Acting Speaker, despite the ANC's rhetoric, South Africa seems to be more unequal than it was in 1993. To make matters worse - and I will qualify this - we now have a police service that has shot 34 miners dead; wildcat strikes across the country; thousands of miners being sacked; a widening wealth gap between the rich and the poor; a scourge of corruption; a downgraded credit rating; and an economy that is barely growing at 2%, while much of Africa soars at 6%.
This downturn has only one cause: our country's sad leadership under the ANC. To quote The Economist:
The ANC was dealt a bad hand in 1994, and it has played that (bad) hand badly.
This sorry saga will continue until we have a President who puts the people before his own status and power; a President who is capable of showing decisive leadership; a President who means what he says.
In an effort to deflect criticism of his rule, the President claimed that we should not be running our country down at a time like this. It is precisely because we love and believe in the potential of this country that we have to call the present leadership to task, and demand responsible and decisive actions that can move us forward. I thank you. [Time expired.]