Mohlomphehi Modulasetulo, Maloko a Hlomphehileng a Palamente ho ya ka ditulo tsa lona jwalo, le baeti ba rona ba hlomphehang ba bohlokwa, ba entseng hore e be kajeno re bitswa Maloko a Palamente, pele ke bua ka moruo o motala, ke tla rata hore ke re le se ke la makalla maratanyana a bang teng ka hara Ntlo. Nako yane ya dikgetho e se e fihlile. Jwale, ka ho hopola hore dimilione tse leshome le motso o le mong tsa batho ba kgethileng ANC di ntse di le teng, ebile manane a tlo eketseha, ke ka hona re ntseng re itlatlarietsa. Jwale, le se ke la makala. (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows.)
[Mrs D R TSOTETSI: Hon Chairperson, hon Members of Parliament, and our distinguished guests who made it possible for us to be called Members of Parliament today, before I speak about the green economy, I would like to say that you should not be amazed by the noises that are sometimes experienced in this House. Election time is almost here. So, if we could keep in mind that 11 million people who voted for the ANC are still around, and that the numbers are going to increase, we would understand why there is so much commotion. So, do not be amazed.]
The green economy benefits households, business communities and the government, local government in particular, as it is the structure that deals with people directly on a daily basis. Through the green economy, municipalities could enhance their revenue base and strengthen local economic developments, wherein small, medium and macro enterprises, SMMEs, and co-operatives, co-ops, find expression. In my previous deployment at Emfuleni Local Municipality, I happened to be part of the team that undertook a study tour to the Netherlands. The best thing that we learned is the impact of an incentive as a reward for compliance. People take their domestic garbage to the municipality and this garbage is separated and weighed. The amount of garbage reduces the amount which was supposed to be paid on rates. We hope that our municipalities would consider that.
One of the research documents produced by the Industrial Development Corporation, IDC, and the Development Bank of South Africa, DBSA, team in 2011, it is spot-on regarding green jobs, ie employment-creation potential of approximately 98 000 new direct jobs on average in the short term; almost 255 000 in the medium term; and around 462 000 employment opportunities in the formal economy in the long run. By now, the numbers have increased.
Eo hee ke ntho eo re e bitsang tsebo e tlwaelehileng, hore dipalo di atile ... [This is what we call common sense, the numbers have increased ...]
... but the DA will always deny that ...
... empa re a tseba hore ke tsebo e tlwaelehileng, e a tsebahala. [... but we know that this is common sense, it is well known.]
However, common sense is not always common. For instance, "ANC evaporating into thin air in 2019 because it delivered nothing".
O a bona ena hee, le dibuka tsa ntshetsopele ya mathomo ya bongwana ha di na yona tsebo e tlwaelehileng e tjena, eo re e bitsang ka hore ke keretjhe ha re bua ka sekgowa ... [Concerning this issue, even books on early childhood development do not have such common sense, which is what we call "crche" in English ...]
Possibly in one of the institutions for mentally challenged people ...
... re ka e fumana tsebo e tlwaelehileng e jwalo. [... we can find such common sense.]
At least, in such cases the particular common sense would be understandable and tolerated.
The second draft of the National Water Resources Strategy released recently by Minister Molewa warns that South Africa is at risk if water is not properly managed and responsibly used. Rural communities are hardest hit as far as the scarcity of water is concerned. This scarcity has an adverse impact on all efforts for development as most of them depend on agricultural development, an area which they can master and excel in if water is adequate. However, we must not lose sight of the Presidential Infrastructure Co-ordination Commission, PICC. We hope the PICC has the necessary capacity to fast-track rural development and development in general.
We must also take care of the cost of doing business so that we attract foreign investment without compromising local procurement. Mr Patel and members of the Committee on Economic Development shared their achievements with us while, at the same time, we acknowledged weaknesses and bottlenecks, some of whom are as a result of resistance by those who said the ANC would rule South Africa over their dead bodies. But, here is the ANC, governing South Africa over their living bodies! [Applause.]
However, we must rise above petty and cheap politics and acknowledge previous oppressors and beneficiaries of apartheid laws who have seen the light. Seeing the light has little to do with joining the ANC and its alliance partners, but has more to do with the mindset.
Hon member Mubu, my friend, if you want to speed up service delivery, you decentralise the whole and deploy people in terms of their special skills. That is why tertiary institutions have lecturers and schools have teachers who specialise in various subjects. Imagine what would happen if one teacher was teaching all the subjects? This used to be the situation during apartheid. Apartheid has inflicted a lot of harm to most of us. But, little did we know that it had caused irreparable damage to the mindset of some until we heard them speaking.
Mme Ngonyama, mngani wami, I trusted your listening skills but you really disappointed me. The Minister had gone to town tabulating achievement and plans in place, but you still say we have done too little to measure. The promises that you are referring to are commitments which are tabulated explicitly in the Green Economy Accord that you all know about.
Mme Hlengwa, there will never be a time when all the people in any country are employed. South Africa is worse as big business retrench workers whenever they demand what is due to them. Labour is not donated but sold to the highest bidder. It is painful to see companies take advantage of the plight of our foreign brothers and sisters. They see them as a variable to minimise costs. That is cheap labour to the detriment of the good plans for job creation and economic growth.
Fortunately, Mme Hlengwa, age is on your side. Soon, you will understand the old trick of divide-and-rule. You have never worked for these predators. Otherwise, you wouldn't be expecting government to undo what was practised for over 50 years in one night.
Hon member Hoosen, the prophets of doom that came before you failed to educate you. They became frustrated and ended up singing, ``Nelson Mandela, ha ho na ya tshwanang le wena''. ["Nelson Mandela, there is no one like you".] Why don't they sing about other leaders who equally contributed to the struggle against apartheid? The same Mandela was labelled one of the most dangerous terrorists.
The things that you say about Minister Patel are the same things they said about our former freedom fighters, but today they bow before them. It is because of the DA, or IDA, that most black people are not educated. Illiterate as they are, when coming to election time, make no mistake, they will vote for the ANC. Hon Harris, you are always negative and I think it is now time for government to assist you. Hon member Motsoaledi and his team must organise psychologists for you. You are too young not to be able to read and interpret documents, and see where and what government has delivered, where it has failed and why. You are one of the people who are privileged to have received a better education.
Jwale, motho o a ipotsa hore na o ile wa pasa jwang sekolong. Ka nako e nngwe ha o pase hoba o arabile dipotso ka nepo; empa ka nako e nngwe o pasa hobane o arabile dipotso ka puo ya Afrikaans, ho sa kgathaletsehe hore na di nepahetse kapa di fosahetse. [Ditsheho.] [Mahofi.] (Translation of a Sesotho paragraph follows)
[Now, one wonders how you passed in school. Sometimes a person does not pass because they answered questions correctly; but sometimes they pass because they answered questions in Afrikaans, irrespective of whether they were correct or not. [Laughter.] [Applause.]]
Coming back to the green economy ... [Interjections.] No, I am trying to skip some. I'll talk about the importance of nurturing the environment. This is an action which brought about the concept of ``green economy''. I agree that the green economy is usually an economic revolution, not only in South Africa, but worldwide. A number of projects in the green sector have been initiated, such as the 28 projects in wind, solar and small hydro technologies; rolling out of the solar water geyser; and the establishment of the Green Fund.
The projected 300 000 jobs that are going to be created over the next decade through the green industries will be achievable through these inventions and many others that are in the pipeline. The Industrial Development Corporation's role as a driving force of commercially sustainable industrial development has not gone unnoticed. It has done a lot to put us where we are today.
Successful projects such as DCD Wind Towers factory; bioethanol projects both in the Eastern Cape - Hon Ngonyama, Eastern Cape is included this time; - the SA Calcium Carbide project in Newcastle; and the Russell Stone soy crushing plant in Bronkhorstspruit are examples of some projects funded through the IDC, which are a means of enhancing industrialisation. The benefits of these projects are manifold. They include environmental localisation and rural development benefits, and target poorer provinces for downstream development.
As for the household food that is left over fresh or stale - the paper in the yard, and small pieces of metal - could manufacture compost. But, is there a market for that compost? In as far as our wellbeing is concerned, we have the power to make or break. If you go to the landfill site and stand there for some time, just next to a small heap of rubbish, you will feel the heat coming out of it. That is the energy which is generated by that rubbish. It happens the natural way, but now we have sophisticated means to generate energy taking into consideration the fact that we have deadlines to meet.
To further quote the Green Jobs document verbatim:
The largest contributions to job creation are likely to be associated with natural resource management due to the rich endowment of natural capital in South Africa and the need for its commitment for its preservation.
Government has proved its commitment to natural resource management. We have passed the National Environmental Management Act, 59 of 2008, Nema. The Act talks to policies, standards and regulations. Nema calls for greater collaboration and alignment of departments. For instance, Department of Health should guard against noncompliance relating to medical waste.
The Department of Mineral Resources must take care of the mines that contaminate water, and they do not cover unused, depleted mines. The Department of Agriculture - it is unfortunate that member Lekota is not here, but it is meant to assist hon Lekota - must punish people who mercilessly kill horses and donkeys and dump them in open fields next to human settlement areas. The same applies to dogs, hon Huang.
The Department of Justice capacitates the relevant authorities to bite hard on noncompliance. Not only is the environment affected, but our health as well. This also impacts on the labour force. People become infected and are forever on sick leave. We need a healthy workforce so that we accelerate the Green Economy.
Water pollution is the most deadly element or component of the whole cycle. I hope we are observing the cycle, the ecosystem. If the environment is not nurtured, it will be a vicious cycle. The hazards that come with climate change are as a result of noncompliance with legislation and irresponsible behaviour, littering and polluting of air and water, which are sources of life and development. [Time expired.] [Applause.]