Mudzulatshidulo, mu?homphei Vho Minisi?a, mira?o i ?honifheaho, zwine nda khou tama u ?ahisa zwone nga tshino tshifhinga ndi zwa uri ... [Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members, what I want to say at this moment is that ...]
... job creation and a decent work commitment draw their historical strength from the 1955 Freedom Charter's clarion call that states that "the people shall share in the country's wealth".
At the core of this commitment is the belief that political freedom is incomplete without economic emancipation. We have unacceptable levels of poverty and inequalities, and this situation requires us to fight for the eradication of poverty through, amongst others, programmes of government. These programmes need to target and focus on the majority of the people, who are poor, women and young.
The ANC believes that it is not enough to say that a more equitable sharing of economic growth will lead to the creation of jobs. Structural economic challenges require vigorous economic transformation that will lead to job creation.
The ANC at its 52nd national conference in 2007 stated in an economic resolution that the creation of jobs must be the central focus of our economic policies. This was translated into the ANC's 2009 election manifesto priorities.
This budget must ensure that social capital is built through the creation of jobs in co-operatives, burial societies, stokvels and community trusts. For this to happen, the development finance institutions must give support to these programmes. The New Growth Path speaks directly to such initiatives.
When it comes to creating sustainable jobs through the Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP, particularly for the youth and rural women, one can say that significant numbers of jobs have been created by the Department of Public Works through its EPWP in recent years. This commitment is evident in the budget allocated for the EPWP. This programme seeks to promote the creation of additional employment opportunities. It does this by introducing labour-intensive delivery methods and additional employment and skills programmes for the participation of the unemployed in delivering needed services.
The R75 billion is critical to support public employment programmes as a transitional measure towards full and decent employment. It is important that the department addresses the shortcomings in the public employment programmes, more specifically the development of skills to support better employability of EPWP and Community Works Programme, CWP, participants.
We note that the spending focus over the medium term will be on the creation of work opportunities and the provision of training for unskilled, marginalised, and unemployed sections of our society. It is through this type of commitment by the department that we can ensure equitable growth in our country, with skills development as a critical measure to overcome past inequalities, in particular regarding rural women and young persons.
Joblessness and a lack of scarce skills are root causes of poverty and social dislocation. The ANC speaks of job creation and decent work as an integrated process. We need to ensure that the Expanded Public Works Programme increasingly results in sustainable jobs in order to build the economy. Certainly we are concerned about the quality of certain jobs in the EPWP.
We note that the department intends to provide support to public bodies in different sectors to ensure that they reach the set targets in regard to work opportunities and full-time jobs by 2014. As the select committee we shall have to increasingly monitor the targets relating to the youth and how these pan out in the creation of decent jobs.
We will need to monitor the progress with the department's plan to fill its vacancies, especially given the pronouncement in the 2011 state of the nation address that all vacancies in the Public Service must be filled within six months.
Progress reports on the large infrastructure projects planned by the department, the cost escalations incurred due to delays in the tendering process, and the appointment of contractors will all need the dedicated attention of the committee going forward. This must equally apply to changes made to the scope of work once a project has begun.
Ndi khou pfa ndo takala ngauri Vho Minisi?a vho tou zwi amba zwavhu? i uri u avhelwa ha dzithendara, hu ?o imiswa lwa tshifhinga nyana vha tshi itela u thoma u khwa?hisedza uri zwishumiswa zwo?he zwine zwa sa kone u sudzuluswa zwi ?ivhee uri zwi ngafhi. Izwo vha khou zwi itiswa ngauri hu na zwishumiswa zwinzhi zwi sa sudzuluwiho, zwine zwa vha zwan?ani zwa vha?we vhathu. Ho vha na mukumbululo na u dzhiiwa ha ndaka ya muvhuso hu si na thendelo nga tshifhinga tsha u tshintshana ha mivhuso. Vho Minisi?a vha khou amba zwone. Sa vhavhusi, ri?e ri ri vha khou ita zwone. U bva tshe ra swika fhano Phalamenndeni, hezwo ndi zwone zwe ra vha ri tshi khou lila zwone sa komiti yo lavhelesanaho nazwo. (Translation of Tshiven?a paragraph follows.)
[I feel delighted because the Minister said clearly that the awarding of tenders would be stopped for a while so that she could make sure of where the nonrenewable resources were. This has been done because there are many resources that are nonrenewable, which are in the hands of other people. There was the mobilising and takingover of government assets without permission during the time of the transitional government. The Minister is right. As the government, we say she is doing the right thing. Since we arrived here in Parliament, this is what we have been waiting for as the committee responsible for that.]
Indeed we should receive progress reports on the number of women, youth and people with disabilities taking part in different sectors of the EPWP, and what measures have been taken to ensure that the 2% target is reached for the participation in the programme of people with disabilities.
We welcome an estimated 75 women contractors who have had their skills developed in 2011-12 to aid the development of women contractors. This will increase by 90 women contractors in 2012-13 and by 110 in 2013-14.
Part of the challenge that should be addressed by this budget is the need to transform the construction industry so that it is gender-sensitive and conducive to having women in the workforce. This should be done vigorously, and this transformation should change the mindset of both men and women and create equal remuneration and opportunities.
This leads me to a related challenge involving the fronting of women by their male counterparts, knowingly, in order to secure contracts. This practice must just come to an end, and the department must deal decisively with those found to have been involved in this practice by listing them so that they are unable to secure any tender from government again. The promotion of women empowerment in the construction industry is critical for the future of this industry.
Musi ndi tshi vhuelela hafhu murahu kha zwi kwamaho zwishumiswa, Vho Minisi?a vha fanela u sedzesa nga maan?a mafhungo a u tswa nga n?ila ya tshiofisi ngauri ri a ?i zwi pfa zwauri hu na u rengisiwa ha zwithu zwi tshi rengiselwa vhathu mashango?avha, nga maan?a henefha Kapa Vhukovhela. Sa tsumbo, khamusi shango ?i?we shango ?o ?a ?a renga vhu?we vhupo ha fhano. Hezwo zwithu zwi ?o sia hafho hune ha khou rengiswa hu si tsha vha nga fhasi ha ndangulo ya shango ?a Afurika Tshipembe. U ?o wana kwo no vha ku?we kushango kana ku?angadzime, henefha kha ?a Afurika Tshipembe. Musi vha tshi khou sedzesa izwo zwishumiswa, vha sedzese na mafhungo haya a u rengisiwa hadzo dzi tshi rengiselwa vhathu vhann?a, ngeno ri?e vhane vha fhethu ri sa khou kona u shuma. (Translation of Tshiven?a paragraph follows.)
[Coming back to the issue of resources, the Minister should focus on the issue of collusion because we can hear that there is the selling of resources to people in foreign countries, especially here in the Western Cape. For example, perhaps the other country has come to buy a certain area here. This would make the area no longer under the administration of South Africa. You will find it has now become a part of another country, or an island here in South Africa. When focusing on those resources, focus also on collusion in regard to resources with outside people, while we, the owners of the place, do not work.]
In conclusion, we must ensure that this budget provides livelihoods, in particular for the poor, rural women, the youth and people with disabilities. This focus must happen across all provinces in order that we truly create a better life for all our people.
Vho Minisi?a, vha songo vhuya vha tshuwisiwa nga vhathu vhane vha amba ngeno vhone vha tshi zwi ?ivha zwauri vha khou tou lwela fhedzi u tsireledza zwishumiswa zwavho. Havho vhathu a vha na mushumo na ri?e vhe ra vha ro tsikeledzwa kale. Ndi ?o guma nga uri ri khou tikedza hoyu mugaganyagwama 100%. Kha hu sedzuluswe avho vhane vha khou tsireledza zwishumiswa zwavho vha tshi khou shumisa vhadzulapo vha fhano. Hezwo zwi khou tea u fhela. [U vhanda zwan?a.] (Translation of Tshiven?a paragraphs follows.)
[Minister, you should not be intimidated by the people who speak while they know they are just securing their resources. These people do not care about us who were oppressed for a long time. I conclude by saying that we support this budget one hundred percent. Let those who are protecting their resources using our citizens be investigated. This should come to an end. [Applause.]]