House Chair, five days ago, on 8 March, the world celebrated International Women's Day. Today we celebrate this day under the theme "Empower Rural Women - End Hunger and Poverty". Yes, the theme is indeed suitable for the current status of many women in our country, not just rural women. In 2008, 68% of African women were living in poverty, compared to 60% of African men. In three predominantly rural provinces - Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo - 60,1% of women were living in households with an income below the poverty line.
Poverty is the principal cause of hunger. According to the United Nation's general facts about poverty, more than 800 million people in the world go to bed hungry every day, and 500 million of these are adults.
Apha eMzantsi Afrika kukho abantu abadala ababulawa yindlala kodwa abaziwa. Akutshiwo ukuba indlala ngunobangela wokusweleka kwabo. Indlala ibangelwa kukungabikho kwamathuba engqesho, ukungabikho kwezakhono, ukungafumani mathuba okufunda, kwanokungafumani amalungelo okuba nomhlaba nemali- mboleko. Nanku ke umbuzo: Ungakanani umgama osele uhanjiwe ngurhulumente ukuqinisekisa ukuba abasetyhini bafumana umhlaba ngaphandle kwezithembiso nokuzinikela? (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Here in South Africa there are unknown elderly people who are dying of hunger. It does not mean hunger is the cause of their death. Hunger is caused by a lack of job opportunities, a lack of skills, a lack of access to education and a lack of access to land and to the ability to make cash loans. So, here is the question: How far has the government gone in ensuring that women have access to land - besides promises and commitment?]
Many rural women are involved in communal farming, which is the most neglected sector. We only ever hear about small-scale and commercial farmers. What is the government doing to assist these communal farmers in terms of land, skills, access to markets and credit? How many women are the beneficiaries of land restitution?
Bangaphi abasetyhini abazingomba isifuba besithi: "Lo mhlaba ngowam.?" [How many women can boast and say: "This land is mine.?"]
The Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities should lobby all government departments and the private sector to mainstream the microfinance needs of rural women, who are economically marginalised. These women will revive the depressed rural areas' economic outlook, create jobs and reduce poverty.
Hunger is also a cause of poverty. Hunger causes malnutrition and poor health indicators. It can lead to even greater poverty by reducing people's ability to work and learn. Poverty in rural areas means having to walk long distances every day in order to collect water and firewood.
Ukuya kukha amanzi emlanjeni kulindeleke ukuba kube yingxaki enkulu ngenxa yokuguqu-guquka kwemo yezulu. Ukuhamba umgama omde usiya kukha amanzi okanye usiya kutheza iinkuni kubeka abasetyhini esichengeni sokuba ngamaxhoba odlwengulo nohlaselo. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.) [Fetching water from the river is expected to be a huge problem because of climate change. To walk long distances to fetch water or to collect wood puts women at risk of falling victim to rape and violence.]
In the 2009 state of the nation address, rural people were promised comprehensive rural development in order to develop vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities. We acknowledge the pilot projects in some rural areas ... nangona abantu basemakhaya besalindele ukuza kukaNxele. [... even though rural people have been waiting for a very long time.]
Please, roll out the programme ... iyafuneka. Enkosi. [... it is needed. Thank you.]