Agb Speaker ... [Hon Speaker] ... I want to respond to the hon member of the ANC who complained about the huge salaries of CEOs in the mining industry, which is justifiable. But I want to say to the hon member of the ANC that there's at least one difference: in the mining sector the CEOs pay for their own houses. They don't use R250 million of taxpayers' money to build a house for the CEO of the ANC. That's a big difference.
Agb Speaker, ek wil ook s dat dit 'n onhoudbare situasie skep as 'n vakbond deel van 'n regering is. Dit is tog net logies dat daar bevoorregting en bevoordeling vir sodanige vakbond sal wees. Dit is presies wat gebeur, ook in die mynbounywerheid.
As daar bevoordeling is, dan begin daar ongelukkigheid ontstaan by ander werknemers juis as gevolg daarvan, en dan moet die regering van die dag instaan en pa staan vir daardie probleme. 'n Ander aspek wat ons moet oorweeg, is dat die mynbounywerheid 'n beperkte leeftyd in Suid-Afrika het. Ek woon in Stilfontein en ek weet wat die impak is as 'n goudmyn in 'n gemeenskap sluit.
Alles is gesentreer op die mynbounywerheid. Dit het tyd geword dat plaaslike regerings ander nywerhede moet vestig om weg te beweeg van die afhanklikheid op die mynbounywerheid, anders ... en ek weet dat die ANC- regering daaraan gewoond is om met sy broek om die knie gevang te word ... maar, hou op daarmee. Gee opdragte aan die stadsrade om ander nywerhede te ontwikkel sodat die mense nie die prys daarvoor moet betaal nie. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Hon Speaker, I also want to say that an untenable situation is being created when a union is part of a government. Surely it is just logical that there will be favouring of and preferential treatment for such a union. That is precisely what is happening, and likewise in the mining industry.
If preferential treatment is given, then it leads to the start of unhappiness amongst other workers for that very reason and the government of the day has to intervene and accept responsibility for those problems. Another aspect that we have to consider is that the mining industry has a limited lifespan in South Africa. I live in Stilfontein and I know what the impact is when a goldmine in a community closes down.
Everything is centred on the mining industry. The time has come for local government to establish other industries in order to move away from dependence on the mining industry, otherwise ... and I know that the ANC is used to being caught with its pants down ... but that has to stop. Issue directives to the city councils to develop other industries so that the people do not have to pay the price for it. I thank you.]