As hon Mchunu comes to the podium, I want to congratulate him for being appointed as MEC responsible for local government, from being a Speaker. [Applause.] Congratulations, Mr Mchunu. [Interjections.] We will invite you to visit us.
Mr T W MCHUNU (KwaZulu-Natal): Thank you, Chairperson of the NCOP, for those comments, which are very lovely indeed.
Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members of the House, colleagues, I want to start by congratulating the Minister on his appointment to this position, and also congratulate him for tabling such comprehensive and what also seem to be very balanced and developmental budget estimates of public expenditure for the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period starting now.
For us in KwaZulu-Natal, it is indeed appropriate that we share your sentiments in accepting the new name of the department and also the new mandate that goes with it, because we believe this has been fairly scrutinised. It is most appropriate: it is a new year, it is a new mandate, it is a new government, and things must be done from a new perspective.
We have looked at the budget, and we certainly want to raise a few observations. We will raise them not because we are selfish, but from the perspective of our province.
Firstly, I want to refer to infrastructure development. In this province, we are the recipients of a huge part of the municipal infrastructure grant funding, but we are the first ones to cry that it is insufficient. We say it is insufficient because of experiences regarding the spending of this budget line. Our province is slightly different from other provinces. Its topography is one area to go by, which seriously undermines any form of developmental budget that may be put in. This has affected every aspect and type of development and every type of budget that has been applied to the province. It is therefore refreshing for us to notice that the budget has been increasing over the years and that it has increased again now. But we still wonder if it is going to fulfil its task.
We are worried in this area of work, because, importantly, it is in this area where public participation finds expression. For us public participation and empowerment form the basis and the cornerstone of the promotion of people-centred and sustainable local governance, which focuses on service delivery and is responsive to the needs of communities.
In this area, the costs for us in the provinces have been increasing over the years, but the challenges are further compounded by the latest focus on rural development. This focus demands that a lot more of the resources be allocated to development in the rural areas. Our main concern has always been that the more infrastructure we put in, the more resources we need to operate and maintain the infrastructure. We have found that this aspect is not adequately addressed.
We deal with municipalities, as you will know. You have certainly been in that province time and again; you know the area. You know the capacity of our municipalities in the rural areas. In some of these municipalities, the tax base is nonexistent. In others, the tax base is very limited. If you add the operating and maintenance costs of the infrastructure, which we help them put in, we are actually saying to municipalities that we are introducing infrastructure that will degenerate and that they will not be in a position to operate and maintain on their own at any given time without assistance from national and provincial government. We are saying these are areas we must address, both the area of funding and the area of capacitating these municipalities.
It is on this score, Minister, that we support your argument on debating the form our governance structures need to take. Whether you are talking about provinces or municipalities, there must be a debate, because in our view some of the municipalities are just not going to make it unless some reconfiguration is arrived at. We want to make an effective contribution in this regard. We also want to raise an issue that I believe does not affect many provinces the way it affects our own. When you talk to us about traditional leadership, you are not talking to us like you are talking to Gauteng. It is a different matter, with due respect to my colleagues in Gauteng. [Laughter.] It is a fact and a reality that we must accept. Gauteng can never boast the number of traditional leaders that we have. We have 271 traditional councils that have been recognised up to now. This is 271 out of an existing 302 traditional councils. There are still disputes amongst some of the communities, with the result that those traditional councils have not been recognised as yet. We have a debate to enter into there. We need to share your wisdom on how to deal with such matters, when it comes to the costs of running these municipalities.
I want to indicate to you that when we talk about traditional leadership and traditional affairs, we are not just talking about "amakhosi". The 271 out of 302 that I am referring to are just "amakhosi" and traditional councils. I have not spoken about "izinduna". I can certainly tell the Minister and the House that there are 1 200 "izinduna" whose stipends are also paid by the department. The costs of running these institutions are enormous for us. Therefore, based on our experience, and based on your experience, the new mandate and the new approach, it is appropriate that all of us engage in debates of this nature and engage in the realities that face us as a government, as well as the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs - which we fully endorse and support.
But, in respect of all I have said, I want to indicate to you, Mr Minister, that we have absolutely no qualms with your capabilities and that of your department. I want to indicate our province's unreserved support for the budget as it has been tabled. We want to engage further on many of the debates that have been raised in your speech, which we value and which we believe are appropriate. Thank you very much. [Applause.]