16 January 2002
Director of Ceremonies, Ms. Bintu Petsana
South African Minister of Public Enterprises, Comrade Jeff Radebe;
Mozambican Minister of Transport & Communications, Honourable Thomas Salomao;
Your Excellency The Governor of Maputo, Governor Fernando Namitete;
Your Excellency The Swedish Ambassador In Mozambique, Mr. Erik Aberg;
Your Excellency Uk High Commissioner In Mozambique, Mr. Bob Duar;
Your Excellency The Sa High Commissioner In Mozambique, Comrade Jessie Duarte;
Chairman of Transnet, Dr. Bongani Khumalo;
Chairman of Cfm, Eng. Rui Fonseca;
Group Chief Executive Officer of Transnet, Mr. Mafika Mkhwanazi;
Executive Director Of Transnet, Mr. Sango Ntsaluba;
The CEO of Spoornet, Mr. Zandile Jakavula;
Distinguished Delegation From The Railway & Port Authority From Maputo;
Members of The Media;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
I am conscious of the practice of beginning a speech particularly at a dinner such as this one by saying what a pleasure, honour and privilege it is to deliver the speech, so much that one seeks at all costs to say something different.
I would like to try this one out on you:
carrissimos
Sinto-me particularmente honrado por estar aqui presente esta noite vindo da parte mais sul do continente africano. Para alem disso, o meu pais esta a meio de verao, um periodo de sol brilhante e cheio de vida.
To all south africans here present, i meant that “i am particularly gratified to be flown here tonight from the most southern part of africa. On top of it, my country is at the middle of its summer period with lovely sunshine and outdoor living”.
As you can see this also requires a fair degree of adaptation. I believe that i should therefore be honest and say that, yes, thank your for the invitation.
My appreciation goes to the organisers of this wonderful event. I have been reliably informed that minister jeff radebe and i missed out on a beautiful experience, which our south africa delegation enjoyed when they travelled to maputo on the blue train. Comrade jeff, i think we have been badly advised to take the charter flight.
Your excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, we have long cherished the dream that one-time allies in the struggle for liberation would become partners in development. Pretoria and maputo have during the past five years taken great strides in preparing to make that dream a reality. With the signing of this agreement today we see yet another step forward in the right direction.
I would like to take this opportunity to commend my colleague in cabinet, minister jeff radebe and our host the mozambican minister of transport & communications, honourable thomas salomao and all those involved for the speed and thoroughness with which this work has been concluded. Congratulations! You have laid a sound foundation.
The signing of the memorandum of understanding between the south african consortium and portos e caminhos de ferro de mozambique has strategic significance in more ways than one. It is a practical implementation of the commitment of our governments to regional co-operation within southern africa. Already, the mutual benefits of such co-operation for both mozambique and south africa stand out for all to see.
The maputo development corridor (mdc) is one initiative, which i would like to speak about for a moment. As you know, there are seven spatial development initiatives (sdi’s) in the region, each with its own catchment of economic potential and linked to a port for the purposes of export/import.
By the way, i’m aware of the media presence here tonight. Let me emphasize that when i refer to the mdc i’m not talking about the movement for democratic change, which is a political party elsewhere on our sub-continent but the maputo development corridor, just for the record).
The maputo development corridor is an important initiative for growth and development in the region. It promotes unity, it enhances the global competitiveness of industries and it lays the basis for sustainable growth in the region. The initiative is also aimed at increasing private sector investment, enhanced productivity, job creation and socio-economic development.
In addition, the mdc seeks to establish partnerships, which are essential for implementation of the corridor strategy.
There are a various types of partnerships at different levels which have been identified, and to which both governments are committed. Government-to-government partnerships provide the enabling environment in, which investors can feel confident to invest.
The economic base of the corridor area provides a strategic opportunity for the governments of mozambique and south africa to forge partnerships with the private sector in the development of infrastructure.
This approach to infrastructure is repeated in all the key infrastructure projects. The prospects for beneficiation are numerous. This encourages international partnerships between industries involved in primary activities, and industries involved in secondary and tertiary activities.
The other strategic goal for the mdc is to ensure that the socio-economic reconstruction of the two countries are tied to the benefits arising from growth. The establishment of a sustainable growth path creates a basis upon which historically disadvantaged people can increasingly access economic opportunities and basic services. Small and medium enterprise development at local levels, employment linked tax incentives and improved revenue from growth multipliers for social services, are all directly part of what the two governments are committed to promote.
The mdc concept illustrates, that the development of an existing economic base, which is linked to a spatial investment strategy, generates linkages and partnerships, which are otherwise difficult to forge. The mdc has taken advantage of its existing economic potential and its proximity to the port of maputo. This helps to increase the global competitiveness of export products.
Your excellencies, the signing of the mou today is an indication that the two governments are playing a proactive role in facilitating investment by the private sector. The two governments are currently proactively engaging the private sector and potential investors in the development of the vision and concept for the mdc including projects such as the one we are celebrating tonight.
In conclusion, former president nelson mandela once said that, “if in the past, our peoples shed blood in pursuit of a political idea; if hatred and destruction characterised inter-state relations; then today we can all together put our shoulders to the wheel in search of prosperity. Our governments have blazed the trail of this new partnership. The challenge for investors is to match the boldness of this unique undertaking with their own practical decisions”.
We must strive to create a better life for all our people – the people of mozambique, the people of south africa, southern africa and ultimately africa. May this partnership flourish to achieve that noble objective.
Muito Obrigado.