Hon Chairperson, thank you to those who participated, including those who participated in a negative way. I started by saying that we have a special guest today, Ms Yvonne Chaka Chaka, who is a Roll Back Malaria and Unicef Goodwill Ambassador and UN Envoy for Africa. We have invited her to celebrate her achievement. [Applause.]
She is the first African women to receive the World Economic Forum's Crystal Award for artists who improve the world through their work. She became involved in the malaria campaign after one of her back-up singers, Phumzile Ntuli, died of malaria in 2004. She is also engaged in the daily battle against HIV/Aids and TB. She's a South African. [Applause.] That is why we need to celebrate her success.
In July 2010, when I accompanied the President to the African Union - she was accompanying the AU Social Affairs Commissioner, Adv Gawans, to convince heads of state in Africa to support the Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality, which we are going to launch on 4 May, as I have already said. Please give her another round of applause. [Applause.]
South Africa is one country with nine provinces. For some reason, I am not sure why, people believe that I must begin competing with the provinces that fall under us. This issue of continually mentioning what's happening in the Western Cape, as if it were not part and parcel of the country, must come to an end.
I was listening to this story of the Khayelitsha District Hospital. It is not in my nature and I don't want to begin doing certain types of things, but you're provoking me to do things that are not in my nature. Khayelitsha District Hospital was planned as far back as 2007, before the DA came to power. If you think this is an issue of competition, let me inform you that this was part of the conditional grant from national government. We give conditional grants and the R700 million is that conditional grant.
Let me tell you how conditional grants work. We provide a framework from the national side and the provinces must comply. Whatever they submit is based on the framework that we prescribe. They submit the business plan and we pass it and give the money. That is what we have done. [Interjections.]
The Bertha Gxowa Hospital in Gauteng ... [Interjections.] ... Can you shut up, please, and listen. When you spoke, I was quiet.
The Bertha Gxowa Hospital in Gauteng was built in the same manner. It is a state-of-the-art hospital, a green hospital. I was not there when MEC Mekgwe and the premier opened it, but this is not a competition. It so happened that I came to Khayelitsha because I was available.
I told Premier Zille this because my office confirmed very late that I was coming. They had written the plaque in her name. She said, "Minister, I am sorry. This plaque is written in my name, but I will have it changed and written in your name." I said that it was not necessary as I was not in a competition and that she should leave the plaque in her name. I would just open the hospital. That is the spirit in which we are working here and I don't know what spirit you are bringing to the country with this kind of competing. [Applause.]
We want to rebuild Tygerberg Hospital here in the Western Cape as a state- of-the-art hospital. We have already given R3 million for planning. Should I then start competing? We gave that money and we are going to give no less than R1billion for the refurbishment of Tygerberg Hospital. [Applause.]
I am doing so because this is the Republic of South Africa, it's not the republic of the ANC or the DA. It's the Republic of South Africa for the people of South Africa. The people who go there are South Africans. [Applause.]
We have built Inkhosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, another state-of-the-art hospital. We are going to build the Dr George Mukhari Hospital and the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. We have named six hospitals; they are all going to be state-of-the art hospitals - something you have never done before. There is going to be no competition. We are all South Africans. Please, let's avoid that.
Let me correct the issue of underspending. I am the one who brought this issue of underspending to the fore and I even gave you the figures. We didn't know. Most of the things that you keep on talking about and criticizing - you actually got the information from me. [Laughter.] Yes, I told you ... [Interjections] ... that the underspending on infrastructure has been doubling since 2007. It started at R199 million in 2007, until it was R813 million in 2010, not R1billion, and I said we would correct it. We hired engineers, as Mrs Ngcobo has said.
I can announce to this House that while the underspending was R813 million in 2010-11, in the financial year that has just ended we have decreased it to R390 million. I am standing here to tell you that during this financial year we will eliminate it. Next time you will come and say that again. [Laughter.] We will eliminate it. We decreased it and I was the one who announced that we were going to decrease it. What I promise we will do, we always do in this department. I don't just promise, we promise and do what we promise.
With regard to the issue of the NHI, I am not sure whether you want to sleep through the revolution. This disaster you are talking about is yours and not ours. [Interjections.] If you are planning a disaster, go on! Why do you want to involve us? [Laughter.] I am not moving with you in the direction of that disaster. I cannot take the country to the brink of disaster. [Laughter.]
The issue of universal health coverage is a worldwide phenomenon - you can be left behind - and it is supported and defined by the WHO. Hon Kganare, you talked about politicisation, it is not we who are politicising it. This is a worldwide phenomenon because which citizen of the world should be left behind when health care is financed?
Why is the WHO leading it? Because in 1978 when the WHO passed the Declaration of Alma-Ata, they said that the attainment of the highest standard of health is a worldwide social, goal. And its realisation needs action from all sectors, economic and social in addition to the health sector. That is what we are pursuing.
Let me read the Bangkok Declaration to you. You can go and Google what the WHO was saying about Mexico. That is what I was quoting from. Go and read it. Universal health coverage, sometimes referred to as UC, is a widely shared political aim of most countries, and it has gathered increasing international attention recently. The International Forum on Sustaining Universal Coverage: Sharing Experiences and Supporting Progress, organised by the government of Mexico on 1 to 2 April 2012 in Mexico City, is the latest international high-profile event on universal coverage.
In Mexico City, high-level participants from 21 countries from the six WHO regions, including the Ministers of Health of Mexico and South Africa, as well as the WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, and Assistant Director- General, Dr Carissa Etienne, gathered to exchange experiences and promote international co-operation on efforts to sustain progress towards universal health coverage.
The participants heard about various pathways taken and challenges on the way - challenges, not obstacles - faced by countries on the way to universal coverage. They also discussed and identified supportive action that could be taken at international level, recognising the importance of universal coverage for sustainable development, equity and population wellbeing. Go and check it out. There is the Bangkok Declaration, which was passed in Thailand during the visit by the Portfolio Committee on Health.
Let me tell you what is going to happen. I am going to give you copies of this ... [Interjections.] Please shut up and learn to listen and show respect for that matter, especially to elderly people ... [Interjections.]