Mr Speaker, I realise that on the speakers' list I'm supposed to speak Afrikaans. For the record I just want to say that Tshivenda is not Afrikaans.
Let me first express our appreciation as the ANC for the visionary leadership of President Jacob Zuma and his administration. Not only did they show political leadership, but, most importantly, commitment and decisiveness, impressive planning, co-ordination and monitoring at the centre of a developmental state as priority number 1. This is in line with our objectives of realising the goals as set out in the national democratic revolution.
Secondly, we highly appreciate the consultative process by the Office of the President on soliciting views and advice from structures on how best government can improve its delivery systems and therefore build the required capacity. This process has allowed the broader South African society to come forward and participate in the making of a new South Africa and its administration. This is a position that we, as the ANC, have always believed in - that it is the people's wisdom and their collective intellectual capacity that a better South Africa can be founded upon. This is a South Africa where nonracialism, nonsexism, democracy and prosperity can be cherished.
Let me respond to some of the issues that have been raised. It was said that the National Planning Commission's vision should not be based only on a collective or a collection of a few individuals. But the document itself, the Green Paper, does envisage a process through which we seek to mobilise all the people of our country, and I believe opposition parties should be part and parcel of the people of this country. They are, therefore, invited to participate in making an input and enriching this document that is tabled before us. There is an issue around service delivery matters that we also hear about in terms of some provinces and the country as a whole. This document begins by admitting that in the past 15 years, whilst we have made serious inroads in reducing poverty and creating job opportunities in the country, there remain glaring disparities between the rich and the poor. As the leading and governing party, we did not need anybody to tell us about this.
We came out, and this document does speak to these issues. Therefore, the issue of long-term planning is not something we are thinking about today; it is but part and parcel of strengthening the capacity of government in order to respond to the challenges that we need to respond to as of now.
This document also says what it is that we need to do. We need a coherent plan to achieve the ideals enshrined in our Constitution. Experience has proven to us that the legacy of apartheid cannot and will not self-correct because it requires fundamental changes that not only the market forces can respond to. The state must lead in developmental initiatives. The state must provide leadership. We agree with the proposal in the document that the Presidency cannot shirk its responsibilities of leadership.
In terms of the ownership and leadership of the programmes of government, we also agree that Parliament must ensure that society as a whole participates in ensuring that we have the necessary capacity to respond to the challenges that we are confronted with, especially now under the current global circumstances. Under these circumstances, we are expected to achieve more with the little resources we have; and indeed we must achieve more.
The hon member from the DA also raised the issue about North West, saying that some of the failures in the provincial government and local municipalities are as a result of corrupt activities of ANC councillors. I must put it on record in this House that wherever the ANC acts it acts in the interests of the people. It is the ANC that discovers and exposes corrupt activities and acts accordingly. [Applause.]
In terms of the 500 000 job opportunities which the President has directed that we should have created by the end of December, I must say to those who want to say that labour broking has actually created job opportunities, it cannot be that casualisation of jobs can be regarded as a safety network for our people. [Applause.] It cannot be that exploitation in a new form of modern slavery can be regarded as job opportunities for our people. Labour broking is nothing but a new form of exploitation, and it must be known as such. [Applause.] Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Debate concluded.