Thank you, Deputy Chair. Certainly we will do that. We will look at the conveyor belt and oil it. [Laughter.]
Earlier, in response to a different question, I said that governments operate in a particular way. The wheels of government, universally, turn very slowly. This is a critical point and one that I have been making ever since I was given this task - one of the things that frustrates government is this slow turning of wheels. That is why I have been saying we should do things differently. That is why I introduced Performance Monitoring and Evaluation. That is why the PCC is not just a body to sit, talk and go away, nor is it a talk shop. It is there to ensure that we put structures in place that are going to be effective, precisely to address the point we are addressing.
If you consider the lifetimes, or terms, of government and the period in which we have undertaken to change the manner in which government works, you couldn't have perfect functioning by now. However, I think the fact that the directors-general now report on a continuous basis indicates that we are getting there. The conveyor belt is being oiled! [Interjections.] It is going to move faster, I can guarantee you.
In fact, from time to time I visit areas unannounced, precisely to discover what is happening in those areas. I am going to continue doing so because I don't believe in just getting reports saying that everything is going well. If you were taught how to write a composition or essay at school, you can write any report, and it means nothing. If you were given the instruction to write something about Table Mountain, you could write a wonderful report. Just because the report tells you everything is fine, does not mean it is, in fact, fine. That is why, whether at the national, provincial or local government level, they know that I can arrive there any day.
In one place that I visited I found the mayor sleeping ... [Interjections.] ... in bed, just after lunch. I asked for the mayor and intimated that I wanted to go to his home. The secretary jumped up and down and said they would call the mayor, but he was not very well. The mayor came and he was not sick! All we could see was that the fellow had been resting - that's all! [Laughter.]
So, all I am saying is that oiling the conveyor belt is not going to be an overnight affair, but we are getting there. I'm highly committed to making government work differently. [Applause.]