Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and hon Deputy Minister of the Department for the Public Service and Administration, hon Members of Parliament, comrades and compatriots, distinguished guests, fellow South Africans present here and at home, ladies and gentlemen, it has been almost a year since the people of South Africa, in their large numbers, went to the polls and voted for the political parties of their choices during the 2009 general elections when the ANC got the highest votes.
This overwhelming support once again mandated our movement to continue with the political task of forming a legitimate government of the people. The electorates have entrusted the ANC with the power to govern the country on their behalf. They did this in honour of the fallen heroes and heroines of our struggle, the leading cadres of the movement and of the people, such as umama-Dora Tamana, Oliver Tambo, Victoria Mxenge and many more. Amongst them, former General Secretary of the SA Communist Party and a member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC, the late Comrade Thembisile Chris Hani, whose assassination won us the first democratic vote when we observed the first commemoration in April 2004. It didn't just come, it was won out of the blood of Comrade Chris Hani. [Applause.]
South Africans cast their votes in order to acquire this democracy, peace and human rights against conflict and crime, colonialism and apartheid, and against inhumanity. This is a mandate that the ANC will never betray.
Since the autocratic minority government of the National Party came to power in 1948, the public sector employment policy had always been based on the narrow ideological reasoning that the political destiny of blacks rest in their poor and underdeveloped areas. Subsequently, an apartheid policy and discriminatory system were instituted to the extent that the country was legally balkanised into pockets of rural, dry and self-governing homeland areas established along tribal lines. The regime then created an impression that any departure from this principle, particularly with regard to black participation in institutions created by the government as the macro-organisation of the state, would be tantamount to igniting black expectations of a political future with their white South African counterparts in the country. This is the most significant precept of our long-drawn-out political conflict and the fundamental reason for the declaration of a national democratic revolution in South Africa.
The purpose for this brief outline on the historical background of the public sector of South Africa is to create a context within which, firstly, to analyse the current challenges of critical skills shortages and talent in areas of local government and at all levels of the Public Service.
Secondly, the purpose is to indicate the utmost importance of understanding the reality that is obtained currently and the inherent challenges that we must navigate through as we traverse the journey to the establishment of a strong democratic state, based on the will of the people as espoused by the Freedom Charter.
Thirdly, it serves to remind us of the necessary compromises made during the Convention for a Democratic South Africa, Codesa, negotiations in the form of the sunset clause and the collapse of the Government of National Unity in 1996. Since then, an Act of Parliament - with far-reaching and ground-breaking policy implications to regulate and create legal instruments relevant to how the Public Service and Administration should function - had been passed and is currently regulating the public sector environment across the national and provincial spheres of government. The strategic thrust of the policy puts emphasis on the need for the development of a new cadre of a developmental state to serve in the interests of the population on an equal basis, particularly in respect of the most vulnerable sections of society: women, people with disabilities and children.
In addition, underpinning the implementation processes of this legislation were the eight Batho Pele principles which are intended to introduce a paradigm shift in government and cultivate a culture of a new cadre of a developmental state in the Public Service across all levels of the state.
This kind of a cadre should put the interests of the people first and not his or her own. This new cadre will not be preoccupied with scooping government tenders for themselves, stealing valuable government time for his or her selfish interest at the expense of the masses of our people who are patiently waiting for services to be delivered to meet their various desperate needs. [Applause.]
This Budget Vote that we are debating today is aimed at providing nearly 1,25 million people working in the service of the three arms of state - ranging from community services, the judiciary, local government and military - with tools and a legislative environment conducive to service delivery. But the almost 18 million people who voted last year and the 49 million men, women and children who are depending on service delivery are basing their trust on a new cadre of the developmental state who is working differently towards an efficient, effective and a development- oriented Public Service, as the Minister always states. The new cadre of the developmental state will be preoccupied with assisting government to reach its targeted outputs with regard to persons with disabilities and women, and to deal with the critical and key aspects of issues that government puts at the centre of transforming this society.
Much is expected from the Public Administration Leadership and Management Academy, Palama, previously known as SA Management Development Institute, Samdi, to deliver this kind of a cadre. Palama worked hard to align its objectives to the reality of its existence and also to that of the government. As we speak now, we can confidently say that there is an emergence of a clearer path that has to be travelled regarding the approach to skills development. The performance-oriented state envisaged in the state of the nation address delivered by the President is only possible if public servants are skilled in the service delivery required by the communities, and those skills should be tailor-made to complement the Batho Pele principles anticipated in the Public Service.
The portfolio committee has noted with extreme regret that the Public Service Commission's budget is no longer a stand-alone vote, as it had been the case in the past. This presents an opportunity to completely evaluate the location of the Public Service budget and emphasise the independency of this institution as it is a critical tool for the oversight role that is performed by Parliament through its members. It will be opportunistic then to harp on this point as an area of weakness, rather than taking charge of a moment that presents itself. This will allow a better establishment of this autonomous Chapter 10 institution of the state with a unique mandate. It reports to Parliament regarding its functions and powers. A favoured position would be for the Public Service to derive its budget directly from Parliament.
In pursuit of this matter, a meeting with the Office of the Speaker, the Minister for the Public Service and Administration and the Portfolio Committee on the Public Service Commission has already been set to take forward the implementation of this point of view. Therefore, there is no need for anyone amongst us here to cry foul on this matter since we are concerned and do not accept this abnormal situation that has happened. This matter will be pursued even beyond the current and past status of its existence to strengthen its independence. The portfolio committee is in full support of this aspect.
The committee noted with concern the noncompliance issues that were raised by the Auditor-General with regard to the State Information Technology Agency. The committee is aware that an investigation was recently conducted by the State Information Technology Agency, Sita, following information received in respect of alleged procurement irregularities. The matter has been forwarded to the Serious Commercial Crimes Unit for further investigation. All these matters will be followed up by the committee, even though we note with appreciation that a lot has been achieved to stabilise the structure and governance of this institution. This is so, since a full- fledged board has recently been appointed by the Minister, and this will enable the Sita to appoint a long-awaited chief executive officer. We also appreciate the initiative taken by the Sita to come up with the enterprise resource planning system of procurement that will go a long way to launch a transparent, open and accountable tendering process in order to remove all doubts about the procurement procedures.
One of the biggest challenges facing our country, after 16 years of democracy, is the continued need for a developmental state to redress persistent legacies of apartheid and discrimination like underdevelopment and marginalisation of people and communities.
The Constitution of South Africa provides for our country to be one sovereign, democratic state and for government to be constituted as national, provincial and local spheres of government; quite distinct, interdependent and interrelated. The Constitution further requires all spheres of government to provide an effective, efficient, transparent, accountable and coherent government to secure the wellbeing of the people and the progressive realisation of their constitutional rights.
Such a challenge is best addressed through a concerted effort by all spheres of government to work together for the provision of services, the alleviation of poverty and the development of people and the country. One single Public Service initiative is critical in this regard. I believe the design and configuration of a single Public Service initiative will give rise to governance and qualitative service delivery benefits.
To this end, we will work closely with the department to urge Parliament to prioritise passing the Public Administration Management Bi11 so that the regulatory framework for facilitating the seamless implementation of this huge landmark could be established as soon as possible.
Our society has a past that is characterised by unequal treatment and unequal distribution of resources and services. Since the apartheid government had to limit transparency to achieve its ends, such a context was a breeding ground for corruption. In leaving the discriminatory past behind, the presence of corruption must not be tolerated.
Former President, Nelson Mandela, our struggle icon, emphasised this in his opening address to Parliament in 1999:
When a leader in a provincial legislature siphons off resources meant to fund service by legislators to the people; when employees of a government institution, set up to help empower those who were excluded by apartheid, defraud it for their own enrichment, then we must admit that we are a sick society. This problem manifests itself in all areas of life.
Since 1994 the democratic government has made a concerted effort to step up the fight against corruption through the introduction of a comprehensive legislative and regulatory framework that would regulate ethical conduct and build national integrity. There was, however, early recognition of the fact that the application of a successful framework could not be the sole responsibility of government. Broad-based civic movements, including business, need to be developed to also contribute to this framework, providing the necessary space and capacity to fight corruption.
The Public Service Anticorruption Strategy has been developed for the Public Service in order to give effect to the expressed commitment of government to fight corruption in the Public Service. Parliament, as a major stakeholder, must actively join the national anticorruption effort to contribute towards the establishment of a national consensus and drive through the co-ordination of sectoral multiplicity of strategies and structures against corruption.
We must, visibly, support and defend existing anticorruption instruments in order to confront and defeat the scourge of corruption as it limits our ability to fight poverty, as it negatively affects our economic development. It damages social values and undermines democracy and good governance.
We are hopeful that the department, as it utilises this budget in line with its strategic plan, will ensure that it finds a new path and level of success in fulfilling its departmental mandate. We support this Budget Vote. [Time expired.] [Applause.]