Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers present here, hon members, comrades and distinguished guests ... ka Sepedi re re lehumo le t?wa t?hemong [... in Sepedi we say the wealth comes from the field].
The year 2011 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Forests, under the theme "Forests for People". In its declaration, the United Nations reminded the world that as countries we have commitments to the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the plan of implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002.
Forests are home to three million people around the world. In the commercial forestry industry in South Africa we employ approximately 170 000 people. The conservation and forestry-related sectors directly employ a further 250 000. An estimated 275 000 people are involved in harvesting, processing and selling non-timber products.
The major restructuring of the forestry sector that took place between 1996 and 1999 under the direction of the National Forestry Action Plan has resulted in the forestry function changing. This process of policy change from forestry management by the state to the development of the potential of the forestry sector has not been easy.
The president of the ANC, in his political overview address to the January 2011 ANC national executive council lekgotla stated that 2011 was the year of economic transformation for "our national project and our nation- building project". The ANC has declared as the top priority for 2011 the creation of jobs within the context of economic transformation. The job losses that were incurred in the 1990s during the restructuring of the forestry sector must be seen to be creating employment in 2011 and eradicating the poverty surrounding so much of our forests. Therefore this Budget Vote must be analysed in the context of whether or not it is delivering on these fundamental mandates.
Our greatest contribution as a nation to the International Year of Forests and its obligations is to ensure that job creation and the eradication of poverty are seriously addressed by the forestry sector, be it in the management of state forests, the oversight of the commercial and small- scale forestry industry, or with regard to indigenous forests.
For this to happen, we need to recognise the very significant role forestry plays in the lives of a large number of rural people, particularly the poor. A new vision for forestry was adopted in 2003, with the emphasis and vision on the overall promotion of socioeconomic development and equity through the sustainable use of the country's forests.
The forestry vision focuses efforts on socioeconomic development and the eradication of poverty. It puts people and their development at the heart of forestry, and recognises that although forestry already contributes to the alleviation of poverty, it has the potential to do much more. The forestry sector has the responsibility to create an enabling environment for economic and social development through sustainable forestry.
The ANC seeks to ensure that the forestry sector undertakes its business in an environmentally sustainable manner in order to ensure that posterity is neither robbed of a nonreplenishable natural resource nor burdened with environmental debts.
The forestry industry is of considerable importance to the national economy and to a large number of poor people living in rural areas. The forest products industry ranks amongst the top exporting industries in the country. In 2008 exports from commercial forests amounted to R59 billion. Employment is estimated at 170 000 permanent, contract and informal workers. Between 390 000 and 560 000 mostly rural South Africans earn a living on the basis of the forestry sector.
We need to take stock of where we are in terms of the decentralisation of the management of the forestry sector in South Africa. Whilst some would want to call it transformation, it is more correctly a transition from one system of forestry governance to another, transferring ownership of the management of forests but not the land. While policy reforms and ongoing support have created real opportunities, putting this into practice for a more equitable distribution of benefits, job creation and more sustainable forest management continues to be a challenge.
In many cases, inadequate technical competencies, funding and incentives have constrained effective implementation on the ground. Conflict can make governance particularly challenging. We have experienced this in the community forestry sector.
Increased trade investment and financial flows in and out of South Africa and Southern Africa also add a layer of complexity to the governance of commercial forests. These issues and challenges are likely to take on even greater significance in the context of current discussions on reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation in the international climate change debate.
At a continental level, it is time to take stock of challenges and to synthesise Africa's unique experiences in forest governance. This will help in identifying the features of more promising systems of forest governance, and support African decision-makers at diverse levels to better leverage governance transitions for the benefit of forest communities and society at large.
Turning to the relationship between forestry and climate change, for many South Africans and especially on the African continent, climate change is not something that is going to happen in the future. It is already affecting their water supplies and their ability to grow trees and crops.
The pressure is on us now politically to manage and adapt to significant changes in the climate. We cannot wait until international institutions have concluded debates and decided approaches. We need to directly assist and act now within the context of the forestry sector. Forests have a vital role to play in the future of the planet and in sustaining life on earth. The role of forests in providing ecosystems and services is critical, and the need to both protect and restore them is urgent.
This year's Budget Vote reflects the changes that the department continues to go through. The result is that some programmes have been renamed and combined. The "sustainable use and protection of land and water" mandate of the former Programme 2 and the "disaster and risk management services" mandate of the former Programme 3 have been added to the Forestry Programme in the current Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period.
The government priority outcomes through which the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors will play a role in ... The ANC supports the Budget Vote. [Time expired.] [Applause.]