Rajapaksa asked Zuma for help with peace South Africas Special Envoy

28 April 2014 South Africas Special Envoy to Sri Lanka said his government agreed to become involved in the islands struggle for peace after President Mahinda a!apaksas re"uested President #acob $umas assistance %hen he visited &olombo last year' (n his first public comments on his role) Mr' &yril amaphosa) also *eputy President of the ruling African +ational &ongress ,A+&-) said South Africas post.Apartheid success in building a ne% nation that embraced democracy and human rights had endeared the country to many others around the %orld) including Sri Lanka'

&yril amaphosa addressing cro%ds at Mount Edgecombe' Photograph /amil 0uardian 1ur country used to be the pariah of the %orld) and today %e are the darling of the %orld''' Some of those that have come to respect us greatly are countries like Sri Lanka) he said in a speech on April 23th) at Mount Edgecombe) 4%a$ulu +atal' 5hen our president %ent to Sri Lanka) 6President a!apaksa7 said8 9President $uma please could you assist us to find permanent peace amongst our people here in Sri Lanka:9'; <e said he %ould like South Africa to play a critical role in helping to cement the people of Sri Lanka together) Mr' amaphosa told an audience largely of South Africans of /amil descent at a 9<indu Easter9 event by the Shri Mariammen /emple'

President $uma) %ho also made a brief address at the event) had met President a!apaksa %hen he attended the controversial &ommon%ealth <eads of 0overnment Meeting ,&<10M- in &olombo last +ovember' 5hat %e have been through) in the form of reconciliation) in the form of building a ne% nation from the ashes of Apartheid has made many countries around the %orld to %ant to learn from us) Mr' amaphosa) %ho is also South Africas Special Envoy to South Sudan) said' /hey %ant to kno% ho% did %e succeed to defeat the monster of Apartheid: <o% did %e defeat racism: <o% did %e defeat e=ploitation''' imposed on a many of our people by a fe%: Sri Lanka) %here "uite a number of you) through your forebears are associated %ith) has been struggling to find peace' Last year they reached out to us' 5e are truly honoured to be chosen amongst many countries to go and make this type of contribution to the people of Sri Lanka) he said' 5e have a %onderful story to tell) and it is this %onderful story that the Sri Lankans see'; ;As South Africans %e do not impose any solution on anyone around the %orld); he said) noting the limits of South Africa9s involvement' ;All %e ever do is to share our o%n e=perience and tell them ho%) through negotiation) through compromise) through giving and taking %e %ere able to defeat the monster of Apartheid'; ;5e think %e can share those e=periences) and of course in the end) it is up to the people of Sri Lanka to find their o%n peace); he stressed' All ( can say is > there is a great deal of hope and %e as South Africa are going to be able to share our o%n e=perience 6of7 ho% %e %ere able to build our o%n peace) ho% %e %ere to begin the process of building a nation from the ashes of terrible oppression) ashes of Apartheid and ashes of e=ploitation' See here for the full te=t of Mr' &yril amaphosa9s address'

See also our feature 9Enter South Africa:9'

South Africa's Special Envoy on initiative in Sri

Lanka
Cyril Ramaphosa Tamil Guardian 28 April 2014

Speech by South Africa's Special Envoy to Sri Lanka, and Deputy President of the African National Congress ANC!, Cyril "a#aphosa, on April $%th at an event organised by Shri &aria##en 'e#ple in &ount Edgeco#be, ()a*ulu+Natal, ( am e=tremely honoured and over!oyed to have been given this very rare opportunity of saying a fe% %ords to all of you' /his is indeed a special moment in the calendar of our people' (t is also particularly an important day) because it is the day that you all take your pilgrimage to this place' A place that has historic significance in the lives of (ndian people in our country) in the lives of <indus in our country' (t is important because it reminds us of a very painful past that %e have had in our country' /hat %hen (ndian people %ere brought to this country as labour they %ere made to %ork and toil for ?@A days of each year in the sugar canes %ithout any rest) under a load of pressure and e=ploitation' /here %as one day) %hen . if you like . the %hite slave masters) allo%ed our forebears to come here) to have this one day free %hen they %ent to church' (t %as the one day that our forebears could all be free to come and meet' And this is %hat has made this place so historic and so significant' /hat they %ere able to come from all corners) to come to this very place) to this temple) and have a moment of rest) have a moment of communion) have a moment of meeting each other) have a moment of practising their religion) their culture) and have a moment of being together %ith each other' So in many) many %ays it is the most significant day' 5e as a country) as the people of South Africa embrace this day) also as an important day for us' And that is %hy %e have also !oined this pilgrimage) to come here) to associate %ith you) to have communion %ith you) and to be present) also at this place' So %e pay tribute' 5e pay tribute to those %ho came before us) for having %alked this !ourney) and no% today) %e continue %alking this !ourney' But you don9t do it on your o%n) you do it %ith all of us' So ( thank you for allo%ing us to be a part of this' So ( am over!oyed that this opportunity has been made available' ( %ill !ust

say t%o things and %ill not %aste your time) having said those introductory remarks in order of this place) and the people %ho undertake this pilgrimage' /he first one is that %e belong to a South Africa that has become so broadly accepted around the %orld' /he dramatic changes that have taken place in our country) %here %e made a break %ith our terrible past 6and7 %e emerged as a ne% nation) a ne% nation that %as led by our icon +elson Mandela' A ne% nation that has embraced human rights) a ne% nation that has embraced democracy) a ne% nation that has embraced the best of human behaviour that you can ever imagine) and that has endeared us to many around the %orld' Many countries have embraced us' 1ur country used to be the pariah of the %orld) and today %e are the darling of the %orld' 5e are revered) %e are respected) %e are %anted all over the %orld' 5hat %e have been through) in the form of reconciliation) in the form of building a ne% nation from the ashes of Apartheid has made many many countries around the %orld to %ant to learn from us' /hey %ant to kno% ho% did %e succeed to defeat the monster of Apartheid) ho% did %e defeat racism' <o% did %e defeat e=ploitation that %as imposed on a many of our people by a fe%' Some of those countries that have come to respect us greatly are countries like Sri Lanka' Sri Lanka) %here "uite a number of you through your forebears are associated %ith) has been a country that has gone through a lot of turmoil of its o%n' /hey have been struggling to find peace' /hey9ve been struggling to come to terms %ith their o%n history) and last year they reached out to us' 5hen our president %ent to Sri Lanka) the president of Sri Lanka said) 9President $uma please could you assist us to find permanent peace amongst our people here in Sri Lanka9' <e said he %ould like South Africa to play a critical role in helping to cement the people of Sri Lanka together' /hey have been through a terrible %ar) that has cost a lot of lives' /hey then re"uested the president of the epublic of South Africa to lend a hand) to make sure that they reach permanent peace' A number of our o%n compatriots have been busy %ith the peace making process in Sri Lanka for over ten years' Last year they felt they %anted to in!ect more life) more energy in the process by asking President $uma to get South Africa more deeply

involved' /o this end) he then appointed a special envoy that is myself) to get more formally involved in consolidating the peace process in Sri Lanka' 5e have been having a lot of consultations %ith a number of role players that have come here to brief us about the situation in Sri Lanka' 5e have met %ith the government delegation) and they gave us a full briefing of the efforts they are making to consolidate peace there' 5e also met a delegation of the /amil +ational 6Alliance7 %ho %ere also here to brief us !ust a %eek or so ago' 5e met them and had deep and long discussions %ith them' Soon %e %ill be undertaking a visit to Sri Lanka) %ith *eputy Minister %ithin the President9s office) and a number of other comrades) %e %ill be going to Sri Lanka) to go and have deep discussions %ith various role players in Sri Lanka' /o see to %hat e=tent %e can assist them 6to7 come to terms %ith their o%n recent history) %ith a process that they %ere undergoing of finding peace during a %ar situation) and no% recently %ith the peace that is beginning to emerge' <o% %e can help them consolidate and ho% %e can help them to deal %ith the inherent difficulties and challenges that they are going through at present' All ( can say is that there is hope' /here is a great deal of hope and %e as South Africa are going to be able to share our o%n e=perience . an e=perience that all of you kno%) that all of you and all of us lived through . 6of7 ho% %e %ere able to build our o%n peace) and ho% %e %ere to begin the process of building a nation) from the ashes of terrible oppression) ashes of Apartheid and ashes of e=ploitation' 5e think %e can share those e=periences) and of course in the end it is up to the people of Sri Lanka to find their o%n peace' As South Africans %e do not impose any solution on anyone around the %orld' All %e ever do is to share our o%n e=perience and tell them ho% through negotiation) ho% through compromise) ho% through giving and taking %e %ere able to defeat the monster of Apartheid' So that is %hat %e are going to be able to do and %ould like to thank the people of Sri Lanka for honouring us as South Africa) for honouring all of you) for giving us the opportunity to share our e=perience %ith them' (t does not often happen in the lives of a nation that a country) a people) %ho have found peace) are then asked to collectively make a contribution to finding peace in another country' 5e are truly honoured to be chosen amongst many countries to go and make this type of contribution to the

people of Sri Lanka' /here must be something good that they see in us as South Africans) there must be something honourable they see in us as the people of the epublic of South Africa' And as %e are no% moving for%ard ourselves to consolidate our o%n democracy on the Cth of May) it is that) that is good in us . that for DE years %e embraced and held onto democracy' 5e found our freedom' 5e %on our freedom) and on the Cth of May %e are going to . if you like . %e are going to rene% our vo%s' 5e are going to consolidate our o%n freedom and our o%n progress' (t is this that must make each one of us to go and vote on the Cth' Let us go and vote on the Cth kno%ing very %ell that %hat %e are voting for is to vote for this country to go for%ard' (t is to vote so that South Africa can get stronger and stronger . on the basis of a DE year history that %e have !ust had) DE years of progress) DE years of great movement for%ard) DE years that is our firm foundation as a people' 6A7 foundation that rests on the pillar of democracy) on the pillar of freedom) on the pillar of social progress of our people) economic development . those are the strong pillars on %hich this foundation 6is built7' 5e are steadying on for DE years of progress 6and7 %e are no% continuing to build this South Africa as %e move for%ard' So ( re"uest you) one and all) collectively) that on the Cth of May) let us go and vote' Let us go and sho% the %orld that %e are a people %ho are determined to move this country for%ard' /hat %hat %e have gained in the last t%enty years) %e %ant to consolidate and redouble' 5e have moved our country for%ard and South Africa is indeed a better place to live in than it %as t%enty years ago' 5e collectively have a really good story to tell' 5e have a %onderful story to tell) and ladies and gentlemen) it is this %onderful story that the Sri Lankans see' (t is this %onderful story that %e have put together that they see and they %ant us to go and share %ith them' And it is for this reason that %e as South Africans can hold our heads high' All of us collectively) %e can hold our heads high and say %e live in a country that is free) %here there is democracy) %here there is progress) and %e can sho% the last t%enty years indeed as evidence that there has been progress' And lastly) this is the progress that has been led by the African +ational

&ongress' (t has been led by our national icon +elson Mandela) /habo Mbeki) 4galema Motlanthe and #acob $uma' And #acob $uma our president continues to take this baton for%ard) to lead this country' And ( am saying here to you) let us go and support this progress) this process of moving our country for%ard' Let us go and support the one party that is fully prepared and determined and has the e=perience to move our country for%ard' (t is this country that Sri Lanka has invited) under the leadership of #acob $uma) to go and help them consolidate their peace' /hat is indeed a %onderful story to tell' Both nationally) as %ell as internationally) %e are making a great deal of progress) and %e have %onderful) %onderful deeds to demonstrate' So ( ask you then) don9t forget the Cth of May) go and vote) and go and vote for the party that can take this country for%ard' /hank you very much and ( %ish you the very best for today as you celebrate your pilgrimage' /hank you very much'