H.E. Azwindini Jeremiah Dingaan Ndou:

I thank the Chairman and the honourable members of the committee. On behalf of myself and the Government and people of South Africa, I wish to express our appreciation to the Chairman and members of the committee for organising this session to pay tribute to former President Nelson Mandela. We truly appreciate this effort and thank you deeply for keeping our young nation in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

We also want to thank Ireland for the role it played during the anti-apartheid struggle. Many people here supported not only the campaign to release Mandela but the general struggle against apartheid. I thank the Irish Government for having agreed to establish a scholarship fund dedicated to bringing ten students every year to Ireland. This scholarship was named after Kader Asmal, who played a key role in mobilising and leading the anti-apartheid movement. We also appreciate the attendance of the delegation at the memorial service, which included the Dunnes Stores strikers.

Former President Mandela lives on as an international icon of the struggle against injustice which was conducted by millions of people across the globe. We have lost a great patriot and the world has lost an icon. Our beloved Madiba served our country and the world with distinguished dignity and we will forever remain indebted to him. He was a great, fearless and compassionate leader whose resilience and charisma made an impact on millions throughout his life. He cannot be replaced in person, but his legacy of selfless and principled dedication to equality and justice lives on in the minds of South Africans and of all the citizens of the world. He has left an indelible mark on our society. He dedicated his life to attaining justice for his people in South Africa, and long after his release from prison he continued to fight for human rights everywhere.

His legacy also lives on in South Africa's prudent micro-economic policies and sound fiscal management implemented during his reign as President of the Republic of South Africa. Under his leadership, South Africa implemented the reconstruction and development programme to address the immense socioeconomic challenges brought about by many years of apartheid. Almost 20 years after achieving democracy, South Africa is reaping the benefits of the solid foundations laid by former President Mandela's administration to deal with these challenges. Undoing the damage of the evil apartheid system in a short space of time was never going to be an easy task. However, the South African Government continues to work to pursue the ideas initiated by former President Mandela to try to deal with the challenges we face.

Next year marks the 20th year since we attained democracy in 1994, and we can proudly say that society has been transformed and that the process of transformation has continued in every sphere since then. Education levels are high and many millions of people now have access to basic services such as water, electricity and sanitation. This is all the more remarkable since many of these services have been achieved from a very low base in 1994. We have risen from the ashes of apartheid and stand proud on the world stage. Our voice and presence is keenly felt at institutions such as the United Nations and the African Union. We have not allowed our divided past to shape our future and together we have built a new society based on the values of a united, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa, an ideal that former President Mandela always cherished. There has been an increase of 47.5% in the number of households using electricity over the past 20 years.

This is a time to reflect on the strides we have made in achieving the vision of a better life for all - a vision that former President Mandela has always been passionate about. Undoubtedly, while much has changed, there are still challenges on which we must work. The legacy left by former President Mandela will endure and the challenges will continue to be pursued. We remain committed to forming a society based on equality, freedom and human dignity for all, as fought for by Nelson Mandela and others. Nelson Mandela's legacy lives on in our democratic dispensation, which he ushered in as the leader of the majority party. It lives on in the bill of rights enshrined in our constitution and adopted during his presidency.

Before I conclude, our thoughts are with Ms Graca Machel and the entire Mandela family as they mourn the loss of a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather who meant a great deal to his family, his nation and the world. Our thoughts are also with the millions of South Africans and our friends around Ireland and the globe who are collectively mourning the passing of former President Mandela. We are deeply moved by the good wishes and expressions of support we continue to receive. He has left an indelible mark on our society.