Comiittee Oversight Report, International Study Tour Report & Committee Programme: consideration

Share this page:

Meeting Summary

A summary of this committee meeting is not yet available.

Meeting report

PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE

PUBLIC WORKS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
23 February 2005
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT REPORT; INTERNATIONAL STUDY TOUR AND COMMITTEE PROGRAMME: CONSIDERATION

Chairperson:
Mr F Bhengu (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Amended Committee Programme, 22 February 2005
Public Works Issues in Canada: Its Value & Relevance to Public Works Issues in SA
Public Works Issues in Britain, Canada and China: A Comparative Analysis
Public Works Issues in China: Its Value & Relevance to Public Works Issues in South Africa
Public Works Issues in Britain: Its Value & Relevance to Public Works Issues in South Africa

SUMMARY
The Committee met to consider the reports compiled by its subgroups during their oversight visits to Gauteng, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. Generally-speaking, these reports indicated that detailed information about the implementation of the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) was not reaching local government authorities leading to a lack of service delivery. The Committee also briefly considered its revised Programme for 2005 and Members decided that the Committee should hold its budget debate either on 13 or 14 April 2005 when Members come back from the Easter vacation.

MINUTES

Oversight visit reports
The Chairperson noted that the reports on oversight visits to KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and the Free State would assist the Committee in its preparation for the Budget Vote. He then proposed that the Committee hold its budget debate either on 13 or 14 April when it came back from the Easter vacation. The Committee unanimously agreed. Both the group reports on the oversight visits would be compiled into one Committee report.

(i) KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape

Mr K Moomsamy (ANC) was disappointed that no one from the Department had welcomed them when they arrived in Johannesburg, East London and Durban, and noted that such conduct was contrary to government’s protocols. Their meetings with the Amatola and Chris Hani District Municipalities were not constructive as they were poorly managed. He further raised concerns that road travel was not appropriate as it wasted a lot of their time which they could have used more meaningfully.

Mr L Maduma (ANC) agreed regarding the Department’s lack of respect for protocols, and that the authorities of both those municipalities were really not interested in Expanded Public Works Programmes (EPWP) issues. He noted that although the Alfred Nzo District Municipality was still struggling, its understanding of the EPWP issues was far better than in other district municipalities. He thus proposed that the only way to ensure that the EPWP processes would be implemented would be to appoint national coordinators since in reality the National Department should bear an overall responsibility when it came to accountability.

Mr S Opperman (DA) noted that the visits proved to the Committee that there were still enormous challenges facing it as most of the programmes they saw were not really EPWPs. He further called on the Committee to take the issue of military bases and other government properties very seriously.

Mr G Anthony (ANC) noted that the situation at the Jozeni Military Base made it clear to him that the Committee would have to do something in order to ensure the security of government properties, especially the vacant areas.

The Chairperson noted that the Committee would have to engage vigorously on the aspects of government properties; noting that most of them were already in a state of disrepair and neglect. He therefore supported the view that a task team should be appointed by the Department to look into this matter and report to the Committee. He further noted that they appreciated the response they received from the Eastern Cape MEC when Members raised their concerns on some provincial aspects.

Mr S Nxumalo (ANC) was of the view that the Department should take the blame in this regard since the overall evidence showed it had clearly not disseminated the EPWP process to the provinces and municipalities.

The Chairperson also noted that it was imperative that the role played by the SA Local Government Association (SALGA) in assisting various municipalities in the implementation process be reviewed since it was embarrassing to find a District Mayor who did not know the public works programmes that should be implemented by the municipalities. Furthermore, he said that the Committee should also find out what the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) had done to assist the Department in publicising the whole EPWP process.

Mr S Khumalo (ACDP) asked why the EPWP process in KwaZulu-Natal was administered by the Department of Transport and not by the Department of Public Works, as it should be.

The Chairperson noted that the Cabinet on the provincial level decided that it would be proper if the EPWP were to be administered by the provincial Department of Transport and not Public Works.

Mr N Mdaka (UDM) thus proposed that the relations and communication lines between the Department and other government departments should be improved vigorously so as to ensure the speedily implementation of the EPWPs. She applauded the Zululand District Municipality for their warm and friendly welcome shown to the Members.

(ii) Gauteng and Free State
Ms C Ramotsamai (ANC) said that the problems which her delegation came across in Gauteng and Free State were similar to those experienced by the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape delegation. The conclusion from the MEC’s briefing in Gauteng was that the EPWP had not yet been put in place since the presentation was more about CPWP. However the briefing that was given to them by the City of Johannesburg Mayor, Mr Masondo, was quite impressive. She gave highly praise to the Free State government and noted that, unlike Gauteng, they actually had a plan in place and knew how to tackle the EPWP issues. She thus noted that in order to ensure that this process became a reality the programme would have to be properly coordinated and be evaluated regularly.

Mr J Blanche (DA) expressed his disappointment at the level of backlogs in maintenance programmes. He called on the Committee to make it its priority to ensure that this was addressed and in the process, they could ask the assistance of the Minister of Finance since this could have huge job creation opportunities.

Mr S Siboza (ANC) felt that the Committee in its forthcoming visits should concentrate on the issue of coordination and give a clear direction to the provinces and municipalities as to its expectations. He also raised concerns on the under-utilisation of government assets such as the former houses of Qwaqwa Homeland Ministers.

Mr H Maluleka (ANC) noted that there were a number of government structures which could properly utilise these vacant properties instead of spending taxpayers’ money on renting private buildings.

Mr Maduma (ANC) also felt that the Committee should engage the National Treasury to ensure that sufficient funds were allocated for the maintenance of government properties.

The Chairperson however was of the view that before the Committee could engage the NT, it should first establish what went wrong initially to ensure that such mistakes were not repeated in future.

Ms Ramotsamai (ANC) noted that the Committee should also evaluate the present system since she believed that the consultants and engineers were to blame for some of the problems facing the Department.

Mr Blanche (DA) said that as the Department was responsible for the administration of the Act governing professional engineers, consultants and surveyors it should therefore in the future ensure that it engaged the services of professional assistants before entering into any projects.

Mr Maluleka (ANC) said that it should however be noted that the issue was not about replacing the consultants with politicians but rather about the nature and effects of their advice, which at times had proven to be very costly.

The Chairperson said that the concerns highlighted by the Members during the deliberations had been noted and would thus form part of the report as both the oversight visit reports would be combined. He further noted that Members should bear in mind that during the process some issues would be referred to the NCOP, especially those falling within provincial competency.

Ms Mdaka (UDM) was also concerned about the harassment of emerging women contractors in the Chris Hani District Municipality.

Mr Opperman (DA) however noted that since the issue of harassment against emerging women contractors was still being investigated, it would be proper if the Committee were to wait for the outcome of the investigation before tacking this matter.

The Chairperson noted that the Committee would have to follow up this issue and where appropriate refer it to the SAPS since some issues discovered during the visits would be referred to the appropriate bodies and institutions and the Committee thereafter would monitor their unfolding.

International Study Tour
The Chairperson asked Members to go through the documents, which had been prepared by the Parliamentary Research Unit and thereafter make a decision as to which country the Committee should visit as part of its international study tour.

Committee Programme
Mr Opperman (DA) noting that the Committee had not yet issued any public invitation regarding the public hearings on the budget asked that the Committee should issue these invitations as soon as possible. The Chairperson noted that the Committee agreed.

The meeting was adjourned.

Audio

No related

Documents

No related documents

Present

  • We don't have attendance info for this committee meeting

Download as PDF

You can download this page as a PDF using your browser's print functionality. Click on the "Print" button below and select the "PDF" option under destinations/printers.

See detailed instructions for your browser here.

Share this page: