Agb Voorsitter, as ons praat oor Internasionale Vrouedag, dan is dit uiteraard gepas om hulde te bring aan ons vroue. Die VF Plus wil vandag hulde bring aan daardie vroue wat 'n groot rol gespeel het in die geskiedenis, nie net van die Afrikanervolk nie, maar ook van die wreld.
As ons terugdink aan die Voortrekkers, was dit die vroue wat ges het dat hulle eerder kaalvoet oor die Drakensberge sou loop as om in daardie tyd onder 'n Britse regering te wees. Hulle het die voortou geneem. Hulle het die leiding geneem. As ons teruggaan na die Anglo-Boereoorlog van 1899- 1902, dan moet ons ook daaraan terugdink dat ongeveer 27 500 vroue en kinders in die konsentrasiekampe gesterf het.
Dit was egter Suid-Afrika en die Suid-Afrikaners wat in 1913 die eerste en enigste vrouemonument in die wreld opgerig het. Dis 'n monument ter herdenking van die rol wat vroue en kinders gespeel het. Dis die enigste in die wreld. Eers hier in die laat 1970s is 'n soortgelyke monument vir vroue in die Verenigde State van Amerika opgerig. Die geskiedenis van ons land toon dat ons graag hulde bring aan ons vroue in terme van hul prestasies en dit wat hulle opgeoffer het vir hul land.
Dit gebeur ook in vandag se moderne tyd. Ons dink aan Santie Botha wat verlede jaar aangewys is as die sakevrou van die jaar. Ons dink byvoorbeeld aan Susan Vosloo wat die hoof is van die kardiologiese afdeling van Groote Schuur-hospitaal, wat aan die voorpunt is van die mediese beroep en aan die sakefront. Al daardie vroue speel nog steeds hulle rol. Ook in vandag se tyd is daar soveel vroue wat die broodwinner is en wat die gesin aan die gang moet hou. Daarom bring ons hulde aan hulle en ons gee graag erkenning vir dit wat hulle doen.
Voorsitter, die woorde van die agb Minister is hol woorde as hy hier kom praat en vertel van die prestasies van die ANC en wat hulle vir vroue gedoen het. Hoekom s ek dit? Ek wil vir die agb Minister s solank hulle toelaat dat Jimmy Manyi s dat wit vroue nie deel kan wees van regstellende aksie nie, mislei u uself. [Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, when we speak about International Women's Day then it is, naturally, appropriate to pay tribute to our women. The FF Plus would like to pay tribute today to those women who played a significant role in the history of not just the Afrikaner nation, but also of the world. When we think back to the Voortrekkers, it was the women who at that time said that they would rather walk barefoot across the Drakensberg Mountains than be subjected to a British government. They took the initiative. They took the lead. When we go back to the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, then we also have to bring to mind the nearly 27 500 women and children who died in the concentration camps.
It was, however, South Africa and South Africans who erected the first and only women's monument in the world in 1913. This is a monument in commemoration of the role that women and children played. It is the only one in the world. Only in the late 1970s a similar monument for women was erected in the United States of America.
The history of our country shows that we readily pay tribute to our women in terms of their achievements and what they have sacrificed for their country.
It is happening even in today's modern times. We think of Santie Botha, who was named the business woman of the year last year. We think, for instance, of Susan Vosloo, who is the Head of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Groote Schuur Hospital, which is at the forefront of the medical profession and on the business front. All these women are continuing to play their role.
Nowadays there are also many women who are the breadwinners and who are responsible for the upkeep of the family. Therefore, we pay tribute to them and we readily give recognition to them for what they do.
Chairperson, the words of the hon Minister are hollow words when he comes here to talk about and relates the achievements of the ANC and what they have done for women. Why do I say this? I would like to say to the hon Minister that for as long as they allow Jimmy Manyi to say that white women cannot be part of affirmative action, you are misleading yourself. [Interjections.]]
You are misleading yourself. The ANC doesn't stand up for women's rights because you still allow him in your government. Thank you.