Deputy Chairperson, Chairperson of the Council, lest I forget, the ANC supports this Budget Vote. But before I say anything, let me start off by saying to hon Bloem that, amandla awalingani [power is not equal] here in the House. Therefore, the allocation of minutes will not be equal either: Difference in the strength of numbers is equal to different time allocations.
Secondly, I also must tell you, hon Bloem, that there was only one congress of the people, and that was in 1955.
Ngoko thina bantu be-ANC asibahoyi abantu abangamasela enkululeko. [Therefore we, the people of the ANC, ignore the thieves of freedom.]
You stole the freedom! [Applause.]
Lastly, let me tell you this, my Whip, I respect you, and you know that very well. We really work very well together, but you must also understand that in the House it's not by howling that you make a mark; it's about how you work to make sure that the service you promised people, you deliver. That's exactly what the ANC is doing, and it is committed to that. [Applause.]
Let me remind those who do not understand this very well: The ANC will rule till the end of this world - I do not know if I'll be there in the next one - and that is a given fact. [Applause.]
Well, let me also tell you that as I live here in Cape Town - I was born here as well - we are going to make sure that this is not an island. The Western Cape, the City of Cape Town and those who rule the province in particular, think that they have their own homeland. We did away with the homeland system and we made sure that we would never go back to it.
Let me just say that our former President, Nelson Mandela, at the final sitting of the First Parliament, on 26 March 1999, said:
Those who frame and enact the Constitution and law are in the vanguard in the fight for change. It is in the legislatures that the instruments have been fashioned to create a better life for all. It is here that oversight of government has been exercised. It is here that our society in all its formations has had an opportunity to influence policy and its implementation.
Therefore, on 18 July 2009, Madiba will turn 91 years old.
NguZondwa ke lo; ozondwa ziintshaba; zamzonda zamoyika waphuma esiqithini. [His clan name is Zondwa; the one hated by his enemies; they hated and feared him until he was released from Robben Island.]
As the House, and particularly as the ANC, we will make sure that that day is celebrated with all of you, whether you like it or not.
We also want to take the opportunity to support the call for the Nelson Mandela Day, which will be celebrated on 18 July, every year, till the end of the world. We say this because this day will give the people of South Africa and people all over the world an opportunity to acknowledge the role played by this compatriot of our people in the fight for liberation.
Eyona nto ibalulekileyo ngoMadiba kukuba akakhululanga abacinezelwa ngaphezu kokukhulula abacinezeli. Abanye babo iingqondo kusafuneka ziguqulwe nanamhlanje. Siyaxolisa ke ukuba iingqondo zenu zilukhuni, kodwa siza kuninceda. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[The most important thing about Madiba is that he did not just liberate the oppressed, but has liberated mostly the oppressors. Some of their mind-sets still need to be changed even today. We apologise for your stubbornness, but we will help you.]
South Africa has come a long way from a system based on parliamentary sovereignty that prevailed under the colonial apartheid dispensation, to one based on the principle of constitutional supremacy based on the will of the people.
Today, our Parliament has grown to be an arena of rigorous discussions about the conditions of our people and our shared destiny as a nation. We have moved decisively from a past that sought to divide us according to our race, ethnic origins, gender and material conditions. We remain committed to our quest to build an effective people's Parliament that is responsive to the needs of the people and that is driven by the ideal of realising a better quality of life for all the people of the country.
As we straddled the length and breadth of our country during the national and provincial elections this year, we made an undertaking to the people of South Africa that together, we can do more. We said this because the participation of the people of South Africa in the governance of their affairs remained fundamental in our fight for liberation. As the ANC, we remain committed to ensuring participation of our people in the processes of Parliament.
We have also said that the fourth democratic Parliament will be faced with transformational issues that carry over from the Third Parliament. It is our task to see that this House is better positioned to fulfil its mandate of representing our people in the provinces, particularly those in rural areas, to ensure that they, too, have a better life, access to services and better facilities.
Throughout its history, the ANC has engaged in a debate and an exchange of ideas, understanding that the achievement of the objectives of a united, nonracial, nonsexist and democratic South Africa is dependent on its capacity to convince the people of the correctness of its position and its policies.
Vigorous debate is a common feature of the democratic political contest in many societies and should be welcomed as an integral feature of a democratic process. As we remain committed to responding to those within the political arena and the media that seek to misrepresent the position of the ANC and our commitment, we shall make sure that we engage and engage and engage.
Because I have had to respond to a few points, I want to say, lastly, that Parliament as the voice of the people can equally help identify problems of policy failure that require attention and also help in overcoming bureaucratic red tape. This is where our oversight mechanism plays an important role as it allows us to directly assess the implementation of policy in specific settings. I also want to remind members that Parliament must function in the interest of the people, not of the parties. As I say that with this one mouth, I will also repeat what I said earlier with the same mouth, that because we have this strength in numbers, we will make sure that we use it to better the lives of our people.
Ndiyafuna ke ukuthi, njengeshop-steward yenu, amalungelo enu nawo siyawahoya. Ndiye ndaqinisekisa ukuba zonke iinkxalabo eziphakanyiswa ngamalungu ndizisa ngaphambili. Sele zikhona iziphumo zoko esele nizibonile. Nathi ke, Mhlalingaphambili, ikhona nje into esifuna ukuyiphakamisa yokuba njengabantu abathunywe ngamaphondo - asonyulwanga kaloku thina, sithunyiwe - iimfuno zethu kufuneka ke zibonelelwe kakhulu yiPalamente kuba asizi ngendlela efanayo nelinye icala eliya.
Xa kuthethwa ngaMalungu ePalamente, ngamanye amaxesha kuyafuneka ukuba indlela yokuza kwethu ePalamente isiwe iso. Amalungu amaninzi asokoliswa zizinto ezininzi, ezinye zazo asaziphakamisayo nangoku kum. Zibandakanya izinto ezifana nokuba wona awakwazi kufaka ibango kuba kukhalwa ngeLungu lePalamente kungajongwanga indlela ilungu elo elithi lisebenze ngayo.
Ekugqibeleni ndifuna ukuthi, Mhlalingaphambili, ... (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[I would like to say, as your shop steward, we are attending to your rights as well. I have ensured that I have reported all the concerns that the members have raised. You have already seen some of the results. Even with us, Chairperson, there is something that we would like to bring to your attention as provincial delegates - we have not been elected but we have been delegated - and that is that our needs must be provided for because we do not come here in the same manner as those on the other side.
The manner in which we have come to Parliament must be considered when referring to Members of Parliament. Many members encounter problems regarding various issues, some of which they still raise with me even today. These include issues such as not being able to make claims because they are not Members of Parliament, without looking at the functions performed by the members.
Lastly Chairperson, I would like to say ...]
... for as long as the ANC and its alliance partners govern the country, there is nothing that is called ukulingana kwamandla [equal powers]. Democracy is about numbers.
Ngoko, umntu ongazange abe ngumfundisi-ntsapho njengam, makazi ukuba kukho le nto kuthiwa ngumgcamanani, i-number line. [Therefore, someone who has never been a teacher like me must know that there is this thing called a number line.] If you look at the number line, you will understand exactly what I mean and you will never complain, hon Bloem. Thank you. [Applause.]