Executive Undertakings: Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs; Brauteseth Petition Report; Flag Boshielo Petition Report

Meeting report

The Chairperson opened the meeting and noted the attendance and apologies.

Minister’s Remarks
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, began by apologising to the Committee for not honouring their invitation in September due to pressing departmental engagements.

She briefed the Committee on progress made on an undertaking made during an NCOP sitting on the Department’s budget vote in May 2021. The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) made the following undertakings on 18 May 2021 during the NCOP plenary debate on Budget Vote 03:
-set aside R2.9 billion in the Municipal Infrastructure Grant, MIG, over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period.
-In Waterberg: establish a global business service, a Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Tvet, college there in partnership with the private sector, which includes the private/public growth initiative in harambe
-The medium-term outlook is to add a further 430 additional jobs throughout the country by the end of 2030.
-Continue to prioritise the unlocking of the mining, tourism, game and agricultural sectors through one-plans and one budgets as facilitated by the multi-stakeholder district forum.
-The project also includes the Olifants River Water Resource Development which will bring portable water to the 15 872 households without water; the majority of whom are in rural areas.
-Work with the National and Provincial Treasuries to consider steps we should take to ensure that the conditional grants are spent and utilised effectively.
- Placing a tight eye or scrutiny on JB Marks and Mahikeng because of the infighting, political instability and alleged misappropriation of funds and the declining service delivery

The Minister said the Department had set aside R2.9 billion in the Municipal Infrastructure Grant, MIG, over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period.

In Waterberg, the project on the global business services stalled during the negotiations stage with local municipalities, led by the Public Private Growth Initiative (PPGI) and Waterberg District, to transfer part of their customer and call center services to the GBS. This meant that a commitment could not be secured and the project was put on ice. The plan is to link it with the DBSA Development LABS establishment in Bela Bela. The project would be incorporated in the DBSA-funded development labs once established in the Waterberg district. The developmental labs that were funded by the DBSA would house Harambe and other youth empowerment service providers including local TVETS. The project would be relocated from Modimolle to Bela Bela due to the Modimolle Municipality not committing to providing bulk services upfront. The Bela Bela Municipality led the initiative which would commence by March 2023. 

The Department was committed to continuing to prioritise the mining, tourism game and agricultural sectors through one-plans in Waterberg. There was close collaboration between the Waterberg tourism organisation, the Waterberg district municipality and the Public Private Partnership Growth Initiative (PPGI). For example, the AirB&B entrepreneurship academy and partnership with AgriSA to mentor beneficiaries of land restitution initiatives have been agreed. The academy signed an MOU with the Waterberg District Municipality and established the entrepreneurship academy. AgriSA committed to training the beneficiaries soon after transferring over 161 00 hectares of land to emerging farmers and beneficiaries as announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in October 2020.

The Department also envisaged that the medium-term outlook was going to add 430 additional jobs throughout the country by the end of 2030. The target was linked with the Global Business Services Call Centre project. The local government operations branch would facilitate the integration of support of these interventions in line with the District Development Model (DDM) approach. She highlighted that it was difficult to get the negotiations agreed upon because some of the municipalities and people did not believe in the DDM and did not want to participate in its activities, making it challenging for them to agree to projects.  

Briefing by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Ms Avril Williamson, Director-General, COGTA, led the presentation on behalf of the Department. The presentation provided the Select Committee with progress on the executive undertaking made by the Minister in an NCOP plenary debate on the budget vote on 18 May 2022. The presentation largely repeated what the Minister introduced above, providing progress o the Municipal Infrastructure Grant, establishing a global business service outlet, adding jobs in the medium term and unlocking the mining, tourism, game and agricultural sectors through one-plans and one budgets as facilitated for by the multi-stakeholder district forum.

The Department planned to work closely with the National and Provincial Treasuries to consider steps we should take to ensure that the conditional grants are spent and utilised effectively.

The Department has a tight eye or scrutiny on JB Marks and Mahikeng because of the infighting, political instability, alleged misappropriation of funds, and declining service delivery.

See presentation for further details

Discussion
Members said that the presentation was clear and there was no further questions.

The Chairperson commended the Minister and the Departments for their efforts as well as the National and Provincial Treasury for the municipalities that were affected. The Chairperson released the Minister and the Department.

Consideration and adoption of reports
Members accepted the Brautesesh Petition Report; the progress report by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs (during the House sitting of 09 March 2021); and the Flag Boshioelo Petition Report. Members also considered and adopted outstanding minutes for 1 September 2022.

The meeting was adjourned.