Hon Chair, fellow committee members Minister, and Deputy Minister, boards executives and staff from related state owned corporations and entities, the media and hon guests.
Following the Departments of Communications, and Telecommunications and Postal Services 2019 Annual Performance Plan presentation on O3 July 2019, and our consideration of the budgets and the committee reports on O9 July 2019, I am convinced, agree and rise to support this progressive budget. The debate comes in the immediate aftermath of the President's
state of the nation address on the Sixth Parliament, the first South African Digital Economy Summit, held last week in Johannesburg.
In many ways, this is a sector of many firsts and the new departments will be a pioneered. We have the great fortune of being pathfinders for our nation in these unchartered waters. The President has made commitments that government will, open the doors of learning for all and this is a skills revolution. The President also made a commitment that will lower the cost of communications young people call it, data must fall. Extend free Wi-Fi access to more sites in the country, particularly the most vulnerable. As a cadre from the rural province of North West, I have been grappling with these complex concepts in the past few weeks since the ANC deployed me to this Committee. Cleary the future we have always dreamed about is here. As Dr Martin Luther King Jr said,
We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now, urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum life of history, there
"is" such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.
Our people are not interested in the drama which some political parties have brought to Parliament. The critics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be asking this question: What will be the future of work in the in the current revolution? How will work be defined?
Their prediction is that 5 million jobs will be lost by 2020 to technology, in construction, manufacturing, public health and many other sectors. But for us as the ANC this is not the main question, but the main question is, what would be the new forms of education and training that our people need because the world now is open to learning. How do we take advantage of this phenomenon? The principle regarding automation is that anything that a repetitive task, a machine can do better in their view, cheaper and without having to take any vacation or sick leave. Our task as the ANC-led government is to interface this human, nature and technology collaboration. What we need in this
interface is to first identify all the things that the machine cannot do. For instance, the machine cannot produce itself, therefore we need human creativity. A machine cannot regularly service itself, maintain and operate itself. Therefore more technicians are needed. I am just giving you these few examples.
This shows that the Fourth Industrial Revolution has more opportunities for human participation. This path cannot lead us to a digital apartheid, a society where there are massive disparities between those who have access and those who are excluded. For the ANC, this digital revolution must be characterized by inclusive, shared growth and development. Our values and principles of striving for social and economic justice must remain our guiding light. This budget has responded to the clarion call of growing South Africa together including the opposition.
Hon members, as the ANC we are convinced that this Ministry has focused on the seven priorities announced by then President. May I remind you of those that are specific to our portfolio: Economic transformation and job creation, education, skills and
health, social cohesion, safe communities as well as building a capable ethical and developmental state. A better Africa, and a better world. Focusing on the above we will, indeed, go a long way in the transforming the South African society in building of a better life for all.
Hon Chair, we are comforted by the fact that you have correctly translated the ANC Manifesto into an electoral mandate, programmes into actions and concrete five-year programme for implementation. Above all, we are encouraged and totally agree with you when you say broadband mobile data price will fall. As you finalise the policy directives on the allocation and licensing process of the high demand spectrum; we would like to ask and call on the mobile and fixed operations to make and do good on their promises that they will drastically reduce the prices and also ensure that the rural and semi-urban signal coverage and poor nature of service is addressed.
Minister and Deputy Minister, we would like your department to continuously brief and update Parliament as you are going to play a collaborative role in the finalisation of social compacts
for digital economy, creative sector, Information and Communications Technology, ICT, implementation plan, for the rollout of 100 digital hubs over three years. Finalisation and implementation plan to address outcomes of competition market enquiry into data prices and engage stakeholders on a possible agreement on data prices. The African Union has acknowledged that the creative and cultural industry in Africa hold great promise in the development of the continent, as they contribute to the economic, social and cultural development of our people. The above requires co-ordination to succeed.
We agree that more value is created when private and public sectors collaborate, having recognised the value of high-tech sectors and the creative industry in meeting some of the many challenges we are facing as the Fourth Industrial Revolution unfolds. We therefore, request your support and collaboration with the upstarts within the e-sports and gaming space. This will go a long way in creating sustainable jobs for youth, unemployed persons, women and people living with disabilities. The collaboration with Huawei, in the establishment of targeted innovative young entrepreneur's programmes, within the e-sports
and e-gaming, will go a long way in building a culture of youth entrepreneurship and job creation. We are confident that your collaboration with provincial governments, as you have done in the Free State Provincial Government and are about to do with the North West, where I come from, especially the local and district government level, is a good step towards the creation of youth digital industrial digital hubs. This is a practical and meaningful response to the President's call.
Hon members, this is a good budget plan and programmes relevant and fit for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Therefore, the ANC supports this vote [Applause].