Deputy Speaker, I rise to respond to the statement pertaining to the late registration of births ending at sunset on December 2015. Late registration was necessitated by the fact that we had a legacy relating to our past, where the majority of South African citizens were disenfranchised.
In 1994, we introduced a process whereby South Africans who had previously been denied their citizenship could claim their citizenship well into their adulthood. Twenty years into our democracy, however, we believe it is time to end this process, and the Minister of Home Affairs has said that in December 2015, the late registration of birth, which has been thoroughly abused, I might add, comes to an end.
In this regard it behoves all of us, as Members of Parliament, MPs, to, ensure that there are no South Africans in our constituencies who are unregistered.
We have a year, approximately, until December 2015, and we would certainly call on South Africans and all Members of Parliament to ensure that we put our shoulder to the wheel and decisively put our past behind us. Thank you.