Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources, acting chairperson of the portfolio committee, Members of Parliament, officials of the Department of Mineral Resources and all guests, good morning.
Sihlalo, ndihleli phaya phantsi ndiyacinga. Ndithi kunganjani xa singahlala emakhaya? Uvuke kusasa uthume umntwana aye kuthenga iphephandaba. Umthume nje amaphephandaba amabini, iSowetan kunye neStar. Ufunde iStar, sithi Marikana. Sithi akuliwa eMarikana, xa uhamba ugila isidumbu awukwazi nokuhamba. Hayi, ulibeke phantsi.
Uthathe iSowetan. Ithi akumnandi eMarikana, kojiwa inyama. Konke nje kulungile. [Kwahlekwa.] Wena ukugqiba kwakho ukufunda loo maphepha uze kusingxolela apha, uthetha into ongayaziyo. Indlebe zethu zitshise kuba simamele into esingayaziyo nokuba yintoni. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, as I was sitting there I was thinking: How would it feel if we were to stay at home, wake up in the morning and send a child to buy a newspaper or two? Let us say the Sowetan and The Star. You read in The Star that there is heavy fighting in Marikana, so much so that wherever one goes one trips on dead bodies strewn all around. You put it down.
You then read the Sowetan. It says it is so nice in Marikana, with people having a braai everywhere. All is well there. [Laughter.] And then after reading those newspapers someone comes here and makes noise about things he or she knows nothing about. Our ears hurt from listening to something that we know nothing about.]
The health and safety of workers in the mining industry ... [Interjections.] Please, you are disturbing me! I never disturbed you. I gave you a chance. Please! Please! [Interjections.]
the Temporary chairperson (Prof L B G Ndabandaba): Order! Order, hon members! [Interjections.]