[ Home ] [ Speeches & statements ]

Programme director, your excellency Governor Numaio, honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen,

It is an honour and pleasure to welcome in our midst, Governor Eugene Numaio, the governor of the Gaza province in Mozambique, Mrs Numaio and members of his delegation.

The people of the northern Province have a long and very cordial relationship with the people of the Gaza province. We are joined together by ties of blood, language and friendship. For many years, during our joint struggle against colonialism and oppression the people of Gaza had to bear the brunt of illegal cross-border raids conducted by the former security forces. For decades they were the victims of destabilisation and fomented insurrection.

The people of Gaza survived this onslaught with a remarkable degree of resilience and fortitude in much the same way as the majority of South Africans refused to bow to a system of oppression.

Shortly after the 1994 election we decided to formalise the relations between the Northern Province and its immediate neighbour through the signing of agreements and treaties. I was honoured to visit Gaza and its capital, Xai-Xai early last year to lay the groundwork for this process.

Tomorrow, on Heritage Day, we will see some of the results of our work coming to fruition with the signing of a formal twinning agreement between the governments of the Northern Province and of the Gaza province.

This agreement is driven by our mutual desire to strengthen, consolidate and build our relations in the fields of economic development, security, social and cultural exchanges and environmental management.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I believe that this agreement opens a number of doors for exiting opportunities for the business community of the Northern Province and particularly for this region that borders on Mozambique. It recognises the fact that our interests are indivisible and that we share a common future in southern Africa irrespective of national boundaries.

I therefore want to urge the business community of Phalaborwa to study the contents of the agreement very carefully and to seize on the opportunities that are created. The Phalaborwa SDI is an integral element of the Maputo corridor with the capacity to create a significant number of jobs particularly in the fields of tourism, eco-tourism and the hospitality industry. We trust that this treaty will also help to address the security concerns of people in both countries and assist us in dealing swiftly and effectively in crime prevention operations.

One of the most visible results of this treaty should be the establishment of a Trans-frontier Conservation Areas which has the potential to become of the world's foremost tourism attractions. Eco-tourism is undoubtedly one of the major economic growth areas of the new millennium and the joint efforts between the Northern Province and Gaza should help to unlock this potential to its maximum degree.

Governor Numaio, we wish you and your delegation an enjoyable and productive stay in our province. We trust that the relationships that are struck during your four day visit will endure for decades to come.

I thank you.

Issued by the Office of the Premier