Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends and Combrates and members of the legislature-let us all celebrate this very important day-Africa Day.

To day we are celebrating the 25th of May, which marked the coming together of 23 African states in Addis Abbaba-Ethopia in 1963. The African leaders at the time came together out of a noble need to unite the Africans for the total liberation of Africa and to promote social and economic continuity in our continent.

It is now exactly 40 years since the establishment of the Organization for African Unit, and I am proud on behalf of the ANC to announce that Africa is now fully politically emancipated from the bondage of white rule, colonialism and apartheid.

In this regard, I would like to pay tribute to the likes of he Nkwame Nkrumars, the Patrice Lamumbas, the Julius Nyereres, the Samora Machels, the Oliver Tambos, the Sisulus and the Mandelas of this beautiful continent for the pivotal role they played in liberating the African continent.

I am happy to state that South Africa in 1994 sealed the political freedom of the African continent. It is now only 9 years since the new democratic order was born in the Southern tip of the African continent, but its achievements within, and its contributions to the African continent during this short space of time are immeasurable.

In 1995 South Africa hosted the Rugby World Cup, which played a significant role in forging the Rainbow Nation. In 1996, we became the Africa Soccer Cup Champions, and in 2002 we witnessed a very successful Cricket World Cup.

Once again I would like to congratulate the African National Congress for making it possible for the young South African athletes, white and black to be able to participate at the International and Continental events. Ten years ago, under the apartheid regime, this involvement and enjoyment would have not been possible.

I would also like to celebrate the African achievements through the like of Sibusiso Vilane who last week became the first black African to step in the Summit of the Mountain Everest, and thereby placing the African continent on top of the world. I am proud and inspired that South Africa is playing an instrumental role in demystifying the European stereotype of Africa being a 'Continent of Doom and Conflict' to being a continent of hope and achievements.

Meanwhile our continent has achieved a lot in the political front, there are still so many gabs that remain unfilled. I would like to echo the words of the State President, combrate Thabo Mbeki " some of the challenges that face Africa include the need for ability and capacity to defeat poverty, diseases and ignorance. It also need for the Africans to works together for peace security and stability."

In this regard, I am encouraged and inspired by the hosting of the first African Union Summit in Durban last year. The African Union is seen as the vehicle that will take from where the Organization of African Unity left.

It is now time that African continent cooperated in a more meaningful way to rid itself from social and economic ills. Africa also needs to cooperate against the pervasive pathologies of xenophobia, racial discrimination, gender inequalities and poverty.

Combrates and friends, it would be uncharacteristical of me not say anything about housing or human settlement being the Provincial Minister of Housing. If we were to put housing within the internal context, and the African context in particular, there is a lot we could learn from other countries within our continent, there is also much we can share with other developing countries, especially Africa.

One of the major challenges facing the African in the area of human settlements is the rapid urbanization. South Africa, particularly the housing sector is involved in the regional forms such as Nepad, Cities Without Slums Alliance, and Habitat for Humanity.

Our engagement in these forums is aimed at improving the living conditions of millions of people in our region through raising the profile of the requirements for sustainable human settlements. In this regard, the housing sector has also played an instrument role in the World Summit for Sustainable Development.

Through our involvement to promote sustainable human settlements, my vision and priorities for the province are as follows:

• To develop and devise strategies for informal settlement upgrading. My department has in this regard completed a Manual on Informal Settlement Upgrading to assist municipalities deal with this problem effectively.
• To promote Medium Density Housing through Rental and Social Housing. I am proud to announce that last week I signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the City of Cape Town and Social Housing Foundation to promote Social Housing in the Metropole area.
• To promote Peoples Centered Housing Development. In this regard I am happy to announce that my department has approved 42 People's Housing Process projects throughout the province. Our biggest challenge is how to build our capacity so that we can live up to the challenge of the growing demand of the PHP.

In conclusion, I would like to congratulate our President Thabo Mbeki and the ANC government at large on their good work on the promotion of socio-economic development, dignity, and good governance African solidarity. Through NEPAD, these can even be much more easier to achieve.