Speaker, I am now responding to the same issue, but from a Public Works' perspective, on behalf of the Minister of Public Works, as his Deputy, and not the Deputy of someone else who might just have spoken.
Hon Watson, you provoked tremendous nostalgia on this side of the House for previous Chief Whips of the DA and Deputy Chief Whips. Douglas Gibson, Ian Davidson, and Mike Ellis were all sensible and critical of us, but they understood Parliament and what it was about. [Applause.] They didn't plumb the depths and discredit Parliament by treating it like a cheap playhouse. They were not ham-fisted and clumsy. You quoted the Chief whip of the ANC saying that the purpose of public debates in Parliament is to enlighten the public. I would suggest that enlightenment is not a strong suit of yours and particularly of the party that you are currently leading here in Parliament.
As the executive and Parliament, we certainly and absolutely owe the public explanations for how public money is spent. If money is misspent, we also owe explanations of how it was misspent and why it was misspent. [Interjections.]
Order, hon members!
For exactly those reasons, as Minister Nzimande has said, the DA requested the Public Protector to look into this matter. As the Department of Public Works, we have indicated our full co- operation with the Public Protector in this matter because we also want to get to the bottom of expenditure. [Interjections.]
Before this matter arose in Parliament ... [Interjections.]
Order, hon members!
... the Minister of Public Works requested the Auditor-General to look into and thoroughly investigate expenditure in all special projects falling under Public Works, not only this particular one of the President's private residence. As the Department of Public Works and the executive of the ANC, we are very keen to understand where the money is being spent, how it is being spent, why it is being spent and if there is any misuse of funds. Therefore, at this stage, the Chief Whip was absolutely correct to say that we should ... [Interjections.][Time expired.]
What is your point of order?
Speaker, you knew I was rising on a point of order.
Please take your seat, hon member!