all-means have to be stopped and turned.
This last celebration of Deepavali this century should also mark our commitment to Africa and belief that the future will indeed be the centuries and millennia of, and for, Africa. We have to do all we can to ensure that we become the afro-optimists. That the world recognises Africa not only as the cradle of human kind but indeed the bearer of the future of humanity.
Let the festival of light guide our actions. Channel your strengths and energies into partnership with the government and other sectors of our society to make our dreams as South Africans come true!
Jacob Zuma
For more information contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990 4853
Issued by the Office of the Presidency
Office of Deputy President Jacob Zuma
P/Bag X1000
Pretoria
0001
29 October 1999.