Deputy Chairperson, I'm not going to greet everyone. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the Gauteng province on their successful joint programme on Taking Parliament to the People from 19 to 23 November 2018. It proves that the ANC has nothing to hide. We are very open. Where we are lacking, we are prepared to deal with the issues.
As we know, the Taking Parliament to the People programme looks at unlocking the inefficiencies of service delivery. The focus was on
the impact of migration on service delivery in the various key sectors, through site visits and public meetings across the Gauteng province.
As we debate, we should take note of the fact that South Africa is one country. Therefore, Gauteng serves as the nerve centre of our country, in that most people migrate to Gauteng looking for greener pastures. As an economic hub, Gauteng is the preferred destination for many people looking for greener pastures. Over the years, Gauteng's in-migration and rapid urbanisation is distinct and incomparable to any province in the country. Since 1996, the population in Gauteng has grown from almost 7,8 million to 14 million, as the Chairperson has indicated.
This has both a positive and a negative impact. On the positive side, it increases the revenue of Gauteng. The skills base, or personnel, is in abundance in Gauteng. In addition, our health facilities are used as referrals for Africa, thus increasing revenue coming into Gauteng.
However, it also has a budding negative impact, in the sense that those people who are coming to Gauteng from different provinces within the country and from outside the country come to Gauteng
without a budget, and they are not budgeted for. This therefore puts pressure on health facilities in Gauteng.
The ANC's vision for health in South Africa is founded on its National Health Plan of 1994. The plan states that the approach to primary health care should be founded on the five guiding principles: political will; accountability and community participation; social and economic justice; changing the medical culture; and providing the best possible care. This approach to health care in South Africa becomes essential in the context of upholding the value of promoting and preserving life.
The ANC is conscious of the fact that the Life Esidimeni tragedy represents the opposite of what the ANC-led government is all about. Once this heartbreaking tragedy happened, the Gauteng government took responsibility and put in place corrective measures and fully implemented the recommendations of the Health Ombud, Prof Makgoba. [Interjections.] Currently, the province is working with the Office of the Master of the High Court to ensure that the new set of claimants, who came forward after the awards by Justice Moseneke, are also paid. As the Premier announced in his state of the province address earlier this year, an amicable solution has been reached
between the government, the Master's Office and the affected families, and this will ...