Hon Speaker, our government is working with other stakeholders to ensure that we improve our skills and human resource base. This is one of the reasons why we decided to split the Education Department into two stand-alone departments - to focus on basic education and higher education and training. Cabinet will soon consider the Human Resource Development Strategy document. Already, wide-ranging consultations have been held both inside and outside of government.
All of the five priorities have been incorporated into government's Medium- Term Strategic Framework, MTSF. All government departments are working towards these objectives. The 10 objectives of the MTSF have also been converted into 12 outcomes, and the President has signed performance agreements with the respective Ministers on these.
Ministers are currently consulting with delivery partners from national and provincial departments to finalise delivery agreements detailing the specifics of delivery. The delivery on these outcomes requires skills development. It must be noted that the National Skills Development Strategy III, currently being finalised by the Department of Higher Education and Training, also incorporates the key objectives of the strategy.
The monitoring of our human resource development is to be done through the HRD council, which is led by the hon Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe. Monitoring mechanisms will include all role-players in the strategy.
Hon member, there has been significant expansion and growth in further and higher education and training over the past 16 years. The dramatic growth and expansion of the education system has enabled the country to achieve high enrolment rates at school level. We still want to improve on these and, ultimately, ensure 100% attendance.
A key development of the past 16 years is also the introduction of legislation that compels the private sector to invest in skills development by introducing a skills levy and skills development plans. The introduction of learnerships is an important development. It enables new graduates to be exposed to the job market for practical experience. All in all, we are on track to introducing a comprehensive human resource development programme working with all key stakeholders. Thank you, hon Speaker.
Speaker, hon Fransman is not in the House. I will be asking the follow-up question on his behalf. Thank you, Speaker.
Thank you, Mr President. In the light of the HRD strategy that is currently in the process of being adopted by Cabinet, how is government hoping to address the issue of a deficiency in scarce skills in the country through this strategy, especially in the light of the government's five priorities? And how will it ensure that each and every department focuses on and places an emphasis on improving the scarce skills within this country? Thanks, President.
Hon Speaker, the process is addressing exactly that demand - to know exactly what can be done by different departments and by everybody, including, as I have said, even the private sector, to ensure that we are able to look at where the need is the greatest, and what needs to be done. So, this council is going to be looking at those kinds of specifics so that they are part of the broader strategy to address the matter. Thank you.
Speaker, the President has quite rightly referred to the Human Resource Development Strategy, a very aspirational document. However, the reality, the hard reality, is contained in a different report: the recent assessment of the Public Service Commission, under the Chairpersonship of Dr Mgijima, who found that many government departments do not apply even some of the most basic management norms.
I will quote from the document to you. On page 16, he says:
The majority of departments did not have job descriptions for posts that have been advertised.
Now, this situation has serious implications, and I quote again. Dr Mgijima says:
The Public Service fails to place people with the right skills and competencies in the right places.
Mr President, my question is: How do you manage a professional Public Service without meeting the most basic requirements of human resource management, such as job descriptions, to fill vacant posts? [Applause.]
Hon Speaker, that report was done in order to reveal what the situation is. Having received that report we, as government, are addressing those shortcomings. We are not waiting.
That is part of what is going to be addressed by the council. We want to ensure that those gaps do not exist, and it is through this council that we will be able to ensure that every department does the right thing; so the report has been very helpful in informing us as to what the challenges are at the moment. [Applause.]
Speaker, on a point of order: Is it parliamentary for hon Dreyer to call Dr Mgijima "Gijima"? [Laughter.]
Thank you for your answer to this question, Mr President. You are saying that the monitoring of the HRD strategy will be done by significant stakeholders. I wish to understand which those will be. Will it be the HRD Council or will it be the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation? Secondly, who will they be reporting to? And thirdly, how will the public access such information in determining whether that is in alignment with the country's goals? Thank you.
Hon Speaker, as I have said, the council, led by the Deputy President, will certainly be leading the process, and indeed, that will be reported on to Cabinet. That information will always be available.
That kind of information, whether it would be available or not, is not the information which is under dispute. People have been accessing the information from government if they have needed to. So, there will be no problem getting to know what is happening and therefore discovering whether every alignment has been made. Thank you.
Steps taken to hold individuals managing provincial finances accountable
17. The Leader of the Opposition (DA) asked the President of the Republic:
Whether, with reference to the Western Cape provincial government achieving a clean sweep of unqualified audit reports and his statement that there is a crisis of accountability (details furnished), he will ensure that steps are taken to hold to account individuals who fail in their duty to manage provincial finances appropriately; if not, why not; if so, what steps?