Chairperson, I must apologise: Some members were whispering here that they could hardly hear me. I am struggling to project my voice.
Hon members, I must thank you very much for all that has been said. Altogether it amounts to an expression of support for the Bill and we really appreciate it. I will attempt to deal with some of the specific points raised by members.
Hon Masilo, chairperson of the committee, drew attention to the penalties and I think that is one of the most important aspects, ie that there is a more serious price to be paid for endangering the lives of our people. She hinted that some of the committee members do smoke and I heard demands for them to be named.
I don't know why hon Govender said that he wished that hon Sulliman was in the House. [Laughter.] Perhaps they were suggesting that hon Sulliman had gone out to smoke. That's the only link I could draw between the two. I'm just pimping the hon member, hon Sulliman, that he talked about you in your absence suggesting that you had gone out to smoke!
Rre Thetjeng, kgang e ya ga mme Mazibuko ya batho ba dikgwebopotlana ba ba rekisang "diloose draw" tse go tweng di bitswa "diRDP" le dintlha tse di tlhagisitsweng ke rre Setona, ke nnete gore batho ba itshedisa ka tsona. O tla gakologelwa gore mme Mackay o rile go na le batho ba ba itshedisang ka diritibatsi, a le bona re tla re ba itshwarelwe ka ga ele fa ba thiba tlala? Re tshwanetse go utlwisisa, mme maikaelelo ele go ba ruta, re ba kgaleme gore re fitlhelele mo le bona batla utlwisisang gore go itshedisa ka tsela e e bolayang set?haba, bogolo bana, ga go a letlelelwa.
Bana ga ba kgone go tsena mo mabenkeleng le mo madirelong a mangwe a a rekisang motsoko, ba ya kwa "dispaza shop", nako dingwe ba roma ke rona batsadi ba bona. E ke ntlha e e tla tlhokang gore re e tshwaraganele re le set?haba. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[Mr Thetjeng, Ms Mazibuko's point about people with small businesses who are selling "loose draws", that are said to be called "RDPs" as well, and the points raised by Mr Setona are true. People are making a living out of them. You will remember that Ms Mackay mentioned that there are people making a living out of selling drugs. Are we also going to say they must be forgiven because they are avoiding starvation from hunger? We need to understand, with the aim of educating and reprimanding them in order to reach a point where they will also comprehend that making a living in a way that kills society, especially children, is not allowed.
Children are not allowed to enter shops and other outlets that sell tobacco products. Instead they go to the "spaza shops", and at times they are sent by their parents. This is an issue that we will need to tackle together as a nation.]