Unrevised transcript of the speech by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, in the debate on the President's State of the Nation Address, National Assembly, Parliament, February 15 2011:

The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING: Madam Deputy Speaker, Comrade President, Deputy President, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, comrades and our dear guests - the students from Cape Town High School, "Heita da". [Applause.]

Education is an important weapon in genuinely empowering our people. It is for this reason that the slogan: People's Education for People's Power, remains as relevant today as it was in the 1980s. The entire edifice of what we refer to as colonialism of a special type was built on the foundation of depriving the black majority of education. It is precisely on the education terrain that we must also seek the total liberation of the majority of our people from poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and skills paucity.

Education must be at the centre of skilling our people, to prepare them for employment, for decent work and sustainable livelihoods. Skills development is also central to job creation and decent work as you ably articulated by the President in his address.

However, education is more than just preparation for employment, it is also about empowerment for meaningful participation in society, for knowledge, for scientific and technological advancement and for innovation. Precisely because of these features, education must of necessity reflect us as a people; who we are and where we want to be.

Our education system must also teach and learn from the story of our colonial and apartheid past, about the heroic struggles for national liberation and must prepare our people to tackle our developmental challenges, our envisaged growth path, our location globally and how we wish to participate in the world.

It is for all of these reasons that this government has placed education as one of its five priorities. We must reaffirm the correctness of the President's decision to create two separate Education Departments focusing on schooling and post school education and training respectively. It may still be too early to evaluate all the achievements of having two Education Departments, but the President's decision to split is beginning to bear some fruit by allowing a greater focus on the key challenges in the two sectors.

The Education system at all levels has made considerable progress over the past 17 years and continues to do so. The most obvious gain has been the advances we have made with regard to improving access to education. Approximately 96% of children now gain access to school in South Africa. [Applause.]

In 2009, the gross enrolment ratio for Grades 1 to 12 was 92% and the gender parity has already been obtained. The National Schools Nutrition Programme is now reaching some eight million school children. In Higher Education, the numbers have almost doubled since 1994, with the total enrolments now nearing 900 000 university students. Between 2000 and 2009, the growth in enrolments was approximately 50% and the growth in graduates was 64%, meaning that the throughput rate has been improving, although it still has a long way to go. We now have more female than male students in our university system. [Applause.]

The biggest challenge identified by the Department of Basic Education is that of improving the quality of education and virtually all the departments of basic education's interventions aimed at achieving this. In line with the President's directive on the three Ts - teachers, text and time - the biggest priority of the Department of Basic Education is the improvement of learning outcomes in maths, science and literacy through a variety of activities. These include assessment tests in Grades 3, 6 and 9; increasing Grade R enrolments; one textbook per child per subject; workbooks for all students; targeted teacher education that focuses on areas identified in tests as requiring attention; training of principals, adequate district support to schools; and infrastructure development.

In addition, the national Education evaluation unit will be launched to ensure that the schooling system is effectively monitored and evaluated. This will also includes specific interventions where there are problem areas, like we are currently doing now in the case of the Eastern Cape. [Applause.]

Hon W G Games, don't come here and tell us about the problems that we already know and many challenges that we have; rather tell us how to implement these measures because we are concrete, and the President in his state of the nation address was also very concrete. This is what we want to say that you must not have sleepless night engaging with Sadtu. We don't stair down Sadtu, we engage Sadtu and we will move along with Sadtu to transform education in this country. [Applause.]

These initiatives will assist us to improve the quality of schooling. As the quality of schooling improves, it in turn improves the capabilities of students entering the universities and colleges or entering learnerships and apprenticeships.

The 2010 improved matric results are a testimony to the fact that we are beginning to put our schooling system on an even better footing. But unfortunately, from the media and the opposition benches, we have the same ritual every year. If the matric results are bad, this is taken as a proof that this government of "darkies" is incapable. [Applause.] If the matric pass rate goes up, it means the results have been manipulated by these "darkies". [Applause.] In either case, the sneering, arrogant tone of this discourse, which is often racist, frankly, is aimed at undermining the confidence of our people in both our education system and our government. And they will not succeed in that. [Applause.]

In the field of Higher Education and Training . . .[Interjections.]

Ms L D MAZIBUKO:  Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: Is it parliamentary for the Minister to use the derogatory term of "darkies" in the House?

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! No! Is "darkies" derogatory?

Ms L D MAZIBUKO: Madam Deputy Speaker, I think a lot of people would argue that like some words which have been used as derogatory terms against black people in the past, it may be appropriate to say this kind of word in casual settings. But in this House, where we are required to behave in with a modicum of decorum, it would be unparliamentary. 

Adv T M MASUTHA: Deputy Speaker, ... [Interjections.]

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Who called on the Deputy Speaker?

Adv T M MASUTHA: Deputy, Speaker, on the same point of order: I am not aware of the specific Rule that the hon member is invoking to raise the point of order. This is because all that the Minister did was simply to quote people who have negative sentiments. I don't know the specific point of order that she is raising. [Applause.]

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you very much. Can you. . . [Interjections.] No, no.

Ms L D MAZIBUKO: Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: I will clarify this for my hon colleague. I am asking if it is parliamentary for the Minister to use the word "darkies" in the House. [Applause.] 

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Can you continue, Mr Minister.

The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING: Thank you, ... [Interjections.]

Ms L D MAZIBUKO: Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: I would like to request a ruling on this matter. Is it parliamentary for the Minister to use the word "darkies" in Parliament?

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Hon Member, you will speak when I am pointing at you to speak.

Mr M G P LEKOTA: Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: I would like to ask that a ruling be made on the following issue. If a member of the opposition criticizes the government, is that justification for calling them racists? For instance, I am African. [Interjections.] No, no! I have behind me members of my party who are white. They will criticize government policy. Are they doing this because they are racist or is this done on the merits of the matter? [Interjections.] A ruling must be made to indicate whether white members of this House may not criticize the government because they will be called racists. Some ruling must be made on that issue. [Applause.]

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, hon members! I will consider the matter and rule later. Hon Minister, continue.

The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING:  Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker...

IsiZulu:

Kuyahlupha kwesinye isikhathi ukungakhuleli elokishini [Uhleko.] [Ihlombe] abantu bazoqala ukuba badala ngoba sebengamaLunga ePhalamende [Ihlombe.]

Translation:

Sometimes it is a problem to not grow up in the townships [Laughter.] because some people start being adults when they become Members of Parliament. [Applause.]

English: In the field of Higher Education and Training, we are tackling the challenge of creating a coherent but differentiated post school system, responsive to training the needs of youths and adults. To this end, over the last year, we made some significant strides in putting in place mechanisms to facilitate the critical transition of our youth from school, college, universities into the workplace.

The anchor of government's intervention on the skills development front has been the adoption of the National Skills Development Strategy 3, NSDS3, early this year. This strategy essentially seeks to build a closer relationship between the Sector Education and Training Authorities, SETAs, the public FET Colleges, the Universities of Technology and employers in order to shift the focus of country towards trade and occupational programmes so that we increase the production of artisans and technicians, as well as to facilitate workplace training.

We are pleased, Madam Deputy Speaker and comrade President, that last week working together with Minister Patel, we reached a very important agreement with labour and business, agreeing that by the end of this month we will have targeted all additional training capacity in both private companies and state owned enterprises in order to train more artisans and technicians. [Applause.] Also, the National Skills Development Strategy 3 provides for SETAs and the National Skills Fund to support the training needs of cooperatives, small enterprises as well as supporting NGO community and worker initiated Skills Development Training Programmes.

The government will work to ensure that every cent of the R8 billion in the SETA system must be directed towards meaningful skills development for our youth, adults and workers - also as a response to your call, President - for more education and skills development.

At the centre of our strategies are plans and initiatives already underway to strengthen and grow the public FET Colleges and also strengthen the partnership between public FET Colleges and employers so that ideally in our country we want a situation where every FET College graduate must get some workplace exposure, that is what we are working towards. Cooperation between colleges and employers facilitated by the SETAs is being actively promoted in order to improve the quality of learning.

In 2011, we have created 60 000 new study opportunities in public FET Colleges. This government is committed to progressively introduce free education for poor students up to undergraduate level, as the President has already announced. [Applause.] It is for this reason that the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, NSFAS, is being strengthened and additional resources are being given to it in order to progressively fulfil this commitment to ensuring that no capable student is denied access to education for lack of money.

IsiZulu:

Sekela Somlomo nawe Mongameli, abanye bayabuza-ke ikakhulukazi laba abangapha. UMongameli ukhulumile wathi abafundi abenza unyaka wokugcina sizobanika imali elingana nemali abayidingayo esikoleni, uma bephasile bangabe besayibuyisela leyo mali. Sathi abafundi abakumakolishi ama-FET abenza izifundo ze-NCV nezinhlelo zezifundo zo-N abasezukukhokha nhlobo nhlobo. Bona-ke labo ntaba kayikhonjwa laba [Uhleko.] bathi iyokwenzeka nini lento eshiwo nguMsholozi? Ngifuna ukuthi-ke Mongameli njengoba ngikhuluma nawe nje iyenzeka, njengamanje abafundi bayangena ezakhiweni ngalolu hlobo [Ihlombe.]

Okunye esesikwenzile wukusiza abafundi ngolwazi lwemisebenzi abangayifundela nezifundo okufanele bazenze, lokhu esithi yi-Career Guidance, yisonto lesithathu-ke leli siqale izinhlelo nenhlangano yokusakaza kulelizwe i-SABC, ngezilimi eziyisikhombisa okwamanje esizozandisa. Njalo kanye ngesonto kunezingxoxo zokubonisa abafundi ukuthi yiziphi izifundo abangazithatha nanokuthi uma befuna ukuba yizinto ezithize, bazokwenzenjani.

[Translation:

Deputy Speaker and the President, some are asking, especially those from the other side. The President spoke and said students who are in the final year will be given money equal to their tuition fees for that year; if they pass they will not need to reimburse that money. We said those that are in FET Colleges enrolled for NCV and other N Courses will not pay a cent. Now some, I cannot pinpoint who, are asking, when is this going to happen? I want to tell you President, right now as I am talking to you, it is happening! Right now students are being enrolled in this manner.

What we have also done is to provide information about courses that students can do, which is called Career Guidance. This is now the third week since the programmes, that are broadcast by the SABC in seven different languages started. We are still going to add one more language each week. They discuss different courses that student can study if they want to take certain career routes.]

English:

This is all part of our determination to realise education as a priority, as the President has articulated. On the universities' side, we have a number of good universities in this country, we must not and we will not run them down; the task is to make sure that they are more accessible to black students and that they also transform some of our programmes to be in line with what I said earlier.

We will pay special attention to your historically disadvantaged institutions, your former Bantustan universities which in the main, are in the rural areas. We therefore, are calling upon all our people, including our young people, to rally behind the call made by the President to make use of these expanded education and training opportunities. We want to say to our youth, in particular, make full use of these opportunities and to say to them, no tender or expensive social party will empower you more than education. [Applause.]

IsiZulu:

Uthini-ke uTrollip njengoba uMongameli ekhuluma kanje nathi sisho kanje? Uzoxoxa inganekwane emini ilanga libalele [Uhleko.], ngithemba ukuthi-ke akuzushiwo ukuthi sengiphule inqubo nemigomo yasePhalamende. Uyangixaka Baba lunga elihloniphekile, Mhlonishwa uTrollip.

[Translation:

What does Trollip have to say if the president and us are saying such things? He is telling a fairytale in broad day light [Laughter.] I hope no one will say I am unparliamentary. I am really dumbfounded by what hon member Trollip is saying.]

English:

Because all that you have been doing and saying here is politicking with local government in front of you. You are being selective, you are trying to project the DA as if it was this best thing: we have open toilets here which are an affront to the dignity of our people, and you actually launch security to go and shoot innocent workers in Hout Bay because they are too close to a whole range of areas. [Applause.] Your own Premier stopped the minstrels here in the Cape to actually have a celebration...

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hon Minister, there is a point of Order.

IsiZulu:

UNGQONGQOSHE WEZEMFUNDO EPHAKEME NEZOKUQEQESHWA: HHawu u-Ellis uhlale ekhuluma njalo nje [Uhleko.]

[Translation:

No, Ellis is always talking anyway. [Laughter.]]

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: What is the point of order, hon member? [Laughter.] Order members I cannot hear the speaker.

Mr M J ELLIS: Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: The hon Minister is standing there and deliberately inciting us by referring to us as "shooting people in the townships". That is absolutely impossible. It is impossible that somebody can stand up in Parliament and make this kind of statement. I am sure what he has said, Madam Deputy Speaker, is totally and utterly unparliamentary. I ask you to rule on that too.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I will look at this and rule on it at a later stage. I am not sure about the ruling at the moment.

Continue hon Minister.

The MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING: Thank you

IsiZulu:

Uma ishaya khona induku iyezwakala, nisukuma nikhale [Uhleko.]

[Translation:

I see you can feel the beating; you are up and wailing at the pain [Laughter.]]

English:

Through you Madam Deputy Speaker, hon Trollip I will not believe the DA when it talks about jobs. I will believe you the day you condemn the daily casualisation of workers, the slave like conditions of farm workers in agricultural areas [Applause.]. The slave wages that they are being paid; you are silent about that, then what do you want us to do? You want us to trade decent quality jobs that workers already have for the types of jobs that we do not know what you are talking about. We are not going to do that! Right here, you have a taut system, right under the nose of the government that you are running here and you are doing very little, if anything at all.

It is amazing, hon Trollip, you say the ANC is so bad, but when you want to prove that the DA is doing well you say: "the ANC Secretary-General has endorsed us"; "The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal has endorsed us."

IsiZulu:

Yona yimbi le ANC kodwa futhi uma senifuna ukuba bahle futhi nifuna ukunconywa yiyona [Uhleko.]

[Translation:

So this ANC is bad but when you want to look good, you want this ANC to endorse you [Laughter.]]

English:

Engage the very practical and concrete issues that the President has raised. I do not even want to talk about Cope. [Laughter.] The leader of Cope says he is worried about the direction that the government is taking; we are worried about the direction that Cope is taking [Laughter.] [Applause.] What is happening in Cope now is giving our politics and democracy a bad name. [Interjections.] I do not even know some of the things you are saying, where did you get the mandate? From your National Executive Committee or from the Gauteng High Court? [Laughter.][Applause.]I am really amazed that you were actually not quite listening to what the President was saying, may be...

IsiZulu:

Ngiyaxolisa bantu, nanihleli kabanyana lapha ngaleliya langa, nina le nsizwa engingeke ngiyibize ngegama..

[Translation:

May be I should apologise because you were quite uncomfortable there on that day, with that gentlemen that I will not mention by his name [Laughter.]]

English:

What are Cope's practical proposals?

IsiZulu:

Ngicela-ke ukuphetha ngokuthi ke ngikhulume nawe Shenge Sokwalisa; Ngikhulume nawe njengomuntu ongangomzali wami. Ngiphatheka kabi uma uphinda uzama ukuthi sikhulume ngaleya ndaba yokuchitheka kwegazi ngoba inzima, ayinzima kuwe kuphela, inzima nakithi. Bengicela-ke ukuthi noma ngabe kuthiwa kukhonani engasiphethe kahle kodwa singakhulumi ngaleya ndaba yokubuyela emuva. Ngifuna-ke ukuchaza futhi ezinye zalezi zinto engizozisho kuwe namhlanje umdala ngikuhlonipha, ngizifundiswe wuye lo Mongameli esixoxa le ndaba abeyibeka lapha.

UMongameli kunezinto ezimbalwa angifundisa zona, nami ngisashiselwa yigazi, Sokwalisa, ezinye ngangingamuzwa ngithi "nango-ke uMsholozi ufuna ukuzosifaka umoya wokuthi singalwi" kodwa ngafunda kuleyonto ukuthi okokuqala nje uma ningabaholi nihleli nibonisana nihleba, akungabikho omunye umholi ozosukuma ayoyisho esidlangalaleni leyonto  [Ihlombe.]ngoba uMongameli uyokwazi kanjani ukuthi ngelinye ilanga azohleba nawe ngokweqiniso ngoba eqonde ukwakha.

Into yokugcina engifuna ukuyisho, siyi-ANC, asifisi ukuthi iphele, i-IFP; i-IFP ayibe khona siyihlule nje okhethweni ilanga libalele kodwa ibe khona.[Ihlombe] Inkinga yakho Shenge, ngizokusho lokhu, hhayi ngokukudelela, ngicela nami ungangizwa kabi, inkinga ye-IFP ayihlukile neye-Cope, yileya-Congress nje enginayibambi Sokwalisa; edale zonke lezi zinkinga. [Uhleko] Bheka ekhaya, ungabheki kuKhongolose, thina sizibhekele izindaba zethu. Ngiyabonga kakhulu ukuthi ngithole leli thuba. [Ihlombe.]

[Translation:

May I conclude by talking to you Shenge, Sokwalisa; let me talk to you as my parent. I am aggrieved when you try to raise the issue of the blood that was shed in the past because this is a difficult issue, not only to us but to you as well. I would like to request that even if we may be aggrieved by whatever issue, but let us not go back to that. I would like to explain that some of the things that I am going to say to you as my superior that I respect, some of the things that I am going to relay to you are things that were taught to me by this President, whom we are discussing matters that he laid on the table.

The President taught me a few things while I was young and hot blooded. I would not understand and say: "there goes Msholozi, spoiling a good fight." But out of that I learnt that if you are leaders, sitting, discussing and deliberating issues, no one should take these issues and declared them to outsiders because how then will the President be able to trust and confide in you?

Lastly, as the ANC, we do not wish for the IFP to dissolve. The IFP must be there so that we will defeat them fair and square in broad day light! Your problem Shenge, allow me to say this not out of disrespect, please don't misinterpret me, The IFP's challenge is not different from Cope's, it is that Congress that you failed to contain which has caused all these problems. Tend to your problems, do not worry about the ANC's problems; we are only concerned about our problems.]

I thank you.

Source: Unrevised transcript, Hansard.

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