Chairperson, before you ask for notices of motion, I want to request that we add two extra motions that are not on the Order Paper, and that we consider those two items today, as we will not have another time to do so. They can only be considered today.
There is a request that we add two other items, which are not on the Order Paper. Is there any objection to the request? HON MEMBERS: No.
No objection. Agreed to. You can add those two items, hon Chief Whip.
Chairperson, these are Motions 4 and 5.
Motions 4 and 5 will therefore be considered although they are not on the Order Paper now. Is there any member who wants to give notice of a motion?
Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I will move:
That the Council -
1) notes that the National Council of Provinces, NCOP, and its members embarked on the Provincial Week visit last week, 12 - 16 September 2011, where it undertook oversight visits and interacted with communities in all of the nine provinces under the theme: "Parliament in Action - advancing citizen involvement in addressing service delivery challenges in our communities";
2) further notes that the members, in their respective provinces, had the opportunity to get "first-hand" information on the delivery of services and checked progress that the government is making in the implementation of projects and other sites that are intended to ensure that our people receive quality services;
3) takes this opportunity to congratulate the members of the NCOP, provincial legislatures, especially Premiers, Speakers and Chief Whips, as well as members of the SA Local Government Association, Salga, and all councillors and traditional leaders for ensuring that the Provincial Week becomes a resounding success; and
4) also congratulates the parliamentary officials, liaison officers and staff at legislatures who took part in the Provincial Week and members of the media, especially the SA Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, and the independent newspapers for deploying such a large contingent of staff who worked tirelessly to ensure extensive coverage of the Provincial Week and that our people were informed of the areas visited and the issues emanating from engagement with communities.
Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I will move on behalf of Cope:
That the Council debates -
1) the lack of access to early childhood development quality programmes in the poor communities and rural areas;
2) the urgent need for the Department of Basic Education to start valuing pre-school education, which is responsible for laying the foundation for our children's future;
3) the urgency for the Minister of Basic Education to recognize, protect and improve basic service conditions of early childhood teachers; and
4) the need to fast-track early childhood development registration and to improve the quality of services provided at the centres.
Mrs Abrahams?
Thank you, Chairperson. I will speak when there are motions without notice. Thank you.
Chairperson, I give notice on behalf of the DA that at the next sitting of the Council I shall move:
That the Council - 1) notes that during the Provincial Week from 12 September 2011 to 16 September 2011 it was very clear in the North West province that the delegation of the NCOP were undermined by different role-players in the province;
2) further notes that Salga only sent a delegation of one person to address members of the NCOP, without the chairperson;
3) also notes that of the nine mayors who were supposed to attend the meeting, only three were available and they were more than 20 minutes late, and the Chairperson of the NCOP delegation was forced to cancel the meeting;
4) enquires whether that is the way that Members of Parliament are continually going to be treated by provinces; and
5) requests an investigation into the undermining of the NCOP by different stakeholders in provinces.
Chairperson, I hereby give notice on behalf of Cope that at the next sitting of the Council I shall move:
That the Council debates -
1) the ever-increasing threat of food security and how it will impact on the livelihood of all South Africans; 2) the need for greater investment in agricultural research and development and the resulting technological advances as a means to address food security; and
3) the urgent need for government to address the impact of the bureaucratic regulatory system which is preventing the agricultural sector from sustainably feeding the nation.
Chairperson, I wish to give notice on behalf of the DA that at the next sitting of the Council I shall move:
That the Council -
1) notes that the Kouga Municipality is on the brink of collapse;
2) also notes that service delivery is grinding to a halt with unhealthy sewer spills adversely affecting health and tourism and thereby jobs;
3) further notes that the infrastructure is neither maintained nor developed in line with the increased housing projects;
4) notes that the administration is non-existent with no municipal manager and only two of the five directors permanently appointed;
5) notes that the financial situation is in such a bad state that creditors cannot be paid within the prescribed 30 days, with obscene amounts owed to Eskom for electricity and to the Nelson Mandela Metro for water;
6) also notes that employees pensions are deducted from salaries and wages but are not being paid over to the pension fund; and
7) therefore calls on the MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to -
a) accept full responsibility for the complete collapse of Kouga Municipality after his section 106 intervention early in 2010;
b) acknowledge the crisis; and
c) enact a full section 139 intervention for the sake of the people of Kouga.
Chairperson, I give notice on behalf of Cope that I shall move at the next sitting of the House:
That the Council debates -
1) the devastating flooding that caused widespread damage in the Northern Cape at the end of last year and the beginning of this year,
2) the failure of government and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to, despite numerous promises, provide meaningful assistance to farmers that are the economic engine of this region,
3) the countless jobs that have been lost and the effect it has on the poorest of the poor, where breadwinners are no longer able to feed their families; and
4) calls on government to deliver on its promises and to provide relief to farmers struggling to keep "head above water".
Chairperson, I give notice on behalf of the DA that I shall move at the next sitting of this House:
That the Council -
1) notes that the report released by the Auditor-General has revealed to what extent financial mismanagement has taken place in the Free State municipalities;
2) further notes that Matjhabeng, Welkom, municipality is once again the worst culprit with a staggering R216 million unauthorised expenditure during the 2010-11 financial year, followed by Kopanong with R58.4 million and Mangaung with R56 million;
3) acknowledges that out of 25 municipalities in the Free State, 16 have received disclaimer opinions;
4) is especially concerned about the total unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure for the 2009-10 financial year in Free State municipalities which amounted to R1.3 billion; and
5) recognises that the Free State province is the second worst run province according to the Public Service Commission and Operation Clean Audit remains a dream for most municipalities.