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Programme Director,
MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Umama U Manana,
Members of the Mpumalanga Provincial Executive,
Members of the Provincial Legislature,
Members of the National Council of Provinces,
His Worship, The Mayor,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

We are gathered here at Umjindini Stadium to celebrate our nation's nine years of reconciliation and nation-building.

It is, I believe, important to point out that we celebrate in a region and with people who helped shape our nation with all the pain and suffering and with all the courage and heroism that have marked our country's path to democracy and national reconciliation.

Indeed over the past nine years we have confounded the prophets of doom; and we shall do so for many, many more years to come. Before 27 April 1994 very few people believed that we would be where we are today.

On behalf of the Mpumalanga Provincial Government, I wish to thank all the people of this province who have made this, our miracle possible.

Before 1994 our country was wounded and torn. It is not an exaggeration to say that we were on the brink of an abyss before 27 April 1994. But by God's grace and the goodwill and tolerance of countless of our citizens, we did not fall over the edge.

We averted complete anarchy, widespread bloodshed and the ultimate break-up of the country. As a people we refused to let emotion overcome logic and common sense. Now, our country and province is calm and stable again. Daily life goes on, key institutions of the State are serving the people. We have a Government that is in effective control.

At the same time, political and race relations are healing. As we seek to know the truth about our divided past, nothing is more painful than confronting the terrible hurts that we inflicted on each other during the last decades of apartheid rule

Blacks were denied the franchise, society was divided along racial lines and the social exclusion and neglect of the majority was a matter of State policy.

Economically the country was isolated and the economy was in crisis. Growth declined to below 1% per annum in the decade before 1994 and by the early 1990's had come to a stand still. Public-sector debt was ballooning out of control.

The police and justice system violated most human and civil rights and was mainly used to defend apartheid. The Defence Force was fighting a low-intensity war against the liberation movement. Until after the 1994 elections, parts of the country lived under a state of war, and assassinations and bombings of political opponents were rife.

Governance was largely defined by a national security doctrine with little respect for the rule of law. The State became more isolate, more corrupt and more dependent on extra-judicial measures to sustain itself. By the late 1980's, the country had become ungovernable, the social fabric torn apart by apartheid and social conflict.

But all that is now history, thanks to our policies that set this country on the road to reconciliation and nation-building. Since 1994, in line with the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), government has set out to dismantle apartheid social relations and create and democratic society based on equity, non-racialism and non-sexism.

New policies and programmes have been put in place to dramatically improve the quality of life of all the people. The RDP, the core of all post 1994 policies, has as its objectives. Meeting basic needs, building the economy, democratising the state and society, developing human resources, and nation-building.

But at the same time we had to set about lancing the boil of hatred, mistrust, bigotry and racism. We realised early in our democracy that we should put into place policies that recognises and protects the richness in diversity of our people - all our people, black and white.

Whereas in the past that richness was used to divide us, we had to ensure that our diversity promotes a common South Africanness ever geared towards the defence of democracy against racism and sexism, committed to fight for peace, social stability and social prosperity.

Suddenly we found ourselves living side-by-side with people who speak a language different from ours: Afrikaans, iSiswati, iSizulu and many other different languages. Our neighbours also had different cultures, traditions and norms from ours.

But we vowed that these differences would never again make us enemies. Our diversity would from henceforth unites us. It is the melting of all these different qualities without losing or shedding one's identity that makes us uniquely South African.

Today is a wonderful opportunity for all people, black and white, to celebrate the achievements of reconciliation so far, and consider how best to take the process forward.

This year's theme: Unity in diversity: Aspirations for a bright future reminds us all that we need to work hard to put words into action. The reconciliation process is important for all South Africans. It is about building bridges.

It is about respecting our differences. It is about giving everybody a fair go. It is about building on the strengths of common ground.

As government we are deeply committed to the process of reconciliation. We recognise and acknowledge that injustices are not just things of the past - real residues of hurt persist, as do aspects of racism.

Let all of us, particularly the youth, vow to make reconciliation a people's movement. It's up to each and everyone of us to support reconciliation initiatives both here in Mpumalanga and in the country. The recognition and valuing of cultural diversity is a vital part of building a new nation.

Reconciliation requires goodwill, respect, continuing dialogue and a shared vision for our future. We must talk about difficult issues - and we must have the courage to say when things go wrong. If full reconciliation is to be achieved, it will be based on an honest and deep understanding of the truth of our shared history and respect for each other.

Reconciliation Day is a time for everyone in our community to express support for this process. It is a time to explore and acknowledge a shared heritage, to understand and respect the culture of indigenous people, and to make our community a better place to live. I urge you all to make your support of reconciliation known.

Let me add that reconciliation is not for the faint-hearted. It takes courage, humility, moral strength, sacrifice and perseverance. First we must look at ourselves as individuals and ask about our own faults and prejudices.

What role are we playing in nation-building? Are we also part of the problem? Do we accept a commitment to peace? Are we living our lives in a caring, kindly and tolerant way? What kind of example are we giving by our words and deeds?

We must never succumbed to hatred and contempt for others, self-centredness and bigotry. We must never be consumed with pride and ego. We must have that sympathy and concern which embraces all, irrespective of race and culture.

We must forgive and unite. We cannot have reconciliation without forgiveness. We cannot have true unity without forgiveness.

There are those who will argue that celebrations such as these where we talk about the past only served to open wounds that were already healing. I disagree with that assertion. I believe that as was the case with the Truth and Reconciliation process, we need to talk about our experiences.

In that way we can begin the healing process that will truly set us on the way to true reconciliation and nation building.

As a province, we are aware that it is important that we understand and take full account of the nature and extent of racism in our country and in the modern world. We are often reminded that we live in a great nation - and we do. But it can be greater still.

Unfortunately fear stands in the way of that greatness. Fear of difference, fear that economic or social position are threatened by this new democracy, and fear that identify could be lost in an increasingly democratised South Africa.

We have gone a long way in trying to address that fear. And we will continue to do so in order to banish fear through education.

But as Aung San Suu Kyi said: "The quintessential revolution is that of spirit, born of an intellectual conviction of the need for change in mental attitudes and values.

Without a revolution of the spirit, the forces which produced the iniquities of the old order would continue to be operative, posing a constant threat to the process of reform and regeneration".

In conclusion Programme Director, next year as we go to the polls, let us do so with that firm commitment that we will indeed further consolidate our gains as we add another brick in building this beautiful province and country. That is why it is important that we again turn out in our millions.

I have no doubt that we will indeed do so. We will do so because we know that in voting in large numbers we would be confirming our commitment to democracy. We will emerge strong and more united, true to our pledge that, whatever our political affiliation, we are one people with one destiny - ready to speed up the changes that we started in 1994.

Together let us make a reality of the hopes to which we gave birth almost a decade ago.

I thank you.

Issued by the Office of the Premier.