Speech by Gauteng Mec for Finance, Barbara Creecy, on the Occasion of the 2016/17 Budget Presentation, Gauteng Provincial Legislature, 8 March 2016
SPEECH BY GAUTENG MEC FOR FINANCE, BARBARA CREECY, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2016/17 BUDGET PRESENTATION, GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEGISLATURE, 8 MARCH 2016 Madam Speaker and Deputy Speaker Premier David Makhura and fellow members of the Executive Council Chief Whip Member Brian Hlongwa Leaders of Political Parties Members of the Provincial Legislature MMCs of Finance Councillors Distinguished guests Comrades and Friends I am honoured to present to this esteemed House, the second budget of our Administration, under the leadership of Premier David Makhura. I want to start by wishing all women in this House and in our Province a very Happy International Women’s Day. Today is especially significant for South African women as it falls in the year of our 60th Anniversary of the Woman’s March to the Union Buildings. It is a day on which we can pause to pay tribute to great South African women: Charlotte Maxeke, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Albertina Sisulu, Sophie de Bruyn, Amina Cachalia, Bertha Gxowa, and Francis Baard. 1 These women set a powerful example of personal courage and fortitude in the face of adversity; they led with humility and selfness; they were unwavering in their principled commitment to non racialism, democracy and equality of all South Africans. We salute them! Their greatest victory was achieved 20 years ago, with the signing into law, of our Democratic Constitution. The Bill of Rights explicitly enshrines equality of all our citizens; requires the state to actively promote equality ,and outlaws discrimination by the state or individuals directly or indirectly against anyone on the basis of race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.
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