ADDRESS BY ANC TREASURER GENERAL MATHEWS PHOSA TO RHEMA CHURCH ON EASTER

1. I want to thank the leadership and management of the Rhema Church for their substantial contribution towards alleviating the plight of the downtrodden in our community.

2. I always find it heartening to work with organizations who deeply understand the principle that those who have, should give back to those who have not, not only in a material way, but also in a spiritual and brotherly/sisterly fashion.

3. Rhema has been such an institution, and your understanding that the community that you serve owns you, has been impressive.

4. South Africa is demonstrating it's' commitment to open and transparent democracy by going to the polls again on May 18. It is almost unthinkable how many times we have, as a "new nation", gone to the polls since that historic day on April 27, 1994.

5. I want to encourage all of you to exercise your democratic right to vote in the local elections. It is not only your right but your patriotic duty to vote for the party of your choice.

6. As the ANC, of course, we believe that our liberation credentials clearly qualify us to state that we represent the downtrodden-and have done so for decades (a century next year, to be exact).

7. The biggest single challenge we face in this country is our continuing struggle to give the downtrodden a voice that counts.

8. That nature of that voice, however, has changed. All of us now have the voice of the vote, but all of us do not yet have the voice of economic freedom.

9. Ensuring that voice is a drive for me personally, and for the ANC.

10. I am always fascinated by the story of Paul, who, when in captivity, asked only from his captors a pen and paper when asked what it is he needed.

11. He only wanted to be true to his true purpose in life, and that is to spread the Gospel as far and as wide as he could.

12. Food or other luxuries did not interest him, only his fervent passion for getting the message of redemption to as many people as possible interested this single-minded man.

13. We had our own Apostle in South Africa's history, namely Nelson Mandela, our first democratically elected President, and former President of the ANC.

14. He repeatedly rejected the conditional offer of freedom within his publicly stated principle of a willingness to live and die for the liberation of all-white and black-to whom this country belongs.

15. In steadfastly sticking to his principles, Mr. Mandela embodies all that is good in the ANC, and all that we, as those who carry the spear of liberation with him, must strive to achieve.

16. We cannot rest until all of us are free.

17. As the ANC, our liberation drive has now been expanded after 1994 to include empowerment. As I have often stated, my own belief is that empowerment through reciprocal partnerships between black and white, is the road that we must follow to economic liberation.

18. One of the ways which we celebrate our democracy is by freely voicing our opinions in the public discourse, sometimes in a robust fashion.

19. By doing so in an opportunistic manner that disrupts local public services (as some unions seem to be doing) during the run up to local government elections, does not serve the democratic course.

20. Such institutions seem to be negating the principle that we are all partners in this country and that we must all return to negotiating forums sooner or later.

21. We have crossed the bridge to liberation. All people of all persuasions must now hold hands across that bridge to unite us in a common purpose.

22. In conclusion, I want to request all of you to pray for your leaders, whether they are from the ANC or other parties.

23. We, as political leaders, need those prayers to ensure that we are guided to be true to the alleviation of the substantial needs of those that elected us to represent them.

I thank you.

Issued by the ANC, April 22 2011

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