Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces;
Members of National Council of Provinces;
Fellow South Africans;
We have come together here today to debate a very important issue. For many of our citizens, the people we serve, what we are debating here today is literally a matter of life and death.
Chairperson, a fundamental duty of the state is that of protecting its citizens from all kinds of harm. Ironically, this even includes protecting them from harms they inflict on themselves. In a democracy, the noble social contract between the state and the citizens is one in which all parties have obligations, roles and responsibilities.
In the case of the state one of the key roles and responsibilities is that of protecting its citizens from harm. In specific terms Chairperson, the state has to ensure that the relevant state institutions, such as the police, law enforcement and broader criminal justice system are geared to perform this role and perform this role effectively.