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Fellow Pretorians,
Comrades and
Colleagues.

We are here tonight for the final meeting of the ANC's Gauteng campaign ... on the brink of another momentous victory in our struggle for democracy, prosperity and justice for all.

The people of this great nation have democratised our national government ... we have created new, democratic Provincial Governments ... and on the 1st of November we will vote to democratise our cities and towns.

It is only with democratic, accountable and transparent local government that we can progress our struggle and reconstruct and build our nation from Pietersburg to Pretoria, from Cross-roads to Kakamas.

It is the African National Congress which led our struggle for liberation and it is the African National Congress which will take forward the struggle for a better life where we live.

Together with our allies, the ANC is the only political organisation in the country who have a plan for meeting the basic needs of all our people ... we are the only political organisation who have a history of consulting with the people, remaining accountable to the people.

When the National Party ran South Africa the only people they consulted with was the security forces and a few big businesses. When the Democratic Party ran Johannesburg for four years the only people they talked to were a few of their friends in the elite suburbs and a few big businesses.

Throughout the proud history of our movement we have been an organisation of the people all the people ... From our founding in 1910 to the Congress of the People in 1952 to the inauguration of South Africa's first democratic President, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela in 1994, we have been driven by the needs and demands of our people.

The National Party brought nothing but shame, humiliation, suffering and stagnation to this great land. The Democratic Party brought nothing to the city of Johannesburg. They abandoned the city centre, they ruled over the most rapid rise in violent crime in the city's history and they did nothing for the working people of Egoli. [Perhaps they were too busy making money, giving advice to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, as their Provincial leader still does].

In over 300 years of racist rule by the powers and parties of the past the majority of South Africa's citizens were the forgotten nation ... of use only to mine the wealth, tend the gardens and raise the children of our illegitimate rulers.

17 short months ago the African National Congress became the first, legitimate. democratic government of this country. We have, in that short time, and after almost fifty years of National Party apartheid, begun to build a nation that reflects the aspirations of all its people, regardless of colour, regardless of religion, regardless of history.

We have created open and accountable government where we consult with all interest groups before making informed and wise decisions; we have thrown open the doors of Parliament and the Provincial Legislatures; we are insisting that all our representatives lay open to public scrutiny every aspect of their financial and business lives [and are forcing the other parties to do the same ... although they continue to resist transparency]. Our local government candidates have publicly committed themselves to the same in all our cities and in all our towns..

OUR RECORD - AND THE HISTORY OF THE OTHER PARTIES - SHOW THAT THE ANC IS THE ONLY PARTY THAT WILL GUARANTEE YOU, THE RESIDENT, A SAY IN ALL MAJOR DECISIONS.

Other parties suggest that the ANC consults and consults. We are the party of action. In Gauteng, in these 17 short months, we have
* electrified up to 1000 houses per day [including in the informal settlements in and around Mamelodi and Atteridgeville];

* ended political violence throughout the Province;

* created community policing forums to ensure that the police services become accountable to the people they serve
* tightened up bail legislation to make it more difficult for violent criminals to post bail;

* provided free education for all in Grade 1;

* started integrating all schools and changing the apartheid syllabus;

* fed up to 60 000 children every school day;

* immunised 600 000 children;

* provided free health care to babies and their mothers;

* transferred 64 000 houses to the people who have lived in them for years;

* established a R15 000 per person housing subsidy to ensure that all our eventually have their own homes;

* released 16 sites for housing development; and

* through the Provincial Housing Board approved low cost housing for west Atteridgeville, Klip en Kruisfontein, Lotus Garden and many other areas.

AND NOW WE ARE CREATING DEMOCRATIC LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN WHERE WE LIVE!

And the parties of the past have the shame to say that we have not delivered! We have delivered more in 17 months than the National Party did in 46 years and the Democratic Party did in 4 years.

What will these parties do in local government? Govern like they did for 46 years? Do nothing about crime and abandon the cities like the Democratic Party did in Johannesburg? What we do know is that they will do nothing for the majority of South Africans. They have no plan for preventative health care ... they have no plan for crime.

While the Democratic Party was whinging and proposing pithy little solutions that showed they have no real sense of governance, MEC Jessie Duarte was negotiating with the motor manufacturers for additional vehicles, with Vodacom for additional phones for police and communities. Government is about delivery, not whinging and whining.

OUR RECORD - AND OUR COUNTRY'S PAST - SHOW THAT THE ANC IS THE ONLY PARTY THAT DELIVERS FOR ALL OUR PEOPLE.

And why have the other parties not mentioned the economy? Is it because it is not a local issue ... Iocal economic development is critical and is as much a local issue as crime! It is because they have nothing to say to the 1 million residents of Gauteng who are without work ... they have nothing to say to the 5 million South Africans who are without work.

And while all the other parties are silent on the economy the African National Congress can proudly stand up and say that the economy of Gauteng is growing at 4% [more than at any time in the past fifteen years], inflation is at its lowest level in 23 years and R 18.3 billion rand has come into South Africa since the election ... after decades of money leaving the country.

More small businesses are succeeding than ever before, racist implementation of the Liquor Act and the Businesses Act is something of the past and, as importantly, there are 40% more black South Africans [African, Indian and Coloured] in senior positions in the public and private sectors than at any time in the past.

Not only our allies in Cosatu, but even the richest businessmen [such as Julian Ogilvie Thompson of Anglo American] agree publicly that the economy of South Africa has never been better run.

That is why the National Party, the IFP and the Democratic Party say nothing about the economy.

OUR RECORD - AND THE VOICES OF LABOUR AND BUSINESS MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE ANC IS THE ONLY PARTY THAT CAN RUN THE ECONOMY SUCCESSFULLY.

This economic growth is going to result in training, jobs and small business opportunities for our people. Because it is only when all have a place in the economy that everybody's basic needs will be met ... and it is only the ANC that can ensure that the economy grows faster and faster and thereby ensures jobs for all.

It is only when our people - all our people - have work, shelter, food and jobs that crime will end once and for all. It is only when poverty and inequality are forgotten in the past that our streets will be safe for all time. That is why we, in the ANC, say we must be tough on crime [and criminals] but we must also be tough on the causes of crime ... on poverty, on inequality, on joblessness ... [the suffering that Mr. De Klerk and Mr Leon never mention ... because they do not understand the misery and the suffering that the parties of the past created].

IT IS ONLY THE ANC WHO ARE TOUGH ON CRIME AND TOUGH ON THE CAUSES OF CRIME. IT IS ONLY THE ANC WHO CAN BRING A PERMANENT END TO CRIME.

The key piece of the puzzle that is still missing from the structures that will ensure we build on the foundations that we have laid in the past 17 months ... that will ensure every South African a life of economic opportunity, justice safety, health and education ... the missing piece is democratic, accountable local government ...

AND THE ONLY PARTY THAT HAS GOVERNED WITH ACCOUNTABILITY, WITH TRANSPARENCY, WITH CONSULTATION IS THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

You have brought democracy to the nation ... on the 1st of November you must bring democracy to your locality. You have just two days of tireless work to ensure victory because ...

It is only by every progressive South African - especially every progressive, democratic South African in and around Pretoria - voting once ANC, voting twice ANC, voting three times ANC ... that we will bring democracy, prosperity, justice and safety to all in Pretoria ... to all in Gauteng ... to all in South Africa ...

VIVA ANC VIVA!

VIVA THE NEW SA VIVA!
LET US MARCH FORWARD TOGETHER TO A DEMOCRATIC PRETORIA!
LET US CONTINUE OUR MARCH TO VICTORY!

<EOD>