25 May 2004
Local Government's role and contribution in implementing the people's contract.
Madame Deputy Speaker, I believe that it is not our political eloquence, the robustness of debate or the quality of legislation that inform local communities of the quality of government that they are having. It the much simpler things such as clean drinking water, adequate shelter and living in safe and secure environment.
Local Government, within the broader governance context, is where people experience service delivery, where they experience good or bad governance most.
This sphere of government is central to all major areas of governance and service delivery. From access to clean water, social grants, schooling, safety and security , health services, etc. all services are delivered in the physical and geographic domain of public representatives elected at the local sphere of government.
It is this very simple reality that then places such a tremendous and challenging responsibility on our local government leadership, both at a political, organizational, management and administration level
Madame Speaker,
In this contribution the point of departure would be in the belief expressed in the 2002 ANC National Conference Resolution on transforming the state and governance held in Stellenbosch.
1. "We seek to build a developmental state, capable of implementing the creation of a better life for all, and acting as the driving force for socio-economic transformation.
2. The state as the key instrument for the delivery of basic services should develop appropriate systems and structures in order to facilitate a more quality and sustainable service delivery machinery."
This places an immense and awesome responsibility on us to ensure capacity exist especially . at a LG level.
Central to addressing the key challenges that faces government at all spheres is the need for reliable information, so that programmes can be designed appropriately and and resource allocations be done accordingly. Linking the need to refining our system of monitoring and evaluation the president indicates the necessity for an improvement of our statistical and information base.
Certainly, with the appropriate skills deployed at local level we should be able be build up very reliable databases on virtually any and every area that might be required. Cde President I would venture to suggest that closer interaction between Statistics SA and local authorities might make a significant contribution to this area.
During the 2002 Stellenbosch Conference the ANC resolved as follows on Local Economic Development.
NOTING THAT:
Local economic development is critical for balanced, employment-creating, equitable and dynamic growth therefore RESOLVES THAT:
We should develop local economic development strategies that:
Madame Speaker,
A much more pro-active, vibrant, interactive and dynamic approach is required from our cadres deployed in this important sphere of government. In accepting that some are already at this stage let me venture to make the following suggestions.
It would certainly be in the interest of every local authority to be fully versed about the key growth sectors as well as the different incentive schemes, so as to determine what benefit could accrue to their own local economy if they creatively combine their own investment incentives with those of government at both a national and provincial sphere. This argument is as relevant for the review of the regulatory framework for the small and medium business sector.
On BEE one would assume as obvious the role and responsibility of LA's as it relates to preferential procurement policies, but also providing support and opportunities for BEE in setting procurement targets for BEE companies.
The Expanded Public Works Programme finds implementation at a local level and it is the clear task of LA's to ensure that all red tape as it relates to local planning and development are smoothed out to give effect to the presidents directive that we launch in September this year. Even though the skills development focuses more on a sectoral bases, there is nothing that prevents provinces and more specifically, metro and district municipalities to disaggregate the national sectoral targets and interact the SETA's and local business and industry about the placement of learnerships. In the same way it is my opinion that LA's should also have a database of both graduates and matriculants.
Madame Speaker,
Ma Storey already touched on the areas of your traditional local government services, such as water, sanitation, electricity etc.
Allow me therefore to proceed to safety and security. The president says "We also have a duty to improve the safety and security of all our citizens and communities. In this regard:
Engaging meaningfully with the police, justice, correctional services and social development departments, local government can play a pivotal role together with volunteer community workers in the setting up of physical infrastructure to complement the Victim Support Services Programme, especially as it relates to victims of violent crimes and household abuse, who in most cases are women children and the elderly.
But more than this, I believe it would be in the interest of local authorities to ensure a safe and secure environment, not only for the local community, but also for the potential investor to their areas. The continued interaction between, and support to, councils, CPF's and neighbourhood watches must therefore be encouraged and strengthened.
Madam Speaker;
The president then raises the critical question of social cohesion within communities, "We shall, in the coming months, conduct a thorough review of the impact of socio-economic transformation on social cohesion within communities and across society as a whole, including such qualitative issues as non-racialism and non-sexism, the role and place of family, value systems, identity and moral regeneration. We hope that this exercise, which will involve structures of civil society, will help us better understand who we are and better appreciate quality of life beyond the material."
The Stellenbosch resolution on transforming the state and governance correctly asserts that the challenge of nation building remains the primary task of the ANC. Hence it becomes non-negotiable for local government leadership, interacting with all strata and sectors in their local communities to contribute to the review as suggested. Despite resistance from certain quarters we will have to ask and answer the tough questions on whether indeed our local communities are experiencing today a society that is more democratic, equal, non-racial and non-sexist. The divide between people of all races in our country in all cities, towns and farms is not a result of any accident or natural occurrence, hence, the reconstruction of a non-racial and non-sexist society cannot be left to chance, but require very concrete and conscious content in our overall programme of socio-economic transformation.
On the need for greater integration between the different spheres of governement, which of course is critical in strengthening local government the president talks about:
The President last Friday on congratulating members on their election to Parliament said, "I am certain that you will discharge your responsibilities in this regard sensitive to the important messages communicated by our people to all of us as we campaigned for their votes.
The April elections reinforces the legitimacy of both our national and provincial legislatures and our national and provincial executives. This strengthens the mandate of these institutions to discharge their responsibilities as defined by our Constitution."
The president continues, later in his address to the nation, to say
"We will also assist local government to ensure that the system of Ward Committees functions as visualised in national legislation."
Madame deputy Speaker,
It is now common knowledge that where people are not involved in the decisions that affect their lives, social policies and political interventions are less likely to succeed. Ward Committees are one of the considerable advances the ANC has made in transforming our system of governance into one in which the people are able to actively participate. This has been done through structures and mechanisms such as School Governing Bodies, Community Policing Forums, Ward Committees, Imbizo, Constituency Offices, the committee system in parliament and the legislatures Integrated Development Plans amongst others. However, in order to render the assistance, an assessment of all of these across the country as it is currently operating is needed.
The Stellenbosch resolution on transforming the state resolved as follows:
"That the ANC takes active steps to promote participatory democracy by creating opportunities for the effective involvement and participation of men and women, of those not literate as well as those with literacy, the rural poor, the working people and people with disabilities and other targeted groups to gather and express themselves on matters relevant to their basic conditions". And Cde Deputy Speaker, for the very specific attention of Madame Speaker, the minister of finance, Chief Whip and everyone else in leadership who are part of the decision making on resource allocation, the resolution goes on to state: "That resources be made available for the expansion and consolidation of participatory democracy. the functioning of Ward Committees and PCO's in order to ensure that residents and sectors of society are mobilised to actively participate in programs of governance and socio-economic development." Let me repeat that, "that resources are made available" This in order that as MP/L's we can do our constituency work and councillors can do their ward work more effectively.
Madame Deputy Speaker,
I am not sure whether we have done enough to give implementation to the conference resolution that states, "To encourage relations amongst municipalities, with a view to share experiences and learn from best practices." There are still numerous local authorities that struggle with some basic responsibilities even though their neighbours might have resolved some of these in very creative ways. Certainly more support should be given to organized local government to assist them in this regard.
Let me conclude Cde President using an adjustment from your famous "I am an African" speech and say that as good and sweet as the election results were at a national level, you will forgive me and share my elation that after 10 years it is so good to join the rest of the country in a province that is now also liberated and free. I now have much better understanding for Martin Luther King Jr's words, Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we are free at last. Today, Mr President "it feels good to be an African", it is amazing to be a South African en dis N!a om "n Wes Kapenaar te wees..
Thank you.