Chairperson and hon members, let's talk about ubuntu. I am a person because of you, but the converse is also true. You are a person because of me and others. For me, it says that you take responsibility for who I am. However, I have to take responsibility for who you are. This is where we, as a society, have failed.
In 1994, our democracy held so much promise - the promise of freedom, peace, prosperity, security and much more. Today, we are constantly shocked by the levels of violence that our people are subjected to. The promise of peace and security remains unfulfilled. What has happened? Why has violence become endemic in our society? Why has our outrage not reached the proportions of that recently seen in India? How did we go from being the rainbow nation to being a nation in mourning?
I do not have the answers, but what I do know is that the moral fabric of our society is unravelling. We have become inured to the blatant disregard by some for the rule of law. Violence has become the currency with which workers negotiate. Schoolchildren - and they are just that - resort to violence as a means of conflict resolution. Domestic violence is how partners are subjugated. Gang violence is commonplace, and our embattled communities stagger from one violation to the next. The most vulnerable in our society, women and children, are daily under siege. Rape, mutilation and murder have become the order of the day. We have rape endemic to this country. More rapes are reported here than anywhere in the world. Why? What is the solution? I would posit that it is to return to family values. The rainbow nation is really a synonym for the family, which is South Africa. Yes, in this country, we are all one family and, like families, we have differences, but ultimately we are one. Despite these differences, now is not the time for political grandstanding. The gravity of the situation demands otherwise. We need to stand united in the face of this onslaught. We must make ending the violence a national priority. We need our men and boys to stand up for a safer country. We, as guardians of this family, need to lead by example. If we do not set high standards for ourselves as leaders, how can we expect our people to behave any differently? We must, at every turn, be the example that our people follow.
The message that we should send out must be a powerful one. There has to be a return to the rule of law. The lawlessness that has gone unpunished should not be countenanced. Discipline and order have to return the workplace, to the institutions of learning, to our communities, and to our homes. No-one should feel that we are above the law. The Minister of Finance, in his Budget, must consider allocating meaningful resources to tackle this issue.
It is said that it takes a village to raise a child. The village now has to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the child. The concern for others should be fostered in our neighbourhoods, our communities, our towns, our cities and, ultimately, our country. We should return to the tenets of ubuntu, one of which states that ubuntu is inextricably linked to the values of and which places a high premium on dignity, compassion, humaneness, and respect for the humanity of another.
In conclusion, let the words of the Knights of Labor ring true for our government. In 1884, they stated - and some of you might be familiar with this - "the best government is one in which an injury to one is the concern of all". Thank you. [Applause.]