Chairperson, we must express our appreciation and gratitude for the time that has been taken and the level of preparation for this debate, as well as the contributions that have been made. At times we take everything for granted, like the air that we breathe; we believe that it will always be there. We believe that it is important to appreciate that the views expressed can only enrich us so that we can do better.
On the issues that I would like to share, I would think that it is important and imperative that this House is able to call upon departments to come and tell it, as a House, what they have done in the implementation of laws that have been passed by this House. Linked to that, I think we must have a project that looks at the laws that we think are critical, that have an impact on our people, in order to check how far we have gone in executing those tasks.
I can tell you without any fear of contradiction that departments are not implementing many of the laws that are passed by Parliament. Equally, Parliament is guilty because it does not make these departments account for their actions. Parliament passes a law and they forget about it. Nothing is being done to check how far the department has gone in the implementation of the law. The other thing from our side is that we are going to do things differently. It can't be business as usual; there must be change and continuity.
Firstly, amongst other things that we are going to do, is to recognise the officials that have worked hard. And the spectators in the gallery, who are supposed to be seated here, are going to be demanded to present me with an implementation plan of these laws, before they go on their Christmas break this year.
It means next year you can call us as the first department to come and present our plan for the implementation of the laws, with timeframes, not just theory that is not followed and can't be measured. We believe that we have a role to play, particularly, on concurrent functions that we think are important; we are supposed to ensure that people are able to pay for that.
The second issue is that of the kings and queens. One of the things that we have agreed upon, on the issue of all the kings and queens in South Africa, is that the commission must give a report to the department by the end of this month, November 2009. We are not going to accept many excuses. We want to see things being done, because our people are waiting. We believe that the issues of dispute are just a distraction and are just side-tracking us.
Our task and historical mission is to deliver services to our people and to ensure that the quality of our people's lives is improved, and we are going to do exactly that. One of the issues that has been raised, which is a mystery to me, is that the system of government of this country has, for the past 15 years, never recognised the Khoisan people as a people who are in South Africa.
The question that we must be asking ourselves is where the NCOP, as an institution, was when these things happened. We must begin to use the fact that we are public representatives. We must use our oversight quite vigorously and vociferously in the way we do things. Having said that, when we came in, in the interim we had said that the Khoisan people must be represented at national level and in provinces, but that was a stop-gap measure. That's why we are saying in the coming year we are going to come with a comprehensive piece of legislation that is going to ensure that people are recognised and that they enjoy their status.
The Khoisan people were the first people to be in this country. You can't marginalise indigenous people and keep them out of the system. We believe that these matters must be taken up. Going forward, we think that we must begin to look at family trees. There is a campaign that will be undertaken at some point when we are ready, that every person must look at their family tree. What is a family tree? You'll begin to trace your roots and understand yourselves.
We know that in South Africa other people were calling themselves Grootboom, and so on, because of the past laws, but you find that in reality it's Mthimkhulu. [Interjections.] Others were calling themselves Windvol, and you find that in reality it's Sibanyoni. [Interjections.] [Laughter.]
Now, it is important that we begin to look at these things and look at reversing them, so that people can go back to their roots. People must be proud of their own heritage; they must be proud of their own culture; they must be proud of where they are coming from. You find that some people in urban areas no longer want to remember and recognise that they come from rural areas, that they have their roots in rural areas. They want to be from the townships. They don't recognise where they come from.
We must be able look at the issue of protocol of the traditional leaders. We must develop the policies on those issues, so that we are able to ensure that people are following these things.
Equally, the issue of funding of the institutions is an issue that has to be taken up. It's a matter that must be taken up with the National Treasury, because the issue of funding of these institutions was not recognised, because it was not there or was inadequate. However, as a department, we will be establishing a department with a director-general, standing on its own, a Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs that is going to ensure that it looks at these matters. [Applause.]
The other thing that I think we must be able to do is to say, when investors come to a traditional community and want to invest, they must not subjugate and undermine traditional leadership by making them part of BEE. Traditional leaders own the land. No development can take place without the land. [Applause.] They must own major shares; they must be part of the shareholding system in those areas, so that the people of traditional communities can benefit.
We are going to make sure that these matters are addressed; we stand foursquare behind traditional leaders going forward, as much as the issues that have been raised - which I want to clarify here - by the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa, Contralesa. Contralesa raises an issue that says we are going to have a Soccer World Cup, a soccer extravaganza, that will never happen in our lifetime again, as we are here, all of us, on the shores of this country.
They say if the Soccer World Cup is an African World Cup, what are the elements that must show that it's an African World Cup? They say, in terms of the building of the stadiums in this country, when you have finished building something, you are able to ensure that you anoint it, and the way of anointing and appreciating is to slaughter, and other people are raising an issue with this, and they don't want it.
I am going to meet with Contralesa and engage them on this question. But I believe that, as South Africans, we must accept diversity and take it as strength. Because you don't look like me, I must not look down upon you. I must accept that people must practise their own things, as long as they don't trample on the affairs of others.
Therefore, in our point of view, what we are saying is that the issues of traditional matters are going to be taken seriously with vigour and verve, and we are going to ensure that we stick to them going forward. I would say that on other issues raised by the members, we have recorded them.
The officials are here, and the Chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders is here. He is also recording. I have also recorded. We will be able to take them up and ensure that going forward they shape our implementation strategy because we believe that, collectively, we must be able to move forward.
We believe that when you are given a responsibility, you are not given more brains. You are not cleverer than others. The fact that you are given a responsibility means that the brains that you have that make you cleverer are the collective around you.
You must be able to listen to other people, because they can only enrich you. You must not be afraid of criticism, because criticism also builds. Therefore, in that way, from our side we believe that your contributions and views will be able to take us forward. And we believe that together, we are going to be able to change this country. Thank you very much, Chairperson. [Applause.]