Chairperson of the NCOP, Minister Rob Davies, Minister Van Schalkwyk, hon MECs, hon Members of the NCOP, ladies and gentlemen, it is 36 days and about 7 hours to the showpiece 2010 World Cup. For those who have tickets to the opening game, life seems to be an endless wait. This could be likened to how our communities feel - waiting for a better life. People want to feel the presence of the Department of Trade and Industry on the ground.
As a believer, it is my conviction that the development of our people, no matter how daunting the task may be, can be realized. I believe that our country has the potential we need to eradicate poverty. All we need is a leadership that is ready, capable and equal to the task of responding to the aspirations of our people. We can create a world-class economy, working together with everyone willing to do this. This is our country, and other people see the potential ...
... eMzansi. Thina simile eJordani, abanye bayawela - iculo lelo. [... in South Africa. We are standing at the River Jordan; others are crossing over - that is a hymn.] Last year, I reported a process initiated by my office to meet all the provincial MECs of Economic Development in order to co-ordinate our work better. This, I am pleased to report, has been done. I wish to thank all the MECs for the extremely warm manner in which these meetings took place. While the nine provinces differ in many areas, there were common points raised across the board. Here are some comments related to these visits.
The main issue raised was the lack of a cohesive and efficient communication system amongst the three spheres of government, resulting in national government not always knowing what the provinces are doing and vice versa.
Through great effort by the Empowerment and Enterprise Development Division, EEDD, and the various provincial heads of departments, a forum has been established to map the way forward. This forum had its meeting, and from the side of the Department of Trade and Industry, we have assigned a provincial champion to spearhead projects in each province. The list is available. We also have our call centre, which you all know.
We are particularly, but not exclusively, focusing on projects that will revive industries in the former homeland areas. Together with our provincial counterparts, we have identified a number of buildings that belong to the former development agencies that have fallen into disuse to use as incubators, supply the necessary tools that can be used by the entrepreneurs and provide assistance and so on.
On co-operatives, for this year, we are speeding up our efforts to initiate the formation of an advisory body for co-operatives. I must be honest and mention that this has not been an easy task because not everyone shared a common perspective on the way forward. We will convene an inclusive meeting to continue with our efforts and harness the collective wisdom of all parties to see this body to fruition. I know I have the absolute support of my Minister, Minister Rob Davies, for this effort.
Experience and research have shown that the biggest challenge confronting co-operatives is in the area of education and training. In this regard, government, through its strategy and legislation, intends to establish a national co-operatives academy dedicated to providing education and training to co-operatives and small, medium and micro enterprises, SMMEs. The aim of the Department of Trade and Industry is to lead and facilitate access to sustainable economic activities and employment of South Africans through its understanding, knowledge and economic opportunities. Let us do our work differently. It must not be work as usual.
We are also working together with provinces to facilitate access to international and local markets for co-operatives by utilising and accessing the Export Marketing and Investment Assistance scheme, Emia, support for co-operatives. Last year, we sent 11 co-operatives to the Milan exhibition; 8 arts and craft co-operatives to the handicraft exhibition in Portugal; and 4 co-operatives to the Decorex exhibition that took place in Johannesburg. We intend to double these figures in this financial year. We also need to give not only more people this opportunity, but also different people.
On the funding aspect, we are working closely with provinces to increase access to finance for co-operatives. The establishment of the National Co- operative Development Agency, NCDA, will play a major role in this regard. Last year, we managed to disburse R35 million supporting 180 co-operatives projects: 44 projects in KZN; 48 in the Eastern Cape; 29 in Gauteng; 16 in Limpopo; 15 in the Western Cape; and another 15 in the Northern Cape. We would like to reach out to the remaining provinces as well.
We have also signed a memorandum of understanding with Proudly South African in order to facilitate market access to co-operatives by extending them the Proudly South African procurement facility.
Asithenge ekhaya bakithi. [Let us buy from our local markets.]
Let's ask government departments to support SMMEs and co-operatives. Give us just 30% of their procurement.
Ake bathenge kithi. [Let them buy from us.] As a popular song goes, we must "make the circle bigger". We have to broaden economic participation. We have a generation of young people out of work. We have numbers of women in informal business who, if not provided with opportunities, will never enter the economic mainstream. Let us invest in our people, black and white. Let's come out of our cosy offices and go to the people down there.
I am inviting young people and women to come to the fore. I am also appealing to hon members to direct us to communities where we can offer support for economic activities. Yesterday, I mentioned visiting a bakery run in a container in KwaZulu-Natal. I want to see more of those bakeries in all provinces. We are working on that. Each province might get approximately four to five, depending on the availability of resources. I know you have the potential. The Sakhakulunge Co-op Bakery is a real success in Kokstad. Viva Kokstad! We also want to do away with the bureaucracy - big volumes of application forms; intimidating tender documents; long waits for funding; board meeting after board meeting; etc. We want to do away with that.
If we are honest, we have not been a spectacular success in this area of enterprise development amongst rural and peri-urban communities. This year, we want to escalate our work rate. We are continuing the programme started by previous Deputy Ministers of taking the Department of Trade and Industry to the people. We aim to do it in a slightly different manner as per a Cabinet directive that we move away from the mass meeting type of event to a more focused approach. This is South Africa, our land. We are here to stay. Let's make South Africa a better place.
The Small Enterprise Development Agency, Seda, will be key in this programme, and we encourage the efforts by Seda to have a presence in each district municipality of our country. It should be more visible. In the Western Cape, we have the Red Door; in Gauteng, we have the Gauteng Propeller. Please, be visible on the ground; I'm begging you.
With regards to our programmes for women enterprise, I have met with the provincial chairpersons of the SA Women Entrepreneurs, Network, Sawen, as well as the Sawen board to find a way to make our work have a greater impact. We reconstructed the board into an interim advisory board with full provincial representation. It is now going to be a bottom-up structure and not a top-down structure representing women on the ground.
The Techno-Girl programme run by the gender unit will continue and take place in the Northern Cape in August this year. This is part of our contribution to the five priorities of government, where girl learners in matric from rural and semi-urban areas are taken on an entrepreneurship and life skills camp. We have just signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft for innovation skills technology transfer. I'm saying, let's work together. I am also pleased to announce that we are continuing with the Technology for Women in Business Programme, Twib, including the annual awards for women who are applying technology in their businesses. This year, we will upscale this programme to make it accessible to more women in the rural areas, as well as to link this with the overall plan of the Ministry. In our pursuit not only to meet but also to exceed the expectations of the five priorities of government, our department is looking at methods that, together with the provincial colleagues, we can initiate during this financial year. I have also had discussions with various people from academic institutions with the private sector who are willing to offer some assistance to meet our development goals. You are also invited, hon members.
On technical training, management skills and co-operative compliance training, we need a co-operative academy. We will ask the assistance of Minister Blade Nzimande in utilising the sector education and training authorities, Setas, in this regard. We have a challenge to review and amend the Co-operatives Act 14 of 2005.
I wish to thank Minister Rob Davies for the industrious manner in which he is leading the Ministry. Thank you to the Deputy Minister Tobias-Pokolo - and we wish her a speedy recovery in hospital - for her support as well. My gratitude goes to hon members of the committee who are keeping us on our toes. Thanks to Director-General Tshediso Matona, Acting Deputy Director- General Mr Sipho Zikode, and all the other officials who make my job a little easier.
To the young people of South Africa, I want to give a few words of wisdom: Plan while others are playing; study while others are sleeping; decide while others are delaying; prepare while others are daydreaming; begin while others are procrastinating; work while others are wishing; save while others are waiting; listen while others are talking; smile while others are frowning; comment while others are criticising; and persist while others are quitting. Don't quit. You cannot quit before you start.
Sengigcina-ke Sihlalo ... [Chairperson, in closing ...]
... I want to say to us, let me end by inviting all business bodies: National African Federated Chamber of Commerce, Nafcoc; National African Farmers Union of South Africa, National African Farmers Union of South Africa, Nafu; Metrology Instrumentation Group, Mig ...
Wat is daai ander een nou? Die Handelsinstituut. [What's the name again? The Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut.]
... and others to come to the fore. Let's talk and see how we can build this beautiful South Africa of ours. Let's also go out there and support Bafana Bafana, hon members. You are all invited to contribute to this fight against poverty. No idea is stupid, no matter how small it is. Let's work while others are sleeping; plan while others are procrastinating; listen while others are complaining; and persist while others are quitting. Together, we can do more.
Asisebenzisane-ke maqabane, asisebenzisane-ke bahlobo bami, malungu ahloniphekile akuleNdlu-ngiyabona senginesikhashana esincane lapha, ngithanda ukuthi asingabe sisazenza izinto ngendlela ebesijwayele ukuzenza ngayo.
Kunendatshana engiyifunde kwenye incwadi ethi: Kwakukhona umama owayejabulela usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa wathuma indoda yakhe wathi kuyo: "Hamba uyongithengela umlenze wemvu", wayejwayele-ke ukuthi uma efika laphaya afike akusike lokhu okusekugcineni, kodwa indoda yabuya nakho ingakusikanga, wase ebuza umntwana wathi kungani ungayisikanga le nyama? Yaphendula indoda yathi:"Angazi ngikhohliwe ukuyisika, yase ibuza ukuthi kambe yini kufanele isikwe?".Waphendula ngokuthi, asibuze umama ngoba senzela yena. Mama, kungani siyisika le nyama esekugcineni? Waphendula umama wathi: "Bengibona umama wami eyisika". Ubaba wathi asishayele ucingo ugogo, ngempela bamshayele ucingo ugogo, "gogo kungani wawuyisika le nyama esekugcineni? Waphendula ugogo wathi: "Bengiyisika ngoba ibhodwe lami lalilincane. [Uhleko.]
Ngicela senze izinto ngendlela ehlukile, singenzi izinto ebezenziwa uma singazi ukuthi abanye babezenzelani, kodwa senze izinto ezizosiphumelelisa. Ngiyabonga Sihlalo ngethuba onginikeze lona. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Let us work together, comrades and colleagues. Hon members of this House, I am aware that I'm left with little time. I would like to say that we should stop doing things the way we used to. There is a short story that I read in a certain book which read thus:
There was a mother who was celebrating her birthday who said to her husband: "Go and buy me a leg of a lamb". She used to cut the piece of meat at the end of the leg of lamb, but the husband returned without cutting it, then the child asked ,"Why didn't you cut the piece of meat at the end?" The husband answered and said:" I don't know; I forgot to cut it." Then he asked, "By the way, why does it have to be cut?" He answered by saying, "Let us ask mother because we are doing it for her". Mother, why do we cut this meat at the end? The mother answered and said: "I used to see my mother cutting it." The father said, "Let us phone grandmother". Well indeed they phoned the grandmother, and asked, "Grandmother, why did you cut the piece of meat at the end?" The grandmother answered and said:" I used to cut it because my pot was small". [Laughter.]
I request that we do things in a different way; let us not do things in a certain way if we do not know why the others were doing them in that way, but let us do things so that we can prosper. Chairperson, thank you for the opportunity you gave me.]
Thank you very much. [Applause.]