WEDNESDAY, 6 JUNE 2007 __

          PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
                                ____

The Council met at 14:00.

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.

                    WELCOMING OF DEPUTY PRESIDENT

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon members, I have been informed that the Whippery has agreed that there will be no notices of motions or motions without notice today. We will now proceed to the Questions, as printed on the Order Paper. As you are aware, we have Questions to the Deputy President. Welcome, Deputy President, to the House, and thank you very much for coming.

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL REPLY

THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT

 Government progress in ensuring that key components are present in
                       strategic interventions

1. Mr V V Z Windvoël (ANC) asked the Deputy President:

   What progress has been made by Government in ensuring that strategic interventions against HIV/Aids, poor health and the general vulnerability of the poor, specifically in rural communities, the blind and persons with physical disabilities are key components in its quest to eradicate poverty through job creation and economic growth? C1068E

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC: Thank you very much, hon Chair. I’m going to repeat the question so that you can appreciate how difficult this question from the hon member is. It says:

What progress has been made by government in ensuring that strategic interventions against HIV/Aids, poor health and the general vulnerability of the poor, specifically in rural communities, the blind and persons with physical disabilities are key components in its quest to eradicate poverty through job creation and economic growth?

That is quite a hard question. Hon member, the question does raise many questions. It is not possible to answer all of them in an interlinked manner. So, I’m going to focus on the issues of disabilities and HIV/Aids, in terms of what we are doing there. This is because we do not have a policy that specifically targets people with disabilities in rural areas, or people with disabilities who are HIV-positive or who have Aids. Our focus is on the rural poor, on people with HIV and Aids, and, of course, we also have a policy that focuses on disabled people. So, with regard to people falling into any of those categories, we are able to reach them and to assist them.

However, there are specific interventions that are targeted at people with disabilities in the provision of disability grants for people who are not able to work, because of their disability. Currently, 1 424 817 people are receiving government disability grants. Government, however, accepts that people with disabilities do not just want handouts, they want opportunities to find employment just like the rest of the population.

They are, however, restricted from doing so, very often, because of the prejudices of some employers. For this reason, we have included the category of people with disabilities under the designated groups, in terms of the employment Act. This means that there is a requirement that preference be given to people with disabilities when applying for employment.

The country is, however, underperforming in this regard. At a national conference of disabled persons last year, government looked at how to improve the situation, and this is currently work in progress. Government has, in particular, set itself a target of employing a minimum of 2% of its employees that are disabled people at all levels of the public sector. We are also making renewed efforts to meet this quota because we have not met it.

With regard to skills and training, we are prioritising skills training programmes for people with disabilities, including those already working in sheltered workshops, in order to enable them to run these facilities as viable businesses with potential for income generation. We need to do more to ensure that people with disabilities who want to start their own business are given support by existing agencies, so that when disabled people do make these applications they are indeed given priority.

With regard to health care for people with disabilities, government announced in January 2003 that people with permanent, moderate or severe disabilities would receive access to health care at public facilities free of charge.

With regard to the HIV and Aids intervention, I would urge the hon members also to please familiarise themselves with the National Strategic Plan for HIV and Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections for the period 2001 to

1. It will enrich your insight into the different activities that government is proposing to deal with to fight the pandemic. Thank you. Government assistance to ensure the inclusion of greater co-operation for conflict resolution and peacekeeping

2. Mr V V Z Windvoël (ANC) asked the Deputy President:

   What types of assistance is the Government providing to ensure that developments within key international structures such as the European Union, the African Union and the United Nations include greater co- operation for conflict resolution and peacekeeping in Africa, as well as issues of multilateral concern, including an African-driven agenda to foster good governance and to address and ensure credible democratic processes? C1069E

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Chair, the question is:

What types of assistance is the government providing to ensure that developments within key international structures such as the European Union, the African Union and the United Nations include greater co- operation for conflict resolution and peacekeeping in Africa, as well as issues of multilateral concern, including an African-driven agenda to foster good governance and to address and ensure credible democratic processes?

This is another hard question, Comrade VV. I do want to suggest that this issue should be tackled by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. I was not even able to discuss it with her because she has been away. I would think that in order to do justice to it, it would be best if either the Minister or a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs dealt with this question. I would urge that you break the question down so that we can do justice to each section of the question.

SOSISWEBHU WEMKHANDLU WEMAPROVINSI: Mgcinisihlalo, umbuto lebengitawulandzelisa emphendvulweni ngeke ngisakhona kuwubuta, njengobe selishito nje liSekela laMengameli kutsi lombuto asiwucondzise eNdvuneni Yelitiko Letangaphandle. Mine ngekwami bengibute ngobe bengitsatsa ngekutsi Litiko Letangaphandle liyincenye yahulumende loholwa Lihhovisi laMengameli. Ngako-ke ngeke ngisakhona kuchubeka ngibute lokunye. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of Siswati paragraph follows.)

[The CHIEF WHIP OF THE NCOP: Chairperson, I will no longer ask the follow- up question because, as the Deputy President has said, it is a question that should be put to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The reason why I would have wanted to go ahead and ask you this question is the Department of Foreign Affairs seems to me to be part of the executive branch of government, the head of which is the President. Therefore I have no further questions. I thank you.]

Mr A WATSON: The interpreting service is not working again.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Interpreting services? Where are you? [Interjections.] Are you there?

Ge le le gona, le seke la robala. Le fele le le fao. Morena! [If you are there, do not fall asleep. You must stay there. Thank you.]

Thank you for raising that issue, Mr Watson.

   Progress with implementation of Asgisa and its future prospects

1. Ms J F Terblanche (DA) asked the Deputy President:

   (a)What progress has been made with regard to the implementation of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (Asgisa) and (b) what are the future prospects of Asgisa? C1070E

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: We now proceed to Question 7, asked by hon Terblanche to the Deputy President. I don’t see Ms Terblanche in the House. Should we proceed with the question?

Mr A WATSON: Chairperson, Ms Terblanche is overseas with the committee, as you know, but she has asked that the question should be proceeded with.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon Deputy President? The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Chairperson, this question asks about progress on the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa and future plans.

Firstly, I want to restate what Asgisa is and what it is not, just to ensure that members have greater clarity on our focus areas. Asgisa is a set of selected programmes of government which are deemed to have the greatest impact on accelerating and sharing growth. It is not the sum total of government’s programmes of action, cluster initiatives or departmental activities; it is a limited programme in that respect. It is also based on partnership with the private sector and civil society.

So, specifically, Asgisa is a system for prioritising implementation, co- ordination, monitoring and implementation of selected government programmes. It is a tool to provide high-level co-ordination where needed. Programmes were identified in terms of their impact on the binding constraints on growth. It is not a parallel system of planning or a parallel budget. All Asgisa programmes are expected to have gone through the normal planning and budgeting activities of government.

It is interesting to note that, given that Asgisa focuses on an improved economic environment, according to sources at Absa and Citibank, between 2002 and 2007 the household consumption expectations were 2,6%. The actual consumption has been more than 6%, an indication of growth. Government consumption was expected to be 2,4%; while the actual consumption by government has been 5%, which means increased expenditure. Gross fixed capital information was expected to be 4,0%, and the actual figure is 8%. Gross domestic product was expected to be 2,0%, while the actual figure is 2%. So, this, in a way, already shows that the economy is moving in the desired direction.

I indicated earlier that Asgisa has only identified a limited number of areas through which it is addressing what is called “binding constraints”. It concerns infrastructure, and indeed it is not about everything in infrastructure, but selected aspects of infrastructure, which I will speak about. It also focuses on aspects of the micro-economy, the capacity of the state, skills and education, the second economy and sector strategies.

We have identified a set of actions that must be undertaken, in niche focus areas. In our annual reports, which will be delivered to the pigeonholes of members – in case members have not received them - we have reported on progress in more detail. But I will give a summarised version on progress, especially in infrastructure and skills, because those are the two areas on which we spent most time in the first year of Asgisa.

To indicate progress in infrastructure, investment in infrastructure grew to 19,5%, from 15% of GDP. The current growth is at 11% to 13% per annum. Government infrastructure expenditure is now targeted at R415,8 billion over the medium term, that is 2007 to 2010. I need to emphasise that, at the time when we first presented Asgisa, this kind of expenditure was a set of proposals, but now the money is actually on budget and in some cases it is already being spent.

Eskom will see a rise in its capex within the next five years. The new Eskom power station has been approved and upscaled, and tenders are out for planned nuclear plants. The independent power producers with an interest in participating in this programme are being identified. So that is one specific area of Asgisa that we said we would focus on.

Transnet’s five-year capex plans have been revised upwards as well. They are now at R78 billion, from R32,7 billion. There are nine major investment areas that have been identified and, with regard to all of them, the numbers have been firmed up. There are already huge orders for locomotives, in order to be able to address the challenges of rolling stock as well as new pipelines that are also going to be built.

The national public transport plan has been finalised and approved, and I am sure in the debate of the Minister of Transport you would have heard more details about it. We now have a new two-year budget plan, which is meant to improve spending performance. In that budget plan there are 19 000 projects, very big and very small, which are part of the capex register of state-owned enterprises.

I would just like to mention some of the specific infrastructure deliverables that we can speak about to date. We all know that the Gautrain construction has commenced. With regard to the King Shaka Airport and the Dube Tradeport aimed for completion by 2010, all of the work has been done by KwaZulu-Natal. They are just waiting for the finalisation of the environmental impact assessment.

The De Hoop Dam, which will open up the region for platinum mining and tourism in Limpopo, is now also in progress. Sod-turning has already taken place. The Vaal River augmentation project, which will supply water to Sasol and Eskom, is under way. There are additional funds to commuter railroads and public transport. All 2010 stadium contracts have now been commissioned and building is already starting or is about to start.

Other provinces whose work is also evolving include the Eastern Cape’s Umzimvubu project. Again, in the next reporting we will probably have more details to report on that one.

In addition to the progress we have made in the area of infrastructure, we have focused on skills, as I have indicated. The skills we have focused on are the skills that are crucial to ensure that young people are work-ready, as opposed to just being graduates. We have therefore focused on taking those that already have some qualification, or limited experience, and helping them to intensify their acquisition of experience in South Africa or internationally. Hence we have been placing graduates all over the world and in South Africa.

We now have a total of 4 000 graduates that are placed in South African companies and we are hoping that at least more than 80% of them will be absorbed by those companies once they finish the workplace training programme. We have 700 that have been placed overseas in ICT, finance, tourism and infrastructure companies.

In terms of education, we have focused on the improvement and capacity of producing learners that will be able to pursue careers in the scarce skills. So, in that respect, work has been going on with universities and schools, led by the Department of Education. In another question that I will answer today, I will say a bit more about some of the work that the Department of Education has done and is doing.

The Department of Education has also finished their plan on adult basic education and training. It is funded and is now ready for implementation. Early childhood development, which was another area we had identified as crucial, is now included in the Expanded Public Works Programme, so that we can increase access to early childhood development activities in poor communities. One of the biggest areas of Asgisa was further education and training colleges. As you know, there was a focus on the rehabilitation and building of these institutions, so that we can attract a large number of students. For the first time, we are also offering bursaries to students in the further education and training sector. This will also increase the number of students who will qualify as artisans.

Other focus areas in sectors of the economy, which have a growth potential, include the business process outsourcing or BPO sector. We have focused on that sector. We have focused primarily on training, provision and attraction of investors, improving the regulatory environment and on finding a competitive pricing dispensation for the BPO, which has now been secured with Telkom.

But, notwithstanding the need, the cost of telephones in South Africa is something that is still a concern. So, that work is still going on. The more infrastructure we have in the ICT sector, the more we will be able to bring down the cost of telephony for the whole economy. KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and Gauteng have also enhanced their investment climates to attract BPO businesses.

We have removed some of the challenges in tourism that we identified through Asgisa. The Airlift Strategy, and therefore the capacity for different airlines to come into South Africa, was one of the challenges. We were able to finalise the strategy and it is now being implemented, and we have seen growth in the number of airlines that are able to come to South Africa.

The tourism human resource plan has been completed. With all of these things combined, we have seen the number of tourists reaching the 10 million target that we had set for ourselves. And we think that there is room to grow even more, but I will await the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism to guide us regarding the pace at which we can grow in this sector.

Regarding biofuels, another sector identified in Asgisa, we have completed the strategy. It has been adopted by government. It is led by the Department of Minerals and Energy, working together with the Department of Agriculture. They are also working on regulations in order to make sure that we are able to secure the demand as well as to manage the supply.

In the future, the areas that we are going to be focusing on in Asgisa, and currently, include more interventions in the second economy, starting in particular with young people and with women, who are the bulk of the people who need these interventions. Education is a crucial component of the second economy and therefore it is also being prioritised, as is access to basic infrastructure, because one of the challenges facing many people who live in the second economy is the inadequacy or lack of infrastructure. We will report at a later date about the progress that we are making there. We will also be reporting in future on the issue of capacity and efficiency of the state, also identified in Asgisa. This year we focused a lot on the capacity and efficiency in local government. That is ongoing work within Project Consolidate, where we have placed a lot of people to provide additional capacity, and we are now seeing that some municipalities, with the additional help that they have attracted, are able to improve their performance. We think that we still have a lot of work to do there and we need to move much faster.

As we move forward with Asgisa, in the next reporting year, hopefully, we will also be reporting on progress that we would have made with some of the infrastructure projects that I have said we have already started. Hopefully, some of the projects would have been completed and will be used or will be fully commissioned.

I do want to indicate that, for instance, Acsa, which is one of the important implementers of infrastructure projects within Asgisa, is one of those that are on schedule in every way. Therefore we will be able to start using some of the airports or the additional parts of the airports that I am sure some of you have been inconvenienced by, as you were not able to use your normal routes as you get in and out of the airports, but I am sure you understand. Thank you.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Thank you, Deputy President. Is there any follow-up question? Mr A WATSON: Thank you, hon Deputy President, for that. It was more of a speech than an answer and it was very comprehensive. On behalf of Ms Terblanche, however, I must just ask one follow-up question which I have already stolen for myself.

First of all, Asgisa is all about projects. At the previous session, I expressed concern about the reported shortages on rolling stock, particularly regarding the flagship project of Mpumalanga – my province - the Moloto Rail Corridor that is proposed as part of Asgisa.

Deputy President, the hon Deputy Minister assured me that that is not a major problem and that it’s being attended to. Today she has reported on the purchase of locomotives and other stock already. But if you go to Mpumalanga, you will find that nothing is really happening in the meantime, as opposed to, for instance, our other flagship, namely the stadium which has progressed wonderfully.

I have enquired and have found that yes, indeed, there was a preliminary impact assessment study done. I am now told that the only thing that brought out …

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Mr Watson, can you put your question. Your time is running out.

Mr A WATSON: I am coming to it, sir. The impact study proved that another study had to be done. Can the Deputy President please tell us what progress has been made? Is it going to happen? People are asking us about this every day. Thanks.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Yes, there were some environmental issues. Of course, when you do a study, sometime it is because you want to eliminate the difficulties. When you confirm that there are difficulties, obviously, it is a bit frustrating. I am planning to go to Mpumalanga myself to meet with the colleagues, as we are visiting the provinces so that we can see, from a national level, how we could assist them to fast-track.

We used to have procedures regarding how to apply for environmental impact studies that were somehow slow. We have now revisited the regulations. I think, in the best possible way and without compromising the intention of the environmental impact study, we are going to see how we can assist that project using the new regulations in order to move a bit faster. Once I have visited there, I will be able to report to the House.

   Incentives to SANDF members deployed in neighbouring countries

1. Kgoshi M L Mokoena (ANC) asked the Deputy President:

   Whether other incentives will be offered to members of the SA National Defence Force who are deployed in our neighbouring countries; if not, why not; if so, when can this be expected to take place? C1071E

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Yes, the question asked by hon Mokoena is actually one of the difficult ones as well. I discussed it with the Minister of Defence. The Minister of Defence and I are suggesting that the Minister should rather tackle this question himself, with your permission, hon member.

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: That’s fine, Deputy President. The answer you have given is ok.

Kgoshi M L MOKOENA: Chairperson, I accept that. If the question can be transferred to the relevant Minister, I would be happy, Chairperson.

Moral degeneration as possible cause of family breakups or divorces and remedial steps

1. Kgoshi M L Mokoena (ANC) asked the Deputy President:

   Whether the large number of family breakups or divorces can be attributed to the moral degeneration of our society; if so, what steps can be taken to correct this situation? 1072E The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Hon Chair, I have misplaced my documents concerning question 9 … [Interjections.] I have found them. This question is also from Kgoshi Mokoena. Again, I do not know what is happening in the House today. This is the question:

Whether the large number of family break-ups and divorces could be attributed to the moral degeneration of our society; if so, what steps can be taken to correct this situation?

I have to start by saying that we have not done a study as government to prove this. Therefore, it would be pure speculation and I think it would even be misleading to the House for me to claim that we know for sure that the divorces in South Africa are caused by the moral degeneration of our society.

However, I may just say that we are all concerned about the need for us to strengthen the functioning of families. We are also concerned about the many activities we undertake, be it in moral regeneration, the different support systems, the education system, aimed at supporting the families, the churches, civil society and ourselves – as parents; it’s all about support. I really cannot say that the government has done a scientific study about why people divorce. I am sorry. [Laughter.]

Kgoshi M L MOKOENA: Chairperson, let me thank the Deputy President for her reply. Arising from the reply by my magnificent, dynamic and always cool Deputy President, what would be her view on people who claim that government alone is not doing enough to promote family values? How can we remove this myth from the minds of people?

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Deputy President, I wonder whether you want to respond to that. It does seem to me that it is actually a new question.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: I think it is a question that the members of this House can handle better than I.

Lo umbuzo ofuna abantu abaqinile. [It’s a question that requires strong people.]

I would ask that maybe we handle it differently, without asking me to answer it and that you guide us on this.

Plans to ensure equal benefits of scarce skills for most disadvantaged rural areas through Asgisa and its impact

1. Mr A J L Moseki (ANC) asked the Deputy President:

   (a)What plans are in place to ensure equal benefits of scarce skills through the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (Asgisa) for the most disadvantaged rural sectors and (b) how soon can its impact in this regard be expected? C1076E

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Chair, I would just like to refer back to the previous question and request that we liaise with the Questions Office so that I do not embarrass myself and the members by not being able to answer their questions. There was a slip-up in the manner in which the questions proceeded this time. You know that I always look forward to coming here to answer questions in as much detail as I can.

This question asks the following:

What plans are in place to ensure equal benefits of scarce skills through the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa for the most disadvantaged rural sectors? How soon can the impact in this regard be expected?

The Department of Education, in particular, and the Department of Labour, through working with Jipsa and also through its own programme, have been working on a number of initiatives to improve the quality and the relevance and effectiveness of education and training throughout the country, but with a particular emphasis on rural areas.

I would just like you to note two specific programmes, and I am sure that those of you who follow what is going on in education would probably have heard some of this from the Minister of Education. The Dinaledi schools aim to increase the number of learners passing maths and science at higher grade level. A total of 529 schools are participating. These schools are mainly in the districts with higher levels of poverty. They range from schools in the rural Eastern Cape to remote places in the Northern Cape; and they range from impoverished districts in the North West and Free State to township schools in Gauteng and the Western Cape and underresourced schools in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal. The bulk of the schools would be amongst the urban and rural poor.

Let me give you some examples: In the Eastern Cape, the schools are in Idutshwa, Cofimvaba, Mbizana, Lusikisiki and Tsolo; in Northern Cape they are in De Aar, Kimberley, Upington, Douglas and Warrington; in Western Cape they are in Khayelitsha, Grassy Park, Langa; in the North West they are in Zeerust, Boitumelo, Mmabatho; in the Free State they are in Botshabelo, Sasolburg, Senekal, Phutaditjhaba, Thabong, Futsayhana; in Gauteng it’s Rethabile, Ivory Park; for Limpopo it’s Groblersdal, Giyani, Polokwane, Thohoyandou; in Mpumalanga they are in kwaMhlanga, Kanyamazane, Kwaggasfontein, Dennilton; and in KwaZulu-Natal they are in Nquthu, Ezingolweni, Empangeni, kwaNongoma and Umgungundlovu.

That should give you a sense of the spread of our focus in the development of rural education. The scope of this project is therefore designed to get us to increase the higher grade passes in the sciences from 24 000 – can you imagine, it’s only 24 000 of all our Grade 12 learners who pass the sciences at higher grade level! We want to reach 50 000 in 2008, which is still a modest number.

Many of the scarce skills need to draw from this pool for the different professions that we want to train for. We are also focusing on the improvement of the capacity of the university facilities to train in these areas.

There is another programme also driven by the Department of Education, called the Quality Improvement, Development, Support and Upliftment Programme, Qids-Up. This one is aimed at providing primary schools with resources for effective teaching. In this regard, these are the schools whose performance is quite low.

More than 5 000 schools have been provided with materials and a further 6 000 will be provided with indigenous language materials to improve literacy in the foundation phase. As you know, one of the challenges that we face is that children who come from poor families that speak their indigenous languages as their mother tongue struggle at school, when they have to start in a second language.

The project also targets teacher training in maths, science and technology and in all these initiatives the rural areas are a target for impact. Hon members are also aware that we have targeted the FETs, as I indicated when answering the other question. In this regard, we have focused on industry- based training. We have reformed the curriculum to make the skills relevant. We have also made sure that there is an investment in the colleges to make them perform better, and the Department of Education received R1,9 billion for this purpose, which they are currently spending.

These FET colleges exist all over the country. They have branches in order to make sure that there is rural outreach. This is very crucial, because students can choose both short and long courses, many of which will allow them to have skills that they can use after they graduate.

By the end of last year, through Siyenza Manje, an initiative placed at DBSA, we had also deployed many of them, together with the Department of Local and Provincial Government, within the municipalities, mainly in the rural areas and many of them under Project Consolidate. They are not only supposed to facilitate service delivery, but also to mentor and assist with the general enhancement of capacity in those municipalities.

The Expanded Public Works Programme continues to be a critical intervention for building skills, because many of these programmes also occur in the rural areas. There is greater collaboration now between the Department of Public Works and the Setas.

Concerning artisan training, I can confirm that the target of 5 000 we committed ourselves to reach by the end of this year is already work in progress. We also have a programme that is called Jobs for Growth, that mainly looks at co-operatives and microenterprises, and which has also involved training for production. Many of the people on that programme are in agriculture and are in the rural areas.

Regarding the placement of graduates and the training that we do, we have recruited students from around the country, in order to make sure that the provinces are involved. We have contact persons in the different provinces to help us with that recruitment. My only concern is that we cannot guarantee that all those students will go back to the places from where we recruited them. That is still a challenge for us.

Mr B J TOLO: Chair, Deputy President, from where you stand, do you think that these Dinaledi schools that you spoke about are adequately provided for by the provinces; or should they rather be provided for by the national department so that they are better resourced, in order for them to deliver on their mandate? Thank you.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Chairperson, hon member, there is never enough money for these things, talking as a teacher. And again, because of concurrent powers, I think there is a limit to what the national Department of Education can do. But I would not stop us from continuously asking for greater improvement, because, as you know, there is always room to utilise more resources.

At the same time I will underline the fact that in some cases it is not just the resources. Sometimes the resources are there and they are not being used efficiently. But where there is a genuine case of underresourcing and people are able to spend the resources adequately, I think we need to raise our voices about better resourcing.

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Thank you, Deputy President. Is there any other follow-up question to the Deputy President?

Mr A J L MOSEKI: Chairperson, it’s not really a follow-up question, but I just want to ask the Deputy President whether she can’t have that detailed response circulated to the House? Thank you very much.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Yes, with pleasure, Madam.

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Thank you. Seeing that there are no other questions, that concludes the questions to the Deputy President for the day. We want to thank the Deputy President for being with us in the House. See also QUESTIONS AND REPLIES.

                         APPROPRIATION BILL

                           (Policy debate)

Vote No 24 and No 28 – Agriculture and Land Affairs:

The MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND LAND AFFAIRS: Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, hon members, members of the executive councils in the various provinces, mayors and councillors, hon guests, ladies and gentlemen, over a century ago, Charlotte Makgomo Manye Maxeke boldly embarked on a campaign to mobilise Africans, especially African women in rural areas, to fight for freedom and women’s emancipation. She attained academic advancement when such opportunities were prohibited in this country for Africans, when she became the first African to qualify with a BSc degree in America.

With education, she introduced new advanced strategies and programmes to fight poverty, hunger and deprivation. She led the way for African women to organise themselves in progressive structures so that they could manage their own lives and those of their communities. She pioneered and led the Bantu Women’s League, which was the forerunner of the African National Congress Women’s League, to fight against colonialism and oppression in our country. She organised training and community development programmes for church and rural women under Zenzele women’s groups.

Today, we are honoured to have her great granddaughter, Mmakgoro Mannya amongst us. Can she please stand up? [Applause.] She has taken the baton from her grandmother by leading other women in primary agriculture production and agro-processing, making it possible for those women to have a sustainable living and also to learn new skills in agriculture.

She is a farmer in Tzaneen, Limpopo, and produces avocados, guavas, litchis, mangos and fresh vegetables. Her company exports avocados to the European Union. She got accreditation to export to Europe a year ago. She also exports guavas and atchaar from her production of mangos, and exports mango atchaar to Japan. She sells vegetables to the fresh produce markets of Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Furthermore, the company exports vegetables to Botswana. Her company also runs Abet and HIV/Aids programmes on the farm to improve literacy skills and health awareness among farmworkers. The company is 100% black female- owned. Malibongwe! [Praise!] [Applause]

In renewing our pledge to build a better life for all our people, I am also carrying on and continuing from where my predecessor, Minister Thoko Didiza left off. In the years 2004-05 and 2005-06 Comrade Thoko started the roll- out of the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, initiated LandCare, implemented the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development Programme, broad-based black economic empowerment and the Micro Agricultural Finance Scheme of South Africa, Mafisa, and aligned the national programmes with provincial programmes and budgets.

Our government dealt with many teething problems ranging from administration of Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, Casp, funds; lack of harmony between the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development programme and Casp mechanisms; inadequate progress reporting by provinces and lack of capacity, to social group dynamics faced by some of the projects.

Determined to overcome these challenges and deliver on our mandate, between the 2004-05 and 2006-7 financial years the government successfully rolled out almost 2 500 projects supporting over 167 000 beneficiaries.

From this foundation, we have declared that: Umhlaba awungalali [land must not lie fallow]. Through Ilima/Letsema and in the spirit of Vukuzenzele, we have commenced to intensify our support through irrigation schemes, canals, dams, construction of dairy structures, stock handling, watering facilities, as well as dipping tanks, so that family farmers could succeed in their farming activities. This year we will roll out 786 projects to benefit an additional 60 000 family farmers. We are trying to ensure that the “dead” assets in the hands of our people are prioritised through the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa. These are land and livestock – amaNguni cattle and dipodi [goats] projects that we have initiated in KwaZulu-Natal, North West, the Northern Cape and the Eastern Cape to generate income and jobs, through animal massification by means of improved and increased production, nutrition and genetic improvement.

To further maximise the use of land while also responding to the global need for renewable energy, we have completed a draft strategy for crop production to feed into the national biofuel strategy. The strategy estimates 10 million tonnes crop production for 3 million cultivated hectares per growing season, of which 2 million hectares will be in the former homelands.

We have identified suitable areas to pilot crop production for biofuels - another Asgisa priority – in the OR Tambo municipality in the Eastern Cape, in Mkhanyakude municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, in Gert Sibande and Bushbuckridge Municipalities in Mpumalanga, and in the Qwaqwa rural development node in the Free State. We will ensure that biofuel crop- production will not be at the expense of food security, but seek to stimulate the creation of new jobs, new economic opportunities and new entrepreneurs, especially in the communal lands and our rural areas.

We have started to resuscitate ailing agriculture settlement projects and have witnessed a positive turnaround. We have invested R64 million in the tea estates in Tshivase and Mukumbani, in Limpopo.

Our tea plantations produce the finest quality tea worldwide. We are investing in a refurbished processing factory where we have settled out- grower farmers. We are also ensuring that investing in tree planting and rejuvenation, tea plantations, packing and distribution facilities will improve production. This project has already created over 2 000 sustainable jobs in Tshivase.

We believe that if we, as national Parliament, provincial governments, municipalities and ourselves as the women’s organisations, go out and buy South African-grown, processed and produced tea, indeed we will succeed in growing the tea industry in South Africa. We need to go out there and buy this proudly South African tea, which is amongst the finest and the best in the world. This is one of the many tea plantations that we are reviving. Other tea plantations will follow in other provinces, such as KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

One of the 77 troubled land reform projects in Limpopo is the Mamahlola Communal Property Association. This 3 500 ha land produces mangos, bananas, litchis, avocados, macadamia nuts, citrus, guavas and peaches. More than 500 ha of the land are leased to Mondi for a blue gum tree plantation.

Over the past 18 months, the project has been placed under the efficient management of the South African Farms Management. The fruit is in production today and is being exported once more. Job losses were avoided and we have now created 207 permanent jobs in the project, with an additional 100 seasonal jobs. Through the support of Casp, the Mamahlola project has replanted 145 ha of bananas, placed 280 ha under irrigation and piped 4 km of channels.

Next in line in this resuscitation of ailing projects will be the dairy farms in Alexandria and Ncera farms in the Eastern Cape. We will continue with the revival of these projects, particularly to empower previously disadvantaged South Africans. This is a critical industry in our sector, particularly in the rural areas.

Chairperson, time is a resource we do not have. Towards the end of 2006 we adopted Operation Gijima to fast-track delivery of services. By the end of July, we believe the AgriBEE charter will be gazetted, thus paving the way for a new era that will see the transformation and accelerated growth of our sector. By the end of the past financial year, the commission on land restitution had settled 93% of the 79 696 claims lodged. We still have to settle 5 279 outstanding rural claims. The country is waiting for these claims to be finalised as soon as possible. We are putting together all our resources and energy to finalise the remaining difficult cases that make up 7% of all claims launched, and we are trying our best to ensure that we meet the tight deadline of 2008. We have delivered on the biggest land claim ever settled in South Africa to date - the Tenbosch properties, with a total value of R1,1 billion involving 32 387 hectares of land. Most of the land is currently used for commercial farming.

Another significant land claim is the St Lucia Wetlands Park. We will be handing over this land claim on Saturday, 9 June, this week. The settlement comprises seven land restitution claims by the local communities of 1 825 families and it covers 22 908 hectares of land. The state has committed R89 million towards the finalisation of this claim and 25% of this amount will be allocated to the claimants for development.

Lixoshiwe-ke ikati eziko lapho. [That way, hunger is done away with.]

On 19 June, which is the day on which the Land Act of 1913 was passed, we will be handing over the Tenbosch land claim to the communities in Mpumalanga. It will be a historic day. As I say, it is the biggest claim, worth R1,1 billion, and you are all invited to attend that function. [Applause.]

The commission has always been committed to negotiated settlements. However, in some instances where negotiations drag on indefinitely the strategy to shorten the process has been implemented, and that is expropriation after a period of six months. To date, one expropriation has been successfully implemented, that is the Pniel community land claim. Let me congratulate the household members of the Popela community in Limpopo, in whose favour the highest court in the land, the Constitutional Court, has ruled that they are entitled to restitution.

We have always understood that the individual farmers acted as though they were still an apartheid state that disposed of people and turned them into labour tenants. These people live as a community and the dispossession divided them and reduced them to scattered individuals. This judgement, which has been passed today, confirms that all victims of such removals are legally entitled to land rights and restitution on their ancestral lands.

We have revised the funding mechanism for the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development Programme to make sure that we are able to deliver at scale in our efforts to meet the target of redistributing 30% of white agricultural land by 2014. In order to accelerate delivery, we will be applying new land acquisition models such as the proactive land acquisition strategy and the development of new land acquisition models which have been tailor-made to respond to the needs of our people. We will also introduce area-based land reform planning. This is a fundamental tool for the integration and alignment of land reform to the strategic priorities of the provinces, municipalities and other sectors.

Over the past eight months, I have reflected on the option of establishing a special purpose vehicle that could accelerate the pace of land redistribution. Chairperson, there is no time to spare. My Ministry, in consultation with other relevant departments and stakeholders, is working on this vehicle which will be a one-stop shop regarding all land delivery and agricultural support services. The implementation of the special purpose vehicle will illustrate the success of the alignment of the two departments.

Likewise, we do not have time to be caught unaware by natural disasters. We have refined an early warning information system, and conducted drought assessments to feed into the National Disaster Management Advisory Forum. We are continuously studying climate change and we believe that it is possible that the impact of this can be very damaging to our agricultural sector.

We have also developed appropriate interventions to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change. In partnership with the commercial farming sector, we will review the sector plan, hold a one-day session with the Presidency and chart the way forward.

Despite various measures put in place by government to improve the working conditions and tenure security of farmworkers, we are still witnessing evictions in some parts of the country, which are either legal or illegal. Surely, we have progressed too far into our democracy and define ourselves as a humane society to allow women and children to be thrown out into the open where they sometimes have to spend the night exposed to the cold of winter.

Equally, as a nation, we condemn all forms of violence, including farm killings. At my recent lekgotla we decided to implement a radio awareness communication campaign, especially directed at farm dwellers to inform them about their rights and what to do when they are faced with evictions or any other unfair treatment. This campaign would also seek to foster peace and stability within rural communities.

Women have always played an important role in leading this sector. However, they have not yet had a voice to represent and advance their interest in the sector. Through the formation of Women in Agriculture and Rural Development, rural women now have that voice. In April this year South Africa hosted the fourth World Congress of Rural Women where over 2 000 delegates from across the globe carved their destiny in the agricultural sector and declared, “Nothing about us, without us”.

HON MEMBERS: Malibongwe! [Praise!] The MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND LAND AFFAIRS: Malibongwe! [Let the name of women be praised!] Similarly, the Ministry seeks to include the youth in our development programmes. To this end, we are planning a youth summit on land and agriculture for later this year. As part of the preparatory process, we will be having winter school sessions and a series of career- oriented seminars to attract our young people to take a career in agriculture. The ultimate objective is to hold subregional youth farmer and female farmer awards.

Chairperson and hon members, I have stated before you my vision, objectives and targets for the next two years. I need your support to achieve this vision to fight poverty, create jobs and move a step closer to contributing to prosperity in the agricultural sector and thus renew our pledge to build a better life for all our people. Without your support, I will not be able to accomplish the above vision. You are the vital link between the national and provincial legislatures that connects with the constituencies and local government as you take Parliament to the people and monitor programmes, as implemented in our provinces.

Masibaleke ke, ngoba ixesha lixhatshwe yinja. [We must speed up, because time is against us.]

Nako ha e emele motho. Ha re matheng, ke nako. [Time waits for no man. Let’s get going, it’s time.]

Let me thank my Deputy Minister, Adv Dirk du Toit, for his unwavering support; all the MECs for agriculture for their co-operation and leadership; and the entire value chain of the agricultural sector for their contribution and participation towards the success of this sector. I also thank the agricultural farming community in their entirety for their commitment and dedication. I thank both the Directors-General for Agriculture and Land Affairs who have led our Gijima team in both departments. I thank the staff for their dedication and I also thank the staff in my office; the Chief Land Claims Commissioner and his team; our CEOs of the state entities as well as the heads of departments in provincial departments of agriculture. I thank you. Malibongwe! [Let the name of women be praised!]

Rev P MOATSHE: Chairperson, hon Minister, officials of the department, MECs, special delegates present here, colleagues, I want to kick off by quoting from the Book of books. Genesis, chapter 1, verse 29 supports the authenticity of this subject we are debating this afternoon. I quote:

Then God said: I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground, everything that has the breath of life in it, I give every green plant for food. And it was so.

An HON MEMBER: Hallelujah!

Rev P MOATSHE: Hallelujah! [Interjections.]

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Mrs P M Hollander): Order!

Rev P MOATSHE: Chairperson, the 2007-08 budget of the Department of Land Affairs is a substantial testimony of government’s commitment to land reform and social justice. In early 2005 the President of the Republic of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, reaffirmed government’s commitment to land reform by pronouncing an increase in funding for land restitution and redistribution.

Subsequent to that presidential directive, the 2005 Land Summit revealed numerous challenges and impediments that were embedded in the land reform process, such as the limitations of the willing seller-willing buyer approach.

In the process of addressing the concerns raised by the Land Summit, the President announced in 2006 that the government was going to review its approach to land acquisitions, including the willing seller-willing buyer approach, the selection of beneficiaries, and was going to ensure maximum and productive use of the acquired land.

For the 2007-08 financial year, the department has identified the following priorities: transfer of 3,1 million hectares of land, mainly through public- private partnership, in order to accelerate and ensure sustainable land reform; settlement of outstanding labour tenants claims; review of legislation to provide farmworkers and labour tenants with stronger rights to curb eviction hot spots through a proactive land acquisition strategy; acceleration of the finalisation of outstanding restitution claims and addressing some of the challenges facing the Land Claims Commission.

The process will include the batching of claims with similar circumstances of dispossession; expropriating land, in line with the provision of the Constitution and in accordance with section 42(e) of the Restitution of Land Rights Act, Act 22 of 1994; putting mediation and dispute resolution mechanisms in place; collaborating with traditional leaders’ structures, including the Nhlapo Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims; co-operating with other strategic partners to mentor successful claimants; and improving the accuracy and reliability of geospatial information to make it more accessible and usable by developing an integrated database of all fundamental geospatial information.

Through the state land management programme, the department also aims to ensure that all state land is properly managed, proactively vested and optimally used to the benefit of previously disadvantaged individuals and communities. The disposal of state land to communities and municipalities for sustainable human settlement and the implementation of local economic development strategies will also receive more attention.

Die departement se begroting het tussen 2003-04 en 2007-08 merkwaardig gegroei vanaf R1,6 biljoen tot R5,6 biljoen onderskeidelik. Hierdie groei is te danke aan die versnelling en dienslewering op die gebiede van grondhervorming en grondrestitusie. [Tussenwerpsels.]

In 2003-04 het die departement se program vir grondrestitusie net 50% van die begroting uitgemaak. Dieselfde program maak nou 58% van die begroting vir 2007-08 uit. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)

[Between 2003-04 and 2007-08 the department’s budget has grown remarkably from R1, 6 billion to R5, 6 billion respectively. This growth is due to the acceleration and service delivery in the fields of land reform and land restitution. [Interjections.]

In 2003-04 the department’s programme for land restitution constituted only 50% of the budget. The same programme now constitutes 58% of the budget for 2007-08.]

Mmusakgotla, re tshwanetse go tsena mo letsemeng la mantshatlala, re tshwaragane le kitlano ya baagi ba Aforika Borwa, go kgarameletsa morago maparego a bohuma le tlala e e aparetseng baagi ba ba dikobo dikhutshwane.

Lefapha la Temothuo le Merero ya Mafatshe le tshwanetse go thusa baagi ka botswapelo gore lelapa lengwe le lengwe le bue jaaka Motswana fa a re, tlogatloga e tloga gale modisa wa kgomo o tswa natso sakeng; a bo a re, kodumela moepathutse ga go lehumo le le tswang gaufi.

Tota dijo ke ditswammung. A setŝheba sa molalatladi (the Rainbow Nation) sa jale merogo mo ditshingwaneng tsa bona. A lefapha la rona la temothuo le seka la goga maoto. Ammaruri, mmangwana o tshwara thipa ka fa bogaleng. Ka na fa ke rialo, ke raya Tona ya lefapha. Ka na fa ke rialo ke baya Tona mabala ke re, kgakakgolo ga kena mebala mebala e dikgakaneng - go tswa lefapheng la gago.

Tswayang letsholo la makatlanamane lo itsise baagi go tsenela ntwa kgatlhanong le tlala le bohuma, tse di batlang go kgokgofatsa le go gwatlhafatsa bana ba thari. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)

[Madam Chair, we should embark on a hunger busting campaign to push the frontiers of poverty away from poor people and strive to unite the people of South Africa.

The Department of Agriculture and Land Affairs should try its best to help communities so that each and every household can buy into a Setswana saying that the earliest bird catches the fattest worm; and perseverance is the mother of success.

The fact that food is from the soil, lays a basis from which the rainbow nation could be encouraged to use it to plough in their gardens. It is true that a mother will always protect her child. The Department of Agriculture should not drag its feet in this regard. By so saying I would like to compliment the Minister, as the saying goes – a tree is known by its fruit, the department is proof of this.

Go out with enthusiasm and mobilise people to declare war on poverty and starvation, which intends to destroy and weaken our children.]

Agriculture has the potential to assist in the alleviation of poverty. It plays a critical role in producing food for the poor, especially in the rural areas. One of the challenges facing the agricultural sector is providing sufficient food for the nation. Besides food security, the other challenges facing the Departments of Agriculture and Land Affairs are widespread droughts, outbreaks of animal and plant diseases, skewed participation in the sector and a shortage of skills.

In 2005-06 het die departement se organisatoriese struktuur verander. Die programme van die departement is van nege tot vyf verander. Die doel van die verandering was om die werksaamhede van die departement te bespoedig en te versterk sowel as om kapasiteit te bou om sodoende ‘n beter diens te kan lewer in die nasionale programme. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[In 2005-06 the department’s organisational structure changed. The programmes of the department were changed from nine to five. The purpose of the change was to expedite and strengthen the department’s operations as well as to build capacity in order to deliver a better service in the national programmes.]

According to the departmental priorities for 2007, the department’s policy priorities should inform the department’s budget allocation for 2007-08 and should be in line with government’s objectives as articulated by the President in his 2007 state of the nation address.

In the state of the nation address of 2007, the President highlighted the following strategic objectives, which have a direct bearing on the agricultural sector: development of overarching strategies to prioritise key interventions in agriculture and agro-processing; intensification of programmes to address challenges in the second economy, with particular emphasis on taking further practical action to improve access to microfinance - including access to the Apex Fund and the Micro Agricultural Finance Scheme of South Africa; and, expanding assistance by way of irrigation, seeds and implements to small and co-operative farmers. In line with the National Industrial Policy Framework, government will intensify the implementation of customised sector measures to facilitate, inter alia, investments in biofuels.

The Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, Casp, provides post- settlement support to targeted beneficiaries of land reform and other black farmers who have acquired land through private means. The implementation of Casp lies with the provincial departments of agriculture, while the Departments of Agriculture and Land Affairs are national transferring departments of agriculture, as required for administering and monitoring expenditure and nonfinancial outputs in the provinces.

Lastly, since its inception, implementation of Casp has been hampered, owing to lack of capacity in provincial departments, lack of proper planning, long procedures and lack of alignment with other government programmes. The Casp recharged implementation plan was adopted in 2005 to address these challenges and to ensure effective implementation.

Mafisa is the financial leg of Casp and is responsible for the provision of micro financial services to emerging farmers. Some of the challenges in implementing the scheme’s grants are the mindset …

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Hon Moatshe, I see your time has expired. Thank you.

Rev P MOATSHE: Chairperson, we support this Budget Vote. We thank the Minister and she has our support. We will run with it to deliver the goods on the ground. Hallelujah! [Interjections.]

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

Mnr A WATSON: Agbare Voorsitter, agb Minister, agb lede, agb besoekende lede van ander provinsies, provinsiale wetgewers, veral my ou bankmaat, die agb Minister Dowry hier langs my, ek is sommer lus om die storie van Saggeus en dinges te vertel, maar ek glo nie die Voorsitter gaan my so baie ekstra tyd gee as wat sy vir die agb voorsitter gegee het nie.

Maar agb Voorsitter, in die meeste lande waar landbou ‘n belangrike komponent van die ekonomie is en met grond as die natuurlike bron van die bedryf, word debatte normaalweg oorheers deur produksie, bemarking en optimum grondgebruik. In Suid-Afrika het die ANC-regering klaarblyklik vergeet van hierdie belangrike aspekte om ‘n groeiende ekonomie te bevorder. Of hulle verkies dalk om dit te ignoreer soos wat Zimbabwe ook gedoen het, want elke gedagte en alle aandag word toegespits op grondverdeling en swart bemagtiging ten alle koste. Maar ons het dit al tot vervelens gesê en ek sê dit nou weer: Die DA ondersteun die doelwitte van grondhervorming en bemagtiging ten volle, maar ons verskil drasties van die ANC se doelwitte van getalle as die maatstaf van sukes. Die DA glo dat meetbare volhoubaarheid in die landbou die belangrikste doelwit moet wees.

Die vestiging van nuwe boere moet gepaard gaan met behoorlike opleiding en met die betrokkenheid van gevestigde boere in die eng-georganiseerde landbou. Dis goed dat die Minister sekere suksesvolle projekte vandag hier uitgewys het, maar die regering is herhaaldelik daarop gewys dat talle nuwe boere nie die mas kan opkom nie omdat hulle gewoonlik ‘n totale gebrek aan kennis en ondervinding het. Intussen verlaag hierdie mislukkings natuurlik die voedselproduksie in ons land en omdat die Regering nie genoegsame aandag aan die landbou gee nie, verlaat boere nou hul plase teen ‘n skrikwekkende tempo.

My kollega, dr Kraai van Niekerk, het Maandag in ‘n verklaring hier in die Parlement daarop gewys dat 20 000 boere die afgelope aantal jare hul plase verlaat het. Nie net skep dit ‘n groeiende tekort aan landbouprodukte nie, maar dink net aan die duisende plaaswerkers wat daardeur hul werk verloor het en ‘n heenkome kwyt is. Dit is goed en wel van die Minister van Arbeid om voortdurend verhoogde vergoedings vir plaaswerkers op boere af te dwing, maar dan moet die Regering in die eerste plek sorg dat die bedryf wat hulle so belas lewensvatbaar is en in die toekoms so sal bly.

Ek het ongelukkig nie genoegsame tyd om oor die totale spektrum van voedselproduksie te kan praat nie en daarom wil ek net vir ‘n wyle stilstaan by melk en ek glo dat daar niemand in dié Huis is wat met my sal redekawel oor die belangrikheid van dié produk nie. Ons hoor en lees nou daagliks van dreigende tekorte aan melk en melkprodukte in Suid-Afrika. Terwyl die winkelrakke reeds vol is van ingevoerde suiwelprodukte, sal dit ‘n sware dag wees as ons vars melk moet invoer … (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)

[Mr A WATSON: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members, hon visiting members from other provinces, provincial legislators, especially my former bench-mate, hon Minister Dowry sitting next to me, I feel like telling the story of Zaccheus and whatshisname, but I do not believe the Chairperson will give me as much extra time as she gave the hon chairperson.

But, hon Chairperson, in most countries where agriculture forms an important part of the economy, and, of course, with land as the natural resource of the industry, debates are normally dominated by production, marketing and optimal land use. In South Africa the ANC government would seem to have forgotten about these important aspects for promoting a growing economy. Or maybe they choose to ignore it, like Zimbabwe also did, because every thought and all attention are concentrated on land distribution and black empowerment, at all costs. But we have said this ad nauseum, and I say it once again now: The DA wholeheartedly supports the objectives of land reform and empowerment, but we differ drastically in respect of the ANC’s objectives of numbers as the yardstick for success. The DA believes that measurable sustainability in agriculture must be the most important objective.

The establishment of new farmers must be accompanied by proper training and with the involvement of established farmers in the tightly organised agricultural industry. It is good that the Minister identified certain successful projects here today, but it has been pointed out repeatedly to the government that many new farmers fail to succeed, because they are usually completely lacking in knowledge and experience. Meanwhile these failures, naturally, decrease the production of food in our country, and because the government is not giving adequate attention to agriculture, farmers are now leaving their farms at an alarming rate.

On Monday my colleague, Dr Kraai van Niekerk, pointed out in a statement here in Parliament that 20 000 farmers have left their farms in the past few years. Not only is this creating an increasing shortage of agricultural products, but just think of the thousands of farmworkers who lost their jobs and their homes as a result of this. It is all very well for the Minister of Labour to continually force farmers to pay increased remuneration for farmworkers, but then the government should first make sure that the industry that they are encumbering so heavily is viable, and will remain so in future.

Unfortunately I do not have enough time to be able to speak on the whole spectrum of food production, and for this reason I would just like to dwell for a moment on milk, and I do not believe that there is anyone in this House who would argue with me about the importance of this product. We are hearing and reading daily about imminent shortages of milk and milk products in South Africa. While shelves in shops are already filled with imported dairy products, it will be a bitter day when we have to import fresh milk …]

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Hon Watson, there is a point of order.

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL: Chairperson, on a point of order: I don’t know, it might be the interpretation, but there is something which the member said, that this government is doing like the government of Zimbabwe. I missed that part. Maybe the member can clarify that for us. The interpretation was not good.

Mr A WATSON: I said “maybe”.

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Proceed, hon Watson.

Mr A WATSON: … ’n wonderlike dag van melk en heuning. Maar Voorsitter, wat is die rede vir hierdie dreigende tekorte? Wel, dr Van Niekerk het in dieselfde verklaring waarna ek vroeër verwys het ook genoem dat gemiddeld vyf suiwelboere per week die land verlaat. Die Melkprodusente-organisasie, MPO, sê dat dit nader aan sewe tot agt melkprodusente per week of ten minste 30 per maand is. Kan u dink wat die impak hiervan klaar is, maar nog verder sal wees in die toekoms? Ek kan vir u ‘n ellelange lys van statistieke voorhou wat ek van allerhande organisasies verkry het, maar ek glo dat hierdie syfers reeds iewers op die lessenaar van die Minister lê.

Maar kom ons kyk na enkele gegewens. Dit is vir my skokkend dat in hierdie land, waar ons daagliks moet hoor van stygende pryse, die produsenteprys van melk sedert 2005 verlaag is met 20% per liter tot die huidige vlak van R1,80 per liter. Dit is die prys wat kopers aan melkprodusente betaal en dit is teenoor die geraamde produksieprys van tussen R1,80 en R1,90 per liter. Dis ‘n totale verlies. Vandag weer styg die prys van brandstof met 23c per liter, maar in die kafee in Pleinstraat was daar gister nie melk nie. Die eienaar sê die verskaffers ondervind ‘n tekort aan voorraad en kan nie aan hom lewer nie.

Verstaan mooi, Minister. Ek pleit nie vir inmenging in ‘n vryemarkstelsel nie, maar die Regering het ‘n plig om die landboubedryf te beskerm en ‘n plig om te sorg dat bekostigbare voedsel wat terselfdertyd ook voordelig vir die produsente moet wees, plaaslik verbou word.

Ek het gisteraand by ‘n bekende kettingwinkel stil gehou en vir ons ietsie gekoop waaraan ons vandag hier in die Parlement kan herkou. Die besondere kettingwinkel spog dat hulle altyd die beste pryse aanbied en ek glo dus dat ek ‘n billike prys vir hierdie produkte betaal het. Maar voordat u my nou uit die Huis wil verwyder, Voorsitter, moet ek verduidelik dat ek met “herkou” dit nie in die letterlike sin van die woord bedoel nie. Ek wil hê die Minister moet saam met ons “herkou” aan die pryse wat ek vir die items betaal het en nie die produkte self nie.

Voorsitter, hier voor my het ek ‘n bottel water en ‘n bottel melk wat ek gekoop het. Ek het die etikette daarvan verwyder sodat ek nie van advertering beskuldig kan word nie. Vir hierdie bottel melk het ek R3,99 betaal en vir die bottel water het ek R4,29 betaal. En dit is vir dieselfde volume. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)

[Mr A WATSON: … a wonderful day of milk and honey. But Chairperson, what is the reason for these imminent shortages? In the very same statement I referred to earlier, Dr Van Niekerk mentioned that on average five dairy farmers are leaving the land every week. The Milk Producers’ Organisation, the MPO, says it is closer to seven or eight milk producers weekly, or at least 30 per month. Can you imagine what the impact of this already is, not to mention what lies ahead in future? I can show you a list of statistics as long as my arm that I acquired from all kinds of organisations, but I am sure that these figures are already lying somewhere on the Minister’s desk.

But let us look at a few facts. I find it shocking that, in this country where we hear daily about rising prices, the producer price of milk has been decreased since 2005 by 20% per litre to the present level of R1,80 per litre. This is the price buyers pay to milk producers, while the estimated production price is between R1, 80 and R1,90. It is a complete loss. Today the fuel price increased again by 23c per litre, but yesterday there was no milk in the café in Plein Street. The owner said that the distributors were experiencing a shortage in supply and could not provide him with milk.

I want you to understand me correctly, Minister. I am not appealing for interference in a free market system, but the government has a duty to protect the agricultural industry and a duty to ensure that affordable food, that at the same time should show a profit for the producers, is cultivated locally.

Last night I stopped at a well-known chain-store and bought us a little something to ponder on today here in Parliament. This particular chain store prides itself on always offering the best prices and therefore I believe that I paid a fair price for these products. But before you try to have me removed from the House, Chairperson, I must explain that I do not mean the words “ruminate on” in the literal sense. I want the Minister to “ruminate on” the price I paid for the products, and not the products themselves.

Chairperson, in front of me I have a bottle of water and a bottle of milk that I bought. I have removed the labels from them so that I cannot be accused of advertising. I paid R3,99 for this bottle of milk and for the bottle of water I paid R4,29. And that is for the same volume.]

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Order! Hon member, your way of producing these bottles here affects the House.

Mr A WATSON: I’ll put them away immediately. [Interjections.]

Mr M A SULLIMAN: [Inaudible.]

Mnr A WATSON: Dit is ‘n implikasie wat jy moet verduidelik. Maar ek sal vir jou later ‘n kans gee daarvoor, mnr Sulliman. Voorsitter, die man het my beledig.

Hoe is dit moontlik dat water duurder as melk is? Die houers is plastiek en hulle het soortgelyke skroefproppe. Ek aanvaar ook dat dit net soveel kos om water in die bottel te kry as wat dit kos om melk daarin te kry. Nou wat op aarde maak die water meer waardevol as die melk?

Kan u dink hoe lank dit vir die kalfie geneem het om ‘n koei te word wat hierdie gesonde melk produseer het? Dan praat ek nie eers van die duur saad van haar pa en die ingewikkelde inseminasieproses nie. Kan u dink hoeveel word daagliks spandeer op daardie koei se weiding, byvoeding, gesondheidsorg en higiëne? Daarby ook nog die omheinings, die melkproses, die stalle, die arbeid en ja, sy self drink ook water.

Daarenteen, as jy die verspreiders kan glo, dan kom hierdie gebottelde water glo uit geheime grotte en die water is kwansuis honderd persent suiwer, maar tegelyk ook ryk aan alle moontlike soute en vitamienes. Ek verstaan dit nie. Daar is egter deesdae so baie soorte water te koop, dat indien dit waar is dan is ons land vrot van geheime grotte en fonteine. Ek glo dat ons drinkwater in Suid-Afrika in elke geval só higieniës is dat die meeste van die bottels op die winkelrakke direk uit die krane volgemaak word. [Gelag.] Ek het nagelaat om vanoggend my leier te vra wat water tans hier in Kaapstad kos. Maar dis mos ondenkbaar dat water duurder as melk is.

Die Regering, in besonder die Minister, moet dringende aandag gee aan die probleme van die landbouers in ons land en ek sluit af. Ons moet produksie en lewensvatbaarheid van die boerderybedryf verseker en verbruikers aanmoedig om markverwante pryse te betaal vir gesonde, vars voedsel. Die alternatief is ‘n totale vernietiging van die landbousektor, die verval van die voedselketting en voor ons weet waar ons is, dan betaal ons tien maal meer vir ingevoerde gepasteuriseerde melk in plaas van die lekker vars melk wat ons het. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)

[Mr A WATSON: That is an implication you have to explain. But I shall give you a chance to do that later, Mr Sulliman. Chairperson, the man insulted me.

How is it possible for water to be more expensive than milk? The containers are made of plastic and they have similar screw-on caps. I also assume that it costs exactly the same to get water into the bottle as it costs to get milk into it. Now what on earth makes the water more valuable than the milk?

Can you imagine how long it took the calf to grow into a cow that produced this healthy milk? And then I am not even mentioning the expensive sperm of her father and the complicated insemination process. Can you imagine how much is spent daily on grazing, food supplements, health-care and hygiene for that cow? Add to that the fences, milking process, sheds, labour and, yes, she even drinks water.

In contrast to that, if one can believe the distributors, this bottled water comes from secret caves and is ostensibly 100% pure, but is at the same time also rich in every possible type of salt and vitamin. I do not understand this. However, there are so many types of water on sale today that if that was true, our country must be full to overflowing with secret caves and fountains. I believe our drinking water in South Africa is in any event so hygienic that most of the bottles on the shop shelves are filled directly from the taps. [Laughter.] I forgot to ask my leader this morning how much water costs at present here in Cape Town. But surely it is unthinkable that water is more expensive than milk.

The government, and in particular the Minister, must give urgent attention to the problems of the farmers in our country, and I want to conclude. We must ensure production and viability of the farming industry and encourage consumers to pay market-related prices for healthy, fresh food. The alternative is the utter destruction of the agricultural sector, the collapse of the food-chain, and before we know where we are, we will be paying ten times as much for imported pasteurised milk rather than for the nice, fresh milk we have now. Thank you.]

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Order! I want to remind the hon members of this House that there are service officers here, hon Sogoni, to pass on messages. Please don’t do the work of the service officers. Thank you.

Mr A WATSON: May I ask you to rule on the insinuation by hon Sulliman that I carry brandewyn [brandy] around with me like, perhaps, he does. [Interjections.]

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Thank you, hon Watson. Hon Sulliman, would you please withdraw your remarks.

Mr M A SULLIMAN: I withdraw.

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Thank you.

Mnr C J VAN ROOYEN: Voorsitter, ek wonder of die agb Watson gehoor het van ’n vryemarkstelsel? Dit is hoekom daar ’n verskil is tussen die water- en die melkpryse.

Voorsitter, agb Minister, Adjunkminister, agb lede, kamerade, in die ANC se belydsdokument “Gereed om te regeer”, word daar verklaar, “alle mense is geregtig op grond en behuising”. Die dokument beklemtoon verder dat die staat ’n belangrike rol moet speel in die verkryging en herverdeling van grond. Om dit te kan doen moet die staat die mag hê om op verskeie maniere op grond besit te kan neem, insluitend regmatige onteiening.

Grond was een van die laaste drie aangeleenthede wat deur Kodesa onderhandeling aangespreek was. Gegewe die kompleksiteit van grondhervorming en die gepaardgaande sosiale en politieke verwagtinge moet die belangrikheid daarvan vir die groot meerderheid van mense in die land nie onderskat word nie. Om te misluk is dus nie ’n opsie nie ter wille van hulle wat hulle lewens neergelê het om ’n beter lewe vir almal te verseker. Die mense wat grondhervorming probeer vertraag of wil wegwens, moet hulle dus maar gereed maak vir ’n vasberade regering wat nie ’n duim gaan toegee om sy doelwitte vir ’n beter lewe vir almal te verseker nie.

Die oorgrote meerderheid Suid-Afrikaners is dit eens met die regering dat grondhervorming belangrik en onomkeerbaar is, maar daar is wel nog ’n minderheid wat dit teenstaan. Vir hulle wil ek sê moet nie die wil van die mense onderskat nie. Ek wil selfs so ver gaan deur te sê dat grondhervorming die basis van nasionale versoening is.

Kommersiële boere het ’n belangrike rol te speel in grondhervorming. Eerstens om betrokke te wees in die opheffing van nuwe opkomende boere deur middel van mentorskappe, en tweedens om grondhervorming te sien as ’n stap in die normalisering van verhoudings en goeie buurmanskap in Suid-Afrika. Daar is hoë agting vir die kommersiële boere in die regering. Dus nooi ek alle kommersiële boere om aktief deel te word van grondhervorming en om ’n positiewe bydrae te lewer in hierdie verband.

Ek wil graag die Vrystaatse Landbou-unie gelukwens met hulle proaktiewe inisiatief deur self ’n grondhervormingstrategie te ontwikkel en ek hoop dat die Vrystaatse Departement van Landbou wat hierso is vandag hulle deel sal doen om dié inisiatief te ondersteun en ’n sukses daarvan te maak. Geen grond in die Vrystaat word huidiglik vir onteiening geoogmerk nie, en ek wil dit graag herhaal: Geen grond in die Vrystaat word vir onteiening geoogmerk nie - want die pers hardloop altyd met hierdie goed weg.

Die regering se erns en vasberadenheid ten opsigte van grondhervorming word duidelik weerspieël in die feit dat daar vir die volgende drie jaar R7 miljard begroot word vir restitusie en R7 miljard vir grondhervorming. ’n Saak wat egter nie direk in die begroting genoem word nie en wat, myns insiens, dringende aandag nodig het is die vestiging van lewensvatbare boerderye en die nodige kundige bystand aan die nuwe boere. Gesien in die lig van die beoogde versnelde grondhervorming sal die befondsing van sodanige bystand aan nuwe boere in die toekoms ooreenstemmend moet toeneem. Daar sal dus gewaak moet word teen onderbegroting.

Dit was ontstellend om te verneem dat die euwel van plaasafsettings na al die jare nog steeds met ons is. ’n AGB LID: Dis ’n skande!

Mnr C J VAN ROOYEN: Volgens die Menseregtekommissie het plaasafsettings die afgelope dekade toegeneem. Baie van hierdie afsettings was gedwonge en teenstrydig met die Grondwet sowel as met die Handves van Menseregte. Die gevolg van hierdie afsettings is ongekende lyding op sosiale- en gesondheidsvlakke, wat ook onskuldige kinders en weerlose oumense raak.

Stories soos dié van die weduwee, Sarah Beukes van Rawsonville, druis teen alle menslike waardes en beginsels in. Nadat haar man aan ’n MIV-verwante siekte gesterf het wat haar ook met die virus besmet gelaat het, is sy van die plaas waar sy gewerk het afgesit. Die enigste heenkome wat sy vir haar en haar kinders kon vind was toiletgeriewe op ’n nabygeleë sportveld waar sy, tesame met ander afgesette plaaswerkers van die omgewing, in haglike omstandighede beskerming teen wind en weer moes soek.

Selfs een plaasafsetting is een te veel. Het die tyd nie dalk aangebreek vir die regering om ’n algemene moratorium op die afsetting van plaaswerkers te plaas tot tyd en wyl die gebreke in die huidige wetgewing reggestel kan word nie? (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)

[Mr C J VAN ROOYEN: Chairperson, I wonder if the hon Watson has heard of a free-market system? That is why there is a difference between the prices of water and milk.

Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister, hon members, comrades, in the ANC’s policy document “Ready to govern”, it is declared that “all people are entitled to land and housing”. The document also emphasises that the state should play an important role in the acquisition and redistribution of land. To be able to do this the state should have the power to take possession of land in various ways, including lawful expropriation.

Land was one of the last three issues that was addressed in Codesa negotiations. Given the complexity of land reform and the accompanying social and political expectations, its importance to the vast majority of people in the country should not be underestimated. Failure is therefore not an option, for the sake of those who laid down their lives to ensure a better life for all. The people who are trying to slow down land reform or wish it away should therefore prepare themselves for a resolute government that will not give an inch in its objective of ensuring a better life for all.

The vast majority of South Africans agree with the government that land reform is important and irreversible, but there is still a minority who opposes it. To them I want to say, do not underestimate the will of the people. I would even go so far as to say that land reform is the foundation for national reconciliation.

Commercial farmers have an important role to play in land reform. Firstly, by being involved in the upliftment of new emerging farmers by means of mentorships, and secondly by seeing land reform as a step in the normalisation of relations and good neighbourliness in South Africa. There is high regard for commercial farmers in the government. I therefore invite all commercial farmers to become actively involved in land reform and to make a positive contribution in this regard.

I would like to congratulate the Agricultural Union of the Free State on their proactive initiative in developing a land reform strategy themselves and I hope that the Free State Department of Agriculture, which is present here today, will do its part in supporting this initiative and making a success of it. No land in the Free State is currently earmarked for expropriation, and I would like to repeat this: No land in the Free State is earmarked for expropriation – because the press always run away with these things.

The government’s seriousness and resolve with regard to land reform is clearly reflected in the fact that for the next three years R7 billion has been budgeted for restitution and R7 billion for land reform. A matter that is not mentioned directly in the budget and that, in my opinion, needs urgent attention is the establishment of viable farms and the necessary expert support to new farmers. In the light of the intended accelerated land reform the funding of such support to new farmers will have to be increased accordingly in future. Underfunding should therefore be guarded against.

It was upsetting to learn that the scourge of evictions from farms is still with us after all these years.

An HON MEMBER: It is a disgrace!

Mr C J VAN ROOYEN: According to the Human Rights Commission evictions from farms have increased in the past decade. Many of these evictions were forced and inconsistent with the Constitution as well as the Bill of Rights. The result of these evictions is unparalleled suffering at social and health level, which also affects innocent children and defenceless old people.

Stories such as that of the widow, Sarah Beukes of Rawsonville, flies against all human values and principles. After her husband died from an HIV- related illness which also infected her with the virus, she was evicted from the farm where she was working. The only refuge she could find for herself and her children was an ablution block on a sports field nearby where she, together with other evicted farmworkers from the area, had to find shelter from the elements in appalling conditions.

Even one eviction is one too many. Has the time not come for the government to place a general moratorium on the eviction of farmworkers until such time as the flaws in the legislation have been rectified?]

During the Select Committee on Agriculture and Land Affairs’ hearing on farm evictions in February this year, the Human Rights Commission highlighted three areas that need urgent attention. The first one was the lack of legal services to farm dwellers to claim and enforce their rights; secondly, lack of emergency services and programmes for farm dwellers who have been evicted; and, thirdly, lack of land programmes and support for farm dwellers in terms of the Extension of Security of Tenure Act.

Then it was further noted that the Extension of Security of Tenure Act was largely a procedural piece of legislation and therefore did not adequately protect the rights of farmworkers. It was also noted that young and old farmworkers were becoming more vulnerable as farm owners found ways to avoid the provisions of the Extension of Security of Tenure Act, Esta, which is totally against the intentions and spirit of the Bill. This matter needs urgent attention.

In conclusion, Minister, the ANC supports the Budget Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]

Mr M E MTHIMKHULU (KwaZulu-Natal): Hon Chairperson, our hon Minister Xingwana, MECs from other provinces, hon members of the NCOP, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, ngiyanibingelela [I greet you].

Ukuze silwe nendlala siyinqobe, futhi sinqobe nezifo ezihaqe imiphakathi yakithi, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni ezisemakhaya, kumele kube khona ukubambisana phakathi koMnyango Wezolimo Nezemihlaba nemiphakathi ehlomula ezinhlelweni zikahulumeni.

SinguMnyango wezolimo esifundazweni saKwaZulu-Natali, sesiqoke izinhlelo zemisebenzi ezine ezimqoka kakhulu uMnyango ozosebenza ngazo kulo nyaka wezimali futhi ezinomthelela kokuningi. Lezo zinhlelo yilezi: uhlelo lokutshalwa kwamakhowe, uhlelo lokuvuselelwa kwemfuyo, uhlelo lokusiza abantu ngobuningi babo kwezolimo nasemigwaqweni eya ezizindeni zentuthuko, nohlelo lokuqinisekisa ukuthi kuhlale kukhona ukudla okwenele. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[In order to fight hunger and defeat sicknesses that have engulfed our communities, particularly in rural areas, there must be co-operation between the Departments of Agriculture and Land Affairs and the communities that benefit from government programmes.

As the department of agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal, we have selected the four most important programmes which will be used by the department in this financial year and will have an impact on most issues. Here are the programmes: the programme of mushroom planting, the livestock rehabilitation programme, the programme of assisting the masses in farming and the roads that lead to developmental structures and the programme that would ensure that there is always enough food.]

Regarding these flagship programmes, the department believes that, when implemented, they will have the greatest economic impact within the shortest possible time. We have allocated more than R500 million of our budget in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework budget cycle to realise the objectives as set out in these aforementioned programmes.

SinguMnyango wezolimo nezemvelo KwaZulu-Natali, sihlose ngalezi zinhlelo esengizibalile ukuba sikwazi ukusiza abalimi abasacathula ukuthi nabo badlulele kwesinye isigaba sokulima, bancintisane nabalimi asebesimeme ukuze kupheze ukuthi abalimi bakithi kulokhu kuthiwa basafufusa ngaso sonke isikhathi, kube kuthiwa basafufusa into engapheli. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[As the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs in KwaZulu- Natal, our aim with the above-mentioned programmes is to be able to assist up and coming farmers to pass to the next level of farming, and compete with seasoned farmers in order to stop the notion of always referring to our farmers as novices, they are said to be novices forever.]

Just last week, I addressed a group of emerging goat and sheep farmers at the Royal Agricultural Show in Pietermaritzburg, where I stressed again the importance of them graduating from being subsistence livestock farmers to being commercial farmers. Through our livestock rehabilitation programme, we remain optimistic that we will be able to realise the objectives we have set for ourselves during this financial year.

The programmes that will be supporting livestock rehabilitation include dip tank rehabilitation, with an emphasis on the support of rural contractors, veld management, animal primary health care, formation of livestock associations and co-operatives, marketing and value-adding – which is very important - and, lastly supply of indigenous livestock. The core objective of the livestock rehabilitation programme is to increase commercial participation in livestock by emergent farmers to around 20% over the MTEF period.

Let me now address the issue of inadequate allocation to the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, Casp. Firstly, hon members, let me briefly sketch the background to what I have just said. Since 1994, the land reform programme has been transferring land to beneficiaries through the Settlement Land Acquisition Grant, Slag, which was later revised and replaced by the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development programme, LRAD, and other subprogrammes whose objectives are to redistribute nonagricultural land.

The challenge of supporting the Settlement Land Acquisition Grant beneficiaries became evident even prior to the introduction of LRAD. The introduction of Casp was already a challenge in meeting the demand of supporting the land reform beneficiaries. The Casp budget has always been inadequate, considering that part of this amount has been transferred.

Our province has always spent up to 100% of funds that were allocated in the previous financial years, where only 88% had been spent. Owing to limited funding, some projects had to be broken up into three-year funding cycles. For example, if a project had funds approved for R300 000 for each year, an amount of R100 000 would be released for the duration of three years. The province of KwaZulu-Natal is therefore sitting with a backlog of projects which date back to 1994.

The biggest challenge in supporting land reform projects is that delivery of land is going to escalate to more than three times the normal rate. In order to realise a balance in future, the following is suggested: preplanning of the projects which have remained as a backlog whilst providing funding for new projects; and engaging financial institutions in funding projects with potential; engaging investor and/or donor funding.

At present, the province has estimated a reform backlog to the tune of R143,5 million. So, in supporting this Agriculture Budget Vote, I will plead with hon members to consider the pertinent issues that I have alluded to, if we are to meet the set target of redistributing 30% of the land by

1. Hon Chairperson, hon members, I thank you so much. Siyabonga. [Applause.]

Ms A N T MCHUNU: Chairperson, hon members, I am pleased to see that the allocation of the Land Affairs budget has increased from R3,3 billion in the 2006-07 adjusted appropriation to almost R5,7 billion this year. This is a welcome increase. I hope that these additional funds will be spent wisely and assist the department’s aims and objectives.

I am, however, disappointed that the allocation for agriculture has decreased by 8,4% from R2,37 billion in the 2006-07 adjusted appropriation to R2,28 billion in 2007-08. This is particularly disappointing, considering the important role that agriculture plays in rural areas.

Access to fertile agricultural land as well as assistance with farming is particularly important to many people who live in rural areas of our country, as they rely directly on land for their livelihood. The various crops that these growers harvest are not only vital for their food security and to stave off hunger, they are also sold to earn an income to provide for the everyday needs of the household. Crop failure therefore directly affects their food security as well as their living standards. It is for this reason that the department as well as the various stakeholders must do their utmost in providing the necessary assistance that is needed to ensure the sustainability and growth of the many people in rural areas who rely on agriculture for their livelihood.

The department plays a leading role in the economic and social development of many people in our country. The upliftment and promotion of many small farmers is necessary, if true broad-based black economic empowerment in the agricultural sector is to be achieved. These farmers should be afforded the support, both financial and technical, that is needed for them to prosper. The department has provided various types of support and mechanisms to assist farmers, but I do believe that assistance to small-scale farmers should be increased, if their chances of survival are to be increased, as well as their economic success.

The large farms operated by co-operatives are not always successful in the promotion of development as they are focused more on increasing their profit rather than on the development aspects of farming. An option that should be considered is to divide the farms which have been reclaimed during the restitution and land reform processes into smallholdings of between four and five hectares, with lively production competition and co- operative marketing under the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme.

A return to farmers’ associations may also ensure food security in households as well as an income, through the selling of the extra produce. Regarding the poor, unemployed youth who are out of school and unemployed or retrenched able-bodied people, the soil provides a source of survival and economic existence.

Mfundisi, wami: Haleluya! [My Pastor: Hallelujah!]

Research and mentoring has to be conducted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Agricultural Research Council in order to promote agriculture for local engagement and export, for example mushrooms

• as mentioned by “usbari” [my in-law] – for pizza making, and soya for our consumption and marketing to the Far East.

Promotion of indigenous food through competitions is recommended. People have to relearn that ground and cooked wild maize, wild spinach [imbuya], and black jack [ucadolo] provide a well-balanced meal. Wetlands should now engage in planting grass that is used for arts and crafts, such as palm, incema [rush], amagceba [marsh rush] and others. Their demand is great, especially in areas where agricultural land is limited - like Emsinga. The IFP supports these two Budget Votes, but we believe that the relevant departments should be allocated more funds. Thank you. [Applause.]

Mr M C MOKITLANE (Free State): Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister, colleagues from other provinces and hon members of the NCOP, I think the Free State must say upfront that it supports the Minister’s budget.

The Free State department of agriculture has, in the application of its mandate and strategic vision, aligned itself with the national vision of a united and prosperous agriculture sector. We are indeed on course within our task to build a legion of farmers, who will not only embrace modern agriculture but will go a step further to translate their farming enterprises into social and economic institutions that will push back the frontiers of poverty. This, without abandoning our mission, we will do by focusing more on youth and women.

We are also going to work very hard in bringing farmworkers on a par with other citizens of the province and country, by actively involving them in issues that directly affect them within the sector. We believe that farmworkers form a sine qua non of agriculture. In other words, agriculture cannot happen without them. So, we have already started with consultation processes in the province, through which we want to hear the legitimate voice of farmworkers regarding their development and involvement in the agricultural economy as well as for dealing with a myriad of challenges that are facing them.

Hopefully, after thorough consultation, we are going to hold a provincial conference on development and empowerment of farmworkers from the agricultural perspective in September this year. We believe we will emerge from the conference with the framework document that will give us guidance into how to build a better life for farmworkers and the farming communities.

Towards the end of this month we are going to hold a youth summit in which representatives of youth formations from all five districts in the province and from within and outside government sectors will converge to formulate the strategic direction for youth development and economic empowerment within the agricultural sector, in line with national youth policy and our economic growth and development strategy. Because the hon Minister has already alerted us today in her speech about a motion on the part of her department in that direction, we, as the provincial department, will find mechanisms to synergise our efforts in the province with that motion.

We have already started formulating a mechanism through which we will be able to identify agriculture graduates in our province, with a view to encouraging them to swell the ranks of the department and those of the private sector entities, where their skills are most needed. We believe that the skills audit among young people in the province who have agricultural qualifications will form a solid basis for us to get actively involved and inculcate an agrarian spirit among black young people in particular, and to strengthen our resolve to make Free State a leader in agriculture.

I think it is also important to mention to this honourable House that we will continue with the development and installation of irrigation systems at Oppermansgronde and all other areas in the Gariep district to unleash the economic potential for emerging farmers in that particular area and to ensure opportunities for job creation and economic development, economic growth and beneficiation of agricultural products in that area.

Our unit for special programmes is geared towards maximum youth participation within the sector, in that we have mounted a campaign that does not only disseminate information, expose and familiarise agricultural activities to young people but also co-ordinates activities with the Free State youth commission. We also intend to involve municipalities in our forums in seeking ways and means of mobilising the youth for social change.

Our commitment to women’s development and empowerment in agriculture is also in focus as we begin to mobilise women under the aegis of the women’s organisation. I am sure the provincial structure for this organisaton has been fully installed, is active and provides basic information and orientation of women to ready them to enter the agricultural industry fully prepared, so that they are able to reap maximum benefit from the ventures they undertake.

It is also important to mention that we are awake to the reality of the mammoth task of land redistribution, and our contribution and support to this cause is real. We are in continuous consultation and co-operate with the provincial office of the Department of Land Affairs in trying to seek quicker and more effective methods of implementing the progressive land acquisition strategy in our own particular dynamics of the province.

Part of the reason for doing this is to conduct an audit for state land and land in private hands, and for verification and updating of information so that informed and accurate decisions can be effected. As we do this, we believe that the Casp grant meant for land and agrarian reform will be receptive to the developmental needs concerning the land acquired. This should be so because we refuse to set up our people to fail, who want to participate in agriculture.

The commonage policy that we have just developed will be the tool that will assist in the good management of commonage land and will be a litmus test for people engaged in small-scale production to graduate and train to become commercial farmers. As the department, this will provide us with the opportunity to further support farmers more systematically as the commonage policy has a whole range of elements that make commonage land use critical in the development of the agricultural sector. We have had a meeting with all mayors in the province to try to inculcate a spirit that begins to say: It’s important that they should begin to develop ordinances around commonage management.

Finally, we have also realised that the ability of the department to deliver hinges on skills that we have in the department. For this reason, we have increased our intake of scarce skills to build technical capacity to enable the department to deal with some of the services which are essential for the department.

I believe that the effort on the part of national government to try and show parity, particularly around technicians and scientists in the agricultural sector, has gone a long way in assisting us in being in a position to maintain the skills levels which we have at the present moment. It has also gone to the extent of ensuring that the people are further motivated in our department and are actually able to wake up in the morning with verve to go to work. Thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]

Mr K BATYI (Gauteng): Hon Minister, your Deputy, MEC’s from other provinces, hon members of the NCOP, ladies and gentlemen, the hon Khabisi Mosunkutu, the Gauteng MEC for agriculture, conservation and environment, on whose behalf I stand here, requested me to tender his sincere apology for not being here. Indeed, it is an honour to rise in this House and to call for the endorsement of this Budget Vote speech of the Minister of Agriculture. I do this confident that the budget presentation by the Minister will indeed significantly contribute to the banishment of poverty, racial bigotry in land ownership and gross victimisation of farmworkers and farm dwellers.

To confront the ugly face of poverty, thousands of Gauteng residents wake up each day looking forward to nurturing their community gardens, shattering the myth that Gauteng is a barren, concrete jungle. Thousands more will certainly benefit from the initiative to beautify and grow food crops that the Minister referred to in her Budget Vote speech. During this financial year, over 300 farmers benefited from the department’s Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme and the Land Reform for Agricultural Development subprogramme.

We are of the view that the livestock massification project and the expansion of Casp, as reported here in this budget policy presentation, will indeed see more urban farmers coming into being out of the policies enshrined in this Budget Vote policy document.

Similar to other provinces, Gauteng has its fair share of forces of the past who don’t identify with the nonracial, nonsexist, human-centred policy position of the new South Africa. These forces, at the drop of a hat, illegally and inhumanly evict countless farm dwellers and farmworkers. This is still true, especially in places such as Dibeng and Metsweding in Gauteng.

The creation of a one-stop land rights management facility will contribute immensely, not only in terms of the reduction of racial bigotry in the farming sector. This proposal will further assist in building a truly nonracial and prosperous nation, and also corner those racists who are still trapped in the past.

In our Premier’s state of the province address, he said, if I may quote:

The Gauteng department of agriculture, conservation and the environment will be developing agricultural hubs to settle emerging black farmers and to help them grow their enterprises. The launch of the first hub is planned to take place during the first quarter of the next financial year in Metsweding. Working with the Gauteng Provincial Land Reform Office, we aim to settle around 50 farmers per annum in these agricultural hubs.

As a result of what our Premier said in his state of the province address, the implementation of the agricultural development strategy is on course. Yes, urban agriculture is not merely an urban legend. On 22 May 2007, we established the first provincial agricultural hub, a nucleus of concentrated agricultural activities aimed at producing mixed-market agricultural products, not only for local economic consumption, but also for the international market. The launch of this hub, which will be followed by the establishment of other hubs, was made possible by the collaboration between the Metsweding District Council and the Land Reform Office of the national Department of Agriculture and the provincial department.

It is with this in mind that we hail the proposed establishment of area- based land reform planning, as we have indicated that the agricultural hub concept entails a close working relationship with local municipalities. This land reform initiative will enhance our provincial strategy as is expected from the emerging global city region that Gauteng is. We will closely work with municipalities to enhance their own integrated development plans, as envisaged by this land reform initiative.

As a government that is committed to gender equality, we have been working on making farming for women a profession. As a result, many women farmers are looking at farming as a profession. Every year, we honour those women who have done extremely well with the support of the Gauteng government. We say …

… amaqobokazana angalala endleleni, yazini kunyembelekile. Mathol’ anyongande kukudlelana! [… well done to the working women. We thank you!]

As you well know, Gauteng attracts people from other provinces and with that they bring their agricultural experiences. Yet we are still seen as an urban province. Hence we have just taken the route of promoting small-scale farming as a way to go in those regions that are more urban, with the exception, of course, of Sedibeng and Metsweding.

In conclusion, I wish to remind all of us of an observation made by our South African Nobel laureate five decades ago. Addressing a conference in Queenstown, in 1953, Chief Albert Luthuli remarked, and I quote:

You will agree that the masses of African people live in abject poverty in both rural and urban areas, and so many Africans find themselves landless and homeless. They find themselves suffering from hunger, malnutrition and disease.

In endorsing the Minister’s budget policy presentation, I hope that you too will agree that the concerns raised then still abide and that this budget policy presentation will indeed further redress and minimise the concerns raised by Chief Luthuli. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

Ms B L MATLHOAHELA: Chairperson, hon Ministers, hon MEC’s, hon members of this House, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I want to congratulate our guests who are here from Zeerust, and our lady who is doing so will over there. I will propose that, for 2008, she must be the woman of the year. Malibongwe! [Praise!]

It has been noticed by the ID that plans are in place to prevent the waste of agricultural land and livestock by inexperienced farmers who have received farms, like Madek in Victoria West, in the Northern Cape. It is such areas which contribute to further soil erosion. The plan of including expertise now is welcomed and undisputedly a step in the right direction.

The Minister of Water Affairs has mentioned that a water pipeline is to be extended from the Orange River to Colesberg. Is it going to be used to assist farmers as well? This question is asked through the Chair to the hon Minister.

Deserted farms exist in the Northern Cape, which also contribute to the physical degradation of the land. Are there any plans in place to address this? I am sure that our previously disadvantaged people would be interested in these farms if their owners have no use for them.

In the area of Britstown there are small farmers who imported goats. Are these farmers properly trained and what support structures are in place? When corrective measures are taken in relation to black economic empowerment, is it right to take a step backwards again by taking the land from the small farmers and including a previously advantaged person? Surely such measures will irritate the small community involved. The ID believes discipline is essential in such cases. It happened at Britstown in the Northern Cape.

The biofuel industry is going to make demands on agriculture as well. The ID believes that the Minister and the department are accordingly geared towards facing this situation.

It has also come to the attention of the ID that, during the Riviersonderend elections, people were prevented by the owners of certain farms from recruiting for membership. Rights are infringed in those areas. I thank you, Chairperson.

Mr J J DOWRY (Western Cape): Hon Chair, hon Minister, hon members of this House, during his state of the nation address this year, President Thabo Mbeki reminded us yet again of our mandate to liberate our people from the scourge of poverty in all its manifestations and to eliminate all its offshoots, and so did the hon Minister in her Budget Vote speech. Therefore, I rise on behalf of the Western Cape to fully support this Budget Vote.

The agribusiness sector has developed and tabled its strategy with regards, to growth and development in the Western Cape. The eight themes, as contained in the sector plan for growth and development are not only in synergy with the programmes and emphasis of the department, but they are also in line with the objectives of Asgisa or they will support the objectives of Asgisa towards reaching a growth rate of 6%.

In die Wes-Kaap is daar in die eerste 10 jaar van ons demokrasie 43 000 hektaar grond aan voorheen benadeelde persone oorgedra, maar met ‘n verskerpte poging in die laaste twee jaar het ons 168 000 hektaar oorgedra. Dit is egter nog ver van die 383 000 hektaar wat ons jaarliks tot 2014 sal moet oordra, indien ons die 30% doelwit wil bereik. Ons moet bou op die suksesverhale en groter klem lê op die mentorskap as ons daarin wil slaag om nuwe boere volhoubaar te vestig. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[In the first 10 years of our democracy 43 000 hectares of land was transferred to previously disadvantaged people in the Western Cape, but with an intensified effort over the past two years we have transferred 168 000 hectares. This is, however, still far from the 383 000 hectares that we have to transfer every year up to 2014 in order to meet the 30% objective. We have to build on the success stories and greater emphasis must be placed on mentorship if we want to succeed in establishing sustainable new farmers.]

Our sustainable resource management programme completed 41 irrigation projects, 57 infrastructure projects on farms and 203 technology transfer projects. Regarding LandCare, amongst others, 113 farm plans were approved for farming purposes. The farmer support and development programme completed 73 food security projects, 143 projects were completed through the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme and six projects were completed through the provincial infrastructure grant.

This translates into the following: 495 farmer settlement beneficiaries were supported; 954 emerging farmers and 166 commercial farmers were trained; 12 mentorship programmes for emerging farmers were established; more than 5 800 emerging farmers and more than 1 800 commercial farmers were given advice on request; and, we have also established 103 community gardens with 2 000 beneficiaries.

In meeting the technology needs of our clients, a total of 204 technology development projects were also executed. The department of agriculture in the Western Cape developed a strategic plan for farmworkers. Through this plan, we are harnessing the resources of government under the leadership of agriculture to attend to these very crucial matters pertaining to the total farmworker community.

The extremely high level of domestic and export support that farmers in developed countries receive is putting South African farmers at a total disadvantage and on an exceptionally unequal playing field. In some countries, notably Japan, Norway, Switzerland and South Korea, more than two-thirds of farmers’ income is in some way or another derived from government support - you can actually call them public servants. However, good arguments exist to maintain that these levels of support will not necessarily disappear but will most probably just be continued in another guise. This is an issue that I believe should receive more attention, especially if you want to keep our grain farmers on the land.

Die veranderende omstandighede in die aanvraag na landbouprodukte beteken dat die prys van produkte onbepaald onder druk gaan verkeer. Die veranderende wisselkoers maak dit onmoontlik vir produsente om behoorlik te beplan terwyl die penetrasie van tradisionele markte deur ander mededingers daagliks ‘n faktor is waarmee rekening gehou moet word. Die landbousektor is een van die primêre bewakers; ook van ons natuurlike hulpbronne and biodiversiteit. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)

[The changing circumstances in the demand for agricultural products mean that the price for products will remain under pressure indefinitely. The fluctuating exchange rate makes it impossible for producers to plan properly while the penetration of traditional markets by other competitors makes it a daily factor that has to be taken into consideration. The agricultural sector is one of the primary guardians also of our natural resources and biodiversity.]

Since 2004, the ANC government in the Western Cape has done much to push back the boundaries of poverty. The strategic plan for farmworkers is designed to address the plight of the most vulnerable members of our society. During the past year there were many incidents that led to an emphasis being placed on the plight of 220 000 farmworkers in this province, with an estimated 1,5 million dependants.

The eviction of farmworkers, both legal and illegal, often results in calls to come to the aid of families living next to a road or under a bridge with their children and their few belongings. I engage extensively with various role-players on the critical issue of security of tenure. The Premier of the Western Cape has appointed a task team to investigate the extent of the problem and to look into the role of various departments in the province, in addressing this problem.

We are on record as asking for the review of the Extension of Security of Tenure Act in order to deal with the intricacies of land tenure and we know that this is one of the priorities of the Minister.

I want to reiterate that I believe the processes are flawed, in that some magistrates do not adhere 100% to the regulations as set out in the Extension of Security of Tenure Act before granting a final eviction order. Regarding this matter, my attention was drawn to a Human Rights Commission’s report that reached the same conclusion.

There is something wrong in our farming community when you have had 645 applications for evictions from farms in the Western Cape over the last three years. Of these applications, 222 were granted and 10% of the applications were set aside by the Land Claims Court. The question arises as to whether the remaining 423 became illegal evictions or what happened to these people’s constitutional rights.

As a housing solution, farmworkers’ agrivillages seem to be the right option. We will need the full co-operation of all departments and spheres of government to succeed. Farmworkers will gain access to full title to property in this way. As much as we acknowledge the contribution of the majority of farmers to improve the circumstances of the workers, there are still too many reports of incidents of maltreatment of workers and noncompliance with the minimum wage structure, and health and safety regulations. It is high time that other departments, such as the Department of Labour, assist us with regulating labour issues on farms.

At the start of the 2007 academic year a total of 154 first-year students enrolled for our higher education programmes. Of these, 24 are women and 38 are black. Students from agricultural colleges are excluded from getting financial assistance through the National Student Financial Aid Fund. Therefore, we support the 38 black students with bursaries to study in agriculture and carry approximately 50% of the total cost of R1,1 million. A further 28 black students obtained the national certificate in agriculture through our learnership programmes. This year, 60 students from the farmworker community will benefit from our learnership programmes. We aim to increase this number with another 100 during the course of this year.

I believe that delivery on accelerated land reform and the administration of the Extension of Security of Tenure Act is hampered by the structure of the national Departments of Agriculture and Land Affairs under one Ministry, whilst the same does not apply in the provinces. Yet we are held responsible for matters related to land affairs. The linkages with the provincial land reform offices must be clarified through a structured relationship, if we want to achieve the land reform targets that we have set for ourselves.

I want to conclude by saying that I agree with the Minister on her approach and I believe that our strategy remains the only reliable way to overcome poverty, unemployment, inequality and social fragmentation. Ours is the correct strategic path in realising our vision for making agriculture a home for all, as is contained in the words of the late iNkosi Albert Luthuli.

I do not have time to read that quote, but he said, way back in the fifties: “This country is not yet a home for all its people.” And I want to say that these words are still relevant in this time that we are living in, because if we look at farmworkers and we look at this vulnerable community, we must admit that they are still far from the new South Africa. We must do everything in our power to reach them and also to give them a taste of the new South Africa. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

Mr N D HENDRICKSE: Hon Chair, hon Ministers, hon members, it would not be an overstatement to say that the agricultural industry has problems. We’ve heard this. We’ve seen the mass exodus of farmers. We have heard a figure of 20 000 since 1990 being mentioned, which puts our food security at major risk. Besides not being profitable, severe drought in some areas has added to the problem.

In broader macro terms, the economy is being undermined as food inflation increases due to the scarcity and the reliance on imports. What are the issues? The issues here are low import tariffs and the dumping of cheap agricultural products by richer nations, whose farming sector is heavily subsidised. We heard that South Africa is facing a milk shortage; the wine industry is facing a global glut.

Hon Minister, we need to protect our farmers with subsidies. Our interest rates - I said this the other day – need to drop severely in order for farmers to make it. I did say that this privilege was given to white farmers during the apartheid era and I do not know why we are not doing it now. Where possible, jobs must be protected, especially in the Western Cape where the province produces 55% to 66% of exports and agriculture is a core pillar of the province’s economy. Jobs in the rural areas are under threat.

I think our MEC is doing a fantastic job in the Western Cape and I want to laud him here. Hon Minister, you must be commended for speeding up the pace of land reform through expropriation. I’m happy when I hear that a farm has been expropriated. And I think that the domino effect will be that people will come to their senses now and know that they cannot play around.

I want to say, however, Minister, that in the Western Cape we are under stress, where land claims are concerned. This refers in particular to the Southern Suburbs, where very few claimants have actually got their land back. Besides the poor service of the provincial land claims commission, other reasons cited include insufficient capacity to handle the processing of claims. I would like you, Minister, to look into that urgently. I think that the metro is also not helping in this regard in that they don’t want black people in leafy suburbs.

Land tenure rights remain, and we’ve heard about that issue of farmers running amok and pushing labourers off their land. We’ve heard about the Extension of Security of Tenure Act. I think we need to get tough and a new law has to come about. We cannot have our people on the streets like this. Land rights and access to land are integral components of empowering disadvantaged rural workers. We want to say that the UIF supports the Budget Vote fully and we support the work you are doing. Thank you. [Applause.]

Mr R J TAU: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, officials from the department, this Budget Vote crystallises our land and agrarian vision that is based on the expansion of ownership boundaries in agriculture, fast-tracking land redistribution for the advancement of our African agricultural heritage and the cultivation of an endless breed of entrepreneurs in the sector. The challenges of poverty, unemployment, underdevelopment, landlessness, disease, ignorance and crime could worsen, should we fail to build our rural economies. It is, indeed, about time for us to build our vision of a united and prosperous agricultural sector.

The hon Minister said that ours is to act as custodians of sustainable agriculture in a very challenging era of global warming. Hence it is our responsibility to cultivate a new breed of agricultural experts in each multifaceted discipline, by embarking on targeted efforts of fusing indigenous knowledge with the skills at the disposal of our rural masses. They are the ones who are largely perceived as survivalist microentrepreneurs in tattered rags.

We fully agree with and support the Minister in her quest for livestock massification. The initiative will certainly revive local economies and, as stated by the Minister, transform dead assets into gold. This is indeed an era of African agriculture, the revival of shared wealth heritage. Without any doubt, we find ourselves challenged to consolidate and advance the land and agrarian ideals as we find them in the Freedom Charter.

There is a need to ensure that we grant support to the deployment of technocrats and relevant experts in various fields, and to assist the various municipalities in this particular regard. This would include, amongst others, representation in agricultural activities and agro- processing opportunities in all our municipalities and our districts. Furthermore, this would also include the appointment of agricultural technicians for each local municipality to advance and support identified areas.

Of course, we know that this is quite a challenge, but we think it is an area that needs to be looked at by the department. Then there is the inclusion of agricultural projects in various municipal IDPs, because we still find that – especially when we conduct our provincial weeks and when we take Parliament to the people – there is no integration between the municipalities, districts and provinces. This also comes out through the response of the agricultural departments in provinces.

The department needs to ensure that agriculture participates and plays a key role in the interventions in the second economy, and in linking the second and first economies, including aspects that we have identified and which serve as focal points of Asgisa. We noted, for instance, during our programme in the Northern Cape, that the department had set itself a set of objectives which we are quite interested in monitoring.

These objectives are: to develop further the already registered goat co- operatives and the improvement of the genetic material of goats; to develop further participation of emerging farmers in the ostrich industry; to accelerate land reform, taking into consideration the identified challenges, that is, of course, the question of willing buyer and willing seller; to fast-track the Nguni cattle project; exploration of the natural organic cattle farming in the newly incorporated area in the Northern Cape; to finalise the feasibility studies in agro-processing ventures and ensure that the agriBEE charter is implemented in the province; to popularise the Micro Agricultural Finance Scheme of South Africa - Mafisa, the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme – Casp, and the LandCare Programme, because that appears to be one of the key challenges, since our people are unable to get information on how to access Casp, Mafisa, LandCare and so forth.

We all agree that, central to the achievement of the 2014 goals and fighting poverty is the question of land reform. Our land and agrarian reform is informed by these very same principles regarding the fight against poverty, people’s participation and economic development.

Our past year’s programme of Taking Parliament to the People has exposed us to the kind of conditions that our people are faced with daily. With regard to the programmes that have been put in place for our people, it is very clear that our people are ill-informed, as I said earlier on, or that the department does not have a clear and vigorous programme for going out into the provinces to popularise the kinds of programmes that it has.

Our programme has also exposed us to instances where we have found that support given to members of the community is only at the initial stages and after that, people are left on their own. It is important to have follow- ups to ensure that the kind of programmes we give to our people are able to translate into actual development-type projects.

There is a great need to assist emerging farmers in all sectors and, in this regard, I have noted that the hon Watson raised a very important point. I found it quite interesting that the DA finally agreed with some of the issues that the ANC has been raising and the kind of state that we want to build. As we have characterised it, we are building a development-type state. Of course, that is a state that will be able to intervene and assist our people, and be biased towards assisting those actual beneficiaries who come out of the land and agrarian transformation programme.

It is quite interesting that the hon Watson did not speak to the issue related to the extent to which monopoly capital has played itself out, and how it seeks to undermine the very same programmes that we want to engage in, in our country. Regarding the very same issues of the milk shortages or even the suppression of the farmers by monopoly capital, I find it quite contradictory that the hon Watson quite comfortably avoided speaking about that.

A typical example I want to talk about is that of the granddaughter of Comrade Maxeke. Right now we have a situation where Woolworths is selling avocados, but where do they get them from? Do they buy their avocados from her? I don’t know, hon Watson, but there is a particular place where they buy their products.

Of course, there are very good examples that were put in place in the country and there are very well-run co-operatives that deal with agricultural products. To what extent does capital or the private sector buy into this programme, as compatriots and as patriotic business of South Africa and also to infuse some sense of co-ordination and ensure that whatever they have seeks to contribute towards the development of those who are emerging, not to contribute towards their suppression by way of price control, thereby killing them in order to monopolise that area of prices? I find it quite interesting that we are not sticking to those kinds of things. But I think it is important that we need to talk about this.

I want to speak to the issues related to intergovernmental relations, and I thank the Minister’s department in the Northern Cape. They came in to assist the municipality of Pokwani during the roll-out of the human settlement programme. There was a serious problem concerning the municipality acquiring land for human settlement purposes and your department did intervene. I think that’s one good example of intergovernmental relations and how this can be further developed and entrenched in our programme of transforming our country.

Chairperson, as the ANC, we support the Budget Vote of this department. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

The MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE AND LAND AFFAIRS: Chairperson, let me thank all the hon members who have supported these two Budget Votes. We hope that, in the spirit of this patriotism, we will be able to move together and work together as we implement and monitor our plans for the coming year.

I also want to thank the chairperson for opening with the Book of books. We have come a long way together, because many years ago we worked for the SA Council of Churches. I want to remind him that we used to start with Genesis, chapter 1, verse 24, which says: “We are all created in the image of God.” We are all created in the image of God, both men and women, and we are created equal.

I agree with him. Indeed, we are reviewing the willing-buyer-willing-seller principle. We are looking at other strategies that will fast-track land reform. I have alluded already to the special purpose vehicle, the SPV. We are also looking at forms or strategies that will help us limit or have a ceiling in terms of land acquisition.

There are people who have 20 farms, while there are people who are landless, who are homeless. I think this cannot be fair. We are also looking at various strategies and proactive land acquisition; we are looking at possibilities of land tax; and we are looking at various strategies. We will be coming to the committee to share some of these ideas with them later in the year.

I agree also with the Chair concerning the budget allocation, in that, indeed, it should be informed by the priorities set forth by the President for the 2006-07 financial year, as outlined in his state of the nation address, and also in terms of the priorities identified in this Budget Vote. Of course, this is required by the Public Finance Management Act. Indeed, as the Ministry, we are working on this.

I also want to say to Mr Watson: I would have thought that, with the new guard in leadership, there would be a breath of fresh air and not just the old whining and old scratched record - a litany of complaints. For the DA, it seems to me it is still business as usual: fighting for white privilege and white interests and maintaining the status quo.

I think it has not dawned on them yet that it is now time for transformation. Yes, land is very important. It is not important just for 10% of the population that continues to own over 80% of the fertile, agricultural land. It is also important to the other 80% that is poor, that is starving, that is homeless and that is landless.

I think, as government, we are not discriminating against anyone. We are servicing all farmers, black and white. In the loan book at our Land Bank, 90% is servicing white commercial farmers. I don’t think we can really complain that white commercial farmers are neglected in this country. Our Agricultural Research Council, our Perishable Products Export Control Board, our National Agricultural Marketing Council – all our structures – are actually servicing, mostly, white commercial farmers. All we are saying is: Let us look all around us. Let us be fairer and let us distribute the resources and the services more fairly, particularly to those who were previously disadvantaged.

On the Zimbabwe issue, of course we know the same old story, but my observation has been that there is also a lot of artificial amnesia around this issue. Lancaster House is forgotten. Regarding the commitments and the promises of Lancaster House, nobody is talking about that today. I’ve just said that we are paying billions of rands for one land claim. This year we have paid R1,1 billion.

Now, for poor countries, where do they get all the money to buy the land to ensure redistribution if they do not have the necessary support? I am just saying: Let us put the whole matter in perspective and let us be objective and rational when we talk about these matters.

I also want to say that South Africa has its own laws. South Africa has its own Constitution, and land reform and land restitution are based on the laws of South Africa and are prescribed in terms of the Constitution of the people of South Africa – nobody else.

I also want to advise Mr Watson that we have very clean and pure water coming out of our taps. We must drink our tap water. Can you help me, Mr Watson? Advise your friends who are exploiting our people by overcharging them for water. There are no water farmers that I can speak to. So, I would like to appeal to Mr Watson to talk to his friends to stop overcharging our people for water. I’d also like to advise our people to drink our tap water. It is the safest; it is the cleanest that I have ever drunk.

Regarding milk, I think Comrade Tau has answered very well, but I just want to say: Let us remember that we have had deregulation in this country; we have had privatisation which has resulted in conglomerates and cartels. This is the natural product of capitalism and the free-market system, which I thought the DA supported and promoted very much. However, if the DA wants government to interfere in the market, we are waiting for the instructions. [Interjections.]

To Mr Van Rooyen, thank you very much for your input. On the Extension of Security of Tenure Act, I want to say, yes, I agree with you – it is not protective of farmworkers. Yes, we have to look at the shortcomings. We have to look at the loopholes there. Indeed, we have the prevention of illegal eviction Bill that is being tabled in Parliament and that is sponsored by the Minister of Housing, but for implementation it will come to Land Affairs, as per Cabinet agreement.

I would like to say: Let us work together with the housing select committee and portfolio committees and ensure that the loopholes in the Extension of Security of Tenure Act and in the Land Reform (Labour Tenants) Act are closed through the prevention of illegal eviction Bill that we are tabling in Parliament this year. We believe it will go a long way in protecting our farmworkers and farm dwellers. So if we work together we can actually ensure this happens.

To the MEC from KwaZulu-Natal: Thank you very much. I think these are critical programmes: mushrooms, livestock - amaNguni and food security that will really help us fight poverty and unemployment in our country. I’m sure, even as the national government, we have a lot to learn from you. Those mushrooms are feeding children and families and educating young children, because the programmes are run by women, most of them being single, unemployed women. Also, in terms of your amaNguni project, there is a lot that we are already beginning to diversify and roll out in the country.

MaMchunu, siyabonga. [Thank you.] Soya is very important. Not only is it food, but for biodiesel it is the main energy seed that you are going to use in South Africa.

To the MEC from the Free State, I would like to say that livestock massification, food gardens and food security, and the area of women and youth, are all areas that we need to move in.

Regarding Gauteng, we have teams that are working on area-based planning from the Department of Land Affairs. They are available to work with the different provinces and municipalities, and I’m sure they have already started in some of the municipalities such as O R Tambo, Mbombela, and in KwaZulu-Natal and other areas – although, of course, we don’t have enough person power there but they are doing their best. Their projects are already assisting in housing planning and in other industrial developments in our municipalities.

The water affairs Minister and his department are very close to us. We are talking to each other. We have joint teams that are looking at how water can be used and how water rights can be redistributed fairly to ensure also that agriculture and our farmers benefit from that.

I have already alluded to evictions and the law – prevention of illegal eviction – that we are putting in place. We are also looking at legal aid that will assist farmworkers and inform them about the laws and their rights. We are also appealing to members to use their constituencies to advise and inform our farmworkers about their rights and the laws. Also, there are lawyers that are made available by the Department of Land Affairs, and we can get more information from the department in terms of how we can assess this legal service.

We are also working with the Deputy President, our departments, the SAPS, justice, housing, the trade unions and the farmers’ unions to address the issue of the human rights of farmworkers, and that includes evictions. We hope that in the near future we will come out with a comprehensive plan of how we can assist.

Regarding the issue of bursaries, again, that is very important. I know that in the department we have about 250 bursaries we have given out, and we are looking at having about 1 000 bursaries per year by 2010. We also look to members to assist us in informing young people that agriculture is a very important career. It is one of the noblest professions in the world today.

Important issues raised by our MEC here in the Western Cape are the area of fighting poverty and the area of ensuring that we address the evictions. We are saying that land reform is the one way we can fight evictions, once and for all. We are looking for land where we are going to settle farm dwellers and farmworkers, and we believe that, through sustainable human settlements, we will be able to address all their socioeconomic needs. We will not be working alone here. We will rope in other departments – Health for clinics, Housing, Education – to ensure that the needs of the people who are settled wherever, are also taken into consideration.

We want, therefore, to say – as Mr Tau has said – that it is important to take agriculture to our municipalities. It must be part of our integrated development plans, IDPs; it must be part of our local economic development programmes, LEDs. We have to work on this together with our provinces. Again, the Department of Land Affairs, as I said, has started with the planning and also the surveying of the land regarding what must happen where. I think also, perhaps through the MPs and the MECs, a lot more work can be done to improve in this area.

Lastly, I want to thank the Chair and the select committee for the support that they have given to our government and also to the Ministries, and to both the Department of Land Affairs and the Department of Agriculture. Sometimes you whip us, and that is not very nice. But, I think, it actually helps us to move faster and to deliver to our people.

What has also been raised is the importance of intergovernmental co- operation that is already happening in some of the provinces where you find that the Department of Land Affairs, the commissioners and the Department of Agriculture sit together with the MEC and plan and assist in co- ordinating the work. As the MECs and different departments, we are sitting together and working out a strategy of how we can actually ensure a much more co-ordinated programme, not only in agriculture but also in land administration. This is because I cannot have 100 eyes. The MECs are there on the ground. They can oversee some of these programmes, and we believe that will assist us to speed up the process of delivery to our people.

So, I want to say to the MECs, to the hon members: Thank you very much for the support, particularly for being with us here and supporting our budget. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

Debate concluded.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M N Oliphant): Thank you very much, hon Minister. On behalf of the Council, I just want to take this opportunity also to thank the Minister, the Deputy Minister, the MECs and the special delegates for participating today.

I also want to welcome the hon Minister of Transport and the MECs from various provinces and special delegates.

                         APPROPRIATION BILL


                           (Policy debate)

Vote No 33 – Transport:

The MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: Madam Chairperson, hon members of this House, my colleagues, the MECs of transport from various provinces, ladies and gentlemen, my intention today is to elaborate on and deal with issues that relate to implementation, co-ordination and integration tasks across the three spheres of government.

The Department of Transport faces challenges of ensuring the provision of a safe, reliable and affordable transport system in South Africa and of implementing our programme at the various levels of government. Enhancement of our institutional arrangements and the rationalisation of procedures are required to achieve the improvement of our collective performance, which is fundamental in meeting our objectives of increased investment, job creation and poverty alleviation. All these objectives translate into an improved public transport system and transport infrastructure, as well as the reduction of the costs of doing business in our country. As you may well be aware, our budget allocation for this financial year is the cornerstone towards the achievement of the above objectives and creating a transport legacy for South Africa. It may be useful for the House just to note the budget allocations for this current Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period.

The following budget allocations will benefit public transport over the MTEF period: an amount of R8,5 billion for passenger rail infrastructure; R5,5 billion is for national roads infrastructure; R19,2 billion for airports infrastructure; and R9,2 billion has been set aside for the public transport infrastructure grant for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The implementation of the 2010 Transport Action Plan is well on track and the host cities have already submitted detailed plans that have already started to be implemented, regarding all those physical projects. All these projects are funded through the public transport infrastructure and systems grant.

The provincial 2010 Soccer World Cup projects in host cities and their budget allocations include the following: Rea Vaya in Johannesburg, at a cost of R329 million and integrating trains, taxis and buses for 2007; the inner city distribution and bus rapid transit networks in Tshwane at a cost of R104 million for 2007; in Nelson Mandela Bay, the Khulani Corridor - a bus rapid transit project costing R200 million in the next three years; the bus rapid transit in the Klipfontein Corridor along the N2 Airport City in Cape Town; the Warwick Junction in Durban inner city; and the road infrastructure upgrading projects in Limpopo.

Outside of this Budget Vote there is an additional R3 billion that has been allocated through the provincial infrastructure grant for the Expanded Public Works Programme focusing on rural access roads.

On issues of public transport, I want to indicate to this House that the essential feature of the public transport strategy 2007 to 2020 is the phased extension of mode-based vehicle recapitalisation into integrated rapid public transport networks. These networks will comprise an integrated package of rapid rail and bus rapid transit priority corridors, especially in major cities of South Africa.

There are, of course, catalytic projects in implementing this public transport plan. The goal of these catalytic projects is to initiate the implementation of integrated rapid public transport networks in targeted municipalities simultaneously with the current nationwide roll-out of accelerated modal recovery interventions.

The integrated rapid public transport network package will require a city- wide transport authority-controlled network of rapid public transport corridors together with feeder systems of smaller buses, taxis, bicycles, pedestrian access as well as metered taxis and park-and-ride facilities. This service will have high frequencies of approximately 5 minutes during peak periods, 15 minutes off peak along trunk corridors, as well as between 16 and 24-hour operations. Full special needs and wheelchair access for all trunk corridor rail and road vehicles will also be implemented.

On the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme, I would like to indicate to this House that this programme is on track and its physical implementation commenced on 28 October last year at Botshabelo, in the Free State. To date, more than 4 271 old and unroadworthy taxi vehicles have been physically scrapped in all nine provinces of this Republic, with a total amount of R213 550 million given to operators as a scrapping allowance.

The acceleration of the programme will ensure that 80% of the taxi fleet will be recapitalised by 2010. We will also now focus on the 18 000 old vehicles through law-enforcement initiatives and encourage their owners to recapitalise in order to meet our target for 2010.

The process of conversion of permits to licences is well on track and more than 100 000 operating licences have been approved by operating licensing boards. Provinces will have to ensure acceleration of the uplifting of all these licences.

I want to put it on record that, as government, we condemn the violence that we have seen in Gauteng recently. The Department of Transport is working closely with law-enforcement agencies to bring those responsible to book. This is clearly a reflection of resistance to regulation of the taxi industry, particularly route rationalisation.

The taxi violence will not stand in the way of ensuring that we regulate the taxi industry in South Africa. My department is already developing a law-enforcement and compliance plan with the Road Traffic Management Corporation as part of the regulation of the taxi industry which, as we know, is an integral part of the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme.

On the other hand, we will be extending the bus subsidy to an integrated road-based public transport subsidy framework which will also benefit the taxi industry, but only in a regulated environment.

Progress has also been made in the preparatory work for implementing road- based public transport contracts with the publication of the model tender and contract documents last year. In this regard, public transport services are already being designed, based on existing transport plans in provinces.

You will recall that in December of last year, Cabinet approved the National Rail Plan, a consolidation of regional rail plans which specifies and quantifies the specific infrastructural and rolling-stock interventions required to implement the rail plan strategy. In terms of commuter rail infrastructure, a short-term - that is three to five years - funding requirement of R4,5 billion that relates to an annual requirement of R1,8 billion has been identified to fund specific infrastructure interventions on priority commuter rail corridors.

We want these services to be felt by the majority of South African people so that their social wellbeing can be improved and they can have access to economic opportunities. These regional rail plans were developed in consultation with provinces and metropolitan authorities, taking into account strategies set out in the metropolitan authorities’ integrated transport plans. These regional rail plans clarified the role that the commuter rail should play in the context of an integrated approach to public transport.

Special attention is also being given to the improvement of security measures within the rail environment. The strategy includes a co-operative agreement with the SA Police Service to invest in security-related infrastructure required for the establishment and roll-out of a dedicated railway police unit. The roll-out of police members is on course, with 700 railway police currently active and 5 000 members will be in place by 2010.

To date, the construction of police stations in Cape Town, Retreat, Bellville and Philippi have been completed. Construction has also started in Durban, Reunion, Cavendish, KwaMashu, Tshwane, Denneboom, Mapobane, Germiston, New Canada and Johannesburg. The Cape Town network has already seen a 31,6% reduction in crime-related incidents and fare evasion has been reduced from 9% to 4%.

I also want to mention that early this year we appointed the board of the National Ports Regulator. This is a major milestone in the transformation of our maritime industry and will go a long way in contributing to economic growth, promoting equity of access to ports and monitoring activities of port authorities to ensure that they perform their function in accordance with the National Ports Act. For the first time in our country, we will have an independent body whose primary function is the economic regulation of activities in the maritime sector.

In anticipation of an increased number of air travellers for the 2010 Soccer World Cup and beyond, the Airports Company of South Africa, Acsa, has commenced a five-year investment programme in all major airports in the country, totalling R19,2 billion. All provincial airports are being upgraded to meet the increased influx during 2010 and beyond.

It has been projected that Acsa would handle more than 31 million passengers by 2012. The following improvements have been proposed to accommodate the predicted increase in the movement of passengers and cargo between 2007 and 2010: O R Tambo International Airport - R2,65 billion; Cape Town International Airport - R714 million; Upington - R33 million; Bloemfontein - R43 million; Durban - R65 million; the new Durban airport at La Mercy - R1,5 billion; East London - R91 million; George - R15 million; Kimberley - R8 million; and Port Elizabeth - R52 million.

Members of my department and the Auditor-General have a scheduled meeting on Monday, 11 June, to discuss the management report which has been the subject of media discussion recently concerning the eNatis, and we will thereafter issue a joint communiqué and provide much-needed clarity and details on this specific matter. However, I can confirm here today that the period during which the audit was conducted was June 2006, when the current eNatis was still under construction and, largely, the challenges were overcome during the migration process from the Natis to eNatis.

Also, the challenge relating to the capacity of the vehicle registration functionality of the eNatis system, which we experienced in April and May of this year, is a thing of the past. As I stand before you today the system is stable and operating optimally, performing in excess of 500 000 transactions per day.

I also want to state that we have invoked clause 26, together with schedule 15, of the contract with the service provider which commits the service provider to ensure the smooth transfer of the system to government and systems optimisation. Within the next 30 days we shall finalise a transfer management plan and we are confident that the transfer will take place within a capped period of 12 months.

Let me indicate that, regarding the monorail, I have since met with the Gauteng provincial MECs of finance and transport, following their public announcement of the monorail project. [Interjections.] We have all agreed that the proposed monorail would be put on hold until such time as the necessary process, including consultation, has been undertaken. We also agreed that the proposal should be open, transparent and that it must take into account approved and funded transport plans aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the current rail, bus and taxi operations within the public transport system.

This means that Gauteng province will review the proposal and develop a sound business case. Thereafter, there will be broader consultation with national, provincial and local government. The proposal will be subjected to the normal processes of government and then submitted to myself for my consideration.

In the period under review, Cabinet approved the road infrastructure for South Africa which is intended to embody the roads policy in South Africa and a blueprint for roads development planning and provision of all roads authorities. The budget of the SA National Roads Agency has increased from R2,1 billion in 2005-06 to a projected R11,5 billion in 2009-10, which will allow us to expand the footprint of roads in our country.

As I have already indicated, the National Treasury has granted an allocation of R3 billion for the EPWP road construction, which will include labour-intensive road construction and maintenance over the current MTEF periods. Our three concession contracts, the N3-N4 Platinum Corridor and the N4 Maputo Development Corridor, continue to facilitate improved trade, tourism and intergovernmental relations, thus providing faster, safer and more reliable transport as well as building the economy of our country.

The department, together with Sanral, will continue with its public-private partnership concession programme. It is currently developing projects such as the N2 Wild Coast toll highway between Durban and East London. The Wild Coast road was identified as one of the areas for strategic development, in accordance with government’s spatial development initiative strategy as long ago as 1995. It will not only give access to the untapped potential of Pondoland but, in so doing, address the primary inequality, namely lack of access, that has led to this being the most impoverished region of South Africa. We expect to see the construction of this important road starting before the end of the year.

The Sani Pass road project at the border of South Africa and Lesotho brings in regional co-operation and integration, as articulated in the SADC Protocol on Transport, Telecommunication and Meteorology. The total cost of this project is R160 million and on the South African side, the footprint of this initiative will extend as far as Pietermaritzburg, which is a town with the potential to provide a variety of economic services to Lesotho.

The Department of Transport has developed integrated rural mobility and access project implementation plans for three nodes. The areas that need maintenance are: Sekhukhune, in Limpopo, a cross-border development between Limpopo and Mpumalanga; O R Tambo in the Eastern Cape; Umkhanyakude and Umzinyathi in KwaZulu-Natal. At O R Tambo Municipality the department has targeted eQawukeni and Port St Johns, Thombo, as key focus areas for a variety of nonmotorised transport initiatives, including freight logistics co-ordination.

In conclusion, Chairperson, ladies and gentlemen, I must stress that interventions within our road networks should influence transformation and strongly bridge the gap between the first and second economies. Our public transport services should meet the ever-increasing demands of commuters and provide a car-competitive solution in order to reduce congestion on our roads.

Hon members, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you, particularly the members of the select committee and the MECs of transport in the various provinces for their very active participation throughout the year. We are looking forward to a very healthy debate today since I am no longer an acting Minister of Health. Thank you. [Laughter.] [Applause.]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Thank you, hon Minister. On behalf of the Council, may I also thank you for participating in our summit when you were acting Minister of Health. Thank you very much; we really appreciate it and more so since you accepted the invitation at the last moment. Thank you.

Mr R J TAU: Chairperson, hon members, hon Minister, I don’t know how we are going to be healthy, but I think we can be healthy.

Once more, this august House is afforded an opportunity to engage on one of the most important policy debates in this country. I say this because it is only through the movement of our people, goods and services in the country that we shall observe economic growth and development. Therefore it is important that the country should be in a position to provide such infrastructure that will enable and co-ordinate such movement in an efficient, economic and safe manner.

For the past year, we have observed stability brought into the transport sector by the department, although it was not an easy one. The passing of the National Land Transport Transition Amendment Bill put the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme in motion, although it did not come easy, owing to the lack of understanding and, in some instances, sheer ill-informed resistance. The department, together with some provinces, was able to kick- start the programme.

The committee has noted the snail’s pace implementation owing to a slow start in big provinces such as Gauteng. We have, however, been informed by the department that, during this financial year, we will see greater participation in such provinces that will be able to make the department meet its targets.

Our outreach programme to provinces, that is Taking Parliament to the People, provincial weeks or committee oversight visits to provinces and our interactions with operators, has presented us with new challenges that these operators experience. The most important and common of these amongst all operators is access to funding.

In most instances, the operators, as we all know, owing to the dual nature of the South African economy, are trapped in the second economy. They do not have bank accounts and if they do, their credit standing is not good. If it is in good standing, you will find that they are blacklisted and, therefore, it becomes difficult for them to use their scrapping allowances as a means of putting down a deposit for a new vehicle.

I think that is one of the key pleas that has been coming out. They were asking: “How can Parliament assist us?” They said: “We want to scrap these cars, but we don’t have the means.” Some of them would not even say that they were blacklisted but would just lambast the banks and so forth. If you really intervene, you would then get to see that the poor operator had been blacklisted, hence the support against the blacklisting of people by the credit bureaus.

Today we are reminded by the hon Minister of his clarion call made in the year 2005, which he termed: From Road to Rail. When making that call, we take it that the Minister was responding to the extent to which our roads, especially national roads, were getting congested by trucks, therefore the incapacity of our roads to carry larger volumes.

At present, as previously noted, most of our people still rely on road transport to travel in the country. Hence, of course, this is not the only reason for fatalities on our roads but it contributes to that. We believe that our people need to be encouraged at all levels regarding this project in order to use the rail transport in particular, because, obviously, they will not be able to afford the flights, due to the skewed economic position.

We have also noted that those that heeded the call of the Minister were very disappointed concerning the level at which they got services, particularly with regards to rail services. I raise this because of the unreliability of our Shosholoza Meyl. It is always late and therefore people can hardly plan their journeys properly, apart from the fact that waiting rooms at the stations are always congested, unhygienic, with unfriendly security officials.

Having raised this aspect with the department, we were assured that the process of taking over Shosholoza Meyl by the department was at an advanced stage, as the Minister said. We hope that through that process, the department will then be able to inject new life into this instrument which our people rely so much on. We, therefore, wish the department to speed up this process in order for us to be able to join the Minister’s call on our people to get on Shosholoza Meyl and get off the roads.

Linked to this, we have also observed a clever move by some businesses in the country. We have noticed that most, if not all, of the truck companies are exploiting the inconsistent licensing regime. Some of these truck companies operating from Gauteng and the Western Cape prefer to register their trucks in the Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape because it is cheaper there, and then use those trucks where their businesses are registered. While noting that vehicle licensing is a municipal function, it is our belief that if some sense of consistency is brought into this entire licensing regime, we will then be able to curb some of the problems that we are experiencing.

Let me take this opportunity to thank you, hon Minister, for finally having included Upington and for officially announcing it today. Since I am from the Northern Cape, it is our belief that this is one aspect that will be able to bring about some sense of economic life in that area of Upington. It will also contribute to the level of skills development and the retention of young people in the area. It will revive the economic activities in that particular area.

The department is promoting infrastructure investment in the transport sector in order to contribute towards job creation and the use of labour- intensive construction methods. This objective will be co-ordinated through the implementation of the road infrastructure strategic framework. We have, as a committee, agreed with the Minister of Public Works that we will lobby the Minister of Transport and that all his infrastructure projects must have a heavy influence through the principles of the Expanded Public Works Programme in order to expand the foundation of our job creation and so forth.

Through these programmes, as a committee, we are convinced that we will see long-term job creation for community members, decreased unemployment in our communities, development of small businesses and co-operatives, upliftment of the community by providing them with infrastructure that they will use for a very long time, and improvement of the condition of existing roads infrastructure by routine and periodic maintenance. We, as a committee, believe that having established these co-operatives, informed by the principles of the Expanded Public Works Programme, maintenance will then also serve as that instrument of a long-term basis of economic activity for these areas.

We will transfer skills by providing training for the communities involved in the Expanded Public Works Programme. One of the key areas identified by the director-general was the fact that the budget allocation and expenditure in the Department of Transport reflects a steadily increasing trend for programmes and priority placed on the transport sector by government. The Department of Transport will, through its promotion of infrastructure programmes, in the main, ensure that all its programmes and others that will be coming through its intergovernmental relations also work towards ensuring that the EPWP is taken into account.

Let me take these last few seconds just to say that one of the things that we have observed with the director-general was the fact that there is a lot of money that provinces are getting through Treasury, for transport purposes. I hope the MECs are here, just to ensure that whatever they get they build into the national objectives of transport, and in particular rural transport. I think the hon Dlulane will speak more on that.

We think that through such an exercise, we will not then see money lying in provinces for purposes of road infrastructure development but not being utilised. The national department is then left with the entire burden of responding to the nation as to why our roads are not being upgraded, especially the N12 between Kimberley and Johannesburg. Thank you very much, Chairperson - before you stop me.

Nksz B N DLULANE: Sihlalo obekekileyo, Mphathiswa obekekileyo, baPhathiswa abalapha kunye nawo onke amalungu ale Ndlu, kuqukwa nabathunywa abakhethekileyo, kuluvuyo kum ukuthabatha inxaxheba kolu hlahlo lwabiwo- mali lwalo nyaka-mali wowama-2007-08.

Ndiyabona ke ukuba kukho uchatha, kwaye ndinomnqweno wokuba nibe ngathinithi xathu kwingxowa yezothutho. Nditsho kuba noko kudala sisenza isankxwe ngomcimbi wazo. Ndikholelwa ekubeni xa sithetha ngezithuthi zikawonke-wonke sidibanisa nezi zisemaphandleni nasezifama.

Xa Mphathiswa, lisithi isebe lakho liza kwabelwa esona sixa-mali sikhulu, ama-62,4 ekhulwini, mali leyo ezizigidi zezigidi zeerandi ezili-9,9, esiya kwabelwa ezothutho zikawonke-wonke kwisabelo esipheleleyo sonyaka-mali wama- 2007-08.

Kwakhona, sithi huntshu! ngeziseko zoluntu kwezoololiwe okanye i-passenger rail infrastructure, kodwa mna njengomthunywa ophuma nosinqa sakhe siseMpuma Koloni, andanelisekanga yinkcazo nengxelo yololiwe oza kudula- dula phakathi kweMonti noMthatha. Uvuyo lwathi lwakhona xa kwakupapashwa lo loliwe, kodwa asikamboni.

Liyazi ke isebe ukuba lisishiye noko umnqwazi ungaqinanga yinkcazo abasinike yona ekomotini. Ngaba lwenziwe ngokwenene uvavanyo lwempumelelo lweli linge? ndibuza kuba namhlanje ukhona noMphathiswa wePhondo laseMpuma Koloni. Xa besibuza ukuba uya kude ube kho nini na lo loliwe Mphathiswa uRadebe, iminqwazi yethu ayiqinanga yimpendulo esiyifumeneyo.

Sifumanisa ukuba asazi ukuba uphando lwempumelelo lwayo lwenziwe njani xa kukho ezi ngxakana basixelela ngazo. Ukuba ke nina nobabini, nomntakwethu utat’uMhlalo, ningakhe nisanelise ngeempendulo ukuze kuqine iminqwazi, singavuya.

Sihlalo obekekileyo, kulo chatha simfumanayo, langa isebe lingabonelela abantwana basemaphandleni ngokunjalo nabasezifama. Siyayibona indlela abahlupheka ngayo, behamba imigama emide ngeenyawo ukuya ezikolweni, kumaqhwa, benganxibanga zihlangu.

Mphathiswa uRadebe, ndiyabona ukuba kukho nto obuthetha ngayo, yokuba kukho imadlanyana engangezigidi zezigidi ezi-3 zeerandi engabonelela la maphandle anje ngeli ndiphuma lulo naphaya kuwe kwaZulu-Natala. Loo nto khange siyifumane kula nkcazo besiyinikiwe, nto leyo eye yasihlupha ngoba asiva kuthethwa ngezothutho emaphandleni.

Kodwa ke xa bendibhala, ndilungiselela ukwenza igalelo lam kule ngxoxo, ndiye ndathi urhulumente okhokelwa yi-ANC ongowabantu bonke unayo indlebe yokuphula-phula. Ngokubhekisele kwezi zikhalazo endigqiba kuzibeka apha, ndiyazi ukuba uza kuzihoya. Kodwa lingatshonanga elanamhlanje ndiva wena sele uphendula kuza kuba kho ubonelelo phaya kooomaQawukeni naphaya kooPort St Johns, eThombo. Ndicinga ukuba le ntetho yam ilapha ngentla iyaphenduleka kule ntetho yakho ugqiba kuyenza. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)

[Ms B N DLULANE: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, Ministers present and all the members of this House, including the special delegates, it is a pleasure for me to participate in this debate on the Budget Vote for the 2007-08 financial year.

I notice that there is an increase, and I wish that you could add more to the budget for transport. I say this because we have been complaining for quite some time about this matter regarding transport. I believe when we talk about public transport we include those that are in the rural and farming areas.

Your department, Minister, has stated that it is going to allocate the largest amount, 62,4%, which is R9,9 billion, to public transport, of the full budget allocation for the 2007-08 financial year.

Again, we say well done with regard to the provision of the train infrastructure or the passenger rail infrastructure for the people, but as a delegate who comes from and was born in the Eastern Cape, I am not satisfied with the explanation and the report regarding the train that will travel between East London and Mthatha. There was joy when the announcement about this train was made, but we have not seen it yet.

The department is aware that they left us unsatisfied with regard to the explanation they gave us as the committee. Was the research about the success of this initiative really done? I am asking because today the MEC from the Eastern Cape is present. When we asked when this train is going to operate, Minister Radebe, we were not satisfied with the response we got.

We discovered that we do not know how the research concerning its success was done when there are problems like these they are telling us about. If the two of you, you and MEC Mhlahlo, can give us an answer that will satisfy us, we would be happy.

Hon Chairperson, regarding the increase that we are getting, I wish the department would make provision for the children in the rural areas and also those on the farms. We see how they are suffering, walking long distances to school, in the cold, without shoes.

Minister Radebe, I remember that you mentioned something, that there is a small amount of money, which is about R3 billion, that can provide assistance to these rural areas like the one that I come from and your KwaZulu-Natal. That we did not get from the explanation that was given to us, and that worried us because we hear nothing concerning transport in the rural areas.

But, as I was writing, preparing my contribution on this debate, I said that the ANC-led government, that is for everybody, does have ears to listen. With regard to the complaints that I have just mentioned here, I know that you will respond to them. Just before the end of today I hear you telling us that there will be provision for places like Qawukeni and Port St Johns, Thombo. I think what I have said above is being answered by the speech you have just made.]

Our communities in rural areas face transportation burdens daily that limit their participation in the mainstream economy thus entrenching their isolation. The problem is not transitory; socioeconomic and political relations in South Africa are characterised by dualism between urban and rural areas, developed and developing rural areas and between women and men. This dualism is damaging. Unless radical interventions are introduced, it is likely that our rural areas will continue to reproduce this dualism which leads to socioeconomic deprivation.

We need to join hands to ensure that we solve this transportation problem in our rural areas, because the reduction of this burden will also be viewed as an indicator of the success of interventions aimed at improving the quality of rural life. It can only be accomplished by first understanding the nature of this burden and how the responsibilities for transport are distributed between men and women; and by looking at who has the greater burden and how this creates special gender-specific needs. Rural communities perceive transport not as a problem in itself but always as part of a far more general sociopolitical and economic problem.

Decision-makers, including ourselves, have grossly underrated the significance of understanding the needs of rural communities as a basis for a generative, innovative solution to rural transport and development.

Mphathiswa, ubukhe wasixelela apha ukuba kukho izabelo ezikhoyo, kanti ke yena utata uTau uthethe kakhulu ngezi zokubhabha. Mna ke ndinombuzo wokuba: Ngubani oza kukwazi ukusijongela ukuba phaya emaphandleni kukho izithuthi eziza kube zilungiselelwe ukuba zisetyenziswe nangabantu abakhubazekileyo? Andikayiva kakuhle impendulo ngokubhekisele koko, Mphathiswa. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)

[Minister, you have told us that there is an allocation that is available, whereas hon Tau spoke a lot about aviation. My question is: who is going to see that transport is made available to people with disabilities? I have not heard a clear answer with regard to that, Minister.]

We need to improve the material conditions of rural women in order to improve access. The first step is to understand women’s travel needs and the extent to which lack of access constrains the fulfilment of those needs.

It is also critical to investigate how gender and gender relations affect transport deprivation and how more appropriate and more gender-sensitive interventions can help reduce this deprivation. Priority should be given to ensuring continuous and hardened tracks and paths to enable efficient cart and bicycle transport to the nearest major routes.

This budget reflects our collective efforts as a nation to transform our transport system to a more efficient and sustainable medium that supports growth and equitable access to opportunities and development. As you are aware, practice is the only criterion of truth. It is through practical action that transport will become the heartbeat of the economy and social development, and deliver jobs and shared growth.

We have begun to take the necessary and real steps for a lasting legacy in transport, not just for 2010, but also for the benefit of our society beyond 2010.

Mhlekazi, ndifuna ukukuva uthetha ngesa sikhululo seenqwelo-moya othi xa ugoduka usiya emakhaya, ukhe uqale ususe iinkomo neebhokhwe phambi kokuba ihlale inqwelo-moya, le yaseMthatha. Andikakuva kakuhle ngokubhekisele kuso. Uthethile nangesiya siseMonti, Mntan’enkosi.

Likhona ixesha esade sancama saya kwehla phaya eMonti ngoba sasisoyika ezaa nkomo nezaa bhokwe ziqala zidediswe phaya eMthatha. Ndiyakucela ke kuMntan’enkosi ukuba ancedisane notat’uMhlahlo sibonakale esa sikhululo ukuze sifakwe kuhlalo lwabiwo-mali.

Besikhe sathenjiswa ke nangesiya siphaya eBulembu, eBhisho - kuthiwa yiBulembu na kanene? Andazi nokuba uMphathiswa lo wam, uThobile Mhlahlo, unayo kakuhle na imali ukuze asiphucule esa sikhululwana. Ibikhe yangathi siza kakuhle, kodwa ndinethemba lokuba uza kusichazela ukuba kuqhubeka ntoni na. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)

[Sir, I want to hear you talking about that airport when you go home. In the rural areas you have to clear the cows and the goats from the runway before the plane can land – like at the Mthatha airport. You also talked about the one in East London, Your Highness.

There was a time when we gave up and we ended up landing at East London because we were scared of those cows and goats that have to be removed at Mthatha. I am appealing to you, Your Highness, to assist MEC Mhlahlo so that the airport can be seen so that it can be included in the budget.

Promises were also made about the one that is in Bulembu, at Bhisho – is it called Bulembu? I do not know whether my Minister, Thobile Mhlahlo, has enough money to develop that small airport. There were signs of improvement, but you are going to tell us what is going on.]

Unity in action for better transport is the lasting legacy we could give to Dr Phillips and all our fallen heroes. May he rest in peace!

Xa ndihlala phantsi, siyabulela kwisebe lakho, Mphathiswa. Oko lathi laba khona ndatsho ndayeka ukuthetha ngezothutho emaphandleni. Siyabona nokuba uhlengahlengiso kushishino lweeteksi okanye i-taxi recapitalisation, uze nalo kakuhle. Enkosi nakuwe, Mlawuli-Jikelele, nakubo bonke abakungqongileyo. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)

[In conclusion, we are grateful to your department, Minister. Ever since it came into existence, I have not stopped talking about transport in the rural areas. We can also see that you are handling taxi recapitalisation well. Thanks to you as well as the director-general, and to your subordinates. [Applause.]]

Mnu M A MZIZI: Sihlalo noNgqongqoshe, boNgqongqoshe bezifundazwe, unwele olude! Udaba esizokhuluma ngalo wudaba oluthinta imiphakathi eminingi kakhulu. Kubi nje ngoba sikhuluma ngalolu daba amathunzi esewuka, amathunzi ezintaba eselingana. Abantu abasezwa-ke ngoba abasekho omabonakude nabezindaba sebelele manje, ngakho-ke abantu abasezukuzizwela ngokwabo mathupha. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[Mr M A MZIZI: Chairperson and Ministers, provincial MECs, long live! The issue that we are going to discuss affects too many communities. The only snag is that we are discussing this whilst it is getting late, at sunset. People will not hear this because television and media personnel are asleep now, therefore people will not hear for themselves then.]

Since the Department of Transport positions itself as being the heartbeat of the South African economy, it is no doubt part of our lives. An effective transport system is essential to the wellbeing of any country or community, but the effective operation of that system depends on the interrelationship of a number of factors which include governance, responsibility and funding.

The transport system serves not only as a conduit for mobility, but also as a vehicle for economic growth, poverty alleviation and social inclusion. We are aware of the preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The government needs to improve the quality of transport operations and to broaden access to affordable public transport. It is very important that the transport legacy remains good after the completion of the World Cup event.

The allocation of R15,9 billion for the 2007-08 financial year has increased by 15,4% compared to the previous financial year’s budget of R13,7 billion and the annual increase of 10,3%.

Kufuna ukuba lukhunyana kancane. Ngizwile ilungu elihloniphekile lithinta laphayana maqondana nodlame olubonakalayo eGauteng. Sengathi sizoba nenkinga uma sibhekene nayo i-taxi recapitalisation. Uma ngisenesikhathi, ngizothinta lapho maqondana nokuthi yini engiyisolayo kulokho. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[It is a bit difficult. I heard a hon member touching on the violence that is looming in Gauteng. It looks as if we will have a problem when facing taxi recapitalisation. If I still have time, I will look at that with reference to what I find fault with.]

The IFP is still waiting to see how the Ministry and the Department of Transport will transform the taxi industry through the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme, since the budget allocated for taxi recapitalisation has declined from R530 million in 2006-07 to R332 million in 2007-08. This reduction may have an impact on the continued viability of the project.

The IFP welcomes the move to restructure public transport subsidies, but the other worrying factor is that we do not hear much about subsidisation of the taxi industry. The only compensation that they will get is that R50 000 scrapping allowance for taxi owners wishing to scrap their old taxis. Compensation of that magnitude will not even serve as a deposit for a new vehicle. I am afraid that we will see quite a lot of people leaving this industry and becoming the employees of those who will have the means to buy the new vehicles that meet the standard requirements of a public vehicle laid down through government specifications.

However, we welcome the incorporation of a further 3 000 km of provincial roads into the national road system and that has added to the increase in expenditure.

Uma sengibuyela kulolu daba esikhuluma ngalo lwe-taxi recapitalisation, kukhona umdlalo oke waba khona kumabonakude. Angazi-ke noma abaningi bawubona yini na. Ubukhuluma ngayo le-taxi recapitalisation kodwa ubugxile kakhulu nasekukhulumeni ngoNgqongqoshe wezokuthutha KwaZulu-Natali.

Kulowo mdlalo kade kulingiswa izenzo ezenzeka ngempela emgwaqweni, lapho abantu becathamelana ngogaqa lukaBathonyile futhi becathamelana ngenduku yegwala. Abalingiswa kade bethi, “Loya uyithengeleni leya nqola? Uyena osezochitha umsebenzi wethu ngoba usethenge inqola entsha. Yingakho-ke thina singeke sisaba nendlela yokusebenza …”

USIHLALO WOMKHANDLU KAZWELONKE WEZIFUNDAZWE: Sesiphelile-ke isikhathi sakho.

Mnu M A MZIZI: Kodwa-ke kunjalo kukho konke esengikushilo. I-IFP isakuxhasa Ngqongqoshe, ithi: Qhubeka usithole lesi sabiwomali. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[When coming back to the issue of taxi recapitalisation that we are discussing, there was a drama that was aired on the television. I do not know if most of the people saw it. It was about this taxi recapitalisation, but was mainly concentrating on the MEC for transport in KwaZulu-Natal.

That drama portrayed exactly what is happening on the roads, where people ambush one another using an assortment of weapons and guns. The characters were saying, “Why did that one buy that car? He is the one who is going to destroy our business because he has bought a new car. That is why we will not have ways of working …”

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Your time has expired.

Mr M A MZIZI: But all of what I said is true. The IFP still supports you, Minister. It says: Go on, get this budget.] Mr S J MOHAI (Free State): Chairperson, Minister of Transport, hon Jeff Radebe, colleagues from the provinces and hon members of the NCOP, it is a pleasure to participate in this policy debate on the Transport Budget Vote at a time when transport occupies a very central role in our efforts to bring about shared economic growth, more so when the majority of our people are confident that work is under way for the provision of a safe and reliable transport system in South Africa.

Our slogan “Transport - the heartbeat of South Africa’s economy” augers very well for this year’s national government theme, that is “Renewing our national pledge - a national partnership to build a better life for all”. This is because, at the core of building a better life for all is the 2014 vision of halving poverty and unemployment. This programmatic slogan of “Transport - the heartbeat of South Africa’s economy” therefore positions us and properly locates our role as a transport portfolio in the economic activities that are already dominating the government’s programme of action in this second decade of freedom.

Accelerated infrastructure development for building a better life for all was our central theme that we announced when we tabled our provincial budget. In this input we will therefore highlight our work with regard to transport infrastructure and measures to improve transport services in the province.

Our current budget allocation for roads is the single largest allocation and alone it accounts for 58% of our entire departmental budget for this financial year. Whilst we appreciate this substantial raise, we continue to acknowledge that it is still not enough, considering the huge backlog we have in our roads currently, which we estimate to be at about R8 billion.

Another factor that has to be seriously taken into account is the escalation of the market prices in the construction industry. The significantly increased traffic volume of freight and private vehicles on our roads, in recent times, has also had a negative impact on the roads. The Free State tends to be seriously affected, because we are geographically located at the centre of our country.

Our strategic approach for addressing overloading and traffic growth on our roads includes the following: construction of a traffic control centre which includes permanent weighbridges at strategic points and to complement an effective overloading control plan through the utilisation of mobile weighbridges.

During the past financial year, as part of our efforts to improve our road network infrastructure, we overspent about R279 million on our roads. This budget allocation and expenditure are deeply rooted in our policy trajectory of utilising infrastructure development as a catalyst for economic growth and development.

Since April 2006 a total of 309 km of secondary roads have been regravelled, 315 km of roads were paved and eight bridges were repaired. As part of this project, we have increased our road construction and maintenance in less developed rural areas of our province.

The importance of developed road infrastructure in economically less developed rural areas cannot be overemphasised. It will lower the costs of economic activities in the agricultural sector and help revive other industries that have potential in our rural areas. Road infrastructure development in rural areas helps ease the movement of people and delivery of social services, such as education and health. These improvements also help people with easy access to main corridors as well.

The other social and economic benefits that have accrued from our roads project execution is that we have increases and continue to increase the Expanded Public Works Programmes in terms of labour intensiveness, contractor development and skills development. We are therefore implementing learnerships that are covering 114 learner contractors who are involved in construction and maintenance of roads. On completion of the learnerships, we will have clear exit opportunities that will empower learner contractors further.

In order to sustain the momentum generated by the winning of the access road of Makwane as the best EPWP project in the country, we have further allocated five roads to ensure that we duplicate the same model. The department, as part of road safety measures, has commenced with the construction of 19 km of palisade fencing along the N8 corridor in the Thaba Nchu area.

Also, as part of our improving access and mobility in rural areas, we welcome a feasibility study that will be conducted in one of the rural districts in our region, Thabo Mofutsanyane, as part of the presidential nodal point. Once this feasibility study is completed, it will also help us respond in a much more thorough way, in terms of social access and for rural communities to access markets.

Three projects stand out as our main transport infrastructure projects in the province. These are the N8 road development corridor, the Mangaung transport intermodal facility and the Harrismith freight logistics hub. The N8 corridor development will also include the utilisation of commuter rail services between Bloemfontein, Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu.

Our pre-feasibility study indicated that already there are more than 40 000 people travelling on this road on a daily basis. This study also showed that the introduction of an integrated public transport network with commuter rail serving the line between Botshabelo, Thaba Nchu and Bloemfontein will bring about greatly reduced passenger fares, safer community trips and would also reduce the current operational subsidy requirements for buses in favour of commuter rail. We are working with the national department and the SA Commuter Rail Corporation to get the project to unfold speedily.

It is also pleasing to report that we have made tremendous progress towards concluding the interstate bus line negotiated contract, which includes partners in the taxi and small bus operators regarding the mainline subsidy.

The construction of Bloemfontein intermodal connecting rail, bus and taxi services will be one of the major infrastructure projects as we move towards the 2010 Soccer World Cup. A total budget of R230 million which is being made available will be managed by the Mangaung municipality as the host city. We are however playing an active and collaborative role in this project. The actual construction of the project is well co-ordinated together with the province.

The Harrismith logistical hub is certainly one of the transport infrastructure projects that will give concrete expression to the slogan “Transport - the heartbeat of our South African economy”. It will link well with both Durban and Johannesburg through the entry corridor. This is a project we are pursuing in partnership with the national department and it is one of Asgisa’s projects in the Free State.

We are about to conclude a process of establishing a provincial databank which will serve as an important tool for management of freight in the province, and we hope to launch this freight databank during the month of October, which is known as Transport Month.

Since the launch of the taxi recapitalisation in October last year, we have surged ahead with the actual implementation of taxi recapitalisation. I can say that the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme in the province is firmly on the agenda and we are making progress in that regard. We are also responding to the challenges as they arise, as the Minister has indicated - challenges such as the slow pace of uplifting operating licences, and we are working together with the provincial taxi council in this regard.

The process of formulation of the transport master plan has been initiated by the national Department of Transport and has been warmly embraced in the province. We are active participants in this process.

In conclusion, as we said when we began this input, the achievement of the economic and social goals of the 2014 vision remains our strategic task. We dare not lose focus. We will therefore work harder to position transport as a greater contributor to shared growth and development. Under the visionary leadership of Minister Radebe, we are confident that we will rise to the challenge. The Free State therefore endorses this Transport Budget Vote as tabled. Thanks. [Applause.]

Mnu A WATSON: Sihlalo, sendikhona. Ndiyabulisa, Mphathiswa namalungu ale Ndlu. Uyazi, kule nyanga iphelileyo ndacela uMphathiswa andincede ngaba bantu abaneenwele ezinde abasebenza eNamibia naseBotswana.

Zange abe nandlela yakundinceda, ndiyakholwa ngenxa yokuba ndandithetha ngesiNgesi. Ngoku ndicela ngesiXhosa. Mhlawumbi uza kundiva namhlanje. [Kwahlekwa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)

[Mr A WATSON: Chairperson, I am here already. I greet the Minister and Members of this House. You know, last month I asked the Minister to help me regarding the whites who are working in Namibia and Botswana.

He could not help me. I believe it was because I was speaking in English. Now I make my request in isiXhosa. Possibly he will hear me today. [Applause.]]

I am, of course, hon Minister, referring to the question of transport operators involved in transborder freight. It must be acknowledged that road freight has become extremely competitive and only those within the industry who are well managed and staffed by competent and well-trained employees can survive.

It must further be acknowledged that, with the enormous growth in road freight, the industry has become a major employer and therefore an important role-player in job creation and alleviation of poverty. Clearly therefore, hon Minister, your department has a duty to protect those deployed and employed in the industry whilst facilitating and encouraging growth through interaction with other departments.

Last year I alerted you to the fact that trade with our neighbouring countries is growing by the day and cross-border freight has consequently become big business and, therefore, also big employers. I further pointed out that our South African freight operators are being disadvantaged to the benefit of their opposition transporters from across the borders. This is because of the inappropriately heavy cross-border levies imposed by our neighbouring states whilst their own carriers are not levied when leaving their home countries and we do not levy them when entering South Africa, which gives them a distinct advantage over our own entrepreneurs.

Your explanation Minister was that we have a duty towards uplifting and building our SADC neighbours. Whilst accepting that, they must surely also have a duty towards us. Swaziland and Lesotho, for example, have moderate cross-border levies but the same cannot be said for other countries. The levy for the trip into Namibia, for example, was R1 000 when I addressed this matter with you last year. That levy is now close to R1 300, which amounts to an increase of 30% in the past year.

I know that these visiting transporters pay toll fees in our country but, good heavens, Minister, so do our road freight operators pay levies in our country! I ask you: What has happened to “Charity begins at home?” My plea to you, hon Minister, is therefore that cross-border levies for freighters entering our country must at least be matched to ensure level playing fields for all the competitors or alternatively, we must negotiate a free trade agreement in this regard, but I leave it up to you.

While speaking about borders and seeing that you referred, hon Minister, to security that is being upgraded, one of my colleagues has pointed out to me that the trains leaving our country are not searched at the borders but they are searched at Germiston and this leaves the field wide open for contraband and all sorts of illegal actions taking place. Maybe you would like to have a look at that.

The increase in road freight is, of course, in part due to the systematic collapse of our rail transport operations and rail infrastructure - a problem that I must admit we must lay squarely at the feet of the previous government. This has had a further particularly negative impact on my province of Mpumalanga which is the pantry, playground and powerhouse, particularly of South Africa.

Now, why do I say that? I say that because, simultaneous to the rail collapse came an increase in the use of electric power and particularly electricity from coal-fired power stations. Therefore Mpumalanga, being the powerhouse of the country, not only because of all our power stations but also because of our massive reserves of high quality coal, was hit hard.

But, Minister, you know best of all that coal is heavy. It has to be transported by road and those heavy loads destroy our roads. The result of this is the near total destruction of many of the roads in Mpumalanga, especially in the southern highveld regions around towns such as Ermelo. This was clearly caused by the onset of a national crisis and Mpumalanga cannot be expected to foot the bill for the rehabilitation and maintenance of these roads.

We have been advised, Minister, that an agreement has been reached between the national Department of Transport - your department - and the Mpumalanga provincial government but certain delays are being experienced. In the meantime, the so-called toll routes are deteriorating at an alarming rate and deadly motor accidents are not only destroying vehicles, but are also maiming accident victims and even costing lives. We ask you, hon Minister, what is causing this delay? Maybe you can answer that for us. Modulasetulo ke rata ho bua le ausi Beauty. O lla ka Boema fofane ba Mthatha, na wa tseba hore moo ke hlahang teng, e leng Lesotho, ha re na dikoloi. Re na le dipere, ditonki le difofane feela. Jwale, re rutile diphohofolo tsa rona hantle. Ha di ntse di itsamaela fatshe mona, ha di qala di utlwa modumo o reng: “driiii” di a tseba hore ke sefofane. Hobane dikoloi ha di yo, di a itsamgela feela. (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows.)

[Chairperson, I would like to address myself to my sister, Beauty, who is complaining about the Mthatha airport. Did you know that where I come from, which is Lesotho, we don’t have any cars? We only have horses, donkeys and aeroplanes. As a result, our animals have been well trained. When they are out grazing, as soon as they pick up the sound of an engine, they know that it’s an aeroplane. Because there are no cars around, they roam about freely.]

Hon Minister, it is late in the day so we must have some smiles. I have heard that the hon Minister of Health, as you have also announced, will be back on her job tomorrow. So, hon Minister, you can now at last put away your part-time stethoscope and thermometer. So, please, will you use some of the extra 50% of time available to you to attend to the important matters that we have raised here today? I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr M L FRANSMAN (Western Cape): Chairperson, Minister Radebe, hon Speaker, members of the NCOP, comrades, friends, in its State of the World’s Cities 2006-07 report, the UN-Habitat appraised the effort of a number of countries for what it described as an exemplary commitment to large-scale slum upgrading and service provision. This is the United Nations report. In South Africa we refer to slums as informal settlements. But, whatever the name given to them is, conditions are essentially many times the same - whether they be on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, Manila, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro etc.

The encouraging news for South Africa and for this government specifically is that in our efforts to improve the lives of the many millions of our citizens, we still feel that the effects of racial discrimination and deprivation have not gone unnoticed. The UN report says that South Africa’s informal settlement growth has fallen markedly.

Members and comrades, at the risk of being biased, I believe therefore that our national transport department has thrown its energies into fighting poverty with an even greater commitment than the city fathers and mothers of Rio de Janeiro and other areas. And I think much of that credit has to go to our hon Minister Radebe. So, I would like to thank the Minister today for two things: for having put his shoulder to the wheel and for having brought boundless energy to this – and we have just heard about the other part-time responsibility that he has had.

I think we all know what a difficult and complicated department Transport can be. In fact, nationally, it has been called the heartbeat of South Africa’s economy. The Western Cape government has defined it also as the path breaker for economic growth. The municipalities in the city have defined transport as the central question. Therefore, through the budget and the support that we are giving as a province, this policy directive is moving from strategy and conceptualisation to rapid implementation and action. Therefore I am delighted to report, on behalf of the Western Cape, that we are singing from the same sheet as the national department.

In his Budget Vote speech, Minister Radebe said:

Through our interventions in the transport sector we have facilitated the economic and social transformation of our country, with targeted programmes aimed at providing access to work opportunities in our cities, integrating our human settlements and business districts and providing rural access roads to our poor and marginalised communities.

This confirms what I have alluded to at the beginning of my address, that our national department has the muscle and the resources to play a critical role in helping to transform South Africa’s informal settlements by turning them into places that people can begin to start calling home, and providing them with proper roads and a proper transport system. Therefore, it’s not transport for the sake of transport, it’s transport in the context of change.

I am convinced that we can build another type of road – a road that will offer a way to what many have referred to as our second economy and to bring the second economy in line with the first economy. Therefore the issues that the Western Cape has identified relate to the roadworks on the Klipfontein Corridor and the N2. And, as you go from the airport into Cape Town, you can actually see progress regarding an extra dedicated lane for public transportation which will cost approximately R400 million.

We have ambitious road-building and repair programmes that will make travelling easier, especially for communities who rely on public transport. In the context of our own budget which I will be discussing in the legislature on Tuesday, approximately R1 billion has been set aside for EPWP roads projects, the upgrading of new roads and road maintenance, with a particular focus on the Gansbaai-Elim road where we have been able to use the road to create economic opportunities for very poor rural communities.

The issue of smart cards for an integrated public transport system will be a reality sooner rather than later. So, it’s not only about building those roads; in the national transport action plan we are also saying we need to focus on the operational processes related to public transport and transport in general. In the context of the subsidy, we have decided, in line with the national agenda, to bring alignment between small bus operators, bus operators and taxi operators. But, Minister, I can say that the provincial plan that we have brought out for bringing in essentially new entrants into the process and the possibility of reflection on a mobility upgrade in that type of budget allocation need to be taken into account. And this is a business plan that we will provide to the national department in order that there can be reflection on it.

But critical to transport, in terms of this national action plan, we have also agreed at provincial level, as the Minister indicated, that the institutionalisation between the spheres of government is important. I am proud to indicate that we have created in the metropolitan area, an intersphere structure between the provincial and national and city levels. In the context of the national level, the SA Rail Commuter Corporation is sitting on that one, specifically.

Concerning the rail corridors and reflecting on what the Minister said around rail safety, for the first time in many years we are busy with essential extensions of new rail infrastructure into the poorest of the poor areas. We are busy completing a Khayelitsha rail extension of approximately 4,5 km. Underpinning this, we have also provided R29 million for the construction of phase one of Sandkraal Road to improve the road in support of the public transport system. These improvements include a pedestrian and cyclist-friendly environment for thousands of people who use the road each morning.

Speaking of nonmotorised transport, the Western Cape department is at one with the national agenda regarding the use of bicycles. Therefore, in this financial year, we will be distributing approximately 3 000 bicycles mainly to schoolchildren who would normally have to walk long distances to and from school, and especially in the poorest of the poor rural areas.

However, in order for us to address this agenda of transport in this province, with a budget of no less than R1,5 billion, we have identified a critical challenge in terms of price hiking when it comes to tenders and also the challenges around skills. We have put aside no less than R15 million to support 230 architects, engineers and quantity surveyors who are studying – and 90% of them are black engineers, quantity surveyors etc.

So, I would like to conclude this address by once again thanking the Minister for the work he has put in over the past year. I would like to thank him for that inspiration because not so long ago we were also visited by the national director-general in a strategic meeting, and she indicated that she was in fact going to another province. That very strategic meeting was not focusing on generalities but on details, in terms of the provincial action plan. Therefore we as the Western Cape would also want to support this particular policy directive given by Minister Radebe. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr A SINGH (KwaZulu-Natal): Chairperson, hon Minister of Transport, provincial MECs of transport present here, hon members of the NCOP, mayors, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I am honoured here this afternoon to be able to participate in this debate on Vote No 33. I bring apologies from the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for transport, community safety and liaison, hon Bheki Cele, but I will try and do my best.

Chairperson, we in KwaZulu-Natal would like to join the march on the paved road to a better life for all. I wish to convey our support for the Budget Vote of the Department of Transport. It’s clear that, given the necessary resources, the department will continue to advance the objectives of economic growth and strategic delivery in the fight against poverty and inequality.

I concur with the hon Minister that, indeed, development in transport infrastructure and service delivery are fundamental in meeting the country’s objectives of sustained economic growth, increased investment, job creation and poverty alleviation. It is on this basis that we in KwaZulu-Natal agree on the initiation of targeted interventions focused on the advancement and empowerment of women through the Vukuzakhe programme, which is a great success. There is truth in the old adage: Empower a woman, empower a nation. We in KwaZulu-Natal are reaping the benefits of women empowerment through the Zibambeleni and Vukuzakhe programmes.

Since 1994, we have seen development in the rural areas and the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges so that learners and educators can go to school without taking their clothes off after rains because of swollen rivers. KwaZulu-Natal is a rural area and thus has the largest number of marginalised rural communities. These communities are now integrated into the road sector through the Zibambeleni and Vukuzakhe maintenance programmes. The Zibambeleni and Vukuzakhe programmes are having a remarkable impact on addressing poverty and gender stereotypes in the road maintenance and construction industry.

The Minister’s point on effective and sustainable growth, seen in conjunction with investment and transport infrastructure, cannot be denied. It is from this premise that I proceed to contend that investment and transport infrastructure are fundamental and central to sustainable growth. In KwaZulu-Natal we have observed and experienced this change and we fully support this line of thinking.

Regarding unemployment, it must be acknowledged that our communities in rural areas and those areas that were previously disadvantaged are now enjoying the dignity of being employed through the programmes that the transport department is progressing with. This, however, needs to be expanded with greater vigour so that more of our people can be employed and taste the fruits of labour and feel the security that accompanies the state of being employed. For a meaningful interpretation of investment and sustained growth in this context, the most feasible interpretation is that the transport sector has a pivotal role to play in the economic growth and democracy of this country.

The concepts we are involved with in transportation include freight, logistic aviation, ports and rail, the safety and security of transport services, an infrastructure that requires sophisticated multi-nodal planning, most efficient and inter-nodal transport facilities and streamlined intergovernmental arrangements for interpretation in Parliament.

In light of this, I believe I should mention that the transportation of goods by rail needs to be re-examined. I trust that such an examination can reveal that the transportation of goods by rail is not being maximised and exploited to its fullest potential. I also trust that objective studies may reveal that transportation of goods by rail can be more economically viable and that saving the resources in the industry will benefit the consumer.

Such a study, I believe, will also show that road maintenance will be more cost-effective and, as previous speakers have mentioned, this will reduce damage to our road surface by heavy trucks and trailers. The traffic on freeway routes would be reduced considerably and the road accidents and fatalities on our roads would be significantly reduced. Remember: One death on our roads is one death too many.

I believe that we should investigate traffic on roads and the viability of rail as a matter of urgency, more so in the light of the developments in KwaZulu-Natal concerning the Dube Trade Port and the King Shaka Airport. Of course, these will help during the 2010 Fifa World Cup. All developments on our roads will help the 2010 World Cup and will enhance the experience of visitors travelling to and from their destinations.

A study must also be carried out to examine the incentive of road transport so that rail-road transportation of goods can be encouraged from ports to other provinces and cities. Focus must be put on delivering the goods speedily and effectively to their final destinations. Such a study would lead to the enhancement of commuter railway transport.

We are also assessing available roads for 2010 readiness so as to direct our efforts to more effective transport planning for our 2010 Soccer World Cup. eThekwini has already started implementing the 2010 Transport Action Plan. As a host city, in our province of KwaZulu-Natal we look forward to an environment where there will be reduced dependency on private cars and where there will be promotion of public transport usage during and after the Fifa World Cup. We believe that the 2010 Soccer World Cup is not going to be the be-all and end-all; we have life after 2010. Whatever roads we develop now will help our communities after the World Cup. The progress made through the integrated multi-nodal facilities for long-distance public transport services is of great importance regarding the reality of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Chairperson, all the nonsense about South Africa losing the hosting of the 2010 World Cup is now a thing of the past. We are going to host the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup - and with great success. We are committed to making this World Cup one of its kind. I believe that we will give the Minister the fullest support in seeing that transport is enhanced during this period. This will make a success of the World Cup. We need to ensure the safety of our visitors and that their transport is safe, whether they travel by air, road or rail.

KwaZulu-Natal welcomes all plans to supplement the public transport action plan for host cities. I believe that the amount of R9 billion over the next MTEF period will be spent on host cities to prepare for this massive event. Undoubtedly, I hope that KwaZulu-Natal will receive a lion’s share of that R9 billion. Transport during the 2010 Fifa World Cup will greatly contribute to the success of this great event.

We definitely support Budget Vote No 33 and all the initiatives of the Minister of Transport. Thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]

Mr T MHLAHLO (Eastern Cape): Chairperson, hon members of the NCOP and hon Minister Radebe, I wish to participate in supporting this Budget Vote by highlighting a few successes from the department of roads and transport in the Eastern Cape. We are committed to using all available resources to improve transport infrastructure and advance public transport solutions in the province through involving as many role-players as possible.

Our growth and development plan highlights the importance of transport infrastructure investment in realising our economic growth and targets towards 2010. The new approach that has been adopted by the provincial government, which involves integration of roads and transport planning, has given us an advantage in broad infrastructure development strategy.

This approach has enabled us to complete a number of critical roads in our province, such as phase 2 of the road from Cala to Lady Frere, which cost R220 million; Mthatha to Qokolweni road; N2 to Kei Mouth, which we visited with hon Minister Radebe; phase 1 of the Ugie to Langeni road; and the Maclear to Mount Fletcher road.

Further, we have reconstructed roads between Adelaide and Fort Beaufort, and we are currently working on a road from Middeldrift to Alice. We all know very well that the University of Fort Hare is one of the important institutions in our society.

As we speak, work is in progress concerning the construction of roads in a number of areas, such as the construction of phase 3 of the Maclear to Mt Fletcher road, and we are spending R150 million on this project; the Middeldrift to Alice road where we are spending R207 million; phase 2 of Ugie to Langeni where we are spending R420 million; Ugie to Langeni phase 3, which is going to cost us R348 million; phase 1 of the Mount Frere to R56, also called T15, where we are going to spend R347 million; Sulenkama hospital road where we are spending R240 million; and Xuka River bridge where we will spend R9 million.

The department has also embarked on special mega projects that embody the principles of the Expanded Public Works Programme, regarding our road construction. Through this method, we have introduced a sustainable job creation approach which does not contravene the conventional method of road construction.

We also believe very strongly that we can employ as many communities as possible in road construction. We have teamed up with 170 community members to upgrade a road that is 27 km in length and this is going to provide job opportunities for the next two-and-a-half years. This is sustainable because these communities will be working permanently and they will be getting salaries monthly through this kind of intervention.

The community has been introduced to skills acquisition, including some engineering skills, and we collaborated with the Department of Labour in this. The chairperson of the standing committee of my province, who is also here today, visited that project. It looks like there is war in that town, because everybody wakes up in the morning, goes to one project and puts in their efforts as members of society.

The residents have introduced a protective clothing project. The overalls and protective clothing used in this project are actually made by the very members of society. We believe that this culture could make decisive interventions in spending and in infrastructure development, especially roads. Other locals have been trained in various fields such as fencing, brick making, bricklaying, building of culverts and bridge construction. Today we are happy to announce that the department is currently at an advanced stage with the planning and implementation of similar projects.

We took a position in the department that, in building or maintenance of any road from 100 km downwards we will use this kind of concept because we believe that it is sustainable, it is defensible and it provides sustainable job opportunities, especially for members of rural communities in our area. We have again introduced this concept in dealing with the 17 km stretch of road between the N10 and Alicedale.

Communities are already embarking on massive training and they are going to kick-start the implementation of this project. The department is ready to integrate this as a matter of policy within our own operations. We are still committed to initiating projects in areas like Ncanarha, Isilimela hospital, the Motherwell to Addo area, East London to Kidds Beach area, and Peddie to Birha River area. These are all multi-year projects, which are in support of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, and the provincial growth and development plan targets. We are also looking forward to some kind of interventions in terms of funding, because provinces have no capacity outside the broader allocations from national government.

The total provincial road network is 43 465 km, of which only 5 102 km are surfaced and 38 363 km are gravel. In response to this challenge, the department will start in the next financial year with a 10-year plan to change the ratio of surfaced to gravel roads. Eighty per cent of the 43 465 km road network will be changed into surfaced roads and 20% will remain gravel.

Due to the scarcity of quarry material, alternative surfacing technologies will get a stronger focus in this year in our province. We have embarked on alternative material, because we strongly believe that spending through gravelling is not sustainable. The department of roads and transport is undertaking an investigation on the possibility of tolling strategic routes like the R72, between East London and Port Elizabeth, and the route running through Ncanarha interchange and N2 to Nahoon interchange, East London. This is a vital intervention. We have already approached the private sector, because the two areas link the Coega and East London industrial development zones.

Regarding the Expanded Public Works Programme, as part of our contribution to government we have introduced a new programme called the Sakha Isizwe community–based transportation programme. The hon chairperson of the committee visited almost all these projects. Through this programme we have been able to build and maintain our roads, especially in rural areas, while simultaneously creating work and fighting poverty through labour-intensive methods.

Presently, we have 1 995 household contractors in this programme throughout the province, on which we have spent about R12 million. These people work for not less than two years in these jobs; these are not three month and six month jobs, but they are sustainable jobs. If we could get more support, in terms of funding, we could spread this, because in our six districts we intend to employ 5 000 workers in each district so that, finally, we can have 50 000 people who will be working permanently in the Eastern Cape.

We have spent about R10 000 in facilitating this kind of approach for each district so that we can kick-start this programme. It has resulted in the construction of approximately 300 km of new low-volume roads and the maintenance of approximately 5 500 km of the existing roads.

The targeted roads will assist in improving accessibility to economic tourism opportunities, schools, clinics and government services. These remain the key targets and challenges, as we know that the Eastern Cape is more rural.

We are making decisive interventions on the aviation front. I want to invite hon Watson to visit Mthatha Airport, because I think his perception is a little bit inconsistent with the reality of life. Umthata Airport is currently undergoing a very important and vigorous revamp. We have put in new infrastructure there and we are already working on Bisho Airport. As you know that the hon Minister of Transport has identified Bisho Airport as an entry point in the Eastern Cape. The reason is that the airport has capacity for the landing of Boeing 747s. We do not have such capacity in all other airports in the Eastern Cape, but it has not been utilised for many years.

We have introduced the Blue Skyway Aviation Strategy, which we launched on 2 October 2006 in an effort to maximise the potential of the Bhisho and Umthatha Airports … The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon MEC, your speaking time has expired. [Interjections.] [Applause.]

Mr J BOKABA (Gauteng): Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Members of Parliament, representatives of various communities, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Gauteng province, we would like to express our gratitude for the opportunity we have been given today in order for us to speak on the challenges facing our province and our country. But, before I can continue, I would like to say to the Minister and to the House …

… ngwana’ phoša dira ga a bolawe. [O tsenwa-ganong.] [… minor mistakes do not warrant exaggerated punishment.] [Interjections.]]

In line with the 2007 Budget Vote by Minister Jeff Radebe, as presented earlier on, the Gauteng portfolio committee on public transport, roads and works is working together with the provincial legislature as well as the Gauteng department of public transport, roads and works with a view to addressing the challenges and the milestones highlighted therein.

Our work entails ensuring accountability for the utilisation of public resources to the extent that it takes into account the needs and the views of all stakeholders and the various local communities. Ours is the role that also includes advocacy for people-friendly and environmentally sustainable policies and programmes that seek to help our country to redress historic socioeconomic development imperatives in our society.

We also provide oversight on the application of the democratic principles and practice in the institution of the state, ensuring that there is fair, accessible and equitable service delivery for all the citizens of our country and residents of our province. We are doing work to ensure that programmes currently being implemented and rolled out in the province are in line with our country’s aim of contributing to the government’s strategic objective of ensuring the attainment of the millennium goals of halving poverty and unemployment by the year 2014.

On the other hand, the mandate of the department entails the provision of an integrated, effective and efficient transport infrastructure and transport system, based on the principles of safety, reliability, affordability, accessibility and environmental sustenance; infrastructure renewal, upgrading and expansion of socioeconomic infrastructure, management, maintenance and utilisation of Gauteng’s provincial property and assets in a manner that is administratively just to all the residents of Gauteng, and the implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme across the province in pursuance of contributing to the Millennium Development Goals of halving poverty and underdevelopment through accelerated job creation and sheer economic growth.

In this regard, we have taken note that the Gauteng department of public transport, roads and works’ programme of action for the year 2007-08 seeks to help achieve the following strategic objectives of the Gauteng provincial government: to stimulate faster economic growth and drastically reduce unemployment; to fight poverty and build secure and sustainable communities; to develop healthy, appropriately skilled and productive people; to deepen democracy and nation-building, and realise the constitutional rights of all; and to build an effective and caring government.

The department’s key programme areas include the following: the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link; transport infrastructure development for 2010; implementation of capital expenditure and Expanded Public Works Programme projects, including the 20 identified townships; development of all roads in the aforementioned 20 identified townships; provision of an integrated intermodal public transport system, including provisions for 2010; and development of the freeway improvement plan for Gauteng province and the implementation of the better road plan, both of which are aimed at the provision of an integrated road network transport that is also public- friendly and biased towards mass mobilisation.

Road construction activities will prioritise accessibility and mobility for previously disadvantaged areas. The revitalisation of existing roads to accommodate priority lines for public transport will also be attended to. Other measures will be taken to ensure a public transport system that is user-friendly and to address outstanding links in the road network, especially in respect of freight congestion and hazardous traffic congestion.

Gauteng has over the past two-and-a-half years seen an increase in public participation on issues of public transport, resulting in further actualisation of the deepening of democracy and the various platforms for public discourse brought about by the democratic dispensation.

Campaigns such as Transport Month have enabled our province to promote public transport as a sustainable means of travel for the people of our country. Of significance, in this regard, is the collective commitment made by the public transport operators towards the improvement of a quality service.

We are also encouraged because we have learnt that the Gauteng portfolio committee on public transport, roads and works has managed to work with the taxi industry resulting in commendable co-operation by more than 35 000 operators in a campaign to get operators to apply for the conversion of the 50 000 or more old radius-based taxi operators’ permits to the new route- based operating licences.

In the same vein, the formation of the Gauteng Commuter Organisation in August 2006 is an indicative of the unity and growth of the broad partnership between commuters, government and public transport operators concerning the matter of public transport in the province. This will help government’s efforts aimed at ensuring that the voice of commuters becomes an integral part of public transport planning in particular and transport in general.

We have learned that there is currently an advanced work permit being done towards the establishment of a single transport authority for Gauteng, further laying the basis for united service in the province whose various municipalities have become city regions. In this regard, institutions of government and all stakeholders have also seen to the signing of the intergovernmental transport charter, a document that spells out common programmes for transport integration between local and provincial spheres of government.

We also need to take cognisance of the rapid growth in the demography of the province, as demonstrated through rapid urbanisation and population increases, indicating a growth in demand for essential government services …

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon member, your speaking time has expired.

Mr J BOKABA: Hon Chair, I would like to say that Gauteng supports the budget.

Mr F ADAMS: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, MECs, members and officials, the early moon landings were much more than a triumph of science and technology, much more than a race between two super powers, much more than the situation between the Northern Cape and Western Cape or a triumph over gravity and space; what they did was to give us the first opportunity to view our world from the outside.

Aleksei Leonov, the first man to walk in space, described it thus:

The earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone, our home that must be defended like a holy relic. The earth was absolutely rounded. I believe I never knew what the word “round” meant until I saw earth from space.

Another cosmonaut, Sigmund Jähn, described his experience in these words:

Before I flew, I was already aware of how small and vulnerable our planet is, but only when I saw it from space, in all its ineffable beauty and fragility, did I realise that humankind’s most urgent task is to cherish and preserve it for future generations.

The mysteries of the first space travellers and the spiritual understanding they awakened in the world of human beings, presaged a deepened sense of our planet and the life it gives to our people. The impetus that propelled the astronauts and cosmonauts into space was man-made. The message they brought back was universal: Our world is beautiful and fragile; we neglect and abuse it at our own risk.

This seems to suggest that the focus on the global and the preservation of the local are not two separate things but should be seen as a seamless way of integrating the lives of human beings and the wellbeing of the human environment within the context of the planet we all share.

Taken as a whole, the previous government created a transport system around national goals that were designed to accomplish employment creation for a privileged class of citizens, and engineered to support spatial dispensation of separate dispersion with no rational long-term economic or social basis. This was a system that perpetuated itself into the postapartheid era, hon Lamoela, and a system that the national Department of Transport has begun to address.

There has been a serious lack of integrated transport planning for urban transport in South Africa in the past. The former government’s masterplan was to segregate South Africa’s various population groups into well-defined geographical areas and townships. Railway infrastructure was provided to serve these townships which were located far from city centres. Fewer services were provided by bus operators.

In spite of the fact that all South African citizens can now live anywhere, the former segregated townships will remain as a demographic feature of South Africa for many years. Rail services to these townships must be improved and integrated with convenient road feeder services in such a manner that commuters will support these intermodal services. And here I would especially plead, Minister and MEC, that you look at our Metrorail system to make it safe for our people to use. I think hon Lamoela doesn’t know what the Metrorail system is, so we will take her on a train ride.

In line with international trends, traditional population concentrations near city centres have spread to the suburbs. Many businesses and industrial establishments have moved to new decentralised development areas, spread far and wide. This has forced homeowners and company employees to rely ever more on motor vehicle transport, leading to increased traffic congestion.

The challenge is now to provide attractive public transport services whether road, rail or nonmotorised transport. This important budget debate today will, I hope, take the implementation of how we do this to a new dimension, in our country. It will help us move forward together towards development solutions that focus on the local, while collectively considering the future of our country in a broader global context. It will also underline, I believe, our imperative of creating a better life for all in South Africa, because it is only in a better South Africa for all that we can develop and sustain a transport system that will bring us all to shared prosperity.

This means that we need to see sustainable development as the very bedrock of all our efforts and endeavours in South Africa. It means that we must see it as a holistic enterprise, a loop that links our communities, government and business sector in a continuous process of renewal and sustained growth.

We must understand - to borrow the phrase of the labour movement – that, “An injury to one is an injury to all,” hon Watson; and in the words of the poet, John Donne, that “No man is an island, sufficient unto himself”, like the DA has painted itself in Cape Town. For better or worse, our future depends on our ability to work collectively for the benefit of all.

In practical terms, this means that we need to base our socioeconomic systems on sustainable transport services. In South Africa, this means that we need to look carefully at our strategies for creating livelihoods in our transport system. It means that we need to face the challenges of poverty and unemployment, that we must find and develop sustainable strategies to deal with transport services and that we must confront and abolish the inequalities and divisions that are the historical legacy of our country.

All this implies that if we are to survive and thrive as a country, as a nation, as a region and as a world, we need to co-operate and collaborate on every level. We need to agree on the folly of short-term and greedy solutions to problems that ultimately affect us all, and find ways to extend our strategies for survival and for the sustainable public good of our people and the environment in which they exist.

Again, we need to consider what contribution our own skills and traditions can make to our economic development, as we work towards linking the first and second economies. While we do so, we need to look at the lessons we have learnt about the conservation of our energy resources, about how to avoid the fatal effects of using up our renewable resources and making use of technologies that are less energy-intensive.

We also need to take on board the concept of what we mean by growth. We need to revisit the concept of trickle-down growth, and consider, instead, the notion that sustainable development must underpin everything we do and inform all our decisions as we seek to develop our economy in ways that promote shared endeavours and shared growth.

I assume my time is fast running out and this clock is very fast, Chair. I think there is something wrong with it. [Laughter.] In other words, South Africa must become a home for all. It must belong to all who live in it, and it must benefit its present and future generations. Because it is fragile, it must be nurtured and cherished. Because it is vulnerable, it must be defended and strengthened. I hope the DA listens to this: Because, like the planet that the cosmonaut, Aleksei Leonov, saw from space, it is a home, I quote, “That must be defended like a holy relic.”

I want to conclude with the poetic elegance of Heather Robertson. And I quote … The DA doesn’t know Heather Robertson. [Interjections.] I quote:

Scratch beneath the skin of every struggle and feel at the heart of it all, love of life for humanity, the roots of the tree of progress.

That’s the tree of progress which the ANC government has made in all the years and in these 13 years. I believe much progress has been made by the hon Minister, MECs in their respective provinces and the directors-general in their departments. We want to thank you for that progress. Minister, continue on the road of making South Africa a better place in which to create a better life for all. Thank you.

The MINISTER OF TRANSPORT: Thank you, Chairperson, and all the members who participated in the debate. I’m going to be brief in my response, starting with the chair of the committee, the hon Tau.

On the issue of the Expanded Public Works Programme, you would be aware that the R3 billion that has been set aside for the EPWP has been as a result of the collaboration between the Department of Transport, the Department of Public Works and the National Treasury. I want to assure you that I am a converted person. [Laughter.]

I started the public works programme way back in 1994, so I should know that we need to ensure that it happens; not only in the road sector but also with all infrastructure we need to use labour-based construction methods so that we are able to enhance employment creation every time we provide infrastructure. This money is over and above the portion of the equitable share to the three spheres of government. So, I just wanted to clarify that.

On the issue of access to funding for taxi operators, the department has been engaging with the banks to address this specific problem. The indications that we are getting from all these financial institutions is that they are willing to look at the value of the business, especially the operating licences that can be used as collateral.

Simultaneous to that, you would recall that Santaco has been engaging with the major financial institutions that support the taxi industry. This is so that that can also cover the entirety of the taxi industry in South Africa.

On the issue of road to rail: We need to ensure that this concept is aimed at ensuring that we use the appropriate mode for appropriate cargo that has to be moved, or the people that have to be moved, in areas of our country. In other words, this has to be done in a rational manner so that we are able to be in line with the rate of investment to revitalise rail. You would be aware that Spoornet is currently spending billions of rands in order to ensure that they increase freight rail in South Africa.

On the issue of rural transport access: we need to ensure, as we indicated, that integrated rural mobility access is based on our understanding of addressing the transport needs of our country. The department, together with all provinces, is developing and dealing with the rural access road network. Also, as I have indicated, there is a special allocation of R3 billion, and the provinces themselves have their own budgets that they can utilise in building these rural access roads in South Africa.

On the issue of nonmotorised transport: we are far advanced in developing that strategy. It has been to Cabinet. We have to consult with other government departments. But we are also implementing it at the same time in as much as the Shova Lula initiative is well advanced. We believe that we are going to be on course in providing a million bicycles by 2014.

Regarding Mthatha Airport, I think hon Mhlahlo has already explained about Mthatha. I can just indicate, over and above the comments that he has made, that as a department, we are busy developing what we call a national airport development plan to cover all airports over and above those that are owned by the Airports Company of South Africa, Acsa. Mthatha will be part of that plan. So, when that plan is ready – towards the end of this year – we will be able to indicate what can be done.

On the issue of gender and transport, colleagues would recall that last year we had an international conference on gender and transport when we commemorated Women’s Day. This took place in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Part of the outcome of that conference was the issue of the recognition of the challenges faced by women, especially rural women, so that we could engender the transport agenda by including specific interventions in our design and implementation of transport programmes. We also need to recognise, especially as men, that women are not donkeys, nor providers of freight solutions in our country. So, when we need people to fetch wood, it should not be women’s heads that do that.

Over and above that, there is the issue of the integrated rural mobility action plan. There are pilot projects that we are running in O R Tambo, in Umkhanyakude and in Sekhukhune which will help us access the feasibility of this programme so that we can roll it out in all the provinces in South Africa. Back to the Eastern Cape, the issue of the Kei Rail is on track, as Mhlahlo would have said if he had been given an opportunity. Already, there is an agreement between the Eastern Cape and ourselves and Spoornet. A lease has been signed to transfer the operations to the Eastern Cape, and Metrorail has been brought on board to participate in the programme so that we are able to extend this service, not only between East London and Mthatha, but King William’s Town as well. So we are going to be supporting this programme very enthusiastically, because we know the potential it has even to support the timber industry in the Eastern Cape.

While on the Eastern Cape, I can also indicate that we also have extension programmes to Motherwell and even to the Port of Coega as well. The MEC from the Free State has also highlighted the Mangaung … What is that town now? [Interjections.] Botshabelo, yes. That is on track, and we are going to be supporting them as well. I think the MEC for the Western Cape has also highlighted in concrete terms the programmes that are unfolding here in the Western Cape.

Hon Mzizi, the budget for the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme has actually not decreased. It will increase as we gain momentum in terms of the scrapping of old vehicles. I want to assure you that what appears to be a decrease is, in fact, not. It will be adjusted to take into account the volumes of vehicles that are coming.

On the cross-border road tariffs, this is an issue that we are addressing, but I don’t think we should panic. Our strategic thrust is to ensure that we lower the cost of doing business in South Africa. So, if other people do the wrong things, we should not follow suit in a tit-for-tat way. Our role is to ensure that we do not push up the cost of doing business in South Africa. Nevertheless, we are talking with our neighbours and very soon we are going to be coming with a Bill to amend the cross-border issue in order to ensure that we take into account the issues of tariffs and other issues too so that we are able to succeed.

Regarding overload control, hon Watson, together with the provinces we have identified flashpoints with regard to this problem. Our priority projects have been identified, especially in Mpumalanga - where weighbridges are being constructed in Ogies. All these overload projects are being done. Incidentally, we are launching one on Friday in Gauteng.

In KwaZulu-Natal there are many projects that are being developed, including Enkwalini, to ensure that we build capacity amongst our people. In the urban areas of Durban the bridge-city development is on track – Umlazi – that will take into account the provision of a train station below the mall at Umlazi. The SA Rail Commuter Corporation will be concluding an agreement very shortly, in order to ensure that this project stays on track.

Lastly, my thanks go to my colleagues, MECs, and also to the hon members for having taken part in this debate. Now that my time is over, I would like to thank the chairperson and all hon members and the officials of the department for the support they always give to me as the executive authority. [Applause.]

Debate concluded.

The Council adjourned at 18:48. ____

            ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

The Speaker and the Chairperson

1. Draft Bill submitted in terms of Joint Rule 159

   (a) Correctional Services Amendment Bill, 2007, submitted by the Minister of Correctional Services. Referred to the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services and the Select Committee on Security and Constitutional Affairs.

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. The Speaker and the Chairperson

   a) Report of the Electoral Commission on the 2006 Municipal Elections [RP 40-2007].