Speech give by Minister of Labour at Parliament,Cape Town on 10
February 2004
Madam Speaker, The President of the Republic, The Deputy President
of the Republic, Comrades, Members of Parliament, Ladies and
Gentlemen,
?We for our part have a single indispensable need, that of our dignity
? there can be no dignity without freedom?
Sekou Taure of Guinea said these words at the height of the struggle to
free Africa from the shackles of colonialism.
We of the ANC who have gone via the dolorosa of agony in search of
freedom have learned and we know that people are the makers of history;
they are the determiners of their own destiny. Side by side with the
people of South Africa, the ANC fought for the freedom that we all
cherish now.
It is in the cauldron of the struggle for freedom that the first
people?s contract was sealed. Ours is not the weathercock contract
often found among the instant parties (oojoji? nkumpa) in the ranks of
the present day political desperadoes in South Africa. Our people?s
contract is based on trust and lasting optimism only known to those who
know how this freedom was won.
Madam speaker, we look at the past 10 years with pride. Who will deny
that in the past 10 years the government of the ANC has managed to
build monuments of history no force can demolish.
South Africans will celebrate 10 years of Freedom this year.A freedom
that was won through the vision and sacrifice of millions of South
Africans. Today we are a nation of free people, with a government that
has a mandate from the majority people of this country to deliver
better life for all and not just a racially defined minority.
We are celebrating a new dawn after the long, dark night of apartheid
and the ravages it caused at every level of South African life. There
is much to celebrate, but in order to truly appreciate our 10 years of
democracy; it is vital that we never forget where we came from.
Less than 20 years ago the then-government promulgated amendments to an
earlier Labour Relations Act ? which, like almost every aspect of South
African legislation, was characterised by exclusion. A list of
employees who were excluded included farmworkers and domestic workers,
while those who enjoyed the benefits of the Act ? while never
explicitly mentioned ? were almost always white.
The then Minister of Labour Schoeman declared it his intention to
?bleed native unions to death?. The 1988 Amendments to this Act
identified the need to include the sectors excluded from the Act and as
late as 1993 separate statutes were introduced which paid lip service
to the needs of these workers.
Any examination of the changing nature of the labour market in South
Africa must acknowledge that changes and progress that has been made
over the past ten years were achieved as a result of long and bitter
struggles on the shop floor.
Because as laughable as some of the statutes in the 1988, 1991 and 1993
Amendments were, they were replacing even more draconian legislation
that was firmly rooted in notions of kragdigheid and deeply anti-worker
in complexion. The pre-democratic Labour Relations Act emerged from
various Master and Servants laws, which among other things made
desertion a criminal offence.
It must never be forgotten that central truth of the apartheid labour
market was that it was to ensure that it served the needs of the white
minority regime.
As such, the labour market was also characterised by a racial
twin-track, a dualism where the Verwoerdian maxim of blacks being
hewers of wood and drawers of water was fanatically enforced. Acts such
as the Job Reservation Act prevented blacks from entering specific
professions, while various education Acts ensured that we could never
get the skills that would be required to participate above certain
levels in the labour market.
The aims of these education acts and the denial of opportunities to our
people to develop skills, was a deliberate attempt to keep black
workers unskilled and illiterate. We were shown the green pastures of
economic opportunity and then brutally prevented from going to
them.
It is for this reason that Human Resource Development forms the core of
ANC policy in undoing the ravages of the past. It is for this reason
that this government has invested so much in skills development.
Because of the past exclusion of black people from the economy, that it
was necessary for the ANC government to pass 1998?s Employment Equity
Act, to ensure that all South Africans enjoy access to the labour
market.
Likewise the ANC government commits itself to spend over R15-billion on
broad-based Black Economic Empowerment to ensure greater inclusion. It
smacks of hypocrisy that certain people complain of the creation of a
black elite ? implying that only whites have the right to have their
Oppenheimers.
Our skills development programme has enjoyed numerous successes, with
significant buy-in from business, labour and the community. Teething
problems have been identified and addressed. The skills revolution is
indeed on track.
It is through these successful interventions such as these that give us
such cause to celebrate our ten years of democracy.
- Today South Africa is a democratic country, because of the African
National Congress.
- Today South Africa has a growing economy, because of the African
National Congress.
- Today South Africa has a well-managed economy, because of the
African National Congress.
We must never forget that it is under the ANC government that over
2-million jobs were created since 1995. Before 1994 economic growth had
ground to a halt, we are now enjoying growth levels of 2.8 percent and
in a position to grow further. Thanks to the ANC government.
But the number of people looking for work has increased. This
number has increased because many more people have been casualised,
many have been sub-contracted and outsourced , many more have entered
the job market because of more people are getting the opportunity to
enter the job market when they complete schooling or finish
degrees.
We as the ANC believe in people?s contract to create work and eradicate
poverty.
- A people?s contract to monitor the SETAs
- A people?s contract to ensure proper functioning of SETAs
- A people?s contract to develop skills
- A people?s contract to receive 72000 learners by May 2004
- A people?s contract to receive interns to provide skills to young
graduates
- A people?s contract to protect the most vulnerable of workers,
domestic workers and farmworkers
- A people?s contract to monitor the violation of workers
rights.
With regards to the people?s contract on the violation of workers
rights, I was angered and saddened to learn of the tragic death of
Nelson Shisane in Limpopo. This worker?s employer is alleged to have
thrown him to a pack of lions because he was troublesome.
These actions have no place in any society and this employer has
no place in our society. Together with the South African Police
Services, my inspectors are investigating this incident and justice
will take its course. May his soul rest in peace.
In 1955 at Kliptown, we proclaimed that the Doors of Learning and
Culture shall be opened and this year alone, thanks to the successes of
our education programmes 400 000 matriculants entered the labour market
for the first time. More students are entering university and
completing degrees. This brings along a challenge to secure jobs for
these young people. Our learnership programme has important role to
play in this regard.
The people?s contract finds expression in many aspects ? not only the
Skills Development Strategy, but also our contract with employers and
workers to ensure safety in the workplace, to ensure stable labour
markets, to ensure that even the most vulnerable of workers enjoy
protection.
And ? I might add ? these contracts, especially those with
vulnerable workers could only have been made by an ANC
government.
Earlier in the speech I referred to the exclusion of domestic and
farmworkers from the apartheid versions of labour legislation. Today we
have reason to celebrate because domestic workers now enjoy a minimum
wage and basic conditions of employment.
Today farmworkers, who in many instances were fobbed off with a
sack of mielie meal now too enjoy a minimum wage and will get an
increase to that wage as from the beginning of March.
Wholesale and retail workers, most of whom are casuals, are also
protected by a sectoral determination and have just received a 20
percent increase ? in the case of workers in the former TBVC states ?
and 8.8 percent in the remainder of the country, effective from the 1st
of February. These are reasons to celebrate ten years of
Democracy.
No other party in this house would have done this.The ANC is the only
party that has a track record of delivery particularly to the poor and
the needy.
A further example of the our people?s contract came from the Growth and
Development Summit where government, labour, business and the community
committed themselves to the achievement of measurable goals to boost
economic growth and job creation. Some of the initial goals have been
met and others we are well on track to meeting. It is a people?s
contract with business and labour that we should place 72 000 young
people in learnerships by May 2004.
Vision 2014 presents a bold vision of our future ? inspired by the
ANC?s commitment to democratic consultation, mass participation, with
people driven and people centred volunteerism.Central to Vision 2014 is
the people?s contract where a single, integrated economy sees
unemployment reduced by half within the next 10 years.
As the ANC government we are committed to a people?s contract where
poverty is reduced by half and skills required by the economy are
provided.
As the ANC government we will ensure that all South Africans enjoy the
dignity that freedom brings, hence we are proud to celebrate ten years
our democracy.
We are proud of our history ? a history of successful struggle waged in
the face of an implacable foe. And we are confident of our future. In
the past 10 years we have built a peaceful South Africa characterised
by expanding opportunities emerging from a stable and growing
economy.
It is only the ANC that is capable of delivering a South Africa ? where
all can experience an improving quality of life, enjoying human rights
with access to opportunities that freedom has brought , bound together
as a nation by our humanity.
Oko yasekwayo I ANC (Ukhongolose) umbutho wesizwe yasoloko ibeke
phambili umdla wabo bonke abantu beli lizwe lomMzantsi Afrika.
Yabamanya kwidabi lenkululeko elakhokelela kumnyaka wenkululeko u 1994.
Kuloko ngomhla we 27 kwekaTshazimpunzi sizakube sibhiyozela iminyaka
elishumi yenkululeko. Sivuyele intatho nxaxheba kawonkewonke, iminyaka
elishumi yoxolo, uzinzo nenkqubela. Sibhiyozela uMzantsi Afrika wethu
xa sisonke.
Le nkululeko asiyikhongozwanga ? ize ngegazi, ngokufa nokuzincama
kwabantu abaninzi bekhokelwe ngumbutho wesizwe I African National
Congress. Yinkululeko evule amathuba okukhomba indlela eyaphambili.
Liphumile ngoku ilanga eMzantsi Afrika. Azange sibekurhulumente
ngaphambili, kule minyakana nje ilishumi sizuze amava, uninzi lwabantu
luyimbumba ejonge ukukhawulezisa inguqu. Iziseko ziqinile azihexi.
Sifundile ngoku sizakuthi chatha ukuzisa inguqu kubomi babantu.
Sizakumanyana sakhe amathuba okusebenza silwe indlala.
Ngumbutho wesizwe I-ANC yodwa enembali engathandabuzekiyo- ezingcayo
ngembali yayo. Yiyo yodwa ezise inguqu ? yiyo yodwa enamava okuzisa
inguqu eyakuthi itshintshe ubomi babantu. Yonke eminye imibuthwana le
ngoofunzeweni oovukayibambe abangozungul?ichele abanjongo iphambili
ikukwahlula nokuchithachitha umanyano lwabantu beli lizwe ngakumbi
abamnyama.
Ndivumele Dlamini ndithi qina ifokotho, ungabi lityutyusi. Ungaqhokreki
amadolo abagxekayo basazalwa nanamhla. Amatshekile amaqhitala namayilo.
Bakutyibela ngezinyeliso nezithuko- bathi uwedwa jwi ungaguqula
umgaqosiseko kuba ujonge ukuba sisimakade. Thina ke sithi ngxatsho ke,
tya?phuzalwe. Ngxatsho ke kwedini yase Mazizini.
Mzukulwana ka Ngubonde, kaNdosi, kaLunika, kaMkuli kaMavumengwana.
Gumbi lamagwala, Lubokoboko, Ngxib?inoboya, Uzaz?ukusuka, uzaz?ukuhlala
kuba lungenantsiba. Unkephuz?amagwebu ngomlomo, ungxaz?impumlo,
usifutyana ukuthandwa ngumkhuhlane. Isagwityi esisuka kuqala
kweziny?izagwityi. Lirhamnco elimazinyo azinqindi ? Isikhuni abasitheza
besoyika.
Guqe bakhedame abamelene naye
Ubhuxe ngezwi elibi kumakhumsha.
Tyityimba kwedini kushukume izidlele.
Ziyaxhentsa iingwevu kushukuma amabhovu,
Wavele ngamayeyeye nemiyiyizelo
Ziyabonga iimbongi ziyangisela
Ziyagxelesha iintshaba ngokwehlungulu
Zigxelesha zixezula ngenxa yekhwele.
Abasazi basiva ngembali.
Kusisityikityiki bayashwantshwatha
Bayadwaba bayadwalula.
Fika mhla we 14 April izo kubandubungela ibagubungele I ANC
Kuba iqule yaligangatha.Amavetyevetye, namavocovoco azakuchola phantsi
isitya sizele.
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