Hon President, Deputy President and Mr Speaker, as you so often say, Mr President, when you want to avoid making a decision, today we must debate, we must discuss and we must consult on your budget and, it is hoped, we can appease everybody.
Firstly, the ID requests that your office provides us with more details on the performance agreements you have signed with your Ministers. We firmly believe that since government leaders were put in their positions by ordinary South Africans, their performance evaluations should be made public, at least on a quarterly basis.
Secondly, Mr President, we would like to commend you for taking a public HIV test. This is certainly a turning point in our painful history in terms of fighting this pandemic. Together with our courageous Minister of Health, you have illustrated that through solid leadership we can mobilise the nation to deal with the stigma of HIV and Aids.
The Presidency should also set an example in terms of efficient and ethical leadership. This is particularly difficult, Mr President, when your office continues to be plagued by internal squabbles and bickering. All over the Presidency a lack of decisive leadership is evident, with ongoing battles over who really controls economic policy and endless confusion over Ministers whose mandates overlap.
Your bloated office even failed to advise you to declare your interests. It is not good for a President to break the law. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Mr President, the ID also notes some of your office's more positive efforts this year, such as your quarterly meetings with opposition parties and our celebration of national days together. This kind of engagement across party lines, which is evidence of a shared patriotism, is long overdue.
However, I differ with your view and that of hon Ramatlhodi that our Constitution is not under threat. You need only look at all the Constitutional Court judgments against this government. Then you will see that you are wrong. That is what I base my statement on when I say that the Constitution is under threat.
These judgments prove the point that the Constitution has become more democratic than some of its drafters - I say "some", because I am one of the drafters. The ID will continue to defend our Constitution and we will put our faith in the independence of our judiciary, which has shown that it will not fail to act on any excesses of government. Equally worrying is your government's complete lack of understanding of ethical governance, as enshrined in our Constitution. The number of times we have heard leaders say that all these unethical and corrupt practices are not illegal - that nobody is breaking the law - is becoming countless, too many to count. For example, there is Chancellor House, Petro SA, and many others.
What we must remember, Mr President, is that the struggle was not about overcoming apartheid and apartheid laws only. It was also about building a strong, ethical and value-based society where leaders put the people first, before their own pockets.
Finally, Mr President, you must please ensure that the R1,1 billion set aside for the National Development Agency for the next three years is used to improve the lives of our young people. The ID supports the budget and it also supports the proposal that a portfolio committee be established next year that can monitor the expenditure of the budget.
Mr Speaker, on a point of order: Why are there no women speakers in this Parliament speaking today? Of the first 10 speakers, I'm the first woman speaker. If you look at the next 20 speakers, there are two or three women. We don't just want more dresses in this Parliament; we want more women speakers. Thank you. [Applause.]