Mr Speaker, as we stand on the threshold of another Inter- Parliamentary Union, IPU, conference, it is important for South Africans to take stock of the reality and status quo of citizenship, identity, and linguistic and cultural diversity within our country.
In 1994, Nelson Mandela and most South Africans were determined to embrace a vision for a South Africa united in its diversity. Promoting a democracy, which protected our cultural identity and cultural rights, while complying with our Constitution and international laws to ensure full citizenship for each and every South African, was our dream.
However, the past two administrations have not protected the cultural rights and cultural identity of all South Africans. The full adoption and implementation of related national and international agreements and correct policies to protect these voiceless people - the minority people of South Africa - have ensured the systematic and steady dilution of the individual identities of these people.
Recently, President Zuma hosted a conference on social cohesion at Kliptown. My question to you, however, is this: What is the motive of a conference of this nature when the minority people of South Africa are not even officially acknowledged within our Constitution and policies, and official statistics do not even reflect the presence of indigenous first- nation people in this country?
Daar is twee gebeure wat in die onlangse verlede plaasgevind het wat my, as bruin man, geruk het. Die eerste gaan oor 'n sekere mnr Christo February wat by die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste werk. Alhoewel hy die beste kandidaat was, is hy nie in 'n sekere pos aangestel nie. Hy moes hom tot die howe wend om 'n billike kans tot volle burgerskap - dit wil s 'n werk - te kry. Ek wag met opgehoue asem en in spanning om te sien wat die gevolge hiervan sal wees.
Die tweede voorval wat my diep getref het, was gedurende die Carnegie 3- konferensie by die Universiteit van Kaapstad. Daar het 'n jong bruin seun sy lot oor die nuwe Suid-Afrika bekla. Volgens Kyle - want dit is sy naam - van Manenberg, is hy en sy vriende vergeet in die nuwe Suid-Afrika. Hulle kry glad nie erkenning nie, en voel totaal gemarginaliseer. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[There are two incidents in the recent past that shocked me as a coloured man. The first concerns a certain Mr Christo February who works at the Department of Correctional Services. Although he was the best candidate, he was not appointed in a certain position. He had to turn to the courts to get a fair chance to full citizenship - in other words, to get a job. I am waiting with bated breath and in anticipation to see what the consequences of this will be.
The second incident that struck me quite deeply, took place during the Carnegie 3 conference at the University of Cape Town. At this conference a young coloured boy bemoaned his lot in the new South Africa. According to Kyle - because this is his name - of Manenberg, he and his friends were forgotten in the new South Africa. They receive no acknowledgement, and feel totally marginalised.]
Kyle says, "We are a nobody people, just thrown away and forgotten."
Mense soos Kyle voel uitgesluit uit die ekonomiese, sowel as die kulturele geleenthede van hierdie land. Bruin mense en mense soos Kyle wil ook met 'n lied in hul hart vir die nuwe Suid-Afrika rondloop, maar hoe kan hulle as hulle so behandel word?
Afrikaans is ons taal, maar daar word nou daarna verwys as die taal van die onderdrukker. Ek het Afrikaans aan my moedersknie geleer. Is my moeder dus 'n onderdrukker? My Afrikaanse onderwyser, mnr August Mitchell, is vandag oorlede - vanoggend, verstaan ek. Aan sy familie wil ek ons diepste medelye oordra, want dit is ook 'n man wat deel gehad het in my opleiding in Afrikaans, en in die uitbrei en uitbou van ons taal. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Geen mens, of hy nou wit, bruin, swart of Indir is, hoef vir iemand asseblief te vra, of te smeek om sy of haar grondwetlike regte uit te leef nie. Die gebruik van jou taal, die beskerming van jou kultuurregte, die voorliefde vir jou geskiedenis, is alles regte en nie voorregte nie. Niemand se regte mag van hom af weggeneem word nie.
Daar is kulturele ikone in elke kultuurgroep in Suid-Afrika en elkeen verdien erkenning. Hugh Masekela en Miriam Makeba se invloed op Suid- Afrikaanse musiek is onmeetbaar groot.
AGB LEDE: Hoor! Hoor!