Chair, in the wake of third-wave democratisation and neoliberal ascendancy, our conception of the developmental state must be reconfigured. The PAC defines a developmental state as one that has a clear commitment to a national development agenda and does so by including the poorest majority and closing the widening gap between the rich and the poor.
There are many reasons for creating a developmental state that places greater concern on poverty eradication and social and economic liberation of the poor African majority in particular. Extreme social inequality also means that there must be an identity of interests between voters and parties in this Parliament. This means that floor-crossing must be abolished. It is not in the interest of the voters of our country, nor in the interest of development and effective service delivery.
This kind of state must pursue economic integration into the global economy. This it must achieve at its own pace, not at the behest of international pressure. In the post-Washington Consensus era, there is a renewed emphasis on institutional capacity and on states owning their own national development strategies. It would therefore, be anachronistic for South Africa to play a hegemonic role in the SADC countries. I thank you.