Hansard: NCOP: Unrevised hansard
House: National Council of Provinces
Date of Meeting: 06 Dec 2022
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
TUESDAY, 6 DECEMBER 2022
PROCEEDINGS OF VIRTUAL NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Watch: Plenary
The Council met at 09:35.
The Chairperson took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
The Chairperson announced that the virtual sitting constituted a Sitting of the National Council of Provinces.
NEW NCOP PERMANENT DELEGATE FOR WESTERN CAPE
(Announcement)
The Chairperson announced the resignation of Mr I M Sileku and welcomed the appointment of Mr F J Badenhorst as a permanent delegate from the Western Cape provincial delegation
The ACTING CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL (Mr M Dangor) moved: That the Council resolves that Rule 218(1), which provides inter alia that the consideration of a Bill may not commence before at least three working days have lapsed since the committee’s report was tabled, be suspended for the purposes of consideration of following Bills:
a) Special Appropriation Bill [B24-2022] (National Assembly – sec 77); and
b) Adjustments Appropriation Bill [B23-2022] (National Assembly sec 77).
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: As we do so, I’m just reminded here that we have since experienced the passing of a former president of the People’s Republic of China on 30 November 2022. He was 96 years old. Those who keep in touch in diplomatic circles and keep in touch with international relations would have noticed that this has happened in China. So, we note the passing. Hon Shaikh the will keep you informed. [Laughter.]
Question put: That the motion be agreed to.
Declaration(s) of vote:
IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape
Motion accordingly agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS - PROPOSED DIVISION OF REVENUE AND CONDITIONAL GRANT ALLOCATIONS TO PROVINCES AND MUNICIPALITIES AS CONTAINED IN THE 2022 MEDIUM-TERM BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT, DATED 02 DECEMBER 2022
Ms D G MAHLANGU: Thank you, hon Chairperson, my greetings to your ... Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, members of the executive committee from different provinces who are in the platform, permanent and special delegates present and fellow South Africans ...
IsiNdebele:
... lotjhani ...
Sepedi:
... dumelang ...
Xitsonga,
... avuxeni...
IsiXhosa:
... molweni ...
Afrikaans:
...goeie môre ...
English:
Hon Chairperson, I am honored and humbled to be able to stand before this August House to report on the proposed Division of Revenue and Conditional Grant for provinces on local government as contained in the 2022 MTBPS on behalf of the Select Committee on Appropriations. Hon Chairperson, the committee adopted the report, while the DA, FFPlus and the EFF reserved their rights, as always.
Hon members and fellow South Africans, the Minister of Finance tabled the MTBPS on 26 October 2022, outlining the budget priorities of government for the medium-term estimates.
According to section 6(10) of the Money Bills and Related Matters Act No 9 of 2009, committees on appropriations must, within 30 days after the tabling of the MTBPS report on the proposed Division of Revenue and Conditional Grant allocations to provincial and local government. We have followed as the prescription the most important part of the process involving the public on public participation.
Upon tabling of the 2022 MTBPS, hon Chairperson, the committee considered the proposed Division of Revenue and Conditional Grant allocations to provinces and municipalities contained therein; and will conduct further consultations after the tabling of the 2023 Division of Revenue Bill by the Minister of Finance.
Whilst processing the MTBPS, the committee observed the following issues and made recommendations:
The provincial departments of education and health should ensure that the proposed additional allocations for the 2023 MTEF through the provincial equitable share, which is earmarked for compensation of employees, service delivery backlogs, anti-retroviral and tuberculosis treatment, laboratory services and other goods and services, medicines and medical supplies, are spent according to approved plans and that ... all funded vacant posts are filled to improve frontline services.
More resources should be set aside over the 2023 MTEF for safety and security, in order to increase police visibility, boost the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes, and safeguard the country’s borders and seas, as well as for the implementation of the recommendations of the Zondo Commission.
The Department of Basic Education should develop mechanisms to ensure that the proposed additional amount of R1,6 billion is spent effectively and efficiently to strengthen oversight and monitoring capacity to improve the implementation of the Early Childhood Development Grant; to expand ECD services in provinces over the 2023 MTEF period. The committee again reiterates its previous recommendation that intensifying investment of resources at the early stages of education is crucial for the future.
Hon members and hon Chairperson, the Department of Basic Education, together with its provincial counterparts, should ensure that proper processes and systems are developed and implemented to address underspending on crucial conditional grants and ensure that the proposed R1,5 billion for the National School Nutrition Programme Grant is effectively spent to continue providing nutritious meals for 9 million learners each school day for the 2023 MTEF.
Hon Chairperson, we further recommend that the National Treasury, together with its provincial counterparts, should ensure that mechanisms to continuously improve provincial conditional grant expenditure are implemented, as part of the conditional grant frameworks, to achieve value for money, particularly for the proposed additional grant funding. These include funding for CASP in KZN, Education Infrastructure Grant for Gauteng, Provincial Roads Maintenance Grant for rural bridges, National Health Insurance Indirect Grant for Limpopo Central Hospital, and Coega Development Corporation for water services in the Eastern Cape.
The National Treasury, together with the Department of Co- operative Governance, Cogta, and their provincial counterpart, including Salga, should expedite the review of the capacity- building system for local government as well as the development of a multiyear programme to improve basic service delivery outcomes and cost effectiveness. The National Treasury should also fast-track the design of a revised programme and agree on an integrated approach to local government capability development for the 2023 MTEF.
Hon Chairperson and members, the National Treasury, together with the Department of Cogta, provincial treasuries and provincial co-operative governance departments and Salga, should ensure that proper plans are continuously implemented to improve the quality of spending and performance in local government to achieve value for money; in light of the proposed allocation amounting to R523 billion, including R161,8 billion in conditional grants. Although the committee believes that a proper review of local government transfers is necessary to address the structural underfunding of the sphere. It supports the proposed abovementioned increases in local government allocations over the MTEF period. Parliament and provincial legislatures will continue to monitor progress in this regard to ensure that the aspirations contained in the Local Government White Paper of 1998 are eventually realised.
The National Treasury, together with the Department of Cogta and its provincial counterparts, should put proper mechanisms in place to ensure that the much-needed relief funding earmarked for disaster recovery promptly reaches the deserving beneficiaries or the victims; and improve the expenditure for the proposed additional allocation of R2,8 billion to the Municipal Disaster Recovery Grant to fund the repair and reconstruction of municipal infrastructure damaged by the April 2022 floods.
On Chairperson, the Department of Cogta, together with its provincial counterparts and the Salga should always ensure that municipalities ... in advance for the proposed R8,1 billion of the Indirect Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant earmarked for some municipalities over the MTEF period in order to avoid the return of funds back to the fiscus without delivering services.
As I conclude, hon Chairperson, I want to take this opportunity to thank all committee members for their contributions, committee stakeholders, general public who participated, and made contributions, which made written and oral submissions to the committee as well as the committee support staff, without these important role-players the process would not have been a success. The committee recommends to the House that the Report be adopted without amendments.
IsiNdebele:
Ngiyathokoza. [Thank you.]
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Report be adopted.
Declaration of vote:
Ms C LABUSCHAGNE: Thank very much, hon Chair, as much as we welcome additional allocation of funds to the floods ravaged KwaZulu-Natal province. We are concern with the content of this Bill. As funds are being shifted around, we see little innovation, little review of successes or failures. There is no reward for good governance by provinces and municipalities and no consequences for those who continues to still misdirect and waste.
As we wait for the outcome of Census 2022, we find allocations lagging the lift realities on the ground. In provinces ... experiences high level of immigration and urbanisation. We would expect to see additional allocations. In provinces with consistently excellent governance, audit outcomes and delivery against predetermined objectives one would surely expect additional trust resulting in favorable allocations and yet the opposition is true. The Western Cape province is seeing the erosion of health component in the provincial equitable share. Where is the logic? As the man on the street suffers more and relies more heavily on the government, we should be seeing a big increase in expenditure at the coalface of service delivery at local and provincial government level. Yet we see bailouts from failing SOEs, we see doubling down on vanity projects, we see large increases in allocations to national government and very little for real service delivery.
The Constitution states clearly in section 214 that and I quote:
An Act of Parliament must provide for the equitable division of revenue raised nationally among the national, provincial and local spheres of government.
What we see in reality is the national fiscus being handed out to the national departments with the provincial and local spheres being almost and after thought, picking up the leftovers after the feeding frenzy has abated. A full reassessment of powers and functions needs to happen with funds always following function. We reject this Report. I thank you.
Agreed to.
Mr M I RAYI: The Division of Revenue Bill validates the commitment of the ANC government’s economic policy which centres on inclusive economic growth as part of ANCs efforts of investing in aggressive infrastructure to grow the economy, to modernise our rural and underdeveloped provinces and crowd in the private sector R389 million is added to the Provincial Roads Maintenance Grant for the construction of modular steel bridges in Eastern Cape and Limpopo broken down as follows, Eastern Cape is allocated R308 million and Limpopo is allocated R81 million.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Just a reminder to members that it is a maximum three minutes for declarations.
Mr M I RAYI: I am sure this one is for the previous one. This is part of the Welisizwe Rural Bridges construction Programme. All of these projects will not only have the effect of cushioning the vulnerable who were affected by these floods but will also have the ripple effect of creating necessary jobs related to infrastructure and create a fertile ground for the private sector to be crowded in. This opens up economic opportunities for communities and gives access to markets to allow for the implementation of the DDM, District Development Model.
The ANC further welcomes the R3,2 billion allocations for the municipal disaster recovery grant for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of municipal infrastructure damaged by floods in the KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape, as well as the R247 614 million to replenish the municipal disaster response grant and R96,886 million for the provincial disaster response grant.
We are however concerned that, of the R4,962 billion of Municipal Infrastructure Grant, MIG, funding transferred to
218 municipalities, only R2,397 billion, which translates to 48.3%, was spent as at the end of the second quarter of the 2022/23 financial year.
Of the transferred funds to the 218 municipalities, 88 municipalities have spent less than 10% of the transferred allocations while 22 municipalities have spent zero percent. This is unacceptable. Municipalities are the baseline of service delivery to the people.
The ANC supports the report of the Select Committee on Appropriations on the Adjustments Appropriations Bill and its recommendations. I thank you
Ms N E HLOPHE (Mpumalanga): Chair, as Mpumalanga we welcome the Division of Revenue Amendment Bill of 2022. We wish to indicate that even though we did not receive any additional funding like other provinces but as a province we acknowledge the additional fund for the disaster response grant.
The funds were allocated to be used to the remainder of the financial year and Mpumalanga is prone to the disaster caused by heavy rains and as the majority of the province is low laying.
Hon Chair, just two weeks ago, the province experienced disaster after heavy rains in all three districts where houses, schools, clinics and roads were damaged.
It gave us comfort that funds are available to tap into the necessary process of declaration, gazetting and requesting the funds though the national disaster ... [Inaudible.]
Hon Chair, R97 million was added to the national disastrous response grant and R350 million is added to the provincial emergency housing grant.
Chair, having said that, the Mpumalanga and all its stakeholders welcome the support of the Division of Revenue Amendment Bill ... [Inaudible.] ... remain committed to
serving the people of Mpumalanga so as to change the quality of their lives. Chair, Mpumalanga supports. I thank you.
Question put: That the Report be adopted.
Voting
IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West.
AGAINST: Western Cape.
Report accordingly adopted in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
CONSIDERATION OF RATES AND MONETARY AMOUNTS AND AMENDMENT OF REVENUE LAWS BILL AND REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE THEREON
CONSIDERATION OF TAXATION LAWS AMENDMENT BILL AND REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE THEREON
CONSIDERATION OF TAX ADMINISTRATION LAWS AMENDMENT BILL AND REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE THEREON
Sepedi:
Moh M L MAMAREGANE: Ke dumediia mohl Modulasetulo wa Ngwako, Ntate Amos Masondo, ke dumediie gape le Motlatiamodulasetulo, Mme Sylvia Lucas, le Sefepisegolo sa rena, Ntate Mohai, badirammogo le nna, le setihaba kamoka sa Afrika-Borwa, ke boa gape ke re ...
Tshiven?a:
Mufumakadzi Vho M L MAMAREGANE: Ndi matsheloni.
Xitsonga:
... Avuxeni ...
Afrikaans:
... goeie more ...
English:
... and good morning. The Select Committee on Finance on rates and monetary amounts and amendment of revenue bill, laws Bill of B25 of 2022, National Assembly, section 77 dated on 1 December 2022. Section 77 of the Constitution requires all money Bills to be considered by a procedure or passing of revenue Bills established by the Money Bills Amendment Procedure and Related Matters Act 2009 of section 11 (1.30) of
the Money Bill Act states that in amending the Revenue Bills, the committee must ensure that the revenue be raised inconsistent with the fiscal framework considers equity, efficiency, certainty is of collection. The composition of tax revenue, regional and international trends and the impact on the composition of tax revenue, regional and international tax trends and the impact on the composition of tax revenues, regional and international tax trends and the impact on the development, investment, employment and economic growth section 11(4), further requires the committee to hold public hearings on revenue Bills and report to the House.
The Minister of Finance formally tabled the 2022 Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill on 26 November 2022. The committee received a briefing from National Treasury and the SA Revenue Service, Sars, on 18 October 2022. The committee held virtual public hearings on 15 November 2022 and received a total of eight submissions from the SA Medical Research Council, the National Council Against Smoking, the Congress of SA Trade Unions, the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, the Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products from the University of Cape Town, the Tobacco, Alcohol and Gambling Advisory Advocacy and Action Group, the
SA Sugar Association and the beverages Association of South Africa.
Sepedi:
Godimo ga tieo kamoka, komiti e ile ya tsitsinkela pego ya tla ka ditebelediiiio tie di latelago:
English:
The committee welcomes the high quality submissions and the robust discussions held with the stakeholders, and the comprehensive responses by the National Treasury on the issues raised and recommendations made by the stakeholders. The committee observed that while concerns were raised in principle, the majority of the stakeholders support the proposed increase in tobacco tax and that if applied consistently, tax can make tobacco products progressively less affordable. The committee also noted that the majority of commentators on expressed support for the proposed extensions of the increase in the health promotion levy, HPL, by one year to align with the government’s commitment to the Sugar Master Plan.
While acknowledging the substantive comments made, which is between the fiscal and health issues, the committee observes
that most of the comments raised by the stakeholders are related to health and areas that the committee does not have oversight over and enough knowledge and experience should be scrutinised and be dealt with the parliamentary committees and the Department of Health. The committee believes there have to be appropriate trade-offs and necessary balance between the needs and interests of various level stakeholders even if health issues are primary. Considerations should include the health of the people and the economy, the needs of the sugar industry, including the emerging farmers and entrepreneurs, and workers in the sector, among others.
General increase in the excise duty on tobacco products by between 4,5% and 6,5%. The committee noted the concern raised by the stakeholders that the proposed excise duty on tobacco increase is sustainably below the current inflation and will not yield desirable health and economic benefits. The National Treasury’s response that at the time of 2022 February Budget, the excise duty rate increase was above anticipated ... [Inaudible.] ... inflation for 2022. The committee noted the importance of South Africa ratifying the World Health Organization, WHO, Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco and the National Treasury’s response that the national Department of Health is leading the government on the matter.
The committee will also follow up with the National Treasury and Sars on a recommendation made in its report on this matter.
Delayed increase to the health promotion levy for one year, the committee noted that the sugar industry recommendation has further extended the increase in the HPL by at least three or five years to allow the industry to recover from the economic effects of COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the unrests in KwaZulu-Natal 2021 and the impact of extreme floods in KwaZulu-Natal in 2022. The committee also noted the National Treasury response that while the commends will be reviewed, the final decision to make changes lies with the Minister of Finance, and that such a decision will be communicated at the appropriate time.
The committee noted that delaying the implementation of the increase in the HPL raised public health concerns that the desired results may not be achieved. The committee further noted the impact of sugar tax on the general public, commercial and small-scale farmers in the KwaZulu-Natal economy in particular but also in other provinces. The recommendations of the committee are as follows. The committee recommends that the National Treasury should allow for
adequate public participation and effectively engage with the stakeholders before the Bills are brought to Parliament, preferably between now and February 2023. The committee encourages the stakeholders to utilise the time from when the National Treasury first published the amendment Bills for public comment, and the National Assembly’s public participation process to start raising their issues and comments on the Bills, and not only wait for the NCOP process
- given that tax Bills are not section 76 bills, which NCOP committees have the same power as NA committees to amend.
While the committee supports the increased in the cost of tobacco products, it expresses its concerns that this increases serve to create space for the illicit tobacco market to grow and that there is no enough attention being paid to acting against the illicit trade. The committee recommends that the National Treasury and Sars should consider issues raised by the sugar industry, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, which includes the results of the socioeconomic impact of the HPL in the National Economic Development and Labour Council, Nedlac’s, report, which shows that the HPL will affect the employment tax revenue and the sugar cane value chain. A socioeconomic impact assessment system’s study and that the total dietary intake study should be concluded.
The Select Committee on Finance, having considered and examined the rates and monetary and amendments of revenue laws Bill [B26 - 2022] (National Assembly – section 77), referred to it, and classified by the Joint Tagging Mechanism, JTM, as a money Bill, accepts the Bill. In our committee, the DA, the EFF and the FF Plus reserves their position. I so move that the report be considered.
Declarations of vote:
Mr D R RYDER: Hon Chair, the sin taxes are again the main targets of this Bill and were the subject of much discussion during the deliberations of the committee. The fact is that sin taxes are justified by the understanding that the sinners, through their actions, potentially cause substantial expenditure by the Health portfolio committee in dealing with the consequences of those sins. When they argue that the alcohol side of this particular debate also has a bearing on the Police, Social Development and Justice portfolio committees as well, and yet, all of the taxes that are collected as consequences of these sins are simply pulled into the national fiscus.
Instead of being ring-fenced to ensure that they actually deal with either programmers and reducing their negative
consequences or dealing with the consequences themselves. It is furthermore a little bit too easy to lump the new technologies in the smoking industry together with the traditional cigarette, cigar and pump smoking products without proper understanding of the health impacts. By far, our biggest concern is the impact of the health promotions levy or the sugar tax on the provinces with substantial portions of the gross domestic product of the province is reliant on the industry. Well, the health concerns associated with the consumption of sugar must be considered. The impact on the industry appears to have been disproportionate, particularly in small-scale farmers.
The effects of this tax was sort of negative and must be reviewed of urgently to evaluate whether the desired impact has been achieved and what unintended have risen. Until this has been established, no further tariff increases in this regard should be contemplated. We do not support this Bill. Thank you, Chair.
Mr M S MOLETSANE: Chairperson, Bills such as the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill deals with the administrative issues of the South African Revenue Service, SARS, and technical matters such as
pensions and retirement fund interest, definitions of what is an invoice and other issues like that.
The Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Act and the Taxation Laws Amendment Bill deal with tools that we can use as redistributive tools, in physical policy are important. And, we will deal with just a few fundamental and structural issues. The SARS has failed to present a convincing and believable plan to collect maximum revenue from now booming online trading platforms.
We still don’t have a clear plan to overhaul legislation to deal in a much more comprehensive way with illicit financial flows, based erosion and profit shifting. And one of the reasons why there is some reluctance in the ANC is because the President stashed US dollars inside his furnisher. We therefore need to admit that all sectors not just the mining sector are involved in some form of illicit financial flows, base erosion and profit shifting. This has serious consequences for our ability to correct revenue that is rightfully ours, to fund free quality decolonized education, pay social grants, fix our health care system, and eradicate the infrastructure backlog that is sitting in billions of
rands while we lose trillions of rands in revenue. The EFF rejects the. Thank you, Chairperson.
Mr Y I CARRIM: Thank you, Chairperson. Colleagues and comrades, I thought the Freedom Front Plus might want to say something not dissimilar to what the DA says. We’ve been through this before, Chairperson. There’s no rule in Parliaments anywhere in the world that a person can raise the same thing forty-five times. You can raise something forty- five times and no more. I wish there was such a rule.
Nothing either of them has said, we haven’t heard “ad nauseam” is the English expression from Latin. It’s tiresome. So, let’s start with the DA. Taxes are always a matter of finding the right balances. I can’t see by the way, Chairperson, how what they said each of them follows that they must therefore not vote for the Bill. For example, we agree that we need to look into this issue of ring-fencing. The National Treasury has explained for years and years why they don’t ring-fence. The experience has been dreadful in the past. So, if you decide you are going to use the Health Promotion Levy only for health. That was what we argued in 2014. They came, they explained why you don’t do that. It upsets all the balances.
If you don’t raise enough money from the Health Promotion
Levy, then you haven’t got enough for health, right? If you do and you can’t predict what’s going to happen. So, it’s a lot of imbalance.
It’s not only South Africa. Elsewhere, Treasuries is also very cautious about this. This was an old system. In principle, we agree with what Mr Ryder says, in practice, it can’t be done. The DA has no alternative, they simply repeat that.
On e-vaping and e-cigarettes. Yes, we are not health experts, Chairperson, we apply the tax. It’s the Department of Health, the health portfolio and select committees that deal with that. And the jury is out. But at the moment, the sciences there’s not much of a difference that vaping or e-cigarettes are also bad. That’s what the sciences right? We are not scientists, okay. We are the Portfolio Committee of Finance, we look at what the Department of Health says, what the health committee says. But in our very report, based on what ... [Inaudible.] ... Listen either, we have now said okay, let’s call the Department of Health in the first half of next year.
Then on the EFF, oh, please man. Illicit financial flows, we all agree. Look at our report, Mr Moletsane. We have said it repeatedly that we need to address it. The President is
appearing before a various court processes on that matter. But it’s very instructive. He raises tobacco. Who is it that they get their money from? Proudly, they say they get it from Mr Mazzotti, right. There you are. So look at the hypocracy ... [Interjections.] ...
Ms M DLAMINI: On the point of order, Chairperson!
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: What is your point of order?
Ms M DLAMINI: Chairperson, the member is casting aspersions? He must state what he is stating and carry on with this speech. He cannot cast aspersions on the EFF, Thank you.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: That is not a point of order. Please proceed, hon member.
Mr Y I CARRIM: ... Well, then I can raise a point of order with Mr Moletsane about the President. Let the court processes decide on this issue. The EFF itself comes out and says it proudly. The chairperson says it proudly. I don’t understand what is a Commander in Chief? Whose army does he control?
There’s only one Commander in the Chief ... [Interjections.]
...
Ms B T MATHEVULA: On a point of order, Chairperson!
AN HON MEMBER: He controls you.
Ms B T MATHEVULA: You are out of order.
Ms M DLAMINI: If the member wants a political debate, we will give him a political debate.
Mr T S C DODODVU: You like attacking but you don’t want to be attacked.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon members, I have had a situation like this this before. If you call for a point of order do not proceed and make a speech. You must first say what your point of order is. Then I will make a ruling on that. But to just proceed and make a ruling on that is really out of order. Members must await their opportunity to speak so that they can be able to counter the arguments that have been raised in the debate. Whatever the case may be and so on. But please don’t use the point of order to make a speech.
Mr Y I CARRIM: ... Can I remind my colleague that the Constitution says the President of the country is the
Commander in Chief. He commands the army. There cannot be any other Commander in Chief. That is not a debate. And you are raising this as a political debate. I am responding to Mr Moletsane. He made a political debate. So this is politics ... What’s the problem? Can’t they accept democracy, Thank you.
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Bill be agreed to.
Declarations of votes made on behalf of the Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters.
Bill agreed to in accordance with section 75 of the Constitution
Agreed to.
CONSIDERATION OF TAXATION LAWS AMENDMENT BILL [B26-2022] (NATIONAL ASSEMBLY – SEC 77) AND REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE THEREON
Mr S F DU TOIT: Hon Chair, I just want to confirm. This is on Bill [B24-2022]. Am I correct?
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon Du Toit, please, repeat that.
Mr S F DU TOIT: Hon Chair, I just want to confirm. This is on Bill [B24-2022]. Am I correct? Am I audible?
Mr J J LONDT: You are audible. You have just stumped the Chair. That is all.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OT THE NCOP: Hon Du Toit, it is Bill [B26-2022].
Mr S F DU TOIT: Hon Chair, can you just repeat what you have said?
Question put: That the Bill be agreed to.
Bill agreed to in accordance with section 75 of the Constitution.
CONSIDERATION OF TAX ADMINISTRATION LAWS AMENDMENT BILL [B27B- 2022] (NATIONAL ASSEMBLY – SEC 75) AND REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE THEREON
Question put: That the Bill be agreed to.
Bill agreed to in accordance with section 75 of the Constitution.
SPECIAL APPROPRIATION BILL
(Consideration of Votes and Schedule)
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon delegates, before we proceed to voting on the Votes and Schedule to the Special Appropriation Bill and the Adjustment Appropriation Bill, I wish to remind you of the following. Please, note these points. Firstly, each delegate including special delegates, shall have one vote. Secondly, where there is no call for a division a Vote shall be carried and we shall proceed to the next Vote. Thirdly, where a party wishes to object to a Vote, that objection shall be noted and there will be no need for a division. Fourthly, delegates wishing to call for a division must draw the attention of the Chair to that effect. In terms of the Rules a call for a division must be supported by at least four delegates – I am sure members will remember this. Delegates who might be in the waiting room and outside the Chamber will be given, for the first Vote, two minutes to join the House and 15 seconds in respect of the Votes thereafter.
No delegate shall be allowed access to the House while voting is in progress. Sixth, once the question is put, delegates wishing to cast their votes must do so by using the raise your hand function. Delegates must keep their hands raised until voting closes. Procedural staff shall tally the votes and the host shall lower all hands after they have their votes.
Seventh, if a delegate is disconnected whilst voting takes place, the vote of the delegate shall be ascertained and the records shall be amended accordingly. Lastly, a delegate wishing to make a declaration of vote must use the raise your hand function, and once recognised the delegate should indicate his or her name, party and the declaration of vote – we have not been doing this, but it is important.
Vote No 10 – Public Enterprises – put.
Declarations of vote:
Mr A ARNOLDS: Chairperson, the EFF rejects the proposed budget for the Department of Public Enterprises. The mandate of the Department of Public Enterprises is primary, to interface between government and state-owned companies and to provide inputs into the formulation of policy, legislation and regulation, and yet it has not created an enabling environment in which state-owned enterprises can add economic value to the
country. Instead of the development of sound legislation to create a conducive environment in which state-owned enterprises, SOEs, can function, we see a total collapse.
Our state-owned entities are in the hands of an incompetent government which is characterised by corruption, total collapse, looting, mismanagement, nonpayment of workers, retrenchment, load shedding, unmanageable debts to name just a few. Under the leadership of the ruling party this department has neglected the poor, rejected the working class and failed to keep the lights on. Instead of creating jobs in various sectors such as energy, transport and Defence, all our SOEs such as Eskom, Denel, SAA and Post Office are shedding jobs.
The ANC is good in speaking about strategies to fix SOEs yet none of these strategies are working. The Minister of Public Enterprise’s empty promises and jobs for pals have led to the massive retrenchments and load shedding. Instead of ensuring that SOEs are well run effectively and efficiently, the ANC’s mission is to privatise entities to benefit white-owned companies.
As the EFF we reject this budget and call on the electorate to punish the ANC in the 2024 elections for stealing their votes to benefit themselves. Thank you.
Mr Z MKIVA: Hon Chairperson, the ANC supports Budget Vote 10 without a doubt as it is committed to making our state-owned companies more efficient, effective, competitive, accountable and sustainable. We have lived to ensure that this actually happens despite and in spite of many challenges that we face as government and as a country. To be effective at this, Budget Vote 10 allocates R17,5 million to the Presidential State-Owned Enterprises Council to undertake immediate measures to insulate SOEs from the anticorporate mentality and corruption as was the case during the heyday of the state capture.
In addition, Budget Vote 10 allocates funds to establish the restructuring unit to ensure that the government’s efforts to repurpose SOEs take precedence. Budget Vote allocations to the Presidential State-Owned Enterprises Council, PSEC, and the restructuring unit will revive SOEs in two complementary respects. Firstly, establishing the restructuring unit will effectively and advantageously assist in developing and implementing new business models for struggling SOEs like
Alexkor and Denel to ensure that they meet the mandates outlined in the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. Secondly, the recommendations outlined in the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan are in line with PSEC on forging partnerships between the government as well as the private sector players in SOEs. That will ensure that we minimise the dependence of SOEs on government guaranteed debt and subsequently return them to profitability.
Just to illustrate, Budget Vote 10 allocates R1,8 billion to the SA Airway’s, the business rescue plan in particular, so that the reformed national carrier is not burdened with the legacy debt to implement its strategic equity partnership with Takatso Consortium. Similarly, Transnet is currently being transformed and reconfigured to improve the capacity of the ports and rail networks through similar way of selling of slots to private sector players.
Hon Chairperson, as I conclude and talking about Eskom, Eskom’s debt has resulted in minuscule investments in maintenance activities leading to a low quality supply of electricity to the existing customers. However, Budget Vote 10 allocates R21,9 billion to Eskom during this current financial year to support the utility to cover its debt servicing costs.
We are doing that because we have a firm believe as the ANC that the challenges that are confronting us at Eskom we confront them and we are confident that we are going to turn around this utility in order for us to alleviate even the issue of the load shedding. We are on course in ensuring that we are turning around this. Therefore, the ANC is in full support of this Budget Vote in order to ensure that Eskom’s generation capacity shortfall is only at this point around
4 000 megawatts. But in terms of our planning we are ahead of time and we are sure that we are going to turn the corner very soon. Thank you very much, Chairperson.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Inkatha Freedom Party and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 40 - Transport - put
Declaration(s) of vote:
Mr T APLENI: Chairperson, the EFF rejects the proposed Budget Vote for Transport. We reject the budget of the department which has failed to maintain its mandate to the people of South Africa. There exist no measures in place to ... [Interjections.] [Inaudible.] ... and assist the poorest of
the poor with the ever increasing prices of taxis and bus fares. There are no indications to decrease one of the highest levies on fuel in the world.
We reject a budget of a department that has demonstrated no capacity in growing public transport infrastructure. This budget does not seek or speak an answer to the problems faced by ordinary South Africans. It does not translate to any reality we are faced with of rotting roads, lack of infrastructure and development, safety of all rail transport and the security of rail infrastructure. Therefore, we out rightly reject this budget. Thank you very much, Chairperson.
Setswana:
Rre K M MMOIEMANG: Ke go tlotlile, Modulasetulo wa Ntlo ya Bosetšhaba ya diPorofense.
English:
Allow me on behalf of the ANC to rise in support of the Special Appropriations Bill Vote No 40. The support is ... [Inaudible.] ... by the fact that it is funding for road development and Special Appropriation allocates funding for transport for the development of roads and rail. The funding made available by the Special Appropriations Bill for
transport is significant for rail and road development. Indeed, this comes at a critical time as we refocus our country around infrastructure development which is part critical to the economic growth and development.
Moreover, this allocation is informed by a number of opportunities around different categories for transport as some R20 million has been made available for rail and transport, and this is over and above the budget allocation transferred to Prasa of R14 billion to ensure the restoration and development of the commuter rail infrastructure to improve the rail services. This must result in an ... [Inaudible.] ... spent on the part of the department and its entities to ensure that commuter rail is restored into an efficient service to improve the lives of the working class and the poor who are dependent on the public transport.
The national government has finally resolved the issue of Gauteng road, issued through granting Sanral some R3,7 billion which will normalise the finances of Sanral to engage in further road construction projects. A further R1 billion was granted for disaster relief and restoration of road infrastructure damage during the recent floods. The province of KwaZulu-Natal was also allocated R365 million to ensure
that toll roads damaged by the floods are restored. Some R386 million was granted for the Welisizwe Programme for rebuilding bridges which will ensure that communities are
linked to markets and economic opportunities. I don’t know why other parties are ... [Inaudible.] ... the Bill.
This is certainly significant and an indication that the ANC government is determined to ensure the restoration and development of transport infrastructure. This will certainly benefit the performances and enhance ... [Inaudible.] ...
Thank you, Chair. The development infrastructure is central to the intention of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan of which transport infrastructure is critical to enhance in economic development in both urban and rural areas. Therefore, the ANC support the Special Appropriations Bill on Vote 40.
Thank you, Chair.
Mr D R RYDER: Chairperson, the bailout for Sanral is a disgusting admission of guilt from this government. E-Tolls have failed. You were warned by the DA, by civil society, by the public. Even the Gauteng ANC warned you. And yet, the ... [Inaudible.] ... pursuit of the strategy continued. E-tolls palaces were constructed around Gauteng to accommodate the
droves of people just waiting to come and pay their bills. Droves that never materialised.
Gantries were erected and ... [Inaudible.] ... out with state of the art technology. Every major mall in Gauteng had an e- toll shop in it, fully staffed by board assistance without any customers. Printed bills went out, often in duplicates via the postal system. The kind staff mend offices to ensure that balances were brought forward and payments were reconciled and accounted for. Imagine what all this would cost. Of the huge amount that is now been given over to Sanral, most of it is not made up by the costs of fixing the roads. Most of it is made up by the vanity project trimmings that added to the Bill, and not one head has rolled for this disgusting abuse of power and arrogance.
Even more concerning than that is the lack of a real solution. The Gauteng Province has been told to deal with one third of the cost and bail future maintenance costs for the roads. This will have a massive impact on their ability to provide the services that are required to provide in terms of the Constitution, and has the potential to place a massive burden on other provinces, either through disproportional demand or through massive migration as people move to find services.
The bailouts being handed to Transnet and Denel have a similar appearance of being a short term reaction without a long term plan. The question must be asked whether the national government is still capable of running these institutions.
When will capable provinces be given a chance to take over key functions from Transnet, without demonstrably better admitting that it needs a residence. When will government admit its failures and focus on its core mandate? We reject this Bill.
Thank you, Chair.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Thank you very much. The objection of the DA is noted. So is the objection of the IFP, EFF and FF Plus.
Mr S F Du TOIT: Hon Chair, I want to make a declaration please.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Just repeat that again.
Mr S F Du TOIT: This is Du Toit, Chair. I would like to make a declaration.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: No, my understanding was that you had prior indicated your objection and with the objection being noted will be sufficient.
Mr S F Du TOIT: Chair, my hand was up, but you did not notice me in the platform. May I proceed?
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: I will give you an opportunity. Please, proceed.
Afrikaans:
Mnr S F DU TOIT: Agb Voorsitter, vir hoe lank nog moet belastingbetalers die rekening vir u regering se onvermoë om eerlik besigheid te bedryf voed? Hoeveel lewens moet nog deur gekose individue verwoes word, wat die afgelope 28 jaar strategies in staatsentiteite geplaas is, met slegs een doel voor oë, naamlik, infiltreer en ruïneer, terwyl selfverryking en plundering slinks toegepas word?
Uit die meer as 700 staatsentiteite, was ’n skamele een in staat om aanvaarbare positiewe finansieële state te lewer. En die regering spog dat hy in die belang van werkskepping en ’n groeiende ekonomie optree. Die regering spog dat transaksies
deursigtig, eerlik en in lyn met finansieële voorskrifte plaasvind. Dis belaglik!
English:
As of late the word bailout is not accepted anymore. It’s almost unparliamentary. And all of a sudden, the moment government admits that it failed to do the honest transactions, failed to manage state entities successfully, failed to pay employees’ salaries on time and failed to pay salaries at all, it apologizes and that apology is sufficient to set the record straight and claims it off any and all ... [Inaudible.] ... and failures. In spite of the fact that some employees may have committed suicide because of the dire financial situation its employer – government – had put them in.
Government expects to be forgiven for causing people to lose their houses, their cars, get medical treatment, where they have broken homes, because it failed to appoint qualified, skilled, capable and honest management that was supposed to act in the best interest of SOEs but rather in the best interest of the power hungry ANC.
Afrikaans:
Suid-Afrika kan nie bekostig om weer, nog R6,2 miljard aan Denel en ander entiteite toe te ken, net om weer geplunder te word nie.
As ’n regering na 28 jaar, die soveelste omkeerplan daarstel, moet vrae gevra word. Hierdie gaan net finansiering aan nog ’n plan gee, om broodnodige fondse, weereens te laat verduister, net dat die ANC vir die soveelste keer om verskoning kan vra vir die gemors en diefstal, sonder dat daar gevolge vir die plundering is.
English:
If the ANC was serious about good governance and the welfare of South Africans, they would not support this Bill. If they were serious about addressing rising unemployment in the country, repair the maintenance of projects related to locomotives would have been on schedule and another bailout would not have been necessary.
The FF Plus as the opposition party is not only here to criticize or oppose the ANC only because we are the opposition party. It is our mandate to act in the best interest of not only our constituents, but also the country by identifying the root cause of the problem and the demise of South Africa. The
root cause of South Africa’s failure is not a ... [Inaudible.]
... past, but the real and current cancer called the ANC.
Afrikaans:
Die VF Plus kan nie hierdie begroting ondersteun nie. Dankie.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Schedule put and agreed to.
CONSIDERATION OF SPECIAL APPROPRIATION BILL AND REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS THEREON
Ms D G MAHLANGU: Hon Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, hon members, special and permanent delegates and fellow South Africans ...
IsiNdebele:
... lotjhani.
English:
Chairperson, once more, thank you for giving me the opportunity to stand before this august House and present a
report on behalf of the Special Appropriation Bill, B-24 of 2022, on behalf of the Select Committee on Appropriations.
The Committee adopted this report while the DA, EFF and FF Plus reserved their position. Hon Chairperson, we have followed the procedures. Section 213(2) of the Constitution provides that money may be withdrawn from the National Revenue Fund only in terms of an appropriation by an Act of Parliament. The Special Appropriation Bill was tabled by the Minister of Finance on 26 October 2022 during the tabling of the 2022 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, MTBPS, and was referred to the NCOP and the committee for concurrence on 01 December 2022 after it was passed by National Assembly.
To facilitate public participation and involvement, and in compliance with section 72 of the Constitution an advertisement in all 11 official languages was published in national and community newspapers on 30 October 2022 inviting the general public and all stakeholders to comment on the Bill. Subsequently, in addition to receiving a briefing from National Treasury on the contents of the Bill and consulting with the Financial and Fiscal Commission, FFC, and the Parliamentary Budget Office, PBO, the committee received written submissions from the Congress of South African Trade
Unions, COSATU, the Public Service Accountability Monitor and the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, OUTA. All stakeholders made oral submissions on 25 November 2022.
Hon Chairperson, here are the recommendations from the committee having made some observations: The Minister of Finance should gazette the proposed additional funding allocations with clear conditions as indicated in the Special Appropriation Bill amounting to R23,7 billion for the South African National Roads Agency for repayment of its maturing debt and debt-related obligations, R3,4 billion for Denel for the implementation of its turnaround plan, and R2,9 billion for Transnet for the acceleration of the repair and maintenance of locomotives.
The Minister of Finance together with the Minister of Public Enterprises and the Minister of Transport should ensure that the pre-and post-conditions prescribed for all the bailouts are fully complied with, and that clear consequences are explicitly outlined as part of such conditions so that appropriate action will be taken against the transgressor in the case of noncompliance. Furthermore, the committee is of the view that, in order to encourage transparency in public
finances, any bailout must have conditions that are publicly available for continuous accountability.
The committee recommends that the Minister of Public Enterprises together with the Denel board take concrete steps to ensure that the process of paying outstanding salaries for Denel employees is fast tracked. The Minister of Finance together with the Minister of Public Enterprises and the Minister of Transport should ensure that all additional funds earmarked for their respective departments are spent according to the approved plans and within the ambit of the Special Appropriation Bill, B24 – 2022, and ensure that clear internal controls and financial management systems are put in place to prevent poor, wasteful and fruitless expenditure, and that consequence management is enforced.
Parliament should continue to monitor the implementation and expenditure of such allocations through regular in-year monitoring by sector committees and the section 32 reports of the Public Finance Management Act, PFMA. The Department of Transport should expedite the process of developing a draft Road Funding Policy which should then be promptly published for public comment. The public must be given sufficient time
to respond and public comments must be taken into account to ensure public buy-in.
Whilst recognising the need for government to intervene where there is market failure, the committee believes that the provision of continuous financial support to state owned entities, SOEs, directly from the fiscus will continue to compromise social programmes for the poor and other developmental obligations. As part of the overall SOE turnaround strategy, the Department of Public Enterprises, the National Treasury, the Department of Transport and other departments with ailing public entities to strengthen oversight, leadership capacity or boards of directors and financial management capacity, and to ensure the appointment of suitably qualified and experienced officials to turn around the balance sheets of these entities within a reasonable period of time after the adoption of this report — hopefully today.
The committee does not encourage the tabling of special appropriation Bills in Parliament, unless they are absolutely necessary and dictated for by exceptional circumstances, as it may signal budgeting challenges related to fiscal uncertainty. When these Bills are introduced, it needs to be done timeously
so that Parliament has sufficient time to engage with the public and process them accordingly.
While I conclude, Chairperson, allow me to appreciate and thank members of this committee, irrespective of party lines, for their commitment, the support staff, media, stakeholders and the public in general. The committee recommends to this House that the Bill be adopted without amendments. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Declaration of vote:
Mr M S MOLETSANE: Parliament continues to pass special appropriations and fails to hold those that we entrust with public money responsible. The reality is that we are passing a special appropriation to give Transnet and Denel money without a concrete and tangible plan to salvage these SOEs. The EFF rejects this special appropriation Bill. Thank you, Chair.
Mr E Z NJADU: Chairperson, on behalf of the ANC, the Special Appropriation Bill was tabled by the Minister of Finance with the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement and it makes an important intervention to a number of ailing SOEs. Moreover, this intervention is important as these entities are located within critical spheres of the economy and make an important
input to economic development and job creation. Furthermore, it also made funding available for the Wellisizwe programme of building bridges which enables the improvement of people’s lives in different provinces through infrastructure development.
The development of the transport sector and infrastructure is a critical part of economic development as it enhances access of communities to markets and economic opportunities.
Therefore, the efficient functioning of the South African National Roads Agency, Sanral, is critical for that.
Government has assisted Sanral to normalise its finances and reduce its debt. The South African National Roads Agency has many national road projects which require implementation and it cannot be burdened by major debt. The Gauteng N1 e-toll project issue will be resolved through this financial assistance to Sanral from government.
The support for Denel to enable it to implement its turnaround plan is crucial for stabilising and restoring an important SOE for the security of the country. It is an entity that is engaged in technology development which is of economic benefit to the country in terms of localisation and industrial development. State owned entities have an important
developmental agenda, but these entities also require ensuring their financial sustainability through commercial development rather than seeking fiscal support or recapitalisation. This in turn requires optimisation of asset usage and market development to increase revenue. The ANC supports this Bill.
Thank you very much, Chair.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: There being no other declaration
... You want to speak, hon Labuschagne?
Ms C LABUSCHAGNE: Chairperson, yes, I rise on a point of order. I just want to ask that we do not go on and vote because we still have to work through schedules. This is because we can’t vote on the Bill before we have done the schedules. Thank you.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: I think those are sobering words. We still have a long way to go, hon members. There is a very long day ahead of us. The more you keep on making declarations that were not meant to be there when you were consulted initially, the longer we will stay in this Chamber. So, I am really urging that we move on to voting on the question, and the question is that the Bill be agreed to.
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Bill be agreed to.
Bill agreed to in accordance with section 75 of the Constitution.
ADJUSTMENTS APPROPRIATION BILL
(Consideration of Votes and Schedule)
Vote No 1 - The Presidency – put.
Declarations of vote:
Mr A ARNOLDS: Chairperson, the EFF rejects Budget Vote 1 for The Presidency. We reject the Budget Vote 1 of The Presidency which has the President at the helm and currently stands accused of money-laundering, abduction, torture, bribery and misuse of state resources after millions of foreign currency were stolen at the Phala Phala farm.
We reject the Budget of a President who has violated his oath of office and the Constitution. We reject the budget of a President who deliberately concealed a crime and in the
process displayed underhanded tactics in doing so. We reject the budget of a President who does not declare foreign currency to the SA Reserve Bank, SARB, and runs a money- laundering operation where he used his employees to avoid direct accountability. We reject the budget of a President that has not stepped down from his Office so as to allow the investigation into Phala Phala to take place without undue influence. Chairperson, we reject the Budget for The Presidency. Thank you.
Mr S J MOHAI: Deputy Chairperson and hon members, this august House considers and pass this Vote on The Presidency at a time when our Constitution is once more under critical test with the release of the panel report into the inquiry of the sitting President in terms of section 89 of the Constitution.
Whilst we have noted the different views expressed by South Africans across various sectors on this matter, we also note that the Constitution as the supreme law of the country empowers the National Assembly as elected tribune of the people as the final arbiter of the question by either rejecting or accepting this report.
We therefore rise as the ANC to reaffirm our confidence in the leadership of His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa. In doing so, we further note the enhanced co-ordination and strategic coherence of government across all sector departments and different spheres under the central co- ordination of The Presidency.
Hon Deputy Chair, as the recent past has demonstrated, never before has South African international outlook and standing being so attractive to international investment than it is now under the leadership of the President, Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa. This is demonstrated by, amongst others, the continuing positive rating of the country by international rating agencies and the steady recovery of our economy as demonstrated by upward increase of employment over the last two quarters of 2022.
The continued daily arrest of criminal syndicates who have and continue to sabotage even Eskom, and that has to continue. We need to combat acts of corruption in our country without fail.
I therefore rise as ANC, unlike the rabble-rousers here that have spoken before me that the House stand in support of this Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Can we set a principle before we continue? We will call for declarations according to what is in front us, but in the immediate, if you want to do a declaration indicate. Don’t wait until we are finished.
Also, when we want to call for a division, indicate immediately so that we don’t have to ask every time. I am not going to ask and you’ll not blame me. Indicate.
Vote No 1 agreed to (Economic Freedom Fighters, Freedom Front Plus, Inkatha Freedom Party and Democratic Alliance dissenting)
Vote No 2 - Parliament – put.
Declarations of vote:
Mr A ARNOLDS: Deputy Chairperson, the EFF rejects the proposed Budget for Parliament. We reject the Budget of a Parliament that has been unable to fulfil its primary responsibility of holding the executive and its President in particular, to account for violating the Constitution. We reject the Budget of a Parliament that has failed to act swiftly to allegations and findings of the Phala Phala report, instead, it rejects
requests for secret ballot and whether or not to adopt the report.
This House has also failed to initiate or prepare legislation which will provide relief to the citizens. There currently exists no believable plan in place to build state capacity.
The EFF rejects the Budget of a Parliament which sits by and watches and does nothing to change the conditions of our people. Parliament can no longer afford to protect this failing executive, and our people must kick out these people out of power in the 2024 elections. Thank you. [Interjections.]
Mr T J BRAUTESETH: Hon Deputy Chairperson, it is almost one year since an inferno destroyed the National Assembly. Since that date, Parliament has hobbled along like a lame duck with the National Assembly meeting at a greatly reduced capacity, and committee meetings being conducted virtually in the absence of suitable venues on the precinct.
The primary victim of this untenable situation is accountability. It is too easy for Ministers and members to cite excuses for failing to appear before the elected
representatives – that’s us – put in place to hold the executive to account. A perfect example of this lack of functionality is when in October 2019, the residents of the Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Municipality approached Yours Truly to intervene in a water crisis that has persisted for over 30 days. There was a complete cut-off of water in the Underberg area of the southern Drakensberg.
Amongst various remedies, I encouraged the residents of that community to complete a petition calling upon the Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs for assistance. This petition was served to the Office of the Chairperson of the Council in November 2019. Despite the urgency of the petition, the petition went nowhere. It laid in the file gathering dust until 4 August 2022, almost three years later when it was finally considered by the committee in a virtual meeting.
Against this background, it is simply incredible to note that only R118 million has been set aside for initial measures to restore Parliament. Given the expected costs, this is a job in the bucket and moves the People’s Parliament no closer to a much-needed recovery.
For over a year, there has been promises of investigations, criminal sanctions, rebuilding, etc. A lot of talk, but very little action.
Parliament must stand its ground as of the pillars of our democracy and demand the funds it requires to repair the fabric of our constitutional democracy. I thank you.
Ms D G MAHLANGU: Deputy Chairperson, the ANC welcomes the R118 million that has been appropriated in the Adjustment Bill to Parliament to cover the initial costs to rehabilitate part of parliamentary precinct that was damaged through arson.
These are initial and need to be considered in that context.
The responsibility we have to restore Parliament is both a moral responsibility and a patriotic duty given that it is our heritage and we are instructed by law. It is therefore logical that the options that have been chosen through negotiations seek the most cost-effective route whilst reconstruction is being carried out.
We believe that additional allocations will be necessary and we shall see these forthcoming in next year’s budget and the subsequent Appropriation Bill in October 2024.
The support of this huge project, which we are informed will be in the region of R2,3 billion will restore a national asset and one which is vital to the functioning of the state. As the ANC, we support the adjustment of Budget Vote 2 of Parliament. Thank you.
Vote No 2 agreed to (Economic Freedom Fighters, Freedom Front Plus and Democratic Alliance dissenting)
Vote No 3 – Co-operative Governance – put.
Declarations of vote:
Ms M DLAMINI: Chairperson, the EFF reject the Budget for Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. We reject the Budget of the department which has municipalities in their worse state with many metros under the ANC government still focus on looting and not on providing services to our people. It is for this reason that the public representatives in many of these municipalities are now killing each other because they all want to be in charge so they can loot the state and not deliver services.
We reject the budget of the department whose management and monitoring of governance has not yielded reliable result.
Municipalities are faced with numerous backlogs such as infrastructure and ultimately losing the core of their existence to be the instrument used eradicate poverty as municipalities sits right at the belly of the needs of people. The instability seen in municipalities such as Ditsobotla with the municipality running parallel with two mayors, two speakers and two MMC. In Emfuleni Local Municipality where we witness as it is being attached after a R1,3 billion judgements have been granted against the municipality and the very tight financial strain faced by Lekwa Municipality. All these is happening due to failure of monitoring and this is done with impunity where we see municipal managers who come from dysfunctional municipalities being moved even with political bodies elevated to higher positions.
It is also concerning how equitable share is granted to municipalities that failed to manage their own financial affairs creating a huge crisis such as one like the one in Eskom.
The District Development Model is a concept document that won’t find expression if those who are task to ensure its implementations are not held accountable. We therefore, reject this vote. Thank you.
Afrikaans:
Mnr S F DU TOIT: Agb Voorsitter, die verval van munisipaliteite is angswekkend.
English:
According to a recent presentation by stakeholders over the past decade a number of financial distress municipalities has risen from 10% to over 99,0% yet there are no concrete plans on what is being done to hold this ramped deterioration.
Afrikaans:
Die aanpasbegroting maak voorsiening vir ondersteuning van plaaslike regeringsingryping, maar is nie duidelik oor hoe hierdie fondse spandeer gaan word of hoe dit effektief aangewend gaan word, om vervalle munisipaliteite gaan laat herleef nie.
Daar word berig dat verskeie munisipaliteite soos Kopanong, Mohokare en ander in die Vrystaat nie salarisse sal kan betaal nie, ook dat verskeie munisipaliteite al vir maande nie statutêre aftrekkings soos medies en pensioen aan die relevante instansies oorbetaal, nadat dit van werknemers en raadslede se salarisse afgetrek is nie.
English:
Chair, it is undisputed fact that the local government is in need of additional funding to address some amongst others the issues related to insufficient and dilapidated infrastructure. Service delivery is not existed in some of the municipalities. This is not new news.
Afrikaans:
Geen bevondsing aan plaaslike regering sal egter voldoende wees, voordat die verotting van korrupte amptenare en gierige politici uit die weggeruim is nie. Die VF Plus steun nie hierdie begroting nie. Dankie.
Afrikaans:
Mnr G MICHALAKIS: Voorsitter, daar is ’n baie noue verhouding tussen plaaaslike regering en gemeenskappe. Al die plaaslike regeringskwessies begin en eindig by ons deure. Die vraag wat ons onsself moet vra is: Is hierdie departement daartoe instaat om plaaslike regering te red?
English:
The funding given to municipalities does not correlate with the mammoth task of the department to facilitate sound and honest municipal governance.
Chairperson, the Minister surely knows that the funding available to municipalities, the services received and the public expectations from local government are mount apart. Municipalities continuing adopting unfunded budget and surely this cannot be acceptable.
Afrikaans:
Die verval van plaaslike regering se werksaamhede is skrikwekkend, veral in ANC-regeerde munisipaliteite. Die waarheid is dat slegs ’n handjievol daartoe in staat is om enigsins effektief te funksioneer en om dienste aan gemeenskappe te verskaf. Dit is ook nie toevallig dat die wat in staat is om dienste te verskaf, almal amper DA- munisipaliteite is nie.
English:
Chairperson, I am not playing cheap politics here. The matter is far too serious for that. Every year we hear of how municipalities continues to bleed while the ANC is busy fighting among themselves. And the messiah called DDM is also not going to assist municipalities as one of the pilot is also struggling. The only hope in saving municipalities is to do one thing, and that is to make sure that those who don’t care about rendering sustainable services also known as, AKA, the
ANC are not interested with power again. I thank you. And Deputy Chair, the DA intends to call for a division at appropriate time. Thank you.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms S E Lucas): Thank you.
Before, we continue I see hon Radebe is locked on but only with his video not having sound. Can it be possible that the problem is solve so that we don’t have a problem going forth because he may come back and say he want to do a declaration or something.
Mr T S C DODOVU: Deputy Chairperson, the unforeseeable and unavoidable expenditure that resulted in an adjustment of the vote of funds was allocated for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of municipal structures that damaged arising from the floods.
This adjustment obviously need to be supported as government response to the disaster relief. The NCOP was part of the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee that carried out oversight on the reconstruction and debilitation in the affected areas of KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and North West.
The plans that were laid out initially were delayed due to negotiations around financing between provinces and National Treasury. This unnecessarily delayed matters. Our oversight to the affected areas brought us face to face with the challenges we have with delivery in particular as this relates to an Adjustment to the Appropriation Bill.
The concerns of the Ad Hoc Committee that the call for expenditure left a lot to be desired. Therefore, hon Deputy Chair, in support of the adjustment more time is needed to attend to this issue and the expenditure of the National Treasury and provinces is necessary on the assessing of the quality of the expenditure itself and this remains a huge weakness.
With regard to replenishing the Municipal Disaster Response Grant and support for the Provincial Disaster Response Grant all of these are necessary functions that the adjustments are appropriations have to support giving the nature of the ongoing effect of climate change.
An assessment of the quality of the R3,2 billion that has been put aside for this purpose in the Adjustment Appropriation Bill will be a necessary function of our oversight as
Parliament going forward. Hon Chairperson, the ANC support Vote 3, that’s Co-operative Governance. Thank you very much.
Division demanded.
The Council divided:
[TAKE IN FROM MINUTES.]
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Freedom Front Plus and Economic Freedom Fighters dissenting)
Vote No 4: Government Communication and Information System – put.
Declarations of vote:
Mr M NHANHA: Deputy Chairperson, Government Communication and Information System, GCIS, has two agencies that were established under its executive authority and they are: The International Marketing Council, IMC, and the Media Development and Diversity Agency, MDDA.
The IMC was established in August 2000, whose mandate is to create a positive and a united image for South Africa. Its
mission is to establish a brand for South Africa which positions the country in a positive light in terms of its investment and credit worthiness, exports, tourism and international relation objectives.
Quite frankly, at the moment our country’s image in the eyes of the world is probably at its lowest. And its own website, which is the IMC, does not give much information except about gambling and betting.
With the situation in our country with the governing party consumed by its internal factional fights, lack of policy and leadership uncertainty, no sound-minded investor will look our way.
Under GCIS’ watch the IMC has failed to achieve its three objectives.
MDDA is a statutory entity responsible for developing media in South Africa. The less said about this entity the better.
Again, under GCIS’ watch this entity has gravitated into chaos and an epitome of corruption and maladministration. Its chief executive officer, CEO, is earning more than a provincial
Premier. By law, employees and administration cost should be capped at the maximum of 25% of the total budget.
However, in the 2020-21 financial year MDDA has overspent by 10%. Allegations of conflict of interest from board members, nepotism, staff victimization is the order of the day. The board seems to be law unto themselves, the Minister in the Presidency is well aware of these problems but is either too scared to act or does not want to act.
The DA cannot support this Adjustment Appropriation Bill. Thank you.
Mr A ARNOLDS: Deputy Chairperson, the EFF rejects the budget for Government Communication and Information System. We reject the budget of a department which carries the mandate of providing our people with information that is timely, accurate and accessible. Yet, citizens in rural areas are still lacking behind when it comes to access to information.
The GCIS has not done enough in terms of its outreach programmes to interact with communities and make them aware of opportunities, especially rural communities.
More efforts should be put in recruiting people with adequate skills instead of this cadre deployment which has become a prominent feature.
Unresponsive communicators, misalignment communication strategies and hiring of unqualified, inexperienced celebrities and politically connected communicators should be a thing of the past.
The disjointed, reactive and ineffective communication that has plagued public service communication must be replaced by strategic, structured and effective government communications.
The EFF rejects this budget vote. Thank you.
Ms L C BEBEE: Chairperson, the ANC supports Budget Vote 4: GCIS.
As we commemorate the 16 days campaign, a United nations campaign which takes place annually from 25 November, which is International Day of No Violence Against Women, to
10 December, which is International Human Rights Day, we would like to make a carrion call on our government, the private sector and the civil society in general to integrate a gender
equality perspective at all stages and levels of policies, programmes and projects.
Together we can eradicate prejudice and work for equal rights and respect for all. Gender bias and gender-based violence, GBV, are undermining our social fabric and devalue all of us.
As a result of the heightening level of violence against women, girls, children, persons with disability, elderly women, the Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual and many other gender and sexual identities, LGBTQIA+ community, women migrant workers, women refugees and asylum seekers as well as sex workers in the country.
The campaign has over the years evolved into the 365 days programme to fight scourge of gender-based violence and femicide, GBVF.
GBVF and the brutal killing of children in our country have reached crisis level and have been declared a pandemic by President Cyril Ramaphosa hence we can no longer only talk about these issues during 16 days of activism. But this fight should form part of all our daily lives.
To this effect, the ANC welcomes the allocation of
R392,7 million over the medium-term towards 1 140 communities and stakeholders’ engagements and community development projects which will be conducted per year over the medium- term. This will be in the form of dialogue meetings and radio talk shows with various communities around a range of topics and national importance such as GBVF, Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, ERRP, crime and corruption, job creation and service delivery interventions amongst things.
We further support the allocation of the R1,3 billion towards the content processing and dissemination programmes as well as the allocation of the R375,4 million towards intergovernmental coordination and stakeholders’ management programme, which together accounts to 75,6% of the department’s budget over the medium-term, not the conceptualised cohesive campaigns, developed communication, strategies and disseminations, information and stakeholders’ engagement.
That is what the ANC government does. I thank you, Chairperson.
Division called.
Voting.
Agreed to (Economic Freedom Fighters, Freedom Front Plus and Democratic Alliance dissenting).
Vote No 5: Home Affairs – put.
Declarations of vote:
Ms S B LEHIHI: Chairperson, the EEF rejects proposed budget vote for the Department of Home Affairs. This department has not been effective in the performance of functions such as the regulation of migration, registrations of births, marriages and deaths, and the issuing of identity documents and passports.
This department stands as one of the most dysfunctional departments in government, which is ... concerning to note as the services of the Department of Home Affairs are central to the everyday life of South Africans and immigrants in the country.
We reject the budget of a department which is known for nothing but its queues; which often starts at the early hours of the morning at the offices.
Most of the home affairs offices are chronically understaffed, making it impossible for their workers to provide efficient services to the people. They exist because of lack of leadership at home affairs and no capacity.
As the EFF we, therefore, reject the budget of a department which offers poor services, lack of information, lack of guidance, unprofessional staff and never-ending technical problems. Ke a leboga [Thank you], Chairperson.
Ms A D MALEKA: Deputy Chairperson, the ANC rises in support of Budget Vote 5. The Budget Vote on Home Affairs encompasses the department’s budget and that of the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, which is important for holding free and fair elections. It also encompasses that of Government Printing Works, which is responsible for printing certain documents in secure manners such as passports.
The department is responsible for the management of identity in a secure manner in managing information migration.
It is a fact that South Africa has a problem porous borders. The fragmented border management approach has not assisted the problem. Porous borders can lead to problems of women and
child trafficking, the smuggling of drugs and stolen goods, counterfeit goods and contraband.
Counterfeit and illicit goods trade cause imaginable harm to our already strained economy and the local economy suffers the most. The consequence of porous borders is the undermining of the security of emission and its economic development.
The 54th national conference, therefore, resolved that the Border Management Authority Bill must be expedited and implemented in order to address the question of irregular immigration and border management.
The ANC government took a decision to establish a Border Management Authority, BMA, to take responsibility for all functions related to the management of our borders in an integrated manner. Legislation to this effect was passed by this Parliament.
We wish to convey our appreciation for the work that has been done in operationalizing the Border Management Authority.
The importance of the BMA cannot be stressed enough. It is necessary for safeguarding our borders and the people living in and who came to South Africa.
Much progress has been made on the implementation of the Border Management Authority. The BMA model will be implemented at land, air and sea ports of entry and will create a platform for proper coordination between different government departments.
We welcome the department’s strong fight against corruption and encourage it not to relax its efforts in ensuring a safe country.
The ANC supports the vote.
Voting.
Agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 6 – International Relations and Co-operation – put.
Declarations of vote:
Ms M DLAMINI: Hon Deputy Chairperson, we reject the international relations and co-operation. We reject the budget the Department which has failed to develop a coherent international relations framework that census the sovereignty of nations. We reject the budget of a department which has unclear commitments to oppose the interference of powerful nations on the politics in the lives of other nations.
We reject the budget of a department which kept silent while King Mswati keeps on abusing the people of Swaziland and denying them their democratic rights.
Despite this, we congratulate the role played by the department in restoring peace in Tigray region of Ethiopia. We also congratulate the Minister for standing firm in refusing to be bullied on the United States, US, inspired war between Russia and Ukraine. We reject this Budget Vote. Thank you.
I thank you, for the complements.
Mr M DANGOR: Hon Deputy Chairperson, the work of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation has not escaped the impact of COVID-19. Much of the diplomatic work has to be done through virtual platforms, what we call virtual
diplomacy. With the relaxation of lockdown and both our countries globally, thanks to the efforts taken by countries of the world to fight the pandemic, the department has now returned to normal diplomacy. This means the return of diplomatic activities, physical interactions, the department and its missions abroad has since intensified their diplomatic activities that include economic diplomacy, among other things.
We emphasize economic diplomacy because, as a country we are engaging in a process of economic recovery. This is conceptualised by what the President of the Republic tabled in Parliament titled, “The Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan”.
We note that in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, the department will be allocated an adjustment of 10,4%. This is largely due to the point that we have on increased departmental activities following the relaxation of a global lockdown. There is another matter of concern that some local authorities have taken their own foreign policies. The EFF should note that where they are in alliance with the DA they have invited the Israelites to Johannesburg. The ANC supports Budget Vote No 6 - International Relations and Co-operation.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Plus dissenting).
Vote No 8 – National Treasury – put.
Declarations of vote:
Mr M S MOLETSANE: Hon Deputy Chairperson, the EFF reject the Budget Vote of the National Treasury. The National Treasury is responsible for managing South Africa’s national government’s finances and to ensure transparency, accountability and some financial controls in the management of public finances. We reject the budget of a department that has not introduced deliverable policies to reduce poverty and vulnerability among the countries most marginalised.
We reject the budget of a department which together with SA Revenue Service, Sars, has failed to present a convincing and deliverable plan to collect maximum revenue from now online trading platforms. The National Treasury has demonstrated that they are not interested in building robust capacity. Instead, loss of revenue has had tremendous consequences for the economy, including negative impact on economic growth. As the EFF, we reject this Budget Vote. Thank you, Deputy Chairperson.
Mr E Z NJADU: Hon Deputy Chairperson on Vote No 8 – National Treasury, the adjustment to this Vote for the National Treasury deals with a number of aspects which is normally the case with an adjustment on this Vote. Nevertheless, the uncomfortable part of the Adjustment Appropriation and a matter has been repeatedly raised with the National Treasury is that of the Integrated Financial Management System.
We support the adjustment of R48 million, in the provincial equitable share to the provincial Department of Social Development in KwaZulu-Natal for the ongoing support to flood victims in that province. The ANC supports this Vote. Thank you very much, Deputy Chairperson.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Plus dissenting).
Vote No 9 - Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation – put.
Declarations of vote:
Mr T APLENI: Hon Deputy Chairperson, we reject Budget Vote No
9 - Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. This department, since its inception in January 2010, it became clear that contrary to what it was supposed to be, it is just another
cover-up for the ruling party to bankroll their comrades. From the first year of the establishment of this department, there was never any planning that was done by the department.
In fact, South African government has no plan what so ever and that is why there are so many service delivery protests. We reject a department which cannot point to any policy improvement made in this country through its intervention.
There has never been an area of performance in government that has improved because of the interventions of this department.
The Minister cannot stand up and speak with any conviction on any intervention they have made in working with these municipalities to improve their management.
This department is simply an addition to the already bloated Cabinet and it does not serve any purpose. We reject this budget and we will work tirelessly to ensure that the vast majority of citizens of this country reject the ruling party as well in 2024. Thank you very much, Deputy Chairperson.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms S E Lucas): Hon Apleni,
can I just please request that you put another photo on your
link. I am very, very serious. Please, my dear. Change your photo background.
Mr T APLENI: I am so sorry, Deputy Chairperson.
Mr I NTSUBE: Hon Deputy Chairperson, the Vote on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, should receive our most critical observation given its central role in the life of the state planning. This department is central to the co-ordination with the National Treasury in measuring how the fiscus is spent as well as the performance in all three spheres of government.
Given that oversight work by parliamentary committee provides an emerging scenery of poor planning, poor procurement practices, despite the guidelines and framework. And very poor project management capability challenges and poor financial accountability. Again, despite a ratified regulatory environment within departments.
This inform us that the department remains a huge challenge of co-ordinating state-planning, monitoring and evaluation.
Strategic in particular annual performance plans, APPs, of departments remains challenge in terms of the integrity of the information supplied.
Noting that the department’s entities include Brand SA, it needs to assist Brand SA to evaluate its APPs and ensure the indicators and targets are aliened to that of their APPs.
Greater intention by the department must be assessed to provide for better planning and co-ordination coherent, particularly provincial and local government.
The appropriation needs to assist provincial governments with the issues that the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, picked up when conducting, monitoring and impact assessment in provinces.
The adjustment largely reflect transfers and subsidies as well as payments for capital assets. There are reductions in terms of the reprioritisation across all five programmes. The ANC supports Vote No 9 - Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, hon Deputy Chairperson. Thank you very much.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Plus dissenting).
Vote No 10 - Public Enterprises – put.
Declarations of votes made on behalf of the Freedom Front Plus, Democratic Alliance and African National Congress.
Declarations of Vote:
Afrikaans:
Mnr M A P De BRUYN: Agb Adjunkvoorsitter, as die verlede en die hede ons een ding geleer het, is dit dat hierdie departement geensins die vermoë het om enige fondse te kan bestuur nie, veral nie as gekyk word as na Denel, Transnet en Sanral nie. Ons praat maar eerder nie oor die tragedie wat Eskom is nie.
Nie enige hoeveelheid geld gaan enige van hierdie entiteite kan red, solank as dit deur die ANC-regering bestuur word nie. Dit gaan net verseker dat daar groot wanbestuur en korrupsie plaasvind, en hierdie aanpassings gaan ongelukkig net kaders en tenderpreneurs baat, en nie die belastingbetaler en die armes van Suid-Afrika nie.
Ons kan nie bekostig om die onvermoë, wanbestuur en korrupsie van die ANC verder te finansier nie en ...
English:
... and no rightminded person and surely not the Freedom Front Plus must support this Vote. Thank you.
Mr A ARNOLDS: Thank you, Deputy Chairperson, we have already done our declaration earlier. We reject the budget.
IsiXhosa:
Mnu M NHANHA: Andilahleki mna, kaloku ndiya ... [Ngokungavakaliyo.]
English:
Hon Deputy Chairperson, for all it since ...
IsiXhosa:
... ixesha lam ulujongile, kunjalo?
English:
You are keeping my time. Thank you very much. Hon Deputy Chairperson, for all it since a while ago Transnet appeared before the select committee and gave a satisfactory account of
its activities. However, two sea ports in the Eastern Cape namely, Port of Elizabeth, Gqeberha, and the Port of Ngqura both situated in Nelson Mandela Bay are ranked 312 and 363 respectively in terms of the World Banks Container Port Performance Index. At this rate these two ports are operating far below global standards. To get our sea ports to function at optimal efficiency and maintain their global competitiveness, government should consider establishing a task team to investigate a new port operating model which should include local stakeholders such as the municipality, business and any other relevant entity which could culminate in the establishment of a localised Port Authority.
Like the majority of our state-owned entities, Denel has not been spared from state capture. Consequently, once a pride of our country, a leader in its own right in the defence and aviation space was run down to its knees and to this day it is battling to meet its financial commitments, including, but not limited to staff salaries, despite the red flags raised by the Special Investigating Unit, SIU, over the appointment of one Mr Riaz Saloojee to lead the turnaround plan at the state arms manufacturing company. The SIU has further told Denel that a docket is with the National Prosecuting Authority, NPA, and his appointment as a chief restructuring officer should be
withdrawn as this will violate the spirit of good governance. Of course, the board and the Minister duck in their heels and went ahead anyway.
It is now perceived that Minister Gordon is in a purge crusade of officials whom he sees as obstacles. The director-general, DG, of Public Enterprises, Mr Tlhakudi, and the chief executive officer, CEO, of Denel Dynamics, Mr Ntsihlele, were both in recent ... [Inaudible.] for unrelated dubious reasons. On the part of Mr Tlhakudi, he has asked the Speaker of Parliament to investigate damning allegations of corruption he has levelled against Minister Gordhan. If these shenanigans have any merits I’m afraid, hon members, as the country we are in for state capture part two. The DA cannot support this budget and we would like to call for a division. Thank you.
Mr Z MKIVA: Deputy Chairperson, thank you very much. The ANC is unequivocal in its support for this Budget Vote 10 because the Public Enterprises portfolio is very strategic in terms of the economy and the financial health system of our country. We are, therefore, more than committed in making sure that our state-owned companies are more efficient, competitive, accountable and sustainable. The sustainability of these
state-owned entities, SOEs, actually plays a very fundamental
role in turning around the fortunes of our economy. For them, therefore, in terms of their effectiveness this Budget Vote has allocated R17,5 million to the Presidential State-Owned Enterprises Council in order to undertake immediate measures which will help us to insulate these SOEs from the anticorporate mentality and corruption as was the case during the heyday of the state capture. In addition, this Budget Vote has allocated funds to establish the restructuring unit to ensure that the government’s efforts to repurpose the state- owned companies take precedence.
This Budget Vote allocates this amount to the Presidential State-Owned Enterprises Council and the restructuring unit will revive the SOEs in two complimentary respects. The first one is the fact that the restructuring unit will effectively and advantageously assist in developing and implementing new business model for the struggling SOEs like Denel, amongst others. Secondly, the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan will help us on the recommendations made by the Presidential Council on forging partnerships between government and private sector players in order to ensure that there is no romanticisation of dependence of the SOEs on the grants which are given by government, and this will go a long way. Just to illustrate, Budget Vote 10 has allocated
R1,8 billion to our national carrier, SA Airways, which by the way is already back in the skies and is servicing many major points in the country as well as in the continent, and there’s a trajectory that it will go back all the way to international destinations.
Therefore, that R1,8 billion has helped us in the business rescue plan so that it be reformed as a carrier and it will no longer be a burden with the legacy debt together with the strategic partnership that is there in place with Takatso Consortium. Secondly, Transnet is currently being transformed
... [Interjections.] ... Deputy Chairperson, allow me then to conclude and say that in order for us to have success of these amendments, they hinge on this Budget Vote because of the criticalness and the strategic nature of Public Enterprises.
I, therefore, say that on behalf of the ANC we definitely support this Budget Vote. Thank you very much, Deputy Chair. [Time expired.]
Division demanded.
The Council divided:
AYES: 31: Bartlett, M; Bebee, L C; Carrim, Y I; Dangor, M; Dodovu, T S C; Gillion, M N; Govender, M; Hlope, N E; Lwana, V; Klaaste, N; Mahlangu, D G; Maleka, A D; Maneng, N; Mamaregane, M L; Ngwenya, W; Mkiva, Z; Mmoiemang, K M; Masondo, A N; Modise, T C; Mohai, S J; Moshodi, M L; Mthethwa, M E; Mvoko, M; Ncitha, Z V; Ndongeni, N; Njadu, Z; Ntsube, I; Nyambi, J A; Rayi, M; Rosho, M; Shaikh, S.
NOES: 21: Arnolds, A; Apleni, T; Aucamp, W A S; Badenhorst, FJ; Bara, M R; Brauteseth, T; Christians, D C; De Bruyn, M A P; Dlamini, M; Du Toit, S F; Labuschagne, C; Londt, J J; Lehihi, S B; Luthuli, S A; Mathevula, B; Michalakis, G; Moletsane, M S; Motsamai, K; Nhanha, M; Ryder, D R; Smit, C B F.
Vote agreed to (Inkatha Freedom Party, Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 11 - Public Service and Administration - put
Declarations of Vote:
Ms B T MATHEVULA: Thank you very much, Deputy Chair. Deputy Chairperson, the EFF rejects the Budget Vote of the Public Service and Administration. We reject the budget of the
department which is a state of a decay at the key institution which are responsible for providing services for our people. The department and its entities has failed to develop service method that produce competent public servants.
We reject the budget which, despite all the skills gap identified over the period of time in the public service, still are very slow in the government’s technical capacity. We reject the budget of the department which has not cleared the backlog of suspended corrupt employees. We reject the budget of the department which took a decision to unilaterally implement a wage increase. As the EFF, we reject this Budget Vote, Deputy Chairperson. Thank you.
Afrikaans:
Mnr K M MMOIEMANG: Adjunkvoorsitter, ...
English:
I rise on behalf of the ANC to support Vote No 11, Public Service and Administration because, it is a platform towards creating a single public service, Deputy Chair, more so, it creates a platform to have a functional developmental and capable state, with an aim to provide the people of South
Africa with the necessary services to sustain themselves and improve the technical capability and capacity of the state.
The legislative framework to provide a single public service is in place. Of course, the challenges is, how do we ensure that these operational constraints are mitigated? Working towards a single integrated public service, will enhance performance and accountability, given the funded policy imperatives of the governing party. More so, this Vote will further enhance the professionalisation of the Public Service, which seeks to build a new public service cadre, who is conscious and diligent of the duty and responsibility to assimilate government policy through programmes and projects which the February Appropriation Bill outlines.
The Adjustments Appropriation Bill largely deals with transfers and subsidies as well as transfers. These are located within the programme of the modernisation of the Public Service. There are reductions across three of the five programmes with the transfers going to government service access and improvement as well as administration. Hon deputy Chair, strengthening state capability is a necessary condition for growth, ensuring that a capable state responds to the socioeconomic challenges.
As I have indicated, the ANC moves supports Vote No 11 on Public Service and Administration. Thank you.
Division demanded.
The Council divided:
[Take in from Minutes.]
Vote agreed to.
Vote No 12: Public Service Commission - put
Declarations of vote:
Mr T APLENI: Thank you very much, Deputy Chairperson. Deputy Chair, the EFF rejects the Budget Vote No 12, the Public Service Commission. The mandate of this department is to empower, investigate, monitor and evaluate the organisation and administration of the Public Service. It is quite disappointing to note that this department is no fulfilling its core mandate.
In the Eastern Cape Province, for instance, the health system has but collapsed, several hospitals dysfunctional. In Mbashe,
for instance, the Emadwaleni Hospital has turned into a mess, with laundry piling up n laundry rooms, floors are dirty as if one is entering the butchery. There are long ques of patients who wait for many hours before they receive any help.
THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon Apleni, it is the
correct declaration, because you’re speaking about the hospital floors that are dirty?
Mr T APLENI: We are speaking about the Public Service Commission department, Deputy Chairperson. So, it is the saying in the education system – you have just disturbed me a lot now, you will bear my time.
THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: I’m very sorry. It’s fine, you will do it in the next Vote when you come in again. Is it fine?
Mr T APLENI: No, let me continue, Deputy Chairperson.
THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Yes, you still have time, you’ve got 1 min and 15 seconds. You can continue.
Mr T APLENI: Lot of our school structure with no decent training and water. It is even worse when it comes to public works, a very important component of government that has turned into a ... [Inaudible.] ... of the Extended Public Works Programme, EPWP. Our roads have been there for many months without anyone bothering to fix them. Public servants are demoralised, overworked and underpaid.
It should be the Public Service Commission which should ensure that, public service and its servants are being properly maintained, serviced and adequately remunerated at all levels. We therefore reject this budget. Thank you very much, Deputy Chairperson.
THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Let me just apologise to you because, it was not clear on what Vote you are reading the declaration on. So, I’m actually apologizing to you for what transpired. I also think that we must continue to be time conscious. Over to you, hon Mamaregane.
Ms M L MAMAREGANE: Thanks, hon Deputy Chairperson. The Public Service Commission has the responsibility to promote the values and principles of the Public Service as stipulated in the Constitution. As we have long discussed through our
oversight, there is an urgent need for a values driven approach in the public service, given the complaints that our communities and more broadly citizens have raised with regards the quality of services they receive.
We must through oversight continue to insist that public service workers adhere to the code of conduct and promote a culture of discipline and integrity in the public service. We must accelerate honesty, competency and accountability in the public service and fight corruption through the state institutions designed to investigate and prosecute corruption, in particular, public servants conducting business with the state.
The public service workers have to uphold the values and principles of the public administration by promoting ethical leadership and focus on the programme to professionalise the public service. We must continue to monitor irregular expenditure, and cases of financial misconduct in the public service and ensure stringent consequence management. Matters raised by the Auditor-General on the Public Service Commission relate to the Commission being unable to meet set targets of paying invoices within the given timeframe.
The Adjustments Appropriation Bill addresses specifically transfers from the administration programme to leadership and management, monitoring and evaluation and integrity and anti- corruption. These transfers are welcomed. This in particular in the leadership and management practices is aimed at provinces that are experiencing challenges in upholding the code of conduct and where there have been discrepancies. The ANC supports Vote No 12, the Public Service Commission. I thank you.
Vote agreed to.
Vote No 13 - Public Works and Infrastructure - put
Declarations of vote:
Mr M A P De BRUYN: Thank you, Deputy Chair. Deputy Chair, there is a saying that goes:
When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorises it and a moral code that glorifies it.
Chair, no amount of money will ever be enough to fund any budget in South Africa. Therefore, this Appropriation will once again also not be sufficient to fill the pockets of corruption.
There are millions already spent from the infrastructure ... [Inaudible.] ... anticorruption ... [Inaudible.] ... but how many cases were today concluded? What were the outcomes and how many individuals were actually got to account and brought to justice? Accessing resources meant for general good are easily converted to private gain by positions of power and positions of power is no longer driven by the need to serve but by grabbing your turn to loot. This adjustment is once again full of promising figures ... [Inaudible.] ... However, how many of the infrastructure projects actually reach full completion without the extension of time, claims exceeded budgets or contracts that needs to be reallocated to both incompetent contractors?
Deputy Chair, as long as efficiency, integrity and effectiveness of public sector management and also the accountability and transparency are not used to qualifying criteria to appoint service providers and contractors, this government will never be able to stabilise any budget. It is
estimated that between 10 and 30% of the investment in publicly funded construction projects might be lost through mismanagement and corruption. An estimated 20 to 30% of project values are lost through corruption. Chair, corruption reduces investment and it reduces the quality of this country’s infrastructure. The FFPlus will therefore, not be supporting this Vote. Thank you.
Xitsonga:
Man B T MATHEVULA: Ndza khensa, Mutshamaxitulu.
English:
Thank you very much, Deputy Chairperson. The EFF reject this Budget Vote number 13 on Public Works and Infrastructure. We reject the budget of the department characterised by high level of corruption and influence of processes by political heads. We reject the budget of the department which failed to maintain a proper register of its assets.
Across the country there are thousands of state buildings owned by the department that has dilapidated with no hope of ever being fixed because the department has no record of this. A practical example, Deputy Chair, is the Public Works houses which belong to this department in Kremetart, in Giyani, which
is being hijacked and someone is benefiting out of it and the department takes too long to investigate. At Dzumeri in Giyani; Mopani District, there is also another existing building that belongs to the municipality but someone hijacked it and is benefiting out of it.
This department has failed to manage the state property as it was in the case with the R37 million Beitbridge border fence project. This department reported that there were 3 653 agricultural state land parcels available for distribution.
Today, most of this land is strictly laying fallow and the department has done absolutely nothing to ensure that the land gets released for productive purpose for those people who need it.
Deputy Chairperson, there is nothing stopping this department for expropriating land and buildings. There are literally thousands of the related buildings across the country that could be expropriated and refurbished for student accommodation and to be used as a house for the homeless.
However, the department chooses to standby and do nothing to benefit our people. We reject this Budget Vote. Thank you very much, Deputy Chairperson.
Mr T J BRAUTESETH: Thank you, hon Deputy Chair. Deputy Chair, you know, the purpose of today is to talk to the adjustments to the budget not the department in the entire budget. So, I will focus on that which is what we are supposed to be doing.
The only adjustment to this department’s budget is the allocation of R389 million which is being transferred to the Department of Transport for the rural roads programme, specific for the release were for the rural bridges project. The DA certainly cannot argue against funds being used to give poor rural communities safe access to schools, clinics and other services which has been so difficult for them to access in the past. It is interesting that the EFF and the FFPlus seemed to vote against these communities being ... [Inaudible.] ...
However, the concern that this raises is a trend and that trend is that increasingly departments are requesting the funds from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to be given to them directly, which is a spectacular indictment and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure effectively it says: We don’t trust you to do the work for us we will do it ourselves. The Department of Defence and Military Veterans is in the process of taking back
as many of the powers and functions as they possibly can and as quickly as possible from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
Parliament, where we stand today has recently announced that they will be taking responsibility for the entire rebuild of Parliament to the tune of R2 billion in a stunning display of a lack of confidence and the ability of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to manage a project of this magnitude. You are clearly heading towards a country without Public Works. This department must consider seriously how they will regain the trust of the client departments and to get things done on time and within budget. I thank you.
Ms M L MOSHODI: Thank you very much, Deputy Chairperson and good afternoon. The ANC support the Adjustment Appropriation Bill for Vote 13 for Public Works and Infrastructure. This department over the past financial year has made steady progress to restore government and financial control. The entity which report to the department has also made progress and improved focus in terms of executing its mandate including the Independent Development Trust, IDT.
This is important to effect critical programmes for transformation in terms of infrastructure development, public employment and enhancing the property portfolio of government. The department has been marginally underspending and this needs to be corrected as this negatively impact on the execution of this programme. Hon Deputy Chairperson, vacancies of staff which is a root cause of underspending need to be filled with appropriate skills and capacity. The vacancies also negatively impact in the implementation of programmes which further results in underspending.
The department has critical transformative programmes such as the Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP. It is important that the skills and artisan training programme is expected going forward as part of dealing with the problem of unemployment in the country. Critical to the implementation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan is infrastructure development and it is critical that the independent contractor agreement, ICA, is able to effectively facilitate the delivery of infrastructure programme. This requires greater co-ordination between the three spheres of government.
The management of the property portfolio of government does require an asset register to ensure that the Property Management Trading Entity, PMTE, can optimise the financial value of their portfolio which has already commenced and need to be completed on the correct platform. This is a source of revenue for the fiscus and need to be developed as a matter of urgency. The performance of the entity reporting to the department is critical for the build environment and development. The improvement in the performance of this entity must be noted as even the opposition has recognised this.
However, this entity contains skills which must be utilised in the infrastructure development and revising apartheid spatial planning.
In closing, hon Chairperson, the department must efficiently utilise its budget and ensure impactful and quality spending. Supporting this Adjustment Appropriation Bill on Vote 13 for Public Works and Infrastructure means support for the improvement and programmes of the department, job creation, skilling of the people as well as ensuring the development of strategic infrastructure project as part of implementation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. Thank you, Deputy Chair.
Vote agreed to (Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 14 - Statistics SA - put
Declaration of vote:
Mr M S MOLETSANE: Thank you, Deputy Chairperson. Deputy Chairperson, no policy will bring about concrete and practical solutions without a proper understanding of the material conditions. That is why Statistics SA exists. It exists to be a credible source of data that should and must inform policy formulation and implementation.
However, the Statistics SA budget has consistently been cut. This has compromised the quality scale and scope of work that the Statistics SA can do. Parliament has consistently failed to interrogate proposed budget cuts and their implications because the ruling party abuses its majority. We have on previous occasions suggested that Statistics SA must be an independent institution, away from manipulations and pressure of the government it must stand alone like a Chapter 9 institution that issues data without fear or favour.
The Parliament must also look closely at the impact caused by many years of defunding Statistics SA; studies the impact of prolonged vacancies of critical positions; cancellation of essential studies and come to a more practical funding for Statistics SA instead of lip service. Statistics SA must be given a clear mandate to collect and disseminate data that should inform the beneficiation of mineral resources, job creation and industrialisation in South Africa. It must be accessible to all including; schools, community-based organisations, nongovernmental organisations, NGOs, all political parties and traditional leaders.
Deputy Chair, it must present to the public a clear practical and implementable strategy to rebuild human resource capacity. It must pay all filled workers as set up clear and adequate communication processes to resolve as many of this unpaid claims by field workers as possible within a short space of time. We hope this will be resolved as soon as possible. We cannot accept a budget failing to allocate enough resources to rebuild Statistics SA. Statistics SA has a very important role to our government. It assists the government to be able to draft its budget.
At the moment the population of South Africa is estimated to be 6,06 million by the end of June 2022. We have 3 468 livebirths average per day and 2 057 death average per day. As the EFF, we support this budget. Thank you, Deputy Chair. [Time expired.]
Vote agreed to (Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon members, I think we have now reached the time that we can allow members to go for lunch. We will allow for 30 minutes. We have arranged lunch in the restaurant. So, you can go there directly and get something to eat. We apologise for those on the virtual platform.
The HOUSE SUSPENDED AT 13:05 AND RESUMED AT 13:49.
Vote No 15 - Traditional Affairs - put
Declarations of vote:
Ms M DLAMINI: Chairperson, the EFF rejects Budget Vote 15 on Traditional affairs. The Department of Traditional Affairs’ main aim is to co-ordinate traditional affairs activities
across government through development of appropriate policies, norms and standards and coercion.
With traditional leaders, traditionally being seen as custodians of the morals, values, and cultural systems of many of the people of South Africa, yet this department has but taken minimum efforts in preserving African life. It has showed limited capacity in overseeing issues related to traditional affairs and provides support to the development and stable African community. Chairperson, will reject this Vote.
Ms A D MALEKA: Deputy Chairperson, the ANC supports Vote 15 – Traditional Affairs. There is a very minor adjustment in this year’s Adjustment Appropriation Bill on the vote on Traditional Affairs. This relates to funds being reprioritised to research, policy and legislation - critical functions when we consider the mandate of the department. These funds are taken from administration.
These will be used for the development of appropriate policies, norms and standards within a regulatory framework to promote culture, heritage and social cohesion. This critical ongoing work must enhance existing rural socioeconomic
programmes and provide the basis of support to development in these areas. The ANC supports Vote 15 – Traditional Affairs.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon members, there was a mistake that was made by someone to say that the DA is calling for a Division. There is no Division called.
Vote agreed to (Economic Freedom Fighters, Democratic Alliance and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 16 – Basic Education - put
Declarations of vote:
Ms D C CHRISTIANS: Deputy Chair, the Report of Basic Education’s financial health is concerning. This, amongst others, due to the delaying settlement of accruals and payables within 30 days ... [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Can we have order, please. There is too much noise in the House. I am sorry, hon Christians. Can you continue. I am just sorry that there was too much noise.
Ms D C CHRISTIANS: The Department of Basic Education's financial health is concerning. This, amongst others, is due to the delay in settlement of accruals and payables within 30 days to the amount of R145 million. The department will incur the interest, which will result in the incurrence of fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
Furthermore, it takes a department more than 830 days to collect the accrued department’s revenue because the overpayments on the projects are due. This is due to delays in finalising projects after they have reached the practical completion stage. The department has reported R2,7 billion worth of irregular expenditure incurred in the previous financial years, and R412 million incurred in the current financial year.
According to the annual report, the investigations into some of the fruitless and wasteful expenditure cases were not performed, and therefore, disciplinary steps were not taken against officials who had incurred fruitless and wasteful expenditure as required by the Public Finance Management Act. Furthermore, compensation of employees is overspent at 152.22%. The National School Nutrition Program noted numerous
findings, which is deeply concerning as no learner can be expected to concentrate without a nutritious meal.
According to the annual report, the percentage of black African or coloured Grade 12 candidates, taking at least one niche technology-focused subject in matric, remain unchanged between 2018 and 2021 at 9%. The budget should be directed towards an increase in learners taking technology-focused subjects, as well as a maximum support to schools and educators in this field.
Lastly, school infrastructure delivery remains a huge concern, as only six of the 30 schools envisaged for 2022-23 have been completed. Only 50 of the 149 sanitation projects have been completed, and only 90 of the 50 identified schools for water provision have thus far been concluded. The Basic Education department is failing the youth of this country. Thank you.
Mr M E NCHABELENG: Deputy Chair, the South African education system is in an ongoing process of continuous improvement, which has resulted in gradual improvement in education outcomes. Our education system is still confronted with several challenges which impact teaching and learning
outcomes. The department has continuously prioritised supporting programmes which improve these outcomes.
Our education system is not immune to the effects of climate change as it threatens various avenues of human endeavours.
The appropriation adjustment of Vote 16 is mainly to respond to the flood disaster which impacted KwaZulu-Natal Schools. Therefore, the department has shifted over R138 million through the conditional allocation to provinces from the Education Infrastructure Grant.
Without sufficient infrastructure, teaching and learning are hampered, and the flood disasters have disrupted this core mandate of education. We are confident that this allocation will go a long way in restructuring the school infrastructure. One of the major challenges affecting infrastructure development is the department’s challenges with implementing agents who do not implement projects within the prescribed scope, which results in delays of infrastructure development.
In other instances, poor project implementation results in cost overruns, which should be avoided. This points to the importance of the department having sufficient technical
capabilities, which improve planning and project management to ensure government accrues the maximum benefit of expenditure.
What is also critical is ensuring that the reconstruction of damaged schools and infrastructure should be developed in areas which are not flood prone, with climate change resistance infrastructure designs and materials. The adjusted appropriation also allocated funds for the National Education Collaboration Trust, Nect, which pilots interventions to improve the quality of basic education.
We welcome these adjustments, as they strengthen critical areas which require immediate and continuous attention, to ensure the department delivers on its core mandate of, “Providing quality basic education for all and leading the establishment and development of a South African schooling system for the 21st century.” The ANC supports the Adjustment Appropriation Bill on Vote 16. Thank you.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 17 – Higher Education – put
Declarations of vote:
Ms S A LUTHULI: Deputy Chairperson, the EFFs reject the Budget Vote 16 for Higher Education. The Department of Higher Education is one of the most important departments as it moulds the future of this country, but it is still in the hands of the Minister who has no vision and love for our students.
We are approaching a new year and once again, the chaos that will be seen in our higher learning institution will shock all of us. This department does not learn from its previous mistakes We reject the adjusted appropriation for the department which has done nothing at the face of the general collapse of government in universities and TVET colleges because of the corrupt and unethical council members - some of whom are deployed by this department in universities such as Vaal University of Technology, VUT, Mangosuthu University of Technology, MUT, Walter Sisulu University, WSU, and many others that have experienced unprecedented corrupt.
This department provides no support to these institutions with infrastructure and efficient grants to develop university- owned student accommodation that is safe and conducive for learning. Our TVET college sector lacks the professional
capability of staff and makes no link between the college and the labour market by making programs offering a more response and improving the placement of college graduates in jobs. We reject this adjustment appropriation. We reject the executive of this department, and most importantly, we reject Blade Nzimande. Thank you.
The DEPUTY HOUSE CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon Luthuli, can I
just call to order, to stand up again and say hon Blade Nzimande, because if he is here, then he is a member of this House.
Ms S B LEHIHI: Deputy Chairperson!
The DEPUTY HOUSE CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon Lehihi!
Ms S B LEHIHI: Yes, Deputy Chairperson. Can I please read my notes on Vote 16?
The DEPUTY HOUSE CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: There is no such
that will happen. We have passed there. You were not there. Perhaps, if we were still at that Vote; but we have already passed there. We are at Vote 17. So, I am sorry, you are too late.
Can you please just correct that. You shouldn’t be calling any member by name.
Ms S A LUTHULI: Mr Blade Nzimande!
The DEPUTY HOUSE CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: It’s fine, I will
accept that. The ANC!
IsiXhosa:
Nksz N E NKOSI: Hayi, sisengxakini apha!
English
Hon Deputy Chair, Higher Education’s growth is an important priority to expand access to higher education and training. Since the Fee-Free Higher Education Policy for the poor, Budget Vote 17 has been experiencing the fastest growth in expenditure terms.
This growth has also accentuated the skewed distribution of the appropriation distribution between the university programme, the technical and vocational education and training programme, TVET programme, and the skills development programme, SDP. All these programmes are critical and require a balanced approach, which ensures all the three major
programmes are adequately supported, as each reinforces the other, in responding to the skills needed of our economy and country.
Noting that the adjustment was made to fund students by just over R1,3 billion. This adjustment negatively impacts the allocations for infrastructure for the Sol Plaatje University and the University of Mpumalanga, and the shifts from the university education programme allocation to several universities.
Without a comprehensive student financing model, the allocation of funds of this Vote will continue to be skewed to funding university students in the main. This will significantly impact the attainment of the National Development Plan’s skills development targets.
What is of concern is that historically disadvantaged universities have been negatively impacted by the shift of funds, affecting the Sibusiso Bhengu Development programme, the foundation provision, capacity development, Academic Clinical Training Grants and other grants allocated to universities. technical and vocational education and training colleges, TVET colleges, are critical institutions to produce
the required artisans and various occupational skills needed in the economy.
We welcome the increase in allocation for Community Education Training Colleges, which make a significant contribution, particularly for citizens with a low education and skills base, through training them in various fields. It is through skilling our nation that we will be able to free the potential of all South Africans for socioeconomic transformation. The ANC support Budget Vote 17 on Higher Education and Training and we really love the Minister, Mr Blade Nzimande.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 18 – Health –put.
Declarations of vote:
Ms S A LUTHULI: Deputy Chairperson, the EFF rejects the Budget for the Health. The EFF rejects the budget of the department which has the worst Minister of that health in the history of ANC-led government in this country.
Under the leadership of Minister Joe Phaahla, this department has normalized crime and irregular and wasteful expenditure. The provincial hospitals in Gauteng Province are in serious state of crisis and may collapse anytime because the demand of public health service is not matched by the quality supply of these services.
Nurses and doctors are overworked, leading to long ques in those hospitals and often preventable deaths because of the delays in people’s getting healthcare.
We continue to demand that true prioritization of primary healthcare, prevention and education as true tenant of our healthcare system. We reject this budget vote. Thank you.
Mr M R BARA: Deputy Chairperson, the Auditor General has reported an irregular expenditure of R1,3 billion from the Department of Health which is a 42% increase from the past financial year.
While this is the case, the are critical issues that require the immediate attention of the department, like:
Long patient waiting periods; staff attitude; unique patient identifier system that is not working, shortage of healthcare workforce; stigma and discrimination against people living with, human immunodeficiency virus, HIV and key population; infrastructural issues of healthcare facilities that require renovation; corruption and cadre deployment; lack of political will and commitment from those in power. These should be packaged in order to deal with them, with immediate effect.
The total expenditure for employee compensation in 2021-2022 was R848 million. Had the department rooted out corruption, which would have completely dealt with staff shortages, it is therefore important for the department to implement effective monitoring systems.
By far most of the wasted money is due to noncompliance with procurement procedures, supply chain management prescripts and contract management controls.
The Auditor General also highlighted the lack of consequence management within the Department of Health and its entities.
The health ombudsman laid bare the reality of systemic mismanagement, crumbling infrastructure and chronic staff
shortages. The health ombudsman had this to say with regards to the National Health Insurance:
As things stand today we couldn’t go into the NHI with the level of inspections and certification we have done so far because I suspect most of the hospitals will not meet the high standard required of the NHI.
The ombudsman also stated that the Western Cape Province is an exception to the rule.
In conclusion, COVID19 lessons will stand us in good stance
for the HIV and Tuberculosis, TB, recovery strategy. Connectedness, collaboration and meaningful relationships will be essential ingredients of a coherent strategy. With fewer new HIV infections and better TB case management, the acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome, AIDS, epidemic will be less of a public health risk in South Africa.
I wanted to add that Deputy Chairperson, just to indicate that last week we were looking at the AIDS programme, so I thought I must just add that, as a way of encouraging people, to look after themselves and make sure that they get tested, so that we all know our status. Thank you, Deputy Chairperson.
Ms M N GILLION: Deputy Chairperson, the ANC rises to express its support for the Adjustment Appropriation Vote 18. The ANC is convinced that achieving justice and equity in healthcare is important.
We have so stated that National Health Insurance, which is before the National Assembly Portfolio Committee, is necessary for Universal Healthcare Coverage. Without providing all South Africans, regardless of class, with an equal opportunity to obtain high quality healthcare, full justice cannot be achieved.
As the ANC, we welcome that the largest portion of the budget has been allocated toward the social wage and will thus help low income households and the most vulnerable members of our society, the amount being R3,56 trillion over the next three years, or 59,2% of the total non-interest spending.
Improving health outcomes remains one of the most important goals of the Department of Health, and we are of the view that these adjustments enable a context where this can happen.
While awaiting the finalisation of the National Health Insurance, NHI, Bill processes, we believe that it is
necessary that improving our primary health services should not be compromised, and the improvement of health infrastructure being an important part of this.
In this regard, the ANC welcomes that the Adjustment Appropriation Bill as an important part of improving the delivery of health services.
We are however aware that the state of the global economy has an effect on local development initiatives such as the cost of infrastructure for development.
Indeed, provinces play an important role in the provision of health services in the South African health system and we look forward to the strengthening of health services particularly in those provinces where access to quality health services is significantly constrained, and believe that this budget vote presents an opportunity for this to happen.
We also put the vote of confidence against in the Minister and the Deputy Minister of Health. I thank you, Deputy Chair.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERON OF THE NCOP: Thank you, I don’t see any division being called, so we will continue with the vote.
Unfortunately, it was indicated that there is a division, since there no division. Let us note the objection of the EFF, FF Plus and the DA. And the vote is thus agreed to.
Mr M R BARA: Deputy Chairperson, I thought it was indicated that we would want to call for a division ... [Interjection.]
The DEPUTY HOUSE CHAIRPERON OF THE NCOP: And I said the rules right at the beginning when I started.
Mr M R BARA: ... no, when you were talking me, I was indicating, I thought you could read my sign language... [Interjection.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERON OF THE NCOP: I read it like this. It’s fine, in any case there was an indication... [Interjection.]
Mr M R BARA: ... no, I am talking to the Deputy Chairperson of the House, please, please!
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERON OF THE NCOP: Order, order! Hon members, there was an indication, but remember I asked in the beginning that party should immediately indicate. But he is indicating,
because ... I saw him doing this, but I don’t know, I thought he was flying [Laughter.].
Can we get support for the division? Thank you, the division has been called, and we will allow a 15 second window to delegates who are outside the Chamber and virtual platform to join us. Fortunately, we’ve the time just here in front of us,
15 second is very fast, I hope everyone is inside, they should be inside. I thought your pulse has become ...
Division demanded.
The Council divided.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 19 - Social Development – put.
Declarations of vote:
Ms S A LUTHULI: Deputy Chairperson, the EFF rejects the Budget for the Department of Social Development. The department has been unable to provide any tangible solution for many social issues faced in this country.
Every day we bring to the attention of this department and incompetent Minister the challenges faced with shortage of social workers. It is now towards the of 2022 and we are still telling the department that we have a shortage of social workers.
To date, there is still no understanding of social needs for children and elders, following the devastating floods in KwaZulu-Natal early this year.
Up to now, there are thousands of desperate men and women who
are apply for the R350 Social Relief of Distress, SRD grant, who have never received a cent, while public servants have been helping themselves in this money.
No plans to make the lives of people living with disabilities a little more liveable. The department keeps on proving how clueless they are in solving the social needs of our people and there is no hope or there ever being tangible solution of
... [Inaudible.].
We reject the budget which is known for nothing but poor services from South African Social Security Agency, SASSA, offices.
The Expanded Public Works, EPW Programme that is given to our people is the way of this department to tell them how much it doesn’t care for them. Deputy Chairperson, for these reasons, EFF rejects this Budget Vote. Thank you.
Ms D C CHRISTIANS: Deputy Chair, Programme 2 of the Social Development Programme, namely Social Assistance, shows unspent funds to the value of R1,77 billion. This unspent allocation is due to the lower than anticipated uptake of the Social Relief of Distress grant.
This is hugely concerning as one in ten South Africans go to bed hungry every night, and per month 30 million people in the country are experiencing food insecurity.
In July this year, almost one million Social Relief of
Distress, SRD, applications were received from people under the age of 20 and more than 600 000 applications from individuals with tertiary level education were received. This is an indication of the severity of poverty and the lack of employment in the country.
Furthermore, this raises questions about the effective implementation of the grant. The R1,77 billion, which did not
reach millions of vulnerable South Africans who struggle to put food on the table, is an indication of the grants poor implementation, which may have excluded many eligible applicants who were ultimately kept out, worked it out through imposed restrictions and an inflexible application process.
The department also suffers a further R3,6 billion adjustments while the country is in desperate need of social workers to help curb the increasing drug abuse amongst youth, as well programmes and mechanisms to end the gender-based violence that is absolutely not abating.
The department’s budget experiences huge adjustments every financial year, the money would be much better spent alleviating poverty, creating jobs, implementing programmes to prevent gender based violence and curbing the multiple other social ills plaguing the country? We would also like to call for the division. Deputy Chair, I thank you.
Ms N NDONGENI: Deputy Chairperson, South Africa remains a highly unequal country, with the majority of its people being imprisoned to poverty and unemployment.
Social services as provided for through the Department of Social Development, therefore offer an avenue that can enable government to address these ills whilst attempting also to minimise the impact of inequality.
The ANC is still dedicated to the goal of creating a democratic, non-sexist, non-racial, and affluent national democratic society. All South Africans will have the desire of social and economic independence in this society.
The ANC notes with concern some of the challenges that inform the areas of service delivery that are concerning as identified. There is indeed a need for the department to strengthen its oversight in the department, and it is in the context of this platform that we have urged the required attention to be placed in ensuring that the vulnerable people in our country are not further plunged into poverty.
We are concerned that the adjustment appropriation has resulted in a decline of R6 billion. This is a result of the changes in the Social Relief of Distress criteria which also resulted in persons who are not in need as per the threshold receiving funds.
It is of importance that we take into consideration that the world is faced with global financial challenges that as a nation we are not immune to. The global economic context further highlights the necessity of the Basic Income Grant as one of the key drivers for transformation and dealing with poverty in South Africa.
The ANC rises to support the Adjustment Appropriation Bill as proposed. We further emphasise the importance of ensuring that there is prioritisation of the Batho Pele principles and ethical governance and leadership in the implementation of the Department’s programme henceforth. So, the ANC love with passion the Minister of Social Development, Luthuli. I thank you, Deputy Chair.
Division demanded.
The Council divided.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERON OF THE NCOP: Now, we put vote ... yes...
Mr W A S AUCAMP: Deputy Chairperson, I know most of the people on that side will most probably vote for, in each time. But you cannot remind him to vote, because it might be that they vote against. So, to be impartial in the Chairperson’s position, you should not ... [Injection.] [Inaudible.] ... please ... [Injection.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERON OF THE NCOP: Do you think if you are not voting I will not ask you?
Mr W A S AUCAMP: ... Deputy Chairperson, if somebody is not raising his hand, it is not the job of the chairperson to ask that person to raise his hand that, is not... [Injection.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERON OF THE NCOP: Can we be in order! I put Vote 20, Women, Youth and Persons ... thank you, hon Aucamp, you may sit down. I put Vote 20, Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities.
Vote No 20 – Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities - put
Declaration(s) of vote:
Ms S B LEHIHI: Deputy Chairperson, the EFF rejects Vote 20 on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities. We reject the
budget of the useless department that cannot respond to the many challenges faced by women in this country. They have done absolutely nothing to promote initiatives of young people in their fight against unemployment.
Setswana:
Bašwa ba ineeletse mo diritibatsing le bosenyi. Ga gona ditiro ebile ga gona ditirelo. Dialogane di le dintsi mo nageng di dutse ka dithutego, di palelwa ke go bona tiro. Matlhabisa ditlhong a puso e e sa kgathaleleng bokamoso jwa naga. Ke ka lebaka la eng go sena tshegetso, dithuso le lenaneo leo le ka kgonang go netefatsa gore bašwa ba bona ledinyana go aga dikgwebopotlana?
English:
This budget offers no new initiatives. It breaks no new grounds. It is stale and repetitive. There is still shocking levels of discrimination against women and persons with disabilities. The law is not intentionally ensuring the security and assertive measures are implemented in different departments beginning with ... [Inaudible.] ... Minister. How many officials in your department are disabled? How many are in your top management? Your department has to take intentional measures to ensure gender parity is enforced
thoroughly. Government buildings are still not suitable for persons with disabilities.
Setswana:
Dikago tsa puso di santse di bontsha kgethololo e e tseneletseng go batho ba ba tshelang ka bogole. Maokelo, dikolo, lefapha la pholo kgotsa tirelo e e santseng e kgetholola thata fela. Tota lefapha le paletswe ke go tshegetsa le ditheo tseo di lekang go thusa batho ba rona. Ditheo di le dintsi di a tswalwa ntlheng ya go tlhoka le go tlamela badiredi ba go tlhokomela ditheo.
English:
Many centres have closed and shut down due to lack of funding and support. How do you expect our vulnerable elders and children be taken care of when government fails to provide aid to centres across the country to thousands of these centres?
Setswana:
Batho ba rona ga ba tsewe tsia ke puso ya gago. E fetotse batho ba rona malata ele ruri. Ke a leboga, Motlatsa Modulasetulo.
English:
We reject this budget.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Thank you very much. [Laughter.] ANC ... Sorry hon members, I will share this joke. Ndongeni is asking if she can have ... [Inaudible.] ... [Laughter.] ...
Setswana:
Motlatsa Modulasetulo, ke tswele pele?
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Sorry, hon Mamaregane. You may continue. [Laughter.]
Ms M L MAMAREGANE: Deputy Chairperson, in the midst of the 16 Days of No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign, we are fully conscious that gender-based violence remains very pervasive in our society and requires all of us to be activists against gender-based violence and that our activism cannot be restricted to 16 Days of Activism.
We are emerging from the Gender- Based Violence and Femicide Summit; with a clear programme which National Treasury has allocated substantial funding towards. This calls upon us to work actively to implement the outcomes achieved in a
structured manner, ensuring that the resources used provide quality results against policy. The fight against gender-based violence and femicide requires a collaborative effort between all stakeholders.
Young people today are facing numerous challenges especially unemployment, gender-based violence, poverty, and mental health related issues. All these could be contributed to the high levels of unemployment which were exacerbated by the pandemic and slow economic growth.
The Adjustments Appropriation Bill contains an adjusted appropriation of R500 million set aside for the Home Affairs Digitisation Project, which will employ 10 000 young people over a three years’ period and is a response to the high levels of youth unemployment in the country. We welcome this adjustments and trust that the employment opportunities created will provide work experience, skills and transfer of practical experience which beyond the three-year period can be utilised in future work opportunities.
The main adjustments on the vote are for the compensation of employees as well as monitoring, evaluation research and co- ordination. On mainstreaming women’s rights and advocacy,
whilst there is a transfer for compensation of employees, there are reductions on goods and services and in the both mainstreaming programmes which is a concern. The ANC supports Vote 20 of Women Youth and Persons with Disabilities. I thank you, Deputy Chairperson.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 21 – Civilian Secretariat for Police Service - put
Declaration(s) of vote:
Mr K MOTSAMAI: Deputy Chairperson, the EFF reject the budget for Civilian Secretariat for the Police Service. We reject the budget of the department which has failed to monitor the performance of the police, it’s policies and ... [Inaudible.]
... As the EFF, we note with deep concern how police performance and conduct has deteriorated over the past two and a half decade, with the priority remaining unchanged.
South Africa also experienced high levels of police brutality with the large number of report cases of the police violence, even though there exist IPID, an oversight body that is responsible for making sure that the police are accountable
for their acts of violence. Our police officers are simply not well trained to do their job. Their training does not speak to the challenges which officers face on the ground. South African Police Service training needs to be reassessed and improved. The crisis of July 2021 demonstrated this. For the greatest challenge facing the police is a political one when the crime intelligence in the country is being collapsed, leading to ... [Inaudible.] ... and effective crime prevention strategy in this country. The EFF rejects this budget. I thank you, Deputy Chair.
Mr E M MTHETHWA: Deputy Chair of the House, the transformation of our society is an agenda that the democratic government should pursue at all levels. This includes within the police service as well. We support this Budget Vote because we believe that the Civilian Secretariat for the Police is critical in ensuring civilian oversight of the SAPS to ensure a transformed and accountable police service that reflects the democratic values and principles of the Constitution.
We commend the Civilian Secretariat for the Police for putting the painful matter of gender-based violence and femicide as one of their priority programs. In this regard, the awareness campaigns undertaken by the department in schools to educate
our young people about the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide is highly commendable.
True to its mandate, the Civilian Secretariat for the Police has submitted two critical Bills to the executive in this financial year. These are the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Amendment Bill and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate Amendment Bill.
The Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Bill will ensure that the country has strong legislative instruments to combat acts of terrorism and other related activities. This will safeguard the safety and security for our citizens and the country. It will also ensure that South Africa does become a safe haven for tourism and their activities. The ANC supports this Vote 24 of the Civilian Secretariat for the Police. Not terrorists, its tourists.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Can we also correct that the Vote is No 21.
Mr E M MTHETHWA: Yes, Vote 21 Chair.
Vote agreed to (Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 22 – Correctional Services - put
Declarations of Vote:
Mr K MOTSAMAI: Thank you, Deputy Chairperson. The EFF rejects the proposed budget on correctional centers. We reject the budget of the department which is responsible for the shocking conditions of our prisoners such as, inadequate healthcare service, repots of unrests and riots which often emerge inside our centers. The inmates often go on hunger strike, setting fires to the matrasses and clothes, damage of prison’s property, the high rate of violence and gangsters, makes prison a very dangerous place to be in.
We reject the budget of the department which fails to provide inmates with conditions which lack human dignity. The Department of Correctional Services has failed in almost all aspects, and ... [Inaudible.] ... focused on the rehabilitation at those centers. We reject this budget. I thank you, Chair.
Ms A D MALEKA: Thank you, Deputy Chairperson. The ANC rises in support of the Budget Vote on Correctional Services. Budget Vote 22 contributes to a just, peaceful and safer South Africa through the effective and humane detention of offenders and remand detainees. It contributes to the rehabilitation and social reintegration of offenders back into the community. The core mandate of the Department of Correctional Services is to correct offending behaviour and rehabilitate inmates.
This Vote is in line with the call of the Freedom Charter and contributes to the rehabilitation and social reintegration of offenders back into the community. The Department of Correctional Services effectively contributes to a capable, ethical and developmental state to social cohesion and safe communities as envisioned by the National Development Plan, NDP. The objectives of the rehabilitation process, as summarised in the White Paper on Corrections are:
To focus on correcting offending behaviour, enhancing human development, and promoting social responsibility and positive social values amongst offenders. Equipping inmates with appropriate and relevant skills and training through the rehabilitation programmes is important. After inmates have served their time and upon reintegration into society, they
are able to utilise the skills they have acquired and contribute meaningfully to the economy.
This plays a pivotal role in the reduction of recidivism in the country. The Department of Correctional Services will continue implementing the Self Sufficiency and Sustainability Strategic Framework. This initiative is aimed at developing and utilising state assets under the department, to reduce the costs incurred by the fiscus, and to generate revenue for the department.
The Sustainability Strategic Framework is already yielding positive results, with inmates and correctional officials working efficiently to produce more in various correctional facilities, as a result, the production levels in the farms, workshops and bakeries at various correctional centres across the country are increasing. The ANC supports the Budget Vote.
Vote agreed to.
Vote No 23 – Defense - put
Declarations of Vote: Setswana:
Rre K MOTSAIMAI: Ke a leboga, Motlatsamodulasetilo.
English:
Deputy Chairperson, we reject the Budget Vote on Defense.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Order members. Continue, hon Motsamai.
Mr K MOTSAIMAI: We reject the budget of the department that is not serious about the capacity of the defense force to defend the country’s people. This is a face of order which enables hijacking of cars, poaching of rhinos and other product of nature to pass through. We need a professional armed forces that can defend the country at all times.
We need soldiers and military veterans that are well remunerated. We need to maintain and renew our military resources from the aircraft to the basic of weapons. We need to get Denel and Armscor working again for the benefit of this and future generation. The Minister of this department has failed the country, therefore, we reject this budget. Thank you, Chairperson.
Mr M E NCHABELENG: Thanks, hon House Chair. I will start from the beginning. The ANC support the Budget Vote 23 of the Department of Defence. The Defence is very critical for our country as it safeguards our borders and thus ensures our sovereignty and statehood. In this regard, we commend the department on the deployment of all 15 landward subunits to execute border safeguarding in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu? Natal, Free State, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and North West.
This constitutional mandate for the Defence requires that the department should be adequately be resourced and capacitated to ensure that it is able to execute its mandate. It is common cause that the budget allocation for Defence has been on the decline for some years. This we believe impact negatively on the operations of the department.
However, we also note that the Defence has been instrumental in peace operations missions across the continent and thus contributing to the call of the African Union to silence the guns on our continent. Throughout this year, the SA National Defence Force, SANDF, provides support to two external operations, the United Nations peace support operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the deployment of
personnel as part of Operation Vikela to assist in combating terrorism in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province.
The Defence continues to play a critical role on humanitarian support, both in our country and elsewhere, with regards to situations of disasters. In the recent past, the Defence has provided support in the flood situations in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. This is commendable work by our Defence. It is therefore important to note that in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, MTBPS, there is an adjustment that ensured that the Defence provide humanitarian support during these floods.
We also take note of the developments regarding the programme of the Defence to revive the Defence industry which is critical for contributing to the defence capacity, as well as generating the necessary revenue for our country through defence products. The ANC supports the Budget Vote 23 of the Department of Defence. Thanks, hon House Chair.
Division demanded.
The Council divided:
[Take in from Minutes.]
Vote agreed to.
Vote No 24 – Independent Police Investigative Directorate – put
Declarations of vote:
Mr K MOTSAMAI: Chairperson, The EFF reject Budget Vote 24 on Independent Police Investigative Directorate. We reject the budget of the department which has shown time and time again it lacked the capacity to conduct independent, impartial and quality investigations on the identified criminal offences allegedly committed by the members of the SA Police Service. The SAPS leadership has been in a crisis for over a decade. We need a process that will see the South African police’s top management downsized and police leadership positions opened up in a transparent and competitive recruitment process with only the most experienced being put in charge of running the police. We reject this Vote. I thank you, Chair.
Ms B M BARTLETT: Hon Chair, the ANC supports Budget Vote 24 of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate, Ipid, plays a
critical role in ensuring oversight over the SA Police Service. The SAPS is to conduct independent and impartial investigations of independent criminal offences allegedly committed by members of the SAPS and the Municipal Police Service.
This is to ensure that the police act within the parameters of the Constitution and laws when executing their constitutional mandate. It is to ensure that the rights of civilians are respected at all material times by police as they do their work, but most importantly, to ensure that the police play no role in criminal activities. We commend the directorate for exceeding its annual target on investigations of rape by police officers.
That is important considering the concerning rise in the rate of rape crimes in our community and our country. Chairperson, we urge the Ipid to speed up its investigations on matters relating to the role of some police in corrupt activities.
Corruption is cancer that eats at the little resources of our country earmarked for service delivery to our people.
Corruption withers away the confidence and trust of our people in the state and state institutions. It must be dealt with
without fear of favour. The ANC supports Budget Vote 24. I thank you.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 25 - Justice and Constitutional Development - put
Declarations of vote:
IsiZulu:
Nk M DLAMINI: Sibonge, Sihlalo, i-EFF alileseki iVoti leSabelomali u-25 ...
English:
... on Justice and Constitutional Development, South Africa's democracy is entering a very dangerous period during which the very concept of justice and the rule of law will be severely challenged and undermined. We reject the budget of a department whose laws are so lenient to a point that criminals do not fear the toothless system that has made living in this country a total nightmare.
The country needs a criminal justice system that is able to investigate and prosecute criminals without fear or favour. We
want a Public Protector who's not hounded like a wild animal merely because she dared to investigate the powerful. We want a Human Rights Commission that is deeply rooted in the idea of justice, particularly for the dispossessed majority. We want our courts to be left independent to interpret the law without undue influence of the rich and the powerful. We reject this Vote. Thank you.
Ms S SHAIKH: Chair, the ANC rises in support of Budget Vote
25. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development is critical in ensuring that justice is dispensed accordingly to all people. That everyone gets what's right, what's fair, and what's just. the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and other entities and institutions receive their budget allocations under the Justice and Constitutional Development Budget Vote. These include the National Prosecuting Authority, Legal Aid South Africa, the Special Investigating Unit, SIU, S A Human Rights Commission and the Public Protectors South Africa.
Our courts are critical for enforcing and defending the rights of people and dispensing justice. They have played and continued to play a pivotal role in protecting the rights of women, the backbone of the fight against gender-based violence
at the Sexual Offenses courts and the Thuthuzela Care Centres, which were introduced to focus on the speedy adjudication of cases. While this is the case, the courts alone cannot alleviate, let alone eliminate this scourge. The concerted efforts of all South Africans, government, private sector, faith-based organisations, traditional leaders, and the community at large are needed in this fight. We welcome the efforts made by the Department of Justice and the entire Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster in the fight against fraud and corruption.
We welcome the efforts of state institutions like the SIU and the Asset Forfeiture Unit. In line with the ANC government's resolution to fight corruption, to intensify the fight against corruption and ensure sufficient capacity for the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases emanating from the State Capture Commission, funds have been set aside. among others, this will allow the Independent Directorate to appoint staff members in a permanent capacity.
We welcome the report that the amount of R34,3 million is reprioritised to Legal Aid South Africa over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period to capacitate the six newly established specialised commercial crimes courts in Limpopo,
Mpumalanga, North West, and the Northern Cape. The ANC supports Budget Vote 25. Thank you, Chair.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters dissenting).
Vote No 26 - Military Veterans – put
Declarations of vote:
Mr K MOTSAMAI: Chairperson, the EFF rejects the budget for military veterans. We reject the budget of the department which failed to support and recognise military veterans for their contribution to bringing about the realisation of a peaceful and democratic South Africa. This department is not sensitive to the many challenges faced by veterans after they leave the military.
Payments made to military veterans are inadequate. Many veterans struggle due to poor education, lack of skills and health problems. Until today, there exists no evidence to show the government continues to make sufficient advances against the large backlog in dealing with military veterans affairs.
As such, we reject this budget.
Ms N E NKOSI: Hon House Chair, The ANC supports Budget Vote 26 of the Department of Military Veterans. The plight of military veterans is one of our major concerns. Military veterans will enjoy the benefits that are due to them as provided for in the Act. These benefits are to ensure the appreciation of the country for the role that military veterans have played in securing the territorial integrity of our country. The military veterans have put their lives on the line in the defence of our country and its people. It is, therefore, important that, as a country, we should take care of our military veterans and their dependents.
In this regard, we note the slow progress in the building of houses for military veterans against the set target. As argued, the delay has more to do with the availability of land by the provincial and local spheres of the government. We urge the three spheres of the government to co-operate in ensuring the speedy building and delivery of houses to our military veterans. The delay should not be extended any further.
We noted the improved collaboration between the department and the Military Health Service in providing medical care to military veterans. This is commendable and it must be sustained. This adjusted budget allocation will ensure that
the department is able to provide bursaries to military veterans and their dependents, as well as for the erection of military veterans’ memorial sites. The ANC supports the Budget Vote of the Department of Military Veterans. I thank you, hon Chair.
Vote agreed to (Economic Freedom Fighters, Democratic Alliance and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 27 - OFFICE OF THE CHIEF JUSTICE – put.
Declarations of vote:
Mr A ARNOLDS: Hon House Chairperson, the EFF, since its inception always emphasized the need for Parliament to support the judiciary as a crucial component of our democracy. It is an independent judiciary resourced with exceptional men and women, who are able to interpret the law in an impartial and fearless manner that will ensure that the poor would have some semblance of protection under the law in this country.
While South Africa’s constitutional democracy is not perfect, our judiciary has over the years defended its independence.
Today, it is difficult to maintain the same level of confidence in the judiciary, as it seems bias in favour of some politicians and interest by some very top judges in the land.
The biggest red flag being the appointment of the current Chief Justice. As a man who has demonstrated his incapacity to lead the judiciary for all to see over the past few years. He sees nothing wrong ...
Mr M I RAYI: Hon House Chairperson, on a point of order.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Hon Arnold, there is a point of order. Hon Arnold, let me take this point of order.
What is the point of order?
Mr M I RAYI: House Chairperson, I am raising a ... the ... [Inaudible.] ... there ... There is a Rule that says ... with regard to the honour of the judge whose removal would be in the council ... so, you can’t therefore cast aspersions on the character of the judge. Thank you, House Chairperson.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Hon member, I will have to consult Hansard to make a proper ruling about that point of order. Continue, hon member.
Mr A ARNOLDS: The biggest red flag being the appointment of the current Chief Justice. A man who has demonstrated his incapacity to lead the judiciary for all to see over the past years. He sees nothing wrong with mingling with politicians and in making political commentary about things that may end up in front of him in court. The risk of politicians capturing the judiciary is now the highest it has ever been in this country.
Despite these misgivings, we still believe that there are men and women of integrity in our courts and the administration of justice must continue.
We therefore support the Budget Vote of the Office of the Chief Justice, while condemning the attempts at capturing the judiciary. Thank you, House Chairperson.
Ms B M BARTLETT: Hon House Chairperson, the ANC supports Vote No 27 – Office of the Chief Justice. Constitutional principle, before the Constitution was negotiated at a multiparty
negotiation process in the early 1990s and the next to the interim Constitution provided that there shall be separation of powers between the legislature, executive and the judiciary with appropriate checks and balances to ensure accountability, responsiveness and openness, in building a capable, ethical and a developmental state, as envisioned by the National Development, NDP, an independent and strong judiciary is important. The ANC’s commitment to the rule of law, separation of powers and the administration of justice and building strong state institutions is reflected by the existence of this separate Budget Vote.
The Chief Justice, as the head of the judicial authority, exercises authority and responsibility over the development and implementation of norms and standards, for exercise of judicial functions such as the allocation of judges and administration of courts.
The Office of the Chief Justice’s core function is that of providing administrative support to the judiciary and has adopted the following strategic outcomes. Firstly, effective and efficient administrative support. Secondly, improve court efficiency. Thirdly, enchant judicial education and support.
Hon House Chairperson, the Office of the Chief Justice, response to Chapter 14 of the National Development Plan, promoting accountability and fighting corruption. Particularly contributing to the focal area, strengthen judicial governance and the rule of law. By firstly accelerating reforms of when it implements judiciary land court administration.
Secondly, ensuring an efficient court system. Thirdly, reducing inefficiencies, in the administration of the courts. Fourthly, ensuring access to justice.
Hon House Chairperson, the drafters of the first democratic SA Constitution, regarded separation of powers not as a goal in itself, but as a means to democracy and good governance.
Bodies like the Magistrates Commission and Judicial Service Commission, play an important role in the administration of justice and protecting judicial independence.
Hon House Chairperson, the ANC supports this Budget Vote. Thank you.
Vote agreed to.
Mr M I RAYI: Hon House Chairperson, I take your previous ruling. I just wanted that as you consider the ruling. The Rule is section 63 that talks to the reflection, uphold Council decision and on judges, etc. Thank you so much.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Thank you. The ruling still stands. I now put Vote No 28 – Police.
Thank you, hon Rayi. I will use that provision that you brought to my attention.
Vote No 28 – Police – put.
Declarations of vote:
Mr N M HADEBE: Hon House Chairperson, let me start of by saying, I suspect that there might have been an element of select dash planning on the part of your administration, because we had not indicated that the IFP will make declarations on Vote No 3 and Vote No 15 respectively, in previous Votes.
On the current Vote, the IFP supports this Budget Vote, in spite of a concern, whilst within the context of already largely absent of police presents in the rural areas. We need
details from the department on how it intends to address the vulnerability of women and children in rural areas to violence and sexual harassment within a reduced budget allocation for visible policing.
The department is facing a reduced budget allocation and it has not provided any plans of mitigate the negative plight a decreased visible policing presence would have on community safety.
Further it has not provided details on how this would impact the community safety on rural areas.
House Chairperson, the Minister must provide details on how SA Police Service, SAPS, will be able to maintain community safety and the assistance of the vulnerable in society.
However, in spite of those concerns, the IFP supports this Budget Vote. Thank you.
Afrikaans:
Mnr S F DU TOIT: Agb Voorsitter, ek hoef nie aan u te noem dat misdaad in Suid-Afrika buite beheer is nie, u ervaar dit. Ek hoef nie aan u te noem dat geweld teen vroue en kinders aan die toeneem is nie, u weet dit. Ek hoef nie aan u te noem dat
plaasaanvalle steeds ’n ondenkbare, grusame realiteit in Suid- Afrika is nie, u is deeglik bewus daarvan, maar die regering draai steeds ’n blinde oog.
Slegs gedurende November vanjaar, was daar volgens Rome Research Institute, sowat 21 plaasaanvalle, waartydens vier persone vermoor is en heelwat, wat vandag met die emosionele letsels moet loop. Dank Vader vir die aanvalle wat wel afgeweer kon word.
English:
Hon House Chairperson, how is it possible that the responsible government can allow for the Police budget towards detective services to be cut by R31 million, despite the huge case backlog of detectives. How can it be allowed that R85 million be taken away from the SA Police Service, SAPS, administration budget that was supposed to address the construction and upgrading issues in police stations? The writing is on the wall, House Chair.
Afrikaans:
Die skrif is aan die muur. Ons sê dit lankal. Dit is so duidelik soos daglig dat die die regering Suid-Afrika se begroting van die Polisie aanwend, om hul eie saak te sterk.
Die wetstoepassings-agentskappe word verwaarloos, sodat die regeringsmafia kan voortbestaan. Die VF Plus kan nie hierdie begroting ondersteun nie.
Setswana:
Rre K MOTSAMAI: Modulasetilo, EFF ga e eme nokeng tekanyetsokabo eno ya Sephodisa.
English:
South Africa has over the past two decades witnessed an increase in crime statistics. We reject this budget of this department which is still, but taking minimal steps in the fight against crime and corruption. There exist a lack of will on the part of both SA Police and government, to counter corruption. We reject this budget. I thank you, House Chairperson.
Mr G MICHALAKIS: Hon House Chairperson, every six months the DA rise in this House to oppose the budget on the grounds that it does not serve to protect people by keeping them safe.
Every six months the ANC shoots us down and pushes through a budget that puts the lives of the people at risk.
In the last six months, since we rejected this budget, all serious crimes have gone up. Between July and September this year, a total number of 25 373 more serious crimes such as rape and murder have been committed compared to this time last year. They are now on average 76 murders taking place per day.
This, under the budget that the ANC and these members supported earlier this year, after shooting down all of the DA’s proposals. The issues are the same and the solutions are still the same. If less is spent in protecting very important persons, VIP, politicians of the ANC and on keeping the police at top heavy structure, more money can be made available for basics. The money should be spend on ensuring that there are enough police and that they have the resources that they need to keep the public safe. Not only for police, but to do thorough investigations that can be successfully be prosecuted.
The national government should work closer to provinces who want to keep their citizens safe. Policing is not in the hands of the provinces, it is entirely the responsibility and the failure of the ANC national government.
Of course the ANC in Parliament has time and again shown that they do not have the appetite to stand up to the executive in the interest of the people. They will again today, through this budget will step up and vote for it. We will stand here in six months’ time, with another 13 870 people dead. The only way to change this is to remove the ANC, not only from government, but also to remove their majority in Parliament.
Voters will have the chance to do this in 2024. When you go to that ballot box to make your cross, remember how they voted for this terrible budget in a few seconds from now. Let us vote them out. Thank you, House Chairperson.
Ms S SHAIKH: Hon House Chairperson, the ANC supports the Budget Vote No 28 – Police. We note that the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement is tabled at the most difficult period for our country and the world. The past few years have seen the countries of the world dealing with the pandemic that led to the global lockdown. This has impacted global productivity and severely curtailed economic activity across the globe. The global economy is slowing and the inflation is increasing.
Financial markets are becoming more volatile. Our economy did not escape this global economic decline.
Hon House Chairperson, the safety and security of our people is our main concern. We envisioned that South Africans should live in an environment of safety and comfort. The challenges posed by the levels of crime undermine our democratic breakthrough. We have witnessed the rising crime levels as released by the Minister of Police and crime statistics in the second quarter of 2022 as compared to the same period in 2021. It is important to note that the period 2021 was under lockdown levels three, two and one. However, it is concerning that the rate of crime keeps on rising. The capacity and the resourcing of the police is an important if we have to fight and to ensure the safety of our people.
In this regard, we are in agreement with the view of the Minister of Finance that crime is a safety, economic as well as the social issue. The Minister further said that a safe environment is important for full participation in economic and social life. This makes fighting crime a key pillar for enhancing economic growth.
We are encouraged by the announcement of the Minister of Finance, in the Medium-Term Budget Policy statement that the allocation to the Police Department will enable the department to recruit at least 15 000 police officers over the medium-
term. This will go a long way in capacitating the police and addressing the problem of police visibility.
In the same vain, we reiterate the call that the police on their own may not be able to deal with crime and ensure the safety of our communities. We need collaborative efforts between members of the communities working together with the police to fight crime and the community structures such as the Community Policing Forums, CPFs, should be supported by members of the community and be used as an effective structure in the fight against crime. House Chairperson, the ANC supports Budget Vote No 28 – Police. Thank you.
Division demanded.
The Council divided.
[TAKE IN FROM MINUTES]
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Inkatha Freedom Party and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 29 - Agriculture, Land reform and Rural Development – put.
Declarations of Vote:
Mr A ARNOLDS: House Chairperson, the EEF rejects Budget Vote
29 on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. We reject the Budget Vote of a Minister which continues to fail the majority of black South Africans who are landless and poor. The ANC’s policies of eradicating poverty have resulted in more people with no access to sufficient and nutritious food. This at a time when the cost of food is rising, placing many households in danger of hunger.
The government is spending less on farmer support which has resulted in a lack of production skills, lack of market access to the produce, inadequate infrastructure and inability to pay rent. The poor performance due to the poor beneficiary selection and support is a major concern. Of the 28% of funds
... [Inaudible] ... to nonviable farms, only 24% of the money could operate at a medium intensity or commercial scale, while the rest 76% is reverted to subsistence farming or being abandoned.
We therefore reject this budget, which is out of touch with the reality of the land and agriculture challenges faced by this country. Under the ANC’s watch, we are still faced with the challenge of exploitation of farm workers by white farmers with little recourse. The conditions of farm of workers under white farmers have not improved at all, as they are still being evicted and treated inhumanely.
We reject the ANC’s government failure in unwillingness to radically transform the lives of the majority of landless people in the country. We reject this Budget Vote, and we call on the electorate to vote the ANC out of power in 2024, so that the power to loot is no more
Mr C F B SMIT: House Chair, this department’s budgets are spent but barely any targets are achieved. Ninety-nine percent budget expenditure and roughly around 59% of targets are achieved. It is clear that, they are just spent for the sake of getting rid of the budget without contemplating a real outcome. Is this how little you think of South Africans? Land reform is a farce as a new report just confirmed that 75% of land restitution farms have failed, after R16 billion was spent to acquire farm since 2006 and R3,4 billion spent on postsettlement support.
In this adjustment budget, the budget for this purpose is decreased once again. Then we have the vaccine crisis with the department is failing to protect our farmers, biosecurity is basically nonexistent. And this department under the ANC control, did everything in its power to date to prevent tribal communities from owning the land by retaining the status quo, as Bantu stands. Vulgar to think about it, the titles are still held in the name of the Minister of Native Affairs.
You must give individuals the choice to decide for themselves on how they want to earn the land, as individual title or as a group of individuals by their choice. I don’t see any justice in this regard to date. We cannot support this outdated and failing budget. I thank you
Ms T C MODISE: Thank you very much House Chair, and good afternoon. Hon House Chair, the development of the agricultural sector will not only mean to the growth of our domestic economy, but will also provide the sector with an opportunity to grow and contribute meaningfully to the growth of the sector. It must be noted that, the agricultural sector experienced a number of challenges since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the floods in some of our
provinces, with an exclusion of the July 2021 unrest, all leaving the negative impact on the sector.
In tabling the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement, MTBPS, the Minister of Finance said, each strategic goal is to reduce poverty, inequality and unemployment. In order to address this triple challenge, the ANC has resolved that, the state must play an interventionist role under the concept of social compact. It is important to note that, the importance of social compact is helping stimulating the growth of economy and helping create much needed job opportunities, as these tasks cannot be entirely left to the government. Everyone must contribute as the country belongs to all of who live in it as the Freedom Charter had declared.
Every citizen participation in the economy is guaranteed under the Bill of Rights, in our Constitution of the Republic. In voting in support for the adjusted appropriation Vote 29, the ANC would like to reiterate the importance of investing in local agriculture production, especially agricultural infrastructure within the rural areas, in line with a district development model, with a potential to stimulate urban rural markets ... [Inaudible] ... within the sector’s value and supply chain.
In conclusion, hon House Chairperson, we would like to see the finalisation of the legislative review on marketing of the Agricultural Product Amendment Bill and the national policy on comprehensive producer development support as well as the communal land tenure. Land reform is critical to reduce unemployment, inequality and food security. It is critical to reduce poverty. In final analysation of this great tool was reverting the historical exclusion of the majority for the economy. The ANC supports the budget. Thank you very much House Chair.
Division demanded.
The Council divided.
AYES:30: Bartlett, M; Bebee, L C; Camelio-Benjamin, V; Carrim, Y I; Dangor, M; Dodovu, T S C; Gillion, M N; Hlope, NE; Lwana, V; Klaaste, N; Lucas, S E; Mahlangu, D G; Maleka, A D; Maneng, N; Mamaregane, M L; Ngwenya, W; Mkiva, Z; Mmoiemang, K M; Masondo, A N; Modise, T C; Mohai, S J; Moshodi, M L; Mthethwa, M E; Nchabeleng, M E; Mvoko, M; Ndongeni, N; Njadu, Z; Ntsube, I; Rayi, M; Shaikh, S.
NOES: 21: Arnolds, A; Apleni, T; Aucamp, W A S; Badenhorst, FJ; Bara, M R; Brauteseth, T; Christians, D C; De Bruyn, M A P; Dlamini, M; Du Toit, S F; Labuschagne, C; Londt, J J; Lehihi, S B; Luthuli, S A; Mathevula, B; Michalakis, G; Moletsane, M S; Motsamai, K; Nhanha, M; Ryder, D R; Smit, C B F.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 30 - Communications and Digital Technologies-Put
Declarations of vote:
Mr A ARNOLDS: Thank you, House Chairperson, the EFF rejects Vote 30 on Communication and Digital Technologies. We reject the budget of a Minister who fails to migrate the country from analog to digital broadcasting on time with multiple missed deadlines. We reject the budget, which has failed to digitize the South African Post Office and transform it to be a dedicated and designated authority that accomplishes the role of a National Trust Center in the age of digital identity.
The collapse of the Post Office under the ANC has dire consequences for many struggling employees who are already
suffering due to planned retrenchments. The ANC has failed to bridge the digital divide between people who have full access technologies and those in our most rural areas who do not have. Lastly, we reject the budget which has done nothing to empower our youth and women in the telecommunication sector. Thank you, Chairperson.
Mr M NHANHA: Thank you very much, House Chair, hon members the situation with every entity reporting to the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies sounds like a script from a horror movie or a bad dream. Amongst entities that report to this Department is the South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, South African Post Office, SAPO, and the South African Post Bank, SAPB. Whilst the SABC has posted loses of R608 million its CEO is living large in Qatar watching the FIFA World Cup. It should be recalled that the SABC laid off or encouraged 700 staff members either to take severance packages or be retrenched in an effort to save costs. After that constructive dismissal of 700 workers, suddenly the SABC started advertising new 400 vacancies that increasing its employee cost by three percent from
R2,1 billion to R2,2 billion. In the words of my colleague and counterpart in the National Assembly, hon Dianne Kohler Barnard, DKB, the ushering in of the new SABC Board “today a
great wrong has been righted”. Ms Phathiswa Magopeni a former head of news at SABC who was dismissed for refusing to carry out a political instruction to cover an event of an ANC President with the insistence of team DA in the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, indeed, a great wrong was righted because Ms Magopeni got elected onto the SABC Board. She will now be sitting around the table with those who persecuted her at the SABC. We can expect fireworks and accountability at the National broadcaster.
IsiZulu:
Ziyakhala ke manje e-SABC ...
English:
... and loud. It is so very true that a great liberation movement does not automatically translate to a great government or administration and, the ANC is no exception, but a classical point of reference. The Post Bank that sits at a staggering R2,2 billion, yet the Department of Communication and Digital Technologies is now contemplating an establishment of a state bank by converting the bankrupt and struggling Post Bank. This is ludicrous to say the least. Post Bank has failed so will be the state bank. The writing is pretty much on the wall for the South Africans Post Office. In the second Quarter
of 2021-22 financial year alone, it suffered a net loss of R591 million. The projected net financial loss for this whole financial year is said to be at R1,85 billion. As things are, the South African Post Office is like a majority of our SOEs, a liability to the taxpayer and there is no ending sight. The DA in good conscience cannot support this budget. Thank you.
Ms T P MAMOROBELA: Thank you, baba, the ANC support this budget Chairperson. It is with great enthusiasm and joy that we welcome the Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Africa, AIISA, which was launched at the previous week at the Johannesburg Business School. The launch is indicative of the hard work and the efforts of the ANC government to ensure that the government resolutions and recommendations do not just end up on paper, but are realised in our lifetime. The launch of the AI institute signals the realisation of one of the recommendations of the Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution,4IR, that South Africa established an AI institute to catapult country’s digital future.
Chairperson, Professor Chilidzi Marwala alluded that:
We cannot afford to be objects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We have to become its subjects, meaning that we
have to embrace technology as a motivating force for the transformation of our society to tackle the problems of unemployment, inequality and poverty.
It is in this light that we also believe that the South African Post Office should be assisted to implement its SAPO of tomorrow strategy so as to realize its full potential and reposition itself to align to the country’s digital and 4IR strategy. It is with great disappointment that it has not been allocated any funds in the MTBPS as it plays a pivotal role in the lives of many South Africans through its service offering, particularly the disbursement of social grants to the poor and unemployed.
However, the ANC welcomes the R200 million that has been rolled over for phase 2 of the Presidential Employment Initiative to the Broadband Access Fund, this will enable 13 million households to access broadband internet at an affordable rate and competitive speed, and we also trust that through this initiative many young people will be empowered with various opportunities of employment and skills development within the ICT sector. Therefore, the ANC supports budget, Chairperson.
Tshivenda:
Ndo livhuwa.
Declarations of votes made on behalf of the Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and African National Congress.
Division demanded.
The Council divided:
AYES:31: Bartlett, M; Bebee, L C; Camelio-Benjamin, V; Carrim, Y I; Dangor, M; Dodovu, T S C; Gillion, M N; Govender, M; Hlope, NE; Lwana, V; Klaaste, N; Lucas, S E; Mahlangu, D G; Maleka, A D; Maneng, N; Mamaregane, M L; Ngwenya, W; Mkiva, Z; Mmoiemang, K M; Masondo, A N; Modise, T C; Mohai, S J; Moshodi, M L; Mthethwa, M E; Nchabeleng, M E; Mvoko, M; Ndongeni, N; Njadu, Z; Ntsube, I; Rayi, M; Shaikh, S.
NOES: 21: Arnolds, A; Apleni, T; Aucamp, W A S; Badenhorst, FJ; Bara, M R; Brauteseth, T; Christians, D C; De Bruyn, M A P; Dlamini, M; Du Toit, S F; Labuschagne, C; Londt, J J; Lehihi, S B; Luthuli, S A; Mathevula, B; Michalakis, G; Moletsane, M S; Motsamai, K; Nhanha, M; Ryder, D R; Smit, C B F.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and African National Congress dissenting).
Vote No 31 – Employment and Labour - put
Declarations of vote:
Mr S F DU TOIT: Hon Chair, I think you have the wrong list there, we did not indicate that we will make any further declarations.
Ms B T MATHEVULA: Thank you chair. The EFF rejects the proposed budget for the Department of Employment and Labour. We reject the department’s budget which is not clear what they are doing to create jobs. All we are told is that the department’s five-year target is to monitor and report on the target of creating 275 000 jobs per year when the number of unemployment is more than 11 million.
We reject the department’s budget which allows for the expropriation of workers everywhere including rural areas. We reject the department’s budget whose compensation fund continued to fail despite multiple turnaround strategies.
Money is stolen, payments are made without paper trail and no one is held accountable especially the commissioners. [Inaudible.] ... has completely collapsed, basic systems are not working, public servants and companies that receive money fraudulently are not arrested.
UIF, Unemployment Insurance Fund, monies are invested in suspicious companies and money is lost without any accountability. As the EFF, we reject this proposed Budget Vote. Thank you Chair.
Mr M I RAYI: Thank you House Chairperson. The ANC supports the Adjustment Appropriation Bill Vote 31 for Employment and Labour. The department’s role in ensuring that department was not exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic and that both jobs and companies were safe during that period is certainly historic and amplifies the department’s role in the service of the working class and the unemployed.
Furthermore, it is heartening to know that Statistics South Africa has recently released statistics that employment levels have increased over the three consecutive quarters. The department and the CCMA, Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, have also received unqualified
reports from the AG, Auditor-General and this indicates the improvement in governance and financial controls.
It is imperative that other entities which report to the department are able to function in a similar manner. Critical areas in the department require to be dealt with to reduce underspending such as vacancies which negatively impact on the effective implementation of programmes.
The Department must address skills and capabilities to ensure reduction in employment in the country. This must occur with its interaction with other departments which are creating employment and have skills development programmes.
Underspending also occurred in inspection and enforcement services and this is critical area of ensuring legal compliance to labour legislations and regulations. Therefore, it is an area which the department must remedy in the near future.
Child labour on farms in many parts of the country in different provinces is still a major issue on which the department will need to focus and eliminate. It constitutes a form of cheap labour which is illegal in terms of the law.
Moreover, it is important that there is campaign to reduce work related injuries in hazardous occupation. Health and safety regulations need to be popularised amongst workers and this issue must be taken forward with the social partners.
Therefore, inspection and enforcement services are critical for ensuring compliance with labour regulations and legislation. Job creation is critical in South Africa but this needs to occur on both international and domestic type standards.
The department is moving in the right direction and can only improve in its programmes and entities. Therefore, this must be supported. One important instrument of that support is through supporting Vote 31 of the Adjustment Appropriation Bill. Thank you very much House Chairperson.
Division demanded.
The Council divided:
AYES:31: Bartlett, M; Bebee, L C; Camelio-Benjamin, V; Carrim, Y I; Dangor, M; Dodovu, T S C; Gillion, M N; Govender, M; Hlope, NE; Lwana, V; Klaaste, N; Lucas, S E; Mahlangu, D G;
Maleka, A D; Maneng, N; Mamaregane, M L; Ngwenya, W; Mkiva, Z; Mmoiemang, K M; Masondo, A N; Modise, T C; Mohai, S J; Moshodi, M L; Mthethwa, M E; Nchabeleng, M E; Mvoko, M; Ndongeni, N; Njadu, Z; Ntsube, I; Rayi, M; Shaikh, S.
NOES: 19: Arnolds, A; Apleni, T; Aucamp, W A S; Badenhorst, FJ; Bara, M R; Brauteseth, T; Christians, D C; De Bruyn, M A P; Dlamini, M; Du Toit, S F; Labuschagne, C; Londt, J J; Luthuli, S A; Michalakis, G; Moletsane, M S; Motsamai, K; Nhanha, M; Ryder, D R; Smit, C B F.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 32- Environment, Forestry and Fisheries - put
Declarations of vote:
Mr A ARNOLDS: The EFF rejects the Adjustment Appropriation Bill on Vote 32, Environment, Forestry and Fisheries. We reject the budget which currently has fisheries in South Africa under developed.
Communities living in and around forests and other natural resources are not benefitting from the resources. Small scale
fisheries have been marginalised and the elite capture of the fishing industry continues under ANC government’s watch. Small scale fishers are not enjoying the benefits of the country’s resources.
Chairperson, the equitable distribution of resources and recognition of the lived realities of fishers is vital to realise the potential of the fishing sector. Small scale fishers are in need of environmental justice and must enjoy the benefits of South Africa’s resources yet the ANC government continues to fail in assisting small scale fishers to expand the access to markets and infrastructure.
The same injustices occur in forestry where smaller growers and forestry communities were not even considered when the National Forestry Act was crafted. The EFF rejects the vote. Thank you.
Ms T C MODISE: Hon House Chairperson, the ANC stands in support of the Adjustment Appropriation Bill on Budget Vote
32. The ANC is committed to the protection and promotion of healthy living environment. This includes the sustainable use of our environment while safeguarding the environmental interests of the coming generation.
In line with Section 24 of our Constitution of the Republic, we take note that our environment provides our nation and the world needs a source of living livelihoods and economy wellbeing.
Hon House Chairperson, there is no doubt that our environmental laws are adequate to advance the environmental obligation under the Constitution in this regard. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment has developed a developmental role to play in helping meet the government’s priorities as set out in the MTSF, Medium Term Strategic Framework.
We welcome the audited report on the department’s performance. While acknowledging that more can be done, we are motivated by the department’s commitment to job creation as government’s priority. Under the environmental programme, the department has not performed satisfactory and the ocean and coals programme yet create much anticipated economy opportunity.
We welcome the development and the approval of the MLRF, Marine Living Resources Fund, revenue model and collection targets and strategies. We are encouraged that this will lead
to the inclusive economy participation by the small scale fisheries.
Hon Chair, in conclusion, the ANC would like to place emphasis on the job creation opportunity with a waste recycling sector especially for local cooperatives, waste pickers and buy-back centres. I thank you hon Chair.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 33 – Human Settlements – put
Declarations of vote:
IsiZulu:
Nk M DLAMINI: Sihlalo siyi-EFF asiseseki futhi asihambisani nesabiwomali sezokuHlaliswa Kwabantu.
English:
We reject the budget of the department which has, since inception, placed numerous challenges in providing adequate human settlements to our people. It is characterised by weak management, irregularities in allocation of houses nationwide, improper supply chain management and mismanagement which is a
large part of human settlement. This department has failed to provide housing units built in environments that create physical, social and economic wellbeing and raise quality of life for residents. It has also failed to make land available with serviced stands where people who can afford will build for themselves proper adequate houses, not those one-roomed RDP houses.
When our people find their own solutions to their housing problems, they are evicted from occupied land and their homes are destroyed in the process. We reject this department’s vote which underestimates the amount of money needed to ensure that the country stands a reasonable chance of fighting against homelessness. We reject this vote and we also call for the establishment of a state construction company so as to dramatically reduce the cost of building houses for our own people and to stop the unfair enrichment of white-owned companies at our people’s expense. The EFF rejects this Budget Vote. Thank you.
Mr T S C DODOVU: Hon Chairperson, on behalf of the ANC in the NCOP we wish to express our support to the adjustment and Special Appropriation Bill as it relates to the Department of Human Settlements. The transformation agenda of the democratic
government includes the right to housing and safe living conditions. The democratic government has been given the constitutional obligation to provide not only adequate shelter, but also to ensure that all social, economic and recreational facilities are in place in order for human settlements to be established.
Despite the fact that the country’s economic outlook is unfavourable and fall short of our expectations for addressing the deep structural challenges inequality, poverty and unemployment, we are relieved that allocation of funds and expenditure for human settlements has not been reduced, instead we anticipate an increase in spending of 3,9% on an annual basis. As members of the NCOP we have a critical role to play in ensuring that the priorities of national government are implemented by the provincial and local governments. The majority of the department’s budget are transferred to the provincial governments and metropolitan municipalities which serves as the department’s implementing agent. The adjustment appropriation shifts funds from the Municipal Emergency Housing Grant to the Provincial Emergency Housing Grant totalling R470 million to address the flood disaster crisis.
During our oversight visit in KwaZulu-Natal, we observed the dire need for housing and urge the department to ensure that provinces access these funds and implement the projects. As a result of this, based on that, we as the ANC fully support this vote of the Department of Human Settlements. Thank you very much, Chairperson.
Division called.
Voting:
Ms T C MODISE: Chairperson, I had a problem with my vote, ntate [sir].
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): The Table staff is noting your vote, mama. Thank you. You can lower your hand.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters dissenting).
Vote No 34 - Mineral Resources and Energy – put
Declarations of vote:
Mr A ARNOLDS: House Chairperson, the EFF rejects the Adjustments Appropriation Bill Vote 34 for Mineral Resources and Energy. We reject the budget by the Minister which have failed to rebuild an effective and efficient department to ensure energy security in the country. The ANC government has failed dismally over the past 15 years to provide necessary solutions and interventions to get Eskom back on its feet. The renewal project has become nothing but a corruption project in its worse form as was highlighted in this State Capture Report regarding Eskom. We reject the budget which allows for illegal mining to reach crisis point which poses a serious threat to national security. Illegal mining was associated with derelict and ownerless mines, but now it’s having an impact on operational and licensed mines.
The South African economy in the mining sector suffered billions due to illegal mining while the ANC government is failing small-scale miners. WE call on the Minister of Bosasa, sorry – Minister Mantashe ... [Interjections.] ... to hand himself over ... [Interjections.] ... We as the EFF we reject the budget. [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Hon Arnolds, refrain from doing anything which you know is not parliamentary.
Mr I NTSUBE: He must withdraw, Chair.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): The DA, the hon Smit?
Mr C F B SMIT: House Chair, we are dealing with Jurassic Park 7,0 load shedding here. South Africans are fed up with the useless ANC government and its blatant failures. We are done with the Minister and we don’t understand how he survived the
... [Inaudible.] ... still torture us in 2022. The responsibility for this crisis lays squarely with the Minister who has the power to end it but still stuck in the philosophy dating back to the Cold War. We are daily in the dark, just as the Minister and the ANC are in the dark when it comes to facing reality. One good thing is that the end is near.
There are major backlogs of legislation in the department. Electricity Regulation Act amendments still has not been tabled. There are no real movements on the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill. The Gas Amendment Bill was withdrawn. Mining cadastral system is still a problem. After we have been calling for it for years, the Minister now has indicated that it will go out on tender this financial year - we hope so.
Illegal mining is going ahead with no fear of prosecution. They are breeding ground for criminal mafia operations. We cannot support this delusional budget. I thank you.
IsiZulu:
Nk L C BEBEE: Ngiyabonga baba ...
English:
Hon Chairperson, the ANC supports Budget Vote 34 as it seeks to tame the economically and socially destructive effects of energy insecurity in the country without, however, privatising Eskom as an effective cure for energy insecurity. Simply put, Policy Vote 34 provides a competitive stimulus in the electricity market to improve Eskom’s inefficient poor performance, especially concerning energy security, given that a natural monopoly is economically and socially unproductive.
Budget Vote 34 demonstrates that the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy will implement the amendment to the Electricity Pricing Policy and the Electricity Regulation Act in the current financial year, which will stimulate competition and reverse the inefficiencies of a natural monopoly in the electricity market to address electricity supply shortages by implication energy insecurity. The
potential benefits of these amendments will allow the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to rapidly and significantly augment energy generation outside of Eskom to address the supply and demand deficit. To complement this, Budget Vote 34 allocates R114 million to fund the independent power producers, IPPs, Office in the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy during the financial year under review to stimulate the entry of IPPs at a sufficient scale and with capabilities to supply energy without delays.
Energy security is not limited to the reliable supply of electricity, but also includes access to electricity. In this case, Budget Vote 34 accelerates access to electricity by connecting 200 000 additional households through the grid and a further 15 000 households through the non-grid technologies in the current financial year. These additional connections will increase access to electricity in sparsely populated rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and Limpopo as well as in the urban informal settlements with densely packed shacks that are unsafe to connect to the grid in Gauteng and Western Cape.
Budget Vote 34 is geared towards accelerating radical economic transformation and sustainable economic growth in the mining
industry. For example, Policy Vote 34 allocates funds towards the procurement of the new ICT infrastructure and enterprise system at the cost of R84 million to address the backlogs in mining rights and mineral transfer applications. For yet another example, Budget Vote 34 sets aside funding to pilot the Women Diggers Programme launched in Taung in 2019 to other provinces to improve the participation of historically disadvantaged women in the mining industry. I love you, ANC!
... [Inaudible.] ... for training women into mining industry I thank you, House Chairperson.
Question put.
Division demanded.
The Council divided.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): The sound? Hon Carrim?
Mr Y I CARRIM: Chairperson, I went out and ... [Inaudible.]. So, I hope my vote was counted because we were 31 – now Chairperson, if they allow me, right. There is no slay of hands here and there is no mischief. It’s simple, we were 31
in the previous vote and I went out and I am not sure if they counted me. That’s all. If I am counted, fine – thank you.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr A J Nyambi): Hon members, there is no train smash. Allow me to ... the hon Carrim is correct.
They mistakenly missed his hand.
[TAKE IN FROM MINUTES]
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 35 - Science and Innovation - put
Declarations of Vote:
Ms S A LUTHULI: Chairperson, the EFF rejects the budget for Science and Innovation. The existing continued underfunding of the Department of Science and Innovation which currently stands at the centre of the country’s developmental agenda. As the entire work shifts towards technological present in the lives of the ordinary people South Africa is still with challenges of spectrum allocations. Access to internet, lack of access to water and pit toilet because the department that
should lead innovations to eradicate exclusion and poverty is inactive.
We reject the budget of the department which lacks transformation in the sector and unemployment. The department cannot claim to be able to meet its own targets as it says it is the budget constraints on it. We therefore, cannot with pour good minds support this Budget Vote. Chairperson, as the EFF we reject the budget. Thank you.
IsiXhosa:
Nks N NDONGENI: Luthuli, jik’ujong’ecaleni, mntanam noba ungayichasa le voti.
English:
South Africa has placed Science and Innovation as a catalyst of socio-economic development and positioning South Africa at the cutting edge of scientific development and innovation.
IsiXhosa:
Umamele moss? Mamela ke.
English:
The Adjustment Appropriation of Vote 35 responded to a critical flagship project of the Square Kilometre Array, Ska, project with R265 million, which was shifted from various institutions’ infrastructure projects and strategic platforms for research and development.
IsiXhosa:
Besenzela nawe uphando.
English:
The downside of the virements is the negative impact the adjustment will have on several department projects.
Investment in Research and Development has the potential to accelerate economic development. Countries with sufficient research and development as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product have experienced sufficient economic development relative to those with low investment in research and development.
The adjustment also allocated funds for health innovation with a R40 million allocation which is a critical area in which our scientific capacity as a nation has demonstrated its capabilities during the global coronavirus pandemic.
IsiXhosa:
Uyakhumbula ndisithi yiya eklinikhi?
English:
We should continue to fund health innovation research to respond to various health challenges as improving health outcomes contributes to economic outcomes.
Another critical area supported by R50 million is the Hydrogen Strategy Research which is a major area of potential for the creation of green energy and other uses. The Hydrogen Valley in South Africa is a base for global competitiveness. Another area which has received an allocation is Space Science Research which we have adequate capabilities, and as a nation, we have been growing our manufacturing capacity in the space industry.
The Department of Science and Innovation has demonstrated good governance with consecutive clean audits. Therefore, the prudent use of the adjustment is not a concern, but what the department must elevate is its efforts to crowd in the private sector to invest in research and development to increase the impact of innovation in our economy. The ANC supports the Appropriation Adjustment.
Vote agreed to with DA and EFF dissenting.
Vote No 36 - Small Business Development - put
Declarations of vote:
Ms B T MATHEVULA: Chairperson, the EFF rejects Budget Vote 36 Small Business Development. We cannot support the Small Business while this industry continues to suffer in the automotive, farming, construction and retail sector. With the threat of load shedding, crime, petrol and interest rates are high. Small Business Development is the biggest brother of employment for South Africa yet the government is not doing enough to support this industry. We reject the budget of the department which is the biggest culprit of killing small businesses in municipalities such as in Giyani, Polokwane in Limpopo on a daily basis.
Chairperson, many small businesses especially those that who are operating in rural areas and townships and create a number of jobs in their respective areas are not aware of the business packages that the government offers. As the EFF we reject this Budget Vote, thank you.
Ms M L MOSHODI: Hon Chairperson, the ANC supports this Adjustment Appropriation Bill, Vote 36 for Small Business Development. Small Business Development is at the heart of the local economic development and job creation. The development of the small, medium and micro-sized enterprises, SMMEs is part of the micro economic development and is a critical part of the implementation of the DDM Model which is part of the economic reconstruction and recovery plan.
Hon House Chair, this department is characterised by underspending in many critical areas which include administration and staff vacancies. This in turn negatively impacts on the performance of the department to efficiently execute its programme. Underspending extended itself to sector and market development as well as development finance.
The performance of the department and its entity must improve and can only improve through ensuring that vacancies are filled in with appropriate skills and capacity building programmes in an impactful manner which also manage the quality of expenditure. The implementation of the DDM Model through the Economy Reconstruction and Recovery Plan means the development of local SMMEs to ensure localisation and local industrialisation in order for the development of local SMMEs.
It is imperative that developing finance is available at the low cost of capital which reduce the debt of SMMEs and ensure their viability. Hon Chair, creating markets through the development of special economy and industrial zones for the functioning and development of the SMMEs in the urban centre and agro-processing zones in the rural part is the critical part of the economic growth and development. The department will need to ensure that it is able to implement some of the core programmes for the development of the SMMEs in terms of financing the development of the co-operatives.
Moreover, Chairperson, emphasis should be placed in all provinces on the township economy and rural entrepreneurs programme. This requires consensus effort to market development and business skilling. This will ensure that this movement of the historical disadvantaged from the informal to the formal sector of the economy. In conclusion hon Chair, progress and development occur in the stage and the department needs to prepare for the next level of implementation of its programme for the development of small business.
The entities reporting to the department such as the Small Enterprise Financial Agency, Sefa and Small Enterprise Development Agency, Seda need to co-ordinate and increase its
efforts in creating successful SMMEs in different provinces in the country. Small, medium and micro-sized enterprises have an ability to transform an economic landscape and therefore improvement in the recommendations and programmes of the department is a transformative imperative. I thank you, Chair.
Question put. Agreed to with DA, EFF and FF Plus dissenting.
Vote No 37 – Sports, Arts and Culture - put
Declarations of vote:
IsiZulu:
Nk S A LUTHULI: Ngibonge, Sihlalo, i-EFF leliVoti leSabelomali, lo mnyango noma lo Mnyango Wezemidlalo, Ubuciko Namasiko, ungumnyango ohlulekayo oyisehluleki futhi awunalo ulwazi ukuthi kufanele kwenziweni, kanjani, nanini.
English:
We reject the department which fails to develop our sport codes ...
IsiZulu:
... ezikoleni zasemaphandleni.
English:
We reject that the budget of the department which still today
...
IsiZulu:
... kusenamaciko angakahlomuli kwisabelo ayekade ebekelwe sona sika-R811 million sobhubhane le-COVID-19 Relief Fund. Ama-olympics ka-2024 ...
English:
... are around the corner and we are still not sure how the department is preparing ...
IsiZulu:
... ukusiza nokulekelela kulama-Olympics.
English:
Every time we meet ...
IsiZulu:
... umnyango siyiKomidi leZemidlalo, Ubuciko Namasiko kunodaba oluhlezi lisetafuleni, ubandlululo olubonakalayo kwezemidlalo, ezamaciko namasiko eNtshonalanga Koloni kodwa kubonakala ukuthi lo mnyango awuzami nokuthi uzoluqeda kanjani
nalolu daba wathi uzokwenzenjani. Ngalezi zizathu, Sihlalo, siyi-EFF ...
English:
... we reject the budget. Thank you.
Question put. Agreed to with DA, EFF and FF Plus dissenting.
Vote No 39 – Trade, Industry and Competition – put
Declarations of vote:
Xitsonga:
Man B T MATHEVULA: Ndza Khensa, Mutshamaxitulu.
English:
Chairperson, the Economic Freedom Fighters rejects Budget Vote number 13 on Trade, Industry and Competition. This department has failed to introduce strategies that will reduce high unemployment rate in our country, especially among the youth. This department, Chairperson, has failed to create capacity for South Africans to produce goods and services that will be able to be consumed in the African Continent.
There is no doubt that there is a concerted effort to collapse the state-owned enterprises and the South African Bureau of Standards, SABS, is one of them. This department has failed to develop corridors that will link with the continent in trade and industrialisation. This department for the past 25 years has failed to embark on massive projects to facilitate the rapid industrialisation and developing the road network in rural areas, especially in the industrial zones and metropolitan areas.
The lack of access to land by the government has been one of the major contributors of the slow development. We have been saying that land must be expropriated for exactly this sort of problems whereas whites owned the land and blocked key development initiative from taking place. As the EFF, we reject this Budget Vote. Thank you very much, Chairperson.
Mr M DANGOR: Thank you very much, Chairperson. Chairperson, I stand on behalf of the ANC to support the adjusted Appropriation Bill on Trade is Industry and Competition, Vote
39. The ANC fully understands that industrial policy is the backbone for any developing country. As a result, the reimagined industry strategy aims to drive this by systematically supporting structural transformation through
spatial economic zones and revitalising industrial parks for broader and inclusive economic growth.
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, DTIC, budget has been adjusted up to R11,8 billion with notable increases on industrial financing, competition policy, economic planning, industrial competitiveness and growth programmes having been adjusted up by R1,4 billion and R748,5 million and R3,6 million respectively. We are particularly pleased that there are increases to the industrial financing programme and the uptake of services and investment in the automotive center, the incentive programmes by companies across the critical sectors of the economy as well as the stop structure and the special economic zones programme.
We call for the department to work hard towards ensuring that investment pledges made find a way into our spatial economic zones as well as being critical in driving economic growth and job creation. While the Industrial Development Corporation, IDC, itself is a funded entity it receives funding from the
... [Inaudible.] ... for programmes and incentives which it administers on behalf of DTIC. For the 2021-22 financial year, it had received ... [Inaudible.] ... from DTIC of
approximately R3,4 billion for incentives in the clothing and textile production center which fund companies in the clothing and textile industry to develop world class manufacturing capabilities.
The IDC and the National Empowerment Fund, NEF, must work towards supporting the revitalisation of our industrial parks as well as the township economy valued over R900 billion and has the potential to create millions of entrepreneurial jobs and opportunities particularly for the youth. Hon House Chairperson, the industrial policy should not only be seen as the preserve of the DTIC, but should effectively serve as the overarching policy co-ordinated in all spheres of government for us to advance and deepen structural transformation.
The defeat of poverty, inequality, unemployment and the historic economic exclusion can only occur through the implementation and the realisation of the ANC’s policies. Beneficiation, localisation and industrialisation through the District Development Model, DDM, are core to the implementation of the Economic, Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. Chairperson, I speak on behalf of the voters that voted for the ANC and not for the other 9%. Thank you very much, hon Chairperson.
HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms W Ngwenya): Order, hon members. Order.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 40 – Transport – put
Declarations of vote:
Mr T APLENI: Thank you, Chairperson. I thought we started with Vote 40 and we made declarations. I am not sure if we are repeating it again.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms W Ngwenya): I didn’t hear you, hon member.
Mr T APLENI: No, I am saying, Chairperson, that I thought we started with Vote 40 when we began this morning and then we made declarations on it. I am not sure if we have to repeat the same. I seek clarity on that.
Mr A ARNOLDS: Chairperson, we have already done our declaration and we are voting against. We reject the Budget Vote. Thank you.
Mr T J BRAUTESETH: Thank you, hon House Chair. Yes, the EFF already has declared and so had the ANC earlier on the special appropriation. I want to commend you all for congratulating a fish for swimming. Well done! It is the job of Sanral to provide roads, you don’t need to congratulate them when they do.
Hon House Chairperson, the mismatch of funding between national and provincial roads have existed for some time. The DA has repeatedly year after year pointed out that the allocation of funding is quite ridiculous. The current allocation equates to approximately R18,000 per kilometer of provincial road given the fact that 1 kilometer road costs in the millions of rands this situation is untenable. So, whilst this additional allocation of funding on provincial roads is welcomed, it is woefully inadequate.
On the issue of the flood damaged roads in the KwaZulu-Natal, it is typical of a government that is asleep and that this adjustment comes eight months after the April 2022 floods.
This means that tax and rates payers will have to wait at least one year before normal services are restored. This is the case in my constituency the entry to Magabheni Township
and Amanzimtoti have been damaged since April and the traffic disruption is enormous every morning and every night.
The DA has escalated this issue to Sanral on numerous occasions and only recently we were informed that this delay was due to closed tender processes in KwaZulu-Natal. These processes ended in tears when no tenders were forthcoming and finally, have been open to national tenders. All of these are typical of a government with no urgency and no caring.
However, I want to assure the comrades in the House that the voters are watching and taking notes. Your time is up.
Woza(come) 2024, woza!
Mr K M MMOIEMANG: Thank you thank, hon House Chair. I rise on behalf of the mighty ANC to rally support for the Adjustment Appropriation Bill, Vote number 40 on Transport. We are informed by the fact that the transport sector has a very critical input in terms of the civil aviation, rail, roads and ports to economic development and growth in the country. It links communities with the market and provides people with economic opportunities. It is imperative that there is development on the road and rail network and further development of the ports.
Hon House Chair, infrastructure development in terms of roads is socially and economically beneficial to local economic development in many provinces. Indeed, it is important to note that this is quite critical within the concept of the implementation of the District Development Model, precisely by virtue of the fact that the developing an efficient and effective transmission structure is quite critical for our economic recovery. Indeed, the mighty ANC supports Vote 40 precisely by virtue of the fact that at the center of our working class and the poor, it is the centrality of efficient public transport to take our working people to their places of work. Thank you, Chair.
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Vote No 41 – Water and Sanitation – put.
Declarations of vote:
Mr N M HADEBE: Hon Chairperson, during the NCOP Taking Parliament to the People Week, the Minister of Water and Sanitation committed a minimum amount of not less than
R150 million to address water and sanitation challenges to the people in the area of Ugu.
Hon Chairperson, the department has not provided details of how this amount will be allocated and by when can we expect the release and utilisation of this funds. The department has given little no details as to when to expect water infrastructure in Ugu to be fixed and whether it plans to increase the set minimum of R150 million. But never the less, the IFP support the Budget Vote, hon Chairperson. Thank you.
Ms M DLAMINI: The EFF reject the Budget for Water and Sanitation. We reject the budget of a department which has not applied its mind to the kind of future problems the country will face as far as water provision is concerned. And as such has no plans to ensuring that our ability to provide water is not as compromise as our ability to make electricity available to everyone today.
Despite these challenges, the department underspend by
R2,5 billion on its allocation for infrastructure development. This is despite the ongoing failure to complete many projects aimed at making water available to our people. This lays a credence to the allegations that the current Minister is unable or unwilling to tackle cases of corruption and fraud that have been reported to this Ministry.
Chairperson, R4 billion was invested for the Giyani Bulk Water Project. And yet today, there is still no water in Giyani.
While the money has probably found its way to enrich some scam using government contracts for their self-enrichment. As the economic emancipation movement, we reject this budget.
Mr T J BRAUTESETH: Hon Chair, Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has admitted that if the citizens were to place their hopes in government to restore proper flowing water in KwaZulu-Natal it will take years before any progress is made. That’s from you, Minister.
The Minister in a classic sides stepping move that Cheslin Kolbe or Cockles Embryos will be proud of pointed to the private sector partnerships because, and I quote the Minister: “Depending only on fiscus alone, it will take us years to adequately address these problems”. Perhaps this thing is the reason that despite the department being painfully aware of the rivers and seas or sewage in eThekwini they chose not to adjust the budget to address the multi-billion rands problem in KwaZulu-Natal.
eThekwini ongoing sewage crisis which is the reason from years, in fact decades, of poor maintenance was exacerbated by
the devastating floods in April. This crisis was not caused by the floods. The floods mainly highlighted the problem.
While there is some progress in repairing floods damage infrastructure in eThekwini, the municipality lacks the capacity to address the magnitude of the problems it faces. Funding for repairs is key amongst that. So, those crises caused by inapt, careless and irresponsible ANC government in eThekwini. And who must fix it? The private sector. What a slept in the face.
The national contingency funds sit at R5 billion and as I pointed out to the President in Ugu the problem is not going to go away. It is time to wake up, smell the sewage and get things done. If you don’t, the DA, we are happy to sort it out for you in 2024.
House Chair, today many of you will be passing me by and ask me to say certain word. So, for the last time in person ...
IsiZulu:
... Woza 2024! Woza! Siyabangena!
Mr E Z NJADU: Hon House Chairperson, as the ANC what we are going to say here is what we are already doing. As the ANC water and sanitation is a basic service. Hon Chairperson, on behalf of the ANC in the National Council of Provinces, we wish to express our support for the Adjustment and Special Appropriation Bill relating to the Department Water and Sanitation.
Chairperson, the SA Constitution guarantees our people the right to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation infrastructure. And the government must ensure these rights are realised. We can confidently state that our democratic government is actively working to ensure that all South Africans have access to essential service of high quality.
The Adjustment Appropriation allocated funds for the Vaal River pollution remediation, project and disaster relief in KwaZulu-Natal. Water pollution at the Vaal is a significant risk to water conservation and the quality of water which impacts the water biodiversity. The floods disaster has also placed for the weakness of the lack of infrastructure maintenance and the development of infrastructure in the climate change resilient areas.
We take pride, hon House Chairperson, in knowing that the Department of Water and Sanitation and its entities are not only committed to providing clean safe drinking water and quality sanitation infrastructure. Sill we have also prioritise direct transformation of the water sector and the benefit of our society most vulnerable groups in our budget. The department, its entities have set aside at least 40% of their budget for vulnerable groups such as women, youth and people with disabilities.
Hon House Chairperson, we must ensure that the various mega, large and small regional bulk infrastructure projects are completed on time in the coming year. Many of our people in rural and small towns are eager to be connected to communal taps and proper toilet infrastructure in their homes. We dare not led down our people who have entrusted us with overseeing our democratic government.
The people of South Africa, hon Chairperson, have hope in the ANC. And we as the ANC support this budget. Thank you very much.
Division demanded.
The Council divided.
[TAKE IN FROM THE MINUTES}
Vote agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Schedule put and agreed to.
(Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
CONSIDERATION OF ADJUSTMENTS APPROPRIATION BILL AND REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS THEREON
IsiNdebele:
Ksz D G MAHLANGU: Sihlalo ohloniphekileko weNdlu ye-NCOP, malunga weNdlu ye-NCOP namalunga weembethamthetho, uSosibebhu nabantu beSewula Afrika, ngiyanilotjhisa.
Sihlalo, ngithokoza ithuba onginikela lona bonyana ngijame ngaphambili kweNdlu le ngethule umbiko weenLungiso zomThethomlingwa weenLinganiso zokwaBiwa kweeMali, B23 – 2022, ngaphasi kweKomidi eKhethekileko yomThethomlingwa
weenLinganiso zokwaBiwa kweeMali. Ngizizwa ngihloniphekile ngokungivumela bonyana ngijamele ikomidi le ngibike bonyana sizwene ngawo umThethomlingwa lo ngaphandle kweenlungiso.
Nofana kunjalo, ihlangano ye DA, FF Plus ne EFF akhange bavumelane nawo.
English:
Hon Chairperson and members, the Minister of Finance tabled the Adjustments Appropriation Bill, B23 — 2022, on 26 October 2022 during the presentation of the 2022 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, MTBPS. The Bill was tabled in terms of section 12(1) and (2) of the Money Bills and Related Matters Act which requires the Minister of Finance to table a national adjustment budget as envisaged in section 30 of the Public Finance Management Act.
Section 12(2) of the Money Bills Act requires that, I quote: “an adjustment appropriation Bill must be tabled with the national adjustment budget.” The Bill was referred to the NCOP and the committee for concurrence on 01 December 2022 after the adoption by the National Assembly.
To facilitate public participation and involvement, and in compliance with section 72 of the Constitution of the Republic
of South Africa, an advertisement in all 11 official languages was published in national and other newspapers from 27 October 2022 inviting the general public and interested stakeholders to comment on the Bill. Subsequently, in addition to receiving a briefing from National Treasury on the contents of the Bill and consulting with the Financial and Fiscal Commission, FFC, and the Parliamentary Budget Office, PBO, the committee received written submissions from the Congress of South African Trade Unions, Public Service Accountability Monitor, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, OUTA, and Equal Education.
Hon Chairperson, allow me to present to the House the following recommendations were made. The National Treasury should ensure that any movement of funds is approved according to the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act, PFMA, and Treasury Regulations. However, the committee does not support the movement of funds above 8% when it is as a result of poor planning and project management and unsatisfactory performance by government departments.
The National Treasury should approve and gazette in the Adjustments Appropriation Bill an adjusted amount of
R12,9 billion, of which R6,4 billion goes to the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Cogta, and
the Department of Transport to address the April 2020 floods in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, as raised by other members. The committee implores both departments to strengthen expenditure controls and financial management to realise value for money. The National Treasury and the Department of Home Affairs should ensure that proper financial management controls, clear plans and milestones are developed and put in place for the spending of the proposed adjustment amount of R500 million for the digitisation project to avoid wasteful and fruitless expenditure.
Hon Chairperson and hon members, the National Treasury should approve and gazette the rollover amount of R990,5 million from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies. The committee implores both departments to develop clear and time-bound remedial actions with specific targets to address underspending, improve service delivery while ensuring that projects are completed timeously.
The Department of Cogta and the National Disaster management Centre together with National Treasury should undertake a review of the disaster management and administrative processes to ensure rapid response and transfer of much needed relief
funds for victims, and to ensure quality standards when repairing and rebuilding damaged infrastructure.
Hon members nabantu beSewula Afrika [and fellow South Africans.], the committee implores the Department of Higher Education and Training and National Treasury to ensure that issues of maladministration raised by the Auditor-General of South Africa which are negatively affecting the capacity of sector education and training authorities, SETAs, to deliver are urgently addressed and consequence management is implemented where necessary.
The National Treasury and the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation should ensure that better alignment between performance targets and budget allocation is realised at a planning stage to ensure a link between expenditure and performance targets achieved at the end of the year.
Notwithstanding the fact that there is a need to improve planning, the committee also believes that government should evaluate its programmes and discard those that are continuously not bearing any results.
The committee implores the Department of Social Development to address all the administrative challenges in the Social Relief
of Distress Grant application system and to ensure proper internal controls to effectively manage and distribute the grant to all deserving beneficiaries. The committee is of the view that the conversation around the basic income grant should continue amongst all the relevant stakeholders to find a permanent solution in this regard.
Hon Chairperson and fellow South Africans, with regards to the Vaal River Pollution Remediation Project the Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation should ensure that project planning for the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant project is properly done timeously to avoid funds being rolled over to the next financial year. The committee believes that failure to spend on infrastructure continues to undermine government’s efforts to implement an infrastructure-led economic recovery.
The National Treasury, together with the Department of Police, should ensure that adequate resources are allocated for detective services and that planning is continuously improved for the Integrated Criminal Justice Strategy to avoid non- expenditure.
In conclusion, hon Chairperson, allow me ...
IsiNdebele:
... kobana nginithokoze noke njengamalunga weNdlu le. Ngithokoza namalunga woke wekomidi yokwabiwa kweemali, umpakathi nabo boke abazitshwenyileko baba nelizwi bafaka nemibo ekambisweni yethu le yeenLungiso zomThethomlingwa weenLinganiso zokwaBiwa kweeMali. Angithokoze nabasebenzi bePalamende abasisizako, ngathana akusingini besingeze safika lapha sikhona namhlanje. Ngiyathokoza Sihlalo.
Declarations of Vote:
Mr W A S AUCAMP: Hon Chairperson, the Adjustment Appropriation Bill shows a better than anticipated picture, due to the windfall brought about by the increased revenue collection.
The team at Sars needs to be commended for their work and for the effort directed at the re-establishment of the trust relationship with South Africans and taxpayers. However, more work still needs to be done. The taxpayers are also to be commended, as it is ultimately them who have brought this unexpected surplus to the table.
The Minister of Finance is however doing a dangerous balancing act by using some of this windfall money to again bail out failing state-owned enterprises – a bottomless pit, where our money goes in. Some of the money goes to meet some urgent
demands and some of the money goes to reduce the country’s reliance on expensive debt.
It is obvious that the official opposition, the DA, would not have spent the money in the same way. Our position on bailing out of failing state-owned enterprises has been well-stated. Giving out the proverbial get out of jail free card to failing state-owned enterprises, who squandered our money in the state capture frenzy is abhorrent.
There is a need to focus on future risks, as we spend Christmas bonus or this windfall on paying for past splurges instead of keeping it for future rainy days. Believe you me, those future rainy days will be coming fast. If Simon Gear, the weatherman, has been reported on this, he would have used an umbrella, because there is a lot of storms on this horizon.
The risks that we will need to dip into of what remains of this windfall to meet the wage demands of public servants is a great risk. A further risk is that greylisting is going to make our debt considerably more expensive than we thought. We are also facing the risk that we might have the repeat of the July 2021 insurrection with new claims against, the South African Special Risks Insurance Association, Sasria. We have
been depleted in the previous round of paying out of money to claimers that claim for that. We have the turmoil that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala lunacy has thrusted this country into, which creates uncertainty.
The only way in which that uncertainty will be solved is by having elections – quick, fast elections - which this budget is not providing for.
With all these risks, the windfall should be protected and saved. This Adjustment Appropriations Bill might as well have been called the ANC’s bailout Bill as well as the ANC’s poor governance Bill. The DA rejects this Bill. Thank you.
Mr S F DU TOIT: Hon Chairperson, overtaxed and undersupported individuals in South Africa are slaves to a ruthless and heartless government that deprives generations to come of a future and expropriate current generations from a decent life with their loved ones.
Yes, R23,7 billion that could have been used to repair so- called roads in South Africa, was allocated towards the repayment of Sanral’s maturing debt and debt-related obligations.
Afrikaans:
R4,3 miljard, wat aangewend kon word om die veiligheid van die burgers van hierdie land te verseker, word in ’n wanbestuurde, mislukte, maar eens florerende Denel gestort, om aan ’n omkeerplan te werk. Denel was eens ’n toonaangewende entiteit en ’n internasionale markleier op sy gebied. Dit het innoverende produkte en wapentuig daargestel, wat teen groot wins, te koop aangebied was. Dit het ’n besigheidsplan gehad, wat nie net suksesvol was nie, maar bo die res uitgestyg het. Waar het die fout ingekom?
English:
The problem is black economic empowerment, cadre deployment, employment equity and tenderpreneurs. That is what broke the back of the once legendary Denel!
Face it, accept the reality that your crippling ideology was brought about, and do something about it. Why do we even entertain public participation and spend days engaging with stakeholders like the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, the Parliamentary Budget Office, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse and the like, if government only makes cosmetic changes to tick the box and then steamroller ahead on their proverbial
plundered tracks, to ride the gravy train of ANC ideology into the sunset?
How much more money that we will have to borrow from abroad and funds that government will extort from taxpayers, through even more harsh regulations or revised taxation laws will be allocated to these entities, come February 2023?
Even though we are taxed through the fuel levy, so-called carbon taxes, so-called sin taxes that is window dressed to supposedly be health taxes and the list goes on, these taxes are not ring-fenced to be used exclusively to address, for example, the failing health system. However, all these taxes are poured into the South African tax pot and funds are appropriated according to government’s prerogatives. Hon Carim went on about it earlier.
Afrikaans:
Laastens, ons as belastingbetalers word aan die neus gelei, as daar aan ons gesê word dat byvoorbeeld heffings op sigarette aangewend word om die gesondheidsektor te versterk. Dit is onmoontlik om belasting in aparte spreekwoordelike potte te gooi en slegs vir sekere doelleindes aan te wend.
English:
No one can make a sound that will be heard. We cannot support the plundering of state coffers. Therefore, the FF Plus cannot support this Bill. Thank you.
Mr M S MOLETSANE: Hon Chairperson, the EFF rejects the budget for the National Treasury. The National Treasury is responsible for managing South Africa’s national government finances and for ensuring transparency, accountability and some financial controls in the management of public finances.
Instead, the loss of revenue had tremendous consequences for the economy, including ... Sorry. The National Treasury has demonstrated that they are not interested in building robust capacity. Instead, the loss of revenue had tremendous consequences for the economy, including a negative impact on the economic growth. As the EFF, we reject this Vote. Thank you.
Mr E Z NJADU: Hon Chairperson, as the ANC, we want to confirm to this House that the processes that were followed in adopting this Bill – there was public participation, stakeholders were engaged, National Treasury gave clarity. All
those processes, and the members who are here singing a song with false notes were part of those processes.
Therefore, as the ANC, let me firstly say that we believe that the Adjusted Appropriation Bill supports the main content of this struggle. The main content of our struggle for a better South Africa remains the liberation of Africans, in particular, and blacks, in general from political and socioeconomic bondage. It means uplifting the quality of life of South Africans, especially the poor, the majority of whom are African and female.
On behalf of the ANC, we want to support this Bill. Thank you very much.
Division demanded.
The Council divided:
AYES:31: Bartlett, M; Bebee, L C; Camelio-Benjamin, V; Carrim, Y I; Dangor, M; Dodovu, T S C; Gillion, M N; Govender, M; Hlope, NE; Lwana, V; Klaaste, N; Lucas, S E; Mahlangu, D G; Maleka, A D; Maneng, N; Mamaregane, M L; Ngwenya, W; Mamorobela, T P; Mkiva, Z; Mmoiemang, K M; Modise, T C; Mohai,
S J; Moshodi, M L; Mthethwa, M E; Ncitha, Z V; Nchabeleng, M E; Mvoko, M; Ndongeni, N; Njadu, Z; Rayi, M; Shaikh, S. NOES:18: Arnolds, A; Apleni, T; Aucamp, W A S; Badenhorst, FJ; Bara, M R; Brauteseth, T; Christians, D C; De Bruyn, M A P; Dlamini, M; Du Toit, S F; Labuschagne, C; Londt, J J; Lehihi, S B; Luthuli, S A; Moletsane, M S; Nhanha, M; Ryder, D R; Smit, C B F.
Question put: That the Bill be agreed to.
Bill agreed to in accordance with section 75 of the Constitution.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: I wish to take this opportunity to thank all MECs, permanent and special delegates who have availed themselves for this sitting of the NCOP.
The Council adjourned at 17:18.