Chairperson and hon members, South Africa aims to create job opportunities through infrastructural development. That makes the Department of Public Works key, not only to the maintenance and creation of infrastructure but because their role is directly linked to what South Africans aspire to.
When we look at different departments and what is needed in each of those in order to optimally serve South Africans, infrastructural development always comes up. The UCDP is aware that the Minister is fighting against the tide, in respect of the department being fraught with corruption. To his credit, he has come out clearly saying that he has his hands full and that he is using his broom to sweep out of the department all the clots, both within and without the department, before the department dies from a thrombosis. Good luck, Minister.
In his state of the nation address, the President raised three issues of concern, namely poverty, joblessness and inequality. The Department of Public Works fits in in this regard. They should employ engineers and all staff full time and have armies of men and women working permanently for the department, even in menial jobs. In the process, the department will people to qualify for pensions as government employees. They should rid the department of tenderpreneurs. The Department of Public Works has to rise to the occasion and provide quality infrastructure and jobs.
We note, however, that the Minister has had no success in some of the areas I have just mentioned. Despite claims that employment is rising, there is undeniable evidence that South African unemployment and poverty are very high by international standards. The unemployment rate, using a broad definition, sits at 41%, while poverty is somewhere between 40% and 45%. Different strategies have been used to tackle these problems.
There has recently been a focus on the EPWP. While Public Works' programmes are a valid component of a social protection policy, an EPWP is unlikely to have a significant impact on the problems of poverty and labour-market access or the associated growth unless the government expenditure allocated to the programme is substantially increased. The Minister indicated that, as one says in IsiZulu:
ISabelomali sabo silingana nenso yenyoni. [Their budget allocation is very small.]
The associated institutional constraints are addressed. On that note, the UCDP supports the Budget Vote of the Department of Public Works. [Applause.]