National Assembly Cape Town: 6 September 2007  

Madame Speaker, 

This debate could not have come at a more appropriate time as public frustration with government's service delivery is reaching boiling point in numerous communities across the country. We even had the Public Protector recently announcing that his office would launch a special investigation into service delivery and the protests.  

Clearly, public frustration of this magnitude spells danger for our young democracy as social instability could lead to destabilisation of the democratic state and its institutions. It is something we must all guard against vigorously. 

Public frustration with service delivery is understandable if one remembers that the housing backlog is not being eradicated quickly enough; that millions of people still have no running water, sanitation or electricity and that informal settlements have grown at their quickest pace since 1994. 

It would be disingenuous to suggest that the government has completely failed at service delivery, but it should also be acknowledged that the pace of service delivery is too slow and leads to disillusionment and frustration among the poor. Also, how can one reasonably expect a person with no access to housing, basic services and other amenities to live a life of dignity and honour? 

The Honourable September in introducing this debate referred to creating sustainable human settlements to restore dignity. The IFP agrees with her on the absolute need for this, but we would like to take it one step further. 

We would suggest creating sustainable human settlements especially in the rural areas of our country. We know that rural areas remain under-developed and that the lack of infrastructure and services is driving people increasingly to the cities exacerbating the problems of unemployment, squalor and urban sprawl already being experienced there. 

If rural areas were paid more developmental attention it could alleviate some of the pressures being experienced in the cities.  

What rural areas need are proper roads, sanitation and water provision, electricity and telecommunications and the creation of job opportunities for the local community. If these aspects could be put in place rural communities will have the opportunity to fight their way out of poverty.

Rural communities also need other services such as health services, proper education facilities and other public services such as Home Affairs offices to access the benefits of state support. 

If the infrastructure and services in rural areas are improved it could reasonably be expected that investment in businesses would increase, thereby leading to job creation and local economic growth which will have positive spin-offs for the community. 

Madame Speaker 

Our Constitution guarantees everyone the same rights: no distinction is made between a person living in the city and a person living in the rural areas.

The inhabitants of rural areas therefore have the same right to dignity as other citizens, but only a concerted effort on the part of government to do more for rural development would mean that the citizens of rural areas could have their dignity restored.      

Thank you