Review of Chapter 9 & Associated Institutions & Upcoming Urbanisation Seminar: Discussion; 1st Term Programme: consideration
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
13 February 2007
Meeting Summary
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Meeting report
PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
13
February 2007
REVIEW OF CHAPTER 9 BODY; URBANISATION SEMINAR; COMMITTEE PROGRAMME:
CONSIDERATION
Chairperson: Mr S Tsenoli (ANC)
Documents handed out
Annual Report 2005/2006 of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Rights
Commission [available at www.crlcomission.org.za]
Draft Committee 1st Term
Programme
List of Items that Require the
Attention of the Committee
Audio
Recording of the meeting
SUMMARY
The
Committee had been requested by the Ad Hoc Committee for the Review of Chapter
Nine and Associated Institutions to formulate its views on the performance of
the Chapter 9 body over which it had oversight responsibility, this being the
Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Rights Commission. Members raised questions about
the scope of the mandate and insisted that this be determined. The Chairperson
noted these concerns and told Members to deliberate further and then report
back to the Committee.
The Chairperson said he intended to organise a seminar on urbanisation and
migration. He indicated that he would invite various role players to make
submissions. This seminar would enable the Committee to understand urbanisation
and how it affected service delivery. Members were universally supportive of
this endeavour and suggested that the scope of the seminar be extended to
include spatial development. The lack of integration between the departments
was also highlighted as an issue that needed to be debated.
The Committee agreed to its programme for the First Term of the parliamentary
session.
MINUTES
Review of CRL Rights Commission
The Chairperson noted that the Ad Hoc Committee for the Review of Chapter
Nine and Associated Institutions (chaired by Prof K Asmal) had requested the
Committee to examine the Chapter 9 body over which this committee had
oversight, this being the Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Rights Commission.
He encouraged Members to provide only initial remarks and general comments
because the Committee’s deliberations on this would not be finalised at this
meeting.
Mr P Smith (IFP) confirmed that this Committee had passed legislation that had
given rise to the CRL Rights Commission. He expressed confusion regarding
Professor Asmal’s mandate. He wondered whether the Committee needed to express
a view on whether the CRL Rights Commission should continue to exist in its
current format.
Mr S Mashudulu (ANC) voiced uncertainty concerning the terms of reference of
the mandate. He insisted that the Committee first establish what the actual
mandate was. The provisions in the preamble and elsewhere in the Constitution
elevated the status of this institution. It was necessary to weigh whether the
institution adhered to the Constitution and its enabling legislation.
Mr Smith enquired whether the Chairperson could read out the letter that
contained the mandate from Professor Kader Asmal.
The Chairperson replied that he would circulate a copy of the letter to Members
after the meeting. The CRL Rights Commission had not yet appeared before the Ad
Hoc Committee on Chapter 9 Institutions. It was within the Committee’s mandate
to make its views known on any legislation or institution. He accepted the
recommendations and asked Members to deliberate further and revert with a firm
view. Finally, he hoped that the Committee would improve its interaction with
the CLR Rights Commission and associated institutions.
Upcoming Urbanisation Seminar
The Chairperson remarked that the impact of migration between rural and
urban areas and the arrival of foreigners in the country created service
delivery challenges. He highlighted that undocumented persons (non-South
Africans) placed a burden on the municipalities. He maintained that the
Committee had a responsibility to examine whether provincial and local
governments could meet this demand to provide services for a growing
population. He added that the Cities Network Report and the Macro Social Report
would assist the Committee to understand the reasons why people migrated and
other related population patterns. He recommended that the Committee host a
seminar with the principal authors of these documents, NGOs and other
institutions. He wanted this to take place in the first term.
Mr Smith endorsed this suggestion. He proposed that the upcoming seminar be
conducted over a full day and wanted its scope to be broadened to include
matters pertaining to spatial development.
Mr Mashudulu offered that this seminar would be the ideal platform to
interrogate the Spatial Development Programme and the contested definition of
boundaries.
Mr M Solo (ANC) concurred with the prevailing sentiment that the seminar was a
good idea. He preferred that the seminar took place outside Parliament.
Furthermore, he questioned whether the Department of Provincial and Local
Government (DPLG) had the correct people in its employment because he was under
the impression that they had experts that would monitor social trends and
movement patterns. Lastly, he said that the issue of urbanisation should
involve other Committees because municipalities needed physical and economical
infrastructure.
Mr M Swathe (DA) stated that it was imperative that the Committee conducted
oversight visits. He emphasised that this was the best way to ensure that
proper implementation took place.
Mr Mashudulu complained that there were too many theories, myths and
assumptions regarding urbanisation and migration. He argued that the Committee
would be best served if it consulted parliamentary researchers and other
institutions for their expert opinions. He concluded that this would assist the
Committee and prevent it from drawing the wrong conclusions.
The Chairperson repeated that it would be beneficial to study the Cities
Network Report and the Macro Social Report prior to the seminar. He was
convinced that the reports would arm the Committee with useful information.
Also, he agreed that the seminar would look at service delivery and the
National Spatial Development Programme.
Ms T Nwamitwa-Shilubana (ANC) bemoaned the lack of integration between
government departments. She mentioned that in some communities there were
clinics but no running water.
The Chairperson acknowledged that integration of development was a major
problem. He instructed the Committee to look at areas where there were
successes and then implement these strategies everywhere else.
Consideration of Draft 1st Term Committee Programme
The Chairperson observed that the programme was dominated by the upcoming
strategic workshop with the Department and future budget discussions.
Mr Smith was adamant that the issues itemised in the annexure to the document
be incorporated into the programme. He motivated that they needed to be
prioritised because they had been outstanding for some time already.
Mr Mashudulu supported this assertion.
The Chairperson asked Members to consider and then advise how to approach any
incorporation of the itemised issues. He observed that the Committee budget was
not in the Programme. Also, he reminded Members that last year the Committee
was denied permission to carry out certain activities and thus had unspent
money. Lastly, he said that the research capacity of the Committee would be
strengthened in the forthcoming year.
Minutes
of Meeting dated 23 January 2007
The minutes were adopted without any amendments.
The Chairperson thanked Members for their participation. The meeting was
adjourned.
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