Speaker, die besluit van President Thabo Mbeki om die weermag in te roep om stabiliteit ten opsigte van die xenofobie-aanvalle te verkry, is 'n erkenning van die President dat daar 'n noodtoestand in Suid-Afrika heers.
Die onvermo van die polisie om die situasie te hanteer, reflekteer ook op die professionaliteit van die polisie om sulke situasies te beheer. President Mbeki en die regering se hardkoppigheid om oor jare die werklikheid van die xenofobieprobleem te erken, het gemaak dat die saak so handuit geruk het dat 'n drastiese besluit, soos om die weermag in te stuur, nou geneem moes word. Die weermag moes eintlik lankal reeds ingeroep word, want dit sou 'n verergering van die konflik kon voorkom en baie lewens gespaar het.
President Mbeki pluk nou die wrange vrugte van die mislukkings van sy regering. Die vier belangrikste mislukkings is: Eerstens, die gebrek om wet en orde te handhaaf. Die mislukking om geweldsmisdaad in Suid-Afrika onder beheer te kry, veroorsaak dat mense hulle tot geweld wend sonder die vrees dat hulle gearresteer en suksesvol vervolg sal word. Tweedens, verwys ek na die swak grensbeheer. Die swak grensbeheer het miljoene onwettige immigrante Suid-Afrika laat binnekom. Dit is verder verswak deur die sluiting van die kommando's en die oordra van die weermag se funksies van grensbeheer na die polisie - wetende dat die polisie dit nie kan doen nie.
Derdens, verwys ek na die korrupsie in die staatsdiens. Korrupsie is endemies onder die regering van Mbeki en weinig word gedoen om dit te beveg. Voorbeelde soos Travelgate, Oilgate, en die wapenskandaal skep die indruk dat korrupsie tot op die hoogste vlak toelaatbaar is.
Vierdens, en laastens, verwys ek na sy buitelandse beleid. Die stille diplomasie van Mbeki met Zimbabwe was net 'n reddingsboei om die kwynende Mugabe langer as wat nodig was aan bewind te hou. (Translation of Afrikaans member's statement follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD (FF PLUS): Speaker, President Mbeki's decision to call on the Defence Force in order to attain stability with regard to xenophobic attacks is an acknowledgement by the President that a state of emergency is prevailing in South Africa.
The inability of police to deal with the situation also reflects on the professionalism of the police to control situations such as these. President Mbeki's and government's stubbornness to acknowledge the reality of the xenophobia problem over the years resulted in the matter becoming so unmanageable that a drastic decision, such as sending in the troops, now has to be taken. The Defence Force should have been called in long ago, because this would have prevented the conflict from worsening and many lives would have been spared.
President Mbeki is reaping the bitter fruits of the failures of his government. The following are the four most important failures. The first failure is the inability to maintain law and order. Failure to control violent crimes is causing people to turn to violence without the fear that they would be arrested and prosecuted successfully. Secondly, I want to refer to the poor border control. Poor border control allowed millions of immigrants to enter South Africa illegally. This has been further weakened by the dissolution of the commandos and by transferring the function of border control from the army to the police - knowing full well that the police are incapable of performing this function.
Thirdly, I want to refer to corruption in the Public Service. Corruption is endemic in the Mbeki government and very little is being done to combat it. Examples such as Travelgate, Oilgate and the arms deal are creating the impression that corruption is permissible up to the highest level.
Fourthly and lastly, I want to refer to his foreign policy. Mbeki's silent diplomacy regarding Zimbabwe was only a life buoy to keep the ailing Mugabe in power for longer than was necessary.]