Keynote address by the former president of Mozambique, his excellency Mr Joaquim Chissano at the investing in the future and Drivers of Change Awards held in Johannesburg on 26 October , 2006

Dr Reginald Matchaba-Hove, Trustee of the Southern Africa Trust;
Mr Trevor Ncube, Chief Executive of the Mail and Guardian;
Distinguished guests; Ladies and gentlemen.

A very good evening for all!

It is a great honour for me to be here tonight. I am indeed proud to be part of this event with a noble cause of “ending poverty in southern Africa.” Poverty in all its dimensions remains a serious problem in our region. It is disturbing to note that 40 percent of our 230 million citizens live in abject poverty. This is not acceptable.

Our people are struggling for survival. They are deprived of basic conditions for human life and meeting their critical needs has remained elusive for many in Southern Africa. The spectrum of high poverty levels, is worsened by the HIV and AIDS tragedy that continues to have a heavy toll on the people, particularly on the working force, including the best trained and well skilled. Therefore, this pandemic is seriously undermining regional developmental efforts, with the most vulnerable segments of the populations the hardest hit.

To tackle the compound effect of abject poverty and HIV/AIDS, we need a combination of critical policies which reduce both income poverty and human poverty. Policies that address the underlying causes of poverty and expand opportunities through building physical, human, financial, natural and social capital assets of the poor are imperative in our pursuit of effective anti-poverty work. On the other hand, regional integration provides the opportunity for more efficient and cost effective use of the collective physical, human and natural resources.

At the political level, it is pleasing to note the high level of official commitment to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and overcoming poverty, both by governments and by continental and regional organizations. However, we still have a long way to go in addressing our developmental challenges and we require urgent, innovative initiatives to end poverty.
Ladies and gentlemen,

I note with great appreciation the Mail and Guardian and the Southern Africa Trust’s unique partnership in the Investing in the Future and the Drivers of Change awards seeking to change the lives of people living in poverty.

I have observed with satisfaction that the Investing in the Future awards focus on business corporate social responsibility. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all those businesses and groups who are working to change the face of poverty in southern Africa. Through your efforts translated in investment in socially responsible projects, you are setting an excellent example.

As I have said on many occasions, the only way we, in Africa, will win this war on poverty, is through coordinating our efforts with full confidence in our capacity and strength. When we want to work for a better future for our children, we must act together. Our efforts for development must go together with our work for peace. We cannot have peace while children continue to go hungry, face violence and live with the effects of HIV/AIDS.

Developing people to rise out of poverty is our aim and will be our victory. Each time we manage to increase access of communities to health care and education, it is a victory. For every new family that has access to water and sanitation, it is a victory.

With respect to the Drivers of Change award, I acknowledge with pride that the award provides an opportunity to influence policy and practice to end poverty.

It is also gratifying to observe that the awards are premised on profiling less known living examples of innovative processes and practices in anti-poverty work. Key initiatives at the grass-root level could be lost if not captured and profiled. Indeed, we could learn from these initiatives and even nurture them.

Equally important is that the opinions of poor people count as they are better placed to identify issues of direct concern to them in their own lives. Taking into account their views and experiences, is likely to result in meaningful and effective poverty reduction policies and strategies. It is these people who bring about change.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the fight against poverty, there is need to forge partnerships for the development of innovative policies and the delivery of programmes and services that respond to the needs of people.

Approaches, practices and attitudes of government, business and civil society may be different but what should underpin all their efforts is sharing the same vision of ending poverty. Business requires a conducive climate to prosper.

Governments should put in place the necessary conditions that enable business to grow. They should continue to pay special attention to governance issues and ensure that the benefits of a better business climate are primarily accrued by the poor. In this regard, far-reaching reforms of constitutional, political and electoral systems, to ensure that they are participatory, transparent, accountable, inclusive and predictable, should be sustained.

On the other hand, civil society has a key role to play in influencing the formulation of effective poverty reduction policies and their implementation. Strong, credible and autonomous civil society can bridge the gap between policy processes and voices of the poor. For effective regional policies to overcome poverty, government, business and civil society have to talk to each other and cooperate.

In Mozambique, we have instituted the National Poverty Observatory which is an inclusive and structured mechanism for government and non-government role players to engage, plan, monitor implementation and review national poverty reduction strategies. This is a practice that I believe can change the way we do things for more effective poverty reduction in southern Africa.

Ladies and Gentlemen

I would like to conclude by recognizing all the people who are doing a sterling job of touching the lives of people living in poverty. Even though some of you are not receiving an award tonight, you are winners in the work you are doing to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of too many people living in poverty in Southern Africa.

Congratulations to all the finalists here tonight.

A luta Continua!

Muito Obrigado!

I thank you!