Honourable Speaker;
Honourable Members;
Distinguished Guests;
Compatriots and Friends;
INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXTUAL OVERVIEW
It is a distinct honour to stand before you to table the 2021 report to the Worker’s Parliament of the people of the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
The Provincial-led government places a high premium on the importance of workers and the trade union movement in the reconstruction and development of our country.
The freedom and democracy that South Africans enjoy today were won because the working class was organized, militant, and agitated for the downfall of the tyranny of apartheid and racial segregation.
For twenty eight years, we have worked with the workers of this land to create a new society founded on human dignity and human rights. Day by day, we continue to work with the workers of this country to give effect to the vision of a South Africa which is truly united, non-racial, non-sexist, equal, and prosperous.
On 25-26 June 1955, when the multiracial Congress of the People met in Kliptown to adopt the Freedom Charter, the trade union movement was ably represented by the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) which ensured that the aspirations and demands of the workers are represented in the Freedom Charter.
The Freedom Charter delegates envisaged a free South Africa that will give full franchise regardless of class, race, gender, location, or status. They envisioned a participatory democracy where ordinary men and women would sit as equals and find common solutions to the challenges of our country. In a country where the laws that affected the majority were crafted by a minority, the Congress of the People declared that: “The People Shall Govern!”
It is in this regard that the pro-poor, people-centred, and activist legislature of KwaZulu-Natal holds annual sittings of the Workers Parliament to ensure that workers as the key motive force of fundamental change are able to raise issues that affect them and suggest ways on how these could be resolved.
Last year, on 28 May, we held a virtual Worker’s Parliament under the theme, “Restructuring our Economy for Decent Jobs, End Retrenchments, Promote Safe Workplaces and Healthy Communities as we Advance Herd-Immunity against COVID 19”
In this context, we wish to applaud the KwaZulu-Natal Workers Parliament for being seized with the most critical questions of our day. We commend them for their impassioned interest in the state of the economy of our province, in categorically advancing that it must be transformed and deracialised to bring greater participation of blacks in general and Africans in particular who three decades into democracy remain the face of poverty, unemployment, inequlaity, and underdevelopment.
You will be pleased to know that yesterday at Mthonjaneni Local Municiplaity, we unveiled a multimillion Rand support programme by EDTEA through Ithala to transform the subsidised bus transport industry to bring more African players in the sector. Working with the Provincial Department of Transport, our province has set itself the ambitous target of having at least 70% of the subsidised bus indutsry in the hands of peviosuly excluded groups. KwaZulu-Natal is unambigous about the implementation of radical economic transformation using our developmental state to correct markert distortions and bring black people at the centre of the maistream economy.
We are proud to see the Workers Parliament of KwaZulu-Natal focusing on the importance of the wellbeing and health of the working class, incuding encouraging our people to protect themselves from the COVID-19 pandemic.
We pay tribute to the leaders of the workers who recognise that in a developmental state, workers do not only demonstrate their significance through the force of strike, but that they are also partners in development with government and other stakeholders.
Without the patriotic working class, government alone cannot succeed in building a capable developmental state that will decisively intervene in the economy to deal effectively with the root causes of underdevelopment, poverty, unemployment, ineqality, and the scourge of gender-based violence.
When we met last year, we were still faced with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic and reeling from the devastating July unrest which destroyed lives and livelihoods. Little did we know that all our economic recovery gains would be reversed by the deadly April 2022 foods. As if that was not enough, the floods returned this month again causing pain and devastation.
Please allow me to once again convey condolonces to those of you who lost loved ones, friends, and colleagues. We pay tribute to the many workers of our country and our province who lost their lives. Some of them passed away while on duty. Many families are still praying to find the bodies of their loved ones. As we speak, two municipal workers are still missing after the latest floods.
On behalf of the Provincial Governement, we wish to applaud unions and labour federations for all the relief assistance that they have provided to affected families and individuals. We can say without any fear of contradiction that the workers have lived up to the motto of “an injury to one is an injury to all.”
Workers and labour unions have provided exemplary leadership in our fight against COVID-19. We call on them again to to provide leadership in the battle against climate change and to treat it as a global emergency. We look to you to define your programmes and role in the provincial and national efforts to reduce the carbon footprint and making KwaZulu-Natal more climate resilient.
Honourable Members,
We are aware that as we meet, a number of South African workers are on strike for better wages especially in a situation of the rising cost of living. We hope that an amicable and satisfactory solution will be found for the Sibanye workers who have been on strike for three months. We know as well that SARS employees are on strike. We are not oblivous to the disappointment of workers in the public service who are aggrieved with our government’s failure to raise salaries.
As we meet, there is great concern in the country about the rising cost of food, some of which is a result of war in Ukraine. South Africans are dreading next month with the prospect of paying much higher prices of fuel. For our part as government, we wish to reiterate that we must continue to engage, open our books, and together find sustainable solutions to our country’s woes.
At this stage, allow me to highlight progress and responses to the resolutions of last year’s Workers Parliament. The report itself is exhaustive and MEC’s will use today’s session to respond in greater detail on the journey we have coverred since 2021.
ON RESTRUCTURING THE ECONOMY
Honourable Speaker,
The 2021 Workers Parliament resolved that:
• The KZN economic council must be strengthened and supported to implement its Social Compact mandate.
• Advance economic transformation and fight against the exorbitant petrol and paraffin price hike.
• Convening of the Provincial Job Summit to discuss opportunities and measures for job creation.
• Government to embark on an exercise to investigate whether mining in KZN is sufficiently benefiting our people.
• There must be joint effort by government, Business and Labour to end retrenchments
• The Provincial Government to develop business portal or data of all companies operating in our Province, and their role in the economic development and transformation of the Province.
We wish to report, in no particular order, as follows:
• Action Work Groups comprised of membership from the four (4) social partners for the 14 Sectors identified within the Economic Recovery Plan and Social Compact have been established to drive the implementation of the Social Compact. A monitoring and evaluation team has also been set up.
• EDTEA is the lead department that implements economic transformation through the Operation Vula Programme. EDTEA through its Consumer Unit is escalating the complaint about the exorbitant petrol and paraffin price hike to the Competition Commission.
• The Economic Council will be hosting a Provincial Job Summit in the 4th Quarter.
• The provincial government conducted a detailed study on mining activities in the Province as it was formulating the minerals beneficiation strategy. The study identified the socio-economic benefits of mining various minerals. The study will be updated to take into account the directives of the Workers Parliament working with Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) who are the custodians of mining in the country.
• On 1 October 2021, Geoscience Institute made a presentation to EDTEA on the availability of natural deposits in KZN. The presentation will be tabled at Provincial Executive Council after being processed by the Economic Sectors, Investment, Employment and Infrastructure Development Cluster (ESIEID) Sub-Committees. This resolution has been completed and contributions emanating from sectoral webinars were incorporated into the Provincial Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan which has been endorsed by the Provincial Executive Council. EDTEA is currently in the process of establishing a Marketplace Portal with the intention of on-boarding provincial companies for trading purposes.
• EDTEA is currently in the process of establishing a Marketplace Portal with the intention of on-boarding provincial companies for trading purposes.
ON EMPLOYMENT CREATION, LOCAL PROCUREMENT, PREVENTION OF RETRENCHMENTS, AND 4IR
On the number of resolutions adopted, we wish to report as follows on efforts to save and create jobs, local procurement, preventing retrenchments, and the 4th Industrial Revolution:
(i) Led by Provincial Treasury, the Provincial SCM Unit has embarked on training for local content production to ensure that provincial and local government practitioners start enforcing the principles of local content.
(ii) Provinmcial Treasury is ensuring that all Departments and Municipalities should include local content in their specifications.
(iii) The National Department of Labour through its entity Productivity SA rolls out programmes to assist companies in distress in collaboration with the CCMA and other stakeholders. The aim is to prevent job losses and upskill the employees to be in line with the demand in the labour market. The LAP projects continue to be an intervention to upskill the youth and UIF contributors to the evolving needs of the labour market. The Department has taken initiatives to decentralize the LAP structures to each province.
(iv) In the 2021/22, the Province managed to create a total of 147 824 Work Opportunities through the EPWP programme. This is 15% above the set target.
(v) The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is at the advance stage with the implementation of 5 agri- Hubs across the province.
(vi) It is envisaged that the Agri-Hub Programme will create arround 22 000 direct and indirect job opportunities. It is anticipated that the Hubs will be operational within a period of 3 years.
(vii) Through the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture, The Sport Confederation has embarked on a process of providing 200 food vouchers to Legends identified by the Sport Confederation. Opportunities exist to create 80 to 100 jobs for Legends and for former players/coaches/administrators to earn a stipend through delivery of federation and departmental programs.
(viii) Linkages are created in partnership with the DTIC to create avenues for companies to access business rescue packages which are offered.
(ix) Established partnership with the financial institutions, Industrial Development Cooperation (IDC), National Economic Fund (NEF), Small Enterprise Funding Agency (Sefa) and Ithala, to access some of the Business rescue packages which includes conditional interest free loans.
(x) A partnership is in place to support companies that are uninsured, companies located in the townships and rural economies with a cash grant that will assist in the purchasing of equipment, stock, etc.
(xi) The Human Resource Development Council led by the Premier is engaging with key stakeholcers on on Skill Development including the implications 4IR and Technological Advancement on Human Resource Development. The Office of the Premier is establishing a 4IR Council that will drive the agenda of skills developemnt for 4IR. MKI has completed and published a study on the skills needed by businesses in the Province.
(xii) MKI has intensified its outreach with full-time and fully online short learning programmes to help upskill and reskill people for current and future jobs. MKI has managed to capacitate 250 youth on 4IR related courses.
(xiii) MKI had further hosted an outstanding 4IR summit in 2019, which attracted provincial leaders, such as:
(xiv) The Department of Human Settlements has awarded thirteen (13) bursaries for the 2021 academic year. Ten (10) to employees and three (3) to external students. The Department recruited 31 Interns for a period of 24 months and is assisting 20 learners with in-service training under the Work Integrated Learning Programme (WIL). The Department further trained 255 employees in various training courses.
(xv) The current initiatives by Transnet on the Durban and Richards Bay ports are geared to ensure job creation and retention which are supported by the Provincial Executive Council.
(xvi) KZN is rolling out the implementation of the Black Industrialists MOU with DTIC to support the KwaZulu-Natal Black Industrialists.
(xvii) EDTEA’s investment attraction agencies namely TIKZN, DTPC and RBIDZ have been directed to focus on Domestic Direct Investment and supporting local black industrialists to meaningfully participate in their initiatives. The Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) namely KZN Growth Fund and Ithala have also been directed to support local black industrialists to penetrate local markets.
(xviii) The filling of posts in the Department of Education is limited by the basis of available funds especially with regards to office-based posts for educators and public service posts. The Department fills educator posts as and when they become available.
(xix) The Department of Education reports to this Workers’ Parliament that it prioritizes local content. The Department utilises the SBD 6.2 form for local content.
(xx) Given recent floods, the Department of Agriculture has reprioritized its budget to support farmers who were affected by the floods. The support will total R34,193 million.
ON THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
Honourable Members,
During our last sitting, the Worker’s Parliament resolved, among others, that:
1. The state must use all its available resources and institutions to root out corruption and maladministration in all its institutions.
2. Those found to have transgressed must be immediately removed and not allowed to assume any position in state institutions.
3. Law enforcements must be empowered to investigate, prosecute and bring to book any individual or organization that has been found to be corrupt or is alleged to be so.
The report we are presenting today, shows that all departments are taking the fight against corruption seriously.
The Office of the Premier can report that it is faithfully implementing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy Framework which was approved in November 2020. In addition, the Province has drafted the provincial implementation plan. The plan and strategy calls on civil society to work with government against corruption through different programmes. The provincial misconduct database is in place and updated regularly with names of officials convicted of wrongdoing.
The Integrity Management and Forensic Investigations Unit of the OTP has a forensic investigations component that is resourced to investigate allegations of fraud and corruption.
We are also pleased that newly amended Z83 application form also forces candidates to disclose all forms of disciplinary action during the course of employment which ensures a transparent recruitment process.
The Department of Human Settlements has conducted a fraud and ethics risk assessment and the risks identified are recorded in the Departmental Risk Register. The mitigation strategies are monitored and reported quarterly to oversight bodies.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development fights corruption through its units such as Internal Control, Labour Relations and Legal Services. Policies such as Fraud Prevention and Response Plan, Whistle Blowing are developed and awareness workshops and trainings are conducted for employees at all levels.
The Department of Public Works has an approved Fraud Prevention Plan, Fraud Prevention Strategy, Risk Management Strategy, Integrity Management Strategy, Ethics Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy, Gifts and Hospitality Policy, Other Remunerative Work Policy, Code of Conduct Policy and a Whistleblowers Policy.
The Department of Social Development can report that eight ( Officials that were suspected to have been involved in irregular procurement of Personal Protective Equipment and blankets for COVID -19 were all suspended, charged criminally and subjected to disciplinary hearings. Three (3) misconduct hearings have been concluded. One (1) official was demoted and suspended without pay for two months; One (1) official was demoted and one (1) was given final written warning. The misconduct matter for the other four (4) officials has not been finalised. Prosecution has been declined in the two criminal cases that were opened.
The Department of Community Safety and Liason has succeeded to obtain freezing orders to the value of more than R26-million in corruption cases involving amounts of more than R5-million.
ON PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN THE WORKPLACE
Honourable Speaker,
The Department of Public Works conducted thirty-three (33) Awareness and Preventative sessions during 2021/2022 financial year. Monthly promotional material in promoting healthy lifestyle are developed in-house and circulated via Departmental notices. Quarterly OHS risk reviews and assessments are undertaken, in ensuring the compliance of OHS Act.
The Office of the Premier is successfully implementing an Employee Health and Wellness in terms of the Public Service Regulations of Occupational Health & Safety Act. In this regard,
o Risk Audits are conducted quarterly.
o Psychosocial support provided to all employees.
o Wellness information sessions conducted to empower employees on a quarterly basis.
o Health & Wellness Screening conducted quarterly
o Established structures & Committees in place
o Covid-19 compliance officer appointed and effectively implements Regulations and ensures complinace.
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture can report that it has a functional SHERQ and Disaster Steering Committee to ensure OHS Act compliance and minimise the spread of COVID-19 within the workplace.
In respect of KZN Provincial Treasury, the recently reviewed and approved structure of the Department caters for a dedicated OHS Specialist to ensure full compliance of the OHS Act. Currently the function is performed by a contract employee until the permanent post is filled. Quarterly OHS risk reviews and assessments are undertaken, and regular reporting to the Department of Employment and Labor is in place.
CONCLUSION
Honourable Speaker, the summary presented gives only an overview of the provincial response to the resolution adopted in 2021. It is far from exhaustive. You will see in it, for instance, the journey covered by the KZN Department of Health towards the implementation of the NHI. The detail and the amount of work that has been covered by different departments is in the full report. In the course of our engagement, Members of the Executive Council will have the opportunity to speak in more detail.
We hold this Workers Parliament on the eve of the policy conference of the African National Congress. We encourage workers from various political formations to read the policy discussion documents that the governing party has released to the public. We look forward to your contributions so that we can enrich policy debates especially in so far as they relate to transforming the economy and defending the gains of the South African working class.
This is the time for the workers of our country to unite and fight together to advance their interests and to help improve the living conditions of the poorest of the poor.
Together Growing KwaZulu-Natal
I thank you!