In his weekly newsletter on Friday President Thabo Mbeki urged South Africans to reflect on fulfilling their obligation to advance South Africa’s national agenda as outlined in the Constitution.
”Some among our compatriots have as yet not become fully aware of the fact that our country shares an important national agenda … That national agenda is spelt out in our Constitution,” he said.
”It contains very important injunctions concerning the need for us to build a democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa that fully respects and pursues the principle of equality among all our citizens.”
Goals such as addressing the imbalances of the past, promoting equality and building a democratic and prosperous South Africa were enshrined in the Constitution and society was therefore obligated to contribute to their realisation, he said.
Ahead of Freedom Day on April 27, Mbeki said the progress the country had made in the last 13 years was cause for celebration.
Quoting news reports, he said: ”Foreign interest in the South African property market has increased at least 10 times since the sale of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape town to a foreign consortium ….
”The growth in the number of tourists to South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa is outstripping the industry growth in the rest of the world … We attracted over a million more tourists in 2006 than in 2005, representing an increase of 13,6%,” he said, quoting Environment and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk.
”Another report reflecting on the South African economy as a whole said ‘sound macro-economic policies and a strong banking system have positioned South Africa well to resist external shocks’,” Mbeki continued as he listed South Africa’s recent accomplishments.
The president said South Africans should reflect on what they could be doing to further advance the country.
The ruling party must renew pledges made to continue to ”build the African National Congress as an agent for change”.
”… and that we would mobilise our people also to act as agents for change, giving concrete meaning to our vision that the people must be their own liberators.” — Sapa