Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister, hon members of the House and guests, my speech will focus on women's issues, the budget, and the overall impact.
Budgets reflect government's priorities and are a useful tool to measure the extent to which political commitments are translated into fiscal commitments and eventually into quality service delivery to all.
Minister, the mandate of your department is vital. Let me assure you, we understand it and it resonates with us, especially when it talks to the poor and rural communities. But, to date, your department has done very little in holding other government departments accountable, especially if they do not comply in this regard.
According to the 2011 annual media estimates from Statistics SA, women constitute 52% of the population, and 18 years down the road of democracy, the majority of women, particularly in rural areas, continue to suffer and struggle socially, politically and economically. The department needs to ensure that women benefit from state interventions, and that they are empowered through job creation and economic growth.
In 2010 the hon President Jacob Zuma made a commitment that gender will be mainstreamed into all government programmes in order to include women and address gender inequalities. To date, the majority of women are still at the periphery of the economy. There is no effective monitoring and indication to gauge that, indeed, the majority of women are and continue to be empowered, even in the new massive infrastructure development announced and pronounced upon in the 2012 state of the nation address.
The Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill is an important Bill, and I am happy that the Minister said she is working on it. Minister, it is about time. Nothing has been said about this Bill since 2010.
Employers are failing to meet the employment equity targets, and this perpetuates gender inequality and discrimination against women. Research shows that women are underrepresented in senior positions, especially in private and public institutions. Instead, you find more women in part-time jobs and in the informal sector.
The Domestic Violence Act and the Sexual Offences Act are significant pieces of legislation that are key in combating violence against women. But, irrespective of this legislation, the SA Police Service, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and the National Prosecuting Authority, as a sub-programme, are failing the women of this country.
There is a lack of police records of sexual offences and domestic violence. Some files lack significant records, and the police are not adequately trained to deal with these cases. Victims wait for a long time for trial dates, hence most women are demotivated and never go back or even report repeat offences. Therefore, women remain victims of all this and of rape.
Sadly, the reality is that the rape and violence statistics are on the rise. In 2006, there were close to 55 000 rape cases reported in our country. It is further estimated that 450 000 rape cases go unreported. This means that, on average, approximately 1 300 women are raped every day in South Africa. A woman is raped in our country every 17 seconds. This does not include the number of child rape victims. It is estimated that one in every two women will be raped. Between 28% and 30% of adolescents reported that their first sexual encounter was forced.
Seven commissioners are required for the Commission for Gender Equality Act to be implemented, but since 2009 the numbers have been deteriorating. On Wednesday, 9 May 2012, we learnt that in December 2011 there were three commissioners, and now we only have two commissioners left. Minister, please fast-track this process. It is very important.
Illiteracy and unemployment levels are the highest among women, hence the trend of women being sexually abused before they get employment continues. Women's health and life are threatened by their vulnerability to HIV infection, but, even worse, by the spiking rate of maternal mortality in South Africa, as reported by Human Rights Watch. Again, a woman dies owing to poor administrative and financial management, poor quality of care and lack of accountability.
The National Development Plan, the NDP, talks to a capable state that drives development, that promotes ethics that serve the citizens, that provides opportunities and also outlines nation-building and social cohesion. If this is approved and implemented, South Africa will achieve a better life for all and women can play a very vital role in this.
The DA developed the 8% growth policy project, which also diagnoses and assesses the key challenges facing the South African economy and outlines 12 areas that the government should focus on. These areas are: increase labour demand, improve labour supply, stimulate entrepreneurship, deepen BEE and employment equity, assist the poor, develop capacity, enhance competition, and be money smart to create jobs and fight poverty over the next decade.
This project, together with the NDP, will definitely go a long way in terms of improving the quality of life of South Africans, particularly women. It will further cut out red tape, such as the overspending in this department owing to overseas trips. Where we govern, we improve people's lives. Imagine a smile on the face of the mothers of 850 young people in the Western Cape who now have jobs. Thanks go to the DA for setting a trend and launching the first phase of the implementation of the National Youth Wage Subsidy. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
Modula Setulo, Sesotho se re, mma ngwana o tshwara thipa ka bohaleng. Empa bohale ba dithipa tsa jwale ke bo fetang ba tau. [Chairperson, in Sesotho it is said that women will do anything to protect their children. However, today's problems are more fierce than a lion.]
Things will never change and go right in our country if we continue to have cases like that of the Bheki Celes, the Jackie Selebis, appointments like that of Adv Menzi Simelane, cases like that of the Richard Mdlulis, Gauteng e-tolls and legislation like the secrecy Bill and the review of the powers of the courts. The lists of these endemic, malignant, viral and infectious corruption cases are on the rise. All these undermine the hard-earned democracy by our respected idol, Madiba.
Women as home-builders suffer more to sustain their families because it is no longer about service delivery, but power-hunger, selfish self- enrichment, the lining of one's pockets ... Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]