6 September 2021

ACDP Parliament
Media Statement
By Marie Sukers MP

ACDP questions meagre R500 bail granted to the man who violently assaulted JMPD Inspector

“The ACDP notes with deep concern the decision by the Gauteng Magistrates Court to grant R500 bail to the man who assaulted Officer Masuku – a female Johannesburg Metro Police Department Inspector.

We are outraged that the assault was so brutal that Inspector Masuku feared for her life, and suffers the emotional trauma in the aftermath of such violence.

What motivates our statement to be noted today, is the words of Inspector Masuku as recounted in a newspaper article upon hearing of the release on bail of the perpetrator, ”I guess then that means what he did to me was not bad enough”.

For many years, in this country, the protest and outcry against Gender-Based Violence carried the message from women that there is a deafening silence to the slaughter and abuse of women from political leaders and institutions that are meant to protect them. One of the most heart-breaking messages relayed in the march after the death of Uyinene Mrwetyana was the collective expression of not being heard, and how that silence contributes to the cycle of violence against women in this nation.

The ACDP questions the meagre amount of R500 bail granted to the man, who stands accused of violently assaulting Inspector Masuku. While we appreciate that the amount of bail is not punitive and that this may speak to the justice and the protection of rights of the perpetrator in a democratic and free society, what does it convey to the victim? What is the message that is being sent to women in this country? A man can strangle and kick you in public, and still, your right to justice takes a while longer! It is rather unfortunate that the victim now has to be patient until fair and due process plays itself out.

The ACDP, in highlighting this, wants to call for much greater support for victims of violence. We further want to send our prayers and love to Officer Masuku. As a country, we must strive to do better to not malign the victim and protect the perpetrators of violence against women and children!

For media enquiries please contact: Marie Sukers MP, Cell: 062-338-1156.

Speech by ACDP Leader, Rev KRJ Meshoe MP

CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR APPROVAL BY PARLIAMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION (ILO) CONVENTION NO 190 CONCERNING THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT IN THE WORLD OF WORK IN TERMS OF SECTION 231(2) OF CONSTITUTION, 1996 (REPORT OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR)

ACDP calls on government to do much more to protect whistle-blowers in the workplace

“House Chairperson,

The International Labour Organisation’s Violence and Harassment Convention of 2019 (abbreviated C190) came into effect on 25 June 2021. Although adopted in June 2019, it has been ratified by only seven countries which are Argentina, Ecuador, Fiji, Mauritius, Namibia, Somalia and Uruguay. Currently it is in force only in Fiji and Uruguay.

C190 is generally a worthy convention for South Africa to aim for but a huge amount of work is still needed before we can honestly claim compliance with its provisions. According to Article 4.1, signatories to C190 are expected to “respect, promote and realize the right of everyone to a world of work, free from violence and harassment.”

Corruption-fighters in the work place are most vulnerable. Article 10 of C190 speaks of “protection against victimization of or retaliation against complainants, victims, witnesses and whistle-blowers.” Sadly, just a week ago, the head of financial accounting of the Gauteng Health Department was gunned down outside her home in broad daylight. As a key witness to the SIU investigation into PPE corruption, Babita Deokaran should have been protected. The ACDP calls on government to do much more to protect all whistle-blowers in the workplace, because without them, the fight against corruption will never be won.

We must remember, honourable members, that happy and satisfied workers are more productive workers. In 1914, Henry Ford made a business decision to pay his factory workers double the going rate for eight-hour shifts, while all the other motor industry workers laboured for 10 to 16 hours a day. By improving working conditions, Ford actually boosted productivity and reduced staff turnover.

I thank you.”

Spech by ACDP Deputy President, Wayne Thring MP

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry on the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s Second and Third Quarter Financial and Non-Financial Performance for the 2020/21 Financial Year, dated 17 March 2021

The ANC is sabotaging strategic goals of the DTIC – says ACDP

Honourable Speaker,

As we consider this report, the ACDP asserts that DTIC is most certainly one of the key departments necessary to revive our ailing economy. In the midst of limited to no growth, in key sectors, and the economy continuing to shed jobs at an alarming rate, this department, and others in the economic cluster, must step up to the plate.

The ACDP further notes that one of the strategic goals of the Department is to provide a predictable, competitive, equitable and socially responsible environment, conducive to investment, trade and enterprise development. It is our contention that the ruling party is sabotaging this very import strategic goal of DTIC. Our economic environment is anything but predictable, as we score own goals with policy and political uncertainty. It is the ruling party’s failed policies that make us less predictable, uncompetitive, unequal and not socially responsible.

The ACDP notes the DTIC budget of R9.31 billion for the year under review, which includes an improved performance of 87% achievement of targets in the second quarter and R11.3 billion leveraged investments against a target of R1.7 billion on various projects, covered in the report.

Honourable Speaker, while this report indicates that there is optimism regarding the economic growth outlook for SA in 2021, the continuous shedding of jobs tells another story. With the official unemployment rate now at 34.4% or 7.8 million who are jobless, on the narrow definition of unemployment, the ruling party is failing our mainly young and black African population. It must be said that while the Economic Reconstruction Recovery Plan and the sectoral Master Plans are good in themselves, they are failing to produce the results necessary to turn our economy around.

The ACDP continues to champion the cause of beneficiation and localisation. It is ironical and shameful, that while the World Bank ranks SA as the world’s richest country in terms of its mineral reserves, worth an estimated $2.5 trillion, we rank as the most unequal nation with one of the highest unemployment rates. It’s time to stop the indiscriminate exporting our raw minerals and to deliberately and exponentially focus on beneficiation and localisation, if this Department seeks to be a catalyst in turning our dismal employment, poverty and inequality trajectory around.

The ACDP understands that having a standardised policy in place, does not necessarily ensure that it is carried out. As a result, what is a much needed tool for job creation becomes smeared with allegations of nepotism, jobs for pals or jobs for those who are card carrying members of the ruling party.

Debate on National Women’s Day: Advancing gender equality through inclusive economic growth and the precepts of a capable developmental state

Speech by Marie Sukers MP

ACDP says women need to unite and lead to transform the public service

“Honorable Chairperson,

As Women’s Month comes to a close today, it is evident that we can no longer continue on the trajectory that we are on as a nation.

Our country, South Africa, was been blessed with exceptional women leaders who left behind a legacy of how to lead with conviction and compassion in pursuit of justice. The example of Ma Charlotte Maxeke has long been abandoned by the political leadership of our country: to live a life of self-abandonment is not the political culture of our day. Self-enrichment, we know all too well, but no moral and effective leadership that captures the hearts of our people – to rule by winning the hearts and minds of people takes much more than a food parcel and T-shirt.

Our nation is staggering under the weight of our collective failures to assume responsibility not for colored women, black women or white women, but for all women.

Lydia Ross died in December last year of Covid-19. She was a woman of great character, who waited on a housing waiting list for over 30 years. Chairperson, she died without receiving the house that she was promised with each and every election cycle. She was a mother and grandmother, who worked for most of her adult life, yet she died without a pension, and still waited on her unemployment benefits to be paid out to her – almost a year after having applied for it.

Faranaaz Farmer-Mentoor, 32 years of age, a mother of three, murdered in broad daylight in a wendy house by a repeat violent offender who was out on bail.

Chairperson, both women I have mentioned lost their lives and never owned a home. The ACDP has repeatedly called for accelerated housing initiatives for vulnerable women and their children. We also want these initiatives to provide a degree of integrated social up-liftment and economic advancement.

A disturbing report, by viewfinder, provides a horrific picture of abuse by police against women who seek help. The report covers over 1 000 cases since 2012, with at least a third of the cases registered with IPID, happening while police were on duty at the time these crimes were committed. Most of these cases went unpunished and never saw any convictions or court appearances.

We have a culture of rampant abuse against women that allows for the worst of crimes to go without punishment, and seemingly no remedy to cure it. It prevails because we are unwilling to address the root causes of societal issues, and because the State claims to be able to do all things – which it cannot!!! A sluggish and ineffective State perpetuates the evil we are faced with daily!

Women leaders must lead the way to transform the public service. There has never been a greater need, than there is today, for strong moral leadership in the vacuum that exists.
I would recommend that we follow the example set by the generation of 1956, who united beyond politics to demand justice, and not positions and economic advancement at the expense of good governance.

Chairperson, it must be our purpose, especially in these times, to ensure that there is justice for the many women whose voices we represent in this house.

I thank you.”

Consideration of Report of Portfolio Committee on Social Development on Impact of civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng on social development services and Department of Social Development’s response for urgent food relief to affected communities and Consideration of Report of Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on Joint oversight visit with Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture to KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng Provincial Education Departments

ACDP says we cannot allow government departments to loot the fiscus of hundreds of millions

• questions R400m budget allocation for food relief

“Honourable Chairperson,

The Mercy of God is keeping our nation. We, today, have much to be thankful for. During the recent violent unrest and looting His hand pulled us back from the brink of the abyss. When we consider the damage to property and vital infrastructure that are essential for service delivery, in both Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal (KZN), this may not seem as bad as what could have been.

However, when considering both reports before this house it is evident that we are continuing to edge closer to the abyss.

The estimated cost to repair infrastructure in schools and the offices of Social Development and SASSA exceed R100 million. However, during our oversight we saw little evidence for the hundreds of millions that the departments are seeking. These departments, especially at provincial level, cannot continue to be a sieve through which public funds flow without tangible results or accountability.

Social Development is seeking R400 million for the cost of food relief alone. Is this genuine food relief? Who are the beneficiaries? Chairperson, I am of the opinion that we will see this vital relief tied to buying votes in the upcoming local government elections. Those who are planning to use this food relief allocation to buy votes are also buying our people’s dignity and at the same time selling out our democracy. How can we condemn a mother looting a packet of maize meal and some clothes for her children, when on the other hand we allow government departments to loot the fiscus of hundreds of millions?

Unless this food relief is backed up by changes to policy that will get our people out of State dependency, and into independence, we are stealing our peoples’ dignity in another way. Chairperson, we do not need the government to create jobs, we need government to work with the business sector and civil society to create an enabling and stable environment that will spearhead job creation and give our people back their dignity.

The cost reported and presented by the KZN province of over R100 million, and the cause of damage does not correlate with what we saw on the ground. It is up to this House to be the vanguard to defend the dignity of our people by turning over every cent this government spends – several times before it is spent. Our weapons in this fight are oversight visits – the reports of these – and debates we have in this House. These reports underline the need for us to strengthen our oversight and demand clarity in reporting. This we must execute to the best of our ability.

The ACDP supports both reports.

I thank you.”

ACDP PARLIAMENT
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ON JOINT OVERSIGHT VISIT TO KWAZULU-NATAL AND GAUTENG PROVINCES WITH PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND INDUSTRY AND SELECT COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND INDUSTRY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM, EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR
SPEECH BY ACDP DEPUTY PRESIDENT, WAYNE THRING MP

ACDP wants the government to send a national recuperative and preventative strategy to all in the business sector

“Honourable Speaker,

At the outset, the ACDP again wishes to place on record its condemnation of the wanton looting, destruction of property and the needless loss of lives during the week of madness in early July this year.

Clearly, this was an attack not just on the business sector and the residents of our communities, but also an attack on the democracy and freedom of all in South Africa. I had the opportunity to visit many of the sites where the looting took place, Amaoti, Phoenix, Cornubia, Durban central, Isipingo and Pinetown, before the oversight visits of our respective Portfolio committees. It is the view of the ACDP and many others that the protests in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were planned and deliberate. The first group of looters were the “brains” who formed the spear of looting and destruction. This “spear” gained access to buildings and premises targeting ATMs, safes holding cash and other valuables, before the masses arrived, including the criminal element, who took advantage of the easy access to buildings and valuables.

It must be said that SAPS were hopelessly outnumbered, under-resourced, ill-prepared, threatened and hence stood back. In many instances, they were conspicuous by their absence. Of great concern to the ACDP were the allegations of police involvement in the looting and protest, if not physically and in person, then complicit by their inaction. Additionally, there was a glaring deficit of intelligence sharing between the crime-fighting agencies, which is in place, could have prevented much of the looting and destruction in KZN and Gauteng. The threats, by those supporting former President Zuma, were either not taken seriously or were simply ignored. The internal battle for power within the ruling party has manifested externally and once again, South Africa as a nation suffers collectively.

The economic and financial loss resulting from destruction to property and business disruptions across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng has been estimated to be in excess of R50 billion and some 150 000-250 000 people may lose their jobs. Business confidence is at an all-time low and the reputational damage to the country is extensive and possibly incalculable, with billions of rands worth of potential investment wiped off the books. Furthermore, economists predict that the damage caused, will shave off 1% from our GDP.

The ACDP welcomes the recommendations and financial incentive packages in both reports but notes that for many businesses, it may be too little too late. We have further called for a national, interdepartmental, recuperative and preventative strategy to be sent to all in the business sector. It’s time for change and the ACDP stands ready to unite, build and grow our country, its economy and its people.

I thank you.”