[ Home ] [ Speeches & statements ]

14 February 2007

Madame Speaker,
President Thabo Mbeki,
Deputy President, comrade Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka,
Honourable members,
Friends,

Let me once again enjoin my voice to the many heartfelt condolences passed by other members to the family of the late Adelaide Tambo, wife of former ANC President, Oliver Reginald Tambo and a great stalwart of our revolution in her own right.

We shall always remember her as one of those humble giants who have given so much to her people's quest for freedom and human dignity.

Ma-Tambo chose a life of struggle because she loved her country and her people deeply. This was evident in the work she has done amongst the caring and comforting the aged and her numerous visits to children homes. Our hearts were warmed during the period immediately after her death when a group of children from the Orlando Children's Home came to pay their last respects to her. Her dedication to the cause of the poor and the vulnerable has a lot of reference to this debate and accordingly we shall dedicate this speech to her.

I must congratulate you comrade President for you continued strong and incisive leadership, demonstrated in your well balanced address to the joint seating of parliament last week on the occasion of the State of the Nation Address. It is my view that the issues you raised and urged us to address are the real issues that our society is concerned about and therefore want us to prioritise.

In line with the government's programme of action for the second decade of our freedom, the 2007 State of the Nation Address by the President has served to reaffirm government's commitment to the intensification of the struggle against poverty.

Most importantly, the President has reemphasised the link between the eradication of poverty and the ability of our people to "enjoy the happiness that comes with freedom."

We indeed agree with the assessment of the President that the ANC's historic mission for thoroughgoing social transformation in our country cannot happen outside the context of moving our people from conditions of abject poverty.

We accept this assessment by the President acutely mindful of the fact the very task of intensifying our struggle against poverty is intertwined with many other tasks in our mission for social transformation. That none of the social ills that affect our people everyday can ever be addressed in isolation from each other.

It is in this context that the ANC government preferred an integrated and sustainable approach to the tasks involved in social transformation, covering the need to address a whole range of challenges including access to education, jobs, healthcare, housing, water and sanitation, electricity, food and indeed personal and public security.

Madam speaker

On 27 April this year we will officially mark the 13th anniversary since the dawn of democracy in our country. It will also mark the middle point for the current term of the third democratic government installed after the 2004 general election.

It was with this in mind that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANCWL attached greater significance to the business of our NEC Lekgotla that was convened earlier this month. It was important for the lekgotla to assess at this stage of our revolution whether we are succeeding in this historic mission for social transformation. Most specifically, to pose and answer the question as to whether the work that we have done so far, has had a meaningful impact in ensuring that women are able to enjoy the happiness that comes with freedom.

At the conclusion of this lekgotla the NEC statement outlined the key outcomes thereof and emphasised that:

"The lekgotla proceeded from an understanding that the central and most urgent task of the league is to intensify the struggle against poverty."

"In line with the Imvuselelo Campaign our branches should be central in the ongoing monitoring of poverty alleviation programmes at ward level." We believe that our branches should have as one of its main task, the leading of social cohesion at a local level to support and monitor poverty alleviation programmes.

The lekgotla also resolved that a broader Economic Summit for Women be convened to address some of the gaps identified in intensifying the fight against poverty and the extent to which this affects women. We have identified these gaps exist in areas such as institutional arrangements, inconsistent multi-sectoral input, funding and distribution of resources, capacity to monitor and the need to share best practices. We should take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the work that South African Women in Dialogue (SAWID) through research and study tours. We believe that their research capacity will help in our analysis of these trends and gaps.

A number of initiatives have been suggested in this regard including the possible establishment of a National Women's Fund that will look at supporting women developmental programmes around the country.

The lekgotla noted that despite progress made by government in refocusing service delivery towards the poor, many of our people still remains trapped in the pool of poverty.

Speaking directly to these South Africans, particularly women in the rural areas, I must however send this message. That we are aware that we can never really be justified to declare victory over poverty, suffering and indignity as long as there are still many who are not yet enjoying the "happiness that comes with freedom." Those whose weathered faces tell a dim story of a life that in spite of the gains of our freedom continues to be characterised by squalor, hunger, disease, neglect and abuse.

To these women I must say that we shall never betray the confidence that you continue to have in the government's commitment to extend these benefits of freedom to you too. That the work that we have been doing since the advent of democracy has started to make an impact on the many women who only ten years ago were in a similar position as yourselves.

We know that the confidence that you have and your sharing in the hope for a better life for all is neither misplaced nor unrealistic. We are aware that it is a sense of confidence based on the strong track record by this government to improve the quality of lives of all South Africans. That this confidence is further enhanced amongst yourselves due to the progress South Africa has made in the area of poverty alleviation, including with regard to the targets of the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) some of which we have already surpassed in our first 12 years of freedom.

You would have found confidence in the ability of this government to take seriously the commitments it makes to the nation and to the world including the speed with which we have moved to implement a considerable amount of the tasks emanating from the Beijing Platform of Action as adopted 11 years ago.

Madam Speaker,

We have taken a key interested in some of the achievements registered by the democratic state in accelerating delivery of services to our people, not only in terms of the statistics and numbers of beneficiaries but also in terms of the extent to which this delivery has helped to change overall gender relations in our society.

As the 2006 Human Development Report correctly observes, "gender division of labour assigns women responsibilities that man otherwise do not share." And as a result of lack of development, "time spent collecting water represents a heavy burden on women."

Further observations by the report are important in this regard particularly on the issue of rights based approach to the delivery of water in democratic South Africa. Through human rights based approach in the delivery of water and other service, government has also ensured that more women no longer remain as drawers of water. We should applaud the fact that South Africa is getting it right in this regard.

Madame Speaker,

While we are greatly encouraged by the ability of our economy to create much needed employment opportunities in key sectors, the ANCWL lekgotla however decried the continued low levels of access to jobs for women in our country and the perpetuated skewed income levels in the workplace.

We welcome the support given to women in small businesses through training and financial resources provided by state agencies. As this sector grows including acquiring a share of the international trade, we should assess the extent to which some of these enterprises are able to absorb more women into employment and thereby creating a rippling effect on the investment by the State.

We believe strongly in the capability of the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) to make a visible dent and provide immediate relief to many rural poor women. Particularly in its ability to draw massive numbers of poor people into jobs at a go, coupled with the training and the resultant economic benefits in infrastructural development in these communities.

Comrade President,

We share the view that we need to move with speed to ensure that the many women, particularly the aged and young mothers who receive social grants are not trapped in the vicious circle that is created by total dependency on the social security network.

Although some of us have scoffed at the amounts of money paid for these support grants particularly child support grants, the experience of the poorest of the poor has been that this money makes a huge difference in a place where there was once nothing. Many families are forced to survive exclusively on the grant paid to one child. From this money they are able to buy maize meal, 12,5kg of sugar, 100 bags box tea, cooking oil cabbage and other vegetables. It is still a long way from resolving the problem of their living condition but it is a necessary intervening relief.

We believe that creative ways supported by government and the private sector should be used to target young women in the social security programme for training and skilling for purposes of entering the job market or entrepreneurship.

We must congratulate the Minister of Education, Ms Naledi Pandor, for the move to increase the number of fee free schools. We believe that these together with a proper integrated nutrition programmes have an impact in supporting the education of the poor girl child. If young girls were to be denied unhindered access to education due to poverty this would directly translate into missed possibilities for empowerment and the perpetuation of the traditional gender roles in society.

While on this matter I should emphasise the need for leaders in our community to respect the rights of young girls to school and to administer our schools in terms of the laws of the country. The current debacle surrounding the schooling of a Western Cape girl who is married is something that requires the intervention of community leaders and government. The intention being to protect the rights of young women to education without prejudice.

Madam Speaker,

Government will need to continue to support pro-poor policies and be sensitive to the plight of the poor particularly as it relates to socioeconomic interventions. In this regard we should raise our concern about the fact that the poor have to share in the crippling burden of escalating food prices, while those with access to money are the ones responsible for pushing interest rates and therefore inflation through their spending. It should be unfair for poor women to share in the negative consequences of the lifestyle of the rich but not in the benefits.

Madam Speaker and honourable members,

The President has addressed the issue of the ongoing work that government is doing to enhance the capacity of the State to succeed in implementing its mandate, including the intensification of the fight against poverty. While this is necessary and possible, I must caution that inherent in its organisation and nature, the State will not have all the capacity and all the space to effect social transformation particularly the fight against poverty and the creation of jobs on its own.

We urge for multi-sectoral involvement in a national strategy to reduce poverty as the key priority task in the transformation of our society.

As it has always been said, the world we live in today has at its disposal enough resources and knowledge to eradicate poverty. Therefore there is no reason why the majority of our people should continue to be unable to share in the happiness that comes with freedom in our country due to living conditions of abject poverty.

I thank you!

Issued by: Department of Home Affairs
14 February 2007
Source: Department of Home Affairs (http://www.dha.gov.za/)