Address by His Excellency Jacob G. Zuma on the occasion of the Bongi Ngema-Zuma Foundation’s sponsors dinner promoting the fight against diabetes, Hilton Hotel, Sandton, Gauteng

Programme Director, Sotobe,

Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi,

Honourable Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Gwen Ramokgopa, Honourable Ms. Nomvula Mokonyane, the Premier of Gauteng,

Honourable MEC of Health in Gauteng, Mr. Hope Papo,

Honourable MEC of Health in KwaZulu Natal, Dr. Sibongiseni Dhlomo,

MC for Health in the City of Johannesburg, Councillor Nonceba Molwele,

Chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders, Kgosi Maubane,

Honourable Ambassadors of the People’s Republic of China and Zambia

South Africa’s Ambassador to Singapore, Hazel Ngubeni,

Leaders from business, sports, traditional, religious and all sectors,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

Good evening to you all.

 

One of our government’s foremost goals is to promote a healthy nation and increase the life expectancy.

We have done well with the fight against HIV and AIDS and other communicable diseases. We need to make progress as well in slowing down the pace of silent killers such as diabetes, hypertension which is known to our people as BP or high-high!

I am therefore happy to join you this evening to escalate the fight against diabetes, one of our silent killers.

Earlier this week, the Minister of Finance, Mr Pravin Gordhan, spelt out our government’s budget.  Without doubt, a huge component is allocated to health services.  

Investing R133.6 billion, nearly 15 percent of the total budget, on health this year illustrates the significance we are placing on this national imperative.

Consider also that our consolidated budget for health and social protection accounts for R268 billion in the new financial year 2013/ 14.  This makes it the biggest portion, followed by education, sport and culture at R233 billion. 

Over the next three years, close to R430 billion will be invested in health. 

What this clearly indicates, is this government’s commitment to improve health care in the country.  We are pleased that we have your support as demonstrated by your presence this evening.

We have great plans for taking forward our quest for a healthy nation.

We have bold plans for health care. We want to halve TB deaths by 2015 and increase testing for the disease as well as the number of citizens receiving treatment for TB as well as HIV and Aids.  In line with this, we expect the phasing in of the National Health Insurance scheme will help us turn the tide even faster.

I am very optimistic about us achieving our goals in improving healthcare and thereby cement the foundation for a prosperous future of this nation.  My optimism is built on our strategic focus on primary healthcare.  My optimism is also growing on the back of inroads we are making in reducing new infections, and improved life expectancy. 

According to the Medical Research Council studies released last year, life expectancy rose from an average baseline of 56 years in 2009 to 60 year in 2011. 

At the same time, the reports noted significant decreases in infant and children under age five mortality.  

We are encouraged by this trend, which is aligned to the work we do at the African Union’s level. 

At the AU level, we have resolved to advance the agenda of prioritising women and child health.  This we will drive through the Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA). 

An important aspect of our pragmatic approach to addressing the challenges we face is to seek comprehensive and holistic solutions.

That is why we have begun to intensify the focus on non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and its associated diseases. Diabetes is the main focus of our host tonight the Bongi Ngema-Zuma Foundation.

Diabetes is also within the broad category of lifestyle diseases, including obesity, which are at an alarming increase in this country. 

You have already heard that, according to the International Diabetes Federation, nearly 370 million people in the world live with diabetes.  Of these, an estimated six million are in South Africa. 

And just like the deadly relationship between TB and HIV/ Aids has shown, the addition of diabetes in the picture, compounds an already devastating scenario. 

So indeed we have to act, and act now!  We have to heighten levels of awareness about the diabetes pandemic to reduce the growing burden of the disease and promote a healthier nation. 

Allow me to reiterate, therefore, my call for unity in action among all of us as stakeholders – business, public sector, non-governmental and civic organisations. 

Let us build working partnerships so we can effectively deal with the scourge of disease. 

Ladies and gentlemen

As part of building a prosperous South Africa and job creation, we have in the last four years rolled out an expansive capital infrastructure build programme. 

This programme, which is worth nearly R900 billion, is aimed at improving our power, roads, water, education and healthcare infrastructure. 

Because of the strategic importance of continued investment in scaling up infrastructure, we are extending this programme.  We will be investing roughly four times in the next two decades, enhancing the capacity of our infrastructure. 

It is through creating an enabling economic environment that we can grow our economy, and ensure that it is redistributive and shared equitably. 

More importantly, we have taken these ambitious investment decisions as a pragmatic route toward eliminating unemployment, poverty and inequality. 

However, our plans will be in vain if we steam ahead with all the investment plans, but falter in addressing disease.  A healthy nation is the key to building a prosperous South Africa.

In the same way, ladies and gentlemen, to build a prosperous South Africa we need to promote stable communities and rebuild the moral fibre of our society.

The reported incidents of extreme and deadly forms of violence – especially against women and children, have to be rooted out from society.  The sordid acts know no age, colour and gender.  We condemn such brutality and barbarism in the strongest of terms. 

We are also alarmed at new incidents of extreme brutality, such as the actions seen on video last week, of police chaining a human being to a van and dragging him. Mr Mido Macia later died from the injuries. We congratulate the people of Daveyton who exposed the incident and to ensure that justice is served. We cannot bring Mr Macia back, but this incident should shock us all into action to build a violence-free society.

Such incidents indicate that something is seriously wrong with the psyche of some of our people. We need to address this matter strongly as all sectors of society.

Our society was seriously brutalized for decades under apartheid colonialism.

We have to ensure that the future generation does not imbibe that experience.

They should be the foundation of a more caring South Africa. Our children need to know the difference between right and wrong. They need to know the sanctity of the rights to life and human dignity and the primacy of respect for other human beings.

It is for this reason that we launched the Anti-rape campaign at Glendale Secondary School in Cape Town last week.

We believe in investing in our young people as they are the future.

Compatriots and friends

As government we refuse to allow these shocking incidents to kill our big dream of an equal, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, caring and prosperous South Africa.  Our historic mission gives us no other option but to stay true to the task of building a united nation. 

This begins with a change of mindset at all levels, from individual to family, to community and to society as a whole. 

Let us together play our crucial roles in nurturing a truly responsible, caring, and strong-willed society.  We have a beautiful country. We should continue building a prosperous nation, where we all share in its wealth, and reap the benefits of freedom.

We have it within ourselves to build the South Africa that Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu and many of our heroes sacrificed life’s comforts for.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for supporting programmes of building a healthier and more prosperous nation.

 

I thank you.