MESSAGE BY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA ON NEW YEAR’S EVE, 31 DECEMBER

1. MESSAGE BY PRESIDENTCYRIL RAMAPHOSA ON NEW YEAR’S EVE,31 DECEMBER 2020
My fellow SouthAfricans,
As we reflectonthe yearthat nowdraws to a close,we see aworldthat isfundamentallydifferentto
anythingwe have knownbefore.
There isno corner of the earth,nor any part of ourcountry, thathas beenunaffectedbythe coronavirus
pandemic.
It has devastatedlivesanddestroyedlivelihoods,causedgreatpain,andleftmanypeople hungryand
destitute.
At the same time,ithas broughtour people together.
The pandemichasdemonstratedourpeople’sgreatcapacityforcooperation,solidarityandshared
endeavour.
Globally,the countriesof the worldhave workedtogethertoshare informationandresources.
Our continent,underthe leadershipof the AfricanUnion,came togethertodevelopacommonresponse
to thispandemic,andfoundaninnovative waytoensure all countrieshave accesstoessential medical
supplies.
We have gone outto the restof the worldtoadvocate for debtrelief andtomobilisefundsforAfrica’s
coronavirusresponse andforitseconomicrecovery.
In the face of thisunprecedentedcrisis,SouthAfricanshave demonstratedthe true meaningof
‘ubuntu’.
We have takenresponsibilityforeachother’swelfare,bydonatingourtime,ourenergiesandour
resources.

2. Workingtogether,we have mobilisedthe nation’sresourcesunderdifficultconditionsandina very
short space of time to supportpoor families,protectjobsandkeepbusinessesafloat.
It has beenayear of uncertainty,pain,worryandloss.
Many people have beencalledupontomake huge sacrifices.
Many have beenworriedfortheirjobs,manyhave struggledtomake a living,.
Nearlyall SouthAfricanshave hadto spendtime separatedfromtheir lovedones.
As thisyeardrawsto a close,we mournthe lossof relatives,friends,colleaguesandneighbourswho
succumbedtoCOVID-19.
As a nation,we mournthe lossof several eminentSouthAfricansandpeoplefromall walksof life.
Evenas we were struck bycoronavirus,we hadto confrontanotherpandemicthathas longplaguedour
nation.
We mournthe many womenandchildrenwholosttheirlivesatthe handsof men.
We thinkof the many more whohave had to endure rape andbeatings,abusive relationshipsandsexual
harassment.
We thinkof the many childrenthathave beeninjuredandtraumatisedbyadults –the verypeople who
are responsible fortheirwellbeingandsafety.
Andyet,inthe face of boththese pandemics,SouthAfricanshave remainedresolute,determinedto
overcome the coronavirus,anddeterminedtoendgender-basedviolence.

3. I wantto expressmyheartfeltgratitudetoeverySouthAfricanforthe courage and the perseverance
withwhichyouhave confrontedthiscrisis.
I wantto thank the healthandsocial servicesworkersfortakingcare of people whoare ill,hungryor
lonely.
Evenas the NewYear dawns,inhospitalsandotherhealthfacilitiesacrossthe nation,committedhealth
workersare caring for the sickinthe face of a severe resurgenceof infections.
Throughoutthe year,theyhave workedtirelesslyandatgreat riskto themselvestocare for us and
protectus.
We have a dutyto protectthemfrom harm andfatigue byacting responsibly,byensuringthatwe do
not become infectedandthatwe do notinfectothers.
I alsowant thankthe menand womeninour law enforcementagenciesandourDefence Force,whoare
keepingussafe fromcrime,violence andharm.
In the manyways thatCOVID-19 affectedourlives thispastyear,one of the mostchallengingwasthe
disruptioncausedtolearningandteachinginourschools,collegesanduniversities.
The pandemicthreatenedthe educational developmentof anentire generationof SouthAfricans.
It istherefore withgreatadmirationandmuchrespectthatI salute the learnersandthe studentsof
2020 for havingcontinuedwiththeirstudiesundersuchdifficultconditions.
In some instances,theyhave hadtocontinue the academicyearinto2021.
I wantto thank the educators,lecturers,administratorsandschool governingbodiesforhavingworked
so hard to save the academicyearand to ensure thatthe youngpeople of ourcountryprogressand
succeed.

4. We are grateful to the country’sreligiousleadersandtraditional leadersforhavingsuspendedorlimited
manyof theiractivitiesduringthe pandemic.
We are grateful to oursports people andadministrators,toourartistsand performers,andtoall those
whohave beenunable tocontinue theirtrade topreventthe spreadof the disease.
I wantto thank all Membersof Parliament,Membersof Provincial Legislatures,local government
councillorsandall publicservantsforhavingremainedattheirpostsevenatthe most difficultmoments
of the pandemic–and for havingcontinuedthroughouttoserve the nation.
We entera newyearreadyto rebuildoureconomy,torevive businessesandrestore jobs,andto
continue ourdrive fornewinvestment.
Workingtogetherinpartnership,we are undertakinganambitiousrecoveryplan
to buildnewroadsandwater projects,humansettlementsandpowergenerationplants.
We have made importantprogressinvital economicreformstoensure we have asecure supplyof
affordable energy;thatwe have cheaper,fasterandmore accessible broadband;andthatour ports and
railwaysare more efficientandmore competitive.
We are creatingpublicemploymentopportunitiesthatcontribute tothe bettermentof people’slives,
and providinggreatersupporttothe small businessesthatdrive growthandcreate jobs.
We are acceleratingthe redistributionof landandimprovingthe supportprovidedtobeneficiaries.
Throughthiswork,we are transformingoureconomy,enablingmore blackpeople,womenandyoung
people toparticipate in,and benefitfrom, activitiesfromwhichtheyhadpreviouslybeenexcluded.
Due to the disruptioncausedbythe pandemic,we have hadtolearnto work,to learn,to trade and to
socialise innewanddifferentways.

5. We have harnessedtechnologyasneverbeforetokeepoureconomyworking,andwe needtouse the
great advanceswe have made toshape a new worldof workthat ismore productive,more efficientand
more focusedonthe needsof people.
We are just a fewhoursawayfrom the birthof the AfricanContinental FreeTrade Area,whichwill
fundamentallychange the economicfortunesof ourcontinent.
It isthe start of a neweraof trade betweenAfricancountries,whenthe continentwill produce the
goodsand servicesitneeds,whenitseconomieswill grow,industrialise anddiversify,whenitwill realise
the great potential of itsabundantnatural resources.
I call on the entrepreneursof ournationto seize the abundantopportunitiesthatthishistoric
developmentwill presenttoexplore new markets andbuildnew partnerships.
Thisis an opportunitytoempowerthe womenof Africathroughspecialtrade arrangements,financial
inclusionandpreferential accesstogovernmentandprivate sectorprocurement.
SouthAfrica’schairshipof the AfricanUnionisnow comingto an end,justas we alsoend ourterm as a
non-permanentmemberof the UnitedNationsSecurityCouncil.
Throughthese importantbodies,we have championedthe cause of peace anddevelopmentnotonlyin
Africa,butacross the world.
We have workedtostrengthenthe multilateralinstitutionsthatare sonecessaryforglobal cooperation
and forthe sustainable developmentof all.
The year aheadwill be challenginganddifficult.
We are in the midstof a secondwave of coronavirusinfections,whichmaybe evenworse thanthe first
wave.
Andwhile we are greatlyencouragedbythe progressmade indevelopinganeffective vaccine,we know
that itwill be some time before the pandemicends.

6. The year aheadwill therefore require ourgreatesteffortandresilience.
The past year hasshownwhat we are capable of whenwe are unitedandwhenwe worktogetherfor
the good of all.
It isthisspiritthat will carryus intothe new year,and whichwill enableustoprevail andto prosper.
I wishyoua happy andhealthy2021.
Nkosi Sikelel’iAfrika.
ISSUED BY THE PRESIDENCYOF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA