House Chairperson, hon members, thank you very much. The NFP believes that this is a critical topic, particularly this time when there are so many challenges facing the economy of the country and these impact negatively on the lives of our people. A debate of this nature therefore warrants that move from rhetoric sheer politicking and political gimmickry. There are so many issues that are facing the people of South Africa. The country has been leaping from one challenge to another.
Last year, we saw the increase of value-added tax, VAT, and petrol. The country plunged into a technical recession. Many people were retrenched. Others still remained out of employment. A whooping 9,4 million people could not find any job. More than 37% of our youth lived in abject poverty and could not find employment. It is the duty of the country to create an environment that is conducive to job creation and investment.