The Minister of Labour should listen to this. The ANC alienated so many professionals that they are not prepared to be employed directly by municipalities any more but only to be placed there by agencies like the Development Bank or simply work as contractors. Indeed, the whole concept of contract positions has backfired. Instead of creating excellence, as we intended as lawmakers, it has been misused for political expediency, and it has led to the destabilisation of senior management at municipalities.
One of the biggest mistakes that the ANC made was to repeal the Profession of Town Clerks Act of 1988, and the Municipal Accounts Profession Act, Act 21 of 1988, without replacing them with proper ones. No wonder that the Institute of Municipal Finance Officers points out the lack of professional recognition and the current status on the appointment and regulation of municipal financial officers as the main reasons for the lack of financial skills at municipalities. Only now a Bill is before Parliament to set professional standards for positions and appointment procedures, which we support and which we think can go a long way towards alleviating the problem. Figures indicate that there is at all times at least a 12% vacancy rate in section 57 appointments - that is, municipal managers and managers reporting to municipal managers. Then there are those appointees who fill positions, but do not have the necessary skills and expertise. We know South Africa has a shortage of skills in general, but this is compounded in local government by the fact that at least more than 100 rural municipalities find it impossible to attract the necessary skilled people. If Buffalo City Local Municipality in East London, which is aspiring to become a metro in the near future, does not have one graduated engineer, where does this leave the other municipalities in the country?
The SA Institution of Civil Engineering says that only 51% of housing projects are successfully completed as a result of skill shortages. This shortage carries over to existing infrastructure as well, where maintenance is regularly neglected. The impact of poor maintenance reduces the quality of life of our citizens as broken pumps leave sewage in the streets, and this compromises the health of all of us. Electrical malfunctions leave houses in the dark, and power cuts erode business prospects. They also mean loss of income for municipalities because less water and electricity are sold. In summary, skills shortages reduce economic growth and job opportunities in South Africa and negatively affect municipal service delivery across all sectors.
If we start to look for solutions, the political mistakes, some unintended, must be acknowledged and corrected. Firstly, cadre deployment must be stopped. Councillors, especially ANC councillors, must appoint staff in a balanced way, as our Constitution and laws intend. The DA believes that the concept of fit for purpose must be applied where transformation is taken into account, where equity is taken into account, and also where skills, expertise and experience are taken into account and that these should all be balanced. Secondly, stop leaving positions open if a suitable cadre is not available. It is a pity and a travesty that skilled people are overlooked owing to the ideological blinkers of political leaders at municipalities. Municipalities can go a long way towards reversing the brain drain if the message can go out to South Africans abroad that their skills will not be overlooked and that there are plenty of vacancies at municipalities.
Thirdly, too many municipalities fail to enter into performance agreements so that staff can't be held accountable, or rewarded, for their efforts. If this is not done properly, it doesn't encourage staff to undertake training and to improve their skills. Fourthly, the Department of Co-operative Governance, Salga and the Local Government Seta should make a concerted effort to come up with applicable training and ensure that it is of good quality. It is disappointing that the department is still struggling to complete a skills audit of all municipalities. We are in total darkness about how this has progressed. A complete skills audit for this sector will go a long way towards identifying what our needs really are and how they can be addressed.
Another solution would be for the private sector to second experienced staff to battling municipalities. We also need partnerships with professional organisations that can make a big difference and are ready to assist.
Ten slotte sal die Minister van Samewerkende Regering en Tradisionele Sake en sy departement aan die een kant en ons, as parlementslede, aan die ander kant moet saamspan om wetswysigings deur te voer wat professionele standaarde gaan herstel. Dankie. [Tyd verstreke.] [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[In conclusion, the Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs and his department on the one hand and we, as Members of Parliament, on the other hand will have to co-operate in passing amendments to legislation that will restore professional standards. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]]