"I will recall with fulfilment that the representatives of the aspirations of our people did not only repeal laws that were inconsistent with our Constitution, but passed laws which not only freed our people from the shackles of apartheid, but also restored the dignity of the downtrodden and empowered the vulnerable"

"It is against this background that I commend clause 6 of the Bill before the House, which substitutes section 33 of the Act, to provide for the commission to allow a person to apply for and cast a special vote prior to the election day*"

"The universality of the franchise is important not only for nationhood and democracy. The vote of each and every citizen is a badge of dignity and of personhood"

"Through the Electoral Amendment Bill, we are sending a clear message to our people that we shall spare no effort in our endeavour to protect their rights to dignity and equality, as entrenched in sections 10 and 19 of the Constitution"

"The committee notes that this relates to one of the clauses that the President put on hold for three months. We look forward to the engagement on this but continue to call for the full implementation of the Bill."

"The committee calls on parents, communities, organisations, and schools to increase programmes and engagements on life skills to stem such behaviour. Raising well-rounded children is the responsibility of all of us."

"Considering the painful history of racism and discrimination in South Africa, our country has taken a zero-tolerance to such behaviour and utterances. We need urgent action on the matter."

"This learner was born in a free and democratic South Africa, so this is unexpected. It is shocking. It is disappointing. It is hurtful that he can spew such remarks. This needs the attention of authorities at the highest level. It cannot be tolerated.""

"‘I can’t make a comment. They must have been relevant or they would never have been written.They did not contribute towards peace, which is why she posed the question."

"I don’t want to comment on something that I haven’t done research on. I wouldn’t want to be influenced by any scholar"

"women are innovators and creators of wealth. There is nowhere in the world that does not have the hand of a woman involved; this goes right up to the fact that all of us are born of a woman."

"On the 29th of May, the ANC will win overwhelmingly, and this is a promise we are making. It does not matter who [Zuma] did it or whether his move [MK Party] scared us and confused us."

"very worried” about the xenophobic attacks and, to rectify the situation, President Cyril Ramaphosa had apologised to Zimbabweans during former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe's funeral"

"We can’t blame the problems of South African society on the ANC. Criminality has been in SA for more than three centuries, especially after the colonialists came and brought crime from Europe to Africa, so you can't say the ANC brought criminality"

"Part of the challenge we have is that part of that is actually government property, which was for ensuring that there are health facilities nearby for the president to be able to be looked after"

"We are in a moment where we are reflecting soberly. This is something touched upon on the road, get out of caucus room because South Africa is much bigger than the caucus room"

"When I took a decision at the point at which the Constitutional Court had said it is up to Parliament to decide whether the method of voting on a particular time, in a particular motion against the president whether it should be private or it should be open. And I said it should be open. People were surprised because I was supposedly this stooge of Jacob Zuma"

"It was on the basis of the house rules that I was implementing decisions. I have no regrets"

"I did not protect Zuma] because he was a person I worked with in my political party or that he was perhaps an ANC person"

"Why have I not engaged with him? We are not friends; we were comrades who worked together at a particular time"

"None of that mischief can ever be attributed to the ANC as learning that takes place within the ANC would never produce such ill-discipline. At committee level, work gets achieved as all political parties participate robustly."

"Though I am new to that regional office, what I have already gotten involved in is mediating and being the bridge between the youth and traditional leaders in the region as this has been a consistently thorny issue where politics intersect with traditional authority."

"I engage rural women on their struggles as women because during my tenure as chairperson of the Multi-Party Women’s Caucus, I and the leadership of the ANC in the Eastern Cape managed to address the challenge of "ukuthwala” (forced marriage of young girls) where at one point we managed to return young girls who had been taken from Flagstaff."

"On our side, assisting farmers with inputs so that on a small-scale level they can produce for their household is one of the bedrocks that support food security."

"Sometimes support to farmers is not only financial but also about enabling them through the information that will position them better in accessing markets, and what they need to do in terms of the compliance issues that they have to address."

"The grants that social development gives for social relief, as well as the normal grants given to the elderly and the children and disabled are interventions as part of the social security net so that people do not go hungry."

"Food security is achieved through the capacity to produce and, at the same time, it’s the purchasing power to be able to acquire that food."

"Challenges I faced, on one hand, have been to try and continue with the work that has been done in the past, to resolve some of those where some of the projects were not complete, and complete them. Even though some of them are still outstanding because of the complexities that are there."

"Another challenge is how to position agriculture to adapt quickly in addressing issues of climate change. It is not just about El Niño or La Niña when there are rains or floods. It’s also about new pests and diseases that are emerging and that is a challenge we are working on."

"I had to make sure that the cabinet approved farmer support policy so that it guides the entirety of the sector and provinces."

"What ought to happen at the primary schools is that those teachers must give the foundation in reading, but usually that doesn't happen,""

"And the reason for this is for us to appreciate that even though we are far apart, we are one people and there’s a lot that we can achieve as one people."

"One of the things we did was to look at the subjects in which learners performed badly. We prioritised them and gave specific training and support to educators to make sure we would see an improvement"

"The primary schools can also get exposure to science, because the money is there. Why not use it"

"When I go to schools now I don't make appointments, and I don't start at the principal's office. I go to the classrooms to see for myself first before word goes around that the MEC is visiting"

"Education is the foundation for this country to move forward. Without education everyone is going to suffer, so I have no alternative, I have got to do this.""

"I am not corrupt. There are challenges in Koster and yes we could have done better with some services like electricity but I have served my people honestly."

"One of the vehicles torched at the guest house belonged to a guest. Two of the five cars burnt at home belong to me. One is borrowed, another belongs to security and one to a municipal official"

"The burnt guest house belongs to me and the other guest house and the rooms for rental are also mine"

"There is nothing concrete about the protests and service delivery is not an issue in Koster,’’ she said. “I openly accept what happened because I know that they are just personal attacks and nothing more"

"Let us build solidarity across borders, industries and movements. The future is in our hands. We dare not stop until justice, equality and sustainability prevail."

"Energy democracy and ownership We must ensure that the shift to renewable energy does not simply transfer powerfrom one set of elites to another."

"Social protection and support for affected workers and communities Workers in at risk industries must be supported, including through reskilling opportunities, economic support, and access to new jobs."

"Decent work for all workers As we move towards green economies, we must ensure new jobs are good jobs,that offer dignity, fair wages, and security for workers and their families.."

"The Global South must stand united in our fight for a fair and just climate response. We cannot allow the powerful nations who have historically benefited from the very industries that have caused this crisis, to dictate the terms of our transition."

"Gender equality and women’s empowerment remain central tenets for development in the country, the continent and across the world. However, the nagging claws of gender inequality in the continent continue to impede women from contributing to the development agenda and lending their voice as they are precluded from many development-oriented conversations."

"the equal representation of women and men enhances democratisation of governance in both transitional and consolidated democracies."

"women’s experiences are different from men’s and need to be represented in discussions that result in policy making and implementation. These different experiences mean that women ‘do politics’ differently from men."

"the interests of men and women are different and even conflicting and therefore women are needed in representative institutions to articulate the interests of women"