Chairperson, Minister Baloyi, the Minister from Jamaica and our guests, comrades and friends, 63% of our people live in urban areas. Hands up those of you who knew that. That's what the Census 2011 statistics shows. And this will increase to 71,3% by 2030 and nearly 80% by 2050, says the United Nations. Now, tell me how many of you knew that? Okay, okay, I'm showing off here! I only got to know this because Minister Baloyi delegated urban development issues to me, and I have had to quickly get to know this area. [Interjections.]
You like to heckle in IsiZulu so that I'm not going to understand you. I've been helped, as have other Deputy Ministers working in this area, by a team of technical experts from whose work, which will soon be put in the public domain, I draw on heavily for this input.
The adoption of the National Development Plan, NDP, let me stress, has also helped by giving further impetus to the need to better manage urban development.
Chairperson, I should point out that there is a Rule in the Rules of Parliament - the Chief Whip will confirm it - which states that those of us, like me, who have a horrible throat infection should have our 15 minutes expanded to about 18 or 19 minutes. [Laughter.] Will you check with the Chief Whip ... [Laughter.] ... because I have to reach out to my water and that has to be counted off my speaking time. [Interjections.]