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24 May 2012

The best way to celebrate Africa Day is for us, leaders of African governments to work more than we have ever done before to emancipate scores of our people from poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment. Although we are seeing progress in many of our countries in terms of political freedom, there remains a huge challenge of changing that political freedom into meaningful social and economic benefits.

This calls for men and women of integrity who have been given the honour to lead the people to move with speed and implement programmes that will change the lives of our people for the better.

This is not going to be an easy task, but we should be buoyed by the fact that as Africans we fought relentlessly and in the end succeeded in the fight against colonialism. We should then use the same vigour that we used then, to drive the project of Africa that is free of poverty, unemployment, disease and underdevelopment.

Nobody is going to give that Africa to us on a silver plate, it is only us, Africans, who should work together to read our beautiful content of the ills that our people still face. With commitment, selflessness and putting the interests of our people first, we can achieve a better Africa.

Happy Africa Day to all Africans and visitors to our beloved continent.

Contact:
Tobile Gowa
Media Liaison Officer for the Premier
Cell: 082 440 6995

Issued by: Eastern Cape Office of the Premier
24 May 2012

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