Deputy Chair, hon Minister and hon members, I take exception to what the Deputy Chairperson has said. I am a very serious man when it comes to violence against women and children. I am not somebody to take serious things lightly, and if the Deputy Chairperson misunderstood me, she must say so.
Let me just say that, year after year, leading up to the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, we stand here and speak about all the atrocities that happen to them, but nothing ever changes. We hear the same speeches, the same statistics and put on the same concerned expressions, but nothing ever changes.
Hoe belangrik is hierdie 16 dae van geen geweld teenoor vroue en kinders vir ons as leiers? Wat bedoel ons met hierdie tema? Ons moenie net vaskyk teen fisieke geweld nie. Daar is ook emosionele mishandeling van vroue en kinders, byvoorbeeld armoede. Die gaping tussen rykes en armes is so groot dat dit neerkom op mishandeling. Die kwaliteit van gesondheid van die minderbevoorregtes, spesifiek vroue en kinders, is in so 'n bedenklike toestand dat die waarde van ons mense nie regtig gesien word nie. Werksgeleenthede vir gestremdes bly maar 'n uitdaging. Ek weet nie hoe lank dit 'n uitdaging gaan bly nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[How important are these 16 Days of No Violence Against Women and Children for us as leaders? What do we mean by this topic? We should not fix our attention on physical violence alone. There is also emotional violence against women and children, for instance poverty. The gap between the rich and the poor is so vast that it amounts to violence. The quality of health of the underprivileged, specifically of women and children, is so alarming that the dignity of our people is not recognized. Job opportunities for people with disabilities remain a challenge. I do not know how long this will remain a challenge.]
Almost every week we see stories in the media of women and children being raped and killed, and it is clear that, as leaders and as society, we have failed to protect the most vulnerable in our society. So we can surely understand the frustration that led to an alleged rapist in the Eastern Cape, who had been released on bail, being stoned to death by a group of 38 women. These 38 women took the law into their own hands, because they felt that the law had failed the alleged rape survivor. The Freedom Charter says that all shall be equal before the law. [Applause.]
Dit is hartverskeurend om in die media te lees hoe kinders mishandel en vermoor word. Die reg van vroue en kinders moet nie beskou word as 'n guns wat ons aan hulle doen nie, maar dit moet gesien word as 'n reg wat die Here aan hulle gegee het. Die waarde van 'n vrou en 'n kind is nie minder as 'n man s'n nie. Inteendeel, 'n vrou het meer aansien in die o van die Here as 'n man. Die Here het meer tyd vir 'n vrou as vir 'n man, en 'n kind is 'n geskenk vir mense, omdat dit vir 'n mens wys hoe kosbaar ons is in die o van die Here. Ek wil dus vandag vir hierdie Huis s dat ons in hierdie 16 dae ernstig moet raak en doen wat ons moet doen, en ons vroue en kinders goed behandel en respekteer. Baie dankie. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[It is heart-rending to read in the media how children are being abused and killed. The rights of women and children should not be seen as favours we are granting them, but as rights given to them by the Lord. The value of a woman or a child is not less than that of a man. On the contrary, a woman has greater status in the eyes of the Lord than a man. The Lord has more time for a woman than for a man, and a child is a gift to people, because this shows us how precious we are in the eyes of the Lord. Therefore I want to tell the House today that we must become serious in these 16 days and that we must do what we must do and treat our women and children well and with respect. Thank you. [Applause.]]