National Council of Provinces - 07 August 2002
WEDNESDAY, 7 AUGUST 2002 __
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
____
The Council met at 14:05.
The Deputy 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
Dr P J C NEL: Mnr die Voorsitter, ek gee kennis dat ek op die volgende sittingsdag gaan voorstel:
Dat die Raad kennis neem dat -
(1) die Nuwe NP met groot waardering kennis geneem het van die SAL se onlangs vrygestelde jaarverslag waaruit dit onder meer blyk dat -
(a) die SAL in die afgelope boekjaar daarin geslaag het om 'n
wesensverlies van R998 miljoen in die vorige boekjaar om te
swaai in 'n wins van R553 miljoen, in teenstelling met die
meeste van die ander internasionale lugrederye, wat groot
verliese getoon het in dieselfde boekjaar;
(b) die inkomste uit passasiersbedrywighede met 25,8% tot R11,2
miljoen toegeneem het ten spyte van die New York-tragedie van 11
September 2001, sowel as stygende brandstofpryse; en
(c) die inkomste van die tegniese afdeling, wat een van die beste in
die wêreld is, met 54,6% tot R532 miljoen gestyg het vir dienste
gelewer ten opsigte van die herstel en opgradering van vliegtuie
vir ander internasionale lugrederye wêreldwyd; en
(2) die Nuwe NP, soos almal in die Raad, baie trots is op hierdie wonderlike prestasie en die Hoof- Uitvoerende Beampte, mnr André Viljoen, en sy bestuurspan gelukwens met die wonderlike prestasie wat hulle behaal het sonder hulp uit die buiteland. (Translation of Afrikaans notice of motion follows.)
[Dr P J C NEL: Madam Chair, I give notice that I shall move at the next sitting of the House:
That the Council notes that -
(1) the New NP has noted with great appreciation the recently published annual report of the SAA, from which it is evident, among others, that -
(a) in the past financial year the SAA has managed to transform a
material loss of R998 million in the previous financial year
into a profit of R553 million, in contrast to most of the other
international airlines, which have shown big losses in the same
financial year;
(b) revenue from commuter activities increased with 25,8% to R11,2
million in spite of the New York tragedy of 11 September 2001 as
well as increased fuel prices; and
(c) revenue from the technical division, which is one of the best in
the world, increased by 54,6% to R532 million for services
rendered in respect of the repairs and upgrading of aeroplanes
for other international airlines worldwide; and
(2) the New NP, like everyone in the Council, is very proud of this marvellous achievement and congratulates the Chief Executive Officer, Mr André Viljoen, and his management team on having performed so remarkably without foreign assistance.]
POLICE SUCCESSES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS
(Draft Resolution)
Mrs E N LUBIDLA: Chairperson, I wish to move without notice:
That the Council -
(1) congratulates the newly appointed Minister of Safety and Security, Charles Nqakula, and his department on their series of successes in the fight against illegal drug manufacturing and smuggling in South Africa;
(2) lauds their latest seizing of imported Mandrax-manufacturing equipment and chemicals to the value of R320 million, bringing the total amount of similar equipment and chemicals seized over the last month to almost four billion rand; (3) expresses the hope that these victories, which rank among the biggest drug busts in the world, will dispel notions that our country is a safe haven and transit point for organised crime syndicates; and
(4) believes that these operations will ensure that the availability and use of drugs such as Mandrax is beyond the reach of our township pedlars and users.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
NCOP SITTING IN UMTATA
(Draft Resolution)
Mnr A E VAN NIEKERK: Voorsitter, ek stel sonder kennisgewing voor:
Dat die Raad -
(1) kennis neem dat - (a) die Nasionale Raad van Provinsies verlede week geskiedenis gemaak het deur ‘n sitting in Umtata te hou;
(b) die eerste keer wat die Parlement elders gesit het in 1864 te
Grahamstad, ook in die Oos-Kaap, was en dat die Parlementslede
toe ses dae per ossewa daarheen gereis het;
(c) baie huidige lede van die Raad byna net so lank per motor en
vliegtuig gereis het, maar dat die ontwikkeling sedert 1864 tog
duidelik waarneembaar is;
(d) tydens die Anglo-Boereoorlog in 1901 'n Parlementêre sitting ook
buite Kaapstad gehou is; en
(e) die resultaat van die poging om die Parlement na die mense te
neem, sekerlik in die toekoms beleef sal word; en
(2) aanvaar dat die beplanning vir die besoek aan die ander provinsies sal put uit die ondervinding van hierdie afgelope sitting en dat meer oorlegpleging met lede en die swepery ‘n aanwins sal wees. (Translation of Afrikaans draft resolution follows.)
[Mr A E VAN NIEKERK: Chairperson, I shall move at the next sitting of the House:
That the Council -
(1) notes that -
(a) the National Council of Provinces made history last week by
holding a sitting in Umtata;
(b) the first time Parliament sat elsewhere was in 1864 in
Grahamstown, also in the Eastern Cape, and that at the time the
journey there took Members of Parliament six days in ox wagons;
(c) the journey by car and aeroplane took many present members of
the Council nearly as long, but that development since 1864 is
nonetheless clearly apparent;
(d) during the Anglo-Boer War in 1901 a Parliamentary sitting was
also held outside of Cape Town; and
(e) the result of the effort to take Parliament to the people will
surely be experienced in the future; and
(2) accepts that the planning for the visit to the other provinces will gain from the experience of this past sitting and that more consultation with members and the whippery will be an asset.]
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
PERFORMANCE OF TEAM SOUTH AFRICA AT THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M A SULLIMAN: Chair, I move without notice:
That the Council -
(1) notes with a sense of great national pride and excitement the collective heroic performances of Team South Africa at the Commonwealth Games which was held in Manchester, England, over the past two weeks;
(2) further notes that their total medal haul comprising of nine gold, twenty silver and seventeen bronze medals is twelve more than the total won at the Malaysian Games in 1998 and enough to ensure fifth place out of a total of seventy-two nations that competed;
(3) acknowledges the successes achieved by the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa since 1992 in promoting sport in all communities, including disabled communities; and
(4) commends the South African Commonwealth Games Association and the South African Sports Commission on their commitment and enthusiasm, which ensured the exposure and reflection of our unique South African winning spirit in the international sporting arena.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
A TRIBUTE TO SARA BAARTMAN
(Draft Resolution)
Rev M CHABAKU: Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council -
(1) congratulates the Deputy Minister, our sister and comrade Bridgette Mabandla, on her extensive research, interviews and preparations, as well as the various hearings she held to ensure that the remains of our beloved daughter of the soil, Sara Baartman, are returned to her motherland, le fa a tla a setse a na le maina a bokgoba, eseng a Se- Aforika [even though she comes back carrying her slave names, and not her African names];
(2) e leboge go bo a thusitse batho ba rona go reetswa fa ba tlhalosa gore ba mo itsitse jang, le gore setso sa bona se ntse jang [thanks her for ensuring that our people are heard when they talk about how they came to know her, and when they talk about their culture];
(3) e lebogele le gore masalela a gagwe a ne a apeswa moaparo wa setso; le gore [commends those involved for ensuring that her remains are robed ritually; and]
(4) e lemoge gore masalela a gagwe a tlaa bewa ka Labotlhano o re yang re mo lebile ka tlotlo e e feletseng [takes note that her remains will be interred this coming Friday].
Ke kopa gore Khansele eno e amogele tshitshinyo eno, le fa ke sa ba itsisa ka nako [I request the Council to agree to this motion, even though I did not inform it on time].
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mr M L Mushwana): Order! Any objection?
Mr A E VAN NIEKERK: Chairperson, although we do not object to the contents of the motion, the Rules explicitly say that a motion cannot be put if a debate on that specific topic is going to follow.
For that reason, I object.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mr M L Mushwana): Order! We are going to debate this matter in the next few minutes. Rev Chabaku’s motion is intended to congratulate the Minister. It is not on the substantive issues that are going to be debated, but on the steps that the Minister has taken to ensure that what we are going to debate takes place.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
Mr N M RAJU: [Inaudible.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mr M L Mushwana): You wanted to speak on sport, I believe? [Laughter.]
No, it is all right, Mr Raju, let us proceed.
BESKIKBAARHEID VAN ANTIRETROVIRALE MIDDELS
(Konsepbesluit)
Dr P J C NEL: Voorsitter, ek stel sonder kennisgewing voor:
Dat die Raad kennis neem dat- (1) alle moontlike middels wat kan help om die skrikwekkende MIV/vigspandemie te beveg en om die dodelike virus se oordrag aan onskuldige babas te beperk, vir alle gewone burgers beskikbaar moet wees;
(2) volgens alle aanduidings wêreldwyd, Nevirapine steeds een van die beste hulpmiddels is om te verhoed dat hierdie vloek die volgende geslagte tref;
(3) die Nuwe NP besorg is oor die hardnekkige gerugte wat tans weer die rondte doen dat middels soos Nevirapine giftig is en dus onttrek moet word; en
(4) die Nuwe NP die hoop uitspreek dat hierdie middels saam met ander beskikbaar sal bly totdat meer geskikte alternatiewe voorsien kan word. (Translation of Afrikaans draft resolution follows.)
[Dr P J C NEL: Madam Speaker, I move without notice:
That the Council notes that -
(1) all possible remedies that can help to combat the terrible HIV/Aids pandemic and to limit the transmission of the fatal virus to innocent babies, should be available to all ordinary citizens;
(2) according to all indications worldwide, Nevirapine is still one of the best means to prevent this curse from being visited on the next generations;
(3) the New NP is concerned over the persistent rumours doing the rounds once again that remedies like Nevirapine are toxic and should therefore be withdrawn; and
(4) the New NP expresses the hope that these remedies will remain available along with others until more suitable alternatives can be supplied.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Any objection to the motion?
Mr M A SULLIMAN: Ek maak beswaar teen die voorstel, mnr die Voorsitter. [I object to the motion, Mr Chairprson.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: In the light of the objection, the motion may not be proceeded with. The motion without notice will then become a notice of motion.
Are there any further motions without notice? There is none. We will now proceed to the subject as printed on the Order Paper, namely Sara Baartman: An epitome of the restoration of human dignity against a background of gender and racial discrimination.
I take this opportunity to welcome the hon the Deputy Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, to the NCOP and call upon her to address the House.
SARA BAARTMAN: AN EPITOME OF THE RESTORATION OF HUMAN DIGNITY AGAINST A BACKGROUND OF GENDER AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
(Subject for discussion)
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF ARTS, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Chairperson, hon members, our President, the hon Mr Mbeki, has eloquently said that Sara Baartman’s return is profoundly significant because her experience symbolises the inter-relationship of gender oppression, colonialisation and racial exploitation.
Indeed, Miss Baartman’s return and the process that enabled this historic occurrence give us room for hope and inspire us for the future, just as the past and the sad tale of her life make us look at the colonial times with horror.
Before I engage with the body of my speech, let me just confirm a fact that many members may know. As per the decision of the reference group, Miss Baartman shall be referred to, from now on, as Sara Baartman and not in the diminutive Dutch name that was appended to her. According to my dictionary, something that is diminutive indicates a small size and sometimes the state or quality of being lovable, despicable or contemptible. This certainly may have been in the mind-set of those who took Miss Baartman to Europe and those who exhibited her naked for others to gape at and perhaps those who went to view her. Yet, there was nothing contemptible or small in spirit about this brave young woman, taken to foreign lands by sea and being unfamiliar with the language of her tormentors.
As the tale of the life of Sara Baartman will always reinforce the dangers of gender, racial and ethnic oppression, so too will the story of her return serve to affirm the strides that have been made in international understanding and mutual respect since those times. As we approach Women’s Day on 9 August, we have much to celebrate in assessing the significant changes and improvements that have occurred, especially in overcoming racial and gender discrimination. This is most marked in South Africa, where we have emerged from decades of legally enforced discrimination to a place in which countries around the world look to us in celebrating the victory of truth, justice and reconciliation over the forces of evil. It is most fitting that Sara Baartman is being given the respectful burial that she did not receive upon her death. This will happen on National Women’s Day, a day dedicated to the courage, conviction and tenacity of the women of South Africa. Our women have played a central role in changing our country for the better and working conscientiously for a better life for all. The historic 1956 antipass march to the Union Buildings was led by women from a number of cultures, all of them South Africans in the true sense of the word, and one of them serves in our reference group: Ms Sophie de Bruin.
I urge all members to participate actively and to ensure that, at both provincial and national levels, the communities of South Africa engage in making the national Women’s Month, with the theme ``Putting women’s empowerment at the heart of Africa’s reconstruction, respect our human rights, restore our dignity’’ a success. A number of events have already occurred, but there are many more that members can participate in.
A host of partners, Government institutions and departments are mobilising and marking this month, illustrating our commitment to upholding women’s rights. Lest the glow of our success and triumphs in throwing off the fetters of gender and racial discrimination blind us to the challenges that we must still face, let me remind members of some sobering words. These words were quoted at the enrobement ceremony of Sara Baartman on 4 August, which was held here in Cape Town at the Civic Centre.
Charlotte Maxeke said, almost a 100 years ago, that disease, poverty and a lack of learning are destroying our families. I believe that this is a challenge that we still face today. These obstacles to stability, equality, and human dignity are still with us. Sadly, around the world it is often the women who carry the greatest burden as a result of the scourges of poverty, illiteracy and disease. These are the girlchildren who are taken from school to work in the house and tend the family and the women who must shoulder the burden of the home and care for the sick and elderly. Let us look to the future. Let us take into our communities the message that the onus is on each and every one of us to change our world for the better.
We live in a country with possibilities; with the most enlightened Constitution in the world. Let us work in this enabling environment to realise the African dream, crown the African Union with success and challenge the burden of poverty of the so-called Third World countries. When we consider the concept of the restoration of human dignity, words that spring to mind include ubuntu, co-operation, mutual respect, tolerance, equality and, indeed, freedom. How can we have dignity without freedom?
I spoke in the National Assembly on the remarkable process of co-operation encapsulating the aforementioned characteristics that marked the historic return of Sara Baartman to her home when I delivered my budget speech. But today I am proud to outline the proactive and positive action and inter- action that facilitated and enabled this affirmation of human dignity. The Sara Baartman story itself is the embodiment of the fight against injustice and oppression, the battle to ensure the universal respect of human dignity, the indelible cognisance of cultural and gender equality against a background of gender and racial discrimination.
It gives me great pleasure to note that an integral part of the process was a work of art, an eloquent and moving poem by Diana Ferrus. Ms Ferrus herself embodies the compassion and insight that we, the citizens of the world, need if we are truly to overcome the forces of gender and racial discrimination. Such is the power of art and words that Miss Ferrus’s poem has made legislative history in France. Its translated verses have been incorporated into the enabling law that relieves Sara Baartman from her exile and humiliation and has made her, and the landmark action to repatriate her back to her people, an epitome of the restoration of human dignity against a background of past gender and racial discrimination.
Sara Baartman stands as an ultimate symbol of the evils of both gender and racial discrimination. If she had lived in another time or had not been a woman and an African during the period of colonialisation, it is possible that she would have escaped the harsh treatment that she experienced. Although the current government of France, its people and the scholars of Britain are not to blame for the prejudiced treatment which Sara Baartman received in Europe from 1810 to 1815, the role of past colonialism is unquestionable. But in our rapidly globalising world, Sara Baartman’s return to the shores of South Africa stands as a supreme example of the increasing insight and co-operation that exist between nations. No longer should one nation be perceived to be dominating another. Indeed, the essence of intergovernmental relations in most cases is one of partnership, co-operation and mutual agreement. This is best expressed through international fora such as the UN. I shall touch on this point at a later stage.
Let me first recap on the wonderful joint action that freed Sara Baartman from her captivity. As the poem bears testimony to the power of art to change the world, so too does technology, specifically information technology, enable the rapid dissemination of information that can and does in itself change the world. For when information and access to new understanding of other people’s viewpoints and cultures lead to insight, acceptance and respect, the effects can be incredibly positive and very powerful. Once more it is fitting for the mandate of the Ministry I serve that technology was the key to unlocking the second door on Sara Baartman’s long journey to freedom.
Madame Ferrus’s poem is on a website visited by one Anna Sophia Parisot in France. Miss Parisot was deeply moved by the eloquence of the poem and the longing for home and the peace of which it spoke. She brought it to the attention of Senator Abou, to whom she is a personal assistant. Senator Abou was proactive and took the process forward and sponsored the bill that enabled the release of Sara Baartman. This implicitly acknowledges that we as a species have evolved to a point where we understand the need for redress and restoring human dignity in the many instances in which it has been diminished or ignored in the past.
In explaining how he come to be involved in Sara’s cause, this is what Senator Abou said in the senate:
Her story is very sad. I was filled with indignation, indignation for her past. How could a woman, a human being, be so badly treated?
In further illustrating the role of co-operation and partnership which is so important to the journey home of Sara Baartman, let me inform members of the roles of some of the other people involved. The French minister of research, Schwartzenberg, affirmed the right of all of the world’s people to human dignity during a moving address at the handing-over ceremony. This is what he said: ``After suffering from so many insults, Sara Baartman will at last have her dignity restored, following a dark period of slavery, colonialism and racism’’. By making her free, we make ourselves freer. By paying this tribute to her, France is paying a tribute to freedom, equality and brotherhood. This bears testimony to what I have been saying on how the international co-operation surrounding the repatriation of Sara Baartman makes the event the epitome of the restoration of human dignity, in which the shackles of racial and gender oppression and discrimination should be thrown off forever.
Let me also acknowledge the role played by the national Khoisan Consultative Conference who, of course, have been in discussion with us regarding the return of the remains of Sara Baartman from as early as 1996. I would also like to mention our former ambassador to France, Barbara Masekela, who also enabled Professor Tobias, who acted as a go-between in discussions with his peers at the university and the Museum of Man to negotiate the return of the remains of Sara Baartman from 1996.
There is a lesson in all of this. We, as a people in transition, have to acknowledge that we still have a long journey to travel and that we are still in transition. We have not yet overcome the obstacles of race and gender oppression. We need a critical mass of leaders such as members. Hon members are here in this House as representatives of the people of South Africa, elected in a proper way to represent our people.
This month, as we affirm our commitment to human rights, we should restate our commitment to increasing the number of people and enjoining them in fighting for human rights and a just society in our country. We should say no to violence against women and children. [Applause.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mr M L Mushana): Hon members, there are continuous interruptions by cellphones. Please turn them off. I will not hesitate to send you out. We now proceed with the proceedings.
Ms E C GOUWS: Chairperson, hon Minister and colleagues, on Woman’s Day, 9 August 2002, Sara Baartman will be laid to rest on a hill outside the little town of Hankey in the Gamtoos Valley.
This is where she was born nearly two centuries ago. Few people in South Africa’s history could claim to have led a life that personalise the struggle of its people with such honourable iconic status.
Sara Baartman is such an icon whose image, life, death and posthumous reverence have triumphed over racism, colonialism and sexism. She was born in 1783 and spent her first 20 years as a dignified and proud Khoisan woman. While working as a servant on a farm owned by Peter Cegar, her life abruptly changed when, in 1810, she found herself on a boat to England where she would be exhibited as a freak.
It was Alexander Dunlop and Peter Cegar’s brother, Hendrik, who started this humiliating exhibit to the curious Europeans, and so the show, ``A freak of nature from Africa’’, was born. Baartman was stripped of human rights, dignity and self-respect and paraded near-naked around Piccadilly Circus in London.
In 1814, at the request of a scientist, Etienne Geoffrey Alaine, Sara Baartman was taken to France and became the object of scientific and medical research. At the age of 27 she died, probably of pneumonia, in exile - miles and miles away from her homeland and village.
On 21 February 2002 the French National Assembly voted unanimously to repatriate the remains of Sara Baartman to South Africa. And so on 1 May Sara Baartman came home. Home is where her heart was and my heart is: Hankey in the Gamtoos Valley.
Let us give hon members more information about Sara’s place of rest. Hankey was established in 1826 and is the Gamtoos Valley’s oldest and main town. It was named after the Rev William Allen Hankey, an ex-banker and secretary of the London Missionary Society.
The purpose of the establishment of the village was to grow mealies and corn for the London Missionary Society’s main station, Bethelsdorp, and also to carry out evangelistic work. The town of Hankey was planned for 250 families but started with only 25 families. The first inhabitants consisted of a large number of Khoi, a few Mfengos, a few white farmers and a mix of so-called ``Gamtouers’’.
The London Missionary Society founded the station in 1822 and terminated it in 1875. The mission became a Congregational Church, as it is today. Dr John Philip was superintendent of the village. Some of the residents had surnames such as Windvogel, Diederik, Abraham, Stuurman, Dragonder, Armoed, Scheepers and Constable. There were a few farmers, such as James Waite, Salmon Ferreira - my great-grandfather - and the Damant brothers. [Interjections.]
An irrigation scheme on the Gamtoos River has up to now been the only
national monument in Hankey. The scheme was the brainchild of William
Philip, son of the superintendent, Dr John Philip. His inspiration was the
window'' in the mountain - a big hole through the top of the mountain.
The Gamtoos River flows past both sides of the mountain and then makes a
huge turn and forms a perfect inland peninsula. The tunnel underneath this
window’’ was dug using picks and shovels and wheelbarrows. The length of
the tunnel is 240 metres and the speed of the construction was very slow -
about half a metre per day. It was started in April 1843 and completed in
August 1844 - 15 months later. It was in use from April 1845 to 1970, a
period of 125 years. This was the first ever tunnel scheme in South Africa.
If Sara could rise from her grave today, she would see a prosperous and fertile green valley of golden oranges, naartjies, orchards, vegetable lands and maize fields.
Many famous people have their roots in Hankey. Hankey has produced lawyers, doctors, specialists, reverends and dominees, teachers, educators and well- known sportsmen - there is a Springbok rugby player from Hankey too. [Interjections.] The first college for coloured teachers was the Dower College, which was also a first for Hankey. At the moment three parliamentarians, not to say they are amongst the famous Hankey children, have Hankey connections. Two of these, Mr Donald Lee and I, were born and bred in Hankey and Alwin Goosen of the NA was reverend in the famous Hankey Congregational Church.
Through the years Hankey has produced children the country can be proud of. It took Sara Baartman, two centuries later, really to throw the spotlight on this picturesque little town between the mountains in the Gamtoos Valley. Her return to her hometown provides an opportunity for symbolic reparation, because of her life as a victim of sexism, racism and colonialism. She has become an international icon of restitution for people affected by colonialism. Baartman’s story has seized the imagination of peoples all around the world, including cultural workers. A poem about Sara, written by Ms Diana Ferrus, moved the French Senate and had a major influence in Sara’s return to South Africa.
Her grave will be a simple, traditional stone slab - but the legacy will live on and on. Hankey’s 160-year founders’ monument, the largest sundial in South Africa, with a diameter of 34,6m, is at the foot of this koppie where Sara will find her resting place. The turning dial will be there to remind us that the Sara Baartman legacy will live on to remind us that at last, we are all free. South Africa celebrates the reinforcement of human rights. [Applause.]
Nksz N D NTWANAMBI: Mhlalingaphambili, Sekela Mphathiswa, maqabane noogxa bam, namhlanje sithi: Malibongwe igama lamakhosikazi. [Uwelewele.] Siyabulela kuSekela Mphathiswa ongasilibalanga isifungo esathatyathwa ngoomama abafana noLillian Ngoyi, uDorah Tamana, Helen Joseph … (Translation of Xhosa paragraph follows.) [Ms N D NTWANAMBI: Chairperson, Deputy Minister, comrades and colleagues, today we say: Malibongwe igama lamkhosikazi. [Interjections.] We thank the hon the Deputy Minister for not forgetting the oath taken by women such as Lillian Ngoyi, Dorah Tamana, Helen Joseph … ]
… and many others whose energies brought us where we are today.
Sara Baartman toured Europe not because she so desired, but because a cruel doctor lured her. She was made a so-called African Venus. In healing the continent, the department negotiated with the French authorities to return her home. In the Minister’s words;
This is a process of restoring our nation’s dignity and humanity.
I want to add that restoring women’s rights means respecting women and recognising their role in the society. Keeping an African woman naked in a cage in a foreign country’s museum like a monkey means …
… ukungasiboni, ukungasikhathaleli nokungasazeli ntweni thina makhosikazi amnyama. [… thinking little of us and showing no regard for us black women.]
Sara’s structure was that of a typical African woman - from South to North, East to West. What we cannot forget, as African women, is that Sara was a Khoisan woman who became an icon of women’s oppression and injustices committed during the colonial era.
Yiba nombono wenkosikazi ekuhanjwa kuboniswa ngobuze bayo kwiindawo ngeendawo eLondon, yaza wagqibela ngokuya kugcinwa eParis. Ngenxa yobunzima, asikwazi ukulibala ukuba wathengisa ngomzimba wakhe ingeyiyo intando yakhe, koko waye onganyelwe ziimeko zokuphila. Akahlonitshwa ke ngoku sele ebhubhile. Iindawo ezithile zomzimba wakhe zafakwa ezibhotileni ukumgcina eMuziyam. (Translation of Xhosa paragraph follows.) [Just imagine a woman being paraded in the nude in various places in London, and then ultimately being taken to Paris. Owing to circumstances beyond her control, she was forced into prostitution. She was denied dignity even in her death. Her body parts were put in bottles and kept in a museum.]
I totally disagree with French researchers who said keeping Sara in France was to restore her dignity and the humiliation she suffered as a woman and an African. In death and humiliation, she has emerged as a national symbol of an odious past and the need to restore dignity to all women of our country. The funeral on Friday will truly reflect the new South Africa - the South Africa that is nonracial, nonsexist; that cares about and respects its womenfolk for who and what they are.
In conclusion, on the occasion of celebrating Women’s Day, it is also a moment of great joy for Sara’s descendants. In our lifetime women’s rights are recognised; our dignity is restored. Women in Africa will make sure that triple oppression becomes the language of the past and that developing a woman means developing a society.
In ending, allow me, Mr Chairperson, to quote the last stanza from the work written by Diane Ferrus:
I have come to take you home where the ancient mountains shout your name. I have made your bed at the foot of the hill, your blankets are covered in buchu and mint, the proteas stand in yellow and white - I have come to take you home where I will sing for you for you have brought me peace.
Malibongwe! [Kwaqhwatywa.] [I salute you!] [Applause.]
Nkk J N VILAKAZI: Sihlalo ohloniphekileyo neNdlu yonke, mhlonishwa Phini likaNgqongqoshe womNyango, ukuhlonishwa kukaSara Baartman kungumlando ongeke ulibaleke emlandweni - izizukulwane ngezizukulwane.
USara wadelelwa, wajivazwa futhi wehliswa isithunzi yilabo ababecabanga ukuthi bayazi bebe bengazi lutho. Namuhla uyaphakanyiswa. Kuphakanyiswa amathambo akhe futhi kubuyiswa isithunzi sakhe. Ubuntu bakhe bubuyela enhlabathini yoyisemkhulu. (Translation of Zulu paragraphs follows.)
[Mrs J N VILAKAZI: Hon Chairperson, the House at large and the hon Deputy Minister of the department, the honouring of Sara Baartman is an historic event that can never be forgotten for generations to come.
Sara was despised, denigrated and humiliated by those who considered themselves smart when they were so ignorant. Today Sara is receiving the glory. Her bones are being honoured and her dignity is being restored. Her humanity is being returned to the soil of her ancestors.]
Our God is great. He has brought honour to his lowly servant, Sara Baartman. Her name will from now onwards be honoured for generations to come. She is, indeed, an epitome of the restoration of dignity to all womankind and also to the wiping away of the degradation to slave status that she was subjected to as the ``Hottentot Venus’’. This is the vilifying name that was used when she was a slave in Europe in the 1800s. Our God is great. We glorify the Lord, the Almighty.
Egameni le-IFP, ngithi siyamdumisa uSomandla ngomsebenzi omkhulu osuwenziwe kusukela kulowo muntu owenza ucwaningo ngoSara kuze kufike esikhathini lapho umhlonishwa, iPhini likaNgqongqoshe uBrigitte Mabandla, ehambela ezweni laseFrance lapho uSara edlula khona emhlabeni. Okufike kushaqise kakhulu ukukhangiswa kwakhe okwakwenziwa ngabamhlophe ngoba nje kuthiwa wayenomzimba owawungajwayelekile. Abesilisa babekhokha izimali ukuyobuka umuntu wesifazane enqunu. Yihlazo lamahlazo leli.
Okumangalisayo ukuthi noma esedlulile emhlabeni ubuchopho bakhe kanye nesitho sobuntu bakhe kwakhikhilizwa kwafakwa emabhodleleni lapho kwahlala khona iminyaka ngeminyaka. Ngithi kubantu besifazane akuyona indaba encane lena, inkulu iyesabeka. USara wahlukunyezwa empilweni yakhe futhi wayesemncane. Akahlalanga emhlabeni, wafa ehlushwa eshiye izwe lakubo nezihlobo zakhe.
Siyambonga uHulumeni ngalo lonke iqhaza alibambile ekumbuyiseni eze ezweni lakubo noma esethule. Uma kukhona abesifazane abaphila kulesi sikhathi samanje behlukunyezwa imihla yonke yokuphila kwabo, sithi kubahlukumezi mabakuyeke lokho futhi mabaqaphele ingozi. Umuntu uyisidalwa sikaNkulunkulu, noma ngabe udalwe kanjani. Ohlukumeza isidalwa sikaNkulunkulu uhlukumeza uNkulunkulu uqobo lwakhe. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of Zulu paragraphs follows.)
[On behalf of the IFP I would like to say, we praise the Almighty for the great task that has been accomplished, from the time that that person started researching Sara until the time that the hon the Deputy Minister Brigitte Mabandla visited France, where Sara died. What one finds most disgusting is the fact that her body was displayed by the white people simply because her physique was regarded as strange. Men used to spend their money just to view the naked body of a woman. This is a disgrace of the highest order.
Even more shocking is the fact that after she died, her brains and private parts were removed and stored in bottles, where they remained for many years. To women, I want to say that this is not just a minor matter, but a horrible affair.
Sara was abused in her life and she was still young. She did not live long, but died in suffering, away from her country and relatives.
We thank the Government for the role it has played in bringing her back to her country, though only as a corpse. If there are women at this point in time who are victims of perpetual abuse, we appeal to their abusers to stop this practice and to take heed. A human being is a creation of God, irrespective of what he or she looks like, so anyone who abuses God’s creation, abuses God himself. [Applause.]]
Mrs E N LUBIDLA: Chairperson, hon members and hon Minister, on 21 February 2002, French research minister Roger-Gerard Schwartzenberg said:
Saartjie Baartman was first a victim of the exploitation suffered by South African ethic groups during colonialisation. Secondly, Saartjie Baartman was a victim of colonialism and sexism, because her dignity as a woman and her rights were denied. Thirdly, she was also a victim of racism, which was a characteristic of anthropology at the time, the latter being very much turned to ethnocentrism.
I see in this bill a double symbol. Firstly, it gives us the opportunity to turn the page of decades marked by colonialism, racism and sexism. It will mark the end of a painful period when non-European populations were not viewed as equal to European ones. Secondly, it makes our world acknowledge equality among people. This is an important moment of unity around an essential principle, the dignity of any human being, whatever his or her religion, origin and conditions. Sara Baartman was born in 1789 into the Griqua tribe of the Eastern Cape, a subgroup of the Khoisan people, who are now thought to be the first aboriginal inhabitants of the southern tip of Africa.
Her family moved to a shack near Cape Town, and while working as a 20-year- old servant to a local farmer she attracted the attention of a visiting English ship surgeon, William Dunlop. What made her a curiosity in the doctor’s eyes were her extraordinarily enlarged buttocks and her unusually elongated labia, a genital peculiarity of some Khoisan women of that time. She agreed to go with Dunlop to England, where he promised her she would become rich and famous as a subject of medical and anthropological research.
At first scientists, who named her genital condition the Hottentot
apron'', placed her under anatomical scrutiny. However, the only success
she achieved was on exhibit before the public, who queued to see the
Hottentot Venus’’ as they would an animal in a zoo.
In London and later in Paris, Baartman was displayed in a grotesque parody
of the Birth of Venus. People paid one shilling to gawk at her in a hall in
Piccadilly, where she was depicted as a wild animal in a cage, dancing for
her keeper. Baartman was supposed to be paid half of the proceeds from her
performances, but, in fact, she was employed as a nursemaid by her
impresarios and saw little of the profits. Sad and homesick, she was
persuaded to go to Paris for further scientific examination, and, again,
went on view as a freakish curiosity for a public eager to see what was
billed as a subhuman species from Africa.
The European climate was too severe for the young servant girl from Africa.
She fell sick and died in 1815 of what documents at the time described as
an inflammatory and eruptive sickness'', probably pneumonia. Her remains
were handed over to naturalists from the Musée de l' Homme. They made a
cast of her body and preserved her brain, genitals and parts of her
skeleton as exhibits in the museum. Even in death the Hottentot Venus’’
continued to amaze visitors, until as recently as 1975, when her remains
were moved to the museum’s archives.
We commend unreservedly the spirit displayed by some Africans who never forgot Baartman and specifically the National Khoisan Consultative Conference, a tribal representative body which has pressed for Baartman’s return since 1995. Even though a change in French law was needed for this to happen, Khoisan leaders enlisted the help of former President Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s most renowned palaeoanthropologist, Philip Tobias, to plead their case.
It is for reasons such as Sara’s life that the international community has specifically recognised women’s and girl’s rights - to be free from sexual violence - in various international human rights treaties. It is for this reason that South Africans on Friday, 9 August, will be celebrating Women’s Day.
The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 1995, defines violence against women as ``any act of gender-biased violence that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, in public or private’’.
Violence against women is one of the most brutal consequences of the economic, social, political and cultural inequalities that exist between men and women. It is also perpetuated by legal and political systems that have historically discriminated against women. The Khoi people of our country and the descendants of the Khoi have every right solemnly to celebrate the return of one who was their daughter.
They have every right to demand that this historic act of redress should be given its true meaning by the restoration to the Khoi and the San of their place of pride as Africans equal to all other Africans. [Applause.]
Mnr A E VAN NIEKERK: Mnr die Voorsitter, baie dankie. In 1995 het die Griekwa Nasionale Konferensie die lot van Sara Baartman, toe nog Saartjie Baartman, aan oud-president Mandela bekend gemaak.
Net op daardie punt het ek ‘n gevoel die naam Saartjie is júís nou van toepassing, waar die verkleinwoord klem lê op liefde en nie verkleining nie
- want ek sal vir Oom Dawie Valie tog nooit Dawid Valie kan sê nie.
Ons gee vandag erkenning aan die rol wat die pogings van dr Ben Ngubane, prof Philip Tobias en die agb Adjunk-Minister en ander gespeel het om die terugkeer van Sara se oorskot te verseker.
Soos ons nou al gehoor het, is Sara Baartman in 1816 oorlede en is sy tot 1976 tentoongestel in die Paryse Museum van die Mensheid. In Maart 2002 is sy aan ons Regering oorhandig en sy word oormôre, op Vrydag 9 Augustus 2002, daar by die agb Embrensia Gouws se Hankey begrawe. By hierdie begrafnis behoort daar egter nie trane van hartseer te vloei nie. As daar trane vloei, moet dit van blydskap en feesviering wees. Hierdie begrafnis behoort alle Suid-Afrikaners nader aan mekaar te bring, want dit is ‘n simbool van erkenning van die verlede en van dit wat verkeerd is. Dit is egter ook ‘n simbool en ‘n fees van hoop vir die toekoms; hoop waar ons almal ons koppe kan hoog hou en weet dat menseregte ‘n basiese reg is waarop elkeen in Suid-Afrika kan aandring omdat ons Grondwet dit verseker.
Terwyl papier geduldig is, is hierdie begrafnis ook ‘n simbool dat Suid- Afrikaners ernstig is om die Grondwet in die praktyk ‘n werklikheid te maak. Ons moet erken dat Sara Baartman aan onmenslikhede blootgestel was en daardeur beklemtoon ons die werklikheid dat die terugbring en begrawe van haar stoflike oorskot in ritme is met beskawingsnorme.
Voorsitter, daar is ongelukkig ook ‘n ander sy van die saak waarna ons moet kyk. Ek het ‘n skrywe in die naam van Opperhoof Aartsbiskop Daniël Kanyilles van die Nasionale Raad van die Khoi Stamhoofde ontvang. Soos die agb Lubidla gesê het, hierdie mense alle reg om fees te vier, maar tog is daar hierdie boodskap: Die Khoisan van Suid-Afrika sit vandag met gemengde gevoelens: Aan die een kant dankbaarheid dat Sara uiteindelik, ná die vernedering byna 200 jaar gelede in Europa, ter ruste gelê kan word. Sy het dié simbool van die vernedering van vele vroue geword. Haar terugkeer simboliseer egter ook hoop dat die seksuele uitbuiting van Khoisan vroue en vroue in die algemeen tot ‘n einde sal kom.
Daar is egter ook diepe ongelukkigheid, selfs bitterheid, binne die breë Khoisan gemeenskap. Hulle ervaar dit as onaanvaarbaar dat dieselfde regering wat soveel sorg toon teenoor hul grootmoeder Sara Baartman en haar lot beëindig het, haar volk se lot ignoreer. Hoewel die Verenigde Nasies, waarvan die RSA ‘n lidland is, al in 2000 erkenning verleen het aan die Khoisan as Suid-Afrika se Eerste Inheemse Nasie, sloer die Regering om dieselfde te doen. Sara Baartman is wel verhef tot nasionale simbool, maar sy het uit ‘n spesifieke nasie gekom, naamlik die Khoisan. Haar mense se konstitusionele erkenning en akkommodasie is uiters dringend en noodsaaklik, anders is die huidige besorgdheid oor haar waardigheid niks anders as ‘n politieke speletjie nie. Dit maak geen sin dat Sara as ikoon vereer word, maar haar lewende nasate word verneder en misken nie.
Ek is bevoorreg dat die Opperhoof my die geleentheid gebied het om hierdie saak hier te opper. Ek doen dit omdat dit alle gemeenskappe in Suid-Afrika raak. Ek verwys na die waardigheid van gemeenskappe soos die erkenning van die Khoisan nasie, asook die Afrikaanse gemeenskap se taal wat afgeskaal word terwyl die erkenning, ontwikkeling en gebruik van Zulu, Xhosa, Venda en die ander inheemse tale agterweë bly. Inisiasietradisies van Zulus and Xhosas word bedreig deur gesondheidspraktyke wat aangespreek moet word - en nie die tradisie nie.
In die era van globalisering word ikone soos Sara Baartman al hoe belangriker om te bevestig dat die geestesgoedere wat ons van ons voorvaders gekry het, in stand gehou moet word. Elkeen van ons en die Regering het ‘n verantwoordelikheid hiertoe. Die beste manier om etniese konflikte te voorkom of vreedsaam op te los, is om diskriminasie teen minderheidsgroepe en individue af te skaf. En dit is aspekte wat deeglik in berekening gehou is by Kempton Park toe daar sekere klousules vir ons Grondwet geformuleer is - klousules wat, soos aan Sara, waardigheid aan mense kan gee.
Verskillende grondwetlike instansies moet geloofwaardigheid en ondersteuning van die Suid-Afrikaanse publiek kry, want hulle moet omsien na ons basiese menseregte, na ons waardigheid, wat Sara ontneem is. Grondwetlike instansies soos die Pan-Suid-Afrikaanse Taalraad, die Menseregtekommissie en die beoogde Kommissie vir die Beskerming en Bevordering van Taal-, Kultuur- en Godsdiensgemeenskappe is tot ons beskikking en skep ‘n geleentheid om nie terug te gryp na die verlede nie, maar om saam te bou vir die toekoms.
Kom ons verenig in die soeke na die gemeenskaplikhede en bou ons saamwees in hierdie wonderlike kontinent daarop. Ons salueer Sara Baartman. Ons salueer die regte van vroue. Ons salueer menseregte. Ons salueer die waardigheid van elke man, vrou en kind en verbind ons om vandag te sien as ‘n vertrekpunt en nie ‘n eindpunt nie. Die volgende gedig is van toepassing op Sara, maar ook op elkeen van ons: (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr A E VAN NIEKERK: Mr Chairperson, thank you. In 1995 the Griqua National Conference made the fate of Sara Baartman, then Saartjie Baartman, known to former president Mandela.
Regarding that point alone, I have a feeling the name Saartjie is the very name that is applicable now, as the diminutive form emphasises love and not diminution - because I will never be able to call Uncle Dawie Valie, Dawid Valie.
Today we recognise the efforts of Dr Ben Ngubane, Prof Philip Tobias and the hon the Deputy Minister and others in ensuring the return of Sara’s remains.
As we have heard, Sara Baartman died in 1816, and she was exhibited in the Paris Museum of Humanity until 1976. In March 2002 she was handed to our Government and she will be buried the day after tomorrow, Friday 9 August 2002, there at the hon Embrensia Gouws’s Hankey. At this funeral, however, no tears of sadness should flow. If any tears are to flow, they must be tears of joy and celebration.
This funeral should bring all South Africans closer to one another, as it is a symbol of recognition of the past and of what is wrong. However, it is also a symbol and a celebration of hope for the future; hope where we can all hold our heads high and know that human rights are basic rights on which every person in South Africa can insist, because our Constitution ensures it.
While paper is patient, this funeral is also a symbol that South Africans are serious about making the Constitution a reality in practice. We must acknowledge that Sara Baartman was subjected to inhuman treatment, thus emphasising the reality that the return and burial of her earthly remains is in rhythm with civilisation’s norms.
There is sadly also another side to this matter, which we have to consider. I received a letter in the name of Paramount Chief Archbishop Daniël Kanyilles of the National Council of the Khoi Tribal Chiefs. As the hon Ludibla has said, these people have every right to celebrate, however, there is this message:
Today, the Khoisan of South Africa has mixed feelings: On the one hand there is gratitude that Sara is eventually, after the humiliation almost 200 years ago in Europe, to be laid to rest. She became the very symbol of the humiliation of many women. However, her return also symbolises hope that the sexual exploitation of Khoisan women and women in general will come to an end.
However, there is deep unhappiness, even bitterness, in the broader Khoisan community. They experience it as unacceptable that the same Government that is showing so much care for their grandmother Sara Baartman and has ended her fate, ignores her nation’s fate. Even though the United Nations, of which the RSA is a member, have already in 2000 given recognition to the Khoisan as South Africa’s First Indigenous Nation, the Government has dragged their feet in doing the same. Although Sara Baartman has been elevated to national symbol, she came from a specific nation, namely the Khoisan. Her people’s constitutional recognition and accommodation is extremely urgent and essential, otherwise the current concern about her dignity is nothing other than a political game. It does not make sense that Sara is honoured as an icon, but her living descendants are humiliated and disregarded.
I am privileged that the Paramount Chief gave me the opportunity to raise this issue here. I am doing it because it concerns all communities in South Africa. I am making reference to the dignity of communities like the acknowledgement of the Khoisan nation, also the Afrikaans community’s language, which is being down-scaled, while the recognition, development and use of Zulu, Xhosa, Venda and the other indigenous languages are left behind. Initiation traditions of Zulus and Xhosas are threatened by health issues which must be addressed - and not the tradition.
In the era of globalisation, icons like Sara Baartman become all the more important when confirming that the spiritual wealth which we inherited from our forebears must be maintained. Each of us, and the Government, has a responsibility in this respect. The best way to avoid ethnic conflict or to solve it peacefully is to abolish discrimination against minority groups and individuals. These are aspects which were thoroughly taken into consideration at Kempton Park when certain clauses of our Constitution were formulated - clauses which can give people, like Sara, dignity.
Different constitutional institutions must receive credibility and support from the South African public, because they must look after our basic human rights, our dignity, of which Sara was deprived. Constitutional institutions like the Pan South African Language Board, the Human Rights Commission and the envisaged Commission for the Protection and Promotion of Linguistic, Cultural, and Religious Communities are at our disposal and present an opportunity not to revert to the past, but to build together for the future.
Let us unite in the pursuit of commonalities and build our togetherness in this wonderful continent on that. We salute Sara Baartman. We salute the rights of women. We salute human rights. We salute the dignity of each man, woman and child and commit ourselves to seeing today as a starting point, and not as a destination. The following poem is applicable to Sara, but also to each of us:]
‘Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
What am I bidden, good folks,'' he cried,
Who’ll start the bidding for me?’’
A dollar, a dollar,'' then, two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?
``Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three … ‘’ But no,
From the room, far back, a grey-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a carolling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: What am I bid for the old violin?''
And he held it up with the bow.
A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice;
And going and gone,’’ said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
We do not quite understand
What changed its worth?'' Swift came the reply:
The touch of a master’s hand.’’
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A mess of potage'', a glass of wine;
A game - and he travels on.
He isgoing’’ once, and going'' twice,
He'sgoing; and almost ``gone’’.
But the Master comes and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the charge that’s wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.
[Applause.]]
Mr R M NYAKANE: Chairperson, perhaps first and foremost one has to say sorry to Sara Baartman for her experience and, of course, to the family of Sara Baartman. An adage has it that a man who is born of woman is of few days and full of troubles. Others argue that every man is born free, but wherever he goes, he is in chains.
Sara Baartman’s life history has been no exception from these observations. However, one needs to exercise due care not to lift Sara Baartman’s story above other known similar cases of sexual harassment and human torture that we have experienced and are still experiencing in South Africa.
While we engage ourselves in this discussion, we need to bear in mind that often our attempts to say something wise and helpful, as we are doing here at the moment, are far less valuable than just sitting next to the bereaved ones, holding their hands and crying with them. Jesus Christ demonstrated this principle when he visited Mary and Martha after Lazarus died. He sensed the depth of Mary’s despair over her brother Lazarus’s death and he shared her grief by weeping.
Sara Baartman’s body will be buried on Friday in the Eastern Cape. Perhaps that will be our chance to avail ourselves there, next to her body and her next of kin.
Perpetrators of crimes of high degree, such as rape, incest, bestiality, sodomy and murder should not, when found guilty by a court of law, enjoy mercy of whatever nature, in any way but rather be unconditionally and permanently removed from our society.
May I commend our Government and the people of South Africa for having expressed ubuntu, in classic terms, by accepting the disgraced body of our sister, Sara Baartman, given back by the great nations of Europe that claimed to be better civilised than dark Africa.
These are the few words I wanted to share with the House on this issue. [Applause.]
Ms J L KGOALI: Chairperson, Deputy Minister, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, there is an old proverb that says it takes a village to raise a child. I would add that it takes dignity in the village to put dignity in the child.
But, as mothers, daughters and sisters, our challenge today goes beyond the boundaries of any one village. It is to build a village of dignity for all women and children across the nation and around the world. To build this village, we must continue the work that began nearly 50 years ago by women such as Lillian Ngoyi, Ida Mntwana, Charlotte Maxeke, Ruth First, Helen Joseph, Dorothy Nyembe, Ma-Baard and many others who stood very firm and defied the then oppressive laws in our country. Their struggle against the blatant attempt by the apartheid regime to strip them of their dignity laid the early foundation for us to build a village of dignity.
Today, 7 August 2002, two days prior to National Women’s Day, I am proud to stand here in memory of these heroic women. I proudly stand here to salute our Government for providing us with the building blocks in the form of gender-sensitive legislation and policy changes to construct this village of dignity on the solid foundation that has been laid by these brave women.
August 9 represents the collective effort of women in this country nearly 50 years ago to take a stand and say to the racist white minority: ``thus far, and no further.’’ August 9, 1956, was the day on which women marched to the Union Buildings to hand in a petition opposing the extension of pass laws to black people specifically, but more generally to say oppression of one by another is wrong. It is a day that has come to represent the spirit of women in this country, both black and white, to fight for gender equality, and has since been declared National Women’s Day. It is a very important day to us. It is also an International Day of Indigenous People, a reference more to countries where aboriginal inhabitants such as the first nations of the Americas and New Zealand, as well as Australia, are still being subjugated by the colonisers-turned-masters.
It was on 9 August two years ago that the monument to the women of this country was unveiled in Tshwane. The monument represents the campaign to claim women’s place in society, their humanity and their rights. African women in particular, and Africans generally, have a huge task to reclaim their heritage. It is this drive to reclaim the heritage of who we are and who we must become that saw the Deputy Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Comrade Bridgette Mabandla, mounting a campaign to reclaim the remains of the most abused African woman, our great-great-grandmother, Sara Baartman.
That campaign saw history being made four months ago when the French government and its parliament passed laws for her remains, defined in French laws as artefacts, to be repatriated, returned back home.
What we need to celebrate here today is the wandering spirit of Sara Baartman, our grandmother, who will be laid to rest on 9 August 2002 on a hilltop overlooking the Gamtoos River near where she was born.
The struggle to have her remains returned to the land of her birth is a critical part of the struggle for the restoration of the human dignity of women all over the world who have been subjected to colonial, racist and sexist oppression. It is an affirmation of women’s determination to take back what rightfully belongs to them: dignity as women.
The ANC supports the Government’s vision which recognises the full humanity of women. It is a vision of restoring the human dignity of women, a vision that affords women a choice in how they live their lives, a vision that gives them equal access to essential services, and a vision that gives them an equal opportunity to contribute to public life.
The ANC salutes the Government of the day for its efforts in ensuring that human dignity is being respected. Today we say, ``never shall women be abused or harassed’’. Let us all strive to defend the rights of women.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF ARTS, CULTURE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Malibongwe! Chairperson, let me really thank hon members for the inspiring contributions and the true affirmation of our commitment as a people to the advancement of human rights.
I would like perhaps, to correct something mentioned here by Mr Van Niekerk, because I think what was passed on to him was not correct. Let me begin by saying that one of the legacies of apartheid is the issue of identity, in that many in our country still have doubts about who they are and where they belong. It is a legacy of apartheid, and it is one that we will be able to deal with as our democracy and our constitutional state strengthens, because we are now a people governed by new values.
When, indeed, we chose a human rights framework, it was precisely in recognition of our diversity and the fact that there are challenges that we will face as a people. So, we ought to say no to ethnic chauvinism, and yes to nation-building.
In fact, in all our consultations with people who have first claim, or see themselves as having first claim, to the legacy of Sara Baartman, there is an understanding that what we are doing is in the interests of all our people in South Africa.
In fact, as the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, we are celebrating our common heritage, which was ignored in the past, by putting forward new interpretations of, for instance, Isandlwana and the Anglo-Boer War - the South African War - but, today, as we are returning Sara Baartman, this is common heritage. It provides us with moments when we say no to war, no to intolerance of differences on the basis of religion, race, ethnicity, culture, etc.
I worry about what the hon member has just said in that there are people who … I mean, the question is neither here nor there. As a constitutional state, whether there are first people or second people, we are all South Africans. South Africa belongs to all its people, black and white.
We have a Constitution that makes us equal to each other, individually and as groups. We are allowed by our Constitution to make associations of our choice. We have a Human Rights Commission which is there as a watchdog for gross human rights violations by either vertical or horizontal action. We also have a Public Protector for where there is discrimination by state organs. So, it is incorrect for people to say that this Government discriminates against a certain group of people called the Khoisan. Our coat of arms, which is one of the first-order national symbols of our country, recognises in its motifs and wording one of the important languages that we nearly lost.
I would like to assure my colleagues that we did not ride on the just event of the return of Sara Baartman. I indeed will formally inform hon members today that in 1995 one of the tasks with a human rights background - and the first thing that I wanted to know - was whether there were Khoisan people in this country and where they were. It was on the basis of that information and interaction that in 1996 a resolution was taken at the CSIR, at a summit we had convened, to say that we wanted Sara Baartman to be returned to us.
It is because of the work we did that when we were given poverty alleviation allocations, we dedicated R6 million to our San and Khoi or Khoisan communities, because there is still debate about who people are. And, as I say, after Sara, one of the positive spin-offs will be scholarships. We will, indeed, sponsor academic work around the Khoisan heritage in full. So we will confirm who people are for the purpose of heritage. [Applause.]
I would like to say to my dear sisters and brothers that when Charlotte Maxeke spoke she said the challenges then were poverty, disease and lack of education. And these are the things that we face today. Let us use the memory of Sara to reaffirm and strengthen our communities. It is still a challenge today. And, because we will be working together and networking among ourselves across the colour line, we will be able to deal with the real nitty-gritties, the real issues of our people.
Having said that, we should say no to any form of discrimination against people and actually blow the whistle if there are institutions or persons that ill-treat other people because they are of Khoisan origin. We must actually correct that misrepresentation because it is not true; it is a lie. [Applause.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mr M L Mushwana): Order! That concludes the discussion. Allow me to take this opportunity to thank the hon Deputy Minister for engaging this House in a lively debate and for exchanging such valuable information with us.
Debate concluded.
PLANNING PROFESSION BILL
(Consideration of Bill and of Report thereon)
Rev P MOATSHE: Chairperson and hon members present in this House, we are presenting the Planning Profession Bill.
Although town and regional planning may be a profession with a long tradition of social service in other countries, concerns over the rights and needs of disadvantaged and marginalised sectors of the population, the equitable distribution of resources and the involvement of citizens in community decisions have been absent from this profession in South Africa.
The professional planner is one of the key contributors to making urban and rural life workable, liable and prosperous. A planner provides research, reasoned analysis and recommendation to both the public and the private sector, intended to meet the needs of all sectors of society.
The rapid pace of social transformation in South Africa, particularly the Government’s integrated urban renewal and rural development programmes, has meant that the planning profession will increasingly be called upon to deal with development issues such as conversion of land from natural habitat to urban built areas, maintenance and use of natural resources and habitats, development of transportation-related infrastructure and environmental protection.
In South Africa, the planning discipline has been widely perceived to have been an instrument to implement the ideology of apartheid. With the democratic transformation of the country, it is necessary that this profession undergoes a similar change, if it is to have any relevance now and in the future.
This requires the formulation and acceptance of an appropriate ethical code, with the express aim of serving and furthering the interests of the underprivileged and previously disadvantaged communities. Planning actions should thus be geared towards empowering the members of these communities so that they can contribute to the advancement of the nation.
One of the critical shortcomings in the profession has been the way in which professional knowledge was guarded and disseminated. The education and training of persons as planners remain firmly located in the traditionally historically white institutions at the expense of the vast majority of South Africans. Since effective democracy relies on informed constituencies, expert knowledge and institutions related to the planning profession must be demystified to facilitate greater democratic participation by the previously marginalised and disadvantaged majority.
The Bill, therefore, seeks to broaden access to this profession to previously disadvantaged South Africans. It envisages the establishment of a representative council of planners, which will have the task of transforming the profession so that it can promote the role of planning in line with our Government’s social, economic and political objectives.
We, therefore, support this Bill.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mr M L Mushwana): That was the only statement, and it concludes the speakers’ list. I shall now put the question, and the question is that the Bill, subject to proposed amendments, be agreed to. In accordance with Rule 63, I shall first allow political parties the opportunity to make declarations of vote, if they so wish. Any political party? Yes, the New NP, I see Dr Conroy.
Declaration of Vote:
Dr E A CONROY: The Planning Profession Bill aims to establish mechanisms for quality control by means of mandatory registration of all persons in the planning profession and by work reservation. It also seeks to broaden the access to the profession and tighten the ethical standards with which planners will have to comply.
Therefore, the New NP supports the Bill, which establishes juristic persons to be known as a South African Council for Planners, whose function is to administer the profession.
Bill, subject to a proposed amendment, agreed to in accordance with section 75 of the Constitution.
The Council adjourned at 15:27 ____ ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
MONDAY, 5 AUGUST 2002
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
- The Speaker and the Chairperson:
(1) The Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) on 2 August 2002 in terms of
Joint Rule 160(6), classified the following Bills as section 75
Bills:
(i) Road Accident Fund Amendment Bill [B 27 - 2002] (National
Assembly - sec 75).
(ii) Collective Investment Schemes Control Bill [B 28 - 2002]
(National Assembly - sec 75).
(2) The following Bill was introduced by the Minister of Education
in the National Assembly on 5 August 2002 and referred to the
Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for classification in terms of Joint
Rule 160:
(i) Higher Education Amendment Bill [B 30 - 2002] (National
Assembly - sec 75) [Explanatory summary of Bill and prior
notice of its introduction published in Government Gazette No
23559 of 26 June 2002.]
The Bill has been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Education
of the National Assembly.
In terms of Joint Rule 154 written views on the classification of
the Bill may be submitted to the JTM within three parliamentary
working days.
TABLINGS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces: Papers:
- The Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry:
(a) Government Notice No R 980 published in Government Gazette No
23636 dated 19 July 2002: Regulations tabled in terms of section
71(2) of the Water Services Act, 1997 (Act No 108 of 1997).
(b) Proclamation No 242 published in Government Gazette No 23180
dated 8 March 2002: Board of Bloem Water: Extension of Service
Area, tabled in terms of section 28(1)(c) of the Water Services
Act, 1997 (Act No 108 of 1997).
TUESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2002
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
- The Speaker and the Chairperson:
(1) The following Bill was introduced by the Minister of Education
in the National Assembly on 6 August 2002 and referred to the
Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for classification in terms of Joint
Rule 160:
(i) Education Laws Amendment Bill [B 31 - 2002] (National
Assembly - sec 76) [Explanatory summary of Bill and prior
notice of its introduction published in Government Gazette No
23559 of 26 June 2002.]
The Bill has been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Education
of the National Assembly.
In terms of Joint Rule 154 written views on the classification of
the Bill may be submitted to the JTM within three parliamentary
working days.
TABLINGS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
Papers:
- The Minister of Transport:
(a) Annual Report and Financial Statements of the South African
Roads Agency Limited for 2000-2001, including the Report of the
Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2000-2001 [RP 65-
2002].
(b) Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Air Traffic and
Navigation Services Company Limited for 2001-2002.
- The Minister of Trade and Industry:
(a) Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research for 2001-2002, including the
Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2001-
2002 [RP 98-2002].
(b) Report of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research on
the Technology Impact for 2002.
- The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development:
Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Independent Electoral
Commission regarding the Management and Administration of the
Represented Political Parties' Fund for 2000-2001, including the Report
of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2000-2001 [RP 15-
2002].
- The Minister of Labour:
Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Compensation Fund for
2001-2002, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial
Statements for 2001-2002 [RP 118-2002].
WEDNESDAY, 7 AUGUST 2002
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
National Council of Provinces:
- 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) Government Notice No R 980 published in Government Gazette
No 23636 dated 19 July 2002: Regulations tabled in terms of
section 71(2) of the Water Services Act, 1997 (Act No 108 of
1997).
(b) Proclamation No 242 published in Government Gazette No
23180 dated 8 March 2002: Board of Bloem Water: Extension of
Service Area, tabled in terms of section 28(1)(c) of the Water
Services Act, 1997 (Act No 108 of 1997).
(2) The following papers are referred to the Select Committee on
Public Services:
(a) Annual Report and Financial Statements of the South
African Roads Agency Limited for 2000-2001, including the
Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for
2000-2001 [RP 65-2002].
(b) Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Air Traffic
and Navigation Services Company Limited for 2001-2002.
(3) The following papers are referred to the Select Committee on
Economic and Foreign Affairs:
(a) Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research for 2001-2002, including
the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements
for 2001-2002 [RP 98-2002].
(b) Report of the Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research on the Technology Impact for 2002.
(4) The following paper is referred to the Select Committee on
Security and Constitutional Affairs:
Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Independent
Electoral Commission regarding the Management and Administration
of the Represented Political Parties' Fund for 2000-2001,
including the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial
Statements for 2000-2001 [RP 15-2002].
(5) The following paper is referred to the Select Committee on
Labour and Public Enterprises:
Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Compensation Fund
for 2001-2002, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
Financial Statements for 2001-2002 [RP 118-2002].
(6) The following papers are referred to the Select Committee on
Land and Environmental Affairs for consideration and report:
(a) Request to exclude two portion of land from the Kalahari
Gemsbok National Park, tabled in terms of section 2(3) of the
National Parks Act, 1976 (Act No 57 of 1976).
(b) Explanatory and Executive Summary relating to the request.
TABLINGS: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
Papers:
- The Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry:
(a) Government Gazette No 23377 dated 3 May 2002: An Invitation to
the public to comment on the issues and options of a Discussion
Paper "Towards a Water Services White Paper."
(b) Government Notice No 532 published in Government Gazette No
23358 dated 3 May 2002: Rates and Charges, in terms of section 11
of the Water Research Act, 1971 (Act No 34 of 1971).