Cope will not be supporting Budget Vote 26. [Interjections.] During her reply on the Budget Vote, the hon Minister declared, "Don't bother sending me your speech." Some of the new generation of Ministers no longer believe in being accountable to Parliament, as is required by the Constitution. Does the Minister know what the Constitution demands of her? If she did, she would have already informed Parliament about who the new owners of certain farms in the North West province are, after I raised the question.
She must also inform Parliament how the Makatini cotton gin plant, now owned by the department, is progressing, and what quantity of cotton is being grown and milled there. The hon Minister must also furnish this House with a report on the Letsitele Valley farms, the Magwa tea estate in the Eastern Cape and the Zebediela estate.
The Minister has displayed a lack of commitment to the Constitution as well as to the plight of farmers and farmworkers. Farm security and food security are more compromised than ever before. Therefore, Cope cannot in good conscience support this Vote. Thank you.