Hon Chairperson, hon members, the conception of a developmental state can be traced back to the Freedom Charter, to the Reconstruction and Development Programme and to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa - and, most recently, to the ANC's 52nd conference resolutions and the ANC 2009 election manifesto. Therefore, there is an explicit commitment by the ANC government to the creation of a democratic developmental state. This is based on the belief in the ANC that government cannot overcome the current challenges facing our country outside of the developmental state. These challenges, worsened by the global economic crisis, are fighting poverty, fighting inequality and fighting unemployment, as well as delivering services to our people.
We firmly believe that it is through direct state intervention that the economy will become globally competitive, that it will increase investments, that it will achieve high growth rates and create decent employment.
Eminyakeni eyishumi nanhlanu yombuso wentandoyeningi, kunobufakazi obungephikiswe bokuthi uhulumeni kaKhongolose uqale ngempumelelo ukwakha iNingizimu Afrika ethuthukayo. Lokhu kubonakala ngezibalo zenhlolovo ezithi phakathi konyaka ka-1995 nonyaka ka-2002 umnotho wakha imisebenzi eyisigidi eziyi-1,7 kanti phakathi kuka-2002 ukuya ku-2006 kwakhiwe imisebenzi eyisigidi-eziyi-1,2 ngaphezu kwalokhu sikhuluma nje bevile ezigidini eziyishumi nambili abantu abathola izibonelelo. Ngisho phela impesheni yobudala,yokugula kanye nemali yokondla izingane.
Kanti okunye okuyizinkomba zentuthuko kuhulumeni zalo hulumeni kaKhongolose ukuthi zevile ezigidini ezintathu izindlu asezakhelwe abantu bakithi kanti nezibalo zezingane ezifundayo zenyuke kakhulu kuleminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu yombuso wentandoyeningi. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[In the fifteen years of democracy there is undeniable evidence that the ANC government started with great success in building a developing South Africa. This is proved by the statistics of a survey which shows that between 1995 and 2002 the economy created 1,7 million jobs, whereas between 2002 and 2006, 1,2 million jobs were created, over and above the fact that there are more than 12 million people who receive grants. By this I mean pension for the elderly people, the disability grant and the child support grant.
Notwithstanding that some of the indicators that the ANC government has built are that there are more than 3 million houses that were built for our people, and that the number of children attending schools has increased tremendously in the 15 years of democracy.]
Recent studies show that relative successes of the democratic developmental state have brought about a significant improvement in the quality of life of most South Africans. Using the lower poverty line of R174 per person per month and the upper poverty line of R322 per person per month, both relative and absolute poverty on both the upper and lower poverty lines declined by between 5% and 8% between 1995 and 2008.
Abasebenzi abangaphezulu kwezinkulungwane ezingamashumi amane sebelahlekelwe yimisebenzi lokhu kwaqala loluhlevane lokwehla komnotho emhlabeni jikelele.
Amazinga okukhiqiza nokudayisa kwezimpahla emazweni angaphandle ngokunjalo kwehlile kakhulu. Kunezibalo ezikhishwe ngonyaka odlule ezikhomba ukuthi abantu baseNingizimu Afrika banezikweletu ezibalelwa ezigidigidini eziphindwe kathathu eziyi-1,4 zamarandi kodwa uma sisonke thina esisebenzayo sihola izigidigidi eziphindwe kathathu eziyi-1,1 zamarandi. Lokho kukhomba ukuthi akuqalanga namhlanje ukuthi thina bantu baseNingizimu Afrika sizwele lesi simo esikhona njengabo bonke abantu emhlabeni wonke jikelele.
Yingakho ke uhulumeni kaKhongolose oholwa nguNxamalala, uMongameli uJacob Zuma ufake uhlelo lwentuthuko oluzodla izigidigidi eziyi-787. Okuthokozisayo ukuthi phezu kobunzima izwe elibhekene nabo lokwehla kwezinga lokuqoqwa kwezimali zentela ngezigidigidi ezingama-80 zamarandi. Uhulumeni kaKhongolose usazibophezele kuloluhlelo lwentuthuko.
Ukwakhiwa kwemigwaqo, amabhuloho, izikole, ukwakhiwa nokuthuthukisa kwamachweba izikhumulo zezindiza kanye nojantshi bezitimela sekwakhe amathuba amaningi emisebenzi futhi kuzokhuthaza ukuthuthuka komkhiqizo, ukutshalwa kwezimali ezimbonini nokwakhiwa kwezimboni ezintsha. Sekuzoba lula nokuthuthwa komkhiqizo ngaphakathi ezweni kanye nokuthuthwa kwezimpahla ezidayiswayo emazweni angaphandle. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Since the recession started, over 40 000 workers have lost their jobs.
The levels of producing and exporting goods have also dropped tremendously. Statistics published last year show that the people of South Africa have debt which amounts to approximately 1.4 trillion rand, but all the workers are collectively paid R1, 1 trillion. This is a clear indication that we as South Africans, didn't start now to feel the crunch as compared to other people around the world.
That is why the ANC government, led by President Jacob Zuma, uNxamalala, launched a programme that will cost R787 billion. The good news though is that despite the difficulty we are facing with regard to a deficit in tax collection amounting to R80 billion, the ANC government is still committed to this development programme.
The building of roads, bridges, schools, harbours, airports and railway lines has led to the creation of many job opportunities and it will also stimulate the improvement of products, investment in the industries and the building of new industries. It will be easy to transport products around the country as well as the transportation of exports.]
The 2010 Fifa World Cup could not have come at a better time. The construction of football stadiums has created job opportunities that go beyond the 2010 World Cup. For instance, the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Ethekwini is going to generate economic, sports and recreational activities well beyond 2010.
It has been suggested that the agricultural industry employs about 70% of the active labour force. There is therefore also a need to focus our attention on the agricultural sector, including the development of the agro- processing industry. Indeed, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries confirms that there is serious work in progress in this regard. Special attention must be given to the emerging black farmers as well.
The ANC government is committed to the mobilisation of small businesses and co-operatives in order to bring the majority of our people into the mainstream economy. We will ensure that there is financial support, mentoring and monitoring of small businesses and co-operatives. We will also ensure that those co-operatives with the potential to grow and venture into large business operations are exposed to the export market. This is where the Department of Trade and Industry agencies such as Khula, the National Empowerment Fund, the Industrial Development Corporation, the SA Microfinance Apex Fund, the Small Enterprise Development Agency, the Enterprise Organisation and others must play a decisive role. Where there are weaknesses, Parliament will intervene effectively.
We must pursue the transformation of informal economic activities and integrate these into the formal economy. The development of the Warwick Avenue in Ethekwini is a case in point.
Economists have been suggesting that the world should recover from the current recession in the next 18 months. We must be ready to take full advantage of that. The democratic developmental state must be ready and determined to intervene and influence the direction and pace of economic development, instead of abandoning this task to the market forces whose god is profit and their church the market. I thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]