Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, hon Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers present, hon members of the NCOP, hon Premiers and acting premiers present today, hon members of the National Assembly, members of the different legislatures present today, "Magosi a rena", [our chiefs] distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the people of Mpumalanga, let me take this opportunity to thank the Deputy President for the words of wisdom that he shared with us this morning.
Indeed, delivery of services to our people, especially the poor and the previously disadvantaged communities, is very close to the heart of the ANC- led government. Looking at the current ANC manifesto, as well as previous manifestos, service delivery has always been a priority and still is high on the priority list of government work and activities.
As the ANC-led government, we know what our people communicated to us during the build-up to our national and provincial general elections of last year. The elections happen every five years and we had them last year, just to refresh the memories of the hon members of Cope and the DA. We are currently in the implementation phase and we are not electioneering. The things they have said here today just go to prove how politically bankrupt these parties are. I am sure that the people who voted for them are ashamed that they wasted their votes.
Our people in the villages, towns and cities told us about their challenges; we don't have to be told by the DA, a party of the elite. Our people told us that unemployment, poverty and inequality persist despite a number of positive interventions by government over the past 15 years. By the way, these challenges are a manifestation of centuries of dispossession, colonialism and apartheid, a system championed by the forefathers of the DA seated here today.
That the skewed patterns of ownership and production and the spatial legacies of apartheid are still a reality of our lives today, that today you have a South Africa that is like Pretoria and one that is like Sekhukhune, a South Africa that is like the Eastern Cape and one that is like the Western Cape, goes to prove that South Africa has been mismanaged, going back over its history, for the past 350 years. That is what the ANC- led government is battling.
Our people told us that access to water and electricity, and social and economic infrastructure, were challenges in their settlements. We do not have to be told this by the DA. Hon members, it is in this context that the ANC-led government, together with the people, has prioritised job creation, sustainable livelihoods, education, health, rural development and uprooting of crime and corruption, both in the public and private sectors, for the term of President Zuma's administration.
Our people voted for the ANC on this basis and platform. Our detractors presented no plan; they cannot tell us today that they have a plan. They have presented no alternative plan, but they thrive and campaign on the anti-Zuma "gevaar" [threat]. Our people rejected Cope and their friends in the DA. Let us remind them that the DA will never rule South Africa again. [Applause.] I am convinced that despite the fact that they can get together and form a coalition of the disgruntled, our people will reject them in the coming local government elections.
We welcome the adoption by Cabinet last year of the local government turnaround strategies, spearheaded by the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. In our view, the strategy serves as a framework from which we can build in tackling our dynamic challenges as provinces. Fortunately, as a province, we have already initiated a process aimed at taking this particular strategy forward. Hon members will know that Mpumalanga was one of the provinces that experienced a spate of service delivery protests, protests that were characterised by violence, damage to public property and loss of life in some instances. Out of the 18 municipalities,10 were affected by these protests. As a result, four municipalities were placed under administration. We are happy to report that these administrations are turning these municipalities around, restoring basic services.
Let me hasten to indicate that as a province, while recognising the right of individuals or groups of people to protest, we condemn in the strongest possible terms violence and damage to public property. As a province, we are concerned about this unruly behaviour that continues to dominate these service delivery protests. We have convened a provincial and local government summit and a safety and security summit on service delivery, to get a better understanding of this unrest but also, more importantly, to find better ways of tackling service delivery challenges in a holistic manner. In addition, we have launched a comprehensive rural development project in Mkhondo in one of the municipalities affected by ... [Time expired.] Thank you very much. [Applause.]
UMntwana M M M ZULU: Baba Sihlalo, ISekela likaMongameli wezwe elikhona phakathi kwethu, amalungu ahloniphekile eKhabhinethi kaMnumzane uZuma ohola uhulumeni waleli lizwe, oNdunankulu bezifundazwe, amaLungu ePhalamende oMkhandlu Kazwelonke Wezifundazwe, amalungu eziShayamthetho zonke saseNingizimu Afrika, kukodwa engingakusho njengenye yamadoda aseNingizimu Afrika, obab'omkhulu abenza iminikelo ebonakalayo ezweni laseNingizimu Afrika ngqo.
Kuwukuthi mhlonishwa Mongameli intombi uma isanda kuqoma uyaye ube nohlelo lokuyilobola ubusubona ukuthi uyehluleka njengesihluleki. Ngabe ngenza into engakaze yenziwe uma ngabe kulezi zinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye bese ngikhwela ngikugxeka ngithi akenzi lutho.
Lokhu ukwengamela okusha. Ngithi mhlonishwa Mongameli ngiyakuncenga ukuthi kulo Mnyango wenu okuthiwa ukuqapha nokuhlola yiwona Mnyango womasipala abangama-283 nezifundaze eziyisishiyagalolunye zezwe lakithi okufuneka nikwazi ukuzelusa ukuthi ziyakwazi ukusebenza yini.
Bese ngibuye ngincome ubuholi bukaMnumzane uMahlangu ukuthi ekuphumeni kwethu ukuyobheka ukuthi abantu bakhala ngani, kungumsebenzi obonakalayo eNingizimu Afrika ukuthi abantu bakithi bafelani. Angikholelwa ukuthi uCetshwayo wayelwela amahhala masihamba kanje kuleli lizwe. Angikholelwa ukuthi uDinizulu wayeboshelwe amahhala njengesiboshwa sezombusazwe uma kuhanjwa kanje kuleli lizwe.
Ngikholelwa ukuthi yiwona mnikelo okuyiwonawona engikufisela inhlanhla ukuthi emva kweminyaka emibili kofuneka ngibuye ngizokubuza ukuthi mhlonishwa Mongameli usukuphi nentuthuko kubantu bakithi. Balambe abantu bakithi, ngeke sagiya ngabo senze into engamahlazo. Ngiyabonga kakhulu, Sihlalo. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Prince M M M ZULU: Hon Chairperson, our hon Deputy President who is present here, hon members of President Zuma's Cabinet who is the leader of our government, premiers of the provinces, members of the National Council of Provinces, and members of all South African legislatures, there is only one thing that I can say as a South African man, and that is that our forefathers made visible contributions in this country.
Hon President, when a maiden has just accepted her suitor's proposal, the suitor makes a plan to pay lobola for her, but when he realises that he cannot afford it he abandons that plan and becomes a failure. I would be deviating from the norm if I criticise you by claiming that you are doing nothing whilst you have only been in office for nine months.
This is a new administration. Hon President, I am pleading with you that in the Presidency there should be a Department of Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation which should monitor the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs with its 283 municipalities in all the nine provinces of South Africa to see if they can operate properly. I would also like to commend hon Mahlangu's leadership during our oversight visits. When we listen to the needs of our people this is the good deed in South Africa that bears testimony to why our people had to pay the maximum price. I do not believe that King Cetshwayo fought for nothing if that is how we do things in this country. I do not believe that King Dinizulu was incarcerated as a political prisoner for nothing if that is how we do things in this country.
I believe that this is an appropriate contribution that I leave with you and wish you good luck so that when I come back here in two years' time I can ask you, hon President, how far you are with the development of our people. Our people are hungry, and we cannot make fun of them and be shameful. Thank you very much, Chairperson. [Laughter.]]