Speaker, when cross-border municipalities were abolished, the area known as Moutse was transferred to the Limpopo province. Some of the people of Moutse took to the streets to register their unhappiness and to protest against that decision. Property was damaged and schooling was disrupted.
On 27 and 28 September last year, a referendum was held to test the view of the community on whether they want it to belong to Limpopo or Mpumalanga. They went in their numbers to IEC voting stations in the area of the Motsoaledi and Ephraim Mogale Municipalities. The process was observed by the demarcation board and political party agents.
We are informed that the voter turnout was high and the whole exercise went off smoothly and peacefully. Fourteen months after that exercise, the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs that organised the poll had still not released the results. Our own agents informed us that 75% of those who voted chose Mpumalanga.
While we applaud the department for seeking the view of the people, we are disappointed that the results have been withheld. South Africa is a democratic state and we are informed that we have a government based on the will of the people, a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Vox populi, vox Dei, which means "the voice of the people is the voice of God", should reign, even in the case of Moutse. The people have spoken and the nation must be told what the people of Moutse have said and what government is going to do about it. Thank you.