Soweto, 24 May 2009
Chairperson of the ANC in Gauteng Province, Comrade Paul Mashatile,
Premier of the Gauteng Province, Comrade Nomvula Mokonyane,
Mayor of Johannesburg Metro Council, Comrade Amos Masondo,
Church leaders, pastors and elders of the Grace Bible Church,
Fellow congregants,
I am honoured to be here with you today, to share in the fellowship, communion and the grace of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We felt it important to visit today to show our deepest gratitude for all the support and the prayers we received during the campaign.
We are taught in the scriptures to give thanks. Thessalonians Chapter 5 verse 18 states: "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God." We are naturally inspired to be in Soweto, one of the most visible symbols and sites of our struggle for freedom.
Most importantly, we are pleased to share in the fellowship with congregants of the Grace Bible Church, a parish that is associated with progress and achievements.
Our election campaign, inauguration and transition have been successful due to the fact that we blessed by the religious sector throughout the country. The ANC has its roots in the Christian church and has also always been closely linked to other faiths.
In these elections the ANC was voted for by over 11.6 million South Africans, that is 800 000 more voters more than what we received in 2004. About 2, 8 million votes came from you the people of the Gauteng province, and for that we are very grateful. We are going to work hard as the new administration so as not to disappoint you. We want to keep open channels of communication so that you can be able to reach the Presidency timeously to raise issues and alert us to any problems or development needs.
We have brought the Premier of Gauteng, the ANC Provincial Chairperson and the Mayor of Joburg to underline the fact that their mandate comes from you. They should be able to listen to you on a continuous basis and ensure that the development needs of Soweto and the whole of Gauteng are attended to.
I would like to emphasise that we are a government for all the people of South Africa, including those who did not vote for us. When we implement our programmes of creating a better life, these would be directed to all our people.
We will early next month outline our programme of action through the State of the Nation address in Parliament. We intend to live up to the commitments we made during the election campaign.
We plan to ensure that we accelerate the pace of service delivery for all the communities who have been affected by slow service delivery in the past. We are forming a new ethos and culture in government where public representatives and officials must be held accountable at all times and they must be visible. We cannot afford to have a government that we see only every five years when they come to ask for your votes.
We have formed a Cabinet that is truly representative of the demographics and geographical spread of our population. We have priests and lay people, we have people from different faiths and religious beliefs, non believers and believers. We have women and men, Africans, Whites, Coloureds and Indians.
When we look at our Cabinet we see South Africa. It underscores our vision of a South Africa that belongs to all who live in it, black and white, young and old, urban and rural. This government will need your support and your prayers, as it is your government which is united by a common vision and desire to make South Africa a better country for all our people.
Please pray for the Cabinet as well as provincial executives and all spheres of government. We cannot govern alone. We need a strong partnership with the faith based sector and all stakeholders. We derive our wisdom and strength from you, our people. We must therefore continue to work together to do more to build a better life for all.
Thank you for your prayers and your support. May God bless you.
I thank you
Issue by
African National Congress