Chairperson, hon Ministers, hon members, leadership of Salga and distinguished guests, the late President of Tanzania, Julius Mwalimu Nyerere, once quoted:
As politicians we must always guard against the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.
That is exactly what was happening when the Minister presented the budget.
If you take the strategic plan and quote it out of context, you will end up distorting everything. Let me quote:
In the life of every nation, there arise men who leave an indelible and eternal stamp on the history of their peoples; men who are both products and makers of history. And when they pass they leave a vision of a new and better life and the tools with which to win and build it.
These are not just ordinary words. They are the words that were used by the late son of the soil, Dr Yusuf Dadoo, when describing Moses Kotane. I think that you will agree with me that it is fitting to describe Mama Sisulu as such. May her soul rest in peace.
Today, given the current challenges in this century, are we that leadership? An honest response coupled with serious introspection will make future generations proud of us. In nine days' time we will be commemorating 35 years since the 1976 uprising. This was more than just an event; it was a patriotic achievement that helped our country to take a different shape. As a result of that uprising, we are now enjoying the benefits of the gains they fought for.
Today I am standing in front of you as an hon Member of Parliament, all because of their dedication and heroism. It is now the current generation's responsibility to follow in their footsteps in a way that seeks to improve what they achieved.
Our work is far from complete. We are only at the beginning of a long journey to a truly united, democratic and prosperous society, based on the principles contained in the Freedom Charter. Yet we are confident that the strategy and policies we have adopted will take us further towards the goal of a better life for all.
For those who are puzzled by the quotation, it is a declaration from the 52nd conference of the African National Congress. The Minister was very clear about the challenges and the mandate of the department, hence the statement in her introduction of the strategic plan that over the next Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, she will ensure that she refines the Integrated National Electrification Programme to eradicate the electrification backlog as part of the department's endeavour in achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2014.
Not only that, but the department will work hand in hand with the private and public sector institutions in order to build prosperity through service delivery.
The ANC's 52nd national conference in Polokwane noted that interventions such as the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme have made significant but insufficient progress; efforts to extend free basic services to all our people are slowest to reach rural areas and farm dwellers; and that many rural areas are still lacking basic infrastructure such as electricity supply.
This lack of infrastructure entrenches the problems of chronic poverty and limits the potential of communities to sustain economic growth, rural livelihoods and social development. The ANC's third national general council in September 2010 resolved that universal access and services, with integrated infrastructure planning and roll-out targeting rural areas - also as far as electrification is concerned - was needed in rural areas.
Access to electricity is essential for good health. Rural women and children spend several hours every day gathering fuel, wood and water for household needs, often over considerable distances.
Because of these demands on their time and energy, women and children are denied opportunities for other endeavours such as economic activities and school attendance, respectively. They also suffer considerable damage to their health, especially respiratory diseases from indoor air pollution, by having to cook indoors on poorly ventilated stoves.
The use of electricity in economic production can improve social welfare, since people are more able to afford health and other social services when they have better paying jobs. In particular, enhanced access to electricity is important for improving agricultural productivity, not just in terms of volume of crops grown, but also in postharvest value-added activities such as drying, processing, conservation and transport, all of which require electricity and other forms of energy.
Most of the poorest households are headed by women. Therefore, access to energy services is particularly important for women, given that energy services and technologies are not gender neutral. The lack of electricity reinforces gender inequalities.
Women and girls are disproportionately burdened by a lack of access to modern fuels and electricity since they are responsible for fuel gathering, cooking and food preparation. In addition to the time spent gathering fuel, most traditional staple foods involve a large amount of threshing, dehusking or grinding, which is mostly done through female labour in the poorest households and regions due to a lack of access to mechanical power.
Many girls are withdrawn from school to attend to such domestic chores with lifelong harm to their literacy and economic opportunities. Therefore, energy services such as heat for cooking and power for food processing are particularly important for rural-based women and girls.
Access to electricity contributes to the empowerment of rural women. Women in households with electricity are more likely to have access to information about gender issues from radio and television than women in households without electricity. Electric lighting in homes enables both adults and children to study after their daytime activities, thereby increasing the likelihood that women will read and children will attend school, regardless of their income level.
Electricity supply in rural schools enables the use of educational media and communications, including information and communication technologies, while it helps to retain teachers by improving their quality of life. Hence we are supporting the suggestion that the Deputy Minister has to accompany the President to the Eastern Cape to attend to that, as I have mentioned.
Electric equipment for pumping and treating water contributes to a clean water supply, which reduces the incidence of waterborne diseases. Providing heat to boil water also reduces these diseases - the leading cause of child mortality.
By boosting agricultural production and household incomes, electricity helps to reduce malnutrition, which is such a big factor in child mortality. By switching to electric stoves, the poor can avoid emissions that cause respiratory ailments.
In 1993, one year before the end of apartheid, over two thirds of South African households were without electricity. More than 80% relied on firewood for home heat production. Following the new ANC government's commitment to universal electrification, two million, or 23%, of all households across the country were newly connected to the grid by 2001.
The concept of electrification and especially rural electrification, found a natural home in the ANC, which was immediately receptive to the idea of an accelerated programme, based on the Freedom Charter which included socioeconomic rights to houses, security and comfort, and which thereafter became a basis for the ANC and its political programmes.
The provision of safe electricity services was seen as a fundamental pillar of the programme of reconstruction and development. As part of the national electrification programme, Eskom committed to electrifying 300 000 households annually from 1995 onwards.
These targets were regarded as firm and non-negotiable. Eskom met their connections targets in most years. Between 1993 and 2003, over R10 billion was spent on household electrification and over 470 000 households were electrified in KwaZulu-Natal province alone.
Once an area had been targeted for electrification, each household was fitted with the basic connection package, consisting of an electric circuit board, a prepayment meter, three plug points and one light bulb. Households received a default supply of 2,5 amperes.
This clearly highlights the fact that the department is continuing to implement the Integrated National Electrification Programme, and that it remains a firm government priority. However, it is a pity that no clear indications are given as to what proportion of the funds are earmarked for such a very important rural electrification project by which advances can be measured.
The ANC supports the Energy Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]