Chairperson and hon members, indeed, what is first and foremost required of us is to draw the relevant lessons from the experience of hosting the World Cup in the manner in which we did. Then we must apply those lessons to tackling the stubborn challenges that face us.
For instance, the preparations for this Fifa World Cup enabled us to co- ordinate activities between the three spheres of government - national, provincial and the host cities, which is local government - to ensure that we were able to deliver infrastructure within set timelines.
I think, if we were to tackle the challenge of providing bulk economic and social infrastructure for communities in the rural areas as well as the townships - by that I mean ensuring that the roads are tarred, potable water is available and accessible in the homesteads, a sewerage system is rolled out and mud schools are replaced with brick and mortar school buildings with sports facilities - identify them, communicate the programme, roll them out in the same spirit and mobilise the broadest cross- section of the population behind them, we would be able to deliver and, by doing so, be creating the environment for much better national cohesion. Two weeks ago I was in Bloemfontein in the Free State, and ... [Interjections.]
Vrystaat? Vrystaat, ja. Vrystaat. [Gelag] [Free State? Free State, yes. Free State.][Laughter.]
I was in the Vrystaat [Free State], and one of the places that I had to check on is an old township in Kroonstad, called Marabastad. This is an old, old township. The buildings were disintegrating. The houses there were disintegrating out of sheer old age. But new ones were being built and I was really pleased that part of the white community in Kroonstad - those of them who are homeless and without their own homes - applied for those houses. Seventy-four of them were allocated houses and they are going to be living in Marabastad.
So, that is where we are with regard to the provision of bulk economic and social infrastructure. We are advancing in terms of national cohesion. Thank you.