DEBATE: FREEDOM DAY

DEBATE: FREEDOM DAY

DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE: MELINDA HATTINGH

26 APRIL 2016

Hon. Speaker

Hon. Premier

Members of the House

This 22^nd Freedom Day, we once again find ourselves in an election year, as we did back in 1994.

Op die 27ste April van daardie huiglike en veelbelowende jaar, het Suid-Afrika sy eerste suksesvolle verkiesing na apartheid gehou.

Baie mense het gesệ dat dit nie gedoen kan word nie, maar Suid-Afrikaners het hul verkeerd bewys.

South Africans crossed the divide from a terrible past of oppression to a hopeful future of freedom.

The struggle against apartheid was fought on many fronts both black and white that played their part in liberating the people of South Africa from a painful history of conflict and division.

Op Vryheidsdag onthou ons almal wat weerstand teen apartheid gebied het en wat daarteen geveg het.

We thank those liberation movements who made personal sacrifices and lost their lives so that fellow South Africans, including myself as a women, now has the freedom to choose.

We remember the enormous role of former president Nelson Mandela, whose selflessness and incorruptibility paved the way for a peaceful transition and the extension of rights to the masses.

Maar daar is ook soveel ander persone wat erkenning moet geniet.

Out of my own Party’s former female leadership, I also deem it appropriate to make mention of Helen Suzman the PFP MP, who used her seat in parliament to wage war on every piece of apartheid legislation put before parliament. She made countless speeches and asked hundreds of questions on forced removals, pass laws, housing, education, police brutality and executions. This was crucial in exposing the truth about apartheid to the outside world.

Helen Zille also played her part in exposing and fighting apartheid from her early Black Sash days to her work as a journalist by exposing the atrocities of the police against Steve Biko.

Agbare Speaker daar is vir Suid-Afrika se Vryheid geveg vir almal van ons.

Now, until the ends of days, South African people must enjoy the maximum amount of individual freedom consistent with law and order. This includes freedom to earn a living and accumulate wealth in the way of our choosing, freedom to live where we want, love who we want, say what we believe, develop our talents and pursue our dreams.

Maar in die Noord-Kaap is dit ongelukkig nie die realiteit nie.

Kommersiёle-, opkomende-, en die gemeenskaps-boere in die Nama-Khoi en Richtersveld area, op wie ons almal elke dag staat maak vir die kos op ons tafels, staar steeds droogte in die gesig. ‘n Gebrek aan voldoende en deurlopende ondersteuning van die regering beteken dat hulle vooruitsigte om suksesvolle boere te wees, daagliks verskraal.

Dit is nie vryheid nie!  

Die effek van die huidige droogte te same met opeenvolgende ekonomiese flaters deur die regering het voedselinflasie vererger. Terselfdertyd is werkloosheid in die landbou sektor van die Noord-Kaap op sy hoogste vlakke.

Die provinsie se werkloosheidsyfer wissel van 26% – 35% en in sekere dorpe in die provinsie is dit so hoog soos byvoorbeeld 48% in sekere Bo-Karoo areas.  Amper die helfte van die Noord-Kaap se bevolking gaan slaap sonder ‘n bord kos elke aand en die res oorleef op pensioene en kindertoelae.

Dit is ook nie vryheid nie!

Agbare Speaker gegewe die huidige politieke klimaat waarin kiesers moedeloos voel, die regering wantrou en korrupsie en wanbestuur die psige van Suid-Afrikaners geskaad het, raak dit al hoe meer belangriker om ons demokrasie te beskerm.

In this regard, let me speak to two other threats standing in the way of freedom in South Africa.

1. Firstly, we are faced with a possible threat against the freedom and fairness of the upcoming local government elections.  On the 9^th of May, arguments will be heard in court pertaining to matters that relate to the capturing of street addresses on the voters roll.

One third of the population’s addresses are apparently not captured on the voters roll. At the same time, we know from the past that the failure to attach street addresses to the voters roll, has opened the way for corruption and potential vote rigging.

We cannot afford to backtrack on that great day of 27^th of April 1994.

Freedom and fairness of the election process must be upheld at all costs.

1. The second threat is that of state capture. South Africans have been bombarded with matters relating to capture of the government by the powerful and influential network of the Gupta family.

It cannot be that private families have so much control over the state – this is a serious breach of our democratic processes and cannot be tolerated.

If such a high price was paid for our freedom, we are duty bound to protect it and use it every day. We cannot allow flawed Bills, unfair elections or even powerful businessmen to jeopardize our freedom.  The institutions of this democracy must be defended and reinforced and citizens should never have to fear those in power.

We fought to end Apartheid, now we will focus on ending the Zuma-led government’s rule of failure!

I thank you.