[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
[March 26, 1998]
[Pages 439-440]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks During a Visit to the Victoria Mxenge Housing Project in
Cape Town, South Africa
March 26, 1998

    The President. Thank you very much. Madam Mayor, Patricia, thank you 
all for making us feel so welcome.
    I really didn't have a choice about coming here because my wife said 
to me when she got home one year ago from South Africa, she said, ``You 
will not believe this housing project I visited. These women are 
building their own houses. They're saving their own money. They're 
moving out of shacks and shanty villages into nice neighborhoods with 
good houses and a

[[Page 440]]

good future for their children, and they're helping themselves. And I 
want you to go and see it.''
    And perhaps you have this situation in your family, but when Hillary 
says she wants me to go and see something, that means: You are going to 
see this at the first moment. [Laughter]
    So we got in late last night, and we got up this morning, and we 
came out here. I thank Mrs. Mbeki back there for showing us her home. 
Thank you, ma'am, and congratulations to you on your nice home. And I 
thank the ladies who are here who let me visit their construction 
project. And I said almost 30 years ago I actually spent the whole 
summer building houses. And when I was out helping you I realized it's 
pretty hard work, and that's why I went into politics, so I wouldn't 
have to work so hard anymore. [Laughter]
    Let me also say, on a serious note, I believe what you are doing 
here--building your homes, saving for them, taking a small amount of 
money, and building a very nice house--should be a model for people who 
don't have a lot of money all over Africa and all over the world. If you 
can do it here, then in villages all over the world, people can do the 
same thing.
    And I came here today partly in the hope that through the coverage 
from----

[At this point, there was a gap in the transcript due to an incomplete 
audiotape. The balance of the President's remarks are joined in 
progress.]

    The President. ----that all over the world people will see what you 
are doing in this neighborhood and say, ``I want my neighborhood to be 
like that. I want my children to live in good homes. I want them to have 
a good future. I want people to believe that they can do better with 
their lives.'' And we intend to support you.
    Today I'm pleased to announce that our United States AID program, 
which supports projects like this, will spend another $3 million this 
year to try to help build more houses to make more success stories so we 
can see more people like Mrs. Mbeki and her family.
    Thank you, and God bless you all. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at approximately 11:45 a.m. In his remarks, he 
referred to Mayor Theresa Soloman of Cape Town; and Patricia Matolengwe, 
director, and Veliswa Mbeki, founding member, Victoria Mxenge Housing 
Project. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
these remarks. The transcript released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary also included the remarks of the First Lady.