Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, Acting Director-General, distinguished guests, and hon members.
The ANC is in the process of building a democratic developmental state. The first attribute of a developmental state in our conditions should be its strategic capacity - popular legitimacy deriving from its democratic nature and approach of people-centred and people-driven change. In this regard, it should be able to lead in the definition of a common national agenda and in the mobilisation of all society to take part in their implementation.
As the ANC, we maintain that the ongoing transformation of the state is meant to ensure that these capacities are attained, and the process of identifying weaknesses and correcting them will be intensified.
This includes engendering new doctrines, culture and practices as well as ensuring that the state institutions reflect the demographics of the country. This includes appropriate representation of women and people with disabilities.
Hon members, this applies to the Public Service in its totality as well as specialised institutions such as the judiciary, the police, intelligence agencies and the Defence Force. All these organs should serve the people in an efficient and impartial manner.
We have observed that there are disabling barriers that seriously influence the rate of employment of people with disabilities in the Public Service. These include attitudes, practices and policies of departments; inadequate provision of appropriate education and vocational training; inaccessible buildings and public transport; and impact of rural and informal settlement environment.
Phaya ezilalini asisakwazi ukuhamba, abantu abakhubazekileyo -bafumana ubunzima ngenxa yokungabikho kwezithuthi. [There are barriers in the rural areas and people with disabilities find it difficult because of lack of public transport.]
The most critical barriers confronting people with disabilities are the employment practices in the Public Service. To address these barrier analysis and a timetable for the reduction and elimination of those barriers, ineffective communication and co-ordination compounded by a lack of data on persons with disabilities should be addressed immediately.
As the ANC we believe that implementing these corrective measures requires more than just references to general political rights. A continuing element of democratic transformation should be a systematic programme to correct the historical injustice and affirm those deliberately excluded under apartheid on the basis of race, class and gender.
The need for such affirmative action will decline in the same measure as all centres of power and influence become broadly representative of the country's demographics. In the process, all inequalities that may persist or arise will need to be addressed.
The Batho Pele policy remains government's leading campaign to achieve the desired crucial transformation of the hearts and minds of public servants. This is a Public Service culture reorientation programme that is aimed at aligning the behaviour and attitudes of public servants towards the practice of a Batho Pele ethos.
In order to intensify the implementation and impact of this policy, the Minister for the Public Service and Administration launched the Batho Pele Impact Assessment which seeks to strengthen the integrated implementation of Batho Pele and the impact thereof across the three spheres of government.
This will enhance partnerships, collaborations and better co-ordination towards the implementation of Batho Pele, and intervene decisively and coherently in the economy and society to address social and economic developmental goals. Government has indicated its determination to build a cadre of community development workers, CDWs. This is to ensure that government works with the people as closely as possible to empower them to participate in and benefit from the process of reconstruction and development. This challenging but exciting work will require people who are truly committed to serve the people. These are not people who joined the Public Service merely to have a job or earn a salary. Rather, these are fellow South Africans who are moved by our common responsibility to ensure that millions of people break out of the dehumanising trap of poverty and underdevelopment. They are committed to the realisation of the goal we have set for ourselves, the goal of creating a caring and people-centred society. They understand and have internalised the call for all of us to adhere to a new patriotism.
The department has to play a leading role in helping to identify those among our population who fit this description to encourage them to take up the challenge of serving as CDWs.
This is because our work among the people gives us the possibility to get to know and assess many individuals. We will have to use this knowledge to ensure that the nation gets the right people as it builds the new Public Service cadre of CDWs.
Fighting corruption and promoting good governance remain some of the key priorities of government. Corruption is not only a threat to democratic institutions, but it also impacts negatively on service delivery and development.
Khawundiphe amanzi. Ndonqena nokusela amanzi kuba le mizuzu iyabaleka. [May you please give me water. I am tempted not to even drink water because time is against me.]
Government has established various measures and mechanisms to uproot corruption in all sectors of societies. However, hon members, we want to know when the special service delivery units will be established in government departments to tackle corruption head-on as provided for in the Public Service Act of 1994.
Admittedly, some government departments have attracted attention, as do some of our municipalities, especially the smaller, more isolated ones in rural areas. These circumstances have set an urgent agenda for continuing public service improvement, and the corresponding and required public service training and management development.
For the Public Service to respond adequately to all these issues raised in the so-called service delivery-related protests that we are experiencing, there is a need ... [Time expired.]
In conclusion, the ANC supports the Budget Vote. I thank you, Chairperson.