Hon Speaker, I am responding to yesterday's debate. Therefore, I expected those people who spoke here yesterday to be here to hear what the ANC has to say. [Applause.] I want to briefly address Shenge, and I am sure members of his party are here. Yesterday, when he spoke, with more than a tinge of irritation he rebuked the young lady who was sitting next to Minister Nzimande and said, "ithini le ngane" [what is this child saying]. We cringed, she cringed and she did not utter a word thereafter.
He knew exactly what authority he was exerting, and we all did. But I wondered, Shenge - although he is not here, I am sure this will be reported to him - why doesn't he say that and rebuke "le ngane ye-DA" [the DA's child] when she speaks the way she does about our President, his President? [Applause.] Why doesn't he find it in himself to say the same as he did "kule eyethu ingane"? [to our child]. Something is not adding up here.
He taught us to disagree without being disagreeable. The situation is made worse by the fact that he is seen trailing behind her to press conferences, whatever it is that they are holding press conferences about. Why would he do that kind of thing? He has a proud tradition to uphold. I respect him far too much to see him trailing behind "ingane" [a child] ever again.
Now, to get back to the point at issue, given the noise of the people who have attended this debate, it is necessary for us to clarify what the state of the nation address is, what it is meant to be and what the President had meant it to be. As head of the state, the President presents a proper report on what government has done to fulfill the commitments made the previous year. The President also uses his state of the nation address to reflect on challenges and give new directives to Ministers and the country. Most importantly, he uses the occasion to rally the nation to become part of the solution to some of the national and societal challenges we face.
Evidently, given the noise of the people who attended this debate from this side, this very basic understanding is lost to most of them. Indeed, stripped of all the hype, sanctimonious posturing and dramatics, the contribution of the opposition amounts to nothing. Except perhaps to a certain extent for my father, the UDM and APC, none provided a vision and a solution. This in itself is not surprising since they are robotically programmed. It has become part of their DNA. These are the effects of psychological and sociological trauma that arises from being relegated to the irrelevant. [Applause.]
In his state of the nation address, the President made an unequivocal assertion that we now have a plan - the National Development Plan - for the next 17 years. Here is where we all start. This is what we need to concentrate on. It is the first time that we are having a common plan, adopted by all of us. This is a plan that was originally conceptualised by this President, and yet it suits all of you - who remain permanently lodged on the periphery of the state and fail to understand what has been done - to claim that the President has done nothing.
The goals of the National Development Plan, NDP, depend on functional state machinery. This is what has occupied us over the last seven months. The legitimate concerns raised by some of the members here are our concerns as well. In short, the following remain serious concerns: the quality of the Public Service, corruption in the Public Service, and the overreliance on consultants to do what the state is supposed to do.
These go to the core of what the National Development Plan says about the creation of capacity of the state, to ensure that its machinery functions efficiently and effectively and that we can deliver to the citizens of this country the services that we promised them. The stability and effectiveness of the Public Service is greatly dependent on the commitment and devotion of its staff.
The current view to render teaching an essential service must be welcomed. We also welcome the stance that has been taken by the President to establish a Presidential Remuneration Commission to investigate the appropriateness of the remuneration and conditions of service provided by the state to all its employees. The commission presents an opportunity for us to reflect on how we reward our public servants, with the first phase focusing on educators, because education remains the main driver of development in the knowledge economy.
There is no country that has leapfrogged into the future without making an investment in education. Teachers play a critical role in this regard. We cannot move forward without paying attention to the working conditions of teachers. We want to make teaching as attractive a profession as it has always been. The Department of Public Service and Administration will provide strategic support to the commission, together with the Minister of Basic Education, to ensure that the outcomes further entrench the creation of a stable and rewarding environment for teachers.
It is for this reason that the President decided that we are going to ensure that, henceforth, teachers will be teaching in class properly dressed and prepared, to ensure that they can work for seven hours. [Applause.] Together with the Minister of Basic Education, we intend to ensure that they live up to that expectation. We will cut down on unacceptable absenteeism in this sector. As the President has indicated, we will ensure that teachers are in class and that we undertake proper inspection to make sure they are there. [Interjections.]