Hon House Chairperson, hon members, distinguished guests, Azapo has been clear and unapologetic on its support for free universal access to health care. We have maintained that health care, like education, should not be a commodity for sale. Access to health care should be a basic right and not a privilege reserved for the rich.
Indeed, Minister, the use of words and terms can be confusing. That is why Azapo has been reluctant to embrace the concept of National Health Insurance. We have been and we continue to be suspicious about the letter I - insurance - because, in our view, insurance is something that can be sold. Health care should not be sold.
Hon Minister, Azapo has no quarrel with the issues that you have raised. In fact, we are generally happy with the performance of your department. Your department is in the news mostly for the right reasons. The same cannot be said, of course, about the provincial departments. We have no time and space now to catalogue those. And, indeed, we have matters regarding provincial departments that we would like to raise with you directly.
We welcome the increase in the number of people on HIV and Aids treatment. We congratulate the scientists and researchers on introducing single-dose treatment. Our challenge as a country is to break the cycle and work towards an Aids-free generation. It can be done; it has to be done.
The issue of maternal and infant mortality concerns us. At this time of scientific knowledge and discovery, we should be able to drastically reduce it, if not eliminate it completely. Minister, you have possibly heard about reports of young men who have died in circumcision schools - komeng - at an area serviced by the Philadelphia Hospital in Dennilton. Our information is that most of them had presented themselves to hospital before going to the mountain and were declared fit. We have reason to believe that the people who circumcised them were incompetent, as all of them developed complications within two days of having been circumcised.
Azapo supports the right of communities to practise their cultures, but we become worried when this leads to loss of life. The circumcision season is only in its first week. We therefore call upon your department to assist these communities in order to save lives. Azapo will support Budget Vote No 16. We thank you. [Applause.]