Statement of the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, at the Africa Day celebrations, Johannesburg, 24 May 2002

Director of Ceremonies,
Friends,
Fellow Africans.

A Happy Africa Day to you and to all Africans in Africa and in the Diaspora! As we mark this important day on the African calendar, the African writer and thinker, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, speaks to us in rebuke and encouragement. He says:

"The oppressed and the exploited of the earth maintain their defiance: liberty from theft. But the biggest weapon wielded and actually daily unleashed by imperialism against that collective defiance is the cultural bomb. The effect of a cultural bomb is to annihilate a people's belief in their names, in their languages, in their environment, in their heritage of struggle, in their unity, in their capacities and ultimately in themselves. It makes them see their past as one wasteland of non-achievement and it makes them want to distance themselves from that wasteland. It makes them want to identify with that which is furthest removed from themselves; for instance, with other peoples' languages rather than their own. It makes them identify with that which is decadent and reactionary, all those forces which would stop their own springs of life. It even plants serious doubts about the moral rightness of struggle. Possibilities of triumph or victory are seen as remote, ridiculous dreams. The intended results are despair, despondency and a collective death wish. Amidst this wasteland which it has created, imperialism presents itself as the cure and demands that the dependant sing hymns of praise with the constant refrain: 'Theft is holy'. Indeed, this refrain sums up the new creed of the neo-colonial bourgeoisie in many 'independent' African states. (We have to respond to this through resolute struggle). (The people) have to speak the united language of struggle contained in each of their languages. They must discover their various tongues to sing the song: 'A people united can never be defeated." (Decolonising the Mind: Ngugi wa Thiong'o, James Currey Ltd, London, 1986.)

As we celebrate our premier continental holiday, Africa Day, Ngugi says to us that we must discover our various tongues and sing the song - a people united can never be defeated!

Ngugi speaks to us of the challenge we face to speak in our various tongues to say - we, the peoples of Africa, have risen against the effort to annihilate our belief in our names, our languages, our environment, our heritage of struggle, our unity, our capacities and ourselves.

This courageous African mind and patriot, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, says to us that we must turn our backs on despair, despondency and a collective death wish, inspired by the certainty of our victory and triumph.

He summons us never again to identify with that which is decadent and reactionary, and to repudiate all those forces which would stop our own springs of life.

He speaks of our pride in ourselves as Africans, regardless of our colour, nationality, religious belief or ethnic group.

He speaks of our confidence to lift ourselves out of the misery that afflicts millions of our people, and to end the wars that have claimed many African lives, relying, in the first instance, on our own resources and capacities.

When Ngugi wa Thiong'o writes of our own springs of life, he writes of our commitment to a collective African effort, driven by our conviction as Africans that we share a common past and coming destiny.

He writes of our determination to transform the dream of African unity into reality, saying in all our tongues that the united people of Africa can never be defeated.

When Ngugi wa Thiong'o talks of our own springs of life, he talks of our determination to secure our liberation from the thieves, both big and small, both African and non-African, declaring that theft is unholy, declaring that theft of our dignity, our freedom, our wealth, our lives and our hopes is unholy.

He talks of our pride in our heritage of struggle, of the celebration of our victories, of the assertion of the moral rightness of our struggle, and of our commitment to the pledge of comrades-in-arms - the struggle continues; victory is certain!

As we celebrate Africa Day 2002, we prepare to say our fond farewells to the Organisation of African Unity. We will say these not to sentence the OAU to death, but to wish it new life.

As we say our fond farewells to the OAU, we will pay tribute to the achievements of this premier organisation of the peoples of Africa. We will salute what was done and the sacrifices made to ensure the total liberation of our continent from colonialism, apartheid and white minority rule.

We will salute what was done and the sacrifices made to defend and promote the African dream of a free, united, peaceful and prosperous continent.

We will hail what was done and the sacrifices made to demonstrate over a period of four decades the determination of the peoples of Africa to sustain the institutions and the discipline we need to ensure that we join in collective action for the fundamental renewal of our continent.

We will praise what the masses of our people and all patriots did and the sacrifices they made to build the foundations of African unity and social progress, on which we must build what is new.

As we celebrate Africa Day 2002, the Order of the Day is simple enough. That Order of the Day is: Act together to build the African Union! Act together to get the New Partnership for Africa's Development working!

What we do during this founding year of the African Union and the year of the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, will respond to the call Ngugi wa Thiong'o made, that as the oppressed and the exploited of the earth, we value our heritage of struggle and reaffirm the rightness of our struggle.

Certain of our triumph, we must and will march together in step, assured of victory because we have united as Africans to advance towards their day, the Renaissance of Africa and the victory of the African Century. A very Happy Africa Day!