Madam Deputy Speaker, hon President, Deputy President and hon members, the UDM welcomes the President's seemingly renewed focus on the question of job creation.
Unemployment has been the single biggest challenge facing the nation for the past two decades. The President repeatedly referred to decent jobs, and one is obliged to observe that there is nothing decent about having no job at all.
We would argue that when labour policy is reviewed, government and labour must consult and compromise on acceptable entry levels into the job market to avert a situation that permanently excludes our unemployed workforce from jobs, while admitting illegal immigrant workers at low wages.
Over the past 16 years, predecessors of President Zuma and eloquent speakers from the ruling party had also stood at this same podium and made promises of economic development, but sadly without these promises translating into job creation. There are genuine doubts that this time around these promises will be fulfilled, when the millions of jobs previously promised did not appear.
When some of us called for an economic indaba to review the current economic fundamentals, among other things, we were shouted down, on the one hand. On the other hand, the gap between the haves and have- nots escalates.
The imbalances and backlogs of the past inform UDM policy under the heading, "Government must do more". I remember some years ago in this House, when we called upon the government to do more, the then Minister of Finance, Mr Trevor Manuel, shouted that such an approach was outdated. However, the truth is that not only the early 20th century Afrikaners resolved their so-called "poor white" problem with intensive government investments in the economy. Similar examples of state intervention in the economy can be found throughout history up to this day in major economies across the globe, including the so-called architects of capitalism. They understand that it is the duty of government to support local business and create local jobs by providing adequate infrastructure.
Another example of government intervention in the economy occurred during the recent international credit crisis, when a country such as the USA spent trillions of US dollars to prop up its private banking system.
The truth of the matter is that the majority of South Africans have long endured an artificial recession because they have been excluded from the economic mainstream. As I said on previous occasions, it would be immoral for this government to leave the fate of South Africans to the whims of the market forces or markets alone.
The billions of rands for job creation that the President announced are a step in the right direction. It is the private sector that is most successful at creating jobs, but it is only in countries with a government that actively invest in their economies where the private sector flourishes and produces the wealth and jobs that society requires. South Africa has often been incapable of properly combining different facets of circumstances and policy into holistic development. It is our view that one such overarching opportunity will present itself towards the end of this year when South Africa plays host to the International Conference on Climate Change, known as COP 17. The recent devastating nationwide flooding should serve as a timely reminder to all of us that climate change is a massive socioeconomic reality.
During this conference the eyes of the world will be focused on our country yet again. Given the historic neglect of environmentally-related issues in this country, especially in areas occupied by disadvantaged communities, there is an opportunity to use the forthcoming conference as a rallying point to inform and to mobilise our communities around issues of the environment.
The UDM would strongly recommend that the Presidency should take a lead in such initiatives. Something tangible which we could showcase to the delegates of this conference is an annual national orator's competition on environmental issues for school children. It would raise awareness and if the private sector comes on board, it could also serve as a first step for deserving students to qualify for bursaries to study environmental science and related topics.
In conclusion, this conference also provides an excellent opportunity to stimulate local job creation initiatives in disadvantaged communities, which could be combined with afforestation and greening projects to alleviate household food insecurity and improve the biodiversity and beauty of the environments that communities live in.
We could, for instance, launch green battalions to create jobs for people within the community, which will be responsible for such environmental projects. Such initiatives would go a long way to counter carbon emissions and would be another way to showcase our country's commitment to fighting climate change.
Siyabonga, Nxamalala, ndivile ukuba uthe aba bakwiqela eliphikisayo ngabahedeni, kodwa ndiye ndeva ukuba elinye lamagosa akho lityholwa ngokuba limoshe ingqungquthela yalapha eNtshona Koloni. Uyakhala uSkwatsha, kwaye kuthiwa igama lalo mhedeni nguTrevor kodwa andiyazi ukuba ngubani ifani yakhe. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Thank you, Nxamalala. I have heard that you said members of the opposition are heathens and I have also heard that one of your trustees is alleged to have destabilised the conference of the Western Cape. Skwatsha is crying foul and the name of this heathen is said to be Trevor, but I do not know his surname.]