Chairperson, I feel privileged to be part of this debate. I will start off with trade and industry and the economy. I think we have just come through a downturn that has seen us shed 880 000 jobs over the past four quarters.
One wonders, if we did not have this massive window in front of us called the 2010 World Cup, what would that job shedding actually have been because, as a country, we have invested a huge amount of money into infrastructure. I think that has helped us to cushion a major part of that downturn blow.
However, that made me think specifically about the Western Cape, where that an infrastructure upgrade and investment we have of R14 billion. We have seen, over the very short while, upgrades in various ways: We have seen upgrades in a really great looking and a functional new airport, and we have seen the building of a wonderful new stadium, amongst other projects. Then one wants to contrast that with how we deliver on our housing. One has to just look at those two, infrastructure and housing, where we are inundated with problems of houses cracking and falling to pieces. Both of these form part of the economy. They both play a major role in our economy and I think what we need to do is to spend a bit of time in investigating why, on the one side, we have been so successful and, on the other hand, we have failed so dismally.
I would also like to talk a little bit about trade matters, as the Minister also mentioned. There is one concern that I have. There was a very successful visit to the UK not so long ago by the President. One of the matters that were discussed there was the doubling of trade - the doubling of trade over the next five years.
We are already two months into that next five years since that discussion took place. And, I think, if we really want to be serious about doubling trade with one of our major trading partners over the next five years, we need to see a plan.
I am prepared to commit from the Western Cape. I do think doubling is quite in order and I am prepared to commit wherever possible from the Western Cape to reach that target. But I think we need to actually have a fully- fledged plan on the table to be able to achieve and reach at least somewhere towards that goal.
I also want to talk about the SMME Development and specifically refer to the City of Cape Town with reference to an item that is being tabled at the moment where we have policy differences between the national government's policies and the provincial government's policies of the provincial party in the Western Cape's policies. And that is specifically around BEE. I think the City of Cape Town can be a prime case and we really need to investigate that to see if there are differences. That is how democracy works.
We learn from each other and one should be given the space to actually prove that there are policies that are different and that we actually adopt those policies. It has been shown since 2006, in the City of Cape Town, that there have been major differences with regard to procurement, specifically from the Human Development Index, HDI, and SMMEs.
In the city we have seen 10 000 vendors in 2007 increase to 15 000 in 2010. And at the same time, we also have seen that the HDI and SMME component make up 80% of that component. That really shows that it is the policy difference and it has worked. I think we need to put that challenge out there to say let us look at that policy difference and see how we can actually influence the other side to make a difference.
I also want to say to the Minister that perhaps we need to relook the training layoff scheme and the money that has been made available. I know that in the National Assembly the President has answered the question just a while ago that 15 000 jobs have been saved by that scheme. I am not sure where those 15 000 jobs are. So far the report I have got shows 2 399 jobs, but perhaps we are a bit short on some of the reporting and perhaps closer to 5 000. But I really think we need a different look at it; I am not sure.
I think there is a wrong perception on how to actually apply for it, because I do believe that we need to use this opportunity to reskill and to use our skills development process to make a difference there. But, Minister, I think we seriously need to actually have a look at that system; there are some shortfalls there. We should have seen a much better use of that opportunity and we just have not seen it.
I also want to talk about the programme that we ran over the past nine to ten months. That programme is called Work and Skills for 100 000. We have put up a challenge to businesses and said that we are prepared to partner with them. We put R1 000 a month per learner for a 12-month period with a service level agreement, SLA, to say we want to have a skills development programme for people who have shown commitment to pass matric but cannot find jobs.
That is the biggest component of the unemployed out there, people who have actually got a school qualification - not a tertiary qualification - but because they don't have work experience they can't get a job. We are partners with industry. Sometimes industries have come up to R10 000 a month per student. We have an unbelievable success rate with it.
We have had students coming out through partnership with convention centres, with Koperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging, and with the hospitality industry. We have shown huge success in it and we are going to be rolling it out again this year. That, perhaps, is something that we need to also look at, and see if we can learn from each other in that respect.
I want to talk a little bit about the industrial development zone, and I want to thank the Minister because DTI has actually partnered with it in the Western Cape to continue with the study into the IDZ in Saldanha Bay. I know that there is a study on IDZ that is going on at the moment.
Minister, perhaps this is another area that we can have a look at. Perhaps we can tweak and maybe change some ANC policies that are fairly stringent around labour laws, etc in the IDZ. Let us use it as a test case and if it fails then we will face the political music but if it succeeds it could be a success for the whole country.
Minister, I would also like to talk about the oil and gas industry. I think that is one area where we, specifically in the Western Cape, are failing. I think as a country we are failing.
Early in this democracy, our President, Nelson Mandela, led two delegations into Africa; at that stage, Africa contributed 7% of the world's oil. Since then we have had a lot of talks and I must say the province as well has had a lot to talk about. Now we are contributing 12% of the world's oil and we are still not in any space.
We should logistically and financially be the oil capital of Africa; it is still owned by the Americans and other nations but not in Africa. I think we need to play a far more prominent role there. I actually look forward to the national Minister perhaps partnering with us in the Western Cape regarding that.
If I had time, I would move onto the private sector, but I must just say a few things about tourism during the 2010 World Cup. From the Western Cape side, we are ready and I think this is a massive opportunity for us. I must mention one thing and that is around the BBC basing themselves in Cape Town.
Perhaps I should ask not the Minister but other members of the ANC in this House to speak to their colleagues in the Western Cape. We rented out the top of Somerset Hospital for R57 000, for the period of the World Cup. They are saying that the R57 000 is ridiculous; we should have charged them much more.
All I can say to you is that they are building a glass box on top of the hospital and there will be four views in BBC presentation for 32 days. It will even include the mountains of Cape Town, the waterfront, the stadium - and the city's skyline. You cannot buy that kind of marketing and exposure for South Africa as far as tourism is concerned.
Let us not get into some petty political fight over R57 000 for the rental. They are going to leave all of that behind as a legacy for the film industry. Perhaps we need to slow down a bit on that fight.
I must also talk about what we are busy doing. The Minister spoke about the national policy and the roll-out, at national level, on tourism. It is also something that we really need to look at. When you go into any international marketing platform and you see South Africa the way we are, specifically our municipalities being involved in trying to market our provinces, we don't show one committed and united face as South Africans.
I think we need to make a big difference and change because, quite frankly, even in this House, if I were to say to any member of this House, "Would you like to go to Matzikama Local Municipality on holiday?" How many actually know where Matzikama Local Municipality is? [Interjections.] You know it, I am glad. But, I promise you, when you go to South Africa they do know, and when you go to the international market they don't know at all. At the moment we are confusing the market out there. It is the biggest opportunity for job creation to come out of tourism. Minister, we'll support you if you could get all of that into one space. Thank you. [Applause.]