Hon Speaker, let me start off with the first question and say that yes, indeed, transparency is absolutely necessary and I have no difficulty or problem with the issue of transparency. The act that my lawyers took in asking the court to seal some of those documents is because the documents, particularly the bank statements that were then made available to the Public Protector were, of a number of accounts,
emanating from as early as 2014, when there was no CR17 campaign.
What got to us was just the confidentiality of the information of a number of people. Bank accounts are very sensitive type of documents where all of us, in our bank accounts, transact with whoever and so forth. That is quite private. They went as early as 2014 and during a period when there was no campaign and that is what our lawyers felt needed to be sealed.
In the course of all that, it then encompasses everything. We are going to do a review of all that and I would like hon Malema to keep an eye on the issue of transparency.
And of course, you are absolutely right, as President of the Republic, I know I will be held to a much higher standard. You are absolutely right. I would say that ... You say that I should not see myself as being equal to everybody. I am equal to everybody, but I am held to a much higher standard. I accept that. Let us allow this period of evaluating this whole process
through the courts and thereafter, I will be able to take a view and see how best we handle this situation.
Indeed, I do want to uphold the principle of being transparent and of being straight and being honest, even on this very difficult matter.
Now, you want to know how many members of your EFF we gave money to. [Interjections.] Let me say that the EFF put me in a very embarrassing position because in the end, those members have now been shifted aside. These two colleagues ... I see them as colleagues. They have served in the NCOP and they were my most vociferous opponents and critics in the NCOP. When, as Members of Parliament, right across the board, we discuss, there is a point where there is the question of humanity, where we interact with each other beyond even party lines and see ourselves as human beings. When these two members had great difficulties, which they articulated, we felt that help was needed and they were given help. [Interjections.]
The help was not connected to anything, as I have done with a number of other members as well. So, it was out of a deep generosity, not on your side, admittedly. [Interjections.] That is what it is. Thank you.