Thursday, 26 February 2015]
213
No 3—2015] SECOND SESSION, FIFTH PARLIAMENT
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
————————
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
OF
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
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THURSDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 2015
1.
The House met at 14:00.
2.
The Deputy Speaker took the Chair and requested members to observe a
moment of silence for prayer or meditation.
3.
[14:01 ] Notices of motion.
4.
[14:11 ] Ms H H Malgas moved without notice: That the House –
(1)
notes with great sadness the sudden and untimely tragic death of
26-year-old TV personality, Simba Mhere, who died after he was
involved in a car accident on William Nicol Drive near the N1 in
Johannesburg on Saturday, 31 January 2015;
(2)
further notes that a friend who was travelling in his car was also killed;
(3)
acknowledges that Mr Mhere was the youngest presenter of the
magazine programme, Top Billing on SABC 3, after he won the Top
Billing presenter search in 2010;
(4)
further acknowledges that his death is a tragic loss of a young person,
who was in the prime of his career, a role model and an inspiration to
other young people;
(5)
believes that his charisma, passion, hard work and dedication to
entertain, educate and inform the public will be sorely missed; and
(6)
extends its condolences to Simba Mhere’s family, friends and
colleagues.
Agreed to.
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214
5.
[Thursday, 26 February 2015
Mr S C Motau moved without notice: That the House –
(1)
notes the recent spate of what is believed to be xenophobic attacks on
foreign shop owners and residents in parts of our country;
(2)
further notes that countless foreign-owned shops were looted,
businesses vandalised and properties destroyed during the inexcusable
attacks;
(3)
acknowledges that not a single successful prosecution of a South
African who has attacked foreigners or looted their shops has taken
place;
(4)
further acknowledges that these alleged xenophobic attacks are
shameful and despicable acts that must be strongly condemned by all
South Africans;
(5)
calls for the perpetrators of the violence to be brought to justice; and
(6)
appeals to all affected communities to end the violence and to adopt an
attitude of tolerance and respect towards those who come to South
Africa in search of a better future.
Agreed to.
6.
Mr N Singh moved without notice: That the House (1)
recognises that World Rare Disease Day will be marked on
28 February this year and its call and objective is to raise awareness
amongst the general public and government about rare diseases and
the plight of those living with them;
(2)
acknowledges that those afflicted and suffering with rare diseases
form a small minority in our society and receive little or no help or
attention;
(3)
further acknowledges that 80% of rare diseases have identified genetic
origins whilst others are the result of infections (bacterial or viral),
allergies and environmental causes, or are the result of degenerative
and proliferative conditions, and the results also show that 50% of rare
diseases touch children;
(4)
applauds the tireless efforts of organizations such as the Rare Disease
Society of South Africa which is a registered Non-Profit Organisation
(NPO) initiated to advocate for patients’ rights and create awareness
about various life threatening rare diseases; and
(5)
calls upon Government and the Department of Health to commit to the
ongoing implementation of a better and more comprehensive approach
to rare diseases and to the development of appropriate public
healthcare policies.
Agreed to.
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7.
215
Mr S C Mncwabe moved without notice: That the House (1)
notes that former Bafana Bafana captain, Neil Tovey, was hospitalised
in Durban on Tuesday, 24 February 2015, after suffering three heart
attacks;
(2)
further notes that Neil Tovey was the captain of Bafana Bafana when
the team won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996;
(3)
recalls that Neil Tovey captained our national team, Bafana Bafana, in
29 international games during his career; and
(4)
wishes Neil Tovey a speedy recovery.
Agreed to.
8.
Mr N L S Kwankwa moved without notice: That the House (1)
notes that the South African under 17 national soccer team,
Amajimbos, played against the Nigerian national soccer team on
25 February 2015 and won the match 1-0;
(2)
acknowledges that this victory books the South African under 17
team’s place in the finals of the competition that will be played on
Sunday, 1 March 2015;
(3)
congratulates the team and the technical staff for their sterling
performance; and
(4)
wishes the team all the best in the finals of the African Youth
Championships.
Agreed to.
9.
Mr A M Mncwango moved without notice: That the House (1)
extends its deepest condolences to the families, friends and
community of KwaNongoma over the recent tragedy which saw a
lightning strike kill 9 people and injure another 17 people attending a
traditional ceremony in Mthombeni;
(2)
further extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims
and communities in Colenso and Paulpietersburg which claimed the
lives of 6 people in other lightning strikes;
(3)
acknowledges that storms of this nature are prone to occur around this
time of the year in KwaZulu-Natal and encourages citizens to be
mindful of inclement weather and take the necessary precautions when
planning gatherings of any kind;
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[Thursday, 26 February 2015
(4)
calls upon Government and the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative
Governance to ensure that the necessary disaster relief teams are
deployed to affected areas and to provide the necessary support to
affected families; and
(5)
applauds the efforts of our disaster relief teams and thanks them for
their courageous service to our communities.
Agreed to.
10.
Mr T Z Hadebe moved without notice: That the House –
(1)
notes that the 2014 Siemens Report recently featured several South
African cities in its Africa Green City Index report;
(2)
further notes that the report looked at 15 African cities that have
committed to improving their environmental footprint and scored each
city on issues including land use, transport, waste management, water,
sanitation and air quality;
(3)
acknowledges that the City of Cape Town was well above average in
the category of land use and was the top-performing African city in
this regard;
(4)
further acknowledges that Cape Town was recognised as one of the
continent’s top cities in the index for superior forms of public
transport; and it is one of only three cities in Africa noted for actively
promoting greener forms of transport (the other cities are Dar es
Salaam and Tunis); and
(5)
congratulates the South African cities who were featured in this report
and encourage all metros and towns to double their efforts to become
more environmentally conscious.
Agreed to.
11.
Mr N S Matiase moved without notice: That the House –
(1)
notes that the community of Mashaeng, in Dihlabeng Municipality,
taps are dry and that they have been experiencing water cuts since
2012;
(2)
further notes that despite government’s claim that 90% of South
Africans have clean water, Mashaeng does not have water and if they
do, the municipality cuts water by 12 pm every day;
MINUTES: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY NO 3─2015
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217
(3)
recognises that the challenge of water is only experienced in the
township and not in Fouriesburg where mostly white residents live;
(4)
further recognises that water is a basic human right which is denied to
the people of Mashaeng because of incompetent councillors; and
(5)
calls on the Department of Water and Sanitation to immediately
intervene to ensure that the people of Mashaeng have clean water and
sanitation.
Agreed to.
12.
Mr M Hlengwa moved without notice: That the House –
(1)
notes with concern and condemns the violent protests that took place
at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Westville Campus,
which resulted in the burning of property;
(2)
further notes the lack of constructive engagement by the protesters in
expressing their concerns and urge for more responsible protesting in
order to allow for appropriate steps to be taken to resolve issues;
(3)
acknowledges the concerns of the protesting students with regards to
the shortage of student funding from National Student Financial Aid
Scheme (NSFAS) and the alleged maladministration surrounding the
disbursement of loans;
(4)
calls upon the Department of Higher Education to interact with the
relevant government departments to re-look at funding models, and
criteria used so as to better manage the distribution of NSFAS loans;
and
(5)
applauds the efforts the Wits Student Representative Council (SRC) in
raising funds in order to help pay for students with no proper access to
funding, and encourages the UKZN Westville SRC, as well as other
university SRCs, to emulate this model of sourcing funding for
students who need it.
Agreed to.
13.
Ms C N Majeke moved without notice: That the House (1)
notes that on Friday, 20 February 2015, a child died after eating
chicken dumped by a farmer in Ottosdal, North West;
(2)
further notes that whilst other children were discharged from hospital,
some were reportedly still recovering;
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[Thursday, 26 February 2015
(3)
acknowledges that the North West Department of Health has launched
an investigation into the matter;
(4)
encourages the department to leave no stone unturned in discovering
the circumstances which resulted in the loss of innocent life and that
the law should take its course;
(5)
calls on members of the public to exercise extra caution with regard to
eating dumped food; and
(6)
conveys its condolences to the family of the deceased child.
Agreed to.
14.
Ms D Carter moved without notice: That the House –
(1)
notes that many students who are eligible for National Student
Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) assistance do not have the financial
support to make the upfront payment demanded by Wits University;
(2)
further notes that for these students who are desperate to enrol at
university, the window for meeting the registration requirements will
close and the university's system will remove their names and thus
shatter their dreams;
(3)
recognises that many of these students worked very hard at school in
very trying and difficult circumstances to attain the marks necessary to
meet entrance requirements at Wits University;
(4)
further recognises that the advent of democracy in 1994 gave real hope
to formally disadvantaged communities, that henceforth all learners
who worked hard and achieved matric exemptions could entertain real
hopes of going to universities and achieving their ambitions in spite of
personal financial constraints;
(5)
acknowledges that Wits University has to secure its own financial
situation in order for the university to be financially sustainable and
for it to remain an institution of excellence;
(6)
further acknowledges that the NSFAS has been of considerable benefit
to thousands of university students, although its administration has not
always been as sound as students and society expected;
(7)
believes that students who qualify for NSFAS should be supported in
some way or other to make the initial payment to have their names
entered into the system;
(8)
further believes that the Minister of Higher Education should reach out
to social partners to create a revolving fund which can provide
bridging finance for students to meet their initial registration
obligations; and
MINUTES: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY NO 3─2015
Thursday, 26 February 2015]
(9)
219
applauds the Student Representative Council (SRC) at Wits for trying
to raise R1million to help their fellow students to pay their registration
fees and hopes that all students at Wits will give their support to the
SRC for this praiseworthy undertaking
Agreed to.
15.
Mr N Singh moved without notice: That the House (1)
recognises Zero Discrimination Day, marked on 1 March this year,
which promotes diversity and recognises that everyone counts;
(2)
further recognises that this day is a UNAids initiative aimed at
eradicating the deeply rooted stigma and discrimination HIV infected
groups face every day and touches on discrimination in a general
sense;
(3)
acknowledges that organisations like the United Nations (UN) actively
promote the day with various activities to celebrate everyone’s right to
live a full life with dignity regardless of age, gender, sexuality,
nationality, ethnicity, skin color, height, weight, profession, education
and beliefs.
(4)
further acknowledges that many countries have laws against
discrimination, but it is still a problem in all layers of society in every
country in the world, and that many countries have and still use
discrimination as a way of governing.
(5)
applauds efforts of organizations such the South Africa National AIDS
Council (SANAC), who in partnership with a number of organisations
and institutions, has taken the first National Stigma Index Survey
among people living with HIV in 18 districts across South Africa; and
(6)
calls upon the Government to pay greater attention to the HIV plight
and discrimination therein and in particular the broad disparities in
access to evidence-based HIV prevention, treatment, care and support
services.
Agreed to.
16.
Ms H H Malgas moved without notice: That the House –
(1)
notes that on Wednesday, 21 January 2015, a prominent human rights
leader and anti-apartheid struggle activist Reverend Mcebisi Xundu
died of pneumonia in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape;
(2)
further notes that before his death the 80-year-old Xundu was a canon
of the Anglican Diocese of Port Elizabeth, and he was a board member
of the National Development Agency;
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[Thursday, 26 February 2015
(3)
recalls that he was a fearless leader who made a huge difference in
many communities, through projects aimed at uplifting and educating
the less privileged;
(4)
further recalls that Xundu is credited for playing a critical role in the
struggle against apartheid as one of the brave clergymen who used the
church as a site to fight injustices and human rights violations;
(5)
acknowledges that he was a former president of the National InterFaith Leaders’ Council, as well as a veteran of the liberation struggle
and the civic struggles in KwaZulu-Natal townships, in particular
during the 1980s; and
(6)
extends its condolences to the family and friends of Reverend Mcebisi
Xundu.
Agreed to.
17.
Mr M L W Filtane moved without notice: That the House (1)
notes that on 8 February 2015, the Ivory Coast national soccer team
won the Africa Cup of Nations 2015 hosted in Equatorial Guinea,
beating Ghana in a sudden death penalty shootout after a goalless
game;
(2)
further notes that the Ivory Coast has been crowned champions after
several attempts, having previously lost in the 2006 and 2012 Africa
Cup of Nations finals; and
(3)
congratulates the team of “Mighty Elephants” for its victory.
Agreed to.
18.
[14:49] The Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party moved: That the
House –
(1)
notes with great sadness the untimely passing of Yolanda Botha at the
new Gariep MediClinic in Kimberley on Sunday, 28 December 2014,
following a long battle with cancer;
(2)
further notes that her untimely death robbed the African National
Congress (ANC), the people of the Northern Cape and South Africa as
a whole of a dedicated and selfless activist and leader who dedicated
her life to the service of our people, especially the poor;
(3)
recalls that Ms Botha was known for her strong views on gender
issues, which resulted in her being elected to the National Executive
Committee of the ANC Women’s League;
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221
(4)
further recalls that she made her mark in the legislature and provincial
government, as a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) and as
head of the Department of Social Development, before returning to
national Parliament;
(5)
thanks her family for having shared her valuable life with the majority
of disadvantaged South Africans;
(6)
believes that as a Member of Parliament she made a notable
contribution to building a caring society through her oversight work,
her deep understanding of the plight of the poor and her unwavering
desire to play a role in achieving an equal society and eliminating
poverty, and that she will be sorely missed by those who worked with
her;
(7)
further believes that her mark will be a symbol of determination to be
emulated by future generations; and
(8)
extends its heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and the ANC.
Debate concluded.
Agreed to, members standing.
19.
[15:17 ] The Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party moved: That the
House –
(1)
notes that on 19 January 2015, African National Congress (ANC)
Member of Parliament Frans Hlakudi “Tommy” Nkoana died at a
Pretoria hospital following an illness;
(2)
further notes that Mr Nkoana was born on 13 September 1963 in
Moutse, Sekhukhune Region, received his primary education at
Rathoke Primary School, matriculated from Mabake Secondary
School and qualified as a teacher at Kwena Moloto College of
Education;
(3)
recalls that Mr Nkoana was elected to the National Assembly in the
2014 general election and he served on the Portfolio Committees on
Labour and Communications;
(4)
further recalls that despite his brief tenure in Parliament, Mr Nkoana
was truly a reservoir of political knowledge and his immense
contribution to debates, both within the structures of the ANC caucus
and Parliament, will be sorely missed;
(5)
remembers that Mr Nkoana served in various structures of the ANC
and its alliance in Mpumalanga, including as the longest-serving
regional secretary of the ANC in Nkangala and as branch leader of the
South African Democratic Teacher’s Union (Sadtu), as well as being
an advisor to Premier D D Mabuza;
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[Thursday, 26 February 2015
(6)
acknowledges that Mr Nkoana was an embodiment of the qualities
that are rarely found in one person – a fearless freedom fighter, an
astute educator, a skilful organiser, a unifier, a problem-solver and a
tireless revolutionary;
(7)
believes that the people of South Africa have lost a dedicated servant
of the people, a selfless patriot and a disciplined activist; and
(8)
conveys its condolences to his father, his wife, Florah, and his four
children.
Debate concluded.
Agreed to, members standing.
20.
[15:45 ] Members’ statements.
21.
The House adjourned at 16:20.
G MGIDLANA
Secretary to Parliament
MINUTES: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY NO 3─2015