Speaker, hon Ministers, hon members and members of the public in the gallery, firstly, I just want to say that it seems as if members who are participating internationally, particularly those from the opposition, really do not understand why they should be part and parcel of those bilaterals that we are having.
I also want to highlight the issue of Zimbabwe that was raised by hon Mokgalapa. The hon member was part and parcel of the delegation that went to Botswana last year to celebrate the very same day. He had a platform to speak in that conference and didn't mention what he was saying today.
In fact, the way he was discussing the issues, nobody believed that he had come from an opposition party. Judging by the way he was stating the issues, it was clear that he was either a member of the ANC or a member of South Africa. [Interjections.]
I'm not dreaming. I know that he has to please certain members of the opposition today. [Interjections.] [Applause.] But I also want to indicate from the outset that whenever we attend these international forums, nobody speaks like a member of an opposition party because we have agreed that when we go, we go as a South African delegation. [Interjections.]
I was very surprised today because some of the members of the opposition came and knocked at my office with the understanding that I am the one who decides on the delegation. Unfortunately I am not. I just request the members from their Chief Whips. It is their Chief Whips who allocate the members to the delegation, so they must never again come to my office to ask me to negotiate on their behalf so that they can be part of the delegation. [Interjections.]
I think the hon members from the opposition must understand the sovereignty of each and every country. As South Africa, we can share views and ideas on how we achieved democracy and it's up to those countries to decide on how they should achieve the same in their own countries. In terms of the diplomacy in Zimbabwe, today Zimbabwe has a government of unity.
In 1994 when the ANC was voted in by the people of this country, even though it got an absolute majority, we catered for other political parties to be part of the Government of National Unity so that, at the end of the day, they can understand whom we are talking about when we talk about the majority of this country. Today they are here in the opposition benches because the ANC has allowed them to be recognised as opposition members. [Interjections.] If it was not for the ANC, you would not even be opening your mouths this time. [Interjections.]