Hon Chairperson, hon members, fellow South Africans, since the dawn of our democracy, South Africa has been guided by chapter two of the Constitution also known as the Bill of Rights, which is the cornerstone of our democracy.
Sadly, over the last few years, we have seen these rights under threats and I would like to caution all hon members present here today to reflect on the fact that the state must respect, protect, promote and fulfil the right as stated in the Bill of Rights.
The full realisation of human rights should be a vital goal of the developmental state. March 21st annually, marks human rights day on the South African calendar, which is historically linked with the 21st March 1960 and the events of Sharpeville.
While I was preparing my speech for this debate, rolling blackouts occurred. Let me just touch on the issue of rolling blackouts. The ANC's mismanagement of Electricity Supply Commission, Eskom, has led to a solid five days of stage four rolling blackouts, which had a devastating effect on the country at large.
Failure to maintain the power plant and rampant looting has now led us to the point of near collapse of South Africa's electricity grid
to the extent that we will now experience stage five and six to stay in national blackout.
It is against this backdrop, that I ask how we could develop our country's economy in the mist of this national power crisis. Inclusive economic growth should be redistributed of all national resources and should benefit all the citizens as an imperative of human rights. When I say this, I mean that inclusive economic growth in this instance of untangling the enclave economy and deconcentrated economic growth that happened in special areas where poor people live, in places where poor people work, where they participate in the generation of economic activities and in poor communities where the means of production owned by the poor are used in the production of goods and services for the development of poorer areas.
The lack of competence in managing and maintaining our national resources means that there is a dire lack of opportunities for the fulfilment of citizen's human rights to add meaningful standards of living.
During a lecture delivered by the leader of the DA, Mmusi Maimane, at the Wits University School of Governance in August 2017, he
indicated that the DA believes that economic transformation is most effectively achieved by multiplying poor black people access to income generating activities that can provide roots out of poverty and into the middle class. He further stated that the party believes that the economy must play a critical role in uniting and shouldn't divide South Africans despite the race. It is this principle that informs that DA's perspective on economic transformation.
Any wealth redistribution model that is not accompanied by interventions to grow the economy is bound to fail. What the poor and vulnerable need most are jobs backed by good education and sustainable economic growth which will bring increasing prosperity to all.
We are 25 years into our democracy and we need to realise that our previously disadvantaged citizens no longer exclusively fall under the term poor. Under the leadership of the ANC government, we saw Black Economic Empowerment, BEE, introduced in the year 2000. This racially selective programme was aimed at rightfully redressing the inequalities of apartheid by giving previously black disadvantaged South Africans citizens economic privileges not available to white South Africans.
However, in 2010, former Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan said that BEE policies have not worked and had not made South Africa a fairer or more prosperous country. To support this statement, the former President of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Laurance Mavundla said that BEE and preferential procurement had marginalised small business instead of helping them.
In 2017, the National Treasury did a study on the effectiveness of BEE. The Treasury Report suggested that more emphasis should be given to the management control and employment equity elements in BEE, however the target cited were found to be equally impractical.
Hundreds of thousands of jobs are being creating in the Western Cape under the leadership of the DA, premier candidate Minister, Alan Winde in his previous portfolio as Member of Executive Council, MEC, for economic opportunities, which is a reflection of promoting and deepening a human rights culture.
According to an article by Dr N P Jeffrey of the Institute for Race Relations reflecting of the Treasury study and I quote:
"The two comprehensive opinion polls commissioned by the ILR show that only 15% of Africans benefit from BEE, while 85% don't. In
addition, the people left out in this way are simply over looked. Worse though, they are harmed by BEE's unrealistic and ever shifting requirements which have served to deter investment, reduced growth, limit jobs and encourage corruption and crony capitalism".
If South Africa is about to bring about positive transformation, it needs to shift away from BEE to a far more effective empowerment policy. All of us are here to speak out and take a stand for human rights.
We need to speak out against the atrocities of Marikana, Life Esidimeni, pit latrines, state capture, Bosasa and corruption, because ultimately this efforts and interventions steal from the poor and deprive them of their basic human rights.
As we approach elections, let us be mindful of human rights of everyone in our respective roles and especially the Independent Electoral Commission in ensuring that they fulfil their duties with honour and dignity, without fear or favour to ensure that individual's political aspirations are realised irrespective of their political affiliation.
In conclusion, I will raise my voice. I will take actions. I will use my rights to stand up for your rights to make South Africa a better place for all who live in it. I thank you.