House Chairperson, hon members, distinguished special delegates, the hon Mazibuko says that she hasn't seen the report. I must say that it is indeed a great privilege and honour to table this report at this last sitting of the National Council of Provinces in our third democratic Parliament, as printed on the ATC of 27 January 2009.
Believing that members have gone through this report - through its various stages of development - let me take this opportunity to thank those who made valuable contributions and inputs to this report. Particular regards must go to Adv Jodi-Anne van Niekerk, Adv Lulama Matyolo-Dube and other members of staff who spared no effort in ensuring the crystallisation of this report into its final product.
Allow me to conclude by saying that, unlike many reports that were crafted and developed by consultants, this report followed a different process. Its journey began in 1999 when, pursuant to section 59 of the Constitution - which clearly instructs Parliament, the National Assembly in particular, to develop mechanisms that would ensure effective parliamentary oversight - the Presiding Officers commissioned the report and a study was undertaken by Prof Hugh Corder. Please note that Prof Hugh Corder did not develop the oversight model. What the Prof has done was simply to study all international best practices and, unfortunately, he could not find one - globally. It is only our Constitution that links Parliament with an oversight and accountability model.
This report is an expression of the collective experience of men and women in the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces over a period of 15 years, building on the work they have done, building on the experiences they have gone through, identifying weaknesses, translating those weaknesses into strengths, and systematising them into a coherent framework that we call the oversight and accountability model.
So all of us can give ourselves a pat on the back in that we are the first country to produce this kind of framework, which is yet to be tested in the arena of struggle through the actual practical activities of our committees. Thank you very much.
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Report be adopted.
IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape.
Report accordingly adopted in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.