Deputy Speaker, we have an issue with the praise worthy report stating that Department of International Relations and Cooperation performed well and healthy. We found this to be overly generous.
But with the recommendations, we are firmly behind the report as Department of International Relations and Cooperation is facing an internal crisis and with these recommendations and the power of oversights, we can hopefully take this giant and cut it down to size. In the spirit, the DA supports the Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report, BRRR. Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, we strongly condemn the afrophobic and xenophobic attacks that are taking place in our country which is turning Africans into enemies and move focus from the fact that the ANC has failed to address the socio economic challenges. This report does not address this matter at all. Therefore, South Africa,
being the big sister continent in Africa, has no solution to the African problems.
South Africa must become a global player and drive African revolution of a united Africa. African leaders have recently signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement which will allow for the movement of goods in Africa. But yet, the African people are still restricted from movement.
In light of our commitment to human rights, South Africa must lead the programme of international isolation of the following; Morocco which is illegally occupying the Western Sahara; the apartheid state of Israel which is a racist colonial oppression of the Palestinians and; Eswatini which is refusing to be democratized.
As recent as a week ago, Donald Trump's administration, imposed sanctions on the international flights to Cuba as an attempt to escalate a half century long trade embarks on the people of Cuba. So we call upon all South Africans and the whole world to defy Donald Trump and go to Cuba for the December holidays. [Applause.]
As South Africa, we must a call to all African countries and shut down the United States military bases which still exists in African continents. [Applause.] Thank you very. The EFF rejects this report. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, in referring the policy objectives of the socio economic development of South Africa in enhancing foreign relations and co- operations, it remains vital that South Africa formulates, apply and implement foreign policy that is aligned with the domestic priorities.
The departmental strategic objectives have been formulated to its credit and are being largely successfully implemented. Of prime concern to the IFP, remains the high number of missions currently operating around the world. While we accept the need for an expanded international footprint, we must also be cautious of our budget and cut our fiscal cloth accordingly.
Strategic for rain missions must be prioritised and audited conducted whereby those missions that are found
not be advantageous to South Africa in respect of its domestic priorities, in other words, where the opportunity costs in respect of expense incurred in running this mission is more than the gains from having such missions should be closed. Strategic and mechanisms for regional and continental political and economic intervention must be implemented and target reached in alignment with our National Development Plan, NDP.
Investment into South Africa must remain a key priority and government must do all it can within its power to ease the fear of investors as regards to stability of South Africa in a political, social and economic context. Tourism is an important driver of economic growth and if you wish to reach the stated goals of our President in raising a number of tourists in South Africa to 21 million by 2030, we must create a more tourist friendly, safe and secure domestic environment. And these are the lessons that we can learn from other countries around the world that also had to deal with spiralling level of criminal activities within their boarders. The IFP supports the report. [Time expired.]
Deputy Speaker, we in the ACDP looked at the report in the light of the economic challenges we are facing in our country. And we believe that because of our poor economic climate, the host agreements signed with the African Union in 2004, in which South Africa was to provide headquarters accommodation for the Pan African Parliament has to be revisited.
Our current debt level as a country will negate the possibility of such an undertaking for many years to come. The same hold the African Renaissance Fund. The fact that South Africa is the only financial contributor to the African Renaissance Fund, ARF, makes this fund unsustainable.
While the ACDP notes the importance of assisting other countries in distress, we have to be realistic and face the fact that South Africa does not have limitless resources and that our current economic climate requires expenditure cuts.
The millions given in support of democracy and good governance in other countries, good as it is, the
presidential elections in Madagascar as an example, the post conflict reconstruction and development, that money should rather be used to reduce our financial deficit so that our country can also avoid the junk status that is threatening us.
Spending on the compensation of the employees in the country's 125 diplomatic missions across 108 countries is costing South Africa billions of rands every year. And it is set to increase to R3,3 billion in the 2021- 22 financial year. That is why the ACDP is calling for the review of these expenses. Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, amongst all the doom and gloom in the country currently, allow me to congratulate the Springboks on their well deserved win and making South Africa proud. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, the NFP welcomes the report of the Department of International Relations tabled here today. But allow me equally to express our disappointment at the qualified audit opinion that this department has received.
Once again, the issue of the asset register has not been dealt with and in visiting some of these countries, particularly in the SADEC regions, some of these countries tell us that some of these properties belongs to us and South Africa don't even have a record of it so I think it is quite a challenge and I think we need to deal with it.
Allow me agree with my colleagues from the EFF, yes indeed, the United States is the greatest monster on earth and unless we deal with them, there will be no peace and security anywhere in the world. So actually we should be boycotting them at every level, to be honest with you. [Interjections.] Deputy Speaker, a R298 million in irregular expenditure is totally unacceptable. Now the Auditor General has reported on the performance of the accounting officer and
What we would like to see as the NFP is, consequence management, because this accounting officer cannot be holding the post any longer while the Auditor General has indicated that he has failed in his duty. On the issue of the Palestinians, the NFP wants to express its
disappointment that, 23 months later this government has not implemented the downgrading of the South African embassy in Israel to liaison office.
Further more, we want to say that the issue of Southern African Development Community, SADC, we want you to relook at it, whether it is feasible. For us to go there twice a year with our entire team, we believe that once a year will be good enough because there is very little of benefit. The issue of the reduction in the diplomatic mission in terms of trying to reduce our costs is a matter that we need to deal with. But the NFP will support this. Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, the ANC supports the report of the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation. The department has tabled the Foreign Service Bill during the 2015-16 financial year, for processing by Parliament.
The Bill is aimed, amongst others, the establishment of a single foreign service for the Republic of South Africa; and for the administration and functioning of the Foreign
Service, and for the establishment of the mechanisms that enhance the execution of international relations.
The Foreign Service Bill 2015 was adopted by the National Assembly in November 2018 and was considered by the NCOP in February 2019. The committee wishes to finalise the process on the Bill before recess in December. On the Auditor General's audit outcomes, the committee has recommended that the department deal serial recurring issues raised in the auditor's general report, especially on supply chain, cash and cash equivalence, ICT systems, asset management, consequence management and compliance with rules and legislation.
The cash based mission needs to be closely monitored and capacitated with officials with the requisite skills on financial management. Investigations should be taken to establish whether there was any wrongdoing on cash equivalence and this includes the New York project which the committee resolved that urgent intervention by the department and the committee must take place as a matter of urgency.
The committee has recommended further that the oversight model in Parliament should be applied in a sympathetic manner with regard to the unique mandate of oversight on international relations. The execution of South Africa's foreign policies, largely in the South African missions abroad, Parliament's focus for the sixth Parliament, is robust oversight hence this challenge needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. The ANC supports this report once again. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Question put.
Motion agreed to (Economic Freedom Fighters dissenting).
Report accordingly adopted.