Deputy Speaker, let me say from the onset, from Cope, that we wish the Minister well in a difficult portfolio. However, we agree with the Minister about the statement that has been made in the House that the problem of Eskom cannot only be placed on one individual. What the Minister did not say, however, is that government must take responsibility for the collective failures of Eskom, because government had been warned long ago about it, but did not heed that warning. The Minister was therefore sure to say that, as government, we take a collective responsibility for the failure of Eskom, and that it will not all be placed on an individual only.
Minister, we do agree with you on the issue of corperate governance, but we worry when a corperate governance is taken to the extent that it seems as if the Minister is a lame duck. We are worried about that and we worry when the Minister does not say a word when other Ministers are making policy decisions for that Minister in parastatal management. We worry about where that corperate governance is that you are speaking of.
We wonder whether this is in fact a wake-up call. Regarding the problem we have in parastatal management, including the issue around the call that pressure has been put on you, but we have not seen anything so far. We wonder whether it is going to be only when Malema is speaking about something that the Minister does something else.
I want to say that we must see the independence of the executive in action in order for us to give support in resolving the problems in South Africa. Thank you.