SA ECONOMIC GIANT FIFTY YEARS AFTER INDEPENDENCE

The Republic of South Africa came into being exactly fifty years ago on 31 May 1961.

South Africa is today an economic giant in Africa and it is important to give recognition to everyone who has made this possible through their hard work in the past fifty years.

In the first decade after becoming a Republic, South Africa continuously maintained an average growth rate of 6% per annum with an inflation rate of 2% per annum while the prime rate varied between 3% and 3,5%. Upon this, the economically strong South Africa of today was built.

South Africa is today two times stronger than Nigeria and nearly three times stronger than Egypt . South Africa is economically 80 times stronger than the average African state. In addition to this, South Africa has the best roads, power and telephone networks in Africa and our stock exchange is one of the ten largest stock exchanges in the world. Nearly half of all tarred roads in Africa, are in South Africa .

Attempts to change the history by trying to ignore some of the historical facts do not make any contribution to reconciliation in South Africa . Cooperation with a prosperous future in mind rather lies with judging the mistakes and accomplishments of the past in a balanced way and by giving recognition to all role players in South Africa who have made the country what it is today.

Statement issued by Dr Pieter Mulder, Freedom Front Plus leader, May 31 2011

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