Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister, my chairperson, colleagues and comrades ...
Laat ek net 'n bietjie Afrikaans praat. Hierdie komitee van plaaslike regering is 'n dinamiese komitee. Ek is vandag stomgeslaan deur die DA wat so rustig is. Ek wonder of daar iets in die paaseiers was wat hulle soeter gemaak het.
Dit wys dat hulle verstaan. Dit is die teenoorgestelde van die ID en die UCDP. Hulle is nie deel van die komitee nie en hulle was nie deel van die in diepte gesprek in die komitee nie en daar is nie 'n begrip van wat eintlik aangegaan het nie. Ek wil net vir die agb Le Roux s ek dink nie die wetgewing is 'n proses waarmee ons wil begin om, soos hulle s, "'n kick-start" te gee aan die "single Public Service" nie. Ek dink hierdie wetgewing is daarop gemik om die uitdagings, wat ons nou opgetel het in plaaslike regering, aan te spreek, dit te verbeter en reg te maak.
Ons sal gedurig verander, want in die toekoms sal nie een van ons wat hier sit kan s dat ons ondervinding het van wat in die toekoms gaan gebeur nie. Ek het al gehoor manne praat van hulle vorige lewe. Maar daar kan nie teruggegaan word na die verlede toe nie. Ons moet die verlede gebruik om te bepaal hoe ons na die toekoms gaan kyk. So, transformasie en verandering gaan by ons bly solank ons en di wat n ons kom, lewe. Daar is voortdurend verandering en aanpassing en uitdagings wat ons die hoof sal moet bied.
Ons behandel 'n hele paar goed in hierdie wetgewing. Ons kyk na amptenare wat hulle beskikbaar wil stel as raadslede en ons s - en dit is mos nou net menslik - dat wanneer die kandidaat geslaagd is en aangestel word as raadslid, dan moet hy bedank as amptenaar. So nie skep ons werkloosheid, want as hierdie man nie die verkiesing wen nie, sit hy sonder 'n werk as hy te vroeg bedank.
Ons kyk ook na die termyn van munisipale bestuurders. U weet, die ding van munisipale bestuurders en amptenare is ook 'n uitdaging vir ons. Wanneer 'n politieke party 'n raad oorneem en as daar 'n ander burgemeester is - en ons sien dit gebeur - word die munisipale bestuurder ook in die pad gesteek. Ek is bekommerd hieroor, want hier is geld betrokke. Die munisipale bestuurder word nou 'n lywige bedrag geld betaal want sy termyn is mos nog nie om nie. Hy moet nou uitgekoop word, en di manne kry baie geld.
Somtyds lyk dit my of mense aansoek doen, sodat hulle maar weer kan gaan en 'n goeie som geld daaruit kry. Dit is nie 'n gesonde ding nie, want hierdie geld kan vir dienslewering gebruik word.
Saam hiermee is die tendens dat elke verskil of dingetjie in 'n raad nou na 'n hof toe gesleep word. Dit veroorsaak duur hofgedinge en kostes. Dit het finansile implikasies. U weet, in arm rade op die platteland is dit 'n groot verlies wanneer geld aan hofonkostes bestee word. Dit is ook een van die groot probleme in die Wes-Kaap. Die LUR het dit al 'n paar keer vir ons genoem. Ons s in die Wes-Kaap dat ons te doen het met maak-'n-las-rade, want ons het gedurige veranderings as gevolg van koalisievorming. Vandag stem twee partye saam en hulle raak ontslae van die ander party se lede. Dit het tot gevolg dat 'n ander burgermeester en ander munisipale bestuurders aangestel word en dit veroorsaak onstabiliteit. Dis een van die dinge waarna ek dink ons moet begin kyk. Koalisivorming moet ook in 'n mate aangespreek word.
U sal by sommige rade vind dat 'n eenmanpartytjie, wat net uit een lid bestaan, die hele raad swaai in 'n rigting. Dit is nie demokrasie nie, want die man het 'n paar stemme en die meerderheid en die raad moet nou maar geswaai word. Dit is wat ons in Afrikaans noem, die stert swaai nou die kat in die rondte. Ons kan nie dat die stert die kat in die rondte swaai nie. Jy kry rade waar die meerderheidsparty nie regeer nie, want jy kry 'n party wat met klomp ander klein partytjies saamsmelt om die party in die meerderheid te kry. Sulke koalisievorming moet rens aangespreek word.
Ek het 'n maklike taak om laaste te praat, want met die kapasiteit in hierdie komitee en met almal wat al alles ges het, kan ek net vir u s: Minister, ek voel vandag bly dat ek die ondersteuning van die DA het. Ek kan dit amper nie glo nie, maar dit wys dat ons goed saamwerk in die komitee. Ek vra dat ons hierdie wetgewing ondersteun. Daar gaan nog kom, want ons gaan gedurig verander ten gunste van dienslewering aan ons mense. Baie dankie. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Allow me to speak a bit of Afrikaans. This committee on local government is a dynamic committee. I am totally speechless today that the DA is that quiet. I wonder whether there was something in their Easter eggs that made them sweeter.
It shows that they understand. It is completely the opposite with regard to the ID and UCDP. They are not part of this committee and they were not part of the in-depth discussion that took place in this committee, and there is clearly no understanding as to what actually transpired. I would just like to say to the hon Le Roux, I do not think this legislation is the process with which we want to, as they say, kick-start a single Public Service. I think this legislation is aimed at addressing the challenges that we have encountered at local government, and at improving and rectifying it. We will constantly have to change, because not one of us sitting here can predict what the future has in store. I have heard of people speaking about their previous lives. However, we cannot return to the past. We have to use the past to determine how we are going to view the future. Therefore, transformation and change will be with us for as long as we, and those who come after us, are alive. There will be constant changes and adjustments and challenges that we shall have to overcome.
This legislation addresses a number of issues. We have officials who want to make themselves available as councillors and we are saying that - and of course it is only human - when the candidate has been successful and is then appointed as a councillor, he then has to resign as an official. If not, we are creating unemployment because if this man does not win the election, he will be without employment if he should resign prematurely.
We are also considering the term of office of municipal managers. As you are aware, this issue pertaining to municipal managers and officials is also a challenge to us. When a political party takes control of the council and a different mayor is appointed - and we see this happening - the municipal manager is also given the boot. This is of concern to me as there is money at stake. The municipal manager is then given a huge payout as his term of office has not yet expired. He has to be paid out and these people are highly paid.
Sometimes it seems to me as if people only apply so that they can be relieved of their duties just to gain a tidy sum of money in the process. This is not a healthy state of affairs, as this money can be used for service delivery.
In conjunction with this, there is the tendency lately that every disagreement or issue in a council is now taken to a court. This results in costly lawsuits and incurs costs. It has financial implications. You know it is a huge loss for poorer councils in the rural areas when money is spent on lawsuits. This is also one of the great challenges in the Western Cape. The MEC has mentioned this to us on number of occasions. In the Western Cape we are saying that we are dealing with "maak-'n-las" councils, because we have continual changes as a result of the formation of coalitions. Today, two parties may agree and they will then get rid of the members of the other party. This results in the appointment of a new mayor and other municipal managers which causes instability. That is one of the issues which I think we should start looking at. The formation of coalitions should also be addressed to some extent.
You will find within some councils that a small one-man party, consisting of a single member, can change the direction of the whole council. That is not democracy, because this man has only a few votes and the majority in the council has to change in that direction now. This is what is commonly known in Afrikaans as the tail now wagging the dog. We cannot let the tail wag the dog. You find councils where the majority party is not the ruling party, because you find a party that has formed a coalition with a number of other smaller parties to enable it to obtain the majority. Such coalitions have to be addressed somehow.
I have the easy task of being the last speaker and because of the capacity in this committee and with everybody else having said what needed to be said, I can only say: Minister, I am happy today that I have the support of the DA. I can hardly believe this, but it shows we have a high level of co- operation in the committee. My request is that we support this legislation - and there will be more to follow - as there will be constant change in favour of service delivery to the people. Thank you. [Applause.]]