South African History Online

Speech by President Nelson Mandela at a banquet in honour of President Masire of Botswana

Cape Town, 23 April 1996

Your Excellency President Masire and Lady Masire;
Deputy Presidents;
Honorable Ministers;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen.

Your words of encouragement to the Constitutional Assembly this morning, Mr.
President, as our legislators finalise South Africa's new constitution, will
remain deeply etched in our hears for years to come.

They reminded us of the joy across the sub-continent 30 years ago, when
Botswana gained her independence and set out on the course of democratic
majority rule. They reminded us of the intervening period of blood and sweat as
the people of your country sacrificed to ensure that their brothers and sisters
in Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa too, attain their
freedom and dignity.

They also reminded us of the tenacity of the Botswana people to protect and
nurture democracy and to achieve high rates of economic growth in the midst of
adversity.

And so, we in South Africa have the opportunity today to play host to you,
and through you, to embrace the people of Botswana in a gesture of gratitude and
defence.

The irony of our history is that such friends and allies for generations,
could only exchange official state visits only now, as the century draws to a
close.

It is therefore with great joy that I welcome President and Lady Masire to
the free South Africa for which we have all been striving. I sincerely hope that
you feel just as comfortable here as we felt in your country.

We are proud that the special relationship between our countries is rapidly
coming of age. This underlines the fact that the bonds of history, geography and
culture that nature has decreed, apartheid could not rend apart.

Mr. President.

South Africa's democracy is now almost two years old; and it is poised for
even better expression in our new constitution.

Freedom from apartheid brings the opportunity for South Africans to address
their basic needs. While we have no illusion about the enormity of the task, we
have no doubts about the successes we are registering. Freedom from
destabilisation brings also the opportunity for building equitable relations
between our countries, and for us jointly to contribute to the development of
our Southern African region and our continent as a whole.

Our country has much to learn from Botswana - both from your towering
successes and your efforts to deal with the difficulties.

All these attributes have made Botswana, and you. Mr. President, a natural
and capable leader of the region's collective efforts towards growth and
development, within the framework of SADC. We also value your leadership in the
region's efforts to promote peace and stability on our sub-continent and further
afield.

In all these spheres, South Africa stands ready to work with Botswana and
other neighbours to attain the best for our peoples.

The rapid development of bilateral relations between our two countries has
brought increasing co-operation in almost every area of government and the
private sector. Many of our Cabinet Ministers and members of provincial
executives have visited Botswana, and so have senior leaders from Botswana
visited South Africa, over the last two years.

Our bilateral discussion earlier today underlined the progress that is being
made in completing negotiations on the customs union and in other bilateral and
multilateral matters. So should it be among friends, neighbours and partners in
development.

Mr. President;

Your visit has afforded us the opportunity to bestow on you the Order of Good
Hope.

In doing so, we recognise not only the self-sacrificing support which you and
your people gave to the people of South Africa, but also your contribution to
creating the framework within which we can all pursue the still greater
challenge of regional peace and development.

Ladies and Gentlemen;

I ask you to rise and raise your glasses in drinking a toast to President
Masire and the people of Botswana, and to the ever deepening bonds of friendship
between our peoples.

Issued by: Office of the President