[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
[May 22, 2000]
[Pages 1005-1006]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the State Dinner Honoring President Thabo Mbeki
of South Africa
May 22, 2000

    Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the White House. And let me say a 
special word of welcome to President and Mrs. Mbeki and the South African delegation.
    In 1966 Robert Kennedy began a famous speech to the students at Cape 
Town by describing his deep interest in a land settled by the Dutch in 
the mid 17th century, then taken over by the British before finally 
becoming independent, a land with complicated and cruel racial problems 
dating back centuries, a land of untamed frontiers alongside a proud 
history of entrepreneurial achievement. He said, ``I refer, of course, 
to the United States of America.'' [Laughter]
    Obviously, in 1966 and in 2000, a great deal unites South Africa and 
the United States. We share a fundamental sense, dating back to our 
earliest struggles, continuing through our most recent ones, that 
nationhood is more than an inheritance; it is a living gift to be 
protected, defended, and redefined every day.
    Few nations have worked harder at nationhood or achieved more 
impressive results than South Africa. Few leaders have given more of 
themselves to the struggle than Thabo Mbeki. His mother says that even when he was a small child, he used 
to get terribly excited whenever news broadcasts came over the radio. If 
only we could replicate that today. [Laughter]
    When his father was in prison, alongside Nelson Mandela, in the 
early 1960's, Thabo Mbeki carried on the struggle from England. At the 
tender age of 21, he delivered a powerful appeal for his father's life 
in which he mentioned, as an aside, the fact that his father's birthday 
was the Fourth of July, 1910. Even though the United States was not 
exactly supporting the ANC in 1964, he saw that day, nevertheless, as a 
symbol of freedom and all the more reason his father should not lose his 
life for affirming the simple truth that all people are created equal.
    Fortunately, Thabo Mbeki won that campaign, as he has won so many 
since. And South Africa's resurgence has given the entire world 
something to feel proud of. Today we talk about how best to deliver on 
its promise, how to deepen the friendship between our nations. I have 
already thanked President Mbeki for his strong support for peacekeeping 
and his ongoing leadership throughout the continent. I pledged to him 
that we would work harder to hasten the return of peace in troubled 
parts of Africa and that we would do more to build the prosperity needed 
to make conflict and disease less likely.
    So many people who are here tonight, Mr. President, Mrs. 
Mbeki, contributed to the landmark legislation 
I signed last week to expand our trade with Africa and the Caribbean. 
Now we need to keep the momentum going to support the Africans who are 
working and fighting for peace, to relieve the debt of the poorest 
nations so they can devote their resources to basic human needs, to find 
cures and treatments and preventive strategies for the diseases ravaging 
the continent.
    With echoes of John Donne, President Mbeki once said we have to 
address the problems of other peoples, because ``each one of us is a 
particle of the complete whole.'' A South African poet, Mongane Wally 
Serote, recently wrote a poem entitled ``Come hope with me.'' As you 
might imagine, I sort of liked it. [Laughter] In the poem, he urges 
people never to forget, ``life is a promise, and that promise is us.''
    Tonight I ask you to join me in a toast to President and Mrs. 
Mbeki, to the people of South Africa and the 
promise of South Africa, the promise that will always join our two 
peoples.

[[Page 1006]]

 Note: The President spoke at 9:40 p.m. in the State Dinning Room at the 
White House. In his remarks, he referred to President Mbeki's wife, 
Zanele, and his mother, Epainette; and former President Nelson Mandela 
of South Africa. The President also referred to Public Law 106-200, the 
Trade and Development Act of 2000. The transcript released by the Office 
of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of President Mbeki.