... and hon members, the apartheid government compelled women in 1956 to take their protest action to the streets. They marched against passbooks and oppression. If this government does not address the triple challenge, identified by the President in his state of the nation address, namely unemployment, poverty and inequality by empowering women, they may again take to the streets and march to the Union Building. Watch out, Mr President.
Cope agrees with President Zuma that Africans, women and youth suffer the most. They are greatly affected by all the elements of this triple challenge. According to the Institute of Race Relations, 47,4% of Africans and 28,4% of coloured people were living in poverty in 2010. This means that this section of the population did not receive the R1 315 grant for essential food and nonfood items.
For rural women poverty goes far beyond income poverty. It means walking long distances daily to collect basic needs such as water and firewood. They must walk long distances to visit health facilities, sometimes suffering from diseases that should have been eradicated decades ago, as is the case in developed countries. Mr President, more wealth has to be created to roll back this form of poverty.
We as Cope welcome, with clenched fists and gritted teeth, the President's massive infrastructure development drive. However, we are concerned that this may not be achieved unless the performance of the Public Service is improved, the standard of service delivery is raised and corruption is reduced.