I am quoting from their Bill, and I want the ANC specifically to listen very carefully, and to help people watching this. Listen very carefully to this:
The owner will not bear any cost for the provision of security measures ordered by the board.
Exposed! I read again: The owner ...
That is also private companies and private operators -
... will not bear any cost for the provision of security measures ordered by the board.
Exposed! Yet again, corporate interests before the interests of our country and her people. [Applause.]
I checked this, and from the European commission's report, I quote:
The owners and operators of infrastructure, such as power stations or oil refineries, already spend millions of euros every year on protecting their assets. Not doing this could mean that they will go out of business.
But, in South Africa, we are expected to pay for private businesses' security because it's corporate interests before those of the country! [Applause.] So, while the DA is making this noise over the President and security measures, they are proposing that government should bear the costs and provide security at private places that might be declared critical infrastructure - corporate interests above those of the country and the people.
I want to say this to hon Lekota. Hon Lekota, I find it disappointing that as a previous senior Minister within the Justice and Security cluster under whose command this Act fell at some point, you didn't do anything about it. Nothing. In fact, the hon Lekota does not even know - today, from this podium - as a previous Minister of Defence that military bases do not comprise national key points, but they are in fact declared as military installations - simple. [Applause.]
The hon Minister of Police has already, by way of a point of order, made the point that all Presidents and former Presidents' houses are declared national key points. Let it sink in; let us open our ears and let us hear it.
A question has been asked as to why it is taking so long. I think we have to take note of the fact that we have to balance competing interests. As we sit here today in this House, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Protection of State Information is still meeting outside of this House. They are still meeting because that Bill has not been passed in its totality as yet. Obviously, you are going to need that Bill as well in order to protect some of the information that needs to be protected through this National Key Points Act. Obviously, it might be possible that some of the issues may be open issues, but you are going to require that some of them be closed issues.
Minister, looking at this, I think we also have to realise that this Bill is badly placed. Security should be with the police, but the reporting part of it should be with State Security, through Parliament; not through the police, who the hon member will never allow us to have a closed meeting with, in any case, to discuss security issues.
Is hon Mfundisi still here, or has he left? [Laughter.] I do need to say it. Hon Mfundisi was speaking here as if he is not aware of national key points, and as if it's from the devil himself. There is a place in the previous Bophuthatswana that is called Galowe. Mangope used to stay there. It was a national key point, and hon Mfundisi was the governor at that place. [Applause.]
There is a story that children listen to. It has been told over the ages, but it has an adult moral to it also. It's a story about a prince without clothes. To each and every South African out there I want to say, think carefully. The opposition stand before you today in all their naked ugliness. [Laughter.]
There is but one party that puts the interests of South Africa and all her people - black and white, rich and poor - before any other interest. There is but one party that truly cares, and that party is the ANC. I thank you. [Applause.]