Speech by Deputy Minister in The Presidency, Nonceba Mhlauli, on the occasion of The Presidency Budget Vote 2024/2025, National Assembly

Madame Speaker,
His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa,
Deputy President of the Republic, The Honourable Paul Mashatile,
Members of the Executive,
Honourable Chief Whip,
Honourable Members of the House,
Distinguished guests.

Mr President,  

It is rather ironic to be labelled a sellout by the right-wing brigade camouflaged as modern day revolutionaries. It is the nature of these Disneyland combatants to sit here under the very same law they pretend to be against, yet gladly pocket the salaries that come with that very same law. 

Similar to their cult leader, who for many years pocketed the spoils of the state only to now pretend to have a damascus moment. 

Mr President, the behaviour of the regressive caucus is not surprising. 

It is, after all, the nature of those who earn revolutionary credentials in times of freedom and democracy that you and true revolutionaries fought for to demonise and rewrite history on our struggle. 

These individuals, using the very rights for freedom of speech that you fought for, would regard true revolutionaries as sellouts and other derogatory names. 

You asked a simple question yesterday, Mr. President: where were they? They could not answer, for once they came into existence, their struggle was waged in the corridors of VBS banks, in the demolition of 16 million houses in Sandton, and in the looting of Limpopo through Ratanang, among other actions.

Honourable President, I can only imagine that you must find it rather amusing that the same people who today call you a “project” were busy calling you during negotiations wanting to be squeezed into the Government of National Unity.

They were very ready to enter as 2nd Deputy Presidents and Ministers under this very same “project” they proclaim today. One can only imagine what that makes them?

However, as the Hon Gungubele rightly pointed out a few years ago, they have no sense of self contribution. True to the characterisation of President Mbeki as scuttlebutt behaviour.

Honourable Members,

The Presidency as the strategic centre of government enters this phase of an ANC led Government of National Unity carrying the hopes and aspirations of the millions of South Africans.

It is up to The Presidency, under the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa, to lead a formidable government towards achieving inclusive growth.

As stated by the President earlier today, one of the most important innovations of Operation Vulindlela has been to put in place a system to drive delivery on strategic priorities, to ensure that policy decisions made by Cabinet are translated into tangible results.

To inform the Hon Trollip, more than 94% of all reforms are either completed or progressing well. Vulindlela reforms have unlocked more that R500bn worth of investment.

Key reforms that have been completed since 2020 include:

- A Comprehensive review of the work visa system was completed, with recommendations to overhaul the work visa system and attract skills and investment. 

- The eVisa system was expanded to 34 countries, with almost all countries now covered by either a visa waiver or eVisa. 

- The release of spectrum has contributed to the reduced cost of data with the lowest price of a 100 MB data bundle reduced by 25% and increasing internet speed, helping to bridge the digital divide. 

This means a young person in Pofadder in the Northern Cape now has access to high speed internet at a reduced cost to either market their business, seek a job and do research online. 

- More efficient ports and rails will lower the cost of goods and help save jobs in the coal mining belt of Mpumalanga, the Natal Corridor which the farmers of the Free State depend on, and the Ore export channel from Kathu to Saldanha Bay among other export sectors.

Asimanga, ons stand nie stil nie. We move ahead under President Ramaphosa’s steady hand because our focus remains transforming the quality of lives of ordinary South Africans.

We are the weaver birds the President spoke of. However, like the weaver birds we remain conscious of what Ayo Kwei Armah said in his seminal offering titled “The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born”, where he says - 

“Alone, I am nothing… I have nothing. We have power… but we will never know it, we will never see it work, unless we come together to make it work.”

We therefore present this Budget Vote united and conscious that the ANC led GNU has birthed the beautiful ones…

We can and must do more, together.

I thank you!