Madam Speaker, the IFP is outraged by the decision of the Mpumalanga Local Government to spend R22 million on the production of a musical play honouring one of the ANC struggle heroes, Gert Sibande, while thousands of residents in the province don't have access to water. The local government of Mpumalanga has failed the citizens of Bushbuckridge by not supplying water to the estimated 100 000 people who live there. They are now wasting R22 million on a musical play and another R2,7 million on a statue of Gert Sibande. This is not acceptable.
The South African Constitution affords us all the basic rights to housing, food, water and health care, social security, education and a healthy environment. The state is required to respect, protect, promote and fulfil all the rights recognised in the Bill of Rights, including economic and social rights.
I have therefore today launched a complaint with the Human Rights Commission for human rights abuses against the Mayor of Bushbuckridge and the Mpumalanga provincial government. I believe they are guilty because they are denying the community of Bushbuckridge their basic right to water as guaranteed by the Constitution. Thank you.