Chairperson, some see the Union of South Africa centenary as something that should be celebrated or commemorated, but what is it that we should commemorate about this Union? Is it the fact that the British and the Afrikaners, in spite of their contentions with each other, agreed that the country needed to put in place laws to limit black access to political power? Or is it the fact that the Afrikaners and the British agreed that they needed to unite in order to secure cheap black labour and exploit our minerals? To me, this is what marks the Union of South Africa's centenary. I hear the blabbering about this being a milestone, but all it really reflects is the white race uniting to oppress native black South Africans. This we must not forget. [Applause.] We cannot afford to forget, especially when looking at the economic situation for blacks and the reluctance of many whites to address and redress this.
The need to address economic and land ownership disparities is urgent, because when we today reflect on the Union of South Africa centenary today, the legacy we see is whites really having united in acquiring wealth at the expense and through the exploitation and oppression of native South Africans. That legacy needs to change as a matter of urgency. I thank you. [Applause.]