PREMIER'S ADDRESS

Chairperson
Honourable members of the executive council
Comrades
Ladies and gentlemen
Members of the Alliance.

MALIBONGWE !!!

WATHINTH'ABAFAZI !!

I am honoured to be here in the company of people who, literally, hold the sharp end of the knife. Am I right about It?

A mmagongwana otshwara thipa kabogaleng? A ke a fosha?

Ladies and gentleman today is August 5. Four days before we celebrate National Women's Day.

On that day our President will be unveiling a monument to commemorate and celebrate the contribution of women to the struggle for freedom and justice in South Africa. We will, as a nation, be recommitting ourselves to the advancement of women at all levels of our society. But then who say the party cannot start earlier?

We are here today both to reward and pay tribute to our mothers, our wives, our daughters, for their selflessness, their creativity, their love, their commitment to their country, as they continue to work for their full emancipation, through their words and deeds, in their daily lives.

As we remember those twenty thousand women who took part in that historic march 44 tears ago let us also celebrate the struggle of all South Africans women who indeed held the sharp end of the knife.

Many years ago when we danced to the refrain of "Ekhaya bakulindile, akhukho ntombi esaba"imfazwe, we knew that mhla singena ngeJambo , we'd come running home with the sound of the boots side by side with our women. As equals, none better than the other.

On this day, as a nation, we re-commit ourselves to the advancement of women at all levels of our society. In doing this, we are alive to the harsh reality that faces women in our country today. For many years, the majority of women in our country, particularly in the rural areas and the townships, have borne the brunt of poverty and hardship.

The lives of these women were, and, indeed, still are, characterised by low levels of literacy and inequitable access to education, health, housing, water, fuel sources and employment opportunities.

Many amongst the women of this country have experienced violence, abuse, rape, sexual harassment and are the worst affected by the scourge of HIV/AIDS. They daily carry the scars of their suffering often in solitary silence and without adequate counselling and support.

At the same time, both the government as well as organs of civil society, have responded, as we should, to confront these degrading and humiliating conditions facing our women, so that together we build a better, more humane and caring society. But more needs to be done.

Together we must bring the abuse and violence against women to an end. In this regard, we must speed up the establishment of one-stop centres for abused women and children.

The time has come for all of us to end the cycles of abuse and violence against women and children that have engulfed our communities.

As we mark National Women's Day today, let all of us -- each and every one - ask ourselves a question: why do we keep silent when we are witnesses to violence against women; why do we keep silent when we are daily subjected to intolerable abuse!

We must pause and reflect on the incalculable damage that this violence has inflicted on our society, the way in which it reduces us to less than human and destroys the possibility to rebuild the fabric of our society.

Let every man respect the dignity of women!

Let every man pay his child maintenance!

Let every man stop abusing women and children!

Something else. It is in the interest of the health of our nation, that we intensify our work on the issue of HIV/AIDS, ensuring that our public education campaigns are effective and we must do all we can to improve support to AIDS victims and orphans.

We cannot say we are making progress as a people and a nation, unless the women of our country have shelters over their heads, adequate food to feed themselves and their families, health care, and access to clean water and electricity.

We cannot say we are moving forward faster towards the attainment of complete liberation from the legacy of the past unless the women of our country live without fear in their houses and walk freely through the streets and villages of our land.

We cannot move forward faster to the goal of a better life for all unless the women of our country receive the necessary education and training that enable them to reach their full potential and are themselves the African pioneers leading all of us into the African century which should also be the century for African women.

For women to take their rightful place on centre-stage in the development of Africa, requires a collective effort of all the people of our continent, and the inculcation of a new consciousness of gender equality at all levels.

The attainment of a people-centred, caring society is a task that cannot be postponed for one day more. Let us together get down to work to achieve this goal, and with the liberation of our women.

TODAY as we march into the African century under the banner of ­Faranani, Khomanani , Tshwaranang, Hlanganani - let us pause and pay homage to those gallant women who 43 years ago said: "NO!"

As we commemorate this historic days, let us remember our great heroines and veterans in the struggle for national liberation, Comrades Ida Mntwana, Lillian Ngoyi, Francis Baart, Dora Tamana, Annie Silinga, Helen Joseph, Dorothy Nyembe, Florence Mkhize, Greta Ncapayi, Margaret Gazo, Dorothy Zihlangu, Mama Holo, Victoria Mxenge and many others.

Women throughout South Africa have played a central role in the birth of our democratic nation. Far from playing only the nurturing role to which they are so often relegated, women have emerged as strong and capable leaders and decision makers. The growth and development of our country is something women have contributed to at a number of levels.

Integrating working and family life has considerable challenges but South African women have achieved good balances simply through being committed to playing roles both in public and private spheres and not allowing external limitations or views to dictate the manner in which we define our potential

April 1994 heralded a new dispensation for the people of South Africa - a new era in which all members of our society would be empowered to participate and contribute. This is encapsulated in our Constitution which we believe will be ratified in the near future. The Bill of Rights states that "everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law."

The Constitution is also clear that "the state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone", on grounds including gender. This means that the law which is the bedrock upon which we have rebuilt our country gives unequivocal respect and protection to the women of South Africa.

This is a great victory for all women as well as for men who believe that discrimination is an evil which must be eradicated. We can truly say that today we have come together to celebrate this achievement in our struggle for equality.

Today we join hands with every concerned South African and extend a hand of friendship and solidarity beyond our borders to those people who believe, as we do, in equality and empowerment. However, we must also pause to think about the challenges that still face us.

Today is both a celebration of what has been achieved and a consideration of what still lies ahead. Many women in South Africa continue to live in difficult conditions. If we want to give content to the spirit of the Constitution, then we must actively engage in the problems which threaten women's well-being and which stall their progress in life.

The gender division of labour within the home results in women bearing a greater burden in their relationships and families. We have achieved political liberation in our country. We now need to concentrate on the economic liberation which will ensure true freedom of opportunity and freeing of potential.

Women have also historically been marginalised from positions of power. They are excluded from decision-making mechanisms, both within the home and the workplace.

Our democratic elections saw more women coming into positions of leadership than ever witnessed before in this country and yet research conducted by Idasa shows us that across the country, less than 25% of elected councilors in both urban and rural authorities are women, with very few positions at the executive level being held by women.

Last year when I spoke to you I lamented the fact that we had only one female Premier and relatively few female MECs. I expressed the wish then that this would change.

Well, in the Mpumalanga it has changed.

We now have three very powerful women leading three very important portfolios. Let us give a big hand to Comrades Candith Mashego, Sibongile Manana and Busi Coleman.

Not only that we have We are committed to building a representative and fully participatory government and this requires actions to accompany our words.

In a few weeks time South Africa will be hosting the ALL AFRICA GAMES. A number of women will be participating in this games.

The creation of space is a critical issue and we need to extend this concept beyond government. Our educational institutions must be challenged to ensure that they are encouraging girls and women to study and that factors which may cause them to leave the education system are dealt with.

Equal access to quality health care must be ensured, so that women are able to keep themselves and their families healthy. The media needs to be challenged in its sexist portrayals of women because these images influence they way we think about each other and provide incorrect role models for our children.

Furthermore, when we speak of economic empowerment, we must ensure that women are given equal access to resources, employment, markets and trade, so that they can become self-employed, running their own businesses, and therefore economically independent. Economic rights are women's rights, not privileges to be handed out when they are deemed to be appropriate.

Violence is an issue which continues to tear the fabric of our society apart. Violence against women knows no boundaries and cuts across colour, religion and culture. The majority of abuse cases happen in the home, at the hands of partners and family members. The police estimate that only 2.8% of rape cases are actually reported due to the lack of support services for women and the social stigma that is attached to being an abused woman.

Violence remains one of the most potent weapons used against women and hinders any true liberation.
This is unacceptable. Government, the private sector, community organisations, NGOs and the media must work together to formulate and implement plans of action to eliminate violence against women. Perpetrators of such horrific acts must be duly tried and punished. We will not stop working before South Africa is a society free of the fear of abuse.

All of these issues are on our agenda. We in government give our commitment to you today that we will continue to fight against discrimination in every form and work towards a country which can proudly say that it has done away with prejudice and unequal opportunity. Women have the right to free their potential, and to be dictated to by no one. It is true that this country cannot truly be free until all its women are free and it is to this ongoing struggle that we recommit ourselves today.

August 9 is a very special day. It is the day of every woman in South Africa - those of you who are here in Witbank today and every other woman, wherever she may be. We hope that you will be able to celebrate in fine style, remembering our sisters of forty years ago who took those brave steps to the capital city. It is in their memory that we march today, for a free and peaceful South Africa.

We celebrate our anniversary during a year that is being observed by the whole world as the beginning of a new century and millennium. It is therefore inevitable that we should treat this year, two years away from the 90th Anniversary of the ANC, as a special year. We have already said that we must, through our own efforts, make the 21st Century an African Century.

For a millennium, including the passing century, we have failed to destroy the insulting and criminal prejudice which has described the black human complexion as the very representation of everything that is sub-human within the human race.

We have not yet broken the feeling of defeat, surrender and lack of initiative among some black people, which leads them to believe that, indeed, they are not equal to other people who, though as human as they are, are nevertheless of a different colour.

Much work remains to be done to ensure the emancipation of the women of Africa . We could never say we have realised the objectives of the African Century if we do not achieve this goal, which is a central element of the renewal of our Continent.

Once more, we salute all members of the ANC, our Alliance, the rest of the democratic movement as well as the millions of our people for helping us to achieve this historic victory .
This must include the mobilisation of our people properly to respond to the health threats that confront us as a people.

These include the AIDS epidemic which, among other things, requires that we change the habits of our people with regard to issues that relate to sexual behaviour and life style.

We must also take up the matter of accidents and deaths on our roads . Too many of our people are being maimed and killed as a result or reckless driving by many who use our roads.

Clearly, the law will have to be strengthened to deal with the highway killers.
Nevertheless, as a movement, we will also have to do our work, throughout the year, to raise the level of consciousness among all road users about the value of human life and our common responsibility to protect life.

As a movement we must pay very serious attention to the question of education and training . It is clear that our system of education is not producing enough of the human resources we desperately need to ensure that we catch up with the most advanced countries in the world.

We must therefore make our own contribution at all levels of education among other things to encourage a culture of learning, teaching and discipline.

Similarly, we have to increase our interaction especially with the black intelligentsia and professionals to encourage greater involvement on their part in the processes of fundamental social transformation in which we are involved.

We should also reach out to those who live and work outside our country to draw on their expertise.

All this will require that, among other things, we, together with the Leagues, strengthen our organised presence within the educational sector.

Criminals continue to prey on our people and society, among other things raping women and abusing children. We have to wage an all-out struggle against these elements.

Thank you.