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THE SMART NEWS SOURCE | Feb 11 2012 02:49 | LAST UPDATED Feb 11 2012 02:49 |
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South Africa still had a long way to go toward reconciliation, President Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday. Speaking at the Reconciliation Day celebrations at the Amphitheatre in Freedom Park, Pretoria, Zuma said the country still had a long way to go to get rid of racism, xenophobia and other "social ills". "Let me emphasise that in this era of promoting renewal, we must promote the values of non-racialism, reconciliation and non-sexism among all our people, black and white," he said. Zuma said the government was outraged by the reports of ill-treatment of foreign nationals in some parts of the country. "Such attacks go against the spirit and letter of our Constitution and our track record of respecting human rights and promoting dignity," he said. "There needs to be an improved understanding of the plight of refugees in particular, and their reasons for being in our country." He said there needed to be an understanding that not all foreign nationals were in South Africa illegally. "Legal immigrants contribute constructively to the economic and social development of our country," he said. "Let us embrace especially our African brothers and sisters, who usually bear the brunt of ill-treatment more than foreigners from other continents." He said the Department of Home Affairs was formulating a migration policy that will enable foreign nationals to be treated in a more humane manner.  CONTINUES BELOW Zuma said this year's Reconciliation Day was dedicated to the military veterans of the liberation struggle. "The Constitution of the Republic calls upon the people of South Africa to recognise the injustices of our past and to honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land," he said. "In this regard, today we recognise our former freedom fighters who left their homes and went to exile in foreign lands. "When they left the comfort of home and family, venturing into the unknown, the only reward they sought was merely that they may contribute to the dawn of a new South Africa." He said government recently appointed a task team to develop policy recommendations on the management of the affairs of veterans. Some of the services that are being looked into for veterans include education and training opportunities, social services, health, and economic empowerment. The report of the task team will be presented to Cabinet in the New Year. Zuma said he expected the Special Pensions Amendment Bill, which was passed last year, would assist in resolving financial problems of some of the veterans. "Former freedom fighters do not qualify for the War Veterans Grant, which is provided to former SADF veterans who served in the two world wars and Korean wars," he said. He said the government's concern went further than just the veterans. "We want to invest in the development of the Defence Force and the young people who are drawn into this noble calling of defending the country," he said. -- Sapa TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE
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