TABLE OF CONTENTS.
1. NA DEBATE ON MINERALS AND ENERGY BUDGET BY PJ NEFOLOVHODWE (AZAPO) 07/05/2002.
2. NA: DEBATE APPROPRIATE BILL BY PJ NEFOLOVHODWE (AZAPO MP) 18 03 2003
3. NA Debate on the Broadcasting Amendment Bill by Pandelani Nefolovhodwe 23rd October 2002.
5. NA DEBATE ON THE DEFENCE BILL: BY PJ NEFOLOVHODWE (AZAPO)
8. NA DEBATE ON PUBLIC ENTERPRISES BY PJ NEFOLOVHODWE (AZAPO) 16/05/200
9. NA DEBATE: BUDGET VOTE SCIENCE AND TEHCNOLOGY BY PJ NEFOLOVHODWE (AZAPO MP), 04 /04 /2003
10. NA DEBATE: WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT BY PJ NEFOLOVHODWE (AZAPO) 15/08/2002.
11. NA DEBATE: PEACE, DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY – THE AFRICAN CENTURY BY PJ NEFOLOVHODWE 20/08/2002
12. NA DISCUSSION ON CHILD RAPE by P J NEFOLOVHODWE 15/10/2002
13. NA: EDUCATION LAWS AMENDMENT BILL BY: PJ NEFOLOVHODWE AZAPO 19 09 2002
Madam Speaker
Our country has inherited an economic system whose policy and strategy was designed with the deliberate and systematic intentions of maintaining and sustaining racial and private ownership of productive and natural resources.
To this and the liquid, fuel as well as the mining industry is still dominating by white owned companies. Black companies that have entered these fields of economic activities have not passed the 5% mark in market share. This state of affairs is not acceptable.
Time and again we take pride of the fact that we have a worldclass mining industry, and yet workers continue to experience health and safety hazards in the mines. Azapo believes that working people have the right to health and safety, free from the assumption that there is harmony with the demand of capital accumulation. These rights must be combined with the recognition of the need to provide workers with a living wage and to safeguard their immediate livelihood within the industry.
Women in particular, are super-exploited for two reasons, the first of which is that their work is still influenced by gender-ascreptive rules originating from the household sphere. They are tea ladies, floor cleaners etc. Secondly, they are paid less than men on the basis of the roles allocated them. The department of minerals and energy has a responsibility to change these circumstances women are subject to.
Madam Speaker; over the past two (2) years Eskom has been credited for having availed electricity to rural communities. While Azapo is encouraged by these developments, it is nonetheless not happy with the speed at which the electrification process is moving especially in rural areas.
Finally government should vigorously provide favourable and sustainable conditions for increasing empowerment opportunities within the mineral and energy industry.
Madam Speaker
Tax cuts and Budget allocation to the most vulnerable citizen of our country are indeed important steps towards the eradication of poverty and other ills of our society.
The budget before us does indicate a willingness on the part of Government to move in this direction. But for those who are not working, those who are not the aged, and those who were retrenched in 2002 and earlier, as the result of Government micro economic policies the tax cuts cannot bring about any relief
Madam Speaker for as long as we are not able to create jobs for about 35% of the unemployed, our dream to “improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person ” enshrined in our constitution cannot be realised.
Previous budgets, including this one have failed to allocate enough resources for job creation.
Those of you who stay in rural areas or those who make it their concern to interact with rural communities, will have come across the following factors
v The absence of sanitary facilities
v Lack of adequate educational facilities
v Prevalence of gravel roads that are not properly maintained
v Lack of clean drinking water
v Long distance from one government facility to the other
v No electricity
v Poor medical facilities, if any
All these factors constitute part of rural life. Again in order to raise the standards of life of the rural citizens the budget should have been biased in favour of our rural citizens since they presently do not enjoy some of the benefits that are presently available to urban citizens.
Madam Speaker the liberation of women cannot be complete until we begin to liberate women in rural areas.
AZAPO believes that in order to liberate rural women the government must pay particular attention to making water and electricity accessible to rural communities thereby freeing women from having to fetch water from rivers, and wood from the mountains and valleys.
Land must be made available to women to free them from dependence on men and thereby help them to actualise their potential. The urban and rural divide should be attended to with speed.
AZAPO believes that it is not enough to ask those who do not want to serve the people to leave the civil service; the government must take the necessary steps to make them serve the people or leave
Madam Speaker, The Azanian People’s Organisation calls upon the Board of the SABC to involve all the sections of our community in a meaningful way when it consults the people for the formulation of the Charter of Corperation.
Closest to the heart of AZAPO is the question of local content because “the broadcasting must reflect the identity and diverse nature” of our society .Our national television ranks highest among priorities that have to be considered. All three SABC channels can easily pass as European channels .The quantity of foreign material is overwhelming, it is so overwhelming that it is also reflected in the content and style of the locally produced material - the humour, the settings, and the characterisation are all foreign. This not acceptable. Our national television must be seen to “reflect the identity and diverse nature” of our society.
The treatment of languages by our public broadcaster has up to now not been satisfactory. Now that this Bill has been completed there can no longer be any reasonable justification for the delay in implementing a policy that treats all our languages equitably .The Board can no longer hide behind it’s inability to introduce and practise an equitable language policy on the basis that there is no legislation to that effect.
The Azanian People’s Organisation calls upon the SABC to develop and put in place the Code of Practice that will ensure that its personnel complies with its mandate to be seen to be fair and impartial “in news and programmes that deal with matters of public interest.” At the moment the SABC operates under an undeclared policy of airing the views of political parties in manner that does not even reflect the size of “their proportional representation in parliament,” but in a manner that is so disproportional that it tends to completely exclude the parties that have a small representation in parliament. This is manifest in both the radio and television news. Consider the recent coverage of October 19; the mere mention of the fact that 17 BCM organisations were banned on that fateful day was avoided as the devil avoids holy water.
AZAPO support the Bill.
Thank You Madam Speaker
The South African society has for many decades been organised in such a way that cultural, linguistic and religious activities centred around the euro-centric dominant culture with English as its main language for the transmission and receiving of information.
In this society, if you want to learn about economic, political and social spheres of our existence, you are expected to master the English language. This applies even to the study of indigenous languages.
If you want a job in industry or you want to buy a house, contractual obligations are entered into, in most instances, in English.
In this way the majority of our people are alienated from these agreements they enter into. In fact, the majority only come to understand these agreements when there is a dispute about them.
The cultural dimension is even worse. Our children are daily being socialised into cultural norms and values that are foreign to the cultures of the majority of our people. You need only to switch on your TV set to notice this. Mind you, young people are very impressionable. No wonder the younger generation is alienated from parents. There is no doubt that all information received and accumulated by the youth lead to the formation of concepts based on the meaning of information received.
Ideally, national culture in a multi-cultural society is supposed to be a fusion of lifestyles of various groups, with the culture shared by the majority ultimately determining the broad direction taken by the joint cultures.
Sadly, in South Africa, in which the majority are black, the cultural, linguistic and social norms and values are predominantly euro-centric. This is the challenge we must overcome.
The Azanian People’s Organisation welcomes this Bill. For the first time in our history, the Defence Force in this country, the regular forces, the special forces, the auxiliary forces, the regular forces, the reserve forces, indeed all sections of the South African National Defence Force, shall be constituted of people from all the sections of our population and governed by a single law.
This Bill seeks to bring to an end to era in the national defence force. This Bill seeks to bring an end to the arrangements, which existed within the army before the dawn of the new dispensation. These arrangements manifested themselves in an army that was rooted, both in composition and mission, in the entrenchment and defence of racist privileges and suppression of the people on account of their race.
This Bill seeks to bring all our people, without prejudice to anyone, into the auxiliary and reserve forces. These forces in particular had remained a preserve of white only, and had been conceived of as the first line of defence as whites saw themselves as totally encircled by enemies. It is good and comforting to know that at last these too shall be opened up to all our people.
The South African society has for many decades been organised in such a way that cultural, linguistic and religious activities centred around the euro-centric dominant culture with English as its main language for the transmission and receiving of information.
In this society, if you want to learn about economic, political and social spheres of our existence, you are expected to master the English language. This applies even to the study of indigenous languages.
If you want a job in industry or you want to buy a house, contractual obligations are entered into, in most instances, in English.
In this way the majority of our people are alienated from these agreements they enter into. In fact, the majority only come to understand these agreements when there is a dispute about them.
The cultural dimension is even worse. Our children are daily being socialised into cultural norms and values that are foreign to the cultures of the majority of our people. You need only to switch on your TV set to notice this. Mind you, young people are very impressionable. No wonder the younger generation is alienated from parents. There is no doubt that all information received and accumulated by the youth lead to the formation of concepts based on the meaning of information received.
Ideally, national culture in a multi-cultural society is supposed to be a fusion of lifestyles of various groups, with the culture shared by the majority ultimately determining the broad direction taken by the joint cultures.
Sadly, in South Africa, in which the majority are black, the cultural, linguistic and social norms and values are predominantly euro-centric. This is the challenge we must overcome.
The Zimbabwe elections have come and gone, and what remains is our interpretation of the outcome. Reports that emanate from the OAU, SADC and our own observer mission have declared the elections legitimate.
AZAPO is convinced that these reports by African leaders reflect the truth of what transpired during the elections and accepts thems.
Despite these authentic reports crafted by black Africans who have the interests of our continent and those of Zimbabwe at heart, non-Africans have condemned the elections. AZAPO is not surprised. History has shown that former colonisers are often not the best champions and interpreters of events in Africa and elsewhere where they were defeated in wars of liberation.
When the American people elected their President with a 33% turnout, and Gore cried foul, the European Union never declared the elections not free and fair. What is surprising to AZAPO is that the European Union observer mission left Zimbabwe before the elections, yet they would like us to believe their declaration as authentic against that of the African observer mission. It is not hard to see that when they left Zimbabwe they had already made up their mind that the elections were not free and free.
The Zimbabwean elections were even extended to allow voters to exercise their democratic right –they did and it is reported that the three days on which the elections were conducted were peaceful.
The people of Zimbabwe have spoken and non-Zimbabweans should simply respect this. Gone are the days when the opinions of the white world were paramount.
Madam Speaker
South Africa and the rest of Africa have been bombarded with a neo-liberal orthodox view that wants us to believe that the role of the State in society is only to create an environment that is conducive for social players such as business, civil society and organised labour, etc to be effective in their sectors. This view contends that only the private sector creates wealth and that all that the public sector does is to consume this wealth and as a result State owned enterprises should be privatised.
Madam Speaker, in a society such as ours where the wealth is in few hands and basic services like electricity, telecommunication networks etc have not reached the majority of citizens this kind of argument cannot hold water. Today the debate is primarily about national assets and state own enterprises that create wealth for all of us. We are here concerned with the few remaining assets that we could lay our hands on after years of oppression and exploitation.
Azapo contends that State-owned enterprises exist for two main objectives viz to maximise returns and contribute to their own sustainability, and more importantly, to promote social equity by engaging in activities that mitigate poverty and advance development. When we get reports that Eskom will provide electricity to rural, and other deprived areas we are pleased. When we hear about the merging of Information Technology (IT) of Denel, Transnet and Eskom into a simple entity we celebrate. This goes also for the formation of Petro SA, combining State’s oil and gas interests in a single company.
But when we get reports about the privatisation of these assets, which are worth billions and billions, we fear that the future generation will be deprived of these assets and that only the rich will own them, and that their functions of promoting social equity will be drastically undermined. When Cosatu, Nactu and other unions report that the restructuring and privatisation of State assets lead to job loses, we join them in protest
Those who argue that it is not possible for government to create jobs through state enterprises should listen to the words of former Secretary of State of the U.S, Dr Henry Kissinger.
During a rare moment of frankness, delivering the Sixth Independent Lecture at the Trininity College in Dublin, he said
“The US and other industrial countries have been forming capital for nearby 50 yrs and have been compounding it annually. This is an advantage that even with perfect politics is not easy to match…… Anybody familiar with the Chinese situation knows that the State enterprises in China are the country’s social security net. If China privatised them, they would have up to 50 to 100 million unemployed. Whether any country can take the pain of therefore support this budget vote.
I thank you
Madam Speaker
When a presentation was made at one of the hearings on Science and Technology, I asked a question relating to innovations that are characterised by unplanned and unco- ordinated township and rural activities. I did this because in AZAPO we are deeply worried about scientific research and innovations that do not translate into useful tools that poor communities can access and used in order to change the material circumstances under which they live.
The question we need to ask ourselves is: Who are the beneficiaries of South Africa’s innovative scientific studies? Of what benefit are these studies to the poor? Are our many scientists researching adequately in areas that can help us eradicate poverty and suffering?
AZAPO is aware that to date many scientific studies that have been conducted at the various institutions of research in South Africa have benefited the rich. Our belief is that this trend should not be allowed to persist.
Whilst we say this, we should not be understood to be saying that all types of scientific studies and innovations should only benefit the poor. To the contrary, we are raising this in view of our country’s commitment to the eradication of poverty and other ills in our society.
AZAPO supports the stimulation of innovations through the National Advisory Council on Innovations; we support the ARC studies that are geared at helping small-scale farmers and rural communities in their struggle against poverty.
What we are raising as appoint of departure though, is how much of the research results meant to benefit the poor can actually be accessed by the poor.
Madam Speaker, most of the scientific knowledge is stored somewhere in highly technical language, and unless someone is prepared to simplify it for the poor, the is very little chance that they can use it, let alone knowing that it exist.
Madam Speaker
Every society strives to create a political, social and economic framework around which developmental processes can take place. The political, social and economic framework can be referred to as a “system” in which role players are allowed to participate provided they stick to the rules.
In modern societies these rules are formalised by way of laws, various conventions or agreements that are entered into between and amongst nations of the world. Most if not all these conventions and agreements are in favour of the rich
The poor always get marginalised and their activities are seen as militating against good governance and order, meaning good governance and order in favour of the rich.
Madam speaker, when the poor do not have access to clean water, when the rich pollute the environment, when the rich sell drugs to the poor at exorbitant prices, when there is no fair trade between poor, and rich countries, when the capitalist system of the rich marginalises the poor into poverty; the rich regard all this as normal for the poor therefore the World Summit on Sustainable Development should mean an arena of struggle against very powerful forces. For the poor and the poor countries the conference should be a platform to let the rich know that their survival is dependent on the eradicating of poverty and all forms of deprivations the poor live under.
For the poor countries in particular, the agenda should be to challenge rich countries to understand that within the global developmental frame work poverty eradication, the creation of a clean environment, the equitable distribution of resources to all the earth’s children and the ending of trade imbalances between rich and poor countries is fundamental. The success of Sustainable development in a world where the majority are poor, can only be judged by the way in which it is capable of transforming the material conditions under which poor people all over the world find themselves into something better, and its ability to enable the poor to sustain the developmental process.
The outcomes of the conference should be capable of creating an enabling environment and conditions that can create a better world for all.
Madam Speaker
When we talk about peace, development and prosperity in the context of African we, are indeed considering peace options and developmental processes that are informed by the present material conditions.
At the same time we are reminded of colonialism and colonialists who took turns in taking Africa’s wealth to Europe in particular. It is important to take into consideration the fact that most African countries were over many centuries prevented from developing major industries. Most of these countries were developed for exports of raw materials with the result that agriculture, and domestic capital accumulation were stagnated.
The consequences of these designed industrial policies, were dependent economies with large borrowings.
Peace, development and prosperity in these circumstances would mean a complete turn around of the factors that led to this state of affairs in the first place. Secondly, it means a recognition on our part of the power that former colonialists wield in the international development arena.
We should not loose sight of the fact that, however peaceful Africa may want to be, we cannot achieve lasting peace and prosperity for as long as the Bush administration can bully other nations in the world.
Madam speaker, the present day international community led by the developed countries have consolidated themselves in the IMF and World Bank to make it possible for these countries to control the developmental process. The power of the IMF and World Bank should not be underestimated especially in view of the fact that many African countries owe these institutions billion and billions of rands.
Our response to all these powerful forces should be unity irrespective of which countries in Africa are favourite of these champions of underdevelopment. We should become masters of our own destiny with the eradication of poverty as our long-term objective.
Madame Speaker, at this time of Africa’s development there is therefore a need for capacity building, to develop the human capital that will serve as an instrument for sustainable development, peace and prosperity.
Africa has come a long way through struggle up to this point. The struggle for peace, development and prosperity is a struggle we must win.
I thank you
Madam Speaker
One of the things that we inherited from the past is cultural domination .For many decades black people in particular, were subjected to cultural oppression with the result that they were deprived of the capacity to champion values and norms consistent with the fundamental African principles of UBUNTU.
Madam speaker it is generally acknowledged that through cultural progress people are able to regulate their relationships with others young and old . It is through the development of human values based on cultural progress that society creates normal forms of relationship that protects life.
Madam speaker when people are systemically placed in circumstances such as the migratory labour system, forced to stay in houses where there is no privacy, the concept privacy over decades loses meaning. When young children grow up in places of accommodation where they watch their parents making love at their tender young age, then subcultures are developed that lead to moral disorientation .The phenomenon of child rape can in some way be linked to moral and psychological disorientation.
Although many politicians and other influential people in South Africa have warned that we should not blame Apartheid for every ill in our society, AZAPO takes the view that the dehumanisation that was part of the colonial and apartheid system should not be overlooked.
Madam Speaker when the 1994 elections were finalised and a new society was beginning to emerge we took for granted that every dehumanised soul will automatically fit in the new circumstances.
Madam Speaker we need to look seriously at programmes of psychological emancipation that enhances our cultural and moral heritage. AZAPO urges the police and the other law enforcement agencies, all adults in our society to be vigilant in order to protect our children.
Madam Speaker
It is common knowledge that throughout the history of mankind educational institution, regulation and governing bodies are established to serve the interest of the society as well as of those countries, government and specific groups.
It is for this reason that specific countries, whilst maintaining broad and general educational programmes, have nevertheless developed their own ways of satisfying the needs .
When studying the bill AZAPO, was disturbed by the systematic and indirect way in which school governing bodies (S.G.B) are marginalized when it comes to the appointment of teachers. AZAPO believes that government appointees cannot be the one’s alone champions the transformation of our countries educational system and school.
This is so because black parents in particular have in the past been marginalized by apartheid educational institutions and has never been integrated into school governing activities .Our democratic society is duty bound to integrate parents through school governing bodies (S G B) into all affairs that affect the future of their children. AZAPO does however understand the intentions of the bill when it comes to the appointment of new teachers and the deployment of these to areas where their skills are needed.
The lowering of the age of admission to schools is welcomed. However, this adjustment we would argue, should be accompanied by the following:
1 Provision of more classes and their educational facilities
2 Integration and assessment of their availability of grade R facility
3 Teachers pupil’s ratio should be assessed, as this will be affected by the new intake
In short these changes have significant human resources and physical facilities, implications, and the department, should take that into account in preparing for implications. Budget constructions is one of the areas that can impact negatively to this new developments
School facilities particularly in rural areas are going to be a problem
Unless this problem is attended to these changes will be meaningless to rural communities
AZAPO agrees fully with the move towards national standards .To AZAPO this leads to common recognition of qualifications, which are a key to employment and academic studies
I thank you
Madam Speaker, Honourable President of South Africa, in April 2001, my cousin who had just been declared owner of something called a “house “ at the Braam Fisher Settlement near Dobsonville, invited me to see the “house”. We drove to the area.
When we arrived, I immediately noticed that the streets were not tarred and that some of the “houses” were built on an uneven slope. I also noticed that all houses with no exception were not partitioned into rooms .The only partitions were a small toilet whose small door leads to a small kitchen space .My immediate remark was; what happens if a member of the family has a running tummy and other members are cooking in the small kitchen?
Being a member of parliament made it possible for me to visit other parts of our country, and witnessed the same pattern of structures that this country has built for the poor.
Madam Speaker, AZAPO has always held the view that Government is more worried about the number of structures it can deliver to the poor and not interested in the quality of these structures. Surely after eight (8) years in democracy, we should be concerned that we have not devised housing structures that can enhance a better life for the poor.
The growth of the economy in the various sectors mentioned in the address by the President is indeed encouraging in so far as it strengthens economic fundamentals. However, this growth should at the same time be accompanied by the growth in jobs and standard of living of the poor. To the extend that this is not happening, is a matter that AZAPO believes should be attended to with speed.
The lack of definition of what constitutes black economic empowerment has meant that black individuals become millionaires without wealth filtering down to the poor and workers.
AZAPO believes that the advancement of black empowerment should be linked to the broad economic transformation as well as the advancement of the poor’s well being in general and their standard of living in particular. We should not confuse the advancement of black individuals and individual black companies with the black economic empowerment .To confuse the two is to restrict black economic empowerment to existing equity patterns in our country. AZAPO is convinced that the South African economy will benefit greatly when the majority of the citizen become participants in all spheres of economic activities.
Madam Speaker, just as a good game of cricket or soccer requires acceptance by players both of the rules and the umpire to interpret and enforce rules so a good society we are building requires that Government should monitor black economic empowerment. This requires that government should define the parameters and conditions of practice as well as the means of arbitrating different interpretations of the conditions and insists on some device for enforcing compliance with the rules defined by parliament.
Statistics SA official figure on unemployment stands at about 30%. The formal employment has in the past decade shed more than a million jobs. Given these statistics, it was encouraging to hear the President mention steps that will be pursued towards employment, training and promotion of SMME’S.
AZAPO however believe that the problem of joblessness is far bigger and that it cannot be resolved merely by a programme of human resources development and the creation of an enabling environment for SMME’S .It is our view that we should also train people to be job creators as well as engaging in a vigorous rural development strategy aimed at creating and sustaining jobs in rural areas.
Madam Speaker, in a country such as South Africa where the majority of our people were denied opportunities to acquire skills, the unskilled should also be afforded an opportunity to work and improve conditions of their lives.
To AZAPO a rural and urban renewal development strategy by Government can go a long way in assisting the unemployed to get jobs.
As we speak, skilled teachers and graduates are jobless .The truth is, the formal empowerment sector is unwilling to employ them. AZAPO believes that time has come for an effective and co-ordinated Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) in rural areas.
As we are preparing to start the 2003 legislation programme, we have a responsibility to direct resources towards the upliftment of the poor in our country.
Madam Speaker allow me to add AZAPO’s voice to many voices in South Africa and in the world that are shouting against the US and the United Kingdom’s intention to wage war against Iraq. AZAPO is opposed to war whether waged by the US &Britain or war that is spearheaded by UN.
The acceptance by Iraq of our country ‘s offer to send a team of scientist, engineers, technicians and other experts to share South Africa’s expertise of eliminating the weapons of mass destruction, is indeed a plus not only to ourselves but to Africa as a whole .Our country’s peace initiatives in Africa and in Iraq are matters that AZAPO unreservedly support.
Listening carefully to the speech by the honourable President, we are encouraged by Government intentions to increase social grants .Our view has however been that social grants by themselves cannot resolve the issue of poverty and at times are misused .The intention to train and empower community development practitioners touches our hearts greatly. This is one area that has been neglected and was left only to NGO’s and related bodies. Direct Government involvement in this area is long overdue.
But there are some factors that may militate against delivery in this sphere of involvement.
Road infrastructure is at times non-existent in remote rural areas where community development practitioners are needed most. We urge Government to speed up road construction in rural areas. Salaries paid to community development practitioners compared to Government jobs is another factor that discourages trained and dedicated personnel.
Madam Speaker last year we saw an improvement in land restitution cases, but these were largely cases related to forced removals. Cases relating to historical claims particularly in rural areas still need to be resolved. It remains to be seen how Government will deliver on this front of our people struggle .In order to deliver meaningful land to our people AZAPO believes that Government should look at all land that is for speculative purposes.
All of us gathered here should realise that we attained our independence and freedom through amongst others the mobilisation of the poor masses in townships and rural areas. These are the people who continue to vote for our different parties to represent them in this Parliament. Just as their participation in the removal of apartheid was necessary, it is important that their participation in the improvement of their lives is enhanced by Government programmes.
People loose faith when they realise that those they have entrusted with the responsibility to change their lives are no longer committed to this goal
I thank you
Madam Speaker
The address by the President on the 8th February 2002 touched on core themes like poverty eradication, land reform, housing, Black Economic Empowerment as well as the position of traditional leaders in our society.
Indeed the state is obliged to take positive actions to meet the needs of those living in extreme conditions of poverty, homelessness or intolerable housing. These socio – economic rights need to be dealt with and understood in their historical and social context given the legacy of deep social inequalities that emanates from our past
Millions of Black people live in grave deprivation. The high level of unemployment, the inaccessibility of clean water, electricity, food and adequate health services, testify daily to the miserable conditions in which black men, women and children find themselves.
Azapo believes that it is possible to put into place sustainable programmes that are geared at the eradication of all forms of deprivations that black people live under. However, these programmes cannot succeed if at the same time the Government is not prepared to abandon its macro – economic policy. GEAR is responsible for job losses.
Cognisant of the fact that up to now Government has not paid much attention to the quality of the houses built by construction companies contracted to government, Azapo is not at all encouraged by the mere mentioning of a statistical figure of 1.2 million units built. To us it is not the number of units built that counts, but their quality. If indeed we want to create “a better life for all” then we should at the same time build better houses for all.
Government should as a matter of urgency establish a coherent public housing programme controlled by a state-run housing company that will work towards the progressive realisation of the right of access to adequate and decent housing.
Azapo welcomes the announcement of the recognition and honour of Cde Bantu Biko for his contribution to the liberation of our land and people. Azapo will do all in its power to work with all interested parties to make the 25th commemoration of the brutal murder of Biko a success. Despite the fact that Cde Biko is one of the founder members of our movement and the Black Consciousness philosophy, we have always held the view that he and many other heroes of our struggle are symbols of the black people’s collective struggle.
Azapo supports the Government’s efforts to create conducive conditions for the people of Zimbabwe to determine their own destiny without outside interference
Azapo is encouraged by the commitment of Government to finalise the position, role and functions of traditional leaders. We find it strange though that a black government does not seem to understand the roles, responsibilities and functions of traditional leaders.
Madam Speaker the black people are the majority, and yet the positive aspects of their traditions and norms have not as yet been incorporated into our emerging democratic processes. Those who colonised us, like it when we despise our own traditions.
© Azanian People’s Organisation May 2003.