Chairperson, I would like to thank the Whips for allowing this debate and to thank everyone that took part. I think that there is general agreement that we are sitting with a big problem and that we do not only want to apportion some blame, but we also want to provide solutions. By working hard and, at last, acknowledging all the things that have gone wrong, we can change things around.
On the issues of vacancies and the skills shortage, there is no question that the ANC dropped the ball. I think that the voters must punish them next year in the election. Even the President acknowledged that cadre deployment should no longer take place. I just want to say to the hon member Nhlengethwa that I am not against cadre development. I wish that there was a lot of cadre development. What I am against is cadre deployment.
But the hon Nonkonyana comes here and he doesn't want to acknowledge what even his President acknowledged. I must tell him that the facts speak for themselves. If the voters take into account what the ANC has done to local government in the past decade, there should be no support for them next year.
Die agb Groenewald is baie moedswillig. As dit kom by regstellende aksie, het ons mos 'n ooreenkoms in die Grondwet bereik. Op grond van daardie ooreenkoms is die wetgewing geskryf. Ons ondersteun die Grondwet en ons, as die DA, ondersteun die wetgewing. Ons probleem is hoe die ANC dit toepas.
Ek is baie teleurgesteld dat die VF Plus nou hier met 'n radikale standpunt kom dat daar geen regstellende aksie moet wees nie. Dit sal miskien julle kiesers tevrede stel, maar vir ons in ons land sal dit nie 'n goeie ding wees nie. Ons het verantwoordelike regstellende aksie nodig, waar nodig, en die DA ondersteun dit. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The hon Groenewald is very mischievous. Regarding affirmative action, surely we have reached an agreement in the Constitution. It was according to that agreement that legislation was drawn up. We support the Constitution and we, the DA, support the legislation. The problem we have is the way the ANC implements this legislation.
I am very disappointed in the radical approach now take by the FF Plus that there should be no affirmative action. It might satisfy your voters, but it would not be a good thing for us in this country of ours. We need responsible affirmative action, where necessary, and the DA supports this.]
Chairperson, thank you very much to everyone that took part in the debate. I really hope that we will be able to address the skills shortage. I am sure that there are people outside there who are ready to assist, but we just need the political will, especially from this side of the House, to acknowledge it and to make use of those people. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.