Deputy Speaker, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon members, finance family, hon Minister Pravin Gordhan and Deputy Minister, sanibonani [good afternoon]. Delivering his closing address at the ANC's 53rd National Conference, President Zuma ended his speech by observing that "there will certainly be no easy walk to socioeconomic freedom, ngoba yinde lendlela esiyihambayo." [because the journey we are taking is long.]
Echoing these sentiments in 1992 in the Ready to Govern blueprint, the ANC noted that it is essential that problems be looked at in an inclusive way, with a broad national vision, employing talents and know-how of all those with experience in the field. It is also important that we plan development on a step-by-step basis, concentrating our resources on realisable targets at each stage.
The challenges need a national development plan that the DA does not approve of, the plan on which hon Harris says Mr Mufamadi, the chair of the committee, is misleading the House - which is not true. The plan will always remain a plan. You cannot expect effective outcomes of the implementation of the plan while you are still planning.
One would expect the outcome of the plan towards the end of the implementation. You first of all need to put the tools and the machinery of the plan together and make it work. It is therefore this plan that will provide, strengthen and accelerate growth and job creation while it broadens social development and economic participation.
The 2013 Budget marks the beginning of a process through which government departments and agencies will align their planning and expenditure with the National Development Plan. The NDP will shape up whether the DA likes it or not; it will shape up the resource allocation over the next two decades but will not determine the annual budgets.
The 2013-14 Budget reflects an increase in expenditure on comprehensive social grants over the three-year budget period. This is a welcome development when one takes into account the ruling party's important observation that as at June 2012 the country's social grants had reduced the poverty gap to 63%.
The massive infrastructure programme is targeting the improvement of public amenities, which will improve the lives of the poor. Investment in infrastructure is laying a solid foundation for economic growth with an effort to provide water reticulation; construct roads, railways, and houses; build clinics and universities; and eliminate mud schools. The ANC government is creating jobs through this infrastructure plan. Currently there are about 145 000 people who have been employed through the state infrastructure plan.
Attempts have been made to help struggling municipalities or districts. Integration of municipal infrastructure projects is geared to develop national capacity in order to assist the 23 least resourced districts.
The 2013 allocations to the social wage include a large component of social assistance and welfare services. In a country with such enormous levels of poverty and inequality government continues to recognise the need to assist vulnerable communities with an unreliable source of income.
The ANC-led government policies have facilitated an entrance of no fewer than 13,6 million beneficiaries of social grants between 1998 and today, 2013. Indeed, this is a living testimony that the ANC is pro-poor, and we will continue to ensure that unemployment, poverty and inequalities are reduced.
The ANC policy guidelines for a democratic South Africa, 1992 observed that the ANC, in keeping with its general commitment to an egalitarian society, rejects the dictum that the poor will always be with us. It believes that poverty is created by society and it can be eliminated by society. People are the fundamental resource of the country since they have the capacity to develop personally and are central to the development of the economy and the nation as a whole.
It is because of this consciousness that the ANC believes in progressive initiatives to reduce dependence on the fiscus and to bring back opportunities that will enable individuals to earn an income, and thus restore their dignity. The ANC appreciates and acknowledges the allocation increase for municipalities, science, technology and other sectors.
The government is now giving expression to a historic aspiration of the ANC, which declared that advances in science and technology cannot be achieved unless grounded on a sound education and researched policies, which have as their aim the maximum utilisation of the full potential of all human resources in our country, and will allow creativity in scientific and technological research and design. All these commitments by the ANC-led government are basically saying: Give the girl-child from eNkumba a break. Let her no longer wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning to fetch water from the river before she goes to school. Let the boy-child and girl-child be children.
The ANC believes that the state has the central responsibility for the provision of education and training. Only the state is in a position to ensure that the present inequalities are redressed. More generally, given the importance of education for social and economic development its provision cannot be left to the market as has been the case in the past, especially in relation to industrial training.
We are looking forward, hon Deputy Minister, to the implementation of the National Health Insurance, NHI, pilot project. Before concluding, hon Deputy Speaker, I would like to try and correct the hon Harris - if he is still in the House.
You know, I am sure that where you are, hon Deputy Minister, you are confused when hon Harris from the DA proposes that you are to raise taxes, but in the same breath he is saying: South Africans are experiencing high taxes. Now, I don't know which one you have to adhere to.
Secondly, for him to actually say, within the committee, that it was the alliance that did not approve of the NDP is not true, because Mr Mufamadi did not say what he says he said. The NDP is a plan, and it has been acknowledged like that. Yes, indeed, there are concerns, but because it's a plan, it's a work in progress.
In conclusion, we acknowledge that the social wage has more than doubled in real terms since 2002. It has a direct impact on lowering the cost of living for the poor and working class. It is achieving a progressive redistribution of income and opportunities through the fiscus. On that note, the ANC supports the Budget 2013. Thank you. [Applause.]