Thank you, Deputy Chairperson. Despite their negative publicity, we can say proudly that the target of 27 000 we set for ourselves was achieved far beyond our expectations by the financial year- end of 31 March 2009. As the financial year was drawing to a close, more than 35 000 people were on our programme and many thanks go to our national Department of Health and our ANC-led government, not forgetting our donors, for lending a hand during difficult times when the provincial department was faced with a financial shortfall in coping with the numbers that were on the ARV programme, while striving to serve those who were in dire need.
We are determined to maintain this record and make our contribution towards the achievement of reaching 80% of people in need of ARVs by 2011. Our own Operation Hlasela, launched by our premier during his state of the province address, will be our battle cry in achieving our objectives for better health care services - from overhauling our supply-chain management to auditing skills in supply-chain management. With this we will indeed also be looking at the efficiency of our management and personnel in responding to the call that laziness will not be tolerated this time around.
I would also like to extend our appreciation to those doctors in my province and other provinces who stood by their oaths and declarations as the department and unions deliberated issues of salaries. We are humbled by their humane gesture by continuing to serve our people with dignity. In closing, allow me to quote Madiba:
The time comes in the life of any nation when there remains only two choices - submit or fight. That time has now come to South Africa. We shall not submit and we have no choice but to hit back by all means in our power in defence of our people, our future, and our freedom.
Our time has arrived to fight for optimal quality health care services for those living under the South African sun and the Free State as a province. I thank you. [Applause.]
UMntwana M M M ZULU: Mgcinisihlalo, amaLungu ahloniphekile ale Ndlu, abahlonishwa oNgqongqoshe namaPhini abo, oNgqongqoshe bezifundazwe abakhona ikakhulukazi abasekhaya uMkhabela nawe Bhungane - enethunga ayisengeli phansi. Bafowethu ngiqale lapha eMnyangweni Wezempilo ngoba kuyiMinyango ecishe ihlanganiswe noma ihlukene nje. Ngithi uMnyango Wezempilo ungumgogodla ngoba welapha bonke abantu abagulayo ngazo zonke izindlela.
Ngithi kuMhlonishwa uNgqongqoshe laphaya ezindaweni zethu emakhaya, abathi eMpumalanga Koloni kusezilalini, kuyofuneka ukuba uMhlonishwa uNgqongqoshe abhekisise ukuthi imitholampilo ikhona yini kuzona zonke izifundazwe. Ngoba asikho isifundazwe esizimele esingeke silawulwe nguwe njengoNgqongqoshe ophathiswe lo Mnyango. Ngoba uma kukhona okonakalayo siyobe sesifaka kuwena isibhaxu njengoNgqongqoshe ophethe lowo Mnyango, wena-ke bese usifaka ezinganeni zakho.
Bese ngibuye ngithi Mkhabela angisho ukuthi ngithini. Inkiyankiya owangena phezu kwayo eMnyangweni owuphethe ngokutholakala kokuthi kukhona okungahambanga kahle ekukhishweni kwamathenda, ngiyocela ukuba uNgqongqoshe akubhekise ngoba okuyihlazo nje singeze sakuvuma ukuthi kuqhubeke ezweni lakithi. Ngoba uma singaqhuba amahlazo ezweni lakithi ngabe siqonde ukuthi leli phupho elishiwo nguMongameli wezwe lingafezeki.
Ukungena-ke kwabahlonishwa kulezo zinto lezo angikuthandisisi kahle ngoba siyabahlonipha basuke beqokwe ngokwamakhono abo bahambe bayosihola khona. Bese ngithi kuMnyango Wezokuthuthukiswa Komphakathi, Mhlonishwa Ngqongqoshe eMnyangweni wakho ngiyazi ukuthi ungene ezicathulweni lapho bekuphethe khona indoda umhlonishwa uDokotela uZola Skweyiya.
Namanje-ke ngiyasho ngithi laphaya kwesikababomkhulu isifundazwe - angithengi amehlo ngoba mina angiyena uthengamehlo - uBhungane ubesawuqhuba kahle umsebenzi kulezi zinsuku esikuzo ondla labo bafelokazi nalezo zingane ezashiywa ngabazali bebulawa yisifo socansi ingculaza kanye nezinye-ke izifo kubantu abasuke bekhathazwe yizifo ezisuke zibaphethe ngokwenyama.
Ngithi-ke lo Mnyango wakho kulesiya sifundazwe ngokwami nje njengoMuntukaphiwana kaBantubathini kaSolomi kaDinuzulu ngikubona kusewumsebenzi oqhubeka kahle angeke ngaqamba amanga ngoba ngikolunye uhlangothi bese ngithi umsebenzi awusetshenzwa kahle. Bese ngithi-ke kodwa okufanele kubhekisiswe yilabaya bantu abakwizikhungo eziholelayo. Kufanele nibanikeze phela Ngqongqoshe noNgqongqoshe abakwizifundazwe ithuba lokubeka imibono yabo ngalezo zikhungo ngoba zisebenzisa izimali zomphakathi, ziphakela umphakathi egameni likahulumeni. Ngiyathokoza. (Translation of isiZulu speech follows.)
[Prince M M M ZULU: Chairperson, hon members of this august House, hon Ministers and their Deputies, the MECs who are present here today, especially those who come from my province, namely Mkhabela and you, Bhungane - we should not suffer because we have the resources. Gentlemen, let me start with the Department of Health because it looks like an integrated department, although it isn't. The Department of Health is the backbone because it treats everyone who has any kind of illness.
Hon Minister, you must check if all the rural areas in each province have clinics, especially in the rural areas where some of us come from, which are referred to as ezilalini in the Eastern Cape. Because no province is independent from you as the Minister in charge of this department. If something goes wrong, we will hold you accountable as the Minister who is in charge of this department and you will also hold your subordinates accountable.
And coming to you, Mkhabela, I don't have much to say because you were placed in a department that was in a mess when it was discovered that there had been a scandal with the awarding of tenders. We will therefore request the hon Minister to look into that because we cannot allow such things to go on in our country. If we allow such scandals to go on in this country, we would be responsible for causing the President's vision not to be realised.
I don't like the involvement of Ministers in such scandals because of the respect we have for them, and they were also appointed to those positions because of their expertise so that they can lead us. And when coming to the Department of Social Development, hon Minister, I know that you stepped into the shoes of a man among men, Dr Zola Skweyiya.
In my grandfather's province - I am not merely putting in a good word for him here, because I am not like that - Bhungane is doing his tasks well so far by taking care of the widows and those orphans who lost their parents due to Aids, as well as other illnesses which attack people physically.
I am therefore saying that according to me, Muntukaphiwana, the son of Bantubathini of King Solomon, the son of King Dinuzulu, your department in that province is doing well so far and I cannot just tell lies because I am from a different party by claiming that the job is not done. But I wish to say that you need to look into those structures which are paying out state grants. Hon Minister, you must also give the MECs a chance to air their views with regard to those structures because they use public funds, and they also render a service to the community on behalf of government. Thank you.]