Hansard: NCOP: Unrevised Hansard
House: National Council of Provinces
Date of Meeting: 06 Mar 2024
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
WEDNESDAY, 6 MARCH 2024
PROCEEDINGS OF HYBRID NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Watch video here: Plenary
The Council met at 14:00.
The Chairperson took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Thank you very much, hon delegates. I would like to take this opportunity to announce that the vacancy which occurred in the Council owing to the resignation of hon Luthuli from KwaZulu-Natal has been filled by the hon Khethiwe Mildred Muthwa. The hon member was sworn in today. Hon Muthwa, you are welcome. I trust that your tenure in the NCOP will be fruitful. Please, stand hon member so that we can ... [Inaudible.] ...
Hon members, please, also allow me to express an appreciation for this solidarity and support that I received personally and together with my family. Your act of solidarity was truly appreciated.
Hon delegates, before we proceed, I would like to remind delegates of the rules relating to virtual meetings in sittings, in particular sub-rule 21, 22 and 23 of Rule 103 which provides as follows for the hybrid sitting, which is the sitting of the NCOP. Delegates in hybrid sitting enjoy the same powers and privileges that apply in the sitting of the NCOP. For purposes of a quorum all delegates who are locked onto the virtual platform should be considered present.
Delegates must switch on their videos if they want to speak. Delegates should ensure that the microphones on the electronic devices are muted and must always be muted unless they are permitted to speak. All delegates in the Chamber must insert their cards to register in the chamber system. The delegates who are physically in the Chamber must use the floor microphones. All delegates may participate in the discussion through the chat room.
In addition, I would like to remind delegates that the interpretation facility is active. The permanent delegates, special delegates and members of the executive on the virtual platform are requested to ensure that the interpretation facilities on their electronic devices are properly activated to facilitate access to the interpretation services. The permanent and special delegates in the Chamber should use the interpretation instruments on their desks and to access the interpretation facilities. Thank you very much.
However, before we proceed, hon delegates, I would like to welcome the hon Minister of Transport who is with us today, hon Chikunga. The Deputy Minister who is present, hon Parks Tau, is here, all the Deputy Ministers of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs as indicated, the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, the Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, members of the executive Council, MECs, all permanent and special delegates and Salga representatives to the House, some of the other people, of course, are on virtual.
Hon delegates, having done so, we now proceed to allow for notices of motion. When your motion sound even to yourself to
be a bit long, you must know it is no longer a notice of a motion. So, we proceed.
NOTICES OF MOTION
SANDF MEMBERS DIES
(Draft Resolution)
Ms B M BARTLETT: Chairperson, I hereby move without notice on behalf of the ANC:
That the House -
1. notes with great sense of loss to the country the tragic death of two members of the SA National Defence Force who died in the line of duty in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
2. we salute these patriots who died in a foreign land in pursuit of a progressive, free and peaceful Africa, and
3. extend our heartfelt condolences to their families, friends and colleagues.
Ms A D MALEKA: I hereby move on behalf of the ANC that at its next sitting:
The House debates dealing with constraints that reduce the expedition of the full implementation of the District Development Model across the country as a vehicle geared at ensuring the provision of essential services such as water and sanitation, municipal waste collection and the repair of roads is given priority.
Ms N E NKOSI: Chairperson, I hereby move on behalf of the ANC that at its next sitting:
That the House in its next sitting debates measures geared at expediting, tightening and uprooting corrupt elements within the law enforcement agencies to ensure those entrusted with the responsibility of protecting South African society are not found wanting. Thank you, Chair.
JOSHLIN SMITH DISSAPEARED
(Draft Resolution)
Ms L N MOSS: Chairperson, I hereby move without notice on behalf of the ANC:
That the Council -
1. welcomes the good news that four people have been taken in for questioning in connection with the disappearance of the six-year-old Joshlin Smith as the first step in the resolving the case,
2. notes that the four persons being ... [Interjections.]
...
Ms M O MOKAUSE: ... order, order, Chairperson. The hon member is wasting our time.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: We should try to be a bit orderly, hon members. Hon Moss, if your notice is a motion without notice, please, wait a bit we will come back to you.
Ms M O MOKAUSE: I hereby move on behalf of the EFF that at its next sitting:
The House debates the continuous shortages of water in the Northern Cape particularly in the Sol Plaatje Local Municipality.
Ms T P MAMOROBELA: I hereby move on behalf of the ANC that at its next sitting:
The House debates the measures aimed at accelerating farmer support production units as key critical stepping stone to the revitalisation of the rural economy as they provide necessary farming implements and mechanisation in rural areas.
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN EASTERN CAPE DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND AGRARIAN REFORM AND THE CHRIS HANI DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
(Draft Resolution)
Ms N DONGENI: Chair, I move without notice:
That the Council –
(1) welcomes the partnership between the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform and the Chris Hani District Municipality which has resulted in the official handover of a spring water project that will benefit five villages in the Manzana administrative area, outside eNgcobo;
(2) notes that through the partnership, they managed to accelerate access to clean drinking water in rural communities, using the cost-effective rollout of spring water projects in the province;
(3) recognizes that about 75 people, including 61 youth, were employed and trained in the project, and in that way, opportunities were created for people to fend for their families;
(4) understands that the Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform uses the District Development Model to work with the municipality to take advantage of more than 250
natural springs in the district to ensure that all the springs will be utilized to bring water to the people;
(5) believes that a total of 757 water taps have been installed in 36 villages across the province, benefitting 8 781 households, including four schools, one clinic and one youth co-operative; and
(6) commends the good work that has come out of this partnership, which is geared at ensuring rural communities have access to clean drinkable water for both consumption and agricultural activities and;
(7) hopes that these kinds of projects can be spread to other areas.
I so move.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
Ms M O MOKAUSE: Chair, my hand is up. My hand is up.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: No, but you must do so on time hon member. [Interjections.]
Ms M O MOKAUSE: Chairperson, my hand is up. I am objecting to that motion.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: But you must do so on time.
Ms M O MOKAUSE: All that is happening in the Eastern Cape is corruption.
The CHIEF WHIP OF THE NCOP (Mr S J Mohai): No, but you must speak when you are objecting.
Ms M O MOKAUSE: Corruption! My hand was up. The motion cannot be carried ... [Inaudible.] ... record.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: I will come to you. Hon Moss, yes.
FOUR PEOPLE TAKEN IN FOR QUESTIONING IN REGARD TO JOSHLIN SMITH’S DISAPPEARANCE
(Draft Resolution)
Ms L N MOSS: Chair, I move without notice:
That the Council –
(1) welcomes the good news that four people have been taken in for questioning in connection with the disappearance of six-year-old Joshlin Smith as a first step in resolving the case;
(2) notes that the four persons being interviewed by the team of investigators are two men and two women, aged between 26 and 34;
(3) recalls that Joshlin, a Grade 1 learner at Diazville Primary School in Saldanha Bay, disappeared on Monday, 19 February 2024 at around 5pm;
(4) also notes that on Sunday, police confirmed the search for Joshlin had been expanded with drones and rescue dogs deployed in the area. The City of Cape
Town also deployed resources including its marine unit services and K-9 unit;
(5) further notes that scores of neighbourhood watch members, community-based organisations, and local residents have continued to work around the clock in search of Joshlin; and
(6) therefore, calls on the police and the community to do everything in their power to make sure that Joshlin is found very soon.
I so move.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE MURDER OF KIERNAN FORBES AND TEBELLO MOTSOANE
(Draft Resolution)
Ms L C BEBEE: I move without notice:
That the Council –
(1) notes the successful arrest of the suspects in the cold-blooded murder of one of South Africa’s iconic artists, Kiernan Forbes, alias, “AKA” and his friend, Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane in Durban a year ago;
(2) notes that this arrest demonstrates the improved intelligence and investigative capabilities of the police;
(3) believing that this arrest will send a clear message to criminals that they have no place to hide; and
(4) therefore, congratulates the Provincial Commissioner of Police and his team of investigators for this successful arrest.
I so move.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
THE PASSING OF SIPHIWE MKHONZA
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M S MOLETSANE: I move without notice:
That the Council –
(1) notes the passing of Siphiwe Mkhonza, who died in the early hours of Tuesday, 5 March 2024 at his home;
(2) further notes that the late Siphiwe Mkhonza is a former Kaizer Chiefs and Bloemfontein Celtics defender and also TV analyst affectionately known as Dr Mnandi;
(3) acknowledges that Mkhonza began his career in 1999, playing for Bloemfontein Celtic and later Ria Stars and Lamontville Golden Arrows and then Chiefs in 2004 and SuperSport United, Maritzburg United, AmaZulu and Black Leopards;
(4) further acknowledges that Mkhonza was suffering from a kidney infection for a long time;
(5) recognizes that the football fraternity has suffered a great loss, and we will be eternally grateful for his immeasurable contributions on and off the field and;
(6) the EFF send its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and soccer fraternity. May his soul rest in peace.
I so move.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
THE PASSING OF RUSSIAN KREMLIN OF RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER ALEXEI NAVALNY
(Draft Resolution)
Mr W A S AUCAMP: I move without notice:
That the Council –
(1) whilst remembering the death of Steve Biko who died while he was detained by the apartheid government;
(2) this House mourns the untimely passing under the suspicious circumstances at the hands of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on the 16 February 2024;
(3) whilst he was detained on trumped up extremism charges in an Arctic Russian penal colony, where he was subjected to cruel and degrading treatment;
(4) that this House extends its sincere condolences to Mr Navalny’s widow Julia, his daughter Daria, his son Zahar, his mother Ludmila and the rest of his family, friends and supporters in Russia and all over the world.
I so move.
Not agreed to.
DA CALLS FOR FAIR AND INCLUSIVE PUBLIC HEARINGS IN THE BELA BILL IN NORTHERN CAPE
(Draft Resolution)
Chairperson, I hereby move without notice on behalf of the DA:
That this Council-
(1) notes with great concern the flawed public hearings on the Basic Education Laws Amendment, Bela, Bill in the Northern Cape, particularly in Upington, and De Aar;
(2) expresses dismay at the denial of residents’ democratic voting rights due to the premature collapse of the public hearing in Upington, despite the majority experiencing opposition to the Bill;
(3) affirms the importance of transparent and effective public participation in the legislative process, emphasising the need to uphold the democratic principles of citizens right to vote and to voice their
opinions, and actively participate in shaping legislation;
(4) acknowledges that the flawed public participation hearings in the Northern Cape undermines this fundamental principle:
(5) further acknowledges that it is therefore imperative that this House ensures that the democratic rights of the residents in the Northern Cape are respected and upheld throughout the legislative process;
(6) calls for a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the collapse of the Upington meeting, and urges the Northern Cape provincial legislature to provide a detailed report on the matter; and
(7) further calls on the relevant authorities to address these flaws promptly and to take corrective measures to ensure fair and inclusive public hearings in the Bela Bill in the Northern Cape.
There being an objection, the motion with not be proceeded with and will become a notice of motion.
NORTH WEST PROVINCE APPLAUDED FOR TRACING AND COMPENSATING EX- MINE WORKERS
(Draft Resolution)
Ms T C MODISE: I hereby move without notice on behalf of the ANC:
That the Council-
(1) applauds the North West provincial government for its dedication to trace and track mine workers who left employment without claiming their benefits;
(2) notes that the North West province has so far traced
20 798 ex-mine workers with 2 669 claim process paid to the tune of R76,9 million between 2022 and 2023;
(3) recalls that the initiative came into fruition after the Deputy Minister of Health, Doctor Dhlomo, launched
the project with the Department of Health and the Premier of North West in 2022 August;
(4) further recalls that the intervention is aimed at providing ex-mine workers and their beneficiaries with access to compensation benefits for occupational lung disease and other social protection funds that we left unclaimed;
(5) believes that the province is facing a mammoth task as there are still many ex-mine workers to be traced and compensated as the province is working around the clock to find the 168 000 former mine workers and their beneficiaries; and
(6) congratulates the North West provincial government and the provincial department of health and all the stakeholders including the mine council and the interim ex-mine workers leadership structure for the job well done.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
OVERSTRAND LOCAL MUNICIPALITY CONGRATULATED FOR MOVING OVERSTRAND FROM DROUGHT RESPONSE TO WATER RESILIENCE
(Draft Resolution)
Mr F J BADENHORST: I hereby move without the notice on behalf of the DA:
That this Council-
(1) notes that during November 2023, the Overstrand Local Municipality was given environmental authorisation for a project to explore augmentation of the groundwater supply for the Greater Hermanus area;
(2) further notes that the municipality is currently busy with exploration drilling in the Hemel-en-Aarde Wellfields near Hermanus, with the main purpose of the current augmentation project being to utilize more of the full potential of the approved water use licenses for the wellfields, thereby reducing dependence on the De Bos Dam;
recalls that two boreholes have been drilled to date, one 200m deep in the Camphill Wellfield and the other to a depth of 179m in the Volmoed Wellfield;
(3) recognises that initial indications are that above average yields should be possible from these boreholes and that the borehole designs can be finalised, and electricity supply, connector pipelines, pumps and other equipment procured and installed, and the new boreholes registered with the Department of Water and Sanitation, as soon as the detailed test-pumping has been completed during March 2024;
(4) acknowledges that the municipality’s groundwater abstraction is monitored continuously and reported on to the regulatory authorities and the Hermanus Monitoring Committee on a six-monthly basis;
(5) remembers that Hermanus is currently supplied with bulk water from the De Bos Dam, as well as the Gateway Wellfield and the Camphill and Volmoed wellfields in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley; and
(6) congratulates the municipality’s executive mayor, Mayor Annalie Rabie, and the Municipal Manager, Mr Dean O’Neill, for continuous efforts to move Overstrand from drought response to water resilience, in line with the DA-run Western Cape Water Resilience Plan.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
R1,2 MILLION NSFAS APPLICATION APPROVAL APPLAUDED FOR THE FUNDING OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION STUDENTS
(Draft Resolution)
Mr I NTSUBE: I hereby move without notice on behalf of the ANC:
That the Council-
(1) notes with pride the successful approval of R1,2 million application for the funding of the
student at the universities, technikons and the TVET
colleges;
(2) further notes that this number excludes the significant number of rejected application which are being reviewed as we speak;
(3) believes that we will go a long way in addressing the youth unemployment and skills deficits that continue to face our country; and
(4) therefore congratulates the National Student Financial Aid Scheme for its efficiency and effectiveness that have alleviated disruption of learning into higher education.
There being an objection, the motion with not be proceeded with and will become a notice of motion.
CALL TO INTENSIFY COMMUNITY-POLICE COLLABORATION AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE
(Draft Resolution)
Ms S SHAIKH: I hereby move without notice on behalf of the ANC:
That the Council –
(1) notes with concern the rising levels of gun violence, especially in the gang-infested areas;
(2) further notes that according to independent research, guns that land in the hands of criminals are mostly those stolen from police and legal gun owners;
(3) believes that communities have a critical role in providing intelligence to the police about the circulation of illegal firearms; and
(4) therefore calls on the Minister of Police, in collaboration with the sector departments in the criminal justice cluster to intensify community-police collaboration against gun violence in all its manifestations.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
SANRAL INVESTING R740 MILLION TO IMPROVE EASTERN CAPE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M DANGOR: Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council-
(1) welcomes SA National Roads Agency SOC Ltd, SANRAL’s commitment to inject R740 million into projects in the Keiskamma Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape over the next few months;
(2) notes that the maintenance project includes, amongst others, a periodic maintenance contract for the N2 national road from Bloukrans River Bridge to Storms River Valley, that R80 million has been awarded to another contract from the Storms River village to Wittelsbos worth R50 million;
(3) understands that over 35 small, medium and micro enterprises, SMMEs, are expected to benefit from this project, as well as over 250 job opportunities will be created;
(4) also welcomes SANRAL’s commitment to train and develop SMME contractors to enhance their business acumen and tendering skills in this particular project;
(5) understands that Expanding investment in infrastructure to improve community access to basic services, increases the overall efficiency and competitiveness of the economy; and
(6) commends SANRAL infrastructure investment, which will go a long way in critically providing basic services.
I so move.
Ms M O MOKAUSE: I object, Chair. All that money from the Eastern Cape is going to go to the ANC elections campaign. Anything is corruption from the Eastern Cape.
Motion not agreed to.
SAD PASSING OF SONJA NORTJE-GREEFF, A DEDICATED CPF MEMBER IN BRITS, NORTH WEST
(Draft Resolution)
Mr S F DU TOIT: Hon Chair, I move without notice:
That the Council-
(1) notes with great sadness of the passing of Sonja Nortjé–Greeff, a respected member of the Community Policing Forum, CPF, in the Brits area;
(2) notes that this she was not only a respected community member, but also a protector of the weak and the vulnerable through here valuable contribution through active participation in the safety structures in the greater North West province;
(3) notes that her unselfish legacy of compassion, respect and empathy will live on in her absence;
(4) conveys our heartfelt condolences to the Nortjé and Greeff families.
I so move.
Ms M O MOKAUSE: Chair, my hand was up, objecting to the motion that you refuse us to object ... [Interjections.] [Inaudible.]
...
Mr I NTSUBE: Speak. Do you have a motion or not? Do you have a motion or not? You must speak.
Ms M O MOKAUSE: Shut up. I was objecting to the motion that you refuse, Chairperson. And I want to put it here on record that we are taking you to the Ethics Committee ...
Mr I NTSUBE: So, you don’t have issues to speak on?
Ms M O MOKAUSE: ... for always ruling in favour of the ANC and not be partial. We are taking you to the Ethics Committee, Chair.
Mr I NTSUBE: No, you must be ... [Inaudible.]
Motion not agreed to.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon members, we now move on to the First Order. We’ll proceed to the First Order ...
Ms S B LEHIHI: Chairperson ...
Setswana:
... ga go na gore aircon e ka timiwa kgotsa ya ... tota motho o omeletse.
MODUALSETILO WA NCOP: Ga ke a go utlwa, mme.
Moh S B LEHIHI: Ga go na gore aircon e ka fokotsiwa kgotsa ya timiwa. Nna ke omeletse e le nnete.
English:
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Aircon situation is being attended to. Thank you very much.
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY, SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE GLOBAL CONVENTION ON THE RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS CONCERNING HIGHER EDUCATION, TABLED IN TERMS OF SECTION 231(2) OF THE CONSTITUTION, 1996, AND THE EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM TO THE GLOBAL CONVENTION ON THE RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS CONCERNING HIGHER EDUCATION, DATED 06 DECEMBER 2023.
Mr M E NCHABELENG: Hon Chairperson and hon members, the Department of Higher Education and Technology briefed the Select Committee on Education, Science and Innovation on the Global Convention on the recognition of qualification concerning higher education tabled in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution of 1996. The Global Convention the first United Nations Higher Education Treaty with a global scope aims to facilitate the movement of students, academics, lecturers and researchers worldwide. It provides a global platform for collaboration amongst national authorities to improve tools and practices for the recognition of higher qualifications.
South Africa supports objectives and principles of the Global Convention aligning with its commitment to international co- operations, mobility and the equitable recognition of qualifications.
The strategic focus of the convention in South Africa is in harmony with the international and reginal policies including the United Nations 2030 Agenda, the Addis Convention, the Southern African Development Community, SADC, Protocol and Education and Training and the National Development Plan.
South Africa emphasizes the importance of fostering trust, promoting quality assurance and ensuring inclusive access to higher education through the recognition of qualifications. The implementation of the global convention in South Africa involves well established mechanisms and tools for the recognition of foreign qualifications including mutual recognition agreements, evaluations services and verification processes.
The country also has policies in place to support international students such as the policy framework for internationalisation of higher education.
Hon Chairperson, as of 15 May 2023, the Global Convention has received 22 ratifications and entered into force on 5 March 2023. With its advanced national qualification system, South
Africa plays a proactive role in recognising foreign qualification and promoting academic mobility.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Unesco, reports that in November 2019, the Global Convention was adopted by the 40th Session of the Unesco General Conference. Thereby becoming the first United Nations Treaty on Higher Education with a global scope.
The Unesco emphasizes that the Global Convention establishes universal principles for fair, transparent and nondiscriminatory recognition of higher education qualifications.
For students, the benefits as reported by Unesco, are that the Global Convention will mainly benefit those who are seeking the recognition of their qualification in another country or region. This is to either access or continue higher education or enter the labour market.
For countries the benefits as reported by Unesco are that it will be a strong instrument to prevent brain drain since these countries are engaged in establishing mechanism to facilitate
the recognition in their countries if qualifications are obtained abroad. Facilitate the return home of academic diasporas who have obtained their qualifications abroad. Provide platforms for national authorities through collaborate across borders and regions to develop better tools and practices for the recognition of higher education and qualifications.
Hon Chairperson, the select committee took note of the Global Convention and supports the deposit of an instrument of gratification for organising the significance of international co-operation and higher education and the promotion of transparent and equitable recognition practices.
There are more for our reasons for supporting this convention including the challenge of local students who have completed foreign qualification to return to ...
[Interjections.]
Ms M O MOKAUSE: This ANC people must go for computer classes.
What is happening now?
Mr I NTSUBE: Hon Chairperson, we request that the administration or information technology, IT, rather, mute Mme Mokause for good!
Ms M O MOKAUSE: You must also be muted!
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: The hon Nchabeleng!
Try and connect! We are waiting for you.
Ms M O MOKAUSE: Hey mo-horse, I am not speaking to you!
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: The hon Nchabeleng!
The hon Nchabeleng!
Hon members, I guess what we should do is to move on.
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Report be agreed to.
In Favour: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape.
Report accordingly agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY, SPORT, ARTS AND CULTURE - 2003 UNESCO CONVENTION FOR THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE, TABLED IN TERMS OF SECTION 231(2) OF THE CONSTITUTION, 1996, AND THE EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM TO THE 2003 UNESCO CONVENTION FOR THE SAFEGUARDING OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE, DATED 06 DECEMBER 2023
Mr M E NCHABELENG: Hon Chairperson and members in the house, the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture briefed the Select Committee on Education and Technology, Sports, Arts and Culture on the agreement with the 2003 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, Convention, which provided for the safeguarding preservation and promotion of Intangible Cultural Heritage, ICH, tabled in terms of section 231(2) of the Constitution, 1996.
As an oversight body over the department, the committee was requested to deliberate and support this agreement.
Studies have argued that safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage is vital, specifically as there is a downside to this dynamic and innovative notion of globalization, which manifests itself in the marginalization of poor countries and their people.
Some even argue that investment may be required to redress the historical imbalance of cultural recognition on national lists and deliberate downgrading of indigenous cultural forms that has happened in the past.
Some communities might need the assistance to identify lost information and restore the socioeconomic condition necessary for the maintenance or revival of their heritage.
Some even argue that investment may be required to redress the historical imbalance of cultural recognition on national lists and deliberate downgrading of indigenous cultural forms in the past.
Some communities might need assistance to identify lost information and restore the socioeconomic conditions necessary for the maintenance or revival of their heritage.
In countries such as Australia some sacred information from indigenous communities have been compiled into a database by project driven by indigenous people, who control access to the information by outsiders.
The UNESCO argue that intangible cultural heritage must be relevant to its community, continuously recreated and transmitted from one generation to the other.
The identified problem is that certain elements of intangible cultural heritage could die out or disappear without help.
Therefore, safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, according to UNESCO, is about the transferring of knowledge, skills and meaning.
Hon Chairperson, what we currently lack in the protection in heritage legislation for intangible heritage not associated with objects and places, as we already have some mechanism in place for safeguarding language and indigenous knowledge.
Safeguarding intangible heritage is difficult to achieve within the framework of traditional heritage management of tangible heritage asset.
The department states that part of the reason for this agreement was the realization that a significant part of it was under threat of deterioration, disappearance and extinction and the convention obliged state parties to identify, define and device appropriate measures for its preservation and encourage countries to adopt the legal, technical, administrative and financial measures to safeguard and promote ICH.
The convention also promotes regional, continental and international co-operation.
Key features of the convention are that state parties must keep an updated representation list of ICH of humanity, and where applicable, a list of ICH in need of urgent safeguarding.
The strategic and effective management of South Africa’s living heritage has the potential to promote social cohesion and nation-building.
The Bill of Rights provides rights to cultural, religious and linguistic communities to enjoy their cultural practices and affirm that government was committed to the cultural, social and economic upliftment and wellbeing of all people without discrimination.
Hon Chairperson, the White Paper on Arts, Culture and Heritage emphasizes the importance of heritage in retracing historical inequalities, poverty eradication, employment growth and sustainable development.
The 2003 UNESCO Convention was explicit that its implementation should take place in the context of participation by communities, groups and non-governmental organizations, NGOs.
Some of the advantages that will accrue on ratification to the convention were that the country will be party to the sharing of international expertise and best practices, and it will
intensify regional co-operation and integration on cultural matters.
The convention provided for countries to develop joint lists such as representative list of ICH of humanity, list of ICH in need of urgent safeguarding and developed bilateral
co-operation between countries.
The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture would use this convention to intensify regional and continental integration on arts, culture and heritage.
In most instances globalization increases ICH marginalization, with some cultural forms such as storytelling skills, technique and performance being on the verge of extinction.
The implementation of the convention will require collaboration with other national departments that did work relative to ICH, for example, the National Policy on Indigenous Knowledge, IKS, the National Policy Framework on Traditional Governance and the National Framework Policy on Traditional Medicines.
South Africa’s ICH has thrived in the rural areas where it was largely practiced by previously marginalized groups.
The ratification of the convention represents an opportunity for the government to redress colonial and apartheid legacies of neglect and obliteration.
Consultations had been held with a number of stakeholders including civil societies, statutory institutions, other government departments and practitioners in the field of ICH.
The first National Consultative Workshop comprising of over
200 representatives of the sector had been anonymous that the department should accede to the convention.
The workshop encourages the government to move faster in the safeguarding, preserving and promoting ICH.
Legal opinion on the consistency with domestic and international law and obligations have been obtained from the state law advisers.
The status was that the ratification of the convention had been approved by Cabinet. It had been submitted to the two Houses of Parliament and shared with the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture where it had been adopted and today we would like to call for this House to agree and support the NCOP’s adoption of this convention. I thank you, Chair. And I so move.
Question put.
VOTING
Agreed to.
CONSIDERATION OF PROVINCIAL WEEK REPORT: 11 – 15 SEPTEMBER 2023
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms S E Lucas): Hon
Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, hon Minister of Transport, Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, all Deputy Ministers, particularly Tau, who are present here and others that will participate in the debate, our MECs, House Chairperson Ngwenya, other House Chairpersons, hon members,
ladies and gentlemen, for me it is indeed an honour to be able to initiate a debate on one of our flagship programmes as the Council.
Government defines itself as an interventionist developmental state which uses the bureaucracy and its resources as a significant facilitator of growth and development. Our perception of development emanates ... [Inaudible.] ...the social justice in ensuring that the benefits of economic growth are distributed in a reasonable, equitable manner amongst the country’s regions and people. Their development is people centred and people driven.
Since 1994 the country has made significant progress in building the structures of a democratic state. The composition of the public service and local government has been transformed to better represent the entire population. Over the past 30 years of our democracy, government has introduced a vast array of legislation, policies and programmes to achieve the vision of a better life for all.
We have introduced many public sector reforms to create an efficient, effective, development-oriented and people centred
public sector to serve all the people of South Africa. The foundations of a capable state have been laid, however, there are major concerns about weaknesses in how these structures function, which constrains the ability of the state to pursue key developmental objectives.
Since the adoption of the National Development Plan, NDP, in 2012 and the subsequent 10-year review of progress made in implementing the priorities of the National Development Plan, a deliberate focus has been placed on addressing planning these junctures across the broader state machinery.
As we conclude the business of the sixth dispensation, it has become clear that Parliament’s oversight machinery role must be deliberately strengthened to enable the effective implementation of South Africa’s key transformation priorities.
The National Council of Provinces Provincial Week took place from 12 to 15 September 2023 under the theme, and I quote: “Building viable provincial and municipal infrastructure for the effective delivery of services to communities”. The provincial week provided an opportunity for us to assess the
progress that has been made in implementing the executive undertakings from prior engagements while obtaining firsthand information on the state of infrastructure delivery in the provinces as well as to discuss difficulties and progress that have been encountered.
Throughout the provinces it became clear how disruptive and hazardous the construction mafias’ actions can be when they deliberately obstruct the completion of infrastructure projects, particularly when they masquerade as local business forums. According to estimates, the country’s loss ballooning from these disruptions in 2020 came to R40,7 billion. Reports that municipalities lack the ability for project planning, including grant administration and spatial planning were further validated by the National Council of Provinces Provincial Week.
Municipal debt to Eskom, government departments and the Water Board is also ballooning. Most municipalities are facing liquidity crisis. Furthermore, at the end of the 2020 financial year there were liquidity shortfalls of R51 billion for the country’s largest 113 municipalities. This has also
affected the country’s eight largest metros — the engine of the country’s economy growth.
In relation to the operations and maintenance of critical infrastructure, we also found that, for some time, municipalities have under invested in the repair and maintenance of capital assets – nowhere near the required norm of 8% of property plant and equipment. Many municipalities do not have the capacity to successfully utilise grant funds. In the North West province, for instance, it was reported that eight local municipalities lost a portion of their municipal infrastructure grant allocation in the 2022-23 financial year amounting to a total of R163 million due to slow progress.
Furthermore, capital grants have not been used for purposes for which they were intended due to a lack of technical skills. Corruption has also been a driver of political instability in a number of metros and municipalities causing administrative disruptions and the decline in service delivery performance.
Despite many challenges facing local government, we are happy with the announcements made by the National Department of Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs of recruiting a
total of 103 built environment professionals, engineers and town and regional planners placed across all nine provinces to provide technical support to municipalities on infrastructure development as well as building a skills pipeline for local government.
Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, Misa, has commenced with the establishment of a design office to reduce reliance on consultants for professional service. As the NCOP we further commend Misa for collaborating with the University of Cape Town to assess municipalities with reliable sources of infrastructure planning, budgeting and evaluation of expenditure. We also welcome the placement of artisans to dysfunctional municipalities to assist with operations repairs and maintenance.
We further welcome the initiative by Misa of reducing the electricity demand by implementing the Energy Efficiency Demand Side Management, replacing high electricity consuming bulbs of light-emitting diodes, LEDs, on municipal streetlights and some buildings. This will be achieved through the implementation of the Energy Efficient Demand Side
Management Grant that is being administered by the Department of Minerals and Energy.
As legislators we need to improve our oversight machinery towards the implementation of processes as sanctioned by the Constitution to assist and support local government, as guided by provisions such as section 139 of the Constitution. The Municipal Systems Amendment Act of 2022, which was assented into law by the President in August 2021, and the Municipal Structures Amendment Act of 2021 is an attempt to improve municipal governance. Its implementation is crucial if we are to address some of the challenges facing local government.
As legislators we will need to review policies and legislation governing local government and to address the one-size-fits- all approaches by enabling municipalities to focus on functions that are suited to their different sizes and capabilities. Intergovernmental relations structures must be tasked with addressing the forces undermining the local government system, and the intergovernmental relations structures must meet regularly and be effective in supporting the whole local government system.
As the legislative branch we bear the duty of accelerating the development of our society by fostering co-operation, co- ordination and collaboration as the essential components for guaranteeing responsible, logical and efficient governance.
As the National Council of Provinces Sixth Administration is coming to an end, we call upon the select committees of the NCOP in the Seventh Administration to monitor and track the National Planning Commission’s resolution relating to the integration of the NDP into the National Infrastructure Plan to enhance the co-ordination of infrastructure investment as well as speeding up the implementation of investment.
A task team has been established and will complete studies on energy, water and digital infrastructure. It is important that as committees we follow and monitor work done in this specific space. Parliament, through its committees, must also hold National Treasury accountable, including the Department of Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs for the development of a framework to guide accountability for indirect infrastructure grants.
The Seventh Parliament should also strengthen and institutionalise a three spheres planning and quarterly oversight agendas to ensure a three spheres synergy and implementation around development plans as guided by transformation priorities in the National Development plan, provincial growth and development strategies, integrated development plans, IDP’s and local economic development strategies, LEDs.
The framework should identify accountability lines, frameworks and mechanisms, including enforcement mechanisms and spell out the consequences for undermining such accountability arrangements. In the Seventh Administration government should consider developing a common framework to guide provinces in their oversight and support role towards the delivery of basic services. We can’t continue with a local government that said we are an independent sphere of government whilst they are not delivering on the developmental objectives set.
The adoption of the District Development Model by the Sixth Administration is a step in the right direction. However, the Seventh Parliament will have to ensure that the model is implemented and strengthened by the Seventh Administration.
What the provincial week report tells us is that a multipronged approach that includes addressing operational inefficiencies, professionalising the public service and addressing governance failures is required to ensure sound fiscal discipline in the longer term. As a legislative sector, we need to agree that the relationship of interdependent interaction between the three spheres of government and institutions as well as civil society, is without a doubt necessary if we are serious about the provision of basic services.
We thus call on the legislative sector to be vigilant by meticulously monitoring and evaluating progress made towards the implementation of shared objectives. As a people centred and people driven Parliament, we call upon government to continually implement antipoverty programmes using the redistributive mechanisms of the fiscus to provide a safety net for the poor. With that, I want to table the extensive reporting on provinces; the 194 pages of report that is in our possession to this House. I thank you. Ke a leboga.
IsiZulu:
UNGQONGQOSHE WEZOKUTHUTHA: Ngiyabonga kakhulu, Sihlalo weNdlu,uBaba uMasondo, ngibingelele uSekela Ngqongqoshe iLungu ubaba uParks Tau, amaLungu ahloniphekile ale Ndlu yesiShayamthetho...
English:
...special delegates of provinces, fellow South Africans.
IsiZulu:
Ngithanda ukubonga kakhulu ithuba esinikezwe lona ukuthi namuhla sizokhuluma ngenqalasizinda yezokuthutha. Yiyo le esicabanga ukuthi ibalulekile ukuthi sikhulume ngayo.
English:
You will agree that to provide a true account on the progress of transport infrastructure development in South Africa to better the lives of our communities, history must be consulted. In 1994, South Africa had 43 million people. The apartheid state had made an excessive investment in infrastructure that served mainly 5,6 million minority and maintained the apartheid state, thus neglecting 37,4 members of the population.
History tells us that when the government of apartheid made these choices, consumption expenditure on education, healthcare, housing, municipal services, and welfare of the majority of the population was sacrificed to facilitate the development of infrastructure for a privileged minority, an extractive economy and security state. These poor fiscal choices contributed to the poverty and inequality subsequently faced by the democratic state and which are still being addressed to date.
The historical account of before 1994 state that the majority of 37,5 million South African citizens transitioned into a new democratic dispensation with the government of the ruling party inheriting social infrastructure in a poor state under maintained and ill equipped, to serve a modern changing economy, hampered by development met with segregation and special divide coupled with disintegrated transport infrastructure. This meant that the 37,5 million South Africans did not have any access to economic opportunities or social spaces and services - and remember that this figure continued to grow. The truth is that the deliberate disinvestment by the apartheid regime post 1976 also meant
that the state of infrastructure could not support the faster diversified economy.
The new Democratic government set about reversing the declining post 1976 investment trend, correcting the imbalances of the infrastructure sector, and embarking on reconstruction and development. History accounts that the government of the African National Congress introduces policies and legislative regimes that progressively improved infrastructure planning and delivery. This led to a rapidly growing economy, growing prosperity and growing utilisation of infrastructure by many more people that the infrastructure was designed for, resulting in new demands for road, rail, port, water, electricity, and telecommunication infrastructure.
There was a need for greater economic infrastructure investment while still continuing to address apartheid era backlogs in housing and social infrastructure. The balancing of these competing needs was not easy. In some areas, it led to underperformance, lack of maintenance whilst in others we have exceptionally done well.
Then, I also proceed to say we have increased the focus on budgeting for infrastructure projects and programs by national government, but also new infrastructure grants have been introduced at provincial as well as local spheres of government. We have instruments like the national infrastructure plan giving effect and detail to NDP mandates on infrastructure. And hon members, I love history because it has no blank pages.
Can I come to the roads? Our roads remain one of our most valuable economic, social, and cultural assets and thus form part of our heritage. South Africa, as you will know, possesses 750 000 km road network, which puts us at number 11 in the world in terms of the length. We also possess 159 000 km of paved roads, which puts us at number 19 in terms of the length of paved roads in the world. Roads also account in South Africa accounts for 88% of all freight and 98% of all person trips. But up to 40% to 50% are in poor to very poor conditions with 79% of the road network as gravel roads. We did not invest in them with your De Villiers Commission.
Allow me to provide the democratic era progress account on the roads programs that serve all the citizens unlike before 1996,
where only 13% of the population had access to roads. In 1998, we established Sanral, which at that time in 1996, only owned
7 200 km national road network, 30 years later Sanral is now owning 24 384 km, which means we have actually added to Sanral network 17 184 km.
Just in the current financial year to date, already Sanral will be investing R22 billion in construction and maintenance of roads, 1 641 km of roads have been resurfaced and 108 km reconstructed. Of course, in the process, we have created jobs of 20 257 and in addition Sanral has announced that it will shortly be injecting R28 billion into construction and industry.
You will be aware of projects such as Mtentu and Msikaba Bridges, Moloto road, Mussina N2, Huguenot tunnel that we are also upgrading. This is also going to create many jobs that we require. Going forward, Sanral will be investing on projects valued at R230 billion, which will create 123 800 jobs, and these will be full-time jobs that will add on what the President announced in the manifesto of the ruling party. We are also ensuring that our roads are maintained to the extent that they are trafficable. We are participating in the
patching of portholes through the operation Valazonke. We have also encouraged provinces to transfer some of the roads to Sanral so that they are better managed.
We also have spoken to the private sector through the adopt a road campaign and many of them have already adopted some roads and they are maintaining them. We are also introducing a nanotechnology solution which we believe is cheaper, but also is going to make even our gravel roads trafficable. We have also introduced apps that allow our community members to report potholes but also enable us to monitor and to see where the potholes are being repaired.
We, therefore, ensure that our road network is trafficable. However, coming to other modes of transport, we established a state-owned company 10 years ago called Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, Prasa. Prasa is responsible for the provision of passenger trains. In 2010, Prasa announced that it is going to embark in the replacement of rolling stock, upgrading the signaling, but also ensuring that corridors are improved.
I am proud to announce that before COVID-19 came and made it impossible for Prasa to continue with the project, but now we
have recovered 28 corridors out of 40 corridors that were operated by Prasa and by the end of this financial year, we will have recovered 32 corridors. That means that we will be providing services to Tembisa, Centurion, Germiston, Malukazi, KwaMashu, Lamontville, Phillipe, Khayelitsha and these are projects that are run by Prasa.
We are embarking on signaling projects, but also embarking on upgrading the stations. As the Department of Transport, we are ensuring that we do provide and improve the public transport. If you see the Integrated Public Transport Network, IPTN, in some of the provinces, if you see those buses that are labelled as Rea Vaya, MyCity in Cape Town, A Re Yeng in Tshwane, Go George in George, Libhongolethu in Nelson Mandela
- these are the National Department of Transport Project Flagship, and we give them money. They don’t belong to those provinces. We are ensuring that these happen, and they happen as soon as possible.
As the Department of Transport, we are working together with the provinces. We are also ensuring that we empower the taxi industry because it does provide public transport and it accounts for at least 70%of commuters in South Africa. Through
the taxi recapitalisation program to date from a target of
135 894 old taxes, we have scrapped a total of 83 713 taxis.
Of course, we have spent R5,9 billion, which is the money that we have given to the taxi owners. When it started, we were scrapping each taxi by R55 000. Today, we are scrapping it R151 000 and this increases every year by the CPI. Therefore, there is some work that is happening.
The taxi broad based ownership structure, where the taxi will be owning 60% of the taxi scrapping entity is already up and running. This means that the taxi industry will also be owning the company where it will be a 60% shareholder. We are also ensuring that we provide a 24-hour service centre at our taxi ranks. We have also erected container retail solutions and formalisation of automated fare collection. It is happening.
So yes, there is some good job that is happening.
Yesterday, we announced quite a number of projects which will be done by aviation. We are talking about the International Airports that are owned by Airports Company of South Africa, Acsa. Here in Cape Town...
IsiZulu:
...siyeza sizolungisa khona. EThekwini e-King Shaka siyolungisa khona, e-O R Tambo siyolungisa khona. Sikhuluma ngemali engaba ...
English:
... R21,7 billion, which will be spent on our airports.
IsiZulu:
Futhi asigcini lapho sibuka nokuqeqeshwa kwabafundi bethu esibabiza ngokuthi bawoTintswalo ...
English:
... who are able to drive trains, vessels today, and are pilots. These are the things that never happened to our people. They were reserved for them and that is why they’re making a lot of noise. However, our young people today, a Fakude is a driver of the train.
IsiZulu:
Asisayi ukuyofuna bona. Yingakho bekhala, bememeza, beklewula.
English:
We will continue to do the work. We will continue to ensure that our people are benefiting. We will continue and show ...
IsiZulu:
... ukuthi abantu ababengekho kumakhono akhona namuhla, bayalibamba iqhaza kulokho.
English:
We were just in Durban. We were everywhere speaking about our skills. It is pleasing to know that as a Department of Transport we have signed memoranda of understanding (MOU) with
13 institutions, including here at Western Cape, Cape Peninsula University, where we are funding students who are following careers that were never available to them. I am talking about maritime, aeronautical engineering at Wits University, Durban University, oNgoye, and Northwest.
IsiZulu:
Uhulumeni ka-ANC obanikeza imali yokuthi bakhokhe ezikoleni, ubanikeze imali yokudla, uphinde ubanikeze imali yokukhokhela indawo yokuhlala.
English:
This is the ANC government that is doing that. It was never done before. Many of us who are seated here did not have those opportunities and that is why the people of South Africa will know the government that stood with them and ensured that they benefit and not them, not those who shout today like they’ve ever done anything. The infrastructure that they are shouting about which we are talking about. They never maintained it. I never had the road in my area. I never had a school in my area. We have roads today, we have schools today, we are trying to maintain those, thanks to the government of the people because it is able to do for the people of South Africa with all the challenges that we are facing and the demands that are there. However, we will continue to do that and the people of South Africa know, and that is why they’re going to come out in their numbers and say ...
IsiZulu:
...asikwazi ukubuyela eGibhithe, saphuma ebugqileni. Asikwazi ukuya eGibhithe futhi.
English:
Thank you very much.
Mr D R RYDER: Chairperson, provincial week goes to the heart of what this House is supposed to be for a large proportion of our time. As the National Council of Provinces, we wear two distinct hats. Wearing the first hat, we play a senatorial role on section 75 Bills, and wearing the second, we focus on provinces when it comes to section 76 Bills. In processing legislation, we look forward and during Provincial Week the intention is to look backwards and review the impact of legislation on provinces and municipalities and then identify gaps where legislative measures can be taken to improve the effective workings of the provincial and local spheres of government and ultimately the lives of South Africans.
It is this legislative focus that should be driving the agenda of the NCOP programming and planning teams when putting together the programmes for Provincial Week and Local Government Week. This is often not the case as we end up doing the same type of oversight as our colleagues in the National Assembly. We cannot be a better National Assembly than the National Assembly.
As we move towards the Seventh Parliament I believe that we should embrace the intentions of creating a distinctly
separate House and do the oversight that we should be doing and not try to emulate our National Assembly colleagues.
Having said that, the Provincial Week 2023 promised to be a fairly useful oversight of provincial implementation of budgets, legislation and projects. What a disappointment at the actual on the ground experience that we as members found when we reached our respective provinces. As usual, I will focus on my home province of Gauteng for my debate.
Following a scurrying around with locked venues and unprepared administration, our Premier gave us an overview of the issues facing Gauteng, highlighting rising crime, blossoming informal settlements and land invasions, and water and sanitation challenges. He drew a picture of a province that has lost control and where the rule of law is undermined daily. When it came to listing successes, his list was very short and thin and more about having successfully made plans for the future than about the actual implementation. The entire world knows how bad the ANC-led government is at implementing its fairytale plans.
Saved by the bell, the Premier made his excuses and hurried off to a much more important meeting than speaking to the people responsible for the laws and budgets that he could be influencing to improve his chances of building a better Gauteng.
So, we found ourselves in the presence of the Premier’s recent rival and now uncomfortable ally, MEC Maile. The MEC has an abysmal record of submitting himself to scrutiny by this House and his avoidance of accountability has been the subject of several of my complaints to this House over the past few years. From a consistency perspective, he did not disappoint, arrogantly claiming that he was totally unprepared because he had no idea what the meeting was about. This was in spite of the fact that there was clear evidence that he had been given at least two weeks notice of the meeting, the topic under discussion and the requirement for him to address the representatives of the NCOP.
At this juncture I must point out that I do not expect anything better from MEC Maile when it comes to his dealings with me, but his disrespect of this House cannot pass without comment. I must also emphasise that the Gauteng delegation
includes the Chairperson of the NCOP, a man with a long and distinguished record in this country’s history.
While the hon Masondo and I do not always agree, I do believe that his pedigree commands respect. One would expect that the young members of his organisation, who ride now on the back of his years of struggle and service, would treat him with more dignity and honour.
The rapid urbanisation in Gauteng has brought many challenges. The inability of the provincial government to respond to land invasions and uncontrolled settlement without the benefit of town planning is as problematic for the land grabbers as it is for the legal owners, tenants and occupiers of land. In this regard the current text and interpretation of the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act has been identified as a direct impediment to the effective response of local and provincial governments to a runaway problem. This Act requires a full review.
Mr Maile was not the only one to disappoint our delegation. We await the report that he promised to make available to us. Our engagements with Rand Water and Emfuleni Local Municipality
also led to them promising to supply us with the Terms of Reference of the section 63 intervention, or whatever document give the details of their deployment. We await this information still today – six months later. The same is true for other reports and responses that were promised from various department over the week.
The most alarming truth that we discovered was the inability of the Emfuleni Municipality to provide the most basic services since their entire income is consumed by legacy debts that have resulted from theft of municipal resources by previous politicians and officials. This situation cannot continue, and a solution must be found to resolve the debts to Eskom and the various water boards by municipalities around the country to ensure that residents receive services. This must not be a get out of jail free card, but rather a sustainable solution to ensure that municipalities that are willing to run clean governments now are not doomed to failure because of the sins of their predecessors.
Provincial Week was a disappointment to me. I trust that the Seventh Parliament will take much stronger steps to ensure that provinces and government entities are held to account.
Provincial Week is our tool it should be well managed, with proper focus, attention, sufficient time and then, most importantly, appropriate follow through. I thank you.
Ms N E NKOSI: Hon Chairperson, I greet the Minister and Deputy Ministers, hon members present in the Council and on the virtual platform. As the African National Congress, we have long been committed to ensuring the participation of our people in the decision-making processes of our democratic government. We made this commitment when we adopted the Freedom Charter in 1955. We say that “the people shall rule.”
All sectors of our democratic government are expected to involve communities in matters that affect them, especially in matters of development, and the emphasis is on local government. Our forebears envisioned a local government that is development oriented. Therefore, the objectives of our local governments are not limited to providing sustainable basic services to communities, but also encompass social and economic development. Local governments are committed to ensuring democratic, accountable local government and promoting community participation in decision-making processes.
All development projects, whether it is road infrastructure, water supply and sanitation, education facilities or health facilities, are implemented based on the demands of our communities.
Our democratic government implements projects identified by the communities as part of the Integrated Development Plan, IDP, of our local communities. Communities are not only able to demand quality basic services from their local governments, but they are also able to ensure that their communities are properly governed and accountable to them.
Hon Chairpersons, the participation of our communities in the affairs of government is to ensure that our citizens use the various government infrastructures being built for their own benefit. All of us here should be concerned about the increase in vandalism in our public infrastructure. Public infrastructure vandalism has negatively impacted the government’s ability to provide critical services to our citizens. Whether we are talking about access to a constant water supply, electricity or power outages, or the rail transportation system, all have been negatively impacted.
When infrastructure is vandalised and damaged, it is the communities that suffer the most. Who are served by this infrastructure. That is why it is important that our citizens know that it is their duty to protect public infrastructure. As representatives of the public, we have a duty to emphasise that our citizens are responsible for ensuring that the public infrastructure built by their government is protected from vandalism.
Chairperson, natural disasters have occurred regularly in the recent past as a result of global warming and climate change. The floods in the eastern region of our country, caused by climate change, have particularly affected the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. People living in informal settlements were the most affected as most of these settlements are invariably built in environments that are non- inheritable and prone to disasters, such as riverbanks and floodplains.
We must recognise the intervention of our government in helping these communities rebuild their lives. Most of the affected households have been provided with temporary shelter and the government has taken steps to find a permanent
solution by including these households in existing projects. For example, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has allocated R40,7 million to convert temporary shelters to permanent housing, and this is only the first phase of a two- stage project. Disaster relief will provide permanent housing for at least 293 households once completed.
Hon members, no one can dispute that our country is a construction site. Everywhere you go, there is a construction taking place.
IsiZulu:
Ningaphikisa uma ngabe aniboni ukuthi la sihamba khona kuyasetshenzwa. Imigwaqo iyalungiswa.
English:
Hon members, the South African National Roads Agency limited road infrastructure projects are one of the most obvious route infrastructures is an important enabler for only for economic activities such as the transportation of goods from one city to another, but also for road construction projects that have positive spin-offs as the projects engage local small medium
and micro enterprises, SMMEs, procure goods locally and create jobs for local communities.
There are water supply and sanitation projects in all nine provinces. The projects involve the construction of water and wastewater treatment plants, the augmentation of existing dams and reservoirs and the reticulation so that communities have access to water in close proximity to their homes or yards or within two hundred meters.
We call on our local communities to allocate adequate budgetary resources for the operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation of basic infrastructure to avoid potholes in the main roads, sewage spills all over the roads and water leakages.
We must not overlook the efforts of our government to provide people with adequate shelter. In Mpumalanga Province, a number of housing projects have been implemented, although there are problems with some of the contracted service providers as they are slow to meet their targets and within the prescribed deadlines. The elevated level of damage to public infrastructure suggests that this is being organised by a
syndicate that is making huge profits at the expense of serving the public. It is estimated that vandalism and damage to public infrastructure amounts to R47 billion annually.
We call on our communities to work with our democratic government and law enforcement to combat the vandalism of public infrastructure. We will be able to curb public infrastructure vandalism when our citizens report those who vandalise our critical infrastructure. It is our citizens who live closer to these public infrastructures, and some have seen people vandalise them but have not reported it to the police out of fear. We call on our law enforcement agencies to collaborate with our communities and protect these community members who report vandalism to public infrastructure. We also call on the Minister of Police to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies to investigate vandalism to public infrastructure and convict the perpetrators.
Hon members, there is no doubt that local government is an important driver for local economic development and job creation. Local municipalities received billion of rands from the National Treasury in the form of grants for the provision
of basic services, such as local route infrastructure, electricity, water, and sanitation services.
Local municipalities, including other government sectors, contract service providers to work on their behalf, for example, to build internal roads and construct water and sanitation infrastructure such as water and waste treatment plants. The government’s preferential procurement policy enables local authorities to commission local service providers to conduct infrastructure projects.
Municipalities can only hire service providers from outside their own district if local service providers are not qualified or do not meet the requirements. The employment of locals is non-negotiable in these projects. We are pleased to note that some of our municipalities and provincial departments have managed to allocate the majority of their procurement expenditure to women, youth, and people with disabilities. The ANC-led government has committed to allocating at least 40% of the budget to vulnerable groups.
Hon members, we must ensure that the observations and recommendations we have made are implemented by the national
and provincial authorities concerned, including local communities. We have recommended that law enforcement agencies take swift action against the construction mafia at the so- called local economic forum as it is derailing the implementation of major government projects, resulting in communities not receiving basic services.
Local municipalities must create platforms for local SMMEs to engage with the municipality to eliminate the emergence of the so-called construction mafia and ensure that 30% of local procurement is met in each and every project of the municipality. We further recommend that consequence management be applied to contractors who fail to meet the standards as required or have failed to work within the agreed-upon timelines of the project.
Hon members, we have welcomed the announcement of the MEC’s commitment to lay criminal charges against municipalities that failed to properly maintain and look after their water and wastewater treatment plants. We call upon other MECs to follow suit when such arises in their respective provinces.
IsiZulu:
Ngifuna ukusho la ukuthi ilungu elihloniphekile uRyder liqinisile ukuthi liphoxekile ngenkathi sihambe ngeviki lezifundazwe. Liphoxekile ngoba libonile ukuthi i-ANC iyasebenza. Liphoxekile ngoba libonile ukuthi imigwaqo iyakhiwa. Lapho besivakashela khona kufanele sisho ukuthi siyibonile imisebenzi ka-hulumeni oholwa yi-ANC - iyasebenza.
English:
In all the provinces, there are projects taking place.
IsiZulu:
... enziwa yini uhulumeni oholwa i-ANC. Yingakho ephoxekile ngoba bekangacabangi ukuthi uzobona ukuthi umsebenzi uyenzeka lapha phansi. Ubecabanga ukuthi uzobona ukuthi akwenziwa lutho ebese begxeka i-ANC.
English:
Whether they like it or not, the ANC is working. You can go around the country and you will find that the ANC is working. Hon Rider, you will be disappointed because ...
IsiZulu:
... loko okubonile ubungacabangi ukuthi uzokubona. I-I-ANC izophatha niyathanda anithandi
Mr C FRY (Western Cape): Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, hon Ministers, hon Deputy Ministers, hon delegates and members of the NCOP, members in attendance and on the virtual platform, South Africa stands at a crossroads and the decisions we make at the local government level will determine the fate of our nation. For too long, we have witnessed the consequences of mismanagement and neglect, particularly under the rule of the ANC.
However, today, I stand before you not just to point out the failures of the past, but to ignite the spark that will rescue South Africa. The key to our nation’s salvation lies in the very foundation of our communities, that is our subnational governments. It is here at the grassroots level that the seeds of progress must be sown. We cannot expect to thrive as a nation if our cities and towns are crippled by inefficiency and corruption.
Hon Chairperson, we cannot hope to build a better future if our basic services are inadequate and unreliable. It is time
to reclaim our municipalities and provinces from the grip of mismanagement and deliver world-class service to every corner of our country. One province that is standing as a beacon of hope and already making great strides in delivering world- class services to its residents, is the Western Cape. The Western Cape has the highest land reform success rate standing at 83%. Shockingly, the ANC national government only have a land reform success rate of 10%.
Additionally, according to the 2018 general household survey, 55,2% of households in the Western Cape are now owned by black or coloured individuals. This is a significant increase from the 2001 survey, when only 39,4% of households were owned by black or coloured people; and with the estimated 150 000 people moving to the province every year because of the opportunities here, this number will increase further.
Nevertheless, our success is not just in land reform, we are making steady strides towards reducing the inequalities in the economy too. Most notably our unemployment rate is the lowest in the country at 20,3% and we are the lowest expanded unemployment rate in South Africa at 25,4%. Growth in this province is inclusive and not for the select few. While
inequality remains a deep concern, the Western Cape government is making progress here too.
The Western Cape has the lowest Gini coefficient. The Gini coefficient for South Africa in 2019, the start of the term stood at 0,676. There has been no change in this measurement nationally. However, in 2019, the Western Cape had a Gini coefficient of 0,597. This province has shown a steady decline in its Gini coefficient with the measurement sitting at 0,592 in 2022. This means the only place where inequality is going down is in the Western Cape. We have done a lot, and we know that we have a lot more still to do.
In this province 93,2% of households have access to safe drinking water, which is above the national average. The Western Cape reported the highest proportion of households with access to electricity which currently stands at 97%. Regarding load shedding and energy generation, the cost of electricity for lifeline customers has dropped by 5,1% in Cape Town in comparison to a 15,1% increase in the cost for vulnerable residents in other cities across South Africa.
Cape Town has the lowest lifeline tariff in comparison to other cities, has increased its cross-subsidisation to poorer households and currently protects its residents from two stages of load shedding. Remember, if you check your phones right now, stage two is back until 08:00. Thank you very much to the ANC. The Western Cape is the only province with a plan to add 5 700 megawatts to our grid by 2035, drastically reducing our reliance on Eskom, making electricity more affordable and reliable for residents of the province.
The Western Cape government have invested R210 million with the town of Riversdale to make the town and its 22 000 residents load shedding free within three years through a solar and battery system. This project will be the blueprint for similar projects for other towns across our province.
Regarding access to internet, in 2011 43,7% of households in the Western Cape had internet access. Today, 84% of households in the Western Cape have access to internet, which is much higher than the national average.
Supplementing this home internet access, the Western Cape government has launched over 1 366 public Wi-Fi hotspots across the province, offering 3 gigabytes per device per month
and 77 Western Cape access centres have been rolled out particularly in nonurban areas. The Western Cape is also the province with the second highest percentage of households with access to the internet. Cape Town features a robust network of fibre-optic cables which has greatly accelerated internet access to over a million people in the city. Largely due to the introduction of over 400 free Wi-Fi zones that are currently spread out across the metro. And most importantly, the Western Cape is the only province where unemployment is going down and this province often accounts for the most jobs created in the entire South Africa.
Two thirds of all jobs created in South Africa over the last five years came from the Western Cape. The Western Cape government last year achieved its best audit outcomes in five years with all department receiving unqualified clean audits. Seeing that I do not have the time to name the long list of exceptional achievement by the Western Cape government and DA- run municipalities, I would like to lastly mention that the Auditor-General, Ratings Afrika, the Census, the Blue and Green Drop Reports, all found the Western Cape to be the best run province by far. The Western Cape government and DA-run municipalities are leading the fight in rescuing South Africa.
However, Chairperson, unfortunately, there are some municipalities in the Western Cape that are run by the ANC/PA coalition of corruption. Municipalities like; Beaufort West, Laingsburg, Theewaterskloof, Kannaland and Knysna are unfortunately governed by these corrupt political parties and are marred by a complete lack of basic services. This Report that we are debating today, found that these municipalities perform poorly on key indicators.
Knysna, Kannaland, and Beaufort West had more than 10% of residents who do not have access to safe drinking water. Laingsburg and Theewaterskloof were amongst the worst performers when it came to households with access to electricity. The PA/ANC municipalities like Bitou, Breede valley, Theewaterskloof and Cederberg are the municipalities with the highest percentage of informal dwellers. Knysna under the leadership of the PA and ANC has seen service delivery’s total collapse.
For weeks, people of the Knysna had a dead body floating in its water reservoir. The body was in the reservoir for so long that when they tried to pull the body out, the arm of the body totally came off. Hon Chairperson, Theewaterskloof under the
leadership of the ANC, the PA and GOOD used public funds to send their deputy mayor and speaker to France to attend the Rugby World Cup while residents suffer from poor service delivery. Beaufort West and Laingsburg both under the leadership of the ANC and the PA, have constantly been named by the Auditor-General as the worst performing municipalities in the entire province.
Chairperson, while Beaufort West promised to build the next Dubai, the reality is that they have sewerage pipes that just runs into the karoo and keeps dumping sewage everywhere. Let me close with this; while the DA builds, the ANC and the PA coalition of corruption destroys. If we want to build a viable provincial and municipal infrastructure for effective service delivery to communities, we need to kick out corrupt and opportunistic politicians who serve their own self-interest.
We can rescue South Africa and it starts by voting for the DA. I thank you.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF CO-OPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL
AFFAIRS (Mr M P F Tau): House Chairperson, Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Ministers, Deputy Ministers Tshabalala and Tshwete, hon members and all the national
executives of the national executives that are online, good afternoon.
Hon members, in developing the Reconstruction and Development Pprogramme, RDP, prior to the first democratic elections, the ANC identified five key programs for reconstruction and development. These priority initiatives are: Firstly, meeting basic needs; secondly, developing our human resources; thirdly, building the economy; fourthly, democratizing the state and society; and lastly, implementing the RDP. The task of meeting basic needs was critical considering the huge amounts of people that were systematically excluded and deprived of basic services.
In the 1995 Census, the reality that our predecessors equipped were laid bare with the reality that access to potable water stood at 33%, access to decent sanitation at 22%, and access to electricity at 51%. These are some of the numbers that necessitated the prioritization of access to basic services as a means of redress to the centuries’ long systematic exclusion of the majority in this country from social and economic amenities.
In implementing the RDP and its objectives, this government has changed the landscape with regards to investment in infrastructure and services. In this regard, we can celebrate that today 85,5% of South Africans live in formal dwelling, 94,7% of South Africans have access to electricity, and 92,4% of South Africans have access to piped water. In this regard, our municipalities have been at the forefront of implementing projects to the various grants allocated to them, with average expenditure averaging 89%. The White Paper on Local Government adopted in 1998, set out the architecture of our local government system post-1994. This progressive policy is regarded as the mini constitution for local government, as it would henceforth affect all South Africans. It was established as the design for a new developmental local government system, which is committed to working with various citizens and communities to create sustainable human settlements which provide a holistic and decent quality of life as enshrined in the Constitution and its Bill of Rights. As we gather here today during Human Rights Month, we must celebrate the role of our municipalities and contributing towards the progressive realization of the social economic rights of the people of our country.
Hon members, the Sixth Administration set out to consolidate and accelerate these efforts through the adoption and implementation of the District Development Model as a mechanism for integrated intergovernmental planning, budgeting and implementation. We further identified the need to build strategic partnerships to accelerate the work of local government and furthermore, improved mechanisms of support through the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, Misa. As this Sixth Administration, led by President Ramaphosa, we stand before you today filled with optimism and determination as we reflect on the remarkable progress we have made in provincial and municipal infrastructure development.
Hon members, at the heart of our mission, lies the development of viable provincial and municipal infrastructure.
Infrastructure is not just about roads and buildings, it is about laying the foundation for a society where every individual has access to the basic necessities of life. To this end, we have been working tirelessly to protect our people’s right to decent life and the basic necessities of water, sanitation, electricity, housing and economic infrastructure. Our commitment to progress is not a mere rhetoric, it is backed by tangible achievements. From the
municipal infrastructure grant, Mig, to the efforts of the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, we have made significant strides in improving access to essential services for our people. Since its inception in 2004-05 financial year, a total of R208,1 billion has been spent from the municipal infrastructure grant. We take pride of the role that the Misa is playing in assisting municipalities with technical capacity. Through the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, we have deployed 87 professionals consisting of eight provincial managers, six assistant provincial managers, eight chief engineers, 14 electrical engineers, 36 civil engineers, and 15 town planners across the 44 districts to assist around
271 Mig-receiving municipalities. This support includes technical support, project or program planning, project technical report reviews, design reviews, construction monitoring, cost verification, and project implementation monitoring.
Additional resources have also been deployed to assist municipalities with the above through the assignment of the
150 young graduates across the nine provinces. This has enabled municipalities to access much-needed skills whilst providing opportunities for this cohort of Tintswalos to bring
their skills to bear for the development of our communities, towns, cities and our country. But our work is far from done. We must redouble our efforts, leaving no stone unturned in our quest to uplift the marginalized and empower the disenfranchised. To this end, we have intervened and have developed a mechanism to assist municipalities to reprioritize their budgets towards repairs and refurbishment, the purchase of yellow fleet and other such interventions, particularly in instances where there is underspending. We, however, are concerned that some municipalities do not spend significant portions of their grant funding. In certain instances, resources allocated for infrastructure and services is redirected towards operational expenditure, and thus trigger penalties that are imposed. We are particularly concerned that such underspending is now extending to our metropolitan municipalities. Prompted by recent reports on the possible suspension of the City of Tshwane bonds, while sitting over
R2 billion to the National Treasury, our Minister has reached out to the Gauteng provincial government to engage on finding solutions to this, as we also follow up on the recent challenges of affecting other metros.
Hon Chairperson, funding needed to deal with the infrastructure challenges faced by municipalities requires that we look for innovative financing mechanisms and mobilize and array of partners as we seek to multiply our efforts in addressing historical backlogs, refurbish aging infrastructure and investing in economic infrastructure. As a result, institutions such as the Development Bank of Southern Africa, DBSA, the New Development Bank, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank have developed programmes that are targeted at municipal infrastructure investments and committed to work with the local government sector. We have simplified the manner in which public-private partnerships are done, for example, the partnership led by our Minister, hon Thembisile Nkadimeng with the Limpopo Roads Agency, where eight mining companies contributed over 100 million land to make the construction of the steel bridge on road DD2219, Ga-Malekane in the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Municipality in the Sekhukhune district a reality. Through our partnership with the Public Private Growth Initiative, and the National Business Initiative, we are deploying resources and skills in our municipalities, thus enabling the private sector capabilities to become a force multiplier.
Hon members, we recently joined the Deputy President on a visit to the Knysna Municipality to engage with some of the issues that the municipality is facing, particularly around water. Chairperson, I am happy to report that with the support of the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, the pump station that had been vandalized in the Hornlee area has been repaired and water supply has been restored to the community.
To our relationship with the National business initiative, we have mobilized Deloitte South Africa to enhance the capacity of this municipality to deal with some of the challenges that they confront. So we don’t just complain. As this government, we are committed to working within the intergovernmental relations framework to ensure that we help the municipality to service all the communities of Knysna.
Hon Chairperson, as part of the global community of nations, we have to confront the existential threat of climate change. In this regard, we must show leadership and resolve. Our infrastructure must not only withstand the ravages of nature, but also adapt and evolve in the face of adversity. Through legislative reforms and capacity building initiatives. We will ensure that our response to disasters is swift and effective,
sparing no expenses to protect the lives and livelihoods of our people. Through the National Disaster Management Centre, we would have dispersed R5,8 billion by the end of March 2024 to municipalities in response to disaster over the past two years. We have partnered with the European Union to accelerate the work on climate resilience. In line with the financing agreement signed by Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana with the EU, we are positioning local government as a critical implementing agent on climate mitigation and adaptation measures.
Hon members, to our partnership with the World Resources Institute, by working with the City of Johannesburg and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro in the following areas: Strategic urban resilience planning and implementation; we are working on building climate resilience through nature-based solution; we are piloting and scaling up nature-based solutions and water resilience interventions, and we are implementing knowledge exchange and co-ordination between regional peer cities, identified municipalities, provinces and national authorities.
Hon members, in conclusion, let me acknowledge that the road ahead will not be easy, but together we can overcome any obstacle that stands in our way. Let us March forward to the determination and purpose, knowing that the future of our nation depends on our actions today, in the words of our President and I quote: “We still have many more hills to climb. We will climb them together, leaving no one behind.” Thank you very much.
Ms C VISSER: Hon Deputy Chair, the value of the NCOP Provincial Week oversights must be measured in terms of how successfully the compelling issues in communities have been addressed to ensure an appropriate environment for infrastructure provision. The NCOP permanent delegates were disappointed that the intention of the provincial week oversight did not meet its positive results.
The structural regression of infrastructure projects in the Northwest province raises concerns of corruption in the failure of implementation and completion of projects, specifically meant to improve the lives of designated communities. The Northwest province squandered billions of rands paying service providers who turned out to be grossly
incapacitated and unable to do their job. Some of these providers were paid in full before doing the job. `The provincial executives perceived a lack of interest in addressing this mess, and allowed it to regress, and no strategies to save the Northwest province were forthcoming.
The Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality manager’s refusal to attend crucial NCOP sessions where communities in that district jurisdiction are grappling with ongoing water shortages, sewage spills, sewers removal services, and failure to provide the services, compounds these failures. As the district municipality is bound to deliver as a water and sanitation authority.
Infrastructure problems in the collapsing Northwest province are mounting due to several factors. First, poor project oversight and controls exacerbate the state of the infrastructure. Second, historical failures to plan for changes and obstacles such as Eskom power outages, potholes that damage cars and road infrastructure, regular shortages of water, worries about the quality of the water, and pollution of the environment and natural resources from malfunctioning
wastewater treatment plants exacerbate already-existing infrastructure issues.
Thirdly, the deterioration contributing to poor infrastructure includes endemic fraud and corruption with projects.
Insufficient provision of developmental resources, the inefficiency of the development of labour, as well as incapacity of management and maintenance.
Fourthly, paying contractors before the completion of projects, leave projects incomplete, contributing to infrastructure problems in the province. Lastly, the lack of management skills and discipline of accounting officers within the spheres of government have a detrimental impact on the negligence and dereliction of their duties which contributes to infrastructure problems.
Inadequate maintenance and a lack of infrastructure have a detrimental impact on communities and the environment in addition to impairing service delivery and violating citizens’ fundamental rights in the Northwest province. For many residents of the Northwest, the province with the highest unemployment rate in South Africa, inadequate infrastructure
hinders business prospects, hinders economic progress, and raises the unemployment rate.
It affects foreign investment opportunities since other countries do not want to invest with the collapsing infrastructure. Failure on all levels of governance became the new normal due to endemic fraud and corruption within governance and contractor mafia, gangs allegedly involved in government structure. Provincial departments and other entities who had to account on incomplete projects, including the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the Department of Human Settlements, the Department of Community Safety and Transport, the Ditsobotla Local Municipality, the Ngaka Modiri District Municipality, the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality and Madibeng Municipality amongst all.
The fact remains that despite the District Development Plan and all the paper plans driven by paper pilots over the past
30 years, the Northwest infrastructure collapsed. Fraud and corruption flourished, and contractor mafias became the uncontrolled new trend of the ANC’s developmental state.
Without a doubt, the findings of the oversight points to the fact that the Northwest province is on the verge of collapsing. All 22 municipalities are dysfunctional. Acting Premier Nono Maloyi acknowledged incidences of corruption in municipalities and cited the Ditsobotla Local Municipality as a crime scene needing special intervention. To date, no special intervention was implemented. The Ditsobotla Local Municipality administration and ANC infighting paralysed service delivery without any consequences. While industry and businesses cannot sustain the negative economic impact. The Northwest province needs the DA leadership to turn things around. Let’s rescue the Northwest province by voting the DA into power in the upcoming election. Thank you.
Mr M DANGOR: Chairperson, Gauteng is the smallest province in the country. It has a population of plus 15 million people, which constitutes 26,3% of the overall population of South Africa. It has three major metropolitan areas. Gauteng is the biggest contributor to the gross domestic product, GDP, of the country with 34,5%. It is the economic powerhouse of South Africa. The main contributors to the regional GDP are the tertiary industries with 66,4%, followed by the secondary industries with 20,1% and the primary industries with 2,5%.
Gauteng records the lowest number of people benefitting from social grants with a figure of 24,1%.
It is also a province where at least 39,5% of households receive at least one type of social grant. The majority, which is 80,7% of Gauteng, live in formal dwellings and 18,3% live in informal dwellings. Gauteng has the potential to actually grow and when the premier briefed the delegation, he did not run away from challenges. He stated the following. He highlighted that the concern is to build viable infrastructure in all areas and spheres of government to improve areas, especially in townships and informal settlements. More importantly, the province must be placed in a position to determine whether the goals set to be achieved in the National Development Plan by 2030 will be realised.
The province has set five elevated priorities as a guiding tool to improve the lives of people in the province. I will come back to the five points later. In terms of improvements towards service delivery in informal settlements and townships, it was reported that there are 720 informal settlements in the province. The province is committed to improving the control of land invasions and the question of
water and sewerage. I think the question of water and sewerage is actually very, very important if we take the question of Hammanskraal and Tshwane ... When we visited the Rand Water Board, they indicated that they already deliver water to the surrounding areas and ... why they could not just extend that to Hammanskraal instead of the Pretoria or Tshwane Council wanting to develop its own water reticulation plants. Let’s not politicise water. Water is a necessity for all people. If the Rand Water Board can in fact supply water, why should Tshwane sit in a position where it can block that?
Allow me to comment on the development of unplanned or informal settlements. Due to the unfortunate history of our country, the impact of influx control denied the majority of our people freedom of movement and once people had freedom to move, they in fact used their feet and moved into areas such as Gauteng. This impacted on the racial spatial development plan, which demarcated rich areas and poor underdeveloped areas, where people were classified as persons in a labour reserve to supply labour to those who owned the productive instruments of development.
The experience of Region G in the south of Johannesburg requires that all spheres of the state reimagine solutions to the problem. No army is going to move a million and a half people unless it employs the harsh measures that the Israel Defence Forces, IDF, does, in bombing and starving people into submission, hoping that they would move to another country.
South Africa will have to build new cities. The extendible problem ... and I think we must look at the examples — I am now being disturbed — of new cities that have economic hubs, like Merseyside and Milton Keynes in the UK, which after the war created a place for the tailor, the cobbler and the candlestick maker, to work at the bottom and live on the top. I think we should actually look at that kind of programme and take it forward.
It was naive to assume that after 1994 South Africa would have the capacity to remedy the previous position of denial, of dispossession and of subjugation within 30 years. Yet, all must admit that since 1994 there have been improvements in the lives of people in South Africa. Some people do hanker to go back to a state that oppressed people and that held people to a different standard.
When Madiba offered the olive branch of a state of national unity, the opposition walked away from it. The offer was that all of us ... on the same ship but if you knock holes into that ship we’re all going to sink. In whose interest was it that they talked down the currency from the point where it was at 3,58 to the dollar to the negative floating one that we have at the moment? I mean, we have some people who don’t only sound like the opposition but the enemy. Possibly, Gaddafi was correct in motivating for an African currency based on gold, so that Africa could actually free itself from the doldrums that were created by the imperialists.
The five points of the programme are the following. The programme is to upgrade informal settlements in line with section 3(4)(g) of the Housing Act 107 of 1997 and the key objective of the programme is to facilitate the structured in situ upgrading of informal settlements. To satisfy everyone’s right of access to basic water, including the people of Hammanskraal, water and sanitation services are part of the programme to provide interim water services, interim sanitation services, refuse removal and alternative sanitation services to several informal settlements. The department has started plotting a project to provide alternative sanitation
technologies to reduce reliance on chemical toilets. It will be implemented in six informal settlements in Midvaal, Emfuleni and Mogale City, and will target 1 573 households. Should this pilot project succeed, the intention is to expand it to other settlements.
The semipermanent alternative sanitation solutions that are on site under waste water treatment will be able to assist some municipalities that have bulk water challenges and alleviate the pressure on bulk systems. A key initiative under the department of ... Gauteng Partnership Fund, which is an agency of the department, will play a critical role in the raising and restructuring of the capital programmes that are required to undertake this.
After 30 years of improvement, we have tried to correct almost
400 years of deprivation, denial and oppression. To correct that ... and anybody who expects to correct 400 years of oppression ... [Inaudible.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms W Ngwenya): As you conclude ...
Mr M DANGOR: In conclusion, I thank you very much, Chairperson.
Dr C Q MADLOPHA (KwaZulu-Natal): Hon House Chairperson, Ministers present, Members of Executive Council, MECs from various departments, and distinguished members of this esteemed Council, I extend warm greetings to all gathered here today.
Hon House Chairperson, it is with great pride that I address this august House, reflecting on the remarkable strides made by the ANC led government as we commemorate three decades of our democracy.
Hon House Chairperson, this debate themed: Building Viable Provincial and Municipal Infrastructure for Effective Delivery of Services to Communities takes place before this House at the time where the entire world is observing the Water Month which is March. This month was designated by the United Nation in 1992 to celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2,2 billion people living without access to safe water.
Hon House Chairperson, water is life. Everything revolves around water. The infrastructure is key in ensuring that our people have access to water, with that I am glad that we deliberate on issues of building viable infrastructure for effective service delivery. The struggles of our freedom stalwarts will be in vain if we as the current leaders fail to deliver clean water to the people of South Africa.
But is it with great pride that I stand here to argue the achievement and milestones we have made to build infrastructure for our people. Indeed, it is an achievement universally acknowledged, even by our counterparts in the opposition benches, that the ANC has significantly improved the lives of our people since 1994. Whether they like that or not, the truth of the matter is that we have delivered.
Yes, we may have not reached all corners as we would love too but we have come a long way. Barely a month has passed since our President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the state of the nation address, wherein he outlined the transformative impact of the ANC on the lives of those previously disadvantaged or oppressed, particularly the majority black.
The analogy of Tintswalo, which has since been widely publicised, resonates deeply with all of us, for each of us can recount similar tales from our own communities except, or perhaps, those fortunate enough to have never experienced oppression or those complicit in perpetuating apartheid.
Hon House Chairperson, let me delve into the ongoing debate surrounding the efforts of our government to build a viable provincial and municipal infrastructure, essential for the effective delivery of services to our communities.
However, before delving into this matter, it is imperative to address questions raised during our previous session of this House. The question was raised about the private sector proposed investments into bulk infrastructure, specifically with regard to development.
The provincial Department of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, CoGTA, was expected to receive guidance from Provincial Treasury regarding these agreements and develop the correct procedures and policies.
Hon House Chairperson, in response to that, I wish to highlight that in terms of section 3(1) of the Municipal Property Rates Act, endorsing the provision of rebates and special incentives for developers is in harmony with the broader objective of stimulating economic growth within a municipality.
The current legal framework and in particular section 15 of the MPRA directly addresses issues related to exemptions, reductions, and rebates. This section stipulates that the municipality, based on criteria outlined in its rates policy, may grant a specific category of property owners or owners of the specific category of properties a rebate on or a reduction in the rates payable for their properties. This can be further elaborated on the rates policy of the municipality and the rebates granted would be included in the budgetary provisions for revenue foregone as well as in the tariff policy if any specific amounts are provided for.
This government, through its commitment, has made significant strides in constructing infrastructure that has transformed the lives of people across the rural areas, townships, farms, and informal settlements. While acknowledging that we have yet
to reach our desired destination, it’s undeniable that we are making tangible progress, despite the persistent challenges we have inherited from decades of apartheid spatial planning.
Hon House Chairperson, over the past 20 years since the ANC took over the government in KwaZulu Natal, over 4691 projects funded through Municipal Infrastructure Grant have been completed across the provinces with R35 billion spent on them. This has created over half a million jobs with over 8000 of them being permanent. This has made a huge impact in the provision of the basic services such as water, sanitation, electricity, and housing.
Majority of the municipal infrastructure grant, MIG, budget was spent on water projects as over R13 billion was directed towards ensuring people have access to water. Hon members, through the MIG grant, 8745 boreholes, 30 193 reservoirs and
426 709km of reticulation were constructed in this province over the past 20 years. This demonstrates the ANC commitment of changing people’s lives through building infrastructure.
Hon House Chair, allow me to present some notable statistics from KwaZulu Natal: 84,8% of households now have access to
water, 81,2% to sanitation, and 92,8% to electricity. These figures underscore our commitment to addressing historical disparities. However, recent devastating floods have imposed additional burdens on our infrastructure, compelling us to redirect our budget towards reconstruction efforts.
Nevertheless, we are forging ahead with various water and electricity projects worth billions, aimed at addressing the increasing demand for these essential services. The Macambini Water Scheme, Ingwavuma, and the Hazelmere Dam Upgrade are but a few examples of our commitment to providing accessible water to all citizens. Through such initiatives, we reaffirm our dedication to inclusive development and prosperity for all in the country.
Last year, the Minister of Water and Sanitation launched the Vulindlela water scheme upgrade in Msunduzi, [Interjection.]
... as I conclude ... ensuring that the water supply to the people of Pietermaritzburg and its environs are being delivered. Thank you very much hon House Chair as KwaZulu Natal, as the country under the leadership of ANC we are continuing to give services to our people. That’s why this year people are going to vote us. Thank you.
Mr M S MOLETSANE: Chair of the House, good afternoon everyone in the House, on the virtual platform, and fellow South Africans. House Chairperson, infrastructure development has been an ongoing challenge in this country since the advent of democracy. It is evident from the provincial week attended that ours is a country which is in dire need of adequate infrastructure, resources and capabilities, so as to enable the state to achieve its strategic goals. Infrastructure and service delivery challenges in provincial and municipal level are long-standing, as there exist lack of capacity within the public sector in implementing public policies.
The ANC government has overly relied on old apartheid infrastructure. This has exposed just how little they have done since 1994. They have failed at providing services to our people and they have even failed at maintaining that infrastructure, which has now become outdated. As a result, it is no longer effective and efficient for delivering services to our community. Our roads across all provinces are in a bad state. They are potholes ridden and are poorly maintained.
Yes, Oscar Mabuyane, the Premier of the Eastern Cape, unashamedly raves about building eight bridges and roads,
whereas communities can’t even travel within each other, and basic services cannot reach them because of the state of roads in our communities.
The slow progress of infrastructure development and the persistence of incomplete roads projects across all provinces is also concerning to note. The Eastern Cape Province has more than 200 000 households with no access to water and sanitation. The Free State is currently overwhelmed by water and sanitation challenges as the streets are overflowing with sewage, threatening the hygiene and health of our people.
Matjhabeng, Maluti-a-Phofung, Mafube, Mantsopa, Masilonyana Local Municipalities Wastewater Treatment Works is in need of refurbishment and upgrading. Generally, across the country, sewage maintenance is non-existent, and the infrastructure is by design, not built to accommodate the expansion of our communities.
South Africa’s broken infrastructure is a combination of factors as it is not only the roads and wastewater treatment plants that is deteriorating. One hundred and sixty three out of 257 municipalities in the country are dysfunctional or in
distress due to poor governance and ineffective and corrupt financial and administrative management. We know this to be true as there exists municipalities such as Emfuleni in Gauteng, which have been placed under administration twice without success. This raises concern as to how any interventions would ever be successful. Such poor state of affairs negatively affect the ability of municipalities to ensure viable infrastructure for effective service delivery.
As the EFF, we have on a number of platforms consistently raised the issue of establishing a state-owned construction company and other proposals to solve the problems facing government infrastructure. Yet, the relevant portfolio committees refused to see basic logic. We continue to make these proposals as they will solve the problems facing the government infrastructure, and this report failed to make use of this.
We need a company to build all state infrastructure, including roads, houses, offices and recreational infrastructure. We need a database of all state-owned buildings available so that they can be converted into suitable use for the different proposals for free and used at no cost. The government must
build shopping centres, manage their facilities, and invite local manufacturers and companies to sell their own products. The government must move away from renting offices and build their own offices as it is much cheaper and sustainable.
The EFF has demonstrated in its 10 years of existence, through various interventions and political leadership in different spheres of influence, that it is the only political movement that will bring about real economic change in South Africa. In our most recent 2024 manifesto, which we launched at the packed Moses Mabhida Stadium, we provided solutions and outlined a program of action on how we will develop provincial and municipal infrastructure.
The EFF government will adopt a long-term funding framework for infrastructure development and will explore different buildings, operate and transfer models as a means of infrastructure delivery, working with community and private sectors to build infrastructure through public-private partnership and the use of community bonds.
The EFF government will maximally use infrastructure development and expansion as a means of massive labour
absorbing industrialization for the upstream and downstream sectors. The EFF government will adopt technological advancement to improve the sustainability and efficiency of infrastructure and implement intelligence infrastructure solution to improve maintenance and management.
The EFF government will establish state-owned companies to build houses, roads, rail infrastructure and provide them with strategic and financial support. The EFF government will introduce laws that compel large corporations to directly contribute to the construction of schools, hospitals, and other important social development projects and programs. The EFF government will develop maintenance for all public infrastructure and will insource all maintenance personnel workers.
Lastly, what is needed is leadership which has conviction and urgency to tackle policy and legislative challenges which stand in the way of change. Such leadership can only come out of the ranks of the EFF. As EFF, we urge all South Africans to come out in their numbers on the 29 May and vote for the EFF. Thank you, Chair.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF WATER AND SANITATION (Ms J Tshabalala):
House Chairperson, Mam Ngwenya, Deputy Chair, Mam Sylvia Lucas, hon members of the House, Deputy Ministers of Human Settlements, Minister of Transport, Deputy Minister Tau, and of course, MEC of Human settlements and my provincial head from Western Cape, Ms Bilankulu Bila, who is also in the House, I greet you all colleagues, I want to say House Chairperson, in the words of our former President Nelson Mandela, the grandfather of Tintswalo, and I quote: “Just as a seed need water to grow.” A nation needs water. Without water there is no life, no development. We need water to ensure continued growth of Tintswalo as a flower cannot be sustained by her poverty and what she wants.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has noted during his Sona this year that Tintswalo grew up in an RDP home with no drinking water and today to even wash her hands and today this was never the case before the advent of our democratic state. Today, the nineth out of 10 citizens of this country have access to water. And I want to say that to my hon member ...
IsiZulu:
... ukuthiwa umakoti wami uMadlopha ...
English:
... I think she has represented the water circle very well because she spoken much about water. Maybe it gives me an opportunity to take a bit of receipt with the DA as excited as they are to have me.
You know, hon Visser and Fry, you speak about how you are governing and how good you are, and everything is falling apart but you don’t really tell the right story about the DA. Maybe, first, you need to start to say who is your founders. We don’t know who founded you because you have no history, perhaps you must tell us how you relate with the National Party because what you do is not different from the National Party that perpetuated apartheid in this country, that did a spatial planning in so far as how they put our people in this country. Now you have a Western Cape as a module. That’s why we say you are motivated by them because you have got the Western Cape that put townships alone, that does not have any sense of service delivery. You only deliver in the improvise areas where you perpetuate particularly that the richer must be richer and the poor must continuously be poor. There is sewage in Khayelitsha and you are responsible for that infrastructure. There is everything running around in so far
as water is concerned in Nyanga, Langa and all of that. And, we are assisting hence water and sanitation has raised your dams and tell me, we don’t have dams and put money around it to show you that national government is a caring government for everybody. We don’t govern for only the few. We govern for everybody and that’s what you need to be true about, including these issues around Palestine where you perpetuate the apartheid regime, you allow, and you don’t take a stand around standing with people of Palestine where they have been brutally, and the kids are massacred every day in their own land. You stand with the Israelites that are apartheid regime. Hence, I am saying to you, you don’t take a stand and you don’t want people of the Western Cape to even protest in their own land. What you do, you perpetuate this historical background to have clearly your blood. You need to be checked properly. The racism in this province must be dealt with. The spatial planning, the untransformed areas that you have, the townships that I speak about, the inequality in this province.
And I will cite as an example around Tshwane. Don’t tell me about suburbs. Let me tell you, you are getting paid by the ANC government. Am I lying. You are getting paid by the ANC government. That’s where your coffers are coming from. Every
day, yes, administered by the ANC to ensure yourself even the MP of the DA. You have a salary.
Let me speak about the issues around Tshwane. Let me speak about Tshwane. As I speak about Tshwane ... Tshwane had ... Oh, there is an order. Okay.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms W Ngwenya): Okay, hold.
Ms C LABUSCHAGNE: Hon Chair, I rise on a point of order that the Minister is showing a finger at me. That’s unparliamentary. [Interjection.] No, she did. And the statement that she makes is misleading the House. Speaker, there is no ANC government money. There is only taxpayers’ money that has been given to national government and to all the provinces. Don’t mislead the House. You have done enough in the past 30 years.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms W Ngwenya): Thank you, hon member. Can you please continue, hon member.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF WATER AND SANITATION (Ms T J
Tshabalala): Thank you so much, I wouldn’t want to early be
pointed at yourself necessarily member, and I think I will qualify what I have said is clarification. That same vat and that same taxpayer is administered under the ANC government who has a Treasury, who is a Minister to ensure that the finances of the country run. So, your salaries come from that administrative, which is government.
Secondly, we go to Tshwane, hon members, that is a DA-run municipality. It has been run down as we speak, from 3, 4, 5 mayors they have been changing. Amongst those finances there was GladAfrica ...
Mr F J BADENHORST: Hon Chair? Will the Deputy Minister take a question.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms W Ngwenya): Deputy Minister?
Mr F J BADENHORST: Will the Deputy Minister take a question.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF WATER AND SANITATION (Ms T J
Tshabalala): Yes, bring it on.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms W Ngwenya): Hon Deputy Minister?
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF WATER AND SANITATION (Ms T J
Tshabalala): Yes, I will take a question. Bring it on.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms W Ngwenya): Bring the question.
Mr F J BADENHORST: Hon Deputy Minister ...
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF WATER AND SANITATION (Ms J Tshabalala):
Yes.
Mr F J BADENHORST: ... if it is the ANC government money, Why is the Western Cape doing well with that money?
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF WATER AND SANITATION (Ms J Tshabalala):
That’s not a question. So, there is nothing there. You wanted to appear on TV so that your master’s can see you.
I want to say in Tshwane, we had the cholera outbreak unfortunately led to the lives of the people in Tshwane and I can tell you that that’s a DA administration over the years and the ANC national government has been trying to come and try to intervene. And the DA government didn’t want because there is a water service authority.
Now we had this Brink that is in the verge of collapse that the DA very soon will take out of that seat. So, we have agreed to an agreement because the Rooiwal Plant, that where it led to the death of the people that today we had to wait for them to ensure that they secure money from their own municipality to ensure that they are able to deal with that.
Now we have Water and Sanitation that has intervened as we speak that has secure funds and Magalies Water already has procured and there is a contractor already that is waiting the Department of Labour so that they can be on site and that intervention around the Temba Plant ensure the people of Tshwane have got clean portable water. That’s the intervention of the ANC government at a government level. Where we speak about, and we say water knows no politics. People must have politics. Stop politicking around water. You can do any other politics but in terms of your state we can really come closer to yourself. As I said, Water and Sanitation even in the Western Cape there is already going to be what we call intervention that has been done under section 154 to really assist in the areas of Knysna as we speak next that we are going to sit with yourself Co-operative Governance and the Department of Water and Sanitation because we must ensure that
everybody has water everywhere, doesn’t regardless who govern in those areas.
Now I want to respond to certain areas and just to demonstrate and show you the interventions that we have been able to do.
But nonetheless, the ANC government has released its Manifesto and, in its Manifesto, it applause all of us to ensure that service delivery happens.
In the case of Gauteng, we are intervening in the Vaal through this rainwater to implement what we call for approximately
R6 million worth of projects to really address the sewage pollution, the problem that exist in there. It is also co- ordinating Rand Water and all the municipalities to manage the water supply situation in Gauteng to minimise distracting supply underlying causes, which are more than the R40 billion and you saw the Lesotho Highlands Project is coming on the phase 2. It is happening as we speak in terms of underlying causes, which cost about R40 billion in that Lesotho Highlands project and has really delayed over the 10 years coupled with increased demand in water in Gauteng and increased physical loses in the municipality distribution system.
We want to say to our people in all these municipalities, we really must come up with the plan to deal with issue of the leaks because in the leaks we are losing water that we are supposed to be dealing with.
In Limpopo, Water and Sanitation is working with Mopani District Municipality to implement a major Rand Water project to supply water to villages, the Giyani area which never had water. And this is a spatial planning because we are speaking about democracy, and we say the ANC has not done anything.
Let me tell you, there is never infrastructure in the rural areas opposed to urban areas. Today, we are speaking KwaZulu- Natal in rural areas, we are putting the taps. People are having water. We are doing power plant that never cared about it. Our people need to go to the dams and so forth to carry water in their buckets and these infrastructures change. That need to be acknowledged through being wish wash.
Let me speak about EFF before I forget. You know, you come here, and you are busy saying ANC has not done nothing. The funny manifesto that you are giving in this platform that this is what you are going to do. You don’t tell people t people
what you did in Ekurhuleni. You have messed up that municipality as we are speaking doing hooliganisms. Your people are going there but destructing that municipality not understanding what you are doing. The people don’t have water. They don’t have time for you to politic around. We dare you can’t even bring financial report. The Auditor-General is waiting for it because of the corruption is. You are an MMC for environmental, you have MMC for water, you have MMC of waste, infrastructure, of community development and energy, from EFF. So, comrades let be honest with ourselves. Only the ANC can govern for this people of this country and has got the interest for these people.
Now we have as I continue with Limpopo, additional water to Polokwane and other areas. The department further working with Sekhukhune District Municipality to complete the R55 million Motse and R100 million Nebo Bulk Water scheme, which is also provide water to communities which has never had water.
In Mpumalanga, the department is co-ordinating the R2 billion Loskop project to build a pipeline from Loskop Dam to the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality to enable more communities in that area to be provided with water. The department is also
supporting the Lekwa Local municipality with the implementation of a range of projects with approximately R250 million to improve water supply and sanitation services in that area. I am sure we knew what the national government is doing under Minister Mchunu Masingwane to say we are intervening to assist these municipalities that are ailing even at the provincial level, acknowledge the work that department is doing. Please clap hands, comrades, including you DA. [Applause.]
In KwaZulu-Natal we are also actively supporting the Umkhanyakude, UthuKela, Amajuba, Umzinyathi, King Hlatswayo, Umgugundlove, Umsunduzi Municipalities, and I can tell you, Ma, that I have been there. There is no area I have not been including even here in this province. Just in the short space of time to show that we have been assisting and in intervening these municipalities.
You come in the area of KwaZulu-Natal and you would have IFP municipalities, we are working with them. We say to them leave the politics, let give the people water. So, this is to improve the water and sanitation services with projects approximately around R2 billion in total that involves the
funding range of infrastructure, improvement projects as well as the management to support drawing on the resources of Umngeni and Uthukelaugela. This is the transformation that we have been able to do to ensure this water board to go around and become the same way with the provincial boundaries. Today, we have Umngeni and Uthukela that we have compressed together as part of addressing transformation and ensure that they do have an intimate relationship with the residence of KwaZulu- Natal totally. It is also co-ordinating the R3 billion Mandlakazi Bulk Water supply scheme to supply water to communities which have not previously been supplied water with Zululand, Unkhanyakude and Hlabisa Municipalities. You can haul as you want, I am from NA believe you on me. That’s my speciality. I am not bothered.
In the Northern Cape, the department is co-ordinating the implementation of various infrastructure projects to really assist the Sol Plaatje Municipality to resolve water supply disruptions. The department is also funding projects to improve sanitation in several municipalities in the Northern Cape.
In the North West province, the department is co-ordinating the R400 million Bulela Metsi programme to expertise and prioritise projects to improve the reliability of water supply across the province. I hear the member from DA who was speaking about North West, lets safe North West. I can even give you 100 pages in terms of what we are doing right now. We are not talking about this past of yours before 1994.
In the Free State, Water and Sanitation in Vaal Central Water Board are supporting Machabeng R2 billion and Maluti a Phofong R2 billion municipalities to implement a range of projects to improve water and sanitations.
Furthermore, the Department of Water is also water bord, are working on projects to increase the supply of raw and treated water Mangaung really to repair Welberg pipeline R1,5 billion and the Exarine pipelines still in the planning phase.
The department has recently completed the 500 million projects to increase the capacity of the Nootgedag Water Treatment enable additional water to be supplied to Quebeka through the Amatola Water Board that we have as part of the transformation.
The department also has been assisting Makana R500 million and Ndabade municipality to improve the reliability of water. And I want to say delegates will be in the Eastern Cape from Sunday. We are starting to work on Sunday. We don’t have a weekend. So, will be in the Eastern Cape as a Ministry from Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, three days camping there and be able to talk to these municipalities to ensure that indeed we don’t compromise because the issue of water is eminent and is for us that we move with the speed that is required.
Now let me tell you about North West - those who are coming from Northwest. The intervention that we have on the Bulela Metsi, we are saying that we have a timeline. We started in 2022 to 2024. The progress is underway. Our intervention has been promulgated and done by the Minister Mchunu, for the whole Dr Kenneth Kaunda, we have got phase 1 on the short terms and long terms. Maybe I should just conclude to really say, hon members, thank you so much for this opportunity.
Please invite us so that we can give the information wherever you are, we are including yourself, the DA. Now you not so happy with me. Thank you so much.
Mr F J MASEKO (Limpopo): Hon House Chair, let me acknowledge the presence of the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Ministers and Deputy Ministers present in this House, MECs and hon members from different legislatures, allow me to begin by. acknowledging the intervention by the national government in ensuring that bulk water services projects in Limpopo are getting off the ground, so that we make sure that we provide the water services to the majority of the rural and poor people in this important province. Chair, we have acknowledged the political will and political leadership provided by the hon Minister of Water and Sanitation and the hon Deputy Minister, both hon Mchunu and hon Mahlobo, their approach and commitment to assist the province in dealing with issues related to water challenges, is highly noticed and acknowledged.
Hon Chair, viable provincial and municipal infrastructure plays a key role in supporting service delivery. A lack of infrastructure and inadequate maintenance thereof, will obviously, negatively affect the same service delivery that we want to provide, and also, it will often cause harm to the communities and the environment where such services are supposed to be provided. We reported on weaknesses in
infrastructure project and inadequate maintenance and management of assets through the whole term. Yet, every year, the same issues are identified in as much as they’ve been attended to, but they have not been adequately addressed to the satisfaction of the communities, hence you will find different protests in different areas, raising issues of infrastructure, either it be dilapidated or not functional.
Initiatives were developed and the national government provided infrastructure grants to the municipalities, to enable infrastructure development and maintenance.
Hon Chair, although these grants are solely needed to finance infrastructure projects, they are often underspent, mostly, because of poor project management, lack of technical capacity and a number of other factors. We are also saying that the underspending and inappropriate spending of these grants means that valuable infrastructure assets meant for service delivery are not being maintained and the planned projects are not being implemented. That’s why there are issues of underspending, and to us, underspending is a criminal offence because we deprive our people the services that are available or that were supposed to have been provided to them, in as much as we have got the money available. This, obviously,
leads to the deterioration in the quality of service delivered to the citizens who continue to be frustrated with inadequate service delivery. In the Limpopo province, apart from housing units, the delegation also undertook site visit to tribal offices, mind you, hon Chair, Limpopo is characterised by a number of traditional leaders and rural villages.
At one of the tribal offices visited, there was lack of water and electricity connections, and those concerns were sharply raised by the tribal authorities. This matter of incomplete infrastructure projects in tribal authorities need to be attended within a wink of an eye, and we want to call the authorities to make sure that they provide the necessary guidance, capacity and skills, to ensure that we finish all infrastructure projects that are supposed to be implemented in the communities. Of great concern to us as the legislatures and the project recipients, is the emergence and institutionalisation of the construction mafias. The reality of the disruptive and dangerous impact of the construction mafias, often in the guise of local business forums, which negatively affects the completion of infrastructure projects raised across the provinces, must be attended to, and if
possible, there should be an Act to outlaw and punish such type of disruptive activities.
It is reported that the estimation of losses due to disruption amounted to R40,7 billion nationally by 2020. Committees have appealed to all stakeholders, including the SA Police Service, SAPS, to ensure the prosecution of those involved in such criminal activities. However, as the parliamentarians whose responsibility is to develop laws, legislations and policies, it is very much important that we assist the police by passing laws that will empower them to deal decisively with the so- called construction mafias or any grouping that may want to develop wrong tendencies of being disruptive when communities are supposed to receive their services. Such efforts should complement measures such as the critical Infrastructure Protection Act 8 of 2019, which contains important provisions for the safeguarding of critical infrastructure.
The NCOP Provincial Week further confirmed the reports that municipalities lack capacity for project planning, including spatial planning and grant management. A most stringent approach has to be taken on haphazard and unplanned informal settlements, as these jeopardise human safety, health,
environment, as well as plans for future development. The department must make sure that when grants are released to the municipalities, there should be sufficient capacity for the implementation of such grants. Let’s try to follow the money where we take it to, and let’s check the capacity of the municipalities in case they are lacking, we second staff to go and assist them, so that at least the budget allocated to them will be spent wholly or fully. The lack of technical and planning capacity in some of the municipalities results. In these municipalities, being unable to apply for available funding streams, example of the funding possibilities includes the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant, RBIG, for the development, refurbishment and upgrade of bulk water services infrastructure, the Water Service Infrastructure Grant, WSIG, available to the municipalities wanting to improve the refurbishment or refurbish internal infrastructure networks and associated infrastructure and the Urban Settlement Development Grant, USDG, for infrastructure projects linked to the promotion of equitable integrated, productive, inclusive and sustainable urban development.
The NCOP visited Mopani and Vhembe District Municipalities to conduct an oversight around August last year on project funded
to the amount of R946 million by Human Settlements. At that time, R281 million Informal Settlement Upgrading Grant, ISUPG, was spent, which was a positive development, hon Chair, checking on when the allocation was given. The funding was for the delivery of 7 291 housing units and 1 639 sites. At that time of oversight, only 2 161 which is 45% housing units and 820 sites, which is 50% were delivered. Mind you, it was during the first quarter of the municipal financial year, which to us, we think it was a very good year achievement, and we want to commend the department and give those give municipalities on the basis of their capacity to spend those grants.
The districts also handed over 1 009, which is 67% of the title deeds to their owners, and we commend the districts for giving them the title deeds in order to give the beneficiaries confidence that indeed, the ANC-led government is meeting their expectations. In conclusion, hon Chair, the department must ensure that municipalities spend funds according to the approved applications and budget and consequence management should be institution instituted for underspending. I so move. Thanks very much.
Mr S K MASHILO (Mpumalanga): Hon Deputy Chairperson, are you allowing me to switch off my video so that I can have a good network coverage.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms S E Lucas): We don’t
usually allow it, but we will allow it now.
Mr S K MASHILO (Mpumalanga): Thank you very much, Deputy Chairperson, for your indulgence. Chairperson of the NCOP, Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, members of the NCOP and our administrators, thank you very much for allowing us as Mpumalanga to take part in this very important debate under the theme: “Building Viable Provincial and Municipal Infrastructure for Effective Delivery of Services to Communities.” Indeed, viable infrastructure addresses residents’ demand for basic services in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner. For a viable infrastructure, a framework to make better infrastructure decisions, a strong evidenced-based planning, clear prioritisation, and best practice technical design and delivery is what is needed. The question is, do we have such a framework?
The Mpumalanga Provincial Week held from 11 to 15 September 2023, has proven that infrastructure is what attracts investors to an area. Mpumalanga as a rural province, with almost 5,1 million, comprising of old settlements with an old ageing and dilapidating infrastructure, is no exception.
Investments, though positive in building our economy, also comes with negative effects to the infrastructure. It must be indicated that the economy of Mpumalanga depends solely on industries, including, amongst others, mining. That is one reason why the province contributes 7,5% to South Africa’s gross domestic product, GDP. However, I must hasten and say that freight involved in the transportation of goods, coal, amongst others, has already left scars to our already ageing and dilapidating road infrastructure. Not only does mining activities impact positively on the economy, but it also drastically affects the infrastructure. As we speak majority of our roads does have potholes which are caused by the number of trucks that are passing almost daily transporting coal.
The question is how do we then strike a balance where we benefit from the tertiary industry activities? Not forgetting that our people need jobs in order to reduce the rate of unemployment that was sitting at 49,7% as in the third quarter
of the 2020-21 financial year. Further, the population increase in the province calls upon the ANC-led government to increase the rate at which sustainable basic services are provided to the communities.
It is for this reason that we have commissioned the huge water and sanitation related projects. In Nkangala, Loskop Dam Regional Bulk Water Supply Scheme, as the Deputy Minister correctly said, is underway and the Rust de Winter Bulk Water Supply Scheme. In Steve Tshwete, Vaalbank Water Treatment Works Upgrading of the Victor Khanye Waste Water Treatment Works. In Gert Sibande Upgrading of Balfour Water Treatment plant in Dipaleseng. In Msukaligwa, Ermelo upgrading the Breyten and Davel Water Treatment Works. In Chief Albert Luthuli Municipalities we are upgrading the Eerstehoek and Empuluzi-Methula Water Treatment Works. In Ehlanzeni we have Driekoppies Bulk Water Scheme upgrade in Nkomazi, whilst in Thaba Chweu, Lydenburg, we are upgrading the waste water treatment works.
This is in response to the findings of the Provincial Week of Water Treatment Works operating beyond capacity, and ageing infrastructure requiring large immediate investments. Further,
Mpumalanga municipalities have prioritised water and sanitation and have set aside not less than 50% of its municipal infrastructure grant, MIG, budget allocation to deal with the backlogs. The then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations once said:
Sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all.
As the Department of Human Settlements, we have heeded the call towards effective delivery of services to communities by servicing sites in our municipalities. In KaMhlushwa alone we have already serviced 3 500 sites; in Ermelo Ext 44, 1 762; and in Msholozi 850 sites. Bulk works has also been provided in these areas, just to mention the few. There are some communities who live in informal settlements where we have installed internal services including sewer, water and roads, even though there are gravel roads that we have done so far. As far as the electricity is concerned, as a province we have managed to put electricity across our areas including the informal settlement as well as in the farm areas.
I must indicate, however, that we are worried when we see an article published on 12 February 2024, which suggests that there is a sabotage and I want to read it verbatim, it says: “Evidence found of Democratic Alliance involvement in power outages in South Africa,” that worries us. I think this august House will not leave that statement unattended because it should be one of the concerns. While we are worried that there is load shedding in the country, it should be people that are planning to do the outrages. That is the matter that we must always contempt.
While we are looking for having to be elected into power, we must not at any stage aim to sabotage the community of South Africa who need the services all the time. This Parliament has responsibility to give services to the people of this country irrespective which political party you are. That is one of the responsibilities.
As I conclude, the province is in the process of eradicating asbestos roofing which was used by the apartheid rulers to harm our communities’ health with the intention of reducing their immortality. Oliver Reginald Tambo taught us that: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” I want
to take this opportunity and thank you, Deputy Chairperson, for allowing us as a province to debate in this important discussion. Thank you very much, Deputy Chairperson.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS: Hon Deputy
Chairperson, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, especially the Deputy Minister Tshabalala who is with us today, the MECs that spoke before me, hon members. Chairperson ...
IsiXhosa:
... mandiqale ngokubulela iPalamente noMphathiswa uChikunga ngokundinika ithuba lokuba ndixoxe okokugqibela ePalamente kuba ndithatha umhlalaphantsi. Ndiyabulela kuMphathiswa uKubayi endisebenzisene naye kakuhle kakhulu.
English:
Chairperson, before 1994, our people were deprived of infrastructure such as roads, houses, water, and electricity. Standing here today, we can confidently say our people’s lives have been changed for the better.
When we restore the dignity of our people through human settlements, we do not only deliver a house, but quality
houses with norms and standards to support the needs of the community including persons with disabilities. Moreover, we deliver human settlements with social amenities.
Hon Chairperson, as we are nearing the end of our Sixth Administration, we need to reflect and take stock of what we have achieved and what still needs to be done. When Minister Kubayi joined the department in 2021, she swiftly embarked on provincial roadshows. She did this to have a clearer understanding of human settlements challenges on the ground.
It was after these roadshows that the Minister pronounced priority focus areas for the sector. These are but not limited to; unblocking of blocked projects, upgrading the informal settlements, eradication of asbestos roofing and mud houses, and finally the social housing programmes that are aimed at transforming the inner cities and locating our communities closer to economic opportunities.
The overcrowding in inner cities, dilapidated, neglected and hijacked buildings as well as continued spread of informal settlements, are as a direct result of the stubbornness of the inhumane heritage of the apartheid era spatial planning.
House Chairperson, the Census 2022 outcomes give a deep sense of satisfaction that government continues to place the most vulnerable of our communities at the centre of its service delivery programmes. Further, it reported that about
4,7 million households living in formal structures reside in Breaking New Ground, BNG and government subsidised shelters, including First Home Finance housing.
The ANC-led democratic government is focused on developing and implementing the policies that are aimed at amending the apartheid era spatial development dispensation. Whilst the 2022 Census shows notable progress in the provision of a better life for all ...
IsiXhosa:
... ndiza kubuya ngani nina ...
English:
... the impact of the racially segregated development of the past still lingers at 30% into democracy. Chairperson, the NCOP Provincial Week September 2023 paid special attention to the following areas: Eastern Cape and Nelson Mandela Bay.
Corruption and maladministration that was prevalent in the delivery of human settlements programmes in Free State.
Wait, climate change induced disasters especially in eThekwini and Ugu District. Informal settlements upgrading and humane sanitation services in informal settlements, hostels and hijacked buildings prevalent in major cities in the Gauteng Province. Service delivery and grant performance improvements in Limpopo. Blocked projects of N12 City of Malasada and N14 in North West. Social housing challenges in Northern Cape, also issues in Mpumalanga and Western Cape.
I am pleased to report in this House that, the sector has made significant progress towards resolutions of the matters identified by hon members in the respective provinces. Below is the progress thus far since the NCOP Provincial Week: The department was instructed to report suspicious criminal transactions to law enforcement agencies, particularly the incomplete hostel upgrading projects.
Chairperson, we led co-ordinated government efforts to resolve human settlements blockages in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and Mathabane Local Municipality. Subsequently,
various human settlement matters including G-Hostel were referred to the Special Investigative Unit, SIU. In February 2024, the SIU announced Proclamation 155 of 2024 which targeted allegations of unlawful and improper conduct between March 2010 and February 2024.
House Chairperson, I agree with the positive turnaround progress on Vista Park Housing Project that was observed by members during the NCOP Provincial Week when we were there hon members. This was because of the national government, in particular Department of Human Settlements, that led interventions to stabilise Mangaung and restore focus on service delivery trajectory.
We are deeply concerned about the deterioration of human settlements programmes in the Gauteng metros under the DA government, especially the City of Tshwane that continues to underperform in human settlements grants. In the past three financial years, the city continued to forfeit unspent funds to the Revenue Fund. Then they come here and talk about the ANC when they don’t utilise the funding.
The cholera outbreak experienced in the Hammanskraal area in Tshwane is regrettable and was indeed a low point in the democratic dispensation, especially under the direct watch of those that claim to govern better elsewhere. What is it that you can do? You took three municipalities. They are failing. You don’t use the money and you claim you want to govern, you will never. This reality ...
IsiXhosa:
... kubuhlungu ayatshisa amateki.
English:
This reality confirms that, in their eyes, some lives are more important than others.
IsiXhosa:
Malungu ahloniphekileyo, ndicela ukuba xa nisuka apha kwisikhululo seenqwelo-moya nijonge ngasekhohlo nasekunene apho kuhlala khona abantu bakuthi. Kumdaka, kunyimfinyimfi ...
English:
... and they expect people to vote for them when in the black areas they don’t clean. Just look around when coming from the
airport, you will the see the side of Langa, the side of Gugulethu and Khayelitsha. I have worked in Khayelitsha and stayed in Phillippi. It is filthy under your government of ... [Inaudible.]
In KwaZulu-Natal, the 2022 disasters became the focal point during the NCOP Provincial Week. The interventions from all the three spheres of government ensured that the communities that were in mass-care centres were accommodated in suitable temporary residential accommodation and temporary residential units, and identification of suitable land parcels for permanent relocations for the victims that could no longer rebuild in original land parcels.
I am pleased to report in this House that, phase three of Umzumbe Cluster A Rural Housing Project will commence in April for a total of 300 units. That is us, the ANC. The total yield of the project is 2 000 units with phase one of 500 units and phase 2 of 300 units completed respectively.
IsiXhosa:
Sizigqibile. Silinde nje ukuzinikezela.
English:
The Council approval for Dujazana temporary residential accommodation, TRAs has since been received and the geotechnical studies are being finalised which will yield 293 units. That is us. With respect to Gamalakhe Rectification Project of 149 units, the department is finalising the appointment of the service provider after the approval of the application was obtained. That is the ANC government.
Additionally, to improve efficiencies in responding to disasters, human settlements emergencies response has been centralised at the national department, including policy changes that emphasise use of alternative building technologies to respond to disasters in rural areas. You have no knowledge of rural areas.
IsiXhosa:
Mna ke ndihleli ezilalini ndilayita ufinyafuthi, ndihlala endlwini yodaka. Namhlanje Sikhala ngombane ongekhoyo. Thina sikhule silayita oofinyafuthi, sifunda sikhanyise ngamakhandlela ngenxa yenkohlakalo yenu.
English:
Hon members raised concerns on the delays of the N12 City of Matlosana and N14 projects. The North West Department of Human Settlements has since taken over the implementation of the Project from the municipality. This intervention will ensure the completion of 1 667 top structures without further undue delays.
IsiXhosa:
Sithi abo.
English:
Additionally, internal services on N14 Ching Extension 10 have been completed.
IsiXhosa:
Sigqibile. Ye bethuna siza kuphatha ngoku.
English:
Hon members, again during 2023-24 financial year, in Ugu District alone, we have eradicated over 1 000 mud houses and replaced them with formal structures. The plan is to completely do away with mud houses ...
IsiXhosa:
... ezi zazakhiwe nini nisihlalisa kwizindlu zodaka. Nikhohlakele.
English:
During the 2023-24 Budget Vote, Minister Kubayi, elaborated in detail on the Social Housing Programme rollout, including numerous projects that were ready for handover. Following the handover of Lerato Park community rental units in Kimberly in 2021 to beneficiaries, the development of Hull Street Social Housing programme unblocking process started in earnest. As of today, Hull Street Social Housing Programme is at roof level and will soon be ready for hand over.
IsiXhosa:
Zingaphi esiza kuzinikezela? Hayi madoda asazi ukuba masithini.
English:
Additionally, we handed over housing units in projects funded by national government in Goodwood ...
IsiXhosa:
... apha eKapa.
English:
The Goodwood Station Social Housing, Maitland Mews Social Housing ...
IsiXhosa:
... bantu baseKapa. Imali bayinikwe sithi sibakhele aba bantu kuba bona imali abakwazi ukuyisebenzisa
English:
Social Housing and Riverside View both in the City of Johannesburg, and Clayville Social Housing in the City of Ekurhuleni.
IsiXhosa:
Sithi abo saninceda nalapho.
English:
The Townsand near Marabastad Social Housing in the City of Tshwane will be launched in April 2024.
IsiXhosa:
Siza kungena phaya, sakhela nina eTshwane ngoku kuba imali anikwazi ukuyisebenzisa.
English:
With respect to the Willow Creek Social Housing visited by the members in Mpumalanga, the wastewater treatment solution remains a challenge. I won’t tell lies. Where things are not good, we will tell you. We won’t tell lies like them and say we are doing this and that, lying to the people of South Africa. The national Department of Human Settlements will ensure that the wastewater treatment bulk solution is provided for in the 2024-25 provincial business plan. It is in our business plan. We are going to do it for you.
Hon members, in October 2023, we launched the, wait mamelani [listen.] Hon members, in October 2023, we launched Title Deeds Friday Campaign to ensure that countrywide, no title deeds are kept in provincial and municipal offices.
IsiXhosa:
Jongani ke, thina sihleli kooGugulethu, kooMdantsane iminyaka ungenaso isiqinisekiso sobunini. Ubhatale imali yengqesho
ongayaziyo ukuba uya kuze uyigqibe nini. Ukungena kwalo rhulumente wethu sesinikezele ngoku sithethayo kule ...
English:
... campaign launch, about 23 842 title deeds that have been handed over to rightful beneficiaries across the country.
Minister Kubayi has further written a directive to several municipalities that have title deeds at hand, to ensure that
...
As I conclude ...
IsiXhosa:
Hayi, aba bantu bandiphazamisile Sihlalo weNdlu.
English:
The number of title deeds ready for hand over are reported to be approximately 25 560. We are picking up speed on the delivery of title deeds. In conclusion hon Chair, ...
IsiXhosa:
... sifuna ukuxelela abantu boMzantsi Afrika ukuba mnye urhulumente oza kuphatha eMzantsi Afrika ngoweANC. Siyanicela
kwaye sinijongile, sinizisela izindlu eziphucukileyo. Siyanicela ke, mnye urhulumente oza kuvotelwa niyeke ukubhanxwa ngabantu abafana neDA, abathi xa beza kuthatha ifoto babeke abantu abamnyama emva kwabo. Sisono into eniyenzayo yokudlala ngabantu bakuthi. Bantu bakuthi, musani ukuqhathwa ngabantu abamhlophe. Enkosi.
Mr N M HADEBE: Hon Deputy Chairperson, as all members would recall that the date of last year’s provincial week coincided with the passing of the IFP founder, His Excellency Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Therefore, I could not participate.
However, having read the report and knowing the living conditions of our people, it was not difficult to highlight key concerns that must be addressed.
In the KwaZulu-Natal province, we currently still have victims who have been displaced in the floods of 2022, living in transitional emergency accommodation. While we can appreciate the respect for procedural protocol as highlighted in the report, it is quite concerning that it is nearly two years later, and these people are still left without stability. We know that the reality of living with this transitional emergency accommodation, TEA units is not easy.
Therefore, we agree with the report that the process of completing permanent accommodation for the flood victims must be fast-tracked to avoid spending more resources on renting temporal and the ownership of title dates by flood victims will bring back their human right to dignity. A further key concern in KwaZulu-Natal is the scarcity of piped water and the lack of infrastructure for the provision of piped water.
During the 2022 Taking Parliament to the People of the NCOP, the Minister of Water and Sanitation committed an additional R150 million on Water Services Infrastructure Grant funding for the 2022-23 financial year. Yet there are still large parts of KwaZulu-Natal where residents are reliant on the water tankers.
Hon Chairperson, the reality is, regardless of the various plans, the department has in place, as long as there are water tankers roaming the streets of KwaZulu-Natal, it is clear that the department is not doing enough. One sentiment that has been echoed throughout the report, and that the IFP has been calling for, for years, is greater collaboration between the various governmental departments.
The silo-based nature in which governmental departments have been working on improving service delivery challenges across all provinces, has manifested in fragmented and staggered solutions that they ultimately implement. One can only hope that this won’t be the modus operandi of the new government that will be established after the 29 May elections.
As I conclude hon Chairperson, in the space of two years through the 2021 local government by-elections, the IFP has been able to snatch 12 wards from the ANC. I therefore implore South Africans to continue investing their trust in the IFP. Our message to all South Africans is that, trust us, we will not disappoint. I thank you.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE:
Chairperson of the NCOP, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and hon members, for 30 years, South Africa has yet a truly representative democracy, a vibrant Parliament and a truly activist NCOP that is at the pulse of communities and their day-to-day struggles. We pay tribute to the NCOP for giving concrete meaning to the Freedom Charter’s demand that the people shall govern, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of the people. It is
the spirit of Batho Pele and building a caring people-centred government that the NCOP took Provincial Week between 11 and
15 September 2023 under the theme, Building viable provincial and municipal infrastructure for effective delivery of services to communities, knowing that local government is the core face of service delivery.
The Sixth administration under the capable leadership of His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa introduced the District Development Model to bring all spheres of government to address bottlenecks in service delivery and to effectively address infrastructure challenges in a collaborative manner. Since our democratic breakthrough under the founding, president, President Nelson Mandela, the ANC-led government has been at the forefront of dismantling years of colonial and apartheid social engineering and race-based spatial planning that neglected the basic needs of black majority condemning them to impoverished rural areas and underdeveloped townships without adequate basic services.
There can be no doubt that the ANC-led government has changed the socioeconomic landscape of our country since 1994. With every ANC-led administration, the country has changed for the
better with more investments and resources dedicated to social and community infrastructure that benefits all citizens especially the poor and vulnerable. Each day, break by break and inch by inch we are building state of the art schools eliminating mud schools making our schools smart to align with modern times. we are making it easy to access services by bringing social infrastructure such as clinics, schools, early childhood development, ECD, centres, drivers licences training centres, libraries, housing facilities and government departments closer to communities. We are promoting access to justice through the building and renovations of courts. We are contributing to the fight against crime by refurbishing and constructing police stations and correctional facilities.
We are inspired by the vision statement of the National Development Plan which envisages that by 2030 South Africans should be able to enjoy the same quality services. The National Development Plan, NDP, foresees every community to have all the enablers of modern life where citizens can say we have water, we use the toilet, we have food on the table, we fall asleep without fear and we gather together in the front of the heat. The South Africa of our dreams articulated in the NDP is one where each community has a school, teachers who
love teaching and learning, a local library filled with a wealth of knowledge, a police station with respected and upright policemen and a clinic with nurses who love caring for people.
Hon members, during the 2022 state of the nation address President Cyril Ramaphosa mandated our department to work with the Department of Defence to construct 96 low cost bridges per financial year from April 2022, given the deadly floods in April and May 2022. On 14 October 2022, the South African army was mandated to work with Public Works and the Department of Transport to complete 24 bridges in KwaZulu-Natal, 19 bridges in the Eastern cape and five bridges in Limpopo, amounting to a total of 48 legacy bridges for the 2022-23 financial year -
48 legacy bridges in addition to the amount of the 96 bridges announced during the 2022 state of the nation address.
In the 2023 state of the nation address the President again emphasised the importance of improving rural infrastructure and the construction of the Welisizwe Rural Bridges leading to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure budgeting R1,1 billion to build 96 bridges, one in each year in six participating provinces. The total job opportunities expected
to be created in all the six provinces for 96 bridges in one financial year is 3 840 Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP, participants and 480 artisans. Currently, 14 bridges are under construction at Mafikeng, Ratlou, Ditsobotla and Moretele municipalities in the North West. Fourteen bridges are being built in the Mangaung Metro, Maluti-a-Phofung, Moqhaka, Masilonyana and Phumelela municipalities in the Free State.
Sixteen of these bridges are being constructed in Greater Tzaneen, Ephraim Mogale, Thulamela, Makhuduthamaga, Mogalakwena and Thabazimbi municipalities in Limpopo province. In Mpumalanga province, 16 bridges are under construction in Thembisile Hani, Nkomazi, Bushbuckridge and Chief Albert Luthuli municipalities. In the Eastern Cape no less than 15 bridges are under construction at Thomas River, Amahlathi, Buffalo City, Potsdam, eMampondweni, Raymond Mhlaba, Ndabeni, Nkqubela, Tinana all in Ulundi, Inkwanca, Nyandeni, Megacom to Mpangane, Emapoliseni, Ngwegweni, Sakhisizwe and Qolweni.
The National Development Plan places emphasis in the construction sector as an engine driver of economic development and growth. South Africa’s economic reconstruction and recovery plan to stimulate inclusive sustainable growth has also been prioritised. Infrastructure-led growth, given
its catalytic impact, multiply effect and potential in creating the much-needed jobs.
The reconstruction and recovery plan, ERRP, mandated our entity the Infrastructure South Africa to improve the state’s technical project preparation as well as engineering capabilities. Under the Infrastructure South Africa, we have packaged strategic integrated projects which are undergoing special injustices of apartheid, and we are building united and better communities through the provision of bulk infrastructure in water, sanitation, energy, transport and human settlements. Through the Infrastructure South Africa, Isa, we are implementing projects that are not only helping our economy to recover and grow, but are also providing work opportunities, alleviating poverty and ensuring inclusive growth and sustainable development. In delivering the Budget Speech last month, the Minister of Finance allocated more than R942 billion in the public infrastructure over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF. The spending will support the refurbishment and maintenance of existing assets and the building of new infrastructure.
Regarding municipalities, an additional R1,4 billion was set aside for the municipal disaster recovery grant to fund the repair and reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by the floods in 2023.
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is the custodian of the biggest property portfolio in our country. We carry the responsibility of ensuring that our properties and new infrastructure is properly maintained. This is occurring at a time when the fiscus is under tremendous strain.
Please, allow us to share highlights of the key achievements of our national maintenance programme for 2023-24 financial year. The maintenance splits between reactive and versus proactive has been 80% to 20%. However, this has since shifted to 40,5% on preventative and 50,5% on reactive maintenance through the implementation of condition assessment terms contracts and total facilities managements contracts. The facilities management policy aims at reducing the reliance on reactive maintenance reduction in the replacement costs and increase critical components and productivity maintenance models to support the policy at term contract, total facilities management contracts and workshops capacitation
conditional assessment. Facilities and 719 on critical components have been carried out from 2020 to 2023.
With regards to total facilities management, contracts have been implemented for facilities as a recommendation from the assessments. The multidisciplinary professional panel has completed six clusters comprising properties with multiple facilities and components. Maintenance plans had been received and are currently being reviewed for prioritisation. A maintenance criterion has been developed to assess properties that have been identified as the highest spending in each regional office out of our 11 regional offices in the provinces. The department is focussing on reducing the overreliance on external service providers for maintenance and is implementing workshops nationally commencing with Pretoria in Gauteng, Bloemfontein in Free State, Cape Town in the Western Cape and Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. Workshops are implemented and operational to improve the capacity and delivery of services. The total facility management contracts have been implemented with a shift to a 70% preventative maintenance servicing and maintenance actions required at prescribed frequency and 30% corrective maintenance repairs.
With regard to frequency estimates based on criticality of assets, the department has successfully implemented four total facility management contracts for the period 2023-24 financial year, with an additional aid in the procurement pipeline for implementation. A total of 244 term contract for soft services and 86 technical term contacts have been implemented for the 2023 financial year. The technical term contracts are all disciplines of mechanical, electrical and building contracts with soft services focusing on cleaning and horticulture.
Yesterday, our department reported to the portfolio committee on the Property Management Trading Entity, PMTE, turnaround plan and optimisation strategy to release and reduce overreliance on the leasing portfolio through public-private partnerships that would attract private sector investments in our refurbished operate and transfer and as well as built operate transform models. The optimisation strategy seeks to attract direct private sector investments projected at over R10 billion in the next term of administration within the state property portfolio. This is in line with repositioning of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure as an implementing agent of choice as outlined in the Budget Vote speech in May 20203 by Minister Sihle Zikalala.
Our department continues to engage stakeholders in the construction sector including business forums to eliminate stoppages, intimidation and extortion at construction sites. As we support law enforcement to apprehend offenders and those sabotaging our economy, we are also strengthening our social facilitation programme to improve communication and manage community expectations. Through operation Re Ya Patala - We Pay on time - we aim to support construction companies and discourage corruption and bribery. The Minister has also directed the Construction Industry Development Board, CIDB, to establish an ombudsman office for the construction industry which will serve as an independent body focussing on resolving disputes in the construction industry. South Africa works because of Public Works. I thank you.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon members, I hope that the message by the speaker is not lost. Her posture is just one thing. I trust that she will learn, and we will correct the way the image was shown on the screen. Laughing is one thing. What brings us here is the ideas, and that’s what it should not be lost. She will learn and is doable. Thank you very much.
Mr S F DU TOIT: Hon Chair, I would like to switch off my video. The bandwidth is low here in cape Town.
Afrikaans:
Hoe ironoies is dit dat die ANC verkies het om die tema van die September 2023 Provinsiale Week net dit te maak waarin hulle die afgelope drie dekades gefaal het.
English:
Building Viable Provincial and Municipal Infrastructure for Effective Delivery of Services to Communities. As municipalities expand, through structured development as well as illegal settlements, provincial legislatures and municipalities failed to maintain existing infrastructure and also failed to develop these areas to handle the capacity.
Afrikaans:
Die kardinale probleem is dat daar in baie gevalle beplan word om mislukkings op te los, net om ’n kadertender uit te deel.
Die skep van omstandighede wat die ontplooiing van administrateurs noodsaak, dat munisipaliteite net verder kan verval, is maar een van die duistere aktiwiteite waarmee die ANC homself besig hou.
Gemeenskappe word deur die regering mislei, as daar gesê word dat daar deur middel van Provisiale Weke, probleme opgelos word. Sedert 2019 word dieselfde probleme in die Noordwes- en Vrystaatprovinsies aangespreek, sonder dat die politieke hoofde toesien dat gevolgbestuur toegepas word en probleme opgelos word.
Zeerust se rioolkwessie is ’n probleem wat voortslepend is. Die behuisingsprojekte in Ventersdorp en Matlosana sit steeds met waterprobleme. In Bodjanaladistrik is die ruool nog steeds besig om in die strate te loop end dit is ook een van die hoofprobleme dat varswaterbronne besoedel word.
Lichtenburg en Coligny gaan steeds gebuk onder tekorte aan water- en elektrisiteitsvoorsienings en die toestand van paaie in Noordwes raak daagliks meer haglik!
English:
Although the Auditor-General is continuously indicating the fact the political interference and political instability are some of the major contributors to service delivery failures, the ANC continues to recognise these concerns, but does nothing to address the matter. The ANC gave birth to protest
actions and raised this dragon to become a monster that is scorching the country across all nine provinces.
In 2022 alone, the SAPS was present at about 2 455 protest actions across the country and in 2023, this figure increased, and it is speculated that it might reach a climax in 2024!
Rolling blackouts, water outages and joblessness are feeding the flame of destruction.
The fact that the ANC uses Provincial Weeks as political rallies can’t be contested. It gives them the opportunity to engage with communities to make promises they do not keep.
Afrikaans:
Ons as oposisie partye het met die afgelope besoeke aan provinsies daarop aangedring dat vorige besoekprojekte eers afgehandel moet word, voordat nuwe besoekke geskeduleer word.
English:
At the end of the day, deeds speak louder than words. The state of municipalities is the showcase of the ANC’s success in governance.
Afrikaans:
Die verval van munisipaliteite is die toonbeeld van ’n regering wat martelaars ontplooi, aangesien gemeenskappe, die burger, daagliks droë krane en donker strate vol slaggate in die gesig moet staar. Herstel en vestiging van infrastruktuur en effektiewe dienslewering sal slegs ’n realiteit kan wees, as die ANC uit die kussings gelig en self op straat gegooi word.
Die kiesers sal julle oordeel vir jul dade. Julle sal self die wildeals drink, wat julle jare lank vir gemeenskappe skink.
Die VF Plus is instrumenteel om toe te sien dat die nuwe regering Suid-Afrika herstel en bou. Ek dank u.
English:
Mr F J BADENHORST: Hon Chairperson, fellow South Africans, good day. No matter how much spin our colleagues from the ANC try and weave around how they are building viable provincial and municipal infrastructure for “effective delivery of services to communities” the hard facts on the ground tell a different story. Let me start off by saying that the main issue of Deputy Ministers is that nobody in the country knows what they are supposed to do. From this afternoon, there are
certainly a lot entertaining issues that came out of their speeches.
Latest news is that Tintswalo has been hospitalised, due to drinking contaminated tap water during a recent holiday in Knysna. Yes colleagues, Knysna – a great example of how the ANC-EFF coalition of corruption lays waste to effective service delivery.
It is, indeed, very difficult to find an ANC-run municipality where good, clean potable water is available every time a residential tap is opened. In fact, the nationwide emergency of rolling water blackouts or water shedding, both in rural areas and some of our biggest cities, has now become as commonplace as loadshedding, thanks to 30 years of ANC cadre deployment, chronic mismanagement, and corruption. Yes, hon Lucas, water shedding is indeed the end of the world, because unlike load shedding, which you said recently is not the end of the world, water shedding can cause people to die.
ANC-run municipalities all have the same issues in common – high levels of debt, zero to little infrastructure maintenance and a lack of skills to correct any of these issues. If this
Provincial Week has confirmed anything, it is that basic service delivery in ANC-run municipalities is in the same death spiral as the state-owned power utility, Eskom, and most other state-owned enterprises.
Just like electricity, water is fast becoming the next big crisis in South Africa. The fact of the matter is that no human can survive without a consistent supply of potable water. Despite this basic right enshrined in our Constitution, the latest Blue Drop report indicates that the majority of our country’s water systems “fail to produce compliant final water quality”. More than 40% of all the water in South Africa falls into the worst category for microbiological compliance.
The good news regarding Tintswalo though because there is always a silver lining, is that she, like most of her contemporaries, will come to experience the difference of the DA-run Western Cape. They often travel to the Western Cape - a province with a 15-year water resilience plan, a groundbreaking tool shifting the province from drought response towards water resilience; a province where DA-run municipalities are investing billions of Rands in wastewater treatment plant infrastructure, like Potsdam in the City of
Cape Town and Paarl, as seen during the Western Cape Provincial Week site visits.
Tintswalo has, in fact, decided to vote for the DA on 29 May. She has seen the DA manifesto and appreciates the fact that only a DA-run government can repair the ravaged Department of Water and Sanitation. She understands how a DA government will improve the provision of clean and sustainable water by involving private companies in water infrastructure projects, how the DA will transform cities to optimise stormwater and urban waterways for improved flood control and develop public spaces that will collect clean and recycle water.
She looks forward to a DA-run government that takes the health of citizens seriously and includes the regular monitoring of wastewater to check for diseases in municipalities all over South Africa, not just in Cape Town, as is currently the case.
She is excited because she knows a DA-run government will encourage private investment in water infrastructure projects and will fast-track dam and water treatment works, infrastructure development and maintenance.
Let us get down to a bit of business. Hon Nkosi, it just shows how far the ANC has actually spiral down this rabbit hole of waste, when you start referring to delivery of critical services to residents. In DA-run municipalities, our residents refer to those critical services as basic services. They have come to know that the DA delivers basic services every single day.
Minister, yes, unfortunately, the maintenance of national transport infrastructure is the real elephant in the room. No matter how much we have done in the past, it is a difficult exercise is you take 30 years of corruption into account. The Guptas walked away with more than R40 billion of your department’s money.
Hon Lucas, yes, the municipality liquidity crisis is really true, but it is created by ANC corruption.
Tintswalo is learning the hard way that clean drinking water the whole year round is much more important than a bucket of KFC once every five years on the eve of an election. Thank you.
Mr T S C DODOVU: Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces hon Masondo, Minister of Transport and all Deputy Ministers who are part of this debate this afternoon, members of the National Council of Provinces. I made an observation this afternoon and this observation is about a gang up against the ANC. All these political parties, the EFF, The FF Plus, and the DA gang up and sent a very central message and that message is about their dream of ensuring that they depose the ANC.
Chair, while doing that, they have laid false charges, they have broadcasted propaganda based on manipulation, untruths and falsification. Let me just start with the chairperson of a committee in the in the Western Cape. He made up a lot of stories attacking small municipalities in the Western Cape. He spoke about Beaufort West, he spoke about Kannaland and he also spoke about Knysna, precisely because they are not in charge of those municipalities. It is precisely because the voters in those municipalities have rejected them.
Let me make an example. A small municipality like Kannaland which has got seven councillors in the Western Cape that they proclaim to be running, they have one councillor. The rest of
political parties, including the ANC have got all other councillors. This is a fact.
In December, their Member of the Executive Council, MEC Bredell invoked section 139(5) of the Constitution against that poor municipality because, in their view, they say this municipality is in a financial crisis. But what they forget is that in 2016, before they were deposed, they were in charge of that municipality and from 2016 they adopted an unfunded budget, and it became a continuous thing up until the voters rejected them in that municipality.
Out of desperation of getting votes like predators at the smell of blood, they want to get rid of the coalition in that municipality. What a shame of a party that professes to be democratic in the way that they behave. And I'm saying that they are going to fail because this is the agenda that they pursue and it's a cheap agenda. They scavenge on smaller parties because they are desperate to win these particular votes.
Hon Chair, throughout this debate, they have tried but failed to demonstrate that the ANC has failed, and they want to claim
that the ANC has abandoned its vision of a better life for all the people of this country. They have also failed to represent themselves as genuine representatives of the people and all of them as I said, they try to gang up against the ANC. I want to say to them, they act like what is called a potpourri of a motley crowd. They come together because they have one mission, and that one mission is to depose the ANC.
They think that ANC members will fold their arms. They think that we will surrender helplessly to their whims and dictates because they are desperate. They want this power at all costs. Look at these parties. Look at these parties. Look at their tendencies. Look at their policies. Look at their principles. The other one is ultra-left, and the other one is ultra-right. From all these corners, what they want to do is converge in one corner as a gang that wants to depose the ANC.
The people of this country know the truth. They know what happened in the last 30 years. They know who their leaders are despite all the challenges that exist in our country, they know who is leading them and who continues to lead them. And lately, as they claim, and this is what we are saying about MK Party.
What these parties do - or let me just tell you about your failures in Tshwane. You started governing Tshwane in 2016, and this year is the 8th year. In 2016. You've had five layers starting from Msimang, Abel Tau, Randall Williams, Mokgalapa and lately this arrogant Cilliers Brink that I want to talk about.
And in this, you have ramped the municipality, you have run Tshwane down. The people of that city are bleeding because of your tendencies, because of your behaviour, because of your attitude of not addressing their spiritual well-being and their material welfare. That is what you are doing.
Moody’s, an international agency has declared this municipality bankrupt. This municipality of Tshwane that you lead doesn't have money. It has adopted an unfunded mandate. It is one of the worst municipalities in this country under your rule. You are ruling that municipality, and we were there as a committee last week in August. We visited that municipality because we were concerned about what the Auditor- General had said about you, the DA.
The Auditor-General, had said you have the highest irregular expenditure. You had the highest unauthorised expenditure. You had the highest fruitless expenditure in all the 8 metros of this country, and that you were abusing your workers and that you were failing to give water to the people of Hammanskraal. And as the Deputy Minister of Human Settlement has said, you have failed to provide adequate housing to the people and the money was rolling over every year because of your failure.
We know what you represent. You represent a tiny minority and the majority of the people of Tshwane are suffering under your watch. You can't come today and think that you are clever. You think that you are better. You come here and waffle and prevaricate when you have run a municipality down. You are just like that EFF. You are just like those of the EFF.
They were desperate to demonstrate that they are in power. They went to Ekurhuleni. Ekurhuleni was doing quite well. When they were there, we said this municipality is doing quite well, it is resurrecting from the shambles of grave that were caused by the DA. We made that observation and then today the EFF has not answered the question. And that question is, who funded your national rally that celebrated the 10-year
anniversary? And I put it to you, it is the Ekurhuleni Municipality.
You use the taxpayers’ money to run your own campaigns and they have not adequately responded to that particular question and I challenge them to do it now. Do it and respond to this particular question because you are desperate. You want to have power at all costs, and this is what you want to do, and we are saying this is an opportunity. We can see this agenda and we will deal with this agenda. It is about to destroy the ANC. It is about gunning votes and in the process, as I said, you act like a predator. You are angry, you are desperate to get power and power is not going to be gotten in this way.
The people of this country know where we are coming from. They acknowledge our own challenges and as the ANC, we are the first ones to admit that we are facing challenges. The principal question would then be, what is it that you're doing to address the issues of unemployment, the issues of poverty, the issues of power cuts in terms of load shedding, the issues of inequality that for centuries you have perpetuated?
Hon Chair, I want to say that we are facing challenges at municipal level. Many of our municipalities cannot provide democratic and accountable government. We accept that most of them cannot provide proper basic services to the people, we accept that some of them cannot promote community participation and make sure that people become part of the system itself. We are the first ones to admit that they cannot provide proper, safe and healthy environments where they live.
But the question is, we've got to attend to these particular issues now you are sitting here, you waffle, you prevaricate, you say nothing because you are desperate, because you want power. But we are aware - the ANC is aware, and we are indomitable, unfortunately. We are very old; we are 112 years old.
In the process, let me lecture you, there are people who behave in a particular way. They were thieves. They stole our colours. They tried to steal our names. They tried to steal our heritage. They steal everything that belongs to the ANC. But we are resilient. Including you, the EFF. You stole an agenda of economic transformation in our lifetime. You stole that agenda because it was in Gallaghar Estate in 2011 when
the ANC Youth League adopted the seven pillars of transformation which you use because this party steals, they steal everything because they're jealous of the ANC.
And now lately others are using some colours, some names of our historic name of an organisation that we founded in 1961. There was a purpose for us to establish that organisation and Nelson Mandela as founding commander-in-chief, said:
“There comes a time in the life of a nation whether to fight or to submit, and we choose to fight.”
Today, they propagate that because they like us, they like our names. They like our colours. They like what we do and they like our history. That's why they steal. Including the COPE, party and all these parties, they steal whatever that they think that they can scavenge on the ANC. And as I indicated to you, we will not surrender to these dictates.
The people of this country know who their leaders are, and they will continue to ensure that we move forward. We know our past; we know our history and we are confident of our future. A future of economic prosperity, a future of social justice
and a future of transformation. And this is what we will continue to do.
Whatever issues that are permeated within the ANC will be the responsibility of this indomitable organisation to resolve those issues and it will not do it because you say so. It will not do it because it succumbed to you. It will do it because we are on course. When we were founded, we were propelled by a burning desire to ensure that we liberate black people in general and Africans in particular, and this is what we are doing.
Hon Chair, all that I'm saying in terms of this debate, is that these gangsters, those who gang up against us, have an agenda and this agenda that they have has got to be defeated and we are going to defeat it. There are two and a half months left before we go into the elections. We will humble ourselves to our people during the elections. We will tell them the truth. We will tell them what we have successfully done and will tell them what we have failed. And where we have failed, we will be the first ones as the ANC to admit to other people and say we have failed on this and that, but we have succeeded.
But that detour has not defocused us as the ANC, to be on course, to fulfil the dream of Langalibalele Dube, Sol Plaatje, Makana, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu and Nelson Mandela. It’s something that you want to steal from us, and we are not going to allow you and you are not going to succeed.
Thank you very much, hon Chair.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: I never killed someone in my life - in my whole life, I’ve never killed someone. Really, I just ... [Inaudible.] ... people and I just give them a better life. There is one thing that I have noticed, and it is that the DA still believes if you tell the lie long enough, eventually it will become the truth. And that is a fact. The Chairperson has said - I hope we have listened to what the speaker has said and not just laughed because of the posture of the person. They have never listened, and the fact of the matter is that the people of South Africa’s reality cannot be changed if you say so.
Amilcar Cabral said, “ ... people are not fighting for ideas, for the things in anyone’s head. They are fighting to win material benefits ... ” That is what it’s all about. And you can’t see hundredth times because many people came here with
evidence-based information of how they changed people’s life. All of us went to the provincial week. All of us saw what has been achieved. All of us saw what have been the shortcomings. Others come and they just see what they want to see. So, that is why it’s very difficult for me to open a debate when it is already closed.
The fact of the matter is that we have tabled the provincial week report here, and all of us went to it, besides those that never pitched. But all of us went to that provincial week. You know that there is a saying which says that empty vessels make the most noise. As I stand here, there is only one thing that I really want to do. I want to address the hon ... [Inaudible.] I went to Athlone the day before yesterday. The road is called Canal Road, and I went to that area. I have been the MEC of environment in my province and Kimberley has been notorious for being a very dirty city. I started the process of assisting the people of Sol Plaatje Municipality to begin cleaning their city. There are still loopholes which we would like to address, but in my life I have never saw filth the way it is in Athlone. Can I advise the people of the Western Cape to not just clean where we see, but to go to the areas where people live in filth, and in ... [Inaudible.] ...
I should have taken the photo, but I will take it tomorrow when I go there again.
I went to Gugulethu and I found a road or street project not concluded in months since last year. Since last year, it was never concluded - it was never completed. The people of Khayelitsha, Philippi, Gugulethu and Athlone do not have the same reality that people want to portray here. Don’t come and speak about Knysna, whilst people ... You know, I don’t know whether there is some planning in that area where I was because where I saw people staying, I became claustrophobic. I am speaking the truth, but the fact of the matter is that I didn’t want to say these things because for us it is about the report and what we can do to make sure that we assist municipalities as the National Council of Provinces. It’s not about coming here ...
Afrikaans:
... om derms uit te ryg nie. Dit gaan nie daaroor nie.
English:
Because we have a common objective, and our common objective is to make sure that Africa becomes a better country for all
who live in it. That is the thing. I am advising you and I can assist you because I am from there. I started the process of making sure that Kimberley become a clean city. And it’s clean, but it’s still not where I would love it to be, but it’s cleaner. Cape Town can be better if you address the areas where our people live. Thank you very much.
Question put: That the Report be agreed to.
IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape.
Report accordingly agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Thank you very much. At this point I would like to thank the Minister and the Deputy Ministers, permanent delegates, MECs, all special delegates and the SA Local Government Association, Salga, representatives who availed themselves for the sitting. Hon delegates, that concludes the business of the day.
The Council adjourned at 18:30.
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