Speaker, the ACDP welcomes the Minister's frank admission of the department's shortcomings. We agree with the Minister that it is a crying shame that after 15 years of democracy, parts of our country - such as those he pointed out, one of which was the Oliver Tambo District - still reflect the legacy of apartheid and the unacceptable face of underdevelopment, poverty and marginalisation.
It is alarming that the Minister went so far as to say that the extent of the breakdown in trust between communities and government was so grave that it was placing our democratic state at risk. We are grateful for his frankness in making that concession.
We also trust that the shortcomings identified will be addressed by both the department and Parliament in a more robust oversight manner, particularly in view of the shocking state of many of our municipalities. It is no exaggeration to say that many of our municipalities, where service delivery is crucial, are on the verge of collapse.
Lastly, the ACDP is concerned about the sudden resignation of the director- general, reportedly owing to a poor working relationship with the new Minister. If the director-general was paid out, we need to know how much and under what circumstances, as well as whether there is any truth to the allegation that she wanted to lay criminal charges for irregularities in the department.
How government manages the relationship between new Ministers and permanent government officials is key to the success of the new administration. We cannot afford to lose experienced Public Service managers owing to tension or a breakdown in relations, or even to purges. The ACDP will support this Budget Vote. I thank you.