South African History Online

Notes for a speech by President Nelson Mandela at a meeting with representatives of the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut

Bellville, 13 February 1997

'n Geleentheid om die georganiseerde Afrikaanse handel te ontmoet.

1. Dit is vir 'n geruime tyd reeds my wens om met verteenwoordigers van die
   Afrikaanse sake-gemeenskap te ontmoet. Ek wil die AHI van harte bedank dat
   hulle dit moontlik gemaak het deur hierdie vergadering te reel.
2. Dit is van die allergrootste belang dat die regering en sakeleiers die
   geleentheid kry om met mekaar gedagtes te ruil; en mekaar op hoogte van sake
   te hou. En geen taak is belangriker as die om ons land en nasie te verenig.
   Elke persoon en elke gemeenskap behoort tuis en ingeslote te voel in die nuwe
   Suid-Afika wat ons besig is om tesame te bou; en behoort daartoe in staat te
   voel om hul talente en kragte by te dra tot die heropbou en ontwikkeling van
   ons samelewing. Dit is oorwegings soos die wat my vir hierdie vergadering laat
   vra het.
   
3. Die ontmoeting kom op 'n baie gelee tyd. Ons bevind ons juis nou op 'n
   tydstip waar daar onge-ewenaarde geleenthede is vir ekonomiese groei en
   ontwikkeling. Ons het daarin geslaag om 'n stewige fondament te le waarop
   verder gebou kan word aan die eenheid wat op so 'n merkwaardige wyse die stryd
   en verdeeldheid van die verlede vervang het.

Ons land se vordering in die afgelope drie jaar

1. Baie min mense kon voorsien hoe vinnig Suid-Afrikaners hande sou vat om
   aan 'n gemeenskaplike toekoms te bou. Die politieke kenners het 'n donker
   toekoms, en volgehou spanning en stryd, voorspel. Maar die mense van
   Suid-Afrika het die twyfelaars en doemprofete verkeerd bewys. In hierdie
   proses, is dit inderdaad so dat gewone mans en vrouens, op alle terreine van
   die lewe, die politici ver vooruit was.
   
2. Daarom dan, dat ons - nou so halfpad deur die eerste termyn van ons
   demokratiese verkose regering - tereg kan voel dat die seel geplaas is op ons
   oorgang tot demokrasie. Elke stukkie sukses wat ons behaal in hierdie poging
   om ons gemeenskaplike toekoms te bou, verstrerk die groeiende eenheid.
   
3. Verskille is daar steeds, en sal daar steeds bly; maar ek het volle
   vertroue dat die verskillende standpunte hulself afspeel binne die raamwerk
   van algehele trou aan ons nuwe demokrasie; en met die wil om met een stem te
   praat oor die belangrike sake wat aan die hart van ons toekoms as 'n nasie. Of
   dit nou ten opsigte van ekonomiese beleid is, of die bekamping van misdaad, of
   die lewering van maatskaplike dienste - in die bree, span ons samelewing saam
   rondom die beleidsrigtings van die regering.
   
4. Hoewel ons probleme het, en nie daardie probleme onderskat, het
   Suid-Afrikaners bewys dat eenheid en toewyding aan gemeenskaplike
   doelstellings, die grootste uitdagings kan baasraak.
   
5. Verlede week toe ons die Parlement toegespreek het in ons openingsrede,
   het ons dit nie gesien as 'n tyd om nuwe planne af te skop nie. Dit was eerder
   die geleentheid om nugter bestekopname te maak van die grondslae wat gele is
   gedurende die afgelope twee-en-'n-half jaar; om tekort-kominge vas te stel en
   uit te wys; en om ons self, as 'n regering en 'n nasie, met vertroue te
   her-verbind tot versnelde inwerking-stelling van die beleidsrigtings wat ons
   deel.

Focusing the economy on growth for reconstruction and development

1. Amongst our achievements of the past year has been to bring a sharper
   focus on economic policy and the ned for sustained growth at higher levels.
   This means transforming our economy into one that meets the needs of our new
   democracy and which at the same time can take its place in a competitive and
   globalised economy.
2. The Macroeconomic Framework for Growth, Employment and Redistribution,
   itself an achievement in co-ordinated policy development, was put in place to
   secure those goals. It sets out the requirements for the new ad higher growth
   path we need to create more jobs and meet our goals of reconstruction and
   development. It is against those requirements that we must set our sights and
   evaluate the performance of our economy.
3. Though the economy again grew at 3 per cent last year, what is still more
   important are the signs that the growth is of a nature that involves the kind
   of structural change we need. Private sector investment continues to be the
   driving force behind growth; productivity is rising and export performance is
   improving; and utilisation of capacity is a relatively high level.

Implementing the Macroeconomic strategy

1. In my State of the Nation Address I outlined the steps government is
   taking to ensure the continuation of these trends.
2. The measures to promote investment have been reinforced by the launch a
   few days ago of Investment South Africa. It will facilitate decisions and
   investment by potential investors.
3. We are again on target to meet our deficit reduction goal.
4. The restructuring of state assets, which started with last year's sale of
   radio stations, is proceeding in the concrete ways I specified in my address
   to Parliament.
5. In the delivery of services, the emphasis has already shifted from
   planning, preparation and policy development to implementation and we can
   confidently look forward to accelerated delivery.
6. These measures and the positive economic trends will begin to make their
   impact felt on what remains our greatest challenge; job-creation. They will
   enhance the job-creating effects of the streams of new investment from the
   private and public sectors, including the mega-projects; the large development
   initiatives like the Maputo Corridor, and the Municipal Infrastructure
   Programme.
7. The underlying strength of our economy is vital in an era in which
   economies are exposed to the impact of volatile currency markets. We intend to
   sustain this by systematically implementing our macroeconomic strategy.

Partnership

1. Central to our approach has been the recognition that our economic goals
   are not achievable by government alone. Government has shown its commitment to
   providing the environment in which business can thrive. We are resolute in our
   determination to improve the capacity ad effectiveness of government in all
   its spheres. Our offensive against crime has started to bring results and as
   it escalates its effect will be enhanced by the steps we are taking to weld
   our criminal justice system into an integrated and effective instrument. But
   if we are to succeed then we must strengthen still further the partnership
   between the public and private sectors that is at the heart of our strategy.
2. This applies not only to investment, but also to the need for finding
   common ground between government, business and labour as the major forces in
   our society. AHI's participation in NEDLAC is an important contribution to
   this process.
3. It applies too to the need for business to work in partnership with labour
   to ensure that workplace relations match the ideals of our democracy; that
   adequate resources are devoted to health and safety; and that training is on a
   scale that helps redress the neglect of the past and ensure that our country
   benefits form the vast potential of its people.
4. It applies also to the promotion of South Africa and its opportunities in
   the international world of investment. Again, it did not escape our notice
   that at a time last year when negativism weighted heavily on our business
   community, so much so that foreign friends began to describe us as our own
   worst enemies, we also heard from within the AHI the voice of commitment to
   our economic future.
5. There is also scope for a more direct contribution to upliftment. I would
   like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the way in which the AHI is
   generously assisting in the upgrading of the Dalindyebo High School in the
   Eastern Cape. Such initiatives, based on a partnership of business, government
   and communities, make a very real and concrete contribution to the building of
   our new and united nation.

Die vereniging van die georganiseerde handel

1. Ek kon hierdie opmerkings net so wel voor enige ander vergadering van
   sake-leiers in ons land kon maak. Vanwee hul bevoorregte posisie in die
   verlede, het die Afrikaanse gemeenskap baie vaardighede en middele bekom. Dit
   is een van die sterkpunte van die AHI dat dit hierdie vaardighede en middele
   inspan in die opbou van 'n nuwe demokratiese Suid-Afrika. Daardeur maak hulle
   van die Afrikaanse sakewereld 'n onmisbare en gewaardeerde deel van die
   toekoms wat ons bou.
   
2. Met verloop van tyd sal die omstandighede wat aanleiding gegee het tot die
   bestaan van afsonderlike instellings van georganiseerde handel, verdwyn. Dit
   sal waarskynlik nog 'n tydjie neem voor ons daar uitkom. Dit sal tyd neem om
   diegene wat voorheen uitgesluit is, in die hoofstroom van die ekonomie te
   bring. Maar dit is bemoedigend om te sien dat die AHI reeds vooruit kyk na
   hierdie tyd; en besig is met 'n samewerkings-verhouding met ander
   georganiseerde sektore, veral NAFCOC.

Samevatting

1. Dit is dan van die belangrikste uitdagings en geleenthede waarvoor die
   sakesektor en die land staan, terwyl ons skouer aan die wiel sit om van
   Suid-Afrika 'n wen-nasie te maak. Ek het alle vertroue dat die AHI - as 'n
   belangrike onderdeel van ons sake-gemeenskap en van die Afrikaanse gemeenskap
   - volledig opgewasse tot die taak sal wees.

Issued by: Office of the President