Chairperson, hon members, the IFP supports the initiative of Taking Parliament to the People. It is very important that South Africans are able to engage on all matters that they are confronted with in their cities, towns, and rural areas on a daily basis. As Parliament, we are bound to make sure that we listen to the voices of the people out there.
I-IFP ikweseka ngokuphelele ukuhanjiswa kwePhalamende kubantu, ngoba noMthethosisekelo wezwe uyakubalula ukuthi njengezisebenzi zomphakathi, kufanele lokhu kwenzeke sihambe siye kubona abantu.
Kodwa-ke, Mhlonishwa Sihlalo, uMnu Mahlangu, ukhuluma into enkulu uma ekhuluma ngokuthi wonke amazinga kahulumeni kufanele abambisane. Kuyisicelo sami esikhulu njengendoda yakwaZulu, uMuntukaphiwana Zulu, uMbongiseni uMilton, ukuba ukubhekisise kahle ukuthi ezifundazweni zethu eziyisishiyagalolunye, kukhona ukubukela phansi omasipala ngendlela engakaze ibonwe okudala ukuthi kube nokuncintisana, kanti akukho ukuncintisana emnyangweni kahulumeni.
Ngokufunda kwami uMthethosisekelo wezwe, angazi noma ngisuke ngiwubhekise phansi yini, umhlonishwa uSomlomo WoMkhandlu Kazwelonke Wezifundazwe noweNdlu kaZwelonke, basezingeni elilinganayo. Isicelo sami sisodwa-ke mhlonishwa kuyofanele ukuthi niyihlalele phansi le ndaba niyixoxe.
Indlu Yesishayamthetho Sikazwelonke iyodwa ayisilo iPhalamende, naleNdlu Yomkhandlu Kazwelonke Wezifundazwe ayisilo iPhalamende iyodwa, siyiphalamende sihlangene sisonke. Bese nifundisana kahle ukuthi amandla okusebenza nabelana kanjani, ngoba leNdlu ingaphezu kwazo zonke izindlu eNingizumu Afrika uma ngibuka, ngoba zonke izifundazwe zimelwe la. Izindaba ziqala la ngaphambi kokuba ziyi laphaya kobhuti abadala.
Ngaleyo ndlela kufanele nihlale phansi nibonisane ukuthi lezo zinto ningazenza kanjani, ngoba ukuthatha iPhalamende niliyise kubantu, yilapho abantu bezokwazi khona ukubeka izimvo zabo, banihlabe njengamalungu ephalamende bathi anisebenzi, uma kunjalo. Nikwazi ukubona ukuthi nizokwenzanjani ukuze kube nenqubekela phambili. Njengabantu ababegqilazekile mhlonishwa, kufanele abantu bakithi bazuze ezweni lethu. Kuwo wonke amaqembu ezepolitiki. Ngiyazi ukuthi intando yeningi ithi kufanele kuphikiswane ... (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.) [The IFP fully supports the initiative of Taking Parliament to the People, because even the country's Constitution states that we must do this as public servants. We need to go to the people.
However, hon Chairperson, Mr Mahlangu says all the spheres of government must work together. It is my humble request as Mr Muntukaphiwana Mbongiseni Milton Zulu that you pay the same amount of attention to all our nine provinces. The municipalities are looked down upon like never before, which leads to competition, whereas there is no competition between government departments.
When I read the Constitution - I don't know if I read it facing down - the hon Speaker of the National Council of Provinces and the Speaker of the National Assembly are at the same level. My only request, hon member, is that you must sit down and discuss this matter.
The House of the National Assembly alone is not Parliament, and the House of the National Council of Provinces alone is not Parliament either; together we make Parliament. You must also influence each other on how to separate and share powers, because I think this House is above all the Houses in South Africa, because all the provinces are represented here. The discussion starts here, after which it is forwarded to the big brothers.
In that way, you must sit down and discuss how you are going to do things, because the Taking Parliament to the People programme is where people can have their say, criticising you as the Members of Parliament by, for example, saying that you do not deliver, if that is the case. So that you can see what you need to do so that there can be some progress. We were oppressed. Our people from all political parties must benefit in our country. I know that democracy means that there must be debates ...]
... debating is part of a democratic process ...
... kodwa ukuphikisana kwethu makube ngokwakhayo. Abantu bakithi balambile, bacindezelwa ubandlululo iminyaka, baboshwa, baba yizigqila zombusazwe, kodwa akumele sithi akufanele iPhalamende lihambele kubantu, ngoba kufanele sakhe thina iphrojekthi yethu, ibe iphrojekthi eqondile kwazeke ukuthi, sizokwenzanjani ukufeza izidingo zabantu, sazi ukuthi siyaqala ukuba kuhulumeni, kule minyaka engu 16 nje sikuhulumeni, kufanele sibone ukuthi sizokwenza njani ukufundisisa umthetho sibe nemihlangano yokucobelela ulwazi, ukuze sikwazi ukubheka izinto zakithi. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[... but our debates must be constructive. Our people are hungry, they were oppressed by apartheid for years; they were arrested and became political slaves. We must not say that Parliament must not be taken to the people, because we have to make our project a straightforward one so that we know what needs to be done to take care of people's needs. We must know that we are in government for the first time. In these 16 years in government we must know what to do to understand the law and have workshops, so that we are able to attend to our duties. Thank you.]