Thank you very much, Chief Whip. If you speak like that, then Jazz is right behind you. We need to call the izimbizo so that every resident may come forward with his or her problem. That will happen if we deal with this problem as a whole instead of in drips and drabs.
There's something I want to say about this self-glorifying company called Empowerdex that oversees the performance of municipalities. It claims that the City of Cape Town is doing quite well. I have not witnessed that. The only thing I have heard, on which I still have to call all South African metropolitan municipalities to a discussion, is that the budget of this particular metropolitan municipality caters only for the middle-class society, the bourgeoisie, leaving the poorest of the poor with absolutely nothing.
That means we will make an intervention in this municipality. There is no municipality here in South Africa that will be spared. We want uniformity in all the municipalities. It is not true that the City of Cape Town is doing well, and I do not concur with that. What I have seen so far confirms that.
In the same breath, they say eThekwini Municipality is underperforming. That is not true. EThekwini Municipality is doing very well compared to other municipalities. Thank you, Deputy Chair.]
Order! Hon Watson, what is your point of order?
It's not a point of order; it's a follow-up question.
Follow-up?
Yes.
Okay, thanks.
Deputy Chairperson, I would like to hear the response of the hon Minister in the light of the following facts. Firstly, the City of Cape Town has a clear policy forbidding officials from cutting off water to residential properties; secondly, the City of Cape Town has the largest free water allocation for the poor in the whole of South Africa; thirdly, the City of Cape Town's records show that it logged and responded to all 90 of the complaints of water failure it received over the past three months from the Mitchells Plain area; and further, there is no hard evidence of residents being deliberately left without water for extended periods.
What action has the Minister taken in response to the sworn affidavits by Mitchells Plain residents? What action has the Minister taken regarding the statements made by Mitchells Plain residents that are recorded in the paper and interviews by the media that ANC activists actually asked them to shut off their water at the stopcock ahead of the Minister's visit to the area in order to mislead him about water cuts? This was reported in the paper and I want to ask the Minister to respond to that, please.
Order! Hon Watson, before you respond, Minister, that's a new question. When I allowed you to speak it was supposed to be a follow-up question. So, really, you were out of order. [Interjections.]
Follow-up question, Madam. [Interjections.] You can't stymie it by ruling it out of order.
Hon Watson! I'm warning you.
I accept that warning. [Interjections.]
Hon Watson! I'm not going to be involved in a dialogue with you, thank you very much. [Interjections.]
Can you please check that one? Just check it.
Minister Shiceka, please respond.
Deputy Chairperson, let me respond to the hon Watty. Regarding the issue of the allegations that are made by the leader of the DA that alleged ANC members told people to cut water, I would request the DA as a party to bring forward the people whom it alleges presented that information to the team led by Mr Mokoena. We want to check the veracity and truthfulness of these allegations. We want to get to the bottom of them. Therefore, we don't want to prejudge this from our side.
But when I went there personally, I saw things that were shocking to me. If you are challenging the validity of what I saw, you are welcome. There is a team that has been put in place, and it is investigating. Present evidence in front of it. It's not about papers; it's about people who must present evidence. On the basis of evidence, this team will be able to make recommendations to me.
However, what we must be careful of, Watty, is to be involved in petty politics on issues of service delivery. We must rise above those because we have a responsibility to improve the quality of lives of our people. That's what I would say. You will know about the report once it is finalised. It will be presented to you, and I think we will take it from there.
However, what has come across very clearly is the issue that the credit control policy in South Africa is not in place in all municipalities. It's not only the credit control policy, but the policy on the indigent is also not applicable. I say this because some of the people who had their water supply cut are disabled; some of them rely on grants; and some of them are old people who don't have any income. Clearly, there are challenges in that regard. Therefore, we are saying that this matter of Mitchells Plain has exposed the fact that policy changes have to be effected. We must ensure that South Africans get the best because they deserve the best. Thank you very much.
Order! Hon Mokgobi was supposed to be the first person. May he then have his turn?
Deputy Chairperson, I had four questions which have already been answered by the Minister. Thank you.
Deputy Chairperson, will the Minister be prepared to give us the names of those houses he visited during his inspection?
Deputy Chair, of course we will be able to reveal everything about this matter after the investigation has been conducted. We don't want anyone to pre- empt the due process that has to be undertaken by going there. We must allow that process to take place.
In that respect, therefore, I will give you the names with pleasure, but only once the investigation has been conducted. This is because we are accountable to Parliament. We believe that Parliament is the most important body which will be able to do so. In fact, we will be calling upon the NCOP as the body that will be charged with looking after the interests of South Africans wherever they are. The NCOP should also enter the fray and go and hear for itself what is being said on the ground. They will strengthen what is being done by the executive. Thank you.
Situation regarding municipal Integrated Development Plans (IDPs)
43. Ms N D Ntwanambi (ANC) asked the Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs:
(1) Whether since taking office his department has conducted and/or received any assessments, reviews or audits of the municipal Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) in each of the provinces; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so,
(2) whether he has identified or received any reports and/or complaints of (a) municipalities that do not (i) have IDPs and (ii) conduct IDP hearings, (b) disparities between municipal, provincial and national strategies, priorities and plans and (c) IDPs that are not informed by budgets and available resources; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, how will his department address these issues; and
(3) whether his department will consider requesting such reports from all provinces and report to the National Council of Provinces on the state of the IDPs in the provinces on an annual basis; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?