Cape Town International Convention Centre, 5 February 2009
Members of the National Executive Committee of the ANC,
Presiding Officers of Parliament, Chief Whip and Chairperson of the ANC Caucus,
Distinguished guests,
Comrades and friends,
Good evening to you all.
We meet at an opportune time, on the eve of the State of the Nation Address by Comrade Kgalema Motlanthe, our President of the Republic and Deputy President of our movement.
It is also wonderful that we are able to celebrate the legacy of the ANC here in Cape Town, before Parliament rises and before the end of the current term of government. We are in essence celebrating that which brings us together as South Africans - the ANC and its undying commitment to this country and its people since 1912.
I cannot imagine a South Africa without the ANC! It is a way of life; it identifies who we are as its members, and as South Africans. The movement and South Africa have actually become synonymous, given the role of the ANC in shaping the history of this country.
Comrades, you would have noticed that the ANC has generally been in a celebratory mood since the beginning of the year, and that our election rallies have become huge carnival events. The exception is of course Nongoma, where our celebratory mood was interrupted by the attacks on our people on their way to the rally, and on their way back home.
The reason for the festival atmosphere is simple. It is wonderful to belong to the ANC, and the masses of this land are proud to be associated with the ANC. I must emphasise that we are saying this with great humility.
Our people are in an upbeat mood because they have been part of the ANC election campaign and policy drafting processes from conceptualisation, through our popular My ANC, MY VISION, MY FUTURE campaign.
We are running a true people's campaign.
Our claim that the ANC is the people's organisation is supported by concrete reality, with broad participation of the masses through the length and breadth of our country.
We have also met with various sectors in our country, ranging from business, women, labour, youth, traditional leaders to professionals. We are planning more intensive meetings with other sectors, to discuss our programme.
Our recent Manifesto endorsement dinner in Johannesburg indicated that an overwhelming number of influential sectors back the ANC's programme of action. We are humbled by the endorsements and thank all the sectors for their continued faith in their organisation.
We have also met with the Jewish, Muslim, Hispanic, Coloured and Afrikaner communities and more meetings are being organised. We are sending out one message. South Africa belongs to all of us. Let us work together to make our country work.
The ANC has worked hard to earn this special place in the hearts of South Africans. Since 1912, this organisation has worked consistently to rid South Africa of colonialism, oppression, apartheid, racism, tribalism and sexism.
The organisation also continues the nation-building task. Pixley ka Isaka Seme aptly emphasised unity as the essence of the ANC in October 1911 when he spoke out about the need to eradicate the demon of racism and tribalism.
We owe the traditions and customs of this movement to its founding fathers. We therefore salute the first executive committee, which consisted of Rev. John Dube, as President; Solomon T. Plaatje as Secretary; Pixley ka Isaka Seme as Treasurer; Thomas Mapikela of the Orange Free State as Speaker and Montsioa Recording Secretary.
The Rev. Mqoboli of the Wesleyan Church became Chaplain-in-chief, assisted by the Rev. H.R. Ngcayiya. Walter Rubusana, Meshack Pelem, Sam Makgatho and Alfred Mangena were elected Vice-Presidents.
Amakhosi who became honorary Presidents were: Dalindyebo of the abaThembu, Montsioa of the Barolong, Lewanika of Barotseland (part of Zambia), Letsie 11 of Basutoland (Lesotho) who was elected President, Khama of Bechuanaland (Botswana) and King Dinizulu.
When we pay our respects to amakhosi and oKumkani as the ANC, we are staying true to the history and traditions of our movement. When we visit places of worship, we are also remaining true to tradition, as this movement had a Chaplain in Chief at its inception in 1912.
You will also notice, if you visit ANC archives on our website and read our historical documents, that our policymaking also began in 1912. At the inaugural conference of the ANC in Bloemfontein, eleven papers were read and the topics ranged from schools and churches, African labour, segregation and the land question amongst others.
This celebration of the ANC legacy since 1912 also provides an opportunity for us to acknowledge the contribution of women to the history of the ANC and our country.
While we correctly mark the 1956 Women's March on the Union Buildings, it should also be noted that women had started much earlier than that to make their presence felt in the struggle for liberation.
Our archives indicate that about 600 women marched to the Municipal offices in Bloemfontein in July 1913, and handed over their passes to the Deputy Mayor.
We also celebrate the formation of the ANC Youth League. Granted, it has always been more militant than the mother body throughout its history. This character of the ANC Youth League has always given the ANC the energy that it needs to take the national democratic revolution forward.
We are also celebrating the fact that this organisation has since 1912 produced leaders who were always equal to the challenges and tasks of the time. We can mention the generations of JL Dube, Inkosi Albert Luthuli, ZK Matthews, OR Tambo and Nelson Mandela, Chris Hani as well as that of 1976 to name a few.
We remain true to the vision and mission of the ANC in 1912, to build a better life for our people, as our Manifesto indicates. We will work tirelessly to ensure much needed infrastructure and socio-economic development in our rural areas, as well as faster land and agrarian reform.
We will work with parents to do more to improve the quality and delivery of education. We must ensure that our teachers are in school, in class, on time, teaching and not abusing learners. We can also do more to ensure that our children are also in school, on time, learning, and respecting their teachers.
Working together we can do more to fight crime and make our communities safer places to live and work in. We will create decent jobs and provide a social welfare net to the vulnerable to ensure that our people do not go to bed hungry. We will work with our people to improve our health services.
We drafted our Manifesto mindful of the global economic meltdown. We will monitor the situation, and will do our best to deliver on our undertakings, within the difficult economic environment.
Working together we can also do more to create a more united nation, and a more positive and relaxed climate in our country.
We love our country. We love its people.
That is why the ANC has invested in 15 years of nation building, reconciliation and democratisation. Working together with all South Africans we have built the foundation of a new society by enshrining the basic human and democratic rights of all in the country's constitution.
Working together we have built the institutions of our democracy and ensured citizen's participation in decision-making processes that affected their lives.
Working together we will ensure that South Africa becomes a country where every woman, man or child feels they have a home, a role and a future. It must be a country whose citizens are able to find a lot that unites them, and very few things that divide them. The achievements of the past 15 years must be claimed by all of us, and we must make sure that we only move forward.
We will be building on these achievements when moving towards the next term of government.
Compatriots, let us extend our good wishes to President Motlanthe who will deliver the State of the Nation address tomorrow. He has led the country well since assuming office. He held the nation together during a difficult time, after the recall of the then President of the Republic, which led to a change in government.
We salute the people of our country for the mature manner in which this difficult episode of the recall was received and handled. It certainly indicated the maturity of our democracy and politics.
We acknowledge the hard work of our Members of Parliament during the current and previous terms. Parliament has passed 1061 transformative pieces of legislation since freedom, a remarkable achievement.
We also recognise the work of the outgoing Cabinet; whose term of office will expire when a new government is sworn in. We are proud of the service delivery record of the ANC government. More South Africans have received access to services in the last 15 years than ever before, and that is indeed a fact. We have identified the weak points in service delivery, and will correct these in our next term of government after elections.
We must now all go out to spread the message that working together as various sectors, we can do more to fight crime, improve the quality of our education and our health services, develop our rural areas and create decent jobs for our people.
To prepare ourselves for a resounding victory, let us use the wisdom of President OR Tambo who said:
"Let us arm ourselves with the willpower and fearlessness of Shaka; the endurance and vision of Moshoeshoe, the courage and resourcefulness of Sekhukhuni; the tenacity and valour of Hintsa; the military initiative and guerrilla tactics of Maqoma, the farsightedness and dedication of S.P. Makgatho, Sol. Plaatje, Langalibalele Dube, Isaka Ka Seme, W.B. Rubusana, Meshach Pelem, Alfred Mangena, Paramount Chief Letsie II of Lesotho and all founding-fathers of the African National Congress''.
Comrades and friends, as I walk the length and breadth of our country, meeting and talking to people of all classes, ages, gender and character, I feel the warmth, strength, vibrancy and good nature of our broad movement. I also feel and see that the clear message of our organisation is reaching out to all our people.
It is good to be in the ANC, it is even better to be its cadre and volunteer because you become part of history making.
This experience is humbling to many of us.
Long live the ANC, Mayihlome, Ke Nako!
I thank you.
Issued by:
African National Congress