pd06ap98 Statement on House Action Against Legislation Proposing a Uniform...

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    Nothing the American people can do will replace your efforts, but I 
have seen the energy, the determination, and the courage of the people 
in every country I have visited. They are worthy of our best efforts at 
partnership, and we intend to give it to them.
    The progress we make together is the best way possible to honor the 
legacy of Ron Brown. He died in the service of his country on one of 
these missions, to a war-torn country in the hope of making peace. He 
believed that economic progress was a moral good if it was fairly shared 
and everyone had a chance to live out their dreams and fulfill their 
aspirations. He understood that the economy was about more than a few 
people making money. It was about organizing free people so that they 
could put their talents to work to help a society lift itself up, to 
solve problems and seize opportunities, and make life more meaningful 
and more enjoyable.
    He was a bold thinker, a brilliant strategist, a devoted public 
servant, a good father and husband, and he was a terrific friend. I miss 
him terribly at this moment. But I cannot imagine a more fitting tribute 
to a man who proved that the Commerce Department could be an engine of 
growth and opportunity at home and abroad, who accepted my challenge to 
take a moribund agency and put it at the center of our economic policy, 
of our foreign policy, and of America's future in the world. He did his 
job well. I hope that when we leave here, we can do our job just as well 
so that this center will be a fitting, lasting legacy.
    Thank you, and God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 6:42 p.m. in the courtyard. In his remarks, 
he referred to Dr. Nthatho Motlana, who introduced the President; 
Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel of South Africa; Jesse Jackson, 
President's Special Envoy for Africa; Millard W. Arnold, Minister-
Counsellor, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service; and Alma Brown, chair, 
Ronald H. Brown Foundation, and widow of Ron Brown. A tape was not 
available for verification of the content of these remarks.


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[Page 537-538]
 
Monday, April 6, 1998
 
Volume 34--Number 14
Pages 525-568
 
Week Ending Friday, April 3, 1998
 
Remarks at a Church Service in Soweto, South Africa

March 29, 1998

    Thank you, Father. Bishop, Mrs. Mathlata; to all of my friends in 
the American delegation, our Ambassador, the South African Ambassador; 
to the AME bishops getting a little instruction in Roman Catholicism 
today. Reverend Jackson, thank you for your prayer. Ladies and 
gentlemen, thank you for making Hillary and me and our entire group from 
America feel so very welcome.
    And especially, I want to thank the children. Now, we're about to 
leave South Africa, and we're going to the airport. And maybe we'll be 
like the birds; we can fly. [Laughter] It takes a little more to get me 
in the air. [Laughter] But we're going to practice that.
    I am profoundly honored to be in this great house of God, which is 
also a great shrine of freedom, for it was here that you and people 
before you gathered to stand for the freedom of the people of South 
Africa when it was denied you. I came to South

[[Page 538]]

Africa, first, to thank God you have your freedom now, to thank God for 
the life and work of President Mandela and so many others, known and 
unknown, who walked the long road for so many years so that the people 
of this great nation might be free. But also I came here resolved to 
work with the people of South Africa as a friend and a partner, to help 
you make the most of your freedom. It is one thing to be free, and 
another thing to do the right thing with your freedom.
    Yesterday evening we dedicated a commerce center here to try to help 
bring American investment here, to create jobs for the people of South 
Africa, and to have more trade between our two countries. The center was 
named after our former Secretary of Commerce, the late Ron Brown. He 
wanted to help South Africa make the most of its freedom.
    And when I looked at the children singing today, and I saw the 
children throughout this beautiful church, I was reminded that I think 
the lasting image I will take away from all my stops in Africa are the 
faces of the children--the light in their eyes, the spring in their 
step, the intelligence of their questions to me, the beauty of their 
voices. More than anything else, it is important that we help them make 
the most of your freedom, with better schools and better health care and 
more housing and safer streets and a brighter future.
    You know, a couple of years ago the United States had the honor of 
hosting the Olympics. And on the last day of the Olympics, the first 
black South African ever to win a gold medal won a gold medal--Josiah 
Tungwane. Now, it is so fitting that your first gold medal came in what 
event? The marathon. Your fight for freedom was a marathon, not a 
sprint. People who train for the marathon say when you get almost to the 
end, about 80 percent of the way, the pain is so great many people quit, 
and you have to keep working to go through to the end. It takes a long 
time to run a marathon.
    The fight to make the most of your freedom, to do the right things 
with your freedom, to give your children the right future with your 
freedom, that, too, will be a marathon. But we want to run that race 
with you.
    And so, as I leave South Africa, I would leave you with one verse of 
Scripture that has throughout my working life been one of the very most 
important to me. When you are discouraged, when you are frustrated, when 
you are angry, when you wonder whether you can make the most of your 
freedom for these children, remember what St. Paul said to the 
Galatians: ``Let us not grow weary in doing good. For in due season, we 
shall reap if we do not lose heart.''
    God bless you. Keep your heart.

Note: The President spoke at 10:37 a.m. at Regina Mundi Catholic Church. 
In his remarks, he referred to Father Mohlomi Remigius Makobane, pastor; 
retired Bishop Gerard Ndlovu; Beatrice Mathlata, chair, parish council; 
U.S. Ambassador to South Africa James A. Joseph; and South African 
Ambassador to the U.S. Franklin Sonn. A tape was not available for 
verification of the content of these remarks.


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[Page 538-539]
 
Monday, April 6, 1998
 
Volume 34--Number 14
Pages 525-568
 
Week Ending Friday, April 3, 1998
 
Remarks at a Reception in Gaborone, Botswana

March 29, 1998

    Thank you very much. Mr. Foreign Minister, President Masire, Lady 
Obebile, Vice President Mogae, Mrs. Mogae, and all the other people who 
have previously been recognized by a previous speaker. [Laughter] I am 
glad to be here and to receive such a warm welcome and a standing 
ovation from all of you. [Laughter]
    For Hillary and for me, this has been an extraordinary trip for our 
entire American delegation. It has taken us from Africa's western rim to 
its southern shore, from its smallest villages to its most modern 
cities, from its youngest democracy, South Africa, to its oldest, 
Botswana.
    We have seen the promise of a new Africa whose roots are deep here 
in your soil, for you have been an inspiration to all who cherish 
freedom. At your independence three decades ago, Botswana was among the 
poorest countries on Earth, with only two miles of paved roads and one 
public secondary school. Today, you have a vibrant economy, a network of 
major highways, almost full enrollment in primary schools, and the 
longest

[[Page 539]]

average lifespan in sub-Saharan Africa. Congratulations to all of you. 
Africa needs more Botswanas, and America is determined to support all 
those who would follow your lead.
    Today I'm pleased to announce our intent to establish Radio 
Democracy for Africa, a Voice of America service aimed directly at 
encouraging progress toward freedom and democracy, respect for human 
rights, and an independent and objective media. I thank Congressman 
Royce in particular for his leadership in promoting this program, as 
well as the other Members of our congressional delegation.
    Botswana's success was built by its people and by the dedicated 
leaders they chose. President Masire, I am deeply honored to be among 
those here as you leave your distinguished tenure. As Vice President and 
Finance Minister, you sparked the engine of an economic miracle by 
establishing the first joint ventures for mining diamonds. You created 
Botswana's sound fiscal and monetary regimes. You negotiated Botswana's 
access to European markets. You earned the trust of your fellow 
citizens. President, you've ensured that human rights and the rule of 
law could make their home in Botswana. Your stand against apartheid and 
your support of the ANC gave hope to all who yearned for dignity and 
equality in South Africa. You have been a leader in conserving wildlife. 
You've sent your troops on missions of peace in Somalia, Rwanda, and 
Mozambique. And as a founding member and host to the SADC Secretariat, 
you have helped bring countries in this region closer together and 
create new opportunities for your people. Now, as you step down from 
public office after 18 years of leadership, you're ensuring the peaceful 
transfer of power that has come to characterize this land.
    Mr. President, on behalf of all Americans, I salute you and your 
achievements. I would say you have earned the right to go back to your 
cattle ranch. [Laughter]
    The United States has been very proud to support Botswana's 
progress. Botswana's success led to the bittersweet closing of our AID 
and Peace Corps programs. But though these development programs have 
finished, their legacy endures. Lady Obebile, I know you taught many 
Peace Corps volunteers their first words in Setswana. You helped to 
ensure that countless young Americans came home with a lifelong love for 
your country and this continent.
    Now we're building in that spirit of cooperation to renew our 
partnership for the future, based on common values, common vision, and 
mutual respect. Together we can help all men and women in Africa secure 
the freedom that is their birthright. We can deepen our investment in 
trade and bring the prosperity to all citizens. We can work together to 
deter conflicts before they explode into crises. And together, we can 
protect this fragile Earth for future generations.
    Visitors to Botswana will never forget the beauty of your 
environment. Tomorrow Hillary and I will have the great pleasure of 
visiting Chobe ourselves. You have been blessed with abundant resources, 
but none of those is more precious than your people. Because of them, 
the future looks bright for Botswana and for the region as well.
    So, Mr. President, on behalf of all Americans, thank you again for 
the extraordinary example you and the people of Botswana have set. I 
wish you all the best. America is proud to be Botswana's partner and 
friend.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 3:10 p.m. on the State House Lawn. In his 
remarks, he referred to President Ketumile Masire and his wife, Lady 
Obebile, Vice President Festus Mogae and his wife, Barbara, and Minister 
of Foreign Affairs Mompati Merahfe of Botswana. The President also 
referred to the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African 
Development Community (SADC).


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[Page 539-540]
 
Monday, April 6, 1998
 
Volume 34--Number 14
Pages 525-568
 
Week Ending Friday, April 3, 1998
 
Exchange With Reporters in Kasane, Botswana

March 30, 1998

Botswana National Parks

    The President. I learned today that 17 percent of this country is in 
national parks and national preserves. They've done a great job of 
protecting their wildlife.

[[Page 540]]

Russian Elections

    Q. TASS is quoting Yeltsin as saying he's not going to be part of 
the 2000 campaign, and he's going to support Chernomyrdin.
    The President. Chernomyrdin?
    Q. Yes.
    The President. That's interesting.

President's Safari

    Q. What have you seen today, sir?
    The President. Well, we've seen probably 20 or 30 different kinds of 
birds--fascinating ones--including some eagles I had never seen before 
and some storks I had never seen before and obviously the vultures and 
then a lot of the smaller, very beautiful birds, like these rollers. 
There you've got a baboon, right there, and is that an impala with it? 
An impala, a baboon, and three elephants right here where we're 
standing.
    We saw a water buffalo--I think you saw it also--that had been 
wounded, apparently, by a lion. We saw the horns of a kudu and the 
skull, all that remained of what apparently was a lion kill up the road 
here, and the vultures were still kind of hanging around it.
    It's amazing. It's been an amazing day.
    Q. Any warthogs? We saw some.
    The President. No.
    Hillary Clinton. We saw hippos.
    The President. We saw a lot of hippos.
    Mrs. Clinton. Crocodiles.
    Q. Did you check out the stars last night?
    The President. It was amazing, wasn't it? The stars were amazing.
    Mrs. Clinton. We saw the lions, too.
    Q. Oh, you didn't see the lions.
    Mrs. Clinton. We did, Sam [Sam Donaldson, ABC News]. We did.
    Q. You saw a lion?
    Mrs. Clinton. Yes, we saw a mother lion and four cubs.
    The President. Oh, yes. They were up underneath a tree.
    Mrs. Clinton. One of the lions was in the tree.
    The President. You could barely see them, and the mother lion was on 
her back, playing with the kids.
    Q. I would have killed for that. [Laughter]
    The President. It was great. At one point, she even had one of her--
one of the cubs' tail in her mouth. They were playing with it back and 
forth.
    Q. Can a Democratic President admire an elephant?
    The President. Yes, and I like to see them concentrated here. 
[Laughter]
    Q. I set you up there.
    The President. Actually, I was kind of jealous that the Republicans 
had appropriated such a nice animal as their symbol. [Laughter] I think 
they're fascinating, these elephants are.
    Q. At the restaurant last night, did you check out any of the zebra 
or crocodile?
    The President. I tried it all.
    Q. Those elephants produce more dung than any other animals. 
[Laughter]

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