Oration by the Grand Patron of National Orders President Cyril Ramaphosa at the presentation of the National Orders

Deputy President Paul Mashatile,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Members of Parliament,
Chancellor of the National Orders, Ms Phindile Baleni,
Members of the Advisory Council on National Orders,
Members of the diplomatic corps,
Recipients of the National Orders and their families and friends who are with us here today,
Distinguished Guests,
Fellow South Africans,

We have gathered here this morning to honour those among us who, in many diverse ways, have shaped the country that we call home.

This occasion calls to mind the words of the American poet William Ralph Emerson in his work titled: 'A Nation's Strength'.

He writes that a nation's strength is not found in fortune, pride or even the sword:

"Not gold, but only men [and, we add, women]
Can make a people great and strong;
Men [and women] who for truth and honour's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.

"Brave men [and women]
Who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly,
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky."

Today we honour men and women who have lifted to the sky our greatest aspiration: to build a democratic South Africa founded on equality, justice and dignity for all.

It is an aspiration carried by our forebears long before democratic South Africa was born.

When the first democratic Constitution of South Africa was signed into law 30 years ago, this aspiration became the cornerstone of an edifice that had been built by generations of patriots.

Like those patriots, the people that we honour today have helped to give life to the dream of a free and just South Africa.

Their activism has extended to music, politics, sports, literature, culture, medicine, science, education and the advancement of human rights.

In their many fields of endeavour, they have made an invaluable contribution to our national life.

By honouring them today, we are recognising that the pillars of our democratic order are deep, firm and unshakeable because of the many great South Africans who built them.

The Order of Ikhamanga is awarded to South Africans who have excelled in the fields of the arts, culture, literature, music, journalism and sport.

The fact that so many of the recipients of National Orders this year are musicians, filmmakers, authors, playwrights and athletes reflects the enduring ability of sports, arts and culture to capture the hopes and triumphs of a nation.

It is a testimony also to the diversity and richness of the South African experience and the many ways in which the life of our nation is interpreted and expressed.

The Order of Mapungubwe recognises South Africans who have attained excellence and exceptional achievement for the benefit of the country and beyond.

The achievements of all our recipients this year speak to our country's growing international standing as a global centre of scientific and medical best practice.

Their achievements remind us that scientific endeavour is inseparable from the pursuit of human progress and well-being.

We seek knowledge not for its own sake, but to protect lives, to improve health and to build a better life for all.

The Order of the Baobab recognises South Africans who have played a formative role in business and the economy, in science, medicine and technological innovation, and in community service.

This year's recipients have made their mark across a range of fields that were the building blocks for the society we have today.

The Order of Luthuli recognises dedication to a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa.

It recognises the men and women whose activism lit the path to our freedom and to those who continue to keep that flame burning.

This National Order is one we particularly cherish, for we are determined to honour our veterans and stalwarts while they still walk among us.

Though the passage of time has robbed us of many of the brave men and women who were at the forefront of the struggle for liberation, we celebrate those who are still here: to tell their stories and to impart a living legacy to the next generation.

I would like to acknowledge the families present here today and thank them on behalf of all South Africans for lending us these great sons and daughters of the soil.

By bestowing this award, we affirm once more that the story of our freedom should not pass into distant legend but should continue to be carried by successive generations into the future.

The Order of the Companions of OR Tambo recognises eminent foreign nationals for friendship shown to South Africa.

We did not win our freedom alone.

We were carried by a great tide of human solidarity that stretched across our continent and the globe.

We owe a great debt to the many leaders, peoples and nations who supported us.

By honouring them with National Orders we reaffirm our enduring commitment to peace and friendship with all nations, based on our shared values of equality and dignity.

We welcome our recipients of the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo who are with us today and the families of those who have passed away.

On the day that the Constitution was adopted 30 years ago, I said that it is the mirror of South African society, reflecting both the history from which we have emerged, and the values of human dignity, equality and freedom we now cherish.

By equal measure, those men and women who are today are being bestowed with the highest accolade this country can give, are also a mirror of South African society.

Their life works and their achievements reflect those same values we hold dear and that continue to guide us along our journey as a people.

Just as our constitution was written from the contributions of millions of South Africans, it is the people of South Africa who decide who is bestowed with a National Order.

In a land of innumerable heroes and heroines, the South African people have decided that it is these men and women they will lift to the sky.

This is the greatest honour.

Under the powers vested in me by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996), I now confer the Order of Ikhamanga, the Order of the Baobab, the Order of Luthuli, the Order of Mapungubwe and the Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo.

The recipients shall henceforth be honoured as esteemed Members of the Orders.

The people of South Africa salute them all.

I thank you.