via South Africans are lazy: Minister – Southern Eye
KIMBERLEY – A South African minister has slammed his compatriots for being a “lazy nation” that was too dependent on handouts.
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs minister Obed Bapela Bapela said this during a visit to traditional leaders and Khoisan representatives in the city.
He used the opportunity to condemn reported xenophobic attacks as “shameful acts perpetrated against fellow human beings”.
“Jobs that are shunned by South Africans, such as mining, farming and jobs in the hospitality industry are being given to foreign nationals, who are prepared to work hard,” he said.
“South Africans do not want to get their hands dirty and rely on the government to provide them with free houses and free schooling.”
He pointed out that while illegal immigrants would be deported, talks were taking place with traditional leaders to unite cultures and promote social cohesion.
Bapela said the Traditional Khoisan Affairs Amendment Act would allow the Khoisan language to be recognised as an official language.
“The amendment Act will be referred back to Cabinet and Parliament for consideration,” he said.
“We are hoping that the process will be finalised by August. This programme has not been costed yet because it would require financial support.
“Traditional leaders are not been given access to enough resources and support to preserve cultural identities, languages and encourage moral regeneration.”
He highlighted the need to preserve indigenous languages that were disappearing, including Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu and Ndebele.
Bapela added that provision would be made for indigenous communities to claim land where a verification process would ensure that the rightful beneficiaries were identified up until December 2019. – IOL
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