Hon Chair, hon Minister and hon members in this House, a recent report found that South Africa is the richest country in the world in terms of non-energy mineral wealth. The wealth underneath our land is estimated to be in excess of US$2,5 trillion, almost double that of the next wealthiest country, Russia, which has US$1,6 trillion of reserves.
This begs the question: Why is it that in a country that has a huge potential to use its mineral wealth to improve the lives of its people, more than half of our population continues to live in poverty? And why is it that in spite of the fact that the struggle for political and economic freedom was victorious, we are the most unequal society in the world? One cannot help but wonder what happened to that part of the ruling party's Freedom Charter that refers to the people of our nation sharing in our mineral wealth.
Hon Chair, not much has changed. Allow me to say this: The government can produce all the spin it wants about how it cares for the poor and marginalised, but nowhere else is its complete disregard for the people it claims to represent clearer than in the arena of minerals. The government and its successive governments have betrayed the mineworkers who have worked the ground over the past centuries, and the past 16 years. Just as bad is that they have betrayed the memory of the tens of thousands of mineworkers who gave their adult lives to doing the same thing under colonialism and apartheid.
The ID is deeply saddened to see how the government is allowing a small cabal of people to benefit from the wealth of our country, while the majority have to suffer lives of indignity. We should also be asking questions about the fact that South Africa has 80% of the world's manganese reserves, yet we only account for 15% of current global production. The mineral wealth in this country is being offered to foreigners. South Africa's manganese rights having been sold to a consortium which includes a Russian oligarch.
Die minerale in die Noord-Kaap is nie regtig tot voordeel van die mense van die Noord-Kaap nie. Hulle is maar net gewone werkers en glad nie aandeelhouers nie. Ystererts word uitgevoer. Hoekom kan ons nie ons eie staal in die Noord-Kaap produseer om werk te kan skep nie? Hoekom het ons nie 'n bre, holistiese benadering om sodoende ons mense se lewens te kan verbeter? Ons s ons wil oorlog voer teen armoede, maar ons gee net mense werk. Jy gaan nie iemand se armoede verlig as jy net werk gee nie. Jy moet hom 'n aandeelhouer maak, want ons mense lewe op daardie grond, en ons gee ons rykdom vir buitelanders. Wat van ons eie mense? Hoekom ontwikkel ons nie ons eie mense nie? (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[The minerals in the Northern Cape do not really benefit the people of the Northern Cape. They are just ordinary labourers and not shareholders at all. Iron ore is being exported. Why can't we produce our own steel in the Northern Cape to create jobs? Why don't we have a broad, holistic approach in order to improve the lives of our people? We are declaring war on poverty but we are only providing people with work. You will not relieve a person's poverty by only providing work. You must make that person a shareholder, because our people are living on that land, and we are giving away our wealth to the foreigners. What about our own people? Why don't we develop our own people?]
Chairperson, let me just conclude with this: The ID therefore calls on the Minister to urgently hold a joint summit with the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs so that we can find some synergy in resolving the growing environmental issues coming from the mines. The ID supports this budget. I thank you.