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21 Mar, 2014
UDM Contribution at Human Rights Day Celebration at Sharpeville
Speech from Mrs Thandi Nontenja (UDM National Treasurer) to be delivered at the Department of Arts and Culture Human Rights Day Programme Director The Minister of the Department of Arts and Culture, Premier of Gauteng – Nomvula Mokonyane Leaders of other Political Parties Fellow South Africans: It is an honour and a privilege to be part of the commemoration of what we used to call Sharpeville Day back then. It is befitting for this day to be called Human Rights Day as the rights of those who were marching on that day were violated by the police under the apartheid regime. Today I want to discuss issues that relate to the challenges we faced as a nation. These challenges form the basis of our common humanity. What happened on that day? More than 50 years ago when the police in Sharpeville saw the masses marching towards them they opened fire, killing approximately 69 individuals and injuring hundreds. The scars are deeply embedded. On a daily basis we remember where we have been as a nation and where we want to be. We want to ensure that human dignity, equality and freedom are always entrenched in the lives of our people. Presently, there are so many questions posed about police brutality in South Africa. Police management is a major problem, this includes; poor training, disrespect for law, lack of accountability, criminals within police ranks and so on. You will recall that the South African Human Rights Commission has also expressed its concerns about policing. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) believes that Human Rights Day should be celebrated in the spirit of pride and joy of our human rights as described in our constitution. The terrible irony is that there have been so many human rights abuses in the past few years like Andries Tatane killing, the Marikana massacre, Madibeng killings, Bekkersdal, the list is endless. This is even more disturbing, when one considers that the government, which should be the custodian of this beautiful piece of legislation, has become a culprit in the abuse of human rights as evidenced by our police’s “shoot first, ask later” doctrine. Government has an undisputable responsibility to take action to end violence and not perpetrate it. Respect for human dignity is a value which should be cherished. People cannot be tortured or be treated in a cruel, inhumane or degrading way. As leaders, let us send a positive message to South Africans at large. Let us remind them about their Human Rights but emphasise the fact that with rights comes responsibility. The UDM believes that whoever violates someone else’s rights forfeits his or her own rights. We cannot have a situation where criminals have more rights than law abiding citizens. The state has a major role to play. The government has to create rules and laws that would guide the behaviour of individuals in the society. Institutions such as the Human Rights Commission must play an active role in the promotion and protection of human rights. We also need a strong national program on human rights education. When people look at their past they have to see a difference in their future. We need to be the authors of a new book where we can tell a new story. A story of a perfect nation that respects the rights of every South African. I thank you.
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19 Mar, 2014
Nkandla: President Zuma no longer has the moral authority to lead – it’s time to go
The scathing report of the Public Protector on the so-called Nkandla “upgrades” probably marks one of the darkest moments in the history our country since the advent of democracy in 1994. The findings that President Zuma has once again violated the Executive Members Ethics Code through his failure to act in protection of state resources, that he tacitly accepted the implementation of all measures at his residence and has unduly benefited from the enormous capital investment, must be offensive to any nation that takes pride in the values espoused in its constitution. No individual can be above our nation and our laws. We agree with the Public Protector when she says, “…if government becomes lawbreaker, it breeds contempt of law”. The report, in finding guilty various ministers and departments, is an indictment of our government and the ruling party. Advocate Madonsela’s report exposes the conspicuous lack of shame of the ruling party, its ministers and its leaders. The Comrades in Corruption have a propensity to deceive the citizenry in defence of its susceptible president and each other. The ministers’ calculated deception and ex facto justification of the spend is an indication of how institutionalised corruption has rooted itself in government. The fabric of our nation’s probity has been corroded and confidence has waned in the leadership, body politic and integrity of our nation – all because of one man and what was done in his defence. The ANC’s continued disregard of the many voices of conscience, inside and outside its ranks, and failure to put South Africa first, is a clear indication that only the voters can stop them now. We therefore urge voters to send the message loud and clear: “We Can Stop Corruption”. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) also pays tribute to the late Mandy Rossouw who exposed this scandal through her courageous and diligent journalistic work. Her extraordinary work reinforces our belief that a free media remains one of the pillars of our constitutional democracy. There is no doubt that somewhere up there she looks down upon South Africa with a broad smile. In addition, we continue to be impressed with the meticulous and diligent way in which the Public Protector and her team carries out their functions. We have full confidence in the constitution and all its institutions that are meant to strengthen our democracy. After having witnessed this situation unfold, it is clear that electoral legislation in South Africa must change to allow the people to hire and fire their own president. We cannot sit; do nothing and suffer the consequences. We, as the people, must take responsibility and take charge. Now is the time for our nation to stand up against corruption. We can change what has become systemic corruption if we rise to the challenge.
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11 Mar, 2014
Farewell and tribute to Mr Trevor Manuel by Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, MP
Mister Speaker, Mister Deputy President and Honourable Members, I am greatly honoured by the privilege to, on behalf of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), deliver a farewell speech to Minister Trevor Manuel. Minister Manuel has been an outstanding servant of the people and as a result, it is impossible for anyone to claim not to know him given the number of lives he has touched during his terms in Office. Mister Minister, When you moved from Trade and Industry to Finance on 4 April 1996, you took charge of the finances of a South Africa that faced a compendium complex of challenges. First, you had to help the Nation to reconcile the conflicting fundamental values between democracy and capitalism in a country, where many people did not believe that the two could coexist harmoniously. Democracy, as you know, puts emphasis on producing political accountability and on joint interests and equality, while capitalism entails the seeking of one’s own self interests. Through your outstanding leadership Sir, you proved that the two could exist side-by-side when capitalism was given a more humane face. Second, you took charge of the Finance Portfolio of a country that had limited resources and whose people were still deeply polarised along racial lines and whose socio- economic inequality levels were high due to the misguided policies of the past. Working under the ruling party Government, you adopted income redistribution policies which sought to achieve political and social stability in order to provide a secure context for economic growth. Though the needs and demands of the country were numerous, your idealistic approach to meeting our challenges was invariably imbued with a deep sense of pragmatism. You always ensured that in modernising our economy the policy choices and responses Government made were proportionate to circumstance and were sustainable. Nowhere is this more succinctly captured than in the legacy of fiscal prudence you left the Finance Portfolio. Mister Speaker, When I met Minister Manuel at the Union Buildings more than a year ago during public consultations on the National Development Plan (NDP), he came across as a leader who was willing to sublimate his individual interests to those of the collective. I was truly inspired by the humility and the outstanding leadership qualities of this intellectual giant. It is therefore not surprising that he leaves behind the National Development Plan (NDP) as one of his shining legacies. Fellow South Africans, As young people, the best farewell we can give to Minister Manuel is peace of mind that we too will leave South Africa in an even better condition for both current and future generations. Farewell son of the soil. South Africans of all races are going to miss your outstanding leadership qualities in the public sector and your sheer dedication to your job. You have served our Nation with distinction! However, given your skills, knowledge, expertise, the love and respect the people have for you as well as how much they still desire your services – as Abe Lemons once put it: “The trouble with your retirement is that you will never get a day off.” Thank you.
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11 Mar, 2014
Speech: Consideration of fiscal framework and revenue proposals (Mr N Kwankwa, MP)
Address by Mr Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, MP in the National Assembly Debate: Consideration of Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals Mister Speaker, Deputy President and Honourable Members, Economies around the world, including ours, have since the financial crisis in 2008 struggled to return back to pre-subprime crisis economic performance levels. This decline in business activity has resulted in massive job losses, business closures and in many families finding it difficult to make ends meet. Despite these challenges, good strides in economic and social development have been made to boost the economy, create jobs and reduce poverty. Mister Speaker, One of the good things the Minister and the Department have done well over the past few months is that they have heeded the call to reduce costs by keeping an eye on and actively seeking ways to moderate the public sector wage bill. It has also introduced a wide range of cost cutting measures. We also commend Government for ensuring that the consolidated budget deficit came down from the 4.2 per cent forecast in October last year to 4 per cent. However, while it makes sense to, in light of the current general economic decline, run a budget deficit of 4 per cent in the medium-term to support our developmental objectives, the budget deficit viewed together with the rising public debt, which stands at just over 40 per cent of GDP, gives an impression that Government is struggling to embark on a fiscal consolidation programme. Yes, we are aware that rising global interest rates have been a major contributor to the rise in debt service costs for Government. We are also cognisant of the fact that significant steps have been taken to improve the management of public debt and that currently only about 10 per cent of public debt is in foreign currency. However, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) believes that more needs to done to improve efficiency in Government. This is essential in reducing and bringing South Africa’s debt to sustainable levels. Mr Speaker, Labour unrest is hurting the South African economy and results in the loss of our country’s competitiveness. Nowhere is this loss of competitiveness more evident than in the current account deficit of approximately 6 per cent and the fact South Africa’s net portfolio investments declined to R24.3 billion in 2013 from R88.8 billion in 2012. Mister Minister, it concerns us that South Africa’s large current-account and budget deficits are beginning to attract the attention of rating Agencies, which already have a negative outlook on South Africa. The UDM calls on Government to take steps to improve the depressing investment climate in South Africa in order to ensure private investment – both portfolio and in particular foreign direct investment – is rekindled. This is one of the most essential ways to achieve economic growth rates that are necessary to arrest poverty. Mister Speaker, It makes us uneasy to see that Government’s debt and deficit reduction programme seems to principally depend on optimistic economic growth forecasts. Output growth in South Africa has been sluggish for quite some time and judging by Government’s failure to achieve past targets, we are not convinced that the new targets will be achieved. The UDM believes that output growth forecasts should be realistic so that we can begin the process of setting the country’s finances on a path to fiscal consolidation. The UDM supports the Consideration of Fiscal Framework and Revenue Proposals. I thank you.
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24 Feb, 2014
Joint Statement by Mbhazima Shilowa and Bantu Holomisa
Today marks yet another milestone in our journey towards political realignment. Our announcement takes forward the discussions which started after the 2009 elections when it became apparent that South Africans yearned for a viable alternative. This process had stalled, in part, as the Independent Democrats (ID) joined the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the internal ructions with the Congress of the People (COPE). Recently, more than 800 delegates representing COPE branches from eight provinces that were left out of COPE’s recent National Congress held a summit in Bloemfontein to map the way forward. The summit mandated Mr Mbhazima Shilowa to engage with the United Democratic Movement (UDM) to take the realignment debate forward. The result of the talks between the two delegations was that these branches will support and mobilise for the UDM in the forthcoming general elections. The process of integration and preparing an effective elections machinery across the country is currently under way with joint meetings at provincial levels. A national structure to oversee this process has been put in place. The long-term plan is to work for political realignment and this entails that we will work with other progressive formations in the future. No party in South Africa can ever win an election unless it appeals to the vast majority, especially the poor and unemployed who do have not access to basic services. As outlined in the UDM’s manifesto it is imperative that we focus on the following issues: • Good governance. • Economy • Quality education • Feeding SA – food securing and rural development • Quality health care • Safety and security • Protecting the environment and • Election reform We call on all South Africans, especially those who voted COPE in the last elections, to rally behind the UDM in the forthcoming elections. While Mr Shilowa will not be party to such integration for personal reasons, he supports the process and will actively work for its success in the short, medium and long term. This is our country let’s take charge and not allow corruption to destroy the gains of our freedom. Thank you Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP Mr Mbhazima Shilowa
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18 Feb, 2014
Speech: Debate on State of the Nation Address by Bantu Holomisa
Mister Speaker, Mister President, Deputy President and Honourable Members, State of the Nation Address debates give South Africans an opportunity to participate in discussions about issues that affect our country. We should therefore not underestimate the value of this important democratic practice in strengthening our democracy. Elsewhere in the world such opportunities do not exist. Mister President, allow me to apologise in advance for not being able to stay for the entire duration of this debate. I have to go to Pretoria to finalise the submission of the Defence Force Service Commission (DFSC) to the Portfolio Committee on Defence. I also need to prepare for my trip to Bloemfontein to attend the National Defence Force Day celebrations. I hope you understand Sir, because you assigned me this task. Mister Speaker, The 2014 State of the Nation Address debate takes place at a time when South Africa marks 20 years of freedom. This gives us an opportunity to reflect on the progress made and the challenges facing South Africa today. We acknowledge the good strides made since the attainment of our freedom. We also fully concur with you, Mister President, that South Africa is a better place to live in today than it was before 1994. However, contrary to popular belief, many South Africans do not have a good story to tell about our twenty years of freedom. Millions of South Africans in townships, rural and peri-urban areas still do not have access to land, houses, water and sanitation. Even in instances where services have been delivered the quality of the final product leaves much to be desired. As we speak, Government has to demolish and rebuild thousands of poorly built RDP houses around the country. There is also a general lack of maintenance of the existing infrastructure in many previously disadvantaged communities, which negatively affects the delivery of water and electricity. The real State of the Nation While the UDM acknowledges the impact of colonial and apartheid legacy on the South African economy, twenty years into our democracy there is clear evidence that poor economic policy choices, economic mismanagement and corruption have negatively affected our economy. Furthermore, over the last twenty years we have witnessed growing levels of tension and mistrust amongst the three main role players: government, labour and business. On the one hand, this mistrust has discouraged big business from investing billions of available cash in our economy. On the other hand, it has often resulted in illegal and violent strikes, which negatively affect the economy, depress the currency and investor sentiment. These strained and often volatile industrial relations have resulted in high unemployment rates. Millions of South Africans are unemployed – the majority of which are youth, while others live in abject poverty. Rising food prices and fuel costs have added to the misery by making it difficult for many South Africans to make ends meet. What adds insult to injury is that our education system fails to give our children the basic education they need to be economically active. In the meantime, levels of inequality increase at an alarming rate. The high levels of inequality are a direct result of corruption and policies that allow the rich to accumulate obscene wealth at the expense of the poor and marginalised. The most painful irony however is that of a former liberation movement that espoused egalitarian principles during the struggle years only to preside over the most grotesque and ever-worsening levels of inequality. Mister Speaker, Government has over the past 20 years taken decisions that have caused the country much embarrassment. Some of these decisions and transactions, which were laced with corruption include, but are not limited to, Sarafina II, the Arms Deal, Hitachi/Chancellor House/Eskom deal, the Dina Pule saga, the IEC and the South African Police Services’ (SAPS) lease agreement scandals, Nkandlagate scandal and so on. While talking about the Nkandlagate scandal, Mister President, we have noted your media comments over the past weekend regarding government’s spending of millions of taxpayer’s money on your private property. There is no doubt that this scandal has brought the country into disrepute. You keep telling us that you had no knowledge of these improvements, but you never tell us what steps you have taken to solve this fiasco. Mister President, had it not been for the media that exposed this scandal, there would have been no Public Works and Public Protector Investigations. We are concerned that in cases where senior ruling party leaders are caught with their hands in the cookie jar junior officials are made to take the blame. Even former President Nelson Mandela admitted to the widespread existence of corruption in the ruling party when he said in August 1998 that: “We have learnt now that even those people with whom we fought the struggle against apartheid’s corruption can themselves be corrupted.” Mister President, it seems other South Africans have a different story to tell. No one can dispute that: “Corruption destroys the gains of our freedom!” It also chases away the investors. Bearing this in mind, Government needs to take active steps to promote and entrench a culture of good governance. To root out corruption, the UDM believes that Government should introduce courts that are dedicated to handle corruption cases. Government should restore the powers of the accounting officers and ensure that there is no political interference. The role of political heads should be confined to that of oversight. The bleak picture I have sketched above about the strong prevalence of institutionalised corruption, reminds South Africans to never again put their eggs in one basket. Fellow South Africans, Over the past few years South Africa has been shaken by violent service delivery protests. People protest to register their dissatisfaction with Government’s dismal service delivery record. In most protests, lawlessness is regrettably celebrated, as both private and public properties are destroyed. What adds fuel to the fire is that the political leadership both at national and provincial levels does not make time to engage communities during protests. They instead rely on councillors and the police to extinguish the fire. We therefore join you, Mister President, in condemning the use of violence by all parties during protests. We will meet again when the new administration delivers its State of the Nation Address and its programme of action for 2014. Thank you.
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12 Feb, 2014
DA march on Luthuli House creates a bad precedent
by Bantu Holomisa The United Democratic Movement (UDM) condemns the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) decision to march on Luthuli House. Nowhere in the world has a political party marched on another political party to air its disagreements and concerns on policy positions and government programmes. The march should be on the Union Buildings, the seat of Government, rather than on the headquarters of a political party. It is ironic that the DA, which always pontificates about the importance of separating the party and the state, conflates the two on its decision to march on Luthuli House. This ill-considered and unnecessary march is going to cost the safety and security cluster millions of Rands that should be spent on crime fighting strategies. It also creates a bad precedent and promotes a culture of political intolerance.
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02 Feb, 2014
2014 Manifesto Launch address by Bantu Holomisa at Nasrec
The National Chairperson of the UDM, Mr Zolisa Lavisa ,• UDM Secretary General, Mr Bongani Msomi • The Members the UDM National Executive Committee Officer, • UDM PEC Members, • UDM Members of Parliament, Legislature and Councillors, • UDM REC Members, • Traditional Leaders, • Honoured Guests, • Members of the Media, • UDM Members, • Fellow South Africans: WELCOME I am pleased to welcome you to the United Democratic Movement’s (UDM) Manifesto Launch for the 2014 elections. On behalf of the UDM I thank you for taking time to share this important day with us. Before I deliver my address, I would like to request that we all stand and pay our last respects to the late UDM Deputy-President, Mr Ntopile Kganyago and our late global icon and former President, Mr Nelson Mandela. My fellow South Africans who are seated in this hall, as well as those who are watching and listening from all corners in Africa. FREEDOM AT LAST – THE RIGHT VOTE 2014 is an auspicious year when South Africa marks twenty years of freedom and democracy. We should be proud of the fact that our people have been empowered to cast their vote to choose a government of their liking. In many countries on the Continent, true democracy is a pipe dream and more often than not governments are changed at the barrel of the gun. In that regard we have made much progress after the Apartheid ended. I am sure that you, my fellow South Africans, will agree that in spite of our wonderful Constitution, and specifically the Bill of Rights, we have not yet reached the goal of transforming our Country into a Winning Nation. BRIEF STATE OF THE NATION Today, we are meeting at a time when the tensions between the police and members of the public are at an all-time high due to service delivery protests that are often characterised by anger and violence. The growing service delivery protests and labour unrests are an irrefutable indication of a growing crisis with the state relying more and more on violence and brute force as the infamous Marikana massacre and many other communities in the Northwest and Limpopo province have shown. During protests the ruling party sadly sends in the police to brutalise the public, instead of dispatching senior government officials to attend to the people’s concerns and complaints. In addition, councillors have become convenient scapegoats for the ruling party for service delivery failures. The situation is made worse by the fact that the ruling party, which is supposed to provide leadership, is imploding. This infighting has even spilled over to the local government level. Local government in South Africa is in shambles. Councillors have usurped the powers of the administrators and they often fail to distinguish between the party and the state. In many municipalities, councillors decide who should get which tenders and why and state resources are used for party political programmes. Another area of concern at local government level is that the institution of traditional leaders has been side-lined in rural development programmes. The UDM is of the view that the local government system should be overhauled as a matter of urgency. Talking of traditional leaders, the UDM believes that the institution of traditional leaders should be given the respect it deserves. The UDM commits itself to ensure that the decisions made by the traditional houses are referred the relevant bodies, such as the National Assembly and the National Council of Province for action. The UDM commits itself to capacitate traditional leaders to take a leading role in rural development and the colleges for the children of traditional leaders will be reopened. The UDM commits itself to standardise the packages of the traditional leaders of the various tribes. Travelling the lengths and breadths of our country during our party programmes revealed once more that our people are yearning for a strong political alternative. This compelled the opposition parties to engage in a series of discussions to explore possible models of cooperation. It is however important to highlight that political realignment is a process, not an event. Finding ideological and programmatic compatibility among different political parties is not an easy process. It requires proper sequencing and pacing due to the number of people and processes it involves. In 2010, the UDM National Congress gave us the mandate to actively find ways in which we can work and cooperate with sister opposition parties before and after the 2014 elections. But let me ask you a few questions… 1. Do you think that rich people are getting more and more money, and that poor just sink deeper into poverty? 1.1 Problem statement South Africa today has earned the dubious title of being one of the most unequal societies in the world. This badge of dishonour is a direct consequence of corruption and policies that allow the rich to accumulate obscene wealth in a vast ocean of poverty. This situation is made worse by the ruling party’s abuse of otherwise well-intended policies of empowerment such as BEE and state tender policies which are twisted to enrich the politically connected few. Even in the face of global and local economic and financial crises they insist on parasitic preservation of their lifestyle through taxpayers’ money. The most painful irony is that of a former liberation movement that espoused egalitarian principles during the struggle years, that presides over the most sophisticated form of institutionalised corruption, which worsens inequality. Do you agree with the UDM that: Corruption destroys the gains of our freedom? 1.2. Some of the UDM’s solutions are to: 1.2.1. root out this culture of corruption being celebrated and condoned – this can be done by applying the rule of law across the board irrespective of one’s social standing. 1.2.2. promote a culture of good governance. 1.2.3. Instil respect for the separation of powers of government, legislatures and the judiciary. 1.2.4. restore the powers of the accounting officers and ensure that there is no political interference. 1.2.5. introduce special courts dedicated to handle cases of corruption, as was done during the 2010 Soccer World Cup, to swiftly deal with cases of corruption. 1.2.6. conduct a skills audit to find out if the right people are employed in the right posts and at the right levels. Intensify training of civil servants. 1.2.7. review the current tender system that currently makes it possible for bribery and corruption to flourish. 2. Have you successfully completed your matric and/or degree, only to find that there are no job opportunities for you? 2.1 Problem statement The reality is that 7 million South Africans do not have jobs. What is however most disturbing is that 7 out of 10 young people can’t find word. What is going on here? The ruling party first tried to convince us that RDP was the answer; then GEAR and ASGISA; after that the New Growth Path. At the moment they are fighting about the whether the National Development Plan is a vision or a policy. 2.2. Some of the UDM’s solutions are to: 2.2.1. initiate job creation and opportunities for young South Africans; e.g. radically reduce the red-tape that stifles entrepreneurship, and introduce targeted incentives and support programmes for small businesses started by young people. 2.2.2. employ semi-skilled youth as “green battalions” in projects to remove alien species, combat soil erosion, afforestation and sustainable subsistence farming. 2.2.3. arrange youth mentorship and exchange programmes through bilateral agreements with other countries. 2.2.4. empower young South Africans to develop micro-businesses, where they for instance recycling and maintaining schoolyards, parks, cemeteries, sporting facilities, etc. 2.2.5. ensure participation of women in the development processes, sustained investment in human capacity through education, health and nutrition programmes. 2.2.6. eliminate all obstacles that still limit the access of women to decision-making, education, health care services and productive employment. 2.2.7. reverse the trend of shrinking numbers of South Africans in the retail sector which is gradually being taken over by foreign nationals with little, if any, assistance for South Africans to compete effectively in this sector. It is a hard fact that jobs are shed, because of this practise when South African workers are replace with family members of foreign business owner. 2.3. Whilst on the subject of job creation, let’s talk about South Africa’s industrial policy: In 1995, the South African government embarked on a massive trade liberalization programme that dramatically reduced trade tariffs in a wide range of labour intensive sectors, such as textile, agriculture, and mining, etc. This resulted in massive job losses because our country’s core industries and labour intensive sectors had to compete with countries whose labour intensive industries are heavily subsidised by their governments. Even worse, key strategic industries such as the steel industry (ISCOR) were unbundled and sold to the private sector which is now selling the same product for infrastructure development at very high costs. The governments of the most powerful economies in the world, such as the United States of America, China and India as well as various countries in Europe recognise the responsibility they have towards their citizens. These governments do not hesitate to intervene in their economies by protecting local jobs and businesses. A government that proposes anything less does not care, and is not willing to accept responsibility for the welfare and prosperity of their people. If you drive around Ekurhuleni, which used to be a hub of the steel industry, it now bears the scars of neglect and disuse, because it could not compete with subsidised industries in other parts of the world. 2.4. Some of the UDM’s solutions are to: 2.4.1. create an environment that is conducive for the manufacturing sector and industry to flourish. 2.4.2. reduce the red tape that stifles the ability of domestic companies to export their products to the rest of the world. 2.4.3. develop support programmes for the labour intensive sectors and give special attention to those that create job opportunities for all South Africans. 3. Now, let’s talk about infrastructure development: 3.1. Problem Statement Well-targeted and strategic infrastructure development is critical for the proper functioning of the economy. It is the cornerstone of sustainable social and economic development. The ruling party’s infrastructure development programme is not planned properly and fails to address past imbalances and backlogs. For instance, while government has budgeted and approved more than R800 billion over the next few years for infrastructure development, very little of this goes to rural areas and other previously disadvantaged communities in the townships, informal settlements and peri-urban areas. As a result, the infrastructure in these areas is in a state of disrepair. Even as new infrastructure is being put in place there is a decay of the old infrastructure due to the lack of maintenance plans. 3.2. A UDM Government commits itself to: 3.2.1. Produce a “map of infrastructure development”, with emphasis on transparency and closer cooperation between government, state-cooperation and the people. 3.2.2. invest in the economy through a properly planned infrastructure development programme and other large scale, government funded programmes that are community-driven and applies good environmental practices. 3.2.3. ensure that South Africans have access to passable roads, electricity, water irrigation and reticulation and an efficient rail network. 4. Creating consensus with hosting Economic Indaba 4.1. Problem Statement As I conclude my discussion on the South African economy, it is clear that we cannot longer allow a few powerful individuals to unilaterally decide what our economic policies should be. We have seen the negative effects of this model of policy formulation. Over the last twenty years we have witnessed growing levels of tension and mistrust amongst the three main role players: government, labour and business. On the one hand, this mistrust has discouraged big business from investing billions of available cash in our economy. On the other hand, it has often resulted in illegal and violent strikes, which negatively affect the economy, depress the currency and investor sentiment. It is clear that after nearly twenty years of economic experimentation that the ruling party has run out of ideas. It is merely tinkering with policy in the blind hope that it will somehow stumble upon a solution. 4.2. A UDM Government commit itself to: 4.2.1. Call a National Economic Indaba along the lines of the CODESA negotiations to discuss an economic policy that will help to eradicate poverty, reduce unemployment and lessen inequality in South Africa. 4.2.2. Use the Indaba to propose the development of a social pact between business and labour in order to improve industrial relations. 4.2.3. Propose that challenges pertaining to land and property ownership be high on the agenda as some are the direct result of the current sunset clauses. 4.2.4. Recommend a discussion topic on mining in South Africa – some of the matters to be discussed are: o Land and mine ownership, o The allocation of mining rights to the ruling elite and its implications o Socio-economic conditions of the workers and the communities. o The controversial issue mineworkers’ access, or lack thereof, to a provident fund worth billions. o The unions’ investment arms and dividend pay-outs to those workers who have contributed to the fund. o Appointment of an independent commission inquiry to investigate how these workers’ monies were invested, especially in cases where the workers were retrenched or had retired or passed away. 5. The future of our children the quality of education they receive. 5.1. Problem Statement 5.1.1. Although South Africa invests a significant amount of resources into our education system, the quality of the education our children receive leaves much to be desired. Learners leave the school system ill-equipped to find employment. 5.1.2. Another factor that puts our learners and teachers at a disadvantage is the chopping and changing of education policy with the appointment of each new minister. Just when the teachers master a new curriculum, they have to start from scratch and in turn the learners suffer. 5.2 A UDM Government commits itself to: 5.2.1. translate the large education budget into quality education by developing and maintaining an education system that produces school-leavers and graduates that are equipped with job-related and life-skills. 5.2.2. Career-orientated advice and education will be enhanced to ensure that children can determine their future careers timeously and can attain the various goals on the way towards their employment. 5.2.3. Curriculum development will also be an inclusive process involving all the relevant stakeholders. It will be designed in such a way that it adapts to changing needs of society. It is important that the vital pillars of our education policy do not depend on the whims of one party Minister, but are agreed to by all. 5.3.4. improve the quality of the educational infrastructure, such as the physical infrastructure, teaching material and human resources. The will increase spending on the development, maintenance and provision of school buildings, water, sanitation and electricity. Thank you
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