Hon House Chairperson and hon Deputy Minister, firstly I find it quite shocking that the deadline of silencing the guns 2020, as now referred in your answer, to trying to resolve conflict on the continent by 2063. I doubt whether I would still be
alive to see that and I am one of the youngest members of this House. However, my actual question is the following Deputy Minister and it is actually sad that it is a laughing matter for some of the ANC members. Conflict on the African continent is very worrying. We have rather not we, your ANC government has applied silent diplomacy on every single matter that involved human rights violations on this continent at least since President Mbeki and you still continuing with that policy. You have applied silent diplomacy in every single matter and in some cases you have actually protected human rights violated.
My question to you is this: If silent diplomacy has not stopped the gross human rights violations in the rest of Africa, how is this policy going to silence the guns even by 2063? Thank you.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION (Ms K
C Mashego-Dlamini): Hon Chairperson, the hon member must understand that we have a founding principle of our Constitution in South Africa. We are making sure that we comply with the human dignity, equality and advancing human rights and freedom as it is enshrined in our Constitution. We cannot do any other things except respecting our Constitution of the land. [Applause.]