Hansard: NA: Unrevised hansard
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 22 Mar 2022
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
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PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Watch video here: PLENARY (HYBRID) [GHC]
The House met at [14:00]
The Acting Speaker took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayer or meditation.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Hon Acting Speaker, I move that the House revives the report of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry on the Request by Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition to make recommendations on suitability of candidates for position of the Chairperson of the Board of National Lotteries Commission. As Tabled on the ATC on that set date, 17 March 2021, and this matter be referred to the committee for further consideration. Motion agreed to (Democratic Alliance dissenting).
DEATH OF 15 ILLEGAL MINERS IN EKURHULENI
(Member’s Statement)
Ms N J KUBHEKA (ANC): Deputy Speaker, the ANC learns with shock the deaths of 15 alleged illegal miners whose bodies
were discovered at a mining hole in Ekurhuleni recently. It is reported that eight bodies were first retrieved in Primrose on Thursday and seven were brought to the surface on Saturday, bringing the total to 15. Illegal mining has flourished in South Africa in recent years as desperate groups of men put their health and lives at risk in search of precious metals. Men spend days and sometimes months underground digging for gold. Most groupings are heavily armed to protect themselves in case deadly clashes ensue. Also known as zama zamas illegal miners are either killed by suffocation underground or die in gun fights during battles for control of mine shafts. The ANC believes that people who are involved in illegal mining disrespected the rule of law. Despite a task team established in 2019 by the Police Minister to tackle illegal mining and its associated crimes, the rate of illegal mining is still shocking. We condemn this kind of illegal mining with the strongest contempt it deserves. We also appeal to all our
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law enforcement agencies to double their efforts in
investigating the main ring leaders and masterminds who
continues to trade in illegal gold. I thank you, Deputy
Speaker.
COLLAPSE OF NORTH WEST MUNICIPALITIES
(Member’s Statement)
Mr J J MCGLUWA (DA): Deputy Speaker, besides the fact that the
number of municipalities in the North West are still
collapsing, the Minister of Co-operative Governance and
Traditional Affairs, Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has
announced that section 100 intervention in the province will
be lifted soon.
It is a shameful indictment that the North West Provincial
Government, which has been under national government
administration for a number of years can’t even do the basics
by paying their accounts on time.
If ever anyone needed evidence that the ANC at any sphere of
government is incompetent, Deputy Speaker, this is here. The
DA has for years maintained that the ANC cannot fix what the
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ANC has broken. There is no connection of electricity supplies
to government departments in the North West province because
non-payment has effectively brought key service delivery
programmes to a complete halt.
Afrikaans:
Adjunkspeaker, dit is ’n skreiende skande dat die premier se
kantoor in die Noordwes, asook die departemente van
Samewerkende Regering en Tradisionele Sake, Menslike
Nedersettings, en selfs Finansies en Openbare Werke, se krag
afgesny was as gevolg van wanbetaling.
English:
Deputy Speaker, this is not all, several North West
municipalities, and again the Minister is fully aware of this
are failing to service the Eskom debt in excess of billions. A
clear indication that indeed no government is left in the
North West province.
The Minister must take responsibility of what is happening in
the North West province and clearly, it seems that she
doesn’t. It is time for our well-run financially, stable and
functioning municipalities in the North West province where
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only a DA government can rescue the citizens from a deeply
divided ANC in the wild North West. I thank you.
EARLY CHILHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTRES
(Member’s Statement)
Ms L H ARRIES (EFF): Deputy Speaker, in less than two weeks,
the Early Childhood Development, ECD, centres will officially
cease to be part of the Department of Social Development. And
will fall under the Department of Basic Education.
By the end of March 2022 at the end of financial year, the
Department of Social Development will loss R250 million
because of under expenditure. This is extremely shocking in a
country with such high level of desperation and poverty, where
many live without enough food.
Let’s talk about the R250 million that will otherwise be
returned to National Treasury and used not to pay the ECD
Relief Fund. As the EFF, we have been to many of these ECD
centres. And it is shocking to see how many of them are
struggling. Many of the workers in the sector have not had an
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income in the past two years. And are struggling to put food
on the table.
It is unacceptable that half of the applicants for the Relief
Fund did not get acknowledgement or feedback on their
applications. We know we are dealing with an uncaring
government, but this is a form of hate towards our people.
What is worse in the ECD sector, it is dominant by women. The
majority live in struggling communities.
But perhaps most strategically, it is children of poor black
working class families who are left without any form of
facilities, those who preside over the Department of Social
development, including the Minister, must be ashamed of
themselves. Thank you.
CONGRATULATIONS TO KING MISUZULU SINQOBILE ZULU
(Member’s Statement)
Mr B A RADEBE (ANC): The ANC wishes to congratulate His
Majesty, King Misuzulu Sinqobile Zulu, on his official
recognition by President Ramaphosa as the King of AmaZulu on
Wednesday 16 March 2022.
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The legal recognition by President Ramaphosa is in terms of
the law, section 8(3)(a) and (b) of the Traditional and Khoi-
San Leadership Act, 2019. As required by the Act, the
recognition of the King Elect by the President followed
consultations with the Minister of Co-operative Governance and
Traditional Affairs and the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal.
His Majesty assumes the Kingship of AmaZulu following the
untimely passing on of His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini in
March 2021 and subsequently his mother, the Regent Queen
Mantfombi Dlamini in April 2021. He is the second oldest
surviving son of King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu and the
first for his great wife, the late Queen Mantfombi Dlamini.
As the ANC, we convey our sincere best wishes to His Majesty
King Misuzulu Zulu on the occasion of his legal recognition as
King of AmaZulu.
THE RISING PRICE OF FUEL
(Member’s Statement)
Mr K P SITHOLE (IFP): Hon Deputy Speaker, members, the rising
fuel price in South Africa needs to be looked at in a holistic
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way. The increase in the fuel price will affect all South
Africans across the board and we urge government to relook the
period under which there is global instability regarding
pricing, and find a model that is softening the blow for all
consumers.
While many populist ideas only focus on the poor, the truth is
that it is excluding other consumers from protecting against
the rising fuel price, which indeed ends up impacting the
poor.
The South African transportation industry is not yet ready to
accommodate the mass movement of the population through other
means of sustainable transport like an electric trains or
aircraft and sea craft. We must admit that we need to really
... [Inaudible] ... adopting a more universal strategy in
addressing the fuel costs concerns that South Africa ...
[Inaudible] ... consuming petrol for leisure as well as for
businesses.
We must protect against further job losses in the country due
to the slower economy. Unfortunately, it has a direct impact
on consumer spending and debt, which are both undesirable for
industries, especially the transport industry.
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South Africans spend a considerable amount of their income on
transporting costs, due to the high cost of fuel. This has a
resultant impact on the way we are able to spend money on
necessities like food, water, electricity and essentially
clothing. The impact of the industry will be enormous.
We must take heed of these warnings now and seize the
opportunity to act proactively, to mitigate the effect of
further economic decline.
Finally, government must be able to honour the commitment it
has made to the Road Accident Fund, as the claims of many
beneficiaries have not been settled. We note that part of the
fuel levy services these obligations. However, we must find a
way to prioritise our budget. The vulnerable must be assisted
by government, whilst at the same time, government must create
an environment for economic growth. I thank you.
Mr W M THRING (ACDP): Hon Deputy Speaker, normally the FF Plus
is before the ACDP, but I am in your hands.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, no, no, proceed.
THE ENFORCEMENT OF VACCINE MANDATES
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(Member’s Statement)
Mr W M THRING (ACDP): Hon Deputy Speaker, yesterday, the ACDP
together with Save the Children marched to the Union Buildings
to hand over a memorandum to the Department of Health,
demanding that vaccines are not forced on children and that
mandates are not thrust on the people of South Africa.
I wish to make it categorically clear that the ACDP is not
antivaccines. In protecting the hard-fought freedoms of the
people of South Africa, the ACDP is on record saying that it
will oppose vaccine mandates. We believe in the
constitutionally enshrined rights of all South Africans, as
contained in Chapter 2 of the Bill of Rights in our
Constitution that express that:
Everyone has the right to bodily and psychological integrity.
Everyone has the right to freedom of conscience, religion,
thought, belief and opinion. Everyone has the right to freedom
of expression.
Clearly, these constitutional imperatives, as contained in our
Constitution are irrevocable and cannot be applied
arbitrarily. We must be consistent in the application of the
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imperatives, whether to the rich or poor, the employed or
unemployed, black or white and vaccinated or unvaccinated, for
these are not just our constitutional rights but also our
inalienable rights.
It is unconscionable, that for a vaccine that is still on
trial and placebos are given, and though it has been
scientifically proven that the vaccine does not prevent
infection or transmission of Covid-19, that this government
wishes to enforce mandates on our children, students, workers
and the general population. I thank you.
THE MOVE TO COALITION GOVERNANCE
(Member’s Statement)
Mr F J MULDER (FF PLUS): Deputy Speaker, after almost 30 years
of rule by the ANC and its partners, South Africa’s politics
has gradually moved from the prevalence of one-party dominance
to a multiparty system. The failure of the ANC government,
corruption, state capture and poor governance gave rise to
parties such as the FF Plus, the DA, IFP, ACDP, Cope, Action
SA, Patriotic Alliance and the EFF and others to collectively
reduce ANC support in the 2021 local government election to
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well below 50%, and as a result, coalition governance is
likely to become a permanent feature of South African
politics.
This collective is a new primary channel for building
accountable and responsive governance towards the 2024 general
election, by providing a link between ordinary citizens and
their political representatives.
The collective represents a broader political constituency and
integrate the society into the democratic process and is also
in the process of forming the basis of political coalitions
and government.
Afrikaans:
Aktiewe Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskappe oor ’n breë spektrum sal
gaandeweg meer seggenskap oor hul eie sake verkry, in
teenstelling met die sentralisering van die mag van die
afgelope 28 jaar, wat kenmerkend onder die ANC-bewind was. Die
VF Plus sal hom hiervoor bly beywer. Dankie.
CLASH BETWEEN FOREIGNERS OVER FARM JOBS
(Member’s Statement)
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Ms M R MOTHAPO (ANC): The ANC learns with shock the recent
clash between foreigners over farm jobs in Robertson and
condemns the violent Robertson clashes between desperate
farmworkers from Lesotho and Zimbabwe over alleged competition
for farm space.
Tensions between the two nationals left hundreds of
Zimbabweans homeless and forced to take refuge at a local
police station. The violence erupted last week due to alleged
discriminatory employment practices on farms, which saw
Zimbabweans favoured for jobs over seasonal workers from
Lesotho. Confrontations in the area left one person
hospitalised, and 17 people sustained minor injuries, two of
which were children. Many homes were torched.
The ANC condemns the labour brokers who keep on employing
foreign nationals over locals for cheap labour. We call upon
the government to urgently intervene to stop the clashes in
the Western Cape, and to counter the spread. We also call upon
the Department of Employment and Labour to investigate if farm
owners in Robertson adhered to labour legislation and if
proper procedures were followed when facilitating recruitment
at their workplaces. Thank you.
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PRESIDENTIAL YOUTH EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE EXTENDED, PHASE 3 TO
BEGIN FROM THE 1st APRIL UNTIL the 30th AUGUST 2022
(Member’ Statement)
Ms N G ADOONS (ANC): Deputy Speaker, the ANC appreciates the
further extension of the contracts of education assistants until
the end of August 2022.
To ensure continuity, maintenance of stability and sustained
impact in schools, the Department of Basic Education announced
that the youth appointed in schools as at 28 February 2022 will
be offered new fixed term contracts commencing on 1 April 2022 up
until 30 August 2022.
The current initiative has been providing work to about 280 000
people who were appointed as assistants on a five-month contract
across South African schools.
This programme gives an opportunity for the youth to obtain
experience while helping with the current unemployment rate in
South Africa. We understand that some of the youth who were
initially part of the programme in Phase I and II have since found
employment elsewhere or registered for further studies.
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The initiative is doing well in assisting the sector by providing
capacity to schools to manage the impact of COVID-19 on schooling
and supported teachers and learners in classrooms. Thank you,
Deputy Speaker.
THE BEITBRIDGE BORDER FENCE FIASCO
(Member’ Statement)
Ms S J GRAHAM (DA): Deputy Speaker, the Beitbridge Border
fence has been an unmitigated disaster and three years after
the purported construction of what is now known as the washing
line, not a single person has been held accountable.
The project was initiated by a director for Minister De Lille
which gave expression explicit instructions to the director
general at the time. He was subsequently being suspended to
appoint the contractor who had already been identified without
any adherence to procurement protocols.
The initial report of the Special Investigating Unit, SIU, and
to the fence fiasco, identified Ms Mellissa Whitehead, special
advisor to the Minister, as the author of the directors that
set the process in motion. Given that she falls under the
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Minister’s office; we were advised that her disciplinary
processes will be handled by the state attorney.
Two years after the fence was erected, Ms Whitehead is still
earning her salary, advising the Minister and is yet to face
any consequences. The Minister has extensively network various
role players in this matter but the finalised charge sheet is
only going to be presented to Ms Whitehead next week.
Ms Whitehead seemingly drafted the ministerial directive under
the name of the Minister, which failed the procurement
prescripts placed the director general and two other officials
in a severely compromised position and set in motion into
R14 million joke and she wasn’t even suspended.
Minister De Lille talks regularly about consequence management
in her department. It appears that this doesn’t apply to her
hand pick advisors. Thank you.
FISHING INDUSTRY - FAILED
(Member’ Statement)
Mr M N PAULSEN (EFF): Deputy Speaker, there’s an old adage:
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Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man
to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Our people can fish but the ANC’s Minister of Forestry,
Fisheries and the Environment, would rather have him starve to
death.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has
yet again unsurprisingly failed to effect transformation in
the fishing industry. The outcome of the Fishing Rights
Allocation Process, FRAP, 2021 process once again exposes a
probable scaly relationship, the Minister and her department
has with big business.
The Financial Sector Conduct Authority announced over the
weekend of 19 February 2022, that it is investigating Oceana
for breaching the Financial Markets Act by issuing false and
misleading information.
After then FRAP results were released, the company announced
publicly the lifeline courtesy of Minister Creecy ‘s
department. The group secured rights in five key species for a
period of 15 years.
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The relationship between the ANC and monopoly stand in a way
of transformation in the fishing sector. The latest fact
results show a decrease in allocations to small companies and
new entrance. South Africa had a total of 930 commercial right
holders prior to Feb 2021, this has been reduced to 706 across
the nine species. There will be a substantial increase in
unemployment as a consequence of the deduction in rights
holders ... [Inaudible.] ... species such as traditional line
fishing.
FRAP must be guided by the principle that marine resources are
public resources. And the exploitation of these resources
should benefit the public as a whole. This ANC, this Minister
and this fisheries management do not care about the public,
they care about likes of those criminals at Oceana.
The EFF is in the process of actively mobilising the small
scale and indigenous fishers to collectively challenge this
travesty of justice by all means necessary. The Minister and
her department must expect thousands of fishers, ready to
challenge her in court, to camp at her offices, at this
Parliament and even at her home if we have to. Thank you very
much.
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ALLEGED GAUTENG DRUG MANUFACTURING LABORATORY DISMANTLED,
THREE SUSPECTS ARRESTED
(Member’ Statement)
Ms N P PEACOCK (ANC): Deputy Speaker, alleged Gauteng drug
manufacturing laboratory dismantled, three suspects arrested.
The ANC supports efforts aimed at stamping out drugs
manufacturing and distribution in communities and in our
country. Our country is facing a serious and devastating
problem of drug abuse, especially among young people.
We therefore commend the successful joint operation of search
and seizure conducted by Officers of the Hawks’ Serious
Organised Crime Investigation Unit in Germiston, Counter
Narcotics, Crime Intelligence, Head Office and the West Rand
K9 Unit on Tuesday, 8 March 2022.
The success of this joint operation is also as a result of
active citizen participation reporting suspicious acts of
crime in their neighbourhood.
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The investigation team conducted surveillance of premises
where suspicions of drug activities were reported at
Ardenworld in Vanderbijlpark.
A search and seizure operation was executed where the suspects
were arrested for allegedly manufacturing mandrax. This arrest
indicates that the ANC-led Government fight crimes as well
as... it focuses on the strategy in order to make sure that
crime is combated.
We call upon all South African communities to continue to work
with the law enforcement agencies to ensure crime reduction in
our communities. I thank you Deputy Speaker.
COLLAPSE OF THE EASTERN CAPE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
(Member’ Statement)
Mr N L S KWANKWA (UDM): Deputy Speaker, the UDM is concerned
about the complete collapse of the Eastern Cape healthcare
system. The public healthcare system in the Eastern Cape has
for a decades been experiencing problems which include but are
not limited to; overcrowded hospital wards, the dilapidated
infrastructure, food shortages, broken down ambulances,
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neglected state of mortuaries and the shortage of doctors and
the nurses.
However, instead of trying to resolve the shortage of medical
staff, particular in the Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape
department has decided to terminate contracts for the
community service professional nurses, which exacerbate the
situation.
To this end we are disappointed that the department has
decided to terminate over six 630 community service
professional nurses’ contracts by the end of March 2022, due
to a lack of funds. This community services nurses have been
served with termination letters within the province, in which
an employment rate stands at about 47,1 %.
As I am talking to you Deputy Speaker, there’s industrial
action. These community service professional nurses are
matching, right now to the offices of the department in Bisho,
to hand over a memorandum of complaints and demands.
We call on the Minister of Health to intervene here ...
IsiXhosa:
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... ukuqinisekisa ukuba abantu bethu abathi ngoku belindele
ukuqeswa ngokusemthethweni njengoko imigaqonkqubo isitsho
babekelwe ecaleni. Le ngxaki kufuneka ilungiswe ukuze bakwazi
ukuqeshwa basebenze njengoko kulindelekile.
English:
Mr N L S KWANKWA (UDM): Thank you.
TITLE DEEDS ISSUED BY DITSOBOTLA MUNICIPALITY
(Member’s Statement)
Ms N G ADOONS (ANC): Deputy Speaker, the ANC welcomes the
issuing of over 1300 title deeds to beneficiaries of fully
subsidised houses, informally known as RDPs, by the Department
of Human Settlements in Itsoseng, Ditsobotla Local
Municipality in North West recently. It has issues 1300 title
deeds.
The ANC is calling for the people who are beneficiaries of
subsidised houses to refrain from selling them and value what
they are being given. During the apartheid era, the black
majority did not have security of tenure to their properties
or houses. For decades they did not have any hope that one day
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they will own their own homes. The ANC-led government will
continue to work hard to ensure that all South Africans live
in decent conditions in suitable human settlements.
DANGEROUS TEBETEBE BRIDGE IN UMZIVUMBU MUNICIPALITY BE AT THE
TOP OF THE LIST OF WELISIZWE RURAL BRIDGES PROGRAMME
(Member’s Statement)
Mr B B NODADA (DA): Deputy Speaker, in his 2022 state of the
nation address, the President pronounced that the government
will be upscaling the Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme, of
which the South African National Defence Force, SANDF, is the
implementing agent, to deliver 95 bridges a year from the
current 14.
It is imperative that the government makes an announcement on
which bridges are included for the attention of the Welisizwe
programme in 2022.
The dangerous bridges and deadly so-called Tebetebe suspension
bridge in Ward 6 in the Umzimvubu Local Municipality needs to
be at the top of that list.
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This crumbling bridge is one of the only means for 2 000
residents from seven villages to cross the dangerous Umzimvubu
river to access essential services. Residents have to cross
this bridge, that was built 21 years ago as a temporary
measure, to get to schools, clinics and to buy groceries.
Over the past years at least 30 villagers have drowned in the
river after being swept from the banks, of the unsafe Tebetebe
bridge, or another low-lying bridge in the area. When the
river is in full flow, even the suspension bridge is too
dangerous to cross, cutting villagers off from the outside
world.
The DA has on numerous occasions brought the issue of this
dangerous bridge under the attention of the local
municipality, but received no attention. We also want thank
our DA councillor Nozi Mantongo for exposing this deadly
bridge in a social media video that was viewed over 120 000
times that attracted the president’s attention.
Since 21 January 2022, the Office of the President, the
Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, the Deputy
Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development,
the Alfred Nzo District Municipality Executive Mayor,
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including the SANDF have conducted oversight inspections
there. Promises of urgent interventions have been made, but
since 5th February 2022 the community has received no
feedback.
The people living in these villages are in fear every time
they have to cross the Tebetebe bridge – while government
drags its feet and endangers lives by its inaction. The
Government must immediately take the people into its
confidence and give clarity on the list of bridges to be
attended to in 2022. The people living in Ward 6 in Umzimvubu
deserve hope and have a right to live their lives in a safe
environment, especially when we celebrate Human Rights Day. I
thank you.
BIODIVERSITY AGREEMENT SIGNED BY SOUTH AFRICA AND FRANCE
(Member’s Statement)
Mr B A RADEBE (ANC): Deputy Speaker, South Africa and France
signed a 25 million biodiversity agreement. We welcome the
recent SAN Parks and the Agence Française de Development, AFD,
grant agreement worth about R25 million between the Table
Mountain National Park, TMNP, and Réunion Island National Park
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in France, towards the preservation of biodiversity and
improving park management at both parks.
At the signing ceremony on Tuesday, 15 March 2022, hosted at
Table Mountain, Aerial Cableway representatives from SANParks
and AFD announced that the funds from the agreement would be
used to support park actions that facilitate the sharing of
knowledge and experiences between South Africa and Reunion
Island.
Both parks have Unesco (UN Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation) world heritage status and conserved
highly diverse ecosystems and cultural heritage sites of great
global value.
Some of the main project activities include developing
strategic plans and sharing tools for invasive species
management, vulnerable species management, fire management and
climate change preparedness, training, pilot field
interventions, awareness raising activities and joint studies
and research.
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We wish them success in exchanging and learning from each
other to better enable this valuable coexistence. I thank you,
Deputy Speaker.
CONGRATULATIONS TO KING MISUZULU SINQOBILE ZULU
THE MOVE TO COALITION GOVERNANCE
(Minister’s Response)
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Are there any Ministerial Response? This
question must be changed; it has to be. I don’t see you. Cele,
Cele! Okay, go ahead, hon member. Cele, we will come to you,
Sir.
IsiZulu:
UNGQONGQOSHE WAMAPHOYISA: Awungiboni, ngiyakubona mina
USEKELA SOMLOMO: Yebo, amehlo ami ayahamba.
UNGQONGQSHE WEZEMIDLALO EZOBUCIKO NAMASIKO: Faka izibuko.
English:
Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker, thank you to hon Radebe
on the statement he made. The recognition by the President
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Ramaphosa of the King Elect of AmaZulu Prince Misuzulu
kaBhekuzulu should actually be respected by all. It should
bring about unity...
IsiZulu:
... kumaZulu wonkana aziwayo ngabo ubunye. Sithi ke Zulu
kaMalandela ubunye phambili. Siyabonga. [Ihlombe.]
English:
I have a second .... To the hon member of the FFPlus. I think
we must deal with this propaganda. Actually, the 1st of
November elections, mainly members and supporters of the ANC
didn’t go out and vote in their numbers.
IsiZulu:
Siyayazi sizoyilungisa leyo.
English:
So, for now you just hold on your coalition. We have counted
your coalition x before they are hatched. Hold on to that and
you will be surprised. This is the movement of the people, it
will correct where it has to and move forward to the main
elections. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
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CONCERNS OF TRADITIONAL LINE FISHERS WITH REGARD TO THE
FISHING RIGHTS ALLOCATION PROCESS
AND
SOUTH AFRICA AND FRANCE SIGN A R25 MILLION BIODIVERSITY
AGREEMENT
(Minister’s Response)
The MINISTER OF FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND ENVIRONMENT: Thank you
very much, hon Deputy Speaker. Let me first of all thank the
hon Paulsen for raising concerns of traditional line fishers
with regard to the Fishing Rights Allocation Process, Frap. I
think the important thing to say here is that this process is
not yet concluded and the best thing to do at this stage would
be to help those who did not receive rights to appeal. The
appeal’s process starts at the end of this month. The second
piece of advice I would want to give you, hon Paulsen, is that
if you have prima facie evidence of mismanagement or criminal
activity, there is an independent hotline for the Frap
process, the number is 0800 203 589.
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With regard to small-scale fishers, these fishers do not
receive rights under the commercial process. However, a
portion of the line fish quota has been held aside for them
and I think that that would be the most appropriate process
through which to ensure that we improve the basket of species
rather than mobilising people on the basis of false promises
that you will not be able to achieve.
Hon Radebe, thank you very much for highlighting the important
biodiversity agreement that was signed on the 15th of March
between Table Mountain National Park and Reunion Island. We
are very excited about this co-operation agreement which is
bringing into place an agreement that was signed in principle
in February 2019, and we believe that this important agreement
is going to significantly improve management in both parks and
put our important Table Mountain National Park even further on
the tourist map. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA RECOGNITION OF KING ELECT PRINCE
MISUZULU SINQOBILE ZULU AS AMAZULU KING
(Minister’s Response)
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The MINISTER OF CO-OPARATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL
AFFAIRS: Thank you very much, hon Deputy Speaker and all the
hon members. I was going to comment on the recognition by the
President of His Majesty King Misuzulu. We are all very happy
and we hope that this will bring stability now in the royal
family and amongst the Zulu people. Therefore, we look forward
to moving to the next stage of the process which would be the
coronation. Thank you very much. On the issue of the
coalition, I think Minister Mthethwa has responded, and I
won’t repeat. Thank you.
ALLEGED GAUTENG DRUG MANUFACTURING LABORATORY DISMANTLED
AND
ILLEGAL MINERS’ BODIES FOUND IN EKURHULENI
(Minister’s Response)
The MINISTER OF POLICE: Thank you very much, hon Deputy
Speaker. I was just trying to find the relationship between
Cele and Kubayi, but it’s okay. Deputy Speaker, I want to
respond to the member who raised the issue of breaking down of
the laboratory - these illegal laboratories. We want to salute
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the operations of the police that happened on the day of 8
March in Gauteng, in Kempton Park. Those people that were
arrested which is: Lawrence Mokeona, 27, Delligs Sapoenda, 23,
and Zandiwe Banda, 29, have been reminded to appear in court
in late this week. One is mentioning their names because they
have already appeared in court. The suite value of the
laboratory of the produced mandrax there was R5 million. It is
not the first one, there are quite several of these
laboratories that are broken down by our law enforcement
agencies of which we thank because they can be distractive to
our children. Therefore, we thank the members for recognising
our members and we promise that we will commit ourselves going
forward.
The second one is with regard to the zama-zamas and we are
continuing. We do have the special units that are dealing with
zama-zamas, especially around Free State, places like Orkney
and places like Welkom. It’s a dangerous job for the police to
do, but is also dangerous for the communities around there. As
a South African police, we were just strengthening that unit
and we hope at long run or in the medium-term we will be able
to win that war. Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker.
EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTRES NOT PAID
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AND
PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA RECOGNITION OF KING ELECT PRINCE
MISUZULU SINQOBILE ZULU AS AMAZULU KING
(Minister’s Response)
The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: I think it’s the
connections, Deputy Speaker. Thank you very much for the
opportunity. I wish to firstly respond to hon Arries of the
EFF with regards to the early childhood developments, ECDs. I
want to let South Africans and the ECDs themselves know that
the department has verified all the ECDs. An ECDs that not
been paid either corrected their information late despite
several calls and support offered by the department to assist
them. I do want to make a statement, Deputy Speaker, that this
is a two-way process. ECDs also need to account and account
properly because whatever money is being paid to them we need
to make sure that they have the right accounts, and we need to
make sure that they are properly registered because we are
also accountable. Therefore, an issue of us being ashamed of
ourselves, we will not be ashamed for doing the work that we
do. We will not also be ashamed of telling those ECDs that do
not comply that they have to do everything to comply to get
paid.
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Lastly, Deputy Speaker, I’d like to thank Minister Dlamini-
Zuma and Minister Mthethwa and the ANC for congratulating our
King Prince Misuzulu. Therefore, we are looking forward to him
being properly in office so that the Zulu nation can be able
to unite and make sure that we take our process forward. Thank
you, Deputy Speaker.
TITLE DEEDS HANDED TO BENEFICIARIES
(Minister’s Response)
The MINISTER OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS: Deputy Speaker, my
apologies, I had a connection problem and I’m back online.
It’s Minister Kubayi. Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. Let
me thank hon members for the statements. The first one I would
want to speak about is relating to the title deeds. As we
agree that title deeds give dignity to our people, but it
restores their ownership that has been one of the things that
has been a difficulty, especially previously disadvantaged
communities. During the Imbizo led by the President in North
West, the Human Settlements Department, indeed, handed over
1 000 title deeds across and we are looking forward to
continuing with this programme both in terms of pre-1994
settlements and post-1994 settlements as part of ownership.
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I noted hon Mcgluwa speaking about the dysfunctioning of
government in North West as we were there during the Imbizo. I
want to highlight that part of the commitment from the entire
team led by the President was to ensure that we restore the
functioning of government in North West. We’ve looked at the
intervention in terms of section 100 and what has been the
outcome: Good progress has been noted, a number of departments
now getting clean audits, having stability in terms of
administration and also starting to focus now in the
establishment of the municipalities as well. Therefore, the
entire government is back on track now in terms of North West.
Therefore, we’re looking forward to see the improvement of
service delivery following the visit by the President which
give much-needed hope to the people of North West, and the
feedback we got from the ground and from citizens was that we
are now seeing government closer to us. We are seeing now the
District Development Model working for us as the people of the
country. Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. [Applause.]
THE ANC LEARNS WITH SHOCK THE RECENT CLASH BETWEEN FOREIGNERS
OVER FARM JOBS IN ROBERTSON
(Minister’s Response)
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The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Deputy Speaker, there is a
question here from the ANC about the clashes in Robertson and
is calling for the Department of Employment and Labour to do
something. I wish to state that, these processes are
intermarried, the processes in the Department of Employment
and Labour and Department of Home Affairs. So, I find it
prudent for me to respond in the absence of the Minister of
Employment and Labour, even if he’s here. Maybe let me respond
for my part. These processes start in the Department of
Employment and Labour and ends in the Department of Home
Affairs.
Maybe I might have to outline that, if any company or any
employer who wishes to hire a foreign national, they must go
to the Department of Employment and Labour, give a proof that
they’ve looked around in the country, they cannot find a
suitable or appropriate South African for that type of job.
The Department of Employment and Labour will then issue them
with a certificate. With this certificate, they come to
Department of Home Affairs to apply for a corporate visa, that
they want to bring people from outside the country to perform
a particular job. The corporate visa which Department of Home
Affairs country issue will have the number of people to be
hired and together with their names. The employer will then -
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because those people will have to cross the border on the
strength of the corporate visa so that they don’t become
illegal.
Now, we have heard that in this case it is the labour brokers
that hired the people. I’ve got here in front of me a
statement by the Robertson Labour Brokers Forum issued today,
where they are complaining that it is the Mayor of Langeberg
who issued that statement. They claim that the mayor is trying
to protect the real culprits. They say the real culprits are
the farmers themselves, because they say the farmers
specifically instructed the labour brokers that they prefer
Zimbabweans over South Africans and Basotho or any other
national. The mandate from the labour brokers was to go look
for Zimbabweans.
This matter is still far from being over, we are going to
investigate. From Department of Home Affairs, we don’t
remember issuing any corporate visa and the Department of
Employment and Labour will have to give us that in writing
whether anybody came to apply for that. We’ll have to
scrutinize the statement from the Labour Brokers Association,
as it relates to what the mayor has said, and whether indeed
it is the farmers who gave that preference, because a lot of
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laws have been broken and I believe many people are going to
be charged by both Department of Home Affairs and the
Department of Employment and Labour. Thank you very much.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thamk you very much. I have full
complement of responses. Hon Regina Mohaule, we notice that
you were ready. Unfortunately, we have reached a level of
seven Ministerial Responses and they were all present. That
concludes Ministerial Responses. Thank you very much.
IsiXhosa:
Mnu N L S KWANKWA: Sekela Somlomo, ezethu thina bantu
bathethileyo zithini? Sifunda nje thina ukuze sifike sidlale
apha kungabikho mntu uphendulayo Sekela Somlomo.
USEKELA SOMLOMO: Mamela! Andazi ukuba umenywe ngubani
English:
Hon ... [Inaudible] ... you can’t just...Hon member, you can’t
just open your microphone and speak as if you are in a shebeen
or something. You are not, please! No, you are not please! Be
careful of what you do.
IsiXhosa:
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Mnu N KWANKWA: Ndiyabuza ukuba sithini thina bantu bathethayo
simana singaphendulwa apha?
USEKELA SOMLOMO: Uyaqala ke ngoku, kwaye uyaqhubeka.
ILUNGU ELIHLONIPHEKILEYO: Mgxothe naye.
English:
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No! No! No! Hon member!
IsiXhosa:
Mnu N L S KWANKWA: Undigxotha oko uSekela Somlomo ...
English:
... there will be nothing new in that.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, why ...
IsiXhosa:
... uqhubeka?
Mnu N L S KWANKWA: Uxolo, kodwa phendula umbuzo wam.
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USEKELA SOMLOMO: Mamela apha, ndicela nilivale eli lingu
lihloniphekileyo alimameli. Uyaqhubeka ngokubuza, axelelwe
ukuba makathule, akathuli.
English:
Lock him out. That concludes Ministerial Responses as I said.
The secretary will read the first order.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY: Deputy Speaker, on a
point of order!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: What’s the point of order?
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY: Deputy Speaker thank
you. I know you have not seen me for a while but I am back,
having proved that science reigns supreme and those who had
the vaccine normally are just perfectly fine. I am a living
example of that. [Interjections.] House Chair, I wonder if I
could ... [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No! No! No! No! Welcome back but correct
what you said.
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The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY: Thank you very much
Deputy Speaker.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you very much.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY: I am sorry I still
have a little bit of COVID-19 brain; you will forgive me.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I notice that.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY: You should tell me how
good I look, not that I have COVID-19 brain. [Laughter.] Hose
Chair, with a COVID-19 brain, one of the things I did earlier
... [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You do insist to call me House Chair. Why
does your tongue refuse?
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY: Deputy Speaker, with
the COVID-19 brain comes a lapse in sometimes remembering the
order of things. There has also been a lapse on the time that
e-mails have been coming up and down between myself and the
offices. Deputy Speaker, the DA had a section 121 amendment to
the first motion that was read by the Chief Whip of the
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Majority Party. While we had absolutely no problem with the
question being asked, we did have an amendment to that motion.
The Table is now at a loss because it has never happened
before. We are at a loss as we can’t find any Rule that says
what happens if we come back to it later.
Deputy Speaker, I wonder you to apply your mind Sir, and if
you would let us to make an amendment to the motion that was
read out in accordance to section 121. It was simply an
omission on our side. We did get permission from the Table to
bring the motion forward as long as I read it. I failed to
read it at the time because things were moving at a very rapid
pace, not that we have an objection to it, we just want to
amend it ever so slightly. Bit, it is completely in your
hands.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you very much hon member.
Unfortunately, it is an opportunity that has been fluffed. We
have gone past it quite significantly now; we can’t go back. A
slight lapse in alertness is what resulted in what happened.
So, we apologise we are gone. Thank you very much for raising
it the way you did, but no we’ve gone past that. Thank you
very much. The Secretary will read the first order.
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CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON
COMMUNICATIONS ON 2020-21 THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTER PERFORMANCE
AND EXPENDITURE REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
Mr B M MANELI: Hon Deputy Speaker, hon members, hon Ministers
and Deputy Ministers, committee support staff and fellow South
Africans, this report and other reports the committee is
introducing for consideration by this House, comes a day after
the national Human Rights Day; the topic this august House
will entertain. May this 2022, Human Rights Day be a reminder
to advance and defend the gains of democracy we got since
1994.
The Portfolio Committee on Communications ... [Inaudible.] ...
considered the 2020-21 third and fourth quarter performance
... [Inaudible.] ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry, hon Maneli, hon members, please
just check that your mics are off. At this moment, we are not
interested in your conversation wherever you are. Sorry,
please switch off. Go ahead, hon Maneli.
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Mr B M MANELI: The committee considered the 2020-21 third and
fourth quarter performance, which is for the period January
2020 to 31 December 2020 and 01 January 2021 to 31 March 2021,
respectively, of the department and its entities in a virtual
meeting on 17 August 2021.
This report gives an overview of the presentation made by the
department and its entities to the committee, focusing mainly
on its achievements and outputs in respect of the performance
indicators targets set for the 2020-21 financial year and
related financial performance.
The report also provides the committee’s key deliberations and
recommendations in relation to the performance presentation by
the department and its entities. Notably, the 2020-21 third
and fourth quarter report on performance and expenditure
obligations continued to be implemented during the declared
State of Disaster Act as declared by the President on 15 March
2020.
The department committed to achieving 44 annual performance
plans, APP, and targets by the end of quarter three of the
2020-21 financial year. This is the total number of quarter
three APP for all six programmes of the department. Overall,
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the department has achieved 18, which represents 41% of the
APP targets and 26, which represents 59% were not achieved.
At the end of December 2020, the department spent over
R2085,05 billion of which it is 64% of the annual budget
against 41% of the targets achieved for quarter three. For the
fourth quarter, the department committed to achieving 43 APP
quarterly targets, this is the total number of four APP
targets for all six programmes of the Department of
Communications and Digital Technologies. Overall, the
department has achieved 25, which represents 58% of the APP
targets and 18, which represents 42% were not achieved.
At the end of March 2021, the department spent R317,05 billion
of which is 97% of the annual budget against 58% of targets
achieved for quarter one.
It is against this background that the committee, amongst
others, made observations and recommendations as follows: we
observed with concern that less targets achieved against the
98% budget spending; it is discontentment compliance in
general by the department and that most entities cannot
account adequately, as well as duplication of functions. We
also noted with appreciation the commitment from the new
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Minister, hon Ntshavheni, especially a commitment to come back
to the committee the turnaround around strategy. We also
recommended that the Minister should ensure, amongst others,
that the stability at the department and all its entities is
prioritised and that entities remain accountable and comply to
legislation, policies and regulations. I thank you.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Teliswa Mgweba, can’t you switch off your
mic? What incapacity is that? I mean really.
There was no debate.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY moved: That the Report be
adopted.
Declarations of vote:
Mr M S MALATSI: Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker, from the
onset, let me declare that this report predates my membership
of this committee. A lot of work that informs my response is
based on the foundation that my previous colleagues on the
committee did on this report, particularly the late, hon
Cameron Mackenzie, and hon Zakhele Mbhele.
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The concerns that have been raised by the committee are as
fresh and relevant today as they were then. This is one of the
department that is overpopulated with multiple state-owned
enterprises, many of which – if we are being honest – we can
do away with by streamlining their functions for more focused
and maximum results.
As things stand, the department is unable to conduct vigilant
oversight of the state-owned enterprises, SOEs, in this
portfolio to ensure that they perform as well as they should
at all times. Nothing illustrates this more than the fact that
the annual reports of the SA Post Office and the Universal
Services and Access Agency of South Africa, USAASA, were not
finalised on time and in compliance with the parliamentary
accountability timeline.
In addition to this, the signing of performance agreements for
the Independent Communications Authority of SA, Icasa,
councillors did not take place as it should have. Perhaps this
is an illustration that is characteristic of this
administration in relation to performance agreements. It seems
far more much easier to announce that they will be introduced
rather than to implement them.
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The department failed to meet its own deadline to finalise the
legislative processes for the establishment of the State
Digital Infrastructure Company Bill and the State Digital
Services Company Bill, all of which were not submitted to
Cabinet. We are worried that these Bills are proposing the
introduction of two more state companies at a time when we
need less state-owned enterprises, more so when the existing
state-owned enterprises have duplicate mandates and functions.
This government’s insistence on a hard lockdown is the main
source of the understanding that exists in some areas in this
department, which is conveniently attributed to the lengthy
delay in implementing some of these projects, in particular,
the Set decoder installations.
The Post Office is collapsing. Post Office branches are
battling temporary closures and evictions across the country,
leaving millions of poor South Africans unable to access their
social grants because post offices cannot pay rent amongst its
many growing bills.
A recent reply to a DA parliamentary question shows that the
Post Office owes R485 million, emanating from 196 unpaid
invoices which are older than 120 days. This is a shameless
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violation of the government’s own commitment to pay invoices
within 30 days. To aggravate matters, many of these invoices
are from hundreds of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises,
SMMEs, which deploys thousands of South Africans whose
families may likely lose their breadwinners due to this
payment delays.
The Post Office’s historical liabilities currently stands at
over R6 billion. This includes monies also owed to some
government agencies and entities, for example, it owes
R2 billion to the Postbank, it owes R269 million to Telkom,
and it owes R624 million to the SA Revenue Services, Sars.
The Post Office has been operating at a loss since 2013. It
has become a perpetual dependent on bailouts for survival.
Once again, it is basing its entire survival on an application
for a bailout from the National Treasury.
It is unsustainable for any entity that has not been
profitable for at least a decade to put all their eggs in one
basket with the hope of a bailout.
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Nonetheless, many of these reflections that are contained in
the report are a reflection of the robustness that takes place
in the committee. Thanks, Deputy Speaker. [Applause.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you very much. The hon member just
spoke and next to him was large numbers on the clock so that
none of you can claim that you didn’t see that your time is
expiring or is about to expire. You were generous enough to
leave us a minute. Thank you very much. I am just
complimenting you.
Ms N N CHIRWA: Deputy Speaker, the Department of
Communications and Digital Technologies is in a leadership
crisis and the sooner we accept this the better. This report
for instance highlights that the department was unable to meet
16 of 32 targets, that they set for themselves while spending
about 98% of the budget allocated for this very same period.
What was the budget spending on if the department fail to meet
its own targets and for which the budget was allocated for?
There is no proper streamlining of functions across the
entities leading to duplication of functions and unnecessary
wastage of our public resources. The targets that they failed
to fulfil includes the finalisation of the legal framework for
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the establishment of the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South
Africa, BRICS, Institute for future networks, the finalisation
of the Post Office Amendment Bill, the SABC Amendment Bill and
many others.
While this department has been swimming in this ocean of
incompetence, the South African Post Office has been on a free
fall with no idea whatsoever what to do with it by the
department.
The post office has served millions of our people for years
and continues to have a far bigger role to play in our economy
and society even today. The crisis is the lack of imagination
by the leaders of that very entity together with the Minister
leading this department. To reimagine the role of the post
office in today’s day and age, there are functions that can
legally be made by the exclusive preserve of the post office.
The Postbank could be used in some more innovative ways to
provide banking services and finance for those excluded by the
main banks. In liaison with other departments such as home
affairs, and social developments. The post office could be
made to work to ensure services amid where accessible to our
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people. We therefore reject the report and the gross
incompetence of this department. Thank you very much.
Ms Z MAJOZI: Hon Deputy Speaker, with the advent of the
internet of things and the growing network of internet enabled
devices, which will soon enable smart cities together with our
emerging technologies such as the access to internet and the
internet of things is part of the Fourth Industrial
Revolutions.
Covid accelerated this process and we now find ourselves
having to adapt and establish the necessary communication
infrastructure in order to keep pace with technological
advancements. We are further challenged in this regard by the
unequal infrastructural development of the past. Which now
finds many of our citizens especially in our rural areas at a
disadvantage in terms access to robust reliable and affordable
information communication technology, ICT, services.
The establishment of such infrastructure is critical if we are
to advance our socioeconomic development goals and secure our
place as a partner. Together with our countries on the
continent in building a better Africa and a better world. In
respect of our ... [Inaudible.] ... pleased that the digital
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economy masterplan has been finalised and approved. As well as
the revision of the ICT Small, Medium and Micro enterprises,
SMME strategy.
It is crucial that we get all South Africans working. And this
infrastructure provides a large measure of such platforms. It
is estimated that there are approximately R25 billion devices
connected to the internet currently. And that this figure will
expand and multiply itself at an ever increasing rate. Cyber
security will become critical especially as we move towards a
cashless society and in respect of the protection of personal
information.
Deputy Speaker, with regard to the department itself, we
remain concern about the lack of stability both in respect of
the department and its entities. Remedial actions must be
decided upon and must be swift and actioned. As we are weak
foundationally, the task we have set ourselves will fall.
Legislation must be amended and updated and key performance
indicators and targets established, for if we have no targets
we achieve nothing. The IFP supports the report. Thank you.
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Mr F J MULDER: Deputy Speaker, I don’t think there is a
declaration. Thank you.
Mr W M THRING: House Chair, the ACDP notes the Report of the
Portfolio Committee on Communications on the 2020/21 Third and
Fourth Quarter Performance and Expenditure Reports of
Government Communication and Information System, GCIS, and the
Media Development and Diversity Agency, MDDA.
At the outset, I wish to challenge the narrative in the report
under the organisational environment and I quote:
The period under review was characterised by high levels
of trust in government information on COVID-19, eager
anticipation on the vaccine rollout programme, fear and
anxiety in the public related and job security and COVID-
19.
The truth of the matter is rather than trust, eager and
anticipation, there is lots of fear and anxiety surrounding
the vaccine rollout programmes for a number of reasons.
Allow me to mention a few. It has been scientifically proven
that the vaccine doesn’t prevent infection from covid neither
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does it prevent transmission. The United States of America,
USA, Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, VAERS, has shown
that in the US, over 23 000 people have died from COVID-19
vaccinations in the last 24 months, more than all other
vaccinations in the last 30 to 40years.
Studies from Israel have shown that the COVID-19 vaccinations
loss the efficacy of the four to six months and the majority
of new infections are from hospitalisations and deaths is from
amongst the vaccinated. This is a scientific evidence that is
being presented that members on my right hand side don’t want
to hear.
The United Kingdom government released the UK-SA Vaccine
Suverylance Report for the period of 24 of January to the 24th
of February ... [Interjections.] ...
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Point of Order!
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G BOROTO): Hon Thring, there is a
bench behind, you can take a seat.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: I rise on a point of order
of relevance. This is a particular issue about communications.
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It has absolutely nothing to do with the covid vaccinations
and has nothing to do with any scientific revelations. The
relevance of it have had to be questioned.
Mr W M THRING: ... hon Chair, obviously, I would beg to differ
because I am quoting from the actual report on communications.
So, here you go.
The United Kingdom government released the UK-SA Vaccine
Suverylance Report for the period of 24 of January to 24
February 2022, which revealed that 90% of covid deaths and 75%
of hospitalisations are from those who have been vaccinated.
Over 70 South African doctors from the transformative health
justice submitted adverse reports through our local
authorities but lamented that these were not reported to the
public and as a result there is no awareness or transparency
of this important issue. The ACDP welcomes the clean audit
achieved by the agency.
We do not support the support the centralising of
communications to the Presidency. And we note with concern the
increase in tendency of calls to centralise other government
departments.
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While we welcome the Vukuzenzele initiative, the ACDP calls
for the Department of Communication to be unbiased, truthful,
open and transparent in all of their reporting. I thank you.
Mr C H M SIBISI: Madam House Chair, the NFP notes and welcomes
the report of the committee. We would also like to
congratulate the Minister of Communications and her department
for the success of the auction of the spectrum. Reports have
come in claiming that Independent Communications Authority of
South Africa, Icasa, would have received R14,4 billion which
is R6 billion more than estimated by Icasa. These monies are
going to the national fiscus and we would like to echo the
call of the Minister to the National Treasury to redirect some
of the funds towards the programmes of the department.
Data costs are extremely high in South Africa, well,
everything is expensive in South Africa compared to other
countries. Perhaps we could subsidise data costs ...
IsiZulu:
... njengoba abantu bethu abaningi bengasebenzi futhi abantu
abahlala ezindaweni zasemakhaya yibona kakhulu abasokolayo
besokolela indaba yedatha. Siyokujabulela umangabe beyokwazi
ukuthi baxhaswe.
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English:
Even internet costs have become a critical part of our daily
and monthly expenses with hybrid and remote learning and
working.
House Chair, we would also like to call on the government to
utilise some of the money raised from the spectrum to invest
in digital skills development programmes and curriculums for
our young people. Let us invest in the future of this country.
Digital technologies and the Fourth Industrial Revolution,
4IR, are here to stay. Let us invest in these skills,
knowledge and research with the objective to create jobs and
move along with the rest of the world with technology. I thank
you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you.
IsiZulu:
Isitulo lesi esabantu abethula izinkulumo zapho, lesi esihlezi
la.
Mr S M JAFTA: House Chair, in reviewing the department’s third
and fourth quarter performance and expenditure report, the
following policy instruments guided us. Chapter 4 of the
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National Development Plan, NDP, the 2016 National Integrated
Information and Communication Technologies Policy White Paper,
the department’s own performance in the year under review and
we also considered the performance of the entities falling
under the department. It is therefore important to understand
this report against the spirit of these instruments.
While there is a clear policy framework on the policy
direction and on the implementable targets of the department,
such as the requirements in the White Paper that there should
be an introduction of flexible evidence-based framework to
respond to changes in the technology and ensure new digital
devices do not emerge, the implementation on the departmental
level has been sluggish.
Hon Chair, for example, if the department can hold godly only
16 of its 32 planned quarterly targets despite it spending 98%
of its budget, there is clearly a crisis. This means the lofty
vision of the NDP that managing the information, communication
and technology environment need to be better structured to
ensure that South Africa does not fall victim to a digital
divide will not be met by 2030. What is also concerning is the
slow rolling out of spectrum which happened only last week and
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came after years of wrestling opposition delays and counter-
delays.
Hon Chair, the report also talks to the issue of litigation
between Telkom and Icasa. It is unfortunate that the digital
transformation committee that the 2016 White Paper identified
as the key component in driving and co-ordinating digital
transformation across government has not been established. If
this committee is in existence, it is so spent that it clearly
cannot provide dispute resolution around digital
transformation in the country.
Hon Chair, the performance of the South African Post Office,
SAPO, was predictable. Not only is its annual report not
tabled, it also achieved only four of its 17 annual
performance indicators, APIs.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon Jafta, if you look
at your monitor you will see something. What does it say?
Mr S M JAFTA: Thank you, Chair. [Applause.]
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Mr W M MADISHA: Hon Chair, COPE supports and accepts the
report presented by the portfolio committee. Thank you very
much, Chair.
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Al Jama-ah supports the report. Thank you
very much, hon House Chair.
Mr L E MOLALA: Hon House Chair, speaking in George Town
University on 27 January 1987, president Oliver Reginald Tambo
said, and I quote: “We seek to create a united Democratic and
non-racial society. We have a vision of South Africa in which
black and white shall live and work together as equals in
conditions of peace and prosperity.”
It is days such as Human Rights, which we commemorated
yesterday, that continue to give life to those words. It is
such words that remind us that the fruits of liberation that
we enjoy today were hard earned. Many men, women and children
lost their lives and others were left psychologically and
physically paralysed as a result of the Sharpeville massacre
on 21 March 1960. Today, not only are we able to move around
freely in our country but we have superior protection from
prejudice and injustice in a form of the Constitution,
particularly, the Bill of Rights.
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It is worth appreciating that the ICT sector has a significant
and growing impact on the gross domestic product, GDP, of
South Africa and it is part of the important economic sectors
that potentially provides opportunities for South Africa to
get out of the current economic challenges. Our national
digital and future skills strategies set out a vision of a
South Africa in which all its people are able to benefit from
enhanced digital skills thereby contributing to significantly
enhanced quality of life, improved education and higher
economic growth.
Digital skills are one of the key skills set required for the
creation of new kinds of twenty-first century jobs.
Originality, agility, critical thinking and problem solving
are important skills that must be interwoven in digital
skills. This gives great impetus to the work of the department
and the ANC is committed in ensuring that benefits we stand to
yield from digitisation and 4IR are all inclusive and no one
is left behind in rural and urban areas.
While COVID-19 provides an opportunity for ICT sector to
thrive, like all other sectors, it has also hampered some of
the operations of the department causing delays on critical
service delivery priorities. As such, the department committed
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to achieving 44 annual performance plan quarterly targets by
the end of quarter three but was only able to achieve 18 which
translates to 41% achievement and 26 targets were not
achieved. For quarter four the department committed to
achieving 43 annual performance plan quarterly targets and
managed to achieve 25 which translate to 58% of the APP
targets, 18 targets which constitute 42% were not achieved.
While we note that the department performed better in quarter
four when compared to quarter three, we want to encourage the
department to try and aim for 100% achievement in its
subsequent quarters. The ANC remains committed to good
governance for the attainment of capable and developmental
state.
Hon House Chair, another issue of concern is the
disproportionality between the department’s spending and the
targets met. We are concerned that the department spent
R3,1 billion which accounts for 97% of its budget yet it only
achieved 59% of its targets in quarter four.
The completion and continuous monitoring of 970 broadband
connected sites is welcome. We now implore on the Minister and
her department to execute their strategy for the funding of
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phase two of the broadband infrastructure rollout programme so
that all South Africans are able to enter into the space of
digitisation.
The department has been slow on processing Bills. This process
can no longer be delayed as we need to make legislation a part
of our responsibility. The ANC recommends that there is a
special focus on this issue. The South African Post Office Ltd
Amendment Bill, South African Broadcasting Corporation Ltd
Bill, Data and Cloud Policy, Presidential Commission on the
Fourth Industrial Revolution, PC4IR, implementation plan need
to be tabled before this House and adopted as soon as
possible.
In conclusion, while we appreciate the work done by some of
the entities to meet their targets and adequately execute
their mandate to South Africans, the ANC remains concerned
about the state of affairs of SAPO, UCEF, National Electronic
Media Institute of South Africa, NEMISA, and the South African
Broadcasting Corporation, SABC. There is an urgent need to
fast track the repurposing of some of these entities so that
we are able to effect the turnaround strategy for improved
performance. The ANC supports this report, and I must also
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indicate that all ANC pastors have been vaccinated. Thanks.
[Applause.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): What a choice of a
sticker for the tie. Thank you.
Question put.
Motion agreed to.
Report accordingly adopted.
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON
COMMUNICATIONS ON 2020/21 THIRD AND FOURTH QUARTER PERFORMANCE
AND EXPENDITURE REPORTS OF GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION AND
INFORMATION SYSTEM (GCIS) AND MEDIA DEVELOPMENT AND DIVERSITY
AGENCY (MDDA)
Mr B M MANELI: Madam House Chair, hon members, hon Ministers
and Deputy Ministers, committee support staff, fellow South
Africans, the Portfolio Committee on Communications considered
the 2020/21 Third and Fourth Quarter Performance of the
department and its entity, the Media Development and Diversity
Agency, the MDDA, in a virtual meeting on 18 August 2021. This
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report gives an overview of the presentation made by the
department and its entity to the committee, focusing mainly on
its achievements and output in respect of the performance
indicators, targets set for the 2021 financial year and
related financial performance.
The report also provides the committee’s key deliberations and
recommendations in relation to performance presentation by the
department and its entity.
Hon members, the period under review was characterised by high
levels of trust in government information on COVID-19 ...
[Inaudible.] ... on the vaccine rollout programme and also
fear and anxiety by the public related to job security and
COVID-19.
The department continued its communication programme, focusing
on campaigns such as COVID-19, the Economic Recovery and
Reconstruction Plan and the base violence and femicide – doing
this together with key departments.
Hon Chairperson, the department achieved 98% of its annual
performance plan quarterly target by the end of quarter three
of the 2020-21 financial year; and 2% of the targets were not
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achieved. For the fourth quarter, the department achieved 79%
APP quarterly targets, while 21% were not achieved.
The department was allocated R750,5 billion for the 2020-21
financial year which included the R60 million grant budget
allocation for the allocation for COVID-19 and it was spent as
outlined in the report.
Hon members, it is against this background that the committee,
amongst other things, made observations and recommendations as
follows. One observed with concern that one target in both
quarters under review, which relates to payments of invoices
within 30 days, was not achieved, and that eight targets were
not met during the fourth quarter.
We also commend the MDDA for achieving the true audit.
However, the committee was concerned with the lack of funding
from the commercial print media. It therefore recommends,
amongst other things, that the Minister should ensure that the
department and the entity itself meet all its targets and that
a way is found to engage the commercial printing sector in
order to restore the funding it made to the MDDA. I thank you,
House Chair.
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The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: House Chair, I move that
the report be adopted as presented. Thank you.
Declaration(s) of vote:
Ms T BODLANI: Chairperson, allow me to preface my declaration
by reminding us that yesterday South Africans commemorated yet
another Human Rights Day under prolonged and now unnecessary
lockdown conditions.
With that said, it is apt that I note the sober analysis of
the hon Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele who writes
in the Presidency foreword to the Media Development and
Diversity Agency, the MDDA annual report, of 2020-21, saying:
The first lockdown announced on 23 March 2020 spelt a loss of
income for both the mainstream and community media sectors. He
further quotes the SA National Editors’ Forum, Sanef, which
reports that most, small publishing houses that could not
access emergency government funding resulted in the loss of an
estimated 300 to 400 journalistic jobs. What is most troubling
is his admission that it is even harder to ascertain how many
jobs were lost at the community radio station levels as this
sector absorbs a lot more numbers when it comes to volunteers
who are paid a mere monthly stipend.
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Hon Gungubele laments that the decline in adverting revenue
was just as substantial to these community media products.
Added to this was the disappearance of the third stream of
revenue from sources such as hosting events. What is the moral
of the story, you ask?
Government agencies cannot thrive with their mandates if this
government does not create a conducive environment for them to
do so. The MDDA’s mission is clear: that is to support the
development of a vibrant, innovative, sustainable and people-
centred community media sector through resourcing, knowledge-
based research and capacity-building in order to give a voice
to historically disadvantaged communities, and under lockdown
this is made difficult.
The core activity of the agency is to provide financial and
nonfinancial support to community broadcasters and small
commercial media projects with an emphasis on promoting
indigenous languages and contributing to community development
and the alleviation of poverty and inequality.
Therefore, any sort of underspending by the agency means that
its intended beneficiaries suffer. It means that the products
to give the voice to the historically disadvantaged
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communities are deferred – be 1% not spent on administration
or 4% on intergovernmental co-ordination and stakeholder
management, the communities suffer.
As an intervention to the lockdown, the agency board approved
R20 million as an emergency relief fund for community and
small commercial media to be disbursed over two phases. The
report states that to date over R16 million has been disbursed
to 210 qualifying beneficiaries. The DA welcomes this as it
serves as a reprieve for the sector.
The committee report notes the agency’s inability to meet one
target in both quarters under review, which relates to payment
of invoices within 30 days. The fact is that the nonpayment of
invoices poses a risk to beneficiaries. The DA therefore
welcomes the intervention by the SCM officials who work
extended hours to address the outstanding invoice issues.
As noted by the committee, the agency continues not to receive
any sort of funding from the commercial printing sector. The
DA hopes that the planned stakeholder engagement helps
strengthen ties with this sector so that they can add their
contribution to the development of the SMMEs.
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Whether colleagues on the right care to admit it or not, the
lockdown has derailed not just this sector but many other
sectors in the country. This sector, operating under much
uncertainty, was unable to make even short-term plans because
of the abrupt family meetings called by the President to
announce, in most cases, our limitations of our freedoms as
well as there not being well thought through.
We acknowledge the resilience of the staff management and the
board of the MDDA and congratulate them on the audit report.
We wish the agency well especially in their quest to engage
decision-makers in broadcasting, print, telecommunication
operations, social media platforms, training partners and
other key stakeholders in order to secure funding for its
mandate. Thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]
Ms N N CHIRWA: Chairperson, the Media Development and
Diversity Agency, MDDA is a crucial institution, particularly
for the support needed by the community radio stations in the
country which continue, by the way, to be underfunded and left
on their own. Despite attaining a clean audit outcome from the
Auditor-General, the MDDA has spectacularly failed to be the
kind of support that many community radio stations need in
today's day and age.
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In 2020, when the MDDA came to Parliament to report on the
struggles of these community radio stations, they presented
common knowledge about these problems, which include the
inability to adapt to rapidly changing technological
developments. To date, this entity has been unable to address
this particular challenge and help these community radio
stations to continue being invaluable vessels for news in our
communities.
The GCIS’s failure, also noted in the report, is that even
though the government’s communications are centralised in the
Presidency, there is no coherence in government
communications. At the height of the uprisings in July last
year, we had Ministers contradicting the President on what was
behind those protests. The GCIS was nowhere to be seen during
that period.
The idea of centralising communications in the Presidency also
undermines the role which ought to be played by the
Communications Department. There is no co-ordination. There is
no long-term strategic thinking about the role of
communications and how mediums of communication ought to be
used to help this country develop and to deal with many
societal problems such as the endemic high rates of crime. We
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reject this report because we don't have a choice and we are
forced to do that. Thank you, Chairperson.
Ms Z MAJOZI: House Chairperson, the government’s communication
during the period under review, and particularly in respect to
the COVID-19 pandemic, has been both good and bad. We
considered the challenges which include the fact that South
Africa recognises 11 official languages and that South
Africans remain disadvantaged by a digital divide. The GCIS
can do better.
Radio remains the biggest medium in South Africa. And we have
seen during the COVID-19 crisis that the government’s
communication, especially in the rural areas, has proved
ineffective. It was found that health workers who go out into
local communities were, in fact, the most effective frontline
messengers. However, this is time-consuming and not feasible
because of the sheer scale of the logistics and human
resources required.
New and effective ways must be found to ensure communication
with all South Africans during this pandemic. Internally, we
remain concerned that the GCIS does not have its house in
order in respect of settlement of creditors accounts,
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especially when these affect the cash flow of SMMEs creditors.
The government must be doing all that it can to create a
vibrant small business economy rather than suffocating smaller
enterprises by not settling their accounts timeously. The
MDDA, under the leadership of Ms Potye, must be congratulated
for its compliance with the audit process.
Chairperson, the GCIS and the MDDA must strive to continue
with the good trajectory they are currently on. Targets must
be met and performance regularly monitored. It remains
extremely critical that effective government information is
communicated to the citizens. I thank you.
Mr W M THRING: House Chair, the ACDP has commented on the
previous report, but I want to make this particular statement.
It was mentioned that I will die, and I want to take an
opposite position, as a Christian, in this House. And the
opposite position that I take is that nothing will happen to
me.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon Thring, are you
coming with a point of order, or where should I locate that?
Is that a declaration or a point of order?
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Mr W M THRING: It is a point of order. You can take it as a
point of order, Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon Thring, let me say
this. A point of order should be taken as soon as that is
raised. So at this stage, you are late for a point of order of
something that was said long ago when you should have stood up
at the time and raised your point of order. Please allow us to
follow the Rules.
Mr W M THRING: Okay, Chair. Then let me continue with my
declaration, Chair. As part of my declaration, I want to
indicate that I will take the opposite position. And my
opposite position is that to those who pronounced a curse on
me, I choose to bless. Nothing will happen to me.
[Interjections.] But nothing will happen to me beyond that
which my father in heaven either permits or does not permit.
And so, Chair, that is part of my declaration, and the ACDP
will support the report. Thank you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Who is responding?
There is a baritone voice that is responding and I do not know
from where.
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IsiZulu:
Mnu C H M SIBISI: Ngiyaxolisa, Sihlalo weNdlu.
SIHLALO WENDLU (Nk M G Boroto): Oho! Nguwe baba uSibisi.
Kulungile, vala, vala, vala. [Ubuwelewele.]
IsiZulu:
Mnu C H M SIBISI: Sekuyimina vele. Angibonge, Sihlalo.
English:
The NFP welcomes this report and notes the recommendations of
the committee on both the MDDA and the GCIS. With that said,
we would like to stress and shed light upon one of the
entities of the department, the Universal Service and Access
Agency of South Africa, USAASA. The USAASA has performed
poorly in this current financial year with unachieved targets
and fruitless, wasteful and irregular expenditure. Although
the non-achievement of targets was mainly the result of
revised digital migration and SA Connect policies, we remain
concerned about the fruitless, wasteful and irregular
expenditure. The reason why we are so concerned is that even
the explanation provided by the entity to the department was
not good enough and thus rejected.
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What is even more concerning being the fact that USAASA could
not even provide timelines for when they said investigations
would commence and be concluded. The incompetency of the
officials is alarming. Therefore, we call on USAASA and its
accounting authority to expedite these investigations so that
those responsible can face consequence management.
We are broke as a nation. We cannot continue allowing public
funds to be abused by incompetent officials in departments and
entities.
IsiZulu:
Ngiyabonga, Sihlalo.
Mr T T GUMBU: Thank you, hon House Chair. Hon members, the
period we are reviewing today has been characterised by
numerous challenges and devastation to us as a people and
particularly to the Department of Government Communication and
Information System. While the 2021 period was dedicated to
ensuring that the South African people receive all the
information they needed to minimise the spread of COVID-19
virus, the portfolio committee itself lost two members to the
virus; our dear friend and colleague, hon McKenzie, and our
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very own comrade and stalwart of our movement, Minister
Jackson Mthembu. May their souls rest in peace.
Minister Mthembu led the Government Communication and
Information System, GCIS, with distinction and his
contribution to the department and its entity lives on. In a
debate on the state of the nation address in 2019, the late
Minister Jackson Mthembu said, I open quotes:
A people without dreams, without vision and purpose is a
people with no future. It was the dreamers who gathered
in Mangaung in 1912 and formed an organisation that would
wage a resistance struggle against colonialism and
oppression informed by the dream of a free South Africa
which we all of us enjoy.
Hon members, it is in that light that we ought to approach the
challenges of the day. While the state of our economy is
ailing and we continue to fight this vicious pandemic, we
should conduct robust oversight that will ensure that we build
a better future and a better South Africa for generations to
come. The ANC commend the work done by the department during
this reporting period around its key priorities in campaigns
such as; COVID-19 awareness and education, the economic
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reconstruction recovery program and the gender-based violence
and femicide campaigns.
It is also worth mentioning that Government Communication and
Information System plays a critical role in spreading
important information and awareness on issues that affect us
broadly as the country. To this end, we welcome the initiative
that was taken by the department and the South African
depression and ... [Inaudible.] ... group, Southern African
Development Community, on hosting a webinar to tackle head on
the topic; Depression and Mental Health. Report released by
the World Health Organisation this year stated that the global
prevalence of anxiety and depression has increased by over 25%
since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We implore on the department to continue to keep the dialogue
open on issues that affect society in general. We welcome the
Report which indicates 98% achievement of his target for the
third quarter of 2020-2021 financial year and 79% target
achieved for the fourth quarter. However, we note with concern
that there was underspending in all three programs of the
department and eight targets were not met during the fourth
quarter. During the third quarter, Media Development and
Diversity Agency, MDDA, achieved 84% of the planned target for
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the 2019-2020, 4% up from 80% percent in 2018-2019 financial
year. It also achieved a clean audit outcome for the 2019-2020
financial year and improvement from unqualified audit outcome
in 2018-2019 financial year.
The ANC commends the work of the Media Development and
Diversity Agency through their work and support for the small
players in the country and our people in the deep rural areas
and townships are also able to follow national engagements and
gain access to some of the opportunities available to them.
The R20 million emergency relief fund was approved by the
board for community and small commercial media has gone a long
way in ensuring that they continue to operate. To date, over
R16 million has been dispatched to 210 qualifying
beneficiaries, emergency packages where 45 000 broadcast and
print digital publication trend. In the second trend, up to
R6 000 was dispersed for radio stations, R20 000 for print
digital publications and R290 000 for community televisions
In conclusion, House Chair, while we note that the target on
grant funding was not reached at the agency continued to not
receiving any form of funding from commercial printing sector,
hon members, we can appreciate that small players in this
sector at times struggled to stay afloat having received some
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assistance from the agency. This therefore, gives a clear
indication that more streams of generating revenues need to be
channel so that they too have a competitive advantage and
importantly, so that our people continue to enjoy the services
and the fulfilment to their rights to information. The African
National Congress support this Report and its recommendation.
Tshiven?a:
Vho T T GUMBU: Ndi a livhuwa, Mudzulatshidulo.
English:
I thank you.
Tshiven?a:
MUDZULATSHIDULO WA NNDU (Mufumakadzi Vho M G Boroto): Ro
livhuwa, Vhavha Gumbi.
Vho T T GUMBU: A si Gumbi, ndi Gumbu.
Question put.
Motion agreed to (Economic Freedom Fighters dissenting).
Report accordingly adopted.
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DEBATE ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: ENTRENCHING HUMAN RIGHTS CULTURE
IN THE FIGHT AGAINST RACISM, XENOPHOBIA AND OTHER RELATED
INTOLERANCES
Ms N H MASEKO-JELE: Chair, on building a nonracial, nonsexist,
united and prosperous society, I quote the words of the first
democratic president, President Nelson Mandela, “To deny any
person their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.
To impose on them a wretched life of hunger and deprivation is
to dehumanise them. But such has been the terrible fate of all
black persons in our country under the system of apartheid.”
Hon Chairperson, members of the executive and of the
legislature, compatriots, comrades and friends on various
platforms, good day. As we commemorate Human Rights Month, we
remember the sacrifices that accompanied the struggle for the
attainment of freedom and democracy in South Africa. The
freedom we enjoy today was certainly not free. It was not even
given on a platter; it was fought for.
The period of the 1960s to the 1980s was characterised by
systematic defiance and protest against the apartheid regime
in the country. On 21 March 1960, the community in
Sharpeville, like their fellow compatriots across the country,
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embarked on a protest march against pass laws. The apartheid
police shot and killed protesters in Sharpeville. On the 25th
anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre, tragedy struck once
again in Langa in the Eastern Cape. This became known as the
Langa Massacre. These horrific incidents exposed the apartheid
government’s deliberate violation of human rights to the
world.
The democratic government declared 21 March Human Rights Day
to commemorate and honour those who fought for our liberation
and the rights we enjoy today. This year we commemorate Human
Rights Month under the theme “The Year of Unity and Renewal.
Protecting and Preserving Our Human Rights Gains”.
Chairperson, at the heart of the struggle for liberation was
the attainment of human rights and the restoration of human
dignity. Human dignity is a central value for the objective
normative value system established by the Constitution. Our
Constitution is hailed across the world as one of the most
progressive in the world. Among other things, it is founded on
the following principles: human dignity, the achievement of
equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms. The
Constitution is the ultimate protector of our human rights.
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Our courts, and in particular the Constitutional Court, have
been instrumental in enforcing the Bill of Rights.
The ANC recognises the country’s historic oppression of
Africans in general and blacks in particular. This
understanding also recognises that South African society, like
many other societies, is patriarchal and anchored on the
historic marginalisation of women and the perception that
women are inferior to men, while all Africans are subjected to
conquest colonial rule and dispossession. Women and men
experience these differently as they do their political,
economic and legal statuses. These differences shaped their
particular responses, helped to determine the issues they took
up and the methods of struggle adopted.
The main objective of the African democratic revolution is to
attain a nonracial, nonsexist, united and prosperous society.
The ANC’s theoretical approach to gender transformation and
equality is informed by women’s experience of triple
oppression on the basis of their race, sex and class position.
We continue to anchor our resolve on the pursuit for a
national democratic society, which is a society that has
addressed the challenges within the class, race and gender
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contradictions. And, as such, we will continue to champion for
gender equality and the empowerment of marginalised groups in
society.
Chairperson, the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide
continues to be the second pandemic in our country. The levels
of GBVF are at an all-time high. On a daily basis we learn of
either a woman who has been murdered by an intimate partner, a
child who has been abused, or a member of the LGBTI community
who has been assaulted. It is as if the lives of women and
children do not matter. Surely, this needs to change? The
status quo cannot continue to exist. Violence and patriarchy
must be addressed with immediate effect. Everyone must come on
board in this fight.
Notwithstanding the difficulties brought about by the status
quo, we must acknowledge that South Africa has made
outstanding progress in its efforts to address gender
inequality and enhance gender equality through the creation of
various laws and structures, such as the Commission for Gender
Equality and the establishment of the Ministry of Women,
Children and People with Disabilities.
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We appreciate the report that gender-based violence and
femicide is a priority crime in the SA Police Service. We
acknowledge the department’s effort to implement its
turnaround strategy to deal with the DNA backlog. Through the
ministerial interventions, 17 critical contracts for DNA
consumables have since been awarded. Forensic laboratories
have been capacitated with 19 interns to fill critical
positions, 40% of human resources are dedicated to addressing
the backlog, and 60% of human resources are dedicated to
incoming cases. It was reported that between April 2021 and 10
February 2022, 196 persons accused of GBV were handed down 272
life sentences. We appreciate that the three Bills which are
meant to address GBV have been signed into law by the
President.
The collaborative approach of the ANC government is ensuring
that no effort is spared in reaching out to survivors and this
is noteworthy. For the urgent counselling of survivors, the
Department of Social Development has established a 24-hour
gender-based violence command centre which offers trauma
counselling and assistance to survivors. It can be ...
[Inaudible.] Thank you, Chairperson. [Time expired.]
[Applause.]
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Ms T A KHANYILE: House Chair, today, we are gathered in this
house to commemorate Human Rights Day, the Bill of Rights
states clearly that everyone has a right to life, equality,
freedom, to asylum and to social services. Unfortunately, year
after year, we witness these rights being taken away from the
people by the ANC government. [Interjections.] How can people
live a dignified life when their rights are being taken away
from them? After 27 years into democracy, people’s rights
being violated daily especially in various horror affairs
offices.
We cannot celebrate Human Rights Day when thousands of ID’s
belonging to the people of Bushbuckridge are still blocked, a
group of community members being represented by Mahlo ya
Rixaka NPO, took the Department of Home Affairs to court to
have their ID’s unblocked. The court ruled in their favour on
the 28 June 2019, but to date their ID’s remain blocked. They
remain undocumented within the borders of South Africa.
Majority of them have since lost their jobs.
Children born to parents who are undocumented are harassed
daily at school, because schools require a birth certificate.
Birth certificate is a critical requirement when you are to
enrol your child to a school. Today, we stand with those
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community members. With a rising rate of unemployment that has
also been caused by this action from Home Affairs, parents
would have applied for child grants to enable them to provide
for their kids. But, without any form of documentation, this,
only remains a dream.
House Chair, umam Lindiwe Sibisi from Newlands, in Gauteng
went to apply for her ID in 2002. Yet, she was presented with
a death certificate. And, it took the department 10 years to
fix this error. It was only fixed in 2012. She was unable to
find a job to provide for her two kids. Mr Bongani Mbindela
from Queenstown in the Eastern Cape went to Home Affairs in
2010 to register a death of a family member and he was
erroneously presented with his own death certificate. Tt took
the department 12 years to fix this error. It was only fixed
in February 2022, through the intervention of the DA.
How many people are roaming our streets who are in a similar
situation like mam Sibisi and Mr Mbindela whose rights are
being violated by being declared dead while they’re still
alive and the department sees no urgency in addressing these
matters when are brought to their attention.
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Visiting Home Affairs offices has become a night mare. People
stand at the queue for days due to network connectivity
issues. Even worse, community members have recently reported
that when you don’t have money to pay a bribe to leave your ID
and get in front of the queue the next day, or pay someone to
queue for you, you will never receive the much-needed
important document. Most of these offices do not have well
equipped waiting areas, you find mothers with their new born
babies and elderly people queueing in the sun.
If we had an effective and decisive government, a Department
of Home Affairs that does its work, groups like Operation
Dudula wouldn’t exist. [Applause.] The ANC failures violate
the human rights of people wishing to enter our country
legally and to contribute to the economy. The DA is of the
view that undocumented foreigners in SA should be given
amnesty to leave and try to re-enter the country legally or
apply for visas within the country.
The DA will not stand by and watch while foreign nationals are
being used as scapegoats by political expedient individuals,
and are blamed for South Africa’s unemployment crisis. That is
why the DA has policy offers with practical interventions.
Lastly, we want to send a strong message to politicians who
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fan the flames of xenophobia, that they will be held
accountable should the fire get out of control. I thank you.
[Applause.]
Ms Y N YAKO: Chairperson, the very foundation of the modern
world is ... [Inaudible.] ... on the denial of rights of
others. From the area of feudalism to the rapid expansion of
the capitalist order. The human rights of those who have power
has always triumphed the human rights of the powerless, the
marginalised, the oppressed and the exploited. In the history
of all humanity, there is no single group of human beings
whose right to be human has been consistently eroded more than
black people across the world. From the early Arab slaves
trade to the transatlantic slave trade which formed the basis
of development of the western world.
It is African people whose humanity has consistently been
denied; whose rights to life has only been recognised only in
so far as they help sustain white domination. When we speak of
human rights therefore, we speak about the need to stop the
dehumanization of black people in this country and across the
world. When the United Nations General Assembly adopted the
Universal Declarations of Human Rights in 1948, this was
mainly in response to the killing of Jewish people by the
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Nazis in Eastern Europe. It was only when Hitler and his Nazis
forces started killing non-blacks that the international
community began standing up with human rights.
Before the adoption of that declaration ... [Inaudible.] ...
we as black people have been on our own. The colonial and
apartheid system continued in Africa and elsewhere. It was in
response to this vile system of the dehumanization of black
people that Robert Sobukwe stood up and asserted the rights of
Africans to be free in this country. When Sobukwe and the PAC
identified the past system as the prime target for the rolling
mass action that they claimed the results in the freedom of
African people by 1963. They were aware that this was a battle
that African people themselves had to fight because it is
African people themselves who understands the depth of the
pain. They were aware that white supremacists have always
responded with violence to any calls for emancipation by
African people.
The massacre that took place in Sharpeville, in Langa, in
Uitenhage when no aberration therefore, it was a normal
response by a deranged and racist group of people who would do
anything to entrench the dehumanization of black people. We
honour the bravery and wisdom of Robert Sobukwe. The
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brilliance of Philip Kgosana who led the march in Langa as a
mere 23-year-old. The determination of Nyakane Tsolo who led
the march in Sharpeville as a mere 21-year-old.
Today, this struggle of the emancipation of African people has
not been won. In South Africa today, African people still do
not have the land. They still do not control the economy.
African people still live in shacks. It is African children
who still have to cross dangerous rivers in KwaZulu-Natal in
order to get to schools. It is African women who still have to
cross rivers, locked inside drums, because there are no
bridges in Ntabankulu in the Eastern Cape. It is African
children who lives in constant fear of being killed in
Khayelitsha in Cape Town where gang violence is leaving bodies
of black youth, littered across the streets every single day
without any response from the police.
The difference is that today; African people are living in the
slave like conditions while we have government led by African
people. The perpetuation of the dehumanization of African
people is perpetuated by this government sustenance of systems
and structures that prolong the suffering of black people.
African people will never taste freedom. They will never have
their rights to humanity respected and enforced in this
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country as long as the ruling party is still in power. The
ruling party and the affirmation of the rights of African
people to being human cannot coexist.
This country needs a complete rebooting in order to be
sustainable. We need a comprehensive redistribution of land
and wealth in favour of African people whose rights have been
diminished for centuries. We need a government that is able to
respond to service delivery challenges that makes the lives of
our people a daily living hell. Of the present political
parties, only the EFF has the vision and the will to put an
end to the continuing dehumanization of African people. I
thank you, Chairperson.
Mr N SINGH: ... [Inaudible.] ... the clock thing now. It
started before I could speak.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): No! No!
Mr N SINGH: Oh! Okay! Okay!
IsiZulu:
Hhayi! Ngiyabona manje. [Uhleko.]
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English:
Hon Chairperson, hon colleagues, according to our
Constitution, the Bill of Rights is a cornerstone of democracy
in South Africa. It enshrines the rights of all people in our
country and affirms the democratic values of human dignity,
equality and freedom. Further, it is the responsibility of the
state, “to respect, protect, promote, and fulfil the rights in
the Bill of Rights.” As the IFP, a party that has its
foundation firmly planted in the Ubuntu-Botho, as well as the
key values of solidarity, freedom and unity in diversity, we
affirm our support for and the importance of a human rights-
based culture.
As we fight the scourge of racism, xenophobia, and
intolerance, the IFP will not tolerate racism of any kind. And
we will continue to call such out wherever it may be found,
whether it'd be alleged racism in local schools or where they
are outside our borders, such as the way Europe handled the
refugees flowing out of Ukraine, blatantly discriminating
against blacks and African nationals.
The IFP, further, has also gone on record to state that the
rights of any person residing within our borders need to be
protected. Whether they are asylum seekers or illegal
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immigrants. We will not accept or support any form of
xenophobic action. We would like to state plainly that
campaigns such as Operation Dudula cannot take the law into
their own hands. Everyone is equal before the law and must
respect the rule of law. And I'm glad that the hon President
of the country confirmed that yesterday in the speech.
However, here, the government and the Department of Home
Affairs have failed us. Their complete inability to manage our
borders as well as to keep track of and deal with those who
make their way into South Africa illegally has only served to
intensify the anti-foreigner sentiments around issues such as
jobs and health care.
The IFP led the charge on legislation to regulate the numbers
of foreign nationals employed in low skilled and unskilled
sections through a Private Member’s Bill that is going through
Parliament now, and the government has now followed suit with
their own Executive Bill. We trust this will serve to dispel
some of the misconceptions that fanned the flames of
xenophobia in our communities.
The topic for today also deals with intolerances. With rights
come responsibilities. This is something none of us,
particularly those entrusted with the task of governance and
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oversight, can forget. As the IFP, we strive to instil a
commitment for servant leadership and the importance of
tolerance throughout our leadership structures.
It was, therefore, a great concern to see several media
reports during the past week where representatives of the
ruling party, the ANC, were allegedly caught on camera
engaging in violent acts where ward committee elections were
taking place. And it was on Human Rights Day, nogal. [of all
days.] Two violent tussles, one in ward 99 Craigieburn and
another one in ward 53, were reported by the hon Hlengiwe
Mkhaliphi, where we found that there were violent reactions
during those ward committee elections.
The whole issue of the process of ward committee elections
needs to be revised to ensure representativity based on voting
station representation rather than political parties coming
there and then taking the cream of the crop and all the
members that sit on these ward committees. The Minister of Co-
operative Governance and Traditional Affairs needs to look at
the current processes.
This unacceptable behaviour, particularly from South Africans,
cannot be tolerated. Where people are deprived of the basic
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human rights. And yet they fought bravely, some making the
ultimate sacrifice to ensure a society based on fundamental
rights. We must do better and be better for us to build a
united and democratic South Africa free of racism, xenophobia,
and related intolerances. I thank you. Time is up.
IsiZulu:
Ngiyabona manje.
English:
Thank you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): That one is very
reliable.
Mr F J MULDER: Hon House Chair, on Monday 21 March, that was
yesterday, President Ramaphosa missed yet another opportunity
to picture an environment where all South Africans could feel
safe. While delivering the keynote address at this year's
Human Rights Day commemoration in Koster in the North West,
where the people have been without water for months and
sewerage is running through the streets.
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The core of the President’s message was a message of an ANC
president and not of a statesman. We seek to preserve human
rights and to promote equality. Instead, President Ramaphosa
claimed that undoing the effects of colonialism and apartheid
had been a momentous task and that the legacy continues to
reinforce inequality in many spheres of society. The President
failed to mention that the legacy of ongoing state capture,
corruption and poor governance escalated poverty and
inequality to unbearable levels even before the COVID-19
pandemic and the Russian invasion of the Ukraine.
While President Ramaphosa told South Africans about the 70
people killed in Sharpeville more than 60 years ago. And that
the Skierlik killings 14 years ago were a stark reminder that
racism did not die when apartheid fell. Some of the most
inhumane human rights violations occurred during 28 years of
ANC rule. Fifty years after the Sharpeville incident, 34
striking mineworkers were killed by the police, this time
under the rule of the ANC government.
The Sharpeville killings were indeed tragic. So was the
incident in Cato Manor in KwaZulu-Natal only two months before
that where nine police officers were murdered by a crowd of
people which hon President failed to mention. More recently,
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the Life Esidimeni scandal involved the deaths of 144 people
in 2016 at psychiatric facilities in Gauteng from causes
including starvation and neglect under the incapable hands of
former MEC Qedani Mahlangu. And thanks to the cruel and
inhumane decisions of the Gauteng Department of Health under
ANC rule.
This incident has been widely recognised as the greatest cause
of human rights violation in the post-1994 South Africa under
ANC rule. South Africa recalls that Collins Khosa was beaten
to death by the police and defence force members in 2020 when
they found alcohol on his property. In 2018, the Moerane
Commission published a report that identified ANC infighting,
readily available hitmen, weak leadership and ineffective and
complicit law enforcement agencies, as key contributing
factors to the higher rate political killings. We should also
not forget the July 2021 KwaZulu-Natal unrest, destruction and
murders.
Afrikaans:
Die ANC-regering is die grootsste enkele oortreder van artikel
2 van die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet wat menseregte verskans.
Suid-Afrikaners betaal met nabelaste geld vir privaat mediese
sorg en hierdeur word ons menseregte aangetas. Suid-Afrikaners
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moet self sorg vir die beskerming van hul veiligheid met
alarmstelsels en private sekuriteitmaatskappye. Suid-
Afrikaanse gemeenskappe en ondernemings is dikwels sonder
water en elektrisiteit en hierdeur word hul menseregte
aangetas.
English:
In the words of Dr Pieter Groenewald:
Human Rights Day should be a reminder for all people of South
Africa that everyone’s human rights must be respected
regardless of race, gender, religion, age, language, or
culture.
Thank you, Chair.
Rev K R J MESHOE: House Chair, the ACDP is deeply concerned
and ashamed at what has been done to foreign nationals in our
country many times by criminals.
Besides unlawful attacks on foreign nationals, that we
strongly condemn, we believe it is totally unacceptable for
local young men and women to take the law into their own hands
and try to do what government officials and inspectors should
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be doing. It is not right for unemployed citizens to go around
from one shop to the other demanding work and resident permits
from people who are doing business. They are doing it because
they have lost confidence in government that has officials who
are not doing their job; some of them are busy taking bribes.
So, we believe that if government officials, particularly from
the Department of Home Affairs, were manning our ports of
entry well, then we would not be having the serious challenges
with undocumented foreign nationals.
The problem of our porous borders, that many political parties
in this House have been complaining about for years now, needs
immediate attention.
Since the advent of democracy many nations looked up to South
Africa as a beacon of hope and expected our country to be a
good example for the rest of the world because of the way we
dealt with our past challenges and the willingness we had to
show forgiveness, reconciliation and work together.
The ACDP calls on all South Africans that they should be, all
of us should be, more welcoming, respect and accept one
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another particularly those who come from other countries
looking for a safer place to call home.
Those who attack foreign nationals are threatening foreign
investor confidence and hindering our growing tourism industry
negatively. How can foreign nationals and foreign companies
bring new investments in the country when they are treated
with disrespect and seem unwanted?
It is reported that one of the main reasons why foreigners are
treated with hostility by South Africans is because they
symbolise a clear competition for jobs in a country where
opportunities are already scares.
The unemployment rates in Senegal and Rwanda, as an example,
are relatively low compared to South Africa. According to the
World Bank, Senegal’s unemployment rate was under 10% in 2017
while Rwanda’s unemployment rate stood at 17% in the same
year. South Africa’s official unemployment rate, the same year
2017, was 27%. This could possibly [Time expired.] Ke a
leboga, mme. [Thank you, ma’am.]
Mr B N HERRON: House Chair, if democratic South Africa wishes
to entrench the culture of human rights, a good place to start
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would have been holding the perpetrators of apartheid human
rights violations accountable for their brutality. Instead, in
its wisdom and acting on political instruction, the National
Prosecuting Authority, NPA, decided not to prosecute the more
than 300 serious cases referred to it by the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission, TRC. Rather than contributing
towards entrenching a culture of human rights, this decision
entrenched a culture of impunity. Impunity that generates
crime statistics, televised insurrections and state capture.
When we choose not to hold those who killed in defence of
racism to account, how do we advance the fight against racism?
A few years ago a middleclass KwaZulu-Natal woman was
correctly prosecuted for referring to black beach goers as
monkeys, in a much publicised case, but those who tortured
political detainees fighting for nonracial justice to death
continue to walk free.
House Chair, last week in the town of Robertson violence
erupted between workers of Zimbabwean and Basotho origin.
While they clashed over jobs, workers born in the area, many
born on the farms with the children of farmworkers, sit
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without jobs in shacks in this sprawling informal settlements
on the edges of our ... [Inaudible.]
We must be clear about this, documented immigrants and migrant
workers are as entitled as local to earn a living; that is not
the issue. The issue is the declining number of local people
living and working on farms. Instead of accepting
responsibility for their workers, many of whose families
served their parents and grandparents, farmers prefer to hire
... [Inaudible.] ... labour in town, often through labour
brokers.
We cannot talk about entrenching a culture of human rights and
tolerance without having a conversation about the
responsibilities of our commercial farmers to contribute to
repairing our social fabric nor without appropriate and
properly implemented migration policies.
Our transition to democracy and the adoption of the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights have not fixed
relationships in our country. Instead, inequality and grinding
poverty are at all-time high.
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Our founding documents are there to guide us, they provide the
opportunity to nurture a nation with a culture of tolerance
and human rights. But it is up to us to make these words
practical and the better nation they describe.
It is not only politicians who share the duty to build the
right space of culture, every South African person and persons
does too. Those in positions of political and economic
influence have a particular responsibility. They must avoid
being tempted and to opportunism by ill-mannered migration
policies and get on board with the nation building project. I
thank you.
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Hon House Chair, the NFP heard many
political parties yesterday expressing satisfaction or
celebrating Human Rights Day. And the question we need to ask
ourselves: With six million people going hungry to bed every
day, what is there to celebrate?
When people like in the Igudu area in Nongoma haven’t had
water for three years, what is there to celebrate about human
rights?
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When the Hindocha family is still mourning the brutal death of
their daughter, Anni Dewani, where is the human rights?
When 16-year-old Berodine Boyce from St Helena Bay was found
behind the Laingville sports ground, who was missing for days,
was found in a shallow grave with the t-shirt, where is the
human rights?
Where is the human rights for 17-year-old Amahle Quku,
murdered in August 2019, her naked body found dumped in Browns
Farm near Philippi? And we still say we want to celebrate
Human Rights Day?
Where is the human rights of the Khoi and San nation, the
first indigenous people in this country?
This country sold the land, and I’m glad that the High Court
in the Western Cape has just put a hold to the River Club
development by Amazon.
Why do the Khoi and San have to be treated as second class
citizens when they are indeed the rightful heirs and first
indigenous people in this country?
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We even accommodate Mandarin to satisfy the Chinese. But where
is the 20 to 30 000 people who speak Khoi and San in the
Southern African Development Community SADC region alone? And
we still say we want to celebrate Human Rights Day?
The levels of homelessness, inequality, gender-based violence,
not forgetting the murder of an innocent farmer in Delmas a
day or two ago; so, where is the human rights that we talk
about.
Chairperson, over a million children in South Africa, this
beautiful country of ours, still use pit toilets, risking
their lives on a daily basis and we talk about human rights.
Surely, there’s a lot of work to be done in the country.
I am told my time is up [Time expired.] There is nothing to
celebrate, nothing to celebrate. Thank you.
Ms E R WILSON: Unicef defines human rights as the standards
that recognise and protect the dignity of all human beings.
Human rights govern how individual human beings live in
society with each other as well as their relationships with
the state and the obligations that the state has towards them.
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Human rights law obliges governments to do some things and
prevents them from doing others. No government, group or
individual person has the right to do anything that violates
another person’s rights.
The SA Constitution became effective 25 years ago. Considered
one of the finest constitutions in the world, it is a
Constitution born of love and passion, and aims to protect the
rights of all especially those who suffered under abhorrent
apartheid regulations. The love and compassion of great people
that led to our great Constitution promoted equality for all
South Africans in every sphere of their lives, in education,
law, housing and even health.
However, this begs the question: After 25 years, has this
Constitution made a difference? In many ways, yes! But what
has happened to the government’s love and compassion for its
fellow South Africans? Is it still there? I say, no!
When an elderly lady is rushed to the rural Senekal Clinic
with high blood pressure desperate for oxygen and is told
there is no oxygen; and desperate for her prescription
medication, she is advised, “sorry, not available.”
Groblersdal Hospital has not delivered for a month. Where was
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the love? Where was her basic human rights to quality health
care?
When an elderly lady goes to Steve Biko Hospital for a small
procedure and lies there for three months with the same colon
hospital pee bag leaking and they pricked septic holes from
the wounds which her family had to dress each day until she
passed away unnecessarily. Where was the compassion? Where was
the basic human rights to quality health care?
Despite being the biggest hospital in the Eastern Cape and
having an orthopaedic wing, orthopaedic surgeries in the
Livingston Hospital have ground to a halt. [Inaudible 13:39]
... hospitals have been told, “please don’t refer, we can’t do
it.”
When women are forced to deliver babies outside clinic gates;
when patients die because there is no ambulance to get them to
a hospital; and when hundreds of babies are left with cerebral
palsy because of bad deliveries in inadequate facilities,
where is the love? Where is the compassion that our Madiba had
when he signed off our Constitution?
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Let’s not forget the oncology crisis at Rob Ferreira Hospital.
When Ministers, HODs, senior government rob the Department of
Health instead of ensuring that the vulnerable get proper
health care, there is no love. There is no compassion when you
do that. [Applause.] And they live large while the vulnerable
suffer. The protection of human rights starts from love and
compassion, and must come from us all.
Today, many sit in this House and have no love or compassion.
They are here for personal agendas and not for human rights at
all. I say to those now: Please leave! Leave before the DA
makes you. Leave your place open for somebody who does care
for without love and compassion, we cannot move forward as a
country. We cannot protect human rights. I implore you. Thank
you. [Applause.]
Ms G P MAREKWA: Hon House Chair and hon members, yesterday our
country commemorated Human Rights Day under the theme: Year of
Unity and Renewal, Protecting and Preserving our human rights.
Thankfully, at the dawn of our new democratic dispensation in
1994 in South Africa, we adopted a progressive Constitution
which protects fundamental rights of our people. Our
Constitution is in accord with the United Nations 30 articles
of human rights contained in its Universal Declaration of
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Human Rights which established universal human rights on the
basis of humanity, freedom, justice and peace.
Madam House Chair, our Constitution, as the supreme law of the
land, based on our African principle of Ubuntu, Botho. It is a
principle that talks to human solidarity and it is in line
with the Pan-Africanism which aims at encouraging and
strengthening bonds of solidarity between all indigenous and
diaspora ethnic groups of African descent.
In contrast with the ideas of Pan-Africanism and the promotion
of African Renaissance, we have unfortunately observed with
great concern acts of some South Africans which are aimed at
creating disunity between South Africans and Africans from
other parts of the continent. This is because we, as South
Africans, are a loving nation and are also a welcoming nation.
Generally, we are not xenophobic as people might label us.
We know too well that these acts happen mostly where people
are struggling with poverty and it takes just one or two
persons with criminal intent to provoke the desperate to
mobilise such behaviours. It is therefore important to remind
ourselves of the values that we need to treasure under the
current circumstances. Hence, the need to champion the ideals
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of Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance to encourage
bonds of unity between all indigenous and diaspora ethnic
groups of African descent based on common goals dating back to
the slave trade era.
Whilst such sentiments are perpetuated, little attention is
given to the fact that some employers also take the
opportunity to reduce wages and salaries so that they can
employ others who are coming from outside South Africa on the
basis of cheap labour. The attacks negate the spirit of Pan-
Africanism especially its laudable ideals that Africans share
mutual bonds regardless of their geographic location.
With the African Continent Free Trade Area to introduce in
trying to find its feet, it is important to note that the
current economic and political landscape of Africa is hardly
permissive. To promote sustainable economic and social
development, it is therefore deemed necessary that we consider
an integrated and dynamic economic system to emerge and
facilitate socioeconomic transformation and renaissance. This
could be used to promote sustainable, optimal and vibrant
economic systems in the continent and unleash the collective
potential power of Africans to liberate themselves from abject
poverty, destitution and marginalisation.
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In reality, House Chair, the post-colonial development
experience of Africa has been disappointing and isolated
efforts of countries to initiate development without reforming
old and exploitative institutions of the colonial regimes have
largely ended up in failures and stagnation. Whereas the
challenges of underdevelopment are generally daunting, the
necessary human and investment capital is still short in
supply and the poverty trap is firmly in place.
When former President Thabo Mbeki announced his dream for
Africa and called it the African Renaissance, he did not
envisage a rebirth but rather a discovery of what Africa once
was. A people free in mind and soul, capable of original
thoughts, confident to live and embrace life holistically,
united with itself, nature and God.
The beginning of our rebirth, House Chair, as a continent,
must be our own rediscovery of our soul. We need to work
towards overcoming the current challenges confronting the
continent to achieve cultural, scientific and economic
renewal. In that, we are also saying that all Africans are
welcome in Africa. With that, House Chair, I thank you.
Setswana:
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Ke a leboga.
Swahili:
Asante Sana. [Kupiga makofi.]
Mr S M JAFTA: Hon House Chair, it is exactly 62 years after
Sobukwe led a march against the brutal system of pass laws. On
the day, 69 unarmed Africans were killed. Hundred and eight
injuries were also recorded on the day. Just like in 1960,
acts of racism, Afrophobia and other forms human rights
violation are rampart under the new dispensation.
Just as when the Hoffmann case was heard at the Constitutional
Court back in 2000, which dealt with discrimination against
HIV positive employees in the workplace. Juliet Johan Hegasie
in Eldorado Park was violated. After being raped, Juliet came
out of this ordeal as HIV-positive. The stigma around her at
the time pushed her to the periphery. She was in agony and
defaulted on her medication. What followed was a brain and
organ failure and she later succumbed to death.
Juliet’s mother, Margaret Arnolds, who is also our national
treasure, also informed us of another cruel incident involving
little Ansia who was found in a washing basket on a dumped
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site in Orange Farm. We also remember Sheenay Stella, who was
raped and killed by her uncle. We remember multitudes of
unborn children who were deprived the right to life after
being denied nevirapine treatment.
We remember Ms Grootboom, who died without a decent house
despite the constitutional judgement finding in her favour.
The remains of Tshegofatso Pule were fund hanging on a tree in
another brazen act of terror. Philip Kgosana, Robert Sobukwe,
Es’kia Mphahlele should be turning in their graves. Dikgang
Moseneke who was jailed when he was barely 15 years old for
protesting against the Sharpeville Massacre must be
distraught.
What is more troubling is that the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission, TRC, final report issued to the ANC government for
implementation has been gathering dust. The TRC report in
clear terms enjoined government to prosecute apartheid
perpetrators who had been not granted amnesty to provide
financial reparations for the victims of apartheid ... [Time
expired.] ... and to take concrete steps ... [Time expired.]
Mr W M MADISHA: Hon House Chair, almost 74 years ago, that is
on 10 December 1948, countries of the world met in France and
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agreed on 30 articles which are currently known as 30 Articles
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The majority of
those articles are encapsulated in our Constitution. But the
question we must ask ourselves in this House, and of course
all South Africans, is: “Do all South African people enjoy or
even have access to all those particular rights?” But perhaps
even before I go on, let me give this example, that South
Africa is the rape capital of the world. The question is:
“Why?”
South Africa is number one when it comes to inequality. It is
the unsafest country because 45,8% of the 2 785 detectives
haven’t been trained in the basic detective learning programme
according to Policing Needs and Priorities report. It is
extremely unfortunate that the Constitution has become a tool
used by political power holders to either entrench the space
they occupy or elevate their faces for the future. It is
unfortunate that the holders of political power or those who
have been elevated economically through the purported war of
different sexual existence, etc, have risen to occupy the
space of defiers of human rights.
It is unfortunate that the Constitution has been turned into a
political claim instead of it being a legal claim – as
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dictated like I said, in our preamble and in Chapter 2.
Although the Constitution says that people must have food,
housing, enjoy access to education, etc, that will never be.
The question to South Africans and to you members of
Parliament is why?
Mr M NYHONTSO: House Chairperson, let us get it straight, the
Sharpeville Massacre and the Langa Massacre of 21 March 1960
was a gross violation of human rights of innocent and peaceful
protesters led by the PAC against the pass laws as the first
of an unfolding programme of action against settler
colonialism and its apartheid policies.
To restore human rights culture without having resolved the
land question and the universal rights of self-determination
for the African people who had their land usurped and their
human dignity violated is to play with words. Human rights is
not a game of Scrabble. The full culture that accords a nation
its Bill of Rights is based on the economic condition of the
restoration of colonial conquest and the will of the majority
in a democratic political system. Without passing this acid
test, the experiment is to have rights on paper but the
opposite in the living reality of all the citizens. That is
why South Africa, with its highest records of inequality,
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still remains a gross violation of human rights. We cannot
begin to talk about the causes of crime, rampart corruption by
government officials and their superiors in the political
sphere; the super exploitation of the working people by greedy
capitalist class that is only concerned with the target of
shareholders to maximise their profits; the trafficking of
women and children and other ills that are visited upon us.
We must come to an understanding that it is a falsehood to
celebrate human rights when in actual fact it does not exist.
In the PAC we remember the blood that was spilled in the dusty
streets of Sharpeville and Langa. We rededicate ourselves to
ensure that it never happens again – not on our watch.
However, a similar crime happened in Marikana in 2012. We must
deal with this. Sharpeville day is to the African people and
the Azanians what Bastille Day is to the French as the late
Philip Kgosana once said.
History doesn’t have blank pages. On the eve of 1960, Sobukwe
wrote to the ANC inviting them to join the struggle. And Duma
Nokwe said that the struggle campaign was not going to
succeed, and he was prepared to swallow his head if it did.
That is why ... [Inaudible.] ... is behaving like this.
[Interjections.]
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Ms B N DLULANE: Hon House Chairperson, hon the Ministers and
the Deputy Ministers, hon members who are here in this august
House. Let me first remind those who came to this podium
today, forgetting the brutalities - that during apartheid
government we experienced. Some are coming here forgetting
that during apartheid government, some who benefitted – when
you are going to these clinics, to these trains, they were
written nie-blanke. I must be told what was that, nie-blanke,
what is this?
Today we are here with this progress government. Irrespective
of color, of all the people of this country are getting, what
do you call clean ... [Inaudible.] ... what do you call, the
South African Social Security Agency, SASSA, grants. During
that time, it was having a colour. I can say a lot; I will be
whipped not to talk about my speech. But I’ve got so many
things I can talk about.
When sometime you were getting in the train, in the bus you
will be getting news that a black woman, black man, there is a
corpse – when they were speaking, they were killed, during
those days, you just forgotten. We are as ANC, trying to
forget but now you are reminding us of what then those ...
maybe there were some of your families who have done to us.
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Hon House Chairperson, the triumph of the democratic
dispensation will be realized when what the preamble of the
Constitution states is a reality when it’s says:
We believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in
it, united in our diversity.
Our arts, cultures and sports play a central role in
harnessing our diversity for nation building and social
cohesion.
Also House Chairperson, the role of culture, arts and sports
events in bringing people together. The ANC has located
culture as an integral component of the process of development
because it contributes to such processes, but it can also play
a facilitative or destructive role in the unfolding of the
development process.
Art is one form of freedom of expression, through music,
dance, creative writing, photography, film and other forms of
art, people from diverse backgrounds experience the richness
of our distinct diversity of our cultures. It is through human
interactions across our diversity that we will be able to
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appreciate our diversity, and in this regard, sports play a
significant role in building friendship and interaction.
As we celebrate this year’s Human Rights Day, we should defend
the democratic gains of freedom of expression. What is
critical is that the right to freedom of expression comes with
responsibility. The freedom of expression cannot be expressed
to violate the rights of others. In some instances, in some of
our communities we are seeing this happening.
Therefore, we cannot use music, creative writing, painting and
culture to entrench the false ideology of racism, xenophobia,
tribalism, and discrimination against the lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, intersex, and questioning LGBTIQ+.
In advancing of transformation in sports. We have witnessed
that the demon of discrimination continues to manifest in our
sports sector. As a nation we remember the painful experience
in our fight for the identity rights of UCaster Simenya who
the athletics global system continues to discriminate her.
This is a stark reminder that transformation of sports remains
a terrain of struggle.
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Inequality in sports reflects the nature of our patriarchal
society. Sports for men are well resourced with adequate
investment into infrastructure and substantive commercial
support whiles the opposite is true for women sports. I am
making a clarion call to those who are having some monies, to
support the women sports - the men ‘sports – that they must
also contribute too in the women’s sports.
Racial segregation has entrenched racial exclusion of black
people in many sporting codes who have less opportunities of
development due to lack of resources in mainly rural areas and
townships. This has reproduced underrepresentation in
different sporting such as cricket, swimming, hockey and other
sports.
As the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture we are
dismayed by racism in cricket. We supported the Committee on
Sports, Arts and Culture. The Social Justice and Nation-
Building Project Interim Report on cricket by Advocate
Ntsebeza and Advocate Ngqele paints a concerning picture of
systematic barriers which discriminate against black people.
We have called for accountability and transformation. The
Eminent Persons Group reports are a systemic intervention
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which should be responded to and supported by all stakeholder
in the sporting fraternity.
We need to create a transformed sports sector which plays a
pivotal role in uniting the people of South Africa and our
identity which is anchored by our diversity.
Transforming society through arts, sports, and culture. Arts
and culture are a major contributor in shaping and forging
values in a society. Our creative writers through their
written work such as poetry, fiction and nonfiction books they
produce content for educational purposes.
It is for this reason that even under apartheid certain books
were banned. It is this power our creative writers should use
to embed values of tolerance. I do remember whilst I was in
Transkei when there was a story – which it was said ...
IsiXhosa:
... niya kubulala, nibulale de nibulalane.
English:
It was at least indicating what was going on, but that story
was banned – you must know that we are coming from very far.
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In conclusion, House Chairperson, As the ANC we make a clarion
call to all South Africans to shun all acts of discrimination.
We need to continue learning other South African languages,
learn each other’s cultures and ensure that we celebrate our
diversity in an intercultural manner, because that is the
South African identity. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Thank you very much hon House Chair. Hon
House Chair I have good news; we have something major to
celebrate on Human Rights Day. I want to congratulate
Parliament for giving 104 former residents of District Six
their dignity back this morning.
We must thank the leader of Parliament, his Excellency David
Mabuza for this. The former residents were forcefully removed
and their houses demolished and 22 years ago they got their
land back. Nine months ago apartments allocated to them were
completed but were not given the keys to move in.
The Deputy President came to District Six this morning to see
for himself and this morning he insisted that he oversees the
signing of documents to let these gogos receive their keys.
His call was to give them the keys with a smile and the keys
will be handed over in the next few days and which is just in
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time for Ramadhan the opportunity of a lifetime in their last
days to celebrate when they save the moon at the end of
Ramadhan.
We have more to celebrate on Human Rights Day. The Minister of
Human Settlements gave the executive mayor extra funding for
bath services for 900 more apartments for the District Six
residents who were forcefully removed.
The Minister of Land Affairs promised to build the remaining
900 houses over four years. Al Jama-ah appealed to the Deputy
President to make that happen in two years but that is up to
the Minister of Finance. He can leave a legacy behind if he
speeds up restitution.
So, the leader of Parliament made Parliament proud by
restoring the human rights of District Six residents
[Inaudible.] allow the [Inaudible.] Ministers of the inter-
Ministerial Committee on Land Affairs.
The race is on to get 104 residents in the apartments before
the 3rd of April. It is a grader for government that they are
prepared to go out to communities and address human rights
issues which his excellency David Mabuza did today with a
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smiling face, a smiling face which we seldom see in
Parliament. Thank you very much hon House Chair. Mr Papu you
must cheer and clap.
IsiXhosa:
Mnu B B NODADA: Sihlalo weNdlu ...
English:
Chairperson, for many South Africans human rights are just a
figment of the ANC governments imagination. These human rights
don’t exist in their reality because they don’t entirely enjoy
them, but are rather trapped in a life time of poverty,
indignity and unemployment.
Many live in abject poverty and are being denied human
dignity, access to water, food, health care, education and an
environment that is not harmful to their well-being. This is
especially the case in rural communities that have been
completely forgotten by this out of touch ANC government.
IsiXhosa:
Izolo bendikwilali yaseSihlahleni eMaxesibeni, eMount Ayliff,
apho abantu basela amanzi nezilwanyana kwaye besikha amanzi
emthonjeni ongakhuselekanga. Abanye kuyanyanzeleka ukuba
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bawele ibhrorho eyiTebetebe ukuze bafikelele ezikolweni,
ekliniki okanye ukuze bakwazi ukuthenga ukutya.
English:
Most importantly they are plunged into further poverty because
of the rising cost of living as their grants cover less
groceries due to the rising petrol, electricity prices and
mostly from the corruption of the ANC government.
During my visit yesterday I came across four women in a nearby
well, while cows and horses drank water from it; one woman was
doing her laundry and the other three were collecting the same
water for cooking.
This is the reality in many forgotten rural communities whose
basic rights to human dignity remain a myth. Like the
forgotten village of Esihlahleni.
Sesotho:
Ba ahi ba Ramohlakoana, Matatiele ha ba na metsi.
English:
They use a dirty man made well to access water.
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IsiXhosa:
Abantu baseNcunteni eMount Frere, badela ubomi babo ...
English:
... to collect water in a well down a mountain with dead
horses and pigs as it is the only water source for them to
access. The people of TopBlock village in Maclear now relieve
themselves in a nearby bush because there are no sanitation
facilities. As result, Mr Mabandla Ngaleka is now permanently
disabled because he broke his leg while on his way to relieve
himself in the bush.
And these are just a few examples of the lived realities in
poor rural communities across the country who don’t enjoy
their human right to dignity. What was more painful yesterday
was visiting the late Akhona Gogela’s home, a young lady who
died crossing one of the dangerous bridges on her way back
from work on the 11th of March. She was found dead in the
Umzimvubu river near the Tebetebe bridge that the Minister did
not even have the confidence to give a response in which I
raised earlier in my member statement.
Yesterday...
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IsiXhosa:
... umaMiya umama ka-Akhona ...
English:
... asked that her child not die in vain, Chief Whip, while
thanking our DA Councillor Nozi Mantshongo for exposing the
deadly bridge, she pleaded that I tell you hon members that
the President must fix that bridge before more families lose
their loved ones and experience the same trauma of carrying
their bodies in a coffin across that same bridge that they
died in.
In conclusion, if we are to realise the vision of human
dignity for all that is enshrined in the Bill of Rights. We
need to commit as a nation to ending poverty, indignity and
unemployment which continues to deny many South Africans their
human rights and basic freedoms.
So while commemorating Human Rights Day, I’ve got a task for
the ANC government. Do not come here on this podium to show
your detachment from the reality of poor rural South Africans
in this country who don’t fully enjoy these rights that you
want us to celebrate but go and ensure that they’ve got access
to clean drinkable water, roads and bridges that are safe for
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them and ensure that finally, you support our call to end
poverty.
You were right hon Maseka-Majeka to deny people of their human
right is to challenge the very same humanity. I guess that’s
what the ANC is doing now and that says a lot about them.
The MINISTER OF SPORTS, ARTS AND CULTURE: Hon Chairperson,
today, firstly - maybe before my contribution - let us call on
South Africans to recall their Ubuntu: the attack of Dr
Mahlangu yesterday was stupid and an expression of self-
hatred. I spoke to her earlier on. She is strong. All of us as
Members of Parliament must have her in our thoughts and
prayers.
Hon House Chairperson, my colleagues, Ministers and Deputy
Ministers present here and on other platforms, members of the
media, ladies and gentlemen, I extend my warmest greetings to
all of you present in this sitting.
Our starting point and the central tenet of our continued
struggle is and has to be an end to the conditions that
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describe millions of our people at home, across the continent
and the diaspora of the wretched of the earth, daily burdened
and crushed by the most intolerable and dehumanising poverty.
We want to deal with this decisively. This is the heritage we
want to leave behind for the generations to come.
The violation of human rights in our country and the continent
started with the advent of colonialism and, later, colonialism
of a special type. Every aspect of our existence was ruined
and defiled in every manner possible. In that process we lost
all sense of dignity and humanity. There is no better way to
explain the humiliation that we suffered as a people than what
the founding Secretary-General of the ANC Mr Sol Plaatje said
about the Land Act of 1913:
Awaking on Friday morning, June 20 1913, the South
African Native found himself, not actually a slave, but a
pariah in the land of his birth.
Building on what Sol Plaatje articulated on the land question,
Dr A B Xuma took it a step further during a presidential
address to the national conference of the ANC that took place
in December 1941. He asserted the following:
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The fundamental basis of all wealth and power is the
ownership and acquisition of free-hold title to land.
From land we derive our existence, we derive our wealth
in minerals, food and other essentials. On land we build
our homes. Without land we cannot exist. To all men of
whatever race or colour, land therefore is essential for
wealth, prosperity and health. Without land rights, any
race will be doomed to poverty, destitution, ill health
and a lack of all life’s essentials.
This once more demonstrates to all those who are honest
scholars of history that the governing party, the ANC, has
been seized with the matter of the land question right from
its inception.
Building on this, the Freedom Charter – which was developed as
a policy statement of the ANC – affirms the question of the
land and the wealth to be shared by all the people.
All of these formed the background against which the ANC at
its 2017 conference took a resolution about this very
important issue of land. We must pursue with greater
determination the programme of land reform and rural
development as part of the programme of radical socioeconomic
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transformation. Expropriation of land without compensation
should be among the key mechanisms available to government to
give effect to land reform and redistribution. Who can stand
against this? Nobody can stand against this, except perhaps
those who experience ideology as an obstacle.
As we conclude, I think we need to contrast our position on
the resolution of the land question against other ideological
positions represented in this Parliament. These are
neoliberalism and modern ultra-leftism. The former is one
extreme of rampant capitalism which believes that formal
democracy should be underpinned by market forces to which all
should kneel in prayer. This is the core ideology of
neoliberalism which dares the democratic state to emasculate
itself.
On the other extreme are the ultra-left practices, a common
feature and tendency of which is subjectivism – a confusion of
what is desirable with what is actually and immediately
possible. This results in all manner of voluntaristic
adventures, including the advocacy of impossible and dangerous
great leaps forward. This reflects a systemic inability to
understand the dynamic complexity of objective factors.
[Applause.]
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I heard hon members from Freedom Front Plus speaking. I think
it was the hon Mulder. I think the hon Mulder was listening to
a different speech by the President yesterday. [Laughter.]
The President was dealing with the issue of that pernicious
ideology called racism and the need to eradicate it. There is
nothing ANC or party-political about that. Actually, you
should also commit yourself to fighting racism.
Yesterday, the President spoke about issues of gender-based
violence and femicide, GBVF. All of us must be part of that
fight and ensure that we deal with it. He also spoke about
poverty, inequality and the end of xenophobia.
Actually, my advice to the Freedom Front Plus is that, instead
of spending time fighting affirmative action — which, by the
way, made you who you are through your regstellende aksie
[affirmative action] dealing with the problem of the urban
white Afrikaner way back then. So, that is what you should do.
I also want to talk to the president of the PAC, Mzwanele
Nyhontso. We agree with you on the issue of the land question.
That is why this Parliament must pass that law. That is why it
has to pass that law. [Interjections.]
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Mr M NYHONTSO: You are progressive, Nyambose.
The MINISTER OF SPORTS, ARTS AND CULTURE: For, if you talk
about the gross violation of human rights, this is exactly
what Sol Plaatje and Dr A B Xuma would have said. Later, you
came and affirmed that. Actually ...
IsiZulu:
... nina ningabaninawa bethu, kahle hle.
English:
Now, hon Shaik Emam, I think I must just take you through.
Firstly, when you see the sign of government in this country
you see the Khoi and San People. First and foremost, if you
say there is nothing happening, that is where we start.
Secondly, we have 15 nodal points across the country of the
Khoi and San heritage routes which we as this government
passed. Perhaps you did not know about that. It is happening
and it is here.
Thirdly, if you take an aeroplane to a place called Gqeberha
today, you will land at Chief David Stuurman. Do you know who
Chief David Stuurman was?
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We are also working on digitising the N|uu language. We are
working with ouma Katrina Esau who is the only remaining
speaker of the language in the country.
The Traditional and Khoisan Leadership Act of 2019 exists for
the recognition of the Khoi and San communities and their
leadership positions. Do not say there is nothing we are
doing. [Interjections.]
Sorry, what are you saying?
Dr L A SCHREIBER: [Inaudible.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON: (Ms R M M Lesoma): Hon members, we must
stop ...
The MINISTER OF SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE: I think ...
[Interjections.] Don’t be anxious. Don’t be anxious. Just
listen.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON: (Ms R M M Lesoma): Hon members!
The MINISTER OF SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE: I think your problem
is ...
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON: (Ms R M M Lesoma): Hon Minister! The
hon Dr Schreiber, you cannot just engage. You can heckle, but
not in that manner. Please desist from that. Thank you.
Hon Minister, you may proceed.
The MINISTER OF SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE: Yes. You see, the
problem is that, when you are used to bossing people around
wherever you are and you see a native, you feel he has to be
bossed. There are those who will not be bossed. Don’t be that
way. [Applause.]
So, what I was saying, hon Shaik Emam, is that so much work is
being done about the foremost indigenous people in this
country. And that work continues. It continues under the ANC.
So, next time, do not come and mislead the public and say
nothing is happening because a lot is happening. We will
continue to do what we are doing. [Applause.]
To all the other Members of Parliament, if you are worthy of
your position of leadership, you would understand that when we
talk human rights we actually have to start on the land
question. This Parliament must pass that law. Otherwise we are
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talking for the sake of talking. The fact of the matter is
that the people of this country were forcibly removed.
Right now the hon Hendricks of Al Jama-ah was talking about
the forced removals. It means nothing to you because you do
not understand this very pernicious nature of racism. That is
why it is easy for you to say, no, it is a thing of the past.
It is not a thing of the past. This includes the inequalities
that hon Madisha was talking about. Those inequalities have
resulted in South Africa being rated the world’s most unequal
country. That inequality is the result of the historical
injustices perpetrated in this country.
I thought that you have some basics on historical and
dialectical materialism. There is nothing which happens
outside of anything. Everything is connected. What you see
today has its roots in the past. Thank you very much.
[Applause.]
Debate concluded.
DR ESTHER MAHLANGU ATTACKED AND ROBBED IN HER OWN HOME
(Draft Resolution)
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IsiXhosa:
UMBHEXESHI OYINTLOKO WEQELA ELILAWULAYO: Sihlalo weNdlu,
ndiphakamisa ngaphandle kwesaziso:
Ukuba le Ndlu-
(1) iqaphele ukukwankqiswa kwesizwe ngendlela athe
wahlaselwa ngayo ngolunya umama uGqr Esther
Mahlangu, inkondekazi yezwe lakowethu. Siyi-ANC sima
apha sivakalisa ukuba, ezi ntswelaboya
zingaqeqeshekanga, zinesimilo esinemihlisela
kufuneka zikhangelwe, zigqogqwe zide zifumaneke.
(2) Oku kukudelela abantu bakowethu, ingakumbi umama
osenzele udumo ngobugcisa bezandla.
(3) Abonelanga nje ukumenzakalisa, la matutu athe
athatha bonke ubutyebi bakhe bade bathatha nomkhono
wakhe wekati.
(4) Ewe ibuhlungu le nto ithe yehla, kwaye
siyayinyevulela sicela ukuba abo banoxanduva
lokubamba ize bangashiyi nanye into ukuze babambe la
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masela afakwe entolongweni ngale ntlungu nesi
sihelegu basenzileyo.
(5) Umama uye wazenzela igama ngokuthi abonakalise
ubugcisa bakhe phaya kwiRolls Royce.
(6) Uphinde wabubonakalisa kwakhona phaya kwiBMW
engumama wokuqala kuMzantsi Afrika ukunikwa uxanduva
olungako.
(7) Sinqwenelela ukuba akhawuleze aphile umama uEsther
Mahlangu kwezo ntlungu zenziwe sesi sigebenga.
Siyabulela.
[English version of motion above taken in from Minutes,
below.]
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Chair, I move without
notice:
That the House—
(1) notes with shock the attack and robbery of the
renowned 87-year-old Ndebele artist, Dr Esther
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Mahlangu, who was robbed of her firearm and an
undisclosed amount of cash on Saturday, 19 March 2022;
(2) understands that on the said day, Dr Mahlangu was
surprised in her house by a robber who punched her in
the face before tying both her hands with a cable and
tried to strangle her until she reportedly became
unconscious;
(3) further understands that when she regained
consciousness, she realised that her house had been
ransacked and her firearm, as well as money, had been
stolen from the safe;
(4) recalls that in February 2020, Dr Mahlangu became the
first South African to have her distinctive artwork
displayed on a customised Rolls Royce Phantom;
(5) further recalls that she is the first African and
first female artist to paint a BMW Art Car, following
in the footsteps of the likes of Andy Warhol and
others;
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(6) condemns the shameful attack on our senior citizens by
heartless criminals who show no mercy;
(7) calls for a speedy investigation and the swift arrest
of the perpetrator; and
(8) wishes Dr Mahlangu a speedy recovery.
Agreed to.
SHORTAGE OF VACCINES TO COMBAT AFRICAN HORSE SICKNESS
(Draft Resolution)
Mr J ENGELBRECHT: Chair, I move without notice:
That the House—
(1) notes that African Horse Sickness, AHS, poses
significant risks to the equine sector in the
Republic;
(2) further notes that the Onderstepoort Biological
Products – the sole producer and supplier of AHS
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vaccines in the Republic – has been experiencing a
number of challenges, which has resulted in a shortage
in the production and supply of AHS vaccines in the
Republic;
(3) acknowledges that there is an urgent need that South
Africa’s equine sector have access to a reliable and
adequate supply of the AHS vaccines;
(4) calls on the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform
and Rural Development to explore the option of
importing AHS vaccines to supplement the shortage of
supplies in the Republic; and
(5) encourages Onderstepoort Biological Products to take
immediate steps to overcome the challenges it
experiences which prevent it from producing and
supplying adequate supplies of the AHS vaccine to the
Republic’s equine sector.
Agreed to.
MGCINI TSHWAKU AWARDED A DOCTORATE BY UNISA
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(Draft Resolution)
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Chair, I move without notice:
That the House—
(1) notes that a Member of the National Assembly and
Member of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Central
Command Team, Dr Mgcini Tshwaku, was awarded a Doctor
of Philosophy in Science, Technology, Engineering and
Technology by the University of South Africa;
(2) further notes that through his thesis, Dr Tshwaku
gained more insight into how the feed gas from coal or
natural gas is converted into fuel through a
technology called the Fischer-Tropsch process, and he
was able to show that pre-treating the catalyst
differently before the reaction could produce more
products;
(3) recognises that Dr Tshwaku completed his doctoral
studies while serving as a Member of Parliament and as
the EFF’s Head of Elections;
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(4) believes that his commitment to education should
inspire all of us and should serve as an example that
discipline is a necessity for a successful revolution;
(5) further recognises that it is through educating
ourselves, educating other people, and educating the
population in general that we will be able to
eliminate, little by little, oppression and lead our
people to economic freedom in our lifetime; and
(6) congratulates Dr Tshwaku on his monumental
achievement; and
(7) conveys to Dr Tshwaku how proud, inspired, and
grateful it is for his contribution to new knowledge
and for making education fashionable.
Agreed to.
THE DEATH OF PROFESSOR SABER TAYOB MOHAMMED
(Draft Resolution)
Ms N T MKHATSHWA: Chair, I move without notice:
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That the House—
(1) notes with shock and dismay the passing of the 51-
year-old University of Limpopo lecturer, Professor
Saber Tayob Mohammed, on Sunday, 13 March 2022;
(2) further notes that Professor Mohammed, who was also a
chartered accountant, was jogging when a white VW Polo
drove past him and then made a U-turn after which the
assailants shot at him several times;
(3) remembers that he had joined the university in
October 2009 as a senior lecturer of accounting and
auditing, earning a promotion to associate professor
in July 2017;
(4) further remembers that he was appointed as the
Director of the School of Accountancy at the
university, effective from 1 March 2020;
(5) calls on community members with information regarding
the murder to assist police in the investigation that
can lead to the quick arrest of the assailants; and
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(6) conveys its condolences to the family of Professor
Tayob Mohammed, his friends and the University of
Limpopo at large.
Agreed to.
HIS MAJESTY PRINCE MISUZULU SINQOBILE ZULU RECOGNISED AS THE
KING OF AMAZULU BY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA
(Draft Resolution)
Mr N SINGH: Chair, I move without notice:
That the House—
(1) notes that on Wednesday, 16 March 2022, President
Cyril Ramaphosa recognised Prince Misuzulu Sinqobile
Zulu as the King of AmaZulu, in terms of section
8(3)(a) and (b) of the Traditional and Khoi-San
Leadership Act, 2019, effectively placing him in the
position of King-Elect;
(2) further notes that this follows the passing of His
Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini Zulu in March 2021,
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and the subsequent passing away of the Regent, Queen
Mantfombi Dlamini, in April 2021;
(3) understands that, in terms of the requirements of the
Act, the Royal Family identified Prince Misuzulu
Singqobile Zulu as the person who qualifies in terms
of customary law and customs to assume the position of
King, and applied to the President for his
recognition;
(4) further understands that as required by the Act, the
recognition of the King-Elect by the President follows
consultations with the Minister of Cooperative
Governance and Traditional Affairs and the Premier of
KwaZulu-Natal; and
(5) conveys its warmest wishes to His Majesty King
Misuzulu Zulu on the occasion of his legal recognition
as the King of AmaZulu Kingship.
IsiZulu:
(6) Wena Wedlovu! Bayede!
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Agreed to.
TIGERBERG CHILDREN’S CHOIR
(Draft Resolution)
Mr P A VAN STANDEN: Thank you, House Chair. I move on behalf
of the FFPlus without notice:
That the House –
(1) notes that the Tygerberg Children’s Choir celebrates
its 50th anniversary this year;
(2) further notes that this prestige choir consisting of
approximately 70 members was founded in 1972;
(3) acknowledges that this choir is one of the oldest in
South Africa and is preserved in the way that it is
passed on to each other by the children year after
year;
(4) understands that children who are members of this
choir come from different towns and schools;
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(5) further understands that children in this choir
learn from each other about the tradition of the
choir and also to care for each other;
(6) further acknowledges that language and culture play
an essential role in the education of our country’s
children; and
(7) congratulates the Tygerberg Children’s Choir for
this exceptional achievement.
Agreed to.
CRICKET CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER APPOINTED
(Draft Resolution)
Ms R C ADAMS: Thank you, Chairperson. The African National
Congress move without notice:
That the House –
(1)
welcomes the appointment of Mr Pholetsi Moseki as
chief executive officer, CEO, of Cricket South
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Africa officially from 1 April 2022, for a period
of five years;
(2)
notes that Mr Moseki had been filling the role of
acting chief executive since December 2020, before
Cricket South Africa finally decided to make his
appointment permanent;
(3)
acknowledges that the appointment is subject to the
final ratification of the terms and conditions of a
five-year employment contract by the Cricket South
Africa, CSA, Board;
(4)
(5)
(6)
understands that Pholetsi has displayed
extraordinary dedication and commitment since he
joined the Cricket South Africa family in 2019;
recognises that he has been the key link in the
leadership chain at Cricket South Africa especially
during challenging periods; and
congratulates Mr Moseki and wishes him well in this
challenging position.
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Agreed to.
WAGE AGREEMENT
(Draft Resolution)
Mr S N SWART: Thank you, House Chair. On behalf of the ACDP I
move without notice:
That the House –
(1)
notes that Siyanda Bakgatla Platinum Mine, SBPM, has
negotiated a historic wage agreement with both the
Association of Mine workers and Construction Union,
AMCU, and the National Union of Mine, NUM, workers’
unions for the period 1 March 2022 to 28 February
2027;
(2)
(3)
further notes that this agreement was signed two and
a half months before the previous three-year
agreement was due to lapse; and
commends the mining company and the labour unions
for signing such an agreement which will last for
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five years and is a first in the mining industry in
South Africa.
Agreed to.
WOMAN SET ALIGHT
(Draft Resolution)
Ms A M M WEBER: Thank you very much. On behalf of the
Democratic Alliance I hereby move without notice:
That the House –
(1)
notes that Ms Portia Lesesi had to endure a two-
month long painful fight for her life in hospital
after her boyfriend poured paraffin all over her
body and set her alight on 25 January 2022;
(2)
(3)
further notes that Ms Lesesi sadly succumbed to her
injuries;
recalls that Ms Lesesi leaves behind a three-year-
old son who now has to grow up without his mother;
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(4)
(5)
condemns all acts of gender-based violence with the
anger and contempt it deserves;
calls on the South Africa Police Service to
intensify its efforts to combat gender-based
violence;
(6)
encourages the government to fast-track the
establishment of mechanisms to combat gender-based
violence; and
(7)
conveys its heartfelt condolences to the family and
friends of Ms Lesesi.
Agreed to.
PLASTIC WASTE BRICKS
(Draft Resolution)
Ms A M SIWISA: Thank you, hon Chairperson. I rise on behalf of
the EFF to move without notice:
That the House –
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(1) notes the inspiring work by Kedibone and Kekeletso
Seloane, sisters from Zamdela Township in Sasolburg,
who have embarked on a project to deal with pollution
by turning plastic waste into bricks;
(2) further notes that the Seloane sisters have tackled
the man dominated industry with ground-breaking
innovation that turns what would otherwise be
damaging to our environment into durable bricks;
(3) realises that plastic bricks are now available for
sale at Builders Warehouse;
(4) encourages all building materials retail stores such
as Built It, Cashbuild, Chamberlains, and others to
give these young entrepreneurs a chance;
(5) acknowledges the Seloane sisters and their company,
Ramtsilo Manufacturing and Construction company, a
100% black-owned company as contributors to the green
economy who only need opportunity and support; and
(6) congratulates Kedibone and Kekeletso Seloane on their
inspiring innovation.
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Agreed to.
YOUNG SA FILM-MAKER
(Draft Resolution)
Ms R C ADAMS: Thank you House Chairperson. The African
National Congress move without notice:
That the House –
(1)
applauds the young South African film-maker Gcobisa
Yako for being announced as one of the six winners
of the African Folktales and reimagined short film
competition by Netflix- United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, on
Tuesday, 15 March 2022;
(2)
notes that all six winners of this competition will
receive financial support for the development phase
of their projects, before starting production on the
short films that will eventually premiere on Netflix
later this year;
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(3)
recalls that the competition was launched by Netflix
and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, in October 2021, with
the goal of promoting diverse local stories and
bringing them to the world;
(4)
understands that the six winners were carefully
selected from more than 2000 applications from all
over sub-Saharan Africa who entered the competition;
and
(5)
congratulates Gcobisa Yako on raising the country’s
flag high in the film industry.
Agreed to.
NONGOMA WATER CRISIS
(Draft Resolution)
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Thank you, Chairperson. On behalf of the
National Freedom Party I move without notice:
That the House -
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(1)
(2)
notes the plight of the residents of Gudu in Ward 7
Nongoma who are struggling without water for years;
further notes that despite the cries from the
community to the Zululand District Municipality the
community remains without water;
(3)
recalls that the Department of Co-operative
Governance and Traditional Affairs, Cogta, and the
Zululand District Municipality officials visited the
area in 2019 with promises to provide adequate water
to the community;
(4)
(5)
(6)
also notes that despite these promises the
community which relied on a well for water in the
area which has dried up attempted to secure water
from a nearby river which has also run dry;
understands that the community members have to walk
approximately 7km to obtain water and that this is a
gross violation of the human right to basic
services;
further notes that:
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(a)
the community of Oslo beach in KwaZulu-Natal
South Coast are facing a similar fate for 3
weeks in a month, there is no supply of water,
no water tankers are provided there is no
response from the authorities; and
(b)
the communities of ward 8 and 9 in Pongolo have
also been without water for weeks; and
(7)
calls on the Department of Co-operative Governance
and Traditional Affairs, Cogta, and the Department
of Water and Sanitation to look at interventions to
address the plight of the communities in Gudu in
Nongoma, Pongolo and Oslo Beach in KwaZulu-Natal
South Coast.
Not agreed to.
The HOUSE CHAIRPRSON (Ms R M M Lesoma): Objection is noted.
The motion will be converted into notices of motion.
WOMAN STABBED TO DEATH
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(Draft Resolution)
Ms C M PHIRI: Thank you, Chairperson. The African National
Congress move without notice:
That the House -
(1)
notes with shock and sadness the passing of Pinky
Shongwe, an Umlazi lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and
asexual (LGBTQIA+) activist, at the age of 32, on
Sunday, 12 March 2022;
(2)
(3)
(4)
understands that Pinky was allegedly stabbed to
death because she rejected a man who proclaimed his
love for her;
further understands that the KwaZulu-Natal
provincial government has deployed social workers to
help her family cope with her brutal death;
calls for a speedy investigation and the swift
arrest of the perpetrator; and
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(5)
conveys its deepest condolences to the family and
friends of Pinky Shongwe.
Agreed to.
VODACOM CHALLENGES MAKATE COMPENSATION COURT RULING
(Draft Resolution)
Mr S M JAFTA: Chair, I move without notice:
That the House –
(1) notes the current litigation involving Vodacom chief
executive officer, CEO, Shameel Joosub and Nkosana
Makate;
(2) further notes that the court recently ruled in Mr
Makate’s favour and indicated that the calculation used
by Shameel Joosub (Vodacom CEO) offering Makate R47
million was too little;
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(3) expresses concern that intellectual property, whether
patented or not, can easily be appropriated without
just and fair compensation;
(4) recalls that just and fair compensation must both
reflect the interests of the inventor and the profit
accruing to the appropriator;
(5) acknowledges the lengthy period that this matter has
been unfolding, more especially its impact on the
psychological and financial position of Mr Makate; and
(6) calls upon Vodacom to be guided by common logic, and
abide by the courts’ pronouncements on this matter.
Agreed to.
EXHIBITION HONOURS DESMOND TUTU
(Draft Resolution)
Ms J MANGANYE: Chair, I move without notice:
That the House –
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(1) notes that the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation,
in partnership with the Apartheid Museum, will open a
new thought-provoking permanent exhibition entitled:
Truth to power: Desmond Tutu and the churches in the
struggle against apartheid;
(2) understands that the exhibition will be housed at the
historic Old Granary building, the home of the
foundation and the Tutu Intellectual Property Trust in
Cape Town from 25 March 2022;
(3) further understands that the exhibition is a first to
be dedicated solely to one of the country’ icons,
showing what Archbishop Desmond Tutu stood for and how
he was able to inspire others;
(4) acknowledges that the exhibition forms part of the
foundation’s ... [Time expired.]
Agreed to.
INDUSTRIOUS COLONEL HEILA NIEMAND LEAVES SA POLICE SERVICE
(Draft Resolution)
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Ms M B HICKLIN: House Chair, I move without notice:
That the House –
(1) notes that Colonel Heila Niemand is one of the most
decorated officers in the SA Service, having
spearheaded operations in the field of the
protection of women and children for more than 25
years;
(2) further notes that Colonel Niemand’s work in
investigating her first child sex exploitation cases
in 2009 resulted in the perpetrator being sentenced
to 20 years of direct imprisonment;
(3) recognises that the Divisional Commissioner of
Detectives appointed Colonel Niemand to the position
of Project Manager for Project Spade in 2013 – a
joint Canadian initiative – in 2013;
(4) acknowledges that as project manager of Cloud 9,
Colonel Niemand assisted the Belgian law enforcement
agencies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and
the National Prosecuting Authority to bring the
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biggest child sex trafficking ring to an end,
resulting in Warren Knoop receiving 32 life
sentences plus 170 years imprisonment, and William
Beale receiving 15 years imprisonment for the
possession of child pornography;
(5) congratulates Colonel Niemand for her decorated
service, passion to protect vulnerable children, and
drive to bring sexual predators to book; and
(6) wishes her well in her future endeavours.
Agreed to.
MITCHELLS PLAIN LOSSES ELEGANT BUSINESSWOMAN
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: House Chairper, I move without notice:
That the House –
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(1) notes with sadness that Mrs Jamiela Gamieldien, who
resides in Uitenhage Road, Portlands in Mitchells
Plain, passed away on Sunday, 20 March 2022;
(2) further notes that Mrs Gamieldien was an
extraordinary person who has tirelessly served the
community in Portlands;
(3) acknowledges the tribute paid to her by a senior
religious leader, Sheikh Ebrahim Gabriels, who said
to her children at the funeral, “you had the best
mother in the world”;
(4) further acknowledges that Mrs Gamieldien served a
good cause every day in her life as an owner of a
garment factory she created many jobs;
(5) remembers her as an excellent and successful
businesswoman who ploughed some of her profits to
help other women who could not perform Hajj to
undertake this holy pilgrimage, which she herself
had longed to fulfil as a pillar of her faith; and
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(6) conveys its condolences to Mrs Gamieldien’s
children, Ziyad, M. Riedwaan (AR), Fairuze, Hishaam
and Saleem Ally.
Agreed to.
UNITED NATIONS WORLD WATER DAY
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M R MASHEGO: Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the House –
(1) notes that the United Nations' World Water Day is
held on 22 March each year;
(2) further notes that the theme for this year is:
Groundwater: making the invisible visible;
(3) understands that groundwater is a scarce resource
that provides almost half of all drinking water
worldwide, about 40% of water for irrigated
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agriculture and about one-third of water required
for industry;
(4) further understands that events are organized on or
around this day to increase people's awareness of
the importance of water to the environment,
agriculture, health and trade; and
(5) calls on all to be aware around the need to protect
and conserve the country’s water resources and urges
everyone to use water sparingly to ensure water for
all.
Agreed to.
NOTICES OF MOTION
Ms M T KIBI: Hon Chair, I hereby give notice that on the next
sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House debates raising the profile of the work
and activities around linguistic matters of the
Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights
of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic, CRL, Communities,
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to ensure a balance in work and activities around
cultural and religious matters.
Afrikaans:
Mev V VAN DYK: Voorsitter, ek gee hiermee kennis dat by die
volgende sitting van die Huis ek namens die DA sal voorstel:
Dat die Huis ’n debat oor die voortslepende stropery van
bedreigde plant en dier spesies in die Kamiesberg
munisipale area voer, asook hoe die SA Polisiediens
bemagtig kan word om die stropery daadwerklik aan te
spreek.
English:
Ms C C S MOTSEPE: Hon Chair, I hereby give notice that on the
next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the
EFF:
That the House debates the killing of youth who are being
killed at shebeens and found days after due to the high
number of shebeens that are operating illegally in the
locations and are next to schools, which also disturbs
and derails the progress of our children. The EFF would
like to request an unannounced search for illegal
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operations, especially those that are next to schools
because we want a progressive and healthy society.
Ms S T MANELI: Hon Chair, I hereby give notice that on the
next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the
ANC:
That the House debates tourism as a vehicle to expedite
transformation and inclusive tourism growth that nurtures
the participation of all South Africans in the mainstream
economy.
Mr K P SITHOLE: Hon Chair, I hereby give notice that on the
next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the
IFP:
That the House debates the ageing and poor water
infrastructure in South Africa which affects the quality
and quantity of water availability.
Dr W J BOSHOFF: Chair, I just want to confirm my audibility?
Afrikaans:
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In daardie geval, Voorsitter, gee ek hiermee kennis dat by die
volgende sitting van die Huis ek namens die VF Plus sal
voorstel:
Dat die Huis ’n debat oor die omstandighede van en
motivering vir die verkoop van ’n belang van 49% in die
besigheid Kapa SA voer, met spesifieke verwysing daarna
dat die besigheid en onderliggende intellektuele
eiendomsreg met ontwikkelingskapitaal van die Technology
Innovation Agency tot stand gebring is, en kennis neem
dat die 49% belang wat in April 2015 teen R60 miljoen aan
Kapa US verkoop is, in November 2015 teen US$445 miljoen
aan Roche in Switzerland verkoop is.
Ms G P MAREKWA: Hon Chair, I hereby give notice that on the
next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the
ANC:
That the House debates the lack of gender transformation
and advancement of women in the mining industry as one of
the means for economic emancipation.
Mr S N SWART: Hon Chair, I hereby give notice that on the next
sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ACDP:
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That the House debates the performance of the National
Prosecuting Authority and the financial, resource and
other challenges it faces in light of the research
released recently by the Africa Criminal Justice Reform
unit at the University of the Western Cape which
indicates that the number of corruption convictions
against government officials has declined significantly
in recent years.
Xitsonga:
Man K BILANKULU: Ndza khensa, Mutshamaxitulu. Hi ku yimela
Vandla ra African National Congress ndzi susumeta leswaku eka
ntshamo lowu nga ta landzela:
Yindlu leyi Yi njhekanjhekisana na ku langutisisa ku
humelela loku ku nga endliwa eka tindhawu ta vuhlayiselo
bya swisiwana xikan’we na ku simekiwa ka tona.
English:
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Hon Chair, I hereby give notice that on the
next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the
NFP:
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That the House debates the effects of alcohol abuse in
the country resulting in high levels of alcohol-related
murders, rape and accidents.
Ms B SWARTS: Hon Chair, I hereby give notice that on the next
sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House debates performing oversight on South
African missions abroad, thus allowing for the monitoring
of the causes of irregular expenditure and noncompliance
with supply chain management issues.
Mr E K SIWELA: Hon Chair, I hereby give notice that on the
next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the
ANC:
That the House debates the importance of mental health
and exploring the impact of toxic masculinity on the
mental health of men, and to encourage men to open up and
seek the necessary help.
Mrs C PHILLIPS: Hon Chair, I hereby give notice that on the
next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the
DA:
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That the House debates the need to classify acts of
theft, vandalism and negligence of our country’s
electrical infrastructure as priority crimes in light of
the alarmingly high rates of vandalism of electrical
infrastructure in the Rustenburg and Kgetlengrivier local
municipalities.
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Hon Chair, I hereby give notice that on
the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of Al
Jama-ah:
That the House debates whether a premier can ban
diplomats, in this case Russian, from official events in
the province that he or she heads, even if the President
of the country has accepted the credentials of the
diplomats and the establishment of an embassy in South
Africa.
Mr M BASOPU: Hon Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the
next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the
ANC:
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That the House debates using the fast-developing digital
market space to boost access to goods and services across
the continent. Thank you very much, Chairperson.
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms R M M Lesoma): Before you thank me, I’ve
just insisted that if your picture doesn’t fulfil the
protocols of the House, you don’t show your video. I urge you
not to repeat that next time. Thank you very much. Hon
members, that concludes the business of the day and the House
is adjourned.
The House adjourned at 17:58.
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