Opening speech by HE Ambassador W Makanda

The speech emphasizes the value of South Africa's transition to a non-racial democracy through negotiation rather than war. Ambassador Makanda calls for a culture of open intellectual discourse in Africa to find new solutions to modern challenges, rejecting both orthodox free-market policies and Marxist ideologies as universal solutions. He advocates for the use of multilateral conflict resolution instruments provided by the African Union and the United Nations.

• South Africa's transition to a non-racial, non-ethnic, and non-sexist democracy was achieved through negotiation, compromise, and consensus, which prevented a catastrophic conflict.
• The author asserts that bloody revolutions and military interventions to solve political problems are counterproductive, often creating more issues than they resolve, whereas negotiated settlements facilitate orderly transitions.
• Ambassador Makanda argues that neither orthodox free-market economic policies nor the Marxist concept of the dictatorship of the proletariat provide a complete solution for the current polarised global economic order and complex world order.
• The speech urges African governments and peoples, as well as those abroad, to utilize international conflict resolution instruments available through the United Nations and the African Union.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Opening speech by HE Ambassador W Makanda. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2006-cd-rom-sa-trans-process/Opening address.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Opening speech by HE Ambassador W Makanda. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2006-cd-rom-sa-trans-process/Opening address.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Opening speech by HE Ambassador W Makanda |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2006-cd-rom-sa-trans-process/Opening address.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{instituteforsecuritystudiesndopening, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Opening speech by HE Ambassador W Makanda}}, publisher = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/2006-cd-rom-sa-trans-process/Opening address.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }