FRIDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2003 __

          PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
                                ____

The Council met at 09:05.

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.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order! I notice that the hon Dipico is here. I was wondering what the commotion is about. [Laughter.] Hon members, I’ve been informed that there won’t be any motions from members.

We now come to the first motion as printed on the Order Paper. There is no speaker’s list on this motion. I shall now put the question. The question is that the motion be agreed to. The decision is dealt with in terms of section 65 of the Constitution. I shall first ascertain whether all delegation heads are present in the Chamber to cast the votes of their province. I note that all delegation heads are indeed present. In accordance with Rule 71 I shall first allow provinces the opportunity to make declarations of vote if they wish to do so. Is there any province wishing to make a declaration of vote? I note there is none.

We proceed therefore, to voting on the question. This will be done in alphabetical order per province. Delegation heads should indicate whether they vote in favour, against or abstain from voting. The Eastern Cape?

Ms B N DLULANE: We support.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Free State?

Mr Z A DINGANI: The Free State supports the motion.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Gauteng? Ms D M RAMODIBE: Re a tlatsa. [We support.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: KwaZulu-Natal?

Mrs J N VILAKAZI: Siyavumelana. [We support.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Limpopo?

Mr M I MAKOELA: I khou tenda. [We support.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Mpumalanga?

Ms M P THEMBA: We support.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: I notice that the designated leaders of delegation based in Cape Town are hesitant in the presence of the constitutionally designated leaders of delegation. Northern Cape?

Mr E M DIPICO (Premier of the Northern Cape): We support.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: There’s no confusion in the North West. [Laughter.] North West province?

Mr P S MOLEFE: Motion supported.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: And the Western Cape?

Mr C ACKERMANN: Ons steun. [We support.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: All provinces have voted in favour. I therefore, declare the motion agreed to. We proceed to the second motion as printed on the Order Paper. Again there is no speakers’ list. I shall proceed to put the question. Eastern Cape?

Ms B N DLULANE: We support.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Free State?

Mr Z A DINGANI: Free State supports the motion.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Gauteng?

Mr M GUNGUBELE: We support.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: KwaZulu-Natal?

Mrs J N VILAKAZI: Siyavumelana. [We support.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Limpopo?

Mr M I MAKOELA: E a o thekga. [We support.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Mpumalanga?

Mr N J MAHLANGU (Premier of Mpumalanga): We agree.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Northern Cape?

Mr E M DIPICO (Premier of the Northern Cape): We support the motion.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: North West province? North West is leaderless. North West province?

Mr P S MOLEFE (Premier of the North West): We support. The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Western Cape?

Mr C ACKERMANN: We support.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: All provinces have voted in favour. The motion is therefore agreed to. It is now, hon members, my great pleasure to call upon the hon Deputy President to address the House. [Applause.]

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC: Thank you, Chairperson. Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, hon Premiers, MECs, hon members, I’m delighted to be able to share a few thoughts with you today.

Each September we are all urged to renew our commitment to the values that we hold dear and which bind us together as enshrined in our Constitution. We also acknowledge and appreciate our national symbols. Our flag, the national anthem and Coat of Arms represent our national identity and should continue to enrich our pride and a sense of nationhood and patriotism in all of us. We also remember even the lesser-known national symbols, such as the national flower, the protea; the national animal, the springbok, the national tree, the yellowwood; the national fish, the galjoen and the national bird, the blue crane.

Heritage month also provides for the explosion of cultural celebrations which express our heritage and promote our cultural diversity. We also have another cause to celebrate. We are only a few months away from the tenth anniversary of the liberation of our country and people. Heritage month and Heritage Day provide us with an opportunity to begin warm-up celebrations throughout the country. We’ve come a long way since 1994. We were a country divided and a nation in turmoil facing a bleak future. From 27 April 1994, we went beyond expectations as we managed to transcend hatred, bitterness and pain and began to rebuild our country in a spirit of togetherness and co-operation. It is therefore, not surprising that many call our transition to democracy a miracle.

As we celebrate we’ll be remembering the determination, commitment, hard work and sacrifices of thousands of our people from Mangaung, kaNyamazane, KwaMashu, Guguletu, Seshego, Galeshewe, Mafikeng, Soweto, Mdantsane, the Cape Flats, Chatsworth, and many other areas. The sacrifices of countless South Africans laid the foundation for our nonracial, nonsexist democracy.

There are a number of lessons that we learnt from resolving our conflict which informed our approach to issues and the rebuilding of our country. We learnt, for example, that working together regardless of our differences was the recipe for success. That is why this Government believes in constantly promoting partnerships with all sectors of society in building our country.

We also learnt that regardless of conditions in any conflict, peace is always achievable. If there is total commitment and love for the people and country, honesty, a clear vision of the way forward and a concrete plan of how to reach our destination, success is guaranteed. The experience of the horrors of apartheid developed and deepened our commitment to reconciliation. We needed to eliminate the quest for retribution and inculcate positive and constructive values.

Reconciliation was expressed in practical terms in the inclusive nature of the multiparty negotiation process, which allowed the representation of all political parties, irrespective of their size. This unique element ensured our success. Reconciliation was further expressed in the manner in which the interim Constitution was crafted, particularly with regard to the constitutional imperative to establish a government of national unity.

Another positive attribute for our nation is that we decided to confront the demons of the past openly through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The TRC was beneficial as a healing process to many South Africans who were directly affected by apartheid brutality.

Our Constitution remains the cornerstone of our new nation and new democracy and defines who we are and what we want to achieve. In drafting the Constitution we were guided by key values such as tolerance, respect for the views and positions of other parties on issues, preparedness to apply the principle of give and take during the negotiations and the commitment to put our past behind us while we negotiated. The preamble of our Constitution states this very clearly, and I quote:

We, the people of South Africa, Recognise the injustices of our past; Honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; Respect those who have worked to build and develop our country; and Believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity. We therefore, through our freely elected representatives, adopt this Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic so as to-

   Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society
   based on democratic values, social  justice  and  fundamental  human
   rights;


   Lay the foundations for a  democratic  and  open  society  in  which
   government is based on the will of the people and  every  citizen  is
   equally protected by law;

Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person; and

Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.

This is the vision that should continue to guide our actions to build a dignified and prosperous future for future generations. In marking Heritage month we also need to celebrate the expansion of a better life for all since the achievement of democracy in 1994.

Two successful rounds of democratic elections have seen the consolidation of democracy and its extension to the local level and step by step South Africans are uniting to help eradicate the legacy of racial division and inequality. Granted, we still have some way to go before we can say that there is universal access to services, but the progress made so far is indeed remarkable. The restoration of human dignity that we achieved in 1994 has to be accompanied by the eradication of poverty and the improvement in the quality of life. All government departments executed their tasks with this objective as one of the central points of reference.

While service delivery is important, also critical is the manner in which public servants provide services. The Batho Pele - people first -campaign is pursued to inculcate in public servants the spirit of people-centred quality service. It promotes our vision of a caring Government. We urge the public to help us monitor the service provided by public servants through reporting uncaring behaviour by public servants. We recently acknowledged health-care workers who provide excellent care and support to patients, particularly patients living with Aids. We commend such selflessness and dedication and encourage it among all public servants.

Hon members, another attribute of the new democratic dispensation is the accessibility of Government services. This is being enhanced by establishing multipurpose community centres among other initiatives. There are currently 43 multipurpose community centres in operation; with more to be established.

On the economic front, macroeonomic stability has been achieved and we had to ensure sustained economic growth in a competitive and volatile global setting. Internationally, South Africa’s standing, and in particular as a voice for development, peace and stability, is acknowledged. Our quest for stability has extended beyond our borders; given this country’s role in promoting development and pursuing peace and democracy on the African continent.

We believe we have achieved so much as a nation because we do not emphasize our differences, but put South Africa and its people first. We are a nation that confounds critics. We see strength in our diversity while others may see diversity as a threat or weakness. Our different languages, cultures, customs and traditions as well as geographical spread are all special ingredients in the melting pot that is South Africa. Most importantly, we are united in our quest for a better life. We may differ in methods used in achieving a better life for all and will probably differ with regards to the tally of what has been achieved in the last 10 years, but that does not mean that we should differ with regard to the objectives.

Building a better South Africa and improving the quality of life of all our people should be what drives us all. We’ve come this far, and we still have a long way to go before we can say that all our goals have been achieved, but we must acknowledge that we have made a good beginning.

Our democracy has gone through a lot of trials and tribulations in the first decade. It has passed all the tests, which is another reason for us to celebrate. One of these tests is the investigation of the Deputy President by the National Directorate of the Public Prosecutions. This test has indicated the extent to which our democracy has deepened and how contrary this is to the views of the so-called opinion-makers who are saying the investigation has weakened democracy. It has actually proven how strong and mature our democracy has become. [Applause.]

It is only in a mature democracy where a deputy president of a country would be investigated without any interference or attempt to stop the investigation by government or the deputy president himself. [Applause.]

In some established democracies, high office is protected and incumbents are granted immunity. In our country, all are equal before the law. We have never questioned these principles. We respect them and abide by them. The Deputy President has not interfered with the investigation and has taken appropriate steps, within the law and his rights, to seek redress regarding the outcome of the investigation.

The investigation has been a test for other institutions as well. It has tested the maturity of state organs responsible for the investigations, and the potential and capacity for the abuse of power and authority by individuals in these institutions.

It has also been a critical test for the media, whose freedom we fought for, which is enshrined in section 16 of the Constitution of our country. The media is supposed to be an independent watchdog which does not and should not take sides in any conflict but seek to provide the public with information to allow them to make up their own minds.

A professional media is supposed to remain true to the ethics of objectivity, fairness and balance, and be open to all sides of the story. The investigation has left many questions as to whether the media remained true to these noble ethics or whether it took a firm position to vigorously support one party to the full to further mutual agendas.

The investigation has also been a test for political parties, the extent to which they are prepared to assist the democratic process constructively or whether they choose to become sound-bite specialists, swallowing any lead that they are given to get media mileage.

The important outcome of this whole debacle is that our democracy has so far not been shaken by it. It has withstood the challenges because it is above individuals and is rooted on very strong foundations. This is what opinion-makers should be emphasising about our democracy.

This Government should also be congratulated for adhering to democratic principles and not being tempted to abuse power, and this is what the opinion-makers should be saying about our democracy and Government.

We are very proud to have inherited a priceless legacy from the founding fathers and mothers of this nation. Let us treasure it and continue to build a prosperous nation on the foundation of 27 April 1994. I thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]

IPHINI LIKASIHLALO WOMKHANDLU KAZWELONKE WEZIFUNDAZWE (Mnu M J Mahlangu): Sihlalo, Phini likaMongameli, boNdunankulu bezifundazwe bonke abakhona kule Ndlu namhlanje kanye nalabo ababamele, malungu onke omKhandlu akhona lapha, ngithanda ukuthatha leli thuba ngibonge kunina nonke ukuba nami ngibe ngomunye ozophonsa itshe esivivaneni kule nkulumo yePhini likaMongameli.

Kungijabulisa kakhulu lokhu esengikuzwile namhlanje ukuthi into esihlangene ngayo, singababusi, ukwakha izwe lethu laseNingizimu Afrika. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mr M J Mahlangu): Chairperson, Deputy President, all Premiers present in this Chamber today and their representatives, and all the members of the Council who are present here, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all that I am one of those to take part in the Deputy President’s debate.

I am very pleased with what I have just heard - that what brings us all together as legislators is our responsibility to build our country, South Africa.]

Our country has seen a transition from the most brutal and repressive system of apartheid to a country where all its citizens enjoy democracy. This did not come without sacrifices. The struggles of the people of our country to bring change culminated in the search for a peaceful transition to democracy. The ANC initiated a search for peace in our country. Since 1987 the organisation intensively campaigned for a negotiated transfer of power, because we believed that a peaceful transition to democracy was possible and we found it. This led us through Codesa at Kempton Park and multiparty negotiations to finding a solution that would set our country on the road to democracy. Through those negotiations a new society began to emerge. We were able to deliver our society which was polarised by apartheid to freedom and democracy. We now live in a country where its different people live side by side, working together as one nation. Our efforts at promoting reconciliation have helped us bring together people who were living on opposite sides of the fence.

Ake nibheke, namhlanje: Bhekani kuyo yonke le Ndlu. Ngicela ukuthi nijikise amehlo enu nibhekane nonke kule Ndlu namhlanje. Bheka ukuthi ngubani ohleli eceleni kwakho. Bheka ukuthi yinhloboni yomuntu leyo. Kodwa, namhlanje le Ndlu isithathe yasihlanganisa sonke. Akusekho obiza omunye ngenhlobo ethile: Kuthiwe makahambe aye kohlala KwaNdebele; eTranskei - emaXhoseni; naKwaZulu-Natali ngoba engumZulu. Okwenzekile ukuthi sonke singabantu baseNingizimu Afrika. [Ihlombe.]

Nakhu okubalulekile: Sonke sakha izwe laseNingizimu Afrika. Yilizwe lethu sonke futhi buphelile ubuhlanga lobu esasihlukaniswe yibo embusweni wangaphambilini. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[Just look in here today. Look all over this Chamber. Will you all turn your heads and look at one another in this Chamber today. Look who is sitting next to you. See which person it is. Today this Chamber has brought all of us together. No one refers to the other by their kind: No one is told to go and live in KwaNdebele, Transkei, emaXhoseni or KwaZulu-Natal because they are Zulu. The scenario is that we are all South Africans and the most important thing is that we are all building our country, South Africa. [Applause.]

The country belongs to all of us and the racism that has always separated us during the past regime is no longer there.]

Our new democracy has provided us with the opportunity to right the wrongs committed by the previous regime, which sought to dehumanise our people by undermining their cultures, languages and traditions. It is gratifying to see that instead of crumbling as a result of the atrocities of the previous regime, our nation has found unity in its diversity. Our Constitution, which we adopted earlier in our democracy, promotes our diverse culture and languages. It obliges our organs of state to ensure that they adopt policies which promote the use of languages, including the indigenous languages that were not recognised by the apartheid government. The Government has made strides in promoting the use of our official languages. This year Parliament has taken steps to promote the use of all official languages. We now have adopted a language policy which recognises all our languages to be phased in over five years.

This important development in the history of our parliament is one of the steps we are taking of making sure that we give expression to the provisions of our Constitution which envisages a multicultural and multilingual society. One of the things that I want to propose today, which I think Parliament will recognise, is that we should begin what we call a language laboratory. Now I will tell you why I propose this, because I think it is important that all parliamentarians must be in a position to express themselves in more than one language.

Ek kan praat. Ek het geen probleem om Afrikaans te praat nie. [Applous.] [I can speak. I don’t have a problem expressing myself in Afrikaans. [Applause.]]

HON MEMBERS: Mooi, baie mooi! [Good, excellent!]

I can talk and express myself in English. Ndiyathetha mna. [I can speak isiXhosa.] Ngiyakhuluma. [I can speak isiZulu.] Ndza vulavula Xitsonga. Ke a bolela e bile ke a buwa. [I can speak Sepedi, Setswana and Sesotho.]

That is very important for us as leaders, particularly in an institution like this, to show our people out there that we are proud of our languages, that we are proud of our cultures. We should set that standard, we should show that so that our people out there can realise that we mean business and we are serious.

Our institutions of democracy are truly beginning to be institutions of the people. In other developments the NCOP launched a programme of meeting the people. This involves taking Parliament to where the people live in order to give them the opportunity to participate in the running of their government. This is very different from the attitude and practice of the parliament in the previous regime. Our Government also has as its programme izimbizo, where people are afforded the opportunity to directly interact with their leaders around issues that affect them. The NCOP’s constitutional mandate bears evidence of a transition from a culture of disregard of the majority and winner takes all to that of the magnanimity of protecting the minorities.

As an institution it developed from a House whose function was to crosscheck the National Assembly, and in many instances it was just a rubber stamp of the lower house. During this phase it could be manipulated for political reasons, as was the case when the attempt was made to make it a court of appeal when the then government wanted to have a separate voters’ roll for the coloured people of South Africa.

Nayi-ke enye into ebalulekile engifuna ukuyikhuluma: UmKhandlu kaZwelonke weziFundazwe usihlanganisa sonke futhi njengoba sihleli lapha. Niyakhumbula ukuthi ekuqaleni ngithe bukani ukuthi ngobani abahleli eceleni kwenu. Lapha, emKhandlwini kaZwelonke weziFundazwe, kukhona izifundazwe. Izithunywa zazo zihlezi nathi khona lapha.

Mayelana nokudingidwa kwezindaba zabantu baseNingizimu Afrika, izindaba zombuso kazwelonke zidingidwa khona lapha emKhandlwini kaZwelonke weziFundazwe. Izindaba zomasipala zidingidwa khona lapha kulo mKhandlu. Sihlanganise bonke laba bantu nale mibuso sayibeka ndawonye. Sihlangene, siyaxoxa, siyalungisa futhi sakha imithetho sisonke, sihlangene. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.) [Here is an important issue that I want to raise: The National Council of Provinces unites all of us sitting here. You will recall that earlier on I asked you to look and see who the person sitting next to you is. Here in the NCOP we have provinces. Their representatives are sitting here with us.

When it comes to the deliberation of issues relating to the people of South Africa, national Government affairs are discussed here in the NCOP. We have united all these peoples and governments and put them together. We are united, we discuss, we put things right and we make the laws together as one.]

We therefore put all these tiers of Government together. I want all the people of South Africa to realise that importance of the NCOP. To me it is very important and it is an achievement.

Buka-ke ubuhle obungaka! Buka, ubuhle bezwe lethu bubuyile. Buka uthando oluqinile phakathi kwabantu bethu - ukuthi sithandana kangakanani ngoba sibona ukuthi singabantu baseNingizimu Afrika sonke. Akekho obekwa phansi kuthiwe mncane kunomunye. Sonke singabantu, siyalingana. Buka isithunzi esinaso. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[Just look at all this beauty! Look, the beauty of our country is back. Look at the strong love that our people share, at how much we love one another seeing that we are all South Africans. Look at the human dignity. No one is undermined and seen as inferior to the other. We are all human beings and are equal. Look at the dignity that we have.]

Look at the dignity that we have as South Africans since we achieved democracy. We have restored the dignity of our people in South Africa and I think that is what is important. I am concluding, Chair. I can see you are looking at me now to say your time is over. [Laughter.]

As a nation we should be proud of our heritage and regard our culture, religion, language and tradition as our important assets. Our national heritage sites, some of which are recognised internationally, make us proud of our nation’s identity. These include sites such as Robben Island, which stands as a symbol of human endurance, and the cradle of humankind in the North West, which bears evidence of existence of mankind for a period of one to four million years.

In conclusion, as we are on the verge of celebrating Heritage Day, one of the important days on which we celebrate our nation’s identity, we should regard the rich legacy of our nations as a foundation on which we must build the future of this country. Our celebration must help strengthen us as a nation. They should help us reinvigorate our strength that has seen us through the decades of oppression and repression. We need the strength, we need the communication to face the challenges such as poverty. I thank you, Chair. [Applause.] [Time expired.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order! I am sure hon members are aware that it is very difficult to stop a presiding officer. [Laughter.]

The PREMIER OF THE NORTHERN CAPE (Mr E M Dipico): Chairperson of the NCOP, hon Deputy President Jacob Zuma, Premiers, members of the NCOP, ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends, I quote -

Our heritage celebrates our achievements and contributes to redressing past inequities. It educates, it deepens our understanding of society and encourages us to empathise with the experience of others. It facilitates healing and material and symbolic restitution, and it promotes new and previously neglected research into our rich oral traditions and customs.

This quotation from the National Heritage Act encapsulates correctly the essence of what we are about as South Africans.

As we approach the celebration of Heritage Day on 24 September 2003, we should do this with a sense of pride for the efforts we have achieved to date and an appreciation of the challenges that still lie ahead of us. We are hopeful and positive about the future, for it holds great potential for our children and grandchildren.

The Northern Cape province will be hosting this year’s World Tourism Month in the magnificent Green Kalahari region of Upington. All roads lead to Upington this year. Upington and the region are endowed with a rich history and culture matched by the natural beauty that surround them. Not only do the two large rivers of South Africa converge in the area, this resource also creates fertile grounds for large tracts of grape and related farming along the river, until it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

The people of Upington also played a crucial role in the struggle for freedom in South Africa. We cannot forget the role played by people such as the late Anton Lubowski in the Upington 26 trial, where 14 of the accused were sentenced to death.

Three months ago we celebrated for the first time when Ma De Bruin received her house. This woman was one of the 14 accused. She is a mother and a grandmother who has waited since 1994 until now. She has been staying with grandchildren. We honoured her by giving her an RDP house only three months ago. She has never been angry. She has never said that she is entitled to any other thing. I think we should all learn from such dedicated South Africans.

During the Tourism Month celebrations we will also bring out the natural beauty that is in the Green Kalahari. Here, delegates and guests will be treated to the unsurpassed natural beauty in an area full of surprises in the region that is the largest exporter of grapes. We speak about this event because of the diverse cultures and exciting tourism possibilities that behold there, in the context of heritage contributing towards addressing the inequalities of the past and contributing towards a development of our heritage and people.

Our heritage must contribute towards development and nation-building. It must teach our children and grandchildren about the geography of our country, its people and their different cultures. It must also create a sense of nationhood. Nationhood is about patriotism. Patriotism is about taking part in the life of the country and its development.

Therefore, we must ensure that our youth is adequately prepared to take part in these occasions of nationhood. Creating a sense of nationhood is also about empowering our society to take decisions about their lives to ensure that those young people of the appropriate age are also empowered through the acquisition of proper South African documentation to take part in elections and therefore also engender a sense of nationhood through the South African identity.

Hon Deputy President, the Northern Cape is well known for its diverse cultures. We are proud that in that part of the land we have the largest group of the Nama-speaking people, we have the San, the Korana and the Griqua communities, who have been forgotten by history. These people, in the past, were afraid to speak their languages, to sing their songs and to practise their traditions and customs.

They have been apologetic when they faced other people in South Africa, but today we are proud to say that this new Constitution has allowed them to start speaking their language and the Northern Cape has recruited a number of teachers from Namibia to teach the language, and we also encourage them to create written literature for these people.

They are proud now because they practise their cultures and traditions. They have been encouraged to stand up bold and move in South Africa as true South Africans. This really makes us proud as South Africans, because these people, the San people, who lost their land, today have had large tracts of land returned to them. They own half of the national park in the Kalahari. That is good.

We are left with only one thing: to win the Olympics. We are busy preparing these San people to run appropriately, because we think they have the potential to outrun the people of the world. [Laughter.] [Applause.]

If you put a springbok in front of these youngsters and girls, there would be nobody to stop them. [Laughter.] We will have to have a way to ensure that we nurture this talent. We will start by having a symbol of a springbok running, and they will run forever and ever. You have seen in history that they run after a springbok until it falls dead to the ground. They do not shoot it, they run after it. This is what we want to see. We want them to practise that. We want to ensure that they can go to the Olympics, and we would then outrun all other people in this world.

I enjoy, every time when I am at an occasion with the Nama and San people, dancing the Nama “stap” with them. It is a totally different dance. It even surpasses the Madiba jive. [Laughter.] It is a different jive. The only person who can outdo them is the Deputy President … [Laughter] … when he dances the Zulu dance, it really also brings pride in all of us, because he is a true son of this soil.

Let us not rest on our laurels. We must continue to promote unity in diversity and ensure that our nation grows as we want to see it grow. We thank the Deputy President for his exemplary leadership, even during the period where he is under tremendous attack. He has shown that he is a leader respecting our Constitution.

I want to bring a message from the people of the province: Deputy President, the people of the Northern Cape support you. They are behind you and they say that you are doing a splendid job. Continue and be focused on doing what South Africans say we must do. This is what we want to see from you and your leadership, and the type of stature you are promoting in that position is what all of us want to see.

On that note, we look forward to seeing all of you joining us in Upington as we promote the diversity of our cultures. [Applause.]

The PREMIER OF THE EASTERN CAPE (Rev M A Stofile): Mhlalingaphambili ohloniphekileyo, malungu ale Ndlu inkulu kangaka, Sekela-Mongameli wethu esimhloniphayo nesimthandayo, okokuqala, mandingxengxeze ngokungena sekuhlelwe phantsi apha eNdlwini. Abandaziyo bayazi ukuba asilosiko lam elo, unokuba ukho unobangela. Ndiyangxengxeza, Mhlalingaphambili.

Okwesibini, ndiyakwazi nam, njengomhlekazi uM J Mahlangu, ukulusoma nokulugoba ulwimi, kodwa namhlanje ndifunge ndisesekhaya ukuba inene ndiza kuthetha esi seenkobe sona isiXhosa.

Namhlanje, ngenxa yenkululeko esiyizuzele izwe lethu, maninzi amachule noochwepheshe afana neengcungcu ukucikoza ngendlela ilizwe eliphethwe ngayo. Kodwa olona dondolo lokwazi ukuba uluntu jikelele olungenanto luyijongileyo ngaphandle kokuthetha inyaniso lucinga ntoni na lona ngendlela oluphethwe ngayo eMzantsi Afrika, ngabantu kwiindawo zabo zokonwaba. Nokuba kusemva konmgcwabo, nokuba isizathu kukubuyisa ixhego lekhaya, nokuba kusemtshatweni wentombazana okanye wonyana, nokuba kuphaya emashibhini, nokuba kukwiindawo zokuzonwabisa kwezemidlalo, kwezi ndawo kulapho abantu bakuthi bazivakalisa khona iindlela abacinga ukuba baphetheke ngazo.

Phaya eBhayi kukho isikhululo sakwa-SABC, uMhlobo Wenene fm. Ukususela ngentsimbi yokuqala ekuseni ukuya kutsho kweyecala emva kweyesine kwasekuseni njalo esi sikhululo sinenkqubo ebizwa ngokuba ngu-12 down, kuba yaqala ngentsimbi ye-12 ngo-1995. Yeka nje ukuba seyiqala ngeyokuqala apha ku-2003. Kule nkqubo kulapho abantu baseMzantsi Afrika, oonogada beefemu zeli lizwe, oomama abaphangela emakhitshini, amajoyini aseGoli naseNtshona Koloni- bonke abantu ngokweminyaka yabo nangokwamazinga abo okuya nokungayi esikolweni - bavakalisa khona izimvo zabo ngendlela ilizwe lethu eliphethwe ngayo. Bonke, Mhlalingaphambili, ukuza kutsho ekuseni, bavakalisa indlela abangazange bayazi ngayo ukuba kanti kumnandi kangaka ukuba ngabemi bezwe laseMzantsi Afrika.

NgoMgqibelo kule veki iphelileyo, phaya eMonti, u-moderator wamaRhabe aseMazantsi eAfrika, ukusuka eZimbabwe, eZambia, ukuhla ukuza kutsho apha eKapa, ebebalisa ngendlela bona njengeenkokeli zeenkolo abachulumanca ngayo mihla le xa bebuya phaya eofisini kaMongameli, ngenxa yendlela abaphathwa ngayo ngulo Rhulumente; ngendlela abaxatyiswe ngayo ngulo Rhulumente. Akukho kugxinywa nakubanjwa ngesixhanti. Wonke ubani unikwa ilungelo alifaneleyo. Kaloku amalungelo alungele abanini bawo, khon’ ukuze elam linqande elakho linganyatheli elam, nelam linqandwe lelakho ukuze lingalinyatheli elakho.

Bonke abalawuli beenkolo beli lizwe - yinyani emsulwa ke leyo, Mhlalingaphambili, kuba sidibana nabo phantse veki le - bavakalisa indlela uMzantsi Afrika obanika inkuthazo ngayo kwilizwe liphela neAfrika ngokubanzi. Umzekelo wabo oqaqambileyo nguBhishopu Dandala, abambona njengenkomo yedini yeli lizwe eye kukhokela iAfrika iphela kwezenkolo.

Mhlalingaphambili, besiseBhisdolophu, eBurgersdorp, kule nyanga iphelileyo, kweziya ntaba zoKhahlamba - iingingqi. Sasikhe saya phaya kulo nyaka ungaphaya kwalo uphelileyo kwaye safika ubuhlanga bugquba bukhupha ihagu edladleni, kodwa kule nyanga iphelileyo sifike ubumbano lusothusa. Izinto ezingathi zezona zibahlanganisayo abemi baleya ndawo yinkaba yentetho isiBhulu, kuba imbali iyabonisa ukuba ulwimi isiBhulu, apho inkaba yalo yombelwe khona kuphaya eBhisdolophu. Abantu bokuqala ukuluthetha ngabantu baphaya eBhisdolophu. Ngoku ke baququzelela ukubhiyozela ukuzalwa kwale ntetho, bonke kulaa ndawo yabo, abantsundu nabamhlophe.

Okulandelayo, bebambisene neDyunivesithi yasePotchefstroom, baququzelela, bonke ngokulinganayo, ukothulela umnqwazi ukufakwa kwembewu yalaa Dyunivesithi eBhisdolophu, apho izelwe khona iPotchefstroom, Nkulumbuso uMolefe. Abantu balaa ndawo bayiqhwabela izandla into yokuba bazala umntwana okhule wade wangakanana.

Imida yamaphondo yaphuliwe phaya. Kule veki iphelileyo iphondo lethu iMpuma Koloni, abamelwane iFreyistata nabanye abamelwane aba baseMntla Koloni, bebenesibhadlalala sentlanganiso kweliya dama iXhariep, bejonga iindlela zokwandisa eziya projekthi ziphaya zokwandisa ukhenketho kulaa mqwebedu wendawo. Luphelile uchuku, Mhlalingaphambili. Iphelile laa nto yokuthi, “hayi, kukwam apha; “hayi, kukwakho phaya, lo mda akufuneki uwele kuwo”. Yonke loo nto ibonisa indlela idemokhrasi yethu evuthwa ngayo.

Kulaa lali yaseTshabho kukho umfo wakwaSifingo ongazange aye esikolweni - umkhuluwa kaBaninzi, Mphathiswa wephondo - othi xa ethetha, “Ndiyayiva yonke le nto ithethwa emaphepheni. Into endiyaziyo mna kukuba kuthi rhhh endlwini yam ngenxa kamabonakude, umbane ndiwucumza eludongeni, amanzi ndiwafumana ecocekile etepini elapha eyadini. Ezinye izinto zezokonwaba”.

UMnumzana uSifingo uvakalisa izimvo zabantu abaninzi. Nokuba ubheke emaMpondweni okanye ebaThenjini, nokuba ubheke kwiilokishi zethu, uMnumzana Sifingo uvakalisa into enye, yokuba isidima sethu siyabuya ngoku.

Abamelwane bethu eXixaxamas bathi mhla kwangcwatywa umakhulu uSarah Baartman, kwembiwa i-mummy yaphaya eHumansdorp, okokuqala ebomini babo, babona urhulumente ozikhathaleleyo izithethe nezinto zabo. Nabo bengamaKhoi namaSan, amaqhakancu ngabula thina, baziva bengabantu phakathi kwezinye iintlanga.

Mhlalingaphambili, kunokuba ligqutha lebhenqa lodwa kule Ndlu elingakhange liyibone inamba isombuluka xa intlanganisela yenkcubeko yaseMpuma Koloni yazo zonke iintlanga yayityityimba, icondoba, ingqisha, ifudusa. Ababeyile phaya eRhini kuMnyhadala weSizwe nababeyile kwiNkomfa yeHlabathi engoPhuhliso oluZinzileyo eyayiseSandton bayayingqina loo nto.

UKomani ugqiba i-150 eminyaka kulo nyaka. Bonke abemi balaa ndawo, aBelungu nabaThembu, bayavana ngokuba eli gama lithi “Queenstown” liyilungele laa ndawo, nangona bengavani ncam, kuba bambi bathi libhekisa kuKumkanikazi uVitoliya bambi bathi libhekisa kuKumkanikazi uNonesi. Kona bayavana ngokuba uKomani yindawo yabo neyeekumkanikazi zabo.

EVenterstad umakhulu uMagrieta ukhokele iqela laseMpuma Koloni eligqiba ikhulu leminyaka lizelwe. Yena wazalwa ngomhla we-11 kuOktobha, abanye balandela yena. Ukhale iinyembezi akubona izipho zikaRhulumente, kuze kuthiwa, “Min’ emnandi kuwe, makhulu”. [Laphela ixesha.] [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa speech follows.)

[The PREMIER OF THE EASTERN CAPE (Rev M A Stofile): Hon Chairperson, hon Members of this House, hon Deputy President whom we respect and love, in the first instance, I would like to apologise for coming into the House when Members are already seated. I am honestly asking to be pardoned, Chairperson.

On a second note, I would like people to note that I can also speak a second language, English, just like Mr M J Mahlangu, for I am quite competent in it, but I have decided to speak my mother tongue today, and that is isiXhosa.

Now that we have freedom in our country, there are a lot of experts talking about how the country should be governed. However, the only way we can find out what people, who are committed to speaking the truth, think about how they are being governed in South Africa, is to listen to the people themselves when they are enjoying themselves. It may be after a funeral service, a customary celebration performed on behalf of a deceased head of the family, a wedding ceremony, in shebeens or at sports grounds, all of these places are where people express their views about how they think their country is being governed.

In Port Elizabeth, there is a radio station called Umhlobo Wenene FM. From one o’clock every morning, this radio station runs a programme called 12 down as it started at 12 midnight, and in 1995. Since the beginning of this year, 2003, it has been starting at one o’clock. During this programme people of South Africa, security guards of different firms, domestic workers, migrant workers in Gauteng and the Western Cape and all the people of every age and standard of education, express their views about how our country is governed. Al of them, Chairperson, up until this morning, were relating how good it feels to be a citizen of South Africa.

On Saturday last week, in East London, the Moderator of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa, starting from Zimbabwe, Zambia down to Cape Town, was telling us about how happy they as religious leaders are when they visit the offices of the hon President, because of the treatment they receive from this Government, and good they feel to know how much this Government values them. They are not manhandled or chased away. Everyone is given an equal opportunity. We must always bear in mind that one has his or her rights and they should not fight with one another.

All religious leaders in this country - and that is true, Chairperson, because we meet almost every week - tell us about how encouraging South Africa is to South Africans and the rest of the African people on the continent of Africa. One example they cite is that of Bishop Dandala, who has been sent out to lead the whole of Africa religiously, who they see as an icon of this country.

Chairperson, last month we were in Burgersdorp. We last visited that place the year before last and we witnessed a lot of racism, but when we got there last month, we were surprised by the unity that prevailed there. We also observed that language is playing a big role in unifying people there, and that language is Afrikaans. The first people to speak Afrikaans in the country are the people in Burgersdorp. As we speak, both black and white, they are busy with preparations to celebrate the birth of this language. Working in conjunction with the University of Potchefstroom, they are busy preparing to celebrate the launch of a branch of that university in Burgersdorp, where Premier Popo Molefe was born. People of that area are very proud to have given birth to him, a son that has also made them proud.

There are no provincial boundaries that exist there. Last week the Eastern Cape, their neighbours the Free Sate and the Northern Cape, held a mass meeting at the Gariep Dam, and they were looking at ways in which projects that have been started there could increase tourism in such a dry place. There is no more fighting, Chairperson. People are no longer making certain claims, saying: “This area belongs to me. That one belongs to you. This is the boundary and you should stay on the other side”. That clearly shows that people are learning to live in this democracy.

In Tshabho village, there is a certain Mr Sifingo who has never been to school and is the elder brother of Baninzi, an MEC, who says: “I hear all that is said in the newspapers. What I know is that there is electricity at my home and I use tap water that is in my own yard. All the other things are just luxuries”.

Mr Sifingo is reiterating the views of many people. You can go to the Mpondos of the Thembus, and even to our townships, and you would find people like Mr Sifingo saying the same thing, and that is that our dignity is coming to us.

When Grandmother Sara Baartman’s remains were reburied in Humansdorp, for the first time our neighbours at Xixaxamas could see a Government that really cares about people’s culture and customs. Today the Khoi and San people - the Hottentots as we would normally refer to them - feel that they are one of us.

Chairperson, somebody somewhere here missed a very nice cultural event of all races that was held in the Eastern Cape some time ago. Those who attended the National Celebrations in Grahamstown and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Sandton know what I am talking about.

Queenstown is 150 years old today. Both white people and the Thembus are in agreement that the name Queenstown is suitable for that place. What they may not agree with is the origin of the word, as some claim that it refers to Queen Victoria, while some say it refers to Queen Nonesi. They, however, all claim Queenstown to belong to all of them and the queens.

Grandmother Magrieta, who lives in Venterstad, leads a group whose individuals members are all 100 years old and they are from the Eastern Cape. She was born on 11 October and the others after her. She could not hold back her tears when she saw the presents that Government had brought her in celebration of her birthday. [Time expired.] [Applause.]]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Go tla twe ke na le lefufa ka gore Tonakgolo o bua Sethosa se se boteng, mme fela nako e fedile. [It will be said that I am jealous of the Premier because he speaks in deep isiXhosa, but the time has expired.]

Mr P MEYER: Madam Chairperson, Deputy President Zuma, premiers here present, I represent the Premier of the Western Cape, Mr Marthinus van Schalkwyk, who unfortunately cannot be present here today.

As we approach the last year of the first decade of our democracy in South Africa, it is clear that the intentions of democracy continue to grow in strength and that the public awareness of these institutions continues to rise. For example: the free press continues both to challenge perceived Government problems and to highlight Government successes; the courts continue to assert their independence; the Chapter 9 institutions, like the Public Protector, the Auditor General and the Human Rights Commission continue to play the watch-dog role for which they were created; civil society continues to make its voice and its perspectives most vocally heard; Parliament continues to provide the public forum in which our Executive is held accountable. But it is the newly developed institutions of democracy in which many South African communities are finding their most direct access to the new freedoms of the new South Africa, like the imbizo process which is occurring in every province and at every level of government.

I would like to use the opportunity to share with this House a few of the experiences of the Western Cape during our recent Provincial Imbizo Focus Week and the even more recent Presidential Imbizo to our province.

The Provincial Imbizo Focus Week entailed a journey of about 2 000 kilometres and more than 18 separate events in all five Western Cape district municipalities in addition to the Cape Town Metropolitan Area.

The results of the week were overwhelming, with more than 10 000 people meeting the Cabinet and submitting 1 344 written questions or requests for help, in addition to the hundreds of oral questions, to all three levels of government. What was of particular interest and which showed how wide a reach imbizos have, was that no less than 80 rural towns and 58 suburbs of the Western Cape were represented in the questions for written reply.

Nine-hundred-and-twenty-one questions were directed at provincial government, 222 to local government and 99 to national government, but the overwhelming trend was for our people to make no distinction - for most South Africans, Government is the Government. Nothing matters to them; they want to see the Government in action.

We have listened to what people have said and we saw poverty, but also hope. We saw richness of spirit, a burning desire for more delivery, and we were inspired by the faith and goodwill of our people. This was democracy in action, and one of the most important experiences of real community issues, concerns and problems available to Government.

The recent visit to the Western Cape by President Thabo Mbeki was a powerful confirmation of many of the same experiences and messages as those of the Provincial Imbizo Focus Week.

The President and the Cabinet of the Western Cape participated in 16 different events over the three-day period. The two major community imbizos in Khayelitsha and Worcester in the Boland represented the most well- attended stakeholder meetings of any provincial imbizo as yet.

The New NP and the ANC coalition government is committed to a world-class province who cares for its people.

There is a high level of expectation that has been created by the announcement by the national Government about the ARV roll-out strategy which will be put forward by the end of this month. We in the Western Cape are willing to play an important role in assisting in any way possible, based on our extensive PMTCT programme, etc. The nation as a whole is now waiting for action and we hope that the Deputy President, as head of the National Aids Council, will lead us in a way that will make a decisive difference.

Coming to the subject before the House, one of the most significant changes in the way which South Africa approaches our history is reflected in the change from speaking about national monuments to instead talking about heritage sites. Instead of looking at our past as a collection of dry facts, dusty pictures and old buildings, removed from our experience, it is critical for us to embrace our past with a real understanding of how and why we live the way we do today. In this way our past, our complete heritage is very much a living part of the new South Africa.

In the Western Cape our celebrations of National Heritage Day is as much about our future as it is about our past.

For our provincial government the celebrations this year have a dual purpose; to highlight the importance of conserving our unique heritage and at the same time to bring more of our people into direct contact with it, and to effectively rediscover the value of our shared history. With more than 2 000 of the 4 000 declared South African heritage sites, a large proportion of the more than 15 000 identified rock-art sites and some of the earliest fossils and footprints dating back some 117 000 years in our province, the people of the Western Cape have much heritage to celebrate.

From historic mission settlements to fisherman’s cottages, from industrial buildings to historical bridges and mountains, the different strands of our physical history are clear.

The challenge, though, in making heritage relevant is to ensure that the histories of all our communities are recognised, preserved and presented to our people. For too long there has been a divided perception about “our history” and “their history”. The Western Cape today celebrates all of these strands as equally important in contributing to our South African identity. We celebrate our indigenous heritage. The hon the Premier of the Northern Cape has referred to it. I am not quite sure whether the Premier of the Northern Cape knows that I am a Griqua. If he does not know, I am informing him now. We celebrate the ancient wisdom of our first people. We celebrate our Eastern influence; the diverse tapestry which added to so much depth and colour to our culture. And we celebrate our European heritage; much highlighted but often oversimplified.

Last year alone more than 1 million people visited our 28 museums in the Western Cape, and many of these visitors were learners from our schools. The key to the success of our museums and other heritage sites has always been the strong partnership between Government, the museum board, private owners and donors of items and collections; relationships which have helped us to develop … Is my time up? Thank you. [Applause.]

TONAKGOLO YA BOKONE-BOPHIRIMA (Rre P S Molefe): Motlotlegi Mmusakgotla, motlotlegi Motlatsa-Tautona, Motlatsa-Monnasetulo was Khansele ya Bosetshaba ya Diporofense, babusakgotla le Ditonakgolo tsa diporofense tse di farologaneng, ke akaretsa le lona batlotlegi le maloko a kgotla eno, ke rata go tsaya tshono eno go lebogela Motlatsa-Tautona go bo a neile puo e e manontlhotlho, e e tseneletseng.

Motlatsa-Tautona o re supeditse gore tota re tswa kae - ke bua ka kgatelelo le matlhotlhapelo a re tswang kwa go ona - mme e bile re simolotse go aga Aforika Borwa e ntsha. O re supeditse le gore jaaka re tswa mo matlhotlhapelong ao, go matshwanedi go aga kagiso le go supa lerato, maikaelelo-magolo e le go tlisa mowa wa poelano. Gape o re supeditse gore maragaraga le maswe a a neng a tlisiwa ke tlhaolele a re thusitse, re le baagi ba Aforika Borwa, go nna le lorato, maikaelelo-magolo e le go aga setshaba se seswa. Re lebogela boingotlo jo Motlatsa-Tautona a bo supileng ka go ineela gore go tlhotlhomisiwe dilo tse a neng a bua ka tsona. Mokgwa o Motlatsa-Tautona a neng a bua ka ona o re supetsa gore gore tota ka 1994 Aforika Borwa e simolotse go tsena mo pakeng e ntsha ya temokerasi ya leruri. O re supeditse le gore ke paka ya temokerasi e e eteletsweng pele ke boeteledipele ba mofuta o mongwe o moswa; batho ba ba nang le boingotlo le lorato; le batho ba ba sa itireleng ka go itlotlomatsa, mme ba direla setshaba se ba se eteletseng pele.

Boingotlo bo ke bona bo bo itshupang fa motho a na le dithatha tse di rileng, a ka kgona go bitsa sepodisi le sesole nako nngwe le nngwe, go dira sengwe le sengwe se a se batlang, mme le gale a re nnyaya, ke moagi wa Aforika Borwa, ke tshwana le lona mme ke amogela Molaotheo wa Aforika Borwa. Dilo tse di ntseng jalo motho o ne a ka se di bone mo dipusong tsele tsa maloba. Ke boingotlo ba rona boo. [Legofi.]

Jaanong bagaetsho, jaaka Motlatsa-Tautona a bontshitse, re sesupo sa gore puso ya bontsi le Molaotheo wa Aforika Borwa di kwa godimo ga boleng ba rona jaaka batho fela. Ka jalo, mo letsatsing la gompieno, jaaka re ganetsana ka puo e ya moeteledipele wa rona, mme e bile re itshiamisetsa go keteka Heritage Day ya rona fa re tlaa bo re tlotla ditso tsa rona, re rata go tlotlomatsa puso ya rona ya bogareng, dipuso tsa diporofense le dipusoselegae, go akaretsa le makoko otlhe a sepolitiki ka go dirisana mmogo, go aga kitlano le go tswedisetsa pele diteme le setso sa batho ba rona ba merafe e e farologaneng.

Go tloga ka 1994 re simolotse go aga setshaba se seswa, le go aga motheo wa go sireletsa ditso le dingwao tsa rona. Gompieno go a bonagala gore batho ba re neng re sa itse gore ba teng mo Aforika Borwa, ba kgona go ema ka dinao mme ba re: A nare lo a itse gore ke Mo-Griqua.'' O mongwe a eme mme a re:Nna ke Motsonga, mme ke bua Setsonga.’’ Kgotsa: ``Nna ke Movenda, mme ke bua Sevenda.’’ Ke godile le bona kwa Soweto, ke sa itse gore ba ntse ba le teng gonne re ne re bua Sezulu le Sesotho. Tlotlo e re e buseditseng batho ba, e tlisitse boipelo mo go bone gore ba kgone go bua ka phuthologo ka ga dilo tseo. E ke kgololosego ya rona.

Dilo tsotlhe tseo ke mokwatla wa temokerasi le puso ya bontsi e re e agang. Ke mokwatla wa setshaba se se tshelang ka kagiso, se re se agang mo Aforika Borwa. Ke sekai se se supang gore re ka tshwaragana, mme ra tswelela pele re dirisana mmogo. Dilo tseo tsotlhe re di fitlheletse mo nakong e e sa fedising pelo, e khutswane thata. Seo se supa gore re furaletse maswe a kwa re tswang teng. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)

[The PREMIER OF NORTH WEST (Mr P S Molefe): Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy Minister, Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, chairpersons and Premiers of the different provinces, including you the members of this House, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Deputy President for his wonderful speech.

The Deputy President showed us where we come from - I am talking about the oppression and suffering we come from - and we have started to build a new South Africa. He also showed us, as we move away from this suffering, that it is proper to bring peace and show love, the main aim being to bring in the spirit of reconciliation. He also showed us that all the wrongs brought about by apartheid have helped us as South African citizens to have love, with the main aim of building a new nation.

We are grateful for the humility that the Deputy President showed when he allowed an investigation into the things that he spoke about. The manner in which the Deputy President spoke showed us that in 1994 South Africa really started to enter a new era of eternal democracy. He showed us that this is the democratic era, led by a new leadership; people who are humble and loving; and people who do not praise themselves, and work for a nation that they lead.

This humility is revealed when one who has certain powers, who can call the police and the army at any time, or do anything that he wants, does not do that and says no, and says that he is a South African like any other and upholds the Constitution of South Africa. Such things were not present in the previous governments. That is our humility. [Applause.]

Hon members, just as the Deputy President has shown, we are testimony to a democratic Government and the Constitution of South Africa are above us as ordinary people. As such, as we debate our President’s speech and are preparing ourselves to celebrate Heritage Day, when we will be respecting our cultures, we would like to praise the central Government, the provincial governments, including all the political parties, for working together in building the unity and to support our languages and the culture of the different people.

From 1994, we started to build a new nation, and to build a foundation of protecting our culture and tradition. Today it is evident that the people about whose existence we did not know in South Africa are able to stand up and say: “Do you know that I am really a Griqua?” Another one stands up and says: “I am a Tsonga and I speak Xitsonga,” or “I am a Venda and I speak Tshivenda.” I grew up with them in Soweto not knowing that they were there because we spoke isiZulu and Sesotho. The respect that we give back to people brought them the pride to speak freely about these things. This is our freedom.]

We have made a break with our ugly past, to begin a new era of democracy.

Rona re le mebuso ya diporofense, re ikaeletse jalo go tlisa mowa wa poelano mo Aforika Borweng ka dinako tsotlhe. Re tla rotloetsa basa go dira tiro eo ka botswapelo, mme ba seka ba nyema moko mo letsholong leo la go aga Aforika Borwa e e supang tlotlo mo merafeng yotlhe. Re rata go tsaya dingwao tsa rona tse di farologaneng e le sedirisiwa se re ka agang Aforika Borwa e ntsha ka sona, gonne re tshwanetse go bona bokamoso jwa rona, re le Ma-Aforika Borwa, mo dipharologanong tseo. Ka jalo a re direng mmogo, mme re tlotle dingwao, ditlhago le ditso tsa rona go aga Aforika Borwa e ntsha.

Re setse re supile gore dilo tse re a di kgona, jaaka Motlatsa-Tautona a setse a kaile, le jaaka Tautona ya maloba, motlotlegi Nelson Mandela, a neng a tseelwa dingwaga tsa gagwe dile 27, a robatswa mo sekakeng le mo serameng dingwaga-ngwaga, mme ya re a tswa koo ya nna ena a ntshang letsogo, a re re dire kagiso. O ne a khubama ka mangole fa fatshe, a re re se tlhole re bolayana. Seo ke sesupo sa gore re na le boeteledipele bo bontsha, bo bo farologaneng. Re similotse paka e ntsha ya temokerasi mo Aforika Borwa. [Legofi.]

Ke ka moo re bonang go na le badiri ba dipolase bao ba nnang mo matikiring, ba humanegile, ba kgona go tsamaya le Rre Mandela le puso e, mme ba re mo basweung le mo bantshong, A re direng kagiso.'' Ke ka moo o fitlhelang e le gore batho bao ba tsamaileng dingwaga-ngwaga ba ile botshabelo, ba tlositswe mo lefatsheng la bona, e re fa ba bona tshono ya go busa, ba seke ba dirise dithata tse ba nang le tsona go ka ipusolosetsa mo go bao ba neng ba ba gateletse, mme ba re,A re direng mmogo.’’ Ke ka moo o fitlhelang ba bidiwa maina ke babegakgang, mme fela ba ntse ba tsweletse pele, ba re, ``A re bueng ka bokamoso ba naga ya rona, mme re itsise batho ba rona gore go diragalang mo nageng ya rona.’’

Seo se supa gore re na le batho le puso e e gakgamaditseng lefatshe. Re mo pakeng e e gakgamatsang, ya go aga Aforika Borwa e ntsha. [Nako e fedile.] [Legofi.] (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)

[All these are the backbone of democracy and of a government of the people that we are building. It is the backbone of a nation living in peace, which is what we are building in South Africa. It is an example that shows that we can unite and go forward by working together. We have achieved all this in a short time. This shows that we have put the past behind us.

We as provincial governments, are aiming to bring a spirit of reconciliation to the South Africans at all times. We will encourage the youth to do that wholeheartedly, and that they should not be discouraged in the campaign of uniting South Africa that shows respects to all people. We want to use our different traditions as a tool that can build a new South Africa, because we want to see our future as South Africans. As such, let us work together, respect our traditions, heritage and culture to build a new South Africa.

We have already shown that we can manage these things, as the Deputy President has said. Former honourable president Nelson Mandela was deprived of 27 years of his life, made to sleep in a cold dessert for many, many years, and when he was released it was he who extended his hand to say that we should make peace. He went down on his knees to say that we should stop killing each other. This is a sign that we have a new leadership that is different. We have started a new era of democracy in South Africa. [Applause.]

That is why we see farmworkers, who stay in shacks and are poor, walk with Mr Mandela and this Government and say to the whites and blacks: “Let us make peace.” That is why you find that people who lived in exile for many years removed from their country, when they got the chance to lead their country, they did not use their powers by taking revenge on those who oppressed them, but said: “Let us work together.”

That is why they are called names in the media, but they continue to say: “Let us talk about the future of our country and make other people aware of what is happening in our country.”

This shows we have people and a Government that shocked the world. We are in a crucial era, the one in which to build a new South Africa. [Time expired.] [Applause.]]

The PREMIER OF MPUMALANGA (Mr N J Mahlangu): Chairperson, our beloved Deputy President of this country, Mr Zuma, hon premiers and hon members, September is a beautiful month. It is a month that signifies rebirth after a long and miserable period of autumn and winter. All around us we see a kaleidoscope of colour as trees sprout out, flower and bloom. As nature creates something new, something beautiful, so do we as people of the province and country continue our task of building a new nation.

We have come a long way since we finally liquidated the system of colonialism and white minority domination. For the past nine years, we have been hard at work as a nation, putting a shoulder to the wheel in building a country that is truly democratic, nonracial, nonsexist and prosperous. A lot of mistrust that was there in the initial stages of this arduous process is gradually giving way to a spirit of togetherness and common destiny. This has happened and continues to unfold despite the doomsday predictions of the prophets of doom. We are not there yet, but there is no turning back.

Indeed, today we can proclaim that the people are indeed governing. We are mindful that the journey to where we are today has not been easy but all of us persevered because we knew that what we had set out on was a right road. We need, as a nation, to take stock of what we have accomplished and what still needs to be done in the strengthening of our democracy as we continue to build a new nation. The challenge of nation-building is central to achieving our strategic objective of a nonracial, nonsexist and democratic society. Nation-building is the construction of the reality and sense of common nationhood which should result from the abolition of disparities in the quality of life among South Africans. Those are disparities based on racial, gender and geographic inequalities that we inherited from the past. The starting point is the reconstruction and development of our provinces and our country, which will create the material base for nation-building.

As long as our people are divided by the wide social and economic gap that is reflected in racial, geographical and gender terms, nation-building will be difficult to achieve. Therefore, our efforts at creating a better life for all and addressing the legacy of our immediate past are fundamentally about creating a nonracial and nonsexist South Africa whose wealth will be enjoyed by the entire population.

Let us remember that the fundamental condition for liberation is democracy and an abiding culture of human rights. That is why, early in our democracy, we came to the realisation that all citizens should be guaranteed the rights to elect a government of their choice, freedom of expression, freedom from discrimination and other rights entrenched in our beloved Constitution. We ensured that our people have a government that is not only formally based on their will, but one that is open and transparent; and, one that consults and continually involves the people in policy formulation and implementation.

Our efforts in pursuing this difficult task must continue to bring an end to the poverty of our people. We must continue to ensure that the divisions of the past become just that, a thing of the past. As we reconstruct our provinces and reclaim the whole country for all, we must continue to break down all the divisions and attitudes of the past. We must do so while freeing everyone from the last vestiges of oppression, hunger, disease and want. It is our task to make the most of our freedom and to entrench it in our new epoch as a fundamental and permanent feature of our very existence. The challenges facing all of us are to contribute to the building of truly nonracial, peaceful, democratic and nonsexist provinces and country. It is our duty, as people who understand the historic need, to promote nonracialism to take the lead in the promotion of our national symbols such as our national flag, our anthem and our coat of arms.

Earlier, I reminded all of us that September is a beautiful month. It is a month that reminds us of our diversity and our heritage. Our diversity and our heritage charge us to harness them in the interest of building a unified South African identity. The heritage month calls for celebration. We need to celebrate the fact that in our diversity we have commonness - that of being truly South African regardless of colour, creed or religion.

As we celebrate the heritage month and take pride in our national symbols, we need to remember that all of us need to contribute a complete and rounded picture of this celebration. Certainly that complete and rounded preservative cannot be contained only in political speeches, song, dance, poetry and in the construction of monuments. The challenge to all of us is to ensure that we celebrate in all our languages. We must develop a way in which our languages can, through the process, further grow and flourish. Our experience must be recorded in many different ways and voices so that none of us feel left out. All of us must contribute to the national convention without anyone of us feeling that we are not part of the collective experience.

Indeed, our success as a nation depends, in no small measure, on the conservation of our heritage sites and the preservation of our culture. It demands conditions in which every sector of society can join hands to make a unique treasure accessible to our nation and its visitors, and to ensure that future generations will have the same privilege.

Let us all become part of a living monument in celebration of life. We must continue to vigorously promote our national symbols, particularly in our schools. I believe that all of us who consider ourselves true patriots must leave these quarters with a clear task when we get back to our communities. Last September, we called upon our people in Mpumalanga to form local community heritage societies whose responsibility would be to encourage the discovery, recording and popularisation of local history and heritage sites in their various communities.

We also asked the private sector and others to contribute to our overall heritage project of documenting the transition of the last decade or so. Some of these have started, under the able guidance of our traditional leaders and historians in the province. We will continue the good work started by our communities. Among the things that we asked our people to consider was a dedicated agency that will be responsible for consistently collating, assessing and producing in a popular form our heritage and history.

A key issue in the development of indigenous languages is the issue of language in education, including mother-tongue instruction at entrance levels, and encouraging multilingualism and language in higher education. A few weeks ago, in Barberton, we reminded the public broadcaster and the publishing industry that they, too, have important roles to play in the promotion of our cultural heritage and the development of our languages.

Let me stress that we need to find a new sense of pride in who we are and what we can achieve. We have to, as South Africans, be loyal to the economy and should stimulate job creation through being proudly South African and buying proudly South African goods. An increased demand on locally manufactured goods and services will no doubt help to grow the economy and cultivate job creation. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Mnu M GUNGUBELE (Gauteng): Sekela-Mongameli welizwe lethu uMzantsi Afrika, sihlalo olawula le ntlanganiso neSekela lakho, iinkulumbuso zonke ezilapha, abaphathiswa kumanqanaba esizwe nawamaphondo, amalungu ale ndawo esikuyo, zindwendwe eziphawulekayo, ndiyabulisa.

Uyabona, le ndawo sikuyo ngoku ukususela ngonyaka ka-1994 ikwenza uzive urhawuzelelwa xa ufuna ukuthetha ngayo. Ukuba ubuyimbongi ubungathi xa uyibiza uthi ngu “Tye leengqwangi; ngungqwangi nanqilo, umnta kaPlangana, ugoduka Ncede wafa yindlala, unced’ encikane yokophisela”.

Ukuba ibiyinkunz’ enkomo okany’ ikhwange, ubungathi ngu”Rhawurhawu, urhamba liyathwethwa, elingathwethweli mna lithwethwel’ amankazana, umfaz’ onobubel’ agcin’ abantwana, kuba zonk’ intombi ziyatshila”.

Yindlela ke le obungabonisa ngayo ukuthanda le ndawo sikuyo ukususela ngo-

1. Ubungathi ngu”Siximba kaXolothi” xa uthanda, ubuz’ ukuba “ngaba la mathumb’ ale hagu ngaway’ onke na?” Yindlela ke leyo esiyithanda ngayo le ndawo esikuyo. Sonwabile, sivuyela ukukhululeka.

Laa nto ke yokuvuyela ukukhululeka ikwenza udelele nokudelela, ngoba ungummi opheleleyo. Awumanga mntwini, unikwe ithuba lokuba ume ngezakh’ iinyawo, ukwenzela into yokuba sikuthembe xa umi ngeenyawo zakho zombini ukuba akusayi kuthi xa abanye besiwa nawe uwe, ngoba uhamba ngeenyawo zakho. Ingozi xa ungahambi ngeenyawo zakho kukuba kuthi kusakuwa le ndawo ubambelele kuyo, nawe uye. Siyayibulela ke le nkululeko esinike elo thuba, Sekela-Mongameli.

Sibulela na le nto, Sekela-Mongameli, yokuba uqinisekise ngomzekelo osakhele wona. Ndikhe ndabukela owayesakuba ngumongameli ebizwa nguLouis Luyt, emsa enkundleni yamatyala. Wanqandwa wancanywa, esithi yena ufuna ukuya phaya kuba akamkhulwanga ukugqitha bani. Sibulela kuSekela-Mongameli ophinde naye wawubonisa loo mzekelo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)

[Mr M GUNGUBELE (Gauteng): Deputy President of our country, South Africa, Chairperson presiding over this meeting and your deputy, all the premiers present, national Ministers and provincial MECs, members of the place where we are and distinguished guests, I greet you.

You see, the situation in which we have have found ourselves since 1994 makes one have an itchy feeling when you want to speak about it. If you were a poet, you would have called it “the Rock of the Backbakiri bird”, a boor, the child of Noplangana, the “go-home” warbler, the “you’ll die of hunger”, the tiny warbler to bleed onto.

If it was a bull or a gelded one, you would have given it the name “Rhawurhawu” [a harrier], one who, like a puff adder, sneaks not towards me but towards unmarried women; a kind woman will then be taking care of the children because all the girls are dancing.

This is how you would have shown your love for the situation we have been in since 1994. You would have called it “Siximba of Xolothi”. If you like, you could ask whether all these are the intestines of this pig. That is what we liken the situation to that we are in. We are excited, happy because we are free.

The thing of being free makes one feel contempt, because you are a full citizen. You don’t depend on someone. You have been given the opportunity to stand on your own feet, so that we trust in you when you are standing on your two feet, as you will not also fall if others fall, as you walk with your own feet. The danger is in the fact that you also fall if you are not walking on your own feet. We are then grateful to the freedom that gave us that opportunity, Deputy President.

We also thank you, Deputy President, for making sure about the example you have set for us. I watched with admiration when the former President was summoned to court by Dr Louis Luyt. People tried in vain to stop him. He said he wanted to go there because he was not greater than anyone. We thank the Deputy President for also setting that example.]

Nine years ago a new nation, conceived on the proposition that all its citizens are equal before the law, was born. Today we are discussing ways to cement and deepen democracy in our new nation founded, as the Constitution says, “on the belief that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in diversity and also thriving in it”.

South Africa has taken many strides, away from its past of exclusion and discrimination on the basis of sex, colour and creed. The country has been steadily moving in a direction that reasserts our humanity. In this march towards humanity a new culture of human rights and respect for the dignity of the human spirit has become characteristic of South Africa.

One of the symbolic moments of the exodus from the past was the raising of the new flag in 1994. The moment aptly affirmed the pride and dignity of an unfolding country and the celebration of humanity. Another was the unveiling of a new coat of arms on 27 April 2000, which embraced the collective historical essence of the people of the country. The democratic dispensation in South Africa has ushered in a range of freedoms and opportunities for many South African citizens. In a few days’ time this new nation will celebrate its heritage on 24 September, and this will be a day to celebrate the achievements of our new democracy. It will also be a day to remember the contribution of many women and men who made great sacrifices to bring freedom to South Africa.

Some of the achievements are the promotion of multilingualism and the development of marginalised languages. The most important part in this promotion, Chairperson, or chairlady, whatever, is that …

… ukubaluleka kokukhuliswa kweelwimi zonke eMzantsi Afrika ungakuqaphela ukuba ngaba wawukhe wolusa, wahlala kwindawo ekungathethwa silungu kuyo. Uya kufumanisa ukuba angakanani na amandla olwimi lwakho ekwakheni isizwe. Ukuba wawuyazi le ntaka kuthiwa licelu, indlela emile ngayo kunye nezimbo zayo; ukuba wawulazi igwangwa nehlungulu, uwazi umhluko phakathi kwazo; ukuba wawuzazi iintlanzi, ukwazi ukwahlula ingephe entlanzini, zithi zakuchazwa ngesilungu uluthandabuze olwaa lwazi wawunalo, kube ngathi uyaqala ukufunda ngazo. Ukuthetha ulwimi olungelulo olwakho kuyingozi kuloo ndawo. Ibaluleke ngolo hlobo ke into yokukhulisa zonke iilwimi. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)

[… the importance of making all languages in South Africa grow, something that you can see; if you were once a herdsman, and lived in an area where English is not spoken, you will realise the strength of your language in building the nation. If you knew the wagtail bird, its structure and behaviour; if you knew the pied crow and the ring-necked raven, and could distinguish between them; if you knew fishes, and could distinguish one from the other, when these are described in English, you doubt that knowledge that you have, then it is as though you learn about them for the first time. Speaking a language which is not yours is dangerous in that respect. That is how important it is to make all languages grow.]

The participation of communities in the preservation and management of heritage resources, including the establishment of heritage bodies such as the provincial heritage resources authority and geographic names in provinces, as well as the celebration of our unity in diversity through commemorative days, particularly our Heritage Day, all help us to ensure that we continue to perpetuate a heritage base that ensures that our dignity does last.

Many nations across the globe have engaged in various wars. Amongst many reasons that lead to these wars is the lack of tolerance, and we are happy to have a nation that has been able to demonstrate its ability to actually accommodate one another.

We are, again, also happy to remind ourselves that it is proper to remember that recently a publication from the SA Human Rights Commission on civil society and governance in South Africa, 1994-2000, reveals that social identity in South Africa seems to have diversified, with more and more people preferring to be identified as South Africans rather than whites and blacks, and these are the achievements we need to celebrate. This is a good indication that we are succeeding in building a strong national identity in South Africa.

Mr Deputy President, the fundamental and pivotal task of our Government, therefore, remains the creation of a united, nonracial, nonsexist and democratic South Africa.

Ke ndifuna ukuvala ngolu hlobo, Mhlalingaphambili: Kuya kusixaka ke ukwakha eli lifa ukuba ngaba asixolelani ngokufanayo. Lo Rhulumente uthe xa ethabatha iintambo zolawulo wavumela ukuba uGeorge Meiring alawule imikhosi yethu, sizazi izono zakhe ngelaa xesha wayephethe umkhosi wamamgxagxa. Savuma ukuba nabanye, abanjengooFivus, nabo balawule.

Kuba yingozi ke ukuba xa kusithiwa kupapashwa kwisaziso ukuba kungenzeka ukuba uMcBright aphathe amapolisa, athukwe ngumhlaba wonke kuba waye wenza umsebenzi wokulwela inkululeko, ethunywe ngumbutho wenkululeko phantsi kweempembelelo zenkululeko; kukhale wonke umntu xa kusenzeka loo nto. Loo nto ithetha ukuthi asixolelani ngokulinganayo.

Siyacela ke ukuba kuxolelwane ngokulinganayo ukwenzela ukuba ilifa silidle ngokubonakalayo ubusuku nemini, iiyure ezingama 24 ngemini, neentsuku ezisixhenxe ngeveki. [Kwaphela ixesha.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)

[So, I want to conclude, Chairperson, by saying that building this heritage will be difficult for us if we are not reconciled in a similar manner. When this Government took over the reigns of power, it allowed George Meiring to be in control of our army, whilst knowing his sins when he was in control of the Boers’ army. It also allowed others like Fivus to be in control.

It becomes dangerous, when it is published that Mc Bride might be in control of the police, and the entire world swears at him because he was once engaged in fighting for freedom, having been instructed by a liberation movement in the context of freedom, and everybody complains when that happens. That means we are not reconciled in a similar manner. We ask that reconciliation be done in a similar manner, so that we enjoy the heritage day and night, 24 hours a day and seven days a week. [Time expired.]]

The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! I now call upon Cllr H Jenkins, the Deputy Chairperson of Salga.

Cllr H JENKINS (Salga): Hon Chairperson, His Excellency the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa the hon Mr Jacob Zuma, hon members of the NCOP, dignitaries, invited guests, comrades, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the national leadership of Salga and member municipalities, it is indeed an honour and a privilege to address this House on the theme of our common heritage.

As we approach yet another milestone in our brief history as a democracy, namely a decade of freedom, it is prudent and hopefully beneficial to reflect on the collective role of Government in the advancement of national values, values which contribute to our heritage - a heritage which makes us proud as a nation and the envy of the world.

It was only recently that peace- and freedom-loving South Africans were engaged in bitter wars of resistance and the struggle for liberation from pigmentocratic misrule. It is through our collective courage, conviction and sacrifice and, eventually, for many, by paying the supreme price, that we have secured peace and freedom in our lifetime and for future generations.

The words of the African elder, speaking about mother earth, give meaning to the African being, which is entirely apt in the context of our various struggles as a people. The elder remarked, and I quote:

If you dig the earth in this Lusaka, you will find me If you dig and dig, you will find me, and still If you dig and dig and dig, And even if you use the big machines, which the human race has made, to dig and dig and dig to the fathomless bottom There you will find me in the earth. I am an African.

Salga, for its part, has committed itself to the renewal and revival of our continent, for the world must behold that we are firmly located within the African century. To this end, Salga pays homage to the labour of the men, women and children who sacrificed their lives for nonracialism, nonsexism, democracy, stability, prosperity and peace in our beloved country.

As a fledgling democracy just about to celebrate its 10th birthday anniversary, we are indeed indebted to these fallen heroes and heroines who paid the ultimate price in order that we, who have remained behind, can live in freedom.

Salga proclaims to the nation that the souls of these valiant soldiers must rest in peace, as we have secured a Constitution that will ensure democracy and peace, and we will let the words of President Mbeki resonate with determination in our hearts and strengthen our resolve.

Wherever we may be, whatever our immediate interest, however much baggage we carry from our past, however much we have been caught by the fashion of cynicism and loss of faith in the capacity of the people, let us err today and say, “Nothing can stop us now.”

As leaders we are under obligation to enshrine in our consciousness as a caring nation that our heritage as Africans, in terms of past injuries and atrocities, must be repaired. The wholesale reparation of colonial and apartheid crimes must be the restoration of the African spirit, both individually and collectively.

It is in the grand and noble nature of our wider heritage that Salga - and, by extension, municipalities - is restoring the dignity of our populace. Although service delivery to our communities has improved tenfold since the ejection of the previous junta, we do realise that much work lies ahead, especially in terms of electrification, basic housing and the provision of water.

Salga’s participation in intergovernmental structures and its partnership with Government will continue so that we have a nation high on contentment, and free from joblessness, poverty and all the unsavoury aspects of life that negate one’s basic dignity.

We have truly arrived as a nation and, with Salga’s proximity to the people, we are certain that we will build positively on and strengthen our heritage for generations to come. With this, I want to put the challenge to the Premier of the Northern Cape, Premier Manne Dipico, to showcase the Namastad at the tourism celebrations in Upington “soos net ons in die Noord- Kaap dit kan doen” [as only us in the Northern Cape can do].

Chairperson, I thank you for the opportunity to share these thoughts with you. [Applause.]

INkosi N J NGUBANE (KwaZulu-Natal): Madam Chairperson, our hon Deputy President, hon premiers, hon MECs and the hon House, I have been requested by my premier to come and read his speech here.

Almost 10 years after the time of our political liberation, our country can rightly celebrate its main achievements, many of which have indeed been true miracles. In the past 10 years, this Government has achieved far above the expectations of many. Throughout South Africa there has been an intense process of transformation that has changed our country in many respects and often for the better. We have achieved a lot in a period of 10 years. We have also moved forward in making significant progress, especially in respect of processes requiring a timeframe that, of necessity, is longer than 10 years, as such, regarding the agenda for reconciliation and recognition of the multicultural nature of our society.

We must now focus on those aspects of our process of growth and transformation that have not received sufficient attention, or in respect of which the demands of our society and the needs of our people may or are not being matched by what has been achieved. There are many aspects in respect of which we need to do more to perform better. Amongst them is our war on HIV/Aids, which ought to become our first priority in all our actions as Government. My province is terribly affected by this pandemic and we are suffering not only because of the disease but also because of the insufficient and ineffective actions and policies through which this pandemic has thus far been dealt with. History will judge us very harshly.

We are also struggling with one of the country’s highest unemployment rates, which highlight how, in the past 10 years, unemployment has grown dramatically in spite of the great economic growth achieved by our country. We must also deal with the issue of poverty in the rural areas. In my province, there is now much more poverty, hunger, malnutrition and social destruction in rural areas than 10 years ago. It is saddening that for the poorest of the poor, our liberation has not marked an improvement on conditions but rather a deterioration.

I carry the responsibility for the safety and security portfolio within my province, which, as you all know, is more of a nominal responsibility than having actual powers and functions to do something significant to improve on the situation of law and order in our province. Crime is out of control and is affecting everyone indiscriminately. For this reason, I feel that we, as a country, must recognise that something has gone wrong in the past 10 years. We need to create a new culture of ethics, law abidance and respect for the rule of law.

There has thus far been too much crime and corruption and it seems that neither crime nor corruption know any boundaries and affect each and every one of us. We need to turn this situation around. It would be difficult to discuss the issues that affect the multicultural nature of our society and we need to reconcile the conflicts which still stem from the legacy of our past. We cannot do so until and unless we create a society in which everyone can feel equally safe and protected under the rule of law. The culture of crime is becoming prevalent, whether it’s a matter of petty crime or large-scale crime, and it becomes intertwined with the culture of corruption.

It is painful, but we must have the courage to acknowledge it and the courage to speak about it openly. We must admit that throughout the African continent, crime and corruption have been some of the strongest factors that inhibit progress, development and international direct investment. We are seeing the same monster raising its head in our country. Crime and corruption do not stem from the policies and laws which this Parliament adopts. We have good policies and our laws are sufficient to address criminal phenomena. Crime and corruption arise from the inaction of Government in implementing and enforcing its laws. For example, when crime and corruption are not fought for ever, they keep appearing.

We need to provide much better resources in the fight against crime and corruption, including more policemen who are better trained, better paid and provided with greater resources, together with a stronger, better equipped and more highly trained judiciary. Together and with more resources, we need to back our fight against crime and corruption with the actual political will to recognise the magnitude of the problem, the threat it poses to our democracy and our economic growth; and the willingness to tackle it with the measure of effectiveness that is objectively required.

When the forces of democracy took over the reigns of our Government in 1994, the first thing we did was to reprioritise Government’s spending to allocate it towards the pressing priorities of our people, especially those priorities that had been neglected until then. Together with financial reprioritisation, we reprioritised the political will to tackle those problems.

I feel that we have reached a junction in our history where we must do the same in respect of our war on HIV/Aids and the fight against crime and corruption. We need the same shift of attitude and a government that is willing to bring it about. It requires building national consensus on a new set of priorities in a serious, credible and effective manner. Those are priorities that address the issues of HIV/Aids, unemployment, crime, poverty - especially in the rural areas - and the issue of corruption.

This can only happen if the Government that is in power respects the full commitment to the rules of the game which, unfortunately, have been cast in doubt because of the way in which the crossing-of-the-floor legislation was passed and our Constitution tampered with to amend the rules of the game in order to achieve political objectives which could not be achieved … [Interjections.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Uxolo! Ngiyaxolisa, baba. Isikhathi sesidliwe yinja. Ngiyaxolisa. [I am sorry, Minister. Your time has expired.]

INkosi N J NGUBANE: Siyabonga, nina beSilo! … [Thank you, people of the king!]

Ms J L KGOALI: Motlatsa Modulasetulo, mohl Motlatsi wa Mopresidente wa rona wa Afrika Borwa, … [Deputy Chairperson, hon Deputy President of South Africa]

… iinkulumbuso ezikhoyo apha ezivela kumaphondo ngamaphondo, abaphathiswa abakhoyo apha ngaphakathi kwiNdlu namalungu ahloniphekileyo ale Ndlu … [… the Premiers from various provinces who are here, Ministers present in the Chamber and hon members of this House]

… today we are here, in this august House, to celebrate our unity in diversity. We celebrate our achievements since 1994. We are here to celebrate what has been achieved since the glorious day of 27 April, on which the majority of our people in their numbers said never again would South Africans be dominated on the basis of their race, culture, language and religion.

Motlatsa Modulasetulo, ha re keteke Molaotheo wa rona o entseng hore ebe kajeno re na le Ntlo ena eo re dutseng ka hara yona, e kopanyang mebuso e meraro ya naha ya rona ya Afrika Borwa, moo re kgonang ho bua ka ntshetsopele le bophelo bo tlamehileng hore bo fumanwe ke maAfrika Borwa ka ho fapana ha ona. (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows.)

[Deputy Chairperson, let us celebrate our Constitution, which allowed us to have this House in which we are sitting today, which brings the three sections of the Government of South Africa together. It is a House in which we are able to discuss development and the kind of life that should be made available to the different people of South Africa.]

On this occasion of the debate on our heritage, allow me to reflect back on what happened in our history, where the majority of South Africans were subjugated by the system of apartheid. In doing so, I wish to highlight how Afrikaner nationalism and apartheid rule was formed, what formed the subjugation, how it was used and how this form of subjugation led to the demise of apartheid.

In order to sustain itself, apartheid used ethnicity amongst other things, as a basis for justifying its existence, self-determination and separate development. Language was used as a basis of justifying why black people should stay in their own separate Bantustans. Blacks were denationalised and made foreigners in their own country. The Bantustan system was founded on the basis of land dispossession of African people, which ensured that hunger compelled blacks to the labour market.

The creation of the impoverished Bantustan system made it possible for blacks to be dominated and controlled by the white minority, given the fact that they became economically dependent on the manufacturing sector. Blacks became the outsiders. They were excluded in their own country.

Attempts were made to use education as a tool of domination and control over the majority of this country. Missionary schools, which were perceived as institutions that enlightened blacks, were abolished. In this regard, I’m reminded of the words of the late Hendrik Verwoerd who said that a black child should never be taught mathematics and engineering, because if a black child was taught mathematics, who would sweep the streets?

Let us also remember that in 1976, an attempt was also made to use language as a means of domination, but due to the gallant struggles of the youth of the time, this never succeeded. I’m here also saying that the likes of Mondli Gungubeles and the Penny Majodinas were there to fight the government of the day to make sure that they did not succeed.

Today, we still have the remnants of the past who still want to use education and culture to justify separate development, but they will never survive. The forces of change will prevail. We shall never forget the heroic struggle of the youth in 1976 against language domination. Through these struggles, the youth of this country was mobilised to further the struggles against apartheid. The youth of this country realised that there were other forms of domination which extended beyond the classroom, against which they fought.

Religion was also used as a tool of subjugation. I’m reminded of the times when even the Dutch Reformed Church became a dominant church recognised by the regime of this country. The state attempted to use the church as the basis for separate development, but due to the heroic struggles of the clergy, the state was defied and the church became another site of the struggle.

The Mass Democratic Movement also used culture as another tool to fight the apartheid onslaught. Amongst other things, cultural boycotts became an effective tool which the liberation movement used as an onslaught against the apartheid regime. I remember Madiba’s international birthday celebration in London at which various international cultural groups demanded Madiba’s release from prison.

Having outlined the historical context of our national heritage, allow me to outline what we have achieved since the ushering-in of our new democracy. Today we are a blossoming democracy of the new millennium, yet we are aware of the fact that we have suffered, and the challenges that still face us.

We are aware of the need to continue to work together, aware of the need for us to contribute nationally, regionally and globally to the reconstruction of human society. However, let us rejoice that we have a Constitution that honours the integrity and rights of all our citizens. We have a Government with a strong mandate from the people to continue to work to transform our country, and we have a nation of people who enjoy the right to determine their destiny.

Today, Africa is recognised as the cradle of mankind. In our part of the continent, we have a rich and varied past that is only now being appreciated for its complexity and diversity. Indeed, our heritage is the foundation from which we are working to build our society.

While there are still many challenges to be met, poverty still gnaws at many of our people, disease still threatens our development, at least we have a Government that has worked and is working for the people, with the people.

We are a nation ready to meet the new millennium, to engage with the globalisation, the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century. We are playing a meaningful role in the African Renaissance. Our democracy seeks to facilitate an equitable, inclusive and representative understanding of our history.

Our Government seeks to redress the neglected legacy of our country. The Government is working to ensure that many events or things that contributed to who we are today are recognised. The ANC is seeking to redress the serious imbalances that existed in the representation of our history and ensure that the future generations remember the many people who worked with courage to create the free society in which we now live.

The Government is not creating a state-sanctioned and censored view of history. Rather, it is providing the built structures and symbolic mechanisms for an equitable and reconstructualised representation of our heritage. The Government has … [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Mr N M RAJU: Deputy Chairperson, His Excellency the Deputy President, MECs, hon special delegates, hon colleagues, the hon Deputy President set the tone for the debate by referring eloquently to our national symbols, the code of arms, the flag, the national anthem, and he also made references to something that is dear to me, our natural flora and fauna that constitutes the real ingredients of national pride, national honour and national heritage. Heritage in an opportunity to celebrate a nation’s journey to its economic self-sufficiency, political independence and restoration of those aspects of life which have been stifled or smothered during years of subjugation by colonial society.

But let us not look at South Africa in isolation. I would like to quote from the footnotes of Ngugi Wa Thiong’o’s Decolonizing the Mind as follows:

No human disaster can equal in dimension of destructiveness the cataclysm that shook Africa. We are all familiar with slave trade and the traumatic effect of this on the transplanted black but few of us realise what horrors were wrought on Africa itself. Vast populations were uprooted and displaced. Whole generations disappeared. European diseases have descended like the plague, decimating both cattle and people. Cities and towns were abandoned. Family networks disintegrated, kingdoms crumbled, the threads of cultural and historical continuity were savagely torn asunder.

These words form the backdrop I would like to paint before focusing on our Republic of South Africa. For we can only celebrate today if we know yesterday, the past, long before 1913. No longer can Africa and South Africa be mere postscripts to history. The hon representative from Salga referred to the revival of the African spirit. Can we deny it on occasions such as this, when we celebrate our heritage, when we can almost feel the palpable stirring of the African spirit?

Observing heritage in South Africa will certainly be celebrating the unity and diversity of a nation that has recently emerged from being a society that had been divided on racial and ethnic lines; from a repressive apartheid era to a democracy in its infancy. There are many things that we can observe and celebrate, other countries observe and celebrate their heritage in different ways. The common thread is identifying and preserving such things as the language, music, literature, arts, religion and science. And it is the libraries and museums, parks and gardens, mountain peaks, caves and lakes that give character and shape to a nation’s heritage.

South Africans have certainly much to preserve, exhibit and celebrate. The motto on our national coat of arms says it all: From diversity to unity. The rainbow nation is certainly a rich tapestry of a kaleidoscope of different cultures, each with its distinct language, religion and religious and linguistic characteristics. This world of diversity must be harnessed and channelled towards a unified nation from being a divided past.

Unfortunately in South Africa sometimes we notice antagonisms and tensions continuing to simmer, even nine years after our first democratic elections. There are moments when political tolerance gasps for breath. But we must note that South Africa is generally considered to be rich in minerals, gold, platinum and diamonds. What is sometimes forgotten is that the most important wealth of the country is its people.

The hon Deputy President referred to the explosion of cultures and that was very aptly put. We are an explosion of cultures like the explosion of a multicoloured flower garden.

No country in the world has, among its population, such a variety of different cultures, languages and religions. It is the duty of our leaders, political and otherwise, to exploit this rich talent and wealth of our people. South Africans of all shapes and political opinion, … years or days when colour does not mean anything. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Mr K D S DURR: Chairperson, I would like to say, I doubt whether the Deputy President is listening. I was going to say to you, Deputy President, that I listened carefully to what you said today and I respect what you said and the spirit in which you said it.

If we examine our freedom and our heritage, we may well ask what has been the greatest contributor to that freedom. What is the greater guarantor of that liberty? The answer, of course, must lie in values we largely share and have mobilised; and the principles that flow from values; and the policies those values give rise to. We know in South Africa what separates us. We are experts on the subject. Sameness is not unity. Unity lies in respecting, understanding and accepting the diversity of our country and not allowing for any differences to be debilitating or to become an obstruction to living out one’s life to one’s full potential.

We South Africans need to harness the centrifugal forces in our society; those things that hold us together, that unite us and diminish the centripetal forces that threaten to pull our nation apart, as our colleague from Natal, Nkosi Ngubane, also spelt out quite well this morning.

One of those great centrifugal forces in our society is the value system most of us share, which flows from our common Christian heritage. With a few exceptions the most successful states in the world that have escaped tyranny and poverty most successfully are those states that are the inheritors of those values and that apply those principles and drivers. And what are those drivers?

Those drivers are love, which the Deputy President spoke about, faith, honour, order, duty, truth, integrity, tolerance, diligence, perseverance, hard work, respect for family and authority, humility, selflessness, forgiveness and tolerance.

The distinguishing features that underpin societies founded on those Judaeo- Christian norms and values include: Respect for life, law and order, peace, a hard currency, independence from others and the dependence on God, limited government, freedom of religion and worship, growing democracy, charity, stability, health, chastity, kindliness, generosity, a sense of maintenance, eternal vigilance, never pinning one’s faith on princes, separation between Church and state, freedom of the press, honouring and putting a high premium on property ownership, an independent judiciary and an intergenerational view of life.

Lying at the heart of the Christian conscience is a human desire for liberty - the freedom to choose between right and wrong, to make conscience- driven choices. At the worldly level, the rules that govern us; that flow from our values, ideally should be made in democratic parliaments, founded under God. If those parliaments are to survive they need to have a significant ongoing Christian presence to guard those values and norms upon which they have been founded. That is what we in the ACDP will seek to do. [Applause.]

Mr T S SETONA: Thank you, Chairperson. Deputy President of the Republic, hon Jacob Zuma, hon premiers of our provinces, distinguished special delegates, hon members, fellow colleagues, friends and comrades, as we celebrate the heritage month, we do so with a great sense of pride, duty and urgency because ours is a nation in the making, emerging from a past of deep polarisation and inequalities defined by race, gender and class.

To us, as the voice and representatives of our people, the celebration of heritage month is also a call for duty with a great sense of urgency, because we have a historic mission to accomplish - the mission to eradicate the legacy of the past in all its ramifications by building one common national identity. The democratic breakthrough of 27 April 1994, under the leadership of the African National Congress, has laid a solid and unbreakable foundation upon which we can all march in unison to create a better life for all.

Representing, as it does, the monumental turning point in the history of our people and the country, this 1994 democratic breakthrough will forever be a living testimony of a nation breaking ranks with the past in search of self-renewal, redefinition, and a common national identity.

In this regard, we salute the courageous leadership of the African National Congress and the New National Party for initiating the process of peaceful settlement of our country’s conflict. We are here, where we are today, because of the courageous leadership of Nelson Mandela and the former President of the NP, Mr F W de Klerk. That constitutes one of the historic moments in the lives of our people and our country, and it would be wrong if you are not taking cognisance of that. [Applause.]

Celebrating national heritage is about celebrating the history of a national effort for development, a history of sacrifice, endurance, commitment and the achievement of humanity in search of peace, equality, prosperity and dignity. There is no nation that can appreciate and preserve its beauties when it is at war with itself, ravaged by hunger, homelessness and diseases, and torn apart by hatred.

The late Secretary-General of the South African Communist Party, Comrade Moses Kotane, made the following call to the youth of our country, and I quote: “At this hour of destiny, your country and your people need you. The future is in your hands and it will be what you make of it.”

As a nation in motion for self-renewal and redefinition, we need to ask questions as to whether we have in our efforts created enough opportunities for the youth of our country to occupy their rightful place in society and in our struggle for change in particular.

Our inability to examine, from time to time, how our programmes as Government impact on the youth has a potential to destroy the very common national identity we seek to construct. I am sure those who were leaders in 1976 will agree with me that their failure to listen to the demands of the youth of this country has flung this country into a crisis on 16 June 1976. And we are hopeful and confident that our Government, led by the African National Congress, is conscious of that reality, hence it has created appropriate mechanisms and appropriate policies to address the inspirations and interests of young people in this country.

The nine years of democratic rule under the leadership of the ANC present a great cause for our youth to celebrate. It has restored the dignity of the African child by, inter alia, deracialising our education system, where our children, irrespective of their ethnic, racial and class background, are able to be in the same class - this was not the case before the 1994 democratic dispensation.

Today our children from indigent families, those between the ages of one and seven years, are able to receive grants from Government thus enabling them to fulfil their responsibilities of development, like attending schools and getting educated.

It is we, the generation of today, the generation of young people, that can celebrate because our leaders from the ranks of the South African Youth Congress, from the ranks of the Congress of South African Students, the late Comrade Ephraim Mogale, have not died in vain when they called for free, compulsory education for all. Today it is no one but the Government of the African National Congress that has put that particular programme in place, hence we have free, compulsory education for all from age one until twelve years.

Today we have accessible health care, not only for those young people who are in our urban communities but even those who are in our rural communities.

The transformation of the higher education system in our country has enabled large numbers of entrants from the historically excluded, particularly African youth, to become part of the mainstream education and training of our country, thus increasing the human resource base of our country.

We owe it to our forebears again that successive leadership and generations of the youth of this country have made this to happen … [Time expired.]

THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, Sir.

Mr T S SETONA: … Thank you. [Applause.]

Mr P A MATTHEE: Chairperson, all of us as political leaders are fully aware of the enormous challenges that we as a country are still facing, despite all the successes achieved over the past ten years.

There can be no doubt that the enormous challenges of poverty, crime, HIV/Aids, unemployment, etc require of us to urgently find lasting solutions. We will however only succeed in this if we as South Africans from all communities can succeed in overcoming our divided past and embrace our common future. The challenges facing us are such that we can only succeed if we all take hands and together build our common future.

We must acknowledge how far we have come on the road to reconciliation, and in that spirit approach our outstanding challenges. If we think back, a mere 10 to 14 years, and remember how close we came to a bloody civil war in this country which would have destroyed our country, we indeed have so much to rejoice about and in humility thank our God for.

A number of recent events have, however, proved that real nation-building and lasting reconciliation in South Africa remains one of the most important pressing and elusive needs for our people. It is one of the founding principles of the agreement between the New NP and the ANC that we must build a national consensus founded on South African patriotism to deracialise our country and build tolerance and understanding.

In 1990 when President De Klerk announced the end of apartheid and positioned the New NP as a party of Africa, not simply in Africa, the New NP chose power sharing and a multiparty government. It received the overwhelming endorsement of the minority communities for this approach of being part of the debate, not out of the debate. This resulted in the Government of National Unity. In retrospect, it was a big mistake for the New NP to withdraw from the GNU in favour of the Westminster model. There were, however, flaws that had to be corrected.

In 1999 the New NP again received a mandate to work towards an inclusive government, but unfortunately went into an alliance with the DP. [Laughter.] When it, however, soon became clear that the DP component of the DA was not interested in constructively engaging the Government and was hellbent on its fight back style of politics, with the philosophy of what is bad for the country is good for the DA, the New NP pulled out of that alliance, and again established participatory government through its agreement with the ANC.

In this new model the problems of the GNU, such as the right of a party to differ in public on issues on which consensus cannot be reached, have been corrected.

Die besluit deur die Nuwe NP en die ANC in 2001 om op alle regeringsfere saam te werk, en in eenheid en doel te ontwikkel om die groot uitdagings wat Suid-Afrika in die gesig staar gesamentlik die hoof te bied, bly ‘n dryfkrag agter die proses van versoening. Soos ons ons tiende jaar van demokrasie binne gaan, is dit ons twee partye wat voortgaan om wag te hou oor die proses van versoening en die verdieping van demokrasie in ons land. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[The decision by the New NP and the ANC in 2001 to co-operate on all spheres of government, and to develop in unity and purpose in order to jointly deal with the challenges facing South Africa, remains a driving force behind the process of reconciliation. As we enter our tenth year of democracy it is our two parties that will continue to guard the process of reconciliation, as well as the deepening of democracy in our country.]

Whilst we should never lose sight of how far we have come since 1990, we must also recognise that there are still many South Africans, unfortunately from all communities, who remain trapped by the mistakes of our past, and whose fears and racial prejudices are easily awakened.

Whilst the ANC and the New NP are working tirelessly to build tolerance and understanding, there are political parties like the DA who manipulate and exploit these fears and prejudices for their own narrow short-term political gain. We have seen this during the recent by-elections and in their speeches and responses to the Restitution of Land Rights and Education Amendment Bills recently, where they have made use of half truths, and sometimes blatant lies, in their attempts to whip up the emotions, fears and prejudices of minority groups.

From the results of some of these by-elections it is unfortunately clear that in the short-term they are succeeding in misleading some people with their false propaganda by giving them a kind of temporary warm feeling that they will somehow miraculously solve every problem in this country almost overnight. This is, however, the same kind of warm feeling which a small child gets when he or she wets him or herself. [Laughter.] Like this warm feeling that a small child experiences for a few moments before he or she becomes very uncomfortable, so this warm feeling experienced by people, who have been misled by the false and unrealistic propaganda of the DA, disappears like mist before the sun when they are exposed to the light of the truth and to the realities of the new South Africa.

In reality the DA has not, cannot, and will not be able to put one policeman or policewoman on the streets of South Africa; has not, cannot, and will not be able to build one house in South Africa; and this is so in respect of each and every challenge or problem that we as South Africans face. The DA very temporarily only has some influence in KwaZulu-Natal and in a few municipalities which they only got through their earlier alliance with the New NP.

The National Party under the leadership of former President De Klerk and the ANC under the leadership of former President Nelson Mandela, talked to each other, negotiated with each other, governed together in the interest of all the people of this country. Today the New National Party under the leadership of Premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk, and the ANC under the leadership of President Thabo Mbeki … [Interjections.] [Time expired.]

THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON: Thank you.

Mr P A MATTHEE: … I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr E RASOOL (Western Cape): Thank you very much, Chairperson, Deputy President, Premiers, MECs, members of this House. I want to thank the Deputy President for the leadership he has shown in reminding us of our obligations in this month of heritage and preparing us for the tenth celebrations that we will have. But I also want to thank him for taking the lead in not being afraid to speak about the situation in which he finds himself, because I think that becomes the hallmark of the kind of democracy that we want.

And it is not an irony that we go to the tenth year with the Deputy President being accused of certain things, because there are some among us who would want to assert that the only legacy of the last 10 years would be matters relating to corruption. Whereas the issues that the Deputy President led us on today show that our legacy in this country is far more than the blips of corruption, alleged or real, that have occurred in this country and that the legacies indeed are so deep that it goes to the levels of service delivery, the levels of unity and reconciliation that we have been able to build and the levels of a society that is far more in harmony with itself than ever before.

I want to speak very briefly about the one question that has vexed political leaders in the Western Cape for all the time that we have known it - the issue of the national question in the Western Cape, the issue of the relationships between the different racial communities in the Western Cape. I want to say, Deputy President, that there have been significant shifts in the national question of the Western Cape in the last 19 months. We have not reached anywhere near where we should be, we have not reached anywhere near perfection, but we believe we have the basic ingredients for a solution that will begin to solve and lay to rest the vexing issues around the national question in the Western Cape. I think it results largely from the kind of political change that the hon Pieter Matthee has spoken about, because we are building a new common ground, a new centre, a new political dispensation within the Western Cape that is inclusive rather that exclusive, that works on the common ground rather than exploits the differences that leads to fears and hostilities among the people of the Western Cape.

In the ANC Today the President, Thabo Mbeki, reflected on his visit to the Western Cape for three days of imbizos, that we may even begin to believe that the national battle for nonracialism may finally be fought and won in the Western Cape. After three days of travelling the length and breadth of this province, the President has probably given the most hopeful sign that we can lay to rest the racial divisions and conflicts that have characterised life in the Western Cape. And maybe the key ingredients would be around the formula to transform white fears into generosity, to use the resourcefulness, the skills, the wherewithal that the white community in this province has built up. However, they may have built it up, but to say: Let us turn it into a generosity that contributes to a new dispensation and a new attitude towards people of different races. Maybe that is the first ingredient.

The second ingredient may well be to turn African marginalisation into African inclusion in the Western Cape. To overcome the legacy of the coloured label preference areas, the Group Areas Act, the Influx Control Act that was applied so harshly in the Western Cape and to begin to say to the African community: The Western Cape is as much your home as it is the home of other communities.

The third ingredient may well be to turn coloured insecurities into an assurance that the coloured community has a historical right to claim the Western Cape as their home and need not walk about as insecure communities here who have weathered the storms of “swart gevaar” in this province. [Interjections.]

We have stabilised the fears that this community, the coloured community, have of equality, as we begin to understand that welfare needs to be equalised in order to be spread and that we need integrated housing waiting lists. It is not a threat to any particular community, that you can no longer say that Africans cannot be on the housing waiting list of the Western Cape. And we need a dispensation and a formula to share the scarce resources of the Western Cape among all of our people. This battle for nonracialism, I believe can shift into a new gear as we enter the second decade of freedom. Maybe in the second decade of freedom we must shift away from the harsh racial divisions that exist in the Western Cape to the true enjoyment of the full cultural, linguistic and religious diversity of our province while asserting that we are all South African and asserting at the same time that we are all proud Africans of this continent, so that the racial identities, which are largely political, of white, coloured and African do not remain, on the one hand, fixed and do not remain, on the other hand, defensive.

That the white community no longer use the identity of white to defend privileges, but that we may in fact revel in the legacy of those white communities who speak Afrikaans and have certain cultural practices, the rich English legacy that we have in this province and even others like the Portuguese legacy that forms part of this overall white community so that we can revel in the cultural and linguistic variety there rather than in the political identity of ``white’’.

That we may be able to say to the coloured community: Do not have solidarity among yourselves against equality and against changes that happen in the country, but that we may begin to see more how within that coloured community the Malays revel in their relationship with Malaysia, Indonesia and Java and see the cultural and culinary unities that are building up there. That the Khoi, the San and the Griqua begin to recognise that the greatest friend for their own legacy is a government that has made their language the centrepiece of our Coat of Arms.

That even the Chinese, who fall in this coloured community, may now begin to revel in and make their pilgrimages to China, etc. And that we say to the African communities of the Western Cape: Let us no longer use the notion of being African as an assertion that you have the right to exist, that you must be in the Western Cape against all the oppression that has happened to you, of which you were the victims, in the Western Cape. But let us rather say that within that there is a vibrancy that says that the African communities are at home in the Western Cape. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

Mrs C MABUZA (Limpopo): Chairperson, hon Deputy President, Premiers present here, MECs, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Limpopo, her people and Premier Advocate Ramatlhodi, I would like to associate with the gratitudes expressed to members of the House by the hon Deputy President and other speakers in this House. From all corners of the country we came here to grapple with the concept that affords us an opportunity to affirm ourselves as indigenous citizens of this land.

In a month dedicated to heritage celebrations, as alluded to by the Deputy President earlier, we have assembled in this House to reaffirm our commitment to the project that seeks to preserve our own cultural identity. Once more, we are challenged to acknowledge that heritage, at the core of which is arts and culture, remains a prerequisite for the sustainable development and appropriate legacy to leave behind for future generations. In no uncertain terms, heritage has distinguished itself as a catalyst for nation-building and national reconciliation. It constitutes an integral element of the sound institutions that form the cornerstone of our democracy.

On the other hand, heritage is vital in dealing with almost all South Africa’s development challenges, whether these are high illiteracy rates, social welfare, backwardness, underdevelopment, crime or the HIV/Aids pandemic. The relationship between the cultural component of our heritage and development is a dynamic one; the two are mutually reinforcing. So, by locating culture at the centre of development, we are bringing in the most important ingredient for the success of our people in their forward march to a better life.

In more ways than one, the preservation of our heritage is about the development of our people - empowering them to unlock the armour of talents, skills and ingenuity that is inherent within human beings. Based on our heritage, works of art have been sourced from the length and breadth of Southern Africa, from townships to the far-flung rural areas. They reflect the richness and diversity of the cultural tapestry and heritage of our country - a country that undoubtedly has the human and natural resource potential to play a major role in the global village.

However, the challenge that remains is to create platforms and infrastructure for this potential to be unlocked. While the globalisation trend opens up a window of opportunity to showcase and market the unique products of our cultural heritage, sadly, all too often, the benefits associated with this do not accrue to those people whose ingenuity and endeavours create the products that are sold in galleries in the world’s capitals.

The exceptionally well-made pots, produced out of hard clay soil, the craft that is involved, the high level of intellectual concentration, the risk that goes with the fetching of wood from unsafe bushes and mountains, is not equal to the hard labour our people commit to this work. Instead, the ones who buy these products, and those involved in their trade, get richer at the expense of our people. Our people get condemned to poverty for the good work they do in the interest of our heritage.

At worse, they are sometimes not even part of the decision-making process in determining the prices at which their own products should be sold. It is high time that we change this ugly scenario. Our people too, should enjoy the outcomes of their mental and manual labour power. In 1992, Unesco established the World Commission on Culture and Development, which played a pivotal role in highlighting and mainstreaming the role of arts and culture in development.

These efforts have been instrumental in focusing the attention of Governments, development agencies and the private sector on arts and culture as a powerful lever of economic growth, poverty alleviation and human development. Limpopo, like other parts of our country, has also been a beneficiary. In June this year, Unesco declared Mapungubwe, situated in the northern part of our province, a World Heritage Site.

This positive spin-off adds to the richness of our flora, fauna and unspoiled habitat we pride ourselves in as the province. Having lately distinguished ourselves as the preferred tourism destination for many, it is our considered view that this heritage site will contribute immensely to the economic development of the province and the country at large. From the marketing and tourism perspective, it presents us with a unique opportunity to showcase our province, our rich and varied cultural heritage, and our friendly and generous people to the people of the world.

In this regard, the provincial government, in collaboration with the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, decided to celebrate the Heritage Day at this site. The focus will be, amongst others, on educating the public about the significance of Mapungubwe as a World Heritage Site and its inscription on the World Heritage list. The University of Pretoria has also been successfully persuaded to bring back the Mapungubwe heritage collection to where it belongs: Limpopo.

On 5 September 2003, we also hosted the national festival on indigenous games at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. Our games, which include diketo, morabaraba, dibeke and kgati have been elevated to professional status, and participants can now take part in bigger tournaments and related competitions. I therefore take this opportunity to invite you, the Deputy President and all other hon members of this House, to join the people of Limpopo on the 24 September in celebrating Mapungubwe, as not only one of the three National Orders in our country, but also the World Heritage Site.

God is great. Publicly, today in this House, Inkosi Ngubane admitted that they are not hands-on in Kwazulu-Natal. Crime is increasing. Corruption is the order of the day. HIV/Aids is getting out of control. I think the only political party that can take charge of that province is the ruling party - the ANC. [Interjections.] Publicly, he admitted that they are failing us. We need to implement what is in the Bible. We need to take people of Kwazulu-Natal out, from Egypt to the land of Canaan. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr Z A DINGANI (Free State): Chairperson of the Council of Provinces, Deputy President of the whole of South Africa, hon members, Premiers, MECs, indeed ours has truly been a long, difficult but interesting journey of determination and hope. As we enter the home stretch to the first decade of our democracy, our minds and souls remind us of the lap of honour that awaits us all. As we take this lap of honour as a nation, we will be reminded of our origin and, therefore, our heritage.

The ANC-led Government initiated the Letsema campaign in an effort to highlight Government programmes with regard to development, and to engage our communities in developmental initiatives. As part of the Letsema campaign, and the fact that our calendar indicates September as a tourism and heritage month, during this month we have been and will be involved in activities that showcase our rich heritage and promote tourism in the country and in the different provinces.

As a people we have made a groundbreaking transition from a divided and autocratic society to one that is united and celebrates its unique cultures, and proclaims its rich and diverse heritage. Today we can truly say that we are on the right path towards ensuring unity through diversity in South Africa.

We are proud to report to this House that the Basotho Cultural Village in Qwaqwa is involved in reviving and promoting the indigenous heritage of the Basotho. To achieve this objective, we are planning an open day for indigenous games on Heritage Day at the Cultural Village. The plan is to invite traditional leaders, councillors, business people and resort owners and managers to support this initiative.

Rightfully so, the theme for this heritage month focuses on popularising South Africa’s national symbols, that is the flag, the coat of arms and the national anthem, and on fostering understanding of the significance of these symbols.

Our Heritage Day celebrations this year in the Free State are aimed at school children and the wider public in order to promote awareness and an understanding of our national symbols. One of the objectives we would like to achieve is to get all the citizens to appreciate our national symbols and orders and regard them with pride and dignity.

Our continued efforts in this regard, Chairperson, are beginning to bear fruit. The provincial government receives a steady stream of requests from schools for some of these symbols, especially the national flag. Our department of education is working hard to facilitate that each school gets at least one flag.

We continue, though, to receive reports that some schools continue to fly the Vierkleur flag. In some cases the national flag is flown upside down mainly, we think, because of ignorance. Hence our concerted effort to promote awareness and understanding.

We continue to monitor with added vigilance the proper usage of the national flag. We remain concerned at the inadequate singing of the national anthem. We are, however, convinced that we are winning this battle.

Our country, Chairperson, has various significant heritage sites that have gained international prominence. It is incumbent upon every citizen to cherish and understand the significance of these sites.

In the Free State there are numerous heritage sites, which are significant because of their historical and cultural background. There are deliberate and sustained efforts to promote these sites, first among the people of the Free State, then among all South Africans and ultimately within the international community.

On the arts scene, we are delighted that during the past year the arts scene in the province has shown a vibrant revival and has become more representative of the needs of all the people of our province. The opening of the new underground art gallery at Oliewenhuis in Bloemfontein and the growing number of successful craft markets in the province are an indication that this sector is experiencing renewal.

Our annual cultural festival, Macufe, which will be held next month in Bloemfontein, continues to grow in stature. More than 52 000 arts lovers visited this show last year. It is gratifying, Chairperson, to note that about 77% of all artists who performed at Macufe 2002 were from the Free State. We grow our own timber and we have confidence that we will have a bigger and better Macufe this year. All members are invited.

Let us also indicate that the transformation of heritage in this country was never going to be an easy task. The heritage and history of black communities in our province are generally not depicted in our museums, as a result of the policies of the apartheid regime. But, comprehensive work is being undertaken to address this anomaly.

The Free State government, Chairperson, is also satisfied with the progress made in the development of Sesotho Literary Museum, which is currently housed at the National Afrikaans Literary Museum. The core collection of Sesotho Literary work is being built.

In conclusion, Chairperson, our efforts towards nation-building have surpassed our own imagination. In recognition of the gains we made in this regard, in May this year the Free State government, together with civil society, successfully held a cleansing and healing ceremony, where the communities of the Free State buried their past and pledged that never again will the evils of the past be repeated.

A monument was built in the Nelson Mandela Drive next to the Bram Fischer building to remind the people of the Free State and of our country that never again will the wrongs of the past be tolerated in our country. Plans are also at an advanced stage to establish a garden of remembrance to enhance this healing process. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr J O TLHAGALE: Chair, it is widely acknowledged that South Africa is a land of diverse people, with unique, rich cultures, traditions and languages, and also that it is a land blessed with a beautiful landscape, with fauna and flora. But most importantly, it is recognised and acknowledged that all those who live in this country belong to one nation, united in diversity. It can be referred to as a multicultural society in which different cultural entities and traditions are recognised, respected and promoted through national legislation, as the Deputy President has already alluded to.

There are eleven official languages and other languages that are commonly used by communities in South Africa. Government has adopted a language policy, as laid out in the Language Policy Framework of 2002, which seeks to ensure the following principles: The promotion and protection of linguisitic and cultural diversity, support of democracy through entrenchment of language equity and language rights, asserting a view that multilingualism is a national resource and encouraging the learning of other South African languages.

One cannot imagine or speak of the South African heritage without speaking about and acknowledging the past; in particular the history of systematic racial discrimination and dispossession suffered by the majority of its people under colonialism and apartheid.

That history and the history of the struggle against injustice and inequities are part of its rich heritage and identity. The present democratic dispensation and the recognition of the need for reconciliation and unity are part of the ongoing efforts towards building a common identity, patriotism and heritage. Morago ga 1994 kwa Bokone Bophirima go nnile le ditlhotlhomiso tsa paka e telele tsa moeteledipele wa UCDP. Ke ntse ke le sehuba se molangwana … [After 1994 in the North West investigations were carried out against the leader of the UCDP for a long time. I have been inquisitive …]

… I bore a grudge.

Mosong ono go utlwa Motlotlegi Motlatsa Moporesidente Rre Zuma a ineela, ikokobeletsa ditlhotlhomiso tse ga jaana di tsherwereng ka ene, mme a re a molao o tswelele ka dikgato tsa one. Jaanong ke a bona e bile ke a tlhaloganya mme ke tlaa fola maikutlo. [This morning I heard hon Deputy President Mr Zuma surrender, submitting himself to the investigations that are at present being made into him, saying that the law should continue with its steps. Now I see and understand and I will be fine.]

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL: Chairperson, Deputy President, Premiers, Speakers, MECs, Ms Jenkins, hon members, it is clear from the speech of the Deputy President that Heritage Day is about creating a national identity in the context of our diverse, multilingual and multicultural society. We must all recognise that we come from a past characterised by conflict, division and polarisation, and we are moving towards a future characterised by peace, unity and reconciliation. This commitment enjoins each of us, as public representatives, to ensure that we give effect to the spirit of our Constitution of creating a nonracial, nonsexist, prosperous and democratic South Africa.

The confusion amongst media analysts and commentators as to what is ethical, where to draw the line and how to avoid judgment on the basis of allegations, reflects a new challenge to our democracy. Central to the issue, is this question: “How do we balance the right to dignity and privacy against the right to freedom of expression?”

It is appropriate at this juncture to acknowledge and recognise the pre- eminent role played by our Deputy President in achieving peace and stability in KwaZulu-Natal, Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC. He has conducted himself as a true African and an authentic leader. What we say, and how we say it, would either contribute to the development or the devastation of these ideal aspirations. In a weekly letter from the opposition, the opening sentence, which reflects the co-operative arrangement between the IFP and the DA, we read the following:

The great tactic of the Zulu armies that conquered vast areas of the African hinterland in the 18th and 19th centuries was the horn formation. By advancing on two flanks at once, the warriors were able to overcome superior force and power.

The IFP and DA have come together in classic horn formation, advancing on two separate flanks, towards achieving the common goal of positive change in South Africa.

The statements resonate with militancy and aggression, a leap beyond the fight-back campaign to a declaration of war. Of course, the opening statements are qualified with an interesting refrain:

Ours is not a call to arms, but a call to the conscience of each and every South African.

This conscience that the DA is appealing to is a conscience of an individualistic person who shares no sense of responsibility to the social welfare and development of the historically marginalised communities of our country. This conscience is premised on the selfish acquisition of wealth and material benefits, even if it is at the expense of the poorest of the poor. This conscience that the DA speaks about is not based on egalitarian values and aspirations. It is narrow and parochial. It is the voice of the privileged which perennially argues against affirmative action and employment equity. It is a voice of a conscience that militates against improved working conditions and the constitutional obligations to redress the inequalities of the past.

The ordinary reader may well be incited by the opening statements and, given the sad history of conflicts and violence in KwaZulu-Natal, these statements may promote irresponsible acts of aggression. However, it is useful to subject these opening statements to closer scrutiny.

The parable of an army with two flanks, in a very subtle and subliminal sense, may suggest a white flank and a black flank, representing the DA and the IFP respectively, and again entrenching the divisions of the past. Then there is the question of who leads the army reminiscent of the great Zulu warrior, Chaka. Is it the ageing warrior, or the ambitious, but deluded, demagogue?

Will the wisdom of the older warrior prevail over the colossal ego of the diminutive demagogue? Will the battle begin and end within the ranks of its leadership? Who will be in charge, and what is the chain of command? The diminutive demagogue may suggest that they should, as they have, at every opportunity available discredit Government, which for purposes of the parable, is the enemy. He hopes that this will erode its strength, cohesion and hegemony. The wise, but waning, warrior will correctly argue in these words, and I quote him not very long ago, and these are the words of Dr Buthelezi:

We must be big enough and wise enough to acknowledge that the ANC has performed very well in many respects. Without this being acknowledged, what we have to say will lack credibility.

And I will ask the hon Nkosi Ngubane to listen to these words, because as he spoke, in the beginning, he sounded sincere, clear and coherent. Yet, when he read the DA script he became very confused about where he is located in this diverse cultural heritage of ours. [Laughter.]

He wisely cautions the younger tin soldier to distinguish between propaganda and reality. The wise warrior, who has been in the arena of political struggle for so long, says so because he knows that there has been a qualitative and quantitative change to millions of people who are the poorest of the poor. He knows that we have been oppressed by an uncaring regime in the past.

Surely the old warrior must remember how it has, over the past decade, in coalition with the ANC, brought infrastructure and services to his constituents. Certainly, he must be aware that this kingdom receives the greatest share of the revenue from amongst all provinces. Indeed, he will reflect that even though his party does not constitute the majority in the legislature, the fictitious enemy has permitted one of his deputies to lead.

Most significantly, at this stage of advanced foreplay with the DA, he must recognise that he and his members form part of a collective command of the state machinery of this fictitious enemy. He will also remember that as we celebrate arts and culture we do so with one of his deputies, Minister Ngubane, at the helm of the portfolio responsible for the cultural and scientific revolution that we are working towards.

Let us now proceed to the most precious heritage of our democracy, namely the Constitution. The Constitution is a unique heritage because it is an inspirational document committed to the improvement of the quality of the lives of all of our citizens. More importantly, it enshrines the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law.

These founding provisions are expanded in the Bill of Rights, which is the cornerstone of our democracy. Yet, not withstanding the right to be presumed innocent, our detractors - the deluded demagogues - have taken it upon themselves to pass innuendo and judgment on the dignity and esteem of our senior leaders. They opportunistically seek an intervention without respecting the rule of law. And they do so on the basis of allegations and pontificate that they act in the national interest.

Yet, they do not stop there. They question the commitment and integrity of the institutions protecting our democracy, which are guaranteed to act without fear, favour or prejudice. They do so in the knowledge that persons, irrespective of their political affiliations, have been successfully prosecuted for transgressions of the law, this notwithstanding their position and power within a political party. Yet, when it is politically expedient for them to do, they impute partially or bias, thus seeking to tarnish the institutions that support our constitutional democracy.

They further insinuate that our President must intervene, and thus disregard the rule of law. If he does, they would be the first to accuse him of interfering with the due process of law. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Madam Chair, premiers, MECs and hon members of the House, I believe that this has been one of the most interesting and encouraging discussions of the NCOP. We certainly have a lot to celebrate since 1994. There has been a lot of contributions that were made by different speakers. They all indicated that we have made progress, we have moved forward and that we have something to celebrate. Even those who spoke about other issues such as crime, HIV/Aids and the crossing of the floor indicated that something has happened. [Laughter.]

A decade ago - I’m sure everybody will agree - HIV/Aids was in this country. There was not a single programme in place to deal with this issue by any government, either by the national government or by governments that existed at the time. There was not a single programme in place. Today, everybody agrees and there are comprehensive programmes, including a five- year strategy to deal with this issue.

I think everybody will also agree that a decade ago, no one could speak about crime in this country, let alone a programme to deal with crime. And, people were dying and many of them were dying in the hands of the authorities. Today, we can talk about the programmes that deal with the issue of crime.

There are periodic reports as to where we are in the country. Yes, something has happened. We have something to celebrate. We did not even have the right to talk about these things and if you did, you would go to prison. Today, all of us can talk about it, either in indicating progress or indicating not seeing the progress. It would be a sad day if there are South Africans who might feel that there is nothing to celebrate. Certainly, they would be living in another country, not South Africa, if they have not noticed the change that has come about since 1994.

When the public representatives crafted the Constitution in this very city, they all agreed and thought it was important to put a provision regarding the floor-crossing possibility and said, ``When the time comes, a law should be piloted to deal with this issue.’’ It was an agreement that was taken by public representatives. All of them who are still represented here in this Parliament were part of that process.

In one imbizo I took time to explain this because, at some point, it has been alleged that it is the governing party or other parties that brought this particular law because they wanted to finish other parties. I took time to explain that. I would like, just briefly, to indicate what I said. As the Leader of Government Business, I was approached by the leader of the DP, after it had come together with the NP, who said, There is this provision in the Constitution.'' He also had a written submission as a proposal of what the kind of Bill would look like that must help deal with this issue. I must say that I was very reluctant to move quickly. I did say,This particular proposal you are making is a serious one because if we move on it, some parties are too small and they might cease to exist.’’ I said, However, because of its fundamental nature, I will take time to consult with other parties.'' And I proceeded to do so under pressure, because he kept on asking:Where are you on this matter?’’

At a certain stage we had to move forward on this matter. Indeed, the window of opportunity was created after a lot of consideration. Indeed, as a democratic country, if we respect the principles of democracy we have absolutely no right to force our members to remain within our parties when they don’t want to do so. It’s undemocratic to complain that people make political choices. It is their democratic right. Once you complain about it, you actually indicate signs of undemocraticness in you. After all, people go to those parties that they believe have programmes and policies with which they agree.

So, I don’t know why we should complain about that. We should be celebrating this because, at last, we are able to move to wherever we want to make our free choices. It, absolutely, requires celebration. I don’t know why we should complain about that. People love complaining about it, and I don’t know why.

Asikwazi ukufuya abantu njengezinkomo esibayeni kuphinde kuthi uma inkomo ilahlekile sithi siyoyifuna. Hhayi bo! Ngabantu laba futhi banelungelo lokuzikhethela into abayithandayo. Bayeshelwa abantu, njengentombi, baqome uma bethanda. [Uhleko.] Ababanjwa ngenkani. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.) [We cannot rear people like cattle in the kraal and go and look for them when they have not returned home. Hey, these are people. They also have the right to choose whatever they like. People are persuaded like maidens and they give their consent if they want to. [Applause.] They cannot be forced to do what they do not like to do.]

We have a lot to celebrate. I have always deeply appreciated this House. The NCOP is one of the glaring examples of this country regarding what democracy is all about and of what participating in government is all about. It is a meeting point of different levels of our governing institutions and political parties. There is no other centre in this country that looks like the NCOP. It is here where you hear the accounts being made by representatives from national, provincial and local governments. They give their own experiences, as the hon members here have done today - not through reading the columns for the highly educated in the print or electronic media regarding what the people think and what the people want, but through the representatives who come from the people. As I listened, I remembered one recent meeting where somebody said - an ordinary citizen of this country - in expressing the progress that has been made:

Uma indlu yakho inezibi, ungashaneli, akekho umuntu obonayo ukuthi kusuke kukhona izibi kuleyo ndlu; kuyathula nje kube sengathi akukho lutho. Lezo zibi zingaze zibe ziningi kuze kuzalele inyoka ube ungayiboni. Kodwa, uma uzishanela izibi kuye kushunqe uthuli ngoba usuke usuyenza ihlanzeke leyo ndlu phela, bese kubonakala ukuthi kukhona okwenzekayo laphaya. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[If your house is dirty and you do not sweep the floor no one can see that the house is dirty, it would look as if everything is in order. That dirt can increase until a snake gets in there and gives birth to its children without anyone noticing. But if one sweeps out the dirt and the dust, one is cleaning one’s house, and people start to notice that something is going on there.]

This ordinary citizen said, ``The reason that people, today, can talk about crime is because crime is being fought and being reported.’’ In the past, it was not fought and there were no reports about it. It looked like it was just quiet and there was no crime. It was deep but nobody was doing anything about it. That was a very fundamental thought from an ordinary person.

When the Premier of the Northern Cape talked about the achievements, as seen from the side of the Khoi people, what else could you say we cannot celebrate? As we all know, this population was forgotten, almost made to disappear and shy to say, ``This is what I am.’’ Freedom and democracy came. They are proud; they talk and their culture is coming back. It is something to celebrate. That, alone, is like a road sign and a landmark to say, South Africa and every citizen of this country are free. Freedom has brought confidence and dignity to all of us.

In the past, you could not find people - as the leaders did today - speaking either in Sotho, Xhosa or any other language, because an impression had been created that those were not languages at all. They were languages that belonged to citizens that were not complete citizens. But today:

Ungaphulaphula xa ithetha inkulumbuso yaseMpuma Koloni, intsokotha ngesiXhosa, uqonde okokuba kwakhu! Ithethile mfondini. [Listening to the Premier of the Eastern Cape speaking, delving deep into isiXhosa, you cannot help but feel: Man, what a speech!]

We therefore have something to celebrate. We are the only country that I have come across that is not shy to talk about its past passionately, for a good reason, in an effort to reconcile, unite and build a vibrant country. We are the only country like that. If you walked around the world, in developed and developing countries, we are quoted as an example that everybody must look up to. That is part of the reason there is confidence on the continent that South Africa must participate in every conflict situation because South Africa has no agenda on these matters. The only agenda is to see peace and stability on the continent. Our voice is heard, as you know, throughout the world. There is no major conference in the world that takes place without South Africa being invited to take part.

Recently, I was in a conference in Jordan, in the Middle East. We were the only African country to be there to participate in discussing the problems of that region. And, indeed, everybody wanted to hear the South African experience. We have something to celebrate. We must celebrate. Even those who have different views must celebrate the fact that they can express their views freely and happily, and you laugh about it. It is, indeed, an achievement.

If I said more, I would indeed be clouding the good inputs that have been made in this House. All I want to say is: Thank you very much for the opportunity. I would like to thank colleagues for their contributions which were so illuminating and also gave an account of where we are. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order! We thank the hon Deputy President for having led this debate. I know that he has a very busy schedule today.

Debate concluded.

Council adjourned at 12:18. ____

            ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS

                    WEDNESDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2003

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:

1. Translations of Bills submitted:

 (1)    The Minister of Minerals and Energy:


     (i)     Wysigingswetsontwerp op die Registrasie  van  Myntitels  [W
          24 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75).


     This is the official  translation  into  Afrikaans  of  the  Mining
     Titles  Registration  Amendment  Bill  [B  24  -  2003]   (National
     Assembly - sec 75).


 (2)    The Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs:


     (i)     Wysigingswetsontwerp op Herstel  van  Grondregte  [W  42  -
          2003] (National Assembly - sec 75).


     This is the official translation into Afrikaans of the  Restitution
     of Land Rights Amendment Bill [B 42 - 2003]  (National  Assembly  -
     sec 75).

National Council of Provinces:

1. Messages from National Assembly to National Council of Provinces in respect of Bills passed by Assembly and transmitted to Council:

 (1)    Bills passed by National  Assembly  on  17  September  2003  and
     transmitted for concurrence:


     (i)     Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill [B  42B  -  2003]
              (National Assembly - sec 75).


     (ii)    Sectional Titles Amendment Bill [B  43  -  2003]  (National
              Assembly - sec 75).


     (iii)   Spatial Data Infrastructure Bill [B 44B -  2003]  (National
              Assembly - sec 75).


     (iv)    Agricultural Produce Agents Amendment Bill [B 53B  -  2003]
              (National Assembly - sec 75).


     The Bills have been referred to the Select Committee  on  Land  and
     Environmental Affairs of the National Council of Provinces.


     (v)      Unemployment  Insurance  Amendment  Bill  [B  35  -  2003]
              (National Assembly - sec 75).


     (vi)    Skills Development Amendment Bill [B 46 -  2003]  (National
              Assemby - sec 75).


     The Bills have been referred to the Select Committee on Labour  and
     Public Enterprises of the National Council of Provinces.

TABLINGS:

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:

Papers:

1. The Minister of Finance: (a) Report and Financial Statements of the Corporation for Public Deposits for 2002-2003, including the Report of the Independent Auditors for 2002-2003.

 (b)    Report and Financial Statements of  the  South  African  Reserve
     Bank  for  2002-2003,  including  the  Report  of  the  Independent
     Auditors for 2002-2003.


 (c)    Annual Economic Report of the South  African  Reserve  Bank  for
     2003.


 (d)    Address of the Governor of the South African Reserve Bank  -  26
     August 2003.


 (e)    Government Notice No 1073 published  in  Government  Gazette  No
     25247  dated  8  August  2003:  Amendment  of  the  Rules  of   the
     Government Employees Pension  Fund,  in  terms  of  the  Government
     Employees Pension Law, 1996 (Act No 21 of 1996).


 (f)    Government Notice No 2261 published  in  Government  Gazette  No
     25367 dated 29 August 2003: Rate  on  the  interest  on  government
     loans, in terms of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 (Act  No
     1 of 1999).

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

National Council of Provinces:

1. Report of the Select Committee on Security and Constitutional Affairs on the Treaty between the Republic of South Africa and the People’s Republic of China on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, dated 20 August 2003:

   The Select Committee on Security and Constitutional Affairs, having considered the request for approval by Parliament of the Treaty between the Republic of South Africa and the People’s Republic of China on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, referred to it, recommends that the Council, in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution, approve the said Treaty.

 Report to be considered.

1. Report of the Select Committee on Security and Constitutional Affairs on Notice in terms of Interim Rationalisation of Jurisdiction of High Courts Act, 2001, dated 10 September 2003:

   The Select Committee on Security and Constitutional Affairs, having considered the request for approval by Parliament of a Notice which, in terms of section 2(1)(a) of the Interim Rationalisation of Jurisdiction of High Courts Act, 2001 (Act No. 41 of 2001), alters the area of jurisdiction for which a High Court has been established, referred to it, recommends that the Council, in terms of section 2(2) of the said Act, approve the Notice, as follows:

   CREDA insert ATC1709 – Pages 1080 TO 1081

 Report to be considered.

1. Report of the Select Committee on Economic and Foreign Affairs on the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Bill [B 27B - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75), dated 17 September 2003:

   The Select Committee on Economic and Foreign Affairs, having considered the subject of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Bill [B 27B - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75), referred to it, reports that it has agreed to the Bill.

                  THURSDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2003
   

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:

1. Bills passed by Houses - to be submitted to President for assent:

 (1)    Bills passed by National Assembly on 18 September 2003:


     (i)     Public Protector Amendment Bill [B  6D  -  2003]  (National
           Assembly - sec 75).


    (ii)     Judicial Officers (Amendment  of  Conditions  of  Service)
           Bill [B 33B - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75).

1. Classification of Bills by Joint Tagging Mechanism:

 (1)    The Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) on 16 September 2003 in  terms
     of Joint Rule 160(4), classified the following Bill  as  a  section
     76 Bill:


     (i)     Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Bill [B  58
          - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 76). TABLINGS:

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:

Papers:

1. The Minister of Finance: Loan Agreement on the Municipal Financial Management Technical Assistance Project between the Republic of South Africa and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, tabled in terms of section 231(3) of the Constitution, 1996.

2. The Minister of Public Works:

 Report and Financial Statements of the  Independent  Development  Trust
 for 2002-2003, including the  Report  of  the  Auditor-General  on  the
 Financial Statements for 2002-2003.

1. The Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs:

 Annual Financial Statements of the Ncera  Farms  (Proprietary)  Limited
 for 2002-2003, including the Report of  the  Independent  Auditors  for
 2002-2003.

National Council of Provinces:

Papers:

1. The Chairperson:

 Integrated Report by Permanent Delegates who attended  Provincial  Week
 Visits to Address Land and Agricultural Issues (17-20 June 2003):


 Insert ATCs PAGE 1086 TO 1105 - Insert ATC0918E



                      FRIDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER 2003

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:

1. Introduction of Bills:

 (1)    The Minister of Home Affairs:


     (i)     Films  and  Publications  Amendment  Bill  [B  61  -  2003]
          (National Assembly - sec 75) [Explanatory summary of Bill  and
          prior notice  of  its  introduction  published  in  Government
          Gazette No 25421 of 1 September 2003.]


     Introduction and  referral  to  the  Portfolio  Committee  on  Home
     Affairs of the National Assembly, as well as referral to the  Joint
     Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for classification in terms of  Joint  Rule
     160, on 19 September 2003.


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

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 paper is  referred  to  the  Select  Committee  on
     Education and Recreation and the Select  Committee  on  Labour  and
     Public Enterprises:


     Report and Financial Statements of the Education  Labour  Relations
     Council for 2002 [RP 85-2002].


 (2)    The following paper is  referred  to  the  Select  Committee  on
     Education and Recreation:


     Report   and   Financial   Statements   of   the   South    African
     Qualifications Authority for 2002-2003,  including  the  Report  of
     the Independent Auditors for 2002-2003 [RP 115-2003].


 (3)    The following paper is  referred  to  the  Select  Committee  on
     Social Services:


     Report and Financial Statements of  Vote  No  16  -  Department  of
     Health for 2002-2003, including the Report of  the  Auditor-General
     on the Financial Statements for 2002-2003 [RP 151-2003].


 (4)    The following papers are referred to  the  Select  Committee  on
     Local Government and Administration:


     (a)     Report and Financial Statements of  Vote  No  11  -  Public
          Service Commission for 2002-2003, including the Report of  the
          Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2002-2003  [RP
          107-2003].


     (b)     Report of the Public  Service  Commission  on  the  Citizen
          Satisfaction Survey: Overview Report 2001-2002 [RP 109-2003].


     (c)     Report of the Public Service Commission on  the  Evaluation
          of the Service Delivery Innovation of the Creation of Agencies
          at the Department of Transport for 2003 [RP 61-2003].


     (d)     Report of the Public Service Commission on  the  Evaluation
          of the Department of Transport and its Agencies for  2003  [RP
          62-2003].


     (e)     Report of the Public Service Commission on  the  Evaluation
          of the National Housing Subsidy Scheme for 2003 [RP 64-2003].


 (5)    The following papers are referred to  the  Select  Committee  on
     Finance:


     (a)      Government  Notices  No  R1208  and  R1209  published   in
          Government Gazette No 25370 dated 29 August 2003: Amendment of
          Regulations in terms of the Long-Term Insurance Act, 1998 (Act
          No 52 of 1998).


     (b)     Report and Financial Statements of the Development Bank  of
          Southern Africa Limited for 2002-2003, including the Report of
          the Independent Auditors for 2002-2003.


 (6)    The following papers are referred to  the  Select  Committee  on
     Education and Recreation:


     (a)     Report and Financial Statements of the National Library  of
          South Africa  for  2001-2002,  including  the  Report  of  the
          Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2001-2002.


     (b)     Report and  Financial  Statements  of  the  Spoornet  State
          Theatre for 2002-2003, including the Report of the Independent
          Auditor for 2002-2003.


 (7)    The following paper is  referred  to  the  Select  Committee  on
     Labour and Public Enterprises:


     Report and Financial Statements of Transnet Limited for  2002-2003,
     including the Report of the Independent Auditors for 2002-2003.


 (8)    The following papers are referred to  the  Select  Committee  on
     Education and Recreation:


     (a)     Report and Financial Statements of the South African  Blind
          Workers Organisation for 2002-2003, including  the  Report  of
          the Independent Auditors for 2002-2003.


     (b)     Report and Financial Statements of Vote No 35 -  Department
          of Science and Technology for 2002-2003, including the  Report
          of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements  for  2002-
          2003 [RP 163-2003].


     (c)     Report  and  Financial  Statements  of  the  National  Arts
          Council of South Africa for 2002-2003, including the Report of
          the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for  2002-2003
          [RP 114-2003].


 (9)    The following papers are referred to  the  Select  Committee  on
     Education and Recreation for consideration and report:


     (a)     Membership to the Statutes of the International Centre  for
          Genetic Engineering and  Biotechnology,  tabled  in  terms  of
          section 231(2) of the Constitution, 1996.


     (b)       Explanatory   Memorandum   to   the   Statutes   of   the
          International   Centre    for    Genetic    Engineering    and
          Biotechnology.


 (10)   The following papers are referred to  the  Select  Committee  on
       Economic and Foreign Affairs for consideration and report:


     (a)     Report  and  Financial  Statements  of  the  South  African
          Bureau of Standards (SABS) for 2002-2003, including the Report
          of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements  for  2002-
          2003.


     (b)      The  Operationalisation   of   the   African   Union   and
          Implementation of NEPAD Programmes - Placing Africa on a  Path
          of Lasting Growth and Development.