Hansard: NA: Unrevised hansard
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 02 Jun 2021
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WEDNESDAY, 2 JUNE 2021
Watch video here: PLENARY (HYBRID)
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
The House met at 14:01.
The Deputy Speaker took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon members, we do remind you, as we normally do, to settle down in the seats allocated to you and to keep your masks on.
APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote No 1 – The Presidency:
The PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC: Hon Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Deputy President David Dabede Mabuza, hon members, Ministers, distinguished guests and fellow South Africans, 25 years ago the elected representatives of the people of South Africa gathered in this very Assembly to adopt the first democratic Constitution in our country’s history. In welcoming this historic moment, President Nelson Mandela said:
The new constitution obliges us to strive to improve the quality of life of the people ... [O]ur national consensus recognises that there is nothing else that can justify the existence of government but to redress the centuries of unspeakable privations, by striving to eliminate poverty, illiteracy, homelessness and disease. It is this obligation that guides, informs and inspires the work of the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.
Our democratic Constitution vests the executive authority of the Republic in the President. It requires that the President take responsibility, working alongside Ministers, for implementing legislation, for developing policy, and for co- ordinating the functions of state departments and administrations in the interests of the people of our beautiful country. In short, the Constitution confers on the Presidency the responsibility of leading a capable developmental state.
It is exactly 10 years since the National Planning Commission
released a diagnostic report that led to the development of the National Development Plan. The report flagged lack of co- ordination within government as one of the reasons for failure to implement our progressive policies. A year later the National Development Plan introduced the concept of a capable state – a capable, developmental state.
A capable state is critical to development and service delivery, and to strengthening co-operative governance, a core principle of our Constitution. Advancing an ethical, capable and developmental state is therefore a key priority of ours.
This follows a prolonged period in which state capacity was severely weakened and several state institutions strayed from their mandates.
A capable state is well run and well managed, with clear lines of responsibility and accountability by all the actors in the state. Actions, in a capable state, are effectively aligned with intentions. In a capable state, programmes at national, provincial and local government level are well synchronised with each other. Resources are used to their best effect and not wasted.
In a capable state, policymaking is coherent and evidence-
based. This begins with translating the electoral mandate of the governing party into key outcomes.
To refine policymaking, a capable state draws on the respective strengths and capabilities in both the state itself and in society to support the national development agenda.
This helps us to refine governance and develop innovative approaches to challenges. In a capable state there is accountability and oversight across all three spheres of government, driven by the Presidency.
It is for this reason that I have signed individual performance agreements with Ministers that outline their responsibilities and their performance indicators in line with the Medium-Term Strategic Framework. In support of our commitment to transparency and open government, these performance agreements are now available to the public online.
In a capable state, public servants and executive authorities are ethical, experienced and skilled and work selflessly for the people of South Africa. To attract and retain a corps of dedicated civil servants, we are committed to lifelong learning, regularly skilling staff and providing the necessary orientation to entrants to the Public Service. That is why we
are strengthening the work of the National School of Government and finalising a framework on the professionalisation of the Public Service.
In a capable state, resources are used for the benefit of the people and not for self-enrichment. [Interjections.] Since the start of this sixth administration, we have worked to realign the Presidency so that it may more effectively drive the transformation of our society and economy.
We have sought to strengthen and better equip the Presidency to direct the programme of government and to co-ordinate its implementation. It is our firm conviction and intention that the Presidency must become the heartbeat of a capable and developmental state.
This Budget Vote is therefore about how the Presidency is working to achieve that goal. The main focus of our work as the Presidency is to give meaning and substance to co- operative and integrated government and also to unleash all the capabilities to be found both in the state and through building partnerships across society as we build a capable and developmental state.
By drawing on resources and capabilities in and beyond the state – whether in the civil service, executive authority, civil society, academia, labour, business or developmental agencies – we have enriched the work of the Presidency.
Unleashing these capabilities inherent in the state and partnerships has helped us to refine governance, to advance evidence-driven policymaking and to develop an innovative approach to challenges.
This approach is evident in several areas of our work, from our response to the coronavirus pandemic to the preparation of the infrastructure pipeline, from the development of our economic recovery plan to the implementation of our investment drive, from tackling gender-based violence and femicide to charting a just transition to a low-carbon economy.
In the state of the nation address in February, I said that one of our foremost priorities for 2021 was to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. This is essential for the restoration of the health and wellbeing of all South Africans, for the recovery of our economy, for the creation of employment and to address many of the ills that confront our communities.
From the outset, the National Coronavirus Command Council, which I chair, has co-ordinated our national response to the pandemic. It has been guided by the advice of experts in various disciplines and fields and has worked together with leaders in different spheres of government and with labour and business leaders, religious leaders, traditional leaders, sports leaders and many others.
In conditions of great uncertainty, where knowledge about the nature and cause of the disease has been limited, we have worked together as a society to limit infections, to save lives and to protect our people’s livelihoods.
Through these efforts, we have largely managed to protect our health facilities from being overwhelmed and have implemented unprecedented economic and social support measures to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the most vulnerable in society.
Through the collective efforts of all social partners, we have embarked on a mass vaccination programme that aims to reach well over 40 million people in our country. This extraordinary effort is being co-ordinated by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Vaccines chaired by the Deputy President. It brings together all relevant departments to streamline
decision-making and ensure effective co-ordination of a massive logistical undertaking.
Despite several challenges that have delayed the vaccine roll- out – and there have been many, and many which have not been of our making – the public vaccination drive is now gathering speed, pace and momentum. Within the last 48 hours, we passed a significant milestone. More than one million people in South Africa have now received a vaccine dose.
As we accelerate the roll-out of vaccines, we continue to engage various manufacturers to ensure a reliable and diverse supply of vaccines. We therefore welcome the news that the World Health Organisation has validated the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine from China for emergency use. This is a crucial step that should allow our own health products regulatory authority, the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority, SAHPRA, to expeditiously consider the application from Sinovac.
No country in the world has been spared the effects of the virus, demonstrating how interconnected and how interdependent we all are across the world. It has also shown that no country can hope to overcome the pandemic working and acting alone.
As a country and as a government, we have therefore been involved in efforts across our continent and in the broader international community to forge a common response.
During our chairpersonship of the African Union, we led the development and implementation of a continent-wide COVID-19 strategy. We appointed special envoys – one of whom was former Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, working together with many others from various countries – to mobilise funding for the continental response, and actively lobbied the G20, international financial institutions and other international bodies for comprehensive financial support and debt relief for African countries.
Through the Africa Medical Supplies Platform that we set up and the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team, which we also set up, we led innovative efforts to secure essential medical supplies and vaccines for all African countries.
I wish to pay tribute to my fellow African leaders and to the scientists, health workers, business leaders, development agencies, financial institutions and civil society leaders who worked together with us to protect African lives and livelihoods. This work continues.
These efforts demonstrate what is possible when African countries work together, when we draw on our collective resources and capabilities, and when we speak with one voice on the global stage.
Following the completion of our term as the African Union Chair, we have been given the responsibility of African Union COVID-19 Champion to continue to co-ordinate the continent’s response and recovery from COVID-19. We have appointed the Commission on African COVID-19 Response, made up of medical science experts from across the continent, to support our work as the African Union COVID-19 Champion.
At a global level, South Africa is currently the co-chair, with the Prime Minister of Norway, of the facilitation council of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator. Through this we are working to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines largely for developing- economy countries, but more especially for our continent, Africa.
We are also leading the campaign, alongside India and more than 100 countries, for a temporary waiver of the agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, Trips,
at the World Trade Organisation.
Such a waiver would enable countries to manufacture their own vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics at a time when global supply is severely constrained. If it is successfully adopted it will pave the way for the development and growth of local pharmaceutical industries in our country, on the continent and in other developing countries. This, for us, is critical to the continent’s health security.
Despite the high burden of disease in Africa, we have to import most of our vaccines, our therapeutics and other medications – and we find this not acceptable and sustainable. Manufacturing our own vaccines will enable us to overcome the current pandemic and respond to future health emergencies. We are leading a campaign that focuses on the creation of vaccine manufacturing capabilities on the African continent.
Our discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron, during his state visit to our country last week, laid the basis for a three-track approach to supporting effective and equitable global vaccination.
First, France affirmed its commitment to working with South
Africa, India and other countries calling for a limited, time- bound waiver for intellectual property rights. Second, France and South Africa will work together to ensure that there are no trade restrictions, such as export bans, for raw materials and other exports required in the manufacturing of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. Third, France, together with Germany and the European Union, will support the manufacturing of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics on the African continent through mobilising finance and technology transfers. Now this is to be welcomed.
We will continue to work with our partners in the international community to secure the health and wellbeing of all in this country, on our continent and around the world. We call on every South African, including the political parties represented in this House, to stand with us in this fight for justice, dignity and human lives.
While we have had to confront the impact of the virus on human health, we have also had to respond to its impact on the country’s economy, on businesses, on jobs and on people’s livelihoods.
In the first quarter of 2020, we introduced a comprehensive
package of economic and social support measures. This included wage support, expanded protection for our people, small business financing by government and a loan guarantee scheme to support banking-sector lending. The support package helped to shield our society from even greater economic damage and laid the basis for a more concerted plan to ensure a strong and sustained economic recovery. Additional social grant payments alone reached more than 18 million South Africans, while wage support protected the jobs of almost 5 million workers.
Last October, we presented the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan to a Joint Sitting of Parliament. Recognising the extraordinary challenge facing our country and the need for rigorous executive oversight of this plan – and drawing on the experience of the National Coronavirus Command Council – we created a National Economic Recovery Council.
This Council, which I chair, has given detailed attention to those aspects of the recovery plan that have the greatest potential impact. It has enabled us to enhance co-ordination, identify challenges in implementation and move to address the blockages that we have had in the past.
Fundamental to our economic recovery – and indeed to the transformation of our society – is the creation of jobs, especially for young people. The results of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey released yesterday for the first quarter of 2021 demonstrate the severe impact that the pandemic has had on employment across the economy. The rising number of unemployed, those who are actively searching for work but cannot find it, represent real people in every part of our country. They include too many of the 18 million young men and women across the country, who make up nearly a third of our population.
In our villages, towns, townships and cities, young people are a dynamic force propelling themselves and their communities forward, even in the midst of hardship and numerous obstacles. To ensure that these young people are empowered and equipped with the tools to succeed, we have located the co-ordination of our efforts to address youth employment in the Presidency.
Eight months ago we launched the Presidential Employment Stimulus, the largest and fastest scale-up of public employment in our country’s history. Since its inception, this programme has been making a difference in the lives of South Africans across the length and breadth of our country. I speak
of Samukelisiwe Linda from KwaZulu-Natal, who was retrenched when the pandemic struck last year, but who is now employed by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure in the Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme.
I speak of Noluthando Mpondo from the Free State, who was unemployed for four years before she joined a WhatsApp group with other young people who were looking for work and found out about the Presidential Employment Stimulus. She found employment through the stimulus as a primary school teaching assistant and is using her income to support her mother, younger sister and cousins.
We speak here also of several owners of early childhood development centres across the country who are receiving support grants to keep their doors open and pay their staff. We speak of the small-scale and subsistence farmers who have been issued with production input vouchers to keep their businesses afloat or even to expand them.
There are South Africans, many of them young, who are now receiving an income, developing new skills and contributing to their community and the country’s economy. Their unflagging optimism, their enduring belief in our country, and their will
to succeed, despite the odds, should give us all hope.
To date, the Presidential Employment Stimulus has supported nearly 700 000 opportunities. Of these, 420 000 are jobs that have been created or retained, 110 000 are awards issued for livelihood support, and a further 162 000 are opportunities where awards are currently in progress.
We have developed an online dashboard where South Africans can track progress in the implementation of the stimulus, pioneering a new approach to transparency and accountability.
The stimulus has played a crucial role in supporting vulnerable households to keep working and earning an income, while at the same time benefiting the communities in which they work. It has incubated new approaches to co-ordination and collaboration across government to achieve a single objective, demonstrating the powerful results of a whole-of- government approach. A further R11 billion has been allocated for the continuation of the Presidential Employment Stimulus in the current financial year. Critical to the success of the employment stimulus has been the work of the newly established Project Management Office, the PMO, in the Presidency.
The PMO supports the delivery of key strategic priorities from the centre of government. It works across government to ensure effective co-ordination where multiple departments and agencies are involved and provides implementation support where required.
In addition to the Presidential Employment Stimulus, the PMO has been integral to the development of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention. This programme, which was developed before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, will enter full implementation this year. The backbone of this intervention is a national Pathway Management Network, which brings together a wide range of partners from within and beyond government to provide young people with opportunities for learning and earning.
Young people can join the network through a dedicated mobi- site or by visiting a labour centre or offices of the National Youth Development Agency in all nine provinces. Once they have joined the network, they will be able to view and access opportunities and receive active support to participate in the economy. The mobi-site has been zero-rated by all mobile networks, and will be launched officially in two weeks’ time, on Youth Day.
Among other things, the intervention will support new models of skills training linked to employment in fast-growing sectors to ensure that our skills development system is closely matched to the demands of the economy.
Beyond the economic recovery, the Presidency has the responsibility for driving economic growth and transformation. To provide support for this work, I appointed a Presidential Economic Advisory Council – comprising leading local and international economists and people of other disciplines – which has been hard at work since 2019. The role of the council is to identify, analyse and make recommendations to the President on key economic issues facing our country.
Through formal meetings, bilateral engagements with Ministers and their departments, and open workshops, the Advisory Council has brought insight and expertise to pressing economic policy challenges such as energy reform and fiscal consolidation. The interactions have been informed by extensive research and have provided constructive criticism and encouragement for government’s economic policy positions.
The Presidential Economic Advisory Council has six work
streams to align with government’s economic priorities. These
are macro-economic dynamics and public investment; poverty, inequality and jobs; agriculture, trade and industrial policy; state capacity and political economy; energy transition and growth; and South Africa’ growth narrative. This council is well led by Renosi Mokate who chairs the advisory council amongst her peers.
A central pillar of our economic recovery is a massive infrastructure investment programme. The Investment and Infrastructure Office in the Presidency is driving a co- ordinated government approach to both investment and infrastructure development. The work of this office supported the operationalisation of the Infrastructure Fund in August last year.
It has also supported the establishment and work of Infrastructure SA, which will enable an integrated approach to the identification, preparation, financing and implementation of major infrastructure projects.
Following last year’s inaugural Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium, a pipeline of 88 projects to the value of more than R2,3 trillion were identified.
The interest raised by investors in specific projects led to the gazetting of 50 strategic integrated projects in human settlements, student accommodation, transport, water and sanitation, energy, agriculture and agro-processing, and the digital economy. They include the Redstone renewable energy project that, once operational, will supply stable electricity to more than 200 000 homes.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has announced
11 preferred bidders for the emergency power procurement programme, totalling nearly 2 000 megawatts of contracted capacity. We expect these projects to bring in around
R45 billion of private sector investment and create approximately 3 800 jobs during the 18-month construction period.
The Investment and Infrastructure Office is also working with the private sector to develop the requisite skills in relation to financial and technical engineering. This will enable us to prepare and package projects that can attract funding and financing.
Professionals and experts in project finance, financial structuring of complex infrastructure projects, programme
management and infrastructure planning have been seconded to work with the Investment and Infrastructure Office that is led by Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. This massive infrastructure development effort complements the ambitious investment drive that I launched in 2018, with a view to attracting at least R1,2 trillion in new investment over five years.
In support of this drive, we have hosted three South Africa Investment Conferences, which together have raised over
R750 billion in investment commitments. This is a significant achievement, especially since the third Investment Conference was held in the midst of the pandemic and the global economic slowdown.
As the country emerges from the economic contraction of 2020, the Presidency is able to draw on the local and international expertise of the members of the Presidential Investment Advisory Council to shape our investment promotion and facilitation drive.
At its inaugural meeting in April this year, the council provided frank feedback to government on how we could improve the investment climate in our country, and highlighted opportunities in areas such as in the bio-medical, green
hydrogen and agro-processing sectors. The council supplements the activities of our six investment envoys. This is led by Phumzile Langeni as my deputy chair.
The investment envoys act as a bridge between government and the investment community. They not only provide guidance for investment mobilisation efforts, but also act as global champions for South Africa’s investment proposition.
To accelerate the policy reform trajectory that we embarked upon before the pandemic, the Presidency inaugurated Operation Vulindlela late last year to unlock key economic reforms. A dedicated team has been set up in my office and in National Treasury, supported in the National Treasury by Deputy Minister Masondo.
The Vulindlela team is working daily with implementing departments to drive the delivery of priority reforms and build momentum in the reform agenda. Our focus is on a limited number of high-impact reforms in key economic sectors such as energy, water, telecommunications, ports and rail and immigration.
Operation Vulindlela represents a new determination in
government to forge ahead with economic reforms to improve our global competitiveness, to lower costs and to remove barriers to entry, to attract investment and to create much-needed jobs. It recognises that the only way to place South Africa on a fundamentally different growth trajectory is to implement structural reforms, many of which have been delayed for far too long in our country.
We are making progress on a number of fronts. These include the decision to raise the licensing threshold for embedded generation projects, an accelerated timeframe for the completion of digital migration, the publication of a revised Critical Skills List, and the establishment of a National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency to deal with the water challenge that our country faces.
Intensive work is currently under way in a number of areas, including enabling third-party access to the freight rail network, improving the efficiency of our ports which is under way, reviewing the policy framework for skilled immigration, and re-engineering the process for water use licence applications.
The work being done in the Presidency is about action, not
talk. It is about rolling up our sleeves and getting things done, in order to accelerate the transformation of our economy. We have built up a truly wonderful team in the Presidency that is just focused on making sure that things get done, with wonderful co-operation across the various spheres of government.
The achievement of inclusive growth and social transformation requires state-owned enterprises that effectively fulfil their social and economic mandates in a sustainable manner. While there has been important progress in stabilising key SOEs, these efforts will not be sufficient, on their own, to enable these entities to make the vital contribution they can make to our economic and social progress.
That is why government envisages a fundamental overhaul of the SOE model to address not only the deficiencies of the immediate past, but also the requirements of national development in the future.
The Presidential Review Committee on SOEs laid the foundations for rethinking the role, governance and composition of this crucial portfolio of entities. Through the Presidential SOE Council, we have created a dedicated structure, tapping on
expertise from all of society to guide this reform.
The SOE Council makes recommendations on overarching frameworks and guiding principles, while complementing the work of the boards of specific entities and responsible departments. We envisage an ownership model that clearly separates the responsibilities of ownership, policy development and formulation, and regulation.
Effective ownership will become more centralised to counter dispersal of SOEs across the state and to ensure more coherence. Such a model will enable greater transparency, accountability and oversight, and subject all strategic SOEs to more rigorous requirements for financial and operational performance.
A clear distinction is to be made between commercial and noncommercial SOEs – and between commercial and noncommercial functions within entities – and the development of funding models that are appropriate to the function.
We have developed a new framework for private sector participation that mobilises additional funding for economically viable infrastructure, balances risk sharing and
does not result in increases in the prices of goods and services.
There will be implementation of the approved standard guidelines on the appointment and remuneration of SOE boards and executives that prioritise the recruitment and retention of appropriate skills, expertise and competencies. This will include key delineation of authority and responsibility among elected public officials, nonexecutive directors and executive leadership.
Another area in which the Presidency is doing work is on the land issue. The Presidency has prioritised accelerated land reform as part of economic and social transformation. It is imperative that land reform should be aimed at redressing the injustices of the past. It must also ensure that the country’s land is more productive and is more sustainably managed for the benefit of all South Africans.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land Reform, which is chaired by the Deputy President, is driving the implementation of the recommendations of the Expert Advisory Panel – that I appointed and which has reported – on Land Reform and Agriculture.
We commend the hard work that has been done and is now under way in the National Assembly and through public hearings across the country on amendments and possible amendments to section 25 of the Constitution to enable the expropriation of land without compensation and to set out the conditions under which that should happen. As this work nears completion, it is critical that we all remain focused on the great desire for land, particularly among the poor and dispossessed, in our country – and that we do everything within our means to address the needs of our people for land.
The achievement of a capable and developmental state requires that we decisively defeat corruption in all its forms. If our economy is to thrive, if our people are to be empowered, if poverty is to be defeated, we need to tackle corruption, fraud and mismanagement in every area of public life.
Since the start of this administration, we have taken decisive measures to end state capture and fight corruption. We are steadily and progressively turning the tide, strengthening our law enforcement agencies, identifying wrongdoing and ensuring that action is taken against those responsible. We are cleaning up our state-owned enterprises, many of which have taken steps to recover misappropriated funds, and pursuing
individuals and companies involved in wrongdoing.
We acted swiftly to address allegations of corruption in COVID-19-related procurement. This included a wide-ranging series of investigations by the Special Investigating Unit, which uncovered several instances of corruption and which has resulted in disciplinary and criminal action and steps to recover stolen funds.
In responding to these outrageous acts of criminality in the midst of a national crisis, government has made significant strides towards a more robust approach to the prevention, detection and prosecution of corruption.
The establishment of a Fusion Centre that brings together different law enforcement entities to share information and collaborate in the investigation of cases provides a very valuable model for future anticorruption efforts.
The online publication of all COVID-related contracts across all public entities has established a precedent for greater transparency in government procurement.
One of the consequences of the work we have done and continue
to do is that South Africans are seeing action taken against people accused of wrongdoing and are seeing funds being recovered.
While it is disheartening to read on a daily basis about corruption allegations, it is significant that much of what is now in the public domain is the result of work being done by institutions like the SIU, the Hawks, the National Prosecuting Authority, the Auditor-General and others.
The institutions charged with uncovering and prosecuting corruption are doing what is expected of them. It is important, as we rebuild these entities, that we demonstrate our confidence in their ability to investigate all allegations and to act without fear and favour.
We must affirm the rule of law and the importance of due process. It is this principle that informs our approach to recent allegations around the Minister of Health and certain contracts awarded by his department.
These are serious and disturbing allegations and it is therefore essential that they be thoroughly investigated by the SIU and any other appropriate authority, that these
investigations be finalised without delay and that due legal process is followed. [Interjections.] I had a discussion with the Minister and he is co-operating fully and completely on this matter. [Interjections.] What I can say to South Africans is that I am dealing with this matter and that there is full co-operation from the Minister. [Interjections.] So let us allow this process to unfold and thereafter we will know what needs to be done.
An essential part of our national determination to end state capture is the work being done by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into state capture. We are confident that the commission will not only establish the extent and nature of state capture and enable us to hold those responsible to account, but that it will also provide valuable recommendations that will assist us in ensuring that corruption of this sort is never allowed to happen again.
The Presidency is centrally involved in areas of work that are critical for a sustainable future for the country. The newly established Presidential Climate Change Commission is responsible for guiding South Africa’s approach to climate change and setting out the path for a just transition to a low-carbon economy.
The commission brings together a wide range of expertise from government, academia, industry and civil society. It includes climate change NGOs, campaigners and activists.
It provides a platform to collectively shape policies and programmes that support our international climate change obligations, including those contained in the Paris Agreement.
The commission has held several meetings and workshops this year to define its areas of work and to contribute to key policy outcomes such as the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions to the reduction of emissions. Through its transparent and evidence-based work, we foresee that the commission will provide a balanced and coherent approach to tackling climate change.
Our country has, over the years, engaged robustly in climate change negotiations. As we head towards Cop 26, we will continue to support a just transition for those countries – such as those on the African continent – that contributed the least towards climate change but bear disproportionate costs from adverse climate events. We will continue to draw attention to the need to support climate adaptation efforts in addition to climate mitigation.
The envisaged financial support for developing economies to transition to low-carbon economies has not materialised. We will therefore continue to advocate for this support, and will also mobilise appropriate climate finance for our national needs.
As we work to counter the damaging effects of previous industrial revolutions on the environment, we are also preparing to seize the opportunities of the new Fourth Industrial Revolution for rapid and sustainable development. At the international level, as we move towards the Cop conference, the council which I have appointed and which I chair and which has former Minister Valli Moosa as deputy chair, will continue to guide us and to lead us as well.
In 2019 we established the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, 4IR, to develop a country strategy that will make effective use of all the opportunities presented by rapid technological change.
A project management office has been established in the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies to work with all critical stakeholders to oversee the implementation of the commission’s recommendations.
This will see South Africa taking bold steps in areas like skills development, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, e-government and the development and deployment of 4IR infrastructure. Professor Tshilidzi Marwala is the Deputy Chair of the commission that we set up and he, together with his commissioners, is doing valuable work to help us and to help the department as well come up with all these ideas that will take our country forward when it comes to 4IR.
The Presidency is tasked with mobilising government and all sectors of society to address critical social issues. Violence against women and children continues to be a dark stain on our country. Despite significant efforts at raising public awareness and substantial state resources being dedicated to fighting it, it continues unabated.
It is approaching two years since we met in a special Joint Sitting of Parliament to debate an Emergency Response Action Plan to respond to gender-based violence and femicide. The roll-out of the emergency plan, as well as the implementation of the National Strategic Plan to Combat Gender-Based Violence, has been overseen by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. The draft
Bill to establish a National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide is currently with the State Law Adviser.
Thereafter, it will go through Cabinet and be released for public consultation soon.
The Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities will provide details on the progress that has been made, the challenges that have been faced, and the priorities for the year ahead.
It is a matter of great significance that the National Assembly will tomorrow engage in a Second Reading debate on three very important Bills related to gender-based violence: the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill, the Domestic Violence Amendment Bill, and the Criminal and Related Matters Amendment Bill. I wish to commend Parliament for prioritising these Bills. The passage of these amendments will be a major victory that will strengthen our fight against gender-based violence and femicide.
The Presidency will continue its advocacy for the empowerment of women and the eradication of gender-based violence through our membership of the UN’s Generation Equality initiative.
The Presidency is an important part of our national aspiration to build a better Africa and a better world. Our participation in global affairs is valued and respected both on the African continent and on the broader international stage. Our engagement in international forums is guided both by our national interests and the interests of our continent.
Our sister countries in Southern Africa have asked us as South Africa to chair the Southern African Development Community Organ Troika, which actively participates in efforts to address regional conflicts and promote stability in the SADC region.
On the global level, South Africa continues to support a rules-based multilateral order and advocates for reform to ensure fair representation for the global South.
At the G7, to which South Africa has once again been invited as a guest country, and at the G20, of which the country is a member, we continue to advocate for global solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes support for low- and middle-income countries to access vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, using all available instruments and channels, and to finance a robust economic recovery.
The AU special envoys have played a crucial role in making the case for debt service suspension and the mobilisation of new financing to support recovery efforts on the African continent.
We see the issuance of Special Drawing Rights, SDRs, to enable finance to be made available to countries by the International Monetary Fund, the IMF, as a very important intervention. We will argue that the African continent, in addition to its quota-based allocation, should benefit from a reallocation of SDRs destined for rich economies. This acknowledges that these countries, having enjoyed extensive stimulus programmes incurred at very low interest rates or with unconventional monetary policy, are unlikely to draw on these Special Drawing Rights.
The Presidency, through the G20 and G7 Sherpa, and in partnership with the Department of International Relations and Co-operation – our Sherpa being Trudi Makhaya, my economic adviser – rallies various government departments to make contributions at various working groups and to support the President’s engagement in these fora.
Hon members, this is the time of year when we pay tribute to
the many young men and women whose courageous activism won us our freedom. We salute the young people of today, who are confronting the legacy of our past, who are rising to the challenges of the present, and who are forging a future for a new society.
The true test of a capable state is the extent to which it expands the frontiers of hope for every citizen, and most especially its young citizens. Our country is an infinitely better place than it was in 1976, for young and old. At the same time, we know that the difficulties young people face today can be a source of despondency, disillusionment and even anger. We owe it to this generation and to future generations to fulfil the mission of our Constitution: to build a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights.
As the Presidency, as the heartbeat of government, we will not relent until this promise is fulfilled. We will keep trying and trying and we will keep working hard to ensure that these ideals are fulfilled. We will acknowledge our weaknesses and act to correct them. We will continue to build on successes and intensify our efforts.
I call on every member of this House, and every South African listening today, to be part of this effort of rebuilding our country. Our unity has forever been, and will forever remain, our greatest strength. I hereby commend this Budget Vote of the Presidency to the National Assembly and look forward to what I trust will be a robust and constructive debate. Deputy Speaker, I thank you, and thank you to all hon members. [Applause.]
The DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY: Thank you, hon Deputy Speaker, His Excellence, the President, Babe [Sir] M C Ramaphosa, Deputy President, Babe [Sir] D D Mabuza, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members, I greet you all.
Siswati:
Angitsate lelitfuba ngisho kutsi i-ANC iyalusekela loluphakelo timali lelihhovisi leBungameli. Mhlonishwa Sekela Somlomo, sidzingidza loluphakelo timali lelihhovisi leBungameli balelive emva kwemalanga lamabili Mengameli walelive abenemhlangano nesive saseNingizimu Afrika, lebekumhlangano lobaluleke kakhulu njengoba bekasicwayisa ngemjikelo wesitsatfu walomkhuhlane lolubhubhane, wesikhololo.
Lekungumkhuhlane longahlaselanga live letfu kuphela, kepha uhlasele umhlaba wonkhe. Siyabonga buholi beBungameli
balelive. Lobo ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi buyasicwayisa njengoba busicwayisile kutsi etifundzeni letine talelive sewukhona, sewungenile lomkhuhlane. Sitsandza kucwayisa sive siyinhlangano yaKhongolose kutsi asichubekeni silandzela lemigomo lebekiwe, likungiyo yona lekufanele siyilandzele, lebekwe betemphilo. Yekutsi sichelelane, sigeze tandla, sifake futsi netifonyo kute siphephe kulomkhuhlane. Sitsandza kubonga futsi nebaholi betenkholo nabo bonkhe baholi bemphakatsi lababekhona, laba labatinikelako kutsi bahambe bayojova njengoba hulumende wetfu aluvulile loluhlelo lwekujova. Futsi, baphindze bakhutsate nemalunga emabandla abo kutsi baye bayojova, siyababonga kakhulu. Natsi simalunga aleSishayamtsetfo sitsi uma sesifikile sikhatsi setfu sitawuhamba natsi siyojova. Siyabonga kakhulu ehhovisini leBungameli.
English:
Even though in some sectors of our society, the National Coronavirus Command Council, NCCC, were blamed for such decisions, for taking decisions of hard lockdowns, putting the lives of South Africans first above profit, they were blamed for that. But, as the ANC, we applaud the NCCC led by our President, for doing so, for preserving the lives of the South Africans than profit. As the ANC ... anithule nilalele [keep
quiet and listen], as the ANC we also applaud the successful rollout of the vaccination program. We encourage all the society to go and take jabs, as and when their turns come.
Hon Deputy Speaker, we believe that, this vaccination as we were told, it minimizes the risk of deaths. We can no longer as a country lose members of our society, our colleagues in this House, it can longer be. So, we urge all leaders to refrain from discouraging members of our society from taking these jabs.
Hon Deputy Speaker, we salute all frontline workers, who risked their lives on a daily basis to save ours. We extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to all families who lost their loved ones, whose loved ones succumbed to this deadly pandemic.
Hon Deputy Speaker, this year we celebrate 25 years since the adoption of our Constitution, which is the supreme law of our country. It stands as our most potent mechanism to enable restorative justice and transformation. It is the instrument for systematically erasing the atrocities committed against the people of this country. It remains the antidote, to heal the divisions of the past. Unfortunately, at this point in
time, in some parts of our country we still experience actions of racism. Our children are discriminated against at schools, they are told that their hair are not done the way they are supposed to. That is unacceptable in this country at this point in time.
Hon Deputy Speaker, as the ANC, we remain committed in our vision of building a united non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa. We urge all South Africans to stand together behind this Constitution. We all should be able uphold this document which is respected all over the world.
Hon Deputy Speaker, it is a pity that at this point in time, we still see racial killings amongst some of our society, which is not acceptable at all. Let’s try our level best to rally behind this Constitution and try to build a united
non-racial and non-sexist society.
Hon Deputy Speaker, ANC’s transformation agenda entails building legitimate developmental state that serves the interest of the overwhelming majority, which is based on the democratic Constitution and a culture of human rights, which uses public resources to better the lives of the majority especially the poor. In its strategy and tactics documents,
the ANC further reaffirms its aspirations to building a developmental state that provide effective basic services with capabilities to take forward a far-reaching agenda of national economic development, while at the same time, placing people and their involvement at the centre of this process.
Hon Deputy Speaker, the National Developmental Plan, NDP, also urges us to work collaboratively as a nation to advance South Africa’s transformation agenda. This means that civil society, religious bodies and communities across the board must stand in unity with government in order to build a cohesive society.
Siswati:
Mhlonishawa Somlomo,lesikubona kwenteka kuphambene neMtsetfosisekelo. Siyati kutsi kumabosipala betfu nakulamanye ematiko ahulumende emaprovinsi kuyaliwa kepha lentfo lekulwela yona, akulwela kwekutsi siletsa njani tinsita ebamtfwini, kepha silwela kutsi ingabe mina ngitawutfolana kuyo yonkhe lentfo. Sitsi loku kuphambene neMtsetfosisekelo ngoba loMtsetfosisekelo ukhuluma ngekutsi kufanele sente timphilo tebantfu tibe ncono. Kufanele siletse tinsita ebantfwini, kute timphilo tabo tibe ncono, kepha akwenteki loko.
Mhlonishwa Sekela Somlomo, sitsi siyinhlangano yaKhongolose ngeta sakumela kutsi siloku sipendwa ngapende lomnyama sonkhe, kutsiwa sikhohlakele.
English:
fighting fraud and corruption is one of our manifesto’s priorities, as the ANC and we don’t wait for the electioneering period or time to talk about corruption, its acted upon for all to see, our President has just said so.
Corruption is the cancer that is slowly destroying our beautiful country. We are tired of being labelled as corrupt just because we are members of the ANC. It cannot be business as usual that we are all painted with the same brush.
Corruption doesn’t have a name or a surname, those found to have committed fraud and corruption must be dealt with accordingly, be it in government or private sector. We have law enforcement agencies of this country, who are empowered to deal with those and they must recoup monies from those who found to have committed these crimes.
As Parliament, we have also given the Auditor General of South Africa enough power to recoup monies from corrupt individuals. We are confident that our brand new female Auditor General
with her vast experience in this field, will be given the necessary support to perform her duties.
Hon Deputy Speaker, the establishment of the National School of Governance to foster professionalism and increasing accountability in the public sector will culminate professionalism and further cultivate the culture of improving performance management.
Performance management and professionalization of the public sector is an imperative excessive towards the realization and capable developmental state, in an endeavour to lift the country’s growth and developmental trajectory to a higher level.
As the ANC we welcome the National Implementation Framework towards the professionalization of the public sector. We believe the framework will go a long way in bringing change in the public sector, it also will demystify the negative perspective about the public sector in generally. We further hope it will foster an improved performance, implementation of government programs, policies and promote consequence management against unethical conduct by the public servants.
Hon Deputy Speaker, the ANC is committed to building a capable developmental state that is able to lead and mobilize society behind its objectives, organizational systems that ensure that the state is able to meet its objectives and technical capacity.
Hon Deputy Speaker,
Siswati:
... ngete sakhulumela bantfu labati nje kubanga umsindvo uma kukhulunywa, bangalaleli kutsi kutsiwani. Singu ANC, siyenta asigcini ngekukhuluma kuphela, sitsi hulumende wetfu akachubekele embili naleto tikhungo leticinisekisa kugcinwa kwemtsetfo sitsi atente umsebenti wato. Lapho kutfolakala khona kutsi, ngente umkhonyovu, akudliwe yonkhe imphahla, kutsengiswe kute kutewutfolakala letimali tebakhokhi bentsela tibuyiselwe esikhwameni lapho kumelwe tisetjentiswe khona.
Sesotho:
Re ikemiseditse re le mokgatlo wa ANC ho lwantsha manyofonyofo [Kena hanong.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Deputy Chief Whip, just hold on.
Mr S N SWART: Deputy Speaker, my apologies for interrupting the Deputy Chief Whip. I understand that there aren’t translation services on the virtual platform and we would like to hear what the Deputy Chief Whip is saying, but is according to some of members. Thank you.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Okay, thank you, please sort it out. Thank you very, yah. Go ahead Mam.
MOTLATSI WA SEPHADI SE KA SEHLOOHONG SA MOKGA WA BONGATA: Ne
ke sa tjho hore, re le mokgatlo wa ANC, re ikemiseditse ho lwantshana le manyofonyofo ana a etsahalang mona mafapheng a rona, sebakeng sa rona sa dipolotiki le dimasepaleng tsa rona hore bobodu bo se ke ba etshala ka mabitso a rona.
Re kgathetse ke ho bitswa jwalo ka batho ba etsang bobodu empa re sa etse bobodu. Ke a leboha mohlomphehi.
Mr D W MACPHERSON: Deputy Speaker, Mr President when you assume this office nearly three and half years ago. You did the most dangerous thing a politician can do. You filled a nation with hope. You promised our country a new dawn. You said we could lend our hands to you and that together we will travel a road of prosperity. In truth you have a let us down a
path to nowhere. Every single promise you have made, you have broken. You promised us growth of 5% by 2023, you will deliver 1,9% this year. You promised a million paid internship by 2020, you only delivered 32 000 by 2019. You promised jobs for our young people, today 74% of them are unemployed. You promised our country you will half violent crime, and yet there’s an increase in rape and murder. You promised us that you will deal with corruption, that robs the poor and yet, you have a Health Minister mired corruption allegations.
Mr President we are on our road nowhere because of you. We don’t need master plans, that make it more expensive to do business in South Africa and made food and goods and services unaffordable. Master plans are your new buzz word but they are exactly like every other plan that you have come up with, down to fail. We don’t need more plans, Mr President, we need leadership.
We don’t need Black Economic Empowerment, BEE to be intensified as you said it should be, we need to scrap it and build an economy for the many and not the few. And, stop economic reservation for the rich and those that are connected to your political party.
We need coherent government policies, that drive competition, lower cost and broaden access. We don’t need more state control determining what we should made in South Africa under guise of localisation or the Competition Commission, telling foreign buyers that they can’t buy businesses because they aren’t black, how does that help your investment drive, Mr President?
On 2 September 2015, an eminent member of Cabinet tasked with turning around state-owned enterprises, SEOs, said the following:
In 18 months to two years, you will forget about the challenges that we had with relation to power and energy in Electricity Commission, Eskom, ever happened.
Do you have any idea, who said that Mr President? It was you and for nearly six years now, you’ve broken that promise to us. How can we build an economy, create jobs and fight a pandemic when we are continuously suffering with black outs?
Mr President, our people are dying on a daily basis, because of COVID-19, and these deaths now, happening today are avoidable had you not broken your promise to protect this
country. Instead of procuring vaccines, your ANC comrades who are obsessed with stealing money, meant for jabs and fighting the pandemic. They were the real pandemic in South Africa. And you Mr President has utterly failed in getting vaccines into people’s arms.
You’ve remained silent on the biggest test of your leadership, through this time and that is the alleged corruption involving Health Minister, Zwelini Mkhize. Mr President, I have one simply question which you simply cannot get away from in this debate. Are you comfortable of having a Health Minister who is accused along with his family of benefiting from an irregular deal Digital Vibes contract worth R150 million, yes or no?
We don’t need time and space we want action, Mr President. There’s a big difference between the DA and the ANC, hon members. The ANC can’t get anything done, because the only purpose is to allow steal and cheat. The DA is hard at every day, getting things done, from fixing potholes to providing sanitations, services to residents of our municipalities, we get things done.
The Western Cape continues to show the highest levels of employment in South Africa, because we get things done. The
Western Cape health response has been the best in South Africa during this pandemic, because we get things done. Midvaal Local Municipality in Gauteng, is the best run municipality because we get things done. The City of Cape Town continues to attract international investment because we get things done.
You may not like us but it is clear from metro where the DA governs, we get things done [Applause.] Mr President, it’s time that you start to get things done. Time is running out and people’s lives depend on it. I thank you [Applause.]
Sepedi:
Mna J S MALEMA: Thobela, Motlatša Sepikara le badudi ka moka ba Afrika-Borwa, Mopresidente wa rena, le maloko a hlomphegago.
English:
We asked ourselves this morning whether or not we should participate in this debate. The President who was coming to present The Presidency Budget Vote lacked inspiration himself. He speaks like a tired fellow who doesn’t believe in anything he says. And to demonstrate that he does not believe in anything he says ... is because everything he has said did not happen.
Yesterday, the Statistician-General released the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey. The picture it paints point to a dire state of affairs – a crisis that you have created.
South Africa’s real unemployment levels – at more than 42% overall and close to 50% for Black people – are the worst it has ever been.
When you took over in 2018, you said that job creation is at the centre of your national agenda, especially for the youth. We now know that this was baseless, superficial and ill- advised ambition. When you took over, 16,3 million people were employed. Today, only 15 million people are employed. More than 1,3 million people lost their jobs, the ability to feed their families, put a roof over their heads, or live as productive members of our society. Since you took over, the number of unemployed people thus increased from 6,1 million to 7,2 million. We did not make any progress.
The number of discouraged workers remains at 2,9 million and the number of people who are not in education, training or employment ...
Many of these are young people who just loiter on the streets and find refuge in drug abuse and crime because they don’t have anything to do. You are responsible for all these crises.
But, knowing you, having left our people and families fatherless at Marikana, you would not be ashamed of these statistics, because you took breadwinners in Marikana.
Now you have taken jobs from the breadwinners who are ... [Inaudible.] ... a lot of our people.
Another issue that you paraded when you were elected is the land question. When you took over, on the land question you were saying, and I quote: “Guided by the resolution ...” [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Malema, one moment, please. Yes, what point are you rising on, hon member?
Mr B A RADEBE: I am rising on Rule 85. The member has just said that the President has taken the lives of people of Marikana. That has to be brought to the House via a substantive motion.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes. Hon Malema, the point of order is sustained. You can’t blame the President in the way in which you did. [Interjections.] ... [Inaudible.] ... Order!
Mr J S MALEMA: Deputy Speaker, did I lose you?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Ja. Can hon Ndlozi please stop doing what he is doing! [Interjections.] Hon Malema, I’m saying that the point of order is sustained. You can’t say what you said about the President and Marikana without bringing a substantive motion in the House.
Mr J S MALEMA: There is a court ruling on that, Deputy Speaker. Do you remember that?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am saying, sir, we have ruled on this matter before. In the House, you have to bring that with a substantive motion. Whether it is in the courts or outside, anywhere, quoted in a book ... if it’s in the House, it must be done with a substantive motion. It’s a Rule that you ...
Mr M Q NDLOZI: Deputy Speaker, can we help you?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, I don’t need your help, hon Ndlozi. Stop doing that! Stop talking without being permitted to talk! You didn’t ask for permission to talk in the first place.
Mr M Q NDLOZI: May I request permission to speak, Deputy Speaker, with the greatest respect.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, I have asked a question of the hon
member, and he is going to respond to me. Don’t interrupt.
Mr J S MALEMA: I don’t know what you want me to do, Deputy
Speaker. Tell me what you want me to do and I will do it.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am saying, withdraw what you said. It is as simple as that.
Mr J S MALEMA: Okay, I withdraw, Deputy Speaker.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you.
Mr J S MALEMA: Again, the issue of the land question which you paraded when you took over, is one such issue that you don’t believe in. When you took over the land question you said:
Guided by the resolution of the 54th national conference of the governing party, this approach will include the expropriation of land without compensation.
Now, we are at the tail end of the parliamentary process to finalise amendments to section 25 of the Constitution to allow the expropriation of land without compensation. Your MPs on the committee are zig-zagging and cannot make explicit submissions that speak to what you said when you took over.
We told you to be honest that you never believed in the expropriation of land without compensation. We told you that you are bluffing on the land question. We told you that you would mess up the process because you are not convinced of taking back the land from colonial settlers.
The EFF has made its submission. We want the Constitution to acknowledge that land, like mineral resources and water, is a natural resource and a common heritage which belongs to all our people. We must expropriate all land and place under the custodianship of the democratic state.
Custodianship is not the same as nationalisation. When we talk about nationalisation, the state takes control of whatever
asset, and the state uses whatever is nationalised for the collective benefit of the population.
However, when we talk about custodianship, the state does not take the land to use it. Instead, the land is only in the state’s custody who then acts as a conduit to facilitate people’s access to land. With the land in the state’s custody, we will have strong, clear, confident legislation on land tenure to protect our people from corrupt, unscrupulous officials.
We are not talking about expropriation of houses. People will continue to have full rights to their own homes and other properties built on the land. With the land in the hands of the state, people will apply for the land they want to use, use it, or, if they can’t use it, then allow others who can use it do so.
This is the most practical way to address the land question and ensure that even those who want to invest in businesses with security can do so with certainty. We are already doing this in special economic zones.
We have said this many times before and we will repeat it here, that we as the EFF will not vote for a sell-out amendment which still speaks of compensation. We will not vote for a constitutional amendment which refuses to acknowledge state custodianship of South Africa’s land because we know that expropriation of land piece by piece will take us more than 100 years to reclaim our land.
We want to make it clear to this Parliament and to all the people of South Africa, Africa and the diaspora, the young, the old, those who died for freedom and those who are still going to be born, that we have tried everything to persuade the ruling party to repossess our land in a peaceful and constitutional manner. But, because they are controlled by white interests, they refused.
We have agreed to the last extension of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Amendment of section 25 of the Constitution, and we will not extend again if we do not find each other. The ruling party must be committed and must assign seniors and senior people to engage with us on the land question, not those who have thus far not demonstrated any form of appreciation of this historic moment.
The land issue, Mr President, is not something you can politic away. It’s a serious, emotive issue, and you are either with us, or you are with them.
We want our land for those who were dispossessed and were not compensated. We cannot compensate those who took our land without even going through this long, protracted consultation which is unnecessary.
Mr President, when you appointed your trusted confidante, Jamnandas, as Minister of Public Enterprises, we warned you. We told you that he will collapse the minimum strategic capacity of the state to break ... [Interjections.] [Inaudible.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Malema, one moment, please. Yes, hon member ...
Mr J S MALEMA: As long as you stop my time, I don’t have a
problem!
Mr B A RADEBE: Deputy Speaker, I rise on Rule 82: we cannot refer to each other on our first names. Thank you.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The point of order is sustained. If you are referring to a Member of the House, please refer to them in the proper manner. You know how it is done, hon Malema.
Mr J S MALEMA: Mr Jamnandas. Am I in order?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Proceed, hon member. You know that ...
Mr J S MALEMA: You said you would intervene decisively to stabilise and revitalise SOEs.
Mr Jamnandas has closed SAA and SA Express and now Mango airline. Workers were left stranded, lining up for Covid-19 food relief and unable to take their children to school.
Denel is on its knees. The last time workers were paid salaries was in May 2020. Today, workers at Denel are owed more than R500 million.
The Post Office is on a campaign to close more than 100 branches. Many communities depend on the Post Office to receive Sassa grants. The Post Office in the many villages and townships is the window through which our people interact with government. People are going to lose their jobs and old
grannies and young, single mothers will have to spend huge amounts on transport, trying to reach the next Post Office.
We therefore demand that not even one office of the SA Post Office should be closed, as that will make our people poorer. If you could bail out SAA and the SABC, you must immediately make money available to save the SA Post Office because it at the coalface of the provision of basic services to our people.
You are privatising Eskom through the Independent Power Producers, IPP, programme. The IPP programme continues to bleed Eskom of its cash. You are aware that the collapse of Eskom because of its debt spells problems for all of us, including the fiscus, but you continue to gamble with this asset in the bond market.
The unbundling of Eskom will cost our country more than R500 million. Knowing how you handle business, this amount
will be multiplied by 10 to R5 billion. We said to you several times here, do not unbundle Eskom.
You are unbundling Eskom because you are hell-bent on the privatisation of energy generation which will primarily benefit the people and companies associated with you in the
past and present, like Seriti, which has been given an irrational coal contract of more than R60 billion to supply Majuba power station.
In October 2020, National Treasury rejected Eskom’s request to extend the South32 ... [Inaudible.] ... contract and told Eskom the contract would not be increased without testing the market. But we are told that the contract was extended for another four years, increasing the contract by 33%. Daylight corruption!
You have removed a captured tendency and replaced it with a captured tendency to allow corruption and the collapse of Eskom and other SOEs to continue. Why is no-one held accountable for load shedding that has now become a common occurrence?
You keep saying you want to rebuild the state and government capacity. How are you going to do it when you are dismantling it?
Your energy policy is problematic. During your state of the nation address you said you intend to decommission coal power stations by 2050 while our government is in the middle of
constructing the most expensive coal power stations, Medupi and Kusile.
Mr President, South Africa’s energy policy has to focus on mixed energy resources including coal, renewable energy, liquefied natural gas, and nuclear energy. South Africa’s government must form strategic partnerships with countries that have a proven track record on nuclear energy and not only focus on wealth as a solution. If China, Russia, Turkey and the countries in the Emirates have superior technology on extracting electricity from nuclear resources or from gas resources, let us build strategic partnerships with them, and not blindly follow the ... [Inaudible.] ... misguided own energy policy.
Earlier this year, you promised that government would deliver a mass COVID-19 vaccination programme that would reach all
60 million South Africans. However, we know that your government has mismanaged the roll-out programme. Only 0,8% of the population has been covered. The population is today fully
... [Inaudible.] ... that is fully vaccinated. This is less than 500 000. [Interjections.]
The Minister you have entrusted with the COVID-19 roll-out is busy looting money through unnecessary public relations, while nurses and doctors do not have access to vaccines.
The over-dependence on Western countries is part of the reason your government has mismanaged the ... [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Malema, there is a point of order. Yes, hon member?
Mr B A RADEBE: Deputy Speaker, I rise on Rule 85. The member has just said that the Minister of Health is looting the resources of the state.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The point of order is sustained. Hon
Malema, you know you can’t do that.
An HON MEMBER: Allegedly!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I’m not talking to you; I’m talking to hon Malema. Can you keep quiet while we are making a ruling? If it happens to you, you will not like it.
Hon Malema, you know you can’t do that. And you know how to do
it if you want to do it.
Mr J S MALEMA: The Minister that you have appointed, Mr President ... it is alleged that he is looting money through unnecessary public relations, while nurses and doctors do not have access to vaccines.
The over-dependence on countries of the West is part of the reason your government has mismanaged the whole roll-out.
Mr President, you go around complaining that Western countries are hoarding vaccines. You said this when you addressed the World Economic Forum in January, and you repeated the same cry when you addressed many others on various platforms, including this Parliament.
We know that the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine – Sinovac – has a sufficient efficiency rate and that the Chinese are not hoarding it like other countries do. Our neighbour, Zimbabwe, has access to it.
We also know that the Russian Sputnik vaccine is being manufactured in bulk and that the Russians are not hoarding it
or withholding it from any country that is willing to engage them, including their local agents here in South Africa.
Is the obsession with the American and European COVID-19 vaccines motivated by profit not blinding you and your government to available alternatives? You have never wanted to entertain... The only thing you do every time you take a platform on vaccine, is to say there is a process you are engaged with to approve Sinovac and Sputnik. That’s the only thing you do!
The reality of the situation is that the authorities have been given a mandate not to even entertain Sinovac and Sputnik. I asked you the other day if you are involved in transactions or whether you are involved in ensuring that you save lives.
If you were a sensitive person who cares about the lives of black people, you would have, by now, be doing a sit-in at that authority’s’ offices to ensure that both Sinovac and Sputnik are approved. You need as many options as possible, not as much money for your pocket as possible. You are involved in transactions, and you are not involved in a programme to save lives.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Malema, you are repeating allegations against the President in an unacceptable manner. It is out of order. Withdraw that statement you have just made now.
Mr J S MALEMA: It’s a political statement, Deputy Speaker.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Withdraw the statement!
Mr J S MALEMA: It is not an allegation. I’m saying ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, you withdraw it, or you stop talking. That’s your choice.
Mr J S MALEMA: We have been doing so very well so far. Don’t
bring attitude!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Listen here, hon Malema. Just withdraw, don’t lecture me! [Interjections.] Don’t lecture me! Just withdraw! That’s all you want to ... you have to do.
Mr J S MALEMA: Now why are you getting agitated? Drink some water with Chivas or something!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am agitated when you break Rules. Simple! You break Rules, I get agitated!
Mr J S MALEMA: Which Rule did I break now?
Mr B MAMABOLO: Withdraw!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Malema, just withdraw.
And you who have just now spoken without permission ... you
don’t do that! We don’t need your help, in the first place.
Hon Malema, withdraw your statement.
Mr J S MALEMA: Which statement must I withdraw now? I’ve said
so many things!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hau! No, no, no! Hon Malema, withdraw your statement. You can’t make allegations against the President in the way in which you do. You must withdraw it. I am not going to be the conduit for your statements that are out of order.
Mr J S MALEMA: I don’t need you to be my conduit. I make my statements myself! Why would I need a conduit? I’m just saying
them through you. I brought them myself. I’m not scared to say
them.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: So you withdraw them!
Mr J S MALEMA: People are dying! People are dying and we don’t
have a vaccine yet! The President ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Malema, I’m going to switch you off!
Mr J S MALEMA: ... turns to the Europeans for American vaccines. How is that not unparliamentary?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: For the final time, I am asking you ... If
you don’t, you are going to be switched off. Is that okay?
Mr J S MALEMA: Okay, I withdraw. [Laughter.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you very much.
Mr J S MALEMA: Mr President, you must know that the deaths of so many people, because of lack of provision of vaccines, will be blamed on you. You will be a President that failed to rescue a lot of our people when they needed you.
Like in Marikana, when our people needed you, you were not there for them.
Today, our people need you to be there for them, to go and buy a vaccine for them.
When you took over, you pretended to be a very good singer here. And you sang thuma mina, thuma mina. [send me, send me.] People have thuma’ed [sent] you to go and fetch a vaccine. But you have not brought back any vaccines.
Dr M Q NDLOZI: Must he withdraw? [Laughter.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Can you kick off, hon Ndlozi – with the greatest of respect? Kick him out! Just take him off the platform, please! Please, he must not speak again! Not even one more time! Not any more today. Please do that. He is disrupting hon Malema speaking there! [Laughter.]
Mr J S MALEMA: May I proceed, Deputy Speaker?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You may proceed, hon Malema.
Mr J S MALEMA: Mr President, there is an emergence of an abuse of power. The same thing we saw ... And this happens because of some of ... some of the people who remain in your Cabinet that we have always advised ... including, amongst others, Mr Jamnandas.
The abuse of institutions of the state to prosecute those who disagree with you will haunt you to the grave. It will not only haunt you, it will haunt your children and their children’s children.
Let us not use the Hawks, SARS, the SIU, the NPA to settle political scores. No leader should win a debate through intimidation. I found one of your people crying that they are unable to express themselves because the SIU is on their neck. For no apparent reason.
There is a state of intimidation that has emerged in this country. I want to promise you today that, if you think you are going to use state institutions to threaten people and intimidate them, you will find us ready! We have gone through that under President Zuma, and we are prepared to go through that even now. There is no amount of abuse of state power that can suppress political views. That is not going to happen, Mr
President. It’s a strategy that will never work. It’s a strategy that will not work, even for you. It has not worked before. Let’s win debate and politics through working the ground, not through the abuse of money, not through the abuse of state power. Abuse of state power is going to come back on you. The same people you are using today, they will be the ones who will be in the commission of enquiry, talking about how you abused your power. [Interjections.] Thank you.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you very much. Hon Hope, you can’t be doing that in the first place. That’s out of order. You can’t be doing that. And it’s incorrect to be using language like that in the House.
Mr J S MALEMA: Hope is a failed politician, man. His career is finished! He’s now sending around papers in that Parliament.
He’s a joke. You can see where he comes from.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Malema, you have no right to be talking the way you do.
Mr A H M PAPO: I’m going to respond to this howler called
Malema.
Mr J S MALEMA: Bye! I’m done! You can say whatever you want to
say. Bye! [Laughter.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Buthelezi... Hon members, please, man... Let’s... This is a presidential debate, and we would like some order to prevail in the House.
Hon Hope, if you are not happy to stick around with us in the House, that door is absolutely not locked. Don’t do that to me, please!
Ms O M C MAOTWE: Remove him, Deputy Speaker! Remove him! Remove Hope!
Sesotho:
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Ke kopa o thole, ha ke a o kopa o bue ho tloha qalong. Ha ke a kopa thuso ya hao.
English:
Mr N S BUTHELEZI: Please keep quiet. I never asked for your assistance. [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Oh, there are changes here that I did not
realise. Hon Deputy President, it’s your turn?
The DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC: Hon Deputy Speaker; your excellency, President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa; hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members.
Exactly 25 years ago in this very house, the Constitution as the supreme law of our land was adopted, marking the beginning of constitutionalism that is rooted in the ideals of democratic governance.
The adoption of the Constitution in 1996 meant that those of us who are entrusted to hold public positions must at all times in the exercise of power be transparent, accountable, and responsive to the needs of our people.
By so doing, we would ensure that public participation in governance structures and processes is promoted and entrenched. We thus stand here today cognisant of the responsibility to ensure that the ideals of freedom, democracy and accountability that are enshrined in the Constitution are safeguarded and protected.
Therefore, our contribution as Leader of Government Business in the National Assembly, seeks to promote people’s participation in the affairs of the state by ensuring that
their voice is heard, that their plight is addressed and the right to development is nurtured.
For those of us in leadership and public service, are accountable to the people who give us the mandate at every cycle of elections. As society we must fight the scourge of corruption that undermines our development and provision of government services to the people. Together, let’s say no to corruption and maladministration.
This deepening of democratic cultures and practices, goes beyond the parliamentary floor. Instead, it extends to building partnerships between government and all segments of civil society, in particular women, youth and the private sector in order to strengthen solidarity, moral regeneration and cohesion amongst the people.
At the heart of our mandate is service to the people. During this Youth Month we recognise the past, present and future role of our young people in shaping and influencing the political, economic and technological landscape of our country.
During all periods of social change and reform in our country, the masses have always cherished and trusted young people as custodians and carriers of hope in the development of our nation. As a people, our expectations on the youth it’s a firm belief that the sustainability of our democratic order and state would best be achieved when they are active in public affairs.
We are mindful that the youth of our country is burdened unfairly so, with challenges of structural unemployment, lack of adequate skills in demand of this century, general exclusion from meaningful activities that can bring material meaning to their young lives.
According to the Stats SA Quarterly Labour Force Survey which was released yesterday, the youth aged 15-24 and 25-34 years recorded the highest unemployment rate of 63,3% and 41,3% respectively. This is a cause for genuine concern.
As the National Youth Policy 2020-30 reminds us: These are not just statistics, these are people with hopes, dreams and capabilities.
Our priority as this Administration is to reskill, retrain and support these approximately 3,5 million young people which are not in employment, education or training to address the emergent skills mismatch. It is within our power to translate South Africa’s demographic dividend into practical benefits by aligning to skills that the industry needs.
This reality has further been made more urgent by the COVID-19 pandemic wherein certain industries have been completely redefined. That is why at the level of the Human Resources Development Council, we are recalibrating the focus of our Human Resource Development Strategy towards developing skills and training that is innovation-led, entrepreneurial-focused, and technologically advanced. Such focus would complement the implementation of a mixture of interventions under the Presidential Employment Stimulus package.
As government we acknowledge that our role is to develop significant numbers of entrepreneurs that are critical to job creation, especially in rural and township areas. In this regard, there is work to be done in providing support to this sector, including creating linkages to global value chains and deconcentrating ownership patterns by a select few big companies. For this to be successful, we are working on
consolidating empowerment models like the Government Nutrition Programme to support agriculture and Social Enterprise Model in the manufacturing of construction materials.
Linked to this area of work, is ensuring that participants in the informal sector comply with the municipal by-laws. Among other issues is to address tensions that exist within township and rural areas where locals and foreigners are fighting each other.
Therefore, we must ensure that: licences of operations are reviewed periodically; those with licences open bank accounts in South Africa where income is declared for tax purposes; and businesses are audited, income and expenditure declared to prevent money laundering.
This budget vote is presented in a year dedicated to honour the living memory of Mama Charlotte Maxeke, widely known as the Mother of Black Freedom in South Africa.
As we remember her fearless spirit and fight against unjust pass laws early in the 20th century, we also acknowledge the campaigns and courageous mobilisation of women working as
farmworkers and domestic workers to fight for better working and living conditions.
The journey of her life continues to symbolise the fight against patriarchy, racism and the exclusion of women, people with disabilities and key populations from accessing equal development opportunities across all facets of life.
This week as we observe the Child Protection Week, it is befitting that we remember her astute leadership as she gave a voice to those who were voiceless and vulnerable; it remains our collective responsibility as the different arms of state to do the same.
We, therefore, call upon all of us to never remain silent when women and girl-children do not feel safe at home, on the streets, in schools, in workplaces and on social media for fear of being victimised. This is the reason as government we remain steadfast in working to remove barriers to justice for survivors and victims of gender-based violence and femicide, GBVF.
Doing so, will be a befitting memory to the selfless contribution of Charlotte Maxeke to the freedom and democracy we enjoy today.
There is no doubt that any freedom and democracy without the total emancipation of women remains an incomplete revolutionary journey. Such emancipation must advance meaningful economic participation and inclusion of women in all key productive sectors of the economy. Women must take up leadership positions in agriculture, mining, financial services, construction, manufacturing and many other sectors of our economy.
As government we will ensure our land reform programme prioritises women and youth as beneficiaries of land. Access to land is key to ensuring that women are able to utilise this asset for productive economic activities that contribute to sustainable livelihoods and job creation.
As this Administration we have on several occasions indicated that land reform is taking place within a constitutionally- defined path, hence the unfolding parliamentary process of addressing the historical injustice of land inequality, displacement and dispossession.
Notable progress is being made in the implementation of recommendations made by the Advisory Panel on Land Reform and Agriculture towards addressing land injustice.
The land reform programme further seeks to achieve national reconciliation and economic inclusion. Such inclusion shall be attained by the redistribution of land for human settlement and industrial development to achieve spatial justice as well as to unlock the potential of the people to realise the right to development.
As government we will not act outside the boundaries and prescripts of the law but rather we would seek legitimately so, respond to the imperatives of restorative justice, economic inclusion and social cohesion in a very responsible manner that guarantees policy certainty, which is not chaotic and does not compromise food security.
To this end, we have processed a series of legislative and policy interventions, which includes but not limited to: The finalisation of the Expropriation Bill of 2020 which is currently going through Parliament;
The Land Court Bill that has been introduced in Parliament, which will provide for the establishment of the court that will focus solely on land matters;
The adoption of Beneficiary Selection and Land Allocation Policy that guides the allocation of land to different categories of beneficiaries.
Moreover, to ensure that land is productively utilised by beneficiaries. Government across all spheres, is paying attention to the provision of effective post-settlement support and packages such as provision of requisite infrastructure and access to finance as demonstrated recently at the handover of title deeds and property rights to the people of Covie here in the Western Cape and the people of Tafelkop in Limpopo.
As the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land Reform and Agriculture continues with its work on accelerating restitution and redistribution, many more such initiatives will be unveiled in the coming months and weeks. It is through non-partisan partnerships that inclusive land reform can be achieved, thereby bringing dignity to the people.
We are now at the point of no return. Land access is an indispensable bedrock of our social compact, unity and cohesion. It is a collective task of healing this nation to forge a common path of peace, social progress and inclusive prosperity.
Our efforts on land reform to drive development and economic inclusion cannot be fully achieved and its fruits be enjoyed in the context of collapsed capacity of the state to provide basic services at municipal level.
As this Administration, we have identified a capable and developmental state as the apex of our priorities. This also entails building and nurturing a functional local government as the coalface in the provision of reliable and quality services to our people.
The objective of doing this, is to respond to interrelated structural challenges of collapse in core municipal infrastructure services in some communities; governance failures, financial mismanagement and administration shortcomings; and slow reactions to environmental challenges like droughts and floods.
From these studies conducted by organisations like Municipal IQ, service delivery protests and social distance between public institutions and communities emerge largely from lack of early warning systems to detect and prevent governance and service delivery failures, land invasions and evictions of people from areas deemed unsuitable for human habitation.
The widespread incidents of service delivery protests accompanied by intolerable damage to public property is a call for action to us as public representatives to listen regularly to citizens and attend to their daily needs on a continuous basis.
Therefore, making timely interventions to ailing municipalities is one such support led by The Presidency. Valuable lessons have been learnt from our interactions in both Maluti-a-Phofung and Emfuleni local municipalities in responding timeously to issues raised by communities, especially the provision of water and sanitation.
Government has adopted the District Delivery Model to create a collaborative institutional platform that allows for better, and effective coordination of government programmes at local level. Joined-up government efforts at national, provincial
and local spheres become central to implementing high impact interventions that respond to community developmental and service delivery needs.
Through rapid service delivery response interventions, we are putting in place regularised monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to identity, fix and prevent bottlenecks including installing appropriately qualified and skilled personnel in all such municipalities. It emphasises consequence management, prioritising accountability and emphasising good governance so that we deliver a citizen-centric government across all three spheres.
This all-of-government and all-of-society approach is one lesson learnt from our intervention where inter-governmental collaborative approach is necessary in resolving water and sanitation challenges as well as preventing environmental degradation. This is the case in the Vaal River system that cuts across and services four of our provinces.
As we intervene in these municipalities to support their capacity to provide services to the people, we are conscious of the symbiotic relationship between energy security, sustainable livelihoods and economic growth. That is why
stabilising load shedding by providing consistent and reliable electricity supply is a priority for the Eskom Political Task Team. We consider this as a national prerogative in order to ensure the recovery and reconstruction of the economy for the benefit of our people.
This is a matter that the Eskom Political Task Team is seized with on a daily basis to ensure that the utility delivers on its mandate. The Political Task Team has adopted interventions to improve revenue collection in municipalities. This encompasses expediting the reduction and payment of outstanding debts that are owed to utility, Eskom, and ensuring that all national and provincial organs of state, settle all outstanding debts to municipalities and water entities.
We are encouraged that our efforts and interventions to resolve debt owed to the utility are starting to bear fruit. For instance, the Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality and Eskom are working on a joint Service Level Agreement that would improve revenue collection, maintenance of the infrastructure and ultimately curb the rise of municipal debt to Eskom. This would ensure that sustainable provision of
electricity is achieved, thus preventing incidences like interruptions in water supply to communities.
Lessons learnt from this intervention will be applied to other financially-distressed municipalities across the country; starting with the Free State province. This will ensure that communities will not be disadvantaged in the provision of electricity due to their municipality’s inability to pay Eskom.
We call upon our citizens to pay for municipal services and not vandalise infrastructure. This informs the Responsible Citizenry Campaign rolled out in all municipalities across the country to combat illegal connections, ghost vending, meter tampering related to electricity and water. Democracy is dependent on citizens and communities being responsible in how they consume public services like water and electricity.
Moreover, we remain committed to ensure that energy security is sourced from a wide range of energy sources and technologies available in our country. This is in line with the Integrated Resource Plan of 2019. Therefore, the recently published Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer
Procurement Programme will, therefore, ensure that the projects around additional capacity remain sustainable.
As government, we continue to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out plan reaches all population groups, providing equal access to those in urban and rural areas of the country. Equally, at the level of the South African National AIDS Council, we continue to ensure that our response to the COVID-19 pandemic does not reverse the achievements we have made thus far in responding to the HIV/AIDS and TB epidemics.
In our response to the dual epidemics of HIV and TB, South Africa is making significant progress in mitigating the impact of these epidemics on the health and social well-being of South Africans. As a nation, we have responded through various interventions and programmatic platforms to address the systemic drivers of these epidemics within society.
Earlier this year the SA National Aids Council, SANAC, Plenary convened to assess the impact of our collaborative partnerships with a broad spectrum of civil society role- players in terms of directing the country’s response towards ensuring that our services are integrated to the benefit of
communities. This is both at the level of targeting our healthcare delivery as well as addressing issues of access, particularly in light of the unprecedented impact of the global pandemic.
As a multi-sectoral structure, SANAC has developed and is implementing strategies and programmes to turn the tide against HIV, TB and Sexually Transmitted Infections. Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, SANAC has prioritised the fast-tracking of the development and implementation of the TB/HIV catch-up plans in each of the provinces.
At the centre of our collective efforts is the emphasis on the promotion of human rights and the elimination of all forms of stigma given government’s custodian role of protecting society against any form of discrimination.
South Africa’s role of championing the protection of vulnerable sectors of our society and the adoption of a human rights-based approach to addressing societal issues, will also be underscored when we join the global community at next week’s United Nations High-Level Meeting on AIDS.
We will table our country position on the alignment with the new Global AIDS strategy to 2026. Our country’s position which was endorsed by the Special Extended SANAC Plenary meeting, that was held on 29 May 2021 will emphasise the prioritisation of the following key commitments: The adoption of a human rights-based approach and involvement of People Living with HIV; prevention of new HIV infections and focus on key and vulnerable populations; fully-funded HIV/TB response and health systems; and local production of commodities.
We, therefore, continue our work in enhancing HIV and TB services against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic and its demands of the healthcare system. We have also established the SANAC Private Sector Forum to ensure that the private sector plays a more prominent role, including the mobilisation of resources in the fight against HIV, TB and other non- communicable diseases.
Our progress as a nation, is equally dependent on how we maintain and achieve population health. To this end, progress is being made to ensure that the effective co-ordination and implementation of the COVID-19 vaccines roll-out happens smoothly. We are on track to vaccinate 40 million people to achieve population immunity.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on COVID-19 Vaccines, continues to pursue ways in which South Africa can manufacture vaccines, be self-reliant and provide support to our neighbouring countries.
As we take lessons from phase 1 and the current phase 2 of the implementation of South Africa’s COVID-19 Response Plan, we are ensuring that we have in place all critical components of ensuring that there are no hindrances in South Africa delivering a successful vaccination plan. [Time expired.] This includes proactively identifying risk areas and implementing mitigating steps. Thank you very much, hon Chairperson. [Applause.]
Prince M G BUTHELEZI: His Excellency the President, His Excellency the Deputy President, our hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers and hon members, in the foreword to the 2021 Budget Review, the Director in the National Treasury tells us of a country and I quote, “On a razors edge.” A country that I quote:
With a weak economy, massive unemployment, ailing state- owned companies, the highest budget deficit in our history and a rapidly growing public debt.
Gross debt now stands at 18,3% of the gross domestic product, GDP and we are pinning our hopes on debt stabilising by 2025-
26 at 88,9%. We are like a drowning man clashing with straws.
Our economy is being struggling for over a decade.
Now through Operation Vulindlela, the President is working to ensure that the rapid roll out of economic reforms that will and again I quote:
Reforms that will remove barriers to growth lower the cost of doing business and bolster confidence and investment.
The obvious question is why? Why is it taking the global pandemic and the national crisis to convince government to remove barriers to growth to lower the cost of doing business and bolster investment? Why? These reforms were needed years ago. But despite promises, internships and talk, we kept on moving in the wrong direction for the whole decade.
With this budget standing in the Presidency to finally doing what needs to be done? It is impossible to know, because once again, we as Members of Parliament who are tasked with the oversight over the act behind you, have not been afforded with
the privilege of interrogating this budget in committees. We deserve a straight answer, as to why this is the case.
It is becoming increasingly urgent for the increasing stabilisation in the Presidency. Indeed, policy and research services in the Presidency is currently tasked with formulating policies proposals and I quote, “Independently from line function departments and offering alternative policy accommodations.” How this will enhance interdepartmental co- ordination in formulating and implementing policies remains to be seen.
Over the past four years, expenditure on policy and research services has increased at the average of 83,5%. Remarkably, this programme has only 17 funded posts. This is not to say there are only 17 people employed by the way. Apparently they are 29 and soon to be 34. Although somewhere around 2023, 14 of those jobs will be shed. As always we are not told why this is the case.
We are also not told why compensation of employees now consumes 63% of the Presidency’s Budget with red flags already raised two years ago. Will this figure reach 60%? More and
more of this budget is being consumed simply to staff the Presidency.
The solution we are told is that from now only critical posts would be filled as they become vacant. Does this mean that the Presidency is pinning its hopes of noncritical posts becoming vacant so that this money no longer needs to be spent on them? Our questions are unlikely to be answered. They should have been answered before we are even there.
The IFP has been calling for parliamentary oversight for years! Now even the Zondo Commission has repeatedly highlighted the absence of a parliamentary committee responsible for the Presidency. Oversight is always necessary, but in the time of crisis it is absolutely essential because the tendency is, in a crisis you throw money at every problem with the hope of dealing with a fall out later.
The other complication of course is corruption, on top of mismanagement of our economy for more than 10 years.
Your Excellency, your online newsletter on Monday you wrote and I quote you:
As elected officials we have a responsibility to uphold our oath of office not to steal from the state by engaging in corruption or mismanagement of resources meant for the benefit of our children.
It is very tragic that this needs to be said at all. While the average of corruption at the highest level of government is overwhelming. It is essential that we protect the Presidency from the potential theft of mismanagement of resources. It is equally important hon Chairperson, that the President should be seen to be beyond reproach so that our President will maintain the confidence of the people.
The only way to do that, is to open the Presidency to scrutiny and oversight by Parliament. Our President is carrying an unnerving burden, living the nation at the time of the pandemic, our citizens, our interests, and businesses from overseas look to the President for insurance. All while a third wave threatens to devastate us even further. While inequality deepens and the global economy weakens.
We must support the President under these circumstances despite of all that. Accordingly, the IFP will support this budget, we are asking the Presidency to do what is needed. To
roll out vaccines immediately. By the age of 92, I am still waiting for my jab. I do not know when is it going to reach the citizens with the population of so many people. So, we must stop the abuse of state resources, unify our nation and revive our economy. These things must be done for without them we will not survive.
I like the President’s reference to the expansion of the frontiers of hope, for even in this very dark circumstances we will be doomed if we abandon hope. I thank you.
Dr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, hon President, the golden thread in your speech today was about the responsibility and the constitutional obligation of the Presidency, in fact, you, to ensure a capable developmental state in South Africa. There is however another obligation of you, as President, and that is to ensure a capable and effective police service to protect the people of South Africa against criminals.
Let me remind you of section 205(3), and I quote: “The objects of the police service are to prevent, combat and investigate crime, to maintain public order and to protect and secure the inhabitants of the Republic and their property and to uphold and enforce the law.” That is section 205(3) of the
Constitution. The question remains: Is that what we have in South Africa at the moment?
If we look at what is happening in the South African Police Services, and I want to refer to the DNA fiasco and as far as gender-based violence is concerned. On 6 May in a question- and-answer session, you said and I quote from Hansard: “As at
25 April this year, there were more than 83 000 gender-based violence-related cases in process and more than 77 000 cases were older than 35 calendar days.” That is in Hansard on page
130. Hon President, what you were not told is that these 83 000 cases have many samples of DNA attached to them. If you talk to the experts, they will say that an average of between
5 and 10 samples of DNA.
We visited the Forensic Science Laboratory, as the Portfolio Committee on Police and it was said that if they start working on the backlog, it will take them 18 months, starting from 1 July this year, if they are fully operational. Now fully operational means that everything is there, everything is going well. I can assure you that they are not going to be fully operational. That means, in effect, that many victims of crime, specifically as far as gender-based violence is concerned, will have to wait two years for some of the DNA
tests, which is a vital item to ensure conviction of specific rapists and criminals in South Africa.
The question is: Where are we? I want to quote to you and say what the present Commissioner of Police said on 30 October 2018:
Due to the collapse of the National Crime Prevention Strategy, the SAPS became an all-purpose agency with an overstretched mandate. It is impossible to fulfil.
I want to repeat, the SAPS mandate is overstretched and impossible to fulfil.
Hon President, this overstretch of the mandate is part of the ANC government who, from 2000 to 2017, appointed commissioners who are not capable to be a Commissioner of Police because they were diplomats, politicians and social workers. You cannot have an effective police services with such commissioners.
What happened in Zandspruit? The community is starting to take the law in their own hands. According to studies of the Institute for Security Studies, at least two people per day in
South Africa are killed by means of mob justice. Everybody is shocked about it.
Now the hon Minister of Police is coming to the people of South Africa and wants to amend the Firearms Bill to say that you are not allowed to have a firearm to protect yourselves. I want make it very clearly today, if the people cannot be protected by the Police Services, how can you expect them not to defend themselves by means of firearms?
Afrikaans:
Wat sê die agb President? Die boer op sy plaas mag nie ’n vuurwapen besit om hom, sy gesin en sy werkers te beskerm nie. Die winkeleienaar in Soweto mag nie ’n vuurwapen besit om homself teen misdadigers beskerm, wat sy geld wil vat nie. Die President en die Minister sê dat mense wat veral in die nag op die pad ry nie ’n vuurwapen mag besit om hulself te beskerm nie.
English:
Hon President, the police cannot protect the people. I appeal to you to stop this insane amendment, as far as the Firearm Control Act is concerned. I thank you.
Mr S N SWART: Hon House Chairperson, hon President, I deliver this speech on behalf of the president of the ACDP, Rev Kenneth Meshoe that is having connectivity issues. Last week, many people across the continent of Africa celebrated Africa Day and more particularly, the political emancipation we now have and some of the progress that has been made in the quest for economic freedom.
In the midst of these celebrations, we debated Africa Day in the House, last Wednesday with a theme, Building a better Africa and a better world. Among the things that Rev Meshoe then said was that Africa desperately needed visionary leaders who would bring positive changes to the economic prospects of their countries.
The building a better Africa theme was expected to be further explored at the Pan-African Parliament this week. It was due to discuss how Africa could be more comparative on a global stage and increase its contribution to the global economy.
Shamefully the chaotic scenes that subsequently ensued will be etched in the annals of our history. We saw some so-called honourable members shouting and screaming at one another and others pushing members around. Some even made dead threats,
while others desperately called for the police to be brought in.
The Chief Whip of the Majority Party was shamefully assaulted when she tried to intervene. The scenes that played out before the world and before our impressionable youth were utterly disgraceful and unacceptable. A full inquiry and accountability is required.
Hon President, as we said last week, Africa needs new leaders of integrity who display servant leadership that understand stewardship of state resources and who will honour God in all they do.
On a different note, the trend of seeing the wheels come off many of our departments is a cause for serious concern. If it is not load shedding, it is a water shortage somewhere.
Families should not be told that they cannot burry their loved ones because the mortuary has been without water for days, as happened in a Germiston government mortuary this past week.
Bereaved families are being traumatised as a result of bad service delivery and have to wait for long periods for post- mortem results. This cannot be allowed to continue.
The ACDP would also like to know why government plans to disarm law-abiding citizens and denies them their right to own a firearm to defend themselves and their families from violent criminals. This is wrong. Why then, on the other hand, is the budget for VIP protection services increased and why does the Minister of Police walk around surrounded by protection officers carrying semiautomatic rifles, while the budget for visible policing is being reduced, making vulnerable communities and easy target for criminals?
These anomalies do not say that government cares or encourage our citizenry to feel safer. Government needs to accept its primary responsibility that is to protect its citizens and to ensure that our citizens are protected by enabling them to protect themselves. I thank you.
The ACTING MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY: Hon House Chairperson, His Excellency, President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, the Deputy President of the Republic, hon D D Mabuza, the Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party, the Speaker in absentia ...
Tshivenda:
... ndi mathabama ...
English:
... fourty-five years ago, in this month of June, young people across the country fought against bantu education in what became known as the 1976 student uprisings, which triggered another wave of mass rebellions led by the students and youth of our country against the apartheid system. Their struggle for a free South Africa is echoed by the voices of the present day South African youth and students when they demand access to better and affordable education through the #FeesMustFall, the decolonisation of higher education movements and equal access to economic opportunities with their clarion call for economic freedom in our lifetime. In addition, the governing party of South Africa, the ANC, has mandated us to deliver on the aspirations of the founding fathers of a democratic South Africa of building a non-racial, non-sexist, prosperous and equal society.
Hon Chairperson, the work to build a prosperous and equal society requires a capable and developmental state. The President, His Excellency, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa has clearly articulated that this presidency is seeking to restore the capability of the state and engender a developmental approach to the work of the state and that this is our utmost priority.
Our ability to deliver on the aspirations of our founding fathers for a prosperous and equal society will be determined by our success in building a capable, ethical and developmental state. Drawing from this categorization, we have organized our work of restoring state capacity on five focus areas: Firstly, a better co-ordinated and focused government; secondly, an integrated government; thirdly, a competent government; fourthly, an ethical government; and lastly, developmental state.
Hon members A better co-ordinated and focused government at a horizontal level, presidency co-ordinates government through a cluster approach that is managed through the Director-General in The Presidency who is also secretary to Cabinet. The government clusters have been repurposed to focus on the seven priorities. To strengthen the ability of the Director-General in The Presidency to co-ordinate and direct the work of the clusters in line with government priorities, we have commenced the transitioning of the position of the director-general to that of the head of the public administration, Hopa, in order to strengthen co-ordination of strategic leadership at national level in support of the President.
In addition, in November 2020, Cabinet approved that the Minister of Public Service and Administration should conduct public consultations on the amendment of Public Service Act of 1994 and the Public Administration and Management Act of 2014 with the view to take forward the strategic intent of establishing a single public administration. Once the amendments to these pieces of legislation have been effected, our ability to integrate and consolidate resource utilisation and technical capacity across the three spheres of government will be enhanced.
At a vertical level and to strengthen the implementation of the intergovernmental co-ordination framework, the Sixth Administration has introduced and is currently embedding the District–based Development Model, DDM, to foster a unitary approach in the implementation of national priorities. In another words, the implementation of the national priorities must be the lived experiences of our people in their local communities. Development does not exist in a vacuum but must be felt in the communities and localities where we all live.
The Sixth Administration adopted the DDM as an approach to break silos among state institutions and foster collective investment in district spaces through partnerships with all
stakeholders including private sector in a particular district. The DDM which was initially piloted in the Ethekwini Metro, Waterberg District Municipality and OR Tambo District Municipality has since been rolled out to all districts in South Africa. The President has designated all Ministers and Deputy Ministers as district champions who work closely with the leadership at provincial and local government levels. We are starting to register progress in developing one plan with one budget for each district informed by the national priorities of government and the material socioeconomic conditions of the particular district.
We are implementing the DDM to mobilise all stakeholders in society towards investing in our communities. The DDM’s One Plan will contain commitments by all citizens in a particular district towards better delivery of services and realisation of our development aspirations in aspects such as health, housing, water, sanitation, environment, local economic development, tourism, and others. Through this model, The Presidency is mobilising national and provincial governments, as well as business and civil society to support municipalities to perform their mandates. The Presidency is working closely with the Department of Co-operative Governance and other transversal departments like the National Treasury
to ensure better implementation of the DDM. Improved DDM’s institutional arrangements will also help ensure that when the new leadership of municipalities comes into office after the 2021 local government elections, they can build better and capable municipalities that serve our people.
In addition, the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs is finalising the drafting of the Intergovernmental Monitoring, Support and Intervention Bill. This legislative instrument will strengthen the alignment of provincial and local government support mechanisms, as well as better implementation of government interventions in line with sections 100 and 139 of the Constitution. Of recent, we have witnessed significant improvements in the implementation of section 100 interventions in the North West province, and the details of this will be shared by the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs with the National Council of Provinces.
At the apex of vertical co-ordination and bolstered by the need for effective coordination of government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of the Presidential Co- ordinating Council, PCC, has been invigorated. The PCC which is chaired by the president and constituted by Ministers,
premiers, and executive mayors and now expanded to include representatives of traditional leaders continues to play a significant role in facilitating a united South African approached to governance matters that affect all spheres of government and community leadership.
At an integrated government level, the integration of government commences at a planning level. Since 1994, we have made significant strides in strengthening the government’s planning system as part of developing integrated development plans that improves service delivery thus improving the quality of the lives of our people. As we are all aware, our national developmental agenda is guided by our Vision 2030 as outlined in the National Development Plan, NDP. The National Planning Commission, NPC, completed the review of the NDP which was submitted to Cabinet and published for all South Africans to read. The review provided a comprehensive assessment of progress in implementing the NDP and recommendations for course correction to enhance performance towards 2030 to recalibrate our way back towards attaining the goals of the NDP. The National Planning Commission is finalizing a framework for the implementation of the NDP. This framework will inform the reorganization and realignment of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework, MTSF, which was developed
as a five-year plan towards the achievement of the NDP Vision 2030 goals. It is the MTSF which details the implementation plans and targets of the government’s seven priorities which guides the government’s programme of action which the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation conducts government’s performance assessment. The MTSF also informs the performance agreements of the Ministers, and the President.
The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation has just completed the 2020-21 financial year programme of action assessment report and it is being considered by Cabinet and will be released to the public. Of course, the budget cuts that were necessitated by the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, has not only necessitated budget reprioritization but the downward revision of the MTSF targets. The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation has also concluded an assessment of the alignment of the provincial growth and development strategies, PGDS, of provinces to the MTSF priorities and targets. The provinces have been given an opportunity to correct the misalignments and exclusions within their PGDS. In addition, the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation will assist the Department of Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to ensure full alignment of the DDM’s One Plan to the MTSF.
We are also committed to building a competent government. The NDP requires us to reinvigorate the state’s role in producing the specialist technical skills to fulfil its core functions. On November 2020, Cabinet released the framework for the professionalization of the public service. This was gazetted by Minister Mchunu on December 2020 for public consultation. Our framing of the professionalization of the public service is based on the need to change attitudes, behaviour and performance of public servants towards serving the citizens. We insist that public servants must have requisite technical skills and competencies to execute their responsibilities with regard to implementing government policies and plans.
Information regarding performance of directors-general indicates that they need support systems to enhance their performance in terms of ensuring that the state delivers on its developmental agenda. As indicated by the President, the National School of Government and universities will play a critical role in continuous professional development of the directors-general and other public servants.
Similarly, the delivery of basic services and the roll-out of our ambitious infrastructure plan as announced by the President, both by municipalities, state-owned enterprises and both provincial and national government requires technical
skills like engineers and artisans. Student enrolments at Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET colleges reached 673 490 in 2019, reflecting a 2,5% or 16 357 increase when compared with 2018, which the enrolment was 657 133. The collaborative work of the Departments of Employment and Labour, Higher Education and Training, Communications and Digital Technologies and Small Business Development is underway to ensure a significant increase not only in the enrolments for technical skills training at TVET colleges and Setas but also create a platform for access both jobs and business opportunities in the roll-out of South Africa’s infrastructure plan.
Hon Chairperson, we are working to improve the performance monitoring and assessment system within the public service commencing with that of the directors-general. The Presidency working with the DPSA are working to align the performance agreements of directors-general to those of Ministers and the country’s outcomes. In addition, work is underway within the DPME to ensure that performance assessments within the public service are not a tick box exercise. From now onward, the POA assessments will be linked with country outcomes such that government clusters and provincial governments cannot be deemed to be performing well, whereas the country indicators
are regressing. The good performance of government must translate to positive and meaningful improvement to the lives of South Africans. Government’s work must be about the impact it makes to the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality. We commit to the Xitsonga dictum that says; “mhitiro ya bulabula”.
On an ethical government and in the year that we mark 25 years since the adoption of the Constitution, a capable public administration must lead in upholding the values of the constitution. Chapter 10 of the Constitution enjoins the public administration to be governed by the democratic values and principles. The Constitution demands the following, amongst others, that public administration must be a promotion and maintenance of the high standards of professional ethics; that service must be provided impartially, fairly, equitably and without bias; and public administration must be accountable.
On the path to an accountable public administration, it is pleasing to remind South Africans that we are starting to note that the latest report of the Auditor-General of South Africa points to an improvement in the audit outcomes of national and provincial government departments, and public entities.
Irregular expenditure also improved from R66,9 billion in 2018-19 to R54,3 billion in 2019-20. National Treasury is implementing measures to assist departments, municipalities and entities to improve their financial management capabilities.
In addition, there is an improvement on compliance with disclosures of financial interests by senior managers and work is underway to improve compliance amongst other levels of the public service. The lifestyle audit system is being implemented in departments.
We are fully aware that the audit outcomes of municipalities have regressed but the National Treasury, Cogta and Salga are hard at work to ensure improvement in the compliance to regulations and applicable legislation in this sphere of government. In preparation of the new term of office of municipal councils with the upcoming local government elections, the Cogta, DPME and National Treasury are finalising the review of 21 years of local government which is built on the 20-year review conducted by Salga. The review will include measures to strengthen the instruments of monitoring and supporting municipalities.
Amilcar Cabral taught us:
To hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, and failures. Claim no easy victories”.
Hon Chairperson, if the DA had dared to listen to the teachings of Cabral, they would not be suffering electoral losses in all the bi-elections held to date. The so-called better run municipalities by the DA do so because they continue to exclude black townships in their so-called better service delivery. We don’t have to go far for evidence of this, we just need to roam the streets of the townships of the cape flats.
The President has instructed us to ensure that the practice where South Africans deem it normal to pay bribes public servants and politicians to receive services that they are entitled to, should come to an end. I do not want to debate the broken window theory but the DPME working with DPSA will soon release a report on number of public servants dismissed on charges of bribes from the public service. We are committed to ensure that the fight against corruption and malfeasance
remains blind and reiterate that the President has issued proclamations to the SIU to investigate allegations of corruption and malfeasance irrespective of whomever is alleged to be involved. The Presidency continues to work with the Minister of Justice, Constitutional Development and Correctional Services to insulate our law enforcement agencies against undue influences and interferences as part of rebuilding an independent and robust justice system.
As government, we understand the impatience of our people with the pace at which investigations and prosecutions take place but we must never forget that the wheels of justice turn slowly but grind exceedingly fine. We have committed to building an ethical state, which has zero tolerance to corruption. In November 2020 Cabinet adopted the national anticorruption strategy which seeks to ensure that all sectors of society work together in the fight against corruption. In this regard, I am working closely with the Minister of Justice, Constitutional Development and Correctional Services, Comrade Lamola, to implement institutional arrangements as proposed in this strategy as announced by the President in the 2021 state of the nation address.
The national anticorruption strategy has six pillars, namely: Firstly, promote and encourage active citizenry, whistleblowing, integrity and transparency in all spheres of society; secondly, advance the professionalization of employees to optimise their contribution to create corruption- free workplaces; thirdly, enhance governance, oversight and consequence management in organisations; fourthly, improve the integrity and credibility of the public procurement system; fifthly, strengthen the resourcing, co-ordination, transnational co-operation, performance, accountability and independence of dedicated anticorruption agencies; and lastly, protect vulnerable sectors that are most prone to corruption and unethical practices with effective risk management.
Within government, we have started to implement aspects on the national anticorruption strategy by introducing measures to prevent corruption in the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines.
This effort is co-ordinated under the interministerial committee, which is led and chaired by the Deputy President, Mr D D Mabuza.
In order to protect the integrity of national COVID-19 vaccine roll out, we have taken the lead in developing a proactive multistakeholder response to identify and mitigate against
corruption and other risks. We have done this by bringing together a wide range of organisations and capacities to identify and mitigate against corruption risks across the vaccine roll out value chain; from procurement, distribution and storage to vaccine administration.
This response draws on a dynamic platform made up of a diversity of skills, capacities and perspectives of identified risks and proactively strengthen mitigations to corruption- related risks, as part of the broader risk management response. This corruption risk mitigation plan is supported and implemented by a large number of organisations both inside and outside government. These include the special investigating unit, the National Treasury’s chief procurement officer, the police, Sars, the Public Service Commission, the Presidential Hotline and the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa.
In addition, the process draws the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority, SAHPRA, the Auditor-General of SA, the Chief State Law Advisor. To date, this process has resulted in the strengthening of a range of mitigations to risks identified in the vaccine roll out. We are confident that we
will protect this vital national effort from the threat of corruption.
The fact that the SIU is investigating the allegations of corruption related to the personal protective equipment, PPE procurement and digital vibes contracts point to our commitment to fight against corruption. We recognize that the prevention, detection and prosecution of corruption goes beyond law enforcement, requiring the activation of capacities and systems across government and the broader society.
To you, Mr President, do not lose your heart because of the unfair criticisms on your work, your ancestors Masingo have taught you ...
Tshivenda:
... Muntshimbidza vhusiku ndi mu tenda lotsha ...
English:
... in any case ...
Tshivenda:
... mutonda Venda, muvhuya ndi o faho.
English:
Hon Speaker, the indicative funding between 2021 and 2025 for The Presidency amounts to R2,4 billion. The allocation per annum – I will only focus on the 2020-21 - compensation of employees is R372,109 million, goods and services is
R213,703 million, transfers is R4 million, capital assets is R14 million. The total is R599 864 million for the 2020-21 financial year. I table the budget figures on behalf of The Presidency. I thank you.
IsiZulu:
Ngiyathokoza!
Tshivenda:
Ndo livhuwa.
Sepedi:
Re a leboga.
Afrikaans:
Dankie.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T FROLICK): Hon members, business will now be suspended for 15 minutes for a comfort break.
Bells will be rung five minutes before the resumption of business. Business is now suspended.
Ms J TSHABALALA: House Chair, hon Tshabalala here, inside the House. Can we take the opportunity to wish Minister Thoko Didiza a happy birthday, today? May she enjoy her beautiful day and God bless her.
Comfort break
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick: Hon members we shall now resume with the debate on the Presidency’s Budget Vote. I call to the podium the Parliamentary Counsellor to the Deputy President. [Applause.]
The PARLIAMENTARY COUNSELLOR TO THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT (Mr A H M
Papo): Hon Speaker, hon Deputy Speaker, hon House Chairpersons both in this House and on virtual, the Chief Whip and the Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party, the Chief Whip of the Official Opposition and senior whips of other political parties, the President and the Deputy President of the Republic, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon Members of Parliament in the National Assembly, fellow South Africans, we have gathered today in this august House to debate Vote No 2
of the Presidency. This debate happens at the start of the Youth Month in the year dedicated by our country to the memory of our struggle stalwart against colonialism Mama Charlotte Maxeke. The debate also takes place after more than a year of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic which negatively affected the world in general and our country in particular.
We are also debating the Budget Vote of the Presidency, three days after the decision by the Cabinet to return ... It will be fine. I just want to remove the split. There was a split in the ... to return the country from Alert Level One to Alert Level Two in order to combat the rising number of infections and deaths. The measures announced by President Ramaphosa on
30 May 2021 continue to be guided by science to save lives and protect livelihoods.
At its first virtual meeting on 1 July 2020, the ANC and the National Executive Committee, NEC, had this to say about the pandemic and I quote:
The, NEC, took place six months into the global COVID-19 pandemic which has had profound economic and social consequences of our country and the world. As the NEC was deliberating the virus had infected more than 10 million
people and claimed the lives of more than half a million people.
A second wave of infections in countries that have heeded to manage to control the pandemic is of grave concern.
The COVID-19 pandemic affects the public health, economies and social cohesion of all nations with devastating consequences for all sectors of society especially the most vulnerable.
The pandemic has once again exposed the persistent fault lines of poverty, inequality and unemployment in our society. As a nation, we must cease the opportunity collectively to fight both this public health pandemic, but also to embark on a programme of socioeconomic of reconstruction, solidarity and common prosperity.
This analysis has guided and continue to guide the health, social and economic approach of our government. It has also guided the development of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan which was extensively discussed by business, labour and community social partners at the National Economic Development and Labour Council, Nedlac.
It was also discussed by other sectors outside Nedlac. The Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan launched by President Ramaphosa in a Joint Sitting of the National Assembly and the NCOP on 20 October 2020 in this very Chamber. Guided by the same analysis, President Ramaphosa analysed, consulted and came to this House to present the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. The Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan aims to build an economy that meets the needs of its citizens. An economy that would be able to create adequate jobs for all who seek employment. Provide equitable distribution of income amongst all South Africans to create a better life for all. That is not an easy task because of the various endogenous and exogenous factors our economy faces.
However, with full participation and support of all sectors of society, our economy will recover.
As stated in the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan 2020, it was among others motivated by the following factors:
More than a decade of economic stagnation making it difficult to deal with the historical structural inequalities; unemployment and poverty, this economic stagnation coupled with COVID-19 crisis led to low levels of the use of capacity in the various sectors of the economy causing a serious
reduction on the gross fixed capital formation; a reduction in the gross fixed capital formation is bad for our economy, because it is an economic variable which is important to sustain and grow the productive foundations of the economy.
Consensus among social partners that there should be a serious structural change in the economy that would unlock growth and allow for development.
A determination by government to massively mobilise all the resources and efforts on all economic activities that will put the economy in a sustainable recovery path.
Challenges in the economy which have been worsened by sustained low levels of the investment and growth.
A number of downgrades including state-owned enterprises impacting badly on the cost of borrowing.
Loss of jobs. People going without income for extended periods and going hungry every day. Inequality was expected to widen and poverty to deepen.
These factors, plus an increasing budget deficit and a rising debt has made budgeting quit difficult. The plan has three phases, engage and preserve which includes a comprehensive health response to save lives and kept the spread of the pandemic, recovery and reform, which includes the interventions to restore the economy whilst controlling the health risks. Lastly, reconstruction and transform which entails building a sustainable, resilient and inclusive economy.
The following priority interventions are being made: Aggressive infrastructure development investment, employment oriented strategic localisation, reindustrialisation and export promotion, energy security, support for tourism recovery and growth; gender equality and economic inclusion of women and youth, green economy and interventions, mass public employment interventions, strengthening food security and macroeconomic interventions.
There are also enablers of the plan, structural reforms which the President has mentioned. During departmental votes, various Ministers have outlined how these programmes are being implemented. In the medium to long-term the President has also
detailed some of the milestones already achieved and still to be achieved.
There are many academic studies which scientifically demonstrate the importance of infrastructure spent to economic growth and development countries particularly developing countries.
In the abstract of a research paper published by the Wits Business School, titled and I quote “Does Infrastructure Really Explain Economic Growth in sub-Saharan Africa.” Authored by Odongo Godongo and Kalu Oja indicates the abstract actually confirms that infrastructure spending triggers counter cyclical measures in the economy.
The District Developed Model was covered by Minister Ntshaveni.
Having outlined the factors underpinning the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, its objectives, it is important to reiterate the importance of spending in economic and social infrastructure to stimulate counter cyclical measures.
For us to rebuild our economy, it requires continued boldness and thinking outside the box, accepting our weaknesses, continuing to professionalise and orientating all public servants and leaders towards a progressive way of thinking and working, extraordinary and patriotic commitment to seriously continuing dealing with poverty, inequality and unemployment all forms of crime and corruption which are destabilising families’ communities and our country.
The ANC’s historically known to publicly admit its own weaknesses and not talk about political strengths only, and an experience it has gained over the 109 years of its existence in the long and difficult struggle to build a strong nonracial and nonsexist, united democratic and prosperous South Africa.
Having said that some of our colleagues seem to live in their own world where there are no objective difficulties, no exogenous economic problems and no coronavirus. Some of them are characterised by inflated egos, distortion of the history of our country to suit narrow interests, high school type bullying tactics amateurish populist and irresponsible sloganeering and insults against individuals as part of their debating strategies and political engagement.
Fortunately, the majority of South Africans know and detest their rude, chaotic, rumourmongering, cultist, undemocratic and dictatorial tendencies. That is why they keep on proclaiming to govern, but each time, they are rejected even at ward level. Having fought against the most the most brutal and criminal regime we cannot and are not intimidated by these puerile and childish tactics.
We have to continue to implement our policies and programmes reflected in the 2019 to 2024 elections manifesto and the strategic plans based on the objective capacities of our country and not loud slogans. Irresponsible slogans we are daily subjected to in portfolio committees and in the House seating. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: Weak speech!
Dr L A SCHREIBER: Hon Chairperson, I don’t know if you are familiar with a television programme called Myth Busters. It is a show about using the scientific method to test and falsify popular myths. In one episode the Myth Busters memorably expose the popular myth that the Apollo 11 moon landing was a hoax.
You see, that is a thing about myth. They can become very popular and widely believed but that doesn’t make them true. Don’t get me wrong, myths are powerful cognitive tools that help human beings create comforting stories especially during times of trouble. Throughout history myth have served as a way to galvanise people towards collective action. But the problem with myths are that they are - by definition, untrue.
Therefore, every myth has an expiry date. As Myth Busters demonstrate, myths expire as soon as they run into fact and reality. When a myth does the entire Oedipus of comforting belief that was built around that myth also comes tumbling down.
Mr President, I have to hand it to you, you are a master myth maker. Throughout your career, you have weaved stories about yourself that have helped climb the greasy pole and escaped accountability. In fact, your political career is a little more than a succession of myths. Firstly, you became the skilled negotiator, then a brilliant businessman. Most recently, you have been playing the character of a anticorruption crusader who is seemingly committed to a capable state, accountability and transparency. If the story ended there, it would be one fantastic fairy-tale.
But like all myths, your persona is built around a fundamental set of untruths. Since you became the President, the myth you so visible hold dear about yourself have run into cold hard reality. In a twist of a poetic irony the fulfilment of your highest ambition is the very thing that is unravelling the many myths that you have stitched together about yourself.
With apologies to the creators of the tv show, there is nothing that busts myths quicker than executive office.
In a little more than 3-years since you became President, the reality of your few weakness has made ... [Inaudible.]... to your founding myths. Where once there was the myth of the skilled negotiator, there is now only a weak and indecisive man who creates a talk shop for every problem he cannot solve. Where once there was the myth of a brilliant businessman, there is now only an opportunist who use Black Economic Empowerment, BEE, to trample on the poor on this way to unfathomable riches. Where once there was the myth of a great anti-corruption governor, there is now only a factional
double-standard.
It is especially the busting of this last myth that this mistaken idea that your administration will magically rise above the greed and corruption coded into the genes of the ANC
that is going to destroy your mythical legacy, Mr President. The latest myth you built promised us a corruption clean up, accountability, good governance and transparency.
In your speech here today, in this very House, you have desperately tried to keep this very myth alive. But the reality is that you are using the suffering of South Africans at the hands of corrupt politicians to protect your cronies while promoting your factional interests. It is as clear as daylight that when it is your allies who are caught looting your enthusiasm for battling corruption is suddenly is suddenly replaced by endless excuses and as we heard again today.
Your own health Minister, the very same person in charge of keeping South Africans alive during global pandemic appears to have helped himself, his family and his friends to steal from the people. You have done nothing but protect him. Your own spokesperson was implicated in looting funds meant to protect South Africa from covid, you have done nothing but protect her. Your own Deputy Minister of State Security who is supposed to protect the people from our enemies, has himself been exposed as an enemy of the people in front of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry. You have done nothing but protect him.
You applying this flagrant double-standard because it is a myth that you have any real interest in cleaning up corruption. You have in fact exposed your real end which is to cynically expose South Africa’s yearning to end corruption in order to deal with your factional enemies and protect your allies. You are using the people of South Africa as pawns in factional freak show, Mr President.
As you reminded us again today, your myth also promised us that you will be accountable and transparent. While almost all other world leaders have regularly taken questions from journalists throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our President runs away from the media after each of his covid monologues.
While leaders like New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern appointed the leader of the opposition to head a special parliamentary committee to exercise covid oversight, our President hides from this House behind the computer screen during questions time.
As for the myth of transparency, please tell us Mr President, why exactly are you so determined to hide the truth about your role in cadre deployment from the people? Why did you refuse to comply with DA’s simple PAJA request to see the records of your cadre deployment committee? Why are you so determined to
spend millions of rands in court at a time when your party already can’t pay salaries just to hide the truth about cadre deployment in public?
Mr President, whether you like it or not the people of South Africa have a right to know what your role was in the appointment of people like Dudu Myeni, Hlaudi Motsoeneng and Arthur Fraser while you were the chairperson of the ANC’s cadre deployment committee. They also have a right to know if you were telling the truth in front of Judge Zondo when you refused to give us straight answers.
You want us to believe that you have no involvement in the appointment of the state capture brigade even though you were the head of the very committee that was designed explicitly to do so. Please don’t insult our intelligence, Mr President.
Instead of myths, we want to receipts. That is why the DA has filed court papers to compel you to comply with our Promotion of Administrative Justice Act PAJA request to make your cadre deployment records public. But if your myth of transparency was true, there would be no reason for us to go to court in the first place, would there?
Finally, this addiction you have to cadre deployment also exposes the myth that you are supposedly interested in building a capable state. When you were under oath in front of Judge Zondo you admitted that you were in the first instance a party person. Your Presidency has made abundantly clear that for you the interest of the ANC always come before the interest of the country.
Instead of supporting the DA’s end cadre deployment Bill to actually build a capable state, you are doubling down on cadre deployment as we speak. This evil system is the foundation of state capture and the collapse of service delivery because it gives your party unconstitutional powers to appoint people to civil service positions on the basis of loyalty to the ANC rather than on the basis of merit.
It is important to be clear about this, while it is normal in any democracy for members of cabinet, premiers, MECs and their political advisors to be appointed by the party, cadre deployment extends the control of the ANC deep into the civil service as well. Cadre deployment is the reason why we see so many spectacularly corrupt and incompetent ANC cadres appointed as directors-general, and chief executive officers, CEOs, of state-owned enterprises instead of competent
professionals. Thousands of talented graduates and experienced professionals are unemployed because of this system of job reservation for ANC cronies.
Cadre deployment is the reason why your government never gets anything done. Many of the people you have appointed to run the civil service could not even run a bath. If you want to see what is possible when cadre deployment is eradicated, simple look at the Western Cape and DA run municipalities.
This are the only governments that get things done precisely
because they don’t do cadre deployment.
Hon Chairperson, while the President continues to mutilate the myths he constructed around himself, South Africans are left to ponder one final question. What happens after a myth goes bust? Fortunately, history is littered with examples for us to learn from. Once a myth is exposed, the people who bought into it feel a deep sense of betrayal and anger and their vengeance is swift. As the people tear down the monuments to the myth and abandon every vestige of the comforting lives they were made to believe, the myth maker is left standing, exposed and alone in the uncompromising gaze of history. Thank you.
Mr B H HOLOMISA: Chairperson, hon President and Deputy President and colleagues, unemployment keeps rising, our economy is not recovering, the mining and agricultural sectors which used to drive our economy can no longer fulfil this function. We have an influx of people from all over the world particularly from Africa. And our ever growing population is now estimated at just over 60 million. These are sobering thoughts, and considering our expansive social security system and what it costs, we need to start reviewing matters and strike a balance before the scales tip.
Mr President, I would like to raise with you the matter of the pension of ex-employees of the former Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda, and Ciskei, TBVC, states, former homelands government and even some of the South African government under the National Party who are not being compensated. They are crying for help and tragically some have died without having this benefit paid to them. I would like to ask you to appoint a task team as clearing house to address this situation once and for all.
With that said, South Africans remain rightfully concerned about several issues that affect their daily lives. For
example, the economy, jobs, crime, corruption, housing, water, electricity, education and health care and so on.
You have stated your intention to fight corruption, Mr President and most of us are convinced of your sincerity. But I am not sure whether those in your management structure are of the same mind and intent. In the business world, merit is rewarded and failure is met with consequence. It is not so in our government; Cabinet Ministers are seen untouchable yet with each embarrassing debacle. Investor confidence drops.
Mr President, the Constitution empowers you to appoint Ministers, but also to remove them, yet you never act, not even when there is evidence with these nauseating exposés of Ministers and their families thriving due to access to government business, like Minister Mkhize and the allegation that he signed the R150 million contract with Digital Vibes which paid for the family’s house improvements, and also gave R300 000 to, and bought a Land Cruiser for his son.
IsiXhosa:
Uliqhawula ngabom, ayikho le nto uyenzayo.
IsiZulu:
USIHLALO WENDLU (Nk M G Boroto): Cha, baba angeke ngikwenze lokho.
IsiXhosa:
Mnu B H HOLOMISA: Hayi uyenzile.
IsiZulu:
USIHLALO WENDLU (Nk M G Boroto): Ngikale isikhathi.
Mnu B H HOLOMISA: Ewe luzakuphela olu rhwaphilizo.
Ms K D MAHLATSI: Hon Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Your Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, Deputy President D D Mabuza, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, members of the House and fellow South Africans, good afternoon. The youth of 1976, on 16 June took apartheid monster head-on. These young revolutionaries were motivated by desire for a better life and a democratic South Africa. This year marks 27 and 25 years of our democracy and the Constitution respectively. As we celebrate these milestones by our mass democratic movement we are mindful of the socioeconomic challenges faced by young people today.
Since 1994, the quality of life for young people has improved significantly with increased access to better higher education. This year is dedicated to Mama Charlothe Maxeke,
the matriarch of liberation struggle against race, class, ender and oppression. We are today still confronted by patriarch and gender-based violence, crime, poverty, unemployment, widening inequalities, societal moral decay and corruption.
In tackling all these challenges moving forward we then should be reminded of the clarion call made by Mama Charlotte Maxeke that, I quote:
We need leadership by men and women who lead by example. Men and women who love Africans who love Africans more than they love themselves, men and women who preach unity and not discord, men and women whose actions are lessons and do not say empty words.
Hon Chair, we all remember that in 2029, during his state of the nation address, the President said this, I quote: “This is the Presidency that is not afraid to act.”
Since then we have seen a lot of action and not mere empty words. On 13 February, acting on his words, this year during the state of the nation address, the President articulated the implementation of the Presidential Youth Employment
Intervention consisting of six priority actions over the next five years to reduce youth unemployment. This initiative is driven by the project management office in the Presidency.
Hon Chair, one of the priority interventions under the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan is the employment of stimulus to create jobs and support livelihoods. The Presidential Employment Stimulus support a range of programmes from expanding public employment to protecting existing jobs and creating new jobs through market-based mechanisms and aims to support livelihoods towards the market recovery. The establishment of the policy unit in the Presidency complements the project management office, PMO, in that it ensures evidence-based policy alignment effectively co-ordinated at provincial and national level.
Hon Chair, we should not commit a mistake of not giving a recognition where is due. As we remember Solomon Kalush Mahlangu one of the, martyrs of the youth struggle and youth emancipation against poverty. We are encouraged that the Presidency, through the National Youth Development Agency and the Department of Small Business Development, has reached the target of about 1 000 young entrepreneurs receiving business support and 15 start-ups will receive support in the Medium-
Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period. A transformative and inclusive economy must proactively include young people and small, medium and micro enterprise, SMME, as participants to help grow the economy. To help reduce the high rate of starter
–ups failures we would like to see increased business support and services made available through the BizPortal.
Hon Chairperson, the global challenge around intellectual property rights on vaccines is an indicative in that the nation’s greatest resource is her people and this human capital needs to be harnessed in order to unleash its greatest innovative and creative potential. There is a great need for a social compacting around the skills revolution programme to help supplement temporal jobs initiatives taken by government and no one should sit idling with capital and be a bystander.
The National Youth Development Agency, NYDA, leads by example. It is led by young people, educated young professionals, unlike the blue and white epitome of white supremacy and white privilege led by those with fake qualifications.
Hon Chairperson, we must thank hon Van Damme in her absence. Thank you, hon Van Damme, for exposing the DA for what it is. These ones will never appreciate young, dynamic, professionals
within their ranks. They started with Lindiwe Mazibuko and you. The question is, who is next?
Chairperson, the ANC thus far. Yesterday we were debating youth. They brought our brothers - black brothers from the DA. Today, we are debating the Budget Vote of the Presidency and the line-up is purely white. Let’s speak about racism.
Chairperson, the ANC is a caring [Interjections.] thus far. The NYDA [Interjections.] Chairperson, I am distracted.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon members, you can heckle, but you cannot drown the speaker. please!
An HON MEMBER: [Inaudible.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Oh, no! This is a debate. It is a point of debate. Proceed, hon member.
Ms K D MAHLATSI: In three consecutive years the NYDA has produced clean audits. This is a clear display of capability by young people. The NYDA has become a catalyst of good governance therefore it is important that as we build state capacity, as we appoint young people, as we appoint CEOs,
directors-general, DGs, and senior managers in government departments and entities, young people must be considered. Thus far the NYDA has assisted over 485 000 young people with life skills and 6 210 own enterprises. They received NYDA grants creating 29 239 jobs that have been sustained. As we increase the budget allocation of the NYDA it will result in the creation of more jobs and enterprises. The ANC as a caring and a listening organisation restarted the process of appointing NYDA board members after young people have raised their concerns about the appointment processes. We remain hopeful that the process of appointing the NYDA board will soon reach finality and the good work of this agency will continue to prevail.
AS We remember president Peter Mokaba and the secretary- general Sindiso Magaqa, the real proponents of economic freedom in our lifetime, we are motivated by Nkosana Mtambo, a young farmer in Vrede in the Free State, whose employees are 75% youth. He contributes meaningfully in agricultural productivity and food security. Mr President, Nkosana said, as young people we are not leading tomorrow, but we are leading now. This is one of the buzz many examples that indicate that young people are ready to become farmers and the expropriation of land without compensation will radically accelerate this
process by pursuing with determination the programmes of land reforms and rural development as part of radical economic transformation.
Hon Chairperson, COVID-19 has expose how land and dispossessions, skewed apartheid spatial development planning and forced removals have over decades produced the inequalities found in our modern day society.
Mr President, there is a landless young person who sleeps in the streets of Cape Town without a home. His name is Jonny. He, along with many others land-hungry young people in the country, has asked me to remind you that the land was stolen; the land must be returned.
Hon Chairperson, if president Siphiwe Zuma and president Sandra Baloyi, proponents of equality free education, were with us today, they would be delighted that education is free for the poor and government is working tirelessly in finding lasting solution for the missing middle. We are encouraging more young people to take up maths and science as subjects as the establishment of the university of science, technology and innovation at Ekurhuleni will nurture and harness our nation’s scientific and technological innovative capacity. We agree
that most needs to be done to expand the higher education and to develop a critical human capacity and capability for socioeconomic transformation.
Hon Chair, the National Student Financial Aid Schema, NSFAS, rights many of us here are beneficiaries of NSFAS. However, there is a need to tighten its administrative capacity.
Mr President, these are trying times and troubling times must remind you of the former general-secretary of the SA Communist Party, Comrade Chris Hani, who in 1967 at the age of 25, led a platoon of young men and women as they were crossing the Zambezi River, full of crocodiles. As a commander he held on to machine guns and grenades. He remained optimistic as he understood the revolutionary mission. In similar vein, Mr President, you are the only commander-in-chief in this House. Hold on to the Economic, Reconstruction and Recovery Plan that you have presented before this House. Do not be deterred by naysayers. Young people of this country have confidence in you and utmost trust in you. On behalf of the ANC I affirm support to Vote 1: Presidency.
Before I leave this House I must respond to hon Malema. Firstly, hon Malema, you must start by attending ad hoc
committee meetings before you come here and throw bullets on us. The ANC is resolute on the expropriation of land without compensation. Maybe where we need to have a conversation is how we are going to achieve it. Secondly, the ANC is accustomed to multiple custodianships. We have never spoken about nationalisation. So if you want nationalisation, go and get it somewhere, and not in the ANC. Thirdly, is our leadership. If you don’t consider Comrade Mathews Phosa as your senior, we do in the ANC. If you want senior leadership maybe you should start coming to those meetings. Thank you very much, Chairperson.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND CO-
OPERATION (Mr A Botes): House Chair, President Ramaphosa, Deputy President Mabuza, and hon members, on this 2nd day of Youth month this speech is dedicated to the memory of my former colleague and youthful firebrand, the late Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy, hon Bavelile Hlongwa.
IsiZulu:
Lala ngoxolo BV, dadewethu.
English:
South Africa continues to execute our foreign policy through the canon of Pan-Africanism, South-South solidarity, South- North co-operation and multilateralism. We do so knowing that our national interest is intertwined, interrelated and integrally infused with the stability, unity and prosperity of Africa. The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly, warned us that “our world is suffering from a Trust Deficit Disorder. Mr President, trust must be earned.
Former Deputy Minister of DIRCO, Dr Aziz Pahad was instructive on the occasion of accepting his honorary doctorate degree from the University of Pretoria, when he said:
We would do well to remember at times like these that we remain bound together as never before as communities of fate, brought together by our mutual vulnerabilities and an abiding sense of solidarity, compassion, and interdependence.
Mr President, by building back better, we are indeed restoring the trust deficit. Franz Fanon cautioned us in his seminal works entitled Black Skin, White Masks that without conceptualisation and a new way of life, the struggle will
rely on the memories of past battles and old formulas and fall back into an unhappy unconsciousness what is called Afro- pessimism and Afro-optimism. We therefore can no longer speak about the Monrovia state, Brazzaville groups, Casablanca powers. We can no longer speak about Anglophone and Francophone. Let us put an end to these terms and this apply to the language content also of the Pan African Parliament.
We require as singular African identity, premised on the African Renaissance.
House Chair, when we assumed the Chair of the African Union in 2020, we supported continental integration, as promised. We are therefore pleased that the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, AfCFTA, came into operationalisation. This AfCFTA agreement has a dialectical rooting from the Lagos Plan of Action and the Abuja Treaty, and is a potent de-colonial instrument that we must use to negate our national grievance of unemployment, poverty and inequality.
We steered the implementation of the Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative, PICI. Mr President, the AU noted with appreciation the progress report you presented as Chair of the Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee’s High-level Sub-Committee on the Presidential
Infrastructure Champion Initiative, PICI. It is therefore my submission that AUDA-NEPAD must collaborate with the African Development Bank, AfDB, in order to support the Africa Co- Guarantee Platform, CGP.
Lastly, Mr President, on the PICI, it would be important that the President do contemplate consider conceptualise. What would be the relationship with China’s Belt and Road initiative, given that too is anchored on infrastructure investment?
We have indeed strengthened co-operation between the African Union and United Nations. South Africa in particular during our two-year term as an elected member of the United Nations Security Council, and occupied a particular proximity with other members of the A3, and other elected members in the E10 formation, with a particular emphasis on those states from the Nonaligned Movement, NAM.
We promoted peace and security in our efforts to implement the AU Master Lusaka Roadmap of “Silencing of the Guns in Africa”, thereby deepening the Aspiration 4 of Agenda 2063, which acknowledge the dialectical relationship between peace and development. It was Patrice Lumumba that reminded us that
African unity and solidarity are no longer dreams. They must be expressed in terms of decisions. We are later elected the AU Assembly, congratulated the decision of South Africa, together with Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal for their pledges to financially support the Peace Fund.
House Chair, systematic work is being done in South Sudan. There is a unity government in place. In Sudan, where there is a peace agreement in place. In Libya, where there is a ceasefire agreement and in Burundi where United Nations Security Council removed the matter from its agenda.
Unfortunately, there remain significant challenges of instability. These include Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, North Kivu in DRC, Tigray in Ethiopia, Sahel and the Great Lakes region and the resurgence of hostilities between Morocco and the people of Western Sahara and potential tensions arising from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
We, in Africa did indeed Deepened Democracy. Over the last year 2020 alone, over 20 African countries held elections that includes Guinea, Mali, Benin, Burundi, Malawi amongst others. As we speak 25 more is destined for a renewal mandate, starting right in South Africa, Zambia, Uganda and Sudan
amongst others both at parliamentary, local and Presidential level.
Madam Chair, we sought to advance gender equality, and we were
... [Inaudible.] ... South Africa that we have been elected as the co-leader of Economic Justice and Rights Action Coalition of the Generation Equality Forum. We want to make this commitment today to South Africa that we will use this global platform to accelerate gender equality and to work in an unending manner for the financial inclusion of African women.
Madam Chair, South Africa continues to participate in
various pluri-lateral platforms such as the G7, G20 and Brics, and we must be seized with the plight of the highly indebted states, and particular the less developed countries, of which
33 are African states, including our immediate neighbours such
as Lesotho and Mozambique. India’s Chairship of
Brics coincides of them being subjected to the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is my submission Mr President, that South Africa should utilise her humanitarian diplomacy to solidify our bonds of friendship with India and her people in particular epoch of need. Mr President, there is high-level support from China and Russia for the operationalisation of
the Brics Vaccine Research and Development Centre, as approved by the Johannesburg Brics Summit in 2018. It therefore becomes important Mr President that, as the AU COVID-19 champion, we conceptualise and visualise what potential leverage we can draw as Africa in our own quest for local vaccine manufacturing and this particular Brics’ initiative?
Madam Chair, on solidarity South Africa must remain steadfast against the unilateral economic sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe by the US and UK administrations. We alerted Minister Pandor on behalf of our President ... [Inaudible.] ... food security interventions on Africa Day. Mr President. this is humanitarian diplomacy par excellence and is part of our value proposition of Ubuntu.
Madam Chair, what is important the President should to express your attitude on the overarching mandate of his special envoy to realise dialogue between the state and non-state actors.
The plight of Western Sahara I think South Africa should hail the determined leadership of German with which South Africa stands for the rights of self-determination of Sahara people. Morocco, I can report, Madam Chair, has suspended all contacts with the German Embassy in Rabat because of the quest for self-determination.
As we speak about Western Sahara, we must equally solidify our relationship with Cuba, through our economic diplomacy instrument such as the Economic Assistance Package Agreement with Cuba. As South Africa, Mr President, should in a very an unequivocal manner touches our support for Cuba during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, resolution, which speaks about entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo against the people of Cuba.” Madam Chair, that vote is on 23 June 2021.
It was Madiba that has said “South Africa’s freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestine people.” We must be elated as South Africans that the UN Human Rights Council has agreed to launch an open-ended international investigation into the plight of the Palestinian people.
House Chair, as I conclude, the President has reset the trust button and has earned his stripes. Thank you very much.
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Thank you House Chairperson. Let me the NFP will support the Budget Vote on Presidency. But, having said that I just want thank the Deputy Minister hon Botes who just said a few things particularly on the issue of Palestine.
That’s not where I was going to start but let me continue from there.
President, two years ago I reminded you in this very House about the need to downgrade the South African Embassy in Israel, to put pressure on Israel so that they could comply with international law. Mr President, you said that it was in a process and you were just busy with the logistics and yes indeed it will be implemented. But two years later Mr President that has not happened.
Let us not forget the role of that some of these countries like Palestine and others played when we were being oppressed by the apartheid regime pre 1994.
What is worse Mr President is that whilst you make some statements and we accept those statements and we commend you for that but very little action is seen. And when I say action, on the one hand Mr President you talk about the abuse and rightfully so that the people are suffering at the hands of Israelites but on the other hand selling arms to Israel.
So, I think we need to look at that and be consistent in terms of our argument.
Mr President, I want to applaud you on your stance that you’re taking on the issue of corruption in the country and rightfully so. The concern that I have Mr President, if you
look at what has happened with the state owned entities, it was actually captured and it was captured by the ANC and there is no doubt about that.
So, now we want to know what measures you’re going to put in place to ensure that those that are employed particularly the board members in these state owned entities are going to be those who have the capacity and have the highest level of integrity in order to prevent what has happened before? That’s the other challenge that we have.
Now, the other problem that we’re talking about here is that we are talking about localization and again we welcome that. But you cannot on the one hand talk about localizing and enhancing the manufacturing industry but allowing South Africa to be a free for all in terms of the cheap imports that are coming so that our local manufactures cannot compete at all.
Over and above that if you look at the labour cost of foreigners living in South Africa that are being paid R60 a day and that is why they are being employed and locals are not being employed because you have to pay them the minimum wage. Mr President, these are some of the things that we need to address and address as a matter of urgency.
The other problem is if you look in the health sector, it’s in a crisis. There’s no doubt about it. Look at the role of [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Unfortunately, hon Shaik Emam, check your ...
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: [Inaudible.] and SAPHRA is one of those that is captured in South Africa and I want you to look at that.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you
Mr S N AUGUST: Chairperson, it’s hon August, I had network
problems.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Yes, I was told you are on the platform and I was prepared to call you and give you an opportunity to speak. This is the time hon August.
Mr S N AUGUST: Hon Chairperson, hon Mr President, members of the House. The latest announcement of our unemployment statistics at a staggering 32,6% does not paint an optimistic outlook for our economy. With Covid-19 further exacerbating,
it’s by closing our boarders, shutting down many businesses and putting pressure, we now need leadership to take us out of rough waters.
The question is, how do we do this while still in recovery and the possibility of a third wave looming? One of our biggest asset at our disposal is to build, rebuild and invest in infrastructure development.
Whilst GOOD welcomes the Presidency’s commitment to infrastructure investment, that should not be government’s job alone. Every sector must hit the call to put South Africa back on track. Government requires partnership with the private sector to ensure that successful implementation of our country’s infrastructure investment plan to increase resources and create the necessary jobs that are so desperately needed.
Chair, while we put energy into investing in our country, let us also not forget to invest in our people. GOOD has been calling for the implementation of the basic income grant and while slowly there has been progressed to our work. Numbers do not lie. With Covid-19 having left more people without work, the basic income grant could be the fine line between our people living on or out of poverty. We can no longer afford to
delay the permanent basic income grant to address the needs of our most marginalised citizens.
Hon Chair, in this time of extreme economic difficulty and hardship, the way we spend each cent of our budget counts. It is not just the eradicating corruption and stamping out maladministration but we also need exteriority, sensibility and leadership.
GOOD also welcomes the recently established infrastructure built anti-corruption forum launch by Minister Patricia de Lille and the SIU, Special Investigation Unit, just under a week ago. This forum is a clear sign that we need all of society to work together to effectively detect, prevent and fight corruption.
As we wrap up this budget, let us not retreat back into our chambers only to re-emerge in a month or three and repeat what we have said. Covid-19 has effected every part of our society and at home. GOOD encourages those who have not registered for the vaccine to do so. It is only together and in collaboration that we will win the battle against it. GOOD supports the budget. Thank you Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you hon August. I am not sure whether it was your Minister speaking through your voice because the picture on the screen was that of the Minister of Public Affairs and Infrastructure.
Mr S N AUGUST: Yes, Chairperson, So sorry, we’re together, I’m
with the Minister.
The MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY FOR WOMEN, YOUTH AND PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES: Hon Chairperson; Your Excellency, President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa; Your Excellency, Deputy President David Mabuza and hon members, I wish to support the statements by both the President and the Deputy President. As we continue to celebrate the year of Mma Charlotte Makgomo Manye Maxeke, who was one of the outstanding leaders of the liberation struggle who traversed effortlessly from politics to religion, education, community development, and women empowerment, fighting patriarchy and as early as 1913 fighting to end pass laws. The Presidency continues to prioritise the interests and issues of women, youth and persons with disabilities.
We want to go beyond ... [Inaudible.] ... of these sectors but look into how women, youth and persons with disabilities are befitting for government’s investment in infrastructure
development, including energy projects. Hon Chairperson, gender-based violence and femicide, GBVF, which has been declared as a second pandemic remains a vaccine to our country’s image. All of us must continue to speak out and report at any instance of such. What is paining me - and I am sure the majority of South Africans - is that some of these women are murdered by the people who should be giving them protection and love.
The government is committed to eradicating this pandemic which requires the collective efforts of all sectors of our society. Since the launch of the National Security Plan, NSP, and the gender-based violence and femicide in April last year, we are working tirelessly to co-ordinate and monitor the implementation of this plan. Remarkable progress has been made in implantation including the following: One, working together with the inter-ministerial committee that was appointed by His Excellency, the President; number one monthly progress report on the implementation of the NSP was admitted to the President; number two, national departments have integrated their NSPs priorities in their departments annual plans and having reporting against their annual targets; three; we are working with provinces and districts to integrate their NSP into their provincial departmental plans,
districts development plans and the establishment of rapid response teams; four, the inter-ministerial committee on gender-based violence continues to oversee the implementation of the national strategic plan by playing a key facilitation role 80; five, we have developed a draft Bill to establish a national council of gender-based violence and femicide that will co-ordinate the implementation of the NSP to ensure that as a nation we eradicate gender-based violence and femicide in this decade and we will be consulting on this matter very soon.
We also are working with different development partners outside this country, our friends, especially those who are willing and are appreciative what we are trying to do, like the ... [Inaudible.] ... on the Bill, the Melinda and Gates Foundation and the Ford Foundation. We are also engaged through the European Union through National Treasury on a massive program on gender equality and women’s empowerment. I did not refer to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS, because those are our natural allies. We continue to develop practical programs with partners. We have embarked on a gender sensitive drives with taxi ranks. Working with taxi drivers, marshals and taxi owners, we have been
engaged on breaking gender stereotypes addressing sexual harassment and gender-based violence on public transport.
In February 2021, the President launched the private sector gender-based violence and femicide response fund with the initial amount of R128 million, which was raised then. The fund follows the principles enshrined in the National Strategic Plan of harnessing the roles, responsibilities, resources of all stakeholders and partnerships. Strengthening and co-ordination is a key aspect of the work that we do. Hon Chairperson, gender inequality is a challenge that must be addressed now. As you are aware, about 25 years since women’s conference in Beijing, there is no country in the world that has reached the gender equality and women economic empowerment. Maybe we need another Makgomo to come and give us a push. In this regard, United Nation, UN, women have come with the concept of generation equality forum, which is a campaign that aims to radically shift the middle in order to achieve climate 5050 by 2030. Let me quickly say that we are part of this.
When the country was invited to co-lead at the action coalition, that will accelerate implementation of this goal and commitments, the President raised his hand to co-lead the
action on the coalition on economic justice and rights on the action coalition and on gender-based violence. We have been busy with the global steering committees developing blueprints for the different action coalitions that will accelerate and catalyse the change that we want to see. These draft blueprints were printed at the ministerial ... [Inaudible.]
... forum that took a place in Mexico, where I had an opportunity to participate at the end of March. The different action coalitions are busy refining the blueprints that will represent at the ... [Inaudible.] ... forum that will take place in Paris at the end of June 2021.
We need different strategies and commitments and make us in order to join the global campaign to bring that shift that we want to change agenda and ensure that the 50% of the population globally occupy 50% of leadership positions and have generational wealth. It shouldn’t just be political, but it must also be on wealth. We are calling everyone on this country to also raise their hands to be committed to say, I do, I really want to see my country to be part of this. Hon Chairperson, economic empowerment is an integral part and component of all efforts to improve the lives of women, youth and persons with disabilities. We call upon the private sector and other partners to do their heads. To realize this goal.
There is an increased need to private sector to drive economic growth and employment. The Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan offers an opportune moment to rebuild the economy with those who have been marginalised to be in the center of development.
The inclusion and participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities in all four of the interventions of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, ERRP, being the infrastructure allowed increased local production, employment stimulus to create jobs and support levels and the rapid expansion of our energy generation capacity is a national imperative. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has come as a shock and has crippled our economy. It has further plugged progress towards economic empowerment and participation of the women and people with disabilities lack words. The provincial employment stimulus initiative is an important an intervention in terms of the impact that it has on the livelihoods of the women, youth and persons with disabilities.
In conclusion, let us continue to work together to advance the plight of the interests of our people especially women, youth and persons with disabilities. By so doing, we will be true to our great grandmother, Charlotte Makgomo Manye Maxeke. Let us
remember her words as we wake up and go to sleep. Let us remember what motivated her to do all the things that we said she was doing and that we will follow, and I quote, she said; this work is not for yourselves, kill that spirit of “self” and do not leave above your people but live with them. If you can, please, bring someone with you.
Sepedi:
Re a leboga setlogolo sa Ditubatse. Phala t?a mona marula di a tloga. O ?omile; o re bont?hit?e tsela ya nnete. Re tla leka go go ?ala morago.
English:
I thank you.
Mr L M NTSHAYISA: Thank you very much House Chair. It is just unfortunate that there is no committee providing oversight on this vote. How I wish that you establish one then you elect me as a chairperson. Chair, this report is in accordance with our expectations, that is why as the AIC we do support it.
Mr President, when you spoke about the quality of life and poverty as you were quoting from the former President Tata Rolihlahla Mandela, I was a little bit touched when I think of
those that live below the poverty line and those that always go to bed with empty stomachs. We hope that ...
Afrikaans:
... dit eendag beter sal wees.
English:
You also mentioned that you are responsible for Cabinet, and signed performance work agreements with them. Mr President, let them pull up their socks. I was expecting that you would at least tell us how far they have been assessed. Mr President, we do appreciate that you are in a position now to answer – rather they are in a position to answer the questions from the MPs since there is this there is this virtual platform. Perhaps they were not very comfortable with coming to the house.
You spoke of the National Development Plan. I think that one should be fully implemented so that the country is taken forward.
Mr President coming to the local government, municipalities are in a great state of despair, in terms of generating their revenue. There is a lot of corruption that is happening there.
Local communities are pinning their hopes on the municipalities as it is government closer to them. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs must really play its role.
Your government’s quick response to the cOVID-19 pandemic should be really appreciated. If it were not for the efforts you have made, we would be talking a different story in terms of death. The balance between the serving lives and livelihoods is well managed. However, the vaccination rollout is moving at a slow pace, compared to the speed at which this virus is moving. We wish there should be more research into the various forms of this research. That we have more COVID-19 recoveries than death makes us happy, but we wish that there should be no death at all.
Mr President, le t us create jobs as you promised through you Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, and it should be implemented. The issues of racism in our schools is a great concern Mr President. Something must be done about this.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon Ntshayisa, you can check your screen, it is red. I have tried to give you some seconds but you ...
Mr L M NTSHAYISA: Thank you very much.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: House Chair, while they are cleaning the microphone, I wonder if I could just raise up an issue that has come up a few times during the course of these debates. House Chair, when we had a protocol officer, one thing we were taught is when we leave the podium, you leave and you come up the steps and then you walk around the backway because if you cross like this, it is called crossing the floor.
I think some of the new members do not realise that you are not allowed to actually cross the floor at the diagonal when you come off the podium, you go straight onto the steps. It is more just a reminder because I wouldn’t want anyone to be called out of order just because he didn’t know that. Thank you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Did it happen? Unfortunately, I didn’t see it. Please it is a fact that, this a secrete zone here. You can’t walk when the Mace is in the House. Thank you.
Mr W M MADISHA: Because of time, let me start with the conclusion ...[Laughter] ... and say, Mr president the first thing that I want to raise is what I have raised with you on two occasions. That is, South Africa has a lot of money. We are number six as you know because you are in the mining sector. So there is a lot of money but which just disappears.
What I have proposed on two occasions is, firstly reduce your executive. We have a lot of ministers, most of whom are basically not doing anything. That is a major, major problem. Even the departments that we have, most of those particular departments are not even necessary. Therefore, I propose to you once again that, some of them need to be merged, just like we have done with communications and there is no change at all, everything is just going forward.
Secondly, I propose that you reduce your Deputy Ministers, many of whom are not even known by this Parliament or the South Africans, whom those Deputy Minsters are supposed to serve. Mr President, one has without doubt positively concluded that, the majority of those Deputy Ministers are in actual fact members of staff as they do not even know what they must do. That is why the majority of them never even come to this House. If they do of course by any chance, they cannot
even respond to questions or even give clarity whenever anything is raised. The poor people simply disappear.
I am therefore saying Mr President; you need to do your best. You were a trade union leader and therefore, let us save these people. I propose again that you save important state-owned entities, SOEs such as the SABC. Money disappears in SOEs.
That is why we are here, there is real, true corruption. I believe we need to explain what corruption is. I was born in a village ...[Inaudible] ... grew up in a township. If you talk about corruption, the poor people there do not know what corruption is. It means ...
Sepedi:
O a utswa!
IsiZulu:
... uyantshontsha ...
Afrikaans: Jy steel.
English:
... you are a thief. People need to understand that wherever they are. Therefore, some of these Ministers are within that king of category and Mr President, you have got to deal with that.
Sepedi:
MODULASETULO WA NGWAKO (Moh M G Boroto): Se?iro seo ge se thoma se eba se sehubedu se ra gore o tloge moo. Re t?wela pele ka ANC. Mme Pilane-Majake?
Ms M C C PILANE-MAJEKE: Thank you, hon Chairperson of the House, His Excellency, the President, Deputy President hon D D Mabuza, the Chief Whip of the Majority Party, hon Pemmy Majodina, the Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party, Doris Dlakude, members of the National Assembly, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, as we continue to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, we continue to prioritize, as part of the constitutional imperative, and transform our nation through efficient and effective service delivery by all spheres of government.
The successes lie amongst ... [Inaudible.] ... in the ability of the three spheres of government to work connectively. The
mandates across the three spheres of government remains mutually reinforcing and inclusive despite their differences. Through the President's Coordinating Council, the Presidency holds consultative discussions with all three spheres of government on various and patent issues to address governance in a coherent manner.
Hon House Chairperson, the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the importance of this co-ordination of the role of the Presidency. One of the governance capabilities enhanced by the experience of the pandemic, is the central strategic direction the Presidency provides in ensuring all spheres of government contributes in fighting the pandemic. The establishment of the National Coronavirus Command Council and similar command councils at provincial and local government level, has enabled government to mobilise all social partners in supporting government in societal effort to save the lives and the livelihoods of so many.
The philosophy which have guided the response to COVID-19 pandemic, has led the three spheres of government to work together with all partners towards the improved economic, social and health conditions for South Africans. Now, I want opposition critics to listen to this carefully because no
matter how you say it; it is always watered down by political points scoring sentiments to try and sway the South Africans votes to their side.
The community survey of 2019 conducted by Statistics SA, shows that government has made a significant progress in basic service delivery at local government level over the past few decades - not over the months - but over the past few decades. It would actually be inclusive of all the years since the dawn of democracy.
The community survey showed that 82% of all households resides in informal dwellings. The percentage of households that receive government subsidy to access housing increase from 5% in 2002 to 14% in 2019. In the same period, access to clean water also improved from 84% to 88%; sanitation improved from 61% to 82%, quite a drastic change in the development and progress for the people of South Africa. When it comes to sanitation, it’s bye-bye ... [Inaudible.] ... and the bucket systems that people had to endure over the apartheid system, even water and electricity.
Setswana:
Batho ba rona ba itse gore fa o ne o le ko magaeng, o ne o ka se kgone go bona metsi. O ne o sa kgone le go bona motlakase.
English:
It was just a dream to have electricity and water. But now, all over South Africa, even in remote rural areas there is electricity – there is water.
Setswana:
Le kwa ... [Inaudible.] ... fa o kaya kwa teng, o tla fitlhela go nale metsi le motlakase.
English:
With electricity, the improvement has moved from 76% to 85%. The ... [Inaudible.] ... delivery on the election manifesto by the Presidency has also articulated in the Sona address; the promises we make, as the ANC, are the promises we keep; they aren’t perfect, but they are good enough for people who comes from a difficult past that diminished them. This is a reflection of a clear decisive co-ordination work between the Presidency and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, COGTA, that have managed to improve at the coalface the quality of life for the people of South Africa.
The sixth administration under the guidance of the Presidency, has even introduced the District Development Model to harness vertical intergovernmental relations that institutionalised
co-ordination, planning and budgeting of services across the three spheres of government. This model is critical to respond in a well-resourced and co-ordinated manner to specific problems facing South Africans. This is because the ANC-led government, is a government that cares. That is the approach of optimising technical and scare skills within government to support areas that are lacking capabilities for improved service delivery.
A District Development Model championed by the Presidency has led to local economic development using buying power of the state to support local economic development. This intergovernmental mechanism utilised to unblock service delivery, has also hindered results from the public private growth initiative, such as mentorship for emerging farmers including women farmers. The public private growth initiative has also been instrumental in establishment of community participation initiatives, inclusive of women and ... [Inaudible.] ... and key industries such as mining, game farming, ICT and tourism.
The implementation of national policy and legislation across the three spheres of government, is one of the key functions of the Presidency to ensure that national policies and legislation are implemented across all spheres of government. We do acknowledge with legislative framework that South Africa has got and the challenges implementation level. Thus the continued effort to improve capacity intergovernmental.
Working with fundamental principles of constitutional democracy, the Presidency put social compact at the centre of
... [Inaudible.] ... government interventions. Government alone cannot address challenges of South Africans, including poverty, unemployment and inequality. All social partners from labour business, professionals, academia, civil society, etc., have to work collectively in unity with government to address the injustices of the past. Such cohesion is fundamental to nation building and can also translate into growth, development and investment for South Africa.
Yes, we can build the dreams of Tata Mandela and O R Tambo in this our land, our country, we all fought so hard for. This dream is about shared vision, freedom we happily live because the dream they had, they never thought it was going to have the kind of challenges that we have. And, as long as the
inequality levels are at the point we are heading in South Africa, with the very few with the wealth of the country and the rest with nothing, we can never say we have come to realise our freedom as South Africans.
This country building sentiment is guided by the National Development Plan, NDP, that charges us with the responsibility of building capable and developmental state, which not only deliver services to the people of South Africa, but also actively champions, socio economic development. The previously oppressed, the masses of the people of South Africa, must be rescued from poverty. The previously oppressed, the masses of the people of South Africa, must be allowed to share in the wealth of the country.
To this effect, legislative regulatory problematic interventions by government, continues to be executed under the leadership of the Presidency. Another example, hon House Chairperson, of critical presidential interventions supported by this Budget Vote is Spatial Planning and Development. The NDP proposes the Spatial Development Framework, that supports Integrated Development Planning across all spheres in pursuit of National Spatial Development Framework. The co-ordination
... [Inaudible.] ... planning system in the Presidency, seeks
to promote transformation through realignment of location of industrial and commercial ... [Inaudible.] ... in relation to human settlements with citizens ... [Inaudible.] ... The ANC supports Vote No 1 of The Presidency. I thank you, hon Chairperson of the House. [Time expired.]
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Thank you House Chairperson Boroto, Mr President and members of the House. The President proudly told us today that the Constitution demands of us to create a capable and developmental state. We stand here now in what can only be described as a failed state.
We often talk about reaching the cliff and how often we have to stop just the fall at all costs. I am here to say that we have now fallen off the cliff and the only hope we have to save us is the rapid and strong balanced capable parachute being deployed and being deployed immediately.
It must be able to be steered even in strong winds and with communication with grant control being as such that when we finally touch down it is with an easy hop, skip and a jump and not a sudden jolt that requires a trip to the emergency ward for multiple fractures and uncontrolled breathing. In other words, the centre must hold.
The centre must be able to outweigh the extreme pull of the left just as it must the extreme pull of the right. A balanced centre is now our only hope just like a parachute package checked over and over again.
So, to our Presidency, who is metaphorically controlling the parachute needs to be checked over and over again. Herein lies the problem, there are no checks and balances. One step to the left and the President has the fishiest breathing down his neck. One step to the right and the ace of spades is ready to cash in the full house.
I have to be honest, it used to terrify me that we were a sheer breath away from having Deputy President Mabuza as our President. I’m now at a point where I lose sleep over the fact that we are one suspension letter away from having Mr Ace Magashule as the President.
What is actually going on here? Who is in charge of what, who holds the reigns, who is tracking our path? What I do know is this, together with millions and millions of South Africans, I am sick of having an unelected want to be Prime Minister who just continues to extend the Disaster the Management Act at will.
I am done begging for the vaccine. We as South Africans need to stop saying thank you for things that are our basic rights. When you look at the scale of politics, the people have the power, the politicians actually have no power whatsoever. It is up to the people to realise one step forward or one step back and the politicians come tumbling down.
Every single family meeting I sit in front of the TV hoping for something new to be said, hoping for an announcement that those who have stolen from us, who are actually killing us have been sent to where they belong and that 60 million vaccines will arrive tomorrow morning to get our country on the mend. Back to school, back to work, back to some sense of safety. But, no I am told to wear my mask and wash my hands.
Chairperson, I wear my mask and my hands are raw from washing them. But, you know and I know that until I have the vaccine, I am a dead woman walking. This virus knows no gender, money, race and it is unpredictable.
Mr President, you should have made sure that I was safe. You should have made sure that all South Africans were safe.
Minister, my health should not be embroiled in a Covid-19 corruption scandal that makes my eyes watery. We need the
truth and the President needs to come clean and tell the whole country what went down the very day after lockdown.
Only the DA wrote in full support to every single one of the Ministers and offered their unconditional help. Let me tell South Arica what happened. Not one single Minister wrote back and accepted the offer of help.
Mr President, you say Thuma Mina and when I come to your office say ...
Sesotho:
... tsamaya wena.
English:
It is all talk, it is no action. Let us stop using this royal “we” when we refer to Parliament. My party is here to work; my party gets things done. The governing party is here too but they’re here to look for the next tender and see who gets the next suspension letter.
I know who I trust in the pandemic and I’ll tell you what, the residents of the Western Cape know who they trust too. I thank you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you. I’m told the Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women has got connection problems and the Chief Whip of the Majority Party will see how to distribute the minutes to the colleagues as we call on the PAC.
The MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL
DEVELOPMENT: House Chairperson Boroto, President Ramaphosa, Deputy President Mabuza, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members of this House, ladies and gentlemen, as the ANC, we support Vote 1, the Presidency. We do so because of the role that this highest office play in the leadership of the government and society.
Mr President, you have given a broad account of how, as a leader of this government, through the co-ordination of the whole of government in the past year, you have done in executing your function. You have openly acknowledged challenges that we still have and which we must address. We have given a vision of how we need to do this anchored on the ethical and capable state that we must have. Over the last two years, new words have entered our lexicon and vocabulary, coronavirus, COVID-19 amongst the obvious and recently, Mr President and hon members, we've begun to talk about the third
wave. As we know, everything seems to happen in waves. Our economy is said to be waves of crash and boom. Of crest and troughs. Our life is about different ups and downs. It is how we manage ourselves in times of the ups, as much as we manage ourselves in times of the downs. And so today, as we speak about the impending third wave, I'm reminded of the words of Russian American author Vladimir Nabokov, who says, “the breaking of a wave, cannot explain the whole scene”.
Mr President, you reminded us as a country and as this House, that each time we're expected to ride this wave, we must ride this wave so that we can come down from the crest and we're able to make the most out of the trough. Reflecting on the time when we discovered the first case of COVID-19 in our country, we all knew there were critical and bold decisions that had to be made to contain, control and attend to those who were already infected and affected.
What did we do in terms of containment through closing the borders and maintaining that the movement is curtailed between our provinces? We were able to ensure that we contain the acceleration of the spread of the virus. Through control, we started the screening and testing campaign so that we can know where to go and at what time. We mobilised all available
resources within the state and society. Within the Department of Agriculture seven ... [Inaudible.] ... extractor platforms were given over to the Department of Health and the NCD.
Thirty-eight mobile clinics or veterinary services were repurposed so that they can assist the Health Department and these were sent to various provinces for accelerating the testing capacity. However, no one anticipated the nature and extent of the disruptions that were to follow as this was a novel virus not known in human history. Decisive action and speed were required.
It was for this reason that the government developed a two- pronged strategy of saving lives and livelihoods. This strategy is what guided our intervention supported by our scientific community. And I would like to pay tribute to the members of our advisory committee, the scientist of our country who have been able to guide us and continue to do so till this day.
The setting up of the National Coronavirus Command Council, the Ministry Advisory Council and the Presidential Co- ordinating Council have been critical to co-ordinate the country's response. The District Development Model was tested
in action as various districts became the co-ordinating centres at local level in mobilising local action.
What did we do? As many are asking what happened, through your leadership a financial package to support communities and businesses were done allowing essential services to operate in order to save lives continued. That is why when you look at agricultural performance in 2020, it did very well owing to the decisions you and the Cabinet made. Food security interventions to support the vulnerable were done led by the Department of Social Development in a number of our provinces working with nongovernmental organisation.
Immediately we also ensured that we sourced the needed personal protective equipment, PPEs, but we also through our localisation process, developing new ones. Today, as a country, we have developed about 17 million masks. We now produce ventilators in this country, something we did not do before. We've also sent to our continent about R2 billion worth of sanitisers, as well as the masks.
Rolling out in the continent we've ensured that we support where it was necessary. We also made sure that we roll out water services to schools and communities. As I speak about
these interventions, it is important for me to say to the families, friends and comrades who lost their loved ones even in this very House, we wish to extend our condolences.
To our frontline workers and our essential workers in the health sector, the public sector, farmers, farmworkers and all the workers in the various sectors of the economy, we wish to say, thank you for the work you did and continue to do during this pandemic. To our traditional leaders and religious leaders of all faiths, we express our gratitude for the leadership you've exhibited during this challenging time in history and count on you to continue as the virus remains very much with us. As we all know our resilience is not because we see it on top of the wave. It is not borne from good times, but a recognition that our destinies are all intertwined.
COVID 19 revealed this fact once again. We need to use this wave to bring us together because we cannot ride it alone.
We need our social partners and leaders to come together so that we can ride this wave. The contribution of business and fellow South Africans through the Solidarity Fund to ensure that we have additional resources to respond to various
societal challenges exemplified the spirit of Ubuntu and solidarity.
As we build back better through the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Strategy announced by the President in October 2020, we continue to rely on the support and commitment of our business, labour, civil society and all social partners. You have correctly identified the need for a speedy roll-out of vaccines. We have started indeed albeit very slow, not owing to the unwillingness on your part and your government but because of the scarcity of the vaccines globally.
The sourcing of vaccines has taken into consideration all available vaccines globally that respond to our 501.V2 variant that was found on our shores. So it's not because we're excluding any vaccines such as Sinopharm or Sputnik V, that cannot be further from the truth. Building our vaccine capacity is also being explored under your leadership to ensure that we are able to deal with the necessary vaccine roll-out in our country.
You led, as the chairperson, in Africa, at a very challenging time, but you did a sterling job. Beyond our borders as the African Union, AU, chair, President Ramaphosa helped establish
the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team as a support structure for the Africa vaccine strategy that was endorsed by the Africa Bureau of Heads of State and the government.
This strategy has secured 1 billion doses of vaccine for Africa of which South Africa will receive its allocation. Moreover, South Africa occupies the co-chair of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, a multinational body that advocates for, establishes partly in access to COVID-19 tools worldwide.
I must also take some time to acknowledge the work that the Presidency has been doing on the land reform matter. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Land and Agriculture has
brought the necessary co-ordination in driving land reform and reviewing policies and regulation as well as an institutional mechanism to improve our capacity. It, therefore, is far from the truth that you, as Mr President leading our government, are not serious about land reform. The fact that you have instructed that government must release state-owned land as part of its contribution to land reform is evidence that we all know.
And I would like to say to hon Malema, with respect, it is not correct that President Ramaphosa is not committed to the resolution of the land question in our country or even not committed to supporting the resolution of the ANC on the land question. I think it's important to remind all of us that when the ANC made a decision to have expropriation without compensation as one of the mechanisms to fast-track land reform, it gave a proviso that this must be done without impacting negatively on the agricultural economy and other sectors of the economy.
And this is what any government that leads do. You need to be pragmatic. You need to ensure that you don't become disruptive in attaining the goals. But I also want to say in the negotiation process, it's important when we engage with faith, it cannot be that the engagements that have been going between parties on how we intervene in the parliamentary process can now be made as part of the debate when one of those parties who saying so has asked for the extension. It is disingenuous in my view. [Applause.] But also the issue of custodianship, I think it's important to deal with in my view because as a country, we do have that system. And it is for that reason that a number of communities in rural areas, particularly under traditional authorities, have been asking the government
to transfer that land to themselves because for many years since 1913 they had been made children in the land of their forefathers.
And whenever we look at custodianship, from the ANC point of view, it is a temporary measure while the government holds the land for the transfer to the citizens, not to hold it for itself. When even the PAC was saying ...
IsiZulu:
... Izwe Lethu! [Ubuwelewele.]
English:
They were saying so because, indeed, part of the wars of dispossession was about the land itself which was taken from those who were the original owners. It is for that reason that the ANC, when it took up the decision in 1912 to form a party, among its objective was to deal with land dispossession. So when we talk about land in the context of that history, it's about returning that asset to its rightful owners, for identity, for spirituality but also territorial markers so that when I say, this is my territory, it is indeed an identity for me in part. [Applause.] So we will continue to
drive the quest for land reform unflinchingly. And I think, Mr President, as the Zulus would say ...
IsiZulu:
... akukho soka elingenasici. Kukhona okungenzeka endleleni osihola ngayo kanye noHulumeni wakho kubekhona amaphutha lapha nalaphaya kodwa akusho lokho ukuthi awusemuhle. Akusho lokho ukuthi awuwenzi umsebenzi wakho. Ngithanda nje ukusho ukuthi, singuKhongolose sigculisekile ngendlela leli hhovisi lakho elisihola ngayo. Qhubeka, Mongameli, sinawe. [Ihlombe.]
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Hon House Chair, we have in His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa a President that have wiped out the myth that the DA will ever rule and return South Africa like it was in the darkest days of apartheid.
Never again, never again President Mandela promised, and I believe that promise will be kept. Yet we hear in debate after debate South Africa will be better under the DA rule. The Western Cape is changing its constitution to be our first white homeland. The DA and some other parties must read about a myth of the century rather than to listen to the myth that the DA has said in this House. This can be found in the best seller by Emeritus Professor Sand of Tel Aviv University in
his bestseller The invention. Let me not spoil what has been written in the book by telling you about it. Go and read it.
The DA is selective about myths. Don’t be shaken by them Your Excellency Present Ramaphosa. It is the most unpatriotic thing to say South Africa is a failed state. That is what goose and ganders say. The DA is a party of goose and ganders and dead people walking. How can South Africa be ruled by dead people walking? It is unacceptable that our missions abroad marginalised women. In some like Saudi Arabia there is not a single woman. This morning I praised the ambassador of Saudi Arabia for attending our portfolio meeting but he cannot agree that we have appointment of women of their sensitivities. How do we set examples to the world? Where is the oversight and the Minister Women? Where is oversight on the same Minister?
Where is the dignity under Muslim women?
Muslim women marriage was launched 10 years ago. Before Christmas the Appeal Court made a judgment that the Muslim Marriage Act be in operation by November 2022. The same Minister knows that the marriage in Home Affairs is in Green Paper which the Minister has approved as part of the Cabinet which states that the earliest a single marriage to be in place is 2024, two years later than the adjustment of the
Appeal Curt. Where is the oversight of the Minister? Al Jama- Ah calls the Minister in her busy schedule to support interim register Muslim Marriage called the Nikah. By not having registered a Nikah it means women do not have legal consequence. after 20 Acts of Parliaments. We ask the Minister to support Al Jama-Ah’s private member’s Bill which is in the Bills office. It can’t be under your watch Minister and the Presidency do nothing to fast-track the interim arrangements while we wait for 2024. So all we ask since the struggle of apartheid and nearly 30 years in democracy and 25 years of the Constitution giving Muslim women their dignity, their Nikah be registered and the consequences and the provision ... [Time expired.]
SeSotho:
MODLASETULO WA NTLO (Ms M G Boroto): Ntate Makhosini Shabangu, re a kopa tsweetswee tlhe, matsatsi otlhe ...
English:
... your mic is always on and disruptive. Please, please! Maybe he is not even aware. Please, hon Makhosini Shabangu, please, switch off, your mic. Even the Deputy Speaker yesterday referred to the same member. Thank you.
The DEPUTY MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY: Hon House Chair,
President Ramaphosa, Deputy President D D Mabuza, Acting Minister in the Presidency Ntshaveni, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities, Mme Maite-Koane Mashabane, Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize, all Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Minister, hon members, fellow South Africans, everybody else, ladies and gentlemen, good evening. It is a pleasure for me to participate in this important Budget Vote for the Presidency. We present this Budget Vote amidst a devastating pandemic, which is COVID-19. It has turned our lives around and badly so. Many of our people have sadly lost their lives and others have lost their valuable income, and it remains as a stressful situation for us as South Africans.
In all these untold stories of devastation, some of the unique qualities of our resilient as a nation have emerged and we continue to serve our people with particular pillars, resilience and courage. Among them we saw South Africans draw from their strained resources to ensure that they are able to survive. We want to appreciate the courage which South Africans have done to ensure that amidst the regulations which this government and this sixth administration has been able to
do, they are able to comply. They have even been able to comply to when we talk to them about wear mask, sanitise, social distance, stay at home and do not move around. They have been able to engage with us and we want to appreciate to what they have been able to do.
As the Presidency, what we have heard from the Minister, the President and the Deputy President is that we continue to be resilience and ensuring that we service our people and ensure that the manifesto of the ANC becomes a reality.
You will note fellow South Africans and Members of Parliament that we have been able, through the Presidential Hotline, to digitalise it to ensure that we create much better platforms for south Africans to be able to communicate with our people. What we have been able to do is what we have spoken about and committed in the last Budget Speech of the Presidency in 2019. We came to this august House and we said to you that we are going to digitalise it. We have been able to create a platform of a USSD platform. We have been also able to ensure that you have the Presidential Hotline on your mobile App. What does it mean? From the traditional platforms which you had, which was informed by you sending an email and making a phone call from your own phone, you can use an USSD, you can also download an
App, Khawuleza App, which was launched last year in 2019 so that you are able to communicate with this government and inform us of where the challenges of service delivery are. We are able to do this because we take communicating with our people to be more serious.
Xitsonga:
Xin’wana lexi hi nga kota ku xi endla hi leswaku hi Media Development and Diversity Agency, MDDA, leyi yi nga endleriwa ku seketela swihangalasamahungu swa miganga tanihi hi Tv, maphephahungu na radio ...
English:
... we have been able to create, even during the pandemic, a more easier template so that our people can be able to apply. After application, they can be able to receive a grant fund so that the community media sector remains afloat.
Xitsonga:
Xana leswi a hi swi endlela yini? Mi ta tsundzuka leswaku loko hi vulavula hi vurile leswaku hi lava ku vulavula na vanhu va ka hina hi tindzimi ta vona. Hi swi kotile ku va pfuna va kota ku endla swikombelo. Hi swi kotile ku va nyika mali va kota ku ya emahlweni va hanya.
English:
This we have done because if you do not have a vibrant and a living community media, you will not survive. We want to thank the MDDA for what have been able to do and assist us as the Presidency. They have been able to assist us to give our people messaging in their own languages. Every time when the President speak about the pandemic and he does what we call a family meeting, we have been able to communicate with our people in their languages, in their own households, in their own comfort and in their own space. This has been done through the Presidency and through Government Communication and Information System, GCIS, and MDDA. We are going to continue to ensure that we do that. Right now we are continuing through the very same platform of various community we can talk to our people to tell them, please, vaccinate. We want to encourage our people that let’s work on programmes to ensure that we encourage our people to go and register and vaccinate. When a programme of any age group come they should be able to go and reive the vaccination.
What we have also been able to do is that, and it is something that we are going to do, is that we are going to continue to ensure that we give our people, through MDDA, the necessary
funding for them to be able to exist for as long as the pandemic is with us. What we have able to do ...
Xitsonga:
... vekelo etlhelo mali ya leswaku hi kota ku nyika vanhu va ka hina mali leyi leswaku va ya emahlweni va va hanya.
Hi rhandza ku khensa. Tanihiloko va humese swivilelo ha khensa. Hi yingiserile kusuka hi 14:00 loko hi sungula ntshamo lowu. Hi swi twile leswaku mi na swivilelo. Kambe lexi hi rhandzaka ku tiyisa Maafrika-Dzonga hi leswaku hi na kungu leri ri vuriwaka Economic Recovery Plan. Hi rhandza ku mi rhamba leswaku ti katseni na hina leswaku hi tirha swin’we hi kota ku pfuna ikhonomi ya hina. Ntiyiso hi leswaku tanihi hi Presidency a hi tshamanga. Loko mi vona Presidente na Xandla xa President va pfuka masiku hinkwawo va ri karhi va yimayima leswku hi kota ku sawutisa ikhonomi ya hina ...
English:
... and therefore we want to thank you for allowing us to be able to come and table the Budget Vote. We want to encourage you as members of the House that please accept this Budget Vote because we remain committed to ensuring that we save lives of South Africans.
Xitsonga:
Ndzi nga si heta ndzi lava ku basisa mhaka yin’wana ya nkoka
swinene.
English:
It is very incorrect and very wrong for hon Shaik to come to this august House and say that this sixth administration is selling arms to Israel. We want to tell South Africans that that is not true at all. In our party-political presentation and our gallery to want to play to the space not to mislead South Africans. It is not true. This sixth administration, and the committee that is led by Minister Lamola, is not true that is selling arms to Israel. Therefore, you must also know as South Africans that part of our pillars in the morning ...
Xitsonga:
... loko hi pfuka
English:
... we went to the portfolio committee and we were presenting the seven priorities. This sixth administration has seven priorities. One of them is, a better Africa in the world. That priority speaks to making peace in Africa and so on.
Therefore, it will be wrong to portray this government as
choosing one state over the other and that we are promoting violence and that we are choosing that our people in the world must continue to fight whereas our pillars is that we want a better Africa and the world. Therefore, South Africans should know that it is not true. We are not selling arms to Israel at all. What we are doing is that we continue and ensure negotiation between the two countries they can be anle to find peace and stability.
We also want to send a message to our people that amidst all of us, party-politicking here, Cabinet and Parliament, please, sanitise, social distance, stay at home, we are in Level 2, the third wave is with us. Listen to what we are telling you it is not meant to horrible to you, but it is meant to ensure that we save your lives and we save your livelihoods. We are participating as the Presidency to ensure that we empower our departments to ensure that the Economic Recovery Plan which we have becomes a reality. We are doing this because we want to see South Africans being saved and therefore our economy recovering in the long run. Thank you, Chair.
Sepedi:
Mna M S MALATSI: Mohl Modulasetulo ...
English:
For a President who came to office with so much promise to do things differently, he has proven over and over again that he is only different to his predecessors in style but not in substance. At each and every juncture, when he has had to choose between what’s best for South Africa and the ANC, he’ll compromise the country to benefit the ANC.
The Presidency should be the epitome of excellence in accountability, in performance and in good governance, yet the Presidency, as is, seems incapable of this. Today we have the spokesperson of the President entangled in one of the biggest corruption transactions related to COVID-19 procurement. We have the Acting Minister in the Presidency who missed two consecutive Budget Votes debates for her new portfolio, which is something that is unprecedented. In both these examples, senior figures in the Presidency are lead actors in scandalous episodes, which is not very exemplary. Hon Papo, those Budget Vote debates were for the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and for Statistics SA. She was not at the Budget Vote debates.
For a President who spoke with his chest when he promised to tackle corruption in government, he suddenly whispers like a
timid appeaser when he has to act decisively against political allies when they are fingered in corrupt activities. If the President matched the poetry in his words with the resolve of his actions, why hasn’t he fired Khusela Diko? If the President wants us to believe that he has the courage to tackle corruption, why hasn’t he taken action against Minister Mkhize? Because, like Jacob Zuma before him, President Ramaphosa either dilly-dallies or goes missing when he has to take action against his strongest allies and friends.
Well, Mr President, a courageous leader does not have to wait for an SIU investigation to be concluded or to be compelled by the courts to make the right decision. A courageous leader does not have to wait for due process because the right thing is necessary. You do the right thing even when the process is going on, because what we need is ethical decision-making. [Interjections.]
One of the seven priorities of this administration was to work towards a better Africa, to return to Madiba’s vision of human rights being the light that guides our foreign policy affairs. Yet, time and again, when the Presidency has been confronted with overwhelming evidence of human rights abuses and allegations of electoral fraud on the continent, from the DRC
to Tanzania, this administration always chooses the side of the oppressor rather than the oppressed. Like President Mbeki before him, President Ramaphosa finds comfort in quiet diplomacy rather than calling out despots, dictators and homophobes.
While so much of this administration’s focus has been on the promise of job-creation, the reality is that unemployment in South Africa has increased to 32,6%. This is the highest that this rate has been in our country since 2008. Today, three out of four young people are without a job. The harsh reality is that many of these young people will remain unemployable for a long time, and all of us in this House and on the virtual platform know where these young people are. Some of them are my peers; some of them are all our relatives; yet they continue to be failed by this administration. Mr President, where are the jobs from the 18 employment projects promised to unemployed South Africans through the Jobs Summit Framework Agreement with private-sector partners? We know that many of those have stalled owing to government incompetence. And, according to the National Economic Development and Labour Council status report there are multiple projects that have stalled because it has been impossible to secure meetings with
relevant government departments, or because the process hasn’t
been implemented in line with the agreed timeframes.
So to every young person in the country who doesn’t have a job or who lost their job during the hard lockdown, or who has even given up looking for a job: you must know that it is the ANC government that has failed you. So it is time to use the power of your vote to elect a government that will create an environment conducive for job-creation to thrive. This is because for all of the President’s sweet melodies about investments and jobs, there is no evidence to show that those jobs are being created.
The rising unemployment statistics are a resounding vote of no confidence in the Ramaphosa administration’s economic policies. And this is just not opinion. It is confirmed there in Statistics SA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey which confirms that unemployment is high everywhere the ANC governs and it is at its lowest wherever the DA is in government, like here in the Western Cape. [Applause.]
Hon Papo, I was really looking forward to your speech living up to your name, but it was such a hopeless, disjointed melody that you looked so relieved to leave the platform. To the hon
Mahlatsi, I hope that wherever you are you can see me. I understand that if you wear glasses you need assistance with vision, but if that is the best the ANC has, then, haai, no man ... ho fedile. Ha ho sana batho ka mona. [Interjections.] And hon Ntshavheni, you speak with a forked tongue when you talk about building an ethical government. Those of us who know your political history very well, know that there is a court judgment that found that during your tenure as the municipal manager in Ba-Phalaborwa, the prices of tenders were inflated. And to the hon Nkoana-Mashabane: shame, man, every time you speak in a debate in Parliament you remind us that the President should just release you into retirement. [Interjections.]
And, to the President, if you such a proponent of executive accountability, support the DA’s call for the establishment of a parliamentary portfolio committee for the Presidency so that you can account directly to Members of Parliament here and not bring your B team to do so. And to the Deputy President, for a betting vocalist who was deployed to amplify the President’s chorus: man, you looked so out of tune, so out of your depth, that you were just relieved to end.
What is very clear, hon members, is that governance is functional when the DA governs, but it is almost non-existent where the ANC is in charge; where the DA spends its finances well, securing hospital beds and building hospitals, the ANC squanders taxpayers’ money on glorified wheelbarrows as medical assistants; where the DA government upholds executive accountability and where there are consequences for dishonesty and underperformance, the ANC covers up corruption and its corrupt cadres ... and a degree, and a postgraduate one.
Whereas Premier Alan Winde was able to conclude lifestyle audits for his Cabinet and their spouses within less than nine months after making this promise, this administration is yet to finalise these lifestyle audits for the Cabinet more than two years after it was introduced.
The DA government pays suppliers within 90 days as is required by the law. [Interjections.] Here in the Western Cape, in Midvaal where we govern and in each and every municipality here in the Western Cape – you would know very well – we pay our suppliers on time.
Yet government departments, from Limpopo to the North West and ANC municipalities drive many SMMEs to bankruptcy because you
don’t pay suppliers on time. This is the difference between DA government and that of the ANC. The DA gets things done and we get them right, over and over again. [Interjections.]
It would not be a surprise if the President came here tomorrow to serenade us with the promise that he was on the right track and plead for more patience as he has done in each and every speech. He would, once again, shift the goalposts for every service delivery target that was missed. He would posit that his administration was a victim of circumstances due to COVID- 19, rather than take full responsibility for his government’s mishandling of the public health response and the economic response to the pandemic.
We dare not fall for this. What is very clear, hon members, is that those who feel it, know it. They see that the ANC sits comfortably in corruption. I thank you. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: House Chair, the hon the President of the Republic of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa, hon Deputy President, David Mabuza, hon Members of Parliament and fellow South Africans Fidel Castro, former President of Cuba once said. I quote:
A revolution is a struggle to the death between the future and the past.
Our national project is about building a prosperous future where a better life for all is a lived reality, making a clean break with the past of racial oppression and gender discrimination. House Chair, the annals of history record that President Ramaphosa played a pivotal role as one of the leading midwives of our new constitutional order. South Africa could not ask for a better person to lead us at this crucial moment, when we reaffirm and renew our commitment to the values enshrined in the Constitution and the rule of law. Our electoral mandate as the sixth administration is anchored on our underlying message of growing a nation on the cusp of renewal and hope. As a nation, we have learned the harsh impact on society and economy arising from loss of integrity in institutions of state and business, as well as in political and other formations. We have learnt the hard lessons about the vigilance needed to stop creeping lawlessness, greed and selfishness taking root.
When we sought the renewal of the electoral mandate, we acknowledged that we were remiss in not preventing a drift from the compass of integrity that inspired the generation
whose mission it was to achieve a democratic and inclusive society. Only the ANC can do that honest assessment about itself. We have heard the cries of millions about things that went wrong. We accepted the criticisms and have taken tangible steps in addressing these. Our commitment to renewal is an integral part of our electoral mandate and the golden thread that permeates through our policy choices and interventions.
Renewal or death is the reality we are grappling with in renewing our values and principles. Our future to achieve renewal means the death of our glorious country as its strength is grounded on its founding values.
We have never been under any illusion that the road ahead will be easy. We knew that renewal will pose difficulties and there will be resistance to the fight against corruption. However, the march to a better South Africa is unstoppable. United in our diversity, together we shall realise the vision to improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person.
Mr President, you have provided decisive leadership in the face of the ravages of the coronavirus disease 2021, Covid-19, pandemic. Under your steady hand, preserving human life was the principal consideration in our interventions, from the
hard lockdown to the adjusted level 2. While facing down the Covid threat, we remained focused on growing investment and building a stronger and resilient economy through the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. You championed the fight against gender-based violence like no other leader has done.
Your passion to rid our society of toxic masculinity, discrimination and oppression of women, has given women hope that finally they have a President fighting in their corner.
Mr President, at a time of an unprecedented crisis, you kept your eye on the importance of celebrating our diversity and overcoming the divisions of the past. You kept us together, mobilised us to help care for each other and together to build a more tolerant and humane society. No matter how much we complained and challenged the regulations, you took us all seriously, consulted widely and built consensus across society in the best interest of the country. Even when the Western Cape wanted to establish itself as a colony, you engaged them.
Throughout the raging storm of the Covid-19 pandemic, you provided leadership in Africa and in the world. You used the crisis to help re-establish our influence and our status as country that should be taken seriously. The New African Magazine selected you as one of the 100 most influential
African leaders in 2020, aptly using the analogy, I quote: “Cometh the hour of adversity, cometh an African leader of hope and integrity,” in reference to you. Others may cast aspersions on your person and your leadership, but the world knows better. South Africans know better and will not be hoodwinked into believing false narratives.
Unfortunately, Mr President, there are two opportunistic tendencies that are trying to tear our nation apart, to stop our march to a nonracial, prosperous South Africa. They want our nation to be weak in the face of our challenges. They want to break the colours of our rainbow nation. One tendency is that of racial opportunism, represented by the Democratic Alliance. This party wants us to deny and forget the legacy of apartheid and the racial divide it created in our country.
They do not want to see transformation, redress, or any attempt to eradicate the vestiges of apartheid from the face of our country. They call transformation “racial nationalism”. They equate our agenda for a better South Africa with Verwoerd’s evil system of apartheid.
However, it is this very same party that uses race when it wants votes. In their election strategy and campaigns, they foment racial fear of African people among the White, Indian,
and Coloured communities. They do this to divide us and to turn us against each other. It is this very same party that sees young African talent, as stooges to be manipulated to buy votes, to fake multiracialism in their ranks. When they are done with you, when they have the votes in the pockets, they send you an academic scholarship overseas, or just throw you out of their party.
Hon Steenhuisen is not here tonight. The question is, where is Phumzile van Damme? Where is Mmusi Maimane? The list is endless. And who is next in the line? What applies to Madikizela does not apply to Mazzone. This tendency is defeatist. They exaggerate our challenges and belittle our achievements. They do this because they cannot defeat the ANC on the ballot. They want to defeat us in the court of public opinion, by making our people lose faith in us and the prospects of our beautiful country. Hon members, we have an obligation to defeat this agenda. As the ANC, the party of Chief Luthuli and Mama Sisulu ... [Applause.] ... we will defeat this agenda in the battle of ideas, in action and at the polls.
Madam Speaker, the second tendency that we must defeat, is the opportunism of the red berets. They speak left, but act right.
This tendency is as dangerous to our country as the tendency of racial opportunism. Unlike the DA, the red berets are triumphalists and voluntarists. They belittle our challenges, and tell our people lies about what is possible and achievable today. They want to win in the minds of the people what they cannot achieve at the polls. They want our people to lose faith in the ANC by presenting our challenges as failure, and dismissing our gains as insignificant. The two tendencies may appear as polar opposites, but their agenda is the same. They want to collapse South Africa like they did, as an unholy coalition, to our metros in Tshwane, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth. They pretend to be clean and incorruptible, but go back to where they are and where they govern, they still have people in their midst, but they demand that the President must dismiss a Minister without process. But yet, in their own ranks they follow the process. Madikizela for his nonqualification or distortion, whatever you call it, he was not dismiss without process. It was subjected to process.
Mazzone is sitting with us here, we don’t know where does she stand, but they demand ... [Applause.] ... that the President must dismiss a Cabinet Minister without a due process. Today, I want to challenge them ... [Interjections.]
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: House Chairperson, thank you very much. I rise because no one may mislead this House, and to say that I did not go through due process ... is a point of order because the Minister is deliberately misleading the House ... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon Mazzone! Hon members, I don’t need your help. Hon members on the virtual platform, please switch off ... [Interjections.] ... Hon members on the virtual platform, please switch off your microphones and I don’t need your help. Hon Mazzone, that is not a point of order, but a point of debate. If you should have said that he’s misleading the House out here, but you cannot continue to debate with the member on the podium.
Continue, hon Minister.
The MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: The President has been distorted on the issue of Minister Mkhize. He explained to the nation and to you today. However, because of political opportunism you distorted the President. You know that President Ramaphosa is running a clean government, it doesn’t matter who you are. The President suspended some of the Ministers and acted on those particular Ministers. He has acted at all times, but you have put undue pressure on the President and not to follow due
processes. The President has explained to you that he’s dealing with the matter of the Minister and he’s getting co- operation, but you are distorting him deliberately because of political opportunism and expediency. To I want to challenge you combined, two tendencies to adopt the ANC stance that has taken against corruption, against its own members implicated in corruption to step aside. I’m challenging you to adopt the stance of the ANC.
House Chair, effective implementation is a central emphasis in the National Development Plan, NDP, which should translate into a virtuous cycle of development and improved lived experience for the overwhelmed majority. The NDP correctly anticipated that achieving traction and progress would require doing things differently. The Medium-Term Strategic Framework, under the stewardship of President Ramaphosa, assumes a focused approach in addressing these decisively and gives expression to the Khawuleza ethos. Hon Malema and hon Macpherson would like us to believe that this government has failed in all respects. They expect South Africans who are intelligent and capable of making their own judgement call on the track record of this administration, to behave like the three monkeys who claim they see no evil, they hear no evil and they speak no evil. South Africans see the tangible
delivery of this government, they hear the messages that resonate with their aspirations and they are perfectly capable of telling their own stories about the difference strides of this government has made in their lives. The hon members know very well that the ANC has championed the land issue and led the charge on the expropriation of land without compensation. What the ANC will not do will basically to take the country to anarchy through the programme of land expropriation without compensation. The ANC will lead and implement this particular programme as has been said by hon member Thoko Didiza. The ANC is under no illusion about the importance of land as a catalyst to growing the economy.
Tackling unemployment remains a central tenet of growing the economy and sustaining livelihoods of the vulnerable groups. Indeed, challenges loom large, you have quoted statistics like they’re going out of fashion. We know about challenges of unemployment. We know about the curve ball objectively that has been thrown to us through the pandemic. The important thing that you’ve got to understand is that we’ve got a plan and programme to get this country out of the doldrums of poor our economic performance. The Covid-19 vaccination programme is unfolding across the country. As at midnight yesterday, a total of 1 million have been vaccinated. We are on track in
completing vaccination for health workers and the elderly. Your main problem is that you’ve run out of ideas and you are treating vaccination as an ideological peddling. You are treating vaccination as a political football. And this is a programme of government to keep our people alive. No one will be instructed not to procure the vaccines anywhere in the world. South African government will procure Sputnik, Sinovak and all vaccines, there can be nothing further from the truth that anyone has been ban from doing that. All vaccines are subjected to the same process of authorisation. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority is the regulatory authority that ensures a standardised authorisation process for any vaccine to be utilised in South Africa.
The DA continues to peddle the tired lies about the President’s loyalties and invoke the bogeyman stories that are only effective in scaring children. The commitment of this government to improving the lives of black who continue to be victims of the legacy of subjugation and racial discrimination, has never been greater. In the long-term we are building a state which will achieve higher levels of growth and therefore national development. And yet at the same time, we believe in a comprehensive social policy programme that guarantees affordable quality healthcare through the
introduction of the National Health Insurance, Unemployment Insurance Fund for those who lose jobs, guaranteed retirement benefits, social protection for the elderly and people living with disabilities.
Our focus is largely on stimulating the economy through attracting private sector investment in the leading sectors of the economy. How will the economy function if you’ve got unpatriotic statements uttered here that you a failed state?
South Africa is not a failed state. It is probably a failed state because if we have to deal with your feelings, you arrived here and you’ve found us here, and we were already here. You know that you’ve got a second passport, and you can leave anytime you want to. However, we’ve got no other country to go to. [Applause.] Our only country is South Africa, not even Italy will accept us to go to their own country. The ANC subscribes to mixed economy. We are neither a socialist nor a capitalist movement. Improving the lives of our people and ensuring that no citizen goes hungry is the underlying focus of our economic trajectory. Nation-building and social cohesion as a national project to imagine South Africa as a socially integrated and inclusive society requires collaborative effort from government, business and labour. In
advancing our goal of a truly nonracial society, we require commitment of all South Africans.
Despite the odds, we are making strides. We have not arrived; we are not yet there. We are faced with a number of challenges, and we don’t claim easy victories. Ramaphosa, the President of this country has never stood in front of South Africans and said that, I’ve done all, I can walk on the water like Jesus. He always says come along, come along with me, but you don’t want to come along. And that is your problem. Ours is a democracy founded on the rule of law with requisite checks and balances in the form of Chapter 9 institutions.
Scholars describe the rule of law as the mechanism, process, institution, practice, or norm that supports the equality of all citizens before the law, secures the nonarbitrary form of government, and more generally prevents the arbitrary use of power. Arbitrariness is typical of various forms of despotism, absolutism, authoritarianism, and totalitarianism. We don’t agree that people must be made to be afraid to think that the state will deal with them based on the fact that the President is obsessed with power. President Ramaphosa is the President of the African National Congress and elected by the people of South Africa and we respect them. We support this Vote. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you hon. Hon members, that concludes the Speaker’s List on this Budget Vote debate and the business of the day. The Commander-in-Chief, the hon the President will reply tomorrow. The House is adjourned.
Debate interrupted.
The House adjourned at 20:03.
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