Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and the team, hon Deputy Minister, hon Members of Parliament, guests in the gallery, including our two heroines whom the Minister has just introduced, after considering the challenges facing the department, observations during the portfolio committee oversight visit and on the presentation by the department of the Strategic and Annual Performance Plan, the ANC support this Budget Vote for the following reasons.
The Preamble to the Constitution enjoins us to, inter alia, recognise the injustices of the past, honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land and hold fast the undying conviction that South Africa is owned by its people. Furthermore, the Constitution charges its subjects to heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights. Lastly, the imperative is to build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.
The defence of the people of the Republic of South Africa, and the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty should be understood within the broad context, which includes national security. In the narrow sense, national security refers to military defence against foreign aggression. While that is a key component of national security, it is surely not the only one nor is it a point that warrants exclusive focus, no matter how fundamental its nature. The narrow approach is, however, limited by its exclusive focus on a realist approach that pays scant attention to historical, socioeconomic and regional dynamics in a fluid environment. Followed to its end, this approach leads to national security being viewed as the ability of a state to protect its internal values from external threats.
On the other hand, the broad approach to national security focuses on a diverse array of global threats, extending the concept to cover every potentially destabilising trend from economics to social dynamics, health and the environment, thereby securitising issues that ought not to be securitised. Our approach remains an integrated one that combines the conventional with the unconventional. That is why we are concerned by the observation made by the National Development Plan, NDP, that: "South Africa remains a highly unequal society where many people live in poverty and too few work".
It has been our observation that many of those who suffered for justice and freedom remain beyond the reach of social justice. We are of the firm conviction that honouring those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land cannot only happen through words of appreciation, but should also happen through ensuring that the requisite benefits do accrue to them as a token of collective appreciation. The ANC has always espoused human rights values and has always considered itself inalienable to matters affecting the continent. Indeed, the Freedom Charter adopted in 1955 by progressive South African formations calls for a better South Africa in a better Africa and a better world.
Our approach therefore is that of not only ensuring that our people enjoy the freedoms that come with upholding the democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights, but that other nations of the world in general and of Africa in particular enjoy the same rights and freedoms. It is in this context, among others of similar importance, that we understand the constitutional imperative to build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.
Let me without further ado convey appreciation for the fact that, according to the department's budget prioritisation during 2013-14, two more subunits will be deployed along the border, bringing the total number of subunits deployed to 13. This function has to be understood within two contexts: Firstly, it is a fundamental function that is inalienable from the protection of South Africa's territorial integrity and sovereignty; secondly, it is a relatively new mandate that invariably introduces new pressure on resources.
The borders of our country are the physical manifestation of our national sovereignty. The control and management of the border environment remains one of our country's biggest security challenges due to the sheer length of South Africa's borderline and the large volumes of people and goods moving through our ports of entry. These challenges produce various security vulnerabilities in the border environment, which are exploited by illegal migrants who attempt to enter the country, and cross-border criminals involved in activities such as drug trafficking, arms proliferation, vehicle smuggling, smuggling of precious metals, stones, ivory and endangered species and the illegal importing of cigarettes, clothing, alcoholic beverages, medicine and other contraband.
These illegal activities are exacerbated by the presence of corrupt border officials at South Africa's ports of entry who exploit the weaknesses of entry systems when they collude with criminal elements to traffic or smuggle people, illicit goods and vehicles into the country. Even though the phased redeployment of the South African National Defence Force to the borderline has yielded positive results, cross-border crime syndicates have moved their criminal activities to areas of the borderline where the SANDF has not yet been deployed. Furthermore, a number of border fences are not maintained and are in a state of disrepair, exposing our country to the threat of animal diseases from neighbouring countries.
It behoves us to make sure that our airspace remains safe in terms of radar coverage to detect any entry and landing of light aircraft at unregistered and informal landing strips. These aircraft, which are able to fly below radar, are used for various criminal activities such as the smuggling of people, goods and firearms. The flow of undocumented persons and illicit goods across our maritime borders also pose a national security threat, and is made possible by the lack of effective patrolling of the maritime borderline, abuses of established business processes, ineffective physical security at maritime ports of entry, and the nonadherence to prescribed legislation and codes.
The illegal exploitation of South Africa's natural resources, specifically the poaching of abalone and illegal fishing by foreign fishing vessels, continues. The threat of piracy, which emanates from the instability at the horn of Africa, as well as the threat of maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea, further complicates the security of our maritime borderline. Having made the case for ensuring border security and having drawn the causal link and legitimate connection between the border management function and the economy as well as crime prevention, I now turn to the exigencies of the function. It is true that this function was within the purview of the police for a significant period of time during our democratic dispensation, and for reasons akin to the ones I just mentioned to you, the function was duly transferred to the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, where it currently resorts.
Others might from a narrow context position argue that resourcing defence competency should follow after other competencies due to the fact that there is no evident imminent threat to South Africa's territorial integrity and sovereignty. However, we are not oblivious to the fact that resourcing must be informed by an overarching defense strategy in terms of force design and other exigencies. It is in that spirit that our government started the process of a defence review, which is currently under way. We therefore make a call to the department to facilitate expediting the process of the defence review so as to bring certainty in relation to our defence strategy and the resources to implement such strategy.
The substantial increase in acts of piracy along the African coastline is of great concern as it threatens the peace, security and stability of the continent. Although the current piracy hotspots are off the east and west coast of Africa, for instance in the Gulf of Aden and the Gulf of Guinea, pirates have extended their activities to over 1 100 km offshore and have moved into the waters of the Seychelles and Tanzania, even reaching the Indian coast.
Somali pirates have operated as far south as the Mozambique Channel and as far as 72 degrees east, towards the Maldives. As a direct consequence of piracy along the east coast of Africa, a growing number of shipping companies have had to route their ships via the Cape Sea Route instead of using the Suez Canal. Due to these dynamics, together with requests from foreign governments and multilateral organisations, we have been compelled to provide a response to such security threats. It is therefore critical that defence plays a key role to help combat piracy, especially since recent incidents have occurred along the Southern African Development Community coastline.
South Africa has an exclusive economic zone of 1 553 000 km, of which the areas around the Marion and Prince Edward Islands comprise 474 400 km. The Atlantic Ocean borders the west coast. The Indian Ocean borders the east coast and the Southern Ocean surrounds the Marion and Prince Edward Islands. South Africa has tabled its claim to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea for the extension of its area of the continental shelf. This therefore means that South Africa will have to exercise control and enforce state authority over 4 340 000 km of maritime territory.
This must also be understood in the context of South Africa being in effect an island economy directly dependent on seaborne trade for 50% of its gross domestic product and substantially more if one considers that 75% of the oil on which activity depends comes by sea from the Middle East. South Africa also has an important fishing industry and has the potential for growing the offshore hydrocarbon sector.
Our quest, as the ANC, is to ensure that all people in the south are protected and are free from fear and want. Piracy is linked to economic interest as international trading in the form of imports and exports is significantly seaborne. Therefore, there is a legitimate causal connection between combating piracy and rendering Africa in general and the SADC region in particular economically viable and economically stable. It is therefore critical in the fight against fear and want that the Defence Review and its subsequent resourcing focus on a sustainable antipiracy strategy. Indeed, the NDP's vision of a more equitable and prosperous society will be enhanced and prospects of its realisation shored up by combatting piracy through an appropriately resourced navy.
The landward defence function has the mandate to protect South Africa and its territory by, amongst others, providing an infantry capability for external deployment and a reaction force for internal safety and security, including border safeguarding. It is also charged with providing signal capability for external deployment and internal signal support, and exercising a composite signal capacity per year.
In the same vein that a call is made for the speedy conclusion of the Defence Review, we call for the same and for the resourcing of this function in order to ensure that the South African territory and its people feel free and safe. Our call for the speedy conclusion of the Defence Review process does not issue from any dissatisfaction about the commission's work. On the contrary, we recognise the mammoth task undertaken by the commission and we stand in full support of the commission.
In conclusion, let me underscore the point that the Defence Review is our blueprint for a transformed and resourced Defence Force. The Defence Force has the function to secure national interest and national security. It is therefore key that resource allocation should be seen in the light of ensuring peaceful existence in the country, on the continent and in the world.
The ANC therefore once again supports the budget of the department as it continues to undertake the task of ensuring territorial integrity and protecting the sovereignty of our beloved country. Thank you. [Applause.]