FRIDAY, 31 MARCH 2006 __

          PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES

                                ____

The Council met at the Moshaweng Local Municipality in the Kgalagadi District at 10:15.

The Chairperson took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS – see col 000.

TOWARDS ENSURING THAT WEALTH (ECONOMY) IS ACCELERATED AND SHARED AMONGST THE PEOPLE

                              (Debate)

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Hon Chairperson of the NCOP, Deputy Chairperson, hon members of Parliament and of the NCOP present here today, hon Premiers and members of provincial legislatures, traditional leadership, community leaders, members of the community at large …

Dumelang bagaetsho. Le kae? Ke itumelela go tla kwano … Mo ke mo gae gonne ke ne ke dira le lona thata. Ke itumelela gore batho ba botlhokwa ba ba tswang Kapa ba tlile go le bona le go utlwa maikutlo a lona. Go tloga mo, ba tlile go dira ka thata go le siamisetsa dilo. [Setshego.] [Legofi.] (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)

[Good day, everyone. How are you? I am happy to be here … This is my home, because I worked here with you a lot. I am happy that important people from the Cape are here to see you and to hear your feelings. From now on, they are going to work hard to make things right for you.] [Laughter.] [Applause.]]

Last year we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter, that document which was adopted by our people in Kliptown in 1955. The NCOP, your leaders that you elected, are here. Under the clause All national groups shall have equal rights!’’ as declared in the Freedom Charter. Their being here is also a demonstration thatThe people shall govern!’’

Ba tlile kwano go bontsha gore puso e dira le batho e seng gore puso e dira dilo ntle le go rerisana le batho. [They are here to show that government works with people and that government does not do things without consulting its people.]

[There shall be equal status in the bodies of state, in the courts and in the schools for all national groups and races; all people shall have equal rights to use their own languages, and to develop their own folk culture and customs; all national groups shall be protected by law against insults to their race and national pride; the preaching and practising of national, race or colour discrimination and contempt shall be a punishable crime; all apartheid laws and practices shall be set aside.]

We can declare proudly that we have achieved that. However, we need to continue to be vigilant to protect these gains.

The Freedom Charter clarified what type of society we would like to build, and thus laid the foundations of what we finally achieved when in 1996 our country adopted the first progressive and democratically crafted Constitution that is the envy of many nations worldwide and the pride of our nation.

It is therefore a great pleasure for me that the NCOP has chosen, and it has done this in a number of places, to bring the government to the people; to afford our people in our communities, people of all ethnic groups, people of different languages and cultures of our country an opportunity to engage them.

I would like to thank, especially the members who come from other parts of the country, who make it possible for the people of this community to interact with their leadership who come from other provinces.

We have brought the NCOP to the people because not only do we believe that all shall have equal rights!’’ but we also strongly believe thatthe people shall govern!’’

The central question is how do we transform the many expectations of our people into reality? How do we ensure that the hopes that we built up – some of which we will be building up as we are here – become practical gains?

At the level of rights, our country is in good standing. The greatest challenge that our country faces today is to ensure that all of the rights that are enshrined in the Constitution and many other pieces of the legislations are transformed into reality much faster and much deeper, because, as we know, people will not eat or drink rights. We need to ensure that the rights that we accord them are tangible.

Therefore, our challenges are related to bread and butter issues, they relate to how we ensure that there is universal access to basic services, like access to water, housing, infrastructure, telephones, electricity and, most importantly, access to economic justice and economic opportunities, which are key to the delivery of a better life for all. We also know that to deliver on the economic justice front is not something the government can do alone. It is something that we can only do if we work in partnership with the private sector. It is therefore fitting that the theme of this particular debate is related to the central question: ``Towards ensuring that wealth (economy) is accelerated and shared amongst the people.’’

The theme underlines the core business of our work as government and public representatives. For this reason, we are infused with the spirit of ensuring that through our local economic development we create an opportunity for the private sector to embrace the challenge of poverty alleviation and service delivery.

It is also encouraging to see that even in the Kgalagadi District Municipality, the interventions towards making this area provide basic services and ensuring that the people enjoy a better life are in progress. The allocation of R16,1 million in the 2003-04 budget to address water backlogs has had positive results. Among those was the fact that over 9 700 households gained access to clean drinking water, and since the introduction of the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme, 25 000 more households have gained access to water.

Also, the district has constructed 6 500 sanitation facilities, which led to job creation opportunities for our people and the training of our builders. The district is also planning to eradicate these sanitation challenges by 2007. And knowing the enthusiasm of the people of this district, I have all the hope that this is the goal we can hold them to.

I am also aware that in October last year, the households in this area who are entitled to free basic water were receiving free basic water at a level of 100%. But free basic electricity is still at 32%, which is still a big concern because I think in this area we are almost close to reaching universal access to electricity.

Therefore there is no need why we shouldn’t be moving faster in accessing free basic energy. Wearing my old cap as Minister of Minerals and Energy, I know how hard the people in this area worked to make sure that we fast- track access to electricity. So, we must make sure that the poorest of the poor are able to access the free and basic energy.

Going back to the issue of economic justice, our country is in a very good place at the moment. Our economy is growing and business confidence is high. I think it is important to mention in this area that one of the reasons why South Africa’s economy is growing is because we are a commodity- exporting country. It is because the commodities we produce are in high demand globally, particularly commodities that are produced in this area such as manganese, iron ore, coal; and, of course, other commodities of this country, platinum, etc are in high demand.

I would hope that as the NCOP, representing the provinces, these are the issues that we are seized with when we talk about sharing growth. The sharing of growth, in the context of Kgalagadi, means that the contribution of iron ore in the fuelling of the growth of the economy must give the people of Kgalagadi a better life. [Applause.]

In practical terms, what does this mean? This must challenge the mining companies in this area to ensure that the value chain from Sishen to Beijing, which is where this product ends up, is paved with benefits for the people of the areas where the resources originate. [Applause.] I don’t know how to do that and that is why you guys are here, but it’s got to be done.

This economy is also growing because of the growth of the new black middle class in South Africa, which middle class is consuming a lot of products for the first time.

The criticism of our labour market policy has not been found to be really detrimental to our economy, because people with permanent jobs, people who are in protected employment, have been able to become economic citizens who are able to get involved in the economy because they are not visiting the economy; there is protection which ensures their protection in their economy. It is those people, through their consumption, who are now fuelling growth in the economy. It’s good to know that the economy is driven by the sweat and the benefits of black people. ``Akuwona umnotho wabelungu lo kodwa ngumnotho wethu.’’ [This is not wealth for whites, but our wealth.]

Consumption-driven growth is also not positive, we need to balance it with production. Nevertheless we cannot scorn growth and walk away from it; we have to appreciate it.

We, however, face a real challenge in this economy. Besides the fact that we need to address the issue of sharing the benefits of growth, another challenge is to ensure that the growth is both accelerated and sustainable. And that is why we have decided that in the accelerated and shared growth we identify interventions, which will assist us to get the balance between the acceleration and the sharing.

Today, I want to speak particularly about the challenge of skills because it is one crucial input that the economy needs in order to sustain growth without which there is no growth, and in fact we stand in danger of losing out on the gains and the benefits that we have made already.

Many of you will be aware that on 27 March 2006, we launched the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition, Jipsa, where we are focusing on fast-tracking the acquisition of the priority skills in the short-term that are crucial for us to move from where we are to taking full advantage of the growth.

These are the skills that we need to enable us to deliver on infrastructure; to deliver on the growth sectors of the economy; to improve on our macroeconomic performance; to improve on governance and service delivery; and to ensure that those interventions that have been identified by provinces for Asgisa, can also be implemented without hitches.

I am sure that many of you are familiar with the details of Asgisa. But you may not necessarily be familiar with what you need to do at a level of human resources in order to make a decisive contribution. The contributions that we need from you, as government in particular, means to take advantage of the partnership that we have created between government, business, labour, civil society, researchers, and training institutions in order to create one formidable collective to address the issue of skills. By bringing together people with these highest level of skills and potential, we would like to make sure that as a collective we remove the bottlenecks and chart the way forward.

The focus areas for the skills needed and identified in Asgisa are as follows – and therefore even when you look at the scholarships that you may be offering you need to be mindful of these focus areas. These are the high- level, world-class engineering and planning skills for the ``network industries’’ – transport, communications and energy – all at the core of our infrastructure programme; city, urban and regional planning and engineering skills, most of which are desperately needed by our municipalities; artisan and technical skills needed both for infrastructure as well as for performance in some of the industrial sector – welders, plumbers, boilermakers – which are in short supply in this economy. We will be relying on the Further Education and Training colleges for the reopening of apprenticeships in the private and public sectors in order for us to address these skills.

Another focus area is management and planning skills, especially in education and health as well as in municipalities.

We have categorised teaching as a scarce skill. Especially scarce are quality teachers who teach mathematics, science, technology-related and language competency in public education. [Applause.] We have also identified the sectors in the economy that need urgent attention. The first two key sectors that need urgent attention and require scarce skills are tourism and business processing outsourcing which needs technology, ICT, computer literacy and language skills because people who work in the call centre and the BPO industries have to speak in the language of the client – German, Dutch, etc.

``Motho ya dirang mo call centre o tshwanetse a bue Seburu sa kwa.’’ [A person working at a call centre should be able to speak Afrikaans.] We have to learn those languages. In addition, we have to learn the subject. If you are providing a call centre for a bank, then you must have financial literacy. If you are working in a call centre and our client is a health care company, then you must have some literacy in the health care area. Many will probably be in the medical call centres because those are the ones we are targeting. So, in our training and skilling for both BPO and tourism, languages are important as well as ICT and technology because those are cross-cutting, as is financial literacy.

Project managers have been identified as a scarce skill; both entry-level project managers for people who are operating at intermediary and project implementation level but also at the commanding high level of the economy, the people who are able to project manage complicated groundbreaking projects. The building of Coega is not for boeties; it’s for sissies, because it is a big job! [Laughter.] [Applause.]

Groundbreaking initiatives in infrastructure like the building of airports, Gautrains and all those initiatives, need very complex project management skills. For the building of power stations, especially gas-fire power stations which will be built for the first time in South Africa because we have always built coal-fired power stations, some of the skills and competencies are obviously the same. But many of the people who were involved in some of these projects when, for instance, we last built power stations, are either retired or they have left the country because in the interim we have not been building those facilities. So, we have to recruit those skills or train, or reposition the country as an interesting destination for people with those skills within municipalities and provinces, in particular developmental economists.

We are therefore of a firm view that if we work together and we are both focused in acquiring these skills in the shortest possible time, we will be on track with what we would like to see as a skills revolution; because only when we work with that kind of frame of mind will we be able to tackle this very big task.

We also need skills to address the challenges within the second economy. All of the skills that I have spoken about and the sectors in the economy that we are dealing with, obviously are also crucial to the second economy. If you talk about tourism for instance, tourism also needs to respond to the second economy.

So there must be product development in the second economy. If you are talking about the BPO, you are also talking about locating some of the call centres in the areas that have citizens who are predominantly in the second economy. If you are talking about infrastructure, construction and the second economy, you are talking …[Inaudible.]… Dutch, as well as in the language spoken on the Flemish side of Belgium. We are targeting BPO activities from that part of the world. ``Julle moet praat, mense!’’ [Gelag.] [You should talk, people! [Laughter.]]

We would also like to ensure that in positioning our people in this economy, we also ensure that women and the youth are well positioned to benefit. It is going to be such interventions that will enable us to achieve what was highlighted in the Freedom Charter: “The people shall share in the country’s wealth.” The sharing in the economy is not going to happen if we do not collectively unite to address and to chart the shared path. I can guarantee you that this economy will grow but if we do not have the strategy to share, we will end with jobless growth again. We will end up with growth that does not impact intensely on poverty alleviation. Fortunately we are now beginning to experience a direct linkage between poverty alleviation and growth, and a direct linkage between growth and job creation. The statistics of the last quarter of the year are showing that, but we still have a long way to go.

In March 2006 we celebrated International Women’s Day and we also celebrated Human Rights Day but we also began the build-up towards the 50th anniversary of the Women’s March to the Union Buildings. We therefore need to make sure that when the real highlights of the celebrations culminate in August, that we have something to say to the women that will be substantive. The women of our generation should have something to say to the generation of women and the people of South Africa for the next 50 years.

We have a task to ensure that, through Asgisa and other programmes, we are taking to the 50th anniversary some of the tangible interventions. I’d like to highlight some of the interventions that I’d like to propose that we consider. A concerted effort needs to be made to take women out of the second economy and position them strategically and rooted in the first economy.

One of the ways of doing this within the time that we have, is through training. We need to find women who are stuck at the bottom end of our economy and institutions and provide them with skills that would fast-track them and position them at the commanding heights of the economy.

We are therefore undertaking that in infrastructure and we have recruited hundreds of women, including unemployed graduates, to fast-track them broadly in the infrastructure field as architects, quantity surveyors, site managers and project managers. Some of them will be undertaking that intense training and experience acquisition in Dubai. [Laughter.]

Some of them will be here in South Africa and we are pursuing other countries that would take the women on board. We are anxious to make sure that by the time we come in August, we are able to show that we would have a plan for these women. [Applause.] When they complete that, they will be highly marketable.

We also want to ensure that we train women to perform and to add value in the municipalities, especially given the high numbers of women we have now in the municipalities. We are therefore going to be offering training for hundreds of project managers, specifically for those that are in local government. We are opening our doors for training from May onwards and we would like the municipalities, and through the assistance of the NCOP, to please begin to forward names of people that will come for training. We are writing to all of you to recruit people, who must be recruited for training.

Our mission as this government is to ensure that we are able to bring back, through service delivery and high performance, the dignity and respect of people and communities, the care and love for our elders, the care and love for our children, good neighbourliness and the spirit of working together towards improving our communities.

This year we are going to celebrate the 30 years of youth development and the revolutionary spirit of young people as demonstrated by our young people in 1976. In relation to that we again need to identify groundbreaking initiatives or build on the initiatives that we already have to support our young people. In that regard we would like to relaunch the national youth service to ensure that we are able to create a dispensation where our young people are able to have an opportunity to serve our community, to have an opportunity to acquire the skills while they are in service and to have an opportunity to acquire the service that will enhance their patriotism and good citizenship.

The initial intake in the national youth service is targeted at 10 000 but clearly we need to increase the opportunity for intake to thousands and thousands, so that there will not be a young person in two to three years from now who wants to be in the national youth service and we cannot accommodate. To do that, we need partnerships whom we need to work together with our private sector, who will be amongst those that will offer us those opportunities.

``Ha hona kgomo ya boroko, kaofela ho tlo sebetswa.’’ [All of us are going to work together.] We can thus ensure that our young people are welcome in the different institutions with possibilities to build their future. We need you as public representatives to take an interest in this work in your constituency and come up with your own initiatives and to guide us to ensure that we are able to respond to the needs of your constituencies. We need you as public representatives to remain true to the struggle for justice and the wellbeing of our people as enshrined in the Freedom Charter.

In closing, let me remind you of what the President said when he opened Parliament this year, for it should guide you as you implement the programme of action to create a better life for our people:

It is because of what these millions did that our people know from their own experience that today is better than yesterday, and are confident that tomorrow will be better than today.

I thank you.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, hon Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, hon Premiers and Speakers present here today, Deputy Ministers and MECs, members of the legislature institutions, traditional and religious leaders who are among us …

Ke rata go tšea sebaka se magagešo go leboga Premiya Dipuo Peters yo a hlwelego le rena mo go tloga ka Mošupologo go fihla lehono. Ke Premiya ya mathomo go dira mohlolo wa mohuta wo. [Legofsi.] Gape ke leboga maloko a Khuduthamaga ya gagwe ka moka, ao a bego a boile kgothekgothe ao le wona a bilego le rena go tloga ka Mošupologo go fihla lehono. [Legofsi.] Se se ntaetša gabotse gore Premiya le maloko a Khuduthamaga ya gagwe … (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)

[I would like to take this opportunity to thank Premier Dipuo Peters, who has been spending time with us since Monday. No Premier has ever done this before and it is incredible. [Applause.] We want to convey our thanks to the members of the executive council, who have also gathered here with us since then. [Applause.] This clearly shows that the Premier and the members of the executive council …]

… have the courage and the will, and not just the will, but the political will, to address the issues that the people have raised with us here from Monday until today. [Applause.] She was not absent from any meeting. That was very impressive. This is what we would like to see when we go to all the provinces, because the programme of the NCOP is not about the NCOP, it’s about the people on the ground and all the three spheres of government. That is why this programme is so important for us all.

Lenaneo-tshepedišo la merero ya rena bjaloka ge re tlile fa, magagešo, le ka sebopego se: Sa mathomo ke go tla go sedimošetšana ka ga merero ya mmušo gore e sepetšwa bjang. Sa bobedi ke go sedimošetšana gore merero ya Palamente e šoma bjang. Sa boraro, re tlile fa go tla go bona gore mmušo o dirile eng go fihla bjalo mo mererong yeo e amago bophelo bja lena. Ka boripana, ke tšeo re bego re di tletše fa go thoma Mošupologo go fihla lehono. (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)

[Ladies and gentlemen, this is what our programme looks like: Firstly, there will be clarification on the implementation of governmental plans. Secondly, there will be clarification on how Parliament will implement its plans. Thirdly, an evaluation will be conducted on what government has done for the people up to this stage. In short, that is what we have been here for, from Monday until today.]

Therefore, the relevance of this programme is very important in assisting us to address the speedy delivery and the challenges that are facing our country. The programme serves as an important mechanism - the NCOP is a unique institution in our constitutional construct and plays a meaningful role in promoting good co-operative governance and sound intergovernmental relations.

This is very important because out of the engagements here from visiting health centres, schools and farms, expanded public works projects to engage in dialogue with our people on local government, social security, agriculture and other matters will come out of this report. This is the report that will give us an opportunity to further engage with the issues our people have raised here. This report can be understood in the context that it is the report that is a product of a platform of engagement with all three spheres of our government. This is the unique element of this NCOP exercise. A report of this nature will provide an opportunity for all the three spheres of government to further reflect on the issues that the people have raised here.

This programme of the NCOP fulfils the Vision of Parliament to build an effective people’s Parliament, that is, to respond to the needs of the people driven by the ideal of realising better quality of life for all the people of South Africa.

When we were in Limpopo last year, the President said that the NCOP is the only institution – I want to repeat that – is the only institution of our constitutional system of governance that straddles all three spheres of our co-operative governance construct, that is the national, the provincial and the local governments. And the President continued to say that the NCOP has the responsibility and the mandate to keep a constant eye on the processes that must integrate legislative and executive decisions in all spheres of government and ensure the practical implementation of these decisions, especially to the extent to which they impact directly on the lives of our people.

There is no better message that I can send today to all three spheres of government. We therefore do not have to fear each other when we deal with such serious issues. The Constitution is very clear that in terms of the international co-operative governance, the three spheres of government are interrelated and interdependent. It is very clear. We have to work together …``ge re tla kgona go thuša ditšhaba tša gaborena.’’ [… so that we will be able to help our people.]

The national and the provincial governments as well as municipalities are very important in playing a role. That’s a critical message that I can send to these people sitting here today and all three spheres of government. It’s a must that we have to work together in order to achieve this better life for all the people of South Africa. Therefore, in order for us to do all these things, particularly in dealing with the issues of Asgisa that the Deputy President has been raising, I’m very happy that the Deputy President took us through every page of Asgisa in the form of a workshop in the National Council of Provinces.

In order to achieve that, we need a huge investment in infrastructure envisaged in Asgisa to be able to provide services to our people and to attract private sector investment to kick-start local economic development, because that’s very important. If we don’t kick-start that local economic development, we’ll be slightly left behind. That local economic development is very important in job creations and Asgisa is going to address these issues and help us to move faster in dealing with the local economic development.

Go na le dilo tšeo di boletšwego mo go tloga ka Mošupologo ge re le mo kgaolong ya Kgalagadi. Magareng ga tšeo go boletšwego ka tšona go dikliniki le dikolo gore di kgole, batho ga ba kgone go di fihlelela gabonolo. Gape go boletšwe gore ditsela di mpefetše, ga di sepelege. Go boletšwe ka ga dikolo, kudu mathata a maleme mo dikolong. (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)

[Concerns have been raised since Monday, during the time we spent in the Kgalagadi area. Among other things, it was mentioned that schools and clinics were out of the reach of the people. The issues of poorly maintained roads, as well as the languages taught at the schools, were also raised.]

I in particular visited two schools. In one school they said to me, “Mr Mahlangu, the only problem that we have here is the background of the children who speak the Tswana language”. I asked whether they could explain to me what that means because I didn’t understand. What they said to me was this. ``Bana bakhwi ka gore ba tšwa dikolong tšela tša rena tša bathobaso, ga ba kgone go bala seisimane le seAfrikaans.’’ [These children come from our black schools and therefore cannot read English or Afrikaans.]

I’m very glad that you now understand the background which we come from. That’s the beginning of . . . [Inaudible.] That’s what the apartheid education, the Bantu education, did to you and me who are sitting here, and therefore, you cannot go and hide behind a wall somewhere. All of us have to address that very practical problem that was created by apartheid. I think the Department of Education will have to come forward very strongly on this issue because those children in those schools need to be kept in those schools, and need to be educated and brought back to the quality education system in this country. [Applause.]

``Pele ga ge nka dula fase, ke rata go ruma polelo ya ka ka la gore se sengwe se bohlokwa ke gore …’’ [Before I go back to my seat, I would like to conclude by saying that another important issue is that …]

… a lot of work has been done. An example is that of the effort of creating opportunities of unemployment to get training for employment through the Expanded Public Works Programme. I was very happy when I went to one project …

Ke be ke na le boNtate Tau gomme re bone baswa ba gaborena bao ba reketšwego metšhene ya go foroma ditena ke mmušo ba foroma tše 1 500 ka letšatši. Ge ba feditše go di foroma, ba a di rwala gomme ba dira paving mo maema-koloing a meago ya mmušo le go dira ditsela ka tše dingwe. (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)

[Mr Tau and I witnessed the youth who were granted machines by government. Those machines can make up to 1 500 bricks per day. They use the bricks they make to build pavements outside government buildings and they use some to build roads.]

That’s a wonderful programme. That is what we want to see happening. ``Ba dira dilo tšeo gore ba je, ba be ba fepe ditšhaba tša gabobona . . . [They do that for their survival, and to support their people . . .] … so that they can feed themselves. That’s a very important programme. [Applause.] So, I’m trying to say that I’m very happy that I visited Kgalagadi. When I came here, I asked the Premier how she can bring me to where there are no people. What am I coming to do? I was surprised when I came here on Monday that there were thousands and thousands of people. Yesterday and on Wednesday, I was in the field. I travelled a radius of about 100 km and saw the villages where the Deputy Minister has been working for some years. I was very happy to see that water is beginning to come in there, roads are beginning to be worked on and electricity is beginning to come in. Not all the villages are having that done.

BoPep le boSeven Miles di be di le kgojana le kgaolo ye. Bjale di e tla magagešo, le se ke la fela pelo. Mafelelong: re lebile kae? [Shops like Pep and Seven Miles are out of your reach, but they will be brought closer. You just need to be patient. Which areas are we heading for?]

The NCOP will scrutinise the issues raised here and follow up on the commitments made by government Ministers to ensure that we act to improve the lives of our people. We owe it to the people of our country to work hard to improve the quality of their lives so that they will be able to dream and take advantage of the many opportunities that exist in our democratic society and that we are alive to the possibilities of South Africa. I thank you all. [Applause.]

Ms D PETERS (The Premier of the Northern Cape): Chair of the NCOP, and Deputy Chair of the NCOP, hon Deputy President Mrs Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and our former champion for Kgalakgadi, the Kgalagadi people are very happy to see you and they are also very proud of you; Premier of North West, Mrs Molewa, Deputy Minister Thabethe, members of the NCOP and special delegates, members of Salga, our traditional leaders, ladies and gentlemen . . . ``batho ba Kgalagadi ba itumeletse go go bona Mma, ba ikutlwa ba le motlotlo ka wena.’’ [… the people of Kgalagadi are happy to see you, madam, and they are proud of you.]

Deputy President, we had miracles here, but Mr Mahlangu said the following to us on Monday.

Bomme le borre, ba tle ba re metlholo e a diragala; ke nnete metlholo e diragetse. Ke mo South Afrika fela moot la fitlhelang palamente e tla kwa bathong. Gompieno ke fa re mo Moshaweng, re mo lepelong le le se nang ditulo tsa maphatsitsi jaaka Gauteng, Kapa le bo Debene. Fela batho ba rona, baeteledipele ba rona ba tlile go tla go kopana le batho ba bona. Ke mo South Afrika fela o tla bonang motlholo oo.

[Legofi.]

Bagaetsho jaaka re le Kapa Bokone, re le batho ba Kgalagadi; batho ba Moshaweng; re itumelela gore NCOP e bo e tlile mo go tla go reetsa, go tsaya maele, le go bona gore ba ka thusa jang puso ya Kapa Bokone le puso ya Metse Selegae go ka kgona go tlhabolola botshelo ba batho ba rona. Re itumelela thata go bona ntlha kgolo ya ketelo ya palamente ya rona e le go tla ga Mme Phumzile Mlambo Nquka, go tla go re atlhatlha ka puo le go re kaela gore moruo o re batlang go o aga mo South Afrika gore o fitlhelele diporesente tse thataro, Kapa Bokone le Kgalagadi jaaka ntlha nngwe ya South Afrika le yona e baletswe.

Le ikutlwetse bagaetsho ditiro di tla nna teng. Ka jalo a re ithuteleng tsona, go ka kgona go itshedisa. Bana ba rona ba se ka ba tshaba Dipalo le Bonetetshi. Ga go dirwa Botekeniki ga se go ya ntweng. A re yeng re boneng gore re ithutela dithuto tseo tse e leng gore ka ntlha ya puso ya tlhaolele ba ne ba re ga re na boboko ba go ka di kgona. A re ba kaetseng gore re ka di kgona.

Bana ba rona gompieno ke dingaka ke bo raditekeniki ba tla kgona go fitlhelela. Ka jalo re kopa barutabana ba rona gore ba rute bana; ba tle ba kgone rotloetse ba kgone go ithuta. Deputy President we heard miracles here but Ntate Mahlangu said to us on Monday gore maaka a maoto makhutshwane. Ka jalo re bone le mo gare ga beke gore batho ba rona ba ka tla mo ba tla go oketsa ka maje. Ga ke batle go bitsa selo seo se go tweng re tla be re se oketsa ka maje.

Rre Mahlangu o ile a tswa jaaka moeteledipele a ya go bona gore a dingwe tsa dilo tse batlapitsong ba neng ba di bua ke nnete. Fa a fitlha koo a bona gore ga se nnete. Re mpa re oketsa fela ka gore re bona Boeteledipele bo le teng.

Jaanong bagaetsho, ba re kgomo ya mokodue go tsoswa e e itsosang. A re itsoseng jaaka Mme Phumzile a buile gore o tla kgona go dira gore re kgone go fitlhelela jaaka baša ba rona mo ngwageng o, ba batla bonang ditšhono tseo tsa go ka ithuta. Ba ka rotloediwa go nna mo mananeong a NYS - National Youth Service. Ke ka moo ke reng gompieno jaaka Kapa Bokone re itumetse thata.

Ke batla go lemosa batho ba rona gore mathata a Metse Selegae mo South Afrika yotlhe a tshwana, e ka tswa e le kwa Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal kgotsa Kapa Botlhaba. Re bone bagaetsho ba bantsi ba bua ba re: Electricity has been provided. Ba bantsi ba re: Sanitatshini e teng. Ee, ga se metsi ao e leng gore o kgotlha fela a bo a setse a taboga. Mo gae mo, re na le mathata a metsi. All over South Afrika mo go nang le Metse Selegae go na le mathata a metsi. Kwa Teransekae, Limpopo le mafelo a mangwe ba ka go bolelela gore bothata e santse e le metsi.

Ke ka mokgwa oo ke reng, jaanong re tshwanetse re mekamekane jaaka Puso ya Bogareng le Puso ya Porofense le ya Metse Selegae le ya bo Mmasepala re tle re bone gore ditirelo tse di tshwanang le go tlisa ditliliniki, go tlisa dikolo, go tlisa tseo tsotlhe tse batho ba ntseng ba di bolela di ka kgona go diragala. Mmé bagaetsho ke bua ke sa kgale mathe gore ga go kgonagale gore we should have a clinic and a school in each and every village. That one is not possible. Ene ke ka mo mokgwa o, re tshwanetse re lemoge gore ke eng se re ka se dirang go khutsafatsa tsela ya go fitlhelela ditiro tseo tse e leng gore di tla be di le teng gaufiyana e seng kgakala thata.

Ke ka moo bagaetsho ke reng, gompieno re itumetse fa re bona Mme Phumzile a le mo gare ga rona ka gore ke ena Champione ya ikonomi e re tshwanetseng re e godise. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)

[Ladies and gentlemen, miracles do happen and this proves that it did happen. It is only in South Africa where Parliament goes to the people. Today I am in Moshaweng, a place without any expensive chairs, like Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. In spite of that, our leaders came to meet their people. It is only in South Africa where such a miracle happens. [Applause.]

Ladies and gentlemen, we as the Northern Cape, as the people of Kgalagadi and Moshaweng, we are happy that the NCOP came here to listen to our advice and also to assess how they can help the Northern Cape’s provincial and local governments to improve the lives our people. We are also happy about the presence of Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Nquka, which remains a highlight of parliament’s visit, who came to address us on how the Northern Cape and Moshaweng, as part of South Africa, can achieve 6% economic growth.

I hope you have heard, ladies and gentlemen, that there will be job opportunities. Therefore, I would like to advise you to prepare yourself for those opportunities, which will help you to make a living. Our children should not be afraid to study mathematics and science. To study techniques is not to go to war. Let us ensure that we enrol for subjects that we never had a chance to study during the apartheid era because they believed we were not brilliant enough to cope. Let us prove to them that we are brilliant enough to study them.

Our children today are medical practitioners and technicians; hence they are competent to achieve that. We would therefore like to call on teachers that they should teach learners in such a way that they are encouraged to study. There were miracles that we saw here, Deputy President; however, Mr Mahlangu advised us that lies could not remain unknown forever. This was even evident during the week, when our people came here to say things that did not exist. I do not want to mention what was blown out of proportion.

Mr Mahlangu went out to them as a leader to find out about some of the things that the delegates had said. On his fact-finding mission, he realised that there was no truth in what they had said. These things were only said because the leadership was here.

Ladies and gentlemen, as the saying goes, help is often given to those who try. Therefore let us try, as the Deputy President has already assured us that she was prepared to help to achieve that, like our youth this year, those who will have opportunities to learn. They should be encouraged to take part in the programmes of the NYS - National Youth Service Programmes. It is against this background that I would like to express my happiness today on behalf of the Northern Cape.

I would like to make our people aware that problems experienced by the villages are common throughout South Africa, regardless of whether you are in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal or the Eastern Cape. We heard some people saying that electricity has been provided, while others were saying sanitation. This is not something that comes easy. There is a problem with water at this village. This is common in villages nationally, in the Transkei, Limpopo and other places.

This is the reason why, as national, provincial and local government, we are engaged in ensuring that we provide services such as clinics, build schools and those other things that were mentioned by delegates as part of the deliberations, if ever that is possible. Ladies and gentlemen, I have to emphasise that it is not possible for us to build a school in every village. There is a way in which we should view things that we can achieve in the short term compared to those that we can achieve in the long term.

I want to reiterate what I said earlier, that today we are happy to have Ms Phumzile in our midst, who I regard as being a champion of growing the economy.]

Let me divert a little bit to the Northern Cape provincial economy. The discourse around acceleration of economic growth and the concept of sharing is rooted in the robustness of our economy. As a province we are also encouraged because considerable progress has been made over the past decade resulting directly from the good management of the national economy. Between 1996 and 2004 the Northern Cape provincial economy recorded an average annual growth of 2,2% which is an indication of an upward economic growth trend. Most encouraging is the fact that in 2004 the provincial economy grew at 3%.

I know that people on counting will be saying, but what is 3%? But it means a lot to the Northern Cape. Sustainable and higher economic growth rate in the Northern Cape province hinges on broadening economic activity across sectors identified in the provincial growth and development strategy, such as agro-processing, manufacturing and procurement within the province. The Deputy President has highlighted the fact that most of the industries supporting mining do not even exist in this particular province. And in this particular district it is actually a challenge for us to address issues of tourism and SMME development as well as spreading activities on a spatial front.

Our provincial economy poses a serious challenge of stabilising economic growth as a period to achieving the 6% target. The most critical challenge is to develop strategic interventions that will halt the flow of leakages out of the provincial economy. Although the economy is growing the challenge remains to ensure that the people of the Northern Cape benefit from this growth. To this end programmes and projects formulated in line with the objectives of Asgisa will go a long way in ensuring both acceleration of economic growth and the fact that our people benefit from this growth. Some of the challenges in this area include attracting and sustaining domestic household consumption, expenditure to support diversification and creating a balance between growth and equity.

Another area that remains critical to ensuring that our people share in the accelerated growth is beneficiation in both mining and agricultural sectors. Many of us are aware of the fact that although the Northern Cape, and Kimberly in particular, led the industrial revolution, and remains the capital for diamonds in South Africa, there is very little for the city to show off. In fact today the economy of the province faces tremendous challenges as a result of the closure of mines. The aspect that is of more concern is the fact that diamonds produced in South Africa have only served to benefit and enrich the rich Western countries.

The challenge for us is to ensure that the raw materials we mine and export in an unrefined manner and with little if any added value are significantly made available for the downstream economy. It is befitting that the Northern Cape has been identified as the hub for mining beneficiation in South Africa. In particular the diamond cutting and polishing factory will be established in Kimberly; and possibly small operations in Springbok. Furthermore, we are working towards establishing a manganese smelter to ensure beneficiation on the mining of manganese in the Kathu/Postmansburg area in the Kgalagadi district.

These developments will ensure acceleration of the local economy and position our province to contribute to the 6% national economic growth target. In addition, through beneficiation the people of the Northern Cape will be in a better position to share in the wealth that is being generally localised.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Northern Cape legislature has passed a resolution to lobby national government, and the Department of Minerals and Energy in particular, to make sure that the state diamond trader is located where the diamonds come from, because that is also part of beneficiation. So we must put our money where our mouth is.

It must be noted that government alone cannot effectively stimulate economic growth. To this end it is important to re-emphasise the spirit and letter of the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy, PGDS, that government, civil society, the private sector and labour collectively determined to be a plan for growth and development as well as to work together to ensure realisation of these objectives.

As government we are committed to ensuring that the PGDS remains a living document and that continued stakeholder consultation is the hallmark. In this regard it is important that big businesses that are operating in areas such as Kgalagadi ensure that the locals benefit from their operations. The provincial government of the Northern Cape is aware that in order for our people to share in the accelerated economic growth, quick and decisive actions need to be taken to address the skills scarcity and create incentives and an attractive investor regulatory environment in our district and local municipalities as soon as possible.

Furthermore, our promotion and implementation of redistributive policies such as the broad-based black economic empowerment and preferential procurement remains intact. Broad-based economic empowerment must be firmly located within the context of advancing an alternative whose key elements must include a strong developmental state and a strong public sector contributing towards productive investment in the economy and in the infrastructure development as well as investment in job creation and the expansion of jobs. In order to encourage downstream activities in the mining sector we have established jointly with the mines and Standard Bank a provincial mining preferential procurement initiative with a view to developing broader participation in mining activities in the Northern Cape and in Kgalagadi.

We have established a mining and mineral strategy implementation working committee in conjunction with the Department of Minerals and Energy at a provincial level. In order to ascertain that our objectives for the mining sector are realised, funding models by the financial services sector should be able to influence these developments in a positive manner. In order for us to enhance a sustainable livelihood for the masses of our people especially in the rural communities it is absolutely important that we mobilize our people behind programmes that will advance the transference of substantial economic power to the people, especially the rural poor who are located on the periphery of the mainstream of the economy.

Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, the importance of ensuring that companies and entrepreneurs in the Northern Cape benefit from increased economic activities in the province cannot be overemphasised. Ensuring both accelerated growth and sharing depends significantly on sustainable and buoyant economic activity together with increased demand for and expenditure on goods and services in this province.

It is for this reason that our provincial government continues to encourage a situation where Northern Cape business benefits from economic activities taking place in the province. We are appealing to those who come from other provinces and are doing business in this province to make sure that they understand that we mean business when we say we want people of the Northern Cape to benefit from what is available from this particular province.

It is therefore also important that we encourage infrastructure development in areas such as this in order to ensure that people have access to basic retail services. Madam Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, you noted that people from the NCOP when they came here they asked us, Where is the CBD of this municipality?’’ And I said to them,This is the CBD! What else are you looking for? So you are actually in the centre of the town of Moshaweng.’’ And really, this is actually a virgin area, which says to us we can start building a type of Johannesburg with this type of community. So we will become like Johannesburg in about 50 years time. And I think we will do that.

We would therefore like to encourage the building of structures such as shopping facilities that give access to these services. We are calling upon our business people, those who’ve got money to invest; come and look at what is possible that you can do. Just do not look at the areas of services that are needed by government, because as I said during the course of the week, the pathway to government tenders and contracts is so congested, Madam Deputy President, that people want to eliminate each other along the route of getting to that contract and that tender.

In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, and Chairperson of the NCOP, we are indeed honoured as the people of the Northern Cape to be hosting this august sitting in one of our most promising areas. And indeed the proceedings throughout this whole week alert and remind us of some of the existing challenges. It highlights the fact that there is no time to rest and that much more needs to be done to ensure that the lives of our people are made better.

You have also made it possible for the communities of the Northern Cape to get the names of their villages known, like the gentlemen and ladies from Seven Miles, who said even radio stations do not mention Seven Miles. So today Seven Miles is known throughout South Africa and Africa, because of this sitting of the NCOP. I thank you. [Applause.]

Ms B N DLULANE: Thank you, hon Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP. Hon Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, our distinguished Premiers, hon members of the NCOP, Magosi, members of the provincial legislature of the Northern Cape, the hon mayors here today and … ``le batho ba Kgalagadi’’ [… the people of Kgalagadi], today marks yet another important watershed in the history of our involvement in democracy that many generations to come will emulate with pride.

It is the day when the NCOP through its programme of Taking Parliament to the People has come to engage in a robust oversight of the government’s programme. In doing this, the NCOP believes firmly in the notion that there is no democracy that can mature and stabilise without the masses determining their own destinies through robust dialogue with their elected representatives.

This is indeed a practical expression of the People’s Parliament in action, for the greatest test for a true people’s parliament is not only limited to regular elections and democratic representation but is also the extent of active and dynamic involvement of the ordinary masses in the affairs of Parliament and government.

Hon Deputy President, I am confident that you will agree that the visit of the NCOP to Kgalagadi in the Northern Cape and this debate this morning represents a great cause for celebration, and is a special moment for the ANC-led government to reaffirm its commitment to accelerated change for a better life for all. It is a cause for celebration because our people in their own voice have said that there is no better time to live in South Africa than after the democratic breakthrough in 27 April 1994, that saw the ANC taking power. It is a celebration of the strides that the ANC has made in creating an environment of equality for all over these past 10 years.

Accordingly, it affirms the correctness of what our President said during the state of the nation address when he characterised the epoch that we are in now as the age of hope. The last five days of the NCOP’s business in this district has brought to the attention of all elected representatives of our people united in their diversity, the defining realities of the demographics and socioeconomic and political challenges of the people of Kgalagadi. Certainly, it became glaringly obvious that the majority of the people in Kgalagadi are female. They are hard-working and dedicated; poor but hopeful about the better future under the leadership of the ANC. [Applause.]

We also noted with concern the dominant prevalence of disabilities as the defining future of both the young and old people in the district. To demonstrate the magnitude of the underdevelopment and the concomitant prevalence of diseases, one old man made a humble plea to the government to reduce the age threshold of old age pensions for many because the majority die before they reach the age of 65. [Applause.] That is robbing them of the right to access these pensions. I am sure it would be a cry in all provinces. Maybe, Deputy President, we must do something about it.

The women of Kgalagadi are concerned about the long distances that their children have to travel, as our Chairperson has already indicated. Some go barefoot during the chilling winter cold. They are concerned about the open stretches of land that are not utilised and they need land for their cattle and livestock. They are concerned about shortages of water and lack of road infrastructure. Fortunately, in one of the projects, of which I know the Deputy President is aware, there are mothers who have land but …

Bomme bana ba ne bare ba batla gore re ba thuse ka ditlhoko tsa bona. [Setshego.] Ba rile ga ba na mmaraka wa go rekisa diphoko tse tona. [Legofi.] Ba rile ba tlhoka tshireletso ya tereta, fela re rata gore mo bathong ba porojeke ya Dipodi re re le lona le tshwanetse go tlhokomela terata ya lona. Lo ne lo le dimpimpi tsa puso ya pele le rona re batla gore le nne dimpimpi mo pusong e gore le tlhokomele terata e. [Setshego.] (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)

[Ladies, the children said they wanted to be assisted with their needs. [Laughter.] They said they had no market to sell their goats. [Applause.] They said they needed security fencing, but we want to say to the goat project people, ``You need to take care of your fence. You were spies for the previous regime and now we want you to be our spies in that you guard this fence.’’ [Laughter.]]

They demand to be empowered with skills and resources to undertake income- generating projects that will provide them with income. They demanded RDP houses. Due to the high level of illiteracy in this district research and planning is critical in determining the kinds of projects that our government may want to undertake in these areas. This will assist in the collation of scientific data requisite for skills and training needs and the attendant nature of economic activities. [Time expired.][Applause.]

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Hon members, I want to remind you that this is an official sitting of the NCOP. There are some members leaving and entering this venue without respecting the Chair.

Mr F CACHALIA (Gauteng): Hon Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, the hon Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Premiers, Deputy Minister, MECs, Speakers, hon members of the NCOP, representatives of local government, traditional leaders, community leaders, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to congratulate the leadership of the NCOP on this crucial initiative.

The great strength of the NCOP is that it places us in a position to distil a national perspective from our different experiences. It should not matter whether one lives in Emfuleni or Etekwini or Limpopo or Kgalagadi; whatever province, whatever district, whatever town or city, we are part of a single nation and our responsibility as government is indeed, as the Deputy President has indicated, to share growth. Everywhere in our country our people deserve basic services, employment, schools and clinics.

Everything that we are striving to achieve must be driven by a national perspective. I have had some discussions with representatives from our provincial legislature this morning, who said what a valuable and important experience they have had as members of the Gauteng legislature, having had the great opportunity and privilege to interact with the people of this community. It has enabled them to learn from you. It is in that spirit and with that perspective that I want to share with you this morning what contribution we in Gauteng are attempting to make to this national project, driven by our national government.

We meet here today as part of the NCOP’s programme of Taking Parliament to the People. Through this programme we are, once again, signifying our government’s commitment to ensuring that Parliament truly becomes an instrument for all our people to govern. Over the past few days hon members of the NCOP have had an opportunity to interact with communities around this area to witness for themselves the progress we are making and also the many challenges that lie ahead in our ongoing effort to improve the quality of the lives of all our people.

As hon members were engaging with various stakeholders in this area, I have no doubt that they have emerged with a clear sense that despite the enormous challenges that we confront together for the people of this area, the future, as indeed the Premier has already pointed out, looks much better than the past and the present. Hon Chairperson, it is this spirit of optimism that is echoed by many of our people across the breadth of our country. This spirit convinces us that even the most sceptical among us, believe that the age of hope is truly upon us.

Increasingly our people can see for themselves that a better South Africa is indeed in the making. In just over a month’s time we will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of the adoption of our country’s democratic Constitution. As we prepare to celebrate this important milestone in the history of our country, we must recommit ourselves to do what the preamble of the Constitution directs us to do, which is to improve the quality of life of all our citizens and free the potential of each person wherever they may live.

In Gauteng we are mindful of our achievements over the past 12 years, as well as the challenges that lie ahead. We look back with pride and we have continued to strengthen our position as the economic engine of South Africa and the African continent. Growth in Gauteng has to be shared. Growth in Gauteng has to be meaningful also for the people of Kgalagadi. [Applause.]

The Gauteng economy continues to show positive growth in line with national achievements. Our forecast indicates that the Gauteng economy will grow at well over 5,5% in 2006. Most importantly, this sustained growth in our economy has led to a reduction of joblessness with unemployment reaching 22,8% in September 2005; down from about 30% in September in 2001, which is of course, far too high. Let us be very clear: Thousands of people in Gauteng live in poverty and they need jobs. We should also divest ourselves of this idea that Gauteng is simply the place of gold, simply a place of poverty. The people of Gauteng too deserve shared growth. We count among our successes the number of houses that we have built and connected to the electricity grid and the number of households which now have access to clean water.

In particular, we draw some comfort from it that in our province we have succeeded, among other things, in the following areas: A total of 96% of households now have access to free basic water; about 77% of households now have free basic electricity; 83% of people identified as still using the bucket system have had it replaced. There are still people in Gauteng who use the bucket system. Over 80% have access to basic sanitation and 3,5 million residents – more than one third of Gauteng’s current population – have benefited from our programme to house our people on well-located land.

I thought that I am going to have the same amount of time as it took me to travel here to speak. I was obviously wrong! [Time expired.][Applause.]

Mnr A WATSON: Mevrou die Voorsitter, agb Adjunkpresident, ander hooggeplaastes, dames en here van die publiek … [Madam Chairperson, hon Deputy President, other dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen of the public, . . .] ``dumelang’’. [. . . good day.]

The DA agrees that the need to accelerate growth, create jobs and reduce poverty is the single, greatest imperative facing South Africa, as we do with the theme of this week, namely that all shall have equal rights.

Maar gelyke regte beteken ook seker gelyke taalregte, maar ek het hierdie hele week nog net ’n enkele paar woorde Afrikaans gehoor, en dit in ’n provinsie waar 97% van die inwoners Afrikaans praat! (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[But equal rights surely also mean equal language rights, however, during this whole week I heard only a few Afrikaans words, and that in a province where 97% of the inhabitants speak Afrikaans!]

I’m told that in the Kgalagadi English is only used in self-defence. [Laughter.]

Ek verdedig egter nie; ek sal help rigting gee. Verlede jaar het die ANC ’n nuwe rigting in ekonomiese beleid aangedui met die bekendmaking van ’n besprekingsdokument getitel “Ontwikkeling en Onderontwikkeling”, oftewel “Development and Underdevelopment”. Hierdie dokument het verskeie idees aangeroer wat lank reeds ook deur die DA bevorder is, insluitende die skepping van ’n tweevlak-arbeidsmark en groter vrystelling vir kleinsake van kollektiewe bedingingsooreenkomste en arbeidsregulasies.

Die voordele wat dit sou inhou vir groei en die bevegting van armoede was baie duidelik vir die meeste mense, behalwe vir die lede van die ANC se eie nasionale raad, wat die voorstelle summier uitgeboender het. Ons kan maar net hoop en bid dat dieselfde lot nie ook Asgisa te beurt sal val nie. Baie is reeds gesê oor die doelwitte van Asgisa, wat, soos president Mbeki dit self uitgespel het, ’n groeikoers van 6% teen 2010 ten doel moet hê.

Die Asgisa-span het egter ’n lys van ses struikelblokke gepubliseer wat aangespreek moet word om so ’n groeikoers te kan handhaaf. Die DA glo dat die meeste van die struikelblokke oorbrug kan word deur daadwerklike stappe van die regering en daarom het die DA reeds ’n stel beleidsvoorstelle uitgestippel wat die groeikoers kan versnel en werkskepping ’n hupstoot kan gee. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)

[However, I am not defending; I shall assist with giving guidance. Last year the ANC indicated a new direction in economic policy with the announcement of a discussion document entitled “Development and Underdevelopment”. This document touched upon various ideas that have also been promoted by the DA for a long time, including the creation of a two- tier labour market and greater exemption for small businesses from collective bargaining agreements and labour regulations.

The advantages of this for growth and the fight against poverty were very clear to most of the people, except to the members of the ANC’s own national council, which summarily rejected the proposals. We can only hope and pray that the same thing will not also happen to Asgisa. Much has been said about the goals of Asgisa, which, as President Mbeki himself pointed out, should aim for a growth rate of 6% by 2010.

The Asgisa team has, however, published a list of six difficulties that have to be overcome in order to be able to maintain such a growth rate. The DA believes that most of the difficulties can be overcome by active steps on the part of the government and for that reason the DA has already drafted a set of policy proposals that can speed up the growth rate and boost job creation.]

In contrast to the notion of the developmental state, we argue for a balanced growth path driven by increases in both public and private investment; and a suitable balance needs to be found between increases in government expenditure and a reduction in the tax rate applicable to companies operating in South Africa. The government also needs to do three more things to bring enough skills to the market over and above those already mentioned.

Firstly, our public education system needs to be restructured so that matriculants leave school in a position to pursue further studies and be trained.

Secondly, skills development needs to be taken out of the hands of the Seta bureaucracy and returned to the private sector in the form of a subsidised apprentice system. [Interjections.]

Thirdly, we need to dedicate resources to promoting and administering skills immigration. The Department of Home Affairs recently, after painful delays I might say, published immigration quotas for the various categories. We are holding thumbs that this time around they will implement the new programme with the necessary efficiency.

Verbeterde dienslewering en ’n onwrikbare strewe om korrupsie te beveg is ’n kerngedeelte van die DA se strategie vir groei. Deursigtigheid moet verhoog word in alle openbare instellings, van burge-meesterskomitees tot die nasionale departemente, en skuldiges moet afgedank word eerder as om beskerm te word, al is dit ook wié.

Ons glo dat werkloosheid die grootste enkele uitdaging is wat Suid-Afrika in die gesig staar, want sonder meer werkgeleenthede is dit mos absoluut onmoontlik vir die meeste inwoners van Suid-Afrika om te kan deel in die vrugte van versnelde groei. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.) [Improved service delivery and a steadfast effort to fight corruption is a crucial part of the DA’s strategy for growth. Transparency must be improved in all public institutions, from mayoral committees to the national departments, and the guilty must be fired rather than be protected, no matter who they are.

We believe that unemployment is the largest single challenge facing South Africa, because without more job opportunities it is absolutely impossible for most inhabitants of South Africa to be able to share in the fruits of accelerated growth.]

We believe the government should seriously consider a wage subsidy of R750 per worker per annum, aimed at increasing entry-level employment opportunities. Asgisa and the praiseworthy notion that all shall have equal rights will remain but a pipedream if we do not ensure that opportunities are available to all our people regardless of their political affiliation.

All shall not have equal rights if you are required to produce your ANC card to get a job. [Interjections.] All shall not have equal rights if you have to produce your ANC card to get a house. [Interjections.] All shall not have equal rights if you need ANC contacts to be considered for tenders and contracts. All shall not have equal rights while being told that they will lose their pensions and grants if they don’t vote for the ANC. [Interjections.] Clearly, all do not have equal rights if a member of the public attending a parliamentary gathering is threatened …

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL: Madam Deputy Chair, on a point of order: As far as I know, the Department of Housing does not have a policy which says that when you apply for a subsidised RDP house, you must have a membership card of the ANC, and it is not parliamentary for the member to mislead this House. There is no such policy in the Department of Housing.

Mr A WATSON: This hon member is not misleading this House, Madam Chair. I did not say that the policy is wrong, I said it should be implemented. It’s the people on the ground, the ANC members, who are not implementing their programme.

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Mr Watson, would you please withdraw that remark?

Mr A WATSON: Which remark must I withdraw?

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): [Inaudible.]

Mr A WATSON: No, I will not withdraw it. [Interjections.] I will not withdraw that. [Interjections.] I have free speech in this House. [Interjections.] I am protected by the Constitution.

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Hon member, your statements are incorrect. Will you please withdraw your statements?

Mr A WATSON: No, Madam Chair, I will not withdraw them. I have freedom of speech in this House. [Interjections.] I have not attacked anybody in person.

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Thank you, member. You have freedom of speech, but you may not bring the House into disrepute.

Mr A WATSON: No, I may not bring the House into disrepute, but the ANC is not the House. [Interjections.]

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Order! Your time has expired, thank you. [Interjections.]

Mr R J TAU: Chairperson, hon Deputy President, hon Premier Dipuo Peters, colleagues from other provinces, Deputy Minister, Speakers, members from the legislatures, that is, national and provincial, the kgoshi, distinguished community members and comrades, our experience over the past four days have once more reminded us of a South Africa of two nations; one rich and one poor, one developed with capacity to engage and one with no access to resources. This week we were once more reminded of a skewed distribution of wealth amongst Africans and the deep divide that still exists due to the brutal form of wealth accumulation that sucked the blood from our people.

Perhaps once more it is important for one to just remind the hon Watson that our people are not stupid. Our people might have been reduced to being instruments that could be used to accumulate wealth unscrupulously, but they are not that stupid, because they’ve got wisdom. Our people in Kgalagadi can speak English and they can understand it. [Applause.] Our people in Kgalagadi are not so illiterate that they cannot understand the extent to which we are communicating with them, so therefore English to us is not a defence mechanism. They have demonstrated that through their votes during the local government elections, by reaffirming the value of co- operative governance amongst the spheres of government so as to play a requisite role which is to serve all people of South Africa, irrespective of having a membership card of the ANC or not.

In any case, the ANC is the oldest liberation movement on the continent and it is the very same ANC that boasts a membership of which the DA cannot even imagine ever obtaining a mere fraction. Perhaps they are jealous of our membership card! [Applause.]

Perhaps this week also reminded us of the call of the President of the Republic, Comrade Thabo Mbeki, for the requirement for new cadres in the current phase of our national democratic revolution who must not only be good developmental activists but be ready to lift pick and shovel side by side with the people to end poverty and underdevelopment that continue to afflict many of our communities and millions of our people.

We need to ensure that new cadres have the capacity to engage and resolve the glaring problems of underdevelopment, whether or not it be corruption that is so much purported to be advanced by the ANC. In actual fact the ANC is the first organisation to develop a policy and to proudly pronounce itself against corruption and to have a programme on how it is going to deal with corruption inside the organisation and even in government. Our cadres have been at the forefront of fighting and exposing corruption wherever and at whatever level it happens.

Responding to the President’s call in his state of the nation address, local governments across South Africa are gearing themselves up for the challenges of finding sustainable ways to meet socioeconomic and material needs of the communities they serve, as well as to improve the quality of our people’s lives, including those in the Northern Cape.

These requirements involve restructuring within new municipal boundaries such as the one of Kgalagadi to meet large service infrastructure backlogs and to stimulate local economic development, such as that of Kgalagadi in the Northern Cape in particular. During his state of the nation address the President emphasised the need for us to achieve new and decisive advances towards eradicating poverty and underdevelopment within the context of a thriving first economy and the successful transformation of the second economy.

One of the measures to achieve this has been the Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative of SA, under the leadership of the Deputy President, whose rationale, in actual fact, is to remove the constraints, the blockages, that have been hampering us, in particular the roads that will ensure the majority of our people have access to and an entrance point in the mainstream of the economy.

It is therefore quite clear that for us to overcome the economic divide requires a transferral of vast resources into the second economy. Wherever possible these resources must take the form of productive assets that enable our people to empower themselves in order to reverse the legacy of apartheid expropriation, and not necessarily having to gauge people on the basis of their association with the ANC; because the ANC has a history of leading our people. Hence the declaration that it is the people who shall share.

More focus needs to be put on the development and training of co-operatives in order to increase the collective capacity, the collective power, of our people in SMMEs by addressing the dearth of accessible funds. The ANC believes that social exclusion on which the apartheid system premised itself can be overcome as the divide between financial insiders and outsiders is eradicated.

Thank you very much, Deputy Minister Thabethe, for your efforts in the department, in particular for having adopted the approach of the NCOP by taking the DTI to the people in order for the DTI to be accessible. Thank you very much for that.

This week reminded us of the extreme importance of the Northern Cape’s investments approach, which will obviously have to find a creative way of moving away from mining and agriculture, as they have proved insufficient in addressing unemployment in the province. Whilst you are addressing the issue of employment creation you also need to focus on education and skills development.

Past industrial policies, as structured and developed by the apartheid regime, assisted in creating employment and were an important factor in developing infrastructure, but repressive labour practices … [Time expired.]

Ms E M COLEMAN (Mpumalanga): Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Chairperson of the NCOP, Deputy President, Deputy Minister, members of the National Council of Provinces, colleagues from all provinces, including the Northern Cape province, ladies and gentlemen, we thank you.

Let me take this opportunity to thank Madam Deputy President for her sterling work and boldness in tackling bread-and-butter issues. We have been lamenting the fact that we have wonderful legislation and policies in place, with quite poor implementation. We do not realise the challenges and impediments that make successful implementation difficult.

Today we pride ourselves on this kind of initiative because we believe that it is through it that we can acquaint ourselves with the factors that inhibit us from implementing fully our beautiful programmes. For one to understand what excites us in Mpumalanga, one has to understand where we come from.

Mpumalanga has the third smallest population in South Africa, that is 3,2 million, and has quite a huge youth component, namely 56%, between ages zero and twenty-four. Thirty-two per cent of the population is aged between 25 and 49, with 11% between the ages of 50 and 74 years. One per cent is made up of people older than 74 years.

Income distribution is very skewed, with human development indexing at 0,55%. We have very few of our youth attending postmatric training. We are also confronted by the fact that a number of our youth migrate to other provinces. We would like to indicate that we are happy that the process of establishing an institution of higher learning in Mpumalanga has been started.

We are also hoping to tap into the opportunities resulting from Asgisa to deal with this host of challenges. Mpumalanga welcomes the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa and shares its vision and objectives. This initiative charts the way to responding to the challenges of poverty alleviation, decreasing the rate of unemployment, economic development and a whole range of other challenges.

We are in the process of responding to these challenges in relation to the current economic make-up of our province and we will establish what factors we can adjust so that if there are challenges that our province needs to be dealing with in future, they should be of a different kind.

A greater portion of the province is made up of mainly agricultural land and our protected area. This makes it more conducive to agricultural flagships, which I hope you are all familiar with, such as Masibuyele eMasimini. With this initiative we are hoping that we will realise the objectives of Asgisa.

We also pride ourselves on the fact that we have a private partnership through Agri Business, which also provides much-needed financial assistance to emerging farmers through the rural development scheme.

On the other hand, the Irrigation, Rehabilitation and Development Programme absorbs a portion of the unemployed labour force. The economic capability of the province will be enhanced by initiatives such as the Maputo development and the Moloto rail development corridors.

These projects respond directly to the aims of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa. Our economy is not completely diversified yet and is mostly reliant on the primary and secondary sectors, such as agriculture, which is a provider of most employment opportunities in the province. Unfortunately these opportunities are declining at the moment, but that does not mean that we are not working on the problem.

Growth sectors in the province are not creating jobs since the associated employment activities are mainly capital-intensive. The recruitment of community development workers has taken off some of the employment pressures existing in the province.

The Expanded Public Works Programme utilises provincial capacity with more than 553 projects and more than 15 000 jobs created. This is yet another programme that makes a difference in the lives of our people.

Our learnership and internship programmes are proving to be some of the most effective solutions to unemployment as candidates in the programmes tend to get permanent employment within the departments that run these programmes or immediately are snatched up by other providers of employment.

As a province we are committed to channelling all our efforts towards the realisation of the goals of Asgisa. Most of our challenges will be solved with the proper execution of our plans. This initiative does not come to us as a compliance requirement, but as a response to our people’s needs and we view it as such.

We will, therefore, target interventions that are directly aligned to the needs of the people for accelerated growth. Such interventions will include the Expanded Public Works Programme, which provides labour-intensive opportunities; sector-specific training initiatives to assist in building skills in targeted sectors; spatial development facilities to facilitate growth and community involvement; and infrastructure development programmes that extend beyond job creation to facilitating and enhancing growth.

We also do appreciate the fact that identifying opportunities and planning to exploit those opportunities is part of the process. As Mpumalanga province, we are determined to be ruthless in terms of implementing those plans, for it is only in the execution stage that a real difference in the lives of our people will be made. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr M A MZIZI: Angibonge Mgcinisihlalo kuSekela likaMongameli kuNdunankulu wethu, ngithi ukuthula kube nani. [Chairperson, let me thank the Deputy President and our Premier. May peace be with you all.]

Chairperson, allow me to direct my thanks and appreciation to the Premier of the Northern Cape, her cabinet and the people of this province for allowing us to visit their province. I know that during the public hearings the Premier, pointing his finger at me, said: “Hheyi mfowethu, inxeba lendoda alihlekwa.” [My brother, what comes around, goes around.]

We were laughing about some of the things that were being said by the people who shared their experiences. But let me assure you, Ma’am, as the Basotho say, “Lefu leholo ke ditsheho”. [“Even if there is death, people will still laugh”.]

I have steeled myself so as not to shed tears over the things that I have heard and the things that I have seen.

Bagaetsho, botshelo ba batho ba mo bo a gakgamatsa. Kgalagadi le Kimberly di lebega jaaka dinaga tse pedi tse di farologaneng. Batho ba kgalagadi ba kgotleletse mathata a bona mo nakong e telele. Fa ba ka bo ba tshwana le batho ba diporofense tse dingwe, ba ka bo ba lo gwantetse ka tsela e lo iseng lo e bone. [Legofi.] Ke rata go lo raa ke re mmuso ga o itlhaganele tse di kwa morago le tsona di tlaa tsena.

Re ithutile go le gontsi mo malatsing a le matlhano a re a ntseng fa. Batho ba mo ga ba na ditsela mo metseng ya bona. Ka 27 Mopitlwe, re ne ra etela polase ya bontšhwe. Re ne re palame bese, go le monate re tshega. Mme mo sekgaleng sa dimmitara di le 500, pele re ka fitlha kwa re neng re lebile gona, bese e ne ya tshwarwa ke seretse. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)

[Ladies and gentlemen, people’s lives are amazing. Kgalagadi and Kimberly look like two different countries. The people of Kgalagadi have endured their problems for a long time. If they were like the people of other provinces, they would have marched to you in a way that you’ve never seen before. [Applause.]

I want to say this to you: Government will assist you even if it takes time.

We learnt a lot from the five days that we’ve been here. The people in these villages have no roads in their villages. On 27 April we visited the ostrich farm. We drove in a bus, it was beautiful, and we laughed. But after a distance of 500 metres before we reached our destination, the bus got stuck in the mud.]

We had to walk to the place. That tells you that when people say, “We don’t have roads”, they mean it. Experience is the best teacher.

Re iponetse ka matlho a rona mme ga ke dumele gore re tla lebala tiragalo eo. [We saw that with our own eyes and I don’t think we could ever forget that incident.]

We also heard input, during the public hearings, from people from Kestell and Bankhara Bodulong. I hope I’m pronouncing these names correctly. I did not get any information regarding the population of Kestell, but nonetheless these people indicated that they stayed 30 km away from a police station. For serious reported cases, such as rape – emergency cases – they don’t get help; there’s no transport. By the time they get to the police it is too late for the police to investigate the cases concerned, including the serious rape cases.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon member, I am afraid your time has expired. [Interjections.]

Mnu M A MZIZI: Bengishilo! [Ihlombe.] [I expected it!] [Applause.]]

Ms O TSOPO (Free State): Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Chairperson of the NCOP, hon Deputy President, hon Premiers, hon members of the NCOP, executive mayors and mayors, esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen . . . ha nako e ne e ntumella, ke ne ke batla hore nke ke arabe Ntate Watson, empa ha ke moo. Haeba nako e tla ba teng kamora mona, ke batla hore nke ke mo nke leeto. [Ditsheho.] [I would like to respond to Mr Watson’s question, but I do not have enough time. I shall answer his question in detail after I have finished what I am doing here, if I have the time. [Laughter.]]

There is no doubt that one of the major challenges confronting us today is job creation in the context of sustained economic growth. Yes, indeed we have entered, in the words of Minister Trevor Manuel, the age of hope, insofar as economic growth in our country is concerned. Nonetheless, despite this economic growth that we have experienced in modern history, the clarion call made to us by the Freedom Charter should still echo in our hearts and our minds. The Freedom Charter beckons us to ensure that wealth is accelerated and shared amongst our people.

The Free State provincial government, guided by the national policy framework derives its inspiration from this living people’s document, the Freedom Charter that inspires us always to remember to drive projects and implement strategies, using people-centred approaches. The Free State Provincial Growth and Development Strategy 2005-2014 is thus embedded in this message of the people’s charter. It is in this context that we note in this strategy, and I quote:

Our passion and vision remains our commitment to achieving an equitable and accessible and thriving Free State for all the people, to address their needs and improve their quality of life.

Honoured guests, it is my honour this morning to reflect on the strategic thrust of this document, with regard to the economic growth and wealth distribution. In the context of the decline in the traditional basis of the economy of our province, such as mining and agriculture, we are confronted by a challenge of ensuring that alternative sources for economic growth are explored. It is against this background that we have identified tourism as one of the key economic drivers for economic growth and wealth distribution in our province.

I must, however, emphasise, that our identification of tourism as an alternative source for economic growth in the province does not necessarily imply that we are giving up on the other traditional bases of the economy in the province, such as agriculture and manufacturing. As we note in the strategy, the Free State aims to optimise and broaden the province’s current economic profile by placing more emphasis on the key economic sectors such as tourism, agriculture and manufacturing.

Undoubtedly, the Expanded Public Works Programme serves as another programme for the injection of economic growth and the distribution of wealth. It is through this programme that we anticipate massive job creation through labour-intensive measures.

Jwalo kaha DA e ne e bolela e re rona, batho ba ANC, ha re bua re bua ka polane, bona ba a phethisa. Ke ipotsa hore na ba phethisa jwang ba se na polane e bontshang hore re ya hokae. Hobane rona jwaloka ANC, ha re bua ka EPWP, ha re bue ka ntho eo re ilo e etsa, re yebe re se re entse, mme baahi ba rona ba bone hore na re lebile kae, jwaloka ha ANC e le mokgatlo wa batho, naheng ena.

Nna hangata ke ye kere ha ho pooho enngwe, poho ke African National Congress feela. Haeba le ne le le poho, le ka be le ile la re bontsha dikgethong tsena tseo re tswang ho feta ho tsona tsa bomasepala. (Translation of Sesotho paragraphs follows.)

[The DA says that the ANC people are always speaking about plans, while they are already implementing them. I ask myself what it is that they are implementing without any plans to guide them. When the ANC speaks about the EPWP, it speaks about something that is already being implemented, and, as a true people’s party, we always make the citizens of this country aware of our objectives when dealing with them.

The ANC is the majority party in this country, as confirmed by the results of the recent municipal elections.]

It is encouraging to note that in the Free State many jobs have already been created through the EPWP. We want to advance this gain through the following: The EPWP provincial business and sectoral implementation plan has been drawn up and is currently being implemented. We are also strengthening our co-ordination with municipalities in implementing the EPWP in the municipal infrastructure grant. And I must also indicate that already in the Free State we are speaking one language.

Our Free State growth and development strategy has already been aligned to the integrated development plans of municipalities. We are one organisation, pushing the same position as the Free State. We are also implementing the infrastructure contractual learnership programme, jointly with the municipalities.

I have no doubt that we will continue to advance agriculture as an important sector for economic growth in the province. To this end, through the Free State provincial growth strategy, we have identified the need for the following programmes: support for small farmers, support to beneficiaries of land redistribution and restitution programmes, support to farmers through comprehensive agricultural support programmes and the provision of nonformal training to farmers in agricultural management.

Our view is that human development programmes should be the catalyst for economic growth and wealth distribution. We believe above all that enhancing people’s skills and self-reliance is the best approach towards ensuring that people actively participate in the economic mainstream and thus share in the wealth of that which is generated. That old adage that says, give a man a fish and he will eat for a day but teach a man how to catch fish and he will know how to catch a fish for himself; he will also eat for life, is now more relevant than ever before.

As the Free State provincial government we have demonstrated our commitment to contribute to the efforts of the national skills development strategy and the Free State growth and development strategy by focusing our efforts on people development through learnerships and bursaries. In this regard a number of interventions have been identified and implemented in many cases. This includes, and I am just going to mention a few, that as the ANC-led government when we talk about literacy, we make sure that we also take our adults on board. Hence we are having Abet courses different from what was delivered in the past. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Mr B CELE (KwaZulu-Natal): Chairperson, Deputy President, Premiers, MECs, members, friends and foes, if I were given a chance I would go back to hon Mr Watson. But I don’t want to go back there; it’s enough to say: Don’t take our good hearts as cowardice. We did not come to where we are because anybody wanted; it is because we wanted to be here. “Ungasiqali, ungasichukuluzi.” [Don’t provoke us.]

The Deputy President, Minister Radebe and I went to one place called KaKwasha that is next to iMfolozi Emnyama. While we were just looking at a bridge that was under construction there, one mistress came to the Minister and said, “Thanks, Minister, for one thing: Now I can be at school and I can be in the classroom without my kids knowing what colour and kind of panty I am wearing.” That is because before that bridge was constructed, every morning she had undress to cross the river to reach her school. And she said, “At least, my dignity … That humiliation of letting the kids know what underpants I am wearing is gone. Thanks to the government.”

If we are talking about these matters concerning “accelerated and sharing,” I would like to go down to the bottom, where I come from. The people of KwaZulu-Natal would have said what the people of this place have said, because these things you hear here, you hear them all over the country. Ours is to respond as a government that is leading.

We have a school at uMkhomazi. Each day when it rains the river is swollen and there are 87 children that don’t go to school. So, we need to say that before they are trained to be engineers, they need to go to their primary schools. That is what we need to understand. That’s what we need to understand. We need to understand that when people were busy building towers, our people could not cross the rivers. We need to understand that when most of us drive on the N3, N2 or N1, our people cannot reach schools.

What really agitated for that bridge to be built was the fact that one child was devoured by a crocodile. So we had to go and build that bridge. That is what you see when you land at Cape Town International Airport – our people are still suffering, they still cannot cross the river. That sharing will have to reach those people pretty quickly so that when we talk about being trained as engineers, they would have started in Sub A. They should be at school.

We are very much pleased with the Expanded Public Works Programme but we would like to see the second tier create sustainability out of it. When people get work, we must be able to say they are working. “Akufuneki ukuthi uma sibuka emuva sithole ukuthi abantu bazosebenza izinyanga ezintathu.” [When we look back, we do not want to find that people only had work for three months.]

Somebody has to, and somehow we must, find some sustainability. Yes, the programme has come but let’s create sustainability out of the programme.

As I am standing here, we have 27 000 women who are working on the programme of Zibambele in KwaZulu-Natal. That contract could have been given to three people who would then become millionaires, but we decided to split it on an individual basis and to cater for those women-headed households. There are 27 000 individuals and we have budgeted R148 million to sustain that programme this year.

We are saying that those women - and I have never seen such grateful people – whenever they speak out of the little money they get which, by the way, is less than R400 a month, they have created socials clubs, saving clubs; and out of the saving clubs they have saved R2,2 million. They have made those savings out of the very same meagre amount of money that they get. We are saying they must move from saving clubs and become co-operatives. The economic development should take them to the next step so that we can create a new entry point.

I always say, and most people do not like to hear it but I will repeat it here: Government is not here to create millionaires; government is here to give people wings so that they can fly. As they then fly, new people must come in. So we must find methods of spreading government tenders to more people, rather than creating a few millionaires, so that our people can go to bed with something in their stomachs.

Well, we are working hard and we are very pleased with that. Let’s all work hard in order to move to the second gear. Let’s move to the second gear of the economy with a full understanding that there are thousands of our people who literally go to bed without food. We must address that level of life.

We must address this by going to this house and to this aunt who has five grandchildren and lives in uMlazi, K Section. To her and her grandchildren it’s Christmas to have one meal in three days. That is what she said to us. She said it’s Christmas to have one meal in three days. All of us here would kick the dust if we don’t have three meals a day; for them, it’s Christmas.

But government has not gone out to make sure that all that we are supposed to do … for instance, there are five kids there who are all eligible for a grant. Our councillors must go back to the years of activism. They must go from house to house and know what is happening in this and that house. [Applause.] Those people are eligible for grants.

Councillors should not just meet their people in the office. They should not just tell them to meet them on Thursday in the office. They must go from house to house and find out what is going on there. [Applause.] They should then come back with responses, not just to collect data that will collect dust. If we do that, our people will say, “The ANC has been here and we can see that.”

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr T S Setona): Order! Hon member, your time has expired.

Mr B CELE: Thank you very much. [Applause.]

Mr N D HENDRICKSE: Hon Chairperson, Her Excellency the Deputy President, and all protocol observed, everybody out there, good morning. South Africa is known to have one of the most unequal societies in the world with a high Gini coefficient, that is the measure of inequality. This excess in the South African political economy flows, in a large measure, from the way in which the previous regime … [Interjections.]

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr T S Setona): Hon members, order please!

Mr N D HENDRICKSE: Chairperson, it flows from the way in which the previous regime used to systematically appropriate state assets or invest resources for the benefit of the few. The process of redistribution of wealth, income, etc then requires that ways be found to reshape this historical bias in such a way as to reduce inequality and deracialise the pattern of income distribution.

At the same time, it is essential that all such policies are compatible with and indeed supportive of the process of rapid economic growth. One important part of any redistribution policy that caters for growth is the pattern of state expenditure. We have the black economic empowerment Act; government is aiming to allocate certain procurements solely to the small business sector; and we have a new small business development strategy. All this augurs well for the broadening of the beneficiary base of the previously disadvantaged groupings.

Having said the above, to rely solely on the so-called trickle-down effect of benefits to the poorest group is problematic, given that the intended target is never reached. It is fine to create a new black elite middle class with increasing buying power, but what about the so-called second economy, the economy operatives?

It is hoped that the exciting concept of Asgisa will address some of these policy shortfalls in trying to steer the economy to a 6% economic growth rate. Achieving this means increasing domestic and foreign investment, enhancing the skills base of some industries and a review of the labour legislation environment.

Many of the poor may have experienced political freedom but still do not reap the economic fruit of democracy, which entails access to jobs, housing and a decent quality of life. Hence there is a need to spread the wealth created. With the service delivery protests, trade unions marching, etc we have reached the economic crossroads.

However, we still have to discover the formula of economic success. The Public Works programmes are a means of spreading the income. The central issue here is the management of Public Works programmes. [Time expired.]

Moh E MOLEWA (Tonakgolo ya bokone Bophirima): Modulasetulo, ntetle le nna ke simolole ka go dumedisa le go akgola baeteledipele ba rona jaaka Modulasetulo le Motlatsa-Modulasetulo le ba ba dirang le bona, gonne ba bone tšhono ya go isa Palamente kwa bathong. Gompieno le gorogile mo kgaolong ya Kgalagadi mme re a leboga.

Kwa ntle ga go senya nako, ke rata gape go dumedisa bagolo ba me go ya ka maemo a bona; Motlatsa-Mopresidente, Motlatsa-Tona, badirammogo ba Khansele ya Diporofense ya Bosetšhaba, baagi ba Kapa Bokone ba kgaolo ya Kgalagadi, re motlotlo go nna batsaakarolo mo lenaneong le le botlhokwa la go isa Palamente kwa bathong.

Rona batho ba ba nang le ponelopele, ba ba nang le matlho le ditsebe tsa go utlwa le melomo ya go bua, ga re a tshwanela go ikobonya re ntse re sekaseka lenaneo le re ipotsa gore a le na phoso kgotsa nnyaa. Ga re a tshwanela go akabala gonne le botlhokwa e bile re fetile mo ntlheng eo. Ke solofela gore go tla nna matshwanedi gore re se tlhole re ganetsanya ka lona gonne gompieno re a bolelelwa gore lenaneo le le siame. Re boleletswe gape ke batho kwa Nkoankoa gore lenaneo le le siame. Se utlweleleng bano ba ba okaokang gonne baa re dia. [Legofi.]

Mo boemong jwa porofense ya Bokone Bophirima, ke rata go isa matshidiso go lelapa la ratoropo wa rona, rre Kgopodithata, yo o re siileng mo kgaolong ya Bokone Bophirima. Re gorosa molaetsa gape kwa baaging ba Taung ba ba wetsweng ke leroborobo leno la merwalela. Ke solofela gore Ntlo ena e tla romela molaetsa wa gore re tla ba tshegetsa ka dinako tsotlhe.

Rona mo porofenseng ya Bokone Bophirima, mo kgaolong ya Kgalagadi, re lesego tota gonne re dirile le Motlatsa-Moporesidente jaaka go setse go kailwe. Re mmone a dira ka matsetseleko. Re a itse gore ke mme yo o bokgoni, yo e reng a gata setlhako go utlwale gore tema e a kgathiwa. O ne a re eteletse pele mo Nodal Point mme re bona Motlatsa-Tona a dira fela jaaka ena. Re bona dikago di tshwana le e, e e mabosebose e Tonakgolo Dipuo Peters a e bitsang CBD. Ke yona le a e bona, ke bontlhanngwe jwa tiro ya bona.

Go na le ditliliniki, disentara tsa motlakase, le ditsela. Re ne re relela gompieno, fa ene e le maloba re ka bo re thuntshitswe ke dithole. Go na le diporojeke tsa dipodi, motlakase, mme ra re ga go a lekana. Re rata go dira go tlala seatla. (Translation of Setswana speech follows.)

[Ms E MOLEWA (The Premier of the North West): Chairperson, allow me to convey my greetings and congratulations to our leaders, the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, together with their colleagues, for taking Parliament to the people. It is a pleasure to have you in the Kgalagadi region.

Without much ado, I would also like to convey my greetings to my seniors in order of seniority, the Deputy President, the Deputy Minister, colleagues in the NCOP and residents of the Kgagaladi region in North West province, it is a great honour for us to be role-players in this important programme of Taking Parliament to the People.

People with a vision, like us, who can see, listen and talk, never hesitated in trying to scrutinise this programme. We should not be surprised that this is a good programme and we are convinced of that. I think it is relevant not to argue about it any longer, because it is a good programme. We have already been told about the importance of this programme by the people of Nkoankoa. You should not take any advice from anybody who doubts this, as that would delay you. [Laughter.]

On behalf of the North West province, I would like to convey my condolences to the family of Mr Kgopodithata, our mayor in this region of the North West, who has passed away. I would also like to convey this message to the residents of Taung, who had floods. I hope this House will also send a message to them to express our unwavering support.

We, in the Kgalagadi region of the North West province, feel very blessed to have worked with the Deputy President, as was mentioned earlier. We acknowledge her excellent work. We do not doubt that she is competent. She has been leading us with the nodal point and we are glad that the Deputy Minister is following suit. A beautiful building like this one, in what is referred to as the CBD, serves as proof of their efforts.

We now have clinics, electricity-vending centres and roads. Today we have tarred roads, unlike in the past where our roads were dirt roads. There are projects in animal husbandry and electricity; however, we are saying that that is not enough. We intend to work even harder.]

Ms H JENKINS (Salga): Chairperson, hon Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr Mahlangu; Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Ma’am Peggy Hollander; Her Excellency the hon Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka; hon Premiers Peters and Molewa; Ministers, Deputy Ministers and MECs present; members of the NCOP and members of provincial legislatures; hon mayors, councillors and traditional leadership; people of Northern Cape, in particular the people of Moshaweng; ladies and gentlemen, President Thabo Mbeki said, in his state of the nation address, and I quote:

While we must indeed celebrate the high levels of optimism that inspire our people, who are convinced that our country has entered its age of hope, we must also focus on and pay particular attention to the implications of those high levels of optimism with regard to what we must do together to achieve the objective of a better life for all our people. We have to respond to the hopes of the people by doing everything possible to meet their expectations.

With regard to these esteemed words of the President, it is only appropriate that today’s debate is focused on the theme: “Towards ensuring that wealth (economy) is accelerated and shared amongst the people.”

After the second local government elections, the immediate task for newly- elected councils is to review and adopt the integrated development plans and then pass the budgets for the 2006-07 financial year. These two steps are central to government in order to achieve the objectives outlined in the National Spatial Development Perspective as well as the provincial growth and development strategies, respectively. They are also supported by the medium-term strategic framework. With this understanding, all three spheres of government are planning and intend to budget to achieve the common objectives of accelerating growth and ensuring that the wealth of the country is shared amongst the people.

It becomes important that as government, private sector and nongovernmental agencies we critically evaluate our capacities, our challenges and weaknesses to advance our country’s developmental agenda. It is this critical first step that will properly position us in a better trajectory towards our developmental goals, particularly as outlined in the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa – in, as the Premier has said, “Asgisarisation”.

As a sector, we have long acknowledged our challenge to accelerate service delivery and socioeconomic development. For the purpose of this debate, I wish to highlight but just a few of these challenges. Those are: to improve and accelerate delivery of basic services; development and implementation of credible integrated plans that are locally responsive and consultative regarding national objectives; to enhance and retain critical capacity and skills around municipal finance, engineering, project management, development economists and planners, and so on; and also to enhance sustainable community investment and improve market confidence in municipalities.

Salga is confident that by starting to address some of the above challenges, it will place local government in a confident position to contribute to accelerated and sustainable development at local level. Towards dealing with these challenges, Salga, through the intergovernmental relations framework, has contributed and continues to contribute to planning and implementation of hands-on support to municipalities.

Our role falls under the development and implementation of credible and integrated plans that are locally responsive and consultative concerning national objectives. Salga, together with the Department of Provincial and Local Government and other sector departments, engaged the previous national integrated planning hearings which form a baseline for the newly developed master plan for 2006 IDPs. In addition to initiatives by the Department of Provincial and Local Government and the Development Bank of South Africa around Project Consolidate and Siyenza Manje, Salga developed a five-year skills development plan targeted at councillors and management within local government to effectively address the issue of skills gaps and shortages within our municipalities. The first intervention in this regard will be rolled out next week from 3 to 7 April through a nationwide councillor induction programme aimed at ensuring that councillors understand roles and specific requirements, as elected leaders in government.

Salga will also conduct in-depth training for councillors and municipal officials in the area of financial and project management to ensure that, at local government level, we are able to effectively implement and manage in accordance with our programmes and budget. In partnership with national sector departments, Salga will be rolling out further training programmes on specific priority issues relating to finance and the provision of water, electricity, basic services and housing within the next year.

With regard to enhancing sustainable community investment and to improve market confidence in municipalities, Salga is committed to engage national stakeholders, in particular the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism concerning the implementation of the national framework for local economic development, with emphasis on rural communities similar to the Kgalagadi district municipal area.

In conclusion, towards ensuring the realisation of the objective identified in the theme, all shall have equal rights. It is important that, as a collective, we seriously take note of the concerns raised by the community of Kgalagadi throughout this week, and respond speedily and adequately to the expectations created and the level of optimism, as described by the President in state of the nation address. It is for this reason that all our efforts to achieve our developmental state must be funnelled into Asgisa as the lead development programme.

May I also take the opportunity to extend our sincere condolences to the family of the late mayor of Ga-Segonyane, local municipality councillor Kgopodithathe. His contribution to the development of a nonracist and democratic South Africa has not gone unnoticed. May his soul rest in peace. [Applause.]

Mr A MOTSOALEDI (Limpopo): Madam Chair, Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP . . . [Laughter.] . . . hon Deputy President, Mme Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Premier Molewa and Premier Peters, MECs from various provinces, colleagues in the NCOP and the NA, councillors, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen . . .

… legatong la mmušo wa gešo wa Limpopo, le nna ke nyaka go leboga motsotso wo wa go re tliša mo gore re tle re bolele le setšhaba. Taba ye ya go tliša Palamente setšhabeng e ngwadilwe mo lengwalong la Freedom Charter, temaneng ye e rego ``Setšhaba Se tla Buša!’’ Ke ka baka leo mokgatlo wa rena o hlomphago taba ye ka kudu.

Gape ke ka baka leo yo mongwe wa baetapele ba lefase yo a tsebegago ka la Mao Tse Tung a ilego a bolela gore: ``People, and people alone, are the motive force in the making of the world history.’’ Se se ra gore gore ge re ka se tle setšhabeng ka mokgwa wo re tlilego ka gona lehono re ka se tsebe gore setšhaba se nyaka eng, gape re ka se tsebe le gore batho ba na le eng le gore ba kgona eng. Gape se se ra gore le rena ka borena re ka se kgone go bona mo re palelwago. Ka baka leo re ka se tsebe gore re lebile kae. (Translation of Sepedi paragraphs follows.)

[… on behalf of the Limpopo Legislature, I would like to express my gratitude for this opportunity to address the people. The plan to bring Parliament to the people was first written down in the Freedom Charter, in the text that goes: ``The People shall Govern!’’ This is why our organisation has so much respect for it.

It is for this reason that one of the world’s leaders, Mao Tse Tung, said: ``People and people alone are the motive force in the making of world history.’’ This means that if we do not consult with the people, as we are doing now, we will not know what it is that people want. We will not even know what people have and what they are capable of. It also means that we will not know where we ourselves have failed to meet the people’s needs. For that reason, we will not know where we are heading.]

Further, we note that most of the concerns raised in this platform are common to most of our provinces. When the hon Cele from KwaZulu-Natal was speaking, I thought he was speaking about Limpopo,

… ka gore Limpopo re sa tshela noka ya Lepelle ka selo se se bitšwago sewayawaya, fao yo mongwe a emago ka thoko yela ya noka gomme a lahlela lenti ka nokeng mme ba bangwe ba le goga ka thoko yeno ya noka. Ke ka mokgwa wo re sa tshelago dinoka ka gona, le ge e le gore motseng wo mongwe re ile ra aga leporogo gore batho ba se hlwe ba sepela ka sewayawaya. Batho ba ile ba thaba ka kudu. Ke tšeo ANC e di direlago setšhaba sa rena, gomme re a di thabela. (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)

[… because in Limpopo we still use ropes to cross to the other side of the river. One person would stand on one side and throw the rope into the river. Others would then pull it to the other side. That is how we cross the river. We managed to build a bridge at some villages so that people could stop using the rope. The people were very happy. That is what the ANC does for the people and we appreciate it.]

It is obviously comforting that most of the concerns raised in this session inform our broad government programme, which therefore confirms that our government has decisions.

Hon Deputy President, under your leadership work is at an advanced stage in the attainment of the accelerated and shared growth trajectory in our country. Although not a necessarily conclusive economic blue-print policy for our government, we believe that this set of national interventions are key to integrating the first and the second economy, as Minister Trevor Manuel in describing Asgisa once said, it is an in-depth preview of the dynamics of economic progress and constraints that hold back our development.

It is a project that includes consultations with international experts because we are keen to learn from the experience of other countries. But we are also mindful of the fact that growth strategy has to address our particular historical and special structural circumstances of the South African economy. So, it is not a blueprint that searches for dispassionate approval in distant banks or academic journals.

Our search is for a vision that brings South Africans together, investing in our shared future, jointly confronting challenges and celebrating opportunities; constructing a strategy that will confidently be embraced by business leaders, workers, provinces, cities, villages, civic organisations and community activists.

As a province we welcome this analysis because it is pragmatic. In Limpopo we have huge projects coming - like the building of the De Hoop Dam and the rebuilding of R37 Road and rail networks. These programmes sit comfortably with our provincial growth and development strategy, which is also based on infrastructural needs.

The implementation of our provincial growth and development strategy is gaining steam and momentum. We can safely say progress is being registered with regard to the appointment of managers for our seven clusters. However, we continue to hold the view that the test for the success of both programmes of Asgisa and our provincial growth and development strategy lies in the strength to generate higher growth rates which can be shared by the unemployed and the poor. This, among others, requires that we heighten measures to rejuvenate drivers in the second economy while at the same time we ensure stability and competitiveness in the higher growth rate in our economy.

The recently established Asgisa programme of Jipsa, the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition in South Africa, must assist us to attain higher levels of skills, particularly in the Public Service and other competitive areas of our economy.

Deputy President, as you were speaking about the skills that are needed in our economy, I felt so inadequate. As the MEC for Education I felt like bolting from this tent and running away to start work because of the needs that are still out there.

Ka lebaka leo re nagana gore ge maloko a DA a bolela, go bontšha gore ga se ba tšwe ba tseba Afrika Borwa. They don’t know what is happening in this country! Ge ke bolela ke ilale, [That is why, when the members of the DA speak, we get the impression that they do not know South Africa well yet. They do not know what is happening in this country! As I am speaking now …]

… we still have schools where we are still searching high and low for mathematics and science teachers. Whilst we have heeded the President’s call that there must be no learners under trees and in shacks, and while we have built such schools, let me tell you a story about Limpopo, which the DA, I know, may not understand because many people don’t know about it. In the far rural areas of this country, government started building schools only in 1994. Before that it was the duty of communities under their chiefs, with neither resources nor pension funds, to build their own schools. [Applause.] So, there could not have been engineers or architects, they just went in and built. And what is happening now is that those structures are busy collapsing.

On 19 October 2001 in the Sekhukhune District Municipality, which is a presidential nodal point, 14 schools collapsed in one day. Even with this small quake that occurred in Mozambique, nothing collapsed in Mozambique. But in the Vhembe District Municipality of Limpopo several schools collapsed. I was informed yesterday that four more schools collapsed because of the weekend rains. Every time they collapse, they send learners under trees. That is why our learners must learn to become engineers, architects and artisans.

We still have a lot of work to do. And we want the DA members to understand that these are the problems that we are faced with. [Applause.] So, when we sit down and say let’s work and share with our people, these are not academic debates. I do not understand why even in a peaceful atmosphere like this, where love and understanding prevail, they must always seek war and confrontation. [Laughter.] [Applause.] Even after the world has agreed that we need to jointly host the Soccer World Cup, they are still fighting and saying that we cannot do so. Very surprising! [Laughter.] [Applause.]

Ms B L MATLHOAHELA: Hon Chair, hon Deputy Chair, hon Deputy President, all other protocol observed, prior to my speech I want to bring to the attention of the House the fact that our country is a multiparty state and that without opposition parties it is not a multiparty state, and also that the NCOP is not the NCOP without the “uh-uhs”, the “ahs” and the “bahs”.

The Bill of Rights in Chapter 2 of the Constitution states that everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected.

Extreme poverty however infringes this right. Surely, no one feels dignified by sharing water with animals. That is but one example. The theme ensuring that wealth is accelerated and shared amongst the people is to be seen to be done. I refer to the poorest of the poor on the ground. One of our people, a lady in the audience during the NCOP oversight visit referred to having shares in the diamond businesses.

Again, referring to the poorest of the poor, the government has to look at the monopolies on the enrichment businesses. Also, with all due respect to the ruling party, if we cannot get all the money… [Interjections.]

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr T S Setona): Order! Order, hon member! You must allow me to protect you, or I’ll leave you alone. Continue, hon member.

Ms B L MATLHOAHELA: They are consuming my time, hon Chair. That’s corruption.

The ruling party must also display the greatness of spirit to accept constructive criticism from opposition parties where applicable. We in the ID acknowledge and admit that … [Interjections.]

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL: Chairperson, on a point of order: May the hon member withdraw the statement where she referred to corruption towards the presiding officer in terms of time because you have not done anything to fraudulently take her time.

Ms B L MATLHOAHELA: I withdraw, hon Chair.

We in the ID acknowledge and admit that there have been good deeds by the ruling party. However, on the ground level, they must be careful to be prejudiced towards ANC members in regards to empowerment and sharing of wealth. We are all South Africans.

In conclusion, the ID appreciates the initiatives taken by the hon Deputy President, which is also complemented by the 2006 Budget. This will have an impact on the lives of the poor. Thank you, hon Chair.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr T S Setona): I now call the hon T Xasa, the MEC for social development from the Eastern Cape. Hon members, can we have order please! Hon members, can we have order! We mustn’t conduct ourselves in a negative way. We have had a full five days that have been dignified and that we are proud of. I think people are there and listening to us. As we say certain things, I think we must say them with in a proper and responsible way, because we are with the masses of our people here. We mustn’t send out the wrong messages. Could you take your platform, hon MEC?

Ms T XASA (Eastern Cape): Thank you very, hon Chair. Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and members of the National Council of Provinces, our Deputy President, Deputy Minister, my colleagues from other provinces and Premiers . . . “ … ndiyabulisa kubo bonke abantu abalapha.” [. . . welcome to you all.]

It gives me great pleasure to be part of this important gathering in which we are committing ourselves, once more, to making the lives of our people better by accelerating shared growth. I stand here representing the Eastern Cape province, which is one of the best examples of a province with a dual economy – a contradiction that is prevalent in the whole of South Africa.

We see a serious division in that in the western area of the Eastern Cape we have wealthy people, whilst on the eastern side we have an impoverished region. Nonetheless, the province is characterised by beautiful opportunities for investment and has considerable competitive advantages. For us, it is a hope in itself to say: We can, as we come together with all our social partners, work out something better for our community.

I want to steal the Premier of the North West’s word “Asgisarisation”, in that our economic approach as the Eastern Cape continues to be informed by our provincial growth and development programme – a framework that has ensured that we focused on certain pillars in order to ensure that we improve the economic growth of our province. This has seen us making an impact in terms of economic development in the area. Looking at our experience in the past, we have been characterised as one of the best provinces in terms of GDP growth.

We’ve just come out of a job summit which about 1 000 participants attended, as did several stakeholders. We were kick-starting the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa, which is led by our Deputy President. In terms of this we looked at the achievements that we have already made, and we could see that we really are a province at work. This is because we could count on our achievements in terms of agrarian transformation, in terms of tourism and in terms of other areas that are being focused on when it comes to our provincial growth and development plan.

What we are doing further is to now put in the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa as part of that to ensure that there is continuity and also certainty amongst the participants in terms of the economic build-up of our province.

We are boasting here about two major projects in the Eastern Cape that add to the programmes that we already have in terms of the economic development of the province. There is an Umzimvubu project that is intended to capitalise on the vast water resources of the area. We will be constructing a big dam there with a hydropower facility. This provides the distinct possibility of constructing a water transfer system for the water-hungry Gariep Dam, an indication that this won’t only end up with the Eastern Cape but will move on to link up even with other provinces.

Our sharing of the successes this morning also provides a platform in terms of which we can begin to open up chances for us to interact, so that we can see how we then take forward this economic growth to respond to the targets we have set for 2014.

We are hopeful that this project will include irrigation schemes for agricultural intensification, and attack the problems of soil erosion and overgrazing within the area. It is targeted also at covering the forestation of about 50 000 ha. This will create jobs for most of the people in our rural areas, wherein certain specific skills will be required. Therefore a programme is already starting to identify such skills in terms of the need that is there, so that we can begin to look at how then we can ensure that the youth we have in the province can get ready when such programmes and projects take off.

The second project relates to the forest and timber sector. It is one of the projects that have been pronounced on by the Deputy President. In terms of this we have available 150 000 ha of land, which we hope will yield high- quality timber. This is because the area has an appropriate rainfall level.

For us it becomes very important in that we are looking at a big investment in the area of more than R1,3 billion that has already been earmarked. It is also important to recognise that in the Eastern Cape there is the continued importance of the existence of industrial development zones, Coega being one of them. We are ensuring that we build up those initiatives in order to continue to add to the targets as set out in the Asgisa programme.

Our economy is about to open up new frontiers and will become one of the key engines for economic growth in South Africa. However, it depends on our belief and faith in making these possibilities realities. Hard work, unwavering commitment by government and all our social partners will assist in setting the pace and getting our provincial economy growing.

So we also hope with what we have said, as all the provinces, that we will make them realities so that our people continue to have hope in the government of the ANC. Thank you. [Time expired.]

Mrs J WITBOOI (Western Cape): Thank you, Chairperson of the NCOP, Deputy Chair of the NCOP, our hon Deputy President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MECs, Premiers, mayors, all members of the various legislatures, and the people of Kgalagadi. It is quite appropriate that this august House is meeting in Kgalagadi at Moshaweng, not far from the town of Kuruman. This year, it was exactly 180 years ago that Robert Moffat of the London Missionary Society established his mission station near the spring called the Eye of Kuruman.

Of soos dit hier rond genoem word - die Oog. Dit is hier in Moshaweng, naby die Oog dat ons die oog gaan vestig op almal se betrokkenheid by die bespoediging van ons ekonomiese groei, ten behoewe van Fwelvaartskepping vir almal in hierdie pragtige land van ons. Die Oog wat lewe gee, die Oog wat lewe bring: vir wie? In baie plekke in ons land word die gaping tussen ryk en arm nog pynlik ervaar. Op talle plekke voel ons mense nog nie deel van ’n samelewing waarin die vrugte van ons 12 jaar oue demokrasie geproe word nie. Dit is hier en in menige plattelandse dorpe in ons land waar ouers hulle dikwels afsloof vir ’n karige loon om brood op hul andersins leë tafels te sit. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[Or, as it is known around here – “die Oog” [the eye]. It is here in Moshaweng, close to the Eye, that we are going to focus the attention on everybody’s involvement in the acceleration of our economic growth in order to generate prosperity for all in this beautiful country of ours. The Eye that gives life, the Eye that brings life: to whom? In many places in our country the gap between rich and poor is still painfully experienced. In many places our people still do not feel part of a society in which the fruits of our 12-year-old democracy can be tasted. Here and in various rural towns in our country, parents often toil for a mere pittance to put bread on their otherwise empty tables.]

And it is here and many other places in our beautiful country that many of our young people feel as if they have no hope at all. Let the eye of Asgisa bring that hope back. Chairperson, no one can deny that during the last twelve years we had immense progress, but we must also admit, by looking back, in any community there still those who are missing out and who do not share in the prosperity that we have come to know since then. There are still many “missing-outs” and many “have-nots”.

Dit is dan ook oor diesulkes dat die President gedurende die eerste gesamentlike sitting van die Derde Parlement in Mei 2004 so baie aandag gegee het aan die ontwikkeling en ondersteuning van die tweede ekonomie. ’n Toename in armoede en uitsluiting moet teengewerk word. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[It is precisely because of people such as these that the President focused a lot of attention on the development and support of the second economy during the first joint sitting of the Third Parliament in May 2004. An increase in poverty and exclusion must be counteracted.]

The missing-outs must be turned into dream-catchers and the have-nots must be turned into shareholders. The President’s belief was confirmed by a survey conducted by GCIS that founded that we should move faster to address the challenges of poverty and underdevelopment confronting those caught within the second economy to ensure that the poor in our country share in our growing prosperity.

So het die President die bevindinge opgesom gedurende vanjaar se Parlementsopening. In Business Day, 12 Januarie 2005, skryf Isabel Frey dat die verspreiding van hulpbronne en toegang tot produksiemiddele binne die tweede ekonomie skeef is, ten gunste van ’n klein minderheid wat maak dat Suid-Afrika een van die hoogste vlakke van inkomste-ongelykhede in die wêreld het. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[This is how the President summarised the findings during this year’s opening of Parliament. In Business Day of 12 January 2005, Isabel Frey wrote that the distribution of resources and access to means of production within the second economy are skewed in favour of a small minority, which causes South Africa to have one of the highest levels of income disparity in the world.]

The exclusion of the majority from the economy is termed racial capitalisation.

Vandag is dit ongelukkig nie net ras wat ’n rol speel nie. Daar is ook ’n paar ander euwels wat ons gemeenskappe teister en een daarvan is klassisme: diegene wat het, teenoor diegene wat nie het nie; al bly ons aan dieselfde kant van die rivier. Daar is dié wat motors het, teenoor dié wat moet loop om by hulle werk, hospitale of skole te kom. Daar is diegene wat ’n permanente werk het teenoor diegene wat maar net elke dag moet loop “char”. Daar is diegene wat in ’n drieslaapkamerhuis woon teenoor diegene wat woon in ’n struktuur wat skaars beskutting bied; diegene wat die luukse van elektrisiteit het teenoor diegene wat nog vuurmaakhout moet loop optel, voor dit te laat en te donker is. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[Today, unfortunately not only race plays a role. There are also some other ills that afflict our communities, classism being one of them. The haves versus the have-nots; even though we live on the same side of the river. There are those who own cars versus those who have to walk to get to work, hospitals or school. There are those who have a permanent job versus those who have to rely on domestic work every day. There are those who live in a three-bedroomed house versus those who live in a structure that barely offers shelter; those who have the luxury of electricity versus those who still have to gather firewood before it grows too late and too dark.]

Our history took away our pride and dignity, our willingness to compete, or even our ability to stand up for ourselves. And it is wishful thinking to try to undo the legacy of apartheid within a few years, but each and every effort of government is wholeheartedly supported. We applaud the effort of government for what has been done in the past 12 years to restore our dignity, to make us stand up for ourselves, to be proud of what we are, and what we can become.

Dit is om hierdie redes en baie ander dat Asgisa ten doel het om ons ekonomie met 6% te laat groei, armoede te verminder en werkloosheid te halveer teen 2014. Hierdie doelstellings is nie net belangrik vir ekonome en besigheidslui nie, maar dit is ook die doelstellings van jong entrepreneurs, tuinwerkers, skoonmakers en werkloses. Maar as dit nie ook die doelstellings van jong entrepreneurs, studente, tuinmakers, skoonmakers, werkloses en ongeletterdes word nie, dan baat dit ons weinig of absoluut niks nie. Asgisa moenie die gevaar loop om gesien te word as iets vir die elite nie. Dit moet ook die alledaagse woord word van die gewone mense, sodat die boodskappe daarin vir hulle ook belangrik word. Dit is tog vir hulle wat ons beoog om ten beste hierby te baat. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[It is for these and many other reasons that Asgisa aims for 6% economic growth, the reduction of poverty and halving unemployment by 2014. These objectives are not only important to economists and business people, but also to young entrepreneurs, gardeners, cleaners and the unemployed. But if it does not become the objective of young entrepreneurs, students, gardeners, cleaners, the unemployed and illiterate people too, then it will benefit us barely or not at all. Asgisa must not risk being viewed as something for the elite. It must also become an everyday word for ordinary people so that the meaning in the messages may also become important to them. After all, we want them to benefit the most from this.]

Young people should also be encouraged to dream, but the means for those dreams to be realised must be in place. The unemployed should not give up hope, but as a joint initiative of the priority skills acquisition aims, rather empower themselves through the acquisition of skills. “The skills are not just one of the constraints facing Asgisa, but the potential fatal constraint”, our beloved Deputy President said that last week during Jipsa’s launch, and she repeated it again this morning.

Voorsitter, ons is almal daartoe verbind om ons ekonomie te laat groei en om daardie groei te bespoedig. Dit is ook belangrik om te verseker dat elke burger in ons land hul rol hierteenoor moet verstaan en hul bydrae hierteenoor moet maak. Ons kan nie toelaat dat enigiemand op enige oomblik uitgesluit voel nie. [Tyd verstreke.] [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.) [Chairperson, we are all committed to the growth of our economy and to the acceleration of that growth. It is also important to ensure that all citizens in our country should understand the role they have to play and the contribution they have to make with regard to the above-mentioned. We cannot allow anyone to feel excluded at any given time. [Time expired.] [Applause.]]

Mr M J SIBIYA: Comrade Chairperson, hon Chairperson of the NCOP, hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Premiers, hon MECs, mayors, hon Speakers and Deputy Speakers of provincial legislatures, colleagues, comrades, ladies and gentlemen, in the wake of 1980 having been declared the Year of the Charter and the South African Worker by the ANC, the late president of our glorious movement and the commander-in-chief of our army, the late Comrade Oliver Tambo, addressed a meeting in Lusaka - Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s Zambia. In the audience were South Africans from both inside and outside the country.

Amongst other things, he urged South Africans to become habitual readers so that they would be able to understand the political situation way back home and avoid becoming entangled in the enemy propaganda. He also urged them to be aware of those who talked in a muddled way. When he came to the end of his speech, he said that it is generally accepted that those who go into a meeting and come out without having said anything make themselves liable to the historical injustice. But if they go into that meeting and talk in a manner that confuses issues under discussion and mislead their audience, they will still be guilty of political injustice and therefore deserve a very serious programme of political rehabilitation. [Laughter.]

I cannot guess. Perhaps I should better leave it to you. But, I have a suggestion to make and some thought experience. Is there any of us whom we think need that political rehabilitation programme? [Laughter.] I am not sure. Perhaps the audience might make their own judgement.

Hon Deputy President, our forebears indeed understood the political injustices in this country. During their days they were aware and convinced that in the whole world all people are equal not only before the law, but also before the economy. It is for that reason, amongst other things, that when they drew up the Freedom Charter in 1955, they included a clause that goes directly into that understanding. And, that is clause no.3, which says, “The people shall share in the country’s wealth!”

That document, the Freedom Charter, is a closed document. We don’t need any extra indirect and negative clauses to be smuggled into that document. Nobody in this world can change that document. Those who try to do that are attempting to put South Africa in a reverse gear, to go back to the pre- 1994 situation where this country was turned into a paradise for bloodthirsty mobs and unpunished Nazi war criminals, while on the other hand it was turned into a hell for Africans, black people and anti- apartheid fighters as a whole. Perhaps I should go back directly to hon Watson. I need to indicate to him that an ANC membership card is in no way a guarantee to finding a job. There are so many comrades who do not have work as I’m talking here. Some of them are veterans. I’ll give him an example. I know he’s very good at research. I’ll even give him some suggestions on how he can go further and research the things that I’m going to tell him.

Firstly, in this very province we have a comrade we used to call Comrade Motlatsi or Comrade Liberty. He was at the door there. He told me that he has not been working since January this year. There are others way back in my province. To give you an example, we have Messrs Mapjanya, Peter Dambusa, Elija Mabasa, comrades and veterans of this kind, as well as Edward Shabangu. If you want to contact him and check I’ll give you his number. Take it down. It is 082 4312 412. I hope you got that number. [Laughter.] I repeat it for the last time: 082 4312 412.

The ANC, as our undisputable custodian of our peoples’ progressive traditions and the leader of our democratic movement, understood properly that by virtue of history it has a task, which task will have to be part and parcel of the chapter in the history of the world in the struggle against every social evil for a better world. That understanding has gone deeper to be seen to mean that that better world must start inside our country under our nose. That is why we say ``A better life for all’’. On the basis of that better life for all, we have a contract with our people. I wonder if hon Watson is part of that contract. I will ask him that. [Laughter.]

The motto, which says ``A better life for all!’’ has its essence in people benefiting from all the resources we have in this country. I was very much impressed when the hon Premier repeated this in many ways; more than five times since I have come here. I was counting. If my mathematics is wrong, don’t worry. Anyway, I’m not good at mathematics. Perhaps if my arithmetic was good, it is not worth talking about.

Hon Deputy President, Asgisa couldn’t have come at any more opportune time than now, and as South Africans we want to say a very big thank you to our government. Thank you very much, comrades. The struggle continues! [Applause.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order, order! Order, hon members, order!

Ke tshepa gore batho ba Kgalagadi le bone lehono gore ge Palamente e dutše go diragala eng. Le Palamenteng kua Kapa go fela go diragala tšona tše. Re šetše re tlwaetše. Ke tshepa gore le thabetše go ba gona ga Palamente mo.

Re tla kgopela Motlatša-presidente wa rena go tswalela tulo ye. Re tla be re feditše mošomo wa rena, re phuthaphutha diporogwna tša rena re boela Kapa. (Translation of Sepedi paragraphs follows.)

[I hope the people of Kgalagadi have today seen what happens when Parliament is in session. The same scenarios that unfolded here are often the order of the day even in Cape Town. We are used to this. I’m hoping that you are happy because Parliament is here.

We are going to request the Deputy President to close the session. We would be through with our task and we will be packing our stuff heading back to Cape Town.]

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Thank you, comrades. Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, hon members, Premiers, MECs, councillors, mayors, “bagaetsho” [fellow people of this country], thank you so much for this vibrant session. I want to start, or rather close, by congratulating the parties that participated in the local government election and wish them luck as they proceed to implement the promises they made during the campaign. I would like to urge them that we work in a co-operative manner so that, even though we may come from different parties, we are able to work together to address the needs of our people.

I want to urge all of us, as we go on recess – some of us – to make sure that we do postelection follow-ups. One thing, udanki, “u-enkosi” [thank you], especially those of us who got nice votes. We must go back to the people and say thank you. If you never say thank you to the people – I won’t name the animal that you are supposed to be. If you are a decent human being, as we are, go back and say thank you.

I also want to urge you during this post-election phase to ensure that you continue to have intensive contact with the people, as we had during the campaign, because, while we were campaigning we identified certain problems in the communities, some of which you may not have been aware of. I think we made promises to some of the communities. To some of the people in the household we said, ``Anti, ngizobuya”.] [“Aunty, I will come back”.] Please, let us be decent; let us go back to those homes and families. If we have a particular answer, let’s go back and try to sort out the problems.

Let us also make sure that after the elections, and as we embark on our work as municipalities and as parties governing certain municipalities, we structure our work so that the work is responsive to the felt needs of the people. I would just like to make sure that no matter what party you come from, we always remember that when people talk to us during the campaigns and when they vote for us, it is because they have hope that we will be responding.

I also want to say to our people that it is important that they recognise that government will not have all the answers. Government will work in collaboration with the communities, with business; but people also need to take responsibility for their own lives. However, government must always have a safety net to catch those people who have absolutely no means to survive by themselves, but over time the idea must be that people evolve out of full dependency from government.

It is not sustainable that a teenager who becomes a parent at 19 gets a child grant and then does not make the means to actually go back to school at some point, or learn through the different means that we have in our communities - get into a co-op, or whatever - and in that way, from 19 to 65 the person is dependent on government. It is not financially sustainable and it also undermines the dignity of that person.

As a collective we must also assist our young people to be ambitious to be able to participate in the different programmes, and we must make those programmes available.

Bagaetsho, ke batla go le bolelela gore baeng ba rona ba botlhokwa ba ba tswang kwa Kapa ba le bontshitse gompieno gore Palamente e dira jang. Ga go jalo?

SETŠHABA: Ee!

MOTLATSA-MOPRESIDENTE: Ke batla gore le emise matsogo fa le tlhaloganya gore go diragala eng kwa Motse Kapa. Le a tlhaloganya? Matsogo! Tsholetsang matsogo! Le a bona ge matsogo a mantis jang. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)

[Ladies and gentlemen, I want to tell you today that our important guests from Cape Town have shown you today how Parliament operates, haven’t they?

The PUBLIC: Yes!

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I would like you to raise your hands if you understand what is happening in Cape Town. Hands up! Raise your hands! Do you see how numerous they are?]

Many hands! That means people are able to understand.

Go na le bana ba sekolo mo Ntlong mo? Go na le bana ba sekolo? Ke a gakgamala gore goreng ba sa ya sekolong. Bana ba sekolo le teng? Matsogo! Emisang matsogo! Ke a bona, dikolo di tswetswe.

Jaanong fa le utlweletse bonkoko le bomme le bontate, a bangwe ba lona le akanya gore le ka ya sekolong go ya go ithuta gore le dire tiro e ba e dirang?

SETŠHABA: Ee! MOTLATSA-MOPRESIDENTE: Ga ke utlwe? A lo a itse gore le tshwanetse go ithuta eng kwa sekolong gore le itse go dira tiro e e tshwanang le e ba e dirang?

SETŠHABA: Ee!

MOTLATSA-MOPRESIDENTE: Go siame, ke a leboga. Go raa gore career guidance e teng kwa sekolong. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)

[Are there any schoolchildren in this House? Are there any schoolchildren? I am surprised that they are not at school. Learners, are you here? Hands up! Raise your hands! It is because the schools are closed.

When you listened to your grandmothers and mothers and fathers, do some of you think you can be trained at school to do the jobs that they are doing?

The PUBLIC: Yes!

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I beg your pardon? Do you know what you are supposed to learn so that you can do the same job?

The PUBLIC: Yes!

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Okay, thank you. That means there is career guidance at school.]

Also, I hope you did, as young people – I am talking to young people in particular – understand the importance of choosing the right subjects so that you position yourself for a better life. And as parents, obviously, you also need to assist our young people to make the right choices.

Bomme ba dipodi, le teng? Ba teng bomme ba dipodi? Ee. Re tshwanetse go tsweletsa porojeke e ya dipodi pele. Le tshwanetse gore jaanong lo be lo dira exports e leng le bua ka yona kgale. [The ladies who own the goats, are you here? Are the ladies who own the goats present? Yes. We have to carry on with this goat project. By now you should be exporting, like you mentioned in the past.]

So we need to make sure that in Asgisa, where we have put these projects, we are actually working intensively not only to do “dipodi”, … “idipodi- ke izimbuzi, Bheki” … [“dipodi” means goats, Bheki.] - I know that Durbanites like the goat parties – but also to make sure that we roll out a strategy for value addition, beneficiation and development of the goat industry, because it has a high potential especially in these parts of the country.

We have, as hon members, also a responsibility always to try to sustain the decorum of the House, especially when we are in communities because we are role models in the communities. We must be robust, but sustain the decorum. We must never forget to do that.

I also want to make reference to some of the comments that were made by hon members, which I appreciated. Many of the members, in different ways, highlighted the fact that many of the communities they work in have untapped potential. People are living in poverty and yet there is potential for greater development.

Some of the members highlighted the provincial growth strategies, which are crucial to facilitate this development. I would that, as NCOP members, we find a mechanism to work closely with our provinces to assist in the unpacking and implementation of the growth strategies, because all of the growth strategies are actually very well thought out. People do not just wake up one day and choose these sectors. There is research that is being done; there is an identification of opportunities, and an identification of markets.

So these strategies must perform, they must be implemented, and to the extent that as Members of Parliament we do our oversight work, we can help not only to supervise to prevent failure, but also to facilitate implementation. We must try and build that into our programme of action.

Comrade Premier of the Northern Cape, I do want to emphasise, not just diamonds; let us not forget the semiprecious stones and tiger’s-eye in this province, in Prieska, yes.

I would also like to emphasise to you, hon members, the role of provinces in ensuring that we increase local content: We all procure; we have budgets through which we procure either as provinces or municipalities. If we come together as provinces, let alone national government, which must also be party to this, if we procure in bulk we can determine the location of some of the production facilities, because we are the key customers for some of those goods.

When people are crowding the path to the tenders, I think one of the criteria we must have is: Will your company produce locally? People must not win a tender and then produce something that could have been produced in the neighbourhood “kgale kwa” [a very long time ago], let alone mesting kwa [overseas]. We must therefore find the mechanisms to enhance and support local content through the tender system, so that people will think twice before they expect and take for granted that they could win a tender when they are not going to be reinvesting in local development; especially those goods where we can provide a captive and a sustainable market as government, so that we are not being unfair to the supplier in the sense that the market we are talking about is actually sustainable.

Local economic development, to be meaningful, has to be robust. Some of the initiatives that we have undertaken thus far for local economic development have been too timid. The size of the problems we are dealing with are such that we are not just looking for elegant solutions, we are looking for thoroughgoing and big interventions in order for us to be able to respond adequately to the needs of our people.

I’ve noted this call that men want to retire earlier … “Angazi bafuna ukwenzani ekhaya.” [I don’t know what it is that they want to do at home.]

Anyway I have noted that they are just being lazy. The advantage, though, of that is that you can make it possible for younger people to enter the labour force if some of the older people retire earlier. And once you retire you must stay at home.

Nigade izimbuzi nezinkukhu. Nibe usizo endlini. Umuntu angabi nje yixhegu elihlalayo endlini lilokhu libiza itiye. [Look after the goats and chickens and be useful around the house. You must not just be an old man who sits around doing nothing except to demand tea.]

Now I also would like to say, and emphasise again, the reason why we are talking about accelerated and shared growth is because we realise that notwithstanding that our economy is growing, it’s not being shared enough, and it should be growing faster, because all the problems are urgent. So I would ask hon members from the opposition not to lecture us about the plight of our people because we are self-correcting; we are the first ones to own up that it is not all right. We’ve made progress, but we are not there yet. This is why we are taking these big and bold initiatives; we are honest about the situation and the challenges of our country.

I also want to highlight some empirical evidence. In this district the ANC got 84% in the local government elections. [Applause.] They wiped clean. Now, people who are unemployed in this audience, could they stand up; people who don’t have jobs, could you stand up? Thank you. Members of the opposition, when you say that if you vote for the ANC you automatically get a job, it’s not a fact. The ANC people are struggling just as much as anybody else. I do not think we should exaggerate these things. Because, where are these people coming from if the ANC is an automatic ticket to unemployment?

People share suffering just like they share opportunities. At national level, in the last election, the ANC got 74%, which means almost three out of every four people in South Africa are members of the ANC.

Baningi abantu be-ANC. [There are many people in the ANC.] They share in the suffering. As it is there is a tragedy in Taung. The majority of the people caught up in the tragedy are ANC people, I can tell without having to count.

But, when there are benefits to be had, opportunities, you expect the ANC to be in the majority when they receive these benefits. The whole country is dominated by the ANC; that is the reality. [Applause.] It is also wrong if there are people from the ANC who would also, at the same time, think that you could use your ANC membership to offer undue benefits to people.

That is why I have asked the hon member to provide me with evidence so that we move away from the politics of throwing stones. I’d love to get that evidence because we need to correct that if it is indeed happening. I will pursue that with hon members Watson and Thetjeng, who say that they have evidence to that effect. [Interjections.]

I would also like to highlight the importance of making sure that MECs and municipalities, working together with local government, will fast-track this issue of local infrastructure. I think that many of the members spoke about the problems of infrastructure, both here in Galakgadi and where they come from, and I think hon Cele was very eloquent in demonstrating the challenge of inadequate infrastructure. We need you, comrades, in the provinces, because those are your competencies.

However, you also need us as national government to work hand in hand so that we can share experience of how we can actually make these projects work, bearing in mind that there are lessons you can learn from different provinces so that you make sure we do not provide infrastructure that is substandard; we also share experiences and lessons about cost-efficiency and all those things. So I share the frustration and the passion that the members have around these issues.

In addition to that, there is maintenance. “Eyi, i-maintenance iyasibulala . . . [“maintenance is a huge problem] . . . where we already have infrastructure. Now that we have this R370 billion to spend on infrastructure we are going to be adding new infrastructure. If we are not coping with the maintenance of the existing infrastructure, you can just imagine the potential problems we could be causing. And we see maintenance in Asgisa as an industry in its own right. We need to develop maintenance as an industry and take in the young people that are going to be graduating from FETs, and locate them, because those are sustainable jobs.

I think one of the members was also expressing concern about the unsustainability of some of our infrastructure projects in Public Works, because they start and they finish; after that they do not have anything. I think one of the strategies that we really need to work on together is how we make sure that as we train people to roll out infrastructure, we also train them to maintain it, so that as they finish building it we can also use them to maintain it. Clearly, rolling out of new infrastructure has a starting point and an ending point, otherwise never-ending roll-out would also mean that we are failing.

Also, I think we should look at diversifying within Public Works. As we give people skills in the area of infrastructure, we must also be looking at other noninfrastructure skills, which have more sustainable possibilities, and I’m glad that in Public Works now we are also looking at home-based care and early childhood education as some of the initiatives where we can take people through Public Works, but they have a much longer term engagement.

I think we probably need to build it in as a principle in the Public Works department, both at national and provincial level, that where people are doing a short-term job, we must already be thinking about what happens when the job is over.

I know that one of the things that we are looking at, again as part of Asgisa, together with Public Works, is moving some of the people from infrastructure to livestock, and I think KwaZulu-Natal is also playing a role there with the Nguni cattle. How do we make sure that the people in the rural areas who own livestock, understand and know how to look after livestock? So, it’s the wealth of knowledge that has been passed on from generation to generation.

However, when that asset is not nurtured through a dipping system and other services that will make it a tradable commodity, it is a commodity in the hands of the poor that is not usable. Through Public Works we actually need to marshal people to those kinds of initiatives where we can turn these assets into tradable commodities.

I will not forget the term “Asgisarising”, Premier Molewa. I think it actually makes it sound groovy. [Laughter.] I think it is a very useful term to use and I’m glad and have noted the areas that the province is looking at in relation to Asgisa and, indeed, there is a lot of alliance in that regard.

I want to thank the comrade from Salga for highlighting the issue of service delivery in particular. Just as in the first decade of democracy we focused on breaking the back of service delivery in South Africa, in this decade of democracy we must work towards universal access. Every South African must have a certain level of minimum standards; amongst which must be sanitation services, energy, water and ICT.

There is no reason why we should not be aiming in this second decade for people to have universal access to information and communication technology, because connectivity is power. When we are unable to, and the South African people … just look at the penetration of the cellphone in South Africa. It’s the fastest growing technology, and in that way people become familiar with technology because… “siyakuthanda ukukhuluma.” [we like talking.] So we must capitalise on the affinity that we have and use that as a stepping stone to build other technologies, which we must make universally accessible to our people so that our people can leapfrog into the 21st century. There is no reason for us to take just as long to reach the 21st century as the people did with the previous century.

As we go home, I would like to ask you, as esteemed members, to make sure that you work at the same pace as you worked during the elections because we are in a hurry. We have to accelerate. Everything that we have to do is urgent. It is a sin and a crime to have a document sitting in front of you on your desk where only your signature and five minutes of reading is needed - and because you have done that hundreds of people will have access to a service - and you shift that file from desk to desk and people are waiting for a service.

It is a sin for us as public servants to cancel meeting after meeting when we are supposed to consolidate on decisions that are supposed to facilitate delivery, because we are in a hurry to do other things which when you weigh . . . Just taking the time to cancel the one thing and to go to a dinner event, which I think is important because we have to take care of public relations; we must weigh up these things. What is more important in terms of why I am here: is it to be available to be at that function or to sit and work, burning the midnight oil in my office, so that I can sign all of these submissions, which will facilitate decision-making and delivery? [Applause.] We must make those priorities.

As politicians … I know that I’m going over time, but . . . “kuseKgalagadi, kusekhaya lapha.” [Uhleko.] [This is Kgalagadi, so it is home to me.] [Laughter.]]

The last point that I would like to make is that as politicians we must create our own job description, because most of the time when you have White Papers and legislation, and all those things that guide us in our work, obviously for the term that you are in a position because after all these positions are not permanent … “Ungakhishwa futhi uma ukhishwa kuhle uhambe kahle.” [You must know that you may be removed, and when you are, you must depart decently.]

But, make the best of it while you are there. We are a stable government, it is not as if we reshuffle every day, so there is a high possibility that you will serve a decent term to make a difference. Highlight your own priorities. During my time, my mother used to say: “Mntanami, makukhonjwe ngexesha lakho ukuba ngoku wawuphethe phaya abantu bafumana ntoni.” [“You must make a difference during your term in office. People must be able to say what they benefited while you were in charge”].

So highlight those things, and puzzle it out; that in your short time, in your first year you say, “These are the things I’d like to do”, so that as the year goes by and you go to different and many meetings you can say that, “You know what, I’m staying out of meetings now because according to my own job description I’m not meeting my targets. I must sit, because by the time I leave here I must at least have done one, two, three.”

History will not judge you for the number of meetings you attended; it will be on what you did to make the lives of our people better, and we are all capable of making a difference. [Applause.] Thank you. [Applause.]

Debate concluded.

The Council adjourned at 13:45. ____

            ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS


                       THURSDAY, 30 MARCH 2006

ANNOUNCEMENTS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

The Speaker and the Chairperson

1. Assent by President in respect of Bills

   1) National Credit Bill [B 18D – 2005] – Act No 34 of 2005 (assented to and signed by President on 10 March 2006).

2. Bills passed by Houses – to be submitted to President for assent

 (1)    Bills passed by National Assembly on 30 March 2006:


        a) Division of Revenue Bill [B 3B – 2006] (National Assembly –
           sec 76)
        b) Electricity Regulation Bill [B 29 – 2005] (National Assembly
           – sec 75).

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. The Minister of Safety and Security a) Strategic Plan of the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) for 2006-2009 [RP 28-2006].

                     FRIDAY, 31 MARCH 2006
   

ANNOUNCEMENTS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

The Speaker and the Chairperson

1. Assent by President in respect of Bills

 a) Additional Adjustments Appropriation Bill (2005/06 Financial Year)
    [B 4 – 2006] – Act No 1 of 2006 (assented to and signed by
    President on 30 March 2006)
 b) Division of Revenue Bill [B 3B – 2006] – Act No 2 of 2006 (assented
    to and signed by President on 31 March 2006)

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

  1.  The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

a) General Notice No 381 published in Government Gazette No 28591 dated 7 March 2006: Invitation to interested persons to submit names for vacancies on the Board of South African Tourism, in terms of the Tourism Act, 1993 (Act No 72 of 1993)

b) Government Notice No 298 published in Government Gazette No 28582 dated 3 March 2006: Karoo National Park: Exclusion of Land, in terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003 (Act No 57 of 2003)

(c) Government Notice No 223 published in Government Gazette No 28618 dated 10 March 2006: Amendment of fees payable for the use of fishing harbour facilities (fishing harbour fees), in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998 (Act No 18 of 1998)