Thank you very much, hon Trollip. My understanding of an economic recession is that the levels of demand come to a standstill. Therefore, those who engage in commodity production end up with the commodities stacked up in their warehouses and/or on the shelves of their stores, without people buying them because consumption is a function of liquidity. That is why governments are called upon, when you are in a recession, to revive the economy by ensuring that demand ... [Interjections.] ... I will give you an opportunity to speak here. I think it would be helpful for you not to interrupt.
I'm just making a simple point, that government is not an individual. In a recession, governments are called upon to intervene to ensure that the wheels of the economy continue to turn. Once people who live by earning wages are laid off, it means that they will not be able to buy anything. That is why, in certain instances in history, governments have been known to employ people to dig a trench up a street and the following week others have been employed and paid by the same government to fill up the trench just so that they have liquidity. That's how you deal with a recession, according to my understanding of a recession. [Applause.]
Now, let us deal with the issue of the calls for moderation, because that is the message we have received as government. That is why government has agreed to establish a task team to look at excesses, wastages and all of those things. This task team will be looking at the totality of expenses that may require review. Those excesses range from the procurement of vehicles right up to this expensive practice of having Parliament in Cape Town, when government is in Pretoria. [Applause.]
Cumulatively, there's more wastage in the manner we have located the seat of government and Parliament. That is why the old Nationalist Party government used to spend half the year in Cape Town and half the year in Pretoria. Now, there is a lot of commuting and Ministers have two houses when they should be living in one house. That would be a major saving.
So, these are a range of wastage areas and linkages that this task team will be looking at and reporting on to Cabinet. Cabinet will then take a decision on those matters. You see, in South Africa there are people who are wallowing in riches - who can afford all kinds of toys and so on - which are privately owned. What we are concerned about is the public kitty. What is the public kitty used for?
The moral of this question is that we must not elevate poverty into virtue. Our thrust must be to empower the poorest of the poor not to live on alms, but to be able to eke out a decent living on their own. These, I think, are matters that we should make time to discuss so that at least there's a common position that we adopt as Parliament rather than seeking to score points on little matters. I don't think that helps us.
As I said earlier on, South African society is who we are. There are many classes and stratifications in this society and our role is not to put watertight fences around these, but to try and unite our people and give them a sense of pride and belonging as South Africans. By so doing, we can deal with the disabilities accumulated over the years. I think it is important to adopt that approach.
As for the resale of second-hand vehicles, I know that in a recession in particular, if you buy a car for R1 million and you drive out in that car, and in a week's time you try to find a buyer for it, you would struggle to find a buyer who is willing to pay R600 000 for that vehicle.
I don't know the economics of the Kenyan government or the management of finances ... [Applause.] ... but I think this is not a good example to follow. Thank you. [Applause.]