Address by executive mayor councillor Zintle Peter at the mayoral reception of the Italian ambassador, consul-general and delegation from Nereto on thursday 14 december 2006 at 20h00 – Cape to Cairo

• HON. ITALIAN AMBASSADOR, DR ALESSANDRO CEVESE
• MEC FOR [ECONOMIC AFFAIRS??/ARTS & CULTURE??]
• ITALIAN CONSUL-GENERAL, DR ALBERTO VECCHI
• HONORARY VICE-CONSUL, MRS MARINA MARCHETTI
• HON. MAYOR OF NERETO, MR SERGIO MORONI
• MAESTRO FRANCESCO PERILLI & MS GABRIELLA PERILLI
• HONOURED ITALIAN GUESTS & MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN ITALIAN COMMUNITY
• MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF HEROES’ PARK
• LOCAL GUESTS AND FRIENDS

It is a great honour for me, as the Executive Mayor, to be able to welcome very warmly such a distinguished gathering of friends to our own municipality of Buffalo City, some of you from close to home and some from across the world.

When we had the privilege of being in Italy in November to receive the honorary citizenship of the village of Nereto on behalf of Dr Nelson Mandela, I said that we came from a province that has been a cultural and ethnic melting-pot for centuries.

We will see tomorrow, next to the Heroes’ Park, another monument commemorating the contribution of the German settlers who originally came to this area during the eighteen-hundreds. All over South Africa, we have monuments also to the British, the Dutch, the French and the Portuguese, all of whom played different roles in our colonial history.

Whatever we may think of the morality of this history, for it was a history in which the great majority of our people lived in the shadows, we know that we face the challenge today of building new partnerships, creating new stories and constructing a new and inclusive identity for ourselves as citizens – citizens not just of South Africa or Africa, but of the world. It is in this spirit that we can join hands with the Italian community and say, "Let us work together for a better future for all."

I also said in Nereto that Buffalo City is a place full of opportunity and promise. I hope that during your time in our city, you will begin to share our excitement at the potential that there is for development and growth, for Buffalo City to play an increasing role in the economy of the continent and more particularly, the developing world.

Like Nereto, we too believe that we are part of a world that is interconnected and interdependent. It is not without good cause that the world community is today referred to as a global village, where modern technologies have in many ways decreased the geographical distance between us.

But we also observe that there are many in richer communities who are retreating into an artificial world, living behind high walls or electric fences, and detaching themselves from day-to-day social interaction with their fellow human beings. This applies within our own local communities, as well as internationally.

While we perhaps understand the roots of this fear, our view is that the isolation and insulation of the rich, whether locally or internationally, has serious negative implications for social development and the human community. An island of wealth can never be secure within a sea of poverty.

In this respect, I must say that it was a breath of fresh air to visit Nereto, which impressed us as a place with a strong culture of inclusivity, a deep-rooted communal identity and a clear sense of your place in the world. You believe – small though you are – that you can make a difference, that you can have a voice.

This sense of connectedness is reflected in the fact that a sculptor of the stature of maestro Francesco Perilli has seen fit to create an icon in the form of the "Multi-cultural Man" statue, which will stand on five continents as a symbol of our common humanity.

I want to repeat what I said in Italy: we see this as a gesture of great generosity and extraordinary significance in the development of our city as an integral part of the global village.

It is a great encouragement to us that there are people such as yourselves who share the vision of a united and peaceful world symbolized by our own living icon, Nelson Mandela.

I want to take this opportunity – and I will repeat myself tomorrow – to commend the Board of Heroes’ Park for all of the hard work that they have done to make this vision a reality. With some funding from our provincial department of Sport, Arts & Culture, as well as from our national Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism, they are creating a space that I believe, when it is fully developed, will do justice to the international importance of the gift.

This will include a Garden of African Heritage on our sea-front in which the statue will stand. In this garden a "Ringing Stone" will be placed, which also has a great significance in the spiritual and cultural history of indigenous Africans.

Honoured guests and friends, I would like to say much more, but I am mindful of the fact that the programme for the evening is very full. Let me conclude therefore by again warmly welcoming you. Please enjoy our hospitality and feel at home.

We look forward to engaging you further during your stay in Buffalo City, and to continuing with the strengthening of new relationships, the making of new history, and the building of new monuments that celebrate our common humanity.

I thank you.

N.C. Peter EXECUTIVE MAYOR

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