Sihlalo obekekileyo weBhunga leSizwe lamaPhondo, mandithathe eli thuba lokubulela ndithi kuwe ngqanga neentsiba zayo, abaPhathiswa bobabini, nabaPhathiswa abaziinkosi uThandabantu noSexwale, amalungu ale Ndlu ebekekileyo, ndibulisa egameni lePhondo leMpuma Koloni. Sibulela le nxaxheba yokuba lapha xa kuxoxwa ngalo mgaqo- nkqubo wohlahlo-lwabiwo-mali. Ndima kule ndawo namhlanje Sihlalo ndikhe ndaba ngomnye weli Bhunga leSizwe lamaPhondo. Iyancumisa ke lo nto yokuba ukhe ubuye ngoba intaka ibhabha phaya phezulu kodwa isela amanzi apha phantsi.
Ndilapha, Sihlalo, siphantsi kwelifu elimnyama siyiMpuma Koloni emva kokuswelekelwa ngabantu abangama-28, Kodwa kuye kwanyanzeleka ukuba ndize kuma apha kule ndawo namhlanje.
Iqondo eliphakamileyo lentswela-ngqesho, ukungabikho kwemigaqo, kunye nokungabukeki kakuhle kwezakhiwo zikarhulumente kwenza ukuba sibhinqele phezulu phaya kwiPhondo leMpuma Koloni ekuqinisekiseni ukuba iimpula zikalujaca ziyayibona kwaye ziyixhamle le nkululeko njengoko befanele ukwenza njalo. Kukho isanxwe sokuba inkonzo zethu azikhawulezi ukufikelela ebantwini, kulityalwe ukuba kukho apho sisuka khona kwaye kungenxa yoko sikule ndawo. Ukongeza apho, abanye babenzi bezo zinto namhlanje bathetha emva naphambili. Sinqanda amahayi hayi kuba kaloku sikule meko singazifakanga kuyo.
Kodwa ke, siyaqinisekisa ukuba siya phambili nale meko sifike ikhona. Abantu bePhondo leMpuma Koloni bayatsho namhlanje ukuba izolo bekungcono kunayizolo elinye kanti namhlanje kungcono kunayizolo. Umntu obesoloko exhamla, ehamba kwizitalato ezinetha oko wazalwa akasokuze awubone umahluko. Thina, xa kwenziwe indlela, nokuba yenziwe ngomhlaba, kuba sisazi ukuba sisuka phi na siyawubona umahluko. Siyambulela urhulumente okhoyo, ophetheyo, omagama mathathu kuphela, i-ANC.
Sihlalo wale Ndlu yeBhunga leSizwe lamaPhondo obekekileyo, thina sijonge iinkqubo ezine phaya, eyokuqala ibubunini-zakhiwo zikarhulumente. Eyona nto siyenzayo ngokukhawuleza kukuqinisekisa ukuba incwadi yengxelo echazayo ukuba ezi zakhiwo ziphantsi kukabani na siyayikhawulezisa. Asiyenzi sodwa ke lo nto. Siye sathatha amatyendyana aphuma ezikolweni naphumelele eyunivesiti ukuba ancedisane nathi siqinisekise ukuba sinayo irejista ekholelekayo yezinto ezilulutho ezinomninizo. Le rejista yezinto ezilulutho ezinomninizo iya kwenza ukuba sazi ukuba zingakanani na izakhiwo.
Sesiqalile ukuqinisekisa ukuba izakhiwo zesizwe zenu, Mphathiswa uThandabantu, ezikumaphondo ethu, niyasinika ukuze sizisebenzise kuba ziba zizigqubu zezihange. Sifuna ukuzisebenzisa ngokufanelekileyo. Sicela ukuba, xa kuphunyezwa olu Hlahlo-lwabiwo-mali, sivunyelwe ukuba eli Sebe lezemiSebenzi yoLuntu libe neqela eliza kulisa kumaphondo kuncediswe kuqinisekiso esilwenzayo lwezakhiwo zikarhulumente jikelele.
Kumcimbi werhafu yeenkonzo kunye nerhafu jikelele ... (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Mrs P MAJODINA (Eastern Cape Province): Hon Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, let me take this opportunity to thank you, the two hon Ministers, and the hon Ministers who are also traditional leaders Nkosi Thandabantu and Sexwale, the members of this hon House, I greet you in the name of the Eastern Cape. We are grateful for the privilege to be here during the debate on the budget policy. I stand here today as a former member of the National Council of Provinces. I am happy to be back here because a bird might fly high up in the sky but it must still go down to mother earth to drink water.
I am here, Chairperson, at a time when we, in the Eastern Cape, are mourning the death of 28 people, but I was compelled to come and stand here today.
The high rate of unemployment, lack of roads, and the dilapidated state of government buildings demands that we pull up our socks in the Eastern Cape to ensure that the poorest of the poor do not only see but also enjoy the freedom they are supposed to. There is an outcry that our services do not reach people fast enough, and people forgotten where we come from and that is why we are where we are now. In addition to that, those who are responsible for this situation are speaking in riddles today. We are desperately trying to control a situation that we did not bring upon ourselves.
However, we assure you that we are moving forward with the prevailing situation. The people of the Eastern Cape are saying today is better than yesterday and yesterday was better than two days ago. Someone who has been privileged, travelling on tarred roads ever since he was born will never see the difference. To us, when a road has been constructed, even if it is a gravel road, because we know where we come from, we see the difference. We thank the present ruling government, the ANC.
Hon Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, we are focusing on four programmes in our province, the first one being the ownership of government buildings. We are immediately attending to the asset register which records details of ownership. We are not doing it alone. We have involved the youth that has just finished school and those that have just graduated at university to assist us in order to ensure that we have a credible asset register. This asset register will enable us to know how many buildings belong to the government.
We have already started to ensure that your national buildings, hon Minister Thandabantu, which are in our provinces, are handed over to us so that we can use them because they end up being criminal hotspots. We want to utilise them appropriately. We appeal that, when this budget is approved, the Department of Public Works must be allowed to organise a team which will be deployed to the provinces to help in generally ensuring the registration of government buildings.
With regard to the issue of service charges and tax in general ...]
... in the spirit of intergovernmental relations we have established a municipal finance unit through which we will provide a hands-on approach in assisting municipalities to bill and invoice us correctly.
Sicinga ukuba sinolo xanduva xa sisebenza njengoorhulumente abamanyeneyo. Ubuninzi beendawo esingabaninizo ezikhoyo siza kuzinikezela koomasipala bethu kuba sivuselela iidolophu ezincinane khon' ukuze zibukeke kakuhle. Oku kwakudala ukuba kubekho nemisebenzi kwakuzo.
Ngokuphathelele kumcimbi woMthetho woLawulo lweZinto eziLulutho wama-2007 ezingenakuHanjiswa zikaRhulumente, i-Giama ngamafutshane, uyayazi uMphathiswa nesebe ukuba bathi xa bekhumsha kule Ndlu yeBhunga leSizwe lamaPhondo bathi kukho into ebizwa ngokuba yi-unfunded mandate [ugunyaziso olungabelwanga mali]. Lwafika ke ugunyaziso olungabelwanga mali kwaye yiyo loo nto ingakwazi ukugqibelela i-Giama. Kodwa ke asihlelanga sibe sikhalaza singenzi nto. Ikhona into esiyenzayo ngokuqinisekisa ukuba siseke ikomiti edibanisa onke amasebe aseMpuma Koloni. Oku kwakuqinisekisa ukuba akuthathwa nje izakhiwo zibekwe kwiSebe lezemiSebenzi yoLuntu kodwa isebe ngalinye lakuthi liqinisekise ukuba lisinike eziphi na izakhiwo ukuze umPhicothi-zincwadi xa esenza ingxelo ekupheleni konyaka-mali ayazi ukuba sinezakhiwo ezingakanani na. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[We think we have that responsibility when we work as united governments. The majority of buildings that we own will be handed over to the municipalities because we want to revive small towns so that they can be beautiful. We want them to be just as they were in the olden days; jobs should also be available in those small towns.
With regard to the Government Immovable Asset Management Act of 2007, Giama in short, the Minister and the department know that the National Council of Provinces has what is called in English the unfunded mandate. We received an unfunded mandate; as a result Giama could proceed perfectly. But, we are not just sitting, complaining and doing nothing. There is something that we are doing and that is establishing a committee that includes all branches in the Eastern Cape. This will ensure that buildings are not just registered under the Department of Public Works but each department will ensure which buildings has it handed over so that when the Auditor-General compiles his audit at the end of the financial year, he knows how many buildings we actually have.]
Modula-setulo, ka boikokobetso, rona se re qadile ka matla ho sheba ka leihlo le ntjhotjho meaho kaofela e teng ya mmuso, hore re tsebe hore re tiisehe hore ena ke ya mang; ekaba ke ya hara profensi kapa ke ya mmuso wa naha? (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows.)
[Chairperson, with respect, we have already started looking with keen interest into all government buildings in order for us to ascertain who they belong to, whether they belong to the province or to national government.]
Indibano ngepropati ebesiyibambile ibonakalise ukuba kukho ukuhamba ngonyawo lonwabu ngokubhekisele ekubeni abantu bakowethu baxhamle apha kumcimbi wepropati. Thina sisithathile isigqibo kwaye asinazintloni ngaso. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[The property summit that we held showed that there is very slow progress when it comes to our people enjoying the advantages of the property industry. We have taken the decision and we are not ashamed of it.]
Our resolution is to ensure that we are not going to renew any lease unless it is black economic empowerment, BEE, compliant. We are not ashamed of that. We have a mandate, given to us by the electorate, to transform the property industry.
Ndivumele nawe MPhathiswa ukuba ndithi njengokuba ubuhlabe ikhwelo lokuba mazibuye iibhokhwe zethu. Kufuneka enyanisweni sibange ukubuyiselwa kwegunya. Senza kanye loo nto thina silisebe. Sithi mazibuye iibhokhwe zethu. Ndicinga ukuba obekekileyo uMnu Groenewald akaqondi ukuba lenza ntoni na iSebe lezemiSebenzi yoLuntu. ISebe lezemiSebenzi yoLuntu lisebenza njengexhadi lenkonzo yezibonelelo. Ekugqibeleni ezinye zemali zihleli phaya kumasebe lize iSebe lezemiSebenzi yoLuntu lona lenze ulungelelwaniso lokusetyenziswa kwazo. Mhlawumbi kufuneka akhe anikwe iMfundo esiSiseko yaBantu abaDala, u-Abet ngamafutshane, njee mahala ukuze aqonde ukuba sindawoni na ngoku. [Uwelewele.]
Kubalulekile ukuba ndichaze ukuba sizama ukuphuhlisa oonokontraki basekhaya. Umcimbi weBhodi yoPhuhliso loShishino loKwakha,i-CIDB ngamafutshane, uyabonzakalisa abantu bakowethu. Uninzi lwemithethwana yeCIDB - emininzi sasiyiphakamisile kwindibano ebizwa ngokuba yi-Minmec - iyafuna ukuqwalaselwa kuba abantu bakowethu ibakhuphela ngaphandle kulo mcimbi wokwakha esifuna ukuba uguqulwe. Kukho nemithethwana esibopha izindla neenyawo esekhoyo, ingakumbi leyo yayiseyakuba yeyaseTranskei naseCiskei. Asinakho ukuyivumela le mithethwana ukuba isibuyisele umva emva kweminyaka eli-16 sayifumanayo inkululeko. Asinakho ukuyamkela into yokuba sibe nemihlaba esingakwaziyo ukuthetha ngayo kuba kusithiwa iphantsi kweTranskei; asinaTranskei ngoku.
Ngokuphathelele kwiNkqubo eYongezelelweyo yeMisebenzi yoLuntu, i-EPWP ngamafutshane, siliphondo leMpuma Koloni besijolise kuma-60 000 yemisebenzi kodwa le Ndlu iyayazi ukuba thina sihambe saqabela ngaphaya. Sibophe omfutshane, sabhinqela phezulu, sadala imisebenzi engama-78 000. Bendiba le Ndlu iza kuqhwaba xa ndithetha loo nto. Makungaqhwatyelwa ezimbi zodwa. [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Njengoko ulwakhiwo lwemigaqo ludityaniswe kwisebe lethu ngomhla 1 Epreli 2010, ndiyaqonda ukuba abantu abazilandelayo izinto babonile ukuba sesiqalile phaya eCoffee Bay. Sithi yonke into eyakhiwayo mayize kwiSebe lezeMisebenzi yoLuntu sisebenze ngayo ukuze sikwazi ukuphucula iinkonzo zabantu bakowethu. Sisebenzisa ulutsha phantsi kwenkqubo yeNkonzo yeSizwe yoLutsha. Sithathe ulutsha olungama-500. Kulo nyaka-mali siza kuthatha amanye ama-500 siqinisekise ukuba baziCadets zethu ekwenzeni izindlu zikarhulumente zibe ntle. Njengokuba usazi ukuba oomama badla ngokuqaba izinto ezibenza babe bahle. Thina siza kufaka izakhiwo zikarhulumente izinto eziza kuzenza zibe ntle zithi qoko. Izakhiwo zikarhulumente ziza kubonakala kwaye zicace. Nokuba ubani uhamba phi na uyakuthi abone ukuba esi sakhiwo sesikarhulumente. Asizokucenga singazokuthandisa mntu mayela noku; sinegunya esilinikiweyo.
Xa ndigqibezela ke Sihlalo, sifuna ukuqhogana neSebe lezoKhuselo naMaqgala oMkhosi ukuze siqhubeke nalaa nkqubo yokwakha iibhulorho ukongeza kwezintathu esele bezakhile. Loo nto iyakwenza ukuba kwaziwe ukuba amajoni asekhaya awalindanga imfazwe nje kuphela kodwa anoxanduva lokunikezela ngezakhono zawo kuluntu, ingakumbi ezi zokwakha iibhulorho. Amajoni asincedile mayela nalo mba.
Mandibulele kwikomiti yeenkonzo zoluntu endandikhe ndangusihlalo wayo apha kule Ndlu yoWiso-mthetho ngenkxaso kwakunye nokufika kwiphondo lethu yenze ulongamelo. SiliPhondo leMpuma Koloni sima apha sisithi siyayixhasa iVoti yoHlahlo-lwabiwo-mali kunye neNtetho yomGaqo-nkqubo eyenziwa apha kule Ndlu ngelithi ziza kuphucula ubomi babantu bakowethu. Xa kufuneka sinyuse izinga lemisebenzi alikho elinye isebe elinokwenza loo nto. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Allow me, hon Minister, to say as you have made the call to claim our assets back. We must indeed reclaim the right to have authority again. We are doing just that as a department. We are saying let us reclaim what is rightfully ours. I think the hon Groenewald does not understand what the Department of Public Works is doing. The Department of Public Works functions as the backbone of service delivery. Finally some budget allocations are not spent in the various departments and the Department of Public Works spends it. Perhaps he must be given adult basic education and training, Abet in short, free of charge so that he can understand where we are now. [Interjections.]
It is important that I explain that we are trying to develop local contractors. The issue of the Construction Industry Development Board, CIDB in short, is crippling our people. The majority of CIDB rules - we had pointed those out in the Mintec summit - need to be considered because they exclude our people with regard to building regulations that we want to change. There are rules which are binding our hands and feet that still exist, especially those which were applicable to the former Transkei and Ciskei. We cannot allow a situation in which there is land we cannot talk about because it belongs to the Transkei; we no longer have the Transkei now.
With regard to the Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP in short, the province of the Eastern Cape had targeted 60 000 jobs, but this House knows that we have exceeded that target. We are working diligently, with enthusiasm and we have created 78 000 jobs. I thought this House will applaud when I'm saying this. Let us not only applaud the bad things. [Applause.]
Since road construction has been incorporated into our department on 1 April 2010, I understand that people who follow issues up have seen that we have already started at Coffee Bay. We are saying anything that needs to be built should be brought to Public Works so that we can improve the service delivery to our people. We are involving the youth under the National Youth Service. We have selected 500 young people. During this financial year, we will involve an additional 500 youths and we will ensure that they are our cadets in the renovation of government houses. As you know that women apply cosmetics to make themselves beautiful. We are going to install fittings that will make government buildings beautiful and attractive. Government buildings will be visible and will stand out. Wherever one is walking, one will see that that is a government building. We will not plead and we will not appease anyone regarding this because we have been given a mandate.
In conclusion, Chairperson, we want to form a partnership with the Department of Defence and Military Veterans in order for us to continue with the programme of building the bridges to add on the three that they have already built. That will make the people aware that our Defence Force is not just waiting for war, but also has the responsibility to transfer skills to the community, especially the skills of building bridges. The Defence Force has helped us in this regard.
Let me thank the committee on public service - which I was the former chairperson of in the National Assembly - for their support and the official oversight visit. As the province of the Eastern Cape, we are standing here saying that we support the Budget Vote and the policy statement delivered in this House and we believe that they will improve the lives of our fellow people. If we have to increase the employment rate, then there is no other department which can do that.]
The nation works because there is Public Works. Thank you very much. [Applause.]