Speaker, the DA continues to be exposed for the pathetic, pathological, racist party it is. [Interjections.] It continues to treat black people in the Western Cape with utter disgust.
The DA Western Cape provincial health spokesperson was quoted in the Sowetan of 16 March 2011 on page 8 as having said that a pregnant woman from Khayelitsha, who was turned away from Michael Mapongwana Hospital, was turned away because - ... she was not in active labour ... She was advised to come back later when she felt contractions, but never did. The nurses had done nothing wrong.
The spokesperson further said that most pregnant women came into the hospital thinking that they were about to give birth when it was a false alarm - what a shame - and "that it was unfortunate that she gave birth a few hours later". What a bizarre statement that is.
The DA has repeatedly misled the nation that it puts people who have relevant skills and qualifications in positions. These shameful utterances prove that the DA spokesperson has no clue about what maternal midwifery or obstetric health services are all about.
The statement suggests that she understands - if she does - false labour to be the same thing as the latent phase of first-stage labour. The statement seeks to say to midwives that they should not manage the latent phase of first-stage labour. [Time expired.] [Applause.]