Issued by: Office of the Deputy President
Muslims throughout South Africa are about to begin the holy month of Ramadaan. These thirty days of fasting are, as we understand it, a period not only about abstention from food and drink, but also a time of deep spiritual rejuvenation and awakening.
It is a time of sacrifice and commitment. It is a time of rededication and upliftment. It is a time of rediscovering oneself and one's relationship with the Creator of the world. It is a time of reaching out to our fellow citizens. It is a time of kindness and generosity to the less fortunate.
Fellow South African Muslims, I strongly believe that the positive benefits that you derive from the holy month of Ramadaan help us all tremendously in our quest for nation building, peace and reconciliation in the next millennium. All the elements of Ubuntu, all the wonderful vision that we have of the African Renaissance, all the reconciliation that we seek through the necessary processes and exercises like the TRC, and affirmative action programmes, all the sacrifices, all the hurt and pain, are embodied in the spirit of Ramadaan.
We need this rejuvenation of our spirituality, the strengthening of the moral fibre of a nation to carry us through into the new millennium of peace, harmony and strength. To our Muslim brothers and sisters, in this time of contemplation and self-sacrifice, we wish you well. May your days be filled with peace.
Deputy President Jacob Zuma
8 December 1999