The hon member has raised questions that tread on a longer-term consideration that I think we who are concerned with this issue all need to apply our minds to, which is that we are looking into a single Public Service.
One of the reasons for that is the possibility that in time to come we might have to move some of the directors-general, DGs, we have at the national level and their counterparts at the provincial level to local government.
If we are serious that local government is the main area of service delivery and development, and that without a successful, effective local government system this democracy won't work, it might well mean that in future we will have to pay municipal managers higher salaries.
However, those salaries will not necessarily derive from their respective budgets. There might be a consideration that as we move towards a single Public Service, the national fiscus might have, over time, in a temperate, moderate way, to consider giving municipalities some sort of allowance to pay municipal managers of the necessary quality and skills, who will obviously demand higher salaries in the market.
So, I think this issue is quite complex and, as we are reviewing the model of local government, and as we are beginning to look at a new, more integrated co-operative governance system, these issues need to be looked at more strategically - member, I think you are raising broader issues - and it may well be that we have to move people from the national sphere to the local sphere, which means, of course, that they will have to be paid appropriately.
So, I think there are broader issues here, and we shouldn't get too preoccupied with some of the immediate issues which are being addressed in any case. They are part of our overall strategy that we are seeking to achieve over the next five years and more. Thank you.
Progress in improving quality of funding municipalities
73. Mr S L Tsenoli (ANC) asked the Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs:
What progress has been made in respect of measures to improve the quality of funding municipalities, with particular reference to district municipalities? NO2312E