Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers present, hon Deputy Ministers, hon members of this House, comrades and friends, South Africa has undergone substantial changes during the last 10 to 15 years, transforming itself from an international pariah during apartheid rule into a democratic regional power with well-developed economic and political ties to countries in the region and beyond. Unlike many other African countries, South Africa has a large private sector and a growing private tax base.
According to the World Bank and International Finance Corporation, IFC, Enterprise Surveys of 2007, only 17% of the companies operating in South Africa identify corruption as a major obstacle to business operations, compared to a regional average of more than 34%. These figures are supported by the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2012- 13, where companies rank corruption as the fifth most problematic factor for doing business in the country.
I want this House to know that when we talk about the security of the country, we are not talking about the SAPS only. We are talking about the whole security structure, which we call the peace and stability structure. The SAPS over the past 10 years showed significant increases in the number of police personnel, which contributed to the higher cost of the SAPS. However, it can be expected that in the coming years these numbers will be maintained, rather than significantly increased. The SAPS further made a significant investment in the forensic field. The forensic scientific laboratory opened in the Western Cape is considered to be one of the best and most modern in the world. Investment in human capital was also made in this field in the training and recruitment of forensic science experts. This investment, in the long term, will lead to higher conviction rates and quicker turnaround times, and act as a serious deterrent to criminals.
Within the SAPS information technology and supply chain management environments, steps were taken to tighten the controls of those environments. These environments play a crucial role in the modernisation and effectiveness of the SAPS as a whole. Cost-saving measures, improved integration of needs-specific solutions, and integration of the existing systems are part of the solutions going forward.
The 52nd national conference of the ANC in Polokwane resolved that a single Police Service is established. This will address the cost or the expenditure on various police sectors. Many countries have taken steps to ensure that there is integrated and effective management of the border environment. The pressure to do so comes from the rapid increase in the number of people and goods that cross borders and the need to manage the resulting risk and exploit the opportunities. The risks are multiplied by the rise in transnational crime conflicts, food and insecurity, and global warming. The border environment has a number of dimensions that must be understood. The most basic is the distinction between the borderline and the air, sea and land ports of entry that are the only legal crossing points. There is also an international dimension, starting with the areas adjacent to borders in neighbouring countries and extending to a foreigner applying for a visa at a foreign mission abroad.
The Constitutional Principles adopted by the ANC in 1991 sought to establish a judicial system that advances the ideals of a national democratic society and social justice. In particular, the principles provided for the following:
Without interfering with its independence, and with a view to ensuring that justice is manifestly seen to be done in a nonracial way and that the wisdom, experience and judicial skills of all South Africans are represented on the bench, the judiciary shall be transformed in such a way as to consist of men and women drawn from all sectors of South African society. In a free South Africa, the legal system shall be transformed to be consistent with the new Constitution. The courts shall be accessible to all and shall guarantee to all equal rights before the law.
Hon members, I just wanted to respond to hon member McIntosh and say that the ANC is the leader of the alliance. So, there is no competition in terms of who's leading what. Hon Singh, I think that where perceptions are relevant, we need to take them seriously. It is a real concern that the 45 business respondents have substituted their prejudice about the labour market instead of seizing the opportunity to build real partnerships with their workforce. You can see ...
... Bab' uKganyago ukhala ngokuthi abekho abe-ANC. Ngibona sengathi nguwena wedwa ilungu le-UDM elikhona. Kungakuhle ubozibheka ngaphambi kokuthi ujikijele. [Uhleko.][Kwaphela isikhathi] (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[... Mr Kganyago, you are complaining that the ANC members are not well- represented. I think you are the only member of the UDM present. You had better make sure that the business of your own house is in order first before levelling your criticism against other people. [Laughter.] [Time expired.]]