One Cannot Be Prepared For Something While

There Are People Here [in South Africa] Who, Whatever The Debate Is On A Particular Issue, Their Dominating Idea Is That At The End Of The Debate We Must Emerge Stronger Than We Were Before And Closer To One Another.

The Suffering Inflicted, And More Often Than Not On The Most Vulnerable Sectors Of Society, Demeans All Of Us As Humanity. That It Is Invariably Women, Children, The Aged And Disabled Who Suffer In These Conflicts Stands To The Added Shame Of Humankind.

Each Of Us Is As Intimately Attached To The Soil Of This Beautiful Country As Are The Famous Jacaranda Trees Of Pretoria And The Mimosa Trees Of The Bushveld - A Rainbow Nation At Peace With Itself And The World.

It Is Necessary To Heal The Wounds Of The Past If You Are Going To Build Your Country And To Have Unity. I Am Working With People Who Fought Me Very Bitterly Before The Elections. It Was My Responsibility As The Man Who Is Leading The Majority Party, My Responsibility To Heal The Wounds Of The Past And To Work With People Who Were My Opponents.

It Is Important To Not Be Hostile To What A Greater Part Of Society Has Embraced, Whether As Christians, Hindus Or Muslims. It Is Important To Respect That Because Whether You Believe Or Not In The Existence Of A Superior Being, Humanity Does Believe In That.