South African Embassy, Beijing, 3 June 2000
Minister Lekota,
Ambassador Chris Dlamini,
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is truly a great privilege and pleasure to be standing here in Beijing, capital city of the People's Republic of China as a guest of the Chinese Government and people. Our two countries have traveled troubled roads in our long histories, but we have prevailed and have laid the foundations in both countries to build a better life for all our people. The solidarity that has been built between our two peoples is truly significant as we enter the new century.
I have managed to travel all-too-briefly through some of the most awe- inspiring and humbling historical and cultural sites, including the Bandaling section of the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, and the many important areas of Beijing itself. Side by side with these great monuments to Chinese endeavour I have been impressed by the modern developments that include Pudong Development Zone in Shangai, Beijing West Railway Station and other infrastructure projects. This rubbing of shoulders between a long history and contemporary success and progress impresses me as a citizen of the African continent. In Africa the pyramids of Egypt and the buildings of Great Zimbabwe tell tales of impressive civilisations and empires. The footsteps and cries of the traders of the Swahili coast still echo in the marvelous architecture and crafts of East Africa. The Indian Ocean carried ships and fleets laden with the finest porcelains and cloth to Africa in exchange for gold and ivory long before the European colonists stretched their tentacles around the globe.
Africa, however, was soon thrown into the turmoil of slavery and the slave trade, colonisation and the mass-scale exploitation of our natural and human resources by rapacious powers. For the people of Africa, it was truly a dark period. Nonetheless, resilience and resistance developed into a continent- wide struggle to throw of the yoke of oppression. The independence drive to freedom began with Ghana, and soon swept through West and North Africa. French, British, Portuguese, Belgian, Italian and German colonists turned tail and headed home. It was only the settler colonies of southern Africa that required more determined struggles, ending in wars of liberation that achieved freedom through the combination of political and military force. We learnt much during those years from our comrades in the East: anti-colonial freedom fighters from Chairman Mao and the Chinese revolutionaries to Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese fighters.
Throughout this period of the twentieth century, African leaders and writers like Nkrumah, Kenyatta, Azikiwe, Seretse Khama, Neto, Eduardo Mondlane, Ben Bella and many others worked stridently for Africa's freedom, unity and prosperity. Again, Africa and Asia met in great conventions such as the Bandung Conference in 1955 where ANC leaders met their comrades from other parts of Africa and the world liberation forces. We all agreed that Africa's freedom depended on the application of Pan-Africanism in its broadest and progressive sense to our particular struggles. We knew also that Africa itself would not be free until the southern-most tip of the continent was free. That is why, since April 27 1994 when we achieved political freedom our Presidents, both Nelson Mandela and more particularly Thabo Mbeki have now urged our continent to speak and act again in the spirit of an African Renaissance.
South Africa has joined the free countries of Africa and the world only recently. In the long decades our continent has struggled against the economic consequences of colonisation and neo-colonialism. During that time, we have been assisted by the international socialist movement and socialist countries like the then USSR and the People's Republic of China and through membership of the OAU and the Non-Aligned Movement. Many of our African brothers and sisters made deep and lasting sacrifices to support our South African and Namibian struggles. In many instances, scarce resources that could have been used for their own development were used in support of the liberation struggles of the continent. Now that the whole of the African continent is free again, we can and must turn all our energies towards development and the economic emancipation of our people as a whole.
Today as we look across the continent we see regional political, economic and security structures that seek to bring greater cooperation and commitment from countries. The forums of the OAU are as busy as ever. Countries have entered bi- and multilateral agreements between each other. We have expanded our political, economic and military contacts to every corner of the globe. But still many parts of our continent languish in poverty and feel the vicious whiplashes of civil war, famine, drought and floods. What is needed is practical, long-lasting action against corruption, criminality, and rampant disrespect of some notorious elements of the new imperialism in this period of globalisation. At the same time, we must strengthen the ties we have with countries like the PRC that have proved their credentials as allies of the developing world. We also need to strengthen the ties between ourselves in cities where representatives of our countries gather.
Practical economic actions include considering the negotiation of debt relief for the poorest countries and infrastructure development between African countries, as well as supporting special measures for better access of African products into the developed world. We need to build and maintain strong alliances on all development issues that will benefit Africa in particular and the developing world in general in all the capitals of the world such as Brussels, London, Washington, Paris and Geneva. When we meet in cities like Beijing we must remember we are among friends in this important struggle for a deeper equality in a just world.
The African Renaissance is not owned by any individual country. It is not the brainchild of a single leader. It is the awakening of a whole number of Africa's leaders and their people to the opportunity that awaits. It is the gathering together of the forces that fought for political freedom in the new war against poverty and injustice. It is the combined energy of our workers and peasants, our women and youth, our intellectuals and the unschooled, of politicians and citizens, the business community and our international allies that will secure the African Century. There can be no Chinese Walls between political and economic freedom and justice. But there will be a celebration of our history next to our modern development, and our children's children shall laugh and play in the brightness of full prosperity.
I thank you.