Question 9.
Ms B N Dlulane (ANC) to ask the Deputy President:
(a) How has he found can the country in practical ways achieve social cohesion in our communities and
(b) how important is it for South Africans to enter into a new social compact to achieve the vision for a better South Africa?
Answer:
Honourable Members,
The most effective way to promote social cohesion is to address those issues that continue to divide communities, that contribute to mistrust, and that undermine a sense of social solidarity.
This goes to the heart of the programme of this administration.
If we want to advance social cohesion, we need to accelerate economic growth and, critically, ensure that the benefits of growth are equitably shared. More people need jobs. We need to reduce income inequality.
We need to tackle exclusion based on race, age, gender and disability. We must address landlessness and homelessness and overcome apartheid spatial divisions.
We must confront the burden of disease, HIV and AIDS and tuberculosis in particular. We must unite to combat crime and the abuse of the elderly, women and children.
We must combat racism and xenophobia, which perpetuate divisions and fuel conflict. We must step up efforts to address corruption in both the public and private sectors, which erodes confidence and trust.
There is now a pressing need to craft a social compact that will enable South Africa to promote higher growth and employment, reduce poverty and inequality, and ensure the environmental sustainability of our programmes.
We should acknowledge that social compacts of some shape or form do already exist – or are in the process of being developed. The social dialogue process currently underway in Nedlac to address instability in the labour market and tackle income inequality, for example, could eventually become part of a broader social compact.
There are similar multi-stakeholder engagements taking place in education, land reform, agriculture, human settlements and elsewhere.
These need to be welcomed, encouraged and expanded.
I thank you.
Question 11.
Mr M Johnson (ANC) to ask the Deputy President:
(a) With reference to the roll-out of the expanded public works campaign, what has he found has been the (i) impact on eradicating poverty, unemployment and inequality among the poor and the working class and (ii) contribution to the provision of social infrastructure and (b) how does the programme contribute to the objectives of the National Development Plan?
Answer:
Honourable Member,
The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) was established to draw a significant number of poor and unemployed South Africans into productive work in a manner that will enable them to gain skills and increase their capacity to earn income.
The Department of Public Works conducted a Mid-Term Review of the EPWP Phase 2 in 2012.
The study found that the EPWP had a positive impact on the communities where it is implemented.
Many participants had moved above the poverty line due to the income they received from working in the programme.
Most participants were unemployed before working in the EPWP and had been looking for employment for 3 to 5 years or more.
Testimonies of participants interviewed for evaluation studies show that the EPWP programme is making a significant positive impact in their lives.
The EPWP programme has contributed to the provision of social infrastructure through, among other things, construction and maintenance of schools, clinics, magistrates courts and prisons.
In response to the National Development Plan, the third phase of the Expanded Public Works Programme targets the creation of six million work opportunities between April 2014 and March 2019.
The EPWP contributes to the NDP in a number of ways.
- It achieves income transfer in the form of wages into poor communities. This not only reduces poverty, but it is also a form of economic stimulus targeted directly at the poor.
- It creates work opportunities. Participation in work through public employment can assist in mitigating the effects of social problems, build self-esteem, and develop social networks.
- The EPWP provides social assets and services that can have a transformative impact on development and improve the quality of life in communities.
- It promotes community participation. The increased emphasis on participatory approaches and the use of non-profit agencies in delivery are helping to build new forms of partnership between government, civil society and communities.
Given the high levels of unemployment in South Africa and the relatively low levels of skills, the public employment programmes of government are essential to combating poverty and improving the employability of millions of our people.
I thank you.
Question 12.
Mr M A Plouamma (Agang-SA) to ask the Deputy President:
(1) Whether he intends to fulfill his constitutional responsibility as Leader of Government Business (LOGB) to ensure the attendance of Members of the Cabinet, as appropriate, to parliamentary business by urging them to prioritise their availability to answer questions in the National Assembly when the Cluster of Ministers in which they appear, is scheduled by the Programme Committee to answer questions; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, how;
(2) whether he records the absence or availability of Cabinet members to answer questions in the National Assembly on a question day; if not, why not; if so, (a) how many Cabinet members have not availed themselves for responding to oral questions and (b) which Ministers have been absent more than once during a question session in the National Assembly since 27 August 2014?
Answer:
Honourable Members,
Members of the Executive are collectively and individually accountable to Parliament, both in terms of the Constitution and in terms of the rules of the National Assembly.
I regularly report to Cabinet on the status of questions submitted to members of the executive.
This is part of Cabinet’s collective commitment to ensure that members of the executive fulfil their responsibility to account to Parliament.
The attendance or absence of members of the Executive in National Assembly plenaries are a matter of public record, and such records can be obtained by the Honourable member.
To my knowledge the members of the Executive are fulfilling their obligations to respond to questions for oral reply in the National Assembly.
If the Honourable Member has information about any members of the executive who are not, I would be grateful if these could be forwarded to me.
I thank you.
