Chairperson, hon Members of Parliament, ...
...ndiye ndavuya xa bekuthetha uSisi wokuqala apha, ilungu elihloniphekileyo uNdabeni, ngoba uthe i-ANC iza kuthandaza ukuba ifumane ikhulu ekhulwini ngowama-2014. Bendifuna ukuthi kuye - ntonje andimboni ukuba uhleli ndawoni na ngoku - umthandazo lowo unga ungangowokuthandazela isibini kwisithathu, ngoba naso sele iyinto yamandulo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[... I was happy with the lady who spoke here earlier, the hon member Ndabeni, because she said the ANC would pray for 100% in 2014. I wanted to say to her - it's just that I do not see where she is seated now - I wish the prayer would be for two thirds because that is now a thing of the past.]
I stand here today in memory of our fallen soldiers, the heroes and heroines, young men and women of the 1976 era. It is indeed a fact that, as we are sitting in this Assembly, we do not seem to take seriously the issues affecting young people and the vulnerable groups.
Ndiyabona ukuba abamajelo eendaba bayanqaba xa kuza kuthethwa ngemicimbi enje ngale. Amalungu nawo awabikho ngobuninzi bawo ngoba le micimbi ayisiwa ngqalelo kakhulu. Kodwa ke, ... [I see that the journalists are not keen on attending when we discuss issues like these. Even members do not attend in their numbers because these issues are not taken into consideration. But then ...]
... I think there are a number of issues that we need to pay attention to: Firstly, this House must redefine the true meaning of youth in this country. Being a young person in this country takes more than what is being said here. Maybe we need to ask ourselves what it is that propels desperation and juvenile delinquency, despite prudent policies that exist in this country. It is because of the two worlds that describe the youth of today.
We have two worlds: the world of the poor, whose greater posterity is black and underprivileged; the other is made up of the few elite, and in most cases they belong on the other side. The latter consists of those people that are connected to senior officials of the ANC, and they enjoy the gravy train of this country. That must be something of the past. What is it that the government is doing to correct the situation?
We need to be realistic here. We are talking about the masses of young people in this country who live in remote places, far from public transport. They are in places where there is a lack of educational facilities and there aren't any job opportunities or access to jobs. That is the hard reality.
Abanye ke zange baya ezilalini, abayazi le nto ndithetha ngayo. Mna mntu wakuTsolo, eQolombane, ndiyazi ukuba ndithetha ngantoni. [Others have never been to the rural areas; they are not aware of what I am talking about. I am from Tsolo, in Qolombane, and I know what I am talking about.]
An Arabic proverb says: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." My friends are on this side. My enemy is those who continue to undermine the silenced voices, and that is the government.
Abantu abatsha bafuna iinkokheli ezingumzekelo ukuze nabo bafunde, babe ziinkokheli zangomso. Sinoxanduva ke lokwenza njalo, ukuqinisekisa ubomi obungcono. [The youth need leaders who are exemplary so that they can also learn and be the future leaders. We have the responsibility of doing just that, to ensure a better life.]