Okay, maybe I like 50% and I go by 50%, so I like the "Madams"!
Chairperson, another challenge is the traditional healers. I am not going into details about the traditional healers. I am just going to say two things about them: Firstly, we as a committee need to call them in, because we need to understand the way they operate. I want to say that a big percentage of South Africans are consulting them, either "Nicodemusly" or during the day. A lot of us are consulting them.
The reason why I want to talk about them is the fact that, while conventional or Western medicine is my background, I am a descendant of Sotjhenge, of Malalaza, of Sibakhulu, of Dlamini, of Solomon. On the other side, I am a descendant of Khuboni, of Bhele, of Langa and of Nodoli. I mention these names because they lived before 1652. Before 1652 there were no conventional medicines or Western medicines. [Applause.]
You can't tell me that in those times people didn't become ill; they became ill at some stage. The fact that I am here standing in front of you today means that somebody treated them well at that particular time. That is why I am standing in front of you and, if that is the case, it means there are good traditional healers. The question is: Do we know the good ones and do we know the bad ones? I think that is the challenge. [Applause.]
Chairperson, when you get solutions to a problem, the solutions usually present a challenge after that. It should not be a question of not acknowledging the solution, even if there are challenges brought about by the solution.
What I want to say is that the child and maternal mortality rates have increased in South Africa; what they aren't saying is that the statistics we have today cover each and every corner, unlike during apartheid times when the statistics were only for the homelands, when they wanted to bring things down. We cover every area in a very honest fashion.
What they say is that there is a shortage of personnel in our institutions, but what they don't say is that the personnel that we train are so good that they are wanted by the whole world, especially the developing countries.
What they do not say is that because of the good clinics and hospitals that have built, we have outgrown the number of personnel required there. It does not, however, mean that we are not actually handling that situation.
What they are saying is that in 17 years very little has been done by the ANC. But what they do not say is that 17 years is not even a quarter of 300 years of indignity, dispossession, dehumanisation and oppression.
That compels me to say: Let's not be derailed by those who do not recognise the challenges we are trying to sort out, but let us be focused and endeavour to make sure that we go forward. I want to say that I am a descendant of Dlamini. Thank you. [Applause.]