Somlomo, namalungu ahloniphekileyo, mangincome umhlonishwa u-Ambrosini ukuthi eze lapha ukuze sibe nale nkulumo esinayo namhlanje mayelana nesifo somdlavuza. Eminyakeni engeminingi edlule bekuye kuthi uma umuntu ethola ukuthi unomdlavusa athi, "Nkosi yami sengithole isigwebo sentambo." Aqale abale izinto anazo nalezo angenazo ukuze kuthi uma kufika lolo suku lokufa abe esezilungisile.
Ngakho-ke ngiyamncoma uMnumzane u-Ambrosini. Ngincome futhi nokuthi waphumela obala washo ukuthi ngenkathi esezweni lakubo wadla akudlayo ukuze athole usizo, futhi ngenkathi ekuleli zwe ubesebenzisa akusebenzisayo. Siyakuncome ukuthi ukhulume iqiniso.
Sonke siyazi ukuthi umdlavusa uyisifo esingalapheki, futhi siyazi ukuthi njengamanje umhlaba wonke unenkinga ngezifo ezingathelelani. Umdlavusa ungesinye salezo zifo. Umhlaba wonke ukhuluma ngazo futhi kuzoba nokhukhulelangoqo wengqungquthela lapho kuzobe kukhulunywa ngalesi simo.
Njengoba namhlanje, kulolu suku lomhlaka 12 Ndasa, abezempilo base-Mangaung lapho kuhanjelwe khona amantombazanyana amancane asuka eminyakeni eyisishiyagalombili afunda ibanga lesine - uNgqongqoshe uyaye awabize ngokuthi, "Awakazi lutho ngezocansi." Ngakho-ke yibona abaqalwayo ngalo mgomo we-HPV, ukuze kuzanywe ukuthi umdlavuza wesibeletho kanye nalowo otholakala emlonyeni wesibeletho ungababambi empilweni yabo. Lo mgomo umahhala futhi utholakala ezindaweni zikahulumeni. Lo mkhankaso uyaqala ngalo nyaka, futhi uzokwenziwa kuzo zonke izindawo ezikoleni. Le yindlela yokuzama ukuthi uma bekhula bangabi nalesi sifo esiyinkinga esikhuluma ngaso namhlanje, esiwumbulalazwe.
Bonke bayasho ukuthi umdlavuza uwona: ohamba phambili ngokubulala abantu ezweni lonke; ogulisa umuntu isikhathi eside; ongalapheki; eyenza abantu babe nokukhubazeka baze bangasakwazi nokuya emsebenzini. Kuyinkinga enkulu kabi ukuthi umuntu ekade esebenza ondla umndeni wakhe azithole esephethwe yiwo lo mdlavuza.
Mhlawumbe kubalulekile ukuthi singamalunga akule Ndlu sixoxisane nemiphakathi yethu, sonke ngamunye ngamunye - singakhulumi ngokwepolitiki kodwa sikhulume ngokwempilo emhlabeni - ukuthi abantu abaphethwe wumdlavuza basizakale. Nathi sonke kubalulekile ukuthi siyozihlola ukuthi simi kanjani ngasempilweni ngazo zonke izindlela zokuphila. Kodwa-ke, umdlavuza yiwona ohamba phambili ngoba ungumbulalazwe.
Kubalulekile futhi ukuthi iminyango kahulumeni isebenzisane ukuze abantu abaphethwe ngumdlavuza bakwazi ukuphila nayo besekwa ngezindlela eziningi ukuze baqhubeke baye emsebenzini, babe neqhaza abalibambayo ekukhuliseni umnotho. Kubaluleke kakhulu ukuthi sonke njengezakhamuzi zaseNingizimu Afrika sibambisane. Hhayi kuphela izakhamuzi zakuleli, kodwa nabanye abantu esihlangabezana nabo.
Okokugcina okwashiwo la mhla uMnumzane u-Ambrosini ecela ukuthi kugunyazwe ukusetshenziswa kwensangu ... [Uhleko.] ... akuhlekisi empeleni, ngoba ngesintu insangu yinsangu. UNgqongqoshe wezeMpilo nohulumeni bavumelana ukuthi bazokwenza zonke izindlela zokucwaninga, baxoxisane nabanye abacwaningi emazweni onke, ukuze kukwazi ukutholakala kwekhambi lokwelapha umdlavuza.
Phela umdlavuza ngeke nakanye ulashwe ngekhambi elilodwa; ulashwa ngamakhambi amaningi. Okusemqoka ukuthi umuntu, noma ngabe enomdlavuza, makazazi ukuthi uneqhaza elikhulu kabi empilweni uma nje ethola ukuxhaswa ngazo zonke izindlela uzokwazi ukuthi asebenze ngalawo mandla amancane anawo, asebenzele umndeni wakhe, azisebenzele yena aphinde asize abanye abantu. Ngakho-ke uNqgogqoshe woMnyango wezeMpilo wathi ngelinye ilanga ekhuluma lapha wathi uzobhekisisa ucwaningo olwenziwa ngamazwe onke. Mhlawumbe njengoba bezobe beyoxoxa ngalesi sifo, bazobe bekhuluma ngamaqhinga okubhekana nalesi sifo.
Empeleni nanoma kuthiwa kuyisifo esingathelelani, kuba khona ubudedengu ngesinye isikhathi kubantu esiphila nabo, ukuthi baye baphuze kakhulu, babheme kakhulu. Zonke lezi zinto zisisa isifo somdlavuza ukuthi sidlondlobale. Kuthi nanoma besilele kodwa sivuke ngenxa yokuthi umuntu wenza lezi zinto. Ngakho-ke kubalulekile ukuziphatha ngendlela.
Okwamanje uma abantu bexoxisana nodokotela babo, baye besekele lokho okucelwa yiziguli, ngoba phela yonke le mithi iyabiza. Njengamanje izinkampani zezikimu zosizo lokwelapha zigqugquzela ukuba kutholakale imithi engekho kule ngabade, okudingeka ukuze icelwe kwezinye izindawo, imishanguzo eyakhiwe ngazakhi eziphilayo, phecelezi ama-biologicals, ayabiza. Ngesinye isikhathi ngisho nazo izikimu zosizo lokwelapha ziyakhokha kodwa ziphinde zibuye nganeno ngendlela le mithi ebiza ngayo.
Mnumzane Ambrosini, siyazwelana nawe kanye nomndeni wakho futhi siyazwelana nabo bonke abanye abanomdlavuza futhi siyafisa ukuthi sizame ukulekelela labo abanomdlavuza ukuthi noma ngabe begula iyiphi indlela esingabaxhasa ngayo ukuze bakwazi ukusebenza babambe iqhaza emnothweni, nokuthi impilo yabo ibe yinde. Nanoma sazi ukuthi ngeke baphile isikhathi eside kodwa siyelule impilo yabo ngoba umdlavuza ... (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Ms B T NGCOBO: Speaker and hon members I wish to commend Hon Ambrosini for availing himself to our debate on cancer today. Not so many years ago when one was diagnosed with cancer, one would say, "Poor me! I have been given the death sentence!" One would start putting one's personal business in order and prepare for death.
Therefore, I commend hon Ambrosini. I also commend him for being honest about the treatment that he used when he was in his own country and the one he uses here.
We all know that there is still no cure for cancer and we know that the whole world is faced with the problem of non-infectious diseases. Cancer is one of such diseases. It is a challenge experienced in the whole world and preparations for an international conference are underway to address the situation.
Today, on 12 March, healthcare workers are visiting Mangaung for the purpose of immunising young girls from eight years of age who are doing Grade 4 - the Minister usually refers to them as, "Those who are not yet sexually active." Therefore, they will be the first to receive the HPV vaccine that is meant to protect them from cervical cancer. This vaccine is free and is available at government health institutions. The campaign is starting this year and will include all schools in the country. This is an attempt to try to protect them from getting the cancer we are discussing today which is very prevalent when they grow up.
Everyone agrees that cancer is the number one killer in the whole country. Cancer sufferers get sick for a long time and the disease is incurable. Its sufferers' quality of life is compromised since they cannot even go to work. It is frustrating for someone who was previously employed and a breadwinner to find themselves suffering from this disease.
Maybe it is important for us as members of this House to discuss health issues, especially cancer, with our communities, instead of discussing politics, in order for cancer sufferers to benefit. It is also important for all of us to have regular check-ups. But we should get tested for cancer more often since it is the number one killer in the country.
It is also important for government departments to work together and support their employees who are living with cancer in order to enable them to continue working and contributing to the growth of the economy of the country. It is also important for all of us as citizens of this country and everyone around us to work together.
Lastly, what was said here when hon Ambrosini asked for the legalisation of dagga ... [Laughter.] ... this is actually not meant as a joke, because that in my language is the name of the herb. The Minister of Health and the government agreed on doing research and working together with researchers from other countries with the aim of finding a cure for cancer.
We cannot fight cancer with only one treatment; it is normally treated in a variety of ways. It is important for us to give all the support that cancer sufferers need and make them feel that they have an important contribution to make in society in order to boost their confidence in themselves. They need to be reassured that they can still live productive lives despite their illness, and provide for themselves, their families and also help other people. The Minister of Health made a promise during one of our debates to find out more about cancer research in all other countries. It seems that they will be discussing ways to combat the disease at their next conference.
Even though the disease is not an infectious one, some sufferers of the disease do behave in a very irresponsible manner; they drink and smoke excessively and that makes their illness even worse. Even when their illness is in remission it usually comes back due to this irresponsible behavior. It is therefore important to take good care of one's health.
Doctors usually support their patients when they request certain types of medical treatment from their medical aid schemes, especially since it is generally expensive. At the moment medical aid schemes usually recommend medical treatment which is not available in the country. This type of treatment, known as biological therapy, has to be imported and it is very costly. Sometimes even medical schemes do not provide complete cover for these types of treatment due to the costs involved.
Hon Ambrosini, my heart goes out to you and your family for what you are going through. We also sympathise with everyone suffering from cancer and we wish to try by all means to support them and help them live a longer life in order for them to be able to work and contribute to the economy. Even though we understand that their lives might be shorter than is normal, we must try to help prolong them because cancer ...]
... in honest fact, if the tumor is not removed, is treated palliatively, not necessarily the way hon Ambrosini was talking about. It is treated palliatively to preserve the health of the person being treated and to help an individual to live as long as possible. Thank you, Chairperson, for allowing this discussion to take place in order to talk about this scourge because it is a scourge and South Africa is rated number 50 in the world when it comes to cancer. I thank you. [Applause.]