Thank you, Mr Speaker. Hon President, we appreciate the work that you are doing in Africa to build new terrain for African unity and economic development, and in going to the East, particularly to Japan, to generate investments. I am sure that this has nothing to do with communism. The work around Brics, the whole infrastructure plan and the planning commission clearly emanate from your leadership. I also convey an abundance of prayers to Madiba. [Applause.]
Mr President, the DA will only praise you long after your term has ended ... [Interjections.] ... just like they did with Madiba. Long after he ended the struggle and his term as President, and only then, did the letters of praise come. This is hypocritical! [Interjections.] [Applause.] When times were tough, where were these people who pretend to have been part of the freedom struggle?
Interestingly, some of them are still here today within the ranks of the DA. They held pretty conservative positions and enjoyed the comforts and privileges of the apartheid state, while implementing apartheid laws. [Applause.]
I challenge the DA to make a comparative study with regard to presidential homes elsewhere. They will fail! They will not get any information because, quite correctly, it's classified. Any report must not disclose details about levels of security and procurement specifications because in doing so you are disclosing confidential information which will compromise security. Presidential security is beyond compromise and by its very nature it is a confidential issue.
If something were to happen to the President ... [Applause.] ... the DA would be the first to say that the ANC government could not protect its President, in terms of security co-ordination. [Applause.]
The Nkandla report is being dealt with by the Public Protector and the Auditor-General. The Speaker has correctly referred it to the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, where the DA can interrogate it.
Minister Thulas Nxesi and the Deputy Minister have clearly indicated that maybe we have been grossly overcharged. Action must be taken against the perpetrators to ensure that our systems are tighter and stronger in future. Corruption and irregularities must be dealt with, but you don't compromise the security of the Presidency by playing petty politics. [Applause.]
The Freedom Charter states that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that includes brown, yellow and pink ... [Interjections.] ... and that is the rock on which our new democratic society is built. The truth is that this government is the custodian of those values and documents.
The MF rejects racism from whatever angle. Remember, in 1949 and 1985 there was a white state that provoked and fanned the flames of racial discourse. Mr President, whilst there are divisions in society, we laud your efforts to keep all South Africans united.
The DA's selective targeting of the Shaiks, Reddys and Guptas smacks of racism. [Interjections.] Interesting enough, hon Kalyan ... [Applause.] ... had her mouth zipped while her own party incites racism, and she behaves like a clown and a professional mascot. [Laughter.] What about the Bothas? And the James Brown issue, which is such a serious fraud ...