Erasibo Consulting

3 June 2009

Honourable Speaker;

Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces;

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP;

Deputy President of the Republic, Kgalema Motlanthe

Former President of the Republic, Thabo Mbeki,

Our icon, the First President of a democratic South Africa, Isithwalandwe Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela,

Former Deputy Presidents,

Distinguished Premiers and Speakers of our Provinces;

Esteemed members of the Judiciary;

Chairperson of SALGA, mayors and leaders in our system of local government;

Chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders and our honoured traditional leaders;

Heads of Chapter 9 Institutions;

Governor of the Reserve Bank,

Religious leaders,

Directors-General and other leaders of the public service;

President of the Pan African Parliament, Honourable Idriss Endele Moussa,

Your Excellencies Ambassadors and High Commissioners;

Distinguished guests, comrades and friends;

Fellow South Africans,

 

Dumelang, Abusheni, Molweni,

 

On the 22nd of April, millions of South Africans went out to cast their votes. They exercised their democratic right spurred on by the desire to change their lives for the better.

 

In their overwhelming numbers, they confirmed that working together we can do more to fight poverty and build a better life for all.

 

They were encouraged by the vision of an inclusive society, a South Africa that belongs to all, a nation united in its diversity, a people working together for the greater good of all.

 

We are humbled by this decisive electoral mandate given by the people of our country, who have chosen their government in a most convincing manner.

 

Honourable Members,

 

Our nation has over the past few years gone through very challenging times.

 

It is thanks to the fact that we have a strong and fully functional constitutional democratic system, with solid institutions, that we overcame these difficulties smoothly and with dignity.

 

Today’s occasion is a celebration of what makes this democracy work. It is also a celebration of our culture of continuity and collective responsibility.

 

This is evidenced by the presence here of our icon Madiba, who laid the foundation for the country’s achievements, and that of former President Thabo Mbeki, who built on that foundation.

 

The continuity is also evident in the fact that former President Kgalema Motlanthe is now the Deputy President of the Republic, after a seamless transition, making us a unique country in many respects.

 

Fellow South Africans,

 

As you would be aware, the fight against poverty remains the cornerstone of our government’s focus.

 

On the 9th of May, during the Presidential inauguration, we made a commitment to our people and the world that:

 

“For as long as there are South Africans who die from preventable disease;

 

For as long as there are workers who struggle to feed their families and who battle to find work;

 

For as long as there are communities without clean water, decent shelter or proper sanitation;

 

For as long as there are rural dwellers unable to make a decent living from the land on which they live;

 

For as long as there are women who are subjected to discrimination, exploitation or abuse;

 

For as long as there are children who do not have the means nor the opportunity to receive a decent education;

 

We shall not rest, and we dare not falter, in our drive to eradicate poverty.”

 

In pursuit of these goals, our government has identified 10 priority areas, which form part of our Medium Term Strategic Framework for 2009 to 2014.

 

The programme is being introduced under difficult economic conditions. The past year has seen the global economy enter a period of crisis unprecedented in recent decades.

 

While South Africa has not been affected to the extent that a number of other countries have, its effects are now being clearly seen in our economy. We have entered a recession.

 

It is more important now than ever that we work in partnership on a common programme to respond to this crisis.

 

We take as our starting point the framework for South Africa’s response to the international economic crisis, concluded by government, labour and business in February this year. We must act now to minimise the impact of this downturn on those most vulnerable.

 

We have begun to act to reduce job losses. There is an agreement in principle between government and the social partners on the introduction of a training layoff.

 

Workers who would ordinarily be facing retrenchment due to economic difficulty would be kept in employment for a period of time and re-skilled.

 

Discussion on the practical detail is continuing between the social partners and the institutions that would be affected by such an initiative, including the Sector Education and Training Authorities.

 

We will support the work of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to assist employers and workers to find alternatives to retrenchments through the relevant legal process.

 

To date, CCMA commissioners have saved over four thousand jobs through facilitation processes, and provided ongoing advice and support to retrenched workers.

 

The Industrial Development Corporation has developed a programme to fund companies in distress. We will also ensure that government buys more goods and services locally, without undermining our global competitiveness or pushing up costs beyond acceptable levels.

 

Building on the successes of our industrial policy interventions, a scaled up Industrial Policy Action Plan will be developed.

 

The lead sectors already identified are automobile, chemicals, metal fabrication, tourism, clothing and textiles as well as forestry. In addition, attention will also be paid to services, light manufacturing and construction, amongst others, in the quest to create decent jobs.

 

As part of Phase 2 of the Expanded Public Works Programme, the Community Work Programme will be fast-tracked.

 

It offers a minimum level of regular work to those who need it, while improving the quality of life in communities.

 

The economic downturn will affect the pace at which our country is able to address the social and economic challenges it faces. But it will not alter the direction of our development.

 

The policy priorities that we have identified, and the plans that we placed before the electorate, remain at the core of the programme of this government.

 

Laat ons mekaar se hande vat, en saam oplossings vind in die gees van ‘n Suid Afrikaanse gemeenskap. Die tyd het gekom om harder te werk. Ons regering gaan vorentoe kyk, nie agtertoe nie!

 

The steps outlined in our Medium Term Strategic Framework had to take into account the constraints posed by the economic crisis. The downturn should not cause us to change these plans. Instead it should urge us to implement these with speed and determination.

 

The Framework focuses on 10 priorities.

We make a commitment that working together, we will speed up economic growth and transform the economy to create decent work and sustainable livelihoods.

 

We will introduce a massive programme to build economic and social infrastructure. We will develop and implement a comprehensive rural development strategy linked to land and agrarian reform and food security.

 

We will strengthen the skills and human resource base. We will improve the health profile of all South Africans.

 

Working together with all South Africans, we will intensify the fight against crime and corruption. We will build cohesive, caring and sustainable communities.

 

Working with Africa and the rest of the world, we will pursue African advancement and enhanced international co-operation.

We will ensure sustainable resource management and use.

 

And, working with the people and supported by our public servants, we will build a developmental state, improve public services and strengthen democratic institutions.

 

It is my pleasure and honour to highlight the key elements of our programme of action.

 

The creation of decent work will be at the centre of our economic policies and will influence our investment attraction and job-creation initiatives.

 

In line with our undertakings, we have to forge ahead to promote a more inclusive economy.

 

In this regard, we will utilise state levers such as procurement, licensing and financial support to assist small medium enterprises as well as to promote the implementation of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment and affirmative action policies.

 

The implementation will be done in recognition of the need to correct the imbalances of the past.

 

The transformation will be undertaken in support of women, youth and people with disabilities.

 

We will reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses. The matter of being stifled by regulations has been raised by the sector several times.

 

In another intervention to create an enabling environment for investment, government will move towards a single integrated business registration system.

 

This will improve customer service and reduce the cost of doing business in South Africa.

 

Another important element of our drive to create job opportunities is the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The initial target of one million jobs has been achieved.

 

The second phase of the programme aims to create about four million job opportunities by 2014.

 

Between now and December 2009, we plan to create about 500 000 job opportunities.

 

While creating an environment for jobs and business opportunities, government recognises that some citizens will continue to require state social assistance. Social grants remain the most effective form of poverty alleviation. As of 31 March 2009, more than 13 million people received social grants, more than 8 million of whom are children.

 

We are mindful of the need to link the social grants to jobs or economic activity in order to encourage self-reliance amongst the able-bodied.

 

Most importantly during this period, neighbours should assist each other.

 

Jwale ke nako yakopano. Are thusaneng jwale ka baahisane.

 

Are dumalaneng hore ho sebane le ngwana ya tla robalang ka tlala hobane batswadi bahae bafeletswe ke mosebetsi. Hare ka kopana ra sebetsa kaofela re ka etsa ho feta mo.

 

Distinguished guests, as part of the second strategic priority we will continue with our programme to build economic and social infrastructure.

The newly-formed Infrastructure Development Cluster of government will ensure that the planned R787 billion infrastructure expenditure as provided for in the budget earlier this year is properly planned for and executed.

 

This funding includes allocations for the school building programme, public transport including the bus rapid transit system, housing, water and sanitation.

 

One of the biggest infrastructure investment projects is in the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. We have, as government and the nation at large, pledged that the World Cup will leave a proud legacy from which Our children and our communities will benefit for many years to come.

 

We are on track to meet all our obligations and are determined to give the world the best World Cup ever.

 

We are putting all systems in place to make the Confederations Cup, which kicks off on the 14th of June, a huge success.

 

In April this year, I gave an undertaking to the taxi industry leadership to defer negotiations relating to the operation of the Bus Integrated Rapid Transit system until after the elections.

 

We undertook to allow more time to deal properly with the concerns of the industry. On the 11th of June the Minister of Transport will resume discussions with the industry.

 

The meeting will kick-start a series of engagements with the stakeholders affected by the BRT system. We are confident that unresolved issues will be dealt with to the satisfaction of all parties.

 

This will include the important issue of how all stakeholders will benefit from the initiative.

 

Honourable Members,

 

Another development which should boost the World Cup is the roll-out of the digital broadcasting infrastructure and signal distribution transmitters.

 

Overall, we will ensure that the cost of telecommunications is reduced through the projects under way to expand broadband capacity.

 

We have to ensure that we do not leave rural areas behind in these exciting developments.

 

As part of social infrastructure development we will provide suitably located and affordable housing and decent human settlements.

 

We will proceed from the understanding that human settlement is not just about building houses.

 

It is about transforming our cities and towns and building cohesive, sustainable and caring communities with closer access to work and social amenities, including sports and recreation facilities.

 

In this spirit, we will work with Parliament to speed up the processing of the Land Use Management Bill.

 

Working together with our people in the rural areas, we will ensure a comprehensive rural development strategy linked to land and agrarian reform and food security, as our third priority.

 

I would like to use this opportunity to extend our condolences to the family of the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Dirk du Toit, who passed away this week. His contribution will be sorely missed.

 

Abantu basemakhaya nabo banelungelo lokuba nogesi namanzi, izindlu zangasese ezigijima amanzi, imigwaqo, izindawo zokuqeda isizungu nezemidlalo kanye nezindawo zokuthenga eziphucukile njengasemadolobheni.

 

Nabo banelungelo lokusizwa kwezolimo ukuze bazitshalele imifino nokunye, bafuye nemfuyo bakwazi ukuziphilisa.

 

Sizimisele ukuwuqala lomkhankaso wokwakha izingqalasizinda ezindaweni zasemakhaya. Uma sibambisene nezakhamizi, amakhosi, amakhansela nezinduna siyokwazi ukuwusheshisa lomsebenzi.

 

Sicela abahlala ezindaweni zasemakhaya baqale balungiselele ukutshela uhulumeni ukuthi yiziphi izinto abazidinga ngokushesha.

Uma sisebenza ngokubambisana sizokwenza okuningi.

 

Hon. Speaker and Chairperson,

 

While having drawn the necessary lessons from earlier rural development initiatives, we have chosen the Greater Giyani Local Municipality in Limpopo as the first of the pilot projects for the campaign. Out of these projects will emerge lessons for the whole country.

 

In addition, we will work on the targeted renewal of rural towns, through grants such as the Neighbourhood Development Grant programme. In this way, areas around the towns will benefit from the economic boost.

 

With all these interventions, we are poised to change the face of rural areas in our country.

 

Compatriots,

 

Education will be a key priority for the next five years. We want our teachers, learners and parents to work with government to turn our schools into thriving centres of excellence.

 

The Early Childhood Development programme will be stepped up, with the aim of ensuring universal access to Grade R and doubling the number of 0-4 year old children by 2014.

 

We reiterate our non-negotiables. Teachers should be in school, in class, on time, teaching, with no neglect of duty and no abuse of pupils! The children should be in class, on time, learning, be respectful of their teachers and each other, and do their homework.

 

To improve school management, formal training will be a pre-condition for promoting teachers to become principals or heads of department.

I will meet school principals to share our vision on the revival of our education system.

 

Fellow South Africans,

 

We will increase our efforts to encourage all pupils to complete their secondary education.

 

The target is to increase enrolment rates in secondary schools to 95 per cent by 2014. We are also looking at innovative measures to bring back into the system pupils who dropped out of school, and to provide support.

 

Honourable Members, we are very concerned about reports of teachers who sexually harass and abuse children, particularly girls.

 

We will ensure that the Guidelines on Sexual Harassment and Violence in Public Schools are widely disseminated, and that learners and teachers are familiar with and observe them.

 

We will take very serious, and very decisive, action against any teachers who abuse their authority and power by entering into sexual relationships with children.

 

To promote lifelong learning, the Adult Basic Education and Training Kha ri Gude programme will be intensified.

 

Compatriots, Honourable Members,

 

We have to ensure that training and skills development initiatives in the country respond to the requirements of the economy.

 

The Further Education and Training sector with its 50 colleges and 160 campuses nationally will be the primary site for skills development training.

 

We will improve the access to higher education of children from poor families and ensure a sustainable funding structure for universities.

 

Fellow South Africans,

We are seriously concerned about the deterioration of the quality of health care, aggravated by the steady increase in the burden of disease in the past decade and a half.

 

We have set ourselves the goals of further reducing inequalities in health care provision, to boost human resource capacity, revitalise hospitals and clinics and step up the fight against the scourge of HIV and AIDS, TB and other diseases.

We must work together to improve the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for the Treatment, Management and Care of HIV and AIDS so as to reduce the rate of new HIV infections by 50% by the year 2011. We want to reach 80% of those in need of ARV treatment also by 2011.

 

We will introduce a National Health Insurance scheme in a phased and incremental manner. In order to initiate the NHI, the urgent rehabilitation of public hospitals will be undertaken through Public-Private Partnerships.

 

We are also paying urgent attention to the issues of remuneration of health professionals to remove uncertainty in our health services.

Working together let us do more to promote quality health care, in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to halve poverty by 2014.

 

Fellow citizens,

 

Together we must do more to fight crime. Our aim is to establish a transformed, integrated, modernised, properly-resourced and well-managed criminal justice system.

 

It is also critically important to improve the efficiency of the courts and the performance of prosecutors and to enhance detective, forensic and intelligence services. This work has started in earnest, and it will be undertaken with new energy and vigour.

 

Among the immediate targets is to ensure that we increase the number of prosecutors and Legal Aid Board personnel. We will do the same with police detectives.

 

We changed the name of the relevant Ministry from Safety and Security to Police to emphasise that we want real operational energy in police work. This will contribute to the reduction of serious and violent crimes by the set target of 7% to 10% per annum.

 

The most serious attention will also be given to combating organised crime, as well as crimes against women and children.

 

Honourable Speaker and Chairperson,

 

While appreciating the investment of the private sector in the security industry, we will improve the regulation of this industry.

 

Amongst other key initiatives, we will start the process of setting up a Border Management Agency; we shall intensify our efforts against cyber crime and identity theft, and improve systems in our jails to reduce repeat offending.

 

Compatriots,

 

I wish to underline our support for the continued transformation of the judiciary.

 

The transformation should address key issues such as the enhancement of judicial independence, entrenching internal systems of judicial accountability as well as ensuring full access to justice by all.

 

The success of the democratic system as a whole depends on good relations of mutual respect and a spirit of partnership among the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. This is very important for our constitutional democracy.

 

Honourable Speaker and Chairperson,

 

We have repeatedly stated our commitment to fight corruption in the public service.

 

We will pay particular attention to combating corruption and fraud in procurement and tender processes, application for drivers’ licences, social grants, IDs, and theft of police case dockets.

 

Let me emphasise that we all have a role to play in this war against crime.

 

We must actively participate in Community Policing Forums. We must stop buying stolen goods, which encourages crime.

 

We must report crime and assist the police with information to catch wrongdoers. In this way, we will move forward towards a crime-free society.

 

Honourable Members, since 1994 we have sought to create a united cohesive society out of our fragmented past. We are called upon to continue this mission of promoting unity in diversity and to develop a shared value system, based on the spirit of community solidarity and a caring society.

 

Our shared value system should encourage us to become active citizens in the renewal of our country. We must build a common national identity and patriotism.

 

We must develop a common attachment to our country, our Constitution and the national symbols. In this spirit, we will promote the National Anthem and our country’s flag and all other national symbols.

 

Our children, from an early age, must be taught to pay allegiance to the Constitution and the national symbols, and know what it means to be South African citizens.

 

We will ensure a common national approach to the changing of geographic and place names. This must provide an opportunity to involve all South Africans in forging an inclusive national identity, to deepen our understanding of our history and heritage.

 

Sport is a powerful nation-building tool. Working together we must support all our national teams from Bafana Bafana to the Proteas and the Springboks; from Banyana Banyana to Paralympians.

 

Our teams can only do well with our support.

Allow me to use this opportunity to congratulate our national teams for their performances in the past week, indeed in pulling off a hat trick.

The country’s women’s netball team has done us proud by winning the Tri-Nations Netball Challenge. Congratulations to the Sevens Springboks who have become the IRB Sevens World Series Champions – and not forgetting the Blue Bulls who have won the Super 14 finals in a convincing fashion!

 

We take this opportunity to wish the Springboks well in the upcoming series against the British and Irish Lions.

 

It is clear that we need to invest on a large scale in sports development. We will speed up the revival of school sport and ensure that it forms part of the school curriculum. In addition we will ensure that the provision of sport facilities in poorer communities receives priority.

 

Hon. Speaker and Chairperson,

We have committed ourselves over the years to contribute to building a better Africa and a better world.

 

The main goal of government for the medium term is to ensure that our foreign relations contribute to the creation of an environment conducive to sustainable economic growth and development.

 

To this effect, we will continue to prioritise the African continent by strengthening the African Union and its structures, and give special focus to the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

 

Equally important, and closer to home, is the strengthening of regional integration with particular emphasis on improving the political and economic integration of SADC, towards the AU goal of a Union government. We will establish a South African Development Partnership Agency to promote developmental partnerships with other countries on the continent.

 

South Africa will continue to assist in the reconstruction and development of the African continent especially in post-conflict situations. We will continue to encourage a peaceful and sustainable settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the two-state solution.

 

We will support the peace efforts of the African Union and the United Nations on the African continent, including in the Saharawi Arab Republic and Darfur in Sudan.

 

As the Chairperson of SADC and Facilitator, we will participate in promoting inclusive government until free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe.

 

The plight of the Zimbabwean people has had a negative impact on the SADC region, especially South Africa. We call upon all peace-loving countries in the world to support the inclusive government to achieve economic recovery.

 

We will support efforts of the SADC region to resolve the situation in Madagascar.

 

Allow me, distinguished guests, to pay tribute to the SA National Defence Force for their sterling role in peace building in the continent.

 

Through continental and regional bodies, we will work towards the entrenchment of democracy and the respect for human rights on the African continent.

 

We will contribute to the strengthening of South-South relations and pursue mutually beneficial agreements with key countries of the South.

 

We will continue to enhance relations with the developed North including the G8, and our strategic partnership with the European Union.

 

We will continue to play an active role in ensuring the conclusion of the WTO Doha Development round of negotiations.

 

Honourable Speaker and Chairperson,

South Africa, being a dry country requires urgent action to mitigate adverse environmental changes and to ensure the provision of water to citizens.

 

Amongst various programmes, we will implement the Water for Growth and Development strategy, which will strengthen water management. We will continue to improve our energy efficiency and reliance on renewable energy.

 

Honourable Members,

A developmental state requires the improvement of public services and strengthening of democratic institutions.

 

We have established two Ministries in the Presidency to strengthen both strategic planning as well as performance monitoring and evaluation.

 

To ensure delivery on our commitments, we will hold Cabinet Ministers accountable through performance instruments, using established targets and output measures, starting in July.

 

We will also involve State-Owned Enterprises and Development Finance Institutions in the government planning processes and improve the monitoring and evaluation of their performance.

 

Honourable Members, fellow South Africans,

 

To ensure that all three spheres – local, provincial and national – improve service delivery, we will speed up the establishment of a single Public Service.

 

This administration will insist on putting people first in service delivery. We will ensure courteous and efficient service from front-counter staff in the provision of services in all government departments.

 

In this era of renewal, we will move towards a more interactive government.

 

To lead by example, work has begun on the establishment of a public liaison capacity in the Presidency.

 

In addition to receiving letters and emails from the public, we will also establish a hotline for easier access.

 

Staff will handle each public inquiry as if it was the only one, following it through all the channels until it receives the attention it deserves.

 

Honourable Speaker and Chairperson,

 

The National Youth Development Agency, formed through the merger of Umsobomvu Youth Fund and the National Youth Commission will be launched on June 16 in Ekurhuleni.

 

The institutions are being merged to enhance service and development opportunities provided to the youth.

 

The Agency will link up unemployed young graduates with economic opportunities; strengthen efforts to expand the National Youth Service Programme and support young entrepreneurs.

 

Speaker and Chairperson, Distinguished Guests,

 

Next month our beloved Madiba will turn 91. People all over the world still continue to clamour for his presence and for him to address their crises.

His values and his example of dedication to the service of humanity is a shining example in today’s troubled world.

 

An international campaign has been initiated by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and related organisations, called Mandela Day, which sums up what Tata stands for.

 

Mandela Day will be celebrated on the 18th of July each year. It will give people in South Africa and all over the world the opportunity to do something good to help others.

 

Madiba was politically active for 67 years, and on Mandela Day people all over the world, in the workplace, at home and in schools, will be called upon to spend at least 67 minutes of their time doing something useful within their communities, especially among the less fortunate.

 

Let us wholeheartedly support Mandela Day and encourage the world to join us in this wonderful campaign.

 

Honourable Speaker and Chairperson Fellow South Africans,

 

We have presented to the nation our programme for the next five years. Attached to each commitment we make is a detailed project plan, with targets and critical milestones.

 

This information will in due course be made public. Indeed as citizens we should at the same time ask ourselves what is it that we can do on our own to help promote this national programme.

 

To be a citizen is not only about rights, it is also about responsibility, to make a contribution to make ours a better country.

 

We also expect to work well with opposition parties in Parliament, in the spirit of putting the country first.

 

In addition, Madiba taught us well that this country belongs to all, black and white. Working for reconciliation and unity will remain important as we move forward.

 

Since the implementation of our programme will take place in the face of the economic downturn, we will have to act prudently – no wastage, no rollovers of funds – every cent must be spent wisely and fruitfully. We must cut our cloth according to our size.

 

Fellow South Africans, working together we can do more to realise our common vision of a better and more prosperous nation!

 

This is the partnership we are calling for.

 

I thank you!

 

Issued by: The Presidency

3 June 2009 

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th President of the USA. He is the first African American to hold the office. Below is a video of his victory speech.

Fellow South Africans,

I have no doubt that you are aware of the announcement made yesterday by the National Executive Committee of the ANC with regard to the position of the President of the Republic.

Accordingly, I would like to take this opportunity to inform the nation that today I handed a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Honourable Baleka Mbete, to tender my resignation from the high position of President of the Republic of South Africa, effective from the day that will be determined by the National Assembly.

I have been a loyal member of the African National Congress for 52 years. I remain a member of the ANC and therefore respect its decisions. It is for this reason that I have taken the decision to resign as President of the Republic, following the decision of the National Executive Committee of the ANC.

I would like sincerely to thank the nation and the ANC for having given me the opportunity to serve in public office during the last 14 years as the Deputy President and President of South Africa.

This service has at all times been based on the vision, the principles and values that have guided the ANC as it prosecuted a difficult and dangerous struggle in the decades before the attainment of our freedom in 1994.

Among other things, the vision, principles and values of the ANC teach the cadres of this movement life-long lessons that inform us that wherever we are and whatever we do we should ensure that our actions contribute to the attainment of a free and just society, the upliftment of all our people, and the development of a South Africa that belongs to all who live in it.

‘A vision of a better life’
This is the vision of a South Africa that is democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous; a country in which all the people enjoy a better life.

Indeed the work we have done in pursuit of the vision and principles of our liberation movement has at all times been based on the age-old values of Ubuntu, of selflessness, sacrifice and service in a manner that ensures that the interests of the people take precedence over our desires as individuals.

I truly believe that the governments in which I have been privileged to serve have acted and worked in the true spirit of these important values.

Based on the values of Ubuntu, the significance of which we learnt at the feet of such giants of our struggle as Chief Albert Luthuli, OR Tambo, Nelson Mandela and others, we as government, embarked, from 1994, on policies and programmes directed at pulling the people of South Africa out of the morass of poverty and ensuring that we build a stable, developed and prosperous country.

Accordingly, among many things we did, we transformed our economy, resulting in the longest sustained period of economic growth in the history of our country; we introduced an indigent policy that reaches large numbers of those in need; we made the necessary advances so as to bring about a developmental state, the better to respond to the many and varied challenges of the transformation of our country.

This is, of course not the occasion to record the achievements of government. An additional critical few are however worth mentioning. They include our achievements with regard to many of the Millennium Development Goals, the empowerment of women, the decision to allow us to host the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup and our election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council two years ago.

Despite the economic advances we have made, I would be the first to say that even as we ensured consistent economic growth, the fruits of these positive results are still to be fully and equitably shared among our people, hence the abject poverty we still find co-existing side by side with extraordinary opulence.

Importantly, we had an obligation to ensure that democracy becomes the permanent feature of our lives and that all our citizens respect the rule of law and human rights. This is one of the cornerstones of our democracy, which we have consistently striven to protect and never to compromise.

We have also worked continuously to combat the twin challenges of crime and corruption, to ensure that all our people live in conditions of safety and security. We must admit that we are still faced with many challenges in this regard.

Work will therefore have to continue to strengthen and improve the functioning of our criminal justice system, to provide the necessary resources for this purpose, to activate the masses of our people to join the fight against crime and corruption, and to achieve new victories in the struggle for moral regeneration.

With regard to the latter, our successive governments from 1994 to date have worked consistently to encourage the entrenchment in our country of a value system whose observance would make all of us Proudly South African, a value system informed by the precept of Ubuntu – umuntu ngumuntu ngabanye. Among other things this means that we must all act in a manner that respects the dignity of every human being.

We have sought to advance this vision precisely because we understood that we would fail in the struggle to achieve the national and social cohesion that our country needs, as well as the national unity we require to enable us to act together to address the major challenges we face.

Fellow South Africans,

Since the attainment of our freedom in 1994, we have acted consistently to respect and defend the independence of the judiciary. For this reason our successive governments have honoured all judicial decisions, including those that went against the Executive. This did not mean that the Executive did not at times have strong views which we would have publicly pronounced upon. The central approach we adopted has always been to defend the judiciary rather than act in a manner that would have had a negative impact on its work.

Indeed, on the infrequent instances when we have publicly expressed views contrary to those of the judiciary, we have done so mindful of the need to protect its integrity.

Consistent with this practice, I would like to restate the position of Cabinet on the inferences made by the Honourable Judge Chris Nicholson that the President and Cabinet have interfered in the work the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Again I would like to state this categorically that we have never done this, and therefore never compromised the right of the National Prosecuting Authority to decide whom it wished to prosecute or not to prosecute.

This applies equally to the painful matter relating to the court proceedings against the President of the ANC, Comrade Jacob Zuma.

More generally, I would like to assure the nation that our successive governments since 1994 have never acted in any manner intended wilfully to violate the Constitution and the law. We have always sought to respect the solemn Oath of Office each one of us made in front of the Chief Justice and other judges, and have always been conscious of the fact that the legal order that governs our country was achieved through the sacrifices made by countless numbers of our people, which included death.

In this context it is most unfortunate that gratuitous suggestions have been made seeking to impugn the integrity of those of us who have been privileged to serve in our country’s National Executive.

Compatriots,

Again, as you know, we have often pointed to the fact that our liberation movement has always been pan-African in its outlook and therefore that we have an obligation to contribute to the renaissance of the African continent.

All of us are aware of the huge and daunting challenges that face our continent. In the short years since our freedom, as South Africans we have done what we could to make our humble contribution to the regeneration of our continent.

We have devoted time and resources to the task of achieving the Renaissance of Africa because this is what has informed generations of our liberators, even before the ANC was formed in 1912. We have done this fully understanding that our country shares a common destiny with the rest of our Continent.

I therefore thank the many dedicated compatriots – men and women – who have made it possible for us to contribute to the resolution of conflicts and the strengthening of democracy in a number of countries including the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Comoros, Zimbabwe, Sudan and elsewhere. We have also done this work conscious of our responsibilities as a State Member of both SADC and the African Union.

I would like to thank my colleagues, the many Heads of State and Government on the African continent whose abiding vision is that Africa must be free; that all our countries, individually and collectively should become democratic, developed and prosperous, and that Africa must unite. These African patriots know as I do that Africa and Africans will not and must not be the wretched of the earth in perpetuity.

Similarly we have worked to contribute to the achievement of the aspirations of the countries and peoples of the South, conscious of the need for us to act in solidarity and in unity with the billions with whom we share the common challenge to defeat poverty and underdevelopment.

Accordingly, I depart the Office of President of South Africa knowing that this country has many men and women who have dedicated their lives to ensure that South Africa, Africa and the countries of the South will, in time, manage to ensure a better world for all of humanity.

I depart this Office conscious that the sterling work done by the Presidency, the Ministries and departments, the provinces and local government structures will continue, driven by the determination to achieve the goal of a better life for all.

I am convinced that the incoming administration will better the work done during the past 14-and-half years so that poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment, illiteracy, challenges of health, crime and corruption will cease to define the lives of many of our people.

I have received many messages from South Africans, from all walks of life, through e-mails, telephonically and through cell phone text messages as well as those conveyed through my colleagues. I thank all of you, fellow South Africans, for these messages.

To everyone, and responding to these messages, I would like to say that gloom and despondency have never defeated adversity. Trying times need courage and resilience. Our strength as a people is not tested during the best of times. As we said before, we should never become despondent because the weather is bad nor should we turn triumphalist because the sun shines.

For South Africa to succeed there is more work to be done and I trust that we will continue to strive to act in unity to accelerate the advance towards the achievement of our shared national goals.

In this regard, it may be worth repeating what I said during the inauguration of the President of the Republic in 1999. Using the metaphor of the Comrades Marathon, I said then that:

“Those who complete the course will do so only because they do not, as fatigue sets in, convince themselves that the road ahead is still too long, the inclines too steep, the loneliness impossible to bear and the prize itself of doubtful value.”

Once more, I thank you most sincerely for affording me the opportunity to serve you and to serve the people of Africa.

Thank you.

The following statement was issued by the National Executive Committee of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party after its decision to recall President Thabo Mbeki on Saturday 20 September, 2008.

FULL TEXT

Over the past two days, the National Executive Committee of the ANC has deliberated on the Pietermaritzburg Court judgment on the 12th of September by Judge Chris Nicholson.

In particular, we have focused on the implications of the judgment for our movement, and for our people as a whole.

The judgment has had a profound impact on many aspects of our legal system. It has obviously also had an impact on the affairs of the ANC.

We wish to assert to you that our most important task as a revolutionary movement is the stability of our country and the unity and cohesion of the ANC. Our movement has been through a trying period and we are determined to heal the rifts that may exist.

In the light of this, and after a long and difficult discussion, the ANC has decided to recall the President of the Republic before his term of office expires.

Our decision has been communicated to him.

The formalities are now subject of a Parliamentary process and, we can assure you, will take place in a way which ensures smooth running of government.

We acknowledge with deep admiration all the great strides our country has made under the stewardship of President Mbeki. He remains a loyal cadre of our movement and we will continue to work closely with him on matters relating to our desire to achieve a developmental state.

We will follow with precision all the constitutional requirements to ensure that interim arrangements are in place to ensure the smooth running of the government.

In the coming days, the President of the ANC will meet with ANC deployees in government to assure them that the NEC would wish for them to remain in Government.

To the citizens of South Africa, we make the commitment that we share their desire for stability and for a peaceful and prosperous South Africa. We believe that our decision is in the interests of making that a secure reality.

Issued:

African National Congress
P0 Box 61884
Marshalltown 2107

2008 has begun with a big bang.

New president for the ANC, Kenya in turmoil, Bhutto assassinated in Pakistan, Obama wins in Iowa, and the list goes on.

Our first day back in the office and 2008 we’ve been running crazy bedding down two new clients that we have secured. One is a large metropolitan municipality for whom we have been contracted to complete a multi million rand project assessment and verification project and the other is for the Social Housing Foundation, assisting them in developing a delivery chain for the Community Residential Unit (CRU) Programme.

Sustainable human settlement development is the core to the realisation of the goals of the second decade of democracy in South Africa. This stage our democratic development has as its goal, moving the country towards the eradication of poverty and underdevelopment by expanding socio-material citizenship, enhancing the process of social cohesion and building social solidarity by dealing with the structural manifestation of poverty, under-development and marginalisation. Underpinning this, is the commitment to build sustainable human settlements that restore the dignity and citizenship of the poor and is responsive to their coping and livelihood strategies. The CRU Programme plays an important role in supporting this objective.

In addition to these two new projects we have made significant progress in identifying new areas for investment, more about this in the coming months.

2008 is looking to be a good year for Erasibo, here’s hoping it’ll be a good year for you as well.

We have been appointed by the Department of Provincial and Local Government (dplg) to develop the criteria for means testing on Free Basic Services (FBS).

We are excited about being able to help the dplg with this important set of criteria because it will go a long ways to assisting municipalities in clearly defining who should be targeted for FBS. In addition this will assist municipalities in being able to better finance their FBS obligations.

According to the latest government release on Free Basic Services:

A total number of 17,4 million people benefited from improved water supply up to April 2007 whilst 6,9 million people still need to be served. Free Basic Electricity is being provided to 3,6 million households, translating to 67% of the households with electricity. A total of 2,6 million households were served with basic sanitation since 1994 whilst 3,5 million still lack access to basic sanitation services at April 2007

As a consulting firm it’s very important for us to be able to efficiently communicate to and engage with the community we service. This is why we have decided to metamorphose the old Erasibo website into a blog.

You’ll find all the usual bits here: what we do, who we are, who we’ve done work for previously, but more importantly we you’ll start to read up on our thoughts and ideas that we think can impact meaningfully within the development sector and beyond. We also want to stimulate readers into giving us their feedback on latest issues and on our thoughts and ideas by way of leaving comments against each blog post.

Keep coming back as this blog will be updated religiously and we really look forward to what you have to say.

To get this blog rolling, we’ve included an interesting presentation below on Web 2.0 and what it means for Governments.

[slideshare id=116762&doc=web2-0-for-egovernment-why-and-how1424&w=425]