Let me quote the President:
South Africa was a place that decreed that some were born into poverty and would die poor; their lives in the land of gold and diamonds cut short by the viral ravages of deprivation. It was a place where others always knew that the accident of their birth entitled them to wealth. Accordingly this put aside all human values, worshipping a world whose worth was the accumulation of wealth. It was a place where to be born a woman was to acquire the certainty that you would, forever, be a minor and an object owned by another. Whereas to be a man was to know that there would be another over whom you would exercise the power of a master.
Chairperson, this sad state of affairs led to the corrective measure put to government by the President in the very same year in his state of the nation address, and as a directive to this Parliament. It was on government's commitment as it relates to local government, to move our country forward decisively towards the eradication of poverty and underdevelopment in our country, taking care to enhance the process of social cohesion, to strengthen the system of local government as it has been done.
Furthermore, it was to integrate our system of governance responding effectively to the requirement of co-operative governance. As you would know, Chairperson, we have passed an Act on intergovernmental relations to mobilise all our people voluntarily to work together to achieve the task of reconstruction and development, to help reconstruct a new world order that is more equitable and responsive to the needs of the poor of the world, who constitute the overwhelming majority of our humanity. Hence it is through its constitutional mandate that local government deals with poverty eradication directly, as in section 152 that relates to our developmental state.
Also, through the demarcation process we are aware that wards were aligned to a wall-to-wall situation that addresses the imbalances of the past through the Municipal Systems Act. On its definition of a municipality, communities have been included. The issue of community participation is legislated, and that also includes a commitment by local government to make sure that there is a consultative process through their integrated development plans. We also passed an Act that provincial and local government is responsible for property rates and it has a provision that allows for government not to charge those who are poor in terms of a threshold. Also, there is a provision in terms of the Disaster Management Act that allows for the participation of communities.
Let me also reflect on the role of women in local government. It is also undisputable that local government led by the ANC is leading in this area, through a 50-50 representation of women. Also, in terms of community participation, we have made legislative provision that would allow for ward committees to be in place and it is in this context where the role of women is clearly defined. We just have to appeal to our people, more so at this time when municipalities are busy with IDPs, to make sure that when planning is done, it reflects the needs of our women. We also have community development workers, most of whom, I am quite certain, are women.
Ndiza kuthi gqaba gqaba ngesiXhosa. USalga, njengokuba emele oomasipala, uthe emveni kokuba oomama benyuliwe wabeka inkqubo yokuba baqeqeshwe ukuze bakwazi ukuphatha. Ndiza kwenza isicelo kubantu bakuthi, phaya emakhaya, ngokubhekisele ekumiselweni kwee-IDPs.
Njengoko iinkosi bezikhala ekuseni zisithi azibizwa ngoomasipala, siye sazixelela ukuba isemthemthweni into yokuba zithathe inxaxheba kule nkqubo. Kwakhona, simema abantu bakuthi ukuba xa kukho iimbizo mabazizimase, ukuze bakwazi ukuzithethelela besebenzisa iilwiimi zabo.
Liphindile kwakhona iSebe looRhulumente bamaPhondo nabaseKhaya, waba nelinge lokudibanisa okanye i-Project Consolidate kwabo masipala bangenamandla, apho lithe laathumela ezona ziqeqeshiweyo iinjineli ukuba zincedisane noomasipala ukuphucula inkqubo yokuziswa kweenkonzo ebantwini.
Sineendawo ke, njengokuba ndivela eRhawutini, ezifana ne-Alexander, i- Bekkersdal ne-Everton, apho kukho amaphulo ovuselelo ngokutsha lwemimandla yeedolophu. Siyazazi iingxaki ezilapho. Ezinye zazo zezokuba ngandlela ithile oomama abavunyelwanga ukuthatha inxaxheba. Masibakhuthaze ke ukuba benze, bangeva ngakuxelelwa. Banalo ilungelo, ngoba lo rhulumente uvotelwe ngabo.
Kwakhona masamkele into yokuba iNkqubo yeMisebenzi yoLuntu eNatyisiweyo inayo indlela enyanzelisa ukuba amashishini asakhasayo abandakanye abantu basetyhini. Masikhumbule, kwakhona, ukuba njengokuba sasingabasebenzi ngaphambili, phaya emboneni bekusenzeka ukuba oomama ibe ngabo abamkela imali encinci, kwaye bangaqeqeshwa. Kodwa ngenxa yalo mbutho kaKhongolozi namhlanje banelungelo lokuba balinganiswe nabanye abantu.
Okokugqibela, ndiza kuthetha njengelungu le-ANC, nditsho ukuba kukho iingqungquthela zophuhliso loqoqosho lweengingqi kwizithili zethu. Siza kuphinda futhi sicele abantu bakuthi ukuba njengokuba beza kuthetha ngeendlela zokulwa indlala nje, maze benze ukuba noomama babe khona, ukuze livakale nelabo ilizwi.
Masiphinde kwakhona siqinisekise ukuba kuzo zonke izinto esizenzayo, ingakumbi ekuphuculeni ubomi boomama, nanjengokuba sisazi ukuba ngabo abenza ukuba kube kho into etafileni, oomama mabathathe inxaxheba.
Ndiza kuthi ke ngoku kule ngxoxo-mpikiswano, kula malungu ahlala ephikisana ne-ANC, ukuba nanku umkhomba-ndlela. Mawakwazi ke nawo ukuba bancedakale kweli linge lohlenga-hlengiso lweli lizwe ukuze akwazi ukuthatha inxaxheba. Siya kuphikisana sele siphucule iimpilo zabantu bakuthi. Ndiyabulela. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[I will briefly speak in isiXhosa. Salga, as an association of local government, made it feasible that after women were elected, a programme on developing their managerial skills was implemented. The communities must lend a hand with regard to the implementation of the IDP.
The traditional leaders complained in the morning that they were not invited by municipalities to participate in this programme, but we explained to them that their involvement is legal. Furthermore, we ask the communities to attend the izimbizo, so that they can express themselves, using their mother tongues.
Once more the Department of Provincial and Local Government initiated Project Consolidate for the municipalities that cannot work on their own. Trained engineers were dispatched to assist in the improvement of service delivery programmes.
There are areas in Johannesburg, where I come from, such as Alexander, Bekkerdal and Everton, where the programme of urban renewal is implemented. We understand that there are challenges, though. One of these is that women are not allowed to participate in these programmes. Let us inspire them, so that they can refuse to be told what to do. They have rights, because they voted for this government.
Let us accept that the Expanded Public Works Programme has a clause that mandates small businesses to include women. It must be remembered that during the times when we used to harvest maize in the field, women were earning little and they were not given skills. The ANC-led government made it possible for them to enjoy equal rights.
In conclusion, I will speak as a member of the ANC; there are regional conferences on economic development in our constituencies. We plead yet again with people that when discussing issues relating to poverty alleviation women must be included, so that their voices can be heard.
Let us ensure that in all we do, particularly the fact of improving women's lives, we involve women, because they are the ones who place food on the table.
In this debate I am saying to those who always oppose the ANC that they must accept these guidelines. They must benefit in some way from the transformation outcomes taking place in this country in order to participate in it. We will engage in argument after we have improved the lives of people. Thank you. [Applause.]]