Speaker, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers, hon members, guests and friends and, most importantly, my fellow South Africans, this Fourth Parliament cannot talk on the tragedy that occurred at Marikana other than to offer our sincere condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives.
Three hundred and sixty years ago, my ancestors arrived in this beautiful country, and some of them got it into their heads that the minerals that lay beneath our soil were more important than the loved ones that lived above it. Some of you may think that the thing that divides us as South Africans is the colour of our skin. The truth is that there are only two types of people in this wonderful country: the haves and the have-nots.
Che Guevara said:
The true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality. We must strive every day so that this love of the living humanity will be transformed into actual deeds, into acts that serve as examples, as a moving force.
The fact that we, as South Africa, moved from an apartheid regime into a democratic country, without a civil war, illustrates fundamentally that all South Africans have a great love for one another. Love conquered hate, but love did not conquer the lust for wealth and power. It is the lust for wealth that has created material conditions in our beloved country, where millions of husbands, wives, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters believe that they have nothing to lose. It is the lust for power that has enabled individuals to try to gain political points through the suffering of others. These individuals are prepared to risk desperate people's lives for their own gain, and should not be trusted.
Many changes have occurred within South Africans since 1994. All of these changes relate to how we see each other as South Africans; how we relate to one another as human beings. Love conquers hate. The only change the people who lust for wealth have made is partial compliance with legislation. There has been no real effort made by them to build our glorious country. It is business as usual. People who lust for wealth have not contributed in any way to the South African moral authority which stems from the love we have for one another as human beings.
What are we, as South Africans, going to do about employers that risk their workers' lives by not adhering to safety legislation? Are we going to just sit around and do nothing when employers undermine communication mechanisms, like collective bargaining and collective agreements, in the hope that it will make them a few extra bucks? Are we going to continue pretending that all is well and, by doing so, leave the situation for our children to fix?
Section 10 of the Bill of Rights states, "Everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected." We are at a crossroads not of our making. It is time to unite our love of humanity into a moving force that will change the real conditions on the ground so that everyone can live with dignity.
Annually, South Africa produces around 2,7 million ounces of platinum at a selling price of around R13 500 per ounce. That translates into a staggering value of platinum being at around R35 797 million in one year. One wonders why it is then that the communities around where this valuable resource is mined are underdeveloped. To focus only on the platinum producers, however, would be unfair. So, South Africa, ask yourselves why it is that throughout the country, where those who lust for wealth make their biggest profits, most of the workers that do the actual work live in adverse conditions.
Now, I know that some of you are thinking that the government must fix this; that you pay your taxes and that that contribution should be enough, because this situation is not really your problem. The truth is that this situation is everyone's problem. As South Africans, we are a collective. We are the ones who are the custodians of our children's future. If we blunder and abandon our responsibility to create a caring society, our children will suffer.
Those that put the lust for wealth above the love of humanity are letting us down, and they are threatening our future. It is time for them to realise that we have a stable democracy that allows their lustful pursuit of wealth to flourish, but it will not last unless everyone flourishes.
As one tribe, we South Africans must ask: Why is there such a big gap between the rich and the poor? Why are members of our South African tribe suffering with underdevelopment and inequality, while others are benefiting from human exploitation?
It was on our watch that the tragedy at Marikana occurred - not just government, not just business. We, as a society, must take responsibility. It is our collective South African fault that circumstances allowed a tragedy of this magnitude to happen.
South Africa, the time to act is upon us; the time to show through practical deeds that our love for one another can and will defeat the lust for wealth. To build a caring society, society must care. We, as South African society, must express our caring by acting in an exemplary way for the benefit of all. We, as one South African tribe, need to change the way some of our brothers and sisters are treated.
Tomorrow, let us all lead by example, and begin the transformation of our society into a caring one. Let us make it so that the tragedy in the mining sector will be seen by our children as the beginning of a better life for all, because working together we can do more. I thank you. [Applause.]