Speaker, hon President and Deputy President, colleagues in the House ...
... a le nna ke simolole ka go dumedisa, ke amogele motsotsonyana o wa go bua mo Ntlong e. [... I will start off with a greeting. I am thankful for the opportunity to speak in this House].
If there are those who harbour doubts about the sustainability of the legacy bequeathed to us by former President Nelson Mandela, if there are those who are still doubtful about the commitment made by hon President Jacob Zuma to a new direction, if there is anyone who still harbours any doubts about President Zuma's pledge for a year of action and a focus on outcomes by government, then the only limit to their realisation of tomorrow will be their doubts of today.
Hon members, never before have we felt more assured of the sustainability of our freedom and democracy since Tata Mandela took those first steps to freedom on 11 February 1990. Tata Mandela's cherished dream ushered in a new dispensation that gave way to civil rights.
Tata Mandela's leadership ushered in a dispensation of a recognition of our political rights. It laid the foundation for the advancement of our social rights; and hon President Zuma has outlined the path towards the fulfilment of those social rights embodied in government's comprehensive social security system, of which social solidarity is a foundation.
Over the past 15 years, the ANC government, working with NGOs, faith-based organisations, organised labour, business, and many committed South Africans, has implemented a range of policies that have gradually taken our country out of the untenable situation to which our people were subjected during the apartheid era. These policies are inspired by and seek to realise the vision of a society that is both inclusive and attentive to the rights and the needs of the most vulnerable in our society. The thrust of this inclusiveness has been the building of a comprehensive social security system. Our envisaged comprehensive social security system has three pillars: social assistance, social insurance and voluntary savings.
Our social assistance programme, which actually stands at around 3,5% of GDP, complemented by free basic services, is the envy of many the world over. We provide income support to over 13 million vulnerable people and ensure access to water - free water, I may add - electricity, sanitation, education, health care and subsidised housing.
A new dawn is being ushered in as the President has now put us on a new trajectory - a historic step towards bringing about a comprehensive social security system through the extension of the child support grant to children up to their 18th birthday.
Lest we forget, the extension of the child support grant was a resolution taken at the ANC conference in Polokwane. It was a promise that we made in our election manifesto. It is in the Medium-Term Strategic Framework, MTSF, and it is a promise to South Africans, a promise that we have met.
The extension of the child support grant is also historic. While many countries introduced family support during the 1940s, black South Africans here in this country were excluded from those rights because we were deemed unworthy of such investments by our society. We need to applaud the President and his government for being bold in continuing to dismantle discriminatory practices of the past, and to invest in the wellbeing and future of our children.
This policy initiative paves the way for an additional 2 million vulnerable children to access income support. Our social security programme will now be amongst the most comprehensive programmes as compared to most countries in Africa, Latin America and also East Asia.
Allow me to talk about the second pillar of this comprehensive social security, before providing more details on the impact of the social grants and other services.
While social assistance aims to alleviate poverty, the goal of social insurance is to prevent poverty. The comprehensiveness of our social security system is compromised by the limited contributions to social insurance funds by those in fulltime employment. Except for the good coverage in unemployment insurance and compensation for work injuries, there are still extensive gaps in our second pillar of the comprehensive social security system.
The consequence is that many employed people fall into poverty and put a demand on the social assistance system as a result. Contributory social insurance will require the participation of all working South Africans so that we can pool our savings and engender support amongst workers in the event that their employment is interrupted by disability, death, old age, poor heath, and so on.
To build on our growing commitment to social solidarity so ably demonstrated through the cash transfer system, it will be under the leadership of this President, President Jacob Zuma. We will finalise work in respect of comprehensive social insurance. This work will involve setting up a mandatory system of social insurance to cover all South Africans for pension, disability and survivor benefits, health insurance, and the reform of the Road Accident Fund.
In addition, we will reform the social security institutional arrangements, and also integrate and consolidate the administration of social security benefits.
Pillar three of the social security system involves voluntary contributions to retirement and health care. We can, today, assure those who save in these voluntary schemes. Our financial systems here in South Africa and the regulatory arrangements have been given the thumbs up by international financial institutions. In fact, we are rated number six globally for world- class regulation of our financial sector. [Applause.] Hon Speaker and members, these three aspects constitute comprehensive social security and the envisaged reforms through which President Zuma will lead this country during his tenure. The strategic stance adopted by government is premised on the understanding that our services and strategies need to speak to the needs of our people.
The President has, in a short space of time - a few months indeed - already engaged so many of our people and has, more than anyone else, assessed the needs of our people as they experience them on a day-to-day basis.
The visionary steps in the state of the nation address outlined the broad range of critical interventions that are needed in education, health care, rural development, security and many other areas. These interventions will work together to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
Colleagues, employment and the growth of our economy remain fundamental in empowering our people and are the bases for a sustained antipoverty framework.
To complement social grants for the poor, and in partnership with the rest of government as well as civil society and business, we will implement all measures and policies announced by the President. These measures will, over time, yield an economic environment conducive to the employment of greater numbers of people.
In this area, Social Development's discreet contribution from a strategic perspective is our Early Childhood Development Programme, ECDP, and the Community Development Programme, CDP. By investing in the children's formative years, we are laying a foundation for generations of our South Africans to be well educated and have the necessary skills base to transform the South African economy.
Guided by the strategic themes that seek to crowd social, human and financial investment into the improved wellbeing of South Africa's children, as well as older persons and other vulnerable groups, we have introduced a number of policies and strategies to guide our work as government. This includes the introduction of Children's and the Older Persons Acts.
More children are participating in early childhood development centres than ever before. Large numbers of care workers are providing home-based care to mitigate the impact of HIV/Aids. In response to the enormous challenges of substance abuse such as drugs, alcohol and other substances, we will join forces and integrate the work that we do in prevention and rehabilitation with the work that is being done by departments in the cluster of justice and security.
We do believe that none of us will succeed in building our nation if the country continues to experience an increase in substance abuse. Is there anyone who doubts the effectiveness of our broad social security system? "How long halt ye between two opinions?" So asks the Bible.
By extending the child support grant, the President has placed the focus on outputs and outcomes. Through these measures, we have no doubt that during the term of this administration, we will also stimulate participation in the economy and improve human welfare, as the grants will lower the number of people going hungry and help them to meet needs like transport, schooling and clothing.
We will also assist more people to invest in the future, increase school enrolment and upgrade housing assets. We will also enable more to engage in labour-seeking behaviour, as local and international research suggests that adults in households receiving cash transfers are more likely to actively seek employment than those in household that are excluded from this cash transfer system.
We will also support more people in saving and engaging with financial markets, and also make it possible for more beneficiaries to save instead of borrowing, and for others to set up their micro enterprises. More importantly, we will continue with our work to improve the integrity of our social security administration.
We also participate in the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Anti-Corruption. This committee has met twice already. This Friday it held a meeting, as opposed to what we hear: that this committee has not met. I don't know where we get this information.
In our environment, we will continue to work with the Special Investigating Unit, SIU, to get rid of all those who are fraudulently on the system. In his state of the nation address, the President mentioned that we have removed irregular recipients and, therefore, yielded savings as a result of these actions. All those who signed acknowledgements of debt because they were on the system irregularly are paying moneys back to the state. Those who wilfully defrauded the state are being disciplined and will continue to be disciplined.
Is there anyone who still doubts that the measures outlined by the President will deepen the impact on creating a caring society based on the principle of social solidarity? [Interjections.]
You have the answer. If you are a Doubting Thomas, I have told you who you are. Solidarity-based policies and strategies have essentially built up much of the developed world's economy and social infrastructure, especially after the two World Wars that crippled those continents.
Likewise, South Africa needs all its citizens and residents to develop and implement solutions that will benefit all South Africans more than ever before, in view of our past that largely determined the life chances of individuals and communities. We often talk about the lack of social cohesion in our society. We also reminisce about ubuntu. What we need to do as a society is to bring back the spirit of caring and the values of sharing and reciprocity.
In this regard, we will work with the National Interfaith Leadership Council, NILC, to ensure that we continue to build values as contained in our Constitution, as well as working together on development programmes. Our systems should reflect our interconnectedness and ubuntu in which each of us commits to support the other.
Samora Machel, one of the greatest freedom fighters argued, and I partially quote:
... solidarity is not an act of charity. It is an act of unity ...
Our attempts at solidarity are interrupted by the Pharisees and the Sadducees pointing fingers while they are not without sin themselves. The Pharisees are so far from the people, squabbling in their parties. The Sadducees are sad as they lack the support of the people.
We must focus on South Africa's greatest challenge, for, as Kennedy said:
If we are not able to save the many who are poor, we will not be able to save the few who are rich.
We welcome the President's commitment to outputs and outcomes and the state of the nation's vision that will take us towards that inclusive society. We will work towards their achievement. We look forward, Mr President, to the signing of performance agreements as Ministers - I'm speaking for myself as well - for in the end, we owe it to this and the future generations to create a better life for all. Thank you very much. [Applause.]