Madam Speaker,
President Jacob Zuma,
Honourable Members,
Distinguished Guests,

It is more than 50 years since Kwame Nkrumah addressed the inaugural conference of the Organisation of African Unity and issued a clarion call for a united Africa.

He declared:

"So many blessings must flow from our unity;
so many disasters must follow on our continued disunity.”

Three weeks from today, we in this House will join Africa's 1.2 billion citizens across 54 countries in observing Africa Day on a continent in which a great many blessings have indeed flowed since the OAU was established in 1963.

At this moment, in this country, President Nkrumah's words have never seemed more appropriate.

As we strive to overcome the dreadful legacy of our past - as we work, under difficult conditions, to grow the economy and create jobs - we must reflect on the many blessings that will surely flow from our unity.

We must reflect too, as elected leaders of our people, on the consequences of disunity.

It is only when we work together - in a concerted, coordinated effort - that we will overcome the severe economic challenges of the present.

Only by working together, will we be able to end poverty and reduce inequality, and create work and opportunities for all.

Working together, will we be able to change South Africa for the better.

Since 1994, we have sought to forge a South Africa that is stable, equal and prosperous from the ruins of racial division, deprivation and underdevelopment.

The story of the last 22 years is a story of extraordinary achievement.

It is decidedly a multifaceted account of our nation's modern history.

It is a story of new homes, new schools, newly piped water, new sanitation, new educational opportunities and new social support processes and opportunities for the most vulnerable South Africans.

It is a story of new factories, new technologies, new roads, new ports, new communications infrastructure and new markets for South African goods and services.

This story comes with impressive statistics - often counted in millions and hundreds of thousands - that show the transformation that has unfolded in this country since 1994.

But, ultimately, this is a story of new and re-shaped lives, new hopes, new dreams, new opportunities and new adventures for millions of our people.

It is a story of a new South African.

We are constantly reshaping South Africa's social and economic landscape for the benefit of all.

And yet our story is far from complete; our mission far from realised.

Despite great social and economic progress, too many of our people still live in poverty.

Although we have massively expanded access to basic needs, too many of our people still need jobs, quality education, houses, water and electricity.

This story is being written by millions of ordinary South Africans who are working together, with government and with many social partners, to better their own lives.

In doing so, they are giving meaning to the fundamental declaration that the people shall govern!

As the father of our nation Nelson Mandela said, our people must be the agents of their own liberation.

This they do more effectively when they work with government and other social partners.

It is the responsibility of the Presidency, through its position at the apex of government, to see that all South Africans have the means to achieve their potential.

It is the responsibility of the Presidency - through the institutions of the state, working with social partners, and in concert with the people - to ensure that South Africa continues to move forward.

Agbare Speaker/Voorsitter,

Een van die bewyse van hoe Suid-Afrika vooruit beweeg het, het my 'n paar dae gelede opgeval tydens my besoek aan die Noord-Kaap, waar ek Mevrou Dineo Bushwane van Kuruman ontmoet het.

Dineo Bushwane is deel van die 'Rooting Out The Dust'-program in Kuruman.

Dit is 'n projek van die Noord-Kaap-regering waar 'n klein aantal inwoners stene lê om stofstrate te vervang in Kuruman en ander dorpe.

Huna makhulu na makhulu a vhathu vhanzhi hafha Afrika Tshipembe vhane vha khou wana mishumo ya tshifhinga tshine ha langanwa ngatsho.

Heyi ndi mishumo ya EPWP.

Vhari vha tshi wana heyi mishumo vha gudiswa vhukoni ha zwithu zwindzhi.

Havho vhathu vhane vha ita heyo mishumo vha khou thusa u fhata zwifhato zwa vhudi nga mandesa zwine zwa thusa uri vhutshilo ha vhathu vha Afrika Tshipembe vhu vhe khwine.

Heyi mishumo vha dzhena khayo naho miholo ine vha iwana i mituku.

Zwivhuya zwine vha zwi wana kha iyi mishumo ndi u gudiswa vhukoni ha minwe mishumo ine vha nga kona u ita mishumo heyi ya EPWP yo no fhela.

Ndo ri ndo dalela ngei Kuruman nda tangana na vhaswa na vhafumakadzi vhane vha khou foroma zwidina.

Vhari u fhedza vha ita dzindila dza zwidina dzo nakaha nga maanda.

Ndo wana vhe vhathu vhane vha di hudza nga maanda kha lushaka lwavho.

Ndo ri u vhona ndila ine vha khou shuma ngayo na dakalo line vha vha nalo kha mushumo wavho nda vhona zwofanela uri rothe ri vha thoniphe.

Vho Buswane ndi munwe wa vhathu vhane vha khou ita mishumo ine vhathu vhandzhi vha i sedzela fhasi fhedzi hu uri vha khou fhata lushaka lwa hashu. Ri vha bvulela munwadzi na hone ria a vha fhululedza.

Ndi vhone havha vhathu vhane vha khou fhata Afrika Tshipembe tshidina nga tshidina.

What struck me about Ms Bushwane was not only her dedication to a job that is physically demanding, but her determination to fully exploit the possibilities that this work opportunity has provided.

She has seen the potential in brick-making and seeks only the assistance of government and the private sector in acquiring more skills and equipment to start a business when the project ends.

Through this work opportunity, Dineo Bushwane supports her family.

Through her determination, and with the support of NSFAS, her son is now the first person in their family to study at a university.

Across the country, millions of people's lives are changing as a new generation seizes opportunities that were denied to the generation before.

These are the active citizens of our land, who dream of a better life for themselves and their children.

These are the students who demand that fees must fall, because they desperately thirst for education and the change it can bring to their communities.

These are the communities who protest poor service delivery - and who do so peacefully and without damage to property - because they understand only too well the need for an engaged citizenry.

These are the people who want to get involved in finding solutions.

Dit is hoe Suid-Afrika vooruit beweeg, elke uur, elke dag, elke maand en elke jaar.

It is through partnership and collaboration that South Africa grows, develops and thrives.

It is through the unity that Nkrumah spoke about that we can build a winning nation.

As the Office of the Deputy President, we are involved in coordinating and guiding such partnerships as the Human Resource Development Council, the South African National Aids Council, deliberations in the National Economic Development and Labour Council and a range of inter-ministerial committees.

Honourable Members,

Ho isa mesebetsi ena pele re sebedisana le bo rakgwebo, le mekgatlo ya setshaba, le makala a fapaneng a mmuso ho thusa batsha hore ba fumane tsebo le thuso enepahetseng etla ba ntshetsang pele bokamosong ba bona.

Re ile ra tshwara ditshebeletso tse khethehileng mo ne re memme batsha ba balwang ka dikitikiti dibakeng tsena tse latelang - Ditsobotlo tikulohong ya Bokoni Bophirima; raya Ndwedwe tikolohong ya KZN.

Ra be releba Soshanguve le Soweto.

Ditshebeletso tsena di bula batsha dikelello, ihlile di bathusa ho ikgethela seo babatlang ho ithuta sona bokamosong ba bona.

We have forged partnerships with the private sector, civil society and government agencies to organise youth expos that promote youth development and career opportunities for young people.

These expos open young people's eyes to the diverse opportunities that are available to them in a democratic South Africa.

We value these events as part of the Presidency's public participation programme, which is a conscious campaign of interacting face-to-face with our citizens.

The eagerness with which learners queue up at information kiosks and the fearless confidence with which they share their dreams and concerns tells me our future is in safe hands.

There we meet people like Bontle Tshomela from Klipspruit West Secondary School.

Confident, dynamic and with big dreams, she appeals to us, as elected representatives, to help underperforming schools like hers - where parents show a lack of interest and where drug abuse is rife.

In the course of the work of the Human Resource Development Council, we meet Palesa Hlalele, a highly motivated 20-year-old at Ekurhuleni West TVET College who is studying mechanical engineering.

She tells us of her ambition, in this male-dominated field, to design, assemble, operate and maintain big earth-moving equipment.

Her story - of determination and sacrifice - reinforces the importance of the significant investment we are making in TVET colleges.

It reinforces the value of our TVET adoption programme, which establishes partnerships between companies and specific colleges to equip young people with the skills and experience they need to find employment and succeed in the workplace.

Re le mmuso re gatela pele. Re etsa mesebetsi e ntshetsang setshaba sa rona pele. Ka mantswe amang re re siya qhuba. Asijiki!

Honourable Members,

In his State of the Nation Address in February, President Jacob Zuma called on all sectors of society to work together to address the economic challenges we face.

He said:

"We cannot change the global economic conditions, but we can do a lot to change the local conditions.

"Let us work together to turn the situation around.”

We are encouraged by the seriousness with which our social partners have responded to this call.

Our engagements have been frank, constructive and practical.

The overriding concern of all our social partners is the creation of jobs and the growth of our economy.

This has been a central consideration in the deliberations in Nedlac on the introduction of a national minimum wage.

We are confident that we will soon be able to agree on a level at which the minimum wage should be set that will both improve the lives of the lowest paid workers in South Africa and support our job creation efforts.

Introducing a national minimum wage is a step towards restoring the dignity of workers of this country.

Honourable Members,

One area where social partnership has been extremely valuable - and arguably most successful - is in our effort to combat HIV and TB.

Working together, through SANAC and other structures, we continue to ensure that more and more people have access to life-saving treatment.

We have drastically reduced the levels of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and look forward to the day when no child in this country is born HIV-positive.

But we dare not be complacent.

That is why we have launched an ambitious programme to reduce new TB infections and to treat all those who need treatment.

The rate of new HIV infections among young women and girls is uncomfortably high.

During Youth Month, we will be launching a comprehensive campaign focusing on this vulnerable group.

We call on all sectors of society to join us in this campaign, understanding that the future of our nation's youth depends on its success.

Let us build an AIDS free generation in our lifetime.

South Africa will host the International AIDS Conference in Durban in July, providing us with an opportunity to learn from the rest of the world and share our lessons with others.

Ending AIDS as a public health threat is in our hands.

Madam Speaker,

Central to the success of all our efforts is the deepening of our institutional capacity, as a state and as a country, to drive economic growth and social development.

We are therefore engaged in an extensive programme to strengthen and, where necessary, reform our state owned enterprises.

Under the guidance of an inter-ministerial committee chaired by the Deputy President, we are working to stabilise those SOEs that are experiencing challenges.

We are working to strengthen transparency, accountability and good governance, and to ensure that these critical institutions are able to fulfil their economic and developmental mandates.

We are drawing lessons from both our successes and our shortcomings.

We are looking to the experience of other countries.

And we are learning from each other.

The Presidency is working across government and across spheres to institutionalise best-practice models to deliver services, fight hunger and create work opportunities.

Isifundazwe saKwaZulu-Natal senze uhlelo oluhle olibizwa nge Operation Sukuma Sakhe.

Lolu hlelo lwe OSS luhlonishwa umhlaba wonke ngendlela olukwazi ngayo ukulwa nendlala lube futhi lilwa nesifo sika gawulayo (HIV) kanye nokwakhiwa kwemisebenzi.

Imiphakathi ihlangana no Hhulumeni nabaholi bendabuko kuma War Rooms lapho behlela khona ukuletha izidingo kubantu.

Nezinye izifundazwe sezithathe lolu hlelo lwe OSS zenza ezabo izindlela ezisheshayo zokuthumela izidingo kubantu.

eGauteng kune Ntirhisano. eNorth West bane Setsokotsane. Iyaziwa iOperation Hlasela yase Free State. iOperation Balelapa eNorthern Cape ne Operation Vuka Sisebente eMpumalanga nazo ziyaziwa.

With the support of the Presidency, provinces are now sharing among themselves the lessons learnt from their respective initiatives.

Honourable Members,

The unity of purpose that we seek should start in this house.

It was President Nelson Mandela who said, shortly after the inauguration of our first democratically elected Parliament in 1994:

"Let us make sure we build a Parliament that unites our people”.

That should remain our overriding objective.

Loku hiri la ndlwini leyi ya Parliament swa endleka kuri hi hambana ka timhaka to tala.

Hi nga va hi hambana hi mavonelo eka swo tala  na hambi hi kuri tani hi fanele ku hanyisana kun'we ta ni hi vaaka tiko ra hina.

Hi fanele kuri hi tirha swin'we ku hluvukisa tiko ra hina na ku kurisa nhluvuko wa swa timali, ku endla ku ri ku va na minthiro na ku yisa tiko ra hina, a mahlweni.

Na hambi swi ri tano hi fanela ku ri hi khomana hi mavoko hi tirhela tiko ra hina ra Afrika Dzonga.

As the Leader of Government Business, it remains my wish that we foster working relations within Parliament that are based on mutual respect and trust and that put citizens first.

Sifanele sihlale sikhumbula ukuthi le yiPalamente yabantu!

Size apha ukuzokwenza imithetho yokuphuhlisa ilizwe lethu!

Kunyanzelekile ukuba singayilibali leyonto.

It is precisely because of our ability as a nation to foster unity and promote democratic values that we continue to be seen as a global partner for peace and development.

Siyahlonitswa lilizwe lonke ngemisebenzi esiyenzayo ukwakha ubuhlobo nokuthula.

Honourable Members,

Since 1994, we have actively worked within the UN, the AU and SADC to promote the peaceful resolution of conflict and democracy.

We have done so to promote the idea of a better South Africa in a better Africa and a better world.

Working within the framework of responsibilities assigned to us by SADC, we continue to discharge our mandate to help secure peace and security within the Kingdom of Lesotho.

As the Special Envoy of President Zuma to South Sudan, we have worked alongside the regional leadership and AU structures to end the internal strife in the Sudan People's Liberation Movement.

The swearing in of the transitional government of national unity just a few days ago brings with it the promise of peace, stability and prosperity.

Madam Speaker,

The Office of the Deputy President has been given responsibility for a diverse range of strategic activities.

In performing these responsibilities, it contributes to the critical work of the Presidency in coordinating and driving fundamental social and economic transformation.

We do this through close collaboration with social partners and on-going engagement with communities.

In conclusion, I wish to thank President Jacob Zuma for entrusting me with this responsibility.

I am grateful to my colleagues in the Executive and to the Director-General, advisers and staff in The Presidency for their support and cooperation.

Honourable Members,

We are living in difficult and uncertain times.

It is therefore critical that we remain united in our efforts to strengthen the economy and improve the lives of our people.

This is a time to instil hope, not lose hope.

It is a time to shout less and share more.

It is a time to innovate, not inflame.

Ye ase nako ya go lahlegelwa ke tshepo.

Ke nako ya go fafatsa tshepo mo sechabeng.

Ke nako ya go se hlabe le?ata empa ya go fana dikgopolo t?e diswa t?e tse botse tse bohlale.

This is a time to do all we can to avoid the many disasters that would inevitably follow from disunity.

This is a time to unite.

Nyalo sisikhatsi sokutsi sibe munye si sebentisane sibe imbumbe.

Loku kutawu senta ukutsi sibe sive le somelele nale sitawu phumelela.

We should benefit from the many blessings that must flow from unity.

I thank you, Honourable Members.