SOUTH AFRICA: ALEXANDRA: PRESIDENT MANDELA'S SPEECH

(20 Aug 1995) English/Nat
President Nelson Mandela this weekend returned to Alexandra, a crime-ridden township where he lived 54 years ago.
Addressing a nearly all-black crowd of 15-thousand, the South African leader urged them to create a strong new community with a wealthy white suburb nearby.
It was Mandela's first of many speeches he will give to help his African National Congress in November's local and regional elections.
In the Apartheid-era, Alexandra supported the struggle against discrimination.
Today the township has different problems - crime and lack of racial unity - problems that need to be solved in local elections.
Alexandra has become a symbolic choice to pioneer the transformation Mandela hopes to bring South Africa.
If the ANC has its way and redraws the electoral district boundaries, voters will elect a single council for Alexandra and Sandton, Johannesburg's biggest and wealthiest suburb.
Addressing the crowd in his native Xhosa tongue, Mandela outlined his aim.
SOUNDBITE: (In Xhosa)
"The people must be united."
SUPER CAPTION: Nelson Mandela - South African President
Then Mandela paid tribute to those who had fought against repression.
SOUNDBITE:
"The people of Alexandra played no small part in the brave struggle for a democratic, non-sexist, non racial society."
SUPER CAPTION: Nelson Mandela - South African President
Among Alexandra's residents, there's a lot of anger directed against illegal immigrants who have made the township their home.
Mandela condemned recent incidents of Alexandra residents meting out rough township justice to the immigrants.
He urged voters to treat illegal immigrants decently and to vote only for those candidates who have a reputation for public service.
SOUNDBITE:
"We have to treat the question of illegal immigrants in a very sensitive and sympathetic manner...Namibia, Angola, Tanzania, they all gave us facilities to ensure that we were able to operate from their countries in order to destroy Apartheid in this country. We need councillors who are committed to the prosperity of the are. In selecting our candidates we must choose people with the reputation of serving the community. Our list must be broadly representative of all the sections of our community."
SUPER CAPTION: Nelson Mandela - South African President
Whatever people's political differences, Mandela urged voters to follow a path of racial and social tolerance.
SOUNDBITE:
"It is disturbing to note that Alexandra has four civic associations and organisations that are all claiming allegiance to the ANC. That is not our tradition and it is unacceptable waste of resources. This meeting is important since it brings neighbours who have been living quite separately for too long. It brings together people from Alexandra, Kew and from Sandton. The local elections will ensure that these communities are forged together to form a strong and representative community. A community based on the principles of non-racialism and non-sexism. A community based on the principles of development for all people of this area."
SUPER CAPTION: Nelson Mandela - South African President
Demographics all but guarantee that the ANC will win the redistricting battle.
This would mean that for the first time, some of Sandton's wealth and services will shift to Alexandra and its 300-thousand impoverished residents.
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