Hon Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, hon Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Ministers, premiers and Deputy Ministers present, and hon members, when addressing the Organisation of African Unity in 1994, former President Nelson Mandela said:
If freedom was the crown which the fighters of liberation sought to place on the head of mother Africa, let the upliftment, the happiness, prosperity and comfort of her children be the jewel of the crown.
There can be no dispute among us that we must bend every effort to rebuild the African economies.
Today, we celebrate the 48th anniversary of Africa Day, a day of great historical significance to Africa and the world. Africa Day is the commemoration of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity on 25 May 1963. It was on this day that leaders of 30 of the 32 independent African states signed the founding Charter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In the decades that followed African states stood united under this framework and made huge efforts that gave depth and meaning to the political independence and socioeconomic developments of the peoples of Africa.
This day is very important on the calendar of Africa, as it calls on us to reflect on the achievements and challenges of the continent. Moreover, it calls on us to reflect on our ability to change the future for the better. As we reflect, we should remember the many heroes of our continent that have spoken out and acted so that our people could further liberate themselves from poverty and underdevelopment.
Earlier this year, when he was addressing the 99th anniversary of the ANC on 8 January, President Jacob Zuma stated that almost all the founding presidents of the ANC spoke passionately about the unity of the African continent. These courageous leaders included John Langalibalele Dube, Pixley ka Isaka Seme, Sefako Makgatho, Chief Albert Luthuli and Charlotte Maxeke. In honouring these leaders we should continue to work together as the people of our continent to cultivate cohesion, unity, democracy and prosperity, as well as to strengthen our capabilities to respond to the challenges we face under present-day circumstances.
The ANC has always cherished the unity of the African continent and the African people, and we salute the national liberation movement for ceaselessly calling for unity within the African continent.
As Members of this Parliament we have committed ourselves to pursuing our strategic objective of ensuring that we improve our participation in international matters. This includes remaining fully committed to the African agenda, which is achievable through the promotion of democracy, good governance, and peace and stability on the continent.
Our commitment to the African agenda requires, among other things, that we strengthen renewal programmes in areas such as agriculture, trade, infrastructure, human resources, technology and scientific development on the continent. This, I believe, could lead to a form of integration and development of the African continent. Of course, to be meaningful, integration has to be more organic than imposed.
This brings me to the question of how we ensure inclusivity in the manner in which we take decisions. Yes, we have established representative structures to facilitate decision-making on matters affecting the continent, but there remains a gap in regard to the role of ordinary Africans in influencing decision-making. It seems to me that we need to come up deliberately with creative ways of ensuring that the voices of ordinary Africans find expression.
This Parliament has a great role to play in ensuring that these voices are heard. For example, through its interactions with the different spheres of government, the National Council of Provinces could serve as the receptacle for the varying aspirations of our communities in so far as economic development is concerned. These interests or aspirations could then be deliberated upon by this Parliament. In turn, they could be articulated with a view to influencing bilateral and multilateral interactions by the executive, which is responsible for the implementation of the country's foreign policy.
In essence, Parliament is better placed to co-ordinate the expression of the views of South Africans in the different communities and vocations on all matters that affect them. This model for public involvement could bring legitimacy to the decisions taken at the level of our leading institutions on the continent. This would be in line with the strategic objective of the Fourth Parliament, which is to improve and widen the role of Parliament in international relations, co-operation and participation.
This strategic objective identifies, among other things, the need for the implementation of the Pan-African Parliament protocols through establishing participation systems; playing a role in conflict resolution, through contributing to the strengthening of democracy in Africa, and through sharing the experience of South Africa; developing participation systems in general; and monitoring the implementation of international agreements. Parliament needs to be actively engaged in overseeing executive action, especially on matters that bind the Republic, and I think issues affecting the continent will be uppermost.
I wish to conclude by saying that Africa Day reminds us that being an African means understanding the history of our continent and embracing the spirit of ubuntu that has come to define what it means to be an African. In our endeavours to correct our history, let us continue to unite for the good of the continent, the land of our forefathers. NdingumAfrika kwaye ndiyazingca ngobu-Afrika bam. [I'm an African and I'm proud of it.] Ngiyabonga. [Thank you.] Ke a leboga. Thank you. [Applause.]