An Unusual Heritage Day

Today is HERITAGE DAY here, a public holiday. I believe that the Cape is having cool, perhaps cloudy weather, but north of the Cape we have a lovely warm day with open blue skies; ideal for outdoor celebrations and picnics.

It's something of an unusual Heritage Day for us, though. Just for today, we don't have a President; but we'll have another one tomorrow. And we have 13 'vacant' cabinet posts; crucial ones. There's not too much concern, though, because those ministers have not deserted and are still manning their posts. The circumstances leading up to this situation are well documented, so I'm not going to go into that. What I do want to say is that I feel that the behaviour of the leaders involved is worthy of our Heritage Day celebrations.

I feel that President Thabo Mbeki conducted his resignation with the utmost dignity and responsibility. Anyone, anywhere in the world, who witnessed his broadcast, would have nothing but respect for his demeanour. Even the lack of any panic on the stock exchange lends evidence to that sentiment.

With regard to the resignation of 13 cabinet members, I applaud their action. (Although there was momentary international panic when Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, proved to be one of them, his instant reassurance to the world that he would be available to continue in that post under the new administration calmed the waters immediately.)

We knew beforehand that a number of Cabinet Ministers had already indicated that they would not be available for another term of office after next year's elections. Their resignations at this point make sense. The balance of the resignations of ministers in key posts is not an attempt at destabilization. On the contrary, all the resignations are a display of respect, both to the outgoing President and to the new administration.

The six ministers who who will not be available to continue in office have made it abundantly clear, leaving the new administration in no doubt as to a course of action. The balance of the ministers have made it clear that they would be willing to serve under the new administration, if invited to do so. This serves to clear the air. If invited to take up those posts under the new administration, there'll be no waiting for an axe to fall, and it will display a motion of mutual confidence, which is in the best interests of the new administration, the ministers concerned, and the rest of the country.

I believe that the parties involved have acted with dignity and a show of co-operation that is worthy of our Heritage Day celebrations.