The establishment of the High Court in Mpumalanga officially opened on Friday, 8 November 2019. This embodies the fulfilment of the ANC-led government's democratic commitment to ensure access to justice for all.
This is a milestone towards enhancing access to justice and will provide relief for Mpumalanga residents who will no longer be required to take long trips to Pretoria High Court for all serious criminal offences and civil claims.
The official opening of this High Court follows the commencement of its functioning in May this year. It is a four-storey building with 12 courtrooms: Five to be used for civil cases; and the other two will accommodate criminal cases.
Before the project was launched, Mpumalanga was the only province in South Africa without a High Court ... [Applause.] - 25 years into our democracy. As the ANC, we trust that the opening of this High Court will serve as a catalyst in our efforts to attract legal expertise back to the province. I thank you. [Applause.]
Nelson Mandela Bay's coalition of corruption headed by the UDM's mad Mayor Mongameli Bobani is in truth led by the ANC who are now more determined than ever before to steal the city and drive it back into the ground.
Last week, the ANC promised to put the people first and rid them of the worst mayor in the city's history. Instead, they ran away with their tails between their
legs because in their coalition, it is the tail that wags the dog.
From 2016 to 2018, the DA-led coalition in Nelson Mandela Bay initiated a rapid turnaround in the finances and service delivery, which resulted in additional funding from Treasury after spending 100% of our grant funding.
One year later: The finances have all but collapsed; service delivery is nonexistent; National Treasury is recalling their grants; and 18 people have been murdered in what appear to be politically motivated killings.
The ANC have once again stolen the city and, in so doing, have sacrificed the people of Nelson Mandela Bay on the altar of corruption. [Applause.]
House Chair, for the past two years, the community of Magogong in Greater Taung Municipality has been drinking polluted water, which has turned brown in colour. They logged a complaint about this water to the local municipality, and the municipality promised to
provide them with clean water. However, up to date, their issue has not been solved.
The Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation had built the people of Magogong RDP houses with an incomplete sewerage system which has septic tanks. The sewerage system has not been functioning since 1996. These septic tanks had been installed on the grounds in the yards of the RDP houses. When it is hot, the waste come out of these septic tanks, flows on the ground and sometimes flow inside the RDP houses.
In 2004, one of the children fell and drowned in one of these septic tanks. The municipality refused to take responsibility of this tragic death. The name of the child who died due to these tanks is Tumelo Loikanyeng.
The conditions that the people of Magogong are despicable and there seems to be on one prepared to listen to their cries in government. Thank you. [Applause.]
South Africa's investment drive in on track. The ANC welcomes all the efforts by our
government to attract new investment. We are pleased to hear that more than R363 billion - translating to 412 000 direct jobs - has been pledged at the second SA Investment Conference on Wednesday, 6 November 2019, at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, by about a dozen companies and business partnership forums.
This is a 17% higher than the R300 billion pledged at the conference debut in 2018. The gathering is part of President Ramaphosa's investment drive to raise R1,2 trillion in 5 years to improve the country's low economic growth and deal with the high unemployment rate.
The new commitments follow the assurances given by the President that the proceeds of the pledges made at the inaugural investment conference last year were already being realised. Of the R300 billion in investment pledged in 2018, about R238 billion has been secured during the past 12 months.
Since 2018, eight projects have been completed and about
17 are in the implementation stage. The remaining projects are still in the planning phase. The ANC would
like those who gave us their mandate and trust to be assured that South Africa will rise and prosper in the years ahead and overcome all the current challenges and difficulties. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon House Chairperson, the decline in tourism experienced by South Africa in the recent years is a source for much concern to the IFP. According to recent Statistics SA, numbers have shown that international visitors to South Africa have declined for the first seven months of 2019.
We are currently on month eleven and no promising projections are in sight. This comes on the back of President Ramaphosa's pronouncements during his state of the nation address earlier in the year, making specific mention to international tourism and government's aim to double international visitors to 21 million by 2030.
The tourism sector, which is seen as a means to unlock jobs and economic growth in South Africa, has been battling to stay competitive. Uncertainty over visa
arrangements for visitors from certain countries and concerns over crime have been the major setbacks.
We also need to look into better educating officials within the sector to empower them to better with challenges faced by the sector and save us from this crisis. The IFP thanks you vey much.
House Chair, unlike the Springbok team, the ANC's Tripartite Alliance is a divided house. Last Wednesday, during the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement speech of the Minister of Finance, it became clear that South Africa is in the midst of a serious financial crisis.
Afrikaans:
Suid-Afrika se staatsskuld was 10 jaar gelede nog onder 30%; tans is dit 60%. Indien ons so voortgaan, sal dit oor nege jaar, teen 2028, 80% wees. Ons het vanwe die vermorsing van geld, korrupsie en ANC-regeringsbeleid, wat ekonomiese groei byna ontmoontlik maak, in hierdie situasie beland. Wat was Cosatu se reaksie?
English:
We are content though that the bulk of the blatantly anti-worker attacks proposed by Treasury in its economic strategy paper has been removed. The federation appreciates the intervention by the President and the ANC to reject these treacherous proposals that were targeted at the National Minimum Wage, collectively bargaining, agreements and other progressive constitutional rights.
Afrikaans:
Die antwoord l in 'n werkskeppende ekonomie, waar 'n vryer arbeidsmag die rel sal wees. Om dit reg te kry, sal die ANC-regering die mag van 'n onverantwoordelike Cosatu-vakbondvennoot moet breuk. Dit is in belang van Suid-Afrika. Kan die ANC dit doen? Dankie.
The relationship between the ANC and the Indian community was forged in the trenches of the struggle, not as an act of convenience but as an act of a single people working together. Throughout the history of a struggle for freedom, the role of South Africans of the Indian origin has been central.
It was thus with heavy hearts that members of the Indian community, along with the Mayor of Ethekwini, Mxolisi Kaunda, admitted their disappointment that R4,4 million earmarked for the 1860 Indentured Monument project had not been ... the money was returned to the province.
The year 2020 would mark 16 years since the arrival of Indian people in Durban. The Ethekwini was unable to use the funds for the erection of the statue celebrating this milestone but could have used the funds to build a soup kitchen or second-hand clothing distribution in the name of indenture labourers.
Given the funds in March 2015, the Ethekwini City returned the money to the city with difficulties to implement the project. The feeling among the Indian community now is that the role of the province's history has not been recognised but undermined. [Time expired.]