Thank you Deputy Chairperson, Minister and Deputy Minister, MECs, members of this House, officials, friends and comrades.
Mandiqale ngokubulelela abantu abadala, abathe bafumana uchatha kwisibonelelo, into leyo etsho, yasusa ikati eziko. Ndithi, maz' enethole!
I-UDM iyaluxhasa uhlahlolwabiwo-mali lwakho, Sihlalo. Kukho izinto ekufuneka ukuba isebe lifake ingqwalasela kakhulu kuzo. Kusekho amasebe asebenza kabuhlungu ngenxa yokunqongophala kwee-ofisi kuwo. Kwiphondo leMpuma Koloni, eGcuwa, amasebe amathathu asebenzela kwindawo enye, kwindlwana encin ane. Nangona kukho izihlomelo ezenziwe ngenxa-ngaphambili okanye iiprefabs, nazo azaneli kakuhle. Loo nto itsho abantu basezilalini baxakwe ukuba bangene kuwuphi na umnyango, ngoba naba bantu babancedayo ababaniki hoyo kakuhle.
Into yokuba abantu abadala bathathelwe amakhadi abo okurhola ngoomatshonisa isaqhuba. Kunga kungakho enye indlela elungiswa ngayo le nto, ngoba ayintle. Xa esi sibonelelo siphuma, ndicinga ukuba siya kunceda ekhaya. Oonovenkile ngokunjalo bakwalithatha ithuba kuba amaxhegwazana ethatha ukutya ezivenkileni zabo, aye athi xa eye kuhlawula afike ityala lingaphezulu lee kunemali ayirholayo. Kwanga kungakho umthetho othi xa benika umntu omdala ityala mabangagqithi kwisixa esithile, ukwenzela ukuba naye lo mntu abe nemali agoduka nayo xa esiya ekhaya, kuba kaloku le mali ayijongananga naye kuphela, koko ijonge nempilo yakhe. Lilonke i-UDM iyaxhasa. Enkosi. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Let me start off by expressing a few words of gratitude on behalf of the pensioners, who received a little more in their grants, which has gone some way in alleviating hunger. I thank you!
The UDM supports this budget, Chairperson. There are things that the department must take serious note of. There are still departments that work under very difficult conditions, because there are not enough offices. In the Eastern Cape province, at Butterworth, three departments are sharing a small house. Although there are prefabricated extensions, there is still not enough space. This causes confusion when people from the rural areas go there for a service, as they are not sure which door to enter. Moreover, even the people who are supposed to help them do not attend to them properly.
Money lenders continue to keep pensioners' pay cards. I wish there could be a way of rectifying this situation, because it is not good. I thought the aim of this grant was to assist households. Even shop owners take advantage of pensioners who buy groceries on credit by allowing them to run up a grocery bill that is more than the grant itself. I wish there could be a Bill to set a credit limit for pensioners, so that they will have some money left to take home, as this money still has to be used to take care of other needs, such as health care. All in all, the UDM supports the budget. Thank you.]