Thank you, Chairperson, sexual violence has imposed itself as an evil force against women and children that keep disrupting the peaceful fabric of our society. Recently, we have been shocked by an incident where learners videotaped themselves having sex in a classroom. We believe that this is an indication of a much deeper societal issue, to which even young people, who were not directly affected by a system that taught us not to value ourselves, seem to ascribe very little value in terms of who they are as persons.
We believe that part of the problem is that sexual harassment and violence are currently far too common on our streets, homes and in our schools. The ANC condemns all these evil acts and is fully committed to eradicating this scourge. Our goal is to eliminate all forms of unacceptable behaviour. We believe that men and women, boys and girls, should be treated as equals and with respect, and be cared for in terms of our Constitution. Our teachers are placed in a strategic position to identify and manage cases of sexual abuse. As such, for the 2013-14 financial year the department has planned training for teachers on how to go about this undertaking. The handbook called Speak Out has been written especially to help our precious youth to handle any sexual abuse they may encounter while at school or at home. This handbook will help them understand what sexual harassment and violence is so that they are quickly able to recognise and act on it. The handbook will also guide them regarding steps they must take so that the person guilty of sexual abuse is forced to stop and face the consequences of their unacceptable behaviour. In addition, the handbook also provides an extensive list of useful contacts, which will also help to connect learners to people who are specially trained to assist them with handling sexual harassment or violence.
For the 2013-14 financial year, we are proud to see that the department is linking 4 000 additional schools with their local police stations to establish a database of all linked schools as well as train school safety committees. The department will be making a transfer payment of R50 000 to Childline South Africa to assist the department with cases. In addition, we have set aside an amount of R241 000 for psychosocial support cases, and approximately R1,5 million for social cohesion and equity in education.
We are still faced with the reality of communities that thrive on illegal drugs. Research reveals that the number of young people using tobacco and alcohol is increasing. We believe that drug dealers target learners in order to further their criminal acts, which corrode the fabric of our society. In our view, the use of alcohol and drugs by learners compromises teaching, learning and safety in schools. For instance, we know that the use of drugs by learners has serious scholastic consequences such as poor academic performance, absenteeism, and even places learners at high risk of dropping out of school.
We appreciate and commend the department for coming up with a draft National Strategy for the Prevention and Management of Alcohol and Drug Use Amongst Learners in Schools. We believe that the implementation of the strategy will, amongst other things, ensure that schools are alcohol- and drug-free zones; learners have increased knowledge of life skills and the confidence to decide against the use of these substances; that they will be able to manage alcohol and drug use problems to enhance learning outcomes and the retention of learners.
The government of the ANC has made massive strides in dealing with HIV/Aids in South Africa. We have expanded access to counselling and medication for those affected and infected by HIV. As a result, many families have been somewhat relieved of complexities associated with HIV/Aids. We further commend the department for providing life skills education materials for training teachers and ensuring that we have functional school-based support teams. For the 2013-14 financial year, the department has set aside an allocation to be used in terms of the Department of Basic Education's Draft Integrated Strategy on HIV, STIs and TB.
The department also plans to review the 1999 policy on HIV/Aids that currently exists in order to boost the notion of schools as centres of care and support. We believe that the notion of care and support is an appropriate vehicle for taking our efforts foward towards quality education for all.
Ngesintu sike sithi umhlola uyakhuzwa. Uma kunento eyisimanga eyenzekayo kuphuma wonke umuntu ababaze ukuze umhlola ubaleke. Nathi njengamanje siyinhlangano kaKhongolose sithi umhlola esiwubona uqhubeka ezikoleni nasemphakathini wethu othinta kakhulu ukukhula kwabantwana bethu bamantombazane abasakuleli zinga lokuba ngamatshitshi. Umhlola lowo okudingeka ukuthi siwukhuze. Sithi emphakathini, asivikeleni izingane zethu.
Okubuhlungu kakhulu-ke engifisa ukukusho ukuze kubonakele ukuthi lo mhlola uKhongolose uyawukhuza ngempela yilapho kutholakala ukuthi kukhulelwe umntwana wesikole osesemazingeni aphansi. Uthole ukuthi uthisha, lo umzali athathe ingane wayoyibeka ezandleni zakhe, uyathinteka kulowo mhlola owenzekile. Cha, lapho ngiyababaza ngiyakhuza ngithi, sizwe esimnyama ake siwukhuze umhlola.
Sithi kothisha bethu abantwana bethu beze ezikoleni ngoba befuna ukunakekelwa. Asikwazi ukuthi sinithole nithinteka kulezo ziga ezinjalo. Nawo wonke umphakathi okhona sithi kuwo, uma umntwana oneminyaka eyi-16 ekhuleliswa uwena baba oneminyaka engama-50 kuya phezulu. Siyabuza ukuthi siyaphi siyisizwe sase-Afrika? Umhlola lowo! Sithi asibambisaneni sonke wonke umuntu azi ukuthi silungiselela ikusasa lethu. Akube yinto esithi siyagcina ngayo ngeke siyibone iphinde yenzeka. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[In the African tradition, when a disgraceful act occurs something is done to chase it away. If an evil act has befallen someone, all members of the community come together and speak against that evil action. As the ANC, we are also saying that what we see happening in our schools and in our communities, which mostly affect our adolescent girls, is a disgraceful act. This is an evil act that we must disapprove of. We are saying to the communities, let us protect our children.
The most painful thing that I wish to mention, so that it is clear that the ANC disapproves of this disgraceful act, is an incident where a school- going child in foundation phase falls pregnant and you find that the teacher whom the parent has entrusted with her child is the culprit. I am expressing my strong disapproval of this; let us come together as Africans and speak against this disgraceful act. To our teachers we are saying: Our children are attending school because they need to be taken care of. You cannot be involved in such incidents. From the community at large we want to know, where are we going as Africans if a 50-year-old man impregnates a 16-year-old? That is a disgraceful act! Therefore we are pleading with you that we work together and everyone must know that we are doing this for our future. Let this be something which we can say has happened for the last time and will never happen again. [Applause.]]
We are mindful of the fact that as South Africa we have made significant progress since 1994 towards achieving gender parity in basic education. In fact we have gone beyond achieving gender parity to the extent that girls are now in the majority in terms of enrolment in secondary schools. Again, we are also mindful of the fact that, as South Africa, when it comes to access to basic education, we have exceeded the target that we have set for 2020, the 80% target.
Okungiphatha kabuhlungu uma ngizothinta leyo ndawo, khona manje kade sinomhlonishwa u-Smiles ovela enhlanganweni eseceleni kwami. La umhlonishwa bethi unongabazane ngokuthi njengezwe sizokwazi ukufika emigomeni esazibekela yona yama-80% yokuqeqeshwa kwabantwana besesemazingeni aphansi early childhood development, ECD.
Ngiyafisa ukuthi ngikuqhakambise lokho ukuthi, mhlonishwa Smiles, kuyokusiza ngesinye isikhathi ukuthi ufunde izincwadi esizitholayo ekomidini, ulalele uma unqena ukufunda ngoba njengamanje siyizwe laseNingizimu Afrika sesiwudlulile ngisho umgomo wama-80%. [Ihlombe.] Njengamanje uma sikhuluma ngokuthi abantwana bethu bafinyelela kanjani ku- ECD, sesikudlulile saze sagamanxa kukhona. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[I am very sad now that I am going to touch on the same issue that we have just heard about from hon Smiles, from the party next to me. This hon member was saying that he doubted that we would meet the target of 80% that we set for ourselves for the training of our children in early childhood development.
I wish to highlight this for hon Smiles. It will help if you read the letters we receive from the committee, or to listen if you are too lazy to read, because right now, as South Africa, we have exceeded the target of 80%. [Applause.] Right now, when we talk about how our children can access ECD, we have exceeded that.]
We are standing at 93% when it comes to access of our learners to ECD placing. Yes, I will agree ... [Interjections.] Okay.
ILUNGU ELIHLONIPHEKILE: Ukufunde encwadini kwawena lokho! [Ubuwelewele.]