Speech by Geordin Hill-Lewis MP, DA Shadow Minsiter of Trade and Industry, in the debate on President Jacob Zuma's State of the Nation Address, Parliament, June 18 2014

Mr G G HILL-LEWIS: Deputy Speaker, Mr President, this debate takes place at an urgent time for South Africa, We don't know yet whether our economy will formally enter a recession, although it seems likely. But that is hardly the point. The point is that all of this means ordinary people are suffering and our country's long-term potential is being persistently undermined. We cannot begin to overcome poverty and our social challenges if we are stuck in a low growth, no jobs quagmire.

That is why last night's speech, Mr President, was such an opportunity and why, frankly, it was such a deep disappointment. Mr President, it is not as if you had no warning. You had ample time to enact the radical transformation you speak of. You saw the strikes, the social unrest and the calls for reform growing louder and louder in each of the years of your first term, but you did nothing.

You dithered on the youth wage subsidy for three years, while the DA implemented it in year one. And you have let Medupi run four years late and counting. In nearly every area of service delivery and policy there is simply a giant schism between what this President says and what his government does and that continued this morning.

Hon Radebe started by blaming everything on external factors. He would have us believe that our current crisis is purely the result of the global recession, but that is simply not an adequate explanation. Nearly all of our competitors are growing much faster than us - Peru at 5,8%, Malaysia at 4,8%, Chile at 4,1% and Nigeria 7%. He took no responsibility for the policy uncertainty, corruption and chronic delivery failure that has led to this crisis. Minister, you cannot fix a problem if you can't even diagnose it properly.

The global recession may have slowed our growth, but it did not put it into the reverse gear - your government did that. You made a fascinating comment about your government wanting to expand the bourgeoisie. I wonder whether the next speaker, the hon Davies, and his fellow SACP colleagues want to comment on what they think about an expanding bourgeoisie. [Applause.] I see the hon Cronin is back in the House.

Then there was the strong language from the hon Carrim who promised decisive action and a new determination, specifically mentioning infrastructure. Why not start with the truly radical step of simply spending the budgets you have? If you had spent your budgets, we'd be able to spend an additional R161 billion on infrastructure, but you haven't.

If you want to do something radical, hon Minister Zulu - the new Minister in Cabinet - congratulations, get your colleagues to pay the small businesses and contractors on time. [Applause.] Every single department in this government, bar one, pays late. Some take as long as a year - hon Motshekga's department, for example. The only thing radical about that is radical incompetence. [Applause.]

Hon Kubayi, I'm afraid to say I had a whole blank page waiting for you to say something worth responding to, and it's still blank. [Laughter.]

Then we come to the hon Sisulu. After her speech one was left wondering whether the ANC hadn't sacked the wrong Sisulu. [Laughter.] You spoke about the ANC's mandate, hon Minister, but I would not be so confident if I were you. The ANC has just had its worst electoral performance ever. You are right on the edge and had lost two additional metros and you have got no reason to be pleased with the result in Gauteng - in fact you should be deeply worried.

Hon Premier of the North West Province, thank you for that speech, but, really, I would not be as confident as you came across to be with only 51% of the vote in Tlokwe, where you had to fire half your party just to stay in government because they kept voting for the DA. [Applause.]

Minister Sisulu, you said a lot about the DA's government. Let me remind you that the Western Cape has the highest access to basic services for the poor in the entire country. And we pay 100% of contractors within 30 days all of the time.

Minister, just before you ask me a question, listen to this point ... 

The MINISTER OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS: On a point of order. I will not be told by him when to ask a question.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: What point are you rising on, Minister?

The MINISTER OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS: I am rising on a point of order of the member misleading the House. Additionally, he cannot stand at the podium and point fingers at members. It is completely unacceptable. [Interjections.]

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon members, please lower your voices. Please go ahead.

Mr G G HILL-LEWIS: Minister, when you were last the Minister of Housing, you promised to eradicate informal settlements by 2014. Well, here we are. And in this House you dare to bring up Llwandle. You dare to bring it up. You should be ashamed.

It is only the City of Cape Town that has done anything for the people of Llwandle. All you did was appoint another committee to study the problem; headed by another cadre looking for work after being fired by the ANC. [Applause.] The only question you need to answer is which Minister in your own Cabinet gave the specific instruction to evict those people on a Sunday in the pouring rain. [Interjections.]

The MINISTER OF SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Hon Deputy Speaker, I have a question to ask the hon member. The hon member keeps referring to the City of Cape Town. How many black people live in the City of Cape Town?

Mr G G HILL-LEWIS: Several million, I don't have the exact figure, but that is a silly question.

The Minister spoke about the Johannesburg billing crisis. The mayor who told us just a few years ago that "there is no crisis" is now sitting in these benches. I wonder what he has to say about what the President said last night about Johannesburg.

Mr President, your main job in this term is to bridge the divide between plans and action. If you fail, that will be your legacy and the legacy of your party. The people of South Africa and history will never forgive you. Thank you. [Applause.]

Source: Unrevised transcript, Hansard.

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter