Africa Political and Economic
Strategic Center (Afripol) is foremost a public policy center whose
fundamental objective is to broaden the parameters of public policy
debates in Africa. To advocate, promote and encourage free enterprise,
democracy, sustainable green environment, human rights, conflict resolutions, transparency and probity
in Africa.
Quotations of the Week
Address by Honourable Mr Jacob Zuma on the occasion of his
inauguration as fourth democratically elected President of South
Africa, Union Buildings May 2009
Your Majesties,
Your Royal Highnesses,
Your Excellencies Heads of State and Government and Leaders and
Members of delegations, Chairpersons of the African Union and the
African Commission, Esteemed Members of the Order of Mapungubwe, our
icon the Hon Nelson Mandela, and the Hon Thabo Mbeki, Your
Excellencies, Ambassadors and High Commissioners Speaker of the
National Assembly, Max Sisulu, Chief Justice, Pius Langa Members of
the Diplomatic corps, Mama Albertina Sisulu and all veterans of our
struggle, Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
On this day, a decade and a half ago, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
was formally elected as the first President of a democratic South
Africa.
At that moment a new nation was born, a nation founded on the
fundamental principles of human dignity and equal rights for all.
A nation founded on the promise that ‘never, never and never
again’ would this land experience the oppression of one by another.
Today, a decade and a half later, we gather here to reaffirm the
promise of that great day.
We gather here determined to renew that most solemn undertaking,
to build a society in which all people are freed from the shackles
of discrimination, exploitation, want and disease.
We gather here determined that the struggles and sacrifices of
our people over many decades shall not be in vain.
Instead, they shall inspire us to complete the task for which so
much blood was shed, and so much hardship endured. This is a moment
of renewal.
When Madiba took the oath of office on the 10th of May 1994, it
was one of the greatest historic moments of our country, Africa and
the African diaspora.
Madiba healed our wounds and established the rainbow nation very
firmly.
He set us on the path of nation building and prosperity and made
us a respected member of the world community of nations. He taught
us that all South Africans have equal claim to this country, and
that there can be no lasting peace unless all of us, black and
white, learned to live together in harmony and peace.
He made reconciliation the central theme of his term of office.
We will not deviate from that nation-building task. Thank you
Madiba, for showing us the way.
I would also like to acknowledge the former second Deputy
President of the democratic republic, the Hon FW de Klerk, who
worked with Madiba in the resolution of the apartheid conflict, and
participated in shaping a new South Africa.
Your Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,
In June 1999, former President Mbeki came to this very podium to
take the oath of office, as the second President of the Republic. He
took the country forward as a true statesman.
He made a remarkable contribution towards strengthening our
democracy, and laid a firm foundation for economic growth and
development.
He made our country an integral part of the continent and worked
tirelessly for an African rebirth. Through his leadership, South
Africa’s stature grew in the continent and globally.
In his last address to the nation as Head of State in September
last year, he demonstrated his patriotism, and put the interests of
the country above his personal interests.
Thank you Zizi for demonstrating a character that the ANC had
always embodied since 1912.
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentleman, the nation is equally
indebted to my friend, comrade and brother, President Kgalema
Motlanthe.
He came into office during a period of great anxiety, and brought
about calm, stability and certainty. He has led us in a very capable
manner and the transition has become remarkably smooth and well
managed.
On behalf of the nation, let me express our sincerest gratitude
to President Motlanthe for patriotic service to the nation.
Motlanthe!
Bakone! Mmadiboka, seboka, dikgomo lebatho!
Today, as I take this solemn Oath of Office as the Fourth
President of the Republic of South Africa, I do so deeply conscious
of the responsibilities that you, the people of our country are
entrusting in me.
I commit myself to the service of our nation with dedication,
commitment, discipline, integrity, hard work and passion.
There is a lot to be done. More than 11,6 million South Africans
voted for the ANC, based on the programme put before them.
We are now called upon to implement our Manifesto. The dreams and
hopes of all the people of our country must be fulfilled. There is
no place for complacency, no place for cynicism, no place for
excuses.
Everything we do must contribute in a direct and meaningful way
to the improvement of the lives of our people.
Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Your Excellencies,
We make a commitment here and now, before the eyes of the world,
that:
For as long as there are South Africans who die from preventable
disease;
For as long as there are workers who struggle to feed their
families;
For as long as there are communities without clean water, decent
shelter or proper sanitation;
For as long as there are rural dwellers unable to make a decent
living from the land on which they live;
For as long as there are women who are subjected to
discrimination, exploitation or abuse;
For as long as there are children who do not have the means nor
the opportunity to receive a decent education;
For as long as there are people who are unable to find work,
we shall not rest, and we dare not falter.
As we apply ourselves to these and other tasks, we must
acknowledge that we find ourselves in difficult economic times.
Jobs are being lost in every economy across the world. We will
not be spared the negative impact, and are beginning to feel the
pinch.
However, the foundations of our economy are strong and we will
need to continue to build on them.
This will require more hard work than ever before.
To achieve all our goals, we must hold ourselves to the highest
standards of service, probity and integrity. Together we must build
a society that prizes excellence and rewards effort, which shuns
laziness and incompetence.
We must build a society that draws on the capabilities, energy
and promise of all its people.
Fellow South Africans, this is indeed a moment of renewal.
It is an opportunity to rediscover, that which binds us together
as a nation.
The unity of our nation should be a priority for all sectors of
our society.
We are a people of vastly different experiences, of divergent
interests, with widely different views.
Yet we share a common desire for a better life, and to live in
peace and harmony.
We share a common conviction that never shall we return to a time
of division and strife.
From this common purpose we must forge a partnership for
reconstruction, development and progress.
In this partnership there is a place for all South Africans,
black and white.
It is a partnership founded on principles of mutual respect and
the unfettered expression of different views. We do not seek
conformity.
We seek a vibrant, dynamic partnership that is enriched by
democratic debate that values diverse views and accommodates
dissent.
Therefore, we need to make real the fundamental right of all
South Africans to freely express themselves, to protest, to organise,
and to practice their faith.
We must defend the freedom of the media, as we seek to promote
within it a greater diversity of voices and perspectives.
We must deepen the practice of participatory democracy in all
spheres of public life.
We must strengthen the democratic institutions of state, and
continually enhance their capacity to serve the people.
We must safeguard the independence and integrity of those
institutions tasked with the defence of democracy, and that must act
as a check on the abuse of power.
Compatriots, today, we enter a new era in the history of our
nation, imbued with a resolve to do everything within our means to
build a better life for all our people.
Today, we renew our struggle to forge a nation that is at peace
with itself and the world.
As we rejoice in being surrounded by our friends from all over
the world, we reiterate our gratitude for the sterling contribution
of the international community to our struggle for freedom.
We single out the African continent, for refusing to rest until
the southern tip of Africa was free.
We recommit ourselves to continue to be an active member of the
international community.
We will continue to use multilateral and bilateral forums and
relations to take forward the goals of eradicating global poverty,
strengthening peace and security and to promote democracy.
We will promote international friendship and cooperation through
amongst others the 2010 FIFA World Cup. South Africa will deliver a
world class event that will forever change the perceptions of the
international community, and also ensure a lasting legacy for the
people of Africa.
Fellow South Africans, let us move forward decisively, together.
Let us build a nation that remains forever mindful of its
history, of those who have sacrificed so much, and the many who put
down their lives so we can be here today.
A nation filled with the laughter and joy of children.
A nation filled with a hope born of the knowledge that if we work
together, we will achieve our dreams.
Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Your Excellencies,
distinguished guests, thank you for gracing this occasion today.
I thank you.
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AFRIPOL organization's policy and financial
experts are working on a WHITE PAPER on how to avoid enormous
foreign debts among African nations, below are the salient points.
(coming soon)
HOW TO AVOID ENORMOUS FOREIGN DEBT :
STABILIZE THE NATION’S FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC
HOUSE: Balance the budget. Implement timely and appropriate
budget. Avoid budget deficit by spending within nation’s means, so
to avoid un necessary borrowing and check corruption.
A country cannot live beyond it means and this a hole that has
trapped many countries including nations with advance economies.
Those countries with sophisticated and diversified economies could
survive excessive spending and borrowing because they have
productive and stabilized economies. But these countries will at
long last will feel the pinch of their financial laxity.
United States of America has a large deficit and borrow heavily from
abroad especially from China and Japan but America has the
capability to sustain it.
SET UP NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON BORROWING AND DEBT MANAGEMENT:
This body will comprise of individuals and experts from the office
of the Presidency, legislature and from the public. They will
instituted transparency and probity policy to check mismanagement.
Broaden deliberations on borrowing and debt management to involve
tax paying citizens.
HIRE SEASONED EXPERT NEGOTIATORS:
Financial, economic and legal experts to negotiate on behalf of
nation seeking foreign loans. The experts can favorably negotiate
for reasonable interest rates and duration on the maturity of the
loans.
BORROWING/DEBT LEGISLATION: The
legislatures will enact a law, that will be a deterrent to
unnecessary and excessive foreign borrowing.
RAISE FUNDS INTERNALLY: Domestic
borrowing by the government will be promoted by the issue of bonds
and increase of revenue through fiscal and monetary policies.
INTRODUCTION: THE PRESENTATION OF THE FIRST
OF THE SERIES OF PUBLICATIONS ON CONFLICT RESOLUTIONS, CITIZENS AND
RIGHTS TITLED: PEACEFUL AFRICA AND WORLD: TAKING A STAND ON CONFLICT
RESOLUTION .
Peace is good for business. No investor or capitalist desires to
put his or her money in a troublous society, where conflicts and
wars create instability and poor consumers. In developing world
especially Africa, conflicts are ubiquitous, with dire consequences
on their economic growth.
The economic merits of sustainable peace cannot be overemphasis. In
addition, the political, cultural and social implications of peace
in a society are affirmative and liberating. Peace literally is not
the total absence of conflict and war, but absence of major
catastrophic events that may derail co-existence among groups and
individuals in a given society. When we talk of peaceful society, we
talk of stable and functional society, where law and order exist.
Here conflicts are managed and reduced to a minimal level. Peace
encompasses respect for law, which guarantees the protection of
lives and properties.
However, absolute peace is idealistic. If a government adequately
carries out her basic role of safeguarding the society and is able
to prosecute recalcitrant people through fair hearing, we can then
conclude that a peaceful society and a decisive government have
emerged. The problem in most conflicts in the developing countries
especially Africa, is the weak central government which is not
necessarily in control and hence centripetal instability protrudes
its tendrils to all the nooks and corners of the society. Basically,
it is total breakdown of law and order that is confronting Africa in
all the hot spots of the continent. When wars were raging in
Liberia, Sudan and others, there were no legitimate governments,the
citizens were decimated and the scanty underdeveloped
infrastructures they had were all unfortunately destroyed. In those
instances, there were no functional governments. The parties at war
were in struggle for dominance, control of the central governments
and countries’ resources.
click to continue:
http://www.afripol.org/conflict.htm
Governor Bill Richardson: REVIEW ON AFRICA'S
ENGAGEMENTS:
(L-R) Bill
Richardson & Founder of Afripol, Emeka Chiakwelu at Houston World Affairs Council
AFRIPOL'S
NEWS
War against malaria
The Independence Arch, Accra Ghana
Chief mediator Kofi Annan (R) passes by a bronze
statue from Benin as he arrives for a media briefing at a hotel in
Nairobi February 15, 2008. Kenya's feuding parties have agreed to an
independent review of the country's disputed December 27 election,
but have yet to agree terms for power-sharing. 
N
The
fall of Mbeki
Why
debt cancellation? 
G8
& AFRICA
