Agb Voorsitter, terwyl ek vanoggend hier na die Parlement toe ry, lees ek die koerantplakkaat, "Girl, 2 years, gang-raped". Ek moet vir u s ek was skaam om te dink ek is deel van 'n gemeenskap waar 'n tweejarige dogtertjie deur 'n bende verkrag word. Ek s toe vir myself ons het 'n verrotte gemeenskap. Ons kan dag en nag daaroor praat, maar die vraag is, wat word gedoen?
Dit is skandalig, en dit is 'n skandvlek vir 'n volk, vir 'n nasie, as hy kort-kort in sy koerante moet lees van tweejarige dogtertjies wat verkrag word. Wat gaan aan?
Ek wil vir die agb Minister van Basiese Onderwys die volgende s ... (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, while I was on my way to Parliament this morning, I saw a newspaper poster, "Girl, 2 years, gang-raped". I need to say to you that I felt ashamed to think that I am part of a community in which a two-year-old girl is raped by a gang. Then I told myself that we have a rotten community. We can talk about it day and night, but the question remains, what is being done?
It is scandalous, and it is a disgrace to a people, to a nation, if it has to read regularly in its newspapers about two-year-old girls being raped. What is happening?
I would like to say the following to the hon Minister of Basic Education ...]
You say we need a new breed of men? I say we need a new breed of men and women, because we have a responsibility. The children are the products of the parents. Do we still teach our children the basic value of respect? As ons dit doen, sal ons nie skaam vir 'n verrotte gemeenskap hoef te wees nie.
Die agb Minister versprei kondome op skoolvlak. Minister, toe ek op skool was en die hormone hoog was, is ek geleer om respek te h vir die ander geslag ... [Tussenwerpsels.] ... en het nie vrye toegang tot kondome gehad om dan net myself oor te gee aan my drange nie.
Dit is deel van die probleem, maar uself is deel daarvan. Ek wil vandag vir u s hierdie probleem is nie net die regering se probleem nie. Dit is 'n gemeenskapsprobleem.
Dit is ook onaanvaarbaar as ek die volgende in 'n koerant moet lees. 'n Vrou bel die polisie omdat haar mansvriend haar klap, maar sy word gearresteer. Sy word die nag in 'n sel toegesluit, drie polisielede verkrag haar, en die volgende dag word sy net vrygelaat sonder 'n klag! Dit is 'n ernstige aanklag teen die regering en die polisie - maarnie almal in die polisie is so nie.
As ons in 'n gemeenskap is waar dogterjies van twee jaar verkrag word, en waar vrouens hulle moet beroep op die beskerming van die polisie, maar dan gearresteer en verkrag word, agb Minister, dan het ons nie net 'n verrotte gemeenskap nie, ons het ook 'n verrotte regering. Ons sal ons huis in orde moet kry. Ek dank u.
AGB LEDE: Hoor, hoor! [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[If we do that, we need not be ashamed of a rotten community.
The hon Minister distributes condoms at schools. Minister, when I went to school and hormones soared, we were taught to have respect for the opposite sex ... [Interjections.] ... and we did not have free access to condoms just to surrender to one's urges.
That is part of the problem, but you yourself are part of it. I would like to say to you today that this problem is not only the government's problem. It is a problem of the community.
It is also unacceptable if I have to read the following in a newspaper. A woman phones the police because her male partner slaps her, but she is arrested. She is locked in a cell overnight, three members of the police force rape her, and the following day she is simply released without any charge! It is a serious indictment against the government and the police - but not everyone in the police force behaves like that.
If we find ourselves in a community where two-year-old girls are being raped, and where women have to depend on the protection of the police, but are then arrested and raped, hon Minister, then we not only have a rotten community, we also have a rotten government. We will have to get our house in order. I thank you.
HON MEMBERS: Hear, hear! [Applause.]]