TUESDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2004 __

          PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

                                ____

The Council met at 09:31.

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! Does any member wish to give notice of a motion? I know that if Mr Mzizi is not here, we are going to skip him.

        CONGRATULATIONS TO ATHLETES AT PARALYMPICS IN ATHENS


                         (Draft Resolution)

Mr N M RAJU: Thank you, Chair. I move without notice:

That the Council –

1) notes with much pleasure the successes achieved by our athletes at the Paralympics in Athens;

 2) especially congratulates our own Natalie du Toit on her excellent
    performances in winning gold medals and the others that have won
    gold, silver and bronze medals; and

 3) expresses its pride in our athletes participating in the
    Paralympics.

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

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Are there any other motions without notice? Bab’u Mzizi, we have passed yours deliberately, knowing that you were not in the House. We said you must quickly do it before you come in.

            UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION

(Consideration of Report of Select Committee on Local Government and
                           Administration)

Mr S SHICEKA: Chairperson of the Council, colleagues, we are presenting here today a watershed convention, a convention of the world multilateral body, the United Nations. The United Nations Convention Against Corruption is aimed at contributing to the building of a just and caring world and a humane society. It is aimed at dealing seriously with human greed and selfishness. The purpose of the convention is to promote and strengthen measures to prevent and combat corruption. These measures include international co- operation in respect of asset recovery; and the promotion of integrity, accountability and the proper management of public affairs and public property.

In South Africa the convention finds expression in the South African regulatory framework in the preamble to the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act, Act 12 of 2004.

The UN Convention Against Corruption has its origin in the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime of 2000. A dedicated convention against corruption was required, and 105 countries negotiated the convention, concluding it within two years after only seven sessions. One hundred and five countries have signed the convention, which requires that we as a country be party to it.

The timeframe for ratification of the convention is until 9 December 2005. The Select Committee on Local Government and Administration, having considered the request for ratification by Parliament of the UN Convention Against Corruption referred to the committee, recommends that this Council, in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution, ratify the said convention.

The committee took note of the new approach that had been initiated by the National Council of Provinces, of taking provinces on board in matters dealing with protocols, conventions and treaties, especially those matters mentioned in section 231 of the Constitution.

The committee appreciates that the recent approach will further enhance active participation and inputs from our provinces, thereby fulfilling the expectations emanating from the core mandate of the National Council of Provinces. Therefore, we recommend that this House ratify the convention. Thank you.

Debate concluded.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: That concludes the debate. I shall now put the question. The question is that the report be adopted. As 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 their provinces’ votes. Are all delegation heads present? Yes.

In accordance to Rule 71, I shall first allow provinces an opportunity to make their declarations of vote if they so wish. Is there any province that wishes to do so? No.

We shall now proceed to voting on the question. I shall do so in alphabetical order per province. Delegation heads must please indicate to the Chair whether they vote in favour of, against or abstain. Eastern Cape?

Mr A T MANYOSI: The Eastern Cape supports the ratification of the UN convention. Thank you.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Free State?

Mrs S E MABE: The Free State supports.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Gauteng?

Mr E M SOGONI: Siyaxhasa, Madam Chair. [We support, Madam Chair.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: KwaZulu-Natal?

Mr Z C NTULI: KwaZulu-Natal supports.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Limpopo?

Ms H F MATLANYANE: Limpopo supports.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Mpumalanga?

Ms M P THEMBA: Mpumalanga supports.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Northern Cape?

Ms P HOLLANDER: The Northern Cape supports.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: North West?

Mr Z S KOLWENI: Ke wa rona. [Supports.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Western Cape?

Mr N MACK: Ons steun, Voorsitter. [We support, Chairperson.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: All nine provinces have voted in favour. I therefore declare the report adopted in terms of section 65 of the Constitution.

Report accordingly adopted in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.

   CELEBRATING OUR LIVING HERITAGE IN THE TENTH YEAR OF DEMOCRACY


                      (Subject for Discussion)

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: I call upon the hon Minister. We have received information, hon Minister, from your department that you were not well, but thank you for coming to lead the debate. I know that you are very passionate about issues of heritage; hence you have defied your sickness to be here.

The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE: Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I am not too well this morning, but maybe it’s because of being too passionate about arts and culture that I am not so well.

Madam Chair, hon members, the Ministry of Arts and Culture, together with the Members of the Executive Councils for Arts and Culture in the provinces, invites the nation to participate in Heritage Month celebrations that are taking place, during the course of this month, throughout the country.

The theme that has been adopted for the next three years is “Celebrating our living heritage”. For the purpose of this year, which coincides with the tenth anniversary of our democracy, the theme is “Celebrating our living heritage in the tenth year of our democracy”.

For the benefit of all, I want to take the opportunity to define the term “living heritage”. It means the intangible aspects of inherited culture, and includes cultural traditions, oral history, performance, ritual, popular memory, skills and techniques, indigenous knowledge systems and a holistic approach to nature, society and social relations.

Living heritage, like any other human activity, has been around since time immemorial. It is the lived experience of various communities. It is the totality of the experience, the manner in which they deal with death, birth, coming of age, maturity, marriage, old age, etc; the manner in which they celebrate these stages of human development; the manner in which they deal with poverty and destitution; how they build their economies; how they create stability; how they coexist with other communities, as well as with the natural environment; how they narrate their stories; how they sing their songs and how they dance.

The kind of living heritage that we have today is part of our inheritance as a common human society. Our heritage ranges from oral traditions and histories to rituals and indigenous knowledge systems that have been preserved and undergone changes, and thus have removed or added some new dimensions owing to constant interaction amongst various communities of the world that originally were separated by space, time and distance.

This interaction has further been enhanced by the global cosmopolitanism that has been brought about by the advent of telecommunications, and improved travel and tourism, thus reducing the distances amongst various communities.

South Africa presents a perfect model of a cosmopolitan society and is comprised of a rich and diverse cultural heritage - hence the concept “rainbow nation”. It is therefore incumbent upon us as government to create an enabling environment for the expression and exhibition of the various forms of living heritage of all our population groups.

This should happen in a manner that supports our ideal of a nonracial, nonsexist, multilingual, multicultural and multireligious society. It should also happen within the context of trying to promote the sharing of cultural experiences amongst the various communities, because it is through that sharing and mutual appreciation of our common and diverse cultural heritage that we shall achieve national reconciliation, nation-building and social cohesion.

This year a different approach to Heritage Month and Heritage Day programmes has been adopted. It was agreed that we would discontinue the national event, that is, the one big event on which everyone concentrates and converges and that is usually characterised by one big event at the Union Buildings. As a result, the Department of Arts and Culture and the provincial departments envisage a decentralised Heritage Month and Heritage Day that will see the various provinces, municipalities and traditional leadership authorities playing a prominent role in the roll-out strategy, so that Heritage Month and Heritage Day have an impact at the community level and generate capacity to mobilise the South African public around the concept of a living heritage. Our department and the provinces hope to see the theme as a springboard to achieve a bigger vision, collecting, preserving and promoting our living heritage. Through this theme, the Department of Arts and Culture intends to establish a dynamic national database of both living heritage and living human treasures, since we are losing the latter almost every day. A case in point is the tragic passing away, last week, of Dolly Rathebe, who, as many people know, was an outstanding actress and singer. She was probably one of the pioneers of cinema amongst Africans in this country.

We have planned for focus weeks that will prioritise different elements of living heritage. Various stakeholders have begun to provide details of how they plan to implement programmes designed to popularise living heritage. The Department of Arts and Culture has forged a partnership with the SA Broadcasting Corporation to ensure that there is a great deal of publicity around the theme and programmes throughout the month.

The focus weeks are set out as follows. The first week, which is now past us, concentrated on music and dance programmes designed not only to showcase the music and dance performances, but also to link these to particular stories, events, ceremonies and rituals that characterise that week.

It was also planned that this would be an opportunity to demonstrate how music and dance performances have evolved over time in a multicultural society, and how various cultures have mutually influenced one another. This is the issue of transculturation.

The rationale behind this exercise was to emphasise our common heritage that could, in fact, serve as the building blocks for our nation-building and for social cohesion. The department, co-operating with the Universities of Venda, Zululand and Fort Hare, collected and preserved indigenous music, dance and oral history, and during that week presented a number of opportunities where this could be showcased.

The second week was to be dedicated to indigenous knowledge systems and practices. There is a tendency sometimes, on the part of many people, to associate this term, “indigenous knowledge”, exclusively with the African section of our population. This is a rather uninformed perception, because all the various population groups have grappled with the challenges that traditional communities have dealt with.

If you think, for instance, about the production of food, medicines and ointments which has taken place over centuries, these things are done completely differently today, but it is a common phenomenon amongst all population groups and there is a lot we can share in terms of how our ancestors engaged in judicious farming methods; how they made fire; how they dug for gold and diamonds; how they conserved the environment; how they bred their livestock; how they played various roles, such as those of midwives and home nurses; how they brought up their children; and also how they used various types of cosmetics and make-up, and so on. We want the South African population to begin sharing amongst themselves knowledge about these indigenous knowledge systems and practices.

The third week we will be looking at icons of South African heritage and their stories. During this week we hope to see the profiling and interviewing of individuals who will have an opportunity to discuss the achievements of those who have excelled in various aspects of living heritage. We have used the concept “icons” in order to simplify the term “living human treasures”, which is the one that is preferred by Unesco, but the term “living human treasures” means almost the same thing as “icons”.

People who could be described as icons are those who have contributed, through their actions, towards the revitalisation of cultural traditions that are at risk of disappearing; those who have demonstrated and affirmed the importance of the cultural expression of the peoples and communities of South Africa as a source of inspiration and as a means of bringing peoples and communities closer together; those who have provided proof of excellence in the application of their skills and techniques; those who have given wide evidence of their roots in cultural traditions or the cultural history of the community; and those who have affirmed their value as unique testimonies of living cultural traditions.

We hope that the fourth week will be a week of national dialogue on the role of living heritage in moral regeneration, social cohesion, poverty alleviation, nation-building, reconciliation, etc. It’s planned that this national dialogue will focus on these national imperatives, the main purpose being to simplify these imperatives for all South African citizens.

It is further hoped to discuss the manner in which South Africa is actually realising these ideals. In recognition of the wisdom that resides in the South African people, our department, through the broadcast media, will engage the nation in discussion on how various aspects of living heritage can be harnessed to grapple with these priorities.

The national dialogue will, to a greater degree, try to lay a foundation for the development of a national strategy on the collection, protection, preservation and promotion of our living heritage.

During the course of this month, we are also going to be undertaking acts of restitution and receiving from others goods and services in restitution.

In the twentieth century, round about 1915, Namibia was a colony of South Africa. As a result of that, a lot of material, which rightly belongs in the national archives, libraries and other heritage institutions of Namibia, is still with us here in South Africa. On 24 September 2004, we will be undertaking an act of restitution in terms of which our department will be returning and restoring those properties to the people of Namibia, through their government.

On the same day, we will also be receiving from the embassy of the Netherlands an archive that was built up by the AABN – Anti-Apartheid Beweging Nederlands. This is an archive of materials relating to the struggle in South Africa, mostly video footage, which consists of something like 189 hours, which they will be restoring to South Africa for our national archives and as part of our national record.

During this month we are also launching a project through our schools. Actually, the launch took place yesterday at Ikemeleng Primary School in Soweto. In terms of this project we are distributing national flags, national symbols, our national orders, coat of arms, etc, to the various schools, and using this as a means of educating our young people about the significance of these national symbols.

At Ikemeleng yesterday we unveiled a number of murals, which had been executed by the pupils at that school, with the assistance of local artists. They are quite impressive murals, which are all around the outside walls of the school. In this way, we hope to be be able to teach our young people about the importance of these national symbols, what they mean, etc.

That was just the beginning. We are going to take this campaign to other schools, and there will be further launches during the course of the coming months. The schools in Naledi, Soweto, participated in this project yesterday. There were something like 14 that participated. During the next few days there will be unveilings at the other 13 schools that participated.

We hope, therefore, during the course of this month, to undertake quite a number of interesting initiatives, which we think are going to assist us to recognise not only what we share as South Africans, but also to recognise, accept and embrace the diversity of our community, because much as we want to emphasise the issue of unity, as the motto on our coat of arms says, it is this “diverse people in unity” that makes up South Africa.

We want to call upon members of Parliament, government departments, nongovernmental organisations, community organisations and others to participate in this effort together with us. Thank you. [Applause.]

Ms N M MADLALA: Chairperson, hon Minister of Arts and Culture, hon members, comrades and invited guests, the people of great countries are bonded together by their history, hence their cultural landscape is enriched by the pattern of the buildings, monuments, sites and other places of meaning which reflect the events and layers of experiences and processes throughout the centuries. Our country is no exception.

In fact, our story, more so because of where we come from, is one whose layers and experiences, debilitating and aspiring alike, has yet to be told. For centuries, many myths and prejudices have concealed the true heritage of South Africa. It is therefore imperative that, as this is Heritage Month and we are approaching Heritage Day after our first decade of liberation, we do so from this perspective and contribute to the development of a national consciousness and identity.

Heritage Day, in our view as the ANC-led government, goes beyond the mere assembly of representations of diverse legacies. It endeavours to bring together these multiple identities and perspectives to form a holistic picture of our national identity, and thereby provide a coherent, wider and overarching perspective of the South African character as a whole.

In line with our ANC-led government’s programme for Heritage Month 2004, it is appropriate that we, because of the extent to which eurocentrism still decorates the South African cultural landscape, utilise this podium to pronounce ourselves on the promotion of African values. We want to emphasise this, because every vote for the ANC in the April election of this year was also a vote in support of nurturing this component of the people’s contract. Moreover, it is our duty to dispel any notion that might exist in the minds of our people, namely that as their public representatives, serving in this law-making institution, we are merely paying lip service to this project.

We are all aware of the erosive effect colonialism and apartheid had on our indigenous knowledge systems, which include tradition-based literacy, artistic and scientific works, innovations, scientific discoveries and all other intangible aspects of inherited culture. Right now the legacy of South Africa’s heritage landscape is the denial of the existence of tradition-based innovation and creation that resulted from African intellectual activity. Our roles, therefore, should be recognised. We should celebrate and promote African values and contributions in a meaningful way.

Moreover, it is incumbent upon us to lead by example and to inform our people as to how and why our communities have undergone the changes that they have, hence our arrival at this point in our history. In this regard, we are indeed inspired by the policies and legislative framework that have been put in place to ensure the preservation and protection of all our treasures: rituals, oral history, culture, traditions, skills and techniques, indigenous knowledge systems and so forth.

It would be amiss if we celebrated and gave expression to our cultural heritage, and did not pay tribute to our cultural icons. They are those individuals who have, through various modes of expression, either contributed through solid action towards revitalising a cultural tradition or reaffirmed the cultural identities of peoples and communities. Moreover, there are individuals who have excelled in the application of skills and techniques and have given testimonies of living cultural traditions. Through their work, they have recorded social structure, initiation ceremonies, rites of passage, religious ceremonies, live dance, arts and vibrant costumes, but above all they have offered us an insight into the rich and varied cultural history of apartheid.

We think of Afrikaner cultural icons who have also, through their contributions, inspired a new direction in Afrikaans culture and raised a new consciousness as to what it means to express yourself on anti-apartheid platforms. Here we think of people such as Ingrid Jonker and Johannes Kerkorrel. Other icons that left an indelible impression on our heritage landscape include Miriam Makeba, Jonas Ngwange, Johnny Mekwa and many more, who ensured artistic expression and opposition to a system that could never be artistically praised. We celebrate living icons such as Sibongile Khumalo.

It is important to encourage the coming generation to acquire knowledge on historical archives, the trees and mountains we have in South Africa, and also to understand cultural food such as “imifino” [vegetables], “emadumbe” [yams], “izicade” [carrots], “mogodu” [tripe], and so forth. Historical stories need to be told to our children. It is important to learn all 11 languages enshrined in the Constitution. I must commend the province I come from, Gauteng, of course, the smart province, because people there talk and understand 11 languages.

In conclusion, we as the ANC will ensure that the importance of heritage and its enriching impact on the lives of ordinary South Africans is sustained. This effort includes the creation of new social structures and support for existing forms of cultural expression. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr O M THETJENG: Chairperson, members who are here today and other invited guests, South Africa is a multicultural society, rich in heritage. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Minister for indicating in his speech that some schools are moving towards an understanding of our heritage as of today. We really appreciate the effort that the Ministry is making.

In the rural areas of South Africa you will find that not many students understand what our flag stands for. Therefore, I believe that if that effort is made at schools, it will assist a great deal in our society today. Our heritage was not built overnight, but through the ages amongst various cultural groups.

The 11 official languages recognised by our Constitution contributed immensely to our living heritage. I would like this House to recognise that these 11 languages are here to stay, because our Constitution recognises that whatever these languages have done in the past, are doing today and will be doing in the future should be recognised, because they contribute to and make life what it is today in South Africa.

Our living heritage needs urgent attention in terms of funding to maintain and promote what is available today, and what is to be done in the future. If we do not maintain and promote what we have, then our society is going to be lost for not knowing what our cultural aspects are, and what our heritage in South Africa is.

Cultural activities such as “tshikona” [reed and drum music] which is normally practised amongst the Vendas, “dinaka” [horn music performance] which is normally practised amongst the Sotho-speaking nations, and so on, need to be promoted at the highest level.

These cultural activities have their traditional regalia and equipment that is used. Their promotion and recognition is critical for the promotion of our cultural heritage in South Africa today. We need to look into those particular aspects, so that our country becomes what it is and what the world admires.

There is a rich history within black communities that is not documented. I really appreciate the fact that the department is taking steps to ensure that the history, cultural activities and heritage amongst nations in South Africa which have not been documented are being documented. Otherwise, if it is not documented, 20 years from now our own children will not know what the Zulus, the Sothos and others did in the past.

Therefore, I really believe that the department should take great steps in making sure that the documentation of our history is speeded up. Arts and Culture needs to take the lead in encouraging this documentation. I believe it is their competency to do so. If we do not do that I believe that, as a nation, we are going to be lost.

Our education system should actively encourage the teaching and learning of aspects of our heritage in full so that we are able to recognise the contribution of the various communities. I want to emphasise that it is at school level that we learn best. After school we have no time to learn things. Therefore, if cultural activities are included at school level, I believe they are going to be cemented, and they are going to be there for good. Our children, whether they are at Model C schools or other types of schools, should be introduced to these kinds of activities so that we as South Africans can get to know each other better.

The significance of the world heritage sites within our borders should become part of our curriculum in schools. The reason one has to emphasise these elements at school level is because of the fact that there is a certain amount of ignorance at schools as far as heritage and cultural aspects are concerned. It is my belief that if these elements are brought into the picture at school level, then as a nation we are not going to be lost.

South Africans still need to find each other through our own history as a rainbow nation. But at the same time, you find xenophobic tendencies prevailing in South Africa. You are classified as South African or non- South African depending on the language you speak or even depending on your accent. I think this has to stop, because South Africans, Africans and people coming from other continents are part and parcel of the people who contribute to the development of this country. It should not be your accent that determines your acceptance in South Africa. It should not be your accent that determines what you can do and what you cannot do within our borders today.

Oral history is no longer practised the way it used to be by some of us.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon member, I am afraid your time has expired. I have been listening to you. You started in low gear, and towards the end you started to pick up. I think that is what ate up your time. My sincere apologies, but your time has expired. Thank you. [Applause.]

Mr K SINCLAIR: Hon Chairperson and hon Minister, I woke up in a South Africa this morning as a proud South African. I woke up in a South Africa where the future is certainly more attractive than the past. I woke up in a South Africa where it is not the size of your fist, but rather the logic of your argument that counts. I woke up in a South Africa where there is common agreement that in our diversity lies our strength. I woke up in a country where we take cognisance of the past, treasure today, but dream of a better tomorrow.

Hon Chairperson, indeed spring is in the air for South Africa. As South Africans we can be proud, especially when we celebrate our living heritage in the tenth year of our democracy. After ten years we are still building our country, but, more importantly, we are building our nation. It is therefore appropriate that today we also debate our cultural heritage.

As we sit here, hon Chairperson, we sit as Sinclair, Tau, Themba, Hollander and Le Roux, and all of us come with something from the past. We South Africans wear “velskoene” [raw-hide shoes], we sit on “riempiesbanke” [riempie-seat settees], we eat biltong and “morogo” [leafy green vegetables], and we cheer for Amabokoboko and Bafana Bafana. Hon Chairperson, indeed we are South Africans. So when we debate today, we are doing it for our future, so we can say that as South Africans we want to become the powerhouse of not just Africa, but also the world.

Indeed, hon Chairperson, the hon Minister was right: unity is our strength. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr N M RAJU: Hon Chair, hon Minister, during the apartheid era the entire life and destiny of every person in South Africa was determined by an artificial, arbitrary and totally unscientific system of race classification.

This unlamented era in the evolution of our democracy was characterised by racial denigration and the demoralisation of those who were not “blessed” with white pigmentation. The dignity, identity and esteem of the vast majority of the South African populace, that is us blacks, were nonexistent.

Today, as we stand on the threshold of our second decade of democracy, we celebrate our South Africanness, all of us, the kaleidoscopic mix of diverse cultures that make up the veritable rainbow nation.

We celebrate the beauty of our people and the beauty of our land. Did we not celebrate the return of our beloved Saartjie Baartman to her beloved homeland only last year? Did we not, even after some two centuries, rescue her, retrieve her from the ignominy of being an object of obscene curiosity in some foreign European capital; as some human freak? Did we not embrace her in spirit and lower her remains into the African soil under the African sun? In one fell swoop, did we not restore and celebrate the status of women in South African society?

Only last week South Africa hosted the visiting president of India, Dr Kalam. Not surprisingly, one of the highlights of His Eminence’s visit was a visit to Pietermaritzburg and the Phoenix settlement in order to pay homage to that great apostle of peace and nonviolence, Mahatma Gandhi, whose policy of satyagraha, the strategy of nonviolence against racial intransigence, germinated right here in South Africa when he confronted the racial arrogance and excesses of the British colonial powers in their unbridled, unChristian treatment of Indian and black subjects in South Africa.

For some 20 years Mahatma Gandhi was a beacon of light in the fight against racism and obstinate oppression. The Phoenix settlement at Inanda is a reminder of the struggle of the human spirit to triumph over evil. Incidentally, hon Chair, the Phoenix settlement is only a stone’s throw, so to speak, from the revered Dube Memorial at Ohlange at Inanda.

John Langalibalele Dube was the first president-general of the ANC, which was founded some 92 years ago. John Dube was a scholar, a gentleman, a leader, a farmer, a teacher, a politician, a patriot and a philanthropist.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order! I’m afraid your time has expired, Mr Raju. [Applause.]

Mr M A SULLIMAN: Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members, guests, the Heritage Day debate before this august House is indeed one to celebrate. I say celebrate, because not only are we celebrating 10 years of freedom and of heritage and culture, but we are also fortunate in the sense that some of the stark reminders of our colonial apartheid past, in the form of the trappings and décor of this House, have been replaced timeously with symbols that reflect the spirit and values of our democracy. We believe that the new symbols will certainly become a cherished part of our parliamentary heritage.

For the purpose of this debate, it is important to point out that as South Africans we are blessed with what is called an “intangible” cultural heritage. The intangible heritage is heritage which communities, groups and individuals acknowledge as part of their culture and which is passed on from one generation to another. It gives them a sense of identity and dignity. It includes practices, expressions, knowledge, skills, as well as instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith.

Voorsitter, die provinsie waarvandaan ek kom, die Noord-Kaap, is ’n sprekende voorbeeld van diversiteit van kulture. Dit spog ook met simbole van wat die Departement van Kuns en Kultuur, as deel van sy Erfenismaand- program, Lewende Erfenis noem. Hieroor kan ’n mens nie uitgepraat raak nie. Van die agb lede hier teenwoordig sal met my saamstem dat die Noord-Kaap met seker die rykste versameling van San-rotstekeninge onder die Afrika-son kan spog. Die hele gebied, veral langs die Oranje- en Vaalriviere, is lewende bewys daarvan.

Meer nog is die McGregor-museum in Kimberley. Geen kultuur-opvoedkundige toer na die Noord-Kaap kan voltooi wees as besoekers of toeriste nie hierdie museum besoek nie.

Die Noord-Kaap spog ook met verskeie nasionale parke en natuurbeskermingsareas, byvoorbeeld die Kalahari Nasionale Gemsbokpark tesame met die Gemsbok Nasionale Park in Botswana.

Maar wat ’n mens seker die kroonjuweel van die nasionale parke kan noem, is die totstandkoming van die Kgalagadi Transfrontierpark. Tans is dit die grootste natuurbeskermingsarea in suidelike Afrika en een van die grootste beskermde natuurlike ekosisteme in die wêreld. Hierdie park maak voorsiening vir onomheinde toegang vir inloop tussen Suid-Afrika en Botswana, en bestaan uit ’n oppervlakte van meer as twee miljoen hektaar.

Dan is daar ook die Ai-Ais-Richtersveldtransfrontierpark. Hierdie park, agb Voorsitter en lede, beslaan van die mees skouspelagtige tonele, bestaande uit ’n kaal woestynomgewing in Suidelike Afrika, en dit ís skouspelagtig. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)

[Chairperson, the province where I come from, the Northern Cape, is a good example of the diversity of cultures. It also boasts symbols of what the Department of Arts and Culture, as part of its Heritage Month programme, calls Living Heritage. This is a subject of which one never tires. Some hon members present here will agree with me that the Northern Cape boasts possibly the finest collection of San rock art under the African sun. The whole area, especially along the Orange and Vaal Rivers, is living proof of this.

There is moreover the McGregor Museum in Kimberley. No cultural-educational tour to the Northern Cape is complete without visitors or tourists visiting this museum.

The Northern Cape also boasts various national parks and nature conservation areas, for example the Kalahari National Gemsbok Park together with the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana.

But what one can certainly call the crown jewel of national parks is the establishment of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. It is presently the largest nature conservation area in Southern Africa and one of the largest protected natural ecosystems in the world. This park provides unfenced access to facilitate free movement between South Africa and Botswana, and comprises an area of more than two million hectares.

Then there is also the Ai-Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. This park, hon Chairperson and members, has some of the most spectacular sights, and it is barren desert area in Southern Africa, which is indeed spectacular.]

Yes, Chairperson, the kind of living heritage that we have today is part of the inheritance from our common ancestry from time immemorial. Our living heritage ranges from oral traditions and histories to rituals and indigenous knowledge systems that have been preserved and have undergone changes, thus removing or adding new dimensions, owing to consistent interaction among the various communities of the world that were originally separated by space, time and distance.

This interaction has further been enhanced by the global cosmopolitanism brought about by the advent of telecommunications and increased travel and tourism, thus reducing the distances amongst various communities.

Our ANC-led government has transformed and is still transforming our policies and legislation to create an enabling environment for the expression of various forms of living heritage for all population groups. This is happening in a manner that supports our ideals of nonracialism, nonsexism, and a multicultural and multilingual society. It is also happening in the context of promoting and sharing cultural experiences amongst cultural groups, because it is through this sharing and mutual appreciation of our common and diverse heritage that we shall achieve national reconciliation and nation-building.

For us in the ANC our progress with regard to language in particular, and how it relates to the expression of culture, is indeed significant, more so in respect of the increased usage of indigenous languages in this House and from this podium, so that we are indeed able to speak to our constituencies in a meaningful way.

Moreover, this signals to all our cultural groups that culture and language differences are indeed appreciated, even at governmental level. However, it is important that we increase our efforts.

In conclusion, it is important for all cultural groups to share their knowledge about the changes our cultural heritage has undergone. This could take the form of looking at both the diverse and common elements. Moreover, it will be important to learn how these cultures have cross-pollinated to create hybrid cultures that have a unique South African character.

It is important to note that we will have to work harder to ensure that the legacy of apartheid does not define each one of us according to race, ethnic group or tribe, and we will have to share a common destiny in order to build a better South Africa for all of us. I thank you. [Applause.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Thank you very much, Mr Sulliman. Before I call upon the Minister I want to recognise on this day, as we are deliberating on our living heritage, that we have in our midst schoolchildren from Willie Junior Secondary School. We want to welcome them in the National Council of Provinces. We appreciate your presence here.[Applause.]

The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE: Madam Chairperson, let me thank all the hon members for their participation in this debate. We can all agree that the points that have been made are very sound, and I also think it points to the fact that despite the political differences amongst the various parties here, there is a body of shared values and ideals that all South Africans have embraced.

I want to remark on some of the contributions. I won’t be responding to every comment that has been made, but perhaps just underscore one or two points made by hon members. One of the challenges that South Africa faces is precisely how to preserve those aspects of our country’s history that have not necessarily been documented in forms that are familiar today.

Last week in the Limpopo province there was a commemoration of King Sekhukhune of the Bapedi people. During this commemoration a number of old people, who had been beneficiaries of the oral tradition of handing down history which existed amongst the Africans in the past, were able to share with younger people those stories about the past of their people, their heroes of the past, etc.

That is a form of documentation that is probably universal throughout the world in terms of which information is handed from one generation to another by word of mouth. But of course we all know that as you move away from rural areas into urban areas many of those sorts of traditions are lost. Our urban living is much too fast and complex to permit that sort of opportunity and space. Many of those things then get lost in the process as we become modernised and our societies become more urbanised.

It therefore becomes important for us to find ways of preserving those memories. We are perhaps fortunate that we are living in the 21st century, when the techniques of documenting, recording and preserving knowledge are so far advanced. One of the things that we are undertaking, as a department, is precisely finding ways and means of preserving those sorts of memories.

I want to agree with the hon member who said that this is one of the challenges that we have to undertake. But in addition to that, there are many traditions and many other forms of knowledge which have in fact been recorded in writing by various communities in this country. But owing to the character of our publishing business we stand to lose many of these, because they are not being republished, reprinted and redistributed.

If you go to a country such as Britain, for example, you will find that you can walk into any bookshop, and I mean from the smallest, cheapest bookshop to the most fancy, and you name one of the great English authors, anyone working there would be able to point you to the relevant shelf, and you would be able to find your Dickenses, Thackerays, etc.

A friend of mine called me some four weeks ago and said they were desperately looking for a very wellknown isiXhosa novel, and they hadn’t been able to find it in Exclusive Books in Johannesburg. I then said they should try the University bookshop near Witwatersrand. They went there and it didn’t have it either. They couldn’t even point that friend of mine to any particular bookshop that would carry that novel.

That is just one particular novel, but there are many others like that in Setswana, Sesotho, Sepedi, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, in the indigenous languages, written by African authors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and beyond, and they are no longer being published.

Now many of these portray very valuable aspects of the cultural history of South Africa, and we might lose them forever. Let’s face it, a Charles Dickens would not be known to the likes of me here in Cape Town, was it not for the fact that after he was published, some time in the mid-nineteenth century in Britain, he has been reprinted and republished many times over, so that even those children in the gallery, when they get to the point where they want to read works of Dickens, will able to obtain them quite easily.

As South Africans we have to do something about that. Let’s face it, no one else is going to do it, no one in France, no one in Germany and no one in the United States will do it. South Africans have to do it. It is part of our cultural history. I want to emphasise that point.

That also then emphasises the need for having the necessary resources for our heritage activities. I want to appeal to hon members to think seriously about this, because, after all, all these activities are funded from the public purse. My department depends on the public purse for everything we do. When we come around here during budget debates, people must remember what they said today, and not forget it and think that we are just looking for more money. We are looking for more money sometimes to do exactly the things that you are saying we should be doing.

The past is important, as all of us have emphasised. But the past can either be a great teacher or it can be a burden and a trap. Regrettably, in the not-too-recent past, here in our country, instead of being our teacher, our past was a burden and very much a trap, and we carried over, very late into the 20th century, institutions and practices that should have gone out of fashion in 1900, because we allowed our past to become such a trap and a burden to us.

But if we want to turn our past into a teacher and not a burden and a trap, it means we must converse with that past and be able to draw the appropriate lessons from it. I was very excited on Sunday night when M-Net had an item on their Carte Blanche programme called “Where do we come from?” They did something quite interesting. I think it ties up with one of the issues raised by hon members here – the World Heritage Sites here in South Africa.

As we know, scientific investigation now indicates that the species known as Homo sapiens, to which we all belong, has a common ancestor who probably resided somewhere near the Sterkfontein Caves in Magaliesberg in Gauteng.

They did a very interesting experiment: they asked a number of notable South Africans to donate samples of their blood, from which DNA samples were taken. They used that genetic material to trace people’s ancestry and quite surprising results were obtained. It’s a great pity that something like this had not been done in 1948, 1945, or even earlier. It might have saved this country a great deal of pain. Because one of the outcomes of that investigation is that a prominent Afrikaner lady finds that she might be related to former President Nelson Mandela. Tim Modise discovered that he had European ancestors. Someone else who never knew this discovered that she had Asian ancestors.

There was a very interesting piece in Beeld yesterday, which followed up many of these investigations. It is quite surprising what happens when you actually submit yourself to these sorts of scientific investigations. It is of course ironic that it was Beeld that published this, but I think it is also in a sense a salutary lesson for us all, because 10 or 20 years ago Beeld would not have dared to have dabbled in things like that. They would not have dared to suggest that a prominent Afrikaner might be related to a Bantu such as Nelson Mandela - God save us! But anyway, it is indicative of how far we have come as a nation that Beeld is actually taking up that issue.

The World Heritage Sites are therefore also important, not only for what they teach the world, but for what they teach South Africa, because this is the ultimate repudiation of all those pseudoscientific explanations about race, ethnicity and so on. At the end of the day we have a common ancestor. If there was an Adam and Eve, that Adam and Eve were Africans and they lived near the Magaliesberg. Now isn’t that wonderful? [Laughter.]

Phoenix settlement and the Ohlange Institute in Durban are very important sites indeed, and I agree with hon Raju, they are important not only because of the names associated with them, but also for what they symbolise. Both these institutions tell us a lot about how ordinary human beings make and can change history.

When I spoke at Phoenix settlement last week Friday, when we received the President of India there, one of the things I pointed out was that Mohandas Gandhi would have been nobody had it not been for the fact that he was able to mobilise thousands of people to embrace his vision and to follow him. It was the people who became his followers and embraced his vision who made him somebody and who transformed him from just a nice British-trained barrister into a freedom fighter.

Equally, John Langalibalele Dube will also just have been a very clever, educated scholar had it not been for the millions of people who embraced his vision and followed him. I think that is the salutary lesson we can draw from both these institutions. Because we recognised the importance of both, one of the things that is under consideration by the department is how we should preserve the memory of these great actors in the history of this country and the institutions they built. We are working with the government of KwaZulu-Natal to figure out a way of memorialising these great sites.

One of the hon members spoke about Gauteng and the fact that all 11 of our official languages are spoken there. The hon member might have added many other languages from other parts of Africa and from other parts of the world, which are also now spoken in that province. This is as it should be, because as the world moves forward, and the distance, space and time that separate different segments of humanity become reduced, the reality of us being one human family becomes much more palpable in the way we live. What is happening in Gauteng is indicative of that tension that has always existed and that must necessarily exit between the past and the present.

There are many who say that modernity, urbanisation and things that go with them are destructive, and that they add nothing of value. If you go to Gauteng, you will see a living repudiation of that sort of assertion, because what we have seen there is in fact the emergence, through modernity and urbanisation, of what one might call a modern African city in which, if you walk down the street, you can hear people speaking Sepedi, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda, isiXhosa, isiZulu, you name it.

In addition, these days you hear people speaking Shona, Nyanza, Swahili and a whole number of other languages from beyond South Africa’s borders. If you listen very carefully, you will pick up a little bit of Bulgarian here, a little bit of Russian there, a little bit of German there, etc. Gauteng is becoming a sort of melting pot, not only of Africa, but also of the world. That also is an important aspect of our heritage.

We should not use the past as a means of almost perhaps blackmailing the future, but as a way of linking to the future, because our future is what one sees happening in Gauteng. It is the future not only of this country, but I think the future of the world in which you have this melting of cultures in which people accept that they are diverse in their origins and speak a whole number of languages, have different traditions, different ways of cooking and even different ways of dressing, but nonetheless, in pursuance of common objectives, are willing to work together for those common objectives.

I want to thank the hon members and the NCOP for the opportunity to address you. Thank you. [Applause.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Thank you very much, hon Minister. After the departure of Willie Junior Secondary School, hon Minister, we have received another school, Hyacinth Primary School. We also welcome them on this important day on which we debate our living heritage. Welcome to our young generation that will be the presidents, premiers, ministers and members of Parliament of tomorrow. I am sure it starts at this age, that you have to learn and understand the role of being a parliamentarian in this 21st century. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

Debate concluded.

Business suspended at 10:39 and resumed at 14:00.

Afternoon Sitting

QUESTIONS AND REPLIES – See that book.

VOICE OF AFRICAN WOMEN: WHAT SHOULD BE THE ROLE AND PLACE OF THE PAN-
                    AFRICAN WOMEN’S ORGANISATION

                      (Subject for Discussion)

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Once again, I welcome the Deputy President in leading this debate and call upon you, Sir, to take the floor.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC: Thank you, Madam Chair. I accept this very willingly. I know that I haven’t been around the NCOP, so I have to pay for that. [Laughter.] Chairperson of the NCOP and hon members, let me congratulate you, Madam Chairperson and this House, on the decision to hold this important debate on the role of African women in building a new Africa and, in particular, on the role of the Pan- African Women’s Organisation in this regard.

Given the enormous contribution of African women in the struggle for the liberation of the continent, we need to be mindful of the imperative of women to become involved in the running of the affairs of the continent and the rebuilding of the continent.

We are all aware of the enormous challenges that face the African continent, challenges of poverty and underdevelopment arising from decades of colonialist marginalisation and exploitation. The question of working for the sustainable development of the continent is therefore critical, and is uppermost on the agenda of the African Union.

In order to achieve sustainable development and an improvement in the life of all, we need to prepare the political environment. That is why, through the African Union, we all work to promote democracy, good economic and political governance, the eradication of conflict, and strive generally to achieve economic growth and development.

The Constitutive Act of the African Union provides the framework for the promotion of women’s rights and for women to participate in this broader programme of building the continent. In terms of the principles guiding the AU, there are at least three clauses in Article 4 that have relevance to human rights and women’s rights. They are the promotion of gender equality; respect for democratic principles and human rights; the rule of law and good governance; and the promotion of social justice to ensure balanced economic development.

All the institutional and implementational organs of the African Union, including Nepad and the Pan-African Parliament, have committed themselves to gender parity and representation in all the work they undertake in rebuilding the continent. For example, of every five representatives of all member states of the Pan-African Parliament, the Constitutive Act decrees that one must be a woman. The Pan-African Women’s Organisation therefore has structures with which it can work to advance gender equality in the programmes of the African Union.

With regard to the socioeconomic development of the continent, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, Nepad, clearly spells out the role of women and the programmes through which the empowerment of women can be achieved.

These include the promotion of women in social and economic development by reinforcing their capacity in the domains of education and training; the development of revenue-generating activities through facilitating access to credit; and assuring their participation in the political and economic life of African countries. The Pan-African Women’s Organisation should play a leading role in monitoring and evaluation to ascertain whether the AU and its organs meet such obligations and undertakings.

Another important area is that of conflict resolution. The African Peace and Security Council has been established to assist in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts. It is well known that women experience the brutality of war more than men. In the recent attack at the United Nations’ camp in Gatumba, Burundi, many of the victims were women and children. I doubt we would be wrong in saying that the majority of inhabitants of refugee camps in Africa are women.

This necessitates more active participation by women in the programmes of preventing, managing and resolving conflicts, as well as in peacekeeping and peacemaking. Women should not be seen only as victims of war and recipients of assistance. Avenues should be open for them to become active in peace and security structures in order to inform and manage the manner in which the continent deals with conflicts.

With regard to socioeconomic rights, we all know the challenges facing women in individual African nation-states. There is a need for urgent interventions in the areas of promoting access to social services, in instituting campaigns against gender-based violence, and in protecting the legal rights of women regarding land, property, inheritance, education and all other socioeconomic rights.

There could be lessons to be learnt from a few individual states on how they have responded to some of the challenges facing women. We believe our country could make a good case study. South Africa has a vibrant history of women’s involvement in the struggle for liberation and political life in general. This has informed the actions and programmes of the democratic government since 1994.

Women continue to play a visible and active role in Cabinet, in Parliament, as premiers in provinces and in many other senior positions in the public and private sectors. The presence of women in such senior positions and the efficient and effective manner in which they run the institutions they head are indications of the outstanding capabilities of South African women.

Having said that, we must hasten to add that government sees its responsibilities as opening opportunities to all women for a better life and participation in the public life of our country, and not only for a few middle-class women.

This explains the massive programmes that government has initiated over the past 10 years to improve access to basic social services, education, business and other opportunities in order to enable all women, regardless of their station in life, to enjoy the fruits of democracy and freedom.

A number of laws have gone through this House aimed at improving the quality of life of women. These include employment and economic opportunity legislation; safety and security legislation such as the Domestic Violence Act; and social legislation such as the Maintenance Act, forcing all parents to take responsibility for the raising of their children.

Our country is also a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and we strive to fulfil these obligations at all times.

I mention our country as an example in terms of what can be done if women and men work actively together to mainstream gender in the public life of the country. We still have a long way to go, but I believe South Africa has made a good start. The Pan-African Women’s Organisation could play a role in promoting information-sharing and in learning from each other as African countries.

The struggle for the emancipation of African women continues, and it is a struggle in which all of us need to participate. We cannot leave it to Pawo members alone. We all have a duty to be part of the programme of building a gender-sensitive Africa. We will know we have achieved the end of this struggle when Africa is free of discrimination, oppression and violence against women. I thank you, Chair. [Applause.]

Mrs M N OLIPHANT: Thank you, Chairperson. Hon Deputy President, hon Chairperson of the Council, hon members and comrades, I am honoured and privileged to have the opportunity to address the House on the voice of women, and the place and role of the Pan-African Women’s Organisation, which was officially founded in Dar es Salaam in 1962, and whose biggest affiliate was the ANC Women’s League.

Allow me to begin by reminding this House that five days ago, on Thursday, 16 September 2004, our country was bestowed the honour of hosting the second session of the long-desired and historical Pan-African Parliament. For me, the establishment of this continental body signifies the final nail in the colonial coffin and is the vehicle that will give new meaning to the African Renaissance.

However, before I can go any further, it is appropriate to use this time to forward my congratulations to South Africa’s representatives to the Pan- African Parliament. They are the National Assembly Speaker, Comrade Baleka Mbete, the Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Comrade Mahlangu, Adv Zweletu Madasa, Sue Vos and Fatima Hajaig.

We are confident that in this new deployment they will discharge their responsibilities with honour and humility, knowing that the aspirations of the African poor are expressed through them. As Africans we have decided on our destiny. We now have the Pan-African Parliament. The Pan-African Parliament is currently made up of five MPs from each of the countries that have signed its protocols. Three of the five South African representatives to the Pan-African Parliament are women.

Moreover, I want to share with this House that not only are women participating in Africa’s parliament, but, more profoundly, a woman is leading the African parliament. That woman is the honourable Gertrude Mongella, who was unanimously elected as the first president of the newly established Pan-African Parliament in Addis Ababa. In her address she said that one of the roles of this continental body would be to challenge the stereotypes of women and of Africa, and she promised that the parliament would not become just another talkshop.

The second session of the PAP coincided with the passing of two of our country’s anti-apartheid struggle heroes, Oom Bey and Ray Alexander. While as a country we mourn our great freedom fighters, the occasion of the PAP served as a reminder that what they fought for was not in vain. The African people are forging a new dawn for themselves. The suffering and economic emancipation of women from Cape to Cairo will top the transformation agenda of this institution.

The representatives of the PAP will echo the words of the greatest freedom fighters such as Marcus Gavi and Kwame Nkrumah. This institution is a step forward towards Africa realising her potential and we will work towards ensuring that Africa’s voice is heard more strongly within the context of nations. We have made giant strides on this continent and I, like millions of others, feel proud to be African.

This is not just about addressing past imbalances, but it is also about delivering to the women in a meaningful way. The strategic place of the Pan- African Women’s Organisation is not only about getting numbers right, but about enabling women to make a meaningful contribution to the social, political and economic aspects of African society. This represents a profound confidence in women by our government, and we see this as the critical mass needed to make a difference in the struggle to promote women’s rights.

This will also be very important in promoting a range of policies and legislation that will benefit women and free them from all forms of oppression. To date the South African government has introduced legislation intended to undo the injustices inflicted upon women, with specific reference to the Maintenance Act and the Domestic Violence Act, but more still needs to be done.

We still have situations where there are some men and state agents who do not comply with these Acts. Throughout the entire African continent, we should strive for an end to violence against women and children. The legacy of economic inequality is prevalent on the continent. Whilst talking about the general economic inequalities of the past, experienced by the previously disadvantaged people, we must be mindful that women are the most affected people.

Economic empowerment therefore becomes critical. In this regard, we have seen the initiative directed towards empowering women, but more still needs to be done. Our country should also propagate the issue of economic empowerment for women on the entire African continent. The recognition of the Pan-African Women’s Organisation is a clear indication of the important voice of women in our society, and that women need to organise themselves to ensure that their concerns are represented at Nepad, the African Union and the Pan-African Parliament.

While the voice of African women continues to be heard, violence against women continues to contribute to the spread of HIV and Aids. This is an indication that a lot still needs to be done to ensure the total emancipation of women, and we need to ensure that Pawo is transformed to truly become the voice of African women.

As we talk of Africa’s turn in this century, we should equally see this century as an era of opportunity to bring about political and socioeconomic changes on the continent. Women should play a leading role in bringing about these changes. As African women we need to decide on our destiny, and our destiny is in our own hands. I thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]

Ms J F TERBLANCHE: Chairperson, hon Deputy President, colleagues and guests, a lot has been said about the role of women in society. Now is the time to reflect on women in Africa and the role they should play, and the direction the Pan-African Women’s Organisation should take.

To me the direction is very clear, especially if seen in the light of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Women in South Africa and on this continent suffer because of discrimination in all forms. They also suffer because of HIV and Aids, poverty and hunger. There are high incidences of illiteracy. Two thirds of the world’s 876 million illiterate people are women. Unemployment figures are higher for women than for men.

These issues should be high on the agenda for the Pan-African Women’s Organisation, and it should be made clear that African women have a voice. That voice should not be used to exclude men from the solutions that we need to seek; it should include men. And here I need to quote from the Interparliamentary Union’s plan of action to correct present imbalances in the participation of men and women in political life, and I want to extend this to all spheres of society:

The combination of efforts on the part of all society’s components is indispensable to tackle and resolve the problems facing society. Emphasis should thus be placed on two complementary concepts: the concept of parity, which reflects the fact that persons of one or the other sex are different but nonetheless equal; and the concept of partnership, which shows that a creative synergy can be created between men and women, so as to tackle and resolve the community’s problems effectively. It is therefore important to include as many people as possible, not only females, in addressing the problems our continent face, and to come up with creative solutions for these problems.

Women form an integral part of our society. I believe that they are the backbone of society and that they are the ones holding everything together, because of their important role as mothers and care-givers. Women should be treated with dignity and respect. They should have equal opportunities to be educated, to be empowered, and to make a difference in areas where before they did not dare to venture, such as politics and the economy.

Therefore, within the context of our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, and with reference to Sunday night’s programme on Carte Blanche on M-Net, and yesterday’s front-page article of Beeld, I, as an Afrikaans-speaking South African who also regard myself as an African because I am a daughter of the African soil, as a daughter of this continent, I call on the Pan- African Women’s Organisation to make sure all African women are heard, to assist in addressing their issues. They should be heard echoing the words of the father of our new rainbow nation, Nelson Mandela, when on 10 May 1994 he said: “Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.” And I believe it should be extended to the women of this continent.

In conclusion, I say again what I have said before: “Wathin’ta bafazi, wa ithint’imbolodo.” If you touch a woman, you touch a rock. [Applause.]

Mnr F ADAMS: Adjunkvoorsitter, Adjunkpresident, lede van die Huis, laat my toe om te sê dat dit net ’n vrou is wat ’n vrou kan leer en op die regte spoor kan bring. Ek dink ná die les wat die agb Terblanche van die Voorsitter van die Nasionale Raad van Provinsies gekry het, wil ek amper sê dat sy besig is om reg te kom. [Gelag.]

Volgens ’n onlangse Wêreldbank-beleidsverslag, getiteld Engendering Development, is daar geen land in die wêreld waar vroue op gelyke voet met mans staan op die gebied van wetlike, maatskaplike en ekonomiese regte nie. Die verslag beweer dat geslagsgelykheid nie net ’n ontwikkelingsdoelstelling in eie reg is nie, maar dat dit ook ontwikkeling steun deur die verbetering van lande se vermoë om te groei, armoede te beveg en doeltreffend te regeer.

In ’n positiewer lig is daar wel groei in idees en benaderings om oplossings te soek en die geslagsgelykheidprobleem te oorkom. Ek is daarom van mening dat Pawo, die Pan-Afrika-vroueorganisasie, ’n belangrike en doeltreffende rol moet speel in die bemagtiging en opbou van vroue oor die vasteland. Hoewel die geslagsgaping tussen mans en vroue in die ekonomie verklein, bly die aard van die deelname van die twee geslagte totaal uiteenlopend.

In die meeste lande verdien vroue minder as hul manlike eweknieë. Vroue in baie Afrika-lande is steeds onderverteenwoordig in alle strukture van die uitvoerende en wetgewende regering, die regsbank, as onafhanklike waarnemers, die privaatsektor, die burgerlike gemeenskap en die media. Hoekom vroue steeds agter mans plek inneem, het te doen met verouderde houdings en stereotipes. Dit word benadruk deur gewoontes, kulture en tradisies. Hierdie instellings wil steeds die vrou in die huis hê, terwyl die man die wye wêreld tot sy beskikking het - waar hy ook die magshebbende is.

Vroue het reeds ’n tree gegee in die rigting van wetlike emansipasie en bemagtiging in ’n gemeenskap wat steeds gekenmerk word deur ontstellende vlakke van geweld teen hulle. In Suid-Afrika het daar in die afgelope tyd ’n ontploffing van vroue in posisies van mag en gesag plaasgevind. Kyk maar na ons Parlement en Kabinet. Kyk maar na ons eie voorsitter – ’n sterk en gebalanseerde vrou, moeder en leier. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)

[Mr F ADAMS: Deputy Chairperson, Deputy President, members of the House, allow me to say that only a woman can teach a woman and put her on the right track. I think, after the lecture that the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces gave the hon Terblanche, I almost wish to say that she is in the process of coming round. [Laughter.]

According to a recent World Bank policy report entitled Engendering Development, there is no country in the world in which women are on an equal footing with men in the areas of legal, social and economic rights. The report alleges that gender equality is not only a development objective in its own right, but that it also supports development through the improvement of the ability of countries to grow, fight poverty and govern effectively.

In a more positive light there is in fact growth in ideas and approaches to seek solutions and to overcome the problem of gender equality. For that reason I think that Pawo, the Pan-African Women’s Organisation, must play an important and effective role in the empowerment and development of women across the continent. Although the gender gap between men and women is decreasing in the economy, the nature of participation by the two genders remains entirely divergent.

In most countries women earn less than their male counterparts. In many African countries women are still underrepresented in all structures of executive and legislative government, the judiciary, as independent observers, in the private sector, civil community and the media. Why women still stand behind men involves obsolete attitudes and stereotypes. This is emphasised by customs, cultures and traditions. These institutions still want to have the woman in the house, while the man has the whole world at his disposal – where he is also the one in authority.

Women have already taken a step in the direction of legal emancipation and empowerment in a community that is still characterised by alarming levels of violence against them. In South Africa there has recently been an explosion of women in positions of power and authority. Just look at Parliament and the Cabinet. Look at our own Chairperson – a strong, balanced woman, mother and leader.]

Chairperson, the women in South Africa have shown us that the participatory approach is the best way to shed light on the human dimensions of poverty and of seeking ways to end it. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr M A MZIZI: Deputy Chairperson and Deputy President, the women of the African continent are now, more than ever, in need of their total emancipation from the shackles of oppression, degradation and exploitation. For many years the women of Africa have been victims of war and of extremely violent crimes where their dignity and spirit to live have been extremely compromised. But, a total wave of justice has swept across the African continent like a raging fire and is currently manifesting itself in all spheres on our continent. The women of Africa are also part of this awakening process, which has granted them their long overdue recognition in relation to the pressure that they have endured under the struggle of oppression and silence.

The role of the Pan-African Women’s Organisation should be that of adequately representing all the women of our continent in a way that is both transparent and visible. The flow of information regarding the social problems the women of our continent are grappling with, should be easily available to this organisation in order that it could appropriately embody the notion of representivity in every way possible.

The Pan-African Women’s Organisation should also be used as a vehicle for voicing women’s grievances in relation to their economic security. But, most importantly, it should be used as a means of facilitating the process of women’s political participation and decision-making powers.

Women need a world that will embrace them openly and freely and where gender bias in favour of their male counterparts will stop. Women do not need sympathy; they need opportunity and recognition. Women have, for many centuries, been weaving together the golden thread of society upon which our existence was able to flourish. Women need a world of true equality that will run like a thread across the entire face of the African continent, and the Pan-African Women’s Organisation needs to work vigorously towards making this a reality.

An organisation such as the Pan-African Women’s Organisation should be used as a means of uniting all the voices of African women. It should be used as a channel for open communication between women across the length and breadth of our continent so that they can share their common problems and ensure that appropriate solutions are found to assist them in resolving these problems. The existence of the Pan-African Women’s Organisation is definitely an achievement for all the women of Africa.

The establishment of the Pan-African Parliament is also an enormous achievement for the African continent. It will create a channel so that the voice of the AU can be heard in order that it can continue its groundbreaking work of unifying and uplifting the entire African continent. What the African continent is vitally in need of . . . [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Ms M P THEMBA: Hon Deputy President, hon Chairperson, hon members, as a woman and as an African myself I believe that the Pan–African Women’s Organisation can and must pull our continent out of this situation of poverty and underdevelopment, the situation in which it is currently immersed.

The debate today comes at the right time, as we have just celebrated Women’s Month. It also makes sense that as we are closing as the NCOP, we end on this high note, as the Pan-African Women’s Organisation gives women the status they deserve as builders of the nation. I cannot think of any way I would rather close this term than with a call for women in Africa to stand together and speak with one voice.

The ANC Women’s League has supported the Pan-African Women’s Organisation as an organisation that played a very important role in the liberation and upliftment of Africa, and it still has an important role to play today. Pawo, as we call it, has given women in Africa the opportunity to organise themselves. It has given women a platform to address their common problems and think about their future while not undermining the changing realities of today’s order.

No one in this House could dispute the fact that African women share a common history of triple oppression and struggle for liberation. Through Pawo women in Africa have been able to share experiences and to intensify the struggle for women’s emancipation, gender equality and a better life for women in Africa. This year is the 42nd anniversary of Pawo, which was established in 1962. Pawo played a significant role in building African unity and solidarity during a crucial period of struggle to free Africa from colonial bondage. The fact that the foundation of Pawo preceded the OAU, which became the driving force for the liberation of Africa from colonial oppression, shows that African women have played a strong leadership role in Africa.

Let me mention a few of the initial objectives of Pawo to show its relevance today, when women still suffer as a vulnerable group in our society. The objectives included creating awareness about the role of women in the African liberation struggles; co-ordinating women’s activities at regional levels; promoting women’s initiatives by establishing gender- sensitive programmes; establishing close contact and co-operation with other women’s organisations for collecting, processing and disseminating information about women of African descent; and organising workshops, debates, talks, conferences and meetings on various issues that concern African women and that advance the spirit of Africanism and the efforts of women to meet these challenges. All these objectives are still relevant today.

Pawo becomes more relevant in this century of Africa. As we embark on the African century and make the African Renaissance a reality, the role of women in development and in the struggle needs to be recognised. Women in Africa have made outstanding contributions in the struggles for liberation from slavery, colonialisation and apartheid and in development at all levels.

Today in Africa we talk about the economic development of the continent through Nepad. At the same time the African Union and the Pan-African Parliament have been established, as has already been mentioned. It is very important that the concerns of women and gender issues that affect them are integrated into these institutions or processes.

Pawo could be the vehicle used to mainstream gender in these institutions. In order to do that, it means that the role of Pawo within these organisations should be clearly spelt out as a full participant.

I believe that the struggle by women for gender equality is now bearing fruit, as women have been appointed to higher positions in organisations on the continent. We have women as the president, one of the vice-presidents and Speaker of the Pan-African Parliament and as the chair of the AU Peace and Security Council. Having women in two of the top five positions of the Pan-African Parliament is a clear victory for women on the continent. This represents an opportunity for the inclusion of continental gender issues.

In the AU, as per agreement, equal numbers of women and men were elected as commissioners and this parity has been extended to the recruitment process of the AU bodies. The AU has also adopted the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa in the African Charter on Human Rights. So far Africa is the only continent in the world to have made obligations to gender mainstreaming with its continental bodies.

The election of women to high positions is a reflection of the global trend for gender mainstreaming and women’s participation in decision-making. This trend has been influenced by the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

Resolution 1325 calls for broad participation of women in peace-building and postconflict reconstruction. It is true that women today are succeeding in taking their places as leaders in their own right. However, the challenge remains for women to ensure that they maximise the efforts of continental legislatures to promote gender equality. We should always remember that those women need our support to succeed for all of us. As African women bear the brunt of conflict in Africa, it makes sense that women should be engaged in strategies to bring about peace and security in Africa.

Women have played a constructive and essential part in the peace process. A role of Pawo today is to campaign for women to take their rightful place in governance, peacemaking and the revival of Africa. It must spearhead the movement for peace on the continent and find ways of as far as possible preventing conflicts and wars. It should also campaign against the rise of sexual abuse and rape of women and children and other issues affecting women.

I would like to see Pawo play a leading role in fighting the HIV and Aids epidemic, which is killing and infecting more women than men, according to statistics.

In conclusion, let me assure women that if we work together we will be able to turn the challenges we are facing into opportunities to realise women’s emancipation and a better life for African women.

The Pan-African Women’s Organisation provides a platform for all women’s organisations in Africa to participate and campaign for women’s emancipation. Women should continue to organise and build this important organisation for women in Africa, which will help to reduce poverty, bring about peace on the continent, stop the spread of HIV/Aids and facilitate unity amongst African women.

Umhlonishwa u-Terblanche engezwa kahle uma engase asivakashela singomama be- Women’s League ukuthi uma sithi, “Wathinta umfazi, wathinta imbokodo”, sisuke sisho kusuka ngaphakathi. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.] [The hon Terblanche will be able to understand us better if she visited us as Women’s League and heard us saying: “If you strike a woman, you strike a rock.” We say it from deep within our hearts. Thank you. [Applause.]]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Chairperson, His Excellency the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma, hon members of the Council, comrades, colleagues and friends, this debate takes place at a time when men and women in our country continue to celebrate the achievement of freedom and democracy.

In celebrating this achievement, we need to delve deeper and unpack the extent to which the past 10 years of democracy have improved the position of women in our country. Like women in the rest of Africa, women in our country have suffered extreme forms of oppression and exploitation under the apartheid regime, in terms of class, colour as well as gender. The brutal nature of the apartheid system did not, however, condemn women to silence and submission. On the contrary, generations and generations of women took to the streets, challenging the system that unfairly and in a most systematic way discriminated against them.

The turning point of women’s activism against the previous regime was the courageous and gallant struggles before and during 1956 against the pass laws, which was the most dehumanising form of control. These struggles culminated in the historic march to the Union Buildings in protest against carrying the dompas. Through these gallant efforts women defied the law and shook the apartheid regime to its very core. As we therefore celebrate the achievement of our democracy, we take stock and pay tribute to these courageous struggles.

The democratic government has over the past ten years created an enabling environment for women’s development and empowerment. This has greatly improved the position in our country. Through these enabling laws and the appointment of women to key strategic positions, the first decade of democracy became the embodiment and symbol of women’s emancipation.

South Africa has one of the highest percentages of women representatives in public sector and law-making institutions. We are proud of the women who have, in this short space of time, demonstrated success and achievement in Parliament, provincial legislatures and municipalities. Our women continue to climb the corporate ladder, making inroads in what was previously perceived as the enclave of white males. More women have also taken the lead in technology, arts, science and culture. We are indeed proud of their achievements in these specialised fields.

The establishment of the Office of the Rights of Children, the Office on the Status of Women in the Presidency, and the Gender Commission forms part of the innovative and progressive efforts to ensure that women are equal partners and role-players in the political, social and economic mainstream. Campaigns of these institutions have empowered women and have given rise to increasing numbers of women and children speaking openly about their experiences.

However, a lot must still be done to continue to improve the position of women in our country. In this regard a historic meeting in Pretoria is under way. This meeting will provide women and government with a platform for a shared understanding of transformation challenges faced by women. This follows President Thabo Mbeki’s launch of the presidential Women’s Working Group that will provide space for government and women to engage and interact meaningfully on important transformation challenges facing women. This is further testimony to the commitment of our government, and our President and Deputy President in particular, to issues of women’s development and empowerment.

It is important to note that all these developments are taking place against the background of national Women’s Month, celebrated throughout the country during the month of August. These developments are also taking place during this month of September, Heritage Month. This is a time when we need to sit back and reflect on the enormous and rich heritage of our country. As we educate our people and seek to preserve our heritage, women become key agents, messengers and teachers of the valuable resources of our country.

The debate on the role and place of the Pan-African Women’s Organisation is very important. It is an important debate, given the challenges faced by women in Africa. African women have, over a period of time, been subjected to and had to endure continuous ethnic and civil wars that have resulted not only in the death of innocent women and children, but also in the displacement and disintegration of families across the continent.

Women and children continue to be the victims of genocide and political conflict that bring untold suffering to the poor as a result of economic decay and social disintegration. Issues of patriarchy and cultural alienation continue to define the place and position of African women, condemning them to the periphery in our society. Issues of poverty, hunger, famine, diseases and underdevelopment, including the abuse of women and children, continue to be the key challenges that should define the agenda of the Pan-African Women’s Organisation.

Indeed, poverty remains the greatest challenge among women, as it is a deeply entrenched feature of the political landscape across the continent. The eradication of poverty should therefore remain our chief priority if we are to improve the position of women on the continent.

Historically, Pan-African women have championed and led the popular struggles for women’s emancipation across the continent. Pawo was the voice that, in the early days of the Organisation of African Unity, raised key and pertinent issues that affected women. As stated earlier, the conditions for women have not improved significantly in various parts of the continent. As the voice of African women, Pawo must be strengthened and capacitated to lead women’s struggles in this new era of the Pan-African African Parliament and Nepad.

We have a responsibility to build a strong, vibrant Pan-African Women’s Organisation that will actively and tirelessly engage with these challenges, making sure that the issue of gender, equality and women’s emancipation assumes priority on the African agenda for economic renewal. Pawo must be transformed into a mass-based popular movement that is able to bring together and draw from the support of the progressive women’s movement across the continent. In taking women’s issues forward, Pawo must ensure that it takes centre stage and provides leadership in campaigns aimed at deepening the culture of human rights. It must also build a strong partnership with other nongovernmental organisations dealing with issues of human rights. Pawo must ensure that women are integrated in the economic mainstream and that they are trained in various skills, including entrepreneurial skills. Pawo must indeed ensure that African women take the lead in the continental efforts to build a better Africa and a new world order.

Regarding the role of the Pan-African Parliament and Nepad in advancing Pawo’s objectives, the Pan-African Parliament provides a new platform for developing African countries to forge a collective identity to act and position themselves more favourably in the global village. The Pan-African Parliament is an expression of the spirit of the Non-Aligned Movement and the African Union. It embraces people-to-people interaction as part of a new democratic outlook in Africa, and provides us with a rare opportunity to make choices in terms of how we want to see Africa moving forward.

The adoption of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development programme for Africa’s economic renewal is one of the most important developments, placing Africa at the apex of the global agenda. Nepad is an instrument for advancing people-centred and sustainable developments in Africa, based on democratic values, being premised on the recognition that Africa has an abundance of natural resources and people who have the capacity to be agents for change, thereby holding the key to its own development. Nepad provides a common African platform for engaging the rest of the international community in a dynamic partnership that holds real prospects for creating a better life for all.

While partnerships with the rest of the world are vital for the success of Nepad, we are of the view that such partnerships must be based on mutual respect, dignity, shared responsibility and accountability. Given the progressive character of the Pan-African Parliament, Pawo has a responsibility to use this forum to advance and place on its agenda issues that continue to undermine development on the continent. In this context, the Pan-African Parliament and Nepad should be important vehicles in advancing the interests of those marginalised through various forms of oppression and colonisation.

With South Africa having been given the opportunity to be the seat of the Pan-African Parliament, we are poised to play a more active and leading role in shaping the path towards Africa’s sustainable development. The Pan- African Parliament will provide an opportunity for South African women to interact with their counterparts on the continent, sharing perspectives and transformation challenges that African women are faced with. This interaction should, in a most concrete way, influence the Pan-African Parliament and the rest of the African countries on how we could progressively take women’s issues forward. African women around the continent should be able to learn from our experience over the past ten years of democracy. Indeed, South African women have an important role to play in shaping the agenda for the full emancipation of African women. These are the challenges we must continue to grapple with as we advance to the second decade of our democratic government. We are all confident that South African women will rise to the challenges and take the lead in continental efforts to free women from the shackles of the colonial past.

In conclusion, I want to congratulate the hon Terblanche. It takes only five minutes to change and be in focus, with the rest of the world, the rest of Africa and South Africa in particular, to realise that as women we need one another across the political spectrum. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Hon members, on your behalf and on behalf of the presiding officers, I should like to thank the Deputy President for his sustained courage to be part of this important and august House, to share thoughts that are not only important for us, but important for our country and our continent. We are inspired by the sustained leadership that he provides.

As most members will be departing to their different constituencies, it is my pleasure, on behalf of the presiding officers, to wish you a good and safe journey home. In doing that, I acknowledge the role that you have played, individually and collectively, in the last four months of our third democratic Parliament, to make the work of this House a success. We are quite confident that you will come back more vigorous and greatly rejuvenated to meet the challenges ahead.

Debate concluded.

The Council adjourned at 15:28. ____

            ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS


                    WEDNESDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER 2004

ANNOUNCEMENTS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. Assent by President in respect of Bills

 (1)    South African Citizenship Amendment Bill [B 55 - 2003] - Act No
     17 of 2004 (assented to and signed by President on 11 September
     2004).

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. The Minister of Health

 Report and Financial Statements of the Medical Research Council (MRC)
 for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
 Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 91-2002].

1. The Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs

 (a)    Report and Financial Statements of the National Agricultural
     Marketing Council (NAMC) for 2003-2004, including the Report of
     the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP
     7-2004].

 (b)    Report and Financial Statements of Onderstepoort Biological
     Products Limited for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
     Independent Auditors on the the Financial Statements for 2003-
     2004.

 (c)    Report and Financial Statements of the Ingonyama Trust Board for
     2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
     Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 161-2004].

 (d)    Report and Financial Statements of the Perishable Products
     Export Control Board (PPECB) for 2003-2004, including the Report
     of the Independent Auditors on the Financial Statements for 2003-
     2004.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

National Council of Provinces

1. Report of the Select Committee on Local Government and Administration on the United Nations Convention against Corruption:

 The Select Committee on Local Government and Administration, having
 considered the request for approval by Parliament of the United Nations
 Convention against Corruption, referred to it, recommends that the
 Council, in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution, approve the
 said Convention.


 Report to be considered.



                     THURSDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 2004

ANNOUNCEMENTS

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 16 September 2004 and
     transmitted for concurrence:


     (i)     Finance Bill [B 13 - 2004] (National Assembly - sec 77)


     (ii)    Public Investment Corporation Bill [B 6B - 2004] (National
          Assembly - sec 75)


     (iii)   National Payment System Amendment Bill [B 14B - 2004]
          (National Assembly - sec 75)


     (iv)    Government Employees Pension Law Amendment Bill [B 15 -
          2004] (National Assembly - sec 75)


     (v)     Petroleum Pipelines Levies Bill [B 18 - 2004] (National
          Assembly - sec 77)

     The Bills have been referred to the Select Committee on Finance of
     the National Council of Provinces.

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. The Minister of Finance

 (a)    Report and Financial Statements of the Financial Services Board
     for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
     Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 133-2004].

(b) Report and Financial Statements of the Public Accountants’ and Auditors’ for 2003, including the Report of the Independent Auditors on the the Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2003.

                      FRIDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2004

ANNOUNCEMENTS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

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

 (1)    Bill passed by National Assembly on 16 September 2004:


     (i)     Companies Amendment Bill [B 10D - 2004] (National Assembly
          - sec 75)

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. The Minister for Provincial and Local Government

 Report and Financial Statements of the Municipal Infrastructure
 Investment Unit 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General
 on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 178-2004].


                      MONDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2004

ANNOUNCEMENTS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. Translation of Bill submitted

 (1)    The Minister of Health


     (i)     Wysigingswetsontwerp op Keuse oor die Beëindiging van
          Swangerskap [W 72 - 2003] (Nasionale Vergadering - art 76)

     This is the official translation into Afrikaans of the Choice on
     Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill [B 72 - 2003] (National
     Assembly - sec 76).

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. The Speaker and the Chairperson

 Report of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI) for 2003-
 2004.

 CREDA PLEASE INSERT REPORT - Insert ATC0920e

1. The Minister of Public Enterprises

 Report and Financial Statements of Denel (Pty) Limited for 2003-2004,
 including the Report of the Independent Auditors on the Financial
 Statements for 2003-2004.

1. The Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs

 Report and Financial Statements of Ncera Farms (Proprietary) Limited
 for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Independent Auditors on the
 Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

1. The Minister of Minerals and Energy

 (a)    Report and Financial Statements of the Council for Mineral
     Technology (MINTEK) for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
     Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 31-
     2004].

 (b)    Report and Financial Statements of the Council for Geoscience
     for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
     Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 68-2004].

 (c)    Report and Financial Statements of the National Electricity
     Regulator for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-
     General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 122-2004].

1. The Minister for Safety and Security

 Report and Financial Statements of Vote 25 - Department of Safety and
 Security for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on
 the Financial Statements of Vote 25 for 2003-2004 [RP 184-2004].

1. The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development

 Report and Financial Statements of the Independent Electoral Commission
 regarding the Management and Administration of the Represented
 Political Parties' Fund for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
 Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 116-
 2004].


                     TUESDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2004

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. The Minister of Public Works

 Guidelines for the Implementation of Labour-Intensive Infrastructure
 Projects under the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

1. The Minister of Arts and Culture

 (a)    Report and Financial Statements of the Playhouse Company for
     2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General on the
     Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

 (b)    Report and Financial Statements of the National Zoological
     Gardens of South Africa for 2003-2004, including the Report of the
     Auditor-General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

 (c)    Report and Financial Statements of the Engelenburg House Art
     Collection for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-
     General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

 (d)    Report and Financial Statements of the South African Library for
     the Blind for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-
     General on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

 (e)    Report and Financial Statements of the Africa Institute of South
     Africa for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General
     on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004.

 (f)    Report and Financial Statements of the Nelson Mandela National
     Museum for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-General
     on the Financial Statements for 2003-2004 [RP 150-2004].

1. The Minister for Safety and Security

 Report and Financial Statements of Vote 23 - Independent Complaints
 Directorate (ICD) for 2003-2004, including the Report of the Auditor-
 General on the Financial Statements of Vote 23 for 2003-2004 [RP 121-
 2004].