Chairperson, let me also join Minister Motshekga in expressing our appreciation for your support of Budget Votes 14 and 16 and a relatively high degree of consensus. I think that this provides us with a very strong foundation to tackle these issues together. As we say, working together, we can do more.
But let me perhaps just make a few comments. Hon Makgate, I think you are absolutely correct because, in what you are saying, you are reminding us that while we have two departments, we have one education system, not two. I think this is a very important matter that we must always bear in mind to see how these two strengths can strengthen each other. We need strong foundation education so that our children will pass matric and go on to higher education. But we can't have that strong foundation system if the higher education sector itself doesn't train those foundation phase teachers and also ensure that we protect the African languages that we need for foundation teaching. It is for that reason that I said in the National Assembly that I intend to establish a ministerial advisory panel on the teaching, research and growing of African languages in universities.
We are not going to turn all this around by lamenting all the time. We need very decisive interventions in terms of what has to be done. On the issue of skills and the need to identify skills and build a database as part of our strategic plan, hon members may have realised that one of the key priorities is to build a skills database. We just don't have a reliable skills database in this country. This is something that we are treating as a priority for the department, so that we can know exactly where we have shortages and how big they are. Even now, we cannot say with certainty what the exact nature of these skills shortages is and what the demand is. We agree with that point quite strongly, and with the issue of career guidance.
It is also very important to say to this august House that we are starting a career guidance programme with the SA Qualifications Authority, SAQA. Hopefully we will work with the SABC too, so that we can make sure that we inform our school kids, college kids and other students about what is available, even about the National Student Financial Aid Scheme of South Africa, NSFAS, and which further education and training, FET, colleges, are working.
Makhelwane ngiseza kuwena sizoluxoxa kahle lolu daba. Ungezwa sengilumemeza esigangeni nje ngingakezi kuwena, nakhu besingakahlangani kulezi zinsukwana. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[Neighbour, I'm still coming to you to discuss this matter thoroughly. You should not hear me talking about it in public without having consulted you, since we have not met these days.]
I know the DA. They always want to throw stones, and they want to use the sector education and training authorities, Setas, as whipping boys. I don't mind if you undertake to give us an honest and frank critique of the Setas, but don't paint them all with one brush. If you do that, and without giving us alternatives, in essence you appear to be uninterested in skills development for the majority of the people of this country. We are open, as a government. Come and engage us. Honestly, where there are weaknesses, we will listen. We are not scared; we are not insecure. We will engage with you. Therefore it is very important.
I think it is important that I add to what Mama Motshekga, my neighbour, was saying to Baba uPlaatjie. We are willing to listen to everyone, including Cope, but we have difficulties in listening to Cope when they have never had a policy conference. [Laughter.] [Applause.] They have never had an elective congress. Our difficulty, therefore, is listening when we don't know where they are coming from. But we will try and listen, seriously, and then, six months down the line, there is something completely new. So, go to your elective congress, go to your policy conference and then let us engage substantively.
Hhayi nilokhu nithatha izinto ezincane enasuka nazo kuKhongolose, bese niyocosha ezinye kwimihlangano ebeninayo ne-DA, bese nizothi imithetho elandelwayo (policies). [Uhleko.] [Don't keep on taking the few things which you left with from the African National Congress, and then pick some in your meetings with the DA, and say that they are policies that are followed. [Laughter.]]
It is very important.
Mageba ngikuzwile baba, siyabonga ukuthi uyaziseka lezi zabiwo-mali zombili zoMnyango Wezemfundo. [Mageba, I heard you, sir; we thank you for supporting both budgets of the department of Education.]
Let me end by addressing these issues. Hon Mncube, thank you very much. In fact, this is an example of a disciplined Member of Parliament, who goes out to listen to the people's Parliament and comes back and raises these things as they are. We appreciate that. These issues you are raising are very important. Incidentally, I was talking informally today with Minister Shabangu, saying that we really do need an urgent meeting to discuss the issue of FET colleges in mining areas. So, it is something that we are taking up. The second thing is that the mining charter is up for review. The department and I are going to be taking an active interest in whether education features in that review of the mining charter, together with the role of the mining industry. This will include this partnership that we need to forge between the Setas, the private sector, FET colleges and universities of technology. So, this review is an opportunity that we need to be engaging with as part of addressing this issue, because you are right: We can't continue to allow mining companies to arrive, dig up the earth and then leave ghost towns after that. It is something we need to intervene in.
As a department, we are also talking about the possibility of convening round table meetings with businesses on skills development to determine what more we need to do. That will also address the issue of upgrading the FET colleges, as well as government's own programme.
We hope that the matter of financial assistance with registration fees will now go away, because we have given a guideline that says: All those who qualify for the NSFAS at universities - and maybe we need to look closely at FET colleges - should have their registration fees taken care of by virtue of the fact that they are NSFAS beneficiaries. You can't say because I am poor you are going to give me R20 000 in order to study, but you want R4 000 up front. As you are aware, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme has been reviewed. The report is up for comment at the moment, and we are going to be responding to it with the aim of submitting recommendations to Cabinet, which will cover quite a lot of these issues. For instance, one recommendation being made in that review committee - and saying this does not mean I agree with it or not - is that all students at FET colleges should not pay fees. It's a recommendation, and this is just by way of illustrating that we are dealing with such issues.
Now, on the issue of blacklisted students, this is a task that we have given to that review committee to look at. Being listed at a credit bureau is a very serious matter. We are aware of that, although you are not a genuine black South African if your name has never been listed by the credit bureau, frankly! And on this score we talk from experience. We want to look at the entire NSFAS loan book and at ways of dealing with questions of debt and blacklisted students. These things will come when we respond and make recommendations to government as we try to make sure that we remove as many obstacles as possible, especially for black students, in their access to higher education. Thank you very much. Siyabonga. [We thank you.]