President Jacob Zuma will this evening, 6 January 2013, travel to Accra, Ghana for the inauguration of Mr John Dramani Mahama as President of the Republic of Ghana happening on Monday 7 January 2013. In the December 2012 Presidential and Parliamentary election, Mr Mahama’s National   Democratic Congress (NDC) won 50,7% of the vote.

Relations between South Africa and Ghana are excellent, and the late President of Ghana, Professor John Evans Atta Mills paid a State Visit to South Africa  in August 2011.

The last Session of the Permanent Joint Commission for Co-operation (PJCC), postponed due to the untimely passing of the late President, is expected to be held in South Africa in the coming months. During this meeting, action plans for the seven Agreements/Memoranda of Understanding signed during the State Visit in August 2011 will be drawn up and further areas of co-operation will be explored.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe paid a Working Visit to Ghana in April 2012 following the March 2012 private visit of President-elect Mahama, who was the Vice President of Ghana at the time.

Initially trade between the two countries concentrated on agricultural products, but since 2005 South Africa has begun to export value added manufactured capital goods to Ghana, reflecting the significant presence of SA Multinationals in the Ghanaian economy.

President Zuma will be accompanied by the Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.
 

Enquiries: Mac Maharaj 0798793203/ macmaharaj@mweb.co.za

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria

Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,

Excellencies Prime Ministers,

Honourable Ministers of Sports,

AU Commission chairperson, Dr Dlamini-Zuma,

SADC Executive Secretary, Dr Salomao,

Deputy-Ministers of Sports present,

Esteemed guests,

Ladies and gentlemen

 

I am deeply honoured to once more welcome you, Your Excellencies, to our shores for yet another magnificent soccer spectacle, the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournament that is kicking off this afternoon.

I must express deepest appreciation at my personal level and on behalf of our beloved country, at this yet another profound honour that the Confederation of African Football bestowed on South Africa to host this 29th continental tournament.  

We are humbled by this unwavering trust in our ability as a country to stage this mighty continental soccer showcase successfully. 

As all of us know, the country which had made a successful bid to host the 2013 AFCON was Libya. 

But because of the political situation that prevailed for most of last year the Confederation of African Football decided to move it to this country. 

We therefore accepted this responsibility and honour with deep gratitude, as it is a great privilege for us to host this feast of African football expertise.

Even though we therefore arranged to host it within a relatively short period compared to the previous tournaments, we remain confident and steadfast in our resolve not to let Africa down in delivering this important event.

Gabon and Equatorial Guinea jointly made us proud as the continent when they successfully hosted the 2012 AFCON tournament. We are determined to continue to raise the bar this year as well.

The infrastructure that we set in place in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament, most of which we continued to develop even beyond the event, has once more eased a great deal of the burden of preparations. 

We are seeing dividends in the infrastructure investment we made before the 2010 World Cup, as these facilities will continue to benefit us and the continent in various ways in many years to come. 

Excellencies,

We are humbled by your honouring our invitation to attend this tournament and believe that it will live up to the expectation of being a prelude to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Africa is yet to win the World Cup, or to exit at a very respectable stage in this tournament and this should be a springboard towards that goal.

Your presence here Excellencies is also an inspiration to us, and to the teams especially, to receive and carry the goodwill of their country’s leaders into the tournament.

We believe that the tournament will contribute immensely in promoting unity and friendship in the continent. The Africans are coming together from all over our beautiful continent to celebrate their Africanness and that is a wonderful occasion for us all.

I therefore am positive that this festive encounter will not only be limited to the soccer field. We invite our special guests the football fans to also explore our vast tourism landscape in-between games.

Your Excellencies, 

On behalf of the people of South Africa, I welcome you in this country. I trust that you will be treated to the best soccer spectacle humanly possible, starting from this afternoon’s opening game.

May this be yet another memorable event for all of you, Excellencies, and may the best team win this afternoon, and obviously in my view, that should be my national squad, Bafana Bafana!

 

I thank you!

 

Honourable Ministers,

Brand SA Chairperson, Ms Chichi Maponya,

The South African business community,

WEF representatives,

Members of the media,

 

Good afternoon to you all.

 

We are here in Davos, as South Africans from different sectors, to present South Africa to the World Economic Forum as a country of many opportunities, and as a destination of choice for investors.

We will present a South Africa that is part of the impressively growing African continent.

We also meet in Davos just a few weeks after a very important political event in our country, the 53rd national conference of the African National Congress, which plays a key role in determining the country’s policy direction.

The conference adopted the National Development Plan, which was produced last year by the National Planning Commission in my office, as our blueprint towards development and prosperity.

The conference has thus set the tone and provided the line of march, not only for the next five years, but until 2030.Nobody can say that they are uncertain about the direction that our country is taking. That is the good news about South Africa.

The Mangaung conference also declared that our key objective for the next five years in particular, is to achieve comprehensive socio-economic freedom.

We have achieved a comprehensive political freedom and stability and consolidated our constitutional democracy. Now we must deliver prosperity and a better life for all, especially for the poor and the working class in our country.

Together as business, government, labour and the community sector, we must tackle our three fierce enemies – poverty, unemployment and inequality.

These three challenges remain persistent, regardless of the progress we are making in improving the quality of life for all.

You will recall that our Census 2011 report also indicated the high levels of inequality that we must still deal with, regardless of the strides we have made since 1994.

One of the findings of the Census 2011 is that income distribution and growth are still racially skewed in favour of white compatriots. This is a cause for concern for all of us.

It compels us to work together with all our social partners to attack head on, the triple challenges.

All these challenges will be easier to tackle now under a climate of policy certainty. They are easier to tackle if there is unity in action.

A positive note for our growth and development prospects, confirmed by the Census, is that we are essentially a nation of young people. Just over a third of the population is under the age of 15.

Therefore our focus on improving the quality of education and skills development is well-placed.

The good news is that we already have agreements on basic education and skills development signed by government, labour and business, which demonstrates the willingness to work together to solve problems facing the country. This willingness to work together is a very positive attribute of South Africa. We must celebrate it and nurture it.

Going forward, we invite the business sector to continue partnering government in finding solutions. There can be no “us and them’’, we are building one country.

Now that the National Development Plan has been put on the table, and enjoys the widest support in the country by all political parties and sectors, we must now implement it, all of us.

In government and the ANC we will spend time at the two forthcoming makgotla this month and in February discussing the implementation of the plan. We invite business to do the same. We trust that companies will align their strategic plans with the National Development Plan. Companies should be able to say what they want to achieve by 2030 in terms of promoting sound and inclusive growth, in line with the National Development Plan.

We also urge companies to anticipate difficult situations such as the current global economic crisis which is impacting negatively in our country socially and economically.

The decrease in the demand and price of platinum, coupled with internal dynamics within the sector, are already leading to job losses in South Africa.

Shareholders naturally look at their profit margins and tend to prioritise them over jobs.

If we plan together as we should and keep channels of communication open at all times, we can arrive at win/win solutions that benefit the country as a whole, while protecting the vulnerable, especially workers and the poor in our country.

Compatriots,

Let me also remind you of our six job drivers in which we urge you and the international business sector to invest in. These are agriculture, tourism, infrastructure development, mining, manufacturing and the green economy. We have been promoting investments and growth in these six areas since 2010 and trust that you will continue to find opportunities. The purpose is to create jobs and improve the livelihoods of our people.

Infrastructure development is our flagship project, given its capacity to create jobs while changing the landscape of our country. Domestically there are roads, dams, power stations, schools, hospitals and more that are being built or refurbished. All these provide enormous opportunities for the business sector.

In the continent, the North-South infrastructure development corridor that South Africa champions, from Durban to Dar-es-Salaam, also provides enormous investment opportunities.

Let me reiterate that Mangaung has brought about policy certainty. Now is the time for us to work harder to break the back of poverty, unemployment and inequality, working together. We must focus our collective energies on building a prosperous South Africa and the achievement of socio-economic freedom in our lifetime for our people.

It is also the time for all us to begin promoting our country and selling its many positive attributes. This means we need a serious shift in mindset. We must turn our backs on negativity and embrace a new spirit of innovation, creativity and patriotism. We also need to stop exaggerating some of the occurrences in our country which are regarded as normal in other countries. For example, worker strikes are a common feature in democracies. Workers have rights and know their rights. They will exercise these rights from time to time. Strikes hardly make headlines in other countries as they are normal occurrences. In South Africa these tend to be seen to indicate that the country is somehow falling apart!

We have a progressive labour relations framework which must be utilised to quickly resolve industrial disputes. We must move away from exaggerations and focus on solutions.

Compatriots,

It is possible to build a South Africa as outlined in the National Development Plan, where all have water, electricity, sanitation, quality education, health care and housing, and where the majority have jobs and a good life. But that will require a lot of work from all of us. It will require the collective use of the talent and leadership that exists in our country in business, government, labour and the community sectors in a partnership for development and progress.

South Africa provides huge opportunities in the six job drivers, especially the infrastructure programme, which is estimated at four trillion rand over the next 15 years.

South Africa is stable, friendly, resilient and able to solve its problems. That is the type of country and society that we are presenting to the world.

We are presenting a South Africa that is open for business and which is open to provide entry into the African continent, a fast growing region which is proving many Afro-pessimists wrong.

I wish you well with all your sessions.

Let us make South Africa shine in Davos, together!

 

I thank you.

 

Your Excellencies; 

Dear Colleagues; 

We meet on this 50th year of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity under a positive and optimistic climate.

Africa is on the move. It is no longer characterised as hopeless, but rather as the Continent of Hope and Opportunity. The continent is now the world’s second fastest growing region, boasting higher returns on investments than anywhere else.

This feeling of optimism and opportunity is primarily premised on boundless natural resources, a high percentage of available arable land, a very youthful population and a growing middle class with purchasing power.

Africa has bounced back rapidly from the global economic crisis, despite the on-going European financial crisis and a fragile economic recovery in the USA. 

Continental growth rates of over 5% are consistently being achieved, exceeding the global average.  

These developments highlight Africa’s simultaneous resilience and vulnerability to global economic developments, with regional variations. 

Africa remains one of the most diverse regions of all, with massive economic, social and cultural disparities overlaid with political complexity. 

The investment environment from one African country to the next is vastly different. 

We cannot change our past, but we can, and must, shape our future and construct a new economic and development paradigm. 

And we will do with great optimism as we can see the progress that Africa is making currently.

To achieve our developmental goals, we have to secure regional and continental integration, primarily by addressing the infrastructure deficit.

We will be able to address poverty, unemployment and under-development much better and faster, once we achieve integration and develop the infrastructure we need to ensure connectivity and move people and goods faster and easier.

Fortunately, we are prioritising intra-African trade already. This matter has been discussed at length at a previous AU Summit.

Fortunately we have the diagnosis, research has been conducted and we can also see for ourselves why we need infrastructure, regional integration and also to boost trade amongst ourselves.

Last year, a World Bank report indicated that African countries are losing out on billions of dollars in potential trade earnings every year because of inadequate infrastructure and poor intra-African trade. 

Some of the dramatic infrastructure deficit stories is the fact that thirteen African countries have no operational rail infrastructure.

Other challenges that we are attending to, which need more urgency include the following;

• Delays in moving goods across borders within and between regions. 

 

• Delays at African customs, which on average, take longer than in the rest of the world.

 

We must also continue addressing issues of high volumes of paper-work to be processed, high cost of clearing goods at borders as well as cumbersome visa requirements for the movement of people.

Due to these challenges, the costs of moving freight on African roads are rated to be at least four times more expensive than other developing regions. Travel between African countries is not only costly, but lengthy.

Therefore, Excellencies, our pre-occupation with infrastructure development is definitely not misplaced.

It is for all these reasons that we decided to adopt the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa and the Presidential Infrastructure Championing Initiative.  

PIDA calls for an acceleration in infrastructure provision, while we have identified certain Heads of State to champion priority infrastructure projects to give strategic political impetus to this process.

In this regard, and in line with the AU Assembly Decision on NEPAD taken at the July 2012 AU Summit, I have this morning met with my PICI colleagues to assess progress in meeting our mandate as PICI champions, and to discuss achievements, challenges and lessons learned.

In summary:

We have agreed that constant coordination and communication between ourselves, our implementing authorities and key African institutions is vital.  

We are agreed on the need to talk more often about issues of implementation, information feedback and accountability frameworks.

Furthermore, we are agreed on the need to continuously identify the various specific gaps, the missing linkages, and the critical interconnectors on all the PICI Projects so that we may bring our collective energy and capacity to bear to address these.

We should continue mobilising amongst ourselves as Heads of State to provide strategic political impetus to tackle problems, both hard and soft.

We are agreed on the need to mobilise resources domestically and internationally to ensure the implementation of projects.  

Turning now briefly to the North-South Road and Rail Corridor, as the champion of that project under PICI, your Excellencies will recall that I distributed a comprehensive Report on progress in the implementation of the project at the last AU Summit in Addis Ababa in July 2012.

I will be submitting such a report on an annual basis, but I felt that I should update you on some key elements arising from the Report, as captured in the AU Assembly Decision on NEPAD of July 2012.

In my July Report, we identified 9 priority projects. Seven of the nine are now in pre-finance phase, while two are fully funded and in implementation phase and only require monitoring going forward.  

Therefore, we are replacing these with two more projects from the subsidiary list of 19 projects that were identified in my Report.

We are in the process of finalising negotiations for a Memorandum of Understanding between countries involved in the Corridor, facilitated by the SADC Secretariat; and 

We are also finalising the details of a Project Preparation Facility for the North South Corridor, with partners such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

We have prioritised the holding of a Road-show along the North-South Corridor that should be conducted by the time we meet again at the AU Assembly in May;

Lastly, I am happy to report that a meeting of the North-South Corridor Technical Committee of National Focal Points and Experts was held in Abuja, Nigeria on 9-10 January 2013.

A progress report emanating from the meeting is available.  I have also been advised that a meeting with relevant RECS has been scheduled for 31 March 2013.

Following this Summit, we hope to convene a meeting at Ministerial level prior to the next AU Summit in May 2013 for a more in-depth discussion of the issues that we raised in this morning’s meeting, in preparation for our next PICI Heads of State meeting.  

This will be preceded by another meeting at the Technical level, following on the Technical meeting held in Abuja.

Your Excellencies, it is clear that there is a desperate need to fast-track the implementation of the infrastructure projects under PIDA and the PICI. We require a sense of urgency in this regard, and it cannot be business as usual.

Our success in this infrastructure programme will certainly take Africa to another level.

Given that already the continent is rising, against all odds, we can only improve our competitiveness and build a better life for all Africans faster. 

 

I thank you.

 

Honourable Chairperson; 

The year 2013 marks the  jubilee for the African continent as the Organisation of African Union will be celebrating 50 years of existence and eleven 11 years since the launch of the African Union. 

 This year also marks a decade since the continent established the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) as evident in our gathering at this round table.

This year provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the successes, challenges and way forward as we seek to strengthen the mechanism. 

One of the major achievements of the APRM and a source of pride for all of us is that it is a truly organic and home grown initiative of which we should be proud. 

It is unique in the sense that it is a voluntary mechanism where we subject ourselves to review by our peers with the view of ensuring that we improve the lives of our people.

Honourable Chairperson, there is no doubt in my mind that the APRM has provided firm and strong basis for the successes recorded by NEPAD, which not so long ago marked its own decade.  

It is therefore only fitting that as we begin the end of this decade of the APRM, we reflect on our progress. We must also chart a way forward based on our vision for this continent. 

One of the critical issues facing us into the future is the phenomena of youth unemployment and it is my pleasure to share briefly on South Africa’s perspective on youth unemployment and job creation. 

Honourable Chairperson, a critical element of the current global jobs crisis is the struggle of young people to enter and remain in the labour market. 

Young people are three times more likely than adults to be out of a job. For those who do have a job, the quality of jobs is often an issue. 

According to the ILO estimates, of the total of 200 million people unemployed worldwide, 75 million, or around 40 percent, are young people. 

If the estimated 152 million young people living on less than one US dollar per day were added, the number of youth in an extremely vulnerable situation would be 225 million.

In South Africa, the unemployment rate is 25% and the majority, over 60% of the unemployed, are under the age of 35. There is also a large number of discouraged job seekers, officially there is 32 million people that are of the working age. 

Statistics SA recorded that an estimate of 18 million South Africans are actively seeking employment.

Chairperson there are a number of explanations why young people are unemployed, these include: 

Employers look for skills and experience; they regard unskilled, inexperienced jobseekers as a risky investment; 

Given the uncertainty about the potential of school leavers in some countries, employers consider entry-level wages to be too high relative to the risk of hiring these inexperienced workers. 

At its annual conference in June 2012, the ILO adopted a Resolution calling for immediate, targeted and renewed action to tackle the youth employment crisis. 

The resolution provides a portfolio of tried and tested measures in five areas: macro-economic policies, employability, labour market policies, youth entrepreneurship and rights. 

It underscores the need for balance, coherence and complementarity across the policy measures.

The initiatives require direct state involvement, private sector partnerships, as well as the mobilisation of civil society to take a proactive interest in addressing the problems presented by unemployment in general and youth unemployment in particular. 

In South Africa we have adopted multi-pronged strategies aimed at increasing employment opportunities for young people and fostering social cohesion. 

For us priority has been at different levels starting with investment in our education. 

Institutions of higher learning have an important role in supporting young people to acquire the appropriate skills for the job market.  

We have accordingly prioritised the design of curriculum or programmes aimed at massive production of entrepreneurs and to grow the economy. 

Our understanding is that for the country to sustain economic growth, we need to produce a high calibre of people who will own factories and industries. 

We declared 2011 the year of job creation, through meaningful economic transformation and inclusive growth. 

We made considerable progress through this approach and thus we are convinced that this is the correct course of action given the levels of unemployment in our country. 

We made a deliberate resolve to pursue growth in six key sectors in line with the New Growth Path. 

These are infrastructure development, agriculture, mining and beneficiation, manufacturing, the green economy and tourism.

To achieve these goals, we have to build a strong mixed economy, where the state, private sector, cooperative and other forms of social ownership complement each other, to achieve shared and inclusive economic growth.

No economy can grow as fast as it should, create jobs and be sustainable, if the majority of citizens are excluded. 

Therefore, it remained our resolve to build an economy in which the black majority, women, persons with disabilities and the youth participate fully and meaningfully. 

We are mindful that South Africa’s youth, and thus the future of the continent as a whole, is intimately affected by the policy choices we make as leaders. 

In our view, there is a strong need for African states to provide bold, imaginative and effective strategies to create millions of new jobs that the people need. 

 

I thank you. 

Let me begin by underlining that it is of critical importance for the African Union to prioritise women and child health.

Discussing the matter at this highest level of African leadership indicates the seriousness with which Africa regards women’s health and well-being.

South Africa launched its Campaign for accelerated reduction of maternal mortality in Africa (CARMMA) strategy in May 2012.

I must admit that we were one of the last countries to launch our CARMMA strategy. We delayed because we needed to plan very carefully.  After a   thorough analysis we agreed to the following key interventions, which we are implementing within the context of our five year strategy to deal with   children’s health, women’s health and nutrition strategy.

We are strengthening family planning to reduce unwanted pregnancies because a study conducted by a committee on confidential enquiries into maternal mortality in our country has concluded that teenage pregnancies contribute to 36% of maternal deaths even though they constitute only 8% of the total number of pregnancies. This means that reducing teenage pregnancies will markedly reduce maternal mortality.

Secondly we continue with our programme of eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV. We have scored enormous achievements on this one. We have already reduced transmission from 8% in 2008 to 2.7% in 2011.

Our desire is to eliminate transmission completely. We can only do so by making sure that every pregnant woman presents early for counselling and testing for HIV.

Where appropriate, they would be enrolled into the prevention of mother to child transmission programme.

Thirdly, we wish to strengthen our maternity services by deploying dedicated obstetric ambulances to transport women in labour to the nearest appropriate health facility or maternity waiting homes for women who have difficult pregnancies and who live far from maternity services.

Fourthly, is the training of doctors and nurses who work in maternity units in the essential steps in the management of child birth emergencies, including the resuscitation of mothers and babies and dealing the bleeding.

Fifth is the training of more midwives and advanced midwives, the improvements in the treatment of newborn babies, strengthening exclusive breastfeeding and taking steps to reduce malnutrition.

Another key intervention is the expansion of our immunisation coverage especially improving coverage of the newly introduced vaccines against diarrhea and pneumonia.

Unfortunately, despite progress in dealing with HIV since 2009, HIV still contributes to about 40% of maternal and child deaths in South Africa. This means that unless we deal decisively with HIV we will not be able to reduce maternal and child mortality to any significant extent.

In order to strengthen our HIV programmes we have asked every South African to test for HIV at least once a year.

During a campaign that I launched in April 2010 we mobilised millions of South Africans to test for HIV – this is a campaign that we need to sustain until we extinguish the epidemic. Currently, more than 20 million people have taken the HIV test since 2010 which is remarkable.

Part of the reason for this campaign was to show the nation that leaders in all walks of life are vulnerable and therefore should test! I hoped that this will decrease the stigma related to HIV and I think that we are beginning to succeed in this regard – but we cannot become complacent!

We have developed a national dashboard to monitor progress in the implementation of CARMMA and together with development partners we have supported provinces to strengthen their plans to achieve the goals of CARMMA.

Recent data suggests that because of the expansion of our HIV programme significant gains are being made in increasing life expectancy and decreasing infant and children under five mortality.

The extent of the HIV epidemic makes it imperative that Africa develops local capacity to produce antiretrovirals for HIV treatment as well as male and female condoms.

With development assistance decreasing, we need to ensure that we can sustain the gains that we have made as reported in the 2012 Global AIDS Report prepared by the UNAIDS, and that we are able to expand access to commodities like condoms and medicines and antiretrovirals.

South Africa is committed to doing everything we can to decrease maternal and child mortality and to improve the lives of women and children, both in our country and on the continent.

As members of several multilateral organisations such as the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth as well as BRICS, we will use every opportunity to achieve the goals set in CARMMA.

I thank you!

 

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen.

  

We are truly humbled to receive this acknowledgement from the African Union, that we have contributed in some way towards arresting the spread of   malaria in our country.

We would like to congratulate the other recipients in this category: Cape Verde, Namibia, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zambia. 

We have all qualified for this award because we have reduced mortality from malaria and have implemented either long lasting insecticide treated nets or indoor residual spraying.

South Africa and other SADC countries have initiated a process to eliminate malaria, in keeping with the call from the African Union in its 2007 malaria declaration.

In South Africa, the goal is to eliminate local transmission of malaria by the year 2018.

Let me illustrate what would happen to our target of malaria elimination if we do not use DDT. 

In 1996 South Africa decided not to use DDT in its malaria Vector Control Programme in line with pressure from environmental groups for it not to be used in malaria control programmes.  

This resulted in huge increases of malaria cases in the country: malaria increased from a baseline of approximately 10 000 cases in 1995 to 64 622 in the year 2000.  The cause of this increase was mainly due to the particular species that transmitted malaria which was once eradicated with DDT, had reappeared and was resistant to other types of insecticides.

The Department of Health therefore decided to return to the use of DDT in 2000. Subsequently malaria cases decreased to 26 506 in 2001, with progressive decreases in subsequent years to 9 866 cases in 2011. DDT has therefore remained the insecticide of choice for use in the malaria Vector Control Programme in South Africa.

It is not a co-incidence that Swaziland is also an awardee in this category with South Africa and that Mozambique is an awardee in the Policy category.

We have jointly implemented the malaria project of the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative (LSDI), which is a cross border programme in which our three countries have participated.

Through this collaboration we have demonstrated massive reductions in each of our respective countries, again due mainly through the use of Indoor Residual Spraying.

It is important therefore to note that mosquitoes do not respect borders, hence we have to ensure that countries that share borders work closely together to ensure malaria eradication – one country working alone will not succeed.

I wish to therefore make a call for additional cross border initiatives such as the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative and the continued, responsible use of DDT for indoor residual spraying.

We congratulate our colleagues and neighbours, and pledge to continue working with all to eliminate malaria.

 

I thank you.

 

Your Excellencies, Ambassadors and High Commissioner designates,

Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Ladies and gentlemen;

 

First of all, allow me to welcome you warmly to our country, South Africa.

South Africa attaches great importance to the building of close and cordial relations of friendship and mutual co-operation with other countries.

This country shares with its continental counterparts a common vision of a better life for our respective peoples.

We also share a commitment to the African Agenda, the development agenda of the South and the establishment of a democratic and equitable global governance system.

We believe that your presence in South Africa will contribute to the strengthening and deepening of bilateral political and economic relations between our countries.

This is a significant development in bilateral relations between our countries.

It is a strong gesture of recognition and acknowledgement of South Africa as an equal partner in the continental and multilateral affairs.

It affirms our solid place and role in world affairs, particularly the agenda of contributing to peace and development in the continent.

We are therefore looking forward to cooperation in various areas such as agriculture, mining and many others, particularly geared towards the consolidation of the African Agenda.

Excellencies;

We have just returned from the African Union Summit, which was successfully hosted by our new African Union Commission Chairperson.

The Chairperson referred to the theme of the Summit and the 50th anniversary celebration of the Organisation of African Union (OAU) created on 25 May 1963.

Her Excellency emphasized that the spirit of Pan-Africanism and the ideals of the African Renaissance it has delivered will propel its citizens towards an integrated, people-centred, prosperous Africa at peace with itself.  

To secure decent livelihoods and the free movement of people, goods and services, the African Union agreed that we must accelerate integration and connectivity.

The Summit expressed satisfaction with the progress on the implementation of the priority infrastructure projects of Programme of Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) in the areas of transport, energy and information communication technologies.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission further underscored the need for the Union to enhance youth and women’s development alongside education as she said;

“The Pan African University and the general expansion of our higher education sector will equip our young people with critical abilities to drive innovation, sciences, entrepreneurship, research, social development and industrialization”,

Excellencies;

As I speak, I am proud to announce that we have the Ambassador of Somalia with us here whose country has just had the new head of state.

As we all know, Somalia had been without a government for more than 20 years

Their suffering through war and famine has been our suffering and now that they are on the road to recovery and prosperity, we wish to walk beside them and assist wherever we can with rebuilding their country.

Our government has pledged R100 million towards projects that would support the post-conflict reconstruction and development of Somalia.

Two of the projects have recently been approved and we are hoping to deploy a team to Mogadishu in the near future to ensure that they begin as soon as possible.

We hope to strengthen our bilateral relations and work together at multilateral levels with all countries represented here to improve this world as well as advancing the achievement of Millennium Development Goals 2015. 

In this regard, we must utilise these opportunities to define a Programme of Action to strengthen our trade and economic relations and convene regular political consultations as a reflection of our determination to continue building on the mutually beneficial relations and friendship between our respective countries.

South Africa will continue to play a meaningful role in assisting our fellow neighbours as we are doing currently in Mali and Central Africa Republic to bring peace and stability in those countries.

With a track record in dealing with situations like this, as we see the example in Burundi, we are hopeful that a durable solution will soon be found.

We continue to value relations with our traditional bilateral partners such as Sweden, Finland, Georgia, Canada, Australia and Cuba, which were instrumental during our struggle for freedom. We will forever be indebted to you.

Together with Australia, on behalf of our world, we are co-hosting the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which is the largest scientific project in the world.

We hope that this scientific endeavour shall go a long a way in strengthening our bilateral relations.

South-South cooperation will remain our cornerstone of our foreign policy and it is also imperative to strengthen these relations with countries of the South, such as Chile, represented among us here today.

As you know, South Africa will be hosting the Fifth BRICS Summit on 26 to 27 March 2013 in eThekwini.

The theme of the Summit is BRICS and Africa: “Partnership for Development, Integration and Industrialisation”.

South Africa remains on track with preparations for this Summit.

In order to ensure that Africa benefits from our membership of this group of emerging economies, I have invited eight African Presidents to participate in the first ever “BRICS Leaders-Africa Dialogue Forum”.

Within our priority of consolidating the African Agenda, this dialogue will focus on unlocking BRICS-Africa potential for cooperation on infrastructure.

Excellencies,

You are arriving at our shores when Africa is showcasing its sports and cultural diplomacy through the Africa Cup of Nation tournament, which is the talk of town in every corner of this magnificent continent which is known as a cradle of humankind.

Amongst countries playing here, we have those which are making their debut in the tournament and have showcased their capabilities.

However, we believe and strongly wish that we translate the home ground advantage into a resounding victory in this tournament.

In about two week’s time, our country will be observing an important occasion in our government calendar, the State of the Nation Address.

Various important pronouncements are made on this event, which also have a bearing on our relations with other countries.

You may already have received invitations in this regard.

In conclusion, we welcome you Excellencies to South Africa and trust that you will have time during the course of your stay here to also appreciate the vibrant touristic and cultural landscape of our country.

I wish you success in your stay in this country and look forward to more enhanced relations.

 

I thank you.

 

Honourable Premier of Gauteng Province, Ms Nomvula Mokonyane, 

Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande,

Minister of Public Enterprises, Mr Malusi Gigaba,

Minister of Labour, Ms Mildred Oliphant,

The Chairperson of Tshwane South FET College Council,

The Principal of Tshwane South FET College,

Tshwane South FET College management, staff, Student Representative Council and students,

 

Thank you for hosting us just two days before the delivery of the State of the Nation address for 2013. 

In May 2012, I had a meeting with FET College Councils and Principals. In that meeting, I made a commitment that government would do everything possible to improve FET colleges and make them centres of excellence and choice for our youth.

I decided then, that I needed to visit an FET college and see first hand how the colleges are run and what students do here.

This visit signifies the importance that government attaches to education, specifically further education and training. 

It signifies the importance we attach to FET colleges. That is why I have brought Ministers and the Premier, so that together we can recommit government to providing full support to FET colleges countrywide.

Secondly, I thought it would be critical for me to make an assessment of whether, our FET Colleges are sufficiently equipped to deliver the skills which are required for the growth and development of the economy as outlined in the National Development Plan and its programmes such as the New Growth Path.

Lastly, I came at the beginning of the academic year to encourage the students of Tshwane South FET College, Odi Campus, and other colleges to focus on their studies.

In a few years from now, we want you to be qualified artisans and apprentices.

We are also here to say loudly and clearly, that the time for FET colleges to be made to feel inferior to universities of technology and other colleges must come to an end.

FET colleges offer training in careers that are in demand in the workplace. If you are an artisan you are as important to this economy as any other professional. 

We want you and all other FET college students to know that we attach great importance to what you are studying here because you are definitely the future of our country.

We see FET colleges as contributing immensely to youth development. 

There are approximately 3 million young people between the ages of 18 and 24 years of age who are not in employment, education or training, representing a huge waste of human potential. 

An even larger number of adults over the age of 24 are in the same position. This, if unattended to, establishes a basis for the continuation, and possibly even the expansion, of poverty in South Africa.

The expansion of the education and training system, leading to a skilled workforce, is an indispensable part of any viable strategy to tackle poverty, inequality and unemployment.

The country depends on FET colleges for much-needed intermediate and high-level technical and vocational skills.

This is particularly the case because the scarce and critical skills such as plumbing, welding, mechanics, fitting and turning are produced at FET colleges.

It is of concern to observe that in the midst of high unemployment rates, our economy is still experiencing a shortage of skilled labour. 

It shows that our youth still study courses that are not in demand in the workplace.

At the meeting with the councils and principals last year, I made a commitment towards ensuring that more funds are allocated for FET Colleges infrastructure and that has been made possible through the Minister of Higher Education and Training. 

The department has made provision for additional funding.

One of the notable achievements of government is the provision of funds for financially needy, but academically capable students at universities and colleges. 

The money made available to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has more than doubled over the past years. 

A total of R1.7 billion was allocated for FET College students in 2012. This amount will increase to R2 billion in 2013.  

This programme gives effect to the introduction of free education whereby all qualifying National Certificate Vocational (NCV) and the NATED students are exempted from payment of fees at all public FET colleges.

The SETAs or Sector Education and Training Authorities have been asked to reorient their funding to channel more resources into full occupational programmes at public FET colleges and universities. 

We want them to commit progressively fewer resources to short courses, and must increasingly channel training resources into tackling the shortage of artisans, technicians, professionals, administrators, managers and others needed to build the economy.

Government has prioritised the strengthening of artisan training through apprenticeships and learnerships. 

The National Skills Accord, signed by all the social partners represented in NEDLAC in July 2011, commits them to a number of things, with numerical targets where appropriate. Agreements include the following:

a. Government and private sector employers committed to expanding the level of training using existing facilities and to expand these facilities;

b. They agreed that training will take place both in colleges and in workplaces belonging to the private sector, government and state-owned enterprises;

c. Employers in the private sector and the state-owned enterprises agreed to take on more apprentices, learners and interns and to train beyond their own needs;

d. Organised labour and government agreed that not all trainees will become employees in the company concerned and a distinction will be drawn between trainees and employees for purposes of establishing who are entitled to collective bargaining entitlements. 

e. All parties agreed to work to improve the role and performance of FET Colleges;

 

I am pleased that Government with its social partners signed the National Skills Accord, as one of the first outcomes of social dialogue on the New Growth Path. We are optimistic that this will pave the way to achieving the New Growth Path target of five million new jobs by 2020.  

Commitments two and eight of the National Skills Accord relates directly to your roles as FET Colleges. Companies are committing to make 12,000  placement or internship spaces available for FET College students.

They will also provide opportunities for work exposure in an industry work environment to 16,000 (sixteen thousand) lecturers annually.  

The National Skills Accord positions FET colleges as the preferred training providers for skills training programmes.

In the light of the opportunities and programme outlined above, my message to young people today, particularly the students of Tswane South FET College is to encourage you to take full advantage of the opportunities brought about by freedom and democracy.

Take advantage of opportunities created by government’s investment in student financial aid, huge infrastructure programmes and other economic activities for which your skills are highly in demand.

We want you to be change agents that will break the cycle of poverty, liberate yourselves and future generations in your communities. 

Work hard, stay focused and complete your studies in record time. 

I call upon all student leadership formations including the Student Representative Councils to take the lead in advocating for discipline, class attendance and a generally positive conduct which forms the basis for success in one’s studies.

Let me also extend a word of gratitude to those dedicated members of college Councils, management as well as staff for their efforts in making sure that the youth of South Africa are provided with education and training of good quality. 

We wish you all a good start to the year and a very productive 2013.

We look forward to seeing you in the workplace soon as qualified artisans, contribution to building a prosperous South Africa.

 

I thank you.

Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly,

Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces;

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP;

Deputy President of the Republic, Honourable Kgalema Motlanthe;

Former President Thabo Mbeki and Mrs Mbeki,

Former President De Klerk and Mrs De Klerk,

Former Deputy Presidents Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Baleka Mbete,

Honourable Chief Justice of the Republic, and all esteemed members of the Judiciary;

Honourable Peeroo, Chairperson of the SADC Parliamentary Forum,

Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers,

Distinguished Premiers and Speakers of our Provinces;

Chairperson of SALGA, and all local government leadership;

Chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders;

The Heads of Chapter 9 Institutions;

The Governor of the Reserve Bank; Ms Gill Marcus,

The Deputy Chairperson of the National Planning Commission and Deputy President of the ANC, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa and all ANC Officials,

Leaders from business, sports, traditional, religious and all sectors,

Members of the diplomatic corps, Special and distinguished guests,

Honourable members,

Fellow South Africans,

 

Good evening to you all, sanibonani nonke, molweni, dumelang.

 

Let me thank the Presiding Officers for affording me this opportunity to share our 2013 programme of action with the joint sitting of Parliament.

 

We greet all who are watching this broadcast from their homes and at GCIS viewing centres around the country, including those in Khayelitsha, Nyanga and Gugulethu here in Cape Town.

 

Let me also extend my gratitude to all who contributed to the preparation of this address.  I received several messages via email, twitter and Facebook.

 

I also spent some time with Grade 12 learners who shared their own views on what should be contained in the speech. I found the inputs very informative and enriching.

 

Honourable Members,

Compatriots and friends,

 

On the 15th of August last year, the National Planning Commission handed over the National Development Plan, the vision of the country for the next 20 years, to the President in this august house.

 

The NDP contains proposals for tackling the problems of poverty, inequality and unemployment.

 

It is a roadmap to a South Africa where all will have water, electricity, sanitation, jobs, housing, public transport, adequate nutrition, education, social protection, quality healthcare, recreation and a clean environment.

 

The achievement of these goals has proven to be difficult in the recent past, due the global economic recession.

 

The crisis in the Eurozone affects our economy as the Eurozone is our major trading partner, accounting for around 21 per cent of our exports.

 

Our GDP growth is expected to average at 2.5% cent, down from 3.1% in the previous year.  We need growth rates in excess of five per cent to create more jobs.

 

The National Development Plan outlines interventions that can put the economy on a better footing. The target for job creation is set at 11 million by 2030 and the economy needs to grow threefold to create the desired jobs.

 

In my last meeting with the business community, the sector indicated that for the economy to grow three-fold, we must remove certain obstacles.

 

We will engage business, labour and other social partners in pursuit of solutions. No single force acting individually can achieve the objectives we have set for ourselves.

 

Honourable Members,

 

I would now like to report on progress made since the last State of the Nation Address and also to discuss our programme of action for 2013.

 

I will look at the five priorities – education, health, the fight against crime, creating decent work as well as rural development and land reform.

 

Last year, I addressed the nation on government’s infrastructure plans.  

 

By the end of March this year, starting from 2009, government will have spent about 860 billion rand on infrastructure. Various projects are being implemented around the country. I will discuss just a few.

 

The construction of the first phase of the Mokolo and Crocodile River Water Augmentation has commenced and it will provide part of the water required for the Matimba and the Medupi power stations.

 

The construction of the bulk water distribution system for the De Hoop Dam began in October 2012, to supply water to the Greater Sekhukhune, Waterberg and Capricorn district municipalities.

 

We have to shift the transportation of coal from road to rail in Mpumalanga, in order to protect the provincial roads. Thus the construction of the Majuba Rail coal line will begin soon.

 

We have also committed to improve the movement of goods and economic integration through a Durban-Free State-Gauteng logistics and industrial corridor.

 

In this regard, substantial work is now underway to develop the City Deep inland terminal in Gauteng.

 

Initial work has commenced in the expansion of the Pier 2 in the Durban Port.

 

And thirdly, land has been purchased for the development of a new dug-out port at the Old Durban airport.

 

In the Eastern Cape, I officially opened the port of Ngqura and construction is now underway to develop a major new transhipment hub.

 

The Umzimvubu Dam is critical for rural livelihoods. Preparatory work has commenced for the construction to begin next year.

 

The upgrading of Mthatha airport runway and terminal and the construction of the Nkosi Dalibhunga Mandela Legacy Road and Bridge are currently underway.

 

I have asked for work in the North West to be fast-tracked further in light of the huge backlogs in that province, especially electricity, schools, clinics, roads and water in the next two years.

 

To improve the transportation of iron-ore and open up the west coast of the country, we have expanded the rail capacity through the delivery of 11 locomotives.

 

The first phase of the expansion – to increase iron ore port capacity at Saldanha to 60 million tons per annum – was officially completed in September last year.

 

Construction work is taking place in five cities – Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Bay, Rustenburg, eThekwini, Tshwane to integrate the different modes of transport – bus, taxi and train.

 

In the energy sector, we have now laid 675 kilometres of electricity transmission lines to connect fast-growing economic centres and also to bring power to rural areas.

 

In addition, government signed contracts to the value of R47 billion in the renewable energy programme.  

 

This involves 28 projects in wind, solar and small hydro technologies, to be developed in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape and in the Free State.

 

We established an 800 million rand national green fund last year.  To date, over 400 million rand investments in green economy projects has already been approved for municipalities, other organs of state, community organisations and the private sector across all provinces.

 

We have also rolled out 315 000 solar water geysers as of January this year, most of which were given to poor households, many of whom had never had running hot water before.

 

We have scored successes in extending basic services through the infrastructure programme. Close to 200 000 households have been connected to the national electricity grid in 2012.

 

You will also recall that Census 2011 outlined the successes in extending basic services. The report said the number of households with access to electricity is now at 12.1 million, which translates to 85%. Nine out of 10 households have access to water. 

 

To prepare for the advanced economy we need to develop, we will expand the broadband network.

 

Last year, the private and public sector laid about 7000 kms of new fibre optic cables. The plan is to achieve 100% broadband internet penetration by 2020.

 

With regard to social infrastructure, a total of 98 new schools will have been built by the end of March, of which more than 40 are in the Eastern Cape that are replacing mud schools.

 

Construction is expected to begin in September at the sites of two new universities in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga.

 

Last week, we published an Infrastructure Development Bill for public comment.

 

We are cracking down on corruption, tender fraud and price fixing in the infrastructure programme.

 

The state has collected a substantial dossier of information on improper conduct by large construction companies.

 

This is now the subject of formal processes of the competition commission and other law enforcement authorities.

 

The infrastructure development programme has been a valuable source of learning for government. In the year ahead, we will fast-track many of the projects that the PICC has announced.

 

The lessons are that we must coordinate, integrate and focus on implementation.

 

Honourable Members,

 

The past two years have demonstrated that where the state intervenes strongly and consistently, it can turn around key industries that face external or internal threats as has happened in our manufacturing sector.

 

We have seen the revitalization of train and bus production in South Africa, largely because of the drive for local procurement.  

 

PRASA and Transnet have committed hundreds of billions of rands to improving our commuter and freight train network.

 

The clothing, textiles and footwear industry has stabilised after 15 years of steadily falling employment. A clothing support scheme provides broad financial support, saving a number of factories and jobs.

 

On broader economic transformation, revised Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Act and codes are being finalised.  The development of black owned enterprises and black industrialists will be prioritised.

 

Government has several programmes of supporting small business.  A key project for the Presidency currently is to get government departments to pay SMMEs within 30 days.

 

Departments are required to submit monthly reports so that we can monitor progress in this regard.

 

We have taken a decision that accounting officers who fail to execute this directive, should face consequences.

 

In the 2010 State of the Nation Address, I announced the Job fund, and three billion rand has been approved for projects that will create jobs.

 

Honourable Members,

 

Just over a third of the population is under the age of 15. Our country, like many others, has a crisis of youth unemployment.

 

Last May I asked constituencies at NEDLAC to discuss youth employment incentives. I am pleased that discussions have been concluded and that agreement has been reached on key principles. The parties will sign the Accord later this month.

 

The incentives will add to what Government is already doing to empower the youth.

 

State owned companies provide apprenticeships and learnerships and we urge that these be increased.  We appeal to the private sector to absorb 11 000 FET graduates who are awaiting placements.

 

The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform runs the National Rural Youth Services Corps, which has enrolled 11 740 young people in various training programmes.

 

The Department is also planning nine Rural Youth Hubs per province, including in the 23 poorest districts in the country.

 

We will also use the Expanded Public Works Programme and the Community Work programme to absorb young people.

 

Working together we will find a solution to youth unemployment.

 

Honourable members,

 

We identified tourism as one of our job drivers.

 

Tourist arrivals grew at an impressive 10.7 percent between January and September 2012, which is higher than the global average of 4% for last year.

 

Ironically, the very success of South Africa’s national conservation effort resulting in over 73% of the worlds’ rhino population being conserved here, has resulted in our country being targeted by international poaching syndicates.

 

We are working with recipient and transit countries such as Vietnam, Thailand and China and are intensifying our efforts to combat this increasing scourge.

 

Honourable Speaker

Honourable Chairperson,

 

Mining, which is historically the backbone of the economy, has faced difficulties in recent months.

 

Last year the sector was hit by wild cat strikes and the tragedy in Marikana where more than 44 people were killed.

 

We established an Inter-Ministerial Committee made up of senior cabinet Ministers to assist families during that difficult period. The Judicial Commission of Inquiry led by Judge Ian Farlam continues its work.

 

Through working together we were able to restore social stability in the area.

 

Government, labour in the form of COSATU, NACTU and FEDUSA, Business Unity SA, Black Business Council and the community sector met in October and reached an agreement which laid the basis for a return to work across the mining industry.

 

In particular, we agreed to work together to strengthen collective bargaining; to address the housing problems in the mining towns; to support the National infrastructure Programme; to address youth unemployment; and to identify measures to reduce inequalities.

 

Work is underway and the team will report in due course with specific plans for Rustenburg, Lephalale, Emalahleni, West Rand, Welkom, Klerksdorp, Burgersfort/Steelport, Carletonville and Madibeng.

 

Two weeks ago, I had a meeting in Pretoria with Sir John Parker, the chairman of Anglo-American Plc to discuss the reported plans to restructure and retrench 14 000 workers at Anglo American Platinum.

 

Compatriots,

 

Honourable Members,

 

We believe that at a policy level we have managed to bring about certainty in the mining sector. The nationalisation debate was laid to rest in December at the ruling party’s national conference.

 

Ensuring that the public services we provide our people today can continue to be provided to our people tomorrow, requires that we have suitable tax policies to generate sufficient revenue to pay for these services.

 

From time to time, we have commissioned studies into our tax policies, to evaluate the extent to which they meet the requirements of the fiscus.

 

Later this year, the Minister of Finance will be commissioning a study of our current tax policies, to make sure that we have an appropriate revenue base to support public spending.

 

Part of this study, will evaluate the current mining royalties regime, with regard to its ability to suitably serve our people.

 

Honourable Members,

Distinguished guests,

 

In last year’s address we raised the issue of the gap market, the people who earn too much to qualify for an RDP house and too little for a bank mortgage bond.

 

From April 2012 to December 2012, Provincial Departments committed a budget of 126 million rand of the Human Settlements Development Grant for this programme, known as the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy programme.

 

The money is being used through the National Housing Finance Corporation, which has been appointed to deliver houses to people within the Gap market in twelve registered projects.

 

A total of 70 million rand of this amount has been used to date.

 

Projects include Walmer Link in the Eastern Cape, Lady Selbourne, Nelmapius, Bohlabela Borwa, Cosmo City and Fleurhof in Gauteng, Intabazwe Corridor Housing in the Free State and Seraleng in North West.

 

The implementation of these eight GAP housing projects is currently underway.

 

Compatriots and friends,

 

Honourable Members,

 

On education, we are pleased that the Grade 12 pass rate is finally on an upward trend. We congratulate the Class of 2012, their teachers, parents and communities for the continued improvement.

 

We congratulate the top province for 2012, Gauteng and top grade 12 learner, Miss Madikgetho Komane, from Sekhukhune district, Limpopo, who is our special guest.

 

Honourable members,

 

The Annual National Assessments in our schools, have become a powerful tool of assessing the health of our education system. 

 

We welcome the improvement each year in the ANA results, but more must be done to improve maths, science and technology.

 

The Department of Basic Education will establish a national task team to strengthen the implementation of the Mathematics, Science and Technology Strategy.

 

We urge the private sector to partner government through establishing, adopting or sponsoring maths and science academies or Saturday schools.

 

Compatriots,

 

We are pleased with the growth of our early childhood education programmes, including Grade R.

 

We are also pleased with our adult education programme, Khari Gude, which has reached more than 2,2 million people between 2008 and 2011. 

 

We also continue to encourage people from all walks never to stop learning.  Many were inspired when accomplished musician and my special guest, Mr Sipho Hotstix Mabuse obtained his matric last year, at the age of 60.

 

Honourable Members,

 

We declared education as an apex priority in 2009. We want to see everyone in the country realising that education is an essential service for our nation.

 

By saying education is an essential service we are not taking away the Constitutional rights of teachers as workers such as the right to strike.

 

It means we want the education sector and society as a whole to take education more seriously than is happening currently.

 

All successful societies have one thing in common – they invested in education. Decent salaries and conditions of service will play an important role in attracting, motivating and retaining skilled teachers.

 

In this regard, we will establish a Presidential Remuneration Commission which will investigate the appropriateness of the remuneration and conditions of service provided by the State to all its employees.

 

I have directed that the first priority should be teachers.

 

The Commission will also assess the return on investment.

 

In elevating education to its rightful place, we want to see an improvement in the quality of learning and teaching and the management of schools. We want to see an improvement in attitudes, posture and outcomes.

 

Working with educators, parents, the community and various stakeholders, we will be able to turn our schools into centres of excellence.

 

Honourable Members,

 

Five years ago, South Africa had such a low life expectancy that experts suggested that by 2015, our life expectancy would have been exactly where it was in 1955.

 

It was with good reason that we were delighted when late last year, studies from the Medical Research Council, the Lancet medical journal and others began reporting a dramatic increase in life expectancy from an average baseline of 56 years in 2009 to 60 years in 2011. These reports also noted significant decreases in infant and under five mortality.

 

Increased life expectancy is a key to the country’s development. People are returning to work, they are being productive, economically and socially.  The family structure is increasingly stable and parents live longer and are able to take care of their children.

 

We should not become complacent, in light of these achievements.

 

Given the high co-infection rate between HIV and TB, we have integrated these services.

 

Work is also continuing on the research side. South Africa has discovered a candidate drug to treat Malaria.

 

In addition, researchers at the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa consortium, also discovered broad neutralising antibodies against HIV.

 

Deputy President Motlanthe has appointed new members of the South African National Aids Council Trust. We congratulate the team, which is led by retired Judge Zac Yacoob, as chairperson.

 

Diseases of lifestyle are on an alarming increase.  We have to combat and lower the levels of smoking, harmful effects of alcohol, poor diets and obesity.

 

Honourable members,

 

In 2014 we will create the National Health Insurance Fund. The Department of Health will accelerate and intensify progress in the pilot districts. 

 

In that regard, as from April this year, the first group of approximately 600 private medical practitioners will be contracted to provide medical services at 533 clinics within villages and townships in 10 of the pilot districts. 

 

Compatriots and friends,

 

In June we will mark the centenary of the 1913 Land Act which turned black people into wanderers, labourers and pariahs in their own land.

 

Former ANC President Sefako Makgatho outlined as such in his 1919 ANC conference presidential address.

 

He said;

 

“The Native Land Act still operates as mercilessly in different parts of the Union, and as a result many native families are still working for white farmers only for their food’’.

 

We are also honoured, in this year of the anniversary of the 1913 Land Act, to have present among us, Mrs Nomhlangano Beauty Mkhize, one of the veterans who together with her husband, Saul Mkhize, led the struggle against forced removals in Driefontein and Daggaskraal, in the present Mpumalanga Province.

 

The land question is a highly emotive matter.

 

We need to resolve it amicably within the framework of the Constitution and the law.

 

I received a message on Facebook from Thulani Zondi who raised his concern about the slow pace of land redistribution. He said:  “Mr President, as we are commemorating 100 years since the Land act of 1913 was introduced to dispossess the African majority.

 

I urge you to accelerate redistribution of the land to the landless African people.

 

“When we do the redistribution we need to be mindful of food security. Training and mentorship of emerging black commercial farmers must take place”.

 

From 1994, we have been addressing the land reform problem through restitution, redistribution and tenure reform.

 

As stated before, we will not be able to meet our redistribution targets.

 

Government’s mid-term review last year revealed a number of shortcomings in our land reform implementation programme. We will use those lessons to improve implementation.

 

Firstly, we must shorten the time it takes to finalise a claim. In this regard, Government will now pursue the ‘just and equitable’ principle for compensation, as set out in the Constitution instead of the “willing buyer, willing seller” principle, which forces the state to  pay more for land than the actual value.

 

Secondly there are proposed amendments to the Restitution of Land Rights Act, 1994 in order to provide for the re-opening of the lodgement of restitution claims, by people who missed the deadline of 31 December 1998.

 

Also to be explored, are exceptions to the June 1913 cut-off date to accommodate claims by the descendants of the Khoi and San as well as heritage sites and historical landmarks.

 

Another key lesson is to provide adequate post-settlement support to new landowners so that land continues to be productive.

 

We also need to provide better incentives for commercial farmers that are willing and capable of mentoring smallholder farmers.

 

Another challenge we have faced is the preference for money instead of land by some claimants, which also does not help us to change land ownership patterns.

 

As part of the Presidency stakeholder engagement programme ahead of the State of the Nation Address, Deputy President Motlanthe held a meeting with both farmers and farm workers in Paarl on Tuesday.

 

Stakeholders agreed that there should be peace and stability in the agriculture sector and that the living and working conditions of farm workers should be improved urgently.

 

It is also encouraging that even the farmers called for the fast tracking of land reform and support to emerging farmers.

 

We will continue the engagement with both farmers and farm workers.

 

Compatriots and friends,

 

We should also remain mindful of rapid urbanisation that is taking place. The Census Statistics reveal that 63% of the population are living in urban areas. This is likely to increase to over 70% by 2030.

 

Apartheid spatial patterns still persist in our towns and cities. Municipalities alone cannot deal with the challenges. We need a national approach.  

 

While rural development remains a priority of government, it is crucial that we also develop a national integrated urban development framework to assist municipalities to effectively manage rapid urbanisation.

 

As part of implementing the National Development Plan, all three spheres of government need to manage the new wave of urbanisation in ways that also contribute to rural development. 

 

Honourable Members,

 

Improving the status of women remains a critical priority for this government.

 

The Bill on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment has been approved by Cabinet for public comment. The Bill criminalizes practices that have adverse effects on women and girls.

 

It also legislates the 50/50 policy position with regard to the representation of women in decision making structures.

 

Honourable members,

 

The brutal gang rape and murder of Anene Booysen and other women and girls in recent times has brought into sharp focus the need for unity in action to eradicate this scourge.

 

The brutality and cruelty meted out to defenceless women is unacceptable and has no place in our country. Last year the National Council on Gender Based Violence was established. 

 

It comprises government, non-governmental Organizations, Community-Based Organizations, Faith-Based organizations, academia, research institutions, government, men’s groupings, and representation from women, children and persons with disabilities.

 

We urge this coordinating structure to make the campaign of fighting violence against women an everyday campaign.

 

We applaud all sectors for the campaigns that have taken place already, highlighting that such acts will not be tolerated.

 

I have directed law enforcement agencies to treat these cases with the utmost urgency and importance. The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units, which were re-established in 2010, have increased personnel.

 

During the last financial year, the Units secured over 363 life sentences, with a conviction rate of 73% for crimes against women above 18 years old and 70% for crimes against children under 18 years of age.  

 

Masibhunkule sisebenze sonke, silwe nalenkinga esibhekene nayo yabantu abadlwengula omame nezingane, ngisho nezalukazi imbala. Ihlazo nobunswelaboya obesabekayo lokhu abakwenzayo. Izigilamkhuba kufanele zibikwe emaphoyiseni ziboshwe.

 

Government is adding other mechanisms to protect women, such as the Protection from Harassment Bill. While the Domestic Violence Act also provides protection, it only applies to persons who are in a domestic relationship. 

 

The Protection from Harassment Bill also deals with harassment by persons who stalk their victims by means of electronic communications. 

 

In addition, the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill was passed by the National Assembly last year and is now at the National Council of Provinces.

 

Once implemented, the law will  assist women and children, who are often victims of this heinous crime.

 

Compatriots and friends,

 

There is increased visibility of the police which contributes to the reduction in the levels of serious crime.

 

The operations focusing on illegal firearms, stolen and robbed vehicles, liquor and drugs which are regarded as main generators of crime have assisted in crime reduction.

 

Compatriots and friends,

 

Government continues to wage a war against corruption.

 

The capacity of the Special Investigating Unit has grown from an initial 70 staff members to more than 600 at present.

 

I have since 2009, signed 34 proclamations directing the SIU to investigate allegations of corruption, fraud or maladministration in various government departments and state entities.

 

Criminal Investigations were initiated against 203 accused persons in 67 priority cases under investigation by the end September 2012.

 

In total, pre-trial proceedings have been initiated against 191 persons. A total of 66 persons under investigation are alleged to have received R5 million or more benefits through corruption. Freezing Orders were obtained against 46 persons.

 

In other successes, in the past financial year, 107 officials working within the criminal justice system were convicted. 

 

The Asset Forfeiture Unit seized assets valued at more than R541 million. A total of R61 million of these assets have already been forfeited to the State. The assets are channelled back to fighting crime and corruption through the Criminal Asset Recovery Account.

 

Last year, additional funding of R150 million from the Criminal Assets Recovery Account was approved for the work of the Anti-Corruption Task Team which comprises the Hawks, the Special Investigating Unit and the National Prosecuting Authority. 

 

These resources are aimed at strengthening the capacity of these law enforcement agencies in our resolve to fight corruption.

 

We urge the private sector to also take this fight against corruption seriously so that we tackle it from all angles.

 

To further boost the fight against corruption, we will fill all vacant posts at the upper echelons of the criminal justice system.

 

Compatriots and friends,

 

Honourable Members,

 

There are some lessons from Marikana and other incidents that we cannot allow to recur in our country.

 

Our Constitution is truly one of our greatest national achievements.   Everything that we do as a government is guided by our Constitution and its vision of the society we are building.

 

We call on all citizens to celebrate, promote and defend our Constitution.

 

Our Bill of Rights guarantees that “everyone has the right, peacefully and unarmed,  to assemble, to demonstrate, to picket and to present petitions”. 

 

We therefore call on our people to exercise their rights to protest in a peaceful and orderly manner.

 

It is unacceptable when people’s rights are violated by perpetrators of violent actions, such as actions that lead to injury and death of persons, damage to property and the destruction of valuable public infrastructure.

 

We are duty bound to uphold, defend and respect the Constitution as the supreme law of the Republic. We will spare no effort in doing so.

 

For this reason, I have instructed the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster to put measures in place, with immediate effect, to ensure that any incidents of violent protest are acted upon, investigated and prosecuted.

 

Courts will be allocated to deal with such cases on a prioritised roll. The law must be enforced and it must be seen to be enforced - fairly, effectively and expeditiously.

 

The citizens of our country have a right to expect that their democratic state will exercise its authority in defence of the Constitution that so many struggled so long and hard for. We cannot disappoint this expectation.

 

The JCPS Cluster has therefore put measures in place at national, provincial and local level to deal with such incidents effectively.

 

Let me hasten to add that government departments at all levels must work closely with communities and ensure that all concerns are attended to before they escalate.  That responsibility remains. We are a caring government.

 

Honourable Members,

 

This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the birth of the Organization of African Unity which has been succeeded by the African Union.

 

We pay tribute to the OAU for its relentless struggle for the decolonization of our continent, including contributing to our own freedom.

 

We will continue to work for a stronger and more effective organization of our Union.

 

The NEPAD programme as well as the African Peer Review Mechanism have just celebrated their tenth year of existence.

 

As the convener of the NEPAD Presidential Infrastructure Championing Initiative, South Africa continues to work with other champions to implement high impact infrastructure projects in the continent.

 

On peace and security, we stand by the people of Mali in their effort to claim and assert the territorial integrity of their country.

 

We urge the leadership in the Central African Republic, Guinea Bissau and Somalia to continue their march towards lasting peace for the sake of their people. We remain firmly opposed to unconstitutional change of government. 

 

We are encouraged by the developments between Sudan and South Sudan. We commend our former President Thabo Mbeki and other members of the AU High Level Panel for the dedicated manner in which they have been working with the two sides. 

 

We are in solidarity with the DRC as the country battles the menace to its security.

 

South Africa will continue supporting Africa's peace efforts including through mediation, troop contribution for peace keeping, and by providing material and financial assistance.

 

In this regard, we look forward to the conclusion of political dialogues in Zimbabwe and Madagascar. 

 

Our vision of a better Africa in a better world will receive great impetus when we host the 5th BRICS Summit next month in Durban.

 

We are inspired by the exponential growth of bilateral relations, diplomatically and economically, between South Africa and other BRICS countries.

 

Strengthening North-South relations remains central to our foreign policy agenda.

 

We reaffirm our partnership with countries of the North, especially the USA, Europe and Japan.

 

The UN’s 70th anniversary provides an opportunity to take forward the transformation of the UN Security Council.

 

We shall continue to use the G20 to represent the aspirations of the people of Africa and push for the transformation of Bretton Woods institutions.

 

South Africa’s internationalism has a strong element of solidarity to it.  We stand with the people of Palestine as they strive to turn a new leaf in their struggle for their right to self-determination; hence we supported their bid for statehood.

 

The expansion of Israeli settlements into Palestinian territories is a serious stumbling block to the resolution of the conflict.

 

The right of self determination for the people of Western Sahara has to be realised.

 

We remain firm in our call for the lifting of the economic embargo against Cuba.

 

Working together we can do more to create a better Africa and a better world.

 

Compatriots,

 

In the year 2012, we focused on preserving and promoting our country’s cultural heritage with particular emphasis on our liberation heritage.

 

We also hosted a historic National Summit on Social Cohesion, focusing on building a socially inclusive, caring and proud nation.

 

In the implementation of our programme we will work with our Social Cohesion Advocates; eminent South Africans drawn from a variety of sectors within our society.

 

We are proud to have in our midst this evening, two of our eminent social cohesion advocates, Judge Yvonne Mokgoro and Advocate George Bizos.

 

Compatriots,

 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Raid on Liliesleaf Farm, the Escape from Marshall Square as well as the Start of the Rivonia Trial.

 

A series of events are being planned throughout the year to mark the three events, culminating in a national commemoration on the 11th of July.

 

Honourable Members

 

We have just concluded a highly successful Africa Cup of Nations tournament. We extend hearty congratulations to the African champions, the Federal Republic of Nigeria and also to all participating teams for their contribution to showcasing the standard of African football.

 

We thank all our people for being excellent hosts and fans.

 

I had the opportunity to personally thank CAF President Honourable Issa Hayatou for affording us the honour of hosting the AFCON.

 

Compatriots and friends,

 

As I said earlier, this programme of action will be implemented differently as the activities of departments must be aligned with the National Development Plan.

 

Compatriots,

 

Before concluding, let me take this opportunity to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of struggle stalwart and prominent human rights lawyer, Comrade Phyllis Naidoo who passed on today.

 

Only recently, we lost Comrade Amina Cachalia.

 

We are truly saddened by the loss.

 

Honourable Members,

 

Compatriots,

 

As South Africans, we should continue to have one primary goal - to make our country a truly great and prosperous nation.

 

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!

 

I thank you.