Hansard: NCOP: Appropriation Bill: Vote No 32-Rural Development and Land Reform
House: National Council of Provinces
Date of Meeting: 24 May 2010
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
TUESDAY, 25 MAY 2010
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
________
The Council met at 14:00.
The Deputy Chairperson took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP
Start of Day
NOTICES OF MOTION AND MOTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
(Announcement)
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon members, I've been informed that the Whippery has agreed that there will be no notices of motion or motions without notice today.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela)
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela)
POINTS OF ORDER RAISED BY THE CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL AND MR TD HARRIS ON 18 MAY 2010
(Ruling)
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Before I proceed, I would like to respond to the objections by hon Ntwanambi and hon Harris on Tuesday, 18 May 2010. I wish to begin by reminding members of the input by the hon Chairperson of the NCOP in the debate on Tuesday, 11 May 2010. He urged members to familiarise themselves with the Rules of the NCOP and to refer the presiding officer to the Rule in terms of which a point of order was raised.
Hon members, may I ask that you all be attentive, so that we don't repeat the same mistakes again? I looked at the unrevised Hansard for the debate on 18 May. Hon Ntwanambi raised, as a point of order, that the hon Worth was out of order because in referring to the issue of Umsobomvu or the youth agency, he was raising matters that were outside the parameters of the debate. I understood this to mean that the hon Ntwanambi wanted the presiding officer to call the hon Worth to order for raising issues that were irrelevant to the debate.
Hon Harris raised, as a point of order, that the hon Ntwanambi was contravening NCOP Rule 33 because she was not raising a point of order, but that she was only interrupting the hon Worth during his speech. NCOP Rule 36 provides that the presiding officer may order a member addressing the Chair to stop speaking if that member, despite warnings from the Chair, persists in irrelevant or repetitive arguments.
My interpretation of this Rule is that even though members have freedom of speech in the House and may raise political arguments and share their views, there are certain limitations. One such limitation is that the views put forward must be relevant to the debate before the House. The presiding officer should therefore ask whether reference by the hon Worth about the need for the monitoring of funds transferred to the National Youth Development Agency is relevant in the Budget Vote debate of the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities. I recall that at the establishment of this new Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, the area of the youth was specifically part of its mandate. However, subsequent to that, issues of the youth were transferred and are now located within the Ministry for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Administration in the Presidency.
My understanding is that the hon Ntwanambi was therefore not out of order when she raised a point of order regarding the relevance of the reference by hon Worth to the National Youth Development Agency or Umsobomvu. However, I am not of the view that the argument expressed by hon Worth was out of order because, in my opinion, the issue was not completely removed from the debate at hand, the most obvious connection being that matters concerning persons with disabilities could just as readily refer to matters concerning the youth.
In summary, the hon Ntwanambi did raise a point of order. However, my decision on that point of order is that the hon Worth was not raising a matter entirely irrelevant to the debate. Thank you.
The MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP
APPROPRIATION BILL(Policy debate)
Vote No 32-Rural Development and Land Reform:
The MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM: Deputy Chair, the speech we are going to present to this august House is much the same as the one that we presented to the National Assembly on the occasion of a similar debate. We have looked at the department in terms of its Programmes. We conducted an overview, and we looked at the current mandate that government is carrying on with, looking at outcomes on the basis of that mandate. We looked at the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, CRDP, and made a few comments with regard to how it is performing in terms of pilot programmes. We also looked at our ability rather in the department to carry out those programmes. Of course, we looked at a few elements of the CRDP, and then we looked at what it is that we would like to see moving forward in terms of the changes that we are proposing. That is a summary of what we are going to present briefly to the honourable House.
Deputy Chair, hon members, hon MECs, esteemed traditional leaders, representatives of organised agriculture, ladies and gentlemen, today my speech, as I have just said, is very similar to the one that we presented to the National Assembly on the occasion of a similar debate on 26 March. Since then, we have seen remarkable progress with the implementation of the CRDP, which gives meaning to our vision of vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities. At the opening of the National House of Traditional Leaders on 23 February 2010, the President underlined the important role that amaKhosi have to play in the planning and implementation of rural development. He implored us to work together for the improvement of the quality of life of our rural people and communities.
National sovereignty is defined in terms of land. That is why, even without it being enshrined in the Constitution of the country, land is a national asset. The resolution of the 52nd National Conference of the ANC in 2007 on agrarian change, land reform and rural development, confirmed the ANC's acute awareness and sensitivity to the centrality of land as a fundamental element in the resolution of the race, gender and class contradictions in South Africa. That is where the debate about agrarian change, land reform and rural development should, appropriately, begin. Without this fundamental assumption, talk of land reform and food security is superfluous. We must, and shall, fundamentally review the current land tenure system during this Medium-Term Strategic Framework, MTSF, period. We shall, through rigorous engagement with all South Africans, review the land tenure system so that we should emerge with a tenure system which will satisfy the aspirations of all South Africans, irrespective of race, gender and class.
It is therefore fitting and appropriate that the strategy of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform be agrarian transformation, interpreted to mean a rapid and fundamental change in the relations of land, livestock, cropping and community. The objective of the strategy is social cohesion and development. All anticolonial struggles are at the core about two things, repossession of lost land and restoring the centrality of indigenous culture to underscore all nation-building endeavours. These two are therefore integrally linked.
With regard to the review of the Programmes of the department for 2009-10 in particular, I have to acknowledge that the land reform programmes implemented to date have not been entirely sustainable, and they have not provided the anticipated socioeconomic benefits to all the recipients of the programmes. To date, approximately 6 million hectares of land have been transferred through restitution and redistribution, and much of this land is not productive and has not created any economic benefit for many of the new owners.
There has been an overemphasis on hectares at the expense of development and food security. This has contributed to declining productivity on farms, a decrease in employment in the agricultural sector and deepening poverty in the countryside. Coupled with this is a leak-out of redistributed land, which results from recipients failing to honour debts with the Land Bank and other commercial banks. The monetary implications to transfer the remaining 19 million hectares of land by 2014 has been calculated at approximately R72 billion, if we are to continue to pursue the willing buyer, willing seller model. It is clear that the current land reform environment is the result of institutional weaknesses in overall land management, policy and legislation. We have to strike a realistic and sensitive balance between the acquisition of land hectares on the one hand and land development for food security on the other.
The mandate of the department is derived from the five priorities of the ruling party and government's Medium-Term Strategic Framework priorities. The CRDP has set us on a new course for postcolonial reconstruction and development. This shall be achieved through co-ordinated and broad-based agrarian transformation, which focuses on the following: building communities through social facilitation and mobilization, as well as technical and institutional capacity building; strategic investment in old and new social, economic, ICT infrastructure and public amenities and facilities co-ordinated through the Rural Infrastructure Programme of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform; a new land reform programme implemented in the context of a reviewed land tenure system; the rendering of professional and technical services, as well as effective and sustainable resource management through the components of geospatial services, technology development and disaster management; and, finally, the effective provision of cadastral and deeds registry, as well as surveys and mapping services.
The department is committed to the achievement of outcome 7 of the 12 outcomes pursued by government over the MTSF period, that being vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities. The success of this department over the MTSF period will be measured through delivery on the following outputs: sustainable land reform, food security for all, rural development and sustainable livelihoods, and job creation linked to skills development.
In our efforts to make rural development a reality, we have developed the framework for comprehensive rural development. This has been shared with all national sector departments, as well as provinces through Minmec. The key thrust of the framework is an integrated programme of rural development, land reform and agrarian change.
In its quest to create vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities, the department is implementing the CRDP in several wards across the country. Since the launch of the first pilot site by the President of the Republic in Muyexe, Giyani, Limpopo province, the department has expanded the implementation of the CRDP and is currently working in 21 wards across the country. This work will be rolled out to 160 additional wards by 2014, as stated by the President. We have adopted all the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programmes across the country, that is the ISRDP nodes, and have incorporated the lessons learnt from them into the CRDP.
As from 1 April 2010, the war on poverty programme, which has prioritised 1 128 wards over the next MTSF period has been relocated from the Presidency to the department. During this period, we have also been working on building the institutional capacity of the department to deliver effectively on these mandates. A new organogram has already been approved by the Minister for the Public Service and Administration, as well as the National Treasury. The department is currently in the process of recruiting the required capacity. As promised during my maiden Budget Vote speech last year, the postsettlement support strategy has been strengthened and properly capacitated with a new chief directorate and a trading account unit at head office, as well as more than 100 employees across the country.
Realising that we cannot do this alone, partnerships have been developed with tertiary and research institutions, as well as the Department of Higher Education and Training. An overview of the Department's overall performance has been completed and has guided the development of certain short- and medium-term strategic and operational remedies.
Of importance is that in each area where the CRDP is being implemented, a new vibrancy has been created around working together, involving communities, the three spheres of government and the private sector. This has enabled us to mobilise resources from all sectors of government to ensure delivery. An inclusive CRDP stakeholder participation model has been developed with the council of stakeholders functioning as a planning, implementation and monitoring mechanism. Communities themselves have become central to their own development. We have, through the work undertaken at the CRDP sites and in conjunction with the national, provincial and local government, erected infrastructure such as housing, water, sanitation, agricultural inputs, community halls, multipurpose
centres, fencing, renovation of schools and clinics, and much more. Simultaneous with the implementation of these different projects, we have been piloting a job creation and skills development model. Professional support is ably provided by IDT, Independent Development Trust, in this regard.
One of our key responsibilities is the revitalisation of small
rural towns as they act as catalysts for job creation and skills training in the rural and peri-urban areas. This will be achieved by interfacing rural and peri-urban areas through infrastructure development, initiatives to meet basic human needs, enterprise development, agro-village industries and credit facilities. Key drivers in this regard will be water services, energy, sanitation, the communication system and human skills. The department will continue to play its part in the local government turnaround strategy by providing support to municipalities in the compilation of spatial development frameworks.
We are driven by the strategy of putting one job in every household. From the CRDP entry point of mobilising and organising rural people, we build unemployed people's skills, particularly the youth, and unleash them in their own communities to do decent work. The hon members who are close to sites in this regard would have probably seen this. We have entered into strategic partnerships with the Department of Higher Education and Training, FET colleges, HSRC and universities of technology in this regard. The HSRC is developing training modules for use in intensive preparations of young people to run their own enterprises so that they could create sustainable jobs in their own communities. We are focused on transforming them from being job seekers into becoming job creators to break the cycle of dependency on social grants.
The ANC's 52nd National Conference in 2007 resolved, among other things, that the government should establish an appropriate institution with the resources and authority to drive and co-ordinate an integrated programme of rural development, land reform and agrarian change. The policy and legislation for the envisaged
rural development agency is receiving increasing attention and shall be finalised by May 2012.
The challenges in our current service delivery model and fiscal
constraints have compelled us to review our approach relating to 1and redistribution. The following principles will underpin our new approach towards sustainable land reform: the deracialisation of the rural economy for shared and sustained growth; democratic and equitable land allocation and use across gender, race and class; and, finally, strict production discipline for guaranteed national food security.
With regard to the land tenure system, we have introduced new proposals. In the Green Paper on rural development and land reform, we propose that for South Africa to achieve equitable access to land and sustainable land use, the current land tenure system must be overhauled. In this regard, we propose a three-tier land tenure system, namely introducing leasehold tenure on state land, introducing freehold with limited extent for private land and foreign ownership should be under precarious tenure. The above system will be based on a categorisation model informed by land use needs at the level of household, small holder, medium-scale and large-scale commercial farming.
To address the institutional weaknesses in land management policy and legislation alluded to earlier, there is a need for a land management commission that will: be autonomous, but not independent of the Ministry; be accountable, transparent and professional; and have the powers to subpoena, inquire on own volition or at the instance of interested parties, verify and validate title deeds, demand declaration of landholdings and grant amnesty and cause individuals and entities to be prosecuted. The state shall have the first right of refusal on all land sales. This is fundamental for establishing and maintaining the integrity of our national heritage and asset, which is land.
To respond to the challenges of the collapsing land reform projects and defunct irrigation schemes in the former homelands in particular, we have introduced a new programme called recapitalisation and development. The objectives of this programme are to increase production, guarantee food security, graduate small farmers into commercial farmers, and create employment opportunities within the agricultural sector. The core principles of the programme are mentorship, comanagement, and share equity. To implement this programme, we have taken a decision to allocate 25% of our baseline land acquisition budget. This amounts to R900 million for the current financial year. The centrality of the public-private partnerships in the recapitalisation and development programme cannot be overemphasised. We are encouraged that organised agriculture has fully embraced this strategic intervention.
While we are in the process of developing legislation linked to the Green Paper, it is imperative that we find immediate mechanisms to respond to the plight of farmworkers and farm dwellers as it was enjoined by the President during the state of the nation address last year. We will introduce a Land Tenure Security Bill which will repeal the Extension of Security of Tenure Act, as well as the Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Act. This Bill will be informed by the following objectives: firstly, to protect relative rights of farmworkers, farm dwellers and landowners; secondly, to enhance the tenure rights of farm dwellers; and, thirdly, to ensure food security through sustained production discipline.
I am pleased to announce that over the past few months the department has been focusing on the development of a Green Paper on agrarian transformation, rural development and land reform, which will articulate and elaborate on some of the measures mentioned above. It will culminate into a new land policy framework and an omnibus legislation, which should be a consolidation of all land-related laws. The Green Paper will soon be presented to Cabinet for consideration, and the plan is to submit it to Parliament during the course of this year.
In conclusion, the President of the Republic entrusted us with the mandate of rural development and land reform. He entrusted us with the future of South Africa's poorest of the poor. As part of a responsive and responsible government, we shall implement policy that will create a better life for all rural communities. We will work together, and we will achieve these goals together. The President enjoined us to make this the year of action. We are ensuring that the department is properly orientated and adequately capacitated to give effect to the President's call. The time for rural development is now and not tomorrow. This is the time for rural people to experience the desired change which some of us have been talking about. Let us all be the agents of that change. I thank you, hon Deputy Chair. [Applause.]
Mrs A N D QIKANI
The MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM
Mrs A N D QIKANI: Deputy Chairperson, I want to start by thanking the Minister, the Deputy Minister and the director-general for always availing themselves to attend our meetings. The Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs has so far always had a good collaboration with the department, and, more specifically, Minister, your staff always sends in documents in good time so that members can interrogate them and have good discussions during our meetings. Thank you for facilitating our oversight over your department.
Minister, your department has a mammoth task. The implementation of the CRDP is seen as the main tool to address the needs of the rural marginalised communities. It is also a great achievement for the administration. In the 2010 state of the nation address and during the Minister of Finance's Budget Speech, rural development, linked to land reform and food security, emerged as one of the five government key priorities for the year. Since the majority of the poor in the country are in rural areas, it makes sense that rural development emerged as a key government strategy to fight poverty and to ensure a better life for all South Africans.
The aim for rural development is to enable the rural poor to take charge of their destiny by creating sustainable rural livelihood through optimal land use and the management of natural resources. The main issues identified for the department in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, include sustainable land reform, food security for all, rural development and sustainable livelihoods and job creation and skills training, including a job creation model.
Underpinning the above-mentioned outputs is a focus on creating sustainable rural livelihoods and improving food security. This implies a shift of focus from land delivery as it was the case in previous financial years, where there was much focus on meeting the targets of land delivery while ignoring postsettlement support. This is evident in the fact that there is no mention of fast-tracking land delivery and finalising land claims in the 2010 state of the nation address and the Budget Speech.
In the 2010-11 financial year, the intention of government is to have a balance between land delivery and postsettlement support to address the challenge of poverty and food insecurity. The focus is to recapitalise struggling commercial farms that have been transferred to emerging farmers. In March this year, the Minister confirmed that the recapitalisation of 200 nonproductive commercial farms and the taking over of farms that are not in use is aligned with the government's new approach to land reform. Furthermore, the department aims to overhaul the land policy and legislation in order to facilitate sustainable land reform. These initiatives are fully supported. As our people have been landless for far too long, we need to speed up delivery in this regard.
It is clear from the vast mandate of the department that various challenges inhibit the department from implementing its programmes. Comrades, this is time for proper integration of programmes of various departments so that we can do more together. In line with the objective of creating sustainable rural livelihoods and a better life for all, the Minister of Finance, in his Budget Speech, alluded to the fact that rural development has been identified as an important area that needs more spending and co-ordination.
In the 2010-11 Budget, an additional allocation of R860 million is provided for improving the quality of life within rural communities and broadening the base of agricultural production. In addition, a special allocation of R1,2 billion for the Rural Household Infrastructure Grant to support rural communities, especially for on-site water and sanitation infrastructure, was made to cover the 2010 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.
However, this allocation is located in the Department of Human Settlements as the role for provision of water and sanitation has been shifted from the Department of Water Affairs to the Department of Human Settlements. This implies that the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform has to work closely with the Department of Human Settlements, other departments and other spheres of government to ensure provision of water and sanitation in rural areas, and to deliver on the rural development mandate.
From the budget portion, the department has been allocated a budget of R6,7 billion for 2010-11, which shows a slight increase from the R6,4 billion allocated in 2009-10. In nominal terms, the budget for the department increased slightly by 5,8% between 2009-2010 and 2010-11 financial years, while, in real terms, it decreased by 0,89%. The slight increase is driven by the significant increase in budget for the land reform programme, whilst budget for the other four Programmes declined. The slight increase in the budget allocation for the department for 2010-11 is of serious concern, considering the fact that rural development and land reform is one of government's five key priorities for the medium-term.
Furthermore, the fact that the budget allocation for the department makes, by vote, only 1,47% of the total government appropriation is not in line with prioritising rural development at a national level. One would have expected the budget for the department to increase drastically in order to be able to cover previous commitments as well as demands due to the expansion of the mandate of the department.
Minister, and Deputy Minister, other areas that your department needs to address include the frustration experienced by land claimants who await the agricultural support and extension services. The Select Committee on Land an Environmental Affairs has visited far too many restored farms that are lying idle after millions of rands of government funds have been spent in the restitution process. In a country that needs to increase agricultural productivity, Minister, we need to find solutions quickly.
IsiXhosa:
Mphathiswa, ikomiti ibikhe yaphuma yaya kwelaseMpuma Koloni. Ukusuka kwayo eQamata neziphaluka zayo, iye yayakubona iLubisi Dam. Into ethe yayibona endleleni, lukhukhuliso lomhlaba olumangalisayo. Kubonakala ukuba abantu baza kuhlala ezindongeni. Ngoko ke ndicinga ukuba isebe lakho likhe likhawuleze ukujonga ezi ndawo okanye libuze kuthi thina bantu bamane bengena bephuma kwezi ndawo ngelo kukhangela ukuba zeziphina iindawo esizibona zikwimeko embi. Loo nto ingalinceda isebe.
Ukuba siyajonga phaya, kukho amahlathi, abantu abahlelanga kakuhle kwaye nemigaqo ayikho. Eli sebe lakho kufuneka libhinqele phezulu oko mgqakhwe eleqwa ekwendeni.
English :
Finally comrades, I would leave you with this quote:
The Comprehensive Rural Development Programme is our national collective strategy in our joint fight against poverty, hunger, unemployment and lack of development in our rural areas. It is an embodiment of our unshaken commitment that we shall not rest in our drive to eradicate poverty.
These are the words of our President spoken at the launch of the programme in Giyani, Limpopo, on 17 August 2009. The Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs supports budget for the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform – Vote No 32. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mrs N W MAGADLA
Mrs A N D QIKANI
Mrs N W MAGADLA: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister, MECs present, members of the House, distinguished guests, let me first start by thanking the Minister and the Deputy Minister for participating in the NCOP Taking Parliament to the People Programme in Limpopo in March. We appreciate the commitment you have shown and the work that you are doing.
I would like to reassure you that we will do our best to ensure that you have the resources you need to do your work. We will also continue to engage all relevant role players to join in ensuring that we improve the living conditions of our people, especially in rural areas. Towards this, the Chairperson of the NCOP will be convening a planning meeting in Polokwane this weekend with the view of facilitating oversight on commitments made during our visit to Greater Sekhukhune District in March. We will also be engaging the national departments so that the provincial and local governments are assisted to respond to the expressed needs of the Limpopo people.
During the fourth term of our Parliament, we have committed ourselves to ensuring that we play a significant and clear role in promoting the principles of co-operative government and intergovernmental relations.
Rural development and land reform, which is one of the priorities of government, is indeed in our own priority list when it comes to our oversight work. By the end of this term, we would like to see a marked improvement in how government responds to developmental challenges in rural areas. This is important because we need to stop the movement of many of our people from rural to urban areas, only to realise that they do not have the skills to participate in the urban economic life.
On 13 April 2010, as the committee, we received briefings from the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform on its policy and Budget Vote No 32. The key objective of the department is the achievement of vibrant and sustainable rural communities. As the committee, we will be monitoring, among other things, the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, which is an important intervention towards the realisation of the department's objective. Minister, we believe that the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme should include, but should not be limited to the following: the improvement of economic infrastructure; the development of access roads in rural areas; fencing for agriculture, including community gardens for purposes of securing food production; and ensuring that every family has food.
Informed by the mandate of the ANC obtained during the national and provincial elections last year, we have emphasised, through the committee, the fact that the department needs to support the development of sustainable and vibrant rural communities with all amenities which are necessary to support the quality of life in a rural area.
The committee also believes that an ideal rural community must have access to water, electricity, irrigation schemes, Information and Communications Technology, ICT, systems, business centres, schools, Abet, Adult Basic Education and Training, centres, libraries, clinics, community halls, and sports facilities. It is a fact that many of our rural villages today do not have many of these amenities. In fact, these facilities are associated with urban life and not with the needs of the people, irrespective of where they reside. A well-known farmer and philosopher once said:
If the land is to be used well, we must have people on the land who know it well, who know how to use it well, have time to use it well, and are able to afford to use it well.
This teaches us about the comprehensive nature of land and agrarian reform as we pursue it in South Africa. Therefore, with rural development, the exodus to cities will come to an end as rural areas will be self-sustaining.
Land is central to the implementation of government's comprehensive rural development strategy. In this context, allow me to remind the Minister that the issue of land claims is still a challenge to the development of the Greater Sekhukhune District. This needs our undivided and collective attention.
In conclusion, I want to thank the Minister for the wonderful work that he has done for the Sisonke District Municipality in my province, KwaZulu Natal, by assisting the community during the Sisonke district pilot project on rural development. Your assistance has contributed immensely to better equip the community of Sisonke District for rural development. I have no doubt that the people of Sisonke will be able to handle matters differently as they go forward in fostering rural development as the key element of all strategies to combat poverty.
Chairperson, when we talk about rural development, we are referring to rural communities that were always left behind with no focus. We urge an urgent and quick response to our concerns. The ANC supports the Budget Vote of the department. I thank you.
Mr D A WORTH
Mrs N W MAGADLA
Mr D A WORTH: Hon House Chairperson, hon Minster, MECs present, hon members, firstly, it would be remiss of me not to thank the department for their presentations, as well to our committee.
Rural development has moved up on the government's agenda, hence the establishment of a dedicated Ministry. In the state of the nation address, the President announced rural development and land reform as one of the government's top five priorities. This department states that its purpose is to "initiate, facilitate, co-ordinate and catalyse the implementation of a Comprehensive Rural Development Programme that leads to sustainable and vibrant rural communities". Only some R1,568 billion has been allocated to the Land Restitution Programme, of which R800 million has been used to purchase farms.
Many farmers and land claimants are going to court to force the department to honour the commitments of signed contracts to purchase land. In the interim, much productive land is not farmed, which South Africa can ill-afford. By the Ministers own admission, some 90% of land reform projects have failed due to the lack of postsettlement support to the land reform beneficiaries. What is required is for government to commit the necessary resources to finance land reform and to ensure that there is sufficient capacity within the state to manage the process.
Some of the concerns raised by the committee are the unacceptably high vacancy rate in the department; the continued use of external consultants; the inability of the Auditor-General to audit receivable revenue; and lack of effective deed registration which prevented the department from finalising the asset register of all state-owned land.
It was highlighted that there was a need to integrate land reform and agricultural support programmes - by which the success of these programmes will be measured - by an increased amount of small scale farmers that become economically viable. The fact that the department will only focus on 150 wards through the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme is of concern as the budget allocated is only a fraction of what was requested from Treasury. The department must then obtain co-operation with other stakeholders such as the Departments of Social Development, Health, Home Affairs, Transport, Water Affairs etc. Funds will have to be pulled to address competencies within the selected area.
More than a third of South Africa's population is found in rural areas, but agriculture accounts for only 10% of employment. Migration to urban and metro areas is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Weak infrastructure, combined with deteriorating rail and roads in many farm areas, raises production costs and limits market access. This, in turn, reduces productivity. This means that users cannot afford to contribute much towards infrastructure investments. Poor social infrastructure means lower skills and health levels.
The Minister has already submitted a Green Paper to Cabinet with regard, as he has alluded to, to the government's new approach to land reform, including alternatives to the willing buyer, willing seller principle. The Minister of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries has alluded to the fact that government is looking into a share scheme with the aim of reaching land reform targets. The uncertainty and confusion created by these various statements is not good for agricultural production and will scare off future investments.
The DA is in full support of reversing the effects of past land dispossession, but the process must not undermine property rights which will ultimately destroy the free market system. Ignoring the basic principle will result in the total collapse of food production and the banking system. According to a written reply to a question from the Minister of Agriculture, some 98 farms in the Free State province alone purchased through the Land Bank are unproductive, signed and expanded to the other eight provinces, and we then realised what we were talking. Small agricultural units operate on minimal net profit margins with the result that small and medium commercial farmers are in no position to divide income between more shareholders.
The DA proposes that the government first implements a successful model based on the partnership and mentorship to which the Minister has alluded to for the failed farms under the land restitution process before risking the successful productive farms and food security. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr G VAN RENSBURG (Western Cape)
Mr D A WORTH
Mr G VAN RENSBURG (Western Cape): Chair, hon Minister, Deputy Minister, my friendly colleague from Gauteng and members, it is with a great sense of urgency that I am standing here today. Issues of land reform and rural development are very serious matters as they hold the potential to fundamentally change the future of this country. At the same time, I am very excited about the possibilities of land reform and rural development and what it holds for our country.
It is very important to know and reflect on the history of our country. Grave injustices were committed in the past, and we need to keep that in mind when we plan for the future. Sixteen years have come and gone since our first democratically elected government took charge of South Africa. We have experienced 16 years of land reform which have left South Africans disillusioned.
This is not your fault, Minister; it is maybe your predecessors'. But now you have to solve this problem. Rural restitution of land is not happening. Setting restitution with cash payments is defeating the very purpose of its inception in the first place. Redistribution has grounded to a halt; tenure reform is not happening. This is creating the perception that we have become stuck in the past. We have to move to the future now.
People have been quick to blame the willing buyer, willing seller approach as the root cause of land reform failure. Commercial farmers are accused of inflating land prices. Farmers are accused of blackmailing land reform. But, commercial farmers in the Western Cape are no longer only white. A blanket accusation of commercial farmers is no more.
Solving this problem does not lie in a three-tier property ownership system. Such a system is something of vast complexity that poses the risk of disinvestment in agriculture and, ultimately, national food security.
Challenges posed by land reform and rural development are huge. When confronted with challenges of this magnitude, it is possible and only human to overlook the simple and obvious solutions right in front of our eyes. Land reform in South Africa does not need more legislation. After 16 years, we do not need yet another land analysis or more research reports that will go into great length about inequalities that permeate land ownership in South Africa. We do not need to resort to repossession of land or new repossession legislation. We do not need more levels of bureaucracy in an attempt to solve the problem. The answer is right here. Together with commercial agriculture, we can drive land reform in South Africa. As a matter of fact, commercial agriculture wants to assist us in driving land reform in South Africa - if only government could give them the opportunity to do so. Mr Nkwinti, you would be surprised to what extent South Africans of colonial lineage are sensitive to our country's history. You might also be pleasantly surprised with the commitment that these very same people have to the future of South Africa. All South Africans realise the importance of land reform.
Afrikaans:
Dit is belangrik dat ons dit so gou as moontlik en so suksesvol as moontlik begin doen.
English:
If we can allow commercial agriculture to assist us, Minister Nkwinti will benefit from the positive results. The worst thing that we can do regarding land reform in South Africa is to continue postponing it.
I will support any effort to increase the percentage of the national Budget that is allocated towards rural development and land reform. The task is too important for the amount being allocated.
Afrikaans:
Minister, u weet dat ek u ten volle ondersteun en u sal help dat ons landelike ontwikkeling in die Wes-Kaap van die grond af kry.
English:
I want to urge the Minister not to restrict new farmers to small plots. Let's rather plan to allow new farmers to progress from subsistence farmers to small-holder farmers and then to commercial farmers, as soon as possible.
Afrikaans:
Kom ons kyk hoe vinnig ons hulle deur die proses kan kry, sodat hulle groot kommersiële boere kan word.
English:
The agricultural world is moving towards an ever-decreasing number of farmers on increasing larger farms. We cannot ignore these realities. Larger commercial farms are producing food in an efficient manner while creating valuable job opportunities. Commercial agriculture links with the rest of the economy. A farmworker on a commercial farm can progress with a career path in marketing, finance or much more.
Afrikaans:
Op 'n groot plaas dra 'n plaaswerker nie meer net 'n werkpak en rubbersteuwels nie. Daar het ons plaaswerkers in seniorbestuur, in middelbestuur en in die bemarking in Europa, of waar dit ook al mag wees.
English:
I have committed the Western Cape to a 60% land reform success rate within the next five years. We will achieve that through public-private partnerships with various commodity organisations. We are in an advanced phase of establishing 1 000 hectares of deciduousfruit trees for new farmers. The project is being funded on a rand-for-rand basis by my department and the relevant commodity organisation. In this case it is Hortgro. In a similar manner, we are working with dairy, grain, vegetables, wine and life stock industries in establishing new farmers on a sustainable basis.
I handed a community farm over to its rightful owners last night in the Southern Cape. It is the Jakkalskraal farm, which belongs to the Griekwa people. They have built up their own successful farm over the past few years, with the assistance of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture in Casidra. They make a profit and plough this profit back into the community.
Afrikaans:
Daar is een ding van daardie gemeenskap, hulle werk saam en hulle vat hande. Hulle trek nie dwars nie. Ons het 'n groot suksesverhaal daar.
English:
The Western Cape has shown that equity share schemes can work as a model for land reform. This approach allows for proven managerial skills to remain in a business. This helps to ensure future success. At the same time, vital food security is retained. All this happens while also creating wealth for beneficiaries. This model can be successful in the rest of South Africa as well. I know that commercial farmers will give their full support. It is up to the government to show that it is serious about land reform and its successful conclusion.
Minister Nkwinti, use the goodwill of the people who know how to farm to help create a country where everybody has access to land. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr Z MLENZANA
MR G VAN RENSBURG
Mr Z MLENZANA: Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, hon MECs here present, hon members, to those who know and understand whose sons and daughters we are, it will not be amazing when I, on behalf of Cope, support this budget.
IsiXhosa :
Ndilandela ke ezinyaweni zikanyawontle uMfundis' uDandala, ...
English :
... my leader, who has, without reservation, supported this budget.
To us, as Cope, this department is meant to deal with economic development in rural areas, wherein we would see the establishment of agri-industries, co-ops and local markets in rural settings.
The empowerment of rural people and communities, especially women and the youth –training them in technical skills such that they are able to deal with animal diseases, natural disasters, hunger and food security – should be a priority. Hence we must jointly stop the selling out or the unilateral outsourcing of schemes like the Ncorha Irrigation Scheme in the Eastern Cape.
We also want to appeal to the Minister to focus, in an integrated approach, on the implementation of the Rural Transport Development Programme. I advise, hon Minister, that this will succeed only if we reclassify and declassify rural roads.
IsiXhosa:
Kuphele le nto yokuba kuthiwe kukho imigaqo yesizwe, eyephondo kunye neyoorhulumente basekhaya.
English:
In conclusion, please agree with me when I say that not much has been done on land reform and restitution of land rights. We hope and pray that since this budget will be your first tool of trade, hon Minister, you will push for the settlement of all outstanding claims. Please remember, ...
IsiXhosa:
... Tat' uMnqarhwane, ukuba basilindile kwaMajola ePort St Johns ...
English:
... in the Eastern Cape. If one looks at this budget, one will see that it is the Freedom Charter in action. [Interjections.]
I want to assure you, Mnqarhwane, that we are not in opposition to all the good things that are done by the ruling party. Furthermore, we will not hug and kiss reactionary elements that are still conservative and have "verkrampte" [conservative] tendencies. At no stage shall we marry the AWB, Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging.
I also want to pronounce that we shall never be confused when it comes to affirmative action and black economic empowerment. Those who came to Cope for ulterior motives, both doors are open. They can come in through that door and go out through the other. Cope will remain in place. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr R T MTHEMBU
Mr Z MLENZANA
Mr R T MTHEMBU (KwaZulu-Natal): Chairperson, Minister, Deputy Minister, thank you very much for affording KwaZulu-Natal an opportunity to participate in the debate on the Budget Vote of the national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform by the Minister, hon Gugile Nkwinti. Let me congratulate the Minister for a comprehensive Budget Vote speech on rural development, agrarian transformation and land reform.
Key to effective rural development is the meaningful involvement of rural people and the understanding of current livelihoods. The acupuncture principle will concentrate on what intervention will provide best value for money, and the systems thinking will concentrate on asking ourselves what this would look like in 20 years' time.
The Minister has emphasised on integration and ensuring that there is no fragmentation and duplication. To respond to the Minister's call in KwaZulu-Natal, we have mainstreamed rural development in all government departments, the provincial rural committee chaired by the director-general in the province, departmental rural development committees and district rural development forums.
Msinga has been pronounced as the pilot for KwaZulu-Natal. The chairperson, Minister Gugile Nkwinti and the MEC visited the Msinga site to formally pronounce this area as the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme pilot site in the province on 26 April 2010.
The pronouncement of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme site marked the commencement of the 100 days action plan leading to the launch of the site by the President. Currently, the department is working closely with the national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and our sister departments in the province on the Msinga site, as follows:
We will finalise household profiling by the end of May and data capturing and the launch of the stakeholder council by the end of June. The Msinga and Nkandla provincial task team is working hard to ensure the implementation of the 100 days action plan.
The implementation of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme will be effective through joint planning, aligning and co-ordinating with stakeholders to ensure holistic, integrated and coherent government programmes through district municipalities in partnership with traditional leaders.
The provincial cabinet approved an integrated rural development. The thrust of the framework for rural development strategy is the importance of aligning planning processes for different spheres of government, the integration of departmental efforts and the involvement of people in their own development and empowering the people to participate and own processes of development to ensure sustainability.
The hon premier introduced a district champions' concept, making sure that service delivery happens and is monitored at ward level. The premier announced a provincial rural model in partnership with the Ngonyama Trust – the one village, one product model. Amakhosi will identify 100 hectares and link the produce to markets with a clearly defined value chain management strategy.
The theme of the ANC January 8 Statement 2010 was "Working Together to Speed Up Effective Service Delivery". In his state of the nation address, His Excellency President Jacob Zuma declared 2010 as a year of action. He further said that we should work harder, faster and smarter. A large part of the address was dedicated to agriculture and rural development, which is an indication of the importance of agriculture and rural development. His Majesty the King, in his address during the opening of the legislature, stressed the importance of agriculture as a turnaround strategy for poverty in rural areas and that people should not only be consumers, but also producers.
What the Minister said will be done in the Budget Vote has already started, and this will continue with great speed and dedication. Firstly, the one home, one garden strategy was started and well-received, and lessons have been learned. We will assist in upscaling and improving the campaign. We will also launch the one church, one garden strategy in September in partnership with the religious community and the office of the premier.
Secondly, seed distribution will be upscaled, and the support to the community will be strengthened.
Thirdly, subsistence farming has been provided to communities, but more still needs to be done to increase participation.
Fourthly, support has been given to land reform farms through the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme.
Fifthly, markets for primary agricultural co-operatives were secured through partnership with the Department of Health. More still needs to be done in this financial year.
In the sixth place, communities are being built through social facilitation and mobilisation, as well as technical and institutional capacity building.
In the seventh place, strategic investment in the old and new social and economic infrastructure has been occurred.
Lastly, the revival of small towns linking to the growth path of the province, in partnership with the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, acts as a catalyst for rural development.
We concur with the hon Minister when he says that rural development is multifaceted and multidimensional. It is not only agriculture that is involved in the rural development space, but also all provincial and national government departments, as well as the private sector.
We would like the intervention of the Minister on outstanding land claims in the province to be fast-tracked so that we can deliver to our communities. The outstanding land claims are creating a problem in our communities. We will appreciate his intervention in this process so that we can go back to our communities and give them the right answer.
As a department we are taking a lead in the co-ordination and integration of all rural development initiatives and programmes in the province in partnership with our national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. Partnerships are key to the success of an integrated development strategy. A strong productive working relationship - horizontally and vertically – is also important between rural communities and various institutions, sectors, as well as local, provincial and national government.
In conclusion, this year is the year of action. We need to roll up our sleeves, dirty our hands and improve the lives of our rural communities.
IsiZulu:
Sithi phezu komkhono, masibuyisele emasini.
Mr J J GUNDA
Mr R T MTHEMBU (KwaZulu-Natal)
Mr J J GUNDA: Chair, hon Minister and hon members, the ID understands that this new department faces the difficult task of trying to implement its new plans against the backdrop of decreasing available finances. It is indeed unfortunate that during the years when there was enough money, not enough was done to support the beneficiaries of land reform.
The ID agrees that all transferred land must be used productively. We are happy with the department's recognition that the land reform process has been flawed because redistributed land did not receive enough post settlement support. The ID remains concerned that land reform is being put on hold and that we are getting conflicting signals as to how we are going to deal with this issue going forward.
South Africa needs a clear direction on policy, together with achievable targets. Minister, we also do not want to see the aspirations of the landless being continuously dashed as they have been over the past 16 years. The proposal to make land a national asset in the upcoming Green Paper must be carefully considered and debated.
The ID supports the second option - a review of current tenure policies and legislation involving the current freehold title system and land ceilings framework linked to the categorisation of farms. However, it would be wrong to attempt to bring about land redress by simply amending the Constitution due government's own failures of the past 16 years.
I would like to call on the Minister to ensure that there is a Comprehensive Rural Development Programme that can help rural people gain access to all basic services such as roads, electricity, health, quality education, water and sanitation.
Afrikaans:
Dink u dit is regverdig om ons mense nie behoorlik te vergoed vir grond wat vandag markwaarde het van miljoene rande nie? Ons mense is baie min uitbetaal.
Hoekom kan ons mense nie reg vergoed word vir wat werklik hulle eiendom was nie? Hoe lank moet ons mense wag vir die uitstaande eise? Sal hulle vergoed word volgens markverwante pryse?
Ek hoop dat die Minister reg sal laat geskied. Ek hoop en vertrou dat die plan en aksies wat die Minister het, uitgevoer sal word. Ons sal u ondersteun, omdat grondhervorming die hartklop van ons mense is.
Armoede kan aangemoedig word wanneer ons mense grondeienaars word met dieselfde markwaarde. Hoekom moet die mense wat ons verdruk het en wat voordeel getrek het deur die land te vat, weer voordeel trek deur miljoene rande betaal te word? Dit bevorder nie demokrasie nie. Hulle het in die eerste plek ons mense verneder en nou moet hulle weer vergoed word. Ons ondersteun die Begroting. Ek dank u.
English:
Thank you.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM
Mr J J GUNDA
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM: Chairperson, hon members of the NCOP, our MECs present here, senior government officials, ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed a great honour and privilege for us to have this opportunity to come and share with the NCOP the vision of our department and Ministry and the plans for contributing towards the improvement of the quality of life of our people, especially those in the rural areas.
Fourteen days ago, our new Ministry and Department of Rural Development and Land Reform completed its first year of existence. The creation of this department by the hon President, as announced on 11 May 2009, had been a culmination of a process which started at the ANC conference in December 2007, which adopted a very detailed resolution outlining the challenges of rural development. This was followed by the ANC Election Manifesto for the 2009 general elections, which identified rural development and food security as one of the top five priorities for the term 2009-14 if elected to government. Of course, it is now common knowledge that the ANC was returned to office by an overwhelming majority of South Africans in the 2009 general elections.
Today as we stand in front of this honourable House, which is a vital link between lawmakers at the national level and our masses in the provinces, we are confident to say that we understand our mandate and that we are ready to discharge our responsibilities to the rural masses.
The mandate for this department has to do fundamentally with repairing the damage caused by over three centuries of colonisation and apartheid. The ANC Polokwane conference resolution captured this very succinctly when it said:
Colonisation and apartheid were rooted in the dispossession of the African people of their land, the destruction of African farming and the super exploitation of wage labourers, including farm workers and their families.
That:
Poverty, inequality and joblessness are a consequence of centuries of underdevelopment and exploitation consciously perpetuated on the majority of our population, which had its most destructive and enduring impacts on rural South Africa. Consequently, the structural faults that characterised the apartheid rural economy still remain with us today.
In charting the way forward, the conference drew a clear relationship between improving the quality of life of the rural masses and addressing the question of land disposition by declaring:
Rural development is a critical pillar of our struggle against unemployment, poverty and inequality.
That:
A more equitable distribution of land is necessary both to undo the injustices of history as well as to ensure higher productivity, shared growth, employment and sustainable livelihoods.
In charting forward, the conference further declared that:
We should embark on an integrated rural development, land reform, and agrarian change; accelerate the roll out of rural infrastructure, particularly roads, but also other services including portable water, electricity and irrigation and ensuring in particular that the former Bantustan areas are properly provisioned with an infrastructure base for economic and social development; improve the co-ordination and synergy between departments and all levels of government to ensure an integrated approach to land and rural development.
I thought it was important that as we are gathered here to discuss our programme of action to address the expectations of our rural masses, we must remember our mandate, which was endorsed actively by more than 12 million South Africans at the ballot boxes on 22 April 2009. It is therefore quite clear that there is no question of us in the Ministry and the department not knowing what the people out there expect from us.
We've gone a long way over the last 12 months in laying the foundation to systematically reverse the damage caused by many centuries of rural degradation and neglect. The Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, which we conceptualised after our establishment provides a very clear vision, mission and an anchor strategy of agrarian reform for us to take this task forward.
The Comprehensive Rural Development Programme speaks to the key tenets of our resolutions and our election manifesto that rural development should speak to poverty eradication, provision of employment opportunities, reduction of inequality and support for sustainable livelihoods. Our Comprehensive Rural Development Programme also speaks to the required rollout of rural infrastructure as outlined in our resolution.
Our decision to embark on the first pilot project in Giyani municipality, Limpopo, within a few months of establishment, which was launched by the President within his first 100 days in office, provides us with invaluable experience in terms of rolling out the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme. Up to now, this project, with its many challenges - not least of which is the scarcity of water - provides an inspirational motivation to all of us involved in this mammoth task in all government departments which are involved in Limpopo, and it also provides valuable experience for other role-players, both in government and in the private sector.
The other subsequent pilot projects in seven other provinces also provide a valuable mix of experiences, with each one of them having their own unique challenges and opportunities; from the programme we've launched in the Northern Cape in Riemvasmaak, to Mpumalanga in Mkhondo, to Freestate in Diyatalawa, Makgolokweng and North West, Eastern Cape and the Western Cape Province in Dysellsdorp. Experiences from these projects make us better prepared for more extensive roll out during the course of this financial year and beyond, as spelled out by the President in his state of the address in February this year.
The Comprehensive Rural Development Programme provides a perfect platform to practise our 2009 election motto, "working together we can do more". The success of this programme hinges heavily on the ability to bring together various role-players in the three spheres of government, various state entities, the private sector, NGOs and community structures. It is for this reason that we lay a lot of emphasis on our implementation in strengthening institutional governance and social cohesion in communities where we are already operational.
The Comprehensive Rural Development Programme also provides an excellent opportunity to contribute towards reducing unemployment, especially amongst the young people. The implementation of all the projects, be it social facilitation, community profiling, the laying out of infrastructure such as water, electricity, clinics and schools, ICT, Early Childhood Development and many other infrastructural projects, provide a major opportunity for our young people to learn skills, which can result in medium- to long-term job opportunities and also an ability to start their own businesses.
From an economic point of view, we are very clear also that the central anchor of this economic activity is agrarian transformation. We want to make sure that increasingly, most of our rural people should not be dependent on social grants.
We've gone a long way in reorganising our department to meet the challenges of this new mandate. The process of the retraining of staff and recruitment of new staff where skills cannot be found in-house is ongoing. We also value very highly the support, the co-operation and the enthusiasm of our premiers in all provinces, MECs, mayors and councillors, which we have experienced over the last 12 months. This has been very encouraging.
The twin challenge of our mandate - that of acceleration of land reform - has been a major learning curve over the last 12 months. As we appreciate the extent to which land dispossession has been a cornerstone of colonisation and apartheid oppression, as noted in our Polokwane resolution, the redress of this invokes a lot of passion and emotions from South Africans depending from the standpoint they come from. Those who were beneficiaries of the old order want to protect what they have, whilst those who were victims of colonisation and apartheid feel that the pace of redress is rather slow. It is for this reason that land reform has dominated the media space with regard to our department over the last 12 months of our work.
A lot of progress has been made in the restitution of our ancestral land to claimants, with up to 96% of such claims already concluded. The remaining 4% is a mixture of court challenges, overlapping claims and complex and expensive claims on conservation land, forestry, sugar cane farms, mining operations and other such enterprises. We have to navigate very carefully in many of these situations to make sure that the public funds used to acquire such properties are indeed to the long-term benefit of the beneficiaries.
A lot of progress has been made in implementing various schemes of land redistribution as well to aspirant black farmers. Cumulatively, up to 5,9 million hectors of land have been transferred to new black beneficiaries over the last 15 years. The reality we have been confronting, however, as the Minister has already indicated, is that quite a lot of these farms have not been used productively. It is for this reason that we've made a decisive intervention to invest in the recapitalisation of such farms. It is clear that if we want to adequately address this challenge, more resources will need to be allocated to our department.
In going forward, we will up the pace in making sure that there is a qualitative and quantitative acceleration of all the programmes meant to improve the quality of life of our rural people who are the backbone of our democracy. With the experience of 16 years of democratic governance and one year of this administration, we believe it is high time we review comprehensively the policy framework of our land reform strategy, which is critical for a lasting, equitable rural development; therefore, as announced by the Minister, an introduction of the Green Paper, which will be tabled soon.
We believe that together we must find solutions for the creation of a truly inclusive, nonracial, democratic, nonsexist and prosperous South Africa. We must soon reach a situation where we can confidently say that we can respond to the battle cry of many years of struggle which said, "Mayibuye i-Afrika", and that we can confidently reply to our people that "ibuyile i-Afrika".
I believe that at the present moment, we are only able to say so in hushed tones, because there are many of our people who'll argue that "ayikabuyi i-Afrika".
The Green Paper process therefore will provides a platform for all South Africans who love and cherish the country to engage in a dialogue, which will make us get closer to a stage where the majority of our people will agree and say indeed, "ibuyile i-Afrika".
I thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]
Prince M M M ZULU
The MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM
IsiZulu:
Umntwana M M M ZULU: Sihlalo, mhlonishwa Ngqongqoshe nePhini lakho, oNgqongqoshe abamele izifundazwe, ngithi kulo Mnyango omusha ngiyazi ukuthi umelele nezinselelo ezinqala zokuthi yonke iMinyango ingenelela kuwe njengoba uphathiswe inhlabathi.
Ngiyazi ukuthi ngabuka uhlelo lokusebenza lwakho ukuthi okunye uyakwazi ukukufeza. Ngqongqosho kulesiya siFundazwe engisuka kuso sikaDinizulu uma ngibheka amaphesenti ayi-13 womhlaba, usaphethwe ngabamnyama kodwa wonke lo omningi uma siyakumaphesenti ayi-100 ukwezinye izandla. Yilapho Ngqongqoshe okufuneka ukubhekisise kahle ukuthi abantu bakithi basese osizini lokungabi nawo umhlabathi.
Ngiyazi ukuthi uphathiswe uMnyango obalulekile noma laphaya sekuthiwa Isabiwomali Saphakathi Nonyaka sakho sangonyaka odlule kwangasikhalisa thina njengeqembu leNkatha ukuba ucoshe imali eyizigidi ezingama-R256 kuphela ngoba ngasibuka ukuthi mhlambe Umcwaningi mabhuku-Jikelele akacabanganga ukuthi leziFundazwe eziyisishiyagalolunye zibhekene nawe ngqo.
Ngiyazi ukuthi kukhona umhlaba okuthiwa uhlezi kithi njengabaholi bomdabu. Lama dolobhana amancane, omasipala abancane basuke babe nenkinga kakhulu njengalapha ekhaya kwaNongoma izinduna zasekhaya zibambisa abantu isigxobo khona eduze nedolobha. Lezinto kumele nizibheke Nqgongqoshe ukuthi ningenza njani ukuhlukanisa omasipala basemakhaya nezindawo zamakhosi ukuze bakwazi abantu ukusizakala. Uma uzobheka idolobhana elingangoNongoma ubusubheka oSuthu, kwaMandlakazi lawo madolobha awanazo izindlela zokuthuthuka nanoma ngaluphi usuku ngoba izinduna zicabanga ngeyazo imicabango ngingakugxeki ke lokho.
Izinselelo onazo izinselelo njengendoda okufuneka ubhekane nazo. Ubheke ukuthi wenza kanjani kodwa ngiyafisa ukuthi uhulumeni awuthathe ngokuqinisile uMnyango wakho, ngoba ubalulekile kunayo yonke iMinyango ekhona ngoba inhlabathi yingubo yethu yokulala. Inhlabathi iyona esidla kuyo ukudla uqobo.
Ngaleyo ndlela njengeqembu le Nkatha isabiwomali sakho siyasesekela noma imali incanyana kodwa kuyofuneka ubheke ezinhlelweni zakhona ukuthi abantu bakithi basizakala kanjani ukuba bathole inhlabathi. Ngiyabonga.
Ms N MAYETULA-KHOZA
Prince M M M ZULU
Ms N MAYETULA-KHOZA (MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development: Gauteng): Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members, hon MEC from the Western Cape, ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed an honour for me to rise in this House in support of Budget Vote No 32 of Rural Development and Land Reform, 2010-11. In fact, as Minmec, we have already supported the Budget Vote.
We are calling for this endorsement with confidence that the budget policy presentation by the hon Minister will indeed significantly contribute to our vision of building viable, equitable and sustainable rural communities, with food security for all. In achieving this vision, we are guided by the hon President's state of the nation address of 2009-10 when he said:
IsiZulu:
Abantu basemakhaya nabo banelungelo lokuba nogesi, namanzi, izindlu zangasese ezigijima amanzi, imigwaqo, izindawo zokuqeda isizungu, nezemidlalo, kanye nezindawo zokuthenga eziphucukile njengasemadolobheni. Nabo banelungelo lokusizwa kwezolimo ukuze bazitshalele imifino nokunye, bafuye nemfuyo bakwazi ukuziphilisa. Sizimisele ukuqala lomkhankaso wokwakha izinqalazizinda ezindaweni zasemakhaya. Uma sibambisene nezakhamizi, namakhosi, amakhansela, nezinduna siyokwazi ukuwusheshisa lomsebenzi. Uma sisebenza ngokubambisana sizokwenza okuningi.
English:
Therefore, Gauteng province supports the Minister's Comprehensive Rural Development Programme approach not only because it is in line with what the President said, but because it is in line with our ANC electoral manifesto, which has set a new course for post-colonial reconstruction and development which will be achieved through co-ordinated and broad-based agrarian transformation.
The hon Minister has indicated that this programme will focus on quite a number of few things, and I quote:
... building communities through social mobilisation and institution building; strategic investment in old and new social, economic, information and communication technology, ICT infrastructure and public amenities and facilities
co-ordinated through the Rural Infrastructure Programme; a new land reform programme implemented in the context of the reviewed land tenure system; the rendering of technical services as well as effective and sustainable resource management through the component of geo-spatial services, technology development and disaster management; and the effective provision of cadastral and deeds registry, as well as surveys and mapping services.
It is in this context that our province, particularly the department, has recommitted itself to the development of rural areas within the province as a whole, even though many of our people in South Africa believe that rural development in Gauteng is a rumour. I would like to say this afternoon that this is not a rumour because it is indeed happening. [Laughter.]
I would also like to confirm that Gauteng is the smallest province in our country, covering only 1,7 million hectares or 1,4% of the total area. Of this, 438 628 hectares are potentially arable. This tells us that there is indeed rural development and agriculture in Gauteng. A total of 4% of the province's population resides in rural areas, including the agricultural arable land. We can no longer continue to develop rural communities by chance. We have a clear strategy, plans, outcomes and outputs, as well as targets, in line with the national strategy and programme.
In the province, we have finalised the Gauteng Comprehensive Rural Development Strategy in line with the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme approach. We have also revised the Gauteng Integrated Food Security Strategy, and we are implementing these strategies accordingly.
We have also committed ourselves to working towards realising national outcome 7 and 10 of the 12 outcomes pursued by the national government over the Medium-Term Strategic Framework period. We have already made mention of outcome 7. Outcome 10 is about protecting and enhancing our environmental assets and natural resources in urban and rural areas in particular. The success of these outcomes will also be measured through the delivery of outputs as outlined by the hon Minister: sustainable land reform; food security for all; rural development and sustainable livelihoods; as well as job creation linked to skills training. We in Gauteng have already adopted these outputs in line with the national outcomes.
On sustainable land reform, Gauteng Provincial Government will work together with the national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform to ensure a democratic and equitable land allocation to our people. Indeed, at our Polokwane Conference, we all agreed as the ANC that the willing buyer, willing seller model has not worked for our people, hence the initiative to review the legislation to allow equitable land allocation to take place in our country and in our province in particular, as well to deracialise the rural economy for shared and inclusive growth.
We have already identified three pilot projects in Gauteng for comprehensive rural development. These are areas such as Devon in the Lesedi Municipality, Hekpoort in the West Rand and Sekhulumi in Metsweding. Therefore, we are moving very fast in implementing the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme in line with our national principles, as outlined by the Minister and the department.
On rural development, we are promoting equitable development to overcome urban-rural divide and to ensure that rural communities have access to decent services, infrastructure and economic opportunities. We will work together with all other provincial departments to build sustainable rural livelihoods because as a department alone, we cannot be able to achieve a comprehensive rural development in Gauteng.
On food security for all, we will continue to intensify the establishment of food gardens. In fact, we did launch a campaign on one household, one food garden, especially in the 20 prioritised townships and in the 50 poorest wards in Gauteng. We will also continue to intensify the establishment of co-operatives in Gauteng and assist smallholder farmers to become commercial farmers. We will also continue to support commercial farming, including agro-processing. We have also supported the Minister's job creation and skills training programme, and therefore we will continue to ensure that the prioritised households in the 50 poorest wards will benefit from the creation of decent jobs through our Expanded Public Works Programme in the rural and urban areas, the Community Works Programme and the agricultural and rural infrastructure development.
Therefore, we support the national policy and legislative processes on agrarian transformation, rural development and land reform processes, including the Land Tenure Security Bill, amongst other things, in order to protect the rights of farmworkers. Let us also report that we have convened a very successful summit in Gauteng with farmworkers and the unions. We all agreed that we needed to see a cordial working relationship between farmers and farmworkers and that the conditions of farmworkers should indeed be improved.
We were sad to hear the farmworkers saying that after 16 years, they still do not feel part of the democracy and the freedom that we are enjoying today. Therefore, we will continue doing this work and ensure that there is a cordial working relationship between the farmers and the farmworkers, with the aim of ensuring food security for all in Gauteng. Very soon we will also be consulting with our people in Gauteng on the Green Paper and the Bill that has been supported by Minmec.
Let me conclude by indicating that in the name of our Freedom Charter, Gauteng supports Budget Vote No 32. We believe that the national Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, led by the Minister, will succeed in achieving the outcome and the outputs that we have set for ourselves, as long as we work together with the provincial government, all departments, the local government, and most importantly, our communities, all role players and stakeholders. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr G G MOKGORO
Ms N MAYETULA-KHOZA
Mr G G MOKGORO: Chair, hon Minister Nkwinti, special delegates, hon members of the NCOP, I know you must have wished me a speedy recovery. I have recovered from the procedure I underwent with a remarkable speed, and I thank you.
We must know that when we speak about rural development, we are speaking about something that touches the nerve of poverty and backwardness of our rural community. It is from this that all historical systems of government, in their successive following, made it certain that our rural communities were left in devastating and sustainable poverty as it is still the case even today.
We are happy that rural development has been identified as one of the development priorities in our country. More so, it will impact positively on the eradication of degradation to which our people have been subjected. It will stimulate economic growth to its full potential and ensure a high level of social development.
South Africa, as an emerging leading light amongst developing nations of the world, in the African continent in particular, must take issues of rural development very seriously and with the determination to demonstrate how this can be done. We must also be aware of the fact that if we have to engage in a real rural development, the first requirement would naturally be land acquisition.
We must do vigorous auditing to determine who owns what as well as the extent of the land. There are people sitting with several very big farms. I think we all know that land ownership is skewed in a particular direction. We have not yet done any significant dent into the land ownership position of 1913. The majority of our people are still landless. With that, we cannot guarantee food security.
Whilst we commend our government for the enthusiasm, commitment and political willingness it has shown in availing resources to build infrastructure required for staging the 2010 Fifa World Cup tournament, we have seen organisational structures being set up as well as unleashing huge financial resources for the success of this soccer spectrum. We would also like to see the same enthusiasm, commitment and political willingness in availing meaningful resources in support of rural development. It is only rural development that has the potential of pushing frontiers of poverty back.
It is the responsibility of this activist Parliament that has to pass laws to make acquisition of land easier for equitable redistribution. The preamble of the Freedom Charter says, and I quote: "South Africa belongs to all of us, black and white." In my view it means that every South African must have a piece of land where he or she can conduct his or her own economic activities. If rural development is carried out with the vigour it deserves, it can address many challenges facing our country. We should in fact start thinking how we can unbundle these big metropolitan centres because eventually there will be no movement in these big centres.
It is also the responsibility of this activist government to pass laws that encourage and redirect investment from urban areas to rural areas. If we can do so, we will turn the tide that causes congestion in the metropolitan centres. Nation-building must be accompanied by concerted efforts to deliver our people from poverty to prosperity so that all can taste the fruits of the democracy they have fought for so hard.
Rural development will curb urban migration which negatively impacts on existing urban infrastructure. It will eventually work to eradiate shack settlement which makes our people lose their human dignity and self respect.
Farmworkers' position must be stabilised, and they must be given pieces of land where they can conduct their own agricultural activities and move them from being perpetual workers to becoming emerging farmers. This would enable them to build houses for themselves, eat decent food, have clean running water in each household and to send their children to best schools.
I heard the MEC of the Western Cape saying that there are no widespread black farmers in the Western Cape. I don't know when that happened. Last year, an intensive research was done by the South African media, and it focused on black people in the Western Cape - which opportunities they have. The findings were that whenever professional or senior jobs crop up, they are not even considered. They all complained about racism.
In conclusion, … [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order! It is very difficult to stop a veteran of the ANC [Laughter.], but in terms of the time … [Interjections.]
Mr G G MOKGORO: In conclusion, rural communities must live an organised life with sporting, cultural and social activities. They must have shopping centres nearby where they can buy their supplies with ease. They must have some means of transport for their local movement. [Interjections.] We support the Budget. [Time expired.]
The MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM
Mr G G MOKGORO
The MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM: Chairperson, I will respond to just a few things because the hon Deputy Minister has really responded to quite a number of the issues which were raised by hon members. I don't want to go back to those. Just for emphasis, we have noted the point that has been made by all hon members in terms of the frustration that people are experiencing with regard to the question of restitution.
Hon members will be aware that our budget in the current financial year is just about R2 million; it is R1,98 billion. It's very, very inadequate. However, we will do the best we can with the little that we have given the current economic crisis in the world.
Furthermore, I would like to say that there are two critical elements in this Budget Vote speech. The first one is the land tenure system reform that we are proposing. The second one is the Land Tenure Security Bill that we referred to. The tendency in South African debate with regard to the question of the three-tier system is that we should make sure that we retain the large-scale commercial farming system that we have. The reason is that it is supposed to be efficient, effective in food security and create jobs.
However, what drives land reform in South Africa is land redistribution. That is what drives land reform here. There is a huge gap between those who own land ...
IsiXhosa:
... ndicinga ukuba uMNtwana uyithethile loo nto. Isizathu kukuba abamye banomhlaba omninzi ngelilixa abanye bengenamhlaba. Le nto ibangela ukuba umahluko phakathi kwabantu abanezinto nabantu abangenazinto uye usiba mkhulu. Yiloo nto ebangele ukuba sithi makuhlengahlengiswe umhlaba ukuze kubekho ukulingana kwabantu ekubeni ngabanini bomhlaba. Xa abantu belingana ngokuba ngabanini bomhlaba bazakukwazi ukuvelisa, batye ukanti bakwazi nokuthengisa. Ngalo ndlela uyakutsho uvaleke umsantsa phakathi kwabantu abanezinto nabo bangenazinto.
Ngoko ke, le nto yokuthi xa sihlengahlengisa ubunini bomhlaba sakube siphazamisa imveliso asiyonyaniso. Umzekelo, ukuba abantu baseMzantsi Afrika bathe xa bexoxa ngeli Phepha loGayo-zimvo banoluvo lokuba ubukhulu bomhlaba wokuvelisa – le nto bathi ngesiNgesi yi-large-scale commercial farming – ngama-1000 eehektare, oko kukuthi ushishino ngomhlaba olunengeniso. Loo nto ke ithetha ukuba ukuba uNkwinti ungumnini weehektare ezingama-2000, uNkwinti kufuneka anikezele ngeliye iwaka leehektare aze agcine iwaka elinye elinokuthi mhlawumbi libekwe njengomda ziingxoxo eziza kubakho eMzantsi Afrika.
Kodwa ke, loo nto akufuneki ithethe ukuba iwaka eli uNkwinti anikezele ngalo, umzekelo kutata uMokgoro, liza kuba yilahleko kwimveliso.
English:
It is not lost to production; it is retained. What has changed is the ownership pattern. The production pattern itself should remain. Whether it is foreign land ownership or national land ownership, the principle is going to be the same. Whether it is a black person or a white person, the principle is going to the same. So, there shouldn't be any problem around this.
With regard to the second issue of Land Tenure Security Bill, we have strongly introduced the concept of relative rights. The reason is that there are three classes of rights on the farm. For example, there is a worker who is a commuter, and this is a widespread phenomenon in South Africa today.
IsiXhosa:
Bemkile abantu ezifama, bahlala elokishini okanye ezilalini. Kodwa ke, bayathuthwa yonke le mihla baye kusebenza ezifama ze babuye baze kuhlala kwasezilokishini okanye ezilalini.
English:
This is the done so that the farmer doesn't have the responsibility of habitation.
The second class of rights is the one that relates to the people who are both dwellers and workers on the farm. This is a class of rights because these people are not only workers who have to be taken care of in terms of the Labour Relations Act, but they are also dwellers on the farm. This is the question of tenure. Therefore the second thing in terms of the protection of rights is the enhancement of security of tenure of the person who is a dweller on the farm.
The third one is production discipline. You would have noticed that production discipline runs across all these things; whether we are talking about the Bill or we are talking about the Green Paper. The reason is that we want to deracialise the rural economy. Issues of race are diminishing. The more we give black people land, the more they will become effective in production, and the less the issue of race it is going to be, and the more will the issues of class come to the fore in a more pronounced manner. Therefore, issues of race and farm size are not really going to be much of a problem as we move forward.
Lastly, I would like to talk about the institutional support system. In this regard, we have talked about a land management commission. Hon members will note that – even this year I'm sure - the department will be qualified by the audit. The reason is that we don't have and are unable to produce a credible asset register for land. Frankly, we don't know which land belongs to the state. But we must know. This is because land is a national asset and does not have to be declared. There is no nationalisation here; there is a conceptual issue here. The hon member from ID talked about this point. Land is a national asset.
If one goes to the United States of America, one will find that the United States of America is defined in terms of land. The United Kingdom is defined in terms of land. South Africa is defined in terms of land space; it's a national asset. We are not talking about nationalisation, but we are saying it's our heritage; it's our asset as a nation. We must therefore have an institutional mechanism of protecting and, in fact, even establishing and maintaining the integrity of land as a national asset. So, this is what we mean when we say land is a national asset. We are not talking about nationalisation. Hon members must not get worried about this.
Furthermore, what we are saying is that the land management commission must be established in order for us to be able to ensure - through it - that we know every piece of land that belongs to the state. Secondly, we are saying that the state will have the first right of refusal when a private individual sells his or her land. This is where the question of integrity of the national asset comes in. One cannot just sell land. People just sell land anywhere to anybody. If one does not manage the asset, our heritage, then we don't know what postcolonial reconstruction and development means.
We wish that hon members would support this one. We wish that you would support this proposal because through this land management commission, we, as South Africans, will be able to definitively say: This is what belongs to South Africa; this land. Thank you very much, hon Chair. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr R J Tau)
The MINISTER OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr R J Tau):. Hon Minister, Deputy Minister and MECs present, there is a subject for debate which is on Africa Day. Yours is finished. But if you feel like being part of the House, you are welcome. If you have some other business to attend to, you are also welcome to go and attend to that business.
Hon members, may I take the opportunity to welcome the hon Deputy Minister S van der Merwe, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, who will then introduce the subject matter for discussion. You are welcome Deputy Minister. [Applause.]
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND CO-OPERATION
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr R J Tau)
AFRICA DAY: Democracy, Unity, Peace and Prosperity in Africa.
(Subject for Discussion)
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND CO-OPERATION: Chairperson of the House; Ministers and Deputy Ministers - they all seem to have left – MECs - I'm not quite sure - hon members of Parliament, members of this House, it is really a great honour for me to be here and have the opportunity to open the debate on the occasion of the celebration of the 47th Africa Day celebration.
It was on 25 May 1963 when the leaders of 32 African independent states signed this charter on the establishment of the organisation of African unity. All these years later, Africa Day celebrations present us with an opportunity to take stock of the continent's pursuit towards the realisation of a united, peaceful and prosperous Africa captured in today's theme.
As you would all know, the vision of African unity was championed from as early as the 19th century, and many great African leaders expanded on this vision in the ensuing years. It is important for us to remember this history and its importance of what Africa Day is now within the context of African unity and its contribution to the liberation struggle of the countries of the continent, and in particular, our own country, South Africa.
It is a well-documented fact now how the Organisation of African Unity, OAU, the precursor to the African Union, prioritised the decolonisation of Africa as its main objective. The OAU had, all those years ago, decided to establish the African Liberation Support Committee, ALSC. The people of Africa, within the framework of the OAU Charter, took a conscious and deliberate decision to wage a united struggle against colonialism and apartheid. Our fellow Africans, in collaboration with progressive forces throughout the world, steadfastly supported our liberation movements as we fought to end the abhorrent system of apartheid in our country. It was in the pursuit of African Unity that apartheid in South Africa became internationally isolated from the 1960s until its demise in the 1990s. We recall with pride and gratitude the role of the Frontline States, FLS, whose leaders and people were at the forefront of this campaign. These Frontline States subsequently went on to form, as you will recall, the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference, SADCC, which then transformed into the Southern African Development Community, SADC, the regional organisation as we know it today.
It was against this background that the ANC was granted observer status in the OAU. President Zuma reminded us during his closing remarks at the assembly of the 13th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit in Libya in July last year, when he said:
South Africa, guided by the oldest liberation movement in Africa, the ANC, has a long and a proud tradition of working for African Unity.
I'm proud to say that in 2012, this oldest liberation movement will turn 100 years old. The President went on to remind us of the role that President Mandela and the late OR Tambo played in the process of the establishment of the OAU, the launch of which was attended by none other than our ANC President, President Tambo. It will further be recalled that it was OR Tambo who was instrumental in crafting the well-known Harare Declaration which laid down a statement of principles and modalities for negotiations in South Africa which was adopted by the OAU Assembly in August 1989. This declaration paved way for our negotiated political settlement.
The 26th ordinary session of the OAU Heads of State and Government held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in July 1990, carried out a critical review of Africa's political, social and economic situation informed by the rapidly changing international environment and further committed itself to enhancing the promotion of democracy on the continent. This was the period during which we in South Africa were undergoing our own transition through the multiparty negotiations at Convention for a Democratic South Africa, Codesa, in Kempton Park, which resulted ultimately in the establishment of our own constitutional democracy. Our path to democracy was underpinned by this change that took place in the development of the OAU when the OAU transformed into the African Union.
This brief historic account emphasises, I believe, the place of global changes in the decisions taken by African leaders at that time that the OAU be transformed into African Union in order for the continent to address and to meet the challenges of our modern era.
In the process of the transformation from the OAU to African Union, Nepad was conceived. South Africa was one of the initial architects of Nepad, with the primary objective to eradicate poverty and to place African countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of peace, stability, democracy and sustainable growth and development.
Since we achieved our democracy, we have committed ourselves anew to working towards the realisation of this vision of a united, peaceful and prosperous Africa. We have done so mindful of the high expectations that SADC, Africa and the world has on our emerging democratic country. South Africa has had to transform from a pariah state to a responsible global citizen. We have had also to play our role in the transformation from the OAU to Africa Union, which was launched in Durban in July 2002, and South Africa thus took on the historic mantle to become the first chair of the African Union.
The Constitutive Act of the African Union provides for the acceleration of the African integration agenda. This agenda is predicated on the same vision of a united, peaceful and prosperous Africa. You will all recall our contribution through our people and our leadership, with other like-minded countries, to the establishment of Nepad, the continent's programme for socio-economic development. Through Nepad, Africa has also managed to expand development priorities and allowed for Africa to take ownership of its own development and success. Development and funding in critical sectors such as agriculture, ICT, science and technology, infrastructure and education has revitalised the continent in many aspects and allowed for significant improvements in the quality of life for millions of Africans. It has, we believe, unleashed a progressive renewal agenda which needs to be sustained to bring the vision of Nepad to fruition.
Linked to Nepad was the establishment of the African Peer Review Mechanism, APRM, in order to improve economic, corporate and political governance on the continent. This was informed by our understanding that good economic, corporate and political governance is central to the implementation of Nepad to improve the living conditions of our people. It not only sets the standard for mutual accountability, but plays a major role in accelerating political, economic and social reform on the continent.
Our country has been active in efforts to bring about peace and stability also on the continent. We have engaged in peace-keeping operations together with peace-building measures in support of the African agenda, as well as playing an important mediation and facilitation role in countries such as Burundi, DRC, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, CÔte d'Ivoire and Zimbabwe, to name a few.
We have used our own experience of reaching a negotiated settlement and creating a progressive constitutional democratic state to work with other states currently in conflict situations and share our experiences. South Africa, with its limited resources, has invested in assisting countries on the continent to set up institutions which entrench the culture and practice of democracy, such as our own Independent Electoral Commission's participation in many election observation missions; building governance capacity by assisting in the establishment of functioning civil services; and utilising South Africa's experience and expertise in Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development, PCRD, programmes on the continent. I think we can be proud of these achievements.
This we do in concert with our civil society, think-tanks and the private sector. You will recall that the statute of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council, Ecosocc, which was adopted by the African Union provides for the establishment of country chapters of Ecosocc. In this regard, we continue to enhance the civil society participation in the processes of the union in partnership with the Ecosocc-SA Chapter.
There have been successes and challenges which accompanied this endeavour. However, we continue to support the peaceful resolution of conflicts, knowing very well that there will be no development without peace and stability on the continent. We realise we need to maximise our collective efforts in realising Africa's vision of a peaceful continent. Thus, the Tripoli Plan of Action was adopted by the African heads of state and government and outlines specific commitments aimed at accelerating the resolution of conflict and crisis situations, as well as consolidating peace where it has been achieved.
Further to this, the African Union has declared 2010 as the year of peace and security in Africa at a special summit held in Libya last year to strengthen peace-making efforts across the continent. The year of peace and security will culminate on 21 September this year, which is the International Day of Peace and Security. We believe this provides an opportunity for all of Africa to come together and prove to the world that peace on our continent is indeed possible.
I raise all these issues to challenge you in this debate today to reflect on the continent's past and present and to map out a way forward towards African unity and prosperity. We must do a critical assessment of our role on the continent and the current status of Africa. The question we should be able to answer at the end of this debate is: How do we intend to move forward from this current situation, considering the lessons we draw from our past?
We acknowledge that much still needs to be done towards the realisation of this important vision. Having registered considerable gains in the consolidation of democracy in Africa, it is disheartening to experience the re-emergence of unconstitutional change of governments most recently. The question is: How do we start to work towards the prevention of this contradiction to our vision? It is my belief that we can bring lasting peace and stability by intensifying conflict prevention mechanisms. At times there are warning signs which alert us of a potential conflict, but in some cases we have not responded adequately. This is a serious weakness in the overall African Peace and Security Architecture. We may also need to further strengthen the African Union's sanction regime and revisit certain mechanisms such as the Lomė Declaration of 2000.
Let me conclude by reminding us all about the big theme of this year's Africa Day celebration, which is "Building and Maintaining Peace through Sport in Africa". This is happening as South Africa and the rest of Africa prepare to host the 2010 Fifa World Cup in just two weeks time - and I see not one vuvuzela here and only one South African scarf, including myself.
This sporting event presents Africa with a unique opportunity to harness the power of sport for the promotion of peace and security in diverse communities, in environments where personal security is a challenge and in countries with conflict and postconflict situations. Let us ensure that Africa takes advantage of this opportunity to encourage a developmental legacy across the continent, speed up economic growth and halve poverty and unemployment by 2014. "Ke Nako!" The time is now. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Mr D D GAMEDE
DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND CO-OPERATION
Mr D D GAMEDE: Chair, hon Deputy Minister, it is really Africa Day today. It is Africa my continent, our continent, our home, our land and home for the ANC and everybody.
May I start by quoting what other leaders and writers have said. I will start by quoting David J Francis in a book Uniting Africa:
The wave of decolonisation started with the independence of Sudan in 1956, and was rapidly followed by the freedom from colonial rule of more than 30 states.
All these liberties were moved by Pan-Africanism.
Marcus Garvey, in his track Back to Africa Movement, also played an influential role in raising the consciousness of African nationalism.
Another African leader, Kwame Nkrumah, in the book Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism, said:
We are Africans first and last, and as Africans, our best interest can only be served by uniting within an African community
Chairperson, this day is also made profoundly significant by the fact that after centuries of slavery, political, racial, economic and ethics subjudication, the people of Africa could still remain adamant in their quest for carving a destiny of unity and solidarity. It is a day that rallied leaders of the continent to establish a shared vision for the people of Africa. It is a day that demonstrated the resilience of the African people and their determined yearning for a prosperous Africa.
Indeed many people would ask a relevant question on how far the African continent is in implementing the visions and aspirations as articulated in 1963 when the OAU was formed. This is a pertinent question that, if taken lightly, can lead one to misguided presuppositions that do not understand the profound impact of colonialism and apartheid towards African people.
The founding fathers of the African Union saw peace and security as essential preconditions for translating the determination of achieving unity and progress in our continent. To them peaceful settlements of disputes by negotiations, mediation, conciliation and arbitration and adherence to the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provided a solid foundation for peaceful and positive co-operation among states.
Underlying all these objectives was a realisation of the need to ensure sustainable economic development through co-ordination and co-operation in various sectors. These essential components constitute the vision that inspired the founding of the OAU, which, I may add, was later changed to the African Union. It is a vision which, though couched in the perspective of the realities of the early '60s, contains a fundamental framework which has remained valid and relevant even today.
Indeed, as the ANC, we are concerned about the wars engulfing our continent and the continued mutilation and abuse of women and children in some parts of Africa. As you will note, the ANC government has made a priority to mediate peaceful settlements in countries such as Sudan. We will remain committed to ensuring that the people of Africa live in peace and that they are able to resolve their political differences with no acts of violence or civil war.
We acknowledge that peaceful settlements of political and civil disputes provide an inspiration and dynamism for unity and economic prosperity in a continent. As the ANC, we have made it clear that the end of the liberation struggle compels us to direct all our efforts to tackling the task of socioeconomic development and building credible institutions and systems for democracy.
We are also concerned that many African states are still battling with addressing their political differences through democratic processes. Political violence continues to escalate the problem of refugees and undermines any efforts to promoting basic human and people's rights, as well as fostering democratic governance in our continent.
We are indeed concerned about the levels of literacy and the state of education in many states in Africa. For a prosperous Africa, we need to work tirelessly to transform our education system and expand access for poor communities. We need to ensure that our education system produces learners with the knowledge and technical skills that will enable us to fill the skills gap facing our prospects of building a prosperous Africa.
However, we can say without any fear of contradiction that our continent has overcome many constraints since the establishment of the OAU. As the ANC, we take comfort in the fact that our continent has made noticeable successes in redressing the legacy of colonialism and apartheid in our continent. For example, the signing of the Abuja Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community a year after the promulgation of the 1990 declaration was a further manifestation of the determination of African countries to advance our collective destiny and the reaffirmation of a strong faith in each other. It marked a resolute effort aimed at consolidating our political unity by fostering closer economic co-operation and integration amongst the people of Africa.
The creation of a mechanism for conflict prevention management and resolution by another solemn declaration of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Cairo in 1993 was, thus, an important achievement in our quest to ensure the wellbeing of our people.
It is encouraging to observe that all initiatives that are currently being undertaken to resolve conflicts in Africa are being led by Africans themselves. Indeed, despite various hurdles to be overcome, there are positive developments in many of these conflict areas which signal prospects for democracy, unity, peace and prosperity in Africa. As the ANC, we remain firm in our conviction to work tirelessly with the people of Africa to advance our continent. We are truly convinced that the prospects of attaining the vision espoused by the founding fathers of Africa are increasingly becoming brighter and nearer.
My last quotation is from a book by Alfred Nhema and Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, The Resolution of African Conflict: The management of Conflict Resolution and Post-Conflict Resolution:
Any attempt to resolve conflicts in Africa has to take into account the root causes of some of the current problems in Africa. The role of the external power has been cited as one of the main causes of African conflict.
One may add here and say that the West is always at war. However, this is never in the West but in Africa. When music is played in London and New York, people in Accra, Bulawayo, Tanzania, Blantyre and Pretoria should not dance. I thank you, Chair. [Applause.]
Mr T D HARRIS
Mr D D GAMEDE
Mr T D HARRIS: House Chairperson, MECs and hon members, I would like to thank the Deputy Minister for the compliments on the scarf. She will find that the DA is a patriotic opposition. I would also like to thank her for a very nice speech that she gave. But I am not quite sure how to respond and to debate to it, because I agree with just about everything she said.
Instead of reviewing the comprehensive history the Deputy Minister ran us through, let me rather look at a few aspects of her department's work in Africa that she didn't deal with. Her department has nine strategic objectives. I want to deal with three of them today, especially as they relate to our foreign policy. The first is to provide consular services to South African nationals abroad. Here I want to heartily congratulate the Deputy Minister on a job well done. I spent most of 2007 and 2008 travelling through 18 African countries on a personal mission to explore our continent. I travelled with two friends in an old truck, with a budget less than what most of the hon members sitting here probably spent on lunch today. We made hundreds of friends all over the continent. I am pleased to report that some of the best friends we made were the diplomats and staff of our foreign missions. They were - without fail - helpful, accommodating and friendly. I must, in particular thank the embassies in Gabon, Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal for their kind assistance, and the Deputy Minister for making sure that our missions were staffed with such excellent people.
The other two strategic objectives I want to deal with are the ones that concern protecting and promoting South African national interests and values and contributing to the formulation of international law and enhancing respect for its provisions. I believe that our government, led by the Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, is failing in these objectives. On the continent of Africa, these failures amount to an abandonment of moral leadership.
The fact that we have a leadership role to play on the continent is uncontested. The Minister herself has stressed this. But that this leadership role should include moral leadership is also clear to me. The father of our nation, Nelson Mandela, in 1994 promised South Africa and the world that human rights would be the light that guides our foreign affairs. Yet today these rights are left out in the dark as we have abandoned the role of moral leadership in African foreign affairs.
Let me tell you why. Last week a Malawian court sentenced Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga to 14 years hard labour for unnatural acts and gross indecency under an Act that dated from colonial days. Their crime was that they expressed love for each other, which they committed to publicly at a same sex ceremony in December last year. Notwithstanding the clear directive in our Constitution that no one should be discriminated against on the grounds of private, consensual, adult sexual relations, the department's silence on this matter has been deafening. And by remaining silent they failed to protect and promote South African national interests and values.
In comparison, dozens of other states and organisations have condemned the sentence. Unfortunately, our government has a proud history of failing to protect and promote principles we adhere to at home in our foreign affairs. In 2008, a Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity was brought to the United Nations. Amongst other things, it called on states to take all the necessary measures to ensure that sexual orientation may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties.
About 67 countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Gabon, Mauritius and Guinea-Bissau signed this declaration, yet South Africa - with our liberal Constitution - has not signed it. It is worth noting that the countries that opposed this declaration included such bastions of human rights such as Iran, North Korea, Syria, Swaziland, Sudan and Zimbabwe. I would appreciate the Minister's views on which side our government is on. This is because domestically we stand proud as one of only seven countries that have no official heterosexist discrimination. But our foreign policy practices urgently need to be aligned with our country's constitutional principles.
In Mauritania, Sudan and northern Nigeria, homosexuality can be punishable by death – silence from the department. Last week Zimbabwean police raided the headquarters of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe and arrested two activists who had dared to display a letter they had received that was critical of Mugabe's homophobia. They have been denied access to lawyers – no comment from the department.
In another example, in Uganda, offenders can gain a maximum of life imprisonment for homosexual acts and legislation changing this to the death penalty is before their Parliament. Yet our government responds not by speaking out against this, but by sending a known homophobe, Jon Qwelane, to be our ambassador there. In just over an hour's time, the Deputy Minister will reply to this debate. I challenge her to respond to all of the concerns raised by all the speakers in this debate.
In recent days, my party's leaders have called on this government to renounce the prosecution of the Malawian men and the criminalisation of private, consensual adult sexual relations. [Interjections.]
The policy of the DA on homosexuality is that we respect the rights of people to practice what they like behind their closed bedroom doors.
I call on the Deputy Minister, in her reply to this debate, to break the department's deafening silence on the recent human rights abuses in Malawi and to commit the South African state to signing the UN Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity as soon as possible. By doing these things she will start to lead us out of the darkness and back onto the course of moral leadership in African foreign policy that Tata Mandela set us on 16 years ago. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mrs M C DIKGALE
Mr T D HARRIS
Mrs M C DIKGALE: Hon Chairperson, hon members, distinguished guests, Africa Day is a celebration of a continent that has given so much to us. It is Africa that fought so bravely with the ANC and other liberation movements against the apartheid regime so that as equal to any other, we could exercise our sovereignty as a nation. We will forever be indebted to the continent and its people for the support. The Africa of which we speak is a cradle of humanity and it has given humanity her civilisation and continues to hold unlimited opportunities for the future.
In 1963, at the epoch-making conference to establish the OAU, leaders such as Nyerere, Kaunda, Naser, Nkrumah and others with their rich and unfailing fountain of wisdom made the following commitment.
The purpose of the organisation shall be to promote unity and solidarity of the African states and to intensify their co-operation and efforts to achieve a better life for the people of Africa.
Our then President of the ANC, Oliver Tambo, had the following to say on that watershed day:
The Organisation of African Unity is one of the most hopeful symbols of African aspiration and determination to carve a proper place for our continent in the world.
To us, the sentiment of African solidarity and unity is deeply rooted, and it has always found expression in our movement. The song Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, composed by an African man, Enoch Sontonga, in 1903, became the national anthem of the ANC and contributed to the north of our borders – Zimbabwe- for a period and Zambia to this day. This anthem was inspired by the moving ideal of African brotherhood and sisterhood, an outlook expressed by our slogan "Mayibuye i-Afrika".
We are all too aware of the sordid record of colonialism and what it did to the African continent; from slavery, which robbed Africa of her able-bodied and healthy men and women to imperialism and colonialism, which pillaged and plundered her raw materials that destroyed her culture, traditional agriculture and domestic food security. These ventures and escapades on the continent by colonialists took place on the premise that as Africans, we were not equal to the colonial master. For them Africans were subhumans.
Neocolonialism perpetuated and reinforced the exploitation of the continent while creating a self-serving and greedy elite, whose only interest was the accumulation of wealth and the strengthening of their positions in the global balance of forces. Unstable political systems such as military dictatorships that followed only served to plunge the continent into a process of intractable conflicts, genocide and civil wars. This resulted in the displacement of millions and refugee populations, especially women and children. These, coupled with the unfavourable terms of trade, international debt, declining development assistance, lack of foreign direct investment, malaria, HIV and Aids and poor governance, led to the marginalization of the continent from the global economy.
Notwithstanding all these, a new generation of African leaders emerged on the continent - a leadership that is hard at work to create conditions where security, peace, stability, multiparty democracy, human rights and emancipation of women are the norm rather than an exception. This is where people themselves will regain sovereignty to determine their destiny.
The economic recovery of Africa can be traced back to the 1990s when the then OAU mandated the then Presidents - Mbeki of South Africa, Bouteflika of Algeria and Obasanjo of Nigeria - to work on a plan for economic rejuvenation to address the principal development challenge facing the continent. They were later joined by President Wade of Senegal and Mubarak of Egypt. Extensive consultation took place with their colleagues inside and outside the continent, in international financial institutions, multilateral institutions, business and the civil society. They worked closely with their regional counterparts and identified the following areas as deserving the undivided attention of the continent and constituting the basis for the Millennium Africa Recovery Programme. The areas are as follows: peace, security and governance; investing in Africa's people; the diversification of Africa's production; investing in information communication technology; basic infrastructure; and developing financing mechanisms.
The economic programme was to be later extended into a more comprehensive programme - Nepad - which the African Union endorsed and is giving considerable time and resources to its functioning and success. The success of Nepad will be judged on its ability to substantially reduce poverty, which is disproportionately affecting women and children. Part of this programme is to ensure gender mainstreaming in public policies.
The information technology revolution is a driving force. The information gap between the continent and the rest of the world determines who has, to a large extent, access to knowledge, ideas and information that drives development. Africa's contribution to international trade lies with her raw materials. In this knowledge-based economy, it is more imperative to work towards the benefaction of her products, thereby adding value and ensuring the exportation of finished products. Developed countries have demonstrated their commitment to help Africa to close the digital gap through specific projects.
With regard to women in Africa, the incontestable reality is that "African" isinseparably interwoven with the emancipation of African women. She, who has single-handedly and disproportionately borne all the ills of the continent, deserves a frontline position in the battalion for the rebirth of our continent. The leadership in Africa can only ignore at their peril the enormous contribution of more than half of the continent's people. Women have given so magnanimously in the sustenance of the continent, intellectually, politically and socially. Their creative energy, resilience and organisational skills will indeed ensure that this century belongs to Africa.
Seeing into the future in 1961, President Luthuli, the visionary President of the ANC, had the following to say about the continent's rebirth:
Let me invite Africa to cast her eyes beyond the past and to some extent the present, with their woes and tribulations, trials and failures, and some success, and see herself an emerging continent, bursting to freedom through the shell of centuries ofserfdom.
In conclusion, Africa Day instils in us a sense of responsibility to improve the quality of life of all people affected in critical areas of socioeconomic life. It provides a moment to renew our commitment to ourselves, the African continent and our shared heritage and destiny. We join our Africans in renewing our pledge to work together for the rebirth and renewal of the African continent and the advancement of Africans, wherever they may be. We recommit ourselves to work with other Africans in our region and the rest of our continent to promote the achievement of the goal of African unity.
Sepedi:
Motho ke motho ka batho. Ke a leboga, Modulasetulo. [Legoswi.] [A person is a person because of other people. Thank you, Chairperson.] [Applause.]
Pastor E V DUBE (KwaZulu-Natal)
Mrs M C DIKGALE
Pastor E V DUBE (KwaZulu-Natal): Chair, hon members, MECs, Deputy Minister, this day is indeed being celebrated at a very opportune time when South Africa is about to show the world how we will deal with Mexico in our first game. The celebration of this day is thus the acknowledgement of the progress that we as Africa have made while we are also aware of the challenges we are facing in the global environment.
This day marks another point of introspection for us in looking deep down within ourselves whether we have been able to cross the barrier of the past era that was characterized by political instability, poverty and underdevelopment in our lovely continent, Africa.
In his remarks on 31 May 2007 in welcoming Africa Day, the UN Secretary, Ban Ki-moon, said that this day provides an opportunity to reflect on the continent's prospects for taking stock of its problems and acknowledging its achievements. I want to reiterate in this House and emphasise that when we speak about democracy, unity, peace and prosperity in Africa, we are speaking about South Africa. We are indeed speaking about the leadership of the ANC that has been tried and tested in democracy, unity and peace. As we look at the subjects of democracy, unity and peace, we are striving to fully realize and get the results of prosperity. We must not forget the devastation that is being inflicted by HIV and Aids, including its alarming spread amongst women, thus surely reversing past developments and things we have gained. We must strive at this age of democracy to protect those who are infected and affected by using our spirit of "umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu". [A person is a person because of other people.]
One cannot look down upon important steps taken by our government towards consolidating peace in Africa. This includes our involvement as a country in Madagascar, Zimbabwe and Sudan, to mention but a few. This is to ensure that there is a notable democratic process that will give birth to peace, uniting Africa towards a destination of prosperous Africa.
We are also aware and notice the violence that is still taking place in the small pockets of some countries in our continent, which is motivated by intolerance amongst human lives. Indeed, there is a definite need to find political solutions through democratic means in those areas that are facing crises that are afflicting our people in our beloved Africa. I fully agree with Kofi Annan when he says that the continent will have a bright future if its people will stand tall.
Today, we pride ourselves for hosting the World Cup. Of course this puts us at the centre of global attention. We can surely attribute the foreseen GDP growth rate of about 5% by the end of this year, as indicated by the African Development Bank, ADB, and the International Monetary Fund, IMF. This can be attributed to our democracy, unity, peace and prosperity that we strive for as a country through the mechanism of mature leadership, obviously, of the ANC in South Africa. One cannot fail to comment on growth in trade within Africa and with partners including the Global South.
In making sure that democracy, peace, unity and prosperity in Africa are entrenched and enhanced, we'll fulfil the dreams of our forefathers - the likes of Nkwame Nkrumah, Nkosi Albert Luthuli and the one and only Tata Madiba.
There are notable strides and undeniable achievements when one has to compare what Bill Clinton did when he was still president. Looking at his mission in 1998 in Accra, Ghana, he said that from Kampala to Cape Town and from Dakar to Dar es Salaam, Africans are being stirred by new hope for democracy, peace and prosperity. Challenges remain, but they must be aware that there is a call for action; there's no cause to despair. He said people must draw strength from the past and energy from the promise of a new future.
I want to conclude and close by saying that the ANC will make sure that we keep peace. We'll build democracy so that we'll have a prosperous Africa. I thank you. [Applause.]
Dr I MEYER
Pastor E V Dube
Dr I MEYER (MEC for Social Development: Western Cape): Chairperson, hon members, good afternoon. As we meet on this special day, we rededicate ourselves to the common desire and aspirations that inspired African leaders to commit themselves to work. Today I will speak about specific work for the continent – work towards the total liberation of our continent and the tireless struggle for equality, justice and progress for all.
Today we also remember the efforts that went into transforming our continent. Like my hon colleague, I have also travelled the continent, and many members in this House can testify to the great pleasure it is to travel the great continent of Africa. Therefore, my next career will involve travelling around the continent.
We cannot but remember the great leaders of Africa such as Julius Nyerere, and I was also very happy to see him speaking in this Parliament. We also remember Nelson Mandela, as well as a former member of Parliament, the late Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert, and many others who dedicated their lives to save the lives of so many other people on this continent.
It is also of critical importance to ask ourselves what it is that we are doing in the Western Cape to create a better life for people in the Western Cape. We are committed to live the dream of an open society as contained in the preamble to the Constitution of South Africa. Page one of the Constitution of South Africa commits us to an open society. That society, we believe, is one in which people have choices, take personal responsibility and can excel.
So, colleagues,...
Afrikaans:
... dit is ook 'n bekende feit dat die provinsiale regering poog om alles in werking te stel om die provinsie 'n wêreldklas provinsie te maak. Dit, op sigself, stel geweldige hoë eise, veral ten opsigte van die ontwikkeling van dienslewering oor die hele spektrum van die administrasie, deur gemotiveerde en gewillige amptenary.
English:
Hon members of this House, I believe deeply in a modern, African public service. A modern, African public service is one in which we give content and meaning to the spirit of Batho Pele. Batho Pele means "we share, we care and we belong". But people must experience this when they go to Home Affairs, Sassa or any of the other government departments. This is a great challenge. We are not there yet.
We are also proud of what we have done and achieved in the Western Cape in the areas of HIV/Aids, malaria and TB. We are also proud to have a world-class hospital – Red Cross Children's Hospital – not only for the Western Cape, but for the continent of Africa.
Afrikaans:
Agb lede, met sy ryk verskeidenheid van intellektuele dryfkrag, gee dié provinsie die toon aan waarby die land en Afrika groot baat kan vind. Ook op die pad van die tegnologie het die Wes-Kaap reeds sy bydrae gemaak.
English:
I believe in the people of Africa. I have travelled the continent and I have also led a Commonwealth delegation of East and Southern African countries 18 years ago. It is because of my love for Africa that I coedited a book on public and development management for Africa. But my love for Africa does not blind me to the challenges we face.
I'm equally not shy to boast about our rights and our historical, cultural and community value systems. Whenever I meet foreigners, I take the liberty to explain why we, despite all the obstacles and shortcomings, are a nation proud of our history and our culture. I am proud when I tell them about the first African who paid $20 million to fly into space.
I am also proud of the many organisations in South Africa that are excelling in their work. Last week, Dr Rhoda Kadalie, at an awards ceremony, presented certificates to people who, despite all the odds, delivered excellence. The people took part in this certificate ceremony were not only from across the Western Cape but were in fact from different parts of the country's different provinces. Although we have pockets of excellence, we believe we have to fast-track a culture of rewarding excellence. I am deeply worried that at times we get the impression that we reward mediocrity.
Therefore, Africa also needs to take serious stock of why development aid has not worked. We don't have the time to go into why development aid is not helping Africa. But there is a great book – The Architects of Poverty – that helps us understand why development aid is not working in Africa.
There is another great book – Dead Aid, by Dambisa Moyo – that explains in great detail why development aid is not working in Africa. Moyo, who is from Lusaka, believes – and I share this view – that if we stop development aid in Africa, a new spirit of entrepreneurship will be ignited.
My plea is therefore that we must create opportunities in and for Africa. We must not put Africa on sale to China, to India or to America. We must find African solutions to African problems; we must celebrate what we have already achieved in the 2010 Fifa World Cup. we must invest more in the protection of our children and women on the African continent; and we must recognise and reward our many social entrepreneurs.
Now, I want to ask this House to take the lead in convincing the African Union and the Pan-African Parliament to start a new project to give Africa life - the manufacturing of a car, a motor vehicle. One could start with North Africa and arrange a competition to encourage the North African students to design the car. Then one could go to West Africa and get the West African students design the interior of the car for competition purposes. Then one could have a competition in East Africa for the design of the electrical parts of the car. And one could come to South Africa, where the engine of the car could be manufactured. In this way, we can we have a car for Africa. We can export things. Millions of people can buy cars. Africa, thus, doesn't have to import cars; we can export cars. If you want to be a great continent, Africa, come alive! Manufacture a car. The technology is so simple. You can take the brain power in this room and can manufacture a car in the back of your yard! Africa, come alive! I greet Africa. I dream of a day when I can drive in an African car.
Malaysia is now manufacturing a car called Proton. The Chinese are manufacturing a car called Chana. I dream of a day when I no longer drive a car from Germany but a car from the great continent of Africa. I believe that, if you give my passion for Africa the content that hon Tim Harris has spoken of, we can make Africa come alive. I thank you.
Mr K A SINCLAIR
Dr I MEYER
Mr K A SINCLAIR: Chairperson, at the recent dinner in Limpopo, the hon Chairperson of this House, Mahlangu, raised the most critical question regarding today's very topical debate on Africa. He asked, "What went wrong with Africa?" I want to add Cope's voice to that question.
A continent alive with opportunities, wealth and prosperity, but in all reality, a continent that cannot rid itself from the stench of poverty, the hardship of oppression, the images of fruitless wars and dictatorships, crippling disease and the looting of state resources. Because of this, Afro-pessimism labels Africa as the dark continent of the world.
But on the eve of hosting the biggest and most glorious sport event in the world and on behalf of Africa, South Africa can boast as a nation that we have paved the way for millions of Africans. By presenting alternatives, creating hope and building a future built on the principles of freedom, respect, and equality, South Africa, through qualitative leadership influenced by, inter alia, Nelson Mandela, F W de Klerk and Thabo Mbeki and implemented by many respectful and credible leaders, became a beacon of hope. That was through decisive leadership!
The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from Kenya, Wangari Maathai, remarked:
One of the major tragedies of postcolonial Africa is that the African people have trusted their leaders, but only a few of those leaders have honoured that trust.
The answer to our extremely relevant question is not far removed from this notion of credible leadership. Must Africa be satisfied with mediocre leaders that, in the name of liberalisation, destroy the principles of constitutions? Must Africa be satisfied to remain the skunk of the world whilst warlords, military juntas and the politically connected loot the wealth of their country? Or must we as Africans remain patient whilst the neglect of our people reflects in the rising infant mortality rate and the declining levels of our education? No, the voices of credible African leaders must fill the boardrooms and chambers of the world. Africa cannot remain the stepchild of the world, living on grants and handouts from the developed world. We must take responsibility for our future. I also want to drive an African car.
The reality that freedom brings responsibility must always be superior in our behaviour and conduct. This freedom also presents opportunities to us as Africans to make our place of birth and the home of our ancestors the continent of hope and prosperity. Through visionary leadership, the opportunities created by globalisation and climate change must be used. Credible institutions, a transparent and participative democracy, effective and efficient governance, commitment to all the people who elect us and other representatives on all spheres of government, must be the glue that cements us together.
But as leaders, we must reinstate the trust of the people who elected us. This is the answer to the question of hon Mahlangu. The majority of African leaders have betrayed the trust that their own people put in them. As Africans, we must put the interest of our continent and our people first again. Then only will we achieve sustainable democracy, unity, peace and prosperity in Africa. Interjections.] [Time expired.]
I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr J J GUNDA
Mr K A SINCLAIR
Mr J J GUNDA: House Chair and hon Deputy Minister, what is it to be an African? Being an African means embracing the rich diversity that makes up this beautiful continent. An African is also someone who feels solidarity with all the people of the continent and the enormous struggles that are being waged by them on a daily basis.
Despite the images that are continuously presented by those with an Afro-pessimistic outlook, this is a continent of hope, which is busy lifting itself up from centuries of abuse at the hands of slave merchants, colonialists and dictators who have all exploited Africa's wealth for their own ends.
The greatest challenge facing us in Africa now is to grow strong democratic and accountable institutions that can ensure that the immense wealth of this continent is no longer used to further the interest of elites, but rather that of the people themselves. The people of Africa need to be economically empowered. The wealth of Africa must belong to the people of Africa. This is a struggle we must never pull back from!
It is time for us to rebuild the strength of Africa by unlocking the resourcefulness of our people to overcome adversity and by giving the world the human face that it so desperately requires. Being African and being proud of that also demands a certain kind of behaviour from us.
We should at all times be guided by the principles of those that have led the way, like Steve Biko, Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, O R Tambo, Lillian Ngoyi, Kwame Nkrumah, Nelson Mandela and thousands of ordinary citizens that have fought for real freedom over centuries.
This means that the behaviour of our currently leading government's, front company Chancellor House in acquiring a majority share in the Maloma Colliery in Swaziland, must be condemned as an act that strengthens the authoritarian Swaziland monarchy and regime. Is this the ANC's response to amnesty international's call on the ANC government to take action against Swaziland over the death in detention of Swazi political activist Sipho Jele?
The South African government is fast becoming like those western governments that encourage democracy at home while at the same time propping up authoritarian nations oversees through a variety of selfish neocolonial policies and investments. I thank you, Chairperson.
Ms B S MOHLAKA
Mr J J GUNDA
Ms B S MOHLAKA: Chairperson and the Deputy Minister, the history of South Africa is tragic, and our future is opaque. Africa is currently the most impoverished and least developed part of the globe. Africa's population growth rate is increasing by the day, putting pressure on limited resources and leaving future generations of Africans with nothing but absolute poverty. Africa is very poor in term of education, economic improvement, infrastructure, health care, etc.
It is hoped that economic growth would help drag the African poor above the poverty line. However, so far economic growth has been highly uneven, benefiting the skilled and wealthy disproportionately. Many of Africa's rural poor are yet to receive any tangible benefit from Africa's economic growth. The global economic crisis has also impacted negatively on Africa's growth prospects and posed challenges for job creation and development.
On this year's celebration, let us think about the global economic picture and reflect on the reasons for the persistent and extreme poverty in many African countries. Let us not only say, but truly believe, that we will never be able to tackle the multiplicity of African problems in the face of poverty.
We are therefore calling on Nepad to channel the aid and investments to public education, health and the struggle against HIV, and to restoring roads, airports, ports, telecom infrastructures and water supply and sanitary.
There can be no development for future prosperity if African governments are failing to meet their MDGs and targets, which are aiming at improving Africa's vulnerable populace, including women, youth, children and the disabled.
Still, we are powerless. There are reasons why optimism should prevail over pessimism. Indeed, in this globalising world of unprecedented knowledge and skill, we have deep opportunity. The trend towards multiparty democracy, and thus peace, seems to be irreversible, and countries like China have identified Africa as an economic partner. All Africa needs right now are investors who will come and invest in Africa and create jobs, so that the poor mothers and fathers can get meaningful jobs to do in order to cater for themselves and their children. Solutions to the crisis facing the African continent should not be left to a few outside countries, but Africa should take a lead in tackling its own problems.
South Africa should be conscious of its privileged position in Africa, given our economic power and resources. Consequently, the opportunity to host the 2010 Fifa World Cup gives us further leverage in our attempts to elevate the African Agenda at global level. Up, Bafana Bafana, up! We must make the most of this wonderful opportunity, and ensure that the rest of the world realises what a beautiful and culturally unique continent Africa is. I thank you, Madam Chair. [Applause.]
Hon A J NYAMBI
Ms B S MOHLAKA
Mr A J NYAMBI: Chair, I am so fortunate because I get this opportunity to speak after the historic revival of the ANC in the past weekend in Mpumalanga. To those who are raising things like we can have an African car, that is not a bad idea. But as members here, some don't even have a gold watch, yet they are extracting gold from South Africa. To give you a brotherly advice, I will take what was said by Gandhi in his "seven things that can destroy us". Politics without principle; knowledge without character; pleasure without conscience; word without work; commerce without morality; religion without sacrifice; and science without humanity.
On 25 May 1963, several African states converged in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to establish the OAU with the view of creating a continental platform to debate the total liberation of the African continent. This was inspired by the spirit of unity and solidarity of all African people in addressing political and economic challenges facing the continent.
While the overall political objective of the OAU was to eradicate the remaining aspects of colonialism in the continent, African leaders who gathered in Addis Ababa had a vision to promote unity and solidarity of African states and socioeconomic and political co-operation, so as to stabilise Africa. Therefore, 25 May of each year has become a day on which Africa observes the creation of the OAU and pays tribute to African leaders who sought joint intervention to challenges which faced the African continent.
Even though in July 2002 the OAU was transformed into the African Union, 25 May remained the day on which Africa remembers the formation of the OAU and the intervention it made to advance the African cause. With its transformation into the African Union, the mandate was widened to include the promotion of democracy, human rights and economic development. Therefore, in celebrating Africa Day, we reflect on challenges of instability, underdevelopment and abuse of human rights in the continent and the collective efforts that are required to address these challenges. While recognising challenges and acknowledging advances made since the establishment of the OAU, we need to identify required collective interventions and confront the challenges.
Throughout the painful period of colonial domination, the necessary emergence of country-specific movements for national liberation within the boundaries defined by the colonial regime took place. The people of our continent never lost their sense of being African. Their shared suffering at the hands of colonial powers and the fact that they were united by their common struggle for national liberation reinforced the sense of a common identity as Africans. This sense of common identity was reinforced by the position that independent Africa took from the start - that no African country could be genuinely free until all African countries secured their liberation.
We salute the OAU for its contribution to this historic outcome. It established the political basis that informs the approach of its member states to the struggle for the total liberation of Africa, including our country. It created its own committee for liberation of Africa, the liberation committee which played a critical role as a partner of all African liberation movements, including the ANC. For us, the celebration of the OAU must necessarily also be a moment to pay special salute to the OAU Liberation Committee. This will give us the opportunity to acknowledge the early support we received from a number of African countries as soon as we reached out to them after the banning of our movement and the decision to resort to armed struggle.
The socioeconomic development of the continent involves both quantitative and qualitative changes in society. The concept of development involves both economic growth as well as the improvement of the living standards of the people. Both economic growth and socioeconomic development on the African continent could be best explained by developmental state policies.
With regard to developmental initiatives, the funding for African development has come all too often with structural adjustment programmes, which undermine the capacity of African states to realise economic development. These programmes require African governments to be more concerned about capital inflow at the expense of demand of its citizens.
A market-driven economic strategy has been imposed in many states as a development strategy, and this paradigm still dominates the continent. However, it is true to say that in the last two years, this paradigm has been challenged. We have emerging countries who have displayed the market-driven strategy, especially since the global economic crisis hit the continent. This has forced countries in Africa to rethink the essence of developmental economies - who drives this and how should it be funded.
There has been a widespread disillusionment with the neoliberal policies of international financial institutions. Instead of promoting development in Africa, these policies have exacerbated unemployment, poverty and marginalisation. States pursuing these policies have recorded positive economic growth while performing poorly in improving living conditions of the people in Africa.
During the course of the South African liberation struggle, sacrifices were made across the continent. This was a period during which the liberation movement received food, shelter and facilities from various countries to enhance its endeavour to destroy colonialism and apartheid in South Africa. In the same spirit with which fellow Africans acted in unity and solidarity to defeat colonialism and apartheid, they are now expected to act together to transform Africa into a peaceful and prosperous continent that is capable of resolving its own challenges and providing a better life for all.
The ANC joined the OAU in 1963, and our democratic government is part of the African Union because it views such structure as a forum where it can contribute to continental attempts to deepen the unity of Africa's diverse people and cultures and advance their common wellbeing. We have to encourage all African states to participate in these continental structures because this is where these states will develop a common understanding and approaches to challenges which continue to undermine peace and stability in the continent.
Africans need unity, and this unity can be effected by continental structures. It is these continental structures that are supposed to unite the people of the African continent through their uniform decisions. Uniting people around decisions will result in, among others, success, growth and strength of these continental structures.
In conclusion, within the context of promoting access to social justice on the African continent, we have to ensure that African states become relevant to people's lives. States have to facilitate the redistribution of wealth because democracy is meaningless without the fulfilment of economic aspirations of the people. Economic redistribution promotes redistributive and social justice.
Economic growth must result in qualitative development which considers the impact of such growth in relation to the change of the quality of life of a nation. Let us use Africa Day to debate these socioeconomic issues with the view to unite African people behind one economic vision that will produce both quantitative and qualitative development in the African continent. I thank you. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND CO-OPERATION
Mr A J NYAMBI
The DEPUTY MINISTER of INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS and CO-OPERATION: Chairperson, colleagues and hon members, thank you very much for a very engaging and lively debate. I wish I could come here a little bit more often because I think the kind of debate you have in this forum is very conducive to talking to one another, and I think it's important.
Let me also say how wonderful I thought it was that so many of you lifted up the comments and remarks made by great African leaders - Kwame Nkruma, Mulemo Nyerere, Marcus Gavi and, indeed, some of our adoptive heroes in Gandhi. I think that those things will stand us in very good stead as we talk to each into the future about where we plan to go with our continent.
Let me also say that I was very impressed with the practicality of the suggestions that came from many of our members, including discussions around education, health and the provision of conflicts. I think these are all extremely important points which we can take forward not only from our department's side, but also as a South African Parliament into the debate on where South Africa is going.
I also want to highlight something that I spent very little time on - but I think it is very important - which is the role of women in the whole process of developing the African continent. Our approach to diplomacy has always been to keep the doors open for discussion with everybody. It is no good only talk to your friends. We believe that we must remain engaged with the countries which do not agree with us so that we can persuade them of our views. This is why I'm so glad that the hon member of the DA was complimentary on the few of the things I said. Clearly, we had an effect in our persuasion of them about our views.
I also would like to thank the hon member about the compliment on the consular services. I think we have a very, very good cadre of diplomats working abroad, and sometimes they go unnoticed. I would like to pay tribute to those good ones out there that provide the services and contribute to our country in this way.
Let me underline as well that South Africa's foreign policy is based on its domestic priorities; this is very important. There are five key domestic priorities - you all know them - namely health, education, reduction of crime, rural development and decent jobs. This is what underpins the way in which we look at our international relations. In this sense, we have a Constitution which is paramount in our domestic policy. This is a Constitution that protects the rights of all people in our country and promotes the rights of all people. It looks at issues to protect people in every sphere of our lives, as underpinned by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Here we do enjoy respect for human rights of all people, including gender rights and rights of sexual orientation. I do not think that this country can be faulted on our approach in this regard. Every time somebody passes a law in another country that we disagree with, we do not necessarily comment on it. We use our diplomatic force and our diplomatic agenda to persuade them of our views on these matters underpinned by our Constitution. I do not believe that we can comment on every single law that we do not agree with in another country. But I think our record, particularly on sexual orientation, stands for itself. [Interjections.]
Well, I'm coming to that.
I also want to point out that there is no such thing as a declaration; you must get your facts right. There was indeed a statement made by one country in the United Nations, which some countries supported, but South Africa found it to be faulty and did not support it. It has no status of law at the United Nations and it does not hold any water. It was simply a statement made by some country which I don't know off hand what it was. There is no such thing as a declaration.
The next question, which I think is extremely important, was raised – I believe – by a member from the DA. South Africa does have a car which is called the "Joule" or the "Jol" or the "Yol" or the "Jouvielle". It is an emission-free car. It has been developed by our scientists in science and technology. It is under production in Cape Town as we speak. [Applause.] So, let's just remember that. [Laughter.] This is going to be a green eco-friendly car. We will hopefully drive it in the near future. The prototype has been designed; it is on the floor. The car is being developed as we speak.
The next question I want to address, which was raised by many people, is about the contribution of other big players in the world, such as China and India. Many people here, especially from the opposition, spoke about these countries in a negative sense. Let's face it. China and India are driving world growth. Should we not be partners with them in this driving of world growth? I think China and India offer an opportunity for South Africa - for our products and co-operation - in a way that no European or American markets can offer at this point. I think it is negative to suggest that China and India are only here to take our resources. We, as a stand alone sovereign country, should use the opportunities that we have through our diplomatic relationship with them to build our own economy. I think this is a very important point. Let's face it. Let's not talk about Africa - like some of you did - as "the dark continent", and so on. Africa has a young and growing population; not an old population like some other continents. Africa has a growing economy in a situation where many economies are in the doldrums. Africa also has resources and the potential to generate energy. I think we should use these as opportunities to take our advantage now and go forward in partnership with other countries which want to do business with us.
One of you, who doesn't agree with me on anything, said, "Africa must come alive". But I can agree with that person on that. Africa, come alive! Somebody else said "Mayibuye i-Afrika", and that's how I would like to end. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
The Council adjourned at 17:21.
END OF TAKE
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