Deputy Speaker, this is one of the questions which solicit a multiple-choice answer. So, I will give three answers and the hon member will choose which one he prefers. The first answer is no.
The second answer is that the National Youth Development Agency, NYDA, is established in terms of legislation passed by this Parliament. This Parliament appoints the board to the NYDA and therefore, if you want to abolish the NYDA, you must repeal the Act. [Interjections.]
The third answer is that according to Census 2011, the young people in our country between the ages of 14 and 35 constitute about 42%, which is about 21,7 million of the estimated 51,8 million South Africans. The average age of the South African population is said to be 25 years, which is the youth.
The Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Quarter 4, 2012, estimated that unemployment for the general population is at 24,9%. Young people between the ages of 14 and 35 are estimated to constitute about 72% of the total unemployed. These realities facing our country strengthen the case for well co-ordinated and mainstreamed youth development across our society.
South Africa has just witnessed the signing of a youth accord led by the Deputy President. This is a commitment from government, organised business, labour, community structures and young people themselves to collectively tackle the unemployment of our people. This is a demonstration of a country united to deal with challenges facing our young people today.
Unemployment is but one of the many challenges facing our young people in modern-day South Africa. The NYDA is responsible for mainstreaming youth development across the board in our country. It has offices in all provinces and provides services to needy young people of our country which range from career guidance to mentorship, entrepreneurship training, microfinance, business support and the national youth service to access information in order for them to take part in their development.
The NYDA has made great strides in providing youth development opportunities despite its limited resources and the youth development backlogs in South Africa. Therefore, despite the challenges the agency has faced, it remains necessary and critical in our society. The NYDA has new leadership, with energy and expertise, appointed through this Parliament, which is committed to putting the interests of the young people first.
Government is of the view that, given the NYDA's three years of existence, it has made great strides and equally has its challenges. Therefore, it still remains a necessary vehicle to assist the youth to realise their goals. And Parliament has appropriated its budget under scrutiny and should continue to hold the agency accountable. I thank you.
Deputy Speaker, the hon Minister gave a number of facts and statistics here, but failed to disclose that in 2011-12, the NYDA, in fact, missed its targets for projects initiated by the youth, by a staggering 95,9%. This is clearly not a functioning institution. Therefore, how can he continue in all good conscience to inject public money into such a clearly dysfunctional entity when its budget could, in fact, be far better used in implementing a youth wage subsidy, which could, in fact, lead to tangible jobs for those millions of the unemployed youth that he, in fact, mentioned in his response?
Deputy Speaker, that supplementary question confirmed my response when I said that there are three options from which you can choose. [Interjections.]
Parliament appropriates money to the NYDA directly. Once Parliament has appropriated that money, we have no reason not to proceed to give the NYDA the money. If Parliament had not appropriated the money, then you could ask us why we were giving the money to the NYDA. Parliament appropriated the money to the NYDA because Parliament understands that the NYDA has a role to play. It can meet some targets at some point, but Parliament has the responsibility to hold the NYDA accountable through its committees and to make the NYDA account for the funds and the functioning of the NYDA itself. Thank you. [Interjections.]
Minister, there is a list of one disastrous youth event after the other useless and disastrous youth event, not to mention the spectacular failure of the Youth Parliament that was attempted to be held in this very House last year. What exactly has the NYDA offered in terms of real youth development and the enhancement of the lives of young South Africans, as the mere offering of services to media agencies doesn't positively affect the lives of millions of the unemployed youth?
Hon Deputy Speaker, every year the NYDA presents its annual report. We detail its activities and what it has done. We could at this forum share with you a part of that annual report which you have in your possession, from which I thought you would have pointed out what did not happen in terms of the annual report.
However, the number of active young people in the mentorship programme of the NYDA for the 2010-11 financial year was 1 000, for 2009-10 it was 1 354 and for 2011-12 it was 1 578, which makes it 3 932 in total. That is part of the work of the NYDA which is contained in the annual report.
The number of youth that underwent entrepreneurship training for the past three years totals about 71 922. The value of the loans disbursed through the microfinance group and small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, lending is about R97 million for the past three years. The number of loans issued to microenterprises groups and SMEs is over R33 000. The number of jobs created through the projects which the NYDA is responsible for, is over 73 000. The number of business-support consultancy vouchers issued to young people in terms of the strategic plan of the NYDA is over 7 000. The value of business opportunities which have been sourced through the NYDA by young people is over 145 million. The value of business opportunities accessed by young people through the NYDA is over 51 million. The number of young people provided with job preparedness training is over 30 000. The number of youth enrolled in the National Youth Service programme is over 138 000. The number of young people accessing information through the NYDA's service delivery access points is over 2 million. The number of NYDA information dissemination and access points is over 470 000.
Hon member, that is a long list.
Deputy Speaker, it is. That is why I was referring them to the report which they have. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, Minister, it might sound true, but the ordinary youth of uMqanduli cannot be part of what you said. The current legal framework of the NYDA does not compel the Ministers who are sitting here to account, and to develop a programme that relates to the NYS programme. That is why they cannot tell us exactly what each and every department of these Ministers sitting here is doing for the National Youth Development Agency.
The amount of money at the disposal of the NYDA is not even enough to respond to the things you mentioned. Why can't we create a youth ministry that will be budgeted for by this Parliament, accountable to this Parliament, and implement the programmes that are not only for the youth of the ANC? [Interjections.]
Order, hon members!
Deputy Speaker, in its report, the NYDA continues to express the view that, given the minimum resources it has, it is not able to spread itself throughout the country. The NYDA is partnering with municipalities to ensure that it establishes offices in municipalities. It has not been able to go to that level because of resources.
However, departments, state entities and other institutions have been encouraged, on their own, to include in their programmes youth development programmes which will contribute towards dealing with youth problems in the country. We have been calling on everybody in society, both the private sector and the public sector, to ensure that they have programmes which are not dependent on the NYDA alone, but programmes which they have to champion, to ensure that it happens. We hope that during the Budget Vote debates, Ministries, departments and institutions will elaborate on their programmes which include youth development and empowerment, so that all of us contribute towards dealing with the scourge of problems that our youth is facing in the country.
Deputy Speaker, we are not used to this technology. My understanding is that the NYDA accounts to this House through the committee on which members of all parties are represented. Can the hon Minister explain to the House: Is it the responsibility of the Minister to invite members - who don't want to participate and don't read those annual reports which are easily available to this House - to the NYDA's meetings when it is reporting on the annual performance plans and the strategic plans?
Deputy Speaker, they are still being invited.
Strategy to contribute to ongoing development of a capable state
111. Mr D L Ximbi (ANC) asked the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:
In view of the adoption of the National Development Plan that places a high premium on the development of a capable state (details furnished), what is her strategy to contribute to the ongoing development of a capable state? NO864E
Deputy Speaker, I had wanted to rise on this point of order earlier, but I'd like to use this opportunity. I ask you to please prevail upon the hon Leader of the Opposition to refrain from blowing kisses to Minister Blade Nzimande. He has had to flee from this unwarranted attention. It is unparliamentary and the hon member should stop it, please! [Laughter.]
Is that why he disappeared from his seat?
That is exactly why he disappeared from his seat! This is to hon Ximbi. Nothing could have made my job easier than when the National Development Plan was universally adopted by all spheres of government, and to quote the hon Trevor Manuel:
At the nub of the plan is that we must find a way in which the engine can work. The grand schemes that we have - the grand plan we have - will not fly until the engine is working.
This has allowed us to focus our attention on this immediate matter of fixing the engine which is the Public Service. Here are some of the measures that we have prioritised to deal with how we fix this particular engine: Firstly, we want to emphasise the professionalisation of the Public Service over and over again; secondly, the creation of an environment that is conducive to work and one that will result in greater efficiency; thirdly, the rewarding of outstanding work done by our public servants; fourthly, the responsiveness of the Public Service to problems in our communities; fifthly, compulsory training to instil a culture and ethos of accountability and responsibility in the Public Service; sixthly, tough action to be taken against corruption; seventhly, centralisation of certain disciplinary cases, especially cases involving corruption, to send a swift message that we will not tolerate corruption; eighthly, to emphasise the use of technology to harness our efficiency; ninthly, to make sure that we can build partnerships with labour and the private sector; and finally, to make sure that we can make savings in this particular current year on funded posts that are unoccupied. Thank you.
Hayi, andinawo umbuzo olandelayo. Ndonelisekile yimpendulo kaMphathiswa. [No, I do not have a follow-up question. I am satisfied with the Minister's response.]
Deputy Speaker, thank you.
Mphathiswa, andonelisekanga. Ndifuna ukubuza lo mbuzo, njengokuba sele utshilo okokuba unamanyathelo asixhenxe oza kuwathatha, ngaphambili ukhe wachaphazela into yokuba kufunela kubekho isikolo esiza kufundisa amagosa oluntu ukwenzela ukuba akwazi ukwenza umsebenzi ngendlela eyiyo, Kodwa awukhange uyithethe ke loo nto kwimpendulo yakho ngoku. Ndifuna ukuqonda ukuba ingaba, njengokuba namhlanje iPublic Administration Leadership and Management Academy, Palama, isawenza lo msebenzi wokufundisa amagosa oluntu, kwaye ifundisa inani eliphantsi lamagosa minyaka le, uza kukwazi kusini na ukuyilwela into yokuba ingxowa-mali yokufundisa amagosa oluntu inyuke kancinci ukuze bakwazi ukuwenza lo msebenzi bafanele ukuwenza, lo sele uphawulwe kwisiCwangciso soPhuhliso seSizwe, NDP? (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Minister, I am not satisfied. I want to ask this question, as you have already mentioned that you have seven steps which you are going to follow. Previously you have mentioned that there must be a school that is going to teach public officials the correct ways of doing their work, but you did not mention that in your answer here. I want to know whether, as the Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy, Palama, is still doing that job, and enrolling just a minimum number of those officials annually, the Minister will see to it that more funds are made available to cater for public officials in order for them to fulfil their mandate, as mentioned in the National Development Plan.]
Mohlomphehi Ramatlakane, ke o rata ha o bua Sesotho hobane ka nnete ho a ipontshahatsa hore Xhamela ha a o ruta qapodiso ya SeXhosa. [Hon Ramatlakane, I like it when you speak in Sesotho, because it is evident that Xhamela did not teach you isiXhosa properly.] [Laugther.]
Allow me, however, to respond to this very important question of yours in English and to paraphrase what hon Ramatlakane has put across to me. He would like to find out if, in fact, we are continuing with the Palama programme because he had hoped that I would deal with the issue of the school of government in my response.
I am very glad, hon Ramatlakane, that you have asked this question because I did want to put it across. One of the central foundations of what we are doing in professionalising the Public Service and ensuring that all public servants immediately go to school, is to change the position that we had placed ourselves in, that of having the Palama institution, which served as a conduit on a very small scale to take public servants and make sure that they are enrolled in universities. What we are doing now is creating our own capacity in the school of government. We hope to unveil this in October, in honour of our hero of the struggle, Oliver Tambo, who was born in October. This will take place this year in October, when we will launch the school of government.
We want to make sure that there are compulsory induction courses, which are already underway, and will be part of the school. We have in place a team of people who are assisting me to make sure that we have the necessary coursework, infrastructure and support from the private sector to make the programmes that we are putting together a success.
We would like to make use of this opportunity to congratulate all those Members of Parliament who passed and graduated recently from a programme we jointly have between ourselves and the University of the Witwatersrand. We hope that the public servants will take their cue from this and take the leadership from you to ensure that they use the opportunity that we are providing for them. Thank you.
Minister, both the National Development Plan and the Public Service Commission have reported that cadre deployment has, for all practical purposes, boomeranged on the ANC government. What are your plans and timelines to either upskill these cadres adequately or replace them with competent and capable persons to deliver on the NDP outcomes? Thank you.
Hon Marais, when I was the Minister of Housing, I worked very closely with the City of Cape Town. At that time it was led by the ANC. We then had a change of government, and the DA-led government came into place in the City of Cape Town. Almost overnight, everybody who was in that Department of Housing was changed. The DA took the opportunity to put their own people in place - in government. That was never called cadre deployment. It is only called cadre deployment when the ANC uses it. [Applause.]
Right from the outset, we have had the responsibility of ensuring that there is sufficient representivity in the public sector in line with the Constitution. We wanted to make sure there are enough people who understand the policies of the ANC in the public sector. Therefore, we wanted to make sure that we can put forward our people to take up positions of responsibility to drive the programmes of the ANC. It is acceptable world- wide, and this is what we are doing. The reason why we have now instituted compulsory training is to ensure that anybody - not only those that are deployed by the ANC - who enters the public sector has sufficient training and education to be able to give the necessary services to our people. Thank you. [Applause.]
Legislation prohibiting business dealings between public servants and the state
100. Mr S J F Marais (DA) asked the Minister for the Public Service and Administration:
When will she introduce legislation that prohibits public servants from entering into business dealings with the state? NO843E
Hon Marais, yes, I am glad you are very keen to understand what we're doing in relation to the legislation that prohibits public servants from entering into business with government. We have amended the current Public Service Act and added a clause that will allow us to put in place the necessary prohibition of any practice that we find unethical and being of a corrupt nature. We have done this; and we hope that by the end of the month of June 2013, we will place the Bill before Parliament. Hon Marais, we also hope that you will fast- track this so that it can come into force before the end of the financial year next year.
The Bill is currently before the National Economic Development and Labour Council, Nedlac, and when we are done with the amendment, we will put it through the Parliamentary processes. Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, does the Minister agree that, had she supported the DA's Private Member's Bill on this matter, South Africa would have been much closer to a resolution by now and that these relevant public servants wouldn't be benefiting further from taxpayers' hard-earned money? Thank you.
No, by the time the DA brought their Private Member's Bill, we were just about done with our own amendment. The process of amending a Bill is quite involved and we had already done all the necessary footwork. So, the work that the DA did was really not necessary. Thank you very much for all your efforts; next time we will consider them. Thank you. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker and Minister, public servants stand to make millions of rands from doing business with the state. Even if legislation imposes a stiff fine or incarceration or suspended sentences, the fines can be offset by the profits or the proceeds made. Minister, what is your view? Under the law, should transgressing public servants be forced to pay back these proceeds into state coffers?
Hon Du Toit, we will be bringing the Bill before Parliament, and I am certain that we will engage with you. That kind of recommendation will be very welcome and we will consider it. Thank you.
Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister for her reply. Following your reply, Minister, I just want to find out about the clause that you are suggesting will be inserted in the current law; whether it will make provision for the money that has been milked out of the public coffers by the officials, as reported by the attorney-general, to be returned to the coffers of the state in terms of the legislation that you are going to amend.
No, the amendment will be to prohibit conduct by a member of having business links with the state. Beyond that, we have not reached that point. That would be the point of what we would do when there is an offence. As I indicated to hon Du Toit, the Bill will be before Parliament, and should you want to have this clause inserted in the Bill, we will be more than willing to accommodate that. Thank you.
Hon Deputy Speaker, I used Mr Singh's thing, but I am not Mr Singh. [Laughter.] While I appreciate that this Bill will come before Parliament as soon as June this year, we often find that we have good enough legislation, but fall short in the implementation. My question to the hon Minister is: Will this Bill have enough checks and balances to ensure that it can be implemented?
Should I answer the hon member or hon Singh on the thing that you referred to? [Interjections.] Please protect me from the howling. As you said, in government we already had measures in place to ensure that our public servants behave in a particular way. I quite agree with you. If we don't use those measures, very little comes out of it.
We have put in place additional measures now which I will be discussing with Cabinet very soon. We are assisted by technological advances to ensure that we can monitor this process. Over and above that, we have created an office for standards and compliance which is responsible for ensuring that public servants comply with the laws that are put in place to ensure that there is good governance. Thank you.
Hon Minister, I just hope that you've noticed the attraction of the hon Maynier as sharply as you've noticed the interest of the hon Mazibuko towards Blade. [Laughter.] He can't stop smiling when you talk. [Laughter.]
Particulars regarding task team attending to issues related to municipal demarcation process
126. Ms D G Nhlengethwa (ANC) asked the Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs:
1) Whether the task team that he appointed to attend to issues related to the municipal demarcation process has completed its investigation; if not, (a) why not and (b) when will it finalise its work; if so, what are the relevant details;
2) whether the task team consulted with the Demarcation Board in doing its investigation; if not, (a) why not and (b) when will this be done; if so, what are the relevant details?