Mutshamaxitulu, swirho swa Yindlu leyo hlonipheka, Holobye Lindiwe Sisulu, Xandla xa Holobye Ayanda Dlodlo, hi tsaka na wena eka siku ra wena ro velekiwa namuntlha. Hi tsakile hikuva namuntlha u kuma swilo swo tsakisa naswona u yimbelela risimu ra Happy Birthday [Siku ra ku Velekiwa] a wa ha yimbeleli rona ra Siyolala emahlathini [Hi ta etlela enhoveni]. Hi leswi hi swi tsakelaka sweswo. A wa ha Dliwi yi zingwenya [Dyiwa hi tingwenya]. Sweswi u tsakile. Eka vatirhelamfumo va Ndzawulo ya Vukorhokeri bya Vaaki na Mafambiselo ya, DPSA, lava fambaka na Mulawurinkulu Tatana Diphofa na vayeni va hina, hi ri, ri perile. (Translation of Xitsonga paragraph follows.)
[Mrs J M MALULEKE: Chairperson, hon members of this august House, Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, Deputy Minister Ayanda Dlodlo, we celebrate with you on your birthday today. We celebrate with you because today you receive different gifts and you sing a Happy Birthday song instead of Siyolala emahlathini. [We will sleep in the bush.] That is what we like most. You are no longer singing Dliwa yi zingwenya. [Devoured by the crocodiles.] You are now happy. To all government employees of the Department of Public Service and Administration, DPSA, the entourage of the Director-General, Mr Diphofa, and our guests, we say good evening.]
Hon Chairperson, it gives me great pleasure today to debate the Budget Vote of the Department of Public Service and Administration. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation for the work well done thus far by the department under the leadership of hon Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and Deputy Minister Ayanda Dlodlo.
As a member of the portfolio committee, I would also like to extend my appreciation to the staff of the department for executing the mandate to the best of their ability. However, we have acknowledged that there is more to be done to achieve the set performance objectives. When it comes to Outcome 12, I would just say ... ... ke la me leo, ka gonne o setse o fetile fao ke ne ke tshwanetse ke fete teng. Ke a leboga, Modulasetilo. [... that is my decision, I had to experience what you experienced. Thank you, Chairperson.]
Batho Pele, which means "people first", is an initiative that was launched in 1997 to transform the Public Service and make it efficient across the board and at all levels. It was launched because democratic South Africa inherited a Public Service that was not people-friendly.
In the struggle to transform the Public Service, the old culture has to be changed to ensure that our people are served properly, that all staff work to their full capacity and treat resources with respect. Batho Pele is an approach to get public servants committed to serving the people and finding ways to improve service delivery. The approach requires the involvement of the public in holding the Public Service accountable for the quality of the services provided.
Tona, diboto tse dikgolo tsa Batho Pele di beilwe kwa diofising, kwa Lefapheng la Boitekanelo le mo mafelong otlhe. Ke yona tirisanommogo e re e bonang ya Batho Pele ka diboto tse dikgolo tseo, fela se se kwadilweng mo dibotong tseo, ga re se bone mo badiring ba ba dirang ka fa diofising tsa rona. Re ne re kopa gore re gatelele gore fa re tsena ka fa diofising, re bone se boto e se buang se diragadiwa ka namana. Ke sona se re se kopang mo badiredipusong ba rona. [Legofi.] (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[Minister, big Batho Pele boards are hanging in on offices, at the Department of Health and everywhere. That is the Batho Pele partnership we see on those big boards, but what is written on those boards is not what we see from our government officials. We would like to emphasise the need for seeing what is written on those boards happen practically. That is what we request from our government officials. [Applause.]]
Batho Pele comprises key programmes aimed at ensuring improved service delivery in the Public Service. These programmes include Project Khaedu, through which 330 senior managers are being trained by the Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy, Palama; service delivery improvement plans; a performance management and development system; a know your service rights campaign; and Public Service Week. All these programmes are efforts by the ANC-led government to ensure that Batho Pele is adhered to in the Public Service.
A lot of work has been done through Batho Pele. We would like to acknowledge the following achievements that are being made in implementing the Batho Pele programme. Fourteen provincial departments and five national departments were capacitated in the Batho Pele Change Management Engagement programme in the Public Service as part of the mainstreaming.
Ke tlile go le tsopolela fela ditemana di se kae, nka se kgone go di tlhalosa go ya ka nakonyana e ke e filweng. [I am going to touch on a few items, but I cannot elaborate further due to the short time I have been allocated.]
A geographic accessibility study was completed on the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme. A toolkit methodology on the costing business process and standard operating procedure was produced. In 2012, 63% of national and provincial departments submitted service delivery improvement plans to the DPSA. A Business Process Management Framework was developed and a total of 295 officials from health in Gauteng, North West and the Northern Cape were trained in Batho Pele. However, more still needs to be done to increase the number of services to the people through the key programmes of Batho Pele. The department should redouble its efforts and increase the number of frontline key supervisory staff that are trained, especially with regard to the Departments of Health, Home Affairs, Education, etc.
Thusong Service Centres are regarded as strategic service delivery access points for the government of the Republic. The Thusong Service Centre programme of government, formerly known as multipurpose community centres, was initiated in 1999 as a primary vehicle for connecting communities with government services. The objective was to address historical, social and economic factors which limited access to information services, particularly by citizens, as they had to travel long distances to access services. We noted that there were challenges facing the Thusong Service Centres in rural areas that need collaboration amongst departments. Limited resources is one of the major problems in ensuring that they fulfil their mandate of integrated government services by providing information. The department should therefore ensure that resources are prioritised for Thusong Service Centres in the rural areas. I'm saying this, Minister, that ...
... lefapha fa le tla go bega ka Thusong Service Centre, ba re begela ka tikwatikwe ya marekelo ya Maponya; ga ke ise ke utlwe ba bua ka Leretlhabetse kwa Moretele, kwa Lebotloane. Ba ikgantsha ka tikwatikwe ya marekelo ya Maponya. Re eletsa go ka utlwa pegelo, ka letsatsi lengwe, e bua ka metsemagae. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[... when the department comes to report about Thusong Service Centres they report about the business district of Maponya; I have never heard them talk about Leretlhabetse in the Moretele Municipality, in Lebotloane. They like to boast about the business district of Maponya. One day we would like to hear a report about townships.]
The objective of Thusong Service Centres was to address historical, social and economic factors that limit access to information services, particularly by citizens, as they had to travel long distances to access government services.
An integrated and collaborative approach is critical for an information communication technology-driven economy. The DPSA must see its programmes as part of an all-encompassing programme of government. Therefore, the department must collaborate with the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform and the Department of Communications in providing comprehensive solutions to the challenges facing Thusong Service Centres in rural areas, especially on information and communications technology matters.
In November 2012, the Governance of ICT Policy Framework was approved by Cabinet. As a member of the committee, I would like to thank the department for this achievement. The portfolio committee will play its oversight role on the implementation of the policy framework, including monitoring its performance and impact.
As the portfolio committee, we have adopted overarching oversight of the Public Service that will foster collaboration amongst departments charged with implementing common programmes such as the Thusong Service Centre programme.
In conclusion, I would like to inform the House that the Community Development Workers programme helps communities to bring about social change and improve the quality of life of the people in their local areas.
Ndzi twile eka mbulavulo wa n'wina, Xanda xa Holobye, mi khumba timhaka ta tiCDW. Swa hi vava swinene hi ku tiCDW tona ta tirha swinene. Loko mi languta eka buku ya Grassroots Innovation: A Handbook for Community Development Workers ya komba leswaku vanhu le makaya va tirha njhani.
Vanhu lava a va tivi leswaku va wela eka hofisi yihi. Loko va lava switirho a va tivi laha va swi kumaka kona. Loko va nghena eka DPSA, yi vula leswaku yona yi tirha ntsena hi ku endla tipholisi. Loko va hundzela eka Ndzawulo ya Mafumelo ya Vutirhisani na Timhaka ta Ndhavuko, Cogta, na vona va va byela leswaku n'wina mi wela ehansi ka timasipala. Ku laveka ndhawu ya vona laha va nga ta tiva leswaku va rhangeriwa eka ndzawulo yihi naswona varhangeri va vona hi vahi. [Va phokotela.] (Translation of Xitsonga paragraphs follows.)
[Deputy Minister, I heard in your speech that you touched on CDW matters. We are so touched because the CDWs are doing their work. If we can look at the book Grassroots Innovation: A Handbook for Community Development Workers, it shows how rural people work.
These people do not know the office they belong to. When they want tools, they do not know where to get them from. When they go to the DPSA, they are told that they deal only with policy formulation. When they go to the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Cogta, they are told they belong to municipalities. They need their own jurisdiction in which they will know in which department they belong and who their leaders are. [Applause.]]
Hon Chairperson, Members of Parliament and distinguished guests, let me take this opportunity to thank the Minister. The ANC supports the budget. [Time expired.]