Hansard: Appropriation Bill: Debate on Vote No 7 - Public Works
House: National Council of Provinces
Date of Meeting: 06 Jun 2012
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 75
THURSDAY, 7 JUNE 2012
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
_______
The Council met at 14:00.
The Chairperson of the NCOP took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order! I wish to assist members to log on. You should press the "Select" button, which will show a list of members' names. Thereafter you should select your name from the list appearing on the screen. If you cannot see your name, scroll down. After selecting your name, press the "OK" button. You will see a small window with the words, "Place finger on the reader". Place your index finger on the fingerprint reader above the orange flashing light. To ensure that you have successfully logged on, look at the top left-hand corner of the screen, where you should see your name and picture. Hon Minister, you will not see yours – it is not there, so please do not look for it! Please do not use any object on the screen other than your finger. If any of the members experience challenges, the staff will assist them.
Let me also remind you not to press the microphone button when you want to take the floor. Just indicate this to the Chair, and your microphone will be switched on by the IT staff.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 75
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP
SUSPENSION OF RULE 239(1)
(Draft Resolution)
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL: Mr Chairperson, I move the motion printed in my name on the Order Paper as follows:
That Rule 239(1), which provides inter alia that the consideration of a Bill may not commence before at least three working days have elapsed since the committee's report was tabled, be suspended for the purposes of consideration of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act Amendment Bill [B19-2012] on Thursday, 7 June 2012.
Question put: That the motion be agreed to.
IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Western Cape.
Northern Cape did not vote.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 76
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL
APPROPRIATION BILL
(Policy debate)
Vote No 7 – Public Works:
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Let me just repeat this for all the members who are in this House for the first time. We will speak from the podium in this debate. There is a time limit for every person who is going to speak in the debate. When the timer is blue, you know you still have time. When it is red, you know that it means you must stop. It is not a nice thing for us as Presiding Officers to have to shout, "Your time is over now." It is not a nice thing. So, just time your speech please. You have enough time to time yourself!
I now call the Minister of Public Works, hon Nxesi, to the podium. With the Minister only I shall use my discretion and perhaps give him a minute or two extra.
The MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS: Hon Chairperson, hon colleagues in the Cabinet, if any are present, hon MECs, hon chairperson and members of the Select Committee on Public Services, Members of Parliament, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen, as the Department of Public Works, DPW, we stand at the crossroads. We know what the problems are; we have developed a broad strategy to turn the department around; and the task is now to implement this. Nothing I promise here today will come to fruition until, and unless, we tackle the underlying systemic flaws in the department.
In regard to our Budget Vote, we welcome the allocated budget of nearly R8 billion for the department in the 2012-13 fiscal year, which is an increase of 2% from the previous year. The message to the DPW is clear: Don't even think of a real increase in the budget until there is real improvement in performance.
The budget reflects the government's priorities and the department's efforts to address its core mandates. As it is custodian and manager of the state's immovable assets, these include creating jobs and work opportunities, and addressing skills shortages, particularly in the built environment. Despite many flaws, major sections of the department remain productive, due to the commitment and hard work of the officials.
The Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP, is a case in point. The EPWP is part of government's response to the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality, which was highlighted in the President's state of the nation address. Our target in the second phase of the EPWP, for the period 2009 to 2014, is to create 4,5 million work opportunities. More than 2 million work opportunities have already been created since 2009. This programme is making a real difference to people's lives, bringing back a sense of responsibility and dignity. One beneficiary stated recently: "Because of the EPWP, I am now able to walk into Shoprite and buy food for my family".
None of this would be possible without the active partnership and participation of municipalities, provinces and nonprofit, nongovernmental organisations, NGOs. I am pleased to share with you that 98% of municipalities have now signed up for the EPWP.
On capital projects, in the course of 2012-13 some 250 projects are scheduled for completion. The department has created 200 000 jobs, directly or indirectly, over the last five years.
We are also resuscitating departmental workshops to develop in-house maintenance capacity, as well as providing training opportunities for some 500 graduates and students in the built environment sector. This will include the training of professionals, technicians and artisans.
The department's long-term infrastructure plan comprises three elements: new buildings and additions to ensure appropriate buildings for clients; maintenance and repairs to safeguard the assets we have; and refurbishments and conservation of existing state buildings, many of them heritage buildings. This is central to our strategic goal of shifting a larger percentage of government accommodation away from leases to the occupation of our own buildings. Eleven buildings were rehabilitated last year, with a further 10 earmarked for this year. As part of the Accessibility Programme, 51 state buildings were made more accessible last year for people with disabilities, with a further 100 buildings prioritised for this year.
The following steps have been taken to revamp prestige. The specialised areas of facilities management and events management are being separated to provide greater focus and accountability. Policies are being developed to govern the acquisition and control of moveable assets. Most importantly, we are now committed to a process of consultation with MPs and other clients to ensure the service is responsive to clients' needs. This includes the issue of villages where we have noted some chaos. We are doing a lot of auditing there.
On transforming the built environment, the Department of Public Works remains responsible for the regulation and transformation of the construction and property sectors. Racially skewed property ownership patterns need to be addressed, and the construction industry has to allow emerging contractors to graduate into being sustainable businesses. There is no way we can leave it to the so-called profession to regulate itself, unless we just want to confirm the apartheid-skewed policies.
We are also developing a green buildings policy in line with the principles of the Green Economy Accord, which will contribute to green jobs.
On the legislative front, the department will be tabling the Expropriation Bill and the Bill to establish Agrément South Africa as a public entity in Parliament this year. The department will also introduce a Bill addressing the transformation of the built environment professions.
I need to mention the important work done by the public entities that report to the Minister of Public Works.
Firstly there is Agrément South Africa, whose primary role is to assess and certify the fitness for purpose of non-standard construction products in South Africa.
The outputs of the Construction Industry Development Board, CIDB, include combating fraud and corruption and maintaining the contractor registration and grading system. This is both a risk-management tool for clients, and a development tool for emerging contractors.
Thirdly, the Council for the Built Environment, CBE, enhances public protection by ensuring that only registered and competent professionals are allowed to practise. It remains a concern that only 24% of registered professionals are black. The council, in partnership with the Department of Higher Education and Training, is developing a candidacy programme to remove bottlenecks in the skills pipeline in order to allow aspiring young black professionals to attain professional registration. This is because there are a lot of gatekeepers at the moment.
The Independent Development Trust, IDT, supports the department in fulfilling its mandate, and also provides project management services to other national and provincial departments.
Let me come to the issue of the turnaround strategy. Any successful turnaround strategy starts with strong and determined leadership. That is my job from the side of the executive authority. It also requires strong leadership within the department and a shared vision of what we want to achieve.
However, we as a department do not have the luxury of time – we are running a business. The paradox which faces us as a department is to stabilise the operations of the department in the short term, whilst we embark on a fundamental review and transformation.
I announced my turnaround strategy at the end of January. This included, firstly, the establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Committee to provide advice and political support to the department; secondly, the establishment of the Technical Advisory Committee to draw on appropriate experience and best practice from the departments who have walked that particular route, and we have the examples of Sars and Home Affairs; and, thirdly, the establishment of a support team under the office of the director‑general of the department to oversee and manage the change process.
There is no point in putting such a team into the Ministry, because Ministers change with every election. And in the case of Public Works, it is sometimes every year! [Interjections.] So, a team leader has been appointed to lead this process.
Amongst the concrete interventions already made are crucial stabilisation projects, including the following.
The first is the preparation of a comprehensive, reliable Immovable Assets Register. I am pleased to announce progress in this area. Department officials have been working closely with the auditing firm, Ernst & Young, on a desktop exercise to reconcile deeds records and other existing databases to identify the gaps. This initial exercise has been completed. The physical verification of the cleansed data will take a further year to complete. The cleansing of the Immovable Asset Register allows us to complete the devolution of some 50 000 properties to the provinces.
Stabilisation Project 2 refers to leases, where years of poor management, undercapacity and lack of financial controls have provided fertile ground for fraud and corruption. It is for this reason that shortly after my appointment I removed certain financial delegations to regions of the department, such as withdrawing their powers to sign leases.
Twenty-two irregular leases have already been identified in one region alone, involving payments of over R64 million. This includes leases where the department paid for the duration of the lease without the building being occupied. We have instructed our lawyers to approach the High Court to nullify these irregular lease agreements and to institute civil action against whoever benefited unduly.
As far as the much-publicised SA Police Service, SAPS, lease is concerned, the department launched an application to the High Court to declare this lease agreement invalid. The matter is now before the court for adjudication.
Treasury has announced a joint programme with the Department of Public Works to audit the 3 000 current leases, with the following objectives: to further identify irregular leases and collect monies owed to the department; to review and strengthen the systems of the department relating to lease management; and to train and capacitate staff accordingly. For the review of leases, we project a completion period of 12 months.
Recent media reports have highlighted problems experienced by the SA Police Service with their accommodation. This is why the acting director-general has met with the head of department of the SAPS to establish a task team to address lease-related issues. Going forward, we in the DPW are committed to reconfiguring our operations to be responsive to our clients' needs.
On Stabilisation Project 3, which is Achieving a Clean Audit, I must say that too little has been done too late to fundamentally change the audit outcome for the financial year 2011-12. That is why we have employed additional capacity for the current year, 2012-13, which has just commenced. I am confident that the first positive results of this will be visible by mid-year, when the interim audit results are presented by the Auditor-General. To develop a metaphor I used previously, the DPW is still in ICU, but we are now stopping the bleeding and stabilising the patient, before deciding on the appropriate long-term treatment. [Applause.]
It has always struck me as odd that the time allocated for the Budget Vote in the NCOP is so short! I certainly need additional time to address the additional challenges across the spheres of government.
Let me conclude by sharing with you the outcomes of a very fruitful Minmec meeting we held last month. High on the agenda were the following issues.
The first was the need to address the lack of professional and technical skills, as we should understand that Public Works is a highly technical department of government. Public Works is not a general department – you need engineers, architects, land surveyors, property lawyers, property experts and economists. In the meantime, provinces have undertaken to share scarce skills.
We also discussed the use of alternative construction methods to replace mud schools in the Eastern Cape and North West provinces. These methods produce buildings that are more sustainable, and cheaper and quicker to erect. There are also important gains in regard to job creation and skills transfers to local communities. The MEC for the Eastern Cape has invited other provinces to visit these pilot projects. Perhaps the invitation needs to be extended to include hon members.
The implications of the recently announced national infrastructure roll-out plans were considered at the Minmec meeting. The revitalisation of health facilities and the national school building programme require that Public Works nationally and provincially, client departments, local authorities and implementing bodies work closely together to ensure effective delivery. This means changing the way we work to reduce delays and cut through the bureaucracy.
We also debated the issues of co-operative governance and concurrent mandates. These concepts are central to improving co-ordination between the spheres of government. This may require developing a memorandum of understanding to clarify roles and responsibilities. In the end, however, Minmec concluded that it was up to all of us to make this relationship work in order to enhance service delivery. There is no point in fighting about constitutional powers, saying that this is this, and that is that. Our people don't care where you are. Whether it's in a municipality or in a province, they want service delivery. They simply say it is government that is not delivering. [Interjections.]
The message is clear. Working together, we can achieve more and do away with all these political turfs and who is who in the Constitution. I thank you. [Applause.]
HON MEMBERS: Hear! Hear!
An HON MEMBER: Amandla!
Mr M P SIBANDE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 77
The MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS
Mr M P SIBANDE: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister Nxesi, hon members, guests and staff, there is abundant evidence that the Department of Public Works is performing well below the desired levels. It needs to introduce more rigorous competence testing, and support where skills are deficient. There seems to be insufficient commitment to transformation and output. We require a shift in the Department of Public Works towards excellent service delivery and capacitation, through a combination of meritocratic recruitment processes and skills upgrading in the context of strong efforts to bring about transformation.
Building on the programme of the Reconstruction and Development Programme, RDP, the ANC at its 51st National Conference in 2002 resolved that there should be large-scale expansion of the use of labour-intensive construction methods to alleviate unemployment and to address the backlogs in infrastructure in previously disadvantaged areas.
The goal of the Expanded Public Works Programme was to alleviate unemployment for at least one million people between 2004 and 2009. This goal was to be achieved by generating work opportunities in four sectors of our economy, those being infrastructure, the environment, and the social and economic sectors. Labour-intensive methods were to be used in the provision of public goods and services.
The biggest challenge facing the Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP, is how to mobilise relevant national, provincial and local government bodies to implement the programme. A deepening of consciousness is needed to overcome the tendency for the EPWP to be regarded as a Department of Public Works programme, rather than as a programme of the government.
During this financial year the department is set to receive R7,9 billion for the work. The bulk of this funding will be utilised in two programmes – the Immovable Asset Management Programme and the Expanded Public Works Programme. Both of these programmes play a crucial role in reversing patterns of unemployment and poverty in our country. Our Constitution gives our people the right to dignity. We ensure that this dignity is given, and that the conditions that entrench poverty, inequality, and unemployment are eradicated.
We note that last year alone the department managed to create just under half a million jobs through its interventions and programmes. Thus, it is not surprising that there is a budgeted R6,2 billion for job creation. This will help to generate 4,5 million work opportunities for the poor and unemployed youth and citizens by 2014 through the Expanded Public Works Programme. The goal is to halve the unemployment rate.
No turnaround or meaningful change can be imposed top down. Everyone is involved, from the head office to the regions and every worker in the department. I want to emphasise that that was also raised by the Minister. A successful turnaround strategy requires the active participation and buy-in of the organisation at every level.
A significant break with normal turnaround strategies is that Public Works has not chosen a one-size-fits-all blueprint run by consultants from outside the department. Rather, the turnaround strategy is a process where the department is being reviewed and it will then be renewed. The strategy is not an event, but a process that will continue for a minimum of 18 months.
This is very encouraging. Through our oversight, we can see a demonstrable change in the long-standing challenges of human resources. Critical is an approach that reflects what needs to be achieved in line with the mandate of the department. Human resource matters are always complex and can destabilise any department.
IsiZulu:
Sihlalo, singephike futhi ukuthi kusenezinselele eziningi ezihaqe umnyango, okungangokuba kuwona umnyango, kusesekwamachanca, kwampunzi 'dlemini. Futhi okunye, okungabangela lokhu yingoba ezikhundleni eziphezulu kusenabantu abangamabamba,kanye nokuphatha okungathi shu, esingakufanekisa neculo elaqanjwa uVusi Ximba elithi:
Uthisha wanikeza izingane umsebenzi wokudweba. Ezinye izingane zawenza, kwathi eyodwa yabhala indilinga yeqanda. Kwathi uma uthisha ebuza, yaphendula ingane yathi: "Mina ngidwebe itshe nonogwaja; unogwaja ungale kwetshe."
Lokhu kwenza ukuthi izigilamkhuba zisebenzise amathuba ukwenza inkohlakalo nokukhwabanisa, ngoba kunegebe lokuthi uchakide uhlolile, imamba yalukile. [Ubuwelewele.]
Mr M J R DE VILLIERS: Chairperson! Chairperson!
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Yes.
Mr M P SIBANDE: My time, please!
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: It is all right. We will note your time.
I have been informed that we have a bit of a problem with the interpretation – they cannot pick up the sound. The IT people are busy with it. Are you okay now? [Interjections.] Not yet. You are still busy with it? Okay. [Interjections.] Mr Sibande, please will you continue?
Mr M P SIBANDE: We will continue to effectively monitor the root causes of so many difficulties in the department: the fixed asset register, lease management and auditing. In the spirit of: "Together we can do more and better," we welcome the broad range of stakeholders that have been called in to join forces with the Minister and the department to fight the war against corruption, fraud, and irregularities in the department. Among these stakeholders is the Treasury, with whom the department has entered into a joint programme to review all existing leases.
We note that part of the turnaround strategy relates to the review and strengthening of systems in the department. These are in the areas about which we as a committee have raised concerns, that is, lease and property management, and the training and the capacitation of staff.
We welcome the investigation currently under way in the regions and the withdrawal of the powers of financial delegation to them. These functions have now been centralised in the case of leases, so as to ensure scrutiny and accountability. The strong and correct position that is being taken on fraud and corruption is most welcome.
The frequent comments by public representatives on the damage done by corruption in Public Works must be accompanied by severe punitive measures. The flagrant violation of the requirement of the Public Finance Management Act, Act 1 of 1999, PFMA, to disclose tender preferences, business links, and other abuses has to be tackled head on. We require far more emphasis on proper accountability.
IsiZulu:
Sihlalo, ukunikezelwa koMnyango wemiSebenzi yoMphakathi kuNgqongqoshe kunefuthe elikhulu ngokuba sonke sesiqalile ukuvuna izithelo zokusebenza kwawo. Ngithanda ukubonga uNgqongqoshe ngegalelo lakhe elikhulu lokuqinisa isandla ekulweni nenkohlakalo kanye nokukhwabanisa. Lokhu kuwubufakazi bokuthi uhulumeni kaKhongolose, i-ANC, uyabanakekela abantu abahlwempu kanye nezwekazi laseMzansi Afrika. Ngalokho-ke, ngithi kuwe ... [Ubuwelewele.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order, hon member!
Mrs E C VAN LINGEN: Chairperson, I think we must postpone the meeting until the sound system has been sorted out, and then we can continue, because there is no interpretation. It's only on "0" that we can find English or the current conversation, and for the rest, there is nothing. Therefore, if we do not have proper recordings or proper interpretation, it serves no purpose to continue with this meeting.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Well, I did explain to members and I thought they agreed that we could continue. We have a slight problem with the IT up there. I hope everybody will co-operate and understand. Perhaps I could urge members to speak more in English. However, you have a right to speak in a language in which you can express yourself better. We recognise that constitutional right. Can I plead with you? I have no ... [Interjections.]
Mrs E C VAN LINGEN: Chairperson, history is repeating itself. This system has broken down on virtually every day that we have had a debate. Yesterday afternoon we had to ask for it, and today it's the same thing.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: No, no, Mrs van Lingen. The issue is that I am not sure when are they going to get it right. That means we will have to adjourn until tomorrow. However, we will have nobody to address the session tomorrow. All the people have been asked to come and address us today.
Mr D V BLOEM: Chairperson, I volunteer to interpret for her. I can sit next to her to do the interpretation. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Okay. Continue hon member.
Mnu M P SIBANDE: Ngalokho-ke ... [Ubuwelewele.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order! Order! Order! Sit down, Mr Bloem, and interpret from there.
IsiZulu:
Mnu M P SIBANDE: Ngalokho-ke, ngithi kuwe Ngqongqoshe, Ngwenyankomo, Tolo, Dlangamandla, Mchenge, Nxesi.
English:
We note that in order to build capacity, officials with relevant skills from departmental entities have been seconded. What is welcomed is that seconded officials have been placed under the office of the director-general for reasons of stability and continuity. This constitutes part of the re-engineering of processes in the department.
We note that the Public Works spending focus over the medium term will be on the creation of work opportunities and the provision of training for the unskilled, marginalised, and unemployed sections of our society. In regard to job creation, the department launched the Artisan Development Programme to train young people in, amongst others, boilermaking, fitting and turning, and welding. Bursaries for young people who want to pursue studies in the built environment and property management professions are available from the department. Artisans will be absorbed into the department's workshops.
We need to ensure that a vigorous Expanded Public Works Programme will result in increasing the number of long-term, quality jobs that generate skills for those who participate in such programmes. Certainly, we are concerned about some poor quality jobs in the Expanded Public Works Programme. It seems that part of the problem around the quality of jobs and skills is the degree of outsourcing, tendering, and casualisation in the industry, and the lack of monitoring and evaluation.
Key elements include recognition of prior learning, which should show appreciation and give qualifications for skills learned on the job. This approach should recognise Adult Basic Education and Training, and life skills training. We need to ensure that provision of training for unskilled and unemployed people in the Expanded Public Works Programme is linked to the creation of decent work. There must be no disjuncture between job creation and skills development.
The ANC supports Budget Vote No 7. However, before I conclude, Minister, I would like to request that you do a follow-up. There is an outcry at Umzimvubu in the Eastern Cape. It is alleged that there is a programme run by the department in which people have not been consulted. They want to remove the police station and build a taxi rank. So, that is creating problems.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Qeda-ke mfowethu, isikhathi sakho siphelile.
IsiZulu:
Mnu M P SIBANDE: Okokugcina, kunenkinga esinayo, Ngqongqoshe, esicela usibhekele yona ...
English:
... of realignment of your offices. We were told that there were 11 regional offices, whereas we have only nine provinces. That is creating problems ...
IsiZulu:
... ikakhulukazi, ngobuhlanga kula mahhovisi amadala aseMpumalanga Koloni. Ngiyabonga, Sihlalo. [Ihlombe.]
Mr R V CARLISLE (Western Cape)
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 78
Mr M P SIBANDE
Mr R V CARLISLE (Western Cape): Thank you, hon Chairman. Hon Minister of Public Works, hon chairman of the select committee, all other hon members, and officials of the department, it is a great pleasure to be able to speak here again, particularly on this very important subject.
The hon Minister spoke of the importance of partnership, and how partnership should, in fact, be superior to any of our turf wars, political wars or any other kinds of wars, and I agree with that. In talking briefly about my own department of Public Works in the Western Cape, I can say that there is, in fact, a partnership between us and the following: national Public Works; the Construction Industry Development Board; the National Treasury; at our administration level, Health and Education; and at the national level national Health and Education. Without that partnership, we would not be able to do what we do.
Sir, last year in that broad partnership we built to the tune of R2,6 billion, amongst other things, three forensic laboratories, four ambulance stations, two antiretroviral, ARV, treatment facilities, two full community health centres, in kwaNokuthula and Melkhoutfontein, and a hospital, the Khayelitsha Hospital. I believe that this is one of the finest hospitals in the world, which I hope members will find time to visit. In addition, we commenced with two very big projects, the Mitchells Plain Hospital and the rehabilitation of the Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital at R1,1 billion. All of this was made possible by the partnership that I referred to.
We had success in all these projects. All were finished within budget and within the agreed time, with the exception of one project. Sir, 19 000 decent jobs were created, that is, jobs at the bargaining council rates and on their conditions.
The relationship with the Construction Industry Development Board, CIDB, is absolutely essential to us. It creates, as the Minister says, a process of gradation and regulation which allows small emerging contractors to begin the steady path upwards. We now have a number of historically disadvantaged individual, HDI, contractors at the senior level, and, in fact, of the work that was done, 73% by value was done by historically disadvantaged contractors.
In line with what the hon Minister said about the national Public Works Department, we will also increasingly be moving our staff out of leased premises into owned premises, and will thereby save approximately R172 million a year.
This also prevents the kind of unpleasant situation which has occurred both in my department and, obviously, in the hon Minister's national department. I just want to say to him that where we find these strange leases occurring, we will both know that the financial institutions must have known about that. I think the time has come to name and shame those financial institutions, because they are party to what has happened.
Also, in line with what the hon Minister said, we will increasingly be greening all of our major buildings. Our first five-star green building will be completed next year. It will be the Khayelitsha Shared Services Centre.
The hon Minister spoke of the shortage of staff, and this, of course, is a universal problem. The shortage of skilled, professional staff lies really at the bottom of the problem of having highly effective Public Works departments.
We have instituted, and I do want to commend this to the National Council of Provinces, the Masakh'iSizwe training programme. This is no ordinary bursary programme. It goes far further than that. It is a programme for disadvantaged people who have an appropriate matric pass but do not have the wherewithal to afford university. We realise that it is not simply a case of their going to university, but of affording them every opportunity to obtain difficult degrees, whether it is in architecture or civil engineering or whatever the case is, and also of developing the kind of confidence that will take them through their next very important stage of about six to eight years, where from their degree they must move to where they become professional members and are able to sign plans, etc. We insist that they stay in the university hostels. We have a mentor for every five of our students, we work together with the public sector, and we ensure that all of our bursars have vacation jobs so that they quickly start to learn the practical side.
I want to share with you about one of our young graduates, Michael Tladi. Michael grew up as a street orphan – his parents died – and somehow or other, Michael managed to get himself a matric. We then assisted him to go to the University of Cape Town, UCT, and he graduated with a degree in electro-mechanical engineering at that university. He joined my department on a full-time basis in 2008.
What I want to tell you about him is that there is more to the Masakh'iSizwe programme than just the degree, sir. Michael devotes his life, in addition to his job, to giving back, particularly to children who, like him, have no home and no parents.
He has raised over R70 000 for the Emasithandane Children's Home in Nyanga; it is an orphanage for abandoned children. He has converted it from a shack to a two-storey building that is productive to such a degree that would put much of our accommodation to shame. It is an orphanage with an extraordinary difference. It is powered by solar panels and an intricate exchange mechanism which stores the solar energy that is created so that all of the orphans there over the age of six have their own personal computers. It is quite remarkable.
That is the kind of professional we are trying to produce – who is from a disadvantaged background, who is confident and who is going to lead in our department, and who has a real sense of social obligation.
Let me just talk quickly about the Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP. I thank the Minister for the report he has given us. I am happy to tell him that against the target we agreed on, of 53 461 jobs, we created 67 000 by the third quarter, and we will exceed that target by almost double the number. We will exceed this year's target of 72 142 by at least 25%. In addition, we have 250 unemployed young people being trained in the construction trade as part of the National Youth Service programme. We have 20 diesel mechanic apprentices in training and we have provided jobs for 1 000 matriculants within the administration for one year.
I want to say that we had a very good Minmec meeting with the hon Minister, and I am very confident that there is going to be a great change in this important department. I know that my head of department, HOD, will be presenting certain of our programmes to the HODs' meeting quite soon. I want to say to the hon Minister, bon voyage in your new position! Be assured that we are there to assist wherever we can. Thank you. [Time expired.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Just before you go, I see a member standing there. I don't know what he wants to say. [Laughter.]
Mr A G MATILA: Chair, I see he is running away. I wanted to ask a question.
Mr R V CARLISLE (Western Cape): I never run away.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: No, his speaking time has expired.
Mr A G MATILA: Is he able to take a question, Chair?
Mr R V CARLISLE (Western Cape): I will take a question if the Chairman will allow it.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: All right, I will give you half a minute to do that.
Mr A G MATILA: Chair, because he has referred to only one person in the Western Cape, I just want to ask whether they are assisting only one person and not the community of the Western Cape? [Laughter.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: MEC?
Mr R V CARLISLE (Western Cape): I didn't hear that.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: He says you were talking about one person in the Western Cape. Is that the only person that you are assisting?
Mr R V CARLISLE (Western Cape): I am sorry that I did not make myself clear. I talked about Michael Tladi; he is one of 690 graduates from that programme. [Applause.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon members, order! Mr Worth and Ms Moshodi, please! [Interjections.] I am told that the interpreting has been sorted out. You can try it now if you want to listen in another language.
Mr H B GROENEWALD
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 79
Mr R V CARLISLE (Western Cape)
Mr H B GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members of the NCOP and hon guests, the Public Works Department concluded a second office lease deal with the politically connected firm, Manaka Property Investments (Pty), without putting the contract out to tender. To start this budget debate in such a negative way says nothing good about what is happening in the department.
The hon Mufamadi, who had a 50% stake in Manaka Property, had another government lease for offices in Pretoria for the Department of Home Affairs valued at R33 million a year, one-and-a-half times more than what Home Affairs had previously paid for office space. Hopefully, the hon Mufamadi has declared his interest in Monaka Property. It seems as though that is only the tip of the iceberg. There is a further R64 million in fraud cases that are being investigated.
The school crisis in Grabouw can be laid at the door of Public Works because of the delay in regard to the request of the Western Cape Administration that they transfer land belonging to the department to the Western Cape Administration, in order to start construction as soon as possible. [Interjections.] The Minister's answer was that these issues were still in progress. The current meltdown in the national Department of Public Works is harming the poor in every province, because they suffer most when schools and clinics cannot be built. It is high time to draw the line.
Every year the Select Committee on Public Services must listen to the department's turnaround strategy, with a new vision and mission, with a new Minister, with new promises to the disadvantaged and poor people of South Africa, and with new timetables to delay issues. Hon Minister, you are right: The department is coming from a dark place characterised by corruption and mismanagement, which is evidenced by eight years of qualified audits, topped off by a disclaimer in the previous audit.
We are, indeed, at a crossroads. South Africa cannot afford this scale of corruption and mismanagement any longer. Without a state capable of delivering there cannot be any service delivery. The Minister said, and I quote:
Nobody wants to associate himself with this Department. Our major clients ... are running away from us because they don't get the service they expect.
He also mentioned not having a better audit outcome for the past financial year, as it was a case of too little, too late.
A big concern that the DA has is the way that immovable assets are handled and captured. The need for a mechanism to ensure the effective recording, use and maintenance of government's vast immovable property portfolio has stemmed from uncertainty regarding the ownership of these immovable assets with the transition to the establishment of a democratic dispensation in 1994.
One of the main aims for the department must be to see that they fulfil the promises made by President Jacob Zuma to the people of South Africa, especially to our youth, regarding job creation. It is the youth that are suffering, that want jobs in order to build a future, and that want to help build a better South Africa for all.
The DA asks the department and the President to use the R5 billion youth wage subsidy set aside for the youth to become qualified and skilled for their future. Use the National Development Plan to create jobs, to give people a better life in order to uplift their standards of living in their communities. South Africa needs a capable work force.
The department has the ability, with a budget of R8 billion, to help the poor by creating employment through inclusive economic growth. However, without a workable strategic plan in place and a stable leadership, the DA cannot agree that the Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP, will create 4,5 million job opportunities from 2009 to 2014. If you look at the latest statistics regarding jobs in South Africa, there is a drop of 0,2%.
The EPWP needs to expand into the rural areas of the country to do maintenance on branch railway lines, to rehabilitate roads, and to maintain state buildings here and in foreign countries. The EPWP is indeed one of the government's flagship interventions and crucial in the fight against poverty and unemployment.
The time to eliminate poverty is now, hon Minister, not in 2030 – 2030 is 18 years further down the line, and then it is too late!
Afrikaans:
Reg en geregtigheid is die hoekstene van 'n stabiele, vooruitstrewende bestel, want soos Augustinus dit honderde jare gelede gestel het:
Neem regspleging weg, en wat is koninkryke anders as bendes misdadigers op grootskaal.
Ek dank u.
Mr M P JACOBS
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 79
Mr H B GROENEWALD
Sesotho:
Mong M P JACOBS: Ho Modulasetulo, Letona, Maloko a ketsamelao le setjhaba ka kakaretso, ke re madume!
English:
I stand in this position at the podium to support Budget Vote No 7 – Public Works, in the firm belief that this Vote will improve the lives of our people. I stand here to encourage and urge the Minister and his departmental officials to rise to the occasion.
I am impressed with the Minister's initiatives to turn this department around. It has been in the public domain for the wrong reasons. Officials have been doing what they were not supposed to do. It has been a breeding ground for corruption and tenderpreneurs. This is the reason some of the officials were either suspended or are under investigation. We wholeheartedly support your initiatives and endeavours to establish good governance. Our mandate is to serve the people with dignity.
We appreciate your resolve that your department should rectify the issue of the immovable asset register and put such a register in place. This issue has bedevilled your department for quite some time because the register was nonexistent. The land, buildings and other governmental properties could not be identified. People did as they pleased with government properties because they could not be accounted for. Some of the people have enriched themselves because of this anomaly. Eighteen years of democracy without an immovable asset register is scandalous!
The absence of an asset register has led to the misuse and underutilisation of state properties. The land, which could have been put to better use, has lain waste. The buildings are in ruins because they have not been maintained. We hope the process you have set in motion will be to the advantage of those who need it most.
Whilst you are on course to reclaim your mandate, a layman like me regards Public Works as an engine room or a backup system for most government departments, be it in regard to the construction of roads, houses, schools and prisons, or infrastructural programmes. Your department should be at the centre of it all. You should be providing technical skills, professional know-how and expertise on how to operate. It should be at the centre of job creation, and providing jobs especially to those artisans who have benefited from the Expanded Public Works Programme. Your department should be a reservoir of skills.
Hon Minister, you need to speed up the process of establishing the Property Management Trading Entity, which will lift your focus from property and give you a chance to focus on other matters of importance. This issue of property and leases has taken your focus off crucial issues that have to be dealt with. We therefore urge you to establish this entity as a matter of urgency.
You are on course, and as the Select Committee on Public Services, we will support you and your department all the way. I do not have to remind you that our mandate is to serve our people with dignity, because that is the reason you are the Minister of Public Works.
Hon Groenewald, you do not learn. [Interjections.]
Mr H B GROENEWALD: I am listening to you!
Mr M P JACOBS: Yes. The Minister is new in this portfolio. He has his turnaround strategy. Why do we not give him a chance? Perhaps next year you can criticise, but now it is not opportune for you to criticise him. Let us give him a chance. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr Z MLENZANA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 80
Mr M P JACOBS
Mr Z MLENZANA: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Ministers, hon MECs and members present here ...
IsiXhosa:
... mandiqale ngokukuhalalisela Dlangamandla, Tolo, Mchenge, mfana wasemakhaya ...
English:
... for the appointment that you accepted. I know it is not very nice to be there. However, it is just one of those things for a person who is cool and open-minded, decisive and transparent like you. Hence, we as Cope support the Budget Vote.
During 2010-11, Cope congratulated the hon Geoff Doidge. In 2011-12, I stood here congratulating the hon Mahlangu-Nkabinde, and this year, I am talking to you. For too long Public Works has been a political football, with a procession of Ministers passing through, each prioritising different objectives and delivering different promises. The department needs to get adequate Cabinet support so that the political commitment that you have around the turnaround of this historically poorly performing department is realised.
Firstly, it is to establish and monitor a synergy between the national and provincial departments of public works, and the regions. There is a vast knowledge gap between national and provincial levels, particularly when it comes to the immovable asset register. For instance, in the Eastern Cape it is reported that the immovable asset register has been completed, and the province is now focusing ...
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order, hon member. [Interjections.]
Mr A G MATILA: I would like to know whether the hon member is willing to take a question?
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Are you ready to take a question, Mr Mlenzana?
Mr Z MLENZANA: No. [Laughter.]
It is reported that the Eastern Cape is done with this immovable asset register and is now focusing on the Small Town Revitalisation Programme, a project whose purpose is to promote local economic development, revitalisation and sustainable development in small, identified towns through the optimal utilisation of the Eastern Cape provincial government's immovable asset portfolio. The programme is now being frustrated by problems with the identification and ownership of land that belongs to national Public Works.
A moemish [blunder] – maybe let me explain it because my nephew tried to talk about it – of the decade is in Mount Frere, in the Umzimvubu Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape. The establishment of a taxi rank there is being held to ransom by a Minister's signature, which is needed to release land belonging to the national Department of Public Works to the provincial department of public works so that construction may start. The community of Mount Frere has been patiently waiting for this signature since 2002.
I pity you, Ndlangamandla [clan name]. On 8 May 2012, your officials made you tell South Africa that the Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP, is a flagship programme of this department and of the government. It is part of our response to the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality, which was highlighted by the President in his state of the nation address.
To conclude, the department must fulfil its core function, which is to be the custodian of immovable assets in this country. Thank you, Chairperson. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mr B A MNGUNI
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 80
Mr Z MLENZANA
Mr B A MNGUNI: Chairperson, I think the department's slogan on the website states, "South Africa works because of Public Works". When I read this slogan, look at the reports, and recall the places we have been to for oversight visits, including a place in Limpopo for the intervention, I come to the conclusion that we are moving towards a state similar to that described in a book set in Kenya. The author's name is Michela Wrong, and in it the whistle-blower, John Githongo, says, "It's our turn to eat." That is the title of the book. When one reads that book, and one looks at what is happening in the Department of Public Works and the provinces, one comes to the conclusion that the book, It's Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistle-Blower, is quite relevant to the South African situation today. [Applause.]
However, we do not support corruption. As the Minister has said, we will fight corruption left, right and centre, because if some people are corrupt, or if imali yehla ngomlenze [the money is being embezzled], other people suffer. That is against government policy and ANC policy because the ANC says, "People first".
On the transformation of the department, let us look at the Construction Industry Development Board, CIDB, in the construction industry. On a weekly basis I meet people, especially women in the SA Wind Energy Centre, Sawec, in the Free State. For instance, just this afternoon I was talking to Phumla Ngalo, a state liaison officer for Sawec in the Free State. What she says is that in the time of the former Minister, the late Stella Sigcau, women were given 30% of all government and private construction – 30% was supposed to go to women. That is in accordance with the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act that we passed in 2001.
The Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act also stated that 30% should go to small, medium and micro enterprises, SMMEs, or historically disadvantaged people, but that is not happening. With Minister after Minister, and government after government, they still do not get this. These things are not implemented. I am not even speaking of provinces. She says there is not even a written document on this policy in provincial departments. At the moment, they do not get anything at all.
The department is fine – they are getting funds for training. The private sector is giving them funds for training. However, the people remain at Grade 1. The CIDB does not give them the opportunity to advance and improve themselves, so they remain at Grade 1. As a result, they will never grow to be the Murray & Roberts or the Group 6 of today. The CIDB does not give them the proper training that they need, and it does not look after their needs as far as job opportunities are concerned.
However, if we want to look at how to improve the situation in the construction industry, especially getting our women in, we need to look at these issues and implement the policy that we have put in place. As Sawec says in this case – and I will refer to Sawec because this is a national problem, not only a Free State problem – it is a problem in Sawec that they are not getting any of those opportunities.
In regard to the transformation in the property industry, let us not look at property industry only in connection with construction. Let's look at it in connection with the rental issue. I actually wonder why government leases buildings instead of building and occupying buildings? We are going nowhere. As we are the government of the day, we govern this country. Why don't we buy buildings or build the department its own buildings, so that government occupies those buildings without paying anything for leases whatsoever, and only maintains them?
Three or four years ago I was studying and doing minor research when we were preparing for the 2009 elections. As you know, that is the time when members get jittery about whether they are coming back or not. This was also my project when I was doing my honours degree in Economics. I found that in the Western Cape over R10 billion was paid by government for leases. In short, less than 5% went to historically disadvantaged people or blacks. [Interjections.] Of the more than R10 billion that was paid by government in Durban - that was three or four years ago - less than 5% went to black business. In Nelspruit over R5 billion was paid for leases by government. Zero went to black business or to the disadvantaged. It is the same with Johannesburg - it is less than 10%. When you look at the industry, hon Minister, as you are now taking over, the question is: How do you intend to transform the property industry?
We said we wanted to transform the economy, especially for the historically disadvantaged people, because they are also involved in the mainstream of the economy. The property industry is one of the main areas of the economy that black people do not have access to. Three years ago when I was doing my research, I read a book about how to retire in property, but I have forgotten the name of the author. That book states that property is the main thing to have, and then you can retire. You can have a property, lease it and retire. Even people younger than I am have properties. We have property and we can retire. Why? Because we know that government is paying a lot of money and that money is going to white hands at the moment. I do not want to be racist, but unfortunately that is the issue. That is what it is.
Hon Groenewald ... [Interjections.] Yes, Roux Shabangu is a millionaire today, but if that was the wrong way, then it was the wrong way to occupy this thing. We don't say that ...
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order! Order, hon member.
Sepedi:
Moh M C DIKGALE: Ke kgopela go botšiša potšišo ye nnyane.
English:
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Are you prepared to take a question, hon member?
Mr B A MNGUNI: Yes, Chair.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Are you prepared to?
Mr B A MNGUNI: Yes.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: You can ask, Ma.
Sepedi:
Moh M C DIKGALE: Ke kwele leloko le le hlomphegago le re fa seemo sa diprofense tše dingwe. Bjale, ke a ipotšiša gore na mo Kapa -Bodikela gona o go leseletša eng. Nkane a sa re fe seemo sa bona - gore bathobaso ba humana bokae? Ke a leboga.
Mr B A MNGUNI: I said it was the Western Cape, especially Cape Town. Over R10 billion is paid for property leases. Less than 5% goes to historically disadvantaged individuals or black people. [Interjections.] Over R10 billion!
I would like to just say this to the hon Groenewald. Yes, we are against corruption. [Interjections.] However, hon Groenewald, you know that politically under the former white regime - I think you are of that age – you benefited largely from those policies. I don't say they were wrong policies, but they were wrong because they catered for the few. They actually empowered white people in those days, a lot of people. For example, the Volkskas Bank was a co-operative, and a desperate former regime, former apartheid regime, used that to empower whites economically.
Coming to the Western Cape, the MEC, the hon Carlisle, came here and said that 790 black people were being looked after. I would like to remind the hon Carlisle that there is a black lady who has a master's degree in property management.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order, hon member.
Mr A G MATILA: Chair, in your analysis ...
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: No, no! Why are you standing? [Laughter.]
Mr A G MATILA: Is the member prepared to take a question?
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Are you prepared to take a question, hon Mnguni?
Mr B A MNGUNI: Chairperson, I would like to finish my speech for this debate and then I can engage the hon Matila in regard to the question afterwards.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: All right. You can continue with your speech.
Mr B A MNGUNI: Thank you, Chairperson. I just want to say that the hon MEC Carlisle said that 790 graduates were given an opportunity. But I want to remind him that there is a black lady who has a master's degree in property management, and she was expelled by the department. Can you tell us why you expelled her? [Interjections.] She was dismissed. Can you perhaps let us know why you dismissed her? [Interjections.]
We have an ex-combatant of MK. He has a doctorate in architecture and he is Dr Mlamli Magqwaka. I want to know whether they are using him as a consultant, because that black consultant is well advanced in these things. [Applause.] [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order!
Mr B A MNGUNI: So, do not come and tell us here about your progressive policies when you are busy dismissing qualified, for that matter, cadres of the movement ...
Mr R V CARLISLE: He was stealing!
Mr B A MNGUNI: ... who are not stealing.
Mr R V CARLISLE: He was stealing!
Mr B A MNGUNI: Lastly, Chairperson, I think if we want to make use of this department to advance ... [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order! Hon members, can we give the member a chance to express himself?
Mr B A MNGUNI: ... economically in history, and if we want to take our people out of the doldrums of poverty, we need to make use of this department strategically. I say this because the former white apartheid government made sure that their people were empowered. Even today we are still economically under their oppression because the former apartheid government made sure that they were entrenched in the economic system of this country. [Interjections.] If we don't use that, 13 years doesn't wipe out 18 years.
However, Minister, you must make sure of this. Even though you want to empower our people economically, you must do it practically and formally so that there is no corruption. We do not want to see another Kenya. We don't want to write another book called It's Our Turn to Eat. Thank you. [Applause.]
THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 81
Mr B A MNGUNI
The MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS: Chairperson, let me thank all the members for their contributions. I think they are going to enrich us as a department in regard to our difficult task. It's not an easy task because you are dealing with very hard and very soft issues. You're talking about Human Resources, HR, skills issues, but you are also talking about systems, processes and procedures. You're talking about changing established cultures, particular wrong cultures, and you are dealing with human beings. It's going to be a big struggle but it has to be confronted. It is a mammoth task. Thanks for all these contributions.
Let me just raise a few issues. I'm very happy that hon Carlisle has raised the matter of some financial institutions' having expressed uneasiness about the review of the leases. The question is why they are uneasy, unless they were part of the corruption! Hon Carlisle, to me it confirms one thing, that people must not just talk about corruption and the ANC government. There are corrupt people out there in the private sector. Let's confront corruption both in government and in the private sector. I'll be happy about that, as there is a corruptee and a corruptor. You are dealing with two people. We are saying to the financial institutions that they must not threaten us. If they have been doing their business in a clean way, they must not worry. But if they have been part of a collusion, they will face the music. We're very clear about that. [Applause.]
Hon Zemba, you spoke on the issue of the synergy between the national department and Department of Public Works, DPW. Ndiyabona ukuba xasibuya kulo nyaka uzayo [It's clear when we come back next year], you'll be back home. That's very good.
The Minister and members of executive councils, Minmec, have dealt with this matter. In dealing with the issue of the asset registers there must be a synergy with the provinces in regard to the norms, standards, guidelines and so on. We are handling that process.
We do not act as if we are in a federal country. We have agreed on these matters. Remember the way the Constitution has been drawn up. We can't impose on any sphere of government. It's deliberate; it's a sphere of government and not a level - a sphere of government. There's a talk of interrelatedness, interdependence and so on. When people interpret the Constitution, they must not interpret it in a federalist way. We have agreed as members of executive councils, MECs. You'll be shocked that the Western Cape, which is under a different political party, is also co-operating in this matter. So, we are all agreeing on how to move together.
Let me raise another issue. Hon Groenewald, I'm very happy, because all that you have said repeats what I have said in all my speeches. This confirms that we all agree on the nature of the problem!
Now, the issue is: How do you help me as Members of Parliament? Hold me, and the departmental officials, accountable so that we do what we have declared we will do, milestone by milestone. I want Members of Parliament, MPs, from all sides to do that. I want that particular help so that we don't make this a political issue, but we say: For the sake of the country, how do we turn this around?
For instance, you raised the issue of Manaka Property Investments (Pty), where you talked about hon Mufamadi. I thought that the investigation that was commissioned by the Ethics Committee in this Parliament closed this matter and cleared hon Mufamadi in regard to what he disclosed.
Remember that many people who are in this Parliament come from business. I don't know how many people in the DA were in business before they came to Parliament, but the fact of the matter is this. I can tell you that the people who were controlling the properties of government prior to 1994 were certainly not ANC-aligned. A lot of properties of government disappeared prior to the democratic breakthrough. We know that, and we are going to investigate those cases. We are going to get them. It must not be a case of since the ANC government's coming in there has been a problem. You must just know that there is a lot that we still have to do regarding the time prior to 1994 and property that was stolen by those who were running government – and they were not ANC!
Lastly, on the issue of the taxi rank at KwaBhaca, you can see that this issue has become emotional and you must be careful when you deal with it. You have heard the DA raising it and the DA is talking about a lack of consultation. From your side, Cope, you have said that the issue has moved very slowly. This indicates that the issue is very complex.
What we need to understand is that, in regard to planning, the rank has to be moved somewhere else. That is because Mount Frere is a one-street town. Once you have that rank there, it will block all the traffic. It will block everything. That's why it has to be shifted and the consultation process has to take place. You will appreciate that it's not an easy issue.
One of the things I must raise is that if issues have been considered by previous Ministers, it doesn't therefore mean that I must just simply pick up a pen and sign them. Given the problems in Public Works, it means that I must apply my mind and I must be even more rigorous. This is because there were a number of things which might have been approved in confidence, only for it later to be found that they were not proper.
On the issue of Grabouw, let me just say that it's a pity the issue was raised, as we have resolved the matter with the MEC. They know where the process is now. The issue must not be politicised. Unfortunately, the issue was raised here during the by-election in Grabouw. That is the unfortunate part of it. We are dealing with this matter because we have had to satisfy ourselves on all the processes.
The question of land is very sensitive in this country sometimes. People demand land while they also have other land, but do not want to use that land. Also we have had instances where municipalities take land and say they will use it for this or that but they end up selling the land to private buyers. We have a problem where land which was the government's becomes private land and development takes the form of shopping malls and so on. We say that when we release some land, we must first be given the plans and everything. If people decide not to use the land for that, it must revert to us. That's the condition which we are putting on our releasing it. Some will demand land only to find later that they want to sell it to private buyers. It's not an easy issue, but we are dealing with all those issues.
The MEC will tell you that we have just agreed on our now setting up a joint committee with the national and the provincial public works departments, which is going to deal with all these issues. It is not only the Western Cape that is having problems; all the other provinces are having problems when they apply for particular land. Through those processes we will be able to deal with that. All we need to do is to put in the proper systems and processes.
In summary, Chairperson, I thank our colleagues very much. As a former trade unionist, and being still trade unionist at heart, I enjoy robust debates. I'm used to them. Thank you. [Applause.] [Laughter.]
Debate concluded.
The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 82
The MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS
APPROPRIATION BILL
(Policy debate)
Vote No 14 – Arts and Culture:
Vote No 20 – Sports and Recreation:
The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE: Malibongwe! [Praise!] Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers and hon Deputy Ministers present, hon chairperson of the Select Committee on Education and Recreation, hon Members of the NCOP, MECs present, director-general and officials, it gives me great pleasure to present the Department of Arts and Culture's 2012-2013 Budget Vote to the NCOP.
Hon Chairperson, we present our budget during the commemoration of Youth Month. This is a month in which we honour and pay tribute to those brave young people who occupied the foremost trenches in our struggle for national liberation. Their only motivation was the unending belief that victory against apartheid was certain.
Hon delegates, the youth are an important stakeholder in the arts, culture and heritage sector. Not only do they make up a significant portion of those who participate in this sector, but it is they who bring the new energy, innovation and creativity that is so critical to the survival and sustainability of this sector. As an indication of our ongoing commitment to the development of young people in our sector, we are pleased to report that our Mzansi Golden Economy Strategy, MGE, with a number of high impact programmes, targets young people. This includes our public art programme, which targets young people across the country in regard to their using their energies, creativity and innovation to beautify public spaces, and tell the stories of their communities.
Working together with the Field Band Foundation, FBF, and the provinces, we are mobilising the youth throughout the country to be part of a broader national movement of field bands. We are also working with provincial governments to implement the Trendsetter Initiative through which we encourage youth to participate in the arts and thus contribute to the development of their communities.
We also continue to support the Thuthuka Jewellery Design initiative, where youth from across the country are given opportunities to showcase and improve their jewellery manufacturing and design skills. This is part of growing the cultural industries. This programme has continued to go from strength to strength and has set itself a target of attracting youth from five provinces by 2013. The ultimate goal is to reach youth in all provinces.
This year we funded the Emerging Creatives programme, which provided an opportunity for 40 young designers to showcase their designs alongside major designers at the Design Indaba and the Ecodesign international project.
Hon members, for this financial year we have budgeted more than R19 million for projects targeting young people in the arts. Many of these programmes will be implemented jointly with provinces.
As the Department of Arts and Culture, we have declared 2012 the Year of Heritage. During this year we will increase our focus on preserving our country's rich and diverse cultural heritage, paying particular attention to our liberation heritage. As we undertake this work we will build museums, monuments and statues in honour of those who played a significant role in our struggle for national liberation. This work will include the upgrading and declaration of national heritage sites, and the places and graves of heroes and heroines of our national liberation struggle.
In honouring the legacy of the former President of the ANC, President O R Tambo, we are pleased to report that work is under way at his homestead at Nkantolo in Bizana, where are building a museum and an interpretation centre, and erecting a statue. An initial amount of R25 million has been set aside for this project, and we expect to create 50 permanent jobs, as well as 90 short-term jobs.
Work is also under way to upgrade and declare as heritage sites the graves of Dr Beyers Naude and Robert Sobukwe in Graaff Reinet. In KwaZulu-Natal we have launched the Dr John Langalibalele Dube Heritage Legacy project. This project will cost R60 million and is expected to create about 270 jobs. In Gauteng we have declared the graves of Rahima Moosa, Helen Joseph, Lillian Ngoyi and Charlotte Maxeke as national heritage sites.
We have also declared the Voortrekker Monument a heritage site, and have connected it with Freedom Park by building a road linking the two institutions, as part of nation building, reconciliation and nation healing. In September we will open the second phase of the Freedom Park Museum, !IXhapo, which will tell the whole of South African history.
In the Western Cape we are working together with the Ray Alexander Simons Memory Centre to build a museum and a community centre in Gugulethu, which will celebrate and honour the contribution of workers to the national liberation struggle.
We have declared the Wesleyan Church in Waaihoek and Mapikela House in Mangaung as national heritage sites. We have also declared the houses of former ANC President Makgatho and Bram Fischer as national heritage sites.
In honouring the heroes and heroines of our struggle, we have declared the site of the 1957 anti-pass women's march in Zeerust as a heritage site as well.
The work we are doing is to preserve our liberation heritage. We are increasing our efforts to build new symbols of our democratic nation that reflect our shared heritage and the kind of future we aspire to. This work is part of the SA Liberation Heritage Route, through which we will connect sites and individuals of significance in our struggle for national liberation. We take this opportunity to call on communities, local government and provinces to work with us as we identify more sites that are of significance to our liberation struggle.
As part of our contribution to the national target of creating 5 million jobs in the next 10 years, we have launched the Mzansi Golden Economy Strategy, through which we expect to create more than 150 000 job opportunities over the next five years.
Since the launch of the MGE during COP17 in Durban last year, we have piloted the concept of a sourcing company. This initiative has created more than 8 000 direct work opportunities over a two-week period through the procurement of conference bags, performances and other art products.
Working together with the Department of Basic Education, we are making progress in bringing back arts education in schools. Through this initiative we will deploy 3 000 full-time art facilitators in schools throughout the country. We have also set aside more than R1,5 million for the Bokgabo Dikolong Visual Arts and Photographic Competition. This competition will cover learners from all provinces and will be implemented jointly with the Department of Basic Education. A total of R600 000 has been set aside for the South African School Choral Eisteddfod involving all provinces.
Targeted support will be provided to major cultural events such as the Mangaung African Cultural Festival, the North West Cultural Calabash in Taung, the Diamonds and Dorings Festival in Kimberley, the Joy of Jazz in Johannesburg, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. Our goal is that there must be at least one major signature event per province that we will support on an ongoing basis. Through this initiative we are targeting a baseline of 2 000 work opportunities per event.
We are currently piloting five cultural precincts and information centres in five major cities in the country.
As we proceed towards the establishment of the national skills academy for the arts, the National Cultural Industries Skills Academy of South Africa, Nacisa, we will continue to engage all provinces with a view to integrating and coordinating their arts training initiatives.
As indicated by President Jacob Zuma, the Department of Arts and Culture has been mandated to organise a national summit on social cohesion and nation building. The summit will take place from 4 to 5 July 2012 at the Walter Sisulu Square of Dedication in Kliptown, Soweto. We are deliberately convening this summit in Kliptown, at the birth place of the Freedom Charter, in order to reflect on the progress made towards the kind of society envisaged in the Freedom Charter. As the charter states, this is a society that truly "belongs to all who live in it, black and white," united in their diversity.
The summit will also be an opportunity for South Africans to enter into a dialogue about their shared values, shared aspirations and shared vision of a united South African nation. We have been working with a number of stakeholders in the build-up to the summit. These include civil society organisations, churches, labour, traditional leaders, youth and women's formations, sports and cultural institutions and government departments.
In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to hon Members of the NCOP to participate in this important social cohesion summit and assist us to build a socially inclusive society. I would also like to thank you for having worked with us throughout the year. We will continue to work with you and engage on these important aspects of our cultural life. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 83
The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE
The MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION: Chairperson, Members of the National Council of Provinces, ... [Interjections.] There are people who are disruptive! [Laughter.] Members of the NCOP, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen, since the adoption of the National Sport and Recreation Plan in November 2011, South Africa and its people have become more "alive with possibility" in sport and recreation. Over the next 20 years our people will be ushering in an era of hope and triumph in sport and recreation in the Republic.
In this era of hope and accomplishment we would like to pay tribute to one of our own in the field of sport in the Republic of South Africa. We are assembled here to say, "Well done!" to Mr Joost van der Westhuizen, who committed himself to making South Africa proud and happy by his selfless honouring of our colours and flag whenever he represented South Africa abroad. Joost, we want to pay this tribute to you, a fitting one, for your sterling work in our country and your unreserved dedication and commitment to the ideals of a united, nonracial South Africa. We are inspired by your selfless conduct on and off the field. We are also rejuvenated by your loyalty to South Africa and her people. We are equally impressed by your display of the spirit of ubuntu in your conduct in sport. Well done! We join in prayers that you will be healed and will rejoin us in the future.
Segotje Ludwick Mamabolo, who hails from Ga-Mamabolo village in Limpopo province, that far-flung area of our country, has, after five years of dismal failure by South Africa to claim the Comrades Marathon for a South African born athlete, won the race with flying colours against all odds. He finished it in 5 hours, 31 minutes and 3 seconds. This is a major achievement for any sportsperson who comes from a poor rural background and utilises his own rural facilities and natural resources for a prestigious achievement. [Applause.] Mr Mamabolo has definitely demystified the myth that champions and outstanding personalities in sport come only from the urban areas. Mr Mamabolo has joined us today in the gallery and, as I deliver this speech, we also celebrate with him. [Applause.]
We have said that school sport remains the bedrock of our entire development continuum. To achieve this the local school sport leagues have begun in various provinces in the prioritised codes of rugby, cricket, netball, football and athletics. We have further begun the planning and preparations for the first school sport Olympics in December this year.
It is going to be "work unusual" because we as a government have invested enormous resources in sport and recreation thus far, especially in our school sport programme. As a result, we have now finalised our engagement with the Lotto Distributing Agency for Sport and Recreation in regard to allocating R200 million to our school sport programme. This amount will be administered and managed by The Sports Trust, and will be utilised only for the purpose for which it is intended – school sport! It will not be for greedy individuals for nefarious reasons. Oohlohlesakhe! Oosiswana sibomvana! [Kwahlekwa.]
In this financial year we are going to harness all the resources in support of the National Sport and Recreation Plan. As a department we have realised that we have not successfully implemented the sport development continuum, which will ensure a well co-ordinated and seamless development of athletes from talent identification to elite levels.
For such a purpose we have restructured the provincial conditional grant through the Division of Revenue Act to support all the objectives of the National Sport and Recreation Plan. A sizeable amount of the conditional grant will be allocated to school sport, community sport development and club development. As from this year, funding to federations will be divided into two tiers, that is, guaranteed and conditional. The conditional funding will be outcome-based. The measurement will be as per the Transformation Charter and Scorecard, as outlined in the Sport and Recreation South Africa, SRSA, National Sport and Recreation Plan, as well as good corporate governance and value for money.
I am pleased to announce that the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, Sascoc, has so far registered more than 112 athletes for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics. This will obviously increase, as other athletes are still fighting for their tickets to London. We will therefore make an official announcement of the exact number of qualifying athletes at the end of this month.
Nation-building and reconciliation in South Africa should benefit from the positive attitude of our athletes, especially their attitude to succeeding and excelling, as well as their fond seriousness about our national symbols and the Constitution, including our national anthem.
Today our athletes and Olympians will represent South Africa with pride. We are pleased that the King Protea has found resonance in the minds of every sportsman and woman in our country. It is not our athletes in London and the hockey team who misrepresented this country in regard to the national anthem, but it is the British. We should be proud of this.
We must now force everyone in the manufacturing industry to put the King Protea where it belongs - on the hearts of our athletes! They should not put our national symbol anywhere they like, without respect. To this end we will in due course publish Ministerial directives on the national symbols, especially the national anthem and the King Protea.
Ladies and gentlemen, this year we will give more support to small poor national federations in order to strengthen them, so that they can deliver more quality athletes for South Africa.
We are talking to Netball South Africa about launching the first ever South African professional netball league in this country. We call on our nation to invest more in this beautiful women's sport. We are rolling out the first ever South African netball league in our country. We are now committing ourselves to "less yada yada, more action".
Notwithstanding the fact that other countries, such as New Zealand and Australia, which have professional netball leagues, South Africa, with a pool of only 50 non-professional players, continues to be very successful and currently ranks 6th in the world. [Applause.] To remedy this situation and to ensure that we broaden the pool of netball players, we will, in co-operation with Netball SA, host a quad nation netball tournament in Africa called the Netball Diamond Challenge, which will include South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi, in August this year.
We will in the current financial year, as part of recognising excellence and service, launch the Little Green Book to honour the top 100 sports personalities in South Africa.
The Ministry of Sport of Recreation, in partnership with the South African Rugby Union, will also launch the Solly Tyibilika Rugby Academy in the Eastern Cape in July 2012. The national Lotto Distributing Agency for Sport and Recreation has already allocated R35 million to this important initiative, which will see many young people benefiting from development and high performance levels. Our intention is to replicate these academies in all the provinces in the long run. We have already mobilised rugby veterans in the Eastern Cape to support the implementation of this programme.
Members are no doubt aware of the interest we have in and the premium we place on the wellbeing of all federations in South Africa. Together with Sascoc we have resolved on a countless number of occasions and platforms to support all federations in the interests of the athletes and good governance.
By now members are aware of the decision that has been taken by Safa to terminate the contract of the Bafana Bafana coach, Mr Pitso Mosimane. The exit of the coach signifies a much deeper challenge on
the South African football landscape. The challenge will not be solved simply by the removal of the coach.
In our meeting with Safa we agreed that they would institutionalise the developmental leagues in all their regions. It was further agreed that they would develop a common philosophy around the South African style of play and train all developmental and professional coaches in this style and philosophy of play. This is key to addressing our deeper challenge of poor performance. You can remove the coach and even get in the best, like Mourinho or whoever, but if you don't have material, you will fail on any day.
Our national team has reached saturation level. It is time to wake up and smell the coffee, because we need to generate new talent. We have failed in all important competitions, including the Under 17 and Under 23 competitions. If we don't get it right at that level, we will fail, even if we can get somebody from somewhere to come and train our team. The best investment that we can make with our money is at the developmental level. A new broom is needed, starting with the level of the Under 23s, in order for them to fit into the national team.
We have the best premier league, but we are beaten at any time by poor leagues on the African continent. Our task is to focus on development. Other countries with fewer resources achieve far more, due to their player spirit and the underlying commitment of the players to their countries. Zambia is a case in point.
We therefore call upon the leadership of Safa to deploy the resources in the Fifa World Cup Legacy Trust wisely, in order to achieve the re-engineering of the football landscape for the better. We will actively utilise our involvement with this trust to ensure that this new development-focused agenda is vigorously pursued.
This emphasis and commitment to development is key if the country is to be leapfrogged from its current slumber into new opportunities presented by the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Now is the time for Safa to announce the long overdue turnaround strategy for football, and to pronounce on it. We want a winning team, as part of a winning nation. This is the defining moment and we would like you please to act now.
In recent days we have witnessed relentless aggression and notorious behaviour by some faceless individuals, gargantuan dwarfs and imbecilic creatures questioning government's involvement in the resolution of the Cricket South Africa saga. The masterminds behind this mafia have the audacity to question our locus standi and bona fides in relation to our sovereign laws and the articles of the International Cricket Council.
The Acting President of Cricket South Africa, Dr Basson, has assured me that recent reports about Cricket South Africa's reneging on the total implementation of the recommendations of the Ministerial committee of enquiry into allegations of corruption are not true, and that it will investigate who is peddling these falsehoods. I want Dr Basson and Cricket South Africa to unmask this mercenary and lay the mischievous creature's motive and handlers bear – it must be in the open – for South Africa and the International Cricket Council to see the type of animal we are dealing with.
Also, I did not wake up one day ranting and raving, and baying for Cricket South Africa's blood. I did not invite myself into this debacle. I was invited by Cricket South Africa to their meetings – individual, and at times collective. Now some people cry, "Foul!" and "Government interference!" and "Hiding behind the broomstick of autonomy when it suits them." But I was invited by sponsors, supporters, people of the Republic and players, who said, "Minister and government, please do something to stop the impending doom of cricket."
Whoever is trying to derail the implementation of the Nicholson report is advised to read what José Marti's wrote, and I quote:
I have lived:
It was to duty that I pledged my arms
And not once did the sun drop down behind the hills
That did not see my struggle and my victory ...
Our National Sport and Recreation Plan is anchored by the Transformation Charter and Scorecard. The Deputy Minister, Mr Gert Oosthuizen, will elaborate on specific salient points in this connection.
On the occasion of the delivery of our Budget Speech to the National Assembly we announced the appointment of the Eminent Persons Group on Transformation in South Africa. Our announcement included the names of those in the group and the terms of reference of the group. Through this group we will have the possibility of implementing the Transformation Charter, and monitoring and evaluating its implementation or lack of implementation. We will receive scientific research and empirical evidence, supported by sound advice on what is to be done to drive and achieve transformation goals. The first meeting of the Eminent Persons Group is taking place tomorrow, and we are looking forward to open and frank engagement with its members.
The National Sport and Recreation Plan justifies our claim for sport, which is supported by growing evidence, that sport is an indispensable tool to fundamentally alter the quality of life of all our people and a vehicle for progressive human advancement and socio-economic upliftment. As part of entrenching the sport plan, we are now in the process of integrating it in the national plan of the country, as facilitated by the National Planning Commission. This will synchronise sport and recreation at all spheres of government.
In line with the commitment we made in the 2011 Budget Vote Speech in the National Assembly and in the NCOP Budget Policy Statement, to turn around the state of boxing in South Africa, we have already commenced with our multipronged approach to strengthening the institutional and programmatic capacity of Boxing South Africa.
I would like to thank every South African who has made our work a success, especially the Deputy Minister, Mr Gert Oosthuizen, the director-general, Mr Alec Moemi, and all the senior managers who continue to ensure that the grinding mill produces the products and supplies. This includes all our sponsors and partners, who go all out to see that sport succeeds in South Africa. To the department I say, we must always remember our central drive in this year of action – making a case for sport to put in the foundation blocks for the elimination of inequality, unemployment and poverty. I thank the Select Committee on Education and Recreation for its leadership and camaraderie. We look forward to continued constructive engagements.
Therefore, allow us to present to the House Budget Vote No 20 – Sport and Recreation. I thank you. [Applause.]
Ms M W MAKGATE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 84
The MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION
Ms M W MAKGATE: Thank you, Deputy Chairperson.
Setswana:
Tona ya Lefapha la Metshameko le Boitapoloso le Motlatsatona, Tona ya Lefapha la Bonono le Setso le maloko a Palamente.
English:
Hon Chairperson, we are meeting during Youth Month, and I would therefore like to salute all the 1976 young people and students in particular, who vigorously fought for the right to quality education. They took to the streets and rejected apartheid education until the war was won, culminating in the right to education as enshrined in section 29 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Yes, I salute the youth of 1976 and call upon the youth of today to vigorously defend and safeguard the gains made by the youth of 1976. I salute the youth of South Africa.
Chairperson, in accordance with this year's arrangement, my focus in this debate will be on both the Department of Arts and Culture and the Department Sport and Recreation.
On the Department of Arts and Culture Budget Vote, the Freedom Charter states very clearly that:
All the cultural treasures of mankind shall be open to all ...
Section 30 of the Constitution of the Republic echoes these sentiments:
Everyone has the right to use the language and to participate in the cultural life of their choice, but no one exercising these rights may do so in a manner inconsistent with any provision of the Bill of Rights.
Chairperson, yes, it is true that the matter of the controversial painting by Brett Murray has been dealt with and laid to rest, but, as a responsible citizen of this country, I feel obliged to add my voice to the condemnation of this kind of carelessness and recklessness. To me the painting by Brett Murray is nothing other than a sign of disrespect for our government, the office of the Presidency, our young democracy, our Constitution and a fellow citizen of this country.
As the ANC government we have the responsibility to ensure that narrow-minded and short-sighted people such as as this artist are not allowed to take this country backwards. The right to artistic freedom cannot be exercised at the expense of the right to dignity and privacy. That cannot be right. Artists do not have special rights, and therefore cannot be allowed to trample on the rights of other citizens in the name of artistic freedom. This has to stop, and it must never be repeated, because it has the potential to plunge this country into anarchy and racial hatred. The ANC government cannot and will not tolerate that.
Chairperson, it is a fact that when the ANC took over the government, the majority of the citizens of this country had limited or no access to national heritage sites, public theatres, the National Archives and library services. It is true that the celebration of national days and other cultural events was done in silos and along racial lines. It is also true that only two languages out of the many languages that we have in this country were used for official communication and government purposes, despite the fact that they were among the least spoken languages in the country.
Today, every citizen – black or white, coloured or Indian, rural or urban, educated or uneducated – has cultural rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic. The arts and culture sector has undergone some major transformational changes since 1994.
As a matter of fact, the arts and culture sector has become an active contributor to the country's economic development drive. In response to job creation, which is the central policy of the ANC government, over the past five years about 150 000 jobs have been created in the arts and culture sector. The launch last year of the Mzansi Golden Economy Strategy also seeks to contribute to the national goal of creating 5 million jobs within the next 10 years.
Hon Chairperson, the National Archives and Library Services Subprogramme is not only the biggest of the Arts and Culture programmes, but it is also crucial. This is demonstrated by the fact that it takes the biggest chunk of the Arts and Culture budget allocation. However, the delivery of libraries on the ground, especially in deep rural and township areas, is not equal everywhere and does not speak to the huge allocation for this which appears in the budget year in and year out. Poor communities and learners in particular are crying out for libraries that are well-resourced, and the Department of Arts and Culture has a responsibility to ensure it delivers on this important mandate; otherwise we will be doing our people an injustice.
Chairperson, this year has been declared the Year of Heritage, and accordingly the ANC government has rolled out and continues to roll out the legacy projects, which include the upgrading, restoring, and declaring of national heritage sites like the graves, homes and houses of heroes and heroines of the struggle. For the work on these projects and others to be implemented, financial resources are needed. It is for that reason that a total of R2,7 billion has been allocated to the Department of Arts and Culture, with a nominal increase of 5,86%.
On Sport and Recreation, Chairperson, allow me to take this opportunity to join millions of South Africans in congratulating the 2012 Comrades Marathon winner, Ludwick Mamabolo, from Limpopo province for challenging and ending the winning dominance of the Comrades Marathon by foreign nationals. [Applause.] I salute him. Also allow me to wish the SA team which will be participating in the London 2012 Olympics well, and to assure them that South Africans are behind them.
Hon Chairperson, you will agree with me that the Department of Sport and Recreation has done remarkably well in the past two years or so. Soon after his appointment Minister Mbalula spearheaded the development of the Road Map to Optimal Performance and Functional Excellence. The Road Map gave birth to the National Sport and Recreation Indaba which was held in Johannesburg in November 2011.
The National Sport and Recreation Indaba gave birth to the first ever sports plan in the history of South Africa, the National Sport and Recreation Plan. What is key to the national plan is the inclusion and adoption of the Transformation Charter, together with its Scorecard, the main aim of which is to make sure that our sport and recreation sector is totally transformed.
While the ANC government has had some vital gains in the sporting arena, there are some persistent challenges that still need to be addressed. These include slow transformation in national federations; lack of access or poor access to sport and recreation facilities; shortage of sporting facilities, especially in rural and township areas; poor funding of female sporting codes; and poor financial management and greed, as seen in Cricket South Africa.
For the ANC government to address these challenges, to continue to unite the nation, and to implement the above-mentioned and other programmes, financial resources are essential, and that is where this Budget Vote comes in. It is largely for these reasons that the Department of Sport and Recreation's budget allocation for 2012-13 amounts to R848,4 million. This is an increase of R45,7 million from last year's budget allocation.
Ensuring access to sport for everyone – black or white, coloured or Indian – is central to the policies of the ANC. As a result, 62% of the total budget of Sport and Recreation goes to the Mass Participation Programme. There is no turning back, and the ANC will not rest until the sporting sector in this country is totally transformed.
We cannot allow the kind of racism and unfair discrimination that was shown towards a young black girl called Rego Modise in Rustenburg recently. After the poor girl persuaded her parents to drive her to Rustenburg for hockey trials, on the recommendation of her teacher, she was refused permission to participate in the trials and told in no uncertain terms that the trials were for white kids only. This is not only unconstitutional, but inhumane and backward as well. The ANC government cannot tolerate this.
Chairperson, it is very pleasing and encouraging to see that school sport forms the central pillar of the National Sport and Recreation Plan. This has been confirmed by an allocation of R200 million, which translates to 45% of the Mass Participation Programme conditional grant. The signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Departments of Sport and Recreation and of Basic Education was not only a legislative requirement as per the South Africa Schools Act, but also a clear confirmation that the era of effective school sport had arrived.
Chairperson, you will agree with me that in South Africa sport has often been demonstrated to be a tool, and an instrument of social cohesion, reconciliation, nation-building and economic development. The closest example is the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The ANC therefore supports both Budget Votes. I thank you. [Applause.]
Ms X TOM (Eastern Cape)
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 85
Ms M W MAKGATHE
Ms X TOM (Eastern Cape): Hon Deputy Chair, hon Ministers, hon chairpersons, hon members, and ladies and gentlemen, the month of June is a very important month on our calendar. It is a reminder that our freedom was never free. People died, people went into exile, and people were imprisoned in order for us to be where we are today. And all that is required from us is minimal – to make our freedom work. That is very important for us.
As the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture in the Eastern Cape, we are looking at the medium long-term horizon in addressing developmental challenges relevant to the mandate of the department, while not neglecting short-term imperatives. We seek to be an organisation that is strategy and results-driven.
There is a greater demand for services in sport and recreation, and the creative industries, especially in subsectors like craft, film, music and the performing arts, given our largely youthful provincial population. We believe that growth of these sectors will increase the labour-absorptive capacity of the provincial economy, and thus make a significant contribution to reducing youth unemployment and economic dependency in general, because both sectors are working with job creators, not job seekers. As a result, we think that the department can justify its claim to have a bigger role than it is currently assumed to play because ...
IsiXhosa:
... sijongwa njengesebe lokudlala nokuxhentsa, ...
English:
... but I think we are at the centre of society as the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
As we all know, our province, the Eastern Cape, is a province that is rich in heritage, from the wars of dispossession to the liberation heritage, cultural heritage and sports heritage. As the department, we are looking at improved management and regulation of heritage resources, which will enhance infrastructure development, promote cultural and sport tourism, and enhance social cohesion.
We are also looking seriously at improving our library services, because public schools rely heavily on community libraries. We believe that the libraries that we build and renovate should serve those students, because we all know that without reading, learners cannot succeed. Knowledge is power.
However, the growth and sustainability of our services are negatively affected by underfunding of key functions and programmes, like museums, archives, and arts centres, as well as by expanding mandates without corresponding funding, and continuing budget cuts.
On cultural affairs, the focus this financial year is going to be on cultural industry development. Our focus on sector strategy and programming in this area complements the Provincial Industrial Development Strategy and the Provincial Cabinet Programme of Action for 2012-13. It is reinforced by national industrial policy action, as well as the Mzansi Golden Economy Programme, spearheaded by the national Minister.
As a province our sector plans on craft and design, music, literature, dance and drama, film and the visual arts are being refined as we speak, and are being got ready for roll-out. We are also facilitating the integration of cultural industries in the local economic development initiatives of municipalities.
There are a few catalytic and trailblazing initiatives that I would like to mention. They are: the establishment of a film commission; the establishment of a record label; the recapitalisation of Dakawa Arts and Craft Community Centre, which is historic and a heritage centre; the recapitalisation of the Bayworld Museum Complex; the initiation of a jazz museum in Queenstown, which is historically a jazz town even though it is small – that is a place from which jazz comes from; the declaration of playhouses; and supporting various liberation heritage route initiatives.
Our work in improving the provision of accessible and sustainable library and archiving services continues with a lot of incremental improvement in our service delivery model.
Our focus on legislative reform also continues to receive a lot of our attention in the new financial year. This includes legislation governing arts and culture, heritage resources management, and library and information services.
On sport and recreation, we are very excited to say that we have sat with the department of education in our province and, because we believe that if we do not plan together, we can never implement together, we have started planning together and looking at the budget that there is for school sport, as well as ensuring that what we plan is implemented, because sometimes a lot of time is taken in planning, but we never implement. We are ensuring that we implement the planning that we have done. We are also serious about supporting school sport co-ordinating structures, because we believe that if those structures are not functional, it may be a problem. So, we are supporting those structures that co-ordinate school sport.
As the province we are also looking at sport tourism, because we believe, as I said earlier, that these sectors are sectors for job creators not for job seekers. So, in sport tourism events we believe that jobs will be created.
We are also looking at the provincial sport funding entity because we have experienced some concerns and a lot of problems. We have found that cases have been enumerated here of young people who want to go and play hockey overseas, but the schools want the learners to pay for themselves. When you get kids from disadvantaged families who cannot pay, then we are found wanting. So, we would like this provincial sport funding entity to ensure that those kids that are from disadvantaged families are not left behind and do not fall through the cracks.
There is also the matter of sports facilities that is hitting all the provinces. The issue of the percentage of the Municipal Infrastructure Grant that has to go to sports facilities is something that we had to discuss with municipalities for a long time in order to make sure that they understood it. I am glad to report that we are at the same level of understanding now, and we are in negations with them, so that even if we identify one facility per financial year, we ensure that we do have those facilities because there is a growing interest in sport in our province.
The Minister talked about the National Sport and Recreation Plan. We are also looking at the finalisation of our own provincial sports plan. Immediately we do that, we will be in a position to go on and implement that.
The turnaround plan for academies is something that we are also looking at. We want to thank the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee for supporting us and walking with us in ensuring that in every district there is an academy that will assist young people in that area to get the training that they need. We also want to thank them for ensuring that they take our hand and support us with the training that we provide.
In our province we are also looking at co-ordinating what are called "mayoral cups", because what has been happening is that mayoral cups are played for everywhere, but we do not know what is happening to those teams that win them. So, we are co-ordinating this to ensure that it culminates in a premier's cup. We will then have a provincial competition so that it doesn't end at the local level.
In education and training we are working closely with our tertiary institutions, the institutions of higher learning, in order to ensure that the graduates that come out of those institutions come forward and we then have a database on which they are captured.
In conclusion, I would like to congratulate athletes from our province who are part of the team that are going to London, namely, Lusapho April, Simphiwe Lusizi, Ayabonga Sonjica, Julian Hykes and Amanda Sister who is a member of Banyana Banyana.
In the words of Ngugi wa Thiong'o in his book, Decolonising the Mind, "A people united can never be defeated." I believe that by working together we can do more. Thank you. [Applause.]
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 86
Ms X TOM (Eastern Cape)
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE: Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Ministers present, hon Deputy Ministers, hon chairperson of the Select Committee on Education and Recreation, and hon members, let me first express my appreciation for this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Budget Vote of our department, the Department of Arts and Culture, for the 2012-13 financial year.
This debate takes place in an important year in our history, that in which we celebrate the centenary of the oldest liberation movement on our continent, the ANC. We are indeed a privileged generation to witness this historic epoch. It is for this reason that we have declared in our department that this is the Year of Heritage, of celebrating 100 years of selfless struggle for freedom and democracy, and continuing to build on the foundation of unity in diversity.
We must celebrate not only the bravery of our forebears who fought for their dignity and birthright, but also their wisdom in laying the foundation for a society based on nonracialism, nonsexism, equality, prosperity and dignity for all. We must thank our forebears, our founders, such as Pixley ka Isaka Seme, Sol Plaatje, Sefako Makgatho, John Langalibalele Dube and Abdullah Abdurahman, for rising above the most brutal system of colonialism and racism and giving our country the possibility of building a truly nonracial and democratic society.
This being Youth Month also serves as a reminder of that generation of young people who played a major role in order for us to be where we are today. While 1976 was the epitome of the rise of the youth in the struggle for freedom, let us remember that thousands of young people were in the forefront of the struggle, both before and after the June 1976 uprisings. Those generations of young people sacrificed their youth and laid down their lives so that future generations could live in dignity and prosperity.
We are therefore obliged as the current leadership of the country, especially those of us who have the privilege of serving in these august Houses of Parliament, to make sure that the youth of today are grounded, and are accorded the conditions in which to contribute to the constructive development of our country. While it is correct for us to be remembering the youth by erecting monuments to them, such as the Hector Peterson Memorial and the Solomon Mahlangu Memorial, the only lasting tribute to our fallen youth is to make sure that the youth of today and tomorrow have better prospects of building a prosperous South Africa.
Hon Chairperson, as we celebrate 100 years of selfless struggle, let us remind ourselves that arts and culture have always played a central role in the struggle for freedom, both in content and as vehicle of mobilisation.
It is widely acknowledged that colonialism and apartheid were not only about physical oppression, subjugation, dispossession and deprivation, but also about psychological conquest – the instilling of self-doubt in the indigenous people and self-hate amongst those who have been the conquered. It is for this reason that leaders of our continent, and also those in the diaspora, identified the antithesis to this as the preaching of pride in one's nationhood, pride in being an African, pride in being black, and pride in one's history, culture, language and customs, as key to establishing the psychological liberation and self-esteem of those who have been conquered.
Hon Chairperson, in our own struggle here in South Africa it was therefore not a coincidence that in the midst of the most repressive era of the struggle, the late 1960s, Black Consciousness became a dominant philosophy of liberation. Thanks to leaders like Stephen Bantu Biko and also many young students of the time, slogans such as "Black man, you are on your own" and "Black is beautiful" were coined. This was very important at a time when our people were getting demoralised after the arrest of most of the leaders of the ANC and uMkhonto weSizwe. Practices such as the use of skin lightening creams – you may remember Ambi – and the straightening of hair were discouraged during that time because they were looked upon as emulating the oppressor, and this was very important in regard to our own self-esteem.
At the times of bannings, detention and torture, communicating messages through songs, poetry and the visual arts was very important. Who will forget some of our most eminent authors, poets and musicians, such as Miriam Makeba, Miriam Tladi, Wally Serote, Oswald Mtshali, Mafika Pascal Gwala and Lefifi Tladi, just to mention a few – there were many others. Who can forget the reverberating voice of the people's poet, Mzwakhe Mbuli, on various occasions of mass organisation in the 1980s? Who can forget the graffiti all over the walls in many parts of our country, calling for the release of Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners?
Hon members, I am saying this to remind all of us that arts and culture were potent tools of liberation, and today we must make sure that arts and culture again become potent tools of building a new nation and reconstruction.
We are therefore proud to announce that various monuments, including the Steve Biko museum in Ginsberg outside King Williams Town, are virtually complete. We have invested over R100 million in this museum. A number of other activities will be taking place during the course of this month to celebrate Youth Day through Arts and Culture.
Hon Chairperson, in the area of geographic names, and our role in steering this project, which is contributing to national healing and reconciliation, the standardisation of geographic names is continuing. We recently held a very successful workshop attended by many stakeholders. Amongst others, the workshop recommended close co-operation amongst the three spheres of government, which was seen to be weak. Amongst recent high profile name changes which have been effected are Louis Trichardt to Makhado again, and we hope this time it will remain that, Mafikeng to Mahikeng, and the Presidential Guest House, King's House, in KwaZulu-Natal to John Langalibalele Dube House.
Hon members, in the area of languages our department remains seized with the mandate to promote multilingualism, especially the promotion of previously marginalised languages. The Use of Official Languages Bill has been finalised by the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture, and will be tabled in the National Assembly in the coming week.
The other project in this area has been undertaken by the National Language Service, in partnership with the University of North West, which is the development of the machine translation of various languages, for instance, from English to IsiZulu.
In the area of books and publishing, we have funded the Indigenous Languages Publishing Programme to support small independent publishers of books by emerging writers. Together with the National Library of South Africa, we have launched 22 new titles as part of our African Classics Publication Programme. There will also be the launch of the National Book Week in Port Elizabeth, again in September this year, after a very successful one last year.
The other project that we are involved in is that of promoting oral history, which will also be taking place later this year.
Hon members, regarding libraries, I heard hon members talking about library projects. We believe that libraries are a very important tool in educating not only our youth, but society as a whole, and we see this as a flagship programme. The conditional grant to libraries is continuing, and it is growing stronger and stronger. We can announce that during the course of the current financial year we will be allocating over R565 million to these projects in all the provinces, and this will cover the upgrading of libraries and the construction of the 15 new libraries in all the nine provinces. I will not go into the details of the upgrading.
Hon members, in the area of community art centres, we are doing an audit of this project to make sure that where there have been shortcomings, we can attend to them.
Hon members will also remember that just over a month and a half ago I led a delegation from our department and other stakeholders to Austria to retrieve the osteological remains of Klaas and Trooi Pienaar. Their bodies were illegally exhumed in the area of Kuruman in the Northern Cape. We are very proud to announce now that after the return of their remains, they will be properly buried in that same area. We are just awaiting the finalisation of this through the Presidency's giving us a date, which I am told will be in the next three weeks.
In conclusion, hon members, we take our responsibility of building social cohesion seriously – the Minister has already alluded to this. We are therefore perturbed, as the hon chairperson of the committee mentioned, about developments over the past two to three weeks, when Arts and Culture was dominant in the media for the wrong reasons.
We agree with those who have asserted that the enjoyment of all the rights enshrined in our Constitution cannot be experienced in isolation. While we believe in freedom of expression, whether in speech or in the form of art, we also believe that that cannot be exercised at the expense of other rights, especially the right to human dignity.
We call on our artists to continue to do what they have been doing so well up to now. Let them not be distracted by the isolated, opportunistic and reckless adventurism of one artist – or so-called artist, because we don't believe that he is a real artist. We believe that if they continue to do their work, they will get the support of society.
I thank hon members for their support throughout our time of operation and we look forward to very constructive engagement. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Dr I H MEYER (Western Cape)
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 87
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE
Dr I H MEYER (Western Cape): Deputy Chairperson, hon members of the NCOP, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers, hon members of the NCOP select committees, hon MECs, and ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the opportunity to take part in this debate.
The debate takes place at a time when our athletes are preparing for the 2012 Olympics in London. I first want to congratulate the athletes selected by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, Sascoc, last night, and I note the Minister's plan for the end of June 2012.
The Minister of Sport and Recreation has successfully made sport and recreation central in our communities. I want to thank him and the Deputy Minister for giving new life to this portfolio. I am equally excited about school sport and the campaign to put physical education back on the school agenda.
Social problems are multifaceted and complex, and they require a holistic approach. Our research indicates that school-going children are most vulnerable to antisocial behaviour between 14:00 and 18:00. This is expected, since children are often without supervision and are primary targets of antisocial behaviour such as crime, drug abuse and teenage pregnancies.
Recognising the complexity of the social fabric of our society, we adopted a "whole of society" approach to dealing with antisocial behaviour. Through mass participation in sport, we offer primary and high school learners an opportunity for access.
What has also become clear in our research is that we should facilitate behavioural change if we want to sustain youth development. Behavioural change is a fundamental ingredient in the policy platform, as the present culture of dependency and externalising social problems is counterproductive. Through the application of behavioural economics, our after-school programmes offer the learner an opportunity to choose between sport, arts, culture, and recreation. Making that choice is crucial and reinforces personal responsibility. Personal responsibility is vital if we want to move out of the current cycle of poverty and underdevelopment.
Deputy Chairperson, the after-school programme should not focus only on sport. It should also focus on arts, culture, and recreation. Our after-school programme runs between 14:00 and 18:00. What we do in the Western Cape is to offer two coaches from different sporting codes to learners to guide and stimulate their interest. It is by stimulating their interest that opportunities are presented.
The Mass Opportunity Development in Sport, MODS, centres have four primary objectives. The first objective is to give children an opportunity to have fun. Hon Deputy Chairperson, fun is the "architecture" of a child. We must promote children's playing and having fun. In this regard, I want to thank both the Minister and the Deputy Minister for visiting our local schools in the Western Cape to promote having fun after school. Secondly, the facilitators and coaches identify talent. Thirdly, the objective is to reduce the risk of antisocial behaviour and, fourthly, it is to improve the discipline and the learning outcomes of our learners.
Through the architecture of choice we have seen that some learners choose sport, while others choose singing, dancing, music or other programmes as a result of their needs.
Hon members will recall that Garry Kasparov visited South Africa. Hon Deputy Minister, I have announced a chess revolution in the Western Cape, because, through chess we can see that children learn different skills. Firstly, in chess you make a move. We want the youth to make a move. Secondly, in chess you are personally responsible for your move – we want children to learn personal responsibility. On a chessboard, when you make a move there are consequences. We want the learners in the schools to understand that the consequences in their lives are the result of the choices they have made.
In the Western Cape there will be a chessboard in every single library, because we must promote these skills. As we promote chess, we see that there is a direct correlation between chess as a sport, and improvement in mathematics. So, the chess revolution is also going to take place in every single museum in the Western Cape.
Apart from sport, we also want to see learners taking part in homework clubs and reading rooms, where learners can also attend to their homework after school.
What has become evident in a short space of time in promoting mass opportunities in the development of sport is that it works extremely well when we have competent, energetic co-ordinators and coaches, when we create an atmosphere of fun and excitement, when we have sustainable programmes every day, and when we have a dedicated and committed principal supporting learners. We have such a principal at Isikhokelo Primary School in Khayelitsha, and I want to congratulate the teacher for promoting after-school sport in that school. We also have co-ordinators and volunteers offering help under supervision, where we set weekly targets and monitor the progress at these schools systematically.
Also, when you introduce after-school programmes between 14:00 and 18:00, logic tells you that you need to look after the kids, because they get hungry. So, you must also introduce a nutrition programme in the after-school programme. Instead of just having soup kitchens for people who are healthy and can work, we have now introduced a nutrition programme at the schools where we promote after-school programmes, because you cannot allow a child to play between 14:00 and 18:00 without their having a decent meal.
It is amazing to see and witness the local talent emerging from these MODS centres. I have personally witnessed behavioural change when I have visited these centres. We have human capital and exceptional youth talent being exposed when given an opportunity.
Since many of our MODS centres are in the infant stage or pilot phase, we are modifying and adapting them during this experience, because no-one has a full understanding and knowledge of how things can best be done. We are in a learning organisation, and if we fail, we will be failing in an attempt to go forward, hon Deputy Chairperson.
We believe that over time we will see the following outcomes: improved school discipline, improved learning outcomes, increased school attendance, reduced figures for crime and youth at risk, reduced figures for teenage pregnancy, increased mass participation, improved health in lifestyles, and reduced substance abuse.
Using a multidisciplinary approach is now slowly changing the social discourse by offering practical solutions to real social problems, using evidence-based practice, creativity and innovation. This is fascinating stuff and in no way complete – it is just the beginning, en route to a new trajectory. Over time we will see the difference in more places as a result of our comprehensive after-school programme.
I welcome the announcement by Minister Mashatile yesterday about the National Social Cohesion Summit on 5 and 6 July. Our rainbow nation no longer exists, because of social exclusion. Many people, for different reasons, feel socially excluded in our society. The developments of the last few weeks in South Africa confirm the importance of creating social inclusion.
I appointed the Western Cape Cultural Commission this morning. I have requested it to promote what I call "cultural warmness". Cultural warmness is when we allow space for other cultures to influence us, to enrich us, and to inspire us and, above all, to unite us. Where cultural ethnocentricity divides us, cultural warmness unites us. This joint debate on sport and culture is at an opportune time, since these are the most important tools to promote cultural warmness.
Afrikaans:
Kulturele warmte ... [Cultural warmness ...]
English:
... finds expression not only in what we as politicians say, but also in the tone in which we say things. In this regard I want to thank both Minister Mashatile and Dr Joe Phaahla for their tone when speaking when about social cohesion at the recent Minmec meeting. In promoting social cohesion, we as politicians must help to create a better body politic in our engagements in society.
Deputy Chair, I support the Minister of Sport in his focus on school sport. I also support his plan to root out corruption in sport. I have, however, one request to the Minister, and that is that an audit of municipal sports facility maintenance plans be conducted. Many municipalities countrywide request funds for facilities and yet they don't have a plan to maintain their own sports facilities. I am aware that the Minister has announced that he will also have a municipal sport summit.
Minister Mashatile, I support your views on the Pan-South African Language Board, PanSALB, and I am looking forward to seeing a new PanSALB board taking its constitutional responsibility very seriously.
Minister, I would also like to hear more about your plans with regard to Robben Island.
Deputy Chair, we love soccer, but there is something wrong, and we are thankful for the Minister's tough words. Now is the time for the South African Football Association, Safa, to get its house in order. Minister, you cleaned up cricket. Now is the time to clean up Safa.
To conclude, I am thankful that arts and culture are now integrated, and I am looking forward to the successful implementation of social inclusion. Hon Deputy Minister Phaahla also spoke about libraries.
Hon Minister, since this year is also the focus on the liberation heritage, I want to make an appeal that the Department of Arts and Culture consider including St George's Cathedral in the list of liberation heritage sites. During the apartheid era St George's Cathedral was the spiritual home of the liberation struggle in Cape Town. The inclusion of St George's Cathedral will greatly help with reconciliation, redress, diversity and delivery. Hon Minister Mashatile, I will formally put this request to you in writing next week.
Afrikaans:
Ek het reeds in April vanjaar alle fondse toegedeel aan sportfederasies ten einde hulle te help met hul programmering van sport vir hierdie jaar. Ek het ook reeds vanjaar Ratelgat verklaar tot 'n provinsiale erfenisterrein vir die Griekwa-kultuurgroep. Ek het ook Lwandle Trekarbeidermuseum in Lwandle verklaar tot 'n provinsiale erfenisterrein.
English:
I am also glad to report that we are currently busy ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mr W F FABER
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 88
Dr I H MEYER (Western Cape)
Afrikaans:
Mnr W F FABER: Agbare Adjunkvoorsitter, Ministers en lede, in 2010 het ons die vuvuzelas geblaas om die grootste sportbyeenkoms, die 2010 Wêreldbeker, hier in Suid-Afrika aan te kondig. Dis nou twee jaar later en nou is dit die Olimpiese Spele wat in Londen gaan plaasvind. Nou gaan u my vra waarom ek hierdie twee sportgebeurtenisse vandag ophaal.
Twee jaar gelede was die hele nasie agter ons Bafana Bafana-span en het ons hulle almal met entoesiasme luidkeels aangepor en ondersteun. Ons is nou 'n maand voor die Olimpiese Spele en niemand weet werklik wie ons sporthelde is of in watter sportkodes hulle gekwalifiseer het om deel te neem nie.
Dit is vir my skokkend om te hoor van 'n tekort aan fondse aan ons atlete. Die atlete word nie almal soos professionele atlete betaal nie, maar neem deel om Suid-Afrika te verteenwoordig en die trots van ons inklusiewe reënboognasie is vir hulle die grootste dryfveer. Dit is dan waar ek tot die punt kom dat sportmanne en –vroue hulle álles vir Suid-Afrika gee.
Dit in aggenome, doen die Departement van Sport en Ontspanning en Saskok, dink ek, nog steeds finansieel te min vir ons Suid-Afrikaanse atlete. Om net 'n voorbeeld te noem, ons nasionale swemspan moes deur die prinses van Monaco genooi word vir verblyf vir die Spele om hulle kostes te bespaar nadat dit aan die lig gekom het dat die departement nie oor voldoende fondse beskik om hulle in 'n voldoende oefenkamp te help aanpas nie. Dit is maar een van die teleurstellings waarvan almal hoor en lees.
Die realiteit is dat die finansiële beplanning vir die Olimpiese Spele al ten minste vier jaar gelede moes begin het. Dit is vir my onaanvaarbaar dat die Departement van Sport en Ontspanning nie vroegtydig kreatief kon beplan vir so 'n groot byeenkoms nie. Verder word verskonings gebruik van 'n tekort aan borge vir ons Olimpiese span, maar nou vra ek, kan ons hierdie borge blameer? U weet, ek sou beslis nie my geld belê in 'n organisasie waar bedrog hoogty vier nie. Dan word klereborge oorsee gesoek weens 'n tekort aan borge in Suid-Afrika.
Kom ons kyk byvoorbeeld na die Indiese kriekettoernooi, wat gelei het tot die skandaal oor die buitensporige bonusse wat aan personeel uitbetaal is. Dit was blykbaar ook nie nodig dat sulke bonusse in die finansiële state genoem word nie.
Die bestuur van Atletiek SA laat ook veel te wense oor. Ek kan tot môre hier staan en voorbeelde noem, maar dit gaan nie die huidige situasie verbeter nie.
Die DA glo in skoon en verantwoordelike bestuur en dring aan dat die ANC-regering dieselfde sal nastreef en die huis sal skoonmaak van ontplooide kaders wat nog steeds ons land in die skande steek.
Ek wil die fokus egter nou na ons Paralimpiese span skuif, wat tans presteer en veral wêreldwye blootstelling aan agtergeblewe atlete gee. Sport is die een geleentheid om aan hierdie atlete nuwe betekenis in hulle lewens te gee. Hierdie atlete, en veral opkomende atlete, neem gereeld onder die vaandel van die SA Sportvereniging vir Liggaamlik Gestremdes aan internasionale byeenkomste deel.
Die Paralimpiese Spele vind net ná die afloop van die Olimpiese Spele plaas. Tydens die 2008 Paralimpiese Spele in Beijing het Suid-Afrika sesde in die wêreld geëindig en het ons gestremde atlete 32 medaljes verower waarvan 23 goud was. Wat 'n prestasie! Dit staan ongelukkig in skrille kontras met die enkele medalje van die Suid-Afrikaanse olimpiese span in Beijing.
Tans is 25 van ons paralimpiese atlete onder die eerste drie in die wêreld in hulle onderskeie nommers geklassifiseer, wat die verwagting vir topprestasies tydens 2012 se Londense Paralimpiese Spele verhoog. Die doelwit is om die vyfde beste span ter wêreld te wees. Vir die 2012 Paralimpiese Spele in Londen sal die Suid-Afrikaanse span uit 25 lede bestaan teenoor groot spanne soos China wat 80; die VSA, 54; Rusland, 53; Engeland, 52; Australië, 43; Mexiko, 38; en Brasilië, 37 lede sal hê. Ons is dus die veertiende grootste span by die 2012 Paralimpiese Spele, wat die prestasie van vyfde plek in die wêreld uitsonderlik sal maak.
Tans het die span die eerste keer die geleentheid om deel van Saskok se Operation Excellence-program te wees waaruit hierdie atlete finansiële ondersteuning kry om hulle optimaal voor te berei vir die Paralimpiese Spele. Indien dit ook nie was vir die sewe uitstaande borge wat die span ondersteun nie, teenoor die een vir die SA Olimpiese Span, sou dit baie moeilik vir hierdie atlete gewees het om topprestasies te lewer.
Die Departement van Sport en Ontspanning behoort ook soos ander Afrika-regerings meer geld vir ons atlete beskikbaar te stel. Hoewel daar geld vir Suid-Afrikaanse sport via Saskok beskikbaar gestel word, is dit hopeloos te min vir werklike prestasies, en baie minder as wat atlete in die res van die wêreld kry.
In hierdie jaar se Paralimpiese span is daar 'n nuwe geslag presteerders wat moet oorneem by die Oscar Pistoriusse en Natalie du Toits van die span; atlete soos Samkelo Radebe. Die atlete met die potensiaal is daar buite in ons provinsies, byvoorbeeld Noord-Kaap en Oos-Kaap, maar hulle het regdeur die jaar ondersteuning nodig en, weens hierdie vierjaarsiklus, van die begin van die vier jaar af. Sport het so professioneel geword dat Suid-Afrika gaan verloor as ons met die huidige befondsingsplan voortgaan.
Hoeveel word aan die "razzmatazz" tydens die Sport SA Toekennings en die Ikaya-fasiliteit tydens die Olimpiese en Paralimpiese Speles gespandeer? Hierdie geld behoort eerder direk aan sportmanne en –vroue se ontwikkeling en prestasie bestee te word, want dit sal groter dividende oplewer. Die hele land moet ons span ondersteun en weer eens die nodige erkenning gee wat hulle verdien.
Skolesport is ook 'n groot kommer vir die DA. Daar is 'n groot tekort aan sportgeriewe in die landelike gebiede en dus word veral kinders in voorheen benadeelde gebiede ontneem van 'n moontlike toekoms in sport. Sport het die vermoë om alle mense by mekaar uit te bring en ons nasie te bou. Kom ons gebruik dus sport om die geleenthede aan ons kinders te bied wat hulle verdien om aan 'n samelewing met gelyke geleenthede te kan deel hê.
Kuns en kultuur begin ook reeds by ons kinders in skole. Die DA steun die Nasionale Ontwikkelingsplan dat die kwaliteit van onderwys vir skoliere drasties verhoog moet word, en gemeenskapsbiblioteke kan in hierdie verband 'n uiters belangrike rol speel.
Dit is dus bemoedigend dat program 6: Nasionale Argiewe en Biblioteekdienste die grootste geallokeerde bedrag, naamlik R799,5 miljoen van al die programme vir die boekjaar 2012-13 ontvang. Die bedrag behoort egter nog groter te wees as 'n mens die belangrikheid van gemeenskapsbiblioteke na waarde skat. Aangesien gemeenskapsbiblioteke eers die voorwaardelike toelae kan bekom nadat 'n besigheidsplan ingedien en aanvaar is, sal die departement moet verseker dat diegene wat vir die opstel van die plan verantwoordelik is voldoende opleiding ontvang. Daar moet ook verseker word dat biblioteke wel die toelaes kry ten einde kwaliteitdienste te kan lewer.
Besoeke aan munisipaliteite het getoon dat daar enkele munisipaliteite is wat nie voorwaardelike toelaes aan die biblioteke beskikbaar stel nie, maar dit in hulle rekeninge hou sodat dit kan rente trek en 'n bron van inkomste vir dié munisipaliteite kan wees. Dis onnodig om te sê dat dit broodnodige dienslewering aan plattelandse gemeenskappe daaronder laat ly.
English:
The Department of Arts and Culture also has to respond to Outcome 12, which speaks to an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship. This means that social cohesion and nation-building should be prioritised in all six programmes of the department. The DA insists that there are four crucial elements which will ensure that these concepts do not remain concepts, but become reality in communities: delivery, reconciliation, redress and diversity. To build one nation and enhance social cohesion, we will have to implement and internalise these four elements.
Afrikaans:
Aangesien ek die Noord-Kaap-provinsie in die Nasionale Raad van Provinsies verteenwoordig, moet ek die derde agtereenvolgende jaar die nalaat van die San-gemeenskap opper. Die sogenaamde Boesmans van die Kalahari het al vele kere hulle misnoeë in hierdie verband geopper. Dit wil nou vir my voorkom asof die huidige Regering, net soos die voormalige apartheidsregering, die !Kung en Khwe versaak. Ek doen dus weer 'n beroep op die departement om die gemeenskap te ondersteun om hulle hul regmatige plek in Afrika met al hulle kuns en kultuur te laat inneem.
Ten slotte, die DA glo stellig ook dat werkskepping baie belangrik is en dat museums en erfenisgebiede werkskepping kan genereer indien projekte noukeurig beplan en uitgevoer word. Belangriker, egter, is dat werkskepping in die informele sektor hierby kan baat vind. Oorsee en in dele van Afrika is handel in kuns- en handwerkprodukte deur plaaslike inwoners buite die sentrums 'n algemene gesig. In Suid-Afrika, dink ek egter, is dit nog 'n bietjie afwesig. So 'n inisiatief behoort ontwikkel en aangemoedig te word, en die DA moedig die ANC-regering aan om stappe te doen.
Ek dank u. [Applous.]
Mr S H PLAATJIE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 89
Mr W F FABER
Mr S H PLAATJIE: Hon Chair, Minister Mbalula, and Minister of Arts and Culture, sports, arts and culture are catalysts for nation-building and social cohesion. In fact, they are at the pinnacle of human transformation. Therefore, allow me to applaud both departments for their endeavour to put in place plans to deliver on their legislative mandate.
It is a well-known fact that many facets of the outlook for Brand South Africa are not impressive. The Standard & Poor's agency gave the South African outlook a negative rating, citing failure of government to create jobs, chronic and high unemployment, and low economic growth. Cope therefore hopes that the Mzansi Golden Economy initiative by Arts and Culture will definitely deliver on these core issues.
In 2010 Amnesty International reported that Brand South Africa was affected by corruption and nepotism. Corruption impedes community access to resources and services, and this leads to widespread negativity and protests amongst the affected communities.
Hon Minister of Arts and Culture, every game has rules. It is time that your department regulated the exhibition of artwork to ensure that the dignity and rights of individuals are protected.
I also appreciate the fact that the Minister of Sport has rolled out school sports activities, and ensured that the mass participation programme is effective in all areas of all provinces.
When I look at the Department of Arts and Culture again, I note that South Africa needs an anti-piracy policy that is enforceable. Cope is deeply concerned about the forgeries of South African music and art. The recent report on the forgery of the much acclaimed Dumile Feni's artwork is an indictment of the South African government for failing to protect arts and culture.
The South African sport brand is also not getting justice from Sport and Recreation. The Super Rugby franchise is becoming a headache to the South African Rugby Union, Saru. Cope would like to know the reasons that are stopping Saru from implementing a decision that was taken a long time ago?
Cricket South Africa is still facing a crisis. We want to know from the Minister: Why is it difficult to discipline the suspended Cricket South Africa chief executive, Gerald Majola? Failure to discipline him is taking South African sport back to 1996 where administration was about penalties and not the welfare of the players.
In conclusion, I just want to look at the issue of libraries. I did not want to speak on this, because many of the speakers have touched on it. However, it is a serious matter. If we do not roll out the infrastructure and facilities for school libraries and libraries in rural areas quickly, we are going to encounter a problem, because learners do not have access to libraries. I thank you.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 89
Mr S H PLAATJIE
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION: Thank you, hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Minister, MECs and hon members present.
Afrikaans:
Laat ek net asseblief vir die agb Faber reghelp. As hy môreoggend sesuur op Bellvillestasie is, gaan hy deel wees van "Magnificent Friday". Jy kan jou klere aantrek. U weet van 'n land waarvan u blykbaar nie in die koerante lees nie. Ons het daardie initiatief uitgerol vir die rugby, die krieket en vir ons netbalspan wat oorsee gegaan het. U het blykbaar nie daarvan geweet nie. So, kom blaas die vuvuzela saam met ons môreoggend ter ondersteuning daarvan.
English:
We hosted a very successful National Sport and Recreation Indaba last year. It was the culmination of nine provincial izindaba and various consultations with stakeholders, ranging from business sponsors, the media, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, SASCOC, and the federations, to the public at large. In this process building up to the indaba, more than 1 500 written inputs were received, assisting us to finalise discussion documents for the national indaba. These involved robust debates based on the documentation provided. At the end we adopted 75 resolutions and accepted them. Overall consensus was reached on key issues and finally we adopted the first ever masterplan for sport, underpinned by a declaration of intent to chart its implementation.
Mr A G MATILA: Hon Deputy Chair, I would like to know if the Deputy Minister will take a question.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION: Hon Chair, if I am allowed time I will do so, but I have limited time.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Please continue.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION: South Africa now has, for the first time in its history, a national plan with unified objectives for all role-players, and with sport transformation addressed in a holistic way. There are a number of important matters arising from the indaba that we are dealing with. These are in essence a strategy dealing with a number of consequential matters that emanated from the indaba.
Let me refer to some of them: a review of the legal framework of the South African sport system; the revised role demarcation at macro level; and to have all stakeholders' alignment of their strategic and business plans with the National Sport and Recreation Plan.
The commitment we made at the indaba, and which we wish to reiterate, is that the National Sport and Recreation Plan is a plan of action that will not gather dust. In the six months since the indaba we have already made significant progress in implementing the key focus area of the plan for the next financial year, that of school sport.
Other areas of achievement in this short period of time include amongst others: the planning of South Africa's first youth games; building a coaching framework for systematic capacity building in our country; and ensuring that government funds for sport are utilised more effectively through the development of a new funding policy framework for federations and sporting bodies with a focused approach.
In partnership with the South African Local Government Association, Salga, a municipal conference was hosted to address the key implementation issues and challenges in rolling out the National Sport and Recreation Plan, and we have signed a memorandum of understanding, with the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority, CATHSSETA, with the mutual objective of stimulating and strengthening skills development in the sport and recreation sector.
Through the Division of Revenue Act grant framework our department has introduced an allocation of 3,5% of the total budget grant to the development and sustainability of district academies. This allocation will be transferred to the provincial departments.
The system aims to address the demographics of our national teams by accelerating the development of talented athletes, particularly from disadvantaged groups. It is envisaged that the district academies will be aligned to political district demarcations and will be placed in previously disadvantaged areas to ensure that disadvantaged sportspersons have access to services rendered at these academies.
It is therefore foreseen that 53 regional sports hubs will serve as feeders to the nine existing provincial academies. The main aim of a district academy system is to take technical, scientific and medical support services to the sporting community, and I am talking here about the athletes, coaches, administrators and technical officials.
Deputy Chairperson, allow me to elaborate on the conditional grant. The purpose of the grant is to provide support via our provinces to schools, clubs and hubs so that they can increase participation in sport and recreation in a sustainable manner. We want to see improved capacity in our sector to deliver sport and recreation programmes in schools, clubs and hubs. This is the only way in which we can get the nation active and the only way that can lead to a winning nation in the future.
Some of the main changes we have made to the conditions of the grant include the following: Provinces must appoint permanent staff on their establishment for the co-ordination of school sport, club and hub programmes, with a specific focus on their local level, in consultation with the national department.
The establishment costs must not exceed 6% of the total grant allocated; 0,5% of the grant is for branding purposes; and 0,3% of the grant is for the district academies alluded to.
The following priority areas must be supported through the grant in the following proportions after deductions for staff establishment, district academies and branding: School sport will receive 50%; club development, 25% and hubs, 25%.
When it comes to school sport, provinces must ring-fence at least R5 million to provide transport, accommodation, meals, attire and support for the delivery of provincial teams to the national championships.
Provinces must enter into service level agreements, SLAs, with the prioritised federations and fund co-ordinators for school sport programs at R180 000 each per year.
The remaining school sport allocation must be distributed in the following proportions: 5% to support school sport code structures; 20% to support the training of educators; 30% to buy kit and equipment for disadvantaged schools; 20% to deliver district and provincial competitions; 15% for the establishment and support of sport focus schools; and 10% for cluster co-ordinators to support the delivery of programmes and to monitor and evaluate at the local level.
When it comes to hubs, 3% of the total allocation for hubs is for sports councils. Provinces must further ring-fence R2 million for youth camps. The remaining allocation must be used in the following proportions: 25% for mass mobilisation, 10% for sports development, 30% for equipment and kit, 5% for outreach programmes and 30% for education and training.
When it comes to clubs, 75% must be from rural and farm areas; 15% is for funding administration and sport specific training; 35% is for transport to competitions; 42% is for kit and equipment; and 8% is for administration costs of provincial co-ordinators.
For the 2012-13 financial year our department allocated R470 million to the Mass Participation Programme Conditional Grant, which has been allocated as follows: R211 million to school sport programmes, which is 45% of the grant. Club development and community hubs received R106 million respectively, which is 23% of the grant. The remaining budget is allocated to compensation of employees in provinces working on the MPP projects and in district sport academies, thus contributing to job creation.
Some of the key challenges we have generally are: noncompliance with submitting business plans on time, the transversal procurement of equipment, and some provincial treasuries' disputing the allocation to provinces. We trust that we will all pull in the same direction to the benefit of the fact that working together, we can do more.
In conclusion, I must emphasise that we are in this together, and together we can do more. We cannot afford to have wars. The fact is that the impact of sport and recreation activities and programmes on social cohesion, nation-building, personal fitness and the health and wellness of our people outweigh by far the financial investment we are making in them. However you look at it, it is an investment that will yield results.
Minister Mbalula, ...
Setswana:
... le nna, ga re a tsholola metsi mo batshameking. Ke a leboga.
[... I, just like the others, still have hope in the players. Thank you.] [Applause.]
Mr J J GUNDA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 90
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION
Mr J J GUNDA: Hon Deputy Chair, hon Ministers, Deputy Minister and colleagues, let me just say this.
Afrikaans:
Laat ek die Minister ook reg help. Agb Faber het gesê daar was te min reklame gelê op die bemarking van die Olimpiese Spele. [Tussenwerpsels.] Die ander ding wat ek wil genoem het is dat dit goed is dat die Minister nou sê dat daar R5 miljoen in die provinsie is – wat hulle moet begroot vir die skole – om die kinders te laat travel [reis]. Ons betaal tans – ek is een van die ouers wat betaal, want my kind is gekies vir Griekwas – en ons betaal nou al.
Daardie geld is nie beskikbaar in ons provinsie nie. Ek betaal nou al vir my kleinkind wat op en af Kimberley toe moet ry vir die skolesport. Hy is gekies vir die Griekwas-span.
English:
Let me start with my speech. Hon Chair, let me congratulate the Minister of Arts and Culture for having the vision and a plan to assist South Africa's youth in being trained and developed in different arts and culture.
However, it is of utmost importance that the Department of Arts and Culture should invest in our small, rural towns with various programmes in music and arts. We would like to see these in our small towns. We need music schools which children can attend after school to learn to play various musical instruments and nurture their God-given music talents so that they can become musicians and producers.
It is also important for this department to invest in our children's reading and development by assisting schools with quality books for their libraries. Where there is no library, the department must assist with such facilities.
Let me also congratulate the Minister of Sport. Sport is one area that we can use to narrow the gap that is widening with regard to the inequalities of our society. Sport runs through our veins. We are a nation that is proud of our heroes and heroines, like Ludwick Mamabolo who won the Comrades Marathon. We salute you!
Let me remind the Minister that I don't believe that South Africa cannot play football. I don't believe that South Africans are not good. Let me give you an example. In 1976 there was an Argentinian team that came to play in South Africa. The SA Eleven beat them 5-1. The coach of Argentina said, forget about Jomo; Ace is your best player.
What are we doing with the talent that we have in this country? Two years later the very same Argentinian team won the World Cup. Doesn't that tell us that we have talent? Doesn't that tell us that we've got something? That's why I salute the SA Football Association, Safa, for firing Pitso Mosimane. It was long overdue. [Interjections.]
We cannot allow situations ... [Interjections.] ... such as previously disadvantaged rugby players – who are good on merit and deserve to represent their country – not being elected to play for the Springboks. [Interjections.] It's unforgivable!
Sport is a God-given talent and, if a person is given the opportunity, it can become a career, and allow that person to contribute to the economy of this country. These players are good role models and must be given the opportunity to live up to their full potential.
Indeed, school sport is very important. That is where we nurture the future stars of this country. Let us make our children proud. Let me say this once again: It is important to develop young children.
Afrikaans:
Agb Minister, daar is kinders in die Mier en John Toale distrik munisipaliteite, naby Kuruman, wat uitroep vir sport fasiliteite, en daar moet aan hulle aandag geskenk word. Daarom wil ek u dringend versoek om tog daarna te kyk dat ons kinders se lewens in die klein dorpe ... Ek hoor ons praat altyd net van ...
English:
... Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town. What about the small towns? What about the rural areas, where children need attention and where there are no facilities? We must build those facilities. [Interjections.] I would like to say that sport unites. A child with a God-given talent, given an opportunity, is a child who represents the future of South Africa. I thank you. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
Ms B V MNCUBE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 90
Mr J J GUNDA
IsiZulu:
Nk B V MNCUBE: Mgcinisihlalo ohloniphekile, oNgqongqoshe amaSekela abo akhona lapha phakathi kweNdlu kanye namalungu ahloniphekile oMkhandlu kaZwelonke weziFundazwe ngiyanibingelela. Ngivumele Mgcinisihlalo ukuthi ngithi qaphu qaphu ngenhlangano ebusayo ephethe uhulumeni. Kuyisibusiso kimi ukuthi ngikhulume namhlanje enyangeni yesithupha i-ANC igubha iminyaka elikhulu nesibani sakhona esihloniphekile sise-Gauteng kule nyanga. Siyayihalalisela i-ANC ngosuku lokuzalwa!
English:
Happy birthday, ANC! Happy birthday!
His Excellency the President, in his state of the nation address in February, announced the promotion of social cohesion this year. This means we will undertake and continue many heritage projects, such as museums, centres to be unveiled, the Matola Raid Museum in Maputo, the Ncome Museum in KwaZulu-Natal, Phase 2 of the Freedom Park Museum, the Steve Biko Heritage Centre, and the homes and graves of our former presidents and other national heroes and heroines, including Thomas Maphikela, Lillian Ngoyi, Walter and Albertina Sisulu, Griffiths and Victoria Mxenge and Robert Sobukwe. There were also many others.
This is in line with our Polokwane resolutions, which stated that the government should integrate ubuntu principles into public policy, so as to comprehensively correct the distortions and imbalances, not only in our heritage landscape, but also in our social, economic and industrial relations. This is also premised on the Freedom Charter, which holds that:
The national wealth of our country, the heritage of all South Africans, shall be restored to the people;
We therefore commend the department for the sterling work that it has already done and that it continues to do in its endeavour to bring dignity to our fallen heroes and heroines, through for example, Freedom Park, Robben Island, the Albertina Sisulu Freeway, the Hector Pieterson Memorial and the Walter Sisulu University. There are many more.
In Kliptown the Congress of the People agreed that, as the Freedom Charter states, the "doors of learning and of culture shall be opened!" The ANC, at its 52nd conference, resolved that we needed to, and I quote:
... develop a policy that clarifies the ANC's approach to the naming and renaming of geographic places such as ... names representing colonial conquest and apartheid statehood, the need to restore the proud heritage of the indigenous people, (and) ... the need to recognise distinguished men and women in the international community and in Africa, who have contributed immensely to the struggle for freedom.
Congratulations to the department for linking up the two memorial sites, namely Freedom Park and the Voortrekker Monument.
The leading party in government ...
IsiZulu:
... yavumelana kwinkomfa yayo yangonyaka wezi-2007 ukuthi kumele kuphakanyiswe izilimi zabomdabu eNingizimu Afrika ukuze zonke izikole ezifuna ukufundisa ngolimi lomdabu zingabi nangxaki. Siyabonga ukungenelela kukaNgqongqoshe kwiBhodi ye-PanSALB ukuze ikwazi ukwenza umsebenzi ewunikezwe nguMthethosisekelo ukuqinisekisa ukuthi izilimi zabomdabu baseMzansi ziyathuthuka, IsiZulu, IsiXhosa. IsiSutho, IsiTswana, IsiSwati, IsiVenda, Isitsonga, ISipedi, IsiNdebele, IsiBhunu kanye nesiNgisi.
Asikayiboni le nhlangano ukuthi yenzeni selokhu yaba khona kuZwelonke kanye naseziFundazweni. Ngqongqoshe, sicela ukuthi ubeke uhlaka abazolwenza, basho ukuthi bazoqala nini ukwenza umsebenzi abawunikwe uMthethosisekelo wokuthuthukisa izilimi zethu zabomdabu.
English:
The department has launched the Mzansi Golden Economy Strategy. It is a fact that the arts, culture and crafts industry is not organised. It is a case of the survival of the fittest and every man for himself – which means that industries in their infancy, that lack survival skills, are left to fend for themselves.
We therefore recommend that soft skills be prioritised in the Mzansi Golden Economy Strategy for all artists, whether those artists are in rural, township or urban areas, so that they are able to invest, have accommodation of their own, bank, and have insurance, and no one dies as a pauper.
This is an industry that is very creative in nature and that, if guided correctly, can turn the tide for the youth, the unemployed, the retrenched, women, and people with disabilities. The Mzansi Golden Economy Strategy should be clarified to all, and marketed in all corners of South Africa. It should go hand in hand with mentoring, nurturing of talent, coaching and skills development.
We commend the department for exposing arts and culture products to big industries – as I have seen happening in Sandton and Rosebank. Let it happen in all cities, towns and malls, both rural and urban. Last year we went to Msinga, and were taken to a small curio shop that showcased arts and culture products, but that curio shop ... [Interjections.] ... is on the top of a hill, far from the communities. There is no transport from the villages to the curio shop, so access becomes an issue.
During the Taking Parliament to the People period we went to Isandlwana, which is a heritage site. The department has to redress the past imbalances by documenting the correct oral history of the 1879 war. From the entrance of this monument on it just tells you a one-sided history, whilst the tour guide orally relates the correct, rich history. At the monument it is written there that it was erected in memory of those who fell fighting for Queen and country on 22 January 1879. [Interjections.]
In conclusion, we commend the Department of Arts and Culture for initiating the establishment of an art academy. We hope that the teaching language medium will be accessible to all learners, and that it will implement the recognition of prior learning of those who have the skills, but not the certificates.
Arts and culture disciplines should be promoted in such a way that learners or students realise that arts and culture contribute to the economy of South Africa, and that it is cool to take arts and culture subjects, and to graduate in arts and culture subjects.
We welcome the budget aimed at training educators to specialise in arts and culture subjects. A memorandum of understanding with the Department of Basic Education is being awaited. This will ensure that educators can produce learners who will be fashion designers, artists and crafters. I thank you. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms N W Magadla): Hon members, please be disciplined.
The MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 91
Ms B V MNCUBE
The MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION: Hon Chair, first I would like to acknowledge the constructive engagement and the accolades that we have received. I think they can only motivate us to do better and to work even harder to make sport what it is supposed to be.
Firstly, with regard to football we are saying that it is important that we have embarked on a process, together with the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, Sascoc, and the SA Football Association, Safa, of focusing on the task that needs to be done with regard to football, because football does not start and end with the employment and the dismissal of the coach! There is a whole picture and we need to look into the issues of football in their totality. We actually need to look at the issues of development and the coaches, and whether or not we do have a strategy.
Also, as I said earlier on, it is good that we can hire and fire coaches, but if we are not producing the right material for the country, we can call upon the best coach in the world, but there is nothing we can do. However, South Africa is a place where you are not going to start from scratch in developing talent – there is an abundance of talent.
A turnaround strategy is amongst some of the issues that we have agreed upon with Safa. What we are saying is that we must be focused on this particular task and make use of the 2010 legacy resources that are available.
I am saying that our national team has reached a saturation point.
Since 1996 our players, even in the international arena, have been playing for minnows. With the exception of Pienaar today, the rest are playing for the second division, and are warming benches in the far-flung areas of the world. What we need in South Africa is players who play regularly and who have been identified.
Talent must be nurtured – it is there. Our contribution to this whole paradigm is the school sport programme, because through the school sport programme government is playing its part in development – that is our role – and we will be in a position to deliver children and young people for high performance in the future.
We are celebrating the dismissal of the coach – there is no doubt about that, as people have actually said – because we are all upset. However, the fundamental question is beyond that of the coach, and that is: What is important for South African football? If we are not saying that to the football leadership, and we are saying that the hiring of only one coach without a strategy is what we as South Africans want, we are making a mistake. Safa must not hurry to employ another coach. They must take their time, apply their minds and implement a comprehensive strategy.
Next year, we will be competing in the Africa Cup of Nations and we should not be a laughing stock. So we must ensure that we have a formidable side, and that we have a plan and a strategy that everybody will celebrate. We have the resources to kick-start that particular programme.
On the question of Cricket South Africa, just to clarify, there is no failure to discipline Mr Majola. Mr Majola has been defending himself in regard to the disciplinary process that has kicked in. There is no retreat. The disciplinary committee is going on. All the Nicholson decisions and recommendations are being implemented.
I am saying that there are those who are wear balaclavas, and go to the media and want to renege on the decisions that we have taken. I am saying that they will not succeed in reneging on the implementation of the Nicholson resolutions, because as a country we are united in ensuring that what we have decided upon for the good of the sport will never be abandoned. There is no point that there is interference and autonomy is being threatened, and all of that. There is no interference. This is about taking the sport forward, and that is why we are saying, "Asijiki!" ["We are not going back!"] The jig is up. Amasi abekw'elangeni. [The jig is up.] [Interjections.] So we will never retreat on what we have actually resolved.
On the question of cricket, there is no crisis. We are implementing everything and we are happy with the progress that cricket is making. The sponsors are coming on board, and they are very happy – we are expecting important major sponsorships. Our players are doing very well and that has been magnificent.
The last point is that it is not correct to suggest that there is no sponsorship of the Olympics. Of course, as Tubby Reddy, the CEO of the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, said the other day, there are those who are not there at the beginning, but will want to come in at the last moment in regard to sponsorship because it makes them look good.
Gideon Sam, the president of the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, is here in the gallery. He can attest to the fact that part of the work that we have being doing is that for the first time government have come to the party, to give a hand by sponsoring our national Team SA in their going to London. This is the work that we have been doing. We have been doing important work and we are looking forward to collecting medals like hot cakes in London! Let us all stand up and support our team – we have great hopes for them.
In conclusion, we say that London will take centre stage and we will celebrate, but London in itself is not the definition of our success story. We are looking at the next 10 to 20 years, when we will use the sports plan in order to deliver the goods for South Africa. By all means, let us go and support our team, but we are looking beyond London. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 91
The MINISTER OF SPORT AND RECREATION
The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE: Hon Chairperson, let me once again thank the chairperson of the select committee, hon Makgate, and all hon members, and indicate to hon members of the NCOP that we are humbled by their support of our budget for 2012-13. I am assuming that all parties are supporting us! So thank you very much for that.
I must also take the opportunity to thank the director-general, our officials and also all our institutions. Hon members may not be aware that the success in our work comes from about 29 institutions. There are a lot of institutions out there that report to our department, and all the good work that we are doing comes from all of them. So we need to thank them as well for helping to put this budget together.
Let me join Minister Mbalula in congratulating all our athletes who are leaving for London. We want to say to all of them: Make us proud in London and bring medals home. We are fully behind you.
I am told that Ntate [Mr] Ludwick Mamabolo is here.
Setswana:
A re mo lebogiseng le ena. Ra re re a leboga sebata. Motlhomongwe le rona re tla leka ngwaga o o tlang. [Setshego.] Re tshwanetse go leka.
English:
Minister Mbalula, I am sure we can finish.
The Deputy Minister and I have noted all the issues that have been raised, and we promise that they will be attended to. On the issue of libraries, we have advised all MECs that they should ensure that they work with the Independent Development Trust, IDT, to fast-track the programme. I know that in some provinces they have already asked for additional funding, and we will look into that as well.
Lastly, we also want to continue to pay attention to the issue of funding. We are currently looking at the Lotto distribution agency, and we have recommended a new team there to deal with that work.
I want, once again, to extend an invitation to the NCOP to send delegates to the National Summit on Social Cohesion and Nation Building in Kliptown on 4 and 5 July. We are going back to the Congress of the People. I suppose others will say that that is the real Congress of the People!
Thank you very much, hon members. Baie dankie! [Thank you very much.] Re a leboga. [We thank you]. [Applause.]
Xitsonga:
Ndza khensa swinene. [Thank you very much.]
Debate concluded.
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 92
The MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE
APPROPRIATION BILL
(Policy debate)
Vote No 4 – Home Affairs:
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: House Chairperson, I am sorry, I have flu today, so you will have to put up with my coughing! I hope you will understand.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms N W Magadla): Apology accepted, Minister.
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Hon Chairperson, hon members of the NCOP, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, the Home Affairs family, the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, the Film and Publication Board, the Government Printing Works, and all fellow South Africans who are in the gallery and elsewhere, I greet you all.
As we know, this month marks the 36th anniversary of the 16 June 1976 uprising, in which our young people rose against apartheid and colonialism in all its manifestations. Some of them paid the supreme price for peace, freedom and democracy. So, it would be amiss of us not to pay homage to them this month, as we know that their blood nourished our tree of freedom, which is what Solomon Mahlangu said.
Our youth today face different challenges from the challenges the youth faced then. Those challenges are highlighted in the African Economic Outlook 2012, as they present:
a significant risk and threat to social cohesion and political stability if Africa fails to create sufficient economic and employment opportunities to support decent living conditions for this group.
Turning to Home Affairs, we do not deal just with the youth; we deal with everybody from the cradle to the grave. So, I just want to update you about where we have come from and where we are going.
One of our major campaigns, as you know, is making sure that our national population register is accurate. We have run a campaign to ensure that children are registered within 30 days and that young people get their IDs at 16 years of age.
We are happy to say that the national psyche is beginning to change. Last year, just over 50% of children were registered within 30 days. We are very happy with that, but we must remind ourselves that even though it is a welcome development, the law actually says that every child must be registered within 30 days of birth.
We would like to appeal to the NCOP, as it does its work in the provinces, to make sure that it enforces this message that babies are to be registered within 30 days of their birth. This is not only helpful in regard to grants, but also avoids the fraudulent registration of children, especially with a scheme such as "Rent a baby", which we are seeing. With this scheme people go to the SA Social Security Agency, Sassa, and take a baby that is not theirs. We would really like to work with you on this one.
We are also meeting the population halfway, as we said. Up to now we have connected 264 hospitals to Home Affairs. So, in those 264 hospitals mothers can get the birth certificates before they go home. In addition to the 264 that we have connected, we have 88 hospitals that are not connected, but that Home Affairs officials visit daily in order to assist mothers to fill in the forms and they bring back the certificates. In the coming year, we will be connecting 80 more hospitals. Of course, we also have our mobile units. We are meeting the population halfway with this campaign.
We are happy to say that the late registration of birth has decreased. In 2009-10 there were 354 588 people who registered and who were over 16 years old, but last year we had only 110 000. That is still a big number but it is clearly decreasing. We are happy with that, but want to remind the members of the NCOP that the law that has penalties for people who don't register on time is about to be enacted. We have circulated the regulations and we are now going to publish them, and then the law will come into effect. Therefore, it is important to remind the population that late registration is now going to have penalities. So people must make sure that they register on time.
In 2009, we said we were facing a problem where people were not looking after their IDs. As a result, we were printing more reissues every year than new IDs. We are happy to report that we are now printing more new issues of IDs than reissues. That is a very good development, but we still want to decrease that even more. We are happy that in 2009-10 we issued 834 353 new IDs and last year, 2011-12, we issued 1 199 467 new IDs for those applying for the first time. We are reversing the trends that were not welcome in the past. We ask your help. With all your visits to communities, we hope you will be able to work with us in spreading this massage.
We still have a bit of a challenge with duplicate IDs. Even though we are dealing with them on a monthly basis, we still have a challenge. We hope that we will be able to continue with this until we have finished dealing with all the duplicates. That is why we have even advertised those that were spotted in our population register before people noticed them themselves. We have advertised those names. We hope that they will come forward, so that we can solve their problems before they actually become a problem to them. Just to show that we are working hard on this, between January and last month we were able to resolve 6 335 cases. We hope that we will continue like that.
We are also working hard to keep improving our footprint, particularly in the rural areas. Of course we are limited by the budget, but last year we were able to open three more offices in the rural areas and one more in the townships. We are also refurbishing more offices in the rural areas and in the townships. This year we are going to be refurbishing 15 more offices. So, we are continuing with that.
Then, you must have heard that we are now piloting a move away from the dompas to what we call a smart card. We hope that before the end of the year we will start issuing those smart cards, particularly to new applicants. In about 18 months, when we have all the big machines, we will be able to recall all the ID books and then issue everybody with a smart card. We hope that in about four years nobody will still be using a green ID book. We will be using smart cards. [Interjections.]
An HON MEMBER: I want my smart card!
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Yes, you will get it, sir.
The Deputy Minister will deal a little with immigration, but I just want to say that we are improving our work at the ports of entry, particularly the maritime ports. We have done lot of work there. I would have given you details, but I have run out of time.
On that note I would like to thank the chairperson of the select committee. I know she is not here, but I would like to thank her and the members of the select committee for the co-operation with them that we are enjoying. Of course, I also want to thank our colleagues in Cabinet who assist us in our work, especially the cluster. I thank you.
Mr M J R DE VILLIERS
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 93
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS
Mr M J R DE VILLIERS: Hon Chairperson, Ministers, members and guests, the Department of Home Affairs' vision, mission and values are about creating a "safe, secure South Africa where all of its people are proud of, and value, their identity and citizenship." The department also seeks to regulate immigration so as "to ensure security, promote development and fulfil our international obligation."
The Department of Home Affairs received a total allocation of R5,3 billion in 2012-13. In comparison to the 2011-12 allocation this represents a decrease of 9,5% in nominal terms. When we take the inflation rate of 5,9% into account, then the budget cut of 9,5% means that this department is actually poorer to the tune of 15,4%.
The question that we can put here is whether the department is in a position to deliver on all its targets and responsibilities in regard to the citizens, immigration and international obligations.
Will the department also deliver on its responsibility in the Government Printing Works? In 2011-12 and 2012-13 stationery budget costs declined from R434,7 million to R98 million. The department has experienced a huge cut here.
A very significant increase in venue expenses has also been identified, namely R15 million in 2011-12, to R22 million in 2012-13. This must also be cleared and explained to the House.
The department also plans to increase capacity of staff with a 3% real increase in compensation of employees. This is 2,9% lower than the inflation rate of 5,9%.
Afrikaans:
Dit skyn voor te kom asof die departement moontlik oor 'n towerstaf sal moet besit. Hierdie towerstaf of kulkunstenaartoertjie sal oor die vermoë moet beskik om, met a gesnyde begroting, prestasies beter te laat plaasvind as die vorige jaar. Ek kan net een voorbeeld as kommer noem.
English:
Outcome 5, which is a "skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path", is being compromised and put in jeopardy with its budget allocation.
South Africa has a very long inland border, which stretches from west to east, and also a long coastline border. The border control, to manage immigrants effectively and securely in the national interest, is very important. We must not let the people on our borders stand in long queues, maybe even sleep over, and then just proceed to travel in or out of South Africa the next day.
The Department of Home Affairs must be applauded for its unqualified audit outcome for 2010-11. We only hope this improvement will continue in the department.
The issuing of passports within 12 to 24 days, with an approximately 95% indicator performance, is really excellent.
The issuing of identity documents and birth certificates within 47 to 54 days is too long. That is according to the statistics that I have. Now, the Minister has said to us that the department takes 30 days. So there is a difference. I will check what the correct information is. [Interjections.] The performance on this indicator must be completed in fewer days. [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms N W Magadla): Order, hon members!
Mr M J R DE VILLIERS: The last thing I want to talk about is staff and posts. In all provinces the frontline office staff posts have been filled to between 36% and 53%. This is unacceptable, because it implies that staff cannot deliver the level of service that is expected of them.
The other issue is that the Department of Home Affairs is contributing to the high unemployment percentage. This vacancy percentage in the frontline offices implies that the future and the security of lots of people have been taken away by government! This I say against the background of the budget cut. While I understand that, we must do our utmost to improve on this. It must be addressed as soon as possible. We cannot allow this. We must use the opportunities given to us to help our youth and other unemployed people to get work.
Let me just say to all the staff, those in the frontline offices and those who are dedicated to their duties and responsibilities, thank you! Stay committed and be punctual. Thank you.
Ms D Z RANTHO
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Takes: 93 & 94
Mr M J R DE VILLIERS
Ms D Z RANTHO: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Members of Parliament, officials from the department, and guests in the gallery, I would just like to rectify one thing. Hon De Villiers, the information that we get from the Minister is authentic. It is not just correct; it is authentic. [Interjections.]
Under the apartheid regime, with its Bantustan offspring, the purpose of the Department of Home Affairs was essentially to deny black people their rightful citizenship. The operations of this department were designed to humiliate and dehumanise our people, as evidenced by practices like the comb test and the pinch test to determine the race of those who appeared to be borderline in regard to their physical appearance. This department was at the time responsible for perpetuating what Sol Plaatje termed turning the African into "a pariah in the land of his (ancestors)".
Home Affairs has to ensure the integrity of our citizenship, regulate matters related to an equal vote and free and fair elections, and permit our people and eligible immigrants to participate in the economy of this country.
A balance between security and development remains the ideal to aspire to. It cannot be gainsaid that, like any other country, South Africa needs foreign direct investment and external skills to realise its goals for economic development. However, important as it is, development can only take place in a secure environment, and frequently development and security collide in the public domain. While some come into our country with the aim of assisting us to build a prosperous, nonracial and nonsexist South Africa united in its plurality, others harbour mala fide motives.
We agree with the department that the late registration of births is not only illegal, but also impairs the integrity of our National Population Register. This practice inadvertently opens the door to fraud and leads to an insecure and inaccurate national database. We want here and now to pledge our support henceforth to the campaign to make early birth registration part of our national consciousness and the civic responsibility of all South Africans.
We are encouraged by the fact that Home Affairs has established service points in 246 hospitals, where online registration can take place.
We also welcome the launch of stakeholders' forums in over 250 municipalities over the last three years, bringing together communities, local government, provinces and national departments. The responsibility to monitor local offices of Home Affairs and help solve problems and fight corruption is properly allocated to these forums. They ensure that even the most vulnerable persons get access to Home Affairs services and that the key message in regard to the National Population Register campaign gets filtered through to grass-roots level.
Section 36 of the Constitution provides for the limitation of rights, provided it is reasonable and justifiable to do so in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom. The question, therefore, cannot be whether using biometrics and movement control infringes on the right to privacy and freedom of movement, but whether such measures serve a legitimate government purpose.
We therefore agreed that, combined with the live capture of biometrics and smart card technology, a national identity system is the backbone of e-government and can make service delivery more efficient, accessible, transparent, secure and cost-effective.
It is helpful that several government departments and banks have started linking up with the Home Affairs national identification system to verify identity and reduce fraud.
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and hon Deputy Minister, our country is a signatory to the Geneva and African Union conventions on asylum seekers and refugees. The conventions require that any person applying for asylum should prove on a balance of probabilities that he/she has reasonable apprehension of persecution or imminent persecution and that refuge should be ought in the first safe country.
However, it is clear that those who purport to seek asylum are, in fact, looking for economic opportunities. There is compelling evidence for the fact that such people regularly visit their home countries and then come back to South Africa. Surely a person fleeing persecution would want to stay as far as it is reasonably possible from the country in which his/her life is under threat or potential threat. We want to call upon the department to separate economic migrants from asylum seekers.
It cannot have escaped us that South Africa was built on the blood, sweat and tears of the Southern African people in general and South Africans in particular. It cannot, therefore, be that South Africa, after attaining its political freedom, would seek to turn itself into an island of opulence in the midst of deepening poverty. We have to find a way to accommodate other African peoples who seek to build our country and to use their skills in the national interest.
Whilst we do that we ought to remember that our primary responsibility lies with the South African people. Therefore we have to ensure that we manage the negative perceptions and sentiments around economic migrants substantively, especially those who make their homes in townships and seek to integrate socially with our people.
Perceptions can be as compelling as reality. In balancing security with development we have to strengthen border management, and work with other departments co-operatively, in order to ensure that South African borders are not seen, as previously, as permitting anybody to come into South Africa anyhow. We have strengthened our system to ensure that we know the identity and purpose of any person visiting our country.
We have to talk to the private sector and seek to deal with the perception that it prefers, especially in the hospitality and catering industry, to employ non-South Africans, which prejudices our citizens. We have to intervene, because it is in the interest of all our people to have a peaceful and positive environment for individual and collective development.
In conclusion, let me congratulate the Minister for turning around a department that had a number of systematic bottlenecks and challenges into one that the ANC government can truly be proud of. Indeed, as the ANC continues to celebrate its centenary and leading our people out of the cruel legacy of apartheid fraught with deepening poverty, widening inequalities and rising unemployment, it is heartening that for the first time in 16 years the Department of Home Affairs has received an unqualified audit opinion from the Auditor-General. Indeed, this department has grown as the backbone of security service delivery and development.
To the Minister and her team we say: continue silencing our critics through diligence and value-based performance! Continue doing us proud and vindicating the dignity of our people! Ukwanda kwaliwa ngumthakathi. Wathint' umama wathint' imbokodo!
The ANC supports this Budget Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 94
Ms D Z RANTHO
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOMES AFFAIRS: Chairperson and members, good afternoon and thank you very much for having us here this afternoon in this very cold and rainy Cape Town weather. I extend very warm greetings on behalf of the department and all of the officials to all of you.
I am, in the limited time available to me, going to speak about three issues. The first is the asylum and refugee management system, the second our Legal Services, and the third the Film and Publication Board.
Our asylum and refugee management system has come under enormous pressure over the last few years due to the fact that South Africa, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, is the world's largest recipient of asylum seekers. I am not going to go into the problems, as hon Rantho has dealt with some of those issues sufficiently. What you need to hear from us is really what we need to do about the situation. We have embarked on several plans to address some of these complex challenges.
I'm pleased to report to the House that between September 2011 and March 2012 the turnaround time for adjudicating new applications improved greatly, in regard to both the efficiency of the processes, and also the quality of the decisions that were taken.
The appointment of new members to our Standing Committee for Refugee Affairs at some of our centres dedicated to this has resulted in the finalisation of new, manifestly unfounded applications within three months. This can be seen as quite an achievement if people understand that a lot of these applications in our centres sometimes take many years to finalise, simply because people apply, not having identification documents or passports, and so even the verification of their identity or their nationality can be quite a challenge.
Unfortunately, the deportation of those individuals whose applications for asylum have been rejected has proved an enormous challenge to us for various reasons, some of which are systemic in nature. This matter will definitely need to receive major attention in the year going forward.
As part of our drive to move the reception centres to our borders and due to the termination of the lease agreement we had in Maitland, we have this week announced the closure of the reception centre in Cape Town to new asylum seekers as from 1 January 2012.
All those individuals who have already applied for asylum will still be assisted from our premises at Customs House on the Foreshore, where we will be assisting these existing applicants through to the finalisation of their applications, as well as those people who already have refugee status and who are based in Cape Town.
A well managed asylum seeker and refugee system can bring substantial protection to genuine asylum seekers and to refugees, and will ensure that as a country we meet our international obligations.
I now turn very quickly to our legal department. I'm pleased to announce that we have achieved a 91% success rate in the civil cases that have come before the courts in this financial year.
This excludes those cases that emanate from Lindela. The reasons for the problems at Lindela, and the consequent court cases that we have lost at Lindela, include the fact that travel documents cannot for various reasons be processed within the 120-day time limit given to us in legislation by some embassies. We are working with some of the foreign missions in order to unlock some of these challenges. It is also interesting to note that I was informed just few minutes ago that that trend with the Lindela cases is now beginning to be reversed. We have just won a court case related to deportation out of Lindela.
I now come to the Film and Publication Board, FPB, in the last few seconds available to me. As members know, the FPB is an institution that gives content to our constitutional rights to freedom of expression and of choice, but also speaks very much to the heart of the issue of the protection of our children.
In the context of Child Protection Week, which has once again highlighted the plight of some of our children, we can appreciate the seriousness of the work of the FPB in creating a safe and secure environment for children. It attaches age restrictions and content warnings to all films and other materials in the country. However, providing a secure environment is, in fact, a collective responsibility, and without parental supervision these restrictions cannot themselves protect our children.
As part of its legislative obligations, the FPB has successfully completed nationwide consultation regarding its classification guidelines for age restrictions. Its new classification guidelines will be tabled and gazetted in December of this year.
I do thank you all very much for your time. My time has unfortunately run out. I am sure there will be an occasion for us to thank you properly at the dinner afterwards. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Mr T L MAKUNYANE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 95
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS
Mr T L MAKUNYANE: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, special delegates and hon members, in the past the Department of Home Affairs or its equivalent was the cornerstone of the abominable system of apartheid.
It was the custodian of the so-called Population Registration Act of 1950. It was this Act that arbitrarily and even subjectively classified all South Africans into seven racial categories, and thus condemned the vast majority to a life of oppression, exclusion, marginalisation, exploitation and poverty.
It was the basis for the administration of all other apartheid laws. Other laws administered by this department included the notorious Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, the immoral Immorality Act, and the noxious Separate Representation of Voters Act. Throughout that period the main objective of Home Affairs was to control black people and to deny them their citizenship, their identity, their dignity and their freedom of movement.
Since the democratic breakthrough of 1994 we have embarked on a conscious and deliberate effort to transform this bulwark of apartheid, so that it carries out a new mandate in line with our objective of building a united, nonracial, nonsexist and democratic South Africa.
The new Department of Home Affairs has to be the central enabler of security and service delivery. It has to play a crucial role in empowering all South Africans to proudly reclaim their citizenship, their identity and their dignity.
Today the department is responsible for the maintenance of the National Population Register, including the recording of births, marriages and deaths; the issuing of identity documents and passports; the issuing of visas to visitors to South Africa; managing immigration to South Africa; the naturalisation of permanent immigrants; the handling of refugees and asylum seekers; and the control of ports of entry by land, sea or air.
The department also houses the Film and Publication Board, whose mandate is to protect our youth and children from the deleterious effects of inappropriate media and publications. The IEC and, I believe, the Government Printing Works also fall under this department.
The transformation of this department has not been an easy task. We all recall the difficult challenges that it experienced when it was overwhelmed by endless complaints of poor service and corruption, and by the numerous lawsuits of people who were erroneously declared dead or fraudulently married to illegal immigrants. Also, in the report of the Public Service Commission of 2008-9, the Department of Home Affairs accounted for 22 of the 260 cases of financial misconduct.
In the past few years, to rub salt into the wound, the British government even decided to impose a visa requirement on South African passport holders because it was alleged that our passports were easily "forgible" if there is such a word.
Hon Chairperson, in the past three years the department has completely turned around. It has successfully refocused on its core mandate. It has effectively dealt with incompetence and corruption in its offices, and also drastically improved accessibility of its services, especially to the most remote and vulnerable communities.
For the state to be effective in planning and service delivery, it needs a comprehensive, detailed, accurate and secure population register. Essential programmes, such as housing, health, education, welfare, security, employment, banking and many others, all depend on a system that can clearly define the unique identity of each individual citizen or noncitizen who lives, works or studies within its borders. The effectiveness of Home Affairs as the custodian of this system underpins the success of all of these programmes.
The turnaround that the current administration has affected in the department is phenomenal. For the first time in 16 years the department has obtained an unqualified audit, and it continues to work on its annual programme to ensure a clean audit in subsequent years.
Hon Chairperson, the flagship programme of the Department of Home Affairs is the updating of the National Population Register and the establishment of a national identity system, a system which will be designed to ensure that the status of persons cannot be fraudulently altered, and to ensure that it becomes a powerful weapon in the fight against both domestic and international crime, fraud and corruption. The system will be secured through the use of biometrics, including digital photography, fingerprints, signatures and smart card technologies. We can all assist the department by encouraging our constituents, on all platforms, to register births within 30 days and to assist all 16-year-olds to apply for their IDs. The department has made matters easy by establishing a presence in 352 health facilities and over 191 mobile units.
We wish to congratulate the Minister and her team for their good work in turning this important department around. The ANC supports this Budget Vote. Thank you.
Mr S H PLAATJIE
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 96
Mr T L MAKUNYANE
Mr S H PLAATJIE: Hon Chair, Minister, Cope would like to start by congratulating the Department of Home Affairs for an exciting venture in the introduction of new state-of-the-art smart identity cards. It is indeed a great achievement.
The migration of the Department of Home Affairs to digital e-services has come at the right time, when the world is embarking upon a technological revolution in order to provide e-government services. You are indeed trendsetters.
It is gratifying to note that through the leadership of the hon Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Home Affairs Department has begun a total turnaround that is promising on a number of fronts to lead in the standard of service delivery according to your mandate.
Cope is, however, disappointed with the manner in which our ports of entry are being left vulnerable, especially the land ports. There is a lack of basic facilities to undertake effective border policing, and this translates into no effective patrolling. We believe that the department must have a substantial interest in improving border control from both a national and an international perspective. We further hope that the 350 immigration officers recruited from the South African National Defence Force will play a meaningful role in securing our ports of entry.
The department has been allocated R400 million over the medium term for infrastructure at border posts, and this money is to be given to the Department of Public Works. However, the question is: How is the department going to monitor this expenditure, especially in the hands of the Department of Public Works officials who have perfected the art of irregularity.
The department hired Cuban officials to assist with migration and other security and policing matters related to the department. That development is not included in the expenditure trend or plans of the department in this financial year. What prompted this decision on the part of the Minister? What have been the benefits since their arrival in the country?
The department talks about increasing access to service as a high priority. However, we know a number of Home Affairs offices have been closed, especially in the Western Cape and Limpopo, in the name of consolidation. On the administrative agenda of the department it says it hopes to prioritise this area and develop various strategies, such as optimising the use of call centres, mobile offices and 4x4 vehicles, in order to reduce turnaround times in rural and large urban areas with an insufficient number of offices. How far forward is this project?
One more area Cope is worried about is the costs the department incurred in the Zimbabwean re-registration and amnesty drive. Even as we inquire today, how many re-registrations have taken place, and how many repeat refugees and asylum seekers have there been?
In conclusion – I see that my time is up – we want to applaud the department for its carrying out its civic duties by acting as a custodian of its citizens rights and through its international role of determining the status of refugees' and asylum seekers' rights to access services and socioeconomic support. Cope supports the Budget Vote.
Mr S D MONTSITSI
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 96
Mr S H PLAATJIE
Mr S D MONTSITSI: Hon Chairperson, hon members, hon Minister and hon Deputy Minister, I wish to pay homage to my friends, classmates and comrades who fell on 16 June – may their souls rest in peace.
In the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, section 3 of Chapter 1 states under "Citizenship" that, and I quote: "There is a common South African citizenship." This clause speaks to all South Africans, irrespective of our backgrounds. Whatever nationality or ethnic group we belong to, we are South Africans. Those of us who have previously treated others with scorn and subjected them to the life of a pariah in their own country are embraced as South Africans. In 1976, we used to say as a rider that they would be acceptable, provided they behaved themselves and co-operated in the restructuring, development and transformation of the new South Africa.
Section 3(2) of the Constitution further states:
All citizens are –
equally entitled to the rights, privileges and benefits of citizenship; and equally subject to the duties and responsibilities of citizenship.All of us are siezed with the obligation to perform duties and fulfil responsibilities to build the new democratic South Africa – for us and for our children.
We trust that our children will not harbour the type of prejudices we did because, if they do, the future of our new democracy will indeed be under threat. A gang of heavily armed, marauding young white boys, who were arrested for the murder of one young black boy, is taking us back. We are saying, we do not want to go back. The mandate of the Department of Home Affairs is crucial in building a new culture and ethos, and new values for our country.
The principle of Batho Pele, a people-centred approach to the delivery of services, irrespective of the social standing of individuals, is working well. Whether you are poor or wealthy, you receive equitable service.
Minister, your vision, mission, and values speak to these principles: patriotism, professional service, integrity, corruption-free and ethical conduct, efficiency and innovation, discipline and security consciousness. These are principles which have transformed and continue to change the face of the Department of Home Affairs. We can well imagine the journey you have travelled to arrive at this crucial phase of consistent implementation of change. It must have been a difficult road but we are beginning to see the results.
As the custodian of identity documents and birth certificates, and a protector of our marriage and death certificates, we depend on the Department of Home Affairs for verification of all these documents. The status of South African citizens and other persons resident in our country is recorded in the National Population Register. We are beginning to sleep in peace at night, knowing that a male individual remains a male individual, a single woman remains a single woman, and a dead person is not brought back to life.
The department has identified three outcomes for the 2012-13 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period. I will isolate only two points from Outcome 1.
With respect to the campaign launched by the department in 2010 for the registration of the births of babies within 30 days after the birth, a huge drive in regard to the registration process took place. Ordinary South Africans, mothers and fathers, bought into and supported the departmental programme. The issuing of identity documents to 16-year-old teenagers will indeed encourage more parents to register their babies earlier and therefore assist in eliminating the late registration of births. In the meanwhile, statistics indicate that more and more people are registering the births of their babies within 30 days. This programme is becoming a great success.
The online verification of identity for third parties is another landmark achievement for the department. The memorandum of understanding that has been signed with certain financial institutions and other relevant stakeholders reduces the possibility of fraud and outright theft of money from the accounts of innocent and unsuspecting South Africans. For the scanned finger of an incumbent to be verified within a response period of minutes is indeed an achievement. The system constitutes a secure, over-the-counter safety measure for the protection of the life earnings and savings of law-abiding South Africans.
In concluding my contribution on Outcome 1, I wish to ...
Mr D V BLOEM: Chair, I would like to know if the member would be able to take a question?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms N W Magadla): No.
Mr S D MONTSITSI: It is okay, hon member.
Mr D V BLOEM: Thank you very much. Don't you think that the country would lose a lot if the Minister were elected as the chairperson of ... [Interjections.] ... the African Union Commission? After all the good things you have said, don't you think that the country would lose a lot in this way? Thank you very much.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL: I do not know what the thank you is for, Chair, but I think that you must use your powers and immediately rule members out of order when they put strange questions.
Mr D V BLOEM: It is a very good question. [Laughter.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms N W Magadla): Order! You may continue, hon member Montsitsi.
Mr S D MONTSITSI: I hear what you are saying, hon members, but I am of the opinion that there are a number of other outstanding South Africans who would be able to fill the post and participate in the department. Nevertheless, I also feel that with the work that the hon Minister has done – I have been with her since 1994 – what I would like to say is that if we were able to duplicate Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma many times, we would be very happy. [Applause]
In concluding my contribution on Outcome 1, I wish to express the feeling of most South Africans in regard to the initiative to enhance the integrity and security of our identity documents. Most of those in our living rooms beamed from ear to ear when we showed them the new identity smart card, which will be unveiled soon. We welcome the security features it comes with: not being easy to duplicate; being difficult to forge; and being highly advanced technically, because it embodies within itself all the information of the bearer. It fits neatly in the purse or wallet without being a pain in the pocket.
"Measurable Objective 3.2" speaks to ensuring "ethical conduct and a zero tolerance approach to corruption". The "Counter Corruption Strategy" which was implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs has begun to bear fruit. We note the enormous task, the complexity of this department, and the challenge it has presented to past Ministers. This time around we are able to see light at the end of a previously dark and very long tunnel! [Applause] How you did it, hon Minister, I do not know, but you did it, and have continued to "do it". [Laughter.]
Acts of misconduct are dealt with swiftly – the turnaround time for the finalisation of cases is much shorter than in the past. With respect to the disciplinary cases that have been dealt with over the past years, the total number of disciplinary actions that were finalised during the financial year 2008-09 was 366 and in the 2009-10 financial year it was 150.
Some of the corrupt officials were arrested, charged, found guilty and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. We are again in support of the tough stance you have adopted with regard to corruption. No breathing space must be allowed for corrupt officials – they must be hunted, like a dog would sniff for prey.
The Department of Home Affairs remains a shining example of how to deal with corrupt officials. [Interjections.] Corruption eats at the very soul of South African citizens and compromises the integrity of those citizens, including the sovereignty of ...
We support the Budget Vote. [Time expired.][Applause.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms N W Magadla): Order! Sit down, hon Bloem. [Interjections.] Sit down. Sit down. [Interjections.]
Rule 33 states that:
No member may interrupt another member who is addressing the Chair, except to call attention to a point of order or a question of privilege.
This also applies to the presiding officer, that no one should interrupt when someone is addressing him or her.
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 97
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms N W Magadla)
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Thank you very much, hon Chairperson. I would also like to thank all the hon members who have participated in the debate by speaking, and those who have participated by being present here.
I won't go into detail regarding everything that has been said, but let me start by talking about what the hon member from the DA said. I thank you for all the compliments you paid us.
In regard to the 30 days, I think you got your wires just slightly crossed. The 30 days refers to the registration of birth. You have to register babies within 30 days of their birth.
I also want to assure you that it is only a matter of time before the smart card is introduced. Once we introduce the smart card, the time that it will take to produce an identity document will be very brief. What we are trying to do is to build a service that is both secure and fast.
The Treasury has also now allowed us to open a trading account so that the money that is paid for the identity documents, IDs, and for the passports – especially the reissuing of IDs and the passports – is used to pay the Government Printing Works, GPW. This is so that the money does not go back to Treasury and we struggle with the budget. Therefore they will give us the trading account to put the money into, so that we pay the GPW directly, and that will also assist us in dealing with the budget cut you spoke about. Of course, you as the NCOP could be so kind as to go and talk to Treasury about the fact that that this department needs a larger budget – we would be very happy about that.
Hon Rantho, thank you very much for everything you have said. I just want to say that you are entirely correct about separating the economic migrants from the refugees. That's why the refugee centres are so full and we are not able to process the people properly – it is precisely because of that. We are going to produce a new immigration policy which will also address some of these issues. So, we completely agree with you.
I also want to address the issue of border management. Of course, Home Affairs manages the ports of entry, but our other colleagues in the cluster – the police and the defence force – manage the borderline. The government is developing a border management agency that can look after the borders as a whole, both the ports of entry and the borderline. So, we hope that when it is in place, it will firstly get a sufficient budget and, secondly, be able to manage the border better.
I also want to thank the hon T L Makunyane. I agree with him on everything he said, so I won't go into this further. Hon Plaatjie, I just want to say that we don't have the mandate for the infrastructure budget.
Mr W F FABER: Madam House Chairperson, I have a quite important question, which is not tricky and which I would really like to ask the Minister, if it is possible and if there is time available.
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: At the end.
Mr W F FABER: Thank you, Madam Minister.
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Chair, I would just like to say that we do not have the mandate to build, so the budget has had to go to Public Works. We will identify the projects and we hope they will agree to work with us in the implementation because, if they do work with us, we think it will be more manageable.
With regard to the training of immigration officers, we are going to continue with that – we have not stopped it. I just want to assure you about that.
Of course, hon Montsitsi, we agree with most of the things you said and I won't go into detail on those issues. I just want to thank you for acceding to our request that we work together to get the population to understand the laws. We also need to work together to encourage them to register when they need to register; to get their IDs when they need to get them; and to make sure that they don't marry fraudulently for money because it undermines our security.
I also want to thank you for all the compliments. Of course, I just want to say that the Minister is as good as his or her team. So, those compliments must really go to the team. They are listening, and I am sure they are motivated and they will go back and do even more. So, thank you very much for that. [Applause.]
I've tried to answer the questions. My time is running out, but if that hon member wants to ask a question, he may do so. That is, only if the Chairperson allows him to do so.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms N W Magadla): No, hon Minister, the hon member may not ask the executive member a question. Will you please sit down?
Mr W F FABER: Chair, may I not ask the Minister a question?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms N W Magadla): Please sit down.
Mr W F FABER: Thank you, Madam Chair.
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Thank you. [Applause.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms N W Magadla): Order, hon Bloem!
Debate concluded.
Mr T M H MOFOKENG
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 7 June 2012 Take: 98
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms N W Magadla)
CRIMINAL LAW (SEXUAL OFFENCES AND RELATED MATTERS) AMENDMENT ACT AMENDMENT BILL
(Consideration of Bill and of Report of Select Committee on Security and Constitutional Development thereon)
Mr T M H MOFOKENG: Chair, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development briefed the select committee dealing with the Bill which is, in fact, a Bill being handled by the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development. The Bill was introduced in order to address the uncertainty that was created by the recent judgment of the Cape High Court, during which a full bench upheld the decision of the regional court in the case of Director of Public Prosecutions, Western Cape v Arnold Prins, (A134/08).
The select committee is appreciative of the urgency of this Bill to provide an immediate solution in respect of criminal prosecutions in the Western Cape which are bound by the decisions of the Cape High Court. The select committee adopted the Bill without amendments on 5 June 2012. However, it is of the view that the Minister must report back to Parliament within six months of the adoption of its report on the desirability and the feasibility of introducing specific penalties for each of the offences for which no specific penalties are provided. The committee further recommends that the National Council of Provinces pass the Bill without delay. Thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Bill agreed to in accordance with section 75 of the Constitution.
The Council adjourned at 18:46.
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