Madam Deputy Speaker, the Lord has blessed a few people to walk the path of suffering. The great icon, Madiba, has changed this suffering into freedom for all. Therefore the word freedom is synonymous with Madiba and appropriately with all those that were in the struggle.
The MF acknowledges the great strides we have made in the economy, but the one area we have to deal with is the whole issue of the economic advancement of the working class and the poor. The gap between the rich and the poor is horrible.
We cannot debate Freedom Day in our offices and places of bureaucracy. We should start debating it in the rural areas, in squatter-camp settlements and on the street corners where young children who should be at school are begging. Before we can say we have achieved a lot, we have to ask the question: What, really, have we achieved? Are we spreading the wealth of South Africa to the ordinary people? Are they getting a taste of freedom? The MF calls for deep soul searching as the ANC celebrates its 100-year anniversary. It's time to return to the values and systems that the great founding fathers Oliver Tambo, Nkosi Albert Luthuli and Nelson Mandela stood for.
True happiness or freedom is when what you say, what you do and what you think are in harmony. Let us commit to building a caring society based on equality for all. Let us be reminded of the profound words of Madiba, that there will never ever again be any form of oppression in our beautiful land, South Africa.
It is time to march forward to deliver a progressive rainbow nation. I thank you.