Speaker, as ek vandag die geleentheid gehad het om vir drie minute stil te staan, het ek dit gedoen, maar die goeie nuus is dat ek nie vandag, mre of oormre sal stilbly vir enig iemand nie. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Mr J J MCGLUWA: Speaker, if I were to have had the opportunity today to pause for three minutes, I would have done so, but the good news is that I will not be keeping quiet for anyone, not today, not tomorrow and not the day after tomorrow. [Applause.]]
It would be a sad day for South Africans if this Bill were to be passed. We acknowledge that good changes have been made in comparison to its original version. We are, however, convinced that many sections of the Bill may be unconstitutional.
Ons kan nie hierdie wetsontwerp ondersteun nie. Ons sal nie hierdie wetsontwerp ondersteun nie. Vir doodeenvoudige redes ondersteun ons glad nie hierdie wetsontwerp nie. Hierdie wetsontwerp verhinder nie net die media of die doodgewone mens op straat nie, maar ook ons as parlementslede om korrupsie, skandes en wanbestuur op alle vlakke van regering oop te vlek. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[We cannot support this Bill. We will not support this Bill. It is for very simple reasons that we do not at all support this Bill. This Bill does not only deter the media or the ordinary person in the street, but also us as Members of Parliament from exposing corruption, disrepute and mismanagement at all levels of government.]
We call on the President to not sign this Bill if and when it appears before him. [Interjections.] We also call on all ANC members to vote with their conscience today and plead with them not to support this Bill. This is a people's Parliament, elected by the people. Why should we keep secrets from the people whilst the ANC promised transparency during the apartheid days?