Madam Deputy Speaker, the hon Minister of Labour yesterday launched a personal tirade in the media against the Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille, in which he demonstrated a measure of envy about the quality and the quantity of services available to the people of this province.
The hon Minister even went so far as to say: "We cannot measure the progress of integrating our city by the number of water and sewage connections made."
It is understandable that the ANC might feel resentful about the fact that the Western Cape has in place some of the most progressive service delivery and antipoverty policies in the country. But, the ANC government's election prospects for 2011 would be much better served if it focused on improving its own service delivery record, rather than attacking the good delivery record of the opposition.
The people across this country who are protesting because the ANC government has failed to deliver such basic services as water and sewage connections want action from the government, not more empty rhetoric. I thank you. [Applause.]