N Mapisa-Nqakula: Debate on State of the Nation Address

14 February 2007

Madame Speaker,
President Thabo Mbeki,
Deputy President, comrade Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka,
Honourable members,
Friends,

Let me once again enjoin my voice to the many heartfelt condolences passed
by other members to the family of the late Adelaide Tambo, wife of former ANC
President, Oliver Reginald Tambo and a great stalwart of our revolution in her
own right.

We shall always remember her as one of those humble giants who have given so
much to her people's quest for freedom and human dignity.

Ma-Tambo chose a life of struggle because she loved her country and her
people deeply. This was evident in the work she has done amongst the caring and
comforting the aged and her numerous visits to children homes. Our hearts were
warmed during the period immediately after her death when a group of children
from the Orlando Children's Home came to pay their last respects to her. Her
dedication to the cause of the poor and the vulnerable has a lot of reference
to this debate and accordingly we shall dedicate this speech to her.

I must congratulate you comrade President for you continued strong and
incisive leadership, demonstrated in your well balanced address to the joint
seating of parliament last week on the occasion of the State of the Nation
Address. It is my view that the issues you raised and urged us to address are
the real issues that our society is concerned about and therefore want us to
prioritise.

In line with the government's programme of action for the second decade of
our freedom, the 2007 State of the Nation Address by the President has served
to reaffirm government's commitment to the intensification of the struggle
against poverty.

Most importantly, the President has reemphasised the link between the
eradication of poverty and the ability of our people to "enjoy the happiness
that comes with freedom."

We indeed agree with the assessment of the President that the ANC's historic
mission for thoroughgoing social transformation in our country cannot happen
outside the context of moving our people from conditions of abject poverty.

We accept this assessment by the President acutely mindful of the fact the
very task of intensifying our struggle against poverty is intertwined with many
other tasks in our mission for social transformation. That none of the social
ills that affect our people everyday can ever be addressed in isolation from
each other.

It is in this context that the ANC government preferred an integrated and
sustainable approach to the tasks involved in social transformation, covering
the need to address a whole range of challenges including access to education,
jobs, healthcare, housing, water and sanitation, electricity, food and indeed
personal and public security.

Madam speaker

On 27 April this year we will officially mark the 13th anniversary since the
dawn of democracy in our country. It will also mark the middle point for the
current term of the third democratic government installed after the 2004
general election.

It was with this in mind that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the
ANCWL attached greater significance to the business of our NEC Lekgotla that
was convened earlier this month. It was important for the lekgotla to assess at
this stage of our revolution whether we are succeeding in this historic mission
for social transformation. Most specifically, to pose and answer the question
as to whether the work that we have done so far, has had a meaningful impact in
ensuring that women are able to enjoy the happiness that comes with
freedom.

At the conclusion of this lekgotla the NEC statement outlined the key
outcomes thereof and emphasised that:

"The lekgotla proceeded from an understanding that the central and most
urgent task of the league is to intensify the struggle against poverty."

"In line with the Imvuselelo Campaign our branches should be central in the
ongoing monitoring of poverty alleviation programmes at ward level." We believe
that our branches should have as one of its main task, the leading of social
cohesion at a local level to support and monitor poverty alleviation
programmes.

The lekgotla also resolved that a broader Economic Summit for Women be
convened to address some of the gaps identified in intensifying the fight
against poverty and the extent to which this affects women. We have identified
these gaps exist in areas such as institutional arrangements, inconsistent
multi-sectoral input, funding and distribution of resources, capacity to
monitor and the need to share best practices. We should take this opportunity
to express our gratitude to the work that South African Women in Dialogue
(SAWID) through research and study tours. We believe that their research
capacity will help in our analysis of these trends and gaps.

A number of initiatives have been suggested in this regard including the
possible establishment of a National Women's Fund that will look at supporting
women developmental programmes around the country.

The lekgotla noted that despite progress made by government in refocusing
service delivery towards the poor, many of our people still remains trapped in
the pool of poverty.

Speaking directly to these South Africans, particularly women in the rural
areas, I must however send this message. That we are aware that we can never
really be justified to declare victory over poverty, suffering and indignity as
long as there are still many who are not yet enjoying the "happiness that comes
with freedom." Those whose weathered faces tell a dim story of a life that in
spite of the gains of our freedom continues to be characterised by squalor,
hunger, disease, neglect and abuse.

To these women I must say that we shall never betray the confidence that you
continue to have in the government's commitment to extend these benefits of
freedom to you too. That the work that we have been doing since the advent of
democracy has started to make an impact on the many women who only ten years
ago were in a similar position as yourselves.

We know that the confidence that you have and your sharing in the hope for a
better life for all is neither misplaced nor unrealistic. We are aware that it
is a sense of confidence based on the strong track record by this government to
improve the quality of lives of all South Africans. That this confidence is
further enhanced amongst yourselves due to the progress South Africa has made
in the area of poverty alleviation, including with regard to the targets of the
United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) some of which we have
already surpassed in our first 12 years of freedom.

You would have found confidence in the ability of this government to take
seriously the commitments it makes to the nation and to the world including the
speed with which we have moved to implement a considerable amount of the tasks
emanating from the Beijing Platform of Action as adopted 11 years ago.

Madam Speaker,

We have taken a key interested in some of the achievements registered by the
democratic state in accelerating delivery of services to our people, not only
in terms of the statistics and numbers of beneficiaries but also in terms of
the extent to which this delivery has helped to change overall gender relations
in our society.

As the 2006 Human Development Report correctly observes, "gender division of
labour assigns women responsibilities that man otherwise do not share." And as
a result of lack of development, "time spent collecting water represents a
heavy burden on women."

Further observations by the report are important in this regard particularly
on the issue of rights based approach to the delivery of water in democratic
South Africa. Through human rights based approach in the delivery of water and
other service, government has also ensured that more women no longer remain as
drawers of water. We should applaud the fact that South Africa is getting it
right in this regard.

Madame Speaker,

While we are greatly encouraged by the ability of our economy to create much
needed employment opportunities in key sectors, the ANCWL lekgotla however
decried the continued low levels of access to jobs for women in our country and
the perpetuated skewed income levels in the workplace.

We welcome the support given to women in small businesses through training
and financial resources provided by state agencies. As this sector grows
including acquiring a share of the international trade, we should assess the
extent to which some of these enterprises are able to absorb more women into
employment and thereby creating a rippling effect on the investment by the
State.

We believe strongly in the capability of the Extended Public Works Programme
(EPWP) to make a visible dent and provide immediate relief to many rural poor
women. Particularly in its ability to draw massive numbers of poor people into
jobs at a go, coupled with the training and the resultant economic benefits in
infrastructural development in these communities.

Comrade President,

We share the view that we need to move with speed to ensure that the many
women, particularly the aged and young mothers who receive social grants are
not trapped in the vicious circle that is created by total dependency on the
social security network.

Although some of us have scoffed at the amounts of money paid for these
support grants particularly child support grants, the experience of the poorest
of the poor has been that this money makes a huge difference in a place where
there was once nothing. Many families are forced to survive exclusively on the
grant paid to one child. From this money they are able to buy maize meal,
12,5kg of sugar, 100 bags box tea, cooking oil cabbage and other vegetables. It
is still a long way from resolving the problem of their living condition but it
is a necessary intervening relief.

We believe that creative ways supported by government and the private sector
should be used to target young women in the social security programme for
training and skilling for purposes of entering the job market or
entrepreneurship.

We must congratulate the Minister of Education, Ms Naledi Pandor, for the
move to increase the number of fee free schools. We believe that these together
with a proper integrated nutrition programmes have an impact in supporting the
education of the poor girl child. If young girls were to be denied unhindered
access to education due to poverty this would directly translate into missed
possibilities for empowerment and the perpetuation of the traditional gender
roles in society.

While on this matter I should emphasise the need for leaders in our
community to respect the rights of young girls to school and to administer our
schools in terms of the laws of the country. The current debacle surrounding
the schooling of a Western Cape girl who is married is something that requires
the intervention of community leaders and government. The intention being to
protect the rights of young women to education without prejudice.

Madam Speaker,

Government will need to continue to support pro-poor policies and be
sensitive to the plight of the poor particularly as it relates to socioeconomic
interventions. In this regard we should raise our concern about the fact that
the poor have to share in the crippling burden of escalating food prices, while
those with access to money are the ones responsible for pushing interest rates
and therefore inflation through their spending. It should be unfair for poor
women to share in the negative consequences of the lifestyle of the rich but
not in the benefits.

Madam Speaker and honourable members,

The President has addressed the issue of the ongoing work that government is
doing to enhance the capacity of the State to succeed in implementing its
mandate, including the intensification of the fight against poverty. While this
is necessary and possible, I must caution that inherent in its organisation and
nature, the State will not have all the capacity and all the space to effect
social transformation particularly the fight against poverty and the creation
of jobs on its own.

We urge for multi-sectoral involvement in a national strategy to reduce
poverty as the key priority task in the transformation of our society.

As it has always been said, the world we live in today has at its disposal
enough resources and knowledge to eradicate poverty. Therefore there is no
reason why the majority of our people should continue to be unable to share in
the happiness that comes with freedom in our country due to living conditions
of abject poverty.

I thank you!

Issued by: Department of Home Affairs
14 February 2007
Source: Department of Home Affairs (http://www.dha.gov.za/)