National Council of Provinces - 10 June 2008
TUESDAY, 10 JUNE 2008 __
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
____
The Council met at 11:05.
The House Chairperson (Mrs M N Oliphant), took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS – see col 000.
NOTICE OF MOTION
Mr M A MZIZI: Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the NCOP, I shall move on behalf of the IFP:
That the Council –
1) notes that in a desperate bid to get the attention of the United
Nations, one Somali national attempted to commit suicide by jumping
into the ocean while 100 others threatened to do the same;
2) acknowledges the frustration, pain and suffering that the inhumane
xenophobic attacks have caused to thousands of our African brothers
and sisters;
3) pleads with the Somali nationals who are considering suicide as a
means to get the attention of the United Nations not to do so, as
this will only bring more pain and suffering to their loved ones;
and
4) calls upon the government and all stakeholders and aid
organisations as well as ordinary South Africans to do their utmost
to increase efforts to assist the displaced foreign nationals.
CELEBRATION OF PHILLIA SHILUBANA’S VICTORY
(Draft Resolution)
Nkul J M SIBIYA: Manana Mutshamaxitulu, eka Huvo ndzi hundzisa ndzi nga tivisanga:
Leswaku Huvo -
(1) yi tlangela eka ku va Manana Phillia Shilubane va winile eka mhaka ya ku va va Hosi ya ka Nwamitwa.
(2) leswi swi hlohlotela nawu lowukulu lowu nga kona laha tikweni leswi hi xilungu hi nge I Constitution lowu vulaka leswaku vamanana ni vaxinuna va ringana.
(3) leswi ntiyiso swi tikombile. Ndzi yima kwalaho. Inkomu.” [Ku biwa mavoko.]” (Translation of Xitsonga draft resolution follows.)
[Mr J M SIBIYA: Chairperson, I would like to move without notice:
That the Council -
1) notes and celebrates the victory of Mrs Phillia Shilubane in the
legal battle to ascend the throne of Nwamitwa’s chieftaincy;
2) notes that this is consistent with the Constitution, which provides
for the equality of men and women; and
3) notes that this is true as evidenced. I rest my case. [Applause.]]
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
CONGRATULATIONS TO BAFANA BAFANA AND THE AMABHOKOBHOKO
(Draft Resolution)
Mna B J TOLO: Modulasetulo, mo legatong la ANC, ke šikinya ntle le tsebišo:
Gore Khansele -
1) e lakaletše Bafana Bafana le Mabhokobhoko mahlogonolo ka go
tšwelela dipapading tšeo ba bego ba nale tšona mo bekeng ya go feta
ge ba be ba phadišana le Equitorial Guinea le Wales ka go latelana;
gomme
2) hutše gore seo re se bonego go dipapadi tšeo tše pedi se tlo laetša
dilo tše botse tšeo di sa tlago ka dithlopa tše pedi tše. (Translation of Sepedi draft resolution follows.)
[Mr B J TOLO: Chairperson, on behalf of the ANC, I move without notice:
That the Council -
1) congratulates Bafana Bafana and Amabhokobhoko for succeeding in the
games they have played in the past week against Equitorial Guinea
and Wales respectively; and
2) hopes that what we have seen in the two games shows beautiful
things are still to come from these two teams.]
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
PRAYER FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS IN GA-RANKUWA
(Draft Resolution)
Ms J M MASILO: Modulasetulo, ke kopa gore Ntlo e e amogele tshitsinya utle le kitsiso: Gore Khansele:
(1) leboge baruti ba dikereke le baagi ba, ka Sontaga kwa Ga- Rankuwa, ba rapeletseng kagiso magareng ga Maaforika Borwa le bagaaborona ba ba tswang kwa mafatsheng a kwa ntle;
(2) e leboge gape baagi ba Zimbabwe ba ne ba tsenetse kopano e mme ba tshegofatswa. Ra re Modimo a ba tsegofatse mme a ba babalele. (Translation of Setswana draft resolution follows.)
Ms J M MASILO: Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council -
1) notes with thanks that on Sunday in Ga-Rankuwa the religious
leaders and the community prayed for peace between South Africans
and our refugees; and
2) notes that Zimbabweans were part of this prayer meeting and that
they were blessed. May our Lord continue to bless and protect
them.]
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
APPROPRIATION BILL
(Policy debate)
Vote No 2 – Parliament:
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Chairperson and hon members, I start by acknowledging my guests and everybody in the gallery who came to listen as we present this Budget Vote today. I also welcome, I think, the first Speaker to come and listen to the Parliament Budget Vote and that is hon Shaun Byneveldt, who is the Speaker of the Western Cape. [Applause.]
This indicates that the legislative sector has begun to work together to see and understand that we are a legislative sector. We all hold government accountable. I want to thank Shaun very much for coming today – he is participating in the debate – that is a wonderful thing. I have looked at the speakers’ list.
Chairperson and hon members of the National Council of Provinces, in his tribute to long-time friend and struggle veteran Walter Sisulu, former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela wrote, “By ancestry, I was born to rule. Xhamela helped me understand that my real vocation was to be a servant of the people”. I want us to start there. I repeat the last one, “Xhamela helped me understand that my real vocation was to be a servant of the people”. I want the Members of Parliament today to revisit that in their minds. Everyone, as you are seated there, revisit it in your minds. What are you when you are in this House and when you are in this Parliament?
Dr Mandela will be turning 90 next month. As people leading the creation of our people’s Parliament, we have no other way to celebrate his year than to continue his vocation of serving the people of the Republic of South Africa. Today’s Budget Vote is meant to assist this cause.
Namhlanje ngethula isabiwomali sePhalamende ukuze sicutshungulwe. Inhloso yalesi sabiwomali ukuthi: okokuqala, sihlinzeke ngezinsizakalo ezidingwa yiPhalamende ukuze likwazi ukwenza umsebenzi walo ngokugunyazwa wuMthethosisekelo; okwesibili, selekelele amaqembu ezepolitiki akhona ePhalamende ukuze akwazi ukwenza imisebenzi yawo asebenzela labo abawavotela; kanye, nokunikeza aMalungu ePhalamende izinsizakusebenza ezidingekayo. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[Today I am presenting Parliament’s Budget Vote for consideration. The purpose of this Budget Vote is, firstly, to provide Parliament with the required services so as to do its work as mandated by the Constitution; secondly, to support political parties within Parliament so that they are able to do their work for their electorates; and lastly, to provide the Members of Parliament with the required resources.]
Given the fact that we are reaching the end of the Third Parliament …
Mr A WATSON: There is no interpreting service and the members can’t understand …
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mrs M N Oliphant): Can we please have interpreting services? Thank you, hon member, for letting us know. You may continue, Chair.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Given the fact that we are reaching the end of the Third Parliament, my presentation will look at, firstly, what we set out to do at the beginning of the term; secondly, what we have actually done so far; thirdly, the priorities for the current financial year; and lastly, the outstanding and future challenges. That is what we are going to look at in this Budget Vote.
The 2004 manifesto of the ruling party had clear implications for our Parliament, especially with regard to improving the interaction between government and the people through, among other things, accountable public representatives and, secondly, to strengthen all institutions of democracy for better service to the people.
Guided by the mandate of the people in the last general elections, which was informed by this promise, as Parliament we set out to do three main things: Firstly, to build a people’s Parliament that promotes a responsible and accountable government; secondly, to strengthen the role of Parliament in performing oversight work; and thirdly, to build capacity to support the work of Parliament.
The response to these tasks came in the form the Strategic Plan for the Third Parliament which was launched in 2005. The Strategic Plan was informed by the new vision of our Parliament, which is to build an effective people’s Parliament that is responsive to the needs of the people, and that is driven by the ideal of realising a better quality of life for all the people of South Africa.
The implementation of this vision was to be guided by three objectives. At this point I wish to reflect on some of the work we have done and continue to do under each of these objectives. Firstly, we have made significant progress in the implementation of projects and initiatives towards building a quality process of scrutinising and overseeing governments action. I think it is a wonderful job that this House in particular has done. I have seen that in the term of this Parliament.
The work around this area started early in the Third Parliament with the completion of the constitutional landscaping and interviews with constitutional negotiators. These projects, together with the audit of publicly funded institutions, prepared the groundwork for the establishment of a task team to oversee the development of our new oversight and accountability model.
The new model, as adopted by the Joint Rules Committee in March this year, strives to present a framework within which Parliament’s oversight role can be structured without being prescriptive, so as to enhance Parliament’s oversight capacity, among other things. The next step is to start implementation of this conceptual model.
This work has already started with the enhancement of dedicated capacity for committees in their oversight work, with specific emphasis on the increase in researchers and content specialists. We are also in the process of developing legal drafting skills in our constitutional and legal section. You would understand that we don’t have those skills and we have started developing them. Last year a system to facilitate the flow, processing and storage of huge volumes of information known as the Parliamentary Content Management System was launched. It will enable Parliament to change its manual lawmaking and other processes to be driven electronically.
As part of Parliament’s great oversight role, the review of Chapter 9 and associated institutions was completed. Parliament must still consider the report on this and the implications of the recommendations. Members will be aware of the review we conducted on the equality legislation as one of the important tasks we have undertaken. A report thereon was tabled in November
- The results showed us the need to engage more in this kind of review, especially in view of our oversight role.
What have we done to respond to that as NCOP? We also identified section 76 of this legislation to be followed up by our committees. It is in the programme plans of the committees as I speak. Some of the legislation to be followed up are the Older Persons Act of 2006, the Housing Act of 1997 and the Water Services Act of 1997. This work continues at committee level. I want to thank all committee chairs for putting this in their programme and doing such wonderful jobs. I thank all of you. [Applause.]
Secondly, we built a people’s Parliament that is responsive to the needs of all the people of South Africa. We continue to contend that our people are at the centre of our Parliament. But, without dedicated efforts to support this assertion, our people will simply not believe us. It is for this reason that we initiated, improved and continued to include in our annual parliamentary business programmes such as Youth Parliament, Women’s Parliament and the People’s Assembly.
As this House you would remember that in partnership with our provinces and municipalities, we made giant strides in mobilising our people for service delivery through the Taking Parliament to the People programme. Members will notice the increases in the budget to support this programme. This is the result of increasing demands from the success of this initiative. For example, whilst at the beginning of the term we had to accommodate a few thousand people, we now provide facilities for up to seven thousand people a day during these visits. We have strengthened the Taking Parliament to the People programme by doing the following: Introducing follow-up visits at the level of committees and the House as part of our oversight strategy; dedicating more time for public representatives to listen to the people and not the other way around; and enhancing the educational content of the programme and thus raise the quality of input from the people.
Clearly, our people want to take part in Parliament. I would like to propose in addition to this that each of the 54 members of the NCOP bring at least 10 people from their constituencies to Parliament each year. [Applause.] I want to put this to the House today and if you endorse it, then I will continue with it. This means that with 10 people per member, you shall have brought 50 people per term of Parliament to come and see and participate in Parliament. Secondly, it means that if we multiply 50 by 54, we shall have brought 2 700 people into this Parliament and not have left them in the villages. Bring them here. I also propose that the expenditure for this be provided for in Parliament’s budget. [Applause.]
Thirdly, another major development towards building a people’s Parliament is the establishment of the first parliamentary democracy offices in Limpopo, North West province and Northern Cape. These offices will provide greater access, opportunity and space for continuous engagement between Parliament and our people who are ordinarily outside the national debate in society.
Other successfully implemented projects include the following: The finalisation of the new parliamentary symbols - the Mace and the Black Rod; the launch of the emblem of Parliament; the activation of Parliament’s new website that provides improved functionality; and the introduction of video conferencing technology to enhance efficiencies in the parliamentary processes. Among many others, the video conferencing technology is of particular importance to the NCOP. I have already given instructions to staff that I do not want to see this important equipment lying there and not being used. We must start using it immediately because it is working and provinces can benefit a lot from it.
As an institution representing the people of South Africa, Parliament finds itself in a fast changing global domain. Political and economic relations and co-operation are furthered on global, continental and regional platforms. Parliament, as guided by the SA Foreign Policy, actively participates in various regional, continental and international forums to promote the African Agenda and the role South Africa plays in this regard. These include the following: The African, Caribbean, Pacific-European Union, ACP-EU, forum; the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, CPA; the Pan-African Parliament, PAP, of which I am a member; the Southern African Development Community, SADC, the Parliamentary Forum and the Inter- Parliamentary Union, IPU.
Allow me to thank all members, in particular those who were part of the South African delegation attending the 118th IPU Assembly hosted by Parliament two months ago. The assembly was hailed as one of the most successful in the history of the IPU. It was attended by 1 467 delegates from 130 countries which included 700 members of national parliaments, 51 presiding officers and 42 deputy presiding officers. I must thank the staff who spent sleepless nights in the period leading up to this event and during the week of the assembly.
In addition, we also hosted the International Women’s Conference in 2006 and the 38th CPA regional conference last year. All of you will remember it.
Through parliamentary delegations we have participated in electoral processes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC. I am glad to announce to the House that I am leaving this afternoon to the DRC to go and help them set up their second House. I do not know what they call it. They might be calling it the Senate or the National Council of Provinces; I am not too sure. We will keep on supporting the DRC for them to come here and learn and have their staff attached to our Parliament.
We went to Kenya and Zimbabwe and participated in Women’s Day activities in Rwanda, to mention but a few. We also committed ourselves to forming part of the multilateral engagement towards the resolution of the Darfur situation.
With regard to PAP, I intend sharing with members of this House, in future, information on the work carried out by this body over the years. This work includes the following: Dealing with matters of importance to the continent such as debates on the union of government; fact-finding missions to Ivory Coast 2006 and to the Great Lakes Region in 2007; and preparations for the transformation of PAP into a legislative body and the harmonisation of laws of member states. Parliament’s affiliation to and participation in these organisations results in commitments that need domestication, prioritisation and a set of dedicated human and other resources. As part of our overall participation in these structures and mechanisms of the African Union, we participated in the African Peer Review Process. We are awaiting a report by the panel for the assessment of Parliament.
As you are aware, ladies and gentlemen, we also adopted an international relations policy on an established Parliamentary Group on International Relations, PGIR, to guide our interaction with the rest of the world. I think Mr Setona served on that committee. However, more work needs to be done in building capacity to enable Parliament to engage in international relations issues only. You would realise that for the past many years we have just interacted with the continent and other international bodies, lacking content in that particular section. We have now developed this type of committee so that it can deal with content issues that we will raise with our counterparts across the globe.
Another stride we have made is building an effective and efficient institution of Parliament. Now how have we done this? One of the first initiatives to create a more efficient institution was the adoption of the new governance model of Parliament. This model stipulates the structure of the effective and efficient management of the institution and therefore introduces the universal principles of good governance. The Parliamentary Oversight Authority, POA, was created under this new model to consider administrative issues affecting the institution, thus freeing the Joint Rules Committee to focus on political responsibilities.
Other important achievements towards building an effective and efficient institution include recognition of administrative processes and finance management during the 2006-07 financial year. We received an unqualified audit opinion, which is a first for this Parliament. [Applause.] So, we cleaned our books – we are very clean now.
Other important achievements include the new members’ travel system. You know we had a rotten system before. It is a better system now. We can’t say it’s the best as yet but I think we have closed a lot of loopholes.
Other achievements are members’ facilities and the parliamentary budget policy. Other initiatives which include the project on space utilisation for future accommodation; space and facilities will continue during this current financial year and are scheduled to deliver in the next and subsequent financial years. You are aware of the space problem that we have in Parliament. Committees at times hold meetings in hotels these days, which is not acceptable. So to create more and enough space for Parliament, the Speaker and I have put before the POA that we should look at putting up a new structure which is an extension of this Parliament to accommodate even more people during the state of the nation address.
Hon members, we are nearing the end of the Third Parliament. This is my last speech for the Third Parliament. I cannot guarantee that you will see me in the next Parliament because elections have their tendencies of chopping and changing people and the like. So this is the last speech I’m giving to you in the Chamber today in this Parliament.
Nevertheless, we still have a lot of work to do within the limited time at our disposal. This includes, among others, the following: Dealing with outstanding legislation as required by the Constitution - for example, legislation in terms of section 6(4) of the Constitution on official languages and section 77(3) that deals with money Bills; legislation that deals with transformation of the service of the judiciary; legislation that concerns the location of the Directorate of Special Operations; the finalisation of the Financial Management of Parliament Bill; the finalisation of all legislation before Parliament; the Review of Chapter 9 and Associated Institutions; and the implementation of the Oversight and Accountability Model.
As you are aware, the NCOP Programme 2009 document lists tasks to be finalised by this House this year. Therefore, you will see the amount of work that we have. The tasks are as follows: The NCOP review book which will be launched either in August or September; a study on the impact of the Taking Parliament to the People programme – you remember we said we were going to do that so that when the new Parliament comes, we can see whether this programme has been doing well or not; and finding a new name for the Black Rod, given the transformation. You will agree with me that we are saying that there is a Black Rod replica. Now we all understand what the meaning of “replica” is. Replica means “replacing” in short, doesn’t it? Go and look it up in the dictionary. However, despite the advent of the NCOP which represents a different concept of the provinces, we still name that thing there “a Black Rod”. It can’t be named a Black Rod. We need to find a new name. I have already established a committee that will be chaired by the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP to look into the issue of the new name. “A Black Rod” is Westminster terminology; it cannot represent this House. Other tasks include the drafting of the Programme 2009 report and following up on the 10th Anniversary Summit recommendations.
I must thank the members of this House for ensuring the success of our 10th Anniversary Intergovernmental Relations Summit and celebrations last year. The activities were a watershed in the process of the evolution of the NCOP.
Over and above the outstanding NCOP-specific projects I have mentioned, the 2008 priorities adopted by the House recently include a focus on monitoring implementation in social transformation, economic transformation, safety and security, governance and local service delivery. In Programme 2009, of course, we have to work towards focusing the work of the NCOP; aligning committee programmes with objectives of the programme; developing a planning base for the NCOP; and promoting intergovernmental relations in terms of the division of revenue. I don’t see Tutu Ralane here. I must thank them for they have done very well as a committee in this particular work.
Now let me come to the budget itself. The budget for Parliament, Vote No 2, continues to make provision for the implementation of our vision. The total budget increased from R702 million at the beginning of this Parliament to R1,15 billion for this final financial year, 2008-09. The allocation for Programme 1, Administration, grew at a rate of 2,4% between 2004-05 and 2007-08 to a total of R191 million due to the implementation of Parliament’s master systems plan - the introduction of the Oracle enterprise resource planning system - a system to manage travel arrangements and a unified communications system. Over the medium term, the budget for Programme 1 will increase to R215 million for the restructuring of support services in line with Parliament’s strategic focus on the upgrading of audiovisual systems and technologies.
The allocation for Programme 2, Legislation and Oversight, increased from R98 million in 2004-05 to R165 million in 2007-08 mainly due to the Taking Parliament to the People programme, additional oversight capacity and the implementation of the language policy project. Over the medium term, the budget for Programme 2 grew by 6,5% due to further improvements to the capacity of committees, especially in the area of research and content specialists.
The allocation for Programme 3, Public and International Participation, increased from R38 million in 2004-05 to R60,9 million in 2007-08. The most significant increase was in 2006-07 in the new Parliamentary Communication Services and in payments made for participation in forums such as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the African, Caribbean, Pacific-European Union forum. Over the medium term the budget increased at an average of R64 million in 2008-09 due to increased capacity in the areas of media and public relations and activities aligned to the Parliamentary Communication Services.
The allocation for Programme 4, Members’ Facilities, increased from R107 million in 2004-05 to R173 million in 2007-08 and makes provision for members’ facilities, including telephone, travel and other logistical facilities.
The allocation for Programme 5, Associated Services – the money that goes to political parties - increased from R73 million in 2004-05 to R245 million in 2007-08 and makes provision for constituency allowances, and leadership and administrative support. With regard to future challenges, as I draw to a close, members of our Parliament have represented the voices of our people in recent years. Although our members perform their function of representation today, the context within which they fulfils this has dramatically changed over the last decade. The ever-increasing rate of change has radically changed the landscape of the work of Members of Parliament. Four different fronts provide the future challenges for the work of Parliament: Firstly, our representative and participatory democracy provides for the active involvement of our people in the processes of Parliament, thereby providing public education, information and access to Parliament’s processes. The focus is now on strengthening linkages between the people and their elected representatives - remember my words at the beginning.
Secondly, the work of government has become extremely complex over the last decade. As Parliament oversees the work of government, these complexities demand of members higher levels of expertise, knowledge and capacitating. Thirdly, whereas members fulfil a vital role of communicating information about governance and other important matters, the expansion of information technology has provided greater access to information to citizens. These changes necessitate a refocus of the work of Members of Parliament, and in particular their access and usage of various mechanisms in reaching out to communities.
Lastly, the role that Parliament plays in international relations and participation in global governance structures has increased significantly. Decisions around matters of governance within the entities of state such as trade, energy supply and environmental affairs have shifted to global governance platforms and therefore necessitate a review on how Parliament represents the people in global and regional matters. These are all important matters that we should raise. Hon Shiceka, the immediate challenge is in local government.
Hon members, I need not remind you of the decision we took as the NCOP in 2006 when we revised our Programme 2009 priorities. We said that we would be biased towards supporting service delivery at local government level. I am happy with the work you have undertaken with the committee so far to try your best in supporting the local municipalities. Judging by the reports of the Auditor-General on financial management in our municipalities recently, we have to recommit ourselves in paying particular attention to ensuring that we do not only understand the challenges facing municipalities, but that we find effective ways to address them. We have to get government to do that.
The Constitution enjoins both national and provincial spheres of government to assist local government. Service delivery challenges, especially at local government level, impact directly on our people. This has implications for those whose vocation is to serve the people. I repeat that again: No matter which sphere of government they occupy, all of us have to serve the nation.
In conclusion, clearly, we have more work but very limited time. Our people are looking up to us and our responsibility is to serve them. I want to thank the Secretary to Parliament and all the staff members who have supported us throughout the term and also the members of this NCOP for the term of five years – from 2005 to 2009. I would like to thank you for your dedication, loyalty, hard work and for supporting the presiding officers in doing their job. I would also like to thank the presiding officers, the Table, Hansard and everybody. I put the budget to be voted for by this House. I thank you. [Applause.]
WELCOMING OF VISITORS FROM EASTERN CAPE
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mrs M N Oliphant): Thank you, hon Chairperson. Hon members, I just would like to recognise the presence of the Deputy Minister of Social Development, hon Swanson; the Speaker of the Western Cape; special delegates; officials of Parliament, led by the Deputy Secretary; and our visitors in the gallery. I am informed that there are special visitors from the Eastern Cape, led by Mr Simon Witbooi, who are here because they wanted to support the Social Assistance Bill during the proceedings on the final mandates. You are welcome.
Mr A WATSON: Thank you, hon Chair. Hon Chairperson of the NCOP and hon members, as the hon Chairperson has said, this will probably be the last time for me as well to be able to consider the particular Budget Vote for this Third democratic Parliament. Perhaps it is also a good time to reflect on the manner in which we have achieved our goals in the key areas for which we are responsible.
The Chief Whip and the Deputy Chief Whip of the DA will later today in the NA give a broad overview of Parliament as a whole. While acknowledging spheres of achievements, they will also spell out the many areas where we came short as an institution and, particularly, where we have been unable to meet the challenges in terms of our mandate and duties to the voters and taxpayers of South Africa.
Therefore, allow me to devote the little time allocated to me to our own institution, the NCOP. I suppose we have in broad terms been quite diligent in attending to the basic duties of oversight and interacting with provinces, but I am afraid we have failed dismally in our core function. I am saying this in view of our stated objective of being the link between national, provincial and local government, and our continuous inability to handle legislation and mandating properly, even in this late hour of our 15th year of our existence.
We have devised cycles of interaction and sent a mandate to inform provinces with regard to section 76 legislation, but we are allowing bottlenecks created by our colleagues in the NA to overrun our schedules. To add insult to injury, we have allowed the resulting crisis management to coincide with a high tide and a very important season of policy debates on Budget Votes, which anyone remotely linked to the Presidium should have been well aware of all along.
This is unfair to the provinces; justice is simply not done to legislation in this way. I ask you, Chair, as to what kind of management and forward planning this is? I find it totally unacceptable that, at this advanced stage of our existence, we are still encountering uncertainty about the referral of Bills to provinces and the methods of dealing with negotiating mandates, to the point of witnessing arguments between officials and legislature chairpersons on the one hand and amongst cluster chairpersons on the other hand.
It obviously points to a lack of co-ordination and the absence of clear guidelines or, alternatively, to improper adherence to the existing guidelines. I trust that we will finally pass the long-outstanding Act regarding mandates by provinces. Before we rise next year the NA and the NCOP will be fully geared to welcome the hon members of the Fourth Parliament with clear and precise regulations in regard to the methods of operation. I also hope that the Ministers will learn that section 76 legislation should be introduced in this House and not in the NA. [Applause.]
When embarking on preparing for this debate, I was tempted to just change the date of the speech I delivered in June last year. At the time, I proposed that we should utilise unspent funds to be more visible and creative in order to improve our image as an institution. I urged you to facilitate the improvement of our sound and video systems and to pay urgent attention to the poor quality of interpreting services. But where are we now? A full year and nine days later, the NCOP is still an unknown entity in the world out there, no more than a poor replacement for the once illustrious Senate that sat in this House, the Senate of the Republic of SA.
Our Chamber still has to scrounge around to find a working earphone to listen to the invisible speakers standing at the podium or maybe watch him or her on a colour-distorted television monitor. This is not acceptable and we must fix it. How lucky is our friend Barack Obama in that he could enter the presidential race in America as a Senator and not as a member of a “what on earth is that House of Parliament”? [Laughter.]
But now I am being totally unfair and I am admitting it. All these ills and shortcomings are the fault of the ANC or even of apartheid. It is voters who are to blame. To be precise, it is the fault of all those voters who voted for the ANC. Had they joined the DA voters in voting for the party that has a proven record of good governance and superb administration, we would have had none of this nonsense. [Interjections.] Let me close by once again thanking our hon Chairperson, Mr Mahlangu, for his superb leadership and say how pleased we were that he has returned to the House, fully recovered from the operation and illnesses that he had. I hope that God will bless him for many years to come, and everyone who served with him in this House. I thank you. [Applause.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr T S Setona): House Chairperson, Chairperson of the NCOP, Deputy Chairperson, Deputy Minister of Social Development, fellow colleagues, friends and comrades, and senior leadership of the administration of Parliament, we in the ANC enter this policy debate on the Budget Vote of our third democratic Parliament inspired by the honour the Parliament of RSA has earned amongst the democratic parliaments of the world.
No amount of grandstanding and propaganda can refute the fact that more of our people understand and identify with the workings of Parliament than ever before in the history of our country. The Freedom Charter’s injunction of “the people shall govern” has become a living reality of our democratic life. With the inception of the third democratic Parliament, the emphasis of the parliamentary programme has shifted from mainly passing legislation to other core functions, namely, to oversee and scrutinise executive actions; to facilitate public participation and involvement; to participate in, promote and oversee co-operative governance; and to engage and participate in and oversee international relations. The adoption of the Oversight and Accountability Model by the Joint Rules Committee on 19 March presented new challenges and opportunities. The establishment of the Parliamentary Democracy Offices will assist Parliament in further reaching out to the people and, among other things, to support the work of the programme such as Taking Parliament to the People. The advantage of an informed citizenry is that they have an opportunity to participate meaningfully in government, thus enriching our democracy. This happens at no better time than when our people are in need of these channels to direct their concerns, grievances and challenges.
With regards to improving the working space for members and providing further capacity and facilities to strengthen the oversight function of Parliament, a number of committee rooms were upgraded allowing for increased use of technology and information systems. In response to capacity-building and training needs for members, Parliament launched the leadership development programme since 2006, which is aimed at building knowledge and skills required for the work of Parliament.
The programme offers accredited courses and certificates in information and knowledge management, leadership communication, public and parliamentary leadership and government and business policy studies. Today more than 150 Members of Parliament have registered and attended the courses and 59 certificates were awarded. An additional number of members will graduate on 17 June 2008.
Unity in diversity is the touchstone of our rainbow nation and should find concrete and practical expression within the Chamber of our democratic Parliament through the use all of our 11 official languages. In this regard, the parliamentary language policy was adopted in 2003 in terms of which all the House debates must be conducted in all 11 languages. In the past years Parliament has been dealing with capacity issues in implementing the policy. The appointment of 60 sessional interpreters in the 2008-11 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period is a pointer in this regard.
In 2005, Parliament identified the need to transform the finance management office to be a more efficient, effective and skilled office that will safeguard public funds and the integrity of Parliament as the key national institution. There is now a noticeable improvement in the reporting on financial management and in the fixed asset policy and control.
Capacitating research services in Parliament has significantly improved – there’s no doubt about that. The idea is to ensure that the Research Unit has dedicated and specialised researchers for each committee. This support system also caters for committee clustering arrangements supported by the senior researchers. Today, 68 specialised and senior researchers within the research unit have been appointed to provide best services to committees.
One of the strategic questions we need to revisit as Parliament is the realignment of the Research and Information Unit with the Policy Unit. I’m raising this question because we do have the Policy Unit in Parliament and we do have the Research Unit but there hasn’t been any link between the two. By its nature, Parliament is the policy development institution. For us to expect Parliament only to rely on the research without the policy capacity – you know – it’s like turning these agents of change and transformation into an academic institution, which it is not supposed to be. With all the strides that have been recorded, we should however concede that more can be done to deepen the transformation of this premier institution of our people by maximising our potential.
At the strategic level, one of the critical things to do is to shift the paradigm in our policy development systems and structures. In doing so we must not shy away from asking hard questions like: Do we have sufficient capacity for policy development? Are we doing things in a manner that appreciates our own unique challenges or is it business as usual? What is the role of our Policy Unit in Parliament or does it only exist in name? These are the hard questions that, as we deliberate on this Budget Vote, we should not shy away from engaging with: One of the critical questions that we ought to raise in this debate is that Parliament as the critical arm of the state occupies a very fundamental strategic position in terms of the transformation and democratisation of our society. However, the recent past has witnessed a situation where Parliament was deserted because of a massive exodus of our skilled personnel. Staff from the Committees Section and other divisions of Parliament are resigning en masse. I don’t want to make assumptions as to why this is the situation, but one of the reasons that one would actually relate this particular phenomenon to is the whole issue of the conditions of service of staff of Parliament. The question is: If skilled personnel of Parliament join the very institutions which Parliament is supposed to oversee, what does that mean to us as an agent of transformation and change in our society? I think we must not shy away from raising these fundamental questions.
Before I conclude, let me hasten to say that hon Watson is living in the past. I want to quote Vladimir Lenin when he said that we must not let little annoyances stand in the way of big happenings. I think the biggest and most wonderful thing the National Council of Provinces has achieved actually outbalanced all the petty squabbles that hon Watson wants to raise in this House. We are not going to take him seriously, for that matter.
Allow me to conclude by borrowing from the wisdom of Amilcar Cabral, an African revolutionary thinker of the 20th century when he said - and it’s only the ANC that can say this:
Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories.
Lastly, allow me to dedicate this Budget Vote to the youth of 1976 and the fighting spirit of the late Comrade Peter Mokaba by encouraging this august House to support this Budget Vote. I thank you. Amandla!
Mnu M A MZIZI: Sihlalo, angibonge futhi ngiphakamise uSihlalo wale Ndlu ilungu elihloniphekile, uMnu uMahlangu. Mangibuye futhi ngibingelele iPhini likaNgqongqoshe kazwelonke nePhini likaNobhala e-NA noSomlomo waseNtshonalanga Kapa. Ngesikhashana esincane nje enginaso … (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[Mr M A MZIZI: Thank you, Chairperson. I wish to single out - for special mention - the hon Chairperson of this House, hon Mahlangu. I greet the Deputy Minister and the Deputy Secretary of the National Assembly as well as the Speaker of the Western Cape. In the limited time that I have …]
… I will hasten to say that we support the budget. Having said that, I’d like to thank the Chairperson of the NCOP for his dedication in handling the various matters relating to Members of Parliament. The proof of his success is contained in the Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports, ATCs, of 2 June 2008. There are still some important issues to be dealt with and I hope that the Chairperson will finally achieve his goal to finalise everything before the end of the parliamentary term.
The most important issue, however, that needs to be finalised urgently by Parliament is the pension benefits of Members of Parliament. This has been going on since 1994. The salary structure of the MPs also needs to be urgently reviewed as some of the members are fast approaching 15 years of parliamentary service. The books need to be finalised and closed on these outstanding issues and no gap left open …
… ngoba sesiyaguga. Niyazibonela nani. [… because we are aging and you can all see that.]
There is an urgent need, however, for these things to be legislated. However, at the pace finalisation is moving, I do not think that this goal will be reached when we adjourn in 2009. The whole issue will be carried over to May 2009 when many new Members of Parliament will be sworn in …
… njengoba ebeseke washo uSihlalo. [… as the Chairperson has mentioned.]
Let me hasten to speak about this because of my limited time. There is a lot happening around the Travelgate issue. However, no one appears to know precisely what is going on. Until now, it appears as if the issue has not been dealt with in an even-handed manner. We hope that one day the full truth will prevail and the full picture will be seen.
Ngikusho lokhu hhayi ngoba ngikhetha iphela emasini. Ungabothi uma into ikude nawe bese uthi hhayi cha, akudokwe eligayelwe mina. Akukho lutho engingase ngikwenze – angibukele nje. Udaba lwesimo esavelela abafowethu nodadewethu alukaze luphathwe okwezikhali zaMaNntungwa.
Kwenziwa ngenye indlela kwabanye, nakwabuye kwenziwa ngenye indlela kanti nakwabanye kusazokwenziwa ngenye indlela. Siyacela, bakwethu. Sinemizwa efanayo. Siqhamuka emindenini. Sinemindeni okufanele siyondle nesiyibhekile. Akuthi uma kwenzeka izinto, kungakhethwa iphela emasini – kube nabathile abazoba umhlatshelo. Lolu daba ake luphathiswe okwezikhali zaMaNtungwa.
Ngiyakholwa-ke ukuthi sizobambisana nabo ozakwethu. Asithi noma mhlawumbe uvalwa lo Mkhandlu noma mhlawumbe abanye bethu bengasenakubuya, abangahambi bephethe ezinye izinto eziyoba izikhubekiso ezimpilweni zabo.
Sonke besisebenzela impumelelo nokuthi ngenye imini uma sibheka emuva, njengoba usho Sihlalo, sithi leya Ndlu sasiyiphethe ngakho kufanele iphathwe ngale ndlela. Kufanele sishiye isibonelo esihle nefa elihle kulabo abazolandela ezinyathelweni zethu. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[I am saying this not because I am discriminating against certain people and I am also not defending certain individuals. But never say if something seems to be distant from you that it is none of your business and there is nothing that you can do about it; you can rather watch idly. The incident that befell our brothers and sisters was never given the treatment it deserved.
It was done differently to different people and it is still going to be done differently to others. I am asking the powers that be to consider that we all have common feelings. We all have families. We have families to support and look after. So when certain things happen, people involved should be treated equally and no person should be victimised. This matter must be treated cautiously.
I hope that our colleagues will co-operate with us. And should it happen that this Council is closed - or maybe some of us do not return here after the elections – there should be no person who bears a grudge in his or her life.
We are all working for success and also, one day, when we look back, we would be able to proudly say: That House was governed by us so it has to be managed in this manner, as you mentioned, Chairperson. We have to set a good example and leave a great legacy for those who will come after us. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Mr S BYNEVELDT (Western Cape): Chairperson of the NCOP, the hon Deputy Minister of Social Development, hon delegates, both permanent and special, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, after all is said and done, over and above all else, we will be judged by the extent to which we have been able to enter, remain, advance and make a difference in the lives of ordinary people, especially of this our beloved country and indeed the people of the continent. We will also be judged by how well we are able to influence others in the rest of the world so as to ensure that what prevails is that which is good for humanity and that which is just. Debates such as the current one present us with an opportunity to reflect on what we’ve done, how far we’ve travelled, and to share our perspectives on a common future that we all desire to actively create.
Our role is constitutionally crafted. It’s informed by history and, more particularly, by our history of struggle and the exclusion of the many. We are enjoined to be proactive and progressive machinery which functions dynamically and in such a way that we creatively contribute to building a better life for all in South Africa.
Lessons abound that we should not take parliamentary democracy for granted. We must increase our efforts to ensure that the daily quest to distil the essence of living in a democratic order is driven by the people we represent, lest democracy means one thing for the people and something else for parliamentarians. I repeat, lest democracy means one thing for the people and something else for parliamentarians.
Our South African parliamentary system presents the unique opportunity that, through the NCOP, we can practise and evolve a model of participatory democracy that ensures that the aspirations of the people are genuinely and actively represented. It is my view that, while we have made great strides to ensure that Parliament is felt by the people and that Parliament lives amongst the people, challenges remain. We can and should continue to strive to do more to integrate public participation from the local level into the national parliamentary process in a way that is dynamic.
This institution and provincial legislatures must come together in a seamless movement that brings participatory democracy to life, in a such way that real issues that affect our people are considered at a local level and systematically escalated to Parliament with meaningful responses, with meaningful policy generated throughout such a process, lest democracy means one thing to parliamentarians and something else to the people.
We must continue to increase interaction with communities and maximise feedback opportunities, building on the approaches we have developed in programmes such as Taking Parliament to the People, the People’s Assembly, public hearings and many other initiatives. I note that the budget for public outreach has increased from R32 654 000 in 2004-05 to R49 121 000 this year.
The objectives of deepening democracy and responding to the needs of the citizenry by establishing five additional parliamentary democracy offices and establishing a call centre by March 2009, amongst others, must be commended because they are clearly in line with the strategic orientation of building a Parliament that belongs to the people and that is driven by the people. We have made a difference and we must continue to make that difference.
We shall all agree that Parliament continued to exercise its oversight function with relative success. We have just adopted the oversight model, on which I congratulate you and the Speaker on the leadership given and all of the members and the officials who have played a role in ensuring that we practically interpret this constitutional mandate to the level and the extent that you’ve been able to do. A plan of action, however, must now be developed so that the model is implemented. Chairperson of the NCOP, I’ve noted your comments pertaining to movement already there and I’m pleased by them. Democratisation of society is part and parcel of the transformation project. If confidence in the political system goes, all else fails. You can put down the infrastructure, you can build the clinics, you can deliver the houses; if people don’t have confidence in the political system, everything fails.
Oversight is the critical lever that the legislative sector possesses to make a difference in the lives of people. We must find ways to quantitatively, but most importantly, qualitatively, measure our success in how we execute this responsibility. The increase in the legislation and oversight budget from R98 777 000 in 2004-05 to R143 685 000 in 2007-08 reflects this institution’s undoubted appreciation of the critical importance of oversight to the process of service delivery. It is also a strategic investment that you have budgeted for additional oversight capacity and implementing the initial phase of the language project.
I have noted your comments on research and content specialists and the 6,5% increase, and I must say to you that, certainly from where I am sitting, that is a step in the right direction. Do we effectively represent the immediacy of the citizen’s reality and sentiment, which are part of the ongoing challenge that we should respond to? In fact, our struggle today is a struggle against irrelevance. Our place of residence, our address, should be where the people reside. Our struggles that we respond to here should be the struggles within communities. The aspirations that we process here should be the aspirations of our people out there. This sector will remain relevant. Government policies will remain in touch. Action will be incisive and real if we respond positively to this challenge, lest democracy means one thing to parliamentarians and something else to the people.
The NCOP’s oversight role should by definition of the nature of the institution be exercised with much more closeness to the oversight responsibility of provincial legislatures. I must say that I am confident that we’ve generated a fair amount of movement and that the momentum is there to take us to even greater heights. We therefore need to continue to look at how we can qualitatively improve the opportunity provided by provincial weeks for co-operation and synergy between oversight as conducted by the NCOP and the provincial legislatures. Care must always be taken to ensure that the ever-present risk of duplication of processes is mitigated.
I suggest that we need to consider whether it is not feasible that, through the NCOP, provinces could be informed about and even have the opportunity to make contributions to the consideration of international agreements even though these may not be section 76 matters, especially when they present opportunities for economic development that provinces may have to take advantage of for the greater good of our people and our country. I would further suggest that our people are ready and that they deserve in this year still that we formalise the legislative sector of South Africa. We must, I submit, harness the collective energy of our human resources, our political leadership, our human and financial capacity so as to ensure that we deliver benefit to our people, but not only to our people, not only to our country, but working together with parliaments in the region and parliaments of the world in order to promote peace and an environment in which parliamentary democracy would thrive not only here but abroad as well. We must with maximum vigour finalise the sector policy and strategic framework with the involvement of all members of our nine institutions. These would indeed be unique achievements for the legislative sector and may just be unprecedented in the world.
Hon Chairperson of the NCOP, you are still chairperson of the Commonwealth Africa Region. You have a distinguished presence there. We must take the opportunity that will come through that to communicate to Africa and to the rest of the Commonwealth that the people we represent as parliamentarians in this country stand for a South Africa that is a home for all Africans, that the vision of South Africa and her people is one of an Africa that is united, an Africa that is a home for all in pursuit of development and prosperity for all of Africa and for our people in South Africa as well.
We condemn xenophobia in the strongest possible terms. [Interjections.] We should all seize the opportunity to also recognise and exalt the majority of South Africans who are not only distancing themselves from these attacks but are condemning them and coming forward to help their fellow Africans.
The Western Cape sees this as a people’s budget that places us in a position that allows and empowers us to tackle the challenges of poverty and ushering in hope for a better life for all of our people, both citizen and refugee. We are confident that we would use the resources availed by this budget within our oversight mandate to ensure that all is done to bring those responsible to account for their deeds. I have no doubt that we would put the resources towards further mobilising the people to continue to reject this tendency and to provide the information needed to stop those who would want to continue to spread it.
There is overwhelming reason – and I’ll end off with this – to support this Vote. In conclusion and in supporting it, I would like to say that I am convinced that at the heart of this budget I see a commitment to our erstwhile battle cry that the people shall govern. I saw an abiding effort to find more and more ways to continue to always be with the people, born of the people, walking hand-in-hand with the people. We speak through this budget the language of the people. That is the tradition that we hold onto and, certainly, that is the tradition that this budget is definitely seeking to pursue. I thank you. [Applause.]
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL: Chairperson of the NCOP, Deputy Chairperson, Comrade Shaun, Speaker of the Western Cape, Deputy Minister of Social Development, senior officials of Parliament, let me start by saying …
… abakhalazayo basazalwa nanamhlanje, Mnumzana Watson. Bathe nqo ngemihlana, bathe ga izifuba, banjengawe ke. [… moaners are still born even today, Mr Watson. They sleep on their backs and with their chests out just like you.]
I also want to say that I’m happy to be one of those young people of 1976 – today I am an adult and a granny. I also want to say, “Viva the spirit of asijiki!” Here we are today because we never turned back.
Andikwazi wawuphi wena Watson, mhlawumbi wawusemdeni. [I do not know where you were, Mr Watson. Perhaps you were on duty at the borders.]
In our debate today, the last before next year’s general elections, we must thank the presiding officers who have done everything in their power to change Parliament to be an institution for all the people.
Xa sisiya ekuqukumbeleni ixesha lethu kule ipalamente, zikhona iinguqu ekufuneka sizenzile ukwenzela ukuba abalandelayo babhale ephepheni elinemigca ecacileyo. Ndifuna ukuthi ke, ulawulo alulilo icephe lomngqusho, akubolekiswana ngolawulo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[As we approach the end of our term in this Parliament, there are changes that we need to make so that those who will come in after us should know exactly what to do. Therefore, I want to say governing is not like sharing one spoon when eating.]
Without contradicting myself, I want to say that we will consult with other parties when necessary. People of South Africa have a contract only with the African National Congress, not …
… nabanye abantu. Ndibathela nqa abaya bamane bencuma phaya. [… with other people. I am surprised at those who are smiling over there.]
Chairperson, can we make sure that the powers that be discuss again the issue of facilities for Members of Parliament. For instance, we expected new office furniture last year but we still have the same old furniture that we found here in 1994, 1999 and 2004.
I also wonder whether Parliament does not consider that prices have gone up. Members are still given R150 a day when they are on official duty inside the country. I also want to say that even outside the country things have gone up; not only in South Africa but throughout the world. This needs the attention of the next Parliament if it can’t be addressed now. I speak here not as a shop steward but as a Chief Whip.
Umba wohambo ngenqwelo-moya ngomnye umba endicinga ukuba, nanjengoko Sihlalo, ubusele uwondlalile kule veki iphelileyo, usenawo amakhwiniba; usafuna ukulungiswa. Esinye seziphakamiso endiza nazo sesokuba le palamente yethu ikhe ityelele kwamanye amazwe apha eAfrika, ukuze ibone indlela amalungu epalamente ahlawulwa ngayo nezibonelelo anazo. Mhlawumbi lawo ngamazwe alamba nangaphezulu kwethu.
Mandengeze ngelithi kuluvuyo ukuba umba weTravelgate uza kude usongwe, nakubeni uphume namadlolo namadlolwazana njengoko ubaw’ uMzizi etshilo. Kuluvuyo, kwaye sikhuthaza ukuba iplani ebekiweyo inga singathi sisiya elunyulweni zibe izicwangciso ezininzi sezibonakala; zenzekile izinto. Nditsho ndikhuthaza nanjengoko imisebenzi emininzi sele ibonakala. Yimfama yodwa engaboniyo ukuba kuyasetyenzwa. Nakubeni ingxolo isiphazamisa apha epalamente, umngcwabo mawuhambe. Yaye ngabantu abangathandi nguqu abaya kuphikisana nale misebenzi.
Ubuhlobo nabo bangabamelwane bethu okanye amazwe angabamelwane, yenye yezinto endicinga ukuba zibaluleke kakhulu nekufuneka le palamente yethu inge iyayiqinisa. Thina malungu kaAfrican National Congress eyona singenakuyilibala ligalelo labamelwane kule nkululeko siyixhamla nabo babesingcikiva, besimfimfitha igazi, – Mr Watson -. Abanye babo namhlanje basamfimfitha igazi labantu abasuka kula mazwe, ngakumbi abasuka eZimbabwe, koko kukhohlisa kwabo. (Translations of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[The issue of travelling by plane is one that still has some loose ends that need our attention, as you already touched on it last week, Chairperson. One of my proposals is that members of this House should travel to other African countries and see how members of Parliament are paid and even look at their benefits. Perhaps those are poor countries that are even worse than our country.
Let me add that it is gratifying to note that the Travelgate issue is finally coming to an end even though it claimed some casualties as already indicated by hon Mzizi. We are hopeful that the plan that has been tabled here will be implemented and bear fruit before we go to the polls. I am commending this as we already see its results. It is only a blind person that cannot see the work that is being done. At times it’s difficult to continue working as we are disturbed by those who are making a noise. In spite of that noise the good work should continue. It’s only people who do not want change who would oppose what is being done.
Developing friendships with our neighbouring countries is one of those things that I think our Parliament should strengthen. What we cannot forget, as members of the African National Congress, is the role played by these countries in this freedom that we are today enjoying with some of those who oppressed us, Mr Watson. Some of those oppressors are still continuing even today to suck the blood of foreigners, especially those coming from Zimbabwe, using pretence.]
I want you, Mr Watson, to take note of what I’m saying. They still abuse farmworkers. Some farmworkers are still put in lions’ fenced areas, while some farmworkers’ graves are only known to the farmers who killed them.
Kwakhona ndifuna ukuthi iprojekthi yoMzantsi Afrika neAngola, nesikhumbuzo seCuito Cuanavale makuqhutyelwe phambili ngazo. Ewe sixolile, kodwa ngekhe silibale. Mhlawumbi kungenziwa namatye ezikhumbuzo nakwamanye amazwe afana neLesotho, Botswana, nakwezinye iindawo ukwenzela ihlale isisikhumbuzo into yokuba sakhe salwa notshaba sincediswa ngabantu basemzini. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Again I want to say that the partnership between South Africa and Angola and the commemoration of Cuito Cuanavale should continue. Although we have peace now, we will never forget it. Perhaps we should erect statues in other countries such as Botswana and Lesotho so that it can be remembered that we once fought with our enemy assisted by the people of other countries.]
As the African National Congress we support the efforts of our presiding officers in transforming this Parliament into a People’s Parliament.
NoseMbizana wakhe waliva ifuthe lale Palamente iya ebantwini, ive izimvo zabo, isebenze, baze abantu bakuthi bawubone umahluko. Abhaliwe amagama abo benze inguqu apha epalamente yaye ngenye imini aya kukhankanywa xa abantu sebelawula ngokuqinisekileyo nangokwenene.
Ndigqibezela ngelithi ndiyacela kubaphathi abanamagunya okwenza izinto njengabasebenzi apha ePalamente. Anditsho ngabubi, nditsho ngelizwi elinoxolo. Ubani angangaliqondi ilizwi lam, ngoba ndithetha njengomntu wasezilalini - … ukuba bangabi ngamacephe. Thobelani ukuphathwa, nicebise xa kukho imfuneko, sihloniphaneni sonke.
Ekugqibeleni ke ndithi, ngumbono omhle ke ukubona amakhosikazi nawo elawula apha epalamente, enezikhundla eziphakamileyo, njengawe. Nilibambe lingatshoni maqobokazana angalal’ endleleni yazini kunyembelekile. Siyalwamkela ngezandla ezingenamikhinkqi olu Hlahlo-lwabiwo Mali. Malibongwe! (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Even those in rural areas like Mbizana once felt the impact of the People’s Parliament. The names of all those who have made a change in this country have been written in the corridors of this House and one day their names will be mentioned.
I wish to conclude by making a special appeal to the workers in managerial positions here in Parliament to behave like workers. I honestly do not mean this in a bad way but it’s just an appeal. It may well be possible that some people may misinterpret my tone because I am in any event from the remote rural areas, but they must not be like spoons. Let them allow to be led and they should help us wherever necessary but we need to respect each other.
Lastly, it is a good thing to see women in managerial positions in Parliament, like you. Keep it up, ladies who are never daunted in the face of any problem. With those words, we support this Budget Vote. Let it be praised!]
USIHLALO WOMKHANDLU WENARHA ONGAMELE IIMFUNDA: Ngithanda ukuswaphelisa ikulumo yami engiyikhulume ekuthomeni. Umaswaphela mntwana wokugcina ngesikhethu ngesiNdebele. Yeke ngiyaswaphelisa. Ngiyayigoqa ngesikhenu. Ngithanda ukwazisa ubaba uWatson, okhulume emuva kwami bonyana lokhu akutjhilweko - naniqale kuhle – ngikhengendlala into esiyibiza ngokuthi yi- Strategic Plan nasi. Soke isikhathesi iPalamende beyinganayo into efana nale. AmaboSihlalo kusukela ngo-2004 benze bonyana kube neStrategic Plan esizokwenza bonyana yoke into efunwa malunga wabo ePalamende ibekhona ngaphakathi kwalencwadi. (Translation of isiNdebele paragraph follows.)
[I would like to finish my speech with what I said earlier. The word ‘maswaphelisa’ in our culture, in particular isiNdebele, means the lastborn of the family. Therefore I am finishing. I am wrapping up in your language. I would like to inform Mr Watson, who spoke after me, about what he said - if you check very well – that I laid out what we call a strategic plan. All along Parliament did not have something of this nature. Chairpersons from 2004 onwards made sure that there was a strategic plan so as to ensure that whatever is required by their members in Parliament is included in this book …]
… so that when you plan your finances and do your planning for each financial year, you are guided by the book.
Ngakho-ke ayisekho into yokubanyana sizokwenza into ngesitokanatokana. Sizoyenza into le yoke ibekwe endleleni efanelekileko ukuze boke abantu bakwazi ukuyizwisisa. Nasikhamba la, abanye abatjha bazokwazi bona benzeni. Abathomi phasi benze izinto ezitja.
Ngakho-ke koke lokho mhlonitjhwa Watson kuzakuqalelelwa. Nanyana sikhamba kancani nje kodwana sesithomile ukwenza. Lokho kuyenzakala. Nawungaqala ekulumeni yami, ekhasini 14, izakutjela bonyana sesabe imali engangani eyokuthoma ukwenza woke lomsebenzi okhulume ngawo.
Indaba yokwethulwa komthetho 76, ku-NCOP, ngibawa bona sizwaneni bonyana yindaba yomThethosisekelo leyo. UmThethosisekelo awaleli aboNgqongqotjhe bona lomthetho bawethule ngeNdlini yesiBethamthetho seNarha kodwana thina ngokombono wethu la sibona bonyana kufanele bawethule ngemKhandlwini weNarha ongamele iiMfunda. Ngalokho ngithanda ukuvumelana nawe.
Ngithanda ukuthokoza khulukhulu umrholi we-Government Business House ngokusithembisa bonyana bona uzakukhulumisana naboNgqongqotjhe beminyango ehlukeneko bonyana umnyaka lo, bathule umthetho ka 76 ngombana iyehlukana lemithetho. Kukhona eminye elula esingayisebenza msinya godu kubekhona ebudisi engekhe sikghone ukuyisebenza msinya. Kutholakale iincwadi ezibawa uSihlalo we-NCOP ukungezelela isikhathi ukuze bakwazi ukuqedelela loyomthetho. Baqinisile ngombana bafuna ukuqubungulula nanyana benze bona loyomthetho kubemthetho ebawuqalisise kuhle bawutlhogomela bonyana nawufika lapha phambi kwethu uze neenthelo ezihle ngombana weyama iimpilo zabo phasi emFundeni.
Yeke, ngithanda ukuthokoza umrholi we-Government Business House ngokusenzela leso sibawo kuboNgqongqotjhe. Nginethemba bonyana bazakwenza lokho.
Ikhona enye into engifuna ukuyibeka lapha, ebengiyikhohliweko begodu enginethemba bona sesiyavumelana pheze soke ngayo kwanje. Sisoke siyavumelana bonyana lomKhandlu weNarha ongamele iimFunda ulinani elincani bona lingawenza woke lomsebenzi. Asivumelaneni ngalokho. Abanye benu banokugandeleleka njengoba bahlezi lapha. Abanye benu abasayi nemakhaya njengoba ngikhuluma nje. Kubudisi ngombana abanye abahlezi ngaphandle abakuboni lokho kodwana thina esingeNdlinapha siyakubona lokho. Ukuthi ilunga linye libe nguSosibebhe elinye lisebenze emakomitini amabili nanyana amathathu, elinye likhambe livakatjhele ngaphandle elinye liyokuhlola imisebenzi yeemFunda, i-oversight function begodu elinye liyokulimukisa iimFunda ngeselekwenziwe, qabanga umsebenzi ongakangaka owenziwa lilunga ngalinye bonyana mkhulu kangangani. Nginethemba bona siyavumelana. Ngenye into esizoyikhombisa encwadini yethu esiyitlolako begodu esizoyitjhiya bonyana i-NCOP ingezelelwe ibe namalunga amanenganyana kunalawa enawo. Nginethemba bonyana sisoke siyavumelana okwanjesi. [Iwahlo.] (Translation of isiNdebele paragraphs follows.)
[Therefore there will be no need for us to do things bit by bit. We will do this thing entirely and put it in order so that everyone can make use of it. When we leave here the new people will know what to do. They will not start new things from scratch.
Therefore, hon Watson, we will take a look at that. Although we are moving slowly, we have already started. That is happening. If you look on page 14 of my speech it will show you how much we have budgeted to do all the work you have spoken about.
On the issue of tabling Act 76 to the NCOP, I would like us to agree that this one is a constitutional issue. The Constitution does not deny Ministers the right to table this Act before the National Assembly, but according to our suggestion we prefer the Ministers to table the Act in the National Council of Provinces. On that I agree with you.
I would like to thank, most importantly, the Leader of Government Business for promising that he would talk to the Ministers from various departments to ensure that this year they table Act 76 because these Acts differ. There are those ones that are simple and we can work on them very fast while others are complicated which we cannot work on so fast. There are letters that request the Chairperson to extend the timeframe so that they are able to complete that Act. They are right because they want to make sure that this Act is analysed and checked thoroughly so that when it comes to us, it bears some fruits because it affects their lives at a provincial level. So I would like to thank the Leader of Government Business for making that request to the Ministers. I hope they will do that.
There is another thing that I want to put forward, which I had forgotten and I hope that we can agree on it now. We all agree that the National Council of Provinces does not have enough numbers to do all the work. Let’s agree on that. Some of you are pressurised as you are seated here. Some of you no longer go home as I speak. It is difficult because those who are outside this House don’t see this but we can see that because we are in this House. For one member to be Chief Whip, work in two or three committees, pay visits outside of Parliament, conduct oversight functions in the provinces and visit provinces to inform them about what has been done - can you imagine how much work is done by one member? I hope we agree. It is one of the issues shown in the book that we are writing, and we will leave it to the NCOP so it will be added with the other members as compared to the number it has now. I hope we all agree. [Applause.]]
… The debate has been understood. [Applause.]
Ngikhohlwe ukuthokoza uNom. V V Z Windvoël. Baba uWindvoël, Ngiyakuthokoza ubenguSosibebhu osebenzisane nathi kuhlekhule begodu ngithemba bona nanamhlanje usazokwenza bunjalo. Ungakhambeli kude ne-ofisi yethu. Sisakuqala njengomunye osibonelo esihle obe nguSosibebhe weNdlu le.
Ngithokoze noMm. uNtwanambi njengoSosibebhe omutjha. Usebenza kuhle akakabukuphambuka, akakabukuba neengwegwe begodu usakhamba kuhle. Nakathoma ukubaneegwegwe sizakukhulumisana. INdlu le ifuna sisizane thina nani ukuze iNdlu iphumelele iye phambili begodu nisizane namalunga ukuze nabo basizakale bona umsebenzi wabo uragele phambili.
Endabeni yomhlalaphasi, ngingakwazisa bonyana iPalamende isebenze budisi ukuze imihlalaphasi yamalunga ilungiswe ngendlela efaneleko. Niyazi bona thina njengePalamende yeSewula Afrika asizibhadeleli, sakhetha ikomitjhana ezijameleko bonyana isenzele imirholo yethu begodu isiqalele zoke izinto lezi. UMoseneke nguye-ke oqalene nomsebenzi lo. Yeke ulethe iimphakamiso ezithize phambi kwePalamende. Amalunga wePalamende ayanghonghoyila ngeemphakamiso ezenziwa nguMoseneke. Thina sathumela isiphakamiso sinye ePalamende bonyana siphakamisa ini. Yeke yena azange azitjheje khulu zoke iintwezo njalo. Utjheje ezinye kwathi ezinye azange azitjheje ngendlela efaneleko. Umbiko wakhe wesithathu uphambi kukamhlonitjhwa uMongameli wenarha yekhethu iSewula Afrika. Esikwenzileko sinoSomlomo, siphakamise bona ngezi 19 kuMgwengweni, kuzakuba nesihlopha esihlanganiswe sabunjwa ziinqhema ezihlukeneko, i-Multi-team, ezakukhamba iyokukhulumisana noMongameli weSewula Afrika mayelana neemphakamiso ezenziwe nguMoseneke. Yeke-ke sizokukhamba siyokukhulumisana noMongameli simbonise lokho esifuna ukumbonisa khona. Imiphumela yakhona izakwaziswa amalunga wePalamende, asazi bonyana izakuvunyelwa nanyana angekhe ivunyelwe.
Endabeni yamakhambo, ngingatjho ngobufitjhani bonyana iPalamende ibuhlungu khulu bona indaba le ayikagoqwa nanje. Sifuna ukuyisonga ngombana ikhulunyiwe ku-Presiding Officers Association, POA, amahlandla amabili, sesiyayithola indlela yokuyisola begodu sizwelana khulu nalabo abalimele ngokungemthetho ngombana akhona amalunga wePalamende alimeleko kodwana basaba ukuvela ngombana besabela amagama wabo bona azakuhlaziswa emaphepheni nakulabo abakhambisa iindaba. Benza okungafanele bakwenze bazama ukuvikela amagama wabo. Sesikutholile okunengi ngokomthetho. Okhunye engingakutjho wukuthi iseseyindaba ephambi komthetho, siyazama bona siyiqede masinya ngokutjheja okukhulu. Sisazokubuya kini bonyana sizokubonisana ngayo godu. Yeke ngilokho kuphela engingakutjho okwanje, angidluli lapho. (Translation of isiNdebele paragraphs follows.)
[I have forgotten to thank Mr V V Z Windvoël. Mr Windvoël, I thank you. You worked very well with us during your time as a Chief Whip and I hope that even today you will do the same. Don’t distance yourself from our office. We still look at you as a good example of a Chief Whip of this House.
I thank you, Ms Ntwanambi, as the new Chief Whip. She is doing very well and is still on track. She has never done anything wrong up to now. When she starts to deviate we will talk to her. This House wants us to work together so that the House can be successful and continue to help members so that they will be able to carry on with their work. On the issue of pension, I was able to make Parliament work harder to ensure that the pension of members is sorted out. You know that we, as the Parliament of South Africa, don’t pay ourselves.
We elected an independent commission to structure our salaries and to look at other issues related to members. Moseneke is the one who is responsible for that. So he brought some recommendations before Parliament. Members of Parliament are complaining about the recommendations made by Moseneke. We submitted one recommendation to Parliament. So he did not seriously consider all of those issues. He considered some of them but others he did not consider properly. His third report is with the hon President of our country, South Africa. What we did, together with the Speaker, was to recommend that on 19 June there be a team comprised of five different teams; a multi-team that will discuss, with the President of South Africa, the recommendations that were made by Moseneke. Therefore the team will discuss with the President and show him what needs to be shown to him. The outcome of that discussion will be given to Members of Parliament. We don’t know whether it will be accepted or not.
On the issue of the travel voucher scheme, I would like to briefly say that Parliament is deeply worried that this matter is not completed. We want to complete it because it has been discussed by the Presiding Officers’ Association, POA, twice. We have found a way of completing it and we feel pity for those who were hurt unlawfully because there are Members of Parliament who don’t want to come forward as they are afraid that they will be embarrassed by the media. They are doing the wrong thing by trying to protect their names. We have found a lot in terms of the law. Another thing I can say is that this matter is still sub judice. We are trying to complete it very consciously. We will come back to you so that we can debate it. So that is what I can say now. Let me proceed.]
Hon Byneveldt, regarding international agreements, a debate has been started in Parliament. I am happy that a member of the executive is here, hon Deputy Minister for Social Development, Mrs Swanson-Jacobs. We think that the executive, in their negotiations on international agreements, must consider giving us the first draft of their negotiations so that we are on board from day one when they negotiate any international agreements. We are not part of the agreements there and when they are about to reach the second or third agreement, they should give us those in phases so that, when they finalise the final draft, we are aware of what goes into the final draft. The reason for this is that it is us who pass those international agreements in the Houses, and once we pass them, they become the law that binds the Republic of South Africa. Therefore, it is better for us as Members of Parliament to monitor the implementation of that particular agreement. What is happening currently is that it comes to us having been finalised. We have to endorse it and pass it, and at the end of the day we must also implement the monitoring of that international agreement.
Thank you very much. If that could be taken on board, we would be able to share with our colleagues in the province that this is the first draft and that is the third draft, and that the final draft is coming. We then get their input. In that way before we pass these agreements, all of us will know about them because some of the international agreements do affect provinces. Some may not but some do affect the provinces.
I will definitely pass on your message as the Chairperson of the Africa Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. In fact I think I should issue the statement correctly even before going to the conference. We did try to issue a statement when this started. I didn’t see the statement jointly with the Speaker but I will take it upon myself as the chairperson of the Africa Region CPA.
Sosibebhe, ifenitjhara batjho ifike iveke ephelileko. Abanye bathome ngaboSosibebhu khulukhulu. Bakhona esele bayitholile? Nabangakayitholi ngikwazi ukubuyela kibo. Umbiko esiwuthole ebasebenzini wukuthi ukwethulwa kokuthoma kwefenitjhara sekwenzakele. Bathome ngaboSosihlalo bamakomiti naboSosibebhe. (Translation of isiNdebele paragraph follows.)
[Chief Whip, they said the furniture arrived last week. They started with the Chief Whips. Are there those who have received it? If not, I will be able to go back to them. The report we received from the workers is that the first delivery of the furniture has been done. They started with the committee chairpersons and the Chief Whips.]
… nothing? [Interjections.] Oh, in the National Assembly. Oh, ok.
Oh, balayitjhulule eNdlini yesiBethamthetho seNarha kodwa ngapha abakalayitjhululi. Bayezwa napaya bahlezi lapha. Kulungile, ngombana mubiko esiwutholileko loyo. [Oh, they delivered to the National Assembly but not here. They can hear; they are sitting there. It’s fine, because that is the report we received.]
We made it very clear that delivery must be done before the Budget Vote today.
Kutjho bona balayitjhulule kwenye iNdlu kwenye abakalayitjhululi. Izinto zoke ezikhambelana neensetjenziswa zamalunga azikenziwa zoke, nizakuvumelana nami bonyana lokho engikwethule iveke ephelileko yinto ebeyisitjhisako ebe ifunwa ukulungiswa masinyana. Ngungakho-ke kube nesibawo sokuthi labo abasebenza ngeensetjenziswa zamalunga, kubuthelelwe yoke into ngombana kukhona engithunyelwe ngubaba uBen Skosana etjhengisa bona bebaphakamisa ini, kodwana bengifuna labo abaqalelene neensetjenziswa bona basebenzisane naboSosibebhe kanye naboSihlalo beziNdlu. Akhe ningilethele umtlolo loyo msinyana, njengombana ikosi uMokwena angikhuthazile iveke ephelileko bona: okunye akukalungi Sihlalo. Nanyana singaphasisa okunye, yazi bonyana nazi ezinye izinto. Asiletheni masinyana bona i-POA nayihlala godu … (Translation of isiNdebele paragraph follows.)
[It means that they delivered to one House and not the other one. All those things that go along with the resources used by members were not done. You will agree with me about what I have presented last week which was something we wanted to correct very quickly. That is why there was a request to those who deal with members’ resources to collect everything, because there was something that was sent to me by Mr Ben Skosana that shows what they are recommending. I want those who are responsible for the resources to work together with the Whips and Chairpersons of the House. Bring me that document. Kgoshi Mokoena spoke to me last week about some of the things not being correct. Even if we can pass some of the things, you must know there are other things.
Let’s submit fast so that when the POA sits again …]
… at the next sitting of the Presiding Officers Association, I will introduce those things myself to the POA so that we discuss them, and we get approval. If there is disapproval, we will understand why.
Ngibawa-ke nizilethe masinyazana izinto lezo ukuze ngizithathe ngizise lapha zifanele ukuya khona. Nginithokoze noke, sengathi uZimu anganitjhudubaza noke nibe netjhudu eempilweni zenu nemakhaya wenu njengoba niphasisa ibhajede yePalamende namhlanjesi. Nabezimu bemakhenu banitlhogomele niphile baningezelelele amalanga wokuphila nikwazi ukusebenzela isitjhaba. UZimu anibusise sikwazi ukunikhetha nizosijamela lapha ePalamende ngombana sifundiswe bonyana nasi lapha sisebenzela isitjhaba nabantu abasikhethileko ukuze nabo bathabe batjho bonyana aboMahlangu, aboNtuli naboMokwena basijamele ePalamende, abadli nje kuphela iimali. Labo abathi kunesitimela somhluzi ePalamende, i- gravy train at Parliament, bakhohlisa abantu. Amalunga wePalamende akafaki litho esikhwameni abakhamba nayo ekhaya, babulawa yindlala begodu kungakho silila. Zoke lezozinto kufanele ziqalisiswe.
Nginithokoza noke, uzimu abe nani nibe netjhudu nanibuyela emakhaya. Ngiyathokoza. [Iwahlo.] (Translation of isiNdebele paragraphs follows.)
[I am asking you to bring those things quickly so that I can take them where they are supposed to be.
I thank you; I wish God blesses all of you and that you have prosperity in your lives and in your homes as you pass the budget of Parliament today. Your ancestors should look after you so that you will live longer to enable you to work for the nation. God bless you so that we can elect you to represent us here in Parliament, because we are taught to work for the nation and those who elected us so that they will feel happy and say Mahlangu, Ntuli, and Mokoena are representing us in Parliament. They don’t just spend our money for no reason. Those who are saying there’s a gravy train in Parliament are fooling the people. Members of Parliament don’t put anything in their pockets and take nothing to their homes. They are dying of hunger, that is why they are complaining. We should look at all of those things.
I thank you all. God be with you and get safely back home. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Debate concluded.
Business suspended at 12:36 and resumed at 14:07.
Afternoon Sitting
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order, hon members! I am informed that the Chief Whip would like to move a motion without notice.
PRECEDENCE TO THIRD ORDER OF DAY
(Draft Resolution)
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE COUNCIL: Chairperson, I move without notice that precedence be given to the Third Order of the Day, namely:
Policy debate on Budget Vote No 4: Home Affairs
Agreed to.
APPROPRIATION BILL
(Policy Debate)
Vote No 4 - Home Affairs:
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Thank you, Chairperson, thank you Chief Whip for being so considerate and thank you, Minister Sonjica. I just came from the National Assembly to present our Budget Vote here in this Council.
Chairperson, Deputy Minister Gigaba in absentia, hon members, the Director- General of Home Affairs, senior management of the department, comrades and dear friends, today has been an unprecedented occasion because we presented our Budget Vote before both Houses of Parliament on the same day.
This morning we presented and participated in the debate for our budget in the National Assembly. When I introduced the budget debate in the National Assembly I touched on the issues relating to the recent spate of xenophobic violent attacks that ravaged some of our communities. I made a call to all South Africans to work together to seek constructive solutions to the challenges we face and act as examples to future generations who may have to deal with similar challenges.
We, who only few years ago emerged from an ugly past of discrimination based on colour and ethnicity, should not have been the ones to find ourselves in this situation. More than a decade ago, after decades of conflict, we vowed to rid our country of the ills of prejudice and oppression. During his inauguration, our former President Nelson Mandela committed us as the nation to work tirelessly for these ideals when he said:
Never, neverand never again shall it be that this beautiful land again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.
Our people here at home and indeed the millions all over the world were comforted by this assurance. It is sad for our country today that after we had been hailed as an example of how a nation can heal the wounds of the past, we found ourselves having to deal with sections of our society engaging in such levels of prejudice.
Given the leading role that our country is playing in the reconstruction of our continent and our region, we are once again called upon to do everything we can to ensure that the incidences of last month are never repeated. I invite hon members to use this opportunity during this debate to join the many South Africans who genuinely love this country by rededicating ourselves to fight the scourge of racism and xenophobia.
I must mention that of the 60 people who have died, we have lost 19 South Africans and 18 unidentified people, five Zimbabweans and one Somalian. Nonetheless, of the nationalities that have been identified, the highest number identified is in fact South Africans. Currently 18 are unidentified and we still have to see from the unidentified what the number will be. It is important for all of us to appreciate that both South Africans and foreigners have been caught up in this wave of violence.
We’ve always seen the budget debate of the Department of Home Affairs as being about the issues that directly affect our clients on the ground. The NCOP allows us the opportunity to engage directly with the experiences from the provincial and local level where our people interact with the department on a daily basis. This is more relevant in relation to the kind of budget that we shall be presenting today. This budget is about the work that we shall do over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period to bring about changes that will be felt through the service experienced by our people on the ground.
Last year when we presented our budget, we outlined the genesis of the turnaround programme which started with the appointment of the Support Intervention Task Team in 2006. All these initiatives and their different stages on which we have reported to Parliament on various occasions have been part of the simplest programme that has brought the department to where it is now.
Since the establishment of the Support Intervention Task Team, we’ve conducted a thorough diagnosis of the problems of the department, mapped out the process and stages for solving them, initiated a vision and design for the new Home Affairs and now we are implementing the key elements of that new vision.
The centrality of the department to the work of government as a whole and to the lives of our people makes it imperative that we succeed against all odds. As you are aware, we have a fair share of this. Key amongst this is the fact that while the problems of the department are endemic and require long-term planning, our customers are justified in demanding better services and we are forced into a situation where we should give way to this justified pressure.
The budget that we present today will be different from the previous ones as it represents the implementation phase of the turnaround strategy, making it possible for the customer on the ground to feel the direct impact of the programme on service delivery. The plans that we present are no longer just about conceptualisation and ideas but actual deliverables that will shape the outlook and operations of the new Home Affairs.
During the MTEF period covered by the current budget, we shall roll out the blueprint for this new organisation, represented by over 55 projects that will be implemented as part of phase two of the turnaround programme.
We have once again come before Parliament after our presentation of the Budget Vote last year to give feedback on the work that we have done in the last year and to outline our plans for the coming year. Today we shall present the foundation that we have been laying for the past three years which is now firmly in place. We are ready to roll out a new and improved Department of Home Affairs.
The year 2008 represents for us the year for the consolidation of the turnaround programme that we first announced when we assumed the leadership of the department in 2004. We are confident that the work that we have been doing since then could now be translated into real service benefits for the clientele we serve.
Hon members would remember that when we presented our Budget Vote we made certain bold undertakings with regard to our plans to deal with the systemic and capacity problems facing the department. At that time we had indicated that after we received the report of the intervention task team, we would move to act on their recommendations to initiate a comprehensive turnaround for the department.
While we fully understood the impatience of our clients with service delivery frustrations, we also needed to make sure that any transformation programme within the department was one that was comprehensive, thoroughgoing and sustainable. I believe that we now have such a programme.
In as far as ensuring a new customer-based business model is concerned, one of the recommendations of the intervention support team has been for us to investigate the feasibility of an organisational reconfiguration of the department. As a result of this feasibility investigation, we have introduced a new structure for the Department of Home Affairs based on a partial separation of the two main core businesses of the department.
We have redesigned our business models based on the understanding of all our different customers as well as what the different studies expect from each one of them and what the preferred channels are of the services we offer to them. The department has a wide range of clients and customers, ranging from its citizens that require enabling documents, foreigners that sojourn in our country, banks and retailers who depend on our database as well as other government entities that provide services to our people. As we shall report here today, the support requirements such as technology, people and facilities are also being approved in line with the new model. That is a new efficient way to provide civic services for South Africans. The work of our civic services branch has become top priority in this budget as it serves to support key Apex Priorities announced by the President during the state of the nation address.
The key achievements in processes that will be reviewed for civic services are those in the ID production process. The transformation of the ID process is serving as a benchmark for the rest of the processes within civic services including passports, birth, marriage and death registration. We have succeeded in eliminating blockages within the ID production processes. We continued to reduce the turnaround times for ID-production from the initial 180 days it used to take last year to the current turnaround of 87 days. The total of 180 days gives us six months and we are now at the two and a half months stage. We are aiming for 60 days which comes to a total of two months.
As hon members are aware, we launched a track-and-trace system for ID applications last year. Currently the track-and-trace system is being used as a management and service tool for improving operations management as well as making it easier for our customers to enquire about applications. It is also assisting us to determine the productivity of our officials, the quality of their work and flushing out corrupt activities in the production of IDs.
Our contact centre is now fully operational and is providing support for the ID track-and-trace. While it was initially established to deal with civic services enquiries, the call centre has now increased its scope and is now assisting Home Affairs customers for all its services in the department, including those in immigration. The volumes for the call centre now have increased from 4 000 to 100 000 per month.
The benefits of the completion of our Automated Fingerprinting Identification System Afis, are now visible through the introduction of our online verification system, the detection of identity fraud and crime fighting in general. The online verification of the Afis is now in its pilot stage and, in our top 40 offices, has improved the reliability of data used in civic services application.
The success of the sanitisation process of our national population register is the need to deal with those individuals who are acquiring our documents illegally, including through exploiting the system of late birth registration. We had in good faith allowed for late registration of births to take place because, in the past, a significant number of South Africans had been disadvantaged and could not register births at an early age. This system had been open to abuse. I am sure all of us from the provinces are familiar with this. We have now decided to review the provisions of the registration of late births to provide for more stringent criteria in this regard.
We continue to be committed to assisting South Africans who still do not have access to identity documents. We shall make sure that those who do not qualify are removed from our system. Remember that access to a birth certificate allows you access to an ID document and therefore to citizenship of the country. There are many people who have had access to citizenship of this country through access to a birth certificate.
I am also happy to announce that Cabinet has now given us the go-ahead to start the rollout for the new smart ID card. The introduction of the card will enhance the current process of improving our ID production process as it can be produced more efficiently than the current green bar-coded ID. The card will also provide for a secure and reliable identity system that can be relied upon by our users and our customers.
The benefits of the card will obviously not be limited to the services of the department but will advantage the country as a whole, including other government departments and the private sector. It is our aim that the first rollout of the ID cards will be in December and that our targets would be the most vulnerable groups. This is the last leg of our Home Affairs National Identity System – our Hanis.
There should also be visible improvements in the area of passport production. As promised last year the new passport production machine has now been procured and will be installed at the Government Printing Works by the end of August this year. The machine will have the capacity to produce the e-passport at a later stage and will improve efficiency as it could produce up to 40 000 passports per day.
This year will see the start of the rollout of our centres of excellence. These offices will be the examples of how the new Home Affairs office will look and operate in the future. We intend to start by piloting this with one office in each province, and plans for the first one to be opened in Soweto, Gauteng, are already at an advanced stage. We shall also roll out the refurbishment of the look and feel of our current offices. Most of these offices are in a bad state and we have put aside a budget for the facelift. We shall improve the walling, internal design, waiting chairs, counters and signage in our offices. About 150 of these offices will be completed by December this year.
The national immigration branch, which supports economic and foreign policy objectives, will require further capacity in line with the developmental challenges of our new organisational model. As already indicated, a comprehensive immigration policy review shall be undertaken to ensure that our management of immigration response to both our developmental and security objectives are met.
In the meantime we shall proceed with the appointment of airline liaison officers for all major airports and at seven international airports. Seven of them will be appointed in the current financial year and the number will increase to 21 by the end of this Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF.
The turnaround project has reviewed all our permit processes and this has started to show benefits, particularly in the issuing of work permits critical for skills acquisition in our country. During the past year the department issued over 13 000 work permits and this includes both general work permits and quarterly skills work permits.
In addition to this the department has also established a large accounts unit to assist those companies that have a large requirement for foreign skills. The unit started with the piloting of four companies, mainly those involved in infrastructure development to support our economy. The four companies are Lafarge Construction, Anglo American, Bombela Consortium for the building of the Gautrain and ArcelorMittal. They have been assisted with 1 801 permits to date.
The process of the transformation of the refugee system has been under way since last year. This includes the introduction of a new technology solution that allows for the integration of systems in our entire reception centre. You will recall, hon members, that one of the major challenges which the department is facing is the lack of integration of our systems. We are happy to announce that a system of integration has been rolled out.
The Refugees Amendment Bill which is currently before Parliament has been introduced with a view to improve our obligation to provide protection to deserving asylum seekers.
The challenges that affect the Department of Home Affairs are deep-seated and have been the source of inconvenience for our people for a long time. However, we do not share the view that these challenges are insurmountable. We believe that the turnaround project being implemented in the department is the first real opportunity to improve its systems and serve our people better. I am aware that it has become normal to presume that things will always remain as they are, but we are aware that there are already increasing numbers of our people on the ground who can attest to a real improvement in service delivery.
We will continue to do everything to ensure that this experience of change is felt by all and we invite you to join us on this journey. We also invite members to give both positive and negative feedback on the experience of the turnaround in their various constituencies. This will help us to deal effectively with and find solutions to existing problems.
I do want, at this point, to thank the chairperson and the hon members of the select committee for the unwavering support which they have given to us during our term of office. I also want to thank you for your constructive criticism, your critical analysis and critical oversight of the work which you have been doing in this department. I want to thank you also for the support which you have given to us after you have been out in your constituencies and come back to give us the necessary feedback, be it negative or positive feedback. We have always appreciated it because we have been able to go back and rectify whatever weaknesses you have identified.
And I want to thank all hon members in this House for the debates which we held on several occasions. Thank you very much, hon members. [Applause.]
Ms H LAMOELA: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, members and departmental officials, someone once said: “You do not drown by falling into the water; You drown when staying in there.”
The Department of Home Affairs is known to be riddled with allegations of corruption, wasted expenditure and inefficiency. It received qualified audits for years in a row and one year it even received a disclaimer. I sincerely want to believe that the dark clouds that engulfed the Department of Home Affairs are slowly starting to give way. Rays of sunlight are breaking through as our present Director-General, Mr M Msimang, is trying his utmost to stay on top of the challenges and corruption still facing the Department of Home Affairs.
One could not expect the situation in the ddepartment to be turned around immediately as irregularities occurred for many years. Those that were leading and in charge were some of the main defaulters, thus huge corruption at top level was experienced. I remember when our committee once visited the department’s offices in Kimberley; we were greeted by vacant offices and empty chairs once occupied by senior personnel. Staff members were demotivated and services which were of vital importance to citizens were in jeopardy.
During our committee briefing I realised that our present Director-General for Home Affairs, Mr Msimang, was on top of the challenges facing his department. The DA is always accused of making up stories but today I want to sing praises to a man that really took stock, and it is a relief, of the situation in his department and I feel that he has now clearly identified issues facing his department. His very honest approach in this matter is highly appreciated. He has implemented quick-fixes such as - and here I will only name a few: Firstly, he implemented a new contact centre for the department; secondly, he put into operation a special skills help desk and trained 1 249 frontline staff on track and trace - to improve visibility into the status of identity documents; thirdly, he implemented a new postal receipt process to streamline flow and monitor the quality of identity document application; and fourthly, he more than doubled productivity in key identity document process bottleneck areas, with turnaround time reduced from 27 to a mere 4 days in fingerprint verification.
He then proceeded to outline his strategic objectives for the department. Timeframes are now set for these objectives. In the past, timeframes were also set and if the Department of Public Works, Eskom and the Department of Finance remain stable participants by pressing on for a successful department of government, these goals can be easily achieved.
Resources and basic infrastructure for offices, especially in rural areas, also need to be attended to if the department wants to operate effectively. A dedicated, motivated staff component is of pivotal importance and the will to succeed needs to be nurtured. Staff need to understand what it is all about: Serving civil society in a dignified and professional manner and that competence, effectiveness and humanity are key issues of service delivery. Citizens at all times and places need to exercise their constitutional rights to access documents that affirm their identity.
The DA wants to congratulate you for introducing mobile units. I was told by the director-general that about 100 of them are already in place in and around our provinces. I have seen some at Parliament and I hope they do the work that they need to - with the state of the art technology that is valuable to our communities, especially in the rural areas. Adults who could not manage to travel to the next local office due to lack of finances can now apply for their identity documents when these mobile units visit their villages.
Our borders need to be thoroughly guarded by police, as this step will enable the Department of Home Affairs to keep track of immigrants or refugees entering our country. Perhaps the army needs to be brought back, seeing that the country is faced with a scarce skills challenge and that monitoring of our borders is of pivotal importance for our systems to be interconnected.
Immigrants pose a serious threat to our social structures and any country should in any case be able to account for legal and illegal immigrants within its borders. Europe has eight million illegal immigrants, yet South Africa cannot account for its influx.
Resources at borders must be up to standard, maintained and properly controlled. Perhaps we should start at our borders to process people for refugee status, thus taking the load off the department.
The recent situation in our country has placed a tremendous burden on local government, yet we need to act in a humane manner to alleviate the plight of refugees. We are a few months away from the 2010 Soccer World Cup and I would suggest that Beit Bridge, one of the busiest border posts, be prioritised for repairs and maintenance.
Huge staff vacancies exist and citizens still have to stand in long queues. This situation hampers service delivery and one wonders how the governing party will be judged by what they have achieved and how they have contributed to a better life for all the people. Vacancies must be filled to reduce the unemployment rate of 40% in our country.
In conclusion, with the limited available resources, the Department of Home Affairs still faces many challenges. The hon Minister needs to act swiftly and firmly as strategies alone cannot turn the tide of dysfunctionality, incompetence, lack of capacity and corruption. I thank you. [Applause.]
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Chairperson, I have a completely different agenda and programme. It is with humility that we commend you to vote for Home Affairs. Most probably, this is the last Budget Vote we shall present to you during this present term of our government. This Vote that we present today is a reflection of the difficult ground we have traversed during the past four years as well as the choices we have made during that time.
The question arises whether the turnaround blueprint we are implementing is anything more than just a paper tiger. What distinguishes it, though, is the following: It derives from a scientific and extensive, yet brutally honest, diagnosis of the department. It is predicated on a sound new vision and design and is thus not limited to tinkering with the status quo and is therefore not reformist. It is supported by an extensive turnaround team of experts and it enjoys the whole-hearted support of the department. It has a dedicated budget allocation and it enjoys the full political support of the executive. We know that cynics and critics will continue to doubt whether this vision is authentic and whether it will succeed, but we are certain that there is no turning back now and that we will succeed.
During this Youth Month we are happy to report that we have continued to seek ways to empower the youth by supporting government’s agenda for youth and skills development. For 2008 and 2009, 200 interns and 550 National Youth Service participants will be recruited, trained and placed throughout the department. Working with other partners, we are developing further programmes to empower these youths through regular training and capacity- building programmes. The Umsobomvu Youth Fund pledged R4 million towards these programmes. This amount will be released after a memorandum of understanding has been signed between parties.
We are further developing empowerment and capacity-building programmes for the youth and the department within the context of the turnaround programme. This should assist young people in the department to understand and participate in the turnaround programme as well as to develop their leadership capabilities. Working with the Department of Education, we are implementing an “ID Yourself” campaign targeting 16-year-olds.
During this financial year a total of R50,9 million has been budgeted for the Film and Publication Board, FPB. We are pleased that the Films and Publications Amendment Act is now close to finality so that we can hasten to improve the effectiveness of the FPB. This Bill will come into effect when both the Sexual Offences Act as well as the Children’s Act have already been passed. While the disjuncture between the budget of the FPB and its ever-growing mandate and demands remain a challenge, creative ways will continue to be found to enable the organisation to discharge its responsibilities. The significance of this is underscored by the service the FPB has undertaken in the past two years which have highlighted a growing demand to protect children from sexual exploitation as well as from exposure to illicit material through the media, Internet and mobile phones. Under the able leadership of the hon Annelizé van Wyk, the Ministerial Task Team on Child Pornography has worked hard to try to co-ordinate our efforts in this regard and to lead the campaign to combat this crime.
Research data is limited on the phenomenon of Internet and cellphone child abuse. The extent of the problem in South Africa is not known, but some estimates claim that there are more than one million child abuse images available daily on the Internet. This figure is escalating, given that unprecedented numbers of people now have access to Internet and mobile phones. Children with Internet and cellphones are more vulnerable to abuse, especially when they utilise these technologies without supervision.
From 1-2 June this year we hosted a National Indaba on Preventing the Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Combating Child Pornography which was attended by various stakeholders including some hon members from this House. On 1 July 2008 the FPB will launch an Internet hotline service which will enable members of the public to report anonymously online any unsolicited child pornography or sexual abuse images discovered on the Internet. The hotline will be available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The website, the first of its kind on the African continent, is also intended to alert Internet service providers of criminal activities that relate to child pornography and/or sexual abuse images hosted on their servers or distributed through their infrastructure. The FPB will also join a network of Internet hotlines worldwide by becoming a member of the International Association of Internet Hotlines, Inhope, in order to exchange information about illegal content with other Inhope members worldwide. This will further allow us to take action against images of child sexual abuse on the Internet hosted outside South Africa.
During this financial year the FPB will do the following: Implement the National Indaba Programme of Action; implement the amending Bill; strengthen the capacity and capability at all levels within the board; enhance compliance with corporate governance principles; enhance broader stakeholder participation; enhance international co-operation on child pornography; position the FPB properly; develop a back-up and data recovery infrastructure for the organisation; and develop infrastructure to support a knowledge and information management strategy.
The security printing capabilities of the Government Printing Works, GPW, have given it strong confidence with regard to its ability to provide security printing services in the SADC region. The GPW has procured the state of the art equipment which the Minister has spoken about. We are still pursuing the objective to secure a new facility that will be appropriate for high security printing. Meanwhile, we have secured an alternative temporary location to house the passport manufacturing machine which may eventually become our permanent home. During the past year we strengthened our strategic partnerships and research capabilities working with the SA Planning Institute, Sappi, and SA Bank Note Company, SABN. Once the new site is developed we intend to establish a forensic laboratory to conduct a limited analysis of all face-valued documents the GPW produces.
During last year’s Budget Vote, we indicated that we were on the verge of finalising the GPW’s conversion model and strategy. We have been meticulous in this regard, careful not to adopt a model that would end in inevitable failure. We must emphasise it here that the conversion of the GPW is not intended for the purpose of raising salaries of executive managers, but to ensure the organisation’s efficiency and effectiveness in the discharge of its mandate as a state security printing agency.
Today we wish to report to you that we are closer than we have ever been to concluding this process. A feasible business case can be made to incorporate the GPW into a Schedule 3B public entity over a five-year period. Ultimately we agreed on a model that would see the GPW converted into a government component in terms of the legislation approved on 1 April this year. This is in view of the fact that the GPW’s state of readiness is not yet at the point of a full and successful conversion. The government component will provide GPW with an appropriate model to achieve its objectives, but in a phased and sustainable manner. A notice of operation will be published by the end of June this year in this regard, thus ushering in the new era of GPW operating as a government component as it consolidates its financial viability.
Over the next five years, the GPW will generate approximately R1 billion of revenue in security printing. During this financial year, GPW will consolidate the transformation process it began during the past year. This will include the following: Completing the establishment of the government component; proceeding with technology upgrades, upgrading our machinery and IT systems; implementing the marketing and alignment strategy; and continuing to seek new premises. We trust that the select committee will support us in this endeavour.
I wish again to join the Minister in thanking the select committee, this House, the Minister as well as all those in the department and the Ministry who have supported us in pursuing our programme of action. Thank you very much.
Ms J M MASILO: Hon Minister of Home Affairs and the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, hon Minister of Minerals and Energy, the DG of the Department of Home Affairs, ladies and gentlemen and comrades, the Department of Home Affairs has a mandate to protect and regulate the interests of the inhabitants of the Republic of South Africa in respect of their individual status, identity and specific rights and the powers to promote a supporting service to this effect.
It is also responsible for managing migration at ports of entry, to ensure national security, to enable economic development and tourism and to promote good international relations. The department processes and issues birth, marriage and death certificates; identity documents; and identification, citizenship and travel documents as well as passports. In addition, immigration services processes such as visas, work, study and other permits as well as applications for refugee status are processed.
The entities reporting to the department are the Film and Publication Board; the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC; and the Government Printing Works. Through engaging on these mandates the department aims to improve services to marginalised communities to deepen democracy and to promote social security by developing human resource capacity.
The department continues with plans to recognise its structure capacity and operations in order to ensure that it has qualified and suitable personnel to meet service demands. The filling of critical funded posts has been identified by the turnaround programme as well as in the 2008 state of the nation address and they are crucial in this regard. It is critical that the restructuring of the department be finalised by the turnaround programme in order to prevent any further delay this may create in the employment process, so to improve business processes and turnaround times.
Initiatives include process redesigns, establishing operation management, reviewing of service level agreements, developing centres of excellence and targeted information technology, IT, intervention which will result in a major transformation of both civic and immigration services as most offices in our country use the manual system, especially in the townships and rural areas.
In the 2008 state of the nation address, again, reference was made to the Department of Home Affairs touching the core of every citizen’s life. In this regard the select committee welcomed the department’s decision during the course of 2008 to work towards the following: Implementing the turnaround strategy approved by Cabinet; improving the information technology system and training staff on the new system; piloting the new smart identity card, addressing corruption; and improving strategies aimed at border control and security.
The state of the nation address placed emphasis on improving strategies aimed at border control and security. The department‘s strategies aim to ensure foreign representation and an increase in access to services, all of which require extra spending. The construction of new buildings, however, was a priority in Phuthaditjhaba, Sebokeng and Taung in the North West. It is estimated that all three contracts will be awarded in the 2008-09 budget.
The committee welcomes this development after the recommendations from our oversight visits and the Taking Parliament to the People programme. In the case of Taung in the North West, there is no Home Affairs building and they started building the new offices after our visit.
As a committee we also condemn the xenophobic attacks on foreigners in the strongest terms possible. We need to identify who are foreigners in South Africa, because some people from other countries are called investors whereas those from Africa are called foreigners. Let South Africans stop the discrimination and attacks or black-on-black violence.
The Film and Publication Board received R12 million in 2008-09, which is a 63% real increase for 2008-09 and an annual nominal increase of around 28% over the MTEF period. This includes an enhanced framework for media content analysis and child-safe environments to develop institutional capacity and leadership and improve the visibility and credibility of the board.
In addition amendments proposed to the Films and Publications Amendment Bill include, amongst others, an almost doubling of planned computer game classifications of 1 200 games and emphasis on child pornography and protection. The Deputy Minister has our outline about the Bill, following our oversight visits and monitoring processes in the committee.
Challenges that the Department of Home Affairs faces are how to monitor improvements and turnaround times for the processing of enabling documents, as well as eliminating discrepancies and duplication in these documents.
Another challenge is the reviewing of the piloting of the new Smart ID card, which was targeted for June 2008. Another challenge is to assess progress towards ensuring the new passport machine. The Minister alluded to that. There should also be detailed progress towards the improvement of information technology and monitoring strategies aimed at strengthening the department’s leadership capacity, particularly filling the critical vacancies within the next six-month period.
These are fundamental issues which must be addressed by the Department of Home Affairs. They include financial management and control levels, service delivery and corruption, security and risk management, organisational structure and people placement and IT facilities.
The turnaround strategy is clearly an attempt to transform the department into a modern, efficient, cost-effective service organisation, responsive to the needs of South African citizens, residents and visitors to our country.
In Marabastad, Pretoria, there is a great improvement. I travel on that road twice a week to the airport and back to Ga-Rankuwa. Even if the Department of Home Affairs is not responsible for allocating houses, there is the important partnership with the sister departments like Local Government, Housing, the SA National Defence Force, the SA Police Service, and Foreign Affairs, etc.
An operational special skills help desk is earmarked by the department to reduce backlogs, to manage migration at ports of entry to be consulted to determine the status of asylumseekers to ensure national security and integrity, to enable economic development and to promote good international relations.
In conclusion, at a briefing on 4 June 2008, the new Director-General of Home Affairs, Mr Msimang, gave an update on the transformation programme on to the select committee. He was so honest and straight to the point about the achievements and challenges facing the department on the turnaround strategy. It is now clear that over the past 10 years the department has been turned around. The Direcetor-General was applauded by members of the opposition - the hon Lamoela - member of the DA, and she even did that in this House publicly. You are doing a very good job, Mr Msimang.
I would like to thank the Minister and the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs for their support, the DG and the officials of the department, dedicated members of the Select Committee on Social Services and comrades in the study group. God bless you all for working together during this term of office. The committee and the chairperson support Budget Vote No 4. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mrs J N VILAKAZI: Chairperson, hon Ministers and hon members, the Department of Home Affairs has been plagued by poor performance and poor service delivery for a number of years. To that must be added the repeated qualified audits the department has received from the Auditor-General pointing to poor financial management, a lack of skills and high vacancy rates. But the government acknowledged the problems at Home Affairs and appointed a new Director-General and a turnaround team to solve the problems in the department.
The new Director-General and his turnaround team should be praised for their efforts in improving performance as the department is in fact making progress in improving service delivery, especially on improving turnaround times for official documents and services to citizens. [Applause.] It is nevertheless very important that the department accelerates its efforts to make further improvements so that effective service delivery becomes the norm rather than the exception.
One area that the department must improve on is immigration policy and processes. The recent attacks on foreigners have shown that there is a huge policy gap on immigration matters that must be addressed urgently. The current situation simply causes havoc and uncertainty for South Africans and foreigners alike. One aspect that must be addressed is how to safeguard foreigners who have legitimate reasons for being in the country as well as refugees who fled their country of origin for political or economic reasons.
While there has been a concerted effort to address fraud and corruption amongst Home Affairs personnel, it is still an area of concern that needs targeted intervention to improve public confidence in the department’s services and officials.
Sihlalo ohloniphekileyo, siyacela nokho ukuthi labo abazithola kuthiwa sebafa kodwa bephila ukuthi uMnyango usheshe ubakhulule kuleso simo esingesihle neze. Kubuhlungu ukuhamba unesitifiketi sokufa. Sengathi lokho uMnyango ungasheshe ukulungise ukuze kuthi kuqalwa nje kufunwa isigebengu esenze lo mkhuba lowo muntu yena ovelelwe yileli lishwa senimukhululile ekufeni. UMnyango awuthi ulwenza uphenyo, umuntu ohlukumezekileyo abe esekhululekile.
Thina be-IFP siyasemukela lesi sabiwomali soMnyango. Ngenxa yokuthi isikhathi ngisenaso, make ngithi ukuphawula mayelana nomahamba nendlwana. Siyababonga omahamba nendlwana kodwa bazungeza emadolobheni lapha kukhona khona imigwaqo ekhonkiwe, bese kuthi laba bantu abahluphekayo emajukujukwini asemakhaya basale benjalo.
Okusho ukuthi-ke manje uMnyango Wezasekhaya kudingeka usebenzisane noMnyango Wezokuthutha ukuthi kulungiswe imigwaqo ngoba mibi, bese kuthi labo abaphuma nomahamba nendlwana bazungeza khona lapha kukhona khona uMnyango wezaseKhaya. Ngiyabonga, sengikushilo ebengifuna ukukusho. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Hon Chairperson, we request that the department speedily help those people who find themselves being considered dead whilst they are still alive. The department should act swiftly to grant these people relief before the criminals who are behind this scam are arrested.
We as the IFP support this Budget Vote of the department. Since my time is not up yet, I will quickly comment on the mobile units. We are grateful for the mobile units but they only operate in urban areas where there are tarred roads, while the poor people in remote rural areas who really need them are left without any.
This means that the Department of Home Affairs needs to work with the Department of Transport in order to rehabilitate and maintain roads because they are in a bad state. As a result you find that the people who are operating these mobile units only go in circles around places that already have Department of Home Affairs offices in their vicinities. I thank you and I have said all I wanted to say.]
Dr F J VAN HEERDEN: Chairperson, every South African sometimes needs to go to Home Affairs. It is not a very nice place to go to but you have to go there from time to time. Maybe the hon Minister must consider putting some flowers in the Home Affairs offices just to give it some character. I think it could be lifted up a little bit.
What is government’s policy regarding illegal immigrants? Is it a crime or does this government simply turn a blind eye? I think it is a crime to cross any border, particularly our borders, illegally. And if so, why does government prevent effective organisations such as the commandos by dismantling them? Why does government, through the Police Commissioner in Limpopo, for example, de facto prevent informal patrols by farming communities to arrest illegal immigrants in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act?
It is clear that Home Affairs, understandably, does not have the ability to deal with the illegal immigrants issue on its own. It needs to get assistance from other stakeholders in government.
Voorsitter, daar is baie Zimbabwiërs in Suid-Afrika. Baie van hulle is wettig, maar net so baie is onwettig hier. Sommige lewer ’n bydrae tot die ekonomie; ander leef van misdaad. Sommige hou ons eie landsburgers uit beroepe uit; ander vervul ’n aanvullende rol. In werklikheid, en in vele opsigte, sorg Suid-Afrika vir Zimbabwe. Ons verskaf elektrisiteit teen ’n goedkoper tarief as wat huishoudings in Suid-Afrika betaal. Ons huisves baie Zimbabwiërs – sommige wettig; ander onwettig. Vir alle praktiese doeleindes is Zimbabwe reeds deel van Suid-Afrika. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.) [Chairperson, there are many Zimbabweans in South Africa. Many of them are here legally, but just as many are here illegally. Some are making a contribution to the economy; others live off crime. Some keep our own citizens out of jobs; others play an auxiliary role. In reality, and in many respects, South Africa provides for Zimbabwe. We supply electricity at a cheaper tariff in comparison to what households in South Africa pay. We accommodate many Zimbabweans - some legally; others illegally. For all practical purposes, Zimbabwe is already part of South Africa.]
I am not sure whether there is a particular hidden agenda but maybe the reluctant way in which government is dealing with Zimbabwean citizens is to prepare the way to have Zimbabwe as another province of South Africa. Now the question arises: Is Zimbabwe invading South Africa or is South Africa gradually colonising Africa, starting with Zimbabwe? Maybe the Minister can reply to that, because that is a possibility.
The Minister has also said that one should come with negative and positive remarks about her department. I know of very positive remarks and I also know of very negative remarks. In the ten minutes left, unfortunately, I cannot deal with anyone of these. Thank you, Chairperson.
The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Thank you, Chair, and thanks to all the members who have participated in this debate. I did not expect to be called as yet. I thought there were still members before me who, according to my list, would speak. Thank you very much. I take the comments very well and thanks for the warm and kind words which have been directed at the Director-General of Home Affairs. We made an undertaking here last year in this House during our budget debate after receiving a report of the intervention task team. You will recall that there were certain recommendations made by that intervention task team. One of those was that we should go the route of finding a DG who would be an excellent administrator and hands-on manager. I made an undertaking that we would go all out to look, headhunt and find that kind of manager, and we found one. I must say that on behalf of myself and the Deputy Minister, we are confident that the kind of DG we have found will be able to turn this department around.
Coupled with that we went out to find a team of experts - a team of consultants - and of course there were articles in the media about how much it was going to cost us to pay that team of consultants, but we had to bite the bullet. We got the team. We contracted AT Kearney and FeverTree’s team of consultants, a team of well-renowned, international experts responsible for the turnaround, amongst others, in the SA Revenue Service, Sars. We brought them into the Department of Home Affairs and they have been working together with the DG to turn that department around. We are happy that today at least we have laid a very solid foundation to take the Department of Home Affairs to higher levels. I am happy that the team is here in the gallery together with us today. Sven de Kock is here, on behalf of FeverTree. I’m sorry that Roelf Meyer is not here because he is one of the people who came and made the presentation to me on what AT Kearney and FeverTree are capable of doing. I don’t regret the day I allowed them to make that presentation.
There have been comments on the mobile units. I must say that when we conceptualised the idea of having mobile units in the various provinces, we did it in good faith. Ours was to ensure that people’s services were taken closer to where they live. Obviously because of where we come from and the problems of offices, which are far away because of the distances people have to travel to get to the nearest offices, we decided that we should launch the mobile unit projects.
I am aware of some of the challenges related to those mobile units and I’m aware that there is a particular work stream within the turnaround projects which is dealing specifically with the mobile unit projects just to see what it is that we can do to deal with that situation. Ours was to say this is what we would like to have. Unfortunately we were let down by some of the officials who were dealing with that project by not actually planning to ensure that, as we were contracting and securing these mobile units, we would also budget for their maintenance - their drivers and - everything that goes with mobile units. The DG, together with that team, is now looking at what it is that we can do to improve that situation. With regard to the issue of border control, yes there have been calls from several quarters that maybe, with hindsight, it was a mistake to withdraw the army from the borders. That’s a debate. I think what has happened in the country has now necessitated a review of policy on a whole range of issues, but it has also sparked a dialogue within our society. Let us engage in dialogue. Let us engage in discussion. What is it that we should do as South Africans to improve the situation at the borders? We also need to do that in our society so that in future our people do not find ways of expressing their anger and frustration in the manner in which they have done.
Earlier on it was mentioned that the European Union, EU, has the ability to account for it’s illegal or undocumented migrants. I challenge that. I haven’t heard of a country which can clearly stand up and account for undocumented migrants. No one can account for people who are undocumented. You can speculate about the figures. You can say we have an estimate but you can’t say this is the exact number - and that’s not only the case with South Africa. A number of people are saying we have so many millions and America says they have so many million Mexicans. You can say we have such a number of asylumseekers or refugees but to say that about undocumented migrants is impossible because, by their very nature, they are illegal and evading the law. They are a very mobile community that is evading the law so it’s impossible to say this is the exact number. They are breaking the law and violating the laws. They wouldn’t want to be caught and they would not want to participate in any country’s census. So it’s always estimates about how many people enter your country illegally.
With regard to the issue of corruption, I am sure you are aware that there’s a lot which has been done in the department to deal with the challenges of corruption. Really, there’ve been suspensions and people have been charged. The challenge for us in the department - I must say this - is to ensure that as we take people through the courts of law, those cases are taken to their logical conclusions. You may charge a person, for instance, for defacing the South African document or even for selling documents, but if there is no appreciation from the person who presides over that case about the value of the South African document or about the value of the case the person is handling, then there’s a challenge.
A number of people have been arrested but we never know exactly how their case is concluded. So the challenge for all of us is for the judiciary and the security cluster to make sure that the people who handle these cases are educated about the value of the South African document and act against a person who sells a South African document and who’s found to have violated our Identification Act by selling or even registering a person fraudulently through abusing our late registration processes. There has to be an appreciation of the nature and the gravity of the crime the person has committed.
It doesn’t help that at the level of the Department of Home Affairs we arrest all these people. We send them through the police and the police open dockets and when they get to court, people win those cases because there’s no appreciation of the nature and the seriousness of those cases. So the challenge for us is the importance of appreciating the gravity and the seriousness of the cases and the crimes the people commit.
Mrs Vilakazi raises the issue of immigration policy. Yes we accept that there are gaps in our immigration policy and we have also identified those gaps. However, we cannot say that those gaps have resulted in the outbreak of xenophobic attacks such as those we have seen. We can’t. What has happened is clearly a challenge to our society that something has gone wrong. It is a societal challenge. All of us need to put our heads together and understand what it is that has gone wrong in our society which has led to our people handling problems in the manner in which they have done.
We cannot say it was because of the gaps in our immigration policy that people have expressed their anger in the manner in which they have done. If you look at what has happened, it doesn’t matter if you have a document or not; people have been attacked. As I said earlier on, 19 South Africans have lost their lives in Gauteng alone. They’ve been killed and they are not foreigners. They’ve been caught up in this wave of violence. So what has happened there? And these are some of the questions which we need to engage on. Mr Van Heerden says that maybe Zimbabwe should become one of our provinces
- a 10th province. I don’t know why it should become one of our provinces but I can only say that in the situation where we’ve had these xenophobic attacks, five Zimbabweans were killed. Some people are saying that Zimbabweans are being targeted because there are many Zimbabweans in South Africa. Yes there are many Zimbabweans, but there are also Malawians and Mozambicans. I’m sure you’ve heard of many Mozambicans who have fled back to Mozambique and who’ve crossed the borders back into their country, of course, assisted by the Mozambican government. Some people have called for us to declare that all Mozambicans and all Zimbabweans who are in the country should be granted refugee status but it was not only the Zimbabweans who have been attacked. As I said, we have lost one Somalian and Mozambican citizens.
It’s a whole range of people who have been caught up in this violence. So in this country when we talk about migrants who are here, we are talking about Basotho, Malawians, Mozambicans and Zimbabweans. Yes Zimbabwe has economic challenges which have led to a number of economic migrants from Zimbabwe streaming into South Africa. The challenge is for all of us to find ways of dealing with the economic challenges within the region. My understanding is that South Africa has been trying to find ways of assisting some of the countries to resolve those challenges.
We have a number of Congolese, in particular in the Western Cape. South Africa, amongst other things, if you’ll recall, Mr Van Heerden, has been actively participating in the resolution of the conflict in the Congo precisely because we were trying to find ways of getting the Congolese to remain in the Congo by trying to find a solution and resolving that conflict. The President, mandated by SADC, has been participating in the resolution of the conflict in Zimbabwe precisely because we know that at the end of the day we are at the receiving end. We have a number of people from Zimbabwe who are in South Africa. So the challenge for South Africa is to continue to assist with the resolution of conflict and of the economic challenges in countries rather than to see it as a problem where, perhaps, we should now actually be colonisers. I’m sure that was said in jest or on a lighter note.
The last issue I would like to address is that of safeguarding foreigners. All of us need safeguarding. It is the responsibility of the police to safeguard both foreigners and South Africans. We believe that the policy of integration of migrants has not failed. In fact the foreigners who are currently residing in those temporary shelters should be moved as speedily as possible. We have to find an exit strategy for them to be reintegrated into those communities because if we continue having shelters such as the one we have, we will have a Darfur. Darfur started because people had to find temporary shelter. It has become a permanent shelter. We don’t need that kind of shelter. We believe our policy of integration of asylumseekers, refugees and migrants in this country has succeeded. Ours is to find a solution and to find answers as to what it is that has sparked this wave of violence after many years of living harmoniously with migrants. When we, by the way, declared a general amnesty in 1996, a total of almost 300 000 from within the region benefited from that process and actually received permanent residence. So we’ve always relied on migrant labour from within the region. What is it - and they lived harmoniously with us in our communities - that has happened which has led to this? This is what all of us must find out in our communities and in our constituencies. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr T S Setona): Thank you, hon Minister. Before I call upon the Secretary to read the Second Order, allow me to thank the hon Minister and the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and also acknowledge in our midst the hon Minister of Public Works.
Debate concluded.
APPROPRIATION BILL
(Policy Debate)
Vote No 28 – Minerals and Energy:
The MINISTER OF MINERALS AND ENERGY: Chairperson, hon members, DG and your senior managers, ladies and gentlemen it is important for me to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Chief Whip, the former chairperson of the select committee, for the leadership that she provided during her tenure as the chairperson of the select committee. I also want to congratulate her and note the coincidence that the chairpersons in both Houses of this portfolio committee have become Chief Whips of the two Houses. This is maybe a sign that good things may happen to Mr Sibiya who is now acting as Chairperson. We welcome him.
In 1955, staring down the jackboot of apartheid, people from all walks of South African life, black and white, men and women, gathered at what history would come to name the Freedom Square in Kliptown and declared, in a show of confidence that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can claim legitimacy unless it is based on the will of the people.
Twenty-one years later, high on the inspiration of the words, “Africa my beginning, Africa my ending”, the young lions of our country entered the belly of the apartheid beast and ripped it open for the world to see. With only rubbish bin lids, bricks and Molotov cocktails, they stared an army down and said they would die for liberation before they would live the life of the oppressed.
I present to you the department’s Budget Vote - the second during my tenure and it may be the last - in remembrance of that fateful day of 16 June, which triggered a domino effect whose base was the momentous day of the Freedom Charter, a document which is simple in expression yet so profound in meaning.
The Department of Minerals and Energy’s budget of R3,595 billion for the 2008-09 financial year indicates an increase of 5,21% from last year’s budget of R2,925 billion of which 0,93% was unspent. This budget includes 79,77% that is to be transferred to the state-owned entities, of which 66,95% is set aside for the National Electrification Programme.
In the light of the energy challenges confronting our country, this budget seeks to give concrete expression to the words of Professor Z K Matthews who said:
The peace and security of the modern world demand that the problems of Africa emergent should be tackled with energy and determination that all the skill, the ingenuity and the collective wisdom of all interested parties…
This is particularly the case in light of the fact that SA is in the grip of an emergency with regard to the generation and supply of electricity. Therefore, unless drastic interventions and sacrifices are made, we are going to be in this dire situation for many years to come. In order to respond to the emergency, we have established the National Emergency Response Team which is a partnership between government, business, labour and civil society to mobilise all these sectors and ensure that all South Africans respond to the emergency.
We will introduce interventions such as energy efficiency and demand-side management, accelerated cogeneration, use of renewable energy sources as well as a concerted public education campaign. That it cannot be business as usual is no longer a cliché. We must act together to ensure that we deliver sustainable energy services to all our people. I want to commend all the provinces which have already started to embrace our power conservation programmes to implement this programme - Gauteng is one such province.
A recent National Energy Regulator of South Africa audit paints a dim picture of a R7 billion maintenance and infrastructure backlog in our distribution network, which is increasing annually. That concerns us gravely. We have commissioned Electricity Distribution Industry, EDI Holdings, to urgently analyse this untenable situation and suggest some solutions to it.
Yesterday and today we are hosting a maintenance and distribution summit with the aim of discussing with all role-players the issues bedeviling this important tier of the electricity industry. It is clear to us that filibustering must stop. The deep and isolated pockets of resistance must be eliminated so that real commitment can be displayed by all so that we can achieve the capital and infrastructure investment that the sector needs in order to create six viable, integrated and dynamic regional electricity distributors.
EDI Holdings and my department have visited all nine provinces and we are heartened by the support we have received from 121 of the 187 municipalities that distribute electricity, who to date have signed co- operative agreements with EDI Holdings. Still on this issue, four metros out of the six, Eskom and 13 other municipalities have completed the process of ring - fencing their electricity distribution businesses. We view this as significant progress. I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to all the Premiers, MECs, mayors and officials involved in this transformational and developmental step.
On the Integrated National Electrification Programme, the problem has been the lack of bulk infrastructure, especially in rural areas, which has put a strain on the delivery of the electrification programme. Last year an amount of R282 million was set aside for bulk infrastructure development, resulting in a reduced number of connections planned for the year. This year, once more, out of R1,4 billion allocated for household electrification, a further R380 million has been set aside for the building of another 10 substations and we are targeting three provinces because they have the biggest backlog: KwaZulu-Natal, KZN, which we always see as the darkest province in the country, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape.
This year we will electrify 150 000 households, 2 500 schools and improve the quality of electricity supply in preparation for 2010 and beyond. We have eradicated the backlog of electrification of clinics and aim to achieve universal access to schools by the end of the 2009-10 financial year.
Out of the current electrification expenditure of R1,4 billion, R894 million was utilised for empowerment initiatives. Of this amount, 52% was spent on black economic empowerment companies. These figures reflect a positive commitment towards the socioeconomic upliftment of historically disadvantaged South Africans, especially women.
Last year a total of 5 594 jobs were created through the electrification programme for 479 women, 146 disabled and 3 661 youth. As far as learnerships are concerned, we exceeded our target of 800 and reached 1599.
We are increasing the sources of introducing “igesi” gas into the South African economy for thermal applications of energy. This will be a long journey, “ngoba igesi iduru” [“because gas is expensive”] but we are trying all means to ensure that even those prices are brought down.
We have launched two pilot projects in Tshwane and Mpumalanga with regard to these gas projects. We aimed to connect 20 000 households. To date more than 18 252 households have been connected. The Thembisile pilot project in Mpumalanga has connected over 8 616 households. A total of 26 868 have been connected to Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, and 3 132 are still outstanding. This demonstrates that the LPG uptake is on the increase and that households are keen to use it. We have developed regulations …
… ukwenzela ukuba silwe nala maxabiso egesi aphakame kakhulu. Kaloku loo nto yenza ukuba abantu bethu bangakwazi ukuyithenga ihlale, kuba ixabisa kakhulu. Oko kuqhubela abantu bakuthi ekubeni bajonge ezinye izinto abanokuthi babase ngazo. Ngoko ke senza loo miqathango. Sicela amalungu ale Ndlu asixhase kuloo nto siyenzayo, ukwenzela ukuba kube lula ukusa ugesi ebantwini. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[… for us to fight the high prices of gas which make it impossible for our people to buy in quantity that will last, because the prices are high. This makes our people look for alternative fuels. Therefore we have developed these regulations. We are pleading with the members of this august House to support us in what we are doing so that it can be easier to bring gas to the people.]
We intend to develop this pilot into a fully-fledged project and expand it through Atteridgeville.
… iprojekthi le yegesi siza kuyihambisa siyise kwezinye iindawo ezifana nooMamelodi, njalo njalo, kuba kaloku abantu bayayifuna. Ukuze sikwazi ukwenza oko siza kutsala igesi kula mbhobho kaSasol ugqitha eMamelodi siyifake ezindlwini zaseMamelodi. Loo nto ke iya kwenza ukuba abantu bethu bayifumane lula, kwaye futhi kukhuselekile nokuyisebenzisa. Phofu le nto yegesi abanye abantu bayayoyika. Ndidla ngokuthi mna ndingumntw ana kamama wam; nomama wam uyayoyika le nto kagesi. Kodwa ke ukuba uyajonga phaya kulaa mazwe akoomaMelika, igesi isetyenziswa kakhulu ekuphekeni. Ngoko ke nalapha ke kuthi siza kuyisebenzisa igesi. Phofu masiyiyeke nale nto yokuba igesi isetyenziswa ngabantu abanemirholo esezantsi. Sonke nje, ukuqala apha kum, kufuneka sikwazi ukuyisebenzisa igesi. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[This gas project will be expanded to other places like Mamelodi, etc, because people are in need of it. In order for us to do that, we are going to use the gas from the Sasol pipe which passes through Mamelodi to supply the houses in Mamelodi. That will make it easier for our people to get it and it will also be safe to use it. But some people are afraid of gas. I like to say that I am my mother’s baby; my mother is also afraid of gas. But if you look at countries like America, gas is used more for cooking. Therefore, we are also going to use gas. We must stop thinking that the people who are using gas are the people who earn little money. All of us, starting with me, must know how to use gas.]
The demand for petroleum products in South Africa has grown by 12% in the past four years and it is likely to grow even more as government plans to accelerate economic growth bear fruit. This means that the infrastructure for the storage, refinement and transportation of these products has to be expanded. As government we support and endorse PetroSA’s plans not only to explore our coastlines to ensure gas supply for the Mossel Bay refinery and industry, but also to build a major world-class crude refinery at Coega.
The Coega refinery will have a capacity of producing 400 000 barrels per day. It will create 800 direct and 3 900 indirect employment opportunities and once commissioned it will bring much-needed commercial activity to that part of the country. Accordingly PetroSA has advanced plans to import liquefied natural gas for power as well as fuel production. This will go a long way towards establishing a viable gas market.
I also want to commend some of the provinces with regard to renewable energy. The programme of renewable energy is gaining momentum, with the Western Cape taking the lead in projects advancing the programme. The Darling Wind Farm is one such example. The MEC, Tasneem Essop, has just become a strong ally, and I have just launched a project on solar water heaters for 2 000 households. I am happy that this programme will be expanded to areas like Khayelitsha and so on.
As we talk about fuel supply, we dare not forget the equally important issue of safety, and here I am referring to paraffin. The Central Energy Fund has commissioned a study and a pilot project …
… kwiindawo ezithile apho siza kukhangela khona ukukhuseleka kweparafini, ikakhulu ezaa zitovu zeparafini. Siza kujonga indlela ezenziwe ngayo, ukuphakama kwazo, ukwenzela ukuba sizicuthe iingozi ezenzekayo ngenxa yokusetyenziswa kweparafini. Iziphumo zaloo nto siza kuzifaka pha kulaa nto kuthiwa yi-SABS ukwenzela ukuba kubekho izitovu zeparafini ezikumgangatho othile emazisetyenziswe; izitovu ezingazi kudubulela abantu bethu zibabulale. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[… in some places where we are going to check how safe paraffin is, especially paraffin stoves. We are going to scrutinise the way they are made and how high they are so that we minimise the hazards of paraffin usage. The results will be submitted to the SABS so that they can come up with paraffin stoves which are safe to use, stoves which cannot explode and kill our people.]
The Department of Minerals and Energy, in collaboration with municipalities and other stakeholders, will embark on a paraffin awareness campaign in the next few months to educate communities on how to handle and use paraffin appliances.
Siyasebenzisana ke nezi nkampani zifuna ukusithengisela ezi zitovu zeparafini. [We are working together with the companies that want to sell us paraffin stoves.]
One of the many approaches that we have developed and that are aimed at addressing energy poverty through deliberate interventions in the second economy is the Integrated Energy Centres.
La maziko ke zii-one-stop energy shops. [Those companies are one-stop energy shops.]
They are owned and operated by co-operatives and are organised as community projects. We are partnering with relevant stakeholders. the private sector, municipalities and communities in establishing these centres.
Eli liphulo lentsebenziswano phakathi koluntu noozimele-geqe. UPetroSA uzimanye noSasol nototal South Africa njengehlakani kwezi zinto. Iindawo ezinjengooKgalagadi, iMoshaweng eKurumane, iMutale eThohoyandou, iCaba Mndeni eMatatiele, iRatlou eMakgobistad neEshane eGreytown; zonke ezo ndawo sezifumene kwezi IEC’s.
Ngoku sijonge ezinye ezisakhiwayo. Zintathu eMpuma Koloni, eQamata, eQunu naseMbizana; eKwaZulu-Natal nakhona zintathu, eAmajuba, eZululand naseMbumbulu; inye eFreystata iseQwaqwa; eNtshona Koloni sinayo eLaingsburg, kanti naseMpumalanga, eBushbuckridge. Ngokubhekisele kwimpilo nokhuseleko emigodini … (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[This is partnership work between people and private companies. PetroSA is in partnership with Sasol and Total South Africa as partners in these. Places like Kgalagadi, Moshaweng in Kuruman, Mutale in Thohoyandou, Caba Mndeni in Matatiele, Ratlou in Makgobistad and Eshane in Greytown - all of these places already have these IECs.
We are presently looking at those that are still under construction. There are three in the Eastern Cape: in Qamata, Qunu and Mbizana. KwaZulu-Natal also has three: Amajuba, Zululand and Mbumbulu; one in the Free State in Qwaqwa; in the Western Cape we have one in Laingsburg, as well as in Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga.
With regard to health and safety in mines …]
… the mining industry’s safety record is a matter of great concern to us. Since the beginning of this year we have lost over 71 people. It is not a good picture and we do not accept it. The latest is at the Goldfields mine where nine people died and we are continuing with the investigations. We are saying that whoever is found guilty of negligence will be prosecuted.
The safety audits conducted by our mining inspectorate on the instruction of President Mbeki attest to a dismal and abysmally dark side of our mining industry. This report will cover findings from audits conducted on the 333 high-risk mines that were identified and targeted, and steps will be taken to implement the recommendations that will be contained in the report once it has been released by the Presidency. We are hoping to see the light at the end of July.
I am concerned about the prevalence of illegal mining activities. A lot of our people are dying and we are indeed working with the SA Police Service to ensure that we nip this bad habit in the bud. A number of people have died. In Mpumalanga 20 miners involved in illegal mining were killed, and 23 miners died in one incident in the Free State - and all of this is not acceptable.
On the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, we are pleased to report that as a consequence of this Act employment figures have now breached the half a million mark for the first time in many years. When this Act was passed there was one junior mining company and now we have 21 junior mining companies.
With regard to social and labour plans, it is our desire to ensure that in conducting their operations, mining companies do not exclude communities residing in the affected areas. We intend to enforce the latter in the spirit of the law and we are going to do it without fear or favour. We are committed to the Freedom Charter’s injunction that the people shall share in the wealth of the country.
With regard to the rehabilitation of mines, we have had 13 projects and out of a budget of R55 million, we focused mainly on the asbestos mines because of the potential health hazards posed by these mines. We are still concerned about the conversion of the old order mining rights which still remain a challenge. We have finalised 24% of the applications that we have received. Indeed, there needs to be a lot of improvement in this regard.
With the implementation of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act and the Mining Charter, there is an increase in women’s participation in this industry and I must say that women are doing well under the South African Women in Mining Association or Sawima. They are really doing well and there is a great improvement in terms of the economic empowerment happening there.
The most significant transactions approved recently saw the creation of black-owned companies. Anglo Platinum sold a majority stake in Lebowa Platinum Mines to Anooraq Resources, an historically disadvantaged South Africans, HDSA, controlled company. This makes Anooraq the third largest platinum producer in South Africa. Furthermore, Anglo Platinum sold its 22% shareholding in Northam Platinum to Mvelaphanda Resources Limited, making Northam Platinum a black-owned and controlled mine. Anglo Platinum also sold 50% of its stake in the Der Brochen Project to Mvelaphanda, making this project a 100% HDSA controlled company.
Anglo Operations Ltd, through Anglo Coal, facilitated the creation of a new coal company, Anglo Inyosi Coal, wherein HDSA owned 26% of its equity.
Kalagadi Manganese is 80% owned by an empowerment company called Kalahari Resources. We will be developing a mine and a sinter plant at Hotazel in the Northern Cape. A number of projects have been approved wherein communities are holders of mining rights. Some examples of these are the following: Itireleng Bakgatla Mineral Resources, Marula Platinum and Wesizwe Platinum. We have beefed up our ability to enforce compliance and we have conducted 10% of the planned inspections. Last year the target that we achieved was 1 865. We have continued to support the small and medium enterprises sector and we are making strides in that regard.
We have recently launched a project in the small-scale mining in Kgautswane, Limpopo. There are a number of women employed there. It is an exciting project and there are a number of other areas where we are trying to - I’m looking at the time - improve our small, medium and micro enterprises programme.
We have continued to support the Kgabane Jewellery Project and R2,8 million was transferred to the project last year for advanced training, product developing and marketing. This is a beneficiation project. We have also begun to work harder in terms of ensuring …
… ukuba naleyo iyakhawuleza. Sesiphehlelele nomzi-mveliso iGold Chain Technology (Pty) Ltd eKhimbali, ozelwe lubambiswano phakathi kukarhulumente wepPhondo laseMntla Koloni namaTaliyane. [… that that one also will be fast. We have started a company called Gold Chain Technology (Pty) Ltd in Kimberley, which is a result of co-operation between the government of the North West and the Italians.]
There is a lot happening even on the beneficiation front, but there is still more that needs to happen. I’m still concerned about the involvement of the communities.
Sikhe samatshelwa nokumatshelwa ngabantu baseMandagshoek, bekhalaza ngokungathathi nxaxheba kwabo. Siza kuyiqwalasela ke le nto yokukhalaza kwabantu, kuba kaloku singurhulumente wabantu okhokelwa ngabantu. Ngoko ke sifanele ukuba sizise iso iimfuno zabantu. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[There was a protest march by the people of Mandagshoek, who were protesting that they had not been involved. We took note of their concerns, because we are a government of the people for the people. We must take the people’s needs seriously.]
I was happy to launch a women’s project in the Eastern Cape where women would be trained in brick-making, building and construction skills. I think this a very important project, especially for that part of the country.
Quite a number of things that we are doing with the youth and women are all exciting but time is against me. I will finish when I respond. For now I do want to thank the director-general and his team and my family, especially my daughter, Nomfundo, and my grandchildren Fikile and Lisolesizwe. They always complain that Pretoria takes granny away from them. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr J M SIBIYA: Comrade Chairperson, hon Deputy Chair, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers, comrades, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, the Budget Vote we are voting on today, like any other Budget Vote, is a financial expression of the programme of action of the department for the financial year 2008-
- It is a vehicle wherewith the department commits itself to providing universal access to electricity, among others, to our people without failing. The achievement of such a goal will put South Africa on the list of those countries which attained one of the Millennium Development Goals which calls on states to give people access to electricity by 2014.
It is greatly heartening to learn from the department that they are conducting a study to identify our country’s needs so as to be able to secure and continue the supply of liquid fuels.
The committee welcomes the department’s awareness at the same time that more or less 80% of those without electricity, as we are talking, are mainly in the rural areas of Limpopo, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, and that these areas are amongst the top priorities of the department to get electricity reaching them this financial year.
We also welcome the steps taken by the department to ensure greater reliance on nuclear power generation so as to make up for the shortages of fuel. While we are here, it would be useful for us to make a request to the department that when those nuclear facilities come into operation, all of us as South Africans should do everything in our power to see to it that we prevent entry by intruders, as happened at our Pelindaba nuclear facility recently. Before I continue …
Ndzi lava ku khensa Holobye Manana Sonjica na dipatiment yakwe hikuva va hi lemukisile leswaku swirhalanganyi leswi a hi ri na swona eka timasipala mayelana na ku lumeka magezi eswitandzini a swi nga ha vi kona. A hi ri karhi hi bula na swirho swa ndzawulo ya nwina, Holobye Sonjica va hi hlamuserile leswaku ku sukela sweswi masipala yinwana na yinwana loko yi ri ni vanhu lava lavaka gezi eswitandzini va nga hlengeleti mali va nga si tiva leswaku ‘substation’ leyi nga kona eka ndhawu ya vona yi ta va ni mpimo wa gezi lowu nga ringana ku va va kota ku lumekeriwa gezi. Leswi a swi humelela vanhu a va hlenga mali va kombela Eskom leswaku yi ta yi ta va lumekela gezi, kutani Eskom yi nga swi koti hikuva mpimo wa gezi lowu a va wu lava a wu ri henhla ku tlula mpimo wa gezi lowu ‘substation yi swi kotaka ku lumeka wona.
Hikwalaho ka ku va ku lunghisiwe swilo sweswo hi lava ku khensa Manana Holobye Sonjica ku va a hi lunghisele mhaka leyi, yi ta hi olovela loko hi ya eka mintirho ya hina ya ‘constituency work’. We say a very big thank you for that. (Translation of Xitsonga paragraphs follows.)
[I wish to express my gratitude to hon Minister Sonjica and her department for the assurance that the challenges facing the municipalities with regard to electricity supply in rural communities have been addressed. We have had a discussion with the departmental officials where hon Minister Sonjica explained that the municipalities would no longer require people to collect money before ascertaining the ability of their substation to meet the electricity demand in the new connection. Initially people would collect money and then request Eskom to electrify their area, and that resulted in Eskom failing to meet the demand since the amount of electricity in their substation was lower than the amount needed.
Having spoken about these things, we commend hon Minister Sonjica for addressing these matters. This will also help us in executing our constituency work. We say a very big thank you for that.]
The ANC’s 2008 Programme of Action for economic transformation requires us as South Africans to bring about universal access to basic services and ongoing programmes to defeat poverty. Such an endeavour will draw us closer to realising the clause of the Freedom Charter which says that there shall be houses and comfort for all. Definitely, it is only a house that has electricity that can offer comfort to its dwellers. The one without electricity becomes a fridge when it is cold, and becomes an oven when it is hot. Definitely there can be no comfort in such a house.
We are aware, hon Minister, that the idea of establishing the Regional Electricity Distributors, Reds, has been around for some time.
Kambe lexi nga kona i ku sweswi ni tiva ‘RED’ yinwe leyi nga kona laha Western Cape. A hi swi tivi kuri xiphiqo xi le kwihi. Ku ni ti masipala tinyingi leti ti tirhisaka ku lumeka gezi ku va ti va ni mali leswi hi xilungu vange i ‘revenue base’. A hi ali swi lulamile kambe hi ta kombela leswaku hinkwerhu, ‘stakeholders, government, Members of Parliament, MPLs as well as communities’hi endla hinkwaswo leswi nga fanela leswaku timfanelo ta tiko, ‘national interests’ti va emahlweni ‘and the other interests including local ones, come thereafter’. (Translation of Xitsonga paragraph follows.)
[Until now I only knew of one Red in the Western Cape. We do not know where the problem lies. There are many municipalities whose revenue base is the supply of electricity. And we have no objection to that if it is in order. But we would request all of us here as stakeholders, government, Members of Parliament, and MPLs as well as communities to do everything in our power to see to it that national interests take precedence and then the other interests, including local ones, come thereafter.]
We are also aware that the department, together with the ANC spearheading the campaign, has launched the campaign to save electricity. I must stress here that it is only the ANC that has championed that campaign and it has done so very successfully. Let me convey some words of colleagueship to the DA in general and in particular to hon Watson as the more experienced DA member in this House, together with hon Lamoela as the front commander of the DA in this House: As the elections are coming, one would advise that the DA, among other things, put up a programme of action of its own and tell our people what it is they are going to do to help the government deliver services to our people, not when they are in power because they will never be in power in this country as long as the ANC exists. [Applause.]
In doing that they will be refuting things said by a certain A Shapiro, a very big liberal known to have studied the behaviour, character and way of doing things of the opposition parties all over the world. Among other things, he says that opposition parties, especially during election time, put themselves as the best alternate government to the government of the day and they promise people that they will do things which they say the government of the day is not doing.
He concludes by saying, and I quote:
The opposition parties are generally characterised by opposing everything the government of the day says and does but proposing nothing.
Hon Ministers, Comrade Chairperson, we are aware that gas is becoming very expensive in this country and the people are paying a lot for it. In this regard, we would also like to welcome the steps and initiatives taken by the Minister to try and make it easy for our people to access gas as an alternative fuel source to electricity. We want to say that you have our support, hon Minister.
There is also another situation which perhaps we would need to pay more attention to. This scenario has been there ever since electricity came into the country. I don’t know when exactly that happened. We find a certain Mr Van Tonder who stays 50km from town. Electricity cables leave town and follow him where he stays to provide him with electricity. Such cables pass thousands and thousands of villages and the villages through which these cables pass do not have access to that electricity. It is one thing that we need to begin to pay more attention to and address. We are aware that it would be overcome within a week or so but let there be steps to try and get that sorted out.
Chairperson, as the select committee we would like to request that when the hon Minister makes the closing remarks on this Budget Vote, she indicates to us very briefly and very generally what improvements we have scored as a country on the quality assurance of services. How much have we gained in terms of improving that? How much have we improved efficiency, both in providing and servicing our people on the electricity front as well as the responsiveness we have in terms of addressing the needs of our people?
In this regard the committee believes that “Energy” here means “The Department of Minerals and Energy” and the department here means the hon Minister Sonjica. And hon Minister Sonjica means the ability of South Africa to stage the 2010 tournament, not only successfully, but also innovatively. Therefore we cannot afford to fail in this regard.
On the basis of the above, the Select Committee on Economic and Foreign Affairs unreservedly supports the Vote and urges this House to do the same. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Ms S S CHEN: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, all of our colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, we all know energy is essential to the development of both our economy and society.
It is thus no surprise that the electricity shortage throughout the country is having a negative effect on our economy. And the pending nominal 60% increase in the cost of electricity will have a further adverse impact, particularly on the poor. In fact Eskom is proposing an additional increase of 46% in electricity pricing in the coming year.
While Eskom has argued that our electricity was 70% cheaper and more abundant than anywhere else in the world, it is also true that Eskom has enjoyed an abundance of low-cost coal which is a reliable and inexpensive supply from our country’s own resources for all these years.
Quite simply, government launched us into the present power crisis, amid a lack of foresight in taking the decision to build a new power station and adequately maintain our existing power resources. Eradicating Eskom’s monopoly as a sole purchaser of electricity will provide us with long-term electricity supply.
It is good to see our first renewable energy initiative launched in Darling in the Western Cape. This is the first renewable energy initiative in South Africa that produces electricity using wind and sells it on a commercial basis.
There are also many other critical issues in the mining sector we need to rectify which my colleague Mr Oliver Schmidt already mentioned in the National Assembly last week. Let me not repeat them again. But my concern is about the department’s capable capacity. The chronic skills shortage is an issue that is negatively affecting the whole country. Reports indicate that many of our institutions are facing the skills capacity challenge. My particular concern in this regard relates to the expertise and capacity of the Mine Health and Safety Inspectorate. Our safety track record in the mines has been a subject of great concern lately, which our hon Minister is already aware of.
Since the beginning of this year we have lost 71 miners due to mining accidents. This reflects the inadequate safety measures taken by mines.
We need to create appropriate skills and only through the alignment of a structure, process and system can we enable effective and efficient service delivery.
It is encouraging to read the hon Minister’s statement in the 2008-09 to 2010-11 Strategy Plan Report that, I quote:
We have an obligation to share with our stakeholders what we intend doing with all the input that we received in our collective effort to find solutions to the energy challenge.
I’m sure this will also include the DA’s input. We are all aware that we live under global energy constraints and as such have always been proud of our rich mineral resources.
However, while we have 2 050 years of viable coal reserves and all other minerals in the country, we rely on our government’s sound leadership to effectively manage these important assets for our generation.
To end, I want to thank the hon Minister for her lovely gift parcel. And I am especially impressed and will enjoy this little … [Inaudible.] I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr N S S MQUNGQUTHU: Hon Chair, Ministers, guests who are here today, members of the NCOP, comrades, one must realise that we are drawing towards the end of our five-year governing mandate.
Therefore, it is essential for us to double check and make sure that we are still on the right track of fulfilling the promises we made to the people of this country. I must confirm the question I have asked today whether this department is really on track.
The growth of the mining industry historically intervened with the growth of our economy that has been and will continue to be the mainstay of our economy. The imperatives for the shared growth and sustainable development through mining demand close collaboration between the industrial and labour sector in embracing, particularly, youth and women empowerment into the mainstream of mining and all its facets.
It is of great concern to all of us here today that the health and safety of mineworkers is still questionable. However, the regional principal inspectors of mines must continue with the routine audit on the mines to ensure that compliance on the Occupational Health and Safety Act is monitored during the course of this financial year.
I am happy today to announce to this House that the following measures were considered by the Minister and her department, as these were required in terms of the Public Service regulation that an integrated human resource plan developed during the course of this financial year.
This process will ensure that the DME continuously reviews and identifies its current and future human capital needs and that among other things, it also concludes the following, as it will be their educational programme. Firstly, national and international responsibilities for the environment in which we are living in this country; secondly, the obligation to address global warming which has resulted in the new biofuel strategy and the need for alternative energy sources to address the demand for energy in South Africa; thirdly, the reduction of the fatalities in the mineral and energy industry; and lastly, the reduction of incidents that have an impact on HIV/Aids in the mining industry.
Let me request the Minister to focus on the key factors that are a key challenge in our communities. The first one is to implement an effective communication policy which is going to improve public awareness and the understanding of issues that are related to nuclear and radiation safety to all spheres of government. Secondly, another challenge is to implement process-based licensing for authorisation holders.
Apha ke Mphathiswa isicelo sethu - sinaba bantu benza izitena bafanele ukuba bembile ngalo lonke ixesha ukuze benze le mveliso yabo yezitena. Bayagxothwa ngoomasipala kuba bengenaziqinisekiso zokuba bembe. Sicela ukuba nabo banikwe ezi ziqinisekiso, ukwenzela ukuba inkqubo yokuba sibaxhobise ibe selungelweni labo. Kuba nazi nezindlu ziyakhwiwa kweli cala. Abakwazi ukwenza izitena ukuze bafumane loo mali yezindlu. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Hon Minister, here is our request: We have these people who make bricks and who are supposed to mine sand all the time in order to produce their bricks. Municipalities prevent them from doing that because they do not have permits for mining. We request that they get these permits so that they can also benefit from the opportunity to be empowered because there are houses which are being built, but they cannot make bricks so that they get the money from the housing programmes.]
Let me quote Frans Baleni, the General Secretary of the Union of Mineworkers when he said:
The National Union of Mineworkers puts on record its condemnation of illegal mining activities taking place in the country and calls on mining companies to tighten access to ground where their activities take place.
We further call on the law enforcement agencies to ensure that whoever is found to be in breach of the law be brought to book. We are also aware that our members and their families are threatened and compelled to support these activities through bringing food to these scavengers. We are also aware that those who refuse or report these to police are threatened with death.
We therefore call on the police to investigate these matters seriously and bring the perpetrators to book as a matter of urgency.
Illegal mining robs people of their lives as is evident in the Witbank St Helena cases in which 23 miners lost their lives and many others that go unreported. It further defeats the progressive legislative framework that the country has. Some of the scavengers take advantage of the dire economic circumstances our people find themselves in by “employing them” and then running away with the loot without benefiting anybody.
I just want to draw the Minister’s attention to the mines that are closed, more especially the diamond mine in the southern part of the Free State.
Mphathiswa, phaya eFreestata kukho indawo encinane kakhulu ekuthiwa yiJagersfontein apho abantu bakhona bahlupheka kakhulu. Umgodi wakhona uvaliwe, yaye njengokuba uvaliwe, kukho abantu ebebesebenza kuloo mgodi abathandayo ukuba nabo bangenzelwa uncedo, ukuze benyuke ngeesieve drafts zabo ukwenzela ukuba bay e kusefa phaya kulaa mhlaba usemgodini babone ukuba bangafumana ntoni na apho, ukuze kubekho into abanokuyibeka etafileni. Xa la mathuba bewavalelwe ngaphandle, loo nto ithetha ukuba akukho nto banokuyizuza ukuze nabo babe nento abanokuyibeka phezu kwetafile. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Hon Minister, there is a small place called Jagersfontein in the Free State where people are very poor. The mine is closed. There are people who were working in these mines and they would like to have assistance so that they can go up with their sieve drafts and see if they cannot get something in the sand of the mine when they sift. They want to have something to eat. If they are prevented from doing this, that means they cannot get anything and there will be nothing for them to put on the table.]
Let me also applaud the effort by the department in making sure that BEE companies were also taken on board with the Kendal project. Seventy-four per cent of production is owned by the Canadian mining company called the Home Energy Group Ltd, and the 26% remaining is owned by two BEE partners. I would also like the BEE companies to have greater stakes in the production of the mining industry in future.
As the Minister has already elaborated on issues of paraffin and so on, I won’t touch on that issue, but I only have a question here that I would like to pose to the Minister.
Minister, in the past, mining activities caused people to be displaced. Some of these people were dumped in areas without services and they were promised compensation to the amount of, I think, around R20 000 per household. And till today these people were never compensated by the mining management. For example, there is a village called Motlotlo in Limpopo province. I think those people need to be consulted around this matter. [Interjections.]
In closing, because the Minister has already touched upon many things that I have written here, I think I must make a closing remark that just briefly … [Interjections.] [Applause.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr T S Setona): Hon members, I must draw your attention to the idea of a maiden speech. A maiden speech doesn’t mean endless time for a speaker to speak, but it means leniency, of course. [Interjections.]
Mrs J N VILAKAZI: Chairperson, hon Ministers and hon members, this department has a leading role to play in the development of South Africa. However, much more work still needs to be done and many obstacles need to be overcome if this is to be achieved.
The effect of the energy crisis has already caused much havoc, inconvenience, loss and suffering and it will be more harshly felt. Almost R3 billion is to be allocated to the Department of Minerals and Energy in 2008-09. Of this amount, R1,4 billion is for its electrification programme.
Sihlalo ohloniphekileyo neNdlu yonke. Thina be-IFP siyavumelana nesabiwomali kodwa sicela uMnyango kaNgqongqoshe ubhekele kangcono lokhu: Okokuqala, abantu abahlala emakhaya ababhekelwe kakhulu ekufakelweni ugesi ukuze inhlalo phela ibe ngcono kuwo wonke umuntu.
Okwesibili, amanani aphezulu ayasikhathaza sonke. Sibheke kuwo uMnyango ukuba uxilonge futhi ubone ezinye izindlela ezingaba wusizo ekuphehleni ugesi. Amanani anyukele ngisho abantu abadla imbuya ngothi. Upharafini nawo usunyuke kakhulu. Impela kusinda kwehlela kuwo wonke umuntu. Kangakanani-ke kubantu abampofu.
Okwesithathu, ukuqeda ubuphofu nokwandisa amathuba omsebenzi. Sibona sengathi abesifazane abakaqashwa kahle ezimayini. Uma kubhekisiswa kahle kuhlelwa ukhona umsebenzi ongenziwa abesifazane kulo mkhakha ukuze kuxoshwe indlala. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Hon Chairperson and the House at large. We, the IFP, support the budget but we encourage the Minister’s department to closely look at the following issues: Firstly, people who are living in rural areas are not catered for as far as the installation of electricity is concerned, and they need it so that they too can enjoy a better life like everyone else.
Secondly, high prices trouble all of us. We are looking at the department to devise other means of generating electricity. The prices have gone up even for the poorest of the poor people. Paraffin too has gone up tremendously. Everyone is struggling and it’s even worse for the poor.
Thirdly, we need to eradicate poverty and create more jobs. And by the look of things women are not adequately employed in the mines. If proper considerations can be done and good plans put in place, there could be jobs which can be done by women in that sector so as to eradicate poverty.]
We, the IFP, appeal to this department together with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism to consider and negotiate the mining of titanium in the iSimangaliso area, which is in KwaZulu-Natal. This will have a positive impact on the local community and will assist in the development of the area and the community at large.
Sihlalo ohloniphekile, ngiyabonga. [Hon Chairperson, I thank you.] Ms T ESSOP (Western Cape): Chairperson, Minister Sonjica, Minister Didiza, hon members, the impact of high crude oil prices and the power outages on our economy in the country and in the Western Cape, especially on the poor, is a matter of growing concern. In the Western Cape we have a further issue which is linked to the energy problem and that is the impact of climate change.
In the light of this, the Western Cape government is particularly interested in energy issues, hon Minister. We have noted many positive statements in your speech. We have particularly noted the Minister’s request for the Western Cape to become more energy efficient and to use alternative forms of energy.
Our own climate change and renewable energy programme in the Western Cape will yield some exciting and concrete deliverables in the year, making the province a leader in this regard. I am going to use this opportunity to thank our hon Minister personally for her commitment to and strong partnership in these programmes.
We have set ourselves a target of achieving 15% renewable energy by 2014. Indeed that is a very steep target, but we have also set ourselves a 10% energy efficiency target and the reduction of carbon emissions of 15% by 2014 as well.
The Western Cape has embarked on a roll-out of the 1 000 solar water geysers in four of our social transformation areas; those are some of the poorest areas in the Western Cape. I am pleased to say that the hon Minister joined us in the launch of that particular programme and made some important commitments too. So we are happy about the Minister’s budget here today.
The objective of this solar water geyser roll-out is threefold. It deals with the current energy emergency, issues of climate change mitigation, and very importantly, issues of poverty. We have already installed 184 solar water geysers in KwaNokuthula in the Hessequa Local Municipality.
Sixty jobs were created in that project and a total of 240 jobs will be created for the entire roll-out of the 1 000 solar geysers. This is the largest solar water geyser roll-out in the country to date and an important contribution in achieving our renewable energy target.
We will also be establishing a solar geyser training academy to train plumbers and installers, which is currently the main capacity constraint in the mass roll-out of solar geysers nationwide.
We’re hoping that through this training we could form part of the core of people who will help with that particular capacity constraint, Minister. This could also lay the basis for the creation of small businesses that could benefit from the planned mass roll-out of solar water geysers in the country.
The programme will be integrated into the current Extended Public Works Programme in the province and a total of 240 trained solar installers will be produced through the initial roll-out. We did indicate, hon Minister, that we have the capacity to roll out much more if we have the financial means.
One of the clear messages arising out of the recent report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change is that construction of energy efficient buildings has a very significant potential to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
In the Western Cape we are currently exploring the main streamlining of renewable energy technologies within all public buildings. I think it is important, hon Minister Didiza, that Public Works also play a critical partnership role in this regard. We will be looking at introducing things such as solar heating and retrofitting our buildings with more energy efficient designs as well.
The Western Cape government is setting an example by installation of energy efficient technologies and construction methods. This will form part of the green procurement strategy whereby tenders for government projects may require that we have strict compliance with environmentally friendly and energy-efficient technologies in future.
We’re of the opinion that government must lead by example. In this context energy audits have been commissioned in key public buildings with the view of retrofitting these buildings to improve their energy efficiency.
The Western Cape government has also concluded agreements with the British High Commission and the German government for assistance with the Western Cape Energy Programme, and it includes some of the following: The Sustainable Energy Facilitation Act, which will really be looking at supporting and providing a regulatory environment to promote renewable energy in the Western Cape, and we’re doing it in partnership with your department, Minister, and an establishment of a provincial sustainable energy task team that can drive the implementation of the renewable energy plan.
We are looking at the investment and finance framework for the promotion of renewable energy together with the Department of Minerals and Energy and an extensive Western Cape grid study. We are looking at developing business cases for all the alternative energy so that we can look at what is most viable in the Western Cape itself. In the strong partnership that we have with the Department of Minerals and Energy and other relevant national departments, we will roll out those concrete actions in the coming year.
In the state of the nation address our President referred to the national emergency and the need for us to save energy and become more energy efficient. In the Western Cape we have set a target of saving 500 megawatts per day. That again is a steep target. But Minister, you will remember that the Western Cape was the only province to experience massive load shedding in 2006 when Koeberg went down. It was based on that experience. I believe that lays the basis for us to be able to achieve a 500 megawatt target because in 2006 we saved 400 megawatts per day. In so doing we prevented the kind of extensive load shedding we had in 2006.
However, I must admit that in this round - this is a problem about people’s memories being very short - that does not remain a sustainable lifestyle change. That is the biggest challenge. We do it. We have a crisis. We respond. When the crisis is over, we go back to business as usual. We have to have a lifestyle change - behavioural change that is sustainable because our consumption is unsustainable right now.
In 2006 we set up what we call the provincial energy risk management committee in the Western Cape. That is actually a stakeholder committee consisting of business, labour, government and civil society. We jointly addressed this problem. People were angry in the beginning but we formed strong partnerships, co-operated and managed to save in 2006. We reactivated that energy risk management committee in this round and we will continue the same work we did in 2006. To this end I think we will be able to be successful in the campaign to drive energy efficiencies in the Western Cape.
We’re also launching a communication campaign called ``Curb your Carbon.’’ In fact I launched it in my budget speech, Minister, where we will link energy consumption to climate change and carbon emissions.
We will be rolling out this massive awareness campaign around energy efficiency and climate change and the link between the two. We are also rolling out this programme in schools. A total of 132 schools will be getting education around climate change and energy efficiency.
Minister, I know that you really wanted to attend the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the day of my budget speech. After the Darling Wind Farm experience I promised that we would deliver another wind energy farm in the Western Cape. [Applause.]
Ahead of my budget speech together with the Municipality of Saldanha Bay, a community development trust called the Seeland Development Trust were actually the beneficiaries of land restitution. They are going to build a 70 megawatt wind farm in St Helena Bay, hon Minister. [Applause.]
We are very excited about this project because it also develops a new model. The community will co-own the wind farm. This is very exciting. We will keep you informed on this, Minister. I told them I would like to see this thing up and running by next year June. That’s a bit of a tight timeframe. I doubt it. But, hon Minister, I hope it is going to be during our term at least so that we can see the wind energy up and running. We’re very excited about that. It is important that just on the back of Darling we have this next initiative so that the momentum is maintained around promoting alternative energy in the Western Cape.
Hon Minister, we are very indebted to your strong partnership with the Western Cape in this regard. We commit ourselves to continuing the very important programmes that you are driving and providing leadership around at the national level. We will remain a strong partner. We look forward to our ongoing co-operation in this regard. I thank you. [Applause.]
Ms M P THEMBA: Sihlalo, siyabonga kakhulu kumake wetfu, Make Thoko Didiza. Kumnandzi kakhulu kitsi nasitsi sisahleti sibone bodzadzewetfu befika bahlale natsi kuze kuyovalwa. [Chairperson, we would like to thank our mother, Ms Thoko Didiza. It is a pleasure for us to see our sisters coming to sit with us until the House adjourns.]
Chairperson, mining remains a key contributor to the South African GDP, at 16% of the GDP. It contributes to 50% of the South African merchandise exports. Therefore, there are key strategic objectives for the Department of Minerals and Energy and they are to actively contribute towards sustainable development and growth, as well as to infrastructure and economic development.
These objectives increase investment in the minerals and energy sectors in South Africa, increase beneficiation of minerals, increase access to modern energy carriers and reduce the impact of mining and energy activities on the environment and public health. They will also redress the past imbalances through promoting broader participation in the minerals and energy sectors, direct intervention in communities and increase BEE and SMME participation that is inclusive of women, the youth and the disabled within the minerals and energy sectors.
It also regulates the minerals and energy sectors to be healthier, cleaner and safer by implementing, monitoring and maintaining effective policies and relevant legislation mining and energy sectors. It does that by embarking on promotional and regulatory activities and programmes that will sustain and improve the industries’ health and safety standards, as the Minister mentioned the concerns of safety in the mines. It creates an enabling environment for effective and efficient service delivery, alignment of structures, and appropriate skills, processes and systems to enable effective and efficient service delivery.
The Department of Minerals and Energy has concluded a co-operation agreement with the University of Fort Hare in terms of which it aims to develop programmes relevant to the minerals and energy sectors of the economy. In terms of this agreement, Fort Hare will produce graduates, geologists and mining engineers who should be able to compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world.
Prior to the release of the Mining Charter in 2002 there were only two black-owned mining companies in the coal industry that contributed 10,4% of the total coal production. After the release of the charter, 29 BEE companies were established in the industry that increased the contribution of the BEE companies to 17% in 2005. It is envisaged that BEE companies in the coal industry will contribute 50% of the total production by 2009 – and that will happen.
There was a total of 35 black directors in the mining sector in 2002, seven of which were executive directors and 28 nonexecutive directors. There were four black women directors of which one was an executive director and three were nonexecutive directors. By 2004 there were 64 black directors of which eight were executive directors and 56 were nonexecutive directors. There were four black women directors and all of them were nonexecutive directors
Now, we must check if we have the following in place: Plans to elevate women to executive levels; plans to increase inclusion of women, youth and the disabled as per Employment Equity Act, to give access to women, youth and people with disability to high levels and scarce skills in line with Jipsa as well as Asgisa; and how much information the department has imparted to aspirants for access to funds.
Chairperson, we have government brain children, as the Minister has mentioned, such as the SA Women in Mining Association, Sawima. Amongst others, are they able to make them visible; if so, how do they exist in concrete terms and to what extent?
When we visit provinces sometimes we get questions, Minister, whereby we find that women were called to a launch of Sawima and then it ended there. They were not recalled to be informed about the progress of what happened thereafter and yet they were also partakers in the launch of the Sawima.
With so many coal mines in Mpumalanga, do we have a Sawima element at all levels like administration, executive decision-making, management, training, etc?
We in the ANC support the Budget Vote of the Department of Minerals and Energy. I thank you. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF MINERALS AND ENERGY: Thank you very much, Chairperson and thank you to all the hon members. It was indeed a very empowering debate and I really enjoyed it. I got a lot of information as I was sitting there and I could see that everybody prepared well to participate; I sincerely appreciate that.
Let me commend some of the issues that have been raised, starting with the chairperson, the acting chair hon Sibiya. I would like to agree with him that all stakeholders in the electricity distribution industry, EDI, must put the national interests ahead of their sectoral interests and work together towards the establishment of the Regional Electricity Distributor, Reds. We initially had hoped that everybody would embrace this programme and this broader national interest and allow the restructuring to happen on a voluntary basis without us looking at amending the Constitution. Unfortunately that did not happen and as we speak we are preparing to amend the Constitution in ensuring that this restructuring happens.
It is very important. If it were not for the delay we would be comfortable that, on the issue of the much-needed skills for maintenance and refurbishment, especially on the distribution infrastructure, the Reds will be able to mobilise that technical expertise as we know that kind of expertise is lacking in municipalities. The Reds will come in handy as far as that is concerned. With regard to 2010 …
… Tata uSibiya, rileksa … [… hon Sibiya, relax …]
… 2010 is a special project of government and it is treated as a special project. All of us, all of these sectors and these interests, are represented in the task teams and Local Organising Committee, LOC, that is responsible for 2010, and there are budgets from various departments. We have targeted the hosting cities for infrastructure maintenance of electricity distribution as we speak; there is a budget for that. We’ve put that aside and we are focusing on them. That is the first thing but, secondly, for …
… izinto ezinjengeegenerators … [… equipment such as generators …]
… that constitutes the backup system, we have a budget of R400 million within our coffers for that; that one is on course. What is of importance is that we monitor the process. If there is any delay we will make sure that we intervene so that we deliver a 2010 that we will all appreciate. We are even taking up the issue of the backups to hotels as well in the event of an outage or a blackout in those areas.
I will link your concern about electricity on the farms - I think I got it correctly - and I also get worried about that and we really need to work very hard in terms of electrifying those areas and rural areas, MaVilakazi.
Coming to rural areas, let me say that the effort of establishing power substations is about ensuring that we don’t only have electricity in rural areas but that we also have quality electricity.
Abantu bayakhala emakhaya; bathi lo mbane wasemakhaya uthi xa kufike umoya uvele ucime ngathi sisibane sepalafini. [People in rural areas are complaining that this electricity just goes off when the wind is blowing, as if it is a paraffin lamp.]
So we are trying to establish substations that I have spoken about and…
…kudala ndihamba, ndizicofa-cofa, kwaye ndizivula. [… I have been going around testing them, and even opening them.]
I have opened about nine already and I hope that by the end of the financial year the other ten …
… esizifakayo kulo nyaka, ziza kube zigqityiwe … [… we are building this year will also be ready …]
So it is more about ensuring that for the rural areas. I know that KwaZulu- Natal is one of the affected provinces, even more so than the other areas.
Ms Chen, the 53% increase by Eskom is a matter still under consideration and there is a process that is being followed. The regulator has received some submissions from South Africans and at the end they will consider all that has been given to them and also use their own criterion in terms of evaluating what has been submitted to them and then at the end they will make the determination. It is that determination that will consider the outcome, in other words, the percentage that the electricity price will increase with. The 53% is still a proposal and as such remains a proposal.
On 18 June 2008, next week Wednesday, we must all await the results from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa as they will be announcing the results; they are busy with that. On the monopoly issue, we’ve had this concern that you are raising from a number of investors and that is one of the reasons why we were not successful in bringing the private sector to participate in electricity generation. There are two concerns: One, they complained about a very low tariff because in the process of investing in electricity generation, they wouldn’t be able to make the profit they need just like any private sector. They need to make a profit; there was a complaint about that. Secondly, Eskom is a single buyer and they complained about that. We are working on that and in terms of government policy we have opened for the participation of the private sector; 30% of electricity generation has been given to the private sector. For now we have not had one except for the Swiss energy company that is now indicating interest. The rest have pulled out. We are busy persuading the Swiss energy company but of course there are other interested parties.
Lastly, in terms of addressing the two concerns by the private sector, we have set up a task team that will advise us on how best we can create an enabling environment for the private sector to participate in electricity generation. Those are the measures we have taken in addressing this matter.
I am not going to comment on the skills shortages. It is a point taken, but we are doing a lot in terms of developing those skills. I think of umaThemba on the issue of accidents on the mines. We are strengthening the Mine Health and Safety Act and we need more powers as the Ministry so that we are able to punish effectively the parties that are found guilty. As we speak even the penalties they have to pay are almost peanuts - R100 000. They pay it without looking back at what they have paid because it is nothing.
We are looking at all those areas in the Act that will give us power to be more effective and to make them comply with the standards that they all agreed on but which they are far from reaching. I am responding to everybody in terms of this, but of course the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has come on board to assist us.
Comrade Mqungquthu, it is a pity that you could not finish your speech but I will take your copy so that I can see the other issues that you wanted to raise.
We have completed the Integrated Human Resource Plan in December 2007. When we implement it, we will review the human capital needs. We will look at priorities in terms of the skills that the department needs and come with programmes that will assist us in accessing those skills. You have a good point about an effective communication policy related to nuclear energy and indeed you are quite right. I think it is a very important point you’re raising because people don’t even know that we have nuclear energy in the country. They are very worried that we are bringing a thing that will kill everybody in South Africa. Koeberg has been here for over 20 years and it has been giving us electricity. We have light here because it contributes to us getting this. I take your point that we need to educate our people, especially since things like isotopes and medically related things that nuclear energy relates to are all also important.
Kumba wezitena, sinenkqubo yemigodi yohlobo oluncitshiciweyo okanye ismall scale mining, kwaye futhi sineenkampani ezisincedayo ngokuqesha abantu bokwenza izitena, ngakumbi oomama,. Ezinye iinkampani ezinjengooMalafaj, zisiphile imali, zaze zaqeqesha noomama. Into endiza kuyicebisa ke kuwe kukuba sinee-ofisi kula maphondo onke, kweleMpuma Koloni zimbini, umzekelo. Kwezi ofisi kukho umntu onyuliweyo, oligosa, nosebenzana nale nkqubo yemigodi, ukwenzela ukuba baze kufumana iimpepha-mvume. Wena yiya nje e- ofisini, uye kufuna uncedo khona; baza kukunceda. Kwaye ke nangayiphi na ingxaki oomasipala mabangangeni ndawo kulo mba; wena ziyele ngeenyawo zakho kulaa ofisi. Baza kukunceda.
IJagersfontein Mine ngumgodi wakwaDe Beers lo, owashiya imigodi engasasebenziyo okanye iimine dumps. Mayisebenze kwakhona le migodi ke. Saye sanika enye iinkampani ilayisenisi, wasibamba uDe Beers, lasilahla ityala nangona singakhange siye ejele, kodwa baphumelela enkundleni. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Coming to the issue of bricks, we have a small-scale mining programme and there are also companies that assist us by employing people to make bricks, especially women. We have funded companies such as Malafaj that employ women. The point I am trying to make is that we have offices in all these provinces. For example, there are two in the Eastern Cape.
In each of these offices there is an official appointed to issue licences for the small-scale mining programme enterprises. Just go to the office and ask for assistance and you will be assisted. Municipalities should not be involved in these issues; just walk to the office.
Jagersfontein Mine is owned by De Beers, which has closed down some of its mines. Let us make these mines operational again. We once gave a certain company a licence to operate and De Beers took us to court and we lost the case, although we were not taken to prison.]
Unfortunately there is very little that we can do because it is De Beers property. We can maybe ask the community to engage with De Beers.
UDe Beers ngabanikazi. UMhlontlo kudala ke…uyayazi [De Beers are the owners. UMhlontlo even knows that.]
We have been engaging the uMhlontlo communities to work with the Premier of Limpopo and indeed we will continue to do this. It is a very difficult issue but we have been continuously engaging with uMhlontlo communities.
uQabane lo nalowa … kodwa la Richard Spoor kula Mhlotlo. Siza kuyiyeka apho. [Fellow Comrades … but that Richard Spoor in the Mhlontlo communities, let us leave it at that.]
The message I want to give here, comrades, colleagues and members is that, when you have an issue about a government department, please come to the department and tell the communities: The buck stops with us. You have your two feet and this is a government of the people for the people by the people, and people have a right to come to any government department to raise their concerns with us. They need not go and pay exorbitant fees to lawyers who pretend to be champions of the poor but are smiling all the way to the bank in the process. That worries me. In the process they leave communities divided in the middle. The reason why I am quoting this person from Mhlontlo is because he is the one who has run to Qolobeni and has done the same thing by dividing the community in the middle. What we hear in the Eastern Cape is that they say …
Xa sisiya ezintlanganisweni banabeLungu babo, bathi, “Hayi, xa ndisiya entlanganisweni ndiya nomLungu wam, basinika imali kaloku aba beLungu, nam ndiya nowam. Ndize neendaba zomLungu wam, ngoko ke andizi kuvumelana nawe … (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[… when we go to meetings they go with their white people; they say, “No, when I go to a meeting, I go with my white person, because these whites give us money. I have brought my white person’s report; therefore, I am not going to agree with you.”]
That’s what they are doing and it is coming from Qolobeni. I am saying: Comrades, come to us all the time. We will find one another even if it will take longer. That is my request to you.
MaVilakazi, I have listened to all of your concerns but what is important also is what you said:
Siza kude sifumanane, nokuba apha indlala iza kuthatha ixesha - abantu abasebenzisa ipalafini, nombane abafumane kwesi sibonelelo sasimahla. Sithi sisibonelelo sombane sasimahla, kodwa asithi sesepalafini, okanye eserhasi …
Sisaphuhlisa umgaqo-nkqubo othi isibonelelo sezibaswa, amandla okanye i- eneji, ukwenzela ukuba ngoku ize kuquka zonke ezi zinto. Siza kuza nawo ke lo mgaqo-nkubo ukuze uxoxwe, ukwenzela ukuba sikhangele ukuba siza kuyisebenzisa njani na. Abanye abantu bahlupheke kakhulu, kangangokuba abakwazi nokugcina umbane okhoyo kwezo ndawo. Bendingenakunikwa nomnye umzuzu na bethuna? (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Eventually we will find one another even if it will take some time, so that people using paraffin or electricity should also benefit from this free provision. We are saying it is a free basic electricity supply service, which does not apply to paraffin or gas.
We are in the process of developing a policy known as the fuel or energy provision policy so that it includes paraffin and gas. We will bring this policy for discussion so that we can look at how we are going to implement it. Some people are so poor that they are not able to save the free basic electricity supplied to them at their places. Can’t I be given even one minute?]
Comrade Tasneem, thank you very much for your leadership. That’s the kind of leadership and passion that we need, especially to drive this new programme. The renewable energy programme is a new programme in South Africa and indeed it needs that vigour and passion to drive it. I like your integrated approach in dealing with the electricity challenges. You are making all campaigns acceptable, such as the “Curb your Carbon” campaign, which is about mitigation of the emissions.
MaThemba, let me talk about Sawima. I have taken note of what you said. Maybe it is a challenge of leadership and maybe we need to look at the present mandate of Sawima. This is a group of women who just mobilised and then organised themselves under the auspices of the department to access opportunities from the Department of Minerals and Energy.
I think in all fairness that they are going the extra mile in terms of their slogan. They are even involved in a poverty alleviation programme which is not necessarily in their domain. I told them that they couldn’t go to Lephalale but they went to Lephalale and upon their arrival they realised that women who were in the meeting did not even have the R300 registration fee. They organised the women and sought funding for them so that they could be trained in brick-making and brick-laying so that when we build the power station, those women will be able to sell their bricks to the developers. There are these programmes but it is just a question of interacting with them. You should raise the concerns that you have raised with us here. Thank you very much.
There is something here that shows me that my time is up. Indeed, I have just finished, although I know that you have given me some injury time and that is also now up. Thank you very much, Chairperson. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
The Council adjourned at 16:59. ____
ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
MONDAY, 9 JUNE 2008
ANNOUNCEMENTS
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces
The Speaker and the Chairperson
- Classification of Bills by Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM)
(1) The JTM on 5 June 2008 in terms of Joint Rule 160(6) classified
the following Bills as section 75 Bills:
a) National Prosecuting Authority Amendment Bill [B 23 – 2008]
(National Assembly – sec 75).
b) Agricultural Debt Management Repeal Bill [B 24 – 2008]
(National Assembly – sec 75).
c) Insurance Laws Amendment Bill [B 26 – 2008] (National Assembly
– sec 75).
- Introduction of Bills
(1) The Minister of Education
a) National Qualifications Framework Bill [B 33 – 2008] (National
Assembly – proposed sec 76) [Explanatory summary of Bill and
prior notice of its introduction published in Government
Gazette No 31039 of 9 May 2008.]
Introduction and referral to the Portfolio Committee on
Education of the National Assembly, as well as referral to the
Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for classification in terms of
Joint Rule 160.
In terms of Joint Rule 154 written views on the classification
of the Bill may be submitted to the JTM within three
parliamentary working days.
b) Higher Education Amendment Bill [B 34 – 2008] (National
Assembly – proposed sec 75) [Explanatory summary of Bill and
prior notice of its introduction published in Government
Gazette No 31039 of 9 May 2008.]
Introduction and referral to the Portfolio Committee on
Education of the National Assembly, as well as referral to the
Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for classification in terms of
Joint Rule 160.
In terms of Joint Rule 154 written views on the classification
of the Bill may be submitted to the JTM within three
parliamentary working days.
c) General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance
Amendment Bill [B 35 – 2008] (National Assembly – proposed sec
76) [Explanatory summary of Bill and prior notice of its
introduction published in Government Gazette No 31039 of 9 May
2008.]
Introduction and referral to the Portfolio Committee on
Education of the National Assembly, as well as referral to the
Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for classification in terms of
Joint Rule 160.
In terms of Joint Rule 154 written views on the classification
of the Bill may be submitted to the JTM within three
parliamentary working days.
- Draft Bills submitted in terms of Joint Rule 159
(1) Judicial Matters Amendment Bill, 2008, submitted by the Minister
for Justice and Constitutional Development. Referred to the
Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development and
the Select Committee on Security and Constitutional Affairs.
2) Submitted by the Minister of Transport:
(a) National Land Transport Bill, 2008.
(b) Legal Succession to the South African Transport Services
Amendment Bill, 2008.
(c) Civil Aviation Bill, 2008.
Referred to the Portfolio Committee on Transport and the Select
Committee on Public Services.
TABLINGS
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces
-
The Speaker and the Chairperson
(a) Report of the Auditor-General on information systems audits conducted regarding the Electronic National Traffic Information System – May 2008 [RP 94-2008].
-
The Minister of Finance
(a) Protocol amending the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of Australia for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, tabled in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution, 1996.
(b) Explanatory Memorandum to the Protocol amending the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of Australia for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
(c) Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Republic of the Sudan for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income, tabled in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution, 1996. (d) Explanatory Memorandum to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Republic of the Sudan for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
(e) Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil regarding mutual assistance between their Customs Administrations, tabled in terms of section 231(3) of the Constitution, 1996.
(f) Explanatory Memorandum to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil regarding mutual assistance between their Customs Administrations.
(g) Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Republic of India on co-operation and mutual assistance in Customs Matters, tabled in terms of section 231(3) of the Constitution, 1996.
(h) Explanatory Memorandum to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Republic of India on co-operation and mutual assistance in Customs Matters.
TUESDAY, 10 JUNE 2008
ANNOUNCEMENTS
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces The Speaker and the Chairperson
- Introduction of Bills
(1) The Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry
a) South African National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency
Limited Bill [B 36 – 2008] (National Assembly – proposed sec
75) [Explanatory summary of Bill and prior notice of its
introduction published in Government Gazette No 30827 of 29
February 2008.]
Introduction and referral to the Portfolio Committee on Water
Affairs and Forestry of the National Assembly, as well as
referral to the Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) for
classification in terms of Joint Rule 160.
In terms of Joint Rule 154 written views on the classification
of the Bill may be submitted to the JTM within three
parliamentary working days.
- Draft Bills submitted in terms of Joint Rule 159
(1) Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill and Judicial Matters Amendment
Bill, 2008, submitted by the Minister for Justice and
Constitutional Development. Referred to the Portfolio Committee on
Justice and Constitutional Development and the Select Committee on
Security and Constitutional Affairs.
(2) Public Administration Management Bill, 2008, submitted by the
Minister for the Public Service and Administration. Referred to the
Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration and the
Select Committee on Local Government and Administration.
- Bills passed by Houses – to be submitted to President for assent
(1) Bills passed by National Assembly on 10 June 2008:
a) Prohibition or Restriction of Certain Conventional Weapons
Bill [B 7D – 2007] (National Assembly – sec 75).
National Council of Provinces
The Chairperson
- Message from National Assembly to National Council of Provinces in respect of Bills passed by Assembly and transmitted to Council
(1) Bills passed by National Assembly and transmitted for
concurrence on 10 June 2008:
(a) Renaming of High Courts Bill [B 5B - 2008] (National
Assembly – sec 75).
The Bill has been referred to the Select Committee on Security
and Constitutional Affairs of the National Council of
Provinces.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces
CREDA INSERT REPORT - T080610E - Insert 1 PAGES 1074-1095
National Council of Provinces
- Report of the Select Committee on Social Services on the Social Assistance Amendment Bill [B17 – 2008 (Reprint)] National Assembly – sec 76 (1)), dated 10 June 2008:
The Select Committee on Social Services having considered the subject
of the Social Assistance Amendment Bill [B17 – 2008 (Reprint)]
(National Assembly – sec 76 (1)), referred to it and classified by the
Joint Tagging Mechanism as a section 76 (1) Bill, reports the Bill
without amendments.