Hansard: NA: Unrevised Hansard
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 23 Aug 2018
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY THURSDAY, 23 AUGUST 2018
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THURSDAY, 23 AUGUST 2018
ROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
The House met at 14:01.
The House Chairperson, Mr C T Frolick took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
MOTION OF CONDOLENCE
(The late Goodwill Sibusiso Rabebe)
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: House Chairperson, we move:
That this House –
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notes with sadness the passing on of the ANC Member of Parliament, MP, Mr Goodwill Sibusiso Radebe, who succumbed to injuries sustained from gunshots during an attempted hijack in Roodepoort, Gauteng, on Tuesday evening, 21 June 2018;
also remembers that the 40-year-old Radebe became an MP in 2009 and served on the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, the Portfolio Committee on Energy and the Portfolio Committee on Transport;
recalls that in his earlier political career, he served in various structures of the Mass Democratic Movement in Mpumalanga;
understands that he served as the Deputy Secretary of the Congress of South African Students, COSAS, in Mpumalanga in 1994; and in 1998, he served as Chairperson of the South African Students Congress, SASCO, at the Tshwane University of Technology, formerly known as Pretoria Technikon;
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further understands that in 2002, he was part of the task team tasked with establishing branches of the Young Communist League in Mpumalanga and was elected as one of the first district secretaries in the Gert Sibande District;
realises that in 2008, Radebe was elected Provincial Treasurer of the ANC Youth League in Mpumalanga
recalls that Comrade Sbu, as he was fondly known, was a great colleague and a friend in Parliament, full of life;
further recalls that he was a humble and dedicated MP;
acknowledges that he was an immensely popular figure to both his party and members on opposite benches of the National Assembly;
believes that Radebe will be lovingly remembered by his family, friends and the ANC as someone who worked hard to improve the lives of all South Africans; and
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lastly, conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife and his entire family.
Mr C H H HUNSINGER: Hon House Chairperson, on behalf of my leader, hon Mmusi Maimane and all members and staff of the DA, I wish to pass our deepest and heartfelt condolences to hon Radebe’s family and friends, colleagues and staff where he served and to the ANC for losing a leader and a comrade.
I was shocked and saddened by the message on my return from overseas that Sbu was taken away from us. Even more so, after the conversation with hon Sibande, when I realised that I will miss out on attending his funeral, due to happens a few hours later.
No loss of life can be greater or less amongst different people. The reality of Sbu’s absence in our portfolio committee is real to us on a weekly basis while I am convinced that it must be even more so, where he used to be and sadly is no more.
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To this day, I remember his answer of four-years-ago when I asked him why he decided to follow a career in politics. He proudly announced and I quote: “both my parents were activists”.
In preparation for this opportunity to say a couple of words I flipped through my WhatsApp conversations with Sbu and soon found myself smiling about what we shared and may I add the content remains confidential and classified. [Laughter.]
Sbu had a great sense of humour and a young curious spirit. His political views were grounded and he was serious about his work. I value the conversations we had, where I listened to him sharing stories about when he championed the establishment of Young Communist League, YCL, branches 15-years-ago and in his typical manner said: ”Hey Humsinga, we must talk about these things”, when I shared some Afrikaner stories to him in return.
More than once, we committed to that special braai, when we would spend more time together and share more stories.
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It was an honour and privilege to have served in this 5th Parliament with him. I am grateful for that we could share and sad for losing out on a valued friendship.
In memory, I relate to him as a member of the Transport Portfolio Committee with respect, where he was a contender to be reckoned with. Let it be said, he served with pride and conviction, thoroughly and intense. Without doubt, he did make a difference.
Lastly, when I imagine Sbu, I see him with a friendly face and advancing posture, keen to engage and to interact. To you Sbu, his family, friends and colleagues, you remain in our thoughts and prayers and may your soul rest in peace. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr T E MULAUDZI: House Chairperson, the EFF is saddened by the tragic passing of hon Sibusiso Radebe, whose life was taken away so prematurely. He was a consummate politician, whose commitment to his own organisation and to the country was unquestionable.
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We may have disagreed on how to take the country forward, but there was no disagreement in the fact that all of us have the best interest of our country at heart.
His death also reminds us of the daily struggle faced by millions of our people just to survive in a very violent society. The levels of violence and criminality have reached alarming heights in this country.
It is now by luck that people in the township survive because governance of these areas has been taken over by criminal gangs, who rule by fear. We must also as members of this Parliament, think long and hard about our crime fighting strategies.
We must address the underlying causes of violent crimes in order to free our society.
We are saying Sbu was above party politics. I served with him in the Portfolio Committee of Transport, although he was young but he was vibrant and used to share so many things above
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party politics. He was a friend of everyone regardless of the political party one comes from. So, we are saying ...
Tshivenḓa:
Vho T E MULAUDZI: ... vha eḓele nga mulalo Vho Mthimkhulu. Vha eḓele Vho Radebe, Vho Grootboom.
English:
Mr T E MULAUDZI: On behalf of the President of the EFF and the CIC, Julius Malema, we are saying that the family and the friends of hon Radebe and to his political home, the ANC, may you be comforted in the knowledge that you were well valued by your colleagues in this House and may your soul rest in perfect peace and rise in glory. Thank you, House Chairperson. [Applause.]
Mr M HLENGWA: Hon House Chairperson, where does one begin, Sbu was full of life. Sbu was energetic and loved his job. Sbu had respect for everybody in this House and that is as far as I am concerned the model of a perfect colleague who understood that it is okay to disagree and find solutions, but that did not make any of us in this House to be enemies. Of course, we will
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all remember Sbu as Mr point of order, from his times in this form so-called castle corner at the back. [Laughter.] Then he moved from one corner to another without fail. He would say on a point of order even if an issue big or small. I am sure the hon Self would remember when he said would you take a “selfie” and you will think of a point of order. Sbu was full of life. He was able to break the tensions of this House at times with humour and jokes just to remind us that we are humane. I think that is the value which we have lost.
So, I just want to say on behalf of the IFP to Sbu’s family that we feel your loss because we have lost a friend, a colleague and a servant of the people of South Africa.
Remember sometime ago, when one of the entities and the Department of Transport had to appear before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa, and he said to us, you must not think that you are a super committee there at the Scopa and take our jobs away. So, he was always alert and paid attention to details. I think, we must take time as a country to reflect seriously on the impact of crime on everybody.
Quite frankly, if crime and murder can take away the life of the public representative of the highest body of this country,
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what are the prevailing realities for the people on the ground that are not known? So, I think it’s very important that we speed up efforts of combating crime in this country. We call all the law enforcement agencies to actually pursue those who took Sbu’s life and bring them to justice and they must answer so that the family and South Africa can find closure.
Therefore, on behalf of the IFP and Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi our leader we offer our sincerest and deepest condolences to the family and friends and to the ANC on this untimely tragic loss of one of our most valued colleagues. We hope that all of those who have been affected by his passing will soon find peace during this challenging time and that may the good Lord of mercy be their strength and comfort.
IsiZulu:
UNkulunkulu womusa anithande manje, anihlenge, anigcine futhi anilondoloze kuze kube kubuya iNkosi yethu uJesu. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.]
IsiZulu:
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Mnu S C MNCWABE: Sihlalo ohloniphekile, malungu ahloniphekile, umndeni wakwaRadebe nabo bonke abakhona, nginibingelela ngencwadi kaMpostoli uPawula uma ethi: “Ngoba thina siyazi ukuthi uma leli dokodo lidilika sinesakhiwo esingakhiwanga yizandla zomuntu isakhiwo sasezulwini.” Ngisho lawo mazwi kinina boBhungane, boMakhulukhulu silahlekelwe kanye nani.
Umfowethu uSbu kimina wayengeyena kuphela uzakwethu [colleague] kodwa ube nguntanga wami. Wazalwa ngomhlaka zi-4 Mashi ngowe-1978, ngazalwa ngomhla 31 Mashi ngowe-1978. Uma sixoxa naye kuningi kakhulu obekufana phakathi kwethu. Ziningi izinto ebezifana ebezenza ukuthi sigcine sesixabena.
English:
He is a product of Congress of South African Students, Cosas, and I am also a product of Cosas. At some stage he was a chairperson of SA Students Congress, Sasco, at Tshwane University of Technology, TUT, and I was a chairperson of the University of Durban Westville, UDW, branch. He was a former unionist and I am a former chairperson of the SA Transport and Allied Workers Union, Satawu, in the Road Accident Fund in Durban. These are the things we used to talk about with Comrade Sbu and at the end of the day we would quarrel
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somewhere and I won’t be able to disclose what the cause of that quarrel was.
IsiZulu:
Into ebuhlungu ukuthi sikhulume ngomuntu osemncane njengaye la i-Afrika ibhekene nenkinga ye-aging leadership. Ubuholi obukhona e-Afrika sebukhulile. Sidinga abaholi abasha abafundile ...
English:
... who are disciplined but patriotic about their continent and their country.
IsiZulu:
Ncamashi yilokhu ebeliyikona iQabane uSbu ebesikukhuluma kakhulu.
English:
At some stage one of the members of this House, Comrade Kwankwa once called us to form young parliamentarian’s forum
...
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IsiZulu:
... sizobhekana nezinkinga ze-Fees Must Fall ezike zabakhona. IQabane uSbu omunye umuntu ebesinaye lapho sihlanganisa imibono ebeyimangalisa.
English:
I was so impressed with his ideas.
IsiZulu:
Okokugcina, engikukhumbulayo esakhuluma ngako ukuthi kufanele singadlalisi ngodaba lokubuyiswa komhlaba. Besizwana kakhulu kuloko. Sithi ke hamba kahle Makhulukhulu, hamba kahle Bhungane Lendlela, ubatshele okhokho ukuthi sisohlelweni lokubuyisa umhlaba futhi sisohlelweni lokusula izinyembezi zabo.
English:
What ever Donald Trump can say we will continue to make sure that the land comes back to their rightful owners. [Applause.] We will not be deterred by the United States or any Western agents. We will continue to fight for that.
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IsiZulu:
Sithi hamba kahle mfowethu.
English:
Farewell my brother, one day we shall meet in a peaceful land and country where death shall have no dominion.
IsiZulu:
Hamba kahle Mafuzafulele njengefu lemvula. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.]
Mr N L S KWANKWA: House Chair, on behalf of the UDM I would like to take this opportunity to extend our deepest condolences to the family uMama Radebe, Sbu’s friends and the ANC...
IsiXhosa:
... engumbutho ebewumele kule Palamente. Mam’uRhadebe kufuneka wazi ukuba awulahlekelwanga wedwa; nathi silahlekelwe.
Kumaxesha amaninzi abantu basibona sihleli kumacala ahlukeneyo apha kule Ndlu bacinge ukuba asisebenzisani...
English:
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... and we are not colleagues and we do not get to a point where we are able to put the interests of South Africa above those of our respective political parties. In fact, when we are out of this House ...
IsiXhosa:
... siyakwazi ukusebenzisana sonke sizame ukwakha uMzantsi Afrika ongcono kumntu wonke. USibusiso bendimbiza Qabane Sbuja.
English:
He is one of the people I often call upon especially when we needed to discuss youth issues. I must admit that Sbuja was stubborn just like me because 80% of the time we did not agree on most of the things we discussed politically. What is important is that we were able to put aside those political differences in many instances and do what is best for the people of South Africa. He was that kind of a leader even during the #Fees Must Fall campaign.
Comrade Sibusiso Mncwabe, together with the concerned young parliamentarians was quite correct when he urged to find ways
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on how do we respond to the challenges faced by young people in South Africa as a collective. We have a double trouble of Sibusisos in this House.
IsiXhosa:
USibusiso Rhadebe ebengomnye wabantu obenegalelo elincomekayo kwezoo ngxoxo kwaye namava akhe, njengomntu obesebenza kwiKomiti yeMicimbi yeSebe leMfundo ePhakamileyo noQeqesho ...
English:
... came in very handy for us in terms of guiding us; in terms of saying what are some of the critical and topical issues because you cannot just rely only on one source when you are dealing with the challenges of the country.
IsiXhosa:
Ndifuna ukuthi silahlekelwe apha kakhulu.
English:
One of the things that people do not realise is that we have lost one of the most vibrant and charismatic leader in this Parliament.
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IsiXhosa:
Kubuhlungu ukufumanisa ukuba ulwaphulo-mthetho luthatha iinkokeli zangomso kuba ke ngenene esi sisikhokelo soMzantsi Afrika sangomso. Ndifuna ukuthi kuye mama, makalale ngoxolo uNgelengele, uHlubi, uBhungane. Sithi kuye, nangona singenakutsho ukuba ugqatso ulufezile kuba besisebenza sonke kodwa eyakhe indima kugqatso lwethu, uyifezile. Menze Thixo aphumle ngonaphakade, umkhanyisele ngokhanyiso olungacimiyo. Siyabulela.
Mr S N SWART: House Chair, on behalf of the ACDP, we would like to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late hon Mr Goodwill Sbu Radebe as well as to the ANC. Other members have spoken eloquently about him being larger than life and the tremendous guard that he was here in Parliament, a wonderful leader and his leadership in the broader South Africa. We support those sentiments that have been expressed.
We were deeply shocked to hear of his tragic news of his murder in Gauteng and share the sentiments of other speakers at the high levels of crime impact every one of us, even
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parliamentarians not being spared and just think of all the citizens on the ground struggling with the scourge of crime. Let’s do more to fight crime in our nation.
I remember Sbu here, Deputy Chief Whip of the ANC, you remember when he was sick one day and you were running around in haste, I volunteered to take him to hospital. I never realised he was so young actually. We had a very special bond. He used to call me “Mfundisi” and I would ask him how his health is because he had a heart murmur. We had a very special bond. So, been mfundisi, he wouldn’t mind.
If I shared with you from the book of James chapter four as I have done before. “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog — it’s here a little while, then it is gone.” The book of James is right.
Our lives are short and uncertain. I am sure Sbu would not have realised that morning when he went what he will meet that day. Each one of us faces that. There are no guarantees. We face that every day.
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If we ignore this lesson, we will not live our life properly. We need to make our plans and live our lives according to God’s commands and purposes and from our perspective to ensure that we are in a right relationship with Jesus Christ.
Life is short and death is certainty. Sbu spread love and reconciliation. Just from listening to other speakers, let’s share and follow his example of spreading love, forgiveness, reconciliation wherever we go and particularly at this time across political lines as we are heading up into electioneering and campaigning. Our nation is desperate for a message of hope, love, forgiveness and reconciliation.
Lastly, I pray that our Heavenly Father will comfort the hon Radebe’s family upstairs and friends at this time of bereavement. May his soul rest in peace. I thank you.
Mr L M NTSHAYISA: Hon Chairperson, I used to refer to him as my son because he comes from that great Radebe gang, which I am part of. We referred to him as Mthimkhulu because we are the umbrella to each and everyone of the nation.
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As the AIC, we convey our condolences to the family of the late Radebe Sibusiso. Sibusiso was young and energetic politician. He was doing the work of Parliament with great determination. His untimely death has robbed the nation of a great man with a very good political performance.
Sbu would make each and everyone here in the House to wake up when calling for the point of order. This corner that was also referred to as the kasi corner, that’s where he would make a lot of noise in order to wake us up so that we don’t fall asleep inside the House of Parliament.
However, he could not miss his deadline as put by the Almighty. Death is our destiny. It is the fate that cannot be avoided. We are, however, very grateful to his family for the time that they allowed him to be with us. He shall be remembered for his great contribution in parliamentary work, his sense of urgency for service delivery and his contribution to the nation.
His death is a great loss indeed. It is now time that we celebrate his life that has been. So, the family should feel
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comfortable therefore because their son has done great things for the nation and for God. It is therefore; unfortunately that one has to die in order to live. Death is the only way to life. May his soul rest in peace. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr M A PLOUAMMA: Hon Chairperson, hon members, to hon Radebe’s family, condolences. We thank you for allowing Mr Radebe to share his life with us. No words are enough to bring him back. Ours is to learn from his humour, his South Africanness. He was the embodiment of African culture, ubuntu and humility.
This is the man who called me to order more than anyone else. [Laughter.] We have lost a great human being. He always told me that AgangSA will not return come 2019. He persuaded me to join the ANC to recover my sanity. [Laughter.] He didn’t know indirectly or unaware that he was motivating me to work harder.
He always competed with me that his belly is bigger than mine. [Laughter.] He always called my stomach a deprived AgangSA stomach. [Laughter.]
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Hon members, we have lost a true fighter, a warrior and son of the soil. May his soul rest in peace. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: Hon Chairperson, hon Members of Parliament, Ministers, the Radebe family, and comrades, I must thank the House and the ANC for the opportunity afforded me to speak in a tribute to my neighbour, a comrade and family friend, the honourable Sibusiso Radebe. When we pay tribute, so often we speak only of the adult deeds of those to whom we pay our tributes. Hardly ever do we speak on their deeds during their formative or youth years.
Today, I wish to speak of Comrade Sbu’s upbringing and will say that his life as an adult and as a Member of Parliament was a result of progressive upbringing. This is certainly likely to afford us a clearer picture of the honourable member, in the context of children of South Africa who find themselves assuming adult roles from a very early age.
Comrade Sbu was born of activist parents, the late Comrade Babe Radebe, who was also brutally murdered in his house, and the late Comrade Meddy Radebe, who died of natural causes, in
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Mpumalanga province, in the area called Nhlazatshe, which is in the middle of nowhere. The community of Nhlazatshe had been forcefully removed from Kromkrans. The history of the struggles of the people of Nhlazatshe against land and other property dispossession they had suffered at Kromkrans was written in the conditions he saw of their lives.
He came to know that these people that were his neighbours and friends had suffered an immense injustice through forced removals and forced relocations that scattered people, breaking down bonds and social capital long established by time. He knew, too, that apartheid removals had been done without care of consequence, with no compensation, nor adaptive mechanisms put in place, only the seeds of poverty.
That is the Nhlazatshe Sibusiso came from. It was this reality that made Sibusiso so outspoken about the expropriation of land without compensation.
Sibusiso had become politically conscious at a tender age, at Bantfwabethu High School, where he joined and led the Congress of South African Students, Cosas. I witnessed him grow and assume a leadership position in the area, where I also come
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from. After school, when his mother – who was then a mayor – would participate in community projects for women, Comrade Sbu would be right there to assist in setting up and maintaining such projects.
A case in point is a women-run poultry project he helped his mother and other women set up, which they did, successfully. While studying at tertiary level, he chaired the SA Students Congress, Sasco, at the Pretoria Technikon, know known as the Tshwane University of Technology, TUT. During the holidays, he came back to Nhlazatshe to assist his late sister, Phumzile, who was then the ANC Parliamentary Consituency Office, PCO, administrator with community projects, and who died of cervical cancer. At his Elukwatini PCO as a Member of Parliament, he engaged in many community projects, such as distributing wheelchairs and blankets to the elderly, and dealt with land claims and the abuse of farm workers, and so forth.
Sibusiso did not just mushroom within the structures, but grew up within the structures of the mass democratic movement, and was a member of the ANC in good standing. It was his energy
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and activism, and his being politically savvy that saw him being one of the comrades that established the Young Communist League in Mpumalanga, and he led it as the Gert Sibande Regional Secretary.
At work, he knew that he had to join progressive unions, such as the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union, Nehawu, and the SA Municipal Workers’ Union, Samwu. Comrade Sbu assumed this role of political activism when his life could have been about exploring the world of youth and spoiling himself on the trivialities of youth.
His deployment to Parliament was a correct, timely and deliberate decision. He served as a member in many portfolio committees, including the Portfolio Committee on Transport. Transport officials from the Department of Transport and the state-owned companies reporting to Transport, and many of us can attest to his stringent, vibrant, vigorous and, sometimes, brutal approach.
Sibusiso did not hesitate to stop you while you were speaking if he believed that what you were saying was wrong. When
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appearing before him and, of course, the portfolio committee, we would not sleep well the previous night. Personally, I believe that Parliament should keep us on our toes – and Sbu did just that. He believed that professionalism should define how we look and act within the transport sector.
Members of the House, and particularly, the hon Steenhuisen, as has been said, will remember him for his points of order. He would call for a point of order from that corner where his allocated seat was. However, on a different day, he sometimes surprised even members of the ANC – particularly the leadership – when he called for a point of order from a different corner.
Of course, more than any of us, I think he liked the hon Steenhuisen’s displayed irritation. He didn’t do it out of malice, however. He was young and energetic and sometimes, full of play. In fact, had Sibusiso been here, in the House, the hon Steenhuisen would not have received that pack of cigars from the President yesterday, because he would have had to respond to Sibusiso’s point of order. [Laughter.]
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Sibusiso loved his family. His young wife, Mtikane, was the apple of his eye. He loved his children. He loved his only remaining, younger brother, Mfanafuthi Radebe. After the death of his father, mother and elder sister, Phumzile, Comrade Sbu assumed the role of leader of his family. He became the superglue that held the family together. He took care of Phumzile’s young children and ensured that they obtained a quality education. Some of them stayed with him here in Cape Town.
More than this, Sibusiso was God-fearing. He loved his church and was an active member of the church. He could sing revolutionary songs and, of course, also church hymns.
The untimely passing of such a young activist brought shock, disbelief and heartache to many of us. We could not imagine the energetic Sibusiso succumbing to death. Three weeks before his death, he had buried his mother-in-law, the mother of Mtikane. We can only imagine how hard this must be for his wife to then lose her husband at such a tender age of their marriage. We are forced to be comforted with the knowledge that his alleged murderers have been arrested. In that regard,
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we congratulate the SA Police Service, SAPS, and hope that justice will be served. [Applause.]
May his soul rest in peace. May his life be a lesson to us all. Long live the revolutionary spirit of Comrade Sibusiso Radebe, long live!
HON MEMBERS: Long live!
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: I thank you. [Applause.]
An HON MEMBER: Hoor! Hoor! [Hear! Hear!]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): The presiding officers associate themselves with the motion and the condolences of the House are conveyed to the Radebe family, who have joined us in the gallery.
Debate concluded.
Agreed to, members standing.
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MOTION OF CONDOLENCE
(The Late Ms Z Jongbloed)
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: House Chairperson, I move the Draft Resolution printed in my name on the Order Paper, as follows:
That the House —
notes with sadness the sudden passing of Zelda Jongbloed, due to cancer, on 21 July 2018;
further notes that Zelda JOngbloed served as a DA Member of Parliament;
acknowledges that she worked tirelessly as the DA’s constituency head for the Kannaland constituency in the Western Cape;
further acknowledges the invaluable contributions Zelda made to the work of the Portfolio Committees on Public
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Service and Administration, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Multiparty Women’s Caucus;
recognises that Zelda was also a prominent figure in the media world prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, working for both Rapport and Die Burger in senior positions before she joined the DA as a public representative;
recalls the compassion, kindness and dedication with which she tackled every task that came before her;
remembers her warm personality that will make her presence sorely missed; and
conveys its heartfelt condolences to her three children Candice Jongbloed, Ulrich Jongbloed and Crystal September as well as her DA family and colleagues.
Mrs W S NEWHOUDT-DRUCHEN: Chairperson, hon members, family and friends, on behalf of the ANC, I would like to state that Parliament notes with sadness the passing away of the hon
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Zelda Jongbloed, a Member of Parliament who represented the constituency of Oudtshoorn and Kannaland within the DA since 2014.
Parliament appreciates the dedication, patriotism and energy that she carried herself with in serving her constituency, Parliament and her own political party, the DA, as she worked amongst us. She displayed hard work in serving on different and busy portfolio committees – the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration – as well as the Multiparty Women’s Caucus without complaint, knowing and understanding that she served a bigger cause to represent her community and her party. She used her journalistic prowess, professionalism and her 40 years of experience to probe issues that affect society, her community and her country. She carried out her political duties with candour and forthrightness but also knew that she dealt with people who have feelings, like herself, and never harmed the personal relations she wanted to have with every member. These are rare characteristics to find in a political environment.
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She had an understanding of a variety of social issues and applied her mind to suggest solutions where necessary in order to contribute to making our country a better place for its citizens. She concerned herself with service delivery issues and good governance, comprehending that these are the pillars of a healthy society and the image of a country that looks after its citizens. She hid her physical pain and suffering and gave her life to service during the great and hard times experienced by our nation.
We now share the pain of her family’s loss during her period of service to her country. Her name will always be held in high esteem by her constituency and by the National Assembly for availing herself to serve her country. In light of all of this, Parliament and I personally learnt from her that a politician does not have to be shrewd to bring up issues that affect society but that, through reason, all issues can be dealt with courteously. Patriotism is the utmost gift a person, more so a politician, can give to his or her people and the country.
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Dealing with common issues that affect all of us makes us desire to work together so that victory is shared by all of us who contributed towards finding a solution. We have a duty to make a difference in our people’s lives, and doing so can only be possible by listening to our constituents and carrying the mandate without wanting glory for ourselves but for the people we represent. Leadership is at every level of responsibility. Her concern about the consequences of service providers not being paid within the required time and public servants not operating within regulations was genuine. It came from a heart that was motherly and politically upright.
Being exposed to crucial information does not make us, as politicians, enemies of the state. To manipulate such information for political mileage and point-scoring does. Such exposure to information is the very thing that must bring us together for the common good of society to deal with issues our communities are grappling with. I am saying this due to the fact that with the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration, as well as Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, we get to see the overall picture of how
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government and the Public Service perform. She never manipulated this information for selfish political ends.
We will always remember her as a quiet, faithful servant of the people and a patriotic citizen. May her family and friends be comforted by the fact that she played her role fully during her tenure as a mother, family member, and citizen of our beautiful country, South Africa. May her soul rest in eternal peace. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr M N PAULSEN: House Chair, on behalf of the EFF, we would like to pay respect and pass our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Ms Zelda Jongbloed, a colleague to all of us here in Parliament.
I served on the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries with Ms Jongbloed. Whilst we may not always have agreed politically, although more than members of the DA would like to believe, Ms Jongbloed always believed that all people share a common humanity, which found expression in her words and actions. She never allowed political differences to
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translate into personal differences. It is a kindness that will be missed and remembered by all Members of Parliament.
Zelda was a diligent worker and was very active in the portfolio. She had a wonderful sense of humour, and when we were away on oversight visits, it was one of the wonderful things one could enjoy – her sense of humour. She was also very gracious. I remember we were sitting one evening, with other members of the portfolio committee, and she particularly liked the hon Cassel Mathale. She said he’s her kind of man: a real gentleman. I asked who in the DA would be her kind of man. [Laughter.]
So, it is particularly sad that she passed away, since she was planning on retiring after this term. I said I would go and visit her where she intended to settle in Groot-Brakrivier.
The quality of Ms Jongbloed’s participation is probably the result of her extensive community activism and her experience in journalism. There was a quality, a definite level of quality, to her participation in the activities of the portfolio. I think one of her former colleagues’ tribute to her is very fitting. It reads:
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Afrikaans:
Kampvegter, jou werk is gedaan. Jou pen kan nou ter ruste gelê word. Jou stem is nou een met die heelal. Jou hande kan nou rus. Jou laaste dans is nou vir ewig in ons geheue vasgevang. Jou borrelende gees is ’n gesang ter ere aan jou, lieflike Zelda. Baie dankie, Voorsitter.
English:
Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: House Chairperson, I am deeply honoured to rise on behalf of the IFP to pay tribute to our late colleague, the hon Zelda Jongbloed. Her contribution to this Fifth Parliament will always be remembered with great admiration.
During the many debates she participated in, she was always outspoken and direct. She made no apology for asking tough questions and for holding to account those who fail us. Her work ethic and her leadership commanded respect. During my interactions with the hon Jongbloed, I was always touched by her kindness and her humble, caring nature. She had strong principles, and she was determined to uphold them here in the political arena. I also admired the passion she displayed for
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her constituency. It was such a significant part of her life. She was an inspiration to many, and she carried the hopes, the dreams and the aspirations of the people of Kannaland and of the Groot-Brakrivier in her heart and in her work daily.
The hon Jongbloed was not only a politician. She was a journalist first. Journalism was her biggest passion. She held a master’s degree in journalism from Rhodes.
Afrikaans:
Ons sal Zelda Jongbloed onthou as een van Suid-Afrika se eerste Afrikaanse struggle-journaliste. Sy was ’n baanbreker in haar veld. Sy het vir 40 jaar diep spore as ’n joernalis getrap. In 1986, op die jonge ouderdom van 36, word sy redakteur van Rapport Ekstra. Jongbloed is in 1996 tot adjunkredakteur van Rapport bevorder, en sy het in 2012 na
jaar by Naspers uitgetree.
English:
However, probably most notably, one of her greatest accomplishments was becoming the first female political editor of Die Burger. Within the many newsrooms where she made great
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contributions, she was regarded as a mentor and a mother figure.
The IFP today mourns an accomplished journalist, a dedicated public servant, a graceful and kind but resolute leader. We mourn the loss of a Member of Parliament who served this nation with diligence and dedication. On behalf of the IFP and our leader, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, I wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to her family, her friends, her loved ones, the leadership of the DA, and its caucus at large. To her children Ulrich, Candice and Crystal-Joy, her four grandchildren, her great-grandchild, her brothers and sisters, I wish to leave you with the following words:
A golden heart stopped beating, Hard working hands at rest
It broke our hearts to see you go
Her life was love and labour – what a beautiful legacy it is to leave behind. Let us be inspired by her legacy. It is our duty to continue her work, sharing her passion, and being
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inspired by her example. May her soul rest in peace. [Applause.]
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Thank you, hon House Chair. Hon members of this House and family members of the bereaved, we are assembled here today to pay tribute to a leader, a mother, a grandmother and a woman who dedicated her entire life to the people of South Africa, particularly of the Western Cape. We refer to none other than our late colleague, the hon Zelda Jongbloed. She was awarded the prestigious Markus Viljoen Medal for Journalism. She was a dedicated leader who balanced her family life and public responsibilities.
The most remarkable thing about the late hon Zelda Jongbloed that stands out for me was that, despite our differences in the House, whenever you met her in the corridors of this precinct she always smiled and always greeted. It means that she rose above politics. Now that is what you call a true leader.
Her participation in different committees, and her contribution and interaction clearly showed her passion to serve the people. Despite the pain and suffering that she
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endured over a period of time, that did not deter her from serving the people.
Indeed, to the DA and to the electorate at large, her untimely death is a great loss. She has been a role model to many young aspiring politicians, not forgetting her role as a mother to her children.
On behalf of the NFP and my leader the hon V Z Magwaza-Msibi, we extend our deepest condolences to her children, Candice Jongbloed, Ulrich Jongbloed and Crystal September, and to many other members, friends and family members. To the DA, we express our sincere condolences to you at the loss of such a great leader of such high calibre.
You have served South Africa and you have served us well. Surely your untimely death will be felt throughout the DA benches. May your soul rest in peace. [Applause.]
Mr M L W FILTANE: What a life; what a loss. The UDM extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and the DA on the sad passing on of Ms Zelda Jongbloed. What a shock it was
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for me to learn of her death. Being totally unaware of what she was going through, I used to tease her in the committee on Agriculture by saying to her ...
Afrikaans:
Jongbloed is mos groen bloed.
English:
And the response would be a wry smile from her.
Zelda, a dedicated public representative; a servant of the people. She fought a long battle with a merciless beast that devours people slowly, painfully, horribly and worst of all, a blind beast that doesn’t care who it takes. Cancer is one nightmare that is unjust and devastating to those who go above and beyond to try and keep their loved ones away from their imminent death. Surely it must have drained her strength, and has now left her family and friends with nothing but disdain and a sense of injustice that won’t ever be repaired.
Unfortunately to the family, friends and colleagues, cancer won’t ever answer as to why it took Zelda away from us.
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This Parliament, the DA and Zelda’s family are so much poorer without her. She has left a void that could not be avoided.
Sadness has descended on this whole family. We feel it for you; we feel it in us.
Notwithstanding the bitter and long battle she was forced to fight, Zelda remains very vivid in my mind. I remember her with fondness and smiles during the hardworking times in the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Within a short space of time in the National Assembly, she served the people of South Africa with unwavering commitment, dedication and resilience. She made her mark. Her name is permanently inscribed in the history books of this House and the nation.
Zelda would hold onto her point of view like a bull terrier, not with teeth but through her shrieking voice. May her soul rest in peace, and as the UDM we urge the family to accept that this was a death that could not have been avoided. I thank you, Chair. [Applause.]
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Mr S N SWART: On behalf of the ACDP I would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the late Ms Zelda Jongbloed, member of the National Assembly. The ACDP learnt with shock and sadness of her passing on 21 July 2018 after a long battle with cancer.
I would just like to express my sentiments to the family after what Mr Filtane said. She concealed her sickness from many of us. I was not aware of that but she bore herself with great dignity, and as the other speakers have testified, she was committed to her work with unrestrained servant leadership.
As we have heard, she was the DA’s deputy shadow Minister for the portfolio committees on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, as well as Public Service and Administration, and Performance Monitoring and Evaluation. She also served in the Committee on Multiparty Womens Caucus. So, she was committed, and I would like to say to the family as a Member of Parliament, that running from one committee to the next takes real, deep commitment and sacrifice.
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Her achievements in the media field where she achieved great heights, her master’s degree and her being the first female editor of Die Burger, shows her pioneering spirit and also shows that she rose above the gender ceiling.
So, from our side we would like to commend the hon Jongbloed for her contribution to the betterment of the lives of all South Africans, as well as for her contribution to her constituency and here to Parliament.
To her family and friends, every word that she said is recorded in perpetuity. If you go to the library the Hansards are there. So she has left that legacy. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. Cancer is debilitating.
It’s a terrible thing to face as a family. I have walked that path with friends to the point of death, and so I feel deeply for you at this time. At this time God is sovereign. One wonders ... you pray for healing but still a loved one is taken away. And so we share with you at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. May our heavenly Father comfort you at this time. Thank you, Chair. [Applause.]
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Mr L M NTSHAYISA: Hon Chair, as the AIC, we convey our heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Ms Jongbloed. I used to refer to her as “young blood”. I began to know her when she was serving on the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, DAFF. Though she was a journalist, she would argue agricultural issues like a specialist in that field. She was prepared to listen, learn and contribute to the issues of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Unfortunately, she had to leave. So, it is a great loss that we had to lose a woman of her calibre when we need women most, to contribute to the growth of the economy of our country.
Ms Jongbloed was a very humble person who was prepared to work with any member of the committee, from any political party.
However, she could not be spared because her name had been called. She was a good member and mother to work with, but the time had come. She will be remembered for the work she did for the nation. She was prepared to serve and not to be served.
This morning, Rev Mthetwa said that we are in a queue getting to that place, so each and every one of us is waiting for his
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or her name to be called. May her soul rest in peace. I thank you.
Afrikaans:
Mr G A GROOTBOOM: Agb Speaker, agb lede van die Huis, kollegas, familie en kinders van Zelda, dit is met leedwese, ’n voorreg om namens die DA-koukus ’n mosie van simpatie aan ons ontslape kollega, Zelda Jongbloed, te lewer. Die koukus sukkel nog om haar ontydige heengaan te verwerk en ek moet erken ons was verryk deur haar teenwoordigheid.
English:
I remember when she received the diagnosis of cancer, she asked me softly: “Why don’t I feel any different and why don’t I feel as if I just received a death sentence?” Right through her illness, she remained hopeful and she was never afraid of dying. She was rather blasé about it.
Afrikaans:
Uit die staanspoor moet ek sê dat Zelda geanker in haar familie gebly het. Haar kinders en kleinkinders was veral vir haar belangrik en sy het hier geen kompromie toegelaat nie -
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hulle was altyd eerste. Naas hulle was die mense van Groot Brak. Voorwaar, ’n seder het in Groot Brak geval.
Suid-Afrika het vir Zelda Jongbloed as joernalis leer ken. Met haar toetrede tot die joernalistiek het sy deur die konvensies van die tyd gebreek. Sy het eestens haar merk gemaak in ’n beroep wat meestal deur mans beset was. Ten tweede, die land se apartheidswette het mense in hokke geplaas en jy moes inval. Sy het hierdie berg in ’n goudmyn verander en baanbrekerswerk gedoen, vir baie om te volg.
Zelda Jongbloed, dié wat haar geken het en soos ons vandag gehoor het, was nooit ’n konformis nie en het vreesloos gerapporteer oor die kwessies van haar tyd: die bevrydingsbewegings, die UDF, gemeenskapsorganisasies. Haar rapportering was altyd eerlik, sober en reguit. Dit was dan ook geen wonder dat sy, na sy vrylating, die eerste joernalis was wat met Oud-President, Nelson Mandela, ’n onderhoud gevoer het nie. Sy het in haar beroep, onbeskaamd die polities- sosiale bewustheid by haar lesers aangewakker. Voorwaar, ’n struggle-joernalis [apartheidstryd], wat nog vir lank onthou
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gaan word. Sy het ’n nalatenskap - ek was hier en ek sal onthou word.
Haar toetrede tot die formele politiek was dus nie ’n verassing nie. In haar portefeulje het sy gou haar voete gevind en op ’n sagte manier, respek by beide haar kollegas en opposisie afgedwing. Wanneer sy in die Huis debat gevoer het, was die gewone interjeksies van die opposisie min, so asof hulle bang was hulle mis dalk iets belangrik wat sy mag sê.
Zelda se heengaan het voorwaar ’n leemte in hierdie vyfde Parlement gelaat en baie dankie vir die woorde van bemoediging.
As politikus was Zelda nooit bang om besluite te neem nie. Haar besluit was altyd ten gunste van die mense, daarom sal niemand ooit die besluit oor Kannaland vergeet nie
As mens was Zelda nie eendimensioneel nie. Sy het teenpole in haar vergestalt. Sy was so sag soos sy, maar tog ook so ferm soos ’n rots. Haar stem was sag, tog het almal haar duidelik gehoor. Sy het min gepraat, maar baie gesê. Sy was ernstig,
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maar met ’n fyn sin vir humor, en kon sy lag wanneer sy die kans gekry het! Baie het haar as ’n warm mens beskryf en sy was hoogs intelligent met ’n groot liefde vir die kuns en die estetiese.
Een van haar groot karaktereienskappe was dat sy ryk in medemenslikheid was. Sy het omgegee vir die armes, en bowenal het sy ’n diepe liefde vir hierdie land gehad. Haar stryd was altyd teen die onreg wat teenoor die mense gepleeg was en nog steeds gepleeg word. Sy het haar roeping uitgeleef, lank voordat sy geweet het wat haar roeping was.
English:
Zelda was deeply religious, but not pious. She wrestled with God about the essence of her life and being here. Towards the end, she said to me: “I think that I had to be here for such a time as this. I would not have preferred to live at a different time.” She found her calling. I cite a poet with the same existential struggle that Zelda had, NP van Wyk Louw. I read an extract from The Prophet:
Afrikaans:
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En tog het u rus beloof soos van diepe kuile Onder die stormwind van u vereiste daad
U het nie woord gehou met my, o Heer,
U het als geëis: my menslike waardigheid, my stille samesyn met ander, die verborge en altyd mooie liefde van die jeug
U het van my die diepe trots, die skroom, die wete Van vaste maat in mooi en helder dinge
Soos voddes van my afgeskeur en my naak gemaak om die gevreesde weg van God te gaan
English:
Zelda’s legacy will remain long after her parting. Although her photos may lifelessly adorn journals of past years, her spirit will forever be present in our moments of quiet reflection.
Yes, indeed, Zelda Jongbloed was a great soul that left us. As Maya Angelou would word it in the poem, When great souls die:
And when great souls die, after a period peace blooms,
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slowly and always irregularly.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us. They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be better. For they existed.
May she rest in eternal peace. I thank you.
Debate concluded.
Agreed to, members standing.
CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR APPROVAL BY PARLIAMENT OF MINAMATA CONVENTION ON MERCURY IN TERMS OF SECTION 231(2) OF CONSTITUTION
Declarations of vote made on behalf of the Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Inkatha Freedom Party, National Freedom Party and African National Congress.
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Mr M P MAPULANE: Hon House Chair and hon members, good afternoon. Mercury is rated as one of the top 10 chemical poisons endangering human health and the natural environment. Tiny drops of this poison can be found in human teeth, in fresh fish, in light bulbs, paints, batteries and even cosmetics. It is in the air, it in the water, in soil and everywhere in varying amounts. Science has played a key role in establishing mercury as a global pollutant and also in pinpointing its global distribution. It is changing cycle in response to local environmental disturbances and its health and environmental impacts.
Countries have voluntarily work together to address mercury risk under the United Nation Environment Programme, global mercury partnership to reduce mercury use and discharges and to draw attention to environmental and human health risks from mercury in the early 2000s. However, there came a time voluntary efforts of an individual countries could not adequately address the increasing risk of this liquid mental to human health and the environment in its different facets.
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Mercury, hon members, is an extremely toxic chemical. Members will recall the death of several workers who were killed and some crippled after handling this toxic heavy metal at the British-owned Thor Chemicals factory in Cato Ridge, KwaZulu- Natal, in the early 1990s. The need to holistically manage this toxic chemical led the international community to negotiate and agree on a global treaty for a complete ban on any new mercury mines, the gradually phase out of mercury in several households and industrial products and tougher majors to store and get rid of mercury waste. This treaty called the Minamata Convention on Mercury was concluded at and subsequently named after the Japanese city of Minamata where nearly 2 000 people died and more than 10 000 others were poisoned several decades ago by a crippling neurological disease after eating fish poisoned by toxic, waste water discharged by the Chisso Corporation chemical factory in January 2013 and it was adopted in October 2013.
South Africa was among the first group of countries that signed the convention in 2013 to ensure protecting human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury, particularly in light of ongoing research that
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indicates that South Africa as the six largest a meter in the world with annual emissions amounting to around 50 tons.
Consequently, South Africa has done significant work on ensuring that there is an inventory on mercury from various sources as far back as 2012, using the relevant levels of the United Nation Environmental Programme toolkit.
The convention entered into force on 16 August 2017, having reached the threshold number of countries which have ratified the treaty. Therefore, South Africa needs to ratify the Minamata Convention on Mercury, fundamentally to secure multilateral financial assistance. There is a global environmental facility which is a financial mechanism for supporting developing countries to implement their obligations. Similarly, there is technical assistance, capacity building and technological transfer provisions under the convention which also provide for technical assistance to developing countries like us.
This treaty, hon members, will assist us in providing safe and healthy food to our people, especially those who love eating fish because mercury levels in the South African fish have
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been reported to be increasing yearly. Having the capacity to reduce and phase out mercury would protect the coastal population who depend on fish for their survival. I would therefore like to invite this august House to ratify this convention called the Minamata Convention. Thank you.
There was no debate.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you very much, hon Chairperson. Are there any objections to the approval of the Minamata Convention on Mercury as it appears on the Order Paper? Hon Waters!
Mr M WATERS: House Chair, there is no objection, but we would like to make a declaration.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Declarations being requested I will allow the DA.
Declaration of Vote:
Ms T STANDER: Hon Chair, the Chairperson of the committee explained how it works and all the technical staff, but what I
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want to do is to go and explain a little bit more in layman’s terms. So, let’s take a moment and see how mercury affects us on a daily basis. Visualise a young woman, she’s around about
and let’s call her Bontle. She lives in informal settlement close to a massive power station and makes use of the local clinic for her prenatal checkups. Let’s say that she is also four months pregnant. To ensure her healthy life style she eagerly grows her little veggies garden behind her house. But, lately Bontle started to visit the clinic more often than not and the doctor said that it is her immune system that is getting weaker, her lungs are terrible and her kidneys are also starting to give her problems - even though she cooks healthy food every night from her vegetable garden.
Now, we have the scenario, but before I go on it is very important to know and to remember that during the whole speech is that mercury is a heavy mental. Mercury can be released and emitted through industrial processes like mining. It can be emitted through forest fires, the incineration of waste and burning of fossil fuels which include coal fire at power stations. It is also commonly found in everyday products that
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we all use like batteries, switches, fluorescent lights, certain cosmetics as well as some odour medical equipments.
Therefore, the question is that how does it affect Bontle or me or you? Well, it is in the air that you breathe. Mercury can contaminate the soil that it comes in and contact with. In other words, with whatever you grow in the soil will also be contaminated. Mercury can affect animals that eat grass or plants, it will go into the animals and then it can contaminate the human body. It is also in fresh water as well as the ocean which means that it can travel around the world. Therefore, mercury contamination can happen in another country but it can affect South Africa.
What happens then when you ingested, so the simple answer is that it is extremely serious health risks that could actually lead to death. Let me explain a little bit more. Mercury has serious effects on the immune system, the digestive system, lungs, kidneys and it can cause a significant damage to one’s nervous system. For example, high levels of mercury in a pregnant woman can cause a lower intelligence quotient, IQ, in an unborn baby even before it is born. It can further more
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lead to low fertility in woman, brain damage, motor neuron diseases as well as heart disease.
Therefore, when we go back to Bontle, she lives next to the power station which burns fossil fuels – which means she is breathing it in through the air. She regularly visits a local clinic. She is sick often, her lungs, kidneys, and her lower immune system, and that’s all because of the mercury. Just an interesting fact is that the state hospitals and clinics still use equipment, such as thermometers or blood pressure equipments, that contains mercury. Private hospitals don’t allow that anymore. She grows her own veggies and also eats them, but the soil is contaminated. That is also a way to get it in.
She has a coal stove to keep the winter night warmer and also to cook. It is lower levels, but it still emitting mercury.
Now, the DA would like to emphatically state that this affect us all, but most of all the poorest of the poor. Another major concern as the Chairperson mentioned is the mercury incident in Cato Ridge but they still run 50 barrels of mercury sledge standing in Cato Ridge, but we haven’t done anything worth.
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Finally, it’s all good and well to make nice speeches or heckle because I said Bontle or go around telling people that it is so great, but the big issue is going to be when we ratify. The real work will have to start then. Therefore, this government must ensure that the needed monitoring and enforcement happens, but if history has anything to go by I’m really sorry, but I have very little confidence. Therefore, as a final statement, what are we putting on our big-boy pants and stop granting the major emitters extensions of to extension of to extension, instead of just complying with our local air quality laws. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr Z R XALISA: The EFF supports the Minamata Convention on Mercury whose aim is to rally the global community to protect human health and the environment from the anthropogenic machines and releases of mercury and mercury compounds. While mercury is a naturally occurring compound released through volcanic activity, our greatest threat to mercury exposure in this country comes from gold and coal mining. This form a human induced release of mercury compound is the greatest contributing factor to mercury pollution in the world. It is therefore disheartening that despite all these warnings and
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facts about dangers of unregulated mining, we are still lacking far behind in ensuring that mining companies take much more responsibility for their mining activities.
We still have the problem of acid mine drainage destroying our ground water and fresh water resources in Mpumalanga and elsewhere yet our government is doing very little to hold those responsible to account. More shocking is the renewed commitment by the Department of Mineral Resources to continue shale gas fracking in the Karoo with all the intended risk imposes for our environment. We therefore, plead that we should not rush to signing global treaties when we have no desire at all to act locally to reduce pollution by changing the way we view development. The EFF supports the spirit in which the Minamata Convention was written. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Mr N SINGH: Hon Chaiperson, the chairperson of the committee, hon Mapulane, has elucidated followed by the hon member of the DA about what mercury can and cannot do but more the harm of mercury in our food and in the air, so, I will not go into that.
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However, having said that I would agree with the hon member from the EFF about acid mine drainage, it is a serious problem and it will cost the taxpayers of this country billions to rectify this problem. We should get these mining companies that were responsible for acid mine drainage to actually pay for the damage that they have caused. Chairperson, the Minamata Convention which is the fourth of the series of the United Nations conventions, seeks to reduce the impact of chemical waste on the planet and appropriately provides for the complete ban on the establishment of new mercury mines.
It also provides for the gradually phasing out of the existing mines and seeks reductions in the deadly chemicals from household products as well as providing more stringent measures with regards to the storage and containment of mercury waste. The government must take the lead in eradicating further emissions of these chemicals and ensure new pollution control technology at all mercury generating government entities, one such an example being at Eskom.
Reductions must also be implemented in our artisanal and small scale gold mining practices. The IFP fully supports the Minamata Convention for we support a sustainable, healthy and
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safe environment not only for ourselves but for our future generations. We trust that government will allow comments in earnest with eradicating mercury emissions and implement controls by adopting the necessary domestic framework legislation and regulation. So, we support the ratification of this convention but charity begins at home, hon Chairperson.
Having considered this convention, we need to be more vigilant on the use of certain pesticides in agricultural practices, the release of obnoxious gases by chemical producing industries which impacts on the surrounding communities; the Durban South 15:26 being a case in point. We also need to look at the genetically modified organisms, GMOs, and their effects on our health. A statement will be moved by hon Hlengwa in this regard. Hon Chairperson, most deaths are caused by the air we breathe and the food we eat besides the genetic problems that we carry. We have to make sure that the air we breathe is clean and the food we eat is free from any harmful organisms. We support this convention. Thank you, Chairperson.
Prof N M KHUBISA: House Chairperson, let us also as the NFP add our voice on supporting the convention and we also support
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the report presented by the chairperson on this portfolio. Having said that, I believe I have to agree with my colleagues who have said that charity begins at home. The government must ensure that there is enough legislation especially in our own country that would have to deal with this deadly chemical mercury.
The chairperson made an example of some people who died in Hammersdale because of the chemical but it seems to me that there is lack of knowledge amongst us all with regards to this, because we may be sitting here yet we inhale the air that comes from the metals. Let us think of the areas where we throw our dirt and rubbish, our children play in those areas everyday, especially in townships.
I used to live in Richards Bay in the past and there would be air that would come out. We found that most of the children were sick all the time and couldn’t go to school. There was a time when some of the children were told that no, no, no, their parents must deal with their lives because they were always absent from school. Suddenly, it was found that they were inhaling the pollution that came from the factories
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around and it was later found that there is a chemical that they were inhaling. I want to say that as a country we have a responsibility to ensure that we begin with the legislation that may be piloted to deal with this issue.
Most of us have our houses around cities and there is a lot of air that we inhale coming from the oil and gas et cetera, nothing cares about that until we are sick. However, I believe that we need to go deeper and say that the Department of Science and Technology and all the entities that deal with science need to put together our scientists to ensure that we go deeper and we do research trying to ensure that we prevent it in our country but more so, we need legislation that we piloted to ensure that we deal with the situation.
Chairperson, having said that we support the report. Thank you very much.
Mr Z S MAKHUBELE: House Chair, hon members, the main objective of this Protocol is to promote sustainable utilisation and trans-boundary management of the environment as already have been said. It is interesting that all of us are in agreement in this regard that it should be ratified. It is also to
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ensure that the fight poverty and food insecurity takes place earnestly and that the member states are committed to attaining all sustainable development goals including those on environment.
In Southern African Development Community, SADC, South Africa is the powerhouse and it needs to assert itself in terms of playing a leading role in this particular regard because we do have the capacity in all respects. We take note that already in practice, measures to implement this Protocol have been put in place and the ratification of this Protocol is a major step that will witness its domestication.
The challenges that result from the fact that some countries don’t play their part in this regard shall be resolved. It is about time that SADC countries take issues of environment seriously.
As ANC, we are in support of its ratification. Thank you House Chairperson.
Question put.
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Southern African Development Community Protocol on Environmental Management for Sustainable Development accordingly approved.
CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR APPROVAL BY PARLIAMENT OF SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) - PROTOCOL ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Mr M P MAPULANE: Thank you very much once more House Chairperson, and good afternoon hon members.
The Southern African Development Community, SADC Protocol on Environmental Management for Sustainable Development was signed by the former President on behalf on the Republic of South Africa at the 34th SADC summit in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe on the 18th August 2014.
The Protocol intends to facilitate harmonisation of policies, strategies and legal frameworks to enhance regional intergration among member states of SADC in the field of environmental management. The main objective of the Protocol is to promote sustainable utilisation and trans-boundary
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management of the environment, which is of interest to SADC member states.
The Protocol is in line with the objectives of the National Development Plan, which prioritise the deepening of intergration of the SADC region as well as ensuring environmental sustainability and equitable transition to a low carbon economy.
Furthermore, the Protocol is consistent with South Africa’s Constitution in particular section 24 of the Bill of Rights on environment, which enshrines the right of everyone to an environment that is not harmful to their health and wellbeing, and to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations.
Accordingly, the ratification of this Protocol by the House will not compromise the territorial integrity of South Africa. The Protocol recognises that the environment is linked to global security in respect of issues such as climate change, decertification, bio-diversity laws, diminishing water
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resources and the degradation of the earth capacity to assimilate pollution and waste.
The Protocol calls for the facilitation of harmonisation of environmental policies, legislation, law enforcement and natural resources, and provides for collaboration in environmental law enforcement between state parties.
This is very significant for South Africa considering the scourge of trans-boundary environmental crimes that bedevil our country as illustrated abundantly by the poaching of rhinos, elephants and other species in our national parks and other protected areas.
The Protocol further calls for state parties to undertake gender main streaming of all environmental management, climate change and sustainable development policies, programmes, projects, strategies and budgets - a matter which is at the heart of the struggles against the triple oppression of women in our country.
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The Protocol has no financial implications as there are no membership fees required by the Protocol. However, states shall endeavour to allocate the necessary funds for the effective implementation of this Protocol at national level. This will need to be sourced from the national budget allocation of the Department of the Environmental Affairs as well as relevant provinces where trans-boundary environmental programmes have been adopted for implementation.
As the cost of administering and managing the activities of this Protocol shall be borne by state parties. In terms of Article 35, the Protocol shall come into force 30 days after the instruments of ratification have been deposited by nine member states.
I must say hon House Chair that it is disappointing to note that although ten member states have signed the Protocol, only of them has ratified this Protocol to date, and that’s why it is very important that we as a country ratify this Protocol to take the lead in SADC.
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I therefore would like the House to approve the ratification of the SADC Protocol on Environmental Management for Sustainable Development in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution. I thank you House Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you. Are there any objections to the approval of the SADC Protocol on Environmental Management for Sustainable Development as it appears on the Order paper?
Mr M WATERS: Chair, there is no objection but the DA would like to make a declaration.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Declaration allowed, the DA?
Declaration of vote:
Mr R K PURDON: Let us remind ourselves that the overall objective of this project call is to promote sustainable utilisation and trans-boundary management of the environment within the SADC region. Another specific objective is to enhance the protection of the environment in order to
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contribute to human health, well being and poverty alleviation.
Globally the issue of human impact on natural resources has mostly been framed within a broader debate about sustainability; the tension between a concern for human needs and the extent of destructive human demands on nature. That is the reason why we are constantly ceased with the challenge of tackling global issues such as climate change, bio-diversity, depletion and pollution; while simultaneously tackling global inequality and poverty. At the same time ensuring that there is growth in the country’s economy – this is referred to as sustainable development, economic development without depleting natural resources.
There is no doubt that if the sustainable development debate is to have any value it must suggest the challenge of relationships between people and the use of nature and the rest of the bio-sphere.
The phase roots lay a longer back in history of the European and wider global thinking but the concept began to be widely
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adopted following the United Nation’s Conference on the human environment in Stockholm in 1972.
The idea of environmental limits were constraint on development was explored by a number of environmental around the start of 1980s, and there were label of eco-development and it was central concept in the world, conservation strategies published in 1980.
Most importantly it was the foundation of the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development seven years later. At its launching April 1988 it was claimed that this report our common future set out the global agenda for change. This was a monumentally achievement for the sustainability and preservation of the environment for future generations.
The DA welcomes the SADC Protocol on Environmental Management for Sustainable Development as it is consistent with the South Africa’s Constitution. Section 24 on Environment Management Act applies secure ecologically sustainable development and the use of natural resources while promoting justifiable economic and social development.
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While the Protocol recognises that the environment is linked to global security and respect of issues such as climate change, bio-diversity laws, diminishing water resources and the degradation of the earth capacity to assimilate pollution and waste.
The DA is concern that it does not mention any specific security related measures to be undertaken by SADC member state in this regard, especially when South Africa is currently faced with the poorest border control and ethic wild life crime.
As the Chair said, to date only 10 members out of 15 have signed and only one has ratified, which is of concern. South Africa’ tenure as Chair ends 9 August, but the question must be asked, how serious are the other members about ratifying this Protocol?
There is no doubt that decisiveness and political will is a requisite to achieve sustainable environment development. The DA will therefore commit itself to principles of good environmental governance as a benchmark for balanced decision-
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making across the government departments including sustainable development; the polluter pays principle, precautionary principle and the preventative principle.
A natural capital approach focuses on net gain and natural loss for present and future generations - guiding ecologically balanced investment and markets that deal efficiently with environmental externalities; access to a thriving natural environment for everyone across urban and rural areas regardless of social economic or ethnic background, now and in to the future. The DA supports the ratification of this Protocol. [Applause.]
Mr Z R XALISA: Chairperson, the EFF supports the ratification of the Southern African Development Community, SADC, Protocol on Environmental Management for Sustainable Development. This protocol aims to enhance the protection of the environment, promote equitable and sustainable use of natural resources and the environment, promote shared management of transboundary, and natural resources and promote effective management and response to impact of climate change and vulnerability.
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The multifarious nature of environmental challenge today requires a co-ordinated regional strategy to pull resources together to fight against the poaching of our natural resources, to development common policies for climate change mitigation and adaptation. More importantly, we need a co- ordinated framework for a new kind of development that does not rely on exploitation of fossil fuels but, on sustainable utilisation of renewable forms of energy in a manner that does not threaten our ecosystem. More crucially, the region need a new approach to environmental management and biodiversity convention, one that does not alienate the people but view the people as an integral part of the ecosystem.
However, the department through its entities continues to alienate the people from the land. What the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency is doing to the people of Dwesa and Cwebe, is despicable. There is no chance of a long-lasting and sustainable protection of that critical ecosystem without involving the people. Thank you very much, Chairperson.
Mr N SINGH: Hon Chairperson, firstly, on the question of sustainable development, I want to congratulate the
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chairperson of the portfolio committee and his committee for having organised a colloquium on an impact of “Captive Red Line Hunting”. I think it was very well received by not only the domestic but international communities and I hope that the Minister of Tourism will take note of some of the outcomes of that two day colloquium because it will impact on tourism in South Africa.
And, I know that the Minister of Environmental Affairs was there and it was good that she was there and she presented the government’s side of the story. However, I think that there needs to be a meeting of minds. So, congratulations, hon Mapulane – I don’t know where you are seated, and to the committee.
He made an important about wildlife and rhino poaching, and I think that is something that takes place across our borders. Our Minister of Safety and Security can tell us, there are known poachers that come from across our boarders to poach rhinos from our own Parks.
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I know they are dealing with these matters and there are some cases before Court at this moment in time. I do hope Minister of Safety and Security that we could have a protocol on cross- border movement of hijacked vehicles and vehicles that are stolen from South Africa – and you know the area I am talking about where these vehicles get taken very easily into our neighbouring countries.
But having said that, we support this protocol that needs to be ratified. However, there are certain areas of concern domestically that we have to deal with for example, the discharge of air fluent from land-based sources into our coastal environment and these impacts on livelihoods.
People get fish from the river and the oceans, people still drink water from these rivers in rural areas although we say provision of water is a constitutional right for all South Africans. It is not really happening and people are using the water from the rivers. So, we need to look at the pollution that takes place there.
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We need to look at the ocean and coast ecosystems because these services are important for agriculture and for trade and industry. Having said that, we are in full support of the request by the department in terms of section 231 of the Constitution to sign and ratify the Southern African Development Community Protocol.
We think it is going to be helpful if all neighbouring countries buy into this. It is a matter of concern that, that is not happening at this moment in time. And we can be the only country in isolation that comes up with these wonderful regulations and legislations to find that some of our neighbours do not comply. The world and the universe is for all of us and every country needs to come to the party in this regard. So again, we support the ratification of this protocol. Thank you, Chairperson.
Prof N M KHUBISA: Chairperson, we also want to support the report, the Southern African Development Community, SADC, Protocol on Environmental Management for Sustainable Development. We want to say this is an important subject and this subject is linked to the one that was presented by the
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Chairperson earlier on. As the NFP, we would wish to see that even all the SADC countries are able to sign and ratify the protocol as such - because it has an impact on our international tourism, it has an impact on our cultural tourism and also domestic tourism.
We find that most of our people are not well-educated when it comes to our diversity. Just recently, I read a very interesting article by the Minister of this department around the importance of lions and rhinos and also understanding the poaching that is happening with our rhinos. People come from outside and poach our rhinos and they go and sell the horns in the international market thus reducing our own assets that we have as a country.
Most of the people will go to the rural areas where we have some Parks and natural resources and you find that they poach
- and you find that the traditional leaders have not been assisted to ensure that they keep an eye on these resources. We find that our people will go along the seas – the coastlines and they will use these high vehicles and destroy
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some species, the indigenously species that we need. So, all these issues are very important.
Chairperson, one other issue which I think is very important is the issue around weather and climate change issues. When this protocol is signed and ratified it will assist that all of us within the SADC region will be able to educate our people around issues of climatic change and weather as such; because you find that there are heavy rainfalls and our people die unaware, and if there is education around those matters and these matters are well managed we will all be on par on these issues and environmental management for sustainable development.
On that note, we want to support the signing and ratification of the protocol. Thank you.
Mr Z S MAKHUBELE: Chairperson, hon members, the main objective of this protocol is to promote sustainable utilisation and transboundary management of the environment as already have been said. It is interesting that all of us are in agreement in this regard that it should be ratified. It is also to
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ensure that the fight against poverty and food insecurity takes place earnestly and that the member states are committed to attaining all sustainable development goals including those on environment.
In the Southern African Development Community, SADC, South Africa is the powerhouse and that it needs to assert itself in terms of playing a leading role in this particular regard because we do have the capacity in all respects. We take note that already, in practice, measures to implement this protocol have been put in place and the ratification of this protocol is a measure step that we would witness its domestication.
The challenges that result from the fact that some countries don’t play their part in this regard shall be resolved. And it is about time that SADC countries take issues of environment seriously. As the ANC, we are in support of this ratification. Thank you.
South African Development Community, SADC, protocol on Environmental Management for Sustainable Development accordingly approved.
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CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ARTS AND CULTURE ON VISIT TO ENYOKENI CULTURAL PRECINCT AND KWAZULU- NATAL MUSEUM
Mr T MAKONDO: House Chairperson and hon members, the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture conducted an oversight visit to KwaZulu-Natal province on 14 and 15 September 2017. Two places were subjects of the oversight: KwaZulu-Natal museum in Pietermaritzburg and Enyokeni Cultural Precinct Project in Nongoma.
The Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture visited KwaZulu- Natal to check progress on Generally Recognised Accounting Practice, GRAP 103. The KwaZulu-Natal museum was qualified by the Auditor-General of South Africa because of GRAP 103.
During the visit, the committee made the following observation: The institution is in need of a bigger and a more appropriate storage facility as the current space cannot safely and securely house the museum’s collection. Owing to the deficit in the building occupied by the museum, the Department of Arts and Culture identified and purchased an old
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St Anne Hospital as the site for new purpose built for KwaZulu-Natal museum; the museum has a challenge of staff retention; the museum is working on GRAP 103 and has appointed staff to capture the heritage assets; the museum needs a strong and capable in-house research team.
The committee made the following recommendations: The department should put an operational plan in place on how it will embark on making the building habitable and user-friendly for the museum staff and all the species in the museum.
The space where scientists conduct their work must be separated from the space where fossils are kept because fossils require a certain temperature. The department and the entity should speed up the job evaluation and grading process as a matter of urgency to address staff migration. The museum must speed up the process of assets evaluation.
The second place where we conducted our oversight is in Nongoma Enyokeni Cultural Precinct Project. The portfolio committee discovered that the Department of Arts and Culture was developing the Enyokeni Cultural Precinct through
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independent development trust as an implementing agent and the project was not in the annual performance plan and therefore not budgeted for. An amount of R131 million was spent irregularly and here are some of the findings that emanated from the visit to Enyokeni Cultural Precinct:
The department appointed IDT and did not do oversight on them. The breakdown of relations between department and IDT resulting in the contract with IDT cancelled for non performance. The lack of monitoring by the Department of Arts and Culture on allocated funds; no clear ownership of the precinct when the precinct was to be completed as well as no maintenance plan.
The committee made the following recommendations to the department: The Department of Arts and Culture must regularise the Enyokeni Cultural Precinct Project and handover the completed work to the provincial government and the district municipality. The department must finish up was has already been started. The department should put together a plan and a financial breakdown of the funding of the roof and the ablution facility. Work that is outsourced should be properly
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monitored to minimise shoddy workmanship and to maximise return on investments. We therefore submit that the Report be adopted.
There was no debate.
The DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP OF MAJORITY PARTY: House Chairperson, I move that the Report be adopted.
Declarations of vote:
Mr G A GROOTBOOM (DA): Hon House Chair, the report is a true reflection of the findings. However, there are potent issues that are still outstanding in need of serious intervention. The initial funding of the Enyokeni project was irregular as mentioned. Funding for this project must be regularised.
Because of the lack of proper planning, the costing of the enyokeni project is still not finalised. In future, government must not proceed on work on a pay as go basis. in future, government must ensure that they have complete specifications when entering into such projects. The report did not speak to the issues of the forensic investigation audit and the subsequent consequence management.
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We found the same inflation of prices by the builders and the project managers as happened in Nkandla. These irregularities resulted because of a lack of proper monitoring. If we are serious about corruption as a government, we need to put deeds to our words and act decisively. Thank you.
Mr T E MULAUDZI: House Chair, this committee report is a clear indication of the state of the Department of Arts and Culture; a state of curse and mismanagement with incompetence and corruption being the norm.
The Enyokeni Cultural Precinct Project was never part of the annual performance plans and this is purely the fault of the Department of Arts and culture. How is possible to do a project worth millions of rands where there is no budgeting and costing done.
A lack of professionalism will and basic understanding of how to plan and budget is why the contract between the IDT was cancelled and why the department had no mechanism in place to monitor how the funds allocated were spent. If you do not have a plan, you cannot know how much money is needed. This allows
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for corruption to happen easily without anyone noticing or being able to account for the money that goes missing or it results in building simple not being completed like the roof of the ablution facilities because the budget runs out.
On top of this, there was no official handover of the project. So, who is responsible for maintenance? No body. And because of this, the Enyokeni Cultural Precinct Project is already experiencing a maintenance issue. A 2,5 mega litre water tank is already leaking and the amphitheatre which this department spent R37 million of tax payers’ money already has a crack in the wall.
All of these problems are as a result of this department and its officials being incompetent and having no basic understanding of how to govern. This has resulted in a project which the department spent millions on not being completed and falling apart. Thank you.
Mr J A ESTERHUZEN: House Chairperson, although I was not part of the oversight visit at KwaZulu-Natal, the IFP supports the report but would like to mention a few observations.
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It is apparent that there really is a deep-rooted problem in the department and there is no clear understanding of the roles and functions of the officials and executive leadership in the Department of Arts and Culture.
The breakdown of relations between this department and the Independent Development Trust has resulted in contracts being cancelled and then there is the lack of oversight from the Department of Arts and Culture to ensure that contractors charge the department market-related tariffs which resulted in R28,6 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
There is additionally no records of official handovers or maintenance contract with contractors as already mention. Water tanks are leaking, walls are cracked, some cases roofs are not even covered and buildings uncompleted where full payment has already been made.
Appointment of contractors, in some cases, seemed to be orchestrated to favour certain individuals. This should not be allowed within structures of this department. Incompetent contractors, renovations that never finalised resulting in the
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community losing the privilege and access to these state owned culture centres paid for by the tax payers.
Deficiencies in internal control resulting in adequate processes and monitoring controls we should ensure that reliable performances and functional inform is produced which is not the case and which means that laws and regulations they have not been complied with. The Department of Arts and Culture budgets every year allocate millions of rands in order to strengthen its internal control and compliances. And needless to say that it is not what the committee found and there was no compliance and even worse internal controls. I thank you.
Prof N M KHUBISA: It is noticed that the department had to use R131 million without any budget without being in the APP for 2014-2015. There was no planning for 2014-2015 and there was no budget at all for the facility.
We know that this issue has received much negative publicity whereas it was the fault of the department. Additional phases had to be put in without approval and there was a lack of plan
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and there was no contractual agreement signed between the department and IDT and as the result the department lost at least R28,6 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
There was a lack of monitoring on how the project was progressing. There was no handover afterwards only to find that the project had some leaks yet it is a very important project which has to do with reed dance and other cultural activities. There are also other outstanding facilities like the ablution facilities and the roof was not covered. The quality of work was very shoddy for an amount of R37.9 million.
Having said that House Chairperson, we want to urge that the department will monitor all its projects because after the project was handed over ir was discovered that shoddy work was done.
We support the report and hope that there would be caution given to the department to ensure that the money for the department is well spent and the government’s fiscas is not wasted lavishly. Thank you House Chairperson.
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Ms S P TSOLELI: House Chair, the Enyokeni Project was initiated in the fourth parliament. We were not impressed on the route that the then Director General followed in procuring the services of Enyokeni. We viewed it as a fiscal dumping and flouting procurement procedures.
We supported Minister Mthethwa in instituting forensic audit on Enyokeni. We dealt with the matter extensively in the portfolio committee and we did not pull our punches back.
On our visit to Enyokeni, we discovered that there were unfinished projects. However, there was a super water supply project located in the community that is faced with scarcity of water. We then recommended that such projects must be handd over to the district of Zululand.
It is our collective view that the Enyokeni Precinct Project does not form part of the mandate of the department and that on conclusion, the project be handed over to the Zululand district for maintenance.
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Is therefore our request as the ANC that the House should support the adoption of this report.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ARTS AND CULTURE ON GOVERNANCE WORKSHOP WITH CHAIRPERSONS AND DEPUTY CHAIRPERSONS OF DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE ENTITIES
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G BOROTO): Before I call you, hon member, I just want to welcome our learners with their teachers in the gallery from Milton Mpfumedzeni Secondary School in Limpopo, Vhembe District. [Applause.]
Sepedi:
Le amogetšwe. Ke Palamente, Ngwako wa lena wa Lekgotlatheramelao, agaa.
English:
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Mr T MAKONDO: Hon Chairperson, hon members, the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture held a governance workshop with the 26 entities of the department, represented by chairpersons and deputy chairpersons. This happened after the portfolio committee rounded up these entities during the term. During this period, the committee identified similar challenges in some of the entities.
However, there are some of the entities that are a symbol of excellence, such as Freedom Park, Playhouse Company, Iziko and many more.
Some of the challenges that the portfolio committee identified are, in the main, governance issues, which are in the area of board of directors or councils, as the executive authority of these entities.
Some of the challenges relate to good governance, Generally Recognised Accounting Practice, GRAP 1 or 3, continued rising of legal costs, bad and poor recordkeeping and the low morale of employees. As a result of these, entities fail to meet their annual performance plan targets.
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The workshop serves as a platform for various entities to share the best of good practice and the workshop raised the following challenges: the remuneration of council members was problematic, as the stipend was not worth the amount of work that they were tasked with; the absence of council or board members left the entities vulnerable because chief executive officers have often taken decisions that were illegal; the three-year timeframe for councils or boards is too short and it should be extended to five years; poor alignment with the department’s strategic plans and those of the entities; the collusion of officials in the department with chief executive officers, which often derails the mandates and the functioning of these entities; the Department of Art and Culture’s lack of support to councils; the lack of a retention strategy, which results in the loss of staff morale; and challenges that relate to fundraising.
The committee recommends that the Department of Arts and Culture hold a follow-up governance workshop with the chairpersons and deputy chairpersons, as a matter of urgency.
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This workshop helped a lot and since then, councils or boards have taken up their place in these entities. They are beginning to perform their oversight responsibility. We have seen such an improvement in entities such as Robben Island, Nelson Mandela Museum, Market Theatre, Msunduzi Museum and many more entities.
This improvement will ensure that these entities are geared towards attaining their objectives, as set out in their strategic plans.
As we know, the arts, culture and heritage sector contributes over R90 billion to the economy and is the biggest job creator. We therefore submit this report to be adopted. Thank you.
There was no debate.
The Chief Whip of the Majority Party moved: That the Report be adopted.
Declarations of vote:
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Mr G A GROOTBOOM: Hon Speaker, I want to congratulate the chairperson of the committee on initiating the process of getting the entities together after the portfolio committee identified the same issues in all entities.
Two issues remain unresolved. These pertain to the implementation of GRAP 103. Even though Treasury made concessions, it remains an issue – refunding of the implementation and the security issues attached to the implementation. Having said that, entities must still ensure that all assets are on record. Secondly, the jobs created are at best a short-term panacea to unemployment and are thus not sustainable in the long run. However, the potential exist to create a vibrant arts community.
A sure point of concern is litigations against the department. It is a serious issue that eats away the morale of the work force.
Furthermore, serious acquisitions have been levelled against the Department of Arts and Culture by the entities, as they want to wrestle control over the entities through the CEO,
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thus subverting the oversight role of the boards that speaks to corporate governance, financial obligations and ensuring that the entity deliver on its key performance indicators.
We have also taken note of the manual for the induction of board members. The plight is that the Department of Arts and Culture themselves should not undermine the guidelines set out therein. I thank you.
Mr M N PAULSEN: Chair, the Department of Arts and Culture is the root cause of poor governance, endless litigations, poor record management, low morale and corruption within its entities. The department has failed to provide leadership, not only to its entities, but also within the department itself.
The department has not experienced stability in its management level and has not appointed a qualified manager in more than a decade. Hence, corruption is rampant in the department. What is happening in arts, cultural and heritage institutions is simply a manifestation of what is happening in the Department of Arts and Culture.
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However, as the EFF, with our understanding of these entities, the long history of struggle with resources, lack of capacity and the deliberate efforts by the ANC government to let our heritage, culture and arts fade into insignificance, we have proposed a restructuring of governance, allocation of resources and revitalisation of the arts and culture heritage.
First, because of the size, location and mandate, not every entity requires its own board, its own CFO, its own office park and its own budget. We must restructure them to develop a new co-governance, co-management and co-sharing of resources in all manner of speaking.
We must also mentor and train artists with management skills, to appoint them to lead and manage these institutions because they have intimate knowledge and experience of their sector. Arts, culture and heritage are not a by-the-way thing. It is an important part of society’s transformation, preservation of history and a meaningful way to build communities in a harmonious way, but the ANC treats this sector like leprosy.
Thank you.
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Mr J A ESTERHUIZEN: Hon Chairperson, at the outset, I must mention again that I was not part of this workshop. The IFP supports the report, but would like to make the following observations.
We view, with a significant amount of concern, the continuing conflict between officials of the department and the chief executive officer, which, in the worst-case scenario, derailed the mandate and functions of this entity.
The attendees indicated that they had no idea where the power lies, who they are really reporting to. It was also reported that nobody from the attendees knew who was responsible for appointing the council and board members or on what basis. It was also reported that the absence of the set board members created a problem.
The deep-rooted problems at this entity cannot be solved merely by throwing additional funds at its many problems. This department has been plagued by poor administration and executive leadership for a few years now. We therefore agree and are in full support of the recommendation that the
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Department of Arts and Culture should hold a follow-up governance workshop with the chairperson, as a matter of urgency. I thank you.
Prof N M KHUBISA (NFP): House Chairperson, we support the Report. It is clear that there is no strategic alignment between the department and its entities. Issues that were mentioned, like the moral of the staff and stipend, they will complain to say that the stipend is too little and matters of co-operate governance also were not considered. It is clear therefore from the Report that Boards and Chief Executive Officers, CEOs, need to be workshop on how to run entities and also how to work with the department.
It is also noticeable that the department is allocating about R3,2 billion to the entities and it should therefore be clear on how the entities assist in job creation, in other words, we need some value for money and the department must also monitor this. You will find that there are issues of litigation that go on unabatedly and they are not resolved whereas these issues could have been solved inward within the department
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without wasting government resources. There are issues of conflict resolution.
Matters of record keeping and assert management are not taken into cognisance. Sometimes there is a vacuum and the CEO would take the position of the Chair of Board Council or the Chair of the Board will behave as if is the CEO. All these matters need to be taken into cognisance. We therefore agree with the Report that there should be further workshop on this matter so that there should be alignment between the department and the entities.
We support the Report.
Ms S P TSOLELI (ANC): House Chair, we took a decision as a committee to have workshops with Chairpersons and Deputies of the entities that are under the Department of Arts and Culture. This decision was taken after we have visited entities that were functioning exceptionally well and those that were performing badly with regard to good governance, job creation, Grab 103, legal fees, record managing system and low moral of employees.
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This workshop was very critical and important in order to make sure that entities share experiences with other sister entities that are not performing well. The committee also deliberated on the Grab 103 and we want reiterate our take that there is bad and good in this accounting practice and we believe in introducing it. We did not apply our minds on the negative impact of Grab 103, especially on institutions like natural history museums and other ordinary museums. The first world countries have not even applied this accounting practice.
The security measures required to accompany this practice require millions of rand and we do not have them.
Nevertheless, we recommend that the department should consider having these workshops annually to allow entities to share good practice.
We request that the House support the adoption of this Report.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.
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(Draft Resolution)
Dr P MAESELA: I move without notice on behalf of the ANC:
That the House –
notes with great sadness the passing on of one of Africa’s great anti-imperialist intellect Samir Amin on Sunday,12 August 2018, at the age of 86;
further notes that Samir was simultaneously an author of critical scholarship on alternative and radical development perspectives for the Third World, and a fearless anti-colonial fighter who inspired generations of progressive activists worldwide;
recognises that his influence shaped the critical discourse that is so necessary in order for
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progressive Governments and revolutionary movements to break free from imperialist influence;
believes that revolutionary movements, especially in the Third World, have been robbed of one of the last of those great minds in the fight for progressive socioeconomic change;
further believes that his ideas and profound humanity will continue to inspire generations of revolutionaries to carry on the fight for an alternative and progressive development path; and
conveys its deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Agreed to.
2018 ZIMBABWE GENERAL ELECTIONS
(Draft Resolution)
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Mr S MOKGALAPA: I hereby move without notice on behalf of the DA:
That the House –
notes that Zimbabwe held its harmonised elections on 30 July 2018;
congratulates the people of Zimbabwe for holding peaceful elections;
acknowledges that, despite having a peaceful Election Day, there have been widely reported incidences of intimidation, abuse of state resources, and state media bias;
further acknowledges the perception that the delay by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, ZEC, to announce results quickly may have led to unnecessary tensions resulting in post-election violence;
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registers its concern regarding the post-election violence where six people reportedly died, having been shot by the army;
calls for calm and restraint as the people of Zimbabwe and the international community await the judgement of the Constitutional Court tomorrow regarding the outcomes of the elections; and
commits to respecting the outcomes as the people of Zimbabwe deserve the government that will serve their best interests, as elected through a free and fair process.
Agreed to.
COMMEMORATION OF HAITIAN REVOLUTION
(Draft Resolution)
Ms N P SONTI: I hereby rise on behalf of the EFF to move without notice:
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That the House –
notes that on 21 August 1791, the Haitian Revolution began;
draws inspiration from the resilience, determination, and conviction of the Haitian slaves, who were willing to do everything necessary to free themselves from the yoke of their white colonial slave masters;
considers the Haitian Revolution as the most successful slave rebellion in history, which is the only slave rebellion to ever result in the creation of an independent state, and gave birth to the first black-led Republic;
further notes that death, torture, and the fact that the slaves were forced to work day and night on land that they did not own, and did not benefit from, gave rise to the revolution;
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acknowledges that today in South Africa, our people work land that was stolen from them, yet which they do not own;
further acknowledges that today in South Africa, farmers torture and murder their workers;
understands that the struggle of black people, and the oppressed of the world continues today, in South Africa and across the world, but we draw inspiration from the Haitian Revolution; and
recognises that, while their generational mission was the defeat of slavery and colonialism, ours is economic freedom in our lifetime, and the return of our land.
Agreed to.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Sorry, Chair: We had indicated in a circulation that we are objecting to that one.
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G BOROTO): What is it, hon
Steenhuisen?
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPOOSITION: When it was circulated, we indicated objection to it. [Interjections.] The rule says that if there are five of us, five parties have to agree, including the majority and largest minority.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G BOROTO): But, hon Steenhuisen, I asked the question and then you kept quiet. Okay, I hear you! Continue! Who is on the podium? [Interjections.]
Mr M N PAULSEN: Chair, I would just like to know: Are you registering the objection or are we going to let it go through? [Interjections.] Because it’s not going to be fair!
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G BOROTO): No, no! The thing is, when I put the question, there was no objection. [Interjections.]
Mr M N PAULSEN: Okay! Thanks very much!
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G BOROTO): And, I will stick to that! Continue!
PRESIDENT KEITA WINS MALI RUN-OFF ELECTIONS
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M S A MASANGO: I move without notice on behalf of the ANC:
That the House –
notes that Mali’s President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, won another term in a run-off election with more than 67% of the vote on Sunday, 12 August 2018;
understands that the government stepped up security for Sunday’s run-off election, deploying 6 000 troops in addition to the 30 000 who were already on duty;
acknowledges that the earlier round of voting was marred by armed attacks blamed on jihadists,
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including some linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, and ethnic violence that closed several hundred voting places;
further acknowledges that despite the complaints from the opposition rival Soumaila Cisse and his supporters, the diplomats called for calm and respect for the election results; and
congratulates President Keita on his election for a second five-year term.
Agreed to.
SUPPORT FOR WOMEN’S TOTALSHUTDOWN MOVEMENT
(Draft Resolution)
Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: House Chairperson, I hereby move without notice on behalf of the IFP:
That this House –
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notes that on 1 August 2018, thousands of women took to the streets to demand urgent action to stop gender-based violence, which has reached unprecedented levels, causing untold harm to many women;
further notes that women who formed part of the TotalShutdown movement, handed over a memorandum to President Ramaphosa with a set list of demands to the state;
acknowledges that an integrated plan of action, drawing together all relevant sectors of our society, and all government departments as well as political will is urgently needed to successfully end this crisis;
accepts and supports the list of 24 demands as presented by the protesters in demanding that the state do all in its powers to protect women and children from all forms of violence; and
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applauds the organisers of the TotalShutdown movement, and all the women who rose in their numbers, adding their voices to this fight, and all those who continue to do everything in their power to bring an end to femicide, rape and gender-based violence.
Agreed to.
RUTHLESS KILLING OF FOUR MEMBERS OF THE DUBE FAMILY
(Draft Resolution)
Mr S C MNCWABE: House Chairperson, I hereby move without notice on behalf of the NFP:
That this House –
notes the ruthless killing of four members of the Dube family who were stabbed to death over the weekend in Mariannhill in KwaZulu-Natal;
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further notes that Mr Joseph Makhathini who is a brother to Mrs Thembi Dube, who was also stabbed to death, mentioned that the community of Thornwood in Mariannhill, was traumatised as a result of this ruthless killing;
understands that the suspect, Mr Khulekani Dube, might have later hanged himself after stabbing the other three members of the family, including a two- year-old child;
sends its condolences to the members of the family and relatives; and
calls upon the police to leave no stone unturned in investigating this matter so that the traumatized community of Thornwood in Marian hill can know the truth and find peace on this matter.
Agreed to.
DEADLY EARTHQUAKE AT THE INDONESIAN ISLAND OF LOMBOK
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(Draft Resolution)
Mr L K B MPUMLWANA: House Chairperson, I hereby move without notice on behalf of the ANC:
That this House –
notes with shock the deadly earthquakes that devastated the Indonesian island of Lombok killing hundreds of people and sending tourists fleeing from a series of tremors between 29 July and
9 August 2018;
understands that the quakes left hospitals crowded with more than thousand people injured, and others displaced and living in temporary shelters and the rubble of homes;
further understands that hundreds of stranded hikers were rescued from a volcano following this deadly earthquake strike;
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acknowledges that rescuers were finding some remote areas hard to reach because bridges and roads were destroyed by the earthquake;
understands that Indonesia is prone to earthquakes as it is situated in the Ring of Fire, an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean, where many tremors and volcanic eruptions occur;
acknowledges that five South Africans that were present in the affected area during the earthquake have all been accounted for and are safe; and
the ANC expresses its condolences to the government
and the people of Indonesia.
Agreed to.
Mr M L W FILTANE: [Laughter.] Thank you, hon Chair. [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G BOROTO): Hon Filtane, I am very sorry. I was so quick to call the next party, you go on.
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THE CLAIMS MADE BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, DONALD TRUMP,
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M L W FILTANE: House Chairperson, I hereby move without notice on behalf of the UDM:
That this House –
outright rejects the false claims by the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, that South Africa and its government is involved in the seizure of land and farms and the large-scale killing of white South Africans;
further rejects this claim as it undermines the current national land expropriation without compensation debate that is currently undergoing a parliamentary process through public hearings with consultation with all people of South Africa;
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notes this unwarranted act borders on undermining South Africa’s sovereignty;
encourages the President of South Africa to invite the United States President to visit South Africa, at his own cost, in order for him to understand how this democratic process of Land Expropriation without Compensation is being conducted and;
understand the proper workings of a progressive democracy and;
condemns all uninformed and irredeemable racist individual statements that incite panic and fear to external and internal audiences.
Agreed to.
STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY MARKING ITS CENTENARY
(Draft Resolution)
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Mr A P VAN DER WESTHUIZEN: House Chairperson, I hereby move without notice on behalf of the DA:
That this House –
congratulates Stellenbosch University on marking its centenary this year;
notes that since its formation, out of Victoria College on 2 April 1918 through an Act of Parliament, Stellenbosch University has become a leading higher-education institution that is making a crucial contribution to human development in our country, on our continent and in the rest of the world;
further notes that in a recent statement, despite celebrating the many successes and achievements of the university over the past 100 years, the university acknowledged its contribution towards the injustices of the past for which it has expressed deep regret, and has taken responsibility towards
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present and future generations by committing itself unconditionally to the ideal of an inclusive world class university in and for Africa;
acknowledges that, in the most recent academic year, Stellenbosch University awarded a record number of qualifications for the third time in a row, amounting to 9032 in total, including 1620 Master’s degrees and 305 PhD degrees, of which 43 and 41% respectively went to Coloured, Black and Indian students;
recognises the university’s contribution as a national asset and its resolute, steady progress in terms of promoting multilingualism, broadening access, increasing its social impact and advancing transformation; and
applauds this leading South African university in its centenary year.
Agreed to.
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DEADLY BUS CRASH IN KWAZULU-NATAL
(Draft Resolution)
Mr J L MAHLANGU: House Chairperson, I hereby move without notice on behalf of the ANC:
That this House –
notes with sadness the death of four adults and a child following a bus crash on the road between Malmoth and Empangeni in Kwazulu-Natal on Saturday,
11 August 2018;
further notes that the sixth victim succumbed to injuries at Ngwelezane hospital the following day;
understands that the 33 injured were treated on the scene and a number taken to hospital via private vehicles before paramedics arrived on the scene;
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further understands the bus carried 60 passengers and was on its way from Johannesburg to Empangeni when it overturned;
believes that the passengers were members of the 12th Apostolic Church in Christ who were travelling to Empangeni for the church’s 40th anniversary celebration;
calls upon the police to speed up the investigation into this horrific bus crash to establish the cause of the crash; and
conveys its heartfelt condolences to the family,
friends, and relatives of the six people who died.
Agreed to.
DROWNING OF 24 CHILDREN IN NORTHERN SUDAN
(Draft Resolution)
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Ms G K TSEKE: House Chairperson, I hereby move without notice on behalf of the ANC:
That this House –
notes with sadness the death, through drowning, of at least 24 children on their way to school when their boat sank in the Northern Sudan on Wednesday,
15 August 2018;
further notes that more than 40 children were on the boat, whose engine failed in a strong current as it crossed a 2,5km flooded area near the River Nile;
believes that wooden boats, locally known as Marakib are still favoured in Sudan, which islanders and fishermen are heavily dependent on these traditional boats to transport passengers, their goods and personal belongings across the river;
acknowledges that the pupils who were between the ages of seven and 16 usually go to school on foot,
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but had been using the boat for the past week due to flooding after heavy rain;
recalls that the telephone network was down due to the rains, making it difficult for the headmaster to report the accident; and
the ANC conveys its condolences to the government of Sudan and the families of the deceased.
Agreed to.
APPOINTMENT OF PROFESSOR LOYISO NONGXA AS VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICAL UNION
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M J WOLMARANS: House Chairperson, I hereby move without notice on behalf of the ANC:
That this House –
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notes that Professor Loyiso Nongxa has been appointed Vice-President of the executive board of the International Mathematical Union;
further notes that this appointment to the International Mathematical Union board during the organisation’s general meeting, held in Brazil earlier this month, makes him the first African mathematician to reach these heights;
also notes that since its inception in 1922, the International Mathematical Union has never had an African representative on its board;
recalls that Professor Nongxa became the first black Rhodes scholar to graduate from Oxford University with a doctorate in philosophy mathematics in 1982;
further recalls that he also became the first black Vice-Chancellor of Wits University in 2003, and during his 10-year tenure, he became the founding
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director of the Centre for Mathematical and Computational Sciences at the university;
understands that the mission of the International Mathematical Union is to create global co-operation in mathematics;
supports his dream of developing mathematical programmes that are geared at alleviating the shortage crisis of science, technology, engineering and maths students, especially black female representatives, as well as teachers;
further supports his interest in focusing and influencing the role of the International Mathematical Union on the African continent, and that of raising the profile of African mathematicians; and
wishes him much success in his new position of responsibility.
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Agreed to.
THE PASSING OF MAMA ZONDENI VERONICA SOBUKWE
(Draft Resolution)
Mr N T GODI: House Chairperson, I hereby move without notice on behalf of the APC:
That this House –
notes with sadness the passing away on the
15 August 2018 of Mama Zondeni Veronica Sobukwe, at the age of 91 years;
salutes her as an exemplary mother, partner and leader; honours her determination and steadfastness throughout the trials and tribulations of her life as a student nurse, during the liberation struggle till her last day on earth;
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recognises that she aptly represents those in the liberation struggle who served, suffered and sacrificed without being seen - giving rousing speeches at rallies or leading defiant marches, but who bore the pain and anxiety of having to keep families together on their own - feeling the pain of their loved ones in detention, underground or in exile;
further recognises that, she was not just Robert Sobukwe’s wife, she had a life of her own, and she is honoured for who she was – dignity personified - with a calm, iron determination on the right of the African indigents to national self-determination;
wishes the preparations and funeral itself to be as dignified as she has led her life;
thanks President Cyril Ramaphosa for according her a Special Official State Funeral Category 2 and flying the national flag at half-mast in her honour; and
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conveys its heartfelt condolences and solidarity to the Sobukwe family and her party, the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania.
Agreed to.
KGOTHATSO MONTJANE MAKES WIMBLEDON HISTORY
(Draft Resolution)
Ms D VAN DER WALT: House Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the House –
congratulates Kgothatso Montjane, who became the first black South African woman to play at Wimbledon;
notes that Kgothatso was born in Limpopo 32 years ago, suffered from Amniotic Band Syndrome which prevented some fingers and her legs from developing properly and she had her left leg amputated at the age of 12;
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further notes that ‘KG’ is South Africa’s number one wheelchair tennis player since 2005;
further notes that she was named South Africa’s disabled sportswoman of the year in 2005, 2011 and 2015;
also notes that she holds 29 singles titles and has participated in the Australian Open, the French Open the US open, won the Swiss Open four times and now in Wimbledon she played;
recognises that ‘KG’ was also a member of the South African team at the Summer Paralympics several times and represented South Africa in World Team Cup;
also notes that due to a lack of sponsorship ‘Kg’ travelled to London alone this year without a coach and despite this made it to the semifinals in the world’s best known tennis tournament, and her world ranking is now sixth;
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shares in KG’s joy and receiving private sponsorship since yesterday which allows her to participate in the upcoming US Open and beyond; and
applauds Kgothatso on her achievements, for her positive attitude and for being proudly South African. [Applause.]
Agreed to.
LEGENDARY SOUTH AFRICAN PLAYWRIGHT WINSTON NTSHONA PASSES ON
(Draft Resolution)
Ms N K BILANKULU: House Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the House –
notes with great sadness the passing on of one of South Africa’s renowned and outstanding actors and playwright Winston Ntshona on 2 August 2018;
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further notes that Mr Ntshona was a stalwart of protest theatre who captivated audiences globally and earned a prestigious Tony Award for Best Actor from the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League in recognition of his exceptional performances in political dramas, Sizwe Banzi is Dead and The Island;
recalls that in 2010 he received the National Order of Ikhamanga in Silver for his excellent contribution to theatre and the art scene in South Africa;
acknowledges that Mr Ntshona’s gift in performance art were widely appreciated when he collaborated with his peers, the equally celebrated John Kani and Athol Fugard;
believes that Mr Ntshona will be remembered for his immeasurable contributions to the creative industry and performance art in particular which he leveraged as a platform of resistance against apartheid;
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further believes that his work will continue through those he helped and shaped by installing social consciousness through arts and culture; and
conveys its sincere condolences to the Ntshona family, a friend, colleague and comrade.
Agreed to.
UDF LEGACY LIVES ON 35 YEARS LATER
(Member’s Statement)
Mr Z S MAKHUBELA (ANC): House Chairperson, Monday 20 August 2018 was the 35th anniversary of the United Democratic Front, UDF, in the same year that the country celebrates the centenary of the UDF’s co-president, Mama Albertina Nontsikelelo Sisulu. As the ANC we pay tribute to the leaders of the UDF, some whom were imprisoned, banned and paid the ultimate price. It was 35 years ago on 20 August 1983 when thousands of South Africans, black and white, from all walks
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of life, came together to form the UDF in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain.
Inspired by the Freedom Charter and united in their opposition against the racist tricameral Parliament that sought to divide the people of South Africa, this formidable united front was determined to change the political trajectory of our country. The UDF moved swiftly to make apartheid unworkable and contributed towards pushing the regime to release comrade Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners and unban the ANC and other organisations. Thirty-five years later, the legacy of the UDF lives on and as this generation we should acknowledge its invaluable contribution in the struggle for our liberation. I thank you. [Applause.]
PIT LARTINES NOT ERADICATED DESPITE DEATH OF MICHEAL KOMAPE
(Member’s Statement)
Ms D VAN DER WALT (DA): House Chairperson, in 2014 the five- year old Micheal Komape died after he fell into a pit latrine at Mahlodumela Primary School in Limpopo. A promise by the ANC
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government was announced publicly for hundreds of proper toilets by the end of that financial year. On 14 August, this year, the Sanitation Appropriate for Education, Safe, initiative was launched by President Ramaphosa and the Minister of Basic Education, which we welcome. Yet, the funds the Limpopo department budgeted for sanitation in this financial year are totally insufficient to address this crisis and show neither understanding of the crisis nor any commitment.
The MEC should admit that the R115 million budgeted for the period 2018-19 on water and sanitation for 79 schools is less than half a drop in the ocean considering the huge infrastructure backlog caused by maladministration. According to their annual performance plan, APP, firstly, more than 2000 schools have inappropriate sanitation facilities. Secondly, 857 schools still have pit toilets and five schools still have no access to any sanitation facilities at all. This amounts to 55% of the schools in Limpopo which affects over 900 000 learners. In the last two financial years the Limpopo department of education has run up R2 billion in irregular,
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fruitless and wasteful expenditure, the message is clear, the ANC is stealing and our children are suffering. [Applause.]
RACISM REARS UGLY HEAD AGAIN
(Member’s Statement)
Ms N P SONTI (EFF): Chair, we are prepared to confront all racists head-on everywhere where racism rears its ugly head whether the racist H & M, Mugg and Bean in Somerset West or whether it is this boy Adam something who recorded a video on a beach and was happy that there were no black people at the beach and referred to us as k-word. Because the ANC has allowed white people to continue to exploit black people, enjoy undue privilege and treat black people as lesser beings. Besides, the ANC has allowed white people to continue to enjoy and control the strategic sectors of the economy at the expense of black people. That is why white racists, even amongst us here, are not afraid to display such bigotry, hate and superiority and they do so because they still have the land. White people assault their domestic workers and they get
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raped behind the high walls by their white employers and the black children are subjected to racism at schools.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: On a point of order!
Ms N P SONTI (EFF): All of this will continue as long as whites ... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Just hold it.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: House Chairperson, on a point of order: I refer you to a plethora of rulings that were made in this House on numerous occasions around racial stereotyping. To ascribe the acts that the individual is describing to all white people is racial stereotyping of the worst kind and this House cannot tolerate that. I will ask that that section of the member’s statement is ruled unparliamentary. [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Maybe I missed that but I will look into that and come back to the House with a
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report. Okay, you have six to seven seconds left. Can you please complete?
Ms N P SONTI (EFF): Chair ...
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon Paulsen what is your ... [Interjections.]
Mr M N PAULSEN: House Chair, we are not referring to all whites, we said racist whites ... [Interjections.] So I mean if all whites are racists ... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon Paulsen, I made a ruling on the issue I am not going to entertain the latter part.
Ms N P SONTI (EFF): ... bendisithi-ke [I was saying] the black children are subjected to racism at schools and all this will continue as long as whites control the economy ... [Interjections.]
IsiZulu:
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USIHLALO WENDLU (Nk M G Boroto): Isikhathi sesiphelile ma!
English:
Ms N P SONTI: ... and the only way we will ever end racism ... [Interjections.]
IsiZulu:
USIHLALO WENDLU (Nk M G Boroto): Isikhathi sesiphelile!
English:
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Mama, I will switch off the microphone because your time has expired.
Ms N P SONTI: ... is by taking back the land. [Applause.]
Ms T V TOBIAS: Hon Chair, on a point of order: The hon member was holding the ANC accountable for racism, really? The ANC is a nonracial organisation. [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon member that has passed. Unfortunately, you came up too late, can we continue. [Interjections.]
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UNVEILING OF TWO COMPUTER CENTRES AND LIBRARIES IN TWO SCHOOLS AT QUNU
(Member’s Statement)
Ms M L DUNJWA (ANC): Hon House Chair, the ANC government is committed to improving the quality of education and eliminating disparities, and thus hails the unveiling of two computer centres and two libraries at the No-Moscow Senior Primary School and Jongintaba Senior Secondary School, in Qunu, in the Eastern Cape, on Friday 17 August. This unveiling is in honour of former President Nelson Mandela, who valued education above all else.
The new facilities were provided for in partnership with the state-owned entity, Eskom. The partnership has renovated the libraries and donated 42 computers to the two schools respectively. The unveiling of the computer centre and library will hopefully promote the love for education and a reading culture of the children in the community of Qunu. This will also assist in improving the learning experiences of learners
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and the teaching experiences of educators through improved facilities.
Thus the ANC also believes that the new facilities will assist in promoting good citizenship, preparing ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]
URGENT REQUEST BY IFP TO SA HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
(Member’s Statement)
Mr M HLENGWA (IFP): Hon House Chairperson, on the 16th September 2016, the IFP urgently requested the SA Human Rights Commission, HRC, to investigate and report on the infringements of human rights in terms of the ingestion of genetically modified food and the associated environmental and human health risk involved in the production and use thereof.
Despite the urgency, the HRC is yet to make a recommendation and the finding in this matter. However, Chair, to this day our country still makes use of this herbicide which contains glyphosate more commonly known as roundup even though in 2015
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the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans. The outcome of a landmark lawsuit in the United States recently has stated an international precedent where the court found in favour of a plaintiff that the herbicide manufactured by Monsanto roundup with killer caused his cancer and that the corporation failed to warn him of the health hazards from exposure. The jury found that Monsanto and I quote, “Acted with malice or oppression.”
Chairperson, our Constitution obligates us in Chapter 2, the Bill of Rights, as well as in National Environmental Management Act to proceed with caution when we are unsure of the effects of a substance upon both human and environmental health and wellbeing.
Why are we allowing our people to continue to be used as science experiments by wealthy foreign multinationals who are only profit-driven? Stop using roundup and stop using genetically modified organism, GMO, maize until we have conducted our own scientific research and ascertain that these
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products are safe for human consumption and the environment. I thank you.
LACK OF SERVICE DELIVERY TO PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA, CORRUPTION, UNEMPLOYMENT, POVERTY AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
(Member’s Statement)
Mr S C MNCWABE (NFP): Hon House Chair, the Fifth Parliament has witnessed a myriad of socioeconomic challenges in our society. Chief amongst the ills that we have seen are the lack of service delivery to our people of South Africa, corruption, unemployment, poverty and gender-based violence. We have seen shortage of necessary skills from management and leadership positions in state departments as well as municipalities. We have witnessed crime and violence ravaging our country.
Chair, the focus of this Member’s Statement is mainly on three ills that our country is been faced with, the corruption that continues unabatedly; the lack of integrity and moral and ethical leadership; skills gap and skills shortage.
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At the moment the Judge Zondo Commission on State Capture is busy trying to expose the truth and collating evidence on human deeds that did some injustices to the masses of our people. We know that corruption is real and is the time that we must deal with it. Those that are found to have been enriching themselves through state department resources and state-owned entities, SOEs, must be dealt with and must face the consequences. The law must take its course.
It cannot be that at the end of each financial year, the Auditor-General reports that at least nothing less than R40 billion disappeared through irregular or wasteful
expenditure, fraud or corruption and there are no consequence management. We now find comfort in knowing that ... Thank you. [Time expired.]
AMERICAN PRESIDENT’S REACTION TO THE LAND REFORM DEBATE
(Member’s Statement)
Ms J D KILIAN (ANC): Chairperson, we know what triggered President Trump’s illconsidered and most unfortunate tweet on
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the unfolding land reform debates in our country. His tweet contains three false statements based on AfriForum’s smear campaign against the SA government. AfriForum was initially established to protect the constitutional rights of minority communities.
But CEO Kallie Kriel and his Deputy, Ernst Roets, steadily hijacked the movement. The pair is currently abusing the membership fees of unsuspecting members to fund their international trips to harm the very people they purport to represent.
They are spreading lies that white people in South Africa are under attack by the SA government; that white farmers are being singled out for systematic violence and their recent Washington trip was no exception. They scandalously distorted the land debate in an attempt to cut off international aid to South Africa.
Chairperson, it is time for South Africans in particular AfriForum members and Afrikaans people to realise that AfriForum is nothing but a radical right-wing movement. The
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majority of progressive Afrikaans speakers support the President’s land reform objectives. We heard that yesterday, further that political parties who based their election campaigns on the back of these scare tactics should realise that they too are undermining South Africa. [Time expired.]
COPE’STANCE ON LAND EXPROPRIATION WITHOUT COMPENSATION
(Member’s Statement)
Ms D CARTER (Cope): Chairperson, Cope was founded in defence of our Constitution. As such, Cope firmly believes that injustices and divisions of our past must be addressed, within the framework setup which has been provided for in our Constitution and in a peaceful and stable national atmosphere.
We believe that the Constitution in the current form provides all the powers required to ensure the full realisation of just and equitable land reform on security of tenure. But, Pandora’s box has been opened, and the proverbial 1000 ills has been released upon our nation, including increasing racial
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tension and the destruction of our national cohesion, and decreasing investment and increasing economic stagnation.
Now, the United States of America has entered a fray and a goer which facilitates stray and investment of United States and currently provides us with the crate surplus is being threatened. Further, we note the growing weakening and revaluation of the rand which represents growing international concerns about the direction and future prospects of our country.
We call on the President, the ANC and other supporters of land expropriation without compensation to reconsider their position and to put the interests of South Africa first.
Likewise, we call upon those that are propagating undue fear amongst our communities and minority groups to desist from doing so. Now is the time for the majority responsible, likeminded and patriotic citizens to galvanise together and take ownership of our constitutional order. [Time expired.]
FARMER’S LIFE SENTENCE, A MASSIVE WIN FOR WORKER’S RIGHTS
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(Member’s Statement)
Ms T M A TONGWANE (ANC): Chairperson, the ANC is pleased with the life sentence handed down to the 45-year-old Martin Visser for the murder of a farmworker in Vredendal on the West Coast. Even a failed suicide attempt by Visser in the courtroom cell did not stop the high court from sentencing him.
The Lutzville farmer was found guilty of Pieterse’s 2015 murder after he assaulted him with a spade, dragging him with a quad bike, mutilated his genitals and perineum and burying him behind his father’s vineyard in 2015. Visser had pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm and four charges of common assault of three other people.
The ANC believes that no individual should suffer the way Mr Pieterse did. Our heart goes out to his family who had a loved one taken away so viciously. We welcome this judgment in the hope that more farm murderers will also be brought to book by our criminal justice system. This ruling is a massive win for
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farmworkers’ rights, and it paves the way for workers’ dignity to be restored.
For far too long, farmworkers have been treated as second- class citizens of this land. The time for change is now, when all spheres of government need to work together to achieve it. I thank you.
ANC-RUN EMFULENI MUNICIPALITY FACING EMINENT COLLAPSE
(Member’s Statement)
Adv H C SCHMIDT (DA): Hon Chair, the ANC-run Emfuleni Municipality which services Sharpeville, Vanderbijlpark and Sebokeng, faces imminent collapse. Eskom and Rand Water is owed nearly R1 billion. Payment agreements have been reneged upon. Undertakings to pay have repeatedly been broken. Fire engines, traffic department vehicles and refuse removal vehicles are in the process of being repossessed.
The Gauteng government has, in terms of sections 139 of the Constitution, placed Emfuleni under administration. The task
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team led by the Gauteng Premier to rescue Emfuleni has done nothing to resolve the crisis. Municipal services are at a virtual standstill. Sewerage pumps are not functioning.
Sewerage is being diverted directly into the Vaal River. Fish are dying. Communities downstream are receiving sewerage water. Unserviced electrical substations are frequently on fire, causing blackouts.
Many areas are without water due to Rand Water reducing water pressure. An infestation of rats has erupted due to uncollected refuse with massive potholes causing a threat to life and property. Whilst ANC politicians are blaming Emfuleni residents, Eskom and Rand Water, the situation has deteriorated with no rescue action in sight.
The Municipal Recovery Plan from National Treasury intended to save the Vaal region from the most incapable ANC misrule, is urgently awaited. It is time for a new government. Yes, in Emfuleni, Gauteng and South Africa. I thank you.
ASSISTANCE TO MR GUSAIN AND HIS FAMILY
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(Member’s Statement)
Mr M N PAULSEN (EFF): Chair, South Africans are Indian descent who treat our African brothers and sisters as lesser human beings especially in Kwazulu-Natal, must know that we will never apologies for calling out Indian racism. But this must never be mistaken as being anti-Indian because we are an organisation that is the champions the course of the oppressed and dispossessed of the world.
We are willing to assist anybody who needs our help, and it is why we assisted Mr Gusain and his family from India. Mr Gusain and his family had been waiting for their naturalisation certificates from the Department of Home Affairs for over a year. And because the department did not hand-over their certificates, they wisely come to EFF for help.
We were happy to do, as we help many people on a daily basis, and because of our persistence, letters and questions to the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Gusain and his family finally received their naturalisation certificates. All sober-minded people must not blinded by their bigotry and know that the EFF
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is an organisation for the people, willing to help all those who have been wronged regardless of what you term as race.
Thank you very much.
MORE BLACKS TO BENEFIT FROM FISHING INDUSTRY QUOTAS
(Member’s Statement)
Mr W B MAPHANGA (ANC): Chair, we commend the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on its commitment to opening up many opportunities for more blacks to benefit from fishing industry quotas. This industry has been dominated by whites and foreign companies for many years. Maximising entrance for the previously disadvantaged people and communities to the fishing business is part of deepening diversity and economic transformation.
We support the department’s effort of allocation of fishing rights to the previously disadvantaged sections of our society. A lot of work needs to be completed, to open up more access through quotas, so that the playing fields are levelled for entrance. Ocean economy carries with it massive
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opportunities for this country, it has the potential to unlock great numbers of employment opportunities while facilitating many downstream and upstream business opportunities.
DONALD TRUMP’S REMARKS ON SA LAND REFORM POLICY
(Member’s Statement)
Mr M A PLOUAMMA (Agang SA): Hon Chairperson, Agang SA would like to take this opportunity to remind Donald Trump and the USA that South Africa is an independent nation, and that we will not surrender the freedom of our nation to this sick man of the 20th century. Land expropriation without compensation is not a begging mission, but an effort to correct the wrongs of the past. We need an apology from this natural born racist called Donald Trump from undermining this nation.
AfriForum must know that they are doing harm to this country as the Guptas did. I don’t know why AfriForum hate black people so much; they are willing to spend millions to stop equitable share of land to all citizens. No one will stop expropriation of land without compensation. We cannot continue
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to have a fake democracy where the majority are landless and poor. The time has come to fully emancipate our people. No amount of racism and arrogance will stop us. I thank you.
POACHERS ARRESTED DURING OPERATION THUNDERSTORM
(Member’s Statement)
Ms H B KEKANA (ANC): The ANC welcomes the arrest of 13 people for a range of illegal wildlife trade charges as part of South Africa’s contribution to the global Operation Thunderstorm.
Four live sharks, 700kg of abalone, ivory and rhino horns were found during that operation. The Interpol Wildlife Crime Working Group had, during its meeting in Singapore in 2017, discussed the global operation against illegal trade in wildlife and timber. This operation called Thunderstorm, has targeted the people and networks behind cross-border wildlife crime.
During the global operation Interpol announced that 1 974 cases were recorded and 1 400 people arrested during investigations and searches in 92 countries during the month
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of May. In South Africa, the SA Police Service; Hawks; Sars Customs; the Green Scorpions; SA National Parks, SANParks; the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; and law enforcement officers participated in the operation. The ANC commends the law enforcers for the operation. I thank you.
ANC FACTIONAL BATTLES HAMSTRING NGQUZA HILL LOCAL MUNICIPALITY
(Member’s Statement)
Ms C V KING (DA): The ANC is at war with itself and the people are suffering. Factional battles within the Eastern Cape ANC are hamstringing municipalities they govern. At Ngquza Hill Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, the ANC’s factional battles have taken centre stage during council meetings over the last three months.
Factionalism in councils saw the Speaker’s faction unlawfully placing the municipal manager on special leave for two months, a decision which costs the municipality R346 905,51 in legal fees. These funds could have been used to build better temporal homes for the residents at New Rest in Lusikisiki
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which the court ordered the Ngquza Local Municipality Mayor to do after illegally demolishing homes.
As if this was not bad enough, at two council meetings held in July, different factions in the ANC Caucus held chairs and fists at each other causing mayhem in council. Factionalism is destroying the ANC from within and we will not stand by and watch as our local government structures crumble because of their failures. The ANC should be reminded that their voter base at the recent by-elections at Ngquza Hill Local Municipality dropped by 20% while the DA grew by 20%. [Applause.]
This clearly shows that the residents of Ngquza Hill Local Municipality are eager for change to a better service delivery. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Ms T V TOBIAS: Hon House Chair, on a point of order: I was wondering if the hon member is not mistaken for the DA and De Lille saga, and so on.
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C Frolick): No, that’s not a point of order.
ANC CONDEMNS ACTS OF MOB JUSTICE AND VIGILANTISM IN DAVEYTON
(Member’s Statement)
Ms M P MMOLA (ANC): The ANC condemns in the strongest terms the acts of mob justice and vigilantism that took place in Daveyton. It is reported that a mob attacked and burned Siyanda Mjoli with a tyre after being accused of being part of five men responsible for street and house robberies, as well as being involved in gang-related activity in the area in Daveyton. It is of concern though that the police confirmed that there is no record of complaints or previous cases opened against the two victims.
Two men were arrested for the death of one of two victims killed in a series of attacks this week. The police are still searching for more suspects who could be linked to the attempted murder of a teen who was brutally attacked by the crowd‚ as well as for the second murder.
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Whilst the ANC encourages communities to mobilise themselves and participate in actions to improve combating crime by establishing street committees and community courts, we however persuade the South African law-abiding citizens not to take law into their hands. They should instead work with the law enforcement agencies in reporting acts of crime and sharing information with the police, which may lead to the conviction of the criminals. I thank you.
QUNU SCHOOLS RECEIVE LEARNING FACILITIES CEREMONY FOR NATURALISATION CERTIFICATES
(Minister’s Response)
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: House Chair, I rise on the issue of the learning facilities at Qunu. It is, indeed, heart-warming to learn and to see how many South Africans under the auspices of the good citizenship campaign are putting their resources and their best efforts at the disposal of their country in many schools around the country. This is certainly patriotism at its finest.
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I want to refer that member to the commentary in the editorial page of The Star of today from a young lady called Siwaphiwe Myataza. In paying tribute to Kofi Annan after hearing him talk as a young child about his love for Africa, she has pioneered a programme to eradicate pit toilets in certain rural schools. I think these are her words that should inspire us all, and said:
Kofi Anan inspired me not just to watch and do nothing, but to get involved in brining change.
I do think these are words that many of us in this House can self-introspect.
I just want to also add that on Friday last week, Minister Gigaba handed naturalisation certificates to over 500 people in a solemnisation ceremony in KwaZulu-Natal, and not just a couple that was referred to by the hon member from the EFF. Thank you very much.
FARMER RECEIVES LIFE SENTENCE FOR FARM WORKER MURDER
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(Minister’s Response)
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM:
Chairperson, the life sentence meted against this farmer illustrates that the South African government and the justice system in particular will leave no stone unturned in its pursuit for a fair and equal society. But it also indicates that on the part of the department we should strengthen our resolved that the Extension of Security of Tenure Act is strengthened and close all gaps.
Strikingly on this matter of this farmer, as government we noted the deafening silence of the AfriForum and President Donald Trump in particular. As government we say life is sacrosanct whether that is the life of a farmer or farm workers. No one deserves to be killed. This is also a clear illustration that we should move with speeds in the course of expropriating land without compensation. Thank you.
FEARS UPON EXPROPRIATION OF LAND WITHOUT COMPENSATION
(Minister’s Response)
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The DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND CO-
OPERATION (Mr L T Landers): Hon Chairperson, I want to respond to hon Kilian, hon Van Schalkwyk and the hon member from AgangSA. I would like to begin by quoting from the state department’s statement that was issued yesterday, and it goes as follows, and I quote:
We are aware of these reports and I have been following this issue very closely for sometime. South Africa is a strong democracy with resilient institutions including a free press and an independent judiciary. South Africans are grappling with the difficult issue of land reform through an open process including public hearings, broad- based consultations and active civil society engagements.
President Ramaphosa has pledged that the land reform process will follow the rule of law and its implementation will not adversely affect economic growth, agricultural production or food security.
Tucker Carlson who raised this matter on Fox News is a confirmed racist and bigotry. Indeed, Tucker Carlson’s
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commitment to white supremacy will make Eugene Terre'Blanche, were he alive today, grin with envy.
Significantly, as it has been pointed out by hon Van Schalkwyk and Deputy Minister Skhwacha, AfriForum has made absolutely no reference to black and coloured farm workers in South Africa who have been murdered, raped, seriously assaulted and evicted from the land on which their ancestors’ graves can be found.
Afriforum’s approach to this critical matter is in stuck contrast to that of AgriSA. The State Department of the US whose statement is inaccurate comment on the situation in South Africa is most welcomed because it is mature, measured and responsible.
NOTICES OF MOTION
Ms J V BASSON: Chairperson, I move on behalf of the ANC, that at its next sitting:
That the House debates the implementation and strengthening measures geared at improving safety for women at higher learning institutions.
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I so move.
Mr J VOS: Chairperson, I move on behalf of the DA, that at its next sitting:
That the House debates the worst quarterly contraction in gross domestic product, GDP, since 2009 and our tourism maybe overalled in arresting this worst economic setback in nine years.
I so move.
Dr S S THEMBEKWAYO: Chairperson, I move on behalf of the EFF, that at its next sitting:
That the House debates the continuing struggle of fishing communities, in its quest for an equitable stake in the oceans economy.
I so move.
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Mr Z S MAKHUBELA: Chairperson, I move on behalf of the ANC, that at its next sitting:
That the House debates expansion of the United Nations, UN, Security Council to ensure that all continents are represented and reflect the current global realities.
I so move.
Mr M HLENGWA: Chairperson, I move on behalf of the IFP, that at its next sitting:
That the House debates the health risk involved with the continued use of herbicides which contain Glyphosate and the adverse effect of the consumption of Genetically Modified Organism, GMOs.
I so move.
Mr S C MNCWABE: Chairperson, I move on behalf of the NFP, that at its next sitting:
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That the House debates the high rate of sexual offenses at our tertiary institutions.
I so move.
Ms N T NOVEMBER: Chairperson, I move on behalf of the UDM, that at its next sitting:
That the House debates the impact of retrenchments in both the private and public sectors.
I so move.
Mr M L W FILTANE: This one is urgent. Chairperson, I move on behalf of the UDM, that at its next sitting:
That the House debates whether rural land should be owned by traditional leaders or private individuals.
I so move.
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Mr K J MILEHAM: Chairperson, I move on behalf of the DA, that at its next sitting:
That the House debates the illegal deposits made by municipalities at VBS Mutual Bank, the state of investigations into this matter, the role of various ANC leaders in facilitating this illegal action and the complete lack of disciplinary or criminal action against the perpetrators at municipalities and in the private sector.
I so move.
Ms H B KEKANA: Chairperson, I move on behalf of the ANC, that at its next sitting:
That the House debates the importance of investing in science and technology by the public and private sectors and the effects thereof on economic growth.
I so move.
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Mr W B MAPHANGA: Chairperson, I move on behalf of the ANC, that at its next sitting:
That the House debates the improvement of access to quality health service in urban and rural communities.
I so move.
Ms M P MMOLA: Chairperson, I move on behalf of the ANC that at its next sitting:
That the House debates the promoting good governance, democracy, human rights, justice and the rule of law on the African continent.
I so move.
Ms C V KING: Chairperson, I move on behalf of the DA, that at its next sitting:
That the House debates the technological and social media influence on elections.
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I so move.
The House adjourned at 17:35.