Madam Speaker, hon members, good afternoon, dumelang, sanibonani.
On 21 March 1960, in the streets of Sharpeville, 69 people died and 180 were wounded when the police fired on the crowd that had gathered peacefully. They were protesting against pass laws. This day will forever remain an iconic date in our country's history.
On 20 March 1996, former President Nelson Mandela, our father, esimthandayo [who was dear to us], said, and let me quote him:
21 March is South African Human Rights Day. ... March 21 is the day on which we remember and sing praises to those who perished in the name of democracy and human dignity. It is also a day on which we reflect and assess the progress we are making in enshrining basic human rights and values made in protecting basic human rights and values.
As we celebrate Human Rights Day on Saturday, it is important that we remember the sacrifice made by our forefathers.
The Bill of Rights remains a pillar and cornerstone to ensure that we are committed to protecting and realising human rights for all. The Constitution is the supreme law that governs this country, and not the Freedom Charter. We must use only the Constitution as a foundation for us to build a caring society for all. [Applause.]
Yes, we agree that things are better in South Africa where we live and I do commend the Minister. The DA is committed to protecting the Constitution. Our dream for South Africa is an open-opportunity society for all in which everybody is free, secure and equal before the law, and where everyone has an opportunity to improve their lives or to pursue their dreams.
The South African dream is one nation with one future, living together, irrespective of race ...
... abantsundu nabamhlophe... [... blacks and whites ...]
... under one Constitution. [Interjections.] Madam Speaker, let us remember our people living in different parts of South Africa; men and women living in an unequal society.
Umphakathi wethu esihlala kuwo awulingani. [There is no equality in our society.] Let us look at Kliptown, where the Freedom Charter was adopted. Our people live there in squalor. Bahlala emijondolo, bahlala odakeni. [They live in shacks and in mud houses.] But we have R3,4 billion that was not spent by the metros in Gauteng. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
Izindlu ziyawa e-Kliptown ... [Houses are falling down in Kliptown ...] ... but the budget is not spent. This is shocking. Our people are still waiting for their title deeds. Minister, redress is not redress without title deeds. The ANC-led government has failed to provide leadership in providing access to land, especially for people ...
... abahlala lapha eNingizimu Afrika. [... who live here in South Africa.]
This remains one of the greatest obstacles in realising the value of our Constitution and the human dignity that we spoke of to achieve equality in advancing human rights and freedom. After 20 years of democracy that we have been enjoying, we are still waiting for the government to make good on its promise to address the injustices of the past, especially on the land issue.
Somlomo, amalungelo abantu bethu awahlonishwa uhulumeni ophethe. Imibono yabantu bethu ayifezwa uhulumeni ophethe. [Speaker, our people's rights are not respected by the government of the day. Our people's dreams are not made possible by the government of the day.]
The ANC-led government has dismally failed in land reform. One of the government's strategies is for us to build a caring society in which human rights for all are protected. We must provide people living and working on communal land and former Bantustan communities with title deeds so that they can participate in the economy. [Applause.]
Furthermore, the ANC-led government must fix the problem of current projects before proposing further radical projects, such as the 50/50 project, which will fail.
The DA believes that the land-reform strategy must be informed not by the need to achieve quantity and that it is not about the numbers. It is about the target that will ensure that it meets its own objectives for ordinary people.
The success of land reform will, therefore, be determined by the support and economic value created rather than the hectares that are transferred - quantity, the number that I was speaking about. The DA supports land reform processes that achieve redress by promoting economic inclusion to uplift our people who live in poverty to achieve growth and prosperity.
South Africa deserves a DA-led government that is serious about accelerating effective land reform and building a secure country. [Applause.] [Interjections.] The DA is committed to the culture of ubuntu. Let's build a caring society. Redress without title deeds is not redress. I thank you. [Applause.]