Speaker, hon President, hon Deputy President and ladies and gentlemen, the state of the nation address delivered by you, Mr President, last week presented our nation with two choices: on the one hand, the choice to choose a path to poverty and, on the other hand, the path to prosperity.
Today we must ask ourselves the question: Will we choose the path to poverty, the path of cronyism and corruption, the path of increasing inequality and decreasing opportunity; or will we choose the path out of poverty, the path towards a future where the circumstances of one's birth no longer dictate one's future and where each South African is afforded the opportunity to fulfil his or her own potential?
The ANC government's path, the path where the narrow interests of a few takes precedence over the interests of our nation, is the path to poverty. The DA's path, the path that parts of the country have started to travel where the DA is in government, is the path to prosperity.
This is the path where job creation, service delivery, health, education and safety are the focus. This is the path where promises become plans, and plans become actions. Thus far, the ANC's path has been one of weak leadership and broken promises.
Mr President, last week I launched a document outlining 50 key promises that you have made to our nation and that have subsequently been broken. Our nation's generosity of spirit threatens to turn to impatience because of this. As the official opposition, it is the DA's role, and indeed the role of all opposition parties, to oversee the activities of the executive through analyses such as this. Former President Mandela referred to this as "holding up a mirror to government".
However, as a party of government, and one that is more and more becoming a credible alternative to the ANC administration, the DA followed this expos with the release of a document outlining 100 proposals that we believe can help build a better South Africa.
We released these 100 proposals, Mr President, because the time for yet more sweeping promises has long passed. We released this document because the DA is a party concerned with solutions and setting our country on the path to prosperity. We believe our government should be too.
Now is the time for the ANC government, and for you, in particular, to demonstrate its commitment to tackling the issues that really matter. Now is the time to prove that this administration is committed to action.
Mr President, through you, Mr Speaker, allow me to commend you for dedicating so much of your state of the nation address to the seminal challenges in our country, that of unemployment and job creation. It is also encouraging that you announced a number of policies that were included in our 100 proposals and which we have been advocating for a long time.
Firstly, the DA welcomes your establishment of a R9 billion jobs fund. We welcome this announcement because, on the basis of what Mr Mantashe told the press last week, this appears to be a repackaged youth wage subsidy. This is a brave decision, but the right one. It is brave, because we have all seen the vicious infighting within the tripartite alliance, which caused Minister Gordhan's wage subsidy policy to be stopped in its tracks; and it is right, because for every Cosatu member, there are three unemployed South Africans.
There is no time to be acting in the interests of a few, when maintaining the status quo will deny life opportunities to the many. It is sustainable jobs that our people need, not temporary Expanded Public Works Programme job opportunities, or the dreaded "lwamatoho" that you referred to.
Mr President, we will support your jobs fund, because this is a measure that will combat South Africa's most urgent problem head-on. It will address a problem that Mr Mantashe rightly described as an affront to the dignity of our people, and we believe if implemented correctly, it can create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and cultivate the skills and knowledge needed to compete in a 21st century global economy.
Secondly, we believe that the decision to introduce R20 billion in tax breaks to incentivise investment and expansion in the manufacturing sector is a step in the right direction. This is a sector that provides employment for many thousands of South Africans and can employ thousands more.
We can and must be globally competitive, and we agree that the state has a productive role to play in creating an environment in which our manufacturing and beneficiation sectors can succeed. We now believe that similar measures should be extended to small and medium-sized businesses in the sector as profitable businesses, through taxes, provide the only nonborrowed revenue to combat poverty in South Africa.
It is worth noting that in his 2006 state of the nation address, former President Thabo Mbeki committed his administration to consolidating programmes focused on the small, medium and micro enterprises sector, SMME, such as the Apex Micro Credit Fund, Mafisa, the Small Enterprise Development Agency, Khula, the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, the Industrial Development Corporation's Small Business Initiative and so on.
He also promised that government would ensure that it paid for its purchases from SMMEs promptly. Does that sound familiar? It is five years since these commitments were made, and yet the current ANC government in your speech continues to repeat the same promises. We are marking time, hon President. Implementing critical policies such as these must now take centre stage.
At the first time of asking, Minister Gordhan's wage subsidy proposal was blocked by your alliance partners. We have lost another year - another 12 months in which millions of South Africans remained unemployed; all, I fear, because of the influence of Mr Vavi's members at Polokwane.
So will it be jobs or power, Mr President? Will you protect the needs of South Africans or your own position? Will you deny our citizens jobs to protect your own? That is the essence of your dilemma; and one path will be the path to prosperity, the other path to poverty. What I believe is that there is only one principled decision that can be made and that is to make those difficult decisions that will place us on the path to prosperity.
To achieve this, we must begin by revisiting the way in which we hold our government accountable. Indeed, we must begin by redefining what accountability means and how the instruments of government are used to achieve an open, honest and effective state.
In the first place, the establishment of an entire Ministry dedicated to performance monitoring and evaluation has thus far failed to improve government's ability to deliver. Indeed, Ministers have not even been required to make their performance agreements public. How do we hold those people to account if we don't know what their performance agreements mean?
Secondly, last year's Cabinet reshuffle, rather than illustrating a sincere commitment to accountability, proved to be an opportunity for political scores to be settled and favours bought. Despite lip service being paid to a renewed commitment to improve delivery, many of the Ministers that should have been fired weren't, and those who should have been retained were fired, like Barbara Hogan because -again - she spoke out about corruption. [Applause.]
Thirdly, Mr President, if this truly is an administration committed to accountability, the DA's proposal for the establishment of a presidential portfolio committee should be wholeheartedly welcomed, instead of being buried deep inside interminable parliamentary processes.
An administration committed to accountability would recognise that Parliament cannot fulfil its constitutionally mandated responsibility of conducting effective oversight of the executive if the Presidency, the body at the apex of the executive with transversal responsibilities, is not subject to the same degree of oversight as all other departments.
Mr President, it is imperative that the ANC government departs from those philosophically misguided concepts that are at the heart of the ANC's approach to governance and that act as a powerful barrier to our country's advancement. Cadre deployment has broken our Public Service, fuelled corruption and deepened public mistrust.
Whilst democratic centralism is anathema to our constitutional democracy, these sorts of outmoded ANC policies need to be replaced with a programme of action that advances individual choice, prioritises merit and excellence, and expands opportunities and basic freedoms.
Mr President, The Economist recently said of our system of governance:
Most [ANC] MPs are aware that they must toe the party line or risk finding themselves banished from the list of election candidates. The same fear underpins the ANC's system of "cadre deployment", under which loyal party members are given plum posts and critical ones sacked. Mr Zuma has repeatedly promised to reform the system, but has never quite got around to it.
The time has come, Mr President, to implement those reforms that you obliquely referred to in your speech on Thursday evening. New principles of accountability are urgently needed, but these must also be matched with a new ethos of government.
The National Youth Development Agency's disastrous hosting of a totalitarian youth festival at the end of last year, which was essentially a state-funded ANC Youth League event with a R100 million price tag, is a powerful illustration of the urgency with which this blind spot needs to be addressed.
An administration serious about poverty alleviation would not even have entertained that public funds be dedicated to such an event. An amount of R100 million spent on a festival, Mr President, is R100 million less spent on alleviating poverty.
As various ANC leaders mull over proposals to nationalise mines and ban labour brokers and fight over wage subsidies, millions of South Africans face a daily struggle for survival. At least one of your Ministers understands the scale of the deprivation facing our country. Minister in the Presidency, Trevor Manuel, echoed the sentiments of development economist Amartya Sen when he wrote earlier this year that "poverty is not just a lack of income".
Minister Manuel also drew attention to the unsustainable cycle of dependency engendered by the cash grants system, stating that -
If we fail to change the quality of services delivered to the poor, we reduce the state to an ATM, only capable of handing out cash.
An effective poverty alleviation strategy must, on the one hand, deliver immediate relief to those in need. On the other hand, it must create opportunities for people to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. The ANC has, thus far, failed on both counts.
It is my sincere hope that the work being done by the National Planning Commission, which Minister Manuel heads, will incorporate these observations into its efforts to develop a future vision for our country. It is also my hope that the new growth path, which appears to have been prematurely inspanned as the draught horse of economic transformation and job creation, will be adapted to complement the product of this important commission's endeavours.
Daar is nog ongelooflik baie werk wat gedoen moet word, en ons kan net eenvoudig nie verder bekostig om ons plig te versuim deur mense aan te stel wat nie bereid is om tot diens te wees tot die bevordering van ons land en veral die opheffing van die ellende waarin die armes van ons samelewing bly nie.
Daar is net te veel mense wat misbruik maak van die staat se goedgunstigheid - wat die staat beroof, mense in die gemeenskap afskeep, en net weier om hul verantwoordelikhede na te kom. Hierdie mense sluit in politici op alle vlakke, staatsamptenary, onderwysers, gesondheidswerkers, polisiemanne en - vroue en mense in die strafregtelike beroep.
Indien ons nie ontslae raak van die mense wat deur mnr Vavi beskryf word as "roofdiere wat op die staat toesak" nie, sal ons land en ons mense nooit vooruitgang geniet nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[There is still an unbelievable amount of work to be done, and we simply cannot afford to neglect our duty any longer by appointing people who are not willing to serve the advancement of our country and especially the abolition of the wretchedness in which the poor of our society live.
There are just too many people who abuse the goodwill of the state - who steal from the state, neglect people in the community, and merely refuse to shoulder their responsibility. These people include politicians at all levels, government officials, teachers, health workers, policemen and - women, and people in the judicial profession.
If we do not get rid of the people who are decribed by Mr Vavi as "roofdiere wat op die staat toesak" [beasts of prey that descend upon the state], our country and our people will never enjoy progress.]
To realise the potential of each South African and thereby unlock the potential of our nation, many difficult decisions will need to be made. It will require you, Mr President, to bring an end to ambiguity regarding issues such as nationalisation; to balance the sometimes competing forces of business, workers, the unemployed and environmental sustainability; and to deliver on promises to implement new innovative solutions such as renewable energy to meet our country's needs.
Mr President, you must also take notice of the severe environmental headwinds that are gaining momentum against us, such as acid mine drainage, global warming and the resultant increasingly unstable weather patterns that have a profound impact on our economy and the wellbeing of our people.
In this regard, it is important to reiterate the DA's concerns about the involvement of the ANC's investment arm, Chancellor House, in state projects such as Medupi Power Station, and its fixation with coal-generated energy production.
That Chancellor House has significant interests in state projects appears to be a gross conflict of interest and clearly blurs the line between party and state. Chancellor House's activities are a powerful illustration of the ANC government's attitude towards accountability and transparency.
The DA regards the promotion and protection of basic democratic values such as these as central to good governance and as core components of the path to prosperity. Where we are in government, the DA has made significant strides in embodying these values and demonstrating to South Africans that where the DA governs, it governs well.
The DA welcomes the announcement by the Auditor-General earlier this year, that the DA-run Western Cape is the first province whose financial statements of all of its departments and public entities are financially unqualified. [Applause.]
The fact that the DA accomplished this in its first year of provincial leadership bears testimony to our dedication to clean financial management and efficient administration. These are enormously successful achievements and all the people of the Western Cape will benefit from these.
Ezinye iinkokheli ze-ANC ziyiqaphele impumelelo yorhulumente we-DA. uMnu Mantashe, iNkulumbuso yaKwaZulu uZweli Mkhize, iNkulumbuso yaseMntla Ntshona uThandi Modise, bathi kucacile ukuba i-DA iyakwazi ukulawula nokusa iinkonzo kubantu bonke. [Kwahlekwa.](Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Some ANC leaders have noticed the success of the DA government. Mr Mantashe, Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Mr Zweli Mkhize, and Premier of North West Ms Thandi Modise have said it is obvious that the DA could govern and deliver services to all people. [Laughter.]]
I will today return the favour, Mr President, and wish to commend you and your Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, for the commitment his department has displayed to addressing our country's health crisis, particularly regarding the HIV/Aids pandemic that is devastating poorer communities.
Kodwa umzekelo endifuna ukuwenza namhlanje, wokuqeshwa kwabantu abangenalwazi lokwenza umsebenzi ekufanele bewenzile, ngowasesibhedlele iFrere, apho kuqeshwe khona uceba womasipala wesixeko i-Buffalo uMnu Mosana, nongenalwazi lokuphatha isibhedlele. Imeko ikekele kwesa sibhedlele, nabantu bayafa phaya, Mongameli. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.) [But the example I want to make today is with regard to the employment of people who do not know what they should do in their work. At Frere Hospital the councillor of Buffalo City Municipality, Mr Mosana, is employed and he does not know how to manage the hospital. Things are bad in that hospital and people are dying there, hon President. [Applause.]]
The DA remains, however, deeply concerned about the state of our country's education system, particularly with regard to the ANC government's refusal to tackle the increasingly disruptive role of the teachers' union, Sadtu.
Siyayamkela eyokuba ootishala banelungelo lokuqhankqalaza, kodwa ngeke siyamkele eyotishala abaqhankqalazayo bade baye kwezinye izikolo, bafike baphazamise abantwana kunye nootishala abafuna ukufundisa. Ayamkelekanga tu loo nto. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[We accept that teachers have the right to strike, but we will not accept it if the striking teachers disturb other schools; where they arrive and disturb learners and teachers who want to teach. That is not acceptable at all. [Applause.]]
The situation is so dire in the Eastern Cape that Sadtu has gone from being poacher to gamekeeper.
Bathi abasoze bayamkele imeko yemfundo phantsi kweSebe lezeMfundo kwiMpuma Koloni. [They say they will not accept the education system under the Department of Education in the Eastern Cape.]
Even the Minister had to apologise last week about the state of affairs of education in the Eastern Cape.
Mongameli, abantwana bethu, xa sithetha malunga nooT bakho abathathu, basengxakini ngoba ootishala abanamdla wakubafundisa. Abantwana bethu abanazincwadi zokufunda ngeli xesha sithethayo apha, nootishala abayi esikolweni. Loo nto injalo kwaye icacile. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Hon President, our children, when we are talking about your three T's, are experiencing a problem because teachers do not have an interest in teaching. Our children do not have books to read as we are talking here, and even teachers do not go to school. That is a fact and it is crystal clear. [Applause.]]
At a recent event in East London, Rhodes University Vice Chancellor, Dr Saleem Badat, identified effective leadership and management as key determinants of the success of historically black schools. This is a lesson we can extrapolate to the South African context more broadly. Now is the time, Mr President, when our nation needs the kind of effective leadership and management your administration has thus far failed to provide. President Zuma, on that note, your recent comments that sought to employ religious threats for political ends, have no place in our constitutional democracy. [Applause.] They were an example of the very worst kind of politicking - that which seeks to divide along religious lines, rather than unite behind a common goal. The name of God and heaven should never be used in vain.
Akudlalwa ngegama likaYise. [Kwahlekwa.] [We must not play with God's name. [Applause.]]
Regarding matters facing the African continent, we cannot allow historical ties to liberation movements to render us silent on matters of human rights and oppression in Africa.
We were too slow to support the rightfully elected president of Cote d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara. We were too slow to support prodemocracy protests in Egypt and the departure of Hosni Mubarak. And we have continued to engage lethargically with neighbouring states like Zimbabwe and Swaziland, where democratic reforms are desperately needed and human rights abuses continue unabated.
The appointment of Equatorial Guinea's leader, Teodoro Obiang Nguema as the new chairman of the African Union, is a shameful endorsement of undemocratic principles by a body that was originally established to promote good governance and democracy in Africa.
Recent developments in both Tunisia and Egypt have served as a powerful reminder that governments ought to serve the will of the people and not the other way round. Mr President, respect for accountability remains central to courageous leadership.
With a successful hosting of the Fifa World Cup last year, we learnt some salutary lessons.
Saphumelela ukuzimasa la ndebe, ukugqiba kwabo ukudlala eJamani, sabala iintsuku kwizikhululo zeenqwelomoya, kwabhalwa ukuba kusele iintsuku ezili- 1000, saze sabeka amatye sisithi ngexesha elithile kufuneka sibe sendaweni ethile. Wafika uFifa ezokwenza ulongamelo, sanconywa. Akukho namnye owathi besingenamakhono besiphazanyiswa yimvula okanye ucalucalulo. Sasebenza ngempumelelo kulo Ndebe yeHlabathi. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[We were successful in hosting the Fifa World Cup. When they finished playing in Germany, we were counting the days in our airports - the 1 000 days which we were left with was written down; we started building and told ourselves that by a certain period we should have achieved this much. Fifa arrived to do the inspection, and they praised us. Not even a single one said we do not have the skills, that the rain and/or discrimination disturbed us. We worked successfully during that Fifa World Cup. [Applause.]]
It was one of our greatest moments. President, your administration needs to respect the people of this country in the same way that it respected Fifa.
Finally, I would like to pay tribute to one of the great heroes of our nation. I wish to echo what President Zuma has said of Madiba. I trust that we as a nation will respect his personal dignity now and in the future, and that we will always strive to achieve his vision for this country.
It is by ensuring that South Africa becomes a beacon of peace and prosperity, where every citizen has the opportunity to fulfil his or her own potential, that we can best begin to honour our former President's legacy.
Mr President, true leadership is not only about having a clear vision for the future, a stated outcome or a list of objectives; it is also about having a plan, a detailed map of how to get there.
Your map has two paths and you now have to choose. This choice will define your presidency and define your place in history. You can either choose the path to poverty or the path to prosperity. Thank you. [Applause.]