Madam Chairperson, I would like to start of by saying that the Department of Home Affairs carries an important responsibility in terms of completing our democracy. Enshrined in our Constitution at Section 19(b) is the right of citizens to vote and stand in elections to any of the legislative bodies founded in the Constitution. And this right was recognised earlier on and Home Affairs was given the task to draft a system that would enable us to afford the opportunity to do this to all citizens of the Country.
As things stand, the present Electoral Act is inconsistent with the Constitution because it grants citizens the right to stand for public office only as individuals, only in local government. But the Constitution says that to stand in public office and if elected to take their positions in anyone of the legislative bodies founded under the Constitution which means that people are entitled to stand for provincial as well as national as independents. To the extent that we have made this promise to the citizens of our country but that we are not fulfilling it we are denying people the promises of democracy that we made when we achieved democracy and we must correct this because Section 2 of the Constitution makes quiet clear that any Act that is in consisted with the Constitution is null and void.
We can no longer afford to risk this and we do need to act on this very soon. We, Cope, will approach again this House to present in this House a Bill that will make it possible for us to correct the Electoral Act.
The second point I would like to make the reason we are in here is because we have a right to be here, nobody can stop us from being here and to do that. Secondly, hon Minister I think the points that you were making about the corrections that are being made at Home Affairs, and some of the critical advance actions that are being taken are very good, hopefully that they will continue to be more powerful than what they are at the present time. However, we must not forget what lies behind because [Time expired.] but you know, Chairperson, arg no.