Chairperson, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers, fellow members, comrades and colleagues, the ANC has been the party for and of the poor - and still is. Most of us, as we are seated here, have grown up in townships. We have learned our politics on the streets, and today we sit here, having been elected largely by the poor. They have voted for us so that we can deliver to them water, electricity, jobs, services and, most critically, safer communities.
The ANC welcomes the 2006 Budget as a firm indication and commitment that is focused on the needs and aspirations of the poor. It is truly a people's budget, as it seeks to balance economic growth and social development. Our people look to us to tip the scales in their favour with substantial investment in their communities, which will alleviate poverty and significantly contribute to their development.
If we look at Budget 2006, what we see is that the Minister of Finance and his team have produced a very even-handed and well-balanced budget. Their major task was always to provide for the needs of the poor, as well as to create the conditions for capital to grow, and thereby grow the economy and create jobs that our people so badly crave.
In the safety and security cluster our role in bringing social stability and economic sustainability to our communities is taken very seriously. Measures announced in the budget will better provide resources for the criminal justice system as a whole, and will therefore assist in making our communities safer.
The President, in his state of the nation address, stated quite clearly that government would continue to focus its efforts on the critical challenges faced by our criminal justice system. For this cluster, we look forward to measures that will further reduce illegal firearms through stringent new licensing procedures; reduce drug trafficking and substance abuse; and implement social crime prevention measures.
Due to the high incidence of crime in our communities, government departments and particularly Justice are struggling to cope with the caseloads in the courts, and will be given extra financial capacity to deal with this matter. For Correctional Services, in particular, this has a direct impact on the awaiting-trial detainees languishing in our facilities.
Overcrowding is the single biggest challenge and, critically, it is a challenge that can only be addressed by the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, JCPS, as a whole. Three areas were specifically highlighted for Correctional Services by the President in his state of the nation address: firstly, the building of new correctional centres; secondly, the reduction of the numbers of children in correctional facilities or centres; and thirdly, the implementation of the recommendations of the Jali Commission.
Priority number one, regarding the construction of new centres, we do recognise that they will alleviate overcrowding and contribute to economic growth through infrastructure development and job creation. As members might know, the major constraint in projects of this nature is that neither the department nor the Minister is in control of the multiplicity of processes involved between the declaration of intent and the completion of construction. Members should therefore rest assured that this issue is receiving the full attention of senior management in the Department of Correctional Services, as well as the Minister, Treasury and Public Works.
Secondly, as the ANC, we have always proclaimed that the correctional facility or centre is not the place for any child. In this regard, I have a scheduled meeting with my counterpart in social development, Deputy Minister Benjamin, where we will take forward previous discussions between her and my predecessor on this matter.
The Department is also fully committed to removing children from our correctional centres, and we will continue working with our partners in the JCPS and social clusters to ensure that there is delivery on this matter. The Department of Social Development, at the moment, does not have the necessary financial and human resources to manage children or juveniles convicted of crimes or awaiting trial.
We are also aware that the continued detention of children at these centres, which were meant for sentenced adults, constitutes a violation of some of the provisions of the Children Bill, as well as the children's charter. At our last national general council of the ANC, which was in June 2005, we resolved to continue lobbying government to pay attention to the establishment of places of safety for children in conflict with the law.
I am also glad to note that this matter is one of the priorities within the social cluster, as well as the JCPS cluster.
With regard to the Jali Commission's report and its recommendations, the report is now before the Minister. We will refer it to Parliament once we have digested its contents and have articulated a way forward regarding the recommendations contained therein.
With regard to Asgisa, spearheaded and led by our Deputy President, it is expected that all government departments will, in addition to the reporting systems relating to the legislative and policy mandates, produce short-, medium- and long-term plans, and reports on how they will contribute specifically to this project.
The envisaged contribution of the Department of Correctional Services to Asgisa creates an opportunity for the department to develop a coherent strategy for alignment of its core business of rehabilitation and correction with wider national objectives, such as poverty alleviation, job creation, growth and economic development.
The intersectoral nature of Asgisa implies that the Department of Correctional Services will have to build and strengthen its relationship with NGOs, business, labour, communities, professional bodies, statutory bodies, and all strategic partners. Regional commissioners, area commissioners and heads of centres should therefore direct their energies at strengthening relations with the spheres of government in which they operate with a view to realising these objectives within Asgisa.
The Department of Correctional Services, I am also glad to note, has prioritised its engagement with local government during the course of this financial year. Senior management has been tasked with developing a list of standard issues that should constitute a programme of engagement between the department and the municipalities.
Lastly, we, as the ANC, are of the view that to achieve our objectives of the second decade of freedom, we need stronger partnerships among all South Africans, a people's contract for a better South Africa. The ANC commits itself to working within communities and within government to play its role in forging a people's contract for a better South Africa.
Inspired by its commitment to democratic consultation, mass participation, and volunteerism, the ANC has, over the decades of its existence, focused, amongst other things, on safe and crime-free communities. We therefore want to call on all sectors of society to make their contribution to creating a crime-free South Africa. Our people have voted for peace, safety and prosperity. Let's make the age of hope a living reality for all. And, once more, the ANC supports the Appropriation Bill. Thank you. [Applause.]