Adjunkspeaker, as jy die President van 'n land is, is jy veronderstel om 'n sterk leier te wees. Sterk leierskap word deur optredes gedemonstreer. Die VF Plus verwag dus van die President van Suid- Afrika om sterk leiding te gee.
Dit is egter nie sterk leierskap wat geopenbaar word as die SA Nasionale Weermag troepe in 'n skermutseling verloor het en 'n debat in hierdie Parlement in die afwesigheid van die opperbevelhebber van die weermag plaasvind nie. Dit is nie sterk leiding dat as daar 'n Gupta-krisis ontstaan en die President net eenvoudig swyg nie. Dit is swak leierskap om dan vir 'n Minister te s om aan te kondig dat 'n bepaalde ondersoek gedoen gaan word. Sterk leierskap sou wees as die President self na vore getree het, dadelik opgetree het en ges het dat daar behoorlik ondersoek ingestel moet word. Adjunkspeaker, dieselfde geld ten opsigte van die Nkandla-aangeleentheid. Hoekom het die President nie self dadelik en vinnig opgetree nie? Hy moes daar die sterk leiding gegee het. Hy het te lank gewag, en dit skep geleentheid vir spekulasie deur die belastingbetaler wat R205 miljoen moes opdok.
Die agb President moet sterk leierskap openbaar en leiding gee ten opsigte van ons ekonomie, maar daar kom twee boodskappe uit die Kabinet. Aan die een kant is dit basies die kommuniste en sosialiste, en aan die ander kant wil hy die kapitalisme omarm. Alvorens die President nie sterk leierskap gee nie, kan die VF Plus nie hierdie begrotingspos ondersteun nie. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Deputy Speaker, if you are the president of a country, you are supposed to be a strong leader. Strong leadership is demonstrated through actions. The FF Plus therefore expects of the President of South Africa to provide strong leadership.
However, it is not a sign of strong leadership when the SA National Defence Force has lost troops in a skirmish and a debate has taken place in this Parliament in the absence of the commander-in-chief of the Defence Force. It is not a sign of strong leadership when the President simply remains silent when a Gupta crisis arises. It is weak leadership to then tell a Minister to announce that a certain investigation will be conducted. It would have been a display of strong leadership if the President came forward personally, acted immediately and said that a proper investigation would have to be conducted.
Deputy Speaker, the same applies in respect of the Nkandla issue. Why did the President not act immediately and swiftly? He should have provided strong leadership in this regard. He has waited too long, and it has given the taxpayer, who had to pay up R205 million, the opportunity to speculate.
The hon President has to display strong leadership and provide leadership with regard to our economy, but the Cabinet is sending out two messages. On the one hand, it is basically the communists and socialists, and, on the other hand, he wants to embrace capitalism. The FF Plus cannot support this Budget Vote until the President provides strong leadership. I thank you.]