Speeches 2006
Up one levelSpeeches from 2006 are stored here.
Education Budget Speech by Lance Greyling
2006-05-19. The Independent Democrats believes that we urgently need to bridge the enormous divides in South Africa. In the long term, education is the greatest weapon that we have in our arsenal to achieve this goal, but unfortunately our education system still in many ways mirrors the inequalities in our society. We have to bridge the educational divide now if we are going to have any hope of bridging the country’s divides in the future.
Trade and Industry Budget Vote Speech 2006 by Avril Harding
2006-03-29. Madam Speaker, the Department of Trade and Industry set itself the goals of “raising investment levels, broadening economic participation and increasing competitiveness”. Almost needless to say these are very important goals to make the implementation of ASGISA as effective as envisioned. Be assured that the Independent Democrats certainly supports the ASGISA initiative that aims to half poverty and unemployment by 2014, as well as strengthening the Informal Economy.
Independent Democrats Response to the State of the Nation Address – Bridging the Divides by Patricia de Lille
2006-02-07. Honourable President, South Africans may indeed be optimistic about the future, but do we all have the same vision as to what that future should be. The Independent Democrats vision is one where the destructive divides of our society are bridged.
Independent Democrats State of the Nation Speech - Bridging the Divides by Patricia de Lille
2006-02-13. Honourable President, South Africans may indeed be optimistic about the future, but do we all have the same vision as to what that future should be. The Independent Democrats vision is one where the destructive divides of our society are bridged.
African Peer Review Mechanism by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. Honourable Speaker it is clear that the African Peer Review Mechanism represents a new chapter in Africa’s history. It signifies Africa taking control of its own destiny by countries finally measuring themselves according to an agreed upon set of standards drawn up by the countries themselves. It is ID’s wish that the APRM will become the new measure by which countries are judged rather than those imposed by outside institutions like the World Bank and the IMF.
Caring Communities Protect Children by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. Honourable Speaker, the statement caring communities protect children seems pretty obvious. Unfortunately in South Africa either we don’t have caring communities, or the interests and protection of children are not being put first. The statistics of child abuse in this country are shocking, with 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys reportedly being sexually abused before they turn eighteen. While there are undoubtedly many reasons for this terrible situation, such as the breakdown of family units due to poverty and unemployment and the erosion in the value of life, the ID firmly maintains that there is simply no excuse for child abuse. I will say it again, No excuse for Child Abuse.
Speech on the Adoption of the Children's Bill by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. Honourable Speaker, the Independent Democrats believes that this truly is a great day for children’s rights. This bill has been in the system for many years but the Independent Democrats feels that all the deliberations that have taken place over it has produced a truly revolutionary piece of legislation and will significantly advance children’s rights in South Africa. It will revolutionise parental responsibilities and rights in South Africa. In order for this bill to deliver on its huge expectations, however, treasury will have to make available sufficient funds for provincial governments to employ additional social workers to cope with the extra demands that will be put on this sector. We currently do not have nearly enough social workers in South Africa and we will have to address this situation urgently.
Budget Vote on Environmental Affairs and Tourism by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. Honourable Minister, last week saw the release of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Report. This report contains a number of extremely concerning findings like over the past 50 years humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any other time in history resulting in a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth. The world is currently set on a path of unsustainable development and far reaching shifts are needed in the way we produce and consume. I am not, however, an environmentalist that likes to simply reel out a litany of woeful statistics. I am an optimistic environmentalist that believes that we are capable of change and that South Africa can and should be at the forefront of such a movement.
The Environment Belongs to All Who Live in it by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. Honourable Speaker, at the risk of being controversial I wish to object to the title of this debate. The environment does not belong to us, but we belong to the environment. For too long the human species has taken the attitude that nature is simply a resource for us to exploit for our own benefit. Recently, however, we have begun to realise the limits and mistakes in this approach. We are dependent on the environment for our survival and without these natural processes we would not be able to live. For too long our attitude has been to simply exploit nature in our quest for unbridled economic growth. In a sense we have taken the attitude that it is survival of the fittest and nature must wield to our demands. The latest research into evolution, however, has shown that the underlying force of progress has not been competition but rather cooperation. Organisms in ecosystems do not compete against each other but rather cooperate to create the conditions for life to thrive. This applies to the smallest ecosystems, as well as to our own human bodies, and in fact to the planet as a whole.
Debate on Floor Crossing
2006-01-05. Honourable Speaker, not a day has gone by in which the newspapers have not been filled with letters from members of the public expressing their total disgust with floor-crossing. The public out there does not want this legislation and this is borne out by scientific polls that show that the majority of South Africans disagree with floor crossing.
Budget Vote on Foreign Affairs by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. Honourable Minister, the Independent Democrats believes that we live in a globalised world and that international factors are as critical to our success as a nation as domestic factors. We therefore maintain that South Africa has to play an influential role in world affairs and help bring about a more just international framework. ID therefore supports the efforts of this department in trying to negotiate a fairer international trade regime, which will not only benefit South Africa but the entire developing world. The new initiative such as IBSA, which combines the strength of India, Brazil and South Africa represents the beginnings of what could prove to be a powerful developing bloc. The Independent Democrats also believe that South Africa must play a greater leadership role in environmental issues, particularly in an area like Climate Change whose impacts will be felt most acutely in Africa. Given our past history, South Africa also needs to be outspoken over human rights abuses wherever they occur in the world. This must always be done in a spirit of building a multilateral stance on these issues.
A Decade of a decisive advance to equal rights for all
2006-01-05. This past decade has certainly been a decisive one for South Africa in which we have managed to make a fundamental break with our tragic past. We have committed ourselves to the phrase Never Again when it comes to the trampling on of human rights in South Africa. This is expressed most vividly in our constitution which is praised throughout the world as embodying some of the most progressive human rights. This is something that we should all be rightly proud of, but more than that, it is something which we must hold our government accountable to. The rights contained in the constitution are mere paper rights unless we are able to turn it into a living document. This is the challenge that we all face in South Africa, and it is one that the Independent Democrats are committed to.
The Pace of Land Reform in South Africa by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. It goes without saying that land is an extremely emotive issue in South Africa. As a party that is committed to bridging the divides in our country, the Independent Democrats maintain that addressing the inherited land inequalities in South Africa is crucial towards creating a stable and prosperous nation.
Members Statement on Protests over Lack of Classrooms
2006-01-05. Yesterday the Western Cape Provincial Education Department was greeted by the sight of hundreds of protesting primary school pupils who were demanding the classrooms that had been promised to them. The Independent Democrats is appalled that primary school students have to resort to protesting in order to get the government to deliver on what is their constitutional right. What is even worse is that a commitment to deliver these classrooms was given last year and that these promises were simply broken. If we are prepared to break our promises to children over something as important as education then our society is in a very sorry state.
Members Statement on Inequality in South Africa by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. The Independent Democrats wholeheartedly supports the concept of a developmental state. It is clear that the challenges facing our society requires a strong state acting in unison with other sectors of our society to address poverty and inequality. The term developmental state has, however, been bandied around without ever adequately been defined and we want a national debate to take place in order to reach consensus on this issue and for all actors to be aware of their responsibilities and actions in this regard.
Migration and Development
2006-01-05. Honourable Speaker it is often stated that we live in a global village. One of the characteristics of this global village is that people move around it exploring different opportunities to enhance their quality of life. In many ways this movement of people enriches our village, by exposing all of us to different cultures and perspectives on life.
Speech on the Pan-African Parliament by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. The Independent Democrats finds it very heartening that the first meeting of the Pan African Parliament in South Africa was characterized by strong positions and resolutions being taken on a variety of issues. In particular, ID welcomes the strong stance that was taken on peace and security issues and the resolution that a delegation be sent to the Darfur region to assess the human rights tragedy occurring there. We would motivate that this delegation be sent as soon as possible and that its recommendations are acted upon. The strong sentiments that were expressed at the Pan-African Parliament regarding the human rights tragedy are sentiments that are not only shared by the Independent Democrats but by many African people.
Members Statement on the PBMR by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. The Independent Democrats have been outspoken in their criticism in the way in which the whole issue of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor has been dealt with. This potentially dangerous and enormously expensive project has not been subjected to thorough public or parliamentary scrutiny. Attempts to receive documentation relating to the financial viability of this project have been fruitless and civil society activists have had to resort to legal means to obtain the documentation. Just last week we saw the spectacle of another gagging of the media, this time by the PBMR company who mistakenly gave the wrong documents to Earthlife Africa. This is a company that we are trusting with nuclear energy and billions of rands yet they are not able to ascertain whether they are giving it the right documents or not.
Sport and Recreation Budget Vote
2006-01-05. Madam Chair, sport plays an integral part in the lives of South Africans and our nation. At its best, it is an extremely powerful unifying force bringing together diverse cultures and people, bridging the divides in a common celebration of success and jubilation. At its worst, however, it can be used as a political tool to undermine many of the successes achieved in other arenas.
Create Youth Employment and Fight Poverty by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. The title of the speech today sounds like a call to action. The ID has taken up this call and in May of this year we launched the Y-iD intitiative where we have given the youth a platform to fight for the issues affecting them. The new struggle in South Africa is to give our youth hope and opportunities for the future. My interactions with young South Africans have convinced me that it is them that are truly transforming our country. I have seen unbelievable talent in all different spheres and I have witnessed children overcoming the most horrendous situations to become leaders in our society. Of particular note is the My Life project, where former homeless children are now living productive lives and creating waves in the music scene. It is up to us as government, however, to create the structures and support systems to allow the creativity and the new ideas of the youth to flourish.
The Contribution of Women in shaping South Africa’s History by Patricia de Lille
2006-01-05. Ladies and Gentlemen it is a great honour to be addressing you today on the history of women in South Africa. The very title of the speech highlights, however, the way in which women’s role in shaping our past and our future has been marginalized. The term history foregrounds the fact that it is “his” story rather than our story. Women’s role in shaping world events and struggles for equality and justice are often marginalized and we have to address this if we are to bring balance to our stories.
Women of the World Celebrating a Decade of Progress by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. It is my firm belief that liberating women from an oppressive system also liberates men. All of us need to understand that any system that prevents a person from achieving their full potential holds the whole of society back.
Independent Democrats Submission to the National Land Summit by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. It is truly is an honour for the Independent Democrats to be addressing the Land Summit today. ID believes that this Summit is long overdue and that we will hopefully be able to find workable solutions to what are some very difficult challenges in this field.
Social Development Budget Vote Speech by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. Honourable Speaker, this government has committed itself to substantially reducing poverty and inequality in South Africa. The responsibility for this undertaking obviously falls hugely on the Department of Social Development. It is this department that has to given credence to the Freedom Charters dictum that “the aged, the orphans, the disabled and the sick shall be cared for by the state.” The government can certainly be commended for the efforts it has made in the last ten years in terms of extending and equalizing social security amongst the most needy South Africans. Despite this, however, poverty is still a persistent problem in South Africa and according to some measures may have even become worse over the last ten years. It is not our role though, to quarrel over poverty statistics, but simply to recommit ourselves to do even more in tackling the devastating poverty that confronts our country.
Minerals and Energy Budget Vote Speech by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. Honourable Minister it is clear that our world is changing rapidly around us. Our planet is heating up due to our continued emissions of greenhouse gases, having enormous impacts on all of our natural resources. This environmental reality is also bringing about an energy revolution. The fossil fuel age of the past 200 years is being seriously challenged as the world takes its first tentative steps towards a renewable energy revolution. There are certainly many forces and vested interests intent on holding back this revolution, using arguments such as renewable energy is unreliable, too costly or simply an environmentalist’s fantasy.
Speech Delivered on the Public Protector’s Report regarding Petro SA by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. The Independent Democrats objected to the adoption of this report for a number of reasons. Although we do not question the integrity of the Public Protector we do question his defining of his mandate not to investigate what happened to the money after it was given to Imvume. We also were not satisfied that the consultative processes were wide enough in that the Mail & Guardian was not called to give evidence even though it is quoted widely in the report.
Budget Vote on Land and Agriculture by Lance Greyling
2006-01-05. Honourable Minister, the Independent Democrats is extremely encouraged that more money has been allocated to these departments in this year’s budget. ID has constantly being calling for Agriculture and Land Affairs to be given greater priority and more money to fulfill its important mandate. The Agricultural Sector faces numerous national and international challenges and government has to do more to assist our farmers, both large and small scale. ID supports the government in its efforts to negotiate a fairer agricultural trade regime at the WTO, as agricultural subsidies of developed countries are proving the greatest hindrance to many developing countries growth. It is becoming more evident that South Africa’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change is acute and we have to implement both adaptation and mitigation measures.
