Presidents Debate - NCOP

Speech by Kent Durr, ACDP MP (NCOP)

NCOP Chambers

Tuesday, 13 November 2001

In the National Council of Provinces today, Kent Durr MP for the African Christian Democratic Party, gave the following speech:


During your visit on the 12th of September, you opened the Phillipi Training College for municipal police in our Province – the first centre of its kind in South Africa. You will be pleased to know Mr President that some 400 recruits will finish their training on the 13th of December and will be ready for deployment during the holiday period in Cape Town.

We also valued your visit with the Premier of our Province to the flood stricken areas on the Cape Flats.

Mr President, we are embarked upon the ideal of building our country, our nation and our continent.

What role politics? At present many people are very confused. The young Jan Smuts – his greatness still in his future – once confessed to the then Cape Prime Minister John X Merriman, in an uncharacteristic mood of black despair, that he feels like dropping politics altogether. “Perhaps” he says “at bottom I do not believe in politics at all as a means for the attainment of the highest ends”. The older and wiser, John X gently reproves him “Surely” he replies, “Politics is not the means, it is in itself the highest end, not politics centering on the dreary wrangles of the ins and outs, but politics aimed at making a small city great, and at raising the whole life and character of every class in the community. There can be no higher ambition nor any more worthy object”. And that remains so today.

And so, Mr President, to your new Africa initiative and the Provincial dimension to it.

Seven of our provinces have African neighbours.

We have already seen dramatic and far-reaching co-operation. Between Mpumalanga and Mozambique with the new Peace Parks, the Corridor and the international award winning Mozal development at Maputo completed six months ahead of time and at R100 million below budget. We can do it.

The new Peace Parks including the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park is the greatest step taken in conservation and regional co-operation perhaps for 100 years. It involved 6 national governments; 5 provincial governments; NGO’s; the private sector and the international community. The benefits to all will be far reaching.

We need a new vision, Mr President. In the King James version of the book of Proverbs, it says “Where there is no vision, the people perish”. We need to elevate and ennoble our politics – and our provinces need to find ways and means of making their contribution to the process.

You, Mr President, spoke recently of a new kind of leadership required in Africa.

We need clear vision, hard work, dogged perseverance, humble service and
iron discipline, confidence, faith in our cause and servant leadership.

Men of vision also need to become men of action. Thomas Edison defined genius as”1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”.

Do you remember how everyone in public service used to sign “your obedient servant”? Perhaps we should do so again.

We wish you every success for your new vision for Africa.

Let us in the Provinces make it our vision also.

May God Bless South Africa.


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For more information please call Kent Durr at (021) 403 2472 or ACDP Media Liaison Liza Bloemetje at 082 4781037