GOOD speech by Brett Herron,
GOOD: Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
14 June 2022
Note: This is the speech that was delivered by GOOD Secretary-General and Member of Parliament, Brett Herron, during today’s debate on the Appropriation Bill.
-Uniting South Africans of all races and classes around a common programme to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality
-Encourage citizens to be active in their own development, in strengthening democracy and in holding their government accountable
-Raising economic growth, promoting exports and making the economy more labour absorbing
-Focusing on key capabilities of both people and the country
-Capabilities include skills, infrastructure, social security, strong institutions and partnerships both within the country and with key international partners
-Building a capable and developmental state
-Strong leadership throughout society that work together to solve our problems
Madam Speaker, these are the key objectives of South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030.
According to the NDP by 2030 there should be a reduction in the number of people who live in households with a monthly income below R419 per person to zero.
We have 7 more budget cycles to go to achieve these objectives which are set out in the one plan that almost universally unites South Africans.
If we are going to achieve these objectives our budget has to align to an implementation plan.
The budget cannot be business as usual.
Last week, during the Presidency’s budget debate we were reminded of the horrifying media reports of children eating sand to survive in parts of Kwa Zulu Natal.
The President has twice spoken of his fruitful engagement with opposition parties.
In that meeting I implored the President to re-examine our country’s spending priorities
I shared my own experience of a visit to an informal settlement in Nyanga in Cape Town where I met a young man who slaughters cats and dogs to survive.
Madam Speaker, none of us can ignore our collective failure to address a level of poverty and food insecurity that forces our fellow South Africans to each sand, or slaughter a domestic animal or someone’s pet in order to survive.
We have no choice but to re-examine our budget and spending priorities and to budget for the most basic human needs first.
We have to conduct the most difficult budgeting task ever. We have to strip our budget back to bare bones – to zero – and rebuild it making sure that our rights to sufficient food and water and social security are secured.
Before anything else, we have to secure the social security of our people.
The first thing that should go into our budget is universal basic income or a basic income grant so that no one is forced to eat sand or dogs and cats.
The former Minister of Finance committed our Treasury to zero-based budgeting, but we haven’t heard much more about this since.
Food, basic income, water, health care are rights – they are not gifts. They must be prioritised in our budget because they are the most basic things a human being needs to survive.
Its too late for this budget, but we urge the Minister and Treasury to go back to the promise to introduce zero-based budgeting and implement it.
We cannot continue – business as usual – if we are to turn this around and achieve our NDP objectives.
Media Enquiries:
Brett Herron, GOOD: Secretary-General & Member of Parliament
Cell: 0825183264
Email: bretth@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD: Media Manager
Cell: 0733671223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za