Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon members ...
... modiri wa lebala, modirwa ga a lebale, [the doer forgets, but the one to whom it is done never forgets,]
Umenzi uyakhohlwa kodwa umenziwa akakhohlwa. [The perpetrator forgets but the victim does not forget]. I will ask hon Mabija to tell me what it says in Tshivenda, but not now. [Laughter.]
Chairperson, I am actually disturbed by hon Van Lingen on the theme, "Celebrating our shared pursuit of a united, democratic, nonracial and nonsexist South Africa". Until when are you, as a woman, going to be on the opposite side when we should be sitting down as South Africans, especially as South African women, discussing issues?
Through which glasses are you looking at South Africa? If you could also explain, but not today, when you say Minister Radebe is removing effective people from the justice system, who is effective and what criteria are you using or why do you come to that conclusion that that person is effective?
Chairperson, this theme recognises our collective responsibility to work together in all spheres of government, all sectors and formations of our society towards a prosperous South Africa. It recognises our collective duty to unite our people and work tirelessly to dismantle all forms of discrimination and shy away from our atrocious, divided past.
Chairperson, as we were preparing for the elections last year, while travelling across the country, our people told us stories that are crucial in assisting us to reflect on the path that our nation has travelled since 1994. Many of them told stories of how their families are still ravaged by the brutalities of the past - detentions without trial, disappearances of family members in detention, the hanging of those opposed to apartheid, imprisonment because of which many of them lost all opportunities for advancement and how family members were forced into exile.
Many women told us stories of how their lives were affected by apartheid. They have recounted stories of how their lives were destroyed by forced removals and banishment through the Group Areas Act and many other laws that made their lives unbearable.
After the elections, the ANC recognised the need to realign all government policies to ensure that there are policies on women, especially on those women in rural areas. We agreed on a strategic approach that led to the creation of a new Ministry for women, which was tasked with the responsibility of ensuring a co-ordinated approach towards the advancement of women in our country.
We have made it clear that this Ministry has a duty to forcefully implement its mandate and ensure that all government departments, provinces and municipalities ensure the protection of women. We have no time for petty talk and misguided political talk.
Chair, it is saddening that after 16 years on our democratic path, we see some acts of racism, racist undertones and commentaries about black people. We continue to read stories of women who are brutally murdered within the walls of their homes by those they regard ... [Interjections.]