Chairperson, Deputy President, our theme is: "Working together to speed up the delivery of services to our people". I am so happy that our Deputy President spoke about corruption and the Chairperson of the NCOP also spoke about rooting out corruption.
In 1996, in one of the ANC caucuses in Parliament, Comrade Nelson Mandela told us that he never knew that he would spend 27 years of his life in prison. When he came out he found comrades who had fought with him and other comrades for the freedom of the people of Sekhukhune and everywhere in the country were involved in corruption and were stealing the money of the people for whom they had fought. That is what Comrade Mandela said. [Applause.]
Chairperson, Comrade Mandela said this 14 years ago. When we look at the situation today, it is getting worse. In local government, in provincial government, in national government, there is corruption, corruption, corruption! [Applause.]
The Chairperson spoke about giving out jobs to bonyatsi [their bit on the side]. Let me give you the Setswana word for corruption: "Ke menyofonyofo". [Applause.]
Chairperson, over the past few years the Select Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs visited a few municipalities in KwaZulu- Natal and in the Free State. Criminals are stealing millions of rands of taxpayers' money all over. Serious corruption is taking place! [Interjections.] Those that are involved in corruption must be arrested, instead of being appointed to higher positions!