Deputy Chairperson, Deputy President, hon Ministers, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests, I would like to say to the hon Van Lingen that she should not compare the incomparable. [Interjections.]
It is indeed an honour for me to participate in this important debate on National Women's Day, the theme of which is: "Together empowering women for gender development and equality". My focus is on women and religion.
When President Zuma addressed a faith-based organisation called the National Interfaith Leaders Council, NILC, which he congratulated and put his weight behind, he emphasised the fact that 80% of South Africans are spiritual and that we therefore need to take spirituality seriously and inculcate co-operation among people of God.
Indeed, regardless of whether we call him Jah, like the Rastafarians, or refer to God in terms of Garveyism, or refer to God as Abaraka as the Greeks do, or refer to Jahwism or Karaism, God - the divine light and spirit - dwells within each and every person. The majority of us believe that somewhere up there, there is a body watching over us and protecting us.
I would like to reiterate what our President said, that we need to mobilise our society or faith-based groups from local to provincial levels to join the National Interfaith Leaders Council that I spoke about earlier.
Our society needs revival, healing. We need to bring back moral values and ubuntu. We need to find ourselves and make peace with the inner person that lives inside of us. To achieve the above, we need to use our places of worship to correct the injustices of the past, such as illiteracy.
How can we do this without involving women? This is the wisdom behind God's creating women in order to complete the circle of creation.
Re na le bagaka le dikgosi, tsotlhe tse di ka se fitlhelelwe ntle le mosadi. Modimo o dira metlholo. Bomme ba bonolo, fela ke baitsanape. Motswana are: mmangwana o tshwara thipa ka fa bogaleng. Fa nkabo mme a seyo, re ka bo re le ba ga mang wee! (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[We have chiefs and heroes, and all of these would not be accomplished without a woman. God really creates miracles. Women are soft but they are experts. There is a Setswana saying that a mother always protects her child. What would life be without them?]
The history of the ANC and that of the church are inseparable. The ANC is a broad church to all African traditional spirituality. Hindus, Jews, Christians, Muslims and many others are all found in the ANC.
Solving the problems of poverty and greed, violence and corruption, is a deeply spiritual challenge. The Reverend Henry Reed Nqacayiya, the first Chaplain General of the ANC, and Charlotte Manye-Maxeke were amongst the founders of the ANC. Let me join other women who have said that we need to praise Comrade Charlotte. We cannot do that without making sure that we keep her spirit alive by bringing back family values and building our families as a country, and, by so doing, bringing respect back into our societies.
In order to understand fully the status of women in a particular religious tradition, it is helpful to consider the views held within that tradition: the character of the divine human nature, the function of the clergy, and the nature of marriage. To expand on this I would like to explain further the story of creation in the holy Bible after God created men and women. He didn't do this to promote competition and dominion but for the beings to comprehend one another - not to abuse, oppress or victimise one another. It was said by the prophet Joel that daughters would prophesy.
Time is essential when it comes to women. She steps into her appointed time and she is unstoppable. It is important for our men to understand that we do not want to replace or displace them, but that we want to fulfil the purpose of multiplication and usher in a dispensation of the supernatural movement of God.
Let me end by referring to Wangari Maathai, a legend, a Nobel Prize winner in 2004, an environmentalist, a believer, and a member of the Kenyan parliament, who, when she was interviewed on Christian ethical values, said that Christians believe God should be feared. That is what people think about God, that he punishes, but in reality he is a loving God in whom we should be rejoicing. Many of the problems we fear - hunger, disease - are not punishment from the good, loving God, but rather our failure to utilise the resources that the good, loving God gave us. Let us love our neighbour, accept who we are, and respect others.
I would like to say that we need more chaplains in our prisons. We need to see more women preaching on TV. As a person from the Free State, I would also like to congratulate ...
... mogaka wa rona Mme Mantsopa, kgaitsadia Kgosi Moshoeshoe. O ne a kobiwa ka ntlha ya gore kgosi e ne e bona o ka re o a e gatelela, mme a ya go nna mo legageng kwa Modderpoort. Ke ka moo ke reng, basadi ke baitseanape. Gompieno batho botlhe ba tswa Aforika Borwa ka bophara go ya go rapela kwa legageng leo. Re seka ra lebala hisitori ya bomme le dilo tse re di dirang botlhe.
A re netefatseng gore re busetsa tlotlo mo baneng ba rona. Bagolo ba tlotle bana le bana ba tlotle bagolo.
Rona re le bomme, re le baeteledipele mo Palamenteng a re aganeng fa phoso e tlhagile. Le wena fa o agiwa o seka wa bua gore o tlile mo Palementeng gonne o le mogolo. A re reetseng batho ba bangwe gonne motho ke motho ka batho ba bangwe. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[... our hero, Mrs Mantsopa, Kgosi Moshoeshoe's sister, who was chased away because the chief believed that she was oppressing him, and she went to live in a cave in Modderpoort. That is why I say women are experts. Today people from all over South Africa go and pray at that cave. We must not forget the history of women and the things we do together.
Let us make sure that we instil respect in our children. Adults should respect children and children likewise should respect adults.
We as women and leaders in Parliament should try to support each other in times of need. When you receive advice, please do not ignore it because you believe that coming to Parliament as a public representative speaks volumes. Let us learn to accommodate other people's views because a person is a person because of others.]
I thank you. [Applause.]