Freedom without control is not real freedom. Thank you. [Applause.]
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES: Mr Speaker, many South Africans experience uncertainty with regard to the future of this country. Julius Malema, Eugne TerreBlanche and confusing statements about land and nationalisation have contributed to this uncertainty.
Uncertainty always has negative consequences. Uncertainty makes for businesses not investing in the economy. Uncertainty makes for farmers not expanding their farming activities, and thus not creating any new employment opportunities in rural areas. Uncertainty makes for some soccer tourists not coming to South Africa, etc.
How can this uncertainty be cleared away? It can be cleared away through fewer populist propaganda statements, by the ANC and by others, about where South Africa is going. I'm tired of debates in this House, outside and in the media which are not based on facts, but on propaganda myths.
Let me give you some examples: It's a myth that "because whites created racism, blacks have no capacity to be racists". This is an ANC Youth League statement from the Sunday Times. This is a myth. I can show with many quotes that there are many good black people, many good white people, but also white racists and black racists. Those are the facts.
Another myth is that a large number of white people would be killed by black people on 27 April 2010. Nothing happened; that's a fact.
Yet another myth is that the nationalisation of land in South Africa will resolve poverty problems in the country. The fact is that a comparison between the performance of the economies of Zambia and Zimbabwe since 1994 proved that this myth is wrong. In the case of Zambia, where the government supported private property and successfully followed free-market reforms, the Gross Domestic Product more than tripled between 1994 and 2008. In Zimbabwe, where the policy of nationalisation had been followed, the economy had shrunk, over the same period, by approximately half of its size. Unemployment increased from 20% to 80% and life expectancy declined from 60 to 34 years. Those are the facts.
Die meeste beeste in Suid-Afrika word deur die boere self gesteel. Twak. Die polisie se feite weerl dit. Verlede jaar is daar 33 000 beeste ter waarde van R255 miljoen gesteel. Nrens was daar 'n aanduiding dat die boere dit steel nie, maar dit word uitgestuur buite toe. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[The majority of cattle are stolen by the farmers themselves. Nonsense. The police's facts refute this. Last year, 33 000 cattle to the value of R255 million were stolen. Nowhere has there been an indication that the farmers were stealing it, but that is the message being sent out.]
Many myths affect white and black people. In this way, there's currently a myth which is widely being circulated amongst white people that the ANC has a finely constructed plan to, when a signal is given, wipe out all the white people. This is not true, and it won't be that easy while I'm around.
Another fact is that the ANC membership was only officially opened to all races by the Morogoro gathering in Tanzania on 25 April 1969, and not, as some people say, long before that, etc, etc.
In uncertain times, the great enemy of the truth is very often not the deliberate lie, but the persuasive myth. According to the dictionary, a myth is a fictional story. John F Kennedy said that the belief in myths allows us the comfort of an opinion without the discomfort of thought. Maybe that is the reason why those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts.
The ANC often gives me the impression that, instead of altering their views to fit the facts, they alter the facts to fit their views and their myths. I can give you examples from Mr Malema and Mr Jimmy Manyi, especially on this.
Remember, facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. If one wants to destroy South Africa, then this government, the President and this Parliament should take decisions based on propaganda myths and not on facts.
Hon President, it's time to put the real facts on the table. If we do this, we can take correct decisions that will benefit all South Africans. If not, we will continue with unending propaganda debates to the detriment of South Africa. I thank you. [Applause.]