Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon MECs - including one from my home province, MEC Kenny Mmoiemang from the Northern Cape - and treasured guests in the gallery, central to the crisis in our country are the massive divisions and inequalities left behind by apartheid. We must not perpetuate the separation of our society into a First World and a Third World. That is a disguised way of preserving apartheid.
We must not confine growth strategies to the former while doing patchwork and piecemeal development in the latter, waiting for trickle-down development. The purpose of the Department of Human Settlements is to create an enabling environment for the development of sustainable human settlements, in partnership with stakeholders, to improve the quality of life for all South Africans. The ANC-led government will work to improve the effectiveness of local government, accelerate infrastructure development and create sustainable human settlements. The national priorities are aimed at creating an environment that is conducive to economic growth and social development.
In his state of the nation address that gave the marching orders to the current administration, President Jacob Zuma outlined the following as our key national priorities: education, health, rural development and land reform, creating decent work, and fighting crime. We are responsible for rural housing development, the regulation of home building standards, social housing initiatives, the provision of subsidies, the development of rental stock, and facilitating access to housing for vulnerable groups.
Within the context of human settlements the department has an obligation to work cooperatively with other departments to ensure that housing delivery is matched by other essential services such as schooling, health facilities, access to work opportunities, transport and so forth. This requires integrated planning and execution.
South Africa is a developmental state that plays an active role in guiding economic development and using the resources of the country to meet the needs of the people. We try to balance economic growth and social development. The Department of Human Settlements uses state resources and state influence to attack poverty and expand economic growth. The Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme is one of the ways in which we help to uphold our people's dignity where they live. This programme targets vulnerable communities living in well-located informal settlements. Through this programme, sites in existing informal settlements are upgraded so that residents experience minimum disruptions to their lives and their families are not uprooted.
Government's active intervention in the form of major investment in infrastructure resulted in the construction sector growing by a higher rate than many other sectors. Consequently, the increased employment in this sector has assisted in cushioning the country from the worst ravages of the recession. There are, however, new challenges due to the fact that most major projects in the country have been completed or are approaching completion. However, our communities still require services and support.
We as the government and Public Service have to rise to the occasion by doing so, but by doing things differently. Changed circumstances dictate changes in the way we do things. We certainly have to operate with tightened belts, ensuring that we use the public purse with extreme care rather than squandering it. Mindsets have to change, service providers must understand that government demands value for money, and that the days of government being a cash cow are over. We cannot use our restricted budgets to justify non-delivery. As our President has said, this is a year of job creation, action and effective service delivery. We can and must deliver, doing much more with less. We have to work smarter and harder.
The Department of Human Settlements needs efficiency, dedication, honesty, integrity and the willingness to serve. There is no room for idleness, nor for the squandering and plundering of public resources through fraudulent and corrupt practices and the maladministration of public funds. Those officials and service providers who seek to engage in such conduct will find that there would be no room to hide. As our President has said, those who engage in corrupt and fraudulent behaviour must and will be brought to book. Fraud and corruption remain major challenges across the housing delivery environment.
We continue to identify and act against criminals and have strengthened our relationship with agencies such as the Special Investigation Unit, the Hawks, the Criminal Investigations Service, the SAP Services, and our Internal Audit Unit in order to act against offenders.
The Department of Human Settlements is not here to simply provide a physical structure, as in a house, but to make sure that this is a home for families, part of a sustainable neighbourhood, and that it contributes to economic and social life where cultural, sporting, educational and commercial prowess can be nurtured.
We want to also ensure that the homes provided are of good quality, and that our people get the best value for money. Being poor does not translate into being the recipient of poor quality of service. As the Department of Human Settlements, we honour the sentiments articulated in the Freedom Charter that there shall be houses, security and comfort for all.
In line with the principles of co-operative government, national and provincial governments are supporting and strengthening the third sphere, which is local government, the exit point for service delivery. Provincial and local government enhance municipalities' capacity to ensure decent housing. The South African Local Government Association, Salga, has a mandate to transform local government and to represent its interests at provincial and national levels. The ANC supports this Budget Vote. We thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]