Chair, the speed with which this Appropriations Bill is being processed through the two Houses of Parliament does little justice to the people of South Africa.
The attitude of many in the NA seem to be that this appropriation is the legacy of the Fifth Parliament and we need to process it to get it out of the way, and then get on with building the next budget to ensure that the Sixth Parliament can shape matters going forward.
What travesty? And this at the time when the economy is under severe threat, revenue is falling and yet we are seeing growing pressures on expenditure from a nation increasing the dependence on government support and government-led growth.
But the sad truth is that any money available needs to first be used to fill the gaping holes that have been left by state capture and years of bad policy decisions.
Hon Mahlangu earlier, quite correctly, pointed out that, yes, this is an election year and the timing of the elections was partly to
blame for the rush job that we've done. But, in the committee it was also agreed that the ANC's internal power plays caused a delay in the starting of the work of Parliament, putting this process under strain like never before.
Chair, we should be debating this Bill, not merely making declarations. We are not here to rubber stamp the work of the NA. Part of our job is to make sure that they have done their part correctly.
The reason given for not holding a debate today is the absence of the Minister and Deputy Minister from the country. They did not prioritise this House's decision on this Bill.
We are prevented from doing our work by the disdain shown by the executive for this House. Never again.
I have the word of the Appropriations Committee Chair that we will debate the next Appropriations Bill and I intend to hold her to it.
Deputy Chair, this Bill takes money from services desperately needed by South Africans and gives it to South African National Roads
Agency SOC Ltd, Sanral's etoll project, to Eskom and other failing state- owned enterprises.
The alternatives and the amendments proposed by the DA have been ignored.
This Bill pushes the National Health Insurance, NHI, forward despite the advice that that it is presently unaffordable and with no consideration of the alternatives put forward by the DA.
This Bill takes South Africa backwards.
Chair, public participation is sometimes uncomfortable, but it is necessary. Take the example of the DA's led Midvaal Municipality who have made changes to the annual budget based on inputs received through public participation.
Every year, for the last six years, listen to the people; give them a chance to have their say.
The DA cannot in good conscience support this Bill or this report. Thank you, Chair. [Applause.]
Afrikaans:
Agb Voorsitter, ...
English:
... the Freedom Front Plus voted against most of the budgets.
Afrikaans:
Ons het teen die begrotings gestem, nie om die gemeenskap te na te kom nie. Ek dink dit is 'n misverstand wat bie mense dalk nie begryp nie. Ons het daarteen gestem aangesien fondse verkeerd aangewend word op projekte wat nie weldeurdag is nie en aangesien korrupte politici en amptename steeds in poste bly en meeste van hulle bevordering kry. Cadre deployment. [kaderontplooiing]
Hierdie persone moet voor stok gekry word. Tot tyd en wyl dit gebeur, kan en sal ons nie die begrotings kan goedkeur nie, want dit het nie ten doel om 'n beter lewe vir ons mede Suid-Afrikaners daar te stel nie. [Tussenwerpsels.]
English:
We don't have to say a lot to say something, hon.
Chairperson, firstly, let's start with this, even if we've spent six months on the Appropriations Bill, the DA still would not have voted on it, actually, that's fact. They didn't do it in the last year, they didn't do it in the year before and there was no process that was truncated or reduced. So, it's disingenuous to suggest that they are not voting for this Bill simply because of the special circumstances.
Now, Mr Ryder reduces his own argument to this disingenuity because he acknowledges the committee report said that we as a whole, including the EFF and the ANC, the EFF was not there, Freedom Front Plus, we all agreed that these are special circumstances, like in any democracy in the world, it was election time. The space and time was eroded, Parliament had to rise on 28 March if I'm correct. So, these circumstances reduce the prospects of us paying considered attention and concerted attention to the Bill. We agree, but there's no other choice.
What we did plead for in our report is that in future, Chief Whip, Deputy Chairperson, when the government decides on the elections, it should also take into account that you have to vote on the budget before the end of July. So, maybe we should have the elections, as
we have done before, earlier in April, middle of April. We've asked you to think about that, chairperson.
Secondly, what we in fact did, thanks to our very effective Chairperson of the Appropriations Committee, she conferred Sifiso Mahlangu on the other side, Mr Sifiso Mahlangu, Mr Sifiso Buthelezi sorry.
And of course, we had Joint Sittings all the time with them, but the decisions that we finally took were our own, the NCOP is not subordinate to the NA, it is not here to rubber stamp it. In fact, it's the ANC that keeps saying that ... and I've raised this on behalf of our committee, the finance committee with the Chief Whip of the NCOP that we should have a debate here that doesn't actually substitute or duplicate what the NA does. Our focus should be more on provinces and local government, and he has said yes to it. And no doubt when we have our strategy discussion, when we come back in the first week, that will rise. Our committees have taken a decision, he, Mr Ryder, supported it, right?
On the issue of the absence of the Minister and the Deputy Minister, we've already agreed that they should be here. Here sitting in the official component of the NA right now is Sindi August, a very
effective parliamentary leader of [Inaudible.] she will communicate to the Minister and the Deputy Minister the unhappiness of the House, that at least one of them surely should have been here. And House Chair, I plead with you, Deputy Chairperson, that in future you ensure that it happens and so does the Chief Whip of the NCOP. Surely one of them could have been here, we are agreeing on that, I don't know why he's bleating on about it, we've agreed on that earlier.
Then on the issue of a colleague of his he's raising this morning, in a very cowardly way to say, yes, of course, when I was the Minister of Communications the SA Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, state capture occurred. Maybe he wants to Google Carrim. Koos Bekker, his friend, MultiChoice and the decision about Hlaudi Motsoeneng, and Google it and see, maybe he can then conclude why I wasn't reappointed. Do I care? No. I went for five years to the NA and I'm here right now. I didn't run away. [Applause.] [Interjections.]
And what has the Freedom Front said? Nothing. I don't think hon Fanie Du Toit knows what to say. I'm just saying, Mr Fanie Du Toit, with due respect, you said nothing. You simply said monies have been allocated to the wrong votes. What votes? Why precisely? No answer.
So, it would be better if you didn't speak. Thank you. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
Question put: That the Bill be agreed to.
Bill agreed to in accordance with section 75 of the Constitution.
The Council adjourned at 20:49. -----------------------