Madam Speaker;
Mr President;
Mr Deputy President;
Members of Parliament;
Colleagues and friends;
Ladies and gentlemen;
I rise to support the Budget Vote of the Presidency which has been presented by His Excellency, President Jacob Zuma to this house. I will do so by highlighting some of the areas in which we would be collectively contributing towards the achievements of the goals which he has set out for us.
Firstly, the establishment of the New Development Bank and the Contingency Reserve Arrangement in Fortaleza, Brazil last week is a giant step in our multilateral engagement with our partners in the BRICS family for a better continent and a better world. Under your leadership Mr President, the ANC government continues in its quest to ensure peaceful, progressive and democratic transformation both in the domestic economy and internationally to address poverty, unemployment and inequality. This is without doubt fitting tribute to the founding President of our democratic dispensation, President Nelson Mandela and the many other heroes and heroines of the struggle for a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, equal and prosperous society.
For a period of seven decades, progressive governments and civil society have been calling for the reconfiguration of the global development finance institutions so that they become reflective of the changing balance of forces and the growing role of emerging economies in the world. We are aware of the doubts that have been expressed about this great achievement by unfair comparisons of our Gross Domestic Product in relation to our four partners.
These doubts have also argued that our geographical location is far removed from the major economic hubs of the world. While it would have been a cherry on top if we had had the right to host the Bank, we are equally satisfied that the spread of the positions and the location of power reflect a new departure. We do not pretend that this Bank will be a panacea for all our economic woes. We are not oblivious to the challenges that continue to bedevil the banking system throughout the world. Indeed as we speak, the bleak global economic outlook has been compounded by the national environment of worker action in the past seven months. We commend the efforts of our founding fathers and leaders of our Administrations for their tireless efforts towards achieving this monumental milestone of the establishment of the Bank.
Secondly, as it pertains to our multi-sectoral approach to unlock our economic potential, a laboratory on Operation Phakisa which was launched by the President in Durban on Saturday, is currently under way. Once this work is finished, we will inform South Africans how our unexplored oceans and our Exclusive Economic Zone will assist the process of economic transformation. We will be departing from the premise that for far too long we have sat with an asset that could be unlocked, and in our delay, we have not been quick to exploit the resource upon which many a nation has exclusively existed and survived.
Thirdly, presenting my Portion of the Budget Vote (Vote 6 and 13) on Monday, I was impressed by a sense of collective ownership for the National Development Plan. My honest view is that while there will always be filibustering, attention-seeking and grandstanding characterising this Parliament, there is acceptance that the NDP represents the only way forward for our beautiful country. There will be criticism here and there, but I had a sense from some amongst our colleagues on the other side of the aisle that they are looking forward to the Plan’s immediate implementation.
We will rely on all South Africans, including those of us in this Parliament, to support the laying of ducks in a row such as my colleague, Minister Collins Chabane’s Department of Public Service and Administration’s processes of the reconfiguration of the new responsibilities, financial injections, policy changes that might still be needed and further popularisation of the Plan with the same vigour they have for its immediate implementation. Putting these ducks in a row is an effort to heed the call which our icon Nelson Mandela made to our Mother, Mrs Adelaide Tambo that we should allow fate to disturb our plans only on our own terms. Our department is ready to engage with all South Africans on implementation issues which would unlock the vast potential which this Plan presents to the nation.
Now that the dust of the election trail has settled, there comes a need for our nation to refocus their attention on what is a common good for all South Africans. The intermediate period between now and the next electoral phase is short, and the desire to jumpstart the electoral process even as we find our common goal as a country will always be too tempting. There is however a need to ponder, and reflect on this document which we have all accepted and which will have to determine the destiny of this country for the next thirty years.
Fourthly, the responsibility for monitoring performance of government work is core to how our delivery of services is perceived by our people. The effectiveness of our programmes will only be seen at local level, which is the coal face of our interaction with citizens. Mechanisms on their own will always not be sufficient to monitor human beings. The human element of this monitoring calls on all South Africans to raise their voice when there are areas of lack of performance. It also calls for all our citizens to not accept themselves as passive recipients of services, but as determiners of how, when and how those services should be provided. It is only when our people are decision-makers in processes related to them, that they will be aware of whether performance is in line with their expectations.
But let me emphasise that monitoring of government work is not only about people but also whether or not the systems we put in place and the strategies we deploy indeed help us to achieve the goals of prosperity for all our people irrespective of race, gender or geographical location. Thus as we all put our shoulders to the wheel, we must strive towards these goals with the singularity of mind and equal resolve as an oxen drawn plough. But because these systems cannot work on their own without people running them, it is precisely why we must amplify the significance of sparring no effort by all of us in government, in the political opposition, in business, in the labour force, in NGO’s and indeed all and sundry. This we say because we remain steadfast that the NDP is a programme for the people as a whole.
It will only be when our people are aware of budgetary allocations that they will know whether the planning and the budgets have been in sync. It will only be when our people are kept abreast of developments and delays that they can make their own judgment about cost overruns and project delays. It will only be when our people are given realistic time frames and when officials and service providers stick to them that the work of performance monitoring will be driven by the people themselves. For all these things to be achieved, we will have to admit that local people are far more aware of their immediate needs than those who are far from them; they understand the peculiarity of their own circumstances and they are best placed to articulate them.
To harmonise these interactions, and manage our people’s expectations our government officials need to listen and not just hear our people. Every decision that we take, be it in EXCO’s or in the front desks, all our officials must have in mind the interests of the people we serve. Those of us who have been lucky to serve our people need not start listening only on the pain of a court order or a threat of one form of legal action or another. The costs of these sometimes unnecessary legal battles are a huge cost to the State as my colleague, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Michael Masutha will attest.
Honourable members;
Very importantly, the NDP must and is now addressing the bigger problems of unemployment, poverty and inequality. And it is without doubt that these trio challenges are more defined amongst the youth hence the importance of an Integrated Youth Development Strategy that will ensure in the main youth skills development, youth entrepreneurship and youth employment amongst the various youth development programmes.
On this occasion of the 20th anniversary of our freedom and democracy, we must celebrate the peaceful and constitutional nature of our democracy. This month of July marks national and worldwide celebration of the birthday of our iconic former President Nelson Mandela and for the first time we have celebrated his birthday posthumously.
As we go about creating a better society through the NDP we must be mindful that ultimately we seek to create a society whose values reflect the text and spirit of the Constitution that President Mandela signed into law. Let me remind Honourable Members of this house that a democratic parliament as an institution of the people is what many died for because it holds the promise that the hopes of all our people would become a living reality. Thus this occasion is not only about the tasks that need to be done but very importantly the commitment towards fulfilling those tasks and realise the goals of a better life for all our people. Mr President, the Budget vote does inspire confidence that we are on the right path towards the speedy resolution of the trio challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
It is for this reason Mr President that we must find speedy solutions on how to implement the NDP even beyond the MTSF as our mainstay approach such as the Operation Phakisa project on Ocean based industries. We must indeed leave no stone unturned in accelerating national transformation in every economic sphere and give real hope to our people that a better life is within their immediate grasp. This positive energy must echo in all national departments, all provinces and all municipalities. It is a very positive development that all parties welcome the NDP fully, and if we can likewise fully support the implementation, there is no doubt that those departed having struggled for our freedom and democracy would smile in their graves. Even more importantly, we shall have rightfully restored the dignity of all our people and made the Constitution a living document and source of pride in being a South African. This call is not only to this august house but also to business, to labour, to the youth, to the broader NGO sector, to all and sundry. It is a call we make to all in the public service.
Mr President, this Budget Vote, as all have been doing so in the past three weeks, speaks directly to the common position that the National Development Plan is taking the country to. I would urge members of this Parliament to analyse each and every Vote for its compliance with the National Development Plan’s goals and also their alignment to the Medium Term Strategic Framework. It is high time that we pull together in one direction, notwithstanding our differences in our diversities. Following the adoption of the NDP as our roadmap towards vision 2030, implementation and implementation has become the key pre-occupation as we must be a nation hard at work!
On this occasion of the 20th anniversary of our freedom and democracy, we have taken stock of the strides we have made and the backlogs still outstanding. We have no illusion that the road ahead is difficult and that various challenges will persist. However, having adopted the NDP, we are confident that working together we can indeed move South Africa forward!
I thank you!
