Agb Voorsitter, die titel van die onderwerp vir bespreking lui onder meer "Die effek van kanker op die samelewing en die ekonomie." Ek dink die agb lede sal saamstem dat, met ons kollega, die agb Oriani-Ambrosini, in ons midde, sal dat dit darem baie onpersoonlik wees om hier te praat oor die ekonomiese effek van kanker op Suid-Afrika. Ek wil dus spesifiek praat oor die effek van kanker op die samelewing.

Ek dink daar is nie een enkele lid, of bitter min agb lede in hierdie Raad, wat nie op een of ander manier te doene en te make gehad het, hetsy met vriende of geliefdes wat deur kanker geraak is nie. Dit is traumaties. As ons moet hoor dat iemand moet gaan vir toetse, weet almal van ons van die afwagting wat daarmee gepaard gaan, en dan die vreugde en die blydskap as 'n mens hoor dat die toetse negatief was. Ons weet ook van die traumatiese ervaring as 'n mens moet hoor dat die toetse positief was.

Daarom dink ek dat ons met reg kan s dat die effek van kanker op die samelewing en spesifiek op ons mense traumaties is. Ja, ons weet ook daar is ander siektes wat net so traumaties is. Maar, as ons spesifiek praat oor die effek van kanker, dan dink ons daar is meer mense wat daardeur geraak word. Ons kan onsself almal vereenselwig met daardie pyn en die trauma wat daarmee gepaard gaan.

Daarom kan ek nie dink dat enige persoon teen die beginsel sal wees dat daar navorsing gedoen moet word om hierdie siekte, kanker, te probeer genees nie. Ons het die pleidooi gehoor van ons kollega, die agb Oriani- Ambrosini.

Dit is die standpunt van die VF Plus dat ons wetenskaplike, gekontroleerde navorsing steun om te kyk wat die effek kan wees as dagga ook gebruik word in die genesing van kanker. Ek dink nie enigeen kan daarteen wees nie.

Maar dit is ongelukkig ook so dat daar in ons samelewing mense is wat misbruik maak van sulke tipe navorsing. Dit is dus ons standpunt dat die navorsing streng gekontroleer moet wees, en dat al die voordele en al die nadele opgeweeg moet word. Ons moet dan verseker dat die voordele werklik sal bydra tot die verligting van daardie trauma wat ek en u moet beleef as ons 'n vriend of a geliefde het wat deur kanker getref is. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)

[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, the title of the topic for discussion is, inter alia, "The effect of cancer on the community and the economy." I am of the opinion that the hon members will agree that, with our colleague, the hon Oriani-Ambrosini, in our midst, it will actually be very impersonal here to talk about the economic effect of cancer on South Africa. I will thus refer specifically to the effect of cancer on the community.

I am of the opinion that there is not a single member, or very few hon members in this council, that had not in one way or another been affected by cancer with regard to either friends or loved ones. It is traumatic. When we hear that somebody has to go for tests, we all know about the expectation that goes hand in hand with that, and then the joy and happiness when one hears that test results are negative. We also know of the traumatic experience when one hears that the test results are positive.

That is why I think that we can, with good reason, say that the effect of cancer on the community and specifically on our people is traumatic. But, if we are specifically talking about the effect of cancer, then we think more people are affected by it. All of us can associate with the pain and trauma that accompany it.

That is why I doubt that any person will be against the principle that research should be done to try to cure this disease called cancer. We have heard the plea of our colleague, the hon Oriani-Ambrosini.

It is the position of the FF Plus that we support scientific, controlled research to see what the effect could be when marijuana is used in order to cure cancer. I don't think anybody can be against it.

But it unfortunately is also the case that people in our community misuse such kind of research. It is thus our position that the research should be rigidly controlled, and that all the advantages and disadvantages should be weighed up. We should then make sure that the advantages will really contribute to bringing relief of this trauma that you and I have to endure when we have a friend or loved one stricken by cancer. I thank you.]