The event this year marks for the first time the role played by black soldiers in this war, and to honour them alongside both the British and the Boer soldiers. An attempt, as others, to have a clearer understanding of how we as South Africans share a common future - socially and economically, but also what this future holds. Your convention also occurs at a time when inflation is the lowest it has been for many decades. This is testimony to how well this government has been managing the economy. It is true that the economy has shed jobs but this was to be expected as our manufacturing sector was forced to restructure to become more globally competitive.
Nevertheless unemployment remains a major problem.
In this context it is important that we critically look at the role and interaction of government and organised business on this path towards a better and more equitable future for all South Africans. This society must guarantee the dignity of every citizen on the basis of a good quality of life for every woman, man and child, without regard to race, or colour or disability. It must be sustained by a growing economy capable of extending sustainable and equitable benefits to all our people. He went on to say that this task of building a more caring society is one that can not be carried by government alone. It is a challenge that has to be taken up by the entirety of our people.