Thank you, Chairperson. Like I said, you say it best when you say nothing at all, hon Watson. The facts are that the DA mayor went and dished out bread and tinned fish to our people on an open bus on a Sunday afternoon! Get your facts straight. You come here and mislead the House about other provinces, hon Watson. Get your facts straight, hon Watson!
In die lig van die politieke broosheid in die Uniestad Kaapstad is ek oortuig en vasbeslote dat die nasionale en provinsiale regerings daadwerklike pogings aanwend om kalmte en stabiliteit te bewerkstellig en te verseker dat gefokus word op dienslewering sodat ons almal doelgerig kan werk in die rigting van die strategiese doelwitte van Asgisa vir 'n beter lewe vir almal, insluitende die Uniestad Kaapstad.
Net omdat ons in die Wes-Kaap plaaslike regerings het wat bestuur word deur koalisies en deur die DA met die voortdurende moontlikheid van verandering na gelang van die wisseling van koalisies, beteken dit nie dat die publiek benadeel mag word vanwe ondoeltreffendheid, swak dienslewering of die waagpolitiek wat die DA speel nie, agb Robertson.
Beteken dit nou dat 'n beter lewe vir almal misluk het en onuitvoerbaar is? Nee, stellig nee! Toe opperhoof Albert Luthuli die eerste keer hierdie visie in woorde gestel het, het dit gelei tot drie dekades van absolute staatsbrutaliteit. In die gees van die verstandigheid van Gramsci dat hoop langdurig van aard is, moet ons eenvoudig meer vasberade wees en harder werk om die visie van 'n beter lewe vir almal te verwesenlik.
In hierdie maand, Junie, herdenk ons die moed en opoffering wat gemaak is deur jongmense in 1976, wat die grondslag gel het vir die eenheid van die toekoms. Net so sal ons die optog 50 jaar gelede van vroue na die Uniegebou herdenk, waarmee hulle hul ontevredenheid met apartheid as vroue te kenne gegee het terwyl hulle ten volle aangedring het op hulle onvervreembare reg om gelyke burgers te wees wat volledig by ons samelewing ingeskakel is. Agb Chen, jy moet mooi luister! In albei hierdie vierings moet ons hard werk om konkrete dienste te lewer aan jongmense en vroue.
Die ANC steun die wysingswetsontwerp. Ek dank u. [Tussenwerpsels.] [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[In the light of the political fragility in the Cape Town Unicity I am convinced and adamant that the national and provincial governments are making a real effort to bring about calm and stability and to ensure that the focus is on service delivery so that all of us can work in a purposeful way in the direction of the strategic goals of Asgisa for a better life for all, including the Cape Town Unicity.
Just because we have local governments in the Western Cape that are managed by coalitions and by the DA, with the continuous possibility of change according to changes in coalitions, this does not mean that the public may be disadvantaged by inefficiency, poor service delivery or the risky politics engaged in the DA, hon Robertson.
Does this mean that a better life for all has failed and is impracticable? No, probably not. When Chief Albert Luthuli put this vision into words for the first time it resulted in three decades of absolute state brutality. In the spirit of the wisdom of Gramsci that hope lasts a long time, we must simply be more determined and work harder to realise the vision of a better life for all. In this month of June we commemorate the courage and sacrifices of the youth in 1976, which laid the foundation for the unity of the future. Similarly, we will commemorate the march by women to the Union Buildings 50 years ago, through which they as women made known their dissatisfaction with apartheid, while they absolutely insisted on their inalienable right to be equal citizens who are fully integrated into our society. Hon Chen, you must listen carefully! In both these celebrations we have to work hard to deliver concrete services to the youth and women.
The ANC supports the amending Bill. I thank you. [Interjections.][Applause.]]