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Programme Director
Minister of Social Service & population Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya
Members of the Provincial Executive Council
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and gentlemen

We have gathered here in Kathu to celebrate our nation's nine years of freedom with you. On this very special day, which is a watermark on the calendar of the centuries-long valiant struggle by the freedom-loving patriots of South Africa to win back their birthright, it is with a sense of immense pride that we invite all South Africans to join in the celebration.

This day carries with it a profound meaning and significance for the people of south Africa, both individuals and constituent elements of organisational formations- who identify with and cherish the ideals of peoples freedom, justice and equality, without regard to race, colour, creed, gender, religious and orientation.

Today, we are also launching the moral regeneration charter, which is characterised by the participation of all sectors of society to assisting government with the spiritual renewal and empowerment of our country as well as addressing the socio-economic needs of our communities we serve. I am convinced that, our collective efforts will ensure that we build a caring, peaceful, compassionate and just society. We will make real progress with the question of moral regeneration of our society if we restore the values of respect, honesty, responsibility, integrity, care and support within our families, and clearly demarcate the lines between right and wrong.

Programme Director today is also an occasion to inform all our people that they have a responsibility to actively participate in the process of the governance of our country.

As a people, we must be truly proud of our great achievements in further entrenching democratic rule in the country, giving the opportunity and the possibility to every South African to participate in the process of determining the future of our country.

Our new democratic government, ushered in a new constitution that contains a bill of rights to promote respect for human rights, promote the protection, development and attainment of human rights. The ANC led-government was able to implement its vision of a united, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa

Our system of laws and our Constitution, guarantee us many, varied forms of Freedom. We need to remind ourselves not to take the freedoms won in struggle for granted.

Its ultimate goal is to uplift the quality of life of South Africa, especially the poor. It is an inalienable right of our people to have access to land, education, decent houses, water and sanitation, health and security freedom from hunger, from disease, from ignorance and fear.

As we prepare for the first decade of liberation and democratic governance; Freedom Day celebrations seeks to inculcate and foster a spirit of patriotism and national unity as we mark the last year of the first decade of freedom as a country.

Our Freedom and our rights will only gain their full meaning as we succeed together in overcoming the divisions and inequalities of our past and in improving the lives of especially the poor

We must continue to build on the work that has been done to contribute towards the process of social change and transformation and improving the quality of live of our people, especially in the rural areas where women and children continue to bear the brunt of abject poverty.

* We are still faced with immense challenges.
* We want better education for our children. We want a good health system.
* We want a safe and a secure environment.
* We therefore must work together and push back the frontiers of poverty
* We need to turn the tide against HIV/AIDS, which is destroying our communities and eating away at the moral fibre of society.

The provincial government's commitment is to bring hope, delivery and dignity to its citizens in the next decade as echoed in the words of the President. We must improve service delivery to the people. We must improve our attitudes towards citizens, as public servants.

We will also immediately embarked upon a sustained campaign to eradicate the unhealthy bucket system across the province and restore the dignity of our people.

The government has also adopted an integrated food security strategy in 2003 and further developed a sustainable food policy strategy in order to ensure food security at all times, especially during times of natural disaster, price hikes that directly impact on food prices for the poor.

Our government will continue to work with the people to ensure that everyone had enough food, access to water and electricity, properly equipped schools, and fully staffed medical facilities.

We are celebrating freedom day under the theme," The tide has turned! Building a people's contract for a better South Africa". This sent out a firm signal that our country is determined to overcome the past to ensure that ours became an area of democracy, peace, stability, economic growth, development and prosperity.

Our government has also declared this year, the year of united action to push back the frontiers of poverty. We have committed ourselves in the acceleration of rural and urban development programmes especially to poverty stricken communities.

Poverty is one of the worst enemies that continue to ravage the lives of our people. In the process, we can only push back the frontiers of poverty if we bring together and focus all our resources in an integrated manner.

Our people must join hands with us and form more and better partnerships.

I thank you

Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.northern-cape.gov.za)