Having sat on the other side of the House, the DA understands the vital role opposition plays as part of the democratic process. Democracy works best when opposition is robust, dedicated, honest, willing to praise when praise is due and give constructive criticism when needed.
Democracy also works best when the opposition is dedicated to building a better province and is strongly committed to South Africa’s wonderful constitution – which forms the basis of all we do – and which is the guiding light of the government of national unity (GNU).
KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) Premier has outlined the way forward for this unity government, of which the DA is a proud member, to build a better KZN for all who live here. This is indeed a brave new KZN as we forge our way forward, four different parties united in our dedication to the constitution of South Africa. Yet, never before has the difference been so stark between those who want to build on the foundation laid by our constitution on one side – and those who stand opposed.
During the 6th administration, KZN went through the worst of times. Floods. Storms. Covid-19. And the forces of chaos, the forces against progress, the forces that want to protect lawbreakers from justice, who threw our province into turmoil during the July 2021 riots. But as the Premier has pointed out, KZN is rising once more. And the people of our province have spoken. They want us to look past our differences as politicians, to join hands and build together. The DA has heard the call of the people, and we have answered.
I am therefore proud to stand before you, a member of the most diverse party represented in this House. A party truly representative of the various racial groups, languages, religions and sexualities in KZN. Because the DA, and the Government of Unity (GNU), believes in our diversity in this province. The DA believes, as our Coat of Arms state, that our Strength lies in our Diversity. It shows the true nature of KZN, that I can stand before you, a member of the DA, a white, Afrikaans speaking man, a member of the LGBTIQ+ community, a MEC, who is part of the project to build KZN better. Because there are those in our province who do not believe in our diversity, who would rather see our province burn and who would prefer that we had not found each other and committed to rebuilding.
The DA therefore applauds Premier Ntuli committing to a project of Social Cohesion to bring KZN’s people together. Yesterday, he correctly pointed out that our history is a blanket made up of many threads. It includes the proud history of the Khoi San and of King Shaka, who built the Zulu Kingdom which is known a revered across the globe. It includes the history of the Voortrekkers who crossed the Drakensberg in their wagons, to escape British rule. It includes the war between the Voortrekkers and the Zulu Kingdom, the arrival of the British empire, the wars between empire and Kingdom, battles between Boer and Brit, the Union of South Africa, the crime against humanity called Apartheid and ultimately our new South Africa and the proud province of KZN. This history does not divide us, it unites us, it is our shared story.
From our history of violence, a peaceful province is arising. The Premier referred to former President Mandela and former Minister Buthelezi crossing the proverbial Jordan river to end political violence. And once again, the people of KZN are calling on us to find each other in peace. Just as we had so much hope in 1994 for a new, united, prosperous South Africa, the people of KZN and our country, have renewed hope that a unified government will bring change to KZN. And the DA, a party that proudly stood against Apartheid and which, since 1994, has played an important opposition role, now stands in government ready to deliver on its promises to the electorate.
We call on the Premier to build a new province and to bring justice where there is none and to bring order where there is lawlessness. We call on him to act strongly and swiftly against those who want to throw our province into chaos and violence. Those who break the law, those who instigated or instigate violence, those who want to disrupt the work of this government through illegal means, must face the might of the law. While we answer the call to peace, we must be firm against those who want to bring chaos.
The DA welcomes the Premiers call for a provincial dialogue in what we call a Whole of Society Approach. One where communities, civic society, religious groups, cultural groups, NPO’s and everyone committed to building a better KZN can come together and find each other in our diversity and through open dialogue, bring a better understanding of each other.
But government must also play its role and the DA is pleased to have heard its mantra of building a capable, ethical and developmental state. This cannot just be a slogan, it must be a case of the carrot and the stick, where officials and politicians are encouraged to build a better state while also acting strongly against those who remain committed to corruption, low productivity, and a lack of service delivery. Without consequence management, our dream of a capable and ethical state will come to naught.
The DA has also heard the Premier’s call to expedite infrastructure development, and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure stands ready to Build KZN Better. We are, however, concerned that the Premier did not elaborate more on government’s answer to the climate change crisis that has hit our province hard. While there are those who still deny the effects of climate change, those living in KZN can no longer do so.
More must be done to make our government green. This includes the introduction of environmentally friendly technology including lights that switch off automatically in government buildings when no one is there. It includes using more renewable energy and it includes proper education for citizens on the need to protect our environment which must include eliminating the scourge of littering and dumping. If this government is serious about improving tourism in KZN, we must also create a culture of a clean, healthy province for all.
This must start with an acknowledgment of the challenges we face and we therefore call on the Premier to prioritise developing and using climate resilient building methods when building and rebuilding infrastructure. KZN’s disaster response is also in dire need of improvement and investment needs to be made in these centres and systems. Government must meet this massive threat head-on by ensuring that the executive’s climate change grouping is active and pro-active. The DA would go so far as to suggest that the Legislature consider creating an ad hoc committee on climate change resilience, to enhance government’s response to this crisis.
A great Afrikaner, Dr. Beyers Naude, once said, “you can never be fully human, unless you find the humanity in others”. Let us find each other and let our provinces calls for unity be heard. The DA stands ready to have its voice in this government heard, to be peacemakers, to be builders. We are ready to roll up our sleeves and work. Let’s build KZN better.