Hon Speaker and hon Deputy President, the ACDP is fully supportive of social welfare grants to protect the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly during this time of domestic recession.
However, this is clearly not sustainable in the long run. The creation of jobs, particularly amongst millions of relatively unskilled South Africans, remains the country's greatest economic challenge. The Medium-Term Budget Policy statement announced last week mentions a number of commendable options available to government to protect existing and create new jobs.
Of particular interest is the restructuring and recapitalisation of further education colleges with an accumulative target of 350 000 industrial and related apprenticeships and scarce learnerships having been set by the Minister of Higher Education.
Whilst my question is not directly related to social assistance, it does go to the heart of job creation and economic productivity, and it is whether this target is sufficient, given the high levels of unemployment and the shortage of skills which we are experiencing, and the fact that it is to be achieved over a five-year period. Is there scope for revision of this figure should there be a sufficient budget? Clearly the possibility ... [Time expired.]