Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the Council -
1) takes cognisance of the findings of Human Rights Watch some time ago on the dop [tot] system and the living and working conditions of farm workers on farms in the Western Cape;
2) notes that Human Rights Watch in its briefing to the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Labour and Agriculture last week, revealed -
a) that the dop system is still being used by some farmers in the Western Cape as a method of payment or as payment for overtime;
b) the poor living and working conditions of farm workers in the Western Cape, where some workers lived in converted pig sties while others had no access to electricity or clean water; and
c) widespread cases of abuse, exploitation and human rights violations; and
3) condemns these unlawful practices and abuses with utter dismay and calls on the Ministers of Labour and of Agriculture and their departments to launch a comprehensive investigation into these abuses and unlawful practices and to take harsh action against the perpetrators.
Hon Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move on behalf of Cope:
That the Council -
1) debates the delayed action by the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Zweli Mkhize, to sort out his provincial government which has failed the poor for too long;
2) debates the premier's admission that KwaZulu-Natal's human settlements and public works MEC Maggie Govender and agriculture and rural development MEC Lydia Johnson have failed to deliver basic services to the poor;
3) notes that the axed Maggie Govender had failed to "provide houses to desperately poor and needy people" and resulted in KwaZulu-Natal losing R200 million in housing grants;
4) acknowledges the unacceptability of Govender and Johnson continuing to be members of the legislature; and 5) debates the urgent need for government to tackle political appointments head-on and to ensure that skilled and willing people are employed in the provinces.
Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move on behalf of the DA:
That the Council -
1) notes that on Tuesday, 15 November 2011, 20 people, which included two young children, were killed in a horrific multi-vehicle accident on the N1 near Prince Albert;
2) extends its condolences to all the family and friends who lost loved ones in this gruesome accident; and
3) requests everyone on the roads, particularly over the December holiday period, to drive within the speed limit and to obey the rules of the road. Please Arrive Alive!
Madam Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move on behalf of the DA:
That the Council -
1) notes that the contract benefiting suspended ANC Youth League president Julius Malema cannot be cancelled because it would have serious legal implications, and the Public Protector's spokesperson Kgalalelo Masibi said on Wednesday: "There could be possible unintended consequences by suspending in its entirety ... It is a binding agreement";
2) also notes that the contract has already been running for two years;
3) further notes that Public Protector Thuli Madonsela met with the Limpopo roads and transport department on Wednesday and one portion of the contract was suspended: "Both parties agreed to suspend one aspect of the contract, that is, the participation of On-Point in the bid evaluation committee until the investigation is concluded," her office said in a statement;
4) notes that On-Point Engineering is partly owned by Malema's family trust; and
5) acknowledges that Ms Madonsela is probing claims that the Limpopo government awarded irregular tenders to On-Point Engineering, which benefited Malema.
Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move on behalf of the DA:
That the Council -
1) notes that crime in South Africa is one of the factors breaking down the economic growth of our country;
2) further notes that the incidence of malicious damage to property per 100 000 of the population is 250,7; burglary at residential premises was 495,5; motor vehicle and motorcycle theft was 129 in 2007, which has a direct influence on the economy;
3) acknowledges that according to economists Erik Alda and Jose Cuesta in the Journal of International Development, the estimated cost of crime in South Africa amounted to US$22,1 billion, which equalled R164 billion in 2007; and
4) debates crime and how it influences poverty in South Africa.
Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move on behalf of the DA:
That the Council - 1) acknowledges that the government identifies and deals with socioeconomic factors such as poverty, crime, vandalism and gangsterism at schools;
2) notes that many institutions of learning have now become institutions of safety;
3) recognises that the government must build more schools as per the population need and ensure that learners receive education in their preferred language;
4) notes that the ratio of teachers per class should be reviewed to ensure that quality education is promoted and that the slower learners are supported with adaptation classes; and
5) encourages school principals, teachers and curriculum advisers to start a public participation process that will produce an educational system supported with technology and the best learning materials, which will decrease the gap between school and tertiary education and enable learners to contribute on all levels in South Africa and in the international arena.
Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move on behalf of Cope:
That the Council debates -
1) the opportunity for job creation offered by many large bulk ships and tankers passing this way to load in Brazil and off Saldanha Bay, that require dry docking;
2) the nonexistent dry docking facilities in the southern hemisphere;
3) the need to initiate construction of more terminals and Industrial Development Zones, IDZs, in Saldanha, which could create hundreds of jobs during its construction in the ship repair industry and other sectors; and
4) the need for government to act in this regard before Namibia takes this development opportunity from under our noses.
Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move on behalf of Cope:
That the Council -
1) notes the devastation and hardship caused by a series of veld fires in the Northern Cape, specifically in the Colesberg, Barkly West, Campbell and Mier districts;
2) further notes the impending crisis facing citizens and especially the farming fraternity in these areas, whereby almost two hundred thousand hectares of veld have been destroyed, which will lead to the important loss of life, stock and assets; and
3) calls on government to act urgently and declare these affected areas disaster areas and to put the necessary mechanisms in place to support and assist these farming communities financially to overcome this dreadful disaster.