Date: 08/02/2006
Source: Department of Education
Title: Pandor: Debate on State of the Nation Address
Speaking notes, Naledi Pandor, MP, Minister of Education debate on the State of the Nation Address, NA
Madam Speaker, Mr President, there is a groundswell of support from millions of South Africans who have accepted that they can and will act to give practical meaning to the challenge of giving expression to our “shared destiny”.
Sadly all we have heard from the opposition leadership is a whinge here and a whine there.
Listening to the debate reminded me very strongly of some of the bitter irony of the magnanimous settlement the liberation movement agreed to after years of struggle. It is most peculiar to have opposition party members stand here and pontificate, in false morality, about the challenges and impediments that face our government and the people of South Africa.
Strange, because many of the reborn purists had the power to effect change at many points in their privileged lives in apartheid South Africa, and when push came to shove they did not fight for freedom, they stood back and left the battle to the African National Congress (ANC). As student leaders or army recruits, as former MECs of Education, as heads of apartheid created bodies, they had a moment when they could have signalled their intent to work for freedom; but sadly they missed the moment and failed to heed the call to be freedom fighters.
Today and yesterday they have sought to impose on this government the badge of failure, the stain of false accusation, because they know they failed the people and the ANC led the people to freedom.
These reborn failures of history, the cause of much of the awful legacy we deal with today, should admit their culpability gracefully, and have the moral courage to say to the ANC, thank you for doing what I could not do, thank you ANC thank you President Mbeki.
They cannot be so brave, Madam Speaker, and we all know why - lack of vision, lack of purpose, lack of engagement with the real challenges facing South Africa.
We have a vision, we have purpose, we are engaged.
Further, Madam Speaker, Mr President, we firmly believe that along with the goodwill of the millions who believe we have a shared destiny we will be able to create a society that grows its economy, that shares its wealth, and that allows each person the opportunity to realise their fullest potential. We hold the view that each day, inexorably, South Africans are building a firm foundation for entrenching those elements of social action that confirm South Africa’s desire to strive toward and arrive at a shared destiny.
Mr President, you have issued a challenge to South Africa. What will she and her people make of this moment in history? Will they wail like the banshee, destroying all in its wake, or will they grasp life from the glorious opportunity offered by our shared destiny.
Unity in purpose, such as that suggested by the President, requires agreement on the direction our country pursues. Various opinion polls show there is agreement on our economic progress. We will intensify our efforts at ensuring shared enjoyment of the fruits of economic growth. We are committed, as the president stated, to supporting small business to grow, to encouraging micro industries to flourish, and to promoting business activities that enhance expanded access rather than narrow acquisition. This approach does not imply as the opposition assumes that black businesspeople should be the only ones who share opportunity.
All private sector actors should begin exploring and indicating how they intend to distribute access to wealth through new share ownership, through creating jobs and through supporting skills training in the workplace.
The women of South Africa are encouraged by the opportunities suggested by Accelerated and Shared Growth-South Africa (ASGISA). We believe, to make a real difference in growth, women must be at the centre of economic activity. The inclusion of women, their empowerment and business skilling will create a force for building a new South Africa that will be immeasurable in its positive impact.
We are always told that business is the best at wealth creation. Business now has a chance to accelerate the creation of real wealth for all.
We will of course have to ensure that we provide South Africans with quality education and training if we are to succeed in our other endeavours. The changes we have made in the past twelve years have been directed at promoting quality and many of the policies have had a positive impact. We are the first to acknowledge that there are enormous challenges, but of course if we had all the answers we would have done better as former MECs, former homeland leaders and former administrators. We are building classrooms and schools as quickly as we can, we are training teachers better, and we are working with experienced teachers to develop cutting-edge curricula and assessment tools. Further, we intend to revolutionise artisana and technical and service skills training through our colleges of further education and training. The recapitalisation process will modernise the colleges and our partnerships with Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SETAs) and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund will expand the skills pool in South Africa.
Belief in a shared destiny requires all to feel they are worth something in our society. This means skills opportunities should not stop at formal institutions. We must offer men and women in our villages literacy on their doorsteps, we must recapture thousands of marginalised youth in the centre of society, and we must utilise all available vacant space for engendering a skills opportunity revolution in South Africa. That Mr President will convince millions that we are making something of our shared destiny.
Sharing occurs between people. The deputy president has initiated wide-ranging and inclusive consultations in the work she has done to put meat into ASGISA. That process has created significant stakeholder buy-in to the emerging proposals.
Partnerships will be absolutely vital in the leadership role we assume in creating this affirmation of our shared vision. Again our government has based much of its actions since the advent of democracy on the securing and nurturing of partnerships with civil society organisations. The departments of health and social development have been especially exemplary in this regard. Both departments support and are supported by firm relationships with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs).
They are able to work with thousands of community-based workers because this government and all the post 1994 governments have the mass-based legitimacy that allows or such partnerships. NGOs working with government are a vital resource in our promotion of social upliftment and progressive ideas. Making good on our shared destiny requires strong links with social partners.
MoPresidente o re thusitse ka tiro e ya go aga setshaba. O Simulotse tsamaiso e re kopanyang le batho ba Afrika Borwa ka tsela e e baneeang lenstwe le seriti. Mmuso wa gago ke wantlha o o direleng selo se sentle jana. Ga re bua ka tshwaragano batho ba le fatsees le ba a irtse gore re bua ka eng. Ga re a magaeng re bua gore tswelelopele e thloka mabogo otlhe ba a thlaloganya.
The people of South Africa believe that we can make a success of what we have.
Mr President, when you posed the challenge to us all last week, a challenge the opposition have failed to respond to - because they do not believe we have a shared destiny - I am sure you were also challenging us to confront the impediments that could lead to regression.
The first impediment remains the signs of a society still shaped and sometimes polarised by race. The court cases where some lives seem worthy of hefty sentences while other lives merit short prison terms.
A second impediment is the persistence of sexual abuse and violence against women and the most vulnerable in our society. Standing here pointing fingers at government will not protect women; urging our congregations and communities to reject violence actively would be a good beginning to shaping the new vision the president referred to. It is impossible for women to feel included if they are afraid or unsafe.
A third impediment lies in exclusionary institutional cultures. Every institution has a role to play in reshaping our society. The institutions promoting democracy, the judiciary, universities, religious institutions, schools, winning sports teams all have a role to play in delivering the vision the president has place before us; a South Africa acting as one to make a success of the opportunities created by our hard fought freedom.
The children of 1976 who stood before bullets unseeing because of tear gas, the women of 1956 marching to challenge racism, the leaders of South Africa, the treason trialists standing before unjust courts; all these and the many more we shall honour this year, did these things of courage because they believed correctly that a “shared destiny” was the only path that would assure South Africa peace, prosperity, success.
Issued by: Department of Education
8 February 2006
Source: Department of Education
Title: Pandor: Debate on State of the Nation Address
Speaking notes, Naledi Pandor, MP, Minister of Education debate on the State of the Nation Address, NA
Madam Speaker, Mr President, there is a groundswell of support from millions of South Africans who have accepted that they can and will act to give practical meaning to the challenge of giving expression to our “shared destiny”.
Sadly all we have heard from the opposition leadership is a whinge here and a whine there.
Listening to the debate reminded me very strongly of some of the bitter irony of the magnanimous settlement the liberation movement agreed to after years of struggle. It is most peculiar to have opposition party members stand here and pontificate, in false morality, about the challenges and impediments that face our government and the people of South Africa.
Strange, because many of the reborn purists had the power to effect change at many points in their privileged lives in apartheid South Africa, and when push came to shove they did not fight for freedom, they stood back and left the battle to the African National Congress (ANC). As student leaders or army recruits, as former MECs of Education, as heads of apartheid created bodies, they had a moment when they could have signalled their intent to work for freedom; but sadly they missed the moment and failed to heed the call to be freedom fighters.
Today and yesterday they have sought to impose on this government the badge of failure, the stain of false accusation, because they know they failed the people and the ANC led the people to freedom.
These reborn failures of history, the cause of much of the awful legacy we deal with today, should admit their culpability gracefully, and have the moral courage to say to the ANC, thank you for doing what I could not do, thank you ANC thank you President Mbeki.
They cannot be so brave, Madam Speaker, and we all know why - lack of vision, lack of purpose, lack of engagement with the real challenges facing South Africa.
We have a vision, we have purpose, we are engaged.
Further, Madam Speaker, Mr President, we firmly believe that along with the goodwill of the millions who believe we have a shared destiny we will be able to create a society that grows its economy, that shares its wealth, and that allows each person the opportunity to realise their fullest potential. We hold the view that each day, inexorably, South Africans are building a firm foundation for entrenching those elements of social action that confirm South Africa’s desire to strive toward and arrive at a shared destiny.
Mr President, you have issued a challenge to South Africa. What will she and her people make of this moment in history? Will they wail like the banshee, destroying all in its wake, or will they grasp life from the glorious opportunity offered by our shared destiny.
Unity in purpose, such as that suggested by the President, requires agreement on the direction our country pursues. Various opinion polls show there is agreement on our economic progress. We will intensify our efforts at ensuring shared enjoyment of the fruits of economic growth. We are committed, as the president stated, to supporting small business to grow, to encouraging micro industries to flourish, and to promoting business activities that enhance expanded access rather than narrow acquisition. This approach does not imply as the opposition assumes that black businesspeople should be the only ones who share opportunity.
All private sector actors should begin exploring and indicating how they intend to distribute access to wealth through new share ownership, through creating jobs and through supporting skills training in the workplace.
The women of South Africa are encouraged by the opportunities suggested by Accelerated and Shared Growth-South Africa (ASGISA). We believe, to make a real difference in growth, women must be at the centre of economic activity. The inclusion of women, their empowerment and business skilling will create a force for building a new South Africa that will be immeasurable in its positive impact.
We are always told that business is the best at wealth creation. Business now has a chance to accelerate the creation of real wealth for all.
We will of course have to ensure that we provide South Africans with quality education and training if we are to succeed in our other endeavours. The changes we have made in the past twelve years have been directed at promoting quality and many of the policies have had a positive impact. We are the first to acknowledge that there are enormous challenges, but of course if we had all the answers we would have done better as former MECs, former homeland leaders and former administrators. We are building classrooms and schools as quickly as we can, we are training teachers better, and we are working with experienced teachers to develop cutting-edge curricula and assessment tools. Further, we intend to revolutionise artisana and technical and service skills training through our colleges of further education and training. The recapitalisation process will modernise the colleges and our partnerships with Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SETAs) and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund will expand the skills pool in South Africa.
Belief in a shared destiny requires all to feel they are worth something in our society. This means skills opportunities should not stop at formal institutions. We must offer men and women in our villages literacy on their doorsteps, we must recapture thousands of marginalised youth in the centre of society, and we must utilise all available vacant space for engendering a skills opportunity revolution in South Africa. That Mr President will convince millions that we are making something of our shared destiny.
Sharing occurs between people. The deputy president has initiated wide-ranging and inclusive consultations in the work she has done to put meat into ASGISA. That process has created significant stakeholder buy-in to the emerging proposals.
Partnerships will be absolutely vital in the leadership role we assume in creating this affirmation of our shared vision. Again our government has based much of its actions since the advent of democracy on the securing and nurturing of partnerships with civil society organisations. The departments of health and social development have been especially exemplary in this regard. Both departments support and are supported by firm relationships with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs).
They are able to work with thousands of community-based workers because this government and all the post 1994 governments have the mass-based legitimacy that allows or such partnerships. NGOs working with government are a vital resource in our promotion of social upliftment and progressive ideas. Making good on our shared destiny requires strong links with social partners.
MoPresidente o re thusitse ka tiro e ya go aga setshaba. O Simulotse tsamaiso e re kopanyang le batho ba Afrika Borwa ka tsela e e baneeang lenstwe le seriti. Mmuso wa gago ke wantlha o o direleng selo se sentle jana. Ga re bua ka tshwaragano batho ba le fatsees le ba a irtse gore re bua ka eng. Ga re a magaeng re bua gore tswelelopele e thloka mabogo otlhe ba a thlaloganya.
The people of South Africa believe that we can make a success of what we have.
Mr President, when you posed the challenge to us all last week, a challenge the opposition have failed to respond to - because they do not believe we have a shared destiny - I am sure you were also challenging us to confront the impediments that could lead to regression.
The first impediment remains the signs of a society still shaped and sometimes polarised by race. The court cases where some lives seem worthy of hefty sentences while other lives merit short prison terms.
A second impediment is the persistence of sexual abuse and violence against women and the most vulnerable in our society. Standing here pointing fingers at government will not protect women; urging our congregations and communities to reject violence actively would be a good beginning to shaping the new vision the president referred to. It is impossible for women to feel included if they are afraid or unsafe.
A third impediment lies in exclusionary institutional cultures. Every institution has a role to play in reshaping our society. The institutions promoting democracy, the judiciary, universities, religious institutions, schools, winning sports teams all have a role to play in delivering the vision the president has place before us; a South Africa acting as one to make a success of the opportunities created by our hard fought freedom.
The children of 1976 who stood before bullets unseeing because of tear gas, the women of 1956 marching to challenge racism, the leaders of South Africa, the treason trialists standing before unjust courts; all these and the many more we shall honour this year, did these things of courage because they believed correctly that a “shared destiny” was the only path that would assure South Africa peace, prosperity, success.
Issued by: Department of Education
8 February 2006
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