Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members, officials of the Department of Public Works, ladies and gentlemen, let me take this opportunity to acknowledge the policy statement of the Department of Public Works as made by the hon Minister.
This policy statement has been presented at a time when the national government has just adopted a new macroeconomic plan, the New Growth Path. The economic plan, as we all know, seeks to put the economy of South Africa on a higher developmental trajectory through infrastructure development, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, the green economy and tourism.
The plan is underpinned by the commitment of government to create five million jobs by the year 2020 and, more importantly, to build a developmental state. Moreover, government has introduced the second phase of the Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP, which undertakes to create 4,5 million work opportunities as part of the overall economic strategy of the country.
About two weeks ago we saw South Africans casting their votes to elect their public representatives to the local sphere of government. They overwhelmingly renewed the mandate of this government to continue to govern where they live. It is against this background that, as we debate the policy statement of the Department of Public Works, we should not lose sight of that mandate. Theirs is a call for living conditions to be improved for good.
In this regard the Department of Public Works, as the custodian and portfolio holder of government infrastructure, has a crucial role to play. The strategic plan of the department identifies critical areas of focus as infrastructure development, investment in skills development, job creation and poverty alleviation through the Expanded Public Works Programme. This is very important in that it shapes the content of their constitutional mandate and ensures specialised focus in the delivery of services. Infrastructure remains a major economic growth point in which government has a direct role to play. It is the backbone of economic activity and all other pillars of the economy are dependent on infrastructure.
The challenge, however, is that as a country we still have a lot to do regarding development and delivery of infrastructure to our people. This is largely attributed to a lack of synergy and integration in planning when it comes to infrastructure. This challenge cuts across all institutions of government and it must be confronted as a matter of urgency, Minister.
Insufficient institutional capacity of our systems is another challenge that is linked to this one. The shortage of professionals and artisans with requisite skills has a detrimental impact on the capacity of government to develop and deliver infrastructure.
The role of the private sector in the delivery of infrastructure should also be clearly defined. It is a strategic social partner of government in the delivery of services to the people. Our view is that the private sector should be brought on board through a variety of platforms. These could include such initiatives as the regional development funds in the mining sector. These initiatives have become a legal requirement on the part of the mining industry and they should be fully exploited. They are also part and parcel of their corporate social investment.
Given these persistent systemic challenges, government, and the Department of Public Works in particular, is called upon to establish a system or systems that will enable government to: firstly, build internal project preparation capability; secondly, ensure integrated planning amongst institutions of government; thirdly, maximise the effective and cost- effective use of the meagre resources of the state; fourthly, develop bankable infrastructure projects; fifthly, ensure the sourcing of external funding and financing of bigger infrastructure projects; and lastly, above all, streamline the role and involvement of the private sector in the work of government.
I have no doubt whatsoever in my mind that government as an institution can only function optimally if it has effective and efficient internal control systems. To that effect, the Department of Public Works should up the tempo in closing the gaps already identified in the departmental strategic plan of 2011 to 2014.
The areas that require special and urgent attention are risk management, contract management, legal services, human resource management, supply chain management and asset registration. This should cover the state entities that fall under the department. Once we have improved on these systems there will be no justification for unaccounted-for state assets, vacant funded posts, unresolved cases of fraud and corruption, maladministration, and, above all, qualified audit opinions.
The 2011 to 2014 strategic plan of the Department of Public Works indicates that there are no less than 1 375 vacant posts. This is a serious indictment of the department. It must move with the necessary speed to fill all those posts that are funded. It is also important to indicate that these posts must be filled with suitably qualified people. We need to do this if we are to deliver on our constitutional mandate. We cannot compromise quality for quantity.
We also welcome the technical assistance offered to other departments by the Department of Public Works with regard to the EPWP and the Infrastructure Development Integrated Plan, Idip.
In this regard we would also like to thank the Treasury for making available the services of transactional advisors to help the department with infrastructure development projects. Nevertheless, the Department of Public Works needs to develop effective and efficient monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for these programmes. This will help inculcate a culture of accountability for our plans and programmes.
Whilst we welcome the plan to rehabilitate and upgrade public buildings in Bloemfontein and Pretoria, the continuing huge backlog in the maintenance of infrastructure is a recipe for many more incidents of fraud and corruption, as reported.
In this regard, Minister, there is a need to refocus our spending and channel more resources to infrastructure maintenance. The approach must change, for it has been costly for government to rehabilitate and refurbish dilapidated and neglected infrastructure.
Some of the infrastructure in question could be used to house our people who are in need of affordable accommodation. In this regard, we welcome the initiative of the department and implore it to prioritise the poor as target tenants, particularly students and other categories of young people.
With a sense of renewed commitment and loyalty to the cause of serving our people, South Africa could see the previously disadvantaged people play a meaningful role in the mainstream economy through infrastructure.
Eka Mufambisinkulu wo Khomela, Tatana Vukela, ndzi khensa ntirhisano wa n'wina na vatirhikulobye. Hi ku tirhisana na ntwanano vusokoti bya swi kota ku hlengeleta madzanadzana ya swakudya leswikulu ku byi tlula hikuva byi tirhisana byi tlhela byi va na ntwanano. Rintiho rin'we a ri nusi hove. Hove yi nusiwa hi tintiho hinkwato. Tatana Vukela, nusani tihove mi va phamela hinkwavo leswaku mi ta kota ku tirhela tiko. Inkomu, Holobye. [Va phokotela.] (Translation of Xitsonga paragraph follows.)
[To the Acting Director-General, Mr Vukela, I thank you for your co- operation, as well as for that of your colleagues. People, like ants which gather their food during harvest, are able to achieve whatever goals they set for themselves through co-operation and unity. Work, which requires time, cannot be done by one man only. Work has to be shared amongst the people. Mr Vukela, divide the work amongst the people so that you can render efficient service to the nation. Thank you, Minister. [Applause.]]