The Road to a Transformed Society - Debate

Cheryllyn Dudley MP - ACDP

Thursday 20 September, 2001


In the National Assembly today Cheryllyn Dudley MP for the African
Christian Democratic Party gave the following speech in the House, on
the debate entitled "The Road to a Transformed Society".


Our new South African heritage is a legacy in the making, this heritage
is still in its infant stages and like any infant, it is vulnerable. On
this road we have already witnessed the miraculous, as apartheid
crumbled in a climate of relative peace and a desire for reconciliation
gripped the hearts of most South Africans.

The road however has been a rocky one with many detours and dangers.
Realities such as unemployment currently running at between 25% and 35%,
and crime are serious concerns for ordinary people. Whilst few people
would question the link between apartheid and current backlogs and
inequalities, constant reference to the past, apportioning blame and
focusing all efforts on exorcising racism, as tempting as this may be,
will not deal with the situation.

For me there is no amount of times that I can ask for forgiveness from
those who suffered the injustices of the past that would suffice, so
again I say, "I am sorry and I ask your forgiveness".

The fact is there can be no real or lasting reconciliation of racial and
other differences outside of Jesus Christ the Lord of Lords and the King
of Kings. Division was God's response to man's efforts to unify outside
of Him in the past. Is it not glaringly obvious that this is His
response today?

The world has had a very loud wake up call as we watched symbols of
World powers and World Trade, come crashing to the ground in New York
and Washington. The genius of men and women is no substitute for the
protection of an almighty God.

Sadly and shamefully South Africa is building a heritage not unlike that
of the United States in murdering her unborn children, flooding our
homes with every kind of debauchery, teaching our children to disrespect
authority and even their own bodies, embracing homosexuality and
prostitution, and much more.

The roots of civilisation are only one generation deep and if that
generation forgets the truth and fails to understand the lessons of
history, it can easily revert to the barbarism of the past, or perhaps
an enhanced barbarism, as we witnessed in the USA, enhanced by the
technological marvels of the age.

Without God, existence becomes meaningless and moral values become
arbitrary. Where are we headed on this road? It seems to me, that the
writing is already on the wall!


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For more information please call Cheryllyn Dudley MP at 082 8906520 or
ACDP Media Liaison Liza Lambert at 082 4781037