Manana Xipikara, xosungula ndzi rhandza ku xeweta Maafrika-Dzonga hinkwavo eka tindhawu to hambanahambana
laha mi nga kona. A ndzi rivali ku xeweta presidente wa mundzuku wa tiko ra hina ra Afrika-Dzonga, "commander-in-chief, CIC" [murhangeri wa vuthu] Sello Julius Malema.
English:
The EFF's founding manifesto cardinal pillar number three says that, we must build state and government capacity which will lead to the abolishment of tenders. Since the formation of the EFF in 2013 and when we came here in Parliament in 2014, we made the call for the state capacity because we know that economic transformation requires a strong people- centered state that has the ability to develop a clear strategic vision and deliver services. We made this call because we know that the private sector interest is to make profit at all cost including the lives of our people, like what we saw with Life Esidimeni.
Today, we are sitting with a backlog of 1000 special schools, a backlog of over 300 000 kilometers of roads that needs to be paved, we have more than 3,9 million people waiting for houses and the number of informal dwellings have now increased by over
2,1 million. We have more than 54% of households without running water inside the houses. Mr President ...
Xitsonga:
... vanhu va Giyani va ndzi rhumile. Va ri va karhele ku nwa mati na swiharhi.
English:
Water and sanitation pipeline backlog are over 400 kilometers. The current level of infrastructure backlog is a clear indication that the state has collapsed, incapable to deliver services and undermine any effort to improve the lives of our people. Instead, billions are wasted through tendering processes which we know has collapsed and it is used to steal money.
Mr President, why do we outsource security guards, cleaners, drivers and general workers? Why do we go on tender to buy toilet papers, stationary and other things which we can go and buy straight from black-owned manufactures? Why must hospitals buy food when there are kitchens in hospitals with workers? Why must government outsource the repairing of ambulances and wait
years for one ambulance to be fixed when government can open its own workshops and hire its own mechanics? [Applause.]
It is because of this sad reality that we welcome the recent announcements by the new premier of the Northern Cape on his commitment to increase state capacity, as this is in line with EFF policies and we will not be surprised when the rest of the government adopts this approach. We also want to warn the new premier that in his attempts at increasing state capacity he will be challenged at every turn by those only interested in the politics of the stomach.
The reality is that the tender system has been used as a means for self- enrichment for those in government and those connected to the ruling party. That is why we must do away with it and increase state capacity. Throughout the world there are examples of how this can be done and there is no better example than China.
In China the state provides services and uses the state as the driving force for economic development. As a result, the Chinese
have been able to lift 800 million people out of poverty in a 40-year period according the World Bank's own data. That is 20 million people lifted out of poverty a year. This has never been done in the history of the world and was because of the role played by the state. Increasing state capacity will not only improve service delivery and standards of living, but it will also create millions of jobs.
If government is to build 3,9 million homes, tar roads and build schools, state companies are needed. Under an EFF government there will be a state construction company, a state cement company and many other states companies whose sole mandate will be to deliver services. These companies will be able to employ millions of South Africans in quality jobs that will provide benefits. An EFF government will also increase exist capacity, will employ more doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, plumbers and electricians, all of which are needed if we are to provide quality services to our people.
However, sadly, the ANC government remains committed to its embrace of neoliberalism and greed of profit over the people.
Only an EFF government can truly improve the state of our nation and one of the ways we will do this is by increasing the state capacity. Mr President ...
Xitsonga:
... pfukani emilorhweni, mi tirhisa phuphu ya vunkombo, leyi yi nga ta pfuxa tiko ra Afrika-Dzonga. Ndza khensa.