Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces and Madam Deputy Chairperson, hon Ministers present, Deputy Ministers, Premier of the Northern Cape, members of our various executive councils, chairpersons of our various portfolio committees present today, allow me to thank the NCOP for affording us the opportunity to discuss this very important matter of co-operative governance and intergovernmental relations between the three spheres of government.
Hon members, we were reminded by various speakers before us that the Constitution of the Republic makes provision for how government should be constituted, and that the government is constituted as national, provincial and local spheres which are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated. They further stated that all spheres of government must observe and adhere to the principles of co-operative governance and must conduct their activities within the parameters that the Chapter provides. The distinctiveness, however, does not give them absolute power over one another, but should be understood within the context of the developmental role of each sphere.
Madam Chairperson, this debate could not have come at a better time, as our country is gearing itself for the 2011 local government elections and, invariably, we are in the process of assessing and interrogating our performance, particularly because the municipal space is where service delivery hits the ground.
The outcome and impact of national and provincial sector departments' planning and strategy execution can largely be felt and measured within the wall-to-wall local government space. It is in this context that we submit that part of what should define the character of a developmental state, which we envision as a nation, is the creation of a local government system that is responsive, efficient, effective and accountable. This is Outcome 9 of our government priorities.
Furthermore, it is our considered view that at the centre of the developmental agenda is our collective responsibility across spheres of government and sector departments to build a strong state capacity capable of intervening decisively in defence of the poor and historically marginalised communities.
I humbly submit that in this context national and provincial government must, by legislative and other measures, support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities and thus co-operative governance in the context of intergovernmental relations. This is a non-negotiable constitutional imperative. However, I must be quick to caution that a legislative framework alone will not deliver the desired result. We need to elevate this debate and bring other critical ingredients on board, as the Minister of Finance earlier conceded, such as the question of the organisational culture within government structures, because the lessons drawn from the past 16 years should tell us that organisational culture is stronger than any policy or strategy.
Our attitudes, government atmospheric pressure, the right organisational temperature defined by values and ethos and how we do things moving forward will determine the success of any legislative and policy provision. In realising the ideals of co-operative governance and intergovernmental relations, we should spare no effort in changing the organisational culture in the administration of the three spheres of government and demand professionalism, excellence and accountability for results.
Chapter 5 of the Local Government Municipal Systems Act, Act 32 of 2000, clearly outlines integrated development planning and its processes. We wish to underscore that the integrated development plan, IDP, is an overarching development strategy. It is our view that for the greater and practical alignment of intergovernmental relations both provincial and national sector departments should align themselves around the IDP.
Chairperson, there is only one strategic document that must be implemented to achieve the objective of our developmental state in a local space, and all of those things should be contained in the IDP. We submit therefore that co-operative governance and intergovernmental relations must find expression in the context of the IDP. The shift from a technical approach to intergovernmental relations to a more sociopolitical one of co-operative governance provides a fresh environment in which the three spheres of government can more effectively plan, implement and monitor in an integrated manner.
It also provides for a more coherent approach to deepening democracy through institutions created to promote participatory governance. Co- operative governance therefore provides us with a renewed opportunity to improve on inclusive and integrated governance and administration.
Regional and rural economies, such as ours, often derive limited benefits from national inward investment initiatives, as intergovernmental relations do not result in national, provincial and local government planning together. Co-operative governance, however, provides us with this opportunity to collectively support municipalities to build economies through local and inward investment by ensuring that their local economic development strategies are linked to national and provincial initiatives.
It structures participation and collaboration between government and the business sector and communities in general in collectively strengthening local economies and creating decent work for the unemployed, in particular the youth. It allows for all stakeholders to identify their roles and responsibilities in the value chain that builds local economies, and in facilitating land availability and sufficient economic infrastructure through forward planning.
It also provides new impetus to past attempts to address intergovernmental planning challenges on issues such as, for example in our case, the damage being done to road networks in the province as a result of coal haulage, where the province and affected municipalities carry the financial burden of maintaining these road networks. Our desire for co-operative governance, implying better purposeful relations within and outside government, is not an idealistic one. It will have to be improved over a period of time and managed on an ongoing basis.
What is important is that tighter and clearer objectives, mechanisms, incentives and noncompliance penalties for nonco-operative governance should be clearly defined. Co-operative governance is a rather unique and ambitious governance model, like the Constitution that embodies the best ideals of a new democracy.
Chairperson, as I conclude, I wish to congratulate the NCOP for lifting up this debate, because, as the festival of ideas continues on co-operative governance and intergovernmental relations, we also want to suggest that the debate must find concrete expression in our collective responses on issues such as climate change, infrastructure development, national waste management, water sector issues and energy-related matters, municipal account committee issues and so forth. I thank you, Chair.