Speaker of the National Assembly,
Speaker of the Senate,
Members of Parliament,
Ministers,
Ambassadors,
Honourable Brahim Boughali, President of the Algerian People’s National Assembly,
Honourable Members,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good Evening,
It is an honour to be here in the Parliament of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.
My delegation and I have been received with great warmth and kindness in Algeria, a country with which we have a deep fraternal bond.
Algeria’s war for independence greatly inspired our liberation struggle in South Africa.
In 1962, in his first speech as leader of a free Algeria, President Ahmed Ben Bella declared that Algeria had a duty to support anti-colonial struggles across Africa.
On another occasion, President Ben Bella said:
“We have no right to think of eating better when people fall in Angola, Mozambique, in South Africa. But we have a ransom to pay. We must accept to die together so that African unity does not become a vain word.”
Algeria made good on this promise to the people of Africa and to the people of South Africa.
We recall that Algeria gave refuge and military training to our freedom fighters.
We recall that in the early 1960s, the father of our democracy, Nelson Mandela, visited bases of the Algerian National Liberation Front as the ANC was setting up its armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe.
In 1963, the African National Congress became one of the first national liberation movements to set up its international bureau in Algiers.
Under the leadership of President Ahmed Ben Bella, Algeria lobbied against apartheid on the world stage and for the racist regime to be isolated.
This great wave of human solidarity in which our brothers and sisters in Algeria took part contributed to the downfall of apartheid and to the achievement of our democracy.
When President Mandela was released from prison in 1990, Algeria was one of the first countries he visited.
We remember the famous words he spoke on his arrival:
“The Algerian army made me a man.”
We remember this history as a constant reminder of the bravery and sacrifices of those who came before us.
We who have inherited the torch of freedom have a responsibility to ensure that it continues to burn brightly.
We must wield the torch of freedom to banish forever the darkness of oppression and injustice.
We must ensure that this torch illuminates the path of African progress and unity for the generations yet to come.
Algeria’s contribution to South Africa’s liberation is engraved in history.
We owe the noble people of Algeria a great debt.
As South Africa, we are committed to deepening our fraternal ties with the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.
Through the Bi-National Commission, we aspire to strengthen our trade, investment and people-to-people relations for mutual benefit.
Yesterday, we held a Business Forum.
It was greatly encouraging to see the interest by South African and Algerian businesses in expanding ties.
There are promising signs that bilateral trade and investment between our two countries is growing.
We seek greater cooperation in areas such oil and gas, green hydrogen, agriculture, aviation, renewable energy and other key sectors.
We seek to use the abundance of natural resources in our two countries to benefit our people.
To share our knowledge and expertise.
To benefit from each other’s strengths and capabilities.
We are determined to create more favourable business and investment conditions in South Africa and Algeria to enable our respective companies to flourish.
We are committed to sustaining the momentum of the African Continental Free Trade Area as part of realising the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
As nations, we know too well the pain of having our lands colonised and our people oppressed.
South Africa and Algeria stand firm in our support for the Palestinian people’s quest for self-determination.
Israel’s barbaric war on the people of Gaza must end.
The killing of women, children and non-combatants; the bombardment of homes, schools and hospitals; and the denial of humanitarian aid is a stain on the conscience of the world.
We cannot turn a blind eye to this injustice.
We have a responsibility to stop this genocide.
Israel must be held accountable for its crimes against the people of Gaza.
Algeria and South Africa need to stand firm in our commitment to the right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination.
We applaud Algeria for its unwavering support for the struggle of the people of Western Sahara to determine their own future.
We must remind the international community of its responsibility to the people of Western Sahara.
International law must be upheld.
The values of the United Nations Charter must be respected.
We need to build a new world order founded on justice, fairness and inclusivity.
South Africa reiterates its call for the reform of the United Nations Security Council to make it more representative and accountable.
As South Africa and Algeria, we must stand together in our call for the transformation of the systems of global governance.
They need to serve the interests of all countries and all peoples.
We must lend our full support to vulnerable and marginalised people everywhere.
We need to stand up for the innocent civilians who find themselves engulfed in war and conflict.
As an international community, as Africans, we need to do everything within our means to achieve a peaceful and lasting resolution of these conflicts.
We must unite as Africans to accelerate the pace of social and economic development, as we strive to attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and our own continent’s agenda 2063.
It is our great desire that the South African and Algerian Parliaments should deepen their collaboration.
We have much to learn from each other.
There is much we have in common.
We have common histories, common interests, common values and a shared vision for continental unity and cooperation.
Algeria and South Africa are on opposite ends of the African continent.
Yet, we are brought together by a shared struggle.
Let us continue to work together to build the Africa of which we all dream.
Let us build the future that our people all want, and all deserve.
I thank you.
Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria