15 June 2007
Addressing South Africa's Parliament in Cape Town this week, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila has thanked President Thabo Mbeki and South Africa as a whole for their consistent efforts to promote peace and democracy in his country.
"The government of South Africa invested so much to a solution to a crisis that affected my country for so long," Kabila told members of Parliament this Thursday.
He said they were thankful for South Africa's efforts in helping the DRC to build the transitional institutions that paved the way for democratic elections last year, building its public administration and in reforming that country's armies.
Kabila said that the multinational and multicultural characteristics of South African society was also a source of inspiration, adding that the country symbolised the faith of African people in integration and the success of a vibrant private sector.
"As a citizen of Africa and of the world we are proud of South Africa and present our warm and sincere congratulations," he said.
He also singled out South Africa's Department of Defence in particular for its support of the country's peace process, which included the difficult task of assimilating the various armed forces operating in the vast country.
Kabila added that he wished for bilateral cooperation between the two countries "to intensify" and forge "strong bonds of solidarity", above and apart from existing interactions through the Southern African Development Community.
Addressing Parliament, he outlined the vision of the DRC for the future, stating that good governance and national reconstruction would be the priorities of his government.
He promised to fight corruption and criminality and to mobilise financial resources for increased free enterprise within the context of the "social economy" of free markets.
'Ripe for investment'
He said that
the climate was now ripe for South African companies to examine investment opportunities in the DRC, as that country's legal system was now in a condition to guarantee the security of foreign investments.
According to Kabila, the business community would see a country very different from what it was in 2002, and that reforms under way would make the country even more attractive as they would pursue a macro-economic strategy conducive to investment and bring long-lasting stability in the DRC.
He said that much work has to be done, including the rehabilitating the agricultural sector, the mining sector, and the creation of basic infrastructure such as roads, railways, ports and airports.
The opportunities for growth are "huge", he said, and must be seized.
In addition, he pledged to build international relationships, to practice non-interference on other countries' affairs, to fight terrorism, prevent armed conflict and work to eradicate HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, while respecting human rights, human life, justice and equality.
He also promised attention to other issues, such as global warming, other environmental threats to the planet, and the reduction of national debt and the lessening of the digital divide.
"My country is ready to play a big part in all these debates," he said, as he perhaps marked the first moment of the coming of age of the giant country once described by its United Nations envoy as being the "political centre of gravity" for central Africa.
Source: BuaNews
