Hansard: NA: Unrevised Hansard
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 01 Jun 2017
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
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THURSDAY, 01 JUNE 2017
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PROCEEDINGS OF MINI-PLENARY SESSION OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY –
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
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The House met at 15:02.
The Speaker took the Chair and requested members to observe a
moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
ANNOUNCEMENT
The SPEAKER: Hon members, before we proceed with today‟s
business I wish to make the following announcement. The mother
of mr Masibulele Xaso, secretary to the national Assembly,
passed away yesterday. Mr Xaso‟s mother was 79 years old and has
been ill for some time. The funeral will be held in Ncentane in
the Eastern Cape this coming weekend. Details of the funeral
will be communicated as they become available. On behalf of the
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presiding officers and the National Asembly, we would like to
convey our deepest condolences to the Xaso family during this
time of bereavement.
I wish to also say that a delegation will be representing
Parliament at the house of Mr Xaso this afternoon shortly after
the sitting.
Resumption of Debate on Vote No 1 – The Presidency
The PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC: Hon member Singh, you seem to be
an orphan today ... [Laughter.] you are on your own. [Laughter.]
Mr N SINGH: For now, my leader will be here soon. [Laughter.]
The PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC: Hon Speaker, Deputy President,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members of the House, thank
you for the opportunity to respond to the 2017 Presidency Budget
Vote 1 debate. I wish to thank all hon members for the
contributions to the debate. Today is International Children‟s
Day. On this day we reflect on what is being done and what else
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we should do to protect, mould and provide space for our
children to grow into successful adults and citizens of the
Republic.
From 1994, as we were reminded by the Deputy Chief Whip, the
democratic government has concentrated on making life better for
our children, especially those from poor households. We started
then with the provision of free healthcare for children from
birth to six years. There is a host of other services provided
for children in the country, from social grants to welfare
services, free basic education to those who cannot afford to
pay, free meals at school and subsidised early childhood
development centres for almost a million children. We celebrate
these achievements of our country today, while also noting the
work we must still do to improve the lives of children in
informal settlements and rural areas of our country. We remain
fully aware of our responsibilities in this regard, as a caring
government.
In fact, South Africans in general live a better life now as
outlined by many hon members in their speeches yesterday. They
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now live longer due to improved medical care. There is improved
and expanded access to basic and higher education. There is
expanded access to water, electricity, housing and many other
basic services. We adopted the National Development Plan, NDP,
in 2012 as the socioeconomic development blueprint to provide a
road map for further work that we need to do as we build a
better South Africa.
Hon Shenge, the NDP is definitely being implemented by all
government departments. As outlined by Minister Radebe, the
goals and targets of the NDP have been integrated into
government‟s Medium Term Strategic Framework for the electoral
period 2014 to 2019. So, it is being implemented. We did not
want to implement it as a standalone. We have infused it to the
work of government in all departments, in that way, we can
actually see all its elements being implemented. I thought I
should help to relive your concerns that indeed it is being
implemented. Each government department has a programme of
action that is derived from the NDP. Thank you very much,
Ndabezitha! [Applause.]
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We need to improve the manner in which we communicate the
implementation of the programme of action and ensure that our
communication clearly links the programmes to the NDP more
explicitly, so that you can, without difficulties, realise where
they are and what is happening.
Hon Shenge, you also sought clarity on radical socioeconomic
transformation. This approach is a decision of the 53rd national
conference of the ANC which took place in Mangaung in 2012. It
is a policy of the ruling party. It is a policy on which,
amongst others, the voters voted the ruling party into
government. It is not something that came from somebody‟s head,
it is policy. We met under the theme, Unity in Action towards
Socioeconomic Freedom.
A key resolution of that conference was that the second phase in
our transition from apartheid colonialism to a National
Democratic Society would be characterised by more radical
policies and decisive action to effect socioeconomic and
continued democratic transformation. People who are still
doubtful about this can go and read the resolutions. They can‟t
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seek for more clarity. Resolutions are very clear and our duty
as the government of the ANC is to implement that. In fact we
are late in implementing it; we ought to have implemented it in
2013, immediately. But because we want it ...
IsiZulu:
... ihlale izinze, izwakale kahle futhi bayikhumbule. Yingakho
sesiyifaka manje. [Uhleko.]
English:
We put practical meaning to this programme this year in the
January 8 statement of the ANC with a direct call for radical
socioeconomic transformation in general and broadly, and an
added emphasis on radical economic transformation. We identified
economic growth, accelerated radical socioeconomic
transformation, land reform and redistribution, the funding of
higher education, fighting crime and corruption as well as
building the capacity of the state as the key priorities of the
ANC in the current year, which automatically makes them key
priorities of government.
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The ANC NEC lekgotla in January emerged with a definition of
radical socioeconomic transformation, to clarify the issue. The
ANC said and I love it like I love absolutely the Bible. I talk
about it all the time like a pastor talking about the Bible
every Sunday. The ANC said that radical socioeconomic
transformation refers to:
... a fundamental change in the structure, systems,
institutions and patterns of ownership and control of the
economy in favour of all South Africans, especially the poor,
the majority of whom are African and female. [Applause.]
It is very clear. The reason why this is important, Ndabezitha,
is because if we generalize a lot, anyone can generalize. I
think we have tried because we wanted this to sink in people. We
are now saying exactly what is it that we need to do. Firstly, I
think that everybody agrees that the structure of the South
African economy was racially based, it excluded the majority and
that is what it is. The system was based on this because the
system had to help the apartheid policy to be implemented as
well as the institutions that we there. The institutions that we
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have tried to build now, if we have not interfered with the
structure and system, they are still based on a wrong
foundation. We cannot sit and not correct those patterns of
ownership. We cannot even talk about that we are own. The
ownership of the economy of this country is still in the same
hands because it is based on the structure, and control of the
economy therefore is in favour of the minority. That is what it
is.
We either accept that reality or do nothing and there will be no
reason why we fought for freedom if we do so because freedom is
not yet complete. This is just a straightforward line truth. We
want a kind of an economy that all South Africans benefit from
and not others benefit more whilst others benefit less and
others not at all, especially the poor. The majority of the poor
are African and female. What a gospel truth we have. [Applause.]
That is what it is and I know that you would not disagree with
this truth as a Christian. [Laughter.]
This is a definition that was provided in the state of the
nation address in February. We wanted the country to realize
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where we come from with this definition. This definition is a
correct one; justified, blessed, the truth, the only truth about
the South African situation with regard to the economy.
Let me emphasise that while economic emancipation is an
imperative, our approach is much broader and seeks socioeconomic
transformation, covering both the social and economic aspects of
our lives. The economic component of our programme has gained
popularity in the public domain, and is now known as you now
that today stories are told through acronyms, RET, robust
economic transformation. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
It is a matter that we need to talk about and South Africans
should honestly accept this reality. If we don‟t deal with these
matters, I can tell you that we will stay for a long time with
people protesting and we, who have everything, will be wondering
why they are protesting. There are no services to them whilst
there are services to the neighbours. They have no jobs. The
question of us not having jobs is a man-made problem in South
Africa. [Applause.] It is man-made; it is not a natural problem.
If you take the land of other people, take their rights and
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everything, and then it is you and not somebody else above us.
It is a man-made problem and it needs men to correct it. That is
what we are doing. It is just unfortunate if that makes other
people feel bad about it. I thought I should help you because if
need be, Shenge, I can come to the IFP and help you to explain
this. I would be ready to do so.
PRINCE M G BUTHELEZI: Hon Speaker, on a point of order. I think
that I should congratulate you for catching such big fish.
[Laughter.]
The PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC: Thank you, Ndabezitha, Shenge!
Hon Maynier, I heard others calling him DJ. The DJ who does more
dancing than the music ... [Laughter.] ... and yesterday, it‟s
unfortunate that he is not here because he has become my friend.
He loves laughing and I love laughing. I was going to say to
him, let us form a singing group, I can sing and he can dance
and then we can go together. [Laughter.]
This friend of mine, his favourite government programme, the
Nine Point Plan, encompasses the levers that the government is
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using to ignite growth and the sectors in which we believe we
can achieve meaningful economic transformation. That is why the
Nine Point Plan is absolutely crucial. I am happy because he
loves it and he wants to be clarified all the time. Do you
remember them? What do they say? He is very taken up with this
notion of the Nine Point Plan but unfortunately he is not here.
I do not know because I just arrived and saw these chairs being
empty, maybe I will hear later why they are not here. These
areas include energy, manufacturing, transport,
telecommunications, water, tourism, the ocean economy, SMME
development, mining, agriculture and the Industrial Policy
Action Plan. Therefore, the Nine Point Plan is the instrument we
are using to achieve radical socioeconomic transformation.
Hon Fubbs, indeed there can be no sustainability in any economy
if the majority is excluded. As stated in the state of the
nation address, only 10% of the top 100 on the Johannesburg
Stock Exchange are owned by black South Africans, directlyachieved principally, through the black empowerment codes
according to the National Empowerment Fund. With regards to
management, the 17th Employment Equity Report released last
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month, once again pointed to the painfully slow pace of
transformation in the South African labour market. Sixty eight
point five percent of the top management positions are occupied
by the white group. Hon member, Mr Groenewald, ...
IsiZulu:
... kufanele uzizwe kahle lezi zinto ...
English:
... as we go on ...
IsiZulu:
... ngoba uthe kufanele ngikuphendule namhlanje.
English:
Africans are at 14.4%, Indians 8.9%; coloureds 4.9% and foreign
nationals 3.4%. Fifty eight percent of the positions in senior
management are occupied by the white group; Africans 22.1%;
Indians 10.6%; coloureds 7.7% and foreign nationals 1.4%.
IsiZulu:
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Njengohulumeni sifuna ukuphathwa komnotho kuguquke ngokushesha
okukhulu. Kuyasikhathaza ukuthi umnotho usahleli ezandleni
zabamhlophe namanje.
Sithi ngalolu hlelo lokuguqulwa komnotho ngendlela ejulile
nesheshayo, akunikezwe abantu abamnyama amathuba okuba nezimboni
nabo futhi babe namabhizinisi amakhulu. Sifuna banikezwe
izikhundla ezinkulu zokuphatha ezimbonini, baphathe kubonakale
ukuthi inkululeko ifikile ezweni. [Ihlombe.] Akuyekwe ukubacwasa
ngebala ezimbonini abamnyama. Kufanele bahlonishwe kubonakale
ukuthi ibona abaningi ezweni. Kufanele babebaningi
nasezikhundleni kanye nokuba ngosozimboni.
Sifuna nosomabhizinisi abancane emalokishini nasezindaweni
zasemakhaya bathole ukuxhaswa uhulumeni. Iminyango kahulumeni
isithunyiwe ihhovisi likaMongameli ukuba yenze konke lokho
kwenzeke ukuze ziguquke izimpilo zabantu. Uma singakwenzanga
lokho, kuzoba ngumthwalo onzima kakhulu ukuguquka kwezimpilo
zabantu.
English:
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Hon Khubisa and hon Swart, we agree with you that there should
be an inquiry into the said state capture by the business
community. State capture is a big thing. It is not a small
thing. I think that we now all agree that we need to do it. We
cannot pick and choose. We must do it generally. [Applause.]
That is going to help us because we are going to stop depending
on rumours and allegations but we will depend on facts, so that
people don‟t, as they were doing yesterday, pile allegation
after allegation when they have no facts just because they have
been reading newspapers. Other parties even use newspaper
articles to go to court and say that you need to have a case
based on hearsay.
IsiZulu:
Lafa elihle kakhulu.
English:
Hon Mafu and hon Memezi outlined accurately the work of the
Presidency in leading and co-ordinating government work, and in
galvanising society towards a common goal of building a united,
nonracial, nonsexist, democratic and prosperous society. The
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Izimbizo and Presidential Siyahlola programmes, which are also
supported by hon Galo, are indeed important instruments as they
enable us to meet our people regularly and obtain feedback on
the work of government.
The focus currently is the fight against crime given the urgency
and suffering of communities. We will soon visit Lusikisiki
village in the Eastern Cape where people live in fear of a
vicious criminal gang called Amavondwe who terrorise the
community.
I visited the communities of kwa-Mhlabuyalingana in KZN,
Soshanguve in Tshwane as well as Elsies River and Nyanga here in
Cape Town who are affected by crime. There are others too that
we have not yet reached. The police can deal with crime and
arrest perpetrators. However, society itself must play a role in
fighting this wanton criminality and in preventing these crimes.
We cannot make this a responsibility of the police alone.
Serious crimes include violence against women which hon Members
have strongly condemned during the debate.
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Hon Shabangu made a call to action to Members of Parliament to
actively fight gender-based violence in their communities and
constituencies. Indeed we all have a role to play in fighting
this horrible scourge of crime.
Hon Motau, South Africa is not on the road to being a failed
state. It is not true unless you are living in another country
South Africa we do not know. You need to free yourself from your
party‟s propaganda and honestly track the progress that South
Africa is making. [Applause.] You will feel proud to have been a
leader during this period in our democratic transition if you
left the propaganda world and came to truthful world.
[Applause.] By the way, this is part of the problem, you have
people who are elected by the people to be in Parliament to
debate, to make laws, but who decide not to come to parliament,
but they are here to say whatever they want. They do not even
want to hear the response. They do not want to hear the response
to the debate and questions. That tells you that they are not
listening to whatever you say, instead they are hooked and
trapped by their own propaganda world which they believe exists.
We are here answering and they are not here. What are the voters
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saying, the people who voted for them. They were sent here to
come and work instead they pick and choose, we are not here we
are here. By the way, even in the debate they cannot argue, all
they do is just to hurl insults.
I met a former President in Africa recently who said what is
happening in your Parliament. We in Africa are pained by what is
happening because it describes us as Africans as something out
of this world but we do not realize that because unfortunately
some people are drugged by propaganda.
IsiZulu:
Uthixo abe nabo bandla!
English:
Hon Galo, you raise a concern that the Presidency may be
fashioning itself as a mini regulator of other departments. The
Presidency provides strategic leadership and co-ordination of
the work of government, and it also supervises and monitors the
work of departments. Therefore, if it sounds like a regulator,
it would be correct. That is its job, to supervise government.
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Hon Godi, we have noted your concerns about the need to improve
the work of the Anti-Corruption Inter-Ministerial Committee and
law enforcement agencies. We also take seriously your concerns
about the financial management challenges in government
departments. We will continue to monitor these shortcomings at
the level of Cabinet to find solutions. A key aspect is to
ensure that officials managing public finances are qualified and
experienced and also to ensure adequate internal controls.
Hon Speaker, I am delighted that the Democratic Alliance MPs
have been reading speeches of President Oliver Reginald Tambo
lately. What a good thing. [Applause.]
IsiZulu:
Mhlawumbe bazabuyela endleleni. [Ihlombe.]
English:
This means that our OR Tambo centenary campaign is absolutely
effective. The forebears of the DA regarded OR Tambo as a
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terrorist and a danger to South Africa. Now that their young
ones are changing, South Africa is changing. [Applause.]
IsiZulu:
Mmm, yamnandi le ndaba.
English:
We therefore trust that the sudden discovery and embracing of OR
Tambo is not opportunism aimed at diluting his legacy or
distorting it to support what he did not stand for, which is the
protection of the privileges of a few. He did not stand for that
and if people today who stand for that but see the light out of
his work and they are turning, then this South Africa is going
to be a wonderful country. I have never seen a party in my life,
my life is not very long, it is just a few decades, an
opposition that praises the opposition. Huh? It is very funny.
It is supposed to be opposing, they are praising. Instead of
telling us about their policies, they are busy quoting ANC
against itself. There is ANC of Tambo, at first it was ANC of
Mandela and the current one is not the ANC. Now it is Tambo.
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They have no ancestor to quote. They must quote the ANC to the
ANC.
IsiZulu:
Halala, mdala lo mbutho. namaqembu aphikisayo acaphuna kuwo ...
English:
... to make their point against the very organisation. This is
quite a strange phenomenon but we are happy that our campaign is
working.
We have seen this happening with President Nelson Mandela where
the opposition has created its own Mandela who was never the
founding commander of Umkhonto Wesizwe, and definitely not the
Mandela who warned the public about the DA in 2002. They want to
forget that and sort of own him. This Mandela was wonderful,
this ANC is very bad. However, when Mandela was still alive
Mandela was bad with his ANC. But now that he has left us, he is
very good but not the ANC. We have been quoting him too much.
Let us now quote Tambo, huh.
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You are the Leader of the Opposition and you stand here and say,
oh I wish that ...
IsiZulu:
... uTambo lapho akhona uyaphenduka uma kunje.
English:
Where are the Verwoed‟s and the others? Quote them, what is your
problem? [Laughter.] I am happy because I am picking ... Shenge
is here, he knows what I am talking about.
Compatriots, we begin Youth Month today in which the whole
country will honour and celebrate our young people who are the
leaders of the future. We will honour the contribution of our
youth to the attainment of freedom, and also reflect on what
else we must do to prepare a better future for them, working
with them.
Tomorrow I will be meeting with leaders of various youth
formations in the Presidential Youth Working Group. I reported
yesterday on the good work done by this working group, which is
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co-ordinated by a committee of Deputy Ministers led by the
Deputy Minister in the Presidency, the hon Manamela. [Applause.]
IsiZulu:
Uphi lo mfana? [Uhleko.] Yebo, nanguya lo mfana ohola intsha,
umzwile nayizolo ukuthi le, yintsha le.
English:
Prince M G BUTHELEZI: is it parliamentary to call an hon member
umfana? [Laughter.]
IsiZulu:
USOMLOMO WENDLU: Uma kukhuluma abantu abadala kulungile ukuthi
basibize ngabafana.
English:
Particularly if it is praising, you know, young men. We will be
celebrating the achievements of our young people. Yesterday the
Deputy President showcased some of the talented young people who
are excelling in various fields after hard work. I join the
Deputy President in appealing to the private sector to adopt our
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training and vocational education colleges, and also to absorb
our graduates from these colleges and universities for
internships and learnerships. I think that business would be
playing an important role to do so and I am happy that this was
said by the DP because he has an experience in the business
world. He know that they can do it.
Fellow South Africans, hon Manamela‟s exposition yesterday was a
strong call for the DA to break free from colonialism and from
developing and implementing policies that seek to maintain the
colonial and apartheid setup in a liberated nonracial South
Africa. That call was very strong and I think that it must have
penetrated the minds. Such actions delay the socioeconomic
transformation of our country. They also derail the advance
towards true national reconciliation in our beautiful country.
Hon members, let me join the Deputy President once again in
wishing our Muslim compatriots well during the holy month of
Ramadan. [Applause.] They are part of the diverse and
multicultural society that makes South Africa vibrant and
unique.
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Madam Speaker, we pride ourselves of the fact that media freedom
is enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic. South Africa
is thus the perfect venue for the 69th World News Media Congress
that will take place in Durban next week, from the 7-9th of
June. If South Africa was a country that is described by the DA,
I do not know how such important people would think that they
can come here and hold a conference and learn a lot about media
in South Africa. Here the media is free and nobody harasses it,
they can say everything. There is real freedom here. That is why
they choose to come here.
Indeed South Africa looks forward to
hosting the publishers, editors and other practitioners from all
over the world to our shores. We wish them all of the best with
their deliberations on how to take the global fourth estate
forward.
Hon Groenewald, you asked me yesterday that I must help you by
telling you why I seem to hate whites, if I remember your words
well. And I must tell you today. You insisted that I must answer
the question today. You are a South African, I warned you some
time ago that in my view it is better that we do not discuss the
subject. This is a subject that touches serious issues in this
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country. I am a child of the ANC, despite my history, the ANC
taught me nonracialism that I must never be racist. I will never
be racist. [Applause.] But that does not mean that I must not
correct the wrongs that were done in South Africa, otherwise I
would not have been a freedom fighter. Otherwise I would not
have been in the ANC with its correct policies to help. The ANC
says that: Let us deal with things to help unite the people of
this country; reconcile; forget about the past. That is what I
believe in but there is a reality in South Africa that between
us there are those who robed others of their own possessions and
made it theirs and left others to be poor. All I am saying is,
let us correct that not by fighting but by talking. We fought
many years ago. I have emphasized, even if when I said that the
land must be corrected and I emphasized very deliberately,
within the Constitution and the law. [Applause.]
I have never said anything that makes people to want to fight.
We think that the Constitution and the law, some time ago, I was
asked, are you going to do it the Zimbabwean way? I said no,
this is not Zimbabwe but South Africa. We are going to do it
within the law, within the Constitution. I have gone further to
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say that if we think we do not have a solution within that
ambit, we will discuss. If we think we need to change the law or
amend it or the Constitution then it will come as a result of a
discussion. Where is war there?
Why do you think I hate the whites if I say so? You cannot have
a situation where there are people who have land part of which
they do not know what to do with it, whilst other people have
absolutely not a single hectare. It must be corrected by South
Africans. What do I want whites to do? It is to say let us sit
down, solve this problem and find an amicable situation wherein
there will be no South African who have nothing when others have
everything. That is the issue and that is my position. That is
the position of the African national Congress. [Applause.] It is
as simple as that.
You must look at the ANC as a very important organisation that
helped us to avert a calamity in this country by negotiating and
saying let us forget the past. That is absolutely true if you
think we need to discuss these matter, yes we are open to do so
with an aim to finding a solution. We did not, for example, want
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to stick to those points in the negotiations so that
negotiations don‟t succeed. It was important to solve the
political issues but we have to solve the economic issues. We
can‟t avoid them otherwise there will be dishonesty. I am not
talking about myself, the Zuma‟s who suffered and were refused
from the Graytown rich area across the Tugela River. I am not
even going to talk about that but I am going to talk about what
can we do so that people can have, you know, I have always said
to you, let us not discuss it. But you love it. You love coming
here and say Zuma hates whites; I don‟t. I have white comrades
whom I trust. I have worked with them, I have been in the
trenches with them. I have been commanded by the whites in the
war for freedom. I can‟t have that. I a democrat in the true
sense of the word and therefore have no fear. If at all there
was anyone who says let us kill the whites, I will be amongst
those who will protect and fight to defend you. That is a
reality as a South African. [Applause.]
Do not misinterpret my intentions and the intensions of my
organisation. They are as clear as anything. We want all South
Africans to benefit from the wealth of this country,
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irrespective of colour or history. You know, one of our leaders,
Luthuli, when he talked about unity he said that we must not
look at the history as to where others came from, we are now
here in South Africa, let us solve our problems here. That is
what we need to do. It is not right, I am just responding to you
because it is not correct to put the situation as if there are
people here who say hey ... even those who say that we must grab
the land by force, we do not agree with them. That is not right,
we are in a civilized country, we have accepted the fact that we
had problems and let us correct them.
What we cannot do is not correct the problems because that will
cause a problem in future. That is what we should be discussing
and we are ready if there is a need for it. We believe that we
have instruments in South Africa: Our Constitution, our laws and
this very Parliament. We must be able to resolve those things.
We can‟t say when other people are saying, we are dying and
indeed they are dying of starvation and we say that we do not
mind. No, we can‟t say so. If we need to talk a little bit more
outside, I am ready and I could help.
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Afrikaans:
Mnr P J GROENEWALD: Agb Adjunkspeaker, ...
English:
... can I say to the hon President, I accept the invitation, we
can talk.
The SPEAKER: I am sure the hon President is asking you precisely
so he can get that answer.
The PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC: Absolutely agreed. Agreed, hon
Groenewald. [Applause.] Thank you very much because we must
reason, we must be realistic and we must deal with our problems.
Thank you very much.
Hon Speaker, allow me to take this opportunity to thank
Parliament for the successful departmental budget vote debates
that have been debated for weeks and weeks and have now been
concluded with Vote 1, The Presidency. [Applause.] I want to
tell you, the fact that there will be those Members of
Parliament who say they do not support this vote, whilst others
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are saying, we support it; that‟s democracy. You cannot be hated
for that because those are your views. The question is, is it
the majority that says we do not support or the minority?
Because democracy‟s main kind of element is a majority that
talks and wins the debate.
I am very happy that you have given yourselves time to discuss
all these votes as you conclude with Vote 1 today. Work will now
continue towards the goal of building a better South Africa and
a better life for our people. When you discuss and act within
the rules of democracy, it is always wonderful. I can tell you
that there are many countries that look at us discussing here
who have said that they have learned a lot from this Parliament.
That is why they believe they have a right to complain they
think that this Parliament is not behaving accordingly. In fact
they say you must not spoil the work that you have done from the
time we negotiated and solved a problem that many in the world
believed will never be solved, the apartheid problem. And there
after we brought a constitutional democracy and of course, all
systems have their own kind of difficulties as you go, you
learn, you correct, you move.
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I think that our behaviour in Parliament has been taken to the
extreme and I think that perhaps this is the third time that I
am repeating this, I think this Parliament must hep itself: It
must have rules and implement them; in that way, it will never
go wrong. If you leave some unbecoming behaviour – I saw some
people here hitting people with helmets. Why do you allow people
to come to Parliament with helmets? We should have seen that
they will use them to beat other people here. You need to
correct those so that you remain a shinning star as this modern
constitutional Parliament.
Let me wish all our children a happy International Children‟s
Day. I thank you, Madam Speaker.
Debate concluded.
THE SCOURGE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN
(Matter of Urgent National Public Importance)
Mr H P CHAUKE:
Speaker, on a point of order ...
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The SPEAKER: Order, hon members! Can we all settle down? There‟s
a point of order. Hon Chauke? Please, hon Mbhele, take your
seat.
Mr H P CHAUKE: Speaker, I would like some clarity here: Is it
parliamentary that when the President of the country addresses
Parliament, members decide to go and sit outside in the tv room
and watch him from the tv room? [Interjections.]
The SPEAKER: Hon members, to the extent that I know the Rules,
there is nothing in the Rules that prevents an hon member from
being outside and then walking into the Chamber. It is just a
great pity because they‟ve missed out on a lot. [Interjections.]
Please proceed, hon Mbhele.
Mr Z N MBHELE: Speaker, this debate today is important because
women and children in our country ...
Mr G S RADEBE: Speaker, on a point of order: Is it parliamentary
for the hon Mbhele to speak at the podium without signing in to
show that he is present in the House?
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The SPEAKER: Hon member, please allow the hon Mbhele to proceed.
Mr Z N MBHELE: Women and children in our country deserve to live
in safe homes and to be able to walk in safe streets. This
debate is important because gender-based violence and domestic
abuse are a violation of women‟s rights and it is a failure of
the ANC-led government to protect women and children.
This debate is important, particularly to me, because this
scourge in our society is one that I feel deeply and personally.
My own mother‟s passing six-and-a-half years ago in a brutal
murder means that I have directly and deeply felt the trauma
that the evil of this femicide epidemic wreaks on our nation and
on our families.
On Saturday, 20 May, I attended the #NotInMyName march in
Pretoria, along with our Shadow Minister of Justice, the hon
Breytenbach. The march was an important expression of outrage
from men to other men about the unacceptable violence that is
perpetrated against women and children on a daily basis. It is
high time that combating gender-based violence is shifted from
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simply lamenting and condemning it to men also playing the key
role of calling each other out and holding each other
accountable for the sexist, misogynistic and, otherwise,
generally patriarchal attitudes that enable violence against
women.
We must seek to deter this scourge in two ways: firstly, through
a more effective criminal justice system that will not let
perpetrators get away with it; and secondly, through building
new social norms of gender equality, stigmatising violence
against women and children, and stigmatising the men who commit
it.
This means taking on and challenging centuries, if not
millennia, of deeply entrenched social codes and conventions. It
means taking on and challenging the manner in which these social
codes and conventions are transmitted intergenerationally, and
how they are internally conditioned in our psyches and world
views. It also means facing up to the ways in which patriarchal
ideas are held and reinforced by both men and women. Here, I
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would throw a side-eye to the ANC Women‟s League for their
failure to stand up for women adequately from their platform.
It also means confronting all dimensions of how these ideas and
attitudes manifest, including as hate crimes against lesbian
women and transgender people. This carries the implication that
activism against violence directed at women and dismantling
patriarchy necessarily entails, also, a fight against homophobia
and transphobia.
There is no doubt that this scourge is made worse by ineffective
policing and police indifference to many cases and victims. In
this debate, we need the Minister of Police, the Minister of
Justice and the Minister of Women in the Presidency to account
for the failures of the organs of state that are meant to play a
key role in keeping safe the most vulnerable in our society.
Ministers Mbalula, Masutha and Shabangu must, here and today,
tell the nation what their government‟s plan is to make our
country safe for all women. I do note that, of those three
Ministers, only Minister Mbalula is on the speakers‟ list. This
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is an indictment of the other Ministers, whose portfolios are
key to addressing this scourge – that they could not bother to
make their voices heard, to account and to tell us about the
plan.
In tackling this scourge, the police, effectively, have one hand
tied behind their backs when trying to combat violence against
women and children through swift, quality investigations that
secure high conviction rates. While the police cannot, by
themselves, prevent domestic violence or rape, effective
policing can ensure that justice is served for every victim and
that every perpetrator can be made an example of.
It is a pity that the last 23 years of ANC governance have shown
that the ANC is incapable of making our country safe for all
women. That is why the time for change is ripe. That change will
come through a new government, led by the DA, from 2019.
[Applause.] We will then demonstrate our resolve ...
Ms M C C PILANE-MAJAKE: Speaker, on a point of order: May I have
your indulgence? The speaker is actually misleading the country.
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[Interjections.] He keeps on quoting things that are actually
inappropriate in terms of gender-based violence, including the
participation of the police ... [Interjections.]
The SPEAKER: Hon member, when you say a person is misleading,
that is not unparliamentary, unless he is deliberately
misleading. Furthermore, that is not a point of order. Hon
Mbhele, please finish your speech. You have seven seconds left.
Mr Z N MBHELE: We will demonstrate our resolve to bring safe
streets and safe homes to all communities where everyone,
especially women and children, can live with true freedom. Woza,
2019! Woza! [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Hon Speaker, hon members,
distinguished guests and comrades. This august House is holding
a discussion on gruesome victimisation of children and women, on
the first day of our youth month. Given the manner in which
child abuse has become more prevalent in our society, Save the
Children International organisation has called it a pandemic.
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Hon members, heinous crimes against women and children are a
shame of our times. It has become almost an expectation that
during the Annual Child Protection Week and 16 Days of Activism,
the public get to know about the most gruesome acts of violence
against women and children - one life lost is one too many. Our
society has over the past few weeks been entangled
psychologically in pain and suffering emanating from the
description of cases that this country is dealing with.
Hon members, I want to remind all of us that the cost of genderbased violence in the society is too high. Families and friends
who live with the survivors of these brutal acts often carry the
pain, psychologically and physically over a long period of time.
Sometimes we see generational scars.
Gender-based violence also negatively affects our country‟s GDP
because it is well established that long-term consequences of
victimisation affect productivity. We also pay heavily in terms
of promoting survivors‟ wellbeing and holding perpetrators
accountable. The costs go towards law enforcement, health, lost
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labour, high levels of school drop-out, children survivors‟
developmental milestones, and general progress in development.
Hon members, I want to remind you of what O R Tambo‟s principles
were on women‟s emancipation. Since His Excellency, President
Jacob Zuma, has declared this year, the year of Oliver Reginald
Tambo, it is therefore fitting that we be reminded of his
principles on women‟s participation and emancipation. Comrade OR
Tambo reminded us at the concluding session of the conference of
the women„s section of the ANC as far back as 1981 in Angola
that the mobilisation of women is the task not only of women or
men alone but of all of us, men and women alike.
Dealing with this scourge is a revolution within a revolution we
are in, a revolution of transforming our society as the
President said that we have a huge responsibility to carry
forward sociocultural transformation of our society. We have a
Constitution that we talk about all the time and I think we
should find solace in knowing that women and children‟s rights
are protected in the Constitution of the Republic of South
Africa, which is the supreme law in the country.
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Section 9 talks about the equality clause. It says the equality
clause calls for the right to equal protection and benefit of
the law and expressly forbids unfair gender-based
discrimination. And again talking to our people in our
communities, it is important to trust and believe in the efforts
of those who led the drafting of the Constitution, in this
instance, it is the ANC-led government.
Section 12 of the Constitution provides for the freedom and
security of the person including freedom from violence against
women. We are in this revolution being guided also by the
courage and resilient of our women over a long period of time. I
will trace just a few incidents that we must always be cautious
of as we look on how to tackle the challenge we have today of
gender-based violence.
We know the courage of our women as to how the mobilise against
the Native Land Act as far back as 1913. Incredible women of
substance such as comrade Charlotte Maxeke, who was an activist,
a teacher, politician and founder of the Bantu Women‟s League
then, which today is the powerful organisation within the
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continent and also known as the women‟s league. This was not the
only progressive resistance of women at the time but they also
went on to show detest of pass laws and the manner in which they
sought to restrict the movement of women.
The famous women‟s march is one incident which should make our
people believe that with determination we will overcome. We know
that women struggle side by side with men. It was in 1955 that
Margaret Gazo suggested that they go to Pretoria themselves and
protest to the government against laws that oppress us. The
success of mobilising 20 000 women in 1956 is one area, which
should encourage and make us more determined knowing that we
have fought bigger battles in the past. At the end of that
march, it was men who praised the resilient, courage and
strength of women and they expressively said; Wathint‟ Abafazi,
Wathint‟ Imbokodo; Malibongwe!
Gender mainstreaming is one instrument we cannot turn a blind
eye to. I heard hon member from the DA talking about the
failures of government but I can understand that he might be
familiar with what we have been doing since 1994. Gender
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mainstreaming is one critical area which government has paid
attention to since 1994 – ensuring that in whatever we do,
gender equality is at the centre of this struggle.
The establishment of the women‟s Ministry is one other
intervention that government has come up with, which is meant to
be a voice of women in particular at the highest level. We have
recently seen over the past few weeks how Minister Shabangu has
taken public stunts and supported families of victims and
pronounced unambiguously about government‟s commitment in
assisting each and every family that is affected by violence. We
sincerely thank our Minister for her effort in this regard. She
has shown the courage – she has shown the determination and many
communities are grateful for her stunts.
With regard to the United Nation‟s call, it‟s important to
mention that since the call was made that all countries should
embark on 16 Days of Activism of no Violence against Women and
Children. South Africa has been in the forefront of that
struggle year on year under the leadership of the ANC-led
government. When it comes to sustainable development goals, SDG,
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there is a resolve to make sure that SDG 5, which talks to the
achievement of gender equality and empowerment of all women and
girls - which should be driven by member states, is at the
centre of all our departments.
With regard to international instruments, some hon members, who
are in doubt, might not be aware that South Africa is already a
signatory to the convention on the elimination of all forms of
discrimination against women and that has positioned South
Africa to learn from other countries lessons that could help to
improve our situation.
In terms of the legislation we have anchored the notion of
gender equality. We have the Commission on Gender Equality;
Equality Courts; sexual offences courts; family courts; and the
Domestic Violence Act. Government has done all of this to ensure
people are held accountable and to send an unambiguous message
that perpetrators of such heinous crimes will be held
accountable. Strategic centres such as Thuthuzela centres have
been established using donor money for victim empowerment.
Government has also invested in the training of officials within
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the criminal justice system to ensure proper implementation of
our laws. Government will continue to intervene in assisting the
integrated criminal justice system so as to have greater impact.
Our own analysis, poverty is a major cause of vulnerability to
gender-based violence. Some of our young girls are lured with
promises of better economic and social opportunities, to their
detriment. We saw recently in the media that brothels in the
East Rand have been set up where young children disguised as
hairdressers and they also get molested. Mothers who are
economically independent are better equipped to support their
children. Hence in terms of the BBBEE legislation, women
inclusion has been elevated and is an item on its own.
Just to touch on new strategic directions, the question is:
where are we going and what more needs to be done? There are
interventions from different departments where I am sitting as
the Minister of Home Affairs. I am working very hard towards the
establishment of a Border Management Authority, BMA, which I see
as a critical intervention to ensure that even at our 72 ports
of entry, women and children are protected from violations and
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crimes such as human trafficking and abduction. I hope that
members of the DA will ultimately understand the importance of
border management especially after this debate. The other
related aspect we are looking at is education and skills
development initiative. [Time Expired.] [Applause.]
Ms D ROBINSON: Hon Speaker, today we are united in mourning the
tragic loss of life of many women and children through brutal
rape, violence and murder. On behalf of the DA, I wish to
express my sincere condolences to all who have suffered loss.
We, as parliamentarians and particularly the Executive should be
taking the lead in trying to find solutions to this tragic
situation where the sanctity of life seems to mean nothing.
In the words of Professor Amanda Gouws, a former Commissioner of
the Commission for Gender Equality, “more political will is
needed to transform the justice and policing system so that the
horror of abuse can end.” Members, let us today get the
political will to address violence against women. Throughout the
ages in our tumultuous history, South African women have been
seen as brave and strong, supporting the struggle for freedom
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and independence. From the riveting account of a Zulu family set
in 1879, “Eyes in the night” tells of the battle for survival of
families during the Zulu conflicts; to the women who bravely
marched to the Union Buildings in 1956 demanding their rights,
to those who penned the Women‟s Charter in 1994, and wrote: “We,
Women of South Africa, claim our rights to full and equal
participation in the creation of a nonsexist, nonracist
democratic society.”
Yet, women‟s subordination and oppression has taken many forms
under patriarchy, custom, tradition and racism. Oppression has
continued unabated as today we have to face the fact that women
are brutally murdered and raped on a daily basis. Women should
not have to live in fear, yet this has become the reality for
every woman. Now those brave activists who marched to the Union
Buildings in 1956, chanting ”wathint‟ abafazi, wathint‟
imbokodo” have been reduced to a tame ANC Women‟s League, ANCWL,
which kowtows subserviently to the patriarchal attitudes of the
”Big Man” defending him before and during his rape trial when
Khwezi, the daughter of his friend, had to submit to his sexual
demands. Instead of standing up for the rights of the women,
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ANCWL, mocked and derided others who supported her and
eventually drove her out of the country. [Interjections.] The
once proud ANCWL has been reduced to the JZ DL, [Laughter.] the
Jacob Zuma defence league [Applause.], instead of being victors
of people who are abused. Tragic indeed!
Last week, the Minister, Susan Shabangu made the shocking
statement after the murder of Karabo Mokoena, saying that she
was weak and hence became the victim of violence. How dare she
say that to the grieving family when Karabo had been strong in
reporting previous abuse, and assisting in shelters to help
other victims? I was at the court, I spoke to Karabo‟s broken
and traumatised family. No parent should have to go through that
anguish and then have an unsympathetic comment like that made by
the Minister of Women, who is supposed to champion the cause of
women. [Interjections.] What about providing solutions,
Minister? What about helping children to be prepared for life to
be able to discern psychological abuse? What about encouraging
everyone to speak out and not remain silent when there is gender
violence and abuse taking place within the home? Women are not
weak, Minister - our government is weak. [Interjections and
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Applause.] We urge government to support programmes from
organisations like Family and Society of SA, FAMSA, the Parent
Centre and Sonke Gender Justice and to make them accessible to
all so that our dysfunctional families and society can be
healed.
Unfortunately, our government has reduced the funding for many
nongovernmental organisations, NGOs, that are doing valuable
work, due to financial constraints. How about cutting down on
your frequent visits to the very expensive Oyster Box, Minister
Dlamini and making more money available for NGOs or SA Social
Security Agency, Sassa, grants?
One also has to ask, what are the police and the government
doing to prioritise the safety of women? On many occasions,
there are no J88 forms and rape kits available at police
stations or clinics. At a total of 189 police stations, there
are no victim-friendly units for victims. Under a DA government,
we will go back to the basics. We will increase the visibility
of the SA Police Service, the SAPS, with more patrols on the
streets. [Interjections.] We will encourage women to speak out
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and that women are no longer victimised when they approach
police officers for help. The Victim‟s charter needs to be
prominently displayed. More FCS units, more Thuthuzela Centres,
we believe in a country that values freedom, fairness and
opportunity. Woza 2019! [Applause.]
IsiZulu:
Nk H O HLOPHE: Ngiyabonga Somlomo, udlame olubhekiswe kubantu
besifazane nakubantwana kuyinto okumelwe iqedwe nya ngazo zonke
izindlela. Kulezinyanga ezimbalwa ezedlule, udlame nokuxhashazwa
okubhekiswe kubantu besifazane kushiye lelizwe lididekile futhi
lishaqekile.
Imibiko ngezigameko zakamuva ziyathusa kakhulu, lapho khona
abantu besifazane bezithola beyizisulu zokubulawa ngenkulu
indluzula nendlela enyantisayo. Lokhu kukhomba ubulwane
obungenisile emiphakathini yakithi. Kuleli sonto kutholakale
unkosazane Thembisile Yende efile ebulawelwe ehhovisi lakhe kwaEskom, sekuphele amasonto amabili wonke enyamalele. Namanje
asikazi ukuthi yini imbangela yokubulawa kwakhe. Izwe
lisamangele, lisalindele izimpendulo.
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English:
May her soul rest in peace.
IsiZulu:
Ngesonto lona leli esiphuma kulo, Somlomo unkosazane Unathi
Madotyeni oneminyaka engama-30 utholakale ebulewe ngendlela
enesihluku esibi kakhulu, ekopolotwe namehlo, waphinde
wadlwengulwa khona la elokishini lwakwaLanga. Emasontweni
ababili edlule, ingane encane enezinyanga eziyishumi nane
idlwenguliwe, yabulawa ubaba wayo oyizalayo khona la
eKhayelitsha kodwa ubulwane obungaka buvelaphi na!
KwaZulu-Natal uSmangele Mthembu, uBongeka Phungula, uMbalenhle
Magcaba abavela kwaXimba saphinda sabona noPoppy Qwabe nabo
babulewe ngesikhulu isihlungu. Lokhu kuyizinkomba zokuthi
baningi abantu besifazane ababulawayo kodwa lelizwe
belingakakutholi ukuthi kuhamba kanjani.
Umzimba ka-Iyapha Yamile utholakale ucuyiwe endlini encane bude
buduze nasekhaya lakhe.
Ngomhlaka wama-27 Apreli kulo nyaka,
unkosazane Karabo Mokoena wabulawa umuntu owayethi uyamthanda –
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maqede washisa umzimba wakhe wayowulahla le ehlathini. Somlomo,
lezi zigameko ke ezingenhla ezimbalwa kweziningi izehlakalo
lapho khona abantu besifazane nezingane bezithola behlukunyezwa.
Kusho ukuthini ke ezweni lethu, Somlomo. Okokuqala, kusho ukuthi
asibanabo ubuhloli ezweni lethu. Ungqongqoshe Wabesifazane uyena
ongabe uza namasu okusivikela. Sikhuluma nje akekho nalapha
sizokhuluma ngodaba olubalulekile lokuhlukunyezwa nokubulawa
kwabantu besifazane kodwa akasibona isizathu sokuthi eze
kulesiShayamthetho azohlangayela kanye nesizwe kulokhu
okwenzakalayo
Okwesibili, uNgqongqoshe Wabesifazane uhambe wathi eSoweto
kukhona usatani odunguzayo ezweni.
English:
No, Minister there is no devil. It is just because the ANC is
failing this country. The ANC is failing our women in this
country. The ANC is not protecting our women in this country.
[Interjections.] Minister, there is no devil. The devil is
whereby our police are not equipped enough to deal with the
reported cases of abuse. When women go to report these cases,
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Minister there is no devil, but only that they are not taken
seriously. When cases do finally get registered, they are not
given the priority they deserve, and are placed at the bottom of
the dockets. No investigators are allocated to cases. If they do
get allocated, this happens long after they have been reported.
That‟s not the end, not long time ago, when a case goes to the
National Prosecuting Authority, NPA, and in front of the courts,
women get subjected to further dehumanisation, where their
sexuality gets questioned, as was the case when the late
Fezekile Khuzwayo, known as Khwezi, reported Mr Jacob Zuma of
having raped her. ... [Time expired.]
IsiZulu:
Mnu M HLENGWA: Ngiyathokoza ukucosha ithuba mhlonishwa Sihlalo,
nginibingelele nonke malungu ahloniphekile aleli Phalamende.
English:
On behalf of the IFP, I take this opportunity to convey our
deepest condolences to all the families, friends and communities
that have been affected by this scourge of violence against
women and children and having in recent days and weeks lost
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their loved ones. It is our hope that the law and enforcement
agencies will do everything within their powers and their
responsibilities to ensure that the full might of the law is
meted out to punish perpetrators and maybe use that as the first
step of creating stronger deterrents against these terrible
crimes against women and children.
I stand here on behalf of all the bold men out there,
particularly young men who, without any qualms say “Not in my
Name”. It is not in a character of men to do these things. Not
in a character or South Africans to do these things and we need
a moment of reflection to say how did we arrive at this gutter
of the world. Therefore, we congratulate the young men like
Kgothatso Moloto for rising up in leading campaigns like Stop
Abuse and I call all the men of this House to be available to
support his call of action on 11 June in Orlando Stadium, we
will be having a campaign and a march of young men to say “Not
in My Name”.
The first government is the individual - the self. We need to
inculcate those convictions and that conscientiousness in your
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people and in person to say this is not right. We need to
correct the individual.
Hon House Chairperson, whilst programmes like to take a girl
child to work are noble, but under the circumstances, it may be
in our interest to actually take a child to work; raise young
and women so that we may be able to ensure that we raise the
conscientiousness of both sexes so that they may be able to
understand that they are equal partners in the world. We may be
solving one problem of taking a girl child to work, but we are
leaving the boy child behind. So, while we empower women, we
must also disempower men of their patriarchy.
It may be a good time for us to revisit the calls for the
referendum on the death penalty to indicate how serious we are
about these things. Hon House Chairperson, it may not be
convention of this House to pray, but I was raised by a praying
woman. I just call all those members who may feel comfortable
that at this point in time we pray for South Africa:
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Our heavenly father, may your hand of grace and mercy touch
each and every one of us. Touch our hearts, touch our
communities, protect us and protect our women. May the
spirit of goodness and love of which you so preached in all
of us find expression in all that we do. We ask all of this
in your name, now and forever more. Amen.
Thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]
Mr A M SHAIK-EMAM: Hon Chairperson, Ministers, Deputy Ministers,
hon members of the House and distinguished guests, allow me, on
behalf of the National Freedom Party, to express our condolences
to the families of the deceased, especially all the girls that
may have died as a result of being murdered or sexually abused,
assaulted or raped.
As I start off here today, allow me to report that it has just
come to my knowledge that another 11-year-old girl has just been
raped by a school janitor in the Cape Flats area today.
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South Africa is applauded locally and internationally for having
produced one of the finest constitutions. The Constitution of
the Republic of South Africa guarantees freedom of movement. The
question is: What freedom? Are we as South Africans able to move
around freely in the length and breadth of our country? The
answer is certainly no.
The Constitution guarantees protection for women and children.
What Protection? Our children are raped, abducted and murdered
every day, with some of the most shocking statistics that 42 596
women have been raped last year alone. There are 15 790 children
that have been raped last year. Nineteen children were raped
and/or murdered in the last four months in the City of Cape Town
alone, with the City of Cape Town having some of the worst
statistics, including one of the worst precincts for sexual
offenses, with 2 111 offences. The City of Cape Town was once
again, in the Western Cape, identified as one of the worst 10
precincts in the ill-treatment of children. [Interjections.]
Statistics dictate that a child born in South Africa has a 400%
greater chance of being raped in her lifetime than getting an
education. That is the true reflection of what is happening.
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When South Africa became a democracy in 1994, there were already
over 19 000 rape cases per year reported and this was as a
result of the apartheid regime. They forced our people to live
in areas where they separated us and we were not able to live
together.
Let me add that there are between 26 and 30 rape cases reported
at the Parow Police Station in the City of Cape Town and 10 to
15 per week at the Bellville Police Station alone.
The NFP believes that it is time to relook at the Constitution.
The NFP calls for a referendum on the death penalty and
castration of those responsible for the rape of our children.
Twenty-three years later, it is time to look at the Constitution
and see what amendments we need to make. One may argue that it
is barbaric, but is it barbaric for an innocent person to lose
his life as a result of the criminal activities?
Let me also add that the problems we have in the system ...
[Time expired.] ... is that the legal system protects the
criminals, where legal aid is provided to these criminals. So,
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the National Freedom Party is calling for a referendum on the
death penalty. Thank you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms A T Didiza): Hon members, I understand
that the temperature, at time, rise, but I don‟t think that when
statistics of one region or the other are mentioned in the
manner in which it was mentioned, as I listen to the debate, had
an inference on anybody. It was just to highlight the extent of
the problem. [Interjections.]
IsiXhosa:
Mnu N L S KWANKWA: Mphathiswa uMthetho, ndiyabona ukuba sele
nigqibile ...
English:
... with that extended ANC branch meeting which took place
earlier.
House Chair and hon members, the United Democratic Movement
joins the millions of South Africans in declaring violence
against women and children, in particular the girl child, a
crime against humanity.
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IsiXhosa:
Kwabo babhubhileyo sifuna ukuyibeka ngesintu sithi: Tutwini,
akuhlanga lungehlanga; wanga uThixo angabenza balale ngoxolo,
abakhanyisele ngokhanyiso olungacimiyo.
English:
As a nation, we must not tolerate violence against women and
children. We must do everything in our power to prevent it,
address its root causes and to mobilise society against this
evil.
However, as we do this, we need to be cognisant of the fact that
violence against women and girl children is rooted in genderbased discrimination and in social and cultural norms that shape
gender roles and the unequal distribution of power between women
and men in society.
We therefore need to work together with leaders, community
leaders, faith-based leaders, and traditional leaders to
eradicate the social and traditional norms, as well as religious
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beliefs, which tolerate and sometime even legitimise
discrimination and violence against women and children.
We must intensify community mobilisation programmes through our
traditional forms of communication and the mainstream media.
Since most young people access information via the social media,
it is important that the social media constitutes a critical
part of this communication strategy.
In this regard, the Not in My Name campaign by men that has men
taking collective responsibility for ending violence against
women and children, must be intensified and should be part of
our daily lives.
From a legal perspective, the prevention and eradication of
violence against women and children requires that we implement
all the laws that deal with sexual offences and violence against
women and children, and make sure that we impose harsh
punishment on those who abuse our women and children.
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We must also implement all the legislative measures that seek to
ensure the removal of all forms of discrimination against women
and children. We must implement all the legislative measures
that seek to ensure the empowerment of women, women with
disabilities and the girl child.
More importantly, law enforcement agencies must be taught to
handle cases of gender-based violence with the sensitivity they
deserve.
There must be a concerted drive to ensure that the girl child
enjoys full and equal access to quality education and that
government provides all the necessary support required to ensure
that girl children remain focused on their development.
To increase awareness and assist in the fight against the abuse
of women and children, all political parties should include, in
their membership declaration forms, which members sign when they
take up membership with them, a clause that denounces violence
against women and children.
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However, as we undertake all these initiatives, we should never
lose sight of the fact that the foundation of any society is the
family. In the long term, it is this broken foundation that we
must work hard at to fix. I thank you.
Afrikaans:
Mnr P J GROENEWALD: Agb Voorsitter, daar word verskeie
voorstelle gemaak in terme van die geweld wat tans teen vroue en
kinders plaasvind. Die feit dat ons vandag so ‟n debat in die
Parlement moet hê, is niks anders as ‟n klad op die naam van die
gemeenskap van Suid-Afrika nie, want vroue en kinders moet
eintlik, soos hulle sal sê, sag en met liefde en respek behandel
word.
Dit gaan ook oor selfrespek, want as jy, as ‟n man, vir jouself
respek het, sal jy ook respek hê vir vroue en kinders. Wat sê
die Zulu koning? Ek haal aan uit The Star van 30 Mei:
English:
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It was time that women turned the tables on the abusive men in
their lives and gave them a good hiding, King Goodwill
Zwelithini believes. And, given the chance, the King said, he
would eradicate abuse against women and children in just a
month. Zwelithini used the 1959 rage on beer halls in Cata
Manor as an example of women taking action against abusive
men. The men did not listen to the women and got thrashed. He
said that the men had lost their way and women had to take it
upon themselves to straighten things out.
President Zuma said yesterday that the women should report
domestic violence and the cases to the police, but that is
exactly where one of the problems is. We have cases where women
went to police stations to report domestic violence or rape, and
then they were put in cells and raped by the police. That is why
women are sometimes afraid to go to the police station to report
crime. I know the hon Minister will respond. I know he will come
and say very vigorously that they must report and that there
will be trouble with the policemen if they don‟t listen to them.
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My solution is that we all go back to our communities and start
to show respect. I want to say respect, respect, respect,
because only respect will solve the problem and that is an
obligation of each and every one of us. I thank you.
Ms D CARTER: Chairperson, South Africa continues to be plagued
by unacceptably high-levels and outrageously brutal forms of
violence against its women. And the unfortunate reality is that
where women are unprotected, children are equally at risk.
To assist, we urgently need a dedicated SA Broadcasting
Corporation, SABC, channel, broadcasting details of missing
women and children the likes of the old Police File. Our police
must investigate cases of missing women and children and any
person missing, as soon as the matter is reported and there
should not be a waiting period of 24 hours.
We need to ask: Why does SA Society suffer from such
extraordinary violent crimes – despite a world-renowned
Constitution underpinned by a comprehensive Bill of Rights and a
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legislative overhaul that safeguards women and children‟s rights
in law?
Why are our women and children subjected to such brutality?
According to the Institute of Race Relations the answer lies in
the breakdown of our families. According to the institute, the
antisocial, violent and destructive behaviour we see, relates to
weak family structures, and that the fabric of our country will
only ever be healed if we learn to build better and stronger
bonds.
The values of the family and what constitutes a functional
family unit needs to be inculcated and promoted amongst our
youth within our schooling system, in the precursor to
adulthood.
The migratory labour system broke the back of our black family
structure‟s well. It resulted in the destruction of family and
social relations, including changes to customs and beliefs and
general ways of living. Thus, as the society began to urbanise,
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this family dysfunctionality of absent fathers and female-headed
households continued. An intervention is required to revive the
family nucleus and the family as the nucleus of society.
A similar intervention is required in the upbringing of our
boys. They must be sensitised and taught to respect the rights
of women.
Data suggest that South Africa is a source, transit and
destination country for women subjected to forced labour and sex
trafficking.
However, this week a group of thugs dressed in Mr Price MK gear
chanted “Hands off Zuma” gathered in violent intimidation
outside the residence of Solly Mapaila. Inside were Solly‟s
three-year-old daughter and live in nanny.
At the same time another group of thugs are camped outside the
home of a patriot, Makhosi Khoza‟s home threatening her and her
children‟s lives.
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We cannot help but draw a parallel to that what Khwezi was
treated. How gangs of thugs violently intimidated, abused,
hounded, hurled abuse at Khwezi; how Mr Zuma supporters burnt
down her home and shouted and I quote, “Burn the bitch”, how she
had to flee her motherhood seek asylum.
When women protestors were violently manhandled at the
Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, results operation centre,
Roc, a room full of leaders did nothing.
Chairperson, currently, there is 53 people in the ANC benches.
When you strike a woman, you strike a rock! [Wathint‟ abafazi,
wathint‟ imbokodo!] [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mrs C DUDLEY: Hon Chairperson, to eradicate violence against
women and children – too often in the form of sexual violence
and often resulting in the death of the victims – one must
address the root causes and not merely the symptoms.
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As we have seen in the past weeks, no one in society is immune –
it devastates and destroys without discriminating on any basis.
One of the root causes and drivers of sexual violence, is sexual
exploitation of women which takes many forms, including
prostitution, sex trafficking and pornography.
If we are serious about eradicating violence against women and
children, we cannot be lax about eradicating the production and
distribution of pornography in our society.
Government policy to date is that children must be protected
from exposure to pornography, but that adults should be able to
view what they want. Now, the inherent problem, however is that
the consequences – acting out in sexual violence in response to
exposure to pornography – is not mainly perpetrated by boys, but
rather by men – male persons age 18 and older.
According to Pornhub.com – one of the largest hardcore
pornography video sharing websites in the world, South Africa is
in their top 20. In addition, South Africa has the highest
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percentage in the world for accessing hardcore pornography via a
mobile device.
Many studies by respected researchers have found that the more
men view media where women are treaded as objects rather as
people; the more they thought that women really were merely
things that existed to sexually please men. In addition, the
more men think of women as objects, the more they also support
violence against women. This is serious research.
An analysis of recent data on pornography use and sexual
violence from 22 studies and seven different nations found that
pornography use and acts of sexual aggression and directly
connected and that this connection holds true for both men and
women, and for verbal and physical aggression.
Now, after viewing over 500 studies to determine whether
consumption of pornography caused gender-based violence, Dr Max
Waltman of Stockholm University, concluded that the weight of
the evidence is clear and that available research shows that
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pornography causes gender-based violence through most every
methodology imaginable.
In conclusion, as Parliament considers how to address the
scourge of violence against women and children, especially
sexual violence against women and girls and as the Portfolio
Committee on Communications considers the Films and Publications
Amendment Bill‟s proposals to decriminalise or legalise the
online distribution of pornography in South Africa, the ACDP
once again pleads for proper consideration of the root causes.
When asked how to improve the conditions in pornography for
women, Noam Chomsky replied and I quote, “Just like child abuse,
you do not want to make it better child abuse; you want to stop
child abuse.” [Time expired.] I thank you.
IsiZulu:
Nk B S MASANGO: Sihlalo, ngicela ukubuye ngithathe leli thuba
ukuzwelana nemindeni, abazali kanye nezihlobo zalabo
abasishiyile ngokuhlukunyezwa esizwa ngako ezindabeni kulelizwe
ngalesi sikhathi samanje.
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English:
The atrocious abuse of women and children has been covered
widely, with staggering and anecdotes of untold brutality
hogging headlines as the country tries to come to terms with the
scourge. Some cases have even secured slots in court rolls and
perpetrators having their days in court. This is showing that
something is being done, although it is way too late for the
victims, most of whom lose their lives and for families who have
to pick up the pieces of their lives with the loss of their
loved ones.
There are stories that never reach the media, stories whose
impact on the lives of those close to these tragedies is
unimaginable. At the centre of these stories are women and
children. Women because they lose their children; and children
because they lose their mothers.
During a march I attended in Temba, Hammanskraal, this last
Sunday, I came face to face with the picture of the trail of
abuse. On the programme was Doreen Khalo, a mother who lost her
daughter in 2011.
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Doreen had in her possession, a worn out green plastic bag that
contained a letter her daughter had written days before she
died; document with a case number and a letter from an authority
absolving itself from the responsibility of bringing the
perpetrator to book. The contents of this bag were not just
papers, but they detailed a harrowing tale of a mother who lost
her child to senseless violence.
Doreen reached out to the police, but they failed her. She
reached out to the prosecuting authorities and again she was
failed, in her quest for justice, Doreen was failed by the very
system that was meant to protect her, and indeed her daughter.
She received no counselling, and was forced to bear the grief on
her own.
The moment she started speaking, tears streamed down her face.
She wanted to share her grief, her anger and her sadness with
the marches, who had come to stand with her and others like her.
Her pain and anguish permeated through the crowd, and seemed to
be as fresh as though she had lost her daughter yesterday.
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Yet, in between her heart wrenching sobs, Doreen‟s strength and
resilience as a mother shone through as she said, “I will not
stop fighting for my girl.”
This is the message that needs to resonate with all of us today:
We cannot, and will not stop fighting for our mothers, our
sisters and our children.
As the DA, we will not stop to call on government to take the
responsibility and implement its own plan of action to protect
the lives of women and children.
What has happened to the government‟s Integrated Programme of
Action Addressing Violence Against Women and Children, which was
developed by an Interministerial Committee?
Despite it being lauded from policy perspective, when it came to
implementation, the plan was however criticised because first of
all it was not costed. How then, could it be taken seriously
without the necessary budget? The fact that the country is still
experiencing heightened levels of violence against women and
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children, calls into question the government‟s ability to
perform one of its most fundamental functions and that is, to
protect its citizens.
What then, has gone wrong Chairperson? Are we continuing to put
the lives of women and children at risk while we develop
documents that are launched and never implemented? Are we paying
lip service at the expense of lives that are being lost on a
daily basis?
As the DA we will endeavour to empower the vulnerable and give
voice to the voiceless. Our vision for South Africa is one which
seeks to build a society that values the humanity inherent in
all women, in all men and in all children. Thank you,
Chairperson. [Applause.]
IsiXhosa:
Nks R N CAPA: Zidwesha nani zidwangube, amaqobokazana angathi
alale endleleni yazini kunyembelekile, iinkosi mazizole ngoba
nezicaka zizolile, sendithobile, nyukani mna ndehle. Igama lam
leenkobe nguZoleka, uMaFaku, inkosazana yaphaya eMampondweni
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eNgquza. Ndinalo negama lecawe nelesikolo ekuthiwa nguRosemary.
Andikwazi kulibiza kakuhle kuba ayilolwimi lam elo. Ndalinikwa
esikolweni kusithiwa kufuneka ndisebenzise lona.
Mandivule umlomo kule ngxoxo-mpikiswano ngelivumayo kulo mba
ubushukuxwa ngale mpelaveki, kuquka neBhunga lamaPhondo leSizwe.
Bathethe kakhulu ngawo, bebeka namanani ezinto ezenzekileyo
neendlela ezenzeke ngawo. Akusayi kufuneka ukuba ndiziphinde ezo
zinto ndibe ndifaka ityiwa ezilondeni. Oonomathotholo,
abacholacholi beendaba nabaphicothi bezopolitiko bazamile
beyikhangela le meko igubungele eli lizwe lethu yobugqwirha
nobungqondo-gqwirha.
Into endifuna ukuyenza Sihlalo, kukuba ndibenombuzo. Lo mbuzo
ngumbuzo-buciko kuba uza kufuneka ndibuze ndibuye ndiziphendule.
Lo mkhuba wolu dushe ojoliswe ebantwaneni bethu uze njani; le
nto yokunxanelwa igazi leemveku; ukubona iimveku njengabantu
ekungabelwana nazo ngesondo nokubulawa kwamaxhegwazana kuba
kusithiwa ayathakatha, kutshiswe nemizi yabo inoba ifike nini?
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Ifike nini le nto yokuba nabantu abaselulanyana sebekwazi
ukulala ngaphandle kwasekhaya bengabaxelelanga abazali. Kude
kwafika nethuba lokuba bade bahlale isigxina kwezo ndawo
bathandana kuzo kungabangakho lobola nesivumelwano phakathi
kwabazali. Kaloku umntu unamakhaya amabini. Xa ubethiwe yindoda
yakho uya kowenu ubaxelele ukuba ikubethile ize igwetywe ikhuphe
inkomo. Ewe, injalo ingxaki abayazi ukuba injalo.
Bachitha loo masiko kanye beza nobukoloniyali. Andifuni ukude
ibengathi ndilicwecwe elikrwelekileyo ndiphanda-phinde umonakalo
owenziwe yinkqubo yobukoloniyali. Sasizihlalele apha kweli
lizwe, kungekho dushe. Mhla kubhoke iincukuthu ekhaya sasilala
phandle singenziwa nto. Xa uvela utywaleni wawuhamba noba
kukukhala kweenkukhu uhambe ukhonkothwa zizinja uzombelela
iingoma zakho, kungekhonto eza kwehlela. Iintombi zethu
bezinyuka zisehla zingenziwa nto kuba ubusithi wakuyiphatha
ubesengxakini. Apha, kudala saphila singenarhulumente.
Ntlandlolo phaya, zazikhona iinkosi, babekhona abantu abadala,
lwalukhona ulutsha, ilulo olugada ilali nekomkhulu likhona
lijongwa njengomzi.
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Zazisonjululwa njani, Jola, iingxaki xa kwakungekho mapolisa aza
kubamba abantu? Bekuhlalwa phantsi xa kukho into edla umzi.
Abafazi bathi nqwadalala phaya, amadoda athobe iintloko kudliwe
ingcingane kuxoxwe ngento edla umzi. Kwakungekho mntu omdala
ekuthiwa ligqwirha namnntu odlwengula intombazana. Intombazana
yayingaphathwa ngesandla. Xa udibene nayo wawuyikhapha
uyigoduse. Ukuba ufuna ukuyiphimisa, ucele uthando kuyo wawusiya
kowayo. Mhla yakuvuma kuphakanyiswa umabhiza kuthiwe
uzipeqengeshe uvume ubani ukwenzela ukuba angade abavume bade
babebaninzi. [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Loo nto yalo nkululeko ibisenza into yokuba xa uhambe nomntu
wakho kwaziwe ukuba uhambe naye kwaye uza kubuyiswa nguye.
Namhlanje akukho mntu ohamba nomnye kuba akufuneki ukafuni aziwe
ukuba ummo lo wakhe uhamba nabani. Intombi ebinomntu wangakuni
ibibangathi inawe, ubuyithanda ude uyikhusele kuba bekukho
ukunyaniseka. Ndithetha ngembali yaphambi kobukoloniyali (precolonial era) apha.
Bekugcwele ukutya kuthe hlifi sizingela iinyamakazi. Kwasuka
kwafika umntu owathi zezakhe, wazibiyela, wazithengisa wazisa
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esilarheni iinyamakazi. Ndixela oonogwaja mna. Bafika sinemithi
apha kushinyile, bafika bayibiyela bayenza eyabo kwathiwa
lihlathi labo thina masithenge kubo. [Kwaqhwatywa.] Ye bethuna
mna ndithetha ngale mbali yaphambi kobukoloniyali kuba sasisitya
iziqhamo zemithi sihluthe singafuni ukuya emigodini.
Sasitya iintlanzi zeelwandle zethu silima kubekho ukutya,
iinkomo zizale sakugqiba sizisenge. Sasiphakula iinyosi
emahlathini kwasuka kwafika abantu abathi xa beyoloba
basebenzise umnatha omkhulu owola yonke intlanzi ezalayo
nebizalwa ngephozolo. Loo nto yenza ukuba kungabisabakho
nkqubela phambili. [Kwahlekwa.]
Uyabona ngoku kuxoxwa ngokuba abantwana bethu bonakele. Bonakele
ngenene kuba kwachithwa amakhaya. Ukhona omnye unkosikazi
uyithethileyo le nto ngesiNgesi wathi “homes are broken”.
Azakuthini ukungachithakali amakhaya xa kusithiwa indoda mayiye
eGoli, umfazi atshone apha esapha eyokugawula ehlathini yedwa?
Zonke ezinto zenza ukuba umntwana angabinancedo kungabimnandi
ekhaya. Yinto yabantu abantsundu ukukhusela abantu abadala,
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abantu abangoomama neentsana. Ngumsebenzi wolutsha ukukhusela
abantu balo. Loo nto ibingabizisi mapolisa.
Komkhulu bekukho abantu ebekusithiwa ngoonogazi. Ibiba ngabo
abahlala phantsi bavumelane ngokuba kubizwe amapolisa kuba
kusithiwa lo mntu uchithe igazi. Ebesiza xa kulapho amapolisa
amthathe umntu. Amapolisa ebebizwa ngabantu kuba abantu
bebenendlela yabo yokuphila. Kuthiwa ngoku lo rhulumente we-ANC
makangene ezindlwini. Baza kulala njani abantu amapolisa elapha
kuba kuthiwa kufuneka agade le ndoda ingabulali umfazi wayo?
[Kwahlekwa.] Ukhona umonakalo kule ndlela siqhutywa ngayo kuba
eyona nyaniso wena yile yokuba senziwe sangabinabuntu. Senziwe
ukuba singabinankosi namkhokeli ukuze silindele ukuba xa kukho
umonakalo sibize unontlalo-ntle. Ayephi amaxhego namaxhegwazana
ale lali?
Ndinemizekelo ephilayo, ngoku ukuba umntu uthe wamithisa umfazi
womntu kudutyulwa lo mfazi, kudutyulwe indoda emithisileyo
nendoda yomfazi nayo izidubule. Kanti kwakusithi xa kukho
umonakalo ololohlobo amadoda ahlale athi nqwadalala, athobise
iintloko atsale icuba aze abize indoda kuthiwe ukhona umonakalo
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kodwa likhona ichiza. Ebecelwa umakoti ukuba akhe agoduke ukuze
azalele ekhaya amshiye khona umntwana. Indoda emoshileyo
ibiyalelwa ukuba izame ukuba ihlambe umzi wala ndoda, kuhlanjwe
inyala elenzileyo(cleansing). Amadoda ebeye enze ululeko
lwasengqondweni (counseling) ukuze kungabikho mntu uhlala
nengqumbo yenzondo yempindezelo (hostility revenge) kuba kaloku
abantu abadala bebehlalele loo nto.
Phaya komkhulu likhaya labantu. Yiyo le nto kusithiwa yimizi
nemizana. Ikomkhulu likhaya lakho othi xa ubethiwe uye khona.
Namhlanje kufuneka uye kubekwa phaya kude kwinto ekuthiwa ygreen
door okanye white door. Uhlale apho wedwa endaweni yokuba usiwe
komkhulu apho kuza kubuzwa intsusa mabandla kolu sapho babizwe
kuviwe kubo. Abantu babelungiswa izimilo hayi into yokuba
umvalele ejele, angene kwela cango lujikeleze aye kuphuma
ngaphaya sele kusithiwa usigqibile isigwebo. Loo mntu uphuma
ejele aye kudlwengula omnye umntu aphinde abuyiselwe kwasejele.
Mayibuye i-Afrika, ibuye nezinto zayo. Yinto engekhoyo le nto
yokuba ingathi kufuneka amapolisa. [Kwaqhwatywa.] [Kwaphela
ixesha.]
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Mr S M JAFTA: Thank you Chairperson. In 1956, our flag-bearers
in the persons of Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Dora Tamana,
Maggie Resha and many others set the tone quite poignantly
against women violence and subjugation. They were the leading
organisors of the march of 20 000 women to the Union Buildings
to hand over a petition against the extension of passes to
women. The current scourge of abuse and violence against women
is an obliteration of their legacy and the quest for women‟s
liberty and justice.
The very essence and pretext of gender rights finds expression
in our collective agency to tailor the rights of women against
past prejudice, inequality and gender discrimination.
The AIC calls upon the criminal justice system to fast-track
reported cases of women and child abuse. This will go a long way
in deterring the escalating incidents of violence and abuse
against women and children.
Lest we forget, women are our national assets and treasures. We
should embrace their dexterity, their craft, their innocence,
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their beauty, their perfect imperfections and their unfailing
love.
We are therefore saddened that the fight against women and child
abuse has hit rock bottom. This is neatly articulated by the
gender justice movement which wrote the following on this
subject: “South Africa‟s femicide rate is five times higher than
the global average; a woman is killed every eight hours by her
intimate partner.”
The brutal killing of Karabo Mokoena is a stark reminder that
our society is still predisposed towards violence. We pay our
deepest commiserations to all the families that bore the brunt
of these social ills. The AIC condemns this scourge in the
strongest possible terms. We appeal to the government to work
tirelessly to harness its national strategic plan on genderbased violence. We propose that initiatives geared towards
moulding young men should be part of the national strategic
plan.
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Mr M A PLOUAMMA: Thank you hon Chairperson and hon members.
Karabo Mokoena, Reeva Steenkamp, my words are empty. I fear
those moments when you met your final hours. Your lives were not
in vain. You left us empty but with the resolve to fight this
terrible scourge.
Violence against women and children has reached epidemic
proportions. It seems as if society has declared war against
women and children. Men in this country have commodified women.
What kind of a society is this when babies are regularly raped?
What kind of a society is this that when women are raped we
blame her choice of clothes?
I want to ask men why they are using sexual violence as an
instrument of gender domination. Some men with their distorted
minds will even tell you that she was asking for it. We need a
serious awareness campaign to rid men of this patriarchal
baggage.
Some marriages have become a prison. To some women relationships
have become battlegrounds. We must change this cultural
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environment that tolerates and encourages male dominance.
Families must stop coercing women to stay in abusive
relationships. The domination of women by men is at the root of
all violence.
Furthermore, we need to invest in how men should handle their
anger; teaching men that women are not objects or items on
shelves but human beings with free minds and independent to
choose their own destinies.
When women decide to accept you into their lives as a lover or
husband you do not own them. They have not sold their freedom.
We must treat them as equal partners. We must respect them even
when they choose to end relationships. Communities must always
prioritise helping women and children. They should make it their
own business. We should not sleep or make it normal when we hear
screams of women or children battered by their fathers or
husbands. A society that we strive for is a society that
protects its own children and women. [Applause.]
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Mr M WATERS: Thank you Chairperson. The hon Shaik Emam mentioned
the horrific attacks of rape on children in the Western Cape in
particular. As he would know, the competency of policing and
justice is a national and not a provincial competency. However,
if he would like to assist us in getting it devolved down to
provincial level we would welcome that because we would like to
have control of the police in the Western Cape. So thank you for
that hon Shaik.
I would like the members of the House to think back to their
last birthday and think about the following. What colour
underwear were you wearing on your birthday? What time and in
what sequence did you receive your presents? Who gave you a kiss
and who shook your hand to wish you happy birthday? How many of
you can answer these questions correctly? If we are all honest,
probably no-one in this House.
Yet, we expect children age two, three and four years-old to
remember what colour underwear they were wearing on the day they
were raped. We expect them to remember what time of the day it
was and we expect them to remember in what sequence the rape
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took place. This, on a day that was not a happy occasion such as
a birthday, but a day that they all wish to forget.
Now picture this. Imagine a small child trying to answer these
same three questions some two years later in a courtroom,
because that is the length of time it takes on average for child
abuse cases to reach completion in our courts, if it ever gets
there.
I‟ve quoted from a speech that I made in this House on
15 October 2002, some 15 years ago, and I wanted to highlight
the fact that nothing has changed in 15 years. We have these
debates every single year. We do, and yet nothing happens.
There‟s no political will coming from the government to change
the situation. In fact, what happened about 10 years ago? You
destroyed all the centres of excellence. You closed down all the
family violence, child protection and sexual offences, FCS,
units and you closed down all the sexual offences courts. That
was your response to a national emergency. You closed everything
down.
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Granted, you have done a U-turn since then but today we don‟t
have the same number of FCS units or specialised courts that we
had before. We don‟t have them and their skills have evaporated.
We have got to stop having talk shops on the abuse of women and
children, and start putting money where our mouths are.
[Applause.] It is high time that we need to see action from the
ANC government in this regard because in failing to do so we are
going to be failing another generation, and I don‟t want to be
standing here in another 15 years time giving the same speech.
[Applause.]
The MINISTER OF POLICE: Hon Chairperson and hon members,
musculinity at the expense of women and children is not manly.
This can‟t continue in our name!
Yesterday we were at the NCOP over this very issue, we declared
– we have no time to waste time! We have no time to waste time
whilst our children live in terror.
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I have directed the over 200,000 law enforcement family to be
wide eyed on the beat and in whatever they are doing to work
tirelessly to aggressively eradicate all crimes against women
and children.
I want to assure South Africans and the world that crimes
against vulnerable groups are my top priority focus and we will
be expanding thousands of overtime hours on this.
To women, girls, mothers, grannies, „imbokodo‟, I stand here to
tell you, indeed enough is enough! It has been enough for
centuries. We have lost too many! We have scarred too many as
many. It‟s a shame to be a man these days!
I have no doubt that the House joins me in sending our united
deepest condolences to the victims, survivors and their loved
ones at this time. Your pain is our pain. We walk in shame for
what befalls you. Crimes against little girls, infants and women
are cowardice.
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Chairperson, as we raise our voices high, this requires us to
effect, not just rhetoric but certain practical changes - for
example, we shall ensure that female victims receive the legal,
medical, social and psychological help they need and that police
and court processes be made as tolerable as possible.
[Applause.]
The SAPS is focused upon improved training, specialist police
and visible policing, this is where effective change could be
implemented. All this Madam Chair is currently taking place at
heightened pace. We have no time to waste time!
Our communities have rightly criticized the police for
reluctance to interfere in domestic disputes, and in particular,
for their reluctance to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of
the domestic violence.
I want to make it clear today that domestic violence is not to
be treated lightly. Violence against children, girls and boys is
totally intolerable and I assure the children and women watching
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at home that we are doing everything to protect you and keep you
safe from criminals. [Applause.]
The traditional unequal power relationship between men and women
is now unconstitutional. Our past that a man had power over his
wife; including the complete control over her property and of
her daily affairs is history. Women and girls are not male
property, full stop!
This warped notion that a woman could be a man‟s property
instilled another idea that a husband had the right to
administer physical „punishment‟ to his wife.
Female victims of this domestic violence often retract their
police reports or suffer from the inside due to concern over the
male bread winner going to jail. This compounds this cancer into
emotional and financial violence against our women.
Rape and sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse have
remained unconnected to other areas of criminal victimization.
Today we declare that „ubudlwembe obu.‟ If you beat your
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girlfriend, wife or partner „ungutsotsi‟! I will just say we are
coming for you Tsotsi! You cowards! Weak, weak men!
Madam Chair, I want to reiterate a clear message to police
management to supplement their operating procedures on crimes
against women, children and the gay community and post in
writing on all community offices the following six points:
All victims should be interviewed by a trained specialist police
officer; globally, the SAPS have the second largest female
police personnel after Norway. So as we fast-track the training
of specialist police – female police officers should conduct the
victim‟s interviews.
Where possible the interview should be at a location other than
a police station if the police station does not have a private
room; medical examinations should always be carried out at a
location other than a police station.
All victims should be given the option of an examination and
evidence collection by a woman police surgeon; only experienced
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police officer should be assigned to conduct the investigation;
all victims of sexual offences, femicide and infanticide with
their loved ones, should be referred to victim support
Hon members, I have also tasked my office to work with our
counterparts to urgently evaluate the viability of having
infanticide, femicide and all domestic violence made special
category crime. An assault on a woman must carry a heavier
sentence than just a common assault charge. [Applause.]
The offence of rape, femicide and infanticide particularly, is
surrounded by strong feelings, and insensitive interviewing of a
victim, already humiliated and degraded, may cause further
trauma. We must not re-humiliate nor re-victimize the victims.
Whilst some allegations of rape may be false, all investigations
must commence on the premise that the complainant is a genuine
victim. Police and community should not be courts of law. Courts
are the only centres to pronounce on guilty or not guilty.
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Madam Chair, our communities, neighbours and families must not
hide behind the shame of domestic abuse. I want to encourage
South Africans to report any suspicion of domestic abuse and
remember always that each domestic beating is a potential
murder. Each domestic sexual abuse of a child is a potential
rape and infanticide.
Report „imidlwembe‟ in your community! We have no time to waste
time! To end femicide we need to end impunity, bring
perpetrators to justice, and every individual has to change his
or her attitude towards this being just a domestic issue.
The criminal justice system is ready to exercise due diligence
to prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators.
Together we must lock them up! Together we will oppose bail or
demand hard bail conditions thereof!
The killing of females because they are females threatens our
national security by having a majority section of our population
living in fear; it destroys gender balance, economic progress
and harmony.
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Rape, femicide, infanticide and gender based violence are
henceforth regarded by my office as a fundamental threat to
national security and I instruct the police to deal with it in
that manner as a priority crime. Women and Children‟s Rights are
human rights too.
Hon Mbhele, when proposing this snap debate referred to the
“scourge of violence against women and children”, this
government agrees with him except we also recognise that the
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer rights
are human rights too.
All these killings and abuse are a dishonour to our democracy.
Perpetrators defile the ground we walk on. The ANC-led
government is absolutely committed to doing everything it can to
stop violence against our precious demographics.
To achieve the objective, the government will devote resources,
funding but most importantly we have the political will to fight
„lamagwala‟! Police will oppose all bail related to domestic
violence.
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Hon members, television is widely watched and a very influential
medium across all people in South Africa today. There are over
12 million television sets switched on in South Africa daily.
Its impact is far-reaching. Many of the most popular TV
programs, with the highest viewership ratings, reinforce the
misogynistic, patriarchal, men-power-wielding customs, portrayal
of women in a bad light or as witches and so on. These violent
images against women, the reinforcement of witchcraft as a real
thing
I address this message to the creative industry; the portrayal
of women and children as sex objects TV drama genre is tired and
contributes to making certain acts appear acceptable to some.
Write screenplays that encourage respect and love for women and
girl children. Promote harmonious lifestyles that accept gay
community. Females must be promoted as valuable.
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Let us denounce patriarchy and pedophiles. Together we must
isolate them! We have no time to waste time! „Isikhathi sidliwe
inja bantu bakwethu‟!
Teachers at schools and pre-schools must be vigilant and report
any suspicion of abuse on children, not reporting crime is a
crime. Teachers must not abuse children the country places on
their care. Each domestic beating is a potential murder - each
domestic sexual abuse of a child is a potential rape and
infanticide.
I am fully cognizant that these crimes know no class, but many
of the raped or murdered women and children come from the most
marginalized sectors of society. Police are instructed to pay
particular attention to these groups in their crime profiling
and prevention strategies.
Communities are doubly encouraged to participate in their
community policing forums and other community based activities.
The police will reinforce its multi-sectoral approach to prevent
this national shame and global problem.
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This multi-sectoral approach will also deal with factors that
contribute heavily to crimes, which are poverty, inequality and
unemployment.
We must not lose sight of the fact that police alone can‟t solve
crime – poverty must be eliminated. Inequality, economic
inequality between races and genders must be eliminated.
Hon members we need radical economic transformation now, in my
lifetime, in our lifetime! We have no time to waste time! Land
access for social housing and subsistence must be part of our
crime strategy.
Madam Chair, the executive led by President Zuma has visited the
bereaved in and across South Africa. Our people want us to shut
illegal shebeens down – and we will shut down drug houses, and
we will.
They are demanding we pay attention to minibus taxi drivers –
the vulnerability of females using this mode of transport, some
of these taxis are crime scenes on wheels.
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Our people are asking for land to build safe homes for
themselves to reduce overcrowded shack dwellings. They complain
that bail is given too easily.
That some of our police collaborate with gangs. Our people want
more social workers in their communities – not more police. They
want safe sports fields and safe transport for children to
school. We have heard you, we agree with you! „Siyeza nakuni‟!
Instead of finger pointing, political parties are encouraged to
participate in government programmes – in their own programmes in their own political parties to conscientise their own
members, to encourage vigilance of communities – encourage that
each community should have a Community Policing Forum.
These crimes are not performed by members of a particular party
but by society here. We cannot afford cheap political scoring
over such an evil and dark crime often done in hiding. Let us
teach our boys that they are because women are!
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In our African culture, we have Inkosi and Inkosikazi – Inkosi
is a king – this makes women our queens! We value our queens in
Africa. Together we must isolate criminals! We have no time to
waste time!
Police are not authorized to negotiate with women beaters or
child molesters, read them their rights and do the right thing.
Do not negotiate with a thug that thinks the lesbian-gay
community is his to harass and murder.
Witch hunters - those who murder innocent women from suspicion
of witchcraft - you have a new witch in town, I am coming for
you! [Laughter.]
The SAPS is going back to basics – let us tighten those dockets.
Oppose bail as a matter of course. We will soon launch a public
campaign to educate, activate and sensitise all role players and
society over this scourge.
Let not this time be lost to rhetoric, to hashtags but real
action! let us not have meaningless feel good hashtags as we saw
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with hashtag Joseph Koni or hashtag bring back our girls, Joseph
Koni is still a free madmen, our girls are not all returned, in
our streets there is Courtney, Thobile, Karabo and Mary – too
many to think of.
It is our duty as society, as all political parties irrespective
to fight the scourge of violence against women to bring about
order. To conscientise ourselves, to ensure that society do take
part and is conscientise on the fight against violence against
women and children. I thank you. [Applause.]
Ms D CARTER: House Chair, I did not want to interrupt the
Minister while he was speaking but I was just wondering such an
important debate today, is there any specific reason why the
sign language interpretation is not working?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON: (Ms A T DIDIZA): Well, we will follow up
and check. I wouldn‟t know seated here what could have been the
problem.
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We would like to thank members for their participation in this
debate and once again as presiding officers we also want to
extend our condolences to those families who have lost their
loved ones.
The House adjourned at 16:36.
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