Hon Chair, hon Chief Justice, hon premiers present, special delegates from different provinces, may I take this opportunity on behalf of the Premier or the Premier-elect of the Northern Cape, Comrade Hazel Jenkins, to congratulate you on your re-election as Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces. Of course, we have worked with you. We know the capacity that you have. We know the ability that you have. We know the strength that you possess and the skills, of course, that have enabled you to guide this institution from the time you were elected Chairperson of this particular institution.
It is with that that we as the Northern Cape unequivocally and unashamedly, on behalf of the ANC which is the organisation that has been given the overwhelming mandate by the electorate in this country to govern, say to you: Amandla kulo ndawo! [We support that!] Viva!
We hope that, with the strength the electorate has given you, with the theme under which the ANC has gone out to mobilise the people of South Africa to ensure that it returns it with more strength, we will be able to say that together - not only with us in this House, but together with the provinces, the municipalities, the premiers, the working class, the poor and the unemployed in our rural and urban areas - we shall definitely do more. We shall strengthen and entrench this institution. We shall popularise it and ensure that all provinces and everybody in this country understand the strategic role and the strategic location of the National Council of Provinces.
Through that, we will, therefore, be able to position this particular institution to be the kind of institution that the unemployed people and the poor people will obviously look to to resolve their problems. Of course, this will be together with them, not in isolation or as an institution working in silos, but ensuring that it takes along the people of South Africa in ensuring that we build a better life for all. In that way, hon Chair, once again on behalf of the Northern Cape, "Siyakuhalalisela baba" [we congratulate you; we will work with you]. Thank you very much. [Applause.]