Agb Adjunkspeaker, die onvermo van die Nasionale Loteryraad om geld beskikbaar te stel vir goedgekeurde projekte lei tot groot ellende en lyding in veral die platteland.
Dit staan in direkte teenstelling met die beeld wat die regering by arm mense wil skep, naamlik dat die armstes van die armes voorkeur geniet as dit by opheffing en versorging kom. Die ekonomiese resessie lei tot groot werkloosheid en veroorsaak ook dat private instansies minder tot liefdadigheid bydra. In Calvinia in die Noord-Kaap voorsien die Afrikaanse Christelike Vrouevereniging, ACVV, wat 'n nieregeringsorganisasie is, aan 380 leerders hul enigste bord kos per dag. Die versuim om goedgekeurde Lotto-geld aan die ACVV uit te betaal beteken dat hierdie kinders, die armstes van die armes, honger ly. Dit gee noodwendig aanleiding tot groot maatskaplike probleme soos diefstal. Hierdie kinders word dan groot in 'n milieu waar misdaad aanvaarbaar is, want dit help om hulle elke dag te laat oorleef.
Die standaard antwoord wat die Nasionale Loteryraad by navraag gee, is dat iemand nog die tjek moet teken en dat die ACVV "net geduldig moet wees". Kinders wat honger ly, weet nie wat dit beteken om geduldig te wees nie, veral nie as dit bekend is nie dat daar R8,5 miljard beskikbaar is vir uitbetaling en slegs R2,3 miljard in die drie jaar van 2007 tot 2009 uitbetaal is. Die ses raadslede se salarisse wat in hierdie tydperk gesamentlik R7,5 miljoen beloop het, word egter gereeld maandeliks betaal.
Dit is tyd dat die Minister van Handel en Nywerheid 'n ondersoek gelas na die onvermo van die raadslede om die voordeel wat die Lotto-geld vir arm kinders behoort in te hou te laat realiseer. [Tyd verstreke.] (Translation of Afrikaans member's statement follows.)
[Dr H C VAN SCHALKWYK (DA): Hon Deputy Speaker, the inability of the National Lotteries Board to make money available to approved projects leads to great misery and suffering, especially in the rural areas.
This is in direct contrast to the image the government wants to create among poor people, namely that the poorest of the poor enjoy priority with regard to upliftment and care. The economic recession is causing huge unemployment and is also the reason that private institutions are contributing less to charity.
In Calvinia in the Northern Cape the Afrikaanse Christlike Vrouevereniging, ACVV, which is a nongovernmental organisation, provides 380 learners with their only meal of the day. The failure to pay out approved Lotto money to the ACVV means that these children, the poorest of the poor, are starving. Inevitably this contributes to big social problems, such as theft. These children then grow up in an environment where crime is acceptable, as it helps them to survive each day.
Upon enquiry the National Lotteries Board gives the standard response that someone must still sign the cheque and that the ACVV must "just be patient". Children who are starving do not understand what it means to be patient, especially not if it is known that R8,5 billion is available for payouts, and yet only R2,3 billion has been paid out over the three years from 2007 to 2009. However, the salaries of the six board members that collectively amounted to R7,5 million during this period, was regularly paid each month.
The time has come for the Minister of Trade and Industry to investigate the inability of the board members to realise the intended benefits of the Lotto money for poor children. [Time expired.]]