Hon Chair, hon Minister Nathi Mthetwa, hon Deputy Minister Yunis Carrim, distinguished guests and the House, indeed we bow our heads in memory of the passing of Comrade Chris Hani, a consummate activist, a freedom fighter and a stalwart of the class struggle who stood as tall and unbreakable in life as in death.
We owe our freedom and lives today, amongst many of our heroes and heroines, to leaders who gave up their individual and family lives for our right not only to vote, but to lead free and decent lives and make decent earnings. Their blood has indeed nourished our freedom, and we should all lead responsible and accountable lives, in honour of their memories.
We also convey our heartfelt condolences on the passing of yet another icon of the struggle, Comrade Albertina Sisulu. In memory of this heroine, we urge all of us to view and use the local government election results, not for petty politicking, but as an important opportunity, earned through her sacrifice, to improve the livelihood of our people.
Way back in 1992, 19 years ago and two years before our first democratic election, the ANC adopted a policy guideline for a democratic South Africa called "Ready to Govern". We asserted then, as we do today, that the basic objectives of the ANC policy are fourfold: to strive for the achievement of the rights of all South Africans as a whole to gain political and economic self-determination in a united South Africa; to overcome the legacy of inequality and injustice created by colonialism and apartheid in a swift, progressive and principled way; to develop a sustainable economy and state infrastructure that will progressively improve the quality of life of all South Africans; and to encourage the flourishing of the feeling that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, thereby promoting a common loyalty to and pride in the country and to create a universal sense of freedom and security within its borders.
We have won the freedom to choose our own representatives and, in doing so, to decide for ourselves the character of the state and the actions to direct it towards socioeconomic resolution.
In his state of the nation address in February 2011, the President, Mr Jacob Zuma, emphasised that job creation remained the foremost government priority in this financial year. It is in this context that the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs has ingrained job creation in its strategic plan and budget as the pillars of economic development.
The recent local government election manifesto of the ruling party calls on all of us to "Work Together to Build Better Communities". We believe that creating local governance systems and structures that are effective, efficient, responsive and developmental is the key to the realisation of the vision of making 2011 a year of meaningful job creation and a year of moving the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to take South Africa forward towards building better communities. All the efforts to create jobs should find expression and constitute the apex in the department's strategic focus during this financial year.
During the presentation of the national Budget, Minister Pravin Gordhan indicated that, and I quote:
We have taken on the challenge that the legacy of apartheid left us - a legacy of disempowerment, landlessness, inequality of opportunity, and millions of unemployed young people who cannot see a realistic prospect for a decent life.
He continued:
... now is the time to do extraordinary things in dealing with our particular development circumstances. It requires new ideas and bold efforts from all - government, business, labour, communities and every family.
It has been our conviction, as the ANC, that the aim of democratising our society and growing our economy inclusively can only be realised through a responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government system that is part of a developmental state, which is the antithesis of the apartheid state.
In the context of the South African Constitution, a developmental state implies that municipalities assume a greater and more significant role in economic and social development: in the context of anything that should be informed by the New Growth Path, the provision of basic services, clean governance, development and redistribution, and the eradication of corruption.
Local government is expected effectively to attain its mandatory mission of delivering services that are adequate and responsive to the needs of our communities. Therefore, there is a serious need for the department to look at issues of capacity-building, as we have just held elections.
This year the department needs to intensify the Operation Clean Audit 2014 campaign, with the aim of improving not only the financial management of municipal revenue, but also asset management, procurement and the overall performance of municipalities, particularly in ensuring more effective and efficient service delivery and development.
In our recent engagement with the Auditor-General on the 2009-10 audit outcomes, current capital assets constitute 75% and 73% of repeated qualifications during the audit outcomes, not to mention disclaimers and other opinions.
During the financial year, the department needs to double its initiative to support municipalities gradually to improve their financial and performance audit outcomes to reach the 2014 clean audit target. This can be the resolution of avoiding section 139 interventions, as most of these interventions arise as a result of financial noncompliance, management incapacities, political leadership challenges, fraud and corruption, incompetency and many other challenges.
One of the obstacles to achieving clean audits in local government is the appointment of people without the required technical skills, which is the fourth attribute of building a developmental state, in terms of the strategy and tactics document of the ANC. Specific shortages identified include economic development specialists, project managers, engineering specialists, development planners, and spatial planners.
I would like to reiterate the point made by the President that local government must appoint people with the appropriate expertise to serve in the right positions in municipalities and government in general. Therefore, speeding up the passing of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Amendment Bill is necessary.
I would further like to reiterate the point made by the Deputy Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs at the conference of the Institute for Local Government Management of SA in Durban. He said: "We are appealing to the newly elected councillors not to arbitrarily replace qualified senior managers." This is the phenomenon that is happening in some municipalities now, so we can expect anything from now on.
We all know that our municipalities have different capacities and are faced with different social and economic challenges. Depending on the different challenges, it will be necessary for municipalities to focus on those responsibilities on which they are able to deliver.
The department therefore needs to do a rigorous data-driven and detailed segmentation of municipalities into a number of categories that better reflect the varied capacities and the context within municipalities across the country.
During the course of the 2011-12 financial year, the department should continue focusing on strengthening and giving all the necessary support to the institution of traditional leadership. Going forward, the capacity of traditional leaders must be more fully leveraged in assisting municipalities in service delivery issues. Creative ways and means are needed to ensure that traditional leaders are fully involved in service delivery and planning for their areas, as well as the structures operating in local municipalities.
Amongst other things, the process should also make sure that society is educated to understand the role of traditional leaders in local government, their place and their status.
The other teething issue that emerges from time to time is one the Minister has raised: the issue of Khoisan leaders. It must be taken on, so that the matter can be laid to rest.
I would like to pay tribute to all municipal councillors, the majority of whom are ANC councillors, for the outstanding service that they have rendered to our communities over the past five to 10 years. They have worked under very difficult conditions and yet continue to inspire with their leadership and commitment to do well in highly challenging environments.
In recognition of the selfless sacrifices of these councillors, and being mindful of the fact that they rely on all our people working together with them, we salute them for carrying out their political mandates and constitutional responsibilities with honour, distinction, dedication and commitment.
We should approach the new term of local government with renewed hope and a high degree of optimism. While there are some challenges that municipalities face, the department should not allow these challenges to detract it from the many successes that municipalities have already enjoyed.
Let me restate the words of our icon Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela in his book, Conversations with Myself, when he said, and I quote:
The ideals we cherish, our fondest dreams and fervent hopes may not be realised in our lifetime. But that is beside the point. The knowledge that in your day you did your duty, and lived up to the expectations of your fellow men is in itself a rewarding experience and magnificent achievement.
Indeed, together we can do more. The ANC supports the Vote. [Applause.]