ABOOBAKER ISMAIL
Mr Chairperson, I would give my right arm to do that.  Last year when we convened in Pretoria, what was extremely moving for me was meeting with Neville Clarence, one of the Air Force soldiers that had been blinded as a result of the Church Street blast.   We discussed issues and ultimately we met, it was a very difficult process, but I believe something long overdue, something that we all need to do.  I have also contemplated doing much more for reconciliation, and in fact with my wife, speak about this whole question, maybe we should think of setting up some kind of institute for reconciliation, where people like myself and others could go in and work whether it is part-time, full-time, etc, and do things in order to bring about greater reconciliation.
	With Mr Clarence, given his approach and his attitude, despite the fact that he is totally blind, he says he had accepted that he was a casualty of the war, he understood he stood on the other side, since then I believe we are becoming closer to each other, he has been to my home, had a meal together, and not so long ago, we were looking at the possibility during Arbor Week, of actually planing a tree of reconciliation, which we still intend to do and in fact the, about two weeks ago, I spoke to the Chief of the Air Force about it, and we agreed that early next year, on Air Force Memorial Day or something, we would do something of that sort.  But then we thought we would expand it and around the area of the Air Force, we would then  plant trees of reconciliation and we would invite people from all walks of life.  
	The whole question of reconciliation is an extremely important one, and I believe that reconciliation can only be brought about one, if we are honest and truthful about our past, two, if we also accept that we have a common future.  President Mandela has often said that the black people of this country have their hand outstretched to the white population, to march together into the future.  Often it is the white population that spurns that hand, that outstretched hand.  
	I believe the ANC, I believe this government is very genuine when it says this country belongs to all who live in it.  We have never sought to drive the whites into the sea, if anything, we have encouraged them to become part of the mainstream to help in rebuilding the country, there is a lot that needs to be done.  We need the help of every single person.   We need to look at mechanisms to make the whites feel they are also part of a democratic South Africa.  
	When President Mbeki at the time when he was Deputy President, in Parliament says we are all Africans and he said whites are also Africans, what does he mean by that?  He says you are part of us, you don't belong in Europe, they are not Europeans, they are Africans.  They are part of our society, they are part of us.  To all we say, let us all be part, let us understand that what happened then was because of apartheid, it was that population or section of the population which saw themselves as greater beings than others, that sought to subjugate the black population and we fought against it.  We have now come to the point where we need to win them over, make them understand that we are all equals in the land of our birth and together we can work at it.  If I am given the opportunity, I will do everything I can.  I know in the Natal area we have a huge problem, I know perhaps more than in other parts of the country, and whatever we can do, we will do, whenever.  If it is required in part-time to do that, we will do that.  	At the end of the day I believe there is a broader objective that we have to serve, we have to fight for humanity, we have to fight for peace.  If I have to serve time for peace, I volunteer.  
	May I also just take the opportunity Judge Pillay, to say if required, the guideline manual on civic education, can be made available and if you wish it in the next few days, I can contact my staff and have them send it down as soon as it is possible.