Thank you, hon Chairperson. Deputy Chairperson, it is indeed a great honour and privilege today to be speaking on Taking Parliament to the People in the Free State from 15 to 19 November 2010. I am very pleased to have been able to commute to and from the venue in the Charles Mopeli Stadium in Phuthaditjhaba daily where the sittings took place.
I would be remiss in my duty as a citizen of South Africa if I did not mention the beauty of our beautiful nation as we were driven to the Golden Gate day after day. I will remember those scenes of the beautiful mountains for as long as I live. Having spoken about the Golden Gate and the beautiful mountains, it is sad to say that, unfortunately, the rest of Phuthaditjhaba is the direct opposite.
It is important that we hold these sittings and other committee meetings in public to allow our communities to participate and tell the government about their needs and aspirations. It was my first time participating in an NCOP Taking Parliament to the People event and indeed I discovered the importance for Parliament to touch base with the ordinary community members that trust government with their valuable vote and trust that government will, on their behalf and at all times, provide service delivery.
Public participation is important for government to know and feel what our people's needs are. We sometimes forget so quickly that consultation with the community is just as important as passing laws. I would like to quote the Freedom Charter: "The people shall govern." [Applause.]
Therefore it is imperative that we listen to the people and hear what they have to say and implement change where necessary. We should not be seen only when we need their vote to vote us into power and then forget about them or vanish into thin air until the next election.
Our theme for Taking Parliament to the People was apt, I thought, because indeed local government, provincial government and national government should be working together to deliver the services needed by the people of Phuthaditjhaba and everywhere else in South Africa.
The community of Phuthaditjhaba were clearly outspoken about certain areas that do not receive any delivery of services. The road infrastructure is very poor or nonexistent in many areas. A 15-minute drive took us more than an hour because of the poor condition of the gravel roads.
The youth voiced their unhappiness about unemployment and not being able to find employment although some of them had degrees and higher education diplomas. Once again, allow me to quote the Freedom Charter: "There shall be houses, security and comfort." Many people of Phuthaditjhaba do not subscribe to this quote as they are still waiting patiently for houses, security and comfort.
Informal settlements need to be formalised to allow the community to have the very basic essential services of electricity, sanitation, and running water from taps. The community expressed their concern regarding certain areas being upgraded whilst in other areas there is no development taking place; the situation has been like this for many years.
Some residents were older than 70 years and have been living in these conditions for as long as they can remember. Priority for houses should be given to the elderly and people living with disabilities. Infrastructure for disabled people is nonexistent as many people never leave their homes because of the bad roads and distances they have to travel to get to clinics, churches, shops and schools. There is a lack of public transport for the disabled; many stated that they needed wheelchairs and have been assessed as needing wheelchairs, but have not received them as promised.
Some were very fortunate on the last day when President Zuma donated some wheelchairs to the disabled. Disabled people have to queue for long hours to collect their grants. Paypoints need to be brought nearer or alternative arrangements need to be made to facilitate ease in receiving their grants on time.
The community expressed their unhappiness about the Expanded Public Works Programme which was not fair. Only certain groups of people benefit from these programmes. I was fortunate to be part of the oversight group that visited two schools where one school was well orchestrated because they did not have many needs.
However, what disturbed me at one of these schools was the hostel at the school where six-year-old children are not able to visit their parents regularly. They can only do this once a term due to the school not having funds to provide for the necessary transport to transport the children to and from their homes. Small children should not be allowed to be separated from their parents for such a long period. It is important for families to bond and therefore children should be allowed to visit their parents and siblings regularly.
The school also had a challenge of electricity cuts which affected the distribution of water to the school because water was pumped to the school using electricity. The school sometimes had no water for many days and this is not hygienic or safe for the children at the school.
The other school was clearly mismanaged because there were allegations about a blind teacher being on sick leave for more than three years. It was alleged that money was being paid to a service provider but the school did not receive any services for the money being transferred. Urgent intervention is needed in this regard.
In conclusion, I would like to say that the premier delivered an impressive speech regarding the achievements that have taken place, but much more needs to be done. It is a pity that Minister Sexwale had to reallocate millions in underspending with regard to houses to other provinces while the people of Phuthaditjhaba needed more.
Taking Parliament to the People in Phuthaditjhaba was an eye-opener and I hope that the premier listened, heard and will act on the voice of the people. Thank you. [Applause.]