Mr Speaker, on Monday South Africans will be celebrating Heritage Day in various ways, emphasising our different cultures. We should all ponder this on the day and try to reach for those things that are common to us; those things that provide the glue that keeps us together as a nation. We should also try to serve our country better.
So far 2012 has been a dramatic year. We have had the joy of the Summer Olympics and the sadness of the Marikana massacre.
A great reminder of what we have achieved as a nation is hearing or singing our national anthem. It is a link with the true story of reconciliation after a difficult past, as this comes together in one beautiful song. Cosatu's attempt to destroy this little bit of magic in South Africa cannot have come at a worse time. Even to suggest that it is time to remove the English and Afrikaans parts of our anthem is insensitive, and the ANC cannot be silent on this issue.
We, as South Africans, should constantly remind ourselves that reconciliation does not fall from the sky. It involves hard work, constant self-examination by responsible individuals, and a certain collective behaviour. The blatant racism of white against black or vice versa can never be condoned. Let us make a personal effort every day to focus more on our common heritage and work harder towards reconciliation. Thank you.