Thank you, Minister. I now take this chance to welcome all our visitors, the young scholars and the educators who are seated in the gallery. Thank you very much. I now call upon hon Xasa.
Chairperson, hon members of this important House, fellow delegates, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, receive the warm greetings of the people of the Eastern Cape. The Premier of the province regrets that she could not be here to take part in this debate.
I am taking the liberty of quoting the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary to explain what a hero and a heroine are. The dictionary says a hero is a person who is "admired by many people for doing something brave or good", while a heroine is the female version of a hero. I have quoted the dictionary so that nobody should question me! South Africa has been blessed with a sizeable number of such people, and the Eastern Cape has produced its fair share of them.
This important dialogue has such profound meaning and significance, in the sense that it serves to remind us of the debt we owe to all South Africans who paid the supreme sacrifice for our freedom. We are free here today because they gave their all. On this occasion I also remember the veterans of our struggle, for they remind us of the debt we owe to all those who selflessly and valiantly fought against an oppressive system, the apartheid system.
Amidst all the suffering that befell scores of men and women in the liberation struggle in this country, there are those who provided food, information, and even shelter to freedom fighters. Their role must never be forgotten. The selfless and significant contribution made by the masses should never be downplayed.
Their bravery and self-sacrifice in standing up to the deadly apartheid war machinery has brought us to where we are today, with the freedom to choose, freedom to act, freedom to speak, freedom to move, freedom to worship, freedom to join organisations of our choice and freedom to own property.
I specifically want to stress the freedom to choose, because some people think that the ANC is not their liberator. From today I want them to understand that the ANC and other liberation movements liberated them even to choose, as we are doing now. Let us keep these memories so that we will never forget that this forms the basis of our country.
We want to stress in regard to the Constitution of South Africa that while some people pretend that they are the ones who are defending it, it is the product of our struggle. It is the product of the struggles of the heroines that we are referring to. Their bravery and self-sacrifice in standing up to the deadly force of apartheid gave us what we have today.
Even though the democratic government has deemed it fit to erect monuments to them and to name our universities, streets, airports and stadia after some of our heroes and heroines, the best way to preserve their legacy is to better their performance in their areas of excellence. That is one benefit that we can give.
The heroic deeds of these great South Africans must be taught in our schools - from primary to tertiary institutions. Learning about these legends and working tenaciously to implement their ideals and principles is one way we can ensure that their sacrifices were not in vain. As we engage in this debate let us take time to reflect on the cause they fought for, while contemplating ways in which their unwavering patriotism can be entrenched in the present and future generations.
Despite remarkable achievements in poverty reduction and development, there is still a need to work hard to raise the levels of productivity in the economy. With a large part of the population of our country living in the rural areas, we need to embrace strategies that will deliver a genuine agrarian revolution and a sustainable rural development programme.
If the majority of the South African people genuinely chose to walk in the footsteps of our heroes and heroines, we could easily achieve our developmental goals. Indeed, all this cannot be achieved without hard work and a commitment to the national cause. In the light of that, every South African must continue to jealously guard the hard-earned democracy.
This 17th year of our democratic government is a year for all South Africans, and those that care for our country and its future, to start espousing the necessary ideas to make our society a better and more democratic one, as was articulated in the Freedom Charter in 1955. Thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Ministers, hon members, and fellow South Africans, it is an honour to take part in today's debate, "Celebrating the Heroes and Heroines of the Liberation Struggle in South Africa."
Chairperson, through research into and knowledge of the past, our history, one immediately comes to a sense that our past represents numerous wrongdoings, such as ill-treatment of people, loss of life, sorrow and people's lack of forgiveness. We are so lucky - and we cannot thank and praise God enough for His mercy and grace given to us as people and leaders - that we have a democratic country and a beautiful Constitution to guide us all in South Africa.
We must be steadfast and treasure our heritage, because if we lose it we shall have lost our identity, who we are. This is important, because then we would be nobody.
The theme of this year touches on a variety of issues and our understanding of them. Our inheritance speaks to the history of politics, economics, social character, education, families, communities, other countries, and so on. The struggle has a very rich diversity in its history, and many heroes and heroines were responsible for this inheritance of ours as South Africans. We must also understand and salute the unsung heroes and heroines, because in their different places - homes, families, children, workplaces, churches, and so on - they played an important role in the liberation struggle in South Africa.
We must continue to celebrate those who authored the national liberation heritage of our beloved country, those who fought as kings, chiefs, warriors, soldiers and generals in the frontier wars of resistance, the Boer Wars, the liberation marches, the sit-ins, the strikes, etc. All of them played a pivotal role in the liberation of our country.
This I say in the spirit that "South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white". If one does not believe in that, then one is not a South African. The liberation struggle makes it possible for everybody to make use of the opportunities and benefits granted by South Africa to all of us.
Our mothers - women, heroines - are like a rock in every situation and all circumstances. I therefore pay tribute to and honour those heroines who in 1956 pioneered the struggle for gender equality, as well as the youth of 1976, and all who lost their lives.
We as citizens of South Africa and the world, cannot pay a great enough tribute to our father, the former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. We salute him for his vision and wisdom. He saw into the future better than most of us, and with his foresight he actually created the South Africa we live in today: a democratic South Africa.
We must also not forget to thank and pay tribute to heroes and heroines such as Oliver Tambo, Chief Albert Luthuli, Walter Sisulu, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, Alan Paton, Bram Fischer, Steve Biko, Beyers Naud, Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Dr Allan Boesak, former President F W de Klerk and all the other people who played a huge and unforgettable role in the liberation struggle of South Africa.
Women are always the people we can applaud most for their role in creating our heritage, because they acted in the liberation struggle knowing that it would influence their families, their children and their households. However, they believed in their vision. Here we pay tribute to Victoria Mxenge, Mamphela Ramphele, Hilda Bernstein, Marcella Naidoo, Sheena Duncan, Helen Joseph, Helen Suzman, Mama Albertina Sisulu and many others. They have left us with a legacy of liberation that we can be proud of.
South Africans fought on a variety of fronts in the liberation struggle. Our liberation heritage gives the world a huge, clear example of how a nation can build a country with wisdom, responsibility, unselfishness, and a spirit of sharing one goal - South Africa. The problem we as have South Africans is that we fail to implement the goals that our Constitution demands of us. We must use the opportunities that our diverse heritage gives us, and build our national pride. In this "one nation, one goal" concept, we must nurture the liberation struggle to reach the common goal of a better South Africa. Never again should we misuse the power of government and take away the rights of other people. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon members and comrades, ever since its founding in 1912, the ANC has dedicated itself to the historic mission of uniting our people in the struggle for the liberation of black people in general, and African people in particular. We have drawn great inspiration from these decades of unbroken struggle by South African revolutionaries who have fought side by side, one decade after another, to fulfil this mission. People of South Africa have made a monumental contribution to the democracy that we all enjoy today.
There are a number of heroes and heroines that are worth mentioning in the limited minutes allocated to me. Starting with the heroines, I would like to limit my number to only four women: Mme Albertina Sisulu, Mme Dorothy Nyembe, Mme Ruth Mompati, and Mme Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
We all know that Mme Albertina Sisulu was a nurse and a dedicated, committed, loyal politician. She worked hard in bringing the apartheid regime to an end and ushering in a new democratic government. At one stage she was imprisoned, banned and exiled. She was really instrumental in the 1955 launch of the Freedom Charter, and also took part in the historic march to the Union Buildings in 1956, protesting against oppressive laws. This ANC veteran and stalwart played a major role in shaping women's politics in South Africa and ensuring that women played a meaningful role and were well represented in all spheres of government.
Mme Dorothy Nyembe was one of a generation of forceful women whose courage, energy and commitment helped to bring down the apartheid regime. She spent 18 years in prison during the extremely difficult times of the struggle. This stalwart played a leading role in mobilising women in KZN to embark on campaigns that rallied resistance to the state and helped shake uo the notion of women's subordination to domesticity among black men. These campaigns culminated in the huge, powerful Anti-Pass Campaign on 9 August 1956, going to the Union Buildings to hand over a memorandum to the then Prime Minister Strijdom, to oppose the extension of passes to women. In 1959 Mme Dorothy Nyembe and other women called for a total boycott of the beer halls.
The immense contribution by this stalwart calls for us to recommend, through Minister Mashatile, to the Minister of Correctional Services, Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, in her programme of renaming prisons to rename the female prison in Kroonstad after this gallant fighter. Mme Dorothy Nyembe, who vehemently and consistently fought for justice, deserves this fitting gesture.
Mme Ruth Mompati worked as a teacher until 1952 when she got married. That year she joined the Defiance Campaign as a volunteer. When she relocated from Vryburg to Johannesburg she did not want to continue teaching. The apartheid government was on the verge of introducing the notorious Bantu Education.
The Education Department had asked the North West Teachers' Union, of which Mme Ruth was a member, and various other teachers' organisations to look at the education curriculum and systems, and advise the government. The teachers worked hard and came up with documents which were supposed to have been used. As these drafts were being handed in, Bantu Education was announced, ignoring all the work that they had done. The regime had never intended to use what the teachers proposed.
When the state of emergency was declared she worked and held numerous underground meetings with the underground committees. She also held regular meetings with Moses Kotane, who held their group together and was the most important link when the leadership were in jail. Her underground activities led to her arrest.
Mme Ruth Mompati went into exile in 1962. She underwent military training and held office as secretary and head of the women's section of the ANC in Tanzania. From 1966 she served as a member of the ANC's National Executive Committee. This stalwart deserves to be mentioned here today.
Mme Winnie Madikizela-Mandela became involved in ANC politics during the 1950s. Mme Winnie had to endure a forced separation from her husband. She was also subjected to a virtually uninterrupted series of legal orders. She was banned, but continued to work for the ANC underground.
Mme Winnie's courage and bravery inspired many young people in South Africa women and men equally. Because of her dedication and commitment to women's development, empowerment and emancipation, women are today well represented in Parliament, in local government, in the private sector and in various areas of the public sector. It is no surprise that when you travel on the continent and internationally you come across streets and buildings that are named after this hon stalwart, Mme Winnie Mandela.
The list of heroes I would like to honour for the sterling and instrumental role they played in shaping the politics and socioeconomic landscape of South Africa is exhaustive. Allow me, Deputy Chairperson, to select the three heroes that are worth mentioning today: Solomon Tshekiso Plaatje, who is popularly known as Sol Plaatje, Steven Bantubonke Biko, and Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu. Sol Plaatje was a politician, journalist, human rights campaigner, novelist and translator. He was one of the most gifted and versatile black South Africans of his generation. This hero was in the forefront of public affairs of the African people for the greater part of his adult life, as a politician, writer and journalist.
His profound passion was directed at the struggle of African people against injustice and dispossession during the second half of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. He believed in the preservation of African languages and stories, and buried himself in writing the literature that we have to read today. Today we have a Sol Plaatje Municipality in the Northern Cape, dedicated to this hero for the immense role he played in South Africa.
Steven Bantu Biko was the most influential and radical student leader and law student of the 1970s. He became a martyr of the freedom struggle and posed one of the strongest challenges to the apartheid regime in the country. This honourable hero inspired many students during that time.
One of his characteristics was his political activism, which culminated in his engaging in educating and making black people conscious of their plight under the oppressive regime. His writing and commitment to Black Consciousness is the main legacy he bequeathed to later generations in South Africa's struggle for freedom. Unfortunately, his political career was aborted when he died at the hands of the brutal apartheid regime in 1977.
Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu joined the ANC in September 1976. He trained in Angola and Mozambique as a soldier. This young hero was executed in Pretoria Central Prison on 6 April 1979. He was hailed by the ANC as a hero of the revolutionary struggle in South Africa. The ANC named a training facility in Tanzania the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College, Somafco, in honour of his courage and dedication. A plaque in Mamelodi Cemetery carries his last words. They read:
My blood will nourish the tree that will bear the fruits of freedom. Tell my people that I love them. They must continue the fight.
Hon Deputy Chairperson, these were heroes and heroines of a special kind. The story of these heroes and heroines should continue to be told at home, as my colleague has just said. It should be told at schools, from the lowest level to the highest level. It should be told in the political gatherings that we have. It should be written in our literature. It should also carry the valuable message that we owe what we have today to these heroes and heroines.
Madam Deputy Chairperson, South Africa is endowed with world-class heritage sites: iSimangaliso Wetland Park in KwaZulu-Natal, KZN, Robben Island here in the Western Cape, the Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng, uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park in KZN, the Mapungubwe Region in Limpopo, the Vredefort Dome in North West, and the Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape in the Northern Cape. This heritage picture tells one of a country extremely rich in heritage and culture.
Hon member, can you conclude?
Hon Deputy Chairperson, let me conclude my speech by saying that Robben Island became famous as a prison where the icon, former President Nelson Mandela, was imprisoned for 27 years together with Govan Mbeki, Walter Sisulu and others. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Chair, hon members, all protocol observed, Heritage Day is a celebration not only of South Africa's multitude of cultures, but also of its rich mineral and agricultural resources. It is important that we explore the struggle for cultural liberation in our new democracy, and we should be united in creating a new heritage and re- contextualising the legacy of the past.
This year's theme is dedicated to the men and women of all South African races who fought tirelessly for political liberation. It is therefore important to keep alive the dream of growing and uniting the nation on all levels by utilising our country's resources. As leaders, we often find obstacles despite our common goal of unity in our country. We should be working towards shaping and creating contemporary heritage initiatives in which we can all find meaning and expression, and share together as South Africans.
Therefore, when the Minister of Mineral Resources excludes the Northern Cape leadership from decisions that directly impact on job creation, the upliftment of the poor and the livelihoods involved in the local economy of the province in question, it raises concerns.
At a recent event, the Minister of Mineral Resources, Susan Shabangu was quoted as saying:
We in the ANC and the government realised early, even during the dark days of repression, that the mining industry was the pillar of strength of the South African economy. It was clear to the liberation movement that the industrialisation and modernisation of our country was a direct consequence of the mining industry.
The Freedom Charter clearly states that the "people shall share in the country's wealth".
Mining and minerals are a big part of this wealth that the people must be part of. However, earlier this month the Northern Cape's hopes of having the State Diamond Trader, SDT, relocated to Kimberley were ruined when the Minister sidelined the province's ambitions to host the SDT, which she stated would remain in Gauteng. This was an opportunity to create and develop decent and sustainable jobs for the poor in the Northern Cape.
Also of concern are agricultural development strategies, and plans to assist upcoming farmers. Money flowed on a daily basis in the preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. By contrast, it is mind-boggling to try to understand why the government cannot assist the more than 55 000 people in the Northern Cape who have been affected by floods - poor people who are suffering right now without any income.
What kind of legacy are we building when an estimated R1 billion's worth of damage still faces the people in the Northern Cape because of the floods? The rural areas are hit hardest by the increasing poverty levels and unemployment. Yet government continues to provide incentives to other provinces that are economically strong enough, such as Gauteng.
Hon Deputy Chair, let me just say this in conclusion. It is crucial that our people are educated, developed and made to understand our long line of cultural heritage, together with the ties it has to this land. Thank you. [Applause.]
Deputy Chairperson, hon Minister of Arts and Culture, hon members of the NCOP and delegates, comrades, ladies and gentlemen, a nation without a heritage is a nation without a history. We all know that our country's past is full of pain and misery, but it is what defines us as people of South Africa. This aspect of our heritage must be conserved and presented to a wide range of young South Africans so that we learn from that bitter experience, which will never be repeated again.
This allows our country to stand amongst other countries in the world with a rich heritage. Our heritage ranges from our cultural diversity and languages, to our tangible and intangible cultural heritage. All these are fragile, and need to be protected and preserved for future generations.
During this Heritage Month we as South Africans need to rise above our differences and learn about one another's cultural experiences. This will enable us to learn more about one other and respect our diversity as one united South African nation.
In 1999, when addressing an occasion like this, Dr Ngubane, the former Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, simply put it thus:
What Heritage Day truly represents is an opportunity to pay respect to the many cultures, languages, traditions and diversity of heritages that make up our national identity.
This message is correct because today we have gathered here with the idea of building a nation and social cohesion.
This idea should encourage us as South Africans to celebrate our cultural heritage, our diversity and traditions in the wider context of a nation that belongs to all. This principle is derived from the Freedom Charter which states that:
... South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people.
Our Constitution is clear about this pronouncement. It defines a South African citizen in terms of our national territory, allegiance to our national institutions, and the people of our country. Today, our country's institutions, such as the SA Human Rights Commission and the SA Commission for Gender Equality, are geared to promoting and protecting the needs of all South Africans regardless of race, colour, creed or gender. However, some cases of abuse of workers, more especially on the farms, have been reported.
Mpumalanga will host national Heritage Day on 24 September 2011, and the Deputy President of the country will deliver the keynote address.
Gert Sibande District has been identified as the place to celebrate this, because the graves of fallen heroes and heroines of the national liberation struggle who were killed by a group of Black Cats - said to be affiliated to the IFP in the 1990s - are there. It is in close proximity to the heritage cultural precinct where there is a life-size statue of Gert Sibande, the Nomoya Masilela Museum in Bethal, and the Nokuthula Simelane statue. It is further linked with the heritage route that includes the Mahatma Gandhi prison cell in Volksrust and the Dr Pixley ka Seme statue, which will be unveiled in Daggakraal next year.
The theme of this month's celebration is "Celebrating the Heroes and Heroines of the Liberation Struggle in South Africa". Indeed, when we celebrate this day we need to pay special homage to the outstanding work they did to liberate South Africa from the apartheid regime. Some of them never lived to taste the fruit of this democracy; they perished to pave the way for our future.
The department is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the promotion and preservation of our culture and heritage, in our attempt to honour the contribution of our heroes and heroines of the struggle in the province. We have commissioned a research project on our liberation heritage in the Gert Sibande District, and research in other districts is also scheduled in future years. In addition, we have commissioned the setting up of a three times life-size statue of Dr Pixley ka Seme in Daggakraal. He was one of the presidents of the ANC.
We are happy to announce that the Nomoya Masilela Museum in Bethal has been completed. We are in the process of preparing for the official opening. This museum will also play an important role in ensuring that community members get access to books and literature that depict our history, since most of our history was distorted during the past regime.
During this celebration month we, as a province, will be embarking on a campaign to visit the sites, which have been identified, where most of our liberators fell. To be exact, on 22 September we will visit The Hill, the mountain the Minister has just referred to, and also visit the families and the graves of the victims of the Lowveld Massacre, which took place 25 years ago in KaNyamazane. This will form part of honouring the role they played in the struggle for liberation for this country.
During the recent MuniMEC meeting that was held at the Nkangala Municipality on 6 September, all the MECs for culture and sport were requested to embark on a campaign to clean the graves of the fallen heroes and heroines of the struggle.
This year will also mark the 25th anniversary of the tragedy at Mbuzini, where President Samora Machel of Mozambique, and ministers and officials of the Mozambique government perished in a tragic plane crash. This event will be commemorated by both countries. The commemoration of this anniversary by both countries seeks to foster the relationship the countries have and the struggles they went through as countries seeking liberation.
In conclusion, Deputy Chairperson, it is crucial to celebrate our heritage as all South Africans, since it defines who we are and the type of society we want to achieve. The celebration of these events reminds all of us of the role played by our heroes and heroines in paving the way forward for democracy in this country. I thank you. [Applause.]
Madam Deputy Chairperson, I want to acknowledge the Minister of Arts and Culture, hon Mashatile, the MEC from Mpumalanga, hon Manana, and all other representatives from other parts of the country. I want to welcome them to the Western Cape. I also want to acknowledge my colleague next to me, hon Witbooi, from our provincial legislature.
Madam Deputy Chair, since the birth of our democracy Heritage Day has been dedicated to the heroes and heroines of our liberation struggle, and the names are known to most of us. Allow me a moment today to dedicate this speech to the many unknown heroes - workers, students and women domestic workers - who perished during our struggle for liberation. Allow me to pay tribute to a few of them this afternoon.
I want to start off with a person called Mr Isaac Petersen from Newfields on the Cape Flats. He was a furniture factory manager at Scandia Furniture in Epping, and he contributed extensively to organising and mobilising young factory workers and students to overthrow the evil apartheid government in South Africa. He did this in co-operation with people such as Trevor Manuel, hon Zoe Kota, Cheryl Carolus, Zubeida Jaffer, Johnny Issel and Marcus Solomons, to name but a few. To the youth, women and students of the Cape Flats, and specifically in Hanover Park, he was a great intellectual, who preached that you needed to have a theoretical basis and an understanding of economics, politics and sociology in order to overthrow the apartheid government. He always used to say, "Be better intellectually than your enemy."
The next is a woman, a very ordinary factory worker, Mrs Janet Jethro - she later became Meyer - also from Hanover Park. She opened her home to many young activists, providing food and a hiding place to those on the run from the South African security police. The network of community mothers that she organised is a living legacy to this day. Many activists would not be where they are today had she not taken them under her protective wing, and we want to acknowledge these people today. The third person is better known - Mr Hassan Howa, the first President of the South African Council on Sport. He was instrumental in sports liberation. The fact is that today we can celebrate our rugby and we can all acknowledge that the Springbok team belongs to all of us. He was instrumental in that and he coined the phrase, "No normal sport in an abnormal society."
Today, I want to pay very special tribute to these unsung, these relatively unknown, heroes and heroines of the liberation struggle. Let us remember and honour them, and many others, for the remarkable contributions and sacrifices they made in the fight for freedom.
Hon Deputy Chairperson, I want to add that this history doesn't belong to one group only. It belongs to many organisations, such as the South African Students' Organisation, the Unity Movement of South Africa, and the Azanian People's Organisation. It doesn't belong to one organisation. [Interjections.] For the record, I'm so happy that my colleague acknowledges my point. My colleague knows me very well. [Interjections.] We had good times. I was always a member. Yes.
Hon members, would you please stop the dialogue.
No celebration of Heritage Day is complete, however, without acknowledging the father of our nation, Tata Madiba. He and many other great struggle icons, such as Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, James Matthews, Helen Joseph, Helen Suzman and many other women, fought in our struggle. We have to add that they had a vision of South Africa being a unified nation with a shared future in which all South Africans had the opportunity to prosper. My colleague will support me when I say that.
Madam Deputy Chair, this vision was put into action on 27 April 1994, when all South Africans took to the polls to have a say in who should govern our beautiful country. The people spoke, and we saw the wheels of change turning - a democratically elected government was born, a government with a mandate to put this vision into action.
Madam Deputy Chair, 17 years later South Africa's leaders have deviated so fundamentally from this course of honesty that we are not seeing the fruits of a shared future in which all South Africans have the opportunity to prosper. In fact, we are seeing the fruits of a closed, crony society in which only the few politically connected people seem to benefit from the struggle that was waged. While countless South Africans go hungry, a few have enriched themselves through questionable ... [Interjections.]
Hon member, either choose your words carefully, or I shall stop you speaking. [Interjections.]
Can I continue, Madam? While countless South Africans go hungry, a few have enriched themselves through questionable tender deals, and they live lavish and ostentatious lives in the name of freedom and democracy. This stands in stark contrast to the DA's open opportunity society for all. It is ironic that the DA, as the Official Opposition, is taking Madiba's vision forward, while the ruling party cannot be further removed from it. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
The biggest heroes and heroines of our liberation struggle, though, are the ordinary people of South Africa. They are the ones who demanded ...
Hon member, would you sit down?
Chairperson, on a point of order: I want to know - and it should be answered now, not later - whether we have here in Parliament something called an Official Opposition or whether we have what is known as the largest minority party. Let us get this correct. [Interjections.]
Hon member, are you able to answer that or do you want to answer later?
[Inaudible.]
Fine. Then continue, because your time is running out.
They are the ones who chose a nonracial society and they are the ones who agreed to the Constitution, which protects the rights of all South Africans. It is these ordinary people, Madam Deputy Chair, who play a fundamental role in our heritage. They also have the power to shape our future, a shared future in which all South Africans have the opportunity to prosper ...
Hon Fritz, I posed a question. Are you going to answer or not?
No, I'm not going to answer. I have very little time.
Your reason being?
I just don't want to answer the question.
Okay.
Please, people, listen to the truth. Don't be afraid of the truth. Why are you so afraid of the truth? Comrade, why are you afraid of the truth?
Not from "crosstitutes".
Whatever that means! It depends on people's realising that they have the power to make it happen, and not the politicians like some of the hon people in this House today. Madam Deputy Chair, it is up to the people of this country to use the power of the vote, a power that they now have through the sacrifices of many struggle heroes, to ensure that we can in future celebrate a heritage of nation-building in a constitutional democracy.
This will be a heritage where all South Africans see the value and importance of defending our Constitution. This will be a heritage where all South Africans see the importance of holding politicians to account - the latter are the ones in Mercedes Benzes, and they become conspicuous among Volkswagens! [Interjections.] This will be a heritage where all South Africans see the value in changing their government when it fails to deliver. That is the value of this new South Africa. [Interjections.]
Order, hon members!
If South Africa can develop this democratic culture and choose an alternative, we will bequeath an important legacy to our children. That will be the legacy of truth. Thank you. [Applause.]
Deputy Chairperson and Minister, South Africa's struggle heroes and heroines, celebrated and unsung, characteristically possessed immense personal conviction, courage, and moral certitude. Fortified by such inner strengths, they made sacrifices regardless of the enormous cost to themselves and their families.
We hold these heroes and heroines in very high esteem, because they were unwavering in their commitment and stuck to their principles. They struggled and sacrificed to help us achieve the freedom we are enjoying today. We are all totally indebted to them.
In 1906, at the turn of the last century, Pixley ka Seme prophesied the regeneration of Africa and the birth of a new and unique civilisation. He foresaw the coming of a civilisation that would essentially be thoroughly spiritual and humanistic. He believed that this regeneration, when it occurred, would be moral and eternal.
Other leaders were also envisioning the dawn of a great and wonderful time with the demise of the apartheid regime. In 1961, the iconic Albert Luthuli, in a flight of poetic fancy, insisted that:
This is Africa's age - the dawn of her fulfilment, yes, the moment when she must grapple with destiny to reach the summits of sublimity ...
The heroes and heroines of the past fought against a brutal and oppressive regime, but in spite of all the vicissitudes of their lives, they kept their humanity intact. All of them saw the need to transcend race-based considerations to create a thriving South Africa for all.
The distinguished Robert Sobukwe, for example, shone a clear torch for all of us who may still be confused about who an African is. He said, in his forthright manner:
I have always made clear that by African I mean those, of any colour, who accept Africa as their home. Colour does not mean anything to me.
Fifty years later, in 1966, Bram Fischer urged fellow South Africans:
Only contact between the races can eliminate suspicion and fear; only contact and co-operation can breed tolerance and understanding.
In 1964, Nelson Mandela, in a similar strain, uttered words that will remain etched in our memories forever. He said:
I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for, and to see realised. But my Lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
Today, as we celebrate the role of these inspiring luminaries in our struggle history, we need to come ... [Interjections.]
Hon Plaatjie, take your seat.
Thank you very much, Deputy Chair. I just want to check if the member is prepared to take a question.
Hayi maan! [No man!] I have been allocated only three minutes. [Laughter.] Please, Madam Deputy Chair, I have only a few minutes, and I want to finish my speech.
Is the member prepared to take a question?
I won't take a question.
Will you answer the question?
I said no! [Laughter.] No.
Hon Plaatjie, no one is deaf in this House; So you don't have to shout. [Laughter.]
Excuse me, Madam Deputy Chairperson.
Today, as we celebrate the role of these inspiring luminaries in our struggle history, we need to come to finality on the issues of race in our country. Every Heritage Day should be an opportunity for us to take stock and remedy the deficiencies that exist in this regard, and thereupon reaffirm the ideals of our common humanity and the truth of our universal African ancestry. [Time expired.]
Deputy Chairperson, I am saddened; very much so. As we celebrate this day, Heritage Day, I see on today's speakers' list that my name is distorted! That is the only thing that I own and cherish. It is my only heritage!
Hon Mokgoro, allow me to say sorry for the misspelling of your name.
Thank you, Deputy Chair. Deputy Chairperson, Minister Mashatile, hon members, exactly 99 years and 255 days ago on this day the people's movement was founded in Mangaung, Bloemfontein. The movement is the oldest living national liberation movement in Africa, and next year, in exactly 110 days from today, 8 January 2012, this movement of the people will be celebrating its centenary, an historic achievement. In cricket we would say, "100 not out."
This is indeed a great achievement and we owe it to our founding fathers. Their vision to unite all our people to fight against colonialism in defence of their rights and freedom is what we cherish today.
This vision was shared in 1911 by Pixley ka Seme, when he said:
The demon of racialism ... must be buried and forgotten ... We are one people. These divisions, these jealousies, are the cause of all our woes and of all backwardness and ignorance today.
Today, as we look back with pride, we must pay tribute to all our national heroes, the great visionaries of our struggle and true leaders of our people, whose vision and deeds have enriched the pages of human history. The ANC has over the decades produced leaders who had clarity of vision, and unwavering commitment and dedication to the cause of freedom. They understood the political conflict in South Africa very well, and how it could be resolved.
History will not forgive us if we do not remember all the heroes and heroines of the many wars of resistance that were fought after the arrival of the first settlers from Europe by the gallant and brave San and Khoi, the Xhosa tribes in the Cape, and all our people.
King Adam Kok, the first leader of the Khoisan people was incarcerated and held in the Castle, in a section of it which was called the Donker Gat. Adam Kok was held because he refused to submit to the demands of colonialism. Many leaders of the Khoisan, such as Autshumato, and his niece, Krotoa, were some of the first prisoners on Robben Island, in 1658 and 1669 respectively. The Khoisan people resisted colonialism from the very beginning and paid a high price for that. Some were even banished to Batavia, today part of Indonesia, because of their opposition to colonialism. Many lost their lives.
We are happy that the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs is currently processing and finalising the National Traditional Affairs Bill, which will give recognition to the Khoisan people.
From the beginning our leaders, Dr John Langalibalele Dube, Solomon Plaatje and others, in response to the formation of the union, committed themselves to fighting the demons of colonialism. They challenged the introduction of the Natives Land Act of 1913 and passes which controlled the movements of Africans. They sent delegations and petitions to Britain to appeal the laws, but all those attempts were continuously ignored, and thereafter government policies became harsher and more racist.
During the period after its establishment in 1912 the ANC began a passive and nonviolent struggle against colonialism. The leaders were John Langalibalele Dube from 1912 to 1917; Sefako Makgatho from 1917 to 1924; Z R Mahabane, who served his first term from 1924 to 1927; Josiah Gumede from 1927 to 1930; Pixley ka Seme from 1930 to 1936; Z R Mahabane, who served his second term from 1937 to 1940; and A B Xuma from 1940 to 1949.
Anton Lembede led a young group of leaders from the ANC Youth League in 1944 which radically changed the programme of the ANC and boosted the leadership of Dr James Sebe Moroka. In 1949 the young leaders brought new life to the movement. Here I am referring to leaders such as Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela and many others, who believed that Africans would be freed only by their own efforts. They began to involve the masses of the people in militant struggles and introduced the programme of action later adopted by the ANC in 1949.
This started the Defiance Campaign against the racist laws of the then government. The Defiance Campaign made huge gains for the ANC because, firstly, it increased its membership. Secondly, it resulted in closer co- operation between the ANC and the South African Indian Congress. Thirdly, it led to the formation of new organisations, such as the South African Coloured People's Organisation and the South African Congress of Democrats, which was an organisation of white democrats. These organisations, together with the South African Congress of Trade Unions, Sactu, formed the Congress Alliance.
Led from the front by Chief Albert Luthuli, who became the ANC President in 1952, Comrades Walter Sisulu, Yusuf Dadoo, Oliver Tambo, Ismail Cachalia, Nelson Mandela and other Congress Alliance leaders came together to organise what was called the Congress of the People, a conference of all the people of South Africa, which presented people's demands for the kind of South Africa they wanted. The demands called for, among other things, the people to govern; the land to be shared by those who worked it; houses; work and security; and free and equal education. These demands, drawn together, resulted in a document called the Freedom Charter, which was then adopted at the Congress of the People in Kliptown on 26 June 1955.
Also, under the leadership of Prof Z K Matthews and Lionel Bernstein, who played a critical role, the Congress Alliance was a big success and of great importance. It brought blacks and whites together on a much greater scale in the fight for justice and democracy. The Congress Alliance was an expression of the ANC's policy of nonracialism. This was expressed in the Freedom Charter, which declared that "South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white". [Interjections.] I was telling you that the other day.
However, the massacre of peaceful protestors in Sharpeville and the government banning of the ANC and the PAC left our leaders with no other choice but to take up arms. They went underground and continued to organise secretly. That led to the formation of our glorious people's army, uMkhonto weSizwe, MK, to hit back using all the means within our power in defence of our people, our future and our freedom.
Hon Mokgoro, can you sum up please? Your time is up.
It can't be up. I have just read two pages here. [Laughter.] It cannot be up.
Hon veteran, your time is over.
Let me just conclude by saying we have a country that is vibrant, that can lead and that can take the initiative. We must not fly; we must not drive; we must walk across Africa in order for us to connect with our heritage, Africa and the people of Africa. I thank you.
Deputy Chairperson, hon members, Minister, today is a day of celebration of the history of the diverse South African people. [Interjections.]
Ngicela ukuvikeleka Sekela likaSihlalo, uyangiphazamisa. Uma sikhuluma ngosuku lwamasiko mhlonishwa Ngqongqoshe sikhuluma ngokuziqhenya kwethu njengabantu abamnyama base-Afrika. Lokhu okwenziwa amakhosi aleli lizwe, njengeNkosi yaBapedi yaseSekhukhuneland, amakhosi aseMpumalanga Koloni, khona lapha, umnikelo omkhulu ekuvikeleni amasiko okufanele siziqhenye ngawo.
Uma ngikhumbula isehlakalo seNkosi uCetshwayo kaMpande, lapho ... (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Protection, please, Deputy Chairperson; he or she is disturbing me. When we talk about a cultural day, hon Minister, we talk of our pride as black people of Africa. What the chiefs of this country - such as the Bapedi chief of Sekhukhuneland, and the chiefs of the Eastern Cape - are doing constitutes a great contribution in protecting the cultures that we must be proud of.
When I remember what happened to King Cetshwayo the son of Mpande, where ...]
UMBHEXESHI OYINTLOKO WE-NCOP: Mhlalingaphambili, ndinesiphakamiso sonqwanqwado: Bendicela ukubuza kwilungu eli ukuba kuphi eKoloni, iyintoni iKoloni?
USEKELA SIHLALO WEBHUNGA LAMAPHONDO LESIZWE: Lungu elihloniphekileyo, uza kukwazi ukuphendula? (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[The CHIEF WHIP OF THE NCOP: Hon Chairperson, I have a point of order: I would like to ask the hon member where the colony is, and what the colony is.
DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon member, will you be able to respond?]
UMntwana M M M ZULU: Ngeke ngikwazi ukuphendula, isikhathi asikho, ngizomuphendula uma sesisobabili. [Uhleko.] Uma amakoloni ayekwazi ukuhlanganyela ukumunca isithunzi somuntu omnyama. Ekwazi ukudicelela phansi konke okungamasiko akhe, aze nenkolo yasentshonalanga ukuba sikholwe ngokholo lwasentshonalanga, sibukele phansi amasiko ethu, kodwa ngithi laba abaqhuba umzabalazo asebebaliwe, onke amaqhawe omzabalazo, akumela lokho ukuthi sigcine sonke sikwazi ukushumayela izwi elilodwa.
Kodwa izinselelo zikhona mhlonishwa Ngqongqoshe kufanele sithuthukise izilimi zesintu kulolonke izwe laseNingizimu Afrika. Siyeke ukuba seNgilandi ngoba yiwona amaNgisi asenza kanje, njengoba siyizinkedama nje. Sikwazi ukuthi sikumele kuzo zonke lezo zindlu zethu zokushaya umthetho kuleli lizwe eziyisishiyagalolunye, nazo lezi ezimbili la ezisezingeni likazwelonke ukuba akwazi amasiko ethu nezilimi zethu zama-Afrika ukuboneleleka.
Ngoba lapha entshonalanga uyakwazi ukuthi ngisho umakhelwane elamba umcishe ngoba usebenzisa imfundiso yasentshonalanga. Lokhu kwethu kwase-Afrika uyakwazi ukuthi umshiyele ukudla adle asuthe kukhanye ekhaya.
Ngithi-ke, lesi sicelo sami ngisibona sibaluleke kakhulu kunayo yonke into, singakhuluma kuze kuse sibeke yonke imibono emihle nemibi. Kodwa iqiniso elikhona nelimsulwa ukuthi kwabona abantu bakithi abasungula umzabalazo bagcina sebengamazimtiti uqobo ngoba bebalekela ukushisa kwezembe lobandlululo ngaleso sikhathi.
Ngithi ngaleyondlela kufanele sikubheke, mhlonishwa, ukuthi okungokwethu siyakugcina. Ngixolise ukuthi imvunulo yami idliwe amagundane ngoba bengizofika ngimuhle kabi, nanokuthi leli lase Ntshonalanga Koloni liyahlupha kumakhaza njalo! Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Prince M M M ZULU: I can't respond; there's no time. I will respond when we are alone. [Laughter.]The colonies were able to degrade the black man's dignity by destroying and undermining all his cultural possessions, and by bringing in Western religion. But those who fought have been mentioned; all the struggle heroes fought so that we can speak as one.
However there are challenges, hon Minister, and we must promote the indigenous languages in the whole of South Africa. Let us refrain from using English, because it was the very English people who made us the orphans we are now. We must be able to defend this position in all nine legislatures and in these two national Houses so that our cultures and African languages are considered.
In Western culture you can even neglect your hungry neighbour because you are practising Western teachings. In our African culture you can share some food with him or her, and his or her home becomes a home. What I am saying is that I regard my request as a very important one, compared to everything else. We can talk for days on end presenting all the good and bad opinions, but the truth is that even our very own people who started the struggle ended up applying for exemption by changing their race in order to avoid the hardships that were suffered as a result of apartheid during that time.
In that way, hon Minister, I say that we must make sure that we preserve what is ours. Let me apologise for the fact that my traditional gear was damaged by the rats, because I would have arrived looking stunning. The Western Cape is always very cold as well! Thank you.]
Me J WITBOOI (Wes-Kaap): Agb Voorsitter, Minister, LURe van die ander provinsies en lede van die NRVP, in die boek, Roll of Honour, deur Archie Sibeko, word die leser meegevoer deur die gebeure wat onteenseglik bygedra het tot die bevrydingstryd, en die totstandkoming van ons eerste demokratiese verkiesing in 1994.
Wat die boek - wat handel oor die helde en heldinne in die Wes-Kaap in die tydperk 1953 tot 1963 - so merkwardig maak, is dat baie van hierdie helde nooit vermeld sou word nie en dus baie maklik vergeet sou word. Terwyl ons vanjaar aan ons helde en heldinne van die bevrydingstryd erkenning wil gee, is dit dan ook gepas dat ons hierdie onbekroondes se lof ook besing. Laat ons hulle vir hul bydrae salueer. Ons geniet vandag die soete vrugte van 'n bevryde Suid-Afrika.
Archie Sibeko, Chris Hani, Zola Skweyiya en ander het, met toegewydheid tot hul studies, die weg gebaan vir ander jong mense, en hul bewus gemaak dat opvoeding en geletterdheid by verre die onbetwiste wapen tot algehele self- bevryding is, en dat die beste erfdeel wat enige mens jouself, die gemeenskap waarin jy funksioneer en die organisasie waaraan jy behoort, kan bied, deur te studeer bereik kan word.
Maar di helde moes ook groot uitdagings te bowe kom. Hulle moes die apartheidsregering fnuik. Hulle moes sekuur en betyds met mekaar kommunikeer. Hulle moes die vermo besit om uitvoering aan hul planne te gee, en hulle moes male sonder tal hul emosies agteruit skuif en die taak op hande voorop stel.
Dit was spesiale mense wat nooit mag toegelaat het dat hulle van koers gedwing word nie; wat op mekaar aangewese was om hul doel te bereik; wat mekaar met hul lewens moes vertrou; en wie nie 'n oog sou knip om hulself bereid te verklaar om hul lewens in die stryd teen apartheid te verloor nie.
Dit is wanneer ons na die ererol in Archie Sibeko se boek kyk, en van hul ontberings lees, dat ons besef dat hulle bereid was om vir mekaar te sterf. Groter nog, is dat hulle bereid was om vir die totstandkoming van die nuwe Suid-Afrika te sterf.
Erfenismaand 2011 bied ook aan ons die geleentheid om op die spoor van die grootste leier van almal terug te stap. Ons held en ikoon, Nelson Mandela se beroemde woorde:
Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.
Dit is een van die kosbaarste erfenisse waarop ons as die ANC vandag trots kan wees. Elke Suid-Afrikaner, en veral die voorheen onderdruktes, behoort daardie woorde te koester en hulself die versekering toe te eien:
Never, never and never again ...
Soos tromme in die woude behoort die blye boodskap van die ANC deur ons ore te weerklink -
never again ...
Nooit weer hoef ons pasboeke te dra nie. Nooit weer hoef ons te vrees om vrylik te beweeg nie. Ons hoef nooit weer toe te laat dat ons tot uitsetting gedwing word, of onbillike afleggings moet trotseer nie. Nooit weer mag daar teen ons gediskrimineer word nie. Nooit weer hoef Suid- Afrikaners in hul eie land soos bywoners behandel te word nie. Nit weer nie. Ons mag met reg feesvier in Suid-Afrika, en elke held en heldin wat uitsonderlik tot ons groot erfenis bygedra het, herdenk. Dit was nie 'n maklike tyd nie.
Dit is daarom dat Archie Sibeko in die boek melding maak dat baie van ons helde nie geleef het om die vryheid te ervaar waarvoor hulle so hard gewerk het nie. Rev Marawu, Johnny Mtini, Lindiwe Sibeko, Annie Silinga, Dora Tamana en baie ander, het die hoogste prys betaal sodat ons 'n vry Suid- Afrika kan geniet. Geen geld ter wereld kan so 'n vryheid koop nie. Ons bring dus dankbare hulde aan hulle.
Die grootste eer, egter, wat ons ons helde kan bewys, is om die verhaal van Suid-Afrika se vryheid aan die geslagte wat kom, te kan vertel. Daar is nog baie wat nie vertel is nie. Ons mag nie toelaat dat ons kinders en kleinkinders ons land se geskiedenis as vanselfsprekend aanvaar nie.
Apartheid was daar vir ons, ons ouers en ons grootouers om te ervaar, en dit was pynlik. Geslagte later ly ons nog daaronder. Die hoogveraadsaak teen Nelson Mandela en die ander leiers van die ANC het werklik plaasgevind. Robbeneiland en die tronk vir politieke leiers is nog altyd hier in die Wes-Kaap. In 1994, die eerste demokratiese verkiesing in Suid-Afrika, het geskiedenis plaasgevind. Dit is iets om ons kinders te vertel.
Never, never and never again ...
... is ges deur ons eerste demokraties-verkose president tydens sy inhuldigingstoespraak. Ons eie President Nelson Mandela is wreldbekend, wreldberoemd, en wreldbemind. Die storie van Suid-Afrika mag nooit dof word nie. Van die oudste grysaard tot die jongste kind moet verstaan hoe ons vryheid verwerf is.
Ons verwelkom ons Minister van Kuns en Kultuur, Minister Paul Mashatile, se pogings om Suid-Afrikaners van ons erfenis programme te laat deel word. Ons, die ANC in die Wes-Kaap, sal sorg en toesien dat u planne in die Wes- Kaap uitgevoer word. [Applous.] [Tussenwerpsels.]
Ons staan vandag met eerbied om onsself weereens te verbind tot die een erfenis belofte.
Adjunkvoorsitter, ons gaan nie toelaat dat mense van plase afgesit word - soos wat ons nog hierdie week wat verby is van gehoor het - in die Wes-Kaap nie.
Ons moet praat, as ons na 17 jaar van demokrasie nog by skole in die Wes- Kaap kom waar daar 'n biblioteek is waarin daar "Afrikaanse fiksie", "English fiction" [Engelse fiksie] and "black language" boeke is. Daar is elf amptelike tale in die land, en nie een van hul name is "black language" [swartalige] nie. Hierdie goed gebeur net in die Wes-Kaap - die eiland van die land. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Adjunkvoorsitter, die DA wil vandag - en ek hoor di tendens van hulle - ons groot ikoon en leier vir hulself eien.
Wie is "hulle"?
Me J WITBOOI (Wes-Kaap): Die DA. Hulle wil hom vir die DA eien, maar ek wil vir u s ...
Nou mag ons hom dan nie erkenning gun nie?
Me J WITBOOI (Wes-Kaap): In die heel eerste toespraak van ons ikoon en leier, het hy ges - en ek wil vir u aanhaal:
I am a loyal and disciplined member of the African National Congress. I am therefore in full agreement with all of its objectives, strategies and tactics.
[Applous.]
Dis wat Nelson Mandela is, en ons salueer hom vandag vir die groot erfenis wat hy aan ons nalaat. Ons sal verseker dat ons kinders en kleinkinders, in elke tree wat hulle neem, daarvan bewus gemaak sal word dat Suid-Afrika ... [Onhoorbaar.] [Tussenwerpsels] [Applous.]
Malibongwe! (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Ms J WITBOOI (Western Cape): Hon Chairperson, Minister, MECs of the other provinces and members of the NCOP, in the book Roll of Honour by Archie Sibeko, the reader is carried away by the events which undoubtedly contributed to the freedom struggle and the realisation of our first democratic election in 1994.
What makes the book - which deals with the heroes and heroines in the Western Cape during the period 1953 to 1963 - so remarkable, is that many of these heroes were never mentioned and could very easily be forgotten.
This year, while we wish to give acknowledgement to our heroes and heroines of the freedom struggle, it is also appropriate to give praise to these unsung heroes. Let us salute them for their contribution. Today we are enjoying the sweet fruits of a liberated South Africa.
Archie Sibeko, Chris Hani, Zola Skweyiya and others, while being committed to their studies, paved the way for other young people and made them aware that education and literacy were by far the most important weapon for total self-liberation and that the best legacy that one can leave for oneself, the community in which one functions and the organisation to which one belongs, can be acquired by studying.
But these heroes also had to overcome great obstacles. They had to thwart the apartheid government. They had to communicate accurately and timeously with one other. They had to have the ability to execute their plans, and frequently had to put their emotions aside and prioritise the task at hand.
These people were special in that they never allowed themselves to veer off course; they were dependent upon one other to reach their goals; they had to trust one other with their lives; and they would not hesitate to declare themselves prepared to lose their lives in the struggle against apartheid.
When one looks at the honours roll in Archie Sibeko's book and reads of their hardships, one realises that they were prepared to lay down their lives for one other. Moreover, they were prepared to die for the realisation of the new South Africa.
Heritage Month 2011 also gives us the opportunity to walk in the trail of the greatest leader of them all. In the famous words of our hero and icon, Nelson Mandela:
Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.
That is one of the most precious legacies that we as the ANC can be proud of today. Every South African, and especially the disadvantaged, ought to cherish those words and stand by the assurance that:
Never, never and never again ...
The joyful message of the ANC ought to resound in our ears like the sound of drums in the woods -
never again ...
Never again will we have to carry passbooks. Never again do we have to be afraid of moving around freely. Never again do we have to allow forced removals or unjust retrenchments. Never again may we be discriminated against. Never again do South Africans have to be treated like second-class citizens in their own country. Never again. We have every right to celebrate in South Africa and honour every hero and heroine who made an outstanding contribution to our great legacy. Those were difficult times.
For that reason Archie Sibeko refers in his book to the fact that many of our heroes did not survive to experience the freedom for which they fought so hard. Rev Marawu, Johnny Mtini, Lindiwe Sibeko, Annie Silinga, Dora Tamana and many others paid the highest price so that we would be able to enjoy a free South Africa. No amount of money in the world can buy such freedom. Therefore we honour them with our gratitude.
However, the greatest honour that we can bestow on our heroes is to tell the tale of the freedom of South Africa to future generations. Many stories are still untold. We must not allow our children and grandchildren to take the history of our country for granted.
Our parents and our grandparents experienced apartheid and it was painful. Generations later we are still suffering the consequences. The high treason case against Nelson Mandela and the other leaders of the ANC really took place. Robben Island and the prison for political leaders are still situated in the Western Cape.
With the first democratic election in 1994 history was made in South Africa. That is something we can tell our children about.
Never, never and never again ...
... was said by our first democratically elected president during his inauguration speech. Our own President Nelson Mandela is world-famous, world renowned and beloved all over the world. The story of South Africa must always be told. From the oldest grey-haired person to the youngest child must understand how we won our freedom.
We welcome the efforts of our Minister of Arts and Culture, Minister Paul Mashatile, to make South Africans part of our heritage programmes. As the ANC in the Western Cape we will take care to ensure that your plans are carried out in the Western Cape. [Applause.] [Interjections.]
Today we stand here with deference to once again commit ourselves to the one heritage promise.
Deputy Chairperson, this past week we have heard that people were removed from farms in the Western Cape, and we will not allow that.
We have to talk if, after 17 years of democracy we encounter schools in the Western Cape where there is a library with "Afrikaans fiction", English fiction and "black language" books. There are 11 official languages in the country, and not one of them is called "black language". These things only happen in the Western Cape - an island in our country. [Interjections.]
Deputy Chairperson, today the DA - and I have noticed this tendency of theirs - claim our great icon and leader for themselves.
Who are "they"?
The DA. As the DA they want to claim him for themselves, but I want to tell you ...
Are we not allowed to give him recognition?
In his very first speech our icon and leader said - and I want to quote:
I am a loyal and disciplined member of the African National Congress. I am therefore in full agreement with all of its objectives, strategies and tactics.
[Applause.]
That is what Nelson Mandela said, and today we salute him for the great heritage he is leaving us with. We shall ensure that our children and grandchildren, with every step that they take, are made aware of the fact that South Africa ... [Inaudible.] [Interjections.] [Applause.]
HON MEMBERS: Malibongwe! [Praise be!]
Deputy Chairperson, ...
Ke emela fela go leboga. [Im just standing up to say thank you.]
I sat smiling throughout the afternoon because if I had been in the ANC I would have called this an umrabulo [political education]. That is because I think so much has been said this afternoon that is very educative. It is a pity that the students are gone, but I am sure that in order to teach people, the researchers of the NCOP could write a very good book entitled Honouring our Heroes, using the members' speeches of today. I don't know if they could, but it would be a good thing to do because, as we proceed with the National Liberation Heritage Route, we are going to need these true stories of the history of our people and their lives of bravery and sacrifice.
I want to thank members, because we must never try to rewrite history. I think we must tell it as it is. [Interjections.] That it is very important, and I think to a large extent all members try to do that. We must write this history correctly, including the songs. [Interjections.] You know, this history of our people cannot be told by the courts; it must be told by us in assemblies such as this. It must be written down properly and it must never be banned. I think this is very important, and we are on the right journey; there are a many unsung heroes to be honoured.
As we go on with this task, we will go everywhere in the country to remember heroes, to remember the people who have fallen. We will also remember the Afrikaner women and children who died in concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War. We will remember them because they too were victims of the history of this country. We will go to the frontier wars, the wars of resistance, and the events of today, and write the history properly.
I think we have started on the right note. This umrabulo [political education] must be documented properly, including in the Western Cape. I would say there's a worry that the Western Cape might do something else! [Interjections.] However, from listening to the speakers I think we are moving together.
We will remember the kings of the Khoisan. We will remember everybody. As I said earlier, those on this journey, who walked this road before us, included kings, chiefs, warriors and revolutionaries. They were all on this long road that we have travelled.
So, hon members, I would like to thank you very much. As I said, this is not a once-off debate. This issue of honouring heroes is not a one-month thing; it is the beginning of a journey. That's what we are going to do. I said in the National Assembly that we would erect monuments in their honour. We will build museums that will tell their stories of bravery and sacrifice. The children and the generations to come must learn this history of honour, and I think that is what we must do.
I think hon Xasa said earlier that we should teach this history in the schools. Our children must be taught the correct history. So, hon members, you are writing that history. With your little speeches today you were doing exactly that. We thank you very much. I am sure that, if your researchers are not lazy, they will do what I have suggested and put a book together. If the NCOP does not have the money, my department will sponsor it. Thank you.
Debate concluded.