Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister and other hon members in the House, distinguished guests, captains of industry, I greet you now. I just want to pass this on. I can see that there's a pastor up there. Mfundisi, please help us. Pray for these sinners. [Laughter.]
The Department of Energy is the most important department that cuts across all other departments. It is very important that we take note that without this department there will be no life in this country. From the outset it should be stated unwaveringly and succinctly that it is of the outmost importance that we reaffirm and reconfirm the noble ideals, principles, policies, traditions, norms, values and revolutionary ethics that define our historic existence as the ANC. It is definitely supposed to be noted that there is no other revolutionary organisation.
Ayikho inhlangano efana noKhongolose; nguye kuphela okwazi ukunakekela abantu bakithi ikakhulukazi abantu abampofu la ezweni lethu.[Ihlombe.] UMongameli ngokusebenzisa ezinye zezinhlelo zethu ... (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[There is no political party like the ANC; it is the only one that can take care of our people, especially those that live in poverty in our country. [Applause.] The President, by carrying out some of our programmes ...]
... through the eye of the needle, has managed to appoint the Minister and the Deputy Minister to champion the interests of our people in ensuring that energy becomes the most important issue in our country. The ANC has made sure that it has given us the tools of analysis, and our strategy and tactics can also be implemented in championing the interests of our people. We are definitely doing that. That is why most of our people have electricity.
The Department of Energy, since its establishment in 2009, has done tremendous work in responding to the call of the President in filling all the vacant posts. The department has established its own organogram and already 815 posts have been approved by the Treasury. We would like to acknowledge the Minister for the improvement and ...
... naleli banga esesilihambile kulesi sikhathi samanje. Sibonga nokunye okwenzile, Ngqongqoshe, ngoba kuyabonakala. Phela izifundazwe zonke bezingenawo amahhovisi ezaMandla kodwa manje siyabona ukuthi ukwazile ukwakha la mahhovisi. Uma bekunemidlalo yama-Olimpiki ngabe senithole izindondo zegolide angazi ukuthi ezingaki. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[... the journey we have travelled so far. We thank you for other work that you have done, Minister; it is clearly evident. Previously not all provinces had offices of the Department of Energy, but you have managed to establish them. If you were competing in the Olympic Games, I do not know how many gold medals you would have been awarded by now.]
Since the establishment of this department it has received a clean audit. It shows the commitment of the ANC in ensuring that it provides service delivery to our people. [Applause.] With regard to the transfer of the funds mentioned in the 2012 report, we note that the arrangements and requirements for the Integrated National Electrification Programme, Inep, through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant, as defined in the framework for the allocation, were not adhered to, as the signatories have not been implemented so far in the memorandum of agreement. This has been established because of the challenges, as mooted, mandated by the municipalities for not being in compliance with all the legal issues that they are supposed to; those in contravention of the Division of Revenue Act. This must be followed up, Minister. You, together with Salga, must find possible solutions to avoid these kinds of audit complaints.
Hon Chairperson, in terms of the unauthorised and irregular expenditure that we witnessed in the department, we notice that the Minister has taken serious steps to ensure that all those who do not respect the Public Finance Management Act, PFMA, and the Treasury Regulations, are being taken into serious disciplinary processes. We would like to convey appreciation to the Minister with regard to the President's call that we cannot allow corruption. You are also taking very serious steps. This is one of the steps that we must be able to appreciate - that the ANC really delivers.
Hon Chairperson, after the 37 years of the youth revolution, we would like to express appreciation for the Youth Accord that has been signed and also express appreciation for the fact that it has already yielded the positive results of 1 200 graduates since it was signed in April. This is a sign of a better future for our country. We really need to appreciate this, Minister, because it says that all the departments and the government of the ANC take the issues of young people very seriously. Minister, I am lobbying you in this special Budget Vote debate today to throw your weight behind youth development. With this I am trying to say, please try and ensure that at least about 70% of your budget focuses on youth development. This would play a key, critical role in ensuring that the process, through employment and the renewable projects, is successful because these are the projects that are supposed to yield positive results.
You must ensure that you review your old agreements with the youth organisations, such as the SA Youth Council, SAYC, to ensure that the legacy that we want to leave becomes the future of our South Africa. If you can do that, Minister, and leave that legacy, the ANC ancestors will be happy about that, as will all the other freedom fighters.
During the workshop in May 2012, some of the other Construction Education and Training Authority-related Setas came on board to ensure that they proclaim their responsibility to measure key skills, ensuring that the scarce critical skills are addressed. We must appreciate the issue of skills development in terms of the Ceta, which has managed to create an electrical construction operation, which is the certification that is going to address electrical installations, solar water heating installations, and other business management projects, including assessment and moderation. This skills development facilitates mentorships for young people.
In providing funding to address the challenges of the scarce and critical skills in the subsector, the Ceta based its operations on the key principles of compliance with the National Skills Development Strategy, NSDS 3, for the sake of redress in respect of the marginalised and vulnerable group, greater access to the subsector and quality based on the use of subsector expertise.
It is very important, Minister, that we take note that all these other Sector Education and Training Authorities, Setas, especially the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority, LGSeta, throws its weight behind addressing the lack of skills because those skills are also based in the energy sector at the local government level. We must also appreciate the LGSeta for the responsibility that it has taken to ensure that it facilities all the training regarding sustainability, efficiency and effectiveness in terms of providing basic services in the electrical profession.
We must be able to acknowledge, Minister, the role that the LGSeta has played and its responsibility. We saw that some of the other good skills are those utilised by informal settlements. These are illegal connections, where good skills are utilised in the wrong sectors. This collaboration goes a long way. The allocation of these good skills to this training of our own people is going to address these "izinyokanyoka", people who do illegal connections.
On capacity development, it is very important that we also take note that the Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority, W&RSeta, in the energy sector has managed to put its own energy into the fuel and retail sector. After the announcement of the Minister of Higher Education and Training in November 2010, the W&RSeta has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority, Merseta, which arranged the bulk transfer of 3 256 levy-paying companies from the Merseta to the W&RSeta. The W&RSeta officially took over the fuel retail Seta from 1 April 2011. It has managed to receive R26,9 million in levies. This comes to a total of 11 915 people who have been trained as wholesale providers.
In painting a picture of the national Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority, Chieta, it has said that of the 13 million workers of the country, 48,5% had no matric, and 30,4% had matric and only 19,9% had postmatric qualifications. South Africa is ranked 50th by the World Competitive Report for 2012. The low education level of the country's human resources and the high unemployment were the main contributors to the poor ratings.
We want to appreciate that with all these efforts by these Setas, the issue of the level of the energy within our country becomes one of the most important and must be addressed as soon as possible. The department's focus will also be on increasing the modern energy resources implemented by Eskom and municipalities to reach the target of electrifying 645 000 households by 2015-16 in terms of the Annual Performance Plan. One has to acknowledge the skills development that has been contributed by Eskom. Eskom managed to convey skills to about 5 200 learners. The ANC supports the Budget Vote. [Time expired.] [Applause.]