INPUT BY COMMUNITY CONSTITUENCY DELIVERED BY MPHO MOJANAGA, NATIONAL CHAIRPERSONOF THE NATIONAL COPERATIVES ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA (NCASA).

27 September 2003

Honourable Deputy President, Cabinet Ministers present, particularly the Minister of Labour Mr. Mdladlana, Executive Director of NEDLAC Herbert Mkhize and the former Executive Director of NEDLAC Mr Phillip Dexter, Leaders and delegates of the labour constituency, leaders and delegates from the community sector, leaders from the business constituency, and our proud compatriot the people of South Africa. (All protocols observed). The Community Constituency feels indeed honoured to address this important annual summit of NEDLAC.

Chairperson allow me to express the gratitude of the Community Constituency on the sterling role played by the outgone Executive Director Mr. Phillip Dexter. We thank you very much for steering us up to where we are now and we wish you success in your new role in building a successful South Africa. Similarly, we express our warm welcome and appreciation of the newly appointed Executive Director Mr. Herbert Mkhize.

Indeed the Growth and Development Summit was a watershed in our attempts to refocus the attitude our economy to respond positively to the needs of our people. The Community Constituency has always understood that the summit was a beginning of a process towards social growth and prosperity. We were positive and still are about our achievement. We need to move with accelerated speed to implementthe resolutions and agreements of the GDS. 

The people of our country seek to actively participate in the thoroughgoing transformation of their lives. They do so in order to address their daily challenges of poverty and hunger, rampant but curable diseases, joblessness in a growing economy whilst others live in obscene opulence with a blind eye to those who are suffering. South Africa is a very rich land that can truly afford its people and can do more to rid itself of poverty and human inflicted sufferings. The GDS was a platform to ensure we begin that journey to grow and develop the South African economy in favour of poor and working people. We still assert that nothing will stand in our way to build a people's economy based on the will and active role of the people for their own emancipation.

The GDS was a collective will of all of us despite the concessions made, which of course were necessary. We need the commitment of all to ensure that indeed the GDS achieves what it ought to achieve. The principal achievement of the GDS was indeed the shared interpretation of the challenge of poverty and joblessness. Chairperson indeed a common foundation has been laid for a shared vision of growth and development that seeks to resolve the crisis of joblessness and poverty.

During the GDS we pronounced as following and want to reiterate, "… this consensus needs to be buttressed on serious and energetic implementation of a GDS agreement. In the view of the Community Constituency this will also rely on the development, consolidation and implementation of a growth and development strategy whose central objective must be to change the current accumulation regime which continues to favour private capital at the expense of poor and working people. In other words, these minimum commitments reached through the GDS process lay the basis for thoroughgoing struggles towards the development of an overarching industrial strategy and progressive transformation of the economy in favourof the workers and the poor."

This indicate the need for an ongoing dialogue to resolve what we could resolve prior the summit which we committed ourselves to resolve.

A firm foundation towards a job creating economic growth

Having laid the framework to turn around our economy for the benefit of all, we must ensure that we monitor the implementation of the GDS in favour of the poor and working people. We should not shy from experimenting through sustainable job creating programmes in tandem with commitments made by all social partners, in particular business given its resource capacity.

The agreement of the GDS should ensure among others:

• sustainable livelihoods for the people
• Create jobs through labour intensive methods
• Develop infrastructure
• Grow the economy to benefit the poor

The above objectives call for a firm commitment from business, which has been non-committal on labour intensive techniques and investments. It is in this regard that we call for caution and to guard the implementation of the GDS so that its record of commitment is implemented to the letter. We are pleased however by the institution of NEDLAC to further engage in discussions with all social partners to arrive at common objectives for the good of our people.

Building a strong cooperative movement for sustainable economic development.

Whilst recognising the centrality of mass mobilisation in the involvement of cooperatives, the Community Constituency regards the progress on the legislative framework for cooperatives as a great step towards building a strong cooperative movement in our country. To build sustainable cooperatives for sustainable livelihoods of the people you need a strong partnership, support and commitment. The support can be garnered by all, through sharing resources in training and management skills including though specific targeted SETA programmes.

We do not abdicate our responsibilities, as we said before "we will continue to play an active role in popularising and nurturing a progressive co-operative movement including the provision of education, training, development, research, policy, advocacy, advice and consultancy services to communities, workers and community based projects. This commitment requires capacity building for the Community Constituency, support and resources from government, business and labour constituencies. We are confident that government, business and labour constituencieswill support these activities "

Transformation and diversification of the financial sector

Once again through this important platform of NEDLAC the Community Constituency together with all social partners have agreed at the Financial Sector Summit to diversify and deepen transformation in a sector so paramount to social development. However the current discussion on the Finance Charter have almost excluded those who were at the forefront of this campaign. The Community Constituency remains committed to ensuring that there's indeed a true transformation in this sector. We are committed to mobilise communities to ensure that they mobilise savings and build financial institutions based in communities through the building of co-operative banks.

On making advances to ensure people with disability live without discrimination and prejudice

We have noted with great enthusiasm the impending National Insurance Scheme to address the health needs of the poor and particularly the people with disability. The GDS agreement takes forward the interests and needs of people with disabilities. The study proposed in the GDS agreement on public employment schemes in South Africa must also include the experiences of employees with disabilities. It would also be important to integrate disability in the various training programmes outlined in the GDS agreement. A clear plan of action with regards to the selection and recruitment of disabled learners, needs to be developed in order to meet the 4% target as set in the National Skills Development Strategy

We welcome the government's commitment to undertake a campaign to enhance public awareness of the provisions of the Employment Equity Act by August 2003 prior to the submission of equity plans in October. Special attention must be paid to advocacy and education on the "Code of Good Practice on the Employment of People with Disabilities."

The challenge to defeat the scourge of HIV/AIDS

We welcome cabinet decision to provide anti retroviral medicines to people living with HIV/AIDS. This will go a long way in prolonging the lives of people. This disease continues to inflict terrible impact on our society. We will continue to mobilise against those that discriminate against people living with HIV/AIDS in the broader financial sector and the insurance industry particularly.

Conclusion

We are hopeful that this summit will go a long way in strengthening the GDS outcomes and ensure the transformation to prosperity is realised by the working class and the poor. We will continue to garner the active role of the Community Constituency including all its sectors, the women, youth and people with disabilities, the Financial Sector Coalition.

We take this opportunity to thank the government, labour and various communities for their inputs during and after the GDS. We lastly thank the Executive Director of NEDLAC for his role in finalising preparations for this summit. Forward to strong and dynamic NEDLAC for the working class and the poor.

Thank you very much.