A lot, yes. Can you imagine how many problems there will be in a 100 years' time?
The DA doubts whether this is happening, otherwise the departments that are supposed to work in tandem with each other would know about problems in other departments. Together the departments are supposed to do more, but as we in the DA know, the slogan reads: Together we can do less.
It is in the interests of the ANC to keep the people of South Africa uninformed. An informed population can make educated decisions. The moment the people are making educated decisions, it will not be in the interests of the ANC. If it were not for the Constitution that has imbedded in it freedom of speech and a free press, the public would not know what is really happening in South Africa.
Justice Malala, a black columnist, wrote earlier this year, in February, the following: "The President is weak" - meaning Chabane, the South African Minister for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Administration in the Presidency - "and his colleagues are weak. They cannot tap an obviously challenged or incompetent Minister on the shoulder and ask him to resign or be fired. Worse, it is becoming increasingly clear that Zuma does not actually have the will to fight corruption or defend high standards. This makes Chabane's job redundant from the word go."
Although the opposition parties are not in government, Mr Chabane, they form an integral part of the structure and functions of the South African government. With regard to this background, it is the duty of the GCIS to reflect the role of the opposition parties at all three levels of government. According to the GCIS, the only party that exists is the ANC. Without us, the opposition, no democracy is possible in South Africa.
Mr Chairperson, just to remind you: after the next election the DA will be governing Gauteng, and the Northern Cape, and the Western Cape. Next year, in the municipal elections, we are going to horizontalise your perpendicularity. [Laughter.] Remember my words!
Just to remind the ANC: remember the information scandal of the 1970s. The mission of the information department and Eschel Rhoodie was to polish the image of the National Party, to show the voters the shiny and bright side of government, to withhold important facts from the people. What happened? It exploded in their faces. So, what has changed after all these years?
The President in his state of the nation address set certain benchmarks regarding education, land reform, health, crime, and housing, to name a few. The DA believes that the GCIS must set benchmarks regularly to indicate where we are now. Has there been any progress, what has been done, and, importantly, what are the crucial aspects still to be done?
John Woods said: "Everything you say or do or don't say and don't do sends a message to others." One loose canon in government structures uttering the words "nationalisation of farmland" can undo the work of the International Marketing Council, the IMC. Millions go down the drain!
Dit kan net 'n terloopse opmerking in 'n toespraak of onderhoud wees. Dit laat negatiewe persepsies onder buitelandse beleggers en dit laat hulle skrik. Suid-Afrika is maar net een van die vele ontwikkelende lande ter wreld. Beleggers kom bel nie in Suid-Afrika omdat hulle kastig so lief is vir ons nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[It could just be a casual remark during a speech or interview. It leaves overseas investors with negative perceptions and it frightens them. South Africa is merely one of many developing countries in the world. Investors do not invest in South Africa because they supposedly like us that much.]
The GCIS can save the taxpayer millions of rand every year in advertising and liaison costs. If every government official was in the office on time for the whole working day and answered his or her phone on time, the queries of the public regarding government services could be solved in no time. Even the President's hotline would receive a minimum of calls.
One of the miracles in the expenditure estimates is the policy and research expenditure. In all honesty, if a department has to spend R19 million again for policy research, this department will never have a policy. It is also not necessary to be a rocket scientist to know what is wrong in South Africa.
Communication in government could be very easy. You need a clear message: what are we going to do, when, where and by whom.
The work that the International Marketing Council is doing is very important. Let's say the R178,4 million in the budget is well spent, especially in terms of the events leading up to the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup in South Africa. But then you get a loose canon like Malema who can do more damage in a couple of days to the South African brand than it would take the IMC years to rebuild.
The ANC's response to the childish behaviour of Malema says it all. I am not going to read the whole thing. In William Shakespeare's drama Romeo and Juliet, Romeo was asked by a nurse about Mercutio. Romeo replied: "A gentleman, nurse, that loves to hear himself talk, and will speak more in a minute than he can stand to in a month." This sounds like Malema!
Eish! Dit maak seer, n Julius? Pasop, daar is meer grappies oor Julius in omloop as oor die Afrikaanse Koos van der Merwe. Julius, jy klop reeds vir Mike Schutte, Kallie Knoetze en Jimmy Abbott. Koos is nie ons Parlement se oom Koos nie. Dis 'n fiktiewe, legendariese figuur in Afrikaans.(Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Eish! It hurts, not so, Julius? Watch out, there are more jokes about Julius going around than about the Afrikaans-speaking Koos van der Merwe. Julius, you are already ahead of Mike Schutte, Kallie Knoetze and Jimmy Abbott. Koos does not refer to our uncle Koos in Parliament. He is a fictitious, legendary figure in Afrikaans.]
Julius, you are creating an image of a punch-drunk has-been boxer. Remember this: This is not a revolutionary House. It is the democratic Parliament of South Africa. Chief, don't throw me out, please! [Laughter.]
Against this background, I dedicate this speech, on behalf of the DA, to all those people who are suffering because of bad service delivery in different ... [Interjections.]