Chair, the committee asked the department to focus on projects that will build on its commitment to be successful so that there can be a success story.
We are living in a time that demands that we do things differently and with speed to address high levels of poverty and inequality. To this end, we can think of the NDA as a Cinderella that was not invited to the ball and whose beauty is not fully realised. The NDA is perfectly positioned to be a partner with government departments as far as community development projects are concerned through local Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, co- operatives and small, medium and micro-sized enterprises, SMMEs.
In this regard, it should be an implementing agency of government departments, much like the Department of Basic Education, particularly with regard to the current Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative, Asidi, programme. The programme is experiencing implementation challenges in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal because communities do not feel that the programme contributes to their development.
The NDA as a community development implementing agent should be involved in the Asidi programme to identify relevant CSOs, SMMEs or co-operatives, capacitate them
and link them to the programme. This will expand the footprint of the NDA and achieve government's objective of integrated service delivery between government departments. This will also eliminate delays in the construction of schools, something which has resulted in irregular expenditure.
The linkage between services and programmes is critical in an environment of economic decline.
We support this department's Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report. [Time expired.]
Declarations of vote (Cont...)