Chairperson, may I address the House while I am seated? Chairperson, hon Minister for Provincial and Local Government, Sicelo Shiceka, in his absence, hon Minister Surty and the House at large, I thank you for the opportunity. I am rising to this debate with all the respect I can muster.
The decision of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to support the Constitution Sixteenth Amendment Bill of which the main objective and purpose is to give effect to the decision to reincorporate Merafong City Local Municipality into Gauteng translates, actualises and demonstrates our commitment to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
Public participation lies at the centre of our democracy. Parliamentary and government decisions should reflect the will of the people. A free South Africa must therefore ensure that parliamentary decisions do not become a source of division or conflict.
Residents of Merafong, which includes Khutsong township, have in the past taken to the streets in protest against the 2005 decision of incorporating Merafong into the North West province. Their contention was the perceived perception that their standard of living would plummet under the North West province. The fact of the matter is that the people of Merafong regard themselves as an inseparable part of Gauteng. Their position is informed by the socioeconomic fibre linkages between their municipal area of jurisdiction and the Gauteng province.
While we agree with the struggles of the people of Merafong, we are cognisant of our responsibility to restore law and order. Restoration of peace will require a concerted effort by all, including civic associations, trade unions and other independent bodies. On the other hand, I want to stress to you, Chairperson, that we are mindful of the constitutional principles of a democratic South Africa, which envisages that provinces or regions should not be devised as a means of perpetuating privilege. Central government has a responsibility of seeing to it that all areas of the country have equitable access to natural resources and opportunities. Similarly, when we speak of a united South Africa, we speak of a society united behind one national identity. The Merafong cross-boundary dispute has sparked tensions, but it has also allowed us as public representatives to remind ourselves of the slogan used by the ANC in the late 1980s and early 1990s which was "one person one vote in a unitary state". This was a simple statement of mass democracy.
In the 1980s the Khutsong protests were not foreseen or anticipated. Surprisingly, the slogan is as relevant today as it was then. The right to vote in a unitary state is a right that cannot be defined or determined by a provincial boundary. This applies to the people of Moutse or Matatiele - we must encourage them to vote. We are not a federal state. We are tasked with the responsibility of promoting national unity.
The urban-rural balance is another consideration which requires that provinces with a rural bias must be on equal footing with provinces with an urban bias, particularly in terms of opportunities. We cannot sit here and be boastful of Gauteng and condemn the North West province. What we need to do is to expand opportunities to all South Africans, irrespective of provincial boundary lines. We must, as legislatures and as Parliament, ensure that we enable communities to access services. We also need to promote the dignity and equality of all South Africans irrespective of where they are.
Spheres of government are distinctive in that they are interdependent and interrelated. It is important to develop co-ordinated implementation programmes that will enable the receiving municipality and Gauteng province to achieve the intended objective of the Bill. The end result, which is what we are fighting for, is the restoration of national pride in the whole Merafong community. As Gauteng we support the Bill. I thank you.