Chair, if the question was going to test my intelligence, then I would have answered, but I doubt it. [Laughter.] The Department of Labour spent 99,5% of their budget, but only achieved 43% of their outputs. The Department of Rural Development spent 97,7%, but only achieved 41% of their targets. The Department of Health spent 96,6% of their budget, but achieved only 37% of their targets. The Department of Agriculture spent 97,4%, but achieved only 35% of their outputs. Almost the entire budget of these departments were spent, but they failed dismally in achieving their predetermined outputs. They nevertheless keep asking for money time and again.
Many of the departments, however, seem to be satisfied with the results achieved, as they proceeded to award themselves and their staff with performance bonuses of note, this despite their dismal failure in achieving their predetermined outputs.
Luister hierna. Die Departement van Handel en Nywerheid bereik slegs 51% van hulle doelwitte, maar betaal bonusse aan 20% van hulle personeel. Die Departement van Basiese Onderwys behaal net 47% van hulle voorafgestelde doelwitte, maar betaal bonusse aan 24% van hulle personeel. En so kan ons aangaan. Die Departement van Arbeid bereik 43,4 % van hul doelwitte en bonusse word aan 28,9% van die personeel betaal. Die Departement van Landelike Ontwikkeling het 41% van hul doelwitte bereik en bonusse word aan 29,7% van hulle personeel betaal. Die Departement van Landbou bereik 35% van hul doelwitte en bonusse word aan 33,5% van personeel betaal. Die Departement van Energie bereik 47% van hul doelwitte en bonusse word aan 36% van die personeel betaal. Die Departement van Samewerkende Regering en Tradisionele Sake bereik 44% van hul doelwitte en bonusse word aan 45% van hulle personeel betaal. Die Departement van Openbare Werke, seker die swakste departement, bereik 44% van hul doelwitte en personeelbonusse word aan 48% van hul personeel betaal. Die Departement van Minerale Sake bereik 63% van hulle doelwitte, maar betaal bonusse aan 57% van hulle personeel, en laastens, die Departement van Gesondheid bereik net 37% van hul doelwitte, maar betaal bonusse aan 50% van hulle personeel. Dit is duidelik dat resultate behaal en finansile aansporings verleen, geen korrelasie toon nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Listen to this. The Department of Trade and Industry achieved only 51% of their outputs, but they have paid bonuses to 20% of their staff. The Department of Basic Education achieved only 47% of their predetermined outputs, but they have paid bonuses to 24% of their staff. And so we can go on. The Department of Labour achieved 43,4% of their outputs and bonuses have been paid to 28,9% of their staff. The Department of Rural Development achieved 47% of their outputs and bonuses have been paid to 29,7% of their staff. The Department of Agriculture achieved 35% of their outputs and bonuses have been paid to 33,5% of their staff. The Department of Energy achieved 47% of their outputs and bonuses have been paid to 36% of their staff. The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs achieved 44% of their outputs and bonuses have been paid to 45% of their staff. The Department of Public Works, surely the weakest department, achieved 44% of their outputs and staff bonuses have been paid to 48% of their staff. The Department of Mineral Affairs achieved 63% of their outputs, but bonuses have been paid to 57% of their staff and, lastly, the Department of Health achieved only 37% of their outputs, but they have paid bonuses to 50% of their staff. It is clear that results achieved and financial incentives offered show no correlation.]
The departments advance a lack of capacity as reason for poor performance, yet they fail to fill the funded vacancies available to them. Instead, they often prefer to make use of consultants. In the few departments I have just mentioned, their consultancy fee payments amounted to nearly R870 million, yet very little skills transfer took place. It is an indictment that we have serious unemployment, yet departments fail to fill even the most basic of vacancies.
A major contributor to the problems we experience in this regard is the policy of jobs for pals, often leading to inefficient, unqualified staff members being appointed to and holding positions which they are incapable of handling. They are nevertheless protected by Cosatu at all costs, irrespective of the consequences.
Talking of Cosatu, they obviously claim constitutional rights for themselves which they begrudge everybody else. When they have protest marches, they do not only march, but also break down everything in their path and they claim this as a democratic right. When the DA marches peacefully and legally to protest about Cosatu's obstructive attitude towards job creation by way of the youth wage subsidy, Cosatu obstructs this democratic right they claim for themselves. They then forget about the poor and jobless and prefer to start hurling rocks to protect their own selfish interests.
One shouldn't be surprised, therefore, that they are not satisfied with the 5% salary increase proposed by government in this budget. They simply don't care about the excessive salary bill of government, nor do they really care about job creation, and nowhere have they come up with proposals for productivity increases linked to their salary demands. In all likelihood, they will also contest the proposals contained in the National Development Plan, as this plan wants to have a relook at the powers of trade unions and has, like the DA in its 8% growth plan, the interests of the poor and jobless as well as job creation at heart. Had it not been for the obstructionist attitude of Cosatu, 423 000 jobs could have been created for young people over the next three years. They would have been enabled to gain the necessary on-the-job experience so vital for future job opportunities.
We are sitting on a time bomb as a result of a lack of job opportunities for the youth. The Human Sciences Research Council tells us that seven out of eight youths in the age group 16 to 24 are unemployed. According to the Department of Statistics there are 9,2 million youths in this age group. It means that 8,1 million youths in this group are unemployed. A time bomb, indeed, yet Cosatu's solution to the problem seems to be to play the violin, whilst Rome is burning.
The question then is whether we should support the Appropriation Bill. If government institutions continue operating the way they currently do, it will become increasingly difficult. We must ensure higher gross domestic product, GDP, growth rates and get rid of everything that hampers economic growth. In particular, we should ensure that departments attain the predetermined outputs they have set for themselves.
This afternoon we will be considering the individual Budget Votes and my colleagues will then indicate the specific Budget Votes the DA will be opposing. I thank you.