Hon Chairperson, Your Excellencies the President of South Africa and the Deputy President, hon Speaker and Deputy Speaker in absentia - I can't see them - members of the Cabinet, members of the National Assembly, ladies and gentlemen, I greet you all.
Hon member from the DA, I think it is important that we listen because the Minister did indicate that today was not his day for debating his Vote. Today we are debating the state of the nation address and it is important that we listen. We cannot table the plans here and now. He will get an opportunity to table his plans together with all the issues you have talked about, and you will have that opportunity when the time comes.
Hon President, let me start by congratulating and commending you on a speech well done. Indeed, to be a citizen is not only about rights, but also about a responsibility to contribute in making South Africa a better country. Together we can do more, especially in these times of global economic downturn. We need a kind of spirit and attitude that can help turn these challenges, especially the global downturn, into opportunities that will make South Africa a really prosperous country.
Our country is a country of plenty, which needs men and women of integrity, stature, zeal, dedication, commitment and the right focus of mind to turn things around and protect thousands of our people, some of whom are on the verge of losing their jobs as we speak.
We don't need people on the other side of the fence, but active participants in this economy. We need to intensify the actioning of our vision of having a national democratic society - that of an ongoing spirit of fighting unemployment and creating decent jobs through building, nurturing and protecting sectors that have the potential to create labour- intensive jobs and with a high multiplier effect on eradicating poverty. This is our stance and it will remain our stance.
As South Africa, we take pride in ourselves, for having been able to ensure prudent economic policy management. As a result, we have some space to deal with the effects of the current global crisis. The South African economy has managed to grow at an average of 3% to 5% per annum between 1994 and 2004. This growth has, to a large extent, been due to the global commodity boom, but under the current crisis, the global demand for commodities has significantly decreased.
It is, however, saddening that the global economic situation has attempted to reverse some of the gains we have made. But, as you have correctly said, hon President, we have to carefully utilise our strengths in fiscal space, utilise the financial regulatory framework and utilise the resourcefulness of our people and institutions in order to protect jobs and industries which have the potential to fight poverty - and we must commit to working together in addressing the impact of the global crisis on our economy.
At the heart of our manifesto is a concerted effort to create employment and fight poverty in all its manifestations. This gives us an opportunity to focus more on rural poverty, on expanding the industrial base and on more vigorous implementation of the industrial policy. It is, therefore, important to ensure that we adequately resource our industrial policy action plan and our industrial strategy.
We have committed, through our manifesto, to implementing special sector programmes. It is, therefore, important to ensure adequate resourcing in this regard in order to be able to realise our desired outcomes. As such, we need to leverage resources from our development finance institutions and from the commercial financial institutions.
We welcome the intervention by the Industrial Development Corporation, IDC - that of having developed a programme to fund companies in distress. This will go a long way towards protecting and saving jobs for the most vulnerable, the poorest of the poor.
We, however, would like to encourage the IDC to prioritise those companies that have the potential to shed jobs en masse, particularly in the automobile, clothing and textiles, and food industries, and in the financial sectors. We need to see more down-streaming by industries, particularly for the purposes of beneficiation and broader participation in the economy by our people.
We welcome the spirit of the National Credit Act and its implementation, particularly in the area of debt counselling. This is a necessary intervention and we need to call on all people to utilise the opportunity and to make those in authority of such an important intervention to popularise the programme.
South Africa, comparatively speaking, is not that hard-hit, especially when compared to other African and developing countries. We, however, are feeling the pinch in the areas of manufacturing, in the mining and financial sectors, although we have a lot of opportunities in the area of construction - hence our strategy to intensify infrastructure building and rehabilitation is welcomed as it has a greater potential of realising immediate relief for millions of our people.
Let me, in this regard, appreciate the setting up of the two important functions in the Presidency, that of planning and monitoring, and evaluation. Those two functions are, in my view, very important pillars and necessary tools in enhancing speedy recovery and broader development of our economy. They are also a central feature of a developmental state.
Somlomo lohloniphekile, ngitsandza kusho kutsi nakhona sititfola sikulesimo lesibi kangaka setemnotfo kodvwa sisatfolakala sinconywana siyiNingizimu Afrika. Loko kwentiwe yindlela lesitiphetse ngayo, ikakhulu ngendlela lesititfole sisebentisa ngayo timali nangendlela lesinakekela ngayo simo setemnotfo. Kube besingakenti njalo ngabe sititfole sesisesimeni lesimatima kakhulu.
Ngitsandza kuhalalisela lombuso wentsandvo yelinyenti ngetinhlelo nangemigomo lemihle lenguyona isisitile kutsi sibe yincenye yemave lasatfutfuke kakhulu kulesikhashana lesincane emva kwenkutfolakala kwenkhululeko.
Lokunye ngifuna kugcizelela kuloku lokuphawulwe nguMengameli kwekutsi kufanele sihambe embili ngekusebentisa letinhlelo lesinato ngaphandle kwekuphazama kuze sikwati kugucula timphilo tebantfu sitente tibe ncono. (Translation of Siswati paragraphs follows.)
[Hon Speaker, I would like to state that even though we are in this difficult economic situation, as South Africa, we are still better off. That is because of the manner in which we did things, especially the manner in which we utilised our funds and the manner in which we carefully managed our economy. Had we not done it like that, we would have found ourselves in a very difficult situation.
I would like to commend this democratic government for its programmes and good policies, as they have assisted us to be part of the most developed countries within this short space of time, after the attainment of freedom.
I would also like to reiterate what the President has mentioned, that is, that we have to be at the forefront in implementing our current programmes without losing focus so as to ensure transformation of the people's lives and make them better.]
I like the fact that the President's spirit is not dampened by the current economic circumstances and that he remains focused and optimistic about the future, especially on the implementation and the actualisation of the policy priorities.
Ngitsi: Halala Msholozi; chubekela embili! [I am saying: Congratulations Msholozi; keep it up!]
In conclusion, I want us to remember that in life those that are great are those that dare to follow dreams through the good times and the bad times. I therefore join you in calling upon South Africans to join hands so that together we can make it, even during these trying times. I thank you very much. [Applause.]