Die Departement van Arbeid is ook die voog van ons land se uiters belangrike arbeidswette. Hierdie wette het 'n groot invloed, nie net op di wat reeds werksgeleenthede het nie, maar veral op die vermo van die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie om nuwe werkgeleenthede te skep. Verkeerde beleidsbesluite en skadelike uitsprake van senior ANC leiers is die oorsaak daarvan dat ons vandag met 'n werkloosheidskoers van 24% - die lid het verwys na 25% - sit. Dit is, terwyl Brasili and Indi - lande waarmee ons ons graag vergelyk - daarin geslaag het om hul werkloosheidsyfer af te bring tot tussen ses and sewe persent.
Mense verwys nog met groot ontsag na die Groot Depressie van die 1930s en die geweldige lyding wat dit tot gevolg gehad het. Om ons werkloosheid in perspektief te stel: die werkloosheidskoers in Suid-Afrika is tans op dieselfde vlak as wat dit in Amerika was tydens die donkerste dae van die Groot Depressie.
Die oopstelling van ons ekonomie na 1994 en die erkenning van alle Suid- Afrikaners se regte het enorme geleenthede vir entrepreneurs, beleggers en uitvoerders geskep. Dit het die geleentheid geskep om werkloosheid aansienlik te verminder. Boonop het President Zuma verlede jaar as die jaar van werkskepping verklaar. Tog is die aantal werkloses in Suid-Afrika nou, na 18 jaar, meer as wat dit in 1994 was. Waarom is ons so onsuksesvol om die uitdaging van werkloosheid te takel?
Hierdie regering en ampsdraers van die ANC gee nie die nodige erkenning aan die positiewe rol van werkgewers en entrepreneurs nie. Ons het dit weer vandag in hierdie debat gesien. Werkgewers word gedurig uitgekryt vir alles wat sleg is. Volgens Cosatu maak arbeidsmakelaars hulle skuldig aan - hulle gebruik di woorde - slawerny en mensehandel. Dt terwyl arbeidsmakelaars in sekere industrie soos die film- en spysenieringsbedrywe, hier en internasionaal, 'n noodsaaklike bydrae lewer.
Terwyl die Nasionale Beplanningskommisie groot klem plaas op die uitvoer van minerale, maak prominente ANC-lede uitsprake wat beleggers in myne afskrik. Diegene wat landbougrond wil ontwikkel en daarin wil investeer, moet dit doen in 'n klimaat waar selfs Kabinetslede dreig dat grond sonder behoorlike vergoeding van hulle afgeneem sal word. Di uitsprake saboteer werkskepping.
Ons opleidingstelsel berei jong mense nie behoorlik voor vir die wreld van werk nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr A P VAN DER WESTHUIZEN: The Department of Labour is also the guardian of our country's extremely important labour laws. These laws have a big influence, not only on those who already have job opportunities, but especially on the capacity of the South African economy to create new job opportunities. Incorrect policy decisions and harmful utterances by senior ANC leaders are the reason why today we are stuck with an unemployment rate of 24% - the member referred to 25%. This is while Brazil and India - countries with which we like to compare ourselves - have succeeded in lowering their unemployment rate to between six and seven percent.
People still refer with great awe to the Great Depression of the 1930s and the enormous suffering as a result of it. To put our unemployment into perspective: the unemployment rate in South Africa is currently at the same level as that in America during the darkest days of the Great Depression.
Opening up our economy after 1994 and acknowledging the rights of all South Africans created enormous opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors and exporters. It created the opportunity to decrease unemployment significantly. In addition, President Zuma declared last year as the year of job creation. Still the number of unemployed in South Africa is now, after 18 years, more than it was in 1994. Why are we so unsuccessful in tackling the challenge of unemployment?
This government and officials of the ANC do not acknowledge the positive role of employers and entrepreneurs. We saw this again in this debate today. Employers are continually being denounced as everything that is bad. According to Cosatu, labour brokers are guilty of - they use these words - slavery and human trafficking. This while labour brokers in certain industries such as the film and catering sectors, here and internationally, are rendering an essential service.
While the National Planning Commission has increased emphasis on exporting minerals, prominent ANC members are uttering statements that are scaring away investors in mining. Those who wish to develop agricultural land and also invest in it, have to do so in a climate where even members of the Cabinet are threatening to take away land from them without proper compensation. These utterances are harming job creation.
Our training system is not adequately preparing young people for the world of employment.]
Some 400 000 young people that are currently roaming our streets without hope could have benefitted from the DA's proposed youth wage subsidy. [Interjections.] Cosatu is opposing this, and government is faltering because it does not want to anger its partner.
It is not only the 400 000 young people who would have benefitted from this; employment brings with it enormous other social benefits. The DA in the Western Cape last week welcomed 850 young people to the provincial administration as interns. Midvaal, the DA-controlled municipality, has become a preferred destination for investors. While the ANC is killing jobs, the DA is creating opportunities in line with its open opportunity vision. Minister, if you want to realise the vision of the department, and if you want to make a real, positive difference to the people of this country, you will send a clear signal to your colleagues that job creation is a national priority and that public statements that are detrimental to job creation will not be tolerated. You will listen to employers when they warn you that certain proposed changes to labour legislation will lead to further job losses.
Hon members, the evidence is there. You need only move around our country to see the factories that are standing empty.