Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Theo Ben Gurirab;

Honourable Chairman of the National Council, Hon Asser Kapere;

Right Honourable Prime Minister, Dr Hage Geingob;

Honourable Ministers,

Honourable Members of Parliament;

Your Excellencies, Ambassadors and High Commissioners;

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and gentlemen;

 

I wish to thank you, Honourable Speaker, for your kind words and fraternal welcome. 

 

May I also take this opportunity, through you Honourable Speaker, right from the onset, to thank once more, my Dear Brother, Friend and Comrade, His Excellency President Pohamba for inviting us to visit this beautiful sister country.

 

Honourable Speaker and Esteemed Members of Parliament, 

 

Please allow me to convey my profound gratitude to you for honouring us with a special gesture to address this Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly of a great and exemplary country, Namibia.

This rare and special honour as well as the warmth with which we have been received in this House of Members of Parliament who represent the dreams of the Namibian nation, underscores the deep historical ties that connect South Africa and Namibia.

I bring you fraternal greetings from our own National Assembly. 

 

Our Members of Parliament and our nation at large warmly remember the historic and inspiring address in December 2012 in their Assembly by this distinguished son of Africa His Excellency President Pohamba.

You were moved then Your Excellency to address parliament in a free South Africa, a parliament in which laws oppressing the people of Namibia had been passed during the dark days of apartheid.

 

It is an equally emotional moment for me as well.

I stand here this afternoon to address this august House, a House of a free and democratic Namibia, a House occupied by my brothers and sisters, many of whom we fought with, hand in hand, side by side, to defeat apartheid. 

Our strong solidarity dates back to the very deep friendship and comradeship that existed between the late ANC President, Oliver Tambo and the whole SWAPO leadership, especially President Sam Nujoma. 

 

Our two Presidents both dedicated their lives to freedom, justice and a better life for the people of their two countries and the region. 

In SWAPO, we had brothers and sisters who were prepared to die with us. Ours is a unique and special solidarity. 

 

We have many cadres who lie buried alongside their SWAPO cadres, who died in combat or through natural causes. That is a bond that can never be erased.

We shared prison cells. We shared pain and anger. We shared trenches and revolutionary tactics. We shared a common vision. We were resolute and firmly uncompromising. 

We knew that our struggle was just and democratic and we were bound to overcome. And overcome, we did.

 

We therefore would like to express our gratitude for the solidarity and comradeship that were extended by Namibians to the African National Congress (ANC) in particular and the people of South Africa generally during the struggle for our national liberation.

The people and leadership of the ANC’s fraternal party, the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) suffered greatly under apartheid, but you never sacrificed comradeship, principle and solidarity. 

 

We thank you for your resolve, dedication, commitment and your sacrifices.

The South African democratic victory in 1994 was a victory of the Namibian people too.

I therefore humbly dedicate this address to our solid friendship and enduring solidarity.

 

Honourable Speaker and Members of Parliament,

 

We have indeed traversed long and difficult roads together as a people. 

The road has been tough and dark, but as Comrade President OR Tambo once said "we did not tear ourselves apart because of lack of progress at times...We were always ready to accept our mistakes and to correct them". 

And correct them we did, finally together we got rid of the apartheid regime after many years of suffering, death and torture.

 

We are now free independent nations, working to create prosperity and freedom from poverty for our peoples.

To further elevate our relations, we have just concluded the inaugural session of the Bi-national Commission between our two nations, transforming the Heads of State Economic Bilateral Forum (HOSEB) into a fully-fledged Bi-National Commission (BNC).

What we want to achieve through this BNC is not only to lay a firm foundation for the optimal utilisation of the signed agreements and Memoranda of Understanding. 

 

The BNC will provide political and strategic leadership and guidance to the bilateral cooperation and partnership between our two countries.

Our two countries cooperate on a wide range of areas, including, but not limited to, energy, trade and industries, transport, environment, water, communications, education, science and technology, mining, agriculture, security and tourism. 

Progress has been achieved in many of these areas. We commit ourselves to further deepen our bilateral cooperation for the mutual benefit of our respective countries and peoples.

 

Honourable Members of Parliament,

 

We live in a rapidly changing world where our economic well-being is going to be dependent on close coordination and cooperation.

Concerning the economic ties between the two countries, a number of South African companies are involved in the Namibian economy in a variety of sectors.

These include construction, mining, housing, retail, food and beverages, hotels and leisure, banking, medical services, etc.

It is our sincere belief that these companies will continue to make a contribution to building a strong Namibian economy with the end result of job-creation, skills transfer and growth.

 

Honourable Speaker,

 

Namibia is an important player in the Southern African region. There is a need for our two countries to continue to forge a common position on regional, continental and international issues for the mutual benefit of our two countries and the Continent at large.

 

Ladies and gentlemen;

 

In the regional context, let me take this opportunity to congratulate Namibia for assuming the Chair of the SADC Organ Troika on Politics Defence and Security. 

Consequently, as a region we thank and commend Namibia for the manner in which she has led the SADC Election Observer Mission to the Republic of Madagascar. 

Step by step, we continue to consolidate democracy in our region. 

 

We are very proud of Namibia’s example in this regard. 

 

The 25 October 2013 Presidential Elections in the Republic of Madagascar marked an important milestone in the political life of that country. 

Holding regular elections remains an indispensable marker of progress and the entrenchment of democracy in any country in the world.

 

Ladies and gentlemen;

 

Guided by the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, South Africa and Namibia fully subscribe to the Guidelines defining the successful conduct of a free, fair and peaceful election. 

We look forward to the year 2014 in Namibia, like South Africa; will hold general elections and we know that those elections will be free and fair because our two nations have become torch bearers of democracy and the rule of law.

 

Honourable Speaker and Members of Parliament,

 

In our collective desire to further enhance close economic cooperation between our two countries, we need to prioritise cross border infrastructure to facilitate easy flow of goods and services. 

 

It is therefore our belief that the establishment of a Free Trade Area in the region will greatly enhance our ability to trade with one another and ensure the strengthening of the region as a whole. 

South Africa is currently prioritizing infrastructure development more than ever before, from schools and hospitals to roads, dams, bridges, rail expansions and ports.

 

We continue to promote infrastructure development in the continent and also in our region.

We are encouraged by infrastructure development in Namibia as well.

The completion of various infrastructure development projects such as the Walvis Bay port as well as the railway in the Caprivi region.

Linking these projects with our Durban port could produce new, dependable export corridors in countries that dearly need the revenue and the commercial opportunities such trade routes.

 

We are happy to hear that the Walvis Bay Corridor Group has recently announced that construction would soon begin on a road that will shorten the travel distance through the Caprivi region from 1,200 kilometers to 800 kilometers. 

I am informed that the Walvis Bay Corridor Group also plans to spend 300 million US dollars to expand the port starting in 2014. 

This would go a long way in enhancing trade between countries in the region. 

We commend Namibia on this initiative as we believe that infrastructure development is the backbone of industrialization and development.

 

Excellency

Honourable Speaker, 

 

Let me also emphasize the importance of our two countries cooperating on issues regional issues.

Over the past three days South Africa hosted the SADC-International Conference on the Great Lakes Summit and one of the African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises.

We know Namibia’s commitment to peace and stability in the region. Namibia is making progress in your capacity as the Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security. 

In this regard, we wish to assure you of our continued support. 

 

Honourable Speaker

 

We also wish to work with Namibia closely on issues such as the reform of multilateral institutions such as the United Nations Security Council, the G20 and multilateral International Financial Institutions.

A transformed UN system will be more efficient and more accountable to all its member states. 

It is our firm belief that the UN Security Council should be enlarged to better reflect and portray contemporary global political realities, and especially the reality of an Africa steadfastly claiming its position in the community of nations.

 

Honourable Speaker,

 

Let me reiterate my personal and sincere gratitude to you and the people of the Republic of Namibia for giving me the opportunity to address this majestic House. 

This is a House on whose shoulders lie the aspirations and hopes of the Namibian citizens and which has the constitutional responsibility to pass laws that will continue to improve their circumstances.

 

In this regard, we wish to assure you of South Africa’s continued commitment to work with you as you deal with the scourge of poverty, underdevelopment and unemployment.

These are the bold challenges that we are battling with in our own country. We therefore need to master the same resolve and courage we ably mastered in the fight against colonialism and apartheid. We dare not fail!

 

Let me extend best wishes to you and all the people of Namibia as you steadfastly march towards economic and social development.

I thank you!