As the ANC-led government we developed 2030 vision which is the National Development Plan,NDP, adopted by the South African government as its own economic and socioeconomic development strategy for the country. The NDP defines a desired destination and identifies the role different sectors of society should play in reaching that goal. The NDP aims to ensure that South Africans attain decent standards of living through the elimination of poverty and reduction of inequalities. This plan has been approved and
adopted by government and has been endorsed by the broader society. The main argument that is apparent in the NDP as propounded by the National Planning Commission is to transform the public sector towards a state that is more capable, more professional and more responsive to the needs of the society.
I heard hon Ngwezi relating to the issues of corruption, but I think the Integrated Development Plan, IDP, is also responding to that issue that he had raised. Hon Chair, it should be noted that, the key factors of the economy are still in the hands of the minority. The National Planning Commission was established in 2010 in order to identify sectors of economy which could be boosted in order to alleviate the unemployment crisis in the country. Recent reports revealed that unemployment rate in South Africa is generally sitting at 27,6 percent and youth unemployment is sitting at 55% as per the Statistics SA report. In the state of the nation address, the Hon President acknowledged that youth unemployment is a challenge and it requires creativity, sustainability and innovation for us to be able to come up with sustainable solutions to address the problem. Contrary, some studies that have been conducted revealed that there is an alarming skills deficit figure of 0.66 percent of the senior management level in the SA public sector. This means that as the ANC -led government we need to come up with an aggressive approach in
ensuring that training and skills development of senior management is effective as possible, as opposed to the lower ranks. I guess, we all know that as the ANC, have started to implement that programme.
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 under the Bill of Rights stipulates that, everyone has the right to freedom of association and further puts an emphasis on the right to fair labour law practices. The Freedom Charter shares the same convictions that, "there shall be work and security" and that "all the national groups shall have equal rights". The budget is very comprehensive hence it reflects the Nedlac Social Compact as presented by the Minister, the Deputy Minister, hon Dunjwa and hon Nontsele. It resonates well with the President's speech on the state of the nation address. The former president Nelson Mandela hence it is the Mandela month, once said: Education is the only weapon we can use to change the world". Based on this notion, I concur with him that the socioeconomic challenges that the country is facing can only be addressed by skills development and academic development of citizens. The success of the public service is largely dependent upon the skills, experience and expertise within the state.
Hon Chair, human component and human intelligence should not be undermined. This means that, we also need to take into cognisance
the issue of human resource development and management in order to address the legacy of apartheid and expediting the implementation of development policies. The skills shortage and deficiency have detrimental effects on the society. This then implies that human capital management is fundamental to ensure that the set objectives in the NDP are achieved. The psychological notion that says a happy worker is a productive worker should not be overlooked. We are saying, down with the exploitation of workers, down. The organisations must be able..., you must tell your friends, you must listen that side. The organisations, companies, factories or your friend's factories must be able to balance between the customer centricity, the people orientated approach as well the profit driven approach. I hope that you are listening because now I am about to present the interventions that we are going to implement as the ANC.
In addressing unemployment and labour related challenges, the area of focus for this term of office will be: Enforcement of the labour policies to ensure that public and private institutions comply with the legislative and regulatory requirements. Investing in human capital development, technological innovations, as well as fostering innovation in the workplace and promoting collaborative beneficial partnerships with the society, which will result in enhanced productivity and organizational transformation. Facilitate the
implementation of a minimum wage towards a living wage. Facilitate the implementation of the comprehensive social protection, including extension of Unemployment Insurance Fund, UIF, coverage. Lobby the private sector through corporate social responsibilities to support young entrepreneurs. Hence you know that the issue of unemployment or employment cuts across, we will work closely with our sister departments, organized labour and various sectors to address the skills deficit required by the job market and to create jobs. The how part now: We are going to revitalise entrepreneurship and cooperatives. We will revolutionalise the agricultural sector and support youth owned enterprises. We will strengthen labour markets and intensify oversight in the textile, retail, hospitality, farming, security, metal and steel industries around the country.
IsiXhosa:
Siyeza, asifikanga sigalelekile.
English:
In implementing that, we are going to ensure that in our enforcement during our oversight, we adopt McKinsey's 7S Model to analyse and assess the performance of the organisations. If all the systems are aligned we will be looking at their strategies, structure, systems, shared values, style, staff and skills to balance the hard skills
together with the soft skills. As the Minister indicated that we are also going to make sure that we employ more occupational health inspection officers to address the issue that was raised there.
All the above mentioned initiatives have been presented on the budget speech and the ANC is very pleased with the manner the budget has been enacted. Nelson Mandela once said: "A winner is a dreamer who never gives up". We understand that the imbalances that were created by the apartheid government cannot be addressed overnight. We appeal to our communities ...
IsiXhosa:
... iimpula sikalujaca...
English:
... and the broader society to be patient with us, surely we are getting there...
IsiXhosa:
... siyakhawuleza.
English:
The ANC stands to approve the budget with its recommendations