I apologise, House Chair. It is the generation of Peter Mokaba, Rapu Molekane and Kgaogelo Lekgoro that understood the fact that for the National Democratic Revolution, NDR, to arrive at its logical conclusion, it had the responsibility to develop the youth. The responsibility to bring the NDR to its logical conclusion cannot exchange hands. I repeat, the responsibility to bring the national democratic revolution to its logical conclusion cannot exchange hands. It is only the party of the revolution that carries the mandate. [Interjections.]
The ANC therefore remains the relevant party in setting the national agenda. The ANC will continue to mobilise all progressive forces, especially the youth, and rally them behind the vision of building a nonracial, nonsexist, democratic, united and prosperous society. The youth of today should take lessons from the youth of yesterday, who implemented the task of the national liberation movement with discipline, agility and the ability to learn from their predecessors. Therefore, it would be suicidal for any revolutionary to lack clarity of thought in understanding the basics of any revolution.
The ANC ushered in a developmental state post-1994. By definition the developmental state is a progressive tool to implement the NDR, and thus has a positive impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. It therefore develops the capacity to achieve the strategic goals of bettering the lives of the people. It also changes the quality of life of the masses and is biased towards the motive forces of our struggle. Through its progressive social programmes, it mobilises social forces and all structures of society by transforming society, and it achieves this through a competent patriotic Public Service with high levels of education and raised productivity levels. This is reflected by the high intake of youth in its employ, and it also translates into economic beneficiation.
Therefore, the youth of this country remain an essential component of a progressive motive force that our government continues to mobilise through guidance and development, but above all, the youth themselves must not sit in a corner and wait for government to intervene in their plight. The youth of Nelson Mandela's time took it upon themselves to change their lives around through sacrifice and selflessness.
The developmental state gave itself the role to transform society by playing an active role in the development of our people. Government not only drafted regulations, but has also committed huge amounts in funding for training and financing huge infrastructure development projects and incentives through the micro-financing of small business. Therefore, greater participation of youth in the economy will yield good results, and we need the commitment of the youth to serve the South African masses. Business should also commit itself to supporting government in economic development to accelerate movement towards a people-centred social system.
It is through the role played by the youth that the South African government can relate to the market forces. Currently, the developmental state is building a professional and committed cadre. I want to pause there to reflect on what someone said: "buy investors". How on earth can you say that a developmental state that has injected so much money in social development can be equated to a market-orientated state? It is a fallacy. [Interjections.] A poor capitalist state would not provide the poor with social grants, free housing, free education until matric level, free education through NSFAS and bursaries; that's the reality that we do not want to accept. [Applause.]
Of course, we understand you are playing to the gallery, and that you aspire to be on this side of the House one day. [Interjections.] That is not going to be possible for the coming two or three decades. [Interjections.]