It is my singular honour and privilege to present the 2021 Budget. Today I table before this House:

Madam Speaker last year we outlined a strategy to becoming a winning country.

Since then, we have mourned the passing of nearly 50 000 of our fellow South Africans as a result of the Covid‐19 pandemic. The damage visited upon us by Covid‐19 runs deep and we share in the collective pain of many South Africans who have lost their jobs.

All this notwithstanding Madam Speaker, we are not without hope. Our national icon, the Nobel Laureate, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu reminded us that: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness". He observed that sometimes we forget that just beyond the clouds the sun is shining.

The brave and fearless sacrifices of our frontline workers continue to save thousands. We salute all our health care and essential service workers who remain standing at the front line of our fight against Covid‐19. We also salute the many South Africans who rallied to help others survive.

These acts of human solidarity and sacrifice reflect a patriotic spirit that runs in our veins and inspires us. Often, we speak about how we must leave this earth better than we found it for future generations. Today I want to leave you hopeful and outline how we will leave this economy in better shape for those who come after us.