Hon Chairperson; hon Minister of State Security, Dr Cwele; hon members of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence; and my beloved security community, you who work tirelessly to protect the people of South Africa without much acknowledgement, I salute you.
The ANC has ordered me to come and support this budget, and that is exactly what I'm doing now. [Interjections.] The reason why the ANC supports the budget is that we in the ANC are going to monitor the use of these state resources, because the money belongs to the people of South Africa and the ANC loves the people of South Africa. That is the reason. [Interjections.]
N'wina va ka hina lava nga emakaya, ndza mi losa. Ndza khensa ku va mi ndzi yingisela namuntlha. Ndzi ya bula na n'wina hi timhaka ta nkoka swinene: Timhaka ta vuhlayiseki bya hina. Mi fanele ku ndzi yingisela hi vutlhari lebyikulu. Mi nga yengiwi hi vanhu lava nga tiviki lexi va xi vulavulaka.
Vunhlori a hi ku dya vuswa, i mhaka ya ku fa na ku hanya. Loko hi vulavula hi vuhlayiseki, hi fanele hi tirhisa miehleketo ya hina. Ndzi lava ku mi tsundzuxa mhaka yin'wana loko munhu a vulavula hi vuhlayiseki a nga ri na vukheta. Eka tikhomphyuta na tiqingho ta n'wina ku na xilo lexi va nge i inthanete. Fambani mi ya tsala leswi landzelaka, www.google.com. Tsalani vito ra munhu, xivongo na vandla leri a yimelaka rona. Mi tsala na ndhawu ya yena yo velekiwa kumbe vuakatiko bya yena. Mi ta kuma ntiyiso. Inthanete a yi na mavondzo, yi ta mi byela laha xinkavana xa munhu yaloye xi nga wela kona. Mi ta twisisa leswaku hikokwalaho ka yini a nga ri na mhaka na leswi a swi vulavulaka hi tiko leri.
Mina na n'wina hi na ntiyiso leswaku swinkavana swa hina swi wele kwala. Nakambe marhambu ya hina ya ta bolela kwala ka tiko leri. Lavan'wana a hi na ntiyiso wa vona. A hi tlhariheni va ka hina. Hi nga xisiwi hi lava va nga ta laha ku ta endla mali.
Ku na ndzavisiso wa tibangi ta le USA lowu nga kombisa leswaku tiko ra hina hi rona ri nga na swicelwa swo tala exikarhi ka matiko hinkwayo ya misava loko ya hlanganile. Hikwalaho, tsundzukani kahle leswaku vanhu lava vulaka leswaku hinkwaswo swilo swa hina hi fanele hi swi veka swi ku tlanganda erivaleni, va lava ku tiva timhaka ta nsuku hinkwawo lowu hi nga na wona.
Nakambe lavisisani leswaku loko ku lweriwa ntshuxeko munhu loyi a ri kwihi ke? Loko kuri leswaku a nga ri kona, mi nga onhi nkarhi wa n'wina hi ku n'wi yingisela. (Translation of Xitsonga paragraphs follows.)
[To our people who live in rural areas, I salute you. I thank you today for lending me your ears. I will deliberate with you about very critical issues: Issues of your social security. You should listen to me very prudently. Do not be deceived by people who do not know what they are talking about.
Intelligence is not child's play, but is a matter of life and death. When talking about security, we should apply our minds. I want to remind you of a certain issue when a person talks about security haphazardly. There is what is called the Internet on your mobile phones. Go and type the following: www.google.com. Type a person's name, surname and the political party that he or she represents. You type his or her place of birth or his or her nationality. You will get the truth. Internet is not biased, but it will reflect where that person was born and bred. You will be able to understand why he or she is carefree about what he or she says about this country.
You and I are sure that our umbilical cords fell off here. Our remains will also be buried in this country. We are not sure about the others. We should be wise. We should not be deceived by those who came here to make money.
There is research that was conducted by USA-based banks which has shown that our country has an abundance of minerals as compared to all countries of the world combined. For this reason, you should remember that those people who want us to be transparent want to know about all our gold that we have.
You should also investigate where they were when we fought for freedom. If he or she was not there, then you should not waste your time lending him yours ears.]
We in the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence expect the accounting authority and the accounting officer to monitor very passionately the implementation of programmes and projects for effective and efficient state delivery. Proper programme and project management is important for value creation in any organisation, be it private or public, even if it is a church. Good corporate governance demands sound financial and operational control over management of programmes and projects.
I do fully appreciate the fact that the intelligence services worldwide face a bigger challenge, of the wide scope of national security, which focuses on more than just the military wellbeing of the state, and also has to assist government in the analysis of soft security issues. The hard security issues are becoming transnational in nature and require more co- ordination and more resources to tackle.
It needs to be stressed that the intelligence structures require a strong budget that will do the following. First, it will empower them to protect our territorial borders, integrity and sovereignty. Secondly, it will match the determination of organised criminals. Thirdly, it will match the determination of those who are hell-bent on destabilising our domestic security and that of the continent.
In addition to monitoring whether the agency is spending in line with annual performance plans and targets approved by the Minister, the committee has the responsibility to monitor whether the agency is assisting in fighting corruption in the country, as corruption is not occurring only in the public sector, but in every walk of life. For example, there is a church leader who is currently under investigation for corrupt practices.
Director-General, you are the person I want to talk to today. I say that this budget needs to be spent wisely, starting with the streamlining of functions and structures. We will need to do the following. In fact, if you really need our support as a committee, DG, you will need to do the following.
Firstly, report to the JSCI at least four times a year, and on time!
Secondly, at all times remember that, although the Public Finance Management Act allows you to delegate, the accountability and responsibility remain with you. As I indicated to you at your last appearance, DG, no other person is responsible for this budget - it is you only. If there are other people involved, that is your baby. You have to look after this money in a manner that is compliant with the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999.
Thirdly, you have to correct all the shortcomings that we have indicated to you.
Fourthly, you have to ensure that the recommendations of the Auditor- General are addressed. I do not want to see the same recommendations over and over and over again.
Fifthly, you must "make assurance double sure", as Shakespeare wrote in Macbeth - there are consequences for wrongdoing if there is any such finding by the Auditor-General.
Sixthly, you must tighten financial control by ensuring that the internal audit system and risk control are working properly. Take the recommendations of your audit committee seriously. If you do not have them, make sure you have them by tomorrow. Guarantee its independence, because that will work for you.
Finally, if you receive this allocation and you do not do what I have advised you, director-general, I will influence the committee to recommend to the Minister that he most humbly relieve you of your responsibility! [Laughter.] Don't listen to the newspapers, but adhere to the Public Finance Management Act. [Interjections.] Don't listen to the back-seat drivers on my left! [Laughter.] Listen to the Intelligence Services Oversight Act. More than that, also listen to your own conscience, and your loyalty to your own country, South Africa. [Interjections.]
Your responsibility is to protect and defend the hard-won freedom of our land, the freedom that many spent all their lives fighting for. This is the freedom that Ruth First, Bram Fischer, Chris Hani, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Mama Mittah Seperepere, Mark Shope, Winnie Mandela, Ruth Mompati, Adelaide Tambo, Nelson Mandela and Sheila Weinberg, to name just a few, spent all their lives fighting for. Use this budget to protect the citizens of South Africa. Never ever listen to the back-seat drivers on your left. Thank you. [Applause.]