Agb Voorsitter, die agb Minister het baie mooi woorde hier geuiter insake dat hy sal kyk wat gedoen kan word om plaaslike regering te red. Ek wil daarby aansluit en vir die agb Minister s dat, indien hy daadwerklik iets vir plaaslike regering wil doen, daar drie dinge is wat hy moet doen. Eerstens, moet hy van korrupte, kriminele personeel ontslae raak. Tweedens, moet hy van onkundige personeel ontslae raak. En derdens, hy moet hy sorg dat dienstegelde betaal word.
Voorsitter, hoekom s ek dit? Hy het dit ges, maar hy het nie ges hoe hy dit gaan doen nie. Hoe is dit moontlik dat 'n munisipale bestuurder van Kroonstad, wat tereg staan op ernstige aanklagte van diefstal, korrupsie en bedrog, net eenvoudig kon bedank en dan deur die Matlosana-munisipaliteit in Klerksdorp as munisipale bestuurder aangestel kon word? En die verweer is dat daar kan nie dissiplinr teen hom opgetree kan word nie, want hy het die diens verlaat.
Agb Minister, hiermee, sonder optrede deur u of deur die regering, beperk u nie korrupsie nie - u versprei die korrupsie. U bevorder dit net na 'n ander munisipaliteit, wat dalk 'n groter munisipaliteit is. Daar word van u verwag om daadwerklik op te tree, en van daardie mense ontslae te raak.
Aangaande onkundige personeel: Agb Minister, daar word ges 70% van plaaslike regerings in Suid-Afrika het nie gekwalifiseerde ... (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, the hon Minister uttered some fine words here with regard to considering what it is that he can do to rescue local government. I would like to concur and say to the hon Minister that if he genuinely wants to do something for local government, there are three things that he would have to do. Firstly, he would have to get rid of corrupt, criminal staff; secondly, he would have to get rid of incompetent staff; and thirdly, he would have to ensure that service charges are being paid.
Chairperson, why am I saying this? He said this, but he didn't say how he was going to do it. How is it possible that a municipal manager in Kroonstad who was to be tried for serious charges of theft, corruption and fraud could simply resign and then be appointed as a municipal manager by the Matlosana Municipality in Klerkdorp? And the defence is that disciplinary action couldn't be taken against him, because he resigned.
Hon Minister, with this lack of action by you or by the government, you are not curbing corruption - you are propagating corruption. You are merely promoting it to another municipality - possibly a bigger municipality. It is expected of you to take genuine action and to get rid of those people.
With regard to incompetent staff: Hon Minister, it is said that 70% of the local governments in South Africa do not have qualified ...]