His Excellency Jacob Zuma, at the state banquet

Toast remarks by President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Jacob Zuma, at the state banquet hosted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Buckingham Palace, London

3 March 2010

Your majesty
Your Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh
Your royal highnesses
Honourable Prime Minister, Mr Gordon Brown
Honourable ministers
Members of the diplomatic corps
Esteemed guests

On behalf of the people of South Africa, let me express my heartfelt gratitude for your gracious invitation, generous hospitality and warm welcome extended to my delegation and I, Your Majesty, since our arrival yesterday. This state visit offers us an opportunity to celebrate the friendship and further deepen the ties between our two countries.

The United Kingdom and South Africa share a long history. We wish to express our deep gratitude to the British people for their generous support to us during the struggle against apartheid. We cannot forget the extraordinary role they played at the forefront of a global movement for a free South Africa, as the global Anti-Apartheid Movement has its roots in this country.

We also appreciate the assistance that the United Kingdom provided during our transition and in the establishment of the new democratic government.
Your Majesty, it is on the rock of human solidarity that our relationship is built, and also the strong people to people ties.

There are many South Africans of British descent. The culture, language, institutions, practices and values of this nation have left a distinctive imprint on South African life. There are many South Africans living and working in the United Kingdom. There are even more Britons living and working in South Africa. This enriches the strong diplomatic ties and healthy economic relations between our two countries.

Your majesty,

Our country has done well since the demise of apartheid and the dawn of freedom and democracy 16 years ago. We have a strong and vibrant democracy, and treasure our freedom, non-racialism and civil liberties, as a people who fought so hard against oppression and racial domination.
United in our diversity, we pride ourselves on being one of the most multi-cultural societies in the world.

We are also making significant progress in working to eradicate poverty and to improve the quality of life of all our people, especially the poor. Much more still needs to be done, and we are happy to have the United Kingdom as one of our key development partners and friends.

Our bilateral relations with your government, structured into the South Africa and United Kingdom bilateral forum, enables us to focus our cooperation in amongst others, the areas of agriculture, defence, education, health, economic development, sports and recreation, as well as environmental affairs.

The United Kingdom is also a significant investment and trading partner, and is South Africa�s largest foreign investor. It is not surprising therefore, that we are accompanied by 216 businesspeople, the largest business delegation ever to accompany a South African head of state on a state visit. We still have a lot of work to do to create the type of society where all South Africans live in prosperity, with access to quality basic services such as health, education, housing, decent jobs and a host of others.

The fight against poverty therefore remains at the heart of all our efforts. The creation of decent work for all our people is a central economic priority. We have a clear plan of how to achieve these goals and also want our efforts yield results faster.

Externally, South Africa is also committed to contributing to the quest for a better Africa and a better world. We work with Africa and other development partners in towards the attainment of the millennium development goals on the continent.

In this regard, we acknowledge the contribution of the government of the United Kingdom, non-governmental organisations and the business community for their commitment to the development and growth of the African continent.

Ladies and gentlemen;

In three month�s time, South Africa will host the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament. This is the biggest event of its kind to be hosted in Africa, and for that reason we have worked round the clock to ensure readiness.

We look forward to welcoming the football fans of the world to our country. We are pleased that we will be able to share experiences and knowledge with the United Kingdom as you prepare to host the 2012 Olympics. It is precisely these kinds of exchanges that make the ties that bind our two countries ever stronger. We thank you again your majesty for your gracious invitation.

Ladies and gentlemen;

May I humbly request you to rise, and join me in a toast, to her majesty the queen, and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh!

I thank you.

Issued by: The Presidency
3 March 2010
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/)