Hon Speaker, on behalf of the ACDP, I wish to congratulate the hon Mr Zuma on his election as President of South Africa. There are obviously huge challenges facing us as a nation. The ACDP calls on all South Africans to pray for our incoming President and our elected officials and leaders, individually and collectively, to pursue righteousness and justice. Pursuing the opposite, will not prosper the nation. One of the prophets of old, Isaiah, once said that the fruits of righteousness will be peace. I believe that everybody in this House desires lasting peace, which can only be found by the pursuit of righteousness.
Clearly, the President needs wisdom and God's guidance in finding solutions to the many issues that we face. After a hard-fought election, nation- building, poverty alleviation and service delivery must be high priorities. Our greatest desire should be to serve and help our people, as opposed to seeking personal gain from leadership positions. In this, the fourth democratic Parliament, the ACDP will, as we have done in the past, give constructive input at all times. We will, however, also remain vigilant to any abuse of state power and trust that Parliament will exercise its oversight function more robustly.
I personally want to encourage you, President-elect Mr Zuma, to continue attending church services even though campaigning is now over. [Laughter.] I trust that you will also allow church leaders to minister to you and speak into your life, and that you will receive God's salvation, wisdom and guidance that you need to lead the nation.
Lastly, I wish God's richest blessings on all the members who have been sworn in today. I thank you. [Applause.]