Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, the starting point is that today we feel, especially with issues of disability, that we have come a long way. Remember, in 1998 the United Nations declared South Africa as having the worst conditions for the disabled, and of poverty.
Thereafter, disability was put under the Office of the Presidency, and there was a desk. Today, at least, there is a Minister, and we have complained with the Ministry that disability is not getting enough attention. Today, in this budget, for the first time, you can see for yourselves that, indeed, issues of disability are adequately addressed. Well, it will never be adequate but, for the first time, we are satisfied that disability is getting full attention. [Applause.]
We would like to thank the Ministry for all its efforts and travelling around. South Africa likes to be world class. When you go to Geneva and Beijing, this is because we want to learn from the world and exchange knowledge and experiences with other nations in terms of how they are doing things about the problems encountered in society. We have said that it isn't enough to sign treaties and conventions, but that we really want to see action.
To the Monitoring and Evaluation Minister, we are happy that you are with the President and the Minister of Social Development about the monitoring and evaluating of issues of disability. We just want to point out that although the Budget Vote is good in terms of issues of disability, we also have to consider issues of women and children. Remember, ultimately, our children - what is going to happen to them. At a philosophical level, the question of whether the child is the product of the parent gets asked all the time, specifically as regards the mother, because the mother is the one closest to the child. For anything that goes wrong with the child, the parent or society will be blamed. If there is juvenile delinquency or crime in society - because the child is doing all of that - ultimately, the question arises: Re re, ke ngwana mang? [We ask, "Whose child is it?"] This happens all the time, whenever there is a problem.
Therefore, if the child is the product of the parent or of society, if anything is wrong with the child, whether it is child rape or anything else, the blame is taken by society, because society or the parent produced that child. This is unfortunate for the mother, because ... lebone ka lapeng le boneswa ke mme. [... she is the beacon of light in the family.]
When things go wrong in the home, people always want to know where the mother is. [Laughter.] That is because the mother is the backbone of society, so it is very important that we empower the mother, that we empower the woman and get her employed, and that she too goes to school.
In fact, Minister, the one area in respect of which I would like to make a special request is that you monitor our health system and the issue of the reopening of colleges. The colleges absorb many girl-children. Today many girls who have matriculated are unemployed, and nursing colleges all over South Africa - Baragwanath, Natalspruit, and Katlehong - used to absorb these girls. In the past, from the junior certificate up to matric, they used to go there because they could be trained on the job, and one doesn't fail there, because people are trained on the job. They were even paid at the same time. So, those whose parents could not provide them with a tertiary education had hope in nursing, because they knew they could be trained and paid on the job. It was more practical and, as a result, we produced many nurses in the past. I am surprised that today we have a shortage of nurses in the country. So, please monitor this. I would like to support this Budget Vote. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF WOMEN, CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: Chairperson, let me thank members for their support of this important Budget Vote. I also want to remind members that the task that has been put to us by the President and the nation is huge.
As chairperson Ramodibe has said, our budget is only 0,01% of the overall Budget. Also, we have the smallest budget for this financial year and, therefore, may not be able to meet our targets. Therefore, hon members, projects that we had planned could not take place because there was no money. We are also saying that we need to ensure that we have an adequate budget to assist us with implementing the mandate that has been given to us.
I think the DA, before they talk about trips, must get their facts right. They ran to the Human Rights Commission with all their lies. They told the Human Rights Commission that I sent staff officials to New York and paid R7 million for them. We only paid R1,1 million. I think the lies of the DA must be exposed, and we must be able to go there and not confuse the Human Rights Commission. [Interjections.] I have welcomed the Human Rights Commission, but they don't know how to deal with the lies of the DA. [Interjections.]
I also want to remind members that, yes, there is spending on travel, even locally. I want to remind members that we are working with rural women; we are working with people with disabilities and children. Rural women are not employed. When we deal with the policies and programmes, we have to consult. When we consult, we must meet with them, and we must pay for their travel and accommodation.
When we deal with children, we deal with people who are not working - young children. They need chaperones to take them to the Union Buildings for any consultations and meetings we need with them. That is money, hon members. When we deal with people with disabilities, most of them are unemployed and, therefore, for us to sit down and consult with them, to have summits, and work with them to develop disability policies and programmes, we have to pay for their travel. We have to pay for the people who support them and must guide them to go to whichever venue. So, we are saying that we will depend on this committee to assist us to ensure that the National Treasury gives us the necessary and adequate resources to help us implement our mandate.
I also want to assure the hon Lamoela that her bright ideas from the DA have already been implemented by the ANC. [Interjections.] [Applause.] We had already, at the end of last year, endorsed the National Council on Gender-based Violence, which will work with civil society. We have started to work with civil society.
We have our Deputy President, who works with young boys, has dialogues on International Men's Day and has an ongoing programme with progressive men that are ensuring that young boys have the right role models. We are also saying to the DA that they must lead by example, sisi Tseke. Your premier is the only woman who is in leadership in the Western Cape. You must make sure that she recognises other women, and you must implement your ideas. [Applause.] She is not the only woman in the Western Cape who has brains. I thank you, Chair. [Time expired.] [Applause.]