Chairperson, hon members of this House, fellow South Africans, men and women, comrades and compatriots.
Every morning in Africa an impala wakes up knowing that she must run faster than the lion, or die; every morning a lion wakes up knowing he must run faster than the impala, or starve. In fact, no matter what, when the sun rises in Africa, you'd better start running!
Having said that, it is quite clear that in this fourth term of a people's democracy, of a nonsexist, nonracial, participatory democracy, all elected politicians in this House are called upon by all South Africans, especially the most vulnerable, to hit the ground running. We've been in training for 15 years; we are actually ready for the Olympics.
As Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, it is, indeed, an honour to present this Committee's report to the House and to all South Africans. May I add that it fully supports the framework agreement that outlines South Africa's response to the global crisis as we shift our focus to stop deindustrialisation now and create employment opportunities. We can no longer allow employment to be a second-class beneficiary. We will ensure that employment will actually become a priority in our country and will be targeted not only by the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry, and other related Ministries, but by South African business as well.
I must add that the committee was united in its commitment to ensuring that the objectives in DTI could be achieved in targeted outputs and outcomes in order to build local industries for sustainable job creation.
Hence, our focus during the very limited time we've had was to see how the new industrial framework, the negotiations and the position on international trade and consequent agreements, both nationally and regionally, as well as the plethora of agencies that exist in DTI, ranging from the regulatory to the agreement side and the Trade and industrial policy are sufficiently synergised to achieve this.
President Zuma has made it clear that it is synergy and collegiality and no longer working in silos that is going to govern the running of this country. There will be no more prima donnas at this point in our government; no longer. You can take to the stage for that notwithstanding all that we have said so far. May I say that the members of this committee from all parties will, quite understandably, address these issues from their politically nuanced positions.
Notwithstanding this, we have agreed that the implementation of special sector programmes embracing industrial trade and other measures should be sufficiently backed by resources. In this way, manufacturing, mining and other vulnerable sectors can be strengthened with the ultimate aim of retaining, retraining and increasing jobs in sectors such as clothing and textiles, automobile and components and the food industry. We need to move away from the constant refrain and mantra of retrenchment. We have to exercise creativity in the industrial and commercial sector. Let's try to sing another tune.
South Africa needs to go beyond the production of goods at any cost purely for export and focus instead on adding value. In this way, the downstream markets can be developed and beneficiation will organically broaden participation in the economy. We recognise, more than ever, the need for organic, dynamic solutions rather than a mechanical approach to the global crisis.
I see, Chairperson, that my time is expiring and I don't want to leave out the committee's recommendations. But, may I add that during that rugby game Morn really must have revitalised South Africa with fresh hope again when he gave that ball such a skop [kick] and actually told the Lions, "Listen here, this is not a country to be beaten." And we going to say the same as we now chart this new course forward.
We will not be beaten by any global crisis that the West has seen fit to burden us with. We can, together, work through this as South Africans and in the end we shall overcome, in the same way that we overcame apartheid and every other negative that the colonialists and imperialists thrust upon us.
But let me first recall that I'm the chairperson of this committee and try to point out some of the very interesting conclusions we reached. As you know, the DTI came to us - the Ministers of Economic Development and of Trade and Industry - and these are some of the conclusions we reached. We would like them to brief their respective committees to provide clarity on the roles of their departments. And we were given this assurance that, indeed, this will be done within four months of the tabling of this report.
We will also like the DTI to brief the committee on the review and implementation of Ipap because even the DTI has acknowledged that Ipap needs a radical review before we can implement a very sound industrial policy framework. We don't want to put through action plans that don't achieve what the policy intended.
The DTI presented a draft of trade policy review to the committee after engaging with the Cabinet. And we have heard quite a lot on the Khula issues, Lotteries Board, the several COTIIs, the National Small Business Advisory Council and the gambling board.
Let us at this point remember that none of us will ever gamble our way into billionaire status - one or two will - so let's stop being inspired by these gambling boards that come before us. I told them the other day - and the committee agreed - we are not here simply to make legislation; we will repeal it.
As chairperson of the committee I want to thank the members for working so cohesively together, for their dedication, and the support staff as well. I would also like to thank the Minister and the administration of DTI, Khula and the IDC, for not bringing us boxes of irrelevant papers, but engaging constructively with us.
But, nevertheless, Chairperson, we want to recommend that this House requests the department to undertake the following: the DTI will submit a detailed report on incentive payments and schemes to the committee within three months of the adoption of the report; the DTI will submit a review of trade policy; the DTI will table a progress report on the development of a Sacu-EU interim EPA and the implications thereof for South Africa within six months of the adoption of this report; the DTI will further submit a report on the status, funding and development of the nanotechnology and biotechnology research and/or product industry in South Africa; the DTI will submit to the committee a report on its plan to alleviate the plight of companies in distress and its involvement in large projects, one of with is the IDC, one of the agencies; Khula Enterprise Finance Ltd will provide the committee with feedback regarding the implementation plan of Khula Direct and will table a report to the committee on the profile of the retail finance intermediaries and further, how it did indeed improve access to finance in the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
We don't want Khula to say it has achieved all that and that is why it's now running to the other six to see what it can do there. But, we were impressed with this retail platform because it seems that at last it has become a teenager - you know, it is 13 years old - that has found its wings and is starting to do its job. So, we really commend Khula for this and we hope that it will, in fact, serve South Africa.
On this note, Chairperson, may I say that, as a member of the ANC, I certainly support this Budget Vote before us. But, I also stand by the report that the full committee unanimously adopted. I thank you. [Applause.]