Hon Chairperson, hon members and South Africans at large, especially our learners here today, welcome. You are the future of this country. Chairperson, one of Parliament's important roles is to improve the government's budget for providing services to the people of South Africa. It is thus up to this House to ensure that public funds are spent on improving the quality of lives of South Africans. However, in order to do this we need a Parliament that functions effectively, otherwise we will fail in our duty to ensure that the quality of lives of people is changed for the better.
Chairperson I think we can all agree to this. And since we can all agree to this the questions that immediately follow in the minds of South Africans are: Are we actually ensuring that budgets are spent to change the lives of South Africans? Did we, for the past 25 years spent money to change South African's
lives? Will this ANC-led government in future make sure that budgets are spent on the people to change their lives? Will you at least start listening to the opposition in this Parliament as well?
The answer from most South Africans is a resounding no! Chairperson, it is no because South Africans can still remember how the ANC in this Parliament voted in favour of Jacob Zuma, to keep him on as President of this country on several occasions, while you were aware that he digs for himself and his family.