Voorsitter, die opwindende aspek van hierdie Minister se werk en departement is dat dit haar taak is om seker te maak dat Suid- Afrika nie agterraak by die ongelooflike tempo waarteen die kommunikasie, tegnologie en telekommunikasiewreld vandag orals ontwikkel nie. Dit maak dit opwindend aan die een kant, maar aan die ander kant plaas dit vreeslike druk op elkeen van ons, ook in die komitee in hierdie Parlement om te sorg dat ons bybly met alle ontwikkelinge.
Suid-Afrika is die ekonomiese reus van Afrika en Suid-Afrika word gesien as een van die sewe-opkomende-ekonomie in die wreld. Ons goedontwikkelde infrastruktuur is een van die hoofredes vir Suid-Afrika se ekonomiese posisie in Afrika en in die wreld, daarom durf ons nie agter raak wat dit betref nie.
Die VF Plus gaan hierdie wet en die wysiging aan die oorspronklike wet steun, omdat ons geensins die indruk wil skep dat ons in die pad staan van ontwikkeling op hierdie terrein nie. Wat wel waar is, as mens na die wreld kyk met wie ons kompeteer en as ons kyk na ander lande met wie ons ekonomies kompeteer, dan blyk dit dat mededinging en kompetisie die beste metode orals is om wel tred te hou met hierdie ontwikkelinge sover dit gaan. Ons durf nie daardie les ni leer nie.
In hierdie geval is die regering besig met die strategiese ingryping wat nie die ideale wyse is nie, maar dit lyk in die lig van omstandighede dat daar nie ander oplossings is nie en daarom sal ons dan wel hierdie wet tans steun. Dankie. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Dr P W A MULDER: Chair, the exciting part of this Minister's work and that of her department is that it is her responsibility to ensure that South Africa does not fall behind on the incredible pace at which the communication, technology and telecommunication world is developing all over today.
It is exciting on the one hand, but on the other hand it also places immense pressure on us individually in the committee of this Parliament to ensure that we keep up with all the developments.
South Africa is the economic giant of Africa and South Africa is seen as one of the six upcoming economies in the world. Our well-developed infrastructure is one of the main reasons for South Africa's economic position in Africa and in the world, therefore we dare not fall behind regarding this.
The FF Plus will support this Act and the amendments to the original, because, by all means, we do not want to create the impression that we stand in the way of development in this area.
There is truth in the matter, when you look at the world that we compete with and if we look at other countries with which we compete economically, it is clear that rivalry and competition are the best methods to keep track of these developments as far as it goes everywhere. We dare not attempt not to learn this lesson.
In this instance the government is busy with a strategic intervention, which is not the ideal way, but in the light of circumstances, there are no other solutions and, therefore we will currently support this Act. Thank you.]