Chairperson, I do not think the Chief Whip knows what is going on in this debate. If he will concentrate on the debate, he will know what is going on. I know exactly what is going on in the debate, but the Chief Whip does not know what is going on in the debate.
Die Nuwe NP sal hierdie wetgewing aanvaar, maar ons wil ons teleurstelling uitspreek oor die feit dat die ANC nie gehoor gegee het aan versoeke van tradisionele leiers om op 'n meer aanvaarbare wyse wesenlike inspraak in plaaslike owerhede in hul eie gebied te h nie. Die erkenning van die Minister se departement in die media dat hy nie die vrese van tradisionele leiers bevredigend gehanteer het nie, is 'n duidelike bewys dat die ANC nie die belange van tradisionele leiers op die hart dra nie.
Die Regering erken dat hy reeds geruime tyd van tradisionele leiers se ontevredenheid bewus was en die vraag ontstaan dus waarom daar nou eers dringend en spoedeisend gereageer word. Dis niks anders nie as 'n bewys van 'n vrot en onsimpatieke Regering en 'n poging om tradisionele leiers 'n rat voor die o te draai met lippediens.
Die Nuwe NP het destyds 'n beroep op die Regering gedoen om die gedentifiseerde en wettige tradisionele leiers se gebiede as plaaslike owerhede af te baken eerder as om dit te versnipper. Die Nuwe NP het verder ook 'n beroep op die Regering gedoen om tradisionele leiers inspraak en stemreg in plaaslike rade sowel as in hierdie Raad te gee.
Deur sy halstarrigheid het die ANC weer eens bewys dat hy 'n party is net vir sommige ``comrades'' en elite arbeidsleiers. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The New NP will accept this legislation, but we want to express our disappointment about the fact that the ANC has not responded to requests of traditional leaders to have a material say in local governments in their own areas in a more acceptable way. The admission of the Minister's department in the media that he has not dealt with the fears of traditional leaders in a satisfactory way clearly proves that the ANC does not have the interests of traditional leaders at heart.
The Government admits that it has been aware of the dissatisfaction of traditional leaders for some time now, and the question therefore arises as to why only now it is treating this as a matter of the utmost urgency. All this proves is that the Government is useless and unsympathetic and is trying to mislead the traditional leaders by paying lip service to this matter.
The New NP appealed to the Government at that stage to demarcate the areas of identified and legitimate traditional leaders as local authorities rather than fragmenting them. The New NP also requested the Government to give traditional leaders a say and a vote in local councils as well as in this Council.
The ANC's stubbornness has once again proved that it is a party only for certain comrades and elite labour leaders.]