Hansard: NA: Unrevised hansard

House: National Assembly

Date of Meeting: 01 Mar 2022

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Minutes

UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
TUESDAY, 1 MARCH 2022
Watch video here: PLENARY (HYBRID)
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

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The House met at 14:00.
The Deputy Speaker took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.

MEMBERS’ STATEMENTSCALL FOR MEDIATION AND ENGAGEMENTS IN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE
(Member’s Statement)

Mr D MOELA (ANC): The ANC is committed in advancing the course of development, world peace disarmament and the environmental sustainable development in line with the Freedom Charter,
which says, and I quote: “There shall be peace and friendship”. We therefore call for mediation and engagements to end war unfolding between Russia and Ukraine, and avoid further violence in the area. We call upon the parties to devote increased efforts to diplomacy and find a solution that
will help de-escalate tension and adverse armed conflict.
We are concerned about results and the impact of what the armed conflict would bring about in human suffering, destruction of infrastructure, as well as devastating effects
of the economy not only in Ukraine but the whole world. This will affect financial markets and invoke inflation fears
across the world, which has not yet recovered from the economic fallout from COVID-19 pandemic.
We urge the United Nations security to find a lasting solution to this conflict and ease the tension between the two countries. Thank you, hon Deputy Speaker.
Mr D BERGMAN(DA): Deputy Speaker, I rose to beg for your indulgence, please. We got a technical error at the moment.
Can we hold over our first Member’s Statement, please? Can we hold our start over? [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Okay.

VACCINE MANDATES FOR UNIVERSITIES
(Member’s Statement)

Ms N CHIRWA (EFF): Deputy Speaker, over the past year in this House, the EFF sent a strong warning to the government to
never default to mandatory vaccination especially having after noted the government’s imminent failure in mainstreaming
tenets of primary health care, prevention and education as the answer to the crisis of misinformation for vaccine hesitancy.
This advice by the EFF to the government was fortunately adhered to by the African National Cowards - an important position because the government was already flirting with big
pharma, Johnson & Johnson, and monopolized the vaccine industry for the benefit of Ramaphosa’s friends who bully him
like he is a child at our own expense.
To date, in South Africa, we do not have the liberty to choose from a variety of vaccines, which vaccine ... [Interjections.]
Mr B A RADEBE: On a point of order.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, just hang on. Yes, hon member.

Mr B A RADEBE: I am rising on Rule 85. The member has just said that Johnson & Johnson is the friend of the President and that they have monopolized the industry for the benefit of the President’s friends.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, hon member, you know you can’t make such a statement without substantiation. Please, withdraw it and then proceed.
Ms N CHIRWA (EFF): I said for the benefit of Ramaphosa’s friends. It’s a political statement.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member ...
Ms N CHIRWA (EFF): I have said this countless times before Parliament. I am able to say for the benefit of Ramaphosa’s
friends.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, you are imputing ill motives to the President. It is not acceptable. Please, withdraw it so
that we can proceed.
Ms N CHIRWA (EFF): Withdrawn.


The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
Ms N CHIRWA (EFF): ... who bully him like he is a child at our own expense.
To date, in South Africa, we do not have the liberty to choose from a variety of vaccines, which vaccines we want like in other countries because Ramaphosa was bullied and is too scared to take the country into confidence or in the very least, stand up for himself because he cannot stand up for us.
However, this has not stopped universities, the private sector and the public higher education sector to operate in silos as
if this country has no leadership by excluding the children of this land from accessing their right to education because they refused to take Bill Gate’s jab.
We call upon President Ramaphosa to in the very least, as a President, to stop public universities, like the University of Johannesburg, Rhodes and others from abusing and stealing education from the youth with weak creative takes that disempower freedoms, empower Johnson & Johnson and see them operate in a state of exception as if this country is lawless and leaderless. Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker.

A FOILED CASH-IN-TRANSIT HEIST
(Member’s Statement)

Ms N P PEACOCK (ANC): Thank you, Deputy Speaker, the ANC commends the swift arrest of Zimbabwe, Botswana and KwaZulu-Natal suspects involving the deadly shoot out with the police. The ANC the law enforcement agency for their bravery in intercepting the gang of about 25 gunmen allegedly from KwaZulu-Natal, Zimbabwe and Botswana while planning a cash in transit heist in Johannesburg on Monday, 21 February 2022. The heavily armed gang was alleged en route to carry out a heist when their plan was stopped by the law enforcement agency. The confrontation happened in Rosettenville, South of Johannesburg and left eight suspects dead and another 11 arrested. Seven police officers were injured during the ordeal.
We condemn this attempt robbery in the strongest terms. These incidents are becoming way too common in our and are happening more frequently while endangering the life of innocent citizens. It is clear, judging on the weapons found on the


 
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scene that these suspects were dangerous and were prepared to
kill.
We commend the police for the hard work they did and
dedication in pursuing these dangerous criminals. We wish the
injured police officers a safe and speedy recovery. I thank
you.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL NATIONAL LITIGATION FORUM
(Member’s Statement)
Mr N SINGH (IFP): Thank you, Deputy Speaker, hon Msimang
doesn’t seem to be around, so I will read the statement.
On 25th February, President Ramaphosa presided over the first
Intergovernmental National Litigation Forum, described as, and
I quote: “a crucial step towards an efficient, co-ordinated
state legal services system”. Among others, the need for this
forum was identified as a necessary step to combat the lack of
intergovernmental co-ordination in the face of litigation
against the state.
State litigation is an enormous drain on the fiscus, with
legal fees on government over the past five financial years


 
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amounting to approximately R7 billion while the Auditor-
General has reported that the contingent liability was sitting
at R147 billion for the 2020-21 financial year.
In light of this information, it is of great concern that The
Presidency and the Department of Justice first began working
in 2018 on the terms of reference for such a forum. Why did it
take four years to draft terms of reference?
As an IFP member for Justice and Constitutional Development,
it is my sincere plea that this serious matter be afforded the
attention and urgency it deserves, so that billions wasted on
litigation can instead be directed to providing the essential
services our people so desperately need. I thank you.
THE SADC DIRECTORATE ON ORGAN ON POLITICS, DEFENCE AND
SECURITY’S SLOW PACE IN FULFILLING ITS PURPOSE
(Member’s Statement)
Mr B H HOLOMISA (UDM): Hon Deputy Speaker and hon members, the
UDM is concerned over the slow pace of Southern African
Development Community, SADC, countries, especially the


 
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Directorate on Organ on Politics, Defence and Security in
fulfilling its purpose.
The SADC has, since its establishment, not achieved notable
progress in strengthening its efforts to integrate economies
and promote peace and security. As a result, Southern Africa
is faced with various urgent security issues, such as armed
conflicts and robberies, which are contributing to state and
human insecurity in the region.
To date, South Africa is facing an escalation of crimes such
as the smuggling of vehicles to neighbouring countries.
Has the time not arrived for the SADC countries to talk about
having a federal system to address matters such as economy,
security and foreign policy?
Lastly, a highly skilled team must be assigned to track down
the perpetuators of these cross-border crimes and prevent all
manner of security issues in the region. The SADC has a duty
to promote peace and security in the region. I thank you.
COMMEMORATION OF BATTLE OF MAJUBA
(Member’s Statement)


 
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Afrikaans:
Dr W J BOSHOFF (VF Plus): [Onhoorbaar.] ... eergister was die
141ste herdenking van die Slag van Majuba. Dit is ’n
belangrike datum in die teen-koloniale geskiedenis van
Suidelike-Afrika.
Die 1870s was ’n maak-of-breek dekade vir Britse imperialisme.
Aan die Kaapse Oosgrens het konflik met Xhosa stamme gewoed;
in die Natal kolonie het dit veral na Isandlwana gelyk of
Zulus daarin sou slaag om die Pax Brittanië te verbreek; en
aan die Kaapse Noordgrens het Britse soldate gesukkel om
Korannavegters op eilande in die Oranjerivier te verslaan.
Die Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, ZAR, of Transvaal
Boererepubliek, is in 1877 deur Brittanje geannekseer, omdat
hulle BaPedivegters van Kgosi Sekhukhune nie kon baasraak nie.
Vir die boere was die ZAR hul vaderland, nie ’n afspringplek
vir Britse militêre avonture nie. Daarom is ’n nuwe
republikeinse regering gevestig en Britse besettingsmagte is
beleër. ’n Invalsmag het uit Durban opgeruk, maar is op 27
Februarie op die Majubaberg vernietig. Vryheid is op minstens
een plek herwin.


 
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Vyf jaar later is die rykste goudveld ter wêreld in die ZAR
ontdek. ’n Imperiale oormag sou later alle weerstand uit die
pad vee om dit in besit te neem, wat mens by die
gevolgtrekking bring dat die stryd om vryheid word nooit
finaal gewen nie, maar vir ’n trotse volk word dit ook nooit
finaal verloor nie. Ek dank u.
Die ADJUNKSPEAKER: Agb lede, ongelukkig kon ons ... {Gelag.]
Hoekom lag julle nou?
English:
Yes, I mean that unfortunately we couldn’t do anything about
the sound, so the interpreter couldn’t do the work. This is
why you couldn’t get the interpretation. I nearly asked you
why don’t you speak Afrikaans but I won’t. Are you ready,
dear? Go ahead.
CHILD ABANDONMENT AND NEGLECT IN SOUTH AFRICA
(Member’s Statement)
Ms B S MASANGO (DA): Hon Deputy Speaker, a recent headline of
a baby thrown out of a window of a moving car sent shockwaves


 
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across South Africa and thrust the long reported but shunned
scourge of child abandonment into the spotlight. With
statistics being scarce and plans to prevent this barbaric war
against children almost nonexistent, researchers have had to
extract information from mortuaries to highlight the need for
something to be done about this brutal reality.
Shocking statistics indicate that in South Africa, 84% of all
neonaticides and infanticides recorded result from child
abandonment, far higher than the USA and UK statistics. The
question we have to ask ourselves — and work together across
all sectors and disciplines — and to answer is why this is so
prevalent and how we can stop it. There is no excuse for us
not having a comprehensive body of research into child
abandonment, given the prevalence of this scourge.
The DA believes that there is a need for a deliberate effort
by all relevant departments to urgently commit resources to
uncover the causes of child abandonment and develop strategies
to stop it before one more life is lost. Simply looking the
other way is no longer an option. It won’t go away but it will
accentuate the high levels of child abuse and neglect by the
current ANC government that wants its citizens to think it


 
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cares for the vulnerable in society. This is unacceptable.
Thank you, hon Deputy Speaker.
COMMERCIALISATION OF HEMP AND CANNABIS
(Member’s Statement)
Ms J HERMANS (ANC): Deputy Speaker, we welcome the
announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his state of the
nation address to support hemp and cannabis farming for people
in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. This is a big step
towards the commercialisation of hemp and cannabis, and will
unlock many opportunities which has the potential to create in
excess of 100 000 jobs with the right support from government
and its development finance institutions. The people,
particularly in Pondoland in the Eastern Cape, stand to
benefit the most from this announcement, which will have
broader economic growth implications for the Eastern Cape
economy.
We also welcome the announcement by the Premier of the Eastern
Cape, Premier Oscar Mabuyane, on Thursday night during his
state of the province address, that an advisory panel to guide


 
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the development of the province’s cannabis economy has been
appointed. I thank you, Deputy Speaker.
ARMED FORCES DAY
(Member’s Statement)
Mr T N MMUTLE (ANC): Hon Deputy Speaker, on Monday 21 February
2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa, a real Commander-in-Chief of
the SA Defence Force, not the artificial one in red,
officiated at the annual Armed Forces Day in Barberton and
Mbombela in Mpumalanga to commemorate ... [Interjections.]
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: (Inaudible.) ... just read. You’re so
young, you can’t read. Just read!
Mr T N MMUTLE: ... the worst naval tragedy in the country’s
history.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, hon member, what are you rising on?
Just hold on, hon member. Please take your seat. Yes, what are
you rising on?
Mr T N MMUTLE: The artificial red.


 
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Mr M N PAULSEN: Deputy Speaker, Parliament provided all
members with printers. Are the ANC members not using their
printers? They are reading from their cell phones. [Laughter.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No-one must be left behind. Don’t laugh.
[Laughter.] Go ahead, hon member.
Mr T N MMUTLE: Hon Deputy Speaker, the mission is
accomplished. He wanted you to laugh.
The sinking of the troopship SS Mendi in the English Channel
on 21 February 1917 ... more than 600 SA Native Labour Corps
troops drowned when the ill-fated troopship was struck by the
SS Darro.
The ANC is grateful for the role that our soldiers have played
in peacekeeping, and for helping the police during the unrest
and in the enforcement of the lockdown in the country. They
played a critical part during the unrest by assisting law
enforcement agencies to restore order and protect key economic
infrastructure.
In addition, when Parliament was engulfed by fire at the
beginning of this year, the personnel from Air Force Base


 
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Ysterplaat Military Aviation Rescue and Firefighting Services
were part of the first responders to douse the flames. These
brave men and women are always there to restore stability and
prevent a spillover of the conflict in other countries. We
thank them for their contribution. Thank you very much, hon
Deputy Speaker. [Applause.]
NATIONAL POLICE COMMISIONER SITOLE’S GOLDEN HANDSHAKE
(Member’s Statement)
Mr A G WHITFIELD (DA): Deputy Speaker, yesterday the DA
submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act, Paia,
application to obtain the details of President Ramaphosa’s
golden handshake with National Commissioner of Police Gen
Khehla Sitole.
It is unconscionable that the President would waste taxpayers’
money in settling a political squabble between his Minister
and the National Commissioner of Police when he had already
initiated formal disciplinary proceedings against the
commissioner.


 
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In September last year, the President issued Sitole with a
notice of intention to suspend. Logically, this should’ve been
followed by a board of inquiry but instead was followed by
months of silence and inaction from the Presidency. Only after
Sitole’s recent public utterances about receiving political
instructions from former Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula to
procure the National Recreation Centre, Nasrec, spy grabber
device, did the President actually jump into action, not in
the interest of the country as he says but in the interest of
the ANC. Sitole was set to lift the lid on the dodgy ANC
dealings surrounding Nasrec. So the President has silenced him
with a golden handshake.
The DA will not rest until the full details of this dodgy deal
are exposed. If we are going to rebuild the SA Police Service,
it has to be done from a foundation of transparency and trust.
It cannot be built on a foundation of hidden agendas and
golden handshakes. [Applause.]
LAND HUNGER IN SOUTH AFRICA
(Member’s Statement)


 
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Mr M K MONTWEDI (EFF): Deputy Speaker, land hunger continues
to be a very serious problem facing only black people in this
country, for both human settlement and agricultural purposes,
with the state thus far having failed dismally to restore a
black child’s pride by returning stolen land.
The EFF sponsored a motion on expropriation of land without
compensation and the ANC government failed to support an EFF
motion that could have changed landownership patterns of the
Republic of South Africa to be reflective of the demographics
of the country. History will judge the ANC and its leadership
under Ramaphosa harshly, hence the electoral decline in every
election.
Let me speak to the land that the ANC government claimed to
have returned to our people with specific focus on land
restituted through the Communal Property Associations, CPA,
model. The reality of the matter is that more than 70% of CPAs
are failing to comply with the Communal Property Associations
Act because they are not adequately supported by the
department where land is restored to our people and set up for
failure.


 
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The 2020-21 CPA annual report unashamedly paints a very bleak
picture about CPAs, where the department is still admitting to
internal capacity ... in supporting CPAs. This internal
capacity ... was raised even before 2019. I heard it for the
first time in 2019 when I arrived in Parliament. The report
also states that 21 CPAs have sold land restituted to them
without mentioning how many hectares.
The Minister brought the Communal Property Associations
Amendment Bill and they claimed that the Bill will assist in
bringing about capacity. Thus far we are not seeing any
changes. Parliament processed the Bill and it is gathering
dust, sitting in the offices of Ramaphosa.
Land is restored through CPAs and government ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, it’s President or Mr if you
wish. You know the Rules. Yes, do so.
Mr M K MONTWEDI: Okay, I will do that next time, if I can
mention ... [Inaudible.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, no, you do it now. You do it now.


 
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Mr M K MONTWEDI: Okay, Mr. Thank you, Mr. Land is restored
through CPAs and government is failing to report that some of
the land restored was very productive agricultural land,
currently run down by CPAs due to lack of support from the
department.
Lack of support to CPAs has resulted in Bakgatlha-Ba-Kgafela
CPA in the North West going beyond land restored to them
within the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, and now administering
privately owned land and causing serious confusion within the
community of Bakgatlha-Ba-Kgafela.
Is it now not the time for this House to have a discussion ...
if CPAs are still the right vehicle for communal
landownership, as what we are seeing is shocking, where land
restored to CPAs is still worked by white land thieves because
of the failure by the department in supporting our people.
In conclusion, we are calling on Mr President to stop sleeping
on duty and sign off all Bills currently before ...
[Inaudible.] [Time expired.]
FINANCE MINISTER'S BUDGET SPEECH


 
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(Member’s Statement)
Ms P N ABRAHAM (ANC): Hon Deputy Speaker, the ANC welcomes the
Minister of Finance's Budget Speech delivered on behalf of the
executive on Wednesday, 23 February 2022 in the Good Hope
Chamber in Parliament. We believe that the 2022 Budget speaks
to the poor and vulnerable in that it increases the social
wage to 59% of total noninterest spending. This is aimed at
addressing poverty and unemployment, and to support economic
recovery. Half of the population now receive at least one
grant from the state. On spending programmes, we welcome the
medium-term allocation of R76 billion for job creation
programmes. In addition, R18 billion is made available for the
Presidential Employment Initiative, totalling R94 billion.
The small business loan guarantees of R15 billion that will be
facilitated through participating banks and development
finance institutions will also assist in job opportunities. We
are pleased to see that household consumption has grown by
5,6% in 2021 and is expected to grow by 2,5% in 2022. This is
a major driver in the economy and a positive signal for demand
side growth. We welcome the R110 billion set aside for
spending priorities. These include the COVID-19 Social Relief
of Distress Grant, which is extended for another 12 months;


 
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bursaries for students benefiting from the National Student
Financial Aid Scheme, NSFAS, and the Presidential Employment
Initiative; and an additional R52 billion financial support to
current bursary holders and first-year students under NSFAS. I
thank you, hon Deputy Speaker.
R15 BILLION OFFER - UMZIMVUBU WATER PROJECT
(Member’s Statement)
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: The R15 billion needed to raise the hopes
of African child dying a slow death of thirst can be in the
bank this month to build the long awaited nearly 100 metre
high wall for the Umzimvubu Cathman Water Project Maclear in
Joe Gqabi District Municipality mentioned in the 2022 in SONA
in the Sixth Parliament by President Ramaphosa to provide
water to one million residents around Maclear in the informal
Transkei in an area where our first struggle icons came from
[Inaudible.] apartheid but an area which is the last to get
water 28 years after liberation.
For Al Jama-ah this is a grand resistance dam. The hon Chief
Pemmy Majola is the home girl of the district. How will I ever
need help of Parliament through the office of the Speaker to


 
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safeguard and be on high oversight alert and help submit the
R15 billion offer needed to the Minister of Water. So, he had
in spite of funding being very hard to find it is not scuttle
by the long lines of spoilers.
I need Parliament’s help with my concern of the joining
Parliament Water and Sanitation Portfolio Committee under the
leadership of committee Chair hon Mashego on a week-long visit
to the Eastern Cape.
My statement on Al Jama-ah’s 15th birthday which Al Jama-ah
gets the speaking opportunity once a year is, will Parliament
play the extensive oversight role that is now required or sit
back and not carry out its mandate and ignore further long
delays to build the Uzumvubu Dam. Thank you very much hon
Deputy Speaker
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I noticed the Chief Whip of the Majority
Party. The operative word is Pemmy, forget about the rest.
NEW LAWS TO STRENGTHEN FIGHT AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
(Member’s Statement)


 
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Sepedi:
Moh C PHIRI: Modulasetulo, ke kgopela tumelelo ya gago ke time
vidio gore ke be le kamogelo ye botse ka gore ke kua kgauswi
le mollwane wa Zimbabwe.
Sesotho:
MOTLATSI WA SEPIKARA: Ho lokile mme, tswela pele.
Sepedi:
Moh C PHIRI (ANC): Ke tlile go bolela ka melao ye meswa ya go
tii?et?a twant?ho kgahlanong le tlai?o ya basadi le bana.
English
In response to the suffering the women and children of this
country are subjected to, the ANC led government passes laws
designed to protect them. President Ramaphosa recently signed
into law three pieces of legislation that honour our
government’s commitment to strengthen the criminal justice
system, promote accountability across the state and put
support for survivors at the centre of all our effort.
The President signed off on the Criminal Law Amendment Bill,
the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill and the
Domestic Violence Amendment Bill. These will see all sexual


 
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offenders listed on a national register and it will make it
easier for victims to give evidence and will provide the
support structure for the implementation of protection orders.
The enactment of legislation that protects victims of abuse
and makes it more difficult for perpetrators to escape justice
is a major step forward in government’s effort against this
pandemic
Sepedi:
Ke a leboga, Modulasetulo.
RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE
(Member’s Statement)
Mr D BERGMAN:There can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that we
are in the midst of a full-on Russian invasion of Ukraine. The
casualties are piling up and the risk of an onslaught on Kiev
ever encroaching.
The DA has called on South Africa from months ago to use its
position in BRICS and proximity to President Vladimir Putin to
de-escalate the rising tensions that have been advancing since


 
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at least 2014. This has been an opportune time for the ANC to
reclaim some really lost space in the international arena by
making some positive gains from a series of blaring blusters.
The DA was hopeful when it saw the DIRCO press release that
seemed to be the voice of the Minister Naledi Pandor
condemning the actions of Russia and supported those calls as
well.
We were taken aback by reports in the Sunday Times that
suggested that President Cyril Ramaphosa was not happy with
this position and that we needed a more even-keeled position
and referred to his mediation statement.
We were then confused when the ANC came into the fray with
Minister Lindiwe Zulu’s statement which seemed to take the
party further back from discussion and confuse the country as
to where we now stand whilst the rest of the world seems very
united and vividly clear that there should be no threat of
World War III and that Russia needs to be stopped at all
costs.
It did not help when our leader John Steenhuisen exposed how
the ANC and our Chief of Defence happily paraded themselves at


 
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the Defender of the Fatherland Day celebration at the Russian
embassy while the injuries and deaths in Ukraine were piling
up.
The question that therefore needs to be clearly asked of the
Executive today is where does the Government stand in the
conflict? And will they be joining the rest of the world in
calling for sanctions against Russia, and if so, when will
this call be made?
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: I can’t see you from where I’m sitting,
pardon me it’s my vision, it’s not you. So, please go ahead.
NATIONAL POLICE COMMISIONER SITOLE’S GOLDEN HANDSHAKE
(Minister’s Response)
THE MINISTER OF POLICE: Thank you very much hon Deputy
Speaker. Indeed, I would concur with hon Whitfield that they
want transparency as we do want transparency about the abuser
of the leader of the DA in this province who happens to the
MEC and abuses women. Yes, he has abused women. He calls them
in the office as interns and get on top of them. Parly wants


 
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DA, Women and mothers to stand up on this one and don’t put
politics on this one. Please defend the weak, defend the women
that have been abused in the name of being employed.
Secondly, I don’t know why it took so long to realise that the
police are doing a good job. By the way, what they did in
Rosettenville is much smaller than what they did in Midrand
late last year where they arrested 25 of these guys and gunned
down five of them. This was the third one after Donville. So,
one must be very comfortable with the police doing very well
when it comes to ...[Inaudible.]... including what they did
yesterday morning in Delmas to those who were trying to cause
havoc there.
But also, the special team that is dealing with kidnappings is
doing very well. It took only three days to arrest the
kidnappers including those from Vereeniging, seven of those
that wanted a ransom. If you can at least applaud the police
on this one for the good work that they are doing. We
congratulate the police on what has been raised by General
Holomisa. It is something that we are looking at.
Mr M N PAULSEN: Deputy Speaker?


 
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THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: What are you rising on hon member? Hold on
Minister.
Mr N PAULSEN: Hon Deputy Speaker, why are we cheering the hon
Minister? Why are we cheering them for doing their job, they
are paid to catch criminals?
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Take you seat hon member. You are out of
order in the first place. There’s no rule that allows you to
do what you are doing. You have no basis to do that. So, just
take your seat and be comfortable for a short while. You will
be home soon.
Mr M N PAULSEN: I’ll never be comfortable with the ANC
government.
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister please go ahead and finish.
THE MINISTER OF POLICE: Deputy Speaker, I don’t want to be
cheered. I said cheer for the members of the South African
Police not me. I don’t want to be cheered, I don’t want
anybody cheering me on this one but cheer the members of the
South African Police who are doing a good job.


 
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On the organ issue of dealing with the trust national crimes,
yes, the organ is working. The Ministers are meeting with
police in these areas including the police dealing with these
matters as you see that the criminals are becoming blatant and
crossing boarders especially Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique
and Lesotho. We are handling that together to ensure that we
respond. Thank you very much Deputy Speaker.
Ms S GWARUBE: Sorry?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: What are you rising on hon member?
Ms S GWARUBE: Deputy Speaker, in accordance to the NA,
Ministers are meant to use the opportunity of the Ministerial
executives to respond directly to members who have made member
statements. And the Minister is yet to respond to what hon
Whitfield has said. So, would you please provide some clarity
on that?
THE DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you hon member. Yes, the Ministers
will respond. Hon member we haven’t even finished. Go ahead.
Who is the next ministerial response?


 
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The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, hon member. Yes, the Ministers
will respond, hon member, we haven’t even finished. Go ahead.
Who is the next Minister? I mean Ministerial response? Hon
members, are there any further Ministerial responses?
[Interjections.] No, hon members ... Yes, for once in your
life time you are right. It is unacceptable that we do not
have enough Ministerial responses. At least six. We will take
this with the appropriate authorities to talk about it. It is
not appropriate. [Interjections.] No, no, no, can you ...
The MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES: Hon Deputy
Speaker?
The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: We have our hands up
The MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES: Our hands
are up on the virtual platform.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon members, when you are on the virtual
platform, please just speak so that we hear you that you are
there because the hand is not visible as you can see that I am
not looking at any screen before me. So, I can’t see you.
Please go ahead. Is it Deputy Minister? Ministers, who is
going to start? Please go ahead.


 
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COMMERCIALISATION OF HEMP AND CANNABIS IN SOUTH AFRICA
(Minister’s Response)
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND COMPETITION: Deputy
Speaker, I would like to respond to the statement made on the
announcement made by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his state of
the nation address to support hemp and cannabis
commercialisation. We also welcome this statement as the
Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, DTIC, and we
also welcome the progress made by the provinces in trying to
commercialise this sector.
The DTIC is playing an integral role in the development of the
cannabis master plan which is led by the Department of
Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, and leads the
product development and manufacturing and market development
pillars of the master plan.
As part of supporting the industry, the DTIC will develop a
commercialisation policy to leverage on opportunities arising
from industrialisation of cannabis and hemp in the areas of
clothing, textile, leather including footwear, agro
processing, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics and facilitate


 
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investments to establish the manufacturing plants that will be
used to produce medicine, cosmetics, food and textile and
other value-added products. The DTIC will also facilitate
local and export market for cannabis products.
The DTIC, together with Industrial Development Corporation,
IDC, will also explore the possibility of having support
measures to support the sector. Thank you very much, Deputy
Speaker.
CHILD ABANDONMENT AND NEGLECT IN SOUTH AFRICA
(Minister’s Response)
The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Thank you very much,
Chairperson. I just wanted to quickly thank hon Masango for
bringing on board an issue that is of major concern to us too
that is related to child abandonment, and to say that as the
Department of Social Development we are responsible for the
wellbeing of children and we have to connect with other
departments that are relevant for this issue. We thank hon
Masango for bringing it up, and I am sure we will discuss it
at the portfolio committee. Thank you very much.


 
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NEW LAWS TO STRENGTHEN FIGHT AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
(Minister’s Response)
The MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES: Deputy
Speaker, I will request not to switch on my video due to the
fact that I am currently on some medication. We also want to
welcome the statement with regards to the three Bills that
will help us deal with gender-based violence, GBV, in the
country. One of the Bills will enable members of society and
the community to lodge their forms through digital platforms
which we have already started in the Durban North Point Court
as a form of a pilot project. As the Bills come into place, we
are hoping to do it countrywide which we believe will
contribute a lot in helping victims of gender-based violence
to access justice from wherever they are. That will also help
authorities to be able to pick it up and be enabled to respond
as quickly as possible.
One of the Bills also makes it compulsory, which is now the
Act, for anyone who is aware of domestic abuse to report it to
the nearest authorities. We believe that this will help for
communities to come in and play a key role in the fight
against gender-based violence. We are hoping that communities


 
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will do so in their numbers because somewhere somehow every
one of us knows someone who could be abused or an abuser. This
is now a fight for all South Africans to take to each and
every corner of the country and let us make this country a
gender violence free country. It is upon us and all of us as
South Africans we can do it. Now enabled by law we have no
reasons to hide and not report any gender-based violence issue
that we are aware of. Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH: Hon Deputy Speaker ...
[Interjections.]
Mr A H M PAPO: Deputy Speaker, on a point of order.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry, hon Minister. What is the point of
order?
Mr A H M PAPO: When we started the sitting you requested us to
keep our masks on and only remove them when we are speaking.
Member Paulsen has permanently removed and not having his mask
on in defiance of the Rules which you have outlined. I was
just raising that because we can’t have a member who doesn’t
follow what we are supposed to be doing in the House.


 
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The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Okay, sustained.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Point of order, Chair.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Paulsen ... [Interjections.]
Mr M N PAULSEN: Stop complaining and showing me a ...
[Inaudible.] ... sign. We will meet outside! We will meet
outside!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Paulsen ... Hon members, order! Order,
hon members. You can’t be making ... [Interjections.]
Mr M N PAULSEN: Deputy Speaker? [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, hon member, I never gave you the right
to speak in the first place. [Interjections.]
Mr M N PAULSEN: These old men are threatening me. I want you
to remember they threatened first! They threatened first! They
must remember that!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member ... [Interjections.]


 
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Mr M N PAULSEN: you only threaten me once, after that ...
[Interjections.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Paulsen, I think that you owe the
House a little bit of respect. Don’t speak – I haven’t given
you a chance to speak. Don’t speak, and I will not allow you
to speak. You owe ... [Interjections.] Hon member, you can’t
be screaming like that in the House.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon members at the back there, can you
stop that please?
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, go ahead hon Natasha.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. Deputy
Speaker, it is really unparliamentary. First of all, let me
start with hon Hope. Right behind her the guy was not wearing
his mask or the member was not wearing his mask. That is why
they say sweep first in front of your door before you go and
sweep at another person’s door. So, he must ... [Inaudible.]


 
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... hon Paulsen. Secondly, there are two old men threatening
hon Nazir Paulsen. They must stop with that attitude of
threatening our members. We will not threaten them — we will
action very fast. They must not attempt ... [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon members, be careful of the language
you are using. You shouldn’t be doing that in the first place
— two wrongs don’t make a right. None of you must be behaving
as you do right now. It is not in order and I expect you
otherwise. Can you allow us to proceed with the House
proceedings please, and stop what you are doing?
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Deputy Speaker, I called a point of order
earlier on.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: What are you rising on, hon member? I have
ruled on the matter.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: No, it is not on this matter because hon
Ntlangwini has attended this matter. Deputy Speaker, I wanted
to say that you have said to all of us when we speak here,
especially using our gadgets, it must be quiet. When the hon
Minister was responding here, we could hear his kids behind.
Can you also make sure that all of us follow the same Rules?


 
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The DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is the Rule, there is no problem with
that. We should always attend to that, but when things like
that happens no one plans them. So, I hope we will attend to
it generally. It is not a problem that we need to continue to
have.
Hon members, I request that we proceed. Is there any last ...
Oh, yes, hon Dlhomo, you were about to speak?
VACCINE MANDATES FOR UNIVERSITIES
(Minister’s Response)
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH: Hon Deputy Speaker, on the
issues of vaccines for COVID-19 in the country we are
currently using Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines. Those
are the ones that were available earlier on and were then
procured. We do have enough of those vaccines and all we
really would like to request is that members can encourage
South Africans to come forward and vaccinate.
It is also true that South African Health Products Regulatory
Authority, SAHPRA, has recently approved the use of Sinopharm
and Sinovac. They are both vaccines for COVID-19 manufactured


 
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and coming in from the People’s Republic of China. However,
there is no plan to procure them as yet because we have enough
vaccines. So, it is not about the President not wanting us to
procure them, it is just that we have enough stock of these
two vaccines that we procured. But Sinopharm and Sinovac are
now available in the country and have since been approved by
SAHPRA for use. We are not going to procure them for now
because we have enough vaccines. Thank you very much, Deputy
Speaker.
CONSIDERATION OF NATIONAL FORESTS AMENDMENT BILL AND OF REPORT
OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND ENVIRONMENT
THEREON
Ms N GANTSHO: Hon Deputy Speaker, good afternoon, hon members.
The National Forests Amendment Bill under consideration by
this House was introduced to Parliament during the Fifth
Parliament in July 2016.
The Bill was initially processed by the former agriculture,
forestry and fisheries committee and is being finalised during
this term by the reconfigured committee on environment,
forestry and fisheries during this term.


 
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The National Forests Amendment Bill, B11-2016, was tagged as
section 76 after the Joint Tagging Mechanism of Parliament
disagreed with the department’s tagging as a section 75,
largely due to the content of the Bill that affected
provinces. The contentious issue was the mention of indigenous
forests and nature conservation that are largely concurrent
competencies.
The previous Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries received submissions, they held briefings and public
hearings in 2016 in Parliament and extended public hearings in
2017 outside Parliament; deliberated and adopted introduced
amendments.
The National Assembly passed the amended Bill in 2018 and
referred it to the NCOP for concurrence.
The Bill lapsed in May 2019 and was revised in October of the
same year. Then the NCOP followed the due processes from 2019
and finally debated and passed it in December 2021 and
returned it to the National Assembly for concurrence.


 
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The portfolio committee considered and agreed with the version
of the National Forests Amendment Bill from the NCOP. The
amendments were fairly short and straightforward.
The amendments addressed trusteeship for the management of
national forests, the lack of efficient emergency measures
that halt the destruction of forests, the lack of provisions
for appeal processes in the Principal Act, inadequate
cooperative governance arrangements, lack of clarity of some
terms in the Act, and non-alignment of certain provisions of
the Act with the Constitution of the Republic and matters on
gender and people living with disabilities.
The committee is satisfied that the amendment Bill is
positioned to advance critical provisions in the Constitution,
particularly section 24 of the Constitution that advocates for
environmental rights, sustainable development and
transformation of society and the economy.
The National Forests Amendment promotes the sustainable
management and development of forests and provides for the
protection of certain forests and trees.


 
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The Bill plays a critical role in transforming the forestry
landscape to promote diverse participation in the forestry
sector and enable communities to derive economic value from
biodiversity.
The introduced amendments are in the same spirit as the
Principal Act. It is within this context that I would like to
appreciate the effort of the previous committees that
processed the Bill, and the members of the current Portfolio
Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries.
We are looking forward to the implementation of the
legislation, particularly to improvement of co-operative
governance, development of biological assets and beneficiation
in communities for the benefit of current and future
generations.
I hereby recommended that the House adopts the presentation of
the National Forests Amendment Bill. I thank You! [Applause.]
The Chief Whip of the Majority Party moved: That the Bill, as
amended, be passed.
Declaration of vote:


 
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Mrs C PHILLIPS: Deputy Speaker, South Africa is a country
blessed with an amazing climate and an extensive biodiversity
rarely found anywhere else in world, and a mineral wealth that
far outweighs that of many other countries.
A country that has one of the best Constitutions in the world
with world-class legislation; a country which belongs to all
who live in it, united in our diversity.
The DA supports amendments to regulations that aim to improve
the quality of life for all South Africans.
Unfortunately, all too often, our laws and regulations are
simply not enforced due to the lack of political will,
corruption and understaffed, undertrained and underequipped
law enforcement personnel.
The DA raised our concerns in the portfolio committee meeting
regarding the amendments as they were discussed in the last
Parliament with the previous committee and then came back to a
committee in a new Parliament with very few members who had
been properly briefed in the previous term.


 
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Section 13 of the National Environmental Management Air
Quality Act, clause 51 in the revised Bill, seeks to amend
this section and to empower the Minister with the
discretionary power to provide to appoint the membership of
the National Air Quality Committee.
The membership of such a committee should be an open process
to ensure that those who are appointed are fit for purpose,
have the requisite expertise, appropriate knowledge and most
importantly, are not simply shuls of the big oil and gas
corporations allied with the ruling party who seek to
encourage corruption in order to prolong our dependency on
fossil fields with little regard for our air quality and our
obligation to reduce carbon emissions.
We recently seen how the Minister of Mineral Resources and
Energy was able to issue a permit for seismic blasting with no
consideration for the local people or the environment.
According to Minister Creecy she could not intervene and the
only way to protect the affected parties was to approach the
court.
President Ramaphosa, why appoint so many Ministers if some
Ministers are more equal than others?


 
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We recently seen the Limpopo provincial government grant
permission for a Chinese-built coal-fire powerstation in
Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone. This permission shows
little or no regard for the required reduction in carbon
emissions that are so vital for the survival of our planet.
The United Phosphorus Limited, UPL, explosion has caused
damage to our environment that despite the intervention of our
top scientists it’s going to take up to 16 years for the
surrounding environment to recover.
While the DA absolutely supports economic development and job
creation, we cannot allow the Trade and Industry’s Minister to
keep pushing these developments at all costs.
The long-term consequences are already a reality in KwaZulu-
Natal that our children and our grandchildren should not have
to live with.
It is extremely consorting that our Ministers appear to act,
well, actually when they do, in silos, often in the interest
of big business, themselves and the ANC.


 
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Our Minister of Water Affairs stands by and watches as
thousands of tons of coal slurry wash down the Umfolozi River
after slymers dam at a coal mine veld.
Our Minister of Public Enterprises rings his hands in despair
when the country is loadshed again by Eskom, which leads to
sewerage pumps not working and millions of litres of extra
sewerage runs into our rivers, dams and the ocean.
My own town has been devastated by constant, prolonged power
outages caused not only by loadshedding but by theft and
vandalisms. Arrest? Hmm! I hear the Frank Sinatra’s song, Just
Like Regrets. There have been a few, far few to mention.
Our Minister of Police is thrilled when 20 protestors, many of
whom actually handed themselves in, are arrested after untold
air and water pollution has been caused by thousands of
protestors.
Our Minister of trade and Industry welcomes the Chinese
development of the special economic zone in Limpopo without a
care for the pollution created by the coal-fire powered
generation and other polluting industries.


 
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Our Minister of Labour is just so happy that there’s a
possibility of job creation that the degradation of the
quality of air that those people and their families will have
to live with just doesn’t seem to matter.
Deputy Speaker, we need a capable Cabinet of Ministers who do
not operate in silos, Ministers who do not put self-interest
and party first. Regulations and amendments remain just words
on paper until we have Ministers with the political will to
enforce them. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr M N PAULSEN: Deputy Speaker, I think I am the only one
awaken that knows that the hon Phillips was declaring the
wrong Bill. But anyway, back to the Forest Amendment Bill.
Deputy Speaker, when this Bill was tabled in this House, we
rejected it because we felt that it missed an opportunity to
transform the forestry industry, to break up the monopolies
that dominate it, and to create a legislative framework for a
thorough transformative drive in the industry.
The various iterations that the Bill has gone through at the
NCOP do no change our view that this Bill has failed to
provide solutions to the many challenges faced by people who
work in the forestry industry, those who live adjacent to


 
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forests, and those whose claims to land held by forestry
companies have been frustrated for the past two decades.
South Africa has extensive and valuable forest resources that
are valued for their biological diversity, for medicinal and
local uses, and for their aesthetic and spiritual values.
South Africa has more than 1,49 million hectares of industrial
forest plantations, and these plantations support a multi-
billion-rand industry, employing over a hundred thousand
people.
During the extensive public hearings, we heard first hand, the
conditions forest dwellers and forestry industry workers
experienced, and none of the amendments have addressed those
issues. Forestry development offers real opportunities for
poverty alleviation, employment and enterprise development in
the forestry communities and can therefore serve as a catalyst
to community development and upliftment.
The state owns a large chunk of these forests, and has opted
to lease them out to various white owned companies to next to
nothing. These companies, such as the Amathole Forestry
Company have no regard for the law or the people they work
with. The State has not facilitated any meaningful community


 
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involvement in the management of the forests adjacent to these
communities.
Communities should be empowered with skills and financial
resources required to establish forestry enterprises on their
own. We want forestry development projects to be socially,
economically and environmentally sustainable. Communities and
black emerging enterprises should not only be encouraged and
assisted to plant trees, but should participate in downstream
beneficiation and value-adding activities such as non-timber
forest products, eco-tourism and agroforestry.
We need revisit the role that South African Forestry Company
SOC Limited, SAFCOL, plays in the forestry industry. This
state-owned company currently resides in Public Enterprises.
Under the current Public Enterprises Minister, we have seen
how much of our forestry functions have been privatised and
further reducing public benefit in the forestry industry.
SAFCOL workers were promised they will receive shares if they
move to MTO, a private forestry company. Most SAFCOL workers
never received the shares they were promised if they move to
SAFCOL. Instead they were retrenched and bullied into early
retirement. We therefore reject this Bill.


 
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Mr N SINGH: Hon Deputy Speaker, hon colleagues, the critical
need to remedy deforestation cannot be overemphasised. Daily,
we witness the devastating impacts of climate change and in
the interest of future generations we need to act swiftly and
urgently in preserving our forests and woodlands.
It has been estimated that globally, forests could provide
more than one-third of the total CO2 reductions that are
required to keep global warming below 2°C until 2030. Further,
forests play a critical role in reducing soil erosion and
floods. With their rich animal and plant biodiversity, the
preservation and management of our forests must be central to
our environmental commitments.
The IFP strongly supports the Bill’s proposal to dramatically
increase the penalty amount provided for in the National
Forest Act, from R50 000 to R10 million, with the possibility
of imprisonment for certain categories of offences. Hon
members, as we always need to stress that our well-crafted
laws are only as effective as those who enforce these
provisions. The increase in penalties will mean very little if
we do not ensure that the forestry officers mandated to
patrol, seize and arrest in terms of the National Forest Act,
are well-equipped to fulfil these crucial functions.


 
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The Bill’s proposal to include people from vulnerable and
previously disadvantaged groups in the National Forests
Advisory Council, is a much-needed amendment. The need to
encourage participation of local people who rely on forestry
for their livelihoods, is fundamental for sustainable forest
management. It is very much aligned with recent emphasis
placed by our courts on the importance of including local
communities in environmental decisions.
Deputy Speaker, Ammucare Charitable Trust Foundation, known as
ACT, is a globally charity community operator in several
countries and it is founded by a spiritual leader,
humanitarian and philanthropist known as Mohanji. The local
branch is represented in South Africa by Ms Sulosh Pillay.
This organisation has already planted forest gardens in
Uganda, undertaking reforesting products in United Kingdom and
Mozambique. And it is currently involved in a fruit tree
plantation drive for 100 000 trees to celebrate the birthday
month of the founder. As he states:
Fruit tree plantation is not just an act of kindness; it
is a social responsibility. This is giving the fruits of
kindness to the coming generations beyond species. Fill
the forests with fruit trees. Plant more fruit trees in


 
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and around your city. It brings sweet grace to our lives
beyond time.
More organisations should follow this example. In conclusion,
the IFP strongly supports the objectives of the long-awaited
National Forest Amendment Bill and we support the committee’s
recommendation that the National Assembly approves the
amendments as made by the NCOP. I thank you.
Ms T BREEDT: Deputy Speaker, the National Forest Amendment
Bill has been amended by the other House and returned to the
National Assembly for concurrence. The Bill was initially
tabled in Parliament of July 2016, lapsed at the end of fifth
Parliament and we have revived it in this sixth Parliament.
The initial aim of the Bill was to amend the National Forest
Act of 1998 and to provide clear definitions of natural
forests and woodlands; to provide for public trusteeship of
the nation’s forestry resources; to increase the promotion and
enforcement of sustainable forest management; to increase the
measures provided for in the Act to control and remedy
deforestation; to provide for appeals against decisions
undertaken under delegated powers and duties; reinforce
offences and penalties, as my colleagues have extensively


 
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mentioned; and to provide for matters connected ...
[Inaudible.] ...
The proposed amendment of the other House is aiming to
strengthen provisions or promoting sustainable forest
management and not to change the current administrative
processes of the functional areas listed in Schedule 4 of the
Constitution. The proposed amendments will also not affect the
current provision mandate with regard to the management of
forests.
The principal Act further has various mechanisms to promote
the use of forests for the benefit of all. These have not been
affected by these proposed amendments. As a colleague
commented, these amendments are quite self-explanatory. These
amendments make the Bill better, but the implementation
thereof remains to be seen.
Deputy Speaker, Inkosi Buthelezi rightfully remarked once
that; it is the responsibility of all South Africans to
safeguard our environment and this must be a shared
responsibility. Chairperson, the FF Plus will support the
Bill. I thank you.


 
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Mr S N SWART: Deputy Speaker, the National Forests Amendment
Bill was introduced in 2016, that means the previous
Parliament spent three years dealing with what doesn’t seem to
be a very contentious Bill and it was not able to complete it.
Now, six years later eventually this amendment Bill has been
passed. I think we need to look very carefully at how
Parliament passes Bills which are not controversial and the
time that is taken. We have all agreed that this Bill is
necessary. It amends the National Forests Act to provide for a
clear definition of forestry, woodlands and public ownership
of its spaces to increase the promotion and enforcement of
sustainable forest management and to control and remedy
deforestation. There is nothing contentious about this. Thus
the ACDP supports it. We all sputtered it.
The challenge then is when one looks at the whole process from
the National Assembly to the NCOP. We are now sitting in 2022.
We have elections in two years. We then need to look at what
happens with all the Bills we are dealing with at the moment
that might lapse to the 2024 elections. Otherwise we will have
the same situation. I think we need to look carefully at it,
Deputy Speaker – how we deal with Bills that could pass on to
the next Parliament.


 
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The second issue which I need to highlight is the increase in
the penalty which all parties supported - from 50 000 to
R10 million. But being the longest serving member in the
Justice portfolio committee I know the challenges facing our
criminal justice sector. How are they going to manage dealing
with this very serious penalties that will have to be dealt
with in a higher court? I think that’s an issue that needs to
be highlighted. What the chairperson pointed out when the
portfolio committee was doing hearings on this issue is the
implementation. One of the aspects of every Bill that is
brought before Parliament is to what degree has been properly
costed. Can it be implemented? And the impact as I am
indicating there will be an impact from the criminal justice
perspective when one looks at the implementation of this much-
needed Bill.
We support the issue of the improvement of co=operative
governance and the beneficiation of communities. This is very
good. This is a very good amendment. The question is, why did
it take so long for it to be passed? The ACDP supports this
Bill. I thank you.
Mr B N HERRON: Deputy Speaker, we have no declaration to make,
but we support the Bill. Thank you.


 
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Mr C H M SIBISI: Deputy Speaker, the NFP welcomes the Bill,
but we emphasise that enforcement mechanisms need to be put in
place. The structures of the charter council and the
established trust must perform allocated tasks properly. The
Minister and Parliament must evaluate and monitor actions to
increase oversight and whip where necessary for the benefit of
citizens. I thank you, Deputy Speaker.
Mr S M JAFTA: Deputy Speaker, we have no reason not to support
the amendments. You can proceed, Deputy Speaker.
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Deputy Speaker, Al Jama-ah supports the
amendments. Thank you, hon Deputy Speaker.
Ms T V B MCHUNU: Deputy Speaker, Ministers, Deputy Ministers
and members of the House, the ANC recognises the importance of
protecting the environment in order to guarantee the future
wellbeing of the coming generation. Our environment is our
greatest source of wealth for the nation. This contributes
directly to the economic development of our country. Our
country has one of the richest forestry ecosystem and
contributes meaningfully to job creation. The country’s forest
landscape has contributed to the development of many
industries such as paper and furniture making industries. We


 
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also know of the importance that our country’s forests play in
terms of mitigating against carbon emissions.
Section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic commits us to
use our natural resources in a sustainable manner while
deriving economic benefits from such use. It is important to
promote our national forest against various other forms of
destruction. The destruction of the country’s forestry either
through fire or other causes has a negative impact not only on
climate change, but on the socioeconomic wellbeing of the
communities that are residing next to these forests.
We all know of the destructive impact of the outbreak of
COVID-19 on our country’s economy. The economic reconstruction
and recovery plan has put growing our economy at the centre of
the plan and the forestry sector has a definite positive role
to play in this plan. As the ANC we are most concerned about
the wellbeing of the workers and our biasness towards the
working class is under no doubt. There are many job
opportunities created in the forest sector including its value
chain. In 1994, the ANC’s agricultural policy stipulated that
one of the goals of the ANC is to harness workers’ full
potential in the forestry sector while striving towards equity
in access to power and resources. We know that many of our


 
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rural communities are depended on their rural forestry land
for economic income generation and sustenance of their
livelihoods.
It is noted in the memorandum of the objects of the National
Forests Amendment Bill that, I quote:
Most poor people and vulnerable groups located mainly in
the rural areas of the country rely on the forestry for
their livelihoods.
This amendment will encourage their participation in ensuring
sustainable forest management. We are more than encouraged by
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for a new consensus and a
social compact that will help drive our country’s economic
growth and to protect the economic livelihoods. We therefore,
call upon all stakeholders involved to hit the call of the
President and forge this much-needed social compact.
South Africa is a very lucrative forestry industry and this
sector contributes significantly to our country’s economic
growth. The sector has an estimated export market value chain
of about R38 billion and employs well above 165 000 people.


 
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The estimated number of people employed in the sector in 1994
was around 60 000.
At the 54 national conference of the ANC it was resolved that
interventions be put in place to fully utilise the potential
of South Africa’s forestry sector to drive empowerment,
transformation, economic growth and decent work. This must be
done with deep consideration for climate change and our
National Development Plan has indicated that Africa has the
potential to reduce emission by protecting its forest.
The purpose of this National Forests Amendment Bill is to
promote sustainable management and development of forest and
to provide for the protection of certain forest and trees. The
amendment Bill seeks to strengthen and promote equity by
inclusion of participation by vulnerable and previously
disadvantaged groups into the National Forests Advisory
Council. The National Forests Advisory Council established in
terms of the National Forests Act of 1998, places a core and
critical role as a stakeholder advisory group that reviews
progress and give strategic directions to the National Forests
Programme, NFP. The National Forests Programme is a globally
adopted framework for national forests policy development,
planning and implementation and it is applicable to all


 
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countries and constitutes an integral part of our country’s
national sustainable development strategy.
In conclusion, as the ANC we support the adoption of this
report of the National Forests Amendment Bill and we take note
and acknowledge that this is the right step in terms of
realising the ideals enshrined in the Freedom Charter that all
South Africans shall share in the country’s natural resources.
I thank you. [Applause.]
Motion agreed to (Economic Freedom Fighters dissenting).
Bill, as amended, accordingly passed.
CONSIDERATION OF NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT LAWS
AMENDMENT BILL AND OF REPORT OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON
FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND ENVIRONMENT THEREON
Mr N L S KWANKWA: Deputy Speaker! Deputy Speaker ...
IsiXhosa:
... uxolo tata, kuyabanda, ...
English:


 
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... I did not want to disturb the speaker. Can they turn down
the air conditioner, please?
IsiXhosa:
Kubanda nyhani apha.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order hon members!
IsiXhosa:
Liyekeni ilungu elihoniphekileyo lifanele ukukhalaza Ndicela
nimncede.
English:
They will attend to your matter. Go ahead, hon member.
Ms N GANTSHO: Thank you, hon Deputy Speaker. The National
Environmental Management Laws Amendment under consideration by
this House was introduced to Parliament during the Fifth
Parliament in May 2017, respectively. The Bill was initially
processed by the former Environmental Affairs Portfolio
Committee and finalised during its term. The National
Environmental Management Laws Amendment Bill, B14 of 2017, was
packed as section 76.


 
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The previous Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs
received submissions, held briefings and public hearings in
2018, deliberated, adopted and introduced amendments in June
2018. The National Assembly considered and returned the Bill
to the committee in September 2018, for further deliberations.
The committee deliberated and adopted the amendments,
following which the National Assembly passed the Amendment
Bill in November 2018 and referred it to NCOP for concurrence.
That Bill lapsed in May 2019 and was revised in October of the
same year. Then, the NCOP followed the due processes from 2019
and finally debated and passed it in December 2021, and
returned it to the National Assembly for concurrence. The
committee considered and agreed with version of the National
Environmental Management Laws Amendment, Nemla, Bill from the
NCOP. The amendments were extensive in that they affected
seven associated pieces of legislations such as; the Protected
Areas Act, Biodiversity Act, Air Quality Act, etc.
The ultimate purpose of the National Environmental Management
Laws Amendment Bill was to expand the National Environmental
Management Laws Amendment, Nemla, principles; advance
integrated environmental management; streamlining the
application process and advance the one environmental system;


 
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provide clarity on compliance and enforcement measures;
biodiversity and conservation measures; air quality
management, waste management and integrated coastal
management.
The critical anomaly that has been addressed is in section 74
where in the past, one sphere of government could review a
decision of another sphere of government on appeal. The
committee is satisfied that the Bill is positioned to advance
critical provisions in the Constitution, particularly section
24 of the Constitution, that guarantees every person within
South Africa the environmental rights that the Department of
Forestry, Fisheries and Environment has to deliver on the
benefit and enjoyment of the current and future generations.
The National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Bill
addresses environmental and biodiversity protection and
sustainable use. We then call upon sectors to advance
cooperative governance in the decision-making process to
eliminate conflicting messages among departments. We are
looking forward to the implementation of the legislation
particularly the improvement of co-operative governance and
sustainable development of our country that will benefit
current and future generations. I hereby recommend that the


 
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House adopt the presented National Environmental Management
Laws Amendment Bill. Thank you.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Thank you very much,
Deputy Speaker. Deputy Speaker, I move:
That the National Environmental Management Laws Amendment
Bill, as amended, be passed. Thank you.
Declarations of vote:
Mr D W BRYANT: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. As you may have
noted, Deputy Speaker, there was a little bit of a mix up
earlier in terms of our speeches. However, what I would like
to say is that these amendments were very well discussed and
argued throughout our committee. We did come to some very well
thought out conclusions. We do support the objectives that the
amendments aim to achieve.
Nevertheless, we did have some concerns as alluded to by my
colleague, hon Phillips, and her speech will be submitted to
the Table. In the whole, we felt that our opinions were taken
into consideration. We support the amendments to the law.
Thank you, Chair.


 
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Mr M N PAULSEN: Deputy Speaker, we supported this Bill when it
was first tabled in this House before it lapsed in the NCOP.
We are of the strong view that as a country we need more
stringent environmental laws to ensure that development does
not compromise the future of this generation and generations
to come. Despite some of the misgivings we still have about
some of the provisions, we are still generally supportive of
the thrust of this Bill.
We are particularly supportive of the inclusion in the
National Environmental Management Act, NEMA, of a new
environmental management principle promoting diversity in the
environmental sector, which requires the sector to advance and
promote the full participation of black professionals.
However, we are not as confident in the ability of the sector
to self-regulate and ensure that this provision is practiced.
The state-owned environmental agencies are the most
reactionary institutions as far as the idea of promoting black
professionals is concerned, because in the main, these
institutions still harbor the vilest racist in this country.
We however condemn the indiscriminate inclusion of a new
offense for non-compliance with Section 48(a) of the Protected
Areas Act. From our experience, these restrictive measures are


 
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not ... [Inaudible.] ... in judicious exploitation of marine
resources, but rather are used as measures to exclude
communities living in these areas.
Communities in fishing areas are the most marginalised while
white-owned companies are allowed to exploit marine resources
as much as they want. In as far as the one environmental
system is concerned which seeks to have one set of
environmental laws guiding the mining and water resources
sector in particular, we are of the view that legislative
mechanisms as provided for in these amendments are necessary.
What we are not sure about is the institutional capacity
within the environmental affairs to enforce these legislative
mechanisms.
We know this to be true because at the moment mining companies
are getting to do as they please. Of them all, we need these
amendments not only to regulate the one environmental system
but also to mainstream environmental thinking into all aspects
of development. We also would have wanted the Bill to
centralise the decision-making powers on environmental matters
in the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment. We
do not need an ardent supporter of fossil fuels such as that
fossil Gwede Mantashe, anywhere close to making decisions on


 
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matters that have to do with the environment ...
[Interjections.] ...
Mr B A RADEBE: On a point of order, hon Chair. We know that we
must refer to each other as hon members and secondly, we must
not give names the people who do not have, that’s Rule 84.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, Paulsen, you know that.
Mr M N PAULSEN: I didn’t hear what he said. He was wearing his
mask ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: ... no, no, no! You know what you did ...
Mr M N PAULSEN: ... I don’t know ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: ... no, you are out of order for not
calling the Minister appropriately, not that you don’t know
what you should be saying.
Mr M N PAULSEN: Okay, the hon fossil Gwede Mantashe, anywhere
close to making decisions on matters ... [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Paulsen!


 
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Afrikaans:
Asseblief, doen die regte ding, man, asseblief. [Please, man!
Do the right thing. Please!]
Mr M N PAULSEN: ... [Laughter.] ... in our 2019 election
manifesto, the EFF committed to streamline environmental
authorisation procedure to ensure that the Department of
Environmental Affairs becomes the only authorisation that is
able to grant authorisations for mining.
However, as we said, Deputy Speaker, while we are supportive
of the general provisions of the Bill, we do not trust the
corrupt and short sighted ANC to apply these laws to protect
our natural resources. Thank you very much.
Mr N SINGH: So I can say, ...
IsiZulu:
.... Sekela Somlomo ...
English:
... because he is there. This is an environment debate, hon
members. The environment is not conducive.


 
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IsiZulu:
Kuyabanda la kule ndawo. Kubanda kakhulu kufuneka kulungiswe
le nto Soswebhu Omkhulu.
English:
As National Environmental Management Act of 1998, Nema,
remains the overarching umbrella environmental legislation in
South Africa, which is implementable by no less than 11
competent authorities, it is critical that the legislation
remains up to date for our authorities to address the many
environmental challenges we face in protecting and sustainably
developing our environment. The Bill as we heard was first
introduced in May 2017, and it’s a pity that it has taken us
five years to get where we are. The Bill seeks, amongst
others, to clarify certain definitions, which is quite
essential, so that we don’t have any ambiguities, because
ambiguities find themselves to be the friends of those
challenging the laws, more often to the detriment of the
environment.
In the above respect we must complement the inclusion of the
provision for joint liability in respect of persons listed
under section 28(8). The IFP has long believed criminal
sanction in respect of environmental transgressions has been


 
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far too lenient on those found guilty of committing such
transgressions. Whilst on this point, allow me to additionally
raise, once again, the IFP’s call for ‘green’ courts –
specialist environmental courts with specially trained
prosecutors and Magistrates. Far too often one hears about
environmental crimes being committed, especially within our
rural jurisdictions, which simply do not have the
prosecutorial or magisterial environmental legislative
proficiency to be able to prosecute and adjudicate these
matters. The net result is that the accused are released with
nothing more than the proverbial ‘slap on the wrist’ fine - if
they are even found guilty.
As regards process, the NCOP must be commended for their
thorough interrogation of the Bill and their suggested
amendments thereto. These will greatly assist in narrowing
down or altogether eliminating some of these ambiguities that
still existed. It is the IFP’s view that this amendment Bill
will strengthen both NEMA, as well as the various SEMAs that
it seeks to amend. It will also enable the ‘one environmental
system’ and take us a step closer toward an integrative rather
than a silo-based approach to environmentalism in South
Africa. The IFP supports the Bill. I thank you.


 
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Ms T BREEDT: Thank you, Deputy Speaker, Nema is overarching
umbrella legislation for environment in this country. The main
purpose of the National Environmental Management Laws
Amendment, Nemla, Bill is to provide clarity on certain
matters to address the competencies and powers of the various
competent authorities and licensing authorities, address
operational and implementation challenges, make textual and
consequential amendments and to provide for matters not
previously catered on the legislation, for example the
wellbeing of animals. The Bill having been returned to the
National Assembly from the other House proposes certain
further amendments in terms of definitions, further provides
clarity on financial provisioning related matters and
providing that details should be prescribed by legal
regulations. Alignment of terminology throughout the Bill
specifically on compliance enforcement matters and
clarification is provided in respect of the environmental
mineral and petroleum inspectors mandate and roll.
The Bill has come a long way since its introduction in
Parliament. The fact that the Bill is before the NA again,
shows democracy in action, taking into account that we are in
second administration dealing with this Bill, it proves we are
still a long way from proper efficiency. It is however very


 
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worrisome the Bills pertaining to the environment taking
global warming into account, as well as international focus on
environmental legislation takes so long to be approved. We are
almost in the seventh year of this Bill and the implementation
thereof has not even started. Although this Bill seeks to
improve current legislation, there are certain concerns that
we still hold and I will highlight only two matters. The
powers of Ministers, especially that of the Minister of
Mineral Resources and Energy is concerning. We cannot write
legislation for incumbents and need to remember that the
Minister of Mineral and Resources task is, environmental
safeguarding is not necessarily that. Although decentralising
of powers and including municipalities in the implementation
of the Act is good. We need to be cognisant of the fact that
our municipalities are not currently performing even their
most basic mandates and my fear is that the environment will
suffer because of this.
Chairperson, for the future of the country and the world, we
need state-of–the–art environmental laws but more than that we
need people willing to properly implement them to ensure our
future. I thank you.


 
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Mr S N SWART: Deputy Speaker, today marks the end of extensive
progress that became known as the Nemla, for amendments and
they commenced in 2017. Chief Whip of the Majority Party, and
this amendment – the 145-page amendment - so I can understand
this taken a lot more time to deal with that. There are a
number of quite controversial issues given that NEMA is the
overarching law that governs all environmental issues in the
country. There were a number of other acts that were amended.
Now, there’s a broad support of all the provisions of this
act.
The ACDP does ever share concerns about the role and powers of
municipal managers under the Bill and whether the
municipalities many of whom are dysfunctional at this stage
have the capacity to deal with, for example, air quality
issues under National Environmental Management Air Quality
Act, NEMAQA. Have they got the capacity to do that and other
functions that are given at municipal level? While there are
however many noteworthy and important amendments, which the
ACDP supports. Time only allows us to reflect on the very
important issue of acid mine drainage. This, as we know, is a
very important issue given that according to the counter for
geoscience there are an estimated 6 000 derelicts and
ownerless mines in the country. Their rehabilitation places


 
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enormous strains on an already burdened fiscus on the state on
National Treasury and the problems that are associated with
mine drainage. We are all aware of that contaminated drinking.
That’s a serious problem in South Africa with droughts,
disruptive growth and reproduction of aquatic plants and
animals and of course, the corroding effects of acid on parts
of infrastructure such as bridges. So, surely it can no longer
be tolerated that companies in the mining industry are allowed
to mine areas and then with impunity to leave these areas
without rehabilitation to the detriment of surrounding
communities.
Now, the Nemla four main moments place far greater emphasis on
implementing stringent measures, to treat mine drainage and
will strengthen the abilities of authorities. To address these
issues and they provided much-needed clarity and for the
mining industry relating to the regulation of what is known as
financial provisioning, and this could drive the growth of an
entirely new and much-needed specialist mine rehabilitation
sector in the country. However, again one sits with the issues
relating to the criminal justice system, the issues relating
to increased penalties. I think that the hon Singh, the
mention of Green Courts is something like a good idea and
could I ask if I really pursue it in the justice committee. He


 
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could call it swat weather. Thank you very much, the ACDP
supports this Bill. I thank you.
Mr N L S NKWAKWA: Deputy Speaker, we support the Bill, no
declarations.
Mr C H M SIBISI: Deputy speaker, on behalf of the National
Freedom Party, I note and welcome the National Environmental
Management Laws Amendment Bill. We hope that in the enactment
and promulgation of this Bill, its intended course will be
realised and trickle down to our people on the ground,
particularly those in this particular sector. Recent studies
on the largest contributors to climate change have come up and
it is mainly attributed to deforestation and agriculture. We
call on the department and the Minister to reassess this Bill
if in anyway will cause significant deforestation because of
agriculture and livestock. Thank you, Deputy Speaker. The NFP
supports the Bill.
Mr M NYHONTSO: No declaration from the PAC, Deputy Speaker.
Mr S M JAFTA: Deputy Speaker, the singing into law of the
National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Bill will
significantly address the lingering challenges of the


 
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environmental culpability. A low penal regime to environmental
indiscretions and align some of the provisions of Nema and
Nemla. The scope of listed activities to which the EIA process
is mandatory can now be additionally prescribed by the
relevant authority. This process will see financial provisions
applied to every environmental impact assessment activity.
We are therefore moved by the fact the rehabilitation closer
and maintenance of coast will now accompany every EIA process
on a given and prescribed activity. The adjustment of section
24(g) regime must also be welcomed. No longer will companies
commence unlawful activities in the hope that section
24(g)application will rescue them. Under the revised Bill,
offending companies will have to pay R10 million in section
24(g) application. There are other ancillary aspects to the
Bill which are equally significant such as veto power given to
licensing authority to suspend or revoke an EAL if an EAL
holder is found to be in violation of any applicable condition
set out in the ACA or AEL. We support the Bill in its current
form and this particular report. I thank you.
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Deputy Speaker, I don’t know whether you
like the snoek in Cape Town but because of sewage pollution
40% of the snoek is diseased because what happens is poor


 
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sewage pollution at the Zandvliet sewage plant for example is
pumped into the river and it generates toxins that generates
gases that goes into the sea. The study by a University of the
Western Cape over one year found that, that is the cause of
the disease of the poor snoek. I was very happy when I read in
the Nema Act that the officials responsible in the City of
Cape Town can be jailed for 10 years or pay a R10 million
fine, and I was hoping that they will have their day in court.
Get bail and let the law take its course. But the problem is,
in spite of getting a directive against them from the director
of environmental enforcement getting the support of a Public
Protector, who all participated before them and said you must
sort out this mess and then also they are required by the
Human Rights Commission to facilitate a solution between the
community and the city. When City of Cape Town placed an
appeal before the MEC in charge of the Environmental Affairs,
he dismissed the findings against the city. Now this happened
three times. So, how can we get enforcement and hon members
spoke about enforcement? I see the Minister of Police is here.
I want to know from him. Is it necessary to go to the Director
of Environmental Enforcement to go via the green or the blue
scorpions? Can’t we lay a charge at one of your police
stations and you open the docket and then these officials are
all before the court and you give them bail please, but the


 
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law must take its course? Thank you very much, hon Deputy
Speaker.
Ms T V B MCHUNU: Hon Deputy Speaker, Ministers and Deputy
Ministers, hon members of this House, I greet you all. Thank
you. The ANC has one of the most progressive environmental
policies and legislation, not only in the African continent,
but in the world. It is true that the ANC cares about the
environment and the sustainable use of the resources.
As South Africans, we recognise that our whole existence is
dependent on our environment and nature. These do not only
provide for us with a living space, but also the very food
that we consume in order to sustain livelihoods.
In 1992, the ANC’s “Ready to Govern” document, provided us
with a blue print for environmental policy and legislative
formulation.
The ANC embraces the sixth environmental policy guiding
principles on sustainable development, equitable access to
environmental resources, public participation, the planning
and the development of natural resources and public access to
the courts on issues of environmental concerns.


 
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Among others, the ANC believes that all citizens of South
Africa have the right to a safe and a healthy environment and
to a life of wellbeing. This point can be emphasized by a
statement that was made by the founding father of our nation
former President Nelson Mandela when he said during his
opening address at a conference on national environmental
policy and I open quote:
South Africa needs to urgently develop our
industries and to feed and house our people.
Therefore, developing a sound environmental policy
will call for an exceptional combination of wide-
ranging consultation together with scientific and
technical expertise.
This Bill amend the National Environmental Management Act of
1993, also known as Nema - [I know that in Hansard we do not
abbreviate an Act, however, I am following what the hon member
is saying.]
The National Environmental Management Act is our Bible in the
environmental management which is an overarching umbrella
legislation for the environment in the country. It is
implemented in 11 competed authorities. That is the Department


 
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of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment. The Department of
Mineral Resources and Energy, including the nine provincial
governments.
The purpose of this Amendment Bill is that this Bill amends
the National Environmental Management Act, National
Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, National
Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, National
Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act,
National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, the
National Environmental Management: Waste Act and the National
Environmental Amendment Act of 2008.
With regard to air quality: The state of air quality in our
municipalities has always been a concern. It is for this
reason that amendments related to air quality under the
National Environmental Management Laws Amendment are most
welcomed. This will go a long way in terms of ensuring that
the state of air quality within our communities is improved.
The World Health Organisation has in the past reported that
the numbers of South African citizens who die from air related
pollution has increased. Particularly, in areas such as
Johannesburg and Durban. The proposed amendments will provide


 
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for a mechanism in dealing with air pollution and will
prescribe for consequence management in dealing with unlawful
conduct of listed activities resulting in atmospheric
emissions. Air quality Act requires reporting on emissions and
licencing of listed activities issued under the provisions of
this Act.
With regard to waste: The National Environmental Management
Laws Amendment will provide for the amendment of certain Waste
Act provisions. As the ANC we recognise the vast other
opportunities provided by the efficiency management of waste
produced. We do not only see it as a challenge. The state of
cleanliness in our communities is very disappointing. Most of
our local municipalities are struggling to deal with tons of
waste produced by households, private sector and public or
civic entities. We have taken note of the serious challenges
faced by our municipalities and handling of their waste
material.
Hon Deputy Speaker, we are equally concerned by lack of big
corporations in terms of developing proper waste management
plans for their respective industries.


 
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Mining companies are for example one of the biggest polluters.
This has had a negative impact on the pollution of underground
water with negative consequences on the production for nearby
agricultural farming.
The proposed legislative amendment will enhance the quality
and efficiency of waste management and thus makes provision
for a penalty in case of noncompliance with environmental
legislation provisions.
The amendment of section 1 of National Environmental
Management: Waste Act, brings much needed clarity in terms of
the definitions including, but not limited to domestic waste,
hazardous waste, business waste, building and demolition waste
as well as insect waste.
With regard to public participation: We are happy with the
level of public participation that was conducted effectively.
We propose for the adoption of these amendments. Thank you.
[Applause.] [Time expired.]
Motion agreed to.
Bill, as amended, accordingly passed.


 
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CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON BASIC
EDUCATION ON FIRST AND SECOND QUARTELY REPORT ON PERFOMANCE OF
DEPARTMENT OF BASIC EDUCATION IN MEETING ITS PRE-DETERMNED
OBJECTIVES FOR 2021/22
Ms B P MBINGO-GIGABA: Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker.
Members of the executive, Deputy Ministers, Chief Whip of the
Majority Party, hon members, allow me to start off with an
anecdote which reminds us that this consideration of report is
presented during a period in which we commemorate human rights
month because of the strong nexus between education and human
rights.
As public representatives we are called to ensure that we
promote human dignity in our schools, ensure that a child has
equal access to education. And, we redress issues that seeks
to undermine the imperatives of our Constitution. Like we have
recently seen at school like Hoerskool Jan Viljoen. Such
incidents should never happen again because children are our
future. It’s a phrase that is often used without a full
understanding of its implications. The scenario that happened
at this particular school last two weeks is hampering on human
rights of our leaners.


 
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Turning to the focus of the day which is the first and second
quarterly report of the Department of Basic Education for
2021-2022. The Department of Basic Education first quarterly
report is aligned to planned strategic imperatives and targets
as set out in the Department of Basic Education Strategic Plan
and the 2021-22 Annual Performance Plan. The strategic plan
was revised to clarify core functions in policy making
implementation and oversight as set in the National Education
Policy Act.
Hon Chair, the Department of Basic Education for the first
quarter report achieved 80% of its planned targets and 20%
were partially achieved. In quarter two, the department
achieved 82% of its annual targets and 80% were not achieved.
The comparable achievement for the previous year 2020/2021
were 55%, and 90% respectively.
Under financial performance, in the first quarter, the
spending was R293 million or 3,5% lower than expected after
the spending of 30,3% of the available budget of R27 billion.
The lower than expected spending is primarily due to Programme
4 which is based on payments or capital goods, and Programme 2


 
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spending, is also higher than expected primarily based on
goods and services.
On COVID-19, an expenditure of R700 000 spending was for
school portable toilets rentals and was carried forward due to
the billing delays from last year. The department spent R120,4
million on staff compensation, a decrease of R10, 3million
from the first quarter focus. This shortfall is primarily due
to the delay in filling vacant posts after the moratorium to
fill vacant seats was lifted in November 2020. The status
overall target achieved by the department for the second
quarter is 82% as I have indicated, and 18% indicators were
not achieved.
Under financial performance, for the second quarter, at the
end of the second quarter the department spent about
15,1billion or 55,6% of the available budget. That is 960
million of 6% less than the expected spending of R16,1billion.
This lower than expected spending was primarily due to the
payment of goods and services and fixed assets under
programmes two and four, due to the work completed in 2020-21,
R210 million was transferred to the school infrastructure
backlog grant. This takes into account a higher budget than


 
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the main allocation and is reflected in the payment of capital
goods and Programme 4.
On Programme 1, expenditure was higher than a projected
R3,8million, or 1,5% mainly under payments and capital assets.
This was due to the department purchasing a back-up generator
to ensure operations can continue when power supply is
interrupted. We are saying that the department has been able
to deliver on its first and quarterly report targets and has
ability to manage the financial resources allocated to provide
better access to our children.
In addressing infrastructure challenges faced by the
department of basic education, the portfolio committee
expressed to the department that it would need to come with a
comprehensive report on progress made with infrastructure.
In view of hundred billion that has been pronounced during the
state of the nation address, sona, 2022, as infrastructure
fund for water sanitation among other projects. As the
committee we will ensure that there is effective oversight for
the utilisation of infrastructure delivered to our school for
the benefit of the learners so the perennial challenges of


 
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infrastructure is resolved. We therefore recommend that the
report be adopted. Thank you very much.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you. Before I
talk to the Chief Whip of the Majority Party, can we just be
pardoned with the coldness in here. My nose is starting to
run. If we have done something wrong, please! The punishment
is enough. Can you just assist us? Hon Chief Whip, I hope you
are still warm, I am very cold.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Get closer to hon
Kwankwa when you are feeling so cold.
The Chief Whip of the Majority Party moved: That the Report be
adopted.
Declaration of vote:
Mrs D VAN DER WALT: Thank you, Chairperson. On 7 December
2021, the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education considered
the First and Second Quarterly Report on the Performance of
the Department of Basic Education, DBE, in meeting its pre-
determined objectives for 2021-22. This period of reporting
can however not be read in isolation, especially where long
term planned targets are set.


 
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Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative, ASIDI,
is a point in case. This programme was introduced in 2011 and
is still part of DBE‘s 2025 schooling plan to address poor
school infrastructure and to prioritise schools with no
infrastructure or basic services. In April 2021, a report
stated that 5 176 of our almost 300 ordinary public schools
still use pit toilets. Limpopo with 2 144 is a province with
the highest user of this unacceptable sanitation facilities.
In the Eastern Cape, 944 schools and in KwaZulu-Natal, KZN,
901 schools have pit toilets only. The committee had reasons
to query the current status of backlogs regarding the planning
to build more schools in all the provinces. Recently, I
questioned on whether Statistics SA’s information was also
included in long term planning. It seems it’s not worth it.
A week ago I visited a school in Vaalwater Limpopo where the
circuit manager, with no power to do so, promised the parents
and learners that she will see that a new school will be built
for them next year on the property of the provincial
department. Besides not having a clue about her powers, she
also has no clue of the backlog nor the process of getting
schools built. And the current school is serving that
community quite well, politics!


 
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A sector we seem to neglect is our special schools. We
urgently need a comprehensive overview report of school and
hostel infrastructure across all provinces focussing on public
special schools.
With reference to the budget, I’d like to raise concerns on a
few issues. Firstly, the monitoring of spending conditional
grants, especially by the provinces. Continued funding to
schools which have been on the rationalisation list of
unviable schools for years to be closed but in the Eastern
Cape hundreds are still running. I am sure as they say “Eating
the money”
I also would like to raise the issue on how equitable share
calculation is made to provinces, specifically the formula
used for the portions allocated to public ordinary schools,
public special need schools and, our learners outside the
compulsory school going age of 7 to 15 years. Will it be worth
the department’s while to do an audit on all the circuit
offices and its operational cost? I think so. Even if the
Minister says provinces are accountable for their own
spending. She remains the custodian of education.


 
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The Vaalwater Circuit has been renting a complete shopping
centre for close to ten years. Mostly empty. In 2013, only
four staff members occupied the whole shopping centre for
offices. Surely, these wasted funds could have been used much
better in our education system which is in dire straits.
We are eagerly awaiting a report on how, where and when the
R210 million approved by National Treasury for infrastructure
projects will be spend. We have always been in support of the
opportunities the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme offers our
students. The committee’s recommendation that the department
review any policy that prioritises the placement of Funza
Lusaka Bursary graduates above those graduates who funded
their own studies be reviewed is fully supported. We should at
all times aim to appoint the best candidates in teaching
posts. Our children’s education should remain the priority and
should never ever be negotiable.
In conclusion, a report indicating the effects of the COVID-19
pandemic in all grades on language and mathematics should also
be presented to the committee with quite clear achievable
steps on the recovery of such. Thank you, House Chair.
Ms N R MASHABELA: Chairperson, for many months towards the end
of 2021, various provincial departments failed to pay their


 
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teacher assistants their well-deserved stipends. These teacher
assistants service the most marginalised schools, and
neglecting to pay them, directly affects the learning process
of mainly poor black children.
Early this year, the departments, particularly the Eastern
Cape Department of Education, would not deliver stationery to
schools, again stunting the education and development of poor
black children.
A few weeks ago, taxis who provide scholar transport services
threatened to close schools because of a lack of payment in
the Eastern Cape.
These are some of the problems demonstrating the chronic
inability of this department to streamline their functions, to
ensure that the interests of learners, particularly black
learners from marginalised backgrounds are not compromised.
The department has not developed a comprehensive programme for
training teachers for learners with special needs, and to
date, we still do not have sufficient schools that cater for
these learners, particularly in rural provinces.


 
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It is criminal that the department has failed to place
beneficiaries of the Funza Lushaka bursaries, and in fact, has
failed to place all unemployed teachers in schools, while we
have such a serious shortage of teachers across the country.
We have also consistently condemned the department’s fixation
with the matric class, ignoring the plight of learners from
lower grades, who are forced to drop out in droves, because of
a number of factors.
The department still have no plan, or even appetite to stop
this high level of school dropouts. We reject this report.
Thank you.
Inkosi R N CEBEKHULU: Hon Chair, the Covid-19 pandemic
undeniably will continue to have a dire impact on the
development and the education of our children. It therefore of
utmost important that now, more than ever, we need to ensure
that no child is further disadvantaged. All our efforts should
be focussed on strengthening our children’s learning
competencies, especially reading and Mathematics.
It is therefore concerning that the report of the portfolio
committee on the performance of the Department of Basic


 
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Education shows that the department was only able to monitor
three schools for the implementation of the reading norms in
the second quarter, against an annual target of 18 schools to
be monitored.
These reading norms are described by the department as
important indicators to identify leaners at risk of reading
failure. However, much more urgency is required in monitoring
the implementation of these milestones.
Reading for meaning is critical in the development of
children, and South Africa’s poor record in this regard,
continues to haunt us.
The IFP has, in the past, expressed its absolute outrage at
the slow progress of the Department of Basic Education in
fulfilling its constitutional duty in eradicating the
infrastructure backlog at schools. The issue has been the
focus of many court challenges and yet, time and again, the
department has avoided it constitutional duty to ensure safe
schools for our children.
Despite the numerous court challenges and horrific reports of
the endangerment and death of children at schools, the report


 
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of the portfolio committee again reveals the department’s
dismal performance.
The annual target for schools to be provided with sanitation
facilities was set at 1 000 schools. The grim reality is that
the Department was only able to provide 69 schools with
sanitation facilities in the first quarter, and 123 in the
second quarter. This is less than one quarter of the
department’s goal.
These alarming facts cannot be accepted in any circumstances.
As members of the National Assembly, we should be outraged.
The IFP therefore strongly supports the portfolio committee’s
recommendation that the department must provide written
feedback within 30 days of the report, detailing a breakdown
of the Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative
projects. The IFP will closely monitor the department’s
performance in this regard, and continues to demand
accountability.
Lastly, the IFP agrees with the portfolio committee that the
department should be commended for completing the 2021 matric
examinations with minimal disruptions, considering the


 
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extensive challenges posed by load shedding and the pandemic.
[Time expired.] The IFP accepts the Report. Thank you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Just for orientation,
hon members, there is a monitor on the left-hand side of this
podium. Once there is no red light, know that your time has
expired. I have been very lenient, because I can see members
don’t recognise that. So, please, check.
Dr W J BOSHOFF: Hon House Chair, this quarterly report for two
quarters of the present financial year shows everything that
is wrong with education in South Africa. It is not that all
the performance indicators are negative, or that the
department does not meet them. It is also not that there are
too few objectives to meet. It is quite the contrary; there
are 70 indicators of which 10 are quarterly.
Let us keep in mind that the Department of Basic Education
does not manage a single school. Education is a provincial
function, managed in districts and circuits. There are
educational advisors for subjects and phases, for all
districts. Then there are principals in each school, leading
and managing teachers, who should all be professional
educators.


 
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In an education system with a culture of professionalism,
teachers do their best to do their work in a professional way,
overseen by principals, every now and then visited by a
circuit manager or subject advisor, to empower them to do
their work even better. The province will supply buildings,
books, water, sanitation and other necessary infrastructure.
All under governance of the school governing body, SGB.
The national department’s function would be to lay down policy
and the curriculum, ensuring that there is no disjunction
between different provinces. This department would monitor
provinces, not schools. Where there is persistent
dysfunctionality, it would be identified on district or
provincial level. If a Minister cannot lead the provincial
Ministers to sufficient improvement, both should lose their
jobs, because, despite my fear to state the obvious, the youth
is the future.
Now there are educational failures in all provinces and
probably most districts, urging the national department to
interfere. And because the national department is national, it
has to be informed on 70 objectives. And reporting has to be
done for each objective, meaning that teachers and officials


 
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need to report on their performance, rather than performing.
Those who perform, do the admin in what should have been their
spare time; and those who don’t, rather report than perform.
This is leading to a school system with an excessive
bureaucracy, so that a new Bill attempts to transfer
competencies from SGBs to heads of department.
The ANC cannot get away from its heritage of turning schools
into battlefields of liberation. Therefore, we do not have a
professional school system, but one dominated by a militant
trade union. The ANC needs to build a new education culture
from the bottom up. And schools, even parents in home schools,
which have a professional culture as it is, should be left
alone.
Afrikaans:
Dit sal selfbeskikking op onderwysgebied wees en dit is wat
die VF Plus voorstaan. Die VF Plus verwerp die verslag, nie
omdat dit onakkuraat is nie, maar omdat dit onnodig is. Ek
dank u.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): I am not sure whether
it the earphones, but honestly speaking, we can hardly hear
what you are saying. Maybe, it is your earphones. Even in the


 
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earlier statement that you made, we could not hear what you
were saying.
Ms M E SUKERS: Hon House Chair, it is the ACDP’s contention
that education trainers left the station and that more and
more children are being left behind. They simply cannot catch
up with the training unless we do something new. Many children
were left behind long before the Covid-19 hit and now many
more are at risk of being left behind. This year, members of
my constituency in the Western Cape struggled with the
placements while into February.
The problem is not confined to the Western Cape; Gauteng also
struggles with learner placements. Grade 1 and Grade 8
learners, many applied well in the set dates for applications,
simply could not find replacements. The quarterly report holds
up some vaguely hope that some improvements to ... [Inaudible]
will help with the learner issues.
We cannot gamble with the future of our children on these
hopes. The parents, quite frankly are losing hope that school
placement practice will ever be resolved. Rather than hope and
dwindling computer systems, let us have research on why we are
struggling with learner placements. Let us estimate learner


 
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demand correctly and how to fix it. I come from a hospitality
background and in restaurants dealing with unexpected guests
and in managing the booking system, it is something that can
be done. Yet, what a small business deals with every night
seems to be an insurmountable problem for a department with
thousands of officials.
One solution in the hospitality is to supply more places. We
need to supply more places in the provinces, squeezing in a
few more tables as you do in a restaurant. This report does
not in any way talks about inevitable solutions such as
virtual schooling, cutting the regulatory burden for low fee
and small independent schools so that they can absorb more
learners and promoting the independent education as an
economic sector.
These are solutions that should be pursued and in closing, I
want to suggest to the committee and to the members of the
House more broadly that too often we are debating and making
statements about the reports that need bureaucratic objectives
but they do not meet the pressing needs of our people. You do
not need a PhD to see that placement is the issue year in –
year out. This is a challenge that the department has no idea
on how to address it. Thank you, Chair.


 
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IsiXhosa:
Mnu N L S KWANKWA: Siyabulela mama, uRingo bekumele ukuba
ulapha, asiculele la ngoma yakhe ithi, Ndiyagodola. Ngelishwa
ke akekho apha phakathi. Mama, angekhe siyixhase thina le
ngxelo kwaye kufuneka siyithethe inyaniso icace gca, oku
kwekati emhlophe ehlungwini ngeendawo zethu apho sisuka khona.
Okokuqala, phaya kula ndawo yam nakumanye amaphondo, abafundi
basafundela phandle nakwizindlu zodaka. Okwesibini, sithetha
...
English:
... about piloting, robotic, coding and all these fancy stuff
...
IsiXhosa:
... ezingasayi kufikelela ebantwini. Jonga, ngexesha
bekuvaliwe, abantwana basezilalini bebekhala, besithi abakwazi
ukufunda nge-internet.
English:
They do not have connectivity and experience a lot of network
challenges.


 
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IsiXhosa:
Kula lali yam ukuba ndigodukile, ndakugqibela eDebe ...
English:
... to have a signal.
IsiXhosa:
Ukugoduka kwam, ndihlala ndingenalo uqhagamshelwano
[connectivity signals] impelaveki yonke. Kunjalo kuyo yonke la
Mpuma Koloni namanye amaphondo akumaphandle, yinyaniso emsulwa
ekufuneka siyithethe leyo. Kukho nesi sigezo kweli phondo
laseNtshona Koloni, ekufuneka ndibhalele uMphathiswa ngalo. Le
yokuba abantwana bethu kwezi zikolo bazipase zonke izifundo
zabo batshone isiBhulu kunyanzeleke ukuba mabaphinde ibanga.
Ndikuxelela inyaniso emsulwa, uze ubabuze ukuba ingaba kunjalo
kusini na.
Ndiye ndizibuze umbuzo ndithi ...
English:
... is the department not supposed to use its discretional
authority to say ...
IsiXhosa:


 
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... akukho mfundi oza kuphinda ibanga kuba etshone isiBhulu
angazukusisebenzisa. Uza kusithetha phi isiBhulu, kweyiphi
indawo?
Okwesithathu, kukho lo mcimbi kaFunza Lushaka. Iyaba calula
abantu bakuthi la nkqubo. Imihla nezolo abantu bakuthi bakhala
isimbonono sokuba abaqeshwa kuba bezihlawulele ngokwabo
izifundo zabo. Eli gama lithi Prioritise ligama elingalunganga
kakhulu kwaye ligama elicalulayo.
English:
You are penalising people because they can afford to pay
school fees.
IsiXhosa:
Ngoku nifuna ukuba abantu babe behamba bedibanisa amadolo
kwezi ndawo bekhangela uFunza Lushaka abangazukumfumana.
English:
The other issue which is important is that ...
IsiXhosa:
... kufuneka siqiniseke ukuba le ngxaki yokumitha kwabantwana
asiyongxaki yesikolo kuphela. Kufuneka le ngxaki siyithathele


 
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kuthi nje ngabazali, siyithathele kuthi ukuze siyilungise
ngokwethu.
English:
This is a societal issue.
IsiXhosa:
Iphinde indikruqule mna into yabantu abantsundu, sesimane
sithetha ngeengxaki zokufakwa kwabafundi ezikolweni [Placement
issues.], sizimoshe ngokwethu izikolo zethu ezilokishini.
English:
Some of the schools which have been built for us in the
townships, the facilities are a million times better than the
so-called former model C schools.
IsiXhosa:
Ingxaki yethu thina bantu bantsundu asikwazanga ukuziphatha
ezi zikolo. Into esiyenzayo siyaziqhekeza, sizimoshe,
sakugqiba sihambe siye kufola kwizikolo zabanye abantu. Ndiza
kwenzela umzekelo mna Mphathiswa. Kwesa sikolo ndandifunda
kuso, eMzomtsha High School ndafumana abantu sahamba saya
kufaka iikhompuyutha. Kwatsho kwafundiswa izifundo
zekhompuyutha senza nethala leencwadi.


 
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Sathi siphinda sibuya emva kwenyanga sisiya kukroba, safika
kuqhekeziwe esikolweni zibiwe zonke. Ngumntu waseAfrika ke
lowo ayingorhulumente kwaye nabantu bakuthi kuyafuneka ukuba
bazibhence bayeke ukusiqhatha apha babane besithi banengxaki
bengakhange baphakame. Enkosi.
Mr C H M SIBISI: Hon House Chair, on behalf of the NFP ...
IsiXhosa:
USIHLALO WENDLU (Nks M G Boroto): Tat’uSibisi ndicela
uphakamise kancinci ilizwi.
Mr C H M SIBISI: Hon House Chair, on behalf of the NFP, we note
and welcome the first and second quarterly reports on the
performance of the department in question. We are amongst the
stakeholders and public representatives who called on the
Minister and her department to consider and allow learners to
go back to school on a full time basis in 2022 academic year.
However, we are worried about the loss of teaching and
learning time due to the Covid-19.
Studies have shown that two academic years were disrupted by
the pandemic with an 80% of loss of time in 2020 and 50% in


 
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2021. This has undoubtedly left a dent in our Department of
Basic Education system thus we call on the Minister and her
department to employ more measures or interventions that will
not exacerbate this loss of teaching and learning time. The
NFP supports the report.
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Hon House Chair, I am not going to bash
the City of Cape Town. What I am going to complain about is
that we are not going to get our education system going unless
we change our educator/learner ratio. The World Bank in 1994
forced the country to increase the educator/learner ratio. At
the time, I engaged with President Mandela and he personally
signed all the correspondence. Unfortunately, his officials
convinced him that it was of course no harm to the education
of our children. It has caused a lot of harm and if we are not
going to reverse that decision to increase the
educator/learner ratio we will never get our education system
right.
I made an appeal earlier on to the Minister of Police to save
the snoek. We need to save our children from schools. They are
under threat all the time. Even the hon Minister, if you have
to put a cash pay in every school, please do so. We cannot


 
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allow our children to live under intimidation and threats into
our schools because it harms education.
Lastly, hon House Chair, I would like to appeal to the
Minister of Communication that she is going to auction the
spectrum that will bring about cyber civilisation in South
Africa. Half of the spectrum must be given free of charge to
the Department of Basic Education and maybe later on Home
Affairs as well and the Police. Spectrum is like water and air
and it is a birth right especially of learners.
We appeal to the Minister of Communication to find a way that
schools especially in the villages can be introduced to the
cyber civilisation and be prepared for the jobs that will
emerge from cyber civilisation. They do not need to go to
universities anymore. There is no need for universities. They
just need one or two years at high school to learn the skills
that will enable them to do the next generation jobs and not
the stone age jobs which some political parties in the
opposition want to get our children to operate in. Thank you
very much, hon Chair.
Mr B S YABO: Hon House Chair, hon members, thank you very
much. [Interjections.]


 
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon Masipa, please.
I’ve just called members to order. Hon member, please.
Mr B S YABO: One of the critical functions of Parliament is to
ensure accountability of the executive on implementing the
manifesto commitments of the ANC on behalf of the people of
South Africa. Critical in this oversight task is our ability
to ensure that the department’s implementation achieves its
outcomes and impact as per the annual performance plan of
2021-2022.
The department performed under conditions of the coronavirus
pandemic, and it has been relatively outstanding and
resilient. The basic education system is a large and complex
system, which adapted to the changes imposed by the health
pandemic. The fact that schools continued with teaching and
learning using a rotational system, while matriculants also
concluded learning demonstrates a government that works, which
places the developmental needs of our nation at the front of
its agenda to grow a nation that we have. The majority of the
performance indicators of the Department of Basic Education
are largely covered at the end of the year despite this being
the fact that the department, in its first quarter and second
quarterly reports, provided progress on other annual


 
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indicators which have enabled the portfolio committee to have
a comprehensive assessment of implementing programmes.
The department, in his first quarter, achieved six performance
areas whilst it did not achieve four and partially completing
one performance indicator. The department improved in the
second quarter, achieving eight out of 10 targets while two
were partially achieved. This shows continuous improvement and
progress. One of the partially achieved targets in the first
quarter is on the percentage of invoices paid within 30 days
upon receipt by the department. Nonetheless, the department
achieved 99,93%. As the shortfall in achieving the 100% target
was due to a supplier not providing the correct information
for approval, and I think they deserve some applause for that.
[Applause.] Although you cannot applaud a fish for swimming.
This is a critical performance indicator because the payment
of service providers by government departments has an economic
impact. Small and medium-sized enterprises, SMMEs, usually
face cash flow challenges due to such delays, which negatively
impacts workers and households. And I think that the payment
of these invoices is the department's own contribution to
alleviating and ameliorating the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic.


 
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It is notable to recognise that the department also focused on
social cohesion programmes which are pivotal for nation-
building. This then the department does through engagement
with learners, educators, parents, school governing bodies and
other education stakeholders. The department achieved this
target in a number of districts, implementing the programmes
in school assemblies to end school-related gender-based
violence, with 22 in the first quarter and 18 in the second
quarter.
Gender-based violence and other social ills affecting our
schools and learners require a programmatic approach to ensure
that school culture and discipline create a conducive
environment for learning without any discrimination against
race, class, or gender. The backlog of infrastructure in our
basic education system is one of the key priorities which the
department is delivering on. A total of 21 new schools through
the Accelerated School Infrastructure Development Initiative,
Asidi. These initiatives are also delivering 1 000 schools
with sanitation facilities critical for the dignity of our
children. One of the major focus of the department is to
improve learning outcomes by ensuring that learners are able
to read with meaning by the age of 10. It is for this reason
that the department supports the National Reading Coalition


 
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for its reading champions programme. The Read to Lead campaign
is another critical programme to promote the culture of
reading in our schools while encouraging parents to read
storybooks to their children at home.
The coronavirus pandemic has shown the importance of all
stakeholders in the sector working together to create a
conducive environment for the optimal performance of our
learners. Reading, as a culture, should be entrenched in all
of our schools, homes, communities for it to develop into a
standard culture. [Applause.] The portfolio committee made
numerous recommendations to ensure a focused oversight on key
areas which improve the efficiency of the education system.
We have recommended that the department briefs the portfolio
committee on the teenage pregnancy policy, and that the
department should ensure that learner dropouts are tracked,
traced and brought back into the system. We are losing too
many children and learners to dropping out of the system too
early. We further recommend that the department provide the
portfolio committee with a detailed report on school
connectivity challenges in order to address the challenge,
something that was raised here by the hon Kwankwa.
Connectivity is not a privilege, but it is a necessity for


 
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efficient information sharing and learning. As ANC, we will
continue to monitor closely the performance of the department,
then recommend interventions where required. The ANC supports
this report. [Applause.]
Question put.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted (Economic Freedom Fighters, Freedom
Front Plus, and United Democratic Movement dissenting)
PASSING ON OF ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST PROMINENT SPORT
COMMENTATORS, DUMILE MATHEZA
(Draft Resolution)
Ms R C ADAMS: Chairperson, I hereby move without notice:
That the House –
(1) notes with sadness the passing on of one of South
Africa’s most prominent sport commentators, Dumile
Matheza, on Tuesday, 1 February 2022;


 
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(2) acknowledges that the multilingual broadcaster who
worked for the SABC on both radio and television
platforms was a popular versatile sports commentator
from the early 1980s;
(3) further acknowledges that he was one of the SABC’s
Afrikaans commentators during the 1995 Rugby World
Cup which the Springboks memorably won at Ellis
Park;
(4) further notes that he was also a former Boxing SA
board member;
(5) believes that his passing brings an end to a
remarkable career in sports, news actuality and
magazine broadcasting;
(6) further believes that his passing leaves a massive
void after creating a unique space in radio and
television industry; and
(7) conveys its condolences to his wife, children and
extended family.


 
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Agreed to.
CONDOLENCES TO FAMILIES OF TWO WOMEN BRUTALLY ATTACKED AND
MURDERED
(Draft Resolution)
Ms T BODLANI: Chairperson, I hereby move without notice:
That the House-
(1)
notes with sadness that Ms Retshiditswe Phatsoane
and Ms Tsepiso Ntomane were brutally attacked and
murdered while on their way to join family and
friends for New Year’s Eve celebrations in Windmill
Park in the City of Ekurhuleni on 31 December 2021;
(2)
further notes that their bodies were found in the
veld next to the local dumpsite, three days after
they went missing;


 
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(3)
(4)
acknowledges that the scourge of gender-based
violence in South Africa prevents women from living
their lives freely;
recognises that it is necessary to fast track the
implementation of legislative measures to curb the
scourge of gender-based violence and to effect
harsher punishments for perpetrators; and
(5)
conveys its heartfelt condolences to the families of
Ms Phatsoane and Ms Ntomane.
Agreed to.
WORKERS CALLED TO UNITE AFTER CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RULING
DECLARED 2018 WAGE AGREEMENT INVALID
(Draft Resolution)
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Chairperson, I hereby move without notice:
That the House-
(1)
notes the Constitutional Court ruling between the
National Education, Health and Allied Workers'


 
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Union, Nehawu, and the Minister of Public Services
and Administration handed down on 28 February which
declared that the wage agreement between the state
and civil servants signed in 2018 was invalid;
(2)
(3)
further notes that Nehawu appealed the decision of
the Labour Appeal Court which declared a multiyear
wage agreement invalid;
recognises that the judgement is a big blow to the
collective bargaining process provided for by
section 23 subsection 5 of the Constitution which
now gives the state unilateral powers to disregard
wage agreements;
(4)
further acknowledges that unless are guaranteed
security of wage agreement, the state will forever
be crippled by a demoralised workforce;
(5)
(6)
also acknowledges that workers will be left
vulnerable and unprotected from this state;
calls on workers and forums and all stakeholders to
convene and consult to seek more practical a way


 
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forward to preserve the power of bargaining councils
and for the workers to unite;
(7)
also notes the fact that the ANC majority in this
Parliament will reject this motion that is in
solidarity with workers should send a strong message
to workers that the ANC ruling elite is the enemy of
the workers.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): There is an objection
from the ANC. [Interjections.] Hon Hlengiwe Mkhalipi, please
don’t do that. [Interjections.] The DA is also objecting.
Thank you very much. [Interjections.] Hon Mkhalipi, please,
your time to speak has passed. You have been given the
opportunity and you called for this. This motion will be
converted to a notice of motion. Thank you. We are proceeding
now to the ANC.
Afrikaans:
Asseblief, mense! Kan ons ’n bietjie stilte kry! Ag nee, man!
[Please, everybody! Can we have some silence! No, man!]
CONGRATULATIONS TO INKOSIKAZI NOSANDI MHLAULI AS THE FIRST
WOMAN CHAIRPERSON OF THE NATIONAL HOUSE OF TRADITIONAL AND
KHOISAN LEADERS


 
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(Draft Resolution)
Ms M T KIBI: Chairperson, I hereby move without notice:
That the House-
(1) notes that the House extend its warmest
congratulations to Inkosikazi Nosandi Mhlauli for
being elected unopposed as the first woman
Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and
Khoisan Leaders on Tuesday 25 January 2022;
(2) acknowledges that her election marks a historical
moment as she becomes the first woman to be elected
in this position since the inception of the House;
(3) recalls that Inkosikazi Mhlauli led the Eastern Cape
Provincial House of Traditional Leaders for 15 years
until she was elected to the National House of
Traditional and Khoisan Leaders in 2017 as the deputy
chairperson;
(4) further recalls that she acted as chairperson since
the passing on of Inkosi Mahlangu in July 2021;


 
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(5) remembers Inkosikazi Mhlauli as one of the women
trailblazers leading the fight for gender and human
rights equality; and
(6) congratulates and wishes her well in her new position
of responsibility.
Agreed to.
INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY OBSERVED
(Draft Resolution)
Mr N SINGH: Chairperson, I hereby move without notice:
That the House-
(1) notes that International Mother Language Day is
observed every year on 21 February;
(2) acknowledges that the day is an essential platform
to promote the importance of cultural and linguistic


 
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diversity, and multilingualism for peaceful and
sustainable societies;
(3) further acknowledges that the theme of the 2022
International Mother Language Day which is, “Using
technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and
opportunities”, and this will discuss the potential
role of technology to advance multilingual education
and support the development of quality teaching and
learning for all;
(4) further notes that it encourages the implementation
of the use of technology for multilingual learning
as research shows that education in the mother
tongue is a key factor for inclusion and quality
learning;
(5) also notes that it also improves learning outcomes
and academic performance which is crucial,
especially in primary school, to avoid knowledge
gaps and increase the speed of learning and
comprehension; and


 
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(6) calls on the government to ensure that progress is
being made in mother tongue-based multilingual
education and to also encourage a growing
understanding of its importance, particularly in
early schooling, and that there is deeper commitment
to its development in public life.
Agreed to.
INTERNATIONAL TOURIST GUIDE DAY CELEBRATED
(Draft Resolution)
Mr I M GROENEWALD: Chairperson, I hereby move without notice:
That the House-
(1) notes that the International Tourist Guide Day was
celebrated on 21 February 2022, as has been done
each year since 1990;
(2) further notes that awareness about this day has
grown from an initial 15 countries in 1990, to more
than 70 countries celebrating this event worldwide;


 
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(3) acknowledges that tour guides are members of the
hospitality and travel industry and render
indispensable services to the tourism industry;
(4) also notes that tourism plays a critical role in the
broader South African economy, directly accounting
for 2,9% of the gross domestic product, supporting
over 725 000 jobs directly and accounts for 8,2% of
total investment activity, according to a 2018
report by Statistics SA;
(5) realises that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic
had a significant impact on the South African
tourism industry, mainly due to the lockdown and
travel restrictions that were imposed;
(6) acknowledges that these resulted in an estimated
decrease of 71,0% of tourists between 2019 and 2020
and subsequent closure of large numbers of tourism
related businesses and hundreds of thousands in job
losses;


 
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(7) further acknowledges that government has implemented
its Tourism Sector Recovery Plan, re-affirming
tourism’s position as a major contributor to the
South African economy and its envisaged role in the
broader economic reconstruction and recovery effort;
(8) urges on government to make more resources available
to all players in the tourism industry, without
prejudice based on race, as all role-players provide
much-needed employment to all spheres of the
population.
Agreed to.
ROLE PLAYED BY 70 FIREFIGHTERS
(Draft Resolution)
Ms S R VAN SCHALWYK: House Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the House-
(1) appreciates the role played by the 70 firefighters
who successfully contained the huge fire that


 
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destroyed parts of the South African Parliament in
the early hours of Sunday, 2 January 2022;
(2) notes that the firefighters worked over 71 hours
with courage and bravery to contain the fire;
(3) recalls that the fire severely damaged the National
Assembly building, including the National Assembly
Chamber, where the official sittings of both Houses
of Parliament are usually held; and
(4) applauds the firefighters who fought hard to bring
the fire in the precinct under control.
Agreed to.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ULRICH LE ROUX FROM PAAL BOYS HIGH
(Draft Resolution)
Mr S N SWART: House Chair, I move without notice:
That the House-


 
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(1) congratulates Ulrich le Roux from Paarl Boys High, who
was the top National Senior Certificate learner for
2021;
(2) notes that Le Roux achieved an average of 97,86% with
seven distinctions;
(3) further congratulates all the top learners and the
whole matric class of 2021 for their achievements
despite the loss of learning and teaching time due to
the prolonged absence of learners from schools due to
the Covid-19 pandemic; and
(4) commends all principals, teachers and support staff
for their hard work this past year, and applauds them
for their ongoing sacrifices in our schools throughout
the country.
Agreed to.
ELDEST SON OF KING KHAWUTA, KING HINTSA
(Draft Resolution)


 
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Mr N L S KWANKWA: House Chair, I move without notice:
That the House-
(1) notes that the eldest son of King Khawuta, King
Hintsa, was born in 1780, and was a commander in
chief, who led the Gcaleka forces to many battles;
(2) further notes that King Hintsa was regarded as one of
the greatest Xhosa Kings who ruled from 1820 until
his gruesome death in 1835;
(3) acknowledges that during his reign and during his peak
the Xhosa Kingdom stretched from Mbhashe River south
of Mthatha, to the Gamtoos River (Xelexwa) in the
Southern Cape;
(4) recalls that King Hintsa was beheaded by Harry Smith,
George and William Southey along the banks of Nqabara
River;
(5) acknowledges that the gruesome and inhumane death of
King Hintsa continues to be a matter of great pain
and concern for the Xhosa nation, especially given


 
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the fact that his skull continues to sits in British
museums for the amusement of tourists nearly two
centuries later;
(6) further recalls that King Hintsa’s skull has not been
re-united with his remains and buried with the dignity
befitting of a king of his stature, nor was there an
apology tendered by the British for this inhumane act;
(7) recognises the spiritual significance of the return
of the skull of King Hintsa kaKhawuta to be buried
with his body for the healing of the Xhosa nation and
to ensure and that it finds closure even if is two
centuries later; and
(8) calls on government to support the initiatives and
the discussions that are currently underway between
the British government and the Rharhabe Kingdom as
well as the Hleke Royal House for the return of the
skull of one of the greatest Kings of the Xhosa
nation, King Hintsa ka Khawuta.
Agreed to.


 
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PASSING AWAY OF MS PRIMROSE MRWEBI
(Draft Resolution)
Ms V VAN DYK: I move without notice:
That the House-
(1) notes that Ms Primrose Mrwebi - the celebrated local
writer, poet, teacher and director - sadly passed
away at the age of 46 years over the weekend of 12
February 2022;
(2) further notes that Ms Mrwebi was a graduate of the
Waterfront Theatre School and contributed frequently
at literary festivals across the Western Cape;
(3) acknowledges that Ms Mrwebi has for the last few
years played an important role in the Baxter
Theatre’s Zabalaza Theatre Festival as a facilitator
and advisor;
(4) recalls that Ms Mrwebi was especially dedicated to
supporting younger writers and founded the


 
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PrimPoetry Foundation, which gives young writers and
artists a platform to perform their work;
(5) recognises that Ms Mrwebi’s death has left a big
void in the Western Cape’s arts and culture sector,
and that her legacy will live on in the art and
lives of the young people she inspired; and
(6) conveys its heartfelt condolences to the family of
Ms Mrwebi.
Agreed to.
CONGRATULATIONS TO MS CYNTHIA MACHABA FROM NGWANAMAGO PRIMARY
SCHOOL IN LIMPOPO PROVINCE
(Draft Resolution)
Dr S S THEMBEKWAYO: House Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the House-
(1) notes that Ms Cynthia Machaba from Ngwanamago
Primary School in Limpopo province was named in the


 
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top 10 finalists for the Global Teacher Prize in
partnership with the United Nations Education,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Unesco;
(2) further notes that Ms Machaba was selected from
12 000 nominations and applications from over 140
countries;
(3) acknowledges that Ms Machaba, a proud teacher, is
recognised as an exceptional professional who plays
an important role in our society;
(4) recognises that as a top 10 finalist she shared the
prize with the winner;
(5) further congratulates Ms Cynthia Mashaba, and wishes
her success in her profession;
Agreed to.
NANTSA VACCINE MANUFACTURING CAMPAS AT BRACKENGATE, IN CAPE
TOWN
(Draft Resolution)


 
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Mr M S SOKATSHA: Hon House Chair, I move without notice:
That the House-
(1) welcomes the opening of the NantSA vaccine
production campus in Cape Town by the hon President
Cyril Ramaphosa and the chief executive office, Dr
Patrick Soon-Shiong on 19 January 2022;
(2) notes that the state of the art campus is part of a
farm broader initiative to propel Africa into a new
era of health science;
(3) understands the new vaccine manufacturing plant ...
[Inaudible.] ... Africa to access vaccines without
having people of rich countries;
(4) further understands that the plant will produce
Covid-19 vaccines, and will also make medicines for
the treatment of cancer, TB and HIV and Aids; and
(5)
acknowledges that the country now has capability to
use the human capital of South Africans to
manufacture the 25th century medicine;


 
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(6) also acknowledges that the facility will also focus
on a development of a second generation 19 vaccine
with the aim to produce 1 billion doses a year by
2025, and lastly
(7) commends the partnership between the government and
entities like networks to mobilise investment and
develop skills.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you, hon
Sokatsha, you should have told us your new method of not
showing yourself. [Laughter.]
Mr M N PAULSEN: Chairperson? Chairperson?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Yes, hon Paulsen. Let
me finish this first. Are there any objections to the motion?
Mr M N PAULSEN: Chairperson, I object. I don’t know what he
was trying to say. I object to it.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): It’s fine. Then the
motion will be converted to a notice of a motion. Thank you.


 
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[Interjections.] No, no, no, hon Papo, let the people be.
That’s it.
SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN’S NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM
(Draft Resolution)
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the House-
(1) notes that Banyana Banyana, our National Women’s
Football Team after an exceptional performance has
qualified for the African Women Cup of Nations to be
hosted in Morocow; Banyana Banyana draw on the second
leg 1-1 after clinching the first leg 2-0 against
Algeria advancing convincingly on a 3-1 aggregate;
(2) also notes that we provide limited funding for women’s
sports and development in South Africa compared to
their male counterpart;
(3) further notes that there is a lack of adequate funding
for sports development in the country, particularly


 
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women sports limit the ability of many vulnerable
sportsmen and sportswomen to showcase their talents;
(4) calls upon this honourable House congratulates
Banyana Banyana Football Team, including the coach
and management on the success and making us proud;
(5) also calls on the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture
to ensure that measures are put in place to engage
with the Department of Basic Education to enhance
sports development at full levels;
(6) also calls on the Minister and the department to make
more funding available for sports, particularly
women’s sport including women football;
(7) further calls on the Minister to engage and encourage
business to invest in our sports women as well;
Agreed to.
THE PASSING OF THE VETERAN ACTOR NTATE PATRICK SHAI ON
SATURDAY, 22 JANUARY 2022
(Draft Resolution)


 
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Ms V P MALOMANE: Hon House Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the House –
(1) notes with shock and sadness the passing of the
veteran actor Ntate Patrick Shai on Saturday, 22
January 2022;
(2) recalls that Ntate Shai was one of South Africa’s
most talented actors and had delivered powerful
performances in the roles he took on;
(3) acknowledges that he is best known for the roles in
Soul City, Generations and Zero Tolerance;
(4) remembers that he was nominated for a 2014 Safta
award in the category Best Supporting Actor for his
role in Skeem Saam, and again in 2018 for his
portrayal of Jacob Moloi in 7de Laan;
(5) further remembers that his most recent TV role was
on screen to play the role of Mr Phasha on 1 Magic’s
The River; and


 
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(6) conveys its condolences to his family and friends in
the performance industry.
Agreed to.
THE STANCE TAKEN BY KENYA AND THE AFRICAN UNION ON THE
ESCALATING CONDUCT AND TERROR PERPETRATED BY RUSSIAN AGAINST
UKRAINE
(Draft Resolution)
Mr S M JAFTA: Hon House Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the House –
(1) notes the stance taken by Kenya and the African
Union on the escalating combat and terror
perpetrated by Russian against Ukraine;
(2) recognises the foresights of Kenyan ambassador,
Martin Kimani, who derided Russia’s aggression in
Ukraine and its recognition of Ukraine’s self-
proclaimed independence states;


 
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(3) recalls that war and strife not foster conditions of
its human right and security;
(4) affirms Ukraine’s right to its independence and
territorial integrity;
(5) calls on Russia to dispute resolutions processes in
order to charge the new global order going forward;
and
(6) appeals to the South African government to
communicate its message on this issue with clarity,
informed by the SA Foreign Policy on Human Rights
and Global Peace.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you. Are there
any objections to the motion? Can we be recorded, please? Oh,
there are no objections. Oh, I saw you standing and I thought
you wanted to say something. Okay. What are you saying?
Mr M N PAULSEN: There is an objection.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Oh. Hon members,
please, I want to speak. If you object, you must be on record,


 
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please. That’s why I didn’t hear you well. The motion will be
converted to a notice of a motion.
Mr M N PAULSEN: Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Yes, hon member, what
is it?
Mr M N PAULSEN: Chair, I want you to register the EFF’s
objection to that motion.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): No, once it is
rejected, it’s fine. Thank you.
THE PASSING OF RIKHADO “RIKY RICK” MAKHADO ON TUESDAY 22
FEBRUARY 2022
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M A ZONDI: Hon House Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the House –


 
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(1) notes with sadness the passing of Rikhado “Riky
Rick” Makhado on Tuesday, 22 February 2022;
(2) recalls that Makhado created a name for himself in
the hip-hop industry through his critically
acclaimed hit single Sidlukotini, released in 2016;
(3) remembers that he is also known by several other
names including Boss Zonke, King Kotini and Master
Makhado;
(4) acknowledges that his passing comes just a few days
after he had announced a partnership with African
Bank;
(5) recognises that his nurturing and developing of
young musical talent is well documented and will
forever be remembered; and
(6) conveys its heartfelt condolences to his family and
friends in the music industry.
Agreed to.


 
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LIEUTENANT ELMARIE MYBURGH TACKLING CASES OF GENDER-BASED
VIOLENCE
(Draft Resolution)
Mrs M B HICKLIN: Hon House Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the House –
(1) notes that South Africa has an unacceptably high
rate of gender-based violence and psychologically
motivated crimes against women;
(2) further notes that Lieutenant Colonel Elmarie
Myburgh is one of the only four female South African
criminologists in the SA Police Force, and the only
trained profiler;
(3) recognises that in 27 years of service, she has
investigated 70 serial murder cases and 90 serial
rape cases;
(4) acknowledges that her analysis reports of the so-
called Facebook serial rapist, ensured that he was


 
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found guilty of 17 counts of rape, 10 of robbery and
related crimes, and sentenced to eight life terms,
and 223 years for imprisonment; and
(5) further acknowledges that South Africa owes a lot of
gratitude to Lieutenant Colonel Myburgh for ensuring
that perpetrators of gender-based violence and
psychologically motivated crimes remains behind bars
for years to come.
I so move in the name of all gender-based violence victims. I
thank you, House Chair. [Applause.]
Agreed to.
WORLDWIDE GRASSROOTS GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO PROMOTE THE KINGDOM
OF MASJID-AL AQSA IN JERUSALEM
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Hon House Chairperson, I move without
notice:
That the House –


 
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(1) notes a worldwide grassroots global initiative that has
been launched to promote the kingdom of Masjid-al Aqsa
in Jerusalem;
(2) further notes that organisations from all over the
world have pledged to support the campaign, declaring
Aqsa Week from Thursday, 24 February until 2 March
2022;
(3) understands that on 28 February 2022 more than
2 billion Muslims observed the celestial journey
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, undertook from
Masjid Al Aqsa to heaven, where he received
instructions from the Almighty to convey the five daily
prayers to Muslim believers;
(4) recognises the celestial journey prepares Muslims for
Ramadaan, started at Masjid Al Harram in Makkah,
proceeded to Madinah, then offered prayers at Mount
Sinai, proceeding to Bethelem where Prophet Isa, Peace
be upon him, was born, to the grave of Moses outside of
Masjid Al Aqsa, to honour them and show respect; and


 
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(5) calls for a peaceful Ramadaan for worshippers at Al
Aqsa in Jerusalem.
Agreed to.
THE PASSING OF ARCHBISHOP EMERITUS DESMOND MPILO TUTU ON 26
DECEMBER 2021
(Draft Resolution)
Mr O M MATHAFA: Hon House Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the House –
(1) notes with great sadness the passing of Archbishop
Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu on Sunday, 26 December
2021, at the age of 90 in Cape Town;
(2) recalls that as a cleric, Bishop Tutu travelled
widely, gaining an MA in Theology from King’s
College in London;
(3) acknowledges that he won the Nobel Peace Prize in
1984 for fighting against apartheid system and
championing peace in South Africa;


 
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(4) further acknowledges that in 1986 he was appointed
Archbishop of Cape Town, the effective head of the
Anglican church in South Africa;
(5) remembers that after the nation’s first free
election in 1994, President Nelson Mandela appointed
him as a chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission, TRC, to investigate hearings into
apartheid-era human rights abuses;
(6) further remembers that in 2015, he launched a
petition urging global leaders to create a world run
on renewable energies within 35 years, which was
backed by more than 300,000 people globally; and
(7) conveys its condolences to Mam Leah Tutu, the Tutu
family, the board and staff of the Desmond and Leah
Tutu Legacy Foundation and friends.
Agreed to.
NOTICES OF MOTION


 
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Ms X S QAYISO: House Chair, I hereby give notice on behalf of
the ANC that on the next sitting day of the House, the House
debate the building of the developmental state, including
socioeconomic development, revision of services and
facilitating people’s participation.
Ms H ISMAIL: I hereby move on behalf of the DA that on the
next sitting day of the House, this House debate illegal
mining as a matter of importance ... [Inaudible.] ... going on
for a number of years ... [Inaudible.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): We couldn’t hear you,
Ma’am. You still have some time. Can we allow somebody to ...
[Inaudible.] ... take ... [Inaudible.] ... over from the DA?
Can you reach the ...
Ms H ISMAIL: Shall I try again, Chair?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Your network, it’s uh
... I can’t hear you?
Ms Gwarube?


 
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Ms S GWARUBE: I was asking if we could circle back, House
Chair, when she’s back.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Okay. EFF?
Mr M N PAULSEN: I hereby move on behalf of the EFF that on the
next sitting day of the House, the House debate the lack of
transformation in the fishing sector with regards to allowing
new entrants into the commercial fishing sector and the
control that big fishing corporations have over this
department. Thank you very much.
Mr O M MATHAFA: House Chair, I hereby move on behalf of the
ANC that on the next sitting day of the House, the House
debate the implementation of a social compact in order to
steer the country towards active citizenry and ethical
leadership.
Prof C T MSIMANG: Hon House Chair, on behalf of the IFP I
hereby give notice that I shall move on the next sitting day
of the House, that this House debate the ripple effects and
impact of all criminal activity perpetrated by illegal
immigrants in many different parts of South Africa.


 
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Mr P MEY: House Chair, I hereby give notice that on the next
sitting day of the House, I shall move on behalf of the FF
Plus, that the House debate possible solutions to address the
critical water shortages experienced by the Nelson Mandela Bay
area, over and above the Nooitgedacht Water Scheme that is
still under construction.
Mr O M MATHAFA: Chairperson, I hereby move on behalf of the
ANC that on the next sitting day of the House, the House
debate expanding South Africa’s economic diplomacy
capabilities to ensure closer alignment between the diplomatic
mission structures and the objectives of economic diplomacy,
including in personnel and representation.
Mr S N SWART: House Chair, I will move on behalf of the ACDP
on the next sitting day of the House, that the House debate
the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine and the urgent need for
a mediated ceasefire, given that the invasion not only
violates the sovereignty of an independent country in
violation of international law but has resulted in the loss to
date of 352 civilians, including that of women and children as
well as the widespread destruction and infrastructure.


 
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Mr N L S KWANKWA: House Chair, on the next sitting day of the
House, I shall move that the House debate the efficacy or lack
thereof of all these stimulus and bailout packages implemented
by the government since the beginning of COVID-19 in order to
reignite economic growth, create jobs and eradicate poverty.
Ms H ISMAIL: Thank you, Chair. I hope you can hear me now. I
hereby move on behalf of the DA that on the next sitting day
of this House, this House debate illegal mining as a matter of
national importance, that it has been going on for a number of
years, the impact it has on the economy and the environment
and the cost of the lives it has taken.
An HON MEMBER: Chairperson, we don’t hear anything.
[BREAK IN SOUND: TANYA LYONS]
Ms G K TSEKE: House Chair, I hereby move on behalf of the ANC
that on the next sitting day of the House, the House debate
assessing water allocation to the previously disadvantaged and
ensuring that this scarce resource is used equitably and
sustainably in order to support the development objectives of
the country.
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: House Chairperson, I’m amazed by at the
attention the Russian invasion of Ukraine is receiving. I move


 
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on behalf of the NFP that on the next sitting day the House,
this House deliberate on the abuse, harassment, intimidation,
rape, murder and violation of the human rights of the
Palestinian people by Israel, and resolves to downgrade the
South African embassy in Israel to a liaison office until such
time Israel stops the hostilities against the Palestinian
people, respects the rights of the Palestinian people who have
been dispossessed from their land and property to exist and
complies with all international agreements entered into.
Mr M A TSEKI: Chairperson, noting the settlement of people
from the rural areas into the cities of South Africa, I hereby
move on behalf of the ANC that on the next sitting day of the
House, the House debate addressing the challenge of rapid
urbanisation.
Mr S M JAFTA: Chairperson, on behalf of the AIC I move that
that on the next sitting day of this House, this House debate
the high unemployment rate among South African graduates.
Ms T S MASONDO: Chairperson, I hereby move on behalf of the
ANC that on the next sitting day of the House, the House
debate the impact of globalisation and its impact on young
people.


 
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Mrs E R WILSON: Chair, I hereby move on behalf of the DA that
on the next sitting day the House, that the House debate
hundreds of billions of rand in medico-legal claims against
the Department of Health and the incapacity of the Health
ombudsman to adequately address the crisis and remove the
backlog.
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Al-Jama-ah moves that this House debate an
investigation into the integrity of the SA Human Rights
Commission, based on the commission taking a matter on behalf
of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies to court, on the anti – so-
called – anti-Zionism comments made by former Cosatu official
Mr Bongani Masuku. This shows support for Zionism in many
quarters. It is also noted that the SAHRC failed to withdraw
the case even after the United Nations structures – three of
them – declared Israel an apartheid state. Al Jamah-ah makes a
call for new leadership of the SA Human Rights Commission. I
understand that condemnation of Zionism is not condemnation of
Jews, which we love as brothers and sisters in faith.
Mr S N SWART: House Chair, House Chair – on a point of order.


 
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Yes, hon Swart. What is
the point of order?
Mr S N SWART: The point of order is that hon member Hendricks
is casting aspersions on members of the SA Human Rights
Commission that are appointed by this House. Therefore, I
would ask you to study the record in this regard.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): I will do that and I
will revert back to the House with a ruling. Thank you.
The DA – you still have the first slot that was not used. You
may proceed.
Mr B B NODADA: Chairperson, I hereby move on behalf of the DA
that on the next sitting day of the House, the House debate
the implementation of strategies and solutions to tackle the
problem of the high learner-dropout-rate to improve learner
retention in South Africa’s public schools.
Ms A S HLONGO: House Chair, I hereby move on behalf of the ANC
that on the next sitting day of the House, the House debate
youth participation in the implementation, management and
monitoring of sports transformation.


 
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The House adjourned at 17:31.