Hon Chairperson, I once more thank you for the opportunity to respond.
Xo sungula, ndzi rhandza ku vula leswaku loko vanhu va nga ri na mahlo yo vona, loko Xikwembu xi nga va nyikanga, a va swi koti ku vona. Mina ndzi nga ka ndzi nga swi koti va nyika mahlo.
Xa vumbirhi, loko ndzi yima laha mahlweni na loko ndzi pfuka masiku hinkwawo ndzi ya eka Ndzawulo ya Vuhlanganisi ku ya tirha, ndzi tirha ni ku simeka pholisi ya ANC. A ndzi tirhisi pholisi ya munhu un'wana. Xo sungula, va hava pholisi. Hambiloko va nga swi rhandza ku ndzi lomba a va na yona. Ndzi ta tirhisa yihi ya vona? (Translation of Xitsonga paragraphs follows.)
[Firstly, I would like to mention that if people do not have eyes to see - when God did not give them eyes - they cannot see. I am unable to give them eyes to see.
Secondly, when I stand before you and when I wake up every morning and go to work at the Department of Communications I implement the ANC policy. I do not implement any other person's policy. To start with, they do not have a policy. Even if they would like to lend me one, they do not have any. Which of their policies am I going to use?]
Sihlalo wekomidi yesigungu, mhlon Kholwane, ngitsandza kusho loku: Ngiyabonga kakhulu kutsi sewucacise tindzaba letinyenti kakhulu lapha ngembili, ngobe labanye bantfu abafundzi. Kwesibili-ke kungenteka kutsi abafundzi nje ngulokutsi letinganekwane tibhalwa ngibo, ngako-ke ngeke batifundze ngobe batati kahle. Kube bebafundza ngabe sebafundzile kutsi letinchubomgomo tetfu titsini, kuze bati kutsi kahle kahle yini umsebenti Welitiko Letekuchumana.
Lokunye nje, bebatakwati kutsi Litiko Letekuchumana lisebentisa kuphela inchubomgomo. Ngabe bayati kutsi Litiko Letekuchumana lite budlelwane netifundza kanye nabomasipala. Ngabe sebayati kutsi Litiko Letekuchumana linetisebenti letinge-366 kuphela, kantsi letisebenti tisitwa nguletinhlangano letitimele letibika kulo Lelitiko Letekuchumana. [Kuhlaba lulwimi.] Ngiseta lapho; ungagijimi wena mfati waka-DA ngobe awukwati nekufundza. (Translation of Siswati paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson of the portfolio committee, hon Kholwane, I would like to say the following: Thank you very much for explaining a lot of things, because some people do not want to learn. Secondly, it can be that they do not want to learn because these fairytales are written by them; therefore they cannot read them because they know them. If they were prepared to learn, they could have learned what our policies say so that they would know exactly the responsibilities of the Department of Communications.
One other thing, they will know that the Department of Communications adheres to policies. They will know that the Department of Communications does not have a relationship with the provinces and municipalities. They will also know that the department has only 366 employees, and these employees are assisted by independent organisations that are reporting to the Department of Communications. [Interjections.] I am still coming to that; women from the DA do not rush, because they can't even read properly.]
Chairperson, let me quickly help the DA member, hon Shinn. She quotes things that she didn't read correctly and she is even rushing now. She thinks that I don't read. I read, and I do research every day. I also do my work every day.
I'm coming to the digital migration, because you don't even understand what it is. You don't even know what digital is, and I want to tell you what it is. Let me help this member first.
Sihlalo lohlon, angibasite ngengete lapho ugcine khona. [Hon Chairperson, let me help them by adding where you stopped.]
Let me read the report that you are quoting. Maybe you read Afrikaans and you can't read English. It's written in English and it says:
In comparison with our peers, we are well ahead in the political and regulatory environment, business and innovation environment, infrastructure and digital content and in business usage. However, we are about equal with our peers in economic impacts ...
Ngako-ke, angati kutsi ukhuluma ngani! [Therefore, I don't know what you are talking about!]
Let me go on to the digital migration, because you don't understand what it is. When I stood here in front you earlier this morning, I explained to you where we are in terms of digital terrestrial television, DTT.
First, I said to you that we have now achieved 80% of the roll-out of the digital broadcasting signal. [Interjections.] Oh my G*d! Why don't you read or listen? I said here this morning that for digital migration to happen, you need two things, namely the digital signal and the set-top boxes. I said to you in the morning that we were in the process of making sure that the manufacturing of the set-top boxes happens in this country.
Indeed, chairperson, you are right, we as the Department of Communications and as members of the ANC respect the law. That is why we did not oppose the outcome of the court. Let me remind you what I said here this morning.
Futsi-ke kuncono ngikusho ngeSiswati loku ngobe lomfati lo akevisisi nekuvisisa, ngako ncono ngitjele bantfu bakitsi labatakuva kutsi ngitsini. Ekuseni ngitsite, sesitsetse sincumo njengelitiko sekutsi sitawugucula inchubomgomo yetfu khona sitekwati kusheshisa sente lomkhankhaso we- Dramatic Dream Team, DDT, ngobe ngeke sime la silitjatiswe bantfu labangafuni kusebenta. Ngishito njalo-ke, sihlalo. (Translation of Siswati paragraph follows.)
[It is even better to say this in Siswati, because this woman does not understand, therefore let me tell our people who will understand what I say. This morning I said that we have taken a decision as a department that we will change our policy so that we can speed up our Dramatic Dream Team, DDT, campaign, because we cannot be delayed by people who are not willing to work. I said so, Chairperson.]
We are continuing with the implementation of the DTT.
Sihlalo ngeke ngibe ngisakhuluma lokunyenti ngobe besengishito kutsi sewungisitile watichaza kahle tonkhe tintfo. Lengifuna kukusho nje kutsi ngibonga kakhulu ekomidini ngelusito lesiniketa lona onkhe emalanga. Uyati kutsini, kunemuntfu losukuma la atesitjela ngaboma-Telkom langabati nekubati, ngitivela shangatsi ngingatsi kulomkhandlu awusukume batewubona ngobe ... (Translation of Siswati paragraph follows.)
[Chairperson, I will not say much, because I have already said that you helped me by explaining everything before me. What I want to say is to thank the committee for the daily assistance it provides to us. You know what, there is a person here who is telling us about Telkom that does not know how it works, and I feel like asking the members of the board to stand up so that you can see them because ...]
Telkom has a very capable and able board. Do you want me to ask them to stand up? They are here, and they are doing their job as we speak. Actually, they are leading us in the roll-out of broadband. I don't know what you are talking about. Please, you must read and listen when we speak.
Chairperson, there is a lot that you have said. You have covered me on everything. We can't fight people who don't see. We have told them and we have shown them what we have done. We can't fight people who can't hear. We have told them what we do. If they choose not to look or not to listen, there is nothing that we can do.
I want to thank the portfolio committee for their support. Chairperson, we want to make the following request. We will need money to roll out the DTT. The money will be for the DTT awareness campaign, the SA Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, and the DOC. The SA Post Office will also need a budget to make sure that they roll out those set-top boxes once we have manufactured them. The Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa, Usaasa, also needs a budget. What we are asking you from this podium is to please support us so that we will have that budget. I thank you very much. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.