Chairperson, this is a good initiative by the Minister and his department, and it is a good thing that he comes to Parliament to announce it here where we can debate it. However, the hon Minister was a bit out of tune regarding the Western Cape.
On 20 August he said here in Parliament that 86% of the DA-controlled municipalities in the Western Cape did not hand in their books to the Auditor-General, but it only had to be in at the end of August. I believe, at that stage, 100% of the ANC municipalities hadn't handed in their books! [Applause.] I have checked and, as we stand here today, only two DA- controlled municipalities in the Western Cape haven't complied.
I would to like to ask the Minister why this initiative is necessary. It is actually an acknowledgement that the closed patronage system of cadre deployment of the ANC is a failure. [Applause.] It is easy to be ideological and implement a policy whereby only comrades are employed, but policies are always tested by reality, and reality will show which will endure and which are flawed.
The Minister has to come up with this initiative to try and rescue a desperate situation. He gave us the percentages here; 14% of municipalities didn't even submit their books for an audit. Only 33 municipalities were given a clean audit. At any given time more than 12% of chief financial officers' positions are vacant, some for months, because ANC-controlled municipalities can't find a comrade that is remotely suitable for the position and they don't want to appoint other suitable candidates - even if they are black - on suspicion that they support another party like the DA or Cope. [Applause.]
This initiative is going to fail, Minister, unless the ANC-controlled municipalities start to appoint people on merit, which requires that qualifications, experience and proven skills in financial matters be the determinant in appointments. Since 2006 a total of 1 283 professionals and experts have been deployed to municipalities and still the situation is desperate - desperate, because the ANC does not want to accept that municipal officials should be independent and appointed on merit only.
Belastingbetalers regoor Suid-Afrika is vuisvoos geslaan deur die verhogings wat hulle die afgelope jare in hul munisipale rekenings moes verduur. Die verhoging van die koste van elektrisiteit deur Eskom is maar een aspek daarvan. Die wanadministrasie; korrupsie, veral met tenders; vermorsing op luukshede soos burgemeestersmotors en oorsese reise; swak kredietbeheer; en die oorspandering op gratis dienste by die meerderheid van munisipaliteite het ons na aan die punt gebring dat getroue betalers dit net eenvoudig nie meer kan bybring nie en ook weerstand opbou om hoegenaamd te betaal.
Belastingbetalers verwag waarde vir hul geld. Hulle verwag goeie basiese dienste, maar hulle verwag ook skoon geouditeurde state as 'n aanduiding dat 'n munisipaliteit verantwoordelik met hulle geld omgaan. Skoon oudits is een ding wat weer bietjie vertroue in munisipale bestuur kan inbring, en daarom is die DA voluit vir hierdie inisiatief wat u loods.
Finansile wetgewing is in plek, dit is nie die probleem nie. Die probleem is hoe om daaraan te voldoen. Volgehoue opleiding in finansile bestuur op alle vlakke kan nie genoeg beklemtoon word nie en 'n mens bly ook bekommerd oor die wiskundige vaardighede van leerders wat skole verlaat en op toetree- vlakke by munisipaliteite begin werk, want almal speel 'n rol om 'n skoon oudit te lewer.
Die DA wens die Minister en sy departement sukses toe met hierdie nuwe inisiatief, maar ek wil herhaal dat dit doodgebore is as die ideologie van kaderontplooiing nie plekmaak vir meriete nie. Finansile werklikhede ontbloot politieke speletjies. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Ratepayers across South Africa are punch-drunk as a result of the increases which they have had to endure over the past few years with regard to their municipal accounts. The increase in the cost of electricity by Eskom is just one aspect thereof. The maladministration; corruption, especially with regard to tenders; squandering on luxury items such as cars for mayors and overseas trips; poor credit control; and the overspending on free services by the majority of the municipalities have brought us close to a stage where faithful payers simply cannot afford it anymore and are also building up a resistance to paying in any way whatsoever.
Ratepayers expect value for their money. They expect good basic services, but they also expect clean audit reports as an indication that a municipality is dealing responsibly with their money. Clean audits are the one way in which trust in municipal management can again be gained and, therefore, the DA fully supports this initiative that you are launching.
Financial legislation is in place, this is not the problem. The problem is how to comply with it. Continuous training in financial management at all levels cannot be emphasised enough and one continues to be concerned about the mathematical skills of learners who leave school and start working at entry levels at municipalities, because everyone has a part to play in the delivery of a clean audit.
The DA wishes the Minister and his department well with this new initiative, but I want to reiterate that it will be stillborn if the ideology of cadre deployment does not make room for merit. Financial realities expose political games. [Applause.]]