National Assembly - 03 April 2001
TUESDAY, 3 APRIL 2001 __
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
____
The House met at 14:02.
The Speaker took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS - see col 000.
NEW MEMBER
(Announcement)
The Speaker announced that the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr M Mpehle had been filled, in accordance with item 6(3) of Schedule 6 to the Constitution, 1996, by the nomination of Dr E A Schoeman, with effect from 1 April 2001.
OATH
Dr E A Schoeman, accompanied by Mr F Bhengu and Mrs M A A Njobe, made and subscribed the oath and took his seat.
NEW MEMBER
(Announcement)
The Speaker announced that the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mrs B M Nzimande had been filled, in accordance with item 6(3) of Schedule 6 to the Constitution, 1996, by the nomination of Dr O Baloyi, with effect from 1 April 2001.
OATH
Dr O Baloyi, accompanied by Mrs L R Mbuyazi and Mr A M Mpontshane, made and subscribed the oath and took his seat.
NOTICES OF MOTION
Mrs Z A KOTA: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes that the South African Police Service recovered the body of Tshepo Matloga in the Northern Province;
(2) appreciates the hard work and commitment of our policemen and women in recovering the body of Tshepo;
(3) calls upon all the arms of the criminal justice system to co-operate to ensure that those responsible for this barbaric crime are brought to book; and
(4) expresses the hope that the courts will give an appropriate punishment to those responsible and that this will serve as a lesson that our country and society will not tolerate such barbaric actions.
[Applause.]
Mr M J ELLIS: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I will move:
That the House -
(1) takes note of Dr Dlamini-Zuma’s defence of Fidel Castro’s undemocratic system of government;
(2) expresses its shock at the suggestion made by Dr Dlamini-Zuma that the right to vote is justifiably limited in Cuba, and that this is approved by her;
(3) further notes that five Ministers accompanied President Mbeki to Cuba, spending valuable time and money on socialising at the expense of the taxpayer instead of tackling the endemic corruption, lawlessness, Aids and unemployment in our country; and
(4) requests President Mbeki to give more attention to the country in which he was elected and a little less to the insoluble problems of the rest of the world.
[Applause.] Mr M F CASSIM: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the IFP:
That the House -
(1) notes that -
(a) the State Theatre was established in the 1960s as the Performing
Arts Council of Transvaal and changed to the State Theatre in
October 1997; and
(b) the State Theatre was closed on 31 July 2000 because of a severe
liquidity crisis brought about by huge losses incurred through
irresponsible investments;
(2) is gratified that the State Theatre will once again open its doors tomorrow with a gala performance;
(3) takes the opportunity of expressing its felicitations and good wishes to Dr Ben Ngubane, the hon Minister, and to Mr John Kani, the artistic director; and
(4) expresses the hope that the State Theatre will give an impetus to the performing arts covering the broadest segment of our South African population.
Mr H P CHAUKE: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes the recent gloating by DA leader, Tony Leon, about how proud the DA is, after its first 100 days in power, that Cape Town is the best run city;
(2) agrees that this view is shared only by the rich and privileged;
(3) further agrees that the experience of the poor, after 100 days, is -
(a) cutting of water and electricity in Macassar, Tafelsig and
elsewhere;
(b) a lack of commitment to fight crime;
(c) sexist remarks about women;
(d) a racist approach to sport in the city; and
(e) leaving 10 000 workers unemployed; and
(4) calls on the DA to build peace, safety and prosperity for all people and not to perpetuate the privileges of the few.
[Applause.]
Mr S SIMMONS: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I will move:
That the House -
(1) expresses concern over the theft in February of a laptop computer in the Western Cape Legislature;
(2) notes that -
(a) a letter written on the stolen computer has suddenly surfaced in
the media, giving impetus to the perception of a politically
motivated theft;
(b) the said letter was written in August 2000 with no political
relevance to the current political situation; and
(c) thereafter 23% of the voters nationally endorsed the DA in the
local government elections; and
(3) further notes that as the official opposition, the DA is now more determined to pursue and expose the corruption, mismanagement, maladministration and lack of delivery of the ANC Government and not to be distracted by malicious political opportunism.
[Applause.]
Prof L M MBADI: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I will move on behalf of the UDM:
That the House - (1) notes the recent incident in which Mr Theunis Bester of Bellville was murdered;
(2) expresses its concern at the escalating incidence of murders of the elderly, since the murder of Mr Bester is the third murder in the Cape Metro since Friday; and
(3) calls on the Minister of Safety and Security as well as the Minister of Social Development to immediately address this shocking situation with a co-ordinated strategy to protect the elderly, who are an especially vulnerable group.
Mr L J MODISENYANE: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes -
(a) the recent newspaper reports exposing the DP's hidden agenda
with the formation of the so-called Democratic Alliance;
(b) that the DP's Ryan Coetzee has both denied and admitted to
having advised the hon Tony Leon on how to ``get rid of Mr
Marthinus van Schalkwyk''; and
(c) that Ryan Coetzee advised the hon Leon to ensure that he
``outshines'' Van Schalkwyk in public to ensure that the latter
fades and disappears;
(2) calls on Coetzee to decide whether he admits or denies the reports; and
(3) also calls on the hon Tony Leon to admit that the formation of this unholy alliance is unworkable because it is built on opportunism, distrust and lies.
[Applause.]
Ms C DUDLEY: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ACDP:
That the House -
(1) congratulates and commends nurses, military personnel and volunteers who have worked selflessly in the areas of KwaZulu-Natal which have been worst affected by cholera;
(2) recognises the outstanding work done by the SA Christian aid organisation Dorcas, which has been operating in the very remote rural areas since October 2000 and has pumped approximately half a million litres of ``safe’’ water each month from rivers and dams into water tanks at villages and distributed approximately 20 tons of nutritional food each month to cholera patients as they are discharged from hospital;
(3) notes that Dorcas is the only NGO working in the area and that it has been diligent and faithful in spite of the fact that its work is largely unnoticed and unrecognised as these neglected rural areas have not attracted media coverage;
(4) acknowledges that another cholera death, and over 500 more cholera cases, have been reported;
(5) further acknowledges that although the figures reported by the department on cholera deaths have been commendably low, the fact is that many more deaths are not recorded, as people die in villages without hospitals confirming the cholera and these deaths are not included …
The SPEAKER: order! Hon member, your time has expired. Your motion will be published in full.
Ms C DUDLEY: I was interrupted as well. Thank you. [Interjections.]
Mr I S MFUNDISI: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the UCDP:
That the House - (1) notes that -
(a) the world's best-loved choral work, Handel's Messiah, has been
translated into the 11 official languages of our country; and
(b) The South African Messiah, as this has since come to be called,
will be performed annually from this year in an effort to spread
a message of peace and goodwill;
(2) appreciates and congratulates Michael Masote, one of the worthy sons of this country, for having taken the trouble to mount the mammoth task and at the same time to showcase local talent and give South Africans a chance to celebrate their languages and cultural heritage; and
(3) calls on other artists to do likewise in matters that have cultural value for the nation.
[Applause.]
Mr J H NASH: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes that -
(a) the DA has continually criticised the ANC Government for so-
called centralism; and
(b) the DA has, in classical super-centralist style, decided to
abolish community-based housing allocation committees in favour
of a centralised committee;
(2) agrees that -
(a) the DA wants to manipulate the distribution of houses through
fascist means that will force people to vote for them if they
want houses; and
(b) this militates against people-driven development; and (3) calls on the DA to respect the democratic nature of the allocation
committees and to stop its negative vote-catching campaign.
The centralist! [Laughter.] [Applause.]
The SPEAKER: Order!
Mr S E OPPERMAN: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the DP:
That the House -
(1) notes that the Cape Town unicity under the very capable mayor, Peter Marais, has celebrated its first 100 days in office, and congratulates the DA-controlled unicity which -
(a) has R20 million allocated by the provincial government to train
and equip a municipal police service for all the people of Cape
Town;
(b) is ready to deliver 6 kl of free water to every household from 1
May - well ahead of many other ANC councils;
(c) is rolling out the provision of free antiretroviral drugs, HIV
testing and counselling to all local clinics and hospitals; and
(d) has upgraded its IT systems for better management and control of
city finances for all the people of Cape Town; and
(2) further notes that these major achievements could be accomplished despite an ANC legacy of maladministration and nondelivery in the city of Cape Town and other councils currently under their control.
[Applause.]
Prince N E ZULU: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move:
That the House - (1) is appalled at media reports that innocent matriculants from Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, the Northern Province and Swaziland have fallen prey to a scam by a bogus university operating in Johannesburg as Cida City Campus, which claims to be an affiliate of Maharishi University of Management from the United States;
(2) is dismayed to learn that the same campus is subjecting its students to a cult religion based on the teachings of a spiritual goddess; and
(3) calls on the Ministry of Education to take steps to close this bogus campus and ensure future denial of its registration on application, as it has no intention of academic teaching at all, but to exploit and extract money from innocent students and extend a mysterious religious teaching without students’ choice.
[Applause.]
Ms N M TSHEOLE: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
(1) notes -
(a) with appreciation that the North Sea Jazz Festival was held in
Cape Town from 29 to 31 March 2001; and
(b) the positive impact that an event of this nature has on the
development of music in our country as well as the promotion of
public interest in local music;
(2) believes that this event affirms the contribution by Africa to restore cultural heritage in the world at large and thus restores pride and dignity to the peoples of Africa; and
(3) applauds the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology for having played a significant role in making this occasion possible.
[Applause.]
Mrs M OLCKERS: Madam Speaker, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the House I shall move:
That the House -
(1) congratulates Peter Marais who was officially inaugurated as Cape Town’s mayor at the city’s Artscape Theatre on Monday;
(2) believes that Mr Marais will be successful in his post and will deliver on the DA’s promises of putting all the people first;
(3) notes that corporate sponsors covered the bulk of the inauguration costs and that the ratepayer’s money was invested back into the community by covering the costs of the local entertainment;
(4) further notes that the inaugural ceremony of the ANC Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor cost a shocking R400 000 and even the small Rustenburg municipality had an extravagant bill of R100 000;
(5) believes that this once again proves that the top structure of the ANC is only concerned with a better life for an elite few; and
(6) supports Peter Marais for putting all the people first and for focusing on service delivery to the community.
[Applause.]
MOTION OF CONDOLENCE
(The late Mr Luki Nkonka)
Mr G Q M DOIDGE: Madam Speaker, I move without notice:
That the House -
(1) notes with shock and sadness the untimely death of the Deputy Director-General of the Free State Education Department, Mr Luki Nkonka, in a road accident on the N1 near Winburg;
(2) expresses its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and colleagues; and
(3) joins his family in mourning the death of this beloved patriot.
Agreed to.
ANSWERING OF QUESTIONS FOR ORAL REPLY BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT
(Draft Resolution)
Mr G Q M DOIDGE: Madam Speaker, I move the draft resolution printed on the Order Paper in the name of the Chief Whip of the Majority Party, as follows:
That, notwithstanding the provisions contained in the interim questions procedure, the Deputy President will answer questions for oral reply in the National Assembly on Wednesday, 4 April 2001, in spite of answering questions in the National Council of Provinces in the same week.
Agreed to.
APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote No 17 - Social Development:
The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Madam Speaker … [Applause.] Thank you. Madam Speaker, this is the first Vote that we are carrying out under the banner of the Department of Social Development. As such, this Vote is aimed at ensuring social development. Our main business is no longer the issuing of hand-outs but, most importantly, the empowerment of communities and individuals to be self-reliant.
Hon members, MECs for social development, representatives of civil society and the older people in the public gallery who have made a special effort to be here today, during the past year there have been many programme changes and events that were undertaken by my Ministry and department. These include extended visits to the provinces and a second consultative workshop with our stakeholders and partners, And I received a report on the abuse and ill-treatment of older people in our country. All these events have reinforced my conviction that, despite the entrenched problem that we face in our diversity, what unites us is our commitment to building a caring society and a better South Africa.
The President, in his state of the nation address in February this year, underlined the fact that our country is a land of hope because of all the people who make contributions, however small, to advance our country away from its painful past. I would like to single out the contributions made by the following outstanding civic-minded citizens who lead by example: Mrs Zodwa Mqadi and her team in AGAPE - a home for children in KwaZulu-Natal; Mrs Thuli Tsela at the Mayosi home-based care project; Mrs Mlambo from St Clement’s home-based care project in Clermont, Durban; Mrs Nyembezi of Zibambeleni Clermont Women’s Society; Mrs Joyce Mali - uMaNgconde; and last but not least, Mrs Adelaide Tambo. [Applause.]
It is their energy, dedication and commitment, together with that of many people, that ensures that we are where we are and that there is hope amidst despair, fragmentation and alienation. We express our gratitude and pledge our support to them and their organisations. May they, together with many others, continue to be our reliable partners in caring for the vulnerable members of our society.
Anga uThixo anisikelele, anigcine, anikhusele nihlale nilithemba labantwana bakowethu, nibe lingomso nezinyanya zabantwana bakuthi. Nangamso ma-Afrika. [Kwaqhwatywa.] [May God bless them, keep them and protect them, so that they can remain a sign of hope for our children, and be their future and their ancestors. To them I say: Thank you, Africans. [Applause.]
During my provincial visits, I witnessed at first-hand the substantial social and economic contributions made particularly by elderly people to the wellbeing of children and families with social pensions as their only resource. Sadly, the report on the abuse of older people substantiates the brutality and the brutal reality that, despite these contributions in the context of higher unemployment and widespread poverty, older people are frequently subjected to physical and mental abuse.
In response to the report, Government is working on an implementation plan to ensure that older people receive sensitive and integrated services from the Departments of Social Services, Housing, Safety and Security, Justice, Health and Home Affairs. We are also committed to ensuring that our social partners - business, labour, faith-based organisations, the voluntary welfare sector and civil society organisations in general - share with us the responsibility of ensuring that older people are acknowledged, supported and protected. The fathers and mothers of our nation must not be forgotten people.
In his address at the opening of Parliament, the President outlined Government’s programme of action for the year 2001. I will use this Vote speech to report on the steady transformation that we are implementing and elaborate on the role that the Department of Social Development will play in Government’s programme of action for the year 2001. In addition, all the programmes of the Department of Social Development are developed and implemented together with other Government departments in the social, justice and governance sectors. I will speak to the priorities of these sectors.
Before I begin, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the support and co-operation that I have received from the MECs for social development and the premiers in the provinces. May I also acknowledge with deep appreciation the support that I have received from the portfolio committee in the National Assembly and the select committee - the National Council of Provinces. May we continue to work together for the betterment of our people. Together with our social partners, members have sustained our offensive against poverty and underdevelopment.
Let me first highlight some of our achievements of the past year in this regard. Social security, which is well-targeted to the poor and is redistributive, is Government’s primary investment in poverty alleviation. The number of beneficiaries has increased to 3,5 million as of 31 March 2001 - an increase of approximately 17% from the previous financial year. Child support grants are now being paid out to about one million children every month. This is up from 60 000 a year ago, thanks to the assistance that we have received from civil society, especially faith-based organisations and churches in the rural areas of South Africa. The Government recognises that the current grant amounts are not sufficient to address large-scale poverty, deprivation and inequality in South Africa, but will continue to increase spending on social assistance as resource constraints allow.
I would like to underline a point I made during the launch of the report on the abuse of older people in Soweto last week. The child support grant is supposed to be given to the care-giver of the child, the person who actually takes care of the child. This person is not necessary the mother of the child. If the grandmother is the person who looks after the child, then the child support grant should be given to the grandmother. This is what is provided for in our laws.
During the past financial year, the department has managed a poverty relief allocation totalling R363 million from the 1998-99 to the 2000-01 allocations. To date 80% of these funds have been paid to community projects; 10% of these funds are committed to payments for community projects and the remaining 10% is committed to expenditure on administration, support and capacity building for the projects in the programme.
The underexpenditure of poverty relief funds by the Department of Social Development is a phenomenon of the past. An analysis of this expenditure by sector show that 20% of the projects are in the HIV/Aids sector, 18% are in the food security sector and 10% are linked to faith-based organisations. Further analysis shows that 30% of the total poverty relief budget is devoted to income generation, 16% to urban regeneration and substance abuse, and 15% to disability.
Our mid-term assessment of the projects funded from the 1998-99 allocation shows that 70% of the projects were in rural areas and that the largest number of jobs were created by projects in the food security sector, in agriculture and poultry projects. I would like to express my gratitude to the Independent Development Trust, specifically to Mrs Lulu Gwagwa, for their assistance and the co-operation that she has given us, thus enabling us to achieve these successes in our poverty relief efforts.
In the 2001-02 financial year, the department will have at least 30% of the poverty relief projects located in the 30 development nodes identified in the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy. The poverty relief programme will continue to focus on its dual objectives, ie income generation and job creation on the one hand and safety nets and social welfare on the other.
With respect to eight nodal areas currently identified by Government for its urban renewal programme, the department currently supports victim empowerment projects in Mdantsane, Kwa-Mashu, Inanda, Khayelitsha and Alexandra. Our support for the various types of victim empowerment projects is part of Government’s programme to combat crime against women and children. As part of this programme, 250 social workers have received training in the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act.
Ms Miriam Makeba has been outstanding in her work to set up a centre for abused children, girls and young women. I would like to thank Ms Makeba for her patience while unacceptable bureaucratic delays were being addressed. The MEC for social development in Gauteng, Mrs Angie Motshega, and the premier, Mr Mbhazima Shilowa, are now identifying suitable sites for the proposed projects.
On a related matter, I will approach the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development to strengthen the implementation of the Child Maintenance Act. In this, I will be continuing the work that was done by my predecessor, Mrs Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi and the former Minister of Justice, Dullah Omar, who, by the way, did everything in their power to ensure that that Act is implementable.
I have just been told by my colleagues, Kader Asmal and Geraldine Frazer- Moleketi, that everything has been implemented and amendments have been effected made to ensure that it works. She tells me that during her time, they tried to make examples of people with high profiles. I think we will do the same now - we will continue that work. I only hope that none of our members here, or any of our people in the public or corporate sector are involved, because before the law we are all equal, and that action will be taken. We only appeal in general, to ensure that we do pay, and that our children live in a better manner.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank those media organisations that appreciate the importance of focusing public attention on the social development challenge facing our nation. I thank them for exposing how the misuse of power negatively affects the rights and interests of older people, people with disabilities, children and the poorest of the poor.
A number of journalists deserve public recognition for holding the spotlight on social development issues, ie Ms Charity Bhengu of the Sowetan, Mr Barry Streak of the Cape Times, Ms Shado Twala of Cape Talk, Ms Odette Quesnell and Ruda Landman of Carte Blanche and Mr Tim Modise. I hereby extend my condolences to the Modise family on their recent tragic loss.
I would also like to recognise those artists who take time out from their schedules to devote their talents and time to social issues. Mr Hugh Masekela has been outspoken in his support for the campaign against alcohol and drug abuse. Mr Joe Mafela -Sdumo - has been active in the campaign against the abuse of older people.
Both within the Department of Social Development and together with other departments and civil society organisations, we are making an integrated and comprehensive response to HIV/Aids. Last year the department published its first state of the South African population report. The report investigated the interrelationship between population trends, poverty and vulnerability. It identified poverty as a central theme in the vulnerability of women in our society, particularly as regards HIV- infection.
The state of the South African population report for 2001, which will be released in September this year, examines the implications of HIV/Aids on the delivery of social services, and will generate indicators for monitoring this impact. We have also developed, in collaboration with the Department of Public Service and Administration and Samdi a training programme for Government planners on the impact that HIV will have on service delivery. The programme aims to train planners on the implementation of the national HIV strategy, and will begin from May 2001 for officials in all three spheres of government.
By far the greatest Aids-related support function confronting the Department of Social Development is that of caring for orphaned children. In this regard, another response to HIV/Aids is the implementation and monitoring of the national integrated plan for children and youth affected by HIV/Aids. The models of home-based care that we are developing draw from the experiences of community projects run by faith-based organisations. We are learning from civil society, and we are working to strengthen the various dimensions of our collaboration.
The department is extending its partnership with faith-based organisations in the poverty-relief programmes to find ways of addressing the challenge of the high cost of burials. The impact of Aids and other fatal poverty- related diseases at the household level is to plunge families into extreme poverty. The high cost of modern burials makes it impossible for increasing numbers of people to see through to the end their family responsibilities to the dead. This issue is causing deep ruptures in the bonds that define us as people and the social repacassins are many.
We will be commissioning research into this subject, and we are looking for donor support for this project. We are also strengthening our partnership with the business sector. We have been working for a number of years with Transnet’s social development department in our flagship integrated, income- generating projects for unemployed women with young children. We will soon be formalising this relationship. We are also exploring possible collaboration with Johnnic, Compaq and the World Bank to provide support for income-generating community initiatives that are enviromentally sound and involve the youth.
Anglo-gold has indicated a willingness to work with the department in areas pertaining HIV/Aids. Saambou Bank and Comrade Madiba are providing assistance to schools for disabled children. The soccer fraternity in Gauteng, in particular Sundowns, Pirates and Kaiser Chiefs, have adopted Takalani home for the disabled in Soweto. FCB advertising and TAC Tech Technology are also having discussions with the department about ways in which they can assist. I appeal to the entire business sector to support our collaboration in the areas of rural development and urban renewal.
The provision of support for child-headed households is an area of special need and our partnership has to centre on eradicating poverty, and ensuring people-centred and sustainable development in our country. In order to consolidate this emerging partnership with the business sector, I will be holding a social development summit with the business sector in May this year.
An important milestone in our effort to institutionalise the partnership with civil society and Government is encapsulated in the Advisory Board on Social Development Bill that is scheduled to be presented to the NCOP for its Second Reading this week. The development and voluntary welfare sector continue to provide invaluable services to our communities, and through this Bill we hope to enhance that role.
I would now like to address the improvements that we are making in social security: The backlog in the processing of applications has been substantially reduced, and now almost all provinces can process applications within 35 days. I am sure that we can reduce this norm further. The re-registration of beneficiaries is still in various stages of implementation in the provinces. On completion of this project we will ensure that all beneficiaries have records on the system and receive the benefits that are rightfully due to them.
While the registration process was necessary to deal with the maladministration and fraud in the system, its impact was very painful to many of our people. The elderly and the disabled who have not been brought back into the system have experienced the worst impacts. We will renew our efforts to address these impacts during the course of this financial year. The department will be conducting an inquiry into the state of disabled people, especially children in the rural areas.
The proposed amendments to the Social Assistance Act of 1992 have been published for comment and will come into effect during this year. They address the accrual of payments which are backdated to the date of application for all grant types, except for the foster care grant, which has been backdated to the date of the court order.
With regard to people with disabilities, a panel appointed by the director- general replaces the medical health officer - here I am talking about permanently disabled people - and pension medical officer in assessing disabilities. The definitions of permanent and temporary disability have been clarified and the means test is being looked into. The means test on income will in the interim remain as it is. For old age pensions, the grant will accrue from the date of application and the assets means test will also be looked into.
New guidelines on the review of all grant types have been incorporated in the proposed amendments. We are also undertaking immediate measures to improve pension paypoints. Paypoints in the rural areas and urban nodal points have been prioritised and other paypoints will be improved, starting with those that service more than 400 beneficiaries. These improvements will encompass the provision of security, first aid, water and toilets at paypoints.
In addition, help desks will be established at paypoints and will be staffed by competent officials who are familiar with the local language and are equipped with laptops, with downloaded information on beneficiaries. A small-scale roll-out of help desks has commenced at some of the paypoints in the Northern Province, KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, Gauteng and the Western Cape. A large scale rollout of help desks will begin not later than 1 June this year and at least all the paypoints with more than 100 beneficiaries will be serviced by March 2002.
The MECs and I have held a number of meetings with private pension contractors CPS, AllPay and PQ Africa, to discuss problems of poor service delivery. Existing contracts have been analysed to ensure that explicit standards are included for pension payment services to be delivered, with penalty clauses for inefficiency and lack of humane conditions. Private pension paypoint contractors have also been given an opportunity to identify how they intend improving service delivery. Respect for the human rights of their clients should be the hallmark of their service. I have stressed in the strongest possible terms that the current treatment of pensioners is unacceptable.
The national department is completing work on the uniform norms and standards to guide provincial departments and service providers on acceptable professional procedures that must be put in place to deal with the terrible conditions that are being experienced by pensioners and other grant beneficiaries. The Social Security National Norms and Standards Project has been established for national norms and standards to be applied across all nine provinces. The project will be completed by June 2001.
A norms and standards manual and an implementation strategy to address the difference, that exist in grant administration procedures, grant application forms, human resource availability, payment facilities, payment methods and levels of customer service between provinces, will be included. The norms and standards manual will be published in the 11 languages of South Africa.
An audit of welfare infrastructure will be conducted to assess what resources exist on the ground. This audit is essential to ensure the co- ordination of Government’s infrastructural development programme with basic social service pensions. In many of the former Bantustans, especially the former Transkei, the lack of inrfrastructure is cause for serious concern. Public servants in these areas from both the Department of Social Development and the Department of Home Affairs work under extremely difficult conditions.
The committee of inquiry into a comprehensive social security system will present its report to Cabinet in July 2001. It will recommend short to long- term measures that will ensure that our social security system is responsive to the needs of those who have experienced structural disadvantages and who are at risk and are vulnerable. The committee is reviewing the national pension system, old age protection, social assistant grants, unemployment insurance, health funding and insurance. The central objective is to transform the social security system to enable all sectors of society, Government, business and civil society to address issues of poverty and inequality. The committee has engaged in wide consultation and has undertaken research, which includes the costing of policy options. This is a significant intergovernmental initiative that is expected to enable Government to link social and economic objectives.
As an occupational category, artists and cultural workers have traditionally not had access to the same benefits when they fall retire or die. I want the committee to ensure that this category of workers is also covered. The contribution of artists to society, especially during the struggle against apartheid, has been immense. Today, however, many are destitute or have left behind many other issues unresolved. The cases of Mr Nkabinde, popularly known as Mahlathini, and Ray Ntlokwana come to mind in regard to this. I hope that the committee will look into that.
In the interim I would like to urge and suggest to hon member, Mr Tony Leon, and Ms Cupido, as well as Ms Helen Zille, to ensure that the children of Mr Ntlokwana, our well-known African artist, remain in school and are given the necessary support. Their efforts to assist the poor people in the Western Cape would be more valuable than a programme of continuous political point-scoring.
With regard to the transformation of the financing and social welfare services, a high level task team consisting of MECS for social welfare has been given the responsibility of reviewing and accelerating the implementation of financing policy. Private voluntary welfare institutions receiving state subsidies in some provinces are still operating within an apartheid paradigm and generally do not serve the majority in need. Certain welfare organisations have made little effort to ensure that their boards are representative in terms of race, gender, disability and the population that they serve.
The task team will examine the implications of welfare financing, review the efficacy of the financing policy and identify criteria for funding, to ensure that social development services are accessible and available to people in rural, urban and informal settlements. Moreover, it will ensure that equity in service provision is being addressed.
The financing policy is also expected to be the means to promote co- operative governance in social development. This includes working with and building the capacity of different spheres of Government and civil society organisations. The task team will report its findings and recommendations in May this year.
A more comprehensive approach to child protection is also under consideration, as the current approach tends to focus mainly on child abuse. The drafting of comprehensive child care legislation by the South African Law Commission is being accelerated and it is expected that a draft Bill will be available by June this year. When the new legislation becomes operational, it will ensure that children’s rights and development are brought into line with the Constitution.
Improved monitoring systems are being introduced in other areas of social welfare. The primary function of the Central Drug Authority, which was established last year, is to oversee and monitor the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan. The Drug Master Plan also aims to reduce substance abuse and its related harmful consequences. It strikes a balance between actions that bring about a decrease in the availability of and demand for drugs.
I am concerned about the relationship between the increase in violence and gangsterism, and substance abuse. Aspects of the Drug Master Plan that focus on youth which have been in the department since 1997 are of critical importance. The Central Drug Authority will be reporting to Parliament in June this year on these and related issues. On the question of gambling, which I mentioned during the course of last week, I think my colleague Mr Erwin, has already responded to this.
As in other areas of social development, during my provincial visits I saw community projects and met people who are making positive contributions to addressing the range of social problems in our country. I would like to single out the contributions, specifically in drug abuse prevention, made by Pastor Zacharia Motaung and his team at Carrol Shaw Memorial Centre at Zuurbekom, Gauteng. Their alcohol and drug abuse regeneration programme for young men also provides life skills training and is linked to a HIV/Aids project.
During the course of this financial year, the department will be undertaking a comprehensive review of social welfare legislation to determine its relevance and adequacy to address the current challenges facing the sector. The department has been systematically undergoing a transformation process. We have changed the paradigm within which we operate from welfarism to social development, as reflected in our change of name. We seek to promote services and programmes that enable people to move out of poverty. We have restructured our programmes, systems and processes to accelerate social delivery.
A human resource development strategy in line with a ten-point plan and strategic direction of the national department is also being developed. This strategy is expected to identify the gaps in human resource development, given the changed socioeconomic context and the provision of basic social welfare services that are required of Government. The strategy is to cover critical areas of skills deficits and reorientation of officials to social development.
Our understanding of social development is also informed by the principle of international solidarity, and will continue our efforts on this front. Last year the Ministry developed a solidarity plan with the people of Angola. We hope to continue this and to work in other parts of Africa. In this regard, I would like to single out the contribution made and work done by the Muslim Relief Organisation and Muslim community in general. Their contribution to the solidarity campaign in Angola, Burundi and Somalia and the assistance they provide to poor people is a source of pride for our country.
I would like to end this budget speech at the point and which I began it,
by acknowledging the protection and promotion of the rights and dignity of
the elderly. The Moral Summit that was held and the debates in the National
Assembly on restoring the moral fibre of our society, have all reiterated
the need to restore and sustain the ethic that says any older person is
my parent'', andany child is my child’’. It is vital that the steady
transformation that is reflected in all aspects of our national life must
improve the social and material conditions of older people and children.
We must all dedicate this year to building unity in action for change. We must not forget that the United Nations has declared this year the International Year for Volunteers. We need to ensure that all sectors of our society have a stake in our country. We must move away from the patterns of social exclusion and ensure social inclusion and solidarity. In this regard, we appeal to and encourage our youth to participate with the same commitment and dedication that they showed in the struggle against apartheid.
Thousands of our older people throughout the country have spoken out during the public hearings and given evidence to the ministerial committee. I am humbled by their experiences and I assure them that Government has heard their cry. We cherish their continued contributions to the wellbeing of families and communities in the face of extremely testing social and material conditions.
The members of the ministerial committee on the abuse, neglect and ill- treatment of older people have travelled the length and breadth of this country and persevered in their difficult task. In addition to the main report, the committee has produced detailed provincial reports that will assist provincial governments in protecting older persons from neglect, abuse and exploitation. I thank them for their commitment and the work they have done. Because of their work, it will not be said that the mothers and fathers of this nation are forgotten people. From all the foregoing, it is clear that we are building a caring society.
In conclusion, I wish to thank the Director-General of the Department of Social Development, Ms Angela Bester, for what she has accomplished under very, very difficult circumstances. The staff in the Ministry and the department have been dedicated and selfless in their efforts, and I also thank them. Although we still have a long way to go, there has been a great improvement, and I am confident that if we continue to work together, to provide better services and support to our people, they will continue to be grateful to us all. [Applause.]
Mr E SALOOJEE: Mr Chairperson, hon members, it is in the spirit of renewal and in recognition of his leadership that I would like to congratulate the Minister on changing the name of this department to Social Development. I believe that this means more than a name change. I believe that this is the result of a fundamental move away from providing the kind of welfare services that are associated with state charity and dependency on the part of the recipients.
The name change implies that individuals and communities must become self- reliant, and it is coming at a time when the ANC-led Government’s commitment to fostering a just and equitable society is beginning to bear fruit. This timely focus on social development represents a coherent and integrated policy and delivery framework that will ensure the transformation of society as we know it, and create the environment necessary for appropriate human development.
At the core of the social development approach is the belief that Government must harmonise intervention with programmes for economic development in order to maximise people’s ability to determine for themselves what their needs are and how these needs are to be met. If one looks at Government interventions over the last few years, and in particular this year’s Budget, it is clear that our Government is systematically implementing principles of a social development approach. It is implementing policies and programmes that target the holistic social development of a nation and strive to unlock the potential of millions of South Africans, thusfar hindered by extreme poverty and stark social and economic inequality.
We in the social development sector have committed ourselves to creating a vibrant and dynamic human resource capacity, able to participate actively in the kind of social development that will irreversibly transform this country into one where the previously excluded majority enjoys full and complete citizenship. We recognise that the state has an important role to play in planning and directing economic development. At the same time, we recognise that there are a range of nongovernmental and community-based organisations that form an implementation network which is critical to successful development.
Finally, we recognise that ordinary people must have a real say in how development interventions impact on them. Therefore seeing the large number of people in the public gallery is most inspiring, and I want to believe that this is due to that expression of the ANC’s commitment to involve civil society.
One such intervention is the payment of social security grants to more than 3 million people every month. The old age grant of R540 per month provides the most basic food security for entire families and therefore sustains entire communities. We have greatly increased the number of children who benefit from the child support grant, and we are going to appeal to the Minister, who is sitting on this side of the House, and to the Minister of Finance, to give serious thought to the possibility of extending the reach of the grant by raising the age limit.
If one compares the R19 billion per annum allocation to social security with what is spent in other developing countries, and given the fact that we are a young democracy, this is a substantial investment in the most disadvantaged section of our community. While we are aware of budgetary constraints, we commend the Minister of Finance for his commitment to link increases in social grants to inflation in the medium term.
Social security is a fundamental right of our people. We are however charged with ensuring that we make payments to beneficiaries in a way that respects their dignity and self-worth. There have been a number of problems with regard to the conditions under which payments are made, and our Minister has addressed them.
We are encouraged that he is really sensitive to the concerns expressed by the recipients of these benefits and by civil society in general. He went out there to see for himself, and he was moved. He has shown signs that something is actively going to be done to ensure that service delivery occurs efficiently and in an environment which respects the dignity of the recipients.
We trust that the measures that he has started putting in place will have the effect of immediately alleviating problems at paypoints. We also believe that local government can become an active participant in the delivery of services by making available payment halls, drinking water, sanitation facilities and shelter for beneficiaries.
We further commend the Minister for the appointment of a committee of inquiry into the comprehensive transformation of our social security system. Without pre-empting the outcome of the committee’s deliberations, I would like to suggest that we start debating an important question that has been raised by a number of our social partners. I am referring here to the idea that the most immediate impact we could have on alleviating poverty and stimulating people’s participation in the economy would possibly be by making a basic income grant available to all our people. [Interjections.] That is only a proposal.
The debate need … [Interjections.] I am not going to be distracted by that member. The debate need not be limited to an income grant. There are other innovative possibilities to explore, such as ways of ensuring food security, which could contribute meaningfully to enhancing the quality of life of millions of our people. [Interjections.] Other developing nations have already been moving in this direction, and I am confident that we too could do the same. [Interjections.]
However, we are a society in transition, which makes it extremely difficult to realise immediately all the social justice ideals we have repeatedly expressed. The legacy of structural poverty and the disintegration of family life because of the effects of denigration and humiliation in our communities, which you-know-who was responsible for, are taking their toll. Each day we hear about violence against women and children, and cases of abuse of older persons.
Last year we commended the Minister for the appointment of a committee of inquiry into the abuse and neglect of older persons. We are glad to note that the work of the committee has now been finalised. Its report tells the most horrendous stories of pain and humiliation experienced by grandmothers and grandfathers. The recommendations of this committee will now be translated into enabling legislation and programmes that will focus on protecting our elderly and restoring the dignified place that they deserve in our communities.
In relation to the abuse of children, we note with some concern that it is taking the SA Law Commission a long time to produce proposals for a comprehensive Child Care Act. It is encouraging to note that they have signalled that they are expediting that work. While the Law Commission is completing their work on comprehensive legislation, we call upon them, should it become necessary, to make serious recommendations on immediate legislative measures that can be introduced to strengthen the protection and care of our children. We also want to make a plea to the Department of Safety and Security that when specialist units are being rationalised, special attention must be given to ensuring that the services of the SAPS Child Protection Units are strengthened and that they remain one of the best resourced services, in the interest of our children.
There are a number of challenges facing the Department of Social Development that will impact on the implementation of the programmes detailed in this year’s budget. Among them is the need to enhance the ability of nongovernmental and community-based organisations to assist in the implementation of development programmes.
The ANC has taken the first steps towards creating a relationship of trust and co-operation with organisations of civil society. I do not believe there is any other formation that is so deeply involved in encouraging and inspiring the emergence of civil society organisations. We now need to build on and consolidate these partnerships that we have created.
Where there is partnership between government and civil society, there is community organisation, which in turn broadens people’s participation in the dynamic democratic processes. In fact, South Africa has a long history of organisations that are rooted in our communities and that have made a crucial contribution to the survival of communities that were seriously threatened by underdevelopment and neglect.
The kinds of services we are talking about are daycare centres for our children and service centres for the aged and persons with disabilities - this is what this Government is doing. There is a critical need for care- giving programmes for families infected with and affected by HIV/Aids, especially in those areas of our country worst hit by the pandemic. We support those programmes already put into operation through partnerships.
We are greatly encouraged to hear from one of the provinces that they are actively and innovatively channelling funds in their budgets to organisations in formerly disadvantaged communities. We also appeal to the funding agencies set up by our Government to create an enabling rather that a frustrating environment for development organisations. Another positive step that our Government has taken is affording tax incentives to donors who give to nonprofit organisations, especially those that promote the wellbeing of families and children, care for the destitute and aged, and help prevent HIV or care for those impoverished by Aids. Tax breaks for donors are an essential instrument if we want to promote a nonprofit sector that can assist Government in delivering essential services to our people.
These challenges are, in part, the result of the structural poverty that is part of our history. But we face these challenges also because the ANC - led government is prepared to grapple with the issues of integrated human development. We acknowledge these challenges because we are committed to a fundamental transformation in the life opportunities available to all our people.
No longer do we banish people to the margins of underdevelopment. We have heard our people, young and old, in the rural areas and in the cities, and we are responding to them by starting to shape the kind of society we can all be proud of. This budget takes a courageous step in that direction, and I therefore support it.
Mr M L DA CAMARA: Chairperson and hon members, ours is a Government so mired in mediocrity and steeped in self- congratulation, yet so woefully ineffectual in its fight against poverty that it has totally lost touch with its own constituents.
The Government’s pedestrian attitude towards delivery is best demonstrated by its insensitive response to the untold hardships that the reregistration process has caused. Nowhere is this more the case than in the Eastern Cape where thousands of disability grant recipients have resorted to going to court to challenge their own government. This is the same attitude that has been adopted when welfare funds go unspent, yet the Minister responsible still serves in the Cabinet.
Over and above the meagre increases in grants, this Budget fails on the following counts. No allowance has been made for the almost certain increase in the demands for the fostercare grant which pays four times more than the child support grant. This will surely be taken up by more and more people. As many as 50% of our rural children have not been registered and do not possess a birth certificate. Their applications have not been budgeted for, nor has a basic income grant been catered for.
Although the Taylor commission is considering the introduction of a basic income grant, this suggestion was curtly dismissed by the Minister of Finance as ludicrous when the hon Ken Andrew recommended it. I am sure that the hon Ken Andrew is only too pleased to give Government the lead. [Interjections.] But above all, no provision has been made for the drastic increase in the number of children infected and affected by HIV/Aids.
The department also claims there is a shift in focus from welfare grants to poverty eradication through the poverty relief programmes, which in theory should be welcome. However, the poverty relief programmes still only constitute 0,4% of the total social development budget - nowhere near enough. And even this programme has its own problems. Almost 50% of the poverty relief funds, an amount of R36,7 million, went unspent last year. These are the hon the Minister’s own Director-General’s figures.
According to the Independent Development Trust, many registered projects do not exist. Where the money goes, who knows? Poor management has also led to a large amount of these funds not reaching targeted groups. When it comes to the care of our children, this department’s policies and priorities, as set out by this budget, can only be regarded as a transgression of the Bill of Rights in our Constitution.
According to the Child Health Policy Institute:
In South Africa the social security system is incoherent, noncomprehensiv,e and has several legislative and administrative limitations. In addition, it provides for certain contingencies, such as severe disability in childhood, while failing to provide for others, such as childhood chronic illnesses.
Even the child support grant, which is the biggest such contingency, is severely inadequate. Today, R10 would not buy a basket of goods containing a loaf of bread, a litre of milk and half a dozen eggs. It is therefore not surprising that the pleasure that the Minister of Finance took in announcing this mere R10 increase in the child support grant is a pleasure not shared by those who desperately depend on this income. [Applause.] This, of course, is compounded by the fact that only children below the age of seven are entitled to this minute allowance. Another mediocre step has been taken with very little effect on poverty, but a profound effect on our society, and in the words of Idasa, it will lead, and I quote:
… to other social ills, such as child prostitution, higher HIV/Aids rates, and larger numbers of children entering the criminal system who were forced to fend for themselves.
In rural areas as many as 50% of children do not possess birth certificates. This, together with the fact that few courts exist in the rural areas with the competency to settle such matters, such as the foster care grant, will mean that beneficiaries in the urban areas will have greater access to the foster care grant, and yet in rural areas the need is the greatest. This merely perpetuates another urban bias.
This brings me to the next issue of great importance, an issue that this budget fails miserably to address. We are faced with a catastrophe of momentous proportions, a catastrophe that we should have seen coming and for which we should have been prepared. This catastrophe will be the greatest challenge that our democracy is yet to face. This catastrophe is the number of Aids orphans that we are going to have because of our lack of response.
By all estimates, the current rate of HIV/Aids infection will leave us with orphans numbering in the millions. If any doubt exists in this regard, here are some figures we cannot ignore. There are already more than 150 000 Aids orphans in South Africa today. Already it is estimated that approximately 9% of all children live in child-headed households and that approximately 60% to 80% of children, born to people living with Aids, will not be infected and will therefore become orphans in the first ten years of their life.
At this rate, Aids orphans will constitute 9% to 12% of the population in a province like KwaZulu-Natal by 2010. This must surely be addressed as a matter of urgency. Regrettably, it is not. [Applause.] Aids Analysis Africa, which has seen this tragedy unfold in the rest of Africa, puts it more graphically, and I quote:
Prospects for orphans are not good at the best of times. In the context of the Aids pandemic, they are even bleaker. The extended family or family friends may take in orphans, but the growing number of Aids deaths, and the capacity of families to absorb these children, is reaching its limit. Because of the historic role of the extended family there are few established institutions in Africa able and willing to take on the task for orphans.
The implication of these facts for the social security network in future in our country can only result in a greater demand for child support and care grants. How much longer do we have to wait? How much longer are we going to sit and twiddle our thumbs while waiting for delivery? [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mr M T MASUTHA: Sihlalo, ngicela ukuthi ngiqale ngokubingelela omama nawobaba abeze lapha namhlanje ukuzosekela inkulumo yethu. [Chairperson, firstly I take pleasure in saluting fathers and mothers who are here today to support our debate.]
We, in the ANC, believe that there is no need for a contradiction to exist between the pursuit of the goals of achieving optimum economic growth and prosperity, on the one hand, and human or social development on the other. On the contrary I believe that these goals are mutually supportive and that they must therefore be pursued simultaneously with the same zeal, passion and sense of urgency.
In an article published in the Sunday Times of 25 February of this year entitled ``Top judge warns SA of chaos if the poor are left to rot’’, the deliberation by the President of the Constitutional Court at the Oliver Shreiner Memorial Lecture, delivered at Wits law school on 22 February, was quoted extensively. The learned judge premised his deliberation on the values enshrined in our Constitution, and stated the following, amongst other things:
The rule of law, dignity, and equality and freedom are foundations on which we can build our future. We need to have an understanding of what these values mean and commitment to respect them in our day-to-day lives in our dealings with each other. We should realise that if large sections of the community live in conditions in which they are unable to sustain their dignity, this raises not only moral concerns regarding the way we organise our lives, but also creates fault lines that can lead to the fragmentation of our society and the lack of respect for law and Government.
Judge Chaskalson went on to urge a better understanding for the value of social justice and the impact that it would have on our society, if greater attention were given to it by the South African community. He stated that South Africa might have been saved much suffering if the leaders of the professions, commerce, industry and other powerful institutions had followed the example of the late Judge Schreiner who opposed the apartheid government’s attempts to remove coloured people from the voters’ roll, and had been more concerned about values and less about their own interests.
In its report entitled South Africa: Transformation for Human
Development, 2000'' the United Nations Development Programme UNDP in
critiquing the South African transformation programme, under the heading:
An agenda for a human development-driven society by 2010’’ states the
following, and I quote:
The promise of a struggle for emancipation will ring hollow if South Africa does not translate political freedom into human development. Human development is not an option. Indeed, if there is to be social and political stability and economic growth, it is an imperative.
The report proceeds to state, and I quote:
For South Africa sustainable human development implies a rapid process of redress, social reconciliation, nation-building and economic growth, with equity alongside the sustainable utilisation of national resources. South Africa’s journey of liberation and transformation highlights the importance of pursuing the human development process in an environment that promotes equity, affirmation, self-respect, participation and human rights.
If this is not done, the time bomb of poverty, accompanied by related pathologies, and some of the worst forms of violence, particularly against women, children and the elderly, will erode the legitimacy and power of a democratic state.
In a recent judgment by the Constitutional Court in the famous Grootboom case, the unresolved question of justifiability of socioeconomic rights was put to rest in a legal contestation. In that judgement, the enforcement of the rights of access to adequate housing, as enshrined in the Bill of Rights under section 26(2), read with section 28(1)(c), which in turn provides for the right of children to basic nutrition, shelter, basic health care services and social services, was upheld by a unanimous decision delivered by Judge Yakoob.
In the case in question, the Constitutional Court confirmed, in part, the judgment of the Cape Provincial Division of the High Court, in which the Government was ordered to provide the respondents in the matter, who were destitute children and their parents, with adequate basic shelter or housing until they obtained permanent accommodation. In upholding this decision, the Constitutional Court made an order to the effect that, and I quote:
… the state devise and implement within its available resources a comprehensive and co-ordinated programme progressively to realise the right of access to adequate housing.
In the light of all these imperatives a question has to be asked, quite legitimately so, as to how the ANC-led Government which, as the last general elections showed, enjoys the overwhelming support of all the people of our country across the board, has responded or is responding to this challenge.
In January 2000 the Minister of Social Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya, shortly after coming into office and after conducting a nationwide visit to provinces to assess the living conditions in which the majority of our people find themselves, published a statement in which he outlined a ten- point plan as a way forward towards the building of a caring society and putting people first for sustainable development. In his opening remarks the Minister had the following to say, and I quote:
Let me begin by saying that I have one overriding impression after six months in this Ministry, and that is that the welfare system in this country is failing those who most need its support. The third amongst the ten points which the Minister proposed in the statement is the following, and I quote:
… the development of a comprehensive social security system that links contributory and noncontributory schemes and prioritises the most vulnerable households.
[Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mrs I MARS: Chairperson, hon Minister and colleagues, last year the hon the Minister defined ten priorities for the development of a new and equitable social development system. This ten-point plan was to be developed over a period of five years. With the appointment of a ministerial committee due to the report in June this year, which is to investigate a comprehensive social security system we expected a number of these priorities to have been addressed. We applaud the shift from conventional welfare concepts and models, to a new and innovative approach to social development.
The reason I am referring to these is that we have already noticed the shift in programmes and activity, and we are now looking forward with great expectation to the report. There is a great need to qualify and quantify the fundamental changes necessary for the social development departments at national and provincial level to render a social security service of which South Africans can be proud.
Over the past years the departments have been engaged in cleaning up the social grant system. This clean up, ie the elimination of fraud and corruption, has been successful. However, volume II of the department’s provincial report reveals complaints, particularly against CPS, the vehicle for pension delivery, that it is not efficient and user-friendly. There are even reports of CPS security staff demanding money from pensioners.
The hon the Minister paid a number of extensive visits to the provinces to inspect service delivery, and he himself saw evidence of the problems that have been of concern to us. The Minister said that the delivery of pensions by private contractors requires significant improvement, and we totally agree with that. Tender requirements need to be tightened up and monitoring of delivery should also be encouraged at community level. Paypoints should be re-evaluated and local facilities made available. We cannot be a proud democracy if we do not treat the most vulnerable members of society with respect.
Members of this House are only too aware of the hardships caused by the reregistration process, which we agreed was necessary to eliminate fraud. However, legitimate claimants were not treated with speed and empathy, and we therefore plead with staff dealing with social grants to treat pensioners with the courtesy we feel every South African citizen is entitled to. The level of training for public servants interacting with the public leaves much to be desired. As members of Parliament acting on behalf of pensioners from time to time, we seem to be able to sort out problems and get the kind of co-operation which appears to be denied those who need it most.
The emerging thrust of policy away from conventional models to preventative and community-based models is appreciated. Self-reliance among individuals and communities is the cornerstone of the IFP philosophy. We therefore commend the shift towards involving and capacitating communities with regard to poverty relief and appropriate programmes for HIV/Aids orphans and child- headed households. For the latter programmes - HIV/Aids - only R1,5 million has been allocated per province for a pilot project. Considering the nature of this problem, this seems to be inadequate.
The reduction in the poverty alleviation programmes by 56% because of administrative lack of capacity, however financially prudent, is a cause for concern. Would it not have been more effective to increase the capacity of the programme management? We will have to monitor the effect of this decision and reserve judgement. Would it not have been possible to capacitate existing and emerging NGOs? Do we not have a responsibility to increase these activities in view of the figures reflected in the latest copy of Indicator, which lists the results of a recent survey in Gauteng, the Northern Province and KwaZulu-Natal as having 10% of its households subsisting on R200 and less, and are 35% on between R200 and R799?
The department states that in terms of the 1996 Nonprofit Organisations Act, it now has administrative systems in place with regard to the governance and capacity-building of emerging NGOs. We would like to be informed of the implication of this, as we believe that NGOs are the key to effective poverty relief delivery.
Although the provision of social security rests with the provinces, the national department has developed comprehensive norms and standards for social security. The Provincial Report, however, reveals that although the gross national expenditure has increased from R14,3 billion in 1995-96 to R20,6 billion in 2000-01, the real value of social welfare grants has declined. Provinces have to face difficult decisions in allocating funds. According to Idasa, there is a real decline of -2% in the total consolidated budget for 2000-01.
Accepting that social grants currently form the main component of poverty relief, we note that … [Interjections.] [Time expired.]
Ms O R KASIENYANE: Mr Chairperson, hon members, the Vote we are dealing with today includes poverty relief, which is one of our key performance areas as the ANC-led Government, for it is our ability to deal with the scourge of poverty that will give South Africans hope in life.
Let me drink from the cup an internationally renowned author, Sydney Sheldon:
The stars are shining on us, watching us living our small lives and weeping for us.
Our challenge is therefore to ensure that we deliver and that the stars shine on us. Of course, the fear of the hon Da Camara will be reduced by 0,4%.
Ke keletso ya me gore re le morafe re kopane go lwantsha lehuma mo nageng ya rona, ka le sa tlhaole e bile le se na mmala. Mo tekanyetsokabong eno, R50 milione e neetswe namololeuba kgotsa poverty relief. Ke na le tsholofelo ya gore lefapha, jaaka gale, le ya go tlhokomela gore go nna le tsamaiso e e lolameng ya diporogerama kgotsa mananeo otlhe. Kgwetlhokgolo ya rona ke go inyalanya le se morafe o se tlhokang. Ga re kitla re letla go nna le bogwenegwene bope mo go se se lebaneng morafe wa rona, ka e bile morafe ga jaana o itse ditshwanelo tsa ona.
Re akgola Tona ya rona ka matsapa ao a a tsereng go tsibogela lehuma mo nageng ya rona. Ke la ntlha mo hisitoring ya naga ya rona lehuma le tsibogelwa ka mananeo a a rileng. Khumanego ka boyona ke tshwantshiso fela. Serasegolo ke botlhokatiro. Jaanong ke maikarabelo a rona rotlhe go lwa kgatlhanong le dira tse, botlhokatiro le khumanego. Gopola, kopano ke maatla!
Ditsela tsa go rarabolola leuba di ka nna pedi. Ya ntlha, ke go lebelela magae a a senang lotseno gotlhelele, mme sengwe sa dirwa gore go nne le sengwe se malapa ao a se isang mpeng. Ya bobedi, ke go netefatsa gore mananeo a tlhagisoditiro kgotsa labour intensive programmes, a mo go one baagi botlhe, segolo jang ba metseselegae, ba nnang le lotseno, a a ribololwa.
Jaanong tharabololo ya ntlha ke go netefatsa, jaaka maloko a Palamente gore re nne le boiketlo fela fa re ka bona legae lengwe le lengwe le na le bogobe pele go robalwa. Tharabololo ya bobedi yona e tla netefatsa gore mongwe le mongwe mo nageng ya rona a dire. Se se tla tokafatsa maemo a ikonomi ya naga ya rona le go busetsa bagaetsho seriti sa bona.
Ke na le tsholofelo ya gore lefapha le na le bokgoni ba go diragatsa mananeo a ka bonontlhotlho le go sekaseka kwa lehuma le leng lentsi, mme go se nne le go sekamela felo go le gongwe fela, ka bana ba motho ba kgaogana tlhogo tsie.
Ke a itse gore go nna le selelo, fa re kopana le batho ba rona, sa gore fa re lebelela mo ditekanyetsokabong tsa rona kgotsa mananeo a a dirwang, re lebeletse diporofense di le tharo fela. Go na le mabaka a a rotloetsang go lebelelwa ga diporofense tseo. Go le gantsi re a ba tlhalosetsa.
Puso eno, e e eteletsweng pele ke mokgatlho wa ANC, e tla netefatsa tlhabololo ya mafaratlhatlha le bomaitseanape ba ba maleba. Letsema le thata ka mong. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[It is my desire that as a nation we should all unite against poverty, because it does not discriminate according to race. In this budget, R50 million has been set aside for poverty relief, and I hope that the department will ensure the smooth coperation of these programmes. Our greatest challenge is to meet the needs of our nation. We are not going to let any form of corruption interfere with what rightfully belongs to our nation, especially now that the nation knows its rights.
We appreciate the Minister’s response to poverty in our country. This is the first time in the history of our country that we have these kinds of programmes in response to poverty. Poverty is only an image, the greatest enemy is unemployment. It is therefore the responsibility of all of us to fight against unemployment and poverty. Remember, unity is strength.
There are two ways of dealing with poverty. The first way is to look at families that do not have any income at all and do something about their situation, to ensure that they also have something to eat before they go to bed. The second way is to ensure the implementation of programmes such as the labour intensive programmes, in which people, especially those in the rural areas, have an income.
The first solution is therefore to ensure, as members of Parliament, that we will only be at peace when all the families have something to eat before they go to bed. The second solution would ensure that every citizen of our country is employed. This will help develop the economy of our country and restore the dignity of our people.
I have every confidence that the department has the ability to ensure the smooth implementation of these programmes and identify the poverty-stricken areas, so as to avoid concentrating on one area only. We have to share the resources as a nation.
I know that our people are complaining that our budgets or programmes concentrate on three provinces only. There are specific reasons why we are concentrating on these three provinces. In most cases we explain things to our people.
This ANC-led Government, will ensure network development and the provision of the relevant people. Work is easier when the one who is in charge of it is present.]
The department makes use of the expertise of agencies such as the Independent Development Trust to implement the developmental part of poverty relief and to ensure that funds are used for job creation schemes in rural areas. This will be done through funding community-based projects. This is where we are making a concerted effort to teach our people how to catch fish, and at the same time are addressing unemployment.
The other approach, as the Minister has already said, must be joint ventures with big business and ensuring that jobs are created. It is here where the department can utilise the expertise of the Department of Trade and Industry to devise mechanisms that can ensure that such proposals become attractive to business.
I am from Taung and I represent a very poor constituency. I have first-hand experience of how poverty is ruining the lives of our people; how some of our people have to survive without food for more than two days; how the indignity of poverty itself is a bondage to our people. This is where I must give hope to the people, and I will not be able to live with my conscience if we have not addressed the plight of these people when I leave Parliament, maybe within the next three years.
In conclusion, as we are going into recess next week, I urge all my colleagues here, including the executive, to pay visits to at least three poverty-stricken families during this period, and ask themselves a very simple question: ``Is this real?’’ for it is true that if one wants to talk the talk, one must walk the walk. [Applause.]
Mr A Z A VAN JAARSVELD: Chairperson, every South African has the right of access to social security for themselves and their dependants, including appropriate social assistance if they are unable to support themselves and their dependants. Section 27 (1) and (2) of Chapter 2 of the Constitution, compels the Government to take legislative action to realise these rights.
Today I am pleased to say that the New NP and the Democratic Alliance succeeded in forcing the Government to acknowledge its disregard of the Constitution in this very matter. Over a period of time, I have questioned the legality of the present regulations on backpay to beneficiaries that were supplied by the Government. On 7 March 2000 I received a reply from the hon the Minister that confirmed that there are many South Africans who have been deprived by the ANC Government of thousands of rands that are rightfully due to them. In reply to my formal question the hon the Minister stated, and I quote:
The present policy of the department is to pay back for three months only, from the date of approval. However, if an application takes longer than three months to be put into payment, and the inability to do so is due to the negligence of the official, then consideration will be given to paying back from the date of application. The legislation is administratively unjust by contravening the rights of the beneficiary.
The hon the Minister further stated, and I quote:
The validity of Regulation 11 has been contested as unconstitutional.
At present, regulation 11(1) states that the date of accrual shall be the date on which the Director-General approves the application of the grant in terms of Regulation 25(1), provided that the grant shall not accrue for a period exceeding three months from the date of approval of the grant. I say this is wrong, hon Minister.
As this regulation is inconsistent with the duty of the state in terms of section 27(2) of the Constitution to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its own available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of the rights set out in section 27(1), the hon the Minister has already issued instructions that the amendment to said said Regulation 11 will not be opposed and that the regulations pertaining to the Social Assistance Act will be amended accordingly. These amendments to the regulations are already available in draft form and will be gazetted before the end of March 2001.
I want to thank the hon the Minister for this honest reply, but I want to inform him that last Friday, 30 March, not one official in the Eastern Cape was aware of this development. I would like to know from the hon the Minister: How is this going to be rectified, and how will the people who suffered due to this irregularity be compensated?
Die Departement van Maatskaplike Ontwikkeling is die een departement waar gebrek aan dienslewering ‘n direkte invloed het op die lewensomstandighede van diegene wat op die staat aangewese is. ‘n Mens sou verwag het dat die ANC Regering sy opregtheid oor die verbetering van die lewensgehalte van die armes en agtergeblewenes juis hier sou bewys, deur ‘n voortreflike program van dienslewering op alle vlakke. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Dit is egter juis hier waar die ANC Regering se onvermoë om te lewer vir al hoe meer Suid-Afrikaners ‘n werklikheid word. Lêers raak onverklaarbaar weg, pensioene word sonder rede gestaak, amptenare daag nie vir tuisbesoeke op nie, gestremdes en bejaardes moet vir ure in toue staan om hulle geld te ontvang, om maar slegs ‘n paar voorbeelde te noem. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The Department of Social Development is the one department where a lack of service delivery has a direct impact on the living conditions of those who are dependent on the state. One would have expected the ANC Government to prove its sincerity about the improvement of the quality of life of the poor and the disadvantaged here in particular, by means of a commendable programme of service delivery at all levels. [Interjections.]
However, it is precisely here where the ANC Government’s inability to deliver is becoming a reality for more and more South Africans. Files disappear mysteriously, pensions are discontinued without reason, officials fail to appear for home visits, disabled people and the elderly must queue for hours to receive their money, to name but a few examples.]
The New NP and the DA then have to step in and help these people with their problems through our committed involvement within the communities. Die Regering se benadering tot die bejaarde en kindersorg wys duidelik dat daar nie omgegee word vir bejaardes en kinders nie. Die bewys hiervoor is die afname in beskikbare akkommodasie vir bejaardes en kinders in tehuise. Daar was die afgelope vier jaar ‘n afname in staatsondersteunde akkommodasie van 95% ten opsigte van bejaardes, en 59% ten opsigte van kinders. Is dit die optrede van ‘n regering wat omgee vir en bejaardes en kinders? [Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[The Government’s approach to the elderly and child care shows clearly that they do not care about the elderly and children. The proof of this lies in the decrease in available accommodation for the elderly and children in homes. In the past four years there has been a decrease of 95% in state- subsidised accommodation with regard to the elderly, and 59% with regard to children. Is this the behaviour of a government that cares about the elderly and children? [Interjections.]]
We should all be committed to improving the quality of life of all these people. But we will never achieve this if MECs and officials mislead the hon the Minister and the director-general with regard to performance and service delivery. I will be failing those people who have put their trust in the New NP and the DA if I do not tell the hon the Minister that somewhere, somebody is not telling him the truth.
On 23 January 2001 I asked the hon the Minister a question as to whether any applications for grants in the Eastern Cape had been outstanding for more than (a) three months, (b) one year and (c) two years, and if so, how many in each case? The honest reply from the hon the Minister was that there were 3 833 applications outstanding for the more than three months, none for more than a year and none for more than two years. This file I am carrying here contains the names and information of approximately 200 applications that are known to me to be outstanding for between six months and four years. I will hand this file over to the hon the Minister after my speech. This is proof that somebody is lying to someone somewhere. I do not know who is lying to whom.
In conclusion, we believe that a comprehensive vision is needed to address the challenges of an integrated social development strategy, if we agree that the priorities for social development are the rebuilding of family, community and social relations; the establishment of an integrated poverty- eradication strategy; the development of a comprehensive social security system; action against violence against women and children and the abuse of the elderly; dealing with the total effect of HIV/Aids in the community; developing a national strategy for the youth; providing an accessible social security system; and, lastly, promoting the rights of the disabled.
This will require a total commitment to co-operative governance, in which all spheres of government will have a vital role to play, with specific redefining of the role of NGOs and greater emphasis on the role of CBOs in the new social development strategy. If we embark on this course with the commitment that it requires, we will start our journey down the road to addressing the challenges within the social development sector. Only then will we be able to say we are serious about the rights and the plight of those who are in need. [Applause.]
The CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! Hon members, before we continue with the business of the House, there are too many private meetings going on in the House. I have indicated before that if hon members want to have private meetings, they are quite welcome to conduct these meetings outside the Chamber.
Nksz X C MAKASI: Mhlali-ngaphambili, baphathiswa, malungu ePalamente nabo bonke abazali bethu noodade bethu abalapha namhlanje, ndiyabulisa. Ndinovuyo kakhulu kukuba abazali noodade bethu bezile namhlanje. Le Palamente babefuna ukuba beze kungena kuyo bayakwazi namhlanje ukungena kuyo ngenxa ye-ANC. [Kwaqhwatywa.]
Intetho yam namhlanje imalunga nokuphatheka kwabantu abadala emakhaya, ezidolophini nakwiindawo abagcinwa kuzo. Ekhaya sikhule abantu abadala bekhathalelwe ngendlela emangalisayo. Babefudula bengabantu abaluncedo ekuhlaleni, kwiintsapho nakuluntu ngokubanzi. Nanjengoko kwaNtu kukho iqhalo elithi, `Inyathi ibuzwa kwabaphambili’, besibuza kubo ke ngoko. Babefudula bengamathala ekuhlaleni, bengabafundisi-ntsapho, besoloko becebisa abakhulayo ngentlalo yakwaNtu.
Kwakuye kuthi ukuba umntu omdala akanabo abantu bokumjonga, usapho luhlale phantsi nezizalwana, kukhethwe umntwana oza kumjonga. Babefundisa abantu abatsha ngezithethe namasiko akwaNtu, nto leyo eyayisenza ukuba isidima sikaNtu singapheli. Kwakusithi xa kubalele, iimvula zingani, abantu abadala babize iinkonde, benyuke intaba, baye kunqulwa uQamata, bacele imvula. Imvula yayitsho ine emva koko. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of Xhosa paragraphs follows.)
[Ms X C MAKASI: Chairperson, hon ministers, hon members of Parliament and all the parents and our sisters that have come here today, I greet you. I am very happy that our parents and sisters have come here today. Today they have entered the Parliament that they wanted to enter because of the ANC. [Applause.]
My speech today is about the treatment that elderly people in the rural areas, towns and old-age homes receive. In our homes the elderly used to be well looked after when we were still growing up. They used to be very important people within their families and communities. In African society there is a proverb that says, ``The buffalo is enquired about from those ahead’’, (which literally means that the young and inexperienced should seek advice from the old who are more experienced). They used to be sources of information, teachers or educators, always advising those that were growing up about the African way of life.
If there was nobody to look after an elderly person, the family and relatives would sit down and choose a child that would be given the task of looking after him or her. They taught young people about African customs and traditional values and that was what maintained African dignity. When these was little rain and there was a drought, old people would be called and they would walk up the mountain to talk to Qamata and ask for rain. Rain would then fall. [Applause.]]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! Hon member, please take your seat for a moment. Members, the general rule of this House is that a member speaks to the members of Parliament and not to the gallery. [Interjections.] The general rule is that the gallery does not respond in order for the Chair to be able to conduct the business of this House. [Interjections.] Order! Hon members, if you disagree, you are most welcome to rise on a point of order. I am merely indicating to you what the rules of the House are in order that the Chair can keep control of the proceedings, and that those who are in the gallery are here as visitors.
Nksz X C MAKASI: Indlela yokuphatheka kwabantu abadala itshintshile. Baphatheke kakubi ngendlela emangalisayo. Ndibulela uRhulumente okhokelwa yi-ANC ngokunika ingqwalasela kwintlalo yabazali bethu.
UMphathiswa wethu lowa uhleli phaya, uZola Skweyiya, ndiyambulela ngokuthi akuwabona la masikizi anganyamezeli, koko aseke ikomiti yophando ngempatheko-mbi yabantu abadala. Siyayibulela kananjalo nekomiti leyo, ngendlela ethe yaluqhuba ngayo uphando lwayo, ngoba iye yabuya neziphumo eziphucukileyo.
Iziphumo zophando zisibonise ukuba abantu abadala baphatheke kakubi ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo. Bashiywa emakhaya bengenabantu bokubajonga imini yonke, ngelo xesha umntu lowo mdala engakwazi kuzenzela kutya, engakwazi nokuzihlamba. Bashiywa nabazukulwana ngoonyana neentombi zabo ziye kuhlala ezidolophini, zingathumeli mali yokuba bondliwe abo bantwana. Umntu omdala kufuneke ebondle ngenkam-nkam. Abo bazukulwana baphinda bayihluthe nale nkam-nkam.
Oomama bethu bathi bakuba badala babonwe njengamagqwirha ezilalini, babulawe, batshiswe nezindlu. Kananjalo, oomama bethu baba ngamaxhoba okudlwengulwa lulutsha, ngakumbi olunentsholongwane yeAids ngoba lukholelwa ekubeni luyazinyanga ngolo hlobo. Lukholelwa ekubeni umntwana ufumana ukuphila xa athe wazithabathela isondo kumntu omdala ongasenamyeni. Ulutsha maluyazi into yokuba ayikho into enjalo, koko lusulela abazali bethu ngeHIV.
Abanye abantu abadala bathi xa beye kwamkela inkam-nkam bafike bengaveli kuluhlu lokwamkela, kusithiwa umntu wabhubha. Iphinda naleyo ithabathe ixesha, kube ziinyanga okanye iminyaka phambi kokuba aphinde afumane imali yakhe.
Singamalungu e-ANC sizimisele ukuba ngabaququzeleli benguqu ekuhlaleni, sibuyise isidima, imbeko nokhathalelo lwabantu abadala. Injongo kaRhulumente okhokelwa yi-ANC kukubonelela ngeenkonzo ezinokubangela ukuba abantu bakwazi ukuzinceda, nto leyo eya kubangela ukuba abahlali babajonge abantu abadala bekunye nabo ekuhlaleni, bengasiwanga kwiindawo zokubagcina abahlala bebodwa kuzo. Loo nto iya kubangela into yokuba sikwazi ukubaphatha ngendlela ephucukileyo nenentlonipho ukuze nabo bazibone ukuba bayafuneka namava abo phakathi kwethu, nasekwakhiweni kwesizwe esimanyeneyo sabantu bonke baseMzantsi Afrika.
Xa ndibona iindawo ekugcinwa kuzo abantu abadala ndiqaphela ukuba ziindawo ezikumgangatho wabantu abangahlelelekanga kuphela, loo nto yenza ukuba kube kunzima ukuba abantu bethu baye kuzo kuba amaxabiso aphezulu. Zona ezisekuhlaleni azinazo zonke iimfuno zabantu abadala. Kambe ke uRhulumente uziphethe zonke ezo zinto, uza kuzilungisa.
Kananjalo, siyabulela kuMphathiswa ngonyuselo lwe-R30 alwenzele abamkeli benkam-nkam.] (Translation of Xhosa paragraphs follows.)
[The treatment of elderly people has changed dramatically. Their treatment is shocking. I thank the ANC-led government for looking at the social welfare of our people.
I would like to thank the hon Minister Zola Skweyiya seated over there for setting up a committee to investigate the ill-treatment of the elderly. We would like to thank the committee as well for the way it conducted the investigations as it came up with good results.
The results showed us that the elderly are ill-treated in different ways. During the day they are left alone at home with nobody to look after them. The elderly old person is not even able to cook or wash him or herself. Their sons and daughters go to live in the cities and towns and leave them to look after their grand children, while they themselves do not send any money to help feed those children. The elderly person is expected to feed them from the old-age pension. The grandchildren in turn steal that money and run off with it.
When our mothers grow old they are seen as witches in the rural areas, their houses are set alight and they burn to death. Our mothers are raped by young people, particularly those that have AIDS, because they believe that in this way they will be cured. There is a belief among young people that they will be cured if and when they sleep with an old woman who does not have a husband. The youth should realise that that is not true, and that what they are doing is infecting our parents with HIV.
Other elderly people’s names do not appear on the lists when pensions are paid out. They are told that according to the records they are deceased. Sorting that problem out takes a very long time, and it could be months or even years before they get their money back.
As members of the ANC we are committed to bringing about change in our communities, and restoring our dignity and caring for the elderly. The aim of the ANC-led Government is to provide services that will assist people to care for and look after the elderly, and not send them to old-age homes where they are alone. That will enable us to look after them with respect, so that they too can see that they are still valuable in society and that their experience can contribute towards unifying the people of South Africa.
When I look at the old-age homes, I notice that they are places meant only for those who can afford to pay and that makes it difficult for our people to go to them, because the costs are very high. Those that we have in our (previously disadvantaged) communities do not have all the facilities to meet the needs of the elderly and service is poor. However, the Government knows about this and is going to correct the situation.
We would also like to thank the Minister for the R30 increase in the old- age pension.]
When we look back at the history of the pensioners of South Africa, we remember how black people were abused by the state. There were disparities in service by other parties and hence a legacy of abuse. The ANC Government is committed to change. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Njing L M MBADI: Somlomo, Mphathiswa woPhuhliso lweNtlalo-ntle, nabanye abaphathiswa, umeme abantu abadala, Letha, okokuba babekhona, bakuve xa usaba esi sithebe ukuze batye. Kodwa ke into eyinqaphuzane yile yokuba ngokwakokwethu, usiko, kundalashe, abantu abamameli nje kuphela, bayaqhwaba apho babona izinto zisiza ngakubo. Iya ndothusa ke ngoko into yokuba uSomlomo abavale umlomo. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of Xhosa pargraph follows.)
[Prof L M MBADI: Madam Speaker, the Minister of Social Development and other Ministers, Letha (the Minister of Social Development) has invited people to be present when he cuts up the cake. However, in terms of our tradition people do not just listen, they applaud when they see things coming their way. It shocks me, therefore, that the Chairperson has prohibited them from doing so. [Applause.]]
The Department of Social Development focuses on welfare grants, social services policy development and monitoring. The provincial governments, on the other hand, are responsible for funding and delivery of welfare services and social grants. The Gender Advocacy Programme wants to ensure the attainment of wellbeing by all citizens, which is translated into proper and adequate access to welfare services, comprehensive social security and eradication of poverty. This should be achieved by matching policy commitment with appropriate budgeting allocations.
We urge the department to put its priorities in the correct sequence in terms of who is targeted by the budget and who benefits. We are all aware that appropriate allocations seldom reach their targets due to lack of capacity and fraud. In his opening address, at the National Consultative Conference on ``Building a Caring Society Together’’, on 20 March 2001, Dr Skweyiya stressed the reassertion of the vision of a people-centred society. He said:
We must begin to strengthen our ability to build unity in action'' to
address the plight of the excluded and poorest members of our society. To
do this effectively we must have a unified action plan, we mustsee
with one eye - Ngasonye’’!
The budget placed before us by the Minister is an attempt to put in place democratic, responsive and sustainable systems, as well as measures of social development to address social exclusion, poverty and inequality. During 2000 the Minister of Social Development visited various provinces to assess the state of service delivery in the areas of social assistance, welfare services and poverty relief projects.
It is heartening to note that the department intends addressing, in the short and medium term, the key operational and policy concerns identified by the Minister. One of these is the payment of pensions by private contractors, which requires significant improvement.
There are problems with respect to the reregistration of pensioners. Effective implementation of poverty relief projects requires capacity- building at the community level; and provincial welfare infrastructure, such as pension paypoints. In addition, administration offices are in need of upgrading.
Appropriate programmes targeting persons affected by HIV/Aids, especially Aids orphans and child-headed households, should be implemented soon. While we welcome the increase of R30 in the social security grant and the increase of R10 in the child support grant, we feel very strongly that these amounts fall short of alleviating poverty in the rural areas.
Unemployment and job losses put a strain on these amounts. In some villages, households of eight and more depend solely on the social security grant of a grandmother. She has to buy food, clothe her grandchildren, buy books, and pay school fees. Can she manage with this R570, R70 of which is used on transport to the paypoints and the grocery shops? It is worse when the grandmother has a son who has been retrenched by the mines. It is these sons who abuse their mothers in order to buy tobacco and liquor.
The major problem in the rural areas is accessing the grants - social security grants, child support grants, disability grants, etc. The same official who is in charge of making payouts is also in charge of processing applications. The Eastern Cape is striving to solve this problem during the 2001-02 financial year by outsourcing the payment of social grants. The social security staff will be freed, thus enabling them to perform their core functions of receiving and processing grant applications, attending to queries, marketing the social security service in the communities and servicing welfare pension forums. We support the budget. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mrs J CHALMERS: Chairperson, hon Minister, members of the House, this Saturday will be International Mental Health Day, a day when it is hoped we will pause and reflect on the plight of those afflicted by the various aspects of mental illness and disability we find in society today. Whilst this is an aspect of our lives that is generally considered to be the responsibility of the Department of Health, the Department of Social Development also shoulders some of the responsibility by way of social security and the involvement of its social workers.
It is a fact that mental illness is very often a hidden ailment of society, sadly so, for it often underpins behavioural disorders that impact drastically on the ability of society and individuals to function properly. It is vital that this hidden ailment be acknowledged, diagnosed and treated in order to put a healing process in place, not only for the individual, but also in order to provide support for the family involved and, indeed, for the whole community.
The plight of the profoundly handicapped child, whether it be physically or mentally affected, is one of the most tragic aspects of any society. The role of carer for that child, especially in our rural communities, very often devolves upon his or her grandmother. It is an ongoing task involving constant care of the child. The current Child Care Act has, as one of its objectives, the aim of enabling the child, wherever possible, to be taken back into its family, which is a most worthy objective.
However, if the only family the child has is its grandmother who is taking good care of it, she will have to become a foster parent in order to access the child care grant, as it is only payable to the parent or foster parent. This can be a long bureacratic process that adds drastically to the burden already being carried by the grandmother. Could a straightforward sworn affidavit by a social worker, to say the child is being well looked after, not suffice for the grandmother to access a child care grant when returning the child to its parents is clearly not an option? I was pleased to hear from the Minister that this problem is to be addressed.
There is also an ongoing need to train those caring for mentally disabled children, very often mothers or grandmothers, thus giving them ways of stimulating the child, such as how to do physical exercises and communicate, and emphasising the vital importance of play. The needs are endless.
The trend nowadays is to deinstitutionalise patients suffering from mental illness and disability. Whilst this policy has many merits, both from a treatment and a financial point of view, it can also place a huge burden on the family, once again taking on the responsibility of their relatives. Social workers are having to expand their work to accommodate ongoing counselling for the family involved. For the patient, the new experience of living outside is a difficult one. Simple daily routines have to be retaught when mentally ill patients re-enter society.
Again, the social workers’ time, already stretched to the limit, has to become more elastic as they become part of rehabilitation groups assisting in this process. The Department of Social Welfare must play an ever- increasing role in assisting communities to enable these people to manage their own lives, helping them become useful citizens. That is what social development is all about.
Partnerships need to be encouraged with NGOs and CBOs to put in place rehabilitative and developmental programmes to provide support for discharged patients. This is already happening in a few centres in the country. We truly need to celebrate the extraordinary and dedicated work being done by small agencies and societies away from the public eye, some of it on a purely voluntary basis.
Mental illness and disability are no respecters of persons. They are to be found in homes and families across the spectrum of society. Nor are they respecters of departments. Recognition and alleviatory action are needed from the Departments of Health, Social Development and Education. The Department of Justice is also frequently involved, because it can and does happen that people’s rights are taken away because they are ill.
I am told this crossover can be difficult. For instance, the policy of the Department of Education is inclusion where possible in schools. In many countries in the world this works well, as inclusion of the mentally disabled child, according to ability, gives the child the maximum chance to take his or her place in society.
But, on consulting with workers involved in mental health societies, there is concern because there is a lack of clarity regarding where the cutoff point should be in terms of ability: from daycare centres to schools and to special schools. Routinely, children move from the daycare centre to school. But it happens that mentally handicapped children, having reached school-going age, continue in daycare because only the main centres have the special schools needed for them to move on. Ordinary schools lack trained teachers to provide appropriate education for these children.
These are issues that require focus, planning and perhaps most of all, care and compassion from ourselves. We are so fortunate in having a Minister of Social Development who, as he has travelled throughout our country, has shown himself to be deeply concerned about the plight of the poor, the marginalised and the needy.
Next Saturday is Mental Health Day, and the motif for the day is a bell. The cry has gone out: ``Ring the bell for mental health’’. Centuries ago in France, hidden from civilisation, people with mental illnesses were shackled, maltreated, beaten and ridiculed. They had no rights, no voice and no reason to be part of society. But liberation finally came and the French finally melted down those shackles and cast them into one huge bell. Every time this bell rang it symbolised the freedom and integration of all people suffering from mental illness. Next Saturday let us remember them every time we hear a bell ring. [Applause.]
Mrs R M SOUTHGATE: Mr Chairperson, 58% of the budget attempts to reform social services. The question the ACDP poses to the Minister is whether the Government’s ideological solutions are the right ones.
The means test has left thousands of pensioners out of the system and penniless. The elderly are experiencing extremely severe hardships. The criteria of the means test have disqualified many from obtaining a pension. They feel that they are being robbed by this Government of their hard- earned money as they have, for years, contributed to the economy of this country. The recommendation of a mandatory contributoly pension scheme for formal and informal employees has raised major concerns, as many feel that they will not be the beneficiaries of their contributory and that the state has colour-coded the distribution of wealth.
Due to the inefficiency and maladministration of the system, many legitimate beneficiaries were removed from the list and had to re-register, putting undue stress on the elderly. This system must urgently be reviewed. The Minister has come out strongly against the gambling policy. The poor, especially pensioners, are using the little they have to gamble at casinos and to buy lottery tickets, hoping to strike it lucky, but we know that that is not the case as they are left in a worst position than before.
The Minister intimated that the Government was under pressure and that not enough research was done regarding this issue. The ACDP has consistently reiterated the fallacy of this policy and the destruction it will bring upon our families and our nation in this House, but the Government pushed through their ideology and today we have broken, lost and destroyed lives which this Government must take full responsibility for. Less than 10% of the entire social security budget is allocated to children. Major concerns are being raised by communities and civil society with regard to the R110 child support grant. Far removed from the notion that the ACDP is advocating a nanny state, immediate action must be taken by civil society and Government must play a role by empowering families, the church and private institutions. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! Hon members, I wish to make a ruling. Seeing that this is the first to be Vote to be discused this year, I think it would be in order to refresh your memories regarding the various rulings given by presiding officers as long ago as 16 September 1994.
The presiding officers, at various stages, have made the following points:
Firstly, those who are in the public gallery may neither approve nor disapprove of what is going on in this Chamber.
Secondly, on 7 June 1995 the presiding officer ruled that it was not conducive to a debate in this House to have participation from the public gallery.
Thirdly, on 12 September 1995, again, the presiding officer ruled that those who are in the gallery are the guests of members, not participants.
Fourthly, on 28 October 1997, again, it was pointed out that it would be unacceptable for visitors in the public gallery to be allowed to act in any way that would disrupt the proceedings of the House and, on that occasion, the Speaker specifically asked all political parties to guard against this.
Fifthly, on 15 March 1997, the presiding officer ruled that members of the public in the gallery may not express themselves.
Hon members, over the years a numbers of rulings have been made in this regard. I think is appropriate to call on you and on all parties to assist in ensuring that these rulings that have been made over a period of time are given the kind of serious attention that they deserve. [Interjections.]
Dr E E JASSAT: Mr Chairperson, hon Minister and hon members, in June 1981 the United States Centre for Disease Control published a report on a rare type of pneumonia in five gay men in Los Angeles. This heralded the start of the devastating HIV/Aids pandemic throughout the world. It was not until July 1982 that the term Aids was coined and the following year the HIV virus was isolated.
At that time no one would have believed that this epidemic would be so significant or that it would have such an impact on society, particularly young adults and children. As the epidemic progressed it became apparent that the main burden would be on the developing world and the main effect would be on development.
Aids results in increased mobility and mortality. This will have an effect on both the development process and development indicators. One such indicator is the human development index (HDI) of the UN development programme, which is based on three indicators: Firstly, longevity as measured by life expectancy at birth; secondly, educational attainment as measured by a combination of adult literacy and combined primary, secondary and tertiary enrolment ratios; and Finally, standard of living as measured by the real GDP per capita.
It has been noted that households with infected adults are less likely to educate their children. This is because their labour may be required at home or because the family can no longer afford to carry any of the costs of education such as school fees, uniforms and books. At the same time the ability to supply education may be impaired. Teachers are not immune from infection and we will experience increased mortality rates amongst teachers.
The World Health Organisation estimated that by the end of last year there were 10 million orphans worldwide as a result of this pandemic. By 2005 South Africa is expected to have 800 000 orphans, rising to more that 1,95 million in 2010. Orphans are perhaps the most tragic and long-term legacy of this epidemic.
Many orphans have grown up as street children or will form child-headed households to avoid being separated from their siblings. Others will be brought up by their grandparents or relatives with a limited capacity to take on parenting responsibilities. All will have been traumatised by the illness and death of parents, and often by the stigma and secrecy surrounding HIV/Aids that hampers the bereavement process and exposes children to discrimination in their community and even in their extended family.
Orphans will probably be more susceptible to becoming HIV infected through abuse, sex work or emotional instability, leading to high-risk relationships. As children grow up under these conditions, they are at high risk of developing antisocial behaviour and becoming less productive members of society. The consequences for affected children and society as a whole will be profound and tragic.
Throughout Africa, households and communities have a remarkable capacity to cope with the effects of HIV/Aids, including caring for orphans. However, even strong coping mechanisms have often broken down under the huge burden imposed by epidemics. Certain households, for example poor, single parents or single breadwinners, and households with more than one infected member, are more vulnerable. In addition, short-term coping may hide long-term damage to individuals and society, through factors such as reduced childcare, reduced education, and physical and mental stunting.
In South Africa, the ability of the traditional extended family and community to cape is likely to be weak, in comparison with many other African states. Apartheid has left a legacy of disrupted families and communal life. Rapid urbanisation and the expectation that the state will provide health care and other support, have further weakened the traditional coping mechanisms in our country. A 1992 survey indicated that 62% of Sowetans felt that caring for Aids orphans was the Government’s responsibility. Only 28% felt that relatives should take care of these orphans.
South Africa, unlike many affected countries, does have a formal welfare system, including institutional care for orphans and foster care support. Despite the fact that foster care grants are modest, even at current claim rates, the projected cost implications of HIV/Aids are high. The cost of institutional care is prohibitively high. Alternative models to provide support for vulnerable children and communities need to be explored urgently. [Time expired.] [Applause.] Muf T J TSHIVHASE: Mudzulatshidulo, musi u tshi fha mufumakadzi maanḓa, u vha u tshi khou fha lushaka. Nga Ḽavhuṱanu ḽa dzi 9 dza Luhuhi 2000, Phuresidennde washu vho ita khuwelelo kha vhathu vhoṱhe vha Afurika Tshipembe, uri vha kumedzele ṅwaha uno kha u fhaṱa vhuthihi ha u ita tshanduko, uri hu bveliwe kule na vhuṱungu ha tshifhinga tsho fhiraho, ro livha kha Afurika Tshipembe ḽa khwiṋe ḽa vhathu vhoṱhe.
Ndi mufumakadzi o bebelwaho mahayani ane a ḓivha u tambula hoṱhe he ra vha ri khaho. Ro vhona zwoṱhe zwauri, musi u tshi ṱoḓa u vha na mulilo u fanela u bva wa ya u reḓa khuni. Ro tambulesa zwihulusa nga maanḓa, ri tshi shuma dzibulasini dza mavhuru. Masimuni eneo ro vha ri tshi wana tshelede ṱhukhu- ṱhukhu. Vhakalaha vhashu vha tshi khou shuma nga nṱhani ha ``migrant labour’‘[u shuma kule na haya]. Zwenezwo zwa ri ita uri zwiṱuku-ṱuku zwe ra vha ri tshi kona u vhulunga, ri vhulungele vhana vhashu ngauri ro vha ri tshi khou tambula.
Fhedzi tshifhingani tsho fhiraho, ro tambula nga vhuleme vhunzhi, ngauri vhunzhi ha vhathu a ro ngo swikelela u vha na shango. A ro ngo kona u ḓiṱavhela miroho ngauri ro vha ri si na masimu mahulwane, zwenezwo zwo sia ri tshi khou tambula zwihulwanesa. Vhoramabulasi vha vhatshena vhe vha vha vhe na shango ḽoṱhe ḽihulwane, vho ita zwauri ri pfe vhuṱungu ho kalulaho.
Ro vha ro tewa nga u shuma iri nnzhi nga maanḓa henengei mabulasini. Hezwo zwithu zwa ri sia ri tshi khou tambula zwihulusa. Zwa zwino ri khou ri, Mugaganyagwama hoyu, u khou tea u khwinifhadza vhutshilo ha vhafumakadzi vha re mahayani, uri vha ṋewe shango ḽihululwane, vha kone u lima-vho nahone vha ḽi bveledze. Ri a zwi ḓivha zwauri a si Mugaganyagwama wo itwaho nga muhasho muthihi, ndi mihasho yo ṱanganelanaho.
Arali ra nga sedza u bva 1994, vhutshilo ha vhathu vhashu, ho no khwinifhadzea mahayani ngauri Muvhuso we vha u khetha, ndi wone wo vha sumbedzaho zwauri vha fanela u bvela phanḓa na u ḓibveledza, kha sia ḽa zwa ndimo na ḽa vhubveledzi ha zwithu zwoṱhe zwine ra zwi tama mahayani. Vhathu vhashu nga vhuphara vha tea u wana thuso ibvaho kha madzangano o ḓiimisaho nga oṱhe, dzikereke na vhoramabindu, u bveledza lushaka phanḓa.
Zwisiwana zwashu a zwo ngo wana tshumelo ya vhashumelavhapo. Ri fhano roṱhe ri a zwiḓivha zwauri vhunzhi ha vhathu vha hashu vha mahayani, vho vha vha sa koni u swikelela madokotela, muthu a vhuya a tou fa. Zwenezwo zwo sumbedza zwauri vho no vhona zwauri vha khou ya ngafhi nahone vha bva ngafhi. Ndi nga wonoyu Muhasho wa Vhulondotavhathu hune, zwa vho ḓivhea zwauri hu na vhathu vha mahayani.
Ndi sa hangwi ṋamusi, u vha ḓivhadza nga ha muṅwe muIndia ane apfi Vinoba, we a zwi vhona zwauri vhathu vha mahayani, vhane vha vha zwisiwana, vha khou tea uri vha wane shango kana vha wane ha ndimo huhulwane. O tshimbila kusi nga kusi a tshi humbela vhoramabulasi vha henengei India uri, vha thuse havho vhathu nga u vha nea shango, ngauri heḽo shango ḽovha li tshi wela zwanḓani zwa vhapfumi fhedzi. Hezwo zwo ita uri havho vhathu vha kone u khwinifhala kha matshilo avho. O kona na u vha gudisa kha univesithi ye vha vha vha tshi kona u wana pfunzo dzo teaho, uri vha kone-vho u khwinifhala kha matshilo avho.
Na riṋe fhano Afurika Tshipembe, ri khou vhona vhathu vhashu vho ṱangana na vhuleme vhuhulwane nga maanḓa. Vhathu vhane vha lingana 87%, vha kona u shuma vho tou ṋewa mavu ane a lingana 13% fhedzi. U tshi sedza hezwo zwithu, u wana zwi na vhuṱungu vhuhulwane nga maanḓa. Ri khou ri muhasho hoyu wo zwi vhona zwauri vhathu vhashu vha mahayani vha fanela u khwinifhadzwa, zwihulu-hulu ro sedza vhomme, vhe vha tambudzwa nga muvhuso wa tshiṱalula wa u vha tsikeledza. Vhe vha sala vha tshi tambula mahayani vhanna vhavho vha si ho.
Nga hezwo zwithu zwoṱhe, ri khou vhona muhasho washu wo ḓiimisela uri vhathu havha vha wane vhutshilo havho vhu tshi khwinifhadziwa. Mbekanyamushumo dza 16 dzine ra khou dzi vhona, dzo kona u ḓisela vhafumakadzi vhane vha lingana 801 na vhana vhane vha lingana 13 zwivhuya. Nga hezwo zwithu ri khou vhona Muvhuso wo dzhia vhukando vhuhulwane nga maanḓa, na zwo khwinifhadziwaho mahayani u fana na Kwazulu-Natal na pulane ine ya vha hone kha vhupo ha Ingwavuma. Hezwi zwithu ndi u kandela phanḓa nga maanḓa.
Riṋe vha ANC, ri khou zwi vhona zwauri hoyu muhasho a wo ngo sokou vha hone, wo sedzesa nga maanḓa vhutshilo ha vhathu vhashu vha mahayani. Zwenezwo-ha ri khou ri vhafumakadzi vha mahayani kha vha ṋewe shango ḽihulu hune vha kona u ḓibveledza nga dzithandela dzo fhambananaho; dza u fuwa dzikhuhu, u runga, u vhumba na u vhaḓa hune vhaendelamashango vha ḓo kona u swika-vho, vha kona u dzhena henengei mashangoni a mahayani vha renga zwithu zwine vhathu vhashu vha khou vhambadza zwone, zwo dzula tsini na dzibada vha khou vhambadza uri vha kone u khwinisa ikonomi ya shango ḽashu.
Zwithu zwoṱhe zwine ra khou zwi vhona muhasho hoyu u tshi khou zwi ita, wo zwi ita nge wa vhona zwauri vhafumakadzi vha mahayani ndi vhone vho vhaisalesaho nga maanḓa. Ndi vhone vho pfesaho vhuṱungu ha u khethululwa nga lukanda. Riṋe vha ANC ri khou zwi vhona zwauri hoyu Mugaganyagwama wo zwi vhona zwauri matshiloni a vhathu vhashu hu tea u vha na u khwinifhala. Ndi ngazwo ri tshi tikedza hoyu Mugaganyagwama, ri na lutamo luhulu-hulu, zwihulusa lwa uri arali u tshi khusa-khusanyana tshikwama tshawo wa engedzedzanyana masheleni, uri vhathu vha mahayani henengei, vha vhafumakadzi, vha khwinifhale zwihulu-hulu. Ro sedza zwauri vhafumakadzi vha re henengei mahayani, vhutshilo havho vhu khou thoma u pfala. Vha khou thoma-vho u ḓiphina nga mitshelo ya mbofholowo ine muṅwe na muṅwe sa mudzulapo wa Afurika Tshipembe, a khou zwi ḓivha-vho zwauri, ndi lwa u thoma vhutshiloni hawe a tshi zwipfa zwauri u mudzulapo a re na tshirunzi.
Nga muthihi nga muthihi, naho ro sedza vha mahoro-makangi, ndi lwa u thoma na vhone-vho vha tshi vho amba vhe fhano, vha tshi ḓifhelwa nga u hanedza zwauri vhathu vhashu vhutshilo havho vhu khou khwinifhala zwihuluhulu zwi ngafha. Riṋe vha ANC, ri khou tikedza hoyu Mugaganyagwama, ro lavhelesa zwihulu vhenevha vhathu vhane vha vha vhafumakadzi vha mahayani. Zwa zwino ri khou ri u pandamedza hei tshanduko ine ya vha hone, vhutshilo ha khwiṋe kha vhafumakadzi vha mahayani.
Dzithandela dzine vha vha na dzo, vha zwi vhone zwauri hoyu muhasho wo dzhenisa tshanḓa zwihulu-hulu, uri vhutshilo havho vhu vhe khwiṋe-vho. Hu vhe na mishumo mahayani, vha kone u vhambadzela vhaendelamashango. Nahone vha gudisiwe, vha vhe na dzitakatiki dza zwithu zwa u kona u ṱaṱisana na vha nnḓa vha maṅwe mashango, vhane khavho hu ṱoḓea zwauri hu vhe na pfunzo. Ri khou ri Minisiṱa washu vha engedzedze uri vhathu vha si tsha dzula mikhukhuni vha tshi ḓa ngeno dziḓoroboni. [U vhanda zwanḓa.] (Translation of Tshivenḓa speech follows.)
[Mrs T J TSHIVHASE: Madam Speaker, if you empower a woman, you have empowered a nation. On Friday, 9 February 2001, our President called on all South Africans to dedicate this year to building unity in action for change, to move away from our painful past, towards a better South Africa for all.
I am a woman who was born in the rural areas, who knows all the sufferings we went through. We experienced the difficulties of collecting wood for making fire. We suffered a lot, working for white farmers. On those farms, we used to get low wages. Our husbands were working far away because of migrant labour. Therefore, the little that we saved was for our children, because we were suffering.
But in the past, we suffered many hardships, because many people did not have access to land. We were unable to plant our own vegetables because we did not have big farms, and that left us suffering a lot. White farmers, who had a lot of land, made us suffer a great deal.
We were supposed to work long hours on the farms, and that situation left us suffering a lot. Now we are saying, this budget must ease the lives of rural women. They must be provided with a lot of land, so that they can till and develop it. We are aware that this budget does not come from one department, but from a variety of them. Since 1994, our people’s lives in the rural areas have changed because of the Government we voted for. It is the same Government that showed them that they must keep on developing themselves through farming, and everything they wished for, in the rural areas. In general, our people must get assistance from nongovernmental organisations, churches and business to develop the whole nation.
Our poor people did not have the services of social workers. We all know that most of our rural people could not gain access to a doctor until someone died. This shows that they can now see where they come from and where they are going. It is through this Department of Social Development that rural people now know this.
Today I do not want to forget to tell hon members about an Indian man, Vinoba, who saw that poor rural people must have land on which to farm, because the land was only in the hands of the rich. He walked from village to village asking farmers in India to help people by giving them land, because it was only in the hands of rich people. Those things made their lives better. He managed to educate them at the university, where they obtained the education they needed to enable them to lead better lives. We in South Africa are also seeing our people encountering many hardships. About 87% of the people own only 13% of the land. If one examines those things, one finds that it is very painful. This department saw the need to develop rural people, especially mothers, who suffered because of the oppressive apartheid government. They were left to suffer in rural areas while their husbands were not there.
Due to all these things, we see our department being prepared to make the lives of these people easier. The 16 flagship programmes that we see managed to bring happiness to 801 women and 13 children. Because of all those things, the Government took a successful step to develop rural people in places like KwaZulu-Natal and the plan to develop Ingwavuma. These are great developments.
We, as the ANC, see the importance of this department and that it is concentrating on the lives of our rural people. Therefore, we are saying that rural women must be given enough land to develop themselves through different projects, such as poultry farming, dressmaking and craftwork, so that they can attract tourists, who come to buy the products they are selling and that are displayed at the side of the road in the rural areas. This will promote the economy of our country.
This department is doing all these things, because it saw how rural women were suffering. They were the victims of racial discrimination. We, as the ANC, can see that this budget is aimed at developing the lives of our people. That is why we support this budget. We hope that the Government will be able to increase the money so that rural people, women, can be greatly developed. Rural women are starting to lead better lives, to enjoy the fruits of freedom like any South African citizen, knowing that for the first time in their lives they can feel that they are citizens with dignity.
When we look at the opposition parties, we find this is the first time they are talking here, enjoying themselves denying that our people’s lives are developing. We, as the ANC, support this budget, which is taking rural women into consideration. Now we are saying. Speed up change;- provde better lives for rural women.
They must see that the projects they have are as a result of this department, to make their lives better. There must be jobs in rural areas and they must be able to sell to the tourists. Those who need education must be trained and have tactics to enable them to compete with foreign countries. We are saying that our Minister must increase the budget, so that our people do not have to live in shacks when they come to the urban areas. [Applause.]]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! Hon Mr J P I Blanché, I hope I have pronounced your name correctly. If not, please just indicate how it should be pronounced.
Mr J P I BLANCHÉ: You pronounced it correctly, Chairperson.
Mnr die Voorsitter, om ‘n pensioentrekker R580 per maand te betaal, glo ek, is ‘n skande, as ‘n mens in ag neem dat politici se salarisse die afgelope vyf jaar met ten minste R1 500 per maand en dié van pensioentrekkers met slegs R150 verhoog het. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Mr Chairperson, I believe that paying a pensioner R580 per month is a disgrace, If one takes into account that over the past five years the salaries of politicians have increased by at least R1 500 per month and those of pensioners by only R150.] In order to solve the cash paypoint problems and to make more effective and efficient use of the money allocated towards pension payments, I suggest we revisit the payment of pension grants by paying them through the banks and the Post Office. An estimated annual saving of between R200 million and R300 million could result from this exercise.
To prove my statement, I wish to take the Gauteng province as an example. In Gauteng the pensions of 105 674 pensioners are paid into their bank accounts every month at a cost of R1,06 per transaction, which costs the department R112 014 per month. In the same province, the pensions of the remaining 305 376 pensioners are paid out at cash paypoints at a cost of R23 per transaction, which amounts to a total of R7 023 648 per month.
If all Gauteng pensions were paid into either Post Office or bank accounts of pensioners, we would show a monthly saving of close to R7 million per month. This, on an annual basis, would bring about a saving of approximately R83 million in Gauteng, and that is one province only. If this R83 million were divided among Gauteng’s 411 000 pensioners, one could add another R16 a month to the pension pay packet of pensioners in that province. The fingerprint identification system was introduced to combat fraud perpetrated by dishonest pension recipients and some staff members, and a central database … [Interjections.] I am saying that we must go and take a look at it and revisit it - someone must do his or her job. [Interjections.]
An HON MEMBER: What do you suggest?
Mr J P I BLANCHÉ: That is what I am getting to now. [Interjections.]
A central database system was drawn up to ensure that no pension is paid out to the same person more than once or in more than one province. This system minimised fraudulent activities, and we must congratulate the staff, not the ANC, for successfully implementing it.
On the other hand, the cash paypoint system has many negative aspects, as has been pointed out by the commission. It is costing us R83 million more per year in one province. Apart from that additional cost, it invites abuse, neglect and ill-treatment of older people, as spelt out in the report and by so many speakers this afternoon. On top of that, in Gauteng alone it has cost two staff members and one pensioner their lives.
It also attracts thieves and unwanted elements to the paypoints and has forced Government to employ additional staff, with its associated transport and equipment costs. The commission reports that it draws all sorts of moneymakers, such as moneylenders and funeral salesmen, to these paypoints. In fact, in Uitenhage the commission found more moneylenders than pensioners at the paypoints.
In the Northern Province a pensioner was told to switch from a bank to a paymaster. In doing so, the pensioner lost three months’ pension, and it now costs the state R22 a month more to pay that pensioner. Again in the Northern Province … [Interjections.] I introduced this system as the MEC for welfare in Gauteng. [Interjections.] Again, the commission has this to say about the Northern Province:
It was claimed that in many cases pension committees are more interested in pleasing the department and cash paymaster services than the pensioners.
That is true. The report elaborates on these allegations and refers to an incident in Ventersdorp where money was paid into a CPS and was allegedly not transferred to the pensioners. It also states that in Odi pensioners were underpaid by the CPS and officials took no notice.
I would like to say to the Minister that he did the right thing by appointing a commission of inquiry into the treatment of elderly people. The cash paypoint system needs to be reviewed, for it lends itself to fraud and mismanagement. I would suggest that the payment be done through bank and Post Office accounts. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! Hon members, I am waiting for hon members to finish with the many private meetings so that I can call the next speaker to the podium.
Ms E GANDHI: Chairperson, hon Minister and hon members, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Minister and the director-general for making tremendous progress in this department’s work. [Applause.]
Before I go on to speak about the situation of children, I just want to quote something about what happened in the past, because what happened in the past is what we are reaping today. I want to quote from a publication which was brought out by the Diakonia Council of Churches in 1987 to mark a Good Friday service. This leaflet says, and I quote:
In 1986, 29 260 South Africans were detained - this is an average of 81 people per day; 29,6% of these were scholars, students and teachers. They were detained at home, at schools, at demonstrations or walking in the street. Some are 10, 11 or 12 years old. The Detainees’ Support Committee reports an 8-year-old in detention.
The report goes on to say what happened to these detainees. I just want to say that my son was also a victim of these detentions, therefore I speak from first-hand experience. We were informed of the arrest of my son by his brother, who was also picked up and released together with two friends.
The report goes on to say, and I quote:
Some are held for a few days, many are held for months. They are kept in police stations, in security police headquarters, in communal prison cells or in solitary confinement.
Many reported torture and assault while in detention, some were even killed. My son was never the same after he came out of detention. These are the horror stories of torture and harassment our young people have suffered. Today we are reaping the effects of this sad story.
At a Descom conference held in October 1987, it was found that there was a significant decrease in detentions after 1986. However, there were other strategies that the apartheid government came up with. Among these was the recruitment of “kitskonstabels”, municipal police and vigilante groups as a counter to community resistance. The JMCs, joint management committees, played a significant role in the education of children and the training of the unemployed. In general, the government of the time made every effort to get the desperate, the unemployed and criminal elements to help them in the elimination of political activists, and, in the process, brutalised a whole generation of young people. A conference was held in Harare headed by the late Comrade Oliver Tambo, and I am sure the hon the Minister might have been present at that conference. This conference highlighted the plight of our children in this country and sought the assistance of the United Nations and the international community in stopping this brutality.
The apartheid system also created the wide gap between the rich and the
poor; the rich'' beingwhite’’ and the poor'' beingblack’’. Today
we are reaping the fruits of this.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! Would the hon Miss Mndende and Dr Koornhof please come to order? The hon member may proceed.
Ms E GANDHI: This Government has made every effort to improve legislation to meet the needs of children and to ensure that their rights are at all times upheld. The Domestic Violence Act makes it mandatory for any party that has heard of, knows of or has witnessed the abuse of a child or anyone else to report this incident to the police.
The law imposes a special duty on police to ensure that the victim is notified of his or her rights and that every effort is made to assist the victim. Yet brutality in the community, in schools and at home continues to go unreported. A recent report reveals shocking statistics of child molestation. Such molestation and brutality are not confined to any one race group, but are, in fact, prevalent in every race group.
It was only after 1994 that we became signatories to the various international instruments and to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. At present, a team is engaged in looking into the compiling of a comprehensive children’s code.
This Budget has allocated dedicated funds for improvements in infrastructure development. While poverty and its effects are still a major problem for us to deal with, the fact is that this Government does have the will to ensure that every child, and I want to stress the word ``every’’ - not just a few privileged children - in this country is able to enjoy the rights that he or she is entitled to in terms of the Constitution and these international instruments. The Budget strongly indicates this will. While we acknowledge the shortfalls, we say that with the help of the community and with God on our side, we shall succeed. [Applause.]
Miss S RAJBALLY: Chairperson, Deputy President, Ministers and hon members, the MF compliments the Government for providing 58% of the consolidated national and provincial noninterest allocation towards social services, including education, health and social development, which is set to increase steadily over the MTEF period.
Like many other developing countries, South Africa is grappling with the challenge of harnessing information and communication technologies effectively to accelerate social development. Most debates in this area tend to centre on the extent to which the adoption and use of these technologies can contribute to reducing the massive inequity that exists between and within societies, more often than not with Africa used as the focal point for discussion. However, the Internet has seen unprecedented growth recently, from a loosely organised text-based communications system, used mainly by the military and academics, to a vast source of disparate information being used increasingly by the private sector.
The MF compliments the Government’s initiative for a special poverty relief programme of about R1,5 billion a year, which is set to continue over the next three years. While national Government is responsible for establishing norms and standards regarding redistribution and equity, thus providing a framework within which service delivery will occur equitably, a significant proportion of service delivery that will impact on poverty and inequality is the responsibility of provincial or local government.
Despite difficulties that may be encountered, local authorities, including those in which the MF is represented, have generally recognised the need to change existing mind-sets and institutional arrangements so that developmental goals might be set. Poverty and inequality are multidimensional phenomena, and therefore remedial strategies require effective co-ordination, integration and regulation of policies along sectoral and vertical lines. Successful delivery of programmmes and projects aimed at poverty alleviation and reduction of inequality will depend largely on the extent to which existing institutions function effectively and equitably.
The total allocation of R12,5 million by the Government towards HIV and Aids is commendable. HIV/Aids remains the most serious challenge facing the country and health services. The MF compliments the Government on launching the HIV/Aids and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Strategic Plan for South Africa 2000 to 2005, which aims at reducing the number of new HIV infections, especially among young people, and reducing the impact of HIV/Aids on individuals, families and communities.
Whilst setting out guiding principles, the plan also identifies four priority areas, namely prevention, treatment, care and support, monitoring and evaluation, and human and legal rights. It is remarkable to note that the 2001 Budget indicated that the single redistributive programme of Government is the system of social grants. It is significant to note that for the first time the child support grant has been increased.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! Hon member, would you take your seat. Yes, hon Minister? The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Hon Chairperson, I just wanted to underscore what you said just now. I thought that the presence of the Deputy President at least would have some effect on our colleagues. There is far too much noise here, and I do not think that it is a good reflection on us.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: I think I have reminded members on innumerable occasions that if they do have private meetings and private discussions, it would be in order for them to leave the Chamber. From where I sit, I notice the extent to which many members are involved in private business. That cannot be good for the image or the functioning of this honourable House.
I think it is in order for the presiding officer to allow a degree of latitude, but when that becomes licence, I think it is not only discourteous to the speaker at the podium, but also makes it difficult for those members of the House who are serious about the business of this House and would like to hear what is happening in order that they might empower themselves.
We have asked for your co-operation in this matter. The only recourse that is left to the Chair, then, is to be more robust, which means that it might impair the dignity of individual members if we have to call them to order by name. I have tried, over a period of time, to focus on people who are causing a disturbance, hoping that that would bring them to order, but even five or six minutes of concentrated staring seems to have no impact.
Now I wish to make it clear to hon members that the business of this House is the imperative, and that is why we are here. Freedom of speech requires not only that someone should have the right to speak, but that they should have a reasonable audience. I trust that hon members will make it possible for the Chair to follow the discussions and give everyone the opportunity to express themselves in this House in an atmosphere that is conducive to good debate. Hon Miss Rajbally, you may proceed.
Miss S RAJBALLY: Chairperson, it is significant to note that for the first time the child support grant has been increased and that the MTEF allows for inflation-related adjustment to social grants over the medium term. The MF supports the Social Development Vote. [Applause.] Mr N S MIDDLETON: Chairperson, hon members, from the outset, I think it is necessary to continue reminding ourselves of our Constitution. Section 27 of the Bill of Rights says that everyone has the right to have access to social security. The challenge facing us all in this Government is how to meet our people’s needs within this budget which is allocated to the department under discussion.
South Africa is one of the few countries in the world, indeed in Africa, which has such a large public-funded and noncontributory social assistance programme, consisting of pensions, disability grants, child support grants, etc, all of which are paid from our public funds. It is time that the Government looked into ways and means of involving a large section of the business world to help finance these social programmes in future.
The poverty and disintegration of the social fabric resulting from the past and even from the present policies of structural problems have indeed placed a great strain on our nation’s resources. What we should be striving for is finding a balance between social assistance and social insurance, so as to ease the burden on the fiscus without abdicating our constitutional obligations.
It must, of course, be noted as well that poverty and malnutrition are no longer concentrated in the rural communities in particular, but that due to the movement of people from rural to urban areas, the vast majority of our people are experiencing the same problems as the rural people. As a result, our various welfare organisations have not only cut down their services, but many have also had to shut down. This is even more reason for use to find a workable, sustainable way of improving the effectiveness of our social security systems, by targeting those who are in dire need without playing political games.
The last report on social development reported that the present poverty rate in South Africa as per race group is 1% white, 5% Indian, 35% coloured and 61% African. It may be argued, and rightly so, that the oppressive apartheid regime of the past left South Africa with this legacy of underdevelopment, a past in which the life of South Africans was designed by skin colour and income level.
Also, if the press reports we have read are correct, namely the Minister has expressed grave concerns about the gambling patterns in our country, many South Africans will support him in this. We believe that we should look again at our Gambling Act as it now stands. One has only to visit the casinos to see what is going on there. [Time expired.]
Ms N M TSHEOLE: Modulasetilo, ke batla go simolola puo ya me ka go nopola Tona ya Matlotlo, Motlotlegi Trevor Manuel fa a ne a re: [Chairperson, I want to start my speech by quoting the Minister of Finance, the hon Trevor Manuel, when he said:]
The Budget we table today is testimony to the success of our transformation policies.
I stand here to add my voice to the testimony on what the Department of Social Development has achieved. In spite of what my colleagues on the other side of the House have said, I proudly and obstinately stand before this House and the South African nation to openly acknowledge the successes the department has achieved in the delivery of social services. [Applause.]
The introduction of developmental social services in South Africa was a big leap and it called for many structural adjustments.
Lefapha le ne la tshwanelwa ke go fetola tsotlhe tse di neng di lebagane le popego ya lona, e leng menagano le badiredi ba lefapha. Ke ka moo go nnileng le bothata.
Sa ntlha, mafapha a puso e e fetileng a ne a le sometharo, mme ra tshwanelwa ke go a kopanya. Ke tiro e tona eo. Go gatelela ntlha eno, ke boela gape kwa puong ya ga Tona ya Matlotlo, Trevor Manuel. E rile fa a bua a botsa potso, a re: (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[The department had to change everything pertaining to its structure, namely its workers and their mind-set. That is why there was a problem.
Firstly, the previous government had 13 departments, and we were supposed to merge them. That is our job. To stress this point I go back to the speech of the Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel. When he spoke he asked this question:]
Does the lemon always ripen before the sweet plum?
In response to this question one could say: Let us not compare the lemon to the plum. Each has a distinct taste of bitterness. Instead, let us say the bitterness of a young unripe fruit gives hope of the sweetness to follow when the fruit ripens. The fruits of our young democracy are still not ripe, hence their bitterness.
It would be very unfortunate if we allowed ourselves to be misled into disillusionment by those who compare their fruit tree, which is at least 350 years old, to our seven-year-old fruit tree. Our duty is to listen to David Diop, again quoted by the hon the Minister, when he said, and I quote:
Impetuous son, that tree young and strong That tree there In splendid loneliness amidst white faded flowers That is Africa your Africa That grows again patiently and obstinately And its fruits gradually acquire The bitter taste of liberty.
It is the bitter taste of liberty that our opponents are criticising. They do not want to think about the legacy they have left this young Government.
The hon Da Camara referred to children who are being abused. The parents of these children were not brought up in this new dispensation. It is not this new dispensation that has distorted and twisted their minds. Children born in this dispensation are only seven years old, if that. If they were conceived on 27 April 1994, they are not seven years old yet.
There is no way in which what we are faced with can be blamed on this Government. The Government takes the responsibility to make amends, but it cannot be blamed for the corruption that we are living with. It is a legacy that we have inherited. It is like when one is buying an old, previously owned cars - a second-hand cars - that one has to buy with all its faults. They have left this Government a voetstoots legacy. This country is a voetstoots legacy. [Applause.] Maybe they too are a voetstoots legacy. They need to be overhauled so that they may acquire a new attitude to what is happening, and so that they can appreciate the efforts this department is making.
When we started in 1994, the beneficiaries of the state maintenance grant numbered only 300 000. In only three years, since 1998, the number of beneficiaries of the child support grant has reached the one million mark. Is that not delivery, when compared to 300 000 in 50 years? [Applause.] They have to consider that.
Let us also look at HIV/Aids orphans. We passionately want to address this issue. But these orphans are born of parents who do not have self-image, because they were corrupted by someone else who was supposed to have planned their future. But we are dealing with that. This is our country. We are dealing with it and we are facing it. They will see that.
I am going to conclude by quoting Mariam Wright Edelman of Washington DC, when she says:
I remember when I was in Mississippi after the excitement of the 1964 summer project. We are 25 years old, and we are just beginning to get a serious national debate about how we should give every child a healthy start, a head start, a fair start and a safe start.
She said they were 25 old years in Mississippi then. How old are we in South Africa? We have already delivered services, a head start, to one million children. But we are only seven years old! One has to consider where we come from when one talks. [Applause.]
The hon Van Jaarsveld said that somebody was lying to somebody somewhere. Yes, he is right. He should tell the people the truth, that they have left a voetstoots legacy. He should not take advantage of people who do not understand and tell them lies. We are working; we are proud and we are determined to fight the problems of this voetstoots legacy, because we do not have any alternative. We have to work for our people and transform this country. [Interjections.]
Mr A Z A VAN JAARSVELD: Mr Chairperson, can I ask the hon member a question?
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! Hon member, are you willing to take a question? Ms N M TSHEOLE: No, Mr Chairperson.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES: Order! The hon member is not willing to take a question. Hon member, will you take your seat, please.
Ms N M TSHEOLE: Let us look at poverty relief projects. We know that the 1998-99 budget … [Time expired.] [Applause.]
The MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: Mr Chairperson, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, I have been told by our Chief Whip that we are left with only five minutes. So, I will not be able to answer all the questions raised by hon members. What I will do is to write letters to hon members, to answer almost every question they have asked me. I will not, at this moment, be able to read all these questions at the same time.
But there is one small thing I wanted to respond to, which relates to someone who came over here and claimed that they were the ones who first suggested the basic income grant. Is that true? Do they not remember that that suggestion came from the Jobs Summit and that they were not at that summit? [Laughter.] Do they not remember that when I talked last year about this same basic income grant, His Excellency Tony Leon told me that it was a good idea, and that he agreed with me? It was only then that these people started working on that.
But, basically, I would not like to politicise the poverty, the suffering and the pain of our people. I think our President and the Government of South Africa have, in general, been telling the entire world about the need for all of us to be united in the fight and struggle against poverty and disease. It is generally the duty of every African. I repeat, it is the duty of every African, including those members, that we should be part and parcel of that struggle. That is why I am a little bit uneasy about the approach that is basically being taken by the Democratic Alliance on these issues. It seems there is a lack of some basic humane thinking within some members of the Democratic Alliance itself.
I do not want to politicise that. But the basic thing is that our people are suffering, and all of us should be part and parcel of the struggle against poverty, HIV/Aids and all forms of violence against women and children, and that we should work together as South Africans to create a more caring society, a better South Africa that will enable all of us to be proud of it. So I could answer all their questions, but when it comes to such issues, I would like people to be a little bit more constructive, more humane and more patriotic. I think greater intelligence is also necessary, whoever is talking.
I cannot answer all the questions, but there are a few that I would like to answer very clearly. I have heard and listened to all hon members’ suggestions and I think together we have to work towards that. With regard to Mr Van Jaarsveld’s question on the regulations, I shall just say to him that I promised that they would be published on 31 March. But they have been with his portfolio committee from two weeks now. He should have asked his chairperson for that before he came here. They were handed to me by the chairperson of the committee. Basically, I think we should look into that. I would accept any suggestion by anybody that would improve the service delivery within the social development department.
I did say from the beginning that there was a problem. Our social welfare sector has problems that need to be dealt with and confronted immediately, that cannot be resolved two or three years hence this will take some time. That is why we are doing everything in our power to ensure that we meet the demand of almost everybody. That is basically why I chose to go to the rural areas of South Africa, because I know that that is where the most suffering is.
When I raised the issue of Mr Ntlokwana, I also thought that because of his prominence as an artist, the plight of his children would necessarily touch our hearts. To be very clear, that issue did not come from the ANC. It came from members of the IFP. I think it was the hon Mr Velaphi Ndlovu who came to me and said: There is this issue here in Cape Town. We know these people very well. He is not a member of the ANC, but we are all just human beings, so could the Government please help.
It was on that basis that I went knocking on the door of the government of the Western Cape to try to assist with this matter. There has been very little, if any, response. That is why I appealed directly to the Leader of the Opposition, whose party is at the head of an alliance that is ruling the Western Cape, to ensure that this issue is not politicised. In conclusion I want to take this opportunity …
… ndibulele oomama bonke abebelapha, ndithethe nabo ndisithi sibavile izikhalo zabo. URhulumente wabo ubavile, kwaye uRhulumente uza kusebenza nabo. Zonke ezi zinto ezibuhlungu ezenzekayo kubo siza kuzama kangangoko sinakho, singuRhulumente, ukubanceda kwezo zinto ezenziwa, kakhulu, ngabantu ababi.
Sithi masisebenzisane ekuhlaleni sisonke, sisebenzisane nemibutho engeyiyo ekaRhulumente, sisebenzisane neecawe zethu, sisebenzisane nabaya bantu abakholwayo ukuze sikwazi ukwakha ikamva labantwana bethu, sikwazi ukwakha ingomso labantwana.
Namhlanje asinalo ulwamkelo lweendwendwe zethu apha. (Translation of Xhosa paragraphs follows.)
[… to thank all the women who are present here today, and assure them that we have heard their cries. Their Government has heard them and will work with them. We as the Government will help them with all the painful experiences that they have suffered, particularly at the hands of bad people. We say let us all work together at community level, work together with NGOs, with churches and faith-based organisations so as to be able to build a future for our children.
Today we have organised a reception for our guests here.]
Our reception today will be in Guguletu at the civic centre and we hereby invite everybody, including the DP and the New NP, to attend. [Applause.]
I would like these two parties to come, so that they can see for themselves the suffering of the people. Maybe these parties will then be a little bit more helpful in ensuring that there is peace and security, and will be part and parcel of South Africa. They should not talk about those people out there, but must be part and parcel of South Africa.
Please come tonight and let us sit down …
… sihlale phantsi simamele oomama bethu into abayithethayo, phaya eGuguletu namhlanje, ukuze sikwazi ukwakha ingomso labantu bakowethu, ukuze sikwazi ukuthetha sive kakuhle, kubo kanye, okokuba yintoni na ebadlayo ezintliziyweni.
Ikhutshiwe ingxelo. Kufuneka sisebenzisane senzele ukuba laa nto eyenzekileyo nale esaqhubekayo ingaphindi yenzeke. Nangamso. (Translation of Xhosa paragraphs follows.)
[… and hear what our mothers in Guguletu have to say today so that we can build a future for our people, and hear directly from them what it is that is troubling them.
A report has been compiled. We must work together so that what has happened and what is going on right now does not happen again.]
Debate concluded.
THE SUDDEN ESCALATION OF RURAL VIOLENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA
(Subject for Discussion)
Mnr A J BOTHA: Mevrou die Speaker, hierdie historiese debat, wat gesamentlik aangevra is deur die opposisiepartye, weerspieël die rou waarin ons land verkeer na die skielike opwelling van plaasgeweld verlede week. Hierdie bewonderenswaardige samewerking van die opposisie moet ook ‘n kragtige boodskap uitstuur aan die Regering en aan die Minister van Veiligheid en Sekuriteit. Daardie boodskap is dat die mense moeg is vir leë beloftes en vrotsige regering, en dat hulle kwaad is. Hulle is inteendeel woedend, omdat hulle nêrens meer beskerm word nie.
Die polisie word gebruik om al die hoëlui van die ANC-regering te omring met oordrewe veiligheid en sekuriteit, terwyl ons mense in hulle duisende vermoor word op hulle plase, in hulle huise, in die strate en op die paaie, omdat hierdie Regering sy werk nie doen nie. [Tussenwerpsels.] In Suid- Afrika word boere vier maal meer vermoor as die gemiddelde Suid-Afrikaner. Ons kan nie duld om verder te luister na gekke kletsery van kwansuise redes waarom dit so is nie. Selfs die agb Tshwete het in Marikana erken dat dit nêrens in die wêreld so is nie, selfs nie nou in Zimbabwe nie.
Op hierdie oomblik, terwyl ons praat, is ‘n boer daar twee maal veiliger as ‘n boer hier by ons. As dit ons nie laat dink nie, dan weet ek waaragtig nie wat ons sal laat dink nie. Dit kan nie so voortgaan nie. Slaan jy voortdurend aan ‘n mens, of ‘n groep mense, dan begin hy om terug te slaan. Dit het alreeds op verskeie plekke in ons land gebeur, waar die publiek in magtelose woede die reg in hulle eie hand geneem het. Dit is die onaanvaarbare pad van anargie waar onskuldige mense dikwels geteiken word.
Boonop het dit nou aan die lig gekom, in ‘n gesaghebbende Markinor-opname, dat alreeds twee derdes van boere meen dat hulle eie reg sal moet gebruik om hulself te beskerm, aangesien die owerheid sy plig versuim. Besef die Regering die skrikwekkende implikasie hiervan? (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr A J BOTHA: Madam Speaker, this historic debate, which was jointly requested by the opposition parties, reflects the state of mourning in which our country finds itself after the sudden upsurge in farm violence last week. This admirable co-operation of the opposition should also send a powerful message to the Government and to the Minister of Safety and Security. That message is that the people are tired of empty promises and an incompetent Government, and that they are angry. On the contrary, they are outraged, because they are not being protected anywhere any longer. The police are used to surround all the VIPs from the ANC Government with excessive safety and security, while our people, in their thousands, are being murdered on their farms, in their houses, in the streets and on the roads, because this Government is not doing its work. [Interjections.] In South Africa four times more farmers are murdered than the average South African. We can no longer tolerate listening to the ridiculars reasons being advanced as to why this is the case. Even the hon Tshwete admitted in Marikana that it is not like this anywhere in the world, not even in Zimbabwe now.
At this moment, while we are speaking, a farmer there is twice as safe as a farmer here. If this does not make us think then I really do not know what will make us think. Things cannot continue in this vein. If one continuously hits out at a person, or a group of people, eventually they will start to hit back. This has already happened in various places in our country where the public, in powerless anger, has taken the law into their own hands. This is the unacceptable road of anarchy where innocent people are often targeted.
Moreover, it has now come to light that, in an authoritative Markinor survey, two thirds of farmers are already of the opinion that they will have to take the law into their own hands to protect themselves since the government is neglecting to do so. Does the Government realise the frightening implications of this?]
In Marikana the hon the Minister announced an excellent plan of action and the necessary funding and manpower would be made available to combat these attacks. We praise him for that. The hon the Minister will, however, admit that we have heard of many such plans over the years, with pretty few results. This is so, because safety and security are not achieved with words, but with respect and discipline, respect for the rights of others and the discipline to enforce it. This is the discipline we have in those policemen and specialist units that do their duty.
Hobbled as they are, the murder and robbery squads of the platteland [rural areas] achieve remarkable results in a very short time too. Often they succeed in apprehending suspects within 36 hours of the crime having been committed. We praise and thank them for this. This, however, does not prevent the murders. For that we need respect for the rights of others. In order to achieve this respect, we need to change the climate in which farmers find themselves.
Farmers and their families live in a very hostile climate, for which the ANC is directly responsible. There are too many examples of hate speech when they besmirch farmers in general. Is it therefore any surprise that the farming community has become the target of violence and vengeance? The answer to the question of what can be done about this seems to be very simple. Cease this vicious campaign to start with. Stop spreading falsehoods about these people, whom the hon the Minister has identified as the backbone of the country, which, indeed, they are.
Much as we appreciate the conciliatory stance by the hon the Minister and a few like him, it is of little use when the rest of the ANC, with the President’s Office in the lead, encourage all and sundry to hate white farmers on account of their alleged racist misdemanours. The hon the Minister must convince all his collegues to spread his message of conciliation wherever they may go. They must stop claiming that farmers block the path of conciliation. They should stop saying that they are racist and that they wish to scupper restitution and land reform. This is simply not true.
Only a few isolated individuals are not keen to assist the disadvantaged in achieving success in a prosperous economy. In fact the Markinor poll already indicates that eight out of every ten farmers are committed to assisting new black farmers to achieve success. There is much more information in that report which will be of use to the Government. My advice to ANC members is to go out and buy the Landbou Weekblad this week, so that they may learn something useful about attitudes in agriculture. [Interjections.]
The SPEAKER: Order!
Mr R P Z VAN DEN HEEVER: Madam Speaker, on a point of order: Is it in order for the hon member at the podium to suggest in so many words that the Office of the President is in the lead in terms of inciting violence against farmers? I do not remember the exact words, but it was something to that effect.
The SPEAKER: Order! I will have a look at this, but if it is an allegation against a department rather than an individual, it might be in order. I will look at the Hansard and rule on it tomorrow.
Dr W A ODENDAAL: [Inaudible.]
Mr A J BOTHA: If members of the ANC read the newspaper, they can then convey what they have learned to the public at large and contribute something useful to agriculture for a change.
But we need to look far wider than just the farming community in order to seek solutions to this wave of violence. This debate of the combined opposition is a case in point. While we agree to differ on points of policy, we believe in uniting all South Africans in loyalty to one South Africa for all its people. We invite the ANC Government to join us in this.
They should stop talking of two nations and how disloyal South African nonblacks are. We allegedly display this disloyalty by conspiring with other nonblacks in the rest of the world against our own Government. We allegedly do so because we believe that blacks cannot govern. This is not so. The greatest hero of everybody in this House and, indeed, in this country is Madiba. The last time I looked he appeared to be a black man. What we do believe is that the inner circle with which the hon the President has surrounded himself are a sorry lot and what they look like is of no consequence.
South Africans also believe that the ANC is in collision with its own supporters and the people of this country. They no longer believe them. They do not care one iota about the ANC’s obsession with race. They do not care about the colour of delivery, as long as they get more safety, employment and some hope for a prosperous future for their children. They wonder about the hon the President’s refrain of a better life for all because they question whom he is talking about. Is it the inner circle of the ANC, since they are surely the only ones visibly tasting the sweet fruits of a better life.
Hierdie soete vrugte kan hulle proe, want Suid-Afrika is een van die min lande ter wêreld wat genoeg kos produseer vir sy eie mense en net een van sewe in die wêreld wat voedsel uitvoer. Op die vasteland van Afrika is ons nou, nà die ramp in Zimbabwe, die enigste een wat hom op hierdie prestasie kan roem. Die rede waarom ons so goed presteer, is die plaaslike kundigheid en die vernuf om mededingend te kan produseer. Hierdie kundigheid of ``native intelligence’’ soos die Engelsman sal sê, is oor baie geslagte opgebou, maar dit kan net soos ‘n veld vinnig in ‘n brand vernietig word, indien die geweld onverstoord voortgaan.
Onsekerheid en onveiligheid sal die vertroue wat benodig word om ons produksievermoë te behou, so ondermyn dat ons soos ‘n sinkgat ineen sal stort. As dit gebeur, sal daar hongersnood in hierdie land wees soos waarvan ons in die Bybel lees, want waarmee sal ons dan die kos koop wat ons benodig van elders?
Ek wil vandag ‘n beroep doen op al die boere van al die politieke partye in hierdie Huis, maar ook op ander met ‘n direkte belang in landbou: Kom ons vorm hier oor allegrense heen ‘n forum waar ons koppe bymekaar kan sit om ons families en kollegas daar buite te beskerm. Kom laat ons saam met professionele mense, en andere, elke moontlikheid ondersoek om die platteland weer in ere te herstel. Dit is ons eie kinders, ouers, broers, susters en vriende wat daar buite ly en sterf. Kom laat ons saamstaan en hulle beskerm. Kom laat ons verenig as een Suid-Afrikaanse nasie onder ons eie trotse Suid-Afrikaanse vlag vir die beswil van ons almal. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[They can taste these sweet fruits because South Africa is one of the few countries in the world which produces enough food for its own people and only one of seven in the world which exports foodstuffs. On the African continent we are now, after the Zimbabwean disaster, the only country that can pride itself on this achievement. The reason we are doing so well, is the local skill and expertise to be able to produce competitively. This expertise or “native intelligence” as the English say, has been built up over many generations, but it can also be destroyed as quickly as a veld is by a fire if the violence continues undisturbed.
Uncertainty and insecurity will undermine the confidence which we need to retain our production ability to such an extent that we will collapse like a sinkhole. If this happens we will experience famine, the like of which we read about in the Bible, because what will we then use to buy the food we need elsewhere?
Today I want to make an appeal to all the farmers of all the political parties in this House, but also to those with a direct interest in agriculture: Let us form a forum here across all barriers where we can put our heads together in order to protect our families and colleagues out there. Come, let us, together with professional people and others, investigate every possibility to restore the rural areas to their former glory. Our own children, parents, brothers, sisters and friends are the ones who are suffering and dying out there. Come, let us stand together and protect them. Come, let us unite as one South African nation under our own proud South African flag for our own good. [Applause.]]
Mr J H MOMBERG: Madam Speaker, on point of order: When you were ruling on Mr Van den Heever’s point of order, while you were speaking and saying that if it was aimed at a department it could be okay, the hon Mr Odendaal interjected and said: ``It is the whole ANC leadership.’’ I do not think that that is correct.
The SPEAKER: Order! Hon member, are you saying that that was out of order?
Mr J H MOMBERG: Yes, Madam.
The SPEAKER: I will look at that as well.
Mr M E GEORGE: Madam Speaker, Deputy President and members of Parliament, allow me to open my speech on this debate by expressing my utter disgust at the high level of opportunism of the DP.
On 26 March we all agreed in the portfolio committee meeting that the issue of police killings and farm killings should be thoroughly debated by the portfolio committee on 4 April, where the Minister of Safety and Security would also make an input. The discussion would look for causes and solutions, instead of political statements being made. We said that once we had agreed on the way forward, somebody could request a debate in the Chamber. I see now, on this Order Paper, that most parties were misled by the DP, except the IFP. The reason for that is that most parties believed at the time that the issue of crime was a very serious matter. It is very clear why the DP decided to take this route. They wanted to politicise this issue again, attack the Government and create an impression that this country is taking the route of Zimbabwe. I must emphasise again that crime must not be used for cheap political point-scoring. The killing of farmers, farmworkers and rural people is a matter of great concern to us. However, I must also add that no amount of lamenting and apportioning blame is going to solve the problem. We must look for a solution. If we can put our heads together, as a nation, we will find a solution, as we have proved to the whole world that we are a very capable nation. The loss of life in South Africa - whether through violence against the police, farmers, farmworkers, taxi operators or councillors - remains high and unacceptable. We must do something about it.
When we say that something must be done, we do not mean that nothing is being done, as the previous speaker sought to imply. The President recently met Agri SA, where the concerns of farmers were thoroughly discussed. However, we must also admit that there are no easy answers to the questions: Who is killing the farmers? Is it just plain criminals who kill with the sole intention of robbing? Is it former employees of the farmers who were either unfairly dismissed or ill-treated, who are now taking reveng? Is the aim to rob farmers of their firearms? Are our farms secure enough to deter would-be attackers or robbers? The relationship between the farmers and their employees must be drastically improved, and the major responsibility in this respect lies with the farmers themselves. If relations are good, farmworkers will be able to report any suspicious person on a farm and may even be prepared to defend the farmer, as it has happened on some farms.
The Minister of Safety and Security recently visited farmers to inform them that the Government is doing everything to stop these senseless killings. The priority committee on rural safety, representatives of various Government role-players such as the SAPS, SANDF, Departments of Justice, Land Affairs and Agriculture, and organised agriculture, have recently been giving serious attention to farm attacks and the rural protection plan. As a result, an eight-person task team has been formed to visit provinces. A committee of inquiry into farm attacks, comprising seven members, has been formed to look at motives and factors behind farm attacks.
In conclusion, I wish to say that the assertion that there has been a recent escalation in rural violence is very difficult to understand. I do not even know the basis of the ascertion. However, what I have in front of me is clear evidence from the department that there has been a decrease in attacks on farms and smallholdings.
Dr W A ODENDAAL: Where did you get those statistics?
Mr M E GEORGE: We are not talking about statistics, we are talking about what is happening in the country. What I have in front of me, as I said, shows that the assertion that there has been an increase is ill-informed. However, I must say that even that does not mean that we are saying that the killings are acceptable. We are doing something about it, and we must do something about it.
Lastly, I want to say that the approach of the DP, namely that farm killings or crime only occur in this country when whites are killed, is unfortunate. We do not want to put a racial connotation on crime. Every life in South Africa is important - whether it is a white farmer, a black person in the Northern Province or anywhere in the country. What we must do as responsible citizens, if there are any responsible citizens on that side of the House, is put our heads together to fight crime. We must stop using crime for cheap politicking. [Interjections.] If we do that, we will be able to do what is right. We have the potential in this country. We have proved that to the world. Let us put our heads together. The police are doing their work. Let us encourage them and give them support, instead of coming here to lament and blame everybody for what is happening in the country. [Applause.]
Mr V B NDLOVU: Madam Speaker and honourable House, the killing of anybody with or without a reason is not acceptable at all. The killing of innocent citizens especially is outrageous. There are a number of farmers who have been killed, a number of farm occupants who have been killed and a number of law-abiding police officers who have been killed for no apparent reason, but merely because they are the police enforcing the law.
All these killings, no matter how many extenuating circumstances these might be, are not acceptable at all. To take the life of any person is a crime, and for every crime that has been committed there should be a prosecution. If the state is not doing all it can to apprehend the criminals, the people will always conclude that the state is not prepared to protect innocent citizens at all. [Interjections.]
The work of the police is to protect the citizens of this country without fail. If the police are failing, the state has to find the reasons for that failure and deal accordingly with those reasons as a matter of urgency, be it working hours, salaries, shortage of vehicles or materials, etc.
While the state is looking for a way to redress the problems by assisting the police to arrest the criminals and enabling them to execute their duties diligently, we, the law-abiding citizens of this country, should help the police in their investigations. Let us report what we know about crime. Let us tell the police who did what, where, when and how. Let us isolate the criminals from innocent people and let us identify them at once.
Lastly, I would like to appeal to the people to respect human life. Let us all respect one another as human beings. Let us value human dignity and thus uphold the rule of law and basic human rights. The beginning of the 1980s did not have an impact on human dignity, when we were all fighting for our liberation. Respect for human life was rejected as something to be destroyed if needs be, which actually happened. There are other organisations and formations that condoned the killing of people. I think those conditions should be reversed now.
People must own up, too, and transform their belief system, because these wrong policies have an impact on what is going on today. Let those people who regard the police as stumbling blocks to their achieving their objectives, stop killing the police or stop regarding them as oppressive persons. The police are there to ensure the security of citizens and to uphold the rule of law. Let those people who regard farmers as stumbling blocks to land acquisition, restitution and reform stop killing farmers, because land cannot be and will not be allocated through illegal means.
Kill the boer, kill the farmer'' is a bad slogan. People must reject it.
It is inhuman and obsolete.One settler, one bullet’’ is also inhuman and
obsolete. Let us reject it in toto. Those who kill farm tenants, because
they think they are a threat to them in the land reform programme, should
cease doing so, as they share common values within the farming environment
and the farming community. Let us all love one another and let us all stop
killing one another like animals. We are human beings. [Applause.]
Adv A H GAUM: Madam Speaker, there is a crisis in the rural areas of South Africa. It is not just diseases like cholera and foot-and-mouth disease that have had devastating effects, the greatest crisis is the crisis of security. The recent spate of attacks and the more than 800 reported attacks on farms last year clearly show that rural safety is deteriorating rapidly in this country.
Nearly half of the people of South Africa live in rural areas, which constitute a vital source of income and livelihood to millions of South Africans. The welfare and safety of the population should be the main concern of the Government. Instead we have a Minister of Defence who, when interviewed by the BBC, refused to accept that South Africa’s crime figures were the highest in the world, refused to admit that there had been increased violence that was not there before and refused to accept any responsibility.
The facts are that in 1997 there were 433 attacks and in 2000 more than 800 attacks on farms. Clearly this figure is rising and attacks are more violent as many of them result in murder. This is the reality.
However, instead of fulfilling their most basic duty to protect farmers and farmworkers, this Government continues to place emphasis on race, fails to condemn farm invasions in Zimbabwe and propagates intolerance. Minister Mdladlana has said that “farmers should adapt or die”. The land rights co- ordinator Andile Mngxithama has accused white farmers of waging a campaign of terror against farmworkers; and Minister Kader Asmal had to be repudiated by Dr Allan Boesak for attacking Christians.
It is alarming that Minister Tshwete has apparently only been driven to action by agricultural unions threating that they will take the law into their own hands if the Government cannot protect them. A Markinor survey reveals that only 3% of farmers believe that the Government is doing its best to address farm attacks. It is unacceptable that law-abiding citizens have to become desperate for protection before this Government is willing to listen to their justified calls for action and delivery.
It has been alleged for some time that some farm attacks are politically motivated or at least part of an organised campaign. The fact that this appears to be backed up by a training video on farm attacks should be followed up urgently by the independent committee set up by the Minister to investigate the motives behind farm attacks. If the video is evidence of an organised campaign, it should be referred to the organised crime unit for thorough and immediate investigation prior to the July deadline for the committee’s report. The committee should also investigate the extent to which the Government’s delay in finalising land claims, the farm invasions in Zimbabwe, the high prevalence of illegal firearms and hate speech like hon Mokaba’s slogan “kill the boer, kill the farmer” have, each influenced farm attacks.
However, the Minister cannot cool his heels and wait until this investigation has been completed. Numerous investigations have already identified glaring shortcomings in his Rural Protection Plan, such as the state’s lack of detectives and intelligence capabilities, and the security forces which rarely obtain advance warnings of such attacks. Moreover, once the perpetrators have disappeared, the detective service frequently lacks the resources and capacity to arrest the culprits. This needs urgent attention.
It is of critical importance that farmworkers are actively involved in the security structures. Minister Tshwete’s promise to increasingly involve farmworkers as police reservists and to train 30 000 new reservists should therefore be a top priority. Farmers should be encouraged to improve their security by being allowed tax rebates on security-related expenses.
However, clearly more needs to be done by the Minister. More needs to be done by the Government, and the Minister of Defence would be better advised to defend and protect the people of this country than to defend the image of the Government on television. The SAPS on its own does not seem to have the capacity.
Focused and regular high-intensity operations in certain areas must be in place. The conditions in our rural areas are becoming so horrific that it may very well be time to call for a state of emergency in those areas that have been worst hit. The SADF must now be called in to support the SAPS and to secure the rural areas of this country.
Die gevaarligte flikker as ‘n land se mense begin glo hul lewens word daagliks bedreig en hulle word weerloos gelaat. Suid-Afrikaners eis optrede deur die Regering, en die DA ondersteun hierdie eis. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[The warning lights are flashing when a country’s people are start to believe that their lives are being threatened daily and that they are being left defenceless. South Africans are calling for Government intervention and the DA supports this demand. [Applause.]]
Moh M A MOLEBATSI: Mme Modulasetilo, Motlatsa-Moporesidente le maloko a a tlotlegang a Ntlo eno, setlhogo sa ngangisano e e fa pele ga rona gompieno sa re ``The sudden escalation of rural violence in South Africa.’’
Moporesidente wa ANC yo gape e leng Moporesidente wa naga ya Aforika Borwa, Comrade Thabo Mbeki, fa a ne a bua ka 8 Ferikgong ngwaga ona o, o rile, ke a mo nopola:
The people-centred society we seek to build throughout our continent requires, among other things, that we should aim to ensure that every single African, regardless of age, gender, class, race, ethnicity, or belief should live in conditions of freedom, dignity and in the absence of fear.
Mokgotlo wa ANC o kgatlhanong le dipolao tsa batho botlhe mo nageng ka kakaretso. Dintsho ga di tlhoke dipalopalo gore di bonagale. Dintsho tsa batho bagaabo rona e ka nna tse pedi, lekgolo kgotsa tse di sekete, ga di batlege mme ke ka moo ANC e yang go kampana le babolai.
Mo Disontageng di se mmaalwa tse di fetileng re bone Tona Steve Tshwete a tsaya matsapa ka go etela mafelo a Bokone Bophirima mo balemi ba basweu ba bolailweng bosetlhogo. A bo gape a fetele kwa porofenseng ya Bokone kwa banna ba Noordelik Rugby Klub ba le robedi ba bolaileng moswa e bong Tshepo Matloga ba bo ba mo latlhela mo letamong la Sabie ba gopola fa a tlaa jewa ke dikwena. Mo puong ya gagwe, Motlotlegi Steve Tshwete o nyaditse ka bogale ditiragalo tse tsa bogatlapa.
Lefapha la Tshireletso le Pabalesego le mametleletse diporojeke tsa National Crime Prevention Strategy ka ngwaga wa 1995 e e nang le dipilara di le nne tsa go lwantsha bosenyi. Dipilara tse, ke a di nopola, ya ntlha ke criminal justice, ya bobedi ke environmental design, ya boraro ke public values and education, mme ya bone ke transnational crime.
Re tshwanetse ra sekaseka le go tiisa tshwaragano ya tirisano ya foramo ya sepodisi sa semorafe le sepodisi. Re oketse kgolagano ya diporojeke tse di 600 tse di setseng di le teng tirisong e ya tshwaraganelo.
Fa re bua ka polao ya batho ba gaabo rona re tshwanetse ra tshwaranaga. Kgetse ya tsie e kgonwa ka go tshwaraganelwa mme e bile ditau di senang seboka di siiwa ke nong e tlhotsa. Mo ngwageng o o hulereng Palamente e e fetisitse molao wa taolo ta dithunya, e bong Firearms Control Bill, go leka gape go fokotsa kelo ya dithunya tse dintsi tse di seng ka fa molaong.
Mokgatlho wa ANC o tshwenyegile tota ka dipolao tsa batho botlhe fela kwa magaeng, metseng setoropong, ditimeleng, ditekising, tota le mo kgothosong ya dirori, pogiso mo malapeng go bomme le bana. Fela setlhogo se re lopa go bua ka dintsho mo metseng ya selegae, ga ke itse gore lebaka e le eng.
Baagi le badiri ba metse ya selegae le bathapi ba kwa teng botlhe ba a itse gore ga se botlhe ba ba sa saimang, mme bontsi bona bona bo siame e bile ba tshegetsa le Molaotheo wa naga fa o re, ke a nopola:
Botlhe ba tla lekana fa pele ga molao.
Re dira boikuelo re ntse re laletsa mekgatlho e mengwe go tshwaraganya matsogo le mokgatlho wa ANC ka go tokafatsa matshelo a batho ba rona. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[Ms M A MOLEBATSI: Madam Speaker, Deputy President and hon members of this House, the topic which is before us today is: ``The sudden escalation of rural violence in South Africa.’’
The ANC President, who is also the President of our country, Comrade Thabo Mbeki, when speaking on 8 January, said, and I quote:
The people-centred society we seek to build throughout our continent requires, among other things, that we should aim to ensure that every single African, regardless of age, gender, class, race, ethnicity, or belief should live in conditions of freedom, dignity and in the absence of fear.
The ANC is against the killing of any of the people of our country in general. It does not take statistics to get murder recognised. The killing of our people, whether it be 2, 100 or even 1 000, is not acceptable, that is why the ANC is going to deal thoroughly with this.
In the past few weeks we have seen Minister Steve Tshwete visiting some areas in the North West, where white farmers were brutally murdered. He also visited the Northern Province, where eight members of the Noordelikes Rugby Club murdered a youth, Tshepo Matloga, and threw his body into the Sabi River, thinking that he would be eaten by crocodiles. In his speech, the hon Steve Tshwete criticised this cowardly action in strong terms.
In 1995 the Department of Safety and Security amended the National Crime Prevention Strategy, which has four pillars, to fight against crime. The first pillar is criminal justice, the second is environmental design, the third is public values and education and the fourth is transnational crime.
We have to review and enhance co-operation between community policing forums and the police. We have to increase the connection between the 600 projects which are currently in operation.
When we speak about the killing of our people we have to unite. United we stand, divided we fall. Last year Parliament passed the Firearms Control Bill to try to reduce the number of unlicensed firearms.
The ANC is extremely concerned about the killing of our people in rural and urban areas, trains, minibus taxis and even vehicle hijackings. It also condemns domestic violence against women and children. But, today’s topic allows us to talk only about killing in rural areas, and I do not understand why.
Residents and employers in rural areas know that not all the people are perpetrators. Most of them are very good people who also support our Constitution when it says, and I quote: All will be equal before the law.
We appeal to and at the same time invite other parties to join hands with the ANC to make our people’s lives better.]
The highly charged issue of rural violence has again come under the spotlight with the recent attacks on and killing of white farmers and black youths in the Northern Province. However, it is important to note that the term ``rural violence’’ does not single out farm attacks only. It encompasses a wider definition of violent incidents, such as theft of livestock, robbery and assault. However, the issue of farm murders remains a national issue and needs a partnership to address it.
This state of affairs results in the deprivation of rights and being deprived of their regards people in the rural areas dignity and poses a threat to the peaceful resolution of differences and rightful participation in all democratic processes. It is also important to recognise that there is no single cause of crime in rural violence. The search for a single cause will merely lead to a simplistic and therefore ineffective solution. A recent research project by the Institute of Human Rights and Criminal Justice on farm attacks, for example, found that the motive for over 90% of these attacks was robbery; only 6% of the offenders claimed they were seeking revenge against the farmers, and the remaining 4% were unsure of the reasons for their participation. The study was undertaken by interviewing 60 … [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mnr S ABRAM: Mevrou die Speaker, ek wil net vir my agb vriend daar sê in plaas daarvan om te loof, is ek bitter teleurgesteld met die toespraak van die agb lid Botha, ‘n medeboer, en so ook met die toespraak van die agb lid Gaum.
‘n Mens kan nie met sulke toesprake oplossings vind nie. Ongelukkig vererger ons net die situasie, maar die agb lede het natuurlik seker vir die galery gepraat. Ongelukkig is daar niemand hier nie en daar is ook nie ‘n spitstyd TV-uitsending nie. Hulle is dus nie daar buite gehoor nie en het hul asem gemors. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr S ABRAM: Madam Speaker, I just want to say to my hon friend over there that instead of praising, I am bitterly disappointed with the speech of the hon member Botha, a fellow-farmer, and the same holds true for the speech of the hon member Gaum.
One cannot find solutions with speeches such as these. Unfortunately we are only exacerbating the situation, but of course the hon members were probably speaking for the gallery. Unfortunately there is nobody here and there is no prime time television broadcast either. They were therefore not heard outside and have wasted their breath.]
I wish to congratulate the hon Minister of Safety and Security on his visit last week to the bereaved families of the member of the SAPS, farmers and the innocent youth in the Northern Province who were robbed off their right to live, and trust that these are small steps towards the great challenge of … nation-building which awaits us.
We also salute all the people of Elliot in the Eastern Cape, who stood in solidarity against perpetrators at the magistrate’s court following farm killings there. We extend our condolences to all victims of wrongdoing in their darkest hour, irrespective of who the perpetrators were. We also congratulate the police, who have indicated by their swift actions that they are now organised and can arrest killers.
Many of my colleagues here this afternoon have focused on the farm-related matters of security and labour practices. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the fact that rural areas have unique underlying socioeconomic factors that lie at the root of the incidents of violence in the rural areas. Allow me, though, this one comment regarding the reported views of the Transvaal Agricultural Union in respect of hon Minister Tshwete’s suggestion that people on farms should be trained to be police reservists.
Daar word beweer dat die Transvaalse Landbou-unie eintlik teen hierdie plan gekant is en dat sy lede glo dit sou eintlik beteken dat boere in huisarres geplaas word. Dit is ‘n klug. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[It is alleged that the Transvaal Agricultural Union is actually opposed to this plan and that its members believe it would mean that farmers would effectively be under house arrest. This is farcical.]
This is a nonsensical stance. We want to urge the union to come out of their closet and become part of this South Africa by accepting that they should refrain from kneejerk reactions, especially when it comes to efforts aimed specifically at addressing concerns that they have been raising all along.
Firstly, there is also the impact of urbanisation over several decades, combined with a large male migrant labour force. This factor contributes directly to the unravelling of the socioeconomic fabric in rural areas. Secondly, we must never underestimate the level of social ills, such as alcoholism, sexual abuse and child labour, in the rural areas. With the social and family structures unravelling over many decades, ample scope has been left for these social ills to breed and escalate. Rural areas are often cut off from the administrative reach of Government and therefore basic rights to safety and justice cannot be exercised.
The truth of the matter is that many rural areas are cut off from society at large. Lack of infrastructure and facilities conspire to break down the foundations of rural societies. To give just one example, due to a lack of road and transport infrastructure, children have to walk long distances to school, often arriving late and always arriving exhausted, before their school day has even started. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mr A J BOTHA: Madam Speaker, on a point of order: Would the hon Abram please repeat what he said as he walked past here. That was a most unparliamentary remark.
The SPEAKER: Order! Hon member, I am not going to ask anybody to repeat anything. If you have a point of order about something, you have to say what it is.
Mr A J BOTHA: Madam Speaker, with due respect to you and the House, I am not prepared to repeat, the dirty word he used to describe what I was saying.
The SPEAKER: Order! You may actually put your complaint in writing if you wish, but we cannot ask people to repeat anything.
Mr A J BOTHA: I will put my complaint in writing.
Rev K R J MESHOE: Madam Speaker, the ACDP endorses the remarks made by the Minister of Safety and Security, Steve Tshwete, at Marikana last Thursday when he said that farmers are the backbone of the economy and must be protected. To reassure the concerned and mourning farming community, he continued:
Do not lose hope, we are going to make it right. I am not going to let you down. I will do everything in my power to ensure that you are safe and can go on with your lives.
These promises are truly reassuring, and we hope that the Minister will keep them.
However, the ACDP disagrees with the Minister’s call to the farming community to identify residents from each farm to be trained as reservists. We actually want to warn the farmers against doing this. Government must rather use the money they have for this purpose to hire more policemen to concentrate on policing farms and their environs. Training 30 000 reservists cannot, and should not, replace visible police patrols in the farming areas. It is the fundamental responsibility of Government to protect its citizens, and this must be demanded by all, including farmers who are now being targeted by criminals. Farmers and their workers must concentrate on producing food instead of patrolling their areas. Patrolling should be done by the police, and Government must ensure that that happens.
There is a general belief that these attacks on and murders of farmers are not just criminal, but that they are political. It is possible that this is an orchestrated effort to intimidate farmers into leaving their land. That is why the farming community is calling on President Mbeki to publicly and repeatedly condemn farm attacks and murders. President Mugabe did not do that in Zimbabwe, but we expect President Mbeki to do that in this country.
The ACDP is calling for an independent commission of inquiry comprising the police, representatives of the farmers, and, if possible, international experts, to look into, among other things, allegations that people are being hired to kill white farmers. One wounded man, who was caught after a shootout in Greylingstad confessed to having been hired. It is said that this man had been a security guard and was trained in the use of weapons. It must be established who hired this man if this is true. This inquiry should also look into the existence of a group named Blackjack that, we are told, have a plan to kill all farmers. Allegations of a document and video on training people how to carry out farm attacks and murders must also be investigated. Instead of those not targeted denying such allegations, a representative commission of inquiry must look into this matter. This will help to allay the fears of the farming community.
Our farmers are feeding the nation and must be protected. They must be reassured that they have the right to own farms and the right to occupy them without fear of attack, or intimidation. They must be assured that they have an important role to play in our new democratic dispensation and that South Africa needs them. The collapse of our agricultural sector would be the final blow to our ailing economy.
This country should not be allowed to become like other African countries that are no longer able to feed themselves because their economies and agricultural sectors have collapsed. The collapse of law and order always precedes the collapse of the economy in a country. We call on Government to change their plan of action before it is too late. It is a fact that law and order is fast collapsing in this country and that the rule of law is not being taken seriously by some elements in our society.
The fight against crime will not be won until criminals fear punishment and imprisonment. The Minister has issued enough threats. Now is the time to show the public that he means what he says when he threatens to crush murderers, terrorists and all those involved in organised crime. He has assured the farming community that he will not let them down and that he will ensure that they are safe and can go on with their lives. The ACDP wishes to see that happen because we love, value and appreciate all our farmers and their workers. [Applause.]
Dr P W A MULDER: Mev die Speaker, misdaad in Suid Afrika is besig om buite beheer te raak. Swartmense word in Soweto doodgemaak en witmense in Waterkloof. Niemand kan dit goedkeur nie en misdaad is nie net swart of wit, soos sommige beweer nie.
Die vraag is wel: Waarom praat ons vandag dan oor geweld op die platteland, en spesifiek oor plaasmoorde? Ek sê dit is omdat ons hier met iets erger as gewone misdaad te doen het. Kom ek gee net ‘n syfer. Die wêreldsyfer vir moord is soos volg, 5 uit elke 100 000 mense word vermoor. In Amerika is die syfer hoër. Dit is 6 uit elke 100 000. In Suid-Afrika, as daar na die boeremoorde gekyk word, word meer as 250 boere uit elke 100 000 vermoor. Duidelik is hier iets totaal anders as die normale patroon en daarom is hierdie debat anders as die misdaaddebat wat ons nog baie keer moet voer om orals misdaad te bekamp.
Hierdie probleme het daarom spesiale aandag nodig. As my inligting reg is, het die Regering ongeveer R150 miljoen bestee om die Pagadbomveldtog in die Kaap te stop. Soortgelyke bedrae is bestee om die onrus in KwaZulu-Natal, veral nà die Nkabinde-geval, op te los. Hierdie probleem is, myns insiens, net so erg en verg dieselfde spesiale optrede. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Dr P W A MULDER: Madam Speaker, crime in South Africa is getting out of control. Black people are being murdered in Soweto and white people in Waterkloof. Nobody can condone this and crime is not merely black or white, as some people allege.
The question is: Why are we then talking about violence in rural areas today, and specifically about farm murders? I say it is because we are dealing here with something far more serious than common crime. Allow me to quote a figure. The global murder rate is that 5 out of every 100 000 people are murdered. In America the figure is higher. It is 6 out of every 100 000. If we look at the murder of farmers in South Africa, more than 250 farmers out of every 100 000 are murdered. Clearly this is something totally different to the normal pattern and that is why this debate is different to the crime debate which we are going to have to hold many more times in order to combat crime everywhere.
These problems therefore require special attention. If my information is correct, the Government spent approximately R150 million to stop the Pagad bombing campaign in the Cape. Similar amounts have been spent to stop the unrest in KwaZulu- Natal, particularly following the Nkabinde incident. In my opinion this problem is just as serious and requires the same special action.]
Listening to some of the speeches here today, it seems that the farmers are the villains, and the criminals the victims. The reality is that white farmers are currently the victims of farm attacks by black criminals. It is impossible to calculate the effect of these facts on black-white relations and on the polarisation on racial grounds in South Africa. We really cannot afford that. When white farmers are portrayed as the villains, it is the same line of argument as that used by supporters of the Nazis who claimed that Jews deserved their fate because they were exploiting the Germans.
The current spate of killings visited upon farmers has nothing to do with any employer-employee relationship, as the killers are usually complete strangers motivated by something else. According to the third quarter SA Police Service report of 1998, in 88% of farm attacks there was no connection between the victim and the attackers.
Die SA Polisiediens se derde kwartaalverslag van 1998 dui aan dat in 88% van die plaasaanvalle daar geen verband was tussen die slagoffer en die verdagtes nie. Die vraag is: Is hierdie dan gewone misdaad? Ek is bevrees ek kan nie sê, ja, dit is, nie. Baie van hierdie moorde is sonder twyfel meer as net misdaad.
Ek kan nie verklaar waarom iemand by mens se huis inbreek en die televisie en, die radio neem en dan tot vier ure lank wag dat die boer moet terugkeer huis toe om hom te vermoor en daarna vertrek nie. ‘n Gewone misdadiger is te dankbaar as hy inbreek en die mense is nie tuis nie, want dan neem hy die televisie en hy gee so vinnig as moontlik pad.
As verder na die wreedheid van die moorde gekyk word, is dit nie gewone misdaad nie. Hoekom word onskuldige en ongewapende vrouens en kinders so wreed vermoor? Het agb lede al gaan kyk na die toneel van so ‘n plaasaanval met die bloed oor die hele huis versprei? Met boodskappe met ‘n politieke strekking wat in bloed teen die mure geskryf word? Of die dooie boer wie se lyk gelaat word met voorwerpe oor sy oë? Agb lede kan daarna gaan kyk op die Internet.
Nie almal is so nie. Natuurlik is daar misdaad. Natuurlik is daar ook misdaadgevalle, maar dit is die bekommernis. Wat is die oplossing? Ek het ‘n paar sekondes oor.
Genl Viljoen het in sy laaste mosie hier voorgestel, en ek wil tog daaruit lees. Hy sê hy doen ‘n beroep op die Regering, en in die besonder die Minister van Veiligheid en Sekuriteit, om hulle konstitusionele pligte teenoor die boerderygemeenskap na te kom, want sonder veiligheid en sekuriteit ly kosproduksie skade. Voorts moet die Regering versoek word om finansiële hulp en belastingtoegewings aan boere en gemeenskappe te gee ten einde selfbeskerming te finansier.
Ek dink ons moet aanvaar dat die Regering nie in staat is om orals te kan bykom nie. Daarom moet die boere gehelp word om hulself te kan help, asook hulle mense op hul plase, dat hulle self van hulp kan wees. Hulle moet opgelei word en hulle moet geld gegee word daarvoor.
Tans glo die boeregemeenskap dat die Regering nie ernstig is nie. Die Regering sal moet ‘n gebaar maak deur geld te gee, deur gesien te word daar waar hy optree, ten einde die boeregemeenskap te help om dit op te los. As ons Pagad se probleem kon oplos en, KwaZulu-Natal kon rustig kry, dan is dit ook hoog tyd dat ons hierdie probleem oplos. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The SA Police Service’s third quarter report of 1998 indicates that in 88% of farm attacks there was no connection between the victim and the suspects. The question is: Is this then ordinary crime? I am afraid I cannot say, yes, it is. Many of these murders are without doubt more than mere crime.
I cannot explain why someone would break into a house and take the television and the radio and then wait up to four hours for the farmer to return home in order to murder him and then leave. A common criminal is only too grateful if he breaks in and the people are not home, because then he takes the television and leaves as quickly as possible.
If one furthermore considers the cruelty of the murders, this is not common crime. Why are innocent and unarmed women and children murdered so cruelly? Have hon members been to look at the scene of such a farmer attack, with blood spattered throughout the entire house? With political messages written in blood on the walls? Or the dead farmer whose body is left with objects covering his eyes? Hon members can view these things on the Internet.
Not all murders are like this. Of course there is crime. Of course there are also incidents of crime, but that is the concern. What is the solution? I have a few seconds remaining.
In his last motion here Gen Viljoen moved, and I would like to read from it where he says that he appeals to the Government, and in particulars the Minister of Safety and Security, to meet their constitutional obligation towards the farming community, because without safety and security food production will suffer. Furthermore, the Government is be requested to give financial assistance and tax concessions to farmers and the following community to enable them to finance self-protection.
I think we must accept that the Government is not able to reach all areas. For that reason the farmers must be assisted to enable them to help themselves, as well as the people on their farms so that they themselves can render assistance. They must be trained and they must be given money for this purpose.
The farming community currently believes that the Government is not serious. The Government will have to make a gesture by providing money, by being seen to take action, in order to help the farming community to solve the problem. If we could solve Pagad’s problem and achieve peace in KwaZulu- Natal, it is high time that we solved this problem too.]
Mr M A MAZIYA: Madam Speaker, Deputy President and hon members, it is my pleasure to participate in this debate. Any increase in violence in South Africa will always be unacceptable. Therefore, if there is indeed an increase in cases of violence in rural areas, then we as the Government will not accept this. Furthermore, it is equally appropriate that an ANC- led Government shall never be pleased about or accept cases of violence in rural areas or any part of the country, even if it was on the increase or decrease. We strive for a South Africa where there is no violence.
The ANC has throughout its history not always relied on or encouraged violence as a principal strategy, even though at times in our history we faced opponents who utilised all forms of violence against us and our supporters. A case in point was when the apartheid government chose to utilise violence as their chief strategy to crush the ANC. Defiantly, the ANC never advocated wholesale violence. In fact we encouraged our supporters to use peaceful protest, albeit in the face of an increasingly violent regime. All of this illustrates that the ANC will never be a proponent of violence.
More importantly, it is our belief that for violence to be eradicated, underlying reasons for violence first need to be tackled. Furthermore, it is insulting to a victim of violence. We procrastinate, using semantics as to whether there or is not an increase in violence in rural areas. As soon as we hear about farmers and their families who have been attacked in their own homes by thugs, we in the ANC weep with them. When we hear of cases where farmers attempt to poison and kill farmworkers, we also weep. But we would be comprehensively irresponsible if we did not realise that there is not a single block or strata of individuals responsible for acts of violence. Therefore, if we are to be successful, we need to ensure that our solutions do not lose sight of history.
Our projects on transforming the social and economic relations in the country ensure that the direct implementors are the people directly concerned. Let us accept that rural areas by their very nature and manner of business operations have major differences in levels of income. The difference in income between the average farm owner and the average farmworker, is too vast to imagine. Moreover, the social stratification is so rigid that it is impossible for a farmworker to radically alter or improve his or her socioeconomic situation.
The choices are indeed to move to an urban centre, remain in the same position for the rest of one’s life or dramatically improve one’s levels of income by whatever means necessary. The final choice becomes morally more acceptable when the person one wishes to attack is not regarded by oneself as being a good person. In fact, one regards this person as a remarkably cruel individual.
Acts of aggression and violence against farmworkers have less to do with the change of circumstances but more to do with naked racism and a cruel outward expression. As the ANC, we maintain that the majority of farmers and farmworkers are not criminals or racists. Therefore it is our responsibility to ensure that this majority is not allowed to live in a situation where they stand a chance of becoming perpetrators of violence.
It is our strongest belief that the structural formations, such as the agricultural union, need to play a more proactive, constructive and positive role. The agricultural union will play a decisive role in the acceleration of land restitution, the transfer of skills and the eradication of poverty.
In conclusion, the efforts by the Office of the President of the democratic Republic of South Africa, show a clear commitment to fighting rural violence. The ANC views the issue of rural violence in a very serious light. This is within the framework of the National Crime Prevention Strategy. The prevention of rural crime is based on an ongoing programme of action, where the SAPS, SANDF, NIA, justice and correctional services are all active.
However, the Government and the NCPS alone cannot solve the problems of rural violence. The different farming communities and agricultural sectors should also participate in mobilising and sustaining crime-prevention initiatives. [Applause.]
Mr P H K DITSHETELO: Madam Speaker, Deputy President and hon Minister, what kind of society are we in South Africa, if we continue to shed the blood of fellow South Africans? Are we not ashamed when we read bad things in the media about our country’s levels of violence? Are we not sending the wrong message to the outside world that as a nation we are not civilised?
Crime of any nature is unacceptable and therefore cannot be justified. But the rate and magnitude at which murders are committed in our country leaves much to be desired. Many people do not experience any sense of security in their homes, irrespective of their race and colour. We also need to note carefully - as the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Mr Tito Mboweni, has said about parliamentarians - that we should steer clear of irresponsible comments about certain issues affecting our country. We agree with him 100%, as such comments might affect our currency negatively and do not bode well for investors as well. But we need to draw a clear distinction between comments that are constructive and intended to correct undesirable situations, and those that are destructive.
The facts are that farm killings and the murder of innocent people are a reality and have to be stopped if we are to create a safe environment which will be conducive for all South Africas to live in peace, harmony and tranquillity. In turn, this will inspire investor confidence in our country. Therefore, the hon the Minister of Safety and Security must act and give urgent attention to this type of killing and bring this madness to an abrupt end.
Motswana o rile ga leke le lela fela, le abo le utlwile a magalo. Ke eng go twe bangwe baa rekwa go bolaya balemirui? A go tlhotlhomisiwe thata gore sengwe se ka bonwa mme bomenemene ba fokodiwa. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[The elderly have said that the young will always emulate their elders. Why is it being said that some are being hired to kill farmers? Let there be investigations so that corruption can be decreased.]
Agriculture is the backbone of any developing country such as ours. It is therefore imperative that the Government must ensure that the farming community have stability by providing adequate security. Mobile policing and modern communication devices are a must to scare off would-be attackers. Easy access by road to these areas must be improved and maintained regularly. Makopo gaa tshidise pitsa mme le rona are emeng ka dinao re tswarane re itirele. A re iketleleng go bua ka bomorafe, re tsenye mabogo dinameng, re le bana ba mmala wa sebilo, go rene kutlwano, pula ene. Kana fifing go tshwaranwa ka diatla.
Motlotlegi Tona Tshwete a tshware ka thata, ntwa e larile. A eme ka dinao, mme a kgaleme ka lentswe le le tla utlwalang. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[Let us stand on our own feet, unite and work for ourselves. Let us stop talking about racism and work harder as black people and let harmony reign. In times of trouble, we must stand together.
Hon Minister Tshwete must hold on to his seat because the fight is on. He must stand on his feet and issue reprimands in a loud voice.]
Dr S E M PHEKO: Madam Speaker, statistics on the killing of people on farms from various sources, do not give the same figures. But they show that there is an unacceptable loss of life on farms and reveal the gravity of the situation. One source says 1 044 people have been killed on farms since
- Another source states that since 1994, 460 farmers have been killed. Between 1992 and 1997, there were 2 730 attacks on farms. The same source says that the murder figures for mainly white farmers dropped in 2000 to 119 people killed on farms and 804 attacks, from 144 murders and 813 attacks in 1999. These statistics also show that farmers are still being murdered at a rate of one every three days.
According to the SA Institute of Race Relations, 480 farmers and farmworkers were killed between 1997 and 2000. The PAC condemns the killing of farmers and farmworkers, primarily because human life is sacred and the right to life is a fundamental right. Early societies organised governments chiefly to secure the lives of their people. Any government which fails to protect the lives of its own people is a failure.
The PAC has been concerned about killings on the farms because when this happened in 1994, the PAC was suspected. However, we did say at the time that we are not cowards. We have never fought a war in which our purported enemy was not alerted and the cause of that war clearly spelt out. If it were not that so many commissions have been appointed to look at some of the problems in this country but have achieved little or nothing, the PAC would be proposing a commission to investigate the killings of farmers and farmworkers on the farms.
The PAC believes the NIA and other intelligence agencies must be directed to pay special attention to the killing of farmers. No farmers must be killed. No farmworkers must be ill-treated and killed. Their lives are equally sacred. Farmers and farmworkers are important in this country’s economy. Farming is an important industry. If it collapses, there will be massive hunger in the country and crime, which is already endemic, will worsen. Economic development will come to a standstill. Poverty will increase. Foreign investors will be frightened away. Local investors will find it impossible to develop this country without the indispensable modern technology which will be difficult to import or transfer here.
All our dreams of economic development in this country will vanish like mist. Our country will sink into a quagmire of a Third World economy with serious repercussions. The PAC urges that more drastic steps be taken to protect lives on the farms and everywhere else in the country. This includes police. According to the SA Institute of Race Relations 884 police members were killed between 1997 and 1999. If this calls for our army to be involved in fighting crime, let this be done to avoid the consequences of a collapsed economy due to farm security.
The criminal law of this country also needs to be reviewed. At present it protects criminals more than law-abiding citizens. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Miss S RAJBALLY: Madam Speaker … [Interjections.] I would like to remind that hon member that my name is Rajbally.
The MF condemns all forms of violence. It is always interested in the promotion of peace and harmony, with the citizens’ best interests at heart. Rural violence had been an ongoing issue even before South Africa achieved democracy. Yet, it had not been acknowledged. For years, farm labourers had to endure abuse and, torture and were victims of murder.
The apartheid government, with the co-operation of farmers, used farms in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga as mass burial grounds for the freedom fighters. These very crimes have gone unnoticed. Now, with the new democratic Government in power, the assault and murder of these very farmers is gaining widespread media attention and the blame is being shifted to the masses.
According to the police, preliminary figures show that the trend is towards a decrease in farm murders.
An HON MEMBER: How do you know?
Miss S RAJBALLY: I am talking of facts. The MF recommends that more stringent measures be taken to curb the crime rate, such as more criminal justice personnel and resources in the rural areas, the provision of transportation and also a terrain that provides cover for the elderly, women and children whilst promoting safety precautionary skills.
The MF supports the Government’s initiative to combat rural violence. This includes the operational crime strategy or Operation Crackdown which takes a geographical approach that identifies areas which account for more than 50% of crime statistics and targets resources to these areas. The Rural Safety Plan is another excellent initiative that integrates its operational planning with the geographical approach of the SA Police Service’s crime- combating strategy which has the commitment of the Minister of Safety and Security to improve this plan in conjunction with organised agriculture.
The Government’s initiatives are certainly going to work if implemented strongly. Let us work together to bring peace in our land. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Mr D A HANEKOM: Madam Speaker, Deputy President, the topic is: The Sudden Escalation of Rural Violence in South Africa. I do not know if it is accurate to say that there has been a sudden escalation but I do know, as indeed all of us do, that violence and abuse is an everyday reality on many South African farms. That is the truth. I do know, as all of us do, that many South African farmers - precious South African farmers - have been brutally murdered on South African farms. Many of those who have been murdered have been helpless, vulnerable elderly people. Every incident is a human tragedy.
It is our starting point that every life on a South African farm is a precious life. Everybody is a precious person. If that is our starting point, then we must agree that every murder and every act of violence is an outrage. Every act of violence does damage to our country and, in some way, affects every one of us. Every life lost is an immense loss. Every person abused is abuse of a precious person and does huge damage to our country, and therefore damages every one of us.
I do not believe that the hon member, Andries Botha, did his cause any good at all. The hon Botha is a farmer. Agriculture is important to all of us, not just to him. The topic is: violence on farms. He has used the platform to attack the ANC. He has done nothing to achieve unity, national consensus and common condemnation of the many wrongs and forms of violence that occur on South African farms. He did himself, his party and his fellow farmers a disservice. I honestly mean that. [Applause.] It may not have been his intention but that was the effect.
The murder of our own people living on farms, farm owners or farmworkers, is wrong, wrong, wrong. That hon member should not make a political football out of it. He should not try to get cheap political gain out of a tragedy. [Interjections.] He does himself and his fellow farmers a disservice. The condemnation of all forms of violence on farms, every killing and every abuse, needs to come from all of us, every one of us.
Where do we start to address the problem? I think that the hon Ndlovu made a very good start when he emphasised the need for us to respect one another, respect human life and have compassion. Love, he said. He said people must love one another. One must love one’s farmworker. One must love the person with whom one works. One must love one’s fellow human being and respect one’s fellow human being. That is a good starting point. That is a good starting point. Condemnation of what is wrong needs to come from all of us. Action needs to come from all of us - action, together.
It is mischievous and misleading to suggest that nothing is being done about this problem. I am sure that the hon Minister Tshwete will say more about that. I am really hoping that the Minister will not allow himself to be distracted by the negative and opportunistic comments made by the opposition. I think that we have to be honest and say that much has been done to address this problem. Steve Tshwete has taken up this issue vigorously. We have to be thankful for that. The truth is, though, that there is no easy answer to this problem. We need to properly understand what exactly is happening on South African farms. We need to understand the causes of crime on farms and the many complex factors contributing to that crime. We need to understand so that we can act in the right way. We all agree that more needs to be done. But who has to do this more? Who has to do the many things that have to be done? Every one of us have to do something positive about it. It is our collective responsibility. It is not just the hon Steve Tshwete’s responsibility.
Pointing fingers at those who express their frustrations about the sad racial legacy of our land and pretending that they are responsible for violence on farms is definitely not the solution. There are many things that could be done and that should be done. That is what this debate should be focusing on, an honest description of the problem and an honest search for solutions.
Miskien is dr Mulder reg. Miskien is elke geval nie gewone misdaad nie, maar dit is nie die punt nie. Die punt is dat ernstige geweld plaasvind op plase, en dat moorde plaasvind. Ons moet dit gesamentlik verdoem, en sterk verdoem. Ons moet saam ‘n atmosfeer skep wat ons sal toelaat om die probleem saam aan te pak. Die debat gaan oor geweld, nie net oor moorde nie. Elkeen van ons moet elke vorm van geweld op plase verdoem. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Maybe Dr Mulder is right. Maybe it is not ordinary crime in every case, but that is not the point. The point is that there is serious violence on farms, and that murders are committed. We must condemn it collectively, and condemn it strongly. Together we must create an atmosphere which will allow us to tackle the problem collectively. This debate is about violence, not only about murders. All of us must condemn every form of violence on farms.]
The farmworker who, herself or himself, has been a victim of abuse is not likely to be a strong partner in the common fight against crime on farms.
We are debating this matter in this Chamber, far from where the problem is, and far from where the real problem is to be found. It is good that we are doing so. But the issue needs to be debated in every rural council in our country and amongst all the stakeholders in the rural areas so that we can find joint solutions to this massive problem that we are facing. So that is a task, I believe, that all political parties should give to their councillors who are working in the rural areas, so that, in those rural councils, closer to the problem on the ground, we can search for solutions and bring stakeholders together for common action against this problem.
The police, without community support, cannot on their own solve the problem. We need to act together and at all cost, avoid any irresponsible statement, any temptation to get political mileage out of this real human tragedy which is happening, so that we can jointly tackle this problem effectively and put an end to it. [Applause.]
Mr C AUCAMP: Madam Speaker, it is of crucial importance that I declare my interest in this debate very clearly.
I have only one thing on my mind, and that is to stop farm killings, to stop the brutal killing of a specific section of our people - no political point-scoring, no window-dressing and no opportunism. It would be despicable to try to settle any political battle over the dead bodies and graves of our farmers and their loved ones.
Let there be no doubt about the seriousness of this matter. Farmers in South Africa - and let us not beat about the bush: white farmers - have become an endangered species. One out of every seven farm households in South Africa has experienced the brutality of a farm attack over less than a decade; more than a thousand killings; more than even by the Mau Mau in Kenya.
Ons boere se sorgvrye lewe in die natuur het ‘n vloek geword, met die bedreiging van dood en bloed ‘n daaglikse werklikheid. Die gevolge op die hele land is vernietigend. Dit ruk aan die fondamente van ‘n vreedsame en ‘n voorspoedige Suid-Afrika, om nie eers te praat van die van ‘n Afrika Renaissance nie.
Professor Amie van Wyk van die Teologiese Skool van Potchefstroom skryf in Beeld:
Plaasmoorde het tans sulke afmetings aangeneem dat inderdaad van ‘n krisis gepraat kan word. Dit is ‘n tydbom wat die hele samelewing aan flarde kan ruk. Ons is naby die punt dat hierdie situasie as ‘n oorlog van lae intensiteit beskryf kan word.
[Tussenwerpsels.] Enige poging van my om my mense positief te probeer stem
oor hulle toekoms in Suid-Afrika - glo my ek probeer dit doen - loop
homself te pletter in die verwyt: Kyk wat gebeur met ons boere op die
plase.'' Vrese en oproepe vanethnic cleansing’’ word dan gehoor.
Wat kan gedoen word? Ek wil konsentreer net op een saak, die belangrikste: klimaatskepping. Die Regering moet bewys dat hulle ernstig is oor hierdie gruwel. Die AEB het verskeie kere vir die Minister gevra om die slagoffers van plaasmoorde te besoek. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The carefree open-air life of our farmers has become a curse, with the threat of death and bloodshed an everyday reality. The consequences for the entire country are crushing. It uproots the very foundations of a peaceful and prosperous South Africa, not to mention those of an African Renaissance.
Prof Amie van Wyk of the Potchefstroom School of Theology wrote in Beeld:
Plaasmoorde het tans sulke afmetings aangeneem dat inderdaad van ‘n krisis gepraat kan word. Dit is ‘n tydbom wat die hele samelewing aan flarde kan ruk. Ons is naby die punt dat hierdie situasie as ‘n oorlog van lae intensiteit beskryf kan word.]
[Interjections.] Any attempt by me to make my people feel positive about their future in South Africa - believe me, I try to do this - is smashed by the reproach: ``Look at what is happening to our farmers on the farms.’’ Expressions of fear and outcries of ethnic cleansing are then heard.
What can be done? I want to concentrate on only one issue, the most important: climate creation. The Government must prove that they are serious about this atrocity. The AEB has asked the Minister several times to visit the victims of farm murders.]
Personally, I was deeply moved by the meeting between Minister Tshwete and
Mr Moek van Rensburg, as well as the Minister’s sympathetic conduct. I
believe Mr Van Rensburg’s son did not die in vain and that the tragic
events in Marikana might be the turning point in this tragic chain of
events.
Hoe moet ons te werk gaan om die gewenste klimaat te skep? Plaasmoorde moet
onvoorwaardelik veroordeel word, nie met ‘n ja- maar verskoning nie. Enkele
voorbeelde in die verband is: Ja, maar hoe is die boere se paraatheid?''.
Erken ons daarmee 'n staat van oorlog, of 'n onverklaarde noodtoestand?
Ja, maar hoe behandel die boere hulle werkers?’’ Dan het plaasmoorde mos
niks anders geword as summiere openbare teregstellings nie, wat van Suid-
Afrika ‘n piesangrepubliek maak. Is daar enige bewyse dat boere se ``track
record’’ in hierdie verband swakker is as dié van mynkapteins of
fabrieksvoormanne? Wat van Lenasia?
``Ja, maar … ‘’ sê Minister Lekota toe Tim Sebastian op die program Hard Talk vra:
But the attacks on farmers are taking on frightening proportions …
Die Minister antwoord toe:
No, that is not so. How many black people were killed in the black areas during apartheid?
Het plaasmoorde dan nou ‘n manier van regstellende aksie geword oor die verlede? [Tussenwerpsels.]
Ons vra dat die Regering die haatspraak teen die boere moet veroordeel, by uitstek die wyse waarop geïsoleerde wandade deur wit boere as die reël, en nie die uitsondering nie, voorgehou word. Veroordeel en stop ongeregverdige en groeiende kriminalisering en vervolging van wetsgehoorsame boere. Die Regering moet ophou om plaasmoorde af te maak as gewone roof en misdaad.
‘n Gewone rower vat die ander man se goed, en hy gee pad. Daar word nie net in die eerste plek geroof nie, daar word ingewag, gemartel en geïntimideer. Alle tekens dui op minstens georganiseerde misdaad. Alle rolspelers moet betrek word, ook die memorandum van Aksie Stop Plaasaanvalle, by hierdie ondersoek.
Die reg van wit boere op grondbesit moet erken word. Ek weet nie van een moord wat plaasgevind het op ‘n plaas sonder wettige kaart en transport nie.
Die kwessie van plaasmoorde het ‘n toetssaak geword vir die erns en opregtheid van die Regering teenoor al die mense van Suid-Afrika. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[How should we go about creating the desired climate? Farm murders should
be condemned unconditionally, not with a yes, but excuse. A few examples in
this regard are: Yes, but how prepared are the farmers?'' By saying that,
are we admitting to a state of war, or an undeclared state of emergency?
Yes, but how do the farmers treat their workers?’’ Surely then farm
murders have become nothing but summary public executions, which makes
South Africa a banana republic. Is there any proof that the farmers’ track
record in this regard is worse than that of mine captains or factory
foremen? What about Lenasia?
``Yes, but … ‘’ Minister Lekota said when Tim Sebastian said on the programme Hard Talk:
But the attacks on farmers are taking on frightening proportions …
The Minister replied:
No, that is not so. How many black people were killed in the black areas during apartheid?
Have farm murders now become a kind of affirmative action for the past? [Interjections.]
We ask that the Government condemn the hate speech against the farmers, and specifically the way in which isolated misdeeds by white farmers are made out to be the rule instead of the exception. Condemn and stop unjustified and increasing criminalisation and persecution of law-abiding farmers. The Government must stop passing farm murders off as ordinary robbery and crime.
An ordinary robber takes the other man’s goods, and leaves. In the first place there is not only robbery, but also ambush, torture and intimidation. All the signs point to at least organised crime. All role-players should be involved, including the memorandum of Aksie Stop Plaasaanvalle [Action Stop Farm Attacks], in this investigation.
The right of white farmers to land ownership should be recognised. I do not know of a single murder that took place on a farm that had no title deed. The issue of farm murders has become a test case for the seriousness and sincerity of the Government as regards all the people of South Africa. [Applause.]]
The MINISTER OF SAFETY AND SECURITY: Madam Speaker, hon members, I would like, first of all, to thank the hon members Ndlovu, Abrahams and, to a certain extent, Aucamp for the suggestions they have put forward to equip us in the department as to what we need to do, and of course, at the same time, to say to us here, as public representatives, that we have a responsibility to discharge towards ensuring that the levels of crime in our country are brought down; that better safety and security is provided and delivered to those South Africans who are isolated, very vulnerable out there in the hinterland of our major cities and towns, all by themselves.
The hon Ndlovu says:
… we, the law-abiding citizens of this country, should help the police in their investigations. Let us report what we know about crime. Let us tell the police who did what, where, when and how. Let us isolate the criminals from innocent people and let us identify them at once. That is the key element that is going to place us firmly on the road to success, to vanquishing the criminals in our country: when we stop finger- pointing and apportioning blame; when we stop politicising what has become a scourge of our country; when we take the podium to be heard beyond the confines of this Chamber by the criminals out there, condemning them and not condemning one another inside here for things that we do not know. [Applause.]
What these farmers need to know is that we speak in unison about their fate and that we are advising one another precisely because we see their safety as a common responsibility on the shoulders of all of us here, not an exclusive responsibility of that one and that one. It is not a political issue. There are many political issues that we can table here and score points from.
However, there are lives involved and when we say that we need to respond in unison to this challenge, not because we want to attract the tourists to South Africa, not because of that, but primarily because safety and security is not a privilege that is bestowed upon the farming community in this country, it is their constitutional right. Whether there are tourists coming or not, we have a responsibility as a Government, as a people, collectively to say there must be safety and security on those farms for us to survive as a nation, as a people and as a country. That is of paramount importance. [Applause.]
That is what emerges from the hon Ndlovu’s statement that we must do this thing together. That is what we were saying to the people at Katlehong yesterday: that we must do this thing together, because the criminals who are killing these farmers do not kill on a farm and go to the moon with their loot. They go to the neighbouring village and take cover there. What are we doing? That is what emerges from what the hon Ndlovu said. What are we doing, as the DA, to sensitise those villagers about the necessity for them to insulate farming communities and those farmworkers on farms? What are we doing about that, instead of hurling insults?
I was telling the Deputy President that there is nothing that we are going to get from other parties. It is just going to be an issue of hurling insults at the ANC, and lying at that, because it is a blatant lie that there is nothing the Government is doing on those farms. Those farmers will chase them away if they say that to them, because they know that the Government is doing something on these farms, together with them.
Concrete suggestions have been placed before them, debated, canvassed and agreed to with them, and implementation programmes have been assessed and reassessed and implemented. And where failures were identified, again together, we sat down and re-evaluated the situation. Together we have taken a decision to say that we are not going to be meeting in Cape Town and Pretoria, but right on the farms where things are happening in order to increase our visibility there as public representatives and also as police officers. We are, for instance, providing helicopters, not only for purposes of chasing the criminals that have committed the crime, but also for preventative purposes, because it is better to ensure that no farmer dies than swinging into action after a farmer has been killed. So this key element of togetherness in the fight against crime is our cutting edge. There is a great deal that is being done there, and we would like Dr Mulder to assist us.
I indicated that I did not have the chance to have a follow-up meeting with Gen Constand Viljoen. He has been very helpful in this regard, unlike Dr Mulder. He has been very helpful, and he has said to me: ``Minister, where do you think I can feature?’’, and I have identified a specific area which is problematic, and some of them were very happy about it. The Transvaal Agricultural Union is a very big problem, and that is where I specifically and explicitly told the hon Viljoen that I would need his assistance, because we cannot talk about maximising security for a farming community that is fragmented. There must be unity there, because the killers are enjoying the situation in which there are sharp, obvious divisions within the farming community in this country.
We have a responsibility to bring them together and tell them to unite as farmers, even if it is only against the criminal element and in respect of the programmes that we are implementing. They are resisting some of the programmes, and I do not understand why they do not like the idea of having trained personnel, who have been trained and equipped by the SA Police Service and put under the command of the nearest police station with everything that is needed. But they do not want that. There could be political reasons for that, but we hope that with the willingness that is forthcoming from General Viljoen, we will be able to attend to this issue.
We have a problem of sensationalising farm attacks. We talk too much, and that is why some people are even warning us. For instance, the Governor of the Reserve Bank had to talk to us about some of the things that we are saying in Parliament. It is not true that crime has spiralled out of control in this country, and it is not true that the police are helpless - that is an exaggeration with a political motive.
They are not going to defeat the ANC around this specific issue in any election at any given time, even if it were to be tomorrow. [Interjections.] That member is not going to do it - he must keep quiet, because he is not just going to do it. [Interjections.] They are not going to defeat us on this point. The best thing is to make this country a very safe place - it cannot be done by the police and the ANC alone. It is not a political issue. [Interjections.] It can be done in our lifetime, of course
- it should not be any other time.
Of course, those people who blamed the PAC for the attacks on farms in 1994 were quite mad, because if they knew the history of the PAC, even in the heyday of apartheid, they would know that the PAC has never seen action anywhere. [Interjections.] Why would they take action against farmers all of a sudden? [Laughter.] So that was a misplaced criticism. But the call that we are making is that we do this.
There are many things that we are doing regarding this issue. Right now, as I am addressing the House, there are effective reaction forces on the ground in the rural communities - it is not something that is still being contemplated. We discussed it with Mr Grobler, the president of Agri South Africa. We sit down regularly with him, and we sit down with the President, as has been mentioned. The President is very much of a flagship in this campaign - he is there.
It is not true to say that the President has no interest in this matter. I mean, what president of a country would have no interest in the farming community, seriously speaking? He is there and he is consulting with them, not only on their security, but also on their own economic activities and on what the Government can do to improve their economic activity on the farms. We are discussing all these things - their exports, imports and what not - we are discussing a whole wide variety of issues. So there is a great deal that is being done. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
The House adjourned at 18:40. ____
ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
FRIDAY, 30 MARCH 2001
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
National Assembly:
- The Speaker:
The vacancy which occurred owing to Chief N Z Mtirara vacating his seat
with effect from 12 March 2001, was filled with effect from 26 March
2001 by the nomination of Mr G D Mkono.
TABLINGS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
Papers:
- The Minister of Correctional Services:
Report of the Judicial Inspectorate for 2000.
MONDAY, 2 APRIL 2001
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
National Assembly:
- The Speaker:
(1) The Minister of Trade and Industry on 22 March 2001 submitted
drafts and memorandums explaining the objects of the following
proposed Bills, to the Speaker in terms of Joint Rule 159. The
drafts have been referred by the Speaker to the Portfolio
Committee on Trade and Industry in accordance with Joint Rule
159(2):
(i) Counterfeit Goods Amendment Bill, 2001
(ii) Trade Practices Amendment Bill, 2001
(iii) Patents Amendment Bill, 2001
(iv) Merchandise Marks Amendment Bill, 2001
(v) Consumer Affairs (Unfair Business Practices) Amendment
Bill, 2001
(vi) Performers' Protection Amendment Bill, 2001
(vii) Companies Amendment Bill, 2001
(viii) Close Corporations Amendment Bill, 2001
(ix) Copyright Amendment Bill, 2001
(x) Export Credit and Foreign Investment Reinsurance Amendment
Bill, 2001
(xi) Industrial Development Amendment Bill, 2001
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
National Assembly:
-
Report of the Portfolio Committee on Housing on the Housing Amendment Bill [B 7B - 2001] (National Council of Provinces - sec 76), dated 30 March 2001:
The Portfolio Committee on Housing, having considered the subject of the Housing Amendment Bill [B 7B - 2001] (National Council of Provinces - sec 76), referred to it and classified by the Joint Tagging Mechanism as a section 76 Bill, reports the Bill with an amendment [B 7C - 2001].
-
Report of the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation on the South African Boxing Bill [B 13 - 2001] (National Assembly - sec 75), dated 30 March 2001:
The Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation, having considered the subject of the South African Boxing Bill [B 13 - 2001] (National Assembly - sec 75), referred to it and classified by the Joint Tagging Mechanism as a section 75 Bill, reports the Bill with amendments [B 13A - 2001].
TUESDAY, 3 APRIL 2001 ANNOUNCEMENTS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
- The Speaker and the Chairperson:
(1) The Minister of Public Enterprises on 27 March 2001 submitted a
draft of the Alexkor Limited Amendment Bill as well as the
memorandum explaining the objects of the proposed legislation, to
the Speaker and the Chairperson in terms of Joint Rule 159. The
draft has been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Public
Enterprises and the Select Committee on Labour and Public
Enterprises by the Speaker and the Chairperson, respectively, in
accordance with Joint Rule 159 (2).
(2) The Joint Tagging Mechanism (JTM) on 3 April 2001 in terms of
Joint Rule 160(3), classified the following Bill as a section 75
Bill:
(i) Supreme Court Decree, 1990 (Ciskei) Amendment Bill [B 15 -
2001] (National Assembly - sec 75) - (Portfolio Committee on
Justice and Constitutional Development - National Assembly).
- The Speaker and the Chairperson:
The following papers have been tabled and are now referred to the
relevant committees as mentioned below:
(1) The following papers are referred to the Portfolio Committee on
Transport and the Select Committee on Public Services:
(a) Protocol between the Government of the Republic of South
Africa and the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water
Management of The Netherlands concerning Bilateral Cooperation
in the Fields of Transport and Infrastructure Development,
tabled in terms of section 231(3) of the Constitution, 1996.
(b) Explanatory Memorandum to the Protocol.
(c) Agreement between the Government of the Republic of South
Africa and the Government of the Italian Republic on
Cooperation in the Field of Public Transport, tabled in terms
of section 231(3) of the Constitution, 1996.
(d) Explanatory Memorandum to the Agreement.
(e) Declaration of Intent between the Department of Transport
of the Republic of South Africa and the Department of
Transport of Canada concerning Technical Cooperation in
Transportation, tabled in terms of section 231(3) of the
Constitution, 1996.
(f) Explanatory Memorandum to the Declaration of Intent.
(2) The following papers are referred to the Portfolio Committee on
Social Development, the Portfolio Committee on Justice and
Constitutional Development, the Portfolio Committee on Health, the
Portfolio Committee on Housing, the Portfolio Committee on
Agriculture and Land Affairs, the Select Committee on Social
Services, the Select Committee on Security and Constitutional
Affairs, the Select Committee on Public Services, the Select
Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs and the Joint
Monitoring Committee on Improvement of Quality of Life and Status
of Women:
(a) Report of the Ministerial Committee on Abuse, Neglect and
Ill-treatment of Older Persons, Volume 1 (Main Report).
(b) Report of the Ministerial Committee on Abuse, Neglect and
Ill-treatment of Older Persons, Volume 2 (Provincial Reports).
National Assembly:
- The Speaker:
Message from National Council of Provinces to National Assembly:
Bill, subject to proposed amendments, passed by National Council of
Provinces on 3 April 2001 and transmitted for consideration of
Council's proposed amendments:
(i) National Council for Library and Information Services Bill [B
44B - 2000] (National Assembly - sec 75)(for proposed amendments,
see Announcements, Tablings, Committee Reports p 332).
The Bill has been referred to the Portfolio Committee on Arts,
Culture, Science and Technology for a report on the amendments
proposed by the Council.
- The Speaker:
(1) The following member vacated her seat with effect from 31 March
2001:
Ndzimande, B M.
(2) The vacancy which occurred owing to Mr M Mpehle vacating his
seat with effect from 1 April 2001, has been filled with effect
from 1 April 2001 by the nomination of Dr E A Schoeman.
TABLINGS:
National Assembly and National Council of Provinces:
Papers:
- The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development:
Report of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development for
1999-2000 [RP 37-2001].
National Assembly:
- The Speaker:
(1) Report of the Public Service Commission on Survey of Compliance
with the Batho Pele Policy [RP 168-2000].
(2) Report of the Public Service Commission on Investigation into
Land Administration, Geographic Information System and Fleet
Management in the Eastern Cape [RP 200-2000].
(3) Report of the Public Service Commission on Home Affairs Batho
Pele and Management Audit Investigations [RP 167-2000].
(4) Report of the Public Service Commission on Policy on Reporting
by the Public Service Commission [RP 169-2000].
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
National Assembly:
-
Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Filling of Vacancies on Commission for Gender Equality, dated 3 April 2001:
The Ad Hoc Committee on Filling of Vacancies on Commission for Gender Equality, in accordance with the recommittal of its recommendations by the Speaker, dated 29 March 2001, further considered and examined nominations for the filling of vacancies on the Commission for Gender Equality.
The Committee, having reconsidered its recommendations, in terms of section 193(5) of the Constitution, nominates the following amended list of persons for appointment to the Commission, for the amended terms of office, as indicated:
As full-time commissioners, to commence serving on 1 May 2001, or as soon as possible thereafter, for a term of four years: 1. Beatrice Ngcobo. 2. Manana Tlake. As full-time commissioner, to commence serving on 1 May 2001, or as soon as possible thereafter, for a term of five years: 3. Gertrude Fester. As full-time commissioners, to commence serving as soon as possible for a term of five years: 4. Nombulelo Siqwana-Ndulo. 5. Sheila Meintjies. 6. Bafana Khumalo. As part-time commissioners, to commence serving as soon as possible for a term of five years: 7. Rashida Manjoo. 8. Sophia de Bruyn. 9. Themba Kgase. 10. Teboho Maitse. 11. Thabisa Dumisa.
Report to be considered.