Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers and hon members, while the violence craze that is razing our country is firmly rooted in our history, South Africans are, however, fortunate in that the protests have thus far not followed the trend evident in other parts of the continent, where people form resistance groups such as rebel groups and militias to topple governments.
Nevertheless, the warning signs are there. The degree of discontent among the poor with the inept government is abundantly clear. With service delivery protests a daily occurrence, it is regrettable that government responds to them in much the same way the apartheid regime did. The government sends the police in to brutalise and suppress protests, and as a result we find ourselves in a difficult situation, where the police force appears to be at war with the citizens of its country.
Exacerbating this situation is the fact that a large number of our police members are ill equipped and poorly trained. A significant number of our police members do not know the law, while some do not even know how to take down statements properly. These problems have repercussions for the entire justice system. The question remains, has the time not come for government to align its police doctrine with our constitutional values, which respect the right to life? The UDM supports the budget. Thank you. [Applause.]