Hon Chairperson, I would like to take this opportunity to thank members who supported our Budget Vote today.
Whilst acknowledging that there might have been gaps and weaknesses where we come from, we also have to bear in mind that this is a fairly new Ministry and that whatever happened in the past - some of the pitfalls, which the new approach intends to address - there was no malice or intention of causing some of the issues raised.
I think that where we stand today, we'll be learning from those weaknesses - I don't want to say mistakes, they were weaknesses - which happened. I think it will also help us to improve and move forward in a more constructive and better way.
Thank you very much, hon Robinson, for the support for the Budget Vote. I would like to say that I agree with you; the Thuthuzela Care Centres, or any other form of social centres that are supposed to address issues related to challenges faced by women, are indeed a challenge. We can't say it's not true; it's a reality.
Therefore all of us, including you as members of this committee, have to say that we are going to do things differently to make sure that things get better and also reach out to more affected people, especially women, in South Africa. That is our responsibility - it's not mine, it's ours.
I think that is what we need to bear in mind, because sometimes our approach is about lamenting and thinking it's somebody else's responsibility, but it's our responsibility, all of us, especially in this committee. If we work together, we will be able to make a difference in ensuring that challenges faced by women at various levels are indeed attended to, so thank you once more for this support.
I must say, hon Louw, that I am not surprised by you. I did not expect you to support it. You were not there. What are you supposed to support when you weren't there? You were never there, so it's not surprising. In fact, if I were you, I would have been neutral and kept quiet. That is why you want to bring up issues relating to Marikana here in a way that suits you.
You should look at the picture holistically. You have to understand the environment holistically. No one rejoices over what happened at Marikana. It was a sad day for South Africa and we are South Africans. You can't isolate issues in a way that suits you. If you go to those rural areas you will see that some of the women who are widows today are being taken care of.
Communities are trying to find ways to integrate them and ensure that they have the means to take care of their children. I will mention one example, the widow of Michael Ngweyi. As hon Mandela was trying to say to you, you have Nosihle Ngweyi, the widow of Michael Ngweyi, who is currently employed as a community liaison officer for the Mveso area and is earning R4 500.
She does not need to go to Marikana or Johannesburg or Rustenburg to work. She is in the environment where she stays with her family. That is what we need to advocate as a country - be there with your family. [Applause.] She is able to take care of her children, and that is of key importance.
The plight of women in general must never be romanticised. We must be realistic. That is why Charlotte Maxeke in 1955 led the struggles of women. That is why in 1956 we had women who took it upon themselves to make sure they fought for the rights of women.
That is part of our struggle. It's not an event, it's a process. It's painful and hurtful for some of us that those women have lost their husbands, because we know it's not a theory for some of us. We are also widows, we know and share in the pain of those women. So don't go and romanticise what you don't understand ... [Interjections.]
You are romanticising it! You don't understand. I can see that you don't understand. I would also like to appeal to you not to come here and make public statements simply because you have a podium. Join the committee so that you can share and contribute to change, like all other members who are here.
The challenge is that because you know we are being watched and we are on TV, you want to stand here. Share in the pain. Share in the transformation. Share in the various issues to find solutions to address women's issues.
Hon Carter, I would also say the same thing to you. I agree that you might not want to refer to the past. You know, there is a tendency of saying, "I want to show that I care". Let's not do public relations. Let's be honest about what you are doing in reality.
When you say that there is somebody who is doing this or that and telling us about the maintenance courts, what are you doing? You should also not forget that you are a public representative. This Parliament creates an opportunity for you to intervene. You can; it gives you that opportunity. So we must also be aware of our responsibilities as individuals.
Yes, we have overall challenges, but we also have challenges at an individual level. We are able to assist those who are unable to advance particular issues. I want to appeal to all of you; there is a little bit we can do in our little corners, but there is also a lot we can do as a collective. For us, that is very important. [Applause.]
Hon Van der Merwe, I want to say that I agree with you. There is not enough money, but also bear in mind that we are part of the overall government and we are fighting for resources. But I am confident that, where we are, if we are able to chat and explain our objectives clearly, we might not get it all, but we might get enough to help us advance and stay the course to make sure that the interests of women are advanced and that they are also at the centre of everything we do.
I believe in the economic empowerment of women as a fundamental principle because if we are able to ensure that women can sustain and take care of themselves economically, then it helps us to move towards making sure that some of the social ills we are facing will be reduced or eliminated.
This is because it is more about empowerment. If you are empowered economically, even your self-esteem improves and you are confident that you can take care of yourself.
As we deal with these issues in the committee, I hope that we will be able to agree and talk about the issues facing women in South Africa and improve their situation. We must also not underplay where we come from. We are better off, and I am not better off because I am a black woman, I am also better off because I am a woman, because even white women didn't have it much better in the past. We are all better off today. One of the responsibilities of this Ministry is to review what the gaps are and what we are not doing. We have to identify these issues so we can move forward. I agree, we have to mainstream the work. I don't think the laws that exist or prevail currently were a deliberate attempt not to recognise certain issues that we find in the legislative work, but it's our responsibility to assist.
It is not only the Ministry that is going to play an oversight role - you are all included. Don't think I am going to run away until my thin legs get worse! We are all going to run together to make sure that the lives of women improve.
That is our responsibility and we will be judged in the next five years on what we have done to take it a step further when it comes to the issues of women. I strongly believe that we need to be cohesive, that we need to find a common approach in making sure that there is a difference in the lives of our women.
In dealing with various issues, we also have to understand that, as part of our responsibility of monitoring, evaluation and oversight, some of the programmes related to women are not going to be found in this Ministry or your portfolio - they will be somewhere else.
We must also avoid tension when we want to do what resides somewhere else. What this portfolio does is create an opportunity for us to oversee and play an oversight role to ensure that the mechanisms which are meant to advance the interests of women socially and economically do in fact advance them.
Is that happening? I agree, we must not duplicate. We have many laws that might not be sufficient, but they will do for now to allow us to do our work sufficiently and move forward by identifying weaknesses and gaps where issues relating to women are not being properly advanced.
I must say, hon Tarabella Marchesi, you spoke so well. Why spoil it with what is not relevant? [Interjections.] No, hon member, don't say things that spoil the good work. When we talk about the history of the struggle in this country, you can't say it's half. You can't say the ANC was half. It was never half. If you read our history ... [Interjections.] You did say that. [Interjections.] You say it's a half-truth? No, it's not a half- truth. Let me remind you and put it in context for you: You know, when you go back to the past, to the formation of the ANC, its leaders - credible leaders of this country who were oppressed - took it upon themselves to say enough is enough.
Rev Dube and others such as Sol Plaatjie stood together. They could have ignored the call and said, "We are academics. We are educated, we are better off and we are taking care of our families". But they said, "If I am better, but the rest is not better, then that means I am not better". Hence they took it upon themselves to initiate change and over the years the ANC has been at the forefront. That is why it is at the centre. Let me also say that when O R Tambo, the late President of the ANC, moved out of South Africa, he mobilised, not just for the little ANC, but for South African society, the NGOs and the Black Sash.
The funding for Black Sash was solicited by the ANC, because they never saw the struggle as being very narrow. The funding of civil society in South Africa during the struggle, during apartheid, was mobilised by the ANC. Nordic countries, when they were supporting NGOs who were fighting apartheid, were mobilised by the ANC because it was not about the achievement. For the few members of the ANC it was about South African society as a whole. That is why you can't say it's a half-truth - it's the whole truth. [Time expired.] Thank you. [Applause.]