Hon Chairperson, hon Minister Patel and hon Minister Davies, hon Deputy Minister Thandi Tobias-Pokolo and hon Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe, hon members, Director-General Lionel October, Acting Director- General Mowzer, staff of the Ministry and distinguished guests in the gallery, in dealing with the Budget Vote on Economic Development we are tasked as the NCOP with dealing with the debate, firstly, as one of policy and, secondly, considering the impact it has on provinces and local government. This is where our oversight is located and we need to examine the Vote in this context.
Historically, our approach to economic transformation has been guided by the following pillars: creating decent employment for all South Africans; eliminating poverty and dealing decisively with the extreme inequalities in our society; democratising ownership and control of the economy by empowering the historically oppressed to play a leading role in economic decision-making; restructuring the economy so that it meets the basic needs of all South Africans and the people of Southern Africa, especially the poor; and ensuring equitable and mutually beneficial regional development in Southern Africa, thereby fostering the progressive integration of the region.
This is where the ANC began with their economic policy when they were preparing for political power in the early 1990s. In addition, an important part of the vision was to build an economy in which the state, private capital and cooperative and other forms of social ownership complemented each other in an integrated way to eliminate poverty and foster economic growth. When we reflect on this today, we can trace an uninterrupted development of ANC economic policy from that time to today. True, the emphasis has shifted, but that is the nature of dealing with the complexities of an economy such as ours.
In order to simultaneously grow and transform the economy, we require an effective, democratic and developmental state that is able to lead in the definition of a common national agenda, mobilise society to take part in the implementation of that agenda and direct resources towards realising these objectives. We reaffirm our 52nd national conference understanding of a developmental state as being one that is: ... located at the centre of a mixed economy. It is a state which leads and guides that economy and which intervenes in the interest of the people as a whole.
Our collective and common point of departure in this debate must therefore be that the voting of funds must result in the creation of decent work through inclusive growth and development in our provinces and at local government level.
From the perspective of my province, the Western Cape, I have to report that the facts and figures are not as rosy as some may present them. No, it is an image that is not improving much for far too many people of the Western Cape. When one removes the layer of paint that is the present hostile regime's mask, one sees a very different underlying depiction. Strip off the DA's spin, lies, smoke and mirrors and you are left with only the ash of the DA's promises, pretence and deceit.
You have heard talk of the Western Cape's being the land of milk and honey. I have previously dealt with the DA's propaganda of superiority versus the proclaimed "inferior areas" where the ANC governs. This is the basis of warped racism. In this bizarre land the DA is projected as being a saviour and the ANC as everything that is evil!
But the truth is, hon Van Lingen - through you, Chair - that the DA has added very little, if any, value to the Western Cape. In the past, when the ANC governed, the Western Cape outperformed all other provinces, but since the DA took over the economic growth rate has declined, hon Joseph - through you, Chairperson. Cape Town and the Western Cape are no longer the leading service providers in the country. They have slipped back in assessments.
This backward trend is also observed in others matters. To be specific, if it were not for President Jacob Zuma and the ANC-led government, very little would have been going on in this province, the Western Cape. [Interjections.] [Applause.] Is it not the national government, led by President Zuma, that built the Clanwilliam Dam, brought exciting redevelopment to Saldanha and was the driving force behind the new undersea data cable to the Cape, which expands bandwidth? Yet the DA piggybacks on the national government and brags about what it is doing to bring broadband to the Cape! How disingenuous can one be? That was far from the truth, hon Van Lingen.
The Western Cape provincial government is almost entirely dependent on national government. The bulk of its income is derived from what the national government supplies and very little initiative comes from the Western Cape. It has very little insight, few initiatives and little own investment in any development. Instead it concentrates on big business. It wants to leverage possible development in the City Bowl of Cape Town, using government property, of all things! [Interjections.]