Deputy Speaker, my advice to my colleague is that he must play 30 Seconds more often, then 60 seconds will feel very long.
Ek wil vir die agb Minister s dat hy baie dinge in die openbaar s en dit is ook duidelik dat hy hier, met die witskrif wat ter sprake gaan kom, 'n poging aanwend om wel die probleme van plaaslike regering aan te spreek. Ek wil ook vir u, agb Minister, s dat u in hierdie hele proses moet luister na wat die voorstelle van die opposisie is. U moet luister as ons met voorstelle na u toe kom, want ons is ook hierso in belang van Suid-Afrika.
Ek het in 1998 hier van dieselfde podium vir die Minister, ek dink dit was toe Sidney Mufamadi, ges plaaslike regering is die bom wat ons land in duie gaan laat stort en dit is presies wat gebeur het. U moet nie wag tot ons op so 'n stadium kom dat alles in duie gestort het voor u begin luister na die opposisie nie. Dan sal ons 'n beter Suid-Afrika kry met 'n beter bedeling op plaaslike regeringsvlak, en ek stem saam met die agb lid van die DA dat ons nie net kan torring aan die Grondwet wanneer dit ons pas nie. Aan die ander kant, het die DA drie grondwetwysigings voorgestel om oorlopery toe te pas, so hulle is die laaste om te praat. Dankie. [Tyd verstreke.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[I want to inform the hon Minister that he is saying a lot of things in public and it is also evident here, with the White Paper coming up for discussion, that he is making an effort to address the problems of local government. I also want to tell you, hon Minister, that you should listen to the opposition's proposals in this whole process. You should listen when we come to you with proposals, because we are also acting in South Africa's interest.
In 1998, from this very podium, I told the Minister, I think it was Sidney Mufamadi at the time, that local government is the bomb that will bring our country to ruin and that is exactly what happened. You should not wait until we have reached the stage where everything has fallen into disrepair before you start listening to the opposition. Then we will give rise to a better South Africa with a better dispensation at local government level, and I agree with the hon member of the DA that we cannot just meddle with the Constitution when it suits us. On the other hand, the DA proposed three amendments to the Constitution to implement floor crossing, so they should be the last to point a finger. I thank you. [Time expired.]]