Ke baakanya sefane letsatsi le letsatsi. [I correct this surname every day.]
My surname is Manganye. Hon Chairperson, hon Minister Edna Molewa, hon Deputy Minister Joyce Mabhudafasi, hon members, guests in the gallery, ladies and gentlemen, the ANC-led government is ensuring that we contribute to the National Development Plan target for job creation that is set at 11 million jobs by 2030.
Our green economy intervention must support this road map to ensure that our programmes, be they in the Expanded Public Works Programme or the Green Fund, positively contribute to this target and centrally position our sector as a hub for job creation.
Ke ema fano gompieno mo boemong jwa lekoko la rona le le eteletseng puso pele, ka motlotlo le go lebelela kwa morago ka mokgwa o Lefapha la Merero ya Tikologo le dirileng ka teng. Le dirile go tlala seatla. Ba bantsi fa dilo di senyega, ba re ke puso ya ANC. Gompieno ke ema fano, ke bua ka molomo wa me ka fa mokgatlo wa ANC o dirileng go tlala ka seatla ka gona. [Legofi.]
Re bona re na le Tselanakgolo le Lenaneo la Boset?haba le Tlhabololo, e leng malepa a ANC e tlang ka ona gore dilo di kgone go diragala. ANC fa e bua e a re: "Botshelo jo bo botoka go botlhe." Gompieno ke lo gopotsa gore fa lo ntse lo re ke tsekedi ke nnete. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[I am standing here today on behalf of our party that leads the government with pride, looking back at what the Department of Environmental Affairs has achieved. You have achieved a lot. When things go wrong most people blame the ANC-led government. Today I confess with my own mouth the great things that the ANC has achieved. [Applause.]
We have the Growth Path and the National Development Plan, which are the plans that the ANC will use to ensure that many things are accomplished. The ANC has declared, "a better life for all". Today I want to assure those of you who thought that it was just a statement that this is indeed a reality.]
The Infrastructure Plan announced by hon President Jacob Zuma sets out a number of Strategic Integrated Projects, which I will refer to as Sips from here on in because the word is too long for me. For instance, water infrastructure is critical for the Sips and, furthermore, to develop industrial sectors as identified in the New Growth Path for South Africa. Let me reflect on the progress made since 1994. We have achieved a lot and there is still a lot to be done. We therefore say, when we speak, we must remember to say, "A Better Life for all."
President Zuma announced in his state of the nation address for 2011 that all government departments would align their programmes with the job creation imperative. Employment creation is a key priority in the Department of Environmental Affairs' medium-term strategic framework, and it is intensifying its involvement in the Expanded Public Works Programme in relation to the creation of green jobs.
The transfer from the Department of Water Affairs of the Natural Resources Management Programmes: Working for Water and Working on Fire has significantly increased the capacity and responsibility to create employment.
Fa re ntse re dira ka dinako tsotlhe re bona bomme ba tswa ka bontsi go phephafatsa dinoka le go tsenelela mo matsemeng. Dilo tse tsotlhe fa ba di dira, di re tlisetsa tiro re le Maaforika Borwa. Ka fao, lefapha leno, le dira go tlala seatla. Go na le dikolo tse di dirisang ditafojana tse di dirilweng ke bomme. Setswana se a re: "Mme o tshwara thipa ka fa bogaleng". Mafapha a rona le ona a eteletswe pele ke bomme ba nang le boineelo, ba ba dirang ka thata gore lefapha le dire. Ga go bonolo mo lefapheng, mme ba leka ka natla. [Legofi.] (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[We see women on duty at all times in large numbers cleaning rivers and participating in the different programmes. All of these things in which people get involved bring job opportunities to all of us as South Africans. In that way, this department is doing great things. There are schools that are still using small tables that these women have built. In Setswana we declare that "mothers can build a nation". Our departments are also led by women who are dedicated and hard workers who ensure that this department performs. It is not easy but they try their best. [Applause.]]
Through our social responsibility programme and various subprogrammes of the Natural Resources Management Programme, the department continued with an intensified implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme for the environmental sector.
We build on our previous successes. In the 2012-13 financial year, we created about 62 860 new job opportunities, 31 277 full-time equivalent jobs, and ensured that a significant number of unemployed women, the youth, and small, medium and micro enterprises continued to benefit from this government's programmes. We will increase our planned performance in this regard year by year as we aim to make a positive impact and improve the lives of ordinary South Africans.
Modulasetulo, ntetle ke re, mo malobeng re ne re re ga go na di bokgoni, mme gompieno re bona Lefapha la Merero ya Tikologo le re tlela ka ditlhoko tse re ntseng re bua ka tsone. Di le 270 tsa tsona ke tsa boenjinere; fa tse 241 e le tsa saense le 25 e le tsa tlhotlhomisopatlo.
Ke bao Lefapha le ba tsayang le ba isa dikolong go ya go ithutela tiro e, gore bana ba rona ba tle ba kgone go bona lefapha le, kana tikologo ya rona e le mo selebegong se se tshwanetseng. Feela jaaka Tona Edna Molewa a setse a buile gore lefapha le, le ikemiseditse gore re nne le baenjinere le borrasaense; re se ka ra re re na le tlhaelo ya bokgoni. Ke ka moo lefapha le le tshwereng ka thata e bile le dirang ka teng. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, allow me to say that in the past we used to say that there was a lack of skills. However, today we see that the Department of Environmental Affairs is bringing about all the skills that we have been talking about. A total of 270 of the people who will be trained will be for engineering; 241 will be trained in science and 25 in research.
The department will take those people to school to go and study for these jobs, to ensure that our children see this department or the environment in a form that is pleasing. As Minister Edna Molewa has already said, this department would like to see itself having engineers and scientists, so that we don't experience any shortage of skills. Hence the department is doing well and working hard.]
Candidates graduating from our learning academy will also be able to supplement the skills required at municipality level. Another proud moment for the learning academy was receiving the award for the Best Training Programme in the Public Sector, Best Science and Technology Training Programme and Best Engineering Sector Training Programme at the skills summit sponsored by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's Achievers Magazine and BHP Billiton.
These awards honour and recognise companies, government departments and organisations that have demonstrated their commitment to the advancement of the employee skills base by implementing skills development and training programmes that are relevant, innovative and effective.
The government is pleased to report that within the management cadre of the department, we now have 139 senior management service members, of whom 56 are female and 83%, or 116, are blacks. We are well on our way to achieving the 50% target for females in our senior management.
The Department of Environmental Affairs co-operates with the Department of Education, the South African Qualifications Authority, SAQA, and the Sector Education and Training Authorities, Setas, in supporting the continuous review of the environmental curriculum linked to sector demands.
To promote environmental awareness and education, the ANC-led government has prioritised a school-based environmental education programme, as well as a community-based environmental awareness programme.
The government offers bursaries to previously disadvantaged South African citizens. The purpose of the programme is to establish an effective system for continuous development of qualified candidates for future appointments and mobility in both the public and private sector. The government programme seeks to achieve the following objectives: Enhance youth development; and develop a culture of high quality lifelong learning within the Department of Environmental Affairs.
The SA Weather Service, SAWS, has long recognised the importance of investing in the development of human talent, not only to support its own growth, but also that of the environment in which it operates. It is also the aim of the organisation to broaden access to education for previously disadvantaged and academically competent learners, and to contribute to South Africa's national goals by expanding the skills base.
As part of its social investment strategy and in an endeavour to recruit and develop talented individuals, Saws endows learners with bursaries in order to enable the organisation to meet its growing need for skilled scientists. Bursaries are awarded to learners to qualify as weather observers, as well as for undergraduate degrees in meteorology and atmospheric science, honours degrees in meteorology and atmospheric science, and a bridging course for BSc students without a meteorology qualification.
Training interventions in which Saws is currently involved include weather observer training, weather observation refresher training, forecaster training, conducting an honours course in meteorology in collaboration with the University of Pretoria, and a six-month bridging course in meteorology for general BSc learners who have not studied a BSc in meteorology, as preparation for the honours degree in meteorology.
Regarding our implementation of the National Climate Change Response Policy, the NCCRP, unveiled ahead of the historic Cop 17 in 2011, I'm happy you realised about the climate change on Friday last week. I think all of us will try by all means to make sure that we support the Department of Environmental Affairs by looking after our environment.
Fa re sa itebelele, ra dira gore lefatshe la rona le nne botoka, ga gona ope yo o tla dirang jalo. Ke ema jaana go atlegenisa tekanyetsokabo mme ke tla re, a re e tshegetseng. Fa re dira mmogo, re ka dira go tlala seatla. Ke a leboga. [Legofi.] (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[We have to focus on working hard and on ensuring that our country becomes better because there is no one else who will do that for us. I support this budget, and let us all do the same. Working together, we can do more. Thank you. [Applause.]]