Hon Chairperson, hon Minister of Social Development, hon Deputy Minister, hon members, ladies and gentlemen and members of the executive councils of provinces, as the Minister said, we are gathered here today to debate Vote No 19 on Social Development.
Financially it is quite a substantial budget, but it is also crucial for the wellbeing and developmental needs of society, since the budget of the department is focussed on addressing poverty, unemployment, inequality and other social ills that are plaguing our society and our country as a whole.
Since the vision of the department is to provide, through a caring and integrated system, services that facilitate human development and improve the quality of life for all, especially vulnerable South Africans, we as Parliament have to ensure that this does indeed happen.
Dit is 'n spesiale dag vir Suid-Afrikaners, want ons praat en debatteer oor geld wat na die armste van die armes gaan. Dit is maatskaplike toelaes, of welsyn, soos dit in die volksmond bekend staan, maar ook maatskaplike welsynsdienste wat die samelewing, veral weerlose mans, vroue, gestremdes en die jeug, baie nodig het. As ons vandag terugdink aan hoe dinge gelyk het in 1994 toe ons as die ANC aan bewind gekom het, en hoe dinge nou lyk, wil ek net beaam wat Bokka, 'n vrou in my kiesafdeling, vir my ges het. Sy het ges dat die regering omgee en dit is hoekom hulle die vrymoedigheid het om te kom kla, want hulle weet dat hulle gehelp sal word. Tog is dit nie 'n maklike pad nie. [Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[This is a special day for South Africans, because we are discussing and debating money that is going to the poorest of the poor. These are social grants, or welfare, as it is known colloquially, but also social welfare services that our society, especially defenceless men, women, the disabled and the youth, are badly in need of.
Thinking back now on how things were in 1994, when we as the ANC came to power, and how things are today, I just want to echo what Bokka, a woman from my constituency, told me. She said that the government does care, which is why they have the unreservedness to complain, because they know that they will be assisted. Still, it is not an easy road. [Interjections.]]
No journey, especially the one called social transformation, has been or is easy. We inherited a divided society that had been grossly unequal for hundreds of years. Deprivation was rife and discrimination was entrenched at every level of society: in the workplace, in services of government, education, at home and in private life. Sadly, there are people who miss the good old days of apartheid, saying it wasn't so bad. Were they living on Mars while we were living here in hell on earth, created for us by those who created their own nirvana at our expense - the majority of South Africans?
There is another belief that in order to correct the evils of the past, all that we have to do is just to give everyone equal opportunities, especially those who benefited for hundreds of years. [Interjections.]
It doesn't matter if the economy will then remain in the hands of a few. It doesn't matter that the rich grow richer and the poor stay poor. "No mess, no fuss." [Interjections.]
Dit is overblindery. [That is make-believe.]