Mr President
Honourable Speaker and
Honourable Members

1. Commissions
Mr President, the UDM (United Democratic Movement) thanks you for heeding our call to have the corruption at the PIC (Public Investment Corporation) investigated.

One would, however, like to know when the monies are going to be recouped. The evidence leaders and forensic auditors who assisted the commission could assist the SIU (Special Investigating Unit) and the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority).

This could also apply to the Zondo Commission. We submit that such a process would speed up the prosecution. There is no need to start from scratch.

Also, the money that was invested abroad by Harith’s Tshepo Mahloele and Jabu Moleketi could be traced with the assistance of organisations like the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation).

Without pre-empting the final outcome of the Zondo Commission, the same goes for the monies that, as were confirmed at the Zondo and Mpati Commission and the VBS and Bosasa scandals, were diverted to your party’s coffers.

When will that money be returned to the fiscus to fix roads (like Coffee Bay) and many other infrastructure and other projects?

2. State of the Nation

I was fortunate to work with you and others at the time when we laboured towards the new South Africa.

In the end we succeeded in bringing about a new dispensation.

There was, and still is, a legitimate expectation from South Africans, especially blacks, that they would in the end reap the rewards from the sweat and tears they shed.

Progress was made in certain areas, in main that we enjoy political freedom.

However, the Verwoerds of this world must be laughing as the erstwhile liberators have transformed into power and money hungry hyenas, who have ravaged the public purse, bankrupting the country.

The other issue we are asking you to look at, Mr President, is provident funds of mine workers and other private companies.

What hurts is when hard-line socialists through unions, using investment companies and provident funds, access workers’ monies to lavishly line their own pockets, whilst the workers and their families languish in poverty. They die paupers and their families are left to rot.

The same kind of urgent attention that was paid with the aforementioned commissions needs to be paid to unions, provident funds and the instant billionaires that have popped up through these schemes. The money trail must be followed.

3. July 2021 mayhem

The July 2021 mayhem that broke out in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal exposed the weaknesses in the state of readiness of our law enforcement agencies.

The other weakness it exposed is that the current model of civilian oversight is not working. Law enforcement and military professionals must head these bodies and civilian oversight can rest with the minister and in Parliament.

4. Nedlac

Regarding the consensus on the economy, Mr President, the UDM believes you are wasting your time with Nedlac (National Economic Development and Labour Council).

As it is constituted since 1994 by its act, it has been a failure. The tensions that have existed has deterred progress for years.

If you want tangible change the answer, as the UDM has been advocating for some time, is hosting an economic indaba on the scale of Codesa.

Piecemeal conferences and summits will not do the job; it needs a concerted effort with all stakeholders gathering under one roof to hammer out South Africa’s economic policy.

This Economic Indaba should emerge with consensus after which its decisions should directly go to Parliament for ratification and implementation.

In this concerted manner, we are more likely to achieve policy certainty that will in turn ensure socio-economic transformation and inclusive growth.

I thank you.