Ho Modulasetulo ya kgabane, Motsamaisi wa Dipuisano, maloko a ntlo ena a hlomphehang, maloko a hlomphehang a dipalamente tsa diporovensi, basebeletsi ba puso, bomme le bontate, re leboha tlhompho eo le re fileng yona, ya hore re behe raporoto ya Foreisetata ka pela ntlo ena. Raporoto ena ke tshusumetso ya Molaotheo wa rona hore rona re be leihlo pusong ya porovensi le pusong ya lehae. (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows.)
[Mr M P JACOBS: Hon Chairperson, the Presiding Officer, hon members of this House, hon members of the provincial legislatures, public servants, ladies and gentlemen, we appreciate the honour given to us to table the report of the Free State. This report is the constitutional obligation that we should be the overseers of provincial and local governments.]
We want to assure this House that this report is not sentimental, but will strike the right chord with our people. It has been prepared with the sole purpose of trying to address the concerns that have been raised by our communities during our expedition.
The contents of this report need our profound attention. I will single out a few issues that were raised and that hamper the provision of service delivery.
We have discovered that there is centralisation of departmental functions at provincial offices, which delays the proper functioning of districts, because even a small issue such as the purchasing of a globe in an office requires a provincial endorsement.
The challenges raised by the Minister of Health earlier in this House are challenges that we became aware of during our visit to hospitals.
On the education front, adult education is neglected. Some schools are "platooning", although attempts are in progress to build new schools. There is also a lack of discipline in some schools: teachers arrive late for duty and the school management developer is not hands-on.
In pursuit of excellence and of doing things differently, we want to assure this House that we won't leave any stone unturned in making sure that our people receive better services.
We want to propose to this House that the NCOP receive feedback from provinces on how they have dealt with issues that are contained and raised in our provincial reports. It would be ideal if we could receive these reports before we embarked on another visit to the provinces.
We are aware that our processes are cumbersome. We were enthusiastically received by members of communities wherever we went. It is crucial that that enthusiasm isn't lost.
Kufanele noma kanjani sisheshe ukuxazulula izinkinga nezidingo zomphakathi. [We should by all means possible solve the problems of the community and cater for their needs quickly.]
... because that is the mandate they have given us.
We are worried, as public representatives, about the spate of violent protest actions that have engulfed certain townships. The blame cannot be put solely on the doorstep of local government. We must take cognisance of the fact that these protests took place after we had been to the provinces. The situation calls upon us to play a more constructive and supportive role in local government by using parliamentary constituency offices effectively.
We are pleased, as the Free State, that the number of protest actions has gone down, as reported by the Salga delegate the previous week. It gives us hope that we are on the right course.
We would like to wipe out all ills and have 0% protests. We are convinced that Operation Hlasela, spearheaded by the honourable Premier Ace Magashule, has become an effective instrument of service delivery. As I speak, more than 200 people have been employed in an area where I come from. People will now be able to put food on the table for their children to eat, and old and dilapidated houses are being renovated. This programme is not a Reconstruction and Development Programme, but is running concurrently with it.
These services cut across the whole province. The construction of national roads between Reitz and Petrus Steyn has been completed; and other roads, which are linked with the 2010 Fifa World Cup, are in their final stages. What is left is for us to intensify Operation Hlasela to speed up service delivery.
We are on the right course and we dare not fail the people of the Free State and the country, because working together, we must ensure that we deliver quality services to our people. We support this report. Siyabulela. [Thank you.] [Applause.]