Hon Chief Justice, hon Chairperson, hon members, we in Mpumalanga also join the rest of the people in congratulating you, Chairperson, on your election as Chairperson.
We view this House as the most important House of all, not because of the work it does in lawmaking, but because of the contributions it has made in the past terms. This House has served as a platform for us to share experiences, lessons learnt and best practices. With regard to those activities, Mpumalanga has benefited much from your leadership. We have enhanced our performance in terms of budget management and project management precisely because we were able to share the best practices of other provinces.
Indeed, the votes of over 11 million people in South Africa serve as acknowledgement of the good work that this House has done together with the National Assembly. It is also an acknowledgement that the people voted for education, health care, decent work, rural development and a party that is able to fight crime.
When they say "At last!" they mean, "At last our branches have spoken; our people have determined where they want to go; our people have determined their agenda, and somebody has listened." [Applause.]
It is for this reason that we congratulate you, along with the members of this House, and will continue to work with you. There is still more to be done and we believe that you will assist us to move forward, as you have done in the past. Thank you very much. [Applause.]