Chairperson, Ministers, Deputy Minister, MECs present and hon members, good afternoon. I really hope that one day I will stand on the podium and never have to hear about the assets, the register and everything that goes with those. That would indeed be a day I would be very grateful for.
Let me say that in the brief opportunity that the NCOP has awarded us I want to take members on a journey, so that by the time the 15 minutes allocated to me by the Chair expires, we will have found a way to master our minds.
As hon members, it's important that in our responsibilities and obligations, and in carrying out the mandate that the electorate has given us, we find a way to cultivate our minds so that they can blossom beyond our expectations. The quality of our lives can determine the quality of our thoughts. In that way we will begin to move beyond recognising mistakes to regarding them as lessons, and recognise setbacks as opportunities for personal expansion and spiritual growth. Furthermore, in that way, I believe, this democracy will indeed thrive, especially for us as leaders.
We will also be closer by a step to the secret of happiness, which is very simple: Find out what you truly love and invest your energies directly in that, once and for all. It will not only be about carrying out the electoral mandate, but also be about what we love, the energies we invest and the desired outcomes. Therefore, our lives will even be more meaningful.
Allow me to take a few minutes to talk about the issues of the asset register, as well as asset management in particular. I hope that all the members who have it in their speeches will start editing them now. In that way I will have answered some of the issues that hon members were going to raise.
We've moved ahead as the Department of Public Works. When we were here last year, we spoke about developing an electronic system that would enable us as a country to move one step closer to the issue of asset management and asset investment. I would like to request members, at their earliest convenience, to visit the exhibitions outside where we will give members an opportunity to understand what iE-Works is. This is a system that is going to assist us in managing our assets.
With your permission, Chair, let me confirm that we know what we own and what we are busy doing is appropriating it accordingly. The MEC from the Eastern Cape has actually highlighted and reminded us of the challenges with regard to the homelands. I will, therefore, not go into that.
Since the NCOP is responsible in a way for provinces and provincial oversight, we would like to request hon members, during their performance of oversight, to check the provinces for us, as we are taking them through a migration system into iE-Works.
In this manner we can, as a country, once and for all have one container that can house all our assets. We can also get the whole history of each asset properly registered with its maintenance, condition, assessments and everything reflected, without losing the different spheres. At the press of a button one will be able to know whose building it is and who it is vested in. This whole system will also assist us in ensuring that we resolve the issues around the property rates. We will also move a step further in the devolutions, as the Minister said in his speech.
As outlined by the Minister, it will also take us a step further in assisting provinces and municipalities with billing issues, invoicing and the capacity related to that. We would really like to urge members to please join us as we move the country to the iE-Works system, acknowledging the challenges and the teething problems, as well as the capacities related to it. Together, we know, we will be able to have one asset register that we can all be proud of.
The Government Immovable Asset Management Act, Giama, has been alluded to. We are very close to compliance with Giama. We are calling on provinces and reminding them that their full Giama compliance is required in 2012. I hope that as the members have outlined the 2010-2011 budget, they will also look into ensuring that their respective provinces develop not only their user asset management plans but also their custodian asset management plans. That way we will guarantee that we meet and we ensure that ...
... silanda iibhokhwe zethu, siyakwazi ukuzigcina kwaye siqinisekile ukuba ziza kuhlala zikhona amaxesha amaninzi azayo.[... we collect our assets, we know how to look after them and we are certain that they will remain with us for a long time.]
Let me also say that we have heard about the issue of the unfunded mandate. As the Deputy Minister of Public Works I can say to the MECs of Public Works that compliance with Giama is the core function. It cannot be an unfunded mandate. It is important for us to understand that we are dealing with issues of concurrent functions. Compliance in regard to the development of the user asset management plans and the custodian asset management plans remains the core function of the Departments of Public Works, both nationally and provincially. It is only when we comply with these that we will indeed be in a better position to deliver the mandate and collect ibhokhwe zethu [our goats] in a safe condition.
Of course, the development of these management plans remains an issue of the relevant capacities. I liked the fact that the MEC from the Eastern Cape indicated that indeed, as we bring in young people in different capacities through the provincial learnerships, the national Department of Public Works would like to ensure that provinces are happy and willing to ensure that we assist those young people that are sent our way. We must assist them in the development of the asset management plans, the user asset management plans and the custodian asset management plans. That way one doesn't need to spend more money than one really needs to.
If, as provinces, we can get the whole Giama compliance right, it will also assist us in ensuring that we deal with the issues of the backlog of maintenance as well as rehabilitation. The Giama will be a tool and an instrument that we can take to Treasury and actually use to justify our case. It will also reduce the challenges that we have and the ongoing nonpayment of property rates because we will all know what we own, where it is, and how much it actually costs us.
As the Minister said, we can only do all of this if we have completed our vesting processes. Vesting is extremely important. Even though the President said we wouldn't be blaming apartheid, in this case, hon members, we are very happy to blame apartheid. The reason for that is that it is only in the former homelands that vesting has not happened. We need to look at the realities that come with the issues of vesting. As the Department of Public Works - as the Minister said - we are looking at 31 March 2014 as the date when South Africa's land will all be vested.
However, for that to happen, we need surveyors. Currently, we have only 700 registered surveyors on the professional registers, out of whom 476 are in private practice, while the remainder are in government. That makes our vesting ambitions a challenge, which will also affect provinces, because some of the provinces don't have even one surveyor.
What we are calling for is for the NCOP to partner with us to develop the implementation of a focused vesting master plan. This plan will enable us to take all resources and direct them to one province. That way the vesting can become one focused project and, come 2014, it will definitely be completed.
I would like to call on the MECs to join the national department as we implement a survey of women so that we are able to determine what their impact on construction sites is, what value they add, and what challenges they are experiencing. That way we will be able to ensure that women can participate freely, effectively, and to the best of their ability on construction sites.
We also request hon MECs to partner with us as we move ahead in meeting the 2% compliance set for disabled people. As the Department of Human Settlements and the Department of Public Works, we need to utilise young people in a better way, because we are indeed a technical department.
This Budget Vote is being debated at a very important time when the President has launched the HIV counselling and testing campaign. I would like to request hon members not only to join in this but also to bring in their respective legislatures, provinces and constituencies so that we are able to contribute to the number set of 15 million people.
Let me thank the ANC, which is the party that awarded me an opportunity to serve, the President, courtesy of whom I serve, the Minister, with whom I partner in delivering the mandate, the select committee members, the MECs respectively, the legislatures, and, last but not least, the team in my office and my family for being there.
Let me conclude by saying that for us to continue to unite this country and ensure that our provinces function to the best of their ability, it is important that we do all the other things. But, never forget the importance of living with unbridled exhilaration. Never neglect to see the exquisite beauty in all living things. Whether you see it today or tomorrow, always see it as a gift, and focus on your purpose. If you do that, the universe will take care of the rest. Thank you very much. [Applause.]