I am glad you are not sleeping. [Interjections.] Deputy Chairperson, Ministers, MECs and delegates, I agree with the Minister of Finance's comments on a strong, smart and more active state. Firstly, I think such a system that he is proposing does not need to amend the current devolution of power in our system; and secondly, I suggest that the Minister of Finance should not have to look very far for a strong, smart and more active state when he is standing in this House.
Indeed, he only needs to look as far as the metro of the city of Cape Town and the Western Cape province. The Minister of Finance spoke about the misuse of resources in the provinces and municipalities and the whole list of other issues afflicting them. I would like to tell the Minister of Finance that is not the case in this municipality and/or province.
The fact is that the performance of the DA in this province and in this city is the example that proves that the constitutional principle of federalism and a unitary state is the best way of improving service delivery, if only voters exercise their democratic rights. Unfortunately, I disagree with the Chairperson's reading of the Constitution. I will explain why I say that. The topic today is "The role of the NCOP in co-operative government and intergovernmental relations: Unlocking the synergy for collective effort".
Let me first point out that the role of the Council is clearly defined in section 42(4) of the Constitution. The NCOP represents the provinces, to ensure that provincial interests are taken into account in the national sphere of government. The simple answer to the debate topic is that, constitutionally speaking, the NCOP has nothing to do directly with co- operative governance. Co-operation between the spheres of government needs to take place outside of this House, in Minmecs, extended Cabinet meetings, as well as Salga and the co-operative governance Ministry forums.
Instead, along with the NA, the NCOP is meant to provide a check and balance on executive power at a national level. In particular, we are meant to ensure that the views of the people living in our provinces are taken into account at a national level. It is as simple as that. Section 42(4) goes on to say that the NCOP should achieve this mainly by participating in the national legislative process and by providing a national forum for public consideration of issues affecting the provinces.
We can debate the story of unlocking the synergy for a collective effort as an abstract issue. I am fine with that. But in this House we want to be debating specifics. My reading of the Constitution means that it may not allow us to specifically debate how to unlock the synergy for a collective effort. It is not in the mandate of this House. That is not to say that we should only think in terms of the narrow silos of individual provinces. As the Chairperson has indicated, section 42(4) of the Constitution states that the spheres of government are distinctive, but they are also interdependent and interrelated. We can and must learn from each other.
In our Finance committee yesterday, we saw several provinces offering to help the North West with the staffing issue which they had previously experienced themselves. This is something we should do. We are all in this together. If one province succeeds, it will raise the whole nation, and hopefully the world. If one province fails, we will all bear the costs.
However, you will excuse me if I choose to reject the proposal that we should be unlocking the synergy for collective efforts in this House. I will leave that to the Western Cape's MECs in their Minmecs and the Western Cape Premier and her Cabinet. Instead, I will stick to the constitutionally defined mandate of the NCOP, to ensure that provincial interests are taken into account in the national sphere of government.
My first point is that it is not in the interests of the people of the Western Cape to develop any governance synergies in this debate. On the contrary, the very reason provinces exist is to ensure that government services are tailored to the different circumstances our people face in their provinces, to move government closer to the people, and to ensure diversity. In addition, our Constitution recognises the principle that absolute power corrupts. So it devolves key portions of power to the provinces in Schedules 4 and 5.
The people of the Western Cape value this. They expressed this when they came out in overwhelming numbers to elect the DA government last year. This has proven to be a good choice. The DA has cleaned up government. Yesterday the Auditor-General announced a clean sweep of 25 unqualified audits in the Western Cape provincial government. These results are unprecedented in this province. [Applause.]
The DA has created jobs in this province. As we moved into 2010, despite a 1% increase in unemployment nationally, in the Western Cape it dropped by 1%. We have also delivered services. This recent report on service delivery shows that the Western Cape is the best performer of all provinces in delivering basic services. In the Cape Town metro, where we have been in power for five years, 94% of households have proper sanitation; 95% have access to electricity; 98% are having their refuse collected; and 100% have access to water. These numbers are way above any other municipality in the country.
All these have been achieved by the DA provincial government, despite a poor recent performance by the ANC in national government. This leads us to believe that the ANC wants synergies because it is threatened by divergent views. Its recent behaviour backs the media tribunal and Protection of Information Bill and firm control of the SABC.
The Minister of Finance spoke about a centrifugal pulling apart of things. I am afraid the only centrifugal forces pulling things apart are within the ANC itself. I can prove this by asking the Minister of Finance where his proposal on youth wage subsidies is, five months after he promised that it would be tabled.
I am afraid I am out of time. The DA's municipalities in provinces are going from strength to strength; and the ANC's aren't. This is the proof of how devolution of power in our Constitution works. We are ensuring better delivery of services to our people. I thank you. [Applause.]