Date: 11/11/2003
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: Debate on Pres Mbeki's address to NCOP
ADDRESS BY GAUTENG PREMIER MBHAZIMA SHILOWA AT THE NCOP, Cape Town, Tuesday, 11 November 2003
The President of the Republic
Chairperson of the NCOP
Honourable members of the NCOP
Next year, when we celebrate the first decade of freedom and democracy in our country, we will have to make an honest assessment on how as a people we will have progressed towards our goal of building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.
Based on the knowledge of the work that we have done over the past nine years, we can say without any fear of contradiction that South Africa today is a better place than it was in 1994.
Our critics, as it should be expected of them, will not agree. They will say the democratic government has not delivered on the promises it made in 1994. Some will even argue that things have become worse under the democratic government. They might even say that the democratic government has brought about misery for millions of South Africans.
Mr President, I think we must allow the people, whose lives are impacted upon by our policies and programmes, to be the judges on whether we are succeeding or not. There can be no other objective judges.
In Gauteng we have spent time meeting with the ordinary people to share with them what government has been doing to improve their lives and listen to their comments on our work and what more could be done to bring about further changes. Through our 'Let's Talk', iimbizo and other forms of direct communication, our people have, without any mediation, been able to tell us how their lives have improved as a result of the policies and programmes that we implement.
Let us imagine today's sitting of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) being an Imbizo in which the people are discussing with the government and assess our joint performance of the past nine years.
The majority of participants at this Imbizo, who represent the overwhelming majority of South Africans, will acknowledge that all the policies and programmes that we have been implementing since 1994 have taken forward our vision of a new South Africa as contained in a number of our policy documents such as the Freedom Charter and the Reconstruction and Development Programme.
As the people speak at this Imbizo let us hear what the vast majority that they speak for will say about our performance of the past nine years. This is what they will say.
Those who spent decades living in slums will say that the democratic South Africa has brought about a better life for them because they now live in decent homes built on land that they proudly own.
Many who did not have access to health care will say that South Africa is now a better place because they have access to quality care near where they live.
Parents who could not give their children decent education will say that the democratic South Africa is a better place for their children because the democratic government has opened the doors of learning to all.
Many of the most vulnerable of our people, who previously could not get any help from the state, including poor parents who could not afford to support their children, will say that the democratic South Africa is a better place because they now receive social security grants.
Millions who did not have access to basic services such as water and electricity, especially those who live in the rural areas, will testify that South Africa is now a better place than it was in 1994 because they now have access to free basic amounts of water and electricity.
The workers, who under apartheid were oppressed and exploited, will say that South Africa is now a better place in which to live and work because their rights to fight for better working conditions and living wages are now recognized and are protected by the supreme law of the country - the Constitution.
Business people, who previously found it difficult to do business in South Africa because of the unfriendly apartheid laws, will say that South Africa is now a better place in which to live and do business because of the new laws and policies that the democratic government has introduced which have created an environment conducive to investment.
Women, who were never treated with respect and dignity during apartheid, will say that South Africa is now a better place because their rights are enshrined in the Constitution. Our programmes and policies have resulted in a sharp increase in the number of women who occupy decision-making positions in all spheres of society.
The youth of our country, many of whom were neglected under apartheid rule, will say that South Africa is now a better place because the democratic government has implemented programmes that advance their interests and has created many opportunities for them to acquire skills that will make them worthier citizens of their country.
Even the children, the born-free who may not know what life under apartheid was, will say that South Africa is a better place. They can see that their government is doing everything to secure their future.
The senior citizens, especially the black who were victims of the apartheid racial old age system, will say that South Africa is now a better place than it was before 1994 as they now enjoy equal treatment and care from the democratic government.
People with disabilities will say South Africa is now a better place because their dignity has been restored and their rights are guaranteed by law. They also know that the democratic government has ended discrimination against them.
All South Africans now enjoy the right to speak freely, to organise and protest freely, and even to criticise their government freely without fear of arrest or prosecution. Every week we receive memoranda from organisations and groups that wish to bring things to our attention. They are able to do so because the democratic government respects their right to express themselves in any peaceful manner.
While there may be few who refuse to acknowledge that we have made good progress since 1994, the overwhelming majority of South Africans will say that South Africa is now a better place in which to live.
Having chosen the people as the objective judges on our performance over the past nine years, we are not only going to listen to the positive things that they say in their judgement. We will listen carefully when they point to us areas in which they think we could have done better. We will also listen when they point out challenges that still face our country including new ones that may have arisen in the present period.
The judges will say that while a lot has been done to improve the condition of poor people, a significant number continue to face the challenges of unemployment, crime, illiteracy, hunger, disease, homelessness, underdevelopment and lack of access to basic services such as water and sanitation.
As a government that listens to the views of the people, we will accept their objective and fair judgement and recommit ourselves to work even harder in the next decade to overcome the challenges facing us and bring about a better life for all.
During the State of the Nation address the President announced that government would increase the age limit for child support grants from 6 to 14 years over the next three years. This we welcome. We are already working very hard to ensure that all who are eligible for the grants receive them.
The challenge though is how to continue to make resources available to help the poor while at the same time increasing expenditure on economic activities. Investment in capital expenditure is the best way to empower the majority of our people economically. This will reduce dependent on social grants as the only means for survival.
As we review the past nine years, one of the issues we have to address is how to ensure that legislation passed at the national legislature does not impose unfunded mandate onto provinces and municipalities. The same applies to provinces. They should not pass legislation that imposes financial obligations on local government.
The current Health Bill, in redefining municipal health to be only about environmental health, may lead to municipalities such as Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg, which run local clinics closing them down or handing them over to the provincial government. Unless there are national resources to compensate the provincial government, health care in the areas is likely going to deteriorate. We need to avoid this.
The same can be said with the Environmental Management of Protected Areas Bill. While there is nothing wrong in giving powers to the Minister to set standards and indicators for provincial and local protected areas, doing so without making resources available will place more pressures on local and provincial governments. The result is likely to be a refusal by provinces or municipalities to accept the function.
As we move towards the second decade of democracy, we need to strengthen areas of success, improve on areas where progress has been slow and together with communities and stakeholders prepare ourselves to confront challenges that lie ahead.
Thank you.
For more information contact Thabo Masebe on 082 410 8087
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
11 November 2003
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: Debate on Pres Mbeki's address to NCOP
ADDRESS BY GAUTENG PREMIER MBHAZIMA SHILOWA AT THE NCOP, Cape Town, Tuesday, 11 November 2003
The President of the Republic
Chairperson of the NCOP
Honourable members of the NCOP
Next year, when we celebrate the first decade of freedom and democracy in our country, we will have to make an honest assessment on how as a people we will have progressed towards our goal of building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.
Based on the knowledge of the work that we have done over the past nine years, we can say without any fear of contradiction that South Africa today is a better place than it was in 1994.
Our critics, as it should be expected of them, will not agree. They will say the democratic government has not delivered on the promises it made in 1994. Some will even argue that things have become worse under the democratic government. They might even say that the democratic government has brought about misery for millions of South Africans.
Mr President, I think we must allow the people, whose lives are impacted upon by our policies and programmes, to be the judges on whether we are succeeding or not. There can be no other objective judges.
In Gauteng we have spent time meeting with the ordinary people to share with them what government has been doing to improve their lives and listen to their comments on our work and what more could be done to bring about further changes. Through our 'Let's Talk', iimbizo and other forms of direct communication, our people have, without any mediation, been able to tell us how their lives have improved as a result of the policies and programmes that we implement.
Let us imagine today's sitting of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) being an Imbizo in which the people are discussing with the government and assess our joint performance of the past nine years.
The majority of participants at this Imbizo, who represent the overwhelming majority of South Africans, will acknowledge that all the policies and programmes that we have been implementing since 1994 have taken forward our vision of a new South Africa as contained in a number of our policy documents such as the Freedom Charter and the Reconstruction and Development Programme.
As the people speak at this Imbizo let us hear what the vast majority that they speak for will say about our performance of the past nine years. This is what they will say.
Those who spent decades living in slums will say that the democratic South Africa has brought about a better life for them because they now live in decent homes built on land that they proudly own.
Many who did not have access to health care will say that South Africa is now a better place because they have access to quality care near where they live.
Parents who could not give their children decent education will say that the democratic South Africa is a better place for their children because the democratic government has opened the doors of learning to all.
Many of the most vulnerable of our people, who previously could not get any help from the state, including poor parents who could not afford to support their children, will say that the democratic South Africa is a better place because they now receive social security grants.
Millions who did not have access to basic services such as water and electricity, especially those who live in the rural areas, will testify that South Africa is now a better place than it was in 1994 because they now have access to free basic amounts of water and electricity.
The workers, who under apartheid were oppressed and exploited, will say that South Africa is now a better place in which to live and work because their rights to fight for better working conditions and living wages are now recognized and are protected by the supreme law of the country - the Constitution.
Business people, who previously found it difficult to do business in South Africa because of the unfriendly apartheid laws, will say that South Africa is now a better place in which to live and do business because of the new laws and policies that the democratic government has introduced which have created an environment conducive to investment.
Women, who were never treated with respect and dignity during apartheid, will say that South Africa is now a better place because their rights are enshrined in the Constitution. Our programmes and policies have resulted in a sharp increase in the number of women who occupy decision-making positions in all spheres of society.
The youth of our country, many of whom were neglected under apartheid rule, will say that South Africa is now a better place because the democratic government has implemented programmes that advance their interests and has created many opportunities for them to acquire skills that will make them worthier citizens of their country.
Even the children, the born-free who may not know what life under apartheid was, will say that South Africa is a better place. They can see that their government is doing everything to secure their future.
The senior citizens, especially the black who were victims of the apartheid racial old age system, will say that South Africa is now a better place than it was before 1994 as they now enjoy equal treatment and care from the democratic government.
People with disabilities will say South Africa is now a better place because their dignity has been restored and their rights are guaranteed by law. They also know that the democratic government has ended discrimination against them.
All South Africans now enjoy the right to speak freely, to organise and protest freely, and even to criticise their government freely without fear of arrest or prosecution. Every week we receive memoranda from organisations and groups that wish to bring things to our attention. They are able to do so because the democratic government respects their right to express themselves in any peaceful manner.
While there may be few who refuse to acknowledge that we have made good progress since 1994, the overwhelming majority of South Africans will say that South Africa is now a better place in which to live.
Having chosen the people as the objective judges on our performance over the past nine years, we are not only going to listen to the positive things that they say in their judgement. We will listen carefully when they point to us areas in which they think we could have done better. We will also listen when they point out challenges that still face our country including new ones that may have arisen in the present period.
The judges will say that while a lot has been done to improve the condition of poor people, a significant number continue to face the challenges of unemployment, crime, illiteracy, hunger, disease, homelessness, underdevelopment and lack of access to basic services such as water and sanitation.
As a government that listens to the views of the people, we will accept their objective and fair judgement and recommit ourselves to work even harder in the next decade to overcome the challenges facing us and bring about a better life for all.
During the State of the Nation address the President announced that government would increase the age limit for child support grants from 6 to 14 years over the next three years. This we welcome. We are already working very hard to ensure that all who are eligible for the grants receive them.
The challenge though is how to continue to make resources available to help the poor while at the same time increasing expenditure on economic activities. Investment in capital expenditure is the best way to empower the majority of our people economically. This will reduce dependent on social grants as the only means for survival.
As we review the past nine years, one of the issues we have to address is how to ensure that legislation passed at the national legislature does not impose unfunded mandate onto provinces and municipalities. The same applies to provinces. They should not pass legislation that imposes financial obligations on local government.
The current Health Bill, in redefining municipal health to be only about environmental health, may lead to municipalities such as Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg, which run local clinics closing them down or handing them over to the provincial government. Unless there are national resources to compensate the provincial government, health care in the areas is likely going to deteriorate. We need to avoid this.
The same can be said with the Environmental Management of Protected Areas Bill. While there is nothing wrong in giving powers to the Minister to set standards and indicators for provincial and local protected areas, doing so without making resources available will place more pressures on local and provincial governments. The result is likely to be a refusal by provinces or municipalities to accept the function.
As we move towards the second decade of democracy, we need to strengthen areas of success, improve on areas where progress has been slow and together with communities and stakeholders prepare ourselves to confront challenges that lie ahead.
Thank you.
For more information contact Thabo Masebe on 082 410 8087
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government
11 November 2003
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