Helping other countries on the continent solve their political, economic and social problems will be a focus area of South Africa’s foreign policy in 2005, says President Thabo Mbeki.
In a New Year’s message on Friday, he said particular attention would be paid to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Ivory Coast.
”Our continent of Africa has… continued to make progress towards solving its political, economic and social problems. We will continue in the New Year to contribute whatever we can towards the achievement of this objective.
”In particular in the New Year, we will have to focus on working with the governments and people of the DRC, Burundi and Côte d’Ivoire as they prepare for and hold democratic elections, as well as the Sudanese people as they engage the challenge of post-conflict reconstruction.
”We also hope that significant progress will be made towards the solution of the problems confronting the peoples of Palestine and Israel, Iraq and Western Sahara.”
Mbeki said 2004 had been a good year for South Africa.
”Our economy has… performed very well, establishing itself as one of the best performing economies in the world.
”Among other things, it has also brought the good news that we are creating new jobs, though we know that these are not enough, and therefore that we must continue to work to create more job opportunities.
”We are therefore well set to achieve new successes in the New Year as we continue to respond to the important challenge of reducing poverty in our country.”
Mbeki also made an appeal to South African road users to not drink and drive, saying ”some among us have lost the possibility to think and act rationally as a result of drug and alcohol abuse”.
”As government, we are very concerned that too many of our people are dying and sustaining permanent injury unnecessarily, because of accidents on our roads.
”Our country is… confronted by the serious problem of drug and alcohol abuse. This is one of the primary causes of accidents on our roads, affecting both drivers and pedestrians. We must therefore take the rule very seriously — don’t drink and drive!”
The president said South Africa had been deeply shocked by the earthquake and the tens of thousands of lives lost last weekend in Asia and some African countries.
”We extend our sincere condolences to all those affected, all of them being countries with which we have strong relations of friendship. We also extend our heartfelt sympathies to our own families and families from other parts of the world who lost their loved ones.
”We must and will do everything we can to assist the affected countries to respond to this unprecedented tragedy, as well as join hands with them as they work to recover and rebuild,” he said.
In his message, Mbeki also congratulated South Africa’s 2004 matriculants.
”Let me end by congratulating all our young people who passed their matriculation examinations, and hope them the best as they continue to develop themselves further. We will do everything we can to support them in this regard,” he said. – Sapa