Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Ministers, hon members, it is almost one year since the Ad hoc Committee on Co-ordinated Oversight on Service Delivery was established to investigate the underlying reasons for the often violent protests across the country.
The issues that led to many of the protests then, still existed during our oversight visits and, sadly, still exist even as we debate this report this afternoon. I must also say, right at the outset, that in my opinion, very little that we have learnt from our visits and interaction with communities as to the reasons for such protests was new or unknown to the majority, if not all of us. As noted in the report, almost all major problems with service delivery revolved around noncompliance of relevant legislation, poor governance, lack of accountability and lack of meaningful communication between government and communities, and even between different spheres of government.
Housing was a particular challenging issue and was raised without exception in all municipalities that we visited. Ironically, it wasn't always about the nondelivery of houses and long waiting lists. Where housing was delivered, it was generally of a poor quality and, as mentioned in our report, this particular programme appears to be a breeding ground for corrupt activities. In most municipalities there appears to be a general lack of proper planning and in some of the poorest communities, where some delivery of houses did take place and where many people find themselves without decent shelter, we came across houses that were either not completed, or completed and standing empty for some reason.
In the Thulamela municipal area there were unoccupied houses which were completed in 1998. I almost want to say that there can be no greater injustice than this, where scarce resources - both land and finances - were actually spent or used, but nobody is enjoying the benefit of that expenditure. Sorry, I shouldn't say nobody. The houses may not be inhabited, but I suppose a builder and perhaps an official or two, somewhere along the line, benefited. The fact remains, a homeless beneficiary somewhere should have been homeless no more.
What became abundantly clear is the fact that many of these protests could have been prevented. Now some of you among us may question this statement. However, very many issues raised were of such a nature that, if we had functioning municipalities, staffed by competent people appointed on merit, they would have been addressed as a matter of course during the daily service delivery activities that a municipality is obligated to do anyway.
We found, in many instances, that the most basic task to be undertaken by a functioning municipality was not done. Granted, in some instances it may have been due to a lack of resources or infrastructure, but even where these were not a major obstacle, there was still a problem with the delivery of such services.
For example, in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality, we found that there was a lack of clarity of the role of the members of the mayoral committee. In the Mkhondo Local Municipality, divisions within the elected political representatives, where one group supported the mayor and another aligned themselves with the speaker, led to paralysis in governance in that municipality.
In a municipality like Buffalo City, where apparently nine councillors have still not been sworn in, it was reported that almost half of the councillors were determined to render the council dysfunctional. These are issues where leadership in these municipalities has broken down and is nonexistent. The fact that these paralysing situations were and are still allowed to continue, points to a problem with leadership that goes right to the top of our political and governance structures.
Wat vir my baie waardevol was omtrent hierdie oorsigbesoeke, was die feit dat amptenare van verskeie departemente ons publieke vergaderings bygewoon het. By hierdie vergaderings is dikwels probleme onder ons aandag gebring waar die oplossing onmiddellik gedentifiseer is en waar die voorsitter van ons groep voorstelle kon maak aan die betrokke amptenare om die probleem op te los. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.) [What was very valuable to me with regard to these oversight visits was the fact that officials from various departments attended our public meetings. Often at these meetings problems were brought to our attention where solutions could immediately be identified and where the chairperson of our group could put forward suggestions to the officials concerned to solve the problem.]
A particular instance that comes to mind is a school where a portion of the roof was blown off in a storm. When we visited the school, which were some weeks after the storm and subsequent damage, the learners were still being taught in the exposed classrooms and teaching was suspended whenever it rained. The chairperson instructed officials from Public Works to take steps to attend to the problem right there and then. However, why problems like that have to wait until an intervention takes place, defies comprehension.
It is, therefore, with regret that my suggestion that specific resolutions identified at these meetings be recorded in our report was not adopted and therefore cannot be tracked to determine whether they have indeed been implemented. I thank you. [Applause.]