Madam Speaker, I rise to support this budget vote and the well-thought-out objectives that are elaborated in the strategic plan for 2014/15. I wish to begin by asserting that President Zuma must be congratulated for having pursued the crafting of the National Development Plan (NDP). It is our plan. It is our future vision.
The national development plan is our plan
Our government has done a great deal to build a solid foundation for future growth. This foundation has led to this point. We now have a long-term plan that will inform government policy and action. The ANC's 2012 national conference endorsed the NDP as our vision 2030.
There have been attempts to appropriate the NDP and to suggest inadequate commitment to it by ourselves. This is very far from the truth.
The NDP is our first attempt to develop a long and medium term plan aimed at accelerating the implementation of ANC policies. It sets out a vision 2030 for South Africa, with key targets to be met and identifies specific steps for implementation. It takes a strategic, wide-ranging view at the challenges and opportunities before us; and is based on an extensive consultation with the South African public. It is a plan for dealing with unemployment, inequality and poverty.
The NDP is an integrated approach to policy making, combining theory, evidence and practice with an aim of ensuring pragmatism and continuous learning in implementation and governance. It advocates a radical transformation in the economy within the context of a mixed economy. It calls for a strong and effective state that is able to intervene on behalf of the poor and marginalised in order to correct the historic imbalances of power and the accumulation of wealth. It proposes a dialogue between business, labour and government as a means towards ensuring investment, employment and growth.
It builds on the Freedom Charter and the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). In many ways it seeks to extend and realise the objectives contained in them. As the RDP said, "no political democracy can survive and flourish if the mass of our people remain in poverty, without land, without tangible prospects for a better life. Attacking poverty and deprivation must therefore be the first priority of a democratic government".
The Freedom Charter united our people behind a core set of progressive objectives that live today in our Constitution. The RDP was the catalyst for the critical development of interventions at the birth of our democracy. The NDP, as the outcome of a process of national consultations and consensus seeking, builds on the early successes of our young democracy and creates the basis for steering our freedom to maturity.
The NDP suggests that for twenty years of freedom we have been shaping a new story about ourselves. We must live our story and renew it as we learn new lessons. The NDP is our new story. The NDP is premised on a six pillars that we must attend to.
The first is to unite all South Africans around a common purpose. There will only be unity if the effectiveness of “redress measures” such as black economic empowerment and employment equity improve.
The second is an “active citizenry". "In many respects, South Africa has an active and vocal citizenry, but an unintended outcome of government actions has been to reduce the incentive for citizens to be direct participants in their own development." The state has a vital role to play but all of us can and must make a contribution.
The third is an inclusive economy. An inclusive economy has to grow. Without better co-ordination within government and without better coordination between business, labour and the government the economy will not grow. The NDP says: "Social cohesion needs to anchor the strategy. If South Africa registers progress in deracialising ownership and control of the economy without reducing poverty and inequality, transformation will be superficial. Similarly, if poverty and inequality are reduced without demonstrably changed ownership patterns, the country’s progress will be turbulent and tenuous."
The fourth is better skills for all. We have to be better trained to work in a knowledge-based economy.
The fifth is a “capable and developmental state”. Not just a state staffed by people with the appropriate skills, but a developmental state capable of intervening to correct historical inequalities.
The sixth pillar deals with the responsibilities of leaders throughout society to work together to solve our problems.
At the ANC national conference, government was challenged to "build the strategic, organisational and technical capacities of government with a view to building a democratic developmental state". The presidency has been single-minded in pursuing this goal.
Looking back over the period of the last term, the Presidency can be justly proud that:
- We have, since 2009, created half a million jobs each year.
- We have significantly reduced the level of severe poverty for millions of our people.
Ask the SA institute of race relations if you don't believe me.
For example, they say, “Since 1994 over 1000 households have been connected to the electrical grid every day. Since 1994 more than three million houses have been built. Since 1994 12 formal houses have been erected for every shack that went up. Since 1994 the number of people receiving social grants increased from 3 to over 14 million.”
Yet our gini coefficient, that indicator that measures economic inequality, has not improved.
The challenge of inequality is a deep societal problem in South Africa. It will require extraordinary effort and common purpose if we are to succeed in reducing inequality. Vision 2030 as set out in the NDP is a plan that will support objectives.
There are studies on poverty and inequality that suggest we are making progress. The holder of the SARCHi chair on poverty and inequality at UCT, Haroon Bhorat, is leading a massive longitudinal study on poverty. Early results suggest that government policy has had a positive impact. We have been able to lift millions out of poverty. However, many slip back and we need to devise interventions that ensure that we have sustainable change in social conditions.
Science and technology
The study of science and technology, the NDP says, is primarily about finding solutions to real problems that we face, particularly in the fields of nutrition and health care.
"South Africa needs to sharpen its innovative edge and continue contributing to global scientific and technological advancement. This requires greater investment in research and development, better use of existing resources, and more nimble institutions that facilitate innovation and enhanced cooperation between public science and technology institutions and the private sector."
South Africa spends nearly 1% of GDP on research and development. Leading developed countries spend a lot more. Japan spends 3% and the United States spends 2.7%.
A concerted African effort is required to generate an interest in science and technology. We are encouraging new linkages and activities in the African diaspora.
Social cohesion
Education is the great leveller. The most effective way to eradicate poverty is through education. Education is fundamental to the achievement of the society envisaged in the Freedom Charter and in the NDP.
Education is not a departmental issue or even a government issue but one that all of us have to confront. I believe that there are three key actions that we need to take to make education occupy “the attention and energy of all our people”.
First, schools must become supportive learning communities with education committees focused on teaching and learning there would be real opportunity for success. Teachers could form teaching teams that develop school-based material, internal tests and school professional development programmes. A learning community draws on the entire school’s human and material resources, throws off the shackles of victim hood and sets itself on a path of whole school achievement.
Clearly we need to do more in maths and science education. Doing well in maths and science at school makes it easier to do well in maths and science in tertiary education and that means a better chance of useful employment in our science-and-technology-driven world.
Second, success should be the concern of the entire community including religious leaders, professionals, local government structures and all district officials. The hands-off attitude prevalent in many communities needs to be changed into an attitude and practice of community care and attention. Communities, especially parent communities must take a deeper interest in the progress of the school. Local communities should know the state of schooling in their area and encourage scool governing bodies (SGBs), parents and teachers to invest in education.
Third, the family must be restored to education. Families should take a much more active interest in school meetings and in the progress reports of their children. Parent and caregivers should inculcate manners and positive values in learners.
Women in government and business
The choices and opportunities provided to girls and women in South Africa play a critical role in determining the extent to which future economic and poverty reduction plans will be realised. This is what the NDP says:
"In summary, our recommendations along these lines are as follows:
- Public employment should be expanded to provide work for the unemployed, with a specific focus on youth and women.
- Access to safe drinking water, electricity and quality early childhood education, for example, could free women from doing unpaid work and help them seek jobs.
- By 2030, people living in South Africa should have no fear of crime. Women, children and those who are vulnerable should feel protected.
- Security of tenure should be created for communal farmers, especially women.
- The Department of Health should design and pilot a nutrition intervention programme for pregnant women and young children.
- Coverage of antiretroviral treatment to all HIV-positive persons requiring such drugs should be expanded, alongside treatment of high-risk HIV-negative persons. Effective microbicides should be offered routinely to all women 16 years and older."
Today, new opportunities are available to girls and women. In fact, South Africa has achieved a general level of gender equality that has only been accomplished in other countries after many decades of democracy.
Our success in this aspect of social change has been supported by a progressive Constitution and a strong and visible advocacy for gender equality.
In education, South Africa has reached gender parity at school and university level. This in itself will be a positive contributor to the empowerment of women in South Africa.
Widening access to education has been one of the key thrusts of education reform since 1994.
We have widened access and opportunity to young women whose parents were excluded by decades of racial and gender discrimination.
However, we have some way to go in truly achieving gender equity in terms of eradicating those factors that continue to impede the advancement of women, and to address the educational needs of the generations of women who have been excluded.
When you include the half of society that has been excluded in the past, they have a huge impact on society. When they are educated, everyone begins to notice.
Better educated women help countries move into higher-tech businesses.
Better educated women often encourage smaller family sizes.
Better educated women are better for men as well – even though they may not accept it or welcome it.
Speaker, we have laid the foundation. We can accelerate progress. This is our vision - a South Africa for all where all feel and are included. Led by our president and the ANC. Let us work to make vision 2030 a reality for South Africa.
I thank you
Enquiries
Lunga Ngqengelele
Ministry Spokesperson
Cell : 0825660446
