Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister and hon members, the UDM supports Budget Vote number 37. [Applause.] We also noted the Minister's statement of intent on the proposed projects. We will be looking forward ...
Ke ukujonga ukuba imisebenzi yakhe ihamba njani. [That is to see how he manages his projects.]
If one travels by road from Johannesburg to KwaZulu-Natal, or the Eastern Cape, or Limpopo, one is struck by the continued existence of the apartheid topography of our country. Traditionally privileged areas continue to be the only places with any significant infrastructure. In the vast areas between and around these islands of privilege, the majority of South Africans live in conditions not fit for animals. Genuine access to clean water is a basic human right that does not exist in these communities.
Billions are being spent on expanding or maintaining infrastructure inherited from the old regime. On the other hand, the infrastructure where the majority live is sorely neglected. This lies at the root of the violent community protests that we witnessed across the country. People are not blind to the disparities.
The question we need to discuss is the government's priorities. The current budget does not address the need to bring the previously neglected areas of the country onto the same level in terms of water infrastructure. We are sitting on a time bomb. This is a water-scarce country with a growing population and outdated infrastructure designed to serve a small portion of citizens who live in the privileged areas. Government has failed in the last 15 years to integrate the infrastructure of the underprivileged areas and bring them on par with the privileged areas. The budget process seems to be inherently flawed when government fails to address the needs of the majority, but finds money to waste on projects that don't improve the quality of life of all South Africans.
The people of a place like Alexandra see the development of the Gautrain passing through their community and wonder why that money was not utilised to improve their lives.
Now we hear, for instance, that the Minister of Transport is speaking about a high-speed train link between Johannesburg and Durban. This is a perfect example of lop-sided priorities, because such a multibillion-rand investment is a luxury aimed at the privileged, while the marginalised masses don't have access to something as basic as clean water. If things were properly co-ordinated and planned in this country, it would have made more sense to build a high-speed train link between La Mercia airport and Durban to cover the 40 kilometre distance between the two. It would have made the R7 billion invested in La Mercia meaningful.
Finally, what nauseates many South Africans is that once such projects have been hastily approved, we always discover that it was nothing but a looting of state resources through lucrative tenders to enrich a selected few.
What we urgently need is a master plan to integrate the infrastructure of rural and poor areas with existing infrastructure. I thank you. [Applause.]
Benilele, nitsho navuka. Bekungathi kusemngcwabeni apha. [You were sleeping and you are awake now. This was more like a funeral.] [Time expired.]