Chair, hon President, and all protocol observed, in his state of the nation address the President pledged to work closely with nongoverning political parties and he also called on our nation to cut its coat according to its cloth.
Yet, in the current economic recession we still find Ministers, Deputy Ministers and other senior officials spending millions on coats that appear to be much bigger than the cloth according to which the President asked us to cut our coats.
Hon President, you also promised the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of your Cabinet Ministers and their spending. In the past few months we have read in the newspapers about public servants spending millions on lavish lifestyles, living large during a time of tremendous hardship for our people.
It is time for Parliament, rather than the Cabinet, to review the ministerial handbook. Over half of our people regularly go to sleep with empty stomachs. Is it morally right for public servants, who are supposed to set an example to the poor and to encourage ordinary South Africans and taxpayers that we will achieve - in the words of the ANC - a better life for all, to instead spend our money as if it did not come from the hard work and sweat of our people?
Hon President, when will you deliver the first monitoring and evaluation report that you promised?
Agb President, laat my toe om die volgende te vra: Wanneer sal ons mense die vrugte van hul harde arbeid pluk en hoe lank moet hulle nog aan beloftes vasklou?
Hoe kan kinders wat hierdie hele jaar nog nie deelgeneem het aan interskole- atletiek of-sport nie, droom van 'n kwaliteitlewe wat sal realiseer, terwyl hulle ontneem word van 'n basiese reg om aan sport deel te neem? Dit gebeur, byvoorbeeld, by die Rietfontein Gekombineerde Horskool in die Noord-Kaap.
Die regering moet daarna streef om ons mense se lewensgehalte te verbeter. Om vir hulle 'n toekoms te kan gee, is dit uiters belangrik om te weet dat ons mense se lewensgehalte verbeter moet word en nie net lewenstandaarde nie. Wanneer gaan die Noord-Kaap se universiteit tot stand kom? Is dit in die beplanningsfase, want dit kan baie van ons mense se lewensgehalte verbeter? Die Noord-Kaap het baie minerale, maar die Noord-Kaap se mense lewe in armoede. Hoe verduidelik ons dit?
Hoe verduidelik ons dat die meeste mense van Suid-Afrika nie kan bekostig om 'n historiese plek soos Robbeneiland te besoek nie, omdat dit te duur vir hulle is? Wanneer gaan ons, as Suid-Afrikaners en hierdie regering, plek maak vir die armstes van die armes om die historiese plekke van hierdie land te kan besoek, sodat hulle kan sien wat dit gekos het om hulle hierdie vryheid te kan gee?
Baie van ons kinders was nog nie eens op Robbeneiland nie, omdat baie mense dit nie kan bekostig nie. Dit is 'n probleem. Daarom wil ek s dat ek hoop en vertrou dat die dinge sal regkom. Baie dankie. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Hon President, allow me to ask the following: When will our people reap the rewards of their hard labour, and for how long still should they continue to hold on to promises?
How can children, who have not taken part in any interschool athletics or sport for this entire year, even dream of realising a certain quality of life, while they are being deprived of the basic right to participate in sport? This is happening, for example, at the Rietfontein Combined School in the Northern Cape.
The government should endeavour to improve the quality of life of our people. To grant them a future, it is of the utmost importance to realise that it is not just the standard of living, but also the quality of life of our people that needs to be improved. When will the Northern Cape's university come into existence? Is it in the planning stage, because it can improve the quality of life of so many of our people? The Northern Cape is rich in minerals, but the people of the Northern Cape live in poverty. How does one explain this?
How do we explain that the majority of the people of South Africa cannot afford to visit a historical place such as Robben Island, because it is too expensive for them? When are we, as South Africans and this government, going to make it possible for the poorest of the poor to visit the historical sites in this country, so that they can see that sacrifices were made for them to have this freedom?
Many of our children haven't even been to Robben Island yet, because many people cannot afford it. This is a problem. Therefore, I would like to say that I hope and trust that these things will turn out all right. Thank you. [Applause.]]