Hon Chairperson, Minister for the Public Service and Administration, Deputy Minister, Ministers who were here when the Budget Vote debate started, even though they are not here now, hon members, ladies and gentlemen in the public gallery, let me premise my debate by making a reference to the Reconstruction and Development Programme, which says, and I quote:
All people will have access to education and training throughout their lives to improve their skills and develop themselves. Priority will be given to the training of workers to meet the challenges of our new political and economic condition and our entry into the world's economy. Training will recognise and give credit to experience and skills.
I am starting with this quote with a view to linking it with the school of government that we spoke about earlier. That does not mean that there were no means and ways of skilling and equipping the Public Service, but what was happening is that there was no central co-ordination in relation to that. Therefore, the school of government will attempt to deal with what we could not do before.
The second point that I would like to refer to is the resolution that was taken by the ANC in its 51st conference in Stellenbosch. It said, and I quote:
Specific intervention instruments and programmes have to be developed and implemented in order to integrate women and people with disability into the mainstream of social development.
The ANC, in its own constitution, has a rule that makes reference to affirmative action and it says that at all levels of the structures of the organisation there will be no less than 50% who are women in leadership positions, starting from the branch level up to the level of the National Executive Council, the NEC. That's the ANC. The ANC took women and people with disabilities as human beings too. I know that on my left-hand side, it's like I am telling a folk story because they do not even want to know that.
For instance, if you look at the department, the Minister, the Deputy Minister, the chairperson of the portfolio committee, and the Whip of the ANC's study group are all women. That's the ANC. [Applause.] That's an indication and demonstration that the ANC does not say things that it cannot do. It starts at the level of the organisation and makes sure that even in areas of deployment, it does that. That's why we are doing that. Malibongwe! Unyanisile. [Let the name of women be praised. That is true.]
The area that needs special attention relates to employment equity. Yes, employment equity talks about balancing race, gender and people with disabilities. The ANC does look at that too, especially having said that there must be 2% of people with disabilities that are in the Public Service. It is important that it must not necessarily be located in the Department of Public Service and Administration in general. Let all government departments, whether it be Education, Police, and so forth, do likewise, because to me 2% is nothing. It is a minimum and not a maximum. It does not mean that if the department has achieved that 2% it has done everything. Two per cent is a minimum and we need to work on something more than that. That is the employment equity, which the DA does not want. [Applause.] With regard to ... [Interjections.]