I would like to inform everyone that even though we have been having our lunch around 12 the whole week, today we are going to adjourn later. Therefore, when you go out you'll be wasting your time. Don't bother to queue for lunch now because you will wait for us to adjourn. [Applause.]]
Mr T W MCHUNU (KwaZulu-Natal): Chairperson, Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, Chairperson of the NCOP hon M J Mahlangu, it is an honour and a privilege to stand before you a few days after the whole country paid tribute to the heroes and heroines of our country who laid down their lives for a democratic and prosperous South Africa.
On 21 March 2010, the people of South Africa gathered across the country to acknowledge the contribution of thousands of men and women who died during the Sharpeville massacre.
In KwaZulu-Natal, our people first gathered at the Mandela capture site - the area where former President Nelson Mandela spent his last days of freedom - and finally observed the day at Lions River Sports Field.
Spurred by, inter alia, the Sharpeville massacre, Comrade Madiba and his comrades in the ANC dedicated their entire lives to the vision of a prosperous South Africa, and dedicated their time until it was realised.
It was a poignant moment for us in KwaZulu-Natal to reflect on the events of Sharpeville, and especially on the journey that Madiba travelled in search of liberation for our country. We warmly remembered that on International Human Rights Day, on 10 December 1996, Comrade Mandela signed our new Constitution in Sharpeville, effectively ushering in the new South African society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights. The preamble of our Constitution states clearly, amongst other things, that:
We, the people of South Africa, Recognise the injustices of our past; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country ...
The Constitution itself also asserts that the Republic of South Africa is one sovereign democratic state founded on the values of human dignity, the achievement of equality, and the advancement of human rights and freedoms.
Hon members, our forebears have laid down the foundation for the people of South Africa to elect a government of their choice. They have made it possible for South Africans, irrespective of class and race, to participate in the affairs of their democratic government. We salute them. We salute all of our heroes and heroines. We remain indebted to them and inspired by their selfless struggle for a peaceful, united, nonracial, nonsexist and prosperous democratic society. Because of their seasoned and exemplary leadership, we commit ourselves to creating an equal society, where the values identified in the country's Constitution are enjoyed by all. Central to this commitment is the acknowledgement that human rights cannot be separated from social and economic rights.
While the democratic government has made progress in terms of addressing huge socioeconomic inequalities resulting from decades of apartheid rule, there is a need to accelerate the provision of basic services to our people. We have to ensure that many of our people, especially those communities living in rural areas, have access to water and electricity. Water and electricity are basic needs for human life. This means that in all activities undertaken for socioeconomic development, water and electricity must play a major role.
Adequate access to infrastructure such as housing, roads and bridges will complete our democracy. The limited access to this infrastructure means that for many people in our country, democracy will remain shallow. Since we achieved democracy, the transformation of our country and the enactment of enabling legislation for service delivery have been focused on ensuring that we create a better life for all.
As part of a developmental state, we are committed to ensuring that ordinary people in our province participate in achieving a better life. This is what democracy is all about.
The theme for this sitting pertinently calls on all the people of South Africa to work together to speed up service delivery. We believe that the correct and decent way of showing our gratitude to the heroes and heroines of Sharpeville is surely to work together. It is only through working together that we can ensure human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms.
Under the theme "Let us build a better future together", in KwaZulu-Natal we have called on all the people of that province to join hands with government to strengthen our programmes and to steer the province in the right direction. We are working together to deal with the challenges of HIV and Aids, and TB. We are spreading the message that those who are affected must not be discriminated against, but must be given love and compassion.
The people of KwaZulu-Natal have been invited to participate in government's programmes aimed at ensuring behavioural change, and have been asked to be responsible and to live healthy lifestyles.
Earlier this year the government launched a united front against crime, an initiative which seeks to ensure the integration and co-ordination of the efforts of all stakeholders to fight against crime and corruption. This fight will include us, as provincial government, fighting together with our municipalities. Because crime occurs in our communities, it is vital that as society our communities must be integrally involved in the campaign to create safer neighbourhoods.
We are strengthening the participation of civil society in this campaign against crime and corruption. In this case, we are pulling together all church people, all business leaders, all our community leaders and all our neighbour watch groups. [Time expired.] [Applause.]