But for us here is South Africa, this is a good omen. We celebrate African Human Rights Day as a free people and a democratic country. We are able to have present at this celebration our sisters and brothers from all over the continent. Thanks to the support which the people from Africa gave to our liberation struggle, South Afric has a last been able to regain is place in the African Family of Nations. The theme for our celebrations today is Africa First.
Today is a day of festivities and celebration.
African Human Rights Day is an occasion for the whole continent to display its unity and its diversity. Our aspirations for African unity are embodied in the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. It is captured in our music, in our dance and in our song. But let us never forget that it is also captured in our history - tragic as that may have been. Our continent's past is a travesty of oppression, exploitation and suffering experienced by the African people through slavery, colonialism and imperialism.