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1. Today's opening ceremony is a celebration, not only for the community of Khayelitsha, but also for all South Africans. We celebrate because this clinic and the work of hospice embodies what our struggle for freedom was about; to establish a caring, humane and compassionate society, where the freedom and dignity of all our people would be guaranteed. It is these values that underpin our democracy and which give expression to our founding Constitution which enjoins us to "... establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights..." as well as to "...improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person".

2. While in just seven years so much has been achieved with respect to making our Constitution a living document for all, the challenge to overcome our shameful apartheid past and its devastating consequences continues to confront us. This is not to say that as Government we have simply folded our arms while many of our people are vulnerable and continue to live at the margins of society. Neither have we sat back while poverty, abuse, hunger and disease are ever present in the lives of so many South Africans. We are working hard to overcome this legacy. However, we cannot win this battle alone, we require the support and participation of all South Africans in our efforts to ensure a better life for all.

3. This clinic serves as a beacon to the type of shared responsibility required in our nation building efforts. St Lukes Hospice, together with the Red Cross and Nazareth House, will be working hand in hand with Government to provide care to the community. The ability of these organisations to carry out their extraordinary work in vulnerable communities is in part dependent on their partnerships with the private sector. Through private sector support and funding they are in turn able to provide a free high quality service to those who cannot afford to pay for treatment. In this regard I would like to take the opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude to BoE, Safmarine and ABSA, who through their generous donations, have made the dream of this clinic a reality for the community of Khayelitsha. Furthermore, we must pay tribute to the critical role played by the staff of these organisations, who together with the support of thousands of South Africans that embrace the civic virtue of voluntary service, continue to uplift the lives of so many of our people. Indeed it is relationships such as these, which give true meaning to the solidarity required, too give effect to our mission of building a just and caring society.

4. Today is also a personal celebration for me. While I have never felt better or had as much energy, many of you may be aware that in 1998 I was diagnosed with cancer. Like most people, although the concept of death and dying was an eventuality, it was not something that I wished to confront at this stage in my life. I saw the pain and hurt on the faces of my loved ones. I felt the fear, isolation and helplessness that people experience when circumstances force them to come face to face with their own mortality.

5. In coming to terms with my illness, my deep appreciation for the work of hospice was strengthened. I was comforted by the fact that in the event that my cancer progressed to an advanced stage that I, along with many South Africans, would be in a position to draw on the excellent service provided hospice. Through its palliative care approach, hospice addresses not only the physical pain of a terminal illness, but also emotional, social and spiritual challenges associated with the dying process. In this way hospice is able to provide the best quality of life for patients and their families, by promoting comfort and dignity. This care does not end with the death of the patient. As family members continue the journey after their loss, hospice bereavement counsellors are at their side to help them heal. This role is best depicted in an excerpt from a poem by that great South African literary giant, Wally Mongane Serote, in his poem Mashidiso: Past Footsteps:

" we do not choose to be born
nor do we choose the way we will die
and when death comes
we know lots about how we lived..."

Indeed, hospice is not about dying; it is about living every moment fully.

6. While hospice has only existed in South Africa for 21 years, it has nevertheless achieved so much in this short time. Today 44 hospice centres have been established across the length and breadth of our land, which care for approximately 15 000 patients and their families, with the support of over 50 000 volunteers.

7. In these 21 years, hospice has provided support to all communities in need irrespective of race, class or social status, even when it was 'unfashionable' to do so. St Lukes for example has provided a service in Khayelitsha for over 15 years. This proud history is aptly captured in a wonderful story told to me by Ed West, which I would like to share with you today. According to Ed, during the days long before the ANC was unbanned and the townships where ungovernable, many staff members were worried about being called into conflict zones at night. In order to address their concerns Ed, rather than simply deciding to cut back on the hospice night service, called on the comrades for assistance. A week later he received word that the ANC had great respect for the work St Lukes. Furthermore he was told that in instances where hospice workers were called into trouble spots at night, the ANC would be on hand to provide marshalls to protect them!

8. In looking to the future, hospice will, I have no doubt, continue to make an enormous contribution to restoring the humanity and well being of our people. Our country is currently caught in the grip of a HIV/Aids pandemic. The impact of the disease at the level of the individual household is catastrophic and its impact on society is likely to be devastating. We need to collectively work together to stem this tide. Hospice as organisation that caters to those with terminal illnesses in the last stages of life is beginning to experience the full impact of HIV/Aids. This is reflected by the fact that in many of the rural hospices, such as the South Coast Hospice where 79% of the patients have HIV/Aids, the disease and its consequences has become a major focus of the care provided. Furthermore, I have been informed that just last year 21 000 people were trained by hospice in South Africa in order to effectively manage the care of those effected by HIV/Aids.

9. A key challenge confronting us in our battle against the pandemic is to empower households and communities to take care of those living with the disease. Furthermore, we need to break the stigma associated with the HIV/Aids; we must learn that even if we are not infected we are affected. We must accept that people living with HIV/Aids are our sons and daughters, our mothers and fathers, our neighbours and friends and even ourselves. Justice Edwin Cameron echoed the importance of this task when he said, "We risk a failure of words, of concepts, of sympathetic insight in the face of Aids. We need to fight this failure. We need to respond with imagination and compassion to what is happening around us" (Judge Edwin Cameron in 'Human Rights, Racism and Aids: The New Discrimination', 2000). Given hospice's expertise in providing compassion and care to those families living with HIV/Aids, you will have a unique role to play in helping our communities to respond with imagination and compassion.

10. In closing, I am aware of the importance of names in the Xhosa tradition. I am appreciative of the great honour as well as enormous responsibility that the ancestors have bestowed on me by allowing this clinic to be associated with my name. I stand here today to say that, with your support, I will not fail them. Together let us intensify our efforts to ensure that this clinic serves as a call to action for all South Africans to work with us in building a caring society.

Kuni nonke enibe nesandla kulomsebenzi ndithi mazenethole (To all of you who have contributed to this work I say thank you).

Issued by Ministry of Education

10 May 2001