That includes you, Mr Singh. I'm sure you are talking from experience. [Laughter.]
You are also going to be talking about religion here. My mother is a faith healer in the Apostolic Faith Mission Church and they use lots of water. Also, with regard to sport, the golfers here, including Baba Mlangeni, know that the golf courses have to use lots of water. Education too, including among ourselves here in Parliament, cannot survive without water. [Interjections.]
The challenge that we must confront is that where there is a shortage, all spheres of government must work in the interests of the quality of water services. We dare not fail the poor; the poor who cannot afford bottled mineral water, the poor who travel long distances to fetch that water, the poor that continue to suffer from waterborne diseases. We dare not fail them. In summary, municipalities, both large and small, must ask for help where there is none in order to provide such a basic service to all. [Applause.]
Regarding our own municipality here in Cape Town, we learnt that two years ago, during the electricity blackouts, a maintenance problem was identified and that it had everything to do with a lack of skills. This is not aimed at attacking anybody, but stating the fact: the fact here being that you need to have had that municipality spending the money that was not spent. This is precisely because of this lack of skills; a simple fact that must be told.
With regard to forestry, the shortages that are alluded to must not add to the overall agricultural challenge of being a net importer of food. This would lead, naturally, to price instability, as a factor. Among other challenges we are confronted with in forestry are the veld and forestry, fires. They add salt to the wound I have just made mention of.
Climate change was mentioned with regard to the shortage of forests. We all need clean air and to protect our planet through forestry for generations to come. Post-settlement programmes must include, among other things, encouraging communities not to sell off their land and resources attached to that land. Members of those communities must be encouraged to enter into joint ventures with the manufacturers that seek to engage in business activities in terms of the forestry sector transformation charter.
Restitution and its price challenges must be addressed speedily. Whilst we accept that land was stolen ... [Interjections.] [Applause.] .. the path of negotiation remains the best way to solve those problems. Do not push the ANC too far. Do not seek to continue stealing in broad daylight by increasing and inflating the prices of some of those pieces of land that the government wants to buy from you. That is called daylight robbery. [Applause.]
In conclusion, we have a job to do. Simply put: improve the people's lives for the better. The ANC makes policies at its conferences and that is not a secret. The ANC government refines those policies in accordance with the legal jargon, and it is expected of some of our administrators here - in fact, not some, but all - to implement ANC policies, unashamedly. [Applause.]
We are told that we have the best Constitution and best policies, but implementation remains a challenge. It cannot, therefore, continue to be a challenge forever. Again, no amount of hiding behind any contract shall be tolerated. The President's clarion call is still reverberating in our ears: "Akusheshwe" [make it snappy]. The ANC supports Budget Vote 34. Enkosi. [Thank you.] [Applause.]