State of the Nation Address Debate 2015 by ANC MP Zukiswa Rantho
18 February 2015
Hon. Speaker
Hon. Deputy Speaker
Hon. Chair Of The Ncop
Hon. Deputy Chair
Hon. President
Hon. Deputy President
Hon. Ministers And Deputy Ministers
Hon Premiers Hon Members,
Today the eyes and hope of the Nation are on our Parliament.
The President when he delivered his state of the nation address he said `the year 2015 is the year of the freedom charter and unity in action to advance the economic freedom". This is what South Africans have been waiting for. They have seen the developments around the country and have heard the Presidents voice on what has been ACHIEVED by the ANC government.
We have made good strides as the ANC government in uplifting the lives of our people. To correct the damage of colonialism, neo-liberalism and structured and institutionalized apartheid rule cannot be erased in just twenty years but we have done just that.
Hon. Speaker its our task as South Africans to own everything that the government has build and constructed as it is the collective wealth of the Nation and belongs to us whether it`s a Library, Creche or School.
The Freedom Charter says The PE0PLE SHALL GOVERN` This does not only refer to voting and standing as candidates but what we collective own as our national wealth, our endowments. This requires us to act with responsibility.
THE PEOPLE SHALL SHARE IN THE COUNTRYs WEALTH
Our democracy provides entrepreneurs to trade where they choose. You are not restricted to your birth area and subjected to a permit when you have to come to Cape Town from former Transkei area as was the case before democracy.
Before a black person were not allowed to even think of doing mathematics at school because it was not for them. The fear was that you will know too much and you will know the trading trends of government which at that time was a secret.
Today we have youth who are steering ships around our seas and to distant countries, amongst those are young black women We have young black pilots trained by the SOEs This is development at its best especially focusing on previously disadvantaged youth.
South African Xpress has a development programme running for pilots and it is yielding good results. This is the richness of our country and the type of wealth the ANC government is generating. South African Xpress has a program to adopt a school which is a good initiative that will encourage our youth to have interest in aviation.
In recognizing the enormous potential of our oceans in contributing to the economic growth , creating jobs and reducing poverty, operation Pakisa becomes relevant as one of our integrated programs and way of working as government launched by the President. These actions are critical for the re-industrialisation of our economy and creating jobs and our SOEs are leading. Transnet will be investing over R300 billion in ports and rail infrastructure.
We are moving South Africa forward for all
In his State of the Nation address the President said `We have a developed a plan which involves short, medium and long term responses`. Our youth with its flourishing talents is being harnessed and developed in the most productive way so that they can play a leading role in the allocation of resources and get what is due to them in the wealth of this country. We must continue to invest in them.
Asihlelanga nje siyazama kakhulu ukba abantu bethu baphume endlaleni Sifuna abantu bakwazi ukuzimela bakwazi ukonga imali yabo Kungoko sicela amasebe afanelekileyo ukuba afundise abo basenawo amashishini bakwazi ukuyiphatha ngendlela imali yabo Ubutyebi ke abakhiwa ngemini enye hleze uphuncukane nabo ngosuku olulandelayo ube nomsindo utyhole abantu ngamaphutha owenzileyo Sithi abazi izidingo zabantu kuba sithi abanoxanduva lokungena umzi nomzi sijongana nempilo zabantu
THERE SHALL BE WORK AND SECURITY
Our SOE`s are the co-drivers of socio economic development and continue to train our youth for potential jobs. The NDP adopted in 2012 is a visionary blue print of government, business and broader society as collaborative partners working towards achieving the socio-economic growth and development targets by 2030.
Chairperson we have privatised before and this had dire consequences for the industries supplied by the companies that were previously owned by the state. As we speak, the foundries are accessing steel at Import Parity Pricing and this is also a similar case in the polymers. This has undermined the growth of downstream industries that are more labour intensive. These were sectors where there was state ownership but the private sector is there but we don`t see the levels of efficiency that our colleagues are referring to. These companies have been taken to the Competition Commission for their uncompetitive practices. Privatisation is not a solution.
The people shall only govern through state ownership. The people can`t govern under private ownership. Eskom is our company as South Africans, and 100% owned by South Africans. The DA is calling for the unbundling of Eskom (privatization of certain divisions of Eskom) and complaining about its monopoly. These people are hypocrites, these people are spokespersons and shopstewards of white monopoly capital. They should challenge their funders to unbundle their businesses and allow for black participation in the value chain of their business. South Africans should defend Eskom from these liberal attacks, and should take ownership through ensuring that we use electricity sparingly, and continue to be proud of the progress we make as a society. The load-shedding we are experiencing is not a crisis, but it is an instrument used to find a balance between the demand and supply of electricity. Some sections of the media and profits of doom in South Africa are hellbent on seeing our country fail, but we will continue to disappoint them as the ANC led government.
We are confident that government is in control of the current electricity challenge.
We are intervening in the ICT because private companies have not invested heavily in the connectivity of rural areas and the broadband price remains high. We are going to eliminate the digital divide. South Africa Connect is the Broadband Policy of government that will ensure that all of our people are connected, and can access opportunities and participate in the knowledge economy.
The state alone will not be able to raise the necessary levels of growth. The private sector has to play its role in economic growth after all they make use of state resources to do their business. They use roads built by government, electricity provided by government and everything that is provided by government.
We believe that the role of SOC and the private sector is complementary and our companies continue to forge partnerships with the private sector.
State owned Enterprises like Transnet have created a substantive number of jobs for both youth and women. In Salt River women are being trained as engineers and moving on qualified in their profession. In Touws Rivier a women`s co-ops are refurbishing the Shosholoza mail trains creating critical jobs in the rural area.
Denel has +4000 employees consisting of young people and training them in core and critical skills. These employees are trained on technical skills. Students are given bursaries in different years of study towards technical qualifications . Denel has developed a new aeroplane innovation program building their own aeroplane which can be used for domestic purpose. This is a reflection of the skills we have and which are being developed. The re-opening of smaller air- strips around the country is underway. This initiative will enable passengers the ability to fly using the locally domestic flight to smaller destinations.
The growth of Denel has been over a considerable period has and created many opportunities for employment.
Mongameli obekekileyo amanye amatyala esiwathweleyo ayingo wethu Sityathe amatyala afika ngenqanawe apha Asoze ngoko ke ukufane siwagqibe ngeminyaka engamashumi amabini Uyabona wena Mongameli sachukumisa inyoka emsileni xa sasithatha eli lizwe Khumbula ukuba akho nomnye unmtu owayekhe wacinga ukuba singaze siliphathe eli lizwe kuba sasise sifana nezinto ezingeyonto singabantu abantsundu SIKULINDELE KE UKUTHI XA SISAKHA NGAPHA ABANXAXHI BABE BECHITHA Luxanduva lwethu ukwazisa abantu belilizwe esikwenzile singulo rhulumente makungabi ngathi akho nto Futhi masiqinise apha ekulweni nentlupheko Let us appreciate the commitment made by our government to expand broadband roll out to reach previously marginalized rural areas the former bantustans Mongameli oku kubonakalisa cacileyo indlela lo rh ulumente we ANC okhathala ngayo ngokhuseleko lwabantu basezilalini Kaloku xa kukhanya emakhaya sakutsho sikhuseleke kuba dlwenguli nakumasela emfuyo yethu Enkosi Mongameli ngeli galelo
Zizingqi zethu ezenza le ngxokolo engaka abanxaxhi bafuna ifuthe lethu lingavakali Okwethu kukuthatha uMzantsi Afrika siwuse phambili Kodwa ke ubulinde ntoni kuba intandane yomhlaba utata uMadiba wayefudula esaziwa nje ngomgrogrisi namhlanje uliqhawe leli lizwe ude uthandwa naziintshaba zakhe Nathi ngeli xesha lokuphatha kwethu sisezakunconywa isiXhosa sithi AKULAHLWA MBELEKO NGAKUFELWA
