Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members of the House, and officials, this is one of the most important departments, because it is both a job creator and a driver of service delivery in South Africa. The mandate of the department produces a high expectation that the Department of Public Works will deliver. Time and again it is mentioned that South Africa is the most unequal society in the world. This department is mandated to alleviate poverty and unemployment and this must be addressed with focus and determination.
Youth development is vital in the development of the state. Ford Foundation research has shown that 2,8 million of the 18- to 24-year-olds are unemployed and not engaging in either education or training. In other words, over 40% of our youth are not productively engaged. The reality facing this department is that very few individuals are working, and this in itself poses a massive problem for the future of South Africa. We are a long way from alleviating poverty and unemployment.
We applaud the Minister for halting the multimillion rand upgrade of President Zuma's Pretoria residence. It is worrying that R192 million was budgeted to upgrade the President's home in the first place. The lavish lifestyles of the political elite show that the focus of this government has swayed from its original mandate. We have to reassess our priorities when it comes to utilising state resources, in order to use them in an efficient way.
Hon Minister, in line with President Zuma's state of the nation address, all vacancies must be filled within six months. We trust that the 1 348 vacant posts in the department will be filled within an appropriate time.
For 2011-12, agency and outsourced services increased by 69,1%. This fact alone shows that the department does not have the requisite skills to complete its work in-house. A turnout strategy is required in this regard.
The first technical agreement between South Africa and Cuba to address the shortage of technically skilled personnel is almost coming to an end. Did we fully utilise the skills that these professionals had to offer, and what does this department have to show for the past 3 years in terms of training and skills development? Assessment is required of the first term in order for us to fully utilise the second 3-year term of the agreement between South Africa and Cuba.
Hon Minister, this department also has to promote a human rights-orientated Public Service. Many children are still without transport to school and have to travel many kilometres to school in all weather conditions. Co- operation between the three spheres of government is required in this regard.
Government cannot afford not to spend the full budget allocated. Every cent unspent costs jobs. Government is the major client in the construction sector and therefore has the ability to make a significant impact on employment creation through investment in infrastructure. Zulch Ltter reported that the R12 billion of the budget unspent by government in the last year, excluding the state-owned enterprises, equated to a loss of 100 000 jobs. The year 2011 has being declared the year of job creation - it is therefore vital for the allocated budgets to be spent accordingly.
Last year the Minister stated that the goal was to raise the bar in service delivery and client relationship. Nevertheless, one of the greatest challenges is to expand the rural footprint of the EPWP, the Expanded Public Works Programme, and make the projects more accessible to rural communities and the municipalities that service them. The Expanded Public Works Programme must focus on establishing a sound support base in rural municipalities. The department has to engage fully with local government in order to ensure that its image is improved through better service delivery.
Furthermore, municipalities either own or control substantial amounts of real estate, yet there seems to be very little evidence to suggest that the country's local and municipal governments view their holdings as a portfolio that must be harnessed to better serve public objectives. This opportunity must be realised, and it is concerning that that Minister Mahlangu announced a couple of months ago that government had discovered 33 000 buildings that it owns but never knew about! Chairperson, thank you very much. R12 billion. [Laughter.] [Time expired.]