Hon Chairperson, the Department of Correctional Services is a very important department. On a daily basis it not only plays a direct role in the lives of all the inmates, but it also affects the lives of all their family members and society at large. So it is a very important department and we should take it very seriously.
Ons het egter 'n probleem. Die probleem is onder meer dat - en ek het vandag geluister na die agb hoofspreker, mnr Smith, se standpunt - die ANC floreer op wat ek mites noem.
Mites word opgestel en dan word daaraan vasgehou. Die agb Smith het verwys na een of twee insidente uit die verlede, van voor 1994, uit mnr Mandela se boek, en daarmee 'n streep probeer trek deur alles wat gedoen is in die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste oor baie jare.
Ek is nie vandag hier om die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste te verdedig vir wat gebeur het voor dit nie. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Ek is nie'n lid van die komitee nie. U moet uitvind hoe die Rels werk. [Tussenwerpsels.] Ek sal praat in die debat, want die mense daar buite word geraak deur hierdie departement. Dis my goeie reg. U moet die Rels gaan lees. Hoe dit ook al sy ... [Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[However, we have a problem. The problem is, inter alia, that - and today I was listening to the point of view of the hon main speaker, Mr Smith - the ANC flourishes on what I call myths.
Myths are devised and then they are nurtured. The hon Smith referred to one or two incidents from the past, from before 1994, from Mr Mandela's book, and with that tried to draw a line through everything that has been done in the Department of Correctional Services over many years.
I am not here today to defend the Department of Correctional Services concerning that which happened before that. [Interjections.]
I am not a member of the committee. You need to find out how the Rules work. [Interjections.] I will be speaking in the debate, because the people on the outside are affected by this department. I am entitled to this. You need to go and read the Rules. Nonetheless ... [Interjections.]]