Chairperson hon Tau, the Chairperson of the NCOP, the Chief Whip of the NCOP, hon members, distinguished guests, I want to enter the debate by reminding the House of the inspiring words that were uttered by the former President of the ANC, and the first democratically elected President of South Africa, Comrade Nelson Mandela, when he said on 20 April 1964 at the Pretoria Supreme Court:
During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to the struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
Madiba is a truly dedicated leader, a servant of the people who worked tirelessly for his country in the quest to achieve freedom and prosperity. He laid the foundation for the country's achievement. As we embarked on the Provincial Week as public representatives and servants of the people, some of us were inspired and motivated by these words of the former President. Indeed, his words are still true, as they were then. It is through this background that President Jacob Zuma made an earnest plea and a call to the nation to protect and defend the legacy of former President Nelson Mandela.
We must acknowledge that the Provincial Week programme turned seven this year, having come into existence in August 2002. We must thank those who initiated this programme before us, and its relevance is still important in the life of the NCOP. I would just like to tell the House that the idea of taking the government to the people emanated from and was initiated by the Northern Cape provincial government. The idea of the NCOP Provincial Week is actually a continuation of bringing that idea further down to the people.
The permanent delegates of the Northern Cape listened to the people of our province during the Provincial Week by rolling up their sleeves in an effort to address their needs. The interaction between ourselves, the permanent delegates, and the Northern Cape province was further entrenched by the principles of co-operative and intergovernmental relations. Section 40(1) of the Constitution provides that, in the Republic, government is constituted as national, provincial and local spheres of government, which are distinctive, interdependent and interrelated. Section 40(2) provides that all spheres of government must observe and adhere to the principles of co-operative governance and intergovernmental relations and must conduct their activities within these parameters.
The Northern Cape province is sparsely populated. As permanent delegates, we were, of course, guided by the theme: "Strategic mechanisms for strengthening the representation of the provincial interests in the National Council of Provinces". We also underpin the theme with the following objectives: to enhance dialogue and interaction between the NCOP and the people of the Northern Cape; to provide an opportunity for the NCOP to communicate its programme of action and the progress being made; to listen to the people about problems needing attention - blockages in implementation of policy areas that may need review; and to enable the NCOP direct access to what people say and feel about government and service delivery and to listen to their grievances and advice about the pace and direction of government work.
During the Provincial Week, we informed our province that since the start of the Fourth Parliament, no Salga delegates had represented the Northern Cape in the NCOP. We made this reminder to the Northern Cape government in order to be able to sensitise Salga to execute their responsibility.
MECs from the province had also not participated in the policy debate on the budget. We have appealed to the province. Our request is based on the premise of a closer working relationship between the NCOP and the local government, given the important role played by municipalities in the provision of quality services to the people. During our strategic plan workshop this year at Lagoon Beach, Milnerton, members of this House agreed that local government is central to achieving the nation's vision of better quality of life for all citizens, as it is the sphere of government that is at the coalface of service delivery.
Our report captures the following challenges, as faced by the municipalities in the Northern Cape: eradication of bucket system, electricity, water, indigent policies, waste management strategy, and landfill sites. The number of households that have access to piped water has increased to 94%. As many as 87,3% of households have access to electricity, and 73,2% of households have access to waterborne sanitation.
In conclusion, we are talking about building a developmental state. We need to develop and implement comprehensive rural development strategies. We say that we need to uplift the lives of our rural communities. We can successfully do so, if we have some of the natural resources available. During our Provincial Week, we were able to identify four possible developmental points, where there is water, land, people and sun. It is with these resources that we can strategically plan to engage women, train them and, with proper management, produce agricultural products for food security.
In my last debate in this House, I invited the hon Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Comrade Gugile Nkwinti, to visit the Northern Cape province so that he can see these natural resources and be able to formulate a clear idea for proper planning. I move that the report of the Northern Cape be adopted by the House. Thank you. [Applause.]