Hon Chair of the NCOP, The Deputy Chair of the NCOP, permanent members of this House, members of the Provincial Executive Council present, special delegates to the NCOP, ladies and gentlemen. Chair, it gives us a great pleasure as the people of the home of legends that is the Eastern Cape Province to form part of this important debate, considering the report of the taking Parliament to the people as it was held in Gauteng Province in the city of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality last year. Same as the people of the Eastern Cape had of similar opportunity of inter-acting with Parliament directly in 2016.
We stand here as a living testimony that, once the NCOP had visited your province results can be seen and felt. Our people are only convinced when they see practically that we are serious about delivering services to them, so that they improve their conditions and standard of living. They become content when they see that our actions and messages are coherent in responding to their demands and expectations.
Therefore this places a duty and responsibility that as leaders of our people, wherever we are, must place at the centre of our actions the plight of our people. Our exercising of leadership role is required to be for the benefit and interest of our people. The
current epoch demand that all of us must uphold ethics and morals, values of ubuntu at all material times. As we do that important work, we must inspired by Amilcar Cabral who correctly puts it that:
Our struggle is for our people, because its objective, its purpose, is to satisfy the aspirations, dreams and desires of our people, to live a decent and worthy life, as all the peoples of the world want. To have peace, in order to build progress in their land, to build happiness, for their children. We want everything we win in this struggle to belong to our people and we have to do our utmost to form an organisation such that even if some want to divert the conquests of the struggle to their own advantage, our people will not let them. This is very important.
Chairperson, there is no doubt that the NCOP remains the hope of the provinces for fair representation in the governance of our country. We are delighted that provincial delegates continue to do us proudly in ensuring that people's interests are considered and taken seriously at the national level. The NCOP and its committees had done its work in uncovering the shortcomings or grey areas on the work of the government commonly across the provinces.
The main responsibility is now left with the public representatives assigned with responsibility of playing executive authority role in government departments to ensure that those shortcomings in the delivery of services are attended to. Chair, it is important to remember that every time we get together in these gatherings, we must recall as public representatives that it is our job to legislate and work with an eye to the short, medium and long term future. As well, we have to look over the horizon beyond the next general elections and ensure that as far as we can, what we do today will make South Africa a better place and a safer place for future generations to live in.
By having this debate, we are indeed practically sending a positive message to our people that when they give us their issues, they are giving them to people who caring and having their interests at heart. As people's representatives to all decision making platforms, we have a responsibility to work on these people's issues diligently because we know them.
IsiXhosa:
Asibabizi ngamagama esingawaziyo apha.
English:
There are still people who are trying to pronounce our names for the first time because they are in Parliament, yet for the past 300 years we had to learn their names. As well, we make sure that our created oversight structures and monitoring mechanisms assist us in responding to all the expectations of our people without failing.
In conclusion Chair, our functions as decision makers in life must not to be that of politicians in Parliament only, we must get things done. The report is clear; those who are supposed to deliver services must do so with zeal and zest. Those who are assisting with every important work of playing oversight role, as NCOP do through its vital select committees.
On behalf of the people of the province of Eastern Cape, the province that is led by the ANC, as it is going to win again after the 08 May 2019. We support the report and calling for the implementation for the benefit of our people. We are ready; we are ready for the new mandates.
IsiXhosa:
Siyakholelwa, abantu baya kulawula.
English:
Thanks you very much for the opportunity.