Hon Deputy Chairperson
Distinguished delegates to the National Council of Provinces
I thank you for the opportunity to say a few words to wish you farewell as we wrap up the 2013 parliamentary year. Indeed the year was rich with fulfilling work that was executed by you the representatives of our provinces and organised local government.
As you will realise, we are nearing the end of the electoral mandate period of the fourth Parliament. The Constitution makes provision for elections of representatives to national and provincial legislatures every five years.
As a nation, we are poised once again to fully exercise our political rights which are entrenched in chapter 2 of the Constitution (the Bill of Rights). These rights, which are extended to every citizen across the land, include the right to campaign for a political party or cause, and to free, fair and regular elections. They also include a right to form a political party.
These rights are part of the freedom we attained in 1994. In fact, in 1993 South Africa was a country in the past. Today, in 2013:
- We see a nation that is uniting;
- We see a nation that is seeking, amid a sea of challenges, to improve the quality of life of all the citizens; and
- We see a nation that is in conversation with itself about how best to correct the wrongs of the past.
At the beginning of this term, we observed that:
- The fourth Parliament provided a significant opportunity for the NCOP to enhance its legislative, oversight and public participation activities/programmes.
- That the NCOP appeared better positioned to carry out its mandate in its second decade of existence, given that its first ten years were characterised by intense scrutiny of its work and how it functioned.
The year 2013 provided a very important opportunity to move towards the end of the term with great confidence and a sense of achievement, in line with our predictions in 2009.
Indeed, we enhanced our legislative, oversight and public participation activities.The value that you as delegates to the NCOP added to some of the pieces of legislation that were before the House was noticeable.
Among many, the member of Parliament in the National Assembly, Hon Dene Smuts, praised the NCOP for the improvements it made in the Protection of State Information Bill. She noted, and I quote: “It is clear that the NCOP was determined to achieve constitutionality”.
The Select Committee on Trade and International Relations, led by Hon D Gamede, saw through its pursuit from last year of the implementation of credit amnesty to ease the burden on poor South Africans.
You will recall that this is one of the matters we had identified as part of our legacy, proposed by Hon Gamede.The proposal was agreed by Cabinet and the National Credit Amendment Bill, introduced by the Minister of Trade and Industry, is before the National Assembly as we speak.
Through your efforts, Honourable Delegates, we have managed to shine the light on the work that government is doing by means of our oversight vehicles. Through the implementation of the Taking Parliament to the People over the years, including the very successful programmes in Mpumalanga and Gauteng this year, we have achieved a lot in fulfilling the constitutional mandate of this House.
Among other things:
- We have ensured that people, from even the most rural part of the country, get the information they need and participate in the processes of Parliament;
- We have ensured that people engage directly with their local, provincial and national leaders, including Ministers, thus promoting public accountability;
- We have ensured that we go back to the issues people raised, as we did with regard to KwaZulu-Natal during the course of the year.
As such, we have contributed to South Africa becoming an open society where challenges facing the people are discussed in an open manner.The freedom of expression that the people of South Africa enjoy today is a dream in some of the countries we have had the opportunity to visit over the years. So we must be proud as a nation.
I would like to thank you all for your great efforts in carrying the banner of the NCOP. It is your contribution to the future of this country.
May you enjoy the coming festive period. In between your constituency engagements, please find time to rest. 2014 is the year of elections and the pinnacle of the first two decades of our democracy.
Thank you
