Madam Deputy Speaker, hon Deputy President, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests in the gallery, ladies and gentlemen, first and foremost, I wish to thank the ANC for giving me the opportunity to participate in this important debate as we approach the end of the life of the Fourth Parliament.
I particularly note that this debate is taking place just a few months before the ANC seeks a new mandate from the people of South Africa. It is a privilege and an honour for me to stand here today on the 25th anniversary of the concert which was held with the blessing of the anti-apartheid movement in order to focus the attention of the world on the evil apartheid system and the continued imprisonment of ...
... uTata uRholihlahla Mandela, uDalibhunga. Abanye apha phakathi kwethu babembiza umnqolobi okanye iterrorist. Namhlanje sihleli kunye, abantsundu nabamhlophe; sibhunga ngekamva leli lizwe ngenxa katata. [Uwele-wele.] Sikunqwenelela impilo ende Madiba, uphile. Kambe siyayazi into yokuba isizwe usikhonzile. Mpilo-nde Ngqolomsila, Yem-yem, Vela bambhentsele, mpilo-nde Dalibhunga. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[... Mr Rholihlahla Mandela, Dalibhunga. Some amongst us used to call him a terrorist. Today we come together, black and white, to chart the future of this country, because of Tata Mandela. [Interjections.] Long live, Madiba, we wish you a speedy recovery. Indeed, we know that you have served the nation well. Long live Ngqolomsila, Yem-yem, Vela bambhentsele, Dalibhunga! [Praise names.]]
The ANC has always understood that its duty is to mobilise the people of South Africa, black and white, to confront their own challenges. We have always believed that the people have the ability to unite and struggle to bring about the kind of life that they desire.
Yayiyile ndlela eyakhokelela ekubeni iinkqubo ezingcolileyo zocalucalulo, zicwezelwe ecaleni lihlabathi okweqaqa. [It is because of this route and its evil ways that apartheid South Africa was declared a pariah state by the world.]
In our 53rd national conference, as we were concluding our work, we reiterated this belief maintaining activism when we said: We recognise that these efforts cannot bear fruit if carried out by the ANC and government alone. We therefore commit ourselves to building strong partnerships with community organisations, social movements, trade unions, religious bodies, business organisations, women, youth structures as well as other organisations to ensure that South Africans, black and white, act as their own liberators. Yiyo loo nto siwuqhuba umsebenzi wePalamente thina bantu bakaKhongolosi. Siwuqhuba ngeenqobo ze-ANC. Umsebenzi wethu siwubona ikukuvula nokuhlahla indlela siyihlahlela abantu bakuthi. Sixhasa imithombo nemithetho ukuze abantu beli lizwe bazophule ngokwabo kwidike lemizamo yokulwa idabi lendlala, intswela-ngqesho nokungalingani okudungadunga impilo yabantu beli lizwe. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[That is why we as the ANC carry out our parliamentary work in accordance with the principles and values of the ANC. We see our work as charting the way forward for our people. We provide resources and come up with legislation so that the people of this country can on their own save themselves from the clutches of poverty, unemployment and inequality that beset the lives of our people.]
Over the past 19 years we have done a lot of work aimed at ensuring that our people have access to useful information that can change their lives when they need it, and where it is needed, it is available under one roof. We have not perfected this system, but we are becoming better with each passing day. We are now beginning to witness greater co-operation amongst the three spheres of government.
As the ANC, we believe that there is more that needs to be done in this regard. That is why, at the 53rd ANC National Conference, we said that the ANC-led government must continue to promote integrated planning across the three spheres of government; align planning with the National Development Plan, NDP, the Provincial Growth and Development Plan and the Municipal Integrated Development Plans; promote greater co-operation between legislatures; and ensure that all spheres of government work closer with state-owned enterprises, SOEs, development finance institutions, DFIs, and other public entities and civil society and implement the resolutions on the strengthening of legislatures.
Le nto yokuba sibe sicalula izigaba phakathi ePalamente ayisebenzi. Xa abantu bakuthi, Sekela Mongameli, befuna iinkonzo, ezifana nezindlu; izikolo; ezempilo yabantu neeklinikhi; ayisebenzi le nto yokubaxelela ngenkumsho ye-jurisdiction ne-competency; babe bona befuna ezi nkonzo apho bahlala khona. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[This notion of different spheres of government is not working. When our people require services, Deputy President, such as housing, schools, community healthcare and clinics, it doesn't help using bombastic words to them, such as "jurisdiction" and "competency", because they just want services at local level.]
As the ANC-led government, we have continued to intervene in the economy and to bring about improvement in the living conditions of the people, as we had promised them in 2009. We know that "belofte maak skuld" [a promise is a promise], but where we fail, we humble ourselves in the eyes of the people. Increasingly, the ANC-led government is succeeding in sending the message that Parliament must source its programmes for the concerns of the people. When we debate in Parliament, let it be about the issues that concern the lives of the ordinary and poor people.
Sihlaba ikhwelo ke kwaba badla izambane likaponto ukuba bayeke ukuza kudlalela kule Palamente, bechitha ixesha, besixoxisa izinto ezingakhi mzi kuba beswelwe inkqubo yokukhulula abantu. Sinayo nento ethi fundani kwi- ANC, kuba iyarhabulisa kwaye iyancedisa. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[We appeal, therefore, to the well-off not to come and play games here in Parliament, wasting time by making us debate things that do not contribute towards the building of this country just because they lack a programme to free the people. They should learn from the ANC, because it provides political education and support.]
These articles are centered in an activist Parliament. The ANC-led government draws inspiration from the words of President Zuma, who defines an activist Parliament when he says that the involvement of the people in the solution of their problems has always been at the centre of the ANC's success as the source of its historical task of bringing a better life to the people.
Elaborating on this character of an activist Parliament, the Chief Whip of the Majority Party says that the expectations of our people require a cadre with qualities that the ANC described in Through the eye of the needle ...
... endandiyifundiswe nguSekela Mongameli ... [... which were taught to me by the Deputy President ...]
... that constantly seek to improve one's capacity to serve one's people. We should be accessible and flexible and not arrogate ourselves to the status of being the source of all wisdom. We should strive to be in touch with the people at all times and listen to their views. The opposition parties must not give them ...
...izikipa nize nibahlawule ama-R50 ngokunxiba izikipa. Abantu bona ekuhlaleni kwi-ANC bayazifuna izikipa bengazihlawuleli. Nisebenzisa indlala kuba abantu behlupheka, nibacele ukuba banxibe nize nibahlawule imali. Musani ukuyenza loo nto, imbi. [Uwele-wele.] [... T-shirts and then pay them R50 for wearing them. Members of the ANC at local level do want T- shirts without paying for them. You use poverty against the people, asking them to wear your T-shirts and then paying them for doing so. Don't do that; it's bad. [Interjections.]]
Informed by this understanding, we have enhanced the manner in which Parliament has been working in the past. More and more, we are beginning to see that committees understand that oversight work requires direct interaction with the people. Those amongst us who were initially reluctant to work among the people are now warming up to the idea.
Abagxeki aba nabo sibeva bethetha ngo-door-to-door campaign. Owu torho, bamazela phi u-door-to-door campaign? [Laughter.] U-door-to-door lo bamfundiswe sithi, nee-house visits, barhabule kuthi, siyavuma siyanirhabulisa sakusoloko sinirhabulisa. Unyanisile uNxamalala xa esithi ... (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[We hear the opposition talk about the door-to-door campaign. Poor things, do they know anything about the door-to-door campaign? [Laughter.] They learnt about this campaign and house visits from us. Yes, we do provide political education and always will. President Zuma is right when he says ...]
... it is the manner in which the ANC operates that gives the people confidence and will continue to give them confidence in the party.
Fundani nani kumbutho wesizwe i-ANC. Into embi yile yokuxokisela abantu nihambe nisithi nanilwela inkululeko, kodwa abanye benu babendlandlathekisa abantwana bethu bengenatyala; behamba ngeenqwelo zemfazwe ekwakusithiwa zihippo phakathi kwabantu,. Yayinini ke ababeqhuba ezo hippo. [Uwele-wele.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[You must also learn from the ANC. It is bad that you lie to the people and go around telling them that you fought for freedom, yet some of you manhandled our children who were innocent and drove around the communities in the army vehicles called the Hippos. You were the ones driving those army vehicles. [Interjections.]]
As the ANC, we will perfect our model interaction with the communities, regardless of whether they are at the national, provincial or local sphere of government. Among many other initiatives, we promote this model. We have over the years done the following, among others. Constituency offices have been established to ensure that we remain in touch with our people on the ground so that we continuously make ourselves familiar with their challenges and sufferings. It is very important for us to monitor the quality and quantity of services delivered at local level, while ensuring that government programmes remain relevant in addressing the challenges and the hardships experienced by our people.
We will continue to ensure that the constituency offices are fully functional and responsive to the needs of our people, and that cannot be overemphasised. This is one of the effective ways through which we can ensure that the ANC regains its historic and strategic role as a leader of society across all provinces.
We have merged constituency offices located in a particular area, thereby ensuring that a public representative, that is a councillor, a member of the provincial legislature or a Member of Parliament, is accessible to the public under one roof when our people look for solutions to their problems and need assistance with matters relating to service delivery.
We do not distinguish between the offices of the Member of Parliament, member of the provincial legislature or the councillor. To them, there is one government and therefore all their problems and questions must be addressed by any constituency office that they visit. [Applause.]
Placing public representatives from three spheres of government under one roof will enhance our ability to solve our people's problems, enhance delivery of services to the people, avoid unnecessary duplication of resources and consolidate our oversight system. We have rationalised some parliamentary constituency offices, PCOs, in order to realise greater alignment of oversight responsibilities at national, provincial and local levels, which prevent dissonance in what takes place at various spheres of government to ensure better, more co-ordinated, social mobilisation and service delivery by the executive and various organs of the state.
In doing all this, we are inspired by the message of the Deputy President, who once said the movement existed primarily for one reason and one reason only, to solve the problems of our people.
Thina njenge-ANC asisayikujika ukuba sibe ngabameli babantu, naphakathi kweenzima siya kuthi gqolo ukufundisa iimbono eziyimbali yomqulu wenkululeko. [We as the ANC will not change from being representatives of the people and we will continue to instil in the people the historic values of the Freedom Charter.]
Over the past 19 years, the ANC-led government has been answerable to the public, ready to pronounce the position of the movement everywhere. We have been in churches, taxi ranks, social functions, funerals, weddings and parties. The list is long. We are always conscious that we are first and foremost the agents of the movement that exists to solve the problems of society.
Mandinixelele ngokucwengileyo, ndingumXhosa wangaphaya eMpuma Koloni ukuba asiyeli thina ezicaweni ukuya kuxokisa abantu. Siya rhoqo ezicaweni sinike abantu ulwazi nemigaqo-nkqubo equlunkqwe yile Palamente. Sihambisa ulwazi ezicaweni nakwiirenki zeeteksi. Sibona umama wenu, uZille, ehamba ezilokishini, elinganisa into ayibona isenziwa yi-ANC ngelithi ngelakhe uzama ukubonisa abantu ukuba lo mbutho wakhe uyiDA nguwo ongcono kuneminye.
Asiboni nto thina, Sekela Mongameli, kule DA. Sibona abantu abasacinezele kwakhona ngengcinezelo esasiyiva kwangaphambili. [Kwaqhwatywa.] Siyaxolisa, sixolisa kubantu bethu ngezinto esingakwazanga ukuzenza kwesi sigaba, esisathi siseza kuzenza. Sizenza kuba abantu ababethathwe bayokuphoswa ngasemalwandle ngabantu ababangele ukuba namhlanje kuthi xa kuthethwa ngePalamente ngamaqela aphikasayo, kuthethwe ngezinto ezingenamsebenzi zemigca emide xa befolile.
Abantu ngoku bafola ngethemba elithi bamkela iwaka leerandi ngenxa yalo rhulumente ukhokelwe yi-ANC. [Kwaqhwatywa.] Sithi thina sinoMongameli, noSekela Mongameli neenkokeli ze-ANC, singaba bantu baya kubo sibaxelele ngezinto ezenziwa yiPalamente, bothuke bebulela kuba bayaqala ukubona iPalamente eza ebantwini emva kowe-1994.
Ayizange yabakho iPalamente eya ebantwini. Ndisengumntwana wesikolo ndandinqwenela ukubona nje uMphathiswa apha esikolweni sam. Babezigquma ngeefestile ezimnyama, ninikwe iiflegi eningazaziyo noba zithetha ukuthini na. Kwakusithiwa imoto emnyama iza kugqitha apha kufuneka nime ecaleni kwendlela, niphephezelise ezo flegi niziphephezelisela indlala. Owu! Isibulele indlala ngelo xesha. [Kwahlekwa.] Indlala ekuthiwa ngoku bayayibona. Baphantse abayibona kuba ngoku silwa nayo, siyiphethele amabhoso, siyayihlaba indlala siyisusa ebantwini. IPalamente le sikuyo namhlanje ilwa nendlala ebantwini.
Sizama ke ngoko ukunixhobisa ngelithi, thina bantu be-ANC sizifundisiwe iinqobo, saxelelwa ziinkokeli ze-ANC phambi kokuba size ePalamente ukuba awumthuki umntu omdala. Siqala ukuyibona apha kuni le nto yokuthukwa kwabantu abadala. Asiyazi kuba siyangxoliswa ziinkokeli xa singakwazi ukuziphatha.
Sicela kwiPalamente ezayo ukuba kuboniswe aba bantwana ubugwenxa babo. Kaloku thina siyaboniswa xa senze ubugwenxa ziinkokeli zethu. Bathetha kakubi, abanazimilo; bafuna ngomso ukuba ngabameli babantu; iivoti zize kubo. Abantu xa beme phaya benibukele, abalibali nisiza nempucuko. Niza nobugwenxa bokubonisa abantwana bethu ukungabinambeko.
Sithi siyile-ANC nale Palamente ikule ndawo, sithi sakuhlala sifundisa abantwana bethu nge-ANC esicela ke ngoko ukuba ningabafundisi abantwana nge- DA, niyabamosha. Yekani ukuya ezikolweni zethu, nithetha ngezinto ezingekhoyo. Yekani abantwana bethu bafunde izifundo zeMbali ngoMadiba, imbali le yokucinezelwa, niyeke ukubaxokisa ngooJan van Riebeeck abangekhoyo. Siyile Palamente siza kuyilwa imbali engxengiweyo kubuye imbali yethu ukuze abantwana bethu bayazi ukuba siphuma phi. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Let me tell you straight, as a Xhosa from the Eastern Cape, that we do not go to church in order to lie to the people. We go to church regularly and we provide people with information regarding the policies developed by this Parliament. We distribute information to churches and at taxi ranks. We see your leader, Zille, going around the townships imitating what she has seen the ANC do in an effort to show the people that her party, the DA, is better than the rest.
Deputy President, we see nothing in the DA. We see in them people who are oppressing us the way we were oppressed before. [Applause.] We apologise to our people for the things we have not been able to do in this phase, but which we are still going to do. Because some people were taken and dumped near coastal areas, today we have a situation where, when opposition parties talk about Parliament, they talk about unimportant things such as waiting in long queues.
Today people stand in queues for the old-age grant, knowing that they will get R1 200 because of the ANC-led government. [Applause.] Together with the President, the Deputy President and other leaders of the ANC, we go to the people and tell them about the things that Parliament does, and they are pleasantly surprised because it is only post-1994 that they see Parliament being taken to the people.
There has never been a programme of taking Parliament to the people before. As a schoolgirl, it was my wish just to see a Minister at my school. But they remained inside cars with tinted windows, and we would be given flags to wave that we did not even know what they represented. We would be told that a black car would drive past and we had to stand on the side of the road waving flags whilst in the grips of poverty. Boy, were we in the grips of poverty! [Laughter.] And now they say they can see the poverty. It's a case of too little too late, because now we are fighting poverty, using everything at our disposal. This Parliament is fighting poverty. Therefore, it is worth mentioning that as members of the ANC we were taught values by ANC leaders before we came to Parliament, for instance that you don't use insulting words against an older person. We only came across such behaviour from you. It is new to us, because our leaders call us to order when we misbehave.
We appeal that in the next Parliament, these children must have their wrongs pointed out. Our leaders put us back on the straight and narrow path when we veer away from it. These children denigrate other people and have no manners, yet they want to be leaders in the future. When people look at you from a distance, they might think you are bringing enlightenment. Yet you are showing them how to be ill-mannered.
As the ANC and as this Parliament, we will always teach our children about the ANC. Therefore we plead with you not to teach children about the DA, because you will spoil them. Stop going to our schools to talk about things that do not exist. Allow our children to learn about the history of Madiba and about the history of oppression, and stop lying to them about the Jan van Riebeecks who do not exist. As Parliament we are going to fight against the diluted history and bring back our history so that our children can know where we come from.] In conclusion, the National General Council...