Chairperson, I'm privileged to take part in this debate, which narrates the story of our nation and the resilience of our people in triumphing over apartheid. This day remains an outstanding hallmark of our people's determination to fight for their liberation, and is one of the most solemn chapters in the history of our national liberation struggle.
This debate takes place in a month when our movement commemorates the lives of some of its illustrious fallen sons and daughters, whose lives remain so dear in the hearts of our people. In this regard, I would like to pay special tribute to Comrades Oliver Reginald Tambo, Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu, Leslie Massina, Thembisile Chris Hani, Violet Seboni, Dr Molefi Sefularo, and many more unsung heroes and heroines of our movement who lost their lives in the month of April.
We also pay tribute to many of our people who lost their lives as they stood firm in their conviction and bold in their deeds, when they confronted the might of armed apartheid forces. I am sure that their spirits join us today in recognising the journey that our nation has travelled under the leadership of the ANC.
Our freedom came at the highest price. We cannot forget the hundreds of our people, including women and children, who died at the hands of the police, inside and outside the country, as well as the victims of the apartheid state-sponsored violence that engulfed our townships during the period of the state of emergency.
Again, I just want to contextualise this debate, and if I could be allowed to take this opportunity to convey our condolences to the family of Comrade Dr Molefi Sefularo, who recently passed away in a tragic accident. Comrade Molefi Sefularo was one of the warriors of the national democratic revolution and a patriot of the people of South Africa.
We can confidently say that when the roll call is read on the parade ground he will be among those present, and ready to work for the ANC. May his soul rest in peace.
On 27 April South Africa will celebrate 16 years since the dawn of democracy in our country. In the past 16 years, the lives of our people have undergone a dramatic change, and for the better.
Umama obethetha apha, uMama wethu uMam' uMemela uwucacisile lo mba. Ngale mini ... [The lady who was speaking here, the hon Memela, clarified this issue. On this day ...]
... I remember vividly that I was deployed by the ANC to monitor voting stations in the Eastern Cape, in the Queenstown, Lady Frere, Tarkastad, Whittlesea, and Sada areas. It was an historic day. We were learning how to run elections for the first time as the ANC inside the country. I will not forget the days I was deployed in that area.
The ANC-led government has made significant strides in addressing the challenges facing our people. We have taken active steps to ensure the protection and progressive realisation of their rights. We have moved decisively to redress the social imbalances created by apartheid. We have broadened access to basic services such as housing, electricity, clean water and health care.
We are proud that about 19 million of our people now have access to clean water and almost 11 million have been provided with sanitation, with the number of households using the bucket system reduced from more than 605 000 in 1994, to just under 113 000 currently.
We have built over three million RDP houses, providing shelter - a roof over their heads - to almost 11 million families. We did not build open toilets for our people, the majority of whom are women. Our movement has taken bold steps to dismantle apartheid settlements, and ensure that our people are given decent houses.
I heard Mr Carlisle talking about the human settlements that were created by apartheid. I have been to the kind of human settlements that were created by apartheid. I know what they are. In Fort Beaufort, where I grew up, we had so many houses in the township, had more than 3 000 people living in them, and had about 10 toilets provided for us by the apartheid government.
It was bad! It was a nightmare to live in that township. I grew up in those conditions. I know what apartheid means. I know what apartheid has done to our people, to our families in this country. We will never forget how brutal that system was.
We have also made huge progress in the provision of basic health care to our people, including the construction of clinics and hospitals in the rural areas, most of which had no facilities before the advent of democracy. We have seen an increased proportion of households with proper sanitation facilities. Clearly, these are signs that our nation is on a course to dismantle the pillars of apartheid.
The ANC-led government has also been working very hard to address the challenges of poverty in which many of our people live. Currently, our nation has the most comprehensive social security system in the world. More than 13 million people receive social grants.
A few years ago, I visited an overseas country - I think it was either Thailand or Bangladesh. When we were asked about what government was doing to assist poor people, even in Africa, for that matter, in terms of things like social security systems and the like, they were surprised and asked what we were talking about. So, I'm saying that this country is one of the best in trying to make sure that its people are taken care of.
We remain committed to sending a clear message to those who criticise our caring government for continuing to seek more ways to protect our people from the bondages of poverty. We want to say to our people that we care, because we, the ANC, understand their conditions better than those who benefited from the opulence of systemic protection by the apartheid regime.
As the ANC, we're aware that much more still needs to be done. We are aware that some of our people are still battling with some of the most inhuman conditions and face the harshest living conditions of poverty and unemployment.
Our nation is faced with some of the challenges that we never anticipated when we fought against apartheid. Our people are held to ransom by those who continue to steal the resources for self-enrichment. Incidents of corruption in both the private and public sectors in our country seem to have reached disproportionate levels and have reinforced the view postulated by the great epic work of the late Mazisi Kunene in his poem The Rise of Shaka, when he said:
Those who feast on the grounds of others often are forced into gestures of friendship they do not desire. Let me say without any hesitation that the ANC is committed to fighting corruption. We view corruption as a blatant violation of the rights of our people and as an intolerable crime. Perhaps this is where the problem lies in our country: When the ANC government is open and sets up laws and systems to uproot corruption; when the ANC government talks about corruption ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]