Speaker, I think the issue of small business has been discussed, and it continues to be discussed. This is because everyone agrees that in countries that have succeeded in addressing the question of economic growth, in the first instance, and also employment, small businesses have played a role.
However, I think it is important to look at the South African history, because that has a lot to do with it. We are not like other countries, because we are dealing with an economy that was racially based and we have to change that paradigm in the main and deal with the issues.
We are also dealing with the kind of labour relations that are related to the economy from that point of view. There are many things, therefore, that you need to address as you address that question. For example, there are complaints at times with regard to the recognition that democracy has given to farmworkers and domestic workers who in the past were not part of the labour force. We have to begin there and ask ourselves how we are going to address the issue of determining the basic salaries that must be paid to such people.
So, there have been a lot of issues where, if you do not look at them and consider the background - where we come from - you might look at them like you would at any other country and then wonder why South Africa is not doing what other countries are doing. It is not doing so, firstly, because you have to deracialise the economy - that has been one of the problems - whilst addressing other issues. If you look at labour, there were situations where certain workers were not recognised as workers!
So, I am saying that we have a complex kind of economy and a complex kind of society that we have to deal with. For example, as you have mentioned, you cannot say that for us to correct the economy we must make the strong weaker. It is the other way round - let us make the weak stronger. You cannot then say that because of the structure of the economy those who benefited from labour relations must relax the laws in order to accept the ones who were disadvantaged. I think that argument applies here again.
How then do we deal with this? This is a tough kind of challenge that we all face in regard to our economy. I think that relatively speaking we have done very well to address those unique challenges that other countries have never had. No country ever had an institutionalised racial policy which impacted very seriously on the poor, on the majority, including on education and everything else.
So, these are the issues we are dealing with and, taking that into consideration, we are making progress. We are all aware of these kinds of challenges. We are trying our level best to ensure that this economy grows and that it is inclusive. Thank you. [Applause.]