2 February 2008, Tambo International Airport
Programme Director,
Your Excellency Ambassador Ali Goutali,
The MEC's and Heads of Health,
Medical professionals from Tunisia,
Ladies and gentlemen
As most of you would know, NEPAD remains one of the key initiatives to drive development in our continent. As a result of the cordial political relationship with Tunisia therefore, we remain of the view that your government can be relied upon to be supportive on issues important to the advancement of the African Agenda. As we are part of the 15 core countries of the NEPAD, good relations between SA and Tunisia remain imperative, not only in terms of Tunisia's position in the North African region, but also in terms of your position within French speaking African countries.
One of the NEPAD flagship projects that characterised the relationship between Tunisia and South Africa, is the strengthening of the National Cataract Surgery Project. In the true spirit of partnership for Africa's development, the two countries launched an initiative which involves Tunisian ophthalmologists visiting SA to perform eye operations. A total of 234 operations were performed in the year 2000, 260 in 2001 and 176 in 2002.
The two countries have again revived the Ophthalmologist programme and are looking into long-term plans to sustain the programme for the next three years. A total of 369 eye operations were performed by Tunisian ophthalmologists at Butterworth Hospital in Eastern Cape during their two visits in January and August this year (171 in January and 198 in August)
Just to take you back a little bit at the diplomatic level, most of you would recall the two countries established a Joint Bilateral Commission (JBC) 1996. This provided a basis for the formalisation of relations between South Africa and Tunisia. In 1999, the second Joint Bilateral Commission took place in South Africa, where a number of agreements were initiated and signed as part of strengthening relations between the two countries.
Programme Director, ladies and gentlemen, it is perhaps also vital to point out that the relations between the two countries also extend to another critical element of our development which is the improvement of the conditions of women in the two countries.
As the first phase in the implementation of this objective, steps leading to the dialogue were agreed to by the President of SAWID, Mrs. Zanele Mbeki (our First Lady), during a visit in September 2006 to Tunisia to study poverty alleviation strategies. It was during this visit that our First Lady agreed that SAWID should form a Joint Steering Committee with the National Union of Tunisian Women (UNFT) to implement specific programmes to take the partnership forward. This joint committee subsequently met in Tunisia in December 2006.
The South African Tunisian Women in Dialogue represents a joint celebration of the coincidence of 50 years since the enactment of the Tunisian Personal Status Code, which legislated for equality between men and women in family and society, and the South African women's anti-pass march to the Union Buildings.
Recognising the common purpose of the National Union of Tunisian Women (UNFT) and the South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID), the two organisations agreed to observe this 50th anniversary through a round table in Tunisia and a dialogue in South Africa, deliberating on the theme of "Women, Peace and Prosperity".
Programme Director, allow me now to focus on an issue that is of critical importance to all of us gathered here, the issue of the recruitment of health professionals. Following the 4th JBC, a Programme of Cooperation on Public Health and Medical Services between the two countries was signed in October 2004. This Programme and the Cooperation Agreement on Public Health and Medical Science constitute a legal framework and basis for cooperation on health between our two countries.
We agreed that South Africa could recruit Tunisian medical practitioners for temporary employment in rural areas of South Africa. This was to be regulated by the conclusion of a Technical Agreement between the Department of Health and the Tunisian Agency for Technical Cooperation (ATCT). The signing of that agreement in May 2007 formed the basis for the recruitment of the doctors that we see amongst us today.
I wish to inform you that a high-level delegation from South Africa visited Tunisia in September 2007 to assess the available Tunisian doctors from which the ones we see today were selected. A total of three hundred Tunisian doctors and specialists were successfully interviewed with the view that they start working in South Africa in 2008. There are currently just over 100 job offers that have been made by the provinces for Tunisian doctors.
The first group of 22 doctors has since been deployed in three provinces. The group of 20 doctors that we are welcoming today will assist us in strengthen services in further four provinces. An additional 67 doctors and specialists from Tunisia have accepted the job offers and are soon to arrive in SA. The Department of Health is working tirelessly to register those doctors that have accepted the job offers with the Department of Home Affairs and the Health Professions Council of South Africa.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am truly humbled by the cooperation that has existed and continues to exist between South Africa and Tunisia. It is for this reason that I have insisted that I meet the arriving Tunisian Doctors today so that I personally convey my deep appreciation for the kind gesture of accepting the challenge to come and work in South Africa. You may not realise the significance of your contribution to the South African population, but time will tell what an invaluable mark you beginning to make by deciding to work in our country.
I hope you will quickly adapt to the South African environment and motivate more of your colleagues back home in Tunisia to come and join you here.
To the Tunisian doctors that are already in South Africa, I wish to say thank you very much for taking such a bold step of venturing into a foreign country to render your services. I cannot express fully the sentiment that I feel today.
Welcome to South Africa and enjoy the hospitality and the beauty of this country with all of us. You are going to be making new friends as you go about with your life here. You are going to be enjoying the rich culture of this country's people, its food and the fauna and flora. Let us continue the friendship and partnership for the benefit of all the peoples of these two countries.
My sincere appreciation also goes to my colleagues the MEC's for Health, the Heads of Health, the Department of Health colleagues and in a very special way the Health Professions Council of South Africa for ensuring that the health services of this country are properly staffed with well accredited medical doctors. As custodians of medical practice in the country, the HPCSA were the first to oblige when requested to facilitate this process.
Thank you.