On 24th, 25th and 26th October the South African High Commission in London hosted a major conference "Towards South Africa 2004" at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London. BSALA was asked to nominate a representative to assist in the commissions and workshops, and Seamus Smyth our Chairman was able to attend in that capacity. He attended on Friday 24th October a briefing at 11.00am for South African Ministers, European Delegates, Ambassadors, Senior Head Office Officials and British Role Players (Chairs and Facilitators etc) by the South African Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and the opening plenary session at 6.00pm that evening at which the speakers were Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Paul Boateng MP and, (by video link only, sadly), President Thabo Mbeki. The theme of the opening session was "A Decade of Freedom…The Decade Ahead".
The proceedings on Saturday 25th October began with a plenary session "South Africa in Africa and the World" at which these speakers were Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Alec Erwin MP, the South African Minister for Trade and Industry and Phumzila Mlambo-Ngcuka, the South African Minister for Minerals & Energy. The second plenary session on Saturday morning "Urban Renewal & Rural Development the speakers were (in the absence of Mrs Zanele Mbeki) Professor Bernadette Moffatt, Thoko Didiza the Minister for Agriculture & Land Affairs and Sydney Mufamade the Minister for Provincial and Local Government and Dr Jo Beall. Between 2.30pm and 5.30pm on Saturday afternoon the delegates divided into 17 commissions of which Seamus Smyth was involved in Justice and Human Rights as "précis writer" ie notetaker. That commission was chaired by Lord Justice Sedley and the speakers of that commission were Justice Minister Penuell Maduna and Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hyde of the West Midlands Police Headquarters.
The proceedings on Sunday 26th October began with a plenary session "Activities in 2004 and Beyond" at which the speakers were Carl Niehaus and Lela Kogbara of ACTSA (Action for Southern Africa). Between 11.00am and 12.30pm the conference broke into 13 workshops intended to discuss opportunities for closer partnerships in the next decade and methods of celebrating in April 2004 generally the tenth anniversary of the ending of apartheid. That workshop was chaired by Peter Ahrends of Ahrends Burton & Koralek Architects and Seamus Smyth acted as facilitator in that workshop. A few dozen delegates attending that workshop. There was heavy predominance of those involved in the medical/health field and despite the chairman's best efforts to keep contributions short, the hour and a half was sadly insufficient for all of the lively participation that the workshop promised. The flag was flown for BSALA and a number of delegates expressed interested in and made suggestions for practical ways of developing communication with lawyers in South Africa which BSALA will take up.
The conference as a whole ended with the closing plenary session addressed by the Education Minister Kader Asmal, Trevor Phillips (journalist) and Trade Minister Alec Erwin.
Clearly a great deal of work went into the preparation for and hosting of the conference particularly by the staff of the High Commission in London, who are to be congratulated. The conference was eminently successful in bringing together over three days in very pleasant and suitable surroundings a very great number of people with diverse interests both from South Africa and the United Kingdom (including a few from Europe and the United States) which generated a discussion commendable for its openness and good humour. The balance struck between (1) expression of gratitude to all those outside of South Africa who had contributed to the struggle against apartheid, (2) celebration of the birth of the new nation and the first decade of freedom, (3) planning for partnerships and renewed communications over the next decade and (4) preparation for the 10th anniversary celebrations in 2004 was very successfully achieved.
Seamus Smyth