Modulasetilo, Maloko a a tlotlegang a Palamente, le baeng ba rona ba ba tlotlegang ... [Chairperson, hon Members and distinguished guests ...]
... the maxim, "working together we can do more", applies also to the relationship between the legislature and the executive. The relationship between the legislature and the executive should be a complementary and mutually reinforcing working relationship that contributes in a dynamic way to the realisation of the needs and aspirations of all South Africans - in short, an activist Parliament in a developmental state.
Every constitution arises from and should be understood in a particular historical context. When you transpose constitutional discourses from one context to another, you must do so with care. Much can get lost in the translation. Carelessly transplanting a healthy and beneficial plant from one soil type to another can result either in the death of the plant or its metamorphosis into an invasive weed that displaces and kills indigenous plants. In the same way, doctrines such as that of the separation of powers must be dug up with caution out of the soil of the struggles against absolute monarchy, and must be carefully planted in the soil of a constitutional garden nourished by the struggle against colonialism and apartheid in which millions are awaiting to harvest the fruits of unity, nonracialism, nonsexism, democracy and prosperity.
Our Constitution is regarded as one of the best in the world, not only because it entrenches the Bill of Rights and enjoins the state and legal subjects to respect and fulfil such rights, but it is also based on the values of equality, human dignity and freedom.
Parliament has a duty to ensure through legislation that the spirit, objectives and purport of the Constitution are promoted. It is through Parliament's legislative power and oversight that the divisions of the past can be healed and a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights can be established.
Parliamentary vigilance is the pillar on which the fight against unemployment should be anchored. It is indeed our duty to ensure, as the ANC election manifesto indicates, that workers rights are human rights. In this regard, we should tighten legislation to close all loopholes that allow for the persistence of the infringement of socioeconomic and group rights. The vulnerable people of our society depend on their elected representatives for protection. In this regard we should ensure that we stem the tide of continued labour exploitation and casualisation and that the plight of farm workers and farm dwellers receives immediate attention. We need to act against the continued whimsical and wanton evictions of farm workers and farm dwellers.
As we continue to strike a balance between diversity and tolerance, freedom and order and the will of the majority and the interests of the minority, let us be steadfast and immovable in building a national democratic society in which equality is respected and fulfilled by its entire people.
South Africa's role in creating a better Africa and a better world hinges basically on the strategic approach to achieve an international order with greater security, peace, dialogue and greater equilibrium between the poor and the rich countries. The ANC's quest for peace also derives from the internationalist tradition, with its origins in the Freedom Charter, unequivocally stating that:
South Africa shall strive to maintain world peace and the settlement of all international disputes by negotiations - not war.
This provides a perspective from which the ANC should intervene on all matters of foreign affairs and international relations. Hence, the pursuit of the country's international agenda as a contribution to South Africa's own growth and development. These include consolidating the African Agenda, strengthening the deepening relations with countries of the South, transforming relations with the countries of the North, pursuing the economic diplomacy and participating in the global system of governance.
This led, inter alia, to the recommendation that the Department of Foreign Affairs be renamed by our President as the Department of International Relations and Co-operation. It is, therefore, clear that South Africa's strategy is firmly anchored in the African Agenda, which serves as a pillar upon which South Africa's engagement with the international community rests, and that there is co-operation with the developing countries of the South in order to tilt the balance in favour of our developmental agenda.
The India-Brazil-South Africa partnership, a forum of like-minded states, is a substantial progress in the South-South Co-operation, balancing politics of solidarity and economic activities, including the support of Nepad projects. It has developed common positions on global issues and built an issue-based trilateral co-operation. These advances demonstrate that effect is given to the ANC's commitment to improve co-operation among countries of the South in terms of economic relations, socio-political programmes and efforts to ensure peace and equitable global relations.
Ga re a itlisa fa, re tlile ka mokgatlho wa rona. [We are not here on our own, we are representing our party.]
Coupled with emphasis on economic diplomacy, was a resolve to improve the international marketing of South Africa and Africa, which led to the creation of a number of bodies, which directly and indirectly contribute to a better understanding of the predominately positive character of South Africa's economic development.
In its manifesto for the 2009 elections, the ANC says:
We are going to spare no energy in our efforts to find urgent democratic and lasting solutions to the situations in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Western Sahara, Somalia and other countries. We are going to continue to support the global campaign to achieve the millennium development goals, MDG, by 2015; we are going to conduct awareness campaigns among our people to prevent incidents of xenophobia; and we are going to work for the integration into our communities of all who are residents in our country, acknowledging the contribution that foreign nationals make to our country.
The, PGIR, Parliamentary Group on International Relations, as a substructure of the Joint Rules Committee, is the vehicle through which strategic and policy impetus to Parliament's international participation can be provided. It is also this body that will access and make recommendations on how matters raised in international forums that Parliament is affiliated to and participate in are discussed and relayed to the citizens of South Africa.
Focus groups will also be set. These focus groups will encompass the following affiliated multilateral bodies, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum, the Pan- African Parliament, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the African, Caribbean, Pacific-European Union and the Association for the Educational and Cultural Advancement of African people. The size of these groups will be influenced by the multilateral body they represent and whether the delegates are appointed by the House for the duration of the parliamentary term or on an ad hoc basis for each activity of the multilateral body. Each focus group will meet at least four times a year in accordance with the programme of the work of its multilateral body.
In conclusion, our Parliament in this regard aims not only to entrench democracy within the country but also to act democratically and encourage democratic practices throughout the continent and the world at large in the quest to build a better Africa in a better world.
Ke batla gore go leloko la DA mo Kapa le seke la nna naledi e e phatsimang kwa ntle fela mme le simolole fa gae. Fa o ya kwa Khayelitsha kgotsa kwa metsesetoropong e batho bantsho ba nnang kwa go yona mo Kapa Bophirima, o fitlhela gore dikereke tsotlhe tsa batho bantsho di ne tsa senngwa ka ntlha ya gore go twe ga di a agiwa mo lefelong le di tshwanetseng go agiwa mo go lona. Fela, fa o lebelela fa di sentsweng teng, go agilwe dithabene.
Motho o ipotsa gore: A naa la re batho bantsho ba tshwanetse gore ba nne ba nwa nnotagi? O fitlhela go na le mafelo a dikoloi tse di senyegileng. Ga go sepe se se siameng se se tla thusang set?haba sa rona. Fa re le kwa ntle re ganetsana jalo le jalo a re direng bonnete ba gore mo re nnang teng re fetola botshelo ba batho ba rona. Batho ba ya kwa dikerekeng go bona tshegetso ya maitsholo. Fa o senya dikereke o itse gore ga o senye matshelo a batho fela mme mo godimo ga moo o a ba nyenyafatsa wa re batho bao ga ba na tlhaloganyo. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[I would like to tell the DA member from Cape Town to stop being a star that only shines externally but should start at home. When you go to Khayelitsha and other black townships in the Western Cape, you will find that all black communities' church buildings have been destroyed because it was believed that they were not built on the right land. But when you look at the places where they were demolished, you find that the same area was later allocated for building taverns.
Does this imply that black people should live on drinking liquor throughout their lives? You also find scrapyards nearby. There is nothing good that is being done for our communities. Although we could be disagreeing on issues, we should not forget to ensure that we strive to change the lives of our people. People attend church services for moral support. When you destroy churches, you must also note that you are not only destroying people's lives but you are also undermining them because you think that they can not use their common sense.]
Churches are the only hope for our people. That is where we get our morals from. So, if you go and demolish churches you are saying to the people out there that you don't consider them. This is because you have never experienced this poverty but read about it over the newspapers. That is why it is easy for you to demolish churches and leave the scrap yards and taverns because you are belittling us into a drunken society. We are saying that we are going to fight you by whatever means possible and make sure that we change the lives of our people, and we are going to be equal. Thank you. [Applause.]