Speaker, hon President, hon Deputy President, and hon members, before I get to the gist of my speech, I just want to indicate that millions of South Africans who have been watching almost every state of the nation address, almost every presidential Budget Vote, ask themselves the question: Where is the respect that, in particular, the hon Lindiwe Mazibuko should be giving our President?
Yes, let us differ with the President. Yes, let us be critical, but there must be substance in that difference and in that criticism. But to treat our President in a condescending and disrespectful way has to be dealt with. [Applause.]
What we have also seen is that the voice of both the DA and of Cope has become so indistinguishable that when one listens to both of them, you would be forgiven for thinking that they are just one political party. Not only is it a shame that the hon Mazibuko receives her speech from the Western Cape provincial legislature, but it is also unfortunate that the has-been revolutionary hon Terror Lekota is sharing notes with the hon Mazibuko. It is also a shame that you, hon Lekota, who have left the House, read from the same script and use the same verbiage, word by word, effectively becoming and extension and mouthpiece of the DA. [Applause.] You collectively say that the President has failed and should not be re- elected. It is your democratic right, but it is a shame that you cannot afford your own people in Cope the same opportunity we have in the ANC of electing our leaders every five years. [Applause.] If you clean your house ... [Interjections.] Wherever he is, listening or not - which would be unfortunate, but wherever he is - I want to say to hon Lekota, and I know the message will go through: Clean your house, and then the people of South Africa will begin to listen to you.
But it is also unfortunate that both the DA and Cope have read the same script offered by Goebbels of Hitler's Germany that the bigger the lie, the more it is repeated, the bigger the chances of that lie being believed. [Interjections.] Let us look, for instance, at the statistics that relate to unemployment. In 2004 to 2009, when the ANC led the Western Cape, the Western Cape gained more than 138 000 jobs. That is under an ANC government. [Applause.] But under the DA, from 2009 to date - and maybe including the ID - the Western Cape has lost 70 000 jobs and narrow employment has decreased by more than 133 000 jobs. But, wait for it, in the last 12 months, while the country as a whole created 200 000 jobs, the DA lost 37 000 jobs. [Interjections.] Using the logic of hon Mazibuko, which she has extended to the President, not only must the DA accept responsibility and blame, but the hon member and her leader, Premier Helen Zille, must do the honourable thing for the Western Cape people and resign. Please go. Go quietly, and we will not even mention this in the future. [Applause.]
These lies also include what you consistently repeat. We knew that you were going to speak about Marikana. You were going to speak about the illegal landing of the Guptas in Waterkloof. We knew that you were going to speak about Nkandla. We knew that you were going to try and create divisions within the ruling party and its alliance partners on the question of the National Development Plan. But you failed dismally. You came here, and you said everything that you have been saying in the past, and there is nothing new that has been coming from the opposition parties. [Applause.] The first inclination of the opposition to any tragedy or farce, which is in sync with what is repeated daily in the media, is that the President is responsible for everything bad that happens and all the good that is done by government just happens by chance. Flights are delayed - blame Zuma. The weather is bad - blame Zuma. The rand is too weak - blame Zuma. There is a cloud on Table Mountain - blame Zuma. [Interjections.] The hon Lindiwe Mazibuko has bad fashion taste and has been arrested by the fashion police - blame Zuma. [Laughter.] So, everything must be blamed on Zuma. [Interjections.]