Hon Chairperson, and hon member at the outset the IFP which to welcome hon Minister Naledi Pandor and her team to DIRCO and we which here well as she carries our hope dreams and aspiration to the world as Tshwane top diplomat.
Hon Minister, I was happy when you spoke about world bullies and world bulling. On Saturday I had the privilege of attending the birthday celebration of His Holiness Dalai Lama in Pretoria which was hosted by his office here in South Africa. The shirt I'm wearing was given to me then as a reminder that we as South Africa the land of the free should be refuge of those who are world oppressed.
So, hon Minister, we must reflect therefore on the decisions we took not to grant Dalai Lama a visa, is a reminder that we should never walk away from human right. [Applause.].
As we speak about Western Sahara which I support you fully Minister; and on the issues of Palestine and Israel insuring lasting solution - the two states solutions we agree with you Minister.
Equally Minister, we must speak about the big bullies China, and it is one China policy and what is doing in wrecking havoc for the people of Tibet in Taiwan, who themselves also want their freedom and democracy and universal suffrage. So, if India was able to stand up and give home to the Dalai Lama, we too as South Africa must be able to trade with China without negating our human rights outlook.
Minister, you speak about Sudan, and whilst we are happy at the developments, the fundamental question becomes where was South Africa when we allowed Omar al Bashir to escape South Africa. We chose not to stand with the people then, and as we choose the
people now, let us not make the mistake of walking away again from human rights. That was the irony of course of what the Minister said.
Hon Minister, we fully understand that yours is not an easy task, given the current political and socioeconomic climate that South Africa finds itself in. We all agree that foreign investment is critical for growth, productivity and competitiveness.
This country remains weak in terms of its integration into global trade systems and value chains, and this reduces the critical access that is required for our domestic enterprises to access foreign markets. It additionally makes imports which include tech-intensive capital goods more expensive.
Chairperson, foreign direct investment is weary of South Africa and in all fairness why shouldn't they be? The land question has not been resolved, infrastructure and public service is poor, bureaucracy is high, corruption is rife, and policies and regulations change on an almost daily basis. There is no
certainty, and this will in no way shape or form inspire foreign investment. One must only look at the volatility of the rand to the effects of policy uncertainty.
International migration although necessary to attract international skills is difficult, and you would only have to walk across the road from this very chamber to our IFP offices and many Home Affairs offices and DIRCO offices in South Africa to see the number of problems with visa applications we are trying to assist with in respect of applications being made at our embassies abroad that are now either lost or languishing in the 'system' or being denied in error. The interphase between this ministry of DIRCO and the Home Affairs must be thoroughly scrutinized and its problems identified and the entire process reengineered. Fast, accurate and efficient must be the mandate in this respect and in all respects if we wish to be competitive and attractive to foreign markets and individuals.
Additionally, to our credit and for the third time in 12 years, we have been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security council for 2019/2020. In this regard the reforms of
the United Nation Security Council hon Minister, must not be negotiable. These must be celebrated but further we must build upon and strengthened them for South Africa benefit the region and the continent and all the multilateral forums which South Africa is a part of.
In conclusion, we must also prioritise climate change and mitigate, adapt and develop resilience to same and we must stand against human rights abuses wherever they may occur in the world without cheery-picking. South Africa must be a leading light not only on the continent but also upon the global stage in respect of the advancement of human rights and the condemnation of abuse thereof.
Hon Minister, the IFP will support your Budget Vote. In conclusion let me say, we speak of budget cut let us also reduce the high number of foreign mission and the process of rationalisation in that respect must be fast tracked. I thank you.