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Director of ceremonies;
Ladies and gentleman;

It is indeed a pleasure to be with you here this evening, as we once again gather to recommit ourselves to the common objective of improving the quality of life of the people of our country.

We are here once again, to remind ourselves of the responsibility we have, of ensuring that the children in our country are given an opportunity to access education, regardless of where they reside.

Of particular concern is the plight of children in rural areas.

This country faces formidable challenges in addressing the rights and needs of children. These include socio-economic imbalances between black and white children, urban and rural disparities caused by colonial and apartheid policies, high unemployment, limited resources, a growing younger population, high levels of violence and crime and the impact of HIV/AIDS.

A report produced recently by the Office on the Rights of the Children in the Presidency indicates the challenges that we face. The report states that 6 out of every ten South African children live in poverty, with children in rural areas more likely to be poor than those in urban centres.

The report adds that the Eastern Cape has the highest number of children living in poor households at 78 percent, with the Free State and North West following at 73 percent and 68 percent respectively. According to Statistics South Africa, as of 1999, KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of children at 22 percent followed by the Eastern Cape.

Children in poor families are less likely to complete their schooling, and are more subject to crime and violence. Without some active intervention, thousands of children may be subjected to a life of perpetual poverty and suffering.

Government is playing its role in focusing on developing rural areas through the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme. This programme will serve to stimulate sustainable economic activities in the nodal areas chosen as pilot projects. This intervention will lead to employment and improvement in the living conditions of people in rural areas.

Government has also prioritised children's rights, and the needs of children have been made paramount throughout the government's development strategies. Cabinet put the National Programme of Action for Children in place in 1996 to serve as a mechanism for carrying out South Africa's commitment to the realisation of children's rights. Through this, all government departments are required to put children's issues on their agenda.

However, government alone cannot solve all the problems faced by children and families in our country. We need civil society to play its role, and for every South African to find a way of contributing towards the development of the country's children.

This is the background and context in which the Jacob Zuma RDP Education Trust operates. The vision of the trust is to make a contribution towards increasing the chances of disadvantaged pupils to gain an education.

In partnership with our sponsors and other friends of the trust, we are determined to work hard to lay the foundations for a better life for children, particularly those residing in rural areas. Members of this trust and sponsors have made it their business to invest in the further of this country, our children.

Ladies and gentlemen, we believe we are making an impact. Since 1997, the trust has concentrated on assisting children at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education.

To date the trust is assisting three thousand beneficiaries at primary and secondary schools, 21 at university level and 12 at technikons. Four students are currently studying information technology in Pakistan, under trust sponsorship and through partnership with SKB, represented tonight by Jackson Mthembu. All these achievements have been made possible through the donations received last year.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors, both individuals as well as companies, as well as those who donate their time and resources to make the work of the trust move forward.

Among these is Booksmart for donating clothes for the orphans that we fund, Engen for providing containers that have been converted to serve as a library. The Department of Housing has offered to provide ten toilets at one dilapidated school, while the Department of Minerals and Energy has undertaken to electrify the school and has provided a television set.

I would also like to thank Independent Security Services for sponsoring the visit of the first Black World Amateur Chess Champion from Colombia, who visited schools in KwaMashu and Umlazi and served as an inspiration to children. The company has made a commitment to reach 100 schools and promote chess as a game of life.

In government, I would like to single out the Departments of Housing and Minerals and Energy for their active support and for rallying their stakeholders to assist.

Without support, we would not have been able to go this far. We all gain strengthen from the knowledge that this investment is not in vain. One day, one of us tonight may be in a hospital being attended to by a doctor who was put through medical school through your donations to the trust.

Ladies and gentlemen let me reiterate that his country is faced with huge challenges in looking after its children, given the high levels of poverty.

It is through working together and through innovative programmes that we put in place as civil society and government, that we can make an impact.

In conclusion, let me remind you that Monday is an important day in the calendar of our country. It is both International Human Rights Day and the Day of Accountability and Commitment. It marks the end of the 25 Days of Activism against Violence against Women and Children.

We all know the horrific incidents that have happened in our country over the last few weeks, where babies as young as five months old were raped and assaulted in a most despicable manner.

Let us therefore spare a moment on Monday to recommit ourselves to protecting our children from all forms of abuse. They are the future of this country. Let us also commit ourselves to joining the Moral Regeneration Movement and working towards rebuilding our nation.

I wish you all the best in the New Year, and may we all return from the festivities inspired to work even harder to serve our country in 2002.

Once again, thank you for your support. It gives us the courage to carry on with the quest for a better life for the children of our country.

I thank you.

Contact: Zanele Mngadi on 082-781-9332

Issued by The Presidency

7 December 2001