Deputy Chair, hon Ministers and members, when one sits here, listening to members, the Minister of Human Settlements, as well as the Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, one needs to ask oneself many questions. One of the questions we need to ask ourselves is: How honest and objective are we?
Let me start with Human Settlements. I have listened to my colleague, the hon M P Jacobs, talking about land and the municipalities. How will a poor black man get land if the municipality tenders out the land? He does not have the money to buy land and build a house. It's impossible! Yet these very same local municipalities are tendering out land to the previously advantaged areas. In other words, as a previously disadvantaged person, you will never be able to buy that land if you don't earn that money. That is neither development nor urbanisation.
Another concern with Human Settlements is the quality of houses. I believe we must start building and giving people decent houses, because we are from a poor background and we have been deprived of our rights and all those things. We have the opportunity now, so why does this government not invest in our people by giving them decent houses, with security? Don't give them 54m2 houses. Yes, people will say it is better than a shack; but no, don't tell me this -it is better than a shack| story!
If we go back in our history, we said that when we got the chance to govern, we would give our people decent houses. These RDP houses are not decent houses. They are not security. A house is an asset. In other words, if our people have decent houses, they will have assets.
Let me come to local government. I have so little time! Hon Minister, Councillor J Matlou talked about the municipalities, but unfortunately almost 60% of the municipalities in the country are bankrupt. How can that be good? According to the Auditor-General's report in the Northern Cape, out of the 32 municipalities only two received clean audits. Are you telling me that that is good? That is not good!
The problem is that we, as government - the national department and local government - must get involved in provincial departments. I heard the Minister say that they will be hands-on because that is where the problem lies. The Minister allocates money and drafts policies but they don't implement them. They do their own thing. That is why you will find municipalities sitting with municipal managers who can't do their work. We have chief financial officers who do not understand the budget and all those things. This thing needs to stop!
Hon Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, I support you in all your endeavours. I am asking and pleading with you today ...