State of the Nation - actual textState of the Nation Address by His Excellency JG Zuma, President of the
Republic of South Africa, Joint Sitting of Parliament, Cape
Town
3 June 2009
Honourable
Speaker;
Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces;
Deputy Speaker
of the National Assembly and Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP;
Deputy President
of the Republic, Kgalema Motlanthe
Former President of the Republic, Thabo
Mbeki,
Our icon, the First President of a democratic South Africa,
Isithwalandwe Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela,
Former Deputy
Presidents,
Distinguished Premiers and Speakers of our Provinces;
Esteemed
members of the Judiciary;
Chairperson of SALGA, mayors and leaders in our
system of local government;
Chairperson of the National House of Traditional
Leaders and our honoured traditional leaders;
Heads of Chapter 9
Institutions;
Governor of the Reserve Bank,
Religious
leaders,
Directors-General and other leaders of the public
service;
President of the Pan African Parliament, Honourable Idriss Endele
Moussa,
Your Excellencies Ambassadors and High
Commissioners;
Distinguished guests, comrades and friends;
Fellow South
Africans,
Dumelang,
Abusheni, Molweni,
On the 22nd
of April, millions of South Africans went out to cast their votes. They
exercised their democratic right spurred on by the desire to change their lives
for the better.
In their
overwhelming numbers, they confirmed that working together we can do more to
fight poverty and build a better life for all.
They were
encouraged by the vision of an inclusive society, a South Africa that belongs to
all, a nation united in its diversity, a people working together for the greater
good of all.
We are
humbled by this decisive electoral mandate given by the people of our country,
who have chosen their government in a most convincing manner.
Honourable
Members,
Our nation
has over the past few years gone through very challenging times.
It is thanks
to the fact that we have a strong and fully functional constitutional democratic
system, with solid institutions, that we overcame these difficulties smoothly
and with dignity.
Today’s
occasion is a celebration of what makes this democracy work. It is also a
celebration of our culture of continuity and collective responsibility.
This is
evidenced by the presence here of our icon Madiba, who laid the foundation for
the country’s achievements, and that of former President Thabo Mbeki, who built
on that foundation.
The
continuity is also evident in the fact that former President Kgalema Motlanthe
is now the Deputy President of the Republic, after a seamless transition, making
us a unique country in many respects.
Fellow South
Africans,
As you would
be aware, the fight against poverty remains the cornerstone of our government’s
focus.
On the 9th
of May, during the Presidential inauguration, we made a commitment to our people
and the world that:
“For as long
as there are South Africans who die from preventable disease;
For as long
as there are workers who struggle to feed their families and who battle to find
work;
For as long
as there are communities without clean water, decent shelter or proper
sanitation;
For as long
as there are rural dwellers unable to make a decent living from the land on
which they live;
For as long
as there are women who are subjected to discrimination, exploitation or abuse;
For as long
as there are children who do not have the means nor the opportunity to receive a
decent education;
We shall not
rest, and we dare not falter, in our drive to eradicate poverty."
In pursuit
of these goals, our government has identified 10 priority areas, which form part
of our Medium Term Strategic Framework for 2009 to 2014.
The
programme is being introduced under difficult economic conditions. The past year
has seen the global economy enter a period of crisis unprecedented in recent
decades.
While South
Africa has not been affected to the extent that a number of other countries
have, its effects are now being clearly seen in our economy. We have entered a
recession.
It is more
important now than ever that we work in partnership on a common programme to
respond to this crisis.
We take as
our starting point the framework for South Africa's response to the
international economic crisis, concluded by government, labour and business in
February this year. We must act now to minimise the impact of this downturn on
those most vulnerable.
We have
begun to act to reduce job losses. There is an agreement in principle between
government and the social partners on the introduction of a training layoff.
Workers who
would ordinarily be facing retrenchment due to economic difficulty would be kept
in employment for a period of time and re-skilled.
Discussion
on the practical detail is continuing between the social partners and the
institutions that would be affected by such an initiative, including the Sector
Education and Training Authorities.
We will
support the work of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration
(CCMA) to assist employers and workers to find alternatives to retrenchments
through the relevant legal process.
To date,
CCMA commissioners have saved over four thousand jobs through facilitation
processes, and provided ongoing advice and support to retrenched workers.
The
Industrial Development Corporation has developed a programme to fund companies
in distress. We will also ensure that government buys more goods and services
locally, without undermining our global competitiveness or pushing up costs
beyond acceptable levels.
Building on
the successes of our industrial policy interventions, a scaled up Industrial
Policy Action Plan will be developed.
The lead
sectors already identified are automobile, chemicals, metal fabrication,
tourism, clothing and textiles as well as forestry. In addition, attention will
also be paid to services, light manufacturing and construction, amongst others,
in the quest to create decent jobs.
As part of
Phase 2 of the Expanded Public Works Programme, the Community Work Programme
will be fast-tracked.
It offers a
minimum level of regular work to those who need it, while improving the quality
of life in communities.
The economic
downturn will affect the pace at which our country is able to address the social
and economic challenges it faces. But it will not alter the direction of our
development.
The policy
priorities that we have identified, and the plans that we placed before the
electorate, remain at the core of the programme of this government.
Laat ons
mekaar se hande vat, en saam oplossings vind in die gees van 'n Suid Afrikaanse
gemeenskap. Die tyd het gekom om harder te werk. Ons regering gaan vorentoe kyk,
nie agtertoe nie!
The steps
outlined in our Medium Term Strategic Framework had to take into account the
constraints posed by the economic crisis. The downturn should not cause us to
change these plans. Instead it should urge us to implement these with speed and
determination.
The
Framework focuses on 10 priorities.
We make a commitment that working
together, we will speed up economic growth and transform the economy to create
decent work and sustainable livelihoods.
We will
introduce a massive programme to build economic and social infrastructure. We
will develop and implement a comprehensive rural development strategy linked to
land and agrarian reform and food security.
We will
strengthen the skills and human resource base. We will improve the health
profile of all South Africans.
Working
together with all South Africans, we will intensify the fight against crime and
corruption. We will build cohesive, caring and sustainable communities.
Working with
Africa and the rest of the world, we will pursue African advancement and
enhanced international co-operation.
We will ensure sustainable resource
management and use.
And, working
with the people and supported by our public servants, we will build a
developmental state, improve public services and strengthen democratic
institutions.
It is my
pleasure and honour to highlight the key elements of our programme of action.
The creation
of decent work will be at the centre of our economic policies and will influence
our investment attraction and job-creation initiatives.
In line with
our undertakings, we have to forge ahead to promote a more inclusive economy.
In this
regard, we will utilise state levers such as procurement, licensing and
financial support to assist small medium enterprises as well as to promote the
implementation of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment and affirmative action
policies.
The
implementation will be done in recognition of the need to correct the imbalances
of the past.
The
transformation will be undertaken in support of women, youth and people with
disabilities.
We will
reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses. The matter of being stifled by
regulations has been raised by the sector several times.
In another
intervention to create an enabling environment for investment, government will
move towards a single integrated business registration system.
This will
improve customer service and reduce the cost of doing business in South Africa.
Another
important element of our drive to create job opportunities is the Expanded
Public Works Programme (EPWP). The initial target of one million jobs has been
achieved.
The second
phase of the programme aims to create about four million job opportunities by
2014.
Between now
and December 2009, we plan to create about 500 000 job opportunities.
While
creating an environment for jobs and business opportunities, government
recognises that some citizens will continue to require state social assistance.
Social grants remain the most effective form of poverty alleviation. As of 31
March 2009, more than 13 million people received social grants, more than 8
million of whom are children.
We are
mindful of the need to link the social grants to jobs or economic activity in
order to encourage self-reliance amongst the able-bodied.
Most
importantly during this period, neighbours should assist each other.
Jwale ke
nako yakopano. Are thusaneng jwale ka baahisane.
Are
dumalaneng hore ho sebane le ngwana ya tla robalang ka tlala hobane batswadi
bahae bafeletswe ke mosebetsi. Hare ka kopana ra sebetsa kaofela re ka etsa ho
feta mo.
Distinguished guests, as part of the second strategic priority we will
continue with our programme to build economic and social infrastructure.
The
newly-formed Infrastructure Development Cluster of government will ensure that
the planned R787 billion infrastructure expenditure as provided for in the
budget earlier this year is properly planned for and executed.
This funding
includes allocations for the school building programme, public transport
including the bus rapid transit system, housing, water and sanitation.
One of the
biggest infrastructure investment projects is in the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.
We have, as government and the nation at large, pledged that the World Cup will
leave a proud legacy from which Our children and our communities will benefit
for many years to come.
We are on
track to meet all our obligations and are determined to give the world the best
World Cup ever.
We are
putting all systems in place to make the Confederations Cup, which kicks off on
the 14th of June, a huge success.
In April
this year, I gave an undertaking to the taxi industry leadership to defer
negotiations relating to the operation of the Bus Integrated Rapid Transit
system until after the elections.
We undertook
to allow more time to deal properly with the concerns of the industry. On the
11th of June the Minister of Transport will resume discussions with the
industry.
The meeting
will kick-start a series of engagements with the stakeholders affected by the
BRT system. We are confident that unresolved issues will be dealt with to the
satisfaction of all parties.
This will
include the important issue of how all stakeholders will benefit from the
initiative.
Honourable
Members,
Another
development which should boost the World Cup is the roll-out of the digital
broadcasting infrastructure and signal distribution transmitters.
Overall, we
will ensure that the cost of telecommunications is reduced through the projects
underway to expand broadband capacity.
We have to
ensure that we do not leave rural areas behind in these exciting developments.
As part of
social infrastructure development we will provide suitably located and
affordable housing and decent human settlements.
We will
proceed from the understanding that human settlement is not just about building
houses.
It is about
transforming our cities and towns and building cohesive, sustainable and caring
communities with closer access to work and social amenities, including sports
and recreation facilities.
In this
spirit, we will work with Parliament to speed up the processing of the Land Use
Management Bill.
Working
together with our people in the rural areas, we will ensure a comprehensive
rural development strategy linked to land and agrarian reform and food security,
as our third priority.
I would like
to use this opportunity to extend our condolences to the family of the former
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Dirk du Toit, who passed away this week. His
contribution will be sorely missed.
Abantu
basemakhaya nabo banelungelo lokuba nogesi namanzi, izindlu zangasese ezigijima
amanzi, imigwaqo, izindawo zokuqeda isizungu nezemidlalo kanye nezindawo
zokuthenga eziphucukile njengasemadolobheni.
Nabo
banelungelo lokusizwa kwezolimo ukuze bazitshalele imifino nokunye, bafuye
nemfuyo bakwazi ukuziphilisa.
Sizimisele
ukuwuqala lomkhankaso wokwakha izingqalasizinda ezindaweni zasemakhaya. Uma
sibambisene nezakhamizi, amakhosi, amakhansela nezinduna siyokwazi ukuwusheshisa
lomsebenzi.
Sicela
abahlala ezindaweni zasemakhaya baqale balungiselele ukutshela uhulumeni ukuthi
yiziphi izinto abazidinga ngokushesha.
Uma sisebenza ngokubambisana
sizokwenza okuningi.
Hon. Speaker
and Chairperson,
While having
drawn the necessary lessons from earlier rural development initiatives, we have
chosen the Greater Giyani Local Municipality in Limpopo as the first of the
pilot projects for the campaign. Out of these projects will emerge lessons for
the whole country.
In addition,
we will work on the targeted renewal of rural towns, through grants such as the
Neighbourhood Development Grant programme. In this way, areas around the towns
will benefit from the economic boost.
With all
these interventions, we are poised to change the face of rural areas in our
country.
Compatriots,
Education
will be a key priority for the next five years. We want our teachers, learners
and parents to work with government to turn our schools into thriving centres of
excellence.
The Early
Childhood Development programme will be stepped up, with the aim of ensuring
universal access to Grade R and doubling the number of 0-4 year old children by
2014.
We reiterate
our non-negotiables. Teachers should be in school, in class, on time, teaching,
with no neglect of duty and no abuse of pupils! The children should be in class,
on time, learning, be respectful of their teachers and each other, and do their
homework.
To improve
school management, formal training will be a pre-condition for promoting
teachers to become principals or heads of department.
I will meet school
principals to share our vision on the revival of our education system.
Fellow South
Africans,
We will
increase our efforts to encourage all pupils to complete their secondary
education.
The target
is to increase enrolment rates in secondary schools to 95 per cent by 2014. We
are also looking at innovative measures to bring back into the system pupils who
dropped out of school, and to provide support.
Honourable
Members, we are very concerned about reports of teachers who sexually harass and
abuse children, particularly girls.
We will
ensure that the Guidelines on Sexual Harassment and Violence in Public Schools
are widely disseminated, and that learners and teachers are familiar with and
observe them.
We will take
very serious, and very decisive, action against any teachers who abuse their
authority and power by entering into sexual relationships with children.
To promote
lifelong learning, the Adult Basic Education and Training Kha ri Gude programme
will be intensified.
Compatriots,
Honourable Members,
We have to
ensure that training and skills development initiatives in the country respond
to the requirements of the economy.
The Further
Education and Training sector with its 50 colleges and 160 campuses nationally
will be the primary site for skills development training.
We will
improve the access to higher education of children from poor families and ensure
a sustainable funding structure for universities.
Fellow South
Africans,
We are seriously concerned about the deterioration of the quality
of healthcare, aggravated by the steady increase in the burden of disease in the
past decade and a half.
We have set
ourselves the goals of further reducing inequalities in healthcare provision, to
boost human resource capacity, revitalise hospitals and clinics and step up the
fight against the scourge of HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and other diseases.
We must work
together to improve the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan for the
Treatment, Management and Care of HIV and AIDS so as to reduce the rate of new
HIV infections by 50% by the year 2011. We want to reach 80% of those in need of
ARV treatment also by 2011.
We will
introduce a National Health Insurance scheme in a phased and incremental manner.
In order to initiate the NHI, the urgent rehabilitation of public hospitals will
be undertaken through Public-Private Partnerships.
We are also
paying urgent attention to the issues of remuneration of health professionals to
remove uncertainty in our health services.
Working together let us do more to
promote quality healthcare, in line with the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals to halve poverty by 2014.
Fellow
citizens,
Together we
must do more to fight crime. Our aim is to establish a transformed, integrated,
modernised, properly-resourced and well-managed criminal justice system.
It is also
critically important to improve the efficiency of the courts and the performance
of prosecutors and to enhance detective, forensic and intelligence services.
This work has started in earnest, and it will be undertaken with new energy and
vigour.
Among the
immediate targets is to ensure that we increase the number of prosecutors and
Legal Aid Board personnel. We will do the same with police detectives.
We changed
the name of the relevant Ministry from Safety and Security to Police to
emphasise that we want real operational energy in police work. This will
contribute to the reduction of serious and violent crimes by the set target of
7% to 10% per annum.
The most
serious attention will also be given to combating organised crime, as well as
crimes against women and children.
Honourable
Speaker and Chairperson,
While
appreciating the investment of the private sector in the security industry, we
will improve the regulation of this industry.
Amongst
other key initiatives, we will start the process of setting up a Border
Management Agency; we shall intensify our efforts against cyber crime and
identity theft, and improve systems in our jails to reduce repeat offending.
Compatriots,
I wish to
underline our support for the continued transformation of the judiciary.
The
transformation should address key issues such as the enhancement of judicial
independence, entrenching internal systems of judicial accountability as well as
ensuring full access to justice by all.
The success
of the democratic system as a whole depends on good relations of mutual respect
and a spirit of partnership among the Executive, the Legislature and the
Judiciary. This is very important for our constitutional democracy.
Honourable
Speaker and Chairperson,
We have
repeatedly stated our commitment to fight corruption in the public service.
We will pay
particular attention to combating corruption and fraud in procurement and tender
processes, application for drivers’ licences, social grants, identity documents
(IDs), and theft of police case dockets.
Let me
emphasise that we all have a role to play in this war against crime.
We must
actively participate in Community Policing Forums. We must stop buying stolen
goods, which encourages crime.
We must
report crime and assist the police with information to catch wrongdoers. In this
way, we will move forward towards a crime-free society.
Honourable
Members, since 1994 we have sought to create a united cohesive society out of
our fragmented past. We are called upon to continue this mission of promoting
unity in diversity and to develop a shared value system, based on the spirit of
community solidarity and a caring society.
Our shared
value system should encourage us to become active citizens in the renewal of our
country. We must build a common national identity and patriotism.
We must
develop a common attachment to our country, our Constitution and the national
symbols. In this spirit, we will promote the National Anthem and our country’s
flag and all other national symbols.
Our
children, from an early age, must be taught to pay allegiance to the
Constitution and the national symbols, and know what it means to be South
African citizens.
We will
ensure a common national approach to the changing of geographic and place names.
This must provide an opportunity to involve all South Africans in forging an
inclusive national identity, to deepen our understanding of our history and
heritage.
Sport is a
powerful nation-building tool. Working together we must support all our national
teams from Bafana Bafana to the Proteas and the Springboks; from Banyana Banyana
to Paralympians.
Our teams
can only do well with our support.
Allow me to
use this opportunity to congratulate our national teams for their performances
in the past week, indeed in pulling off a hat trick.
The country’s women’s
netball team has done us proud by winning the Tri-Nations Netball Challenge.
Congratulations to the Sevens Springboks who have become the IRB Sevens World
Series Champions - and not forgetting the Blue Bulls who have won the Super 14
finals in a convincing fashion!
We take this
opportunity to wish the Springboks well in the upcoming series against the
British and Irish Lions.
It is clear
that we need to invest on a large scale in sports development. We will speed up
the revival of school sport and ensure that it forms part of the school
curriculum. In addition we will ensure that the provision of sport facilities in
poorer communities receives priority.
Hon. Speaker
and Chairperson,
We have committed ourselves over the years to contribute to
building a better Africa and a better world.
The main
goal of government for the medium term is to ensure that our foreign relations
contribute to the creation of an environment conducive to sustainable economic
growth and development.
To this
effect, we will continue to prioritise the African continent by strengthening
the African Union and its structures, and give special focus to the
implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.
Equally
important, and closer to home, is the strengthening of regional integration with
particular emphasis on improving the political and economic integration of the
Southern African Development Community (SADC) , towards the African Union (AU)
goal of a Union government. We will establish a South African Development
Partnership Agency to promote developmental partnerships with other countries on
the continent.
South Africa
will continue to assist in the reconstruction and development of the African
continent especially in post-conflict situations. We will continue to encourage
a peaceful and sustainable settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based
on the two-state solution.
We will
support the peace efforts of the African Union and the United Nations on the
African continent, including in the Saharawi Arab Republic and Darfur in Sudan.
As the
Chairperson of SADC and Facilitator, we will participate in promoting inclusive
government until free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe.
The plight
of the Zimbabwean people has had a negative impact on the SADC region,
especially South Africa. We call upon all peace-loving countries in the world to
support the inclusive government to achieve economic recovery.
We will
support efforts of the SADC region to resolve the situation in Madagascar.
Allow me,
distinguished guests, to pay tribute to the SA National Defence Force for their
sterling role in peace building in the continent.
Through
continental and regional bodies, we will work towards the entrenchment of
democracy and the respect for human rights on the African continent.
We will
contribute to the strengthening of South-South relations and pursue mutually
beneficial agreements with key countries of the South.
We will
continue to enhance relations with the developed North including the G8, and our
strategic partnership with the European Union.
We will
continue to play an active role in ensuring the conclusion of the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) Doha Development round of negotiations.
Honourable
Speaker and Chairperson,
South Africa, being a dry country requires urgent
action to mitigate adverse environmental changes and to ensure the provision of
water to citizens.
Amongst
various programmes, we will implement the Water for Growth and Development
strategy, which will strengthen water management. We will continue to improve
our energy efficiency and reliance on renewable energy.
Honourable
Members,
A developmental state requires the improvement of public services
and strengthening of democratic institutions.
We have
established two Ministries in the Presidency to strengthen both strategic
planning as well as performance monitoring and evaluation.
To ensure
delivery on our commitments, we will hold Cabinet Ministers accountable through
performance instruments, using established targets and output measures, starting
in July.
We will also
involve State-Owned Enterprises and Development Finance Institutions in the
government planning processes and improve the monitoring and evaluation of their
performance.
Honourable
Members, fellow South Africans,
To ensure
that all three spheres - local, provincial and national - improve service
delivery, we will speed up the establishment of a single Public Service.
This
administration will insist on putting people first in service delivery. We will
ensure courteous and efficient service from front-counter staff in the provision
of services in all government departments.
In this era
of renewal, we will move towards a more interactive government.
To lead by
example, work has begun on the establishment of a public liaison capacity in the
Presidency.
In addition
to receiving letters and e-mails from the public, we will also establish a
hotline for easier access.
Staff will
handle each public inquiry as if it was the only one, following it through all
the channels until it receives the attention it deserves.
Honourable
Speaker and Chairperson,
The National
Youth Development Agency, formed through the merger of Umsobomvu Youth Fund and
the National Youth Commission will be launched on June 16 in Ekurhuleni.
The
institutions are being merged to enhance service and development opportunities
provided to the youth.
The Agency
will link up unemployed young graduates with economic opportunities; strengthen
efforts to expand the National Youth Service Programme and support young
entrepreneurs.
Speaker and
Chairperson, Distinguished Guests,
Next month
our beloved Madiba will turn 91. People all over the world still continue to
clamour for his presence and for him to address their crises.
His values and
his example of dedication to the service of humanity is a shining example in
today’s troubled world.
An
international campaign has been initiated by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and
related organisations, called Mandela Day, which sums up what Tata stands for.
Mandela Day
will be celebrated on the 18th of July each year. It will give people in South
Africa and all over the world the opportunity to do something good to help
others.
Madiba was
politically active for 67 years, and on Mandela Day people all over the world,
in the workplace, at home and in schools, will be called upon to spend at least
67 minutes of their time doing something useful within their communities,
especially among the less fortunate.
Let us
wholeheartedly support Mandela Day and encourage the world to join us in this
wonderful campaign.
Honourable
Speaker and Chairperson Fellow South Africans,
We have
presented to the nation our programme for the next five years. Attached to each
commitment we make is a detailed project plan, with targets and critical
milestones.
This
information will in due course be made public. Indeed as citizens we should at
the same time ask ourselves what is it that we can do on our own to help promote
this national programme.
To be a
citizen is not only about rights, it is also about responsibility, to make a
contribution to make ours a better country.
We also
expect to work well with opposition parties in Parliament, in the spirit of
putting the country first.
In addition,
Madiba taught us well that this country belongs to all, black and white. Working
for reconciliation and unity will remain important as we move forward.
Since the
implementation of our programme will take place in the face of the economic
downturn, we will have to act prudently - no wastage, no rollovers of funds -
every cent must be spent wisely and fruitfully. We must cut our cloth according
to our size.
Fellow South
Africans, working together we can do more to realise our common vision of a
better and more prosperous nation!
This is the
partnership we are calling for.
I thank you!
Issued by:
The Presidency
3 June 2009
Thanks to Kate Hunter at the GSB Library, Waterfront.
