NATIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION: Deputy Speaker, may we express appreciation for the statements made.
I would like to respond to the hon Kganare, although he has taken flight. The last sirens that visited hospitals were when the hon Kganare was an MEC in the Free State province. He raises quite an important issue. The sirens have stopped since then, Mbhazima. This is quite an important issue. If we want to see an improvement of services, this should not be a governing party issue. All of us as public representatives are equally responsible for oversight in those areas that are under our care.
I think we will find out many things in engaging with hospitals. One issue is that the country is not producing sufficient pharmacists. So the public sector battles to attract pharmacists, and even more so now because large chain stores have pharmacies. As a result, the public sector battles. Where we are able to attract these pharmacists, it is primarily in Gauteng and the Western Cape. In fact, the cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town attract pharmacists, so other provinces are battling.
This is not for a lack of attention to detail. The country isn't producing sufficient people with Mathematics and Science who choose pharmacology as a profession. This is a big issue, but it is not a party political issue.
The hon Zikalala raised the issue of attacks on women. I'm prepared to take up the challenge with other men and say that we must be role models. It's not a women's struggle, it's a people's struggle. I think we need to be active in our communities, and people must see what these issues are about. [Applause.]
I am sorry I didn't get the hon member's name, Deputy Speaker. I think the sentiments are correct at one level about corrupt officials or corrupt beneficiaries not being tolerated. But I think we aren't being fair on the new chief executive of the Land Bank to ask him to name these people. I think he has acted as we have required of him. The first thing he had to do was to ensure that there were forensic reports by professionals and that those were handed over to investigating authorities in the police. He has done so. When people are charged, their names will be a matter of public record. You shouldn't ask him to act as though he is a prosecutor and a judge in this matter.
The other mandate we gave him was to stabilise the institution, and he has done that with aplomb. Now that this has been attained, I think the Land Bank is in a better position to deal with newly settled farmers and to ensure that it can fulfil its developmental mandate. But it hasn't been possible to do so in an environment where the Land Bank's books were in a state. I'm sure we can look forward to a far more developmental role for the Land Bank, sound in administration and an institution that doesn't tolerate corruption. Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker.