Deputy Chairperson, Chairperson of the NCOP, His Excellency President Jacob Zuma, Premier Ace Magashule, all other premiers, hon members, nani nonke bantu abagcwele apha [and all the people who are here], I greet you. The ANC firmly welcomes the President's address. Hon President, you were addressing us - as you have mentioned - in the birth province of the ANC. This is a province that holds political and historical significance in the history of our country.
This region is named after a great stalwart and son of our movement, Comrade Thabo Mofutsanyana, a dedicated compatriot who cultivated and nurtured the seeds of the struggle against apartheid. He, together with other ANC giants like Prof Z K Matthews, led the people to rise against the repressive laws of apartheid. Allow me to pay tribute to the great stalwarts and committed sons and daughters of our movement.
Deputy Chairperson, indeed, for the ANC, the Free State represents the birthplace of the struggle for freedom, and the crystallisation of the yearning of our people to create a formidable organisation to take up the fight against apartheid. It is fitting therefore that we extend our appreciation to the people of the Free State and this district. The President spoke about our government's commitment to ensure that all spheres of government work together. As the ANC, we remain truly committed to advancing the principles of co-operative governance, and ensuring that the various spheres of government work together. The three spheres of government have a constitutional duty to assist and support each other, share information and consult each other, co-operate in the development and execution of their policies, adhere to agreed procedures and maintain friendly relations. These principles are clearly expressed in our Constitution.
All spheres of government should respect and adhere to the Constitution and the institutions that it has established, such as Chapter 9 institutions. We have heard of provinces, or rather a particular province, that undermines the Constitution. When the SA Human Rights Commission ruled against the Western Cape government on the dehumanising toilet saga in Khayelitsha, that particular government called this commission the political hit squad of the ANC.
We cannot allow any suggestions that seem to postulate that the institutions established through the Constitution are hit squads of the ANC, simply because they ruled against a particular government.
Shockingly, this past Tuesday, on 3rd Degree, one of the investigative programmes on e.tv, the mayor of the City of Cape Town, Mayor Dan Plato, in fact, supported the building of zinc toilets for the people of Khayelitsha, and he argued that because they stay in shacks their toilets should be the same. What else would you call this? Would the same be said if these people stayed in Constantia? You can only call this racism at its worst.
We have also seen projects like Sakhisizwe, which was the initiative of the ANC's city council ... [Interjections.]