Agb Voorsitter, ek gaan nie vandag met die agb Minister baklei nie, want hy het nou die dag eers die Minister geword. Ek dink die Minister het redelik durf en moed aan die dag gel om te erken dat die departement disfunksioneel is, dat daar basies totale chaos is en dat die agb Minister 'n ministerile taakspan aangestel het om na die probleem te kyk. Ons s in Afrikaans - en dit lyk op die oomblik ook so, nadat ek na die Minister geluister het - dis die regte man, op die regte plek en op die regte tyd. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, I am not going to fight with the hon Minister today, because he became the Minister only the other day. I think that the Minister has showed guts and courage by admitting that the department is dysfunctional, that it is basically in total chaos and by appointing a ministerial task team to investigate the problem. As we say in Afrikaans - and it also seems to be the case at the moment, having listened to the Minister - he is the right man in the right place at the right time. [Applause.]]
The English idiom, hon Minister, is "Cometh the hour, cometh the man".
Ons sal volgende jaar kyk of die agb Minister presteer het. [Next year we will be able to see whether the Minister has performed.]
Hon Minister, you quoted the editorial of The New Age, which said you had to act swiftly. You also said that the MECs of the provinces were present here tonight. I hope the MEC for the North West is here as well, because I am going to give you an opportunity to act swiftly. You will be able to act swiftly, because I want to put a problem on your table and, when I'm finished here, I am going to give you the documents.
Agb Minister, ek noem dit die Kameeldrift-probleem. Kameeldrift is 'n stuk landbougrond wat net buite Brits l. Op die oomblik is daar mense wat net eenvoudig Kameeldrift toestroom en net daar plak. Ek wil 'n bewering maak. U het ges u gaan korrupsie uitskakel in u departement. U het gepraat van 1 277 sake by die polisie. Ek maak die stelling en bewering dat daar korrupte amptenare is wat geld onder die tafel kry, vir wie mense moet betaal en dan gaan plak hulle onwettig op landbougrond wat aan Openbare Werke behoort.
Minister, ek gaan vir u die volledige dokument gee van die raadslid van die VF Plus, Elsa Lourens, in Madibeng. Ek gaan u vra dat daar mre opgetree moet word, dat die LUR van Noordwes moet kyk of daar iets in sy pype is, om teen hierdie mense te kan opstaan en hulle af te kry van grond wat onwettig beset is. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Hon Minister, I call this the Kameeldrift problem. Kameeldrift is a piece of agricultural land situated just outside Brits. At the moment, people are flocking to Kameeldrift and simply squatting there. I want to make an allegation. You said that you will eliminate corruption in your department. You mentioned 1 277 cases that are with the police. I want to make the statement and allegation that there are corrupt officials who are accepting money under the table, whom people have to pay, and then they can go and squat illegally on agricultural land belonging to the Department of Public Works. Minister, I shall give you the complete document from the FF Plus committee member, Elsa Lourens, in Madibeng. I am going to ask you that action be taken tomorrow, that the MEC of the North West should see whether he has what it takes to take a stand against these people and remove them from the land that they are occupying illegally.]
Hon Minister, you are the custodian and you have to protect the assets of the government. This is an opportunity to prove to the people that you are serious when you say that you will act and that you will act swiftly.
Hier het die Minister 'n geleentheid om te bewys dat daar opgetree kan word. U moet ontslae raak van daardie korrupte amptenare. Ek het gehoor wat die ander sprekers ook ges het. Eers as u van hulle ontslae geraak het, sal u sukses bereik. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[This is an opportunity for the Minister to prove that action can be taken. You need to get rid of those corrupt officials. I have listened to what the other speakers have said as well. You will only achieve success once you get rid of them. I thank you. [Applause.]]