Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members, comrades, and guests in the gallery, it is fitting to begin this debate, which addresses issues of our democracy and our march towards building a national democratic society, with an acknowledgement of the life of one of our greatest leaders, Mama Albertina Sisulu.
Such an unconquered character of selflessness brings to life the values of the Freedom Charter values that propose that the greater value of life cannot be self-interest and exploitation, but rather to be part of an inclusive and prosperous society. It is my understanding that, as representatives of our people, we seek to serve with the intention of bettering ourselves as individuals, as households, as communities and as a nation, just as Mama Sisulu did. Today, as we interact as a nation, we proudly acknowledge that we cannot be separated from the life of Mama Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu, as we cannot from an essential document such as the Freedom Charter. We cannot be detached from Mama Sisulu due to the selflessness that she exhibited, as we cannot be detached from the Freedom Charter because it prophesised this very day when it said, "The people shall govern!"
The people who govern today are primarily represented by Parliament. As we move towards the national democratic society, we, as representatives of the people, have committed our efforts to advancing the accessibility of government to ordinary South Africans.
As we strive towards an equal and fully developed state, we, as the Parliament that speaks for the masses, must commit ourselves to transparency and accountability. The policies that we pass and the oversight we have over government are in fact the means by which we would realise the dream of Mama Sisulu and the forecast of the Freedom Charter.
Since its inception, the ANC has valued the power of inclusiveness; hence policies passed by the ANC have, since 1994, not been the decisions of a few, but rather the will of the people who entrusted us with empowering all institutions with the means to bring about meaningful change. Xa ndiza kuthetha ngomsebenzi wePalamente, ndicela uxolo kumsebenzi ococayo. Ndizive sendifuna ukuzenza umsebenzi ococayo ngenxa yezinto ezithethwa ngabantu basekhohlo. Ohloniphekileyo u-Mulder, xa esithi ayikho into elungileyo eqhubekayo apha ePalamente, ndifuna ukumxelela ukuba kusenokuba ayisoze ibekho, ingakumbi kukho aba bantu angabafuniyo apha ePalamente. Kodwa mhla kwabakho abantu abafunayo apha ePalamente, kumhla aza kuqala ukubona ukuba iPalamente iyasebenza. Ngelishwa Bawo u-Mulder, siza kuhlala sikhona sisisininzi se-ANC apha ePalamente, kuba sithi abantu abayilwelayo inkululeko eMzantsi Afrika. [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Okokuqala nokwesibini, ndicela ukubulela iPalamente ngeenkqubo ezenzileyo, ebezikade zingekho ngaphambili.
Eyokuqala, yintsebenziswano yabantu ePalamente kunye nabantu ekuhlaleni. Kaloku mhlalingaphambili, ndikhumbula ndisengumntwana wesikolo, asizange simbone thina uMongameli oza ebantwini, besiqala ukumbona ngalo we-ANC ohamba phakathi kwabantu.
Yenye yeenkqubo zokuqala ethe iPalamente xa yayifika ngonyaka ka-1999, yabona ukuba imithetho emayenziwe mayibe yimithetho evunywe ngabantu, kuba kaloku ngaphambili umthetho wawukade uqulunqwa ngaphandle kwesininzi; wakube ugqityiwe kukakazwe abantu kuthiwe baza kuwulandela bethanda bengathandi.
Ngelishwa iDA nayo ithe ngexesha besixakekile sisebenzisana nabantu ekuhlaleni, yabona ukuba mayisuse iintliziyo zabantu ezaphukileyo ezenziwa zimbono nemisebenzi eyenzakayo kubo ngaphambili, bengabantu boMzantsi Afrika.
Umsebenzi wokuqala endizakuthetha ngawo ngowokuba iPalamente ikwazile ukuzisa izinto eziza kuthi zibe luncedo kuluntu lwethu.
Okokuqala, iPalamente ibonile ukuba imfundo kunye nezempilo zezona zinto zibalulekileyo, ekufuneka kuboniswane ngazo ngabantu ekuhlaleni. Ndithetha nje, abantu ekuhlaleni bayakwazi nabo ukuba kuthiwe bahleli kwizitulo zasePalamente, nto leyo abangazange bayifumane. [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Kukho iinkqubo ezenziwa yiPalamente ezingqamene namakhosikazi nabantwana. Umzekelo ngumhla we-9 kwinyanga ka-Agasti apho amakhosikazi athi akwazi ukuba yinxalenye yePalamente ukuze axhamle nawo kuba kaloku akazange axhamla ngaphambili, abonisane nangemithetho eyenziwayo ePalamente. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[When I start talking about Parliament's work, I want to apologise to the cleaners. I feel like being one of them just because of the things that were said by that opposition party. When hon Mulder says there is nothing good happening in this Parliament, I want to tell him that perhaps nothing good will happen while there are the people he does not want here in Parliament. However, if one day the people he prefers are here, that will be the day he notices that Parliament is working. Unfortunately, hon Mulder, we are here to stay and we are an ANC majority in Parliament, because we are the ones who fought for freedom in South Africa. [Applause.]
Firstly, I want to thank Parliament for the new programmes which it introduced, as these were not available before.
The first one is the good working relationship between the people who are here in Parliament and the community. Chairperson, I remember the days when I was still a learner; we had never seen a President who visited people. The first time we saw a President taking time to interact with the people was when the ANC President did so.
It is one of the first programmes that Parliament introduced in 1999. It recognised that the laws it passed had to be agreed to by the people, because in the past the laws had been passed without the will of the majority of the people, and thereafter they enforced them, expecting people to abide by them, whether they liked it or not.
Unfortunately, the DA also took advantage of the people. While we were working hand in hand with the communities, they misled the people of South Africa, whose hearts had been broken as a result of being ill-treated by the previous regime.
The first function I want to speak about is that Parliament succeeded in making resources available so that our people could benefit from them.
Firstly, Parliament realised that education and health are the most important issues which the communities need to be involved in. As I speak, communities out there have experienced sitting on the seats of Parliament and participating - something which has never happened before. [Applause.]
There are programmes launched by Parliament which deal with women and children. For example, on 9 August women are able to take part in the proceedings of Parliament so that they can also enjoy the benefits, because they have not benefited in the past, and they can also discuss the passing of Bills in Parliament.]
The expression that "South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white," embodies the historical principle which has characterised the policy of the ANC towards the people who have settled in the country in past centuries.
Xa ndithetha ngalo mba ke ndithetha ngomba ohlaba entliziyweni kuba sibonile ngexesha besisiya kunyulo. Siyayibulela iPalamente thina singabantu balapha ePalamente, ngomsebenzi ewenzileyo wokuya ebantwini. Ukanti nabo ekuhlaleni, ndiqinisekile ukuba bathetha le nto ndiyithethayo.
Umsebenzi wesibini owenziwe yiPalamente, ongabonwayo namhlanje ngulowo wokulandela uMqulu wamaLungelo oLuntu owaqulunqwa ngootata uSisulu, ootata uMandela, kodwa isahleli kwaye isasebenzisa imiqondiso yoMqulu wamaLungelo oLuntu. Ukuba uqabane u-Mulder- kodwa akanakuba lilo iqabane tu - akayiboni loo nto thina bantu baseMzantsi Afrika siyayibona. [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Ndinento ebuhlungu ebendithembise ukuba andisayi kuyithetha, kodwa ke, ndicela ukuba khe ndithi gqaba gqaba kuyo. Akhonto indikhathaze ngexesha bekusenziwa intengiso, apho bekusetyenziswa abantu bethu ukuba bathethe izinto ezingekhoyo. Bona bebecinga ukuba benza into elungileyo kuba bebethenjisiwe ngabo bebebasebenzisa ukuba baza kulithatha ilizwe babakhele izindlu. Asoze nilithathe ilizwe. YiPalamente le ebiphethe ilizwe eza kwakhela abantu izindlu.
Kukho intengiso yomama onokuba ngumama wam ngomso oqhathiweyo. Ibuhlungu into yokuba kudlalwe ngabantu. Umama athi, "Thina sonke apha sithe nco entliziyweni". Elam lithi le ntliziyo iqala ukuthi nco ityaliwe yeyango- 1994 kuba intliziyo eyaqala ukubetha ngo-1932, eyintanga yekamama wam, inamanxeba. Ngoko ke le ka-1994 ixelelwe ukuba mayithini. Siyacela ukuba ningadlali ngabantu bethu. Bayekeni ukuba bavotele umbutho abafuna ukuwuvotela. Bayabazi abantu ababakhululayo.
Thina asiyazi kwaye asiyifundiswanga into ebithethwa apha namhlanje ethi abamhlophe ngamasela. Asiyifundiswanga loo nto kulo rhulumente kuba sinabantu abalwileyo, abamhlophe nabamnyama, besilwa bengabahlali baseMzantsi Afrika. Ngoko ke, asazi, mhlawumbi kufuneka bafune abaphandi ukuze babacacisele ukuba le nto ithini.
Ndinento endithi xa ndigqibela ngayo, ndibongoze abaPhathiswa bethu nooSekela baPhathiswa noSomlomo, Somlomo ndikuvile imisebenzi oza kuyenza, kodwa akhonto endihlupha nje ngokuba sithi singala makhosikazi kanti kwii- ofisi zethu asinazo nezipili zokuba sizilungise. Siyacela ke Somlomo ukuba usincede ngezipili kuba sifuna ukuzibuka. Sinyulwe ngabantu ngoko akufuneki ukuba sibamele sibabi. Siyacela ukuba usifakele izipili ezi-ofisini zethu. Enkosi. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[When I talk about this issue, I am talking about a very painful issue, because we saw what happened while we were preparing for the elections. We, the people of Parliament, thank Parliament for the work it has done - reaching out to the people. Even the communities, I am sure, agree with me.
The second function which has been handled by Parliament and which is not noticeable today, is the one of adhering to the Bill of Rights, which was compiled by Mr Walter Sisulu and Mr Nelson Mandela. Even today, we still refer to the Bill of Rights. If Comrade Mulder - but he can never be a comrade - does not see that, we, the people of South Africa, see it. [Applause.]
I have a heartbreaking issue which I promised I would never talk about. However, I want to talk about it briefly. There is nothing that breaks my heart as much as the advertisement in which our people were used to advertise lies. They thought they were doing the right thing because they were promised by those who used them that they would win the elections and thereafter rule the country, and they would build houses for them. They will never rule this country. It is Parliament that has the power to rule the country and which, in turn, will build houses for the people.
There is an advertisement in which a woman who could be my mother was misled. It is painful when people are made fools of. The woman says, "All of us here are happy. Our hearts are content." Mine is - this happy heart was transplanted after the 1994 elections. A heart which started beating in 1932, which is the same age as my mother, is wounded. Therefore, the one transplanted after 1994 has been told how to feel. We appeal to you not to fool our people. Leave them alone so that they are free to vote for the parties of their choice. They know the people who liberated them.
We don't know about and we have not been taught what has been said here today, that white people are thieves. We have not been taught that in this government, because we have people who have struggled with us, white and black, fighting as the citizens of South Africa. Perhaps they must get researchers to investigate so as to get the full explanation of this issue.
In conclusion, I appeal to our hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers and the Speaker. Speaker, I have heard what you plan to do, but there is one thing that makes me unhappy as a woman. We do not have mirrors in our offices to look at ourselves and, being the women that we are, we request you, Speaker, to supply us with mirrors, because we want to look at ourselves. People have elected us, so we must not represent them looking unpresentable. We request mirrors in our offices. Thank you. [Applause.]]