Chairperson and hon members, more than 53 years ago, South Africans from all walks of life resolved in Kliptown that the people shall share in the country's wealth. This resolution was aimed at dealing decisively with the question of poverty, inequality and extreme underdevelopment in some parts of our country, and it becomes more relevant when you address such issues, particularly in rural areas, and its communities.
Soon we will celebrate the Human Rights Day. In our celebrations it will be important to promote human rights as tools to intensify the struggle against poverty, particularly as it affects our rural poor masses, of whom the majority live in conditions and an environment of abject poverty.
Human rights should be used as tools to rescue our people from the burden of poverty they experience in rural areas due to underdevelopment. Lest we forget, our country is ravaged with stark inequality and poverty by design and those who bear the brunt, unfortunately, is the large majority of black South Africans. Most of them live in rural areas, which in the past were referred to as Bantustans or homelands, designed by the arch architect of apartheid, former Prime Minister, Dr H F Verwoerd, who, in his own words said:
We are giving the Bantu, as our wards, every opportunity in their areas to move along the road of development by which they can progress in accordance with their ability.
These words were said within a context of only having blacks as hewers of wood and drawers of water, as well as in terms of the Group Areas Act. In this new democracy, which many people fought for, and even died for, with others maimed, it is clearly stated in the Constitution that the people will have equal human rights - in terms of Chapter 2 of the Constitution. The challenge we have in our action is whether indeed black people in particular realise these rights in their quest for a better life for all. For, according to Jill Natrass, in a book Up Against the Fence:
The growing special dislocation between capital that was being invested in the economy and the settlement patterns of the population meant that the capital stock became increasingly a source of wealth for those people who were fortunate enough to have access to it and conversely a source of poverty for those who were excluded.
That is my emphasis.
At the same time, the continued of the black group from the political process rendered them politically unable to force thorough a reallocation either of additional education resources to increase their access to higher paid jobs in the modern sector of factors, inputs specifically designed to upgrade the black rural areas.
I cannot agree more. This is a known fact, but we seem to forget what we have gone through and what we have been subjected to. Of paramount importance is that this challenge should not be limited to government only but to all South Africans, particularly the affluent, economically resourced, section of our society. Abazalwa benama account emabhange abeke izimali ezinkulu bathi zitshaliwe. Namanje badla baze bakhohlwe ukuthi kukhona abalambileyo. [I mean those who were born with huge wads of cash in bank accounts claim that they are invested. And they spend this money and even forget that there are hungry people out there.]
The business community, banks and internationals have a role to play in the creation of a caring society.
Yini indaba kungabibikho amabhange ezindaweni zasemakhaya kanti amabhange ahlale eqhosha ngenzuzo enkulukazi njalo njalo? Yini kungabibikho zitolo emakhaya kanti izitolo ezikhona zihlale ziqhayisa ngenzuzo enkulu njalo ekupheleni konyaka? Abanye babantu abathola umhlomulo bahleli nathi lapha. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[Why, for instance, are there no banks in rural areas, because the banks are always declaring huge returns? Why are there no shops in rural areas as they always declare huge returns at the end of each year? Some of the people who benefit from all this are with us here.]
Our Constitution dictates, in Chapter 2 of the Bill of Rights that everyone should have equal rights. It becomes imperative to spell out some few rights that would assist us in the creation of a caring society: Equality; human dignity - everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected; the right to life; the right to property; freedom of movement; the right to housing - no one may be evicted from their home or have their home demolished without an order of the court made after considering all the relevant facts.
Sibona abantu bekhishwa ezindlini izinkantolo kodwa ubone ukuthi cha awuhlonishwa lo Somqulu Wamalungelo abantu esinawo, ngoba vele abantu laba esikhathini esiphambili ababekade bengamakhosi, bekugwebela ukuhamba emgwaqweni. Kufanele siyibheke le nto ukuthi singakwenza kanjani ukubeka amakhosi sicabange ukuthi azosilungisela nathi sithole amantshontsho ngoba nawo afuna ukudla la mantshontsho futhi ningakaqali nina ukudla la mantshontsho. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[We see people evicted from their houses through court orders and that is evident that our Bill of Rights is not respected because these are the very people who were the bosses even during the previous dispensation. They would even punish you just for walking on the road. We have to address this thing and be very careful when we give them certain positions because we cannot expect them to do what we want them to do when they have their own agendas.]
All these rights are an attempt to intensify the struggle against poverty. This is the key objective of the ANC government - working together to fight poverty for a better life for all. Against this background, in the past we have seen a violent suppression and a violation of basic human rights that led to forced removals in terms of the Group Areas Act, forced cheap labour and job reservation in terms of the Job Reservation Act; inferior segregated education in terms of the Bantu Education Act; creation of certain areas as reserves where surplus labour and undesirable people were dumped and hidden in terrible conditions of poverty, areas where there has been no economic development plan, no infrastructure of any kind in terms of the Influx Control Act - these areas were commonly known as homelands or Bantustans or, some, independent national states.
An unhealthy unsustainable situation was created. Our people, particularly black people, led by the people's organisation, the ANC, struggled against this injustice to an extent, together with their leaders, that they were prepared to sacrifice their lives. Therefore, the Bill of Rights in our Constitution should be used as a tool to intensify our struggle against poverty, particularly in rural areas.
Our task, as South Africans, is to ensure that everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected. This can only be achieved if we ensure, amongst a whole range of other rights, that no one may be subjected to slavery, servitude or forced labour.
All of us need to work together in the spirit of Batho Pele to correct the injustices of the past, particularly business and social service providers. The academics should also have a change of mindset and work towards contributing in the fight against poverty by ensuring that basic human rights are observed.
Uhulumeni emzamweni yakhe uyazama ukulungisela abantu ukuthi bathole konke okufanele bakuthole kodwa siyazi ukuthi amandla kahulumeni awekho kangako. Siyacela kongxiwankulu laba abanezimali ezisemaceleni nezinye ezikwamanye amazwe basondele ukuzosiza ukuthi silwe nobuphofu.
Sesizibekile izakhiwo zomasipala ukwenzela ukuthi abantu bakwazi ukubambisana nathi ngoba ngaphandle kokusebenzisana nabo, ngeke sikwazi ukwenza lo msebenzi ngendlela efanelekile. Siyacela laba bantu babambe iqhaza entuthukweni yabo. Siyilungisile nemithetho ukwenzela ukusebenza ngokubambisana ikakhulukazi ezindaweni zasemakhaya, phakathi kwamakhosi nomasipala.
Siyanxusa nasezisebenzini zikahulumeni ukuthi ake ziyeke ukungabi nanhlonipho, nokungabi nazwelo, nokuphatha kabi abantu bethu. Into abayifundiswa yilowaya baba engimbize ngegama ukuthi yangena egazini ukuthi baphathe kabi abantu bethu. Benza leziya zinto ezazenziwa ukhomishana.
Abanye bayakhuluma lapha bathi uhulumeni ayikho into ayenzile. Bakhohliwe ukuthi iminyaka engamakhulu amathathu besiphansi kwengcindezelo enzima kodwa kufanele bafundiswe ukuze babone ngoba banamehlo nje ababoni kunjalo nje bahleli lapha eKapa ezindlini ezinkulu eziphindwe kathathu.
Abake baphume baye ngaphandle baye kobona ukuthi kwenzekani ukuze basize nabo. Shona emakhaya, uzobona ukuthi ugesi sesiwufakile, amanzi ahlanzekile sesiwafakile. Lona umgamu esesiwuhambile, imigwaqo siyayilungisa, imitholampilo siyakhile, izikole sizakhile ngayo le mali encane enye eniyifihlayo ukuze singakwazi nokuthatha intela kuyo.
Kubalulekile ukuthi abafowethu mhlawumbe beze lapha kuKhongolose ngoba ababoni ngale ndlela esibona ngayo ukuze sikwazi ukuthi sihambe nabo bakwazi ukubona. Kodwa-ke futhi abafuni ukubona ngoba bayazi ukuthi uma bengabona ngapha namehlo azovuleka babone nabo ukuthi le nto abayenza ayilungile. Lokhu kungaholela ekutheni bagcine sebebona kufanele bahlephule kulokhu abakuthatha ngendluzula, babele abanye abantu. Ngiyavumelana nobaba uZulu, ukuthi mhlawumbe intuthuko ihamba kancane, kodwa baba siyayenza imizamo ukuthi intuthuko iqhubeke. Siyacela-ke ikakhulukazi lapho KwaZulu-Natali ukuthi amakhosi nohulumeni wasemakhaya ophethe babambisane nathi ukulungisa le ngxaki.
Abanye bathi uhulumeni akaphumeleli. Angeke-ke size siziphendule lezi zinto ezishiwo yilaba bantu ngoba abanye babo bama ezindaweni zokushumayela emasontweni beshumayeza abantu abalambile, abahluphekayo, abaziniki nesikhathi sokuthi babasize babone ukuthi bayazithola nezinhlelo ezibekwe uhulumeni.
Siyayizwa i-PAC. Sisebenzile nayo kakhulu futhi ngizwile ukuthi ike yaphendulwa leyo nto lapha. Kwakulungiselwa ukuthi simashe sonke ngendlela efanele kodwa nina nabona ukuthi manisheshe niyokwenza lokho. Siyakubonga ngoba lokho kwasiza, kodwa kuseyiwona lowo mzabalazo wokuthi asiqhubeke siye phambili. Bekuyoba kuhle uma beningabuyela ekhaya ukuze mhlawumbe sithole amandla adlula lawa esinawo.
Ubaba uGreyling we-ID ukhala ngabantu abaziphilisa ngokubamba izinhlanzi nangezinye izinto. Sithi-ke thina : abanobuchwepheshe nolwazi mabasize. I- ACDP ikhala ngombiko kaTaylor. Iyakhohlwa ukuthi le khomishana yabekwa yilo hulumeni ukuze isisize ukuthi sibheke kabanzi ukuthi kujule kangakanani ukuhlupheka kwabantu bethu.
Ibekelwe ukuthi sibe nendlela esemqoka necacile kithina ukusiza abantu ngayo. Uyasho ukuthi izinga lokuletha izidingo liphansi. Mhlawumbe uqinisile, kodwa kuhle akhumbule ukuthi ukuthatha kwethu umbuso, sathatha yonke le mfucuza eyayisicindezela, savumelana nani sicabanga ukuthi nineqiniso nizosisiza ukulwa nale mpi kanti ningamaxoki, ningama menemene, nizoyinyathela le nqola ingayi phambili.
Ngicela into eyodwa: Sideleleni sizenzele into yethu futhi sizimisele ukuthi sizoyenza siphumelele noma ikanjani. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[The government, in it's efforts, is trying all it can to provide services to the people but we, of course, understand that the government does not have enough resources. We appeal to the capitalists who invested their monies in other countries to join us and help to fight poverty.
We have created municipal structures so that people can work with us because without co-operating with them, we will not be able to do this job properly. We urge people to take part in their development. We have also amended certain pieces of legislation to ease partnerships, particularly in rural areas, between the traditional leaders and municipalities.
We also urge public servants to stop being disrespectful, arrogant and discourteous towards the public. This thing of ill-treating our people was instilled in them by that gentleman whose name I mentioned earlier on. They are doing those things that were done by the Commissioner. Some people here claim that the government is doing nothing. They have since forgotten that we were under oppression for 300 years, but we must educate them because they have eyes, yet they do not see, and they stay here in Cape Town in huge houses that are three times bigger than some.
These people must go out there to the people and see what is happening there so that they can also help. We have at least installed electricity in remote villages, and we have given people clean water. That is the progress we have made thus far, we are maintaining roads, we have built clinics, and we are building schools with the limited money that we have because the rest of the money you have hidden somewhere so that it cannot be taxed.
It is important for our brothers to join the ANC because they do not seem to see things the same way we do and we will walk with them so that they too can see. Furthermore, they don't want to see because they know that if they can see this side, their eyes will be opened and they will understand that what they did was not good. This can make them see that what they took by force should be brought forward so that it could be shared with other people.
I echo the sentiments of Mr Zulu that the progress, as far as the development is concerned, is slow, but, maybe, sir, we are making efforts so that the development could move a little faster. We appeal, particularly there in KwaZulu-Natal, that the traditional leaders and the local government would work with us in addressing this problem. Some are saying the government does not succeed. We cannot comment on these things simply because some of the people who say these things stand in pulpits in churches and preach to hungry people and the poor. They don't even have the time to help and see to it that they get programmes to be introduced by the government.
We understand the PAC and we have worked with them before. I have heard that this point was responded to in this House. We were all preparing to have a lawful march, but you decided to do it before us. We appreciate that because it helped, but the struggle continues and we are going forward. It would be good though if you returned home so that we can be more powerful than we are now.
Mr Greyling of the ID is lamenting the conditions of the fishermen and other things. What we are saying is that those who have skills and knowledge should assist. The ACDP is unhappy with the Taylor report. It forgets that this commission was appointed by this government to assist in evaluating the seriousness of poverty amongst our people.
The commission is in place for us so that we can have a clear programme to help the people. It states that the level of service delivery is poor. Maybe it is correct, but remember that when we took over, this government inherited all the bad that was used to oppress us, and we even agreed on certain things with you because we assumed that you are honest, that you will help us in fighting this war, but you are hypocrites, impostors, you stand in the way of progress.
I am pleading for one thing from you: Just simply allow us to do our own thing and we are positive that we will do it successfully no matter what. [Thank you.]]
Debate concluded.