Deputy Speaker, this was a do-or-die Budget; a final wake-up call to everyone to do his bit to make this country work. The big questions remain: Whether a positive domestic sentiment will return; and whether labour will enhance the new vision of the National Development Plan for a prosperous South Africa.
Those two big questions need to be answered. The time to play games is over. The power struggle between this government and Cosatu must stop. We cannot afford this luxury any longer. We are more vulnerable to external factors than ever before. The call by the hon Finance Minister for all South Africans to unite and to do the things we need to do to break the growth rate barrier of 2,5% is a sincere one.
Without a faster growth rate we remain vulnerable to factors outside our control. The fact that the Treasury had to adjust the growth rate downward once again puts us clearly on the low growth scenario of the NDP. This serves not to see the return of positive domestic sentiment.
The success of this tough and conservative Budget is well exposed to factors outside the control of the Treasury. Those within their control, like the seriousness and dedication by all departments to manage and to cut government spending, are sometimes under suspicion. At times you just get the feeling that the officials and Ministers do not take care.
You sometimes get the feeling that, when professionals and businesses do jobs for the state, they take whatever they can take from Public Works' account. The Nkandla project became a disaster simply because of bad management. The Free State website also became a disaster because of no management.
Economic growth does not always mean job growth. For instance, in Singapore, a growth rate of 7% only translated into 3% growth. In Hong Kong, when they grow at 5%, jobs grow at 1%. In the United States, when they grew at 2%, there was growth in jobs. So, if we are really worried about jobs, we should worry more about the agricultural sector.
We should worry more about the smaller companies, and assist them to become drivers of job creation. For how long can we afford not to have a dual labour dispensation: one for big companies, and one for smaller companies? More and more South Africans depend on state grants to put food on their table.
More and more ordinary jobless South Africans just give up and start to believe that it will not help to engage the economy to seek a better life. This is dangerous for political stability. Employment is used to measure social engagement. Our figures for unemployment are high. The unemployment rate for young black women in Marikana is 90%.
There is total disengagement in that society. It only spells trouble, and we have seen it! We cannot be proud of the fact that we are now ranked as the most unequal society in the world. Everyone is saying that Nigeria will soon be the largest economy in Africa, pushing us from the throne! Are we just going to sit back and allow it to happen? We are all in this together.
The role of ordinary South Africans, business, labour and good governance is vital. We must change our attitude to be more proudly South African. Europe and the developed world are worried that they shall not lead us out of our problems. The call to look towards sub-Saharan Africa, the second fastest growing region in the world, must succeed.
Less than 15% of all trade in Africa is among African countries. That is bizarre. The red tape to trade in Africa and here must be cut and the mobility for citizens to move and to work must be streamlined. Minister, you have done your part. Only time will tell whether the rest will follow to embrace the goals of the NDP or not, so that our long journey back to recovery will start in all earnest this year! There are no short cuts; there are no silver bullets! Time is not on our side. We must start this year. If we fail, tax hikes must be on the cards. Let's try to avoid this and first do what must be done. Cope shall support the Fiscal Framework. [Applause.]