Hon Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr President ...
May I stand on a point of order, Deputy Speaker.
Yes, what is the point of order?
I don't think it would be advisable to allow Mr Gordhan to speak here.
What point of order is that, sir?
Because the Public Protector has made findings against ... [Interjections.]
Hon Malema, that is not a point of order.
... Mr Gordhan, and you allow a constitutional delinquent to come and speak here.
Hon member, I have said that. That is not a point of order. It is a political statement.
Listen, Mabena, listen. Mabena, listen.
Hon member, I am going to switch off the microphone if you proceed. You are not ...
No, you cannot allow that.
No, I will do that. You know that.
You are doing the same mistake you did even with the previous President where Parliament was accused of not taking responsibility for the actions that it was supposed to take ...
Hon Malema, you read the Rules and they explain what a point of order is.
But let me explain.
What is your point of order?
I am saying to you that you cannot show a middle finger to a Chapter 9 institution ...
No, no.
... by you allowing a constitutional delinquent to come and speak here.
Hon member, that is a political statement and you are out of order. I warned you that I will switch off the microphone.
Okay.
Yes, take your seat.
Deputy Speaker, we will wait outside and when the constitutional delinquent finishes we will come back.
Hon Malema, that is not a point of order.
I would like to
rise on a point of order, hon Deputy Speaker. Deputy Speaker, may I rise on a point of order.
What is your point of order, hon member?
Hon Deputy Speaker,
we will not allow a situation where the Minister is being embarrassed by Comrade Malema. [Interjections.] Deputy Speaker, the point of order is that the Minister took the report for review and it is his right to do so. So ... [Inaudible.] [Interjections.] ... has come out of that. Thank you.
Okay, that is correct. Hon Minister, please proceed.
Hon Speaker, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, hon President, Deputy President Cabinet, colleagues, the hon members that are present here today ...
Can he wait so that we finish walking out, please. [Laughter.]
Sanibonani.
Please, please!
Hon Gardee!
Please! Hey, we are leaving, just wait.
Hon Gardee, just go out if you please, please, and do it orderly. Go ahead, hon Minister. [Interjections.]
Mr President, we commence the sixth administration in a democratic South Africa with a determination to deliver on our vision for a better South Africa for all.
The ANC has a clear and unequivocal vision for a democratic, just, nonracial, nonsexist South Africa. It is a democracy - as you said Mr President - that works for all 57 million South Africans; a democracy that continues to build on the achievements and successes of the past 25 years, while having
the humility to admit the weaknesses and mistakes of the past. The ANC's strategy and tactics document points out that:
South African society requires an effective state, both technically and in terms of its orientation. In other words, continuing transformation and strengthening of state machinery, including state- owned enterprises, is fundamental to speeding up the implementation of programmes of social change in the context of the second phase of radical socioeconomic transformation
As you have pointed out, in order to achieve our goals we must ensure that we have no hunger in due course, and that we have a higher economic growth and an inclusive growth, employment for 2 million young people, and every 10-year-old should be able to read for meaning, and we must halve violent crime.
We need bold and ethical leadership - not the ones that we just heard demonstrated - to implement the seven priorities, the view outlined. We must nurture a common passion and a common purpose. This state of the nation debate sets out a visionary and clear
roadmap for a different, better South Africa for all. Now we must implement our plans with urgency. And we know that we must do things differently as well. We commit to, as Ben Okri says, to remake ourselves so that we remake the world ... "
Two of the seven priorities you have outlined, Mr President, are absolutely vital at this stage of the development of our young democracy which is robust, just, inclusive economic growth and a capable, ethical and developmental state. As your state of the nation address points out and I quote:
It is only when we reach consistently high rates of growth that we will be able to reverse the economic damage of our past.
We must give social justice real meaning in the daily lives of all South Africans, not just in debates. State-owned enterprises are part of a capable, ethical and developmental state. State- owned enterprises must play a vital role in generating inclusive growth, in providing efficient and cost-effective network services and deliver public services to both those who can
afford to pay and those that can't. As the National Development Plan has outlined and I quote:
State-owned enterprises are central to advancing national objectives through providing economic and social infrastructure. If this is done in an equitable and cost- effective way, SOEs can contribute to both deliver a quality and reliable service at a cost that enables South Africa to be globally competitive. To live up to these expectations, SOEs will require clear public-interest mandate, which are consistently enforced.
What is happening globally in relation to state-owned enterprises is that the rationale for the state's ownership of public enterprises varies among countries and industries. It can typically be said - according to one international organisation - to comprise a mix of social, economic and strategic interests. Over the last few decades however, globalisation of markets, technological changes, and the deregulation of previously monopolistic markets have led to readjustment and restructuring of the state-owned sector in many countries. Moreover, SOEs'
participation in international trade and investment has grown significantly. They are an influential and growing force globally.
The proportion of SOEs among the Fortune Global 500 has grown from 9% in 2005 to 23% in 2014, driven particularly by the growth of Chinese SOEs. The Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development, OECD, recently conducted a third review of SOEs amongst its members and certain affiliates and it found the following: Countries with the largest SOE sectors by share of national employment were in Europe interestingly, led by Norway with almost 10% nonagricultural employment; countries with the largest SOE sectors in absolute terms by corporate valuation are China which has valued the SOEs at almost US$30 trillion, India at US$338 billion, Korea at US$217 billion and Italy at US$205 billion.
There was a concentration of SOEs in the network industries, that is telecoms, gas, electricity and transportation industries. Mr President, we are pretty much in line with the international terms that we have seen not many years ago, but
just today. And quite contrary to what some of our colleagues and hon members from the DA might have been arguing about earlier on.
The review observes that and I quote:
With many countries experiencing lower economic growth and finding their fiscal space diminished, governments face growing challenges to ensure well-functioning SOE sectors ... good governance of SOEs is critical to ensure their positive contribution to economic efficiency and competitiveness ...
Similarly, there are new trends as you have pointed out in your address that SOEs can actually play a much entrepreneurial role rather than just intervene in situations, where they called market failure, Mr President. I am quoting in this regard from a leading author on the entrepreneurial state who said that in countries that owe their growth to innovation and regions within a country like Silicon Valley, the state has historically served not just as an administrator and regulator of the world creation
process, but a key actor in it and often a more daring one, willing to take the risks that businesses won't. I trust that my colleague hon Hill- Lewis will note this. This has been true not only in the narrow economies called public goods, like funding of basic research but applause the entire innovation change from basic research to applied research, commercialisation and early stage financing of companies themselves. Such investments ...
Deputy Speaker?
Yes, hon member, what are you rising on? What is that member doing standing behind you there? [Laughter.]
A body guard.
One of you should sit down, please. [Laughter.]
Would the Minister kindly take a question?
We will have a debate later on, and a friendly one; do not worry. All the way, I fundamentally disagree.
Such investments, yes, governments invest not only spend and have proved transformative, creating entirely new markets and sectors, including the internet, nanotechnology, biotechnology and clean energy. In other words, the state has been key to creating and shaping markets, not just fixing them. This describes our situation as well, as I said. These are the opportunities that we have.
Deputy Speaker, a year ago, our major SOEs were decimated and found themselves in all sorts of difficulties because of malfeasance that enabled state capture and rampant corruption. Some of the indicators of this malfunction that resulted was the victimisation of ethical black leaders and professionals; operational decline and indiscipline; financial crises characterised by a mismatch between revenue and costs; a shortage of liquidity and high debt in many cases; deliberate mismanagement to facilitate corruption; negligible board and
executive fiduciary accountability and collusion with corrupt activities as well and many are unable to trade their way out of their difficulties.
However, over the past 16 months our work with respect to restoring good governance, stabilising operations, appointing new boards and directly confronting corruption proceeded with efficiency, speed and purpose, although we admit that there is much to do.
At the same time we can find both joy and encouragement from the passion, commitment and excellence among the thousands, if not the hundred of thousands of South Africans who really make these entities work - the ordinary workers, operators, engineers, technicians on the floor itself. Those are the people who drive the locomotives, who design and operate the wagons, who make our power stations work, who maintain the equipments in all of these SOEs and there are also the other crews working at the airlines which you want to shut down - SAA and SA Express.
Join me as I applaud the ordinary workers in these enterprises, ladies and gentlemen. The Presidential SOE Council as you pointed out, Mr President, will take on the formidable but important task of repositioning and reforming our SOE sector. The council will align SOEs to the national priorities and goals, decide which SOEs are strategic and which new SOEs to establish, for example. The council will advance the Fourth Industrial Revolution, reform procurement by SOE's to reduce the likelihood of corruption and review the business models, capital structure and sources of financing amongst other elements of the SOEs as well.
More specifically in the period ahead, we will ensure that we promote greater transparency and accountability to overcome poor governance; restore financial sustainability and prudence and create an environment in which - as you pointed out - skilled and professional public servants of the highest moral standards dedicated to the public good can thrive and contribute to a best in world culture; remove all vestiges of state capture and ensure there are harsh consequences for malfeasance.
Let me give you some examples of changes that are happening in various sectors of the economy which impact upon our SOEs as well. The energy sector is moving in a direction where there is a new balance emerging between fossil fuels and renewables. In terms of the logistics, new challenges and opportunities are emerging for increased regional trade from the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.
In aviation there are new designs emerging, virtually every month of different types of fuel efficient aircraft, its consolidation of airlines and low cost airlines which are competing for long haul flights. As far as the environment is concerned, the questions that we have with regard to our challenges is how we can reduce our dependence on nonrenewable sources of energy and carbon emissions and how we can introduce new carbon capture and battery technology in our situation.
As far as SA Airways, SAA, is concerned, we have to be frank with you and the South African public that it is in a precarious financial position. The airline has persistently incurred losses
over the past 12 years due to mismanagement, state capture and inability to service its debt.
During the past period we have been working on a new investment case, if you can call it that, for SAA, in order that we prepare the airline for a partnership with strategic equity partner. So, when our colleague on my left talk about shutting down SAA, they should tell the 11 000 people who work at SAA how their future is going to be. They want to put them on the streets, at the moment.
That is the case with Denel - you might have seen news headlines this morning that Denel can only pay 85% of staff salaries for June, due to liquidity constraints. However, later during the day, the latest update is that a lender has come to the assistance of Denel and full salaries will now be paid to all of the staff at Denel. There is no clearer example of the damaging effects of state capture than the financial strain and uncertainty the 3 500 Denel employees and their families may face each month as a consequence of what we have actually seen.
Let me come to Eskom more directly. The President said last week and I quote:
One reason for the country's lacklustre economic performance has been load shedding early this year, together with the continued uncertainty in the supply of electricity and the state of Eskom. The lesson is clear that for growth we need a reliable and sustainable supply of electricity.
I will elaborate on some of these issues that Eskom confronted. Today Eskom has successfully managed the system in terms of its "winter plan", for 94 days without load shedding and hopefully that will continue. A new head of generation business has been appointed last week, Mr Bheki Nxumalo. Of Eskom's 15 coal-fired power stations, 10 now have permanent power station managers with full authority, much greater than they have had actually before. Soon, the Minister of Finance will be able to announce the appointment of a chief restructuring officer following further consultations in government to focus on the financial challenges that Eskom faces. The Eskom board will also address
some of the challenges within the generation side and ensure that more operational and engineering staff is employed at power stations themselves and outages are actually reduced.
In terms of Eskom restructuring, good progress has been made in relation to working out the road map to implement the proposals in the February 2019 state of the nation address to separate its generation, transmission and distribution functions into three separate business entities, wholly owned by the State. There is no deviation from this strategic path. Eskom's separation will provide a number of other benefits, including greater transparency of financial and operational performance in each of its entity.
Some of the details being looked into currently are power transfer policies and contracts, internal structural reorganisation, financial reporting and auditing processes for each business, the detailed creation of cost allocations and service level agreements and the implementation of auditable financial statements amongst other elements. Engagements with organised labour have taken place in the past at the more
general level and they will now take place at the more specific level.
As I round up, what will be different in the sixth administration is that we shall exercise our shareholder oversight drill with increased vigour and we will require the board to do the same. We will ensure that the quality and the composition of our boards is appropriate to the tasks that they face and several boards have vacancies that we will fill. We will monitor performance of each of the SOEs more closely and ... [Time expired.] I hope you will give me a minute extra for the disturbance I had earlier on.
No, it is gone. Time is gone, Minister, My apologies.
In rounding up, Deputy Speaker, one of the key challenges that we must confront as far as the SOEs is concerned is the moral hazard that SOEs can do what they like because the state will always be behind them. We shall overcome that. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, not so consistent Deputy Speaker. Now that the Joshua Doore has left, a revolutionary is on the podium. President and commander in chief of the EFF, officials, commissars and fighters from all nine provinces, I greet you.
Let me start by attending to Mr Carrim, an old oupa [grandfather], a beneficiary of today's ANC male-dominated speaking list. You must be told to your face that you must never undermine women and their agency. Nothing is more demeaning, insulting and misogynistic than when a man, who because he can't win an argument against a woman, starts saying her views are not her own. She is being used by men. You must stop doing that. This is what your textbook and mediocre reading of Marx and Lenin has not afforded you - to respect women; young black women in particular. Fighter Naledi can take you on chief. She can take you on anywhere, anytime. You must go and ask your father there in Nkandla, baba Duduzane.
However, let me not waste my breath. Your generation is probably lost forever on the significance of feminist ideology. Let me
now talk to the issue of land which you abandoned because the ANC's position of expropriation of land was rejected and even rubbished by spurious communists like you. You lost that debate in the ANC conference just like you lost your seat in the National Assembly. You are in the NCOP and I'm going to deal with you. [Interjections.]
Mr President, we listened and we did not hear you talk about land clearly. We were right to say you were bluffing and you did not mean anything you said about the land issue. Land, like mineral resources, should be in the custody of the state, and the state must give permission and rights to use the land for a specific purpose.
The Fifth Parliament did its work. We went all over the country and listened to our people. They were very clear. They want the land and they want it now.
Setswana:
Gompieno, eseng leng.
English:
The idea that you redistribute land by giving our people title deeds - you handed them over before the elections - will not resolve the crisis of landlessness. By the way, title deeds for what? Our people in townships are spaceless, with no sanitation, no water, no electricity. If you say you want to give them title deeds, title deeds for what exactly?
Our people do not have places to worship. Our kids do not have playgrounds but play in dumpsites. Our youth do not have recreational and sport facilities because of landlessness. Today ...
Setswana:
... batsadi ba rona ba batlhakanela mabitla. O fitlhila bo Ramaphosa, bo Zuma, le bo Mokgosi ba tlhakanela mabitla. Ke gore badimo ba rona ba tlhakanela mabitla le magodu. Ga re kgone go fitlhelela mat?hwao ...
English:
... to our ancestors. Mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers cannot feed their families. With more than 15 million South Africans unable to afford to feed their families because of landlessness, these title deeds our people get are used as fake collateral to get our people to borrow money they can't afford to repay, and the little pieces of land will end up back in the hands of white-owned banks. If anything, this is a deliberate decision to ridicule black people and land struggles. [Applause.]
Mr President, you ridicule black people and their landlessness, yet you tell them to dream about bullet trains and new cities. On what land? That is why we are saying by the end of 2019 the Sixth Parliament should finalise the land question and all the land must be in the custody of the state. The Sixth Parliament must pass the necessary legislation and the EFF will table a land redistribution Act and an agrarian reform Act. We must ensure that the legislation to redistribute land clearly states a minimum of 50% of the land must be controlled by women and youth in particular. [Applause.] We must abolish foreign ownership.
The Sixth Parliament must draft all these laws in such a way that we establish legal structures to manage and distribute land to all those needed for productive and residential purposes. Now, because you are suffering from a poverty of ideas, should it happen that you run out of that, come to the EFF. [Applause.]
We must ensure that people's right to land is protected and not subjected to abuse by state officials and mining companies, like what Mr Gwede Mantashe and his Australian company are doing to the people of Xolobeni. To do this properly, we must develop a system to land rights registration to ensure that communal and customary land rights are recordable and afforded the same protection as other forms of rights. We do not say this to render traditional leaders in our communities useless and irrelevant. Our traditional leaders still have a role to play in our communities, including the process to allocate land to all people, in particular women and the youth. I'm repeating this for the second time.
If you are serious about giving our people rights to land, you must equally resource land courts to speed up resolutions of all
land-related disputes. We cannot allow a situation where one acting judge is appointed to hear all land-related matters without the necessary support or resources. We must set up the ad hoc committee to start working on the modalities of the amendment of section 25 of the Constitution.
Mr President, if you are going to change and disown your party conference resolution that is your problem. Don't tag us and don't say we did not warn you.
As the EFF, we have made a commitment to our people. We are the generation that has discovered its mission and we intend to fulfill it. We will do so because we know victory is certain and our people will have the land. Amandla! [Applause.]
I want to say to my sister, Comrade Zindzi Mandela, that we are behind you. The struggle continues. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, I will not begin my speech with, once upon a time, because I do not intend to tell a fairy-tale about the plight of children in South African
schools. I do not intend to be the Brothers Grimm and paint a picture of an imaginary and magical land that does not exist. I'm here to present the cold, hard facts that we need to reflect on as a Parliament, and the DA is here to also present workable solutions.
While the President spoke about how he met with the people of South Africa during the election campaign, he did not speak frankly of the true state in which the people of our country live, nor did he ever offer apologies for how his party has disappointed and left, particularly our young people, hopeless.
Over the last month I met with teachers who expressed how they are working under awful conditions no human being should. They are overwhelmed and overworked. They expressed how they are not only teachers to our young but they are mothers and fathers to orphans of missing parents; they are social workers to the broken; they are nurses to the sick; and they are police to the disruptive and drug dealers on school premises.
Mr President, the fact is that the majority of our children come from broken homes with unemployed parents who are filled with despair and hopelessness. They come from poverty-stricken homes; abusive homes. They are broken and bring their brokenness to their teachers, their playground and their classroom, which leads to bullying and excessive violence. They witness violence and use violence to solve disputes.
These socioeconomic ills spill over into our environment. The recent murder of a KwaZulu-Natal teacher and the stabbing of Daniel Bakwela by a fellow learner in Gauteng sent shockwaves throughout the country, and that should really worry you, Mr President. Violence has become a real phenomenon in our schools.
Nkokheli, you cannot talk about education in this country and totally ignore the wave of violence that is crashing through our schools.
IsiXhosa:
Kubi ezikolweni, ootitshala babetha abantwana, abantwana babetha ootitshala, abantwana bayabethana kwaye bayabulalana.
English:
Our teachers and learners need our support, and social workers and nurses have a supporting role to play in our schools and must serve that role.
To mitigate this spate of violence our schools in the Western Cape has introduced a Safe Schools hotline. It allows learners, staff, parents and communities to get help where abuse, crime, drug use and gang activity occurs. This excellent model should be extended to all provinces as co- operation on the ground is vital to preventing violent acts before they occur. Mr President, this is one of the initiatives that we need to combat social violence. We need you to come on board and give a directive, Mr President.
I was actually taken aback when you reinstated Minister Angie Motshekga as the Minister of Basic Education. She has been presiding over this ministry for a decade and under her the state of public education has worsened. Under her we tragically lost two learners in pit latrines ... [Applause.] ... and the number could be more. Under her, eight out of 10 Grade 4
children cannot read for understanding or meaning. Under her we performed poorly in both the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, Pirls, and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, Timss. Under her the World Economic Global Information Technology Report of 2016, which ranks the quality of education in 139 countries, ranked South Africa at 137. Out of 139, we were at the bottom. You are a Mabena, Mr President. Just like your predecessor you disappoint South Africa.
In your speech you emphasised implementing the early grade reading programme. As we speak, we have 1,1 million learners in Grade 4. We simply cannot wait a decade to have our learners reading. Our foundation and intermediate phase teachers are already trained. They need professional development.
The SA Democratic Teacher's Union, Sadtu, has been blocking annual assessments for years and this is a policy impediment. Unless you act, you threaten the future of the generation to come. A DA government will prioritise the future of learners over ambitions of union members.
In the Western Cape we have prioritised basic reading and numeracy skills, and we are seeing results. We are the only province to achieve more than 600 points for reading and Mathematics. That is according to the Southern and Eastern African Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality, Sacmeq. This is significantly higher than the national average of 522 points.
You see, Mr President, in the Western Cape 45% of learners in Grade 4 - whilst you are still coming up with your programme, we in the Western Cape are already doing it - can read for meaning in their home language, compared to 9,2% in Limpopo and 22,1% nationally.
However, I would like to applaud your action to move co- ordination of disability initiatives to the Presidency. I hope that in its mandate the needs of the disabled in basic education will be a priority. [Applause.]
You also talked about coding. A fantastic idea. However, you know what? You need to read to be able to do coding. When I
listened to your speech, I hoped that you would give us an update on school infrastructure and how you are progressing with the tablet distribution programme. Or has this one also been abandoned? Mr President, the lack of consistency concerns us all.
IsiXhosa:
Ngoko ndiyakucela Mongameli, yeka ukuphupha, vuka. Yeka ukubamba apha uyeke, ubambe phaya uyeke.
Jonga ngapha Marchesi.
Ewe ayeke ukubamba phaa ayeke.
English:
Order, hon Mandela.
IsiXhosa:
Yeka ukuba mombono nje kuphela, yiba ne...
English:
... vision, fund them and execute them. It can either be an improvement in the quality of education, infrastructure at schools ... Forget about the iPads ...
IsiXhosa:
... okwangoku, kuba ezinye izikolo azinambane.
English:
Some schools don't have electricity. Focus on one thing in the next five years before your boss Ace Magashule pulls the plug ...
IsiXhosa:
... ekugxotha [Kwaqhwatywa]
Hon Deputy Speaker, His
fellow South Africans.
Let me take this opportunity to join this august House, and the people of South Africa and congratulate his Excellency the President of the Republic of South Africa on what was a well delivered comprehensive and balanced State of the Nation Address. As the province of the rising sun, we welcome the President's address as umhlahlandlela, which gives us the vision, hope, renewal and indeed a new dawn for our nation.
We join the many voices who have correctly stated that this state of the nation address was able to capture the imagination of our people and reignite their energies, towards the building
a better South Africa for all.
This state of nation address, state of the nation address challenged all of us to reimagine and rethink anew in response to our current mission to eliminate the legacy of colonial apartheid, hence I'm not surprised today hon member when I hear you requesting the President to stop issuing our learners with
tablets. So, we are not surprised hearing you making such comments.
The President was unambiguous when he said "we must improve the affordability, safety and integration of commuter transport for low income households".
The National Development Plan, NDP, demands that both public and private investment should go towards extending bus services, refurbishing commuter trains, linking high-volume corridors and integrating all these into an effective transport system.
Deputy Speaker, this is exactly what the ANC led government has
been doing since the dawn of our democracy.
True to our commitment to invest in public transport
infrastructure, as outlined in the ruling party's manifesto. We have successfully launched the national and regional road infrastructure networks like Maputo Corridor, Moloto Corridor and the Trans-Kalahari Corridor.
We have improved and extended the N1 and N2 road infrastructure linking towns, cities, provinces and neighbouring states.
This is because we acknowledged the strategic role that, the road infrastructure network can play in unlocking and stimulating local and regional economic activity and in the creation of job opportunities.
The President's pro-poor and unifying vision must be viewed as a
prototype to deliver a just, dignified, and inclusive future for our generation.
It is a cosmopolitan vision that will undo centuries of racial
inequality premised upon apartheid social planning which turned
the majority of our people into pariahs in the land of their birth.
Social and economic exclusion caused by policies of the past is
still evident in the long distances many people, especially the poor, travel from where they live to their places of employment. Providing our communities with suitable, safe, efficient and
cost-effective transport is crucial in broadening social and economic access.
Deputy Speaker, the ANC-led government has successfully introduced the Rapid Bus Transit in a number of our cities in this country.
This system has reduced costs of travelling in urban areas, making it easier for our young people who are students and job seekers to commute between townships and cities.
However, too many of our people who live in rural areas are still unable to benefit from such a system.
The NDP is very explicit in advocating for reliable, economical and smooth- flowing corridors linking our various modes of transport such as road, rail, air, sea ports and pipelines. This is the vision that the President has eloquently espoused in his state of the nation address.
Mr President, we inherited an ageing transport system whose
development did not have the disabled and vulnerable in mind.
It had no consideration of the safety of the underpaid female security guards, domestic and factory workers, who must wake up every morning at 5 am at an informal settlement, having to travel about five kilometres in a dangerous open veld at dawn to an unguarded railway station in order to report for duty in town by 7 am.
It is this system that displayed a lack of sympathy or concern
for a frail grandmother returning from hospital at dusk in an overloaded and speeding mini-bus taxi to KaNyamazane. This transport system thrived because of the racially segregated town
planning designed to keep our people on the outskirts of the centres of economic activity.
These are hard realities that the ANC government has had to deal
with since taking over government in 1994.
Over the period of 25 years, we have been working hard building
bridges, laying roads into previously isolated villages, and providing affordable and safe public transport to connect communities and advance social development.
State entities like South African National Road Agency, SANRAL, and Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, PRASA, have been leading in the implementation of our integrated transport [pic]
We created, 328 876 job opportunities for women, 292 803 for youth, whilst 8 872 were apportioned to people with
disabilities. For economic empowerment, we awarded 30% of all contracts to women and 15% to youth.
Deputy Speaker, the Department of Transport has developed a rail
policy framework that seeks to revitalise South Africa's rail network.
You will recall that in October 2018, the President launched
South Africa's very first passenger train manufacturing plant in Nigel. This state of the art facility is positioning South Africa as a manufacturer of new generation passenger trains. To
date, Deputy Speaker, this facility has already produced new trains locally.
We will continue to engage our colleagues in the taxi industry
to also do their part and ensure the dignity and safety of our people by sanctioning the utilisation of road worthy minibus taxis into their operations.
We also reaffirm government's commitment to continue to engage with the taxi industry on matters such as the issuing of subsidies to the sector, vehicle financing, and taxi violence.
South Africa's new dawn Deputy Speaker, must also herald the end of the carnage on our roads. We shall not treat drunk and reckless drivers with kid gloves.
The new, advanced breathalyser kit that was launched by former Transport Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande in April 2019, will assist our efforts to remove intoxicated drivers from our roads into
jail cells. We will continue to take strong action against those traffic officers who allow drunken driving by accepting bribes. In the same breath, we condemn the reckless speeding and lawlessness on our roads. And the new phenomenon of burning trucks in our roads
restraint and take comfort in knowing that their government is
expediting efforts to resolve the matter.
Deputy Speaker, you will recall that as recently as June 16, we lost 24 young people in one collision. This was in addition to the 45 people who passed away in the same weekend in Limpopo [pic]
Dear Speaker, Mr President, dreams do come true.
Tonight please dream about Apla cadres who are still languishing in South African jails and when you wake up tomorrow, please release them. They fought for the land. They fought for the for the noble course on earth which is the liberation of mankind
Mr President, what you missed in your entire speech last week is that the inequality, poverty and unemployment cannot be tackled without tackling the land question first. That is why the Pan Africanist Congress, PAC, always said land first and the rest shall follow.
Note that you narrowly define land because you want to appease our oppressors and international capital. And by doing so, you are hurting the majority of the dispossessed Africans. To you land means mainly a place for building residence
IsiXhosa:
Sifuna ulwandle; sifuna umoya; sifuna izinto eziphantsi kolwandle; sifuna izombiwa; sifuna isibhakabhaka; kwaye sifuna neenyoka, zezethu kuba zezase- Afrika. [Kwahlekwa.]
English:
Mr President, as the PAC, we want that productive land to be controlled by the collective masses of our people and we want the value created by labour in that land to serve the interest of the African people. As the PAC, we want the African people to control their labour power which creates value. This is how you solve problems related to inequality, unemployment, poverty, racism and dependence on foreign capital. This is just economics 101, Mr President.
You also say you will create 2 million jobs in the next 10 years. This is the same story your predecessors have been saying. As the PAC, we advice you to wake up from your dreams and attend to realities that our people are faced with in the rural areas of Centane, Xholobeni, Alexandra, Vuwani and other townships - and rural where the African majority stay
Land restoration and repossession cannot be a dream deferred.
IsiXhosa:
Ootishala bayafa Mongameli ezikolweni, nceda vuka Mongameli. Isizwe silambile.
English:
Students want free education and the youth is unemployed. Youth is unemployed.
IsiXhosa:
Thina silulutsha lwase-Afrika asinayo enye indawo yokuya Mongameli.
English:
We are Africans. We are born in Africa.
IsiXhosa:
Asinayo enye indawo yokubalekela.
English:
If we do not get jobs here, we cannot go anywhere. Let those who want to go leave.
IsiXhosa:
Vuka Mongameli. Enkosi. [Time expired.]
CLLR T NKADIMENG: Hon Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, the hon Chairperson of the NCOP, Your Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa, His Excellency Deputy President David Mabuza, hon members and fellow South Africans, the Lion of the East, Gert Sibande, when he was asked how did he dismantled the massive farming value chain in the Eastern Transvaal which was traditionally known for butchering and murdering black people to make them manure in the Eastern Transvaal, he said:
All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.
It is my honour and a humbling privilege ... [Applause.] ... to address this august House leadership on behalf of the leadership of the organised local government. The SA Local Government Association, Salga, stands proud to associate with leaders of the Sixth National Assembly, many of them who have been drawn from the local government sphere to serve the people of South Africa today.
Hon Speaker, allow me to refer to the NCOP Chairperson today as a former President of Salga who once stood in the position that I am standing in today, on the same vein, I would have failed in my duty, on behalf of the sphere of local government, not to highlight the appointment of one of our own, my predecessor, the President of Salga and currently the President of United Cities and Local Government President Parks Tau, who has now been
appointed ... [Applause.] ... as the Deputy Minister of Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. As a result of his dedication and commitment towards influencing the international agenda, hon Tau has not only placed South African municipalities on the global map but has extended our local government into the world. We sincerely hope that his new responsibilities will allow him to enrich and continue to transform local government not only in South Africa but in the world.
We must also recognise the appointment of Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as the first female Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. We equally wish her well in her duties. [Applause.] Mama, local government is known for its complexities and challenges, but I was taught through our Sotho adage that ...
Sepedi:
... mmago ngwana o swara thipa ka bogaleng.
English:
No matter how hard the situation the circumstances, women always are triumphant. [Applause.] Remarkable progress have been made, hon President, over the past 25 years of our democracy in meeting the basic needs of our people to reduce poverty, to transform our devastated economy and also to serve the interests of our people.
This is clearly marked by our Statistics SA Non Financial Census of Municipalities which confirms that water access to our communities has increased to 72% when it was at 19% prior democratic dispensation, electricity is at 93% and sanitation is at 54%. Rural roads - 205 local municipalities just in the past financial year have build no less than 2 050 kilometres. On average, they build 10,3 kilometres per financial year. Metros, on their own build a minimum of 56 kilometres per financial year. In total, it's 448 kilometres. Notwithstanding the challenges, it is not all doom and gloom in local government. You were all born in a municipality somewhere. You grew up in a municipality somewhere. You continue to live in a municipality somewhere. Tonight, you are going to sleep in a municipality somewhere. [Applause.]
We also agree with you hon President that our country is confronted, of course, with severe challenges at local government. We are faced with daily realities of our rapid flow of people from rural areas into urban centres. These are one of the challenges which you have spoken about in terms of the inefficient spatial patterns that we need to deal with which have been left for centuries by the spirit of colonialism.
While we have made remarkable progress in building over three million houses for our people, we have unwittingly perpetuated the legacy of the Native Land Act and subsequent Group Areas Act by locating most of these people far away from the centres of opportunities.
No municipality or planner has desirably planned this; it is because of the distorted land market. It is in this context that Salga welcomes the commitment to provide well local land for housing and for the benefit of our business.
In conceptualising this spatial form and in crafting the actions need to be taken to achieve a future better spatial form, we are
reminded that there are many dimensions which include the spatial development. These dimensions include access to land which must be affordable, safe integrated commuter transport and low income households which are going to be covered, access to smart technology, community services, facilities as well as other resources.
Through these spatial interventions, special economic zones, developing of Agriparks, reviving of the local industrial parks, business centres, township economies, digital hubs and village enterprises, we will bring more development into our local areas. We will focus on all the small and medium enterprises in our municipalities, towns and rural areas to create market places where our people could trade.
Our approach in the past few years through the adoption of the Integrated Urban Development Framework in 2015 focuses on the activating of all the society approach to implement the urban transformation that we all desire to have.
So, cross-cutting goals of urban safety, resilience and strengthening urban-rural linkages are critical. In particular, linkages and interdependencies between urban and rural spaces to ensure the migration are minimised.
As Salga, we remain hon President committed in partnership with the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to champion and encourage all those who use electricity and other municipal services to pay for them. We welcome this move and we ensured that though our rights were accepted by electricity supplier, Eskom, all of a suddenly we owed them but we will pay them.
With regard to our District-Based Approach - based on our 1999 White Paper on Local Government says, we would want to develop district municipalities to ensure that we are dependent on a localise area that is able to bring its own fiscus and revenue to develop its people. This is confirmed by a number of so many dysfunctional municipalities in the country which is reported to be district approach versus the local district approach.
You have spoken on an ethical leadership. Our view hon President is that while our problems are interlinked and interdependent, challenges faced by South Africa and this Sixth Administration to respond to cannot be underestimated. But for us as local government to succeed in this district approach and many others, we need to realise that human capital is widely recognised as a primary source of excellence in any organisation, business or institution.
We are proposing to this House this afternoon implementation of mandatory skills assessment mechanism at local government sector and can no longer be postponed. We need to professionalise the sector ... [Applause.] ... in the same way that we have professionalise doctors, nurses, lawyers etc. We need to professionalise the sector, regulated it to ensure that whoever is appointed in a management position has met stringent requirements desired as of a manager in a local municipality. [Applause.]
Currently, a senior manager can transgress in one municipality and be appointed in another local municipality. Hon Nhanha, if I
am wrongly pronouncing your surname, you will pardon me. The manager you proudly say was appointed in the Nelson Mandela Bay was fired in a second local municipality in Limpopo and he currently transgressed where he was appointed. He is currently on suspension. We need to find answers and not pinpoint.
As I conclude, hon Speaker, I say we support all the desires of the President that were taken out. We are alive and cognisant that this road is long. It needs desired and persistence so that we could be able to realise what is read as, government is about the people and it is about putting its citizens first. That's what hon Mandela said. I thank you. [Applause.]
Yes, it is an exemplary conduct by Councillor Nkandimeng on time.
Deputy Speaker, His Excellency President Ramaphosa, my leader Dr M G Buthelezi, Members of Parliament, fellow South Africans, allow me to say we are not alone when I say that I share your vision for your country. Your very briefing summed up the true nature of the South African dilemma
that we face today as a nation in your state of the nation address.
It is common knowledge that we are the people in a horrible and trouble past that are now task by history to build a new nation together based on a new set of values. So, I was very pleased to hear nation building listed as one of your seven priorities. But nation building, Mr President, requires hard work and dedication. It doesn't materialise overnight.
The IFP have long held that we remain constructive opposition and some parties. I will say to you and to fellow South Africans today is meant to constructive manner to ensure that all South Africans needs are addressed, practical with those who find themselves in the majority of our vast land and pastures in our rural communities. Mr President, in your entire 6 732 words speech, you made mention the word rural three times. It is alarming that we dream of a future city. Yes, rapid urbanisation is considered. We should try as a nation to focus more than three times on rural communities and their daily realities for
rural and urban areas are not but two sides of the same coins. One is not possible without the other.
The harsh realities, Mr President, faced by our rural communities today is a shame as they do not feel the differences of 25 years into our democratic dispensation. School learners are not able to attend classes and they cannot cross bridges which have collapsed over rivers. Elderly cannot barely be comforted in opening tap with running water or find a quality flushing toilets. Mud schools and houses which are unsafe still provide shelters to most people living in the rural communities.
We must ensure Mr President that the rural and not just urban communities are priorities too as they have never been in a successful urban strategy without taking compensate rural development into account.
It is important Mr President that we through on experiences of other nations to better stir balances between rural and urban parties of their countries such as Kenya and other countries who have implemented very successful co-operatives to ensure that
the rural residence play an active role in their economy. The majority of our rural residence deserves this, Mr President. They too deserve fully to form part of the collective dreams and hopes of our future. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Speaker and Deputy
Speaker of the National Assembly, Chairperson of the NCOP, His Excellencies, the President and Deputy President of the Republic, Chief Whip of the Majority Party, the ANC, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, with the performance of our economy at the centre of attention, requiring all our efforts to turn things around to realise our aspiration to grow the South African economy together, the President enjoins us to be prepared to go where we have never been before. That is why it is confusing members to my left - because the President is enjoining us to be prepared to go where we have never been before.
The economy contracted by 3,2% in the first quarter of this year, with mining contributing 0,8% of that 3,2%, to the overall decline, falling by 10,8% as the sector, energy declining by
6,9%, that is contributing 0,1% of the 3,2% of the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, decline.
Mining production data released by Stats SA earlier this month indicated that, compared with the first and fourth quarters of 2018, production of many commodities declined in the first quarter of 2019. What is the biggest contributor to this negative growth? It was load shedding. Because every time we have load shedding, a mine produces at the maximum of 70% of its capacity.
The second one is the price of electricity, and the third one, was the five months strike of Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, Amcu. Therefore, it becomes important for us to put our efforts in turning - not only mining around but the energy sector in general and the electricity generation, in particular. This is a harsh reminder to all of us that primary sectors of the economy are important to build the future and modern sectors. We all focus into the future digitalisation and everything that is modern. But if we are going to reach there, we must strengthen the primary sectors of the economy.
Against this backdrop, Prixley ka Isaka Seme had this to say:
"Justly the world now demands-Whither is fled the visionary gleam Where is it now, the glory and the dream?"
He talks to the dream that seems to confuse members to my left that to them dreaming is an abstract concept. But President Thabo Mbeki again tried to put this more clearly when he said:
"Trying times need courage and resilience. Our strength as a people is not tested at the best of times, we should never become despondent because the weather is bad nor should we turn triumphalist because the sun shines."
The situation that is facing us as the country in respect of the economy requires us to appreciate that we need to have courage and resilience. We should not be triumphalists only when the sun shines. Because we will make that sun shine.
As we implement the election manifesto in this sixth Administration, we are ever mindful of our tasks. Our economy still depends to a large extent on the minerals and energy complex for its growth and development. These sectors will continue to play a significant role in the future of the economy. Merging the two portfolios under one Ministry enables more attention and focus on them and greater policy alignment, for certainty to the sector and the greater economy.
We remain highly attractive for investment in mining, despite the fact that... I can see the cynical ridicule laughing. It is fine when you don't know, you don't know. If you don't know, you simple don't know. We remain highly attractive for investment in mining. To improve its overall performance, we must return it - particularly, to the major mineral groups, to growth trajectory.
For the period 2018 to 2020 there is an estimated 60 mining projects in the pipeline with an estimated investment value of R110, 1 billion and projected employment of at 32 000 employees. Of these, ten are exploration projects, 26 are expansion projects, twelve are new mining development projects, four are
new processing plants and four sustainability projects to extend the life of mines, while the remaining balance of five are still unspecified.
Integral to investment attraction, the Council for Geosciences' mapping programme is critical to identify and affirm new mineralisation systems that are consistent with the new demand trajectory of mineral resources, such as battery minerals. The programme aims to secure a minimum of 5% of the global exploration budget within the next three to five years.
In 2018/2019, non-ferrous metals and minerals production grew by 9,4%. I am highlighting this point because despite the decline in mining production the smaller mineral groups continue to grow. It is your gold that is in decline because it had been mined for more than 130 years, it is platinum and iron ore. But if you go to these minerals that assist to move towards cleaner energy options, and the sector must position itself to take advantage of this opportunity presented. The employment numbers that were released earlier today give early signs that are positive, in the sense that jobs numbers have increased by 22
000 in terms of official statistics released today. Of those, 6 000 are in mining. Most importantly, we must urgently address the reliability of electricity supply to support our growth ambitions.
Our key priorities on energy are the following. Firstly, on top of the list is ensuring energy security of supply through long- term planning. That is why the amount of money that the president committed to revive Eskom is so important because if we can't ensure that security of supply of energy, the economy is going to pay a big price. Secondly, it is lowering the cost of energy. Thirdly, it is the development of new energy delivery models. Energy storage technology will make renewable energy coupled with storage, a viable option going into the future. This will replace the traditional power stations. However, what is important is to ensure that we must never destroy what we have because we dream of having something new into the future. That is why it is important that a balanced approach to our energy supply is important.
Working towards the country's energy mix options, we must move away from the polarized views because our energy debate should not be renewables versus coal. It is the availability of various options to supply energy and ensure that there is security of energy supply in the country. The best way is to find the best balance for our requirements to grow the economy and guarantee development by ensuring security of energy supply along with obligations to address climate change considerations.
The Integrated Resource Plan 2019 will outline our primary energy requirements in respect of coal, nuclear, gas and other energy minerals, plus solar, wind, biomass and regional hydropower resources. To ensure investment in the required energy infrastructure, including power plants, refineries, pipelines, transmission and distribution wires, storage facilities for oil and gas, we must ascertain that all the enablers thereto, particularly legislative and institutional arrangements, are in place.
The mining and energy sectors present a huge potential for exploration, production and beneficiation. For this reason, the
restoration of a stable and predictable policy and regulatory environment is a priority. Uncertainty that delayed the development of the mining industry was removed with the finalisation of the Mining Charter. And the separation of petroleum from the regulatory framework governing traditional minerals, that legislation will come before Parliament early this year.
The process of developing a Petroleum Resources Development Bill, which will in due course be subjected to public participation, Cabinet and parliamentary processes, is underway. The Bill will further provide regulatory certainty to the upstream petroleum industry and stimulate growth and development in this sector. We are convinced that if we develop petroleum into a fully fledged sector will add impetus to the growth of the economy. We are convinced about that. All we should make sure of is to do what is in the best interest of the country.
Mineral beneficiation is critical to industrialisation. We must address, amongst others, the matter of high administered prices to trigger growth and development of the economy. Administered
prices are prices that are within the control of the state. Be it electricity, be it rail and port. It is incumbent up on us as the government to use administered prices to trigger growth and development in the economy. We have control over that.
This is with the intention to reverse the current situation, where the bulk of our chrome and manganese resources are beneficiated in Asia. Despite the increase on the tariffs, bulk of our chrome and our manganese is beneficiated in Malaysia in particular and Asia in general because of the price of electricity. Therefore, we have a duty to intervene with administered prices.
Honourable members, post our national general elections, journalist Palesa Morudu wrote in the Business Day 17 May 2019:
"Last week's 57% win by the governing party was met with a grudging sigh of relief from the gatvol nation-relief that the polls were over, that it could have been worse. South Africans, once again, held it together and broke with the global trend that is embracing greater extremes. So, here
we are again. The voters have provided a corrective to some of the South African's worst excesses. But time is running out. The possibility of building a nonracial, democratic and prosperous South Africa based on equality for all and the rule of law has not been extinguished. Much depends on what government does over the next year."
In response to Palesa and all South Africans, in the July 2019 Budget Vote debates, we will further outline the details of our plans for growth and the minerals and energy portfolio, how they can make a positive contribution to the economy, eradicate poverty and create employment and equality in our society.
Mr President, I can assure you that we are committed to take the command and do what we can do to contribute to the economic growth and positive development of our country and our economy. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Hon President I want to alert you to a challenge that South Africa is facing which is worse than climate change and that is the chemical poisoning of our rivers
and the pouring of raw sewerage into our rivers, killing our marine life and creating toxins that are causing nearly a million people to die a slow death in Khayelitsha. So, Mr President I hope you will consider this harm to the environment and save part of the planet for our children.
Hon Speaker, Comrade Chair the President can be assured of Aljama's support for his vision of a prosperous and peaceful South Africa as espoused in the National Development Plan (NDP). We want a rollout of 10 million jobs. Decent and next generation jobs Mr President and not stone aged jobs.
Aljama wants to ask the hon President to establish incubation job hubs at schools, colleges and universities as we notice that the corporate world is a lame dark in creating the jobs we need. It is in these hubs that new revenistries will be identified like we identified for the internet.
The 4th industrial revolution demands hon President, a cyber civilization with free data and free 5G connectivity. We say hon
President be brave and make coding the 12th official language of South Africa
Mr President we've heard earlier on how important the National Health Insurance (NHI) is and it's not necessary to debate it anymore. We need to bring the NHI to life, it is not right for one to die because one is poor and then have the advantage to live because you are rich.
The 6th Parliament has disappointed the country's vision for a democratic Africa by being quiet on the untimely death of the first democratically elected President of Egypt. I'm also disappointed that the Defence Force allows a Colonel to introduce his clam phobia into its ranks. For ten years no Colonel objected to a Muslim Major Sis Fatima Isaacs wearing a modest plain scarf not even covering her ears and her military beret and he has started to court marshal her. I thought the Defence Force is free from sexism, poor attitude towards women and is clam phobia. This Mr President is a blot on SONA
On that note hon member I would like to advise you to watch your left, the clock is red and it means your time has expired
I'm disappointed that with 6th Parliament it also expires.
No hon member. It's okay, you should have ended where you ended strongly. Thank you very much.
IsiXhosa:
Sekela Somlomo, malungu eNdlu ehloniphekileyo. Mandiqale ngokuthi...
English:
... I find it embarrassing that the ANC speakers are jumping from side to side in this podium when there are 19 seats less than there were in the 5th Parliament. I think that's embarrassing. Again, a bulk of formal Cabinet Ministers are not here, they resigned because this is not about the people, it's about themselves hence they decided to leave when they could not
be included in your Cabinet President. The State of the Nation Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa is a clear indication of a government that does not listen to the cries of the people.
The protest before the 8th of May elections were an indication that the people of South Africa wanted an economy that will grow, an economy that will create jobs and thus putting a job in each and every home. In this regard where a young mayor in the Midvaal Municipality led by the DA, Bongani Baloyi. Bongani Baloyi has had five consecutive clean audits and has instructed his administration that, that should be turned around to be able to provide basic services and create jobs in the Midvaal area. I think there's a lesson to learn there.
A dream without plans is just a wish. I'm not the one who said so, it's Catharine Peterson. About 10 million South Africans are unemployed and 6.6 million of those are young people. And, the President stands here telling us that 2000 only will be employed in the next decade and the rest must wait on the sideline. Now...
...umbuzo endinawo ngulo: Njengokuba bebaninzi nje abazakuswela umsebenzi kulo nyaka, uzakubavalela phi Mongameli? Bazakulinda phi ukuze bawufumane umsebenzi? Isilumkiso endinaso ke sinye sesi sithi, intswela ngqesho yabantu abatsha ifana nethumba elizakuthi lakugqabhuka likuxake Mongameli.
English:
Between the first quarter of 2018 and 2019, the South African economy lost 86 000 jobs while the DA let City of Johannesburg created 7 000 jobs in the same period. In Tshwane, the DA led administration has managed to attract 4,3 billion of investment which has translated to 43 950 new jobs since we took office. These successes can happen when you run a clean administration and take care of corrective measures when wrong is identified. On its recently approved budget, the City of Johannesburg tripled its budget electrification of informal settlements from R260 million in 2016/17 to R750 million over the next three years. Unlike in Nelson Mandela Bay where counselors were threatened by death if they don't support the budget. That's what we found where ...
... oodyakalashe namasela behleli kunye bequlunqa ubusela.
English:
In the same vain, City Power has finished refurbishing Roosevelt, Sebenza, Wildrow Park, Nelsfield, Heriotdale, Mondior, Mulberton, Pennville and Waterval Substation. This is to ensure that load shedding becomes a thing of the past and that Johannesburg is open for business.
IsiXhosa:
Yiyo loo nto i-DA isithi, uphuhliso loqoqosho maluqhutywe kwizixeko needolophu zethu, kuba zizo ezisondeleyo eluntwini kwaye iingxaki zabantu zifika kuqala kuzo. Ayinakwenzeka ke loo nto ukuba amasela nabarhwaphilizi basaphila kamnandi, abanye babo baphakathi kwethu apha kule Palamente. Khawukhe uthi xhaa ngamaphupha Mongameli, ngakumbi amaphupha angenazo izicwangciso kuba uzakude uthiywe igama lokuba unguMongameli Ramaphupha [Kwahlekwa]. Alikho ixesha lokuphupha, abantu bafuna iinkonzo kwakunye noqoqosho oluzakuveza amathuba emisebenzi.
English:
The DA is concerned however, with the high levels of crime.
IsiXhosa:
Kangangokuba sicinga ukuba awukhange uthethe ngokwaneleyo ngobundlobongela Mongameli. E-Pitoli kubulawa abantu abangenamakhaya, isidumbu sesihlanu sifumaneke kwiveki ephelileyo. UMphathiswa u-Bheki Cele uyakuthanda ukusondeza ulwaphulo-mthetho kwezopolitiko.
English: You can't politicize crime, deal with crime wherever it raises ugly head because if you want to increase investment, you must be a crime free society. And we don't have ten years to wait for crime to be halved. Crime must be fought here and now. In Tshwane 73 new emergency vehicles including fire fighters and ambulances and nine service delivery trucks were bought and distributed with the different regions. Similarly, the City of Johannesburg has added 30 new ambulances to its emergency fleet. This will assist across regions to quick and efficient emergency services.
IsiXhosa:
Sisikhalo sakho esi obusivezile kwintetho yobume besizwe Mongameli. Koomasipala abakhokelwa yi-DA siyayenza le nto usayiphuphayo Mongameli.
The Speaker: Hon member you time has expired.
It is only with the DA led government that services...
IsiXhosa:
Enkosi, kodwa undiqhathile[Kwaqhwatywa].
Deputy Speaker, Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr President, Mr Deputy President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, hon members, in his book entitled, The Native Life in South Africa, Sol Plaatje relates a brief story of a certain A P van der Merwe from my hometown of Vredefort, who was a Member of Parliament in 1913. This man, A P van der Merwe, supported the rushing in of laws which dispossessed many black people of their land, simply because the people of Mokwallo, Vredefort were fighting and resisting these unjust laws. It is therefore an historical
coincidence that I am part of a generation of parliamentarians who are going to preside over the undoing of that horrible legacy.
The people of Mokwallo, Vredefort and many other small towns and villages have actually voted in favour of reclaiming what Mzwakhe Mbuli calls "the land bought, the land never sold, the land sold, the land never bought."
It was Dr Xuma, in 1941, who also articulated the pursuance of the struggle against land dispossession. He asserted:
From land we derive our existence. We derive our wealth in minerals, food and other essentials. [...] Without land, we cannot exist.
In his speech, he explained in detail the debilitating effects brought about by the Native Land Act of 1913. Accordingly, he responded to the challenges of that period and what the future would hold if the draconian laws were not challenged.
Dr Xuma called for the rights of Africans to acquire freehold title to the land everywhere in South Africa. His clarion call - that the Land Bank needed to ensure that African farmers are supported in their quest to make the land productive - remains relevant today.
Mr President, your statement that R3,9 billion would be availed to the black commercial farmers through the Land Bank demonstrates consistency in our struggle endeavour to make the land productive. We are indeed on the cusp of achieving the dream espoused by our forebears for decades and centuries. Xuma and Plaatje, in their articulation, dissected what was the challenge we were facing then and continue to face today in respect of land dispossession.
Your statement reminds us once again that we need to do as this generation and in this Parliament to finally conclude the amendment of section 21 of the Constitution, in order to make explicit what is implicit - the power of the state to expropriate land in the public interest to redress the imbalances of the past.
It is us as legislators who must execute this task.
As the ANC in this Parliament, we request that you revive the Ad Hoc Committee on the Amendment of the Constitution. The grinding work of aligning legislation, policy and programmes should unleash a skills revolution and turn the tide of ... [Inaudible.] ... redistribution and restitution in favour of the previously dispossessed.
It is our firm view that land reform remains an important process that we as a country must undertake. It is our collective task as a society.
Mr President, we believe you take this matter of land seriously. Your own efforts in appointing a presidential advisory panel on land reform and agriculture to look into the impediments that exist and have thus far given you a report, already affirms your resolve.
We must never give a hearing to the big lies that, as the ANC, we have reneged on our resolutions. We know for a fact that the
most dangerous disease is that of self-induced untruths to create an artificial debate. We must never give a hearing to those kinds of debate. [Applause.]
Indeed, Mr President, to achieve our objective of land, we need strong institutions of state. We need capable public servants who are responsive to the cries of our people. We need to strengthen the land administration. We need a functional land claims court to quicken the resolution of land and land question. Alignment between departments is critical in order to support those who have become beneficiaries of land reform.
WE agree with you, Mr President, that land has a broader function beyond agriculture. It is for this reason that we support the release of public land for human settlement and industrial development. We call upon municipalities, provincial governments and state entities to make land available as per your injunction.
The alignment of policies and programmes will ensure that categorisation of support in land and agrarian reform has the
agility to benefit the small farmer and transfer the required skills.
We will tap into the experience acquired from the era of the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programmes, Casp, Communal Property Associations, and the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme, CRDP, to the era of the Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy, PLAS. As we extract the tough lessons from this era of implementation, there will be an improved clarity as to who is targeted by this radical policy injunction.
We must continue to embrace farming models that have an impact on local economies and improve livelihoods, especially with regard to rural development. The agripark networks are progressive programmes because they enable market-driven combination and integration of various agricultural activities as rural transformation services.
Government has undertaken a comprehensive approach to land reform because it is also anchored on improving the productive capacity of our producers for both local consumption and export
markets. Our imports of agricultural products have increased by 7% during 2018. Hence, we need to respond in a manner that improves our food security and expands the markets.
Accordingly, Mr President, you spoke about substantially expanding the agricultural and agro-processing sectors by supporting key value chains and products, and reducing our reliance on agricultural imports. In this context, private investment also remains part of the equation in land reform.
Access to markets is the biggest challenge faced by black emerging small- scale farmers who are trying to graduate to becoming full commercial farmers. In this context, again, the importance of the state to engage in this programme of expanding support to key value chains and products within the agricultural sector cannot be over-emphasised. In addition, efforts to resolve electricity issues will directly have a positive impact on farmers.
We will be meticulous in passing legislation that will limit the subdivision of agricultural land so that food security is not threatened.
Mr President, you asserted that, in the immediate period, land will be identified and released for smart settlement and farming. In addition to this commitment, the force multiplier for food security is that of releasing spacious land in urban areas so that some portions can be made available for small- scale farming. We need to demystify the notion that our people have a scant relationship with land and therefore know nothing about its value and worth. The 2017 Land Audit Report confirms the patriarchal distribution of individual land ownership.
As we execute these radical reforms, marginalisation of women will be stopped in its tracks. The social reality is that African women are generally tillers of the land. Therefore, their participation is more than just a mere force multiplier in support of food security.
In addition, reviewing the current racial profile of individual land ownership is also a significant part of this radical land reform.
The recently held summit on women and youth in land reform during 2018, expanded on the challenges faced by rural women in advancing rural and agrarian reform. Some of these challenges are: lack of security to land, lack of education and skills for most rural women farmers. Accordingly, these women and youth also made certain recommendations to remedy these historical injustices.
I have heard Mr Groenewald inviting people to a funeral of a farmer. In African culture, we don't invite people to a funeral. But, I appeal to your conscience to attend at least a funeral of an exploited farm worker. At least that experience will make your experience a little bit much more better. [Aplause.]
The skills revolution in the land reform and agriculture will respond to the effects of climate change and attract a second generation of farmers.
The introduction of technology under the auspices of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will facilitate and energise the participation of the youth in this agrarian reform.
The call to reduce the cost of data is very progressive and in line with economic development. This will create more opportunities for youth in a technologically intensive world.
Currently, in the agricultural sector, some of our farmers have adopted these technological innovations to boost their agricultural output.
Mr President, fellow South Africans, in the 1950s, a dark cloud hung over the South African people. The Communist Party of SA was banned. More than 8 000 people were arrested during the defiance campaign. Many leaders of the congress movement were served with banning orders and placed under house arrest. In fact, on the day the Freedom Charter was conceived, the Special Branch and the police were harassing participants and delegates at Kliptown. However, in the context of these intimidations, harassment and imprisonments, the South African dream was
conceived - the Freedom Charter - this vision that would usher in a united, nonracial, democratic South Africa and deliver the land.
Mr President, by challenging us to dream in the midst of economic crises, in the midst of climate change that destroyed land and thus threatened our livelihood, you have tapped into the tried and tested wisdom of the true South African leaders. Therefore, no amount of ridicule will distract us because we are shaping the future and growing South Africa.
We are inspired by the unrelenting spirit of Vuyisile Minyi, who struck the debilitating blow at the Verwoerdian ideologies in the dark cell of death. We are inspired by the June 16 generation whose love for their country was demonstrated by the bravery of many young people, including and epitomised by the sacrifice of Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu. Thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, today we heard much about the President's dream. Much was said about whether the President's dream will realise or not. But we should remind ourselves that
we were elected not only to represent the dreams of our constituents, but also to tend to the nightmares our people face every day.
Chairperson, through you ... Mr President, you rightly said that a grandmother should not have to wait a whole day for medicine. But, Mr President, equally, it would be very difficult for two healthcare professionals who were raped in the Pelonomi Hospital while on duty last month, to share your dream.
Indeed, Mr President, it is unacceptable for a pregnant mother to have her own and the life of her unborn child endangered owing to slow ambulances.
But, Mr President, equally, it's not acceptable for the residents of Mangaung for the umpteenth time in a year to have no water for four days, as was the case this past weekend. As we speak, the City of Johannesburg has a similar problem.
Mr President, you committed this government to improving service delivery, but how is it possible that the Metro Police Chief had
been appointed in Mangaung more than a year ago, and there is no visible sign of any Metro Police Department as of today. How is it possible that many Free State municipalities that have been placed under section 139 administration of ANC provincial governments remain poorly managed? Again, Mr President, it will be hard for the residents of Brandfort in the Free State to share in your dream for South Africa, when having water is an exception and not a rule.
As long as government persists in appointing unable and unwilling officials to key positions, the nightmare that is the lack of service delivery will remain in South Africa.
Afrikaans:
Intussen verwag die Departement van Openbare Werke dat die privaatsektor nou moet betrokke raak in die bou en instandhouding van infrastruktuur, net om 20 jaar later dieselfde infrastruktuur wat hulle gebou het en bestuur het, aan die staat oor te dra.
Effektiewelik het die departement nou erken dat hy 'n swak staat moet bestuur waarin die regering nie meer infrastruktuur kan voorsien nie.
English:
Nothing good can come of this. As soon as governments are unable to deliver such basic needs as infrastructure, the nightmare of a failed state will begin.
We will also heard about government's plan for spatial integration. This dream is also becoming a nightmare, again for Mangaung residents, where more than R140 million has been spent, only on planning of the N8 Corridor that should bring communities together. But neither the Auditor-General nor residents can, up until today, see any planning that was done.
Mr President, we have to wake up from this nightmare before we can start dreaming. We can dream of our children being able to read at the age of 10 but, Mr President, will they be able to read in their own language? Will they and their parents have the freedom to choose whether they will have education in their
mother tongue should they wish to, or will government and MECs persist in forcing their anglophile policies on our nation?
Mr President, those modern cities you wish to build should have universities - but universities where Sotho-speaking people can learn in Sotho, Zulu-speaking students are taught in Zulu, and Afrikaans students are able to learn in Afrikaans. This is a dream worth having and endeavouring.
Afrikaans:
Agb President, vroer hierdie maand het u ges u wil graag op hoogte bly van plaasaanvalle. Mnr die President, vir Johan van Niekerk van Nigel wat met 'n piksteel aangeval is en Francois Labuschagne van Lichtenburg wat met stokke geslaan is, gaan dit moeilik wees om die droom te deel. Vir die familie van Moolman Meyer van Ermelo wat met 'n panga doodgekap is en Johan Pretorius van Nigel wat doodgebrand is tydens plaasmoorde net in die afgelope maand, sal dit moeilik wees om uit die nagmerrie van plaasaanvalle wakker te word.
English:
Mr President, more than 180 farm attacks already this year cannot be part of your dream.
Afrikaans:
Die VF Plus s ook dankie aan ons boere en hul werkers wat aanhou boer ten spyte van onsekere beleid, onveilige landelike toestande, duurder insetkoste en swak paaie.
Soos ons leier die agb Groenewald ges het, die Vryheidsfront wil saam bou aan 'n droom, maar, President, maak eers seker Suid-Afrika se nagmerries word stil; dan bou ons saam. Ek dank u.
Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces and the commander in chief of the economic emancipation movement, part of the reasons why the progressive forces in 1917 pursued the Great Socialist October Revolution was because of the decisive and truthful honest leadership of Vladimir Ulyanov Lenin. He said, after the first round of the revolution in 1905, in a perspective called No Falsehood! Our strength lies in stating the truth!, "We must speak the truth:
therein lies our strength, and the masses, the people, the multitude will decide in actual practice, after the struggle, whether we have strength."
This was affirmed by another Marxist Leninist, Amilca Cabral, the great agricultural engineer from Guinean-Bissau who said: "Hide nothing from the truth and 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."
That is the context within which we want to expose some of the issues that were being dealt with here. The theme of the state of the nation address by the President was on dreams. The synonyms of dreams are, in the first category, illusions and hallucinations and in the second category are imaginations and aspirations. We will determine in which category these dreams of the President fall in - is it in the first category or the second category?
I am a bit worried because when he announced the task team which is going to be dealing with the private-public growth initiative
he mentioned a Van Zyl Slabbert. You must go and check on YouTube. He said that we are going to have a Van Zyl Slabbert as part of that committee. Now, Van Zyl Slabbert is dead. He died in 2010. He was part of the elite pact that got us where we are now of economic servitude.
It looks like you draw inspiration even from white ancestors. I thought you are inspired only by those still alive. You even mentioned them there. Wittingly or unwittingly, it is part of that which defines your character in terms if these issues. What are the truths that we have to deal with?
Firstly, the National Development Plan, NDP, is off the rail. If it was the illusionary train that you speak about, it is not a bullet train but actually a coal train going on an opposite direction. The projection that all NDP aspirations are based on is that the economy must grow by an average of 5%-6% annually up until 2020 and later on to 2030. None of that is happening. The economy is growing in a negative.
You had said that you are going to create jobs. Actually, in terms of the objectives in the current print of the NDP is that unemployment next year 2020 must be 14%. Next year there won't be unemployment of 14% but it will be worse. It will be the 10 million people who will be looking for jobs, are capable of working and cannot find those jobs. Those will be the realities of next year.
This NDP that you want to impose on us is off the rail. It is a coal train that is going on a different direction and you still want to impose that as an agenda that must guide the whole of South Africa towards 2030. It is one of the things that we have to expose and it is one of the things that we are dealing with.
Secondly, South Africa's debt to gross domestic product, GDP, ratio is approaching 60%. So, the state collectively owes more than R3 trillion. One of the biggest expenditure items in the budget currently is debt services. More than R200 billion out of the little limited resources that we have has to service the debt and it is just paying the interests.
We have an existing budget deficit, meaning that there are expenditure items that have been allocated for but the money is not there which means that we must go back to the market and borrow the money. Maybe that is the reason why you cannot say boldly here that you are going to build the bullet train because there is no money to do so. You cannot say here that you are going to build a city because there is no money to do so.
Now, Minister of Finance, if we are to make a thorough analysis of revenue growth from 1994 up until now, there is no foreseeable future that, even in the next 20 years if the revenue grows in the same pattern it has in the past 25 years, we will be able to deal with these dreams. Let's call them hallucinations that were given by the President. It will never happen. There is no plan in terms of how we are going to deal with the revenue growth.
The revenue sources are shrinking because the economy is not growing and jobs are being lost. It means that the number of people who contribute to the revenue is going to decline. Now, what must be done, what is to be done, what must happen in terms
of moving forward? I think you need to write faster now because we are going to give you the clearest perspective.
First is that you must stabilise energy supply, and that is not going to happen through the unbundling of Eskom in the manner that has been conceptualised by Investec. The unbundling of chief restructuring officers is an Investec document - part of the contributors to the R400 million that was utilised for the Nasrec conference. It comes from there. Go to the annual report of Investec you will see chief restructuring officer unbundling shed 20 000 jobs in Eskom. That is what we are supposed to be dealing with. You cannot unbundle Eskom in the current crisis that it is experiencing.
If there is any unbundling that should happen in Eskom, it should be to a state-owned renewable company; a state renewable energy component of Eskom that is going to harvest the wind and the sun to create sustainable and renewable energy.
The second thing should be to focus separately on the construction of a nuclear power station in a fiscally neutral
way, Minister of Finance. You can have a built operate transformer model that can be able to stabilise the energy supply from Eskom without affecting fiscus in a manner in which is being proposed.
You also need industrialise South Africa, not in the form of special economic zones that are being attempted currently. Collectively, we have special economic zones in Coega, Atlantis, East London, one has been declared now in Mpumalanga in Komatipoort and in Musina, I know there is an intention to declare another one in Tshwane, and there is one in OR Tambo. All of those special economic zones have not, for the past 25 years, created more than 10 000 jobs. Their contribution to the GDP is less than 1%.
So, if you continue in that model of economic zones you must know that you can't achieve anything. What is to be done? You have to pursue what Alice Amsden calls "late industrialisation". The components of those include using borrowed technology. You can't invent now; invention happened with the first wave of industrialisation. We can't innovate now; it happened in the
second wave of industrialisation. Now we must borrow technology, we must use state subsidies and protection of these industries. We must use the buying power of the state to drive local industrial expansion.
The state in its entirety, all its entities and government, expands more than a trillion rands every year on procurement. Who is the ultimate beneficiary of that in buying the cars and electronics because all of them are made outside South Africa? It is the multi-national corporations which in turn are subsidised here in South Africa.
We spend billions of rands giving to Mercedes-Benz, to Toyota, to BMW and all of the others without developing our own capacity to manufacture our own cars. We need to industrialise domestically and utilise the buying power of the state in order to make sure that we have sustainable jobs in all the areas.
We must pursue what we call in the EFF's elections manifesto "inward industrialisation with export capacity". That is one thing that you have to look into.
You made a commitment before that you want to create a sovereign wealth fund and you have not done so. A sovereign wealth fund has to be created so that when some of the foreign direct investment, FDI, which you are chasing come, you match rand per rand in terms of investments. That must happen here in South Africa.
In the current framework this FDI is not going to help you with the developmental challenges that we are confronted with in South Africa. Go and read economic development history. Heterodox economics are writing that the person who is going to sweep on behalf of the ANC today will not understand what heterodox economics is.
You will understand the context that in the history of economic development there has never been an economy that is developed through FDI. That can't be your priority number one. There has to be development of productive forces here in South Africa, and anyone who comes, comes as a reaction to the economic development that is happening domestically. That is what they have to look into.
You must also reconceptualise your understanding of a developmental state because you always throw developmental state and what we have in South Africa is not a developmental state. A developmental state is autonomous from capitalist influences. When the commander in chief says that this imaginary influence that you have on capital is not there he is pointing to the fact that you are not running a developmental state.
A developmental state must be autonomous from capitalist influences. It must be able to direct where investment happens - the content, the form, the pace of investments that happen. But you are not doing so, instead, the capitalists are the ones who are telling you what to do. That is why the minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act was withdrawn, in order to allow Total to continue with the exploration in Mossel Bay.
You are not in control that is why Naspers is going to delist from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The government Employees Pension Fund exposure to Naspers is worth more that R250 billion but they are going to delist from the JSE and they are going to retrench more than 2000 workers. There is government exposure,
you are not in charge and there is no developmental state that is happening under your watch so we must not deal with that in a different form.
Now, the founding manifesto of the EFF has a pillar that speaks to the decentralisation of development and building of new cities. We do not imagine it and we say that this has to be a concurrent effort in different areas. Massive investments in terms of allocation of resources, development of infant industries and protect them, domestically owned industries and have all these cities developing in a manner that is going to deliberately depopulate Gauteng, Cape Town and Durban because in their current spatial framework they cannot accommodate the number of people they have. The infrastructure is going to be clogged in terms of sanitation and a variety of other things. A number of 14 million people in Gauteng in the space that is it has is not sustainable.
How do you achieve a different perspective? We develop the areas where the people who stay in Gauteng are coming from. That can
only happen through a deliberate decentralised development and building of other cities.
In the Sixth Parliament, the EFF as the only socialist Marxist Leninist organisation in South Africa is going to table the following legislations: The South African Reserve Bank Amendment Bill to make sure that we discontinue private ownership of the South African Reserve Bank - joining 90% of central banks in the world. We are going to enact a Bill on the creation of a sovereign wealth fund, model it around the Norwegian sovereign fund which in the current financial year has contributed an equivalent of 500 billion to the fiscus of Norway.
We are going to re-table a proper minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act to put clear conditions in terms of what should be the exposure of the state in terms of ownership of the new petroleum and mineral projects. We are going to table a clear Anti-Tax Avoidance Bill that is going to deal with the question of base erosion and illicit financial flows because commitments have been made here that that is going to be dealt
with and no one seems to be having the courage to come with a clear legislation to deal with base erosion.
We are then going to finalise the process of having a state owned bank. We are going to table a legislation on the in sourcing of all government workers because we need to detenderise the state and give it the capacity to take us forward.
We are the only organisation that can provide leadership in this country. What is happening here are new objectives after new objections - it is directionlessness. The ANC is defined by directionlessness; there is no clarity of what you seek to archive. That is why you come and blow hot air here and then the person who blows the hot air is a clown from the NCOP and then you give him a standing ovation.
That is what you achieve and you are even miseducating these children - the youth. The youth comes here and says that today we are marking the anniversary of the Freedom Charter. The Freedom Charter was adopted on 26 June1955, hon Nompendulo.
Amongst other things it says that the mineral wealth beneath the soil, the banks and monopoly industries shall be transferred to the ownership of the people as a whole. That is the agenda that we must commonly pursue as the Sixth Parliament. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Mr President, House Chairperson, hon members and fellow South Africans ... [Interjections.]
House Chairperson, we are going to start collecting tuition fee for this free education we are giving you, R1500,00 is an entrance cost now, please. We can't keep educating you everyday. You will pay entrance fee.
Thank you hon member, can you please sit down. Thank you. You may continue, Minister.
In the state of the nations address last week, President Ramaphosa set out the goal to revitalise the economy with priority sectors and reimagined
industrial strategy. Our debate today takes place in the context of a tough domestic economic environment, an increasingly uncertain and a fragile global growth, which places responsibility on us to do more to change our performance and our outcomes.
Hon members, the official job survey which was released today, shows a modest quarterly rise of 22 000 jobs in the formal sector, yet the pace and scale of job creation must be stepped up significantly. The economic revitalisation of South Africa will take energy, dedication and months of hard work. It will need the efforts of all of us, Members of Parliament, government officials, managers, investors, workers and learners.
If we work together, and we share the outcomes fairly, we can grow the wealth of the nation; reduce inequalities and poverty, above all, provide more and better jobs for our people. Industrial strategy is a centerpiece of our economic recovery. It will be evidence led, with greater prioritisation. Implementation will be more disciplined, but also increasingly responsive and collaborative.
Crucially, industrial policy will no longer be the focus of one department only, but be the common focus across government. Mr President, it has been said that powerful dreams inspire powerful action. In my remarks today, I wish to share with the House and fellow South Africans some specific actions and plans to turn the vision of the state of the nations address into a reality.
Let me start with what we will do differently. First, we will learn from our successes and build on them. A leading example is the auto industry. It is now our major export industry in manufacturing, employing 110 000 South African workers. It is a large and industrially sophisticated sector, producing 3 million cars and bakkies over the past five years alone. It has attracted massive investments from around the world and a local component sector.
The success of the auto industry provides learnings about policy coherence, policy certainty, responsive governance and the value of a strong partnership between business, labour and government. Second, we will focus on implementation. The reorganisation of
government is to ensure that we have a capable state able and willing to do what it says it will do, to focus on practical actions, to break policy paralysis and coordinate across the state to ensure a good fit between incentives and outcomes such as jobs and youth opportunities.
Third, we will speed up decision-making and inject a sense of urgency in the work of government.
IsiXhosa:
Khawuleza rhulumente, khawuleza.
IsiZulu:
Phuthuma.
Afrikaans:
Ons moet wikkel.
Sesotho:
Phakisa.
English:
Finally, we will partner closely with key economic actors. The role of industrial policy is to unleash private investment and energise the state to boost economic inclusion. This is an essential part of building investor confidence and the platform for job creation. The President spoke on Thursday night of industry master plans. What is different is that they will be in the form of sector social pacts, rather than simply government decrees.
Hon members, the executive hit the road running in the past 4 weeks to implement the electoral mandate and the National Development Plan, NDP. On Friday, the day after state of the nations address, 93 agreements were signed between South African suppliers and Chinese companies, to buy local products for export to China, with a contract value calculated at R27 billion, which will strengthen growth and jobs here in South Africa. [Applause.]
To promote opportunities for African economic integration, two weeks ago Deputy Minister Majola participated in the conclusion
of trade agreements between SACU, and the East African community. These agreements lay the basis for increased intra- African trade and cement the continent's position as the next growth frontier. At the Africa Big 7 export promotion exhibition, Deputy Minister Gina highlighted the strengths of South African food exporters.
Two weeks ago, Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams and I agreed in Japan with our G20 counterparts on ways to unlock opportunities in the digital economy. We also developed approaches to maintain exports in the face of growing global trade tensions. To ensure South African jobs and trade are protected whatever happens with Brexit, I am engaging with my UK counterpart about accelerating work on a bilateral trade agreement, working closely with SACU partners, and we will prioritise this.
Illegal import of goods through our ports, remain a significant challenge damaging tens of thousands of South African jobs. In the past week, as a start, we engaged with both the new Commissioner of SA Revenue Services, SARS, and the Ministry of Commerce of China to seek urgent and joint action to address
this. What these examples do? They underscore our commitment to practical and decisive actions to address blockages to growth.
On Thursday, President Ramaphosa laid out a vision of an energised economy. To implement it, we are setting clear timeframes and meeting with investors and labour to consider concrete actions to grow industrial output and jobs, building on the Public Private Growth Initiatives, PPGI. Hon Shivambu, it is not Van Zyl Slabbert, but Toyota's Dr Jan van Zyl.
To capitalise on the R71 billion surge in Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, last year into South Africa, we are engaging domestic and foreign investors to strengthen the enabling environment for investment in the productive sectors; and with the finance industry to unlock the R100 billion industrial finance commitment made at last year's Jobs Summit. I should make the point that China use FDI very strategically to build the industrial capability and technology while boosting domestic savings.
Hon members, let me share a few examples of significant new investments: Next month, in July, two new investments will be launched, a R135 million high-voltage cable manufacturing plant expansion in Port Elizabeth and the opening of a new R50 million composites factory in Germiston. In August, the Toyota Hi-Ace Ses'fikile minibus taxi plant expansion in Durban will be launched, with a near half a billion rand worth of investment.
In September we will see Proctor and Gamble launch its
R300 million investment, producing Pampers nappies and women's hygiene products. By October, Best Value Foods, a black-owned fresh fruit and veg operation, will open a R31 million operation in Midrand. In November, we will host the SA Investment Conference and in the same month showcase SA products at the Shanghai Import and Export Expo.
Mr President, in the steel industry, within the next 100 days we will launch a support programme for new plant and equipment in metal fabrication. We will meet investors and stakeholders on the long-term development of foundries and steel mini-mills, including measures to enable the local beneficiation of scrap
metal. To promote local fashion and the South African clothing and footwear industry, within 50 days we will release a draft master plan for the industry, and within 100 days we will have held substantial consultation to build consensus on a sector social pact.
In the chemicals value-chain, we are mobilising South African companies to supply R8 billion worth of goods and services as part of the Golfinho-Atum gas project in Mozambique, partly underwritten by our Export Credit Insurance Corporation, ECIC. In plastics, we will partner with domestic manufacturers to identify opportunities for import replacement. The new Auto Masterplan aims by 2035 to increase local content from 39% to 60%, double its annual car-production, expand employment to 220 000 people and create a R2,5 billion fund to support black industrialists in the sector.
Agriculture and agro-processing provide enormous opportunities for growth. We are now the world's second largest citrus exporter and beef exports are rising. Within the next 50 days, we will convene agro value-chains with Minister Didiza, to
identify impediments to greater output and to enable black farmers and small-scale farming to expand. We are engaging the sugar industry to address its challenges, and we will encourage the trade authorities to finalise their investigation into unfair poultry trade practices within the next 60 days.
We will defend our poultry industry, which is a significant job creator. The digital economy is vital to a rejuvenated economy. To ensure that data prices fall, working with the Minister of Communications, we will consider and implement the recommendations by the Competition Market Inquiry into data services. We anticipate that there will be negotiation with the large cellphone companies in the next five months, to bring data prices down.
Similar interventions will take place to support the mining industry, the creative sectors and tourism. We will roll out the new changes to the Competition Act to build an inclusive economy in which young people can participate. The first set of changes, expected in the next 100 days will enhance the authorities' powers to address harmful monopolies, excessive and predatory
pricing and to increase penalties for contravention of the Act. It will also enable though, more collaboration between firms, where this can lead to economic output and jobs.
For too long, retail malls have shut out young new entrepreneurs and small businesses. We will consider the recommendations from the Competition Market Inquiry to provide space for small retailers and to facilitate buyer groups for spaza shops to source more affordability. Government has to date supported some 400 black industrialists through the Industrial Development Corporation, IDC, and the DTI programmes.
Over the next five years, we will support an additional 400 black industrialists' projects with financial support of some R40 billion. To deepen localisation, we will finalise commitments with state-owned companies to buy from South African producers. Part of what we will do also is to co-operate with retailers to stock and actively promote more goods made by South African workers. Hon members, we need to respond pro- actively to the threat of a global trade war and the slowdown in growth in most of our major trading partners.
Building the African Continental Free Trade Area and making our trade- promotion efforts more effective and strategic are therefore quite critical. We will work with other nations to sustain the rules-based trade order while maintaining the policy space required for industrialisation. A pillar of our industrial policy is the development of new investment clusters through special economic zones, SEZ, revitalisation of industrial parks, business and digital hubs.
In the next three months, we will set up the legal entity for the Bojanala Platinum Valley SEZ in North-West, which has an investment pipeline in place. Within 12 months, we will do the same for the Northern Cape SEZ in Upington and the Automotive SEZ in Tshwane. Ford South Africa has exciting plans to re- energise the Silverton area of Gauteng through the SEZ. In the next 3 months, we will commence support for infrastructure upgrades at 15 local industrial parks, including in Fort Jackson, Butterworth, Mossel Bay, Orlando West, Eldorado, Upington and Thohoyandou.
Our focus now is on immediate actions. However, to build a long- term platform for inclusive growth over the next five years, we will consider measures to promote worker participation in company boards and in ownership schemes, the use of a sovereign wealth fund to underpin investment in strategic and priority sectors and the rollout of the Infrastructure Fund, to enable energy, water, transport and digital platforms to promote inclusive growth, economic inclusion more generally and social cohesion.
Partnership is critical, and therefore we make a strong call on large co- operations, to avoid the resorts because there is a resort sometimes to retrenchments, as we have seen in a number of sector, and most recently, with Multichoice. Therefore, we need that while we have the space to rebuild the economy. Hon members, I can think of no better words to conclude a statement made in June 1965, by that great African patriot, Kwame Nkrumah, who said:
The task ahead is great indeed, and heavy is the responsibility; and yet it is a noble and glorious
challenge which calls for the courage to dream, the courage to believe, the courage to dare, the courage to do, the courage to envision, the courage to fight, the courage to work, the courage to achieve - to achieve the highest excellencies and the fullest greatness of man. Dare we ask for more in life?
I thank you.
House Chair, in his first state of the nation address since going to the country, for his own electoral mandate, President Ramaphosa shared with us and the nation, his dreams. Let me be clear, there was nothing wrong with dreams, provided they have a plan, for dreams without plans remain fantasies. The President is also not the only one, who dreams. So while you, Mr President were dreaming of the fantastical cities of Ramakhandla, [Laughter.]! with its bullet train whizzing by, and his Brezhnev era state-owned entities running the show.
The young school leaver in Limpopo dreams of finding a job. The factory worker in Alberton dreams of the last time he had a decent job, the sick person lying in a hospital in Kimberley dreams of proper care and just getting better, the resident in Helenvale who dreams of a safe street free of bullets, gangsters and drug peddlers. The mother in Mpumalanga dreams of just one night when she can send her children to bed with a full tummy. For it is only in these dreams, Mr President, that our citizens find temporary refuge from the woken horror and nightmare of unemployment, crime, poverty and struggle that is the daily life that is the daily life in existence for far too many of our citizens in this country. [Applause.]
For successive elections, these citizens have placed their dreams at the feet of successive ANC administrations- like the lines of Irish playwright, William Butler Yeats, they have said:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams
and yet successive ANC administrations have done exactly the opposite, they have stamped out opportunity, they have crushed the dreams and they have robbed the very lifeblood of survival. After the wasted decade of the Zuma years, and now with your own electoral mandate under your belt, what was needed more than any thing was a good dose of brass tacks, hard reality and bold reforms. [Applause.]
It's what the nation was desperate to hear and it's what we were desperate to hear last Thursday and what we were desperate to hear today. Now is the time for action, the clarion call to service, the rallying cry against corruption, the decisive demolishing of the roadblocks to growth and prosperity. Instead, we got dreams and virtuous ends with ten year sell by dates- basically you say to us Mr President for the next ten years: "don't call me, I'll call you." Ten years? We don't have ten years, we don't exist in some utopian dream in which we can fluffily float for a decade, and we are in the nightmare of immediacy. We are in a race against the clock to get our country working and get our people back to work.
Dreams without plans are merely fantasies, and boy we did we hear a lot of those today! I will start with the foe communist that we have within our ranks. I see he's been delegated now to the NCOP, as the colleagues in the NA couldn't wait to get rid of him. They are horrified; he has popped up in the NCOP to terrorise us once a year at that state of the nation address once again. [Laughter.]
Frankly, disingenuously it says to us that the Zondo Commission was gifted to the Country by the ANC, rubbish, and absolute rubbish! It was the results of the Public Protector report which made it as a finding. [Applause.]. Nothing to do with you hon Carrim, nothing, but a like walking, talking version of Pravda, he carried on with the ranked dishonesty that has became the South African Communist Party. Is it amazing that he can stand here with his hands in his pockets, picking on the DA, picking on the EFF and tearing our manifestos into pieces. Where was your manifesto at this election? [Laughter.]! You never have the courage to put your ideas before the country and let them test it. You are a coward at heart under the petticoat of the ANC. [Applause.].
You talk about identity crisis, well goodness me, if the DA is got an identity crisis hon Carrim, you guys have got schizophrenia on Olympian proportions. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zum, Jacob Zuma, JZ, Magashule faction, the Zuma faction, radically economic transformation and the new dawn, every one of them. You guys can't even get together in room and have coherent conversation and isn't amazing, it criticizes the policies of the free market, the policies of the market, well the people in Venezuela, 3,4 million of them aren't running away from our policies, hon Carrim they are running, they are running away from yours. [Applause.] [Interjection.]
Hon Steenhuisen...
The people in Cuba can find anything that floats to try and get them across the dangerous crossing to Cuba, because they are running away from the policies that he pronounces. Hon Lindiwe Zulu was here. She arrived here looking like Michael Jackson! [Laughter.]! I was expecting Thriller, but what we got today was Smooth Criminal! [Laughter.]! She spoke a lot about the nuts and bolts. There
were a lot of nuts and I see she has bolted before we had a chance to have a go at her!
Hon
Steenhuisen, please speak through the Chair.
Sorry can I have my two seconds back, if don't mind, thank you. [Laughter.]. If got a lot to get through I don't want to loose my time, you know. Let me tell you this, we have shown where we govern that you can schools that work, that you can have a strong stable growing economy that gives everyone a stake. That you have a clean and accountable government, but all of these require courage and it requires resolve, and that's what, worries us Mr President. It's what keeps people awake from their dreams. The question on everybody's leaps is, Sir: Do you have the courage and do have the resolve? You going to need it buckets loads and you going to have to demonstrate it far more than what you have to date, because up against it.
The longer you fail to take the hard decisions, the harder it will become to do so. The more you delay the deep reforms, the further the economy will drift away. The longer you pander to the corrupt and rotten in your party, the more the doubts are going to pile up. Mr President heed this warning, your secretary general Ace Magashule, is like a vulture that has flown in fresh from picking dry carcass of the Free State. He is moving against you Mr President; he has deployed his minions in all their numbers, into key positions into this Parliament to provide a roadblock against your reforms and to weaken you up for the kill. Just like a vulture, he is perched at Luthuli House, waiting, just waiting for that first carrion whiff of weakness that will signal the kill.
Mr President, you don't have to believe me when I tell what the danger this man is to your agenda and what a danger he is to your organization. The next speaker, hon Mbalula had this to say; in the run up to your conference he said and I quote "Ace Magashule is definite no, no; he will finish what is remaining of our organization". [Applause.]
The longer you remain agnostic to the Magashule manoeuvring, and the more you tiptoe around Ace, calling him "My Boss" and telling us that "without him you are nothing" the harder you stamp on the dreams of our citizens. Thank you. [Applause.].
Hon Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, His Excellency the President, hon Deputy President, Members of Parliament, colleagues and guests, this morning at 5am I got into the central line train from Khayelitsha to Kwa-Langa to do oversight, inspect and listen to the ideas our people have and together begin to address and fix their rightful demands of their government. These are our workers and general commuters who fertilize this economy and must be provided with quality services. I have set out a set of urgent interventions needed to return the central line service into an efficient, trusted and safe service. We are going to get the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, Prasa, back on track, whether it is the Soshanguve corridor, uMlazi or Mamelodi. Under your leadership, Mr President, Prasa will be back on track. [Applause.]
Deputy Chairperson, we have spent a day listening carefully to the contributions of hon members on the state of our nation. The ANC government regards these debates as very important for our democratic project. The debate on the state of the nation address is aimed at strengthening our democracy, institutionalise it and remind us all that we are people with many views but one destiny, one nation and to get our nation working and our constitutional democracy sound. We must respect and welcome differing viewpoints.
We agree with Professor Wole Soyinka on constructive criticism, that the greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism. Mr President, with that said, I want to share with the House a tweet I received this past weekend. A twitter-user by the name of Kid Colt tweeted a photo of his traffic fine. The charge on the fine is exceeding the speed limit of 80 km per hour by travelling at 75 km per hour. This speeding fine is the kind of 44 out of 10 type analyses of our body politics and political economy we have been subjected to for the entire day by the opposition. This is not what Professor Wole Soyinka was hoping for. It is therefore very clear Mr President that your marching
orders to the Department of Basic Education about tablet computers has to be supported because... [Interjections.]
Eh, eh, before you speak ...speak properly! Can you call Professor Soyinka properly? He is not Whole Soyinka. African scholars must be respected.
Hon member, what is your point of order?
On a point of order: It is really not Professor Whole Soyinka. He must pronounce Professor Wole Soyinka properly, and not Professor Whole Soyinka. A whole day of Professor ... hayi! The whole Transport Minister transporting wrong information!
This is what Professor Wole Soyinka was hoping for. It is therefore very clear Mr President that your marching orders to the Department of Basic Education about tablet computers has to be supported because with a tablet you
can access a wide array of information, perhaps you could even understand that there is no New York in London.
President, philosophers often remind us of a quote attributed to Aristotle that criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing and be nothing. The Bantu people philosophically agree with Aristotle, and we say, "ikhonkotha ehambayo" [It barks to the one moving].
President, you have called on your government and South Africa at large to pull together and "khawuleza" [speed up] in steaming economic growth and prosperity ahead.
But how do we make sense of the 44 out of 10 analyses and the rest of hot air? Plutarch said, it is a thing of no great difficulty to raise objections against another man's oration, nay, it is a very easy matter; but to produce a better in its place is a work extremely troublesome. We share the podium with hon members and hon critics. Instead of people coming up here to light the candle on our discourse we hear a lot of cursing of
the darkness. We cannot attend to the pressing issues of our time without history, logic and injustice.
Mr President, as the Leader of the Official Opposition stood to deliver his usual sermon, turning this podium into a pulpit, I got chills. I got chills because it was like I was listening to the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher herself - Thatcherism, a crude ideological frame of mind that decimated the United Kingdom's economy and social cohesion fabric. Ban, ban, ban and ban the unions, extend private education, reduce or cancel poverty wage protection, sell critical state-owned enterprises, SOEs, and strip collective bargaining constitutional protections yet they claim they believe in our Constitution. We know who buttresses this leader of the shadows in the shadows. Those are not reforms. His reforms are to cut public education. He proposes we stop the national health insurance, NHI, which seeks to give our people access to private hospitals. He says it is expensive. Those are not reforms. What he did not have to say is a cut on social grants. He did not have guts to say that. Warning shots were heard. We know that is what this staunch conservatism ideology leads. We suffered from Thatcherism in this country -
Thatcherism labelled us as terrorists and the cruel apartheid policy.
Those are not reforms; those are deforms! He has a pocket full of seven deforms - deform health care, deform workers' rights, deform public education and deform minimum wage. [Applause.] Mr President, that are not reforms, but deforms and are affirmations of capitalist and a cultural majority the DA truly represents.
Hon members, we owe being here in the seats we are allocated to the wisdom of the masses. The ANC has listened carefully at this debate and most of what we got is 44 out of 10 types of Thatcherist analyses together with a lot of people who truly see themselves as ANC members because all they are consumed with are interparty issues of the ANC. [Applause.] We invite them to rejoin the ANC seeing that is where the heart is and in any event they left the ANC while still nursing on the national democratic revolution. There is yearning for the ANC and the quality of its decisions that they got to be entered into Hansard today. We thank you for that, hon.
Let me hasten to remind the House about the blood that runs in the veins of the ANC. The ANC is not an Africanist movement, the ANC is not a socialist movement, it is not a capitalist movement and it is not a party for one sex over the other or one race dominating the other. We recognise the circumstances of colonialism and the uniqueness or specialty of it in the context of South Africa. We recognise that South Africa is a class- based society with a deep racial segregationist and oppressive past. No party should impose its agenda on the ANC. [Applause.] We are a nonracial organisation that wants to create a united and democratic South Africa.
South Africans are well aware that the ANC has never claimed to be perfect. We have always owned up to our mistakes, we never hide them, we stumble and rise up, and right now we are busy rising up for the sake of our people and we are saying we still have dreams, dreams of a nation that is a beacon of hope and prosperity. Our imperfections are best testified through one of the most quotable quotes of our nation's father, our first democratically elected President Nelson Mandela when he said;
Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got up again. [Applause.]
Mr President, this is not a license to do wrong, but an acknowledgement of our human fallibilities. I am not perfect and the ANC is not perfect, but do we rise up and self-correct? The answer is a full yes. Mr President, your clarity and visionary address has offered us a clear canvass to paint and draw-out executable and realistic plans.
Deputy Chairperson, the ANC's vision document, the Freedom Charter is a document of our dreams. We are committing never to rest until the core of the dreams are realised. It is very curious when we see this document being abused and misused in this House by groups that freelance on their ideological grounding. They sometimes wake up being Sankarists, the next day they are Sobukweist, the next they are Charterist and maybe Marxist too and they may just cut the cake of power with conservative liberals in the halls of Tshwane and Johannesburg. This buffet menu politics is ideological freelancing with
unequal opportunity assortment of the so-called commissars whom the ANC is clearly a boomerang on them.
President, the ANC government in 2012 approved the Prasa strategic plan which included a potential for high speed train. This transformational strategic plan found that indeed a Gauteng to eThekwini and Gauteng to Cape Town high speed rail could be feasible. In this sixth administration we shall commission a full feasibility study and financing models to achieve this collective dream. High speed rail is an economic stimulant, it is a new cities and towns' creator, it is an enabler and multiplier, it is an important tool towards a cleaner air strategy and indeed in speeding up our intended transitioning from road to rail and from air to rail.
Mr President, hon member's listening skills failed them while listening to your state of the nation address. You said, about public rail transport, we want a South Africa that has prioritised its rail network. No South African should have a problem with an introduction of rail network to Musina and Buffalo City as you said in your address. You committed to
making public transport and all rail a mode of choice for all commuters in this country. Ours is to make sure that Prasa is reliable and safe. We shall achieve this and Prasa will be back on track.
As the secretary-general of the ANC after our unbanning together with our stalwarts, you rallied the nation behind a vision of a free, united and prosperous South Africa - a vision of a society where all citizens are equal before the law and have equal access to opportunities for employment, education, arts and sports. It is a vision grounded on the ANC's national democratic...[Interjections.]
On a point of order: I want to understand that you can't sleep as Sankarist and wake up as Marxist, but you can sleep as Zuma and wake up as Ramaphosa.
That is not a point of order. Continue, Minister!
You can wake up as the ANC and a revolutionary democrat and then wake up in another political party as nothing else that represent a dying breed of political dinosaur.
... a visions of a society where all citizens are equal before the law and have equal access to opportunities for employment. That is the South Africa the ANC is building as mandated by the electorate at each electoral cycle. We are deeply humbled by the gesture of the electorate who returned us as a governing party to continue with the work of advancing social and economic transformation so we can eradicate poverty,
President, those who do not know the pains of governing must be forgiven for flippantly equating it to shopping for cool drink. Just go figure!
Hon Maimane decries the President's speech as a dream of no tangible action. Not so long ago he was trying to find a Dr Martin Luther King Junior's dream inside himself. We were just lucky there was no mirror this time. The Freedom Front Plus, the
DA and the rest of course missed Mikhail Bakunin's pertinent question in his 1870 pamphlet titled Fragments' discussing property ownership pre- French Revolution, he asked:
In what way did property and capital ever fall into the hands of their present owners? This is a question which, when envisaged from the points of view of history, logic, and justice, cannot be answered in any other way but one which would serve as an indictment against the present owners.
Chairperson, on a point of order to the hon Minister of Transport: Mikhail Bakunin is an Anarcho-syndicalism diametrically opposed to Marxism and Leninism. What are you transporting? Are you inspired by an anarchist? Do you want to get rid of the state?
What is your point of order, sir?
It is a point of order on ideological concoctions and misquoting of people - anarchism. Do you want to get rid of the state, Minister? Do you want the state or not?
Thank you, sir. There is no point of order. Continue, Minister!
The political concoction is found right there in the red overalls. [Laughter.] There is no ideology there. We understand the Bakunin's question well hence we have black economic empowerment, employment equity and indeed our Nasrec resolution on land.
Floyd, hon Floyd, the ANC has already decided on sovereign wealth fund. But the EFF uses the wrong example. Norway government owns all oil assets. It puts all profits into its sovereign wealth fund. We do not have the same situation, but we will take revenues from different sources into a sovereign wealth fund.
Deputy Chairperson, on a point of order: There are children who are watching this debate and they are going to be miseducated by what is being said about Norway. The Norway government does not own all the oil assets.
Thank you, hon Shivambu.
It's a fact. I think Bindwana is misleading you big time
Thank you, hon Shivambu you may sit down.
Our existence as government is premised on human justice, human equality and human freedom. Our basic human rights are what we are all here for. Let us thrive for a South Africa that is free of a threat of hunger for all our people, all our youth, black or white, Meneer Mulder.
The President's message is loud and clear. It is a marching order to all of us whether in government, legislature or civil
society that we must inspire hope through tangible action that resonates with the hopes and aspirations of our people - dream big or go home!
Tangible action comes in the form of the seven apex priorities premised on the understanding that the focus of this sixth administration is on accelerated implementation, working with all South Africans.
The manifesto of the ANC, which forms the bedrock of the mandate of the sixth administration, is emphatic on transforming the economy to serve all our people and advancing social transformation, amongst other priorities. It is the commitments of this manifesto that constitute the bedrock of the seven apex priorities announced by the President.
We have heard our people and we have no illusions about the mammoth task that lies ahead. Our people have embraced Thuma Mina as a mantra of national patriotism. However, they have told us to inject a sense of urgency in delivering services and expediting interventions to make a better life a lived reality.
We have committed to "khawuleza" [speed up] in the implementation of the seven apex priorities of the sixth administration. Human justice, human equality and human freedom - our basic human rights are what we are all here for. Let us thrive for a South Africa that is free of a threat of hunger, and a threat to dreams. Down with deforms! I thank you. [Applause.]
On a point of procedure, usually there's a sweeper at the end of a debate. We haven't had a sweeper.
Debate concluded
The Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces adjourned the Joint Sitting at 20:13. ----------------------- Excellency, the President of the Republic of South Africa; the
Deputy President; Ministers and Deputy Ministers; hon Members;
policies to improve public transport.
The National Transport Master Plan, NATMAP, 2050 is our comprehensive, multimodal, integrated plan which anchors a sustainable framework for implementing transport while providing infrastructure and services.
[pic]-BCDEFHI_`bOur master plan sees transport as crucial in promoting township
and village economies.
In the state of the province address earlier this year, we reported, among others that through the Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport we made a remarkable progress towards the provision of an efficient, competitive and responsive economic infrastructure network.
Our government is aware of the issues between our communities and the trucking industry. We urge our communities to exercise
alone. We once more wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. We agree with Transport Minister Mbalula that one death on our roads is one too many.
On that note, thank you very much. Your time
has expired.
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