At the behest of the ANC, every person convicted of an attempted rape in our courts can continue working with children. I pray that none of them succeed in what they failed to do the first time around. It is as indefensible as it is inconceivable to the parents of this country that their government has concocted a way to delay the protection of their children from convicted criminals just so that the government can glorify themselves by taking the credit for introducing this exact amendment in their name at a later date.
A comprehensive overhaul of the current Children's Act will take months, if not a year or more, to be tabled in Parliament and the hon Botha knows this. The department has yet to even start the consultation process with the public. There is absolutely no reason why we cannot protect our children today from the hands of convicted criminals. There is no morally defensible reason why the children of South Africa must remain exposed and vulnerable in this way while the government sets aside another waste of time reviewing the Act.
ANC members of this House, know that your party has placed party politicking above the people of this country. Know that your your party has made you complicit in exposing South Africa's children to the potentially harmful hands of the individuals who have tried to rape them. Chair, a vote to reject this minor, but vital amendment to the Children's Act is a vote of shame by the ANC. [Interjections.]
I ask the House to muster all the sincerity it has within it and uphold the interests of the people, who want this protection to begin now. I ask the House to vote against the recommendations of this report and have the Bill sent back to the committee for reconsideration. I thank you. [Applause.]