Mnr die Voorsitter, agb Minister, agb LUR'e en agb lede, ook ek wil ons President aanhaal. Dieselfde aanhaling is ook in die Minister se Begrotingsrede in die Nasionale Vergadering op 18 April 2000. Ek haal aan:
... at no other point in time have we ever been as well placed as we are today to take decisive forward steps towards the creation of the humane and people-centred society for which the organisations that were unbanned 10 years ago struggled for many decades.
Dit is wat die regeringsleier ges het en daaruit maak ek die afleiding dat ons nou die geleentheid gebied word om gemeenskappe te skep waar ons vir mekaar omgee.
Hierdie edel woorde word daagliks gevalueer deur die miljoene hulpelose mense daar buite, mense wat met kinderlike afwagting geglo het dat hulle swaarkry, hongerlyding en bedelstand n die 1994-verkiesing tot 'n einde sou kom. Vandag kry ons as lede van hierdie Huis weer die geleentheid om te kyk in watter mate ons daarin kon slaag om aan die armoede in ons land aandag te gee.
Kom ons begin by ons bejaardes; daardie weerlose groep mense wat steeds in die tyd waarin ons leef die prooi van genadelose mense is. Die meeste van hierdie gewetenlose misbruikers van ons bejaardes se pensioentoelaes is hulle eie families wat die sorgbehoewendes vergesel na die pensioentoelae betaalpunte om op die skamele bedraggies beslag te l.
Ook kry ons diegene wat die ou mense op hulle terugtogte inwag met invorderingsboekies om hulle drankskuld te delg. Tragies maar waar is ook die feit hierdie euwel nog steeds dwarsdeur die land voortduur en in baie gevalle steur die gemeenskappe hulle nie daaraan nie of hulle is magteloos om iets daaraan te doen.
Die Nuwe NP wil vandag 'n pleidooi lewer dat die Regering hom hard sal uitspreek teenoor hierdie tipe vergrype aan bejaardes se pensioentoelaes, en ons is dankbaar teenoor die Minister vir die feit dat hy genoem het dat ons 'n verslag hieroor afwag.
Daar is ook 'n ander aspek wat ek vandag onder die Huis se aandag wil bring. Mense probeer die persepsie daar buite vestig dat dit slegs die ANC is wat aandag aan ons behoeftes gee. Ek wil dit vandag in hierdie Huis noem dat dit van alle waarheid ontbloot is. In Citrusdal, waar ek vandaan kom, het 'n groep vroue hulle in so 'n mate in die lot van bejaardes ingeleef dat hulle met die hulp van vele vriende eiehandig woonstelle vir die armstes onder die armes opgerig het.
Sonder die hulp van die staat het die vroue bykans drie jaar lank onverwyld geswoeg om huisvesting te bied aan sorgbehoewende manne en vroue wat winter en somer onder bre en onder bosse geslaap het. Vandag bly hulle in hul nuwe tuiste, Heuwelrus. Hulle het lopende water, ligte en sanitasiegeriewe, en hulle is verlos van mense wat soos aasvols op hulle toesak op uitbetaaldag. Maklik was dit vir hierdie vroue nie. Daar was erge teenkanting teen hulle strewe om aan hierdie mense 'n beter oudag te bied.
Wat dit egter skokkend maak, is dat die grootste teenstand gekom het van die ANC-leiers in Citrusdal. Hulle wou nie deel wees van hierdie pragtige projek nie. Hulle alleen sal die antwoorde ken waarom nie. Vandag is hulle skaam, want die eerste ouma wat haar woonstelletjie betrek het, is die ouma van 'n prominente ANC-lid op Citrusdal. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Die Nuwe NP salueer die vele vrywillige werkers dwarsdeur die land... [Tussenwerpsels.] Ek weet agb lede is geskok. [Tussenwerpsels.] Ons weet agb lede is geskok. [Tussenwerpsels.] Ons was ook geskok. [Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mrs J WITBOOI: Mr Chairman, hon Minister, hon MECs and hon members, I too would like to quote our President. The same quotation is also in the Minister's Budget speech in the National Assembly on 18 April 2000. I quote:
... at no other point in time have we ever been as well placed as we are today to take decisive forward steps towards the creation of the humane and people-centred society for which the organisations that were unbanned 10 years ago struggled for many decades. This is what the Government leader said and from this I come to the conclusion that we are now given the opportunity to create communities where we care for each other.
These noble words are evaluated daily by the millions of helpless people out there, people who believed with childlike expectation that after the 1994 election their suffering, hunger and begging will come to an end. Today we, as members of this House, once again have the opportunity to see to which degree we succeeded in devoting attention to the poverty in our country.
Let us begin with the elderly; this vulnerable group of people who are still in this era in which we are living the prey of merciless people. Most of these unscrupulous abusers of the pension grants of our elderly are their own families who accompany the indigent to pay-points for pension grants to lay claim on that meagre amount.
There are also those who wait for the old people on their way back with recovery books so that they could settle their drinking debts. The tragic, but true fact is that these evils perpetuate throughout the country and in many instances the communities do not take any notice of it or are unable to do anything about it.
The New NP wants to appeal today that the Government will take a harsh stand against this type of offence of taking the pension grants of the elderly and we are grateful to the Minister for the fact that he mentioned that we are awaiting a report in this regard.
There is also another aspect which I would like to bring to the attention of the House today. People try to create the perception out there that it is only the ANC who devotes attention to our needs. I would like to mention in this House today that that is devoid of all truth. In Citrusdal, where I come from, a group of women felt the fate of the elderly to such a degree that with the help of many friends they themselves, with their own hands, built flats for the poorest of the poor.
Without the aid of the state, the women toiled without delay for almost three years to provide housing to indigent men and women who slept under bridges and bushes during winter and summer. Today they live in their new home, Heuwelrus. They have running water, lights and sanitation facilities, and they are rid of people who mob them like vultures on payday. It was not easy for these women. There was much resistance against the desire to present these people with a better old age.
However, what makes it shocking, is that the greatest resistance came from the ANC leaders in Citrusdal. They did not want to be part of this beautiful project. They alone will know the answers why not. Today they are ashamed, because the first grandmother who moved into her flatlet, is the grandmother of a prominent ANC member in Citrusdal. [Interjections.]
The New NP salutes the many voluntary workers throughout the country ... Interjections.] I know hon members are shocked. [Interjections.] We know hon members are shocked. [Interjections.] We were also shocked. [Interjections.]]