I do not know where the hon member will be in 2009. Are you leaving this earth? I would be very sad because it is very nice to be with you in this House. I understand the hon member when he says that creating jobs in rural areas is not easy. What government is able to do in rural areas is to enable people to get basic needs because it is businesses that employ people. We rely on them to create jobs. Government is responsible for public works. The problem with businesses that are created through public works is that they are temporary.
We are looking at another way of creating jobs where people would be employed permanently - which is what makes me ask the hon members for their assistance. These are the kinds of jobs that will deliver basic needs in the communities. You know that government has put more money in the current budget to ensure that young children are being trained in their early childhood development in the rest of South Africa. This will enable women to get the jobs to teach children but most of the provinces do not use that money, therefore your support in this endeavour would be appreciated because those jobs would then be permanent.
Home-based care for people who are sick is another way of employing many people in rural areas because they get trained and get jobs. Home-based care work is always available and it could also be a permanent job. Government also employs people who work as health workers. We want you to assist us with this new programme we are talking about in which we say, "one product per municipality", so that we could see what things people are able to produce, which would, in turn, enable them to get permanent jobs. They may not be top jobs but they will enable people to put food on their tables.
You will know that over the past few years we have been struggling with the delivery of water, roads, houses, electricity, etc, which we have not yet accomplished. We could not do all these things within a short space of time. We encourage you - since some of you have relations with companies and businesses - to ask them to work with us by taking their companies to rural areas. However, according to the survey we have conducted, companies do grow in rural areas, especially in agriculture and tourism. It is necessary that we encourage those. Thank you.]
Initiative for the exchange of senior officials of government departments and executives from the private sector 17. Ms J F Terblanche (DA) asked the Deputy President:
Whether the initiative launched at the beginning of October 2007 (details furnished) in terms of which senior officials from government departments and entities and executives from the private sector are to swap positions is part of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa, Asgisa; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?