Agb Adjunkspeaker, die afgelope week het ons weer Vrouedag in Suid-Afrika herdenk. Dit is 'n geleentheid wat ons het om stil te staan en te evalueer, nie net hoe ons gevorder het in die proses om vroue te bemagtig nie, maar ook om gelyke geleenthede en vooruitgang vir alle vroue te bevorder.
Dis ook natuurlik nie 'n nuwe onderwerp nie. Onlangs, op 9 Maart vanjaar, het ons in hierdie Huis 'n debat gehad oor Internasionale Vrouedag, en was die onderwerp, "Gelyke regte vir almal, gelyke geleenthede vir almal", feitlik identies aan vandag se onderwerp.
Die VF Plus is van mening dat daar die afgelope klompie jare groot vordering gemaak is om vroue nie net te bemagtig nie, maar ook om gelyke geleenthede daar te stel. Dit is goed en dit is reg. Die VF Plus sal alle maatrels ondersteun om aan vroue gelyke geleenthede te gee. Die VF Plus besef terde welke belangrike rol die vrou speel en wil alle vroue daarvoor eer en respekteer, maar alles is ongelukkig nie net maanskyn en rose nie.
Die ANC wil, soos vandag, die indruk wek dat hulle aan die voorpunt is as dit kom by gelyke regte en gelyke geleenthede vir vroue. Die werklikheid in Suid-Afrika is dat daar gevra moet word of die gelyke geleenthede op kans en op vooruitgang vir vroue in Suid-Afrika vir alle vroue geld, en of daar onderskeid getref word tussen kleur en ras wat vroue betref.
In Suid-Afrika is daar 'n aanslag teen wit vroue en geniet hulle nie gelyke regte en veral gelyke geleenthede nie. Die Direkteur-generaal van Arbeid, mnr Jimmy Manyi, as president van die Black Management Forum, s dat wit vroue uitgesluit moet word met die toepassing van regstellende aksie. Die Minister gaan netnou praat; hy kan daarop antwoord. Dit is mnr Jimmy Manyi se standpunt. Hier word dus blatant onderskeid getref op grond van ras. Wit vroue? Nee!
Indien die ANC regering werklik bedoel dat daar gelyke geleenthede moet wees vir alle vroue, waarom moes kaptein Renata Barnard, 'n wit vrou, haar tot die hof wend om haar regmatige bevordering tot superintendent in die Polisie af te dwing? Dit bewys dat die regering se beleid en toepassing van regstellende aksie inherent verkeerd en onwettig is, soos ons nog altyd geargumenteer het. Hoekom moet 'n wit vrou, naamlik kaptein Renata Barnard, vir vyf jaar 'n stryd voer om bevorder te word in die Polisie? Sy voldoen aan al die vereistes, is al twee keer goedgekeur vir die pos, daar was geen ander swart geskikte kandidate vir die pos nie, maar die Polisie weier om haar te bevorder.
As die ANC lede wat vandag hier sit s dat hulle die beleid van gelyke regte en gelyke geleenthede vir alle vroue ondersteun, dan behoort hulle toe te tree en vir die Minister van Polisie te s en opdrag te gee om die applaansoek - wat nou gebring word om daardie polisievrou se aanstelling deur die hof te verongeluk - terug te trek of te stop. Selfs die hof het ges dat haar nie-bevordering tot in hierdie stadium neerkom op blatante rassisme.
Solank dinge soos hierdie in Suid-Afrika met verskillende mindersheidsgemeenskappe gebeur - of hulle wit, bruin of Asir is - sal die woorde van vandag, van gelyke geleenthede vir alle vroue, geen betekenis h nie en 'n hol propagandakreet bly met geen betekenis nie. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Dr C P MULDER: Hon Deputy Speaker, this past week we again celebrated Women's Day in South Africa. It is an opportunity that we have to pause and to reflect, not only on what progress we have made in the process of empowering women, but also in promoting equal opportunities and advancement for all women.
Of course, this is not a new topic. Recently, on 9 March this year, we had a debate in this House about International Women's Day, and the topic was, " Equal rights for all, equal opportunities for all", almost identical to today's topic.
The FF Plus holds the view that, in the past few years, excellent progress has been made, not only to empower women, but also in effectuating equal opportunities. This is right and this is fair. The FF Plus will support all measures that would afford women equal opportunities. The FF Plus realises completely what an important role women play and wants to celebrate and honour all women for this, but everything isn't just moonlight and roses.
The ANC wants, like today, to create the impression that they are at the forefront when it comes to equal rights and equal opportunities for women. The reality in South Africa is that it needs to be interrogated as to whether equal opportunities to prospects and the advancement of women in South Africa are applicable to all women, or whether a distinction is made between colour and race as far as women are concerned.
In South Africa there is a plot against white women and they don't enjoy equal rights, especially not equal opportunities. The Director-General of Labour, Mr Jimmy Manyi, as the president of the Black Management Forum, said that white women should be excluded when it comes to the implementation of affirmative action. The minister will speak shortly; he can respond to that. This is Mr Jimmy Manyi's position. Here brazen discrimination is applied based on race. White women? No!
If the ANC government truly has in mind that there should be equal opportunities for all women, why did Captain Renata Barnard, a white woman, have to approach the court to enforce her rightful promotion to Superintendent in the South African Police Service, SAPS? This proves that the government's policy and implementation of affirmative action are intrinsically wrong and unlawful, as we have always maintained. Why must a white woman, namely Captain Renata Barnard, wage a struggle for five years to be promoted in the SAPS? She meets all the requirements, has been approved for the position twice already, there were no other suitable black candidates for the position, but the SAPS refuses to promote her.
If the ANC members, who are sitting here today, say that they support the policy of equal rights and equal opportunities for all women, then they should intervene and say to and instruct the Minister of Police to retract or stop the application to appeal the judgment, which has now been lodged to ruin this policewoman's chance of being appointed as ordered by the court. Even the court stated that her nonpromotion up until now comes down to brazen racism.
As long as issues like these occur in South Africa with its various minority groups-whether they are whites, coloureds or Asians - the words that are being used today, of equal opportunities for all women, will have no meaning and remain a hollow propaganda slogan with no substance. Thank you.]