Hon Speaker, many opportunities were created during our state visit to Brazil last year. The state visit served to strengthen the existing sound relations between the two countries. The reciprocal visit by His Excellency President Lula da Silva in July this year further cemented our relations. The two countries have ongoing co- operation in the areas of social development, trade and industry, health, education, science and technology, governance and energy, to mention just a few.
The two countries also have in place a memorandum of understanding on trade co-operation in an effort to lower tariff and nontariff barriers. This will enable us to further reach our goals of opening the Brazilian market for better access for our products and services. This speaks to our strategic priority of creating better quality lives and decent work through improved export opportunities.
The state visit also allowed the two countries to take relations forward at the level of India-Brazil-South Africa Forum, which enables us to advance South-South co-operation. During the two visits, we also undertook to make available to Brazil any assistance relating to expertise gained during the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, as they will be hosting the tournament in the year 2014. The visit to the Russian Federation put a strong emphasis on bilateral co- operation as well as economic and trade issues. We discussed and agreed to develop concrete joint ventures, particularly in the energy, mining and agricultural sectors.
Amongst the key issues that were addressed were access for South African meat products to the Russian market, Russian anti-dumping penalties on South African steel exports, as well as other trade matters. Some of the agreements signed included an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic, official and service passports to promote people-to-people co-operation and co-operation amongst space agencies of the two countries.
There was also the signing of a contract between Eskom and Tenex to supply nuclear fuel to South Africa, which contributes to the imperative of a reliable and stable energy supply. The visit also focused on international development issues such as meeting the Millennium Development Goals, reform of the global financial architecture, and South Africa's wish to join the Brazil-Russia-China formation called Bric.
During our state visit to China, the two countries signed the Declaration on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Vice President of China, Mr Xi Jinping, was this week hosted by our Deputy President, hon Kgalema Motlanthe; an indication of strong ties between the two countries. This week's visit served to concretise and put into action many of the agreements reached during the August state visit, using the South Africa-China Bi-National Commission as a mechanism.
During our visit to China, we agreed to focus on working towards more balanced trade. The two countries also undertook to provide mutual technical support in the areas of the green economy, skills development and industrial financing.
Sixteen private sector contracts were also signed between local and Chinese companies. The private sectors of both countries were encouraged to explore co-operation opportunities in infrastructure construction projects such as roads, ports, power generation, airports and housing. China has also committed itself to support - within the Nepad context - the North-South infrastructure development corridor which South Africa is championing.
The visit was also used to co-ordinate and align the positions of South Africa and China on international issues, particularly with regard to the G20, climate change, reform of the United Nations system and the Bric Forum.
The 16th of November marked the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Indian community in the country, which was the beginning of the strong ties between India and South Africa. The state visit to India succeeded in further strengthening the strong bilateral relations that both countries share, at cultural, economic, political and social levels. The two countries agreed to work towards increasing bilateral trade to at least $12 billion per annum by 2012.
The business forum of the two countries met in Johannesburg following the state visit, taking forward the agreements reached at the level of trade relations. The two countries will also co-operate on education and skills development, something which bodes well for South Africa's human resource development needs.
South Africa is working closely within the UN and the Ibsa Forum to promote a new world order, as well as to ensure that the voice of the developing world is heard and carries weight with regard to development issues. The world we live in today has changed significantly since the end of the Cold War. The countries of the South such as Brazil, India and China are rising and are challenging the global economic landscape.
We want to take advantage of these new developments, while also working to enhance existing relations with the developed North, the United States, the European Union and other regions. We also use international forums to promote the reform of international financial institutions to ensure the participation of Africa and the developing world in decision-making. We also work towards more equitable trade relations in the world, hence the call for the Doha Round to be concluded in a manner that enhances development and does not perpetuate global inequalities. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr President, thank you for your comprehensive response. I fully agree with your response with regard to the opportunities which have been created for our country following your visit to Brazil, India, Russia and China, as well as the contribution that South Africa can make to the global agenda, as a leading developing country in the world.
We must congratulate the President for his visionary initiative to strengthen the relationships between South Africa and the four countries he has visited. The policy of the ANC is to create a better world, and it is therefore important to interact continuously with these countries, but also with others, as part of our international agenda.
My question, Mr President, is: What do you think can be done to inform our people and make them understand and appreciate the potential benefits that may flow to South Africa, benefiting our people in creating a better life for all? Thank you.
Hon Speaker, for our people to appreciate and understand this, we first need to find a way of communicating with our country's citizens. We should inform them about what the benefits are of the visits we have made to these countries. One way of doing it is through Parliament, because they listen to what Parliament discusses. It is important to do so, so that people will appreciate the reasons why these visits are made.
We cannot develop relations and our economy if we are not in dynamic contact with other countries, particularly if we want to be a country amongst countries that are economically developed. Paying these visits is in fact doing the job of this country so that we therefore create more possibilities for economic and political relations that open up economic activities between the countries. This also enables us to learn from these countries about how they solve their own problems, particularly in the changing world of today where the emphasis is no longer just on relations between the South and the North, but where South-South is also important. We need to communicate all of that to people so that they understand what it means.
We need to see many of the channels that we have. That is the reason why the public broadcaster, for example, monitors and follows these visits. This is so that even whilst both the Deputy President and I are visiting, they are able to communicate and indicate what is happening as we are in these places. We should do more of that so that our people can understand, including utilising Parliament. Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr President, it appears that you are being ambushed by the Koornhofs, but I will not be rude to you today. It's a very interesting initiative for South Africa to join the so called Bric countries. From Cope's side, I would just wish for all the best.
Firstly, I would like to know if you envisage this to happen? Secondly, in view of the fact that most of the countries that you have visited are normally keen only to obtain our raw materials or minerals, have any agreements been reached with these countries? Such agreements should be to outsource any manufacturing to South Africa, but in such a way that they do not come here bringing their own workforce and skills, but that they employ South Africans and make use of our skills.
Hon Speaker, don't worry about the Koornhofs; I know them very well, even if they ambush me. Yes, that issue, including the beneficiation that we believe is important, has been discussed with the countries, because we have engaged quite extensively. They've got the capacity to do so. There is an agreement with these countries that indeed our relationship should be beneficial to both. The comprehensive agreement that we have already signed with China actually embodies that element of ensuring that there is beneficiation and job creation in the relationship that we have. We have engaged strongly the Russians and particularly the strong countries. So, that matter has been catered for. Thank you. [Applause.]
Thank you, hon Speaker. Hon President, of the countries visited, Brazil probably has the most similarities to South Africa. And most observers agree that Brazil's emergence and recent surge can be attributed to political leadership. Since the 1990s, the sequencing of tough reform targeted social policies and the commodity boom.
The ACDP believes that all these developments have important lessons for South Africa, and we are grateful for their link with Brazil. But would you agree with the further widely held observation that the most instructive aspect of Brazil's ascent is the strong consensus and common vision that has developed between government and business over the past decade? If so, how can a similar consensus and common vision be developed in South Africa between government, business and labour, particularly regarding economic growth issues? I'm referring now to beyond the Nedlac process. Thank you.
Hon Speaker, certainly, yes, Cuba engaged social partners and discussed a number of issues with them. I don't think it resolved any other issue but certainly made good progress, and it is a country to learn from. We are engaged in the process, as you know. You have already quoted one example, Nedlac, which has been there all the time where these social partners had to exchange views. We have also been consulting on challenges with all social partners. You will recall that when the world was struck by the financial crisis, we were the only country that utilised that structure of social partners to emerge with a plan that no country ever had. That indicates our commitment to that process.
You would also appreciate that we have said in public that, economically speaking, with the new growth path we are going to engage social partners as well. So, from our point of view, we are always discussing with business and labour to find common ground on what we are doing. Certainly, there is room to do more, and I'm sure we will continue to do so. That is what we believe in, as Brazil also did. Thank you. [Applause.]
Thank you, Mr President, for your response. A bilateral relationship with any other country is a good thing for both parties. We must be guarded that we don't sometimes open our doors too wide. I say this in the context of the thousands of job losses in the clothing and textile industry in the South African situation. Many businesses have closed down, and thousands of ordinary people have lost their jobs due to cheap imports. We do know that in the case countries like India and China in particular, with their low productivity costs, their products come here in the form of millions of items. What are we going to do, or is there any agreement or arrangement or any discussion that has taken place, in particular with those two countries? This would be to ensure that we protect the jobs of people in our country, and that they adhere to proper rules and regulations when producing goods in their respective countries.
Hon Speaker, as we engage with these countries, that issue is not outside of the engagement. Those are some of the matters that we have discussed. Certainly, we cannot determine what countries individually do. However, we certainly believe that as we develop relations, we are able to deal with those matters so that we can have better regulations in terms of how goods move between the countries. That is one issue and, as you know, it has been an issue about which there has been a lot of concern - particularly from the labour movement - that it must be corrected. Certainly these relations will remedy that as well. Thank you. [Applause.]
Particulars regarding applications for presidential pardon
20. Mr V B Ndlovu (IFP) asked the President of the Republic:
(1) With reference to the 384 applications for presidential pardon in terms of section 84(2) of the Constitution that were submitted with the assistance of a certain political party (details furnished), when will he make available his decision regarding the remaining 154 applications;
(2) whether, with reference to the 149 applications that were recommended for presidential pardon by the Presidential Reference Group (details furnished), he will make the political affiliations of each of these applicants available; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?