Chairperson and hon members, many of my colleagues have spoken extensively and eloquently about the history and the detail of the oversight model that we are discussing here today, so I won't repeat that.
I want to focus very briefly on the special and very important role that parliamentary committees play in the oversight model. Parliamentary committees are one of the most important mechanisms to facilitate accountability and conduct oversight over the executive.
We have seen over the past years a paradigm shift from committees focusing on legislation to oversight. This new oversight model will bring with it an enormous shift. Previously committees relied on the executive for information; now they will have their own resource personnel, and it is very crucial to develop Parliament's capacity to undertake this performance of its oversight and to fulfil its mandate of holding the executive accountable.
In terms of the new model, parliamentary committees will be expected to develop oversight programmes that are informed by 5-year overarching strategic goals that are in alignment with the vision of Parliament of building an effective People's Parliament. In doing so, parliamentary committees will move from a narrow focus on monitoring the performances of individual departments to a more expansive oversight role of realising the ideal of a better life for all the people.
The new oversight model constitutes a strategic paradigm shift because it is based on the premise that the oversight function of parliamentary committees is knowledge-intensive and that parliamentarians have to deal with a massive amount of information that needs to be processed into useful knowledge in order to carry out their oversight function effectively.
The success or failure of this model is going to depend to a large extent on the support that is given to parliamentary committees. That support entails administrative support, research support, adequate budgets, legal and procedural support, mechanisms to ensure executive co-operation and, last but not least, the capacitation of members.
On 22 April, we, the people of South Africa, will go to the polls to elect our representatives. It is these representatives who will constitute the fourth Parliament that will be responsible for implementing this oversight model. What is it that this oversight model will have to focus on?
The ANC approaches these elections with a manifesto that recognises clearly that we have made tremendous progress towards the creation of a better life for all over the past 15 years. At the same time, the ANC acknowledges that there is much to be done and that there are many challenges that need to be dealt with.
The ANC manifesto represents a set of workable ideals and plans to deal with these challenges. The ANC has identified five key priority areas for the next five years: firstly, the creation of decent work and sustainable livelihoods; secondly, education; thirdly, health; fourthly, rural development, food security and land reform; and fifthly, the fight against crime and corruption.
As the ANC, we will tackle these priorities with all the means at our disposal - the resources of government, the vision of the Freedom Charter and the energy and commitment of our people. These priorities set by the ANC, based on extensive consultation and dialogue with our people, will specifically target the needs of the youth, women, workers, the rural poor, the elderly and people with disabilities.
The ANC will build on the economic achievements of the past 15 years. The ANC will use various measures to build and accelerate the sustainable, equitable and inclusive economic growth path to address these five priorities. Our economic and social programmes will work together to ensure that they support each other.
The ANC believes that the developmental state must play a central and strategic role in the economy. The ANC will ensure a more effective government and improve the co-ordination and planning efforts of the developmental state by means of a planning entity to ensure faster change.
A review of the structure of government will be undertaken to ensure effective service delivery. The ANC is committed to ensuring that we develop a service-delivery culture that will put every elected official and public servant to work for the people and ensure accountability to the people. We will continue to develop social partnerships and work with every citizen. The ANC will manage our economy in a manner that ensures that South Africa continues to grow and that all our people benefit from that growth, and that we create decent work for the unemployed, workers, young people, women and the rural poor. The ANC will remain in touch with the people and listen to their needs. We respect the rule of law and we will defend the Constitution and uphold our multiparty democracy.
We have achieved much in the last 15 years, but we are aware of how much more needs to be done. The fourth Parliament will have to ensure that it implements this oversight model so that it can exercise effective oversight to ensure that the ANC manifesto is implemented. Working together, we can do more!
The ANC supports the adoption of the Second Report of the Joint Rules Committee on the Oversight and Accountability Model. Thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.