Hansard: NA: Mini-plenary 1

House: National Assembly

Date of Meeting: 19 May 2021

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Minutes

UNREVISED HANSARD

MINI PLENARY - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WEDNESDAY, 19 MAY 2021

Watch video here: Vote No 9 – Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

PROCEEDINGS OF MINIPLENARY SESSION — NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CHAMBER

Members of the mini-plenary session met on the virtual platform at 10:01.

House Chairperson Mr C T Frolick took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayer or meditation.

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon members, before we proceed, I would like to remind you that the virtual mini- plenary is deemed to be in the precinct of Parliament and it does constitute a sitting of the National Assembly for debating purposes only. In addition to the Rules of virtual sittings, members enjoy the same powers and privileges that apply in a sitting of the National Assembly. Members should equally note that anything said on the virtual platform is deemed to have been said to the House and it may be ruled upon. All members who have logged in shall be considered to be present and are requested to mute their microphones and only unmute it when recognised to speak. This is because the microphones are very sensitive and will pick up noises which might disturb the attention of other members. When recognised to speak. please unmute your microphone and connect your video. Members may make use of the icons on the bar at the bottom of their screens which has an option that allows a member to put up his or her hand to raise a point of order.

The secretariat will assist in alerting me to members requesting to speak. When using the virtual system, members are urged to refrain or desist from unnecessary points of order or interjections.

We shall now proceed to the Order which is the debate on Vote No 9 — Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. I now recognise the hon Deputy Minister in the Presidency. The hon Deputy Minister?

APPROPRIATION BILL

Debate on Vote No 9 – Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation:

The DEPUTY MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY: Chairperson of the session, it is a pleasure for me to present this Budget Vote on behalf of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, which we normally call the DPME. The outbreak of the coronavirus and its effects on our livelihoods, has made us appreciate the smallest things in life. We can no longer take for granted the gift of life, health and wellness.

The coronavirus has robbed many of us of our loved ones and, as such Chair and fellow South Africans, we have to manage and minimise the death toll in South Africa. Every life which is lost is ... too many. Let me once again convey our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late Minister Jackson Mthembu. He was a gentleman who led this department with excellence. We remember him for his larger than life personality. He was also a selfless and dedicated public servant. He was also dedicated to serving the nation. The world is poorer without him. May he rest in peace.

South Africa has survived some of the worst atrocities and this has given us the experience ... that humankind can prevail over any other challenges, and in this current instance of the pandemic, we will be able to survive. We are

already on course to recovery, fellow South Africans and Chair. The vaccine programme is underway and the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, announced by the President in October last year, outlines the way how we are going to get out of the economic challenges brought about by this pandemic, which is COVID-19.

Our role as the DPME is to ensure that government departments and state entities implement the integrated programmes that advance our national vision as articulated by the President during the state of the nation address. The department is mandated to institutionalise planning, development and a robust monitoring system which must be backed by evidence and evaluation, which is going to evaluate government programmes. This must ensure that it contributes towards the National Development Plan, which is what we would normally call the NDP.

The NDP remains our radar and our leader as we make efforts to deal with the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality. As the DPME, we are duty-bound to ensure that all government components and state-owned entities, SOEs, remain focused on their primary task of creating jobs, reducing

poverty and also addressing inequality, as expressed in the NDP. We recognise the need to further strengthen planning, and improve the integration and harmonisation of planning at all levels towards the realisation of the country's developmental goals. To achieve these objectives, the DPME will in the year ahead develop what you would call the Integrated Planning Policy Framework and also revise the Integrated Planning Framework Bill.

We believe that a critical component of this project of institutionalising planning is very important because spatial planning will assist us to fast-track the task of revising and reversing apartheid spatial development patterns, and this will assist us to achieve spatial transformation and spatial injustice. To this end, we are working with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in finalising the National Development Framework, which will enable the spatial element of the development agenda and complete the NDP and the MTSF, what you would call the Medium-Term Strategic Framework.

We welcome the review of the implementation of the NDP by the National Planning Commission, what you would call the NPC. The

NPC has pointed out some of the gaps in implementation and it has made recommendations that will inform the revitalisation and ensure that we are able to implement what you call the implementation strategy, which will be very credible and will assist us in delivery mechanisms and priorities.

I am pleased that the NDP review, as well as the end-of-term hand-over report, has been submitted to Cabinet. This is a step in a positive direction. As the term of the current NPC is coming to an end, we have a process for the appointment of new commissioners, if you would call them that, who must be appointed for the year 2021 until the year 2026 term.

I wish to express our gratitude to the outgoing commissioners for the remarkable work that they have done over the past five years and as a department we believe that their reports will be valuable in the development of future plans and implementation strategies.

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa happened at a time when government was gearing itself for the implementation of the 2020-21 financial year. In view of the COVID-19 disruptions and the forced by nature lockdown which

we had to do as government, the DPME had to review and reprioritise aspects of the 2019–24 MTSF. This we had to do, fellow South Africans and Members of Parliament, to align them with the current challenges confronting our society and in the main ... is what the pandemic ... and we had to ensure that we realign so that we can save lives and save livelihoods.

The MTSF is a five-year government programme through which the NDP Vision 2030 is implemented. It provides a framework for policy coherence, planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation at national, sectoral and institutional levels, and across all spheres of government. These three spheres of government would be national, provincial and the district. The 2019-24 MTSF is structured according to the seven priorities and is aligned to the electoral mandate of the governing party. This forms part of the basis of the programme of this sixth administration. This new implementation paradigm is a radical shift to a comprehensive framework that is inclusive of resourcing, integration of all public-sector institutions and social partners.

The 2019-24 MTSF combines the NDP’s five-year implementation plan with a revamped integrated monitoring system and

accountability framework. The MTSF is translated into the seven apex priorities of this sixth administration, which assist us to be able put action into deliverables. What are these seven priorities? They are: a capable, ethical and developmental state; economic transformation and job creation; education skills and health; consolidating the social wage through reliable and quality basic services; spatial integration, human settlements and local government; social cohesion and safe communities; and the last one is a better Africa and world.

It further prioritises — this sixth administration — the empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities across all the seven priority areas, as integral to the achievement of our constitutional vision of a more equitable and inclusive society. Government's programme of action includes the annual performance plan, which you would want to call the APP, and this is done by all departments. It is aligned with the seven priorities. Now, what is means is that the APPs of all departments in the country are aligned to the seven priorities which are the priorities of this sixth administration. The DPME will be monitoring how government departments and SOEs are implementing the seven priorities in

their respective sectors. We will produce regular reports and recommend corrective measures. Where there are failures we will also ensure that they implement these priorities.

The top priority of a capable, ethical and development state — you will remember that the first one that I mentioned when I spoke about the seven priorities is a capable, ethical and development state — underpins all seven priorities of the MTSF and is the most important ... to work for us as the DPME. One of the fundamental elements in building a capable state is a Public Service that has the requisite human capabilities. This Public Service must also have institutional capacity and it must be able to attend to systems which will be able to deliver on the national imperatives as outlined in the NDP 2030.

As part of ensuring good governance and accountability, government departments are required to be well capacitated and that the vacancy rate should be lower than 10%. This we continue to advocate and remind departments that vacancy rates must be lower than 10%. In our case as the DPME, our vacancy rate is far lower than this threshold and we are really proud and happy about it. So, when we speak to other departments we

remind them that we have set them an example as DPME in the Presidency. Can you follow suit and ensure that your vacancy rate is less than 10%? As the DPME, we also ensure that gender parity remains well balanced, with women being the majority in senior management. We are actually inviting South Africans to come and benchmark, and see that in our top management, women are at the top. The department attracts qualified, skilled and dedicated personnel that helps us fulfil our mandate. These personnel also assist us to raise the bar higher and set new benchmarks for service delivery.

We are pleased to announce that the DPME has obtained yet another clean audit from the Auditor-General of South Africa Thus we have registered a consecutive eight-year clean audit as the department and we are planning not to lower the bar. We will continue to do this. This reaffirms and epitomises the DPME as an excellent model for the public sector and it also shows that we are well led.

In line with the imperatives of priority one, the department developed a new National Anticorruption Strategy. This strategy was developed through a comprehensive consultative process which involved civil society, academia, business and

various clusters of government. We will facilitate and monitor the implementation of this strategy during the MTSF period.

With regard to priority two, we will produce performance reports on selected SOEs and this we will do in the areas of water, energy, roads infrastructure, broadband and rail infrastructure. Government has embarked on a massive drive to build infrastructure in these areas that I have mentioned. It is imperative and important for us as the DPME that South Africans from all sectors of society benefit from these developments, and therefore we need to ensure that we are very close to the process.

We will also do the assessment of the availability, implementation and roll-out of broadband network so that we can create an enabling environment for rapid expansion through licensing and increase of the spectrum. This is in relation to the Department of Communications’ digital technologies, and most importantly ... the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, Icasa ... you would remember that we are in a process of ensuring that South Africans receive 5G to ensure that our people have access to information communications technology, ICT. When your people as a country have access to

ICT it means that you are developing them and you are bringing services closer to them. We are going to ensure that we do that.

Among the factors that relate to priority three, monitoring systems will be put in place to set us on a path for a phased implementation of the National Health Insurance, NHI. This will assist us to achieve universal health coverage for all South Africans by 2030. Our work will focus on the upgrade of public health facilities and the reduction of costs for private health care. The co-operative manner in which both the private and public health care centres handled the COVID-19 pandemic is an affirmation that universal access is achievable and we remain committed to ensuring that it becomes a reality.

One of the major injustices visited upon the people of South Africa was land dispossession. Land reform in South Africa is aimed at resolving social, economic and transformation ... which was informed as a result of historical injustices. The DPME sits in the Interministerial Committee on Land Reform and forms part of the technical team. What is the responsibility of this team and the DPME? It is responsible for producing monitoring reports on land claims projects. We will continue

producing these reports to keep South Africans, Parliament and all of us abreast of developments, and it must help us to ensure that the pace of land reform is in line with the timelines of the NDP.

The adoption of the African Continental Free Trade Area, ACFTA, is a major milestone towards the realisation of priority seven. If you remember, I said priority seven is about a better Africa and world. This is envisaged as a step to a vital step in improving collaboration and co-operation. It is well ... ensure that we foster integration, increase trade and accelerate the building of productive, capable ... and infrastructure amongst African continents. The DPME will monitor the implementation of the ACFTA, while at the same time identifying new areas of collaboration and greater macroeconomic opportunities.

I could be detailing the work we will be doing in each of the seven priorities, but time will not allow me. I could go on and on, and I speak forever. Suffice to say, every output, every deliverable and programme within the DPME is aligned to these priorities.

We will continue to guide departments at national and provincial levels to ensure that strategic plans and APPs are aligned to the MTSF and ... key policy interventions such as the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan become a reality.

The DPME will continue to monitor their implementation of the MTSF and the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan to track progress in the implementation of the intended outcomes, and we ... produce periodic table. What we do is that in these periodic reports, from now and then we are going to give them to South Africans, we are going to bring them to Parliament, we are also going to take them to Cabinet, so that you keep abreast in relation to our work and what it is that we are doing. The DPME will continue to monitor their implementation of the MTSF and the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan to track progress in the implementation of the intended outcomes and we ... produce periodic reports. These reports will culminate in biannual MTSF integrated monitoring reports which will be submitted to Cabinet. These reports are vital in generating the ministerial scorecards. Let me repeat that.

These reports are vital in generating the ministerial scorecards, which will be key in the performance assessments

of members of Cabinet. What we a resaying to South Africans is that, as the DPME, we have a model and a tool of ensuring that the members of Cabinet are held accountable and we are able to assess their performance. This is one issue which, every time we come to Parliament, we know you keep reminding us, are you monitoring them? How is their performance? We have a plan.

The NDP serves as the platform through which government localises its international, continental and regional commitments. A recent analysis by the UN Development Programme, UNDP, indicates that there is a 74% level of alignment between the NDP, the AU Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. This report will be submitted to Cabinet in due course.

The DPME, through the NPC secretariat, is responsible for the co-ordinating mechanism for sustainable development in the country, as adopted by Cabinet in 2019. A voluntary national review on SDGs reporting on the AU Agenda 2063, regional integration across the Southern African Development Community, SADC, other sustainable development plans, as well as the NDP

... Now, just to clarify, what is going to happen here is that they are going to produce a mechanism which is going to

include all the entities which I have identified and this is going to be done through the NPC’s secretariat.

Through our Public Sector Monitoring and Capacity building programme, we will continue to work directly with communities to enhance service delivery. We will intensify our efforts to position the Presidential Hotline as the gateway to government services. The Presidential Hotline facilitates communication between government and the citizenry in order to find solutions to service-delivery challenges. Our objective is to ensure that the majority of service-delivery complaints are resolved quickly. In fact, what we have been able to do, fellow South Africans and Members of Parliament, is that we have relaunched the Presidential Hotline. We have modernised it so that our people can utilise it in a better way. Daily we continue to ensure that we improve on the service so that South Africans are able to communicate with us as the Presidency in the DPME, so that we can assist in solving their concerns, of course with other departments.

The DPME co-ordinates the evaluation of policies, programmes and processes across the Public Service in order to support the developmental impact of government. Considering the

changed context, the DPME has initiated a process to revise the National Evaluation Plan 2020-25. I’m requesting to repeat this. The DPME has initiated a process to revise the National Evaluation Plan of 2020-25. This we are doing in order to align with the available resources and the emerging priorities following COVID-19 and the disruptions that came with the pandemic, and the revised MTSF.

All evaluations in the National Evaluation Plan are implemented through partnerships with the custodian departments. We are happy to see that partner departments have used the evaluation results to introduce and improve their systems and create value for citizens. [Time expired.]

Mr T H JAMES: Hon Chair, hon Deputy Minister and hon members, the government understands the need and implications of monitoring and evaluation which assist us with identifying the most valuable and efficient use of government resources. It provides useful information for better strategic planning to design and implement government programmes to allocate government resources and appropriations in better ways and where they are needed most. That is why we recognise its importance and we will always ensure for robust monitoring

systems backed by evidence to allow the effective monitoring and evaluation of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework to assist and assess the effective implementation of government policies.

This is significant to assess the impact our policies have on the masses of our people for as revolutionaries our primary objective is to bring change to our people and to uplift them out of current socioeconomic conditions they find themselves in. Noting that the National Development Plan, NDP, is our planning framework for a developmental capable state and fully reaching the goals in the National Development Plan will bring out social and economic change to our country. Building a capable development state is responsible for the needs of our nation and the development state that bring about economic transformation and job creation to see to the wellbeing of its citizens. We acknowledge the macro planning and co-ordination is crucial in the implementation of government policies as it assist government to decide on how the goals of the National Development Plan can be attained.

We have set out clear recommendations in the NDP to build a capable state. The department therefore plays a crucial role

to allow for a better macro policy coherence, co-ordination planning systems in the medium-term to improve government outcomes to society and evaluate critical government programmes with the intentions to inform planning and monitoring government interventions as well as budget prioritisation.

As the ANC we recognise the need to improve and strengthen government planning and co-ordination is enlisted to be one of our priorities so that the department may be able to achieve their medium-term goals. The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation is pivotal in supporting the implementation of government programmes that bring about change to our economy and society to stimulate investment and also local activity. This is done through the steering of various operations that are adamant in bringing about the structural change such as operation Vul’indlela in achieving higher rates of growth in our economy and to stimulate employment and investment in our country through various sectors of our economy including electricity, water, telecommunications and transport sectors.

In attaining government goals through medium-term, the department has adopted ... [Inaudible.] ... utilise the programme of action monitoring systems which will identify critical steps that are to be taken to attain government goals. The programme of action will enable the department to report to Parliament biannually regarding the implementation of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework, MTSF. As the ANC in the committee, we welcome the budget allocation of the department and note that it is progressing. In the 2020-21 financial year, the department received an allocation of R400 million and for this financial year 2021-22, the department has been allocated R453,09 million. There is an additional R53,09 million to the budget allocation and

compared to the previous financial year, it will increase over the medium–term.

The department has received an increase throughout its various departments. This is to ensure for better co-ordination and planning in the department to assist other government departments in executing their programmes. The Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the government departments and the delivery of services and the economy. The budget allocation is enabling one - as it will enable the

department - to provide innovative and predictable planning paradigm and discipline within and across the spheres of government. This will also bring about improvements in integrated planning and implementation across the departments and spheres of government.

Furthermore, it allows for better policy implementation. The budget is a tool that will assist the department the state of the nation, Sona, priorities and monitor the implementation of the economic reconstruction and recovery plan. With the budget allocations we are optimistic that the department will improve its previous monitoring and evaluation tools and will be able to come up with creative measures to better measure the state of the nation address, Sona, priorities and the impact thereof. As the ANC we commend the department for having acted swiftly in response to Covid-19 pandemic through the prioritisation of programmes and ... [Inaudible.] ... in tackling the pandemic. We have no doubt that it will allocate the budget and the department will be able to accelerate economic recovery from the devastating effects of Covid-19 and structural economic reforms to create sustainable jobs.

This is in response to higher job losses experienced by citizens which increase the unemployment rate to above 40%. Noting that the pandemic has exacerbated unemployment levels in the country. The economic recovery and budget plans, we are optimistic that the department will improve monitoring and evaluation tools. As the ANC we commend the government for swiftly acting in response to Covid-19 through prioritisation of programmes to tackle the pandemic. We have no doubt that with the allocated budget, the department will be able to accelerate economic recovery from the devastating effects of Covid-19 and implement strategic reforms to create sustainable jobs. This is in response to higher job losses experienced by citizens which increase the unemployment rate.

In collaboration with brand SA, we welcome the notion of ... [Inaudible.] ... brand SA to be more appealing and enticing in its effort to market the country’s brand locally and globally to draw and increase foreign investment in the country, to stimulate economic growth and financial stability and to increase job creation. Acknowledging the devastating effects that the pandemic had, on the tourism industry, we therefore recommend that the department brand SA should pursue a merger with the Department of Tourism to promote the country’s brand

locally and internationally to attract domestic and international tourism in the country.

In conclusion noting the importance of service delivery to our people, the ANC realises that providing proper co-ordinated planning, monitoring and evaluation will better improve the implementation of government programmes which improves quality of service delivery to its maximum. The ANC move in support of Vote 9 of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. I thank you, hon Chairperson.

Mr M S MALATSI: Thank you, House Chair, hon members, there is so much that the Department of Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation can do. Yet, it achieves so little. All the while, everything that could go wrong in government could be avoided if this department did its job the right way.

If the department conducted its planning as thoroughly as it should have, it would have anticipated that part of the COVID-

19 Relief Funding will be looted and put measures in place to prevent, if not minimise the prospect of looting.

If the department conducted its monitoring across all spheres of government, as extensively as it should, it would have prevented the Eastern Cape Department of Health’s shameless procurement of glorified wheelbarrows as medical scooters, seemingly to transport patients and medication in rural areas.

Equally so, it is fair and square to give credit where its due, more so when we have used all the parliamentary avenues to hold the executives accountable for their promises. On that note, we welcome the conclusion of the ministerial performance agreements and their publication.

As belated as their finalisation was, with the department missing three executive self-imposed deadlines, it is still a welcomed development. We hope that these performance agreements won’t become a PR stunts, but will be used to monitor ministerial performances, reward excellence, and most importantly, to fire the underperformers.

Hon members, one of the signature initiatives of this administration to showcase its bloated appetite for frenzy announcements, was the plan to introduce lifestyle audits for Ministers, their Deputies, and Director-Generals, with the

Department of Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation tasked with developing the frameworks for these lifestyle audits.

It is now more than three years since the President announced the introduction of lifestyle audits for the executives, yet there are no lifestyle audits on sight, not now nor anytime soon. We know this because the Deputy Minister confessed during a recent oral question session, that the Ramaphosa administration will once again fail to meet the extended deadline to finalise lifestyle audit for Cabinet. The latest justification for the failure to meet one of its core promises was conveniently COVID-19.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the consistent determination to push back the deadline is an indication of the political resistance to the introduction of lifestyle audits by some elements in Cabinet and a faction in Luthuli House.

The DA appeals to President Ramaphosa to immediately finalise the lifestyle audits of Cabinet members, Deputy Ministers and Director-Generals, to guarantee all of us that all those who

are in government are not beneficiaries of unethical influence.

In the testimonies at the Zondo Commission in the allegations into state capture are anything to go by, the unholy alliance between Cabinet Ministers, senior civil servants and corrupt individuals, makes them the protagonists in the axis of evil that continues to bedevil our civil service. This is why there needs to be real consequences for corrupt politicians, conspiring with opportunistic civil servants to do business with the state. Genuine business people are robbed of fair opportunities to do business with the state when politicians and civil servants manipulate procurement processes to award tenders to their relatives, friends and concubines.

If this administration is serious about instilling good governance and ethical leadership in the state, it must outlaw politicians and their families in doing business with the state. If it is determined to appoint civil servants who are fit for purpose, this department must take the lead in introducing legislation that blacklists officials who have been found guilty and dismissed for corruption and financial

mismanagement, while in government from ever being appointed in the civil service.

Hon members, like so many of these administrations’ big ideas and projects, Operation Phakisa was launched with so much spectacle, hyped as an initiative to fast-track the implementation of solutions on critical development issue, more so, poverty, unemployment and inequality. Yet, every possible indicator of the impact of Operation Phakisa on government’s capacity to solve these critical issues, shows that the project has failed to live up to its name of accelerating government solutions.

Poverty continues to be a lifetime norm in millions of households across the country. More and more south Africans are increasingly enslaved to the frustrations of unemployment. The situation is so dire that many others have given up looking for a job as there is no real prospect of employment in the foreseeable future. At the same time, inequality is growing.

Right now, all evidence points to the obvious conclusion that Operation Phakisa has under delivered spectacularly, and this

sums up the fundamental problem with the ANC government. Every time it is confronted by a major socioeconomic issue, it comes up with a populist phrase to appear as if it is doing something noble about it. It is as if they think that merely naming every government programme this way, will produce the magic wand that will suddenly solve all the problems they face.

Hon members, it is quite telling that the Deputy Minister had nothing substantive to say about the state of Brand SA. For an institution whose primary mandate is to promote and manage the brand of South Africa globally and locally, Brand SA’s brand, is in ... [Inaudible.] ...

The entity has not been able to appoint a permanent CEO for more than two years now. The former acting CEO was seconded to that position for more than 24 months against the labour laws of our country, because the board couldn’t finalise the disciplinary case against the former CEO. It has had so many acting senior managers rotating in different executive positions in the last few months, that its HR department can produce a cracker script for a comical show with those secondment letters.

The ministry hasn’t even filled critical vacancies in the board for more than six months. No state entity can function optimally without a permanent Chief Executive Officer, CEO, a permanent Chief Financial Officer, CFO, a permanent Chief Marketing Officer and a fully constituted board. The only time we ever hear about Brand SA these days, its only bad news. It limps from one crisis to another. If it’s not senior staff members presiding over the shambolic state of the organisation, it is the board and the Minister entangled in a seemingly irreconcilable dispute over a moratorium to fill vacancies.

The only people who seem confident about its future, are the remaining board members, for obvious reasons. For too long, board appointments at Brand SA were the soft landing to reward redundant ANC cadres with cushy jobs. For all the nobility that Brand SA was established for, it has evolved into a cemetery where the careers of former ANC Members of Parliament’s meet their dignified burials.

The reality is that Brand SA is on life support. It will soon die an immemorable death. The ongoing process of reconfiguring Brand SA, SA Tourism and Invest SA into one institution will

be the final nail in its coffin. The presidency’s lackadaisical attitude towards resolving the problems currently besetting the institution, affirms that the writing is on the wall.

The fact that the presidency did not sign off on Brand SA’s Annual Performance Plan before it was presented before the portfolio committee in time, is yet another sign of a long list of incidents which shows that even the presidency has no confident in the future of Brand SA.

Hon members, Brand SA is currently operating in a permanent state of suspense. It can’t appoint new staff nor board members. It can’t conduct its major business while the reconfiguration is underway.

Deputy Minister, while I understand that government has to be seen to be responsible by going through a process of exploring the reconfiguration of Brand SA, to justify its unavoidable preference to close it, there is irrefutable proof of duplication of the execution of Brand SA’s mandate elsewhere in the presidency.

From the rising prominence of the roles of the presidential end voice on investment and tourism in marketing South Africa globally as an investment and tourist destination to the expansion of the presidency’s PR machine through the government communication and information systems to centralise promotion and brand management of government’s work, the Ramaphosa administration has been persistently deliberate in dismantling the mandate of Brand SA.

So, why delay the inevitable by insisting on continuing to keep Brand SA on life support when the evidence points to the reality that government’s plans to dispose of it soon? Shut this thing down immediately. Let’s stop wasting taxpayer’s money on it and formally transfer its mandate.

Hon members, we have to ask the question; what is the use of an acting Minister if she is never available for the core business of the department? This is the second Budget Vote debate for her new portfolio that Minister Ntshaveni is missing, without even the courtesy of an apology to the portfolio committee.

Deputy Minister, you mentioned that one of the priorities for government was to build a better Africa and a better world.

Yet, each and every time there are human rights violations and allegations of votes rigging on the continent, this administration chooses to side with human rights abusers, rather than victims of human rights abuse. Is this the way of building a better Africa and a better World? House Chairperson, thank you very much.

Ms R N KOMANE: Chairperson, the EFF rejects the proposed budget for the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. There is no need for this department to exist and we have said this before. We understand that, at some point, ministerial positions were created to give comrades jobs in Cabinet, but we have to remove some of these positions as they serve no purpose and add no value.

As the EFF, we have consistently demonstrated that there is no use for this department, that it has failed to establish its purpose and its capacity, and it has failed to establish a framework in terms of how it works across all levels of government.

There is a coherent, practical and decisive way to plan anything in government, let alone monitor and evaluate. For one to evaluate, there must be service delivery. There is no service delivery in Musina, in Tlokwe, in Mamusa, in Nkangala, in Soweto, in uMhlabuyalingana, in Soshanguve. Our people do not have water, they do not have houses, there is no electricity and many other basic services. We have of recently seen the elderly closing the R556 in the North West ... [Inaudible.] ... because of ... service delivery. Yet, we insist on this department.

The misguided National Development Plan, NDP, that continues as the basis for the functioning of this government ... [Inaudible.] ... 2030, we will have a South Africa we all want to live in, as the department had planned. The whole plan was dependent on an average 5,4 annual growth. That will have failed thus far, and with just less than nine years, it is clear for all that we are not going to achieve this.

We have given coherent, sober and cogent guidance before, as early as 2015. We said that there is no need to have a separate Department of Economic Development from the

Department of Trade and Industry. They didn’t listen. It took more than five years to appreciate the EFF’s superior logic.

We are repeating ourselves here again. Close this Ministry and redirect its budget to Statistics SA. South Africa does not have basic information which we can use to plan anything practically. The deliberate collapse of Statistics SA undermines any efforts to build capacity to plan, let alone monitor the process of service delivery.

To avoid the inconsistency, incoherence and possible duplication, a central government plan must be based on the same data set which only Statistics SA can produce with some credibility.

Hence, we argue that this department must be closed. But there are politics to planning, monitoring and evaluating any government plan that will give our people jobs, give our people houses, electricity, water, education and health care with a capacity to focus on primary health care.

We must first resolve the land question and then we will be able to plan. The land must be in the custody of the state.

Any plan that is based on the current land use is going to fail. We must agree that any plan must be based on playing a far more significant role in the economy, particularly in the control and command of strategic sectors. To do this, we must nationalise the mines and banks. We must agree that the state and government must build capacity to plan, monitor and evaluate, instead of depending on consultants. We must agree that for any viable plan to be implemented, there must be quality education, there must be health care, houses and sanitation — all of which will need proper plans.

Lastly, we need to have an open, accountable and corrupt-free government and society so that when plans are not implemented we can hold people to account. These are the key political

principles ... cardinal pillars of the EFF, which we can all agree, that for any society to succeed in planning, these are non-negotiable. The EFF rejects the Budget Vote. Thank you very much.

Mr M N NXUMALO: Hon Chair, hon Deputy Minister and hon members, the hopes and dreams held by most South Africans in 1994 largely remain unfulfilled. The promises of socioeconomic transformation that came with democracy have left the majority

disappointed, hopeless and marginalised. Yet, the country has moved from one development blueprint to the next, indicating that our problem is not necessarily the lack of planning but rather a case of poor implementation. While we have sailed from the Reconstruction and Development Programme, RDP,

Growth, Employment and Redistribution, Gear, the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for SA, Asgisa, the New Growth Path, NGP, and finally to the NDP, what is clear is that there is poor implementation, worsened by the general lack of capacity to deliver on ambitious promises made in every election year.

We acknowledge the functions of the department to facilitate, influence and support effective planning, monitoring and

evaluation of government programmes aimed at improving service-delivery outcomes and the impact on society. As

laudable as this would sound, we believe that part of this

mandate includes an understanding of the capacity of the state to deliver on promises, goods and services. We find the department really lacking in this regard.

The IFP notes with dismay the continued use of the bucket toilet system in South Africa, 27 years after the end of

apartheid. We are aware of the existence of thousands of households using this inhumane system, which not only strips people of their dignity but continues to be a health risk and hazard. According to recent numbers from Statistics SA, more than 4 000 households were still using the bucket system in 2019. We do acknowledge that there has been a decline in the number of households that were using this toilet system over the years, yet this remains unacceptable. The continued existence of such facilities is a disgrace to our nation.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a further threat to service delivery that is likely to derail the NDP’s targets. The pandemic,

however, is rocking a ship that was already sailing in troubled waters. The fiscal crisis at different levels of

government and within various state-owned enterprises, SOEs, partly contributed to the failure of service delivery.

Poverty, inequality and unemployment remain big challenges and

without proper implementation of existing policies, these are set to increase.

There is no better time than the present to deliver ... South Africans and to deal with the triple threat of poverty, inequality and unemployment. The pandemic has negatively

affected people’s livelihoods and has worsened already

existing problems. We are a country in crisis.

In conclusion, the IFP, as in previous years, is of the view that this department needs to rethink and redress its

implementation strategies. The IFP supports the budget. Thank you, Chair Frolick.

Ms H DENNER: House Chair, the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation plays a direct, guiding role in government’s long-term planning, strategic planning and annual performance planning. This role requires providing evidence- based input on cross-cutting issues that have long-term implications for development.

However, is this the case? Does this department truly ensure that proper planning is done on all levels; that the implementation of these plans is monitored; and that outcomes and those who are responsible for them are evaluated so that proper steps can be taken in accordance with these outcomes?

I will get to the futile evaluation processes of government departments later, but first I want to speak to socioeconomic impact studies signed off by this department.

A case in point is the socioeconomic impact assessment, SEIA, done for the Employment Equity Amendment Bill, currently serving before the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour. As a member of this portfolio committee, I am shocked at the quality of the SEIA for this amendment Bill, as well as

the SEIA for the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Amendment, Coida, Bill, which was finalised in 2015, although the Bill is only now before Parliament. This SEIA does not account for any changes in the last six years. The Compensation Fund alone has had two system changes in this time.

The responsibility to ensure that evidence and knowledge-based reports are provided for both proper public participation as well as legislative processes should not be taken lightly.

Socioeconomic impact assessments for legislation in South Africa falls far short from international best practice. I dare say they are propaganda pieces, smattered with confirmation bias, without objective data comparisons or

proper financial impact assessments. These reports are not worth the paper they are written on and the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation that signed off on these assessments should be ashamed. It is your responsibility to ensure quality data, and you are failing.

Afrikaans:

Voorsitter, daar kan geen debat daaroor wees dat daar ‘n tekort aan dienslewering op alle vlakke van regering is nie. Of dit nou Binnelandse Sake is waar geboortesertifikate wegraak, of paspoortaansoeke wat maande duur, tot die Werkloosheidsversekeringfonds en die Ongevallekommissaris, tot op grondvlak waar vullis nie verwyder word nie en slaggate op paaie letterlik mense se lewens kos.

English:

Hospitals have become mortuaries where patients go to die, even during routine procedures. There is a lack of medicine and equipment in hospitals and in most cases these necessities are somewhere forgotten in a storeroom, even during a pandemic.

Given these realities, it is astounding that up until recently most government officials in departments received 100% of their annual performance bonuses based on performance assessments. How can this be? This department should have, through its monitoring, identified these discrepancies, for if there is such a glaring lack of service, there is obviously a lack of performance.

We also have political heads of departments, Ministers, who should ensure that the people of South Africa receive services, that corruption does not happen and that there is compliance with laws and regulations. Many Ministers blame officials like directors-general for these transgressions, for crises and for nonperformance. These very Ministers are the ones that sign off on the performance bonuses of these officials. So, if they blame them for nonperformance, how do they sign off on 100% performance evaluations?

There has also been much talk about the performance agreements of Ministers themselves. It seems as if these performance agreements were concluded and published but it stops there.

When and how will the hon President assess his Ministers based on these agreements? What will the consequences be for a

Minister who does not perform and will the outcomes of these assessments be made public?

One of the reasons for the total collapse of South Africa is a lack of accountability. Although the taxpayer pays hundreds of billions of rand to fund Deputy Ministers, the question remains, what is the function of a Deputy Minister? In many cases, Ministers have still not officially delegated any responsibilities to their Deputies, which again leads to a lack of, firstly, evaluation and secondly, accountability.

The problem is that certain plans fail but because of the failure of this department, the same thing is done in all departments over and over again with the expectation of different results.

Planning, monitoring and evaluation should ultimately lead to and ensure accountability. In the South African government, there is a sore lack of accountability and it begs the following question. Has this department succeeded in its mandate? I think not. Thank you, House Chair.

Ms M T KIBI: Hon House Chair, hon Chair, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, hon members and fellow South Africans. The central focus of the Budget Vote on Planning Monitoring and Evaluation must be its ability through the allocated resources to ensure effective planning, monitoring and evaluation across

departments and to provide the support in building a strong culture to plan, implement, enforce, monitor and evaluate to

achieve the objectives of the medium term strategic framework.

The core issues, are governments, configuration of the state,

a public service that can deliver to the needs of the people, efficiency and effectiveness of government administration

supported by a clear accountability framework. The main goal of state transformation as articulated in the ANC Strategy and

Tactics; is building a developmental state that provides effective basic services and with capabilities to take forward

a far reaching agenda of national economic development, whilst

at the same time placing people and with their involvement at the centre of this process. This objective is the guiding principle for the ANC’s management of the state.

Quality service delivery aimed at uplifting the living conditions of our people is a priority of the ANC-led

government. We have undertaken to build a capable developmental state, strengthening capacity and capability, designed to meet the needs of the people through strong governance and oversight of public institutions.

We have committed to improving integrated planning and implementation across government departments. The departmental

programme of national planning coordination is vested with the responsibility of developing and implementing planning

frameworks and facilitating the alignment of planning and

budget functions across departments. This is in pursuit of the goals that we set for ourselves in the National Development

Plan, NDP. A state that is both capable and plays a developmental role in the lives of our people, shaped the

national agenda and draws the nation forward.

For the department to attain its goals, the programme has been

allocated R80 million, which is a significant increase compared to the allocation of the previous financial year. The revised annual performance plans have been aligned to the medium term expenditure framework, MTEF, and the economic reconstruction and recovery plan.

The Integrated Framework Bill that will be finalised by the end of this financial year will enforce coordination, collaboration and coherence of planning and budget across the spheres of government this in turn strengthen state capacity in the implementation process.

The signing of performance agreements between heads and

departments and Ministers has taken place. We note that there is a need to strengthen capacity monitoring to assess

coherence to policy in the performance management and

development system for senior management and across government departments.

Hon House Chair, an allocation of R54,8 million to the

departmental sub programmes of monitoring and support is to strengthen the implementation of the ministerial and head of

department performance management development institute.

The Budget Vote respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has also ensured proper planning coherence and coordination even during the most distressed of times and ensured that the readjusted annual performance plans and programmes are still aligned to policy mandates and deliver to the needs of our people. With

proper monitoring and evaluation tools in place the department managed to assessed the impact of COVID-19 on the country.

This demonstrated the usefulness of the district development model, which seeks to improve the coherence and impact of

government service delivery. The district development model, DDM, is the proactive response to the issues that have

hampered our society.

Hon House Chair, as the ANC we move in support of the Vote as

it places great emphasis on the Sona commitments among which is to fight against COVID-19 pandemic. This also includes the

monitoring of the implementation of the NDP, understanding the importance of clear national and provincial spatial plans

aligned with municipal spatial development frameworks. The process is still yet to complete, transfer of national spatial

development framework to departments.

The Presidency remains the strategic centre of governments. The strategic centre must be the central driver of the developmental state and the following call report based administrative functions must from part of the centre of government to support the strategic centre. As part of the

state macro policy and planning budget and resource allocation and prioritisation, cooperative governance, public services and performance monitoring and evaluation are central issues that the department must be seized with, as these areas determining the functioning of the administration of the

state.

Hon House Chair, the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, DPME, must be strengthened focusing on macro

policy coherence and planning, policy impact assessment,

resource prioritisation linked to budget strategy, mandate paper and spatial planning.

The Integrated Development Trainings, IDPs, should remain the

central planning tool, in which all other spheres of government participate to address alignment of planning both

bottom up and top down. Alignment of planning cycle and budget

cycles, especially with respect to local government remains crucial. Planning must resolve result in a predictable planning paradigm and discipline within and across the spheres of government. Clear national and provincial spatial plans aligned with municipal spatial development framework and municipal land use management plans remains crucial.

Streamlined coordination structures with clear roles and responsibilities in planning, budgeting, integration of plans and implementation modalities must remain our goals.

The strengthening of intersperse institutional coordination

mechanisms remain critical and clear operational and implementation systems, processes and the modalities must

remain a priority.

Hon House Chair, we are a country that is adamant on bringing

about change, ensuring that our programmes and policies are responsive and have a direct impact to our society. We

acknowledge the damage brought by the pandemic. We remain resolute in rebuilding our economy to serve all South

Africans. We remain resolute in building a capable public service that will work tirelessly in fighting the high levels

of poverty, poor access to service delivery by ensuring that

South Africans from all corners of our land have access to their most basic needs.

The creation of jobs can never be stressed enough particularly amongst our youth. We have to rebuild the economy so that our youth may find it intact and not inherit burdened debt and a

poor economy. We will not deter but we will continue to find innovative measures to strengthen our economy. The ANC supports Vote 9 of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation. I thank you, House Chair.

Mr C H M SIBISI: Hon House Chair, the NFP welcomes the department’s budget and would to emphasize what importance of

integrated medium term strategic framework, MTSF, monitoring and reporting system that will track progressive and support

implementation across all departments.

We also encourage the department to swiftly move with speed

towards finalisation of an Integrated Planning Framework Bill, having incorporated lesson learned through the district

development model piloted, completed in March 2021. The Bill will enforce coordination, collaboration and coherence of

planning and budgets across the three spheres of government.

We learned that the department will be monitoring social relief and economic support package to the value of

R500 million towards a relief funds, which social relief is the department going to be monitoring.

Lastly we note the repositioning of Brand South Africa to be more appealing in a broader spectrum but in concurrence with the portfolio committee would like to echo the sentiment that urge the Minister and Brand South Africa to conclude an ongoing discussion of a possible merger between Tourism SA and

Brand SA. A proper analysis must be conducted to ascertain whether any job loses will result of this major. We must fight

to stop the shredding of jobs in the public sector by any means necessary. It makes it difficult for a government to be

at the forefront of job creation if people are losing jobs in

the sector. Thank you, House Chair, the NFP will support the Budget Vote 9.

Ms R M M LESOMA: Thank you hon House Chair, hon Ministers, hon members present in this vote debate, good day. As the ANC at the first instance hon Chair and hon members we must state that while note that the transfer of national special development framework to the department must still be completed internal capacity to drive for the country is very necessary.

The ANC will continue to support the department and the exercise oversight so as to ensure that planning is informed

by government programmes of action and the medium term strategy framework. Chair, the ANC supports the Vote 9 as it were.

But, let me just deal with the minor matters that as the NAC and the committee, we have committed ourselves and have a joined meeting with the Tourism Portfolio committee both the Minister and Acting Minister who’s oversighting over the DPSA to ensure that there is stability and certainty within Brand SA as it were. Since then, the pending vacancies that are outstanding which we raised as a matter of urgency that it needs poses a risk in terms of compliance and cooperate governance the Brand SA as an entity.

Hon Chair, when gathering to engage on of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, we frame our engagement on the vote of funds in fact that we are dealing with an instrument of government that is duty bound to reflect on the country’s social economic policy priorities on the one hand and on the other hand to have the ability to translate ANC and government policy priorities with the framework of the medium term strategic framework 2019/24

This specialized department has the need even tomorrow in the department to exist is the one on whom we depend directly and guide government’s long term planning, strategic planning and annual performance planning as it were

This requires providing evidence based research and the production of facts on gross cutting things that have long time being development of the country. To guard this process, we receive and NDP five-year implementation plan to provide the medium term group map which will inform the basis for developing five-year departmental plans throughout the government.

This five-year responds to the governing party manifesto of 2019/24 and the realization of the NDP programme such a five- year plan as a monitoring tool or framework for the oversight by the department’s own programme of reporting system that have developed.

On the review of the National Development Plan 2011, at the adoption of the development plan which is NDP, it was understood that NDP will require to be reviewed on a regular basis what did not happen. We welcome the fact that a few

years back the review was announced and the NDP gives us an opportunity to assess the assumptions we had almost ten years ago

Our socio economic development targets and specifically the development of programmes poverty, creating jobs and introducing equality by 2030 has had to be carried out changing concrete conditions which have had an impact on the original 2011 assumptions. Hon members a road map and the approach to integrated planning being we are looking forward from the Bill to be tabled before Parliament.

The national Planning Commission was tasked with reviewing some aspects of the NDP to address certain implementations challenges critically a matter the governing party has been raising in the need to review the capacity the incapability of the state in majoring the implementation of the NDP.

We are pleased that the national plan can provide this and it does adequately. On the assessments reports produced by the department these are core to our oversight work require far closer scrutiny on the outcomes of this assessment. Key

delivery priorities are identified together with the National Treasury.

We have set out clear recommendations in the NDP to build a capable state. The department therefore plays a crucial role to allow for a better macro policy coherence, co-ordination planning systems in the medium-term to improve government

outcomes to society and evaluate critical government programmes with the intentions to inform planning and monitoring government interventions as well as budget prioritisation.

As the ANC we recognise the need to improve and strengthen government planning and co-ordination is enlisted to be one of our priorities so that the department may be able to achieve their medium-term goals. The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation is pivotal in supporting the implementation of government programmes that bring about change to our economy and society to stimulate investment and also local activity. This is done through the steering of various operations that are adamant in bringing about the structural change such as operation in achieving higher rates of growth in our economy and to stimulate employment and investment in our country through various sectors of our economy including electricity, water, telecommunications and transport sectors.

In attaining government goals through medium-term, the department has adopted ... [Inaudible.] ... utilise the programme of action monitoring systems which will identify

critical steps that are to be taken to attain government goals. The programme of action will enable the department to report to Parliament biannually regarding the implementation of the Medium-Term Strategic Framework, MTSF. As the ANC in the committee, we welcome the budget allocation of the department and note that it is progressing. In the 2020-21 financial year, the department received an allocation of R400 million and for this financial year 2021-22, the department has been allocated R453,09 million. There is an additional R53,09 million to the budget allocation and

compared to the previous financial year, it will increase over the medium–term.

integrated planning and implementation across the departments and spheres of government.

optimistic that the department will improve monitoring and evaluation tools. As the ANC we commend the government for swiftly acting in response to Covid-19 through prioritisation of programmes to tackle the pandemic. We have no doubt that with the allocated budget, the department will be able to accelerate economic recovery from the devastating effects of Covid-19 and implement strategic reforms to create sustainable jobs. This is in response to higher job losses experienced by citizens which increase the unemployment rate.

The DEPUTY MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY: Chair, I’m going to try and make sure that I don’t speak forever and I take time.

Just a few clarity before I go into the technical questions which have been raised by hon members of this august House. One needs to clarify that in the Presidency we have MTT. What are those MTTs? You have the National Planning Commission, which is independent; you have the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, and is what we are speaking about today; you have Government Communications and Information Systems, GCIS, under GCIS you have two entities which is Media Development and Diversity Agency, MDDA, and GCIS; then you have Stats SA. And I’m going to request that I’m not going to

respond in relation to Brand SA because today is not about Brand SA.

The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation is an independent institution which is in the Presidency. We will talk about the performance and what is happening in Brand SA, MDDA and GCIS on Friday when we do that budget vote.

Let me also register an apology and which is also ... I want to apologise to the august House that when I started I forgot to apologise on behalf of the Minister that she had other commitments and, therefore, she could not form part of this meeting.

This budget vote which we are presenting today and we are requesting the House to accept and adopt the R453 million budget plan is a product of me and herself and the department having spoken together; so, it’s a collective product.

The other issue is that; you’ll remember that in the Sixth Administration the President committed to South Africans that what he’s going to do is that he’s going to give us tasks.

Now, South Africans and members of the House and everybody who is watching is that you must go to the government website, we have responsibilities all of us. As a Deputy Minister, for example, I can tell you, you must go and look there, I’m giving you an example with myself, all Deputy Ministers have responsibilities. I’m responsible in the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, for example, the component of frontline monitoring is tasked with myself to do it, MDDA and Brand SA lie with me, I’ve signed that commitment with the late Minister before he could pass on; and may his soul rest in peace.

Now, the question in relation to: What are the roles of Deputy Ministers? This Sixth Administration has ensured that they give us responsibilities so that we’re able to understand what is it that we’re supposed to do.

I would maybe ... because I was jotting down, I’m sorry members of the House and South Africans, I’m looking.

In relation ... [Interjections.]

Mr J J MCGLUWA: The Deputy Minister!

The Mr HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon McGluwa, why are you interrupting proceedings?

Proceed, hon Deputy Minister!

The DEPUTY MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY: Okay [Laughter.] It’s

fine. In relation to the lifestyle of Cabinet members ... and I’m saying it ... even that time I spoke to South Africans and I said we want one to apologise that we could not meet the timeline which was set by the late Minister. He came to Parliament and we committed that we were going to ensure that there is a framework by end of 31 March.

Now, there are two things which happened: firstly, the pandemic occurred; and secondly, the Minister passed away. And we want to apologise for that.

But that also was giving us ... so, in the process of us coming to give it to South Africans even to the portfolio committee and Parliament, that happened, covid happened; it’s an unplanned thing. It’s not an excuse. It’s a process which happened and therefore, we have committed that be the end of the 2021-22 financial year we will bring the framework.

We also clarified to South Africans that Ministers and Deputy Ministers, even if you do not necessarily have this particular framework, we take oath of office, in Parliament we declare.

Right now, in my own office they have requested that by the end of 31 May I must declare, because you also declare where you’re working; so, in the Presidency I also declare. What I’m saying is that we must not send the wrong perception to South Africans that if the framework is not there, therefore, Ministers and Deputy Ministers do as they like, that is not necessarily true because there are other forms which are also holding us accountable. But we agree that the framework is going to come, I mean we committed and we remain committed.

Our role as the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation is that we are not an implementing department, we are a policy department. What do we do? If the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation does not exist you will not have what you call APPs; I want to make it simple. What we do, if you remember in the speech, when I started speaking I said you have NDP goals, targets, the seven priorities of government, agenda 2063, which speaks to us because we form part of international treaties and African treaties, also the SDG goals, sustainable developmental goals. All of that, and

the sustainable developmental goals are a product of millennium 2010, post that you have those goals. All of that, you put them into an action plan, you take a manifesto of the ruling party, in this case is the ANC, that must then guide us as the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation to build a frame work. That framework, you then assist departments to say this is what we want to do and achieve as government. And therefore, you then cascade them into clusters: Department of Transport, according to all of these things, all those four things I’ve mentioned this is what you must do, rail infrastructure and so on. State-owned enterprises, SOEs, this is what you must do. Public service, this is what you must do. That is our role, we co-ordinate and assist departments to be able to produce that.

But beyond that, that’s why we keep on talking about frameworks and South Africans need to understand, when we talk about frameworks we talk about Bills, Bills of departments and frameworks of them working and us assessing them. They’re a product of us looking at them every day, through what I said, that through frontline monitoring, we then look into them to ensure that they’re able to do their work.

It will be very incorrect to mislead South Africans that this department must not exist because you don’t know what we’re doing. If you see a department ... you spoke about public servants who are doing business with the state, that lies with the Department of Public Service and Administration. How does it lie with them? It is us who will come to you and say to us but there is a gap there. When there is a gap we build a framework and we also build a monitoring tool to monitor and, therefore, government continues to asses and correct itself.

That is why, for example, we can safely tell South Africans today that if you are a public servant you will not be able to do business, we’re able to have a system that is going to track you. That system does not lie with us; our role is to say to the department ‘this is what you need to do and, therefore, when you’re doing this, correct it this way’.

If South Africans, today, are talking about an electricity crisis, our role is at the policy level as the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation to say to them we’re going to benchmark and produce an outcome report and a methodology which is going to guide you as an implementing department.

Post us giving you that framework, we then come back to you and say ‘are you able to do this’ and we follow up with you on that. And the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation remains relevant, it remains correctly placed to be able to support the President and the Deputy President in whatever they speak about. For example, right now we’re speaking about an economic recovery plan. Our role as the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation is to look, are you producing that report? Alright. Are you in line? When you adjust, and you reconfigure your Mid-Term Strategic Framework, MTSF, because of covid are you able to also then

... because in October President spoke about the economic recovery plan ... are you able to readjust and realign it? Then we’re also going to monitoring that you are able to align it, and where you do it wrong, we’re able to correct.

The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation remains relevant because it assists government to do self-checks.

That’s why, for example, in the speech we spoke about the fact that we want to continue to ensure that the National Planning Commission is in its last phase, it’s an independent institution. Our role is to ensure that we start facilitating a process to ensure that we deploy all the Presidents not

ourselves as the department, we deploy other commissioners because the ones who are currently here, their time is coming to an end. That is our role as the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.

Now, the other issue is that for the first time we have developed a framework where we are going to monitor the performance of SOEs as the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. We here the concerns that there are problems there and there. You must look at the department as a watchdog to ensure that our departments are able to perform.

Even with director-generals, we also asses them in the Presidency, to assess their performance.

I want to respond to all the ... I’ve been writing everything

that you were saying. I clarified on the Minister.

I’m sorry, Chair. It’s because I was writing.

For example, right now we’re monitoring and co-ordinating the roll out of vaccines as the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. But you will only hear the report from the of

Health, for example. Or you will only hear the report form independent institutions. But even the plan which they are rolling out, as the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation we’re the ones with our experts within the department who are able to give them a monitoring tool to say ‘this is the plan you can use’ and then we internally follow up with it and then we monitor them.

The only difference is that South Africans will not necessarily think that we’re not doing anything because we’re not a service delivery department. So, if, for example, I wake up and go to hospital and find problems, I ask Department of Public Works to intervene, health, water, municipality, this is your competency. We write a report and all of these reports, we continuously take them to Cabinet and we also ensure that we come back to the portfolio committee to come and report. We trust them because South Africans are watching and looking. So, it is necessarily correct the department must not exist and that we’re irrelevant. We’re a planning and a policy department. Maybe what we need to do is that we’re going to improve so that we can play to the gallery, keep talking to you and ‘hey we have done this’ ‘there’s the monitoring framework’ ‘three’s whatever framework’ but it’s

not necessarily how we operate because our role is to be a sjambok to departments, give them a plan, also follow up on them and they communicate it. Thank you, Chair.

Mini-plenary adjourned

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