Hansard: EPC: Debate on Vote 8 – Women, Children and People with Disabilities
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 16 Jul 2014
Summary
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Minutes
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WEDNESDAY, 16 JULY 2014
PROCEEDINGS OF EXTENDED PUBLIC COMMITTEE – COMMITTEE ROOM E249
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Members of the Extended Public Committee met in Committee Room E249 at 10:04.
The House Chairperson, Ms T Didiza, as Chairperson, took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms A T DIDIZA)
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APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote 8 – Women, Children and People with Disabilities:
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms A T DIDIZA): Use the podium. [Laughter.]
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY: Chairperson, hon chair of the committee hon Memela, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, today I stand before you to present Budget Vote 8 as the Minister in the Presidency responsible for women. We are tabling this budget during the transitional period between the fourth and fifth ANC-led administrations.
Let me take this opportunity to pay my respects to the family of one of the illustrious daughters of our soil, the deputy president of the ANC Women's League, one of our own, Ms Nosipho Ntwanambi, who passed away on Tuesday July 8 2014. May her soul rest in peace. She was a stalwart dedicated to the empowerment and emancipation of women. Hers was a life lived in sacrifice and she has left us with a rich legacy. We will pick up the baton and continue from where she has left off.
On July 3 2014, President Jacob Zuma signed a proclamation establishing the Department of Women, located in the Presidency, thereby reaffirming the country's commitment to the Beijing Platform for Action. This is a positive step in enhancing the department's role to lead, co-ordinate and oversee the transformation agenda on women's socioeconomic empowerment, rights and equality through mainstreaming, monitoring and evaluation.
We are currently engaged in a reconfiguration process to transfer the functions and responsibilities related to the programmes for the rights of people with disabilities and the rights of children to the Department of Social Development, as pronounced by the President on May 25 2014.
A joint task team has been established to expedite the transition, guided by the Presidency and the Department of Public Service and Administration. At the departmental level, this has necessitated a strategic realignment and restructuring exercise. We are reviewing all programmes, taking stock of the human capital and financial needs to move the women's agenda forward.
In addition we will be reviewing the status, role, location and sustainability of the National Council Against Gender-Based Violence so as to strengthen efforts towards the elimination of gender-based violence in our society. As such, by the end of this month, we will be undertaking our first departmental strategic planning session, as the Department of Women in the Presidency, to develop a five-year strategic plan for 2015 to 2020.
We are not departing from an unknown plane; there has been work done before us. Ours is to build forward, mindful of the foundation already laid. Let me therefore take this opportunity to reflect on some of the commitments that were made in the previous budget by my predecessor, former Minister Lulu Xingwana.
The department committed itself to advocating for more land to be allocated to women by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. We thus welcome the reopening of the land claims process and we will be monitoring how women benefit from it. [Applause.]
We also welcome the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform's final policy proposals on strengthening the relative rights of people working the land. As the Department of Women, we will submit inputs which will ensure that women working on farms, those whom reside on farms and women who are married to farmworkers, benefit from this process.
We had committed ourselves to finalising the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill. The Bill was tagged as section 76 Bill and went through the National Assembly processes and was approved and referred for concurrence to the NCOP.
Further amendments were made by the NCOP. However, due to the rising of Parliament at the end of the forth administration, it lapsed. We therefore intend to further review and consult on this Bill. May I also emphasise that this is a new process, as we all know. According to the Rules of Parliament, at the end of any session the Bill lapses. So we are in the new process of review and we will welcome all those who want to participate in this process and will take into consideration a multiplicity of views.
We had also made a commitment to submit reports on the rights of children to the African Union, AU, and the United Nations, UN, and Cabinet approved the following reports for depositing: the combined fourth report on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
This year will see the promotion of the National Plan of Action for Children as well as the domestication of international and regional conventions.
The National Disability Rights Policy, which strives to address poverty and inequalities, experienced by persons with disabilities, in a systematic process that places the responsibility for removing access and participation barriers on duty-bearers, will be finalised this financial year.
As we know, the Department of Social Development will also, as part of their mandate, take over the responsibilities and functions pertaining to the rights of children and persons with disabilities. We have also signed and ratified international and regional instruments such as the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Cedaw; the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs; the Beijing Platform for Action; the African Union, Protocol; and the Southern African Development Community, SADC, Gender Protocol. The department has undertaken to report on the progress made in the country on the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and Cedaw.
The Beijing plus 20 report will focus on the country's progress to date on the implementation of the critical areas that include access to education in technical fields, access to health services, the Beijing plus 20 report, increased levels of participation in political spheres and increased appointment and participation of women in the judiciary.
Most of these achievements have been made possible by the consistent political will and progressive legislative reforms for the rights and empowerment of women and the advancement of the girl child and gender equality.
The Cedaw report will assess the extent to which South Africa has successfully implemented the range of provisions of the convention, including progress on the adoption of legislative enactments regarding the criminalisation of certain sexual offences, equality and children, as well as government policies, programmes and plans of action to promote gender equality and eliminate discrimination against women.
The report will also indicate progress made on the multisectoral interministerial action plan to combat violence against women and the adoption of comprehensive measures to better address such violence. In addition, the report will reflect on measures to address violence such as the campaign for the prevention of violence, as well as public awareness of the fact that all forms of violence against women are in violation of women's rights.
The country, represented by the former Minister of the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, in March participated in a successful 58th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York. We reached agreed conclusions that are holistic and transformative, including the stand-alone goal on gender equality and the mainstreaming of gender in all other future goals in the post-2015 development agenda.
We therefore have a clear mandate from the women of Africa and the women of the world in terms of the report to the Heads of State when they meet in September to deliberate on the post-2015 development agenda.
We will also report that through the framework of the Gender Responsive Budgeting, GRB, the country will ensure the necessary budgetary allocations for the implementation of projects and programmes, including socioeconomic empowerment and overall gender mainstreaming.
This Budget Vote seeks to consolidate the gains made in the previous term of office while also setting a firm foundation for the future with regard to women's empowerment and gender equality. The overall budget for this financial year is R198,3 million – I read it right - which includes the R63 million allocated for the Commission for Gender Equality.
This budget continues to pose limitations in fulfilling the mandate of this department. The reorganisation will therefore create an opportunity for adequate resourcing. Whilst we acknowledge with great pride the strides made in the past 20 years towards women empowerment and gender equality, we have to contend with the unsettling reality of high unemployment, poverty and inequality that continue to challenge women in the various experience.
The removal of the persisting barriers to the advancement of women, many of which are systemic, structural inequalities that are patriarchal in nature, remains a critical condition to achieving women empowerment and gender equality. It is therefore imperative, as the President outlined in his June state of the nation address, that-
As we enter the second phase of our transition from apartheid to a national democratic society, we have to embark on radical socioeconomic transformation to push back the triple challenges of inequality, poverty and unemployment.
Therefore, the aim of the Department of Women is to lead, co-ordinate and oversee the transformation agenda on women's socioeconomic empowerment, rights and equality through mainstreaming, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation.
In the next five years, the priority of the Ministry in the Presidency responsible for women will be to ensure that women's socioeconomic empowerment and women's rights are mainstreamed across all sectors of society through monitoring the extent to which the social and economic circumstances of women are significantly improved; promoting, advocating for and monitoring women's empowerment and gender equality; promoting the understanding of differential circumstances of women and men in society and the impact of seemingly neutral decisions, plans, laws, policies and practices on either gender through capacity-building on gender mainstreaming and responsive gender budgeting; facilitate and monitoring capacity building and skills development for women to participate meaningfully in all areas of the economy and the workplace; standardisation and regulation of accountability with regard to the implementation of gender mainstreaming by both public and private sectors.
The mainstreaming will be anchored on the following pillars. In terms of monitoring and evaluation, the department of will play an oversight role by introducing monitoring and evaluation tools to hold not only the government but the private sector accountable when it comes to the mainstreaming of gender. The department will work closely with the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation to align our monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure harmonisation of our systems. We will pursue a strong research agenda to allow us to look at gaps which have resulted in women not benefiting as anticipated. The research findings will allow the department to make the necessary interventions.
With regard to Gender Responsive Budgeting, this is one of the enabling tools for the mainstreaming of gender. A radical change is needed to ensure that all parties in the public service and private sectors, including NGOs, implement the Gender Responsive Budgeting in all their planning, programmes, budgeting and expenditure processes.
Lest we forget, this year marks the 60th anniversary of the 1954 Women's Charter, which preceded the Freedom Charter of 1955, a clear indication that women in their own rights were pioneers in the struggle for liberation. The 1954 Women's Charter, together with the Freedom Charter of 1955, influenced and anchored the fundamentals of the 1996 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. It further influenced and informed the development of the 1994 Women's Charter for effective equality. Some of the women in this Parliament played a role and some are still here to make sure we realise this dream.
The Women's Charter called for the enfranchisement of men and women of all races; the right to vote and be elected to all state bodies; the right to full opportunities for employment with equal pay and possibility of promotion in all spheres of work; equal pay for equal work - most of us can see the posters and the pictures of the women marching in 1956 on equal pay for equal work; equal rights in relation to property, land rights, marriage and children; and the removal of all laws and customs that denied women such equality, among other things.
For the first time, both black men and women voted in the historic general elections of 27 April 1994. All races voted as equals before the law. The dreams of women like Charlotte Mannye Maxeke were realised. They must have ululated in their graves as one of the aims of the Women's Charter of 1954 was fulfilled.
This path was carved out over a hundred years ago by the endless sacrifices and courageous struggles displayed by heroic stalwarts who are the embodiment of 102 years of a relentless forward march for total emancipation from all forms of discrimination. Unarmed and defenseless, they challenged the might and brutality of successive oppressive regimes in order to ensure that future generations would live in a South Africa that truly belongs to all, both black and white.
Once more, in 2013, we commemorated the centenary of the 1913 Women's March led by Charlotte Mannye Maxeke against the introduction of pass laws and the infamous Native Land Act of 1913. We also have to bear in mind that whilst celebrating 60 years of the Women's Charter, in 2016 we will also celebrate 60 years of the 1956 Women's March to the Union Building under the heroic leadership of Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Sophie De Bruyn, Rahima Moosa and many others.
It is, therefore, against this backdrop that we will be celebrating the 2014 Women's Month under the theme, Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Women's Charter and 20 years of freedom, moving women's agenda forward. We will therefore elaborate on the programme for the National Women's Month on 31 July, when we brief the nation on the plans for this year.
Other significant milestones we need to build on, as together we move South African women forward, include key legislative frameworks such as the Employment Equity Act of 1998 and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act of 2000. These are some of the laws which are part of progress we have made so far.
The Post-1994 visible representation of women as public representatives, both in the country and at international level has risen significantly. Currently, for example, there is 41% representation of women in this Parliament, 43% of Cabinet Ministers and 46% of women Deputy Minister. We are on track. Women now have increased access to participate in sectors that were previously male-dominated such as the judiciary - whilst we might not be happy, we are on track - defense, engineering, finance and commercial fields, amongst other sectors.
It is with heavy hearts today - although with great determination - that we will for the first time since the inception of the Mandela Day, be volunteering our services in recognition of his selflessness without our father uTata [Mr] Madiba. May his soul rest in peace.
In line with the 2014 Mandela Day theme and the call by the President to take pride in our country and clean up South Africa, this department has identified two projects. On Friday we will spend our 67 minutes of service at the Porter's House for Women and Children and the Rivoningo Care Centre in the City of Tshwane. Over and above doing some cleaning, we will initiate legacy projects at the two centres. This will go a long way in empowering women and young women with the basic skills that will enable them to be economically active.
In conclusion, during this term we will strive to ensure that women are lifted from a status of victims to victors. We are committed to work with all stakeholders to bring about the desired change and make true of the saying "Nothing about women without women".
As women take centre stage in shaping their own future, the course ahead of us dictates that we must not shy away from being unpopular as this might be inevitable, especially since we will be more visible from an oversight perspective. The responsibility we have been charged with demands that we be firm and resolute in ensuring that women are major beneficiaries of interventions in the second phase of our transition.
Chairperson may I take this opportunity to thank the Director-General, Ms Veliswa Baduza, of the Department of Women in The Presidency and her team for their sterling work they have done in ensuring that we are well-prepared for this budget, especially as I am the new kid on the block. [Applause.]
I take this opportunity to solicit support for our budget from all colleagues in the House.
SeSotho:
Ke lebogile.
IsiZulu:
Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe]
Ms T C MEMELA
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY (MS S SHABANGU)
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Ms T C MEMELA: Hon House Chairperson, hon Minister Shabangu, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen the proclamation by President Jacob Zuma elevating women's issues into the Presidency heralds a new dispensation that will see the mainstreaming of women in government business.
This enables the Department of Women in the Presidency to exercise its oversight role and effectively monitor and evaluate the mainstreaming of the gender and the empowerment of women across all sectors of society.
A lot has been done in our 20 years of freedom to create an enabling environment through legislative reform. Legalised injustices against women generally, and especially those women at the intersection of race and gender, have virtually disappeared. This includes all laws and formal policies that precluded women from entering any occupation or profession of their choice, owning property or land and engaging in any business venture.
However, the social patterns of exclusion and disadvantage that women experienced in the past remain a systematic feature of the South African social and economic landscape. The whole world remains patriarchal, with men dominating all aspects of life from the family to politics, business and the workplace.
Women today continue to face the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality. This is a reality that cannot be ignored by the judiciary when adjudicating.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the 1954 Women's Charter and the 20th anniversary of the 1994 Women's Charter for Effective Equality. The eight aims outlined in the Women's Charter of 1954 forms the foundation of the 12 articles contained in the 1994B Women's Charter for Effective Equality. This is significant because the Women's Charter for Effective Equality coincides with the dawn of democracy in South Africa. It thus serves as an appropriate tool to measure progress made in achieving the aims of the Women's Charter in 1954, and the 20th year of freedom.
It has been two months since the historic fifth democratic national elections. The electorate constituted by women in the majority gave the thumbs up to the ANC's 2014 election manifesto, and has once again mandated the ANC-led government to work side by side with all South Africans as we, together, move the women's agenda forward in the next five years.
This is a mandate we do not take lightly. Women must take centre stage as we march into the second phase of our transition to realise emancipation from all forms of discrimination.
I plead with each and every woman in this august House, irrespective of creed or colour, to remember that we are the centre pole of the nation. We are the salt of the earth; without women, there would be nothing. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mrs D ROBINSON
Ms T C MEMELA
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Mrs D ROBINSON: Hon House Chair, hon Minister, colleagues and guests, I congratulate Minister Shabangu on her appointment to the Ministry for Women. It is a challenging position as this Ministry has achieved very little during the past five years.
Some might say you have been handed a poisoned chalice, Minister, because of the problems of poor leadership and irregular and wasteful expenditure. Many members of the public clearly remember the large amounts of money spent on entertainment, lavish furniture, motor vehicles and travel, and not on the vulnerable members of our society who were most in need of support and help.
On behalf of the DA, I wish you well in your term of office and trust that you will be able to make a positive impact on this Ministry which has been beset by many challenges.
We need action and not empty words to improve the status of women, especially those in rural areas who are so often forgotten and neglected.
The DA will support your endeavours relating to the mandate, provided you put service to the nation and to women first. We are privileged to be representing and serving the people, especially the women of South Africa, and we are duty-bound to make a difference in the lives of women and future generations.
In the words of the President, the objectives of the new Ministry will be to "champion the achievement of women's socioeconomic empowerment and women's rights." It is also to strengthen and ensure the effectiveness of the National Gender Machinery.
If the Ministry is serious about upholding this objective, it will strengthen oversight and the transversal function of the Women's Ministry and co-ordinate monitoring and reporting functions with the National Planning Commission on Monitoring and Evaluation and the Department of Public Service and Administration.
The Women's Ministry must be streamlined to function within an outcomesbased approach and align the outcomes to those that unlock funding from National Treasury - but not just for jamborees. A more focused mandate for the new Ministry will advance women's economic empowerment and development in the country.
It is vital that women become part of the economy so that they are no longer dependent on their husbands or partners in an unequal position. Women must be afforded the same opportunities to create an independent lifestyle and contribute to their families' income. As the largest part of the Ministry's budget has been allocated to the Commission for Gender Equality, CGE, a Chapter 9 institution of vital importance, I will focus on some aspects of its work.
Unfortunately, the budget of the CGE happens to be the smallest of all the Chapter 9 institutions. As an institution with such a vital role in our country, this begs the question: How seriously does government take the CGE since it is not properly funded? We sincerely hope that more funds will be allocated in an effort to correct gender inequality in South Africa.
One of the strategic objectives of the CGE is to facilitate and co-ordinate the eradication of gender-based violence and promote women's empowerment.
The harsh patriarchal attitudes and demeaning gender stereotypes that are seen in our society are deeply destructive and cause great social problems. Intolerance of alternative sexual orientation needs to be eradicated. Too many lesbian women still die due to "corrective rape" being carried out by those who wish to impose their bigoted attitudes on others and force them to change their sexual orientation. Corrective rape, at its core, is due to the continuing disparagement of women in South African society. This Ministry should seek first to improve the views and treatment of women in the country if rape of any kind is going to be eradicated.
The CGE also monitors and evaluates the implementation of policies, and programmes of state or civil society that could affect gender equality. It engages in advocacy programmes aimed at raising awareness and challenging patriarchal stereotypes and also promotes gender mainstreaming and gender equality.
These ideals need to be further implemented in our country as the current statistics on rape and domestic violence make it clear that none of these initiatives have had much impact on the existing prejudices women still experience. The Ministry and portfolio committees can achieve a lot more to assist vulnerable women by interacting more and collaborating with one another and the CGE.
An issue that needs serious attention is the funding of shelters and safe houses for abused women and children. They play an important role in combating domestic violence by providing shelter and giving victims the opportunity to re-establish and equip themselves with skills that will help them to become self-sufficient and able to provide for themselves when they leave the shelter.
It is vital that government reconsiders its funding model for such institutions which are mainly run by NGOs and faith-based organisations. Many of them are facing a financial crisis and many traumatised women and their children are turned away because there are no beds available in the shelters. They either have to return to the home of the perpetrator, and suffer retribution and face more abuse, or seek refuge on the streets.
Shelters are found mainly in towns and not in rural areas. So, what alternatives do those vulnerable people in those areas have? There are only 30 multipurpose Thuthuzela Care Centres throughout the country. Their multidisciplinary approach achieves good results but many more centres are needed to cope with the needs of our women. This is a challenge that government needs to resolve urgently.
Child maintenance is another multifaceted problem that needs urgent attention. More than 9 million children in South Africa grow up without financial or parental support. This may be due to an inability or unwillingness to pay. Some defaulters deliberately deceive or play the system pretending that they have no funds. This needs to be eliminated by proper investigations conducted by staff who are highly trained and efficient.
Unfortunately, most maintenance courts, like the magistrates' courts, have huge backlogs due to staff shortages, so many people have to spend long hours at court awaiting their appointments. People are frequently turned away and have to return again and again, losing yet another day's leave or pay.
Some of the staff, investigators, prosecutors and magistrates need additional training to skill them in this particular facet of the law. More social workers are needed to counsel the affected families for whom this can be a terrible hardship, leaving many emotional scars. The entire maintenance court system needs to be overhauled so that it becomes more efficient and justice can be dispensed without delay.
We in the DA call upon all parents to take responsibility for the children they have brought into the world. If you make a baby, you need to take care of it for the rest of your life. Alternatively, use birth control measures, which are freely available, and don't burden yourself with an unwanted child.
Children who go through these trials and traumas often become delinquents or get involved with drug or alcohol abuse, which later leads to a life of poverty without any prospects.
The DA Women's Network has proposed that maintenance defaulters should face the full might of the law. They should be blacklisted by credit regulators and have their credit worthiness limited, as would usually happen if they did not pay their other debts.
We will be in consultation with the Department of Justice and Correctional Services, and also with the Department of Social Development, to take these needs and positive proposals forward. More maintenance investigators and maintenance officers need to be trained and deployed in order to ease the backlog in the system.
When the National Council against Gender-Based Violence, NCGBV, was established in 2012, there were great expectations amongst gender activists as it was to be led by former Deputy President, hon Motlanthe. It seemed to signal high-level political commitment to dealing with the escalating sexual abuse and violence, despite the many policies, strategies, plans and programmes which aimed to combat violence against women.
It was to be a multisectoral body bringing together stakeholders from government, business, labour and civil society to develop a common, national approach to combating the high prevalence of sexual and domestic violence. Sadly, power hunger and territorialism made this body ineffective.
Violence seems to have become socially normalised and legitimised, and there is a culture of silence and impunity surrounding perpetrators. This silence must be broken; people must be encouraged to speak out. Perpetrators must not be protected. The mindset of our society, which has itself been violated, needs to be addressed through programmes to re-establish positive values and reinforce the human rights-based constitutional values.
Positive values must be taught through life-skills programmes at schools, Educare Centres, clinics, churches and other organisations. Co-operation with the SA Police Service and the judiciary must be encouraged so that the low levels of prosecutions and convictions can be improved.
Support from Social Services is inadequate. There are not sufficient social workers due to inadequate funding from government. We must lobby and influence government to increase funding to bolster and strengthen support structures for families that are suffering and are under pressure, and also for the single and the child-headed households.
A study conducted by the SA Medical Research Council in 2009 found that more than 56% of all murders of women were perpetrated by intimate partners, making femicide the leading cause of death for women. It is shocking to know that this occurs at a rate six times higher than that of the global average.
All responsible and caring people must strive to put the effects of our troubled past behind us to heal the wounds and scars that still exist through positive influences so that restoration can take place.
Let this new Ministry for Women act as a catalyst for action on the ground to transform the lives of women, affording them human dignity, equality and freedom from gender-based violence and stereotypes, and freeing them from prejudice and outmoded and harmful cultural practices.
Let us create a society in which all people are given the opportunity to reach their full potential as citizens of a free and democratic South Africa. I thank you.
Ms E N LOUW
Mrs D ROBINSON
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Ms E N LOUW: Chairperson, the EFF will not support the Budget Vote based on the following observations … [Interjections.] Don't get excited now!
Firstly, 300 years of colonial and apartheid South Africa has had the most severe impact on black women. Yet, 20 years into democracy and the ANC's good story, the issues of black women have still not been made a priority. There has been no clear vision or strategy for the emancipation of women, especially black women.
On a structural level, after 20 years black women still suffer triple oppression and exploitation based on gender, race and class. All efforts made by this government have been made at a superficial level and have simply been a means of window-dressing. They also helped with continually moving women's issues from Ministry to Ministry.
We do not support this budget because it does not strongly promote the economic freedom of women. The emancipation of women, as equal counterparts in society, no longer rests only on passing more legislation; it rests on economic self-sufficiency that will allow women to participate in the direction and redirection of the means of safety and security as well as production.
The ANC-led government tends to relegate the responsibility of women empowerment to the Ministry of Women only. As the EFF, we propose that all government departments should have a women-empowerment desk and women's issues should not be isolated. Furthermore, this committee must tell us how it intends to make sure that all ... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms A T DIDIZA): Members of the public who are our guests, you may appreciate the debate, but you are not supposed to participate in it. You are not supposed to clap. You are also not supposed to howl or heckle, but you may just sit quietly and listen through to the debate.
Ms E N LOUW: Thank you, Chair. Furthermore, this committee must tell us how it intends to make sure that all departments have clear programmes that promote women empowerment, short-term, medium-term and long-term plans and what its monitoring mechanisms are.
The South African corporate sector continues to be a boys' club only, male-dominated with barriers to entry. Female CEOs and MDs make up 4,4%; chairpersons, 5,5%; directorships, 15,8%; and executive directors, 21,6%. Therefore there is no clear strategy on ways that the Ministry will discipline the private sector and open up access to women, especially black women.
Government is continuing to give condoms for free. As sex is a choice, why can't we give sanitary pads also for free? Girls between the ages of 12 and 18 years are living below the poverty line in South Africa and cannot afford sanitary pads. As a result these young girls miss approximately five days of school per month, which amounts to 60 school days missed a year. Why isn't this issue made a priority in the budget?
This budget fails to speak to the 34 widows in Marikana whose husbands were massacred by the state police under the ANC-led government. Those women are now struggling to support their children. The husbands of those 34 women in Marikana didn't die a natural death. They were killed because they were demanding a living wage of R12 500 in order to support their families. They didn't want a Mercedes Benz or a BMW.
South Africa ranks 90 out of 148 countries in the Gender Inequality Index, GII, which is largely based on the political participation of women. Our country is often praised for the 41,1% of parliamentarian seats held by women. However what have been the ... [Time expired.]
Ms L L VAN DER MERWE
Ms E N LOUW
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Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: Hon Chairperson, the hon Minister, the hon chairperson of our committee, MPs, our guests in the gallery, you are all greeted.
Let me also take this opportunity on behalf of the IFP to convey our condolences to the ANC on the passing of the Deputy Chairperson of the ANC Women's League. May her soul rest in peace!
I rise this morning on behalf of the women in my party as well as South Africa's women at large. We are ready to take South Africa into the next phase of its democracy, where we no longer look at just how far we have come but also at what must be done to take our freedom further.
This morning we must therefore do a full post mortem of the defunct department to learn lessons from the past and ensure that we don't make the same mistakes in future. We must therefore start by asking whether this department has a good story to tell in terms of the legacy of this department.
I would say yes because good work has been done, but no because the dissolution of the department speaks to a need to take women's empowerment to a more radical progress.
Since its inception, the department was under scrutiny. Its leader seemed autocratic in nature and allergic to any input or criticism from this side of the House as if we, the MPs on this side of the House, had no stake in the future of our country. Hon Minister that must change; we are stronger together.
It also remains an indictment of the portfolio committee that some MPs abetted the former Minister's efforts to block discussions on the Fluxman Report, which highlighted mismanagement and corruption in the department.
It is therefore unsurprising that at times its turnaround strategy misfired. And despite a critical skills shortage, the skills audit remained elusive.
Moreover, the department's budget of R198 million was wholly inadequate for the task it faced. While the IFP decried this lack of funding, we also decried the manner in which it was utilised at times; the bulk of this department's money going to administration, leaving very little for the core programmes to work with. These are lessons to be learned. We need more money for this department.
During the past year, the bulk of the budget was also set aside for the Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill, which the former Minister argued would be the panacea for women's empowerment. Yet many of us argued that women's empowerment does not happen in boardrooms but at grassroots level.
We are therefore pleased to hear that Cabinet has realised that the Bill has serious shortcomings. In fact, I have prepared a document - a lengthy one - with some of suggestions, and I will make it available and forward to your office.
It is also important that the drafting of legislation with regard to women's empowerment happens in very close consultation with the Commission for Gender Equality, CGE. That's very important. We can't leave them out. They are very important partners in this process.
Hon minister, you don't have a budget yet, which we can scrutinise, but I must commend you because you seem committed to usher in a new era of radical progress for our women. But we must acknowledge that too many challenges remain - the inexcusable abuse of our women, children and especially our elderly; the plight of our women, especially those with disabilities who remain on the fringes of our economy and society; and the plight of young women whose interests aren't served by the National Youth Development Agency, NYDA. These are not political issues, Minister. These are issues we all face.
I was raised by a single mother who at times struggled to put food on the table. When as a young woman I could not access funding to study, I faced the reality many young women face today. The struggles of the vast majority of our women are my struggles too.
Hon Minister, I look forward to partnering with you on this journey to bring real change to the lives of South Africa's women. It is indeed time for a new era. The IFP will support the Budget Vote. [Applause.]
Ms G K TSEKE
Ms L L VAN DER MERWE
UNREVISED HANSARD
EPC – COMMITTEE ROOM E249
Wednesday, 16 July 2014 Take: 4
Ms G K TSEKE: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, chairperson of the committee, members of the committee, hon Members of Parliament and their guests in the gallery, good morning to you all.
Allow me to start with the hon Louw, who spoke on behalf of the EFF. I must say, hon member, you are also invited to come to participate in our committee meetings. It is the first time we have seen you at this podium debating on women's issues. You are invited because you actually sent a Member of Parliament - I don't remember that lady's surname - but she has been so quiet since the first day of our debates, and now you come here to be her spokesperson. [Laughter.] You are invited too.
It is also a shame. As the ANC, we have a good story to tell. Yes! And you yourself are part of "a good story to tell" because we, the ANC-led government, have given you an opportunity to come to be a Member of Parliament here and present in front of the people. [Applause.] Previously, before 1994, this Parliament was dominated by males. [Interjections.] So this is a good story too. I am proud, because is it a good story to tell, also about you. [Interjections.] Definitely! Thank you very much.
Setswana:
Ntetle, mogaetsho, ke leboge Poresidente ya naga, Rre Jacob Zuma, ka go tlhoma Lefapha la Bomme ka fa ofising ya gagwe. Seno, se netefatsa le go matlafatsa maikemisetso magolo a mokgatlho wa rona wa ANC a gore re tla tsaya boikarabelo jwa gore tekatekano ya bomme le borre mo nageng ya rona e a diragala, le go bona gore bomme ba fitlhelela thuto e e maleba; maemo a pholo a a itekanetseng; ditiro tse di siameng; le gore ba kgona go ikemela, ka gonne ba tsaya karolo e kgolo mo nageng ya rona. Go ya ka ...
English:
... Statistics SA, the female population exceeds the male population by 7,1% and women make up 51,3% of the South African population.
Setswana:
Ke ka moo botlhokatiro le tlala di bonagalang thata mo go bomme ka gonne ke bona ba eteletseng malapa kwa pele. Ka Setswana sa gaetsho re a re ngaka, mosadi mooka o nya le mariga. Madi a re a fetisang gompieno ke a Lefapha la pele la Bomme, Bana le Batho ba ba nang le Dikgwetlho. Re le mokgatlho wa ANC, re tshegetsa ...
English:
... this Budget Vote, because we have made a commitment to the people of South Africa.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms A T Didiza): Excuse me, hon member. Hon member, excuse me. I have been notified that the interpreting system is not working. I just want to make people aware that we are looking into the problem.
Ms G K TSEKE: Thank you, hon Chair. This is an official language.
Setswana:
Re le mokgatlho wa ANC, re tshegetsa tekanyetsokabo eno ...
English:
... because we have a commitment we have made to the people of South Africa. We have committed ourselves to pushing back the frontiers of poverty and improving the lives of our people.
Hon Robinson, let me share with you the good stories that this government has produced, because it seems as if you are only focusing on the negatives and forgetting that there are positives that this government has produced. As we celebrate 20 years of our democracy, we want to thank this ANC for work well done in terms of gender equality.
South Africa's progress with regard to gender equality is evident both within the international and regional indices. In the 2012 Social Institutions and Gender Index, Sigi, of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, South Africa ranked fourth out of 87 countries and was the top-ranked country in Africa. On the SADC Gender and Development Index, SGDI, South Africa ranked second in 2012, and on the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Index, WEF GGGI, South Africa has consistently remained in the upper levels, reaching sixth position.
Setswana:
Yo o nang le ditsebe o tla utlwa, mme yo o nang le matlho o tla bona gore naga ya rona ke naga e e dirang.
English:
Together, we move will South Africa forward, and yes, South Africa is a better place to stay and to live in.
There has been steady progress since the advent of democracy in South Africa, where women are occupying positions of power in every corner of society. This has come about as a result of the impact of the programmes of change and the attention paid, in particular, to those who occupied the lowest rungs on the apartheid social and economic ladder.
We are building a national democratic society, a society in which the oppression of women will be a relic of the past. In order for the ANC to fully reverse this historical, social and economic exclusion of women, it is dealing, through programmes, policy and legislation, with the creation of the material and cultural conditions that would allow for the full development of women.
A high percentage of women undertake low-skilled and low-wage employment. We understand that point. Women primarily serve as domestic labour and home-based caregivers. Women remain consistently under-represented in high-kill and high-wage employment. Many women continue to operate in the informal trade sector, including informal cross-border trade. Statistics show that, overall, fewer women are employed. As a result, poverty in our country is highly gendered.
Female-headed households are generally much poorer than those headed by men, and are more likely to live on less than R570 a month. This is especially the case in the rural areas where I come from, thus rendering women more vulnerable to food insecurity. Lack of employment opportunities and the absence of an independent source of income mean that many women are forced to rely on their spouses, immediate family members, relatives or friends for survival.
I must say that the establishment and success of small, medium and micro enterprises, SMMEs, including survivalists and co-operatives are globally recognised as critical to addressing the challenges of job creation, poverty alleviation, socioeconomic conditions and equality for all. This is especially the case in South Africa, where the role of SMMEs is vital in driving economic growth, employment, innovation and competitiveness.
It is estimated that South Africa has some 5,9 million SMMEs, which generate 40% of its GDP and 60% of employment in the country. Women enterprises are largely represented in SMMEs. Our government has also implemented various approaches to support these SMMEs by putting in place measures to reduce the tax compliance burden, providing dedicated credit facilities, establishing support and incubators, and diversifying procurement towards emerging enterprises, where possible. We must do a lot in this sector, Minister. We must be able to monitor the department responsible for this so that the women of this country benefit.
Today, we have the Small Enterprise Finance Agency, which is housed in the Industrial Development Corporation. This was initiated after the adoption of the New Growth Path, NGP, in 2010, which identified enterprise development as a key priority. The small Enterprise Finance Agency's mandate is to foster the establishment, survival and growth of SMMEs and contribute towards poverty alleviation and job creation.
In the Department of Trade and Industry, we also have the Isivande Women's Fund. This is an exclusive fund that aims to accelerate women's economic empowerment by providing more affordable, usable and responsive finance to women. This women's fund targets formally registered, 60% women-owned and/or –managed enterprises that have been in existence and operating for two or more years, with a loan ranging from R30 000 to R2 million. We are also encouraging the women of this country to take heed of these opportunities created by the ANC-led government.
The Bavumile Skills Development programme is also a women's empowerment initiative, aimed at enhancing talent in the arts and crafts and textile and clothing sectors among women. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Ms D CARTER
Ms G K TSEKE
UNREVISED HANSARD
EPC – COMMITTEE ROOM E249
Wednesday, 16 July 2014 Take: 5
Ms D CARTER: Hon Chairperson and Minister, the advent of democracy gave women, children and people with disabilities the hope that finally their situation as individuals would be improved. The department was meant to vigorously implement several Acts, but instead it spent money and time on gatherings and speechmaking.
The sad reality is that the department has failed our women, children and people living with disabilities.
Hon Minister, I have to say that I am throwing my speech side because there are more urgent matters that also need to be heard. Hopefully the Ministry and the department can take this forward.
The Department was tasked with promoting a society free of violence and abuse against women, children and people living with disabilities. If anything, this situation in respect of the above has deteriorated. Today in our midst, we have a young mother with children and works at this institution who is a victim of continuous abuse and harassment.
This is a plea from her that abusers such as rejected stalkers who have cases pending at court for stalking and harassment and the contravention of protection orders and who have been identified as having pre-existing psychiatric illnesses need to be sent by the courts for evaluation and assessment to identify the psychopathic deviances.
According to a chief prosecutor at the Goodwood Magistrates' Court, magistrates view stalking and harassment as petty crimes and the sentencing often does not match the crime. The National Prosecuting Authority, NPA, is failing our women here. Abusers are given suspended sentences without any management of their actions thereafter.
Minister, there can be a plea that those convicted of stalking and harassment and who have been diagnosed as psychopathic should be forced to wear a GPS-enabled device so that they can be monitored and prevented from continuing their harassment and stalking.
We have seen how many women have lost their lives; it starts with harassment but at the end of the day they are murdered. That is what the media talks about, when it is too late.
A special police unit and a specialised court should be formed for domestic violence, stalking and harassment cases. Many are not equipped to understand the impact that stalking and harassment has on the victims who are often left to manage their own situation due to the fact that it is regarded as petty crime.
Victims are in constant fear of what their stalker might do next because no control measures have been put in place during sentencing. We have here an example of the same case, with video recordings taken in public, where he walks out of a court with a R500 fine every time. We cannot continue having that. The day when she loses her life, or her kids lose their lives, is the day when it is going to be too late.
The media portrays the stories of those who were stalked and murdered but not those of survivors or those going through it every single day. There is a plea here for sufficient government-funded houses of safety that will also ensure that those victims who are in this trap are able to get out and start a life instead of having to run around hiding with their children, uprooting their children all the time in order to run away from the harassment.
We also need stricter implementation of maintenance laws, not only for maintenance of those young children, but also of wives that were lured and if I may use the horrible word, were eventually "traded in" when they reached the age of 55, 60 or 70 after they have given up their whole life. We also need to have stricter control of that. We need to hear less of report submissions, theories and projections ... [Time expired.] I thank you. [Applause.]Ms M P CHUEU
Ms D CARTER
UNREVISED HANSARD
EPC – COMMITTEE ROOM E249
Wednesday, 16 July 2014 Take: 5
Ms M P CHUEU: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon chair of the committee, I also want to greet everyone in the House.
I just want to address a few things. It is this government, the ANC, which has given women the right to vote, the right to be in Parliament, the right to be executives and CEOs of companies. There has never been a government in this country that has elevated women to the status where we are at this point. [Applause.]
That is a positive move by this government. All of us need to accept it and promote it wherever we go. I have a clipping here which I got from an analysis in the Sunday Times newspaper which was analysing the period from 1931 to 1956. They showed a white woman who had come to Soweto. She is surrounded by black women, showing them how to clean white houses in order to become good servants.
This woman had the bravery to go to a township, where they were scared that they would be raped. But she was brave enough to go and implement an apartheid policy that oppressed other women.
So where are these women who can go out and promote the good policies of this new government that promotes women? Where are we as women? I mean women of all races. We are all raped and we are discriminated against. Where are we when we are supposed to promote good policies?
Regarding the issue of sanitary pads, to the hon EFF member, sanitary pads are being distributed to all schools. We distribute sanitary pads to every school because we know that these kids have to attend school. It is not a new thing that you are talking about.
The hon Robinson says that we must put our past behind us. I cannot do that. In psychology Pavlov says that when you feed a dog every day at half-past-nine, even on the day that you come with an empty plate, the dog salivates. So it means that when you are brought up to be racist, for example, and it is not removed from your mind, you still continue to be racist. That is why for us to remove a certain type of behavior, it means that we must re-educate that particular person.
Most of us whom are grown-ups today still preserve the old, but you have to remove the old psychology. That is why women still continue to be raped and continue to be oppressed by other women because people are socialised to oppress others.
There is a quotation I have for the House by Dr Tibane which says:
You are a product of God's engineering capacity, you are to excel because you exceeded your yesterday. Remember, it is not about exceeding others or being better than others but it is about exceeding yourself. There is nothing noble in being superior to others, but true nobility is being superior to your previous self.
So it is up to you as an oppressor to re-educate yourself. That is why you have Steve Hofmeyr who will sing Die Stem and nobody says anything about it because they see it as correct. But it is wrong when we are building a nation. People must converge, they must move from oppression to unity and those whom are oppressed must unite and converge.
All of us were hurt but there has never before been a stage when people were expressing themselves through the freedom of speech, their democratic right. Today people say, "We have freedom of speech", but they never spoke about our oppression. Where were they when we were being oppressed? Today, they have a freedom of speech, and it is the ANC that has given them that freedom. [Applause.]
The issue of patriarchy - you can be in Black Sash but at the same time you must liberate other women. It is not about you. Liberation is not about individuals, it is about a group of people that has to move for transformation to a certain direction. So, patriarchy, I will generalise, is something that is embedded in our culture. It is in our education and in everything that we do, and we see it as being normal. We see nothing wrong about it.
One of the examples is architecture. Take this building for instance; the architects who designed this building were masculine in their character. It was a male person who did the designs. When walking around you can slip or even break your leg because your shoes cannot stick to the tiles. It is as simple as that. If we want to liberate women and we say that women must be part and parcel of Parliament it means that we must also change our floors. We walk around here and break our heels because you can't walk on that paving.
If we say quality liberation, it means that even the people who were not included when this building was planned must be accommodated.
AN HON MEMBER: What about Thandi Modise's farm?
Ms M P CHUEU: I am not talking about farms; I am talking about our liberation. You must liberate your women first. [Interjections.]
AN HON MEMBER: She's a woman, and she's not a good example.
Ms M P CHUEU: Racism and sexism is one and the same thing, they are oppression. Oppression – it doesn't matter which angle it comes from. Whoever oppresses people … [Interjections.] I am not talking about animals, I am talking about people oppressing people and that is the subject of the matter at this point, We have people oppressing others and we do not say anything about it. Oppression is oppression, it does not matter in what form it comes.
The topic of sexism will always be hanging around your neck. We will talk about it; we will fight for our rights. Minister, we will ensure that people in transport have equal rights. For example, a woman drives a train and she has fought for eight hours a day. That woman's shift can be moved to nine to five so that she can bond with her child, take the child to school and at five-o'-clock she is able to go home and cook for the kids.
Instead you find that women are given a shift that starts at 03:00 and they are raped at that time. But we always say that women have to be liberated and all that, but managers never give quality liberation to these women. [Time expired.]
Ms M O MATSHOBA
Ms M P CHUEU
UNREVISED HANSARD
EPC – COMMITTEE ROOM E249
Wednesday, 16 July 2014 Take: 6
Ms M O MATSHOBA: Hon Chair, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon chairperson of the portfolio committee and hon members, women of South Africa-
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
I would like to convey my deepest sympathy to the family, friends and relatives of the former NCOP Chief Whip, Comrade Nosipho Ntwanambi.
In a society such as ours where patriarchy is deeply entrenched and adversely affects the everyday lives of so many women, including women in the law, the strategic value of women's emancipation in positions of power and authority should not be underestimated because even the mere symbolism of their presence could bring enormous transformation and respect for women in society at large.
As we celebrate 20 years of democracy in South Africa, it is a perfect opportunity to reflect not only on the achievements of women in justice but to celebrate them and acknowledge the Department of Justice as an organ of government that upholds and protects the Constitution, whilst striving for a transformed and accessible justice system that protects social justice and fundamental human rights.
Prior to 1994, judges were appointed by the State President under section 10 of the Supreme Court Act. Years later, appointments were recommended by the Chief of Justice. Knowledge of these processes, including their selection of candidates, belonged only to the inner circle.
Women of South Africa, this is the reflection of where we come from. On 27 April 1994, the first day of South Africa's democratic election, the following was the race and gender balance of 165 judges: 160 were white men, three were black men and two were white women. At that stage, there were no black women judges in South Africa.
Today, in an open constitutional democracy based on the values of equality, freedom, human dignity and fundamental human rights, we have 100 black men, 49 black women, 71 white men and 21 white women serving our nation as judges. This means that we are bridging the gap to reflect the racial and gender composition of South Africa, as required by our Constitution.
The need for women in the judiciary and leadership positions cannot be exaggerated. Although we have come a long way, we must agree that it isn't enough. In processing justice and ensuring due sensitivity to gender-related offences, abuse, rape and domestic violence remain a challenge. This is despite the progress in access to justice that we acknowledge.
IsiXhosa:
UThixo ke watyumba umntu omnye ukuze akhokele amaSirayeli awase kwilizwe lobusi. Wanika uMoses intonga, akazange anike nokuba ngubani na. Kunjalo ke namhlanje, i-ANC yasikelelwa nguThixo ngonyaka we-1994 ukuze ikhokele abantu belizwe. Yiyi loo nto kwiinkundla zamatyala nakuwo onke amasebe karhulumente kwafakwa amakhosikazi ukuze nawo abe yinxalenye yokunyusa umgangatho welizwe lethu elityebe kangaka.
Enkosi Nxamalala kuba nathi namhlanje singamakhosikazi sinesidima, kwaye siyavakala xa sithetha ngenxa yalo rhulumente. Kungenxa yaloo Moses oyi-ANC, ongurhulumente osezingqondweni, oneliso lokujonga, ongalaliyo nekusa unamaphupha ngabantu baseMzantsi Afrika. Siyabulela kwaye sinesicelo sokuba amakhosikazi mawabe ngathi ayafakwa kurhulumente.
Akwanele apho, nathi siyathembisa ukuba siza kuba ngamakhosikazi anezimilo nakwaziyo ukuziphatha kuwo onke amasebe esibekwe kuwo. Siza kubonakalisa intembeko singabandakanyeki kwizinto eziza kuba lihlazo kulo rhulumente wephupha labantu ukususela ngonyaka wama-2012, Qabane uLouw wena mntu ubona lo rhulumente njengongekenzi nto.
English:
I'm sorry because my papers are not in the right order. So ...
IsiXhosa:
... sikhumbula umama uLilian Ngoyi namanye amakhosikazi asivulela indlela emhlophe ukususela ngonyaka we-1956, sade sawongwa ngenyanga yoomama engu-Agasti esithi yakufika sizive ukuba nathi siyathandwa. Uthi nokuba sowunesithukuthezi, ubone kungena i-sms ethi ngale nyanga yenu, Malibongwe! Utsho uncume ukhumbule ubutsha nobuntombi bakho.
Kuloo madoda asabulala abafazi ababathatha babase kwikhefu labo basandul'ukutshata ngeenjongo zokuzityebisa, nakulawo abulala abafazi ngosuku lwabathandanayo yenxa yomona ...
English:
... our justice system must do something and make sure the law reform on bail, sentencing, victim empowerment, capacity-building and extending access to courts to the previously disadvantaged areas and integrated responses ...
In conclusion, Minister, Women in the Presidency will create the necessary capacity to ensure a systematic approach in dealing with physical and psychological abuse, exclusion and other forms of discrimination that impede the development and progress of women.
IsiXhosa:
Ndifuna ukuthi ke siyazibona zonke izinto ezibalulekileyo ezithe zenziwa ngurhulumente we-ANC. Sisajongile kananjalo ukuba zisekhona ezinye izinto asaza kuzenza emva kwale minyaka engama-20. Masincedisane ke ukuze siqhubele uMzantsi Afrika phambili, singagxeki nokuba sesibona ukuba zikhona izinto ezintle ezenziwa ngulo rhulumente we-ANC.
Kuloo madoda asangxolela abafazi ngeenjongo zokubajongela phantsi ndithi bakhona oogqirha bengqondo [psychologists] ukuze afumane uncedo kuba amanye amadoda afuna oogqirha bengqondo kuba awakazazi apho akhoyo kwaye awakabi nantlonipho kubafazi.
Ndibukele utata ohleli apha ecaleni kwam obengxolela umfazi obemi apha kule ndawo, emngxolela ngeenjongo zokumjongela phantsi. Ndiqinisekile ukuba umfazi wakho phaya endlwini akakakhululeki, usacinizekile nguwe. Zama ke indlela yokufunda ukuba umfazi uphathwa njani na. Ungaphathi kakuhle le yakho kuphela, koko uyazi ukuba inkosikazi iyafana nenye. Ayafana onke amakhosikazi, nokuba amhlophe okanye amnyama.
English:
I thank you.
IsiXhosa:
Masiqhubele uMzantsi Afrika phambili. Nawe, tata, uncedisane nenkosikazi yakho. Enkosi. [Kwahlekwa.] [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Ms N I TARABELLA MARCHESI
UNREVISED HANSARD
EPC – COMMITTEE ROOM E249
Wednesday, 16 July 2014 Take: 6
Ms M O MATSHOBA
Ms N I TARABELLA MARCHESI: Hon Chair, first of all I just want to clear the air here. In the first place, the ANC is not the only party that brought liberation to South Africans. [Interjections.] That is a half-truth and, as we all know, half-truths are lies. The people of SA resisted apartheid and it needs to be acknowledged that in the face of the most horrendous oppression, South Africans as workers, religious people, in civil society, in education everywhere resisted apartheid and in many cases did so without regard to the liberation movement.
I was born in 1970. I just want to give you my history. I was part of it and I know about the liberation movement. [Interjections.] I know about the liberation movement. [Interjections.] That is why when I was oppressed and I knew nothing. I was never asked: Do you have an ANC card to go and strike? I was never asked that. I fought for my liberation. [Interjections.]
I also fought as much as the ANC came in and also fought.
Mr Z M D MANDELA: Hon Chair …
Ms N I TARABELLA MARCHESI: However, I also fought … [Interjections.]
THE HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms T DIDIZA): Hon member Tarabella Marchesi … [Interjections.]
Ms N I TARABELLA MARCHESI: … as an individual, not associated with the liberation party.
THE HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms T DIDIZA): Order, hon member! Hon member Tarabella-Marchesi, can you take your seat there. No seat? Okay.
Mr Z M D MANDELA: Thank you, Chair. Is the hon member willing to take a question?
Ms N I TARABELLA MARCHESI: No. Hon Chair, it is refreshing to see that the Minister is prepared to bring changes to the Ministry of Woman in the Presidency because women deserve better.
Women make up 51,3% of the South African population and the recent election held in May indicates that they were the majority of voters as compared to their male counterparts. That on its own is an indication that woman believe in this democracy and that they still remain hopeful that their lives will improve for the better.
While there is no doubt that life is better post-1994, many South African women are yet to experience a better life. The former Minister Lulu Xingwana, who was tasked with trying to rectify this situation, did little to assist. Indeed, a probe by the Public Service Commission found that her irregular appointment of officials in the Ministry clearly had nothing to do with serving women in this country.
The department buckled under poor management with a 77% vacancy rate and just meeting 10 out of 16 set targets. All this happened, while the Minister notched up passport stamps at an alarming rate.
The department spent R130 000 on entertainment and only R79 000 on training. This department soon became a national embarrassment – not a vehicle entrusted to improve the lives of women. Minister Shabangu, this is what you have inherited - unfortunately. I urge you to not make the same mistakes.
Hon members, addressing issues that are related to women takes more than just 16 days of activism. We must tackle the real problems facing women every day of the year. This requires the department to fulfill its mandate and focus on what matters, namely helping women to get onto the ladder of the economy.
As the Statistics SA 2013 noted, the responsibility of household work and caring for children and the elderly lies with women more than it does with men. In contrast, there are more men than women doing paid work.
Therefore, poorly thought out political stunts such as the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Bill must be scrapped once and for all. The Bill distracted from the real issues, which was cannibalising the constitutional mandate of the Commission for Gender Equality, CGE, - a Chapter 9 institution.
Besides overriding the mandate of the CGE, this bill only duplicates provisions in a host of other Acts, including the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act of 2000; the Employment Equity Act of 1998; the Basic Conditions of Empowerment Act of 1997; the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003; and the Human Rights Commission Act of 1994.
At the time, the Green Paper produced in preparation for this Bill, called on the Ministry to co-ordinate a comprehensive process for reviewing and assessing current legislation and policy. This did not happen.
Instead of introducing new legislation, there are a number of issues which need to be prioritized instead. We need a comprehensive audit of existing legislation to identify where the gaps are. We must know why crucial pieces of legislation are not sufficiently implemented and what can be done to ensure that their objectives are realised.
We must ensure that women, girls and sexual minorities are protected from violence. Empowerment means nothing if people are scared to walk in the streets.
We need to address the scourge of teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancies trap so many girls and their children in permanent dependency and degrading poverty, often accompanied by sexual violence.
In order for this department to even come close to achieving its mandate, we need to come up with interventions and find best practices that will help achieve targets and measure outcomes by doing follow-ups and recording data. We must tackle the real issues head-on.
In conclusion .... [Time Expired.] [Applause.]
Ms P BHENGU
Ms N I TARABELLA MARCHESI
UNREVISED HANSARD
EPC – COMMITTEE ROOM E249
Wednesday, 16 July 2014 Take: 7
Ms P BHENGU: Chairperson, hon members, hon guests, while addressing a Joint Sitting of Parliament to commemorate 10 years of democracy in South Africa on 10 May 2004, Tata Madiba said, and I quote:
Let us never be unmindful of the terrible past from which we come - using that memory not as a means to keep us shackled to the past in a negative manner, but rather as a joyous reminder of how far we have come and how much we achieved.
Today, in this debate, I will be talking about women and land. The mandate of the department has been defined as the promotion, facilitation, co-ordination and monitoring of the realisation of the rights of women. It is not a service provider, hon Louw of the EFF.
The patriarchal system of law and land rights has deprived women of independent access to land and control over the product of their labour. This must be addressed by ensuring that the women have the same rights as men in regard to all land related issues and must be given special assistance to realise these rights. The Land Claims Court should be empowered to consider the claims of women who are, or were, excluded from land ownership and entitlement by law, custom or practice.
IsiZulu: [11:35:32]
Abesifazane ezindaweni zasemakhaya basaqhubeka nokungabi nalo ilungelo lomhlaba, ikakhulukazi uma bengashadile. Uma wawushadile washonelwa umyeni wakho, awunalo ilungelo lokuya phakathi kwamadoda uma sekuyobekwa inxiwa. Kufuneka ube nomuntu wesilisa ozokumela, kube nguye otshelwa yonke into, nokhokhayo egameni lowesifazane. Abantu besifazane basacindezelekile ezindaweni zasemkhaya ngoba abakwazi ukuzimela; ngaso sonke isikhathi kumele bamelwe.
Kwezinye izikhathi, abanye besilisa, uma owesifazane enikwa isikhundla sokuphatha, bayahluleka ngisho nokufihla ukuthi bona abasoze baphathwa abantu besifazane. Siyakubonga ukushintsha kwemithetho ngoba abaningi abantu abesifazane sebephethe izikhundla eziphezulu. Sibonga kakhulu umbutho wesizwe uKhongolose ngokulwela ilungelo lokulingana ngokwamathuba kubantu besifazane.
English:
This is a critical element of the National Democratic Revolution, NDP, whose strategic objective is the creation of a united, nonracial, nonsexist and democratic society.
Redistributive reforms are fundamental to the cause of redressing the racial injustices and the skewed distribution of land, wealth and income. Many policy initiatives have dealt with the question of land.
The 1992 ANC Policy Guideline, Ready to Govern, which speaks to redressing the injustices of the past, was identified as a fundamental point of departure for any future land policies for South Africa.
The critical component of the policy was to strike a balance between the issues of equitable distribution of land and the development and maintenance of a productive agricultural sector and a vibrant rural economy. It was intended to ensure economic growth and improve the wellbeing of all South Africans.
The Reconstruction and Development Programme, RDP, of 1995 identified land as the most basic need for dwellers in rural areas. Further acknowledgment of the effects of capital-intensive agricultural policies resulted in the large-scale evictions of farm dwellers from their land. Even then, it was believed that land reform should form part of a comprehensive rural development programme, must raise rural incomes and productivity and must encourage the use of land for agriculture and other productive purposes as well as for residential purposes.
The ANC 52nd National Conference Resolution in 2007, identified rural development, land reform and agrarian change as a critical pillar of South Africa's programme of economic transformation. These issues are fundamental elements of a wider restructuring programme, hence there is a need to ensure that land reform forms part of a wider programme of rural development.
Some of the crucial proposals were: to support smallholder farming in a manner that improves rural livelihoods; and to create a fully resourced overarching authority to drive and co-ordinate an integrated programme of rural development.
The ANC envisaged implementation of large-scale programmes that would establish new smallholders and improve productivity of the existing small-scale and subsistence farmers in order to address the triple challenge of unemployment, poverty and inequality, especially in the rural areas.
The programme of land reform of the ANC-led government is a constitutional imperative and it addresses the imbalances and injustices in the South African political economy. It also encompasses restitution, redistribution and tenure reform.
There is a need to entrench agrarian transformation so that the land redistribution reforms are accompanied by effective access to inputs, tools, equipment and markets. In addition, there is a need to provide infrastructure for communication and transport, as well as support services such as extension training, skills development and marketing advice as these are crucial elements of the transformation process.
Sustainable job creation programmes will incorporate the provision of infrastructure and skills to enhance the productive capacity of these areas, as well as raise the standard of living of the people. These programmes should focus on economically viable localities but should benefit all the people in rural areas, especially women.
Rural women in South Africa, during the colonial and apartheid era, could not legally acquire land in their own right. They were also marginalised in rural governance structures such as districts and tribal authorities. Access to land for women is a very important resource for poverty alleviation because people depend on it for cultivation, food production and their livelihoods.
Unequal access to land remains one of the most important forms of inequality which has dire consequences for women, both as social and political actors in society. Land reform, redistribution and access are key areas that still need attention and gender-mainstreaming in order to ensure that women benefit equally in the South African land reform programme.
While the official land programme aims to redress past inequalities resulting from systematic racial discrimination, the implementation of a gender equality approach requires a change in local structures, beliefs and the division of labour as they manifest themselves within the work of these department as well.
In conclusion, the major issues concern the advancement of women's rights in regard to communal, family and household land, as well as the recognition of women's rights to participate on equal terms with men as individuals in land reform projects.
Legislation and policy alone cannot guarantee equitable access to land for women because of the patriarchal nature of South African society. Proper monitoring and evaluation systems with clear indicators, inclusive of gender disaggregated data, should be put in place to ensure that there is a gender equitable land reform process and employment equity practices.
The reopening of land claims for restitution for a period of five years commencing in 2014 - this year - will be a bonus to women in South Africa.
Therefore, I encourage all women of this country, those who were forcibly removed from their land, and even those whose husbands have passed on but who were the owners of land, to go and lay claim to their rightful land.
As the ANC said in its 2014 manifesto, we will continue to improve the tenure security and administration of people living in communal areas, with an emphasis on women's tenure security.
The ANC supports the Budget Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY
Ms P BHENGU
UNREVISED HANSARD
EPC – COMMITTEE ROOM E249
Wednesday, 16 July 2014 Take: 8
The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY: Hon Chairperson, I would like to take this opportunity to thank members who supported our Budget Vote today.
Whilst acknowledging that there might have been gaps and weaknesses where we come from, we also have to bear in mind that this is a fairly new Ministry and that whatever happened in the past - some of the pitfalls, which the new approach intends to address, - there was no malice or intention of causing some of the issues raised.
I think that where we stand today, we'll be learning from those weaknesses – I don't want to say mistakes, they were weaknesses – which happened. I think it will also help us to improve and move forward in a more constructive and better way.
Thank you very much, hon Robinson, for the support for the Budget Vote. I would like to say that I agree with you; the Thuthuzela Care Centres, or any other form of social centres that are supposed to address issues related to challenges faced by women, are indeed a challenge. We can't say it's not true; it's a reality.
Therefore all of us, including you as members of this committee, have to say that we are going to do things differently to make sure that things get better and also reach out to more affected people, especially women, in South Africa. That is our responsibility – it's not mine, it's ours.
I think that is what we need to bear in mind, because sometimes our approach is about lamenting and thinking it's somebody else's responsibility, but it's our responsibility, all of us, especially in this committee. If we work together, we will be able to make a difference in ensuring that challenges faced by women at various levels are indeed attended to, so thank you once more for this support.
I must say, hon Louw, that I am not surprised by you. I did not expect you to support it. You were not there. What are you supposed to support when you weren't there? You were never there, so it's not surprising. In fact, if I were you, I would have been neutral and kept quiet. That is why you want to bring up issues relating to Marikana here in a way that suits you.
You should look at the picture holistically. You have to understand the environment holistically. No one rejoices over what happened at Marikana. It was a sad day for South Africa and we are South Africans. You can't isolate issues in a way that suits you. If you go to those rural areas you will see that some of the women who are widows today are being taken care of.
Communities are trying to find ways to integrate them and ensure that they have the means to take care of their children. I will mention one example, the widow of Michael Ngweyi. As hon Mandela was trying to say to you, you have Nosihle Ngweyi, the widow of Michael Ngweyi, who is currently employed as a community liaison officer for the Mveso area and is earning R4 500.
She does not need to go to Marikana or Johannesburg or Rustenburg to work. She is in the environment where she stays with her family. That is what we need to advocate as a country, be there with your family. [Applause.] She is able to take care of her children and that is of key importance.
The plight of women in general must never be romanticised. We must be realistic. That is why Charlotte Maxeke in 1955 led the struggles of women. That is why in 1956 we had women who took it upon themselves to make sure they fought for the rights of women.
That is part of our struggle. It's not an event, it's a process. It's painful and hurtful for some of us that those women have lost their husbands, because we know it's not a theory for some of us. We are also widows, we know and share in the pain of those women. So don't go and romanticise what you don't understand ... [Interjections.]
You are romanticising it! You don't understand. I can see that you don't understand. I would also like to appeal to you not to come here and make public statements simply because you have a podium. Join the committee so that you can share and contribute to change, like all other members who are here.
The challenge is that because you know we are being watched and we are on TV, you want to stand here. Share in the pain. Share in the transformation. Share in the various issues to find solutions to address women's issues.
Hon Carter, I would also say the same thing to you. I agree that you might not want to refer to the past. You know, there is a tendency of saying, "I want to show that I care". Let's not do public relations. Let's be honest about what you are doing in reality.
When you say that there is somebody who is doing this or that and telling us about the maintenance courts, what are you doing? You should also not forget that you are a public representative. This Parliament creates an opportunity for you to intervene. You can; it gives you that opportunity. So we must also be aware of our responsibilities as individuals.
Yes, we have overall challenges, but we also have challenges at an individual level. We are able to assist those who are unable to advance particular issues. I want to appeal to all of you; there is a little bit we can do in our little corners, but there is also a lot we can do as a collective. For us, that is very important. [Applause.]
Hon Van Der Merwe, I want to say that I agree with you. There is not enough money, but also bear in mind that we are part of the overall government and we are fighting for resources. But I am confident, where we are, if we are able to chat and explain our objectives clearly, we might not get it all, but we might get enough to help us advance and stay the course to make sure that the interests of women are advanced and that it is also at the centre of everything we do.
I believe in the economic empowerment of women as a fundamental principle because if we are able to ensure that women can sustain and take care of themselves economically, then it helps us to move towards making sure that some of the social ills we are facing will be reduced or eliminated.
This is because it is more about empowerment. If you are empowered economically, even your self-esteem improves and you are confident that you can take care of yourself.
As we deal with these issues in the committee, I hope that we will be able to agree and talk about the issues facing women in South Africa and improve their situation. We must also not underplay where we come from. We are better off, and I am not better off because I am a black woman, I am also better off because I am a women, because even white women didn't have it much better in the past. We are all better off today.
One of the responsibilities of this Ministry is to review what the gaps are and what we are not doing. We have to identify these issues so we can move forward. I agree, we have to mainstream the work, I don't think the laws that exist or prevail currently were a deliberate attempt not to recognise certain issues that we find in the legislative work, but it's our responsibility to assist.
It is not only the Ministry that is going to play an oversight role – you are all included. Don't think I am going to run away until my thin legs get worse! We are all going to run together to make sure that the lives of women improve.
That is our responsibility and we will be judged in the next five years on what we have done to take it a step further when it comes to the issues of women. I strongly believe that we need to be cohesive, that we need to find a common approach in making sure that there is a difference in the lives of our women.
In dealing with various issues, we also have to understand that, as part of our responsibility of monitoring, evaluation and oversight, some of the programmes related to women are not going to be found in this Ministry or your portfolio – they will be somewhere else.
We must also avoid tension when we want to do what resides somewhere else. What this portfolio does is create an opportunity for us to oversee and play an oversight role to ensure that the mechanisms which are meant to advance the interests of women socially and economically do in fact advance them.
Is that happening? I agree, we must not duplicate. We have many laws that might not be sufficient, but they will do for now to allow us to do our work sufficiently and move forward by identifying weaknesses and gaps where issues relating to women are not being properly advanced.
I must say, hon Tarabella Marchesi, you spoke so well. Why spoil it with what is not relevant? [Interjections.] No, hon member, don't say things that spoil the good work. When we talk about the history of the struggle in this country, you can't say it's half. You can't say the ANC was half. It was never half. If you read our history ... [Interjections.] You did say that. [Interjections.] You say it's a half-truth? No, it's not a half-truth. Let me remind you and put it in context for you: You know, when you go back to the past, to the formation of the ANC, it's leaders - credible leaders of this country who were oppressed - took it upon themselves to say enough is enough.
Rev Dube and others such as Sol Plaatjie stood together. They could have ignored the call and said, "We are academics. We are educated, we are better off and we are taking care of our families". But they said, "If I am better, but the rest is not better, then that means I am not better".
Hence they took it upon themselves to initiate change and over the years the ANC has been at the forefront. That is why it is at the centre. Let me also say that when O R Tambo, the late President of the ANC, moved out of South Africa, he mobilised, not just for the little ANC, but for South African society, the NGOs and the Black Sash.
The funding for Black Sash was solicited by the ANC, because they never saw the struggle as being very narrow. The funding of civil society in South Africa during the struggle, during apartheid, was mobilised by the ANC. Norwegian countries, when they supporting NGOs who were fighting apartheid, were mobilised by the ANC because it was not about the achievement. For the few members of the ANC it was about South African society as a whole. That is why you can't say it's a half-truth – it's the whole truth. [Time Expired.] Thank you. [Applause.]
The Committee rose at 11:59.
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