Hansard: NA: Unrevised hansard - Vote 13

House: National Assembly

Date of Meeting: 11 May 2016

Summary

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Minutes

UNREVISED HANSARD 
WEDNESDAY, 11 MAY 2016
PROCEEDINGS OF EXTENDED PUBLIC COMMITTEE – OLD ASSEMBLY CHAMBER

 

Members of the Extended Public Committee met in the Old Assembly Chamber at 16:28.

House Chairperson, Ms M G Boroto, took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayer or meditation.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS – see col 000.

 

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Before we start I want to welcome our members in the gallery, your presence is highly appreciated though I must give you the bad news that whatever happens in this House, the Rules do not allow you to participate by clapping of hands, using of cameras and so on, it is unfortunate you cannot clap even when you are happy but those are the Rules of the House.

 

APPROPRIATION BILL

Debate on Vote No 13 — Women:

The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY: Hon Chairperson, Acting Chairperson, committee members, hon members, distinguished guests in the gallery, women have played a significant role towards the emancipation of South Africa. As early as 1913, women demonstrated against carrying passes through major campaigns. These passes were instruments of white supremacy directed at attacking the right to the dignity of black people in general and women in particular.

Omama badlala indima enkulu ekutheni kube nenkululeko lapha eNingizimu Afrika. Kusukela kunyaka we-1913, omama bazo zonke izinhlanga babhukula balwela ukuthi bangahambi bephethe amapasi ngoba bangabomdabu ezweni lobabomkhulu babo. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[Women have played a significant role towards the liberation of South Africa. As early as 1913, women of every race demonstrated against carrying passes because they are the natives in the land of their ancestors.]

 

This campaign stands as it was an early outbreak of militant women‘s resistance. It was also costly to the personal lives of participants. It also sets the tone for later antipass actions by militant African women such as the Defiance Campaign of 1952, the adoption of the Women‘s Charter of 1954 as well as the historic August month of 1956.

 

Lo mkhankaso womama wangowe-1913 ungomunye wokuqala womama owawuyingxenye yokulwela inkululeko yabampisholo kuleli. Lokho kwabenza ukuthi uma sekulwelwa amapasi ngeminyaka yo-1950 ukuya phambili nabo belu bajoyine amadelakufa ka-1952. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

 

[This women‘s march of 1913 is one of the campaigns of fighting for the liberation of the black people in this country. In 1950 when they demonstrated against carrying passes, this made them join the march of 1952 which demonstrated their bravery.]

 

 

Accordingly this year marks the 60th anniversary of the 1956 women‘s march to the seat of government, the Union Buildings. It is our aim to mobilise tens of thousands of women to join us as we celebrate under the theme: Women United in Moving South Africa Forward.

 

 

We pay tribute to the gallant women fighters, izithwalandwe, like, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, Sophia Williams, Dorothy Nyembe, Albertina Sisulu, Ruth Mompati, Bertha Gxowa, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, and many unsung heroines of our struggle who embarked on a movement that

emerged victorious against the gross human rights violations of the apartheid era. We recognise women stalwarts today who are with us in the gallery and veterans who have joined us today for this Budget Vote. [Applause.]

 

 

Molweni bomama! [Good afternoon, ladies!]

 

AUDIENCES: Molweni. [Good afternoon.]

 

A product of these gallant veterans, a product of their blood and sweat is what they are enjoying today. I must also pay tribute to the 1976 young women, which amongst others were represented by Sibongile Mkhabela who was one of the Soweto Student Representative Council and was called the Soweto Eleven. She was the only woman who was convicted in that particular trial. We also recognise Baby Tyawa who is the Deputy Secretary to Parliament, in this Parliament of ours. It was the women who bore the brunt of the acts of terror where mothers suffered the pain of not knowing where their children were in 1976.

 

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Constitution of our country, whose expansive Bill of Rights promotes equality, nonracialism and nonsexism. This means my department has enormous responsibility to monitor that women have the right to full opportunities for employment with equal pay and possibilities of promotion.

 

In this regard, let me acknowledge members of the SA Chapter of International Association of Judges who are also in the gallery today. [Applause.] I am also pleased to recognise Members of Parliament from Malawi who are part of the Pan African Parliament, Pap, but also visiting this Parliament, they are also in the gallery. [Applause.] I would like to applaud our President for the 11 women who were recipients of the National Orders which were conferred to them by our His Excellency, President Jacob Zuma on Freedom day this year.

 

Even though we have laid the building blocks for women empowerment we must not be lulled into a false sense of complacency. Many women continue to be disempowered by structural and systemic triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality. It is 22 years since we attained our democracy inheriting a deeply divided society as a result of years of patriarchy, apartheid, sexism and racism.

 

Today I stand here proudly so on the shoulders of courageous women, as an embodiment of their triumph in the face of great adversity as I present this Budget Vote today. Last year I indicated that it is our intention to reconfigure and restructure my department in a manner that contributes meaningfully to the achievement of the National Development Plan and to carryout various implementation strategies that support this critical plan.

Our total budget allocation for 2016-17 is R196 887 000 which includes R 69 891 000 for transfer to Commission for Gender Equality, and that leaves the department with R126 996 000.

This budget is tabled following the organisational transformation and realignment of the department in order to deliver on the revised mandate and redefined strategic plan. The challenge, however, remains the inadequate budget allocation which has a bearing on our ability to deliver on our mandate. Accordingly, we will continue to agitate for additional funding to enable the progressive delivery of our core business.

The single branch responsible for women‘s empowerment has been transformed into two branches. The first is the Social Transformation and Economic Empowerment branch, whose responsibility is the mainstreaming of women in the socioeconomic environment. The second one is the Policy, Stakeholder Co-ordination and Knowledge Management branch, whose responsibility is research, policy, information and knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation advocacy, outreach and stakeholder engagement.

In 2014, His Excellency, President Zuma, recognising the centrality of economic empowerment to women‘s emancipation, announcing that he would launch a report on the status of women in the economy. He then directed the department ?to be ready to produce a report to be launched in August 2015.? I am proud to say that we delivered as mandated by the President.

This led to the launch by the President of the Report on the Status of Women in the South African Economy which was followed by his directive when he said, and I quote:

From now on, government should put the inclusion of women at the centre of all our plans. This is more so in the case of government‘s plans aimed at growing the economy and creating jobs. As a first step towards the implementation of this directive, the government‘s Nine Point Plan ... and the Operation Phakisa initiatives we have launched and those still to be launched, should have an explicit gender dimension.

Underline, explicit gender dimension. He repeated the same injunction in his Budget Vote this year. This directive is significant for the socioeconomic empowerment of women, and the focus of our department, placing monitoring and evaluation central to the process. Therefore we expect the economic cluster departments to submit reports directed by the President.

The department will engage with various stakeholders, supported by experts, to develop a gender responsive budgeting framework. We are on track with this and soon we will be workshopping and be able to provide a framework for the country but also be able to identify the necessary capacity needed for this. Last year as the department we undertook a visit to the Midlands project in Colesberg and Hanover, in the Northern Cape. These places are afflicted by poverty, unemployment, and inequality. The purpose was to assess the feasibility of a project for women empowerment in agriculture, specifically in Feedlot. The project was found to be feasible and had a potential to provide a stake for women in this business. Where we are today, an application has been made to Jobs Fund in order for us to make this a reality.

 

Our partnership with Cell C continues to focus on the advancement of the girl child. This partnership has enhanced the initiative to a more programmatic approach. This programme now includes the Girl Bursary Fund, the Girl Child Alumni, and the Girl Child Institute of Mentorship. This year on 26 May 2016 in partnership with Cell C, we will be hosting 60 young girls as part of the Cell C programme campaign. Once more, I want to call upon corporate South Africa, working together with Cell C in making sure that the take a Girl Child to work is not just a public relations initiative but is translated to a comprehensive fully sustainable programme instead of a one day initiative which leaves the girl child not sure about what she wants.

 

Therefore I call upon all South African corporate, participate in advancing the interests of the girl child in South Africa in creating a society which is equal but also creates that girl children have a role to play in the advancement of our economy. The department continues to work with the Uganda Women's Effort to Save Orphans, Uweso, on the Techno-girl programme aimed at enhancing young women‘s skills in science, technology engineering and maths. So far this programme has given an opportunity to over 9 000 girls to participate in job shadowing in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Some of the girls are up there in the gallery. Let them wave. [Applause.]

 

Sihlalo, ngiyaxolisa. [Chairperson, I apologise.]

 

The mandate of the department includes public education and awareness, celebration and commemoration of national and international days on women. Last year on 09 August South Africa celebrated the 59th anniversary of the 1956 Women‘s March in Sasolburg under the theme: Women, United in Moving South Africa Forward. During that day, the President launched the Status of Women in the South African Economy Report, where more than 25 000 women were in attendance while many others watched beyond South Africa.

In celebrating women‘s month, we also had cross border partnerships with Zimbabwe in promoting cross border trade. We collaborated with the Department of Small Business and Development, the Limpopo province and the government of Zimbabwe to organise a Trade Fair and Expo for women from both countries. Further, we partnered with the government of Lesotho, the Free State Provincial Government and held a symposium addressing the cross border movement of women particular domestic works who are abused and affected by human trafficking.

We welcome the Department of Home Affairs in regularising the process of work permits that will hopefully minimise exploitation and abuse of Lesotho domestic workers and reduce human trafficking. This put an end to the dehumanisation of the sister peoples of Lesotho.

The department will continue to work in partnership with other departments to implement the Prevention Pillar in the Integrated Programme of Action on Violence Against Women and Children by undertaking initiatives towards changing attitudes and behaviour. The Department in collaboration with Statistics South Africa identified communities with high prevalence of

violence against women and children that included Naauwpoort in the North West, Nyanga in the Western Cape and Nqeshe in the Eastern Cape. Hence our campaign on 16 Days of Activism on No Violence against Women and Children Campaign was held at Naauwpoort. The safety of the elderly people and children in that place was a cause for concern women and they continue to remain compromised. Therefore in partnership with the province and the private sector will contribute towards the safety of elderly women by providing secure doors and windows.

The campaigns, #365Days and the #CountMeln continue to address and raise awareness on violence against women and children.

The ongoing, violence, sexual harassment and intimidation against women especially in the institution of higher learning is a cause for concern. Society must support the call by students in fighting the scourge. We will continue to work in partnership with faith based organisations, the South African National AIDS Council‘s Men‘s sector, men‘s organisations and civil society to be counted in the fight against violence against women.

While violence against women remains a serious concern, it is important to note that the Thuthuzela Care centres are seen as a best model practice. There is therefore a need to expand them to other parts of the country. This will be complemented by the National Dialogues on Violence Against Women and Children which should have been initiated last year, but due once more to financial constraints we could not.

 

According to the Government Communication and Information System media coverage analysis of the 16 Days Campaign reveals that social media coverage reached 60 000 people, with 2 000 tweets, 50% of which were in South Africa and the other 50% in Australia, Asia, America, UK, and various African countries.

Media coverage was also in print media, broadcast news and actuality programmes. Currently with the Department of Public Service and Administration we are working on reviewing the effectiveness of gender focal points in government to strengthen their effectiveness in ensuring government programmes are mainstreamed.

 

Linked to our own 60th anniversary of the 1956 women‘s march, the Commission on the Status on Women, CSW, was celebrating its own 60th anniversary of its establishment. Another milestone achieved during this sitting was the adoption of the Southern African Development Community, SADC, sponsored resolution on Women on HIV and Aids and the girl child after years of negotiating. In addition, the CSW has launched a Youth Forum to this end. As South Africa we will partner with the NYDA in taking forward this process.

Last year we committed to meeting our international obligations. We are pleased to inform this House that this has been achieved. Cabinet has approved the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Cedaw, report in November 2015. I want to urge Parliament to complete its consideration to the report for us to be able to deposit with the UN Cedaw committee in order for us to be in line with the rest.

 

In 2016 during the AU Heads of State Summit, the high level AU Specialised Technical Committee on Gender and Women Affairs was established to strengthen the implementation of women issues within the African Union. South Africa played an important role in this regard. We have also presented the Combined Second Periodic Report under the African Charter on Human and People‘s Rights to the African Charter on the Rights. The commission once more commended South Africa by consistently leading on human rights and its efforts on the continent in making sure that women‘s rights are human rights.

 

The committee raised a concern nevertheless about women‘s representation in the Western Cape government where there are only four women in the executive council including the Premier. This continues to disadvantage South Africa, the chair of the commission wanted to know what remedies are we going to take as South Africa, especially the Department of Women in the

Presidency in ensuring that the Western Cape complies with our laws and policies for gender equality. It cannot be correct that, at this critical time, when the rest of the provinces have adopted a progressive stance on women parity, the Western Cape continues to be an exception, pursuing a reactionary stance that is not in sync with the democratic dispensation.

 

I urge all political parties to adhere to the Municipal Infrastructure Act in the upcoming Local Government Elections. I call on them to ensure that the representation of women does meet the 50-50 requirements of this Act. Women cannot continue to be voting fodder, forever voting men into power and being at the receiving end of the power of men. [Applause.]

 

Chairperson, finally, in order to ensure that the principle of 50-50 representation is regulated, my department will work with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to include parity principles in the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, as a mechanism towards a gender equal society.

 

Malibongwe igama lamakhosikazi! [Let the name of women be praised!]

 

HON MEMBERS: Malibongwe! [Let it be praised!]

The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY: Together moving South Africa forward! Thank you, I have presented our budget. [Applause.]

 

Ms P BHENGU: Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests in the gallery who are here today to support, hon Memela the chairperson in her absentia attending the Pan-African Parliament, PAP, I greet you all. Allow me to dedicate my speech to all the women and children who have been killed because of violence and abuse and those women and children who have been the victim of the scourge of violence and abuse. As we all know the department that is responsible for women was established in 2014 following the national elections. In 2015 the department received its standalone budget allocation Vote l3.

 

 

In the 5th Parliament oversight over this department was assigned to the Portfolio Committee on Women in the Presidency, to this end the committee is performing its constitutional mandate engaged with the department of women and Commission for Gender Equality, CGE, on their annual performance plans and budgets. The purpose of the department is to lead, co-ordinate and monitor and oversee the transformation agenda on women's socioeconomic empowerment, rights and equity. Women in our country make up approximately 52% of the population. Women have suffered most and they are continuance faced the burden of providing their children and building their families. This includes the burden of patriarchy and continued forms of abuse against them in society and by their partners. They still remain outside of the economy including the economic opportunities. Despite these challenges the ANC-led government working together with the society, women and private sector has ensured that women are now actively involved in decision-making structures in society and in government. This includes an initiative that includes progress towards the 50-50 parity mark. The ANC will continue to ensure that women play a more meaningful role in the growth and development of communities and society at large.

 

 

NjengoKholongolose sizoqinisekisa ukuthi kulolu khetho oluzoba ngosuku lwesithathu kuNcwaba 2016 NoHulumeni basemakhaya abe maningi amakhansela abesifazane njengoba sengishilo ukuthi abesifazane bayingxenye enkulu kulelizwe lethu. [Ihlombe.] Ngaleyondlela kuzobalula ukuthi bayibambe ishisa ngoba bazobe bebhekene ngqo nezinkinga ababhekene nazo emikhandlwini eminingi. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

 

[We as the ANC will ensure that in these local government elections that will be on the 3rd of August 2016 there will be more female councillors as I have stated that women play a huge role in this country. [Applause.] Therefore it is very important for them to work hard because they will be dealing with the challenges that are facing the municipalities.]

 

We as the ANC continue fighting the scourge of violence and abuse against women as part of implementing our policy of radical social economic transformation we will implement programmes geared towards the development of women in particular those that live in abject poverty, women with disabilities and the most vulnerable in society. We are going to make sure that all the departments are using their budgets that are being allocated for women to access opportunities, access to free basic services, systematically fighting patriarchy in society, and using the small business department, DTI, to increase access to economic opportunities for women including targeted procurement for women companies and Small Micro and Medium Enterprises, SMMEs, for them to participate in The mainstream economy. As the Portfolio Committee on Women we welcome the proposal by the Ministry of women that will host a number of awareness and outreach initiatives on a quarterly, annual and once-off basis in the form of dialogues and campaigns to focus on gender-based violence, women's health and harmful cultural, religious and traditional beliefs as well as women's economic empowerment.

 

The budget of this department for 2016-17 financial year is R196,9 million of this R69,9 million goes to the CGE, leaving the department with an operating budget of Rl27 million. As The Minister has talked much about the programmes of the department, I am not going to repeat what she has said except to say that there is R6 million more that is in the previous financial year but this is the smallest allocation as compared to the rest of the government departments and as this department should have to monitor and evaluate the performance of other departments and the private sector from a gender perspective, therefore it should employ more personnel so as to meet its targets, such as matters related to women with disabilities, the impact of customary law, and not losing sight on the plight of people with Albinism, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Intersex, LGBTI, persons and young girls affected by ukuthwala [abduction] and making sure that there is a provision of sanitary towels to those girls that are in need [Applause.] in schools for preventing them not to be out of schools as this should be done by the social development and the Department of Health.

 

 

AN HON MEMBER: Yeah, yeah.

 

 

 

Ms P BHENGU: We would also like to see this department working together with provincial, districts and local municipalities through their programmes as to ensure that lives of women ore improved. On The CGE, the CGE‘s work emanates from section 181 of The Constitution as it is one of the chapter 9 institutions which are the independent entities for strengthening democracy in our country, as its mandate is to promote respect for gender equality and protect and develop its attainment by monitoring, educate, lobby, advise and report on issues related to gender equality. The strategic focus of the CGE aims to ensure that gender equality is promoted and unfair discrimination is eradicated within the policies and practices of government, other state institutions and private organisations in line with Outcome no.3 that all the people in South Africa feel safe and Outcome no l1 that create a better South Africa, a better Africa and a better world of government 2O14-2019 Medium Term Strategic framework.

 

 

The CGE's focus over the medium term will be on ensuring that gender equality is promoted and unfair discrimination is eradicated within the policies and practices. This will be achieved through among others by hosting quarterly gender transformation hearings known as the legal clinics on selection of organisations across economic sectors by assessing the performance of the country in implementing policies and programmes geared towards ending the marginalisation of women. According to the budget allocution of the CGE, as the committee we noted the issue of the limited budget allocated to CGE we would raise this as an issue that requires attention with the National Treasury and the Standing Committee on Appropriations. This has also raised the question whether the commission would

be able to deal with an increased number of complaints as a target given its limited resources and budgetary constraints.

 

 

As the committee we would like to thank the CGE of the good work they are doing as some of the commissioner's term is coming to on end, wishing that the commission will continue its efforts in dealing with assessing the election manifestos of all the political parties for this coming local government elections, from a gender perspective.

 

 

Njengoba sazi ukuthi i-ANC kuphela eqinisekisa ukuthi kuba nokulingana ekukhethweni kwabesifazane ezikhundleni kuwo wonke amazinga nalana emaqenjini akhona lana ePhalamende. Sinxusa ukuthi ne-DA ukuba ikubone ukubaluleka kokuba khona kwabesifazane njengoba kuleliqembu liya ngokushabalala isibalo sabantu besifazane sibona senyuka isibalo sabesilisa futhi abamhlophe bodwa. Namanye amaqembu amancane siyawanxusa ukuthi akhumbule ukuthi abesifazane banegalelo elikhulu abangalenza ekubhekeleli ukulwa nokuhlukunyezwa kwabo nabantwana. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

 

 

[As we know that it is only the ANC that ensures that there is equality with regard to giving women positions in all sectors and in all the parties that are here in Parliament. We urge the DA to recognise the importance of women‘s existence as the number of women are dwindling in

this party, we see the number of men increasing and it is only white men. We also urge other small parties to remember that women have a huge role to play in fighting against children and women abuse.]

 

 

In conclusion, I would like to thank the departments, the Minister, the CGE and the committee secretariat, all the members of the portfolio committee who are going to participate in this debate and as the ANC, we will make sure that the women of South Africa‘s lives are improved therefore I would like to call upon all the women of our country to go and vote for ANC.

 

 

Ngoba yiyona kuphela elalela izimfuno zabo futhi sisazo qhubeka silwisane nobubha nokuhlukunyezwa kwabesifazane nabantwana kanye nokukhuliswa komnotho ezweni lakithi. Siyaqhuba, kuphela nje sishoda ngawe. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

 

[Because it is the only party that listens to their needs and we will still continue to fight poverty, abuse against women and children and to grow the economy in our country. We are progressing, you are the only one missing. Thank you.]

 

 

The ANC obviously supports this budget. I thank you.

Ms D ROBINSON: Hon Chairperson, debating Vote 13 allows us to reflect on the status of women‘s rights – human rights – guaranteed by the architects of our Constitution, including the late Dene Smuts whom I honour today for her devotion to constitutionalism and gender equality.

 

The mandate of the Department of Women in the Presidency is to drive an agenda of women‘s socioeconomic empowerment and rights, to champion gender equality, and reduce the patriarchal stranglehold that still exists. It receives a budgetary allocation of R196 million for the 2016-17 financial year. Of this, R69,9 million is transferred to the Commission for Gender Equality, CGE, leaving the department with a small operating budget of R127 million. Is this small amount perhaps indicative of the attitude of society to women?

 

 

The CGE‘s budget is significantly smaller than that of the SAHRC and the Public Protector – all institutions with the specific function of bolstering constitutionalism. Yet, the CGE is expected to render a service nationally and provincially with a fraction of the budget and staff compliment of the other Chapter 9 institutions.

 

 

The CGE is obliged to promote respect for gender equality and make recommendations on any legislation affecting the status of women. It must support any legislative reform which could curb

the numerous incidents of rape, abuse and domestic violence - the spate of attacks on young girls and coercion into early marriage where perpetrators attempt to justify their unlawful conduct by invoking the custom of ukuthwala. Patriarchal attitudes of entitlement to sexual favours still abound.

 

Female genital mutilation, FGM, and other harmful traditional practices are still very evident in deep rural areas; so is the plight of widows who are often thrown out of their homes and left to die, without dignity or compassion. Where is ubuntu in this case?

 

 

The frequent attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex citizens, LGBTI citizens, and instances of ?corrective rape‘ inflicted on lesbian women are an issue we must urgently address.

 

 

However, we must also address the lack of performance and focus by the CGE and the Department of Women in the Presidency, resulting in a lack of confidence in the department. They could be more efficient if they narrowed their focus, with the CGE doing oversight of Thuthuzela Centres, SA Police Service and the courts for example, and the Department of Women in the Presidency monitoring the implementation of gender responsive budgeting and distribution of land in communal areas.

While we have made many gains in relation to gender equality, these relate largely to formal equality: Women‘s political representation; equal legal status; and legislative frameworks. But, we still have to strive for substantive equality, where women form an equal part of the economy and gain equal access to land and education.

 

 

Some of our senior female politicians do not set a good example.

 

 

Minister Dlamini, the leader of the ANC Women‘s League leads the chorus in defending the President but ignores the hurt and humiliation of women under the patriarchal yoke. Remember how she supported the President rather than standing up for her former colleague Vytjie Mentor – a whistle blower?

 

 

The ANC Women‘s League is often accused of being pro-Zuma and not pro-women. Remember the rape trial of President Zuma in 2006? [Interjections.] The victim was forced to leave the country due to the harassment by other women. [Interjections.] Where is our solidarity of our sisters who are in distress?

 

The Minister for Women, Susan Shabangu, shows no respect to fellow female parliamentarians when she refers to them in denigrating tones as, ?Barbie Dolls?. I quote from a letter to the Cape Times:

In this country, the move by the government to place millions of rural women under the rule of traditional leaders is a travesty of the fundamental claim to citizenship as South Africans, if we want a modern participatory democracy. The continuing acquiescence of the ANC Women‘s League speaks volumes of the ultra-conservative patriarchal adherence to all things traditional.

 

 

[Interjections.]

 

 

The official activities of the wives ...

 

 

 

HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon members, you are drowning the speaker on the podium. Order! Continue, hon member!

 

 

Ms D ROBINSON: The official activities of the wives of the President and Deputy President are no longer reported; yet their budget stands at a staggering R88,2 million since 2009, including this budget. For that vast amount, we could have provided: Eight years of monthly Disability Grant to 612 women; eight years of Care Dependency Grant to the women who are the main caregivers of 612 permanently disabled children; eight years of Older Persons Grant for 612 women over the age of 60; up to 173 full scholarships for young women to attend UCT for a four-year degree, including residence and meals; and R1 million

in grants to 88 women-owned enterprises with to develop their businesses.

 

 

We could have employed forty full-time Grade 1 nurses in midwifery for eight years to state clinics. These midwives could have assisted in the births of 192 000 babies. What a difference this could have made to the lives of ordinary women who need our assistance?

 

Twenty-one years ago, we thought we had begun an era of optimism in the rainbow nation where tolerance was promoted by the late Madiba, Archbishop Tutu and other visionaries. Sadly, it is no more - with constant assaults on our constitutional values led by none other than the President, flouting the rulings of the Public Protector and cheered on by the women in his caucus when it is quite obvious to all that he is not fit to hold high office!

 

 

No wonder the women of Nelson Mandela Bay and Midvaal will vote for the DA, whose caring and values of freedom, fairness and opportunity will mean more to them than the values of those who preen themselves and paint their nails in Parliament while ignoring those who are poor and lack basic services. [Interjections.]

Phambili ngoomama, malibongwe igama lamakhosikazi. Phambili DA. Ndiyabulela, enkosi kakhulu. [Kwaqhwatywa.] [Forward with women! Praise the name of women! Forward with the DA! Thank you very much. [Applause.]]

 

 

Nks M S KHAWULA: Sihlalo ngaphambili, hayi thina siyi-EFF siyasichitha lesabelomali. Hhayi ... Khona into yokuqala engifuna ukuyisho la enzima Ngqongoshe kodwa ngemvume yakho Sihlalo. Uyayibona lento yamayengandoda. Iyengandoda asihambisani nalo thina. Ngeke sithi sakha izwe sibe sithi abantu abadayise ngomzimba. Ngiyabonga. Okwesibili engifuna ukukusho la Ngqongqoshe, ngicela silalele kahle Ngqongqoshe ngoba mina ngizama ukunisiza ngoba asixabene. Inkinga yomuntu wesifazane la eNingizimu Afrika ayikaxazululeki nakancane.

 

 

ILUNGU ELIHLONIPHEKILEYO: Khuluma ngezinkinga zakho hayi ezami.

 

 

 

Nks M S KHAWULA: Laphayana e ... ngiyamuqala uNgqongoshe owenza lento, laphaya eBhayi kusigceme seshumi nanhlanu kunabantu abahlala endlini eyodwa, abanayo indlu yangasese, abasuswa kule ndlu abesifazane abakhubazekile nabantwana. Okwesibili, ngenzela njalo uNgqongqoshe – hhayi nina anithule nifuna isikhundla sakhe senginibonile. [Ubuwelewele.] Okwesibili, bengifuna ukwazi Ngqongqoshe ukuthi kunalemboni yabantu abamnyama abayisungula ngezikhwepha zabo, imboni yamatekisi, lemboni Ngqongqoshe iningi lalabo abayisungula sebashona bonke,

isisele nabantu besifazane, abakhulisa izingane zabo nabafuna ukususa ikati eziko. Umbuzo wami Ngqongqoshe, ngabe uyazi yini ukuthi lemboni ibaluleke kangakanani kumuntu wesifazane? (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

 

 

[Ms M S KHAWULA: Chairperson, we as the EFF don‘t support the Budget Vote. No ... The first thing that I want to say is that, it is hard Minister, with your permission; Chairperson. This thing of prostitutes, we don‘t support prostitution. We cannot build the nation and at the same time support prostitution. Thank you. The second thing that I want to say, Minister, please listen carefully, because I am trying to help you, we are not fighting. The women‘s problems here in South Africa have not been solved at all.

 

 

HON MEMBER: Talk about your problems, not mine.

 

 

 

Ms M S KHAWULA: In ... it is my first time seeing the Minister doing this, in Port Elizabeth in Ward 15, there are people staying in one house, they do not have a toilet, women and children living with disabilities are not removed from this house. Secondly, the reason I am doing this Minister – keep quiet all of you, I can see that you want her position. [Interjections.] Secondly, there is this industry that the black people established

with their strength, the taxi industry. This industry is huge and most of the people who established it have all passed away and it is now left with women that are raising their children on their own and fighting poverty. My question, Minister, is that: do you know how important this industry is to women?]

 

 

HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Order, hon members I can‘t hear.

 

 

Nks S M KHAWULA: Ngoba lemboni iyodwa yabantu abamnyama ikwazi ukuqasha umshayeli, iqashe umsizi wakhe, iphinde izosiza nawe ogibelayo uye emsebenzini futhi lemboni uma uthi uyayibheka Ngqongqoshe – ngifuna ungibuke Ngqongqoshe – ibulawa kakhulu kanti lemboni iyakwazi ukumsiza umuntu wesifazane ukuthi akwazi ukuxosha ikati eziko izingane zakhe zifunde. Okokuqala, into ebulewe ngayo, yilezi zinxanxathela zezitolo ozifake – uwena no-ANC wakho – lana emalokishini, nazo izinkampani ezinkulu o- Group Five kanjalo nalezi zinkampani lezi ebezikade zibasaba abantu, lento inzima ngoba abantu okufanele ngabe baya edolobheni abasayi. Ama-tuckshop abantu ebakade bephila ngawo abasayi labo abangabantu besifazane futhi nazi kahle uma uwumuntu wesifazane ukuthi obani.

 

 

Ngqongqoshe, musa ukuvuma ukudlala abantu. Kuyimanje abantu abakhubazekile abanazo izindlu banethwa izimvula ngenxa yokuthi

anikwazi ukubenzela izindlu nigcina ngokubathembisa. Emisebenzini abaqasheki kuthiwa azikho izimoto zokuthi bathathwe bayosebenza futhi into eniyikhulumayo ayifani, ngaleyondlela sithi thina njenge-EFF, abantu bala eNingizimu Afrika abakhohlwe i-ANC, nihluleke naqeda nathi nya kuphela nazi nina ukuvikela uMsholozi wenu lo enazi ukuthi uyenayena la eNingizimu Afrika, nikhohlwa abantu abaniholelayo imali, intela. Ugogo nangu, umuzi wakhe kade wawufa, ngifuna nazi.

Kunomndeni wakwaQwabe la, [Kwaphela isikhathi.] kade wafa lomndeni, izingane zakhona zihleli kabuhlungu. Ngqongqoshe, sukuma, musa ukulalela abantu abafuna isikhundla sakho. Abantu abavotele i-EFF, uzowabona amakhansela ethu asizowavala amafoni. Ungizwile Ngqongqoshe? Ngiqondene nawe ngqo. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

 

[Ms S M KHAWULA: Because this industry on its own can hire a driver, his conductor and also help those who commute to work. And if you look at this industry, Minister, it has been destroyed yet it can help women in fighting poverty and to take their children to school. The first thing that destroyed it, are these malls that were built by you and your ANC – in the townships - and the big companies like Group Five and also those companies that were afraid of hiring our people - this is difficult because those people who are supposed to go to town no longer go. The tuckshops

that people were surviving from, they no longer go to those women and as women you know who they‘re.

 

 

Minister, stop allowing people to use you. Right now, people who are living with disabilities do not have houses, they are suffering when it‘s raining because you can‘t build them houses, you just make promises. They can‘t even get employment, it is said that there are no vehicles to deliver them and you contradict what you say; therefore as the EFF, we‘re pleading with the people of South Africa to forget about the ANC, you have failed dismally, what you know is to protect your Msholozi (Clan name.) that you think is the only important person here in South Africa. You forget about the people that pay you and your rates. There‘s an old lady, her house has been falling apart, I want all of you to know that. There is a Qwabe family out there, [Time expired.] the parents died a long time ago and the children are suffering. Minister, do something about this, and stop listening to people who are after your position. The people must vote for the EFF, you will see our councillors, we will not switch off our cell phones. Minister, did you hear me? I am referring to you as well.]

 

 

Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: House Chairperson, Hon Minister and Members of Parliament, let me at the outset state that I wish

to pay tribute to the brave students of Rhodes University who recently spoke out against the rape culture at their campus. We applaud them, not only for their bravery but for their activism. However, our collective fight against gender based violence has been dealt a severe blow by recent utterances of Justice Jansen. We join our nation in its collective outrage. I too have, on behalf of the IFP, submitted an affidavit to the Judicial Service Commission, JSC, asking them to deal with this matter decisively.

 

 

During the past year, more than 53 000 women have been raped or abused. Let me repeat that, more than 53 000 women have been raped or abused. It remains an appalling state of affairs that we come to this House, to this podium, to this budget debate each year without being able to report of any progress in our fight against gender based violence. It is time to admit, hon Minister, that the government‘s approach to this crisis is not effective. I heard you speaking about the lack of funding but I think also it is a lack of approach, I think the integrated plan of action that we have it not working and it is failing our women.

 

We must ask ourselves the question today, if we truly have a caring government, why is it that we have millions of school girls who miss one week of school each month because they cannot access sanitary bags. Hon Minister, it cannot be that we

continue to label sanitary products as luxury goods. We call on government to reclassify women‘s hygiene products as necessities exempting it from VAT or what is called ?tampon tax?. Your department is not a service delivery department and you do not have the funds but you have the capacity to lobby government.

 

 

Let me make this clear, while removing VAT from this products might be a step in the right direction, the IFP will continue to call for the provision of free sanitary pads for those who cannot afford it. And it is possible hon Minister, we provide millions of free condoms even flavoured ones to South African citizens, yet our girls are denied the education and their dignity. Let us declare 2016 the year in which we correct this wrong.

 

 

Chairperson, this department receives a mini budget, but to make matters worse, the bulk of this budget, over 60%, is spent on administration alone leaving this department with less than

40 million to execute its mandate. If we consider these numbers it is clear that the system is failing us. Let me also state that we simply cannot claim that we have succeeded in empowering women simply because we have women sitting on the benches and in Cabinet. This does not reflect our reality. Our reality is that women are not safe in their own homes and they are not safe in our communities. In reality, women still bear

the brunt of poverty and many in rural areas are excluded from the economy. Minister, this must change.

 

 

Despite your mini budget, you and your department must ensure that every cent is spent to effect change in the lives of our women. We want to hear you give guidance on the ?blesser? phenomenon, sugar daddies and teenage pregnancies. We want to hear you give guidance when our President claims that women are too sensitive because they mistake compliments for sexual harassment. We want you to take a more regressive approach in holding to account departments and entities that fail our women. But for this to happen, this department must go back to a basic approach.

 

 

Mr M A DIRKS: House Chairperson on a point of order: the member just made a remark that the President made a comment that women should take sexual harassment should be taken as a compliment. The President never said that... [Intejections.]

 

 

Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: No, that is factually correct hon member. Let me continue please.

 

Mr M A DIRKS: ... do not twist the words of the President ... [Interjections.]

Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: That is not a point of order.

Mr M A DIRKS: ... that is unacceptable.

 

 

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon member, I think that is a point of debate. Let us allow the members who will be debating to speak on it, continue.

 

 

Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: But for this to happen, hon Minister, we need you to go back to a basic approach. We need to spend less time on workshops, talk shop and conferences. We need to focus on ensuring that this department‘s monitoring and evaluation tool is finalised as a matter of urgency and we must ensure that gender focal points at the various levels of government are operational.

 

 

In conclusion hon Chair, we have made strides in our collective pursuit of women‘s empowerment and gender equality but we still have a long road to walk. I thank you.

 

 

USOLWAZI N M KHUBISA: Sifisa ukubonga kakhulu Sihlalo nale Ndlu ehloniphekile, okokuqala nje Sihlalo, angisho ukuthi iqembu lethu lihola umongameli wesifazane. Ngicabanga ukuthi kulokho nje kukodwa kuwumlando futhi kuyinto ebalulekile.Okwesibili, thina njenge-NFP uma siqala iqembu lethu sithatha omasipala ngonyaka wezi-2011 saqinisekisa ukuthi sinazo izimeya zesifazane, amasekela ezimeya esifazane, nosomlomo besifazane

kanye nabesifazane ababakwizikhundla zase-Exco. Sisazokwenza futhi uma sithatha omasipala ngowezi-2016 ukuthi kube njalo.

 

 

Okunye esaqinisekisa ukukwenza Ngqongqoshe kwaba ukuthi kube khona ingxenye mhlawumbe sihambe siyozama imali ukuthi omasipala esibaphethe senze ukuthi abesifazane ikakhulukazi laba abangabafelokazi kube nengxenye abayitholayo yemali ngoba basuke baphethe amakhaya. Sifuna ukuqonda iqhaza elibanjwe abantu besifazane emlandweni wakithi, asifuni ukuthi silibukele phansi ngoba balwe izimpi ezinkulu kumzabalazo walelizwe.

Ngakho-ke i_NFP iyalihlonipha kakhulu lelo qhaza, Ngqongqoshe. Siqonda futhi ukuthi uMnyango wakho kufanele ukuba ulungise isimo sezenhlalakahle yabantu nomnotho uthole isabiwomali esiyizigidi ezingama-196 wamarandi. Esicabanga ukuthi mhlawumbe lesabiwomali asenele uma sibheka izingqinamba abantu besifazane ezweni lakithi ababhekene nazo – izingqinamba zokuthi bayadlwengulwa kanye nokuhlukunyezwa nje okukhona ezweni lakithi esithi njenge-NFP simelene nazo.

 

 

Sithi ke Ngqongqoshe kuyosilekelela kakhulu noma sazi ukuthi uMnyango wakho ukuba weluleke ube phezulu usebenze neMinyango yezenhlalakahle yezifundazwe ezahlukahlukene. Uma wehla uya emiphakathini ziningi kakhulu izinkinga ezibhekene nabantu besifazane, hhayi kuphela bona bodwa namantobazane nabadala bethu abahlukunyezwa imihla ngemihla. Cabanga ukuthi ogogo bahlukunyezwa kanjani uma beyobheka impesheni – ngiyazi lowo

msebenzi ubhekane Nokuthuthukiswa Komphakathi kodwa ngokubambisana. Phela uMnyango kufanele ubambisane neminye iMinyango ukuzi wenze lento ibaluleke.

 

Ngiqonde futhi Ngqongqoshe ukuthi uMnyango wakho kufanele usebenze noMnyango Wezamaphoyisa, noMnyango Wezobulungiswa Nokuthuthukiswa Komthethosisekelo neminye iMinyango yezeMfundo, neyaMabhizinisi Amancane neminye ukuze ithuthukise abantu besifazane. I-NFP ithi kubalulekile ukuthi buqine lobu budlelwane ukuze iqhaza labantu besifazane nokuthuthukiswa nje kwabo ngoba kubalulekile ezweni lakithi kuye phezulu.

 

 

Siyaqonda ukuthi liningi igxathu eselihanjiwe kodwa akwanele. Ngicabanga nje iminyaka eyedlule siqala ukufundisa ngonyaka we- 1980 sibangothisha sasiqonda lapho ukuthi abesifazane mhlawumbe wawuthi une-M+3 isitifiketi sezifundo zobuthisha [Diploma.] owesifazane yena eno-M+5 iziqu ze-honours, uthole ukuthi uhola kancane kunawe wena owesilisa. Siyabonga ukuthi leliqhaza igebe lize laqedwe laphele kodwa ziseningi izinselelo ikakhulukazi abesifazane basabebhekene nezinto ezifana nesifo sengculazi nokubheka amakhaya bebodwa. UMnyango unenselelo enkulu kakhulu ukuthi uqhubeke ukubona ukuthi abantu besifazane bayawathola amandla, bayangena emabhizinisini, bayanikezwa namakhono ukuze bakwazi ukuthi bazithuthukise. Ngicabanga ukuthi lezinto zibalulekile. Bese-ke nama-CBO nama-NGO adla imali abasuke eyinikelwe ukuthi ithuthukise abesifazane baboshwe labo bantu

ngoba abawusizi futhi abawulekeleli umphakathi. Le zinto Ngqongqoshe ngicabanga ukuthi zibalulekile uyozibheka ekuxhaseni kwethu lesi sabiwomali. [Ihlombe](Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

 

 

[Prof N M KHUBISA: We would like to thank the Chairperson and this august House. Chairperson, let me start by saying that our party is led by a woman. I think that, this alone is part of our history and is also an important thing. Secondly, as the NFP when we started, our party took over the municipalities in 2011 and we ensured that we had female mayors, female deputy mayors, and the female speakers as well as females in the Exco. We will do the same again should we take over the municipalities in 2016.

 

 

What we also made sure that we did Minister was to look for funding so that the municipalities which we controlled, we had an allocation that was given to the widows because they take care of their families. We want to understand the role of women in our history, and we don‘t want to undermine them because they fought great battles in this country‘s struggle.

Therefore, the NFP respects that role, Minister. We also understand that your department has to address issues pertaining to social welfare and the economic conditions. You were allocated R196 million which we think is inadequate if we look at the challenges that the women are faced with in our

country - challenges such as rape and the other forms of abuse that are there in our country which we say as the NFP we are against.

 

We say then, Minister, it would help us a lot even though we know that the department is expanding and works with other Departments of Social Services in the different provinces. If you can go to the communities you will see that there are many challenges which women are faced with, not only them even the girls and our elderly are abused on daily basis. Just come to think of how elderly women are abused when they go to collect their pension money, I know that is the duty of Community Development but it is a collective initiative. The department is supposed to work in partnership with other departments in order to prioritise this.

 

 

I also know, Minister, that your department must work in partnership with the Department of Police, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the other departments such as the Department of Education, the Department of Small Business Development and others in order to uplift women. The NFP says that it is imperative that the relationship is solid in order for the role and the emancipation of women to progress.

We know that there is a great stride that we have gone but it is not enough. I‘m thinking of the time when we started working in 1980 as teachers we knew then that when you had an M+3 which was a Diploma and a woman had an M+5 which was an honours degree, you would find that a woman earns less than a man. We are grateful that the salary gap has been narrowed but there are still a number of challenges which women are still faced with such as AIDS and taking care their homes on their own. The Department has a massive challenge to make sure that women are empowered, they venture into businesses, and they are given some skills in order hey are able to improve themselves. I think that these issues are important. Furthermore, the CBOs and the NGOs who misuse the money that is allocated to them in order to empower women should be arrested because they are not helping the community. I think these issues are important, Minister, and you will consider them when we support the Budget Vote. [Applause.]]

 

 

Mr M A DIRKS: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members of this House, our valued guests in the gallery, director-general of the department and your staff present, welcome and good afternoon. Allow me during this budget debate to relate to you the story of a rural black woman who lived in the former Bantustan of the Transkei in a small rural village outside UMzimkhulu. She lived on one acre of land in a mud house without electricity and clean drinking water. The only drinking

water was a stream running through the village. Animals and humans coexisted, along this stream, were drinking from the same stream and the same stream was used for irrigation purposes.

 

 

Passing her one acre of land was an electrical pylon taking electricity to one family who lived at the end of this rural village. The recipient of that electricity was a white family. Year in and year out this woman toiled from sunrise till sunset tilting the land to provide for her family, planting mealies that will go to the grindstone to make mealie-meal so that her family could have porridge. Some of the mealies will be dried to cook inkobe [boiled corn] and some used as chicken feed for the chickens so that her family could have meat once a month at the dinner table.

 

 

This is the story of my mother. I am a product of her, a woman; and I owe my being to a rural woman a subsistence farmer. I am the son of an oppressed rural woman from the hills of Clydesdale drinking water from the streams with animals and living in permanent load shedding. This was also the story of millions of black women in South Africa -from the rural poor to the hostel dweller and to the townships. This is the broken and unequal society of epic proportion that the ANC government inherited after 1994.

On 8 March 1987, during International Women‘s Day, Thomas Sankara said and I quote:

 

 

The revolution and women‘s liberation go together. We do not talk of women‘s emancipation as an act of charity or out of a surge of human compassion. It is a basic necessity for the revolution to triumph. [Applause.]

 

 

Thomas Sankara locates the African women‘s struggles within the historical oppressive process of colonialism and the unequal social relations of capitalism and capital exploitation. This is characterised as colonialism of a special type in the South African context, which resulted in the triple oppression of the mass of women based on their race, class and gender. The commitment by the ANC to the National Democratic Revolution in uprooting the political and socioeconomic bondages facing the poor, and majority of whom are African women, is central to understanding how the ANC places importance on women‘s socioeconomic empowerment.

 

The ANC has committed to building of a developmental state as the most appropriate theory in the transformation of the economy and society as a whole. In this context, it is required that a process of transforming the psychology of patriarchal power relations and attitudes amongst members in society is undertaken as part of the programme of national democratic

transformation. The inclusion of women in socioeconomic development is central in ensuring quality access to education, health care, security and ownership.

 

After 1994, the ANC-led government faced the daunting task of not only addressing the ravages of apartheid rule but also to reverse this triple oppression of women.

 

 

After 1994, for the first time in more than 300 years of colonial and apartheid corruption, wow there was light. The ANC brought electricity and clean drinking water to this small rural village. [Applause.] Today the ANC has connected electricity supply to more than 90% of South Africans. Many rural women are relieved of the burden of fetching firewood from faraway forests. This ANC has made water infrastructure available to 90% of households. Women in many informal settlements in the cities and towns do not have to beg for water any longer. Far fewer rural women have to travel far distances to reach wells, dams and rivers to fetch water for their households. The ANC has restored the dignity of women in rural areas. Never and never again will our people be treated worse than animals by drinking dirty water. [Applause.]

 

Now, there are those that are saying and insulting the rural women out there. They are saying that these rural women and these rural people are voting for the ANC. They are saying that

these illiterate people from rural areas are voting for the ANC. They are insulting the integrity, the intelligence and the intellect of those rural people – the voters of the ANC. Those people know exactly why they vote for the ANC. When they put on the switch and the electricity comes on, they feel the ANC. When they open their taps and the pipes vibrate with clean drinking water, you feel the ANC. The ANC is their light and they feel the delivery of the ANC in the rural areas.

Therefore, that is the reason why our people will continue voting and supporting the ANC because they know it is only the ANC that can transform their lives and gives them a better life.

 

The ANC has ensured, after 1994, that women are represented at all levels of government. Today 50% of all ANC Members of Parliament, MPs, Members of Provincial Legislature, MPLs, councillors and mayors are women. The ANC has transformed the male dominated public sector by recruiting women into this sector. In order to accelerate the advancement of women in society, the ANC has made education accessible to the African girl child in the rural area, informal settlements and townships. It is of paramount importance that this government transformed the structure of the economy to include women at all levels in the economy. In regards to this, the ANC has made great strides but much more needs to be done. Today women are in construction ... [Interjections.]

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Order! Order! Hon members, order! Hon members, order!

 

 

Ms S P KOPANE: On a point of order, Chair.

 

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Hon members, you are drowning the speaker. Order, yes! Let us retain the dignity of this House and allow the member to debate. Hon member, are you on a point of order?

 

 

Ms S P KOPANE: Chair, may you kindly protect our members for the Ministers to point people like this is unparliamentary.

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N PHOSA): Hon members! Hon member, Khawula!

 

 

Nks S M KHAWULA: Sihlalo, nginephuzu lesincomo. Sihlalo ngaphambili, ayikho into ebalulekile njengokuthi sihloniphane kuleNdlu. Uyabona lento eyenziwa uNgqongqoshe nalaba bantu bangaphesheya, abahloniphi. Ngempela, ngempela, akufanele abantu baphinde bavotele i-ANC, ayihloniphi. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

 

 

[Ms S M KHAWULA: Chairperson, I have a point of order. Chairperson, there is nothing more important than respecting one another in this House. You see, what is being done by the

Minister and those members over there, is impolite. Really, people should never vote for the ANC again, they have no respect. Thank you.]]

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Hon members, order! Shall we refrain from obstructing the decorum of the House? All hon members from both sides, could you please respect the House? You may proceed, hon member.

 

 

Mr M A DIRKS: Today women are in construction and are receiving work worth billions of rand to build houses and schools across length and breadth of South Africa. The ANC has made funding and farms available to women farmers. This is exactly the point, when you find some people out there that are saying the lives of women in South Africa have not improved for the better since 1994. If there are people that are saying that it was better under apartheid and we wished that the days of P W Botha could return, now there is only two kinds of people that can say and tell us in this country that the lives of women have not changed for the better in this country – it is a fool and it is a racist.

 

 

Now, you tell me, which one are you? Are you a fool or a racist? Because only two kinds of people can make those comments. However, the private sector is not on board. The recent Commission of Employment Equity Annual Report indicates

this. And yes, the hon Robison is correct. She is correct when she says that women still do not have access to land. The land is in the possession of the minority of this country which is the white minority, which has higher constituency. Don‘t you think that she should tell her constituency? Don‘t you think that the hon Robison should ask her constituency to share that land that is not in the possession of the African women because it is still there? [Applause.] The hon Robison is also correct when she says that it is only in the public sector where women have dispossessions. They are full in the dispossessions and they are directors – here are the directors who are sitting here. They are all over in the public sector. They are in government. She is correct when she says only then ... she is correct because it is the ANC government that is doing that.

 

 

The private sector does not want to come on board and the report states clearly that the private sector still dominated by white males, not even white females.

 

 

Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: Hon Chairperson.

 

 

 

THE ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Hon member, may you please take your seat? What are you rinsing on, hon member?

Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: Hon Chairperson, the hon member is misleading the House because even government is failing to meet its own targets or ... [Interjections.]

 

Mr M A DIRKS: That is not a point of order. It is a point of debate.

 

 

Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: ... for the promotion of women at senior management levels ... [Interjections.] ... saying themselves. Therefore, he is misleading the House.

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Hon member, sit down. It is not a point of order. Shall we proceed? Hon members, order!

 

Mr M A DIRKS: When hon member does not like to hear the truth then she starts disrupting and interrupting. It is a fact that the private sector is dominated by white males. The DA is not telling its constituencies, the private sector, to come on board to empower the African woman. They are not doing that here. It is the very same DA that is asking the African woman to vote for them. They are telling African women that vote for us so that we can maintain the status quo. Vote for us so that we can maintain white dominance in a private sector. Vote for us so that we can maintain the land in the hands of white people.

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Order!

 

 

Mr M A DIRKS: The Ministry of Women in the Presidency is crucial in realising the total emancipation of women‘s social and economic rights. The purpose of the Department of Women is to lead, co-ordinate and oversee ... [Interjections.]

 

 

THE ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Hon members, you are drowning the speaker.

 

 

Mr M A DIRKS: ... the transformation agenda on women‘s socioeconomic empowerment, rights and equity through: Policy analysis, providing advice, developing intervention mechanisms for women‘s economic and social empowerment and gender monitoring. The ANC supports this Budget Vote.

 

 

In conclusion, I will neglect in my duty if I do not mention that this is the 60th year since the famous and historical march in the Union Buildings. We salute the stalwarts and our veterans in the gallery. We salute the women, black and white, that marched in the Union Buildings 60 years ago. [Applause.]

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Hon member, proceed. Hon members, please, do not drown the speaker. Order!

 

 

Mr M A DIRKS: I want to continue by saying ... [Interjections.]

Ms L L VAN DER MERWE: You are talking nonsense.

 

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Order!

 

 

 

Mr M A DIRKS: ... that we want to salute the ANC Women‘s League

 

... [Applause.] ... the biggest political gathering in recent history to play on Saturday in Pretoria – a march of over

120 000 women and a prayer at Union Buildings. Malan ran 60 years ago when women marched to the Union Buildings. On Saturday, when 120 000 women marched, we want to tell those that are saying that they will take our country by the barrel of the gun beware, the women are coming.

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Order! Order, hon members!

 

 

Mr M A DIRKS: It is only, and we want to say to the women of South Africa, black and white, the ANC that can liberate you. It is only the ANC. Therefore, when you go to polls on 3 August, remember that it is the ANC that can bring freedom and economic development to women in this country. I thank you, hon Chair. [Applause.]

 

 

Ms C N MAJEKE: Hon Chairperson, Hon Ministers, hon members ...

... kuninzi okwenziweyo ukuphuhlisa oomama elizweni lethu kodwa iseninzi into efuneka yenziwe. [... much has been done to develop women in our country but a lot still needs to be done.]

 

Although some progress has been made in uplifting women‘s lives in the country, a lot still need to be done to overcome the persistent cultural, economic and social burdens borne by the most - both young and elderly women in our country.

 

Most importantly is an. acute understanding that the promotion

of gender equality and empowerment of women is of benefit to any economy and the society at large. Women‘s role in the economic sphere at a household level as well as within society as a whole is visible and largely expressed in the informal economic sector. Women have occupied this informal economy to find ways of surviving in precarious circumstances that may otherwise destroy them.

 

 

Through their efforts in this sector, they are able to rise and build a decent living, not only for themselves but also for their families. They have mobilised and socialised themselves such that they take opportunities available to fight hunger and push back poverty whilst contributing to other socioeconomic demands of their households.

In order to consolidate these initiatives, the UDM have the following suggestions to present. I will highlight a few categories which include women in poverty, women in armed conflict and women in the economy. I will give more emphasis on women in the economy.

 

It was suggested that an enabling working environment be created for women in the informal sector and such should be adapted to the needs of the local women so that their businesses can grow. Relevant policies should be formulated to create recognition of this sector as an equally important player in the national economy. Informal economy workers must be at the centre of the crafting of these policies.

 

 

New strategies and innovations are to be put forward to embrace alternative finance models that are relevant with the economic realities confronting women should be found to complement the existing ones. Linked to this should be finance and business literacy. The government, through this department, must create mechanisms for the support of women in their great efforts to access capital - capacitating them in business and protecting them from unfair competition.

 

 

The capacity of the Ministry and the department to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the policies designed to foster women empowerment by other state institutions, private sector

and civil society, remains a gap. This include the urgent need for the strengthening of the Commission for Gender Equality so that it has a clear recourse mechanism to hold accountable anybody and any institution - including the private sector that fails to comply with the relevant legislations in the agenda to mainstream and empower women. This also involves looking into the allocation of its budget, taking into account the enormous work done by this commission.

 

 

Lastly, access by rural women - both elderly and the girl child, to the government programmes intended for their empowerment is still lacking. We need to take this department to the rural hinterland; the department must go the people.

This requires more investment towards advocacy work of the department working together with other institutions, councillors, traditional leaders and NGOs in the rural areas. The UDM support the budget. I thank you.

 

 

Ms N I TARABELLA-MARCHESI: Hon House Chairperson, I would like to dedicate this budget speech to the Rhodes University rape victims and all students that have experienced sexual harassment in a place of learning. South African women have always played a prominent role in the struggle for justice and equal rights.

From the 1956 march to the Union Building, fast forward 20 years from the birth of democracy to now, we are seeing protests led by women, from the #FeesMustFall-movement to the current #RapeMustFall-movement, fighting for the same dignity that they have been denied even now.

 

To address these issues, we must not ask what has changed, but rather what has remained the same. Common ground in protests around the country is that the judicial system has failed them. The government of the day has failed them and educational institutions have failed them.

 

 

These bodies that are supposed to protect society are not being held accountable to resolve these matters, but instead shift the responsibility one to another, whilst covering their own backs. By slapping the students with the court order, the Vice- Chancellor of Rhodes University is gagging the students. You can‘t fight fire with fire.

 

 

At the height of the protest at Rhodes University, the ANC sent the Minister of ?smallanyana skeletons?, Minister Bathabile Dlamini, who went to the university but was shunned by students. [Interjections.] That is a clear indication that the youth does not trust the ANC. They don‘t trust the ANC government any longer to provide aid and support. [Interjections]

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Order!

 

 

Ms N I TARABELLA-MARCHESI: This ANC government has similarly long lost credibility. As a result, social media has become the only platform ... [Interjections.] ... where students can voice their frustration and pain at injustice.

 

 

What is happening in Rhodes University is not unique. It is happening in other universities as well, but it is swept under the carpet. These protests are a mirror image reflecting the plight of women in our society. [Interjections.]

 

 

The role of the Department of Women in the Presidency should be to address ...

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Order!

 

 

 

Ms N I TARABELLA-MARCHESI: ... these societal ills. It should be addressing the gaps within our legislation in relation to sexual offence, evaluating the ability of the SA Police Service, SAPS, to deal with victims of sexual assault, and improving the policies relating to gender-based violence within institutions of learning.

 

 

The Minister will obviously say the department is underfunded. Let me tell you, underfunding of the department is a political

choice; it is not an economic necessity if we are faced with a high rates sexual abuse of women. The department has been allocated R127 million by the National Treasury. Unfortunately, the Minister decided to take 70% of that budget and allocate it to administration so that she can have all jobs secured for her fellow comrades. [Interjections.]

 

 

What use is spending 70% of the department‘s budget on administration and allocating a chunk of 71% of your personnel to administration, whilst leaving all the other programmes that are supposed to change the lives of women and giving them a very small amount of the budget. I am talking about 14.5% of the budget allocated to programme two, which is social transformation and economic empowerment, Minister, and only allocating 13% for the personnel, for that programme.

 

 

And on the other hand, the final programme which is supposed to be looking at policies, stakeholder co-ordination and the knowledge management programme is allocated only 18% of the budget, where 16% of the personnel are allocated.

 

 

To add insult to injury, this department spends R9 million per annum for rent towards a three floor dilapidated building ... [Interjections.] ... while the staggering statistics of sexual and domestic abuse continue to escalate.

The priorities of this department are skewed. Women are being failed by this ANC government.

 

 

Ibuyela emuva. [It is regressing.]

 

 

Added to this, the Commission for Gender Equality, CGE, which stands for women, is only allocated R69 million, whereas other Chapter 9 ...

 

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Order, hon members

 

 

Ms N I TARABELLA-MARCHESI: ... institutions are allocated more than that.

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Order!

 

 

Ms N I TARABELLA-MARCHESI: Is it because CGE advocates for women? [Interjections.] We are tired of rhetoric, Minister. As a committee, we have continuously asked for the completion and a speedy implementation of the framework for gender mainstreaming and the gender-responsive budgeting in all spheres of government.

 

 

Gender focal points are not uniform in government departments, Minister. It is just superficial. The staff members are actually working just as ordinary staff members who co-ordinate

events. As a matter of fact, hon Dicks, it is nice to see you because we hardly in the committee. The Disabled People SA, DPSA, says the government is not meeting its own target when it comes to equity. Women constitute 28% of senior management and men 72%. Where is the 50/50 that you are talking about? [Interjections.]

 

 

We are still waiting for the National Strategic Plan on Gender- Based Violence which the Minister shelved.

 

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Order, hon members!

 

 

 

Ms N I TARABELLA-MARCHESI: I would like to urge ... [Time expired.] ... young women not to look for ?blessers‘ or sugar daddies but vote for the DA. [Interjections.] DA is a party of real education, real jobs, because it promised ... [Interjections.]

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms Y N Phosa): Hon members, order!

 

 

 

Ms N I TARABELLA-MARCHESI: ... [Inaudible.] [Interjections.]

 

... free and fair opportunities.

 

 

Ms M P CHUEU: Hon Chair, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon guest in the gallery and hon members, I want to great you today, just three days after the Mothers Day, and say happy

Mothers Day to all mothers. I want to address a few things that other members have addressed - the issue of women not being empowered in the Western Cape. It is surprising that we have women complaining that there is no real empowerment throughout the country whereas they themselves are members in this House because of the ANC, and not any other party. They have been empowered by the ANC, including the EFF, the DA and everybody else - it is the ANC.

 

 

Regarding the issue of the rent of the department, we have agreed as a committee that we don‘t agree with that R9 million. But it is the responsibility of Public Works. We are going to call Public Works. Marchesi, you know this that we are going to call Public Works to address the issue of the building and the rent. It is not the responsibility of the department. So, you cannot put the blame on the department.

 

 

I want to quote Proverbs 31: 24 and 29 from the Bible. Proverbs 31: 24

 

She is a very good businesswoman; she makes clothes, she makes belts and she sells them.

 

 

Proverbs 31: 29

Many women have done wonderful things, but you‘ve outclassed them all.

 

 

We are talking to women who have done progress despite their hardships; those women who fought to go out of hardships. This debate is to honour those women who keep on fighting their conditions and help the ANC to take them out of their condition. We wonder why in the world do we still allow that women must be oppressed and not be allowed in the mainstream of the economy. We talk about economic development.

 

What is economic development in terms of what the Oxford Dictionary says? It says:

 

Economic means relating to an economy, economy means the state of a country in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services.

 

Empowerment means to strengthen and give confidence. That‘s what we want - to give women confidence to participate in the economy.

 

 

There was a society which was called a primitive society. This society had women participating. Even in the matriarchal society women participated in the production of goods and services and in that economy women were respected. So, we

wonder why we have a patriarchal society that refuses to accept women in the economic mainstream. What is the problem? Because they know that women will be productive, they will feed their children, they will invest in goods and services that are going to help their families and people that they are living with.

 

In the primitive society in South Africa before our culture was bombed, women used to melt iron ore. Who gave them the idea that you can melt a stone and make steel out it? It is because God gave them the idea just like any other society in the world. Not that our people were stupid and could not be civilised. There is nothing like our people were not civilised. There were no degrees and there was no certificates. People used to pass skills from one generation to the other. Each and every family used to produce its own pots and its own ploughs to plough the fields. Even to cook mealie meal they had to process it in their own home.

 

 

The notion that our ancestors were stupid and that their brains could not conceptualise complex matters is a fallacy and that fallacy also extends to even to this period that our people cannot do mathematical things. But surprising our African houses are built on mathematical shapes. Our houses in this continent are built in all mathematical shapes - they are built on those shapes. Where did they get that intelligence? Verwoerd lied that our people were stupid enough and they could not

conceptualise mathematics. There is no such. Every child can learn mathematics. Mathematics is something that you use on a daily basis. When you walk from that door up to here is mathematical. When I take my hand to my mouth is mathematical. So, why can‘t we learn Mathematics? They have to simplify Mathematics in such a way that all of us are able to think mathematically and creatively.

 

 

The ANC has chosen a nonsexist principle. Why did we do that? Because we want all human beings, all women to participate in the economy to make sure that we go back to that patriarchal society, where we used to manufacture goods and create growth in the economy. The economy will never grow. It will always have a depression because women are not empowered.

 

I like to analyse and give the analogy of the economy and a human body. Fifty-two percent of that body is sick and 48% of the body is healthy. How do you function with almost half of your body not being in good condition? That is why we will always have one economic depression after the other because half of the community or half of the population is excluded from participating in the mainstream economy. The World Trade Organisation, WTO, can have so many conferences, but as long as women are not included in the mainstream of the economy, the economy will never survive. That economy will always produce sick people. You will have people that are sitting there

because of poverty. Poverty is associated with mental illness. Some of the people could not feed their brains with food and that is why they are now mentally ill. Our food pricing is always high and our people are starving because of our capitalist system.

 

God created all people to be equal. He created a man and a woman and He said they must go and subdue all animals. He did not say that a man must also include a woman in subduing.

 

 

The ANC has introduced a 50-50 quota which is a means to an end; it‘s not an end in itself. The struggle for women empowerment and emancipation is not about a number, but it is about changing the understanding of an individual, a male and a female, to constitute a society as a whole. This means that your values and norms and stereotypes that oppress women must be eradicated in totality.

 

 

But if you still support the system of capitalism that has a pillar of patriarchal pillar that ensures that women becomes a commodity to be displayed by our male counterparts. As long as we support such a system that oppresses women it means that we will never liberate all women. The issue of poverty, unemployment and inequality is found in every society in the world. You can name it, in America. It is not only South Africa. You can name it, it is anywhere in Europe. Those three

things are there. Unfortunately, I will not call that one, but you know why you are calling it.

 

 

One of the inequalities that we found is also in goods that are sold in our shelves in supermarkets. Women products are charged more than male products, for example, a shampoo. Women‘s shampoo is more expensive than a men‘s shampoo. In South Africa, in our committee, we are saying that we want to appeal to the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Economic Development and the Treasury to have the value added tax, VAT, removed from the sanitary pads and their prices lowered because young women even girls are unable to go to school because they don‘t have sanitary pads. We agreed that this is the responsibility of Social Development. We must ensure as the department that our girl-child attends school and that they are not left out of schooling because they don‘t have pads. But at the same time the department must also go to the Treasury and ensure that VAT is removed and the price is lowered so that women who are indigent are able to buy the pads.

 

 

Something that also fascinates me is how women still continue to call themselves with their married names. They accept that they are married to this man and they did not want to be identified with that surname. The sad part about it is that this woman, despite that she will have a profession at the end,

but she is always described by the husband‘s achievements or by the husband‘s surname. It is funny. If you really fight for women‘s empowerment on the other hand, fight for that. Why do you call yourself in a male‘s surname? Why don‘t you have a name because you accepted your own oppression? You are saying that you want to liberate other women. Liberate yourself first before you can liberate other women. [Time expired.] The ANC support Budget Vote 13 of the department.

 

 

The MINISTER OF WOMEN IN THE PRESIDENCY: Chairperson, ...

 

 

 

... ngithatha leli thuba ukubonga amalungu ale Ndlu ngokubamba iqhaza kuleli voti lesabiwomali. Ngibonge umhlonishwa uKhubisa ngalokhu akushilo, siyabona ukuthi niyisibonelo esihle la eNingizimu Afrika. Ngempela iqembu lakho nanoma lilisha kodwa libonile ukuthi abantu besifazane babaluleke kakhulu naze nakhetha umama uZanele ukuthi anihole, siyabonga. [Ihlombe.] Ngicela ukuthi udlulise umlayezo obuya kithi ukuthi sithi makaphile, abengcono akwazi ukululama abuye abe nathi kule Ndlu ukuze akwazi ukuzoqhuba umsebenzi omuhle abekade ewuqhuba ngaso sonke isikhathi. Sibonge futhi ubonile ukuthi into esiyishoyo siyiNingizimu Afrika yamakhosikazi ukuba nawo abeneqhaza alidlalayo ngoba analo ikhono lokuba abaholi, nikubonile njengenhlangano ukuthi lokhu kubaluleke kangakanani.

Siyakubonga lokho.

Engingakusho-ke, mhlobo wami, mama uKhawula, yekela ukuzi uze la eNdlini uphethe izithombe ngaso sonke isikhathi. Ake uzame okunye okungconywana ngoba ngaso sonke isikhathi uphethe izithombe, izibukiso, kodwa angiboni ukuthi zisisiza ngani lezi zinto ozibeka la. Okwesibili, inkinga enginayo ukuthi uthi unguhulumeni ozayo ozophatha, kodwa uzophatha kanjani uma njalo uletha amaphepha la, kunokuthi usho ukuthi wena abantu besifazane uzobenzelani. Ngakho-ke ngiyakucela ukuthi lo muntu ohlalele ukukwenzela amakhophi amaphepha ake awabeke eceleni, makaeke ukwenza kanjalo.](Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

 

 

[... I take this opportunity to thank the members of this House for participating in this Budget Vote. Thank you, hon Khubisa, for what you said; we can see that you are a good example here in South Africa. Indeed, even though your party is new but it has seen that women are very important and you even elected hon Zanele to lead you, thank you. [Applause.] I request that you convey our message to her that we say she must get well, and be able to return and work with us in this House so that she can be able to continue with her good work that she has been doing at all times. We also appreciate the fact that you took note of what we say as South African women that they must also play a significant role because they have leadership skills, you saw as a party how important this is. Thank you for that.

What I can say my dear friend, hon Khawula, is that you must stop bringing pictures each time you come to the House. You must try something better because you always have pictures, illustrations, but I don‘t know how those things assist us here. Secondly, I have a problem with you saying that you are the next government to rule, how you are going to rule if you always bring along papers here, instead of saying what you will do for the women. Therefore, I request that the person who always make copies for you must stop doing that.]

 

 

To hon Majeke, the issues you have raised are good suggestions. However, the issue of women in poverty we have to look at it within the context of what we are doing. That is why in one of our programmes of monitoring and evaluation, arising out of the report on the status of women, the President directed us that we must make sure that the departments in the economic cluster factor in: The issue of women, skilling, ownership across the board in making sure that women can participate. Today we talk about ocean economy, as we start these new economies, are women not being trained? Are they not part of it? Then we are just wasting time. So, I am just saying that you are correct, in the economy we have new opportunities, we can‘t leave women behind, we intend to come back to this House where we can share with yourselves as a portfolio committee how far are the departments in implementing and ensuring that women can benefit out of the programmes of the economy in our country.

I want to share with you that we are one of the leading countries in the world who have more women participating in conflict areas. Our women contribute so positively in our army and in whatever capacity they are involved, they have managed to protect women of those countries where they are. We are really leading. So, I am just saying that I want to share with you that we need to do more. We are not saying that it is enough, but we are doing more and there are lots of good things that we can learn out of that where our women play a constructive role in armed conflicts.

 

 

I must also say that the advantage with us as a country but also where we come from because of our struggles, women were never behind, they were always at the forefront of our struggles, including worker struggles. We know that I am a product of worker struggles. Therefore I am not here because I fell from the sky or that the ANC called me for an interview to get a job but it is because of the pain that I felt and suffered that makes me to be here. [Applause.] So, I agree with you, what we have to do, is to really intensify and not lose those struggles, otherwise they can be reversed. We do not want to be like Canada where gains made by women are now being reversed. So, we have to continue to intensify, I fully agree with you.

Pertaining to the issue of finance, one of the areas we are looking at as the department is access to finance for women. We also have to look at the conditions and the reasons put forward. Just a simple example, you develop a business plan with a vision and all that but what happens when you go and ask for money, including our financial institutions, even your IDCs and all that, you put so much effort and what do they do when you ask for money? When they respond they say, we regret that your application was not successful. They do not even make an effort to tell you why was it not successful in order for you to be able to correct that. We have that particular battle and if we, as women, take up that struggle of access to finance, we will even help men and they will benefit out of our struggles. They have benefitted even in the past. The Women‘s Charter was the first and then the Freedom Charter. We always lead because women do care in society. [Applause.] It is in our nature as women.

 

 

I accept that we do not have enough budget but our struggle as South Africa was not led by money, it is a commitment which brings change and then money follows. [Applause.] Even if we have minute budgets it does not mean that we must sit back and say there is no money. We have to think creatively. The partnerships we are creating are part of that process in making sure that our struggles and what we want for women in monitoring and evaluation is one of those. So, we will be

coming back to the committee with a report in areas where we are monitoring including the issue you have raised on the criminal justice system. That is why we talk about the integrated programme of action developed by the Department of Social Development. We are unpacking that, we are looking at it as to why do we implement it. However, how do we make sure that women can benefit out of services rendered by this government. I agree with you that it is important.

 

 

Regarding sanitary towels, let us work together. What is it that we need to do? I am not going to deliver sanitary towels but I am prepared to lead a campaign on sanitary towels including the no vat or tax on prices of sanitary towels. We have to work together because that is what brings us together as women and parents to girl children. We understand the pain and difficulty which our young people face. I must say that you can go to Sun City and have a beautiful palatial building and yet do nothing.

 

 

On the other hand, we might be in a building that does not look good but that is not what drives us. What drives us is the struggles of women, whether we pay R9 million for a dilapidated building whereby – let me also say, by the way, that it is owned by the same old people who came from apartheid and continue to exploit us. [Interjections.] But because we need a shelter – you are raising that. You are the one raising that,

R9 million owned by a white man. But what I want to say is that for us that is not a factor, whether we are in a shack but we will continue to deliver for the women of South Africa. [Interjections.] That is what is important; changing the lives of ordinary people in South Africa is a priority for us as a country.

 

 

I must also say that one of the issues that we must look at is that we can come here and say we are judged by our behaviour, about what we present and what we deliver, it is a reality. If we go and present a country report and we are leading in the world but a particular province gets picked up in South Africa about not doing justice to women, then we must raise it here. It is a fact. It is not me but it is that particular commission in the United Nations and they are concerned about the Western Cape. So, I as a Minister responsible for women am going to watch the Western very closely and make sure that they can deliver. When other countries talk about representation we become third because the Western Cape is not implementing. It is a reality, so they cannot be defensive about that. [Interjections.]

 

I must also say that as we speak today, I want to raise a point about the South African Students Congress, Sasco, in the universities. I must say that I am proud to be a member of the ANC. In the culture of the ANC and the history of the ANC we

have brought back the University of Fort Hare because it belongs to us and has never belonged to the DA. [Applause.] In various higher education institutions, the ANC is still leading.

 

 

Nase-Rhodes le abacabanga ukuthi bahlekisa ngoNgqongqoshe uDlamini ... [Even at Rhodes they think they are making fun of Minister Dlamini ...]

 

 

... it is still ours. Our children are leading Sasco. Therefore let us not try and make an issue out of nothing because those people support the ANC.

 

 

Bazavotela uKhongolose njengoba siya okhethweni lukahulumeni wasekhaya. [Ihlombe.] Siyazi ukuthi kuwo wonke amanyuvesi uKhongolose uphethwe yi-Sasco futhi yiyo eqhubayo, iyaqhuba laphayana. Manje engizama ukukusho ukuthi uma sibheka siyashintsha thina kanye nekusasa lethu liyabonakala nasemanyuvesi. Noma ningazama ukubathenga kodwa umehluko phakathi kwethu kanye ne-DA ukuthi thina kuKhongolose ulethwa ubuhlungu, awufaki isicelo somsebenzi. Umsebenzi uza ngemuva. UKhongolose yinhlangao yabantu, inhlangano ehlanganisa abantu ngenxa yobuhlungu babo ngoba izimisele ukuxazulula izinkinga zabantu.

Okokugcina engifuna ukukusho ukuthi, siyi le nhlangano ... [Ubuwelewele.] ... eminyakeni engama-22 embusweni wentando yeningi, sishintshe izimpilo zabantu besifazane. [Ihlombe.] Futhi ngingasho ngithi omama namhlanje banogesi, banamanzi akusafani nayizolo. Ngifuna ukusho futhi ukuthi thina asithi sesiqedile ngoba kuningi ekusafanele sikwenze ukuze silethe impucuko ebantwini bethu. Siyaqhuba siyinhlangano kaKhongolose. Masishoni sithi ... (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

 

 

[They will vote for the ANC as we are heading for the local government elections. [Applause.] We know that in all Universities the ANC is led by Sasco and it is the one that is working, it is working there. Now what I‘m trying to say is that we are evolving and our future is bright in the universities. Even though you can try to offer bribes, but the difference between us and the DA is that the ANC was brought about by those in pain, you don‘t apply for employment.

Employment comes later. The ANC is a people‘s party, a party that unites people because of their pain because and it is prepared to solve their problems.

 

Finally, I would like to say that, this party . . . [Interjections.]. . .in the 22 years of democracy we changed women‘s lives. [Applause.]I can also say that women today have electricity, water, and things are no longer the same as in

the past. I would like to say that we are not saying that we have completed our work because there is still a lot that we need to do in order to improve our people‘s lives. We are working as the ANC. Let us say ...]

 

 

... 3rd of August...

 

 

 

... sizohlangana kwesikaNtombela isigodi, siyobona ukuthi ubani ibhoza. [Ihlombe.] [... I‘ll get you, we will see who is the boss.]]

 

Debate concluded.

 

 

 

The Committee rose at 18:15.

 

 

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

 

 

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

 

 

 

The Speaker and the Chairperson

 

 

 

1. Draft Bills submitted in terms of Joint Rule 159

(1) Liquor Products Amendment Bill, 2016, submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

 

 

Referred to the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Select Committee on Land and Mineral Resources.

 

 

(2) National Forests Amendment Bill, 2016, submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

 

 

Referred to the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Select Committee on Land and Mineral Resources.

 

 

National Assembly

 

 

The Speaker

 

 

 

1. Introduction of Bills

 

 

 

(1) The Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

 

 

(a) Courts of Law Amendment Bill [B 8 - 2016] (National Assembly – proposed sec 75) [Explanatory summary of Bill and prior notice of its introduction published in Government Gazette No 39943 of 22 April 2016.]

Introduction and referral to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services of the National Assembly, as well as referral to the Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for classification in terms of Joint Rule 160.

In terms of Joint Rule 154 written views on the classification of the Bill may be submitted to the JTM. The Bill may only be classified after the expiry of at least three parliamentary working days since introduction.

 

 

1. Membership of Committees

 

 

(1) The following Chairpersons have been elected to portfolio committees with effect from 11 May 2016:

 

 

Portfolio Committee on Communications

 

 

Maxegwana, Mr CHM

 

 

 

Standing Committee on Appropriations

 

 

Phosa, Mrs YN

 

 

 

2. Invitation to nominate candidates for Land Bank board

 

 

Please note: The following entry replaces item 2(a) in the name of the Speaker under Announcements, in the ATC of 10 May 2016 on page 3:

(a) A letter dated 6 May 2016 has been received from the Minister of Finance, inviting the relevant parliamentary committees, in terms of section 4(2) of the Land and Agricultural Development Bank Act (No 15 of 2002), to nominate 3 candidates with a background in credit risk, risk management, financial management and auditing, as well as development finance and human resource management, by 30 May 2016 for appointment to the board of the Land Bank.

 

 

Referred to the Standing Committee on Finance and Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for consideration.

 

 

TABLINGS

 

 

 

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

 

 

1. The Minister of Trade and Industry

 

 

(a) Report of the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) for 2016/17 – 2018/19 [RP 110 – 2016].

 

 

(b) Government Notice No 506, published in Government Gazette No 39971, dated 6 May 2016: Codes of Good Practice on Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment: Marketing, Advertising and Communication Sector Code, in terms of section 9(1) of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act, 2003 (Act No 53 of 2003).

 

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