You will get the report. Don't worry. [Interjections.]
The sixth grant is the provincial road maintenance grant, which is intended to ensure efficient investment in provincial roads. Former President Mbeki once said:
... none of the great social problems we have to solve is capable of resolution outside the context context of the creation of jobs and the alleviation and eradication of poverty ... This relates to everything from the health of our people to reducing the levels of crime, raising the levels of literacy and numeracy and opening doors of learning and culture to all.
Another important grant intended to change the lives of rural people is the rural household infrastructure grant, which will soon be integrated into the municipal infrastructure grant, MIG. The objective of this grant is to eliminate backlogs in water and sanitation in rural households. However, it is of concern to note that this grant, administered by the Department of Human Settlements, is underperforming.
The Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, Salga and the Standing Committee on Appropriations are of the view that before the grant is integrated into the MIG, there must be engagement first because the MIG is underperforming. It may not necessarily solve the problem if we move this grant to MIG without understanding what the issues are. Luckily, this transfer will only take place in the 2014-15 financial year. So there's still room for such engagement.
This 2012-13 Budget is intended to reach and touch every person in all corners of our country - the President demonstrated the policy objectives of the government through the projects spread around the country. These programmes are testimony to this statement once made by the ANC:
We pledge to all the heroes and heroines who sacrificed for our freedom, as well as to all our friends from the rest of the world, that we will never betray the trust you bestowed upon us when you helped to give us the possibility to transform South Africa into a democratic, nonracial, nonsexist and prosperous country committed to the noble vision of human solidarity.
With these initiatives taken by our government and supported by all of us, we should have no problem achieving a better life for all. Obviously, the struggle continues towards creating a better life but looking at the Mid- term Review, it is clear that a lot has been achieved.
Another important element of the Division of Revenue Bill included in the Local Government Equitable Share is the support by government for ensuring that the poor citizens of our country have access to basic services. People who qualify are those who earn R800 and less. This calculation was based on the 2001 Census, which means that it is likely to be revised once the 2011 Census results have been published.
Finally, this Division of Revenue Bill proposes in section 15 that the National Treasury will have to consult Parliament on changes proposed in terms of virements and introduces a great improvement in the current consultative arrangements between National Treasury and Parliament. To conclude, I wish to remind this House that the Budget tabled by the ANC- led government should undermine the triple challenge confronting us as a caring government. This Budget also reminds me of the words of one of our colleagues, Deputy Minister Ebrahim - unfortunately he is not here - who once said in court when he was being sentenced:
If I were to choose my life all over again, I would follow the same path. I could never have remained indifferent to the poverty and suffering of our people. I have a deep commitment to peace, freedom and prosperity for all fellow human beings and have an equal distaste for injustice and oppression.
He was speaking on behalf of all of us on right-hand side of the House. [Interjections.]
Speaker, may I take this opportunity to thank the members of the Standing Committee on Appropriations, the staff of the committee and my secretary for their commitment to ensuring that the hearings and the report of the Division of Revenue Bill were processed and completed on time. My special gratitude goes to Ms Thoko Xaso, who is leaving the committee at the end of March. We valued her commitment and support to the committee and to me. [Applause.]