Chairperson, I will say it's fine. I will never be drowned out in any case.
The apartheid system should not only be equated with the violation of the civil and political rights of black South Africans. The systemic violation of the economic, social and cultural rights of black South Africans was an integral part of the apartheid project.
The state collective, under the leadership of the ANC, is grappling with the remaining effects of white privilege, and such an issue that we could speak to ... as that came ... ever since our democratic breakthrough in 1994, is the question of understanding the laws that were put together by one of the greatest philosophers of the 19th century, Karl Marx, where he spoke to the laws of dialectics. That breakthrough ... we have always understood it to be a unity of opposites, and many cannot understand the reason why some of us would still subscribe to dialectical materialism. [Applause.]
Black people suffered gross inequality to access ... [Interjections.] No, no, no, let me just give you an example to show and to illustrate this point of the unity of opposites. This crisis still persists precisely because of the fact that the old is not prepared to die. Go and read Gramsci, one of those philosophers advancing historical materialism. He will tell you why the old is not prepared to die. [Interjections.]
A typical and empirical example of those who refuse to die is Vicki Momberg, who was convicted - of course now she has appealed - of crimen injuria in 2018 ... [Interjections.] ... for using the kaffir word 48 times towards a black officer who was there to assist her after she experienced a ... What do you call it? A smash and grab
incident. It's a typical example of those who refuse to die ... [Interjections.] ... who refuse to accept the ... [Inaudible.] Unfortunately, I've not heard the DA making a statement about that.
Black people suffered gross inequalities to access social services resources and economic opportunities. Our communities were deliberately underdeveloped and lacked adequate sanitation, water, and refuse removal services, as well as decent housing, schools and clinics.
Several restrictions were placed on the rights of black workers. Job reservation, a product of both statute and convention, reserved many of the skilled and well-paid jobs only for whites. We would understand - not only now - the mining revolt in the 20s. You would understand why that was such a revolt in the gold mines and so forth. [Interjections.]
In the Western Cape, the government applied, of course unapologetically, a coloured labour preference policy which severely limited the employment opportunities for African workseekers in the region, and created racial friction between African and coloured workers. This racial friction is still being implemented by the government of the DA in the Western Cape.
Cultural rights were violated through manipulating the system of African customary law and codifying it into a rigid system which could not adapt appropriately to social and economic changes. Rural women were particularly disadvantaged. These conditions reproduced and perpetuated inequality. They broke a fundamental nucleus of society as espoused by Karl Marx, which is the family, because once the family is destroyed, society is severely affected. That's why we are dealing with some of these problems that we are faced with today.
Under the leadership of the ANC, eight out of 10 South Africans, including those in rural areas, have had their homes electrified since 1994. Six out of 10 South Africans have access to clean drinking water, which was not there before. Today the figure has even increased to nearly nine out of 10 South Africans, from what we inherited in 1994.