No, I do not have enough time for questions. Deliver some textbooks; we will talk about questions later.
The hon Manuel waxes lyrical about the NDP. He sings its praises, and we say: Hon Manuel, amen! However, it is not this side of the House that has a problem with the NDP. It is the members on the benches behind you! [Interjections.] It is your alliance partners who reject the plan. Irvin Jim, speaking a few days ago, said that "the diagnostic of the NDP is based on a false, theoretically weak analytical foundation." With friends like that, who needs enemies? [Laughter.] Perhaps he is giving truth to the quote by Winston Churchill that said, "in politics, your opponents sit opposite you; your enemies sit behind you." [Laughter.] In your case, they sit next to you.
Hon Bhengu can twist the figures and add percentages as much as she likes. For the party that promised us jobs, jobs, jobs, the reality is that today 2,5 million South Africans are unemployed, more than when the President assumed office. The figures on public debt are also hopelessly outdated. I would ask the hon Manuel before he starts enrolling members of this House and the hon Turok into economy school, perhaps he could also enrol the hon Bhengu there because she also needs a tutorial. [Laughter.] The hon Sue van der Merwe blames the world for our problems. Yes, the international environment does have an impact, but we also have to help ourselves as South Africans. Last week Gill Marcus, the Governor of the SA Reserve Bank, put it very clearly. She said:
Clear action is required to stabilise labour relations which have created a difficult export environment. [Interjections.]
Here is the important part, so listen carefully. She said that government needs to "be decisive, act coherently and exhibit strong ... leadership from the top". [Interjections.]
The fact that the Governor of the Reserve Bank in South Africa has to remind the government of basics like that speaks volumes for itself. [Interjections.]
Hon Bapela gave us a lecture about drugs. Well, amen! Where have you guys been for the last 10 years? Have you only woken up to the crisis of drugs today? [Interjections.] It is the worst kind of electioneering, where you come and visit communities and promise them the world, when you had the opportunity to do something and you have done nothing at all. That sort of cheap electioneering is quite disgraceful. The DA, on the other hand, has been consistent in our fight against drugs. [Interjections.] Helen Zille has opened several new drug rehabilitation clinics. [Interjections.] She is taking the fight directly to the drug dealers. The voters of South Africa are not nave. They are going to look for a track record, and in that regard, you are going to be found wanting.
Hon Sogoni, people marched to Cosatu House because they wanted to demand that the ANC and its alliance partners stop blocking the youth wage subsidy. Had that subsidy been implemented, it would have benefited 440 000 young people by now. You are great at setting up committees, commissions, inquiries, study groups and the like, but none of these has a meaningful impact. The National Youth Development Agency, NYDA - the shortcomings of which were mentioned from both sides of the House today - is a prime example. In the Western Cape, we are implementing the Youth Wage Subsidy, and it is working. [Interjections.]
HON MEMBERS: Where? Where? [Interjections.]