ATC130604: Report of the Select Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs on the 2013/14 Annual Performance Plans and Budget Vote of the Department of Co-operative Governance DCoG and the Department of Traditional Affairs (DTA) – Dated 4 June 2013
NCOP Economic and Business Development
Report of the Select
Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs on the 2013/14
Annual Performance Plans and Budget Vote of the Department of Co-operative Governance
DCoG
and the Department of Traditional Affairs (DTA)
Dated 4 June 2013
Having considered the Annual Performance Plans and Budget Vote of
DCoG
and the DTA, the Committee reports as follows:
1.
Introduction
1.2
On the 28 May 2013, the Committee met with the Department to
consider briefings on their annual performance plans and budget vote for the
2013/14 financial year. This was done as part of the Committees role in
conducting parliamentary oversight and ensuring executive accountability,
especially with regards to annual performance plans, priorities and budget allocation
to departmental programmes and public entities.
2.
Background
2.1
The departmental officials who appeared before the Committee during
the briefing on the annual performance plans and budget vote included: Mr V
Madonsela
(Director-General of
DCoG
);
Mr KL
Sebego
(Chief Operation Officer); Mr M
Mtyhuda
(Chief Financial Officer); Mr RS
Mogaladi
(Executive Manager); Mr KL Terry (Head of the
National Disaster Management), Mr TB Themba (Deputy Director-General) and Mr C
Nwaila
(Director-General of DTA).
2.2
CoGTA
is the new Department for
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. The establishment of
CoGTA
was announced by the President, Jacob Zuma, on 10 May
2009. The establishment of
CoGTA
was to shift away
from the narrower mandate of the former Department of Provincial and Local
Government, and to respond decisively to the enforcement and coordination of weaknesses
and failures observed in Government over the past 15 years.
3
.
Presentation on the Annual Performance Plans and Budget Vote
of
DCoG
& DTA
3.1
The Chief Operation Officer presented
the Departmental Annual Performance Plans and Budget Vote. The presentation
focused on the strategic direction and approach; departmental goals and
strategic objectives; overview of financial allocation;
DCoG
specific activities per programme and; DTA specific activities per programme.
4.
Strategic Direction and Approach
4.1
The Department reported firstly that the major focus over the
medium-
term,
was that resources will be allocated towards
fast-tracking the implementation of the collective decision to enhance the
functioning of municipalities, and to locate the role of traditional
institutions within the broader agenda of Government.
4.2
Secondly, the Department reported that it will provide a much
focused support to 105 municipalities, which are within the 23 District
Municipalities
indentified
by the Cabinet as well as
corresponding traditional communities. In particular, the focus will be on the
following areas:
·
Promoting
sound
financial management by robustly implementing the mandate of the PFMA and MFMA
through operation clean audit;
·
Enhance good governance;
·
Fighting corruption;
·
Accelerate service delivery; and
·
Facilitate sustainable infrastructure development.
5.
Strategic Goals and Related Objectives
(
DCoG
)
5.1
The Department tabled a number of strategic goals to direct
the implementation over the 2013/14 financial period. The
first strategic goal deals with a
policy platform that provides a differentiated approach to municipal
financial planning.
The related strategic objectives will include
improvement of the system of disaster risk management; ensure the availability
of the policy framework for differentiation; facilitate the development of
credible and simplified IDP and, the inculcation of the culture of disaster
risk reduction and resilience.
5.2
The second strategic goal deals with
improved access to basic service
. The related strategic objectives
include ensuring increased access to basic electricity, refuse removal, water
and sanitation; establishment of partnership and mechanisms to improve
services; and supporting sector departments and municipalities to improve
access to basic services.
5.3
The third strategic goal deals with
implementation of the community work programme
. The related
strategic objective will include ensuring the creation of 332 500 work
opportunities. The fourth strategic goal deals with
strengthening the effectiveness of cooperative governance through the
development and roll-out of policies and legislation.
5.4
The fifth strategic goal deals with
strengthening measures to fight corruption and unethical conduct
.
The six strategic goal deals with
strengthening, coordinating and supporting effective integrated
disaster management and fire services.
The seventh strategic goal
deals with
deepening participatory
democracy through a refined ward committee model
.
Lastly,
the eight strategic goal deals
enhancing
administrative and financial capabilities of the municipalities.
6.
Departmental Priorities for 2013/14 Financial
Period
6.1
The department tabled priorities
for programme specific activities. These included priorities administration;
policy, research and knowledge management; governance and intergovernmental
relations; national disaster management centre; provincial and municipal
government support; and infrastructure and economic development.
Each programme is discussed below:
7.
Administration
7.1
The priorities presented in relation to Administration
included the development of the Post Audit Action Plan (PAAP) by the end of
September 2013; reviewing and submitting a report on human resource plan to Department
of Public Service and Administration; providing support to provinces and municipalities
to develop section 46 and 27 reports; supporting four provinces to develop and
implement performance management system; supporting struggling municipalities
with communication tools; revising and implementing annual fraud plan and
annual risk management plan in an effort to improve the departmental governance.
8.
Policy, Research and Knowledge
Management
8.1
The priorities presented in relation to the above-mentioned Programme
included the implementation of two knowledge management strategy; development
of research papers covering governance, service delivery and financial
management by 31 March 2014 and ensuring that the policy forum discusses new
policy matters, directives and priorities
9.
Governance and Intergovernmental
Relations
9.1
The priorities presented in relation to above-mentioned Programme
included conducting an assessment of provincial intergovernmental relation
structures; submitting to Parliament by 31 March 2014 the Intergovernmental, Monitoring,
Support and Intervention Bill; increasing the development and implementation of
ward level operational plan from 500 to 2000 wards by 31 March 2013; establishment
of 40 Ethics Committees and train officials in municipalities; monitor and
assess report on implementation of credit control and debt collection policy as
well as payment of government debt in 30 identified municipalities.
10.
National Disaster Management Centre
10.1
The priorities presented in relation of the above-mentioned Programme
included the development and reviewing of the draft White Paper on Fire Brigade
Services and Disaster Management Amendment Bill; indicative risk and
vulnerability profile for drought; Disaster Management Monitoring and Evaluation
Framework will also be developed by 31 March 2014.
11.
Provincial Municipal Government Support
11.1
The priorities presented in relation to this Programme included
the monitoring of provinces support to municipalities in filling vacancies in
terms of the Local Government: Municipal System Act (Act No. 32 of 2000);
developing Municipal Demarcation Amendment Draft Bill; developing discussion
document on Organised Local Government; developing guidelines on section 105
and 106 provincial policy oversight and; facilitating workshops in nine
provinces and 23 districts to improve development planning.
12.
Infrastructure and Economic Development
12.1
The priorities presented included the provision of 171 500
work opportunities; ensuring 48 municipalities implement community work
projects; establishing private sector partnerships; developing and implementing
support plans to promote economic development by 31 March 2014; reviewing
national framework for local economic development by march 2014; supporting 50
municipalities to improve access to free basic services and developing new
Municipal Infrastructure Grant policy to facilitate the improvement in delivery
of basic service.
13.
Priorities and Targets of the Department
of Traditional Affairs (DTA)
13.1
The Chief Operation Officer presented the strategic goals, objectives
and programme activities of the Department of Traditional Affairs.
14.
2013/14 Priorities and Targets of Department
of Traditional Affairs
14.1
The key priorities during the financial year
is
the implementation of the traditional leadership outreach programme for
structures within the institution of traditional leadership. Another priority
is the implementation of the empowerment programme informed by the outcome of
the assessment project conducted in 2011/12 financial year which includes the
development and implementation of a bursary policy for children in traditional
communities, including the children of traditional leaders.
14.2
The profiling and assessing of 78 traditional councils in
support of local government turn around strategic priorities will be another
focus. Providing support to provinces in the alignment of provincial
legislation with the Traditional Leadership Governance Framework Act (Act No.41
of 2003); expediting the processing of the remaining traditional leadership
disputes and claims targeting 360 claims.
14.3
Strengthening the inter-faith sector and establishment of the provincial
interfaith chapters will be a priority area;
promoting and supporting cultural tourism; finalising the protocol
guidelines for Kingships/
Queenship
and focusing the
second phase on senior traditional leaders; conducting consultation on norms
and standards on tools of trade for the institution of traditional leadership
to address inconsistencies across provinces;
developing and consulting on appropriate norms and standards for
recognition and appointment of headmen and headwomen; coordinating summits,
roundtable discussion and cultural events to promote heritage and social
cohesion; as well as developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation
framework
15.
Budget and Expenditure Trend Analysis
15.1
The spending focus over the medium term will be on facilitating
infrastructure delivery programmes and job creation, providing operational
support to municipalities, strengthening technical and institutional capacity
in local government, responding to disasters, and providing targeted and
specialised support to traditional communities. Spending on conditional and
other fiscal transfers is expected to increase over the medium term because
further allocations of R5.4 billion to the equitable share are to be
transferred to municipalities to supplement municipal revenue. This will allow
municipalities to provide free basic services to poor households, build
in-house capacity on systems and eradicate backlogs in their infrastructure.
See the table below:
MTEF allocation
R Million
|
2013/14
|
2014/15
|
2015/16
|
|
|
|
|
Administration
|
219.0
|
227.1
|
233.5
|
Policy, Research and Knowledge Management
|
49.5
|
52.3
|
56.8
|
Governance and Intergovernmental Relations
|
40
706.7
|
44
620.8
|
50
343.3
|
Disaster Response Management
|
585.1
|
613.5
|
635.3
|
Provincial and Municipal Government Systems
|
272.1
|
286.2
|
296.8
|
Infrastructure and Economic Development
|
16
315.2
|
17
375.6
|
18
266.4
|
Traditional Affairs
|
105.2
|
111.9
|
116.9
|
Total
|
58
252.7
|
63
287.4
|
69
948.9
|
16.
Committee Observation
16.1
The Committee was concerned about
the plight of the
Khoisan
people, and their struggle to achieve
recognition as traditional leaders and communities. Questions were raised for
more details on legislative plans to address this challenge.
16.2
The Committee
expressed concerns
on the Departments performance in the field of disaster management,
particularly in respect of indigent communities who settled in flood plains and
were vulnerable to seasonal rainfall. There is a need for close liaison with
municipalities so that people in disaster prone areas are removed, and early
warning systems are put in place to avoid loss of lives.
16.3
The Committee expressed its disappointment
on the Departments failure to implement the previous recommendations, more
especially with regard to tabling of quarterly reports in respect to
departmental strategic objectives and priorities.
16.4
The Committee further observed that the Department
in its presentation of its strategic goals, related objectives and programme
activities did not include and indicate performance indicators, measurable
outcomes and target dates.
17.
Recommendations
17.1
In the interest of co-operative governance,
the Committee recommends to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) that the
Department of
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs should
:
17.1.1
expedite
the proposed
legislation aimed at recognising the
Khoisan
Traditional Leadership, as process has been delayed
since 2003;
17.1.2
revitalise
the Disaster Management Unit to focus on
risk management and the prevention of natural disasters proactively; and
17.1.3
table
quarterly
reports to the National Council of Provinces on the implementation of the Departments
strategic policy priority areas, as well as challenges encountered.
Failure in which the Committee will recommend to the NCOP not to
approve the budget vote of the Department.
17.2
The
Committee further recommends that the NCOP should approve Budget Vote 3 of the
Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
Report to be
considered.
Documents
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