Issued by Office of the Presidency
National Assembly 21 June 2001
Madam Speaker,
Comrade President,
Comrade Deputy President,
Honourable Members.
The best intentions, without adequate structure and policy formulation, are in vain. It is for this reason that our efforts in The Presidency are carefully structured, articulated and targeted, as I shall attempt to explain.
May I draw the special attention of the House to the document I hold in my hand, entitled "The Presidency: democratic governance -a restructured Presidency at work, 2000/2001". It takes the form of a report-back to the nation on how the restructured Presidency works, and it is being made available not only to members of Parliament but widely in the country and abroad.
It sets out in clear and, I believe, convincing fashion important matters such as the challenges that faced the previous offices of the President and Deputy President and the form and structure of the new Presidency. It sets the principal role-players in the Presidency in context. It describes the administrative structure and government entities that are related to the Presidency. It sets out in detail how the Presidency is managed and how it is integrated into the general Government effort, including the Cabinet and budgetary planning cycle; and how The Presidency relates to the country at large. It emphasises the high importance attached to "getting the message across", or the communications side of Presidency business. It lists and comments on the respected and influential working and advisory groups, which have been set up by the President. And it sets out the extensive and growing links that The Presidency has with the world community and the President's active role in critical economic and other forums. It makes the point that this heavy international involvement, far from being dilettantish, is of direct value to our domestic position, economically and in other ways. As the report puts it: "Abroad means at home!"
The report is not a routine annual report, though it carries some basic information that is useful to the statistically minded. If we are anything in South Africa, we are a people committed to transformation. Our history held us in the iron grip of no change for so long that we have to make huge leaps to end its legacy. We inherited a land with an enormous gap between the haves and the have-nots in the whole world, and it is a bitterly difficult task to change that - as we freely admit.
Perhaps the greatest measure of how committed we are to transformation is seen in the way we deal with the historically vulnerable/disadvantaged sectors in our society, namely women, disabled, children and young people. The project of transformation towards a non-sexist, non-racial society is integrally linked to the advances we make, or don't make, in terms of eradicating the scourge of racism and the empowerment of women and people with disabilities.
Our Constitution enshrined these people's rights as equal with those of every other South African citizen. Their interests are inherently linked to our war on poverty and underdevelopment, and we cannot and should not deal with these interests outside the constitutional requirement to create and maintain a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society in South Africa. We must create the structures and we must have the continuing commitment to empower these previously excluded and neglected sectors in our society. We have in fact convincingly changed this paradigm with regards to people with disabilites to the only acceptable basis -that we are dealing here with a human rights issue and nothing less.
And, with some modest pride, we can take note of achievements made, which form milestones on the road to that equality: the Integrated National Disability Strategy (1997), the National Gender Policy Framework (2000), the National Programme of Action for Children and Children's Media Code which flow from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, South Africa's accession to the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and our subsequent country reports, the next of which is due in February next year. These are critical commitments which put flesh on the bones of our constitutional intentions. But we must not only have structures and programmes, and accede to charters and conventions. We must see change in the quality of life of our people.
We are therefore committed to ensuring that the targets we set as government are actually reached, and the whole basis of an integrated Presidency, which I have already described, is available to ensure that those previously excluded are mainstreamed into the life and business of the nation. Cabinet clusters, also described in the report-back to the nation, give momentum to the implementation and monitoring of cross-cutting policies to ensure this mainstreaming.
The three "programmes" in The Presidency as well as the National Youth Commission, a statutory body, are working in a more integrated and co-ordinated manner not only in relation to departments of state and civil society, but also in terms of the areas of responsibility of each.
A key challenge in this regard is how to devolve this co-ordination and focus on disability, women, young people and children to the provincial governments and, most importantly, to our newly elected local government authorities. For most people the reality of change will be there only when these structures play their full part.
Since vast numbers of our historically neglected people live in the rural areas, the dumping grounds of apartheid, the Government's Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy (ISRDS) provides a structured basis to spread the benefits of our activities over the widest possible front.
The thrust of the mainstreaming programme is to devote energy into identified national priorities, and not to create new programmes or priorities. For this reason, the primary interest of the Offices on the Status of Women (OSW) and Disabled People (OSDP) and the Office on the Rights of the Child (ORC) with regard to mainstreaming these crucial transformation issues in this financial year would be to focus on programmes like the integrated rural development strategy. Careful monitoring must take place at the identified nodal points, so as to ensure that the concerns and challenges represented by these programmes are factored in and action taken. We also will create standards and ensure training for all those who work at this level. The objective - elected representatives and officials with the ability and sensitivity to deliver in a way that incorporates the issues and concerns of gender, disability and young people.
The Urban Renewal Strategy provides a similar window of opportunity in the sprawling, neglected concentrations of poor people who are scattered around the islands of opulence left by South African history. But we should not see urban and rural as distinct and separate. They are part of the South African whole.
The importance of transformation in these areas is not only relevant inside South Africa, but also regionally, on the continent of Africa, and internationally. The role we have played and continue to play in these theatres indicate that our leadership, in particular of you Mr President, is widely respected and appreciated.
In the coming year we shall build on the adoption of the SA National Gender Policy Framework in December last year through popularising this policy framework. An easy-to-follow version, translated into four of our national languages with concurrent workshops on the implications of these policy positions in all nine provinces, are planned. Similarly a national Gender Summit to look at the challenges for the gender machinery in South Africa is planned in conjunction with the Commission on Gender Equality (CGE) for later this year.
The ongoing training and building capacity in provincial OSWs and national Departmental gender focal points is reaping fruit and these initiatives will be further strengthened in collaboration with the UNDP during the coming year. We are busy with the process of putting in place the draft 2nd CEDAW Country Report which is due in February 2002. This process will further strengthen the close co-operation between the OSW, the CGE, Parliament, Government and civil society.
The Joint Monitoring Committee on the Quality of Life and Status of Women has grown in stature and is a strong voice not only in Parliament, but also in other spheres of our society. The good work must continue.
Over the past few years we have taken big strides in the empowerment of women. The representation of women in Parliament, in the Cabinet and as Deputy Ministers is but an indication. Of 14 Deputy Ministers 7 are women, of 27 Ministers 9 are women, not to mention their responsibility for strategic areas of governance. In Parliament the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of this House as well as the Chairperson of the NCOP are women. In The Presidency, three out of three serving Deputy Directors General are women and similarly the occupation of senior and top management positions by women in the civil service is no longer the exception. All this is a huge stride from what we inherited in 1994.
But we are not satisfied with the situation, and we are determined to bring in more women, both in elected and employed positions, in order to ensure true equity, particularly in rural areas where women suffer such enormous burdens and such extreme poverty.
The targets and challenges in terms of advancing the status and rights of people with disabilities that we set for ourselves through the Integrated National Disability Strategy in 1997 are there for all to see. The extent to which we have advanced is evident in this House today - few Parliament's in the equal the number of members with disabilities in our Parliament.
The crucial role of this House's newly established Joint Monitoring Committee on the Quality of Life and Status of People with Disabilities, Children and Youth should be commended. Their work must grow in importance and stature. While mindful of the role that Parliament has played in empowering people with disabilities, it is hoped that this good work will be extended, to ensure that there is the right physical infrastructure, ethos and budgeting procedure to cater for disabled persons - and increasing the numbers of members with disabilities after the 2004 elections. In saying this, I thank the presiding officers for major work already done.
The establishment of the representative SA Federal Council on Disability provided the important institutional capacity to build and support the disability movement in South Africa. With the launch of the Thabo Mbeki Development Trust for Disabled People this institutional capacity has been extended also to provide sustained and focused funding for developmental initiatives and the economic empowerment of disabled people.
I again want to express our gratitude for the continued funding and technical support from the Swedish government through the Swedish International Development Agency in this regard.
The co-ordination and monitoring structures to advance these policy positions in government departments and all provinces are now firmly in place. But the challenges to ensure support and commitment at a senior management level to enable officials effectively to implement and advise on disability-inclusive programmes remain. An ongoing education and awareness strategy has been designed and will be rolled out during the year ahead.
Last year we reported on the economic empowerment initiatives in terms of the transformation of sheltered and protected workshops into viable business units and training centres. An inter-departmental task team has now been established and we will report on the advances made in this regard as they progress.
On the continent and in the international arenas we have been closely associated with the African Decade for Disabled People. We will be closely involved over the next few years in the building of capacity and awareness around issues of disability on the continent.
We are also in the process of engaging friendly countries on the possibility of expanding the UN Standard Rules into a fully-fledged UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. This is something that we believe is intrinsically part of the advancement of the status and rights of people with disabilities internationally.
On June 1 this year Parliament was a hub of activity, song, dance and music to celebrate our continued awareness campaign on the rights of children. It marked the launch of a status report on the situation of children in SA as well as our submission to the UN Special End of the Decade Session and related promotional material.
The widely-consulted children and media code continues to highlight the challenges we face in terms of the relationship between children and the media. This code now provides a strong basis for continued interaction with the media in ensuring the rights of children.
This coming year will also see a broadening of the national Programme of Action for Children's activities to local government level. A range of workshops and interactions with these authorities, specifically those identified as nodal points for the rural development strategy (ISRDS), are planned and should lead to these authorities adopting Local Plans of Action to build and enhance the rights of children and address the specific challenges they face.
The National Youth Commission (NYC), the statutory body charged with monitoring and advancing youth development, played a leading role in the arrangements for a highly successful celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Soweto uprisings this past week. The work of the NYC and all who worked with them should be commended. The celebrations affirmed our and the youth's commitment to the ideals of a non-racial, non-sexist democratic society.
Government will adopt a National Youth Policy Framework to guide all government interventions on youth development later this year. The policy framework will build on the work and the experiences of the NYC in the past 5 years. Their initiatives provide us with concrete examples of the direction to take on a range of issues including economic empowerment, inter-departmental co-operation, facing the challenges of HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases, the central importance of education and training and a framework for a national youth service.
The recent launch of a National Youth Employment Clearing House by the NYC and the successful Youth Service Pilot Project in conjunction with Public Works and the OSDP in the Presidency are but examples of the initiatives to advance viable programmes for the economic empowerment of young people. Consultations between the NYC and the departments of Labour, Education and Trade and Industry are ongoing, to find ways of incorporating young people in the Human Resource Development Strategy of Government.
Various government proposals are being scrutinized for youth involvement; and the recently-announced voluntary service possibilities for young people in the SANDF and the Learnership programme, spearheaded by Labour, are closely related to the proposals from the NYC regarding a comprehensive National Youth Service. The groundwork has been done in terms of a National Youth Service and the NYC is in consultation with relevant government departments to put forward a comprehensive proposal regarding the approach and management of such a Youth Service.
We again issue a challenge to all political parties in this House to do their utmost in bringing women, youth and people with disabilities to the prominence and numbers they deserve in their formations and membership.
All members of this House should take up these crucial issues in the transformation of our country when they go back to their constituencies.
My thanks and appreciation go to the JMC on the Status and Quality of Life of Women and the JMC on the Status and Quality of Life of Children, Youth and People with Disabilities. It has been a pleasure working with these committees and their chairpersons.
Similarly it has been a pleasure to work with the Chairperson, Commissioners, the CEO and staff of the NYC during the past year. I also express my appreciation for the work and commitment of the Heads and staff of the OSW, OSDP and ORC in particular and the Director General and staff in The Presidency in general.
I thank you.