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(TO BE COMPARED WITH ACTUAL DELIVERY)

Mr Speaker, Honourable members of Parliament

I stand here in front of you today, because I can barely sit down. After eight hours on the saddle of a bicycle through what is most certainly one of the most scenic routes any person can travel on, you must accept that what I thought is my healthy body, is still recovering to a state of normality which I knew before I endeavoured this enormous challenge.

I certainly would like to congratulate the organisers of the Argus / Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour with the success of this years race. The enormity of the event boggles the mind. More than 35 000 cyclists, more than R80 million spent in the Cape and so much marketing mileage to our splendid city and its people.

While I was cycling I had time to prepare this contribution to the Premier's budget and believe me, I had enough time to think about the portfolio, Poverty Relief and funny enough I had seen so many similarities between the Argus Cycling Tour and the portfolio, Poverty Relief.

Firstly before one even starts you must understand the challenge for what it is. We all know what poverty is per definition. We all are aware of the fact that it exist in our communities and to each of us the community we live in or are involved in has a more serious problem than that of our neighbour.

But before you even start giving relief or alleviating, you must contemplate the fact that the finish line, if there is one in this race, is far ahead. Before one even starts the race, one must understand that it is a long road to the end and there are lots of uphill and downhill as well, but mostly the uphill are the parts, which drain your energy and strengths.

On the road to alleviating poverty, one must plan and strategise and one will make a huge mistake to approach it haphazardly. Like in a race you will have to start at the beginning and finish at the end after having followed the planned and given route.

Ek dink dit is ook baie belangrik om die verskil tussen armoedebestryding (poverty alleviation) en armoedeverligting (poverty relief) te verstaan.

Armoedeverligting is die meer kort termyn oplossing soos die verskaffing van verligting in noodsituasies. Dit poog om onmiddellike verligting te bring in 'n situasie wat die gevolg is van 'n ramp of 'n uitsonderlike gebeurtenis. Ons betrokkenheid in hierdie opsig is onder meer die verskaffing van kontantbedrae en noodvoorade ná brande en in droogte geteisterde gebiede.

Armoedebestryding is die soeke na langtermyn oplossings om die situasie te verbeter. Dit spreek van 'n strategie met spesifieke meetbare doelwitte en 'n holistiese benadering waarin al die fasette van armoede aangespreek word.

Just like the cycle tour you also need to know the route beforehand. You need to know where the hard parts are going to be and where the wind will be blowing right into your face.

In the poverty race, we have already identified the so-called pockets of poverty and a map can be drawn to disclose the areas where the emergencies exist. In accordance with this data an all-embracing action plan is being developed whereby the poverty can be alleviated systematically and while this is taking place it is important that techniques, models and approaches are developed to evaluate and monitor progress.

We have also learnt that when poverty alleviation projects are supported, one must institute the most severe financial measures to ensure that the benefits get to those who need the money and assistance.

Just like the cycle race, once you have finished the first 15 or 20 kilometres and you have reached certain goals, you can affirm and evaluate your accomplishment thus far and this motivates and inspires you to carry on until the finish and in this regard, we can take a look at some of the projects by the ministries, which have been started and which have shown a change in the community.

Since my appointment I have already visited a number of projects where poverty alleviation is intended. It is an absolute delight to see the successes out there. It inspires you to see the attitude of those who have been receiving assistance and as result want to improve their situations. It is an inspiration to carry on with your work when you see the hope in the eyes of those who have been assisted successfully.

I can mention and name the projects of all the different departments, the amounts of jobs created and the amount of funds spent so far, but I will be keeping you here for a long while. I think it would be better if we one day bring out a publication or have an exhibition of all these projects showing off the progress and the difference the support made to these communities.

Meneer die Speaker, maar die pad vorentoe is die gedeelte waarop ons moet konsentreer. Terwyl ek oor die Ou Kaapse Weg gekom het, kon ek my slegs verkyk aan die prag van die woonbuurtes en die omgewing in daardie gedeelte en kon ek die rede sien waarom mense die persepsie het dat die Wes-Kaap 'n ryk provinsie is. Die teendeel is egter waar. Die omliggende dele van die Argus Fietstoer is nie die hele Wes-Kaap nie en ek glo as daardie gedeelte wel die hele provinsie was, was ons taak maklik.

As 'n mens net a bietjie verder kyk oor die Kaapse Vlakte dan kan jy die kontras sien. Onmiddelik kan 'n mens die gaping tussen die minder welgestelde of agtergeblewe gebiede en die meer welgestelde gedeeltes sien en dit is hier waar ons uitdagings lê.

Dit is belangrik om te besef dat volgens die laaste sensus opname en die definisie daaruit afgelei, dat ongeveer 47% van alle huishoudings in die Wes-Kaap armoedig is. Kom ons aanvaar die statistiek is totaal onbetroubaar dan glo ek dat daar steeds 25% to 30% van die huishoudings in die Wes-Kaap binne die definisie val. Dit is egter 'n feit dat ongeveer 180 000 kinders onder die ouderdom van sewe jaar in huishoudings wat minder as R1 000 per maand verdien, bly.

Die belangrikheid van die statistiek, Mnr die Speaker, is dat daar geen rede bestaan waarom die Wes-Kaap Regering onregverdige behandeling moet kry wanneer die nasionale fondse uitgedeel word nie.

Inteendeel as gevolg van die persepsie van welwaart in die Wes-Kaap, soos reeds genoem in die voorlegging aan die staande Komitee, trek die Wes-Kaap nou burgers uit ander provinsies.

They migrate to the Western Cape, because the infra structure here is better, learners here have a better chance of passing, the health services here are of a higher standard and when you apply or register for a government grant your chances of receiving it while you are still alive is much better. What is true, however, is that as result of more effective government, administration and the more responsible maintenance of our infrastructure we are better prepared to tackle the challenges.

This puts the pressure on us, as the cake, whose relative size is shrinking the same, will have to be sliced more carefully and responsibly. We can only hope that the census this year will start to pull the skewed picture in focus. Meanwhile until the statistics are available in the next 18 to 24 months we will have to deliberate and negotiate with national government to consider the facts.

In this respect I will be using every thing in my power to convince the National minister to make available funds from the lottery and other unspent monies to the many excellent proposed projects submitted to us, but because of the non-availability of funds cannot immediately be launched.

My contention, however, Mr Speaker, is that until we are allocated larger amounts for the Western Cape, we must manage our current efforts, resources and energy effectively. Currently we have many agents fighting the monster of poverty. We have people doing wonderful work in the field - the NGOs, the non-profit organisations, international bodies and our private sector and I see my task as possibly facilitating the co-ordination of these efforts.

Without intervening in the strategies of any of these agents, it is important that we play our role in providing the data, information and statistics of where poverty is more rife, where our efforts must be focussed and what the needs are. Our effort must be a supportive effort with the objective of aligning all the spent energy in the right direction.

In this respect, Mr Speaker, I would like to announce that we have yesterday already discussed certain issues with some of the prevalent NGOs in the Western Cape. We now also will be extending an invitation to any company with or intending to have a social investment program to a corporate breakfast on 11 May 2001. This will be sponsored by the ABSA foundation and our primary objective for this meeting is not to ask for funds or resources, but rather to try to align the wonderful work already done in the same direction, focussing on the common objective, racing to the finish line.

We have had tremendous response from the companies we have already spoken to and I see this as an excellent way of strengthening our efforts in the whole of the province.

And, Mr Speaker, in our efforts and support there are two principles, which are of utmost importance.

Firstly, all our poverty alleviation efforts must be aimed at sustainability and self-reliance. It is of no use that we fund projects or institutions who cannot use those funds in the effort of progression to sustainability and self-reliance, other wise it would be water or money down the drain.

Tweedens moet ons pogings gerig wees daarop om die slagoffers van armoede te help om te leer om vis te vang en nie slegs die ontvangers van die vis te wees nie.

Our efforts must not be a "hand out", but it should be a "leg up." It must empower our people to enjoy a normal healthy and secure life.

En op ons pad na die eindpunt gaan daar baie deelnemers wees wat faal en ophou. Die mens is 'n feilbare wese en ons is nie almal ewe sterk nie. Ons het ook nie almal dieselfde uithouvermoë nie. Sommiges gaan van die roete afdwaal omdat dit lekkerder en beter lyk langs die pad as op die roete en daarvoor het ons beamptes nodig om seker te maak dat daar deursigtige bestuur en korrupsielose aanwending van ons fondse plaasvind.

In conclusion, Mr Speaker, this government can be proud that four of its Ministers started and finished this Argus Cycle Tour. This Minister responsible for Poverty Relief also started it and conquered the challenge and against expectations from a number of people I finished.

It is with the same courage and tenacity that we will take up the challenge of poverty alleviation. Instead of criticising and shouting from the sideline, I would invite everyone in the Western Cape - get on your bike and cycle with the Western Cape Government, delivering to ALL the people of the Western Cape.

For more information contact Derick de Villiers, Tel: 021 483 5457, 083 556 6265

Issued by the ffice of the Minister of Social Services and Poverty Relief, Western Cape