Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma says 2014 will be a momentous year for South Africa as the country marks its 20 years of freedom and democracy.
Delivering his New Year message to the nation for 2014, on Tuesday Zuma said the year ahead will give South Africans an opportunity to reflect on how the country had achieved its freedom and democracy. The country will also reflect on the progress it has made in the last two decades.
“We will also reflect on how we will continue to work together as a nation as we implement our vision 2030 as outlined in the National Development Plan,” Zuma said. South Africa was a much better place than it was in 1994, he said.
Life had changed for millions of South Africans but some of the country’s people were still waiting.
“Therefore our work is not yet completed. We must continue working together in 2014 to build a South Africa of our dreams …we must continue to build a South Africa which inspires people to achieve greater things for themselves and their country”.
Zuma felt that a prosperous South Africa would be achieved when there is work for everyone, a society where everyone would be able to make a meaningful contribution to the development of the country. As South Africans were still coming to terms with their loss of former President Nelson Mandela, they needed to emulate his values as the country continues to build on his legacy.
“In his memory, we must continue to reconcile and to unite our rainbow nation to deepen non-racialism. More importantly unity must be the rock upon which our nation is built, to borrow from Mandela’s own words”.
Zuma called on South Africans to unite beyond barriers of race, creed, and gender or class so that the country can succeed in confronting the challenges it faces. In Mandela’s memory, South Africans needed to work harder to build a caring society which loved, protected and developed its children.
“We should also build stronger relations with the world, building on Madiba’s achievements as a citizen of the world and a global icon who opened up our country to many new friend and development partners”. – SAnews.gov.za
