Address by President Nelson Mandela at Waseda University
South African History Online 
Address by President Nelson Mandela at Waseda University
Tokyo, 4 July 1995
Master of Ceremonies;
Honourable Dr Takayasu Okushima;
Members of the
Boards and staff of Waseda University;
Dear Students;
Ladies and
Gentlemen.
Few moments express the affinity between nations than the communion of ideas.
Fewer still reflect the respect they accord one another better than the
recognition of their mutual contribution to the good of humanity. Such is what
this occasion symbolises. And such is the joy and humility with which I accept
this honorary doctorate from Waseda University.
Our joy and humility are deepened by the realisation that it is more than the
deeds of an individual which are at issue. I accept this accolade on behalf of
our rainbow nation, on behalf of all the people of South Africa. It is they who
sacrificed for democracy. It is they who reached out across racial barriers to
make our small miracle happen. It is they who are laying the basis for human
rights, determined to build a prosperous society.
This august occasion today represents a confirmation of a bond forged in
struggle against apartheid; a bond strengthened by the achievement of democracy
in South Africa. And we wish to thank you once more, for the contribution you
made to our efforts.
Waseda University, as with others, is renowned for its excel- lence and its
contribution to the economic miracle that the "land of the rising sun" has come
to symbolise. Experiences such as yours are crucial as South Africa sets out
along the road to reconstruction and development.
We are today grappling with mammoth tasks to address the legacy of apartheid:
simple things that other countries take for granted, such as equal opportunities
to all children, free and compulsory primary and secondary education, and
linking up such education to the developmental needs of the country. The
experience of Japan will indeed stand us in good stead, as we build the human
resources needed to restructure our industries and ensure that they are
internationally competitive.
South Africans are fully aware that these endeavours will take time and much
effort to realise. They require patience and fortitude.
But we are confident of success because we know that the nation possesses
these qualities in abundance. They are qualities which inspired a struggle that
defied might and arrogance. They are attributes that inspired persistence in
negotiations to the very end even when conditions seemed intractable.
South Africans value democracy, because it was so difficult to accomplish.
Our experience has taught both sides of the former apartheid divide that
conflict cannot bring happiness.
We value democracy because it has laid the foundation for lasting peace. Gone
is the racial animosity that once made our country notorious. And as visitors
from here and elsewhere will attest, the Rugby World Cup recently held in our
country was one vivid expression of this.
Confidently and steadily, we are entrenching the culture of human rights in
our body politic. We are eliminating the problem of crime and violence which, in
great measure, has its roots in the apartheid past. South Africans, as well as
foreign investors and tourists who have visited our shores, are secure in the
knowledge that we are succeeding.
Therefore, in thanking Waseda University, we bring you a message from a
nation that is proud of its achievements, a nation that has identified its
common mission as the rapid socio-economic development of the country.
In pursuit of this objective, our plans for reconstruction and development
are underpinned by sustainable policies.
Central to our approach is the rational utilisation of the country's
resources: to move at a pace that the country can afford. To facilitate economic
revival, we have abolished the dual currency system and introduced measures that
will guarantee the security of investments. In due course, we shall be
eliminating any other constraints such as the non-resident share-holders' tax.
Underpinning these policies is the that has become the hallmark of our
democracy. Besides formal political structures, the engine-rooms of our economic
revival are bodies which bring together employers, government, labour and other
role-players.
We are not, as a country, immune to the vicissitudes of occasionally
turbulent labour relations. But the abiding common interest that we share is
valued by all sectors more than the differences that occasionally arise. Above
all, we are in the process of finalising labour legislation that will eliminate
causes of the kinds of conflict that can be easily prevented or at least more
rationally managed.
All this has laid the foundation for the economic upturn that our country is
experiencing for the first time in many, many years.
Master of Ceremonies;
We in South Africa do recognise that, to succeed, we have to rely on our own
resources. But we are also conscious that, in today's integrated world, no
country can achieve this on its own. In the same vein as security for a few
within a country is insecurity for all; prosperity in one country cannot be
sustained if the rest of humanity wallows in hunger, disease and ignorance.
In this context, we appreciate the humane approach which underpins Japan's
international relations. The best that humanity represents is in many ways
reflected in your pursuit of peace and commitment to a consistent policy against
nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. They are reflected in Japan's
commitment to a greater and more relevant role for the United Nations to bring
about peace and prosperity across the globe.
The fact that Japan is classified as the largest foreign donor, and that it
is committed to "south-south" co-operation, is itself laudable. This is indeed
unique, coming as it does from the second largest economy in the world.
This poses the possibility of the development of a lasting partnership across
the globe on the basis of a new paradigm. As the world approaches a new
millennium, we from South Africa are confident that Asia and Africa have the
potential to blaze a new trail of harmonious and mutual relations between big
and small economies, developed and developing nations, and between those who are
tapping their potential to the full and those yet to do so.
Japan - a country that has risen like a sphinx from the ashes of war; a
country that has embraced peace with a passion; a country that has graciously
acknowledged wrongs of the past - such a country is well placed to play a
leading role in this world renaissance. A country that weathers fearsome natural
disasters with such calm and fortitude, and displays an astonishing work ethic
and innovation, will be central in building a new and better world.
Master of Ceremonies;
This new and better world requires that relations are based on mutual respect
and benefit. It is a world that should eschew the economics of dependence and
inequality; a world sustained by a substantial economic relations rather than
mere aid.
It is for this reason that South Africa is thankful for the many areas of
co-operation that have been built in the short period since we attained
democracy. The benefit accorded our exports to this country, and co-operation
between our scientific institutions in industry, are a good example of this.
Above all, we value very highly the efforts of both our ministries of trade
and industry and finance to create the basis for transfer of technology and the
training of small and medium entrepreneurs. We are confident that these efforts
will result in even greater co-operation in areas of investment that entail job
creation and human resources development.
In the same vein as Japan sees great opportunities in South and Southern
Africa, our country and region recognise the huge potential in the growing and
dynamic markets of Japan and Asia.
And so we come to your shores with a message of hope about the vast
opportunities in both our countries and regions. We come confident of the great
potential across the globe to enter the new century spurred on by the common
ideal of improving the conditions of all, especially the poor.
South Africa is certain that our relations with Japan can only grow from
strength to strength. Our country, with foreign policy imperatives that are
common to those of other democracies, can now develop beneficial partnerships
without let or hindrance. We are proud that, at last, the constraints of racism,
humiliation and duplicity which apartheid imposed on diplomatic and other
relations with Japan, are now consigned to history.
Thus, can our two nations steadily but surely join hands under the beautiful
rays of the rising sun in common pursuit of happiness.
It is in this spirit that I accept the honour Waseda University has bestowed
on me and the people of South Africa.
I thank you.
