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23 August 2008

Programme director
The leadership and members of the National Council of African Women (NACW)
Gracious veterans of our women's movement
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Molweni, Dumelang, Sanibonani, Lotjani, Goeinaand, Ndi madekwana, Good evening!
Malibongwe igama lamakhosikazi!

Today I have the unique opportunity to address distinguished and noble women who have set an example of leadership, perseverance, commitment and success. The women, who founded the National Council of African Women many years ago and left us this invaluable legacy, knew exactly what they were doing and where they were going and that is why this organisation has served our communities well for so many decades.

Today, we must celebrate and pay tribute to those women who had the foresight to establish this organisation because they recognised the need to do things differently in order to make a difference in their own lives and in their communities.

As we celebrate the women of South Africa during this month, the women's month, we remember the founders of the National Council of African Women, Mama Mina Soga, Mama Charlotte Maxeke, Mama Madge Sesedi, Mama Kuse, Mama Hlahle, Mama Qupe, Mama Demas, Mama Nikiwe, Mama Msizi, Mama Mahabane and many others who joined them because they believed in the ideals and values it stood for. These are some of the women who were at the forefront in the struggle for freedom and democracy in our country.

The theme for women's month 2008 is "Business Unusual: All power to women". Last year the theme for women's month was "Emancipation, Equality and Empowerment of Women for Poverty Eradication". This provincial conference, which is held during women's month, presents participants and the membership at large with an opportunity to reflect on the road you have travelled thus far as an organisation, the factors which have sustained the organisation for almost 71 years and whether the organisation's vision, the purpose and its aims and objectives are still as relevant in a democratic South Africa as they were then. It is also an opportunity to reflect on both the themes for 2007 and 2008 women's month. (I will come back to answer this question later.)

What is remarkable about the National Council of African Women and its sister organisations is the selfless commitment and dedication of women who come together and volunteer to pool their talents, skills and resources into a social network to provide leadership and support for the common good of families and communities around them.

This is both a visionary and strategic approach aimed at ensuring the social and economic upliftment of families and communities, and ultimately the nation. It is an approach that has the potential of entrenching the humane values of ubuntu that we seem to have abandoned today.

The conception of this organisation in 1937 confirms the strategic role that the women of South Africa have always played in the emancipation of our people and the liberation of our country. These and similar initiatives have been instrumental in restoring the dignity of all South Africans and have moved us towards a sense self realisation as well as a common sense of personal independence whilst cherishing and protecting the common good.

I am therefore standing here today to pay tribute to those distinguished women and acknowledge, with pride, the role they have played as champions of development in our communities. For a long time the talent, skills and resources of women were not acknowledged and not appreciated. This is but one of the impediments to the participation of women in the development processes undertaken in their communities. They are often marginalised and are not seen as equally capable as their male counterparts.

Women have a unique ability to bring about change in their families and to collectively transform communities and societies. They must not be seen as mere tools or puppets that are at the beck and call of unscrupulous men. They must be regarded as agents of change who are vital to the social, economic and political fabric of their communities and the country. As women we should take leadership and power into our hands so that we can direct the process of transformation in our country.

It is important to note and acknowledge that we have made significant gains since 1937. We have a Constitution which entrenches the rights of all the citizens of this country including full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms, the right to life and the right to human dignity. Thus the motto of this organisation "Do unto others as you would them do unto you" still remains relevant today as it was then.

In 1994 we buried the ugly past of colonialism and apartheid but the legacy of oppression and underdevelopment still poses serious challenges for the government and all the citizens of our country. The government is implementing numerous programmes to fight poverty and restore a sense of dignity among the poor in our country.

The war on poverty will however, not be won through the provision of social grants alone. Grants by themselves will not ensure the eradication of poverty. They are just a stopgap to protect the citizens against the dehumanising impact of poverty.

Over the last 14 years our economy has performed very well. The policies that government adopted were tough but pragmatic and sound. We continue to be an active participant in the global economy, and a respected country in the international political arena.

The challenges that we face in further growing the economy and creating sustainable jobs are not unique to South Africa. They are challenges facing both the developed and developing countries. We remain convinced that the path we have chosen for ourselves as a country will contribute to long term economic development of our country.

I believe that South Africa is endowed with a populace that is vibrant and energetic. We need to harness this energy and direct it away from the destructive and disparaging patterns of behaviour which we have witnessed in recent times. All of us, from government, to the public sector, the private sector, business, civil society, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community based organisations (CBOs), should partner to unleash the creative good that is within our people. It is incumbent upon all of us to stop this erosion of our values of ubuntu and instil, especially in the younger generation, a sense of pride and respect for the sanctity of life, human dignity and promote social cohesion.

We need to understand what is happening in our homes and within our families. We must continue to talk and teach our children and the nation to protect and respect our democratic gains and institutions such as the parliament, the judiciary and other governance authorities because these are the pillars and symbols of our nationhood and sovereignty. These are the pillars upon which our democracy is built.

Respect for the schools and supporting all South Africans to realise the goals of the Freedom Charter is fundamental. When the People's Congress declared in 1955 that "the doors of learning and culture shall be opened", the people of our country were drawing a road map towards building a nation that can think critically and creatively. We must create a nation of educated, refined, cultured, and innovative critical thinkers!!

Lastly, the motto of this organisation is a clarion call to all of us to uphold the values of self respect, mutual respect and human solidarity. It calls upon us to abandon selfishness, greed and violence. These are the serious challenges we are facing in this 21st century. We must be the change we want to see; the role models for our children. We must keep walking in the footsteps of the founders of the National Council of African Women and accelerate the pace until we achieve our goal of a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, peaceful and prosperous society. If we build a caring nation now, the next century will be bliss!

Malibongwe igama lamakhosikazi!
Ndiyabulela.

Issued by: Department of Arts and Culture
23 August 2008
Source: Department of Arts and Culture (http://www.dac.gov.za)