I just want to thank you, Chairperson, for supporting our budget and for the working relationship we had with you. You have steered this House and the select committee in a direction that enables people to understand better.
However, I must also indicate that there are those who refuse to be educated. Hon Gunda is one of them. May I say something, hon Gunda? The Deputy Minister offers free workshops for you to understand the mining industry. I suggest it is the Deputy Minister's task to educate hon Gunda as he doesn't understand this sector.
Just on the issue of Alexkor, hon Van Lingen, let me once again mention that we are not responsible for Alexkor. Alexkor falls under the Department of Public Enterprises. I don't know why she always brings up its performance with my department. We are not responsible for it.
I must also indicate that the state-owned mining company that she talks about has not been and will not be funded with taxpayers' money. We will come and make a presentation so that members will understand from where the state-owned mining company derives its resources.
It has gone out to borrow from the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the Independent Development Corporation, like any other private company. That is the spirit we must promote in this country. If the state has to participate, it must compete with the rest of the participants or interested groups.
I don't know why you are making such a big fuss. You are not talking about America. When America's economy is in crisis - like it is at the moment - they nationalise but you don't talk about it. Ford has been nationalised, so why are you not referring to that?
The state has taken that debt and it is running it; basically it has funded Ford by 100%. Therefore we must not be biased. You must also understand our own objectives as a country.
With regard to the matter of Kumba, I want to concur with the Chairperson of the NCOP: That matter is sub judice; it has nothing to do with us. Let's allow the courts to do their work, then we can comment later.
To say that we are enriching ourselves is not fair, because a few have been enriched for many years and no one ever raised a finger or voice when those few were enriched. It was a few white men - not even a woman. [Interjections.] Yes, it was you yourselves.
I am raising this matter to say that in 17 years the number of black people who have access to this economy is greater than the few who controlled the economy for over a century in this country. I must also indicate that you start somewhere, you move. We have Ernest Oppenheimer and his family with De Beers, a huge company started by their great-grandfather.
Now where should these black people go - who were blocked by your laws and could not participate in the economy - when we create an opportunity for them to access the economy?
Now we talk about a small black elite and it is so unfair. Let us give people an opportunity and a chance to develop and ensure that they can be empowered and ensure that their families become better.
I also want to indicate that our policies are clear; we are also engaging communities. With regard to the SOEs, you must call us so that we can tell you which companies have employee participation. You must call us so that we can tell you about the communities who are benefiting. We will give you that information because we monitor that on an annual basis. We have a charter precisely to ensure that we can monitor the companies.
Recently I indicated that the President had gone to Anglo Platinum and launched a scheme where there is community participation and whereby the community owns a stake - equity. In a true sense, no money came from any bank. What we are talking about is progress.
But in any case, those who are prepared to see will use their eyes to see and as for those who decide to be blind, we can do nothing about that. Let them sit in the darkness as we make progress in this country.
Hon Sinclair, regarding the issue of Julius, I am not going to enter into that debate. All of us here have the responsibility to carry out government policy across the board. We must be the ambassadors of this country. We must not be prophets of doom. All of us know that in this Parliament, this House and the National Assembly at no stage was a nationalisation policy adopted. So I don't know why we are also singing a song which has never been endorsed by this government.
If you are part of the government, you are part of this country. It means that you are part of those who don't wish this country success when you continue embracing what is not in government policy. This is all because of what Julius said, yet it is not the government's policy.
Hon Sinclair, I like the way you have decided to break down Julius's surname. I would really appreciate it if you could send that to him so that he can understand your point of view and how you tried to interpret his surname. [Laughter.] As we stand here, we will always ensure that you understand.
Hon Dikgale, you understand our policies quite well. This is a process, it is not an event or a rally, or a once-off where you go home and say that it was good and nice. It is a process of transformation; that is why it has never been easy. It is painful and it needs all of us to work together.
As we are sitting here today in the month of June and having this debate, we have many important activities. On 26 June 1955, the Freedom Charter was adopted. On the basis of that, we are talking about the mining sector. Thank you, hon Deputy Chairperson. [Applause.]