The community was advised, very wrongly by very wise people, to engage in activities which led to calamities. [Interjections.] The proposals which are being made by the EFF almost border on that. [Laughter.] [Applause.] It would be totally disastrous for the nation. [Interjections.]
However, just to update you, the issue of the housing scheme is on track. We are dealing with that along with labour. Everything is moving very smoothly. We think we will be able to conclude it quite soon and deal with all the technicalities which are supposed to happen. I do not have the privilege to disclose the content and so forth because we are still discussing it with labour, and it has arisen as part of an agreement that has been reached. [Interjections.]
You will never find the issue of the budget for salaries with us. It does not reside with us. If you go to our budget, you will never see the budgets for all the departments. You will only see the budget for this department. However, we, representing the employer, are the lead department for pursuing negotiations related to budgets with labour.
At this stage, we are not at liberty to disclose or to discuss with anybody outside the bargaining forum the details and content of what is going to happen, what the proposals are and what the things are that will be coming in. Once the process starts, all that information will become public.
Therefore, we think we need to proceed in that way, but I can assure you that everything is under control. We are very serious. We are very committed to ensuring that we improve the living conditions of the workers. Even we, ourselves, are very critical about it.
The last point is this: We set our own targets, and it must be measured in terms of what we set ourselves, not what other people set. We will come and tell you what we are going to do. Evaluate us according to what we say, not according to what we think we should do. [Applause.] If we do it that way, I think we will progress very well in the end.
There is another issue I would like to address and that is cadre development. Parties which have been in power, such as the DA, understand it very well, though they might not call it that. Something is happening there, similar to what we are doing, so we are not going to be apologetic about it. The thing is how does one manage it in such a way that the broader part of society is not marginalised, but feels part of the system and feels supported? That is important.
The DA knows this very well. You know, when they sent that member to go and lead the investment arm of Cape Town ... [Laughter.] ... that is a clear indication of what I am talking about. So, that's why they are not talking about it too much now. After having been in power, they understand all too well how it works. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.