Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-07-05-Speech-4-170"
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"en.20010705.8.4-170"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, it is fashionable these days to be pessimistic about Africa, sometimes on the basis of rash generalisations. In an ocean of instability, however, of never-ending wars and conflicts, such as in the long-suffering Angola, one regional power could guarantee a degree of order and peace in southern Africa – the Republic of South Africa. A real political miracle has taken place there, which is firmly ingrained in our minds: the country moved from apartheid to democracy. South Africa made a peaceful choice for democracy and thereby put an end to decades of racial oppression. Nevertheless, South Africa still faces serious problems that have been described here today, from violent crime, into which the country is threatening to sink, and into which it could very well sink, to the terrible disease of AIDS. The changes in South Africa have given rise to great hope, however. The wisdom and the prestige of Nelson Mandela gave South Africa enormous authority in the world. His political successors now have great responsibilities to history and to the heritage of values bequeathed to them by Nelson Mandela. South Africa can only be a power that has a positive influence on the destinies of its region and of the world if it avoids sliding into racial or ethnic conflict.
The immigrant communities are living in fear and anxiety. The Portuguese community, one of the largest and most affected by the violence, has already been brave enough to demonstrate on the streets and demand protective measures. We must support South Africa, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, and help it, without adopting a paternalistic attitude, to develop and to combat a lack of safety, conflict, violent death and murder. A drift towards violence would be a tragedy not only for South Africa but also for Europe and for the whole world. Amongst the many resolutions adopted by this Parliament, this is one of the most important and topical. The Portuguese and other European citizens living in South Africa will then feel that Europe is not abandoning them to their fate and will keep the flame of hope alight. Most effective in achieving the remainder of what needs to be done, however, will be the diplomacy of the Commission and the Member States. I would remind you of the words of the great French philosopher, Montaigne, who said: ‘Every man contains within him the entire form of the human condition’. To a certain extent, it is the human condition that is at stake in that great country."@en1
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