The President cannot endorse the notion of nationalising mines while also seeking to create job opportunities. He cannot take several courses of action that are in conflict with one another in the hope of pleasing everyone. This is an issue of integrity.
One cannot compartmentalise integrity. I do not believe there is such a thing as 98% integrity, for that in fact means 2% dishonesty. Integrity comes at a very dear political and personal cost. It requires taking a course of action that inevitably pleases some, and displeases others.
Any action carries the huge opportunity cost of all the other alternative actions that could have been taken in its place. There is no integrity, there is no leadership, there is no moving forward when one tries to please everyone at the same time and to be everything to everyone, because you end up being neither fish nor fowl. [Laughter.]
The President needs to take a single course of action and have the courage to pull the entire country through it at a fast pace, because history will judge his success or failure. But he cannot avoid this responsibility by paralysing the country into inaction, or by taking a decade to do what must be done in a matter of months.
As I say this, I must compliment those in the ANC - they are in the government benches, as I speak, they are on that side of the aisle - who are not involved in the last-ditch attempt to destroy the IFP in my lifetime. Some leaders of the ANC have spoken to me and expressed their regret over what is being done to us. I appreciate their concern and support and I appreciate their integrity.
This is not about my legacy; it is not about Mangosuthu Buthelezi or my reputation. It cuts to the heart of our democracy and begs the question whether the ruling party even believes in democracy at all.
Our country has suffered a political setback. Opposition politics has been weakened and people are dying because of what has been done. What is the use of sending 2 000 peacekeeping soldiers to the DRC and Sudan while we are still doing this to each other in this country? What is the point of that? This is not building on a foundation for reconciliation. Rather, it is dragging South Africa into the deadly undertow of the ANC's need for power. I thank you, Deputy Speaker. Msholozi! [Applause.]