Hansard: NA: Mini-Plenary (Debate on Vote 3 & 15 )
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 26 May 2023
Summary
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Minutes
UNREVISED HANSARD
MINI PLENARY - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FRIDAY, 26 MAY 2023
VOTE NO 3 AND 15 – COGTA
PROCEEDINGS OF HYBRID MINI-PLENARY – GOOD HOPE CHAMBER
Watch: Mini-Plenary (Debate on Vote 3 & 15 )
Members of the mini-plenary session met at Good Hope Chamber at 10:00.
The House Chairperson Ms M G Boroto took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote 3 & 15: Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs:
The MINISTER OF CO-OPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS: Hon Chairperson, hon members of the portfolio committee, members of the provincial executive committees, fellow Cabinet members, Chairperson of our National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, Chairperson of our Municipal Demarcation Board and its Members, President of SA Local Government Association, SALGA, organised labour, SA Municipal Workers Union, SAMWU, and Independent Municipal & Allied Trade Union IMATU, Director-Generals of the Department of
Co-operative Governance, DCOG, Department of Traditional Affairs, DTA, including the administrative staff, Acting Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, MISA, members of our Fourth Estate, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen good morning.
It is sincerely an honour for me to table Budget Votes 3 and 15 of the Departments of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, CoGTA. Joining me tabling these budgets are Deputy Minister Prince Zolile Burns-Ncamashe and Deputy Minister Parks Tau.
This budget is tabled a day after we commemorated, yesterday, of course, Africa Day and a few days before we begin with our Youth Month.
Allow me to say a happy belated Africa Day, nikhule, and happy Youth Month to come.
We also take this opportunity to recognise and commend our former colleagues, Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Deputy Minister Obed Bapela, for ably steering CoGTA’s ship since May 2019. Most importantly, we honour the role played by Dr Dlamini-Zuma, working with the President of the Republic during our dedicated struggle against the COVID-19 global health and economic pandemic.
The National State of Disasters demonstrated what is possible for our country in unison acting against a common enemy and what can be achieved with cross-sectoral leadership in both the public and private sectors.
This explains why the World Health Organisation, WHO, congratulated South Africa’s response in inarguably, amongst the best in the world. This simply means we demonstrated our capabilities to save lives and livelihoods. If we can save lives in that manner, there is no reason why municipalities should equally not be the epicentres of growth, innovation, inclusivity and cohesion.
Therefore, today, this morning, we present our mandate which seeks to build and accelerate implementation as national CoGTA
at the developmental and transformative role of local government as envisioned in section 152 of our Constitution, namely to: provide democratic and accountable government for local communities; ensure provision of services to communities in a sustainable way; promote social and economic development; promote a safe and healthy environment, and, equally; encourage and involve communities and community organisations in local economic development.
Given our inherited historical legacy and structural challenges in this democratic era, this is a non-negotiable constitutional mandate we are committed to fulfil and implement.
Hon Chairperson, as we table – this morning - the CoGTA budget, we detail our departments’ performance outcomes and indicate our spending priorities; we do so under an especially challenging macro-context.
As CoGTA we readily acknowledge the existential challenges which include the sluggish economic growth, energy crisis, inflation pressures, water insecurity, net effects of the European war and a depressed fiscal state of municipalities.
This is the reason why we’ll applaud and welcome a decision taken by National Treasury which was announced recently in 2023 during the budget vote by Minister Enoch Godongwana where he undertook a conditional write-off debt owed by municipalities to Eskom as an urgent step to assist and stabilise the energy sector.
On a more negative and sobering note, the developments in Hammanskraal are a dark mark of our democratic dispensation. And as CoGTA we respectfully express, firstly, our condolences to those families who have lost their loved ones, but needless to say that the cholera outbreak would have been avoided.
The systematic response of CoGTA to episodes like those in Hammanskraal, to be detailed later in this budget speech, includes putting in place, which has already been approved, the Water Resilience Action Plan; which will form the foundation of our Bulk Water Supply and Waste Water Treatment plant infrastructure rehabilitation and energy efficiency interventions within the water reticulation and sewer systems.
Hon Chair, as CoGTA we are committed to ensuring that local government is everyone’s business. And allow me to now detail
the departmental interventions that have already been made to accelerate the implementation plus measure impact on the continuity of programmes.
The Sixth Administration’s flagship programme of District Development Model, DDM, is making recognisable progress in being institutionalised at the three spheres of government. It cannot be emphasised enough how DDM has anchored in the intergovernmental relations, is critical for policy implementation, coherence and to maximise on the impact.
Through the One Plan and One Budgets, we have initiated the quality assurance process which was aimed at assessing the quality of all submitted One Plans. And key findings that emerged from the quality assurance process, highlighted the need on the strength to shift towards collaborative, joint- planning and strengthening the involvement of sector departments, state-owned entities, SOEs, and private sector.
So, we are pleased as the department that we have improved coordination and co-operation between the Offices of the Premiers and provincial CoGTAs in coordination and institutionalising and the implementation of DDM.
In the same ... [Inaudible.] ... we have introduced, through this DDM and its institutionalisation, and recognised the importance of sincerely engaging and working collaboratively with the Institution of Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership. And this is encouraging since it means we need to deal with the less-than-optimal relationship between traditional leaders and municipal councillors.
In our 2022 Local Government Summit, SALGA was, as part of the resolutions and the national house, mandated to immediately implement and sing a memorandum of understanding, MoU, which, amongst other things, improve working relations between traditional leadership and municipal councils.
This is an important intervention through which magoshi a rena [our kings] and our councillors can pull together their respective strengths and provide the much-needed collective leadership and to steer development in local communities.
In all our engagements magoshi [kings] also emphasised that there are investible opportunities in their communities which should be leveraged in line with the Invest Rural Strategy to improve the living conditions of people in those areas. And
during this financial year we will be giving specific attention to the developmental opportunities linked to mining activities as a start in all traditional communities.
Working closely together with the Department of Traditional Affairs, leadership, municipalities and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to ensure that the optimum benefit in terms of enterprise development, skills development, procurement, socioeconomic development ownership, just to mention a few, as encapsulated in the Social Labour Plans, SLPs.
This is just beginning to show what we intend to expand, going forward, to reach out to all the mining houses operating in traditional communities.
The matter of tools of trade are essential for traditional leaders to perform their functions in an effective and efficient manner. And CoGTA, once more, is committed to working and engaging with communities in ensuring that traditional leaders who serve in municipal councils are provided with tools of trade and other necessary benefits during their term of office.
We’ll also be addressing this matter and we’ll also be contributing towards the harmonising of the relationships – as I have indicated.
Deputy Minister Burns-Ncamashe will further on detail at this.
Hon Chair, with regard to national interventions, we have seen tangible progress which has been made in line with our constitutional obligation to provide developmental and transformation local governance and visible service delivery.
Of course, these structural challenges, which require national interventions, are rooted in weak institutional capacity, poor governance, poor financial management, corruption and political instability.
This accounts to why 66 municipalities in 2022 were identified as dysfunctional with challenges across key performance areas of administration, governance, financial administration, service delivery and Local Economic Development, LED.
As the President of the governing party, hon Cyril Ramaphosa, said this year at an ANC January Lekgotla, indeed:
The collapse of some municipalities and poor service delivery are related to what has is termed the political- administrative interface. This means that many of the issues at municipal level can be laid at the door of elected representatives and we must be proactive and resolute in addressing these issues.
Nevertheless, hon Chair, we can confidently provide this progress to date, that we will be able to monitor the national interventions as outlined in section 139(7) of the Constitution, in Lekwa Local Municipality, Mangaung Metro and Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape.
In fact, the Mangaung Metro is the first municipality where a coordinated effort by national government is being implemented.
The Departments, for example, of Human Settlements, Environment, CoGTA, Transport, MISA and National Treasury have seconded officials to occupy management positions to stabilise the metro.
Political instability had been a problem. The new mayor has been elected, we’re seeing the gains of what the foundation of political stability can be able to bring. Specifically, since the CoGTA and MISA interventions at the Enoch Mgijima Municipality, for example, we’ve been able to see identifiable improvement in this municipality in areas by assessing and beginning to reduce the infrastructure backlog and the implementation of infrastructure plan through DDM.
Equally so, in Lekwa Local Municipality, this was the first where section 139(7) of the Constitution was passed through a court process. But over the past 24 months the interventions created the foundation of which the council is now able to run on its day to day, is stable, functional, of course, needs support with regard to the development of infrastructure.
The Social Labour Plan – I have articulated earlier on – focusses on 14 municipalities: Elias Motsoaledi, Lephalale, Mogale City, Merafong, Randwest City, Rustenburg, Moses Kotane, Madibeng, Matlosana, Emalahleni, Steve Tshwete, Matjhabeng, Ga-Segonyana and Gamagara.
This alignment of ensuring that SLPs’ approved projects are prioritised in the municipal IDPs. MISA has been ceased with a Memorandum of Understanding with Wits University to roll out this SLP training program to municipal officials has also been undertaken. We urge other public and private institutions to join hands with CoGTA in ensuring that we prioritise service delivery, especially at local municipalities.
You will be pleased, hon Chair, to know that in accordance with the DDM mandate, CoGTA also aims to stabilise 20 of the
66 dysfunctional municipalities by the end of this financial year. This, we will achieve through a reliant of section 154(1) of the Constitution which calls on the national and provincial spheres to support and strengthen municipalities.
As I had mentioned, these interventions are necessary to address the political instability. This instability is shown by an impact which compromises the municipality’s ability to adopt policies and by-laws. Coalition instability which compromises of municipal administration, amongst other things. And local communities which continue to bear the brunt of unstable coalitions and politics.
So, as CoGTA, our strategic response has been stated by the development, as the Deputy President articulated a day before yesterday, of ensuring that the coalition framework will be passed through this House to ensure that the formation of sustainability of coalitions becomes what is a norm and our communities can enjoy the services that they so deserve.
The National Disaster Management Centre, NDMC, has completed a review of the National Disaster Management Framework and it is expected that it will go out shortly for public comment and gazetted during this financial year.
During the floods which occurred in at least four provinces: KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North West and Eastern Cape during April 2022, we have taken lessons to ensure that the various workstreams which have been developed there are strengthened to ensure that ... [Inaudible.]
So, NDMC, hon Chair, has been allocated R516 million from the Disaster Response Grants for disaster intervention measures within the affected municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal and in the Eastern Cape.
In collaboration with MISA, again, and the Provincial Disaster Management Centres, PDMCs, and other key role stakeholders, they will be continuing to play a supporting and an intervention role in all the disaster interventions in the highlighted areas but also in all the other areas where additional disaster could be experienced.
Hon Chairperson, we are focussing or results-based planning given what is stated above in pursuit of improving and enhancing quality service delivery and sustainable municipal basic services.
The department adopted a result-based planning approach towards the key programmes that will result in meaningful impact. And to that effect, a Result-based Management Office, RMO, is being established and is operating like a WarRoom.
Of course, the WarRoom approach is not new in local government. Rather, it is being implemented not only to measure acceleration but also to ensure that we deal with loopholes as illustrated in what I’ve articulated in what we have been able to discover when we are rolling out the DDM.
A primary purpose of establishing this, a fully functional RMO, is to ensure that all the infrastructure and strategic programmes produce the intended outcomes and people get the services that they need.
The RMO will be sourced through the recruitment and placement of highly qualified, skilled and experienced local government experts and specialist who will be working with municipalities and other sector departments in all our provinces.
Now, let me highlight our key departmental budget allocations. In respect of vote 3, the department approved the budget allocation for 2023-24 financial years as R121 billion, and this total allocation is expected to increase at an average annual rate of 5,9% from the R121 billion in 2023-24 to
R136 billion in the year 2025-26. And this will the total allocation to the department in line with the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, period to around R387 billion.
The largest portion of this budget goes to and is allocated to transfers to municipalities and we are estimating it to be running at R364 billion, which is 95% total allocation of what CoGTA received over the MTEF period. And these grants include
the Local Government Equitable Share, LGES, and the Municipal Infrastructure Grant, MIG, and releasing an average growth of 7,8% and a 4,4% respectively, over the MTEF period.
The local government equitable share comprises of an estimated 81,8% which is R309 billion to the department’s spending over the medium-term. In this amount there is an additional
R8,1 billion to compensate municipalities for the increased cost of bulk electricity and water as well as the MIG allocation being R55 billion over the MTEF period. I thought you would clap hands! Municipalities are benefiting.
In respect of vote 15 ... but it’s cold, I understand ... In respect of vote 15, the appropriated budget for 2023-24 amounts to R193 million, and this allocation is expected to increase to R201 million in 2024-25 and R209 million in the outer year of 2025-26.
Out of this allocation, 25% is a transfer payment to the Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, CRL Rights Commission, which translates to R49 million in 2023-24 and R51 million in the outer year of 2025-26.
Ladies and gentlemen, with regard to remuneration matters, our salient matter with the Independent Commission on the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers, it has published its recommendations last month on 21 April 2023, recommending a 3,8% increase for all public office-bearers. Thus far, I am processing a consultation process with SALGA and Members of the Executive Councils, MECs, responsible for local government with the view to finalising the upper limits for councillors for the 2021-23 financial year.
We have also requested an audience with the commission to review the system of remuneration for councillors and traditional leaders.
On a similar matter, I will be publishing, therefore, revisions to the upper limits for the remuneration of senior managers for the 2022-23 financial year.
My office has also been receiving requests for waivers of remuneration for senior managers in municipalities due to the limitations, presently, in the remuneration framework, where you find the remuneration of third-level managers encroaches
or even in some instances surpasses the remuneration of paid senior managers.
The department, in collaboration with National Treasury, Department of Public Service and Administration, DPSA, SALGA and provinces, are at the final stage of introducing this framework to ensure that the remuneration system will do away with the salary creep and the need for waivers.
The legislative review, hon Chair, also list a process of legislation that impacts on local government.
Intergovernmental Monitoring, Support and Intervention, IMSI Bill, which has been developed in compliance with section 100(3) and 139(8) of the Constitution, aims to strengthen the processes and the procedures of intervening by the national and provincial governments in provinces and municipalities respectively.
The Bill will provide unambiguous, clear processes and procedures on how to deal uniformly with the invocation of section 100 and 139 of the Constitution. It will also provide legal rights and legalities for all parties concerned.
On another hand, our Inter-Governmental Relations, IGR Framework will be publishing the regulations in line with section 47 of the Inter-Governmental Relations Framework Act for public comments in this financial year as well.
The introduction of these regulations will be a significant milestone as it will enable all three spheres of government to strengthen their relations through the lens of the DDM. And the regulations will confirm that the DDM is institutionalised within the existing IGR framework to be mandatory and no longer an option.
Specific DDM and One Plan coordination roles and responsibilities are furthermore defined and expanded on the regulations for national, provincial, districts and departments. So, currently, the regulations will provide an effect to an improved inter-governmental relation collaboration system.
Deputy Minister Tau will, obviously, elaborate further on some of the issues that I’ve raised above, and indeed, CoGTA is now demonstrating that actions and deed that local government is everybody’s business.
Evidence-based decision making is central in policymaking and in implementation. In this approach the result and the governing adoption of the DDM outcome-based approach can be the only thing that take us forward.
Why do I preface my remarks in this manner?
Allow me to reference the Human Sciences Research Council, HSRC, in its recent research that the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, of South Africa has found, and I quote ...
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon Minister, please take your seat.
Yes, hon Faber!
Mr W F FABER: Chair, I would just like to know if the Minister would take a question?
AN HON MEMBER (Male): No ...
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Okay. Hon Minister, would you like to take a question?
The MINISTER OF CO-OPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL
AFFAIRS: No. I would like to continue with my speech.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Thank you.
The MINISTER OF CO-OPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL
AFFAIRS: I was quoting, hon Chair, the Human Science Research Council and I just opened my quote, I would say:
Hope and trust in democracy, its institutions and processes has declined substantially, especially since 2009, reaching an all-time low in 2021, the research revealed.
So, as a society we need to do more. We need to listen more to the voices of our communities. We must respond to the urgent and existential challenges that occupy our citizens and communities.
Fortunately, within this we have within our power the means to accelerate the implementation and provide long-lasting solutions that are impactful and positively can change the lives.
In conclusion, hon Speaker and hon Chairperson, allow me to say you would agree with me in the finding of the Human Science Research Council alone, it demonstrates the need to move towards in a result-based planning framework that is developmental and guarantees the change that we want to see by 2030.
Local government is everybody’s business, join hands. Thank you, Chair.
IsiXhosa:
Mnu F D XASA: Sihlalo weNdlu, uMphathiswa weSebe lezeNtsebenziswano kuLawulo neMicimbi yezeMveli, ooSekela Baphathiswa bakhe, iintloko zombini zesebe okanye zamasebe, uSihlalo noSekela Sihlalo weNdlu yeeNkosi namaKhoisan, imibuthwana esebenza nesebe ...
English:
... the Demarcation Board, the CRL Rights Commission, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, ...
IsiXhosa:
... uMnu Stofile oyintloko yeSalga. Mandithathe eli thuba egameni lekomiti, sibulele ukuba ngokuyalelwa ngumbutho lo uphetheyo othi makwenziwe amajadu ukuziswa kweenkonzo ebantwini. Sikhokelwa ke yiloo nto. Siye ke sabizana silisebe, sahlala phantsi ngomhla we-18 nowe-19 kuTshazimpunzi kulo nyaka sikuwo. Kuye apho ke kwathiwa theca phambi kwethu izicwangciso zonyaka ...
USIHLALO WENDLU (Nksz M G Boroto): Tata uXasa, bendicela ukuba
...
English:
... wherever you are seated please check the microphones next to you. Some members might have left those microphones on, and the volume is high. I will also ask the service staff to assist me in switching the volume off. It is really disturbing. Is that what you were rising on? Thank you very much. Proceed hon Xasa.
IsiXhosa:
Mnu F D XASA: Bendicinga ukuba baxakwe sisiXhosa. Ndithi ke, kuye kwathiwa theca phambi kwethu izicwangciso zonyaka, le minyaka mihlanu kunye nolwabiwo-mali lwalo unyaka. Besithetha
kakhulu ngamasebe la omabini, eli lobumbano kunye neli lezeenkosi. Siphinde sijonge kula masetyana asebenza nalo sijonge phaya ...
English:
... on the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, the CRL Right Commission, the Municipal Demarcation Board and the SA Local Government Association.
IsiXhosa:
Ezi zicwangciso zonyaka ziye zathiwa theca phambi kwethu sizinikwa yiPalamente kwaye kulandelwe yonke imithetho ebekufaneleke ukuba iyalandelwa. Apha kuzo kahulu kucaciswa ngale nto kuthiwa zii
English:
... outputs, indicators and lastly, targets ...
IsiXhosa:
... kuwo onke la masebe omabini nala maqumrhu sithetha ngawo. Eyona nto sicaciselwe kuyo kakhulu phaya nguMphathiswa negqiza lakhe ukuba zeziphi izinto abacinga ukuba bangakwazi ukuziphumelela ...
English:
... by 31 March 2024. The portfolio committee ...
IsiXhosa:
... iyonke iye yavumelana neziphakamiso zongenelelo kwiingxaki ezikhoyo ezininzi kweli candelo lethu leSebe lezeNtsebenziswano kuLawulo neMicimbi yezeMveli. Iye ke yavumelana ukuba ezi ziphakamiso zibekwa phambi kwethu zifanelekile.
Xa sizikhethela ke ngoku njengoko sibaninzi abantu abakulaa komiti yemicimbi yesebe abathetha ngokwahlukeneyo ekubeni ngela xesha besichophile phaya siyikomiti sivene kwinto ethi, ezi zicwangciso kuza kusetyenzwa ngazo zilungile. Ndithe ke phakathi kwezo zinto zininzi, masiwayeke amalungu athethe apho afuna ukuthetha khona ndathi njengosihlalo wekomiti ukuhlahla indlela mandikhethe nje ibenye. Ndiye ndakhetha ke ...
English:
... the District Development Model. It is now nearly four years since Cabinet adopted the District Development Model. However, the model’s footprint on the district and metropolitan spaces is not adequately in imprinted. The
portfolio committee’s several oversight visits to districts with so called dysfunctional municipalities have bolstered this observation.
The submission of the one of the plans which are the District Development Model, DDM’s life ... [Inaudible] ... as they embody the model’s co-ordination objective has not always been forthcoming. The District Development Model concept itself has not yet enjoyed a common understanding. More work needs to be done to ensure that the model ... [Inaudible] ... through the various structures responsible for its implementation.
The Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent also has to maximize this model to ensure co-ordination with other critical stakeholders in the infrastructure support value chain as the entity’s technical support mandate cannot be fulfilled in isolation. A practical example is the decade old Makhanda water crisis in Grahamstown, whose resolution is not possible without better co-ordination. I am sure we have seen students and everybody else blocking roads some two weeks ago.
As we went there as the portfolio committee, we discovered that there are many stories and they come from a long way. But
money has been poured into that institution or that municipality, where it goes, we don’t know. But we are saying the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, Misa must work with the Department of Water and Sanitation as well as the municipality itself, to make sure that when there is a project, that project is delivered.
So, that is the experience that we have with Makhanda, and we expect action. By the way, after the visit, we had a meeting with all these entities that I am counting the municipality, Amatola Water as well as the Department of Water and Sanitation. After the action, we actually interacted with them to find out what is the problem, where are we now.
In conclusion, Chairperson I would want to firstly thank the department and the entities for a good presentation that was made to the committee and the proper plans that have been put in place. As the portfolio committee now, we are going to be able to engage you properly in terms of what we have agreed on. By the way, we are excited about the budget itself. I hope working together with everybody, members of the committee and our support staff, we would be able to make sure that the
funds that have been allocated will be well spent. Thank you very much hon Chairperson.
Ms E R J SPIES: Hon Chairperson, hon members and all guests present, let me from the onset put the record straight that as the DA we have never agreed to the annual performance plans, APPs. So, let us not mislead the House and the public out there. Hon members, we have witnessed the establishment of various local government improvement programmes aimed at achieving the ideal level of performance within municipalities. However, it is crucial to recognise the shortcomings and obstacles that have hindered our progress.
It started out with project consolidate, then the five-year strategic agenda, the policy review of system of provincial and local government, the local government turnaround strategy, the back-to-basics approach and the list is endless. These are plans while well-intentioned have ended up as mere acronyms with little to show in terms of tangible results. The lack of co-ordination and implementation coupled with persistent patriarchy of cadre deployment within the ANC has undermined our progress and left our municipalities struggling. While the lack of co-ordination between different
spheres of government is often cited as a reason for failure, it is important to acknowledge that the governing parties refused ... [Interjections.] ...
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): ... hon Spies, I am sorry to disturb you. The hon Paulsen and the hon maMkhize, please, if you want to talk you can move out and do your talk. Proceed, hon member.
Ms E R J SPIES: My time, please.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): No! it has been stopped as soon as I start speaking.
Ms E R J SPIES: Okay. Hon members, while the lack of co- ordination between different spheres of government is often cited as the reason for our failures, it is important to acknowledge the governing party’s refusal and inability to implement lawfully promulgated strategies that have led us to a point where our plans end up in overflowing dustbins devoid of tangible results. However, wait let us turn our attention to the latest, the District Development Model. While presented as the solution to our government’s woes, it is important to
acknowledge its doomed conception. The ANC’s hope that the District Development Model, DDM, will magically address our challenges, is misguided. We cannot rely on empty promises and catchy buzzwords.
To date, over R100 million has been spent on the DDM. What we need are concrete and sustainable proposals that are free from the shackles of cadre deployment. The DDM in its current form lacks the necessary co-ordination, vision and practicality to bring about the transformative change which we urgently need to truly achieve a new alignment of processes and to ensure the practicality of our plans. We need a fundamental change in leadership. Meritocracy, competence and integrity must be prioritised over personal interests.
We must move away from the governing party’s grip on power which has impeded progress and innovation. Let us learn from Umgeni’s mayor, Chris Pappas; Geordin Hill-Lewis from the City of Cape Town; Mayor Dirk Kotze from Mossel Bay and Dr Annelie Rabie from Overstrand, on how to make the municipality work for its people. Just yesterday, Saldanha Bay Municipality in the Western Cape and Midvaal Municipality in Gauteng, emerged
as the top municipalities according to the 2022 Municipal Feasibility Index by ratings Africa.
I have written to both Minister Thembi Nkadimeng and the acting chief executive officer, CEO, of Salga requesting that they convene a best practice summit on municipal governance. This will afford the DA-run governments that have been cited for good governance and opportunity to share base practices and key lessons on how to improve governance outcomes in failing municipalities. Thank you, Minister, your office has already responded. As we reflect on the last budget of the Sixth Parliament, it is disheartening to note the lack of tangible achievements by the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
The absence of substantial progress underscores the urgent need for a new approach and fresh leadership. We cannot continue on the same path and expect different outcomes. How do you explain to the community of Mpane in the Eastern Cape that you cannot provide them with basic services for decades but you can easily increase a department’s office accommodation budget from R51 million to R74,4 million? How do you explain that the Community Works Programme incurred
R3,3 billion in irregular expenditure but gets rewarded with an unchanged budget, yet the provision of tools of trade for traditional and the Khoisan leaders remains a burden and that despite a decade of traditional leadership transformation the departments fail to include them in their target outputs?
How do you explain that the disaster management budget is reduced, pulled from R4,2 billion to R932 million while the effects of climate change stares us in the face daily? The Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs also undertook to support the National Treasury in finding or finalising a solution to Eskom’s debt burden and the solution to Eskom municipal debt relief. while aiming to address the R56 million debt burden faced by municipalities, it is inadvertently robbing Peter to pay Paul. The temporary relief provided to municipalities puts additional strain on their financial resources ultimately impacting the delivery of services to indigent households.
Hon members, this perpetuates the social distance between communities and government widening the gap and hindering progress. Some municipalities were already raising the equitable share meant to provide free basic services.
Therefore, we must re-evaluate our strategies, address the root causes of our failures and prioritise the needs of our communities. A paradigm shift is necessary, one that places the wellbeing of our people particularly the most vulnerable at the forefront. The current approach of robbing Peter to pay Paul is unsustainable. Additionally, the lack of substantial achievements by the Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the Sixth Parliament emphasizes the urgency for change and a new direction.
We must recommit ourselves to effective governance, transparency and accountability placing the interest of our communities above all else. This is our responsibility and is crucial, hon members, that we rise to the occasion. The President, Cyril Ramaphosa, you kept the door open to the wrong people. Thuma Mina [Send Me.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Hon members, maybe you forget that all the speakers are given seats in the front here. From my right you can sit there and from my left you can sit there, so that we don’t see this movement in and out.
Thank you.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Chairperson, I would like to greet the leadership collective of the EFF under the able and visionary leadership of our commander-in-chief. I would like to particular congratulate the leadership of the EFF and all members, supporters and ground forces for making the EFF what it is over the past 10 years. I join millions of ordinary South Africans and Africans across the continent and in the diaspora in wishing the EFF a happy 10th anniversary.
The EFF rejects this Budget Vote. Right across the country the state of municipal governance has completely collapsed to such an extended that municipalities cannot perform basic functions such as picking up of rubbish, ensuring that there is a provision of clean water, ensuring that the grass is cut and that clinics are functional with necessary medication. Things are so bad that we as the EFF decided to initiate and launch the Andries Tatane campaign to clean up our communities as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary.
It was obvious that the ANC government has completely failed, leaving us with an extremely polluted environment continuing our communities into pigsties. This is in honour of Comrade Andries Tatane, a community activist who was killed in a cold
blood by the police under the ANC government for protesting for the provision of clean quality water. Today, those who are in power, which is the ANC ... [Interjections.] ...
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): ... uh ... sorry, hon member.
Afrikaans:
Asseblief ...
English:
... why do you do that? The two of you, you and Mr Faber, please, you are shouting “murderous” and he is shouting to you back. No, please, respect the member on the podium, please. I am not going to say this again. You can do your partnership outside this. If you start again, I am sending you out. It is a warning. Proceed, hon member.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Today over 15 people have died from cholera in Hamanskraal because of the contaminated water. This could have been prevented had we had a proper functional government. The people of Hamanskraal have been without a secure supply of clean water for the past 12 years and yet nothing has been
done to date including the DA. What the Hamanskraal situation shows to our people is the corrupt, incompetent and lack of visionary government. Many will die an unnecessary deaths because of the corruption of the ANC and the racism of the DA in Tshwane. Many of the municipalities are dysfunctional.
Of the country’s 257 municipalities, 66 are considered completely dysfunctional. These municipalities can’t prepare up budgets, can’t pay staff, constantly run over budgets and are in the default to their creditors. When we receive this report in the committee, we even said as committee members, that we are told that it is only 66 municipalities that are dysfunctional but there are more. As we speak now, at eThekwini Municipality - which is one of the metros - we are told that there is an investigation under section 154 but yet in the committee there is no formal report that has been tabled. So, all these municipalities are run by the ANC.
Furthermore, in September last year the National Treasury warned that 151 municipalities in the country are on the brink of collapse while 43 have already collapsed and require urgent intervention to rescue them. It is even worse in the North West. The North West provincial government is under section
100. So, how do you expect the North West provincial government to ensure that local municipalities are run well. This is how far the ANC have destroyed everything they have touched. If the people of South Africa in the next year elections will vote the ANC, I doubt if they will survive.
If the South Africans don’t kick the ANC out of power next year, we will live to regret it for generations to come. The department itself is not properly run and sometimes I get the feeling that the Minister ... [Laughter.] ... as a new Minister to this department, has lost hope as well. The Minister has found the department in shambles. We have even arranged with the Minister, the Deputies of the department to come and sit down as a portfolio committee to understand why the department is even failing. We cannot expect the national government, which is your department, hon Minister, to go and give directions to the provincial government and local government while their department is also dysfunctional.
There’s no capacity in the department. The Community Works Programme, which is the department’s largest source of irregular expenditure amounting to R1 billion in 2023-2024 alone, is the one way to demonstrate how corrupt this
department has become. However, up to date there is no one who has been charged in the department. People are just looting in this programme. Just looting. Over the years, the Community Work Programme, CWP, has incurred up to R3,3 billion in irregular expenditure. For this unaccounted for billions, no one has been charged. When we call for the department to come and explain to the portfolio committee, no one has an appetite. I am happy that you have a new director-general but
...
IsiZulu:
... sizobona ukuthi uzokwenzenjani.
English:
However, be rest assured, we want to know where these billions from these Community Work Programme are. Minister, I don’t know, since you have been appointed as a Minister, I think most of the people were very happy because you are young, we thought that you have an experience as well. You are hardly attending a portfolio committee as well. We even don’t understand what the problem is. Nevertheless, you are busy galivanting with Mr Ramaphosa and we see you laughing with aboVovo, Vuyokazi.
You are doing exactly what you were doing when galivanting with Mr Ramaphosa. We are saying to you, come to the portfolio committee and you must be accountable to the portfolio committee. The department that you are leading is totally dysfunctional. Minister, Salga has told the committee that political factors outside of Salga’s control are interfering with its operation. So, we are expecting you as the political head of the department to go and solve it. Each time when Salga and all other stakeholders come before the portfolio committee, we always remind you that, if you will not solve the political challenges which is stirred up by the ANC, we will not get any results very soon. Therefore, we reject this budget. Thank you. [Time expired.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): Yes, hon Faber. Why are you on your feet?
Mr W F FABER: Chairperson, I just need to get clarity as far as I know heckling is allowed. I know that hon members are not according to Rule 65 converse allowed. Chairperson, I want you to make a Ruling because it seems like if we heckle you have a problem with that and as far as I understand, we are allowed to heckle. We were definitely not ... [Inaudible.] ...
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M G Boroto): ... thank you very much. You are allowed to heckle but you are not allowed to drown the speaker. You were making a lot of noise, that is why I interfered. Rule 65 that you are talking about says, members may not converse allowed during debate. That is exactly what you were doing and that’s why you got a warning. You do it again, you are gone.
Ms S A BUTHELEZI: Hon Chairperson, section 154 of the Constitution mandates that this department support and strengthen municipal capacity to manage their own affairs, exercise their powers and perform their allocated functions. However, defaulting municipalities that want their Eskom debts scraped have been advised by the National Treasury to collect electricity revenue from consumers and cultures of those consumers who default if these municipalities want to benefit from the National Treasury Municipal Debt Relief Initiative.
This ultimatum clearly indicated the lack of understanding of our government of the circumstances in municipalities with high numbers of indigent households especially considering that local government only receive 9,1% of the equitable share from the national fiscus which has proven to be utterly insufficient for municipalities to deliver services.
Therefore, the IFP notes the importance of the government role in financial aiding municipalities that have been hit hard by loadshedding and do not have a budget that caters for them to invest in alternative energy or by generators.
Local economic development has continued to deteriorate due to the adverts effects of loadsheding as municipalities are unable to deliver on their core mandate which is to delivery services to the people.
A recent survey done by Nedbank and the Township Entrepreneurs Alliance indicates that 64% of township small businesses hold operations during loadshedding which in some areas means an entire business day as they can have up to 10 hours of loadshedding in a single day.
Furthermore, almost 66% of township business owners have lost jobs because of loadshedding. Consequently, this further contributes to municipalities inability to alleviate poverty and fears unemployment.
Statistics SA has recently indicated that South Africa unemployment rate has remained the highest in the world standing at a staggering 32,9% in the first quarter of 2023
Therefore, the IFP want to echo a sentiment of the report that the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent should provide the portfolio committee with the least of municipalities prioritised for intervention. In action will lead to further deterioration to the state of our municipalities with direct impact to the South Africans.
We also call on this department to be more proactive in the protection of our traditional leaders as they seem to be a blatant lack of support and protection provided to them
As a party, we shall continue to fight for the rights of the institution of Amakhosi as we recognise their role and importance in securing good governance. As such, we want to emphasise their report call for the department to provide the outstanding report requested in the 2022-Budget Review and Recommendations Report, BRRR, process in connection with the killing of traditional leaders particularly in KwaZulu-Natal where the problem has become systematic. It is unacceptable
that the department is treating this issue with such lack of urgency. In consideration of the comments made, the IFP accept the budget. Thank you, Chairperson.
Mr I M GROENEWALD: Local government plays a crucial role in ensuring effective service delivery, promoting community development, and safeguarding the interests of our citizens. One of the key aspects of local government is service delivery.
Communities deserve efficient, reliable, and sustainable service delivery that meets their basic needs. The FF Plus advocates for accountable local government structures that prioritize service delivery and ensure transparency.
Assessing the financial health of municipalities with the state of local government report from Treasury tells us that, the municipalities is not permitted to close the financial year with any short term borrowing or overdraft, if they do it is a strong indicator of a municipality in financial distress. Furthermore, at a minimum municipality must maintain a positive cash position, if not it is the first indicator of financial distress.
The report also states that a funded budget is a budget that derived from realistic anticipated revenue to be collected. Yet, it is a common practise that most municipalities tend to overstate revenue projection resulting in cash flow difficulties. In lament words not able to pay for service delivery and this was reported already in 2011.
We know that the OR Tambo District Municipality is not able, in total, to render services today yet there where a warning in 2011 stating that OR Tambo have an overdraft of 5 months’ worth of operating expenditure, the finances of the district municipality must be investigated immediately to establish the extend of the financial problems and intervene.
Interesting is that the annual report of 2022 of OR Tambo read that the annual report was not made public and local communities was not invited to submit presentation. Council failed to adopt an oversight report, performance management systems not properly implemented and no steps was taken to do so.
In 2012 financial year the state of municipalities report, state that Siyathemba Municipality reported that they have an
overdraft of 11 months’ worth of operating expenditure, today’s audit report reads that the Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Plan, SDBIP, was not developed, performance targets was not set, mid-year performance was not done, performance management systems was not established, Unemployment Insurance Fund, UIF, was not investigated and allegations of theft of over a R100 000 was not reported to the authorities. Prove the ANC did not govern in the best interest of communities.
The 2012 state of municipalities also reported that 30% of all municipalities have a negative cash balance, also, that Mangaung Metro tabled and adopted an unfunded budget and have no reserves to cover any shortfall. And today the metro has fallen to no or little service delivery. Furthermore, 52 municipalities reported a negative closing cash position and
25 municipalities did not even report.
In 2014’s report it stated that 52 % of municipalities won’t be able to cover monthly expenses adequately.
In 2016 the state of municipalities report, states that there was an increase of 246% of municipalities reporting a negative
cash flow position against the previous years and in 2017 an increase of a further 717% of municipalities reporting a negative cash position with 27 municipalities not even reporting.
Over the period of 2011 to 2017 a total of just over
R90 billion was not spend on capital budget. Lets fast forward to 2021 state of municipalities report, unfunded budgets have significantly increased over the 5 years from 74 in 2017 to
106 in 2021, a 133 municipalities had a cash ration of less than one month, 90% of municipalities spend less than 8% on repairs and maintenance, 60% of municipalities underspend on asset renewal to adequately protect infrastructure. Only 152 out of 242 chief financial officers met the minimum requirement competences and 182 municipal managers out of 242 and only 485 out of 863 senior managers meet the minimum required competency.
The report also state that 165 municipalities is in financial distress. These facts speak to the fact that the ANC has failed to govern, they were warned from 2011 and done nothing to safe the situation in local government as it only worsens.
The ANC failed local communities for the last 13 years as the state of municipalities report confirm this and they will fail every year that comes if they stay in government. But the silver lining is that the ANC’s support deteriorated just like that of local government.
The ANC must make way as a coalition is the future of South Africa where different parties represent different voters thus a true representation of all the people therefore working in the interest of all the people. Thank you, Chair.
Ms M E SUKERS: Hon Chairperson, most of us in this House could not reliable point out Warrenton in the Northern Cape on a map. The three months long water crisis there is yet another warning that South Africa is in crisis and there is no political will to address it.
A Water Treatment Plants upgrade to the value of between R84 million to R86 million started in 2020. It is still
incomplete. My oversight visit to the town shockingly exposes that work to restore water has been halted with rumours swelling of corruption, poor contract management and acts of intimidation against citizens.
The poor suffer water apartheid waiting for days for water trucks that do not come. The wealthy and middle income earners can isolate themselves for now to buy water. The failure of the municipality paves the way for the exploitation of the poor by businessmen selling water at the back of bakies for the poorest of the poor. When the oppressed communities anger boils over and they take mass action their very own municipality get support against them to prevent them from gaining clarity on Municipal Financial reports and on when water will be restored. Just like back in apartheid the full might of the state presses down on the marginalised. There is no political will at local government level to end the crisis because there is an integrity web of power, greed, corruption, patronage and vote buying that is committed by the biggest parties they are sitting in this House. They have eroded the trust in our democratic system.
The state lacks capacity as is evident in the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal and a very real threat of cholera in the towns surrounding the Vaal.
The budget we are voting on are far to open a case of the tail wagging the dog. The interest of the officials is serve before
that of the people with billions spend in administering projects with no impact.
Political parties represented in this House must take ownership for the organisational failures they have allowed in our metros like Johannesburg, Tshwane. Sol Plaatje and in our smaller municipalities like Warrenton. Party leaders on both sides aren’t want to visit Warrenton to bring the councillors to order, Chair. It has become common practice across municipalities for councillors to do businesses and to attend to their own interests rather than doing their jobs. As political parties, we employ the unemployable in positions of councils, a crew of disparate sharletons who through political influence become public representatives and this is at the heart of our broken municipalities. We have an incapable state, Chair. And we lack capacity to go ... [Inaudible.] ... Thank you, Chair.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL
AFFAIRS (Mr M P F Tau): House Chairperson, allow me to rise on the protocol that has been observed by the Minister. And of course, acknowledge the Minister herself, Minister Nkadimeng. Hon members, our mission is clearly defined in supporting
integrated planning and accelerated service delivery implementation across all three spheres of government. It should be stated upfront that in terms of the Community Works Programme, there are green shoots since, under Vote 3,
R4,2 billion is allocated for the CWP Programme. Our focus during the transition period of the CWP, is to harness this army of 250 000 plus participants towards improved service delivery.
The Municipal Infrastructure Grant provides capital finance to
217 municipalities, to implement infrastructure related projects to ensure basic service delivery to poor households in the areas of water, sanitation, roads, and community facilities. An amount of R17,6 billion of R55 billion over the 2023 MTSF has been allocated to municipalities in the 2023-24 financial year.
The momentum that must be built in this area has to be supported through the development of asset management, planning and practises within our municipalities. The momentum, comparing the 2020-21 and 2021-22 Municipal Infrastructure Grant, MIG allocations, perennial non- performance of the MIG has reduced from 39 to 36
municipalities. We envisage that this will be further reduced with the support co-ordinated through the District Development Model, DDM, especially the technical support provided by Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, MISA, where required.
Underperforming municipalities will be supported to utilise the 5% set aside for the enhancement of project management capabilities, which will assist with scoping, expenditure tracking and quality management. We also take the opportunity to commend the 116 municipalities who have spent over 90% of their cumulative allocations, over the past four years.
In order to guard against MIG allocations being unspent by municipalities and returned to the national fiscus, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, CoGTA will intervene in municipalities where there is under-expenditure by applying provisions of the Division of Revenue Act, DoRA that allows the department to retain a portion of the MIG allocation and create an indirect grant through Schedule 6B. Understandably, this will empower CoGTA to directly intervene by implementing the MIG projects that municipalities fail to implement and avoid the grants being stopped and re-allocated to other municipalities.
Hon members, the purpose of the Integrated Urban Development Grant is firstly to provide funding for public investment in infrastructure for the poor. And secondly, to promote increased access to municipal own sources of capital finance in order to increase funding for public investment in economic infrastructure. Municipalities receiving the Integrated Urban Development Grant, IUDG must meet the set qualification criteria. Currently, there are eight municipalities on the programme, namely, Polokwane, Sol Plaatje, Steve Tshwete, Mogale City, Ray Nkonyeni, Umhlathuze, Stellenbosch and Drakenstein, with George being added in the 2023-24 financial year.
The Municipal Systems Improvement Grant, MSIG is a Schedule 6 grant spent and accounted for directly by CoGTA for the benefit of municipalities. Its purpose is to assist municipalities to perform their functions and stabilise institutional and governance systems. A total of nine projects are currently being implemented by CoGTA as interventions to address a range of governance and institutional issues in identified municipalities and through the use of the MSIG.
Our country has recently seen a number of disasters, and this has highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive disaster management plan. It is imperative that we invest in disaster risk reduction and mitigate the impact of hazards. By doing this, we will ensure that South Africa is better prepared for future crisis. Partnerships and targeted social compacting is prioritised by CoGTA. We are partnering with the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment which is working on implementing the Internet of Things with postgraduate candidates to address the water-energy-food nexus challenges.
The MTSF gave us the task to develop a Smart City Framework, which we did together with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR for local government. We will be implementing a DDM Smart City approach with University of Johannesburg and Sentech and water boards such as Umgeni Water and Rand Water in supporting smart villages and cities.
We are partnering with Saneti and other stakeholders towards systematic interventions we are putting in place which involve the Municipal Demand Management Programme and the Municipal Revenue Management Programme, which seek to address the
following, among others: Reduce the intensity of the load shedding within the municipal demarcated areas of supply. The reduction of the municipality’s peak costs as less power will be procured on Eskom elevated peak tariff like Megaflex tariff, amongst others. The introduction of smart metering in water and electricity, and through these technologies to accelerate the load shedding mitigations measures.
Hon members, quite clearly, CoGTA is endeavouring in practical fashion to ensure that we make local government everyone’s business. The department has also allocated R3,3 billion during the budget adjustment period for the affected municipalities in the KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape, towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation of disaster damages in the provinces.
We remain committed to ensuring effective Urban Development Planning in our country. We do this as we navigate the complexities of urbanization and strive for sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant cities. It is our firm view that spatial planning is a powerful tool that allows us to shape our urban landscapes, address the unique needs and challenges of our rapidly evolving cities.
It is for this reason that we continue to implement the Integrated Urban Development Framework as government’s policy position to guide the future growth and management of urban and rural areas and to support and guide South African cities, intermediate cities, metros, and small towns to achieve spatial planning while protecting the environment.
CoGTA has entered into a targeted public-private partnership with the World Resource Institute. This three-year partnership is aimed at strengthening co-operation in the effective implementation of the IUDF. Moreover, in 2021, the World Resource Institute, WRI through the Urban Water Resilience Initiative, partnered with African cities, including the City of Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay, with the aim to build water resilience.
Hon members, the department has also developed the Small-Town Regeneration Strategy, which is aimed at the regeneration, restoration, and fulfilling the economic potential of underperforming small towns. The STR will be piloted in this financial year in the following small towns: Piketberg in the Western Cape, Senekal Free State, and Modimolle in Limpopo.
In conclusion, we will implement the District Development Model, in order to transform persistent apartheid spatial patterns that continue to reproduce poverty and inequality. We will advance the principles of The White Paper to work with citizens and groups within the community to find sustainable ways to meet their social, economic, and material needs targeting, in particular women, the disabled, and the youth.
Realisation of the socio-economic rights is paramount not only in addressing the physical scarring caused by apartheid spatial planning, not only in addressing the physical scarring caused by apartheid spatial planning, but also in addressing the moving target of infrastructure backlogs. It is our firm belief that aligning our efforts and resources through the DDM and the Results-based Management Office, we will be able to streamline service delivery and improve the lives of the people that we serve. Thank you very much.
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: House Chair, NFP will support the Budget Vote of the Department of Corporate Governance and Traditional Affairs. Now having said that, hon Minister, through you Chairperson, some of the statistics or information that has now unfolded, that at local level, bribery makes up for 28%,
procurement irregularities 24%, employment irregularities 11%, abuse of power 9% and embezzlement of funds 8%.
According to whistle-blowers, most corruption occurs within the office of the municipal manager. That is why you noticed that with the coalition governments that are collapsing, have you not seen political parties are not after the position of the mayor anymore? They don't want the deputy mayor, they want the municipal managers and the chief finance officer, CFOs, because that is where the corruption is.
Minister, I raised this yesterday. A lot of corruption takes place in local government. In fact, bags of cash. And if you ask, bags, no more brown envelopes, now there are bags cash. In fact, they're trying to manufacture larger bags. But one of the problems we are facing there is, that there's no oversight.
I asked National Treasury to provide us or to get them to provide a report monthly of all procurements that were awarded with the name of the tenderers, how much the value was, the itemized billing, everything.
Right now, I know somebody got a tender in a job he or she knows nothing about, but they got the job, I can tell you now. But Treasury said to me, but no, there is that process, they are reporting. But when I asked, can you give me information on a specific municipality? They said no, we must apologize.
It's supposed to be done but none of them are doing it. We now have to make it mandatory. That's the problem we are sitting with.
They're getting away with it and I'm not saying it's going to eradicate corruption totally, but it will deter them.
Because we will know who's getting these tenders, who are benefiting and why they are benefiting. So, I think that is very important, if we can deal with that, we'll save a lot of money.
The chief executive officer, CEO, of supply chain said we lose 40% in this country on goods and services because we don't get value from it.
Lastly, I just want to say very quickly, a Swedish team of 12 people were on their way to Gaza on a vessel and they were
intercepted by 12 boats from Israel, treated very badly, inhumanely put into prison, were detained for four days and they are now raising concerns about the plight of the Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeli government. I thank you. The NFP will support this.
Ms D R DIREKO: Hon House Chair, before I could start with my speech, I just need to give clarity on a few elements that have just been raised here.
Firstly, I will start with hon Spies. Surely you cannot compare DA led municipalities to ANC led municipalities since DA municipalities only serve minorities, while the ANC serves all the citizens regardless of their race or status.
And if you don't believe me, go to Langa, go to Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, an Hammanskraal. They are not saying what you are saying, because to you DA, the people are only the white people who have money. That's who you provide services to.
And hon Spies, let me just also explain to you that District Development Model, DDM is not a doomed model. You know, lack of knowledge is very dangerous and what is even worse is when
you refuse to learn. The DDM is the worst structured coordinated programme of government that brings all the spheres of government together to provide services to our people.
So, with DDM, we're going to avoid a situation where government will work in silo. But because you are an anti- progressive movement, that is why you will be anti DDM because you don't want to progress.
And my fellow fighters, hon Mkhaliphi, you have brought up some of the challenges that we are aware of, and they are also some of our concerns as the committee. However, you have one challenge, you have a huge appetite of grandstanding when you come to the podium.
Firstly, on the issue that you have raised about the Minister, the Minister does attend the portfolio committee meetings and if she's not there, the Deputy Minister will be there. So maybe I should also assist you because you are ... [Interjections.] ... you don’t understand the processes of government.
If you were leading in government, you will understand that Deputy Ministers are representatives of executives, so if they are there, they represent the Minister.
And honourable member from FF Plus ... [Interjections.] ...
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): Hon Direko, can you take your seat? There's a point of order.
An Hon MEMBER: Hon Chair, the hon members are drowning the speaker. Can you intervene?
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): That point of order is upheld. Members, you may interject but not drown the speaker. That's my ruling. Is that another point of order? Okay, I'll allow it if it's not on the same matter.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: No, I’m speaking for the first time here, Chair.
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): No, but you may not speak on a point of order that has been ruled on, hon member.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Don't pre-empt what I’m going to say. Can you allow me as a member?
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): Yes, proceed.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: Can the member on the podium take a question?
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): Hon Direko, will you take a question?
Ms D R DIREKO: No, Chair, I won’t.
Ms H O MKHALIPHI: We knew because she's a coward, we knew.
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): No, she is not. Proceed, hon Direko.
Ms D R DIREKO: And lastly, is on the hon member from FF Plus. We are happy to see him here today because the last time we saw him in our portfolio committee was a year ago when he went to a smoking break. So, hopefully we will be able to see him next time.
The ANC believes that a successful developmental local government is crucial to improving the lives of South Africans and building better communities. The developmental local government is at the centre of delivering services to our communities. Local government is at the core phase of provision of the services. Therefore, various partners have a responsibility to support local government.
This Budget Vote has been designed with the intention of meeting the needs of adolescent boys and girls in our communities who are stranded, who have no hope for future, the elderly men or women walking across flooded streets as a result of sewer overflows in our communities, the communities that are experiencing difficulties with the water supply in their municipalities and the drivers who are forced to drive their way around potholes in our streets on a daily basis.
Therefore, it is against this background that we as the ANC have decided to support this Budget Vote of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. Simply because it is intended to correct the injustices of the past by building an ideal municipality.
According to our understanding, ideal municipalities are those that are able to deliver high quality services to our people in their communities, prioritizing local economic development, promote good governance and maintain financial stability.
As the ANC, in our very own ANC local government manifesto pledged in 2021, we pledged to remain accountable to our people, to be available to our people, to stimulate local economic development, to consistently provide services to our people and to build a healthy living environment for our people.
It is important that all municipalities should have financial stability to function properly and meet their constitutional obligation of providing services to our people. Therefore, for our municipalities to be financially stable, it is necessary for them to have a proper financial system in place.
Municipalities should also have a realistic revenue collection plan that is capable of meeting the local government financial responsibilities because our municipalities cannot function without collection of revenue. Therefore, our communities should also be encouraged to pay for the services that they
receive from our municipalities. And in return, our municipalities should offer communities high quality services.
Out of a total number of 257 municipalities, there are currently 64 municipalities that are in the state of extreme difficulties. Therefore, intervention by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the municipality must be strengthened to help them function and deliver services.
The intervention that we put in place should be able to give us positive results. Therefore, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs must invest in the effort to change struggling municipalities by applying proactive mechanisms to respond to the reports of findings, such as the one of the Auditor-General. Therefore ...
Sesotho:
... ho ya ka Molaotheo wa rona wa naha, ho a dumelletseha hore mmuso wa bohareng le mmuso wa provense o ka kena dipakeng ho dimasepala tseo e leng hore di na le mathata a ho fumantsha setjhaba sa rona ditshebeletso.
Ke ka hoo ho leng bohlokwa hore, ditshebeletso tsena tsa ho kena bohareng, mmuso wa rona wa naha kapa wa provense, o romela batho bao eleng hore ba ka kgona hore ba fetole maemo a teng ka hare ho dimasepala ho ya ka karolo ya 139 le 134 ya Molaotheo.
Mokgatlo wa ANC ha o hane hore hon a le mathata ka hare ho dimasepala tsa rona jwalo ka bonyofonyofo le botswa ba ho sebetsa. Ke ka hoo ANC e reng, moo ho nang le bonyofonyofo malokong a rona a ANC, ba emelle ka thoko hore ba se ke ba silafatsa lebitso la ANC.
Maloko a rona a rometsweng dimasepaleng, ba ile ba tekena tokomane ya hore ba tla sebetsa, mme ha ba sa sebetse ba tla behellwa ka thoko. Ke ka hona re reng, re le mokgatlo wa ANC, re tshehetsa Voutu ya Bajete ena hobane e bua le ka ntshetsopele ya moruo, moo e buang hore dimasepala di lokela ho ba le morwalo wa ho hodisa matsete le ho hodisa moruo wa tsona mme ba tsebe hore ba ba le leano leo hore setjhaba se masepaleng oo se bone hore na ke dintho di feng tseo e leng hore di etsa muruo wa setjhaba hore o hole ba kgone ho ba le
... [Nako e fedile.] ...
IsiXhosa:
USEKELA MPHATHISWA WEZENTSEBENZISWANO KULAWULO NEMICIMBI
YEZEMVELI (Mnu Z Burns-Ncamashe): Sihlalo weNdlu, mandizeke- mzekweni ndizayamanise nemeko esele iqatshelwe nguMaMpembe uMphathiswa wesebe. Ngokukhethekileyo ndikhahlele kuzo zonke iikumkani zelizwe lakowethu. Xa ndenze njalo, onke amaphakathi ndifikelele kuwo.
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): Just have a seat, we want to sort out the translation services. Okay, thank you very much hon member, you may proceed.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL
AFFAIRS (Mr Z Burns-Ncamashe): It is my honour and privilege to support the Minister in presenting the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Budget Vote, almost two months after joining the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs family. In his inaugural state of the nation address speech in May 1994, President Nelson Mandela stated that, I quote:
Tomorrow on Africa Day our new flag will be hoisted in an historic ceremony at the Organization of African Unity
Headquarters in Addis Ababa, with the Organization of African Unity, OAU having already agreed to accept us as its latest member. Yet tomorrow again on Africa Day, the United Nations, UN Security Council will meet to lift the last remaining sanctions against South Africa and to position the world organization to relate to our country an honoured responsible and peace-loving citizen.
The OAU in 2002 became the African Union in Durban KwaZulu- Natal. These words, remind us of the way the commitment that we as a people made to 29 years ago at the birth of our country’s democracy. A commitment to usher in a country which all its people embodied the notion of a rainbow nation.
Yesterday, we celebrated the Africa Day under the theme, “Promoting and appreciating knowledge in and from Africa.” This means giving impetus to the discipline of epistemology from a construct of endogeneity and Afrocentric milieu. Let us say, some moments worth reminiscing about the month of May. It was in 1996, that our country adopted the Constitution. It was in 1997 that the national anthem was adopted. It is this Constitution that postulates the mandate of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to oversee
matters related to the institution. Section 211 affirms the recognition while section 212 provides guidelines about the roles of traditional leaders.
The objects based on the support and the transformation of the institution in accordance with constitutional imperatives and restore the integrity and legitimacy of traditional leadership, in line with African indigenous values and customs aligned to the Constitution. Hon Chair and hon members, to achieve our central goals, we have undertaken a process of consultation with their majesties, our esteemed kings, senior traditional leaders and the institution in broad to apprise the institution on the work that the department is undertaking in the transformation of the institution.
I am pleased to indicate that, consultations on the process of establishing the kings and queens’ forum is underway, and we should be able to launch this structure during the Heritage Month, indeed ...
IsiXhosa:
... zikumkani ...
English:
... we are determined to achieve the parity amongst all the kings and monarchs of our country. The forum is intended to be a voice of kings and queens. Just on 22 May 2023 the Ministry received a letter from the Interim Chairperson of the Kings and Queens Forum in the Eastern Cape, King Ndamase Ndamase ...
IsiXhosa:
... Ndlovuyezwe ...
English:
... requesting the Ministers assistance to facilitate the convening of the forum. It is going to happen Faku.
IsiXhosa:
Siyaqhuba njengoko uMongameli eiyalele. Iingxaki ezijongene nesiko lolwalukpo siyafuna ukuba sithethe ngazo, kuba ilifa lesizwe, isiko lolwaluko kufekethwa ngalo. Sifuna ukusiqinisekisa isizwe ukuba, umthetho olwawula ulwaluko uphunyeziwe. Unika izixhobo abantwana begazi ngokubambisana ukuze kulandelwe iinkqubo ezikhuselekileyo kuzo zonke iindawo.
Kungelishwa ke ukuba apha kweli Phondo leNtshona Kapa, abantu bakowethu bathe baphathwa kakubi kwafuneka ukuba bazihlangule ezinkundleni beheshwa ngesitshantshathela nobuntshovu-ntshovu ngemikhuba yokubacalula ekwenzeni isiko labo ngokukhusekelekileyo. Incwina esibathembisa yona kukuba, sakusoloko sinabantu bakuthi sisebenzisana nabo kunye nabantwana begazi, kusenziwa isiko lokwaluka ngesidima kwiindawo esibonisene ngazo nabo, hayi ukubaphatha kakubi bade bazikhusele ezinkundleni. Ndithetha nje ...
English:
... the National Initiation Oversight Committee ...
IsiXhosa:
... ilapha kweli phondo ilungiselela ulwaluko ihewule nesihelegu esele sithetha nje sisingqinile kwabanye boomasipala esibabonileyo apha.
Sihlalo, lilizwe lomthetho eli kwaye bonke abantu abagutyungelwe yimpehle yentlondi egqwalisa umkhitha wesiko lolwaluko siza kubancothula neengcambu sisebenzisana noluntu kunye namaziko okhuseleko. Le migegemba yemigewu
yoovuk’engceni yeengcibi namakhankatha, iintsuku zayo zibaliwe.
English:
Chairperson, we have a constitutional responsibility to ensure tenure security in every area of the Republic, consistent with Section 25(6) of the Constitution. In this regard, the Communal Land Administration and Tenure Summit was held on 27 and 28 May 2022. The outcomes of the summit are being processed through the Inter-Ministerial Task Team that includes working on policy alignment by the Department of Agriculture, Land reform and Rural Development or Cabinet processes. Further Chairperson and hon members, both the Communal Land Tenure Policy and Bill have been drafted and shall be processed through government structures and Cabinet for public comments in this 2023-24 financial year. That is the ANC government for you. We are finally getting closer to guaranteeing our people a security of tenure that is suitable for us as Africans. This will serve as a fundamental precursor to dovetail the socioeconomic strategic that resonates with the Rural Invest Master Plan, as endorsed by President Ramaphosa in the context of the District Development Model.
Similarly, Chairperson, on the spatial planning, the Department of Agriculture, Land reform and Rural Development is in a process of identifying areas of amendment to Special Land Use and Management Act. One of the areas under review is the role of the institution of traditional leaders in land development processes. The institution is being engaged through identified structures to provide input on the proposals to address identified challenges. The department has met with the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders in February 2023, to discuss the mechanics of working together on the amendment of Special Land Use and Management Act, Spluma. With regards to the Expropriation Bill, traditional of Limpopo participated ... [Interjections.]
Ms M S KHAWULA: On a point of order Chair.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL
AFFAIRS (Mr Z Burns-Ncamashe): ... in the public hearing of Capricorn, Waterberg, Sekhukhune Mopani, ... [Interjections.]
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): Please have a seat hon member there is the point of order.
IsiZulu:
Nk M S KHAWULA: Cha, kukhona into engididayo phela ngoba nguMeyi akuyena uJuni. Ibhantshi lesikole! uMhlonishwa ngabe unikela ngalo leli bhantshi ezinganeni?
IsiXhosa:
ILUNGU ELIHLONIPHEKILEYO: Usile wena mama u ...usile.
An HON MEMBER: Hon Khawula.
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): That is not a point of order. It is not sustained, proceed hon member.
IsiXhosa:
ILUNGU ELIHLONIPHEKILEYO: Usile lo mama.
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): Another point of order?
The DEPUTY CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Hon House Chair,
I just want to rise on Rule 82, that you cannot reflect on the dignity of a member.
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): Thank you. that is why I did not uphold that point of order. You may proceed hon Burns- Ncamashe. Order members.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL
AFFAIRS (Mr Z Burns-Ncamashe): This is yet another demonstration of the ANC-led government that we intend to return the land to its rightful owners. We will soon be having expropriation of land as an Act of Parliament.
IsiXhosa:
Nithanda, ningathandi.
English:
A very clear submission by the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders was that expropriation will exclude the current communal land, instead it will expand communal land to decongest areas of ...
IsiXhosa:
... iinkosi. Siyaqhuba, siyasebenza ...
English:
... it is ANC at work. The process to assess and authenticate the application by the public in respect of the Khoisan Commission is ... [Time expired.] Thank you very much.
Mr X N MSIMANGO: Hon Chair, hon Minister, hon Deputy Ministers, directors-general and other officials of the department, hon members of the House and fellow South Africans, local government serves as a prime point of service delivery. This is where most citizens interface with the government. The ANC government regards this sphere of government as an important sphere, precisely because it is at the coalface of service delivery. The vision of the developmental local government system that is developmental government will act as an important element through which the reconstruction and development of our country and society can be built as a sphere of government through which the citizens of our country will interact in a meaningful and direct way.
Most importantly, local government will bring government closer to the people and be the vehicle through which decision making and planning are processed. Through integrated development planning, known as the Integrated Development Plan, IDP, communities will interact with local government
planning and propose their priorities for the purpose of resource allocation.
As a result of being a sphere of government closer and directly interacting with the people, local government must attempt to cushion poor households into at least getting basic services in these trying times of high standards of living.
The indigent policy needs to be strengthened and be resourced as the government is working on economic recovery for some basic services which are protected by the South African Constitution. This policy responds to the constitutional imperative in section 27 of the Constitution, which acknowledges that:
Everyone has the right to have access to ...
social security, including, if they are unable to support themselves and their dependents, appropriate social assistance.
IsiZulu:
Lo hulumeni kaKhongolose uyazikhathalela izimpilo zabantu futhi wenza konke okusemandleni ukuthi isimo semiphakathi
yethu sizinze. Siyaqinisekisa njengombutho wesizwe abantu bakithi ngeke baze bahlupheke uma lo mbutho kaKhongolose usekhona.
English:
As local government is confronted with unemployment, especially amongst the youth, the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, together with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, should strengthen the intervention and impact of the Community Work Programme, known as CWP. Key and relevant stakeholders such as the Sectoral Education and Training Authority, Seta, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET, colleges must be able to come and add value to this initiative to make it more sustainable. The CWP programme must be an initiative that is a platform for the participant to accumulate skills. After accumulating those skills, TVET colleges must open their doors for further and advanced accredited training. This should be funded by Setas and the
... Skills Fund. This collaboration would enable CWP beneficiaries to start as stipend earners until they own their businesses or become managers.
There is a need for change in the manner that the CWP works. The CWP must act as a transitional method for the betterment and advancement of people who had no opportunity but who after being exposed to the opportunity, then be able to expand more effectively.
The District Development Model, DDM, should help this initiative to be everyone’s business and be harnessed to reach its maximum potential. It must be done in such a way that it serves as a bridge of opportunity to possible artisans and entrepreneurs. Our communities must feel the effectiveness of this programme.
National projects must have the drive to include locals in the running of projects. National projects such as the SA National Roads Agency, Sanral, and other ... infrastructure must consider being considerate to local and unemployed members of our communities. The CWP beneficiaries, contractors and personal managers must find a possible way of making sure that they manage conflicts that happen within communities seeking to stop the project because they feel excluded. The CWP must also be linked to economic activities that are taking place where our communities are located. The new proposed version of
the CWP will bring much-needed results for the benefit of our communities. The ANC supports this Budget Vote. I thank you, hon Chair.
Ms G OPPERMAN: Hon Chairperson, by now we all know that section 139 interventions have been a huge failure. We had
161 such interventions countrywide, of which 15 were challenged in court and set aside. In 17 municipalities, interventions were invoked more than once, meaning it didn't work the first time. In fact, municipalities are worse off after intervention. Currently, we have 87 municipalities identified as distressed and dysfunctional, 163 under financial distress, 98 with unfunded budgets and 43 that have already collapsed. But, can you guess what all these municipalities have in common? ANC governance. A new national disaster is now looming — municipal collapse.
Afrikaans:
Die trae COVID-19 reaksie, onvoldoende reaksie op oorstromings in sewe provinsies, modderstortings en vloede in KwaZulu-Natal en die Oos-Kaap, langdurige droogte in die Noord-Kaap en openbare geweld en plundering in sekere dele van die land het
die totale ondoeltreffendheid en onbevoegdheid van hierdie ANC regering se reaksie op rampe uitgelig en beklemtoon.
'n Onlangse diagnostiese verslag deur die Nasionale Tesourie en die Wêreldbank het die gemiddelde gaping in die befondsing vir die finansiering van reaksie op rampe in Suid-Afrika op R2,3 miljard beraam. Program vier is egter katastrofies onderbefonds met net R932 miljoen en die teikens is so onvoldoende dat die land se vermoë om rampe te bestuur en te voorkom geensins verbeter kan word nie.
'n Nasionale ramptoestand is verklaar om 'n intensiewe, gekoördineerde reaksie moontlik te maak op die impak van vloede wat Mpumalanga, die Oos-Kaap, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, die Noord-Kaap en Noordwes provinsies raak, het President Ramaphosa in 'n verklaring gesê.
Kom ek vertel vir u wat die Ouditeur-generaal van hierdie intensiewe, gekoördineerde reaksie van die regering tydens hul werklike tyd oudit op die KwaZulu-Natal vloede, bevind het.
English:
After three months of the KwaZulu-Natal floods, people were still experiencing hardship, with little relief in sight. The government's response to react to the disaster was completely inadequate and poor co-ordination existed between the eThekwini Metro, the Department of Water and Sanitation, and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
Afrikaans:
Slegs 24% van hawelose persone was geassesseer vir tydelike residensiële eenhede. Alle tydelike residensiële eenhede, dit wil sê 100% van die wat geïnspekteer was, was foutief. Uit die
1 810 eenhede was slegs 244 opgerig, wat beteken dat daar 'n tekort van 640 eenhede was.
’n Totaal van 356 skole was beskadig en 76 mobiele klaskamers is aangekoop. Die klaskamers is egter so na aan die vloedbank, wat besig was om te erodeer, neergesit, dat dit nooit in gebruik geneem kon word nie.
English:
In fact, the learners had to use overcrowded, structurally unsafe classrooms, risking injury. How do you use 13 mobile
units for 880 learners, as was the case at one school? How is that, Build Back Better?
Afrikaans:
Die ANC se plan vir rampbestuur is net 'n slogan [slagspreuk] wat lekker op die tong klink.
English:
Many questions arose, just as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Why did they use inexperienced service providers and shelf companies despite having a database of suppliers? Why were state employees and their spouses yet again doing business with the state, exploiting disaster relief funding?
Afrikaans:
Intussen verklaar die President op 9 Februarie vanjaar nóg 'n nasionale ramptoestand; die keer oor Suid-Afrika se kragkrisis, aangesien daaglikse aaneenlopende kragonderbrekings besighede lamlê. Eskom se beurtkrag is tans reeds in die eerste kwartaal van 2023 soveel erger as in die hele 2022. Beurtkrag het met 670% sedert die laaste verkiesing toegeneem. Dit is te tragies om oor te vertel.
Die DA is reeds sedert 2021 in 'n regstryd gewikkel om die Wet op Rampbestuur ongrondwetlik te verklaar. Soos die wet tans daaruit sien, het Parlement geen formele toesighoudende rol oor besluite wat kragtens die wet geneem word nie. Die mag is totaal in die hande van een Minister en dit het reeds katastrofiese gevolge vir onbepaalde tydperke met hope bisarre regulasies tot gevolg gehad.
English:
Local government’s disaster management capacity and response needs to strengthen drastically.
Afrikaans:
Die ANC regering se onbevoegdheid en onwilligheid om op rampe te reageer — mense, dit is ons grootste ramp.
IsiXhosa:
Mnu G G MPUMZA: Sihlalo, aBaphathiswa nooSekela Baphathiswa, iLungu elihloniphekileyo uCeza, abaphathi bamasebe neenkokeli zeNdlu yoBukhosi siyanibulisa. Mphathiswa nawe Sihlalo, ububhedengu nobungqondo-gqwirha bobukoloniyali busagquba nanamhla, kuba buneminyaka engama-340 buzinziswa kweli lizwe, kulushica ke ngoko ukubuguqula. Yiyo loo nto sisafumana abantu
kule Ndlu belila besithi hayi makutolikwe kodwa iintsimbi zisakhala ezikolweni ukuba bafunde baguquke.
English:
Mr G G MPUMZA: Hon Chairperson, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, recognises the rights of satisfactory environment as encompassed by the access to clean and safe water. Equally, the United Nation’s resolution, number 62/292, also recognises that the right of access to safe, clean and dignified water and sanitation is a fundamental human right.
These policy measures would require of necessity a stable government and governance to realise. The ANC believes that political stability is crucial in local government as it greatly impacts the delivery of municipal services. It is visible enough that where there is instability and dysfunctional hung municipalities’ delivery of services collapses. Key to the strategy of the ANC on coalitions is that and I quote:
Coalitions must be based on a common minimal programme that focuses measurable targets to service delivery and development in the communities. Such a programme must be
made public and of necessity subjected to community meeting discussions.
The ANC all the partners in local government coalitions to be guided by the principle of serving the communities where they are.
Sadly, once again the DA-led coalition municipalities has led the people of Hammanskraal down. The DA-led coalition’s dysfunctionality and instability in the City of Tshwane to the extent that the people of Hammanskraal have lost families and due to the DA-led seven-year-old coalition that failed to provide clean and safe water to townships.
The Rooiwal Water Treatment Plant produces substandard, affluent and access large that spills into the Apies River contaminating the Leeukraal that is why we have problems today.
The ANC in Parliament, sends their deepest condolences to the families affected. The ANC is positive that interventions by the national Department of Water and Sanitation.
IsiZulu:
Nkz M S KHAWULA: Uxolo bakithi, i-ANC ibangumsindo asikwazi ukulalela isikhulumi!
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): Hon member, there is a point of order!
IsiZulu:
Nkz M S KHAWULA: Uxolo bakithi, i-ANC ibangumsindo asikwazi ukulalela isikhulumi
English:
Mr X N MSIMANGO: Thank you very much, Chairperson. The speaker is drowned. I request that you rule on that.
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): Hon members, I call on both sides of this House to reduce the levels of interjections, because you are drowning out the speaker. The noise is coming from both sides of this House. Please proceed, hon Mpumza.
Mr G G MPUMZA: Thank you, Chairperson. For good co-operative governance, we need to address the matter of the political administrative interface in municipalities. There is a need
for creating awareness of political administrative collaboration, balancing the involvement of politicians with administrative roles and creating distinct roles and responsibilities and mechanisms to ensure effective management of relationship between politicians and administrators. The failure to manage these relationships can result in mismanagement and maladministration that negatively affects the delivery of services like in Hammanskraal.
Hon Chairperson, deliberate inclusion and integration of traditional leaders in the function of municipalities by involving them in councils is crucial. Traditional leaders must be integrated into council’s to help strengthen the service delivery of people they lead. The Department of Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs must validate the involvement of traditional leadership in councils and support them with possible resources such as the workspace and other relevant tools of trade. Traditional leadership should go beyond tradition and custom and transcend to issues of state governance at the local government level.
Co-operation of councillors and traditional leaders can be of benefit to service delivery in communities as it galvinises support and social accountability as key social partners.
We will expedite, hon Mkhalipi, the Traditional Affairs General Amendment Bill as a crucial intervention to bring about stability and strengthen traditional authority institution. Furthermore, the inclusion of traditional leaders in council will resolve the tension that may arise due to the implementation of the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act which can cause conflict where traditional leaders are custodians of land. At the same time municipalities are empowered by this Act to be the appropriate authority to take decision on matters concerning land use planning and land use management, expanding access to land for residential use and other public services. Traditional leaders have allocated land for the poor and for the subjects in need.
The ANC is pleased with the establishment of the Interministerial Task Team to respond to issues raised over the years by the traditional leaders. There should be a speedy implementation of the outcomes on this task team to strengthen
the role of government and support the role of traditional leadership be more effective.
We believe that the Deputy President will take this new task of leading this task with the greatest attention it deserves working with the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
Hon Chairperson, a stable well-functioning and an inclusive resourced local government is a way to go bringing a sustainable service delivery and rural development. Rural development is a matter we should prioritise to rural communities and rural communities must be positioned as destinations for investment and places for economic activities.
We should improve the road and bridge infrastructure. Our people in rural areas need properly gravelled roads. Reviving and maintain rural infrastructure enhance and develop skills from rural areas.
In His 2023 state of the nation address, the state President announced that an allocation of R600 million, strictly to
support the rural and struggling municipalities to help them prepare for project development is welcomed. The project exploration and packaging helps projects to be bankable for investment and building state capability, hon member, is central to the improvement of the infrastructure development to close the of inequalities in rural and urban areas.
The hon Spies, it is easy to come to this podium and claim cadre development, yet your party nepotically appointed Marietha Aucamp as the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Mayor who set Tshwane into misgovernance and the three mayors, including the current one. That was cadre deployment of an unqualified Grade 12 official, as Chief of Staff at a
R3 million plus in the Office of the Mayor. One of such resulted appointment was the expulsion of qualified officials. Like expelled officials as a result of that misgovernance, hon Spies and the hon Opperman, through Marietha Aucamp. Mr Popo Rotongwana, Sibusiso, Sibulele Mpumza and Loraine were expelled by this unqualified Chief of Staff. We therefore, support this budget. Thank you. [Time expired.]
Mr A H M PAPO: Chairperson, on a point of order.
Hon Chairperson my point of order is: I am rising in terms of Rule 84. Hon member, Khoza has repeatedly called hon members of the ANC thieves. That is not in line with Rule 84. There was a ruling made by the Speaker on that same statement, when it was previously made by the hon member Kwankwa. There was a ruling made that one cannot call members with that term.
Secondly, as I am raising a point of order. The hon member Khawula keeps switching her mic on and speaking without you giving her permission. She has done it several times in this sitting, and you can see this is what I am talking about.
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): Order hon members!
Mr A H M PAPO: We need a ruling on the hon Khoza and the hon Khawula.
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): The hon Khoza, did you refer to the ANC members as thieves?
Mr A V KHOZA: Hon Chairperson I did not. They must prove it.
The CHAIRPERSON (Ms J Hermans): Thank you. We will check Hansard. Thank you very much. I now call upon the hon Minister, Nkadimeng. Thank you. You may proceed, hon Minister.
Order, hon members, you may proceed.
The MINISTER OF COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL
AFFAIRS: Thank you very much, hon Chairperson, debating is a healthy exercise and necessary for democracy. The budget debate presents us with an opportunity as it has done in the past two hours, to listen to different views and hear diverse arguments. Of course, some arguments are progressive, and I have been taking notes and learning from them. While others arguably the least said the better.
So, let me take this opportunity again to restate our key message as a Department of Co-operation Governance and Traditional Affairs. We came this morning, we presented with the Deputy Minister a result-based planning and implementation system related through our research management office and our result management office which will be placed in the department to ensure that we capacitate and further assists municipalities in providing their professional services and
improved service delivery. This is also linked to the invest master rural plan that the Traditional Affairs in assisting the municipalities in areas and communities where they reside will also bring space.
Now the district development model is indeed a flagship of the Sixth administration. It is being institutionalised as I have said, and it is going to align all the three spheres of government. There is a reason why you fear it. It is because it’s going to fundamentally increase the rate of service delivery that we have made. That is recorded by the Statistics SA
Hon Spies, you are not correct. You might have been an observer of local government and may be read the books not fully so. Project consolidates, its first victory was consolidating 878 municipalities to 200 municipalities ensuring that it closed the gap of racial segregation and ensure that equal access to services to people were there. Electricity connectivity moved from 37% to 93% because of the outcome of project consolidating. Now that is what you are afraid of. Statistics SA has this information and is free [mahala.] Just go to it, it will tell you when project
consolidates started, how many people in South Africa black Africans have access to water.
IsiXhosa:
Ezilalini bebethwala nge-emela.
English:
Yes, today the problem is still there but we have moved the ladder to around 62% coming from a literal 22% of service delivery. Yes, because we have connected when our grandmothers were not connected. Load shedding is because of our own successes, and we are going to solve it. We come from 30% of no connectivity to 90% where you also did not have power and today you have it. Equally, we share what is in this country’s dispensation.
Hon Emam, I agree with you section ... of the Municipal Finance Management Act, MFMA, needs to be ... on and we have been raising this issue. But we had two meetings with the National Treasury, and we agreed that we need to advertise and make sure that all tenders that are awarded by law are also made to do ...
Hon Spies, again you are not correct to think that peer review mechanisms of municipalities will only deal with the DA. I want to stay in Khayelitsha and enjoy. I want to stay in Midvaal Esikhotheni and enjoy. But let me tell you, I can also take you to Senqu which is ANC run, non-clean audits in a row. Why are you not saying we must take your own City of Tshwane to Senqu in the rural Eastern Cape so that they can learn. We have Hantum in the Northern Cape. We have Ehlanzeni in Mpumalanga in Mbombela. We all have got a mixed productivity in local government. You are not the custodian of success.
Never! We would have not had our parents living under the dispensation that they lived in if you are the cowriters of all what is successful in South Africa.
Some of you are praying for 2024. The only thing I like 2024 for is that it’s elections and our people are going to make their choice. They are going to be our arbiters. When we are back, we are going to say they have made a choice and the choice will be what will be respected. Just day before yesterday, we won two by-elections, and we know that we are going to come back. Hon Mkhaliphi ...
IsiZulu:
... uVovo ukuzwise ubuhlungu ngokuthanda uRamaphosa.
English:
Thank you very much.
Debate concluded.
The Mini-Plenary rose at 12:12.
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