Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers, hon members, this Ministry needs to be more than just an economic think-tank. It must possess the machinery and political will to ensure that the necessary interventions are driven through all government departments. Laat my toe om die Minister te bedank dat Nelie Kok ten minste aandag kry. Ons het vyf jaar baklei. Die provinsiale regering het dit al die pad gegnoreer. Hulle het die potensiaal om vir hulself werk te skep, indien u hulle werklik gaan help. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Allow me to thank the Minister for at least giving attention to Nelie Kok. We have been fighting for five years. The provincial government ignored this every step of the way. If you truly intend helping them, they will have the potential to create jobs for themselves.]
Many government departments failed to implement the measures required from the first industrial policy and created bottlenecks in the system. This cannot be allowed to happen again for the simple reason that delays serve only to worsen the inequalities in our society.
In this regard, I would like to quote Andile Mngxitama, the publisher of New Frank Talk, who wrote in the Sowetan, and I quote:
The truth is that most blacks experience increased poverty, disease, bad education and health care ... Economic racial inequalities lead to racism in the everyday interaction between blacks and whites. Basically, life for blacks remains an experience of humiliation. I believe that the extreme wealth of a few black individuals does not make the humiliating day-to-day poverty of 20 million black South Africans less bad.
My onlangse ervaring in Limpopo met "Taking Parliament to the People" is dat die mense wat in die omgewing van 'n myn bly nie mede-eienaars van die minerale is nie.
Die Onafhanklike Demokrate glo dat die enigste manier om armoede te verlig, is om mense aandeelhouers te maak in die betrokke myne waar hulle werk en in die omgewing waar hulle bly.
Die Noord-Kaap het baie minerale soos diamante, ystererts en mangaan, maar die mense het nie 'n aandeel in die rykdom van hul provinsie nie. Dit is baie vreemd.
Al wat ons in die Noord-Kaap het om te wys vir die lang jare van mynwese, is mense wat siek is van asbestose. Dit moet eindig. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[My experience recently in Limpopo with "Taking Parliament to the People" is that the people who are residing in the vicinity of mines are not co- owners of the minerals.
The Independent Democrats believe that the only way to alleviate poverty is to make people shareholders in the particular mine where they work and in the vicinity where they live.
The Northern Cape is rich in minerals like diamonds, iron ore and manganese, but the people do not have a share in the wealth of their province. This is particularly strange.
The only thing we have to show for all the years of mining in the Northern Cape is people who are sick as a result of asbestosis. This must end.]
This government that claims to be implementing policies according to the Freedom Charter must prove that "The people shall share in the country's wealth!"
Where is the wealth of this country? It is only in the hands of the old white elite and the new black elite.
Hoekom moet mense hof toe gaan oor hul eie rykdom, soos die Richtersveld se mense? Hoekom moet ons mense in die hof gaan baklei? [Why do people have to go to court for their own wealth, like the people of the Richtersveld? Why do our people have to fight in court?]
It is the apartheid regime that has done it. So, I want to ask the question: Hoekom moet die mense hof toe gaan? Dankie. [Why do the people have to go to court? Thank you.]