TUESDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2001 __

          PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
                                ____

The Council met at 14:06.

The Chairperson took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS - see col 000.

                          NOTICES OF MOTION

Ms A M VERSFELD: Chairperson, I give notice that I shall move at the next sitting of the Council:

That the Council -

(1) notes that -

   (a)  the DP wants  to  congratulate  the  Minister  of  Environmental
       Affairs and Tourism as well as Marine and Coastal Management  on
       the way in  which  they  conducted  the  first  process  of  the
       allocation of long-term fishing rights;


   (b)  the DP is of the view that the department  has,  for  the  first
       time in history,  shown  compassion  and  understanding  without
       jeopardising the integrity of the process;


   (c)  the DP intends to monitor the next processes very carefully  and
       to continue to be the voice of the fishermen and fisherwomen  by
       -


       (i)   submitting an in-depth  report  to  the  Public  Protector
              regarding corruption in  the  industry,  within  the  next
              fortnight;


       (ii)  means of a  continued  effort  to  have  snoek  and  other
              nonendangered linefish species excluded from the  linefish
              sector; and


       (iii) proposing a new inshore  fishing  policy  whereby  fishing
              communities will benefit the most;

(2) calls on the Minister to investigate Hout Bay Fishing, whose original allocation of 200 tons of hake longline increased by 500 tons to 700 tons during the so-called Treichsman investigation, and to determine who was responsible for this lavish increase; and

(3) further notes that the DP will keep on fishing for answers.

Mnr A E VAN NIEKERK: Voorsitter, ek sal by die volgende sitting van die Raad voorstel:

Dat die Raad -

(1) van mening is dat omgesien moet word na die instandhouding van die Raadsaal se toerusting, byvoorbeeld die mikrofoonstelsel, wat vandag ‘n groot verleentheid vir al ons lede is;

(2) voorts die mening uitspreek dat dringend aandag gegee moet word aan die agteruitgang van die gebou, wat reeds vir lede en besoekers ‘n gevaar inhou, byvoorbeeld die plafon bokant die galery, waarvan stukke reeds afgeval het en waarin krake voorkom; en

(3) ofskoon daarvan bewus dat restourasie en herbouing gedurende Desember plaasvind, nogtans van mening is dat gouer opgetree moet word en dat lede beter verdien as wat tans die geval is. (Translation of Afrikaans notice of motion follows.)

[Mr A E VAN NIEKERK: Chairperson, at the next sitting of the Council I shall move -

That the Council -

(1) is of the opinion that the maintenance of the Chamber’s equipment must be seen to, for example, the microphone system, which is a great embarrassment to all our members today;

(2) further expresses the opinion that urgent attention needs to be given to the deterioration of the building, which is already a danger to members and visitors, for example, the ceiling above the gallery, in which cracks have appeared and pieces of which have already fallen down; and

(3) despite being aware that restoration and rebuilding will take place during December, is still of the opinion that action must be taken sooner and that members deserve better than is currently the case.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: I am glad you now agree, Mr Van Niekerk!

            SANDF PARTICIPATION IN BURUNDI PEACE MISSION

                         (Draft Resolution)

Mrs E N LUBIDLA: Chairperson, I wish to move without notice:

That the Council -

(1) notes the initiative by the Ministry of Defence on sending troops to be part of the multinational peace mission to Burundi;

(2) acknowledges the risks involved;

(3) notes the enormous and dedicated commitment and willingness of the South African National Defence Force to be part of this mission; and

(4) commends the Minister of Defence and the members of the SANDF for their sustained support on issues relating to Africa and alleviating the plight of people.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

SOUTH AFRICAN RESPONSE TO ATTACK ON USA AND CONDOLENCES TO VICTIM’S FAMILY

                         (Draft Resolution)

Ms L JACOBUS: Chairperson, I wish to move without notice:

That the Council -

(1) extends its sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family of Nick Rowe, a South African who was killed during the attack in New York two weeks ago;

(2) appreciates the South African Government’s efforts in trying to locate the missing South African citizens in New York;

(3) supports the honourable President Mbeki’s intention of supplying non- military aid to the United States;

(4) supports the Government’s co-operation in doing whatever it can to assist in peace initiatives worldwide;

(5) stresses the need for respect of international law and human rights; and

(6) condemns acts of violence within South Africa and indeed globally against anyone on the grounds of race, religion and beliefs.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

                DONATION BY BLUEFIN HOLDINGS COMPANY

                         (Draft Resolution)

Rev M CHABAKU: Chairperson, I beg to move without notice: That the Council -

(1) notes with delight that the Bluefin Holdings Company of Hout Bay, before they shared in their own profits in August 2001, donated R250 000 for the upgrading of schools, Aids awareness programmes and school bursaries;

(2) congratulates this recently established company of 15 women who have had no previous business experience;

(3) further notes that some are pensioners and widows, most are indigent and all are of indigenous background;

(4) is of the view that this is a rare example of charity and success, no matter what humble and deprived background they have; and

(5) resolves that a letter of commendation be sent to them.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Is there any objection to that motion? Ms Versfeld, is that an objection? There is an objection and the motion will therefore become notice of a motion.

Mr B J MKHALIPHI: Chairperson, I would like to propose an amendment.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: The motion has become notice of a motion owing to the objection.

 NATIONAL SYMBOLS AND CORRECTING DEPICTION OF SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY

                         (Draft Resolution)

Prince B Z ZULU: Chairperson, I move without notice:

That the Council -

(1) notes -

   (a)  that Deputy President Jacob Zuma, who was  addressing  the  main
       Heritage Day function at the Union Buildings  in  Pretoria,  has
       urged South Africans to work harder to promote and give  meaning
       to their national symbols; and


   (b)  that this ceremony confirms that the struggle for human  dignity
       and freedom - throughout the world and in  particular  in  South
       Africa - is an ongoing one;

(2) supports this call and assures the people of South Africa that, with democracy, we will ensure that our institutions reflect history in a way that respects the heritage of all our citizens;

(3) commits itself to actually transforming institutions and exhibitions in our museums depicting some of our people as lesser human beings; and

(4) can no longer tolerate our ancestors being shown as people locked in time.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

                            HERITAGE DAY

                         (Draft Resolution)

Mnr A E VAN NIEKERK: Voorsitter, ek stel sonder kennisgewing voor:

Dat die Raad -

(1) kennis neem van die inisiatiewe van die Minister van Kuns, Kultuur, Wetenskap en Tegnologie, sy departement en die onderskeie gemeenskappe en provinsies regoor Suid-Afrika ten opsigte van gister se feesviering gedurende Erfenisdag; en

(2) meen dat ons as Suid-Afrikaners ons diversiteit van kulture, godsdienste en tale en ons nasionale simbole moet koester en uitbou sodat nasiewording ‘n werklikheid sal word om brûe te bou, en nie af te breek en te verdeel nie. (Translation of Afrikaans notice of motion follows.)

[Mr A E VAN NIEKERK: Chairperson, I move without notice:

That the Council -

(1) notes the initiatives of the Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, his department and the various communities and provinces across South Africa in respect of yesterday’s festivities during Heritage Day; and

(2) believes that we as South Africans should cherish and develop our diversity of cultures, religions and languages as well as our national symbols in order for nationhood to be realised and the tools to be used to build bridges, and not to demolish and divide.]

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

    SHOOTING AT JOHANNESBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CARGO SECTION

                         (Draft Resolution)

Mr P A MATTHEE: Chairperson, I move without notice:

That the Council -

(1) notes that -

   (a)  a cargo agent was yesterday shot and killed by an armed gang  at
       the cargo section  of  the  Johannesburg  International  Airport
       during a botched robbery, after the robbers had gained access to
       the South African Airways cargo section;


   (b)  on  their  way  out,  the  gang  randomly  fired  shots  at  the
       checkpoint and managed  to  take  a  firearm  from  one  of  the
       security guards during the robbery attempt; and


   (c)  all the attackers escaped;

(2) resolves that, although this specific incident posed no direct threat to passengers at the airport as the cargo section is four kilometres away, the security arrangements at the cargo sections of airports should at all times be effective, as unlawful entry to these areas poses life-threatening risks to many people, including passengers; and

(3) therefore requests the Minister of Safety and Security and the Minister of Public Enterprises to ensure that the security arrangements at all our airports, including the cargo sections thereof, are effective.

Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution. THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE ON THE FABRIC OF SOCIETY

                      (Subject for Discussion)

The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Madam Chairperson, hon members of the NCOP, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the opportunity to address the NCOP on this matter of national interest. The fact that this debate on the effects of alcohol on the fabric of society is taking place the day after our celebration of Heritage Day underlines its importance to our national project of reconstruction and development.

This situates this debate within the context of our inheritance and our current efforts to build a caring and people-centred society. This is also a reminder that in examining the effects of alcohol on the fabric of our society, we are also reflecting upon our individual and collective identities and on our efforts to forge a set of shared goals.

The far-reaching socioeconomic changes that our people are effecting need to be accompanied by a moral regeneration which rebuilds the positive social values eroded by decades of oppression, state violence, dehumanisation, poverty, social dislocation and lack of social infrastructure.

There can be no underplaying of the magnitude and dimension of the challenge facing our society. Because of our history and globalisation we have, for some time now, been experiencing a growing problem of heavy consumption and problematic use of alcohol in our country.

It is reported that while half of the adult population do not drink alcohol, about a third of the men and women who do drink do so at risky levels, particularly during weekends. For many drinkers, drinking to intoxication is the norm.

Although there is variation between provinces, the impact of alcohol abuse is an issue of national concern in this country.

Our debate has to encompass a range of both long-standing and more contemporary issues. These include the linkages between alcohol, crime, domestic violence, sexual abuse and victim empowerment. The issues of concern also include the glorification of alcohol in the media, supply of alcohol to farmworkers, random drug-taking and testing in schools, job creation, support programmes at the workplace and the encouragement of responsible living.

Our debate has to be comprehensive and draw upon the information available from local research institutions. The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Group of the Medical Research Council has conducted a number of important studies on the medical and social aspects of alcohol abuse in our country. The Human Sciences Research Council has concluded research into the linkages between drugs and crime. Our debate must be anchored to this research information and lead to appropriate action.

Our debate should also be informed by the experience of the voluntary social welfare sector. The SA National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Sanca, and its affiliates have, for many years, been actively involved in public education and the provision of treatment services to all our people.

More recently, the Central Drug Authority has begun to play its envisaged leadership role in the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan. The quantification of the burden of harm associated with the use of alcohol is an ongoing task. This quantification of harm encompasses the health, criminal justice and transport systems. Alcohol abuse has direct and indirect impacts on work performance, economic productivity and competitiveness. Most critically, it impacts on family life and the production of the social capital that is vital to reconstruction and development.

In urban areas this impact is manifested in a wide range of social work cases. In rural areas the harm is not as well quantified but just as significant, given that 90% of the alcoholic beverages consumed are sorghum and malt beer.

Over the years, the entire social welfare sector has established a range of services to address the problem of alcohol abuse in our country. Services include prevention, early intervention, treatment, rehabilitation and aftercare services. The Department of Social Development administers the Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependency Act, Act 20 of 1992, and plays a major role in the financing of services offered by the Government and nongovernmental agencies. The challenge is to ensure that this basket of services is accessible to all our people. Priority also has to be given to increasing social censure against the use of alcohol and drugs.

Our National Drug Master Plan, which covers the period 1999 to 2004, details a number of strategies for reducing alcohol-related harm and the social cause of alcohol misuse. A focus on the youth is a key feature of the plan. The implementation of the strategies in the plan is a task that requires a concerted effort from all sectors of society.

I hope that today’s debate on the effects of alcohol abuse on the fabric of our society will address all the issues that I have briefly mentioned, and galvanise individual and collective action by all our people. [Applause.]

Ms L JACOBUS: Chairperson, hon Minister, hon MECs, special delegates and hon members, the matter for discussion before us today is very significant in the sense that many of us can talk on it without having to do any special research or to consult experts. We have either directly or indirectly experienced the effects of drugs and substance abuse in our families or communities. Some of us who will be participating in this debate today might, therefore, be speaking from personal experience on this evil.

In his first opening address to Parliament in 1994, ex-President Nelson Mandela singled out alcohol and drug abuse as a major cause of crime, poverty, reduced productivity, unemployment, dysfunctional family life, escalation of chronic diseases, injury and premature death.

I want us to remember what sparked the initiation of this debate. It was the untimely death, a few months ago, of a teenager who was being treated at a rehabilitation centre in the Northern Cape. This boy, in the prime of his life, would today have been nervously preparing to write his final examinations and looking forward to entering a tertiary institution, in preparation for entry into productive adulthood and the various responsibilities that go with it. Unfortunately, because of drugs, his life ended abruptly, and he is no longer with us.

Let me once more take this opportunity to pass our condolences to his family and loved ones and to the families and loved ones of all those who have fallen prey to drugs and other substances and have subsequently lost their lives as a direct result. It is unfortunate that we have to recall these sad events in order to educate ourselves, and more importantly, our youth, on the inevitable course their lives will follow if they succumb to the temptation of drugs and other addictive substances.

I want us to look at this whole debate within the socioeconomic sphere and how that influences drug and substance abuse. I hail from the so-called northern areas of Port Elizabeth, and those who know the Eastern Cape will know which areas I am talking of. These are the areas where one would find the the working class of the so-called coloured community. In all the families I know, relatives included, there was at least one person who had a drinking problem. Other addictive substances that were also common were methylated spirits and glue. These were mainly consumed by those unemployed and living on the streets.

As hard drugs became more fashionable, heroin, crack cocaine and ecstasy, amongst others, were added to the list. I had the unfortunate experience, at a very tender age, of seeing a person who had died as a result of the intake of methylated spirits over a long period of time, and it is not a pretty sight.

Witnessing the destruction, pain and unimaginable psychological damage that drug and substance abuse can cause within families and communities placed me in the fortunate position where I could use those circumstances as learning experiences, stand back and say to myself that this will not happen to me. It was an educative experience in itself, but many of my peers, friends and relatives were not so fortunate. I had an aunt who, three years ago, in 1998, committed suicide after having been in a cycle of alcohol abuse for a number of years.

Regarding crime, statistics of research done in three Metros - Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg - released in a joint report by the Medical Research Council and the Institute for Security Studies, made the following findings: overall, 45% of arrestees tested positive for at least one drug. As many as 66% of arrestees testing positive for at least one drug were 20 years and younger. An average of more than 50% of persons arrested for housebreaking, motor vehicle theft and rape tested positive for at least one drug. Almost half of all persons arrested on charges related to family violence indicated that they were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the arrest and at the time when the offence was committed.

With regard to reduced productivity, which the Minister also touched on, our health workers, social workers and, of course, employers can testify to the impact that drug and alcohol-related illnesses have on our economy, our physical health and mental health. Thousands of work hours are lost owing to absenteeism in the workplace. Drugs, in particular, target the most productive population of our society, namely young adults. As a result of drug addiction, their acquired skills are lost. Eventually they become a burden to our very limited state resources.

Related to reduced productivity is the issue of unemployment. Living in a capitalist society like ours, there is no employer that will tolerate continual absenteeism and nonperformance on the part of his or her workforce, especially if it is drug or alcohol-related. We have all heard of breadwinners losing their jobs as a result of substance abuse. It is also unfortunate that it is usually those at the bottom of the income scale with no or little education who end up being unemployed because of substance abuse.

With regard to poverty, alcohol is far more widely used in poorer communities than any other substance or drug abused. Poverty is one of the most important factors contributing to alcohol abuse or misuse. Access to alcohol increases substantially in poverty-stricken areas where people are involved in informal micro enterprises, often selling home-brews and other alcoholic beverages from shebeens to make extra money. It is estimated that there are approximately 200 000 shebeens in South Africa, and they are found mostly in black residential areas, further contributing to the cycle of poverty.

Regarding dysfunctional family life, I am sure there is no person in this House who has not seen the crumbling of family relations and the disintegration of friendships as a direct result of alcohol and substance abuse. Divorce between parents, parents disowning their children, friends abandoning friends - all of this becomes the order of the day and gives rise to a continuation in the spiral of dysfunctional family and societal relationships.

With regard to the escalation of chronic diseases, I want to place particular emphasis on HIV/Aids and TB. Here, health workers will tell us that it is common knowledge that the intake of harmful substances over long periods of time reduces the body’s resistance. It therefore cannot fight off illnesses that it otherwise would have under normal circumstances.

Drugs and other intoxicating substances, therefore, interfere with the normal functioning of vital organs like the brain, liver, lungs, pancreas and heart. I do not want to give a biology lesson here, because I think all of us are aware of the consequences. I think we all know the obvious results if the workings of these organs are interfered with: illness and disease of untold proportions and eventually death, as well as injury and premature death.

The figures of the carnage on our roads speak for themselves. A large number of accidents caused on our roads are as a result of intoxication. The launch of the Arrive Alive campaign was an acknowledgement of this fact. Annually, thousands of people are killed in road accidents, either as pedestrians or as occupants of vehicles. Over the Easter period of 1998, 11,9% of all road accidents were a direct result of drugs or alcohol. Unfortunately, these were the last figures that I could get from the Department of Transport.

In conclusion, I want to focus on some policy recommendations for the department. I believe that interventions around prevention should target the youth in particular. Therefore, I want to reiterate the recommendations made by the SA Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use, Sacendu, in a document entitled ``Sacendu Highlights, May 2001’’.

Sacendu recommends that government departments, namely the Health, Social Development, Education and Justice departments, in collaboration with NGOs and faith-based organisations, work together to ensure that the following recommendations are implemented: a multipronged intervention programme to eradicate drugs and substance abuse; increase the range of treatment and prevention programmes focusing on children and youth; equip teachers to identify substance abuse and make the appropriate referrals; improve access to quality school-based prevention programmes; train police to recognise particular symptoms and establish protocols on handling arrestees under the influence; equip parents and caregivers to reduce risk behaviour by adolescents, for example, monitoring behaviour, setting limits, dealing with hostility and safeguarding medicines; and increase the availability of programmes aimed at addressing substance abuse among young offenders through court diversion treatment, prison-based programmes and post- incarceration options. Lastly, employers should also be encouraged to implement policies and practices to address alcohol and drug abuse in the workplace. [Applause.]

Ms M KHUNWANA (North West): Chairperson, Minister, colleagues and distinguished guests, I stand here on behalf of Mayisela, the North West MEC for social services, arts, culture and sports. We would like to thank the NCOP Select Committee on Social Services for choosing this topic, so as to put the plight of affected children and families at the top of the national agenda.

Before one can venture into the effects of drug and alcohol abuse in our society, I think we need to look at the nature of the society which we live in today. Our society can still be regarded as a transitional one. We are transiting from a structured and close society based on fear, secrecy, degradation and exploitation. However, on a positive note, since 1994 we have begun a journey to a society free from want, an open and caring one.

The mandate of the Department of social services, arts, culture and sports in our province is to create a caring society, which creates an environment for all and sundry to fight the negative effects of social ills such as drugs and alcoholism. According to Peter Powis, writing in the March 2001 edition of the Child and Youth Care journal, chemical dependency or addiction to drugs and alcohol manifests itself in three ways, that is physical, psychological and spiritual. For me, this categorisation is comprehensive and is also assisting us to come up with mechanisms for addressing substance abuse in our society.

It is physical in the sense that substance abuse causes damage, depending on which substance is taken into an organ or organs in the body. This is frightening if one thinks of young people, who are victims of substance abuse, more so when it is considered that the brain of a child of 18 or 19 is still growing. The negative effects of brain damage are well known, even to practising social scientists like us.

The psychological effects of substance abuse are more damaging to our society, because they defeat any programme that can be identified to deal with this monster. At the core is the denial that all victims of substance abuse suffer. It is also accompanied by traits such as self-centredness, self-absorption, low self-esteem, prolonged resentment and blame, because all these are mentally driven. Thus, victims find justification for continuous use of these substances.

At the spiritual level, the victim of substance abuse always feel deep emptiness. There is also an inner feeling of fear that accompanies the victim. As a result of a combination of factors, the victim has shame for himself or herself and lives in isolation.

The implications of the above scenario to families are not only negative, but also have the potential to defeat our noble objective of building strong and balanced family units. I am in particular referring to families, because they are critical in shaping growing minds. Hence there is a saying in isiXhosa which says that an injury to the brain is tantamount to the injury of an individual, the injury of an individual is tantamount to the injury of the family and the injury of the family is an injury to the nation. If we understand the dialectical relations of the above-quoted paradigm, we then have an obligation to start with rebuilding our families. It is because family units are the strongest building blocks of any society.

Let me take this opportunity to elaborate on the mechanisms that both Government and civil society need to employ to combat substance abuse in our society.

In doing this, I must, from the word go, reiterate the importance of the family in any nation. For our department, family support programmes are critical in combating substance abuse. This means that there is a dire need for us to develop solid family support and family preservation programmes.

What any government can do, if it wants to intervene, is to insist upon and instil in society positive family values. Another key programme to combat substance abuse is a school-based programme. Research has shown that drug kingpins target our schools, and our schools must be centres for fighting substance abuse.

We welcome the initiatives of the Department of Education in launching programmes such as drug-free schools and intervention made with the curriculum, through life-skills education. The building of family programmes should also be located within the strengthening of community programmes that deal with combating substance abuse.

The department of social services has built strong community structures that are self-sustainable. These structures are critical in coming up with positive programmes that will take young people away from drugs.

Throughout the length and breadth of South Africa, we have community centres that should play the role of implementing programmes aimed at drug and alcohol abuse. These centres also create an environment for the implementation of another key programme in combating substance abuse. This programme is a youth or peer monitoring programme.

Let me demonstrate the importance of this programme, though in a negative manner. I will use the thesis of a prison community. This thesis maintains that, in a prison environment, criminals teach each other ways of committing crimes without being detected. Experienced criminals, or the so- called hardened criminals, turn petty criminals into hardened ones.

The process of this teaching and turning around happens through peer influence in jail. If we turn this thesis into a positive thing, it means that peers can be employed to transform their peers into better members of society. But then what are the programmes or interventions that the North West province, through the department of social services, arts, culture and sports has implemented?

Allow me to list these without any elaboration, because this was rather a long presentation. They are: sports against drugs in connection with UNICEF, foster care programmes, victim employment programmes, counselling services and institutional capacity-building.

Lastly, I would like to thank the NCOP for identifying this important topic. [Applause.]

Ms E M COLEMAN (Mpumalanga): Hon Chairperson, it is appropriate to express my appreciation for this opportunity to address the House on these issues that are of great concern to us.

Drugs are a thorn in the flesh of the people of our country. The real tragedy of drugs is that they pronounce certain unprecedented principles of life. They cause devastating consequences for a better nation. Drugs manifest themselves in the minds of our people and erode the life-skills and technological skills that human nature possesses. If drugs affect our people, to them, tomorrow is faceless. It is no base for any plan.

Our people continue to be slaves and die as they live. Drugs corrode the prospects of the economy which intend to advance the people of our country. I therefore call on all the people of this country to stop or to help stop the abuse of drugs. Alcohol, drugs and the abuse of other substances are clearly on the increase. In Mpumalanga, developments such as the Maputo Development Corridor and the increased movement of people to and from the province have led to the increased availability of hard drugs.

We know that those in the age group between 35 and 45 years have been largely responsible for abuse in the past. The form of abuse was mainly alcohol - and dagga-related. This trend is changing. We are witnessing more and more young people being referred for drug treatment - young people between the ages of 10 and 14 years. Whereas alcohol and dagga were the main substances used, hard drugs, including cocaine and LSD, are becoming more freely available in areas such as Nelspruit, Witbank and Secunda in our province.

Those who cannot afford such substances have resorted to abusing over-the- counter medicines. Unfortunately, our schools have become the target. Our dealings with the young people currently receiving treatment show that, one, drugs are now more available at some schools; two, not enough is being done to educate our children about drugs through the school curriculum; three, parents are not sufficiently aware of the signs of abuse; four, parents who are not actively involved in the life of the child and who do not attend school meetings are often the last to know; and, five, children abuse drugs to improve their self-esteem and interaction with their peers.

Thus, digging into the causes of these abuses, we can, however, say that there is greater access to drugs partly because of migration patterns affecting provinces, especially those provinces bordering other countries, as is the case with Mpumalanga.

The other factors are poverty and unemployment. Although the use of drugs might be at a lower level in rural areas, the people of our province do not escape this deadly tendency.

The abuse of drugs no doubt causes, among other things, family disintegration, family violence, prostitution and dropping out of school. These poison the soul and scar the personality. Drugs always harm the person who abuses them more than anyone else. Medical science research reveals that such physical ailments as cancer of the throat, oesophagus, and lungs, stress and TB, are on occasion related to drug abuse, inter alia.

The danger of this situation continuing, is that the victim will withdraw completely into himself or herself and become an absolute criminal. No one will be permitted into their lives and they will refuse to be part of the lives of others. Either they will give up the struggle of life and lose zest for living or at some point attempt to escape by lifting their minds to a transcendent realm of cold indifference.

They become too unconcerned to love and too passionless to hate; too detached to be selfish and too lifeless to be unselfish; too indifferent to experience joy and too cold to experience sorrow. Their eyes do not see the beauty of nature. I am raising all these issues to reflect the dangers that the people of our country may face if drugs and other substances are left to a few to deal with.

We have, as a province, two treatment centres, namely the Themba Centre around Piet Retief and Swartfontein in the White River area. The SA National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence operates from the Witbank and Nelspruit areas and offers community-based treatment, prevention and peer education programmes. For the past six months we have managed to treat about 315 patients in these centres.

We have as a province embarked on a number of programmes to fight this problem. Our social workers and community volunteers have engaged communities to educate them about the dangers of drugs.

We have, in an area called Mkobola, a community-based treatment centre, which is aimed at assisting the youth and the rest of the community. The province has managed to train peer counsellors to educate their peers about substance abuse as it is common knowledge that peer group pressure features among the causes of drug abuse.

Sanca has also offered learner support programmes to schools and teenagers affected by drug abuse. As a province, we have identified and intensified the need to deal with this crisis. We have also introduced glue sniffing programmes for street children, effective learner support programmes in schools with the active participation of the Department of Education, and the extension of Swartfontein centre to accommodate more youth who need treatment. At present the centre is able to admit seven at a particular time. We also have job creation, effective skills development projects and life-skills programmes aimed at the youth and women, with the active involvement of the youth in various community activities and empowering parents with the capacity to deal with the problem.

In conclusion, as a department, we need to realise that the fight against drug abuse needs a multidisciplinary approach. All roleplayers must be committed to helping fight this evil in our society. We must all realise that the power to heal is in all of us. [Applause.]

Mr D M MALATSI (Western Cape): Chairperson, I follow on the heels of the MEC from Mpumalanga. Usually when we salute in the Western Cape we would say: ``Molo, mhlob’am [Hello, my friend]’’.

Participating in this debate brings to mind many serious memories for people who have experienced the effects of alchohol and drug abuse. Yesterday I read in the newspapers about schoolchildren who had gone on an outing in the Northern Province and, when they returned, started abusing drugs and liquor in the bus. The teacher who was chaperoning the children asked the driver to drive to the police station. The driver did so and the police boarded the bus, whereupon the children stabbed the police and attempted to take their guns. Another policeman came into the bus and all of them were assaulted in the bus at the police station by these children. Some of the young girls were dancing naked in the bus after having drunk liquor. This appeared in yesterday’s newspaper. These are the effects of alcohol abuse and drugs in our country today. We have to look at how we can address this issue. We should all join hands and ask what we should do about this scourge that affects all our children.

The abusers are getting younger by the day. They are not getting any older. In the past adults used to have alcohol problems, but today children have both alcohol and drug problems. We should all agree that the very essence of the word ``abuse’’ reflects the negativity and the lack of control by way of coping mechanisms. Against this backdrop, we are faced with bringing the negative and positive poles together in rebuilding our society.

Abuse of any habit-forming substance at the cost of those near and dear to one puts respect and dignity at peril. Drug abuse comes about when these values are threatened or minimised by the constant excessive use of these harmful substances. They have an effect not only on the physical and pyschological wellbeing of the abuser, but on those located in his or her immediate surroundings. Here I refer to the family structure.

Abuse is the wrong or harmful use of any substance, including alcohol or drugs, by any individual, as the hon the Minister said in his opening address. The fabric of society consists of structures that keep communities and families firmly together. In effect, alcohol and drug abuse is a phenomenon that breaks down these structures that keep families and societies together. It takes away the happiness and wellbeing of people. Drugs and alcohol are substances that affect the nervous system.

Drug abuse is when a person loses control over the intake of harmful substances that have an effect on the person’s physical and psychological wellbeing. The problem is prevalent when the excessive and regular use of alcohol gives rise to alcoholism.

Alcoholism is an irreversible illness which cannot be cured, but can only be controlled by not using alcohol. We all know that alcoholism can never be turned around, but through treatment a person can be rehabilitated. A person will live with alcoholism for the rest of his life, but in sustaining the effects of rehabilitation, the individual has to live without alcohol or be able to resist the urge for alcohol.

A drug is a chemical substance that has an effect on a person’s brain and nervous system. It can help kill pain, and may be helpful during illness, but is very harmful if it is used or abused over a long period of time. We all know that there are also many people who are addicted to painkillers and cough mixtures. It is not only alcohol that causes problems. People can be addicted to these substances, and in the long term they may be harmful.

Both alcohol and drugs may be positive by nature, but they can have a detrimental effect on a person, and his family life, if not managed properly. Excessive and continuous use allows the breaking down of the person’s personality and also causes physical harm. During this breakdown process the person and his personality undergo a lot of changes. The person’s attitude changes and he or she loses control over his or her emotional stability, and will start to act irresponsibly. This normally leads to the breakdown of marriages and lives, family disintegration and criminal behaviour.

Since the early 1990s we in South Africa have seen that there has been an increase in the number of drugs that are available on the market. We have new drugs that we have never known.

When I grew up I knew people in the township to be using dagga, but today it is only one of the many drugs that are available. There are many other drugs which are being used by children and I really shudder to think what impact these drugs have on our children.

Our young people are very vulnerable due to the breaking down of the family and community fabric. Neither their families nor society nor the state protects them. However, we all know that we, as Government, are doing our best to make sure that we do something in this respect. At present a person makes his own decisions regarding his life. The state empowers everybody to make a choice, but an individual has to take full responsibility for his or her behaviour.

If we look at the situation, we discover that there has been a 30% increase in the number of people undergoing treatment for their alcohol and drug problems over the last couple of years. What is significant is that the number of people who undergo treatment for alcohol and drugs are about the same.

Before 1990, 75% of all the people that went for treatment were treated for alcoholism only. The number of people going for treatment for drug problem issues is on the increase. It is not that fewer people go for treatment for alcoholism, but merely that more people are going for drug abuse problems.

Since 1997 the number of people going for drug treatment has overtaken the number of those going for alcoholism here in the Western Cape. The numbers of females and young people are also on the increase. The ages of patients who go for treatment are getting lower. More people younger than 18 years are undergoing treatment for their drug problems. In the past the average age of people who underwent treatment for an abuse problem was 37 years. Today the average age for persons who undergo treatment is 24 years.

The number of female patients who go for treatment has almost doubled over the last four years, and the main reason for this is drug abuse and over- the-counter medicine usage. More hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine and ecstasy are available in South Africa today. We all know that drugs are also more available in our schools and places of recreation. Dagga and mandrax are still the main drugs that are used by abusers and the average age of patients in this regard is 26 years.

However, there has been a steady decrease in the number of patients receiving treatment for dagga and mandrax-related problems since 1996. The situation may be as a result of the fact that more hard drugs are available in the country. Very few patients that abuse cocaine are receiving treatment at this point in time, but this will increase in the years to come. It does not mean that cocaine is not available and that people are not using it, as people who abuse it are making telephonic enquiries about their problem.

Young people at raves see ecstasy as a secondary substance of abuse. We all know how many young people are dying as a result of taking the rave drug ecstasy. The rave drugs are gaining social recognition, especially amongst our youth, and this can be viewed as a contributory factor.

More than 50% of people who go for inpatient alcohol abuse treatment are married. About 60% of patients who undergo drug abuse treatment are single. Most of those who are treated for their drug abuse problems are unemployed. In this regard one supposes that the abuse was maintained by means of criminal behaviour. Drugs and crime go mostly hand in hand and, therefore, in areas where the abuse of drugs is prevalent, a high crime rate will be prevalent as well.

Drug trafficking in South Africa has been on the increase since the country became an integral part of the world. It was impossible to escape from this phenomenon as we became part and parcel of the international world. Our crime rate increased to alarming proportions, especially when organised crime came to this country. Crime, gangs and drugs have almost taken the fabric of society apart.

However, as the department of social services in the Western Cape, we are doing something in this regard. The department of social services manages a treatment centre for adults and one for youth at De Novo in Kraaifontein. At the adult centre 60 male and 20 female patients receive treatment for drug abuse problems. At the youth centre children between the ages of 12 and 18 are receiving treatment also for drug abuse problems, not alcohol. [Interjections.]

An HON MEMBER: You do not have it in Khayelitsha.

Mr D M MALATSI (Western Cape): About R12 million is budgeted per annum to run these two centres. I mean we no longer discriminate. The people of Khayelitsha also send their patients to De Novo and other places. [Interjections.]

An HON MEMBER: How to do they get there?

Mr D M MALATSI (Western Cape): We provide transport. The hon member should not worry. [Interjections.]

This department also subsidises four private treatment centres in the Western Cape province at a cost of R3,3 million per annum. All these treatment centres cater for both sexes. There are also four other registered treatment centres in this province, but they are not subsidised by the department as the patients pay for their own treatment.

We have to look at possible solutions to the problems. Firstly, we would like to look at the situation where we have outreach programmes for vulnerable groups. Vulnerable and high-risk groups must be identified in this country. Programmes must be designed to meet their needs and to help them overcome their problems. Children, the youth and young females must be helped and protected against ruthless drug smugglers and drug peddlers.

Awareness-raising and prevention through the mass media are very important. The media can create an awareness of the problems arising out of drug abuse. Journalists must be sensitised and trained to report on this topic. In the media reporting today is often about sensation and not about the awareness of drug control and prevention of the problem. I think the Minister will agree with me that if one were to ask a newspaper to write a story about preventative methods of avoiding problems, they would want one to take out an advertisement in the newspaper. When a crime is committed by a drug addict they will print it with headlines free of charge. However, when one wants to talk about education and prevention they want one to pay for that. I think we need to sensitise the newspapers to also take a social responsibility in this respect. Stories about the drug lords’ violence and police seizures are what we see every day, free of charge, in the R2 newspapers. But we, as the department and Government, must pay to sensitise the people about the dangers of living in drug- infested areas. The situation is very seldom adequately analysed.

With regard to the legal framework, we all know that drug trafficking between countries must be controlled and therefore a legal framework must be developed to assist with the extradition arrangements of drug traffickers. A regional legal framework must be developed. South Africa has become a haven for drug peddlers because they know that if they are here they will not be extradited to other countries if they are ever found. They can buy their way out of the correctional services prisons of Minister Skosana.

The police must earn the trust of the people and the people must rebuild their trust so that communities and volunteers inform them about illegal activities. We all know that the social fabric of our families and family- community ties should be strengthened so that people can feel safe and make the right choices in life. People must learn to trust each other and moral standards and values must be restored. Churches and schools must be involved in this respect.

In conclusion, I would like to say that we all know that the Western Cape has a history of the dop system, by which people were paid with alcohol. Today we live with the consequences of such a system, in that we have the fetal alcohol syndrome. Some of these children are going to school burdened by a problem of the past. So we must, as the department, have sufficient resources at our disposal to impact on and be able to assist the communities that we see in this area. [Time expired.]

Mrs C NKUNA: Mr Chairperson, hon Minister of Social Development Dr Z S T Skweyiya, hon members, I am really wondering if the hon MEC from the Western Cape has not exaggerated the situation in the Northern Province. [Laughter.]

Lava va vulavulaka xilungu va ri [In English they say]: ``Charity begins at home.’’

It is mostly in the home situation where drugs and alcohol are abused. Then, the abusers are related to us in one way or the other.

Swi nga va swi hi kongoma kumbe swi nga hi kongomi. Kutani loko hi vulavula swi lava hi swi tiva leswaku hi maxaka ya vanhu. [We may be concerned or perhaps not. When we speak we must be aware that we are related to other people.]

We are faced with the challenging and escalating problem of alcohol abuse in our country which has affected and is continuing to affect the fibre of our society. The statistics, as my colleague, the hon chairperson of the committee, has stated, are self-evident and they speak for themselves.

This is not a problem that exists only in South Africa but it also exists globally in societies more advanced than the others. I would like to quote the Secretary-General of the UN, Mr Kofi Annan, when he said:

Globalisation offers the human race unprecedented opportunities. Unfortunately, it also enables many antisocial activities to become problems without passports.

Among these is alcohol abuse, which brings misery to millions of families around the world every year.

Family disruption, weak family relationships, criminality and alcohol abuse of siblings, inconsistent enforcement of rules and norms, and inefficient supervision have been identified as critical factors resulting from the abuse of alcohol and critical predisposing factors for later problems.

As with most health and social problems, alcohol abuse rarely has a single cause. Research has identified a set of factors which increase an individual’s risk of abusing alcohol. These factors are complex and constantly changing at individual, community and societal levels.

While some of them are universal, like curiosity, boredom and loneliness, others are more specific, and the mix and weight of factors will vary from person to person and from community to community. The reason behind an individual’s abuse of alcohol has been recognised to be the result of a complex interaction with individual, family, social and environmental factors, as well as factors related to genetics, biology and personality.

My main focus today will be on the effect of alcohol abuse on women and children. One might ask the question: Why specifically on women and children? I am here as a mother and a representative of women. What we are saying is that our children are the future of this country. They are the leaders of tomorrow.

When problems and circumstances like parental alcoholism interfere with family functioning, the effects on children can sometimes linger long after these children have grown up. If their souls and minds are destroyed or crushed today what will become of them tomorrow? If alcohol crushes the souls and the esteem of the mothers, what will become of them and their children whom they will have to raise?

While not ignoring the role of men, in most cultures mothers play a bigger role in grooming and shaping the lives of the children. What happens then if the father abuses alcohol; and what impact will it have on the family, specifically mother and child? What will happen if a mother abuses alcohol? Let me start by defining an alcoholic. An alcoholic is identified by severe dependence or addiction and a cumulative pattern of behaviour associated with drinking. Frequent intoxication is obvious and destructive. It interferes with the individual’s ability to socialise and work. Drunkenness may lead to marriage failure and, eventually, when absenteeism from work becomes intolerable, may result in a worker being fired.

We have a number of accidents on the road that are the result of driving under the influence of liquor or alcohol. Research shows that factors leading to increased use, habituation or addiction include peer or group pressure, emotional distress, low self-esteem, social alienation and environmental stress, particularly if accompanied by feelings of impotence regarding the ability to effect change or accomplish goals.

The incidence of alcoholism among women, children, adolescents and college students is increasing in many countries, our country included. This is a direct consequence of the above-mentioned tendencies, which are multifactorial, and range from the physical to the psychological, social and economic situation.

In South Africa there has been an increase in the rate of the abuse of both women and children as a direct result of alcoholism in the family. A significant proportion of spousal physical abuse can be linked to excessive alcohol intake. This creates a certain kind of environment in which the mother and child find themselves on the receiving end. This kind of environment is detrimental to the healthy development of the child and diminishes the self-esteem of the mother. In other words, it has a direct psychological effect.

Research also shows that children who grow up under such circumstances end up being abusive themselves, drop out of school, underperform at school, or become dysfunctional socially and psychologically. The list is endless. These consequences have far-reaching effects, not only for the family but for the community and society as a whole.

The question is: What kind of adult will this child become? This will be an adult with low self-esteem, without education, most likely without any skill and potentially unemployable. The child will find himself finding other means to survive, including finding solace in alcohol and most commonly being involved in crime. In this way he ends up becoming a jailbird, consuming more than R100 daily in jail.

The entire generational transmission of alcohol addiction is one of the most devastating effects of the enduring legacy of alcoholism. Children who grow up under such circumstances grow up to become like their parents and impose their ways on their children, thus triggering a never-ending cycle of alcohol abuse. That is why hi pfa hi vula hi ku [at times we say]: ``Like father like son.’’ [Interjections.]

The economic implications are enormous. A lot of people who abuse alcohol tend to spend most of their income on alcohol, thus neglecting their family responsibilities. Loss of income creates financial difficulty in the family, resulting in inadequacy or scarcity of basic resources. [Time expired.]

Ms E C GOUWS: Mr Chairperson, hon Minister, hon MECs and hon members …

… as ons na die toekoms van ons land kyk, kyk ons onomwonde na die gehalte van ons jeug. Dit is mos in die hande van vandag se jeug wat môre se toekoms lê. Al sou ons daarin slaag om die mees doeltreffende onderwysstelsel op die been te bring; al sou ons die beste veiligheid en sekuriteitsmaatreëls hê; al sou ons slaag met ‘n uitstekende sosiale ontwikkelingsprogram; al sou ons die doeltreffendste gesondheidsdienste en anti-vigs programme hê, alles sal vergeefs wees as ons nie die kanker van alkohol en dwelmmisbruik onder beheer kry nie.

‘n Verslaafde verloor selfrespek, selfdissipline en etiese waardes want so ‘n persoon is nie in beheer van sy liggaam en denke nie. ‘n Verslaafde of dwelmafhanklike kan nie rasioneel dink nie. ‘n Verslaafde kan nie beplan nie. ‘n Verslaafde verloor empatie met sy naaste. Ons land se toekoms kan nie vertrou word in die hande van verslaafdes of dwelmafhanklikes nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)

[… when we look at the future of our country, we unequivocally look at the quality of our youth. Tomorrow’s future lies in the hands of today’s youth. Even if we should succeed in establishing the most efficient education system; even if we should have the best safety and security measures in place; even if we should succeed with an outstanding social development programme; even if we should have the most efficient health services and anti-Aids programmes, everything would be in vain if we do not get the cancer of alcohol and drug abuse under control.

An addict loses self-respect, self-discipline and ethical values, because such a person is not in control of his body and thoughts. An addict or drug- dependent cannot think rationally. An addict cannot plan. An addict loses empathy for his fellow man. Our country’s future cannot be entrusted in the hands of addicts or drug-dependants.]

According to a study conducted on almost 1 000 people arrested by police in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, 49% of them tested positive for at least one drug. A scary finding indeed!

Let us turn to drugs and our children. In May 2001 a survey was conducted and 138 primary school children and 4 634 high school children were involved. The statistics show that 46% of Grade 7 children, that is Standard 5, smoked or experimented with cigarettes; 86% of Grade 7 children have experimented with alcohol; and 26% of those questioned say drugs such as mandrax have been offered to them.

In the high school 30% of all pupils are smokers; 56% drink five or more drinks at a time, once a month or more often than that. The survey shows that out of 400 Grade 12 pupils, 35% have tried dagga and 6% have experimented with ecstasy and 5% with Mandrax. Thirty-three percent of the 1 537 pupils questioned admitted their families have drug and alcohol problems.

In conclusion, we can say that by the time they finish high school all teenagers will have been exposed to drugs in one form or another irrespective of where they come from, what school they go to or how bright they are. We can help avoid the horrors of addiction by being informed. One should look out for signs like: Why do young people take drugs? It feels good to get stoned, it is cool, boredom, curiosity, pressure from friends and an escape from problems.

Tobacco, one of the most lawful drugs and the most abused, and alcohol are the most easily accessible. Alcohol is part of our culture - champagne to celebrate, brandy for shock, a hot toddy for flu. [Laughter.] Alcohol causes a huge amount of harm and physical damage in a society, yet it is socially acceptable and freely available. [Interjections.]

Rev M CHABAKU: Boereraat! [Home remedies!] Ms E C GOUWS: Most of our family violence is caused through alcohol-related incidents, as are traffic accidents.

South Africa has the highest incidence in the world of fetal alcohol syndrome, 20 times higher than the worst statistics elsewhere in the world. Binge drinking is common amongst young people, and is cause for great concern because of the accompanying high-risk behaviours such as unsafe sex, violence and car accidents, health problems and the priority of dependence.

Ons kan voortgaan om al die negatiewe uitvloeisels van drank en dwelmverslawing op ons samelewing op te noem - misdaad, moord, HIV/Vigs verspreiding, familiekonflikte - die lys is bykans onbeperk. Byna alles kan toegeskryf word aan hierdie euwel.

Kom ons begin deur, eerstens, na ons jeug om te sien. Kom ons verstewig weer ons gesins- en familiebande en wys vir mekaar dat ons vir mekaar omgee. Dit is mense wat verwerp voel en mense wat na liefde smag, wat hulle wend tot drank en dwelms om van die werklikheid te ontsnap en in ‘n kunsmatige wêreld voort te ploeter. Die euwel van verslawing het ‘n enorme sosiale probleem in ons land geword. Ons as ‘n nasie het te veel begin konsentreer op fisiese verryking en welvaart en in die proses soveel ingeboet aan vriendskap, kameraadskap en familiebande. Hierdie negatiewe invloed op die samelewing dryf die eensames, die verwaarloosdes en die rigtingloses na ‘n kunsmatige wêreld en ‘n lewe van kunsmatige genot en sukses. Daar is werk vir ons. Ons moet wakker word en dit moet begin, waar alles begin, naamlik in die gesin. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)

[We can continue mentioning all the negative consequences of alcohol and drug addiction on our society - crime, murder, the spreading of HIV/Aids, family conflicts - the list is almost unlimited. Nearly everything can be ascribed to this evil.

Let us start, firstly, by caring for our youth. Let us strengthen our family ties and let us show one another that we care. People who feel rejected and who yearn for love turn to alcohol and drugs to escape the reality and plod on in an artificial world. The evil of addiction has become an enormous social problem in our country. We, as a nation, have started to concentrate too much on physical enrichment and prosperity and in the process we have lost so much in the way of friendship, good fellowship and family ties. This negative influence on our society urges the lonely people, the neglected people and the ones without direction to an artificial world and a life of artificial pleasure and success. There is work set out for us. We should wake up and it should start where everything else starts, namely, in the family. [Applause.]]

Ms N C KONDLO (Eastern Cape): Chairperson, hon Minister and colleagues, let me take the opportunity of thanking the NCOP for having invited the Eastern Cape to this important debate.

The effect of drug abuse and alcohol can never be overemphasised. It was well captured by the former President of South Africa, Dr Nelson Mandela, when he said in the National Drug Master Plan that our country was faced with a growing problem of substance abuse. This has serious implications for millions of citizens, because it contributes to crime, domestic violence, family disintegration and other social problems. This reflects the seriousness that we are faced with and the serious challenges that we have to deal with as a country.

The current trends as we speak on alcohol and drug abuse indicate that we will lose one third of our generation in the few years to come to drug abuse. Young people are experimenting at a much earlier age than before, even as early as 8 years of age. The gateway drug that most use is tobacco and in some instances they experiment with more than one drug, such as alcohol, tobacco or glue.

Sixty per cent of our teenagers will experiment with drugs or alcohol at school, where they believe it is very safe to do drugs because they cannot be easily caught. These current trends also indicate that 90% of those who abuse drugs purchase them from peers in the same schools. These trends also indicate that adults can become physically addicted to alcohol within 5 to 15 years. Children, especially adolescents, get addicted as soon as between the periods of 5 and 15 months and preadolescent children become addicts as early as between 5 and 15 weeks. The age problem, as was indicated earlier here, is that it is not the older but rather the younger children for whom it is easier to become addicts.

Lastly, on the current trends of alcohol and drug abuse, it is indicated that 20% of teenagers get involved in accidents and commit suicide precisely because of their abuse of alcohol and drugs.

Let us look at the effects of drug abuse and alcohol abuse. These are experimented with and experienced in our homes and our families, at school and in the workplace.

We will just briefly touch on some of these effects that alcohol and drug abuse have on families. One finds that relationships get strained. There is disharmony in families and, at the end of the day, we experience family breakdowns. If one goes to the workplaces, one finds that there is diminished work performance, which has serious implications for service delivery. There is a high rate of absenteeism and at the end of the day people get unemployed and this will have an impact and a burden, both on families and on our social welfare system. The effect of alcohol abuse on crime has resulted in most of the accidents.

Statistics indicate that 2% of road accidents are the result of drug and/or alcohol abuse. Organised crime such as gangsterism, illegal drug trafficking, property crimes, crimes against persons and/or prostitution is a result of abusers being engaged in such activities, because they do not want or see the need to break the habit.

Let us look at what our province does as a way of trying to combat the abuse of alcohol and/or drugs. Guided by the Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependency Act of 1992 we, as a province, are engaged in a number of programmes geared towards prevention and intervention. We have several youth organisations which render preventative and counselling services to young people. It is believed that peer counselling and training are the most effective ways of dealing with drug addicts.

We have Teenagers against Drug Abuse, or Tada, Youth for Christ and Tough Love. All these are young people’s organisations which, in partnership with the provincial department, assist in fighting the problem of drug abuse. We also work very closely with NGOs such as Sanca and Life Line which are involved in both inpatient and outpatient treatment programmes. The programmes focus on detoxification.

We have three major rehabilitation centres which use these programmes. However, as a province we are of the opinion that the detoxification programme is not the best practice. We have found that there is a trend of relapse during the period of detoxification and therefore we think it is not the best form of treatment.

We believe that the relevant departments, both provincial and national, should follow a collaborative and co-ordinated approach, that this approach should also be followed at local government level where all these departments can work together to ensure a long-term and sustainable intervention programme to strengthen activities at the level of primary health care, that there should be stricter legislative changes addressing the problem of drinking and driving and that there should be intervention at the workplace addressing alcohol abuse. The latter involves the employment assistance programme.

We also believe that there ought to be more education programmes aimed at high-risk groups such as teenagers, pregnant women, workers and employers. There is also a need for the development of an effective policy regarding drugs in schools.

Our province also feels that there should be a lot of education programmes aimed at the community at large, like the example mentioned here about media advocacy. From the strategic interventions concerning alcohol and/or substance abuse that I have mentioned, it is clear that, if we were to engage in such activities, we could make a big difference. It also indicates that the treatment of alcohol and/or drug abuse is not the monopoly or prerogative of a single department. We should rather function as a team and should thus be able to deal with the problems.

I also want to touch on some of the issues that we as a province believe should be focused on if we want to work harder. The fast-tracking of the amendments to the Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependency Act of 1992 will go a long way in assisting the national drug authority envisaged in the National Drug Master Plan. We also believe that if these amendments could be fast-tracked, the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan will go a long way in dealing with the problems that we are faced with today.

Fourthly, the authority envisaged in the plan can only operate and work if there is a legislative framework within which it has to operate, because, as it stands, the legislation does not recognise the authority as envisaged in the national draft master plan.

Lastly, we believe that stricter measures in terms of the existing legislation will also assist in dealing with drug abuse, and especially alcohol abuse, because it is no strange thing for Oom Piet to send Mary to buy alcohol at the shebeen next door precisely because it is not illegal to buy and also to have alcohol. At the same time, …

… xa uTata uDlamini ethuma intombi yakhe encinci ukuba iye kumthengela ibhotile yebhranti, loo nto ayibonakali njengokwaphula umthetho. [… when Mr Dlamini asks his daughter to go and buy him a bottle of brandy, that is not seen as breaking the law.]

Therefore we are saying that stricter measures, especially as they relate to carrying and buying, as well as regulation of the escalating number of shebeens that are mushrooming in our communities, will also go a long way in dealing with this. At the same time we have to go out there to communities, because the ignorance about substance abuse in our communities leaves a lot to be desired.

By so doing, we would, in the words of the President, ``be able to stand together against drugs to make South Africa a better and a safer place to live in’’. [Applause.]

Ms R N NDZUTA (Gauteng): Chairperson, hon Minister, members of the NCOP, ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased and honoured to be given a small role in the much-needed initiative that is being debated here today.

I am indeed very glad to be able to play a role in discussing the effects of substance abuse in our society. This debate coincides with our department’s launch of the Gauteng Substance Abuse Forum earlier this year. It is an important initiative to help our nation address this serious problem. Therefore, I consider myself privileged to be in the company of men and women who have made the rebuilding of their country the theatre of their operation.

One of the greatest tragedies of apartheid was its neglect of the majority of our children and the youth. It hindered the development of their potential to contribute to the community and the nation, and many were pushed to the margins of society, and yet our youth are our future.

In the overview of drug and alcohol abuse, we find that alcohol is still the dominant substance of abuse with a major impact on communities and individuals. It contributes extensively to the level of violence, traffic- related trauma and neglect of children, as well as their abuse and that of women.

The use of marijuana, pat(s)he, intsangu, or dagga as it is commonly known, is on the increase. This is according to the number of arrests. It is contributing to the high level of crime, especially mugging and possible rape. The use of Mandrax is high among the persons arrested for a range of crimes across sites. It is said that 60% of people arrested on drug and alcohol charges or for housebreaking tested positive for cannabis, while over a third tested positive for Mandrax.

According to the Central Drug Authority’s statistics of 1996, alcohol abuse cost the country R10,6 billion, while the cost of narcotic abuse has been estimated at between R2,5 billion and R7,1 billion. However, the trail of misery can never be quantified.

It is within this context that our department has redesigned its financing policy towards treatment centres. However, within the same scope we have moved to transform the centres from being lily-white to representing the population of our country. The support we have received from these centres indeed positions us to meet the challenges faced by victims of substance abuse.

By combining education and prevention, and by working in our schools and among young people who are unemployed or in prison, our department and the Gauteng Substance Abuse Forum will indeed bring the light of hope to help break the darkness that feeds the ranks of criminals.

The forum, we believe, will add strength to our efforts to change the culture of violence that pervades our society and, in particular, too many schools and homes where young people learn the values that guide them.[Interjections.] The 26th of June is known worldwide as the day that focuses on drug abuse awareness. This year the United Nations has declared that the focus is on sport against crime. This cements our partnership with sportspeople to combat the abuse of drugs. As role models, sportspeople should live a clean life. We thus call upon our sportspeople to join us as we prepare an onslaught against drugs on the sportsfield.

We are determined to ensure that our sporting codes depend on courage, commitment and hard work, and not on drugs. To our youth we say: ``Seize the opportunities that this forum brings and take your place as tomorrow’s leaders in rebuilding society.’’ When launching the National Drug Master Plan, former President, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, declared that we should not underestimate the scale of this challenge. However, it is his wish that every one of us implements the National Drug Master Plan so that we can together eradicate the drug problem in South Africa.

I am glad to say that today’s debate advances our role in implementing the National Drug Master Plan in Gauteng and in our country in general.

Let us join hands to break the momentum of crime and substance abuse, and make South Africa a better and safer place to live in. Faranani! Supporting each other. [Applause.]

Mev J WITBOOI: Agb Voorsitter, agb Minister en agb lede, ``Hy lieg mos.’’ Hierdie is die woorde van ‘n jong kind wat honger en verslae is. Dit is die woorde van ‘n kind wat teleurgesteld is in ‘n pa wat vroeg die oggend uit die huis is met die laaste paar rand in sy sak, met die belofte om kos te gaan koop. Lank na donker slinger hy dronk die huis in met geen kos vir die gesin nie. Toe hy later deur sy vrou daaroor gekonfronteer word, het hy ten aanhore van sy kinders aan haar gesê dat hy die geld verloor het. Nodeloos om te sê dat hierdie gesin daardie aand ook sonder kos gaan slaap het en dat die kinders die volgende oggend honger op die skoolbanke moes gaan sit.

``Ek was nie so dronk nie.’’ Verwilderd en tot nugterheid geskok, is dit die eerste reaksie van 99,9% van besope bestuurders wanneer hulle roekelose en nalatige optrede noodlottige gevolge het. Selfverwyt en vingerwys na vriende wat toegelaat het dat hy of sy ‘n laaste drankie voor vertrek geneem het, baat dan niks. Niemand kan die onskuldige, lewelose liggame aan hul geliefdes terugbesorg nie. Niemand kan aan die magtelose verslaentheid van die familie van die skuldige iets doen nie.

Die pynlike rimpeleffek van hierdie alledaagse gebeurlikhede in ons samelewing is enorm. Niemand word hiervan gevrywaar nie. Op een of ander manier val ons almal dit ten prooi. ‘n Studie van 1999 in ses staatshospitale onthul dat 74% van alle geweldsmisdade, 54% van alle verkeersbotsings en 42% van alle traumagevalle alkoholverwant was. Ek is seker in 100% van die gevalle lê verflenterde gemeenskappe en bloei, en die refrein eggo voort: ``Ek was nie so dronk nie.’’

Alkohol- en dwelmverbruikers erken nie maklik hul swakhede nie. Hulle wil ook nie behandel word nie. Ons sosiale projekte misluk soms omdat hulle nie uit eie wil gehelp wil word nie. Ons moet hulle hande vat en help. ``Ag, as ek maar net geweet het.’’ ‘n Uittreksel uit Om die Waarheid te sê van A G Visser lei soos volg:

Kyk, dokter, bietjie na my keel. Kan jy daar niks bespeur? Jy kan jou seker nie verbeel drie plase is daardeur.

[Gelag.] Ek is seker dat die vermelde persoon baie dae moes gesê het: ``Ag, as ek maar net geweet het.’’

Hoeveel, vandag sieklike, senior burgers dink nie selfverwytend terug aan ‘n roekelose jeug, en sê: As ek maar net geweet het'' nie? Om te oordeel, en om te veroordeel, sal ons vandag niks baat nie. Ons moet hande vat om die siekte in ons gemeenskappe die hoof te bied. Die gevolge van alkohol- en dwelmmisbruik is te groot om te ignoreer. Ons moet ons jeug, ons moeders en ons vaders red. Ons kan nou 'n bydrae lewer sodat ons nie eendag hoef terug te kyk en te sê:Ag, het ons maar net geweet’’ nie. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)

[Mrs J WITBOOI: Hon Chairman, hon Minister and hon members, ``But he is lying’’. These are the words of a young child who is hungry and low- spirited. These are the words of a child who is disappointed in a father who left the house early in the morning with the last few rands in his pocket, promising to go and buy food. Long after dark he reeled into the house drunkenly, without any food for the family. When his wife later confronted him about it, he told her within earshot of his children that he had lost the money. Needless to say, the family again went to bed without food and the children had to sit in the school benches hungry the next morning.

``I was not that drunk.’’ Haggard and shocked into sobriety, this is the first reaction of 99,9% of intoxicated drivers when their reckless and negligent behaviour has fatal consequences. Self-reproach and finger- pointing at friends who allowed him or her to have a last drink before they left are to no avail then. No one can restore the innocent, lifeless bodies to their loved ones. No one can do anything about the helpless dismay of the family of the guilty party.

The painful ripple effect of these everyday events in our society is enormous. No one is exempt from this. In some or other way all of us fall prey to it. A study in six state hospitals in 1999 showed that 74% of all crimes of violence, 54% of all traffic accidents and 42% of all trauma cases were related to alcohol. I am certain that in 100% of those cases torn communities were bleeding, and the refrain echoes on: ``I was not that drunk.’’

Alcohol and drug abusers do not easily admit their weaknesses. Nor do they want to be treated. Our social projects sometimes fail, because they do not want to be helped of their own accord. We must take their hands and help them. ``Oh, if only I had known.’’ An excerpt from Om die Waarheid te sê by A G Visser goes as follows:

Kyk, dokter, bietjie na my keel. Kan jy daar niks bespeur? Jy kan jou seker nie verbeel drie plase is daardeur.

[Laughter.] I am sure that the person in question must have said many times: ``Oh, if only I had known.’’

How many senior citizens, today infirm, do not cast their minds back to a reckless youth, and say: If only I had known.'' To judge, and to condemn, will not serve any useful purpose. We must join hands to combat the disease in our communities. The consequences of alcohol and drug abuse are too great to ignore. We must rescue our youth, our mothers and our fathers. We can make a contribution now so that one day we do not have to look back and say:Oh, if only we had known.’’ [Applause.]]

Mrs E N LUBIDLA: Chairperson, hon members and Minister, the process of democratic transformation in our country is offering our young people unprecedented opportunities. Unfortunately, it has also opened the door to many antisocial activities among our youth. Chief among these are drugs and alcohol abuse which bring misery to thousands of families, and drug trafficking which cynically promotes and exploits that misery for commercial gain.

There can be no doubt that the increase in the use of drugs among young people is primarily the result of an increase in trafficking of drugs and the difficulties experienced by our police in preventing drug traffickers from bringing large quantities of drugs into our country and communities.

Why is the fight against drug trafficking so important? Drug trafficking has become a global phenomenon, which makes it difficult for any single country, its government and its police to fight it effectively on its own.

Moreover, the success of other countries in combating drug trafficking poses an increased threat to our own country as drug traffickers are being forced to find alternative markets, such as our own. Their efforts to gain a foothold in our own country have been helped by our reintegration into the international community and the modern transportation and banking infrastructure, which have made it easy for drug traffickers to launder money derived from trafficking.

The fight against drug trafficking is also important in reducing the negative effects of drug abuse on our social fabric. The increase in trafficking of drugs means an increase in the number of social problems associated with drug abuse, such as an increase in the number of school dropouts, premature deaths and the risk of exposure to HIV/Aids. It also means that an increased amount of money, which could otherwise have been spent on the improvement of other health services, will have to be spent on the treatment of drug-related illnesses.

Drugs have been shown to have a number of relationships to crime. These include driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, crimes committed under the influence of alcohol or drugs, crimes committed in order to get money or goods to sell for this purpose, to buy drugs, and crimes associated with drug distribution, such as intergang warfare and vigilantism.

Studies on relationships between alcohol, drugs and violence in the Northern Cape, for example, where I come from, have shown that alcohol and drugs are major factors in many of the violent crimes that are committed in the province, such as assault, rape and domestic violence. A recent study by the Medical Research Council, in conjunction with the Institute for Security Studies, confirmed this relationship between drugs and crime. It found that 50% or more of persons arrested for housebreaking, theft and rape tested positive for at least one drug.

The struggle against drug and alcohol abuse cannot be isolated from the broader struggle to improve the quality of life of our people. This is because drug and alcohol abuse stem directly from the social destruction caused by our apartheid past. [Interjections.] It is true. For decades our people have been condemned to live in conditions of squalor and extreme poverty. These conditions have created fertile ground for drug lords to influence and target our youth through the promise of quick money, fancy cars and expensive clothes. Even more worrying is the fact that drug lords are increasingly fanning out to our rural areas where apartheid’s legacy of unemployment and poverty are most acutely felt.

It is not that our police are not committed to fighting this evil onslaught by drug barons. Indeed, the police have made significant inroads and regularly seize large quantities of drugs at our national airports, other ports of entry and shebeens. During the year 2000, the Narcotics Bureau seized more than 30 000 000 kg of dagga, more than 700 000 kg of Mandrax and 129 000 grams of cocaine in the Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Gauteng and Mpumalanga areas.

If one takes into consideration that 460 kg of Mandrax amounts to 920 000 tablets, the number of Mandrax tablets seized is enormous. The success of the police may partially explain the renewed gang warfare that has erupted in the Western Cape, where Mandrax is the main addictive drug that is being smuggled by drug lords.

The seizure of millions of tablets has led to a shortage of the drug, and hence a fight between opposing gangs over control of the supply chain of these drugs.

The seriousness with which our Government views drug trafficking and abuse is reflected in the number of initiatives it has implemented to date. Government has created a legislative framework within which police can fight these drug barons. Acts against organised crime and money-laundering and the establishment of mechanisms, such as the Asset Forfeiture Unit, have been introduced to give police greater powers in seizing the ill- gotten gains of drug trafficking.

Government has also developed a National Drug Master Plan to provide our country with an institutional framework within which to deal with the effects of drug and alcohol abuse on society. In terms of the National Drug Master Plan, a number of key areas of focus have been identified, and various Government departments are working together around these focus areas to reduce the availability of and demand for drugs.

In addition, we have concluded a number of international agreements on co- operation in criminal matters with other countries, such as Colombia, to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Mr H T SOGONI: Chairperson, hon Minister and hon members, the prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse in our society has reached epidemic proportions. It is a problem that has developed over many decades and, as such, it has sadly and apparently become a cultural phenomenon, or it appears as if it is acceptable to society.

In the case of alcohol, the situation is exacerbated by mass marketing which projects the use of alcohol as something fashionable. We must also recognise that alcohol abuse in some cases is passed on from parents to children. Therefore, it eats into the social fabric, because many children grow up in homes where it is the norm rather than the exception.

In a society in which alcohol and drug abuse are common, coupled as they usually are with drug trafficking, organised crime and gangsterism, many neighbourhoods turn into slums ruled by drug lords. Gangsterism feeds on and increases the decay of every aspect of the functioning of affected communities.

Dysfunctional education, poverty, and depravity or sexual abuse become a vicious cycle that continually churns out generation after generation of victims and drug dealers. It is a sad reality that poverty and drug abuse often go hand in hand. In a country with such high poverty levels as South Africa, we must be extremely vigilant.

Therefore, it is of vital importance to the UDM that the Government should have in place or step up an integrated strategy, supported by adequate funding, to effectively deal with gangsterism and drug trafficking.

Organised crime, especially as a result of links with international criminal networks, has access to an excessive amount of resources. We cannot win this battle if Government and all stakeholders ignore this crucial area.

The opening up of the South African economy, coupled with individual rights after 1994, has unfortunately contributed to the massive inflow of illicit drugs and internationally organised crime networks. However, it does not mean that we should, in knee-jerk reaction, become advocates of prohibition. Prohibition has been a failure wherever it has been attempted. Neither should we argue, therefore, that the opposite extreme of legalising drug use and regulating it would bring the problem under control. Instead, we must consider a multilevel and partnership strategy endorsed and implemented by government and civil society.

If anyone doubts the extent of the problem, available statistics supply the following information: It is estimated that 80% of all interpersonal injury patients at hospitals are drunk, while 60% of car accidents victims are also drunk. In other words, more than 30 000 people die a violent death as a result of alcohol or drug abuse. It is reported that as much as two thirds of violent crimes are committed by drunk or inebriated people, usually against members of their families or friends.[Time expired.] [Applause.]

Mrs J N VILAKAZI: Chairperson, hon Minister Dr Z S T Skweyiya and hon members, today’s topic refers to compulsive overusage of alcohol or any other psychoactive substances which carries adverse effects for the user and those around him, ranging from physical and social to psychological problems. This is a serious problem facing our society, and the rising trend in this behaviour can be seen to be directly proportional to the deterioration of our societal structure. If this is not addressed timeously, many lives will be destroyed, some as early as in utero, when children are born with fetal alcohol syndrome, or later on during the course of their lives.

This problem affects all provinces, especially the medical profession and all other care-givers, including all departments dealing with this social health hazard. This carries serious implications since it comes with the depletion of scanty resources. This has serious implications in that it means that the resources that could be used to address more serious health issues facing this country are diverted and used in treating addiction problems. At present people are dying like flies because of HIV/Aids in my province, KwaZulu-Natal, and in other provinces as well.

This affects us greatly in all health dimensions that one may think of. These substances are not only bad for one’s health, but they also cause many domestic problems such as violence, women and child abuse and disrupted family unity. When a person is under the influence of liquor, intoxicating drugs or substances, he fails to maintain his personal integrity. At that point he is a danger not only to himself, but also to those around him. Some people lose self-control and start displaying low morals. They become alcoholics or drug addicts who need institutional care and rehabilitation.

To effectively address this problem we have to get to its root cause. People get into alcohol or substance abuse because of various reasons. Some have emotional stress, frustration, anger or extreme worries which, eventually, lead them to the bottle. Children from broken families and those who have disturbed relationships with parents are most susceptible to such abuse. The socioeconomic status of a person is also a determining factor since some of these drugs are expensive. That is why some people who cannot afford the high prices even steal family valuables to get money to buy and satisfy their cravings.

It is clear that, to effectively address this social problem, a multidisciplinary approach needs to be applied across a broader spectrum throughout the country.

Yinkinga lena esiphezu kwayo. Isichithe imizi eminingi, kwafa nabantu abaningi. Ngikhuluma ngophuzo oludakisayo nezidakamizwa, okungaba ngamaphilisi adliwayo, okhokheyni, ihiroyni nokunye. Insangu nayo ikhona, yize kukhona ukuthi inawo umuthi wokuphilisa. Kodwa-ke, iqiniso lithi iyisidakamizwa esibulala ingqondo yomuntu. Omunye uye enze izinto angeke azenza uma engayibhemile.

Isizwe sethu siyashabalala yilezi zidakamizwa. Utshwala budala kakhulu kunathi sonke la, futhi bungukudla okwenamisayo. Bakithi, asikuvume lokho. Utshwala bungukudla okwenamisayo, ngakho umcimbi ongenabo utshwala akuwona umcimbi lowo. Abantu baye bahambe bethuka, bedemelayisa besho yonke into le. Buyafuneka utshwala … (Translation of Zulu paragraphs follows.)

[That is the problem we are facing at the moment. It has destroyed many families and killed many people. I am talking about alcohol and drugs, including pills, cocaine, heroin and other things. Dagga is also included, although it has a healing substance. The problem is that dagga is a drug that kills a person’s brain. It makes a person do things that he would not have done if he had not smoked it.

Our nation is dying because of these drugs. Beer is older than all of us here and it is a kind of food that makes people happy. We should accept that. Beer is a nice food; a party without beer is not a party. If there is no alcohol people hurl abuse and say bad things. Beer is needed …]

… but to a certain extent. It must remain within the parameters of being a food substance, not poison.

Isizwe sethu sishabalala ngokuthi abantu abaphuzeli ukudla noma ukoma, kepha baphuzela ukudakwa. Abantu baphuzela ukudakwa, yilobo-ke ubuthi.

Ekugcineni umphuzi-tshwala ugcina esevuka ngabo alale ngabo, achithe imali engabe yenza imisebenzi ephilisayo. Uma kungubaba wekhaya, ehluleke ukondla umuzi wakhe, axabane nonkosikazi angabe esazi noma uganiwe noma qha, aganwe yibhodlela, agcine eseyisiyabhuyabhu, into engathi shu.

Izidakamizwa ezihogelwayo, amaphilisi nemijovo kuvame entsheni yethu. Kubulala igazi kudle nengqondo. Yimbubhiso uqobo lwayo.

Sekukhona nohlobo olubi kakhulu okuthiwa yi-ekstesi. Umuntu oyisebenzisile wenama kuze kweqe, igazi ligijime kakhulu agcine esemelwe yinhliziyo.

Umphakathi wonke udinga ukusukuma phansi uhlanganise amakhanda kuliwe nalo mkhuba osuqede intsha yethu. Ukubulala okungaka, ubudlova, ukudlwengula, ubuxhwanguxhwangu, ubuhlongandlebe, ukwedelela nokunye okululaza isithunzi somuntu, kuvela ekucwileni kulezi zidakamizwa.

Thina kwaZulu-Natali le nto iyasikhathaza kakhulu. Kudingeka inhlangano namasu ephusile okulwa nalo mkhuba. Osekukubi kakhulu manje ngukuthi sekuhlasele nabesifazane, abadala nabancane, ngisho nomakoti imbala. Imali yokubuthenga kwabanye itholakala ngokuthengisa amagugu obuntu. Angifuni ukuthi gakla, amalungu ahloniphekile ayazi ukuthi ngisho ukuthini. [Ubuwelewele.]

Umuntu udayisa ngegugu lomzimba wakhe kuphela nje uma ezothola ibhodlela noma isipoqo. Izingane emakhaya zibe sezizibonela njengamachwane enyoka.

Umhlonishwa uNgqongqoshe ngithi mina ubhekene nenkinga enkulu eMnyangweni wakhe. Isitha nje sinye: wutshwala nezidakamizwa. Ubugebengu obungaka mhlawumbe ngabe sebehlile.

Thina kwaZulu-Natali egameni le-IFP nawo wonke amaqembu esifundazwe, ngithi siyavumelana nani nonke. Siyabonga futhi ekomitini lezempilo. [Uhleko.] (Translation of Zulu paragraphs follows.)

[Our nation is dying because people do not drink for the sake of quenching thirst, they drink so that they can get drunk and that is the real poison.

In the end a drinker becomes addicted. He would spend the money he should have used to buy healthy things. It makes no sense that a father fails to look after his family and even forgets that he is married just because he is now marrying alcohol, which in the end makes him a nonentity.

Inhaling drugs, taking pills and injections are used especially by the youth. They destroy the blood and destroy the brain. They are disastrous things to take. Now there is an even more dangerous drug called ecstasy. Once you have taken it you become overexcited. The blood runs too fast, which eventually causes the heart to stop beating.

The whole community needs to stand up and join forces against this habit that is destroying our youth. Such killings, such crime, such rape incidents, delinquents, disrespect, contempt and other things that weaken a person’s status, all result from the use of these drugs.

This thing bothers us in KwaZulu-Natal to a very great extent. We need a strong organisation and strategies to combat this habit. The worst part of it is that it has now affected women, the elderly, and the young, including brides. Some get the money to buy these things from selling their human treasure. I do not want to name it, hon members know what I am talking about. [Interjections.]

A person sells her body just because she wants to buy a bottle of beer. Children at home then have to look after themselves like the children of a snake.

I would like to say that the hon the Minister is facing a big problem in her department. We are facing only two enemies, namely alcohol and drugs. Crime would have been reduced if these things were not escalating.

We in KwaZulu-Natal, in the name of the IFP and other parties in the province, agree with all of you. We would like to say thank you again to the committee on health. [Laughter.]]

We give credit to this lady, Loretta, and the social services committee, for initiating this topic. It is very rich. It is a social problem, and we need to join efforts and fight this enemy, but in a proper way.

Amalungu ahloniphekile makakhumbule ukuthi utshwala budala kunathi sonke, bungukudla kodwa … [Hon members should remember that alcohol is older than us, it is food, however …]

… too much of anything is dangerous.

Ms F B MARSHOFF (Free State): Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members and colleagues, this debate comes at a crucial time for our province. The Department of Social Development has just gone through a reprioritisation process. We are now focusing on programmes geared towards children and the youth, especially those at risk. We do this because we realise that there is an urgent need to address the challenges faced by our youth in our province and to enable them to make informed choices with regard to their physical, psychological and mental wellbeing. In short, we want to equip them with the necessary tools to take control of their own lives.

Allow me to give an overview of the Free State province. For those hon members who do not know or profess not to know, the Free State is a very rural province. We might be the food basket of the country, but we are also very poor. Poverty levels are very high and those mostly affected are women and children. Because of the social conditions in which they find themselves, they are vulnerable to coercion, exploitation and abuse. It is even more so with the youth because most of them are not skilled to withstand these outside pressures.

Alcohol abuse in our province is one of the major concerns that we have to grapple with. Statistics show that the Free State has the highest incidence of alcohol abuse amongst the males in the country. As many as 56,2% of men abuse alcohol, compared to approximately 30% of women. [Interjections.]

It is also interesting … The hon member has just been to the bar. [Laughter.] It is also interesting to note that over weekends, men and women become equal drinking partners. Research has also shown that those that succumb to these weekend drinking sprees are the youth. This shows us that we have to come up with specific intervention strategies geared towards these young men and women in order for them to change their lifestyle. The only way we can achieve this is through proper life-skills programmes, in an intersectoral effort involving not just Government, but also civil society, business, religion and other interested parties.

Our Government spends about R1 billion annually on the treatment of babies and children affected by fetal alcohol syndrome.

Now we all know that the dop system is illegal, but we also continue to find this practice on farms, especially in the Western Cape. This is done either directly or indirectly through payment for services rendered or through purchasing of cheap wine and spirits on credit from the farmers. This is a legacy of the past that we are trying to move away from. We are also imploring these wine farmers to desist from these practices and to assist us in improving the socioeconomic conditions of our people by paying them in cash and not in kind.

The economic impact of fetal alcohol syndrome on the country in general, and the Free State in particular, is tremendous. We cannot budget adequately for the treatment of these babies because we never know how many FAS babies will be born in a specific year.

It has a tremendous impact on the health system. These children are born with a low birth weight, they are frail and will inevitably have difficulties coping at school owing to psychological and intellectual impairments.

The vicious cycle repeats itself because they will in turn become alcohol and drug abusers. This paints a very bleak picture of our province, but it does not mean we are hopeless in the face of adversity. We have put strategies in place and we are confident that we will begin to see pay-offs in the very near future.

We are not only allocating financial and other resources aimed at specific prevention strategies, but also looking at treatment and rehabilitation to turn the tide. We know that the family unit is the basic social structure in society and our intervention strategies are aimed at providing support that will enable families to deal with and respond to the demands made upon them.

To prevent further family disintegration, we have introduced educational programmes that will strengthen family life and empower the youth and children in our province. Our young children are exposed to so many evils and the Free State is only beginning to feel the impact of the drug scene.

As I stated earlier on, alcohol abuse is a major concern, but other drugs, such as Mandrax, crack cocaine, ecstasy and speed, are becoming more popular amongst our youth. These club drugs, as they are known, are making greater inroads among the working-class children because drug lords and peddlers are making them more affordable for them.

In trying to address this problem, we are funding programmes at schools such as the Addicted to Life clubs. Jointly with the department of education, health and safety and community liaison, we are providing life- skills educational programmes which enable them to make better choices such as saying no to drugs. We must emphasise that we need the the co-operation of the justice system to assist us in the battle because the police are becoming frustrated for various reasons. One of these reasons is that as soon as they have these offenders behind bars, they are able to pay bail and be out on the streets doing exactly what they did previously.

We know that one way of reaching the youth and children is through mass media campaigns. These educate the public and communities to identify high- risk areas and inform on these pushers and drug lords. We are also thinking of requesting the department of economic affairs in the province to look at stringent regulations to regulate liquor outlets and taverns.

We have also set aside some funding for programmes targeting students in secondary and tertiary institutions in the coming financial year. We are establishing a winter school for secondary students that will focus on the following: substance abuse and the effects that it has on communities, peer counselling and support, and the relationship between substance abuse and the related spread of HIV and Aids as well as STDs. Part of our strategy is to focus on the role students can play in health promotion and prevention programmes with regard to substance abuse. More specifically, we want to impart skills and awareness to enable them to safeguard the moral fibre of society.

It would be remiss of me not to focus briefly on the link between substance abuse and the HIV pandemic. If we look at the vulnerability of young girls and women, and the economic power that is wielded by men, we then realise that for women to survive they have to resort to desperate measures. The result is that women are sometimes forced to sell or use their bodies to survive. This behaviour results in them being even more susceptible to HIV infection.

Substance abuse also makes people less inhibited and this in turn leads to risky sexual behaviour and unprotected sex, which in the case of the youth leads to teenage pregnancies and possibly even HIV infection. So this goes to back to ensuring that we have targeted programmes aimed at the youth and especially young women that will keep them occupied, especially over weekends. In this respect we are looking at sporting activities as well as weekend camps in collaboration with our partners to make this a success for our province.

The Free State province is taking the threat of all types of substance abuse very seriously. We are working hard on policies that can be effectively implemented. The department has also made inputs on a drug document, on the minimum norms and standards on substance abuse at a national level, which is awaiting approval.

Furthermore, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Rehabilitation and Research Centre in Bloemfontein is currently training social workers to enable them to develop proper intervention strategies that would address the problems as experienced by the youth in the province.

We also have a forum on alcohol and drug abuse which comprises the provincial departments of social development, health and education and other role-players like the Aurora Alcohol and Drug Centre, Sanca and tertiary institutions like the Free State Technikon and the University of the Free State. Its function is to plan and co-ordinate programmes with all role-players in the field of alcohol and drug abuse.

The department is also part of the SA Alliance for the Prevention of Substance Abuse. In order for us to make targeted and effective interventions, we are also funding NGOs to deliver social work services, like the Aurora Alcohol and Drug Centre in Bloemfontein, which is funded for inpatient as well as outpatient treatment, as well as for prevention and support services. But we are gradually moving away from detoxification programmes in favour of prevention strategies.

We also fund Sanca, both in Welkom and in Sasolburg, which is for our support services. [Time expired.] [Applause.] Rev P MOATSHE: Chairperson, hon Minister, colleagues and friends, what happens to an educated person who becomes addicted to alcohol? This person loses his or her senses and becomes highly irresponsible. Therefore I do not know whether we should equate alcohol with food, as Mrs Vilakazi did, because if it changes somebody to become a different person it is not a very good food. [Laughter.]

We can continue to argue that we have an enormous backlog of re-education that needs to take place over both the long and the short term so that our people can begin to regain their sense of dignity and self-worth. We could even give up and say that the problem is too huge for us to handle.

All of us remember the 1976 Soweto uprising, when some beer halls were burnt to the ground to protest against the use of revenue raised from beer sales to finance township oppression. My colleagues, some of them seated here, saw those beer halls, and the resultant alcoholism, as a serious obstruction to the black struggle against white domination, a disempowering of our political independence.

The ANC in its national health plan had already stated that alcohol and substance abuse needed to be targeted effectively if we wanted to help our people get out of the cycle of poverty that inhibited growth and development. Even in our RDP programme close attention was paid to substance abuse.

It has been said here that millions of South Africans abuse alcohol, tobacco, dagga, solvents like petrol and glue and other hard drugs. Unless action is taken, substance abuse is likely to increase enormously. Abuse of these substances causes immense physical, mental and social damage, and costs the country millions of rands each year.

The RDP must aim to greatly reduce the level of substance abuse, and to prevent any increase. As leaders in Government we have not rested on our laurels in our attempts to rid our people of this scourge. We are very serious in our endeavours to rid our country of the damaging effects of drug and alcohol abuse. We have monitored very closely the increase in both local and international crime syndicates that view our new democracy as a new market for illegal drug trafficking. [Interjections.]

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! Hon members, there is a lot of noise now. Can you please give the hon member a chance? Please continue.

Rev P MOATSHE: Because of this increase we have already identified the necessity of a drug master plan, primarily not only to co-ordinate and integrate South Africa’s disjointed and fragmented response to the drug problem, but also to ensure that we were on a par with international practice. South Africa has become rather an important cog in the global wheel of drug trafficking and our response needs to take this into cognisance.

Developments from 1998 to 2000 at 25 schools in the Cape metropolitan area show that young people who reported higher levels of substance abuse also reported higher levels of marital conflict between their parents. These findings clearly indicate that we have to look very closely at the very basic family unit and to direct our prevention and treatment campaigns at each and every home, church, mosque, synagogue and community.

A global initiative on the primary prevention of substance abuse among young people, the prevention of fetal alcohol syndrome, the training of primary health care workers in the prevention and treatment of alcohol disorders, the remodelling of treatment and rehabilitation models, the prevention of substance abuse in the workplace and substance abuse awareness campaigns are all practical efforts this Government is currently engaged in to combat drug and alcohol abuse. What we need to ensure is that this programme and others are rolled out to all our communities. We are willing in the NCOP and as active members in our society to do our utmost to ensure that we have a healthy society. [Applause.]

The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Mr Chairperson, it has been a pleasure to be here, listening. I think we have done justice to the topic that is in front of us.

It is quite obvious that alcohol and drug abuse is a problem that is facing this country. I think that it is basically the duty of the NCOP and that of Government, as a whole, to do everything in its power to ensure that we educate our community as we educate our children and our youth on its effects on our society, specifically on its effects on our families. I am really pleased that this was raised.

However, the main question which I think we should also take into consideration is what Mrs Vilakazi was saying here with regard to the effect of this abuse of alcohol and drugs, the impact it has had, not only on our communities and families but, more importantly, in the spread of HIV/Aids. I think that is one of the things that I thought would have been stressed more in this debate so that we should, in future, try to guide our youth towards a greater understanding of the impact of drug abuse and alcoholism on our communities as such.

Obviously it is quite clear, as she said, that we are burying many people on a daily basis, almost each and every weekend. Most of them are young, between the ages of 20 - 15, actually - and 40. Those are the flowers of our people, of our nation, and we should, as such, individually and collectively through our political parties try to impress upon our society and our people that it is not only not cool to be boozed and to be stoned, but also leads to loss of life in many ways. [Applause.]

   THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE ON THE FABRIC OF SOCIETY

                         (Draft Resolution)

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL: Mr Chairperson, I wish to, at the outset, thank the hon the Minister for introducing this subject in this House. Without going into details, but allowing the provinces to speak, he merely, in his introduction, earmarked various aspects that he felt were necessary and, true to his words, these were the issues that were raised, quite copiously, by the members.

It is customary for us, in this House, when we have a matter for public discussion, to adopt a resolution representing the voices of all the provinces and political parties that are present here. In the spirit of the discussions that have taken place here, I would like to move without notice that we adopt the following motion: That the Council -

(1) recognises that the misuse of alcohol and drugs by South Africans has both short-term and long-term consequences, including a decrease in learning ability which impacts negatively on education;

(2) further recognises that the continued misuse of alcohol and drugs by disadvantaged sectors protracts underdevelopment in these sectors and prevents access to social and economic opportunities which are now available in our democratic country;

(3) recognises the correlation between alcohol and drug abuse and crime and road accidents;

(4) acknowledges the efforts of NGOs, CBOs and faith-based organisations in helping to combat drug and alcohol abuse;

(5) believes that national, provincial and local governments need closer co-operation and co-ordination among all institutions and organisations to help eradicate the detrimental effects that alcohol and substance abuse have on the fabric of our society;

(6) recognises the role of organised criminal syndicates globally in the proliferation of drugs and drug-trafficking;

(7) calls on -

   (a)  the national  Department  of  Social  Development  to  help  co-
       ordinate a multi-pronged, multi-sectoral, integrated approach in
       all three spheres of government to  ensure  that  resources  are
       shared and programmes  of  action  are  aligned  to  combat  the
       effects of drug and substance abuse in South Africa;


   (b)  the Department of Education, together with  the  Departments  of
       Social  Development  and  Health,  to  increase  the  range   of
       treatment and prevention programmes  focusing  on  children  and
       youth,  thus  improving  the  access  to  quality,  school-based
       programmes for education;


   (c)   the  Departments  of  Education,  of  Health  and   of   Social
       Development to equip teachers at primary, secondary and tertiary
       institutions with training programmes in order to help  identify
       the occurrence of alcohol and substance abuse amongst  learners;
       and


   (d)  the Departments of  Safety  and  Security  and  of  Justice  and
       Constitutional  Development  to  continue  and  intensify  their
       efforts  in  dealing  with  organised   crime,   including   the
       appropriate implementation  of  legislation  passed  to  counter
       organised crime;

(8) undertakes to regularly monitor and oversee the progress in all of the programmes geared towards the elimination of drug and alcohol abuse;

(9) urges the media to assist government in its campaign against alcohol and substance abuse; and

(10) calls on parents to imbue our children, who, after all, are the leaders of tomorrow, with sound moral values.

Ms F B MARSHOFF (Free State): I wish to move the following amendment:

That paragraph (3) be substituted by the following paragraph:

(3) recognises the correlation between alcohol and drug abuse and crime, road accidents and HIV/Aids;

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL: Mr Chairperson, we support the proposed amendment. In fact, it has been correctly noted by the hon the Minister. Amendment agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

Motion, as amended, agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution, namely:

That the Council -

(1) recognises that the misuse of alcohol and drugs by South Africans has both short and long-term consequences, including a decrease in learning ability which impacts negatively on education;

(2) further recognises that the continued misuse of alcohol and drugs by disadvantaged sectors protracts underdevelopment in these sectors and prevents access to social and economic opportunities which are now available in our democratic country;

(3) recognises the correlation between alcohol and drug abuse and crime, road accidents and HIV/Aids; (4) acknowledges the efforts of NGOs, CBOs and faith-based organisations in helping to combat drug and alcohol abuse;

(5) believes that national, provincial and local governments need closer co-operation and co-ordination among all institutions and organisations to help eradicate the detrimental effects that alcohol and substance abuse have on the fabric of our society; (6) recognises the role of organised criminal syndicates globally in the proliferation of drugs and drug-trafficking;

(7) calls on -

   (a)  the national  Department  of  Social  Development  to  help  co-
       ordinate a multi-pronged, multi-sectoral, integrated approach in
       all three spheres of government to  ensure  that  resources  are
       shared and programmes  of  action  are  aligned  to  combat  the
       effects of drug and substance abuse in South Africa;


   (b)  the Department of Education, together with  the  Departments  of
       Social  Development  and  Health,  to  increase  the  range   of
       treatment and prevention programmes  focusing  on  children  and
       youth,  thus  improving  the  access  to  quality,  school-based
       programmes for education;


   (c)   the  Departments  of  Education,  of  Health  and   of   Social
       Development to equip teachers at primary, secondary and tertiary
       institutions with training programmes in order to help  identify
       the occurrence of alcohol and substance abuse amongst  learners;
       and


   (d)  the Departments of  Safety  and  Security  and  of  Justice  and
       Constitutional  Development  to  continue  and  intensify  their
       efforts  in  dealing  with  organised   crime,   including   the
       appropriate implementation  of  legislation  passed  to  counter
       organised crime;

(8) undertakes to regularly monitor and oversee the progress in all of the programmes geared towards the elimination of drug and alcohol abuse;

(9) urges the media to assist government in its campaign against alcohol and substance abuse; and (10) calls on parents to imbue our children, who, after all, are the leaders of tomorrow, with sound moral values.

The Council adjourned at 17:47. ____

            ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS

                    WEDNESDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2001 ANNOUNCEMENTS:

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:

1. The Speaker and the Chairperson:

 (1)    The Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs  on  18  September
     2001 submitted drafts of the Land Affairs General  Amendment  Bill,
     2001, and the Planning  Profession  Bill,  2001,  as  well  as  the
     memoranda explaining the objects of the  proposed  legislation,  to
     the Speaker and the Chairperson in terms of  Joint  Rule  159.  The
     drafts  have  been  referred  to   the   Portfolio   Committee   on
     Agriculture and Land Affairs and the Select Committee on  Land  and
     Environmental  Affairs  by  the  Speaker   and   the   Chairperson,
     respectively, in accordance with Joint Rule 159(2).


 (2)     The  following  Bill  was  introduced  by  the   Minister   for
     Agriculture and  Land  Affairs  in  the  National  Assembly  on  19
     September 2001 and referred to the Joint  Tagging  Mechanism  (JTM)
     for classification in terms of Joint Rule 160:


     (i)      Land  Affairs  General  Amendment  Bill  [B  71  -   2001]
          (National Assembly - sec 75) [Explanatory summary of Bill  and
          prior notice  of  its  introduction  published  in  Government
          Gazette No 22664 of 7 September 2001.]


     The Bill has also been  referred  to  the  Portfolio  Committee  on
     Agriculture and Land Affairs of the National Assembly.


     In terms of Joint Rule 154 written views on the  classification  of
     the Bill may be submitted to  the  Joint  Tagging  Mechanism  (JTM)
     within three parliamentary working days.


 (3)    The Minister of Education submitted the Wysigingswetsontwerp  op
     Onderwyswette [W 55 - 2001] (National Council of  Provinces  -  sec
     76) to the Speaker and the Chairperson on 19 September  2001.  This
     is the official translation of the Education  Laws  Amendment  Bill
     [B 55 - 2001] (National Council of Provinces - sec 76),  which  was
     introduced in the National  Council  of  Provinces  by  the  Select
     Committee on  Education  and  Recreation  at  the  request  of  the
     Minister of Education on 30 August 2001.

National Council of Provinces:

1. The Chairperson:

 The following papers have been tabled  and  are  now  referred  to  the
 relevant committees as mentioned below:


 (1)    The following papers are referred to  the  Select  Committee  on
     Land and Environmental Affairs:


     (a)      Report  and  Financial  Statements  of  the   Agricultural
          Research Council for 2000-2001, including the  Report  of  the
          Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2000-2001  [RP
          136-2001].


     (b)     Report and Financial Statements of the  Bloem  Water  Board
          for 1999-2000.


     (c)     Report and Financial Statements of the Amatola Water  Board
          for 1999-2000.


 (2)    The following paper is  referred  to  the  Select  Committee  on
     Economic Affairs:


     Report  and  Financial  Statements  of  the  National   Electricity
     Regulator for 2000-2001,  including  the  Report  of  the  Auditor-
     General on the Financial Statements for 2000-2001 [RP 108-2001].


 (3)    The following paper is  referred  to  the  Select  Committee  on
     Security and Constitutional Affairs:
     Report and Financial Statements of the Department  of  Defence  for
     2000-2001, including the  Report  of  the  Auditor-General  on  the
     Financial Statements of Vote 7 - Defence  for  2000-2001  [RP  138-
     2001].

TABLINGS:

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:

Papers:

1. The Minister of Minerals and Energy:

 Report and Financial Statements of the Council for  Mineral  Technology
 (Mintek) for 2000-2001, including the Report of the Auditor-General  on
 the Financial Statements for 2000-2001 [RP 110-2001].

National Council of Provinces:

1. The Chairperson: Particulars of constitutional amendment to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Amendment Bill [B 68 - 2001] submitted in terms of section 74(5)(c) of the Constitution, 1996.

 Referred  to  the  Select  Committee  on  Security  and  Constitutional
 Affairs.

                     THURSDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2001

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:

1. The Speaker and the Chairperson:

 (1)    The following Bill was introduced by the  Minister  for  Justice
     and Constitutional Development  in  the  National  Assembly  on  20
     September 2001 and referred to the Joint  Tagging  Mechanism  (JTM)
     for classification in terms of Joint Rule 160:


     (i)     Judicial Officers Amendment Bill [B 72  -  2001]  (National
          Assembly - sec 75) [Explanatory  summary  of  Bill  and  prior
          notice of its introduction published in Government Gazette  No
          22681 of 18 September 2001.]


     The Bill has also been  referred  to  the  Portfolio  Committee  on
     Justice and Constitutional Development of the National Assembly.


     In terms of Joint Rule 154 written views on the  classification  of
     the Bill may be submitted to  the  Joint  Tagging  Mechanism  (JTM)
     within three parliamentary working days.

National Council of Provinces:

1. The Chairperson:

 Message from National Assembly to National Council of Provinces:
 Bill passed by National Assembly on 20 September 2001  and  transmitted
 for concurrence:


 (i)    Higher  Education  Amendment  Bill  [B  61B  -  2001]  (National
     Assembly - sec 75).


     The Bill has been referred to the  Select  Committee  on  Education
     and Recreation of the National Council of Provinces.

                      FRIDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2001

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:

1. The Speaker and the Chairperson:

 (1)    Assent by the President  of  the  Republic  in  respect  of  the
     following Bill:


     Consumer Affairs (Unfair Business Practices) Amendment Bill [B  28B
      - 2001] - Act No 21 of 2001 (assented to and signed  by  President
      on 20 September 2001).


 (2)    The following Bills were introduced by the Minister of Trade and
     Industry  in  the  National  Assembly  on  21  September  2001  and
     referred to the Joint Tagging Mechanism  (JTM)  for  classification
     in terms of Joint Rule 160:


     (i)     Copyright Amendment Bill [B 73 - 2001]  (National  Assembly
          - sec 75) [Explanatory summary of Bill and prior notice of its
          introduction published in Government Gazette No  22249  of  24
          April 2001.]


     (ii)Performers' Protection Amendment Bill [B 74 -  2001]  (National
          Assembly - sec 75) [Explanatory  summary  of  Bill  and  prior
          notice of its introduction published in Government Gazette  No
          22249 of 24 April 2001.]


     The Bills have also been referred to  the  Portfolio  Committee  on
     Trade and Industry of the National Assembly.


     In terms of Joint Rule 154 written views on the  classification  of
     the Bill may be submitted to  the  Joint  Tagging  Mechanism  (JTM)
     within three parliamentary working days.


 (3)    The following Bill was introduced by the Minister of Finance  in
     the National Assembly on 21 September  2001  and  referred  to  the
     Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for classification in terms of  Joint
     Rule 160:


     (i)     Stock Exchanges  Control  Amendment  Bill  [B  75  -  2001]
          (National Assembly - sec 75) [Explanatory summary of Bill  and
          prior notice  of  its  introduction  published  in  Government
          Gazette No 22699 of 21 September 2001.]


     The Bill has also been  referred  to  the  Portfolio  Committee  on
     Finance of the National Assembly.


     In terms of Joint Rule 154 written views on the  classification  of
     the Bill may be submitted to  the  Joint  Tagging  Mechanism  (JTM)
     within three parliamentary working days.


 (4)    The Minister of Finance on 20 September 2001 submitted  a  draft
     of the Stock Exchanges Control Amendment Bill,  2001,  as  well  as
     the memorandum explaining the objects of the proposed  legislation,
     to the Speaker and the Chairperson in terms of Joint Rule 159.  The
     draft has been referred to the Portfolio Committee on  Finance  and
     the  Select  Committee  on  Finance  by   the   Speaker   and   the
     Chairperson, respectively, in accordance with Joint Rule 159(2).

TABLINGS:

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:

Papers:

1. The Minister of Foreign Affairs:

 Report and Financial Statements of the Department  of  Foreign  Affairs
 for 2000-2001, including the  Report  of  the  Auditor-General  on  the
 Financial Statements of Vote 11 - Department  of  Foreign  Affairs  for
 2000-2001 [RP 139-2001].

                     TUESDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2001

TABLINGS:

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:

Papers:

1. The Minister for Provincial and Local Government:

 Report and Financial Statements of the  Department  of  Provincial  and
 Local Government for 2000-2001, including the Report  of  the  Auditor-
 General on the Financial Statements of Vote 22 - Provincial  and  Local
 Government for 2000-2001 [RP 132-2001].

1. The Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology:

 Report and Financial Statements of the  Department  of  Arts,  Culture,
 Science and Technology for  2000-2001,  including  the  Report  of  the
 Auditor-General on the Financial Statements of Vote 4 - Arts,  Culture,
 Science and Technology for 2000-2001 [RP 92-2001].

1. The Minister of Trade and Industry:

 Report  and  Financial  Statements  of  the  South  African  Bureau  of
 Standards for 2000-2001, including the Report of the Auditor-General on
 the Group Financial Statements for 2000-2001.

1. The Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs:

 Report and Financial  Statements  of  the  Perishable  Products  Export
 Control Board for 2000.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

National Council of Provinces:

1. Report of the Select Committee on Social Services on the National Health Laboratory Service Amendment Bill [B 56 - 2001] (National Council of Provinces - sec 76), dated 25 September 2001:

   The Select Committee on Social Services, having considered the subject of the National Health Laboratory Service Amendment Bill [B 56 - 2001] (National Council of Provinces - sec 76), referred to it, reports the Bill without amendment.