Bloemfontein | Saturday
SOUTH AFRICANS have to make an investment in the betterment of their own lives, President Thabo Mbeki said on Saturday.
Some believed the government should deliver to a docile and inactive constituency without any reciprocating effort, he told Freedom Day celebrations in Bloemfontein.
”Our freedom will have no meaning if we do not participate in the processes that are aimed at improving our living conditions,” the president said.
Mbeki was addressing crowds at the Free State Rugby Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday, in celebration of the nation’s Freedom Day celebrations.
In some cases, where the government had put in place poverty alleviation programmes, these failed because there was no sense of ownership in the community.
”Freedom will translate into a better life if the poor and the disadvantaged also play their part, in partnership with the government, in the common effort to pull ourselves from the terrible misery brought about by grinding poverty.”
Freedom could only have meaning, the president said, if the privileged realised their responsibility to share their skills, their resources and their knowledge with those less fortunate.
Turning to gender and moral issues, the president said every man should realise that every woman was his equal.
Mbeki added South Africa’s freedom was also dependent on the creation of a new moral order.
This meant an intensification of the war against the abuse of women and children as well as against crime and corruption.
”We must continue to volunteer in large numbers to help the police to defeat criminals. We must refuse to buy stolen goods and expose and shame those who engage in these activities. We must report those in public life who use their position to steal money and resources that must help us to overcome poverty.”
South Africa’s success depended largely on that of fellow Africans in the region and the continent.
To this end, South Africa welcomed the recent agreement reached on ending the war in Angola, and talks held in a bid to end the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mbeki said South Africa wished Zimbabwe success as it sought to achieve national reconciliation and social change, and trusted the upcoming Lesotho general elections would be free and fair.
The creation of the African Union was also a great step in the continent’s renaissance, Mbeki said.
He reiterated South Africa’s call on the international community to work harder to end the conflict in the Middle East.
”We therefore call for the complete withdrawal of Israel from all Palestinian territory and for all the parties to return to negotiations.”
The president unveiled the country’s new national order, saying they were an important part in asserting South Africa’s freedom.
”These medals represent our steady move forward in a direction that reasserts our march towards our new humanity, a new culture of human rights and respect for the dignity of the human spirit…”
Mbeki praised Safety and Security Minister Steve Tshwete who died on Friday night, who he said committed his entire life to the freedom South Africa was celebrating.
”A great patriot, a fearless freedom fighter, a selfless servant of the people, a committed nation builder has fallen.”- Sapa