St Council in Cape Town

ST COUNCIL IN CAPE TOWN The Council of the Socialist International convened in Cape Town on 70 and 11 luly 1995 - its first ever meeting in South Aftica. The main theme on the agenda was 'Democraclr Development and Peace in Aftica: Building democracy - Securing economic development - Advancing social justice. The meeting was attended by President Nelson Mandela. The SI Council meeting in Cape taught the world a great lesson, we were living. And the Socialist Town was organised in and given back hope to a whole International was in the cooperation with the African people, dignity to a whole forefront of that struggle... This National Congress and, in community.' The SI president conference gives us the opening the proceedings, the added: 'In the name of the opportunity of thanking the first words of the SI president, Socialist International, I assure Socialist International for all you Pierre Mauroy, were a tribute to you of our admiration for your have done... Our victory is your the ANC, to all those, including personal struggle, our support victory. many now dead, who had for your political action and our 'We hope', he added, 'that struggled against apartheid, and pride in your presence at this your respective parties and especially to Nelson Mandela, meeting'. Sovernments will remain leader of the ANC and president President Mandela gave a committed to the fight to of South Africa. moving address to the SI deliver visible services to our 'Thanks to you', he told Council. 'We in South Africa', he people, to rebuild our country President Mandela, 'a new era said, 'have been very fortunate and to bring strength and hope has begun in South Africa. You in that our struggle, as difficult to everyone who has been have shown that when the as it was, enioyed the support of denied these privileges'. struggle for human rights and democrats throughout the Extending his remarks to the equality is accompanied by world... In prison, those thick main theme of the Council's political will and personal walls could not prevent the discussions, Democracy, courage, it can conquer penetration of ideas which Development and Peace in obstacles which seem challenged the cruel system of Africa, President Mandela said, insurmountable. You have racial oppression under which 'That is a very appropriate theme for an important to develop an economy which continue our work and to conference of this nature. Africa must, he said, 'help us end the reaffirm our own values and is on the way to democratisation unemployment, the hunger and aims for this continent. He under extremely difficult homelessness, the poverty and spoke of international efforts for conditions, all of which are the human degradation that peace, of the democratic generally speaking the legacy of remains the lot of milions of our advances in many African a colonial era. Because you people.' That process of countries and of the struggle for cannot have democracy when transformation, he added, 'also development, which must go people are poor, hungry demands that we address in a hand in hand with ignorant, afflicted by diseases vigorous manner the racial and democratisation and with and all the other evils of poverty gender imbalances which we enlightened policies of and illiteracy. Democracy in any have inherited ftom the international cooperation such country will really be deepened apartheid past. Quite clearly, as those advocated at this year's and expanded when the living democracy and development are UN Social Summit. He pledged conditions of the masses of the interconnected parts of one that the International would people have been addressed'. whole and are themselves also continue to strengthen and Thabo Mbeki, deputy both dependent upoR and are a broaden its work in the face of president of the ANC and South necessary condition for peace the many challenges which Africa's executive deputy and stability in the country'. could only be faced through president, welcoming the SI 'I know the difficulties and international cooperation. delegates to his country, evoked resistance you have met', Pierre 'Nelson Mandela is a symbol the great and ancient cultural Mauroy responded, 'the of Africa', Ibrahim Boubacar heritage of Africa, contrasting regrettable delays, the remaining Keita, prime minister of Mali this with today's conflicts and inequalities, the security you are and leader of ADEMA-PSJ, told with the misery of many still seeking, the undoubted the SI Council, 'through his ordinary Africans. All of us, he disappointments. All this is courage, his determination to said, knew the facts and inevitable. The essential thing is end apartheid, to ensure statistics of economic crisis, that the will is firm and the freedom and human dignity for conflict, disease and poverty. direction right. And when I see all. For my generation, Nelson But perhaps the neutrality of the guaranteed political Mandela will always be the statistics could blind us to the pluralism, the abolition of the spokesman of Africa. Let us daily lives of millions of death penalty, the renewed hope that this and future ordinary people in Africa. growth, the programmes set in generations will follow his Instead of a retreat into iargon motion for the least advantaged, example, so we can face the and pessimism, he urged the I am sure the will is strong and challenges of the twenty-first Europeans present to think of the direction is right. I wish the century'. It was very hard, he the desperate hardship which South African people good luck'. said, for African peoples to find had once been the reality also He went on to stress that the themselves, after decades of for working people in their own Socialist International could not struggle for independence and continent and which had given accept the resignation and since independence, still facing birth to the labour and socialist pessimism often heard these. economic sacrifices for the sake movements, and to connect that days from both politicians and of structural adjustment. Elected history with today's reality in financiers when discussing governments like his own had Africa. Africa. Ours, he said, was not a to ensure that economic He too expressed gratitude for false optimism, we were all too adjustment did not preclude the international solidarity well aware of the prevailing social progress, or conflict with which had sustained the economic crisis, of the diversion the consolidation of multi-party movement against apartheid of international aid ftom the democrary. Such sacrifices could and thanked the Socialist 'south' to the 'east', of the dire only be demanded in the International for its particular social effects of neo-liberal context of the widest possible role. economic policies, of the many participation in democracy; his He spoke of the process now continuing conflicts - all of government had therefore under way in South Aftica, with which conspired to thwart the decentralised authority and the establishment of democratic great movements towards multi- established popular fora for institutions, the negotiation of a party democracy in Africa. All dialogue. new constitution and the work the more reason, however, to The Socialist International's t[' iil first vice-president, Gro Harlem ensure that the health and conflict in Mozambique and in Brundtland, prime minister of education of girls were not Angola, and in certain reversals Norway, also began her neglected. She called for the of the economic dedine intervention with a tribute to all development of effective public experienced in the 1980s. He who had struggled for fteedom sectors: 'Market forces are strong spoke too, however, of despair at and democracy in South Africa. tools for development, but left civil wars, genocide, poverty, In spite of great difficulties, she alone they do not respond to disease, environmental disasters, saw a future of great promise for community needs... Needs for and dictatorships violating the country. In the townships, sustainable development, human rights, and compared she said, 'I met people beset education, health and social intemational indifference to the with community purpose, security can only be articulated genocide in Rwanda with the people of great dignity, people and met by people themselves huge attention focused on the who are the harbingers of hope. and their elected governments'. conflict in the former 1 Their vision will come true one 'How can we not be hopeful Yugoslavia, and the small ) day... This South Africa can when we are sitting together in intemational resources devoted i become a great beacon of hope South Africa?', Ant6nio Guterres, to seeking peace in Angola with for Africa, which ironically, as leader of the Socialist Party of the greater efforts of the democracy is spreading, faces Portugal, PS, and an SI vice- intemational community in, for the threat of marginalisation'. president, asked the Council. example, Cambodia. She urged renewed commitment 'Mandela today is a world Above all, the curent terms of from the international reference for democracy and for international fi nancial relations community to cooperate with that extremely difficult thing, gave African countries no African development, whilst also the capacity to forgive - without chance of economic urglng African governments to which we will never be able to development:'Adiustment prioritise investment in the build a new future in many programmes disregard the real education and welfare of future countries'. There was also cause situations. They do not help generations, and especially to for hope, he said, in the end to development. Expenditure needs not reducing but diverting to The Council's debate reflected and municipal elections in Haiti the basic requirements of people much concern on the part of and expressed the hope that the and of development'. He called political leaders from Africa and organisational difficulties noted for nothing less than a elsewhere at today's situation in would be corrected in the fundamental change in the African continent, and forthcoming second round.

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