Hon Meshoe, SADC has taken a very responsible approach to the difficulties in Zimbabwe. We do know that some in the past called for more force to be used against Zimbabwe. The truth is that problems are never solved by waging wars. That is an illusion.
We know that those who are militarily superior always delude themselves into believing that it is possible, through military invasions, to solve problems. But the SADC view is that only dialogue solves problems.
This call for the lifting of sanctions is not aimed at protecting and defending President Mugabe as an individual. It is meant to attract the necessary investments into Zimbabwe so that their economic recovery plan can take effect. We know that once the economy recovers and political stability is consolidated, the SADC region as a whole can only benefit from such developments. That is really the rationale behind SADC's stance.
You know, President Mugabe is an individual. He's now at an advanced age ... [Interjections.] It's not helpful to devote all of our efforts to dealing with him as an individual. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Hon Speaker, I thank the Deputy President for the reply. The outstanding issues towards the full implementation of the GPA include the appointment of the governor of the reserve bank, the appointment of the attorney-general, media reforms and the continuing general violation of human rights and the rule of law. What timeframes do you foresee for the full implementation of the GPA to take place? These issues are serious impediments to peace and security in Zimbabwe, and to our own peace as well.
Hon Speaker, as far as we are concerned, these are issues which should have been addressed sooner than yesterday, because there is really no advantage to be gained by not addressing them. That is the reason, as part and parcel of the mechanisms of implementing this Global Political Agreement, that an all-inclusive structure, Jomic, the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee, was established to deal with these kinds of issues, in order to ensure that the detention of people and the abduction of citizens no longer happen.
We have spelled out in very clear terms to all parties concerned in Zimbabwe that indeed, when the international community, for example Prime Minister Gordon Brown, President Obama and the European Union, say that they want to see progress, these are the issues that the Zimbabwean political leadership ought to address to ensure that investors come to the party. So, as far as we are concerned, this is something that must have happened sooner than yesterday.
Hon Speaker, hon Deputy President, as the state of affairs in Zimbabwe is not in the interests of the region, I suppose that the South African government has to invoke a number of extraordinary measures to try to resolve this impasse. Are there any plans in that respect, hon Deputy President?
Thank you very much, hon Ngonyama. The SADC leadership, which had been meeting in Kinshasa until yesterday, has decided that the SADC secretariat should, on an ongoing basis and in a dynamic fashion, monitor resolutions to all these outstanding issues. If that does not produce the desired results, an extraordinary summit will be convened, focusing specifically on ensuring that more meat is added to the processes of moving Zimbabwe forward.
As I've stated, there is really no advantage to be gained by maintaining the status quo. Zimbabweans do understand that in fact there will be no second chance; this is their last chance to pull themselves out of the morass in which they find themselves. Thank you.
Hon Deputy President, noting that Zimbabwe comes from a period of extreme hostilities marked by human rights abuses and so on, these and other factors led to, amongst other things, the collapse of the economy and the country's democratic system of government. However, since then significant progress has been made, notably there is dialogue among Zimbabweans themselves and the Global Political Agreement is in place - of course, with outstanding issues - and there's a functional, inclusive government that is working very hard towards bringing about unity and normalcy in that country.
In spite of these developments, some still insist that sanctions must be maintained and/or intensified, and that South Africa in particular must use its so-called "economic muscle" to force President Mugabe into submission. Is there, indeed, any merit whatsoever in that argument? Thank you.
Hon Speaker, we take our cue from the political parties in Zimbabwe and I think that the calls for the maintenance of sanctions have subsided. That is why I was a bit surprised when hon Meshoe seemed not to agree with that. The answer, in short, is that continued calls for sanctions would serve no useful purpose and would not in any way assist the ordinary people in Zimbabwe. Thank you.
Government's progress in halving the rate of new HIV/Aids infections; and outcomes of Sanac summit
7. Mr M B Goqwana (ANC) asked the Deputy President:
(a)What progress has the Government made in achieving the target of halving the rate of new HIV/Aids infections by 2011 as stated in the HIV/Aids and STI Strategic Plan for South Africa 2007-11 and (b) what are the outcomes of the recently held summit of the SA National Aids Council, Sanac, Women's Sector? NO1304E
Thank you very much, hon Speaker. Hon Goqwana, we are generally encouraged by the commitment prevailing within the various sectors of the SA National Aids Council, Sanac, in implementing the HIV and Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections National Strategic Plan. We regard the prevailing spirit as essential to a concerted effort of ridding the country and our people of the scourge of HIV and Aids.
With regard to the prevention of new HIV infections, government and all Sanac sectors are rolling out targeted prevention programmes to ensure that those who are HIV-negative remain negative. Examples of these are: social mobilisation; information, communication and education programmes; risk- reduction campaigns; the provision of male and female condoms; the treatment of sexually transmitted infections; and programmes on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
In addition, Sanac has initiated a consultation process around medical male circumcision. This consultation is particularly important for a number of reasons, including cultural practices. Sanac is also discussing how to make female condoms more readily available.
The recently released Human Sciences Research Council report on the third national HIV survey, that was conducted last year, found that our HIV prevalence rate has levelled off at 10,9% for people aged two years and older. Prevalence has also declined among children aged two to 14 from 5,6% in 2002 to 2,5% in 2008. In addition, the survey found that new infections or the incidence thereof has declined among teenagers aged 15 to 19. These results support our view that the concerted efforts of government and other Sanac sectors are achieving results.
Sanac is currently undertaking a midterm review of the national strategic plan in order to assess progress and to consider what improvements can be made in order to ensure that our targets for 2011 are met. The results of this review are expected in the first quarter of next year and will be made available to members of this House.
In response to the second part of the question, the recently conducted Sanac Women's Sector Prevention Summit, held two weeks ago, explored various HIV prevention strategies for women and girls.
The summit provided a platform for women to actively engage with current research initiatives in the area of prevention. Issues of access to existing and new HIV prevention technologies by South African women were also discussed.
Going forward, the summit resolved, among other things, that the sector would look at interventions on adolescent health and how they could champion this programme in collaboration with other stakeholders; that there needed to be further discussion on the issue of the decriminalisation of sex work; and that working together with the men's sector and other key role-players, the women's sector would become involved in efforts to address the problems experienced by young girls as a result of practices such as ukuthwala [abduction of a young woman for the purpose of marriage] in the Lusikisiki area of the Eastern Cape province. I thank you.
Thank you, hon Speaker. Hon Deputy President, I thank you very much for what you said. I definitely think we are going to be able to achieve the 50% goal.
With regard to HIV/Aids being an infectious disease, we have neighbouring countries that might not be doing exactly what we are doing, and there is a lot of movement between countries. I would like to ask the Deputy President what his thoughts are about that in terms of ensuring that we attain the 50% goal, irrespective of the fact that there is movement between countries.
My second question concerns circumcision. It is said that 60% of circumcised males won't get infected. But isn't that going to mean that people will not know whether or not it is safe for the other 40% of men who are circumcised to have sex without protection? Thank you.
Mr Speaker, with regard to movement among countries, unfortunately we do not have a medical examination as a requirement at our ports of entry for those who come into our country. Of course, we have to rely on the efforts within SADC in ensuring that our people are well informed about how to prevent the spread of HIV.
Secondly, with regard to circumcision, I think, from a communications point of view, that it is very important not to miscommunicate the effect or positive impact of circumcision in terms of its contribution towards prevention. I think we should ensure that we don't create the illusion that those who are circumcised are therefore fully protected against infection. The message has to go out very carefully so that we don't cause that confusion. Thank you.
Thank you, hon Speaker. Hon Deputy President, is antiretroviral therapy, or ART, being considered as a means of HIV prevention in South Africa, as was proposed by a WHO official at an Aids forum in Cape Town in July?
Statistically, each person living with HIV infects one person every one-and- a-quarter years and, since the current life expectancy after infection is 10 years, seven new infections occur for each initial person living with the virus.
Since ART can lower viral load - the single greatest risk factor for HIV transmission - to undetectable levels, it should also severely decrease transmission rates, offering hope in eliminating this scourge from South Africa. Has this theory been discussed within Sanac or at Cabinet level, and where does government currently stand on this issue? Thank you.
These matters, as you well know, hon member, continue to serve on the agenda of Sanac. Yes, indeed, they were discussed, and Sanac is quite open-minded. We accept that there is no cure and that all advances in research ought to be received very positively. Therefore our attitude is a positive one. We accept the recommendations of the WHO in this regard. Thank you.
Mr Speaker, Deputy President, the DA welcomes any steps to reduce the number of people dying from HIV/Aids, given the 10 years of denialism that we have recently had.
But we are concerned that we are basing our programmes on completely inadequate and outdated information. For example, even though it is nearly the end of 2009, the annual antenatal clinic survey of 2008 has still not been released. This is one of the most important sources of information we have on how the Aids pandemic is progressing. The DA has, for the third year in a row, submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act application for this report to be released. We urge the government to respond to this request so that all South Africans can be properly informed about the epidemic.
And I ask you, Deputy President: Where is this report, and can you clarify what the reasons are for the continued delay in the release of the survey? Thank you very much.
Thank you, hon Waters. I undertake to find out where this report is and ensure that it is made available. Thank you.
Government's approach in strengthening and advancing the principles of the AU and the objectives of Nepad
8. Ms K R Magau (ANC) asked the Deputy President:
What approach will the Government use in the next five years in pursuit of strengthening and advancing (a) the founding principles of the African Union and (b) the objectives of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, Nepad, in building a unified and developed African continent? NO1305E
Deputy Speaker, hon members, a strong African Union is essential for Africa's unity and development. South Africa will continue to advocate for a gradual process of continental integration using the regional economic communities as building blocks towards the establishment of the African Union government.
This entails the harmonisation of the programmes and policies of regional economic communities, and we are pleased that progress is being made with regard to integration within and among the Southern African Development Community, SADC; the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Comesa; and the East African Community, EAC.
We are committed to supporting the strengthening of the African Union and its structures. Amongst other things, this is evident from South Africa's engagement in ensuring the establishment of the African Union organs, namely the African Investment Bank, the African Central Bank, the African Monetary Bank, and the African Court of Justice and Human Rights. In this regard, it must be mentioned that Ministers of justice and attorneys- general of the AU have finalised the major instrument for the African Court of Justice and the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights.
South Africa has nominated and was able to get the endorsement of Justice Bernard Ngoepe, the Judge President of the Transvaal, to serve in the human rights section of the court. South Africa will continue to work with the African Union Commission towards transforming the Pan-African Parliament from being an advisory body to a legislative one. In order to advance the founding principles of the African Union, South Africa will continue to support the activities of the economic, social and cultural council with a view to ensuring that all the peoples of Africa participate in, and take ownership of, African Union activities and processes.
On the second aspect of the question, South Africa will continue to support the implementation of Nepad - the New Partnership for Africa's Development - as a blueprint for Africa's socioeconomic development. Nepad is part of the African Union's programmes to intensify the struggle against poverty and underdevelopment on the continent.
In this regard, South Africa will continue to support the integration of Nepad into the AU's structures and processes. We are committed to meeting our own obligations that derive from the African Peer Review Mechanism, and we will continue to encourage other African Union member states to accede to the African Peer Review Mechanism and implement the outcome of the country reviews.
South Africa will continue to support the implementation of Nepad's programmes and projects at a regional level through the regional indicative strategic development plan and at a national level. We are pleased that at the 11th summit of heads of state and governments participating in the African Peer Review Mechanism held in Sirte, Libya, at the end of June this year, Cape Verde acceded to the African Peer Review Mechanism as the 29th member.
South Africa will continue to support the call for the international community to comply with their commitments made at various international fora aimed at assisting African countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals within the framework of Nepad. Thank you.
Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Thank you, Deputy President, for a comprehensive response. Deputy President, you have reiterated that South Africa will continue to advance in a gradual process of continental integration using regional economic communities as building blocks for the African Union government. However, Deputy President, the recent initialling of the interim economic partnership agreements by some members of the region, that is of SADC, who are also members of the customs union, is threatening our own integration as a region.
Therefore, my question is: How do we intend to manage the process of finalising these negotiations, going forward, to ensure that harmonised regional integration is realised? Thank you.
Thank very much, hon Speaker. As South Africa, we are really not unduly concerned that some of the SADC member countries have signed agreements with the European Union. What really is of concern to us is the type and amount of pressure that is being applied to get them to accede to such agreements.
As a response, the Southern African Customs Union, Sacu, is having a strategy session later this month to look at the issue so that we do not weaken the region by signing agreements that will undermine the integrity of the region. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, and Deputy President. South Africa contributes a large portion to the AU budget. Almost 15% of the AU budget comes from South Africa, and therefore we believe that we should have a greater influence on this body.
What is the government doing to encourage other African countries to make similar contributions to the AU, and what proportion of the AU senior staff positions are held by South African citizens in the AU?
Thank you very much, hon member. The matter of contributions made to the AU reflects the strength and size of the member countries. For a while now, this has been a source of great weakness in our discussions with other member countries. The approach has been one that sought to improve on the capacities of all of these countries by removing the bottlenecks in integrated trade within the economic communities; hence Comesa, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community and SADC have had summits looking at interconnectivity as a way of ensuring that these countries are placed in a position where they can afford their own fees.
We know that some other well-resourced countries use resources to extract undue influence, for instance, by paying for the weaker countries. That is part of the problem that we are trying to address at this point in time. It's a challenge, but we can only succeed in addressing it by strengthening and ensuring that we do not advance alone and thereby become an island of progress in a desert of backwardness and underdevelopment. That is how we are approaching it. Thank you.
Hon Speaker and hon Deputy President, on the economic partnership agreements, I think we all agree that these could pose a serious threat to the region if we don't take them seriously and act promptly. Is there a specific road map that the Deputy President can take us through to try and address this issue, because it is indeed a serious issue?
With regard to Nepad, there is relative silence about it from the current leaders of the continent. Is there a way that we can be taken on board in terms of the specific programmes that current leaders of the African continent will be embarking on in advancing the cause of Nepad?
Mr Speaker, I thank the hon member. With regard to the economic partnership agreements, as I have indicated, Sacu will be meeting at the end of this month to develop a well-co-ordinated and comprehensive response to these agreements to ensure that we interact with the EU as a region rather than just as weak individual countries.
Regarding Nepad, the efforts at this point in time are to ensure that Nepad becomes part of the African Union. The current chairperson of Nepad is the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, who has been championing the call for investments in infrastructure on the continent. He attends, in his capacity as Nepad chairperson, all the G20 meetings, and has been able to eloquently promote the interests and objectives of Nepad at fora such as those. Thank you.
Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank Your Excellency the Deputy President for a very comprehensive reply. However, one needs to ask the question: Have the Nepad programmes across Africa really taken off as envisaged?
Some of the projects identified are short of finance, while some countries do not comply or co-operate fully, being afraid of losing some of their sovereignty. What can the African Union do concretely to ensure that commitments are honoured and that the African agenda remains on track? Just as an example, many of the countries of the AU do not pay their levies on time, and, as a result, many of the different organs of the AU are unable to work efficiently because they do not have an adequate budget. Thank you.
Speaker, this is a weakness that is of great concern to all leaders on the continent. Other than ensuring that there is integrated economic development, most of the member countries on the continent rely on donor funding even for their budgets.
I don't know how much members know about the efforts of a "Brother Leader" of the Jamahiriya in trying to get himself designated the king of kings in Africa. He entertains such grandiose aims because of the fact that, in the main, he has been very generous in contributing towards some of these projects, and, at the same time, in also trying to determine the context and direction of what happens in such projects. That is why when poorer countries run out of resources, if they don't vote for him, he can simply close the tap. That's a challenge that we have to deal with.
On a more positive note, as I have already said, the chair of Nepad, Prime Minister Zenawi, has utilised every opportunity in ensuring that all the commitments that were made at Gleneagles and elsewhere are met to ensure that there is enough investment in infrastructure on the continent. Thank you.