Mhlalingaphambili, kudla ngokuthiwa izinja ezikhonkotha ziginya kufuneka uzilumkele. [Chairperson, people like to say you must ignore dogs that bark with their mouths full of food morsels.]
South Africa starts with us. It is not about what we are, but who we are. I've been taught that if you keep on quoting, you will never be quoted. [Laughter.]
It is with great honour, respect and humility that I am accorded this opportunity after the eloquent, informative and constructive articulations made by the hon Minister, the hon Deputy Minister, the hon chairperson of the portfolio committee and the hon colleagues collectively.
Maz'enethole. IsiXhosa sithi, mathol' anyongande kukudlelana. [Thank you. To say the same thing in isiXhosa: "Mathol'anyongande kukudlelana" - it has been a great honour.]
I concur with everyone present and with everyone who spoke and agreed to support this Budget Vote. The annual Tourism Indaba that brings together minds that suffer no poverty of imagination - unfortunately, we were not there, Comrade Chair - is a milestone and the heartbeat of our nation. The deliberations that took place and the strides taken rekindled our living conscience to remember what brought about the negotiations for a new South Africa.
It ties up with tourism because - if you listen, you will hear what I'm going to say - of your steadfastness, Minister and Deputy Minister, in profiling the role of your department in meeting our country's 1994 mission and vision ... [Interjections.] You go and read our Constitution because you don't know. The department's current notable contribution to our economy, even during trying times, is worth commending.
The sterling work done by the director-general is complemented by the department's staff, and the entity is continually leaving an indelible mark in our long walk to prosperity and eternity. Special thanks goes to SA Tourism and the Financial and Fiscal Commission and all those who came before the portfolio committee for constructive deliberations. Your inputs were invaluable and immeasurable. Thanks again.
We are here today witnessing and testifying about what was born of our negotiations - the subsequent outcomes of the 1994 elections and our Constitution. The road was not easy. Minister, I recall when you locked horns with the late Comrade Peter Mokaba, pulling together to find ourselves in the negotiation processes. We overcame our pride and prejudices and toned down our arrogance and eccentricity. We learned to forgive, embrace, reconcile and respect one another. [Applause.] That is why people are still coming to South Africa. It is through your leadership, Minister.
We agreed that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity. We re-affirmed that we shall honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land, and honour those who have worked to build and develop our country. We still honour those and we say thank you. [Applause.] That is why people are flocking into our country.
There is something very interesting about the ANC. It taught us one thing, and I will say it in isiXhosa ...
... mntwana kaSuka. Ithi, xa uthandaza ungaze uthi: Uze ufike Bawo nalapho ndingazange ndifikelele khona. [Kwahlekwa.] Yithi: Uze usincede Bawo sifike apho singenako ukufikelela khona. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[... hon Suka. It says, when you pray you must not say: Please consider those prayers that I did not verbalise. [Laughter.] You must say: Father, please carry us through to where we cannot reach on our own.]
That is where the ANC is today. [Applause.]
Ayithi yakungaphendulwa imithandazo, ibe sele isithi, "hayi, andisayi kuyivotela i-ANC". [It does not give up when the prayers are not answered.]
Tourism is a fundamental and profound catalyst that pursues these ideals and beyond. It shall remain the core force in uniting our nation and embracing all those who visit our shores for all the good reasons prescribed and enshrined in our Constitution and dictated to by our laws - the National Development Plan, our New Growth Path and the National Tourism Sector Strategy. I don't have to repeat everything because members have said it all. It is a pity that you were not at the annual Tourism Indaba and I wish you were there for just a while. [Laughter.]
We have to admit that it was not easy. We had challenges, made mistakes, learned and conquered. All this was for the good of our nation. Constructive criticism made us more determined. The repulsive and catatonic posturing by our critics is wanting and shall always be. Amilcar Cabral warns those critics:
Tell no lies. Expose lies wherever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories.
He further says that culture is simultaneously the fruit of a people's history and a determinant of history, by the positive or negative influence which it exerts on the evolution of relationships between man and the environment, and among men or groups of men within a society as well as among different societies.
In this journey, the truth about where we come from cannot be wished away. It is our history that humbles us. We are proud to say, we all jointly and severally defeated apartheid -. all of us, black and white. We are not setting anyone aside. Whether one likes it or not, we shall make reference to our past and what it did to our people. In so doing, we educate our young people not to repeat the mistakes of the past by mutation. The distortion of our history made by those who proclaim to have done things for us instead of doing things with us is unfortunate, because there are still those who continuously want to do things for us instead of doing things with us. [Interjections.]
Tourism is about social and economic interaction, consultation and partnerships and healthy competition. I do revere unequivocally our legendary ancestors who stood the test of time, sacrificing their lives in defence of our identity and natural assets - movable and immovable - and made us who we are today. I am referring to the Khoi and the San, who transcended the hills and shores of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape, all in defence of towering and unshakable Table Mountain, the expanse of the Namaqua region and its daisies embracing the desert ...
... neengxangxasi, nezilo, nezilwanyana ezikumahlathi aseTsitsikamma. [... and waterfalls, and different kinds of animals in the Tsitsikamma forest.]
The Xhosas, Zulus and Sothos fearlessly fought those who were obsessed with the notion of having discovered what was already in existence and occupied by Africans; those self-proclaimed homo sapiens who saw themselves as superior species, who upon their arrival purported to have discovered a subspecies and called it the homo sapien sapien. Little did they know that they were at the cradle of mankind, their own genesis. That is where they also originated.
I adore with pride the valour and the vigour displayed by those before us who conquered iintaba zoKhahlamba [the Drakensberg Mountains] and nurtured the grazing fields along ... ... iGqili eMangaung, mntwana wam, nakuloo mlambo iLimpopo apho kwabelwana ngokungcamiselana zizizwe - ndiphazanyiswa yile nto bantu bakowethu, indixelela ukuba ixesha lam liyaphela. [Kwahlekwa.] Mandigqibe ngelithi ke, kuba kaloku bendisiya ekugqibeleni ... (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[... the Orange River in Mangaung, my child, and the Limpopo River where the countries are sharing what has been given to them. This thing which tells me that my time is about to expire is disturbing me. [Laughter.] Let me conclude by saying this ...]
We have noted - and I have also noted - that we have raised the issues and the Minister has responded to such and it is an ongoing process. We spoke about the issues of corruption which we dealt with and we are engaging ...