Mhlalingaphambili, Mphathiswa wezeMisebenzi ohlonophekileyo, Mnu Mdladlana, maLungu ePalamente, ziphathamandla zeSebe lezeMisebenzi, nazo zonke iindwedwe ezikhoyo apha kule Ndlu yoWiso-mtheho ngokwezihlalo zazo, ndifuna ukukhumbuza le Ndlu yoWiso-mthetho ngomxholo wePalamente walo nyaka othi: (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Mrs L E YENGENI: Chairperson, hon Minister of Labour, Mr Mdladlana, hon Members of Parliament, hon members in the Ministry of Labour and all the guests in the National Assembly, all protocol observed. I want to remind the National Assembly about this year's theme which says: ...]
... to celebrate the legacy and contribute to nation-building.
Ukubaluleka kwalo mxholo kusikhumbuza iminyaka engama-20 emva kokukhululwa kuka Tata Nelson Mandela kwezimnyama zona izisele. Kukhululwa oko kuka Tata Mandela nabanye kunye nokubuya kwababebhacile kwenze utshintsho olukhulu kwezopolitiko loMzantsi Afrika.
ISebe lezeMisebenzi linoxanduva lokujongana nempatho yabasebenzi kwiindawo zabo zokuxelenga. Kufuneka eli sebe lijongane nokuphathwa kwabasebenzi ukuze bangacinezelwa ngobuhlanga nangesini sabo. Kodwa zisekhona iingxaki kumaziko okusebenza ezibhekisele kwezi zinto ndizikhankanyileyo. Lusekhona ucalucalulo lwabasebenzi ngokobuhlanga. Abasebenzi abamhlophe basafumana imivuzo ephezulu kuneyabantu abamnyama, ingakumbi emigodini, kubakhi beendlela nabezindlu.
Abantu abamhlophe basebaninzi kwizikhundla eziphezulu nezithabatha izigqibo ngabasebenzi. Maxawambi ufumana umphathi wenkampani, iCEO ukutsho oko, ingumntu omnyama, sibe isininzi sabaqhubi nababhexeshi baloo nkampani ingabantu abamhlophe; le nto kuthiwa yi "window dressing". Yingxaki ke leyo. Abantu abamnyama nabantu abakhubazekileyo kuse kude engqinibeni ukuba bafumane umongo wezoqoqosho kweli lizwe. Enye yeengxaki elijongene nazo isebe yeyokuba abaqeshi batshintsha iimeko zokusebenza ezisisigxina benze abasebenzi amakhesela; kungenjalo babasebenzise ngeemini ezithile evekini, "part-time" ukutsho oko, okanye ngamaxesha athile enyakeni, le nto kuthiwa zii "seasonal workers".
Ingxaki yesibini, kukukhutshwa kwemisebenzi eyinxalenye yenkampani inikwe abanye abaqeshi, nto leyo ebizwa ngokuba yi "outsourcing and sub- contracting". Zezo meko ke ezithe zaqandusela unaniselwano ngamandla abasebenzi, "labour broking" ukutsho oko. Ukuncedisana nokukhululwa kwabasebenzi kwezi meko zobukhoboka ndigqiba kuzichaza, emveni kokuba ikomiti yePalamente ijikeleze ilizwe lonke ithethathethana nabasebenzi malunga nokunokwenziwa ngalo mba, siyiKomiti yePalamente yaBasebenzi senze izicelo, esiye sazithumela kuMphathiswa kunye nesebe lakhe, sisebenzisa iPalamente, zokuba azibhangise ze azincothule neengcambu iintshukumo zobuqhophololo nobukhoboka bokunaniselana ngamandla abasebenzi leli qumrhu labaqeshi lingoonomgogwana abangacacanga noovukengceni, ii"labour brokers" ukutsho.
Ingxaki yesithathu elijongene nayo eli sebe, kukubuyisela isidima sabasebenzi xa bebonke, ingakumbi abasebenzi basezifama kunye nabasebenzi basemakhitshini. Ukufa kwenkokheli yoontamo-lukhuni ababumbene ngobuhlanga lwamaAfrikana kwenze ukuba abo babevale iindlebe namehlo ngentlalo nempatho- mbi yobukhoboka kwabasenbenzi basezifama, ngamafama, baqonde ukuba ikrele lokubulala alijongisanga kubasebenzi basezifama kuphela, koko namafama ngokwawo angaba ngamaxhoba xa le ngxubakaxaka yempatho-bukhoboka ingaselwa so. Kudala abasebenzi bezi fama bebulawa nje ngezilwanyana ngabantu abazibiza ngokuthi bangamaKrestu, abasithela ngebhayibhile kweli.
Ukunikhumbuza ngeziganeko zokubulawa kunye nenkohlakalo yabaqeshi basezifama, kukho umama okanye intombazana enguJohanna, nakundixokela kuba isiSotho sam sizakungalungi, Leshomolekae owafunzwa ze waqwengiswa ngezinja kuba umfama ecinga ukuba sisilwanyana. Kukhona nomnye umfama kwidolophu yaseLichtenburg ekude kufuphi neVentersdorp owabetha waswantsulisa abasebenzi ngolunya.
Nkqu yena umfi lo obeyinkokeli yoontamo-lukhuni unembali yokuswantsulisa abasebenzi. Ushiye imbedlenge ephilayo engazi nokuba kuyasa nokuba kuyahlwa. Le ndlela yokuphathwa gadalala nangolunya kwabasebenzi basezifama ibonakalisa iingcambu zobuhlanga nentiyo engekasombululeki, ingakumbi kwesiya sixekwana saseVentersdorp; bemi bayo ingabantu abamhlophe abajongela phantsi urhulumente okhokelwa ngabantu abamnyama.
UMphathiswa kunye nesebe lakhe banoxanduva lokwenza ubomi baba bantu basebenza ezifama bube nesidima nesithozela, kuba umfama okanye umqeswa; nokuba unemali okanye ulihlempu; nokuba umhlophe okanye umnyama; ubomi bakhe mabuhlonelwe. Bakwanoxanduva lokujonga ukuxhatshazwa kwabantwana kwiifama. Abantwana abasezifama bemhlophe okanye bemnyama banamalungelo afanayo adandalaziswe nakuMgaqo-siseko welizwe. Kulapho ke aza kusinceda khona la mapolisa ezemisebenzi, ukujonga apho imithetho yezemisebenzi ingalandelwayo nalapho yaphulwa khona.
Ngomhla we-12 kwinyanga yeSilimela kulo nyaka, ihlabathi liza kubhiyozela ukulwisana nokusetyenziswa kwabantwana ngokungekho mthethweni. Loo nto iya kube isandulela inkomfa eza kubanjwa ngomhla we-10 ukuya kowe-11 kuCanzibe kulo nyaka, eNetherlands. Okubalulekileyo kukuba ngomhla wama-22 kwinyanga yeSilimela, apha ekhaya siza kube sibhiyozela iminyaka engama-55 okuzalwa koMqulu weNkululeko, phantsi komxholo othi: (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[The importance of this theme reminds us that it has been 20 years since the release of Mr Nelson Mandela from prison. His release and that of others and the homecoming of people who were in exile brought about an immense change in South African politics.
The Department of Labour has the responsibility of safeguarding the interests of workers in the workplace. This department must guard against the discrimination of workers with regard to race and gender. There are still problems in the workplace as far as the above-mentioned issues are concerned. Discrimination on the basis of race still exists in the workplace. White workers still get higher salaries compared to blacks, especially those in the mining, the road and housing construction industries.
There is still a large number of white people in higher positions who are taking decisions about other workers. Sometimes you find a black person as the CEO of the company whilst the majority of people in managerial positions are white people, and that is what we call "window dressing". That is a problem!
Black people and people with disabilities still have a very long way to go to become economically emancipated in this country. One of the problems that the department is faced with is that the employers change the workers' status from that of being permanent workers to that of being casual workers or else they make them part-time or seasonal workers.
The second problem is the outsourcing and subcontracting of work. It is these conditions that have resulted in labour broking. In order to help in freeing workers from these unjust practices I have mentioned, the Portfolio Committee on Labour made recommendations to the Minister and his department through Parliament for the acts of corruption and labour broking to be abolished. We made these recommendations after the committee consulted with workers all over the country in trying to find solutions to the issues mentioned earlier.
The third problem facing the department is the restoration of the dignity of workers, especially farmworkers and domestic workers. The death of the leader of the conservative oppressors who are united on narrow racist tendencies, the Afrikaners, made those who turn a blind eye to the atrocious treatment of farmworkers by farm owners realise that it is not only the workers who are affected by it, but the farm owners themselves may be affected by it, if it is not attended to.
The farmworkers have long been brutally murdered in this country by the people who claim to be Christians, who hide their cruel deeds by using the Bible. To remind you about the atrocities of the farm owners, you will remember the incident of Ms Johanna Leshomolekae - pardon me for the wrong pronunciation - who was maimed by dogs because they thought that she was an animal. There is also another farmer from Lichtenburg near Ventersdorp who chased and assaulted workers.
Even the deceased, who was a leader of the conservatives, has a history of assaulting farmworkers. He left a person brutally paralysed and mentally handicapped. The atrocious treatment of farmworkers shows unresolved racism and deep hatred, especially in that small city of Ventersdorp, where its white residents undermine the government which is led by black people.
The Minister and his department have the responsibility of making the lives of farmworkers more dignified. The life of a farm owner or a farmworker, whether rich or poor, white or black, must be respected. They also have the responsibility of looking at child abuse on the farms. Children on the farms have the same rights, whether they are black or white, as enshrined in the Constitution of the country. This is where these labour cops will help in determining whether the laws have been adhered to or transgressed.
On 12 June this year, the world will celebrate the fight against illegal child labour. The celebrations will be preceding the Global Child Labour Conference this year in the Netherlands. What is important is that on 22 June, we will be celebrating 55 years of the Freedom Charter under the theme ...]
The people shall share in the country's wealth.
The ANC-led government will leave no stone unturned to protect the rights of workers in general and farmworkers and domestic workers in particular.
Upapasho-nkqubo lwe-ANC luthembisa abasebenzi imisebenzi ekhuselekileyo nenesidima eza kube ijongene namalungelo abo. Ukuphunyezwa kwesi sithembiso kuseyingxaki kuba asinawo amapolisa ezemisebenzi akwizinga eliphezulu ngenxa yemali engonelanga awayifumana kwiSebe lezeMisebenzi. Ayaqhawula, ayahamba, afuna amarhiwu aluhlaza.
SiyiKomiti yePalamente yabaSebenzi senze isicelo kuMphathiswa wezeMali sokuba liphiwe uchatha iSebe lezeMisebenzi ukuze umba wemisebenzi ekhuselekileyo nenika abasebenzi isidima sobuntu iphunyezwe. Ukuba uMphathiswa wezeMali angasabela, ukuxhatshazwa nokungakhuseleki emisebenzini kuya kuba yimbali yamandulo. Kwaye izingqi zamapolisa ezemisebenzi zakukwaziwa nanguthathatha, kuba aza kuluma abe nobuhlungu obogqitha izinja zamafama nezoongxowa.
Lo mhla woHlahlo-lwabiwo Mali weSebe lezeMisebenzi wenzeka ngexesha elibuthathaka kwimeko yezoqoqosho kwihlabathi liphela. Meko ezo zishiye izigidi ngezigidi zabantu zibethwa linxele likakhetsekile. Zimaxongo zinjalo ezo meko, olu lwabiwo luzisa ithemba kubasebenzi belizwe, kuba nangona uqoqosho lwethu beluthwaxeke kanobom, oovimba bethu babonisa ukuqingqa. Kuqingqa oko phofu kuxhentsela kude neenxili zabasenzi.
Minyaka le eli Sebe lezeMisebenzi lisoloko lixulutya ngamatye, lityatyekwa izityholo zokuba amasebe alo awasebenzi, awazizisi iinkonzo eluntwini. Nto leyo ibonakele ngeziphumo ezingentlanga kubahloli beemali zamasebe karhulumente. Sinethemba, siyiKomiti kaNdlunkulu yoWiso-mthetho ejongene nabasebenzi, lokuba ezi zityholo nezoo ziphumo sele ndizikhankanyile nazo ziya kuba yimbali yamandulo. Siyanibona nisiza ngenqwelo yamahashe, hayi iqwelo-moya. Ukutyunjwa kombhexeshi weli sebe kuNdlunkulu walo kwenze umahluko omkhulu, kuba siyamazi umntu ekufuneka axhaphe amagwebu xa isebe lingatsaleli goqweni. Onke amasetyana eli sebe, nhoko achacha kuhle; ukhona umahluko. Bayawalungisa amadlala esiwahlabileyo. Sinikhuphela iitshefu ezimhlophe. Sithi whuntshu kuMphathiswa nesebe lakhe, ninokwenza ngcono kunakaloku nje. I-ANC iyaluxhasa uHlahlo-lwabiwo Mali. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[The ANC's manifesto promises workers job security and decent jobs which will cater for their rights. It is still a challenge to achieve this promise because we do not have highly skilled labour cops because of the insufficient salaries paid by the Department of Labour. They leave for greener pastures.
We appealed to the Minister of Finance to increase the budget allocation to the Department of Labour so that the issue of job security and decent jobs can be addressed. If the Minister of Finance can respond positively to that, then being taken advantage of and being unprotected at your workplace will be a thing of the past. Also the work of the labour cops will be known to everybody because they will bite more than the dogs of the farmers and those of the capitalists.
This Budget Day of the Department of Labour takes place at a time when economic conditions in the whole world are very critical. Those conditions left billions of people in poverty. Gloomy as those conditions are, this budget brings hope to workers of the country, because even though our economy has been severely affected, our reserves show stability.However, the stability is not towards the coffers of labour.
The Department of Labour has always been criticised on an annual basis, being accused of having sections that are not working and that there is no service delivery. That resulted in the interdepartmental finance auditors of the government coming up with a report that is not satisfactory. We have hope in the Portfolio Committee on Labour that these allegations and the results of the auditors already mentioned will be a thing of the past. We can see that you are coming up with false accusations when we put facts on the table.
The election of the chairperson of this department in the National Assembly made a huge improvement, because we know the person will give an account if there is no progress in the department. All the sections of this department are improving; there is a difference. They are implementing the changes that we have recommended and we commend you for that. We congratulate the Minister and his department; you can do much better than this. The ANC supports the Budget Vote. [Applause.]]