Madam Deputy Speaker, hon Deputy President, the Speaker, hon members of this august House and guests in the gallery, inhlikani! [good afternoon!]
Today marks 49 years since the conviction of the Rivonia trialists on 11 June 1964, and the 25th anniversary of the Free Mandela Concert held on 11 June 1988 in London. These days are significant as the international society was united in praying for and supporting President Madiba and other prisoners at that time. Today again, the international community is united in praying for and supporting Tata Madiba while he is in hospital.
Kubalulekile ukuba ndinqwenelele isithwalandwe se-ANC, uTata Madiba, ukuba aphole, asiphilele. Sithi kusapho lonke maluqine emthandazweni nakwithemba likaMdali wethu kuba nguye owaziyo ngeempilo zethu. [Kwaqhwatywa.](Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[It is important that I wish the ANC veteran, Isithwalandwe Mr Nelson Mandela, a speedy recovery and for him to live longer. We say to the whole family that they must be strong, pray harder and have hope in the Almighty God, because it is He who knows everything about our lives. [Applause.]]
It is important to note that this debate again takes place on the eve of the commemoration of 16 June 1976. This year's celebration takes place under the theme: "Working together for youth development and a drug-free society." Young people are challenged by this theme to create a society that they aspire to live in, a society free of drugs, crime, rape and gender-based violence, with aspirations of economic emancipation, and a South Africa alive with possibilities where young people are masters of their own destiny.
I would like to quote Mrs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma addressing a youth forum on 24 May 2013 in Addis Ababa, as she urged the youth to participate actively in political life. She said:
The African Union must be driven not by its government, but by its citizens. You must participate in the political life of your country. This is where the policies are made. Get engaged, get involved and change what you want to change in your countries, and make sure that policies are implemented at the level of member states.
We need to see more active young people in politics, research, technology, science, the judiciary, etc. Young people must occupy the space and not be armchair critics.
Let us look back and see the achievements of this Parliament since 2009, under the leadership of the ANC in co-operation with all other parties. We welcome the establishment of the Budget Office and the appointment of Prof Jahed as the Director of the Budget Office. We also welcome the appointment of the senior management team, including the Deputy Secretary to Parliament, Ms Tyawa. We wish them all the best in their work.
We are looking forward to more robust oversight on budget processes to realise the spirit and intentions of the Money Bills Act, working closely with both Houses and in particular the Standing Committees on Finance and on Appropriations. We further urge the completion of the process by the Standing Committee on Finance relating to the Financial Management of Parliament Act, which still needs to be fully implemented.
We welcome the establishment of the Joint Chief Whips' Forum as this will improve co-ordination of the work between the two Houses at the Whippery level. Lessons learned from the co-ordination done in the Chiefs Whips' Forum in dealing with matters to ensure that we have smoothly running plenaries will come in very handy for the new forum.
Further to this, it is critical to note the importance and responsibilities that the office of the Chief Whip of the Majority Party within this institution carries. We urge that a more suitable funding model for this office be looked at to ensure that this office is able to carry out its mandate and obligations adequately.
Sectoral parliaments remain one of the cornerstones of our interaction with our communities. While noting the challenges in recent times with regard to this important parliamentary programme, it cannot be justifiable to declare them less important or unnecessary. We have heard the voices of women being raised through the platform of the Women's Parliament.
Furthermore, the gathering of young people to deal with issues that they are faced with, through the Youth Parliament, cannot be regarded as less important. The logistical challenges need to be addressed to ensure that future activities are not negatively impacted upon. It is also important that the steering committees, which are multiparty forums, ensure that sectoral reports are developed and adopted by Parliament within a reasonable time after the activities.
Transparency and accountability remain key elements of democracy and governance. All Members of Parliament need to know that funds used by Parliament are accounted for and have been used appropriately. We heed the call to understand the expenditure of sectoral parliaments by the Chief Whips' Forum.
We have seen more impact with tangible outcomes on the programmes carried out by the NCOP such as, for example, "Taking Parliament to the People". Many communities have seen improved provision of and access to services.
Maloko ao a hlomphegago, go nyakega gore rena maloko kamoka re ikemi?et?e go kaonafat?a maphelo a batho bohle. Re le mokgatlo wa ANC re re ge re ?oma mmogo re ka kgona go fetola maphelo a set?haba kamoka. Re kgopela set?haba sa gaborena gore moo re se go ra ba ra fihla gona ba se fele pelo, ba kwe?i?e gore le moo le gona re tlile go fihla. Ba dule ba letile, re sa le tseleng. (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)
[Hon members, we need to commit to a better life for all. As the ANC we maintain that together we can do more. We urge the public to exercise patience in cases where we are still experiencing backlogs, and to understand that we are committed to providing a better service.]
Since 1994 Parliament under the ANC, has passed 1 294 Bills with 200 000 individual clauses. Out of this vast amount of legislation passed, only 17 Acts were challenged in courts of law. Of these challenges, in total only 2% of the clauses of these 17 Acts were found to be unconstitutional. Deputy Minister Andries Nel highlighted this in the Justice and Constitutional Development Budget Vote debate recently.
This, I must say, is quite an achievement and there is no need for members not to have confidence in their work. It demonstrates what the Constitution requires from public representatives: that they should apply their minds in the legislative drafting process. It reflects that we, when passing legislation, remain vigilant and ensure due process and quality of content of the Bills passed by Parliament. [Applause.]
The role of civil society is very important and it is critical in maintaining our democracy. We need to see more and more active citizens driving the affairs of their Parliament, because the establishment of this institution is based on the will of the people. The Public Participation Model currently championed by the hon House Chairperson Mr Frolick is critical and should be adopted before the end of this Fourth Parliament. We echo the sentiments that the Speaker has raised earlier from the podium. This model will enhance co-ordination and co-operation in our work as Parliament and provincial legislatures.
I must say, though, that many South Africans are deeply concerned by the interference of external forces, foreign governments and foreign institutions in the policy direction of the country at the expense of its people.
Let me quote one of the sons of the African soil, former President Julius Nyerere, addressing the foreign envoys accredited to Tanzania on 8 June 1978:
I have been very concerned indeed about world reactions to recent events in Africa and it seems to me to be necessary that I should make Tanzania's position clear, for the events of the past few weeks have once again demonstrated that although our legal independence is officially recognized, our need and our right to develop our countries and our continent in our own interests has not yet been conceded in practice. The habit of regarding Africa as an appendage of Western Europe has not yet been broken.
Unfortunately, this sad situation in relation to Africa and her people still applies, and we see it here at home. Foreign monies are used to decide on the policy of South Africa without considering what her people want.
The work that we do as Members of Parliament is meaningless if our interaction with constituencies is not there. Since the beginning of this parliamentary session, the ANC has taken a decision to have parliamentary constituency offices as one-stop centres, with MPs, members of the provincial legislatures, MPLs, and councillors in one office to deal with the challenges of our communities. This is to ensure that public representatives engage with communities and ensure that they are informed of the work of government and Parliament and that the issues raised by community members are taken up by government departments and Parliament, respectively. President Mandela, in October 1998, said:
In order to achieve these goals, we also needed to transform government from a system serving minority interests to one that meets the needs of all South Africans. And all these things had to be done in a country where most people were denied experience of government or proper education and training. This is why we have placed heavy emphasis on building capacity in government.
When we say that the best solutions to these challenges can only be found when we work with each other, it requires a commitment of each and every one of us. Today we should all ask ourselves: What have I done to improve the surroundings in which I live? Do I expect everything to be delivered to me or do I work with my local councillor to create a better life for myself and my community?
This call was reiterated by the ANC in its manifesto and in its theme: Working together, we can do more to build better communities.
We have seen an improved and well co-ordinated parliamentary programme. This was done in conjunction with all political parties and presiding officers. We have seen an increase in debates on matters in the public domain or of public importance. However, these debates must be for accountability and robust oversight on behalf of the millions of South Africans who voted us into office. This extends to the work done by committees of Parliament as they carry out their mandate in oversight and scrutiny.
I need to emphasise that during this period we have seen matters that could have been resolved by this House taken to court by members of this august House. I need to emphasise that it is within their rights to do so. However, the question I still ask is: Where does all this leave the institution of Parliament? Where is the separation of powers enshrined in our Constitution? Are we not supposed, for example, when we think the Rules are not adequate, to review them and make sure they respond to the issues at hand?
I would like to elaborate more on the issue I'm about to speak to, but I note the limitation I face relating to Rule 67. I will not compromise this Rule. However, I must emphasise that at times our political games have found the courts in a compromised position. An example of this is when the DA wanted a motion of no confidence against the President. We had the humiliating situation of a judge deciding that the courts can't tell Parliament when to hold a particular debate. We should never forget that this humiliation for Parliament could have been avoided if only we had followed the ANC when, from the start, it supported the debate, but we then had to endure the spectacle of the DA no longer being interested and the proposed date passed. [Interjections.]
All parties have a space to ensure that they contribute ... [Interjection.] Ima kancane ngiyeza kuwe, musa ukujaha impi! [Wait a little, I will come to you; do not be in haste for war!]
... to the smooth running of Parliament and proceedings. As the ANC, we are committed to ensuring that our members adhere to the decorum of the House and that the integrity and dignity of the Houses are not compromised. We have gone as far as talking about a proper dress code so that all of us look honourable. We hope that all parties will follow suit [Applause.] We have witnessed some people coming here dressed in leggings, which is not really appropriate. It is because we understand that this institution is the legacy left to us by people such as Tata Madiba, Mama Ginwala, Mama Mbete and all the people who played a part in establishing this Parliament after 1994.
As I conclude, we need to note that many of the flagged achievements and work done by the ANC since 1994 remain unknown and unsaid. To best describe why the situation is perpetuated, Antonio Gramsci defines the theory of hegemony, which is basically the domination of a particular group in society that plays a huge role in defining what is right and what is wrong in society. We have a group in society that thinks it has the monopoly on knowing what is right and what is wrong for the people of South Africa, and the media is one such group. While acknowledging the importance of the role of the media in democracy, the notion that in order to be a fierce journalist you must speak against the government and the ruling party and collude with opposition parties can't be correct. [Applause.] [Interjections.]
It, therefore, places the responsibility on Parliament to devise mechanisms to directly communicate with communities through accessible parliamentary TV channels and radio stations so that we can speak to our people. As I sit down, I want to quote biblical Scripture, Matthew 11:15: Listen then, if you have ears!
Yo a nago le tsebe a a kwe. [I hope this is clear enough.]
Onezindlebe makezwe. [Whoever has ears, let them hear.]
While I was looking at the hon Mazibuko's profile and her declaration, I made a very interesting observation. I noted that the hon Watson donated to her campaign to become the Leader of the Opposition and he was later appointed the Chief Whip of the Party. I thank you. [Applause.] [Interjections.]