Hon Deputy Speaker, hon President, hon Deputy President, hon members and esteemed guests, before I run out of time, I would deem it necessary to state in no ambiguous terms that the PAC supports the Budget Vote. [Applause.]
The Presidency is like the cockpit of a ship. All systems have to work for the safety of all on board. We are all passengers on the ship piloted by captain Msholozi. If he sails into an iceberg, mistaking it for mist, we will all be in trouble. If he sails off course, none of us passengers can be on course.
Hon President, if at all you are off course, it is the PAC's solemn duty to warn you, for the sake of the country and the unborn generations that stand to inherit it.
Nxamalala, as the captain of this massive ship, which is South Africa, you need to ensure that participatory governance is real, not just a slogan. Grassroots-based public participation is a must for any democracy deserving of the calling. Yes, we do have izimbizo and public hearings. By and large, these are stage-managed by government officials and politicians, who parachute their agenda from above. Communities are never given a chance to initiate agendas from below. And there is a perception that these are the ruling party's izimbizo, because people with critical opinions are booed and ridiculed.
Msholozi, our education system needs some revamping, from basic level up to tertiary level. Most of the rural schools are still without laboratories and libraries. Learners have to travel many kilometres to and from school on empty stomachs. On matric results, all we have improved on is the quantity. This is demonstrated by the quality of most of our universities, which is going down. The Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein, the Walter Sisulu University in the Eastern Cape, and the Tshwane University of Technology are under administration. Walter Sisulu University last month was struggling to pay staff. High-quality academics are leaving campuses for greener pastures in the public and private sectors. Education needs a serious financial injection. Until and unless we fix education, we will not realise our full potential as a people.
Hon President, all ships sail landwards. Unless we resolve the land question, we are sitting on a time bomb as a country. [Applause.] We know to whom this land belongs. We know who stole it and how. History will judge you harshly, Baba Msholozi, if you keep on postponing the date for the return of the land together with its flora and fauna.
Ha e kgutle naha, mobu le matekwane a yona. [The country must come back, the land and its wealth.]
So far, the returned land through land restitution has been a sad story of failure; or set-up for failure. There is no meaningful support from government to the land restitution beneficiaries. No wonder people are now leaving the land to seek employment elsewhere. This perpetuates a myth that Africans cannot farm commercially. As we restore the land to its rightful owners, government must overtax unused land in private hands. This will speed up equitable redistribution of the land.
Hon President, our freedom is tarnished by the fact that we still have political prisoners languishing in jails. With the stroke of a pen, you can release all of them. The PAC hopes you will release them this year. Thank you. [Applause.]