New Zealand Executive Government Speech Archive

Mr Premier, Mr Mayor, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for your welcome. Thank you for your hospitality. Thank you for
allowing me to visit you and to begin to get to know you.

I have spent only a few hours in the Eastern Cape but I can see that it is a
region that has a sense of community and is moving to a future of
reconciliation and development.

That sense of direction was, I think, demonstrated graphically at Buffalo
Flats, where I spent some time this morning.

I visited a township where remarkable progress is underway on giving people
housing.

In my experience in politics it is the basics of housing, health and education
that count most.

On these key areas the Eastern Cape is a province on the move.

Although we are a small and distant country New Zealand is keen to help that
process.

In most cases the assistance we can provide will take the form of advice or
expertise rather than material resources.

But we think that it can help make a difference.

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I am confident that some of our people on the ground here, our Volunteer
Service Abroad workers, are already making a difference in such fields as water
supply, sanitation, rural support services, education and local government.

And when they return to New Zealand , they will be replaced by other
volunteers. Because we intend to be here for the long haul. We want an
enduring relationship with the people of this province. We see the Eastern
Cape as a focus for much of our development assistance effort in South Africa.

It is a part of South Africa that New Zealanders are beginning to know and feel
a bond with.

One area where we intend to direct a good proportion of our development
resources is primary education.

New Zealanders place a high value on the basic skills of reading and writing.

Literacy is a key to developing human potential, and a skilled work force.

We look forward to sharing with the people of the Eastern Cape what we have in
this area.

Mr Premier, our time here is short. The people I have met this morning and the
places I have seen convince me that it was a good move on our part to begin
this relationship with the Eastern Cape. I know that it is something that will
grow in the years ahead.

Thank you.