Hon Deputy Chairperson, hon Chairperson, Premier Dr Mkhize, President Jacob Zuma in absentia, hon members of this august House and our delegates from Salga, let us jointly and severally take off our hats in saluting the members of the National Council of Provinces for the sterling work that they have done in the Free State province during the programme of Taking Parliament to the People in the week of 15 to 19 November 2010. We have read the report and it is indeed very comprehensive. It shows that our public representatives left no stone unturned.
I am encouraged by the fact that during the opening ceremony all the guest speakers expressed themselves differently, but they were all in agreement about the fact that South Africa is a democratic unitary state and that public participation and involvement is at the core of our democratic government. They further emphasised the fact that intergovernmental relations is the glue that keeps the three spheres of government together in line with the theme Enhancing Co-operative Government and Intergovernmental Relations. Indeed, the three spheres of government were under one roof. It is critically important that whilst we interact in that manner and make commitments, we should also monitor and evaluate the implementation of our commitments so as to avoid turning our debates into ordinary talk-shops without tangible results or outcomes.
Furthermore, the National Council of Provinces' activity is a direct continuation of what was termed as a call to the Congress of the People in 1955, which culminated in the formulation of the Freedom Charter. Our liberation forefathers laid down a well-designed pattern.
The people of the Free State province from all walks of life have spoken and their leaders have listened to their genuine concerns and grievances as expressed during the public hearings. The people took us to Parliament or legislatures through their secret vote and in turn the National Council of Provinces takes Parliament to the people. Certainly, this is a symbolic relationship that exists between us as public representatives and the voters.
The National Council of Provinces' report clearly demonstrates the fact that challenges that are being experienced by the people of the Free State are not unique to them. For instance, challenges of poor road infrastructure; inadequate provision of electricity; crippling unemployment, especially among the young people; abject poverty; housing problems; poor conditions of water treatment facilities; crime and so forth are also manifest in all provinces. It should be encouraging to all and sundry that the governing party is really doing its best within the available limited resources.
It should be appreciated that the responsible MEC and councillors during the National Council of Provinces outreach programme were given an opportunity to reply to the submissions of the people and made commitments, especially in areas of provision of basic services such as water, electricity, housing and local economic development. The NCOP should ensure that it monitors the implementation of those resolutions and commitments.
Furthermore, it is critically important on the land issue that the national Ministry for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Cogta, should really assist the municipalities, Salga and the demarcation board in attending to the concerns that were raised by the communities around demarcation processes. Those issues have the potential to cause havoc in various provinces.
I fully concur with hon Adv Mopeli, the chairperson of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders, that the government should fast-track the implementation of section 20 of the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act of 2003, which provides for various national and provincial departments to allocate roles and functions to traditional leaders and traditional councils whilst the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act provides for participation of traditional leaders in the area of municipal councils.
We need to monitor, on a regular basis, compliance with these pieces of legislation because they are key to fostering co-operative governance and we certainly need to improve the efficacy of the traditional leadership institution. We do not pay lip service in this regard.
We should draw inspiration from the following first cardinal clause of the Freedom Charter, which stipulates that:
The people shall govern! Every man and woman shall have the right to vote for and to stand as a candidate for all bodies which make laws; all people shall be entitled to take part in the administration of the country; the rights of the people shall be the same, regardless of race, colour or sex; all bodies of minority rule, advisory boards, councils and authorities shall be replaced by democratic organs of self-government.
The ANC of Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela and many others is continuing to implement this fundamental clause, which is also enshrined in our democratic Constitution, which contains the internationally and continentally enviable Bill of Rights. I thank you very much. [Applause.]