It beggars belief that people say they understand English and then ask questions about it. The Green Paper also says nothing about holding public representatives, especially Cabinet Ministers, accountable when they fail to fulfil their obligations. Minister Shiceka again missed a beat when he was asked what would happen to him if his objective is not met, and that is precisely where the stumbling block is in this Green Paper.
In fact, Minister Chabane, in response to my follow-up question in the House, you deviated from what was contained in your Ministry's proposal, less than a week after its launch. When I asked whether your Ministry would require government departments to release reports and indicators related to their performance on a more regular basis, especially whether the Department of Police would be required to release crime statistics on a more regular basis, you responded, and I quote:
We will, on issues that relate to us, be able to release information or reports related to the work that we are going to do. Obviously, with regard to reports that are compiled by other departments or other institutions, it is within the right of those institutions to determine how those reports are released and at what point.
I ask you, hon Minister, how does a system which allows departments to obfuscate propose to hold them to account? Minister, both this Green Paper and the Green Paper on National Planning appear to be intent on entrenching the centralisation of power in the national government and, more specifically, in the Presidency.
Among other things, the proposal that a delivery unit in the Presidency can intervene in any municipality and province could easily become a threat to constitutional democracy and the autonomy of the three spheres of government. In addition, I would like to add that it is quite clear that the Presidency ...