Chairperson, thank you very much. At the outset, I would like to thank all members who participated in the debate. I think what stands out very clearly in this debate is that despite the differences that we have as South Africans, the different backgrounds that we come from, the different socioeconomic circumstances that we find ourselves in, the different parties to which we belong and the different views that we have, we are slowly but surely uniting as a nation and uniting around important pillars of our society such as our Constitution.
Of course, we are a vibrant and a democratic society, and therefore we will have robust debates. I think in conducting those robust debates it's always important for us to do so in a manner that is respectful both of each other and the truth. Therefore, I would like to thank those members, starting with the hon Zulu, who highlighted the need to respect our institutions, cultures and diversity.
I would also like to thank the hon Nzimande for highlighting the importance of national unity, tolerance and the respect for human dignity. I would like to thank the hon Priscilla Themba for her sober and balanced intervention in this debate that recognised both the progress that we have made as well as the tremendous challenges that still remain, especially for vulnerable groups, such as farm workers and in particular for highlighting the position of women on the issue of gender-based violence.
I would also like to thank the hon Adams for a very robust intervention that speaks for itself and also hon Hartnick for referring to our painful past - a painful past very close to our hearts, the forced removals that took place in District Six. I also want to make an appeal, as we go about the business of governance in the Western Cape, to remember that history, and to make sure that the past is not inflicted on people in the present.
Lastly, I just want to say that what makes our Constitution such a special and a unique document is that it's a document that emanates from the lived experience of the majority of South Africans. When we met in the Constitutional Assembly, we brought the experience of our whole society together. We made sure that the Constitution-writing process was as open, transparent, democratic and participative as possible.
The committees of the Constitutional Assembly received thousands and thousands of submissions from all over South Africa. The Theme Committees of the Constitutional Assembly went across the length and the breadth of the country in the same spirit that characterised the process leading up to the Congress of the People where the Freedom Charter was adopted. So, therefore we find in our Constitution a reflection of the deepest desires and aspirations of the South African people - a reflection of what the real needs are. That is why values such as dignity and why rights such as basic socioeconomic rights to health, education and water find expression in our Constitution.
Our Constitution is a transformative document; it's a revolutionary document, because it seeks to change - just to create - the legal framework for society, to change from what it was to what it is and to what it must still become. Therefore, it is not enough for us to create opportunities, be they open or closed.
It is not enough to say that we are opening opportunities but that we are closing reality. The opportunities that we open must be followed through with concrete action - the action that is mandated by our Constitution to make sure that those rights are not just possibilities but that they become realities.
So, in conclusion I should also thank the hon Dennis Bloem for his intervention. Indeed it is a fundamental right to be able to live in dignity - I think he would agree with me that his current home is not a place of dignity. [Laughter.] Maybe it's time to look for a new-old home where dignity will indeed reign. [Interjections.]