Hon Deputy Chairperson, intergovernmental relations in the South African context are concerned with interaction between the different spheres of government. The Constitution provides that government comprises national, provincial and local spheres of government which are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated. According to the Constitution, an Act of Parliament must establish or provide structures and institutions to promote and facilitate intergovernmental relations and provide for appropriate mechanisms and procedures to facilitate settlements of intergovernmental disputes.
The Constitution further provides that an Act of Parliament must provide for the equitable division of revenue raised nationally among the national, provincial and local spheres of government. For this reason Parliament has passed the following pieces of legislation: the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act and the Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations Act, as well as many others that other colleagues referred to.
The purpose of the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act is to establish a framework for national, provincial and local governments to promote and facilitate intergovernmental relations and to provide for mechanisms and procedures. The Act provides mechanisms for these spheres to talk to each other, co-operate, support and to assist one another. Nothing in the Act stops any of the forums established in terms of the Acts to refer any matter discussed in those forums to the NCOP or to any of its committees, especially if such matters have policy or budgetary implications.
For that reason, Deputy Chairperson, I do not agree with the narrow interpretation of the Constitution by hon Harris. I am surprised that hon Harris chose to self-promote, self-place and lobby for a federal state, instead of sharing the good ideas he has on this particular subject. Perhaps we need to remind each other, Deputy Chairperson, that the fact that we all fly for two hours to Cape Town from our provinces does not make the Western Cape a federal state separate from South Africa; it remains a province in South Africa and it will remain so. [Applause.]
It is also not surprising that he chose that particular route because, as a Member of the NCOP, I have never heard any leader of the DA in this House saying anything good about the ruling party. They are best at mastering criticism on every good thing the ANC and its government does.
As for the comments, I was listening with interest to hear the solutions that hon Bloem provided from Cope, but I could not pick up even a single one, except to hear from media clips and what he said in the media. But perhaps I need to share with hon Bloem that he was unable to share with us those matters because Cope has of late mastered the art of using the courts to run its own affairs. Perhaps at some point we will have to debate those issues.
Our oversight visits to different provinces in the past weeks exposed us to the harsh reality that there seem to be no connected relations between the three spheres of government, despite the existence of the structures. [Interjections.]
O nt?ela nako, monna. [You are wasting my time.]