We stand here today, and what we see all around us is a testament to what is wrong with the government of the ANC.
   

   
The fact that millions of South Africans are without adequate housing is a crisis and a national shame, and to compound that the government has not provided basic services like water, electricity and sanitation, in the interim.
   

   
If we are to give millions of South Africans dignity, we need to ensure that the most vulnerable among us, are provided for by the state.
   

   
We can understand that in government, sometimes, the delivery of services takes longer than expected. But what we cannot ever accept is when municipalities hire under-skilled cadres to provide services they have no technical knowledge of; resulting in you being without housing and basic services for 20 years.
   

   
We cannot ever accept that millions of our people are without even a decent roof over their heads, yet government would spend R246 million to build a house for one man, at Nkana.
   

   
What makes matters worse, is that there are people who want to defend the fact that President Jacob Zuma is the beneficiary of corrupt activities, which resulted in the construction of a palace, when millions of South Africans do not even have four walls to call home.
   

   
As we stand here, your rights are being violated, the most basic of your rights which are found in the Bill of Rights, the cornerstone of our Constitution, by the ANC government of Jacob Zuma.
   

   
Worse still, after failing to provide adequate houses, after failing to provide services; no water, no electricity, no sanitation, the ANC then tries to illegally evict you. They send in red ants and throw you from your structures and homes.
   

   
In Parliament, the Democratic Alliance doesn’t fight for the Constitution just so President Zuma pays for his Nkandla residence; we fight for the Constitution at every level, because if we don’t defend the Constitution, those without the means, will further suffer.
   

   
The Bill of Rights states that “Everyone has the right to adequate housing”, furthermore it says that the State must make the necessary arrangements to provide for citizens who cannot provide adequate housing for themselves.
   

   
These are Constitutional provides. These are basic rights, which need to be provided for, or the government is failing you.
   

   
Your struggle is indeed my struggle. Your fight is my fight, and it is a fight that I take to Parliament, and one that I will work with all my energy to oppose the ANC failures.

 

Issued by DA