Adjunkvoorsitter, ek oefen vandag my menseregte uit deur in my moedertaal te praat.
Die DA het 'n trotse rekord as kampvegter van menseregte. Die DA was daar toe die Grondwet, waarin die Handves van Regte ingeskryf en ingebed is, onderhandel is en deur alle Suid-Afrikaners aanvaar is. Dit behoort nie aan een faksie of aan een party in hierdie land nie; dit behoort aan ons almal. [Applous.]
Mnr die Voorsitter, voordat ek enigsins verder gaan, moet ek kommentaar lewer op die agb lid Davids, wat hier so skuins voor my sit. In my 10 jaar wat ek in hierdie Parlement is, het ek nog nooit so 'n verdelende en rassistiese toespraak gehoor nie. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Dit het getuig van suiwer haat teenoor haar medemens. Dt, terwyl die tema van vandag se onderwerp is: Building a caring society. [Die bou van 'n samelewing wat omgee.] Is dit die manier hoe sy dit wil doen? Ek glo nie so nie. [Tussenwerpsels.] Dit is 'n perfekte demonstrasie van wat menseregte nie is nie. En om sout in die wonde te vryf, staan die ander ANC lede aan hierdie kant toe op en gee vir haar 'n staande applous nadat sy gepraat het. Ek glo dat Madiba in sy graf omdraai. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Oor die Wes-Kaap se regering het sy 'n klomp goed ges. Ek wil drie feite noem. Eerstens, dit is nie wat ns s nie. Die Ouditeur-generaal gee jaar na jaar skoon oudits vir die Wes-Kaap, want hulle bestee die geld op 'n skoon en eerlike manier. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Tweedens, die sentrale Regering se eie moniteringsdepartement het die Wes- Kaap aanbeveel en aangewys as die bes-regeerde provinsie in Suid-Afrika. [Applous.]
Laastens, die belangrikste van alles is die kiesers; dit gaan om die kiesers. Ons is hier vir die kiesers en die kiesers het in die vorige verkiesing vir die DA in die Wes-Kaap 'n vergrote mandaat gegee om verder daar te regeer. [Tussenwerpsels.]
In skerp kontras met die agb lid Davids het Minister Mthethwa baie mooi en rustig gepraat, en dit was aangenaam om na hom te luister. Baie dankie daarvoor, agb Minister. Die Minister het egter hoogdrawende woorde gebruik en van ideale gepraat. Minister, daar is 'n groot verskil tussen planne maak en uitvoering daaraan gee, en die realiteit op die grond sien dikwels vir die gewone kiesers heel anders daar uit. Die Regering se dagdrome is in werklikheid dikwels die kiesers se nagmerries.
Kom ons kyk na gehalte onderwys, want agb lid Dikgale het juis gepraat van die regte van kinders, ons jeug. Hulle is ons toekoms. Kom ons kyk na die regte van kinders en wat ons met hulle maak.
Onderwysers in staatskole kan dikwels self nie die toetse slaag van die vak wat hulle onderrig nie. Onder die ANC-regering word skoolboeke in Limpopo nie afgelewer nie. Onder die ANC-regering val die helfte van kinders wat Graad 1 begin uit en bereik nooit eers matriek nie. [Tussenwerpsels.] Ons ministers weet dit en daarom stuur hulle hul eie kinders na privaatskole.
In teenstelling hiermee het die DA in die Weskaap die beste deurvoersyfer. Met ander woorde, die meeste kinders wat in Graad1 begin, gaan deur en op die einde skryf hulle matriek. Dit is deel van 'n samelewing wat omgee.
Daar is heelwat gepraat van water en sanitasie en die reg op waardigheid. Die agb lid Mohai het gepraat van "access to water and sanitation" [toegang tot water en sanitasie]. Adjunkminister Chohan het ook gepraat oor waardigheid maar, soos my kollega Tarnia Baker uitgewys het, wanneer kinders in pit-toilette verdrink, waar is die waardigheid daarin; en wanneer gemeenskappe vir weke sonder water sit, waar is die waardigheid daarin? Terwyl ministers in die luukse woonbuurt Bryntirion in Pretoria met vyfster-geriewe woon, sterf 13 babas in Sannieshof weens riool-besoedelde water.
In die Weskaap, waar die DA regeer, gee ons om. Daar is geen pit-toilette nie en paaie is sigbaar beter as in enige ander deel van die land. Vra enige persoon van enige ander provinsie wat onlangs in die Weskaap gekom het, en die eerste ding wat hulle opmerk is die goeie instandhouding van paaie. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Die agb lid Mashabela van die EFF - my kollega daar - beklemtoon eiendomsreg. Dit is baie belangrik en ek stem met haar saam. Eiendomsreg is baie belangrik, ook vir die DA, en ons wil h dat meer mense eienaars van grond moet wees.
Wat doen die ANC egter? Adjunkminister Jeremy Cronin, wat na my gaan praat, is intussen hard besig om die wetsontwerp op onteiening met mag en mening deur te voer, maar hulle beskik nie eens oor 'n bateregister nie. Hulle weet nie eens wat hulle het nie!
Terwyl die ANC eiendomme verwater en wegvat, gee die DA eiendomsregte aan mense. Sedert 2012, het meer as 13 000 mense van voorheen benadeelde areas in Kaapstad die transportaktes vir hul huise ontvang. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Kom ons praat oor veiligheid. Een van die mees basiese regte is die reg tot lewe. Minister Mthethwa, die eerste taak van die staat is om sy burgers se veiligheid te verseker. In hierdie debat is die uiters gewelddadige aanvalle op weerlose mense ook uitgewys. Hierdie reg op veiligheid is die eerste verantwoordelikheid van 'n staat, en daarom word dit baie duidelik in ons Grondwet uitgestippel.
Dit is die taak van die polisie om misdaad te voorkom, te beveg en te ondersoek, maar wat gebeur in werklikheid? Moord en roof neem toe - moord met 5% en roof met verswarende omstandighede met 13%.
Vertroue in die polisie neem daarmee af. In 2012 het 60% van Suid- Afrikaners nog die polisie vertrou, maar deesdae is dit minder as die helfte van Suid-Afrikaners. Daarom neem die burgery ook toenemend self die verantwoordelikheid vir hul veiligheid. [Tussenwerpsels.] Ja.
'n Goeie voorbeeld hiervan is die burgerregte-organisasie AfriForum, wat verlede jaar sy eie 911-nooddiens ingestel het. Dit is 24 uur per dag, elke dag van die jaar, beskikbaar. Mense moet betaal om lede te wees, maar hulle doen dit graag want hulle kry goeie diens, in teenstelling met die regering se dienste.
'n Hoofrede vir die gebrekkige dienslewering is egter kaderontplooiing. Die President se vriende, familie en diegene wat hom van vervolging kan beskerm, kry poste met vet salarisse, of hulle nou die werk kan doen of nie. Ons sien dit by die SA Uitsaaikorporasie, Eskom, die Valke, die Nasionale Vervolgingsgesag, en helaas nou ook by die Onafhanklike Verkiesingskomissie. Dit, agb Voorsitter, is 'n miskenning van die gewone kieser se reg op gelyke behandeling en gelyke beregtiging.
Agb lid Chohan het gepraat van die "dignity of all", of waardigheid van almal, en ons stem saam. Terwyl die ANC-regering dus ons toekoms en ons land se kinders verwoes met swak onderwys, sorg die DA dat kinders so lank as moontlik op skool bly, want ons gee om. Terwyl pasinte in staatshospitale jare lank op operasies moet wag, lewer die DA-regering in die Wes-Kaap medisyne vir ou mense by hul huise af, want ons gee om. [Applous.]
Terwyl die ANC eiendomsreg verwater, gee die DA transportaktes aan eienaars sodat hulle sekerheid oor hul huise kan bekom, want die DA gee om. Die menseregte van elke burger, ook die geringste, is vir die DA 'n prioriteit. [Tussenwerpsels.] [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Ms A M DREYER: Deputy Chairperson, I am exercising my human rights today by speaking in my mother tongue. The DA has a proud record as a champion of human rights. The DA was there when the Constitution, into which the Bill of Rights has been written and embedded, was negotiated and agreed to by all South Africans. It does not belong to one faction or one party in this country; it belongs to all of us. [Applause.]
Chairperson, before I continue at all, I must comment on the hon member Davids, seated here diagonally across from me. In my 10 years at Parliament I have never heard such a divisive and racist speech. [Interjections.]
It spoke of pure hatred towards her fellow man. This, while the theme of today's subject is: Building a caring society. Is this the way in which she wants to do that? I do not believe so. [Interjections.] That was a perfect demonstration of what human rights are not all about. To rub salt into the wounds, the other ANC members then got up and gave her a standing ovation, after she had spoken. I think Madiba must be turning in his grave. [Interjections.]
She had a lot to say about the Western Cape government. I want to state three facts. Firstly, this is not what we are saying. Year after year the Auditor-general has been giving the Western Cape clean audits, because it is spending the money in a clean and honest way. [Interjections.]
Secondly, central Government's own monitoring department has praised and identified the Western Cape as the best-run province in South Africa.
Lastly, the most important of all are the voters; it is all about the voters. We are there for the voters and in the last election the voters gave the DA in the Western Cape an extended mandate to continue governing there. [Interjections.]
In sharp contrast with the hon Davids, Minister Mthethwa spoke very well and calmly, and it was a pleasure to listen to him. Thank you for that, hon Minister. However, the Minister used high-flown words and spoke of ideals. Minister, there is a huge difference between making plans and giving effect to them, and for the ordinary voter the reality on the ground often looks totally different. In reality, the Government's daydreams are often the voters' nightmares.
Let us look at quality education - because hon Dikgale in fact spoke about the rights of children, our youth. They are our future. Let's look at the rights of children and what we are doing with them.
In the government schools the teachers themselves often cannot pass the tests in the subjects that they are teaching. Under the ANC government, school books are not being delivered in Limpopo. Under the ANC government, half of the children who start in Grade 1 will fall out along the way and never even reach matric. [Interjections.] Our Ministers know this and that is why they are sending their own children to private schools.
In contrast with this, the DA in the Western Cape has the best follow- through rate. In other words, most of the children who start in Grade 1 will go through and in the end write their matric. This is part of a society that cares.
A lot has been said about water and sanitation and the right to dignity. Hon Mohai spoke of access to water and sanitation. Deputy Minister Chohan also spoke about dignity but, as my colleague Tarnia Barker pointed out, when children are drowning in pit latrines, where is the dignity in that; and when communities are stuck for weeks without water, where is the dignity in that? While Ministers are living with five-star facilities in the luxury suburb of Bryntirion in Pretoria, 13 babies are dying in Sannieshof due to sewage-polluted water.
In the Western Cape, where the DA governs, we care. There are no pit latrines and roads are visibly better than in any other part of the country. Ask anybody from any other province who has recently come to the Western Cape, and the first thing they will notice is the good road maintenance. [Interjections.]
The hon member Mashabela of the EFF - my colleague over there - has emphasised property rights. They are very important and I agree with her. Property rights are very important too, also for the DA, and we want more people to become owners of land.
But what is the ANC doing? Deputy Minister Jeremy Cronin, who will be speaking after me, is meanwhile very busy with might and main to get the Bill on expropriation through Parliament, but they do not even have an asset register. They don't even know what they possess!
While the ANC is watering down and expropriating properties, the DA is giving property rights to people. Since 2012, more than 13000 people from previously disadvantaged areas in Cape Town have received the deeds of transfer of their homes. [Interjections.]
Let's talk about safety. One of the most basic rights is the right to life. Minister Mthethwa, the primary task of the state is to ensure the safety of its citizens. In this debate the extremely violent attacks on defenceless people have also been pointed out. This right to safety is the primary responsibility of a state, which is why it is clearly outlined in our Constitution.
It is the task of the police to prevent, fight and investigate crime, but what is actually happening? Murder and robbery are increasing - murder by 5% and robbery with aggravating circumstances by 13%.
Trust in the police is diminishing along with this. In 2012 about 60% of South Africans still had faith in the police, but nowadays it is less than half of South Africans. That is why the citizenry is increasingly taking responsibility for its own safety. [Interjections.] Yes.
A good example of this is the citizens' rights organisation AfriForum, which last year introduced its own 911 Emergency service. It is available 24 hours per day, every day of the year. One must pay to be a member, but people gladly pay because they get good service, in contrast with government services.
One main reason for this poor service delivery, however, is cadre deployment. The President's pals, relatives and those who can protect him against prosecution are getting posts with fat salaries, whether they can do the job or not. We see it at the SA Broadcasting Corporation, Eskom, the Hawks, the National Prosecuting Authority and unfortunately now also at the Independent Electoral Commission. This, hon Chairperson, is a disregard of the ordinary voter's right to equal treatment and equal empowerment.
Hon member Chohan spoke of the dignity of all, and we agree. So while the ANC government is destroying our future and our country's children with poor education, the DA is making sure that children will stay at school for as long as possible, because we care. While patients in state hospitals have to wait for years for operations, the DA government is delivering medicines for the elderly to their homes, because we care. [Applause.]
While the ANC is watering down property rights, the DA is handing over deeds of transfer to homeowners so that they can gain security regarding their homes, because the DA cares. The human rights of each citizen, down to the humblest, is a priority to the DA. [Interjections.] [Applause.]]