Hon Chairperson, members and colleagues, it is with great pleasure that I am delegated once more to debate on behalf of the Portfolio Committee on Provincial and Local Government. My mandate is mainly to focus on building of the necessary institutions of democracy and capacity. There is greater alignment between the National Spatial Development Perspective, the NSDP, Provincial Growth and Development Strategies, and Integrated Development Plans, the alignment of which can help government programmes to complement each other. The rationale behind the call for greater alignment between NSDP, PGDS and IDPs is to facilitate better performance of our developmental state.
This can be then achieved by getting government and organs of people's power to work better in meeting the common objectives and outcomes. Project Consolidate is already beginning to have a positive impact in some municipalities by drawing the collective strengths of national and provincial government.
A o a utlwa Ntate Pule? E tla ke e boeletse. [Is it clear, Mr Pule? Let me repeat myself.]
Project Consolidate is already beginning to have a positive impact in some municipalities, especially those that have vision, and those that are led by the ANC. By drawing the collective strengths of national and provincial government, the ANC is well-placed to ensure that these spheres of government work harder from now going forward to further build on what has been achieved. You cannot achieve in one day, but only bit by bit. We are seeing serious capacity- building taking place to strengthen different institutions of people's power in order to make a reality of the Age of Hope.
Lo nne lo reetsa fa go buiwa. [You must always pay attention when someone is talking.]
Nibolalela uma kukhulunywa. Anilaleli. Kukhulunywa njalo nje ... [You must learn to listen when someone is talking. You don't want to listen. People are always talking here ...]
... but community development workers are being trained and deployed in municipalities, ward committees are being revitalised, a leadership academy in the department is shaping up and the Intergovernmental Relations Act ... e lo tlholang lo e opela [... the one that you always sing] ... is bringing greater stability and co-ordination in our system of developmental local government. These are meant for the public cadres that are committed to the principles of Batho Pele.
We are further seeing serious empowerment initiatives being made in targeting women in local government, and resources directed at youth development programmes. You can see even in this very institution and that is why the masses of this country endorsed it again on 1 March so that the ANC must keep on ruling. All these programmes communicate a message, and we as the ANC have continued to say that it is time to ensure that tomorrow will be better than today and today is already better than yesterday. That is ensuring that all South Africans enjoy equal rights as stipulated in the Freedom Charter fifty years ago.
Chairperson, all this indicates that the ANC-led government has totally done away with apartheid laws; one reason being that ...
... ngabe asikho kule podium ukube kwakungalesiya sikhathi. [... we would not be here at this podium if it was during the apartheid time.]
Has it ever happened before? All that it was is that I stayed stuck in the Bantustans like when I grew up there.
Soos jy kan sien, is ek so dom vandag. [As you can see, I am so stupid today.]
The following are some further indications of democracy and building of institutions. Local government has been mandated with the building of houses for all needy people; eradication of the bucket system by 2007; halving poverty and unemployment by 2014; equal rights in the workplace where there is no discrimination of sex, colour, religion, plus the Bill that was placed here today; free basic services for all who need them; and lastly the eradication of past laws.
The ANC applauses the recent improvements in spending by provinces, the recent capacity of spending of provinces, and in making significant progress in all delivery sectors like education, health, social services and public works etc. The ANC commends this shining example of a people's contract in action, and further encourages provinces to continue to emulate this pattern of improved service delivery. Existing historical evidence confirms that the ANC remains the only organisation in our country that in fact delivers services to all people of South Africa, black or white, despite fundamental challenges inherited from the past.
Our challenges are therefore around strengthening capacity, transforming the financial systems and achieving greater co-operative governance. Popular participation in the governance of our country is a pillar of our democracy, therefore participatory democracy must find expression through the functioning of ward committees.
Lastly, President Thabo Mbeki in his closing remarks to the ANC on 17 February said: "These targets may be ambitious, yet they are also realistic. They demonstrate both the extent of our achievements, date and value of the experience we have gained. They are an indication that whatever challenges we may continue to face, working together in a people's contract we can still do more." Thank you. [Applause.]