EFF's Honarable Mhlongo debating budget vote on International Relation

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:02]I thank you, House Chairperson. Uh the Economic Freedom Fighters reject budget vote six of of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. We do so because we are convinced that we have lost direction in terms of delineating what our foreign policy priorities are and how we should pursue those. Just yesterday, the continent celebrated 63 years of the formation of the Organization of African Unity, whose primary purpose was to free the continent from the tentacles of colonial repression and exploitation. Today, we are reminded that Africa's strength has always been found in unity, culture, innovation, and hope for a better future from the richness of our earth in terms of minerals and raw materials. We honor the unbreakable spirit of the continent that refused to die. From the scars of slavery and colonialism, we rose.

[00:00:48]Through the fires of liberation struggles, we stood tall. The founding fathers of the OAU and its recent iteration, the African Union, prioritize the economic and social unification of Africa because they correctly realized that we can never develop in silos where we were condemned by the European colonialism. But to demonstrate the lack of seriousness to African unity, the government led by Mr. Ramaphosa deployed a well-known xenophobe, Gayton McKenzie, to speak on behalf of our government on such an historic and important day.

[00:01:17]There's no self-respecting Africanist who can stomach the bile that Gayton vomits each time he speaks about our continent. We salute the African ambassadors for rejecting the disrespect from the GNU government to spit on the faces of our forefathers on the vision about the unity of Africa by rejecting to be addressed by that non-entity called Gayton. Chairperson, the budget allocated to this department is simply not sufficient. The almost 2% increase will not be impactful for the central role the department should be playing in forging African unity and cementing our place as a force in the global affairs.

[00:01:49]The department has a vacancy rate of 26.3%, severely crippling its capacity to lead South Africa's charge at the global stage. There's no plan to address this almost treasonous neglect of the department in this budget. A country faced with high levels of unemployment, and we have a department that has no plans to fill all vacant posts in this budget. Every year, the department acknowledges that spending is mainly affected by exchange rate fluctuation uh that are caused by main currencies as well as local currencies, and 60% of the department's budget is spent abroad.

[00:02:21]Yet, to this day, they failed to convince National Treasury to ensure that the appropriation uh allocated to the department addresses this exchange rate volatility. Chairperson, at each and every committee meeting we've had with our missions abroad, there's been a consistent outcry about the ICT challenges these missions have. And yet again, no funding has been allocated for ICT modernization for foreign missions for this financial year. It is quite telling that 174 million allocated for properties will only cover three major projects, which is in Denmark, the London residential accommodation, and the London Chancery in Pretoria system.

[00:02:56]Yet, our infrastructure here in Southern Africa is still dilapidated. Our property in Zimbabwe is like a glorified shack, and in Zambia, we are not even owning our residential or chancellery.

[00:03:07]And in Mozambique, we have failed to ensure that the property is transferred to the South African government since the dawn of democracy, Minister. This department cannot do these simple things like that because the Minister himself is not serious. He has completely neglected his duties to account to the committee and always sends his deputies to stand for him. He goes even a full quarter without appearing even once in the committee. We have called the We have called for the African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund to be expanded to send aid to Cuba, our friends who stood firmly by our side as South Africa during apartheid, and for South Africa to continue the fight at the ICJ on the case against the United State of Israel for the genocide they continue to perpetuate in Palestine. In 2025-2026 financial year, where we saw a slight increase on the budget due to us hosting G20 meetings and Summit. It's 6 months later, Minister. What are the practical achievements and benefits that came with hosting the Summit? What are the trade agreements that were signed that have now attracted investment and job opportunities for our people? We need a return on investment and we warned in the committee that you know, the target you set for the department is just a tick box exercise with no practical measurable outcomes. In the face of imperialism being emboldened by the Trump administration, we need to continue to raise our voice of solidarity with the people of Venezuela and call out the barbaric behavior of abducting President Maduro and his wife Cilia Maduro as a stand by the US to force regime change and seek to put in a puppet government that will see that will sell the soul and oil of Venezuela.

[00:04:37]We must once again salute the brave Iranian Revolutionary Guard for their unwavering commitment to never bow down to imperialism, even when the US killed their supreme leader to seek regime change to impress the blood test hounds of Israel. Against all odds, the brave soldiers of Iran have secured the Strait of Hormuz despite Trump's meltdowns. We continue to fund observer missions for election purposes in SADC and yet we have a government that fails to call out election shenanigans of former liberation movements who want to hold on to power by hook or crook. We should change the way we do things. We can't continue to have diplomacy that does not primarily focus on economic diplomas.

[00:05:12]There's no justification >> Honorable members, order.

[00:05:15]Order. Order. Order. Order. Order.

[00:05:15]Order. Order.

[00:05:17]What is our 22nd No. You must listen to me. What What do you mean when you say what is it? Well, I Take a seat. There's a hand.

[00:05:29]Honorable Matlala? Thank you very much, House Chair. On a point of order, Chair.

[00:05:34]Yes. That the honorable member on the podium cannot refer to the Minister as a nonentity.

[00:05:40]She must withdraw She must withdraw that. Even if she has passed that, she must withdraw that, Chair.

[00:05:47]Okay, we will um I don't Honorable member, did you say the minister is a nonentity?

[00:06:00]Thank you, House Chair. I said the minister is a xenophobe.

[00:06:05]That is what he is, and a nonentity at the global stage. That's one is the fact. He's a nonentity. He tried to go there Morocco to watch the final of CAF.

[00:06:16]No one even bothered to greet him because he's a nonentity.

[00:06:19]>> Honorable Mkhize, I'm sorry. I respect Honorable Mkhize.

[00:06:24]Even that it is unparliamentary to call a minister a xenophobe.

[00:06:30]Can you please withdraw that? He is a xenophobe. He's saying it on every platform >> Honorable Mkhize.

[00:06:37]Honorable Mkhize, I'm asking you to withdraw that.

[00:06:40]Can I finish my speech and then when I am >> Honorable Mkhize, I am directing you to withdraw that.

[00:06:49]To withdraw what? That is a xenophobe.

[00:06:51]Yes.

[00:06:52]What he Honorable Mkhize.

[00:06:56]Honorable Mkhize.

[00:06:58]Honorable Mkhize.

[00:07:01]I'm asking you to withdraw that.

[00:07:04]Uh House Chairperson, I withdraw.

[00:07:08]No, on a point of order, Chair.

[00:07:10]Honorable Mkhize.

[00:07:13]On a point of order, Chair.

[00:07:15]Honorable Mkhize.

[00:07:18]Honorable Mkhize.

[00:07:20]Honorable Mkhize, you know the rules of the house.

[00:07:24]You can't cast aspersions on a minister or a member of this house without bringing substantive proof, and you know the processes. So, we can't go we can't go No, Honorable Mkhize.

[00:07:39]We can't continue on that, and we all know the rules of of the house and we must abide by them.

[00:07:48]Please continue.

[00:07:51]House Chairperson Now, we should >> Honorable member point of order, chair.

[00:08:01]Honorable member Uh chair, thank you.

[00:08:07]Uh your table staff must please monitor our hands. I've been having my hand up on the platform.

[00:08:13]Uh prof uh chair, house chairperson, firstly you must also acquaint yourself with the rules. There is no rule that says a person must be called to order for as a point that has long passed.

[00:08:30]Rule 92 is clear. You raise a point of order when the incident is taking place.

[00:08:36]You don't wait and then you raise it later and should not entertain that.

[00:08:41]Secondly Gaieten McKenzie, every day when he takes a platform, he says Africans mabambe.

[00:08:49]Honorable member >> mabambe. So, that is not >> Honorable member He is xenophobic.

[00:08:53]>> Honorable member Honorable member We don't address each other with names. It's either you say mister or honorable member.

[00:09:04]You can't just say Gaieten McKenzie.

[00:09:08]We don't address >> Mr. McKenzie Mr. Gaieten McKenzie, Mr. Gaieten McKenzie, every time he he takes a platform, he calls that Africans must leave South Africa. Is that not xenophobic?

[00:09:22]>> Honorable member I'm listening, chair.

[00:09:28]Yes, you are out of order. We have passed on that. And as we are saying to you now >> we have not passed. We are on it. You can't ask my member to withdraw that when Gaieten McKenzie xenophobia. I have I have asked the member to withdraw and she did withdraw and we are continuing. My rule is final and we are done with that. The member is now on the podium and finishing the remaining seconds of her speech. So we have passed that and I've ruled on that and we are not going to go back to that. And for you >> My point exactly, chair. You shouldn't have entertained that point of order.

[00:10:09]IT, can you please switch off the mic of honorable Mente? We want to continue with the proceeding of the budget.

[00:10:16]Honorable Mhlongo, please proceed.

[00:10:18]>> House chairperson, wait. Don't move my time. I've got a problem. When you stop me here, my time has left with 40 seconds. As I'm sitting down, I see it going down. 45, 44. And now they put it at 45. Why?

[00:10:31]Call your table staff to order. Put my my my my 1 second. I want it.

[00:10:35]Start there. Please, ask them. There they are. Ask them.

[00:10:39]>> Honorable Mhlongo I can't be disrespected in that manner.

[00:10:42]Honorable Mhlongo, please take your seat. Honorable member Chair, I think you are missing something here.

[00:10:49]Honorable Mente, she raised a point of order and the order was on you to say you allowed the member there to entertain a point that the speaker on the podium has passed on it.

[00:11:02]And now you have allowed her and you even took a decision based on that issue and the matter that honorable Mente Mente is raising is to say why did you allow that? Can you please rule on that one to say and agree that you were wrong in the first place to allow her to speak on the point that the speaker on the podium is actually already Honorable member, honorable member, as much as you are saying, you see the speaker on the podium has not moved.

[00:11:28]She is still here.

[00:11:30]Each and every member here has a right to raise a point of order according to the speech.

[00:11:36]So, the fact that it has moved 2 seconds after or 10 seconds after is is not not there or whether they've moved or not.

[00:11:45]But, if a member is raising that point, they have a right to do so. And I gave an opportunity to honorable Mkhlongo to confirm if she did. And she confirmed something else. And that is when I said, "Can you please withdraw it?" I had not even entertained that part of uh the point of order that was raised by honorable Matop. So, in fact, you are out of order yourself and you are wrong by saying such cuz I had I I said, "Honorable Mkhlongo must withdraw on what she said here on the podium." Now, it's not because of the point that was raised by honorable Matop.

[00:12:26]So, no, don't engage. I'm not asking you to engage. I want to give honorable Mkhlongo an opportunity to continue with the speech. But, honorable Mkhlongo, you are saying your time was eaten there.

[00:12:38]How much time did you have? Because I saw that it was 40 I am not sure whether it was 40 It's fine. I'll even give you give honorable Mkhlongo the 7 seconds so that she continues.

[00:12:57]Yeah, that the table staff is out of order. You must call them to order. Now, we should change the way we do things.

[00:13:03]We can't continue to have diplomats that are not primarily focused on economic diplomats. There's no justification as to why DTIC fails to ensure that we have trade attaches in our missions to ensure economic diplomats is prioritized. The progressive forces of the world can rely on the unwavering solidarity of EFF as well the only organization here in South Africa that does not speak with a fork tongue when it comes to our internationalist outlook. We reject with this budget with the contempt it deserves as it will not address the needs of the department and will not be able to better position South Africa in the global stage. Once again, we salute the African ambassadors for having rejected that invite of Africa Day celebration of South African government by refusing to be addressed by that nonentity Xenophobic gating Mckenzie. We salute you. We see you. You are brave African ambassadors. Never cower. Never allow yourself to be addressed by a nonentity Xenophobic gating Mckenzie.