Address by Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile at the National Council of Provinces Annual Debate, Parliament, Cape Town

Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr Amos Masondo;
Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Ms Sylvia Lucas;
Chief Whip of the NCOP, Mr Seiso Joel Mohai;
Premier of the Eastern Cape, Mr Oscar Mabuyane;
The Acting Premier of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Ms Nomagugu Simelane; 
Leaders of Delegates from Provinces;
The Leadership of SALGA; 
Honourable Members;
Compatriots,

Today we stand on the shoulders of a great giant, Former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who left us exactly on this day 10 years ago in 2013. 

On an occasion such this, we recall his wisdom and tenacity in fighting the apartheid system and dedication to building a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society. 

We do not only recall but rededicate ourselves to the vision of our founding president that of building a better life for all!

It is therefore a great honour to deliver the last Annual Address to the National Council of Provinces, for the Sixth Administration, despite it being my first annual address.

While this moment mirrors the end of the 6th Administration, it also provides an opportunity to reflect and contemplate the future of governance in South Africa and the nation.

It is therefore appropriate that you have a theme for this address and debate, ‘The Indispensable Urgency – Accelerating the provision of social services, safety, and the advancement of economic reforms for economic recovery in the interest of the people.’ 

As the theme suggests, the current situation requires immediate prioritisation and acceleration of providing essential social services, ensuring individual safety, and implementing comprehensive economic reforms for a swift recovery. 

These measures are crucial for a sustainable and prosperous future for the people of our country through social policy transformation.

We cannot talk about the progress we have made in shaping the future of our people if we do not reflect on where we come from as a nation. Our journey as a leading political party started back in 1994. 

As an ANC-led Administration, we can unequivocally state that South Africa is in a much better place now than it was 29 years ago. 

According to the 2022 Census Report, we have made significant inroads in undoing the legacy of decades of apartheid spatial planning and its consequences on the lives and livelihoods of South Africans. 

We have accelerated the provision of social services over the past few years by investing in education, healthcare, housing, water and sanitation, among other things. We have achieved progress in the following areas:

●    Children have had more access to learning opportunities, with six out of ten children aged 0-4 years having access to some form of early childhood development (ECD) program;
●    The percentage of persons aged 20 years and older who completed secondary education more than doubled from 16,3% in 1996 to 37,6% in 2022;
●    The prevalence of disability has declined from 7,4% to 6,0% between 2011 and 2022;
●    In 2022, over 82,4% of households in the country had access to piped water either inside their dwellings or inside their yard;
●    Access to electricity has risen to 90% of the country’s residents, up from 58% in 1996.

Although this is expected as standard practice, the progress achieved in recent years indicates that efforts to ensure adequate access to social services have been accelerated. 

Honourable Chairperson,

We cannot over-emphasise the above progress and other significant inroads our government has made in changing the lives of our people for the better without acknowledging the contribution of Parliament, especially the role of our Delegates in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), which is constitutionally mandated to ensure that the interests of our communities, where they reside/live, are well represented at National level. 

Parliament has put in several mechanisms in the Rules of the National Assembly, the NCOP, and Joint Rules of Parliament to ensure that the Executive is held to account. Some of these mechanisms involve questions for oral and written replies by the Executive, oversight visits, public participation in legislative processes, and NCOP Provincial Weeks. 

Using these mechanisms, the Executive can intervene and quickly respond to identified service delivery hotspots through targeted Service Delivery Improvement Plans. 

The National Council of Provinces further uniquely promotes the principles of Cooperative Government and Intergovernmental Relations. In this regard, the President has delegated me to assist him in implementing the District Development Model (DDM) by coordinating different spheres of government to develop One Plan at the District level to improve service delivery challenges faced by our Municipalities. 

We seek to reconfigure the design, planning, and implementation of service delivery through the District Development Model. We seek to change the relationship between the spheres of government, the communities they serve, and the stakeholders they need to work with.

We have amended legislation to improve accountability and reduce corruption in local government, including adopting a Framework for the Professionalisation of the Public Service. 

Whilst we ensure that the three spheres of government work together in performing their unique functions as provided by the Constitution, it is equally important to prevent the encroachment of various spheres of government in each other’s area of competence.

Honourable Chairperson,

Let me take this opportunity to congratulate this House for working tirelessly to contribute to implementing the Manifesto of our Governing Party, which is the African National Congress, particularly by ensuring that critical legislation is prioritised, processed and passed. 

As of 24 November 2023, the 6th Parliament has passed 119 Bills from 2019 to date. In our view, Parliament has done very well in processing priority legislative proposals, considering interruptions by July 2021 unrests, the unfortunate burning of the National Assembly, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 29 March 2023, the Cabinet approved 42 Bills in the 2023 Legislative Programme, and as of Friday, 25 November 2023, twenty-two (22) Bills have already been introduced to Parliament. 

As of 30 November 2023, there were 17 Bills before NCOP Committees, and we remain optimistic that all of these critical Bills will have been passed by the end of this Administration.

As part of our delegated responsibility as the Leader of Government Business in Parliament, we will continue to engage Presiding Officers of Parliament, particularly the Chairperson of the NCOP, on several critical matters of Executive Accountability and those relating to the processing of key legislative proposals. 

We further call upon all stakeholders, including business, civil society, inside and outside NEDLAC, and more importantly, political parties, to take advantage of Parliamentary processes like public hearings, petitions, written proposals, and other consultative fora to deposit their views, complaints, and most importantly progressive proposals that will contribute to seamless processing of legislative proposals, as delays in passing of critical Bills, affects the provision of basic services. 

Honourable Chairperson,

The sixth administration committed to transforming the economy along a developmental growth path to create decent jobs. Shortly after making this commitment, the world experienced one of the most tumultuous and challenging periods in recent history: the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a devastating impact on every aspect of our lives.

Due to COVID-19, our nation has experienced over 2 million job losses and the closure of several businesses. 

We also experienced the violence of the July 2021 riots, where over 350 people tragically lost their lives, and significant damage was caused to our economy.

Just as the world began to emerge from the pandemic, we were confronted by the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and adverse weather events caused by climate change. 

However, despite all these challenges, over the past five years, the ANC government, in collaboration with labour, business, and civil society, has focused on building and growing an economy that serves all South Africans. 

This includes implementing income assistance measures for workers and the jobless, significantly impacting their lives and families.

The Temporary Employment Relief Scheme (TERS) provided wage subsidies to 5.7 million workers, minimising the impact of job losses and company closures. 

The R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD grant) benefitted nearly 10 million unemployed people, mainly young people and women. 

Whilst more than 16.3 million people are employed in our country, unemployment remains unacceptably high, with 8 - 10 million people, on the expanded definition of unemployment, being without a job.  

In light of this, we have established the Presidential Employment Stimulus, which has benefited over 1.2 million people, particularly women and youth, through public employment programs like the Community Works Programme (CWP) and Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). 

As government, we aim to stimulate job creation by expanding private sector investment, with an initial target of R1.2 trillion over five years. Over R1.5 trillion in investment commitments have been mobilised, exceeding this target.

Many of these investment pledges translate into real jobs and accelerate economic recovery in the people's interest. 

Honourable Delegates, 

Load-shedding remains a stubborn challenge in our efforts to grow the economy. Load-shedding has adversely affected the economy, people’s overall quality of life, and the safety and security of citizens.

To this end, the ANC-led government continues implementing the Energy Action Plan to end load shedding and achieve energy security. The plan includes five key pillars:

1.    Fix Eskom and improve the availability of existing supply
2.    Enable and accelerate private investment in generation capacity
3.    Fast-track the procurement of new generation capacity from renewables, gas and battery storage
4.    Unleash businesses and households to invest in rooftop solar
5.    Fundamentally transform the electricity sector to achieve long-term energy security

Honourable Chairperson,

We remain unwavering in our commitment to opening the doors of learning for everyone. For example;

●    We have made significant strides in enhancing Early Childhood Care, providing nearly 100% attendance for children until the age of 15; 
●    The number of learners who passed matric increased from 78% in 2019 to 80% in 2022, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and load-shedding; 
●    The performance of learners from poorer schools is also improving, with the share of bachelor passes in no-fee schools increasing from 55% in 2019 to 64% in 2022;
●    The number of students receiving NSFAS funding from poor and working-class backgrounds increased from 580,000 to 770,000 between 2018 and 2021. 

Moreover, health care is provided for over 50 million South Africans without private health insurance, ensuring that South Africans can rely on the healthcare system.

To improve access to health care through the focus on primary health care, the ANC-led government has constructed 1,749 clinics and 56 hospitals since 1994 to enhance primary health care access.

However, there is still significant inequality in access to quality health care. As a result, the ANC government will continue to engage key stakeholders, including organised business and labour, to find amicable solutions on critical areas that may hinder the passing of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill to enable every South African to receive appropriate standardised quality health care regardless of their ability to pay.

The NHI Bill is currently before the NCOP; having received enthusiastic support from most participants during the public hearings in Provinces, we remain optimistic that the NCOP will allow stakeholders to develop progressive solutions towards finalising this important Bill. We are a democracy anchored on dialogue and finding one another no matter the difficulty.  

Honourable Delegates,

Between 1994 and 2019 - 3, 2 million free houses were built, benefiting millions. This has meant a massive extension of home ownership, growing the productive assets of our people. 

During the 6th Administration, through the Integrated Residential Development Programme, the government delivered more than 8,245 social housing units in identified areas, more than 19,000 affordable first home finance houses, more than 198,000 RDP houses and serviced more than 183,700 serviced sites. In addition, the government handed over close to 100,000 title deeds to households and families.

Nearly 18.6 million South Africans - up from 2 million in 1999 - receive social grants, including 8.4 million receiving R350 monthly Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant introduced for the unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While there is widespread support for this Social Relief Distress grant, there are concerns that many deserving people are excluded from the grant and that the value of SRD has not kept up with inflation. As the ANC Government, we will tackle these exclusions and ensure that the value of the grant is reviewed. 

Honourable Delegates,

In 1994, only 6 out of 10 South Africans had access to clean drinking water. That figure has increased to nearly 9 out of 10 South Africans today. 

Today, two out of three South Africans have access to flushed toilets, and 8 out of 10 have improved sanitary facilities. 

These measures have enhanced millions of South Africans' quality of life and dignity.

We remain committed to eradicating the indignity of bucket toilets, with the number of municipal bucket toilets declining from over 230,000 in 2004 to around 43,000.

Building Safer Communities 

As we meet here today, we are aware of the impact of crime on the lives of our fellow citizens. We all need to feel safe in our homes, schools, workplaces, places of recreation and streets. 

We reiterate that gender-based violence has reached crisis proportions, affecting every community and touching the lives of most families. On the 25th of November, I was honoured to launch the 16 Days of Activism Campaign on No Violence Against Women and Children. 

Various actors have made concerted efforts, including the National Men’s Parliament through the Takuwani Riime Programme, which fosters discussions among men about dealing with the scourge of GBVF in our communities.

GBV and Femicide, along with high levels of crime, pose a severe threat to the freedom and dignity of South Africans. The development of the Comprehensive National Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Prevention and the Integrated Femicide Strategic Frameworks signal a holistic approach to turning the gender-based violence tide.  

Subsequently, we have strengthened the response of our criminal justice system to GBVF and improved the support provided to survivors through legislative reform, increasing the number of places of safety and a range of other mechanisms. 

In broader efforts to prevent crime, government continues to invest in the upgrading and building of police stations, as well as the purchasing and maintenance of vehicles. There is also a move towards greater use of technology for crime prevention, including surveillance cameras and drones in public spaces.

During this past financial year, 10,358 new South African Police Service members were enlisted, thus enhancing the capacity of SAPS to fight crime. 

The security cluster is taking action to deal with the scourge of illegal mining that destabilises and terrorises our communities and undermines our economy. 

His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa, and the Minister of Home Affairs officially launched the Border Management Authority, which will help improve our borders' security and deal with illegal migration and the illicit flow of goods.

Our ultimate aim is to see a safe and secure South Africa with less violence against women and children and an overall decrease in crime.

Honourable Chairperson,

Steps have been taken to strengthen the link between the ordinary people on the ground and state institutions at all levels of government.

South Africa has, since 1994, consistently held regular, free and fair elections. As a government, we will continue to do everything in our power to protect the integrity of this democratic exercise even beyond 2024. 

We have also introduced measures to tackle state corruption and patronage, including oversight visits by Parliament and Legislatures, spot checks in departments, investigations by our Chapter 9 institutions, and measures such as lifestyle audits of public servants and stopping public servants from doing business with the government.

Having strengthened the audit process over the years, we have seen significant improvements in municipalities, provinces and institutions obtaining clean audits. Considerable strides have been made in the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal, with other provinces performing better. 

The fact that clean audits are increasingly being obtained is commendable. Clean, ethical and transparent governance is the bedrock of strengthening social services and accelerating development. 

Honourable Chairperson, 

We continue to implement a range of measures to build social cohesion, some of which include increasingly introducing indigenous languages in public schools, with over 2,400 targeted in this term of government. This aims to foster a greater understanding of different cultures between learners and break down cultural barriers. 

On 15 March 2023, the National Assembly passed the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Speech Bill. The NCOP Select Committee on Security and Justice recently adopted the Committee Report on the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill. 

The finalisation of this Bill will mark a significant step towards the protection of all South Africans against hate crimes and hate speech, particularly those based on race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.

As I conclude, the NCOP is critical in strengthening democracy in our communities towards an equal, prosperous, non-racial and non-sexist society.

We should all work together to address the collapse of many municipalities, which has had a devastating impact on citizens who must, daily, deal with sewerage spills, water shortages, uncollected garbage, countless potholes, unmaintained cemeteries, and inaccurate billing.

I urge you to continue playing your part to ensure that Provinces are given an influential voice in the national legislative process.

I thank you.