They haven't been there for five years!
We have done a lot to promote national reconciliation and nation-building. The democratic government also made the removal of racist legislation from the statutes its first task in 1994. Hon Manamela revealed last night that prejudice and racism were still very much a part of some sections of society, even in political parties that claim to be nonracial. [Applause.]
What was said by hon Manamela is supported by what former President Mandela said in his statement from the dock in 1964. He outlined the fundamental prejudice and beliefs that black people are subhuman. He said:
Menial tasks in South Africa are invariably performed by Africans. When anything has to be carried or cleaned, the white man will look around for an African to do it for him, whether the African is employed by him or not. Because of this sort of attitude, whites tend to regard Africans as a separate breed.
Maybe crude, not smooth.
That is a very generalised statement!
They do not look upon them as people with families of their own; they do not realise that they have emotions - that they fall in love like white people do; that they want to be with their wives and children like white people want to be with theirs; that they want to earn enough money to support their families properly, to feed and clothe them and send them to school.
They are crude; they are not smooth. That is a problem. [Applause.]
We are thus challenged to work harder still, to eradicate racism and related intolerances from society. It must not find its way into what we call "democratic expression". It must not. In our "democratic expression" we must detect that we are trying to bring reconciliation to all of us; that we are trying to build a new South Africa, a rainbow nation, in earnest.
There should be no insinuations of any other type, including those that undermine other people's cultures. There must not. We must build the nation that we want; the one that we all say we are working to build, particularly this House. This House represents the people out there, who have many different views, which is why we have many political parties. But I think there are ideas on which we all come together, namely that we want to unite our country and that we want to live in a nonracial South Africa - because a racial South Africa caused problems. Those ideas must come out in our interventions. We cannot play around with those matters - unless we did not know what apartheid and racialism was. Maybe some of us were not born then.
We trust that some members of the opposition will not be found wanting in this regard. When we talk about some of these things, we need to agree, as the leaders of political parties. These are some of the matters we cannot play around with. If this man Madiba, whom we love so much, could at one time, as a freedom fighter, have said the words I have just quoted, then that must tell you where we come from. [Interjections.] Don't make that remark, because I am going to talk about that changing of your mind. Usually, I do not want to do so. I am dealing with these matters here because some of us have the view that we are changing this Parliament into something that our own people, the ones who elected us, do not understand. They do not understand what is happening. They say so because they do not hear constructive things. [Interjections.]
I have said to the leaders of the opposition that I will respect an opposition that is constructive; not negative and destructive. An opposition that closes its eyes to reality because it has to find something negative reduces this Parliament into something that makes even young people say, "What is happening to this Parliament of yours?" They don't understand. [Interjections.] [Applause.] There is no respect - nothing. What are we teaching the citizens who voted for us?
I would imagine that we all need to accept reality. We are not helping people out there - nor the country, for that matter. Even if we differ, let us differ with respect. [Applause.]
One of the strong points of the ANC is that for over a century, it has always differed from its opponents with respect. [Interjections.]
HON MEMBERS: Oh no, no, no!
That is why the overwhelming majority of this country will continue to vote for the ANC. Even when negative things are said about the ANC by the people who knew oppression, when it comes to voting, those people will vote for the ANC. That is because in the ANC they see the future; an organisation that is working to change South Africa. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
It would be very meaningful if opposition parties engaged in matters of policy and in matters of importance in terms of where we are going. They should not just shout as loudly as they can. As Shakespeare said in Macbeth, they are "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing". [Applause.] As the ANC, after a debate, we want to sit back, think and consider what people have said. We do not just want to recall noise and anger, which we then will not worry or think about, because it does not help. [Interjections.]
Many who are present here and who have been around will know that we have tolerated extreme - extreme -victimisation in this country. [Interjections.] We have learnt that it is not right to do so; that you must liberate the oppressor - and that is what we have done. Those who have remarked here that they have changed their minds - we made them change their minds! [Laughter.] We will continue to do so. [Applause.] You can pile on the personal insults but we will not respond. We are not going to respond because we can't go to your level. I do not know whether you are too high or too low. [Applause.] I do not know; I can't describe it.
We learned with sadness the news of the passing of Mrs Freda Cronin, the mother of Deputy Minister Cronin. We extend our sincere condolences to the Deputy Minister and his family. Also allow me to extend our good wishes to trade unionist and freedom fighter Reg September, who turns 90 today. [Applause.] May he have many more!
On 17 August 2013, the Departments of Sports and Recreation and of Arts and Culture will host the inaugural Nelson Mandela Sports Day in Johannesburg. The Springboks and Bafana Bafana will share a field, taking on foreign opponents. This will be followed by a cultural diversity international concert. The event is part of celebrating the legacy of Madiba. It will also promote nation-building, reconciliation and patriotism.
We wish all young people a successful national Youth Day commemoration on 16 June. We also extend good wishes to all fathers because 16 June this year is also Father's Day. [Applause.] Let us remember that South Africa is indeed a much better place than it was 19 years ago.
On behalf of the Deputy President, the two Ministers and our Deputy Minister, we thank you all for your support of our Budget Vote. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
The House adjourned at 14h54.