Toast remarks by the President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Mr Jacob Zuma in honour of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E Dr Goodluck Jonathan, Cape Town

Your Excellency, my dear brother, President Goodluck Jonathan, 

Honourable Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe,

The Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces,

The Chief Justice of the Republic,

Honourable Ministers, Premiers and State Governors,

Deputy Ministers,

Honourable Members of Parliament;

Executive Mayors,

Members of the South Africa-Nigeria Business Forum,

Members of the Diplomatic Corps and senior officials,

Distinguished guests; 

 

On behalf of Government and the people of South Africa, I am truly delighted to welcome you, Your Excellency and your distinguished delegation, to our beautiful city of Cape Town.

I am very happy and honoured that you accepted my invitation to undertake a State Visit to South Africa.

I thank you as well for the hospitality extended to my delegation and I during our visit to Nigeria last month, at which we took our bilateral relations a step further.

Your Excellency, our relations are based on deep historical ties.

Despite its geographical location, far from this southern tip of the continent, Nigeria stood with us, and fought on the side of the oppressed majority in South Africa.

You outlined the selfless contribution of the Nigerian people to the struggle against apartheid eloquently in your inspirational address to Parliament earlier today, My Dear Brother.

As you stated, our struggle was your struggle, our pain was your pain and indeed, our freedom is your freedom.

This history, forged in struggle, provides a solid foundation to take forward the relations between our two countries.

 

As the continent marks 50 years of the Organisation of African Unity this month, Africa looks up to these two biggest economies to lead by example, and promote African unity, peace, stability, development and prosperity.

 

Our two countries are also called upon to provide meaningful support to the African Union, so that it can play its role effectively for the next 50 years until it reaches its centenary.

 

Your Excellency, we are also called upon to lead the African struggle for a just world order. That is why we must work together to ensure that Africa is represented in the United Nations Security Council.

 

We must also work together to ensure the reform of international financial institutions so that Africa’s interests can be taken into account in institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

 

All these tasks make cooperation between these two nations to be absolutely critical. Let me then also emphasise, that we do not compete against each other as it is claimed in some forums.

 

We complement each other, for the benefit of the continent. We have no choice but to do so. We owe it to future generations.

 

Your Excellency, at a bilateral level, we had fruitful deliberations earlier today.

 

Our Ministers and Officials need to take all the necessary steps to implement the nine Agreements and memoranda of understanding that were signed earlier today.

 

We are also encouraged by the continued expansion of the economic relations between South Africa and Nigeria.

 

We are pleased that the South Africa-Nigeria Business Forum met and deliberated on how to take advantage of opportunities in the two economies, in light of the State Visit.

 

We also encourage the promotion of more people to people linkages. In this regard, South Africa will open a tourism office in Lagos.

 

Last year South Africa attracted more than 70 000 Nigerian tourists, and we want this figure to increase.

 

We encourage South Africans to also visit Nigeria and explore this beautiful country which plays such a critical role in Africa and the world.

 

Your Excellency,

Nigeria and South Africa played a key role in the conceptualisation of NEPAD, through our predecessors, former President Thabo Mbeki and Former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

 

To this day, NEPAD remains the blueprint for eradicating the indignity of poverty and economic marginalisation of the African continent.

 

Thus, we must ensure that all NEPAD programmes, including the flagship continental infrastructure development programme, become a success, to ensure African prosperity and progress.

 

This programme must help Africa to prosper and create jobs, to eradicate poverty and underdevelopment.

 

Your Excellency,

 

Allow us, Your Excellency, to congratulate the African champions, the Super Eagles for a world class performance in the Africa Cup of Nations January this year.

 

However let me hasten to add, Your Excellency, that our national team, Bafana Bafana, is determined to take that cup at the next tournament!

 

My Dear Brother,

 

Let me once more thank you for visiting our country, and for your pivotal address to our Parliament earlier today.

 

We would like to convey to you and through you, to our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, our respect and admiration of Nigeria’s role on the African continent, and the enormous strength we draw from the friendship and solidarity that Nigeria has continued to extend to South Africa.

 

Excellency,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

May you please rise and join me in a toast to the good health and prosperity of His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan, and to the friendship and partnership between the people of the Republic of South Africa and the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

To friendship and solidarity!!

 

I thank you.