Hon Chair, hon Deputy President, hon members of the House and the chairperson of SA Local Government Association, Salga, as already alluded to, yesterday was 21 March and the country was celebrating Human Rights Day, where a number of people lost their lives while fighting for the freedom we have and enjoy today.
In the International Consensus Agreement of the 1990s, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1976 all member states had acceded to this declaration which affirms that, "All human beings are born free and equal in rights and dignity".
The declaration also called for social security and conditions that allow an individual to realise economic, social and cultural rights necessary for dignity and for a standard of living adequate to one's health and wellbeing.
The state must ensure that men and women equally enjoy these rights. The covenant also recognises people's rights to be free from hunger, to be educated and to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
I believe that, in working together to respond to the developmental challenges facing our communities, we need to place people at the centre of development and direct our economies to meet human needs more effectively. Our people, with their aspirations and collective determination, are our most important resource. We need to focus on our people's most immediate needs, which rely in turn on their energies to drive the process.
Development is not about delivery of goods to a passive citizenry. It is about active involvement and growing empowerment.
Poverty is the single greatest burden of South Africa's people and is a direct result of the apartheid system and the grossly skewed nature of business and industrial development that accompanied it. Poverty still affects millions of people, the majority of whom live in rural areas and are women.
It is not merely the lack of income which determines poverty. An enormous proportion of every basic need is currently not being 100% fulfilled. To attack poverty in South Africa, the road to achieving that goal seeks to eliminate hunger, provide land and housing to all our people, provide access to safe water and sanitation for all, eliminate illiteracy, and raise the quality of education and training for children and adults.
Given its resources, South Africa can afford to feed, house, educate and provide health care to all its citizens. However, apartheid and economic exploitation created gross and unnecessary inequalities among us.
In responding to the developmental challenge facing our communities we need to create opportunities for all to develop their full potential, boosting production and household income through job creation, productivity, improving efficiency and conditions of employment.
A programme of affirmative action must address the deliberate marginalisation of black people, women and rural communities from economic, political and social power. Vulnerable groups such as farm workers, women and youth require targeted intervention.
The ANC-led democratic government is playing a leading role in building the economy which offers all South Africans the opportunity to contribute productively.
In his state of the nation address our hon President said that about five million jobs are going to be created. I believe that one key programme that is going to ensure that this is realised is the Expanded Public Works Programme. Special key measures are to create jobs that link to building the economy and meeting the basic needs in redressing the apartheid-created infrastructural disparities; the provision of education and training; and the involvement of communities in the process so that they are empowered to contribute to their own governance.
Economic development, social development and environmental protection are interdependent and are also mutually reinforcing components of sustainable development. We acknowledged that the recent economic signs are positive and that the economy grew strongly in the last quarter of 2010.
Today is World Water Day. Water is a natural resource and it should be made available in a sustainable manner. Research has shown that under the government of the ANC about 90% of the South African population have access to clean water. It seems as if our country and our government are going to meet one of the Millennium Development Goals in ensuring environmental sustainability by ensuring that all communities have access to safe drinking water.
South Africa as a developing country is faced with the challenge of lack of skills. Most young people are unemployable due to this challenge. Young people need to be empowered by education and training. They need scientific and technological training from primary to tertiary level. In this way they will be able to provide the necessary skills that our country needs.
Lastly, in the next two months the country will be having the fourth local government elections. The residents of South Africa have gained the power to take part in the development of their own communities and also by electing representatives who will promote their interests and those that they trust, indeed, will promote their interests. Working together we have achieved much, but there is more to be done and together we can build better communities. I thank you. [Applause.]