Hansard: JS: Debate on Heritage Day
House: Joint (NA + NCOP)
Date of Meeting: 10 Sep 2013
Summary
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Minutes
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,17 Sep 2013,"Take 250 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 250
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,10 Sep 2013,"[Take-250] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][nm].doc"
TUESDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 2013
PROCEEDINGS AT JOINT SITTING
_________
Members of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces assembled in the Chamber of the National Assembly at 14:06.
The Speaker of the National Assembly took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
The SPEAKER
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 250
START OF DAY
WELCOMING OF GUESTS
(Announcement)
The SPEAKER: Hon members, I wish to acknowledge the presence in the gallery of a multiparty delegation from the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique, which is led by the President of the Assembly, Her Excellency Dr Verónica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo accompanied by her spouse Mr S Dlhovo. Hon members, welcome to our Parliament. [Applause.] Thank you.
Português:
Muito obrigado. [Thank you very much.]
English:
Hon members, I also wish to acknowledge the presence in the gallery of journalism students from the Tshwane University of Technology who are on a study visit to Parliament. [Applause.] Thank you and welcome to Parliament.
The PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 250
THE SPEAKER
RECLAIMING, RESTORING AND CELEBRATING OUR LIVING HERITAGE
(Debate on Heritage Day)
The PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC: Hon Speaker of the National Assembly, Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa hon Motlanthe, hon Ministers, premiers and those representing the premiers, they seem to be in numbers today, hon Deputy Ministers, hon members of the House, special guests, let me begin by thanking the presiding officers for the opportunity to participate in this important Heritage Month debate. Nearly 20 years ago, we demonstrated to the world that it was possible to walk away from divisions and hatred, and built a new nonracial, nonsexist, democratic and prosperous society. In that way, South Africans laid a firm foundation for a better future, working together.
The passing of a progressive Constitution, the supreme law of the land, is also confirmation that there would never again be a cruel system of institutionalised racism and subjugation of any group of people in our beautiful country. Since 1994, we have been building a new legacy and a new heritage for our country, based on the vision of building a united, nonracial, nonsexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.
We are happy today to have special guests in this House, 74 second-year journalism students from Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, Gauteng province ... [Applause.] ... as recognised by the Speaker. They are accompanied by their lecturers, Dr Ndivhoniswani Tshidzumba and Mr Levy Ndou. [Applause.] The presence of the students is important as the youth needs to understand and appreciate the rich heritage of their country, and the foundation that has been laid for a democratic society.
Hon members, the theme of this year's Heritage Month celebration is: Reclaiming, restoring and celebrating our living heritage. Aspects of living heritage include cultural traditions, oral history, performance, popular memory, skills and techniques, indigenous knowledge systems, and a holistic approach to nature, society, and social relationships.
The theme talks to our painful history. One of the powerful weapons of colonialism and apartheid was to control the production and reproduction of knowledge about the past of indigenous communities and to deny them a place in history as people who rightfully belong to this land. For this reason, the struggles for liberation and freedom that were waged over the past three centuries were not just about political freedom. They were also about social, cultural and economic freedom.
They were about the oppressed reclaiming their identity, history, culture and traditions, and demanding their rightful place in history and in their country. Nineteen years of freedom and democracy have thus included the building of a new cultural and heritage landscape, through the development of the new national symbols, monuments, museums, and festivals that define the new free, nonracial and democratic South Africa.
Amongst the visible aspects of our heritage are our popular national symbols. Our colourful rainbow national flag was unveiled on 20th April 1994, and it continues to instil pride whenever we see it flying anywhere in our country or the world.
The coat of arms not only pays homage to some of the oldest inhabitants of our land and their languages, but it also expresses an ideal that is central to our national identity: Unity in diversity. At provincial level all nine provinces designed and registered their coats of arms with the Bureau of Heraldry. These provincial coats of arms mark a remarkable departure from Western designs to indigenous shapes of shields and crests inspired by African traditions and celebrating our African heritage.
Our national anthem is one of the most powerful demonstrations of the willingness of South Africans to find each other under difficult circumstances. It brings together two compositions to bridge past divides and heal the past wounds of a nation that was once painfully fragmented. The national anthem is also unique in that it is sung in five languages, demonstrating the tireless desire to reconcile and promote national unity.
Our national orders, which are the highest awards that the President can bestow on citizens and foreign nationals, who are friends of the Republic, are recognising communities that were previously excluded, while paying homage to South Africa's rich heritage. All these symbols are contributing immensely to building a new heritage landscape and consolidating our priceless heritage of freedom and democracy.
IsiZulu:
Malungu eNdlu yesiShayamthetho ahloniphekileyo, mangigcizelele ukuthi amasiko nomlando wezwe lakithi kujule kakhulu; kudinga ukuthi sikulondoloze futhi sikusabalalise, kwaziwe ezweni lonke nasemhlabeni wonke jikelele. Sizoqhubeka njengohulumeni ukwakha amaziko omlando noma izizinda zomlando omusha wezwe lakithi. Lokhu sikwenzela ukubuyisa isithunzi nesigqi sabantu nesezwe lakithi...[Ihlombe.]... nokugcizelela ukubuyisana nokwakha kabusha isizwe sakithi.
English:
Hon members, one of the biggest heritage milestones for the country was the marking of 100 years of the oldest liberation movement in Africa, the ANC, last year. [Applause.] The ANC centenary was celebrated all over the country, as well as in the African Union and the United Nations, as a celebration of the country's rich heritage of fighting for freedom, equality, human rights, and dignity. In his speech at the high-level symposium on South Africa's contribution to the fight against racism and xenophobia at the United Nations in September 2011, ahead of the centenary, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said:
When Nelson Mandela walked free, the world sang with joy. Ever since, South Africa has stood as a beacon of hope for Africa. I felt it myself last year when I visited Johannesburg for the opening of the World Cup. Overwhelmingly, people want this nonracial democracy to succeed.
Indeed, we have a responsibility to make our country succeed. The UN Secretary-General also emphasised the fact that South Africa had quickly built a tradition of smooth democratic transition. He said:
It has a progressive Constitution that entrenches and protects rights that most developed countries have not managed to guarantee, and gives women one-third of the seats in Parliament. South Africa has a robust economy, and is an influential voice in continental and world affairs. Yet with such success, such power, also comes great responsibility.
It is the knowledge of that responsibility that has made us to emphasise the need to work together in building the united, nonracial, nonsexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa we all seek. The important questions to ask are: How can we promote national unity and a new national identity even further? How can we improve an understanding and appreciation of the country's new inclusive heritage across all communities? It means we need to work harder, all of us. There should be some non-negotiables that we agree on as political leaders, as we take the country forward. [Applause.] Our vision as the ANC government is to build a united, nonracial, nonsexist, prosperous, equal and inclusive society. We believe it is not difficult to unite all leaders behind this vision.
Sesotho:
Ho jwalo. [Ditsheho.]
English:
Indeed, the overwhelming acceptance of the National Development Plan by Parliament is an indication of agreement with regard to what South Africa should look like by the year 2030. That is an encouraging development. There have been other remarkable achievements over the past 19 years. It was never going to be easy to build a new nation out of the ashes of colonial oppression and apartheid. It was also not going to be easy for communities to part with national symbols they had known all their lives and embrace new ones, as they had done, for example, the new national anthem. But all that has been achieved in the past few years, indicating the determination of our people to build a new society.
Allow me, therefore hon Speaker and hon Chairperson, to thank all South Africans for their tolerance, patience and understanding, particularly during the process of building a new heritage landscape for the country since 1994. [Applause.] New names for provinces, cities, towns, streets, airports, roads, and bridges were finalised and rolled out nationally with minimal resistance. It is clear that those affected understood the necessity of correcting the wrongs of the past and building a new inclusive society.
This maturity is one of the key attributes of the South African people. We are always able to discuss and solve our problems regardless of how insurmountable they might look to outsiders.
The uniqueness of South Africa is also emerging through some of our monuments. For example, in Pretoria, Gauteng, a road has been built linking Voortrekker Monument and Freedom Park as part of our ongoing commitment to reconciliation, social cohesion ... [Applause.] ... and nation-building. People visiting the Voortrekker Monument can easily walk across and also visit Freedom Park and vice versa.
In addition, the construction of a bridge linking Ncome Museum and the Blood River Monument has also been completed, symbolising reconciliation and a new beginning amongst communities that sought to destroy each other in the past. We also have monuments marking major events in history, such as the construction of a heritage centre marking the Pondo Revolt at Ingquza Hill in the Eastern Cape.
Hon members, our struggle was also fought beyond the borders and led to the loss of life of foreign nationals. In this regard, the Matola Raid Memorial in Mozambique has been completed and will forever be a reminder of the supreme prize the people of Mozambique had paid to help liberate South Africa. [Applause.] Kanimambo. [Thank you.]
Português:
Muito obrigado, Moçambicanos. [Aplausos.] Nosso país é teu país. [Interjeições.] [Aplausos.] [Thank you very much, Mozambicans. [Applause.] Our country is your country. [Interjections.] [Applause.]]
English:
This monument will also serve as a reminder of the contribution made by the people of SADC and Africa, in general, to attain freedom and democracy in our country. Hon members, to correct and reverse the colonial legacy and restore the dignity of the Khoi and San communities further, we repatriated the stolen remains of Klaas and Trooi Pienaar that had been removed from their graves by Austrian racist scientist Rudolf Pöch in September 1909 and sent to Vienna for experiments.
The heritage programme continues under the leadership of the Department of Arts and Culture. Many graves of liberation stalwarts have been restored, upgraded and declared as national heritage sites in recognition of the immense role they had played in building the type of society we are living in.
Additional work in 2013, includes the commemoration of 100 years of the Union Buildings, which will entail building new symbols of hope around the Union Buildings precinct. This includes a statue of former President Nelson Mandela, the first and founding President ... [Applause.] ... of the democratic South Africa, who remains an inspiration to our people and the world. We are also completing the construction of the home of the late President of the ANC, Mr Oliver Tambo, in Mbizana in the Eastern Cape. This will help the people of South Africa to know the contribution of this great hero of our liberation struggle ... [Applause.] ... who kept the flame of freedom burning against all odds.
Hon members, as indicated earlier, in addition to the enormous contribution of heritage to reconciliation and nation-building, the programme also contributes to inclusive economic growth and job creation. The Robben Island Museum and World Heritage has demonstrated the economic potential of heritage tourism.
During the 2012-13 financial year, Robben Island Museum has raised more than the amount it has been allocated by the Department of Arts and Culture, which was approximately R60 million against the grant of R58 million. [Applause.] Its sources of revenue are ticket sales, conferences and events, specialised tours, and VVIP visits. A number of heads of state and government visited the island, thus assisting to further promote this political university that produced luminaries, such as our icon President Mandela and his peers.
Currently, maintenance projects on Robben Island have contributed to employment of more than 100 young people from local communities, a demonstration of the impact of cultural and heritage tourism. We need to build on this economic potential and turn our heritage projects into key components of our economic development plans.
Hon members, incidentally, September is also Tourism Month. The Department of Tourism has already launched its September campaign, encouraging South Africans to explore their country while also encouraging as many foreign tourists as possible to visit and enjoy the scenic beauty, the arts, culture, and heritage of our country.
Compatriots, the primary source of our living heritage is the senior citizens of our country, our older persons. The Presidency will launch Older Persons Week on 29th September. Older Persons Week normally runs from 1st October, which is International Older Persons Day as designated by the United Nations, to Grandparents Day on the first Sunday of October. [Applause.] The Department of Social Development will lead celebrations during that week. Other departments and provinces will also host events promoting the wellbeing, role and contribution of older persons in society and also communicating the services they provide to older persons. We urge Members of Parliament to participate in events in their constituencies to support and promote the custodians of our living heritage.
Hon members, let me again thank the presiding officers for the opportunity to open this debate. We still have a long way to go towards a truly inclusive and nonracial heritage, but we have laid a good and solid foundation. Work must continue to promote social cohesion and national unity, and to build a prosperous South Africa, in order to fully achieve the ideals of the founding father of this democracy, former President Mandela.
I would like to leave you with the words of iNkosi Albert Luthuli as he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 1961. He said:
Our vision has always been that of a nonracial democratic South Africa which upholds the rights of all who live in our country, to remain there as full citizens with equal rights and responsibilities with all others. For the consummation of this ideal we have laboured unflinchingly. We shall continue to labour unflinchingly.
I thank you. [Applause.]
THE MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 251
THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,13 Sep 2013,"Take 251 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,10 Sep 2013,"[Take-251] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][nm].doc"
Xitsonga:
HOLOBYE WA VUTSHILA NA MFUWO: Muchaviseki Xipikara, Xandla xa Xipikara xa Palamende, Mutshamaxitulu wa NCOP , Xandla xa Mutshamaxitulu wa NCOP, Muchaviseki wa Rhiphabuliki ra Afrika-Dzonga Phuresidente Jacob Zuma, Vaholobye , Swandla swa Vaholobye, vachaviseki Swirho swa Palamente, vaholobyenkulu lava nga kona namuntlha na lava nga va yimela, vamanana, vatatana na Maafrika-Dzonga hinkwawo, i nhlikani na vaxumi.
English:
On this day, as we reaffirm our nation's heritage, let us take this opportunity to pause, look back and reflect on who we are and where we come from as South Africans. Fellow South Africans, let me start by making the assertion that we are a great people, and we are building a great nation. [Applause.] We are the children and grandchildren of President Nelson Mandela - a global icon of our liberation struggle, the founding father of our democratic nation, and a symbol of hope to all those who fight for a just and equitable world order.
Up to this day, Tata Madiba remains an inspiration to all of us. He inspires us to work even harder towards the goal of one nation, one people united in their diversity. It is in keeping with the proud legacy of Tata Madiba and his generation of freedom fighters that, today, we are building a proud, caring and an inclusive society based on the values of ubuntu, democracy, equality, selflessness and dignity for all.
As this generation of South Africans, we will continue to uphold these values as we build the new South Africa as envisioned in the Freedom Charter. As we mark the centenary of the Union Buildings this year in December, President Zuma will unveil the statue of Tata Madiba at the Union Buildings. [Applause.] Ah Dalibunga! Ah Dalibunga! [Applause.] [Laughter.] Siya bonga Nkosi Buthelezi [We thank you, Prince Buthelezi].
We are the descendants of great kings and warriors. We are the descendants of Soshangane, King Shaka ka Senza Ngakhona, King Mzilikazi, Khosi Moshoeshoe, King Makhado, King Hintsa and Kgoshi Sekhukhune. We carry within us the blood of the great warriors Nghunghunyani and Chief Bhambatha. We are the descendants of Makana, Dawid Stuurman, and many others who fought gallantly against colonial aggression and domination. They imbued in us the spirit of no surrender. [Applause.] We are the descendants of the Indian indentured labourers who came to our country more than 150 years ago and made a meaningful contribution in developing the industrial base of what is today KwaZulu-Natal. [Applause.]
We are also the descendents of the Malay slaves who, up to this day, continue to enrich our cultural and religious lives. We are the children and grandchildren of the migrant labourers who came from Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, and many parts of Southern Africa to work in the mines, contributing immensely to make South Africa the biggest economy on the continent. [Applause.] Let our message be loud and clear throughout the continent that we are one people. The evolution of our society was also influenced by the early indentured labourers from China who today are part of the fabric of our cultural life.
We are resilient people. We defeated the settler colonialists whose motive was to take away the land from the indigenous people and strip them of their dignity. Yet, today, we cannot define them outside the history that makes us who we are as a nation. We have learnt to forgive but not to forget. [Applause.] Efforts are underway to reclaim and give back the land to the people and bring back their dignity. [Applause.]
We are the Cradle of Humankind. Evidence of early human life exists in Maropeng and the Sterkfontien Caves in Gauteng. There is also evidence of early human civilisation in Ethiopia. This confirms that Africa is indeed the Cradle of Humankind. We originate from the Great Kingdom of Mapungubwe. Long before the colonialists set foot on our shores, we were already melting gold and trading with the world. [Applause.]
Today, our country boasts no less than eight world heritage sites: Robben Island that the President has referred to; uKhahlamba/Drakensberg Park; Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape; iSimangaliso/Greater St Lucia Wetland National Park; the Cape Floral Region; Vredefort Dome; Maropeng, the Cradle of Humankind; and Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape.
Our ancestry is also that of the Khoi and the San, the Bushman, and the Griqua who suffered some of the most brutal forms of oppression by colonialists. But, today, they are standing tall as proud members of the South African nation. We are the children and grandchildren of the survivors of the South African war where both black and white South Africans lost lives and limbs, including women and children who perished in the concentration camps. Today, we are working together to build this great nation.
As a nation, we stand on the shoulders of giants such as John Langalibalele Dube – Umafukuzela, Chief Albert Luthuli, Mahatma Gandhi, Pixley ka Isaaka Seme, Robert Sobukwe, Yusuf Dadoo, Oliver Reginald Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Steve Biko, Beyers Naude, Bram Fischer, and many others who took over the baton of struggle from those brave African traditional leaders who led the wars of resistance. [Applause.] They ushered in an era of greater unity, especially among the African people. They were inspired by the words of Pixley ka Isaka Seme who wrote the following:
The demon of racialism, the aberrations of the Xhosa-Fingo feud, the animosity that exists between the Zulus and the Tongas, between the Basothos and every other Native must be buried and forgotten; [Applause.] it has shed among us sufficient blood! We are one people.
Setswana:
Mmusa Kgotla, rona re tswalwa ke basadi bakileng ba tswara thipa kabohaleng; [Applause.] bomme Charlotte Maxeke, Lillian Ngoyi, Mama Albertina Sisulu, Helen Suzman, Helen Joseph le mme Rahima Moosa le ba bang ba bantsi.
English:
Some of these great women are still with us today. They include Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Mama Sophia Williams-de Bruyn, and Mme Ruth Mompati. [Applause.]
IsiXhosa:
Malibongwe igama lamakhosikazi!
English:
We are a young and energetic nation inspired by the militancy of Chris Hani, Solomon Mahlangu, and Peter Mokaba. On this day, as we celebrate our heritage, we say to our young people: The future belongs to you, build it now! [Applause.]
It is because of this rich and diverse history of the evolution of the South African society that our country is, today, a melting pot of various cultures and people. Indeed, it is to this rich and diverse history that we owe our uniqueness, our strength, and our greatness as a nation. It is this diverse history, now part of our nation's heritage, that inspired the motto in our Constitution ...
San:
!ke e: /xarra //ke. [Diverse people unite!]
English:
The richness of our heritage is also reflected in the diversity of our languages, including the languages of the Khoi, the San, the Bushman, and Griqua communities. Today, South Africa is proud to have 11 official languages, offering all of them an equal opportunity. As the ANC government, we have committed ourselves to develop the languages of the Khoi, the San, the Bushman, and the Griqua. We have also begun a process of designating these languages to be part of our country's official languages.
The richness of our heritage has also found expression in the diversity of our religious beliefs, all of which define who we are and contribute to shaping our society. We are Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Jews, and we enjoy religious tolerance across our society. Furthermore, we are also traditional healers.
All of these are part of our collective heritage that we must reclaim, preserve and promote for current and future generations. It is this collective heritage that should also be at the centre of our ongoing efforts to promote social cohesion, nation-building, and reconciliation. This heritage must bind us together towards a common national identity and a common South African consciousness. Inspired by our rich, diverse and proud heritage, since 1994, we have made significant strides in building a truly nonracial, nonsexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.
As we progress along this journey, we are guided by the preamble of our Constitution, which states the following:
We, the people of South Africa, recognise the injustices of our past; honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.
This preamble derives its essence from the Freedom Charter adopted in Kliptown in 1956, which states that:
South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people.
Reclaiming, preserving and promoting our nation's heritage is an integral part of this journey. It is also part of our ongoing endeavour to build an inclusive society - a society we can all call home.
We continue to draw inspiration from those who have come before us and the heritage they have left us. We have learnt from our forebears that we are a great people with extraordinary resilience. Indeed, we are a nation standing on the shoulders of great men and women. We are a nation that has triumphed over adversity. We pride ourselves on our abundant talent and hard work. This is shown by our achievements for many years in various fields of human endeavours, such as in science, arts, sport and academia. Even though Bafana Bafana didn't qualify to go to Brazil, we are still a nation of good footballers. [Applause.] [Laughter.] President, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The hosting of the Square Kilometre Array, SKA, project in the Northern Cape, is bearing testimony to the progress we are making as a nation in the field of science. As a result of this project, many people from across the world will be descending on our shores to witness and learn from this great heritage to humanity.
It is therefore important that we continue to reclaim, preserve and promote our heritage. We should also do this as part of crafting a new and inclusive narrative of who we are as a nation, and where we are coming from. We should also do this so as to write the correct and complete history of our country. This history should reflect the stories, sites, events, individuals, and groups of significance with regard to the cultural and historical life of all South Africans.
We are also reclaiming, preserving and promoting our heritage as part of building new and inclusive symbols that are reflecting the kind of society we are seeking to build. It is this thinking that is continuing to inform the work we are doing on all our heritage legacy projects. It is this thinking that also informs our implementation of the Liberation Heritage Route and the Khoi and San Heritage Route.
The projects we are currently undertaking in this regard include the construction of a national heritage monument. This monument will feature, among others, the statues of some of our country's greatest leaders and will be located in a heritage park to be established in the City of Tshwane. In April next year, we will be mounting the statue of Chief Bhambatha ka Mancisa in Greytown in KwaZulu Natal. [Applause.]
All of these projects are in addition to renaming towns, streets, and public buildings in honour of the heroes and heroines of our liberation struggle. This included changing the name of Bloemfontein Airport to Braam Fischer International Airport last year. We are doing away with colonial names, such as Kaffersfontein, that were meant to insult and denigrate our people.
As the President indicated, we have already built and will continue to build more new museums, monuments, and commemorative sites in order to tell the story of our struggle for liberation. These projects are not only contributing to transforming the heritage landscape of our country by ensuring inclusiveness, but are also contributing towards social cohesion, reconciliation, nation-building, as well as local economic development and job creation.
The task of reclaiming, preserving and promoting our nation's heritage will form an important part of celebrating 20 years of freedom and democracy next year. As part of the build-up programme towards this milestone, we are calling on all South Africans to identify sites that and individuals, mainly unsung heroes and heroines in their own communities, who contributed to where we are today. [Applause.] The stories told by these sites and individuals are part of our nation's heritage, and should therefore be reclaimed, preserved and promoted.
We are confident that the work we are doing will go a long way in reaffirming who we are as nation. It will, once more, deepen the inclusiveness of the society we seek to build. It will correct the wrongs of the past and restore the dignity of all South Africans. This work is never about obliterating the history and heritage of a particular section of our society. It is never about affirming one section of society over the other. In fact, it is about reminding us that we are indeed a great nation, standing on the shoulders of great men and women, and that our diversity is a source of strength rather than a source of weakness. It is about reminding all of us, as South Africans, that we are our nation's living heritage.
Fellow South Africans, let us build on our proud heritage. Let us use our heritage as a tool to teach us that those things that unite us far outweigh those that divide us.
Hon President, I fully agree with you that we have laid a firm foundation for a better future - that is a prosperous future, offering a better life for all. Today, South Africa is better than it was in 1994. We will continue to build a society where there will be neither tribes nor ethnic groups, but just South Africans united in their diversity. We are one people, one nation!
San:
!ke e: /xarra //ke. [Diverse people unite!]
Xitsonga:
Ndza khensa, inkomu. [Va Phokotela.]
The LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 252
THE MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,07 Nov 2013,"Take 252 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,10 Sep 2013,"[Take-252] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][nm].doc"
The LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: Hon Speaker, hon President, hon members, today we stand together, united as a Parliament, to honour the heritage of our country, South Africa, a place that we love dearly in all its beautiful diversity. We have the opportunity to reflect upon where we have come from as a nation, and where we wish to take our country.
From Tzaneen to Khayelitsha, Ulundi to Ekurhuleni, from Bloemfontein to Saldanha Bay, the members of this House carry with them the hopes and aspirations of 50 million South Africans.
While we might debate each other robustly, and offer sometimes very different policy solutions to the numerous challenges we face as a nation, I am confident that everybody sitting in this Chamber today shares at least one common bond - a deep and abiding love for our country.
The hon President should never worry about or doubt this. The people of South Africa love our country too. While they may differ politically and ideologically, as we do, they do so in pursuance of a better life for all citizens.
Our Parliament, like our democracy, is built on a set of principles and values. It is the culmination of one of history's greatest struggles and victories against injustice. It is the standard-bearer of constitutionalism, of redress and reconciliation, and of equality and unity in diversity. These are values that, if nurtured and protected, will deliver one of the most resounding stories of human success in history.
Afrikaans:
Saam is ons elke dag besig om 'n nuwe en gesamentlike erfenis vir ons land te bou. Ons Suid-Afrika is een waar ons ouers en grootouers saam teen ongelooflike onregverdighede geveg het om ons te bring tot waar ons vandag is. [Applous.] Ons Suid-Afrika is een waarop ons kinders en kleinkinders terug sal kyk en een wat hulle sal vier.
English:
The construction and celebration of new national symbols in our country are an important part of the great projects to build our heritage. It is for this reason that the DA warmly welcomes the President's announcement today that a monument of the first President of our democratic South Africa will be erected to celebrate the heritage we are building today.
The Union Buildings were once a symbol of oppression by the apartheid state. Last month, we commemorated Women's Day, which is the day when 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings, 57 years ago, to protest against pass laws. Today, we are celebrating the transformation of the Union Buildings into a symbol of hope and unity, embodied by President Nelson Mandela.
We owe it to the people who elected us to remember that we are representatives of the South African people, not only in how our politics divides us, but also in how our heritage unites us.
Many members of the governing and opposition parties fought side-by-side to liberate our country from apartheid and colonialism. [Interjections.] Some shared prison cells and safe houses. Others were exiles together.
Our hon members are united by many more threads of history, heritage, and culture; some more visible than others.
Afrikaans:
Laat ons vandag herinner word dat terwyl daar steeds baie is wat die mense van Suid-Afrika en die lede van die Huis skei, is daar meer wat ons kan verenig.
Laat ons vandag herinner word dat die bou van 'n nie-rassige, verenigde Suid-Afrika nie maklik gaan wees nie. Dit is 'n proses wat leierskap en vasberadenheid sal verg.
English:
And let us never forget that in doing so we would ensure that the South African miracle of 1994 would not only be remembered as an event in history, but also as an inspiring story that would be told for generations and generations to come, as our common, shared heritage. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mnu P NTSHIQELA
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 252
THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
IsiXhosa:
Mnu P NTSHIQELA: Kukho into endiyifundileyo oko ndaba lapha yokuba, umntu ubabhetele kakhulu xa enxibe amehlo entengo. [Kwahlekwa.]
English:
Mr Speaker, all members, Mr President, Deputy President, ...
IsiXhosa:
Zikhona iilwimi ezinzima kodwa azange ndaluva ulwimi olunzima nendilungiswe kulo kwathiwa mandingatsho ukuba sisiTshangane, mandithi Xitsonga.
English:
Minister, ...
IsiXhosa:
... undibethile kwamanye amagama, kodwa ndiyibambile.
English:
Heritage.
IsiXhosa:
Ndiza kuthetha isilungu ke namhlanje. [Kwahlekwa.] Akhange ndilale ubusuku bonke ndifundana nala magama esilungu. [Kwahlekwa.] [Uwelewele.]
English:
What is heritage?
IsiXhosa:
Ndidikiwe kuba kuza kusuka kuphele ixesha lam ePalamente oko ndathetha isiXhosa. Kuya khunyushwa apha.
English:
Heritage is who I am and who we are. Correct? [Applause.] The confusion that is spreading very fast when I identify myself with the message that I am 100% this or that, have to be corrected now.
Before I am anything else, I am an African ... [Applause.] ... and an African man, and then I see Africans in Africa.
South Africa has all the reasons to celebrate its heritage. This month of September marks our celebration as human beings. We have the responsibility not to just celebrate, but also to educate the current generation about our national identity, cultures, traditions, and values as Africans.
Many lessons can be learnt from the experiences of our forefathers and elderly people, including our struggle icons who remain our living heritage. Heritage Day should also be declared a heritage educational day for our young men and women in order for them not to be regarded as the lost generation but as the bright future leaders of our society.
I see no reason for the National Heritage Council not to take up the task of running provincial workshops to educate our nation on our heritage and national identity.
I am aware of a good step taken by the National Heritage Council of South Africa in partnership with the Institute for African Renaissance Studies of Unisa, and that is the hosting of the first Early African Intellectuals lecture dedicated to Sol Plaatje, which took place in Pretoria on 30 July 2013. However, this is not enough. The provincial workshops should begin now and be simplified to reach out to people at grass-roots level, including farm residents and communities in rural areas and informal settlements.
Funding for this project is very important. The department and the Minister of Arts and Culture must seriously consider it as one of the top priorities in the country. The importance of heritage, culture, tradition and values makes sense to us and to who we are. Our heritage should not be mistaken with the "western braai mentality" that seeks to contaminate our African identity and mislead the Africans. Ndigqibile. [I am done.] Thank you. [Applause.]
Prof C T MSIMANG
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 252
Mr P NTSHIQELA
Prof C T MSIMANG: Hon Deputy Speaker, Your Excellency, the President, hon members, the diversity of cultures in our country has ensured that our heritage is no longer generic but has been influenced and shaped by the many people who live within our borders. It is difficult to say we are reclaiming, restoring and celebrating our living heritage without taking into account the different ways in which we have evolved as a nation, especially the attempts that we have made to move away from the artificial elements that were in place to polarise us.
We lived separate lives for many years under a system that brought about animosity, which was rife, between different cultural beliefs, trying to take our attention away from the atrocities that the government was committing. It was a divide-and-conquer strategy, which had proved to be very successful. Despite the fact that we are living in a democracy, it is taking us a long time to recover from the attacks on our cultures that were not only coming from the apartheid government, but also from one another.
We still misunderstand each other when it comes to cultures and what we consider our heritage. Everything seems to be divided along the lines of which cultural practices are valued more, which sometimes corresponds with which cultural grouping the President of the country comes from. That particular cultural group then seems to promote itself through many government events that have to do with showcasing parts of South African cultures.
If we are to move forward as a nation, we need to abandon the superiority complex that continues to divide us in so many ways, because instead of seeing each other as one nation, we will remain divided.
There are many things wrong with our country that need to be dealt with, such as land issues, working conditions, racial inequality, gender discrimination, and the abuse of women. These issues, however, cannot be fully resolved if we do not accept the fact that ours is a tainted, yet rich heritage. We all live with the consequences of the actions of the apartheid government, but we are faced with an opportunity to build a nation that rivals all others in respect of how we deal with mixed heritage.
Ours is decisively a mixed heritage, and we must all be involved in establishing a way forward for our country. When we celebrate Heritage Day, we do so in our own individual groupings, and even events held by government do not fully reflect the complexity of who we are.
Mostly black members of our society attend most of these events, while most other races are not represented at these events. It gives the impression that celebrating heritage belongs to black people, which does not, in any way, bring us together as a nation. We then end up celebrating separate Heritage Days.
One of the core values of the IFP is unity in diversity. Our leader, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, using a bowl of fruit salad, aptly illustrates this maxim. He explains that while the salad forms a single composite whole, each fruit - be it peach, grape or banana - retains its identity. Accordingly, we should embrace all that is good in our various cultures and use our sameness to unite us as one South Africa. In that way, we shall be able to celebrate our heritage as well as celebrate one another. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr T L MAKUNYANE
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,12 Sep 2013,"Take 253 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 253
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,10 Sep 2013,"[Take-253] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][nm].doc"
Prof C T MSIMANG
Mr T L MAKUNYANE: Hon Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, hon Chairperson of the NCOP, Your Excellency President, Deputy President, hon Ministers, colleagues, comrades and compatriots, it is a most singular honour to be granted the privilege of taking part in the debate about our heritage under the theme "Reclaiming, Restoring and Celebrating our Living Heritage". Hon Deputy Speaker, much has been said by previous speakers, and I hope my contribution will add and enrich the discussion.
According to current literature, living heritage refers to the intangible cultural traditions, oral history, rituals, performances, indigenous knowledge systems, and social relationships that are an essential source of our common identity and continuity. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Unesco, defines it as the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills handed down from generation to generation. But most important is the contemporary activities, the meanings, and the behaviour that we draw from them.
Hon Deputy Speaker, in the same way that the psyche of the people of the United States was deeply shaped by the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, and that of Europe, Great Britain, and Russia was shaped by the lived experience of the Second World War, ours, as South Africans, has been deeply influenced by our experience of our struggle against colonialism and apartheid.
For the better part of our history, we have lived under a system of colonial domination, racism, and apartheid subjugation. During that time the dominant culture was completely steeped in the practices and expressions, the rituals and meanings, which were entrenched in the racist constitution that belittled and dehumanised us; it was a value system that undermined our human dignity, defied the norms of social justice, and sought to divide us.
In our struggle against this evil system we have come to embrace our own ideas as an antithesis, seeking to overcome and supplant the ideologies of white supremacy and liberal trusteeship that underpinned this antihuman system.
In response to the apartheid divide-and-rule strategy, we posited the idea of nonracialism and an inclusive nationhood that sought to unite all South Africans regardless of their race, religion, ethnic origin, language, class, or strata. In the face of apartheid divisions that sought to balkanise our country, we emphatically put the truth - that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, regardless of their colour or creed.
These ideas have now been integrated into our common national life, and have been enshrined in our Constitution as the living heritage of our struggle. But these were not the only meanings and practices that were forged in the crucible of our national democratic struggle that have to be reclaimed, restored and celebrated.
Hon Deputy Speaker, today, as we mark the 69th Anniversary of the ANC Youth League, we need to remind ourselves and bear in mind that the human rights culture that was contained in the African Claims of 1943; the courageous stand taken by the determined mineworkers in their strike of 1946; the unity in action that followed from the Doctors' Pact of 1947; the fearless courage and selfless volunteerism that inspired the Defiance Campaign of 1952; the collective action and mass mobilisation that formed part of the campaign for the Congress of the People in 1955; and the discipline, courage, and fearless determination that galvanised the women's march to the Union Building in 1956, all gave rise to the conviction that collective action was a necessary condition for the success of our struggle.
This was the foundation for the set of values and principles that became a force for our unity and cohesion, and this is the living heritage that we must reclaim, restore and celebrate.
It was the ideas, the memories, the songs, and meanings of this era of our national democratic struggle that inspired the United Democratic Front, UDF, of the 1980s. Their slogan "Apartheid Divides, UDF Unites" was an echo of the values and principles that brought together and united people of different races and classes, from across the length and breadth of the country, when they met to adopt the Freedom Charter at the Congress of the People in 1955.
It was the values based on the idea that the people are their own liberators; that only the people, acting together, can tear apart the foundations of apartheid; that the struggle to build a new South Africa must be people-centred, people-driven, and gender-sensitive; and that acting together we can do more and better. This is the legacy, the living heritage, that we need to reclaim, restore and celebrate.
It was this culture, and these values and principles of selfless service, humility, honesty, and hard work that inspired freedom fighters through the decades to give their all in the struggle for national liberation. It was the steely discipline, the mutual respect, the open debates, and the unbending loyalty to the interests and aspirations of the people that motivated a whole generation of leadership. It motivated them to not only endure the hardships of imprisonment, banishment and exile, but also, through sheer determination and hard work, to succeed in mobilising the biggest and most powerful international grass-roots movement in the greatest global campaign of the 20th century, the International Anti-Apartheid Movement, that stretched form New Zealand to Canada to Sweden and across the globe campaigning for the isolation of the criminal apartheid regime.
It was from the crucible of these struggles that we have learnt the lessons that an injury to one is an injury to all, and that each one must teach one, but, most of all, that leadership is earned.
The Freedom Charter, our songs and dances, our icons, and heroes are all symbols of the fearless determination and the selfless sacrifices of generations of freedom fighters in this struggle. They cannot be appropriated through fiat by any self-serving individual or party.
Hon Deputy Speaker, we have to defend our legacy not only against pretenders who want to claim easy victories by purporting to speak for our past generations without having earned their stripes in the trenches of struggle. [Applause.] We must also be vigilant against those who want to measure the success of our Heritage Month in kilometres of boerewors … [Laughter.] [Applause.] … against those who want to commodify and commercialise our heritage.
This is the counterculture that comes with our immersion in the impersonal system of global capital, where market forces rule the day. In this counterculture everything and everybody can be bought and sold for money, greed is good, and selfishness is a virtue. Material possessions and their accumulation constitute the greatest good and the highest value in life.
This is the counterculture that sees workers as a cost that has to be minimised, if not completely eliminated, and that seeks to reverse the gains of the workers struggles. It seeks to emasculate the Labour Relations Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, and to do away with the minimum wage and collective bargaining system. To this counterculture, we must unequivocally say: Hands off our pristine heritage; no to commodification; no to commercialisation; and definitely no to consumerism!
These, we say, are the gains of generations of working class struggles and sacrifices that we need to defend, preserve, and extend. This is the legacy of Charlotte Maxeke, Chief Luthuli, Oliver Tambo, Yusuf Dadoo, Joe Slovo, Albertina Sisulu, Chris Hani, Moses Kotane, and this is what Ntate Madiba leaves us. [Applause.] It is the legacy that we need to reclaim, restore and celebrate; it is our collective living heritage. I thank you. [Applause.].
Mr N L KWANKWA
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 254
Mr T L MAKUNYANE
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"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,10 Sep 2013,"[Take-254] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][nm].doc"
IsiXhosa:
Mr N L KWANKWA: Somlomo, Camagu! Mongameli woMzantsi Africa kunye nabahlonipheki beNdlu yoWiso-mthetho, namhlanje andizimiselanga ukuba ndibe ndicikoza okwembongi, ndiza kungena emxholweni kwaye ndizame ukuba ndingagqumi umbona ngamakhasi.
Masiqale sivume sithi, kuninzi okusele kwenziwe kwaye sivumelana ngakumbi nezithethi ezisuka apha eqongeni, kodwa ke mzontsundu, xa sikhabela ezipalini kufuneka siyithethe into yokuba ingxaki iqala ngokutyeshela iilwimi zethu, iyekuqhina eXhugxwala kule micimbi ithethwa ngabanye abantu. Le nto siyenza siyazi into yokuba naluphina ulwimi lusisisele solwazi nobulumko kunye nokuzingca kwabo baluthethayo.
Kunamhlanje nje sisisizwe esintsundu sizigobha amacala kuba kaloku siyakwazi ukuthetha iilwimi zasemizini ukogqitha ezi zethu, silibale ukuba amasiko nezithethe nolwazi lwazo zikwezi lwimi zethu. Sikekele sixhela unonkala. Sikhulisela abantwana bethu phantsi kwemeko ezijongela phantsi amasiko, izithethe kunye neelwimi zethu, phofu sibe sisithi siyangca ngawo.
Ndigxile ngamabomu kumcimbi wolwimi kuba sisiseko senkcubeko yethu. Umzekelo, uninzi lwethu apha kule Ndlu ungafumanisa ukuba abantwana bethu abazi nowathwethwa ngeelwimi zakubo, kodwa sithi xa abantu bebhuda apha bengakwazi ukuthetha isintu, sibagxeke.
Ngoku, into endiyibuzayo yeyokuba, xa kusithiwa sesi sizukulwana sethu, inqambuzane yeyokuba isizukulwana esi soKhwankwa singakwaziyo ukuthetha ulwimi lwaso, lityala loobani na? Lifanele lisonjululwe ngoobani na. Omnye umzekelo obanzi nophilayo yinto yokuba ngoku, iSebe leMfundo esiSiseko belithetha ngokuba liza kuzama ukuba libe nomgaqo-nkqubo apho bonke abantu baza kufunda iilwimi zesintu, oobholelecaleni baye baqhankqalaza, kodwa thina sizwe esintsundu khange sithethe ngamandla sitye tyum.
Ndifuna ukuthi ke ngoku, xa siza kuqwela sithi singama-Africa, ewe, kumnandi kuba kaloku singama-Afrika sonke, kodwa eyona nto ibalulekileyo inye yeyokuba thina ma-afrika omthonyama angakhange abe kanti ayembhulelwe ngelema into yobu-Afrika, kuluxanduva lwethu ukuba sikhusele amasiko, izithethe neelwimi zethu. Ukuba asinakuyenza loo nto kuza kwenzeka laa nto ibithethwa ngohloniphekileyo, uNtshiqela, esithi thina sisisizukulwana sentandabuzo kube kungenjalo, silahlekiswe ngabangaphambili. Kodwa sithi siyithetha loo nto sibe sisithi mhle ngenene nangenyaniso umsebenzi osele wenziwe ngurhulumente nabantu bomZantsi Afrika, ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, ekwakheni umZantsi Afrika obumbeneyo. Masihlale siyimbumba yamanyama, Camagu! [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Mr P J GROENEWALD
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 254
Mr N L KWANKWA
Mnr P J GROENEWALD: Agb Adjunkspeaker, dit is een ding om een keer in 'n jaar 'n debat hier te kom voer en te sê dat ons Erfenisdag vier. Dit is een ding as die agb President kom en hy 'n beroep doen op politieke leiers deur te sê dat ons aan 'n nuwe eenheid met 'n nuwe visie vir 'n nuwe Suid-Afrika moet werk.
Maar, dit is 'n ander ding as ons gaan kyk na wat in die praktyk gebeur. 'n Mens het die keuse om te gaan kyk na jou erfenis en na jou geskiedenis, en dan kan jy verval in die wreedhede wat teenoor jou groep of jou volk gepleeg is.
So kan die Afrikaner ook na vore tree en lang debatte voer oor die wreedhede wat die Britte in die Anglo-Boereoorlog teenoor hulle gepleeg het. Om vroue en kinders wie in die plaashuise was op waens te laai, die huise af te brand, vroue te verkrag, die beeste te verbrand, en om 500 000 perde in 'n oorlog te verbrand en dood te maak, was wreed.
Maar ons moet ook aan die toekoms dink. Dit is een ding om te sê dat ons ons sterkte en ons krag in ons eenheid en ons verskeidenheid moet kry ...
English:
... but hon President, we will not fulfil your request. If from this same podium, I must hear every now and then that everything the whites have they have stolen from blacks. At the same time, you will not have progress in unity and nation-building when every now and then I have to hear from this same podium that the whites have stolen the land from the black people ... [Interjections.] You hear what they say.
You can continue like that, you can continue on that. However, I want to say to you that you will not get unity in South Africa. You must look very clearly at me, hon President. I am a white man; I am an Afrikaner; and I'm proud of it. I will not apologise for it. Nobody will make me feel ashamed of who I am now and who I will be in future. Stop paying lip service.
Afrikaans:
As ons aan 'n toekoms wil bou, kom ons sê dit is die verlede; ons neem kennis daarvan, maar kom ons kyk na vore en bou 'n nuwe Suid-Afrika, wat nie op beskuldigings en verdagmakery gebaseer is nie. Ek dank u.
Mrs D M RAMODIBE
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 255
Mr P J GROENEWALD
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,12 Sep 2013,"Take 255 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,10 Sep 2013,"[Take-255] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][nm].doc"
Mrs D M RAMODIBE: Hon Deputy Speaker, Chairperson of the NCOP, hon President, hon Deputy President, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers, hon members, distinguished guests in the gallery, ladies and gentlemen, let me start by saying, hon Groenewald, it is unfortunate that the truth is very bitter. [Interjections.] I really sympathise with you because as the other speaker already said, we can forgive but not forget. It is true that the land was taken away from our people. [Applause.]
Like many of the forebears of the liberation struggle, Reginald Oliver Tambo chartered a clear course for us 32 years ago when he said:
The mobilisation of women is the task not only of women alone, or of men alone, but of all of us, men and women alike, comrades in the struggle.
The history of the struggle for a democratic, nonracial and nonsexist South Africa would be incomplete without the names of Charlotte Maxeke, Ida Mntwana, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Sophia de Bruyn, Rahima Moosa, Francis Baard, Dorothy Nyembe, Albertina Sisulu, Adelaide Tambo, Ray Alexander, Dulcie September and many other women, too numerous to mention, who contributed immensely, sometimes by paying the ultimate price, to bring about the freedom that we all enjoy today. We must never forget our heroines and heroes. They have bequeathed to us the heritage of the democracy that we enjoy today. As we celebrate the role of women in our collective heritage, we cannot forget the sterling achievements of many women.
South African women continue to get recognition to exhibit their abilities in the global arena of political influence. For instance, the appointment of former Minister of Home Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, as the Chairperson of the African Union, AU, soon followed by the appointment of former Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as the Director of the United Nations, are worthy of celebration as they represent the principle of the struggle heritage of activism by South African women. [Applause.]
We cannot forget this and to say thank you to the ANC-led government. We also celebrate iconic figures of African female royalty like Hosi Nwamitwa-Shilubana and many other women in sports, business, and other fields of endeavour.
The SA National Heritage Council defines heritage as:
... what is preserved from the past as the living collective memory of a people, not only to inform the present about the past, but also to equip successive generations to fashion their future. It is what creates a sense of identity and assures rootedness and continuity, so that what is brought out by dynamism of culture is not changed for its own sake, but is a result of people's conscious choice to create a better life.
The ANC-led government believes that it is critical that the memory of the struggle icons be preserved in order for it to be celebrated. As part of its strategy to achieve this goal, government has initiated a number of heritage projects, all of which are aimed at celebrating the role of women in the struggle. In this regard, one can mention some of them: The declaration of the graves of struggle veterans Charlotte Maxeke, Helen Joseph and Lillian Ngoyi as national heritage sites in August 2010; the unveiling of the Sarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance Architectural Concept Design as part of efforts to reaffirm the marginalised history, heritage and culture of the Khoisan people and African women; and the recent handing over, by the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development, of the construction site for the Women's Living Heritage Monument to the contractor responsible for the project.
As mothers of the nation, women have, over the years, endured and absorb all the negative effects of the apartheid legislation which manifested in the homestead. In this regard, women have, throughout history, played the role of being at the apex of maintaining the family structure under the most difficult situation; a role that earned many of them the mantle and title of being mothers of the nation, bo-Masechaba [mothers of the nation].
Expressing this legacy and history in the struggle for justice and equality in the Women's Charter of 1954, women had this to say about their experiences:
We women share with our menfolk the cares and anxieties imposed by poverty and its evils. As wives and mothers, it falls upon us to make small wages stretch a long way. It is we who feel the cries of our children when they are hungry and sick. It is our lot to keep and care for the homes that are too small, broken and dirty to be kept clean. We know the burden of looking after children and land when our husbands are away in the mines, on the farms, and in the towns earning our daily bread.
It has been observed that in almost all cases, women were first brought into the struggle when they saw the attempt by the government to destroy their family structure and with it the basic fabric of their respective societies. Thus, in South Africa, women reacted most vigorously to the introduction of passes in the 1950s and the consequent restrictions on families; to the mass killings of their children two decades later in Soweto; and to the attempt to destroy urban family life as epitomised by Crossroads.
This generation and generations to come must never forget the role that women played at significantly repressive moments of the struggle. Whether it was in 1913 when women from Free State protested against having to carry identity passes, which whites were not required to carry; or in 1918 when Charlotte Maxeke, inspired by the formation of the ANC in 1912, mobilised women under what was then called the Bantu Women's League; or when large numbers of women took part in the Defiance Campaign of 1952; or in 1956 when 20 000 women marched against the pass laws, women have been at the epicentre of the struggle against apartheid.
Despite its largely patriarchal edifice of values, traditional society has been inclined to place women at the apex of the hierarchy of guardianship of the nation. Thus, family elders would defer to the advice of the elderly women in the villages to resolve intricate challenges facing the youth of the villages, especially on issues of values and conflicts arising from disputes in the village homesteads.
Taking care of the children in the evening while sitting around the fire, the women would tell stories to their children. They would tell the history so that the children could walk about boldly in the country of their birth, without fear.
This is a defining trait of indigenous culture that has been undermined by abusive patriarchs of the present day who want to take refuge behind what they call culture to perpetrate their evil deeds of abuse against women and children. Society should unite to invoke all the legislation and protocols that have been put in place by the ANC-led government to fight gender-based violence. We cannot have gender-based violence as part of our heritage.
None of our generations will be proud to inherit this legacy from its forebears. For as long as gender-based violence continues, we cannot proudly celebrate the value of equality enshrined in the Constitution, much as we cannot proudly celebrate our freedom in the face of poverty, inequality and unemployment. The Constitution of South Africa supports and protects its people's heritage and culture. The Constitution also has clear equality provisions stipulating that no person should be discriminated against on the basis of their skin colour, age, religion, language, or gender.
Today, we are very proud to walk about as Africans, blacks, and particularly as women. Today, we are very proud because we know who we are and understand who we are. We are no longer deprived or being told that we are nobodies, as been the case previously when we were made to feel inferior because we were not regarded as human beings.
The struggle for equality between men and women is one that has long and far-reaching roots. This is attested by the 2007 Strategy and Tactics of the ANC: Building a National Democratic Society - revised draft, which observes that:
South Africa's colonial experience was based on the intersection of relations of power based on class, race and gender. These social and/or biological features have been used in human history to exclude, to repress and to stifle the progress of individuals and communities.
Women continue to face the challenge of gender-based abuse, a practice which persists stubbornly despite numerous legislative and programmatic interventions by the ANC-led government. The people of South Africa together should refuse to allow this scourge to be a part of their heritage. Together, we must use all the constitutional instruments at our disposal to fight gender-based violence.
A necessary part of the struggle against patriarchy and gender-based violence is to continue engaging in the struggle to bring about the national democratic society as envisioned by the ANC. Such a society will, among other things, find expression in the management of human relations based on political equality and social inclusivity. If there were to be any single measure of the civilising mission of the National Democratic Revolution, it would be how it treats the most vulnerable in our society.
According to the Strategy and Tactics of the ANC, it would be a society that embraces the following:
Precisely because patriarchal oppression was embedded in the economic, social, religious, cultural, family and other relations in all communities, its eradication cannot be an assumed consequence of democracy. All manifestations and consequences of patriarchy - from the feminisation of poverty, physical and psychological abuse, undermining of self-confidence, to open and hidden forms of exclusion from positions of authority and power - need to be eliminated. Critical in this regard is the creation of the material and cultural conditions that would allow the abilities of women to flourish and enrich the life of the nation.
In view of the above, the ANC-led government recognises that more should to be done to address the challenges facing women insofar as inequalities regarding economic empowerment are concerned. It is in this context that we have to embrace current initiatives aimed at raising the stakes for women with regard to land ownership.
We must also make it possible for women to tell our stories through film and in that way help to preserve our heritage. In this regard, we applaud the recent empowering initiatives by the National Film and Video Foundation, which hosted an indaba with youth and women on film and media during 2012. It hosted the event in association with the Department of Arts and Culture - the Women and Youth Heritage Indaba. The event ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mnr N J VAN DEN BERG
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 256
Mrs D M RAMODIBE
Mnr N J VAN DEN BERG: Agb Adjunkspeaker, sanbonani, molweni, dumelang. [Good day.] Goeie middag.
English:
Good afternoon – and especially for the students ...
Afrikaans:
... hoesit, my china? [Gelag.]
Die tyd raak baie min, maar ons is nie haastig om by mekaar uit te kom en mekaar te verstaan nie. Ons verkies om, soos die Bybel sê, die rustige weg te bewandel wat geen moeite vereis nie.
English:
To those people who want to listen to the English interpretation, I am going to speak Afrikaans. Thank you.
Afrikaans:
Nog 'n bietjie sluimer
Nog 'n bietjie slaap
Nog 'n bietjie tyd om uit te rus.
Ons verkwis die tyd wat God ons gegee het om waarlik te versoen. Dit is al bykans die einde van die Vierde Parlement van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, bykans 20 jaar van ware demokrasie. Ons kan nog nie vir mekaar sê ons verstaan versoening en ons verstaan mekaar nie. Ons het nog te min gedoen om besit van ons verlede en erfenis te neem, en om dit te koester en te vertroetel en op te pas.
Ons kan vandag niks doen aan die verlede nie. Die spore wat ons voorgeslagte geloop het, kan ons nie verander nie. Wat ons wel kan doen en wat ons hier in die Vierde Parlement van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika kan doen, is om mekaar te aanvaar en om mekaar lief te hê. Ons het 'n opdrag: "Jy moet jou naaste liefhê soos jouself."
Jy moet jou naaste liefhê soos jouself. Wat baie belangrik is, omdat ons nie die verlede kan verander nie, is dat ons vandag stappe kan doen om, waar moontlik, herstelwerk te doen om die foute van die verlede reg te maak – soos tans met grondhervorming en die terugkeer van mense, byvoorbeeld, na Distrik Ses die geval is.
Niks sal ooit weer dieselfde wees nie. As 'n wond gesond word, bly daar altyd 'n letsel. Na 20, 30 of 50 jaar is daardie letsel nog steeds daar. Die tekens van 'n wond wat vroeër bitter seer was, sal altyd daar wees. 'n Chirurg kan die letsel verwyder maar die pyn sal in die hart bly. Daarom vra ek vandag vir u in hierdie Parlement: ons moet regtig waar – omdat ons nie die geskiedenis kan verander nie – vandag, hier waar ons leef, dit vir mekaar so lekker en gemaklik in hierdie land van ons maak, sodat ons almal gelukkig kan wees.
Die feit van die saak is, ek kan nie besluit hoe gelukkig jy is nie, maar ek kan self besluit hoe gelukkig ek vandag wil wees. Ek kan 'n bydrae lewer as ek bewus is van jou behoeftes en jou gevoel om dit vir jou ook gemaklik te maak. Omdat ons foute gemaak het in die verlede, moet ons die foute probeer regstel. Ons moet mekaar ondersteun om die foute reg te maak, en nie mekaar kritiseer nie.
Ons kan nie baat om mekaar te haat oor die verlede nie. Wat die stand van die nasie betref, is ek en jy verantwoordelik waar ons vandag staan. Die geskiedenis het ons met 'n klomp probleme gelos, maar wat doen ons met die feite? Maak ons dit erger, of help ons skep aan 'n beter toekoms vir ons kinders? Ons is nou te besig met dinge waaraan ons niks kan verander nie. Ons praat oor dinge en ons beskuldig en kritiseer mekaar oor goed waaroor ons nie beheer het nie. Ons moet dinge los vir die jeug.
Ek haal aan wat Van Wyk Louw in Lojale Verset in 1938 gesê het:
Die pad moet nie vir die jeug gelyk gemaak word nie, maar hy moet ten minste die geleentheid kry om te kan veg. Sy stryd uit te veg, en nie dié van 'n vorige geslag nie. 'n Skoonkans voor – dis al wat hy nodig het. Die jeug moet die kans kry om weer lewe onder ons te bring – die jeug met al sy verwarring, sy soek en sy onsekerheid. Hy kan dit doen, want sy lewensvorm is dié van die lewe self.
Die mense wat die geskiedenis help skryf het, is gewone mense net soos ons – mense wat goed en verkeerd gedoen het. Wat gaan die geskiedenis van ons sê oor hoe ons die verlede hanteer het en daarmee gehandel het? Ons is nou besig om die geskiedenis vir ons nageslagte te skep. Ons skep nou geskiedenis, soos wat ons voorvaders gedoen het, soos wat Madiba dit gedoen het, en 'n klomp ander mense. Nou moet ons daardie geskiedenis hanteer sodat ons vir ons nageslagte 'n beter, hanteerbare geskiedenis kan nalaat.
Al wat ons nou doen, is om met mekaar te baklei oor die verlede, en ons kom nêrens nie. Ons moet die geskiedenis afhandel, dit regmaak, en dan 'n erfenis vir ons kinders los waarop hulle kan voortbou. Ons moet mekaar leer ken.
English:
Hon President, I am very glad you mentioned the fact that there is a road being built between the Voortrekker Monument and Freedom Park, so that these places of heritage can be connected. We must do more.
Afrikaans:
Ons moet uit ons pad uit gaan om ander mense – ons broeders in hierdie land – se geskiedenis te leer ken. Ons doen te min. Ek het regtig begin om 'n poging aan te wend om die geskiedenis van al ons mense te leer, sodat ek vandag kan verstaan hoekom mense ongelukkig is oor dinge wat nog nie reg is nie – alhoewel ons 20 jaar van apartheid agter die rug het.
Kom ons vat hande. Kom ons doen wat vir ons gesê is. Kom ons wees lief vir mekaar. Ons vat die pad vorentoe, en ons hou op om te baklei en, asseblief, kom ons hou net klein politiek uit belangrike debatte soos hierdie uit. Dan gaan ons iewers kom, want ons kan nie politiek maak oor belangrike dinge soos ons erfenis en ons toekoms nie. Ons moet die politiek daaruit hou; ons moet nie politieke punte probeer aanteken nie. Baie dankie, agb Adjunkspeaker. [Applous.]
Mr S H PLAATJIE
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 256
Mnr N J VAN DEN BERG
Mr S H PLAATJIE: Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, 24 September signifies the call for South Africans to reinvent themselves and take their cultural lessons and values very seriously. This House is a microcosm of this diverse and rich cultural heritage. Yet, how much do we know about each other's culture?
The City Press of 8 September had a full-page spread about on heritage, reflecting the views of three separate but equal South Africans who viewed heritage differently. It somehow makes one wonders whether or not, at the end of it all, we are going to find one common denominator that makes us proudly South African.
In his response to what defines him, one of the interviewees, Adv Nkosi Patekile Holomisa, a black Xhosa South African, claims that religion – through the Anglican church – plays a role in giving him a sense of being responsible for his fellow man, while he still retains his traditional roots. On the other hand, another interviewee, Mandla Madlala, an activist, journalist and political scientist, says his heritage is defined by his spiritual beliefs as a Catholic, whilst he bemoans the excuse people attribute to culture as an excuse for what he calls "backward" behaviour.
The third person making reference to his heritage is a white South African, Anthony Benadie, who defines heritage as a philosophy acquired through learning, and that philosophy, he says, is in being a South African.
The theme "Heritage: Reclaiming, restoring and celebrating our living heritage" contributes to the richest tapestry that makes up South African life. The question is: In what way and sense, and above all, when are these three people going to give the same answer to the question, What is the true South African heritage? Does the answer lie in the anthem? Is it in a common national dress? Should it be addressed by way of one language for all, one religion, or one philosophy, perhaps?
Benadie, a white man, says he harbours a burning love for his country. One might call it a type of patriotic desire with a sense of belonging, and he wishes the same for his children. Mandla Madlala and his wife have coloured children. It is the father's wish that they grow up colour blind, knowing that it is the person and the issues that count, not the colour of their skin. His Zulu factor does not come in or bring to bear any effect on his outlook on life, work or family upbringing. In fact, he attacks the excuse of culture as a scapegoat for a character deficiency caused by moral and intellectual laziness. Meanwhile, Dilizintaba Holomisa defines himself as a progressive traditionalist. They regard themselves as Africans first, having descended from further up in Africa, gathering intense customs and cultures to emerge as they are defined today.
In all of this is the fact that the entire heritage has to be passed on to the next generation, squeaky clean, untainted, or as it turns out, highly compromised and diluted. The two who make reference to the spiritual element, brought about by being members of two strong church denominations, bring an interesting dimension to the whole heritage mix.
Could it be so that it is not enough to define any form of heritage without the need for a spiritual attachment of sorts? For many of us, Heritage Day lacks significance and appeal. Not so for the Zulu people. For a very long time, 24 September was celebrated as King Shaka Day. However, to some, Heritage Day is just braai day or a boerewors day.
Cope bemoans the lack of identity, cohesiveness and patriotism that come with calling South Africa a country that belongs to all who live in it. Identity is partly heritage, partly upbringing, but mostly the choices you make in life. Heritage is priceless. Heritage cannot be treated in a frivolous manner. Heritage walks with a person, and such a person gives and gets respect.
The ideals of today are comfort, expediency, surface knowledge, disregard for one's ancestral heritage and traditions, catering to the lowest standards of taste and intelligence, disrespect for all that is inherently higher and a better experience – raising the victory flag of ignorance and the banner of degeneracy. At such a time, social decadence is so widespread that it appears to be a natural component of political institutions.
As you can see, what these three men who I refer to here show us is that on the highway of life heritage is no longer that conformist concept of old. The crises that dominate the daily lives of our societies are part of a secret occult war to remove the support of spiritual and traditional values, in order to turn man into a passive instrument of dark powers where he lives amongst ruins in the world. [Time expired.]
Mr W M THRING
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 257
Mr S H PLAATJIE
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,12 Sep 2013,"Take 257 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,10 Sep 2013,"[Take-257] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][nm].doc"
Mr W M THRING: Hon Deputy Chairperson, an internationally renowned statesman once said:
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.
That statesman was none other than our former President Nelson Mandela.
It is the belief of the ACDP that, irrespective of race, colour or creed, we are all intertwined by the legacy of our past and undeniably, compellingly bound together by the possibilities and the potential of our future.
The people of South Africa have inherited a history of oppression - a history that was ruled by hate, inequality, and a warped sense of superiority. Simultaneously, we are the heirs of a legacy of selflessness, shown by those who fought against the tyrants of our apartheid past.
The ACDP would be remiss if we did not pay attention to the Judeo-Christian heritage of some 80% of our South African population, encapsulated by the covenant that God gave to His people what is today known as the Ten Commandments. In most progressive, flourishing democracies this serves as the basic legal code that protects the innocent; punishes the guilty; establishes the right of the poor to own private property; entreats people to behave with respect and dignity; and, in respect of good governance, calls upon us to be honest, transparent, and accountable.
Our heritage provides a moral compass of absolutes for all of our people groups that should not be tampered with by the protagonists of relativism, liberalism, situational ethics, and suchlike. To remove this heritage, would be to take this nation on a path of moral degeneration and seal our fate as those of the failed, corrupt and morally bankrupt empires of the past.
As we draw from the heritage left behind by the great civil rights leaders, such as Martin Luther King, immortalised in his speech when he said, "I have a dream." The ACDP too has a dream - a dream that one day we will live in a country free of inequality; free of poverty; free of crime and corruption; where South African children will be given quality education; and where every citizen will have the right to quality health care and work opportunities. We dream as well that never again will South Africans be judged or classified according to their race. Never again will we prefer one another based on the colour of our skin or our charisma, but rather we will be judged by the content of our character. I thank you.
Mrs I C DITSHETELO
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 257
Mr W M THRING
Mrs I C DITSHETELO: Hon Deputy Chairperson, when we speak of South Africa's heritage, it is usually with a monotone that focuses on the struggle against apartheid - the arrival of Jan van Riebeeck, and how the lives of the inhabitants changed since then. We then go on and celebrate the heroism of our heroes and heroines who fought against an unjust system, and we celebrate our rainbow nation.
We are a nation that has come too far. We have every right to brag about such a heritage. We collectively showed the world and ourselves that peaceful transitions of governments are possible in spite of a horrible, despicable past. We are an example of reconciliation, and we continue to be. Reconciliation in our context means many things, which include learning to live together despite our differences, a willingness to accept and tolerate different cultures, speaking with firm commitment when we see unjust actions, and hoping together for a better future for our children.
These are positives, and we have every right to dwell on them on a day like this. However, that is not all there is to it. Apartheid and the struggle against it is not all that defines our heritage. Our heritage is in our values, which we need not forsake as we hang on to victimhood.
We have exported ubuntu as a value defining us as a people, but today we are seeing little of it. It doesn't seem to influence the decisions we are making in higher places, as individuals and as a collective.
Motho ke motho ka batho. Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. [A person is what he or she is because of other people.]
That's who we are essentially.
When people entrusted with leadership roles squander monies for individual gain, it really does not serve us and, most certainly, does not reflect our values. We like being identified as a rainbow nation by the rest of the world, yet one would swear that we are in the middle of a tornado as far as our social relations are concerned, and in the manner in which we bicker and defend wrongful acts by our peers.
We do need to understand that what is celebrated as heritage and a rich history today was once a daily living experience. How we behave and the foundations we lay today are what future generations will review as their heritage. We must therefore tread carefully. Whatever we understand as power today, we must know and understand that our children and grandchildren have lent it to us. Therefore, let us give them something to celebrate 20, 30 or 50 years from now. They must not look back and wonder about the calibre of leader that each one of us is.
Lastly, as we celebrate different cultures, we ought to try and preserve our cultures and pay enough attention to the preservation of our languages. The richness of our indigenous wisdom is always found in the richness of indigenous languages. The Department of Arts and Culture as well as the Department of Education have a pivotal role to play in this regard. I thank you. [Applause.]
Ms T B SUNDUZA
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 258
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,18 Sep 2013,"Take 258 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
"National Assembly Chamber Main", Unrevised Hansard,10 Sep 2013,"[Take-258] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][nm].doc"
Mrs I C DITSHETELO
Ms T B SUNDUZA: Thank you. Hon Deputy Chair, hon President, hon Deputy President and hon Members of Parliament...
IsiXhosa:
...ndithanda ukunibulisa namhlanje...
English:
...as we have the Heritage Day debate.
IsiXhosa:
Andiyazi nokuba oomama basakwazi kusina na ukuyiyizela kule Palamente. [Kwayiyizelwa.]
English:
I am an African.
IsiXhosa:
NdiliHlubikazi.
English:
I am a descendent and a granddaughter of Nkosi Langalibalele.
IsiXhosa:
Ookhokho bam balele eMtshezi, KwaZulu-Natal naseSterkspruit. Ndiyintombi yakwaMazibuko, ndinguMwelase, kodwa ke ngoku ndibethwa lixesha; singahamba imini yonke.
English:
I am also a granddaughter of King Phalo because my mother is umXhosa, uMadlamini. I want to thank God for this opportunity offered to me to debate on the birthday of the ANC Youth League, which is turning 69 years today, and the SA Student Congress, Sasco, is also celebrating this year. I thank the ANC-led government that this country is stable. I would like to send my condolences to the young women's and mothers' families who passed away in a bus accident travelling from the reed dance at eNyonkeni, KwaZulu-Natal. Those are our heroines who upheld our culture.
The 1948 Basic Policy Document of the ANC Youth League speaks eloquently about the role of the youth and culture, which states one of its aims as "striving and working for the educational, moral and cultural advancement of African youth."
Civilisation has been handed down from nation to nation and from people to people in history through the ages. Our people and our nation contribute to human culture and civilisation.
It was President Jacob Zuma who once observed that Africa's liberation heritage must be passed on so that the children know where they come from. The President went further to advise that we must tell our children how the heroines of the African continent fought tirelessly so that we can be able to walk as free people in our country. In any society, the youth is central to the self-identity of a people. They embody the values, beliefs, customs, traditions, and behaviours that are passed on from their parents. They represent manners, attitudes, and a way of doing things.
IsiXhosa:
Ngoko ke kubalulekile ukuba abantu abatsha baziphathe kakuhle kuba xa bangenzi njalo kuyabuzwa ukuba ngumntwana kabani na kakade. Hayi ke liwile ibhayi liveza ubuntombi bam. [Kwahlekwa.]
English:
Culture is passed from one generation to another, but the passing of culture between generations is not "innocent". What we are witnessing in South Africa today is that indigenous culture and indigenous knowledge systems are suffocating under the west and the irresistible western culture.
IsiXhosa:
Ulutsha lwanamhlanje aluzithethi iilwimi zethu. Bayakhumsha qha abantwana bethu. Abanye abazali bayayikhuthaza loo nto ngelithi isiNgesi siza kubavulela amathuba. Babuza ukuba abantwana baza kuzuza ntoni ngokuthetha ulwimi lweenkobe? Bathi hlukanani nokuthetha ulwimi lweenkobe.
English:
In developing our languages, we must go beyond the 11 official languages. We must speak, restore, and develop other dialects that younger generations should be able to speak, for example, isiHlubi, isiMpondo, Khelobedu and other African dialects.
Young people must learn to know and respect the national symbols. This is part of who we are. We must respect the flag of this country. We must respect all our symbols. I am always disturbed by behaviour, especially during sporting events, where our national anthem is not respected. The last time was in KwaZulu-Natal where there was a mismatch of national anthems. To me, that was showing disrespect. We must remember that the national anthem was conceived through the sweat and blood of those who were against apartheid. Others were chewing gums, giggling and chatting to one another; it is wrong. I want to correct that today on this podium.
We applaud the efforts of the Department of Arts and Culture in developing our indigenous languages. There are bursaries that are awarded to young people to study our languages. I further encourage the youth of South Africa to study and become archaeologists, anthropologists, and to engage in studies related to heritage and culture, and to become filmmakers to tell our history.
The most important part is that our history must not be told by other people. It must be told by those who walked it and who experienced it.
IsiXhosa:
Akufunekanga ukuba siyibhalelwe kuba iyatshintshwa. Omnye ume apha kweli qonga wathi abanye bazabalazile kweli cala.
English:
Sis Lindi, who did you share a cell with on this side? That is what she said. I do not know whether the history that we know is wrong. So, it is time for the struggle veterans in this House to write their history because it is always distorted. I am happy to have been told because those are the untold stories.
IsiXhosa:
Hayi nina niyathengisa ngapho, ngoko ke andisayikuphendula. [Kwahlekwa.]
English:
What I would like to say is that MaLindiwe Sisulu, MaNaledi Pandor, Sue Van de Merwe, Busie Coleman, Nyamie Booi, General Siphiwe Nyanda … Ubalekile. [He is gone.] Those are the people who should write about where they are coming from so that we can understand the history. It should not be written by someone else. Hon President, I hope in your spare time you will write about your history.
We must thank the ANC-led government for building museums that give us an identity as Africans, locally as well internationally. That is why we have the Matola Raid Museum in Mozambique. An important aspect of history, as we build museums, Minister Paul Mashatile, is to build a peace and reconciliation museum.
A lot of people do not know that, today, Emperors Palace in Gauteng is built on the site of the World Trade Centre, which housed important events in our history, such as the Convention for a Democratic South Africa, Codesa, the talks and negotiations, the adoption of the interim Constitution and the new Constitution, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, TRC, hearings. That history needs to be captured in that museum. I remember vividly the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging, AWB, crashing the building during the negotiations. These stories must be told; young people should know about it.
We are not going to feel guilty when speaking about our history because that is where we are coming from.
Furthermore, a South African women's museum must be built, like the Women's Memorial of the Anglo-Boer War Museum - it is a pity that hon Groenewald is not here - that would reflect the struggle of women. We will tell of great leaders such as Mama Sisulu, Mama Tambo, Mama Ruth Mompati; brave women who took up arms; women in Umkhonto weSizwe and liberation women; women in the underground; and women in Operation Vula. There is no history that speaks about that.
We speak about women who received the Orders of Mendi like Phila Portia Ndwandwe and Makhosi Thuli Nyoka. Those are the women that the young people must know about, such as Nomkhosi Mini and the Piet Retief massacres. This will motivate young women as well to know that they must not feel and be treated as appendages.
We need a youth museum in South Africa that will honour young women and men from all generations of history because there are artefacts that need to be displayed. The youth who ran away from the caspirs, the hippos, the youth in prisons at number 4 at John Voster Square. We are speaking about Bathandwa Ndondo, Thamie Rhubusana, and many other young people. We need these museums to capture our history accurately.
IsiXhosa:
Mongameli, ndikuvile uthetha ngomqingqwa kwiZakhiwo zoMdibaniso, ndiyawuvuyela kodwa kudala ndiyikhwaza le nto ndiseza kuyikhwaza nanamhlanje.
English:
When you come to Parliament, our Parliament must not only reflect the past; it must also reflect our liberation history. So, yes ...
IsiXhosa:
...siyangena; ihashe likhona pha phandle noLouis Botha. [Laughter.]
English:
Here in this Parliament, we must have a statue that reflects our liberation history. [Interjections.] It is time that we have a statue of Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected President, in this Parliament. [Applause.] You go to the back and then you see Queen Elizabeth on the other side, but there is nothing that speaks about us. There are flames that are burning; we do not even know who ignited those flames and its meaning. It is our time now. Why are we scared to bring out our liberation in this country? [Interjections.]
The parents, heritage institutions, and performing arts are critical and central to enabling the youth to learn all about the indigenous heritage. We must reclaim what is contained in the Freedom Charter, which says that:
The aim of education shall be to teach the youth to love their people and their culture, to honour human brotherhood, liberty and peace.
We welcome technology, but it is slowly destroying our values. Yes, I encourage young people to learn technology and continue using social networks like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, but let it not phase out our heritage. This technology draws our youth away and impacts on social cohesion. Family members do not sit together now, because the one child is on Twitter and the other one is playing Space in another room. There is no cohesion; they do not even know who slept at what time because of technology. I think it must not take away our African values.
In this regard, youth must be given an opportunity to learn stories that are told by heritage institutions. They must bring families together.
IsiXhosa:
Chosi! Chosi!
English:
What I am saying is that our grandmothers are no longer telling stories. I am saying Chosi Chosi but they do not remember what to say, and storytelling is what our grandmothers used to do around fires. You can still do it now around heaters and in air-conditioned rooms so that we continue with our heritage. That would bring back the family cohesion. [Interjections.]
We need to advocate the playing of indigenous games. We grew up playing ugqaphu, amagusha, diketo … Chairperson, I can't even hear myself in this House because of the noise levels.
These games brought about social cohesion, unlike the technology that makes the youth antisocial. We need to bring back those times. We used to play in the streets. This is why, if we do not have indigenous games, the youth are continuing to engage in things that are wrong, which I will not mention at this podium.
Parents who are here, I am not sure about these MPs whether they can still do it, must teach our people about our African cuisines and how to brew umqombothi, amarhewu, and cook udodorhoyi and all those things. It becomes important to have our African cuisine, because when you travel the world, you will never eat South African food there because they cook their own food there; they are upholding their culture.
We can also plait hair and stop wearing that borrowed hair, because that is not us. We must be taught how … [Applause.]
That's not yours. Let us wear our own.You must just be like me, because that is not us. [Laughter.] These things cause itching because they are not your original hair; let us wear our own natural hair. [Interjections.] Now is time to wear our traditional clothes, like imibhaco, izidwaba, and izishweshwe, and make pottery because this is an economic opportunity for Africans. If I buy from an African woman in the township or in the rural areas, it is economic development because I am uplifting them. It is not worth wearing Louis Vuitton and Versace who do not know me, and I also do not know them. [Laughter.] It is time for us to export our traditional clothes, imibhaco, to Louis Vuitton and all these international designers. [Applause.]
We should also encourage our music, isicathamiya. Minister Mashatile, I would advocate a South African indigenous music festival. Perhaps a festival that will occur four times a year, so that we can remember the legends who have walked before us. We must honour legends like Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Mahlathini, Paul Ndlovu, Brenda Fassie, and many Afrikaners who are singing, because now we only bring R Kelly; he comes here and sings those explicit lyrics that does not really say anything.
Furthermore, I want to encourage the Afrikaners. I am disappointed in hon Dreyer because she said to me that she will wear the Afrikanerkappie like a Voortrekker woman. I was so excited, but you have disappointed me. I want to see you wearing it because it is your culture; you are part of the Africans. Hon Lotriet, you also promised me, and I am disappointed in you again.
It is important to note that our heritage are our values. Our people, even the younger generation, is scared to ukuhlaba [slaughter] because other people will call the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, SPCA. I do not know what their problem is. Let us not abuse our democracy because ...
IsiXhosa:
... ngexesha localucalulo babengenamsebenzi nathi; nokuba sixhele inkomo okanye igusha okanye nantoni na, kodwa ngoku bagadene nathi.
English:
Let us continue to use our traditional herbs that most of the Khoi and the Nama are still using. I was suffering from bronchitis and I drank all these western medicines but I could not get better. My grandmother gave me umhlonyane and I was cured. When we want to use our herbs, they discourage us with all these SABS standards that these herbs have to go through. It does not matter; it is fine; it healed us before ...
IsiXhosa:
... ngokuya babengasikhathalelanga.
When I mentioned that I am girl, some of the members laughed. When a girl grows up, her parents are looking forward to ilobola. We need to go back to those values. Then this moral decay will be done away with. I remember when I reached puberty; my grandmother hit me with a broom to prevent my breasts from growing at a fast rate. We do not want to speak about our cultures, but that is the reality of the matter. That is how she taught me to be a young woman.
I would like to challenge the SABC because it does not uphold our African heritage. I believe over 70% of the content is international and not South African. Most of the time the content is explicit - you see naked women and it is almost pornographic - and it does not add value to our youth. The culture is not African and that is why most of our African youth want to be Americans - eat like Americans, dress and walk like Americans, and their trousers hang below their buttocks. That is not us. [Interjections.] [Laughter.]
This is also the time for faith-based institutions in South Africa to assist in bringing back morality and values. They must not just say politicians ...
Mrs S V KALYAN: Madam Chair, on a point of order: The interpreting is not forthcoming, and we would all love to hear what the hon Sunduza is going on about.
Ms T B SUNDUZA: I thought you can hear me.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C MEMELA): Unfortunately, hon member, it is out of my hands.
Ms T B SUNDUZA: I was speaking about faith-based institutions that have to assist in bringing back morality and societal values. They should not make it the responsibility of the politicians only. They must learn from the leader like Z K Matthews who ensured that the Gospel be appropriated authentically by the African communities.
I want to honour people like him because you will find most of the young people in the church, so those are the men of God, men of the cloth who will assist us in bringing back this morality to society.
On Sunday, I was attending Grace Bible Church, and Bishop Musa Sono was speaking to young people cautioning them to respect their parents and never to forget where they are coming from once they have made it. They must not say they cannot go to the township or to the rural areas.
We seem to know more about the western heritage than our African heritage, and that is why, even economically, it continues to profit more through music and everything that we buy. I want to appeal to the Minister that we should not treat our museums as visiting places and then we leave, but they should be places of economic activity where young people are given an opportunity to display their culture and sell their artefacts outside. That would be economic activity, because we go to the museums, some of them are in the rural areas like the Samora Machel museum, but there is no economic activity. One would like to buy a cup or something. I would encourage that we start looking at that, for that is development.
Parents have the responsibility to inculcate in young people good values because young people now have a habit of wanting a good life without hard work. They want things that come easy, and this is leading to self-destruction because of the western influences. It is so unfortunate that we are not going to feel guilty when we are speaking about our history because our history has made us to be where we are.
If hon Groenewald was here, I would ask him why Mapungubwe and the Drakensberg are not owned by Africans, but owned by the hotels and the minorities? How did they get that land? Perhaps that is a debate for another day. Hon Watson, please don't start with me today.
There is a lot that the ANC-led government needs to do to get the media to play a role. Former ANC President, Nelson Mandela, declared that cultural institutions cannot stand apart from the Constitution and our Bill of Rights. I appeal to the traditional leaders who are here that our culture must not be distorted by those who are coming with their criminal activities. Our culture is beautiful, our heritage is beautiful but ...
IsiXhosa:
...kukho ke ootsotsi ngoku abamosha izithethe zethu.
English:
I will make an example. I know some might not agree with me. I have just conducted research on how ukuthwala was done in the past ...
IsiXhosa:
... hayi le nto yokuxhiphula abantwana ngoku. Baxhiphula abantwana kodwa sikhona. Bayasoyika. Sikhona! [Laughter.]
English:
That is one of the historic issues that is destroying the children of South Africa. We cannot reconcile and have social cohesion if we have not healed. Healing happens through speaking. So when we speak of our history, that is part of our healing. Some must not say that is our history but we can't speak about it now, because we are making other people to feel guilty. There is no need for them to feel guilty. It is our time to express what we could never express 20 years ago.
I must say that it is time for our youth to stand up and study. It is also time that we, as African youth, respect our parents, and our parents, in turn, should also play their role.
IsiXhosa:
Musani ukusela nathi. Musani ukubaleka emva kwabantwana, niyayazi ukuba ndithetha ukuthini.
English:
Your children will never respect you ...
IsiXhosa:
...ukuba uza kuleqana namatsotso, leqa iintanga zakho kuba...
English:
...if you are still maintaining the values you won't sit with your children and gossip about other parents. That is why our values are diminishing because there is a lack of respect.
IsiXhosa:
Ndiyabulela ANC. Niya kuhlala niphethe. [Applause.]
Mr M W RABOTAPI
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 260
Ms T B SUNDUZA
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,12 Sep 2013,"Take 260 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,10 Sep 2013,"[Take-260] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][nm].doc"
Mr M W RABOTAPI: Thank you, House Chairperson. Our heritage is something that provides us with a sense of identity; something that we take great pride in. In South Africa, our tumultuous history and rich diversity of cultures had caused division amongst our people. However, sport has the ability to unify all South Africans. It transcends race, socioeconomic levels, language, and politics, and it gives us a collective heritage.
The critical role that sport plays cannot be overlooked. Who can forget the rich history that was built by our great sportsmen and women, led by our national icon, Tata Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, in pugilistic circles, followed by the likes of the late Enoch "Schoolboy" Nhlapo - known then in the boxing ring as uSgegede - and, of course, Arthur "The Fighting Prince" Mayisela? Who can forget the legendary athlete, Zola Budd-Pieterse, who took the racetrack by storm setting new records? The likes of Loop en Val Motshwarateu? Titus Mamabolo? The list is endless?
In soccer, we had greats like Percy "Chippa Chippa" Moloi, Eliakim "Pro" Khumalo, Arial "Pro" Kgongoane, Kaizer "Boy Boy" Motaung, Pule "Ace" Ntsoelengoe, and our own Mosioua Terror Lekota, to mention but a few. All our sporting heroes and heroines, past and present, were a major contributing factor in helping to shape the future of South Africa.
When the Springboks won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and Tata Mandela donned the number six T-shirt of the team captain, Francois Pienaar, the celebration was twofold. We celebrated our winning of the Rugby World Cup, but more importantly, we celebrated our unity as South Africans. At that moment, our apartheid legacy was overshadowed by the promise of a unified nation - a nation that looked beyond race, language, and various other factors that were used to segregate us. We celebrated our unique diversity, remembered our turbulent past, and had faith in our future. When we hosted the Fifa Soccer World Cup in 2010, South Africans rose to the occasion, proving to the world that we are a proud nation with immense potential.
I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to our sporting legends for a job well done. To those who are no longer with us, may their souls rest in peace in the knowledge that their contribution to our sporting history assisted in unifying our nation. To those who are still with us, we say, continue with the good work; we are proud of your achievements. Lastly, to all our talented and aspiring athletes, continue to pursue your sporting goals and make us proud.
There is still much that needs to be done in our sports sector. Our nation is thriving with talented sportsmen and women, but we must ensure that we develop and invest in our up-and-coming talent. We must ensure that they are provided with opportunities and continue to raise the bar.
Our progress as a country is explicably linked to sport. We give thanks to all our sporting legends and aspiring sports stars who helped in unifying our country to build our collective heritage as proud South Africans.
Setswana:
Mogologolo o ne a bua a re: "Letlhaku le lešwa le agelwa mo godimo ga le legologolo. Mmusakgotla, a me a kalo. Ke a leboga. [Legofi.]
Mr J J GUNDA
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 260
Mr M W RABOTAPI
Mr J J GUNDA: Hon Deputy Chair, His Excellency the hon President and hon Deputy President, indeed this is a very important debate. Reclaiming, restoring and celebrating our living heritage is a very important debate, and I believe we must be honest. When you are honest with yourself, you can deliver. If you are not honest with yourself, you cannot deliver.
South Africa is a beautiful country and there are beautiful people staying in this country. Let me just say this; I heard what the hon President and hon Minister of the Department of Arts and Culture said, but the reality is that in the Northern Cape House of Traditional Leaders the Khoi people are not recognised. That is the reality. There are no benefits and budget for them. Yes, they are not recognised. They are not even recognised as the first indigenous people. How long has the Select Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs been waiting for the national Traditional Affairs Bill? We have been fighting for that Bill since 2009. That Bill is still with the Minister; it is not here. To recognise the Khoisan people as the first indigenous people of this country, we need to do that. It is important to do that.
It is not good to stand here and talk about the good things. But, the reality is what is happening on the ground and the poverty of those traditional leaders. Let us go and see how the people are living in the Northern Cape - the Khoi, Griekwa and San people. Let us go and see it. That is the reality on the ground. The reality on the ground will tell you the truth. The truth might hurt you, but it will heal and set you free. [Interjections.]
Let me just say this, I would like to challenge the youth today. I have met a young woman here in Cape Town who has a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Bioscience. She was raised by a single parent. Her circumstances never stopped her from studying. And she has a Masters degree. I would like to challenge the youth by saying we need to rise above our circumstances. The people that are sitting here today were taught by their forefathers and foremothers to rise above circumstances. So, we need to rise above circumstances. We must not allow circumstances to stop us from achieving our goals. We must be focused in order to achieve our goals.
Yes, colleagues, members and Ministers, you can differ with me, but the truth is that the Bill recognising the Khoisan people as the first indigenous people has not been signed yet. It is now with the Minister. We, the Select Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, are waiting for the Bill. How long have we been waiting? We have been waiting for more than four and half years now, and still the Bill is not yet available.
In conclusion, let me say this, the challenges that we are facing in South Africa, the inequalities ... [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Hon members, can you please give the speaker time to express himself? Let us be good listeners.
Mr J J GUNDA: Thank you, hon Deputy Chairperson. Let me just conclude. In order to eradicate these scourging enemies called poverty, unemployment, and inequality, we need to put our heads together and invest in our youth. We need to invest in the people of this country to have a brighter future. We are what we are because of the people who left the legacy for us behind. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr R B BHOOLA
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 260
Mr J J GUNDA
Mr R B BHOOLA: Hon Speaker and hon President, when talking about heritage, the first thing is the understanding of what is required to build a new nation. You don't build a new nation as if it is a new baby born yesterday. It is built on the basis of your past, cultural history and heritage. If you go back in history, the truth is that unity and diversity are this government's rallying cry. Our Constitution is recognising the cultural issues and diversity of our nation, but we do not seem to see the DA recognising this. They are never part of anything that tries to build something with the majority of the people. [Interjections.] The truth is that the DA at its core is protecting selective interests, and that is precisely why it will unravel because it is not based on principles.
I thank the ANC leadership and President Zuma who consistently reaffirm the rights of everyone to their cultural heritage. [Interjections.] The MF lauds the efforts of national government and the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government for recognising the 150 years anniversary of Indians. Even His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini reached out to embrace all cultures and tried to cover all past conflicts in the call for reconciliation.
Recently, the attempt to use the reed dance to respect our culture and heritage was a wise and very good idea. Indeed, it was gratifying. The MF encourages government in its work to continue to do so.
Last year, Heritage Day was celebrated in Chatsworth, and that also led to a whole range of issues being taken up, including the anti-drug campaign. The MF is calling on everyone to learn more about people's cultures. The more we understand each other, respect each other's cultures, and participate with each other, the less the risk for conflict and division. It is merely a question of respect for one another. Indeed, South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white. But, yes, how parties approach the building of a nonracial state is vital.
Madiba once wrote a message saying sports can help to bring communities together. Sports, indeed, play a very important role in our heritage. Here, I am reminded by the former leader of the MF, Mr Rajbansi, who said: "One more child in sport is one more out of court."
The Bafana-Bafana game on Saturday had a very good nonracial crowd, which reflected the kind of society we want to build. It was held at Moses Mabhida Stadium, the best stadium in the country. We must be able to speak more of the positives that are happening in our country. Multicultural history is being taught in our schools for young people to understand their history from a correct perspective and thereby entrenching the respect for our heritage for all. However, there are those who do not want to be positive ... [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Hon Bhoola, conclude, please. Your time has expired.
Mr R B BHOOLA: I thank you. [Applause.]
Prince M M M ZULU
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,12 Sep 2013,"Take 261 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 261
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,10 Sep 2013,"[Take-261] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][nm].doc"
Mr R B BHOOLA
IsiZulu:
UMntwana M M M ZULU: Mhlonishwa Phini likaSihlalo woMkhandlu weziFundazwe, Mhlonishwa Mongameli waleli lizwe nePhini lakhe, abahlonishwa oNgqongqoshe, amalungu ahloniphekile, ilabo abamele izifundazwe, ama-special delegates ngolwasemzini, ngokuhloniphekile kumele sikuvume ukuthi iNingimu Afrika iyikhaya lezinhlanga ezehlukene. Kodwa ukwehlukana kwezinhlanga akusho ukuthi kufumele sikhohlwe ukuthi sisuka kuphi nokuthi singobani.
Ngiyakubuka nje ukuthi kuye kube sengathi yithina ongqeqe njengosombusazwe esaba nomnikelo omkhulu kuleli lizwe; amakhosi, mhlonishwa Mongameli, ukwazi njengoba ngazi ukuthi aba nomnikelo omkhulu kuleli lizwe, cishe iNingizima Afrika yonkana; akukhona ngakithi KwaZulu lapho ohlangothini lweNkosi iSilo uDingane – abanye bamthatha njengevaka ngoba kusho izibongo zakhe kodwa kukhona abantu abathile ababemsukele, yize noma ngingeke ngikhulume ngalokho ngoba uSihlalo uzongishaya athi ngithini manje. UDingane washaya abantu abaningi eNcome, kodwa kwakuyiNkosi uDingane eyayihola lawo mabutho ayelibangise lapho. Kubuye kube iseSandlwana – eduze kwakho Msholozi – uJininindi wayiphaka wayiphekula, ewashaya amabutho amaNgisi, yiwo wonke amaqhawe lawo okufuneka ukuthi uma sigubha lolu suku siwakhumbule.
Ake ngithi kuNgqongqoshe obheke uMnyango weMfundo ePhakeme, akagqugquzele ukuthi wonke amanyuvesi ukuthi enze njengoba kwenza inyuvesi le ekhaya KwaZulu-Natali, eyenza ukuthi bonke abafundi, kungakhathalekile ukuthi benza ziphi izifundo noma iziqu zemfundo, bafunde lolu engilukhulumayo. Kuzosizaphi lokho? Kuzosiza ngoba uma usuwumengameli wezwe ungabi umengameli owazi isayensi kuphela ngoba uzogxila kusayensi bese silibala amagugu ethu lokho okunye. Singabazali, nami ngingomunye umuntu ofe olwembiza kulokhu; umntanami akakwazi ukusikhuluma kahle isiZulu lesi engisikhulumayo, kodwa ngiyamphoqa ukuthi asikhulume. Lapha ngifakazela ukuthi izilimi zethu e-Afrika ngeze zaqhakanjiswa muntu ngaphandle kokuba kusukume thina njengabantu abampisholo kuleli lizwe. Uma sizofika la senze sengathi kuseNgilandi noma eMelika, angifisi ukuthi kuvele kuphenduke iMelika lapha. UBaba oMkhulu, iNkosi uDinuzulu wenza umnikelo obonakalayo, ilwa namambuka-ke manje ayesethe bhe kulo lonke leli likaBaba omkhulu, ngenxa yalokho kufuze ukuthi zonke izilimi sizinike ithuba laba bahlonishwa laba abamele abantu bakhulume lezo zilimi zomdabu ukuze abantu bazuze kulokhu abakuvotela ngowe-1994, bakwazi nokuzwa ukuthi abahlonishwa bathini uma bekhuluma kusiShayamthetho sikaZwelonke noma eMkhandlwini weziFundazwe, nasezifundazweni; ngoba uma siyoveteza uJoji kuze kuyobuya uJesu ngeke sazuza lutho kulokho. Ngikhuluma nje owami umama ongizalayo wayengazi ukuthi uma kukhulunywa isiLungu kukhunywa kuthiweni. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.]
Mr M J R DE VILLIERS
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 261
Prince M M M ZULU
English:
Mr M J R DE VILLIERS: Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon President and Deputy President, hon Ministers, hon members and guests, on behalf of the DA, today, I am honoured to participate in this Heritage Day debate. It is excellent and good that we, as South Africans, have established the National Heritage Resources Act No 25 of 1999.
Our heritage is varied, diverse and unique. As a nation we must remember the past, but we should not dwell on it. We should rather use its foundation to build a better future for the generations to come. Heritage is one of the primary sources of identity; it gives us a sense of belonging, and a sense of who we are and where we are coming from. If you want to destroy a nation, you must destroy its heritage, which should never be allowed to happen. Heritage is about us as people in our diversity as humans.
We have to ask these questions: Do we preserve our Heritage? Do we, in all our doing, advance or retard and destroy our traditions, our languages, our customs and our beliefs? Do our children know our traditions and customs, or are they ignorant of these important issues in life?
Our heritage has many challenges. One of those challenges is that we must preserve our heritage within the context of an ever-changing world which is driven by modern technology. Modern technology should never be allowed to take over so that we lose our identity, our belonging, our heritage and what or who we are. We must treasure the gift of Africa and preserve it because it is the heritage of generations to come. All of us owe this to those who are following us.
The principles that have been there in governance and in countries for decades are those of profit and personal gain and advantage. The greatest African principles and values are those of justice, balance, reciprocity, and appreciation for what life grants us as a nation. However, we, as a nation, are guilty of not fully adhering to these principles.
Let me pause on the following: Firstly, we hear that Cabinet Ministers interfered in the Public Protector's investigation into the R200 million Nkandlagate; and secondly, public money is wasted – spending on the Transnet fuel pipeline between Durban and Gauteng amounted to R15,4 billion in 2009, and now to R23,4 billion. An estimated 125 000 houses could have been built instead.
Thirdly, in the Eastern Cape alone 1 450 temporary teachers have not received their salaries amounting to R596 million. These teachers are left in poverty, hunger, and with no money to pay for water or electricity. Furthermore, the costs of the arms deal are estimated to have escalated since 1999 from R30 billion to R70 billion, and the government is still throwing money around in order to conceal the truth.
Other issues include Pantsy Tlakula of the IEC and the scandal involving a R320 million lease deal; provincial and local governments having financial problems, and interventions and administrative processes are the order of the day, left right and centre – you are with me in the same select committee therefore you know what I am talking about; and 1 448 police officers and SA Police Service staff having criminal records and some of them having very high ranks in the police service.
Lastly, universities are under administration for maladministration and corruption, like Walter Sisulu University, the University of Zululand, Tswane University of Technology, and others. It sounds like madness in a democratic society. Unbelievable!
I can carry on with this sick and cancerous situation in our government. It is unfortunate that this forms part of our heritage, yours and mine. You, as the ANC government, are guilty of failing our heritage, and of failing our people and future generations. Now the DA will take over in Tlokwe, and next year it will take over in Gauteng and the Northern Cape. [Interjections.] You can fool them once but not always. Lies and clever words will catch up with you. Remember our past and avoid the ills and wrongdoings in order to own our future. We can only reclaim, restore and celebrate in this way. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr N T GODI
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 261
Mr M J R DE VILLIERS
Mr N T GODI: Hon Deputy Chair, comrades and hon members, the APC as an Africanist, Pan-Africanist, and socialist party welcomes not only this debate but also the aptness of the topic. We do so precisely because the question remains, almost 20 year since independence: How do we reclaim, restore and celebrate positively the heritage of, especially, the indigenous African majority in the context where the exigencies of history have - through political, economic, and social constructs - rendered the African majority a cultural minority; where, through centuries of national humiliation and subjugation, the essence of their being has been challenged; and where, today, the beneficiaries of apartheid, through their political formations and social commentators, characterise ubuntu, the core value and essence that defines our relationship with other human beings, as an abettor of corrupt practices?
Yes, we have a heritage to reclaim, restore and celebrate. The narrow economism of the vulgar Marxists has been aptly rebutted by the great patriot and outstanding leader of our struggle, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, who said:
The African is not an economic animal just to be fed. He has a social and spiritual dimension to his existence.
This resonates with what the founding President of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, said: "Freedom must lead to the projection of the African personality." This means that all those things that were suppressed under white minority rule about who we are as Africans must come to the fore as a way of restoring the dignity of our being.
The APC salutes institutions of traditional leadership and indigenous African churches for being the bastions of our proud African heritage. They need our support and encouragement to firmly adopt a dialectical approach to their work. I thank you. [Applause.]
Ms S R BEREND
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,12 Sep 2013,"Take 262 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 262
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,10 Sep 2013,"[Take-262] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][nm].doc"
Mr N T GODI
Afrikaans:
Me S R BEREND: Adjunkvoorsitter van die Nasionale Raad van Provinsies, agb President, agb Adjunkpresident, en agb lede van die Huis, Cope sal vandag eers die rede waarom die San-seuntjie nie meer in 'n /ai gesien word nie of wanneer die sierlike Domba weer in Venda sal plaasvind, laat oorstaan. Ons sal eerder praat oor die besitreg tot grond of erfenis van hierdie kinders en hul mense.
Teen die agtergrond van die nalatenskap van die 17de eeu, die Wet op Naturelle Grondbesit, wet 27 van 1913, en die Wet op Herstel van Grondregte, wet 22 van 1994, sê ek ook vandag: Erfgoed is swerfgoed. Ons het al gesien dat erflatings dikwels teen 'n duur prys kom. Waar ek grootgeword het, word gesê dat 'n mens nie jou erfporsie weggee nie, behalwe as dit van geslag tot geslag oorgedra moet word. Anders is jy gedoem. Dan lui nog 'n spreekwoord dat optelgoed hougoed is, maar ook net solank dit nie op 'n ander man se grond is nie. Of dit nou 'n skaap of bees, 'n blink klip of edelmetaal is, dit moet aan die regmatige eienaar terugbesorg word.
Ek gee dit gelyk dat dit onafwendbaar was dat 2013 die jaar van grond sou word. As enigiemand iets "ontvang" het wat jy weet nie eintlik jou eiendom is nie, is dit raadsaam om jouself begin gewoond te maak aan die gedagte dat dit een of ander tyd terugbesorg sal moet word. As ek byvoorbeeld in my lewe net geboer het en aan geen ander vaardigheidsontwikkeling blootgestel is nie, is dit 'n goeie idee om te begin dink aan "deel-boer", "mee-boer" of "saam-boer", as 'n mense sulke woorde kan skep, veral in die gees van nasiebou. Ek haal iemand se wyse gedagte, wat ek onlangs gehoor het, aan: Grond kan nie nuwe grond baar nie. Dit kan nie mitoties verdeel en aan 'n klomp ander grond oorsprong gee nie. Ons het net een Suid-Afrika, en ons moet dit maak werk.
Die regeringsverteenwoordigers en staatsamptenare, strategiese vennote in die grondhersieningsproses, asook verkose staatsinstellings wat in posisies van vertroue geplaas is, is verplig om die grondkwessie met verantwoordelikheid, eerlikheid en sonder korrupsie en familiebegunstiging af te handel. !Khutse Xhomga sidare. [Here, wees ons hiertoe genadig.]
Cope vra: Laat daar nie van hierdie geslag gesê word, terwyl ons nou voortstrompel oor die hekkies van "Oilgate," "Guptagate", "Travelgate" en "Nkandlagate", dat ons nie die regte en erfenis van die kinders van Mier en Venda, Namakwa en oral in Suid-Afrika kon herstel nie. Al meer stemme eggo dat regeringsamptenare en –verteenwoordigers se hande vuil is. Dis glo vol grond en in sommige gevalle nog grond wat onder die oppervlak skitterblink is. Laat hulle wat nou die voorreg het om die opskepskottel en –lepel in die hand te hou, akkuraat na ver uitreik. !Khei /kankans. [Ek dank u.] [Applous.]
Mr S B FARROW
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 262
Ms S R BEREND
English:
Mr S B FARROW: Deputy Chairperson, former President Nelson Mandela said, "For all to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." I cannot agree more. Heritage is all about embracing and respecting each other's traditions, culture, language, identity and values, all of which contribute to building the diversity and uniqueness of this, our rainbow nation.
Deputy President Motlanthe quite rightly identified in a Heritage Day speech last year that poverty, inequality and unemployment are the three biggest barriers to freedom in South Africa. I was born in Umtata, and I spent my formative years in a place called Bhityi, for those of you who know that. It is not far from former President Mandela's home at Qunu. My late father often used to joke that my brothers and I used to make clay models of cattle from the same stream that Madiba used as a child. Sadly, today little exists in the way of the home we were brought up in, other than the memories that we have. I have no doubt that the children of Bhityi continue to model clay cattle in those same streams to this day, as traditions of the past are passed from generation to generation.
It is traditions and cultures like these that attract the curiosity and interest of our local population and visitors to this country. It is therefore pleasing to know that the Departments of Tourism and Arts and Culture have begun to work on preserving this history and these traditions through establishing a series of museums and monuments to honour our nation's past. There are numerous national heritage sites scattered across our country that all form part of a national heritage route which embraces parts of South Africa's diverse history and natural wonders and have untold opportunities for tourism.
However, on visits around the province, as part of the Portfolio Committee on Tourism, one came across far too many cases where national funding of tourist facilities for the communities were incomplete and sites that were poorly maintained, abandoned, burnt down, badly run, or did not provide value for money. As MPs, we all have a responsibility to ensure that state-funded infrastructure like this is protected and correctly used. In analysing these cases, it boils down to a number of factors, such as political interference, poor communication, corruption, greed, lack of training in business principles, and the lack of ongoing management.
On the other hand, there were cases where local communities and their trustees benefited greatly from tourism projects. Where this happened, good communication existed between the department providing the funds, the implementing agent, and the trustees of the project. Paramount to the success was the fact that good partnership models were in place, which ensured profit sharing and continued management, to ensure also their future sustainability.
In the Eastern Cape, however, it was pleasing to note that plans had been put in place to invest in tourist opportunities that come with our history. The birthplace of Madiba at Mvezo, for example, received a R70 million grant to establish a museum, craft centre, guest lodges, and a bridge over the Mbashe River, in order to make the site more accessible to visitors. Linked to the Qunu Museum, tourists can now trace the footsteps of Mandela whilst enjoying the culture and history of the Xhosa people. Once completed, it will form an ideal base for the development of job opportunities for those members of the community who have skills in crafts, traditional dancing, catering, hospitality, and tour guiding. I trust and hope that this project will not fall prey to the greed and exploitation that we experienced and witnessed elsewhere.
Rural communities have creative talent and should be encouraged to share in this great opportunity which will help unshackle them from the burden of poverty, inequality, and unemployment. The National Development Plan recognises this opportunity, and for every 12 international visitors we can attract to heritage and cultural sites, we can create a new job. Furthermore, international visitors bring in foreign currencies that assist in our balance of payments.
Tourism is set to grow both domestically and internationally over the next five years, and approximately 225 000 extra jobs can be created by 2020. This would increase tourism's total direct and indirect contribution to the economy from R189 billion, as it stands at the moment, to nearly R499 billion in 2020. Our heritage and culture can play a major role – if correctly preserved, managed and marketed – in attracting tourists and visitors, both domestically and from abroad, to our country, for it is through these initiatives that our country can grow and prosper. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,18 Sep 2013,"Take 263 [National Assembly Chamber Main].doc"
UNREVISED HANSARD
JOINT SITTING
Tuesday, 10 September 2013 Take: 263
"National Assembly Chamber Main",Unrevised Hansard,10 Sep 2013,"[Take-263] [National Assembly Chamber Main][NAC-Logger][nm].doc"
Mr S B FARROW
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE: Thank you very much, Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Deputy Speaker, our hon President and Deputy President, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers, premiers present, representatives from the provinces, ladies and gentlemen, thobela, re a lotšha, avuxeni. In celebrating our heritage today we are reminded of where we come from as a nation, the road we have traversed and the challenges that remain ahead of us.
While the central purpose of colonialism and apartheid was to take away the economic resources of the conquered in the form of land, mineral resources, livestock, and crops, and turn the native population into cheap labour, it is also true that force of arms was not enough to sustain this system. It was not by chance but rather by purpose that the system was also anchored on a systematic drive to take away people's cultures, heritage, customs, language, value systems, and any form of self-esteem and pride of the nations that came before them. It is for this reason that our liberation movement, as an antithesis to colonialism and racism, had to place at its centre not just economic emancipation but also had to reaffirm our people's identity as expressed through their culture, language, history, customs, symbols, music, poetry, and so on.
Through its existence for over 300 years, colonialism and the apartheid system evolved in various phases but with a common purpose of looking after the privileges of a few and disempowering, disenfranchising, exploiting, and dehumanising the majority. The culture, heritage, customs, and language of the white minority were promoted, enforced and revered, while those of the black majority of South Africans were vilified and deliberately distorted.
In the latter years, with the introduction of formal legalised racial segregation under the Verwoerdian doctrine of apartheid, black people's heritage was further ghettoised under the Bantustan system and the coloured and Indian puppet administration systems.
Being cognisant of these factors, the liberation movement broadly but specifically under the leadership of the ANC and its allies, in particular, was fully conscious that the task of rebuilding a democratic South Africa would take more than just reversing the legal framework in order to tackle economic deprivation, which was at the centre of this system. It is for this reason that the Freedom Charter bears very clear testimony to this foresight as it reads in some of the parts of the Freedom Charter that:
All people shall have equal right to use their languages and to develop their own folk culture and customs. All national groups shall be protected by law against insults to their race and national pride. The preaching and practice of national, race or colour discrimination and contempt shall be a punishable crime ... The government shall discover, develop and encourage national talent for the enhancement of our cultural life ...
As we got closer to the 1994 democratic breakthrough, the ANC built on the foundation of the Freedom Charter by developing the Reconstruction and Development Programme, RDP, document, and in the RDP document, we stated that we will: affirm and promote the rich and diverse expressions of South African culture; promote the development of a unifying national culture representing the aspirations of all South African people; ensure that the resources and facilities of both the production and appreciation of arts and culture are made available to all; and conserve, promote and revitalise our national cultural heritage so that it is accessible to all communities.
As a major part of implementing these ideals, we started with the process of establishing a developmental state, as enjoined by Chapter 9 of our Constitution, which, amongst other, instructs that the Public Service must be development orientated, and that services must be provided impartially, fairly, equitably and without bias.
Today, as we celebrate Heritage Month on the eve of completing our 20 years of freedom and democracy, it is an ideal time to reflect and see how far we have gone in implementing the vision of our forebears in reclaiming, restoring and celebrating our history - our living heritage. I am convinced that, to a large extent, we have made huge strides in realising the vision of Pixley ka Isaka Seme, John Langalibalele Dube, Sefako Makgatho, Chief Albert Luthuli, Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela and many of our forebears. We have come a long way in the sense that, amongst others, the legal and constitutional framework to protect the cultural heritage, languages and customs of all our people are in place, quite firmly so, within our Constitution.
We have come a long way in making sure that the majority of South Africans enjoy basic services which help them to reclaim their dignity. It is not just us saying that we have made a lot of progress, but also numerous objective analysts, both here in South Africa and abroad, do acknowledge the fact that, whilst there are still challenges, we have come a long way in providing South Africans with an environment conducive to the realisation of self-esteem, by providing accessible public services. Amongst others, if we look in the area of education, we can say, with conviction, that throughout the value chain of education – starting from early childhood development to basic education, and to higher education and skills development – we have come a long way.
In the provision of health services, right from preventative and primary health services to curative services, we have made huge strides. In the basket of social services, there have been various forms of social interventions, including the intervention in the area of income. Regarding the provision of shelter to all our people, millions of houses have been built over the last 19 years. In the areas of water and sanitation and the provision of electricity, over 90% of our people now have access to these services. With regard to a broad range of job opportunities, training, and support for small and medium enterprises and aspirant entrepreneurs, a lot has been achieved. In the very area that we are celebrating today, as envisaged in the Freedom Charter, I again have no hesitation in asserting that we have come a long way in implementing the vision as outlined in the Freedom Charter and in the RDP.
If we look at the area of language promotion, as various speakers before me have alluded, a lot has been done. Again, as provided for in our Constitution, legislation has been developed to enhance the protection of not only the official languages but all South African languages and to implement this protection. With regard to the establishment of the Pan South African Language Board, PanSALB, I know that the members of the committee will argue that a lot still has to be done to make sure that PanSALB is indeed effective. We agree, and we are attending to this, and, indeed, it will be effective very soon.
In terms of one of the recent pieces of legislation, the Use of Official Languages Act, which was passed during the course of last year, all government departments have to promote a minimum of three languages, and this Act of Parliament applies to national and provincial departments.
In relation to the promotion of literature, writing and reading, I should also mention that last week, from 2 to 7 September, was our National Book Week, which was celebrated all over the country. With regard to promoting libraries, building libraries, and upgrading libraries, thanks should go to our fiscus for making the resources available for us to implement a massive library building and upgrading programme. In a very targeted manner it is focusing on rural areas as well, and I am sure our representatives from some of the rural provinces can attest to this.
The department, working with nongovernmental organisations, is doing a lot of work in this area of the promotion of writing and reading. I agree with hon Sunduza that we must all get into the habit of writing our stories. Sometime this morning when we were talking, hon Mnyamezeli Booi challenged me to write a book, together with him, about our stories in the Congress of South African Students, Cosas, the Azanian Students Organisation, Azaso, the UDF, and so on. I will hold hon Mnyamezeli Booi to that, because we have made a pact that, indeed, we are going to write about our stories. We are encouraging all hon members to do the same so that our stories are not told by people who have learnt about them from hearsay, but that they are indeed written by the real sources. Let us do that, hon members!
In the area of music, a lot of work has been done. I know that hon Sunduza also mentioned that we must focus more on indigenous African music. This is happening, although maybe not to the extent that she is wishing for, and we agree that we still need to do more. We are working very closely with all our partners in the private sector and also in the provinces and municipalities on various efforts to promote music. This also happens thanks to the support of many of our hon members who support a lot of our activities. Although I know that from time to time, we do have some problems causing unhappiness, for example, with regard to tickets for the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. I would still like to thank you for your support, because if it was not for your interest, people would not even be aware that a jazz festival is taking place. Thank you for not only supporting Cape Town. A few weeks ago, we had the Joy of Jazz, and I can report that we also, amongst others, hosted the hon Deputy President and the former President Mbeki. I am sure Msholozi, the President, is still going to come to the Joy of Jazz and the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
On Saturday, on a very chilly night, thousands of revellers packed Moretele Park in Mamelodi. Despite temperatures going below zero, that showground was packed to capacity. Thanks to all the hon members and members of the public who turned out in large numbers to promote our South African music. With Moretele Park, specifically, the focus is purely on South African music. There are no international artists there. We also work with all other provinces to promote South African music, for example, Maphungubwe in Limpopo.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Hon Deputy Minister, can you just hold on?
IsiZulu:
Mnu J J SKOSANA: Phini likaSihlalo, bengifuna ukwazi ukuthi iPhini likaNgqongqoshe lizosimema nini thina kwi-Jazz Festival ngoba ulokhu emema ngale; uzosimema nini? [Uhleko.]
IPHINI LIKASIHLALO WOMKHANDLU KAZWELONKE WEZIFUNDAZWE (Ms T C Memela): Lungu elihloniphekile, ngokukhulu ukuzihlonipha, ngicela nje uhlale phansi Baba umyeke aqhubeke! [Ubuwelewele.]
English:
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE: Hon Deputy Chair, we are nonpartisan; the hon member's chance is still coming. You know, all services start somewhere. Even the allocation of tickets starts somewhere, and it is still coming to the hon Skosana.
Hon Chair, in other areas like the visual arts, performing arts, films and documentaries we have also made a lot of progress as part of our heritage. We are not only promoting this locally but also internationally. We have a number of agreements with various countries. Members may be aware of the fact that, recently, in respect of our agreement with France, we had a number of activities in Paris, and also in various other countries on the African continent and other continents. We are promoting South African art to make sure that artists can also showcase their talent, not only locally but also internationally.
With regard to promoting our national symbols, the flag and the anthem, we have also agreed that sport provides us with a major opportunity to promote our national symbols and to build social cohesion, as we have seen with the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup where the South African flag and anthem were everywhere to be seen. This was also the case during the Africa Cup of Nations, Afcon, this year. We are also looking at arts and culture as a form of diplomacy and an instrument of international relations and cultural diplomacy. Overall, in terms of nation-building, we have come a long way in an effort to create a nonracial, democratic and nonsexist South Africa. We believe that a lot has been achieved.
I would just like to say a few words about some of the hon members of the opposition here, starting with hon Groenewald. I think that, as the ANC, we can assure hon Groenewald that we hold no grudge against the Afrikaner community. In fact, it is within our founding principles, by our forebears, from way back when it was not fashionable. You would have heard when I read from the Freedom Charter that even under the yoke of oppression our forebears committed themselves to respect all cultural practices and languages. So we have no problem with hon Groenewald being a proud Afrikaner. [Applause.] At the same time, we remain very committed to the redress of the injustices of apartheid and colonialism. Contrary to his view, only by first acknowledging the wrongs of the past can you build a successful future. If you deny that, there is no way that you can have a foundation on which to build. [Applause.]
Hon Gunda spoke about the sidelining, apparently, of the Khoisan. I want to disagree with him and state that the contrary is true. We have worked very closely with all communities, including the Khoi, the San and the Bushmen. A lot has been done, as outlined in the speech by the President, including the repatriation of the remains of the Pienaar couple, and a lot of other activities, and we are working closely with the leadership of the Khoi and the San, including the chiefs. When I went to Austria to repatriate the remains, I was accompanied by a Bushman chief. We work with them on a daily basis. In fact, even a few days ago when we were discussing the amendment to the Arts and Culture White Paper, we had quite a big delegation of Khoi leaders, including traditional leaders. They did raise some issues, and we said to them that we would follow up on these issues, together with our sister departments like the Department for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. So, that is in place.
It is unfortunate that some of the hon members, especially hon De Villiers from the DA, virtually abused this platform. [Interjections.] This is a platform to debate heritage issues, and the hon member comes here to make wild allegations – unfounded allegations – and to abuse this platform when there are structures within the Parliament to raise those issues. Some of the members here, possibly even him, serve on some of those committees, and because they lose the debate in those committees, they come and abuse this platform. It shows, hon member, a very poor picture of your organisation, the DA. [Interjections.] What it means is that you are basically saying that the DA has nothing to contribute to heritage; instead, you come here to make wild, unfounded allegations. It is a very sad day for the DA, but I think it is good that, so close to the next election, the hon member is showing us what the DA is made of - an organisation with no direction, which abuses the privileges of Parliament to come and make such unfounded allegations. [Interjections.]
As I conclude, I am sure I can state, without any fear of contradiction, that the South Africa of today is a better country than the one we found in 1994. I can say without contradiction that today is better than yesterday and that tomorrow will be better than today, that indeed South Africa is in good hands, and that our heritage is in good hands in the ANC. Thank you very much hon, Deputy Chair. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
The Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces adjourned the Joint Sitting at 17:24.
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