Hon Chairperson, I would like to thank Members of the NCOP for initiating this kind of debate. Thanks for the assurance that this is our House and that we should feel comfortable in coming to debate. I think it is very important, especially given the fact that the NCOP interacts much more closely with the people.
I also want to mention at the beginning that I'm humbled by the fact that the SA Local Government Association, Salga, is present here. We are not able to fulfil some of the Expanded Public Works Programmes, EPWP, and that is because some municipalities are not taking advantage of these programmes. Could Salga please make sure that municipalities are informed that this is another opportunity to create jobs for our people. If municipalities do not take advantage of this, our people will not have jobs.
We looked at the report. I don't want to complain, hon Chair, but I think that with Public Works being a custodian of property in the country and also paying rent, which is a contradiction in terms, perhaps the report was on its way to us but we didn't get it. I have looked into the report a little. Given the fact that ever since I got into this Ministry, I've been interacting with regions so that I am a little more familiar with the problems that exist out there, my comments will therefore address those.
You have seen that we have started addressing the creation of jobs in regard to the Department of Defence and Military Veterans. That was one of the very first projects that I had to get into, and I said that it was a baptism of fire. It doesn't look like I'm going to be parting from the fire any time soon! That was the first thing we did, and we can say with pride that our soldiers will be living in very good accommodation. [Applause.]
We have put the emphasis on employing more people, because we are trying to do away with outsourcing functions that could be handled by Public Works itself. We are paying double money for a lot of things that we should not be paying for. We are employing people who are artisans, and yet we outsource functions to other artisans outside. Hence the call that the Minister has been making - that we should get South Africans to work in South Africa. That is because we know what happens out there - people who end up getting the tenders will go to vulnerable non-South Africans and pay them peanuts, taking advantage of the fact that people are struggling here at home.
We have also looked at completing our asset register. We cannot continue to be told that our asset register is incomplete. We should also understand that not all South Africans are as loyal as some of us are in this House. There are those who have given themselves assets of the state illegally. Hence today - well, I had to respect the NCOP first - I was supposed to launch operation "Mazibuye izindlu zoMzantsi" [Assets of South Africa must be returned]. [Applause.]
We have launched the campaign and it will run for six months. It's an amnesty campaign where we are saying that those South Africans who would like to legitimise themselves should come forward and say, "I am staying in this house. I know very well that I'm not paying rent and I know very well that I haven't bought the house, but I would like the state to assist me."
However, we cannot have that period forever. As soon as the six-month period lapses in August, the law will kick in. This is what we are trying to say to South Africans. We think that once those buildings are back in our control we can use those buildings, rehabilitate them, lease them out, and get more South Africans to work in maintaining those buildings.
We have also decided that a lot of our children, especially those who are at tertiary level, are being taken for a ride when it comes to accommodation. I'm sure all of you have headaches when children go to universities and tertiary institutions. As custodians of the land and properties of the state, we need to be able to provide higher education with space and say that that is where you can get accommodation. Because it has been created by the state, it will also come with a subsidy. When we were attending tertiary institutions, the state looked after us. We are saying that we are bringing that back.
All this means that we have to employ as many people as possible. Those of you who heard me when I was speaking to Siki Mgabadeli on SAfm last week will know that I even said that because our uniform is orange, a lot of South Africans will have to start buying sunglasses because ...
... niya babona ukuba bagcwele yonke indawo. [... you can see they are all over the place.]
When you are in Mpumalanga, you find them. Go to the Eastern Cape and you find them. So, just get used to the fact that those orange overalls are something that we will be seeing every day. We will be making sure that a lot of our people are taken off the streets and away from begging and they can put food on their tables. Why are you not clapping your hands, hon members? [Applause.]
The President spoke of mud schools. We heard him very well when he said that we could not continue, 17 years into our democracy, and still have learners in mud schools. I understand very well, and the acting Chief Whip is right when he says that we inherited a mess from the apartheid regime. Otherwise we wouldn't be talking about what we are talking about now. Our children are learning in mud schools.
To that end, sir, we have started building 10 schools in the Eastern Cape. In the middle of April, if all goes well, we will be handing those schools over to the Eastern Cape. [Applause.]
We don't want to stop there because what I'm talking about is old money. I'm not here talking about the budget that we are going to be debating. This is money that we would not have spent if we had not rushed to do so. We know what happens if you don't spend money: You can't get more money because you have not shown a capacity for spending. So we have those schools.
When the Deputy President was in the North West a few days ago, on Saturday actually, we announced that we would also be building two schools there; two very beautiful, state-of-the-art schools, because you know that the Minister is very much married to five-star quality! If it's not five-star quality, the Minister gets uncomfortable.
Now, you must have seen that we are calling on all retired professionals in the built environment. We are saying that they should return. You may be a pensioner because of your age, but at heart you are very much involved in the built environment. So they are coming in. I can tell that lady who is wearing a protea T-shirt and was calling for artisans that we now have over 1000. Thank you, South Africa, for responding so well. [Applause.]
These are South Africans who are saying, "Even if you don't pay me, I've made money and I just need to mentor the young artisans and make sure that they are able to do their work in the correct manner." So we are very happy. We think that we are on the right track in terms of building capacity and also showing people that if we say that South Africa works because of Public Works, we are able to display and demonstrate and show that.
These projects that we are talking about are just pilot projects. During the budget we will be announcing how we are going to be rolling over, doubling and tripling the numbers that we are talking about. If the money and the land are there, the people are unemployed, and all these belong to the state of South Africa, why can't we combine them and have a win-win situation for everybody?
We think that it can be done. In the three months that we have been in office we have seen that it can be done. We think that we can say - unashamedly so - that we are promising you things that are going to change the face of our country, because Public Works is one of the departments that can change a number of things.
I have seen the concerns that you have raised, especially in the Free State. We have met with the MEC, and we met with the premier two weeks ago. There are a number of things that are happening there. We are putting in a new legislature in the Free State and, as a result, we need to employ as many people as possible. The land that the Free State needed belonged to national Public Works. We have signed it off and given it over to the Free State.
Ha re bapale, re a sebetsa. [Mahofi.] [We are not playing, we are working. [Applause.]]
Let me refer to the killing off - because some of these things are deliberate - of small, medium and micro enterprises, SMMEs, where SMMEs are not paid on time and they collapse and cannot rise again, because they don't have any other money to use. Public Works has launched a campaign called "Re Ya Patala" [We Pay]. The President says it must be within 30 days; but at Public Works we are giving ourselves a ceiling of 15 days, because we have seen that it can be done. We have also launched a competition among the units that we have at Public Works so that we see the bad guys and the good ones. This is so that when we punish people, we don't punish everybody.
There are many things that are going to happen. There are times that as a leader you need to take unpleasant decisions, and if you take unpleasant decisions, I expect hon members to say, yes, that was the right thing to do. Let's go out there and deal with corruption, thieves and people who make sure that money does not reach its intended goals. Let's make sure of that together, because I think I like your theme that when we work together, a number of things can be done. I would have loved to stay longer, hon members, but you do understand that I just came for the NCOP debate and also to encourage you that I really want to have very hands-on working relations with you.
All criticisms are welcome; I am big enough for that. I won't cry; I'm not a child. Bring them because I know that from them one can grow. Bring them and bring suggestions as well, because we only have one country. You and I, those of us who do not have more than one passport, have nowhere else to run to. This is our country and together we can build it, because it was in a mess when we took it over from the apartheid regime. We need to show them we are going to restore the confidence and the pride of our people. We are going to bring it back to our people.
Ubuntu re bo tlise hape bathong ba rona hore ba kgone ho bona hore re a ba rata le rona. [We should bring ubuntu to our people so that they can see that we also love them.]
I want to conclude by saying we are also doing planning. Maybe it is early for me to mention this, but it is something that has worried me for many years, even when I was a presiding officer nabo Ntate Mahlangu [with Mr Mahlangu]. Our Members of Parliament cannot use Parliament efficiently. Around four o'clock, we all have to rush to the buses. We can't use the libraries and the restaurants, and enjoy ourselves as MPs. [Interjections.]
Yes, Minister, you are right. We can't even call people after hours and say, "Come, let's just have a cup of coffee." What we see in other countries is this, and we have seen a lot. I worked very closely with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, where 150 parliaments are represented. I was an executive of that body. I travelled in those countries and I have seen the dignity with which MPs are treated. [Applause.]
We are trying this. We will be begging for more money and we are trying to get our Members of Parliament accommodated closer to Parliament. It is a process that we think can be done. It can be started. We are also in agreement with a number of people who hold land around here that it can be done.
Can you imagine going home and having supper between seven and eight and still walking back to your office and continuing to work? Here in this Parliament you can't do that because at times we have to be dragged out of the last meeting because of the buses. I think that with all these plans that we have, we are definitely going to bring back the dignity that Members of Parliament deserve. They deserve better. [Applause.] If the plan works, we would like to see Members of Parliament residing apart as Members of Parliament and the staff residing where the staff can reside. That can be done.
Public Works will be going from area to area. I told my staff that there's a lot of work to be done but I think I'm equal to the task. We will be knocking on doors in villages and everywhere. We have the 10 schools that we have started in the Eastern Cape.
We are also building bridges because we don't want to see what happened during the floods. We, together with the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, have signed a memorandum of understanding, MOU. You'll be seeing us in your provinces, building bridges, making sure that when it rains, that doesn't mean it is the end of school for the children. At the end of the year we expect them to participate and compete with those who live in the comfort of Constantia. Then they are able to say that our children are faring badly when, in actual fact, it is the conditions under which they find themselves that are not conducive to learning and education.
I would like to end here and also say that any time there is a topic related to Public Works, members should please feel free to call me. When time permits, I will make sure that I make myself available. Thank you. [Applause.]