Hon Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members of the House, firstly, allow me to apologise on behalf of our chairperson of Salga, Councillor Masondo, who unfortunately could not make it.
The SA Local Government Association, Salga, takes great pride, and is indeed honoured, in participating in this historic Budget Vote debate of the newly formed Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. Salga has a very close working relationship with the department, and we are committed to remain its close intergovernmental partner in pursuit of enhanced service delivery to the communities across the length and breadth of our country.
Salga participated in the recent bosberaad of the department where participants engaged with its new role of strengthening intergovernmental relations, building enhanced accountability across the three spheres and bringing traditional leadership into the mainstream democratic discourse. Salga shares the vision of the department of a strong local sphere of government that is people-centred, that is accountable to its residents and communities, that is developmentally oriented in respect of how it delivers services, and that is an equal partner to the other spheres of government with regard to how it responds to the national agenda set by the President. In this regard the provision of job opportunities and the foundation of economic development by providing sustainable infrastructure and services must find full expression in the integrated development plans of municipalities for this term of government.
Salga is committed to playing its role in fulfilling these aspects of the national agenda. In this regard we wish to emphasise the findings of the recently released community survey by Statistics South Africa in October 2007 where projects and progress regarding the provision of services were detailed. The report noted that over 88% of households have access to piped water, over 80% of households have access to electricity, and over 60% of households have access to flush toilets. These gains in the extension of services to other people were made possible through the committed endeavours of the three spheres of government working towards this common goal. Salga is firmly of the view that the provision of services by the sphere of government closest to the people is the most sustainable way for government as a whole to enhance democracy, by putting people in charge of their destinies through local accountability.
In the area of policy development, legislative and regulatory reform, we have recently gone through a policy review process in respect of provincial and local government. During that process, Salga raised a number of issues in its submissions, which we will continue to raise as the process reaches its conclusion. These issues include, among others, strengthening public participation in local decision-making; strengthening the relationships between ward councillors, community development workers, and traditional leaders; strengthening organised local government to enhance its intergovernmental capacities; streamlining development planning across the spheres with IDPs being the building blocks of government-wide planning; building coherent capacity at local level to facilitate local economic development; and developing a comprehensive approach to councillor support, not merely remuneration, that will enable local politicians to serve their communities effectively and sustainably, to name but a few.
Hon Chairperson and hon Minister, in the area of urban and rural development, the nodal municipalities continue to support the roll-out of urban and rural development projects aimed at increasing the visibility of government as a whole in the lives of our people. The innovative planning initiatives within these areas continue to enrich the increased participation of communities in developmentally oriented projects. We can confirm the findings of the review done in the anchor areas - that to consolidate private and public sector investment can be a powerful tool for improving investor confidence, increase public participation, and promote the quality of the public space and local services in underdeveloped areas.
The focus of the rural development programme must urgently continue to improve service delivery and create development opportunities in the rural hinterland. There is a need for an increased partnership between all spheres of government and the private sector to make a success of this approach. Rural development cannot and should not be the sole responsibility of the municipalities in those areas.
Hon Chair and hon Minister, building the institutional and human resource capacity of local government must continue to be a priority of government. The lessons of Project Consolidate are embedded in the strategic agenda of local government. Although it is early days, there is a marked improvement in the percentage of section 67 managers that have signed performance agreements. The pressure must be maintained to continue this climate. In the area of free basic services and infrastructure, it is noteworthy that the expenditure of municipalities has increased significantly. It does however remain a concern that the funding of new infrastructure is not matched by proportional funding for the upkeep and maintenance of existing infrastructure. In as much as new infrastructure is needed to extend services to previously unserved areas, local government is paying the price for infrastructure that is dilapidated and at times incapable of being returned to its useful state. The infrastructure maintenance backlog is growing by the day and it will take a considered effort by both national and local government to address the ticking time bomb.
Salga continues to make the point that the equitable transfer to municipalities is insufficient for local government to play its developmental role. The challenges in especially the rural areas are immense and very often an intergovernmental transfer is the only source of reliable income for such municipalities. This formula must be revised to take account of such rural challenges.
As indicated earlier, Salga remains committed to playing its role in the attainment of the national agenda. It is committed to playing this role in every intergovernmental forum, in every municipality, and, of course, in this august House. Salga has now strengthened its ability to engage meaningfully in Parliament as a whole, but more particularly in this House. Salga wants to take this opportunity to wish hon Minister Shiceka well in his endeavours. May the partnership between the Ministry, the department, and Salga grow from strength to strength. I thank you. [Applause.]