10 June 2004
Hon. Chairperson
Hon. Members
I am speaking in support of this Budget Vote, and wish to congratulate the Minister and her Department for the work they have done up to now. It may however be necessary to evaluate further allocation of funds to the Department of Public Works in order to meet its core functional activities.
Up until 2001 financial year, it has been observed that the Department has been unable to fully spend its budgetary allocation, due in part to its operational problems, and also that the Department was expected to manage the budget of other client departments. Some of these Client Departments would at times delay to expend their budgetary allocations until the end of affected financial years and this resulted in under spending.
Allow me The Hon. Chairperson to state that, it is now noted that the historical under-spending turned in the 2002 financial year, in which an over-spending of R1 million was incurred.
In the 2003 financial year, the over-spending amounted to R188,8 million, and this was due in part to under funding of the Department's core functional activities. We therefore urge that the National Treasury should increase the Department's Budget, as the current baseline is inadequate to fund all the core activities.
It is also noted that the annual Financial Review Committee and the Audit Reports reflect that the Department satisfied the provisions of the PFMA and the reporting framework. Allow me therefore, Chairperson, to commend the Minister and her Department for this turn-around effort.
In 1994, the ANC-led Government was given a mandate to govern. Since then the people of South Africa have twice renewed their faith in this Government, with hope that a better life will come to all.
Following more than 350 years of colonialism and apartheid, the rural countryside still bore the scars born of imperial bombardments, colonial repression and apartheid neglect.
Systematic land dispossession, migrant labour practices and forced removals, denuded the social and economic fabric of the rural areas and turned them into wastelands of poverty, destruction and hopelessness.
The National Department of Public works, has used its competency, namely infrastructure development, to improve the rural landscape of South Africa and make life better for the poorest of the poor.
Trough Community Based Public Works Programme that is being made redundant in the 2004/05 financial year, the Department targeted rural poverty brought by lack of basic and essential infrastructure including rural roads. Its objectives among others included:
XITSONGA
In the last ten years, the CBPWP invested over 2.5 billion rands in six provinces of the Lipompo, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Free State and North West. All in all more that 4000 community infrastructure projects were built, resulting in the creation of more than 163 000 job opportunities, of which 48% went to women and 30% to youth.
The projects consisted of rural roads, marketing stalls, taxi ranks, community alls, nursery school and would often include agriculture-oriented ventures such as community gardens, poultry runs, sheep-shearing facilities, water irrigation systems and many others.
So successful was CBPWP that the International Labour Organisation rated it a model of the best Public Works Programme in the developing world.
ENGLISH
The programmes leaves behind an invaluable legacy, which will be of benefit to similar future endeavours by government, including Expanded Public Works Programme. Rapid policy refinement, water tight monitoring and evaluation systems for effective programme implementation, cooperative governance, community mobilization for maximum participation and community ownership are some of the best practices developed through trial and error and proudly bequeathed to government and its various structures for sustainable community development.
Chairperson, the experience gained in the last decade teaches us not to be complacent on our success. The struggle to roll back the frontiers of poverty has not accelerated at the desired pace because of objective and subjective factors. Objective factors are rooted in the legacy of apartheid and we are here to engage and change them.
But , Chairperson, we have no excuse for subjective shortcomings. In this connecting we must commit government to better coordination in the implementation of a people's contract to create work and fight poverty. Our oversight role must ensure that government delivers its part of the contract.
Lastly, Chairperson, I want to speak about the State assets, many of these State Assets are not yet recorded and accounted for. These assets consist among other of immovable properties such as land and buildings.
Houses in the former TBVC States and other former Bantustans, which were allocated to former employees of government, are not recorded. Some are used as private homes and others are being vandalised. There are government farms, which are not known by government. We would like to urge the Finance Department to allocate enough funds to enable the Public Works Department to complete a proper Asset Register regulated by the legislation. This legislation will enable the National, Provincial and Local government to update and complete the Asset Register.
I thank you
INKOMU