Hon Chairperson, as an elected representative of the people in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom, the National Assembly should, according to section 42(3) of the Constitution, ensure government by the people under the Constitution. Government by the people is the essence of constitutional democracy, which in principle is underpinned by the maxim: "The voice of the majority shall prevail, and the voice of the minority shall be heard." In this regard, while the majority enjoys prominence, the minority views should however be neither diminished nor disregarded.
In her 2009 budget speech, delivered to the National Assembly on 3 July, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans said: "I stand very proud that there is not a single South African that needs medical assistance at affected public hospitals that is not provided such assistance, as the Defence Force has stepped in to fill the gap left by the striking medical practitioners." This is but one of innumerous testimonies to the commitment of the Defence Force in not only securing South Africa, but also ensuring that the right to health and other rights in the Bill of Rights are protected, promoted and fulfilled.
As Parliament, we take our hat off in saluting the women and men of the SANDF for their display of gallantry and patriotism, particularly during the recent public-sector strikes, and at a time when the nation needed their help the most. Our commitment to building a national democratic society characterised by, inter alia, nonracialism and nonsexism is entrenched in section 9(3) of the Constitution, which states that: "The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth."
In this regard, the ANC is committed to ensuring that women are allowed to take their rightful place in every area of South African life without impediment or discrimination. It is in recognition that patriarchal oppression was also embedded in economic relations that its manifestations and consequences, such as open or hidden exclusion from positions of authority and power, need to be eliminated.
In that light we want to acknowledge the gender transformation that continues to take place in the department. We, however, want to urge the department to fast-track the process of gender transformation. All programmes of the Defence Force must begin to reflect the demographics of our population, and thus we need to have more women, especially black women, trained and employed as fighter-jet pilots, navy captains, engineers, etc. It is in our government departments, such as the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, that we can and should be able to reverse and defeat the twin legacy of apartheid and patriarchy.
Coherence and focus are essential to maximum output and successful achievement of outcomes. A Defence Force management should in this regard be empowered to exercise full authority over all members of the Defence Force at all material times. However, this is currently not the case with our Defence Force, as it currently has limited powers when it comes to Reserve Force members.
The Reserve Force currently serves on a voluntary basis and renders services in terms of a contracted period. Furthermore, members of this force have no statutory obligation to report for training, exercises or any deployment for border-line control or peacekeeping purposes. The Reserve Force can only be compelled to serve in times of war, states of emergency or states of national defence.
However, if the Reserve Force is to serve as a force multiplier, it is critical that the Reserve Force members are compelled to serve once they have volunteered and when required by the SANDF both for training and operations. Enforcing of individual contracts through courts consumes a lot of time. Certainty demands that a matter of service in the Defence Force should not be left to the whims of an individual but to legislation. This approach will have the effect of eliminating contractual disputes at a later stage. In light of this background, as the ANC we support this amending Bill. I thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]