Mr Speaker, Deputy President and hon members, the UDM welcomes the new-found commitment by government to pursue a more holistic and integrated policy and service delivery. This is a longstanding concern of the UDM. As we have argued on countless occasions, the country's most pressing challenges - from unemployment to crime and poverty - require multipronged and innovative solutions. Even among related government departments, for example the economic cluster, there are countless discrepancies in objectives and approaches.
Our concern with the national planning strategy is twofold. Firstly, there is an issue of accountability. Existing structures and elected officials cannot simply become the mindless pawns of a central state bureaucracy. The autonomy and accountability of existing structures as enshrined in the Constitution must be protected. It would be a sad day if elected institutions at local and provincial levels became mere cogs in the national government machine. That was never the intention of our Constitution.
Secondly, there is the question of consultation. Any plan that claims to be a national strategy must have the broad and informed support of the whole nation, which means it will need to be widely debated.
South Africans have grown tired of a distant style of governance that decides for them what they need and how they will get it. A national strategy that takes a one-size-fits-all approach would be disastrous. The rural village in Limpopo that receives unnecessary housing when they are in the midst of a water crisis is an example.
The UDM supports the initiative. Thank you. [Applause.]