Madam Deputy Chairperson, hon members of this House, chief leaders and our officials, I want to start my speech by saying, in English, that I am from Africa, I was born in KwaZulu-Natal and I want to use my Queen KaMsweli's language.
Ngomhlaka 16 Juni ngo-1976, izinkulungwane zentsha yaseNingizimu Afrika, zamasha zasukuma phansi zimashela ukucindezelwa wuhulumeni wobandlululo waleso sikhathi, owayefuna ukubafunza ngenkani ulimi olwalungekho semthethweni olwalusetshenziswa yiqeqebana labantu abathile baseNingizimu Afrika. Babefuna ukuba balufunde ngenkani, bebafunza lona ngenkani elokishini lethu labantu abansundu elalakhiwe wubandlululo e-Soweto.
Ngaleso sikhathi lezi zinkulungwane zentsha yethu kwakungabantu abangangami kanjena ngoba kwakungabantu abazalwa ngo-1958 uma ngicabanga, okusho ukuthi ngaleso sikhathi babeyizingane ngesikhathi bemasha. Ngaleso sikhathi amaphoyisa aleli lizwe, okwakukhona nabafowethu kuwona lawa maphoyisa nodadewethu baphendula ngezibhamu babhekisa izinganono ezinganeni ezazingaphethe lutho ezandleni, babashaya bababhuqa kwaphetha ngokuthi kushone izingane zakithi.
Ngaleyo ndlela ngithi njengamanje kuhulumeni wabantu abansundu noma kuhulumeni wentando yeningi oqale ngo-1994, wakwenza kwaba semthethweni ukuthi izingane noma intsha yakuleli lizwe yenza umnikelo obonakalayo kuleli lizwe yingakho kukhona lokhu okuthiwa ngu-June 16. Phezu kwawo wonke amaqembu akhona ePhalamende ayecindezelwe nayengacindezelwe, akunakwe ukuthi namakhosi akuleli lizwe khona lapha eNtshonalanga Kapa naseMpumalanga Kapa, ebuncaneni bawo alwa aboshwa lapho amakhosi abaThembu amaningi aphuma ko-Eastern Cape aboshelwa laphaya ko-Robben Island.
Uma ubheka iminyaka yabo kwakuyiminyaka ewu-18 okusho ukuthi kwakungamabhungu ngempela babeqala ukungena ebunsizweni besanda kuthomba belwa belwela leli lizwe. Okusho ukuthi lezi zingane zango-1976 zazilwela leli lizwe ngendlela efanayo neyoyisemkhulu bazo ngendlela ezazenza ngayo.
Ngibuye ngingene kwizinselele.Izinselele ezikhona njengamanje noma umzabalazo osukhona njengamanje sekungumzabalazo wengculazi, leli gciwane lengculazi elibulala izingane zethu. Sekumele ukuthi nathi njengabazali, njengoba mina nje nginabafazi abathathu nezingane eziyi-7 ngisaqhubeka nokwenza ezinye. [Uhleko.] Ngisemkhankasweni wokubatshela abafana bami namantombazane ami ukuthi kufanele bakwazi ukuzivikela. Bangenzi izinto ezingasile nangendlela engekho emthethweni. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[On the 16th of June 1976, thousands of our South African youth rose and marched against the oppression of the apartheid government of that time, which wanted to forcefully impose upon them an unofficial language which was used by a few South African individuals. They wanted to forcefully impose it on our youth in the black township called Soweto, which was built by the apartheid government.
These thousands of our youth who were people of my age because they were born in 1958 - if my memory serves me well - marched when they were still very young. During that time, the police officers of this country, which included our own black brothers and sisters, responded with guns and shot at unarmed children; they went on a rampage and that resulted in the death of our children. In that way I now want to say that the black government, or rather the democratic government, which started in 1994, recognised the remarkable sacrifice our children or the youth of this country made for this country, by officially declaring June 16 Youth Day. All the parties at Parliament that were oppressed and those that were not, the chiefs of the Thembu people of the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape, fought and were arrested. Most of these Thembu chiefs from the Eastern Cape were arrested and sent to Robben Island.
Many of them were 18-year-olds which means that they were real lads in their late teens who were about to become young men, right after reaching puberty, and already fighting for this country. This means these children of 1976 fought for this country the same way their forefathers did.
I would like to touch on the challenges. The challenges that we experience right now, or rather the struggle that we have at the moment, is the fight against the virus that causes AIDS, which is killing our children. As parents we must be vigilant. I have three wives and 7 children and I am continuing to bear more. [Laughter.] I am on a mission to tell my boys and girls that they must be able to protect themselves, and that they should not engage in silly and unlawful activities. Thank you.]