South African History Online

Speech by President Nelson Mandela on receiving the Freedom of the City of London at Guildhall

London, 10 July 1996

My Lord Mayor;
Your Royal Highnesses;
Your Excellencies;
My Lord,
Aldermen, Sheriffs;
Ladies and Gentlemen.

On behalf of my delegation and myself, I should like to express my
appreciation and gratitude for the kind words to me and to my country spoken by
the Chamberlain on behalf of the City and the Corporation of London. We are most
honoured by the generous and warm hospitality of the City of London.

I am personally delighted to be back in London. I have long looked forward to
this visit. I was, after all, brought up in a tradition of admiration for
British democratic institutions.

I first came to London in 1962 under rather different circumstances. At that
time I was not a free person. Like most of my compatriots, I had no vote in the
country of my birth. And even here I had to resort to underground ways and move
about secretly, since the tentacles of the apartheid security forces reached all
the way to London. Not long after I returned to South Africa I was arrested and
imprisoned.

As a nation united in diversity, we feel strong affinity with London; because
this seat of colonial power that once ruled much of the globe has drawn into its
body people from countless countries. The communities that established
themselves here have in turn made London a part of each of those far-flung
nations. Inasmuch as London and Britain left part of itself in the colonies; in
this city resides part of the heart and soul of South Africa, India, Jamaica and
other nations.

You can imagine, then, what a joy it is to be granted the freedom of your
great city. What an honour it is to be accepted as a citizen of this renowned
commercial and financial centre in the heart of London. It is an honour which is
rightly that of the whole of our Rainbow Nation; and it is in that spirit that I
gladly accept it.

Our visit is much more than a ceremonial occasion to celebrate bonds and look
back on past friendships, ordeals and triumphs, important as that is.

It is an opportunity to report on our progress in addressing the legacy of an
inhuman system that was ended by the people of South Africa with the support of
others, including the people of Britain. It is an opportunity to show Britain
that democratic South Africa has indeed joined the rest of the world, that we
are facing up to the challenges and realities of being a full member of the
international community of nations and part of the global marketplace.

I know that I am among friends who wish South Africa well, and so I can
candidly acknowledge that we do face major challenges. I know that we have a
common interest in seeing our new democracy succeed and develop in peace with
the help of international capital.

What gives us confidence is that the political and macroeconomic frameworks
are in place to achieve this ideal. We are confident that in the development of
detail, all the major sectors of the economy have come on board.

All these strategies combined will ensure that we attain the six per cent
growth rate required by the turn of the century, to create jobs and generate the
resources required to improve the quality of life. They provide a comprehensive
programme for tackling poverty; dealing with crime; modernising our economy; and
democratising our society.

It is the readiness of all sections of our society to join hands and work
together that is the greatest source of our strength. We have found that no
problem has been too great and no differences too wide, to be overcome through
discussion. In the end ourr future will be secured by the common commitment of
South Africans to unite in their diversity, and to seek negotiated solutions
that put long-term interests above short-term considerations.

Time and again the sceptics and the prophets of doom have been proved wrong
by the people of South Africa. Most recently, it was the voters of
KwaZulu/Natal, a province hitherto regarded as a synonym for political violence
- who went to the polls without serious incident to cast their votes for peace,
democracy and development. They have taken to heart the uniform message of all
parties for peace; and reinforced by security forces, they have sued for an end
to the carnage.

We do face major challenges, but none are as daunting as those we have
already surmounted.

My Lord Mayor;

I have come to Britain not as a petitioner with begging bowl in hand, but as
a partner inviting investors to join hands with us in building a long-term
future for our country and for the Southern African region.

It is against this background, that I appeal to my fellow citizens of the
City of London, for even closer economic links and co-operation between the City
and South Africa.

It will be a partnership of mutual benefit; and the long-term potential for
growth in South and Southern Africa is immense. for decision-makers, it is a
time for bold initiatives to seize the opportunities that South Africa has to
offer.

Together let us create a model of economic partnership for prosperity and
equity which will reverberate across the oceans and continents.

Allow me, My Lord Mayor, to once again thank you for the honour you have
bestowed on me and the people of South Africa. I will always cherish this
moment; because becoming a citizen of your great city is to me the culmination
of a long walk started here in 1962.

In a sense, I leave part of my being here.

I thank you.

Issued by: Office of the President