Community Based Public Works Programme: briefing by Department

PUBLIC WORKS PORTOLIO COMMITTEE
25 September 2002
COMMUNITY BASED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME: BRIEFING BY DEPARTMENT

Chairperson: Inkosi M W Hlengwa (IFP)

Documents Handed Out:
Presentation by the Department of Public Works (document will be available here shortly; please email [email protected] for a copy)

SUMMARY
The Department of Public Works briefed the Committee about the community based public works programme. The programme seeks to create community based projects with a strong focus on the rural areas. The funding of these programmes is channelled through district municipalities which then administer these funds. Challenges encountered with the programme include the issue of sustainability due to lack of capacity within the municipalities.

MINUTES
Mr Bongani More: Chief Director for the Community Based Public Works Programme (CBPWP) conducted the presentation. He noted that the presentation would, amongst other things, focus on the special projects that are there in the communities. He pointed out that about 70% of the programme is based on the cluster priorities which need thorough operation whereas the other 30% is for easy implementation projects like the erection of school fences, and so forth.

Since 1999, the Department has created more than 2100 community project assets. In the same period, about 80 000 employment opportunities were created. Another achievement for the Department is that they have managed to consolidate the Integrated Rural Development Strategy in conjunction with the Department of Provincial and Local Government.

In terms of capacity, they have managed to empower local government in project management issues and they have generally been involved in various issues of community training. A problem encountered has been the area of sustainability mainly because of the lack of capacity in the various district municipalities. The reality is usually that, as soon as a project ends, a district municipality finds it increasingly difficult to sustain it on its own. In the Eastern Cape, they are operating in six areas with R 69 million spent. In Kwazulu-Natal, they are operating in eleven areas and spent R 69,5 million. In Limpopo, they are operating in 63 municipalities where they have spent R62 million. Over and above this, there is about R13 million which is for special projects and is managed by the Independent Development Trust.

The progress so far is that almost all of these projects are either complete or they are reaching the final completion stage. He pointed out that despite such progress, there are some challenges which they face. For instance, it has emerged that there is a whole debate around the issue of IDP (Integrated Development Projects). The issue of duplication of documents (business plans) for different areas has been highlighted and they are working together with the DPLG to solve this problem. They have also tried to call a mid-term review so as to reflect on the progress that has been made so far with the district municipalities. Here, they will look at issues such as whether, in comparison with the spent money, what has been accomplished and what still needs to be done. They will also look at what can be done with the available money. One of the problems highlighted is the lack of technical skills and services like engineering, especially in the case of small rural municipalities.

He informed the Committee that, as such, the Department has embarked on a programme to meet the district municipalities halfway through a funding programme to make these technical skills available for the inspection of the various projects at their various life stages.

Discussion
Mr Chikane (ANC) asked if the DPW has, in addition to the CBPWP done anything to create jobs as per the request of the state president in his opening of parliament speech?

On the job creation issue, Mr More pointed out that a document is being developed in the social cluster component at cabinet level to take an integrated approach to job creation. He also pointed out that the President's state of the nation address made reference to the issue of public works programmes which go beyond the scope of the Community Based Public Works Programme to larger projects, such as the construction of hospitals.

Mr Schippers (NNP) asked why the funds are transferred directly to the district municipality and not through the provinces. Regarding the channelling of funds, he pointed out that the provinces had until recently been responsible for the handling of funds. This system was changed whereby the funds are now being directly transferred to different municipalities. He added that even though the provinces are not happy with this, the Ddepartment's approach is to give provinces a monitoring role.

Mr Moonsamy (ANC) asked if councillors have the capacity to use the money appropriately. Secondly, if the money goes to one general account, how do these people allocate these funds amicably?

Mr More pointed out that the Department is indeed worried that this might not be the case, but they also have to act according to instructions from the treasury. The allocation of funds largely depends on what is of utmost priority to the particular municipality, what the Department would like to see happening is some form of monitoring mechanism over these funds.

The Chair asked about the issue of IDP's, specifically regarding the implementation and understanding of these programmes from the various stakeholders like the municipalities for example. Is there any plan that the DPW has to fill this gap and bring these people to an understanding and create a smoother working environment?

Mr More pointed out that yes, they have been trying to approach the various district municipalities and see how their IDP's are progressing. For instance they went to Oakwood municipality and proposed these kinds of issues to them. He added that generally, the Department has noted that some municipalities are good in these issues and their engagement as a Department will depend more on the capacity of a particular municipality in this regard.

The meeting was adjourned.