Chairperson, hon Ministers, MECs, hon Members of Parliament, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to open my debate by quoting the late President of Mozambique, Samora Machel:
In reality, a country that does not ensure the involvement of all its population at all levels of economic activity is certainly going to perform well below its actual potential.
Minister and Deputy Minister, we were fortunate to start this term of the fourth democratic Parliament by visiting your office and all public entities that are part of the Department of Trade and Industry, DTI. The visit and the interaction was a real eye-opener to the committee and the challenges ahead of us. It was during that visit that the aim of their department was clarified.
Chairperson, allow me to quote the Minister in his strategic plan and what was said on that day:
The aim of the Department of Trade and Industry is to lead and facilitate access to sustainable economic activity and employment of all South Africans through its understanding of the economy; its knowledge of economic opportunities and potential; and its anticipation of the future. The department also aims to catalyse economic transformation and development. In this way, the department will contribute to achieving government's vision of an adaptive and restructured economy characterised by accelerated economic growth, employment creation and greater equity by 2014.
The analysis makes an overview that locates the trade and industry sector in the realm of ANC resolutions and policy statements.
As part of the politically negotiated settlement, the ANC in the 1990s began developing an economic policy perspective for a future democratic state to transform the South African colonial economy and society into an economy based on greater equity, nonracialism and a higher standard of living. This process is testimony to the mission of the national democratic revolution which seeks to ensure that every South African, especially the poor, experiences an improving quality of life. The national democratic revolution, NDR, strives to build a developmental state shaped by the socioeconomic dynamics of South African society. The ANC-led government began to lead to implement programmes that began to address economic challenges of the 1990s.
This represented a paradigm shift from exploitative and racially entrenched economic disparities of the past to a pathway that sought to widen the available resources for use by all citizens of the country. The government commenced the task of embarking on the implementation of the industrial policy which ensures more investment in such critical areas as infrastructure; the manufacturing of electronic, transport, telecommunication, textile and other goods; efficient commercial agricultural production; ecotourism; and housing construction.
During the first decade of freedom, the government succeeded to a moderately significant degree in putting in place measures that promoted the implementation of policies of industrial development, enterprise promotion and broad-based black economic empowerment. Though the government programmes qualitatively assisted the poor, its redistributive capacity failed to integrate the poor into the mainstream economy, except for a smaller section of the black population. The National Council of Provinces' interaction with the Greater Tubatse Municipality bears testimony to that.
With an economy mainly driven by growth in the financial and services sectors, and the shedding of jobs mainly in the manufacturing and mining sectors, it is imperative that, in the light of those challenges and the speech by the Minister today, the DTI's strategic plan indeed addresses the ANC's goals of decent work, economic growth, infrastructure development and balanced global trade as levers of fundamentally transforming the South African economy. Linked to these, it is imperative to gauge the effectiveness of the instruments that the DTI has utilised to advance in support of a developmental state.
These instruments include the use of developmental finance institutions' incentives for industrial and trade promotion; regulatory bodies to eliminate antimonopoly behaviour; enterprise development through broad- based black economic empowerment; and reaffirmation of support for the co- operative movement. The challenges need to take into account the developmental role of provinces and their ability to provide social services, as outlined in the 2010 division of revenue.
With regard to the DTI's strategic plan, the critical issues are, to mention a few, empowerment; enterprise development and development finance; support for Small, Medium Micro Economies, SMMEs; broad-based black economic empowerment; and competitiveness of the local and provincial economies.
Minister and Deputy Minister, the department needs to be applauded for its role in assisting the enforcement of legislation as that has dealt with a huge impediment, especially in liquor regulation and unfair business practices. However, we are mindful of the challenges ahead.
The resolution on accelerated shared growth advocates for measures to be taken in addressing monopoly pricing and other forms of rent seeking and anticompetitive behaviour. We are definitely looking forward to the Consumer Protection Act which will come into force this year to protect consumers and build their confidence in markets.
In conclusion, Minister and Deputy Minister, indeed, very significantly, the performance agreement you signed with the President on Friday 30 April also requires you to work with other Ministers in the cluster to produce a clear, detailed, costed and multipronged strategy to reduce youth unemployment. This is a very important priority focus which we, as members, are to take and devote particular attention to as we move forward. The ANC supports this Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]
UMntwana M M M ZULU: Sihlalo weNdlu, abahlonishwa oNgqongqoshe bobabili namaPhini abo, izinhloko zeMinyango ezikhona namalungu ahloniphekile akule Ndlu, mhlonishwa Ngqongqoshe Wezokuvakasha waleli lizwe, ezokuvakasha yinto esigxile kuyo ngenxa ka-2010 kuleli lizwe. Ngiyazi ukuthi kulo nyaka uMnyango wakho uthole uxhaso lwemali olwengeziwe kuhulumeni wethu ukuze ukwazi ukusizakala futhi uhlangabezane nezimfuno zokusiza abantu bakuleli lizwe.
UMnyango wakho kufanele ubhekisise ukuthi yonke imikhakha kahulumeni imelelekile ukuze abantu basizakale. Abantu bakithi abahlezi eSoweto kuphela, abahlezi eMlazi kuphela, abantu bakithi bahlezi kwaNongoma, eNkandla, KwaMhlabuyalingana, yilapho kuhlezi khona abantu bakithi. Ngifuna ukubona lo-2010 ukuthi uzokwazi yini ukulinganisa abantu bakithi bazuze bonke kulolu hlelo olukhona.
Ngiyazi ukuthi kuyona yomibili le Minyango lukhona uhlelo olukhona lokuxosha indlala noma ukususa ikati eziko. Nalento yokwakha amathuba omsebenzi, bahlonishwa kufane siyibheke ukuthi ihamba kanjani, iyakwazi yini ukusiza abantu bakithi ngoba kukhona umthethomgomo okuthiwa i- Industrial Policy Action Plan - angazi noma kwenziwa umqondo wami omfushane noma kwenziwa ukuthi ngimfushane angikwazi ukubona ngale, angiboni ukuthi izokwazi ukuthatha abantu bakithi ibabeke lapho sifisa babe khona.
Ngaleyo ndlela mhlonishwa ngiyazi ukuthi le Minyango yenu uma ihlangene kungaba khona ukusizakala kwabantu bakithi ezingeni lempilo, kusukela kuhulumeni wasekhaya, uhulumeni wezifundazwe, kanye nohulumeni kazwelonke, bayosizakala abantu bakithi uma lezi zinto zingenzeka.
Siyi-IFP, asinakho nokuncane ukungabaza ukweseka lesi sabelomali ngoba sizosiza bona abantu bakithi abakade bekhala, behlupheka bengenakho ukudla, njengamanje kukhona abalale bangadlanga, ukusizakala kwalaba bantu kuzokwenza izinto zenzeke. Niphinde nibheke mhlonishwa indaba yalawa mabhange angafuni ukunikeza abantu bakithi imalimboleko ukuze basizakale, ngoba awukho umsebenzi engingawenza ngingenayo indawo lapho kufanele ngisizakale khona. Kuyisicelo sami njengomuntu waseNingizimu ne-Afrika ukuba nikwazi ukusiza kuyo yonke leyo mikhakha. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu speech follows.)
[Prince M M M ZULU: Hon House Chairperson, two Ministers and their Deputies, heads of departments who are present here and the hon members of this House. Hon Minister of Tourism, we are focusing on tourism because of the 2010 soccer event that will take place in this country. I know that your department has received an increased budget allocation from our government so that it can meet the needs of the people of this country.
Your department should see to it that all the spheres of government are represented so that the people will be able to get service delivery. Our people are not found in Soweto or Umlazi only, but they are also found in KwaNongoma, Nkandla, and KwaMhlabuyalingana - that is where our people are living. I want to see if this 2010 event can provide all our people with equal benefits from its present programmes.
I know that both these departments have programmes aimed at alleviating hunger. We must look at how the creation of job opportunities is driven, hon Ministers; we must see if it is able to provide for our people as there is a policy that is known as the Industrial Policy Action Plan. I am not sure whether it is because I am ignorant or short-sighted, but I cannot foresee it putting our people where we want them to be. Therefore, hon Minister, I know that if your two departments work together, our people can be catered for as far as their lives are concerned - from local, provincial and national government. Our people will be able to receive assistance if these things can happen.
As the IFP we do not have the slightest doubt that this budget allocation will be able to provide for our people who have been complaining and struggling without food. And as we speak, there are others who went to bed on empty stomachs, but if these people are provided for, better things will happen. Therefore, we support this Budget Vote. Ministers, you need to review the issue of these banks that do not want to give loans to our people so that they will be able to find assistance because one cannot do anything without a place to perform any kind of job. It is my plea as a South African that you assist in all those areas. Thank you.]