Johannesburg, Apr 28 (PTI) South Africa remains committed to a progressive foreign policy outlook and engaging with countries of both the Global North and the Global South in pursuit of its national interest, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said.

In a speech read on his behalf at a Freedom Day national celebration in Ermelo in Mpumalanga province on Sunday, Ramaphosa said the installation of President Nelson Mandela as South Africa's first democratically-elected President on April 27, 1994 after 27 years as a political prisoner of the white minority government, that ruled the country for decades, had restored the dignity of South Africa's people – both black and white.

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Ramaphosa was unable to officiate at this engagement as he is being treated for flu and had been advised to rest. His address was read by Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe.

His address recalled how despite being scarred by colonialism and apartheid, South Africa's history was one where courage, resilience and determination prevailed against considerable odds.

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“Thirty-one years ago, on this day, the eyes of the world were on South Africa. For the very first time in South Africa, Africans, Indians, coloureds (mixed race) and whites would be allowed to vote alongside each other for the government of their choice.

“Back then we were still a deeply divided nation. Tensions were high. But the dire predictions of a race war did not materialise. Instead, millions of people around the country stood patiently and peacefully in long queues, waiting for their turn to cast their vote,” Ramaphosa said.

He said this had shown the world that even the most bitter of enemies could reconcile and rebuild.

“These choices made three decades ago define our national character and have elevated our moral standing in the world. We have been sought out by countries embroiled in conflict, hoping to learn from our experience with national reconciliation, conflict resolution and dialogue. We are committed to assisting where we can to contribute to peace,” Ramaphosa said.

“South Africa remains committed to a progressive foreign policy outlook and engaging with countries of the Global North and the Global South in pursuit of our national interest,” the president said as he shared details of a visit earlier in the week by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine.

“We discussed the role South Africa can play through the African Peace Initiative in contributing to the end of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” he said as he committed to helping the victims of conflict and war across the globe.

“We stand with the people of Palestine, of Western Sahara, of the eastern DRC, of Sudan, of Yemen, and with victims of gender oppression in Afghanistan and other parts of the world. We are committed to playing our part in bringing about an end to conflict, war and suffering,” he said.

Turning to efforts by some sections of the white community in South Africa who “seek to drive a wedge between us, who seek to rekindle the embers of racial bitterness”, Ramaphosa said these efforts would fail, because even “the inhumane system of apartheid failed to destroy what binds us together as human beings”.

“We are seeing attempts being made to rewrite history. We are seeing efforts to cast (the white) race in the position of the oppressed and the black majority, who were oppressed for centuries, in the role of oppressor. Our apartheid wounds are being exploited to serve the agendas of others.

Ramaphosa was referring to visits to the White House by a group of white South African farmers who claimed that the white community was being discriminated against in the new democratic order.

President Donald Trump withdrew all aid to South Africa after their plea, even though the allegations have been discredited by both black and white leaders in the country.

“We must be clear. We will not allow anyone else to define us, to tell us who and what we are, or to turn us against one another. We must roundly reject any attempts to divide us along racial lines. Not again. Never again,” Ramaphosa said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)