Comrade House Chairperson, Comrade Deputy President, the original sin was committed when the African and Khoisan people were forcibly dispossessed of the land and its natural resources. In 1913 this violent and inhuman act of dispossession was consolidated by the land Act No 27 of 1913, which left the African and Khoisan majority with only 7% of the total surface of South Africa. This 7% was increased to 13% in 1036. The racist Union of South Africa that committed this crime against the African and Khoisan majority divided
this 13% of the land surface into native reserves - into what our people were driven like cattle and goats and kept as labour reservoir for the colonial settlers. These crimes degraded and dehumanized our people. This degradation and dehumanisation of the African and Khoisan people are root causes of the deepening moral degeneration and social ills, including femicide, gender-based violence, abuse of women and children, drug and alcohol abuse, gangsterism, violence in schools and domestic violence. [Interjections.]
In general, the laws of our national value system, all South Africans, black and white, who believe in human and people's rights in this House, will support the motion tabled by the hon Chief Whip of the Majority Party, Pemmy Majodini. The adoption of this motion is a condition precedent for addressing the injustices of the past and in particular, the recovery of the humanity of our people, both black and white. Our glorious movement, the ANC adopted the first Bill of Rights on the African continent in 1923. In its opening paragraph, it reclaimed the African humanity, ubuntu, botho, and the right of African people to participate in the economy of the country. This Bill of rights was amplified by the Africans' Claims of 1943 and the Universal Declaration of
1948. Despite this national and international human rights culture, the Nationalist Party ascended to power on a platform of apartheid and adopted a host of racially discriminatory laws to enforce this apartheid system which was declared a crime against humanity. In 1954, South African women, both black and white, adopted the Women's Charter, followed by the 1955 Freedom Charter, after an extensive consultation with victims of apartheid.
It is remarkable that all South Africans, both black and white adopted the Freedom Charter that stated that South Africa belongs to all who live in it. The Constitution of this country provides for representative and participatory democracy which will empower all South Africans working together to resolve in a peaceful manner, and not through land invasions, all the land questions, all patriots and peace- loving South Africans know that restitution of land to its rightful owners is a prerequisite for the realisation of human and people's rights for which many men and women in South Africa and the frontline states fought and died for. Without the resolution of the land question, the regeneration of Africa that Pixley ka Isaka Seme called for in 1905 and the nonracial society that President Sefako Mapogo Makgatho,
Kolobe ya Bjatladi bja Mmamorela called for in 1917 will remain a pipe dream.
Sepedi:
Ke zwaazweo Bana ba T?iekgalaka; ke zwaazweo Balodzwi baModjadji wa Mmaleakgobela; tshiwana ankhena moloti, ke lotwa ke mabu a tsela
Re phelele Motlat?amopresidente David Mabuza, re phelele Motlat?asepikara, re phelele Sepikara Mme Thandi Modise - kopano ke maatla! [Tsenoganong.] [Magoswi.].
English: