Hon House Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers here present, and hon members of the House, section 1, Schedule 6 of the Constitution of South Africa of 1996, which deals with transitional arrangements, makes reference to old order legislation. This is legislation that was enacted before the interim Constitution, Act 200 of 1993. These old order laws are legislative leftovers that reflect South Africa's unpalatable colonial history and apartheid past. The old order laws are inclusive of legislation passed by the former TBVC states. The Attorneys Amendment Bill is an interim measure to repeal such legislation while awaiting full implementation of the Legal Practice Act, which will rationalise the legal profession. This interim measure is important, because we cannot wait any longer to address the inequalities which affect the rights of the appearance in court by attorneys and candidate attorneys who are admitted in the former TBVC states.
There are many sad memories that remind us of our colonial history and apartheid past. One such atrocity is the one caused by the Black Administration Act, which was a tool used by the apartheid regime to effect the removal of African people from the so-called white South Africa and placement in homeland areas. These removals resulted in the immense suffering of the African people. The forced removals of African people from the land which they occupied to the limited amount of land reserved for them by the apartheid state resulted in the majority of African people being dispossessed of their land. The homeland system thus became the most effective tool of the apartheid regime to present South Africa to the world as a nation characterised by racial and ethnic divides.
Four of these self-governing homelands were subsequently converted into so- called independent states. After being declared independent, the so-called states of Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei enacted their own legislation. This included legislation regulating aspects of the attorneys', notaries' and conveyancers' professions that were being practised within the respective TBVC states. The four pieces of legislation from the TBVC states which are still in existence are set out in the schedule of the Attorneys Amendment Bill and include the following: the Attorneys, Notaries and Conveyancers Admission Act, No 23 of 1934 of Transkei; the Attorneys, Notaries and Conveyancers Act, No 29 of 1984 of Bophuthatswana; the Attorneys Act, No 42 of 1987 of Venda; and the Attorneys Act, No 53 of 1979 of Ciskei. The Attorneys Amendment Bill seeks to repeal these pieces of legislation, which are now obsolete. These pieces of legislation have no place on our Statute Books or in South Africa's constitutional democracy. They belong to the dustbin of history. In fact, their continued existence is an anomaly, especially now, in 2014, 20 years after the attainment of freedom and democracy and after the creation of a united, progressive and democratic state.
As South Africa celebrates 20 years of freedom and democracy, this Fifth Parliament has no reason not to engage in the radical transformation of the legal profession. It cannot be that after reaching such a huge milestone, we still have laws that drag the country backwards. Of course, we must continue to tell the good story and the good story must become even better by the day.
On 25 January 1994, the people of this country adopted our interim Constitution, which began to operate on 27 April 1994. The interim Constitution provided a platform for the creation of a new order, in which all South Africans share a common citizenship in a sovereign and democratic constitutional state, and where all citizens are entitled to exercise their fundamental rights freely and equally.
Respect for the dignity of all human beings is a particularly important aspect of the South African nation, for apartheid was a denial of a common humanity. Black people were refused respect and dignity, and thereby the dignity of all South Africans was diminished. The new Constitution rejects this past and affirms the equal worth of all South Africans. The recognition and protection of human dignity is the touchstone of the new political order and is fundamental to the new Constitution.
In the light of these constitutional principles, there is no place for pieces of old older legislation. Members of this House, irrespective of political affiliation, should rise in unison and support the Attorneys Amendment Bill so that we can have uniform legislation that applies throughout the country.
The Attorneys Amendment Bill takes the progressive step of repealing, in its entirety, the four TBVC states' Acts in so far as they are still applicable. This prepares the way for the radical transformation envisaged by the promulgation of the Legal Practice Act.
Let us all heed the call to move South Africa forward. I want this House to note this very important development; that for the first time after many moons, the members on my left have forgotten about Nkandla and they are concentrating on service delivery. This is quite commendable. Thank you very much, Chairperson. [Interjections.]