Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members, senior government officials, invited guests, ladies and gentlemen, there are a few remarks that I feel I must also make as I proceed with my speech in support of the Budget Vote of the department.
During 15 years of democracy, the EPWP has achieved remarkable success in addressing poverty in the majority of the poorest parts of this country. Today we are able to say that no government in the history of this country has created as many jobs as the ANC-led government has done. Thus we commit ourselves to work together with our partners and stakeholders to do more.
We should always bear in mind that our ANC conference in Polokwane resolved, amongst other things, that in addressing unemployment we need to have a significant expansion of the EPWP, linked to the expansion of economic infrastructure, and a programme of rural development, land reform and agrarian change, based on the repeal of any legislation that prevents the subdivision of land and other policies that promote the concentration of ownership and the underutilisation of land. It should also be linked to defending and advancing the rights and economic situation of farmworkers and farm dwellers, including through improved organisation and better enforcement of existing laws.
These basic resolutions translate into the departmental objective of transforming the construction and property industries to ensure economic growth and development. That is exactly where we are!
As Members of Parliament, we must, however, recognise that while we might have won a number of battles so far, we are yet to win the war against poverty and joblessness.
Asset poverty is one of the key factors that define the developmental and growth challenges of the Third World in general and South Africa in particular.
This consistent delivery has earned us the overwhelming confidence of our people, as reflected in the mandate they gave through the results of the April national and provincial elections. It is therefore important that we, as public representatives, do not misinterpret this vote of confidence. Hon Ministers, we appreciate the expansionist initiative you have taken in driving the EPWP, resulting in the introduction of its second phase, the involvement and close monitoring of departments and also the lateral and horizontal approach regarding the other spheres of government.
We must now deliver on our five-year contract. We are under orders to create 4,5 million jobs through the EPWP by 2014 and half a million by December this year.
Alone, the EPWP is not a panacea to unemployment or lack of skills. As a matter of fact, the EPWP is one of many initiatives introduced and constantly revised and refined by government as part of its contribution to poverty eradication and job creation. Its success will depend on partnerships with business, labour and civil society. In this regard I would like to call on all financial institutions, jointly and severally, to become fully involved with the EPWP through providing credit facilities and other forms of support to young entrepreneurs.
Comrades, friends and hon members, the burden of expectation has just multiplied. We have had some successes in opening up the construction industry to those previously excluded, especially women and the youth. However, we know for a fact that transformation in this industry has been slower than anticipated and that there will have to be policy interventions around emerging contractor development.
This programme is indispensable to the national goals of alleviating poverty and creating jobs, and we urge the department to engage with all stakeholders, including Parliament, in this regard.
The challenge of eliminating corruption belongs to all of us. The levels of criminality are declining thanks to the co-operation of the police service and communities. In the same breath, it is our collective vigilance that must eradicate corruption. In reality, corruption is a form of counter- revolution and must be confronted as such. Hon Minister, I hope that the anticorruption hotline in the department still exists.
I am hoping and praying that we will eventually have a solution to fronting, especially in the Public Service. Details of revelations of corruption as exposed in the weekend papers were also heartening. Fronting is a cancer that erodes our cardinal objectives and programmes of poverty alleviation, job creation, skilling and empowerment of our people in the construction industry in particular.
We commend the IDT on its responsibilities, as well as the fact that it is also charged with focusing on the empowerment of women and youth as well as its responsibilities in relation to the EPWP.
Regarding the Council for the Built Environment, I believe the department and this council were in the process of addressing identified legislative gaps in the built environment, which, among other things, were delaying transformation among the built environment professionals, but this process fell by the wayside.
Firstly, what measures are being taken to ensure that the gaps identified are being dealt with and transformation among the built environment professionals is not necessarily being delayed or hampered? Secondly, does funding of the professional councils address the relationship problems in this entity? Thirdly, are these councils being audited, thus bringing an element of accountability and transparency to them? Fourthly, registration of professionals has been a challenge. Is that problem being addressed and are these councils budgeting jointly with the CBE?
The department is in the process of implementing the Asset Management Act passed recently by hon members in this House. This Act marks a turning point in the efforts of our government to ensure that state assets are managed in line with prevailing best practice, and that the management of these assets complies with and conforms to international standards. Also, this Act is designed to prove beyond any doubt that when it comes to asset management, we have adopted the Mintirho Ya Vula Vula pledge, meaning "actions speak louder than words".
Hon members, the local sphere of government, which remains an effective and efficient means of delivering high-quality services to the people of our country, was left out of the provisions of the Act.
We, in the national and provincial spheres of government, are set to march in line with the provisions of this Act, whose main objectives, amongst other things, are the provision of a uniform immovable asset management framework to promote accountability and transparency within government; optimisation of the cost of service delivery by ensuring accountability for capital and recurrent works; the acquisition, reuse and disposal of immovable assets; the maintenance of existing immovable assets protecting the environment and the cultural and historic heritage; and improving health and safety in the working environment.
However, while the national and provincial spheres march in line with these objectives, the municipalities are left out. The scope of application of the Act was not extended to the local sphere of government, a matter which we as a committee dealt with extensively in our report on the Bill, which was adopted by this House. One wonders what progress has been made with the recommendations that were made, reported and accordingly agreed to.
The Act provides good housekeeping as far as asset management in respect of land and buildings is concerned, and it also recognises the need to co- ordinate financial controls in both spheres of government where it is currently applicable, as is strict compliance with the Public Finance Management Act, placing new financial reporting disciplines upon departmental officials in respect of immovable assets.
I must emphasise that state assets, especially land, must be transferred to local government to secure proper service delivery. In the area where I come from, Saldanha Bay along the West Coast, we have a municipality that cannot deliver houses for the homeless because of a tedious process of transferring land from Public Works to the municipality, and so it has not achieved any success over the past 20 years. Serious interventions are needed. Many of our people are prepared and ready to acquire Public Works buildings in harbours to start aqua farming and other fishing ventures so that they are able to contribute and reduce the high rate of unemployment, and thereby assist in poverty alleviation in an endeavour to better the lives of the people of South Africa.
The department has the necessary tools to effect the efficient administration of state assets as the custodian thereof. We note that the compilation of the asset register has not been completed yet, neither are measures in place to effect the inclusion of the local sphere of government into the provisions of the Act.
Mr Chairperson, the ANC supports the Budget Vote of the Department of Public Works. I thank you. [Applause.]