Honourable Speaker, Ms. Thoko Didiza;
Deputy Speaker, Dr. Annelie Lotriet;
His Excellency, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr. Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa;
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers;
Honourable Chief Whip, Mdumiseni Ntuli;
Leaders of all political parties;
Honourable Members of the National Assembly;

INHLIKANI!

Let me begin by acknowledging the profound significance of the current moment in the history of our democracy. We find ourselves in an extraordinary social, economic, and political environment, a testament to the journey we have traversed over the years. A journey, marked by significant historical transitions, that connect us to our past, shape our present and future.

In 1994, we made a historic transition from a minority apartheid regime to a democratically elected government. That pivotal moment resulted in a Government of National Unity (GNU) led by President Nelson Mandela. 

Thirty (30) years after the first GNU, we have now formed a new GNU, driven by our people's resolute desire for us to work together and hold each other accountable. The reality of our recent election results is that no party represented in this house won an outright majority to work alone legislatively or at the executive level. This underscores the importance of our collective responsibility in this new GNU.

Our people want all parties to work together within the framework of our constitution and build a country founded on non-racialism, non-sexism, and equality. This commitment, without compromising national stability and peace, reassures us of a hopeful future.

In the words of one of the visionary leaders of our country, President Oliver Tambo, 'Our strength lies in unity, and our unity lies in our diversity.' These words continue to inspire and remind us of the power of our collective efforts.

Therefore, despite our diverse political party affiliations, it is crucial for us to combine our abilities to address and achieve the strategic goals set out by President Ramaphosa during his Opening of Parliament Address.

These goals, which include promoting inclusive growth and job creation, alleviating poverty, addressing the high cost of living, establishing a capable, ethical, and progressive state, are too significant to be achieved in isolation. We must  complement each other and recognise collaboration as the key to our success.

We should use our diverse political ideas to improve our country's course! 

Our actions must be motivated by the need to better the lives of our people and not by selfish political desires. Whatever we do, as members of this 7th Parliament must benefit the people. We must live up to our commitment to serve. Batho Pele! 

The Presidency is committed to supporting and fulfilling its obligations as outlined in the statement of intent and the medium-term development programme.

As the centre of Government we will ensure broad representations and a solid mandate to govern the country, fostering increased transparency, accountability and trust in a people driven governance.

We will continue to play an essential role in bringing about significant reforms over the next five years and beyond. We will always act as the compass for our nation, leading the agenda to create an even more equitable, democratic, and prosperous South Africa.

President Ramaphosa has delegated several responsibilities to me to support him as the head of Government and the Executive.

These responsibilities include accelerating land reform, improving service delivery, assisting in the District Development Model rollout, championing social policy through the South African National AIDS Council and Human Resources Development Council, social cohesion and initiatives focusing on Traditional and Khoi-San leaders and military veterans, as well as the Water Task Team.

The Presidency is prioritising the need to improve the speed of execution and introducing the discipline of getting things done. 

For example, Operation Vulindlela is undergirded by the concept of deliverology, the science of delivering results. It is a target-driven process to ensure the successful implementation of reforms and the achievement of policy goals as outlined in the MTDP and the reforms introduced in the 6th administration. 

Through Operation Vulindlela, we have strengthened transformation efforts to improve the lives of many South Africans and, most importantly, assess the areas where much still needs to be done to address poverty, racial inequality, and economic development.

Equally, guided by the need to get things done, we are strengthening the implementation of the District Development Model (DDM) through better coordination across the various levels of government. This will improve municipal efficiencies and operations and address community concerns. Through the DDM, we engage industry leaders, among others, to promote entrepreneurship and employment creation in townships and rural areas.

We are determined to strengthen partnerships with local communities, including traditional leaders, Government and community organisations. This cooperative interaction has already helped identify best practices and areas for improvement in executing the One Plan, which aims to integrate and connect public sector investments to maximise their impact on the long-term development of Districts or Metros.

Working with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs(COGTA) we will provide stability to municipalities, and additional work is being done to expedite the much-needed turnaround in service delivery in this sector. 

We will assess the progress and commitments made during Presidential Izimbizo, and further engage the private sector to improve the implementation of the agreed-upon tasks in the various social compacts. More importantly, we want to continue working with the private sector to create jobs, especially for the marginalised youth.

Honourable Speaker, through the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), we are also building collaborations with businesses, labour, and government to source essential skills for the economy and the state.

The HRDC for the next five years, aim to achieve the following outcomes:

• Enhancing fundamental education programmes in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, languages, and life skills.

• Increasing access to quality post-school education and training.

• Enhancing research and technology innovation outcomes.

• Producing skilled workers for the economy.

We will also include the Human Resource Development Council's activities in the Medium-Term Development Plan. In addition, we will support the Department of Basic Education's reading campaign by championing ongoing efforts to promote a reading culture in schools and communities, ensuring that our children can read for meaning.

Furthermore, we plan to strengthen our partnership with the National School of Government in its efforts to professionalise the public sector. 

This will enhance collaborations between the Government and social partners in addressing the skills needed for the 21st century.

Honourable Chairperson, this debate coincides with the 25th International AIDS Conference taking place in Munich, Germany, under the theme ‘Put People First’. As has been the case over the years, South Africa is represented at this conference by a delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, alongside the SANAC CEO, Dr Thembisile Xulu.

South Africa plays a crucial role in the global health space, specifically as it relates to making substantial progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis. As of February 2024, over 5.9 million people were under treatment, and over 4.3 million had their viral load reduced.

Indeed, our work with the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) is yielding results. Since its formation in 2002, SANAC's work has been governed by a five-year National Strategic Plan (NSP) for HIV, Tuberculosis (TB), and Sexually Transmitted Infections. The NSP is consistent with the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030.

We remain determined to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in our country!

We will increase the intensity of demand creation efforts for the Cheka Impilo National Wellness Campaign and other National Strategic Plan campaigns. We must also increase efforts to find missing people with TB as part of implementing the National TB Recovery Plan.

With the world trailing behind in treating HIV in children, UNAIDS and its partners have now formed a Global Alliance to end AIDS in Children by 2030. During World Aids Day in 2023, we also launched the South African Chapter of the Global Alliance to End AIDS in Children by 2030.

Honourable Members, Looking at how far we have come in fighting HIV/AIDS, I am confident we can mitigate the impact of these dual epidemics. Our next step is to ensure national and provincial governments work together to implement the 2023–2028 plan.

Honourable Speaker,

As The Presidency, one of the critical priorities we are concerned with is promoting social cohesion and nation-building. These efforts align with Chapter 15 of the country’s National Development Plan, which focuses on transforming society and uniting the country.

In this regard, we conduct series of engagements with various partners, including Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, Traditional Health Practitioners, Military Veterans, Faith-Based Organisations, labour, and the private sector.

We have also been engaging with the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders to tackle challenges such as the safety of Traditional Leaders in our country. I must say that the killings of traditional leaders remain the biggest thorn. We are working with the Ministry of Police to find a lasting solution of protecting Traditional Leaders.

Honourable Members, land reform continues to be a top priority on our agenda. It remains a key programmatic response to achieving restorative justice and transforming colonial and apartheid spatial planning. We will continue to fast-track the land reform agenda regarding access and beneficial land use.

I am pleased to indicate that, since the inception of the Land Reform programme in 1994, 5.3 million hectares of land have been acquired through land redistribution, benefitting over 315 000 persons, including labour tenants, farm dwellers, and Extension of Security of Tenure (ESTA) occupiers. 

We have also redistributed 305 990 hectares, of which 127 525 hectares were allocated to women, 111 071 hectares to youth, and 2 781 hectares to people with disabilities between 2019 and 2024.

Honourable Members, many will agree that the government has made great strides to fast-track land reform, anchored on the rollout of an extensive agricultural support programme. As a country, we continue to invest in the productive and efficient use of land assets, which will boost agricultural output and encourage economic growth in targeted areas.

While we celebrate 30 years of democracy, Honourable Members, we must never forget those who fought for it, such as military veterans. In October 2020, the President established the Presidential Task Team (PTT) for Military Veterans to address their plight.

We are actively working with the military veteran community to achieve the objectives of the Military Veterans Act of 2011, which aims to improve the quality of life for them and their dependents, enabling socio-economic progress. Since its establishment, the team has made significant progress in enhancing the lives of veterans and their families.

In 2022, the Presidential Task Team on Military Veterans approved the payment of a pension benefit for qualifying Military Veterans. As of March 2024, the Department of Military Veterans contracted the Government Pensions Administration Agency (GPAA) to process applications for the new pension benefits. The target for the 2024/2025 financial year is to process 4 000 applications.

In my capacity as the Leader of Government Business in, I will continue to monitor executive accountability to Parliament. In this regard, we will ensure that members of the Executive fulfil their parliamentary obligations, by appearing before portfolio committees and answer questions timeously.

The Deputy President's office will continue to participate in critical Parliamentary structures like the Chief Whip’s Forum and the National Assembly Programming Committee (NAPC) to ensure that the programme of the executive does not interfere with the programme of Parliament. 

Honourable Members, in silencing the guns, we are supporting peace efforts in the African continent. In this regard, we are already working with the people of South Sudan to ensure they can hold peaceful elections in December 2024. Together with the Minister of International Relations, we have appointed a task team that is busy at work.

We also appreciate the recent visit by President Ramaphosa to the Region to ensure that we realise the vision of a peaceful election and bring about stability in that part of the continent, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We will work with the African Union and the rest of the Regional bodies for peace and development in our continent.

In conclusion, as I stated at the beginning, we must all work together, complementing each other and using our expertise and experiences to make our country better and more admirable to the world.

Our nation's success is contingent upon our unity. As President Nelson Mandela once said, “It is so easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build”.

Therefore, it is imperative for those of us who love this country and are committed to its purpose to pursue peace and strive for the good of our nation to build a better South Africa for future generations to come. 

In honouring the hard work and determination of all who have come before us and set the stage for progressive policies, we should be deliberate in designating the 7th administration as a period for the aggressive implementation of our policies. 

As President Ramaphosa previously stated, we, seated here today, have the opportunity to transform South Africa into what it should be.

Let us get down to work!

Ha Khensa! Inkomu!