Hon Chair and hon Minister Mahlangu- Nkabinde, I greet you. I saw hon Minister Xingwana, and will address her in absentia. I also greet hon Gigaba. I must state from the outset that I am tempted simply to engage with the debate, instead of looking at this prepared speech of mine.
I just want to say, lest we forget, that the historical mission of the ANC is the creation of a nonracist, nonsexist, democratic and prosperous country. When it speaks of prosperity, the key question should come in: prosperity for whom? And probably, prosperity how?
From that historical mission it can be stated that the answer is simple, that the prosperity we are talking about as the ANC is for a primary motive force of the ANC, which is the working class. In the main it is those who are at the periphery, those who are at the end of the access to these kinds of resources.
As a result of having identified prosperity to benefit this particular primary motive force of our revolution, it needs a particular kind of state to handle it. This is to be able to ensure that the processes, instruments and programmes that are put in place are those that will be driven by this state which the ANC has come to characterise as a developmental state. By a developmental state the ANC simply means a caring and loving state, a state that is going to take responsibility and intervene on behalf of the poor, a state that will put in resources and ensure that such resources tend to benefit the poor. And, as they benefit them, they change their conditions of existence.
This particular department, Public Works, then becomes strategic as a department that will be able to intervene and address the interests of the poor. The key issues that have been identified by the ANC are poverty and unemployment, in particular among young people, women and rural people.
There is a whole misconception about the EPWP, and this becomes problematic if we continue to think of the EPWP in the manner in which we argue in this regard. The EPWP was an interventionist approach by the state, this caring state, in regard to the problem which it saw there.
The market, unfortunately, the capitalists of this world or of South Africa, those who own the means of production, do not have an interest in resolving this problem. They don't have an interest in creating employment. They have not done it. They have, in actual fact, failed when it comes to the issue of job creation. [Applause.] Therefore the state said that it would intervene in the matter and it would create jobs. Whether the capitalists call these short-term jobs or whatever, the state said it would do something in order for people's lives to be better.
Therefore, with regard to the interventionist strategy that was then implemented in the form of the EPWP, from the outset the department said that this was a way of ensuring that it broke the culture of people not working - just the culture of not working. It would create a platform for people to be reoriented - to wake up and go to work and get something. Young people, as they went out there, would be able to include in their CVs the culture of work and capacity to work as things that they had acquired. That was one of the objectives of the EPWP.
Secondly, let me come to the issue of skills, whether you call them short- term skills or whatever. How do we inculcate a spirit of wanting to do something in your own capacity, and wanting to do something in order to be able to get something out of it at the end of the day? Part of the intervention was to create an environment where young people would be able to be trained. For example, they could be welders - just a basic skill to be able to do something for themselves.
When the issue of the EPWP is not understood in its proper context, it has the capacity to divert us from the major issues that we want to deal with. Of course, we as the ANC have accepted that one of the evils we are going to fight is corruption within the state, and we are making bold decisions and resolutions in this regard. As part of doing that, we have even pronounced that it is not only in the manner in which you characterise it. It goes beyond that, to the question of women fronting. It's not only about race or blacks, but about women being used as fronts in the EPWP.
We as the ANC said that these were some of the things that needed to be undone. These were the things that needed to be confronted head-on in the department.
We also said, hon Minister, that there was a lack of capacity at the level of municipalities to drive the EPWP. We raised this matter with the department, saying that part of what the department needed to do was to move into the municipalities to build that capacity.
We have noticed that there is an unevenness, especially when it comes to the expenditure or usage of the infrastructure grants that are being transferred to municipalities, and so forth. As the ANC we feel that this is very important, especially the roles. There is a lack of clarity about the role of the provincial offices. How do they complement the work that they are doing with the provinces by assisting municipalities? That is one of the areas we have said it is probably important that we look at.
Let me come to the other part on economic development, and I think that's where the hon member and I might differ, but this is the position of the ANC as well. The establishment and strengthening of co-operatives is a means of expanding and socialising economic development. That is what we are saying. Moreover, it is not only that. As a committee and as members we are engaging with the department. Not only is it about the establishment and the funding of co-operatives, but the education that goes with that. Co- operatives, as compared to the small, medium and micro enterprises, SMMEs, are totally different. It's a total paradigm shift in thinking about what their contribution is; what their working values and culture are; and how people see themselves as beneficiaries of these co-operatives. Therefore, that mindset, the thinking of the participants, especially young people, is very important.
Unfortunately, the orientation of the South African population in economic terms has always been influenced by capitalist values. Once a person thinks of getting involved in a tender that was given to a co-operative, the first thing he or she thinks is: "What I am going to get at the end of the day? Am I going to get rich quickly out of this kind of thing?" If they can't get rich quickly, they get frustrated. That is why you find that many co- operatives which were established with good intentions collapse and do not achieve the objectives they wanted to achieve. I think that it is important that over and above the establishment, support and all the other things to do with this, the department should educate people. The education is quite critical, hon Minister.
I don't know where the hon Groenewald got what he said about the Western Cape, but let me not glorify the issues that he raised and the manner in which he did so.
As I conclude, let me say that we want to congratulate the department, especially on the manner in which it has set itself the goal of ensuring that it confronts corruption and deals with it once and for all, unlike other people who, of course, want to claim to be champions of fighting corruption. I thank you. [Applause.]