DURBIN, SOUTH AFRICA, September 6, 2003: The President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, spoke at the opening of the Hindu convention in Durban. In his address he said, “The process we are beginning today constitutes a significant development in the evolution of our society. There was a time when it was unthinkable that a religion which, according to the Apartheid ideology, was outside the officially sanctioned religious mainstream, could assume its rightful place in our spiritual life.” He added, “In the new South Africa all religions are recognized and there is freedom of worship. We also believe that religious organizations must be at the forefront of inculcating strong religious and moral values in a society that is trying to reconstruct itself from the ravages of apartheid. Given our divided history, religious organizations have an important role to play in the reconstruction and development of our country, especially in the welfare and civil society sectors.” Mbeki encouraged volunteerism in his speech, praised Mahatma Ghandi’s influence in South Africa, and cited links between Hinduism and indigenous African religions. The full text can be read at “source” above.
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