Chairperson, hon Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services, hon Minister of Communications, respective hon chairpersons of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and the Portfolio Committee on Telecommunications and Postal Services, and hon members of the fifth democratic Parliament who, of course, bear the great honour that comes with being here, two features of this honour are respect and discipline. This is so that when we serve our people, they will understand that we are people worthy of being trusted, because we are disciplined and we respect the elders, and we bear ourselves in that way.

Each day when we come to this Parliament to receive reports, deliberate in committees, and formulate and pass pieces of legislation, we are driven by precisely one common desire. This is to make South Africa a better place, regardless of our political divisions and orientations, and regardless of the disrespect we are taught in our parties, those of us who do not represent the ruling party.

We in the ANC continue to be guided by the overwhelming need to transform South Africa into a nonracial, nonsexist and democratic society, full of people that have respect, and also the need to move with speed in the transformation of the media and ICT sector, whose ownership patterns still reflect the patterns of ownership, control and distribution of the past. [Interjections.] This, we believe, can only be corrected by providing a firm foundation in policy for a communication sector that embraces all South Africans and treats them equally and with respect.

The Freedom Charter continues to inspire our courage and desire to do more for many. Moreover, the equal rights enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic should mean equitable distribution of resources, including access to information and other modern advances of communication, which create common and equal relief amongst all our people, regardless of where they live. So, setting up a Ministry of Communications has never been an attempt on the part of our government to set up propaganda machinery. [Interjections.] We have always attempted to make sure that we disseminate information that is relevant to empowering all of our people. [Interjections.] This is because we take pride in the things that we said before we came into government. We had then already developed a document called Ready to Govern. In that document we captured how we would be able to govern with the people of this country, regardless of their colour. [Interjections.] For example, our people can only work the land equitably if they have access to similar infrastructure as others and are exposed to common development without barriers.

I have learnt that here in Parliament those who have more "airtime" are we in the ruling party. [Laughter.] [Interjections.] According to the 1996 White Paper on Telecommunications, the state's vision for telecommunications is one that balances the provision of basic universal services. [Interjections.] In the mobile space there is "airtime" and there is "Please call me". We are using "airtime" here. [Laughter.] [Applause.] It is one of the provisions of basic universal services to disadvantaged rural areas. [Interjections.] I am not responding to "Please call me", as we are quite busy now. [Laughter.] Affordable communications for all citizens and businesses alike, throughout South Africa, are at the core of this vision.

Actually, one of the points that we almost missed was to share the very important story of Phalaborwa. It is only we who come from Phalaborwa, so it will only be we who can relate that story well. Part of what we are trying to work on is making sure that the speed at which the people of Phalaborwa in Limpopo province are able to connect to the people of Johannesburg is massified. This can only happen when the people ...

... vanhu va ka hina lava nga emakaya loko va ri na burodibende va tlhela va va na tisayiba kutani va kota ku vulavula na maxaka ya vona lava va tshamaka eJoni. [Va kavanyeta.] [... our people who are in rural areas if they have broadband and also have cyber then they will be able to communicate with their relatives who reside in Johannesburg. [Interjections.]]

Re tsene fase re a ?oma, re keketana le thaba, re netefat?a gore MaAfrika- Borwa ka moka a kgone go bona gore ponelopele yela ya Ntate Nelson Mandela ya gore batho ba rena ba phedi?ane e be ngatana e tee, e a kgonega.

Rena re le ANC re kgolwa go gore mphogo o motee o kgona go emi?ana, wa tsekatseki?ana, wa tsena fase, wa aga naga. [T?hwahlelo.] [Legofsi.] Ka Sepedi ba re: "Mphiri o tee ga o lle." (Translation of Sepedi paragraphs follows.)

[We are working hard, we want the people of South Africa to see that Mr Nelson Mandela's vision of living together as one nation is possible. As members of the ANC we believe that people can work together, persevere and build the country. [Interjections.] [Applause.] There is a Sepedi proverb that says: "You cannot accomplish everything by yourself, you need to work with other people."]

We are standing together as one to try to share with you the advances that we have made. Tribal authorities, for instance, should have access to Wi- Fi, and be able to communicate faster and more efficiently with their people. This would contribute greatly to making our villages and many rural areas more advanced and compatible with modern-day development.

Go swanet?e go be bonolo gore batho ba Makhushane kua Bollanoto ba kgone go bit?wa ke dikgo?i goba dikgo?igadi ge go na le kgothekgothe. [The kings and queens should not struggle to invite the people of Makhushane at Bollanoto to a meeting.]

We must make sure that they too have access to Wi-Fi. I am sure that this is difficult for others to understand, but this is what our revolution is all about, making sure that we give our people access to this.

The continued monopoly of the telecommunications network space has the potential to negate shared growth and market diversity if regulations are not tightened. It is therefore important that the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa continue to implement regulations that enforce transformation and ultimately break the barriers in the economy.

It is therefore important that those of us who distribute towers for mobile telephones also reflect the full character of the South African mix. All South African people must have the right to own their own mobile networks, if they have the resources to do so.

At the same time, attention needs to be given to the unconnected in regard to priority policy and regulation, and action needs to be taken to improve the accessibility and affordability of telecommunications services. I think that this point has been deliberated on quite extensively because the cost of mobile telephone billing is quite high in this country. We need to make sure that it is substantially reduced.

I say this because a simple example is that it is possible to call each other for free on the same mobile network at certain times. The only thing that makes the billing different is the time of day during which that call is made. What would have happened during the day still takes place and people are able to communicate. It means, hon Minister, that it is possible to call for free during the day, so that our people do not have to send each other modern reverse calls which are called "Please call me's". They are then able to call each other for free.

So, we need to reduce this because during the election campaign the ruling party promised our people that it would lessen the cost of making calls. We must stick to this commitment, because the government that the ANC leads has always delivered on the commitments it has made. [Interjections.] In a connected country, be it South Africa or another, or indeed, be it the continent of Africa, nothing sums up the potential of ... [Interjections.]

MODULASETULO WA NAKWANA WA NGWAKO (Mna J M Mthembu): Kgo?i ya ka! Kgo?i ya ka, o ?et?e ka metsotso e mebedi.