Deputy Chairperson, thank you for the privilege to respond to the Budget Vote. Firstly, I would like to thank the members for supporting this Budget Vote. Chairperson of the committee, hon Qikani, I want to assure you that issues raised by you are a reflection of the past, and we cannot afford to continue in that way. Issues of people seeing water passing through their own areas while they have no access to it will have to be corrected. This is part of the mandate for the current five years. The department of Water and Environmental Affairs will make sure that this happens; hence we are currently talking about it being multipurpose, including supply to communities in various areas. The matter you raised will be taken on board. It includes areas like the Northern Cape, where people were talking about the Taung Dam. Those issues will be addressed. So, we are on board, hon members, in making sure that we address these issues.
Mhlonishwa Bab'uZulu ngempela sivumelana nawe ngeke kwenzeke ukuthi abantu baphile ngokuthi ngaso sonke isikhathi bahlala belangazelele amanzi kodwa abe ebadlula nje engakwazi ukufinyelela kubona. Lezi ngezinye zezinto lo hulumeni kaKhongolose ozama ngakho konke ekusemandleni ukuthi zibhekwe ukuze amanzi afinyelele kubantu.
Lokho okushilo kwaseNgwavuma ngezinye zezinto ezizobhekwa uMnyango wezaManzi ukwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi wonke umuntu ngaphandle kobandlulula akwazi ukuthi athole amanzi ahlanzekile, ukuze izimpilo zabo zibengcono. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.) [Hon Mr Zulu, we fully agree with you that the people should not always wish to have access to water when it passes through their areas and they do not have access to it. These are some of the issues which this ANC-led government is trying its best to address so that the people can have access to water. The issue you raised about Ngwavuma is part of some of the issues that will be dealt with by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs to ensure that everybody can get clean water so that they can live better.]
I want to say to you, hon Sinclair, that the point you raised about water scarcity is a definite issue for this country and for this government; hence we raised it and want to deal with it. I agree with you fully.
But what I don't agree with is the fact that Cope is a government in waiting. That will never happen. [Laughter.] [Applause.] That is a dream that you will never fulfil in your lifetime. So, just stop entertaining the idea of being an alternative government at some point, because it will never happen. Just abandon that idea.
Hon Johnson, the issues you raised are issues that the government is looking into. We agree with you fully. As you know, currently there has been an issue through the new Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, where workshops or summits were held with the SA Local Government Association, Salga. These programmes and task teams which have been set up will need to be taken on board, and we need to make sure that co-operation between you and the national government becomes a reality in ensuring that we address issues affecting our communities. This is the only way in which we will succeed as this government. There is no way in which we can work in silos. So, it is very critical to make sure that there is always engagement and partnerships with all relevant stakeholders, including Salga. I thank you. [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES: Madam Deputy Chairperson, South Africa's agricultural trade values were, for some months, disturbed by increased imports of rice, wheat, oil cakes for animal feed manufacturing industries and also imports of whisky.
We know who the whisky drinkers are. When Cope lost the elections there was a sudden rise in imports of whisky. [Laughter.] They really tried to drown their sorrows with whisky but, as the ANC celebrated, there was an import of malt whisky. You can understand that there is a big difference between importing malt whisky and importing cheap whisky. [Laughter.]
So our trade balance is positive and we aim to maintain this and improve our positive tariff balance. We are convinced that by the end of the year our country will be a net exporter of food again, and that this situation would have been stabilised. We need to seek a balance between crops used for biofuel productions and those used for food security. That is why, in 2007, Cabinet took a decision that maize will not be used for biofuel production. Biofuel is used for alternative renewable energy and not for food security. But when farmers grow fuels, it also secures an income from the land and can create jobs, as well as improve their livelihoods. It therefore requires a balancing act and a structured sensitive approach to develop biofuels vis--vis food security.
South Africa has approximately six million households that spend more than 60% of their income on food alone, but do not have enough to eat. As part of the response, we are bringing in interventions, which will expand the coverage of the integrated food security and nutrition programme from 70 000 to 140 000 additional beneficiaries.
The programme will deliver through the provision of agricultural starter packs for the production of vegetables, livestock, milk and poultry. These initiatives were tested in line with the implementation of the regional indicative strategic development plan and the Dar es Salaam Declaration Plan of Action on agriculture and food security.
We should not overlook the contribution of women in food security and their role in securing livelihoods, particularly in rural areas. Forty-one per cent of South African women live in rural communities with the balance of the population in these areas made of up of children, the infirm and old people. Women have kept these poor marginalised communities afloat and they will continue to do so.
We will be convening in Polokwane again. This time the Polokwane tsunami will be about the fourth biennial National Landcare Conference and the African Regional Landcare Committee meeting with the theme: Together, caring for our land and caring for our future.
We invite members from especially Cope to get a sense of where Polokwane is actually taking this country, because that is where all their woes started when they lost hopelessly and couldn't accept defeat. [Laughter.] This time we are inviting you to a landcare programme from 12 to 16 July 2009. There will again be an overwhelming win.
South Africa has a well-established fishery sector and this is currently a net exporter of fish and marine products. South African fisheries are considered to be fully utilised and high value fisheries such as abalone, prawns and linefish are largely overexploited.
At the African Union Summit we agreed that the allocation of fishing quotas will be done throughout the continent and in Africa as a whole, instead of only allocating fisheries per country like South Africa. I think this is an important new development for us on the continent. In conclusion, I wish to thank the Deputy Minister responsible for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Director-General and the entire staff complement of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. I wish to thank the Minister of Mining for her insightful vision and comments on water development.
I also wish to thank the members who have participated in this debate. We wish to collect all the copies of your speeches, because you have made valuable contributions, which we will listen and respond to.
We are looking forward to working with the chairperson and the members of the NCOP. Thank you very much, Madam, for your visionary leadership. We are convinced that, with your leadership, we will be able to take the sector forward. We respect the kind of comments you have made as well as the guidance you are providing us with.
I would also like to thank the staff members and heads of departments as well as MECs and politicians in their provincial departments. I did not know that there was another Minister for Agriculture in the Western Cape. I thought that there was only one Minister at a national level and one Deputy Minister, but nonetheless, it seems we have the united states of the Western Cape and the independent states of the Western Cape.
I also want to thank the state-owned entities in the sector for their co- operation and support to ensure that programmes that are delivered will be successful. I depend on your oversight and know that you will call us to order and to account. We depend on you calling us to order. I thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Business suspended at 15:45 and resumed at 15:58.