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Die jaar 1996 sal in die geskiedenis opgeteken word as 'n besondere jaar in die veelbewoe geskiedenis van die Nasionale Party. Dit is die jaar waarin:

Die Nasionale Party op 2 Februarie 1996 hom verbind het tot 'n nuwe visie vir die toekoms - sy visie wat se: "Die Nasionale Party gaan 'n leidende rol speel in die herskikking van die Suid-Afrikaanse politiek deur 'n meerderheid van alle Suid-Afrikaners bymekaar te bring in 'n dinamiese politieke beweging gegrond op beproefde kernwaardes van Christelike norme en standaarde."

Die Nasionale Party besluit het om uit die Regering van Nasionale Eenheid te tree, omdat die ANC geweier het om enige vorm van magsdeling op regeringsvlak te aanvaar. Die Nasionale Party, as die onbestwiste amptelike opposisie, sy aanslag - om weer die grootste Party in Suid-Afrika te word - begin.

The opponents of the National Party like to portray us as a Party of the past. They are in for the surprise of their life. The National Party is ready for the future and raring to go. For me, as your leader, it has been an exhilarating experience to lead the whole process of the repositioning of the National Party. We are proud of what we have achieved in the past 7 years.

We had the guts and the courage, to change the face of South Africa, to admit the failure of previous policies; and to initiate fundamental change. We kept every promise we made on 2 February 1990.

We levelled the political playing field, by releasing and unbanning those who sought to overthrow the Government through violent means. We, the National Party, removed discrimination from all our Statute Books. We, and nobody else, brought an end to "apartheid". We negotiated a transitional Constitution which led to a fully democratic election on 1994. We dutifully and competently served in the GNU for more than two years, ensuring a peaceful transition.

We negotiated a reasonably acceptable Final Constitution, which offers reasonable protection against the misuse of power. But more importantly, for the purposes of this congress, we changed ourselves from within. The National Party fundamentally renewed itself. It became a truly non-racial Party, offering a political home to all who share it's values, irrespective of race or colour - a Party based on universally acceptable values and principles. The old National Party wanted to divide. The new National Party wants to unite, to bring people together.

The 1st of July 1996 marked a new beginning for the National Party and all its supporters. As from tonight, here at the very beginning of this new era in the history of our Party, this Federal Congress will discuss the road ahead. And central to our deliberation stands the deep and unremitting conviction.

The National Party has a clear vision. We know where we want to go. We have clarity on what we stand for. We know what we want to achieve. And we are inspired by the mission on which we have embarked. When the National Party says that we are an "Opposition with a Mission", what do we mean by that?

It means, firstly, that we accept our new role as opposition with enthusiasm. Democratic opposition within the system has been declining over many years. To tell you the truth - the last dynamic and vibrant opposition party that South Africa had, was the National Party in the pre-1948 years. That is why it won in 1948. The National Party of 1996 - although a totally changed Party - intends to repeat this performance.

That South Africa now needs a fearless and vibrant opposition, need not be argued. It pains me to say it, but it must be said.

Our country is slipping. Things are beginning to go wrong. The danger lights are flashing. The ANC, notwithstanding some admirable efforts from President Mandela, is beginning to loose its grip. The relatively moderate Premier Lekhota's head is on the block. The hot-headed Peter Mokaba is lifted out of the ranks as a rising star. While President Mandela reassures, Sam Shilowa, Cosatu and the SACP are bulging their muscles. The RDP is tragically being pushed to the backburner.

Non-delivery and frustrated expectations are the orders of the day. Job creation does not materialise. Corruption is growing and the ANC is ineffective in stopping it. Instead it's evasive response is to investigate corruption before 1994! Crime marches on, and instead of getting his own Justice house in order, Minister Dullah Omar wages war against the police.

Experienced managers and experts are being pushed out of the Civil Service and commentators are predicting a breakdown in effective management of the country. Education is heading for a crisis. Health is already in a crisis.

And so I could continue. Fact is, our country is slipping. Small wonder that confidence is also declining. This is proven beyond doubt by the lack of sufficient new investment, the rising number of South Africans leaving our shores and the fragility of the Rand. How tragic it is to hear that it has once again struck an all time low - to more than R7 to the Pound.

Dit is binne hierdie raamwerk dat die Nasionale Party die ANC tot by oom Daantjie in die kallerhok gaan opdons. Dit is ons plig om namens die bree publiek die meerderheidsparty tromp-op te loop as hy droogmaak en ons gaan dit sonder genade doen.

Dit is egter nie waar 'n opposisie party se verantwoordelikhede eindig nie. As die Nasionale Party maar net daarop sou konsentreer, sou hy die land in die steek laat. Ons gaan nie maar net negatief krities wees nie. Ons gaan, as opposisie ook konstruktief saamwerk met alles waarmee ons saamstem. En nog belangriker - ons sal voorstelle en planne ontwikkel oor hoe, dit wat verkeerd is, reggemaak kan word.

Dit dan is die tweede been van 'n opposisie met 'n missie te wees - om 'n opposisie te wees wat positief planne en strategie op die tafel te plaas wat Suid-Afrika 'n wenland kan maak. Ons doen dit reeds. So het ons 'n anti-misdaadplan opgestel wat 'n belangrike invloed uitgeoefen het op die Regering van Nasionale Eenheid se lank vertraagde plan. As die ANC dit maar net effektief wou toepas, dan sou ons kon begin om die stryd teen misdaad te wen.

Insgelyks het die Nasionale Party se beleid en ekonomiese ontwikkelingsplanne die basis gevorm vir die onlangs aangekondigde Ekonomiese Ontwikkelingsraamwerk. Dit is oraloor positief ontvang - behalwe natuurlik deur Cosatu and die SAKP wat dit as 'n ramp beskryf het. Weer eens, as die ANC die Nasionale Party-geinspireerde ekonomiese raamwerk deurvoer, sal daar groei wees!

Tonight I want to announce a new policy initiative by the National Party, this time in the socio-economic field. Everybody agrees that one of South Africa's biggest challenges lies in the problem of widespread poverty. Millions of South Africans live far beneath the breadline and are suffering untold hardship. With this all parties agree. However, not enough is being done at the moment to curb the problem of poverty. And more often than not, that which is done is either not done properly or even misdirected.

The National Party throughout supported the RDP. However, we are deeply concerned about the way in which the RDP has been and is being managed. Vast amounts allocated were not spent. Many millions of Rand went into a whole new administrative set-up, just to be discarded the next day. The result? Many millions down the gravy drain!

Irregularities occurred and there is something ominous in Deputy Minister Marcus' prediction of expected discrepancies, even before an audit is completed. Fact is that the RDP is floundering. The ANC lured millions of voters into voting for them on the basis of the RDP. And now that they are in power, they are failing to manage it as a comprehensive and cohesive anti-poverty action plan.

This is simply not good enough. The National Party has consequently decided to launch a new initiative to address the issue. While we will continue to support that which remains of the RDP, including all steps aimed at alleviating the plight of the poor, we will immediately start working on an alternative, comprehensive, meaningful and workable anti-poverty strategy. The process of developing this strategy will include the following.

A basic framework for such a strategy will be compiled in conjunction with experts in various disciplines. There will also be an extended process of consultation at grassroots level within the party. Simultaneously, there will be intensive consultations within other forums and with community based organisations and NGO's. At the end of this process, the National Party will convene a National Anti-poverty Conference, with a view to broaden agreement on the substance of such a comprehensive strategy and to plan the way forward. The envisaged time frame is to convene this National Conference in approximately 9 months. The National Party is going to do something really worthwhile in the fight against poverty and deprivation.

Ook ten opsigte van ander sleutelvraagstukke sal die Nasionale Party alternatiewe beleidsraamwerk op die tafel plaas. Deurentyd sal dit gegrond wees op ons kernwaardes en gerig wees op werkbare aksieplanne wat 'n beter lewe vir almal kan verseker. So sal die Nasionale Party teen 1999 aan die kieserspubliek 'n duidelike en volledige alternatief bied - 'n alternatief wat die huidige agteruitgang van onns land kan stuit, wat weer vertroue kan inboesem en wat ons 'n wennasie kan maak.

'N Derde been van die Nasionale Party se selfopgelegde missie is om sy dienslewering aan die publiek te verbeter en uit te brei. Die Nasionale Party is vasberade om nie net planne te maak en te praat nie, maar om ook te doen. In die komende maande en jare sal die Nasionale Party uitreik tot die kieserspubliek, soos nog nooit vantevore nie. Binne die raamwerk van wat ons kan bekostig, sal ons soveel as moontlik dienssentrums dwarsdeur die land open. Ons openbare verteenwoordigers sal op 'n georganiseerde wyse beskikbaar wees om kiesers met raad en daad by te staan. Ons sal fasiliteer en inisieer. En ons sal hande vat met individue en organisasies wat bereid is om met ons saam te werk.

Ons het reeds 'n hele aantal praktiese sake geindentifiseer ten opsigte waarvan die Nasionale Party op grondvlak gemeenskappe kan bystaan. Die Nasionale Party Vroue-aksie sal in hierdie verband 'n besondere rol speel. So ook 'n onafhanklike Nasionale Trust wat ons beoog om op die been te bring. Die Nasionale Party se vanaand. Ons kan nie wag tot ons weer die regerende Party is nie. Totdat ons daar uitkom, gaan ons as Party ons moue oprol en wee en middele vind om gemeenskappe te help om hulle lewensomstandighede te verbeter. Uit die aard van die saak is ons vermoe beperk. Maar dit gaan ons nie keer om te doen wat ons hande kan vind om te doen nie.

The last aspect of our mission which I would like to deal with is directly related to our vision - the vision of bringing together a majority of all South Africans in a new and mighty political movement, based on shared values and beliefs. The old political order has become completely outdated in the new South Africa. The old historical divides along ethnic and racial lines is a dead end street in our new non-racial society. The challenge is to break the old patterns and to redefine the political map of South Africa.

The National Party has accepted the mission to do just that. We are under no illusion as to the difficulty and complexity of this task. However, if we don't succeed, South Africa will be doomed to continuous deep ethnic divisions, tensions and the risk of becoming a one party state. Therefore the word "failure" does not form part of the National Party's dictionary.

We believe that we can succeed and will succeed, inter alia for the following reasons:

The values on which we are based, form the cornerstones of all successful societies across the globe. They are proven values and therefore have the capacity to attract voters and to bind them together.

Millions of South Africans who voted for the ANC are becoming more and more disillusioned. The scene is set for a re-alignment in South African politics.

The National Party will successfully destroy the wrong perceptions about ourselves. We will prove our honest commitment to non-racialism in a convincing way.

There is a growing urgency at the grass-root level of all the moderate parties about the need for politicians to rise above old divides and to co-operate in a strategy to stop the rot in our beautiful country.

For these and other reasons, I am confident that the National Party's vision is not just an unattainable dream. It is within our grasp if we work hard, if we reach out, if we stand together, if we are creative and innovative. That is what the National Party will do from now till 1999. Slowly our strategies will unfold. For the past three days we been working and brainstorming to prepare our Party for the challenges ahead. And tonight I confidently say:

The National Party is ready for its new role; is dedicated to its vision; and has embarked with great enthusiasm on its mission.

May this Congress serve to focus all our minds on what needs to be done, to empower us to do it effectively; and to build us into an inspired team.

And to the millions of South Africans who are deeply worried about what is happening in our country, I extend an invitation;

Come and talk to us. We share your concerns.

Aan hulle almal sê ek: Vat ons hand en maak ons sterker, sodat ons die land weer op 'n vaste koers van stabiliteit, groei en vooruitgang kan plaas.

<EOD>