Hansard: NA: Unrevised hansard
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 10 Dec 2021
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FRIDAY, 10 DECEMBER 2021
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
____
The House met at 10:02.
Watch video here: PLENARY (HYBRID)
The Deputy Speaker took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayer or meditation.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Hon members good morning, in the interest for all present in the Chamber please put on your masks on and sit in your designated areas. We also request members to sign the attendants slips on your desks. The first item on the Order
Paper is the motion in the name of the Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party. Deputy Chief Whip.
MOTION ON THE ORDER PAPER
The DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Thank you, hon Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the Chief Whip of the Majority
Party I move:
That the House suspends Rule 290 (2)(a), which provides inter alia that the debate on the Second Reading of a Bill may not commence before at least three working days have elapsed since the committee’s report was tabled for the purpose of conducting the Second Reading debate today
on the Adjustment Appropriation Bill. I so move.
Motion agreed to.
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF STANDING COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ON 2021 MEDIUM-TERM BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT
There was no debate.
The DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Hon Deputy
Speaker, I move that the Report be adopted.
Motion agreed to (Democratic Alliance dissenting).
Report accordingly adopted.
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CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF STANDING COMMITTEE ON
APPROPRIATIONS ON ADJUSTMENTS APPROPRIATION BILL
There was no debate.
The DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Hon Deputy
Speaker, I move that the Report be adopted.
Motion agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom
Fighters, Freedom Front Plus and United Democratic Movement
dissenting).
Report accordingly adopted.
DEBATE 2021 MEDIUM-TERM BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT
FIRST READING DEBATE
(Adjustments Appropriation Bill)
Mr N S BUTHELEZI: Hon Deputy Speaker, Ministers and Deputy
Ministers, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, the African
National Congress supports the Appropriations Adjustment Bill,
[Bill 2020-21]. A reporter of Mail and Guardian stressing the
super exploitation of women observed I quote:
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In Southern Africa it was this paradigm that
condoned enslavement and parading of Sarah Baartman
as a freak show attraction in the 19th Century
Europe. Baartman was never seen as a human being,
but as freak whose black body was exploited and
subjugated into gratify the master’s sexual
curiosity ... [Inaudible.].
It is not exaggeration to say that the devastating impact of
COVID-19 has impact on the lives of the children. This
explains why as the African Congress we support the measures
contained in this Bill to save lives and livelihoods. Hon
members, this week we lost two of the best South Africans. We
mourn the passing on of Mama Lindiwe Mabuza, a revolutionary
who understood that thousands of young people who ended up in
exile needed a mother figure. I can attest that Mama Lindiwe
was our mother when we were away from our biological mothers.
Secondly, Comrade Ibrahim Ibrahim, when things were darkest
and again away from our biological fathers, he also became our
father on Robben Island. The freedom we are enjoying today is because of their sacrifices and we shall forever be indebted to them. May their beautiful souls rest in eternal peace. The
struggle against gender-based violence continues. As we continue with the struggle against total emancipation, we are
inspired by the wise words of former President Nelson Mandela when he says, “domestic violence, rape, abuse of women remain graceful blots on the reputation of a country that is called a
miracle nation.” He continues and to say, “I have never regarded women as less competent than men.” We are in total
agreement with you Madiba. Hon members, this Bill is about the Adjustment to the Appropriations Act passed by this House at the beginning of the year.
IsiZulu:
Niyacelwa ke futhi ukuthi nikhulume ngalo mthetho, niyeke
ukunhlanhlatha njengoba abanye benzile ngeviki eledlule.
Nizozwa ke bazoqala bakhulume ngamabhanoyi, abanye bazokhuluma
ngezimbongolo, abanye bakhulume ngezithuthuthu. Asikho lapho.
English:
Hon members, what we are doing here is correcting misrule of
successive colonial and racist apartheid government from 6
April 1652, when that men Jan van Riebeeck sat his foot in our
country.
IsiZulu:
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Kwaqala lapho ke ukuhlupheka kwethu njengoba nanamhlanje
singenamhlaba nje. Siyahlupheka emhlabeni wethu, sidla imbuya
ngothi bona bedla izambane likapondo.
English:
We are busy unraveling the apartheid omelette, before even the
Land Act of 1913. There was then the Great Land Act of 1884,
whose main aim was to diminish land rights for Africans. It
cannot be normal that we, who are in the majority, are
confined to the arid and unproductive land squashed like
sardines. The Bill adds R59,3 billion to the Appropriation
Act. This figure includes R20,5 billion allocated to national
and provincial departments for Wage Bill Adjustments. This, we
welcome as the ANC because it shows that we are a government
who cares. We are a government which is not oblivious to the
high cost of living faced by the workers. We are saying
despite the challenges we are facing, as government.
Deputy Speaker, the Bill also allocates a further
R2,342 billion for the purchase of vaccines. As the ANC, we
will do everything to ensure that our people have access to
vaccine. It is now common cause that the supply of vaccine is
no longer an issue, the issue is demand. Everyone who wants to
be vaccinated gets vaccinated. Perhaps, the problem is that
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some, amongst us, in the opposition benches are preaching an
antivaccine gospel, pardon my pun. While people have a right
to choose whether they want to vaccinate or not, but it is
wrong for lawmakers to issue unscientific statements. People
have died and they are still dying. This matter should be
taken out of cheap politicking. This House has lost members
and members have lost their loved once. Therefore, we are
saying this is serious and cannot be taken into a political
football.
Deputy Speaker, we call upon the progressive world over to
condemn the stigmatisation of South Africa and Africa. We
thought the West have leant that this virus knows no borders.
This virus affects both the rich and the poor. If there is
anything that should bring us together is the desire to
conquer this invisible enemy. Just as a reminder, the first
person in South Africa who diagnosed with COVID-19 had just
returned from Europe. Even with that knowledge, we avoided the
cowboy type of black sheep.
We totally agree with His Excellency President Ramaphosa when
he said:
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I have personally really been disappointed in the approach
the rich countries have taken on the issue of vaccines.
They holded vaccines, they ordered more vaccines than
their populations require.
This greed lead to about R1,2 billion surplus vaccine doses
being stockpiled by the West. The blaming of South Africa for
superior science defies logic and smack of racism, prejudice,
neo-colonialism and complete lack of understanding basic
science from people who are supposed to know better. The
writer, Ms Kagumire observed I quote:
The rush to punish Africa suggests that African countries
have now become epicentre of COVID-19, when this is far
from reality. This not only draws attention away from
Western public health failures and rising numbers of
infections, but also erases the efforts of African health
authorities and local health systems to contain the spread
of virus.
The President say this approach is devoid of science. We agree
with you Mr President. Hon members, let us call it by its
name. When the opposition say it does not support the Bill, it
means the government should not buy the vaccines. Yes, that’s
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what they are saying. If the government were to stop buying
vaccines, the rich would not suffer because they have
accumulated enough money to afford the vaccines. Also not
supporting the Bill means you are voting against the decision
to help the suffering workers, teachers, nurses, police to
name but a few, from getting the R20 billion. Please come to
the podium and tell them how must they deal with the rising
prices of petrol, bread, milk etc.
High rates of unemployment in our country are unacceptable.
Recent statistics put unemployment rate at 34,9% while
unexpanded unemployment rate is at 46,6%. The hope of these
unemployed people is government. Here is the intervention. In
the budget at the begin of the year, the Minister of Finance
announced that the government has cumulatively availed
R3,2 billion for the public employment programmes. This
Adjustment Appropriation Bill further allocates a further
R11 billion for the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative,
taking this initiative to a closer R100 billion. More than
550 000 people have benefited from this programme. Young
people of our country should know that you, the opposition,
are saying the government should not help them with job
opportunities. You are saying that you are voting against this
Bill. What must our young people do? They must fend for
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themselves. As the African National Congress, we are saying
the pain of our young people is our pain, and we shall never
leave them alone.
Most of the interventions necessitated by COVID-19 are
temporary in nature, at the risk of sounding like a scratched
record. The lasting solution to get our economy back to the
growth trajectory, but even more important is that as we try
to rebuild let all our people be involved in creating their
future. The legacy of main abhorrent, obnoxious pieces of
legislation whose aim was to keep black people out of their
productive land and condemn them to perpetual poverty where
they were good as hewers of wood and drawers of water is still
with us even today. These are the laws hon members which
ensured that Claremont is white and very rich while Nyanga is
black and poor. Alexandra is the see of poverty while Sandton
on the other side of the road is the riches square meter in
the continent.
Hon members, as we rebuild let the majority of the people of
this country feel that they also own the economy. The
beneficiaries of three and a half centuries cannot be allowed
to normalise the abnormal situation. We therefore welcome the
R32,85 billion Fiscal relief package to deal with the
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devastating effects of July unrests. This relief is mainly
helping businesses big and small to get back on their feet and
provide much-needed employment opportunities. It is also meant
to finance the Social Relief of Distress, SRD, grant until
March 2022. R3,9 billion is earmarked to assist with the
recapitalisation of South African Special Risk Insurance
Association, SASRIA. This relief package was financed through
the higher than expected revenue collection because of the
good performance of the commission. The apartheid divide was
again laid bare during the July unrests. It is incumbent on
all of us to confront this regards economic exclusion. We
cannot protect this inequality in our country. It has been
proven the world over that the unequal societies are the most
... [Time expired]. Thank you, Chair.
Ms B M VAN MINNEN: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. It is a common
course that the South African economy is in a dire state but
our growth rate is flailing, prices rising and we have serious
structural weaknesses that borrowing access for many South
Africans. The DA notes the attempts by the Minister of Finance
to focus on improving competitiveness through attempting to
lower the barriers to entry to the economy and the developing
infrastructure to create employment.
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We also note the additional spending needed to counter the
economic consequences of the pandemic and the social unrest.
Social unrest caused directly by ANC economic policies and
internal factionalism. However, unless underlying structural
reforms are urgently instituted, the South African economy
shall continue to bleed due to the fiscal massacre emanating
from a quarter of a century of ANC misrule and financial
ineptitude. Essentially, the basic problem is that the
government distrusts the private sector, its lover of state
control dressed up as a developmental state and the
necrophilia lover that failed the 20th century economic policy
that saw spectacularly crashed the Soviet Union and its
vessels.
What is urgently needed to resuscitate the economy and the
fiscal future of all South Africans, is the acceleration of
the post pandemic economic recovery, the urgent reduction of
the gross national debt, rigorous management of expenditure,
the need to genuinely support the vulnerable, no further tax
increases and allowing hard pressed citizens to leverage their
pension assets. This unfit government has demonstrated again
and again but as an incapable state stagnating at the center
of our economy. It is unable to generate growth. Active steps
are required to enable the economy to grow.
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However, instead of government facilitating access and
welcoming growth, we see more and more barriers being erected
to protect their pot of gold at the expense of ordinary
people. The greatest barrier to economic growth remains the
government’s inability to provide a reliable power supply.
Power failures are costing our economy in excess of
R100 billion per annum. Eskom remains at the brink of collapse
with outdated infrastructure and budget overruns crippled by
outstanding debt and dodgy coal contracts. In addition to
this, the ongoing spiral in the fuel cost making accessing the
economy more and more unaffordable for South Africans. Half of
all fuel costs go into tax and is thus this government who is
directly responsible for smothering the economy.
If we are indeed to see economic prosperity on the horizon, it
is important that South Africa urgently addresses the twin
challenges of a high debt burden and stubbornly low economic
growth rates. South Africa cannot afford to keep going down
this path of a debt based fiscal policy. The policy has only
succeeded in settling the country with a high interest rate on
debt repayments, slow economic growth and fewer resources to
spend on growth drivers.
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The DA’s modeling provides a clear blueprint for getting
national debt under control sooner than the government
proposes while protecting essential social spending for the
poor and most vulnerable who have truly carried the burden of
the last two years of pandemic and lockdown. The burden that
has been subject to doubling down with the increase in energy
and fuel costs, the shrinking of the economy and the
contraction of the taxpayers. Households are really heavily
taxed with minimal return from government. The DA will not
support tax increases, especially when we see how the ANC
government dissipates monies that should be used by the fiscus
instead on spurious bailouts and other wasteful expenditure.
Of course, there was a DA Bill for the leverage of pension
funds to give people a kick-start and provide a boost for the
economy, but not so fast. Although supported wholesale by the
public and the unions, it was rejected by the government,
presumably because they enjoy access to pension raids and thus
don’t want hard working South Africans accessing their own
money to secure their financial ability to prosper. It is time
the ANC looks to what works and what the DA has proposed for
what is possible, what will boost our growth, reduce debt and
secure our future. Failing this, we will continue to staggered
zombi-like towards the fiscal cliff as the ANC is unable to
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provide the relief necessary to revive the ... [Inaudible.]
... [Inaudible.] ... the economy. Thank you. [Applause.]
Ms K N F HLONYANA: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. The Medium Term
Budget Policy Statement presented by the Minister of Finance
was meant to provide content to budgets that will be presented
early in 2022. A link between government policy priorities and
budget and outline government efforts to boost the economy.
Since the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement and the
Adjustment Appropriation Bill were Tabled in the National
Assembly, Statistics SA has released two important figures;
the tell a tale of the country in a downward spiral without
credible leadership in charge.
On 30 November Statistics SA released a third quarter labor
force survey, unemployed increased by 0,5%. However, from the
previous quarter to 36,9%. The expanded unemployment rate
increased to 46,6%. Early this week Statistics SA released
third quarter GDP figures as expected, the real GDP decreased
by 1,5%. These two figures are a true reflection of the state
of the economy but unfortunately these figures are just
continuation of an administration without a practical,
believable or even coherent economic plan. There was a clear
commitment to the establishment of a state-owned bank. While
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still waiting, we were told that we will soon see the
establishment of sovereign wealth fund. We are still waiting.
We still do not have a dependable electricity supply. Instead
we are still subjected to electricity blackouts while the
President dreamt of electric cars, bullet trains and smart
cities. The reality for the 3,4 million young people aged 15
and 24 years who are not in employment, education or training
and who are supposed to transit from teens to adulthood, there
is no future. The reality for hundreds of students who still
owe universities outstanding fees and cannot obtain their
official qualification is that there is no future without
employment prospects.
The reality for millions of workers whose wages continue to
lessen compared to the price of petrol, food, housing,
clothing and education, there is no future under austerity and
privatisation. The reality for pensioners, people living with
disabilities, families looking after orphans and military
veteran who depends on social grants for livelihood, who are
expected to pay for municipal services, there is no future
where the grant increase well below the rate of inflation. The
much talked about structural reforms meant to promote growth
are based on misguided right wing nonsense, that seek to
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privatise even the most basic essential services such as
water, electricity and sanitation. The continued misguided
excitement austerity and privatisation of strategic public
assets at the core of the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement
will not create jobs or grow the economy in a meaningful way.
Instead, we’ll see rising poverty, unemployment and
inequalities. The July civil unrest showed that our people are
desperate and will do anything to put food on the table,
including vandalisation of property.
What is to be done? We know that the current administration
led by the dying ruling party does not possess either the
capacity, sophistication or interest to lead South Africa with
the economy that can produce goods people consume with goods
and food security, states with the capacity to fight crime in
particular gender-based violence, quality education, health
and housing. To do this, we need a democratic state and power
to take the land without compensation for equal redistribution
in use.
Instead of privatisation, we need to expand the state capacity
in strategic sectors of the economy with the capacity to lead
industrialisation and lead the private sector not the private
sector dictating terms of state participation in the economy.
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These are all the things that should define South Africa
medium to long term economic reforms and the budget there will
be presented in February. Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker.
Mr N SINGH: Deputy Speaker, I need to be paid triple for this,
I think. Hon Deputy Speaker, hon colleagues, the IFP is
extremely concerned about South Africa’s economic ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon members, please, take care of your
gadgets! Can you please switch them off! Go ahead, Ntate.
Mr N SINGH: Thank you. I will start again, hon Deputy Speaker.
The IFP is extremely concerned about South Africa’s economic
outlook of the consideration of the Medium-Term Budget Policy
Statement, MTBPS, and the Adjustment Appropriation Bill’s
proposed allocations.
It is the ordinary people of South Africa especially the most
vulnerable in our society who are carrying the unbearable
financial burden brought on by a largely dysfunctional
government’s inability to stabilise debt and accelerate any
economic growth for our people.
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Simply put, the people of South Africa are being betrayed by
those who were entrusted to manage the public purse. The MTBPS
...
[Interjections.]
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: He banna! That is the ANC for you!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon members! No! No! Can you please stop
what you are doing! Can you just mute your microphone! And do
not participate in trying to talk through, without being asked
to come in! We do appreciate your brilliant insights, but
offer them only when asked to do so!
Setswana:
Ms O M C MAOTWE: Wa simolla.
English:
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Off course you are out of order hon
Maotwe! You are doing exactly what I am talking about! I do
not know what arrogance is this about! Surely members should
have some manners! No man!
IsiZulu:
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Hayi! Umhlola wani lo!
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Deputy Speaker! Deputy Speaker!
IsiZulu:
Sekela Somlomo, yehlisumoya.
English:
This is the last day. Enjoy this day, Deputy Speaker, please!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, can you keep quiet and allow
us to do our work here, please!
IsiZulu:
Nks H O MKHALIPHI: Sekela Somlomo yehlisa umoya!
English:
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, just go home! I will switch
you off, permanently! You want to go home? You will go swiftly
flying! [Applause and Laughter.]
Go ahead, hon Singh!
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Mr N SINGH: Thank you Deputy Speaker. I hope I get injury time
for that.
The MTBPS stresses that the statement is about and I quote,
“Navigating South Africa’s path to economic and social
recovery.” And that economic reforms will focus on improving
economic competitiveness, productivity, investment and
employment.
The reality could not be further from the truth. The
R4 trillion in debt we have to service coupled with the
staggering unemployment rate of 44,4%, leaves the IFP with
very little trust in the government’s ability to navigate
South Africa to economic and social recovery, as the MTBPS so
boldly announces.
The government brush promises about ensuring a stable energy
supply ring hollow in the face of the reality the public
faces.
How can we expect to boost investor confidence and expect our
small businesses the beating heart of community which they are
to survive when we allegedly 559 hours of load shedding in the
first half of 2021 alone?
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As we sit here today, residents in Pretoria East have had no
power for days. Hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, serving our
vulnerable people in the face of the fourth wave of the
pandemic are experiencing power outages.
It is again the people of South Africa that suffer and pay the
highest price for a dysfunctional government.
Deputy Speaker, amid the devastating economic impact broad on
by the announcement of the discovery of the Omicron variant,
the government announced an alarming increase in the fuel
price. During the past two months alone the petrol price has
increased by over R2 per liter, with yet another increase of
75c as of 1 December. How are the ordinary South Africans who
are already struggling to make ends meet supposed to absorb
these additional costs?
Following the announcement of the increase in the fuel price,
the IFP immediately wrote to the Speaker of this House
requesting an urgent debate on the matter. The IFP was greatly
disappointed when the request was refused.
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On behalf of the people of South Africa, we again plead for an
urgent review of the fuel price structure, something that has
been on the table, I believe from 2019.
In conclusion, the IFP welcomed the announcement that no
additional funding will be provided to state-owned entities.
However, we emphasize, as we have before, the urgent need for
transparency and accountability regarding the guarantees held
by creditors of these state-owned entities. The IFP will
continue to demand accountability and transparency. And we
will actively monitor government expenditure.
The people deserve so much more and the IFP empathizes with
the undue and the unfair financial burden the people of South
Africa have to carry. I thank you.
Mr W W WESSELS: Hon Deputy Speaker, one out of every seven
people in the formal sector has lost their jobs since 2018.
Yet, each year with every Appropriation Bill and every
Adjustment Appropriation Bill, the ANC stands here and tells
us how good they are governing. How good the budget is for the
economy, for development, how propoor the budget is and how
they are a caring government.
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However, what happens to the money that is appropriated? We
now saw the audited comes and only one out of all the state-
owned entities managed to obtain a clean audit. Only one. What
happens to the money? How much money is misspent? How much
money is looted while the people are suffering?
Hon Deputy Speaker, whilst the teacher averages a salary of
only R20 000 per month. The former chief executive officer,
CEO of Eskom, who destroyed Eskom, Brian Molefe earned a
salary of R13 million a year. A salary of more than a million
rand a month! No wonder we have load shedding and no wonder
our education is in trouble.
Whilst the warrant officer in the police service only earn
R15 000 per month on average, a special advisor to a Minister
earns ...
Ms O M C MAOTWE: Deputy Speaker, on a point of order! Deputy
Speaker!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, hon member, what are you rising on?
Ms O M C MAOTWE: Deputy Speaker, I would like to know if the
hon member at the podium would like to take a question?
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The SPEAKER: Hon Wessels!
Mr W W WESSELS: No, Deputy Speaker.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Go ahead, hon member.
Mr W W WESSELS: Hon Deputy Speaker, while the police officer
earns on average R15 000, a special advisor to the Minister
earns anything between a R100 000 and a R185 000 per month!
How is that good priorities?
Whilst crime is rampant, this government spends a R175 000 on
luxury hotel accommodation for a provincial Police
Commissioner. How is that good priorities? While the Police do
not have resources, they spent money on body guards for
Ministers and this budget increases for those body guards cost
to R1,8 billion, whilst the people are suffering, hungry,
whilst unemployment is rampant and your Ministers live in
luxury. And then you come here to this podium last week and
tell us that the ANC is fixing South Africa and fixing
corruption! It is not an achievement if you fix something that
you broke. It is not an achievement if you attempt to fix
something that you are responsible for.
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Whilst millions of South Africans struggle to apply for a
Social Relief of Distress Grant a 170 000 officials illegally
received grants. Five thousand eight hundred and twelve of
them, received Social Relief of Distress Grants. You are
failing the poor. And then the hon Buthelezi tells us that it
the opposition that is failing the young people of South
Africa by voting against this Bill. However, it is the ANC-led
government that is living young people to fend for themselves.
The definition of a failed state may be debatable, but this is
a failed government. This is a broken government. This is a
government that has failed the people, that has looted and
that has only lined their own pockets, who is only interested
in the luxuries of their Ministers.
Whilst the hon Buthelezi says that vaccines are the priority,
R83 million is lost due to avoidable waste of vaccines. That
is the problem with this Appropriation Bill, is what happens
to the money, because there is no leadership, no responsible
governance and there is corruption and looting by you! You
have failed your broken government! I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr S N SWART: Hon Deputy Speaker, according to the Medium-Term
Budget Policy Statement, Treasury expects revenues to surpass
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the February 2021 Budget estimates by about R120 billion. This
is good news and this the ACDP welcomes. The extra revenue
from high commodity prices is however transitory of nature and
public finances remain in a weak and dire state.
The series of shocks over the past two years, including the
near collapse of Eskom, the Covid-19 pandemic and the July
unrest have however virtually eliminated the country’s fiscal
space to move. The situation has further already worsened
since the November statement, now that the fourth wave of
Covid-19 has hit the country.
The reeling tourism and hospitality industries had been
further battered by a totally unfair international travel ban.
This is travel apartheid indeed. A possible further, and in
our view, unjustified and unhelpful, lockdown lure over what
should be the busiest season for tourists, both domestic and
foreign. This, the economy cannot afford and if implemented
will result in further businesses closing and higher
unemployment levels.
So, while the policy statement may have been welcomed by the
markets, by delivering on policy continuity, as far as fiscal
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consolidation is concerned, in the ACDP’s view, on the growth
front, it offered very little in new thinking.
There was a rehash of the same promises to accelerate
structural reforms, including the release of spectrum, the
implementation of an e-visa system and third-party access to
Transnet rail infrastructure, but this is still some time in
the further. We need those decisions implemented as a matter
of urgency. The critical question then is whether the Minister
who receives the necessary political support to implement
these necessary strategies, these necessary structural reforms
and the medium-terms plans ...
There are considerable risks in this regard, because the
statement does not one, allow further bailouts to SOEs, two,
increased welfare spending or three, for inflation-related
public sector salary increases. Any of these, if implemented
would pose significant risks to the medium-term outlook.
The Minister said that we cannot have everything we want at
the same time and that we need, tough love. This key lesson
however has persistently evaded government in the past.
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As a financial commentator has said, while the policy
statement may look good on paper, the budget lacks credibility
as a three-year plan because of the huge implementation risks
tied to the country’s economics and politics. ... [Inaudible.]
... it will continue to do so, as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s
remains ... [Inaudible.] ... political fraud and he cannot
disappoint key constituencies, partially given the dismal
performance of the ANC in the local government elections. The
ACDP agrees with the sentiment. I thank you.
Mr N L S KWANKWA: Deputy Speaker, the UDM does not support the
Bill and the reasons are clear. [Interjections.] South Africa
faces a compendium of complex challenges. Chief among them is
firstly, that the unemployment rate in South Africa is
extraordinarily high. Let me educate those who come here and
talk about the expanded and strict definition. There is no
expanded and strict definition of unemployment. There are
unemployed South Africans, who are unemployed because of the
failed economic systems and policy ... [Inaudible.] of the
ANC. You can use nice English and say that it is “discouraged
work seekers”. People are discouraged because they cannot find
employment. We have to address the reasons why people are
discouraged and the economy ... [Interjections.] Hey, ...
Deputy Speaker, ...
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The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Tseki, switch off and mute your
microphone, please.
Mr N L S KWANKWA: We must have an economy that is able to
create jobs, that is able to grow. The other issue ...
[Interjections.] The only way in which we can reduce our debt
to the GDP ratio in the short to medium-term is by making sure
that we grow the economy, so that we can reduce the debt as a
ratio of GDP.
The other issue that you guys need to bear in mind is that, in
a world where capital has become more mobile, there is
mounting evidence that corruption would discourage even the
most serious investors from investing in the economy. And that
also adversely affects the ability of people to plough money
into the country.
I’m sure some of you had the opportunity to read the quarterly
report of the South Africa Reserve Bank. If you read the
quarterly report, you would have seen that in the first
quarter, there was a net outflow of capital in South Africa of
R64 billion. In the second quarter, that increased to R109
billion. What does that tell you? It tells you that not only
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in terms of portfolio investment, people are finding other
investment opportunities elsewhere.
We are not the investment destination that we have always
talked about because we have not addressed energy constraints
in the country - the economic fundamentals that will enable
this country to perform properly with regard to economic
growth. We have not addressed corruption; we have not
addressed Eskom. Eskom was not only the opposition to the ANC
during elections, they were the opposition to the whole of
South Africa. And that problem still remains.
Even when you bailed out Johannesburg, Gauteng and parts of
KwaZulu-Natal, the problem with you is that you did not use
that as an opportunity to reset those economies. You actually
wanted to maintain this status quo where you only bailed out
the big companies that do not really care about the people who
looted the very same companies. They still employ people who
are illegal undocumented here, not because they love them.
They continue to put one African against another, because we
gave them money without conditions.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I suggest you look to your left to see
that your time has expired.
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IsiXhosa:
Mnu N L S KWANKWA: ... amasela.
... bendiphazanyisiwe nje ...
English:
... where is my injury time?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, your time has expired.
[Interjections.]
Mr N L S KWANKWA: Deputy speaker, keep well. Interjections.
Bye-bye ...
IsiXhosa:
... amasela.
Mr B A RADEBE: Deputy Speaker, the member has just called the
House “amasela” [thieves].
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Kwankwa, I have spoken to you about it
in the House before. Please, I don’t think it is proper that
you cast aspersions on all members. That is the effect it has.
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Mr N L S KWANKWA: Deputy Speaker, I ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You did not mention anybody. I know. I
know that.
Mr N L S KWANKWA: If the shoe fits, they must wear it. I did
not mention anyone. I could be referring to someone outside of
the House.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, you are not supposed to be
doing what you do in the first place. [Interjections.] Hon
member, ...
Afrikaans:
... jy kan nie terug praat, as ek praat nie.
Mr N L S KWANKWA: Deputy Speaker, you are supposed to apply
your Rules and not your opinions. Unfortunately, ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, you cannot talk back to me, as
I am talking here from the Chair.
Mr N L S KWANKWA: The House has Rules. Your ruling is wrong.
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The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, take that door and leave.
isiXhosa:
Mnu N L S KWANKWA: ... Andihambi.
English:
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You take that door and leave, hon member.
Hon Kwankwa, you must leave the House. You are going to leave,
hon Kwankwa.
isiXhosa:
Mnu N L S KWANKWA: Asikho esi sigwebo sakho Sekela Somlomo.
Asikho kwintlanganiso yesebe apha, tyhini.
English:
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, you are going to leave.
Mr N L S KWANKWA: You are not going to bully us here. This is
not a branch meeting. It is not about your opinions; it is
about the Rules.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, I request ...
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The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Hon Chair, on a point of
order!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, I am speaking, hon members,
including, hon Kwankwa. Hon Kwankwa, I request that you leave.
The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: On a point of order!
IsiXhosa:
... ayilunganga le nto.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, you must not do that. I have
just ruled that you must not do that and you do it. Hon
Kwankwa, please, leave. [Interjections.]
IsiXhosa:
ILINGU ELIHLONIPHEKILEYO: Hamba eli sela.
English:
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon members, you ae out of order! Hon
members, can you stop screaming!
The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Hon Deputy Speaker,
respectfully to you, Chairperson, I think there must be
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fairness in the House. I don’t think there is fairness in the
House, because other people scream there ... [Inaudible.] ...
nothing happens. Before he went out of the House, he thinks
that he has the authority to do what he is doing. And he has
left. He knows what he is doing. He has already spoken. So,
there must be fairness in respecting the House. We all want to
respect the House, but there must be fairness.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, the member has gone, precisely
for that reason. So, that all of you respect the Rules of the
House. Hon members, we will throw you out, if you defy the
authority of the Chair, if you defy the ruling in the House.
You know what you must do, if you assume that the Rules were
wrongly applied. You cannot be debating like school kids here.
It is wrong.
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Hon Deputy Speaker, I thought my colleague
was going to do it. Allow me firstly to say that what we all
agree on in the country is that we have serious challenges,
Economic growth is down and Covid-19 together with the unrest
that took place in July has had an impact. What we don’t seem
to agree on is that whatever we say and do in this House, we
should all come together united, in the interest of the people
in this country.
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We can go on attacking each other, finding faults, opposing
this report, the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement. That is
not going to create a better quality of life for the most
vulnerable people in this country.
We do accept and welcome the R11 billion that has been set
aside for the Presidential Empowerment Stimulus, provided that
it is implemented without fear and favour. Yes, indeed, I
think, it can go a long way in ... [Inaudible.]
Let us also be mindful of some of the challenges. R166 billion
in irregular expenditure; cheap imports continuously flooding
the markets in South Africa, which is not creating a conducive
environment for the manufacturing industry to thrive, many of
whom are closing down; inadequate assistance for the tourism
industry, restaurants and other businesses, including small
businesses with the red tape in terms of the guarantee that we
have given to banks to provide them with loans. These are all
impacting on the ability to turn the economy around. Added to
that is the high cost of fuel, which impacts on food and
travel, in general. The quality of education with over 60% of
the students falling out in the first year at TVET colleges,
despite billions of rands that have been allocated.
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These are all matters that we need to look at, not forgetting
the energy crisis, which is costing us between R60 billion and
R120 billion annually, as a result of the energy crisis.
What is important is for all of us to come together in some
kind of bosberaad [meeting] or imbizo and put our heads
together and say, let us agree to disagree, but let us find
common ground, in the interest of all ordinary South Africans,
so that we can build this country that we can all be proud of.
If we continue in this manner, then the future for ordinary
South Africans where the poor is getting poorer is very bleak.
Right now, as I speak, parties like the IFP who has taken over
Zululand District Municipality are going out there firing and
redeploying employees who don’t belong to their political
parties. What does this tell you? This is not about the
ordinary South African; it about the ... [Inaudible.] The NFP
supports this report.
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Thank you very much, hon Deputy Speaker.
Hon Deputy Speaker, the Al Jama-ah supported the budget that
we are now busy adjusting. The support of the budget by Al
Jama-ah is because the ANC is the only political party of
substance left of the liberation movement. You cannot expect
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Al Jama-ah to support any other political party that is going
to return us to apartheid.
Having said this, later on we are going to again vote against
Vote No 8 of Treasury as a protest vote and the reason is that
Treasury doesn’t budget enough money for prosecutors and for
investigators. They promised the nation that they will have
zero-based budgeting. So, they must make sure that the
Department of Justice and the Department of Police are fully
funded. The reason that we are going to do appropriate vote
for the first time in our two years against one of the budget
is because of the lack of investigators and also prosecutors.
We have the situation where we had the two “Thulsie Twins”
have been detained without trial have the 90 days that we have
in the 80s and they have been detained without trial for five
and a half years. That is a blow to pour democracy.
We are also concerned that the Treasury is supporting the New
Development Bank with forceful removal for the mega projects.
And we heard yesterday that they are not giving enough funding
for the PIC cases to process to proceed. You can adjust budget
of every other department but you shouldn’t adjust the budget
of the Police Department and the Department of Justice because
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all the other departments are strong than the Department of
Police and the Department of Justice.
I am sure the Minister of Justice must hang his head insane
for allowing detention without trial in South Africa. We are
now one of the worse countries in the world on International
Human Rights Day because we are still having detention without
trial and trying to argue John Vorster. Thank you very much,
hon Deputy speaker. [Applause.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Mathafa, I apologise for skipping you
earlier on there. I should have called you first before hon
Hendricks. [Applause.]
Mr O M MATHAFA Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. Deputy
Speaker, let me from the onset said that the ANC support the
2021 Adjustments Appropriation Bill and take the opportunity
to respond to hon Wessels. It’s a pertinent question that he
is raising in terms of where does the money go. But I think
you are asking the wrong audience, hon Wessels. We need to
start first with your coalition partners and ask them what
happened to the R1,3 billion that was allocated for the public
transport network that they could not spend.
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We saw an adjustment of F2 billion. The Western Cape
contributed R1,3 billion because they could not spend that
money, which is aimed at connecting the City of Cape Town to
Khayelitsha. You must further ask them what happened to the
monies allocated for them to build an academic hospital. That
money is returned to the National Treasury because they are
clueless, they do not know where to start.
Madam Speaker, Deputy Speaker, the Congress of SA Trade
Unions, Cosatu, correctly states that, the consideration of
this Bill takes place in the myth of multiple crisis. The
major one being that of growing unemployment. As the Chair
earlier indicated, its rate is currently sitting at 34,4% from
which 64% of this being people aged between the ages of 15 to
25 and 42,9% comprising of people aged 25 to 34. Our support
for this Bill is based on the fact that it response to the
President state of the nation address injunction around the
Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, which is anchored,
amongst others, on mass public employment interventions and
massive infrastructure rollout.
The ANC is pleased with the overall trust of the Adjustment
Appropriation Bill ATC 6 to respond to the Presidential
Employment Stimulus Intervention.
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On Basic Education, the Bill makes an additional allocation of
R11 billion to fund phase 2 of the Basic Education Employment
Initiative with R838 millions of the R11 billion aimed at
training the youth indigenous skills that are in high demand
in the market.
Deputy Speaker, phase 1 of the Presidential Employment
Initiative, the Basic Education Employment Initiative resulted
in 320 000 young people being placed as school assistants and
servicing around 22 000 schools. That’s where the money is
going, hon Wessels. By conclusion of phase 2 the ANC
government would have created over 600 000 jobs for the youth
and would have invested over R100 billion over the Medium-Term
Expenditure Framework, MTEF, a massive leap from the
R83,2 billion allocated in the 2020 special appropriations.
However, Deputy Speaker, the committee is not pleased by the
fact that the department failed to meet their own target of
providing 1 000 schools with proper sanitation by 80%.
We agree with Cosatu that a country that can host the World
Cup and run a nuclear power station has no excuse for not able
to [provide descent sanitation to all its schools. Having said
that, we take comfort from the fact that R210 million of the
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Schools Infrastructure Backlog Grant is being rolled over for
the provision of much needed work books for school children.
On Higher Education and Training, the Presidential Youth
Employment Intervention seeks an additional R90 million for
graduate assistants and another R100 million for the creation
of the performance model for demand-led skills training.
The ANC is concerned with the R65 million underspending due to
vacant posts. However, we welcome the moving of this unspent
funds to the National Students Financial Aid Scheme, NSFAS, in
order to capacitate its internal administrative capabilities.
We also welcome the movement of the R50 million and
R500 million from goods and services from the Tvet
Infrastructure Efficiency Grant to the NFSAS bursary account.
This will provide for the much needed study bursaries for the
qualifying underprivileged youth beneficiaries.
Deputy Speaker, this adjustment in education sector are
squarely in line with the ANC 54th National Conference
Resolutions on the transformation of the education sector
creating of a demand-based education and training model, free
education, Fourth Industrial Revolution and expansion of the
digital programmes. Proving that the allegations that the ANC
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government under the leadership of Comrade Ramaphosa is
resisting to implement its own Conference Resolution are
baseless and far from the truth.
On Water and Sanitation, the committee welcomes the increase
of R824, 977 to the Water and Sanitation Department main
Budget Vote, which takes the department total budget to
R17,735 billion, indeed a short in the arm for Economic
Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. This is so because the
additional funds will be used in the regional bulk
infrastructure programmes, which in turn will contribute to
local economic development, employment of locals, procurement
of goods and services from local communities. This include,
the R192 million that are located for the water expenditure as
follows: An amount of R81 million is allocated for the George
Municipality Water and Sanitation Infrastructure project,
R112 billion for the utilise in the Umgeni Water Board for the
implementation of the Lower uMkhomazi Vaal Water Supply Scheme
Infrastructure.
The R582 million that is reprioritise towards the Vaal River
System remediation project is also supported. Considering that
the Vaal River System support 45% of the country’s GDP, it
becomes imperative that it is resolved speedily. The committee
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believe that the passion and dedication display by the Deputy
Minister, hon Mahlobo, and the senior management to find long
lasting solutions on this matter is commendable.
The appointment of Rand Water and the allocation of funds to
assisting municipalities like Emfuleni Municipality with its
internal capacity to deal with proper maintenance of its water
treatment plants is a step in the right direction.
On Police, let me first start thanking the Minister of Police
for resolving the challenges that were faced by Tshwane
residents, particularly in Olievenhoutbosch. Two days or a
week after the public Imbizo that was hosted by the Minister,
the five violent criminals terrorising the residence, they
were apprehended and they are behind bars. We welcome that
intervention. While the vote reflects underspending of
R2,8 billion, we accept that the structure and operations of
the SAPS make it very vulnerable to inescapable acts of
deficient effect of Covid-19 pandemic.
The Bill also highlights the additional R250 million under the
relieve packages aimed at responding to the July unrest. The
committee also welcome the R12,25 million rollovers for the
semi-automated DNA processing as this is an indication that
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the crimes of gender-based violence, GBV, are a serious issue
of focus and that there will be process speedily going forward
as this evidence is required for evidence.
We also welcome the R3,9 million rollovers for the convention
of 10 forensic response vehicle as well as the R75 million for
the police upgrading of storage and disaster recovery
capabilities. An amount of R342,96 million for the upgrading
of wide area network ICT infrastructure is also welcome.
Deputy Speaker, on Communication and Digital Technologies, the
department is allocated an additional R200 billion for the
broadband access fund set to provide households with
affordable high speed broadband internet which will create
favourable and conducive conditions for shared and inclusive
economic growth in the face of the Fourth Industrial
Revolution. Amount of R400 billion and R30 million are
prioritise towards the national youth and National Youth
Service and the Youth Enterprise Support Funds.
Other additions are in the Science and Innovation where the
Presidential Youth Employment Intervention is supported with
an additional R67 million of which R25 billion is to provide
for training for 450 graduates and 50 community mentors as
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environmental champions who will educate and create awareness
on the importance of preserving our river ecosystem through
the Duzi-uMngeni Conservation Trust.
Secondly, 900 water graduates will benefit from the
R32 million allocated to the Water Research Commission
Graduate Employment Programme with R10 million reallocated
towards Council for Scientific and Industrial Research geared
towards the Experiential Training Programme, which will see a
total of 250 graduates benefiting. The ANC support the Bill.
Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. [Time expired.]
[Applause.]
Mr A N SARUPEN: I think hon Papo you’re meant to come with the
champion of liberalism but none the less. Let me start by
saying today I’m very disappointed that the ANC speakers in
this debate not mention the achievements of the ANC. So, I am
going to mention the achievements of the ANC for them. Let me
start, achievement number one, record fuel prices; achievement
number two, record food prices; achievement number three, the
highest unemployment rate in the world; the next achievement
of the ANC, the highest youth unemployment rate in the world
record child stunting and one of the world’s worst education
systems and last but not least the State Capture, one of the
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biggest achievements of the ANC over the last decade. None of
these were mentioned by the ANC speakers today.
In fact, State Capture showed us that the ANC has done
something fundamental in terms of transformation. They’ve
transformed an entire political party into a criminal
syndicate. That is some kind of record, no other party in the
world has achieved that. So these are your real achievements.
I really wish when you came up here you debated what you have
done and achieved in this country.
Then, you say you are not oblivious to the cost of living.
This is the same government that put out an incorrect fuel
price and fleeced consumers for week. This is the same
government that takes more than half of the cost of a litre of
petrol up for itself. If you were actually interested in the
cost of living, you could have cut the fuel levy today as one
of your proposals. So, don’t give yourselves false public
platitudes. The rising prices of bread, fuel, milk and other
basic goods could be arrested if the government wasn’t so
greedy that it took more that R10 per litre of fuel for
itself.
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So, with that said, let me get on to some of my prepared
remarks.
So, after the most recent GDP, Gross Domestic Product, numbers
and unemployment stats which showed that the economic
contractor were 1,5% as a consequence of looting and rioting
in July and more than 600 000 South Africans lost their jobs.
I would have expected a bit more humility from the ANC in
these debates because what we have seen that the ANC policy is
not pro-poor, they’re just the cause of poverty. Don’t forget
that.
So, the order of the day in budget and policy statements is
that the ANC spends all its time pandering to the enemies of
growth and the enemies of employment in its ranks. Let me
repeat that again. The ANC has enemies of growth and enemies
of employment in its ranks.
And the first, who are they, should I mention them? Scopa
[Inaudible.] some of and the them are sitting here today. Now,
the first problem with the MTBPS, Medium Term Budget Policy
Statement, is that it doesn’t offer a clear path to a post
covid economic recovery.
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The structure reforms have been dragging, for example spectrum
has been dragging for a decade not because of anything of the
country but because of disagreements in Cabinet. These minor
reforms paper over the cracks. The real structure reforms that
would get people in to jobs have been identified by major
economic institutions who have locally and internationally are
labour market reform, ease of doing business and policy
certainty and there was no mention of that in this year’s
MTBPS because these hard choices would offend the enemies of
growth and the enemies of employment in the ANC so they have
to be put off again.
The second problem is government debts. The reality is that
debts now consume more public finance than health care. It
consumes more than defence, state security, the justice
system, home affairs, arts and culture, sports and recreation
combined. That is a terrible reality for South Africans. And
debt service costs will continue to crowd out spending and
public services especially for the poor with no end inside.
And none of the borrowing over the last decade that cost debt
to GDP to balloon was spent on the things that create jobs
which is infrastructure and fixed capital formation. Instead
it was spent on State Capture and millionaire managers and
we’re now getting closer and closer to a fiscal cliff.
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Debt to GDP will only stabilize by 2026 because the hard
choices have been put off again because of the enemies of
growth and the enemies of employment. So we don’t have an
MTBPS that will actually deal with the problems that we need
to be dealt with. We do not have a pro-poor MTBPS because
[Interjections.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry hon member. Hon Sibusiso Gumede...
IsiZulu:
... kwenzenjani manje?
Sesotho:
O kenwe ke eng morena? Re kopa o time ntho eo ya hao ka kopo.
IsiZulu:
Hhayi! Hhayi! Ujahile ilanga lingekashoni nokushona. Hhawu!
English:
Please go ahead hon member.
Mr A N SARUPEN: Thank you Deputy Speaker. South Africa is
running out of options from its fiscal trajectory. The longer
the ANC sides with the enemies of growth and enemies of
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employment in its own ranks, nor will the ANC focus on some
sort of unity rather the needs of citizens the harsher the
electoral consequences will be.
The DA will not be carried along with these policies that are
designed to plicate ANC factions and not the national interest
and this MTBPS budget or this adjustment budget and we will
oppose it today because we stand on national interest. Thank
you very much.
Ms E D PETERS: Thank you very much hon Deputy Speaker. Deputy
Speaker, the members of the DA stand here and want to focus on
the internal dynamics of the ANC and yet their mickey mouse
coalitions are failing to produce a government in Tshwane, in
the City of Johannesburg as well as in Ekurhuleni. I hope that
comrade Mzwandile takes them to court for failing to produce a
government. How long have you been running up and down with
your coalition friends?
The EFF comes here and grand stand about rejecting the budget
and yet the very EFF that facilitated governments in the
metros that I referred to comes to the House and reject the
land expropriation without compensation saying to the people
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of South Africa, delay further your right to ownership of
land.
So, today we are not going to be listening to these people who
want to grand stand here and want to... yes we never listen to
you because we’ve got no right to listen to you. We listen to
the people of South Africa.
The ANC supports the 2021 Adjustment Appropriation Bill. Hon
members, let me start by paying respect to the departed
leaders, our trailblazers, our freedom fighters, our
stalwarts, comrade Ebie Ebrahim and comrade Lindiwe Mabuza. To
you comrades Ebie and Lindiwe, we want to assure you that the
struggle continues.
As Paul Ryan says and I quote:
“The work ahead will be hard, these times demands the
best of us, all of us but we can get this country
working, we can get this economy growing, we can make the
safety net safe again, we can do this.”
Before Covid-19, about 17 million people were dependent on
social grants. The advent of Covid-19 has worsened the
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situation, poverty, hunger, starvation and unemployment have
worsened. Today, about 50% of our people are dependent on one
form of grant of the other.
The extension of the R350 SRD, Social Relief of Distress, grant
to the end of March 2022 has cost about R2 billion per month is
an attempt by the ANC led government to provide the much safety
net to our [Inaudible.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon members can you please mute man. Can
you please mute.
Sesotho:
Ake le timeng ntho tseo tsa lona, le kenwe ke eng hantlentle?
English:
Please mute your systems there, please. Go ahead hon member,
sorry.
Ms E D PETERS: We are saying that despite the challenges of
the fiscus Deputy Speaker, nobody should go to bed without
food. Hon members, we welcome social grants additions of about
R26,7 billion which were effected through the total fiscal
relief package.
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The ANC also welcomes the R178 million addition from the
Presidential Employment Initiative for early childhood
development. This will assist about 70 000 workers. Hon Deputy
Speaker, the grants are a big contributor to the economy. The
recipients of the grants have a high propensity to spend their
money thus increasing consumption to aggregate demand and
ultimately the GDP. Grants mean more bread sugar, mealie meal,
beans, vegetables, mill etc.
I’m saying this to warn those who have a meiotic view of these
grants. Yes, we don’t want grants to be a permanent feature
but with these conditions, this safety net must be provided to
the most vulnerable sections of our society. The grants
therefore support businesses and provide indirect employment
opportunities. I’m therefore urging the opposition to stop
playing petty politics with the grants. Let’s be clear, you’re
saying you don’t support our people receiving these grants.
Afrikaans:
Julle sê dat ons mense nie die toelae moet kry nie. Hoekom
nie? Ons sê dat dit belangrik is, want hierdie toelae help ons
mense om darem brood en melk vir die kinders op die tafel te
sit.
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English:
You are saying no to any childhood support programme, you are
saying no to the R30 million to National Development Agency to
assist with food parcels. Please think twice before you are
seen as working against the poorest of the poor whose lives
are dependent on these grants.
Setswana:
Batho ba rona ba tlhoka tshelete e ba e fiwang ke puso.
Jaanong lona lo tla mo Ntlong eno gore lo seka lwa tsamaisana
le tekanyetsokabo eno. Fa lo tsitsinya gore puso e se ka fana
ka matlole a thuso, le gore barutabana ba ba tlhokomelang bana
ba ba nnye ba se ka duelwa, batho bano ba tshwanetse ba
thusiwe ke mang fa e se puso ya bone ya ANC?
English:
Hon members, service delivery at the local government faces
many challenges. This Bill allocates R284 million for solid
waste management through municipal infrastructure support
agency. Apart from providing jobs, this intervention is meant
to assist local government with infrastructure provision.
Remember, we have identified infrastructure as a catalyst for
economic reconstruction and recovery plan. We have seen the
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state in which municipalities find themselves. Whilst
municipalities owe water boards and Eskom, they themselves are
owed billions and billions of rands by the private sector, by
provincial government, by national government and by state
entities.
What is even more concerning being these very government
departments that are owing. I’m calling on the Minister of
Public Works and her counterparts in provinces to ensure that
municipalities are paid. How do we explain a situation where
municipalities are owed R500 million by a province, yet we are
the first ones to point fingers? This compromises service
delivery at this level of government.
Hon Deputy Speaker, we are therefore calling on this House
through the portfolio committees to ensure that all
departments are up to date with their payments to
municipalities. This Houses passes budget which includes
payments of services to local government. It does boggles the
mind as to why they don’t pay.
We also urge the NCOP to ensure that provincial governments
pay their dues. Portfolio committees should name and shame
offenders. It is unacceptable that they are not paying.
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Hon members, let me re-emphasize this, not supporting this
Bill means that you are not supporting this intervention to
assist the infrastructure to enhance service delivery and help
with the creation for employment and employment opportunities.
Hon members, South Africa’s renowned for its beautiful
highways. This is because of Sanral’s splendid work. We
therefore welcome the allocation of R62,6 million to Sanral
and a R50,2 million towards mitigating the loss of revenue and
R12,1 million towards the maintenance of roads as an aftermath
the July unrest.
Hon members, this is critical for the smooth transportation of
goods and people. So, if you say you’re not supporting this
Bill, you are saying these roads should not be maintained.
Please face the people and say so.
The ANC welcomes the allocation of R2,3 billion for the
purchasing of Covid-19 vaccines to sustain the rollout of
Covid-19 vaccination programme. It is indeed heartening that
since the commencement of the vaccination programme,
16 million people and 37% of the adult population have been
vaccinated.
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We also applaud the additional allocation of R15 million of
the Presidential Employment Intervention to employ
environmental health practitioners at ports of entry to
strengthen capacity. We are calling on more of our people to
vaccinate. It has now been proven that the negative impact of
Covid-19 is less severe to those who are vaccinated.
I will be failing in my duty Deputy Speaker if I do condemn in
the strongest terms the racism that Europe, the USA, United
States of America, and the UK, United Kingdom, are showing
against South Africa and Southern Africa, punishing us for
superior science in discovering the omicron variant.
The President argues that the banning of flights to and from
our country divide of any signs. It is unnecessary racist
hysteria of the so called developed countries. Dirco was
correct when it said and I quote:
“A combination of South Africa’s capacity to test and its
ramped up vaccination programme backed up by a world
class scientific community should give our global
partners the comfort that we are doing as well as their
managing the pandemic.”
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By voting against this Bill it means you are saying it is
wrong to protect our people against this deadly virus. Deputy
Speaker, we are also saying we need to harness the production
of vaccines in our country. The opening of a vaccination
factory plant in Gqeberha is a welcomed development and there
should be many Gqeberhas.
The ANC welcomes the R4 million allocated as part of the phase
two Presidential Employment Intervention to the District 6
Museum. This is allocated to the Department of Sports, Arts
and Culture. This will create about 35 jobs and cover
operational costs, community engagement, craft workshop,
visual tours, webinars and educational programme. This is grim
reminder of the effects of the... [Time expired.] The ANC
supports the Bill.
The MINISTER OF FINANCE: Deputy Speaker, let me join hon
members who expressed condolences on the loss of our veterans,
EB and Mama Lindiwe. Their passing is a great loss for our
revolutionary movement.
Over the last two weeks we have seen the release of data which
shows two things. First, the persistent and continued increase
of unemployment in our economy and our society and contraction
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in ... [Inaudible.] ... growth. What all of this means is that
we have to redouble our efforts in reconstructing and
stimulating the recovery of our economy.
Parallel to that, we must continue to focus on saving lives in
the context of this fourth wave of the virus. So it becomes
critical that also we keep our eyes on the ball and focus on
saving lives.
It is interesting that before we could purchase the vaccines,
a number of political parties in this House were ...
[Inaudible.] ... pre-occupied with getting vaccines and with
the protocols. Now that we have the vaccines, we don’t see
them on the ground campaigning for the people to vaccinate.
That is a key challenge – to ensure that most of our people
are vaccinated. It must become a national effort, not only of
government, in mobilising people to get vaccinated.
A third element of our effort is addressing crime. Crime is a
fundamental problem in our society. It also impacts on
economic growth. The levels of crime that we have are
impacting negatively on growth. That is a matter that requires
a particular attention.
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Reference has been made by a number of speakers to structural
reforms. I must restate that we have made mention of these
structural reforms. Chief among them is the issue of
generation and introducing competition into the generation
mix. Clearly, with the introduction of the 100MW which the
generators are free to sell to third parties ... that on its
own begins to introduce competition and therefore is an
important structural reform.
We begin to introduce reforms in the ports by introducing
competition in port operations.
... [Inaudible.] ... introduce reforms in the rail by bringing
in the third-party operators and competition into the rail
sector.
Insofar as spectrum ... an hon member says, no, it’s because
of the ANC ... part of what that member is missing is ... part
of the delay has been what has been happening with court cases
which are not occasioned by government at all. Government has
been a kind of a mediator in this effort. We are still
committed to a deadline of the end of March next year insofar
as spectrum is concerned.
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Let me make another point. There seems to be a confusion
between a Budget and a Medium-term Budget Policy Statement,
and what a Medium-term Budget Policy Statement is and what it
is not. A Medium-term Budget Policy Statement is a pointer; it
is not a Budget in itself. What it does ... it points at the
direction which the Budget is likely to take. In other words,
it creates a framework within which resources are going to be
allocated. It does not, in itself, allocate resources. What it
does, it says how much revenue we are likely to spend over the
Medium-term Expenditure Framework ... how much revenue we are
likely to collect ... how much expenditure ... and what is the
difference, and how is that difference going to be financed
... what are the ratios that we want to make sure ... the
debt-to-GDP ratio and so on. It does not, in itself, allocate
resources.
What we did was to table two kinds of documents that that
framework would set up the parameters which is the medium-term
budget framework which in itself is not a budget statement ...
it’s not a Budget.
The second document which is important ... which a number of
members, particularly from the ANC, focused on ... is the
Adjustment Estimates. My comrades from the ANC correctly saw a
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focus on what the Adjustment Estimates are providing for. I
don’t have to go into detail here quoting the numbers. They
have done that excellent work for me. So what that work says,
what is it that is being adjusted in revenue. What revenues
are going where, for what purpose?
Let me just give you an example. There was an agreement which
provided for an increase in the cost of employment for ...
which is an increase. Provinces did not budget for ...
provinces ... that is unforeseen and unavoidable expenditure.
What this budget ... these estimates do ... they correct for
that anomaly. Any decision which says we should not support
these adjustments ... what it does, it says ... [Inaudible.]
... we must put the provinces into a crisis arrangement
because they have already started paying ... effecting the
payment of employees. If this House does not approve the
estimates, it means the provinces will be in a crisis and
overspent.
So, that is what the Adjustment Estimates are all about.
Somebody made reference to the fact that a structural
adjustment ... to an extent that a ... structural reforms to
what extent are they part of the ... [Inaudible.] ...
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political support. I made the point when I presented the
Medium-term Budget Policy Statement that whatever was said was
a decision of Cabinet. Structural reforms are a decision of
Cabinet.
There is another point which ... [Inaudible.] ... which is a
gross understatement ... are these audit outcomes that were
presented by the Auditor-General. A missing link is the
misreading of those audit outcomes. What do those audit
outcomes say? Those audit outcomes say, in fact, there is a
huge improvement in managing our books. And that improvement
means we have 75% unqualified reports. We have 71% unqualified
reports. The distinction is two within these unqualified
reports. There are unqualified reports with no findings. There
are unqualified reports with findings. In the media there has
been a focus only on the unqualified with no findings. But the
total reports of unqualified reports is 71% - which is an
improved performance indeed by our departments across the
board and across all political parties.
This is the message in the medium-term Budget ... What we are
saying in the Medium-term Budget Policy Statement ... we will
continue with economic recovery and economic growth. We will
continue saving lives. We will continue dealing with crime. We
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will continue dealing with vulnerable communities and we state
the fact that we are spending about 60% on non-interest
spending to deal with vulnerable communities.
We then said we will do all of this in a fair ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Minister, I’m afraid your time has
expired.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: Thanks, God!
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No. Hon members, in future, we will
negotiate with you. If you want our assistance by drawing your
attention to the fact that your time is about to expire ...
It’s a practice that has been implemented before. If you so
desire, you can indicate to us so that you – okay, I’m putting
it respectfully so I hope you’ll appreciate it as such – do
not get carried away by the beauty of your remarks!
Mr A H M PAPO: Deputy Speaker, I would like to raise a point
of order.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, hon member, what is your point of
order?
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Mr A H M PAPO: Is it parliamentary for hon Ntlangwini to use
the name of God in vain?
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: You are complicating my life. [Laughter.]
I will not be able to make a ruling on that one, frankly. Hon
Hope Papo, please pardon me. That one, for me, is a difficult
one. [Laughter.]
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: Deputy Speaker, on a point of order.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Please don’t pursue that, hon member! I
plead with you, don’t pursue that.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: No, it’s on a lighter note, Deputy Speaker.
I can see that the hon Papo dreamt of me last night! I can see
it! [Laughter.]
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No, please! Please! Hold on! Hold on! Hon
Mazzoni, please go ahead with the process.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Thank you, hon Deputy
Speaker. I, too, rise on a point of order, and I don’t mean to
complicate your life, at all, especially on the last day.
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But, Deputy Speaker, hon Kwankwa was thrown off for saying
something improper. I do think it is highly improper for a
member to say “Thanks, God” when a Finance Minister has
finished his speech. I think, what’s good for the goose is
good for the gander. I would ask you to second-guess your
thought. I think, if someone gets thrown off for saying like
the hon Kwankwa did, then I do think that the hon member from
the EFF should also be taught the lesson that we don’t
blaspheme in this House, and that we certainly don’t treat
each other with that kind of disrespect.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon member, with the greatest of respect,
the two are not the same. It is incorrect of you to suggest
that hon Kwankwa was thrown out for what he said. He was
thrown out because he grabbed a mic and repeatedly spoke as I
spoke. That’s the reason he was thrown out, not because of
what he ... I did object to him continuing to do and say what
he said. I had not ruled up to then, until he did what he did,
which is ridiculously out of order. The Rules are very clear.
You can’t do that kind of thing when you are being spoken to –
grab the mic, talk back, you don’t even wait for a presiding
officer to finish ...
Afrikaans:
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... en jy praat soos ’n ...
English:
... as if ...
Afrikaans:
... jy iewers ...
English:
No, no, no! But ...
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: On a point of order, Deputy Speaker ...
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: No. Hon member, I have requested and I am
pleading with you again ... Can we please let this go? Let me
... Let’s go through this process that we have started. You
will get an opportunity later, maybe, in the afternoon when
there will be an opportunity for you to speak.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: Thank you, sir. School is important.
IsiXhosa:
Enkosi tata.
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English:
The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon members, the Minister’s remarks
concluded the debate on the 2021 Medium-term Budget Policy
Statement and the First Reading debate on the Adjustments
Appropriation Bill.
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Bill be read a first time.
Division demanded.
The House divided.
The Deputy Speaker announced that the Speaker had determined
that, in accordance with the Rules, a manual voting procedure
would be used and that the Whips would conduct a headcount of
members in the Chamber and on the virtual platform for the
purpose of ascertaining quorum and voting.
A quorum being present in terms of Rule 98(1), voting
commenced.
[TAKE IN FROM MINUTES.]
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Question agreed to.
Bill accordingly read a first time.
CONSIDERATION OF VOTES AND SCHEDULE
(Adjustments Appropriation Bill)
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you. Hon members,
let me start by thanking those parties advising the staff on
which Votes they will record their objections and on which
they intend dividing. This information will greatly assist.
Hon members, the proceedings will initially take the form of a
question and answer session. I shall put each Vote in respect
of which adjustments have been made in turn members will have
the opportunity to ask questions to the relevant Ministers in
respect of this adjustment. Each party has been allocated a
global time for all Votes. Members of the executive have up to
two minutes per Vote to respond to the questions.
There has been, hon members, request from parties that in some
instances they will use their allocated time to make
declaration instead of asking a question. This will be
allowed. Naturally, where a declaration instead of a question
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has been made there will be no expectation for a reply. Once a
party’s time has expired, its members will not be allowed to
put further questions. Members may put a question from the
floor microphones in the Chamber or from the virtual platform.
Members will be recognised based on the list submitted by
parties. I just want to emphasise that because the list that
we have many parties don’t reflect. Therefore, if there are
parties that wish to do so, please make sure that the Table
staff is informed because I will be going through the list
that has been submitted by the parties ... [Interjections.]
... Let me finish I will recognise you.
After the question and answer session, I will put the Vote for
decision. Hon members should please wait until I recognise
them before putting their questions. Before I put Vote No 1
let me hear the Chief Whip of the Opposition.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Thank you, hon Boroto. I
wanted to stand just to inform you that I apologise in advance
if today I accidentally referred to you as my lady because you
look so much like a High Court judge and you look very
befitting for our last sitting of Parliament today. Thank you
very much, House Chairperson.
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you very much,
hon Mazzone. Thank you. Hon members, I put Vote No 1 - The
Presidency. According to the list that I have there’s no one
except the ANC.
Vote No 1 – The Presidency – put.
Division demanded.
The House divided.
The House Chairperson Mr C T Frolick announced that, the
Speaker had determined that, in accordance with the Rules, a
manual voting procedure would be used and that the Whips would
conduct a headcount of members in the Chamber and on the
virtual platform for the purpose of ascertaining quorum and
voting.
A quorum being present in terms of Rule 98(1), voting
commenced.
Ayes – 208: (ANC – 198; IFP – 6; Good – 1; NFP - 2; Al Jama-ah
- 1).
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Noes – 103: (DA - 69; EFF -22; FF Plus - 8; ACDP – 2; Cope –
2).
Question agreed to.
Vote accordingly agreed to.
Vote No 2 – Parliament – put - agreed to.
Vote No 3 – Co-operative Governance – put.
Questions:
Mr I M GROENEWALD: Thank you, hon House Chair. Just a question
to the Minister in terms of the budget allocations of
Municipal Infrastructure Grant has been lessened and the
budget allocation for municipal infrastructure support agents
has been increased by more than R270 million. Isn’t the
department creating a precedence where infrastructure
development is being centralised? Thank you, House Chair.
The DEPUTY MINISTER CO-OPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL
AFFAIRS (Mr K O Bapela): Thank you very much, House
Chairperson, it’s the Deputy Minister Obed Bapela here.
There’s no precedence that is being created or centralisation
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that is geared at. We have this municipal support grant
because we have certain municipalities that still do not have
the requisite capacity to be able to deliver services,
particularly those that are in the rural areas, deep rural. We
saw many huge challenges that are there. The grant, therefore,
helps in giving and ensuring therefore that such
municipalities are supported until such time that there’s a
turnaround strategy for those municipalities to be able to
grow, deliver services and be able to collect enough revenue
for themselves. However, as is the situation now we are
dealing with spatial, issues that were created by apartheid
and therefore is going to take us a time before we arrive at
that. Therefore, is these a support grant rather than a
centralisation grant. Thank you very much.
Mr B M HADEBE: Thank you, House Chair. Thank you, Deputy
Minister Bapela. The Auditor-General has found that the
Accounting Officer of the Community Works Programme continues
to fail to take appropriate actions with regards to payment to
nonqualifying government employees. Therefore, this has
resulted in irregular expenditure to the value of
R673,6 million which it’s an increase of 2 670% compared to
the previous financial year. The irregular expenditure relates
to payment made on expired Community Work Programme, CWP,
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contracts as well as irregular appointments of some CWP
implementing agencies. Deputy Minister, given that the draft
CWP Policy Framework which has been developed is still
undergoing consultation with relevant stakeholders, what are
the immediate steps that are being taken in the short-term to
curb the fruitless and wasteful expenditure? I thank you.
The DEPUTY MINISTER CO-OPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL
AFFAIRS (Mr K O Bapela): Thank you very much, hon House
Chairperson and hon Hadebe. There are majors that have been
put in place and I think by the 3rd or 6 December the spending
by the CWP had increased to a particular percentage that is
now beginning to show signs of response. However, obviously
the irregular expenditure issue remains a worrying element and
I think that there are explanations that we are even giving to
the portfolio committee. For example, that some of the service
providers had closed down at the point and certain things
ought to have been procured using different means, and
obviously they did not follow the regulations to some extent
hence the rise of the regular expenditure in that. But, then
obviously with the situation normalising we hope, therefore,
that when we’re going to the next financial year, some of the
irregular elements will then be decreasing and will then bring
it back to its base and focus including ensuring therefore
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that they follow all the law and regulations that govern that
funds. Thank you very much.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: EFF we have submitted, House Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): I have just got
confirmation now from the Table staff that you have not
because you’re not on the list, and I just asked them ... when
did you do that may be?
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: I’m not sure, House Chair, but we have
confirmed for Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs,
Health, Higher Education and Training and International
Relations and C-operation.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Can you send it to the
Table staff, on this one I will proceed because I have nobody
and I’ve just made them to check if there are other parties
that did it late and they just confirmed to me that you are
one of the parties that they haven’t received from.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: No, we have sent, House Chair, please allow
me to ask the question to the Minister.
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): If you listened to me
when I started this particular Order, I said that I’m not
going to allow anybody who has not done as agreed to by the
Chief Whips that they should submit.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Yes, but we did submit, House Chairperson.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Please rectify that for
other coming Orders. Let’s not waste time. Hon Mazzone!
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Thank you, hon Boroto. Hon
Boroto, will you be reading the objections because you also
asked parties to indicate whether they will be objecting ...
[Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): We are still coming to
that.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: So, will you read it or
would you like us to announce it? I just want to know how you
would like to do that ... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): When we get to the next
Order, that’s where it will apply.
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The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Okay, but would you like us
to do it or would you ... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): I do have the list
already.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Okay, thank you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): I have the list and if
you are not on the list or you are not sure, please make sure
that you submit because honestly members we can’t agree on
things and then we come to the House and change them. Let’s
agree on that ... [Interjections.]
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: House Chair, can I ask the question?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): No, hon Mkhaliphi, I
said that prepare for the coming questions, on this one we’re
done. We are on Vote No 4 which is ... [Interjections.]
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: But House Chair, this is unfair, this is our
slot. It’s very unfair because we have processed on time as
EFF, House Chairperson. So, if the staff members on the Table
didn’t process don’t punish us, House Chair.
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): No, no, hon Mkhaliphi,
may be you didn’t listen to me I’m going to respond to you for
the last time and please. If you proceed with interjections, I
will have to take another one. So, look I said that if you
have not please make sure that you do that now, because I
communicate with the Table staff and they just confirmed that
you have not sent. Therefore, please, rectify that one so that
when the other budgets come you are able to participate. It
will always be updated the staff is here, the staff is in the
office and they work together. Please let’s ...
[Interjections.]
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: But, House Chairperson, just order.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): No, no, hon Mkhaliphi,
let’s not ... [Interjections.]
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: This is just a clarity seeking question,
House Chairperson. If you pass on this one while we have not
declared on it, will you give me a chance to do it?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): No, not on this Budget
Vote No 3 that we were ... [Interjections.]
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Ms H O MKHALIPHI: This is my appeal to you, House Chairperson,
please allow us, it’s only just one question, House Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon member, please stop
otherwise you will have to be moved from the platform because
I’ve ruled and you keep on talking. I have ruled ...
[Interjections.]
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: But, this is unfair, House Chair. We have
processed our question on time, so the Table staff is not
processing it, but you are punishing us. This is unfair.
Division demanded.
The House divided.
Ayes – 208: (ANC – 198; IFP – 6; Good – 1; NFP - 2; Al Jama-ah
- 1).
Noes – 103: (DA - 69; EFF -22; FF Plus - 8; ACDP – 2; Cope –
2).
Question agreed to.
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Vote accordingly agreed to.
Vote No 4 - Government Communications and Information System–
put and agreed to.
Debate on Vote No 5 - Home Affairs – put and agreed to.
Declaration of vote:
Mr A C ROOS: House Chair, the Home Affairs Budget is the exact
opposite of pro poor. It is pro patronage, while funding goes
to millionaire managers at the Border Management Authority,
that suspicious building and that evergreen contracts at
Government Printing Works reassured R200 million to fight the
war on ques. This is South African humiliated on a daily
basis. And should surely be priority number one.
Staff delay documents and demand bribes to speed things up,
contributing to hundreds of million legal claims. This money
should be put towards mobile units, to reach rural communities
and assist over half a million South African school children,
who remain undocumented in the land of their birth. This
denies people access to opportunity. When they are crying out
for opportunities ... [Inaudible.] ... cadre the DA rejects
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this pro patronage budget with the contempt it deserves. Thank
you.
The HOUSE CAHIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon members on the
virtual platforms, please make sure that your mics are muted.
If you disturb the House, I am going to call you by name and
if you repeat it, you will be removed from the platform. Thank
you very much, that was a declaration and not the question,
the ANC.
Ms A RAMOLOBENG: Thanks House Chair, with regards to the
implementation of the Border Management Authority, has a
memorandum of understanding between the authority and the
South African National Defence Force, SANDF have been
concluded, regarding the launch border guards? If not when
does the Minister, anticipate that this will be concluded?
Thanks House Chair.
The HOUSE CAHIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you very much,
maybe before the response, it has been rectified that when we
say a Minister has two minutes to respond to the questions. It
means your two minutes should be divided to that particular
vote. That is what has been explained to me now. Not per
question but per vote. That’s what has been explained to me.
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So, those who are coming in, make sure that if you have a
more, shorten your responses. Thank you. The hon, the Minister
of Home Affairs.
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Thank you, hon House Chair, a
meeting of a Military Command Council, chaired by the ...
[Inaudible.] ... of South African National Defence Force
together with the new management of the Border Management
Authority, the commissioner and the deputy commissioner has
just taken place four days ago, on the sixth of this month to
discuss this issue. A decision was that a joint technical task
team be formed between the South African National Defence
Force and the Border Management Authority to iron out the
modalities of that. That meeting is going to take place on
Monday next week, after which a memorandum of understanding
will be signed with army regarding the deployment of border
guards to the borders. Thank you very much.
Vote No 6 - International Relations and Co-operation – put:
Declaration of vote:
Mrs T P MSANE: thank you very House Chairperson, we needed a
time when the global nut is realignment itself and dividing
the world even further, where the African continent is
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struggling for survival and some pandemic and the lack of
leadership. House Chairperson, the African Union, AU has
implemented the African Continental Free Trade with no clear
operational policies, due to the lack of infrastructure such
as roads and rails and stable energy supplier amongst African
states. House Chairperson, AU has not addressed policy
revisions that seek to deal with Africa, post COVID-19. They
have not reassessed and realigned that Agenda 2030 and Agenda
2063.
South Africa has failed to be decisive in dealing with travel
bans and posed unfairly bar in America and in Europe. Travel
bans are imposed on South Africa and have a major impact on
the economy. And, open the finance debt gab even wider. House
Chairperson, this department is a Member of the Indian Ocean
Rim Association, but has dismally failed in advising the
Minister of Mineral and Energy Resources against Shell who
wants to explore oil in our oceans. Ignoring the history of
what Shell has done to the lives of the people in Nigeria at
the Ogoni Land in the Niger Delta.
But, we are not amazed, House Chairperson, this department is
run only by actors, an acting chief operational officer, COO,
an acting director general, DG, an acting chief executive
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officer, CFO. This department continues to award contracts
irregularly and this department cannot even get a proper team
management unit in order. Therefore, House Chairperson the
mandate of the International Relation and an Africa united,
clearly it is too challenging for this department and its
political heads. Therefore, House Chairperson, we reject this
budget thank you.
The HOUSE CAHIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you, we proceed,
table staff please assist me if I am looking down with the
names of the people who just intrude into the proceedings. We
have no any other party; we move to Vote No 7. There was no
question, that was a declaration. So the Minister doesn’t have
to respond.
Vote No 7 - National School of Government – put and agreed to.
Vote No 8 - National Treasury - put
QUESTIONS:
Mr N SINGH: Hon House Chairperson, the IFP is concerned about
the taxes that are imposed as general fuel levis and the road
accident fund and this falls within the purview of National
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Treasury. So, we would like to know from the Minister, whether
there’s any move by government to have tapping on fuel prices
and to relook at the way the price of fuel is structured,
because the poorest of the poor are suffering as a result of
increased fuel prices, to increase in food prices, farmers are
suffering. We would like to know what the Minister has in
mind, together with the Minister of Mineral Resource and
Energy. Thank you.
The MINISTER OF FINANCE: House Chair, no, we have not had any
discussion with the Minister of Mineral Resource and Energy,
as to the fuel price. However, I can assure the hon member
that I am as concerned with the rising fuel prices like any
South Africans. To the extent that we may have to play a role,
we will do whatever it can to support a form of the fuel
price. Thank you very much.
Declaration of vote:
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Hon House Chair, as far as Vote No 8 is
concerned, ... [Inaudible.] ... is a protest vote because we
feel that Treasury has not capacitated the Department of
Justice and Constitutional Development and the Department of
Police. That’s why there are not enough investigators and
enough prosecutors and that’s why we have a terrible
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situation, we have a two ... [Inaudible.] ... have been
detained without trail for five and a half years and as you
know in the 80s we had a 90 detention trail. We cannot have
this repeated now after our democracy. We cannot compete with
John Vorster who introduced the Bill.
Also Treasury has not capacitated the National Public
Prosecutor, with enough investigators and also with
prosecutors. And, that’s the Truth and Reconciliation
Committee TRC, cases cannot proceed with haste. Also Treasury
... [Inaudible.] ... and there’s no proper oversight. They are
allowing force removals and we can’t allow force removals to
support mega projects. Parliament needs to have more
oversight, not give Treasury this carte blanche. So thank you
very much, that’s the address that we make. It’s protest vote
about the detention trail of the two situents on International
Human Rights Day and they are detained without trail for five
and half years. Thank you very much Hon House Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you, hon
Hendricks, that was the declaration. the ANC, do we have a
member from the ANC. Hon Mantashe, please, please this is a
... [Inaudible.] ... those around hon Mantashe, please inform
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him that his mic is on. This is a warning, should it be
repeated, he will be removed from the platform.
Vote No 9 - Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation – put and
agreed to.
Vote No 10 - Public Enterprises – put
Declaration of Vote:
Mr G K Y CACHALIA: Thank you Chair. We are presented ad nauseam
with own plans platitudes and payments to service fees,
enthusiastically endorsed by a pliant parliamentary portfolio
committee, to the delight to the Department Public Enterprises
who both seems to think that doing the same thing in the same
way will produce different results. Well no, it isn’t so.
Eskom is on the brink. Transnet is next, and as for the rest,
ha! This government’s ... [Inaudible.] ... and failure has
created this mess. Unless we all wake up and point a finger at
those who delivered us here, we will continue our descent into
economic darkness. This is not the time for cosy arrangements
with fellow cadres and friends. Now is the time for
application of that wonderful Yiddish word, tachles. Look it
up, it refers to essence and purpose and calls for things to
be told straight. It sets the scene for informed analysis that
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leads to timely action. It can be done but not by this
government and its deployees. Surely, the Minister agrees.
Question:
Ms Z MAJOZI: Thank you, House Chair. The Finance Minister in
his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, MTBPS, insisted that
government will avoid further bailouts of state-owned
companies which will compromise fiscal sustainability. The IFP
however remains concerned about the many outstanding guarantee
facilities granted to SOEs, including Eskom, SAA, Denel and
South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd, SANRAL.
Government has committed hundreds of bailouts in debt
guarantees. Amongst others, Eskom has R350 billion government
guarantee facility. SANRAL has a guarantee facility of
R37,9 billion, while Denel has a R5,9 billion guarantee debt
facility. Our question is, if the SOEs default, where will the
money come from for these repayments and has a provision been
made for these? If yes, what are the details, and if not, why
not? Thanks.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you. Before the
hon Minister comes in, I just want to say that I think it
would be easy for Ministers to manage their two minutes if all
the questions are put so that you decide on how you divide
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them. So, I am going to proceed to other parties and then the
Minister will come in so that he manages the two minutes.
Thank you. The UDM ...
Setswana:
... Mma Mohlala, ke labobedi jaanong. Mme ke a go tsibosa,
tima segodisalentswe seo sa gago.
English:
It’s a warning now Mam Mohlala, if you appear again you will
leave the platform.
Mr N E DLAMINI: Thanks House Chair. Rail and ports
infrastructure is critical to economic development. Transnet
has not to date achieved the priority intervention set out in
the economic recovery ...
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Can you put your mic
correctly? Yes.
Mr N E DLAMINI: Okay, can I start afresh? Okay. Rail and ports
infrastructure is critical to economic development. Transnet
has not to date achieved the priority intervention set out in
the economic reconstruction and recovery plan, particularly,
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aggressive infrastructure investment. What are the steps which
Transnet is going to take to commence with rail and ports
infrastructure development and how will the department hold it
accountable?
The MINISTER OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES: Thank you House Chair and
good morning to you and the colleagues. As far as the ANC’s
question is concerned, Transnet has quite advanced in terms of
developing plans, precisely to attract investment both in the
ports, but also in the terminals and the rail sector as well.
Some market testing has already happened in this particular
regard to explore the possibilities of partnerships which will
ensure that there is adequate capital available for these
investments. But key to this is the stabilization of
institutions that have been the victims of state capture which
many would like to have a collective amnesia on when its suits
them.
The stabilization of Transnet or Eskom or any of the other
SOEs is absolutely critical, both at an institutional level
and at a leadership level. Accompanying that will be financial
sustainability as we go forward and many of these institutions
have been impacted negatively by COVID-19. But we are forcing
all of the SOEs to focus on their operational productivity to
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ensure that they actually perform in an optimal way in order
to attract the right kind of revenue as well.
As far as guarantees and bailouts are concerned, it is our
intent over a period of time to ensure that no guarantees are
required, but of course that is going to take time in a case
of an institution like Eskom, but that work is continuing at
the moment and we agree with the Minister of Finance that
bailouts should be eliminated. That the fiscus should not be
relied upon and SAA is a good example of moving in that
particular direction.
So overall, the SOEs are still in the process of transitioning
from the instability and chaos caused by state capture and
mismanagement, to one way we have the appropriate level of
stability and those that have no wish to see these changes and
transitions happening ... [Inaudible.] Thank you very much.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Please watch your two
minutes all those that will be responding.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom
Fighters, Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus and
African Christian Democratic Party dissenting).
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Vote No 11 – Public Service and Administration – put and
agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 12 – Public Service Commission – put and agreed to
(Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Freedom Front
Plus and African Christian Democratic Party dissenting).
Vote No 13 - Public Works and Infrastructure – put
Questions:
Ms S J GRAHAM-MARE: Thank you House Chairperson. The problem
with poverty is that it takes away a person’s choices. They
cannot choose where to live, where to educate their children
or where to get medical attention. All these choices are
imposed on them. So because they don’t have freedom of choice,
then as government we should provide them with the best
possible services available.
The poorest of the poor deserves the greatest of our respect
and as the government landlord, the Department of Public Works
and Infrastructure and its entities are absolutely pivotal in
the provisional services. Why then Minister De Lille of over
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120 infrastructure projects which are significantly delayed?
Why is this department the owner of 1 826 unfit building which
we leased to departments? Every single facility that serves
our communities should provide our people with a dignified
experience. Why are we failing them and what is being done to
remedial? Thank you.
Mr T V MASHELE: Thank you. Minister, your department had
difficulties this financial year in implementing its
programmes due to high levels of vacancies. Can the Minister
explain her plans in remedying the situation and implementing
these programmes that the department failed to implement,
particularly programmes like Expanded Public Works Programme,
EPWP? Thank you.
The MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE: Thank you
House Chair. To respond to hon member Graham-Mare, the 100
projects unfinished will appreciate it if she can give me a
list of where those projects are and I will definitely come
back to her after investigating the hundred that she claims is
unfinished. In terms of the maintenance, we have now have a
plan to do schedule maintenance and reactive maintenance and
we have set aside for the next financial year, we have set
aside a budget to scale the maintenance of government
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buildings. I do agree with her that some of the buildings are
not in a good state.
Most of the vacancies have been filled. We still have a few of
acting positions where some of the posts have now gone to the
Department of Public Service and Administration and then onto
Cabinet for further approval of the Deputy Director Generals.
The EPWP Programme is on track. We will be reaching our target
for this coming financial year. We still have a problem with
the non-state sector allocation and some of the allocations to
the various provinces. But we have engaged the provinces to
improve the implementation of EPWP in their provinces. Thank
you, House Chair.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom
Fighters, Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic
Party dissenting)
Vote No 14 - Statistics South Africa - put
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
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Vote No 15 - Traditional Affairs - put
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 16 - Basic Education - put
Mr B B NODADA: Chairperson the problem we have here is that,
we have a Minister and ANC government that is allergic to the
truth and completely divorced from the reality of young South
Africans affected by our poor basic education system. This is
a system that continuously pushes them into a lifetime of
poverty and unemployment with a curriculum that does not
respond to the needs of the economy, plunging them to be part
of the 76% youth unemployment.
Furthermore, we continue to have over 2 011 pit toilets in
schools, while Department of Basic Education, DBE has failed
to meet their target of 600 only building 298 toilets while
many learners have risk of dying and pit toilets in schools
She continues to fail at eradicating mud and asbestos in
schools while DBE has failed to use R1,1 billion in this
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financial year alone from the Schools Infrastructure Backlogs
Grant.
Over and above this, we still have 7 223 schools without
fences, which increase the risk of vandalism and even child
kidnapping as we have seen in the news recently. Minister,
when can we expect day zero of having pit toilets in schools?
What will you do to ensure that dispensing in the schools to
avoid vandalism this holiday?
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Minister, we have made available some funds
particularly for school assistance and as you know that there
has been some outcry that school assistance has not been ...
[Inaudible.] Can you tell us how is going to impact positively
on the quality of education to ensure that, these learners are
adequately prepared to enter tertiary institutions? Thank you.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: I wish to sensitise
members that, they must not laugh at hon ...[Inaudible.] He
was involved in an accident. He broke his two legs. For him to
be connected like that we must also appreciate the commitment
that he has.
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G BOROTO): Thank you Mam. We wish
you hon Shaik Emam a speedy recovery. The EFF!
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Oh finally, thank you very much Chair. I
just want to ask a question to the Minister of Basic
Education.
IsiXhosa:
Njengoko izikolo zivalwa Mphathiswa ...
English:
... our kids are turned away from the school for the fact
that, they don’t have money to pay the school fees. My
question to you is: Is it the policy of your department that,
if a poor child is owing for school fees must not get his or
her report for the entire year. If this is not the policy of
the department, what are you going to do as steps against
those principals who are turning away the poor child from the
school from obtaining his or her school report. Thank you
Chair.
Ms N G ADOONS: The backlog on infrastructure in our education
system remains a critical area, which requires an increase in
capital expenditure. The School Infrastructure Backlog Grant
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plays a critical role in addressing the backlog. The ...
[Inaudible] ... by the department of R97 million for workbooks
will delay progress in infrastructure development in the
sector. Minister, why did the department shift the funds for
workbooks while the sector is experiencing significant
infrastructure challenges? Thank you Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G BOROTO): Thank you. The hon the
Minister, it is your time to respond. Basic education. The hon
the Minister or the Deputy Minister of Basic Education on Vote
no 16. Do we have somebody? Hon Modise please mute. Please
mute, this is a warning. We do not want to see your picture
again.
Hon members, as you can see there is no one to respond. We
will have to follow up on this. I urge all other Ministers or
Deputy Ministers to please be alert. The train is moving; you
can’t be left behind. Members have asked questions and they
need responses. We will see how we deal with it, for now I am
not sure what to do.
Mr W T LETSIE: Chair, from the side of the Office of the
Leader of Government Business, the report that we got is that,
the Minister and the Deputy Minister were supposed to be on
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virtual. We do not understand why they are ...
[Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G BOROTO): No, I hear you baba,
thank you. I hear you but we can’t do anything. We can’t wait
and bring them back. Unfortunately, it is the members that
need answers but I think something must be done to their
questions even if it is written. Let’s allow that process, for
now, we proceed. Thank you. We proceed to higher education and
training. We only have the ...[Interjections.]
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION: Sorry Chair, basic
education is here [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G BOROTO): Hon Mohaule, doctor, my
reverend, you are lucky because the question for the next Vote
has not been done. But, please let us be on time. I said the
train is moving. Please proceed.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION: Thank you Chair. On
infrastructure, the provinces are busy with the implementing
infrastructure on Education Infrastructure Grant. The
Department of Basic Education is intervening where there is
backlog through Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery
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Initiative, Asidi. So, we are- and the schools - maybe just to
give the House a brief information that the schools that were
vandalized in July were all fixed except very few which we
could not let the children go home. So, now that children will
be going home, the schools will be fixed now during December
holidays.
Chair, on school fees we have quintile 1 to 5 types of
schools. Quinter one to three there is no school fees. There
can only be a situation where parents agree on their own to
pay for whatever. That one we allow as the department but it
does not include a child. All children from quintile 1 to 3
schools will be receiving their reports. Same as quintile 4
and 5, wherein it is a fee paying school, but school fees is a
matter of parents not the matter of children. So we would want
to know those schools which are holding the reports of
learners. We will intervene and they will surely get their
reports. Thank you chair.
Vote No 17 - Higher Education and Training – put and agreed
to.
Declaration of Vote:
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Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Hon House Chairperson, the EFF rejects with
contempt the proposed Appropriation as anti-poor, short
sighted and shockingly anti-developmental. The proposal to
shift the R65 million from the technical and vocational sector
from its programme towards the National Student Financial Aid
Scheme, Nasfas, is ironically the real representation of what
Minister Blade Nzimande was alluding to in his laser defence
of 75% module proposal. It is stealing from Peter to pay Paul.
The Tvet sector already relinquished from massive
infrastructure cuts in the last financial year is being
further subjected to dilapidate under development. If we
sincerely want to industrialise and build internal capacity in
this country, the continued neglect of the vocational sector
which is the foundation of all developmental society is purely
madness. The EFF is against this Appropriation Bill. Thank
you, Chair.
Vote No 18 - Health – put and agreed to.
Declarations of Vote:
Ms S GWARUBE: Minister, it must take the worst kind of people
to pillage public money during the biggest health crisis the
world has ever seen. This government has presided over the
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largest money heist in recent history. A whopping R14 billion
has been lost to corruption during the pandemic and not a
single person has been sent to jail. In fact, to add insult to
injury, the very same person who led a charge against Covid-19
is currently embroiled in a R150 million corruption scandal.
This has a direct impact on the department’s ability to do its
work. More so, as we head towards the fourth wave of
infection. So, surely, you can agree that corruption is not a
victim, it is crime. In fact, ...
IsiXhosa:
... amasela kulo rhulumente ngawo ubhubhane.
English:
What steps have you taken since you took over to hold people
in your department to account and to expedite investigations?
Ms N N CHIRWA: House Chairperson, for all the five years now
the Department of Health has been drastically reducing its
targets and yet even in this instance to do less, they still
fail to achieve their own targets set by themselves for
themselves. Thus no surprise for the entities and the Ministry
that are performing so poorly. Numerous countries across the
globe have gone to ensure justice for surgical medical
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victims. Meanwhile in our country, one victim alone Phindile
Mncube proves the biggest challenge for both the Minister of
Health and the Deputy Minister’s offices combined.
To this effect ... [Inaudible.] the SA Health Products
Regulator, SAHPR’s CEO Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela even
went to the extent of misleading the Portfolio Committee on
Health and all this to protect Johnson & Johnson as the
supplier of dangerous and life ending medical devices.
As the Ministry, it comes as no surprise that you have
invested zero efforts in countering vaccine hesitancy with
effective dissemination of information and education. This
because you that the stakes for accountability will rise and
there will be nowhere to hide.
If the issue in countering the fourth wave of Covid-19
pandemic in healthcare is bed space, you do not fund the
public relations, PR mongering stance on vaccine mandate, you
increase bed capacity. If the crisis is human resource,
doctors and healthcare workers being overburdened by the
Covid-19 patients, you increase the work force. If the issue
is infrastructure and health facility capacity, you open
clinics for 24 hours and seven days a week. There are
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thousands of nurses and doctors sitting at home waiting for
the so-called government of the day to absorb them.
You have turned a blind on the persisting hogwash ran by
payola media of this country because you benefit and your
laziness as the Minister of Health and the Deputy Minister of
Health will not be questioned. We reject this report in the
very way we reject the useless and lazy government of the ANC.
Thank you, Chairperson.
Mr K L JACOBS: House Chairperson, Minister the government is
in the process of preparing the roll-out of the National
Insurance, NHI health system to address the healthcare
disparities in the country. The Health Revitalisation Grant is
important in the process of improving hospital services and to
deliver quality healthcare efficiently and effectively for the
implementation of the NHI. What has caused the inability to
spend funds in such a critical programme and what plans are in
place to address the inability to spend as budgeted? Thank
you.
The MINISTER OF HEALTH: Hon House Chairperson, let me thank
the hon members. To the hon member of the DA, the process of
dealing with corruption as related to the personal protective
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equipment has been concluded by the Specialised Investigative
Unit, SIU and we have been given the reports. We have taken
steps to some employees who are implicated on some of the
aspects that the SIU has concluded and given reports. Some of
those steps are still in process in terms of the internal
disciplinary processes. We have to follow the law to the
latter so that those processes are on as prescribed by the
Laws of the country.
Other processes which relate to criminal investigations and
prosecutions, the relevant bodies, the SIUs, the Hawks and
relevant criminal justice system institutions are pursuing
those processes. I am sure that we have reported to the
Portfolio Committee in terms of the steps we are taking and
our hon member is aware of that. In as far as the hon member
of the EFF, there was no question but statement and insults
from the EFF. I do not think that I need to respond to
insinuations and insults. So, I will not dignify some of those
insults with response.
Hon member of the ANC indeed, the infrastructure programme is
a major part of achieving NHI and the universal health
coverage making sure that our health facilities are up to the
stage where they can deliver good quality services. As a
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result of the some of the lockdown in 2020/2021 financial year
there was poor spending in as far as infrastructure is
concerned.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: House Chairperson, on a point of order: I
think Chair, you are going to protect our member because
Declarations are not supposed to be responded to. The Minister
is out order to say our member is insulting him. This is a
Declaration which is permitted in terms of the rule. I think
we must be protected Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon member, we said it
from the beginning, everybody knows and Ministers, if it is
Declarations you do not have to respond to.
Vote No 19 - Social Development – put and agreed.
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: House Chair, let me welcome your decision
to deploy more qualified social workers on the ground in line
with the special Appropriation. It has an impact in two folds,
that is, firstly, job opportunities for those that are
qualified and were unemployed and secondly and most
importantly, you will be able to identify dysfunctional
families and those of substance abuse. What measures did you
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put in place to ensure that there is a greater collaboration
between civil society, NGOs, NPOs and the social workers?
Thank you, Minister.
Ms A MOTAUNG: House Chair, noting that the department did not
have any roll overs but received an adjustment from the budget
speech in junction on the Presidential Youth Employment
Intervention. Minister, how many youths received employment
opportunities from the Presidential Youth Employment
Initiative through the Early Childhood Development Conditional
Grant and at what phase is the implementation of this
programme? Thank you very much.
The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Covid-19 shall never
succeed, House Chairperson. As the people of South Africa and
I think we are already dealing with it and we call on people
to vaccinate so that they can survive like I did because I
vaccinated. Thank you very much to the hon members, hon member
of the NFP and we hope you will recover very quickly and thank
you very much for your comments.
Yes, this programme has really given us an opportunity to
ensure that we get more young people to be deployed. Beyond
the issue of just social workers, there is also the
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Presidential Stimulus Package. We were happy that we were
supported with Early Childhood Development, ECD, package which
was allocated an amount of R78 million. We were hoping that of
the 23 670 applications we were targeting 105 registered ECD
employees which are going to assist because some of the
employees depend entirely on the parents who pay for the ECDs.
Many of the employees did lose their jobs at this point in
time.
The member also asked about our collaboration between NPOs and
NGOs. We wish it could be better than what it is but we also
want to make the statement that the ANC-led government spends
almost R82 billion supporting NPOs and NGOs. I have said as
the Minister of Social Development that we need value for
money from that amount of money which is given to NPOs and
NGOs. We register the NPOs and the NGOs and we will continue
to monitor the expenditure of that money.
IsiZulu:
Uyabona nje le nto yokuthi izitatimende basinikeza okuningi
singakwazi ukuphendula ngoba isikhathi asanele. Manje kufuneka
siyishintshe leyo nto. [Ubuwelewele.] Thulani futhi nina
nithanda ukubanga umsindo. [Ubuwelewele.]
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English:
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon member, let us not
get into that. I think you know the processes that you can use
so that your global time can be changed. Let us do it
properly.
Vote No 20 - Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities -
agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 21 - Civilian Secretariat for the Police Service -
agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 22 - Correctional Services - agreed to (Democratic
Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Freedom Front Plus and
African Christian Democratic Party dissenting).
Vote No 23 – Defence – put
Declarations of vote:
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Mr S J F MARAIS: Chairperson, the defence force experienced
embarrassing waves of irregular, wasteful and even illegal
spending, nothing to be proud of, which will not convince the
National Treasury to grant the funding to prevent the
breakdown of capabilities. Some include the smuggling of Cuban
drugs with losses up to R260 million. Millions were spent on
bakeries with friends and family benefiting who would then
sell the produce back at high prices.
Millions were spent on upgrading the ... [Inaudible.] ...
rather than securing spare parts for the Gripens and upgrading
of the frigates. Seventy per cent of the budget is still spent
on the costs of employees. Billions are required to rebuild
the dilapidated 1 Military Hospital, all at the cost of
maintaining our prime mission equipment and defence readiness.
When National Treasury says funding must come from
reallocations, they mean reorganising, repurposing, and
reprioritising spending, we agreed with. This government is
failing in its constitutional duty to protect our country and
secure the safety of our people. I thank you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): The EFF!
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Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Not on defence, Chair, we are on labour.
[Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): They’ve just brought it
to my attention now. Maybe somebody else sent it. We proceed.
IsiZulu:
Asinaso isikhathi.
Vote No 23 – Defence - agreed to (Democratic Alliance,
Economic Freedom Fighters, Freedom Front Plus and African
Christian Democratic Party dissenting).
Vote No 24 – Independent Police Investigative Directorate –
agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 25: Justice and Constitutional Development
Declarations of vote:
Mr W HORN: Chair, today marks 25 years since our Constitution
which implores the government to respect the dignity of every
South African became law. Unfortunately, Minister, since
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you've taken office, your department has frequently not been
able to pay maintenance, known as papgeld, to the vulnerable
parents and children. All while this money was in the
department’s accounts.
Services by the Master’s offices have at times been close to
being nonexistent with the result that the grieving and
vulnerable have been precluded from accessing the money
they're entitled to and desperately need from the state and
the Guardian’s Fund. The ... [Inaudible.] ... says the
dysfunctional IT system of the department is mostly to be
blamed but that it cannot be fixed and will have to be
redesigned and rebuilt.
Minister, what's your plan to ensure that the vulnerable,
going forward, are able to access these services at all times,
rather than being confronted with closed doors, unanswered
phone calls and emails, as has become custom, all while we
wait for the IT system to be rebuilt.
Mr S N SWART: My lady, I mean House Chair, hon Minister, the
justice committee met earlier this week to receive a briefing
on the resignation of the Investigating Directorate, ID, head,
advocate Cronje and its impact on the National Prosecuting
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Authority, NPA. Now, as we know, the NPA, the Asset Forfeiture
Unit, AFU and the ID are crucial in the fight against gender-
based violence, state capture corruption, and other crimes.
We are deeply saddened, as the ACDP, by the departure of
advocate Cronje, and we wish her well, but the fight against
crime continues. There are, however, significant budgetary
constraints facing the NPA, the AFU and the ID. We are,
however, encouraged by this week's high court application to
preserve Optimum Coal Mine and the Optimum Coal Terminal in
terms of the prevention of corrupt activities. legislation.
These are the Gupta's most prized assets in the country.
And those of us involved in the parliamentary Eskom inquiry
will rejoice that eventually steps have been taken to preserve
those assets for the state. And this is in anticipation of
forfeiture applications likely to follow in the coming months.
These applications are premised on the contention that these
deals, including the acquisition of the Optimum package, are
tainted by the proceeds of crime.
From the ACDP’s perspective, we would, however, like to see
budgetary increases for the NPA, for the Asset Forfeiture Unit
and the ID, given the fact that they are able to collect
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billions of rand for the state from ill-gotten gains. I thank
you, House Chair.
Ms W S NEWHOUDT-DRUCHEN: Hon House Chairperson, thank you very
much. hon Mister ... if the Table staff could spotlight hon
Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen, please.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Yes, proceed.
Ms W S NEWHOUDT-DRUCHEN: We welcome the progress of rolling
out the sexual offences courts and the Thuthuzela Care
Centres, TCC centres. However, for them to be effective and to
serve their purpose, they must be fully capacitated and
resourced. You are aware that some of these facilities have
not been resourced and capacitated. Some of them lack
interpreters and intermediaries. What is the department doing
about this to ensure that justice is accessible? Thank you,
House Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): The Minister of Justice
and Constitutional Development!
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
(Mr J H Jeffrey): House Chairperson, I'm standing in for the
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Minister. With hon Horn’s question, unfortunately, it got a
bit distorted. I mean, he referred to ... problems with the
maintenance payments and the Master’s office, the Guardian's
Fund, and I think it was along the lines of what steps are we
were taking to protect the vulnerable.
Look, the maintenance problems were last year and limited to
specific areas of the Eastern Cape, specific courts when there
was a changeover from the Justice Deposit Account System, JDAS
payment system and to MojaPay and its related to the
beneficiaries not having come to change their details. And
then, unfortunately, because of the lockdown, which had just
started, being unable to come in to change their details. So
that was where the main maintenance problem was. I'm not aware
even during the ransomware attack have serious problems with
maintenance or the Guardian's Fund. Yes, the Masters have had
particular problems with COVID-19 and with the rotation
amongst staff and then with ransomware attacks. So the issuing
of the letters of executorship and things like that
particularly was a problem. But, I'm not so much aware of the
problem with the Guardian’s Fund.
But just to say that look, the vulnerable ... the people that
... do receive their maintenance payments through the
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Department of Justice need to receive the money on time and
it's inexcusable when that doesn't happen. And then the same
with the Master's office, I'll take Mr Swart’s points as hon
Swart’s points as just comments but I would agree that more
money can be got for dealing with corruption and recovering
assets and prosecuting people the better. On hon Newhoudt-
Druchen’s point ... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you. The time has
expired. Thank you. You have two minutes ... [Inaudible.] ...
time.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
(Mr J H Jeffrey): I will give it to hon Newhoudt-Druchen
afterwards.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Yes, you can. Thank you
very much.
Vote No 25 – Justice and Constitutional Development – agreed
to. (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Freedom
Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party dissenting).
Vote No 26 - Military Veterans
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Declarations of vote:
Mr N SINGH: Chairperson, the IFP has long been monitoring the
grievances of our military veterans and barely a month goes by
without a mention in the media. Just this week, veterans in
Pietermaritzburg faced eviction threatened violence if they
were evicted.
Further, there was a recent alleged kidnapping of two
Ministers and a Deputy Minister at the St George's Hotel and
Conference Centre by a group of military veterans on 14
October 2021. In light of these events, has and how have you,
Minister addressed the concerns voiced by the military
veterans, especially on the demands for housing allowance,
medical aid, and bursaries for tertiary education.
And also, will you be able to give us a timeline for the
completion of the review of the Military Veterans Act upon
which much of the government’s promised support to the
veterans appears to be hinged on. I thank you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): The ANC! Any member of
the ANC to raise a question, they are registered here. I
proceed. The hon Minister of Military Veterans, Vote 26. Can
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we have a response from the Minister on Vote 26 - Military
Veterans to the IFP? [Interjections.] Agbare! [Honourable!]
I'm going to proceed, hon members. There seems to be nobody to
respond, to the same issue we had, hon Singh. Let’s promise
that something will be done, you will receive your ... even if
it's in written form. And I don't know why. Maybe it's a ... I
don't know, but I'm not going to try and find out what is
happening. We proceed. Now, Vote 27 ...
IsiZulu:
Nk T R ZUNGU: Sifuna ukuhamba manje. Hhayi ngeke!
English:
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon Zungu, please
switch off. I'm not sure whether it’s Zungula or Zungu. We
proceed to Vote 27 – Office of the Chief Justice.
Ms S GWARUBE: House Chair, I have a point of order. I think
it's unacceptable that some of the Ministers, House Chair, are
not able to respond to these questions. This is an important
accountability mechanism. I think a strongly worded letter
from the Presiding Officers needs to go to the Ministers
because they not being here to do their jobs. [Applause.]
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): We will. We will carry
that mandate, hon member. [Interjections.] We are now on Vote
27.
Mr B A RADEBE: Chair, on a point of order: I'm rising on the
issue that this list has been updated there. So, the Ministers
might not have been aware that they were supposed to respond.
[Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon member, can you
please take your seat. Hon member, on this list that I have
... [Interjections.]
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: On a point of order!
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Let me respond to the
member first. On this document, we have the IFP, originally
so. [Interjections.] Yes. The one I have had the IFP. So, I'm
not sure ... maybe there were others, but let's not even get
into that, hon member, please. Let's not spoil this thing.
I've responded and I've responded. We proceed. What is it, hon
Ntlangwini? [Interjections.]
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Ms E N NTLANGWINI: Hon House Chair, I accept your ruling,
Ma'am. The Ministers were here earlier on when we had to vote.
So, where have they suddenly disappeared to? So, they must
come back and respond because they were here earlier on and we
haven’t received any apologies from them. So, what is the
reason for them not being here man?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon Ntlangwini, please.
I think I've ruled on that matter. Yes, they're not here now
as we deal with this but how are we supposed to respond to
your question of where are they now? And that is not the point
of order that I expect because I’ve ruled when the DA raised
that point of order. Hon Zulu!
The MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: Point of order! [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): I will come to you, hon
Mbalula. Let me take, hon Zulu.
The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Hon Chairperson, on a
point of order: One of the things that I can assure you is
that the Ministers are always ready to answer questions.
[Interjections.] The problem we have, I’ve pointed this many a
time, I've said the connectivity is always a problem. I've
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indicated that, but hon Chair, let us not let the members use
this period to bash members.
If there is a proposal, we can put a proposal. Questions that
have not been answered ... because we don't know why the
Ministers are not there. Just take Minister Mbalula who is
coming in right now. This is not a platform for bashing us as
if we are irresponsible. We are responsible.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you. Hon member,
we never said anybody's not responsible. We are just saying
now that now ... [Interjections.] ... no, I'm not even going
to use that word “some”, hon Papo. I'm just saying, if the
Ministers are not there to respond as we ask the questions, we
will proceed and I promise members that, that question we
will, as in the Office of the Speaker, make sure that it is
responded to even if it's in writing. Can we please leave this
matter there, please? Hon Mbalula!
The MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: Hon House Chair, you have covered
me.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you.
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The MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: This is not a global expression
that the Ministers are not ready to answer. Where Ministers
are not present there should be cogent reasons for that and I
think you have covered me.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you. Let’s
proceed. Hon members, this will be the last before we break
for lunch.
Vote No 27 - Office of the Chief Justice put.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): For Vote No 27, there
is no indication of any question or declaration.
Vote No 27 – Office of the Chief Justice – agreed to
(Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom
Front Plus) dissenting).
Vote No 28 – Police put.
Mr O S TERBLANCHE: Thank you, Chair. Chairperson, the SA
Police service, SAPS, received an adjusted Appropriation
budget of R99,50 billion for the 2020-21 financial year, to
fulfil its section 205 constitutional responsibilities. The
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National Commissioner stated on 19 June 2021 that, the police
are no longer able to fulfil these responsibilities due to
budget constraints, but the police only managed to spend 95,9%
of the budget, and to recorded an under expenditure of
R4,07 billion.
This amount was allocated for crime prevention, investigation
and intelligence gallery. This resulted in DNA backlogs, a
dysfunctional firearm register and skyrocketing gender-based
violence. Minister, would you agree that your department’s
performance is not satisfactory at the moment, and that
something must be done about it, and especially, the
leadership crisis that is ongoing? Thank you, Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Before we proceed, can
I allow the hon Holomisa to speak? Your hand is up, General.
Over to you, hon Holomisa.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES:
Chairperson, this is Patekile Holomisa.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Oh, yes.
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The DEPUTY MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICES: I
raised hands when you were talking about the absence of
Ministers and Deputy Ministers, and when they were called upon
to respond. I wanted to explain why is it some of us have not
been able to respond. We are not being delinquent, but the
other colleagues have already explained, and I accept the
ruling that responses will be provided at a later stage to the
questions that were raised. Thank you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon members, the DA has
spoken. Can we move to the NFP?
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Thank you, hon House Chairperson, hon
Minister, with the budgetary constraints that your department
has currently, and you know that people are becoming
desperate, joblessness and the crime rate is also increasing
in the country. What are you planning to do?
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: We will use our two minutes on Labour.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Okay. But just check if
somebody is not sending without you knowing, hon Mkhalipi, if
you are the Whip, because it just came in not long ago that
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EFF would like to speak on this one. Just check because this
is the second time.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: No Chair, let me clarify that we discovered
that we only have two minutes, so, we rather use them on
Labour.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Okay. No problem.
The MINISTER OF POLICE: Thank you, Chairperson, I did not
catch the second question from the member of the PBRO, but the
first question from the hon member of the DA has been
explained as I am explaining it that, the money that was
underspent on visible policing was not on operation, it was on
personal protective equipment, PPEs, for the fact that, PPEs
were quite expensive and initially unavailable, and then we
managed to reduce that money in terms of purchasing PPEs.
Unfortunately, that was a locked in money, so, it had to be
surrendered. The other underspending, especially on the
personnel support system, PSS, the protection, that
R40 million, because there was no enough movement of the
executive members, so, there was no station monitoring tool,
SMT, and no over payment and no accommodation. That is a
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reason that is to be given, Chair, but the second question I
did not really catch it from the hon member, Shaik.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Table staff, can you
just block those minutes. The Minister still has 40 seconds to
respond when I stop. Hon Shaik Emam, let me give you the
opportunity to please ask the question again.
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Minister, with the budgetary constraints
your department has, crime rate is increasing as a result of
joblessness, added to that is the fourth wave of COVID-19, and
people are suffering from Covid fatigue. How do you intend
dealing with these challenges with this limited budget, and I
do accept and understand, that a lot of what is happening is
impacting on your department because of failure that other
departments to deal with the socioeconomic conditions and
other things in the country? Thank you, Minister.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Minister, you have 40
seconds to respond.
The MINISTER OF POLICE: I thought you said 40 minutes, but
it’s okay. Chair, it’s true that policing is not just policing
and ...
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Afrikaans:
... skop en donner ...
English:
... we have raised that there are many other things that
impact on policing, including a high level of unemployment,
but also including an environment design. For the fact that
there are many places around the country, whether is
Khayelitsha, Diepsloot, Inanda, where people are not properly
settled, where there are no roads, lights, where there are no
street numbers, and that hinders policing. Therefore, it makes
it difficult indeed to police that area. It doesn’t matter how
huge the budget has been increased, so long some of these are
not fixed, it will be difficult for policing. So, we expect
the government to generate budget in order for us to work
together to reduce crime. Thank you, Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you very much,
you were prompt on the time. Hon members, I will now suspend
the proceedings until 14:00, and the bells will be rung to
alert members to the resumption of business. Business is now
suspended.
Business suspended at 13:09
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Business Resumed at 14:00
Vote No 29 - Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development –
put.
QUESTIONS:
Mr W W WESSELS: Minister, government cannot be the main
employers of people in its country; that is not sustainable.
Taking into account the National Development Plan, NDP’s
target to create one million jobs in the agricultural sector
by 2030 and bearing in mind that most other job creation
strategies are government, has focused on temporary jobs.
The R750 million budgeted for in this adjustment appropriation
has been an item, presidential employment initiative, must not
be as all other government employment initiatives, only a
temporary solution to the employment crisis.
This department should focus on skills transfers, empowering
farmers to create permanent employment. Commercial agriculture
creates jobs and ensures food security. For commercial
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agriculture to succeed the department needs to prioritise
disease control and other essential services.
Do you not think, hon Minister, that your department should
focus on creating an environment where commercial farming is
stimulated and developing farmers are assisted to become
commercial?
Anything else is only temporary in nature. I thank you.
Ms E M TLHAPE: Hon Minister, during the state of the nation
address in 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the
release of about 700 000 hectares of state land for
agricultural production. Less than 60 000 hectares of state
land has been allocated against a target of about 400 000
hectares for the 2020-21 financial year.
It is acknowledged that the outbreak of covid had a negative
impact on rapid release of state land.
What measures has the department put in place to ensure that
the identified 700 000 hectares of state land is released to
beneficiaries within the medium-term? Thanks, House Chair.
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The MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, LAND REFORM AND RURAL
DEVELOPMENT: House Chairperson, hon members, thank you very
much for the two questions from the members.
I would like to agree with the statement that was made by hon
Breedt and the statement was actually read by hon Wessels, who
is the Whip for Freedom Front in the House.
Indeed, one would agree that it’s important to create an
enabling environment for farmers to be able to do their work
and also be able to create employment where necessary.
It’s also important to look at the R750 million that has been
reallocated more as the capacity for those small-scale
farmers, particularly subsistence farmers who are actually
self-employed. So, that adds in the pool not just of
farmworkers but those who can employ themselves.
I agree with you that it’s important to focus on animal
disease to be able to control the animal diseases that have a
direct impact in terms of the agricultural economy.
And to this effect I have set up a task team on bio-security,
which includes important stakeholders in the industry working
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with our officials so that we can understand what are the
challenges that we are facing in our own system as government,
particularly in the provinces as well as within the organized
agricultural sector.
And I hope that the report of that panel will assist us to put
relevant measures that will curb the animal disease in our
country or even control them at best.
Secondly, on the issue of state land release as announced by
the President, I wish to assure the hon member that we have
actually released almost 70% of the state land as it was
indicated by the President in terms of those 700 000 hectares.
But where there had been weaknesses is on the acquisition of
land in terms of the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy,
PLAS, Programme and we will improve our capacity to be able to
reach the desired targets.
Secondly, we want to also deal with issues of
maladministration as well as malfeasance that we have picked
up in some of our offices. Thank you very much.
Vote No 31 - Employment and Labour – put.
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QUESTIONS:
Ms H DENNER: Hon Minister, the purpose of your department, as
it is clearly stated in this Appropriation Bill, is to play a
significant role in reducing unemployment and inequality by
pursuing the objectives of decent work for all through
employment creation and enterprise development; and I’ll
repeat that, through employment creation and enterprise
development.
You are aware that we are currently having the highest
expanded unemployment rate recorded since the inception of the
quarterly labour force survey of 46,6%; in fact, the highest
unemployment rate in the world.
Minister, this is a crisis and I’m sure you will agree.
Employment creation is not taking place; government is not
creating an indusive environment for the private sector to
create jobs, you are doing the exact opposite.
And I put it to you, Minister, that it does not matter what
the budget of this department is, you are failing dismally in
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reducing unemployment because under your watch it has risen to
nearly 50%.
What will your department do to turn around this crisis in the
year to come, specifically with regard to your expanded
mandate of promoting employment creation and your lack of
support to the private sector? Thank you, House Chair.
Ms H O MKHALIPI: Minister, your problems are many and I won’t
be mentioning all of them here because they are too many to be
mentioned here.
Firstly, the rate of unemployment is very high, is sitting at
44% and as the Minister of Employment and Labour how do you
address this?
Secondly, workers from all corners of South Africa are not
protected by labour laws and your department is failing them
on daily basis. A case in pond, workers here in this
Parliament, as we are talking today, have been denied an
annual increase this year while last year they didn’t get
their annual performance bonuses. They have families to look
after, everything is going up.
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So, how are you going to help these workers? Are you going to
talk to the parliamentary staff as workers and talk to their
bosses, just to talk on behalf of the workers? Or are you
going to say ‘we are not involved’? Thank you very much, House
Chair.
The MINISTER OF EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR: House Chairperson, let
me start with the last question. Issues of salaries and
conditions of service are not policy matters, they are the
bargainables, they are issues of negotiations between the
employer and the employees. So, I think there is a forum which
is able to deal with those issues in Parliament. We will only
come in if that forum collapses. If there’s a deadlock there
are dispute resolving mechanisms which are in the legislation
which must be followed. So, any party, in terms of the dispute
or of interest or whatever, they have a right to follow the
necessary dispute resolving mechanisms.
This first question as raised by FF-Plus, you would know that
we’ve been talking about the issue of unemployment. An issue
of unemployment is not an issue of a department; it is an
issue of the economy as a whole.
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You know where we are coming from, where our economy has been
going down prior the pandemic, you know what the pandemic has
done, the decline in the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, of about
7%, you know what has happened when we were trying to recover,
there was violence and so on, which a lot of jobs were lost.
You know now we are sited with the omicron variant which is
giving us problems. We are debating even the issue of vaccine
so that the economy cannot be closed. And what we want to
emphasise is that we will continue to lose jobs if the economy
continues to go down but we will be able to gain jobs if the
economy continues.
I want to refer you to the document called the Economic
Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, ERRP, which was launched
last year by the President which talks about the areas for job
creation, public infrastructure development, the issue of
ensuring energy security, the industrialization, localization,
the mass public employment programmes which we have talked
about particularly for the youth, women and people with
disabilities, we have talked about the macroeconomic
interventions and enablers of growth, we have talked about the
green economy and we have talked about reviving the tourism
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sector, recognizing the huge setback as a result of [Time
expired.] Thank you, sir.
Vote No 33 - Human Settlements – put.
QUESTIONS:
Ms E L POWELL: House Chairperson, the newly appointed Minister
has done much to stabilize the housing department in recent
months but the damage already done to the department as a
result of cadre deployment will last for years to come.
Last week the hon Minister Kubayi admitted that a staggering
1,9 million government houses remain blocked and incomplete as
a result of ongoing corruption, tenderpreneurship and a lack
of accountability by provincial ... [Inaudible.] ... Member of
Executive Council, MECs.
Adding to this great failure is the department’s recent
admission that 18 months after the pandemic began not a single
beneficiary have received a cent of the R377 million set aside
for residential rental relief.
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If the cadre-stacked advisory committees and rapid non-
response teams hired by the ex-Minister had in fact been
working for South Africa instead of the ANC these 1,9 million
houses would have long ago been completed and the rental
relief spent.
House Chairperson, until this department can meet their basic
targets we will reject all further appropriations. [Applause.]
Mr M A TSEKI: House Chairperson, the Informal Settlement
Programme of Human Settlements is very important as its object
is to transform spaces of marginality, inequality and
deprivation in the urban landscape.
The provinces that are not using the Human Settlement
Development Grant and the Urban Settlement Development Grant
should ensure that the aforementioned grants are used
efficiently to address the challenges of housing faced by our
people.
The question is: How does the department allow for a rollover
of funds when we have a challenge of housing in our country?
And what plans has the department developed and implemented to
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provide adequate support to the provinces to utilise the funds
and avoid a rollover for the next financial year?
The MINISTER OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS: House Chairperson, may I
request you to switch on my video ... [Inaudible] ... is weak.
Hon member, regarding the issue of 1,9 million houses I do not
think that there’s one reason why this has happened. There are
various reasons and possibly one of the things that we have to
look at it’s even in terms of the challenges that we are
finding ourselves where you find projects are being taken over
by illegal occupants and also the issues around ... where you
find people who are disrupting construction in the community.
So, it’s not correct for member to ... [Inaudible.] ... that
this is because what would have been lack of leadership from
MECs. MECs have always played an oversight in terms of our
projects. So, I think it’s important and this is a societal
matter that we must be able to work together as all parties to
be able to resolve this.
On the issue around the efficiency of spending and what is it
that we are doing. As Members of Executive Councils, MinMEC,
which means myself, Deputy Minister and together with MECs,
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have agreed on improving performance, quarterly monitoring but
we are also looking in terms of tightening up on the controls
around contract management and also penalty clause so that we
can be able to see the grants performing.
We do request the House to support the rollovers currently
because construction has been affected during covid and also
in terms of availability of material where we couldn’t, as a
sector, be able to implement some of the projects and
therefore, as we recover in terms of ensuring that
construction happens in country in the levels that are there
in terms of risk adjusted strategy, we will be able to see in
the future to be able to see more improvement in terms of
performance.
Myself and the Deputy Minister have visited projects, have
engaged with the provinces to ensure that we monitor
physically the projects but also have engagements with the
provinces to ensure that we can be able to monitor their
progress in terms of implementation of our plans.
But again what we have done as national department was to
avail technical support to provinces where there were
weaknesses.
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As we go forward, in municipalities where there has been less
spending we will work together with the provinces to ensure
alignment of budget business plans and also alignment of
programmes for better [Time expired.]
Vote No 34 – Mineral Resources and Energy
Mr K J MILEHAM: House Chairperson, South Africa is in an
economic crisis with record unemployment, low GDP growth and
spiraling debt, and much of this can be attributed directly to
the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, who failed to
adequately administer their responsibilities, supervise their
entities or provide adequate direction, policy and investor
certainty. Examples include the disastrous management of
mining licenses, the Risk Mitigation Independent Power
Producers Procurement Programme, the National Solar Water
Heating Programme, rocketing fuel prices and a complete
failure to ensure the regular updating of the Integrated
Resource Plan, IRP, and the Integrated Energy Plan.
And Minister Mantashe, well, he did this when he should have
been decisive and pronounces with absolute authority the most
bizarre positions, often in direct contradiction to his own
President. He has drag kicking and screaming to the most
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rational positions after causing untold damage to our country
and our economy. The Minister should just get out of the way
and ease the bureaucratic regulations to allow the private
sector to do what government clearly cannot do, namely,
provide electricity, create jobs and stimulate economic
growth. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
IsiZulu:
uMnu M HLENGWA: Ngiyathokoza. Sanibonani.
English:
The petrol price has increased by over R2 per litre over the
last two months, and on 1 December, it was first increased by
75 cents, further increase by 25 cents which was originally
erroneously announced as an 81 cents increase. This error adds
further fuel to the fire for lack of a better pun in the
demand for an urgent review of the fuel price structure, in
particular the huge amounts being paid in levies. Further, how
much could such a material error could have been allowed to
occur, one which South Africans cannot actually afford and
it’s unnecessary. As the IFP we would like further clarity on
how the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy determines
these increases and how this department will work to reduce
the ever-increasing and escalating fuel costs. Thank you.
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Mr M G MAHLAULE: Thank you very much, House Chair. Considering
that the solar water heater geysers project in programme 5 has
huge potential to offset high costs of grid connections, to
create job opportunities, to spare green industry growth, and
to increase disposable income of the working class households,
but it is stalled despite the high budget underspending of
R238 million. What remedial actions have the department
undertaken to roll out the solar water heater geysers much
more rapidly? Thank you very much.
AN HON MEMBER: Thank you so much House Chair, it is Deputy
Minister Nkabane who is taking the question. [Interjections.]
The MINISTER OF MINERAL RESOURCES: Thank you Deputy Minister
for standing in. First of all, we must record that between
ourselves and the DA, most of the time we are engaged in
pseudo boxing – dealing with ideological differences. The hon
Mileham believes that we should just switch off coal and move
to renewables. He doesn’t even count that renewables provide
8,3% of energy in the country. The IRP is being implemented.
The bizarre position that he refers to are positions that are
actually talking to the transition. We could say that it
should be a transition which has a content. We have to adjust
transition, we want to develop content to that adjustment, and
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I think the date should contribute in developing that, instead
of throwing its hand into the air.
The second one on the price increase is that I agree with the
IFP that it would have been helpful to separate taxes from
fuel price increases. At this point in time there is a big tax
reduction of the fuel price which is on levies. Our view is
that the way of counting price increases is quite an urgent
matter to review. That discussion is on the table. On the
solar heater geysers stored, when we took over the department
two years ago, we had 87 000 solar water geysers that were
stored, and they had already cost the department over
R300 000 million. We went in there and addressed ...
[Interjections.] ... the issue and further put a proper
project management system and put together a team. Progress
can be recorded now. We are going for 20 000 of solar geysers
on roof tops. We are hoping that as we move on, we are going
to increase the pace and increase the number of solar geysers
installed.
Vote No 34 – Mineral Resources and Energy – agreed to
(Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Freedom Front
Plus and African Christian Democratic Party dissenting)
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Thank you, hon
Minister. Hon members, I was just going to announce that we
have certain problems with the information and communications
technology, ICT, connection to the Chamber, but it seems that
those who are not supposed to switch on their devices get
through easily to the Chamber. So, if there is a slow response
in a member who is asking a question on the virtual platform
or a Minister responding, it doesn’t necessarily mean that
they are not there. We are trying to manage the situation as
best as we can. I will now move to Vote No 36: Small Business
Development. The DA?
Vote No 36 – Small Business Development
Mr J N DE VILLIERS: Minister, can you imagine being a small
business owner in a country with a contracting economy,
constant loadshedding and some of the hardest lockdown
measures in the world. The Ministry of Small Business
Development has various programmes to try and assist small
business, but the reality is that these programmes reach a
fraction of the small businesses that need help. The other
reality is that no loan scheme programme with support from the
Ministry can help a business whose doors gets shut down due to
blunt instruments such as lockdown restrictions.
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Minister, what small business needs is the assurance that they
can keep their doors open despite a fourth, fifth or sixth
wave. Will you stand up against any nonsensical closures of
beaches, restaurants or business? Minister, will you stand up
against more livelihood killing lockdowns? [Interjections.]
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Thank you, hon House Chairperson. Hon
Minister, as you are aware that the fourth wave is here, many
small businesses are going to be impacted. Many have already
closed, and they needed assistance. We provided a guarantee
system to the banks, however, the red tape appears to be a
serious problem for this people accessing that funding which
resulted to be only R20 billion of the R200 billion being used
up. How could assist in trying to relax some of the red tape
so that they can easily be able to get that funding. Thank
you, hon Minister.
Mr F JACOBS: Thank you, House Chair. Minister missed its
target of supporting the small, medium and micro-enterprises,
SMMEs and co-operatives by over 23 000, while lockdown
restrictions related to COVID-19 was understandably the cause
of this underachievement. How is the department planning to
meet its target as we normalise and how confident is the
department that the target of providing financial and
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nonfinancial support to 5 000 youths start ups by the end of
this financial year will be met.
The MINISTER OF SMALL BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT: Thank you,
House Chair, and thank you for the question. The question in
line with the restrictions and the impact that they have in
small business development is that as the department of ...
[Inaudible.] ... enterprise is all small businesses which is
why we continue to provide support where necessary and within
the budget and guidelines that we have. It is unfortunate that
businesses are continuing that we also have a responsibility
... [Inaudible.] ...
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon Minister, you are
not audible. [Interjections.] Can we just try to get a much
clearer response so that those who are in the Chamber and on
the platform can hear you better, please? [Interjections.]
The MINISTER OF SMALL BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT: House Chair,
can you hear me now?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Please proceed, hon
Minister. [Interjections.] Hon Minister, we can’t hear you.
[Interjections.] Hon member, you are not a Minister. I am
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waiting for the hon Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams. Hon Minister,
can you respond please.
The MINISTER OF SMALL BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT: House Chair,
can you hear me?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Please proceed.
The MINISTER OF SMALL BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT: House Chair,
can you hear me?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): I can hear you. You
may proceed.
The MINISTER OF SMALL BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT: As much as we
symphathise with the impact that the restrictions made on
small businesses, we also have a responsibility to make sure
that we protect people’s lives. Failure to adhere to
restrictions that government is forced to impose, leads to
people dying, and leads to the same businesses being destroyed
because when the owners die and when the people who are
supposed to support businesses can no longer support them, it
therefore has an adverse impact on them.
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So, I just want to appeal to the hon member that yes, we are
trying everything to support and as government, we are trying
to be responsive and have an appreciation of all the changes
that we are faced with, which is why we are introducing even
decent methods where businesses can ... to say that it may be
a reality that we can find ourselves with COVID-19 for four
years, what is going to happen. This means we also have to
relook at the way we do businesses. Therefore, with the
measures that we are providing not only on financial support
but also on nonfinancial support – we are saying, how do we
introduce hybrid models of doing business. The second question
is in line with the red tape that is there and it’s making
very impossible for small businesses to access funding.
We have reviewed this and have spoken to our agencies and we
have agreed that there is a need for us to relax certain
measures. For example, we used to say that if you are
blacklisted on credit bureau we cannot give you money, and the
reality is that it tells you that one is in credit bureau in
business because one cannot afford. Therefore, how do we bring
that challenge and make sure that we can assist the person in
terms of paying that debt and provide on this so that one is
able to recover on the business whilst a person is trying to
repay and find ways of living. [Time expired.]
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Vote No 36 – Small Business Development – agreed to
(Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Freedom Front
Plus and African Christian Democratic Party dissenting)
Vote No 38 – Tourism – put and agreed to.
Ms H S WINKLER: Thank you, House Chair. This government is
excellent of practicing double-speak as it’s done in tourism
when it preaches that tourism is a key economic driver and job
creator but does nothing to reinvigorate the sector. In fact,
it does the very opposite by making it difficult to allow the
sector to start getting back on its feet since the pandemic.
It has used race as criteria for recipients to receive covid
relief as if the covid virus discriminates.
Tourism can still contribute to economic recovery and job
creation if a reform plan with all persons who have suffered
during this ongoing lockdown could receive equitable
assistance to restart.
The question persists, what is the Minister doing to ensure
that the tourism sector grows and develop in such a manner
that jobs start being created in the sector?
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Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Thank you very much House Chair. Hon
Minister, it is anticipated that government may have to put in
some regulations as a result of the high infection rate
currently. Added to that is the problem of the reckless
conduct of particular European countries that put in a travel
ban to and from South Africa. How are you going to deal with
this problem to ensure that you protect the sector by
providing some kind of assistance to businesses that would be
affected as a result of the restrictions that we are facing
particularly the restaurants, trade etc.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T FROLICK): Is there a question
from the ANC?
Ms H O KHALIPHI: House Chair, can we use the ANC slot as the
EFF?
Vote No 39 – Trade, Industry and Competition – put and agreed
to.
Mr D W MACPHERSON: Thank you very much, House Chairperson.
Each year the Minister tells us that he is going to lessen
unemployment, he is going to grow the economy and he is going
to increase competition. At the end of the year he then tries
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to explain why none of that was possible and it happens year
in and year out.
What the Minister has been very good and consistent at is
being able to pander to big business and special interests to
make it more expensive to do business in this country. My
question to you is how does this budget which you have put
together with your department address all of the failings and
shortcomings that you promised us that you are going to do at
the beginning of each year and when you come to the end of the
year you giving apologies and excuses for?
Ms J HERMANS: House Chairperson, the South African Bureau of
Standards, SABS, and the National Regulator for Compulsory
Specification, NRCS, play an important role in intensifying
localisation, import protection, professionalising our
domestic industries particularly the steel industry. However,
the Auditory-General has raised concerns about these entities
not operating optimally, receiving financially unqualified
audit opinions with findings on compliance with legislation
and the ability to implement effective action plans to address
significant internal control deficiencies.
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What monitoring and control measures are in place in the
department that are intended to ensure the compliance with
legislation by these entities? Thank you.
The MINISTER OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY: Thank you very much, House
Chair. On the second speaker, the one from the ANC I would
want to start off by saying in the instance of the SABS, the
urgency is quite important as the hon member has indicated.
The SABS has moved from a disclaimer a few years ago to a
qualification of its audit to now two unqualified opinions.
That is a very positive steps.
We have put in place a range of measures from getting teams in
the department to support the turnaround. We have allocated
staff to support the management of SABS. And we have seen some
significant improvement in the audit outcomes.
On the NRCS, the challenge there has been that the accounting
framework requires the revenue ... [Inaudible.] ... and
recorded in the financial year that it is earned. There is a
misalignment between the financial year-end and the levy
declarations each year. So that leads to a high degree of
estimations that has to be done.
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I have had a very detailed discussion with the Auditor-General
on this matter and we have identified some ways of dealing
with this so that we can address the challenges. I hope that
responds to hon Hermans’s question.
On the first question that was asked by the DA’s speaker, the
DA’s speaker mischaracterises what we say at the start of our
budget year and at the end of our budget year. Perhaps let me
answer the core question which is there that says “How do we
want to deploy the budget to deal with the challenges in the
economy? I will start with issue of big business. We have
strengthened the support for the Competition Commission, it’s
doing excellent work in dealing with abusive dominance. It
released a few days ago a seminal study on high levels of
economic concentration in the South African economy together
with some recommendations of what can be done.
In addition to that, the Competition Commission has been
actively involved in fighting cartels and has levied enormous
fines on them. They have taken on during the covid period
excessive pricing, overcharging and unfair behaviour. I think
that some of the additional budget support is precisely
towards that.
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The second leg of it is to expand industrial production in new
areas. We have just launched, - good example, the Toyota
Cross, which is a hybrid vehicle bringing in technologies for
green generations through electric motor as well as the
internal combustion engine. The company hopes to sell a
significant number. This is now produced here in South Africa
together with a number of other areas like this. Part of the
budget is to make resources available. I recognise that the
time is up and there is a lot of detail we can provide on how
we are using the budget. Thank you very much, House Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T FROLICK): Hon Minister, not this
afternoon we will have another occasion for that.
Ms S GWARUBE: Hon House Chair, I rise on a point of order. I
think that perhaps there was a mistake where Minister Sisulu
was missed from the Tourism vote and she didn’t get an
opportunity to answer.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T FROLICK): Yes, you are actually
correct hon member. It was just brought also to my attention.
I want to go back to Vote 38, hon Minister Sisulu.
The MINISTER OF TOURISM: Chair, can you hear me?
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T FROLICK): I can hear you now hon
Minister. Please proceed and my apologies. Hon Minister
Sisulu, you have the floor, you may continue.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T FROLICK): Hon members, we do
experience connection problems with hon Minister Sisulu. I
will find out from the ICT if they can try and assist hon
Minister, then we will come back to her. I indicated earlier
that we are experiencing connection problems with some of the
members of the executive. Please allow me then to proceed to
Vote No 40 – Transport.
Vote No 40 – Transport – put and agreed to.
Mr T B MABENA: House Chair, to say the Department of Transport
is a mess would be an understatement. There are no trains on
the tracks and citizens can’t renew their licenses. In 2014,
the Road Accident Fund, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa,
Prasa, and the Cross Border Road Transport Agency, CBRTA, were
the three out of the twelve entities of the department which
were in financial ruin and were nearing total corporate
governance collapse. Since then and subsequent to your
appointment as the Minister of Transport in 2019 and ANC
tweetist, you have added three more entities to the list of
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entities nearing total collapse because now, half of the
Department of Transport twelve entities are in are in
financial ruin. By 2024, how many more or less would you have
added to this disgraceful list of shame and disgust?
Mr M HLENGWA: Thank you, Chair. Hon Minister, your department
looks after the competence. You have quite a few failing
entities. For instance, the Prasa board has not taken
responsibility for the lack of due diligence when appointing a
chief executive officer, CEO. In fact, board member Advocate
Sethene has found a little loophole regarding the CEO not
disclosing his dual passport to hide behind. With these type
of tactics, he has no place serving in the public sphere. The
board should after the suspension of the CEO admit its
shortcomings and address these issues accordingly. With Prasa
being affected with rampant irregular expenditure, it displays
a sheer disregard for the integrity of our democratic state by
displaying its arrogance and disrespect for Parliament ...
[Time Expired.]
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Thank you very much House Chairperson.
Minister, why is your department not protecting the poor South
Africans who are using the public transport. They public are
packed into full capacity as passengers in taxis and buses ...
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IsiZulu:
... baze beme ngezinyawo emabhasini.
English:
Why is your department not ensuring that people are protected
during this covid period? What are you doing about? Are you
intending to kill South Africans purposely?
Mr M N MANGCU: Thank you, House Chairperson. Jola, how is the
Department of Transport going to prevent future underspending
which is caused by the lack of filling of critical vacant
posts? And how are you intending to align your key performance
areas, KPAs, to the strategic outputs of the department?
The MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: Thank you, House Chair. I don’t
think the first question is a question, it is just a political
posturing. But just to highlight a point in relation to that
posturing that RAF, has stabilised. It was faced with huge
challenges and since we came in the 6th Administration we have
brought that stability. We are in the process of reducing the
big liability that RAF is facing. You will know that we
reduced the lawyers cost from R9 billion per annum to
something hovering above R2 billion or so. That is a huge
impact that we have made in a very short space of time.
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The CBRTA was in a total chaos. It has for the first time
registered a clean audit. And we have a new board under mme
Molebatsi – A total stability. We are looking at new revenue
generation methods in terms of the CBRTA. Prasa is an Achilles
heel hon Hlengwa, but we brought stability. What is needed t
Prasa is to accelerate implementation and the board is on top
of that situation. A report will be forthcoming very soon to
Parliament, among others to deal with the irregular
expenditure at Prasa. The challenges with regard to the group
CEO are being be addressed and we will together with the board
give a full report to Parliament.
In response to the EFF’s question, we have faced huge
challenges in terms of public transport and managing numbers.
That why at alert level 5, we had to stop the trains because
they were going to be massive spreaders in relation to COVID-
19. We are in the process of bringing back the trains in the
different corridors. But it is not correct to say what the DA
says that there is a total collapse in terms of the main
corridors in terms of the trains. Some corridors are
functional. In the next two weeks we will be making a big
announcement and bringing to life one of the biggest projects
that has been announced by the President which is Mabopane. It
will be back in operation ... [Time Expired.]
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Vote No 41 – Water and Sanitation - put
Question:
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: House Chairperson, I just want to get
clarity from the Minister here in a form of a question. The
work of Water and Sanitation to deliver to the poor depends
entirely on the technical capacity which is also provided by
Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, MISA. Now, I want to
understand from the Minister, why do you find it comfortable
to work with the MISA CEO who is criminally charged of
corruption? Why are you not challenging that charge against
the CEO? Are you ready to fight corruption or are you
supporting corruption? Thank you.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF WATER AND SANITATION: House Chair, I
will be responding on behalf of the Minister. Let me indicate
that our focus is on delivery of services to the people of the
Republic and in particular water and sanitation. If there are
criminality and criminal activities by the CEO, definitely
there are law enforcement agencies that will be able to deal
with that. Therefore, it may not be our responsibility to can
be able to say that because there are criminal charges against
this person then we will not be working with them. Remember,
MISA does not belong to the department like any other board of
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the department where we can be able to talk to the issues. For
sure the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional
Affairs is the one that can be able to guide us as to how to
go forward on this matter. I thank you, House Chairperson.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Thank you, hon member.
Hon members, I now want to go back to Vote 38 — Tourism.
Minister Sisulu is on the line. She was also on the line
earlier but we had a technical problem in connecting with the
hon Minister. Hon Minister?
Vote No 38 – Tourism:
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF TOURISM: House Chair, I am going to
take the questions on behalf of the Minister.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Please proceed.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF TOURISM: House Chair, let us first
clarify the issue that government is taking tourism very
seriously, that is why one of the key pillars of the economic
reconstruction and recovery plan is tourism. [Inaudible.] ...
tourism then was able, working together with the sector, to
develop a tourism sector recovery plan aimed at making sure
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that we preserve jobs, ensure livelihood, support businesses
so that they are able to continue with their businesses and
the work that they are doing in providing the necessary
tourist attractions that are needed.
Secondly, it is not correct to say that the Tourism Relief
Fund was race based. That is not right. The tourism relief
fund was meant for everybody. There are many white companies
that were able to benefit from the Tourism Relief Fund.
Therefore, it is misleading to say that it was race based. We
must clarify that matter because it is a narrative that the DA
is pursuing which is a very false narrative. We are committed
to making sure that we transform the sector and ensure that
there is inclusivity and everybody is able to benefit in the
tourism sector in a very inclusive way.
So, the issue therefore is that we are proceeding with the
transformation and making sure that there is beneficiation of
South Africans as a whole in general but Africans in
particular with focus on women and people with disability.
That is not race-based but a policy of government.
In terms of the support, as you know we did have tourism ...
[Time expired.]
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Discussion on Votes and Schedule concluded.
Vote No 1 – The Presidency – put.
Division demanded.
The House divided.
House Chairperson Mr C T Frolick announced that, the Speaker
had determined that, in accordance with the Rules, a manual
voting procedure would be used and that the whips would
conduct a headcount of members in the chamber and on the
virtual platform for the purpose of ascertaining quorum and
voting.
A quorum being present in terms of Rule 98(1), voting
commenced.
AYES – 208: (ANC – 198; IFP – 6; Good – 1; NFP - 2; Al Jama-ah
- 1).
NOES – 103: (DA - 69; EFF -22; FF Plus - 8; ACDP – 2; Cope –
2).
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Question agreed to.
Vote accordingly agreed to.
Vote No 2 — Parliament — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 3 – Co-operative Governance — put.
Division demanded.
The House divided.
VOTING TAKE IN FROM MINUTES
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: House Chairperson, while you
are waiting for the results to come through, I wonder if I may
ask a question. It has come to my attention that the only
parties that will be asking for divisions are the DA and the
FF Plus. It’s also come to my attention from members online
that load shedding has started hitting around the country and
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we are going to start losing members online. It would be my
formal suggestion that if there is an objection, that the
Chief Whips object to it ... that we use that instead of going
through a direct, particular division, because what I’m
worried about is if we call for a division and then it ...
unfair that maybe 20 or 30 people from the ANC are offline and
maybe even ... the FF Plus declares and asks for the division,
their members are not online. So practically speaking, I’m
saying if we object, would that be enough for our names to be
noted as being against that particular Vote?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Thank you, hon member.
Of course, we will leave it to the discretion of the Whips of
these political parties to decide but it is a good proposal
that should be considered. Thank you. [Interjections.] Hon
members, order. Order! The outcome of the division is as
follows. [Interjections.] Order, hon members! I want to
declare the Vote. Hon Bheki Radebe, you are disturbing us from
where you are sitting. I think you must rather move back to
where you are supposed to sit. [Interjections.] There are no
abstentions, hon members. There are 103 that voted against and
208 that voted in favour. The Vote is thus agreed to.
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The DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Hon House
Chairperson, as the ANC we want to support the suggestion made
by hon Mazzone with regard to the load shedding and the ...
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): ... calling of
divisions.
The DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: ... which will
affect our members on the virtual platform.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): I was just thinking
that you are saying that the ANC is intending to call for a
division on some of the Votes. [Laughter.] Thank you hon ...
[Inaudible.] [Interjections.] Let me ask the Whips ... Okay,
no, no, no, we are not going to allow every person to come on
now. I think it is something that the Whips must sort out
amongst themselves. I want to get on with the business of the
House, which is Vote No 4 — Government Communications and
Information System.
Question agreed to.
Vote accordingly agreed to.
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Vote No 4 — Government Communications and Information System —
put.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: Chairperson, please note the objection of
the EFF.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: House Chairperson, look, the
EFF is going to do this all day long. Let’s just face facts.
We are the Official Opposition. We stand up first ...
[Inaudible.]
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: House Chairperson, is that a point of
order?
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: You are starting now, Mazzone.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: Is that a point of order? Then she must say
it. [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon members, you are
now disrupting the session and it is counterproductive to the
proposals that have been made by the Whips.
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The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Yes, I couldn’t agree with
you more, House Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Are you raising an
objection, hon member?
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: I am, thank you Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Your objection is
noted, as well as the objection of the EFF. Are there any
further objections?
Mr S N SWART: The ACDP, thank you.
Mr W W WESSELS: The FF Plus.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick) Are there any further
objections? There are no further objections and this Vote is
thus agreed to.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
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Vote No 5 — Home Affairs — put.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: House Chairperson, please note the
objection of the EFF.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: House Chair, please note the
Official Opposition’s objection.
Mr W W WESSELS: House Chairperson, please note the objection
of the FF Plus.
Mr S N SWART: And the ACDP, thank you.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): I now want to put ...
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: House Chair?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Are you pre-empting
me?
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The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: I’m not pre-empting you at
all, House Chairperson. I just wanted to say that we’ve had a
whip around, if you’ll pardon the pun, and it looks like all
the Whips are in agreement with my suggestion. So, if that’s
all right with you, we won’t be dividing but our names will be
logged as having declared against the ... [Inaudible.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): I will note the
objections when they are raised but it is ultimately in the
hands of the parties themselves to decide whether they want to
call for a division or not.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Yes, Chairperson, I want to say that we as
the EFF were not consulted. So, it does not mean that if they
have agreed there in the House that everyone has agreed. We as
the EFF are independent.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon members, order,
order! It’s the last sitting day. It’s the last sitting day
and I will follow the Rules of the House in dealing with the
Votes.
Vote No 6 — International Relations and Co-operation — put.
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Ms E N NTLANGWINI: House Chairperson?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon members, can you
just wait until I put the question. Are there any objections?
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: House Chair, please note the
objection of the DA.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: House Chairperson, can you please note the
objection of the official, official opposition.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Radical one!
Afrikaans:
Mnr W W WESSELS: Huisvoorsitter, van binne in die Huis en nie
daar waar ons wegkruip nie, neem asseblief kennis van ons
beswaar.
English:
Mr M N PAULSEN: Oh shut up man! {Interjections.]
Mr S N SWART: And the ACDP.
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): I didn’t hear what
that member said.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: A point of order to Nazier
Paulsen. He should take some of his own medicine.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): No, hon members.
Mr M N PAULSEN: Sit down! Go and do your ... go and write ...
[Inaudible.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon Paulsen?
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Hon Paulsen, come ...
[Inaudible.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): No, hon members!
Mr M N PAULSEN: [Inaudible.] ... exam to university ...
[Inaudible.] ... pass.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon members, you are
now deliberately disrupting the proceedings of the House ...
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Mr M N PAULSEN: You are speaking to a graduate, man!
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): ... and I will remove
you immediately without ...
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: A graduate ... [Inaudible.]
... women!
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Order, hon member!
Order, hon Chief Whip! I will remove you either from the House
or from the platform if you disrupt voting proceedings any
further.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 7 — National School of Government — put.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: House Chair, please note the
objection of the DA.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Noted. Are there any
further objections?
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Ms E N NTLANGWINI: House Chairperson, please note the
objection of the official, official opposition.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: She’s standing on her toes now.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Order hon members!
Order!
Mr W W WESSELS: Objection of the FF Plus.
The DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: On a point of
order, Chair.
Mr S N SWART: And the ACDP, thank you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Those objections are
noted. I’ll get to you now, Chief Whip. With those objections
the Vote is agreed to but really, really, we cannot degenerate
proceedings ... that it becomes almost like a kindergarten. We
should not do that. There is precedence of certain political
parties based on voter support in 2019. Let us observe that.
There is really no reason to argue and fight. When these
objections are recorded it’s not recorded ... that this one
jumped before that one and that one came in. [Interjections.]
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No, we must please not do that. Let us just be tolerant with
one another for the next two hours or so and then we will get
through this process very smoothly.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 8 — National Treasury — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 9 — Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation — put.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: House Chair, please note the
objection of the DA.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Noted. Are there any
further objections?
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: House Chair, please note the objection of
the official, official opposition.
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The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon members, I’ve made
a very polite appeal. In terms of the Rules of Parliament,
there is no official, official opposition. Please, let us just
calm down and let’s go through this process. It’s a very
important process by the way. The FF Plus?
Mr W W WESSELS: Add the objection of the FF Plus.
Mr S N SWART: And the ACDP, thank you.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 10 — Public Enterprises — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus and African
Christian Democratic Party dissenting).
Vote No 11 — Public Service and Administration — put.
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Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 12 — Public Service Commission — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 13 — Public Works and Infrastructure — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 14 — Statistics South Africa — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 15 — Traditional Affairs — put.
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Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 16 — Basic Education — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 17 — Higher Education and Training — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 18 — Health — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 19 — Social Development — put.
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Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 20 — Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 21 — Civilian Secretariat for the Police Service —
put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 22 — Correctional Services — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 23 — Defence — put.
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Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 24 — Independent Police Investigative Directorate –
put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 25 — Justice and Constitutional Development — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 26 — Military Veterans — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 27 — Office of the Chief Justice — put.
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Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and
Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 28 — Police – put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 29 — Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development —
put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 30 — Communications and Digital Technologies — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 31 — Employment and Labour — put.
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Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 32 — Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 33 — Human Settlements — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 34 — Mineral Resources and Energy — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 35 — Science and Innovation — put.
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Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 36 — Small Business Development — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 37 — Sport, Arts and Culture — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 38 — Tourism — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 39 — Trade, Industry and Competition — put.
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Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Vote No 40 — Transport — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Inkatha Freedom Party, Freedom Front Plus and African
Christian Democratic Party dissenting).
Vote No 41 — Water and Sanitation — put.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters,
Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party
dissenting).
Schedule agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom
Fighters, Freedom Front Plus, African Christian Democratic
Party and Congress of the People dissenting).
ADJUSTMENTS APPROPRIATION BILL
(Second Reading debate)
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There was no debate.
Question put – That the Bill be read a second time.
Bill read a second time (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom
Fighters, Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic
Party dissenting).
FAREWELL SPEECHES
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE OPPOSITION: Thank you, House
Chairperson, and welcome to you Madam Speaker, allow me to
start paying tribute to a great man, Mr James Selfe. I turned
42-years-old this year, and I met Mr Selfe when I was 16-
years-old. That means for the majority of my life, I have
known, I have learned, I have been mentored and I have been
given love and pure generosity by Mr Selfe. Mr Selfe, is the
only person in this House who may be referred to as the right
hon member because he is the only one who has served in the
Senate, also because he was the oldest and longest serving
member. It goes far back.
Mr Selfe has always been ... I mean it is amazing that his
surname is Selfe because I have never met a more selfless
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person. We had a wonderful going away party. I would like to
thank the members of the opposition who joined us in coming to
say goodbye to Mr Selfe because I certainly cannot think of a
Parliament where I don’t look over and see Mr Selfe sitting at
his bench. He never once missed a meeting even if he was sick.
The strangest thing for me is that when I took over from Mr
Steenhuisen as the Chief Whip, Mr Selfe couldn’t come to a
meeting and he sent me a message and asked for leave of
absence. I said to him: “But James, you are my senior in every
way, shape and form”, and he said to me: “You are my Chief
Whip and I need to your permission not to be in the House.”
That is the type of man that James Selfe is.
He has been courageous. He has fought some of the most epic
battles that this Parliament has seen. He has never given up.
He has given up his family a lot to be with us. He now goes to
enjoy his retirement with his three beautiful daughters,
wonderful grandchildren and his loving wife Sheila.
All I can say is if I am ever considered to be even an eighth
of the kind of person and politician that James Selfe is, was
and will always be, I will consider myself very fortunate. My
God hold you in the palm of His hand always. You are an
absolute hero to me, to those of us in the DA and we realize
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that we stand on your shoulders as the giant that you are in
the political sphere of South Africa.
Madam Speaker, Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem called If. I am
not going to read the whole poem, so allow me some political
license in the way I chose the verses:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And-which is more-you’ll be a Man, my son!
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Allow me to end that by saying I am sure Rudyard Kipling would
have said, you would also be a woman, my daughter.
What a year 2021 has been. This will go down in my books as
the worst year of my life. As you all know, I have been
wearing black and I will continue to wear black until 16th
April 2022. This was the year that I lost the person that I
loved more than anyone could ever love any other human being.
I would like to thank every single one of you who phoned me
regularly, who kept me in their prayers and who knew the
suffering that I was going through. It is quite interesting
... John Steenhuisen and I had a conversation ... Mr
Steenhuisen said it is often interesting when a group of women
come together. There is a queen bee in the hive and sometimes
the queen bees have to decide whether there will be one queen
bee and everyone will fight or will there be a group of
princesses in the hive and you’ll all get along together.
What happened to me is that I found myself amongst a group of
princesses who decided that they were going to look after me
when I was at my very worst.
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To the Chief Whip and the Deputy Chief Whip, I cannot thank
you enough for your love and understanding and knowing when I
needed to cry and inviting me into your office and making sure
that I didn’t always have to be the strong one. You allowed me
to be weak when I needed to. You are incredibly a special
woman and you have shown that humanity is a sign of strength
and not weakness. [Applause.]
Today, I asked the head of my family, who took over from my
father if I may slightly divert from the tradition that is
wearing black and wear something slightly more colourful,
still black but with a bit of colour because of Christmas, and
that is my cousin Sabatina. His answer to me was that Natasha,
at the end of the day, it’s your choice, that remember how
many people have lost so much, this year and remember that you
do not just mourn for yourself, you mourn for all South
Africans who have lost their family, friends and co-workers,
who are now faced with this new variant whose name I can’t
even pronounce. I am scared to say the name Omnicron because
this is not the way I ever expected to learn the Greek
alphabet. It is what it is and we have to just carry on with
life. So, I chose to wear black.
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To all South Africans, please know that Parliament is with you
every step of the way. We feel your pain. We want the Lord to
hold you in the palm of His hand and we want healing to be on
all our people.
Thank you to the hon Jacques Julius who served as my Deputy
Chief Whip. He was always by my side when I needed him.
Congratulations to Siviwe Gwarube who takes over a mammoth
task. Siviwe, you are one of the loveliest and kindest people
I know. I am so looking forward to being your partner in crime
as we go through Parliament together.
To all the staff in Parliament, thank you so much for working
when times were dangerous, for when MPs were giving you a hard
time, for just smiling at us and caring on. We cannot thank
you enough.
Thank you to my leader. John, allow me to be a little less
formal. You have led in a time when no other leader has come
into a time of leading during this kind of crisis. Your
leadership has shown us exactly what we need to strive for and
the fact that you never ever sat in your office but that you
went on to the streets, you walked the streets and you were
with the people shows me exactly why I was correct in voting
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you as my leader. You have shown me exactly the kind of
politician I wish to be. [Time expired.] ... I know Speaker; I
am over my minutes ... I would like to say, please Members of
Parliament, go and rest, have joy, spend time with your
families, be safe, stay healthy, may the Lord hold you in the
palm of His hand, festive greetings and I wish you a very
happy 2022. Thank you. [Applause.]
Ms H O MKHALIPI: Speaker, we cannot come here and pretend to
ourselves as members of this House and to the people of South
Africa as if everything is fine while South Africans
especially the poorest of the poor are swimming in poverty.
Today marks the end of yet another year of this House’s
failure to live up to its expectations of our people. Just in
the second quarter of the year, over 80 000 people lost their
jobs in this country. Almost 75% of young people are without
jobs and the extended rate of unemployment is at 44%.
Provinces such as the Easton Cape and Limpopo have over 50% of
their populations unemployed with vast majority depended on
social grants. The rate of crime has escalated at an alarming
rate. Just between July and September alone more than 10 000
women were raped in this country and more than 6 000 people
were murdered.
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Parliament has failed to pay its staff the annual performance
bonuses last year. Again, this year the staff is not getting
their annual increase. How do you expect the poor staff
members to survive under these difficult circumstances? we
call you to protect workers and we further call to you to
respect the Basic Conditions Of Employment Act. The management
of Parliament must stop being arrogant towards workers’ plight
in Parliament because we need those workers to services us.
Our hospitals have proven over and over again that they have
no capacity to handle increased rate of admission due to
Covid-19. We all know that our hospitals were never equipped
to deal with general illnesses that trouble our people during
normal times. The situation is now worse because of Covid-19.
The SA Airways has been successfully been liquidated and Denel
is on the way of being liquidated as well. Sadly, who are
suffering the most? It is the workers, and not the ruling
elite. Our passenger rail agency has been thoroughly captured
by the new agents of state capture. While they are doing this,
the train has used to ferry our people have been thorough been
destroyed depriving our people of a reliable form of
transportation. While all these happen this House was unable
to hold the executive to account for their destructive
actions. In actual fact the ANC Members of parliament use this
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House to defend their corrupt Ministers. We stood here as the
EFF and warn this House that the Department of Health was busy
looting funds meant for Covid-19 including the Digital Vibes
scandals. We were shouted down by the very same Members of
Parliament. This House protected the then Minister of Health
Zweli Mkhize from accounting.
Our state=owned enterprises have collapsed. South Africans are
experiencing load shedding a lot. This Parliament has become
the greatest enabler of the looting and destruction that has
been going on in this country for a while. We have abandoned
our role of holding the executive to account at the altar of
political alliances.
The greatest crime that this House has done however was
knowingly playing with the emotions of our people and their
request for the return of their stolen land. The ANC knew from
day one that they were not interested in expropriating land
without compensation but yet they move along for the sake of
fooling our people and getting votes. From the constitutional
review processes to the constitutional amendment Bill
processes there was never any intention of amending the
Constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without
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compensation but yet they fooled our people into believing
that they were.
May you all go home and develop some conscious. May you all
recognise that the fact that you are all tummies are full
today is at the expense of the hunger and the frustration of
the great majority of our people who continuously suffer even
more under this leadership in this Parliament. May you use
this festive period to reflect on the destructive role you
have played in South African politics. To the fighters, here
in Parliament and to our grand forces, the struggle
continues, land and jobs manje, asijiki! Thank you very much,
hon Speaker, hon Speaker.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: No don’t you understand?
Farewell, farewell! No, farewell!
The SPEAKER: Mr Hendricks you had your hand up. Hon member
Hendricks, is it a point of order?
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: On a point of order, Speaker.
The SPEAKER: No, no, no, hon Ntlangwini, I did not recognise
you.
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Ms E N NTLANGWINI: But I am now calling for a point of order,
Speaker.
THE SPEAKER: Hon Hendricks had his hand up and he is probably
also calling for a point of order. Hon Hendricks, are you
still there? Okay, if you are not there, it will be hon
Ntlangwini.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: Mam, I think it’s very unfortunate that the
Chief Whip of the ANC is screaming the way she is screaming.
She cannot dictate to us what we should put in a farewell
speech. That is our farewell speech, and it is our minutes.
She cannot dictate to us how ... [Interjections.]
THE SPEAKER: Hon Ntlangwini, that’s not a point of order.
Please, when I call you to order please oblige.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: I will do so, Speaker. Sorry, I didn’t hear
you then, mam. Sorry! My apologies!
THE SPEAKER: I am making a plea to you. Don’t do that. Thank
you very much, hon member.
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Ms H O MKHALIPI: On a point of order, Speaker. I think you
must protect all members here. I heard the Chief Whip of the
ANC shouting and saying, farewell, farewell. It is our slot,
Speaker. We cannot be dictated by anyone.
THE SPEAKER: Hon Mkhalipi, it is understood. Of course is
farewell speeches and no one can dictate to you what you
should say. But it is equally very important that at this
point as we are parting we show ourselves and we show one
another love and tolerance. Can you please allow me now to ...
Mr M N PAULSEN: [Inaudible.] ... love and tolerance.
The SPEAKER: ... to invite another hon member to make his
farewell speech. I don’t expect any of you on the virtual
platform to keep on budging in as we are discussing. These are
farewell speeches. The way we have understood them all the
years is that it is time where hon members speak with one
voice on any matter.
Ms H O MKHALIPI: Did you hear what Mazzone is saying again? Do
you think we should ignore her, Speaker? Why are you treating
us as a stepchild in this Parliament, Speaker? What have we
done to you as a new Speaker in this Parliament? Why are we
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not protected? We cannot be told by the DA or the ANC how to
speak in this Parliament. What one voice? Why the poorest of
the poor are suffering out there? Why we must we speak in one
voice? Hon Speaker, please protect us. We are equal members
like everyone. We cannot be told by the DA or anyone. Please,
come in and protect us as well.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: On a point of order, Speaker.
The DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Hon Speaker, I am
standing on a point of procedure. I think hon Mkhalipi was
given enough time as per their minutes to bid us farewell of
which she did in her own way and no one interjected. Can we be
allowed to proceed with the business of this House without any
interruption.
The SPEAKER: Thank you.
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: On a point of order, Speaker. I have raised
my point of order before that member speak.
The SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: It is really disappointing.
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The SPEAKER: What is your point of order?
Ms E N NTLANGWINI: Speaker, I am coming with my point of
order. My point of order is that, why are we dictated how to
write our speeches? Who is Natasha Mazzone to say that we are
talking rubbish in our farewell speech? She wants to do a
monologue speech for her dad on her farewell speech. Nobody
stopped her but as we are using our minutes we are told that
we are talking rubbish. Who is she? No, Speaker! Please, we
love you, we love everyone and nobody is going to dictate to
us what to speak, when to speak it and how to say it. It’s
wrong.
The SPEAKER: Could you please remove hon Ntlangwini from the
system.
An HON MEMBER: She is your partner. Why do you ask us?
The SPEAKER: Minister Zulu, you had your hand up.
THE MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Hon Speaker, it is just a
request. I have raised this concern that we raise our hands to
be able to speak and we continue not to be seen those of us
who are in the virtual platform. Again, I am requesting that
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people who are sitting in front of you can they please keep on
checking on whose hand is up. That was the first point of
order.
The second point of order is that there has been an agreement
that members who keep on interjecting from the platform, who
keep on interjecting and not enabling they must be shut down.
I have been shut down and I respected that position of being
shut down because that was that was agreed upon. Can we also
make sure that members who are interjecting without being
given a chance must be shut out?
The SPEAKER: Thank you very much, hon Zulu. Table officers, I
don’t know how you keep on missing the hands of people on the
virtual platform? This has been raised, and it is being raised
I think for the third time now. Two days ago the matter was
raised, yesterday it was raised and now it being raised again.
That’s first thing.
Secondly, when I say please remove a person from the system I
don’t expect you to wait for me to give a second directive. I
think that is enough. You heard the screaming. Hon members, I
think people can raise issues. You could have raised the same
issue you raised, hon Mkhalipi, without screaming at the
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Speaker. You could have raised the same issues in a better
way. I am now removing hon Ntlnagwini from the system.
[Applause.]
IsiZulu:
Mnu M HLENGWA: Akonakele lutho, Somlomo, wenza umsebenzi
wakho.
English:
On that happy note of that unhappy farewell, Ebenezer,
Ebenezer, Ebenezer. It was the worst of times; it was the best
of times. The year 2021 was another challenging year for the
House, as the nation continued the battle against the Covid-19
pandemic and tried to find a new normal. The IFP, like many
was not left unscathed. Tragically, we lost two of our
members, hon ... [Inaudible.] ... dedication ... [Inaudible.]
... very good friend and mother and hon Mthokozisi Nxumalo,
our Deputy Chief Whip and Chairperson of IFP Youth brigade,
who had been a champion of the youth agenda and brilliant
politician. Once again, to the Chief Whip of the ANC, Majodina
and all colleagues ...
IsiZulu:
... siyabonga.
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English:
We would like again to extend our condolences to all other
parties that lost members as well as the parliamentary family
as a whole that lost dedicated staff over past year.
As we mourn this loss of life, we must also remind ourselves
that we cannot drop our guard and that we must remain vigilant
in our efforts against the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly as
the fourth wave breaks upon our shores again.
The business of Parliament was not only interrupted by the
pandemic, but also by the 2021 local government elections
which saw two parliamentary terms cut short, impeding the
ability of Parliament to conduct its oversight role.
During the past year, the IFP championed various causes, more
recently calling for a debate on the exorbitant fuel price and
its impact on the lived reality of our citizens. The debate
was unfortunately refused, but today again, we raise the issue
in this very House, as we will continue to pursue a solution
constructively that will improve the lives of ordinary South
Africans.
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The IFP also stood up for the rights of our social workers
when they were sidelined, as vaccines were being distributed
to frontline workers. We called for a debate on the dismal
state of SOEs as well as an inquiry and investigation into the
SAPS capacity resources and infrastructure at local level. In
2022, our focus will also be on the Climate Change Bill which
we feel requires much attention just like we paid attention to
HIV and Aids and Covid-19. We only have one planet and it is
our responsibility to do everything in our power to preserve
it for future generations.
The pandemic of gender-based violence is yet another issue
that we in this House must continue to champion against. We
cannot allow women, children and other vulnerable persons to
live in fear. Tragically, despite the interventions of the
past year, poverty, inequality and unemployment still continue
to torment millions of South Africans.
As members of this House, we must come together in the new
year to hold government accountable for misspent funds and
wasted resources. As the representatives of the people, we owe
it to the public that the public purse is well managed and
that basic services are actually delivered.
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As we bid farewell in 2021, the IFP would like to offer our
thanks to the former Speaker of the NA, the new Speaker, the
presiding officers, the table staff and all the staff of
Parliament for their ongoing support and assistance.
On behalf of the IFP, I would also like to wish farewell to
hon Selfe and thank him for his service to our country. It has
been a pleasure to work with him. We wish him well in his
untimely retirement, due to poor health.
Finally, we would also like to thank the IFP leader in
Parliament and IFP founder, His Excellency Prince Mangosuthu
Buthelezi for his guidance and wisdom over the past years and
wish him a speedy recovery from Covid-19. Finally, on behalf
of the IFP, I would like to wish all of you a safe and blessed
festive season. May we continue to do good and may you all
return recharged and ready to face the challenges before us in
the new year.
IsiZulu:
Unkulunkulu womusa anithande nonke, anigcine, anihlenge,
anilondoloze size sibonane futhi. Somlomo, sibonga kakhulu.
Sithembe ukuthi asikuhluphanga kakhulu kusukela ungena kulesi
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sikhundla. Sikukhulekele kulaba abanye ukuze ubhekane nalawa
mankentshane lawa agangayo. Siyabonga.
Mr W W WESSELS: Hon Speaker, firstly, on behalf of the FF
Plus, let me join members in bidding the hon James Selfe a
farewell. It is not only a lost to his party, but also a lost
to Parliament and to South Africa. Mr Selfe was an example of
a responsible politician, always being calm, rational and when
he differed, he differed with dignity, showed tolerance and
mutual respect. When he raised his party’s stance, he did that
with dignity and always keeping calm. That was an example and
should act as an example to especially certain members that
are currently on the virtual platform.
His career was a testimony to servant leadership. He made a
huge contribution to South Africa and to the South African
politics and also especially to the oversight role in this
Parliament. We bid him farewell, a happy retirement and all
the best with his path forward.
Afrikaans:
Alle sterkte word hom toegewens.
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Dit was ’n baie moeilike jaar. Die jaar 2021, net soos 2020
was nie ’n maklike jaar nie, nie net vir hierdie Huis met sy
besigheid en die belangrike werk wat ons moes doen nie, maar
ook op ’n persoonlike vlak.
English:
A lot of members experienced special hardships, lost family
members, colleagues and it was not an easy year for anybody in
South Africa.
I want to thank the colleagues for the collegiality throughout
the year. Where we differed, I believe most of us did that
with tolerance and respect to one another. We especially thank
the Speaker, the other presiding officers and the staff for
their assistance and their hard work during abnormal times and
difficult circumstances.
At the end of the day, we are human beings. Although we are
politicians, differ vigorously and are busy with a lot of
difficult work, we are human beings with families and we
should always remember that.
I want to then also say to all the colleagues, have a blessed
festive season. Have a good and well-deserved rest, also to
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the staff. Let us enjoy this time with our families, which I
think, especially during this year and especially during an
election year, we neglected a lot.
Afrikaans:
The VF Plus en sy leierskap wil elkeen ’n geseënde Kersfees
toewens, ’n veilige feesseisoen en ’n veilig Kersfees. Mag ons
ook onthou om met die beskerming van die Hand van bo
gesondheid te geniet, nie net vir onsself nie, maar ook vir
ons gesinne en familie. Ek wens u almal sterkte toe.
English:
Let us see each other next year again and let us then continue
the work that is very important to serve the people of South
Africa. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr S N SWART: Speaker, at a time when more than 1 000 people
are dying per day of various diseases, including COVID-19,
Aids, TB and other chronic ailments, it is important to stop
and reflect on this tragedy. This includes a number of our
colleagues. I am thinking, in particular, of my dear friend
the hon Jacqui Mofokeng and remember the stirring sermon
delivered by Moruti Radebe in this House.
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Let us continue to lift up the families of members of this
House who have lost loved ones, because at this time of
Christmas the loss is felt more acutely. Let us remember all
those who are struggling at this time, whether it is for
financial, psychological, family, health and other reasons. We
will, as a family, continue praying for you and your family,
hon Mazzone, at this time.
I am pleased that progress has been made with the remembrance
plaque in the parliamentary precinct as this is a way to
honour all those MPs who have passed on. It is also imperative
that we have a time of rest. Does Jesus not encourage us with
the words: “Come to me all of you who are weary and carry
heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
I would also like to pay tribute to the hon James Selfe who I
have known for many years. I clearly remember his advice to me
as a young MP in 1999: “Don’t spread yourself too thinly.”
Now, in the ACDP we tend to spread ourselves quite thinly and
maybe I should have followed his advice. He is indeed a wise
owl – if you look at him, he has so much wisdom. I wish him
well in his retirement and pray for his full recovery.
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The ACDP would also like to thank the Speaker, the Deputy
Speaker, the House Chairpersons, all the Chief Whips and
Whips, parliamentary staff, the IT staff, administrative
staff, the catering staff, the interpreting staff, Hansard
staff, legal staff, security staff and the police. We
appreciate you all. Without your hard work and sacrifices we
could not perform our constitutional obligations.
In particular, I would like to thank my leader, Rev Kenneth
Meshoe, and Wayne Thring and Marie Sukers who have supported
me as a Whip here in the House.
Speaker, I would like to conclude with wishing everyone, on
behalf of the ACDP, a very blessed Christmas and a happy New
Year. I would like to finish with the words of this very
famous hymn:
1. Lord, dismiss us with Thy blessing,
Thanks for mercies past receive;
Pardon all, their faults confessing;
Time that’s lost may all retrieve;
May Thy children
Ne’er again Thy Spirit grieve.
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4. Let Thy father-hand be shielding
All who here shall meet no more;
May their seed-time past be yielding
Year by year a richer store;
Those returning,
Make more faithful than before.
I thank you. [Applause.]
The SPEAKER: Thank you, hon Swart. I now call the hon Zungula
of the ATM. Hon Zungula, are you here? Hon Zungula, you are
not on the platform. We proceed. Hon Shaik Emam?
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Hon Speaker, isn’t the GOOD party before
me?
The SPEAKER: No, it is the NFP.
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Okay. Thank you, hon Speaker. Hon Speaker,
allow me to start by talking about the hon Selfe, who spent a
great part of his life serving the interests of South Africa.
He is the difference between being a politician and a
statesman. In the 43 years that he has been involved in
servicing South Africans, he made many sacrifices. One great
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sacrifice was his time with his family and his friends. I’m
quite certain that, for a great part of his life, he missed
his children growing up. Hon Selfe, on behalf of the NFP, we
want to extend our best wishes to you, sir, and we do hope and
pray sincerely that you will overcome your health challenges
and live a long and healthy life and still give guidance and
wisdom to us.
To the hon Mazzone I want to say: I can understand the pain
and suffering you are going through. Yes, indeed, only time
will heal this wound, but rest assured that, despite the
differences we have in this House, you are in our prayers. We
pray that Almighty God gives you the strength and courage to
overcome this tragedy that you have had in your life.
To the hon Speaker, Deputy Speaker, all Chief Whips and Deputy
Chief Whips, House Chairpersons, hon members, leaders of
political parties in the House, on behalf of the NFP we want
to extend our best wishes to you during this festive season.
We have had some bad news in the past couple of days of many
tragic accidents, so please be safe and stay away from
alcohol. The Omicron variant is still very much part of us, so
let us take the necessary precautions.
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To all the families and friends who have lost loved ones,
including those of the hon Minister Jackson Mthembu, the hon
Oliver Mkhize, the hon Cameron Mackenzie, the hon Mhlongo of
the EFF, the hon Ebrahim Ebrahim and many others, we extend
our deepest condolences to them. May the souls of the deceased
rest in peace.
I would be failing in my duty if I did not mention that I
heard the attack earlier about staff in Parliament not being
paid bonuses and things. I want to reiterate and remind the
EFF that they have never given a single staff member an
increase since their birth. They have never given them a
single bonus. They have never given their staff a single
benefit, yet they come out here. Surely, we need to be able to
lead by example? All staff from all political parties all over
the country are going through a difficult time and we need to
stand by them.
My plea to us all is: Let us come back in 2022; let us be
united; let us put our differences aside and work in the best
interests of all South Africans. I thank you, hon Speaker.
[Applause.]
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Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Speaker, the African Review Mechanism gave
a report some years ago in which they said that the greatest
threat to our democracy was having a two-party state. They
were, obviously, encouraging a multiparty democracy.
It is in that spirit that we thank the hon Selfe for the
opposition role that he played most of his life. The nation
owes him a lot, because that opposition role has definitely
strengthened our democracy.
One of the thrills for Al Jama-ah this year was when the
President of the country and the president of the ANC, His
Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, said that he would be one of the
first to cheer for Al Jama-ah when it was needed. Being just
one member of 400 members, that gave us a lot of
encouragement.
Al Jama-ah would like to thank hon members and staff for their
sacrifices. We wish them well over the festive season. They
mustn’t rest all the time; they must use some of the time to
spoil their families.
We heard about the two princesses. The one princess is wearing
the shirt that she likes. The other princess took my photo
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yesterday, so I am very thrilled about that. But, more
importantly, we have a Speaker who is a breath of fresh air
and we look forward to your leadership and guidance next year,
hon Speaker. Thank you very much.
IsiXhosa:
UMBHEXESHI OYINTLOKO WEQELA ELILAWULAYO: Somlomo wale Ndlu
yoWiso-mthetho yeSizwe ohloniphekileyo, amalungu amaqela
ezopolitiko yoli-14 akhoyo njengoko abavoti bathanda ngolo
hlobo, ndiyabhotisa. Ndivumeleni nam ndithathe umcu kulo mlu
ubonakala ubaluleke kangakana wokunqwenelelana ihambo-ntle.
English:
When we say farewell ...
IsiXhosa:
... nakwabaya baphezulu, besingathi akulunganga oko, koko
besisithi hambani kakuhle xa nisiya kwezi ndawo niza kube
nisiya kuzo.
English:
From the onset, the farewell speeches, hon Speaker, are meant
to be light and merry looking at the year we have travelled.
Hon Speaker, I must mention that 2020/21 has not been a very
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easy year to us as parliamentarians. We want to extend
condolences to families of Comrade Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim and
the Ambassador Dr Lindiwe Mabuza, the veterans of our struggle
whose untimely departure during the beginning of this week
left the nation devastated.
They walked through these chambers of this democratic
Parliament. We thank them for their enduring love and
commitment to the people of our beautiful land and may their
souls and families find solace in the knowledge that they will
forever be in our hearts. Notwithstanding that alongside it
has been very a very tragic loss of MPs. ANC lost six MPs,
three in one month, January, a very devastating situation. The
IFP lost a very young, shining uprising star and the DA also
lost very stable, sound of its members. How can I not mention
AIC, our one and only Ntshayi Ntshayi? May their soul rest in
perfect peace.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to claim lives and affect
families, sadly with the Omicron variant the numbers are
already starting to spike. You also continue to live under the
trauma of gender-based violence and femicide. Government has
tried to intervene as unemployment rises, poverty deepens and
inequality widens.
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Sesotho:
Koduo ena ya Covid-19 ha e so ka e ba le setlhare mme kaofela,
ha re lekeng matsapa a hore re itshireletse.
English:
Our Parliament worked tirelessly in 2021 from one corner to
another. We criss-crossed the country to listen and respond to
the aspirations of our people. The socioeconomic rights that
our people have expressed is what we are here to respond to.
We are here because of them. It is in their needs that they
require a response from us ...
IsiXhosa:
... njengabathunywa nabameli boluntu.
English:
Our robust oversight role as parliamentarians is one of the
collective constitutional responsibility that we must all
discharge. Therefore, hon Speaker, if you could consider ...
IsiXhosa:
... ukufaka nje imalana phaya ...
English:
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... on constituency work because we are doing a lot in those
Constituency Offices but with the inflation rate there is
nothing that really comes from Parliament to boost the work
that we are doing.
Hon Speaker and hon members, today signals the end of the 16
Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children.
Our commitment is to ensure that this becomes a year-long
programme to eliminate all forms of gender-based violence and
femicide. Our society remains largely patriarchal and our
consciousness means that this must result in a change in the
period of us serving here in the Sixth Parliament.
Gender-based violence and femicide is a societal matter.
Therefore, we must call on all South Africans to stand up and
eliminate gender-based violence and femicide.
Today also marks International Human Rights Day and we recall
the words of Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela in an address to the
Canadian Parliament when he said:
Given our bitter experience of oppression and repression,
we are determined that our country should be a truly
thorough democracy in which the rights of all its
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citizens will be invaluable and in which all will be
equal before the law.
Today we also mark the day when our President General Inkosi
Albert Luthuli was awarded a Noble Peace Prize noting that
this was the first African to receive such an honour. As we
reflect on our performance, we need to change the way we have
been doing things, like the lack of decorum in this House.
Over the years we have seen the decorum of this House being
under attack as it has just happened. This has been a
continuing pattern from previous years. We cannot allow our
House to deteriorate. We must respect one another as fellow
lawmakers even when robust in debates we should not
degenerate. If anything lacks of decorum, it is merely
building alienation amongst our people. Next year we need to
review the rules of NA given that it is almost five years
since it was done.
With our Presiding Officers, thank you very much for keeping
order but at times they become very harsh even to the ruling
party and we accept that. You can be harsh and we become
scared of you when you are harsh. On social cohesion, let us
continue building better communities by strengthening social
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cohesion and nation building. We are here to stay, we are
South Africans and we must our country working together.
Let us make sure that we make a special effort to bring
festive spirit to those in our nation that are found on the
bedrock of Ubuntu and now is the time to practice this in all
those who were found to vulnerable, spread and give them love.
On a special note Speaker, I wish to express my sincere
appreciation on behalf of the ANC for the collegial manner to
work together in the House notwithstanding our political
differences.
To my colleagues in the Chief Whips Forum, Deputy Chief Whips
your diligence and commitment to our country and its people do
not go unnoticed. We may have many unsettling moments but we
breached the gaps and soldiered on. Similarly, I must thank
the staff of Parliament for their willingness to help the
members of this House, their commitment to the people of this
country and their enduring professionalism. Your efforts
matter and your efforts are most appreciated.
How can I forget the ANC Whippery, because when you are
supposed to whip you whip even from the virtual and you ensure
that you play your role as expected?
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IsiXhosa:
Ngoku singena kwinyanga kaWayidlokova.
English:
We know during this time, many people lose their lives because
of road carnages. Let us obey the rules and safety tips by
maintain necessary speed limits, rest when tired, refrain from
drinking and driving and refrain from drinking and walking.
IsiXhosa:
Lala kuloo ndawo ilanga lithe latshona ukuyo xa kucaca ukuba
sowumnyama thsu awukwazi nokuhamba.
English:
As young boys go to the circumcision schools they must come
back alive.
IsiXhosa:
Mabaye bephilile, babuye bephilile kuba asinqweneli ukungcwaba
abantwana bethu.
Mr K CEZA: Hon Speaker, on a point of order: we do not have
circumcision school. There is an initiation school.
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UMBHEXESHI OYINTLOKO WEQELA ELILAWULAYO: Noba yintoni na. Loo
nto iyiyo.
English:
We must also continue to support our local economy by boosting
local holiday sports and establishments. Where we can still
fly let us support SA Airways our own because this is a South
African brand.
On the retirement of James Selfe: You bow out in a very decent
manner. You are not thrown out of Parliament but go out
voluntarily because you have served your nation. May I take
this opportunity hon Speaker to wish hon James Selfe well on
his occasion of retirement. We thank you, hon Selfe for the
nation for the service of more than four decades. Your
diligence will be missed and may you take pride that you
contributed in the drafting of the Constitution which we are
celebrating 25 years.
IsiXhosa:
Ndithi ke ulisebenzele ilizwe lakho.
English:
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Let us pray for the divine intervention that God must keep up
and bless us.
IsiXhosa:
UThixo makawatweze amaphiko phezu kwenu.
Sesotho:
Modimo wa kgotso, Modimo wa lerato a etse hore re kopane hape
selemo se tlang.
IsiXhosa:
Kubuhlungu ukuba sishiyane ngoku kanti kunyaka ozayo siza
kubuya sisithi ubani kabani ...
English:
... is no more. I have buried a lot of members around
December in 2020. Can our God make divine intervention? May
God bless you?
IsiXhosa:
Hambani ke maqhawe nani maqhawekazi niye ekhefini kodwa
nibacingele abo bathe babetheka ngenxa yeCovid-19 abanye
balala bengatyanga. Masinikezele ngezandla ezishushu.
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English:
Ubuntu must be one of the pillars that we stand with. I thank
you. [Applause.]
The SPEAKER: I thank you, hon member - hon Chief Whip of the
Majority Party. Order, members! Allow me to add my voice to
your remarks. Firstly, allow me to bid hon Selfe farewell as
he retires. In this House, in the years that we have been
here, I never heard hon Selfe raising his voice. He was a very
calm and humble person. Even when he differed with you, he
would do so in a respectful manner.
May you enjoy your retirement with your wife, with your
family, in particular your grandchildren. It is always a
pleasure to be surrounded by grandchildren. And I should say
this: We will be missing your contributions in this House.
Allow me as well, hon members and who passed on this week, on
the same day. These are former members of this House: Comrade
E B Abrahams and Comrade Ambassador Mabuza. We all know that
Comrade E B Abrahams was a Deputy Minister; but he also was a
very strong advocate for human rights. And, I also want to
remind you about the role which Ambassador, Dr Lindiwe Mabuza
played. She was part of the first group of Members of
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Parliament, in this House in 1994, in our era – at the dawn of
democracy. A diplomat par excellence; a poet; a teacher; and a
matriarch to the entire community of revolutionaries and
diplomats.
Hon members, this year has been very challenging. The pandemic
has continued to devastate our society. Economic growth – yes
– has slowed. Unemployment and poverty remain acute. Crime and
abuse, especially directed at the vulnerable – our women and
children – persist. And, we have lost our loved ones! Just
this year, we have lost 11 members of this House. May their
souls rest in eternal peace!
Despite all this, hon members, South Africa has gone forward.
We have recommitted ourselves to building our nation, to
democracy, to social cohesion and to a better future for our
children. Last month, we elected local representatives for all
our municipalities. I should congratulate all those who were
involved in campaigning and all those who have won the
elections.
As parliamentarians, we have also been busy in terms of law
making. We have passed a significant number of Bills,
including critical legislation intended to strengthen our
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fight against gender-based violence. Just this week, we
considered legislation concerned with land reform. Whereas we
could not reach consensus on this matter, it served as an
opportunity though to affirm our determination as a people, to
advance land reform and build a just and prosperous nation.
Hon members, we are well aware of the fiscal situation in our
country. Slow growth and competing priorities mean that we
have fewer resources. In this context, it is essential that we
strengthen our oversight system and scrutinise our spending.
In this regard, I have been encouraged by the work of our
committees who, despite the prevailing constrains, have
continued to hold departments accountable.
As we say farewell and leave Parliament to travel back to our
communities and families, we should take care. The pandemic is
still with us, and we must do everything we can to stay safe.
At the same time, we must remember all those things we can be
thankful for, because they are so many. We can be thankful for
just breathing and being here in this House. Be thankful for
one another, for having crossed paths. Be thankful for our
families and their support.
As a Speaker, I must extend my appreciation to all members of
this House, specifically to the Deputy Speaker, the House
Chairpersons, the Chief Whip of the Majority Party and her
Deputy Chief Whip, the Chief Whip’s Forum and the Programming
Committee for their support.
I also want to thank the Acting Secretary of Parliament, the
Secretary of the National Assembly - with his entourage, and
the staff in the Speaker’s Office. Hon members, it has not
been easy, but I should say this: It was a pleasure working
with you; and I will continue to work with you for as long as
I am here. I thank you, hon members! [Applause.]
At this point, we have come to the end of our business. Travel
safely! Drive safely! Be safe; we don’t want to bury anyone
any more. Thank you, hon members.
Business of the House concluded.
The House adjourned at 16:32