The task of accomplishing national reconciliation has not yet been concluded, President Thabo Mbeki said on Monday.
Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament to mark the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, he warned against disregard for the law and the rights of others.
Mbeki also urged continued respect for democracy.
”But above all, we continue to face the challenge to achieve the balanced and mutually reinforcing outcome mentioned in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission [TRC] Act of ‘reconciliation between the people of South Africa and the reconstruction of society’.
”We have to continue to work for national and social cohesion among our people, who were taught that they were permanent victims of God-ordained differences that were irreconcilable.
”As part of this, we have to restore the integrity of our social fabric and ensure moral regeneration, affecting all aspects of human endeavour,” Mbeki said.
This should focus on restoring respect for the dignity of every individual South African, and rekindling the spirit of human solidarity and mutual respect central to the concept and practice of ubuntu.
Mbeki said it was important that all institutions of state and civil society educate the people everywhere about the basic law of the land — the Constitution adopted exactly 10 years ago today [Monday].
”At the same time, we must also strive to ensure that all of us understand that freedom does not translate into licence, into an unlimited right for anyone of us to do as they please, regardless of the law.
”We must understand that none of us has a right to pursue what we believe is due to us by compromising the rights of another,” he said.
”We must understand also that, as the Freedom Charter said, all must be equal before the law, with none among us acting as though they are above the law, acting in a manner that deliberately seeks to undermine, weaken or discredit the institutions of the democratic state.”
Nowhere did the Constitution provide for those serving in government to abuse their power to undermine the objective to secure the wellbeing of the people of the Republic.
Nor did it say that any public representative or official served in any organ of state to misuse state power to enrich themselves or acquire any benefits not due to them according to law, he said.
”This we must understand as well, that the freedom we have won, and the rights codified in our Constitution, mean that we have the means to address our demands and solve disputes by peaceful means, without resort to violence.
”Indeed it means that, by definition, [a] resort to violence within our democracy is inherently directed against the democratic system itself.”
Equally, the outstanding outcome of the heroic struggles of the people meant the results of the exercise by the people of their right to vote and elect governments of their choice, affecting all spheres of government, had to be respected.
”We must understand that any of our parties may win or lose elections, but that whether we win or we lose, we must always celebrate the consequence fundamental to a bright future for our country and people, that free and fair elections represent the triumph of the democracy for which many sacrificed their lives, regardless of who is in, and who is out, of the seat of government,” Mbeki said.
The sacrifices made to attain democracy in South Africa should instil an unflinching determination to uphold, respect, protect and promote the Constitution born of those sacrifices.
The Constitution was the product of the labours of South African men and women who were prepared to put aside their differences and work for the common good.
”We should never forget the outstanding dedication to their historic task of the patriots who negotiated our Constitution, the immensity of the effort that was required for us to reach agreement, and the respect for the sovereign voice of the masses of our people, which resulted in extensive popular participation in the constitution-making process.
”Through our Constitution, we laid the basis for the construction of a democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, united and prosperous society, based on justice, equality, the rule of law, the inalienable human rights of all our citizens, and freedom from hunger and want.
”By this statement, we made the statement that no individual among us, and no sector of our society, could live in conditions of liberty, peace, prosperity and happiness, except in the context of the construction of the new South Africa visualised in our Constitution,” Mbeki said. — Sapa