Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma has urged ambassadors, high commissioners and other diplomats to continue prioritising the African continent and promote its renewal, development and reconstruction.
Speaking at the Heads of Mission Conference held in Pretoria, which was also attended by directors-general and other senior government officials, Zuma said contributing to building a better Africa was the central foreign policy goal of the South African government.
“It is for this reason that we continue to applaud the election of one of our own, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, as chairperson of the African Union Commission. We will provide all the support possible, to make her succeed.
“We are also pleased that all African nations have pledged their support, as part of the collective determination to make the African Union succeed, as we mark 50 years of the OAU/African Union,” said the President.
This year's Heads of Mission Conference coincides with two historic events in the history of South Africa’s struggle for liberation.
It takes place during the month of April, which is observed as Freedom Month, where South Africans mark the 19th year since the dawn of democracy in 1994. This year also marks the 50th Anniversary of the Organization of African Unity/African Union since its formation in 1963.
Zuma said South Africa has taken many strides away from its past of exclusion and discrimination on the basis of sex, colour and creed.
“The country has been steadily moving forward in a direction that reasserts our humanity. In this march towards humanity, a new culture of human rights and a respect for the dignity of the human spirit have become the characteristics of South Africa.”
The country has continued to galvanise its position as an emerging economic powerhouse, and this is evident in the role South Africa plays in formations such as the Brics [Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa] grouping, and the G20.
It was important therefore, Zuma said, to prioritise communication and the marketing of the country abroad.
“In this era of globalisation, since information flows like fire and can easily be misinterpreted, our diplomacy cannot afford to neglect public opinion,” he said.
This year’s conference also takes place against the backdrop of the approval of the National Development Plan (NDP) by Cabinet and the welcoming of the plan by the general public.
The NDP, which seeks to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030, was crucial to raise South Africa’s profile and provide a better life for its citizens, the President emphasised.
Zuma said his administration was well aware of the hard work that lay ahead.
“We have to ensure that more people have water, electricity, sanitation, decent housing, functional schools, clinics and police stations and other services.”
The President used the Heads of Mission conference as a platform to inform South Africa's 126 Heads of Mission of the main elements of the NDP, as supported by the New Growth Path, and to determine the role of South Africa's diplomatic missions in advancing South Africa's national interests and priorities, in particular on the African Continent. – SAnews.gov.za
