Madam Speaker, it is appropriate that, as the first speaker on my party's list, I should begin with a few reminders of the fundamental principles, values and policies that inform the manner in which we look at the various aspects of local government.
The cornerstone of our policies is the Freedom Charter. The vision of local government as expressed in the Freedom Charter is that there shall be houses, security and comfort under which clause, amongst others, the following rights and conditions are called for:
All people shall have the right to live where they choose, be decently housed and to bring up their families in comfort and security;
Slums shall be demolished, and new suburbs built where all have transport, roads, lighting, playing fields, crches and social centres;
Fenced locations and ghettos shall be abolished, and laws which break up families shall be repealed.
Another foundation of our system of governance is the Reconstruction and Development Programme, the RDP. In the RDP, we envisaged local government that will be guided by the following principles: a people-centred approach; developing human resources; building the economy; democratising the state and society; being people-driven; being people-centred; innovative in the ways in which it combines growth and development; and committed to continuously achieving overall coherence, and unity of purpose.
When we started 11 years ago, we set the following goals for local government. To ensure the end of apartheid local government, about 800 municipalities would need to be linked together and create 300 new democratic nonracial local authorities. Informal settlements as well as those hidden behind Bantustan boundaries must be included when drawing up local boundaries. Rural areas and traditional authorities should also have elected local authorities. Rich consumers should be able to subsidise the poor so that they can have access to services.
Local government in South Africa has undergone a major process of transformation that has resulted in our new system of local government. The most significant achievement in the area of governance since 1994 has been the dismantling of the apartheid state and establishment of a nonracial democratic unitary state.
This fundamental transformation saw a shift from over 1 200 racially based local authorities, four provincial administrations and 10 Bantustans into 284 democratically elected municipalities, nine provinces and a strong national government.
This process demanded a democratic and developmental local government that puts responsibility and accountability on officials, councillors and front- line workers and good relations with the citizens of the municipality. Capacity-building therefore became one of the important tools available to local government in bridging the gaps in what would be expected of us and what we could now deliver.
It can be said that as we enter into our second decade of freedom, our evolving system of integrated governance is increasingly making it possible for the country's development objectives to be met. This process we are talking about also resulted in the establishment of a progressive policy and institutional framework and a regulatory environment conducive to developmental local government.
As provided in our Constitution, local government has become responsible for a growing number of services that were previously managed by central government. This has left municipalities with many needs for new skills to meet new performance demands, yet many municipalities do not have the managerial, administrative, financial and institutional capacity to meet the rising expectations of local communities.
Thus a way had to be found to transform this delivery arm of government into a truly service delivery model to meet the development needs of the communities and ensure stability, predictability, and efficiency.
The progress made towards achieving a legal and financial framework necessary to consolidate the system of local government for accelerated service delivery must be viewed from the lenses of the following pieces of legislation: the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act of 2000, the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act of 2003, and the Local Government: Municipal Property Rates Act of 2004.
The Local Government: Municipal Systems Act has built up a momentum for municipal reform, and created incentives for improved performance that would eventually increase confidence and the possibilities of positive change. The MFMA and MSA therefore strengthened institutional capabilities by fostering transparent decision-making and citizens' participation in the political and municipal processes.
They also call for a need to have strong local partners that are critical to the sustained improvement of municipal management which in turn would lead to the strengthening of initiatives like local economic development. The capacity of local government in financing and administering local economic development initiatives is a critically important consideration when attempting to eradicate poverty and create employment.
The transfer of redeployable skills is limited, causing the assistance provided to be largely temporary. Therefore, we must make more effort to enhance the skills development initiatives that are aimed at upgrading skills and competencies which is a critical ingredient for sustainable economic growth. The Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act has assisted with better co- ordination and integration among three spheres of government so that we are more effective in reaching targeted groups. We have now seen many programmes that are directly aimed at building capacity within the local municipalities, namely the Municipal Service Partnerships. The MSP is based on the implicit recognition that the capacity and skills in local government differ. Consequently, municipalities are assisted in the identification of potential service delivery partnerships as well as in the development of technically sound contractual arrangements.
The Municipal Infrastructure Investment Unit also offers support and guidance to municipalities in the area of structuring the public-private partnerships. The new local government capacity-building system will also bring a shift in the way that municipalities work as part of the move towards developmental local government.
In the context of overall transformation of local government, the new skills development strategy has laid a basis for a more people-orientated local government system, able to meet the demands of our people for democracy, reconstruction and development. Moreover, the MSA sets out the principles and values of the administration and a code of conduct, Batho Pele, in the local government sphere.
For a new system of local government to be implemented effectively, there will have to be much greater co-operation between the three spheres of government in the spirit of co-operative governance. In this regard, we are very optimistic that the newly elected councillors will assist in the realisation of this objective.
In our election manifesto for the local government elections that took place on 1 March this year, we as the ANC said the following:
Although much still needs to be done, and although change has come faster to some areas than others, many communities around the country have seen positive change in the last five years. Roads have been tarred and streets lit for the first time. Water and electricity have become more accessible than ever before. More houses have been built. Local services like waste removal have improved. Free basic services have been provided to many. Sporting and recreation facilities have been built. Local government offices have become more effective in meeting the needs of the citizens.
While we are pleased with these achievements, we have also taken action to learn from our experiences of the past five years.
It is my submission that, as the ANC, we have successfully led the government and people of South Africa in transforming local government for the greater benefit of all our people through the many policies and legislative, fiscal and other resource allocation measures we implemented. We can boldly say that we have been faithful to the vision of our forebears as captured in the Freedom Charter and the Constitution of the Republic; the will of the people.
Many challenges remain, but we cannot come to any other conclusion than that our achievement and progress in the sphere of local government is a cause for celebration. I thank you. [Applause.]
Madam Deputy Speaker, at a glance a lot has happened in local government. The amalgamation of over 800 municipalities to the present 283 was a huge undertaking. No wonder that this amalgamation process, especially in the metros, is not fully completed.
The country experienced two fully democratic elections, but the new developmental nature of municipalities is unfortunately still not fully grasped by all councillors. Parliament completed the package of laws for local government with the enactment of the Municipal Property Rates Act and the Public Finance Management Act. A wide range of changes in respect of the funding of municipalities was also implemented by the National Treasury.
The scene is really set for this sphere of government to perform. The DA can concur with the motion that progress has been made with the building of the necessary institutions, with resource allocation and, to a large extent, with participatory democracy. However, we cannot agree as far as governance, capacity and improving the quality of life of South Africans are concerned, that local government has made the strides it should have.
Terwyl ons erken dat 'n groot deel van die bevolking eenvoudig te arm is om 'n bydrae te maak vir die dienste wat hulle ontvang, en dat Suid-Afrika klaarblyklik nie oor genoeg geskoolde en professionele persone beskik om al die poste in plaaslike regering te vul nie, het die ANC veroorsaak dat munisipaliteite veral in twee opsigte klaaglik misluk.
Die eerste is dat kundigheid wat wel beskikbaar was, en 'n groot positiewe verskil kon maak, by munisipaliteite weggejaag is. Baie van hierdie amptenare het al die pad bank toe gelag met die pragtige pakkette wat hulle ontvang het. Maar daardie geld kon eerder vir beter dienslewering gebruik gewees het. Vir baie was dit egter ook 'n gevoel van misnoe, omdat loopbane van diensbaarheid tot 'n einde gebring is. Dit het ongelukkig daartoe gelei dat in die proses ook talle onbevoegde amptenare by munisipaliteite aangestel is. Kort-kort maak die vergoedingspakkette en onverdiende bonusse opslae. Dit wil voorkom asof veral die aanhoudende transformasie ten opsigte van personeel hul motivering totaal geknak het.
Uit 'n onlangse vraag van die DA blyk dit dat daar tans 112 geskorste munisipale amptenare is wat belastingbetalers alreeds R12,5 miljoen gekos het, sonder dat hulle 'n steek werk doen. En ek vermoed dit is slegs die ore van die seekoei.
Die tweede teleurstellende aspek wat die President verlede week uitgelig het, en laat waarsku het dat plaaslike regering di sfeer van regering is wat verreweg die swakste presteer en Suid-Afrika op 'n tydbom geplaas het, is die gebrek aan toewyding by talle raadslede. Omdat munisipaliteite 'n eie sfeer van regering is met groot mag, misbruik talle rade hul mag om korrupsie en nepotisme te pleeg, of sommer doodgewoon swak te regeer.
In hierdie verband wil dit voorkom asof provinsiale LUR'e traag is om hul mag te gebruik en hul partygenote op hierdie manier beskerm. In antwoord op 'n vraag van die DA moes ons verneem dat die LUR in die Noord-Kaap byvoorbeeld niks gedoen het nie, terwyl die burgemeester en die munisipale bestuurder van Ubuntu-munisipaliteit op Victoria-Wes in die hof verskyn het omdat hulle na bewering munisipale eiendom gesteel en hier in die Kaap kom verkoop het.
Die President het in hierdie Raad met my saamgestem dat politieke partye groter verantwoordelikheid sal moet neem vir die dissiplinering van hul lede. Daarom vra ek: Waar is die streek- en plaaslike beheer van raadslede, van veral die ANC, wat meer as 75% van munisipaliteite regeer? Dit is geen wonder, wat gratis basiese dienste betref, dat daar waar daar nog infrastruktuur is - ek praat nie eens van waar daar nie infrastruktuur is nie - slegs 73% van huishoudings gratis water ontvang, en slegs 57% gratis elektrisiteit. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Whilst we acknowledge the fact that a large proportion of the population is simply too poor to make a contribution in respect of the services they receive, and that South Africa obviously does not have enough skilled and professional people to fill all the posts in local government, the ANC was the cause of municipalities failing miserably, especially in two respects.
The first is that expertise that was, in fact, available and which could have made a major positive difference, has been chased away from municipalities. Many of these officials laughed all the way to the bank with the lovely packages they received. But that money could have been used for better service delivery instead. However, it also left many people feeling disgruntled because productive careers were brought to an end. Unfortunately this also led to many incompetent officials being appointed to municipalities in the process. The remuneration packages and unwarranted bonuses frequently cause an outcry. It seems that the constant transformation with regard to staff dealt a permanent blow to their motivation.
A recent question by the DA brought to light that there were 112 suspended municipal officials who had already cost taxpayers R12,5 million, without them doing a stroke of work. And I suspect that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
The second disappointing aspect the President highlighted last week, and made him warn that local government was the one sphere of government that performs the worst by far and has put South Africa on top of a time bomb, was the lack of dedication of many councillors. Because municipalities are a stand-alone sphere of government with wide powers, many councils abuse their power for corruption and nepotism, or simply to govern poorly.
In this regard it seems that provincial MECs are reluctant to use their authority, and protect their fellow party members in this way. From a reply to a question by the DA we learnt that the MEC in the Northern Cape, for example, did nothing while the mayor and the municipal manager of the Ubuntu municipality appeared in court at Victoria West on a charge of allegedly stealing municipal property and selling it here in the Cape.
The President agreed with me in this Chamber that political parties will have to accept more responsibility for disciplining their members. For this reason I ask: Where is the regional and local control of councillors, especially of the ANC, which governs more than 75% of municipalities? Small wonder that as far as free basic services are concerned, where infrastructure still exists - I am not even speaking about areas where there is no infrastructure - only 73% of households receive free water, and only 57% free electricity.]
Lastly, this subject for discussion also refers to resource allocation to municipalities. On the one hand we can praise central government for the R15 billion that was transferred to municipalities and for all the municipal infrastructure programmes - 70 000 jobs were created through this - but on the other hand there is serious concern about how municipalities manage their finances. The Auditor-General reports that a number of municipalities had significant underspending and that they don't even hand in their financial statements. Thank you very much. [Time expired.]
Thank you, Chairperson. Colleagues, since 1994 South Africa has been characterised by enormous change, but I think it's true to say that this has been more pronounced in respect of local government than anything.
Now, constitutionally, if you look at Chapter 3, we have three spheres and they all enjoy equal status, though of course different powers and functions, but if you compare the establishment of local government to that of the provinces or the national government, you'd have to agree that this process has been far more challenging. This has a direct bearing on how you measure progress in local government and its achievements.
Now you can measure progress by the roll-out of water or the roll-out of electricity, but I don't want to refer to those statistics today, but rather look at a few broader considerations.
First, I think we need to recognise that there are enormous differences between the 283 municipalities in our country, and it hardly seems appropriate to discuss them in the same breath. Six of those 283 comprise the six metros. They generate more than half of our GDP. They employ tens of thousands of people each. Their budgets are larger than those of most provinces. In contrast to that, you've got a plethora of very small municipalities, the smallest of which are barely blips on the radar screen. They have miniscule budgets, they are totally reliant on national funding, and in a sense talking about progress there and across the spheres as a whole becomes quite difficult. However, we would conclude in this respect that there has been progress all round, but far more needs to be done in respect of those smaller municipalities which are really not necessarily very viable now, but need to be made viable over time.
Secondly, we need to look at the whole institutionalisation of the local government sphere. Let's say that it is bedded down now, and this bedding down is an achievement rather than the converse. It could have been construed as converse considering it has taken many years to get to where we are now, but the reason we think this is progress and is an achievement is because, if you look at this transformation process since 1994, it's been extremely disruptive, politically for the local role-players, but especially administratively, and this has been highly problematic in respect of delivery for local government.
We are now in the last of our three phases - the pre-interim, the interim, and the final phase - and we have subcategories even within these. But I think it is fair to say that this bedding down is finished now and hopefully things will be far smoother in future.
Thirdly, I think we need to recognise that although service delivery has been very patchy, sometimes good and sometimes, as these protests last year showed us, rather poor, the general trend is one of improving performance. The single largest constraint on delivery has certainly not been money, but probably human capacity, and I think this is also improving now.
Project Consolidate is playing it's part, yes, but in addition to this I think it's true to say that there is a growing cohort of experienced local politicians and local administrators who are able to keep the ball on the ground, and have an institutional memory and are able to concentrate on good governance rather than establishment matters, which have preoccupied them for so long.
Having said that, there's obviously still enormous scope for improvement, and elimination of corruption is one issue, as is improvements in financial management. These are both key concerns, and whilst we as a House shouldn't expect miracles, we should demand and we should expect steady improvement all round and substantially greater compliance with good governance norms.
And finally, I think it's true to say that it's unfortunate that local government has been left to its own devices for far too long, meaning that the level of support required from both the national and the provincial governments, in particular, over much of the first decade was less than desirable, given the needs of local government, and this impacted negatively on the achievements and progress in this sphere.
Fortunately, again, this appears to be changing and there are many signs of positive outcomes in respect of support, and this again should represent further acceleration in the future. In this regard, too, it is significant that the department has repositioned itself and its strategic focus now is far more appropriate to the needs of local government than it has been in the past, when its preoccupation was policy-centred rather than delivery- centred. So all round we think there is some scope to say that there has indeed been progress in local government, although of course much more can be done. Thank you.
Voorsitter, die kwaliteit van dienslewering op plaaslike regeringsvlak hang af van die kwaliteit en die kundigheid van die betrokke munisipale bestuurder. Die agb lid mev Yengeni raak hier liries oor die Vryheidsmanifes en hoe wonderlik dienste op plaaslike regeringsvlak is, maar ek verstaan nie. As ons gaan kyk na die situasie op plaaslike regeringsvlak, sien ons plaaslike regerings is besig om in duie te stort, juis as gevolg van swak munisipale bestuurders wat nie bevoeg is om hul werk te doen nie.
'n Tipiese voorbeeld kan gevind word in die stadsraad van Matlosana, wat Klerksdorp, Stilfontein en Hartebeesfontein insluit. Daardie stadsraad, wat deur die ANC beheer word, het 'n munisipale bestuurder aangestel wat deur 'n ouditverslag skuldig bevind is dat hy by 'n vorige munisipaliteit vrugtelose uitgawes aangegaan het en dat hy mense met 'n kriminele rekord aangestel het, en dat daar dissiplinr teen hom opgetree moet word. Maar die ANC stel nog steeds die persoon aan, om maar net met sy onbevoegdheid nou op 'n nuwe stadsraad te gaan toepas. Dit is onaanvaarbaar. [Time expired.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Chairperson, the quality of service delivery at local government level depends on the quality and expertise of the municipal manager concerned.
The hon member Mrs Yengeni is getting lyrical here about the Freedom Charter and how wonderful services are at local government level, but I do not understand. If we go and look at the situation at local government level, we see that local governments are collapsing, specifically because of weak municipal managers who are not competent to do their work.
A typical example is to be found in the City of Matlosana, which includes Klerksdorp, Stilfontein and Hartebeesfontein. That city council, controlled by the ANC, appointed a municipal manager who had been found guilty, by way of an audit report, of incurring unnecessary expenditure and appointing people with a criminal record, and it was recommended that disciplinary steps be taken against him. But the ANC went ahead and appointed this person, only to have him exercise his incompetence in a new city council. This is unacceptable. [Time expired.]]
Chairperson and hon members, in 2000 the ANC-led government ushered in a new system of local government. In fact, this took place immediately after the local government elections of November 2000. Five years after the introduction of democracy in this country, indeed in all spheres of government, democratic practices have become paramount. Central to that is the importance of participatory democracy, which we do not have to overemphasise for it is the pillar of our fundamental policy, as enshrined in the Freedom Charter, that the people shall govern.
Local government in any society is the most important practical sphere of government. This sphere of government is so important as it is the one that is very close to the people it serves. For democracy development to be realised, it should be mostly effected at the level where people stay in their daily lives, influenced by their environment.
To ensure participatory democracy, a system has to be developed and structures have to be created to facilitate and promote participation of communities in local government activities. This is done to ensure proper services for development and a better life. Without sketching the history of the past in our country, we are still faced with huge problems of amongst others underdevelopment, poverty and inequality. One does not need to be a rocket scientist to realise that.
To improve the quality of life for every South African in terms of basic services, such as clean water provision and environmental health care, sanitation, electricity, roads, etc, people themselves have to participate constructively in such programmes, not only by periodically going to the polls every five years, but by ensuring that development and improvement of the quality of life is ongoing to address the huge backlogs of underdevelopment, as development is for the people.
From government's perspective to deepen democracy and promote participation, the ANC-led government, for the first time, has created a legislative framework to ensure that there is indeed participatory democracy. The ANC-led government did not stop there, but also introduced other measures, such as the izimbizo led by the President himself and others by Ministers, Premiers, MECs and mayors. This government has ensured the establishment of community radio stations where people are able to debate local issues of development.
In a structured form, the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act makes provision for the establishment of ward committees. These ward committees are established in terms of section 72 and their functions are clearly spelled out in section 74 of the Act. In an effort to strengthen these structures, community development workers are encouraged to be part of these structures, as they are involved through their daily work with various communities.
Chapter 4 of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act ensures the operational sustainability of these structures. It then becomes important not only to draw this House's attention to relevant sections of this chapter, maybe to refresh our minds to quickly read those provisions, to signify their importance in participatory democracy. Now I refer members to chapter 4 of the Act, which deals with community participation and section 16 reads as follows:
A municipality must develop a culture of municipal governance that compliments formal representative government with a system of participatory governance and must for this purpose, amongst other things, encourage and create conditions for the local community to participate in affairs of the municipality, including, amongst others, the establishment and implementation and review of its performance management system in terms of chapter 6 and contribute to building the capacity.
Section 17 also indicates that participation by local communities in the affairs of municipalities must take place through, amongst other things, other appropriate mechanisms, processes and procedures established by the municipalities. All of the above is geared at promoting and deepening participatory democracy.
The introduction of community development workers has assisted in ensuring that community issues are part and parcel of the council's agenda, either through the ward committee or the IDP forums. As we all know, one of the functions of the community development workers is to work closely not only with ward councillors, but to perform some duties for the ward committees. As previously indicated, izimbizo at various levels have created another platform for communities to engage with government. We would, at this point, like to recognise efforts by the MECs, who crisscross the various provinces, conducting izimbizo, which are, in many instances, not published by the mainstream media institutions. To them we say: May the stork not grow old. This also applies to some hon members of the House.
The department has launched various community participation forums at national level where issues of service delivery and development are debated. I know the department has made calls to other spheres of government to do likewise, so as to ensure participatory democracy is alive. All this, to a large degree, has empowered our community but largely the previously disadvantaged communities. People are now able to stand up and argue their case confidently. A forum and culture has been created both materially and otherwise to ensure the deepening of participatory democracy. Various interventions took place at various levels of government, in some instances in the form of Project Consolidate and others.
Today as we speak we are able to say that this has all impacted positively on the lives of the people, particularly the previously disadvantaged communities. So we are able to say that today is different from yesterday, and tomorrow will be different from today - as stated by the President. This comes in various forms and sometimes with an element of mere protest. Through the principal policy of the ANC that the people shall govern, participatory democracy is now being implemented as a programme of social evolution and material development. By and large, we are now able to see the impact driven by the spirit of hope.
Once more allow me to emphasise the commitment that was made 50 years ago that the people shall govern. Ours is to strengthen popular participation. Participatory democracy must find expression in a structured form amongst others in ward committees, IDP forums and any other relevant forums. Indeed, through the establishment of ward committees, IDP forums and local economic development forums and others, public participatory democracy has become a reality and has impacted positively on the lives of the people. All those issues such as clean water, halving poverty and others as espoused by the President in his state of the nation address are now reality and are beginning to impact positively on the lives of our people. The people shall govern. Thank you. [Applause.]
Chair, local government is to a large extent dependent upon national and provincial treasuries in order to fulfil their constitutional mandate and to speak to the objects of the Municipal Finance Management Act, that is, by ensuring transparency, accountability and appropriate lines of responsibility in their fiscal and financial affairs. It is also to ensure that their budgetary and financial planning processes are co- ordinated with the processes of the organs of state in other spheres of government.
Achievement will remain a mirage unless there is monitoring of their budgets to establish whether they are consistent with the fiscal and microeconomic policy of the national government. Municipalities must be monitored to assess compliance with applicable standards of generally recognised accounting practice and uniform expenditure and revenue classification systems. In order that local governments must deliver on their constitutional mandate, the national and provincial governments must help build their capacity for proper financial management. Co-operative governance will also remain lip service unless ... [Time expired.]
Hon Chairperson, members and colleagues, it is with great pleasure that I am delegated once more to debate on behalf of the Portfolio Committee on Provincial and Local Government. My mandate is mainly to focus on building of the necessary institutions of democracy and capacity. There is greater alignment between the National Spatial Development Perspective, the NSDP, Provincial Growth and Development Strategies, and Integrated Development Plans, the alignment of which can help government programmes to complement each other. The rationale behind the call for greater alignment between NSDP, PGDS and IDPs is to facilitate better performance of our developmental state.
This can be then achieved by getting government and organs of people's power to work better in meeting the common objectives and outcomes. Project Consolidate is already beginning to have a positive impact in some municipalities by drawing the collective strengths of national and provincial government.
A o a utlwa Ntate Pule? E tla ke e boeletse. [Is it clear, Mr Pule? Let me repeat myself.]
Project Consolidate is already beginning to have a positive impact in some municipalities, especially those that have vision, and those that are led by the ANC. By drawing the collective strengths of national and provincial government, the ANC is well-placed to ensure that these spheres of government work harder from now going forward to further build on what has been achieved. You cannot achieve in one day, but only bit by bit. We are seeing serious capacity- building taking place to strengthen different institutions of people's power in order to make a reality of the Age of Hope.
Lo nne lo reetsa fa go buiwa. [You must always pay attention when someone is talking.]
Nibolalela uma kukhulunywa. Anilaleli. Kukhulunywa njalo nje ... [You must learn to listen when someone is talking. You don't want to listen. People are always talking here ...]
... but community development workers are being trained and deployed in municipalities, ward committees are being revitalised, a leadership academy in the department is shaping up and the Intergovernmental Relations Act ... e lo tlholang lo e opela [... the one that you always sing] ... is bringing greater stability and co-ordination in our system of developmental local government. These are meant for the public cadres that are committed to the principles of Batho Pele.
We are further seeing serious empowerment initiatives being made in targeting women in local government, and resources directed at youth development programmes. You can see even in this very institution and that is why the masses of this country endorsed it again on 1 March so that the ANC must keep on ruling. All these programmes communicate a message, and we as the ANC have continued to say that it is time to ensure that tomorrow will be better than today and today is already better than yesterday. That is ensuring that all South Africans enjoy equal rights as stipulated in the Freedom Charter fifty years ago.
Chairperson, all this indicates that the ANC-led government has totally done away with apartheid laws; one reason being that ...
... ngabe asikho kule podium ukube kwakungalesiya sikhathi. [... we would not be here at this podium if it was during the apartheid time.]
Has it ever happened before? All that it was is that I stayed stuck in the Bantustans like when I grew up there.
Soos jy kan sien, is ek so dom vandag. [As you can see, I am so stupid today.]
The following are some further indications of democracy and building of institutions. Local government has been mandated with the building of houses for all needy people; eradication of the bucket system by 2007; halving poverty and unemployment by 2014; equal rights in the workplace where there is no discrimination of sex, colour, religion, plus the Bill that was placed here today; free basic services for all who need them; and lastly the eradication of past laws.
The ANC applauses the recent improvements in spending by provinces, the recent capacity of spending of provinces, and in making significant progress in all delivery sectors like education, health, social services and public works etc. The ANC commends this shining example of a people's contract in action, and further encourages provinces to continue to emulate this pattern of improved service delivery. Existing historical evidence confirms that the ANC remains the only organisation in our country that in fact delivers services to all people of South Africa, black or white, despite fundamental challenges inherited from the past.
Our challenges are therefore around strengthening capacity, transforming the financial systems and achieving greater co-operative governance. Popular participation in the governance of our country is a pillar of our democracy, therefore participatory democracy must find expression through the functioning of ward committees.
Lastly, President Thabo Mbeki in his closing remarks to the ANC on 17 February said: "These targets may be ambitious, yet they are also realistic. They demonstrate both the extent of our achievements, date and value of the experience we have gained. They are an indication that whatever challenges we may continue to face, working together in a people's contract we can still do more." Thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, the Constitution advocates a system of governance that shall avoid centralisation of power, and institute co- operative governance. Whilst all of the building blocks are in place the reality of the mechanics to make the system a success, though, has been sabotaged by a lack of capacity, skills shortages, competition rather than co-operation and minimal resources. These are among a number of factors that hinder the process. As marked out by the hon state President Thabo Mbeki to the NCOP last week, the weaknesses in the municipalities are a great threat to the country's democracy.
However, we believe that the efficiency of municipalities depends on the filtration of efforts from the national departments to the provinces, and then further filtrated to the municipalities. A common problem at municipalities is that section heads appear to be the only beneficiaries of training, and the infiltration of skills development appears to freeze at that level, neglecting to extend to the necessary levels where implementation is dispatched. Provinces need to workshop municipalities to bring them on board so that they may implement government policies at ground level. We have policies such as the enhanced extended discount benefit scheme that has been instituted since December 2005 and to date is still not operating at municipal level. As a result, we have prejudiced communities who are wrongfully forced to continue paying rentals that government has already served to subsidise. The MF finds that it is at this stage that we, as members of this House, play a vital role of oversight.
We need to go into areas and visit the operations of municipalities and the progress of communities and bring it back to the House where we can call on our executive to address the blockages in this filtration to the ground level. It is through this oversight that loopholes and shortfalls may best be attended to. Transparency may be strengthened, responsibility better co- ordinated and management improved. Co-operative government is the key to infiltration to a truly democratic development to a better life for all.
Chair, it is critical that we closely examine the relationship and responsibilities respective to our governing bodies, and review the impacts national and provincial government restrictions and interference have on the provinces, and on local councils' ability to govern effectively. The recent occurrence in the City of Cape Town puts emphasis on the need for this approach. We therefore need to discard the current prevailing attitude of "government always knows best". There is a dire need for genuine consultation, disclosure, impact statements, deference and most importantly, enforcement.
More importantly therefore we must reinvigorate the partnership amongst national, provincial and local governments to ensure that all South Africans, and not just a portion of the population, are the true benefactors of a strong united effort to address and solve the problems that face our country.
Chairperson, in its statement of 8 January the ANC made the assertion that this year must be set aside as the year for "the mobilisation of people's power through democratic local government". With this assertion the statement of 8 January had thus provided us with on opportunity to table our plans, our priorities and our programmes for the year ahead.
Once again, with this debate, we are making efforts to review the degree of achievement in meeting the objectives contained in the statement of 8 January and as translated in the state of the nation address.
Such efforts, together with others within the machinery of government, must clearly stand as a symbol of commitment in our continued responsibility of ensuring that we as the ANC will never deter from the noble cause of social transformation. In terms of the statement of 8 January 2006, the central national challenge facing our country is the eradication of the legacy of colonialism and apartheid that has condemned the majority of our people to a life of material misery.
The 2006 state of the nation address set out targets on sanitation, electrification and the eradication of the bucket system, which are all connected to reducing poverty and unemployment by 2014 and meeting the Millennium Development Goals, which are, firstly, that all communities have access to clean running water and decent households by 2010; secondly, halving poverty and unemployment by 2014; thirdly, meeting the demand for electricity and satisfying the demand for water; fourthly, ensuring that there is universal provision of free basic services; fifthly, prioritising the eradication of the bucket system by 2006 or 2007 and in the sixth instance, ensuring that by March this year we had deployed 3 000 community development workers.
The Department of Provincial and Local Government has been allocated R82 billion over the MTF period. This amount represents a financial commitment to improving performance at provincial and local government levels. The department must, however, continue to intensify its support for other delivery arms of government to ensure that the spread and distribution of finances responds to the realities on the ground. The department has done particularly well in spending its finances, which saw it spending over 90% of its budget this year.
Municipalities have also registered significant progress in terms of overall performance, including those within Project Consolidate. The department has met the largest part of the targets, as encapsulated in the government programme of action. National Treasury recently reported that the nine provinces had vastly improved their spending patterns in the first six months of the 2006-07 financial year. They had spent an average of 45% of their combined budgets. This represents a spending increase higher than for the same period last year.
The ANC applauds the improvement in spending by provinces, and this capacity to spend saw provinces making significant increases in all delivery sectors such as education, health, social services, Public Works, etc. Moreover, the capacity of provinces to spend their budgets is an encouraging move and one that presents us with a sense of assurance that the turnaround strategies implemented are showing results and that resources are now being properly channelled to focus on the programmes directed at improving the lives of ordinary South Africans.
The ANC commends the shining example of a people's contract in action and further encourages provinces to continue to emulate this pattern for improved service delivery. Existing historical evidence confirms that the ANC remains the only organisation in the country that, in fact, delivers services to all the people of South Africa, black or white, despite the fundamental challenges inherited from the past.
I am pleased to report that improvements in communication and the acceleration of the imbizo programme have significantly contributed to deepening social mobilisation within and across local government, thus confirming that our transformation project remains and continues to be grounded on people-centred sustainable development.
This year also saw the Department of Provincial and Local Government extending the period of Project Consolidate, which was previously two years, to a more permanent hands-on support system for municipalities. This important step is part of our efforts to support and capacitate municipalities, and is further testimony that the ANC-led government is leading the direction and pace of development.
The efforts undertaken this year of accelerating the implementation of government's programme of action and intensifying the imbizo programme mean that our system of local democracy derives content from the actual participation of our communities in institutions of people's power.
The concept of "government of the people, by the people" means that the ANC- led government did not only improve the participation of citizens in decision-making, but also in the allocation of resources and in the identification of local needs and priorities in the form of ward-based IDPs. As a result, more people this year have access to clean water and electricity and have more opportunities to improve their lives.
The sphere of local government is best placed to give practical meaning and substance to the basic political commitment we made 55 ago in the form of the Freedom Charter that "The people shall govern." It is through the same commitment that we agreed "All people shall be entitled to take part in the administration of the country."
In more areas than before, through the establishment of ward committees, public participation has become a reality. More than 80% of ward committees have been established in order for communities to be active and involved in managing their development, claiming their rights and exercising their responsibilities.
I am particularly pleased to report that municipalities now have realistic integrated development plans, credible local economic development programmes and the material and human resources, as well as the management and operational systems to implement these integrated development plans and local economic development programmes, as opposed to previous consultancy- based IDPs.
A significant degree of achievement continues to be made around the eradication of the bucket system through its replacement with decent sanitation facilities. The ANC is determined to ensure that the goal of universal provision of free basic services is achieved. Already around 3,9 million households receive free basic water, and free basic electricity reaches 2,9 million households. The Department of Provincial and Local Government has expanded the provision of free basic services to even the remotest areas of our country.
The RDP envisaged universal access to water and sanitation facilities and the elimination of hunger and malnutrition, all to be achieved on the basis of people's participation in development. In a book entitled State of the Nation published this year, the authors state, and I quote:
... despite the considerable growth in the number of households requiring services, notable progress has nevertheless been made in several arenas. One particularly successful field has been the provision of electricity. In 1994 only 55% of all households had access to electricity, but by 2003 this had increased to 78%. The most marked improvements in the provision of electricity are evident in informal and traditional dwellings.
The authors go on to say that in both these cases more than a third of all dwellings were electrified for the first time only after 1994.
The Department of Provincial and Local Government has launched an anticorruption strategy at 30 municipalities to ensure that the vision of rooting out corruption in the local government sphere becomes a reality.
In conclusion, President Thabo Mbeki, in his closing remarks in the ANC Today of 17 February 2006, said that these targets were captured in the state of the nation ... [Time expired.]
Voorsitter, enigiemand wat glo dat munisipale dienste aan inwoners sedert 1994 verbeter het, leef in 'n droomwreld. Daar is tans 136 munisipaliteite wat in gevolge Projek Konsolideer deur die staat gehelp moet word om uit die administratiewe en finansile gemors waarin hul hulself bevind, te kom. Hierdie hulp het nodig geword, hoofsaaklik vanwe die feit dat daar weens politieke redes, asook regstellende aksie, swak bestuur in plaaslike owerhede toegepas word.
Kundige amptenare het bloot die trekpas gekry en is in baie gevalle deur persone vervang wat nie oor die nodige ervaring of agtergrond van plaaslike bestuur beskik het om hul pligte na behore te kon uitoefen nie. Dit is dus nie die regering wat uit eie inisiatief by wyse van Projek Konsolideer dit nodig geag het om opleiding en hulp aan plaaslike owerhede te verleen nie, maar hulle is daartoe gedwing ten einde die absolute chaos wat in munisipaliteite ontstaan het, hok te slaan.
Daar is nog baie munisipaliteite wat jaarliks gekwalifiseerde ouditverslae ontvang. Daar is inderdaad min plaaslike owerhede wat behoorlike finansile beheer uitoefen. Jaar n jaar word korrupsie, soos byvoorbeeld in die Bitou- munisipaliteit, oopgevlek en as daar comrades by betrokke is, word dit baie stadig hanteer of bloot onder die mat ingevee. So byvoorbeeld is die munisipale bestuurder van die Bitou-munisipaliteit steeds deur die staat gebruik om kwansuis die sake by die Kannaland-munisipaliteit reg te ruk, alhoewel daar op daardie stadium reeds korrupsieklagte teen hom aanhanging gemaak is. Praat van vir wolf skaapwagter maak!
Een van die doelwitte van die regering was om aan behoeftige huishoudings gratis munisipale dienste te verskaf en dit is ook reg so. Staatsgelde word vir hierdie doel aan munisipaliteite beskikbaar gestel. Daar is egter nog etlike munisipaliteite waar hierdie gelde nie vir die regte doel aangewend word nie. Baie ander gelde word ook jaarliks deur die staat aan munisipaliteite beskikbaar gestel vir infrastruktuur, maar is dit duidelik dat sodanige gelde selde behoorlik en volledig aangewend word.
Die wil van die staat is dus moontlik daar om munisipaliteite te laat presteer, maar dit is ver verwyderd van wat werklik op grondvlak gebeur. Dit is dus nie verbasend dat gemeenskappe en baie plaaslike owerhede gereelde optogte en betogings teen swak dienslewering hou nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr M SWART: Chairperson, anyone who believes that the municipal services rendered to citizens have improved since 1994, is living in a dream world. Presently there are 136 municipalities that are being assisted by the state under Project Consolidate to help them out of their financial and administrative troubles in which they find themselves. This assistance was necessitated primarily because of poor management exercised by local government as a result of political reasons, as well as affirmative action.
Skilled officials were merely given the boot and were replaced, in many instances, by people who did not have the necessary experience or background of local government to carry out their duties properly. It is therefore not the state, of its own volition and by way of Project Consolidate, that thought it necessary to train and provide assistance to the local governments, but it was forced to intervene in order to arrest the absolute chaos that was developing in municipalities.
There are still many municipalities that receive qualified audit reports every year. In fact, there are very few local authorities that exercise proper financial control. Year after year corruption is exposed, as in the case of the Bitou Municipality, and if there are comrades involved, the matter is delayed or merely swept under the carpet. For example, the manager of the Bitou Municipality is still being used by the state ostensibly to get the house of the Kannaland Municipality in order, although at that juncture charges of corruption had already been instituted against him. Is this not a case of setting the wolf to keep the sheep?
One of the objectives of the government was to provide free municipal services to indigent families, and that is also in order. Government funds are provided to municipalities specifically for this purpose. There are, however, still several municipalities where these funds are not utilised for the intended purpose. Many other funds are made available annually to municipalities for infrastructure by the government, but it is clear that such funds are rarely appropriated in a proper and thorough manner.
It is possible that the state has the desire for municipalities to perform; however, it is far removed from what actually transpires on the ground. It is therefore not surprising that communities and many local authorities stage regular protest marches and demonstrations against poor service delivery.]
I trust that Mrs Yengeni has noticed the absence of both the Minister and the Deputy Minister in this debate. I don't blame them. They might be shy about their achievements to date. [Applause.]
Chair, I am not surprised that the Minister is not here. They are not supposed to be here all the time and there is no reason for them to be here. Hon Doman, your approach to the question of skills has an element of racism. The people that you are referring to and whom you claim have been chased away by the ANC are all white people. The majority of them are white people. Even if they were Coloured but they were serving you, they were not serving the people of South Africa. That is why you are complaining. [Interjections.]
Hon Smith of the IFP, thank you very much for acknowledging the progress that has been made. We know that we still have some ... [Interjections.] Hon Groenewald, I will ignore you because what you have raised are things that were raised before and you are merely repeating yourself. The Minister has answered the questions.
Hon Gumede, thank you very much for your kind words of support and free lecture that you gave to the DA. We cannot do all of this in a period of 10 years.
Twelve years.
It does not matter. [Interjections.] Hon Solo, thank you for an excellent explanation of the Act. We hope that the DA and other opposition parties realise the progressive implications of the Act. To hon Bhoola of the MF, we also thank you very much for your understanding.
Hon Mashiane, we agree that the increased allocation of funds will deal with one of the reasons why the local government was unable to perform to full potential. It is not surprising that a combination of support like Project Consolidate, together with increased funds, will lead to increased spending and benefit for all our people. I thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.