The Minister of Correctional Services, Mr Sbu Ndebele and all Ministers,

Gauteng Premier Ms Mokonyane

Deputy Ministers,

Correctional Services Commissioner and all senior officials,

Distinguished guests,

 

We are truly delighted to be part of this important occasion today, the official renaming ceremony of the Department of Correctional Services Pretoria Management Area to Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area.

 

This event forms part of the celebration of Freedom Month which is also Heroes Month in our country.

This is sadly the month during which we lost selfless national heroes such as former ANC President Oliver Reginald Tambo, former SACP general secretary and Mkhonto Wesizwe Chief of Staff Chris Hani and the young Solomon Mahlangu who was executed here at Pretoria Central Prison for fighting for the freedom we enjoy today.

At the same time, April is the month of freedom. It is the month during which we made history by burying a painful history and began to build the future together.

It is the month during which South Africans elevated reconciliation and forgiveness, and we decided to emphasise our unity in diversity and minimise that which divides us.Part of that reconciliation includes the renaming of geographic and place names as well as landmarks.

This is meant to reflect our diverse political and historical heritage and to heal the wounds of the past.

As South Africans from all walks of life, regardless of the role we played in history or what we believed in then, have a responsibility to respect and acknowledge the past, celebrate the present and build the future together.

Government has an extensive ongoing heritage programme that includes the upgrading and declaration of historic sites to ensure a more representative and inclusive South African history and heritage.

More importantly, this also contributes towards shared values and a common national identity in the country.

Furthermore, the building and maintenance of new monuments and historic sites has a greater potential to stimulate economic activity and create much needed jobs in communities where these sites are located. These sites will also contribute towards cultural tourism both domestically and internationally.

We will work together with the people of South Africa and the world to ensure that we preserve and promote our rich cultural heritage.

We regard this work as central towards transformation, nation building, national identity and building a socially cohesive South African society that is non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, united and prosperous.

The renaming of the Pretoria Management Area falls within that category of promoting a shared heritage.

Kgosi Mampuru was hanged on 22 November, 1883, here in Pretoria prison, which makes it fitting to name this area after him.

In the Book “Long Walk to Freedom”, President Mandela states the following:

“South Africa’s history includes many famous political trials. There was the case of Mampuru, the rightful heir to the Bapedi throne, who was executed for public violence and revolt and murder of Sekhukhune in 1883 and who gave Commandant General P.J Joubert and his burgers a lesson in mobile warfare…..”

The new name should create a general feeling of belonging, because it captures our history and creates a context of relevance. We are pleased therefore, to launch Freedom Month with such a historic event.

This renaming today also marks a historical milestone in our correctional heritage.

To be effective, and relevant, the field of corrections, as well as its facilities, must talk to the history that has gone before it, shaping it and drawing inspirations from it.

Compatriots,

Let me also take this opportunity to especially commend the South African people for the dignified manner in which name changes are taking places nationally.

By and large, there has been an understanding and maturity about the need to change the symbols and reflect the history of those who were dispossessed.

In a dignified manner, the streets in our capital city here in Pretoria have been renamed after the heroes of the struggle for freedom, the people who sacrificed much so that we could live together as one nation in a non-racial society which prioritises human rights and the dignity of all.

Indeed, we have come a long way as South Africans, and should be proud of the strides we have made in building a new nation out of the divisions of the past.

We may not see the achievements we have scored due to the daily struggles we are subjected to.

However, history will be able to say that this generation of South Africans was able to look beyond hatred, anger and pain, to build a united, non-sexist, non-racial and democratic South Africa.

On this Freedom Month, let us not lose sight of the achievements we have scored against tremendous odds.

The fact that we held our first democratic elections peacefully and ushered in a new era, is a historic achievement that many in the world still marvel at. We could have moved in another direction, and tore one another apart in a racial war that would have turned our country into a wasteland.

But we maturely chose peace, stability and progress.

The month of April should be used to reflect on such a momentous achievement.

We must reflect on the strides we have made in achieving the vision of a better life for all. 

 

Undoubtedly much has changed since 1994 and there has been progress in every sphere of society, but we are aware that more must still be done.

We must also remain mindful of the path to our future.  The National Development Plan is our future roadmap. The plan outlines the type of society we are striving for in 2030, where no one is hungry, where everyone is able to go to school and further their studies, where work is available, where everyone is making a contribution because each person have been provided with what they need to live their full potential.

 

However, Government alone cannot build such a society.

 

The involvement of all South Africans is critical to ensuring the successful implementation of the NDP. Citizens must know their rights and responsibilities and actively participate in building this country. Leadership throughout society from communities, schools, businesses and across the three spheres of government must drive the change to realise Vision 2030.

Let me congratulate all South Africans on the achievement of freedom in April 1994 and on what we have achieved together in this long journey to prosperity.

We will succeed if we continue working together in unity and kinship as one people.

 

I thank you.