Chairperson, hon Minister, I always say that I am privileged in the sense that I am not a member of the portfolio committee or the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence. The benefit of that is that I can speak freely. I don't have to keep everything a secret and so, if I am frank about this, hon Minister, please take it in that sense.
Voorsitter, die agb Burgess was korrek toe hy ges het dat die mense wat by intelligensie werk, mense is wat agter die skerms werk. Ons sien nie altyd hulle harde werk nie. Ons weet nie altyd wat hulle doen nie en, van die kant van die VF Plus, s ons dankie vir daardie werk. Ek dink ook jy moet 'n sekere soort persoonlikhheid h om so te kan werk en jou beste te lewer in diens van 'n land waar daar nie altyd waardering is nie.
Maar ek wil ook aan die agb Minister s - en ek kom nou net van die debat van die Minister van Justisie en Grondwetlike Ontwikkeling af, ons het mre die debat van die Minister van Polisie en ons het vandag u debat - al hierdie verskillende departemente praat van misdaadbestryding en hoe ons misdaad in Suid-Afrika gaan vasvat, maar die werklikheid in Suid-Afrika is dat daar te veel mense is wat slagoffers, veral van geweldsmisdade, is.
Ek wil vir die agb Minister s dat daar meer aandag gegee moet word aan die invoer van onwettige vuurwapens. Die agb Minister van Polisie is baie vinnig om die wettige vuurwapeneienaars te beskuldig dat hulle nou die oorsaak van misdaad in Suid-Afrika is. Dis waarom hy hulle wapens wil vat. Maar dit gaan hier oor die onwettige vuurwapens wat deur sindikate oor ons grense in die land ingevoer word.
Agb Minister, ek weet ek kan met 'n bottel brandewyn 'n AK-47 kry. Dis nogal 'n redelike goedkoop een waarvoor jy nie 'n baie duur brandewyn hoef te vat nie. Dit is die werklikheid, en as ons gaan kyk ... [Tussenwerpsels.] Ja, ek drink eintlik whisky, nie brandewyn nie; jy is reg!
Maar wat ek eintlik wil s, is dit: As 'n mens gaan kyk na die wreedheid van veral aanvalle - nie net transito-aanvalle nie - word dit ook nou in baie ander aanvalle gebruik. Outomatiese wapens, wat nie in besit van private mense was nie, word gebruik, en dit wek kommer.
Die ander aspek is di van dwelms. Ja ek weet, u s ook, as Minister, dat daar indringend daarna gekyk word, maar ek wil ook vir u s dat dit kommerwekkend is as 'n mens op televisie en in nuusblaaie in die buiteland moet sien dat Suid-Afrika as die mekka van dwelmhandel beskou word. Dit is 'n groot probleem. Dis 'n persepsie wat reggestel moet word. 'n Mens kan dit verstaan dat, as jou vorige hoof van Polisie, die kommissaris, teregstaan op aanklagte dat hy korrupsie gepleeg het met die dwelmbase van Suid-Afrika ... [Tyd verstreke.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, the hon Burgess was correct in saying that individuals working for intelligence services are working behind the scenes. We do not always see their hard work. We do not always know what they are up to, and the FF Plus would like to thank them for that. I also think that one needs to have a certain personality to work like that, to deliver one's best in the service to one's country, where appreciation is seldom forthcoming.
But I would also like to mention to the hon Minister that - and I've just returned from the debate of the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, tomorrow we will be having the debate of the Minister of Police and today, we are having your debate - all these various departments are speaking about the combating of crime and how we intend addressing crime in South Africa, but the reality in South Africa is that we have far too many victims, especially of violent crimes.
I want to say to the hon Minister that the importation of illegal firearms requires urgent attention. The hon Minister of Police is very quick to accuse legal firearm owners as being the cause of crime in South Africa. That is the reason why he wants to confiscate their weapons. But we are dealing here with illegal firearms that syndicates are importing into our country via our borders.
Hon Minister, I know that I can get an AK-47 for a bottle of brandy; and a fairly cheap one at that. You do not even need a very expensive brandy. That is the reality. And when one looks at ... [Interjections.] Yes, I do actually drink whisky, not brandy; you are correct!
What I really want to say is, when one looks at the cruelty of the attacks - not only at in-transit attacks - this is now being used in many other attacks as well. Automatic weapons which are not owned by private individuals are being used, and this is of concern. Then there is the drug problem. Yes, I know, Minister, you also mentioned that this ought to have an in-depth investigation, but I would like to say that it is disturbing when one is out of the country and one sees on television and reads in newspapers that South Africa is regarded as a haven for drug smuggling. That is a big problem. It is a perception that should be rectified. One can understand that, when one's former head of Police, the commissioner, is on trial for corruption involving drug lords of South Africa ... [Time expired.]]