... all we are saying is that people came to the debate with confusion, and they did not know what issues to raise. But the first thing we want to deal with is that each time the ANC produces a plan or a programme, we are asked where the money will come from - not engaged on the issues, but exactly where we will get the money to do all the good things we want to do.
Our understanding is that the Minister will be behind you and if there is any need to lobby for more funds to attend to the issues that you confront, we are ready to handle that.
With regard to the universities, as it has been said that some of them are universities in name only, particularly the previously disadvantaged universities, we are aware that they might have had difficulties in lifting their own standards. The ANC had to establish the Department of Higher Education and Training separate from the Department of Basic Education to deal exactly with issues that confront higher education in particular. So we have a dedicated department to handle these issues.
The Minister is ready to confront all these particular challenges. There has also been learning from the experiences of the measures that actually took place to ensure that we lifted the standards of those universities to be productive and competitive, just like other universities, because we can't continue with the system of the past.
Whilst we have some of the unemployed graduates, it is clear that there is a direct link between unemployment and the skills deficit in the country, in terms of the mismatch. We need to attend to that. We can't blame government necessarily, that government alone must take up the issue. The private sector must be brought on board to be able to handle these kinds of issues as well. We must encourage them to absorb these graduates.
Yes, it is true that we do have world-class universities in South Africa. But the question and issue that we must deal with should be accessibility for all learners at those particular institutions and not just for the privileged few. [Applause.]
With regard to the service sector education and training authorities, Setas, as the ANC, we were among the first to indicate that there were concerns in that particular regard. You say that only five are needed - I know the Minister has the overall responsibility of reconfiguring this - while also talking about expanding in terms of training and skills development and propagating that you need the monies to be channelled to universities. You can't dictate to us why universities only, because you know the indirect benefits to those particular universities.
With regard to the language policy issue, for example that Afrikaans, particularly, should be preserved and all that, our understanding, as the ANC, is that you need to ensure that issues of access and success at these universities are promoted to all people across the board. Any barrier or hurdle affecting some races or ethnic groups should be attended to and removed for students who want to be successful at these universities. Afrikaans, yes, it is very important and, in fact, as the ANC, we analysed the understanding of the status of all the languages we have in the country, including the indigenous languages. We are very careful in saying Afrikaans is a language belonging to the minority. That's not correct. We also have an overall understanding, as the ANC, on what we want to do about the language policies. So, access and success should be the major issue for all our young people.
Regarding further education and training colleges, I don't think there are any issues with them. We are just clarifying that they belong to higher education and training. There is no thinking that perhaps it belongs to basic education. In case we came here with some confusion, there is clarity on that. [Laughter.]
Ms T B SUNDUZA: Mpontshane uyezwa? [Do you understand?]