Chairperson, hon members, officials of the department, ladies and gentlemen, one of the most important lessons to be derived from the 100-year existence of the ANC is to always be rooted among the people and to remain true to their aspirations.
Since assuming power in 1994, the ANC has sought to transform the state into a people-centred system, with the emphasis on the promotion of public involvement and participation in governance. These values are expressed in our 2009 electoral message, Working Together We Can Do More, and the 2011 local government elections message, Together We Can Build Better Communities - A Better Life for All.
Institutionally and in terms of policies, the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs is centrally located to entrench these messages by ensuring that all three spheres of government act in tandem and are well co-ordinated in delivering services and promoting development.
Working in silos has proven to be both ineffective and inefficient. The three spheres of government working together is not a matter of choice but a constitutional obligation.
Through this debate, I pay tribute to former Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, hon Sicelo Shiceka, and his initiative of the Local Government Turnaround Strategy. We remember that the aim of the strategy is to mobilise government and society, to make a concentrated effort to deal with factors undermining local government and to restore good performance and the community's confidence in the country's municipalities.
It is therefore the department's responsibility to oversee and support municipalities, and, where necessary, to assist with capacitation in order for them to implement their turnaround strategies.
The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs is responsible for overseeing the implementation of key programmes within local government. It has to ensure that the agenda for the transformation of local government, as enshrined in the White Paper on the Transformation of Local Government, and the subsequent legislative framework that has been developed over the years is consistent with the ideals of building a developmental state, as articulated by the ANC.
In this regard, the capacity of municipalities to plan and to execute plans must remain one of the main priorities of the department in the coming financial year. One of the most prominent achievements of the ANC government since coming into power has been to establish and entrench the most progressive and people-orientated system of developmental planning, the Integrated Development Plan, or the IDP, as we know it; the Spatial Development Framework and the provincial developmental plans.
The fundamental principle underpinning these plans is integration, co- ordination and mutual support between all spheres of government. Again, it is about institutionalising public involvement and participation by communities in all governance matters that affect them at national, provincial and local government levels. I must hasten to add here that the responsibility of public participation does not, and I repeat, does not resort only with councillors. It resorts with all public representatives in all spheres of government. Too often blame is laid at the door of councillors when, in fact, some of the issues raised do not resort at a local level, but at provincial and national level. But these councillors are at the front line of service delivery and they bear the brunt of service delivery protests.
On this very point, we want to appeal to our communities to use the structures that have been put into place to raise their concerns about and dissatisfaction with any of the issues relating to governance and service delivery. Vandalising and destroying municipal property and infrastructure will not solve the problem. It will only reverse the efforts made to address the imbalances of the past.
The policies, systems and processes that the department develops and implements have to ensure that the principles of co-operative governance and intergovernmental relations, as enshrined in Chapter 3 of the Constitution, are practised and achieved across the board. On this score, the achievement of the ANC in establishing the current legal and legislative environment for intergovernmental relations must be acknowledged. Testimony to the success of the system has been that disputes between the spheres of government have often been resolved through co- operative mechanisms rather than through the courts. This shows a maturing intergovernmental relations system based on democratic values.
These policy achievements should, however, not blind us to the numerous challenges that we are facing which, in many instances, have affected the degree to which local government, in particular, has been supported. As the ANC, we are aware of the shortcomings and deficits in implementing some of these policies.
The department has regressed from an unqualified opinion to a qualified opinion in the previous financial year. This is unacceptable, especially in the light of Operation Clean Audit by 2014. This is a programme spearheaded by the department, so it has to lead by example. We encourage the department to pull out all stops on this deliverable.
Of particular concern when looking at this budget is how the capacity support for municipalities is going to be increased. It is unacceptable that especially low- and medium-capacity municipalities are unable to spend municipal infrastructure grant funding.
Chairperson, the department must ensure that mechanisms such as the Municipal Information Systems Association, or Misa, are put in place to address this anomaly and achieve its objectives. It must ensure that its monitoring and evaluation systems are implemented. The purpose of establishing the municipal public accounts committees, or MPACs, as we know them, is to promote good governance, transparency and accountability on the use of municipal resources.
We urge the department to ensure that all municipalities not only establish these MPACs, but ensure that MPAC members are also capacitated in order to fulfil their mandate within those committees. Another critical challenge in municipalities is the ageing infrastructure, which requires maintenance. However, municipalities allocate very little funds for this purpose and therefore have a decaying infrastructure.
This, in many instances, is not due to the unwillingness to budget for maintenance, but rather a very low or no revenue base. We would urge the department to review the recommendations made by the Finance and the Fiscal Commission. Currently there is no link between MIG funding and the equitable share.
Another concern is the Municipal Systems Amendment Act of 2011, which was assented to by the President in July last year. The Amendment Act seeks to build a managerial capacity of municipalities in a manner that will improve service delivery. Minister, 10 months down the line the regulations are still not in place. It is only now that it is in the process of being finalised. These regulations need to be finalised as a matter of urgency, so that we prevent the ghosts of the past from haunting us.
The cornerstone of the ANC's policies on local government is to strengthen its capacity, lead in promoting development at local level, through appropriate intergovernmental fiscal relations, and a redistributive funding model that takes into account historical inequalities, unequal development and the legacy of the racial spatial planning of the past.
As the ANC, we want the department to put greater emphasis on these issues in terms of its budget allocations for various programmes. We are cognisant and supportive of the efforts made by the department to simplify the Integrated Development Plans and to assist municipalities in ensuring that they incorporate all elements and requirements of the Local Government Turnaround Strategy.
We believe that the implementation of the Local Government Turnaround Strategy and the Municipal Systems Amendment Act will eventually address most of the challenges that have been facing municipalities.
Notwithstanding these challenges, we, as the ANC, support all the efforts made by the department and as such support its Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]