Deputy Chairperson, it's very difficult to speak after a central committee member of the SACP. [Laughter.] It's very difficult. Deputy Minister, let me tell you that I can never forget where I come from. It is my history and nobody ... [Interjections.] I won't come home to the SACP; but to the ANC, yes. [Applause.]
Our country is full of good and hardworking people who deserve a government that is truly accountable and committed to serving them, and does not tolerate corruption and personal greed. During our visit, a few weeks ago, to Limpopo through the programme of "Taking Parliament to the People", I saw poverty and hardship all over the faces of the people in that area. It is very disturbing to see more and more municipalities being put under section 139.
On Wednesday, in Odendaalsrus in the Free State, thousands of residents took to the streets. Why did they march? You see, the communist, the Deputy Minister, has already spelled out why these people engage in marches. They are saying: "We voted for the ruling party because we were promised a better life". They are saying: "We did not vote so that the lives of a privileged few should change". These privileged few are the mayors, councillors and their families.
Furthermore, they are saying that they did not vote to enable the premier and his cabinet to buy a fleet of luxury cars for themselves that costs the taxpayers more than R10 million. [Applause.] The people are saying that they do not have clean water to drink; they are drinking stinking water. They are saying that their streets are rivers of raw sewage; their roads are in a mess, from bad to worse; they were promised jobs, instead more people are losing their jobs; they were promised that corruption would be rooted out, instead looting is the order of the day; and lastly, they are saying some councillors and officials are competing against each other to see who can steal better than the other. It is a sad state of affairs. Our warning to the ruling party is that it should never take people for granted because they will turn against you.
As Cope, we don't want to stand here and only point fingers or throw stones. We also want to offer solutions to these problems because they affect all of us. Cope is saying that councillors are public representatives elected by the public. Therefore, they must account to the residents who elected them, and not to political parties. I agree fully with the Minister that we must never politicise local government. Local government belongs to the people. The mayor must be directly elected by the community and be accountable to that community. Thank you very much. [Applause.]