Thank you, Chairperson of this session. Hon Chairperson of the NCOP, hon Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa hon Motlanthe, comrades, friends, ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed my pleasure to address this meeting of our country's representatives, echoing former President Nelson Mandela:
I come to this chamber today in all humility, conscious that I am standing before the elected representatives of a people for whom their freedom was ... attained through struggle and sacrifice.
These freedoms are anchored in our constitutional framework. It is my honour therefore to address this chamber in the midst of the people it is created for. The notion of a government of the people, by the people, for the people should henceforth include "amongst and with the people".
I have recently read about reverse engineering, reverse logistics and many other reverses. The essence of these reverses is to take an object or project apart to see how it works in order to duplicate or enhance that project. The purpose is always to establish benchmarks, observe patterns, identify innovations and record lessons. The outcome of this process is known to yield a review of the product and the production process, managing all variables influencing that product.
The Taking Parliament to the People programme is democracy reverse engineering. The fact that we have established an African democracy that needs to be continuously reviewed for its enhancement makes us democracy reverse engineering practitioners of note.
Hon Deputy President, I want to appreciate this innovation and declare, with your permission, that South Africa must never relent on this mission. To sing about freedom and to pray for its coming is not always enough. I want to submit that freedom must be crystallised through consistent service delivery to our people. [Interjections.]