Thank you Deputy Speaker, the present set of the proposed legislation, in the phase of it may appear to assist the people but it is a serious blow to the poor and working people who already are suffering untold difficulties in the light of the huge haemorrhaging of public funds that have gone down the drain called the Zondo Commission.
What we are seeing is how much money of the people of South Africa has disappeared into nothing and the people that are left without places to go to, school to go, hospitals to go and so on.
The government is coming forward with a good story that it is now going to raise taxation so that the public can pay for the state-owned enterprises, SOEs, that have consumed so much of our money; for the Guptas and Bosasas, who have taken all the money; the poor must now pay more tax so that we cover up for the damage done.
We want to make the point simple. Unless we are given an explanation as to how we are going to recover these millions of rands, because the Minister of Finance has advised us not long ago that the money of the people has been finished. We are not in government but you are. You finished the money. [Interjections.] Therefore, please explain that. We are going to tell the people that you have wasted their money; you are chowing their money and now you are protecting your own corrupt collection of public funds. [Interjections.] We will not support this step. We will be there to tell the people. I thank you. [Applause.]