Millions of South Africans have been failed by the business sector and large companies which have not created jobs on the required scale. Co-operatives are an important way of harnessing the energy and entrepreneurship of our people and they can provide an alternative way of production and distribution. If we look around the world today, there are excellent examples of co-operatives and other socioeconomic enterprises which are commercially successful and socially responsible. You do not have to look far; look at my jacket and you are looking at a product of a co- operative. [Applause.]
In Spain, co-operatives are at the cutting edge of new technology, producing goods that are sold domestically and exported. Tens of thousands of jobs are created. In India, Kenya and Tanzania rural co-operatives are an important part of the world's largest dairy industry, producing milk and other products like cheese and yoghurt on a commercially successful basis, but also empowering the rural poor.
In South Africa, white farmers relied on co-operatives - but you should know that better than me - in many value chains, from wool, milk and wine, to become successful. Today, our challenge is to take the powerful idea of economic solidarity that is at the heart of co-operatives and social economy and give it technical strength to enable it to succeed in a mixed economy. As to how we do that, Comrade Gcwabaza ...
... uma ufika la ubatshele kungene kuhlale kubo. [... when you arrive here, tell them in such a way that it sticks in their minds.] [Intejections.]
The Seda of the Department of Trade and Industry, and Sefa of Economic Development are there as empowering agencies. The Department of Higher Education, through Setas, is also there to provide training and ensure proper standards. The yoghurt I was talking about is high-grade yoghurt from Kenya. It is universally accepted that a market economy is imperfect and subsequently unable to address some of the needs of the citizenry. Many developed and developing countries have come to appreciate the value of co- operatives. I am talking about countries like Spain, Kenya, the UK and Canada. [Interjections.] There, they appreciate the value of co-operatives.
School nutrition programmes offer a great opportunity for SMMEs and co- operatives. Schools should be empowered to help local co-operatives of women to supply the school meals that the young children need. This should be accompanied by business training for local co-operative members. Indeed, for unemployed parents, if drawn into this, it becomes an opportunity for social organisation, income generation and to provide support to the households of the very students that are being fed at school. So, their parents have an opportunity to feed them during lunchtime at school. The same principle could be applied to a portion of hospital catering contracts. Over time, local communities can branch out into other areas using the procurement opportunity as the gap they need to get into the market. Catering at a hospital must be seen as a stepping stone to greater heights. If co-operatives were here, I would be saying to them, when they have these opportunities of catering at schools and in hospitals, they must not regard that as the end of journey, but see it as a step towards greater things.
And now, Comrade Chairperson, I want to advise ... [Time expired.]