South African President Thabo Mbeki has made a key contribution to making the African dream a reality and no more will Africa be perceived as a dark continent without any rule of law and development, the ruling African National Congress said on Monday in celebration of his 64th birthday.
The president, who has been head of State since 1999, celebrated his birthday on Sunday June 18.
But in a statement on Monday, ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said: “Of particular importance during his birthday, the president was hard at work trying to assist the people of Burundi to find one another in the quest to create a better life for all the people of that country.
“Together with the entire ANC membership and other progressive forces, President Mbeki has made the African dream a reality. No more will Africa be perceived as a dark continent without any rule of law and development,” Ngonyama said.
He added: “During this ‘Age of Hope’, South Africans, black and white, united in their diversity to create a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society, truly recognise that their lives are changing for the better. We are healing the wounds of the past and are at peace with ourselves. A better life is upon us.
“Through his honesty, single mindedness in pursuit of the best wishes of all our people and refusal to sacrifice truth in return for praise by oppressors, we are accelerating the process of making a better life for all.
“The challenge that faces South Africans is to draw lessons and strength from the president’s humbleness, hard work and dedication to the cause of our people to volunteer their services for the betterment of our communities.
“On this important occasion, we pass sincerest regards to the Mbeki family for allowing the president to continue to marshal poor people of this country to a better life,” said Ngonyama. — I-Net Bridge