South Africa's new President Jacob Zuma on Saturday vowed to follow Nelson Mandela's legacy of reconciliation in an inaugural speech aiming to bridge divisions in the country. "He made reconciliation the central theme of his term of office. We will not deviate from that nation building task. Thank you Mandiba for showing us the way," Zuma said, affectionately referring to Mandela by his clan name.
"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 in peace."
Mandela, 90, South Africa's first post-apartheid president, was seated near the podium where Zuma spoke, along with his successor Thabo Mbeki, whose power struggle with Zuma resulted in a split within the ruling African National Congress (ANC) last year. Outlining South Africa's challenges of poverty amid a global crisis, Zuma said the nation must form a partnership among all races.
"This is a moment of renewal," he said. "There's 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 the people." "Today, we renew our struggle to forge a nation that is at peace with itself and the world."
Zuma also pledged to protect democratic institutions and media freedom, in his speech before thousands of guests that included leaders from several dictatorial or scandal-plagued governments. "We must safeguard the independence and integrity of those institutions tasked with the defence of democracy and must act as a check on the abuse of power," he said to officials from North Korea, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and King Mswati III of Swaziland, Africa's last absolute monarch.
"We need to make real the fundamental right of all South Africans to freely express themselves, to protest, to organise and to practise their faith," he said. "We must strengthen the democratic institutions of state, and continually enhance their capacity to serve the people," he added. The 67-year-old Zuma was elected president by parliament, after the ANC swept to victory in general elections two weeks ago, despite frustrations at poor public services after 15 years as the ruling party.
Comments
Comments are closed.