Honourable Speaker,
Mr President and Deputy President,
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Honourable Members.
1. Introduction
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) commends the fact that Parliament is debating solutions to gender-based violence, child abuse, rampant crime in general, as well as lawlessness.
We are here today in response to the brave women of this country who said: “No more!”.
This House and the Executive must prioritize finding solutions, even if it means that we must reconsider budget allocations as the President has already indicated.
2. Safety and security: a constitutional mandate
Everyone living in this country must, at all times, be protected and should feel safe in their homes and on our streets.
For the Executive to act decisively and to make manifest the constitutional mandate of safety and security for the people, it might mean that our civil liberties could be affected.
3. Proposed SADC accord
One other matter which I would like to raise is that of striking an accord between SADC countries to address security and home affairs issues.
Cross-border crime, moving stolen vehicles and livestock, as well as the burning of trade-goods, should be a thing of the past. Our economies must be protected, for if one country is unstable, all are affected.
4. Xenophobia
Regarding the recent xenophobic attacks, we condemn it in the strongest terms.
I however wish to mention that South Africa is the only country that does not have refugee camps, with non-South Africans being integrated into our society since 1994.
We indeed have people from the rest of the continent, Europe, America and the Far East who live peacefully, and prosper in South Africa.
5. Closing
Mr President, if one looks at the vast amounts of money that is syphoned away through corruption, our obsolete military equipment, poor training and equipping of our security services and the criminal justice system, it is clear that we still have much work to do.
I thank you.
