Hansard: Debate on IPU topic: Access to health as a basic right / Debate on Heritage Day: Celebrating the heroes and heroines of the liberation struggle in South Africa
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 13 Sep 2011
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
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WEDNESDAY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2011
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
________
The Council met at 14:05.
The Speaker took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
NOTICES OF MOTION
Mr M S F DE FREITAS: Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the DA:
That the House –
(1) debates the limited access to the King Shaka International Airport and the limited access to it; and
(2) comes up with solutions to solve it.
Ms J L FUBBS
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Mr M S F DE FREITAS
Ms J L FUBBS: Speaker, I hereby give notice that at the next sitting of the House I intend moving on behalf of the ANC:
That the House debates the reviving of the role of state-owned enterprises in regard to skills development, in order to support the economy.
Mr L RAMATLAKANE
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Ms J L FUBBS
Mr L RAMATLAKANE: Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting of the House I shall move on behalf of Cope:
That the House debates the failure of the Minister of Defence to respond to the fraudulent tender allegations about the supply of wet rations to the Johannesburg Army Support Base in Lenz.
Mr M R SONTO
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Mr L RAMATLAKANE
Mr M R SONTO: Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of Cope:
That the House debates the fact that-
(1) South Africa has been confirmed by an American banking group to be the world's richest country in minerals;
(2) and further debates how to translate this natural wealth into decent jobs and manufactured goods and services.
Dr L L BOSMAN
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Mr M R SONTO
Dr L L BOSMAN: Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the DA:
That the House-
(1) debates the state of inspection services for slaughtered carcasses at abattoirs;
(2) further debates the lack of independent inspectors on the safety and quality of food; and
(3) comes up with recommendations to improve the system.
Mr S B HUANG
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Dr L L BOSMAN
Mr S B HUANG: Mr Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall moving on behalf of the ANC:
That the House debates a plan to accelerate the challenge of delivering water and sanitation to meet the 2014 deadline.
Mr A P VAN DER WESTHUIZEN
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Mr S B HUANG
Mr A P VAN DER WESTHUIZEN: Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting of the House I shall move on behalf of the DA:
That the House-
(1) debates the role of community organisations in the training of the unemployed;
(2) further debates their effectiveness in finding employment opportunities for the jobless; and
(3) comes up with ways in which government can support these organisations to achieve their noble ideals.
MOTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
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NOTICES OF MOTION
HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATIONS
(Draft Resolution)
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House-
(3) notes that September marks the annual celebration of heritage month in South Africa and also that 24 September is celebrated as heritage day;
(4) recognises that heritage month highlights different aspects of South African culture, creative expressions such as music and performance, our historical inheritance and language;
(5) further recognises that heritage month provides opportunities to foster cultural pride and to instil a shared identity through events undertaken throughout the month;
(6) calls on all south Africans and nongovernmental organisations, NGOs, to work with government to provide for the identification, conservation, protection and promotion of our heritage for the present and future generations.
Agreed to.
Mr M J ELLIS
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THE CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY
SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M J ELLIS: Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House-
(1) notes that Sunday, 11 September 2011, marked the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington and the failed attempt that culminated in the plane crash in Shanksville;
(2) further notes the unnecessary loss of life of 2 977 unsuspecting individuals hailing from all corners of the globe, two of whom were from South Africa, and the pain and heartache of their families in their struggle to come to terms with their tremendous loss;
(3) recognises the efforts of the brave men and women who fearlessly rushed to the rescue during immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks;
(4) further notes the dramatic effects that these attacks had on the global geopolitical landscape, most of which are still very much with us today;
(5) calls upon all religious and cultural organisations to continue to engage in dialogue to promote understanding and tolerance and to confront and overcome fundamentalism and extremism in all its forms; and
(6) further calls upon the governments and citizens of the world to unite against extremism and terrorism to promote tolerance, acceptance, understanding and respect, united in the principles of Ubuntu and Umoja.
Agreed to.
Mr M A NHANHA
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Mr M J ELLIS
SOUTH AFRICAN HOCKEY MEN'S TEAM VICTORY
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M A NHANHA: Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House-
(1)congratulates the South African men's hockey team for their 1-0 win over Egypt in the final of the African Cup Olympic Qualifier tournament in Bulawayo; and
(2)offers its full support to the team for their third and final international game that will be played next Sunday.
Agreed to.
THE CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY
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Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 577
Mr M A NHANHA
ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF ELECTORAL COMMISSION
(Draft Resolution)
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House-
(1) notes that the term of office of four members of the Electoral Commission is due to end in October 2011;
(2)in accordance with section 193 (5) of the Constitution read with section 6(2)(d) of the Electoral Commission Act, Act 51 of 1996, establishes an ad hoc committee to nominate persons for appointment as Electoral Commissioners from a list of recommended candidates to be submitted by the panel established in terms of section 6(3) of the same Act, the committee to-
(a) consist of 14 members as follows: ANC 8; DA 2; Cope 1; IFP 1; and other parties 2;
(b) exercise those powers in Rule 138 that may assist it in carrying out its task; and
(c) report to the House by 27 October 2011.
Agreed to.
Mr M J ELLIS
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THE CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY
THIRTY-FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF STEVE BIKO'S DEATH
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M J ELLIS: Mr Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House-
(1)notes that yesterday, 12 September 2011, marked the 34th anniversary of Steve Biko's death;
(2)further notes that although this day marks his tragic death, it serves as a remembrance to his vision and a worthy liberation cause;
(3)acknowledges that Biko's influential leadership was instrumental in the success of the Black Consciousness Movement and that his writings and activism against the oppressive apartheid regime was highly regarded amongst the youth;
(4)further acknowledges that Biko dedicated his life to democracy, freedom and human rights for all South Africans; and
(5)urges South Africans not to mourn Biko's death, but to celebrate the cause for which he died.
Agreed to.
THE CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY
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Mr M J ELLIS
HOURS OF SITTING
(Draft Resolution)
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Speaker, I move without notice:
That notwithstanding the hours of sitting of the House as provided for in Rule 23(2), the hours of sitting for Tuesday, 20 September 2011, will be 10:00 to adjournment.
Agreed to.
THE SPEAKER
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THE CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY
The SPEAKER: Order, hon members! The noise level in this house is really too high. As you know, in this Parliament there are coffee places for this kind of mutual discussion, but not in the Chamber. Chambers are really meant for listening to the speakers and not for having private discussions. Are there any further motions without notice?
Mr M J ELLIS
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THE SPEAKER
UNITED NATION'S INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DEMOCRACY
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M J ELLIS: The hon Chief Whip of the ANC has chosen to mix business with pleasure!
Mr Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House-
(1)notes that 15 September 2011, marks the United Nation's International Day of Democracy as to recognise the universal promotion of democracy;
(2)further notes that this day celebrates the adoption by the Inter-Parliamentary Union of the Universal Declaration of Democracy that reaffirms the principles of democracy;
(3)recognise the efforts of all those who contributed to the creation of our democracy and the fight against apartheid and its injustices;
(4)acknowledges that the Constitution is the backbone of our democratic dispensation enshrining the values of human dignity, equality and freedom;
(5)calls upon all South Africans to embrace the spirit of this day by promoting and celebrating our democracy; and
(6)further calls upon the government to protect and promote the Constitution and its Bill of Rights both at home and abroad.
Agreed to.
Mr J H VAN DER MERWE
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Mr M J ELLIS
Mr J H VAN DER MERWE: Speaker, I give notice that today marks the last day that Mr Mike Ellis will waste our time in Parliament!
The SPEAKER: Order, hon members, order! If there are no objections to Mr Ellis leaving the house ... [Laughter.] Are there any objections? No objections. Agreed to. Are there any further motions without notice?
THE CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY
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Mr M J ELLIS
NATIONAL POLICE COMMEMORATION DAY
(Draft Resolution)
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House-
(1)notes that the SA Police Service, SAPS, National Police Commemoration day took place at the Union Buildings on Sunday, 4 September 2011;
(2)further notes that the SAPS National Commemoration Day is a day set aside to celebrate and pay tribute to members of the SAPS who have died while on duty;
(3)acknowledges that 60 police officers have been killed while on duty since January 2011;
(4)further acknowledges the valuable contribution that they have made in making our country a crime-free and safe country;
(5)pays its respect to these fallen heroes and heroines; and
(6)urges the nation to work together with law-enforcing agencies in the fight against crime.
Agreed to.
The SPEAKER: Hon member Blade, the hon Deputy Minister seated next to you wants to listen to the discussion; please do not interrupt him. You are really interfering with his right to listen. Are there any further motions without notice?
The SPEAKER
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THE SPEAKER
The SPEAKER: Hon members, we have in the public gallery members of the public accounts committee from Botswana, accompanied by that country's Attorney-General and the Office of the Auditor-General of Botswana.
They have come to interact with the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa, and I would like welcome them and recognise them. Please welcome them. [Applause.]
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY
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THE SPEAKER
RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AD HOC JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE CODE OF JUDICIAL CONDUCT AND REGULATIONS ON JUDGES' DISCLOSURE OF REGISTRABLE INTERESTS
(Draft Resolution)
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Speaker, I move:
That the House-
(1) notes –
(a) the resolution of 28 October 2010, which established an Ad Hoc Joint Committee on the Code of Judicial Conduct and Regulations on Judges' Disclosure of Registrable Interests and the further resolution of 16 November 2010, which required this Committee to report by 28 January 2011; and
(b) Joint Rule 138 (5)(b), which provides that an ad hoc joint committee ceases to exist when the date for completion of the task has expired;
(2) resolves, subject to the concurrence of the National Council of Provinces, to re-establish the Ad Hoc Joint Committee on the Code of Judicial Conduct and Regulations on Judges' Disclosure of Registrable Interests, the Committee to –
(a) consider the Code of Judicial Conduct and the Regulations on Judges' Disclosure of Registrable Interests tabled on 20 October 2010 in terms of the Judicial Service Commission Act, Act 9 of 1994;
(b) conduct public hearings in accordance with the provisions of the Act;
(c) consist of nine members of the National Council of Provinces and 14 members of the National Assembly, as follows: ANC 8, DA 2, Cope 1, IFP 1 and other parties 2; and
(d) exercise those powers in Joint Rule 32 that may assist it in carrying out its task;
(3) instructs the committee to incorporate in its work the proceedings and all the work of the previous committee; and
(4) sets the deadline by which the Committee is to report to 24 November 2011.
Agreed to.
The SPEAKER
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The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY
ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF PAN AFRICAN PARLIAMENT
The SPEAKER: I wish to remind members that of the five representatives to the Pan African Parliament, three are nominated from the majority party and two from the opposition parties. I have received the nominations of hon member Mr J D Thibede and hon member Ms A F Muthambi to be elected as members of the Pan African Parliament. The two members replace hon member Mr S J Njikelana and hon member Ms F Hajaig.
Are there any further nominations? There are no further nominations. As there are no further nominations hon J D Thibede and hon A F Muthambi have been duly elected as members of the Pan African Parliament.
I wish to take this opportunity also to thank the hon Hajaig and hon Njikelana for their sterling work while they were members of the Pan African Parliament. [Applause.]
Mr M I MALALE
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The SPEAKER
CONSIDERATIONOF REPORT OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING ON BUDGET AND STRATEGIC PLANS 2011-12 OF SAFETY AND SECURITY SETA, CONSTRUCTION SETA AND FIBRE PROCESSING AND MANUFACTURING SETA, DATED 17 AUGUST 2011
Mr M I MALALE: Speaker and members of the House, the members of the portfolio committee scrutinised the strategic plans of the three Sector Education and Training Authorities, Setas. These are the Safety and Security Seta that accounts for a budget of R204 million; the Construction Seta, responsible for R313 million; and the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Seta, responsible for R248 million. These three Setas, collectively, command a colossal budget of R750 million.
Our observations were that the Safety and Security Seta concentrates on adult education and training programmes and also provides unaccredited courses that do not add value to the improvement of their sector. We have recommended, in that regard, that they revise their strategic plan to reflect the strategic imperatives of their sector.
However, I must also note that, in terms of their strategic planning this financial year, they have offered to support various vocational programmes amounting to 3 000 programmes in 10 colleges, in terms of the National Skills Development Strategy III, as recently introduced by the Minister.
With regard to learnerships, they have only been able to place 162 learners whereas, in terms of their target, they ought to have placed 1 500 learners across the country. Their overall strategic plan did not reflect their targets properly and we said that it must be revised. This is in order for them to meet the requirements with regard to auditing, which will happen at a later stage.
The second Seta that we analysed was the Construction Seta which has been characterised by underperformance for the past six years. It had 300 unsuccessful projects, 80% of which were interspersed with fraudulent activities. The board of this Seta was subsequently dissolved and the Seta put under administration by the Minister.
The administrator discovered that out of a sample of 25 projects that were analysed by the internal auditor of the Seta, there were fraudulent activities in 20 projects. These projects involved R13,6 million.
Out of a target of 6 000 Adult Basic Education and Training, Abet, learners they were only able to train 1 277 learners. Most of them ended up as drop-outs. We recommend that the Minister to pursue investigations with regard to the allegations which the administrator raised with the portfolio committee.
We are saying that this Seta could not present a strategic plan, owing to the organisational paralysis to which I have alluded. We await finalisation of the strategic plan which will be provided upon the stabilisation of the organisation.
The third Seta that we dealt with was the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Seta. This is a new Seta which is an amalgam of the Clothing, Textile, Footwear and Leather Seta; the Forest Industries Seta; and the Printing, Packaging, Publishing subsectors of the Media, Advertising, Publishing, Printing and Packaging Seta, MAPPP, Seta.
This Seta has been able to enrol a number of students for a Masters programme in Textile Engineering in the Czech Republic and we commend them for these efforts. We hope that these people will be integrated into our economy to improve our performance in that area.
We were impressed by the strategic plan of this Seta, which eclipsed the National Human Resources Development Strategy, the National Skills Development Strategy III and the Industrial Policy Action Plan.
We have also noted the comprehensive financial review of the Seta boards and the advent of the new Seta landscape unveiled by the Minister. These, we believe, are significant levels that will introduce radical transformation and the reconfiguration of the Seta landscape.
In this context, we recommend that the Setas establish their footprint across the entire country and foster and promote partnerships with the industry, professional bodies and quality councils. The Seta forum must forge intersectoral collaboration and co-ordination in the quest for an integrated, holistic and similar Seta landscape.
The Setas ought to scrutinise and approve meaningful and realistic workplace skills plans and also produce sector skills plans which will enhance productivity in their respective sectors and invigorate our economic competitiveness on a global scale. [Time expired.]
We recommend that the House adopt this report. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon members, the noise level in the House is too high. May I also ask hon members to take their seats? If hon members have lengthy discussions to conclude, do it outside the House, please.
There was no debate.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: House Chairperson, I move:
That the report be adopted.
Agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.
SECOND ORDER
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The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WOMEN, CHILDREN, YOUTH AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES - STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AGENCY FOR THE YEAR 2011-14
Mrs D M RAMODIBE: Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members and the House at large, the strategic plan of the National Youth Development Agency, NYDA, for the year 2011-14 was tabled in March, and referred to the Portfolio Committee on Women, Children, Youth and People with Disabilities for consideration and reporting on 1 June 2011. Prior to that, the committee had engaged with the NYDA, where a presentation on the plan was made.
The mandate of the NYDA is derived from the National Youth Development Act, Act 54 of 2008. The Act provides for the establishment of the agency with specific objectives and outcomes aimed at improving livelihood opportunities for the youth. The National Youth Policy of 2009 supports the Act in its objectives.
Through its programmes and interventions, the NYDA aligns to key national strategies and priorities of government, the United Nations World Programme of Action on Youth and the African Charter. Most importantly, the NYDA would like to respond to the high levels of unemployment faced by young people in this country.
Here are some of the key medium-term priorities that have been outlined by the NYDA: national youth service and social cohesion aiming to facilitate skills development and training by engaging and involving young people in projects; economic participation aiming to support the youth to become entrepreneurs, run their businesses and create jobs through various programmes, such as business consultancy vouchers, company registration, funding and mentorship; and education, training and skills development aimed at assisting young people's preparedness to enter the labour market through a matric rewrite programme, business management and life skills development programme.
These are but a few of the key priorities, not to name all of them. In total, the NYDA has been allocated a budget of R1,2 billion for the period 2011-14.
The committee raised a number of concerns, which included the duplications of department's programmes; more than 50% of the budget going to employees' compensation; the overall business model of the organisation, especially its loan offerings; and inconsistencies in the indicators.
After deliberation, the committee recommended that the NYDA should: pay more attention to young people living in the rural areas, especially young people with disabilities; focus on youth skills development through artisan training; speed up the implementation of the Integrated Youth Development Strategy; avoid duplicating what other government departments are doing; and avoid spending too much of its budget on employee compensation.
Having deliberated and made recommendations, the committee is tabling the Report for adoption. [Applause.]
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: House Chairperson, I move:
That the Report be adopted.
There was no debate.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.
FOURTH ORDER
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THIRD ORDER
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ENTERPRISES ON ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES AND STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES
Mr M R SONTO: Chairperson, state-owned companies are strategic instruments for the industrial policy and core players in the New Growth Path. Infrastructure related state-owned enterprises, SOEs, such as Transnet and Eskom are in a powerful position to drive growth in the economy of the country. Key sectors of the economy are completely dependent on the availability of infrastructure capacity for their existence and growth.
The Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, in line with the department, has a vision to recognise the intrinsic link between the investment of the SOEs and the growth thereof with their customers and suppliers. Procurement policies of the SOEs are meant to promote and support local enterprises and industries in order to expand the country's manufacturing base that will boost exports.
Parliament, this time around, has taken these SOEs towards a paradigm that is not restricted to narrow balance sheet exercises, but to a paradigm that is based on optimising the overall impact of the SOEs on the economy and society at large. During the year under review, challenges faced by the SOEs ranged from the regulatory environment to funding and this made it impossible for SOEs to deliver on their public mandate.
Infranco needs to be mentioned in this regard. It had no licence and found it fairly difficult to play its communication role. Eskom in turn is faced with a much more intricate problem of illegal connections and copper theft. As Parliament we believe that Eskom can do more in developing rural areas through its rural electrification programme.
The Transnet freight rail division will need to expand its infrastructure capacity to increase freight volumes on rail to reduce the number of trucks on the roads. This will reduce road maintenance costs, traffic congestion and accidents that are caused by trucks on the road.
The focus of the committee for the 2011 financial year has been that of job creation and skills development. While we have observed with delight that these SOEs employed efforts to comply with the Employment Equity Act prescripts, we want to further employ them as we did in our interactions to recruit young people both from urban and rural areas so that they can be trained in engineering and scarce skills areas.
People with disabilities should not be left out in the process. Together we can do more. I table this report before this august House for adoption. I thank you. [Applause.]
There was no debate.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: House Chairperson, I move:
That the report be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.
ORDERS 5 TO 8
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FOURTH ORDER
CONSIDERATION OF THIRD REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS ON REPORT OF AUDITOR-GENERAL ON ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF ENERGY SECTOR EDUCATION TRAINING AUTHORITY FOR 2009-10 FINANCIAL YEAR
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS ON ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF ROAD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, AND REPORT OF AUDITOR-GENERAL ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF ROAD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CORPORATION
CONSIDERATION OF SIXTH REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS ON REPORT OF AUDITOR-GENERAL ON ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF PUBLIC SERVICES SECTOR EDUCATION TRAINING AUTHORITY FOR 2009-10 FINANCIAL YEAR
CONSIDERATIONOF SEVENTH REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS ON REPORT OF AUDITOR-GENERAL ON ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE AND MILITARY VETERANS FOR 2009-10 FINANCIAL YEAR
Mr N T GODI: House Chairperson, comrades and hon members, as indicated, we have four reports, three of which are for entities and one for a national department. Unfortunately, the three entities whose reports we are presenting, all had disclaimers and the national Department of Defence received a qualified audit opinion.
The Energy Sector Education and Training Authority unfortunately has had repeated disclaimers owing to a lack of leadership, both at board and management levels, and a lack of skills. The employment practices are such that they repeatedly and continually employed people who do not have skills. We hope that the department, especially the Minister of Higher Education, will be able to make interventions as promised during the hearing.
The same applies to the public sector; it is basically the same problem. The disclaimer on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme was more of a technical nature, although there were issues that I believe my colleagues will be able to cover when they come and make interventions. However, all these three entities have disclaimers.
The last one is the Department of Defence. We know that this department has had challenges over the years, but there has been a progressive reduction of issues of qualifications. For the year under review there was a lot of work done by the Secretary for Defence and the chief financial officer who were employed on 1 April and had to deal with the audits as they came through. From the reports that we see, they were able to do a lot of work to reduce the qualifications to about two.
The two that are remaining are not new qualifications; they are old and persistent qualifications, especially issues around the management of assets. It is an issue that we are aware of that the department in conjunction with the Auditor-General are dealing with in trying to find a mechanism and an instrument that can be used for better accounting on these assets.
At the time of the hearing, there were ongoing investigations or there was going to be a report on the use of consultants in the department. We would be very happy to get that report, and to have a sense of the extent to which there is internal capacity to deal with issues or whether it is dependent on external consultants.
In all these reports, House Chairperson, we are calling on the executive authorities to report to the House, within 60 days from today, on the progress that is being made on each of the issues that have been identified so that the recommendations that we have made should not just lie there and gather dust. We need to continually have a sense of what it is that is being done.
I am therefore introducing these reports to the House and hopefully, House Chair, the arrangement stands that my comrades in the committee are also going to make more detailed inputs on each of these reports. I thank you.
There was no debate.
Dr L L BOSMAN
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Mr N T GODI
Declarations of vote:
Dr L L BOSMAN (DA): Mr House Chairperson, as far as the Eseta is concerned, this entity has received a disclaimed opinion - the worst finding possible - and not only for the last financial year but for three years in a row, in fact.It is indeed a very damning report.
The Auditor-General identified some 14 areas in its operations, which led to the disclaimer. The autopsy on this body showed multiple causes of death.
The Eseta's mandate is very clear and, to achieve its goals, certain targets were set. However, in many instances it fell far short of its targets; for example, in indicator 2,2 it set itself a target to develop skills in at least 322 small levy-paying firms; it achieved only 24. In indicator 2,5 it set itself a target of annually increasing the number of small BEE firms in receipt of skills training to 70, and in fact it achieved nothing, and so it goes on.
The chairperson of the Eseta, in his annual report, also was clearly confused about the role of the Eseta. In fact, it would seem he was writing a piece for the UN or Human Rights Commission when he referred to the newly appointed Minister and Deputy Minister and he said:
It is trusted that the new members will continue our quest to improve the relations of mankind while aiming to create a society endowed with social justice.
Mr Chairperson, this was a consensus report by Scopa and the DA therefore supports it.
Like the Eseta, the Public Sector Education & Training Authority, Pseta, is terminally sick, if not already dead. It received the third disclaimed opinion in as many years. The Auditor-General based its finding, inter alia, on the following: documents were not always available to support records; there was irregular expenditure; and there was widespread noncompliance. The Auditor-General was thus unable to make any finding because of the systems mess that this entity presented.
The root cause for the unavailabilty of documents was lack of proper leadership, and the Auditor-General put it very bluntly in his interaction with Scopa when he said:
Management and staff did not fulfil their duties and responsibilities.
However, don't expect to find any evidence of staff or management having been disciplined for nonperformance in the entities' annual reports.
At least nine instances of noncompliance with the Public Finance Management Act and two of noncompliance with the Skills Development Act are pointed out. This sorry state of affairs did not simply appear overnight. It developed because of wrong appointments, poor leadership, incompetence and negligence. However, trying to find the culprits who caused this disaster is going to be difficult.
There were three CEOs in one year alone and all of them were in an acting capacity; and at least two, if not all three, have since left. The CEO's role was fulfilled by private consultants. This was also a consensus report by Scopa and the DA will therefore support it, although we are of a firm view that the current system of Setas has dismally failed our nations' training needs and should be replaced by a better system.
Chairperson, my time is up, but we also support the other two reports; the Road Management Corporation Report and the Report on Defence and Military Veterans. I thank you. [Applause.
Mrs Z B N BALINDLELA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 581
Dr L L BOSMAN
IsiXhosa:
Nkskz Z B N BALINDLELA: Somlomo, siyi-Cope sifuna ukuthi kuqala siva buhlungu kakhulu kuba siza kuthetha namalungu, ingakumbi abaPhathiswa bengekho. Besiba baza kuba khona bazimamelisise ezi zinto siza kuzithetha, ingakumbi ezi siza kuqala ngazo.
Ii-SITA zazilungiselelwe ukuba zincedise wonke umntu onakho ukuba afumane izakhono. Kuba buhlungu ke kuthi xa sifumanisa ukuba kukho ii-SITA ezifumana i-disclaimer okokoko. Siyacela ke ukuba ezi SITA zikhawuleze zincediswe, ingakumbi kuba sifumanisa ukuba alukho ulawulo, kwaye le nto yokuqesha abantu nje kuba bengamalungu eqela elithile lezopolitiko ayinakulunga ngoba yenza ukuba bangawazi umsebenzi wabo. Yenye ke into esidanisileyo leyo.
Okwesithathu, sifumanisa ukuba kukho ingxaki nezazinto zibizwa ngokuba zii-internal risk managers. Abekho abantu abanokuthi beyikomiti ye-risk management bahlale bangawenzi umsebenzi, sifumanise ukuba abahambi neentlanagniso. Side safumanisa nokuba side zantlanu iintlanganiso bengekho kuzo. Siyacela ke ukuba ezo zinto zilungiswe. Kungenjalo, sisenethemba kwii-SITa kakhulu kuba siyakholwa ukuba ziza kulunceda uluntu lwethu.
Ngoku ke ezi SITA zimbini sithi mazihambele phambili. Siyayixhasa loo nto siyi-Cope, kwaye siyayibulela into esiyifumene kwiSebe lezoKhuseleko yokuba izinto zinakho ukujikwa kwakamsinyane. Ndiyabulela.
The SPEAKER: What is the point you are rising on, hon member?
Ms M V MAFOLO: Speaker, I wanted to find out if the hon member would be prepared to take a question, but she has now left the podium.
The SPEAKER: Hon member, there's always a chance during the break should you want to continue to ask the question.
THE MINISTER OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY (Dr R H DAVIES)
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 582
Mrs Z B N BALINDLELA
The SPEAKER: What is the point you are rising on, hon member?
Ms M V MAFOLO: Speaker, I wanted to find out if the hon member would be prepared to take a question, but she has now left the podium.
The SPEAKER: Hon member, there's always a chance during the break should you want to continue to ask the question.
THE MINISTER OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY (Dr R H DAVIES): Speaker, both the Energy Sector Education and Training Authority and the Public Sector Education and Training Authority obtained disclaimers of audit opinions, as the previous speakers have indicated. This is the worst possible audit determination that the Auditor-General can make.
Frequently, a poor audit outcome is reflected in poor service delivery. It is urgent therefore that effective interventions are put in place to ensure that matters raised by the Auditor-General are corrected.
The Setas are just too important to job creation and skills training that there should be any doubt regarding their financial wellbeing. However, hon Speaker, I believe that progress with regard to both Setas is being made.
The Minister has, since the disclaimers, put both Setas under administration in line with section 15 of the Skills Development Act. The mandate of the appointed administrators includes taking over the role of the accounting authority of the Eseta and also includes a review of the conditions of employment of the chief executive officer, chief financial officer and other employees.
There are signs, at least with the Eseta, that the situation is being turned around. For the 2010-11 financial year, the Eseta while not receiving a completely clean audit, has at least not received another disclaimer. The Eseta has also taken disciplinary action regarding unauthorised, fruitless and wasteful expenditure raised in the resolution before the House today.
If the urgent and immediate objective is for the Eseta to receive clean audits, the following five things need to be done with haste: (1) implement effective internal control systems; (2) ensure leadership of the highest calibre at the level of board and management; (3) provide adequate training to staff for the necessary skills for proper and accurate accounting; (4) have properly-functioning internal audit systems and audit committees; and (5) strict adherence to the Public Finance Management Act, Treasury regulations, and other relevant prescripts.
Speaker, if these basic requirements of good governance are implemented, then there is no reason why the history of disclaimers, which these Setas have received should not be a thing of the past.
In terms of the resolution before the House, as the chair has indicated, the executive authority, the Minister, is required to report back to Parliament within 60 days of this resolution. We look forward to his report.
Speaker, that the situation can be turned around is evident in the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, the resolution of which is also tabled here today, and which was also referred to earlier by the chair of the committee.
Their asset register continues to be a stumbling block to receiving a clean audit. However, under strong leadership, the department has reduced the number of qualifications from eight in 2008 to six in 2009, and to one in the 2010 financial year.
Speaker, this is indeed progress and I believe, if emulated across other departments and entities, the situation with regard to audit opinions could be turned around. The ANC supports the resolutions before the House. Thank you. [Applause.]
The SPEAKER: That concludes the list I have in front of me of parties wishing to make a declaration.
Declarations of vote made on behalf of the Democratic Alliance, Congress of the People and African National Congress.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Speaker, I move:
That the Reports be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
Third Report of Committee On Public Accounts on Report Of Auditor-General on annual report and financial Statements of Energy Sector Education Training Authority For 2009-10 Financial Year accordingly adopted.
Report of Committee on Public Accounts on annual report and financial statements of Road Traffic Management Corporation, and report of Auditor-General on financial statements of Road Traffic Management Corporation accordingly adopted.
Consideration of sixth report of Committee on Public Accounts on report of Auditor-General on annual report and financial statements of Public Services Sector Education Training Authority for 2009-10 financial year accordingly adopted.
Consideration of sixth report of Committee on Public Accounts on report of Auditor-General on annual report and financial statements of Public Services Sector Education Training Authority for 2009-10 financial year accordingly adopted.
NINTH TO ELEVENTH ORDERS
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 583
FIFTH TO NINTH ORDERS
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF STANDING COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ON
OVERSIGHT VISIT TO LIMPOPO ON 14-18 MARCH 2010
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF STANDING COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ON OVERSIGHT VISIT TO EASTERN CAPE ON 2–6 AUGUST 2010
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF STANDING COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ON
OVERSIGHT VISIT TO KWAZULU-NATAL ON 19-23 JULY 2010
Mr E M SOGONI: Speaker and hon members, I have two copies of the speeches and I don't know if I have the right to read from both of them. [Laughter.]
Mr M J ELLIS: Speaker, on a point of order, I hope that the hon Sogoni would recognise the fact that there are three items on the order paper that he is referring to.
The SPEAKER: What is your point of order, hon member?
Mr M J ELLIS: Maybe if he had six speeches it would be better than just the three. Or two, I beg your pardon - or one! [Laughter.]
The SPEAKER: Continue from where you left off, hon member. Don't start at the beginning. [Laughter.]
Mr E M SOGONI: Thank you, Speaker. The reports of the Standing Committee on Appropriations, as you indicated, refer to the study visits that the standing committee made to Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Kwazulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.
The visits to Limpopo, to the Nandoni, De Hoop and Inyaka dams in Mpumalanga were prompted by the persistent understanding of the department on these infrastructure projects.
The first stop that we made was at Nandoni. We were informed that Nandoni is a water treatment plant which was built to serve over 750 000 households and those households would benefit from the water in that dam. However, the water treatment plant experienced challenges as there was a problem with the water reticulation pipes that were delivered by the manufacturer.
The pipes were not according to the specifications of the Department of Water Affairs. That raised problems between the department and the manufacturer, as the manufacturer would not accept responsibility for the incorrect pipe size. As we speak, the matter is now before the courts. However, the department is now laying new pipes alongside those old ones, until the matter is resolved in court.
Our next stop was the De Hoop dam. This is a huge project by any standard. The dam is in Sekhukhuneland. We found that most of the communities around the dam do not have access to water - or the mines.
This project was supposed to be a private-public partnership project in which the mines would contribute 50% of the costs. However, the delay is caused by the fact that as a result of the 2008 recession, the mines, which had undertaken to contribute, then reneged on the agreement.
This means that government is left to fill the gap. This has caused a shortfall of R800 million, which has to come from National Treasury. That has caused a delay and it means that the communities around the De Hoop dam will not be able to access the water until 2013. We are requesting that Treasury engages with the mines so that they can also come to the party.
The last stop was at the Inyaka dam in Bushbuckridge. The challenge with the Inyaka dam is that firstly, the communities around the dam do not have access to the water pumped from the dam, and secondly, the Bushbuckridge Water Board, which is supposed to be the Water Authority there, appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts yesterday.
It reported that it is technically insolvent because the local municipality of Bushbuckridge is not able to pay its debts. So, again, there is a problem in that the Bushbuckridge
Water Board is not able to supply the water because the municipality does not have the necessary funds to pay the water debt.
Someone must intervene. The Premier of Mpumalanga is trying to co-ordinate the structures but, as a committee, we think that the Department of the National Treasury and the Department of Water Affairs must assume the co-ordination and do the right thing.
The Constitution recognises the provision of water as a human right, so the state has a duty to ensure that the people of Bushbuckridge have access to water.
The other visit was to the Eastern Cape because the department had discontinued the grants for electricity, water and sanitation there. The Standing Committee on Appropriations felt that it should visit the Eastern Cape in order to investigate for itself if there was no longer a need for the grants.
The committee was shocked to find the backlogs that still existed there. The few schools and clinics that we visited did not have water or sanitation. Those clinics and schools that had electricity were using solar panels and there was no provision for the maintenance of the solar panels.
The report was that those solar panels lay there, unmaintained, for months. Those clinics sometimes operate as hospitals because they have labour wards. This is a danger to the people of the Eastern Cape, who use these clinics.
The last visit was to Kwazulu-Natal. It was related to the Expanded Public Works Project. The committee went to Kwazulu-Natal in order to look for best practice in terms of expenditure of the EPWP project. This is a flagship project of government to create job opportunities. However, there is underspending, and hugely so.
We invited all the provinces and found that the reason why KwaZulu-Natal was spending at a better rate than any other province is because the issue of job creation in KwaZulu-Natal is a standing item in the executive committee. We urged the other provinces to do likewise. On that note, Speaker, I would like to thank you. [Applause.]
The SPEAKER: Thank you, hon chair of the committee, hon Sogoni, for that report.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Hon Speaker, I move:
That the report be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
Consideration of report of Standing Committee on Appropriations on Oversight Visit to Eastern Cape on 2–6 august 2010 accordingly adopted.
Consideration of report of Standing Committee on Appropriations on
Oversight Visit to Kwazulu-Natal on 19-23 July 2010 accordingly adopted.
The SPEAKER – Ruling on a Point of Order made previously
Mr E M SOGONI
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 584
Mr E M SOGONI
UNPARLIAMENTARY LANGUAGE
(Ruling)
The SPEAKER: Order, hon members! In the course of members' statements on Thursday, 25 August, the hon M J Ellis raised a point of order about remarks made by the hon K B Manamela during his statement.
Mr Ellis contended that the statement by hon Manamela was unparliamentary, and asked the Speaker to rule on it. I undertook to study the Hansard and return to the House with a ruling.
Having had the opportunity to study the unrevised Hansard, I wish to rule as follows: Rule 63 deals with offensive language or, as it is otherwise known, unparliamentary language. This is a broadly-framed rule that allows a presiding officer to take into consideration, inter alia, the context and tone of a particular remark or reference. In its interpretation, this rule is further elucidated by years of established practice and convention.
Hon Manamela's statement reflected on a political party and not on any particular member of this House. A reflection on the actions of a political party, as perceived by an opposing party's member, is not out of order, as long as that member does not cast aspersions on the character of members of this House.
This approach is consistent with previous rulings by presiding officers of this House. Reference to a political party in this manner is not out of order. The statement made by the hon Manamela was therefore not unparliamentary.
Having said that, I would like to conclude by urging members to refrain from making inflammatory, divisive or unsubstantiated statements in the House. Having said that, hon Ellis has made a number of points of order in this House during his lifetime in Parliament! [Laughter.] This is one of those that was not quite in order. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
Mr M J ELLIS: Mr Speaker ...
The SPEAKER: Hon Ellis, take your seat! [Laughter.]
Mr M J ELLIS: I just wanted to ask you, sir, are you sure you are right? [Laughter.]
The SPEAKER: I am absolutely positive!
Mr G MAGWANISHE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 584
THE SPEAKER
FAREWELL TRIBUTES TO MR M J ELLIS, MP: UPON HIS RESIGNATION FROM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Mr G MAGWANISHE: Speaker, I must start by saying my voice is not good today. I have the flu, and I ask for your indulgence.
This is a special day for our dear friend, father, teacher and son of the soil for his 24 years of dedicated service to his country. [Applause.] Hon Ellis has earned all of the above.
Hon Ellis joined Parliament in 1987 as a member of the Progressive Federal Party. It was after several years as a teacher, deputy headmaster and headmaster that he decided to join Parliament as a public representative.
Hon Ellis has earned the respect and friendship of many members of thE House because of his warmth and humility. [Applause.] What we have learnt from hon Ellis through his conduct is that one who looks for a friend without faults will have none. Hon Ellis embraced all of us with our limitations and our strengths. He never looked for perfect friends, but he encouraged all his friends to strive for perfection.
The teacher in him is always evident. He is always full of encouragement and is accommodating. He is also firm and decisive. That is the father in him. We want to say to you, sir, we will be able to pay back the loan of gold, but we will die forever in debt to you for your kindness.
Today, we celebrate 24 years of patriotism. That is why hon Ellis qualifies to be called a son of the soil. [Applause.] In our engagements with you, sir, we have seen love for your country and its people. In times of difficulty, you were able to see the whole forest, not only the trees. You have been a leader of great vision and wisdom. You always think like a man of action, and act like a man of thought.
We came here in 1994, not only as representatives of our people, but also as products of our divided society. There were high levels of mistrust amongst us. We thank people like hon Ellis and many members of this House for giving leadership.
We now have friendships across political parties. The House is now beginning to be a microcosm of the type of society we want to build: a society where people are judged according to the content of their character, not according to race, colour, class or belief. [Applause.]
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same again. Hon Ellis has done that. This House will never be the same again. [Applause.]
Your presence has contributed to the change we see today. You taught us that being in opposition does not equal being disloyal to one's country. [Applause.] You have been a member of the opposition for all your political life in Parliament, but you have been a patriot to the core.
In this diverse democracy, we have a diverse electorate that elects diverse leaders. That is what makes us a country of miracles. To sustain this miracle, we need courageous people.
We have said many things behind your back, sir. [Laughter.] This is the only day we have to come clean and ask for your forgiveness. [Laughter.] [Applause.] One of the things we have said about you is that you are a difficult opponent. Your knowledge of parliamentary procedures and practice makes you a challenging opponent to deal with. Your knowledge, skills and confidence make you a good return on investments. [Laughter.]
I want to take this opportunity to say to leaders of all political parties that the more we keep people in the system for an extended time, the more our democracy gets a good return on its investments. We have seen that with hon Ellis. Twenty-four years of experience has produced a rounded politician. We cannot have a democracy of 20 years with the average experience of members being five years. We must try and keep the good inside the system for longer to sustain our democracy. [Applause.]
If we had a single flower every time we thought about you, sir, we could forever walk in our gardens. [Applause.]
As citizens of the world, we would like to give you an Irish blessing:
May you always have work for your hands to do,
May your pockets hold always a coin or two,
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane,
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you,
May those you love bring back love to you.
May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you.
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way,
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.
We would like to thank the Progressive Federal Party, the Democratic Party and the DA for giving us the opportunity to serve this nation with you. We would also like to thank your wife, your three sons and your daughter for sharing you with us; your father, Thomas Henry Ellis, and your mother, Dorothy Margaret, for giving birth to such a son. [Applause.]
This is the time to spend listening to the album of your son, John, especially that song that says Aluta continua. [Laughter.] Thank you for making us laugh, not a laughing stock.
Elizabeth Bouren wrote, and I quote:
Goodbyes breed a sort of distaste for whomever you say goodbye to.
Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean we will miss you.
When you buy a car with your hard-earned money, going for a new Mercedes-Benz with quality features, we will say, "Mr Ellis is indeed a good buy." [Laughter.]
An HON MEMBER: I am not so sure! [Laughter.]
Mr G MAGWANISHE: We meet to part and we part to meet. I thank you. [Applause.]
THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 585
The DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE MAJORITY PARTY
The LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: Speaker and hon members, only two hon members of the DA, that I am aware of, have been afforded the honour of a farewell debate in this House, that being Douglas Gibson and our previous leader, Tony Leon.
Now we pay tribute to hon Mike Ellis who today read his last and final motion without notice in his inimitable way. There was a slight glitch, no doubt influenced by the sumptuous luncheon we had with the Speaker that he so graciously hosted in hon Mike's honour today.
The fact that Parliament has granted this honour to the Deputy Chief Whip of the DA is a fitting honour indeed. This House always, and quite rightly, pays its respects to deceased Members of Parliament, but very few are recognised for their contributions while they are still here.
My friend, you can leave Parliament with your head held high, knowing that you have made a difference and that this whole House recognises this.
Hon Mike Ellis and I have spoken at length about his retirement and I have anticipated his departure for some time. This, however, did not prepare me for the day I received his formal letter of retirement.
We all know exactly what it means to be a Member of Parliament, what it took to get us here, the personal sacrifices it takes to be a Member of Parliament, and just how lonely an existence it can be for all of us, especially our family members.
When I think that Mike Ellis has done this for 24 years and that he has commuted from KwaZulu-Natal to Cape Town literally thousands of times, and that he can probably drive blindfolded from the parliamentary precinct to Acacia Park, I realise just how committed and dedicated his public representation and service has been.
Mike Ellis made his maiden speech in the old South African Parliament in the old House of Assembly Chamber on 26 May 1987, when he was serving his constituency of Durban North at the time. When the previous government's grip on political control was waning, he witnessed the death of apartheid and the birth of democracy. He helped bridge the divide between the past and the present. This was confirmed today by the Speaker at the luncheon. Those were heady political times indeed.
His maiden speech dealt with education, and especially the circumstances that prevailed so cruelly to compromise the education and futures of black South African children who went, or in the case of many, did not go, to school in rural communities.
I quote from his speech.
This is the point that concerns me most of all. It has become quite clear to me that there are many children certainly in rural areas of Natal who receive no education at all and others who receive very little education of any real worth.
He concluded the debate with the following words:
We have to improve, firstly, the level of literacy among the people in this country. But we need to extend this as soon as possible to a system of primary and secondary education available to all children in South Africa, which will enable them to improve their quality of life in regard to all aspects of the South African economy and society.
IsiXhosa:
Unenkathalo lo mfo. Oko kucacile kumazwi omhlonitshwa uMagwanishe. Siyabulela Mhlekazi.
English:
As a former educationist and a headmaster, he knew the importance of education, and the fact that we still grapple with a legacy of poor apartheid education, and current postapartheid education travails is testimony to his keenly crystallised insight in this regard all those years ago.
He was never an MP who merely criticised the government of the day, but rather he made constructive contributions regarding what needed to be done to ensure a better life for all; this long before the slogan was coined by another political party.
Mike Ellis has been a proud Parliamentarian and a loyal party servant. His first sentiment in his maiden speech in this regard was to recognise that his election was thanks to his political party, and I quote:
I regard it a great privilege to address the hon members of this House. I regard it too as an honour to represent my party on these benches. I therefore thank the PFP for nominating me as a candidate to the recent election.
Hon Ellis was always a very proud "Prog", but never sanctimonious. He has developed a comprehension and friendship with most of his colleagues from other ideological persuasions. At the recent swearing-in of our newest and youngest member, it struck me that hon Geordin Hill-Lewis was born in the year that Mike Ellis was elected to Parliament. [Laughter.]
This confirms that in politics too the circle of life turns on an axle that grinds surely and is both incessant and insistent. There is something poetic about the fact that as the youngest DA MP enters Parliament, the longest serving member leaves. [Applause.]
Parliament is made up of a myriad of different personalities, many with their own idiosyncrasies. Some are great orators, others policy fundis, and others great constituency representatives. Mike Ellis has been one of those rare people in politics that can best be described as a character.
Mike, you kept Parliament vibrant and us amused. There is hardly a senior government member and, indeed, a few even in the opposition ranks that haven't been lampooned by you in your inimitable way. You have driven many a Speaker, present company included, almost to dementia. Chairpersons and party leaders continue to be exasperated with your characteristic repartee and deft riposte.
Mike Ellis also lacks no self-confidence, as we all know. I asked him recently, when he played cricket for the parliamentary cricket side, whether he was a good batsman or a good bowler. He replied: "I was an all-rounder." [Laughter.]
Those of you who know anything about cricket will know that most people who call themselves all-rounders are neither good at batting nor bowling, except the real all-rounders, the true all-rounders, like Jacques Kallis. [Laughter.]
Mr M J ELLIS: And Mike Ellis! [Laughter.]
The LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: In politics, Mike, you have been a true all-rounder. In the days of serving in a caucus of seven he was the DP spokesperson on housing, education, health, transport and social development simultaneously. He tells me that they had to run, literally, from one portfolio committee to another as they passed hundreds of pieces of new legislation to replace obsolete laws. This all stood you in good stead and moulded you into what you are today - an all-round parliamentarian of renown.
If you know Mike Ellis you will know him as a man's man, a ladies' man ... [Laughter.] ... a kind man and a man that loves fun. We will miss your pranks, jokes and even your singing. Mike loves music, so I thought I would end this tribute with a few words from a song by Billy Joel entitled Piano Man to encourage you to go and enjoy your well-deserved retirement. The words go as follows and I promise you I won't sing them:
There's an old man sitting next to me
Makin' love to his tonic and gin
He says, "Son, can you play me a memory
I'm not really sure how it goes
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man's clothes."
I'm sure, Mike, that you have a vast reservoir of memories that will remind of your tenure here in Parliament and, especially, of when you wore a younger man's clothes.
And Billy Joel continues –
And the piano sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"
Parliament's pension scheme has put some bread in your jar, my mate, and now it's time for us to say, "What are you doin' here?" Tony Leon always said: "If you want a friend in politics, better you get a dog."
I want to say today that the Chief Whip of the DA, hon Ian Davidson, and I, are lucky to have had Mike as a friend and so are many, many, many of you. May you now have the time to do the things that you weren't able to do at your convenience in the past 24 years at your leisure.
IsiXhosa
Siza kukhumbula mhlonitshwa. Ndiyabulela. [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Mr N J J KOORNHOF / END OF TAKE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 586
Mr R A P TROLLIP
Mr N J J van R KOORNHOF: Mr Speaker, I was elected in the same year as the hon Mike Ellis. Those days we were on opposite sides and being a backbencher of the then ruling party under a very strong Whippery, we were encouraged not to make friends with the opposition Members of Parliament. [Laughter.]
We, as young MPs, were treated like mushrooms: We were constantly kept in the dark and fed with the wrong stuff! [Laughter.] In those dark days, hon Mike Ellis made an impression on us. As an open-minded, concerned South African, he was a fair and popular opposition MP and gave us all hope.
It was the former leader of the opposition, Sir De Villiers Graaff, who replied, after one of his young newly elected MPs asked him, "I don't understand politics, Sir. Why are you so friendly with the ruling MPs? Are they not the enemies?" He replied, "You don't understand politics, my son. Those sitting opposite you are your opponents and those sitting next to you are your enemies." [Laugther.] [Applause.]
Can I correct the hon Deputy Leader of the Opposition, it was not Tony Leon, but it was Sir Winston Churchill who said, "If you want a friend in politics, get yourself a dog". I want to tell Mike Ellis that I am getting myself a dog and I will call it Mike. [Laughter.]
So, hon Mike Ellis, I cannot vouch as to how many enemies you had in your own ranks, but be assured, the majority of this House are your friends. [Applause.] Let me add: a friendship well deserved – we shall miss you. We shall miss you every time when you are not here to stand up and take a point of order or to try and ask a question or make a joke about your friends on the opposite side, especially to hon Blade Nzimande. [Applause.]
Let me say goodbye with a quote from Madiba:
A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
Let me say also say thank you to the Deputy Chief Whip of the ANC, I think his speech was exceptional and a fine tribute. [Applause.]
Let me also conclude with the Irish proverb: May the roof of your house, Mike Ellis, never fall in and those within never fall out.
IsiZulu:
Hamba kahle,
Afrikaans:
... mooi loop, ons gan jou mis, en jy vir ons.
Mr J H VAN DER MERWE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 587
Mr N J J VAN R KOORNHOF
Mr J H VAN DER MERWE: Speaker, Parliaments are rarely blessed with people like the hon Mr Mike Ellis. They fall into a class of their own, there are only a few of them or maybe one every ten years.
They are well known for sharp injections and numerous points of order. They make us laugh and make us happy. They become part of the furniture of Parliament. They have no enemies. They are appreciated by all members. Above all, some Members of Parliament are very intelligent people, make excellent contributions and perform their parliamentary duties with distinction - such as my dear friend, Mike Ellis.
When Mike leaves as today, Parliament will never be the same again. Mike, in saying goodbye to you, we are also saying that we will certainly miss you, but I want to emphasise that after today you are free. You have toiled as a school principal and an educator of our youth for many years; you have served your country with distinction for 24 years as a Member of Parliament. You are now 65 years old; you are very old, I am only 74 years!
Mike, Parliament and politics are now behind you. You can sleep late, spend time with your family, spoil your grandchildren, and read the books that you always wanted to read, but had no time to read.
You can travel and see the places that you always wanted to see but never had the money to see; you can waste your pension on it. Mike, you can also spend time with friends to reflect on the serious challenges that are facing mankind. You may even want to write your memoirs. Above all Mike, after today, you are free.
Colleagues, I must refer to the magnificent speech by Mr Magwanishe. I cannot remember when last I heard such a compassionate, deep speech which shows a man with so much depth. I really, really appreciated that.
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, I will personally miss him because there is only one Mike Ellis and no replacement. Go well, hon Mike Ellis, knowing that you have devoted your life to serving with distinction as an educator and as a Member of Parliament. Fly away after today, Mike, spread your wings and fly with enthusiasm into your new life of freedom. Totsiens ou Mike.
MR L W GREYLING
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 588
Mr J H VAN DER MERWE
Mr L W GREYLING: Hon Mike Ellis has been trying for a number of years to get me to wear a tie. So I thought that it would be fitting to give him that satisfaction today. [Applause.] Hon Ellis has been an institution in this institution. He has served in these benches since 1987 and has left an indelible mark on Parliament.
He was part of the so-called Magnificent Seven Democratic Party caucus in 1994, and his contribution during that first democratic Parliament helped to lay the foundation for the DA's growth into the powerful political party that it is today.
I first met Mike in the one place you would expect to meet him, namely the opposition bar. He was then, as he is now, an extremely approachable person who is always willing to share his wealth of experience and strong opinions with whomever requires them.
As a young MP, as I was then, it was reassuring to have an encouraging and fatherly figure like Mike Ellis around. Whenever I used to sit in that chair waiting nervously to give my speech, the hon Ellis would often give me words of encouragement. In later years, these words became less encouraging and more like light-hearted attacks. However, I do feel honoured to have been given the privilege of verbally sparring with the complete master in the use of wit.
Mike, as you retire to growing orchids and watching birds, you can do so in the contentment that you have made a mark on all of us here and that you have written yourself into history as a central figure of this democratic Parliament. Hamba kahle Mike. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr N M KGANYAGO
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 589
Mr L W GREYLING
Mr L W GREYLING
Mr N M KGANYAGO: Speaker, I don't know Mr Ellis as well as the other people have indicated here but I feel I must give him a handshake because of what has been said about him here.
The UDM joins the rest of the House in bidding farewell to the outgoing Mr Mike James Ellis. The UDM salutes you for your contribution to the important project of nation-building. Since the start of your political career in the eighties, you have played a very important role in our democracy.
We wish you well in your future endeavours and thank you for your services to the nation. As I have said before, I have not really known you as much as these other people have known you ...
Afrikaans:
...maar ek gaan u groet. [Applous.]
Dr C P MULDER
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 589
Mr N M KGANYAGO
Dr C P MULDER: Speaker, it is appropriate that we pay tribute to our colleague in the respectful way we do today. Firstly, I would like to associate myself with the speech made by our colleague, theDeputy Chief Whip, Mr Magwanishe. I really think that was a very good speech. Well done! Thank you for that and I associate myself with the content thereof. [Applause.]
It is absolutely true that for all of us there will come a time to arrive here and a time to go. Our colleague, Mr Ellis, has decided that it is time for him to go.
I will miss a number of things with regard to Mr Ellis and one of those things that I will dearly miss are all the little interactions he had with our colleague, Mr John Jeffrey, from time to time. Those of us who attend all the different meetings in committees of Parliament will know exactly what I am talking about.
Some of us who have been here since 1994 would also remember that the heydays ofMr Ellis in terms of being a very effective politician were specifically after 1994, when he was like a bulldog going after the then Minister of Health, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. Some of us will remember that, and I think fondly of those days.
The hon Leader of the Opposition referred to a song and used the song to refer to Mr Ellis. I want to do the same and I am going to do it for a simple reason.
A very famous band, Smokie, has written a song in honour of our colleague. Unlike the hon Leader of the Opposition I am going to try to sing it if you will bear with me for one second.
The SPEAKER: I will give you an additional second.
Dr C P MULDER: It goes like this:
We don't know why he is leaving or where he's gonna go.
I guess he has his reasons but we just don't wanna know 'cos for 24 years we've been working next door to Ellis.
I want to conclude: They say a stranger stabs you in the front, a friend stabs you in the back and another stabs you in the heart but best friends only poke each other with straws. Mike, go well, we will miss you. Thank you.
Ms C DUDLEY
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 590
Dr C P MULDER
Mrs C DUDLEY: Speaker, a young lady who works in our offices reminded me last week that Parliament would be bidding farewell to hon Mike Ellis today. "Gee, Parliament will miss him!" she said. I was intrigued that she even noticed, and I agreed that the sittings in the House would certainly not be the same without him.
I asked her if she knew that hon Ellis was a school principal in his previous life. Clearly impressed, she said: "Cool, he must have been a fun headmaster!" "Really", I exclaimed. "I imagine him giving those kids a really hard time and finding it somehow amusing".
"Mischievous" is a word that comes to mind when I think of hon Ellis. I have, however, used other words at times. One thing about hon Ellis is that he does not discriminate. He dishes it out to any and everyone, sharing the love equally and generously. [Laughter.]
Mike, I found out some time ago, has at least one famous singer- songwriter-guitarist son. My eldest son, who was much younger at the time, had several of his band's CDs, and my youngest two boys who play in gospel rock and heavy metal bands today were also influenced by their music. They wouldn't admit it, of course, because they are way more hardcore.
On parliamentary business at the European Union and in Tanzania, I had the "pleasure" of hon Ellis's wicked – which means "twisted", by the way - sense of humour at closer range. You really don't have to understand someone to enjoy them. Unpredictable conversation and at least one great Italian dinner! I owe you.
The ACDP wishes you success and happiness in this new phase of your life; God bless! [Applause.] Time is short so I gave you the edited version. I would give the copy that I really wrote, but, being a school teacher, you might correct it. Thanks. [Applause.]
Mr M J ELLIS
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 590
Mrs C DUDLEY
Mr M J ELLIS: Mr Speaker, I would like to break the tradition on just one issue. I just want to go across to the Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party and thank him for a truly wonderful speech. May I do that, sir?
The SPEAKER: Indeed, although the floor-crossing period is over, but you can cross over. [Applause.]
Mr M J ELLIS: It felt quite good on that side of the floor, sir. [Laughter.] Mr Speaker, this has undoubtedly been one of the most emotional moments in my life and I didn't expect it, to be quite frank with you.
However, it is certainly a privilege to have been given this farewell tribute and I thank you, sir, in the first instance, for the honour because, certainly, the prerogative lies in your domain. The fact that you have granted it certainly does mean a great deal to me.
I also want to say that I am aware of the fact that you are in the Chair while this is happening, and that too means a great deal to me. I have been really and truly deeply touched by everything that all members from all parties have said. It is truly a remarkable occasion.
It may seem strange, Mr Speaker, as I mark today, the end of my 24‑year career as a member of the South African Parliament, when I acknowledge that I commenced my service and time here as an accidental politician. It really is a fact. I am an accidental politician, although, hopefully, the accident hasn't been too bad. [Laughter.]
I was first elected to Parliament at a very different time, in a much darker phase of our turbulent history. But my election, as members have mentioned today, as the MP for Durban North on 6 May 1987, was of both personal and political significance.
Back then, I was a headmaster of a Durban school and the president of my teacher society, deeply concerned about the perilous path on which South Africa was headed. But, quite frankly - and I have to admit it - I had no real personal ambition or understanding as to how to alter its course.
Like a bolt from the blue, I was approached by the Progressive Federal Party to be its candidate in the forthcoming polls. I realised then that I could no longer be a bystander in the unfolding events of our times, and I did take the plunge. But, Mr Speaker, it is worth recalling that although the ANC in those days was a banned organisation, its presence and prospects were even then at the centre stage of our politics.
The ruling National Party fought a vicious campaign against the liberal Progressive Federal Party on the slogan "Reform, Yes – Surrender, No". But the Progressive Federal Party was swept aside as the official opposition in that election of 1987, as white South Africa shifted sidewards - or rightwards, perhaps - and I entered Parliament as the only new Progressive Federal Party MP to gain a seat from the then ruling party. Mr Speaker, can I say to the members of this House that those were indeed very different times.
As it were, the inconvenient truth - inconvenient for some, certainly - of my election back then is simply that there were always corners of white South Africa who were prepared to stand and vote against the forces of apartheid. And I want to say to the House today, even 24 years later, I am certainly very proud to have had the opportunity to be the voice of such voters. [Applause.]
The Parliament I entered over two decades ago rarely bears little resemblance to the Chamber I leave today. The rule of white men appeared to be immutable in 1987, but in reality it was the very eve of the most sweeping and transcending change, which was to commence just three years later, when F W De Klerk, an unlikely iconoclast, would inaugurate an era of change and negotiation.
Since my arrival in this House - or in Parliament at least - my political party has undergone three name changes; from the Progressive Federal Party to the Democratic Party, to the DA. I have served under no fewer than four leaders: Colin Eglin, Zach de Beer, Tony Leon and Helen Zille. But I can, with candour, recount that my entire political and parliamentary career has been in pursuit of a single and overwhelming ideal: to help establish a nonracial democracy based on the inalienable right of the individual to achieve a better life.
Quite frankly, how successful or otherwise I and my parliamentary colleagues in my party and, perhaps, in this House as a whole have been in its achievement is a matter of debate. But what is beyond doubt, debate or question is the need for all of us to keep on trying.
In a sense, the most challenging time of my parliamentary career was also the most rewarding. At the very moment that South Africa achieved its democratic rebirth on 27 April 1994, my party very, very nearly ceased to exist. In fact, it is well-known in my party that I won my seat by point 0,001%, and my colleagues, for many years, referred to me as 001. [Laughter.] What are you laughing at? That's true. [Laughter.]
So, for five years, between 1994 and 1999, I was just one of the seven Members of Parliament in the Democratic Party, trying to carve out the role of an opposition party in an Assembly where no fewer than 94% of all MPs belonged to parties represented by the Government of National Unity.
There were epic fights, tough battles - and, certainly, some reference has been made to that today - as we defied that push for consensus in the opposition, a consensus in the belief that any worthwhile democracy needs a vigorous opposition to hold its government to account. And this, I believe, has been vindicated time and again.
Strangely enough it was no less a person than our founding democratic president, Nelson Mandela, who legitimised this goal when he told us "to hold a mirror to the government". There have been times when not everyone has enjoyed the reflection in this mirror, but that is beside the point.
It was in those epic times, when I, along with six colleagues, juggled half a dozen portfolios and the duties of the Whip, that I learnt the truth of the injunction: In the furnace of great events, you find the fire of passion within yourself.
There were then, as today, many people inside and outside of Parliament who presumed that the presence of a majority conferred a monopoly of wisdom on government. In fact, as we all know, to be legitimate a government needs a majority, but, to be right, a government needs to listen and to learn from all viewpoints.
I believe that this South African Parliament has learnt an enormous amount and we have developed in enormous attitude of this in the past years and it has been for me a major benefit.
However, after 1999, when the Democratic Party grew by fivefold and became the official opposition, I found that my duties as Deputy Chief Whip of the Opposition became the dominant factor of my parliamentary life. It is perhaps worth remembering that in this period of a heightened cold war between Thabo Mbeki and Tony Leon, and a freezing of relations between government and the opposition, the Whippery of all parties still managed to keep Parliament on the rails and its management in reasonable shape.
I believe that this is a tribute to many MPs from all parties, who, uncited and unheralded, managed to disagree with each other without being disagreeable and often ensured that the needs of the institution were placed above the wishes of the party. That for me has been one of the focal points of my entire career in this Parliament. [Applause.]
However, Mr Speaker, a farewell speech such as this one is also an opportunity to not simply say thank you and goodbye, but to reflect on some of the remarkable people who have crossed my path here and sustained me in the victories and vicissitudes that are the hallmark of any political life.
If I look at my own party, first of all, it is a privilege and an honour to have shared benches with great people such as Helen Suzman, Colin Eglin, Tony Leon, Douglas Gibson, Dene Smuts and more recently people such as Ian Davidson and Athol Trollip.
I have had the privilege of working closely with the best and here I do want to single out, if I may, Tony Leon, in particular – a man of great intellect, great courage and enormous ability, who kept alive the liberal voice in this country at a time when most thought it had already died. And today Tony still remains a very close friend of mine.
When I do look back on the last 24 years of my life, there are many people in the opposition benches, whom I have come to admire and for whom it has been for me an enormous privilege to have been in Parliament with. Obviously, at the head of the list would be Mr Nelson Mandela. But there have been many others that I have had the pleasure of working with in Parliament, people like Cyril Ramaphosa, Trevor Manuel, Naledi Pandor, Tokyo Sexwale, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, and you, sir, Mr Speaker, one of the first Whips in this Parliament. And it would be absolutely wrong of me not to mention, of course, Blade Nzimande. [Applause.]
You know, Mr Speaker, Blade and I go back many years to when he was the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Education from 1994 to 1999. We worked hard, we fought, we had great fun. But, Blade, I do have a special relationship with you and it's nice to say it today: Thank you very much for everything. [Applause.]
I have worked very closely with the Chief Whips of all parties, including my old friend, Koos van der Merwe, Corné Mulder and others, and with a wide range of senior party leaders. I have also interacted with many frontbenchers and backbenchers, all of whom have made a massive impact on my life. You were my life and I really appreciated it. Thank you very much for that. What a remarkable privilege it has been to serve my country in this Parliament.
To my own parliamentary leader, Athol Trollip, to my own Chief Whip, Ian Davidson, you are remarkable men and true leaders. To have worked with you and to regard you as my friends is indeed a massive privilege. To the Whips in my party, especially Sandy Kalyan who served on the Chief Whips' Forum with me with distinction, and to all the members of my caucus, for whom I have the greatest respect, thank you very much indeed. I really appreciated the great working together that we have had for the last two years and, with many of you, for a lot longer than that.
To the Chief Whip of the Majority Party and to the Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party who made a wonderful speech today, I want to say to you, Mr Deputy Chief Whip, as a fellow Deputy, you and I developed a very special relationship.
To the Whips of all other parties, with whom I have worked so closely for so many years on the Chief Whips' Forum, inside the Chief Whips' Forum and outside it, thank you for your camaraderie, thank you for what we have been able to achieve on behalf of Parliament, on behalf of the members. And, of course, I cannot simply ignore Ben Turok as I see him sitting there. Ben, we've crossed swords many times, but well done, sir, and thank you. [Applause.]
To the Whips in general, I believe we have achieved a great amount on behalf of our members. To the Speaker, to you sir, to the Deputy Speaker, to the House Chairs, our interactions have been interesting and lively. I want to thank you, in particular, for the leeway you have given me at times with some very frivolous points of order and for your good humour and dedication to your tasks.
To all of you ladies and gentlemen, to all the members of this House across all party lines, it really has been a privilege working with you and I will miss you all. To the Secretary to Parliament, the Secretary to the National Assembly and to all the staff associated with this august House, I thank them too for their support, assistance, advice and friendship.
I have enjoyed it all with all of you. So, to all associated with Parliament, thank you for a truly wonderful 24 years. I wish you all, individually and collectively, every success for the years ahead. Thank you so much. [Applause.]
The SPEAKER: The presiding officers also wish to take this opportunity to wish you well, Mr Ellis. This Parliament will certainly be all the poorer for your departure. But all of us, collectively and individually, will be richer for having known and worked with you.
TWELFTH ORDER
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 591
Mr M J ELLIS
IPU TOPIC: ACCESS TO HEALTH AS A BASIC RIGHT - THE ROLE OF PARLIAMENT IN ADDRESSING KEY CHALLENGES TO SECURING THE HEALTH OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN
(Subject for Discussion)
Ms F HAJAIG: Speaker, Ministers and colleagues, allow me, while I have the opportunity, to bid the hon Mike Ellis farewell. I remember he was one of the few people from the opposition benches who actually welcomed me to this House in 1994. I thank you, Mike. Go well.
In terms of the topic – as far as health care is concerned and how we view health care – human rights is a universal guarantee protecting individuals and groups against actions which interfere with fundamental freedoms and human dignity.
Some of the most important characteristics of human rights are that they are guaranteed by international standards, legally protected, focus on the dignity of the human being, oblige states and state actors to act, cannot be waived or taken away, are interdependent and interrelated and are universal.
The right to the highest attainable standard of health, referred to as the right to health, was first reflected in the World Health Organisation, WHO, Constitution in 1946. It was then reiterated in 1978 in the Declaration of Alma-Ata in the World Health Declaration adopted by the World Health Assembly in 1998.
It has been firmly endorsed in a wide range of international and regional human rights instruments. The right to the highest attainable standard of health in international human rights law is the entitlement to a set of social arrangement norms, institutions, laws and an enabling environment that can best secure enjoyment of this right.
The most authoritative interpretation of the right to health is outlined in article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which has been ratified by 145 countries. The general comment from that covenant recognises that the right to health is closely related to and dependent upon the realisation of other human rights.
These include the right to food, housing, work, education, participation, the enjoyment of the benefits of scientific progress and its applications, life, nondiscrimination, equality, the prohibition against torture, privacy, access to information and the freedom of association, assembly and movement.
In South Africa, access to health care is a constitutionally recognised right under section 27 of the South African Constitution. It specifically recognises the right to access to health care, food, water and social security. Everyone has the right to have access to health care services, including reproductive health care. The state must take reasonable, legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of these rights. No one may be refused emergency medical treatment.
In 1997, the South African Human Rights Commission, a statutory body assigned to evaluate the realisation of access to health care, held a public enquiry into the matter. The report was finally released in early 2009. This report found that the public health care system was – and continues to be – in a lamentable state. That is the view of the commission.
It further alluded to the fact that South Africa faces a number of challenges that complicate the progressive realisation of access to health care. The HIV and Aids statistics, for example, are amongst the highest in the world, placing a burden on public health. South Africa has the highest income inequality, globally, and the gap between public and private health care - with specific reference to affordability and quality of services - remains a major concern.
The South African government has obligations under the international and regional legal standards to ensure that all human rights are fulfilled, including the right to health, to life, to remedy, to be free from cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment and to nondiscrimination. The South African Constitution requires that international law must be taken into account when interpreting domestic legislation.
South Africa is party to many international and regional human rights treaties relevant to health care and access to remedies. At the international level, South Africa has ratified the following international instruments: The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The convention protects children's rights by setting standards in health care, education, legal, civil and social services.
Four of the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, relate to health care, thus underlining the importance of the status of the health of a nation on the path to development. A number of laudable development targets for health had been agreed to at the Millennium Summit and at other United Nations, UN, conferences and international forums.
These targets include, for example, reducing the mortality rate for children under five by two-thirds and measles, mumps and rubella by three-quarters by 2015; reducing HIV prevalence in all young people aged 15 to 24 years by 25% and the proportion of infants infected with HIV by 50%; and reducing TB-related deaths and prevalence and the burden of disease associated with malaria by 50% by 2010. South Africa has pledged to meet the eighth MDG goal by 2015.
In terms of regional instruments, we have the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. They are regional instruments that we are party to and we are obliged to observe and promote them.
The South African health care system is characterised as a fragmented and inequitable system due to the huge disparities that exist between the public and private health sector, with reference to the accessibility, funding and delivery of services. As a result, access to health care is unequal, with the majority of the population relying heavily on a public health care system that has a disproportionately lower amount of financial and human resources at its disposal, in comparison to the private sector.
The mismatch of resources in the public and private health sectors relative to the size of the population each sector serves and the inefficiencies in the use of available resources, has significantly contributed to the very poor health status of South Africans. This is particularly the case in the lowest income groups of the population.
I do not have much time left. I just want to quickly talk about the National Health Act, which actually gave effect to the provision in the Constitution. To ensure universal access to health care, South Africa proposed a national health insurance. Plans are already advanced to start with the phased-in implementation of the national health insurance.
Therefore, South Africa is forced to strengthen delivery of quality health care services to its people as a fundamental right which is entrenched in the Constitution of the Republic, and which South African citizens should enjoy. The South African national health insurance is founded on a number of principles which I shall not go into.
In conclusion, South Africa has come a long way in providing greater access to health care. The country has a world-renowned Constitution that provides for the realisation of the right to health care.
South Africa has made progress in terms of the realisation of access to basic health care through legislation and policy development. South Africa is a member of international and regional instruments.
Therefore, it is essential that human rights are taken into account when delivering services to ensure quality care. Putting human rights at the heart of the way health care services are designed and delivered, can make for better services for everyone, with patient and staff experiences reflecting the core values of fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy. I thank you.
Mr M WATERS
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 592
Mrs F HAJAIG
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): Hon members, you are conversing too loudly. You are drowning out the speakers!
Mr M WATERS: Chair... [Applause.] Thank you very much colleagues! South Africa has made great strides in ensuring access to health care for women and children. We have free primary health care for all children under the age of six, to mention just one example. The number of health care facilities has, over the past 17 years, increased from approximately just over 3 600, to 4 200. So, much has been achieved with regard to access.
Why is it then that our child and maternal mortality rates keep increasing? In fact, we are only one of a handful of countries where we are failing to reduce the rate at which mothers and children are dying.
As far as our Millennium Development Goals are concerned, our infant mortality target is to reduce to 18 the number of deaths per 1 000 live births. Our current rate is 53. That is nearly 200% higher than the 2015 target.
The under-5 child mortality rate is even worse, with our current levels hovering around 104 deaths per 1 000 live births, while our target is 20. That means our child mortality rate is thus 420% higher than our MDG target.
When we look at the maternal mortality rate, the situation is far worse. The 2015 target is to reduce maternal mortality to 38 out of each 100 000 live births. However, our current level is 625 per 100 000 live births. That is a staggering 1 500% higher than our target.
I know the Department of Health is about to publish the official maternal mortality rates based on confidential death inquiries. However, these inquiries understate the true maternal mortality rate as they only focus on facility-based deaths and exclude those who die at home. In this regard, South Africa is notorious worldwide for its poor quality in reporting.
Why then are we failing our women and children so spectacularly? Is it money? The simple answer is no. Even Minister Manuel alluded to this last week during the MDG workshop. Evidence shows, time and time again, that countries with lower or similar GDPs to ours are actually reducing child and maternal mortality rates. Some examples are Brazil, Vietnam, Algeria, Peru and Namibia, to mention a few who are all out-performing us.
So, is it HIV/Aids? Increasingly, the government is blaming HIV for the high rate of child deaths. It is ironic that the party that allowed Aids to obtain such a powerful iron grip across our country through their decade of denialism, is now using this as an excuse.
Although baby deaths may, in some instances, be related to HIV and Aids, these and other causal factors are preventable. The main reason for babies and mothers dying in hospitals or during the postpartum period, are largely attributable to the poor quality of health care provided in our hospitals.
Despite the availability of antenatal care; despite the availability of skilled birth attendants; and despite the hospital referral system, mothers and children continue to die. The main reasons for babies and mothers dying in our health care facilities are attributable to broken accountability structures resulting from the politicisation of service delivery in health care.
Another reason for the high mortality rate is corruption. An International Monetary Fund paper, entitled Corruption and the Provision of Health Care and Education Services, directly links the increasing child and maternal mortality rates in a country to that of the levels of corruption. I quote from the report and it says:
The empirical analysis shows that a high level of corruption has adverse consequences for a country's child and infant mortality rates, percentage of low birth-weight babies in total births, and dropout rates in primary school. In particular, child mortality rates in countries with high corruption are about one third higher than in countries with low corruption, and infant mortality rates are almost twice as high.
The report highlights important policy implications in the light of the role played by governments in the provision of health care. I am going to mention one due to time constraints. It says:
Improvements in indicators of health care and education services do not necessarily require higher public spending. It is equally, if not more, important to institute transparent procurement procedures and enhance financial accountability of public spending.
Evidence from across the globe proves that we can reduce infant, child and maternal mortality rates, but we just need the political willto fix the accountability structures within the health system, depoliticise the delivery of services and combat corruption. I thank you very much. [Applause.]
Mr D A KGANARE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 593
Mr M WATERS
Mr D A KGANARE: Chairperson, in 1948 the World Health Organisation, WHO, defined health as:
A state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or medical conditions.
Section 27(1)(a) of our Constitution states that-
Everyone has the right to have access to-
(a) health care services, including reproductive health care; ...
Whilst section 27(2) qualifies that:
(2) The state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of these rights.
Lastly, section 27(3) instructs all health workers that-
(3) No one may be refused emergency medical treatment.
When we speak of access to health, the challenges which come to mind should be: What is happening in the lives of the ordinary people? On 30 January 2005, Nomhlobo Siyatha died at Site B Clinic in Khayelitsha, as a result of severe loss of blood.
At Eikenhof Clinic, it is normal to have a regular shortage of medicine and pain killers, on the one hand. On the other hand, Mameli Msindwana, after he was shot by car hijackers, was discharged from a community health care centre in Gugulethu, with a punctured lung. This was after he was handed two packets of pain killers and told to come back the following day if he experienced any problems.
To make matters worse, chronically ill patients, the elderly, mothers with small babies and pregnant patients brave icy early morning temperatures, on a daily basis, to secure places in queues outside clinics in every poor area of our country. This is clearly an indication that there are enormous disparities in health status and access to health services in our country.
The health of people depends on a large number of factors, many of which are interconnected, and most of which go considerably beyond access to health services. It stands to reason that health and economic matters are intimately linked in a number of ways. We all know that health is an important contributor to people's ability to be productive and to accumulate the knowledge and skills they need to be productive.
Women in rural areas are still trapped in poverty. These women lack access to their basic human rights and yet they have voted. Women are responsible for heavier household burdens. Gathering and transporting water falls on women and children, a task that can take many hours each day in drought-prone areas.
On average, half an hour is spent collecting water. This includes walking to the source, and sometimes waiting to collect the water and return. Because it takes time to collect water and fuel, the available time for education or other economic and political activities decreases. Already the majority of children in our country who do not attend school are girls.
Travelling long distances to collect water and fuel puts women and girls at risk of violence. Poverty and poor access to health care exacerbates these risks. Women and children are prone to diseases. Twenty nine percent of pregnant women are HIV positive.
South Africa has committed itself to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs. One of these goals is to reduce the death of mothers by 75% between 1990 and 2015. A report looking at South Africa's MDG progress, which used data from the community survey of 2007, found that 625 mothers died for every 100 000 live births.
In addition to this, the National Committee on Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths, found that 3 959 cases of maternal deaths were reported between 2005 and 2007. This was a 20,1% increase from previous the report. This is a far cry from the MDG to reduce maternal mortality by 2015.
About 80% of deaths are of children under five years of age, and the cause is diseases such as HIV and pneumonia. Other factors which contribute to this high mortality rate are lack of access to drinking water and basic sanitation, which lead to diarrhoea; societal inequalities; lack of access to health facilities; and 40% of children having to travel long distances to get to the nearest clinic. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mrs C N Z ZIKALALA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 593
Mr D A KGANARE
Mrs C N Z ZIKALALA: Chairperson, women around the world struggle to access their basic human rights. Yet it is clear around the world that women and children are two of the most vulnerable groups and are struggling to find a voice and, more importantly, value in their society.
The struggles common to all women are human rights struggles – the struggle for equality, justice, full participation and inclusion. The rights are simply words. As legislators, we need to ensure that these words translate into action.
Therefore, while we can situate South African women's rights struggles as part of both gender and multicultural struggles, we need to go one step further. The only way we can truly recognise and meet the demands of complex identities is through a human rights approach.
Empowerment is a critical aspect of such an approach. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Judge Navi Pillay, had the following to say:
Empowerment is predicated on the removal of discriminatory laws and harmful practices that hold women back, frustrate their resourcefulness, and curtail their access to a fair share of the common wealth.
In the quest for health care, whether maternal rights or accessing antiretroviral, ARV, treatment or not, it is imperative that access has no barriers. This means that health budgets must be adequately resourced, financially and with manpower. It is only then that human rights for all South Africans can become a reality.
As the nation's primary health care consumers, women have a critical stake in the shape and function of the health care system. Because of women's reproductive health needs and longer life span, women use more health services than men. We must look to the health care delivery system as a primary resource.
In conclusion, yes, health rights are human rights and what is required from Parliamentarians across party lines is a commitment to action. Action! Action! We need to begin to act so that infant mortality rates drop and MDR-TB and XDR-TB become nonexistence, simply by accessing immunisation. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mr M H HOOSEN
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 594
Mrs C N Z ZIKALALA
Ms C N ZIKALALA
Mr M H HOOSEN: Chairperson, the role of Parliament in the provision of health care for women and children should not be limited merely to oversight. The ID believes not only in the constitutional right of health care for all, but in adequate, effective and equal health care for all.
The divides of our apartheid past are still very evident in the provision of health care. This is clearly visible, not only in terms of access to private or public health care, but also in the quality of health care that is received. Why is it that after almost two decades of freedom, there are still millions of poor South Africans who do not receive the same levels of health care as wealthy South Africans?
It is a fact that in our country ones chances of survival are greater if one is wealthy. It cannot be right that only the wealthy have proper and quality access to health care. It is a sad reality that every MP and councillor has access to good, quality health care, but the very people that we represent still suffer. It is sad that, while companies make a killing from obscene profits through pharmaceuticals in private health care, the poor still suffer.
I was shocked to learn today in the Portfolio Committee on Health, that the data we have on HIV/Aids statistics is not reliable. There is the very real possibility that we do not know exactly how many people are infected with HIV/Aids in South Africa, because we are unable to detect duplication in testing. Many patients visit more than one testing centre in order to get a second opinion and, because we are unable to detect whether or not a patient has visited more than one centre, that data is not reliable.
The recent figures on testing announced by the Minister are also unreliable. This was confirmed this morning by the CEO of the National Health Laboratory Services. The figures reported on HIV/Aids in South Africa may, in fact, be much lower than we think.
The ID calls on the Ministry to address this as a matter of urgency. Without the correct statistics, we will never be able to curb this disease. I thank you. [Applause.]
Adv de W ALBERTS
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 594
Mr M H HOOSEN
Adv A de W ALBERTS: Chairperson, over and above the right to health in section 27(1)(a) of the Constitution that government must adhere to, South Africa has also ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has stated that this treaty obligation must be understood as requiring measures to improve child and maternal health, amongst other things. In this respect, monitoring and accountability are central human rights principles which are integral to the realisation of the right to health.
Human Rights Watch states that South Africa's maternal mortality rate has more than quadrupled in the last decade. It further states that:
Underlying this problem, are shortcomings in accountability and oversight mechanisms that authorities use to monitor health care system performance, identify failings and needs, and make timely interventions.
Afrikaans:
Die organisasie wys ook dat Suid-Afrika eintlik al die hulpbronne het om goeie gesondheidsdienste te lewer. Die kern van die problem is dat die relevante oorsigliggame nog nie funksioneer nie. Ons gesondheidsprobleme onstaan dus vanuit 'n diensleweringsgebrek, eerder as 'n tekort aan fondse of fasiliteite alleenlik.
Daarom wil ons adviseer dat die regering eerder die basiese diensleweringsprobleme uit die weg moet ruim, voordat daar beplan word aan 'n reuse projek soos die Nasionale Gesondheidsversekering.
Belastingbetalers in Suid-Afrika word reeds swaar belas en om nog 'n belasting in die huidige ekonomiese klimaat in te stel, sal die werkende middelklas net verder verklein.
English:
If this government wishes to ensure that it fulfils its national and international obligations, then getting the basics right, like service delivery, is the place to start. The only way to ensure that service delivery takes place according to acceptable standards is by ensuring that the oversight bodies for health care are given life and appropriate strong instruments to punish bad service delivery.
Mrs C DUDLEY
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 594
Adv A de W ALBERTS
Mrs C DUDLEY: Chair, many factors contribute to the poor health of women and children, namely poverty, income inequalities, gender disparities, discrimination, poor education and gender-based violence. Gender equality and women's empowerment are central to securing the health of women and children.
As parliamentarians, we represent women and children who make up a significant proportion of all our constituencies. We speak on their behalf and work to ensure that their rights and concerns are reflected in national development strategies and budgets. Our role is critical to the health and wellbeing of women and children, and we cannot rest until every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe and every child and newborn baby is healthy.
The UN Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, Reducing Child Mortality and Improving Maternal Health, focus parliaments on maternal, newborn and child health, and our role in holding the executive accountable on these goals, will require dogged commitment.
It is critical that we start by determining where and why women and children are dying prematurely, identifying barriers that prevent people accessing services and interventions and locating the bottlenecks in delivering them.
It is also important to identify areas in which Parliamentarians lack capacity and are limited in their effectiveness. Having access – as we have just heard - to sound and timely data, for example, better equips Parliamentarians. Improving national statistical capacity is therefore important. A strong health system is essential in securing the health of women and children, and a political system that implements a right to health care will, of necessity, involve transfers of wealth to pay for relevant programmes.
We must have safeguards and accountability to minimise corruption. South Africa will do well to pay close attention to the experience of others in instituting the new National Health Insurance. As parliamentarians we will have an ever-increasing watchdog role to play in demanding integrity and honesty in the system, in order to secure the health of women and children.
Lastly, without an active civil society, paper commitments to rights are in danger of meaning very little. A well-organised civil society is invaluable. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr V V MAGAGULA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 596
Mrs C DUDLEY
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): Before the hon member speaks, allow me to state that I have been given to understand that this is the hon member's maiden speech. [Applause.] Therefore, the tradition is that we give the hon member due honour and listen attentively. Go ahead, hon member.
Siswati:
Mnu V V MAGAGULA: Ngiyetsemba Sihlalo kutsi angeke ungidvonse ngelubheshu. Sihlalo lohloniphekile neMalungu eliPhalamende, liPhalamende lidlala indzima lenkhulu yekuvikela bomake nebantfwana kutemphilo.
Kungako liPhalemnde lakitsi likhuluma ngemalungelo etemphilo kuwo wonkhe umuntfu lohlala lapha eNingizimu Afrika. Ngisho umntfwana asengakatalwa, leliPhalamende leliholwa yi-ANC lishaye umtsetfo wekutsi bomake labatetfwele kufanele baye emitfolamphilo bayohlolwa kutsi bobabili nemntfwana baphilile yini. Kungako liPhalamende liyalibita Litiko Letemphilo kutosho kutsi lentani kubomake nebantfwana nekutsi lentani kulesive salapha eMzansi Afrika.
Ngabe bomake bavikelekile yini ku-HIV ne Aids, kumdlavuta wemabele, ngisho nesifo sesifuba. Ngabe bantfwana bayakalwa yini emitfolamphilo futsi bayagonywa. Ngabe abesuleleki yini ngeligciwane lelitsatselanako. Konkhe loku, Sihlalo, kwentiwa ngilo liPhalamende letfu ngoba liyanakekela. [Lihlombe.]
Bomake nebantfwana banelilungelo lelikhulu lelilingana nelebantfu bonkhe bakuleli. Kugagadlelwa nekushaywa kwabomake nebantfwana akufuneki kantsi kuvikelwe nguwo lomtsetfo loshaywe kuleliPhalamende. Noma ngubani lowenta loku utawotsa ubovu. [Lihlombe.]
Sihlalo, i-ANC ngekubambisana neliPhalamende kuvumelene kutsi kwelashwe mahhala, kulaliswa etibhedlela tahulumende kwabo bonkhe labagulako akukhokhelwa, kunakekelwa kwabomake nebantfwana kumahhala, nekukhipha tintfo letivikela tifo kubomake njengelijazi lemkhwenyane kutfolakala mahhala, nekuhlela umndeni kubomake; konkhe loku kwentiwa mahhala kute sibe nabomake nebantfwana labaphilile futsi labanemphilo; ngiyo lePhalamende nenhlangano lebusako i-ANC.
LePhalamende ilwa kakhulu ngekuhlukunyetwa kwabomake nebantfwana. Ngalesikhatsi ingakabikhona lePhalamende yentsandvo yelinyenti bomake bebalindzeleke kutsi bayokha emanti emifuleni, batfote tinkhuni, bawashe, bapheke nekutsi batfole bantfwana labanyenti ngaphandle kwekubuka temphilo kutsi kufanele yini. Bantfwana bona bebalindzeleke kutsi beluse imfuyo, basebente emapulazini, batsengise, bebaganiswa ngisho noma basesebancane kakhulu. Loku kubalimata kutemphilo.
Kunele kutsi kube naleliPhalamende kwaphela konkhe loko ngoba likhulumile ngemalungelo abomake nebantfwana kutemphilo. Ngiyabonga. [Lihlombe.]
Ms E MORE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 597
Mr V V MAGAGULA
English:
Ms E MORE: Chairperson, hon members and guests, access to health care starts at primary health care level but unfortunately the poor quality of health care service becomes a huge barrier in terms of access.
According to the Department of Health, access to primary health care services has increased but the level of quality has deteriorated drastically. What is interesting is that no research has been conducted to assess the cause of the increase because it might be due to lack of efficient and effective primary health care, shortage of drugs or that people have to visit the facilities twice or thrice until they get medication.
Women are custodians of family health and they play a critical role in maintaining the health and well being of their families. Therefore, a healthy woman equals a healthy nation.
Women are the pillars of the society therefore basic health care; family planning, including access to female condoms; and obstetric and emergency services is essential for women. Yet these things remain inaccessible to millions of women in rural and remote areas with no easy access to secondary or tertiary care.
The human papillomavirus, HPV, vaccination has to be explored as well. In South Africa, 70% of cervical cancer cases in girls can be prevented through this vaccination, but the cost makes it inaccessible. This is where we come in as Parliamentarians to revisit and scrutinise the budgets.
We would like to thank organisations like the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa, Caprisa, which are busy doing research on microbicides to respond to the urgent need for HIV and STI prevention methods for women.
According to the Global Health Council, maternal mortality and maternal conditions are leading causes of death and disability among women.
Every year, about 10 million women globally endure life-threatening complications during pregnancy and childbirth. In sub-Saharan Africa, 61% of adults living with the HIV/Aids are women.
Early and unwanted childbearing, HIV, STIs, pregnancy-related illnesses and deaths, account for a significant proportion of the burden of illnesses experienced by women, especially the poor. Nearly 50% of maternal deaths are preventable through timely prenatal and postnatal care, skilled birth attendance during delivery and the availability of emergency care to deal with complications.
Children under the age of 15 years account for one in every six Aids-related deaths in the world. We need to take care of the overall health of our children to ensure a better future and a healthy nation. According to the Child Gauge in 2002, the Department of Health set for itself 14 child health goals but to date, a decade after the target deadline, they have only achieved one goal.
Children who are subjected to illness and lack of access to adequate health services are at risk of shortened lifespans, poor physical and mental health and educational problems, including dropping out. We only four years left to realising the Millennium Development Goals and unfortunately our country's rate of maternal mortality and child mortality has doubled since 1990. Therefore it is a huge concern for us as to whether we will meet this target.
No woman should die giving birth to a child and no child should die due to unnecessary medical negligence. So far the government has failed the women and children of this country. The government has missed a big opportunity in addressing maternal and child mortality by, firstly, not putting in place quality assurance measures for MDGs earlier; and secondly, by not conducting an audit to generate comprehensive information on primary health care infrastructure and services; and further by not monitoring and evaluating the use of resources versus the delivery of the Permanent Health Company, PHC, package since 1997.
This would have ensured that there would be no suboptimal implementation of interventions and, in turn, have prevented most if not all avoidable deaths. We welcome the recent establishment of the new office of health standards compliance and the recent commitment by the Department of Health to finally conduct the long overdue audit commissioned in 2007-08.
The Department of Health has not been performing adequately since the inception of democracy in SA and this has not only impacted negatively on the health of women and children but also on the socioeconomic development of our country.
In order for this Parliament to fulfil its functions with regard to addressing these key challenges, we need to strengthen research capacity, advocate for the upliftment of the socioeconomic conditions the women and children are living under because poverty compromises women and children … [Time expired.] Thank you. [Applause.]
Mrs M T KUBAYI
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 597
Ms E MORE
Sepedi:
Moh M T KUBAYI: Modulasetulo, maloko ao a hlomphegago a Palamente, ...
English:
As we conclude the debate on the 125th Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, Assembly topic, we need to look at how the topic was decided upon and what were the critical areas which were forcing or making the third Standing Committee of the IPU to decide on this.
When hon P Turyahikayo from Uganda proposed this subject, it was taking into consideration the challenges that are faced by women and children, especially on the African continent. These are challenges of access to health and the many challenges of women and children dying because of the lack of health facilities.
Today, women and children in countries faced with conflict are bearing the brunt of those conflicts as their right to health is infringed. You take a look at the women and children of African countries such as Somalia, who can't access health to survive. This this has led to many fatalities.
We need to commend the good work done by the South African team that is currently in Mogadishu, ensuring that women and children in that country get access to health care. They are working under difficult conditions trying to save lives with limited resources and medical equipment. Their bravery and dedication to their call to serve indeed inspires many of us.
I am hoping that many of us in the House are contributing to the initiative and supporting pledges towards the work being done by the Gift of Givers and the South African government in supporting the Somalian people.
The results of the conflicts lead to migration and refugees. The refugee and migration rights are human rights. A number of challenges and bottlenecks still hamper access to health care for many migrants - women and children. More women die each year due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
In cooperation with the international community, to reinvigorate their efforts aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals, thus contributing to the elimination of conditions that force people to migrate, such as poverty; the negative impact of human activities on the environment; the failure to apply international law; the continued existence of agricultural subsidies; the lack of official development assistance; and the deficit of good governance and of the rule of law.
International migration requires a holistic and coherent approach based on shared responsibilities, which also and concurrently addresses the root causes and consequences of migration for women, as for men, inadequate potable water, sanitation and waste disposal in urban and rural areas in Africa leave populations vulnerable to water-borne diseases and other environmental diseases such as malaria, lung and other respiratory diseases which are still major killers in Africa.
These conditions are compounded by women, by some unhelpful or even dangerous religious norms and practices centred on their reproductive and productive functions, their heavy workloads, high birth rates and socio-cultural factors that limit their dietary intake.
Maternal and infant mortality remain high, which is a concern. Gender inequality affects each individual's opportunity of labour, market participation and migration; and that the gendered effects of states migration policies make women more vulnerable to the violation of their human rights.
While reproductive health issues are important, there is also a need to focus on women's general well-being. For instance, infertility is a problem in parts of Central and East Africa, where 20% of women aged 45-49 are estimated to be childless.
Insufficient housekeeping money, desertions and divorce, stress and the insecurities of daily life also threaten women's mental health. Parliaments should use their legislative roles to remove barriers and facilitate access to health care by amending existing laws. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that all humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
It is parliaments that rectify international conventions, pass legislation and monitor government programmes. In 2001 during the World Conference against Racism, IPU, declaration pledged that Parliaments and their members would work with the United Nations and other organizations to eliminate all forms of discrimination.
It then urged Parliaments to adopt laws that ensured this, and called on the IPU to follow up on the programmes of action adopted by World Conference against Racism.
States are obliged to guarantee that all individuals, without distinction of any kind, whether immigrant, refugees or not, enjoy the rights enumerated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the Convention on the Political Rights of Women; the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the Unesco Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice; the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children; and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.
One of the direct negative consequences of the lack of a broad and comprehensive multilateral approach to migration policy, and of restrictions on legitimate migration, is an increase in rejection, abuse, ill-treatment, aggression and marginalisation of migrants. This in turn results in criminal behaviour such as human trafficking and xenophobic hate crimes and many who suffer or bear the brunt of this are women.
Parliaments must pledge to increase budget allocations to health sectors and press for a clear budget line for maternal health. Removing inequalities gives societies a better chance to develop. When women and men have relative equality, economies grow faster and children's health improves.
In conclusion, I want to respond to some of the issue raised by members. Firstly, hon Morris raised the issue that the South African government has failed the women of this country, which I think is completely untrue. When you look at the past, women were not able to get some of the benefits that they are getting today.
When you had to go to hospital for your antenatal clinic, you had to pay, had to travel long distances, had to go to hospitals where facilities were either not available or were not adequate to give birth.
Today under the ANC-led government, these health care facilities are there for women, even in rural and remote areas. Today even where there are difficulties in accessing facilities or where there is no infrastructure and buildings, there are mobile clinics to support these women. [Applause.]
It is the ANC-led government that has done the majority of this work. We have to understand, we acknowledge that there are challenges in the health care system, hence the proposal for the National Health Insurance is on the table.
The Green Paper is there, let us engage with it because it is one of the ways of improving an integrated approach to health care. [Applause.] You are in the Portfolio Committee you should know better.
The issue here is that when we talk about ... [Interjections.] You just shut up! The issue of …
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): Hon member, withdraw that statement.
Mrs M T KUBAYI: I withdraw, Chair. [Laughter.] The issue here, hon members, is that you cannot say that women are worse off. Ask us, the black women who grew up in the townships and rural areas. There was nothing for us until 1994. Today we are better off. Today you can walk to the clinic. You do not have to pay anything as a woman.
That is why I am saying that antenatal clinics are free and that is why there is education continually. Antiretrovirals are free, migrant women and children in this country get access to health care facilities without even paying anything... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): Order! Order please!
Mrs M T KUBAYI: … and without even being asked to give their identity. You can go to countries like the US, it does not happen there. Migrants and refugees in the US are not given access to health care; it is the South African government that gives this equally.
That is why today we can pride ourselves that we are a country that acknowledges that it does not matter who you are, you are able to access these health care facilities. [Applause.] Black and white, everybody accesses these health care facilities. [Applause.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): I was just going to say that just to end this day in honour of hon Ellis, let us treat each other like hon members, please. Just to honour hon Ellis, let us be friendly - just pretend. [Laughter.]
DEBATE ON HERITAGE DAY
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 598
TWELFTH ORDER
DEBATE ON HERITAGE DAY: celebrating the heroes and heroines of the liberation struggle in South Africa.
The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE: Chairperson, hon members, thank you for the opportunity to debate the important matter of this year's Heritage Month celebrations, during which we celebrate the heroes and heroines of the liberation struggle in South Africa.
In his article titled: The Native Union, published in 1911, Pixley ka Isaka Seme wrote:
There is today among all races and men a general desire for progress, and for co-operation, because co-operation will facilitate and secure that progress.
This iconic African intellectual of our liberation struggle continues-
The greatest success shall come when man shall have learned to co-operate, not only with his own kith and kin but also with all peoples and with all life.
These prophetic words laid the foundation for the formation of the African National Congress, Africa's oldest liberation movement. These words also spoke of a vision of the kind of society we seek to build. This is a national democratic society, a society that is united, nonracial, nonsexist, democratic and prosperous.
The pursuit of the goal of building a national democratic society remains at the core of our struggle to transform our society. This struggle which has a rich and diverse history has produced many heroes and heroines to whom this year's Heritage Month celebrations are dedicated.
It is who we are. It is the source of our national pride and it is our historic mission, therefore, to preserve it. In our resolve to preserve our national liberation heritage we must honour all those who authored this history by taking part in the struggle to free our country.
This we must continue to do because our freedom can never be taken for granted. We must continue to honour those men and women whose love for their country and its people motivated them to sacrifice even their lives for freedom. Those patriots were inspired by the words of Pixley ka Isaka Seme, and I repeat:
The greatest success shall come when man shall have learned to co-operate, not only with his own kith and kin but also with all peoples and with all life.
Hon members, it is for these reasons that this year's Heritage Month is dedicated to reaffirming the significance of our national liberation struggle as part of our country's cultural heritage. Throughout this month, we remind ourselves that our liberation came at an enormous cost and that it produced heroes and heroines, worthy of our recognition and honour.
As we celebrate Heritage Month we draw inspiration from the early resistance movement led by unsung heroes and heroines, such as kings, chiefs and warriors. We remember those brave fighters that took part in the Bambatha Rebellion, the Pondo Revolt, and the Frontier Wars of resistance against dispossession.
We are also reminded of those who suffered and fell during the Boer Wars and we reiterate that these unfortunate events also form part of our heritage. We honour those who in 1955 declared boldly that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white. We also honour the heroic women of 1956 who pioneered the struggle for gender equality in our country.
We salute the youth of 1976 and subsequent generations who rendered the apartheid state ungovernable. We pay tribute to the workers who took the struggle for liberation to every factory and shop floor as well as to every farm.
Hon members, our understanding of the heroes and heroines of our national liberation struggle goes beyond those who directly took part in that struggle. It includes the artists and intellectuals who used their creative talent and vision to draw attention to the realities and demands of our national liberation struggle.
We refer here to icons such as Alex la Guma, Mazisi Kunene, Mama Miriam Makeba, Zakes Makae, Winston Mankunku Ngozi and many others. Heroes and heroines of our liberation struggle also include those in the sporting fraternity who ensured that the apartheid state was isolated from the international community. They include those of our sports men and women who even under the most difficult conditions excelled in what they did.
Heroes and heroines of our liberation struggle also include members of faith-based organisation and a number of traditional leaders from whom our struggle drew support and moral guidance. The contribution of these sectors reasserts that our liberation struggle was indeed nonracial and nonclassist and that it was fought on many fronts.
As we celebrate our heroes and heroines we must recommit ourselves to the ideals for which they stood and fought for so bravely. Our ultimate goal should be to build a society where; and I quote:
Man shall have learned to co-operate, not only with his own kith and kin but also with all peoples and with all life.
Hon members, as part of celebrating our heroes and heroines, the Department of Arts and Culture has begun a process of identifying sites that are of significance to the national liberation struggle. Many of these sites will form part of the national liberation heritage. [Interjections.]
Thank you very much, House Chair for giving us this opportunity. And I am sure that we will have a lively debate... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): Order! Hon Minister, just a moment, I am told that there is something wrong with the clock, because you had 15 minutes. [Interjections.]
The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE: The hon Speaker is giving me more time and now ... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): Can we adjust that please.
The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE: So, how much more time do I get Chair?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): Can we adjust that to five minutes.
The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE: Five more minutes, ok ... [Interjections.]
Mr LEKOTA: House Chair, is it parliamentary to reverse your own judgement in respect of proceedings? [Laughter.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): I did not make any judgement here. [Laughter.]
The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE: Thank you very much, Chair. We are honouring the heroes and heroines of our struggle, Ntate Lekota.
Many of these sites form part of the national liberation heritage route. We are also embarking on a programme to honour our national icons. These are the men and women who taught us never to abandon the cause of freedom. As we embark on this journey, I am reminded of words from a poem by the father of the Cuban nation, Jose Marti, titled: I dream of cloisters of marble.
In this poem Marti dreams of a world where the sculptures of dead heroes of the Cuban revolution come alive; and I quote:
I dream of cloisters of marble
Where in silence divine
Heroes are upright sleeping.
I speak to them at night
At night by the light of soul!
Marti continues-
Then the eyes of stone are open,
I see moving lips of stone,
Beards of stone are trembling,
They grip a sword of stone and cry.
He concludes the poem by saying-
The stone resounds,
The white hands reach down to touch their belt,
And then from high on the pedestal,
The men of marble leap down!
Hon members, we will remember these heroes and heroines of our people by erecting monuments in their honour. We carve sculptures of stone and marble. We will also build museums that will tell the stories of their lives of bravery and courage to current and future generations.
As we preserve our liberation heritage, we must be mindful of those who seek to rewrite and distort our history. This they do in particular to wish away the existence of the liberation struggle, its values and its traditions. We must continue to remind them that the national liberation struggle is part of our country's collective memory, our rich history and heritage.
Without fear or favour we must reaffirm our liberation heritage as part of the broader cultural heritage of our country. This we must do as part of contributing to national healing, national dialogue, reconciliation, nation-building, social cohesion and an inclusive citizenship.
Equally, we must work hard to promote and defend our democratic Constitution, the Bill of Rights, our national symbols, the national flag and the national anthem all of which are the result of our liberation struggle.
In this regard our department will in the coming months intensify its campaign to hoist the national flags in all public schools and every public building. We will also continue to encourage South Africans to hoist flags in their homes and in their places of work. Efforts will also be intensified to ensure that all South Africans know how to sing the nation anthem properly.
In conclusion, this will include publishing guidelines on how the national anthem should be sung and observed. Let us use our liberation heritage as a vehicle to make new and decisive advances as we build a South Africa of our dreams, a society that we can all be proud of, a society that takes pride in its history and heritage. Ke a leboga, Modulasetulo. [Thank you, Chairperson.] [Applause.]
Mr S J MASANGO
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 599
The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE
IsiNdebele:
Nom S J MASANGO: Sihlalo, le yinyanga yamagugu, amasiko nomlando wethu eSewula Afrika. Kuhle-ke, ngithi kilendlu ehloniphekileko nabayeni abakhona namhlanjesi ngithi: Nzunza noManala. Senginilotjhisile-ke njalo.
English:
This month we will be celebrating one of the most important public holidays on the South African calendar. On 24 September 2011, South Africa will once again have the opportunity to reconnect and celebrate its history on National Heritage Day. As noted by Arch Bishop Tutu, Heritage Day is a celebration of our diverse history and culture.
When asked to describe the meaning of heritage, the concept becomes so vast in the South African context. Heritage is defined as that which we inherit: the sum total of wildlife and scenic parks, sites of scientific or historic importance, national monuments, historic buildings, works of art, literature and music, oral traditions and museum collections together with their documentation.
The celebration of our South African heritage must be the celebration of all these factors that contribute to our rainbow nation, and of how all South Africans have worked to build this country and its history. It is a day of celebrating the diversity that can bring us together as a strong nation, not separated and divided by our diversity.
South Africa was blessed by committed and dedicated men and women of integrity, who fought for this democracy that we enjoy today. However, are we living up to the expectations and dreams which the heroes and heroines of this country aspired to achieve? Undoubtedly, no.
President Nelson Mandela, one of the leaders in the struggle for democracy, stated:
IsiNdebele:
Ngiyamudzubhula:
English:
When our first democratically elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation.
We did so knowing that the struggles against the injustice and inequities of the past are part of our national identity; they are part of our culture. We knew that, if indeed our nation has to rise like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes of division and conflict, we had to acknowledge those whose selfless efforts and talents were dedicated to this goal of nonracial democracy.
We have to ask ourselves these questions: Will we be celebrating the dreams and the struggle of these selfless fighters for freedom? Are we truly building a rainbow nation of nonracial democracy? Are we celebrating a nation of opportunity and transparency?
The former Leader of the DA, Tony Leon, stated:
A climate of fear has been allowed to develop where parents are too scared to let their children attend school and of allowing them to play outside.
How do we celebrate what we inherited without security of what we have? How do we pass over the richness and wonders of our individual cultures to our children in situations like these? We all know the culture of ubuntu. Are we who once believed in communities and taking care of our neighbours still upholding this important part of our heritage? The simple answer is no.
South Africa is blessed with minerals and wildlife. The world knows our country to be one of beauty and diverse wildlife. Yet again, I have to ask, can we celebrate these blessings that we, as a country, have received?
Our water system is failing; sewerage water is streaming into the rivers and infecting our unique marine life; rhino poachers are ruining our animal of pride; our mining industry has forgotten about the value of rehabilitation; and our ecosystems are on the brink of extinction.
New mines are being opened all over, like tuck shops. Procedures to operate mines lack scrutiny, the health and safety of the citizens no longer matter. What matters most is how much profit one makes in the shortest period.
Can we honestly answer the question with positive conviction? Have we risen from the ashes as Nelson Mandela has predicted for this country? No, we have forgotten our heritage, the pride of our history and the hopes and dreams of those who fought for the rainbow nation. We are now driven by self-enrichment. Caring is solely about oneself, family members and friends. Youngsters are obsessed with positions, tenders and selfprofiting things.
Helen Suzman, former apartheid activist and one of the founders of the Democratic Party, said:
IsiNdebele:
Naye ngiyamudzubhula:
English:
I stand for simple justice, equal opportunity and human rights. The indispensable element in a democratic society is well worth fighting for.
IsiNdebele:
Njengoba sengitjhwile ngaphambilini, kobana lesi sikhathi sokuthi sizihlanganise begodu sigidinge ilanga lamagugu, kodwana akusinjalo kithi soke. Lokha urhulumende nakufanele asekele umlando namagugu wethu, akhange kubenjalo ngamaNdebele wakwaNzunza. AmaNdebele wakwaNzunza ngiwo anomlando wakade nonothe khulu hlangana neentjhaba zamaNdebele. Begodu umlando lo wakhiwa barholi bamambala abafana neKosi uNyabela, uMayisha, uMabhoko hlangana nabanye bamakhosi. Umlando oqakatheke khulu namagugu uNzunza azikhakhazisa ngawo lirholo lakoNomtjharhelo elaziwa nge-Rosenekaal. Lapha ngikhuluma ngamaKhosi wamambala lawo alwa nesitjhaba samaBhunu namaNgisi. Kodwana urhulumende orholwa yi-ANC ngaphasi koburholi bakababa uJacob Zuma ubone kufanele bona aphelise ubuKhosi besitjhaba sakwaNzunza, amasiko, umlando namagugu waso.
English:
This history, heritage and culture are important to allof us and it is important that President Zuma respects the history, heritage and culture of other tribes. All these must be left to the traditional leaders and their nations as they are far better equipped to deal with such matters.
It is regarded as an allegation when the Public Protector presents findings on an investigation to the President for actions to be taken, but it is not an allegation when the Nhlapho Commission presented a report to the President on an investigation into a kingship that existed over four centuries ago, and the President is quick to take action.
It is also correct when the President rewrites history by abolishing the kingship and the heritage of amaNdebele wakwaNzunza, which has been there for centuries. But it is bad when others rewrite history.
English:
I am proudly South African, and I still believe in the vision of our leaders, Nelson Mandela and Helen Zille. This Heritage Day will be a day to commemorate. [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): Order! Order, please.
Mr S J MASANGO: Are you worried about Helen Suzman? [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B SKOSANA): Order! Order, hon members!
Mr S J MASANGO: The last time you were happy about her - Helen Suzman. Helen Zille is also a freedom fighter, you must just remember that.
This Heritage Day will be a day to commemorate our history, appreciate our country, and dream again about our future in its entirety. National Heritage Day will be the day for all South Africans to come together as one diverse nation, with the dream of a democratic and prosperous future. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr M G P LEKOTA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 600
Mr S J MASANGO
Mr M G P LEKOTA: Chairperson, today we celebrate the heroes and heroines of our nation, not of our individual parties. [Applause.] We celebrate the heroes and heroines of our long and diverse historical journey.
As we do so, it is relevant that we take a bird's eye view of the road we have travelled. We started not as the nation state that we are today. Rather, we forged ourselves into one nation state over centuries, since earlier than 1652. Today, South Africa in all its beauty and ugliness, with all the virtues and vices of its people, is a heritage of all of us collectively.
None amongst us are more entitled than others. We collectively claim South Africa, as well as jointly accept the responsibility of making it better as we go forward.
Interestingly, as a nation, our roots lie in various areas, even outside of the confines of Africa. They lie in Africa and Asia, in Europe and the Malay Peninsula. We boast kings like Moshoeshoe I, Shaka, Hintsa, Sekhukhune, Awutshumayo and others. We were led to the shores of this country by Jan van Riebeeck, Van der Stel and their successors from Europe.
We arrived on the east coast of our country, South Africa, as indentured labourers and without leaders from those parts of the world from which we came, but we were brave and creative enough to cultivate our own Mahatma Gandhi.
We arrived here with King Abdurahman Mortula from the Malay Peninsula as slaves; yet we loved freedom enough to organise a slave rebellion that caused us to follow Awutshumayo to Robben Island where he lies buried to this day.
We discovered the diamonds, the gold and other mineral resources of our vast country. We fought over these on different sides: first as British colonies and then Afrikaner republics. In the process, we even cut Kimberley out of its natural province, the Free State. Finally, we forged this country into the Union of South Africa, independent of our erstwhile colonial masters, Great Britain, but then we excluded the majority darker skinned citizens of our country from full participation in government.
In this way, we perpetuated the political struggle over equality of rights and democracy for all. That struggle went through the constitutional phase, 1912 to 1949, the extraconstitutional phase, 1949 to 1960, and finally the armed phase to the Convention for a democratic South Africa in the 1990s.
Interestingly, in the course of all this drama, our African forebears produced a document called The African Claims of 1943. By the way, it is this document that contributed to making Gen Jan Smuts one of the main authors of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Listen to history. [Interjections.] I say – and this is not smuggled – that The African Claims of 1943 was a document, principally, that educated Gen Jan Smuts and made it possible for him to be the main author of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
That is the heritage of South Africa, and, by the way, South Africa is not just some sectors. It is the people. In its turn, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights became a vital instrument for the mobilisation of the international community to support the anti-apartheid movement and contribute to the victory of the people of South Africa.
What then of the tribute to the heroes and heroines of this history now that we have achieved a democratic dispensation? In the spirit of these leaders who went before us, we must strive for, and deepen, peace amongst the people of South Africa.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): Order!
Mr M G P LEKOTA: Our African forebears constantly remind and say, "Kgotso, Pula! Nala!" After all, the natural state of the human being is peace ...
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): Mohlomphehi, nako e ho siile jwale. [Hon member, your time has expired.]
Mr M G P LEKOTA: Is it finished, sir?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): E ho siile jwale. [Time expired.]
Mr M G P LEKOTA: Sorry, Ntate. Thank you, Chair. There is more where that came from. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Mr K M ZONDI
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 600
Mr M G P LEKOTA
Mr K M ZONDI: Chairperson and hon members, as a nation, we need symbols on which to hang our understanding of the past. We need a Nelson Mandela to express our endurance under injustice and our hope for reconciliation.
We need a Pixley ka Isaka Seme to represent the moral highground from which we commenced, and we need an Albert Luthuli to symbolise our faith and convictions. These are the symbols of South Africa's liberation struggle.
Many more will be named in this debate, like Oliver and Adelaide Tambo and Walter and Albertina Sisulu; the Right Rev Bishop Alphaeus Zulu and the Rev Canon James Calata; Prof Z K Matthews and his son, Mr Joe Matthews; Mr Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe; Dr Wilson Zamindlela Conco; and Mr Steve Bantu Biko, to name but a few.
However, let us not create an elite group of heroes and heroines to the exclusion of the millions of South Africans who furthered our liberation struggle through their individual choice to let go of resentment, to seek to understand and to lay down the desire to retaliate. Today, this House will honour freedom fighters who took up arms, but the IFP seeks to honour the ones who refused to take them up.
After October 1979, the IFP fell from grace with the then ANC's mission-in-exile, for we refused to support the armed struggle. A decades-long campaign of vilification was launched against Inkatha and its president, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. The rift between our parties became a chasm when the ANC's people's war was turned against the very people they sought to liberate, their fellow oppressed who happened to be members of Inkatha.
We have never entirely breached the divide. The reconciliation efforts that began with Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi inviting Nelson Mandela to address a joint rally in Taylor's Halt in 1991 continued into the Government of National Unity, but reconciliation was never complete and now seems to have been muscled off the agenda by the leadership of the ANC.
The truth of the IFP's role in the liberation struggle is belittled and ignored. In debates like this, the ruling party remembers icons from the ANC, but it does not remember Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, whose uncle was the founder of the ANC in 1912, whose mentor was Inkosi Luthuli, who undermined the apartheid system from within at the behest of Oliver Tambo and, indeed, did many other things that contributed to where we are.
Mangosuthu Buthelezi is therefore one of the greatest unsung heroes of South Africa's liberation struggle, whose full contribution has not been recognised and cannot be captured in such a brief debate. I thank you, Chair. [Applause.]
Mnr J J MC GLUWA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 600
Mr K M ZONDI
Afrikaans:
Mnr J J MC GLUWA: Voorsitter, ek wil die Minister geluk wens met sy poging om die erfenis en kultuur in ons gemeenskappe terug te bring sodat hulle die waarde van ons landsvlag en ons lied kan verstaan. Ons mense kan so maklik die vlag verkeerd hang en soms die lied sonder toewyding sing, en op ander geleenthede ken hulle nie eens die woorde nie.
English:
Heritage Day is a celebration of South Africa's rich and diverse cultural heritage. For nearly two decades, everyone, from leaders to people at grassroots level, were encouraged to adopt a common goal, which has been to make an effort to understand the demonstrations of the extraordinary richness of the South African social fabric. It is important that we explore the struggle for cultural liberation in our new democracy. We should be united in creating a new heritage and in recontexualising the legacy of the past.
This year's theme is dedicated to men and women of South Africa's races who fought tirelessly for political liberation. It is up to us to keep alive the dreams and aspirations of those who have perished. As leaders, we often find obstacles despite our common goal for unity in our country.
We should be working towards shaping and creating contemporary heritage initiatives in which we can all find meaning and expression to share together as South Africans. We cannot allow this ghost of the past to haunt us in the present.
It is therefore important that we reinforce our social fibres by immersing ourselves in an indigenous culture and language. The historical and current context of the language issue in South Africa remains fraught and continues to have an influence on the relationship between language and society. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr N M KGANYAGO
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 601
Mr J J MC GLUWA
Mr N M KGANYAGO: Chairperson, the clapping of hands and shouting at the end of a well-sung National Anthem should be discouraged. I'm saying this because it has become a custom that when we have celebrations where the National Anthem is sung, at the end people shout or clap hands.
I regard the National Anthem as a prayer. We are talking to our Creator. There is no prayer that is better than the other. I'm just pleading for this. I'm happy that the Minister said something along those lines and I feel that something must be done so that we stop the clapping of hands and shouting at the end of the National Anthem. We are spoiling a good thing.
Heritage Day is one of the most important holidays in our national calendar. On this important day South Africans of all walks of life are encouraged to celebrate their cultural heritage, the diversity of cultures, languages, traditions, belief systems and the flora and fauna which all define our rainbow nation.
As we celebrate this important day, South Africans of all races ought to take time to reflect on and appreciate the heritage our forefathers have left us. What we have today was built on a tremendous amount of sacrifice.
Many people sacrificed their lives so we could claim our legitimate place in the world as the people of Africa. We could be able to uphold and freely practice cultural activities and traditions which define who we are.
While we all agree about the beauty of the physical inheritance, today we face the danger of establishing many negative things as part of our culture because these have become common lifestyle choices and habits.
Easy money and crass materialism seem to be the biggest sources of motivation for many people, including many in the elite. They replace the principle of hard work and destroy the link between effort and reward.
Sepedi:
Nako e fedile? Aowa, banna! Gape ye ga se metsotso ye mebedi. [Disego]
Sesotho:
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): Ke ne ke sa ho tebele. Ke re phetha.
English:
Mr N M KGANYAGO: I thought you will give me more time, one minute and not five minutes like the Minister. Can I conclude? We need to resist the culture of conspicuous consumption and greed as well as the inevitable corruption that is required to sustain it.
Sadly, today these practices seem to define what it means to be successful in the new South Africa.Our habits and culture today will determine the heritage we will leave for the next generation. A failure to change course will leave behind a squabbling, greedy and lazy generation.
Sesotho:
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M B Skosana): O se o e sentse jwale.
Mr N M KGANYAGO: Thank you very much.
Sepedi:
Ke leboga metsotso ye o mphilego yona.
ME L N MOSS
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 601
Mr N M KGANYAGO
Afrikaans:
Me L N MOSS: Voorsitter, agb Ministers, Adjunk-ministers, agb Parlementslede, dames and here, Suid-Afrika is besig om te herrys uit 'n omstuimige geskiedenis. Vir die eerste keer sedert die stryd om hierdie kuslyn geniet ons demokratiese vryhede.
Die botsing van kulture lei nie noodwendig tot onderwerping en heerskappy nie. Dit kan ook lei tot die substantiewe kruisbestuiwing van idees, woorde, gebruike, kunsvorms, kookkuns en godsdienspraktyke.
Hierdie dinamiese wisselwerking het altyd 'n rol gespeel in die kulturele verryking en het 'n buitengewone, vrugbare, uniek Suid-Afrikaanse kultuur tot gevolg gehad, wat ons nasie, in sy taalkundige, kulturele en godsdienstige diversitieit, op so baie wyses saamgevoeg het.
'n Volk sonder 'n verlede is 'n verlore nasie, en mense sonder 'n verlede is mense sonder gees. Afrika word vandag erken as die wieg van die mensdom. In ons deel van die kontinent het ons 'n ryke en uiteenlopende verlede wat eers nou vir sy kompleksiteit en diversiteit waardeer word. Ons erfenis is inderdaad die fondament waarop ons werk om ons samelewing te herbou.
Voorsitter, my boodskap vandag is om vrede te vind in die rykdom van ons samelewing. Ek dring daarop aan dat agb lede aandeel het in die talle geleenthede wat elkeen van ons, die gemeenskappe, ons land en ons kontinent, geniet. Ek wil graag hê dat u dink aan hoe anders u erfenis in baie opsigte is as dié van u ouers.
Dink aan die besondere eienskappe wat u aan die vorige geslagte u bind; aan temas en tradisies wat u lewe gevorm het, soos byvoorbeeld die vryheidsliedere, slagspreuke, gedigte en danse.
Die beginsel van vryheid van uitdrukking is 'n fundamentele vereiste vir die demokrasie. Gewortel in vryheid van uitdrukking en kreatiewe denke, speel die kunste, kultuur en erfenis 'n belangrike rol in die ontwikkeling van nasiebou en die volhoubaarheid van ons ontwikkelende demokrasie.
Die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing het 'n wesenlike transformasie ondergaan. Vir diegene wat sê hierdie transformasie het nie gebeur nie: dit het. Ooreenkomstig die beginsels van geregtigheid, demokrasie, nierassigheid en niesekssisme, staar elke sektor van ons samelewing verandering in die gesig. Terwyl dit sommiges kan omkrap, bring dit vir ander hoop dat hul behoeftes, sieninge en begeertes nou ook deel van die hoofstroom van Suid-Afrika is.
Suid-Afrika se eerste demokraties verkose regering het bygedra tot hierdie proses wat deur die eerste Ministerie van Kuns, Kultuur, Wetenskap en Tegnologie geskep is.
Vir die doeleindes van Erfenismaand, geld die volgende, en dit is die kunste, kultuur en erfenis. Suid-Afrika ondervind inderdaad 'n kulturele renaissance. Kulturele uitdrukking en identiteit, soos taalregte en toegang tot grond, is sommige van die belangrikste kwessies van die dag.
Dit is geen verrassing dat die dominante temas wat hierdie velde kenmerk, 'n gemeenskaplikheid met temas elders het nie. Die bestuur van en toegang tot finansies is die groot uitdagings, en hulle moet ons tromp-op aanpak. Hierdie renaissance in die Suid-Afrikaanse kunste is afhanklik van 'n beleid wat billikheid verseker en wat verbind is tot die bevordering van 'n bewussyn wat diversiteit vier.
Die kunste, kultuur en erfenis kan nie uit hierdie transformasieproses uitgesluit word nie. Elke kunsvorm, van teater tot dans, opera tot kabaret, die skone kunste tot kunshandwerk, klassieke musiek tot jazz, poësievoorlesings tot lesings, kom regdeur Suid-Afrika voor.
Die land is ryk aan kulturele diversiteit wat dit 'n belangrike bestemming maak vir alle kunsliefhebbers. 'n Groot getal kunsgalerye bied geleenthede aan bekende en onbekende kunstenaars om hul talente ten toon te stel. Die Departement van Kuns en Kultuur streef daarna om die Suid-Afrikaanse erfenis te ontwikkel en te bewaar om sodoende maatskaplike kohesie en nasiebou te verseker.
Die agste Januarie 2012 sal 'n jaar van feesvieringe inlui om die honderdjarige bestaan van die ANC te vier, ondanks enige agenda wat 'n afskuwelike botsing mag broei in 'n poging om die ANC of sy beeld te vernietig.
Afrika, die diaspora en die res van die internasionale gemeenskap is besig met voorbereidings om die honderdjarige bestaan in solidariteit met die ANC en Suid-Afrika te vier. In 'n verklaring oor erfenis in Suid-Afrika is dit die moeite werd om te noem dat die eerste sekretaris-generaal van die ANC, Solomon T Plaatje, 'n belangrike letterkundige, prominente vertaler en briljante uitgewer was – om net 'n paar van sy bydraes tot die ontwikkeling van kultuur te noem. Dit is 'n integrale deel van ons erfenis.
Soos ons volksdigter dit duidelik gestel het, was storievertellers, nog vóór die bestaan van die boek, die bewaarders van 'n volk se kollektiewe ervaring en geheue wat hulle kulturele waardes en erfenis gerig en beënvloed het. In kort, selfs nog vóór die boek was letterkunde 'n belangrike bewaarplek van 'n volk se geheue, en was kulturele waardes een van die belangrikste komponente van 'n volk se erfenis, en so is dit steeds.
Agbare Voorsitter, laat my toe om hierdie Huis 'n vraag te vra ...
[Tussenwerpsels.]
Maak maar geraas aan daardie kant; dis goed.
... 'n vraag om oor na te dink: Hoe ver het ons vandag gevorder ten opsigte van geletterdheid en die leesgewoontes wat nodig is om die weg te baan vir leer en kultuur? Dit is nie 'n geheim dat lees nie naastenby een van die gewildste nasionale tydverdrywe is nie.
Die Departement van Kuns en Kultuur werk saam met sy vennote in die Suider-Afrikaanse Ontwikkelingsgemeenskap en die Afrika-unie om museums en gedenktekens te bou en te opgradeer om die helde en heldinne van die bevrydingstryd te herdenk. Die Matolamonument en vertolkingsentrum sal die Matola-invaI van 1981, waartydens Suid-Afrikaanse vryheidsvegters deur die apartheidsregering gedood is, herdenk. Die ANC-regering en Algerië werk saam aan 'n projek wat Miriam Makeba, ook bekend as Mama Afrika, sal vereer.
Saartjie Baartman is in Brittanje uitgestal om mense te vermaak met wat as hoogs ongewone liggaamseienskappe beskou is. Daar was sedert die begin van die 1940s oproepe gemaak om haar stoflike oorskot terug te besorg, maar die saak het eers prominent geword nadat Stephen Jay Gould in die tagtigerjare The Hottentot Venus geskryf het.
Vir die eerste keer in die geskiedenis van ons land het alle kuns- en kultuurpraktisyns die reg om deel te neem aan die skep van openbare beleid en strukture wat hul lewens en lewensbestaan regstreeks, en grootliks ook die gehalte van die lewe van die gemeenskap, raak.
Laastens wil ek ook sê dat die Departmente van Kuns en Kultuur, Basiese Opvoeding, asook Sport en Rekreasie, ons landsvlag en ons volkslied moet uitbeeld deur dit 'n vereiste te maak dat elke huisgesin die volkslied moet sing. Baie dankie.
Mrs C DUDLEY
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 602
Ms L N MOSS
Mrs C DUDLEY: Chair, for Heritage Day, our Iziko Museums are encouraging South Africans to see things differently, to gain a fresh perspective on our diverse cultural heritage. As the nation celebrates the lives and achievements of heroes and heroines, and as we are made aware of diverse topics in which to actively engage with our legacies, our history and heritage, we will also be able to hear a precolonial archaeologist discussing the all but forgotten freedom fighters, the Khoisan.
The struggle was not only to gain political freedom and regain cultural dignity and respect for the environment, but to have a legacy to pass on to their children.
In every age, there are multiple challenges facing our communities and cultures. Nuclear development, for example, is threatening to permanently scar areas with exceptional heritage qualities. Duynefontein, Bantamsklip and Thyspunt, identified for proposed nuclear power stations are excellent natural heritage landscapes and make a substantial contribution to the character of the region. Together with the archaeological material, they represent a largely intact precolonial cultural landscape.
In the words of one researcher, Bantamsklip was planted as a Khoisan women's kitchen - with waxberry here, soap plants there, herbs in the other place - thus giving an insight into their lives that we would not get in any other way.
The former Prime Minister of Japan says the biggest reason why he changed his views on nuclear power was that they could not afford to take the risk of accidents happening that could make half the landmass of Japan uninhabitable. Just last week, Koeberg had an unplanned shutdown due, they say, to either mechanical or instrumentation failure.
Errors and accidents happen, not to mention unsolvable nuclear waste problems! The age-old struggle for survival itself is not honoured in the building of nuclear plants, which put land and the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren of our heroes at risk in the years to come. Thank you.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Wednesday 14 September 2011 Take: 602
Mrs C DUDLEY
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: House Chairperson, distinguished members of this House, an opportunity to celebrate the lives and times of the heroes and heroines of our national liberation struggle is an opportunity to reflect upon and reaffirm the intrinsic roots of our nation, and the continuing relevance for nation-building and social cohesion.
Since biblical and Pharaonic times, all the great nations and empires that arose and prospered were those that were founded on and preserved the history of their founding fathers and mothers, in particular the revolutionary moral values which inspired their struggles for national liberation, freedom, equality and justice for all. Those nations who abandoned their history and revolutionary morality, declined and perished.
House Chairperson, South Africa has a great history of a national liberation struggle and, in particular, a rich history of revolutionary moral values which were born out of that struggle. The revolutionary morality of the founders of our struggle for liberation continues to inspire other nations and people who are grappling with issues of nation-building and social cohesion.
We have received delegations from other foreign countries who, inspired by our miracle nation and its foremost icon, Nelson Mandela, sought to learn about our South African experience. Recently, we hosted the Angolan parliamentary delegation, and this past Sunday, I addressed the national conference of Sinn Fein in Belfast, Northern Ireland. They all want to engage and learn from us.
Nelson Mandela, affectionately known as Madiba, was able to spearhead our national liberation struggle because he understood and embodied the history and values which inspired generations of heroes and heroines of our struggle.
The founders of our democracy, like the French and American revolutionaries, were inspired by the Masonic principles of liberty, equality and brotherhood. The Western nations which owed their birth to these noble principles were disbelieving in their views that African and other third world people were also an integral part of the human family and that they too deserved to enjoy the right to self-determination, liberty and equality.
The underdevelopment paradigm of the African continent today was as a result of the absolute absence of the sense of complementarism as it relates to Western countries that consider themselves totally independent of others.
The founders of this Parliament and the historic designs of its historic buildings were inspired by the same Masonic heritage that inspired Prince Hall. He was the founder of the African Masonic lodges in the US, and teacher of great Pan-African revolutionaries such as Frederick Douglas, Booker T Washington, Rev Richard Allen, Prof Williams B Du Bois and Marcus Garvey.
The founders of this Parliament and the heroines and heroes of our national liberation struggle drew their inspiration from the same revolutionary heritage.
However, the founders of this Parliament, like the leaders of the French and American revolutions, did not know that they owed their revolutionary principles, which guided them, to the African people who they enslaved, colonised and forcibly deprived of their land and its natural resources. When the Africans, in particular, and black people, in general, stood up to fight for their right to self-determination and human rights, they were labelled terrorists, hunted down like wild animals, arrested, tortured, imprisoned or killed.
The democratic breakthrough of 1994 awakened all of us, both black and white, to the fact that we are, after all, members of the same human family and that we are all inherently free, equal and are brothers and sisters.
This realisation did not come to us like manna from heaven. It was born out of the national liberation struggle and the revolutionary morality that underpinned it. President Nelson Mandela and all his successors preached the African Renaissance, reconciliation, nation-building and social cohesion based on our common humanity.
Hon Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was applauded by all of us when she told this august House that in 2012, the ANC will celebrate 100 years of selfless struggle for freedom, equality and justice for all, and that this will be a centenary for all the people of South Africa, Africa and the world. This centenary would not be possible without the selfless sacrifices of the heroes and heroines of our national liberation struggle. The celebration of their lives, times and revolutionary morality is long overdue.
We are who we are because of others and it is difficult, if not impossible, to build a new, cohesive, caring and sustainable nation without anchoring it in the revolutionary values of our heroes and heroines. Given that nearly one third of our population is younger than 15 years of age, it is difficult, if not impossible, to envisage the sustainability of our democracy by our youth and children, unless the public representatives commit themselves to teaching our democratic values and principles.
How else can future generations sustain this democracy when our schools and institutions believe that teaching the history of our national liberation struggle and revolutionary morality is the introduction of politics in institutions of learning?
The history of our national liberation struggle and the revolutionary morality that inspired it are the bedrock and mainstay of our heritage, nationhood and social cohesion. Every young person and child, regardless of race, class or gender, must know this history and morality, lest we build our nation on quicksand.
Every institution of learning, private or public, should teach this history and morality in the same manner that we teach about the patriarchs, Abraham, Moses and Solomon in the Bible and the Koran. Thus, Parliament must ensure that the curricula in our institutions of learning are transformed in our lifetime to reflect upon the contribution of our heroes and heroines for our freedom, democracy and civil liberties that we enjoy today.
The successful celebrations of Nelson Mandela Day in three successive years since its inception have shown that the history and revolutionary values that our icon embodies are able to bind us together and mobilise us to do good to others. It would be a great omission and tragedy of our times if we do not use this sitting to highlight the distinctive principles and values of our national liberation struggle to advance our nation-building project.
The history of our national liberation struggle is not the history of a political party, but rather the story of a people united in their refusal to accept that they are a subhuman race, and who asserted their humanity and inherent values of freedom, equality and justice for all, both black and white. They did this by embodying African values that speak of a complementary framework where individuals and community need each other, and that each cannot claim to be superior to the other, but rather require harmonious interaction. The wisdom in this lies in the expression that the community is part of the individual, and by accepting the existence of the community, individuals achieve self-definition.
This is abundantly evident in a number of assertions by the father of our nation, Nelson Mandela. In an unpublished autobiographical manuscript written on Robben Island in 1973, Mandela says:
I wish I could tell you more about the courageous band of colleagues with whom I suffer humiliation daily and who nevertheless comport themselves with dignity and determination.
Upon his release on 11 February 1990, Mandela said:
I call in the strongest possible way for us to act with the dignity and discipline that our just struggle for freedom deserves.
From that day on, Madiba pursued a principled and peaceful struggle that led to the 1994 democratic breakthrough. One wonders why the month of February, and 11 February in particular, has not yet been declared South African and African history month to be used to remind and teach our people, both black and white, where we come from as a nation, and what pitfalls we should avoid so that we do not forget or return to the dark days of apartheid colonialism.
As early as 18 June 1990, Nelson Mandela gave notice of the kind of society he sought to build when he declared that-
Our people have the right to hope, the right to a future, the right to life itself. No power on this earth can destroy the thirst for human dignity. Our land cries out for peace. We will only achieve it through adherence to democratic principles and respect for the rights of all.
In his first state of the nation address, Madiba elaborated on the postapartheid constitutional vision embodied in the Freedom Charter:
My Government's commitment to create a people-centred society of liberty binds us to the pursuit of the goals of freedom from want, freedom from hunger, freedom from deprivation, freedom from ignorance, freedom from suppression and freedom from fear. These freedoms are fundamental to the guarantee of human dignity. Our definition of the freedom of the individual must be instructed by the fundamental objective to restore the human dignity of each and every South African.
Our freedom fighters, both black and white, knew full well that the recovery of our humanity and restoration of the dignity of all South Africans, both black and white, would require the transformation of the South African economy. Nelson Mandela represented the vision and mission of all generations of freedom fighters when he told the Canadian parliament in June 1990 that-
We are also determined that the political freedom of which we have spoken should go side by side with freedom from hunger, want and suffering. It is, therefore, of vital importance that we restructure the South African economy so that its wealth is shared by all our people, Black and White, to ensure that everybody enjoys a decent and rising standard of living.
In his address to the Joint House of Congress, Madiba articulated the type of economy that is desired:
We require an economy that is able to address the needs of all the people of our country; that can provide food, houses, education, health, services, social security and everything that makes human life human that makes life joyful and not a protracted encounter with hopelessness and despair.
President Zuma told this House, early this year, that the achievements of the five priorities of his administration would advance the recovery of the humanity of all South Africans and improve the quality of their lives.
This government also understood and advanced the vision of our democracy, as articulated by Madiba. Thus, in the January 8 Statement of 2011, we said that political freedom without economic freedom is meaningless. We then went on to declare 2011 the year of job creation and transformation of the economy.
The call of the ANC Youth League for economic freedom in our lifetime must be understood in this context. The achievement of economic freedom in our lifetime has always been part of our national liberation struggle for the right to political, cultural, social and economic emancipation.
The call for economic emancipation must be embraced by all of us to defuse the ticking bomb which Deputy President Motlanthe referred to in his address to the national conference of the Board of Deputies.
Economic freedom and prosperity require a culture of learning and teaching. They require an educational system directed to the full development of the human personality. The deepening moral degeneration in our country highlights the fact that our educational system must address both the spiritual and material aspects of the human personality.
The pursuit of material gains, mainly sacrificing at the altar for money, will not help us build a cohesive, caring and sustainable nation. Our educational system must first and foremost build the character of our youth and children. Secondly, it must equip them with technical skills which are required for our development.
Thirdly, it must teach them to prioritise education, rather than material gains and to make value choices. Our schools should list, define and recommend a core of citizenship values essential to our society that need to be part of every child's school, home, and community.
In short, I am saying that, in the same manner that those who read the Bible and believe that they should base their lives on the 10 Commandments, we need 10 commandments of values on which to build our nation so that it can be cohesive, sustainable and caring. I thank you very much for your indulgence. [ Applause.]
Debate concluded.
The House adjourned at 17:58.
GG//GM(ed) / END OF TAKE
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