Hon Chairperson, the aim of improving government service delivery through performance monitoring and evaluation is in principle a good idea. The problem, though, is the secrecy that accompanies the monitoring. In terms of the Constitution, the National Assembly must hold the executive accountable. Both parties must show commitment to improving government service delivery.
Chair, if the Minister agrees to report at regular intervals to this House, he will have doubled his advantages for enhancing delivery. Firstly, the Minister can report to the President, as he has done for the last five years, and thereafter meet with the Minister who is being monitored to determine what action is needed - if action is needed. Finally, the Minister can make available to the House the report on the weaknesses for which remedy is required from the department concerned.
If a department has done well, a favourable report to the House will also improve motivation. Acknowledgment will spur on performance. By shielding a Minister who is not performing well we will only retard delivery, and that is a loss to the nation.
Over the past five years, Ministers have been reshuffled or fired, but it would have been much better if we had been proactive. There can be no compromise when it comes to service delivery, no matter what the members on that side of the House think. We need a buy-in in the National Development Plan, NDP.
Hon Minister, we have a situation where, especially on that side of the House, they are denying that there is a National Development Plan. We need a buy-in from all the Ministers and the hon members on that side of the House to start working according to the NDP and not just introduce legislation like Minister Nkwinti and Minister Gigaba have done recently. Moreover, we heard that there is a need for a workshop on the Constitution because, especially from that side of the House, it seems as if they do not know the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.
The departments like to operate in silos or to defend their turf. Where there are cross-cutting priorities, the department has a role to play in getting full co-operation. The performance of government in all its three spheres is crucial. We have had too many deficits and this can no longer go on.
The government's debt is piling up and the debt service cost is the heftiest item on the budget. Consequently, fiscal space continues to narrow and this makes it imperative for government to become cost efficient and effective.
The department should not only rely on its own monitoring or on the Presidential Hotline. It should also monitor the answering of written questions by Ministers. Sometimes Ministers who are serial offenders take too long to reply, others do not reply at all or others try not to reply. Then there are the Ministers who skirt the issues and avoid accountability. Please, start monitoring that process, too. The replies by Ministers need thorough scrutiny.
I wish to address the question of blockages in delivery. Blockages sometimes result, as we have seen in the past, in violent protests. Here too, the Minister, after detecting blockages, should request the Speaker to draw the attention of the relevant portfolio committee to the problem so that the relevant department can be subjected to oversight.
When media attention arises from government action, it is much less damaging. [Interjections.]
I think that the hon members on that side are sleeping. They are sleeping through it because it is not the same speech. I thank you. [Time expired.]