FRIDAY, 16 MARCH 2007 __

          PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
                                ____

The Council met at the Saul Tsotetsi Recreation and Sports Centre, Emfuleni, Sedibeng district, Gauteng, at 09:00.

The Chairperson took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS – see col 000.

MODULASETULO WA NCOP: Tšie-lala! Re kgopela gore re kwaneng, re se ke ra dira lešata ka gore tulo ya NCOP bjale e thomile gomme lena bjaloka setšhaba, le tlile go theetša. Re tla kgopela batlhankedi ba NCOP go hlahla bao ba sa tsenago gore ba ye kua moragorago gomme ba itulele fase molepo gobane re tlile go nea Motlatša-Presidente sebaka sa gore a bolele le lena. Ke bona ba bangwe ba sa ntše ba tsena. Ba šiilwe ke nako. Ka madimabe re ka se kgone go letela batho ka moka gore ba fihle ka gore nako ya rena lehono ke ye kopana, ga e swane le nako ya beke ka moka ge re be re le fa. (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)

[The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order! We request your cooperation please. We must not make a noise because the sitting of the NCOP has begun and you, as the community, have come to listen. We will request the ushers of the NCOP to lead those who are still coming in. Let them take the back seats and relax. We are going to give a platform to the Deputy President so that she speaks to you. I can see others are still coming in. They are late. Unfortunately we cannot wait for everybody to arrive because our time is short today; it is not like the whole week when we were here.]

Hon members, it gives me great pleasure to welcome all of you to this plenary of the National Council of Provinces in Sebokeng, Gauteng’s Emfuleni local municipality. I will now call upon the Deputy President of the country, hon Mrs Pumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka to address the Council. [Applause.]

STRENGTHENING PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE AT LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE SERVICE DELIVERY

                    (Deputy President’s Address)

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr Mahlangu, Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Mrs Hollander, the Secretary to National Parliament, Mr Zingile Dingane, representatives of the different provinces, Premiers and MECs who are here, representatives of local government, mayors, councillors, hon members and fellow South Africans, it is both a pleasure and a privilege for me to be here with you today, in this endeavour to bring Parliament closer to the people. This is the fifth year running since we started with this programme, and thanks go to the NCOP for this innovative concept of Taking Parliament to the People and going around the country to different provinces. Well done! [Applause.]

The choice of having a sitting at Sebokeng during the Human Rights Month is also appropriate, as Sharpeville, a neighbour of Sebokeng, is where one of the most atrocious violations of human rights in this country took place. Sebokeng also has had its own challenges and human rights violations at the height of our struggle, and we will always cherish the role that was played by the people of Sebokeng.

We will never forget the major role that townships such as Sebokeng, Evaton and Sharpeville played in the struggle for liberation, especially between 1984 and 1986. The people of these areas were at the forefront of the uprising that shook the apartheid regime to its core. [Applause.]

Sithanda ke ukubulela kakhulu kubantu besi sithili ngenxaxheba abayithatha ekuwiseni urhulumeni wengcinezelo. Izithonga zenu zavakala. [We are very grateful to the people of this district for the role they have played in overthrowing the apartheid regime. Your blows were felt.] Yingakho nje namhlanje sikwazi ukuthi, silapha, sithi uhulumeni akeze lapha kinina azokuthi: Siyabonga. [Ihlombe].[That is the reason we are able today to say that the government should come to you and simply say thank you. [Applause.]]

It was here that the community’s struggles against apartheid and undemocratic institutions were waged, and thus the roots of future democracy also have to be strengthened here. Since the democratic breakthrough of 1994, which ushered in a democratic dispensation, we have always insisted that we need to create a people-centred society and that we have to engage in people-driven processes of change. It is for this reason that we are here today.

Sithi kini, masijule ngengxoxo. [We are saying to you, let us deepen the debate.]

We also are here because we want to strengthen participatory governance at local level for effective and sustainable service delivery.

Hon members, you are aware that the NCOP has a unique position in our constitutional system of governance. This derives from the fact that it is the only institution within our system that straddles all three spheres of our co-operative governance contract – the national, provincial and local spheres.

The place that the NCOP holds is also crucial, because it has a unique role in relation to strategic oversight. It has the responsibility and the mandate to keep a constant watch on the processes that must integrate legislative and executive decisions in all spheres of government, and ensure the practical implementation of these decisions, especially to the extent that they directly impact on the lives of our people at every level. For instance, let us look at the ward committees. Ward committees are a tool to ensure effective participatory governance.

The White Paper on Local Government defines developmental local governance as a local government committed to working with citizens and groups within the community to find long-term solutions to address our social, economic and material needs and thus improve the quality of life of our people.

Kubalulekile ke, bahlali, ukuba kuqiniswe iikomiti zeewadi. Bubalulekile ubukho benu kwezi komiti. Ndithi ke kumalungu eBhunga laMaphondo leSizwe kule Palamende ehloniphekileyo, mawabe nayo indlela yokuqinisa nokusebenzisana neekomiti zeewadi ngoba ikomiti yewadi sisigqeba sikarhulumente esisemthethweni ekusiso esikufutshane nabantu. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)

[It is, therefore, very important, community members, that ward committees be strengthened. Your participation in these committees is very crucial. I therefore say to members of the National Council of Provinces in this august Parliament, they need to have a system of strengthening working partnership with ward committees, because these committees are official government structures closer to the people.]

Abantu abakhethwe umphakathi ukuthi baphathe amakomidi ezigceme, kufanele lo msebenzi bawuphathe ngezandla eziqinile ngoba uma bewenza kahle lo msebenzi bayokwazi ukudlulisela umbiko maqondana nezidingo zabantu kuhulumeni walapha ekhaya. Uma uhulumeni wasekhaya ebona ukuthi inkinga inkulu, naye ayidlulisele phezulu.

Ngifuna ukuthi-ke nokwakhiwa kwezinhlelo zama-IDPs lezo esisebenza ngazo ekuboneni izindlela zokwakha nokuthuthukisa izindawo esihlala kuzo zisebenza kahle kakhulu lapho kusuke kukhona amakhansela ezigceme khona. Angithi siyazi sonke ukuthi ayini amakhansela ezigceme? Amakhansela ezigceme kufanele ngabe akhona kuyo yonke indawo okuhlala kuyo abantu. Akhona lapha eSebokeng? Abantu balapha bayaya emihlanganweni yawo? [Ubuwelewele.] Uma ngabe amalungu omphakathi engayi emihlanganweni yawo ngiyawacela ayikhuthalele le mihlangano ngoba ngalokho azokwazi ukusizana nathi siwuhulumeni.

Ngicela nokuthi, siyi-NCOP, sikuqaphe ukusebenza kwalawa makomidi ezigceme. Amakomidi ezigceme asesebenza lapha eNingizimu Afrika asekwazile ukusabalala ngangokuthi abhekela izigceme ezinga-80% esinazo. Lezo zigceme ezinga-20% ezingakabi nawo amakomidi nazo ziyalungiselelwa. Yintuthuko enhle-ke leyo esesiyibonile. Kubalulekile ukuthi kulo msebenzi sibandakanye imindeni, abazali, nomphakathi ekulweleni izinto esizidingayo nokubhekana nalezo ezenzeka lapho sihlala khona, ezifana nemizabalazo yokusebenzela ukuthi imfundo nezikole zethu zisebenze kahle, ukuqeda ubugebengu, ukulwa negciwane leSandulela Ngculazi neNgculazi, nokuzama ukuthi sandise ukuziphatha kwabantu ngendlela efanele ezindaweni lapho sihlala khona. Zonke lezi zinto zifuna ukuthi umndeni nomndeni uze ngaphambili. Ukulwa nokukhulelwa kwezingane zamantombazane zisencane nakho kuyinto efuna abazali bebambisene nohulumeni; ifuna abafundisi nezinhlangano zentsha emphakathini ukuthi nazo zibe nalo iqhaza ezilibambayo.

Abazali-ke mabasize balungise umphakathi kanye nezingane zabo emindenini lapho behlala khona ukuze, uma sibambisene, sikwazi ukunqoba zonke lezi zinto ezenza umphakathi wethu ecekeleke phansi.

Lapho sikhuluma khona kakhulu ngodlame, ushilo uMongameli ngesikhathi evula iPhalamende ukuthi sizokwandisa inani lamaphoyisa azosebenza ebantwini. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[Ward councillors should be elected by the community, they should perform their duties efficiently because if they do that then they will be able to submit a report to the local council regarding the needs of the people. If the local council realises that the problem is quite big it should report it to the higher authority.

I want also to indicate that the structures of IDPs, which we use to identify programmes of constructing and developing our localities, work even better where ward councillors are involved. Do we all know what ward councillors are? Ward councillors should be present in all areas where people live. Do you have ward councillors here in Sebokeng? Do you attend their meetings? [Interjections.] If members of the community do not attend ward committee meetings, I request them to attend these meetings because, by so doing, they will be able to assist us as government.

I also request that we, as the NCOP, should monitor the work of these ward committees. The ward committees here in South Africa have expanded in such a way that they now cover 80% of the wards that we have. The remaining 20% of the wards which do not have councillors are being considered. This is a good development that we have seen.

It is also important to involve families, parents and communities in both fighting for our needs and also facing up to the challenges in areas where we live. Challenges like fighting for education, better performance in our schools, combating crime, fighting HIV/Aids and also encouraging good behaviour in areas where we live, all require each family to stand up and be counted. Fighting against our young girls falling pregnant requires parents to work together with the government. It also requires educators and youth organisations to play a role.

Parents should promote discipline in communities, among their children and within their families, because, if we work together, we will overcome the bad things that destroy our communities.

In areas where violent crime is a problem - the President mentioned that during his state of the nation address – more police will be deployed there.]

Nakong eo Mopresidente wa rona a neng a bula Palamente o ile are: “rona mmuso re tla le neha tjhelete ya hore le gone ho hira seponesa se sengata”. Hona ho bolela hore moo batho ba rona ba leng teng ho tla ba le maponesa a mangata. Bo-Station Commander le batho ba bang ba tshwereng seponeseng ba tsebe ho sebetsa le setjhaba, hore setjhaba se tle se re tshepe (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows.)

[During the opening of Parliament our President said: “The government will give you money in order for you to employ more policemen.” This means that wherever there are people, there will be a heavy police presence. The station commanders and other senior officials in the police department will be able to work with the communities, so that the nation can begin to trust us.]

Government will make the resources available, but, at the end of the day, it is going to be the commitment of the individuals who are on the frontlines, the bobby on the beat. The communities must support the police, because …

… amaphoyisa nawo ngabantu, angithi? Ayafuna ukuxhaswa kanti futhi uma enze into enhle kuhle akhuthazwe.

Ngifuna-ke ukuthi ngike ngikhulume ngenye inkinga esinayo kakhulu yegciwane leNgculazi. Niyazi ukuthi siyathanda ukulwa naleli gciwane, futhi siyazi ukuthi asikwazi ukulinqoba uma singasebenzisani nomphakathi. Yingakho nje sakhe isigungu lesi esisibiza ngokuthi i-SA National Aids Council, Sanac, esisanda kuyigcoba ngokusemthethweni. Kulesi sigungu sizama ukuthi sisebenze nomphakathi ukuze sikhuthaze ukufundisa ngeNgculazi. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[… the police are also human beings, is it not so? The police do need support and if they have done something good it is good to praise them.

I want to raise another problem we have regarding HIV/Aids. You all know that we do like to fight this disease. We are also aware that we will not conquer it if we do not work with the community. It was for this reason that we established the body called the SA National Aids Council, or Sanac, which was recently formally launched. Through this body we try to work with the community in order to educate people about Aids.]

Regarding social mobilisation and education, especially about prevention …

… ngicela ukubuza kumalungu nabantu bomphakathi ukuthi bangaki lapha, futhi ngizocela baphakamise izandla, abake baziphe ithuba bachazele abantwana ngaleli gciwane? Ngicela baphakamise izandla abake bathathe ithuba lokucacisa ngaleli gciwane. [Ubuwelewele.] Nibaningi kangaka ngempela? Siyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[… I want to know from the hon members and the community at large how many people here - and I want them to raise their hands - have afforded themselves an opportunity to explain this disease to their children? I request those who have explained this disease to raise their hands. [Interjections.] Are you sure it is really all of you? Thank you.]

I am glad that there are so many people who are involved in public education about HIV/Aids in this community. It means that Sanac, in this community, will not have a hard time, but I would urge the municipality, with our support, to invest in community education using the community.

As part of the Expanded Public Works Programme, government is now also going to invest in community education and invest in home-based care so that there are many people who can be recruited, trained and employed in the community and who can then look after our people who are sick at home, but they can also be responsible for education. [Applause.]

Yinhle le nto eyenziwa nguhulumeni, angithi? [Ubuwelewele.] [The government is doing a right thing here, isn’t it? [Interjections.]]

We would also like to inform members and the community that government wants to make sure that you tell people and advise them to go to clinics …

… ukuze bathole imithi uma sebegula kakhulu.

Into ebalulekile engifuna amalungu ayazi ngegciwane ukuthi, uma ulwa nalo igciwane - uma usunalo, futhi uma ngabe uphila ngokuzivocavoca ube udla kahle, awuzukugula, uzohlala ukwazi ukusebenza futhi wenze yonke into njengomuntu ophilile. Kodwa-ke ukugula kuhamba kuhambe kuze kufike. Uma ngabe nokho uwuqinisa umzimba, uyakwazi ukuthi ulidudulele emuva igciwane, lingangeni emzimbeni kakhulu lize likugulise, lithi noma likhona uphila nalo kodwa ube ukwazi ukuphila impilo enomdlandla.

Singuhulumeni, siqeda ukumemezela ukuthi sizokhipha amabhiliyoni ayi-14 amarandi. Yimali-ke le edida ingqondo. [Ihlombe.] Le imali esizosebenzisana ngayo nani malungu nabantu bomphakathi ekulweni negciwane; esizofundisa ngayo abantu, sibaqeqeshe; esizoqala ngayo onompilo basemphakathini; esizoqinisekisa ngayo ukuthi imitholampilo isebenza kahle; nezokwenza sikwazi ukuhlinzeka nangemithi emitholampilo. Yonke le nto izosebenza uma sibambisene nomphakathi. [Ihlombe.]

Ngifuna ukukhuluma ngentsha ekhona lapha. Into eyenza ukuthi igciwane linqobeke kuwo wonke amazwe ukuzithiba ukuya ocancini kwabantu abasha, besebancane. Uma ingenza leyo nto nje, igciwane sizolinqoba. [Ihlombe.] Leyo nto ifuna ukuthi abazali bakhulume nabantwana babo, babafundise abantwana, kubandakanywe nezikole ukufundisa ngobungozi obukhona. Sifuna ukusho ukuthi, thina singabantu baseNingizimu Afrika, sinephupho lokubona iNingizimu Afrika ne-Afrika engasenalo igciwane. Leyo nto ingenzeka uma labo asebenegciwane bengakugwema ukulidlulisela kwabanye abantu, nokuthi bangalinikezi umdlandla wokuthi liphinde libangene kabusha futhi. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[… so that they can get medication when they are seriously ill.

One important thing that I want members and the community to know about this disease is that, if you fight the disease when you have already contracted it, if you exercise and eat healthy food, you will not get sick. You will always be able to work and be like a normal person. However, the illness will attack you after some time. If you keep your body busy you will be able to neutralise it, preventing it from getting serious in your body, which can make you sick. That can help you. Although you live with it, it can help you to live a healthy life.

The government recently made an announcement that it will make available R14 billion. This is a lot of money. [Applause.] Together with you, hon members, and the members of the community, we will use this money to fight the disease, educate our people and train them. We will start off with the training of community caregivers, ensuring the proper functioning of our clinics, which will help us to be able to supply medication to clinics. All this will be a success if we work together with our community. [Applause.]

I want to talk to the youth that is present here. The only strategy which has helped many countries in fighting HIV/Aids, is abstinence for the youth. They are still young. If our youth can simply do that, we will defeat HIV/Aids. [Applause.] This, however, requires both parents and teachers to talk to children and educate them about the dangers of this disease. We want to make an assertion that we, the people of South Africa, have a dream to see South Africa and Africa free of HIV/Aids. That dream can come true as long as those who are already infected do not spread the disease and also do not give it a chance to infect them again.]

If one is already positive, one must live positively. People must not allow themselves to be reinfected. What they have to do is not to infect other people. In order to be able to do this, one must know one’s status. One must tell one’s loved ones and then one must live positively.

Uma umuntu esenalo igciwane makaphile ngendlela enokuzinakekela. Kufuneka angalingi alingenise kabusha kuyena uqobo igciwane futhi angalidluliseli kwabanye! Ukuze akwazi ukwenza lokho, kufanele asazi isimo sakhe maqondana negciwane bese azisa abaseduze naye nabayizihlobo zakhe, aphinde aphile ngokuzinakekela. Ngakho-ke kufuneka angalidluliseli kwabanye igciwane. Uma nje umuntu yena engalidlulisi, kusho ukuthi i-Afrika inalo ithuba lokulinqoba leli gciwane. Okwesibili, labo abangakabi nalo igciwane mabangalitholi. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[If a person is already positive, he or she must live a healthy life. One must never allow oneself to be reinfected or spread the disease to other people. In order to do that, one must know one’s status regarding HIV/Aids and should inform one’s family and relatives, and should also take care of oneself. One should not spread the disease to others. If those who are already positive do not spread HIV/Aids, it means Africa is in a position to defeat HIV/Aids. Secondly, those who are negative should remain negative.]

If you are negative, stay negative.

So, this is a personal agenda. This is what Sanac asks you to do on a personal level. If one doesn’t come to community meetings, and doesn’t do the many other things that we ask people to do, which may be difficult, one must make this decision. A personal decision is one’s personal management of the epidemic. One doesn’t need money to make this decision. One doesn’t need a second person. One doesn’t need to be a member of anything. One just needs to be a committed South African and African for the future of Africa. It’s the most revolutionary decision you’ll ever take. [Applause.]

Regarding young women in particular, please, I appeal to them to stay away from older men. [Applause.] Our studies show that the young women who are most at risk are those who have relationships with older men.

Abantwana abaningi abangamantombazane abathola igciwane yilabo abahlekisana nobaba abanezintshebe. [Ihlombe.] Ngithi kubantwana bamantombazane: Bantwana bethu, siyanithanda. Siyabacela sithi mabangahehwa yilaba obaba abathi bazobathengela amaselula. Bangaze bafele iselula? [Ubuwelewele.] Bangaze bafele isikibha esibhalwe ukuthi sakhiwe yinkampani ethile noma izicathulo? Phansi ngalabo’baba! [Ubuwelewele.]

Siyanicela futhi nabazali ukuthi, kulo lonke ikhaya, sifuna babambe iqhaza ekulweni nokuhlukunyezwa kwezingane namakhosikazi, ngoba abantu abaningi abahlukunyezwayo, njengabantwana nomama, bahlukunyezwa emakhaya ngabantu ababaziyo, ngabantu ababathandayo nangabantu ababajwayele. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[Most young girls who contract HIV/Aids are those who are in love with bearded men. [Applause.] I say to young girls: You are our children. We love you. We request our children not to be deceived by these old men who promise to buy them cellphones. Should they die just for a mere cellphone? [Interjections.] Should they die for a branded T-shirt or a pair of shoes just because it was manufactured by a particular company? Away with these old men, away! [Interjections.]

We request you as parents to play a role in the fight against violence against children and women, because most victims of abuse, particularly children and women, are abused in their families by people whom they know, by their loved ones and their acquaintances.]

Most of the abuse, including violence, death and murder, is committed between people who know one another. That is so in 81% of all cases. So, women and children are victims at the hands of people they know, trust and love. These things happen in the homes of people here.

Yini abantu abayenzayo ngalawo makhaya abo ahlukumezekayo? Siyabacela abantu, beyimindeni, ukuthi babambe iqhaza. Ngifuna ukugcizelela ukuthi imindeni asiyizwa kwezemfundo. [What is it that people are doing about the abuse of their families? We request people as families to play a particular role. I want to emphasise that we do not hear of any role played by families in education.]

We do not hear anything from families and parents in education struggles. We hear about schools performing badly from reporters. Where are the parents in such a community? Why do we not receive a delegation of parents to the inspector, to the department, to the province to say …

… Ngqongqoshe wesifundazwe, awuze uzobona isikole salapha emphakathini wangakithi? [… to the provincial minister, come and have a look at our local school?]

Why must the mayor read about it in the newspaper?

Kusho ukuthi singabazali, singumphakathi, sesiyekelele. Ngiyabacela-ke abazali, ngithi kubo: Buyani bazali. Ubandlululo sasingeke silunqobe ukuba abazaali babehleli emakhaya belindele ukuthi indaba bayoyizwa ephepheni. Zonke lezi zinto ezimbi, nabo abangazifuni, ezenzeka emphakathini, sizozinqoba ngokuthi bona abazali babe ngabantu abababamba izintambo ukuze benze kube ngcono. Kufuneka babe khona emabhodini aphethe izikole, benze umehluko.

Ngicela ukuthi basebenzelane nabasebenzi bokuthuthukisa umphakathi. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.) [This means that parents and the community have given up. I request parents, and I say to them: Parents, could you please come back and play your role? We would have not defeated apartheid if parents were just sitting down, not doing anything, hoping that they would read about it all in the newspapers. All these bad things happening in our communities, which parents themselves do not like, would be overcome only if parents play a leading role in making things better. They should be part of school governing bodies in order to make a difference.

I request parents to work together with the community development workers.]

These are the young people in the local communities who are there to help the councillors to assist the community in solving the problems in the quickest possible way.

Regarding our izimbizo, we appeal to members and the community to come and attend izimbizo, in the same way that the community has come to attend this event, because we need community members to be at the forefront of interaction with us.

Maqondana nezemfundo, ngiyabacela abazali, ngiyawacela nawo makhansela ukuthi … [With regard to education, I request parents and councillors …]

… to make sure that there is a skills plan in their community. What is standing between a prosperous South Africa and a South Africa that will not take full advantage of its economic role is the skills level.

South Africa has more than 10 million young people who are in danger of never getting a job until they reach the age of 40 years, if they do not take action. These are the people who make up the bulk of the second economy, and these are the people we need to deal with immediately.

We in government have committed ourselves - uMongameli ushilo ngenkathi evula iPhalamende [… the President mentioned this in his state of the nation address …] - to facilitate the entry of those young people into the labour market. When we do that, we must know that we are collaborating with the community in providing them with skills. We can do all the other things in South Africa that are sophisticated, but if we do not deal with these 10 million or more young people in the next two to three years, we are sunk.

It is intensive skilling at a local level, intensive skilling at a provincial level, and it is about the quality of public education. Without quality in public education, good teachers who come to school and teach, this nation will not take full advantage of an economy that is growing, and we will not be able to share this growth.

Ngiyacela-ke. Size lapha ngoba sifuna ukukhumbuza umphakathi ngokubaluleka kwawo. AMalungu ePhalamende lawa akhona lapha kuzothi uma esebuyele eKapa ngithande ukuzwa umbiko azowethula maqondana nayo yonke le mihlangano ebibanjwe lapha ukuze sikwazi ukubona ukuthi ezintweni umphakathi ozibalile lapha, sizozithatha kanjani siye phambili.

Abanye bayazi ukuthi njengoba silapha sinomunye umhlangano omkhulu wesigungu esiphezulu sikaKhongolose wethu. Kuzofuneka ukuthi nami-ke ngibuye ngiye kovela nakulowo mhlangano. Sesicelile-ke ukuthi uNdunankulu uBalindlela – intombi yale emaXhoseni, kube uyena ozophendula uma sekuqediwe ngezinkulumo. Uyena-ke ozophothula maqondana nale nkulumo engiyenza manje ukuze akhombise ukuthi besilalele futhi sizizwile izinto ezishiwo amalungo omphakathi.

Siyabonga kakhulu kumaluingu omphakathi ngokuza kwawo ngobuningi bawo. Siyabonga kuMkhandlu Kazwelonke Wezifundazwe ngokuthi usihlelele ukuthi sizelapha. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[That is my request. We came here because we wanted to remind the community of its importance. I would love to see the report which the Members of Parliament who are here today are going to present when they go back to Cape Town regarding the issues raised by the community here, and see how we can tackle them.

Some of you know that we who are here also have another meeting of the National Executive Council of the ANC. I will have to go to that meeting, as well. We have requested Premier Balindlela from the Eastern Cape to respond once the discussions are finished. She is the one who is going to wrap up to show that we were listening to the issues raised by the community.

We are very thankful to the community for coming in their big numbers. We also thank the NCOP for making arrangements for us to come here. [Applause.]]

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Order! Hon members, I would request that you adhere to the speaking time as reflected on the speakers’ list to ensure that the debate is concluded on time.

We will now proceed with the debate and I call upon the hon Chairperson of the NCOP, hon Mahlangu, to open the debate. [Applause.]

USIHLALO WOMKHANDLU KAZWELONKE WEZIFUNDAZWE: Mangibonge kakhulu kwiPhini likaSihlalo Womkhandlu Kazwelonke Wezifundazwe, ngibonge kwiPhini likaMongameli wezwe lonke, umama uMlambo-Ngcuka, ngibonge koNdunankulu bezifundazwe zonke noSomlomo bonke abakhona – ikakhulukazi ubaba uMdakane okunguye owenze ukuthi lolu hlelo luhambe kahle kangaka, futhi ngicela ukuthi simbonge kakhulu ubaba uMdakane. [Ihlombe.] Mangibonge oNgqongqoshe bezifundazwe bonke abakhona ngokwehlukana kwezifundazwe, abaholi bezenkolo, abaholi bethu bendabuko abakhona, aMalungu ePhalamende onke kanye namalungu ezishayamthetho zonke; ngibonge-ke nawo wonke umuntu okhona waseSedibeng naseGauteng, abakade beziphethe kahle kakhulu isonto lonke bejulisa ingxoxo ngokwedlulele, noma ngale ndlela ebesifuna ngayo. Ngiyanibonga nonke namhlanje ekuseni. [Ihlombe.]

Okunye okubalulekile engizokuphinda futhi okushiwo yiPhini likaMongameli wezwe nesithanda ukuthi kungene ezindlebeni zabantu, yilokhu okulandelayo. Mangikwethembise, Phini likaMongameli, futhi bengishilo kwayizolo ukuthi, emuva kwenyanga nje, kungakadluli sikhathi eside, ngizobuya lapha ngizohlangana namakomiti amawodi, mina siqu sami kanye nekomiti lohulumeni bezifundazwe nabasekhaya. [Ihlombe.] Ngizohlangana futhi nabasebenzi bezokuthuthukisa umphakathi kanye nekomiti lohulumeni basekhaya. Ngizothanda ukuthi uSodolobha uHlongwane kanye noSodolobha umama uTsotetsi babe mdibi nami kulowo mhlangano ukuze sikwazi ukulungisa zonke lezi zinto okufanele sizilungise, ngoba umsebenzi wethu awusikho ukulwa nabohulumeni bethu kodwa ukusizana nabo.

Okubalulekile engithanda ukuba ngikuthinte, Phini likaMongameli, ukuthi ngikhulumile ngoMmsombuluko nganithembisa nonke ukuthi umbiko uzobe usulungile emuva kwezinsuku ezi-30. Zonke izinto enizikhulumile lapha … (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Thank you, Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Deputy President of the country, Mrs Mlambo-Ngcuka, all the Premiers of the provinces and all the Speakers present – especially Mr Mdakane who is the one who made this programme a success, and I request that we thank Mr Mdakane very much. [Applause.] The MECs from different provinces present here, religious leaders, our traditional leaders present, Members of Parliament and members of provincial legislatures present; thank you to everybody present from Sedibeng and from Gauteng, who have behaved so well for the whole week, deepening the debate the way we wanted it to be. I greet you all this morning. [Applause.]

I wish to mention another thing which is very important – and I am going to repeat it even though the Deputy President mentioned it, because we want you to really understand it – and it is the following. Let me promise you, Deputy President, that - as I also said yesterday – at least within a month from now, the Select Committee on Local Government and Administration and I will come back here to meet with the ward committees. [Applause.] I will also meet with the community development workers and the local government committee. I would like both Mayor Hlongwane and Mayor Mrs Tsotetsi to be with me in that meeting so that we can rectify all the things that we are supposed to rectify, because our duty is not to fight with the spheres of government, but to work with them.

Another important issue which I would like to touch on, Madam Deputy President, is what I said here on Monday. I promised all of you here that the report will be ready after 30 days. Everything that you said here …]

… di tla be di ngwadilwe ka mo gare ga pego yeo re tlogo tlago go ngangišana ka ga yona kua Motse-Kapa. Motlatša-Presidente le dipremiya ka moka ba tla be ba le gona … [… will be written in the report which will be debated in Cape Town. The Deputy President and all the premiers will be there and …]

… it will be all hands on deck. All departments must take up the issues that affect them and deal with them at the same time. [Applause.]

Okunye-ke okubaluleke kakhulu engithanda ukungena kukho ngoba isikhathi anginaso kahle, ukungena ngijule endabeni yemfundo. Ngiye ngathatha ithuba, Phini likaMongameli, ngavakashela izikole, njengoba siye senze uma size ezingeni lemiphakathi, ngoba phela asigcini ngokukhuluma lapha eNdlini kodwa siphumela ngaphandle siye kobona ukuthi kwenzakalani. Ngivakashele izikole ngathola ukuthi ezikoleni kusakhalwa ngokuthi izincwadi azithunyelwa. AboMnyango Wezemfundo bekade bekhona. Ngibacelile ukuthi baqinisekise ukuthi abachicileli bayaziletha izincwadi ezikoleni … (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[Another very important thing that I would like to speak about, because my time is limited, and delve deeply into, is the issue of education. I took the opportunity, Deputy President, of visiting schools, as we always do when we bring Parliament to the people. We do not only talk in this House, but we go out to see what is happening. The Department of Education was also there. I have requested them to ensure that the publishers do bring the books to the schools …]

… within three weeks. So, they cannot complain that they cannot publish that number. [Applause.]

Sesingene enyangeni kaMashi manje kodwa abashicileli abazigayile izincwadi futhi abazithumelile, kanti uMnyango usubakhokhele imali. [We are already in March now, but the publishers have either not printed or sent the books to schools, whereas the department has already paid for them.]

That cannot be acceptable! [Applause.]

Okunye-ke esikutholile ezikoleni ukuthi kunale ndaba iPhini likaMongameli ebelikhuluma ngayo. Ngithi: Hhayi bo! Masingenzi kanjalo bantu bakithi abamnyama! Siyazibulala ngokwethu kanti futhi siyazikhandla. Uma sithumela abantwana bethu ezikoleni, asibathumeli ukuthi babe ngamadoda nabafazi kodwa sisuke sifuna bayofunda ukuze babe ngabaholi abaqotho kusasa, babe ngabahlengikazi laba esithi bayashoda, babe ngothisha laba esithi bayashoda. Abanye babo bayoba ngoMongameli ngoba thina siyahamba, abanye babo babe ngoSihlalo balo Mkhandlu Kazwelonke Wezifundazwe, njengoba siyibo okwamanje. Abanye babo bayoba ngaMalungu ePhalamende. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[The other thing that we discovered at schools is something which the Deputy President spoke about, and I say: Stop it! Fellow Africans, let us not do that! We are killing ourselves and we are straining ourselves. If we send our children to schools, we do not give them licence to practise to be men and women. Instead, we send them to school to learn so that they can become honest future leaders, nurses and teachers, whom we always say we are running short of. Some of these children are the future Presidents of the country, Chairpersons of the NCOP, as I am right now, and we are moving on. Some of them will even be Members of Parliament.]

A school is a learning institution, and not a sexual institution. [Applause.]

Lokho-ke kufanele kuqedwe. IPhini likaMongameli liyibeke kalula lona, lithe “abantu abanezintshebe”. Mina ngifuna ukuyibeka kanjena: Kunabantu ababizwa ngokuthi ngo-sugar daddy. [Ubuwelewele.] Bona balayisha abantwana ngezimoto zabo ekuseni babaphelezele ngenkathi beya ezikoleni. Bakhipha izimali zokudla babanike ukuze bakwazi ukuthenga ukudla. Bayabathatha bahambe nabo emuva kwehora lokudla, bangawenzi umsebenzi wesikole abawunikiwe ukuthi bawenze ekhaya kodwa kuyiwe edolobheni kuyodliwa eKentucky, kuthengwe namayunifomu.

Emuva kwesikhathi kube sekuvela umntwana. Uma kuqeda ukuvela umntwana, lowo muntu uyabaleka angabe esaba ngu-sugar daddy. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[This thing should be stopped. The Deputy President put this very mildly when she said “bearded men”. I want to put it this way: There are people who are called sugar daddies. [Interjections.] They drive children in their cars when they go to school in the morning. They give our children money for lunch. After lunch they drive them around and these children end up not doing their homework, because they are taken to town to eat meals in the fast-food outlets like KFC. They even buy them school uniforms.

After some time the child gets pregnant. After pregnancy, that person runs away and he is no longer a sugar daddy.]

The law says that any man who engages in a sexual activity with a child who is under 16 years of age is committing an offence.

Amacala anjalo mawalethwe ngaphambili. [Cases of that nature should be brought forward.]

It cannot be possible anymore that a child of 11 or 12 years of age gets pregnant and gives birth. That cannot be possible anymore! We must stop that from happening and we know where it begins. Let us bring back our culture.

Enye yezinto ezikhulunyiwe kube ubugebengu umphakathi okhale ngabo kakhulu. Uphendulile-ke izolo uNgqongqoshe uCachalia nePhini likaNgqongqoshe Wezokuphepha Nokuvikeleka. Sizohlale sikhulumisana nabo. Kodwa ngithanda ukubonga kakhulu umphathi wesiteshi uMotlala esizwile ukuthi uphethe kahle isiteshi futhi usebenzisana kahle nesigungu esibhekele ukuphepha emphakathini. Nayo-ke into esifuna ukuthi yenzeke ngoba ubugebengu ngeke buphele ngaphandle kokuthi sibambisane sonke, singabafihli labo abenza ubugebengu ezindlini zethu, sidle nabo ukudla zonke izinsuku kodwa sibe sazi ukuthi … (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[One of the many other things that were discussed here was crime, which the community complained a lot about. Yesterday both MEC Cachalia and the Deputy Minister of Safety and Security responded to your questions. We shall be contacting them regularly. However, I would very much like to thank the Station Commander Mr Motlala who, as we have heard, manages the station very well and he works well with the Community Policing Forum. This is the very thing that we want to see happening, because crime will never stop unless we work hand in hand. We should never harbour criminals in our houses and simply eat with them every day, knowing very well that …]

… ba a senya. A re ba tlaleeng maphodiseng, ba swarwe. Ge maphodisa a sa dire mošomo wa wona, go swana le ao a yago dipotong ka dikoloi tša mmušo, a begeng le wona. [Legofsi.] Ga se maphodisa ka moka ao e lego gore a senyegile, empa go na le a mangwe ao a dirago ka mokgwa woo. Ge le a bona le a begeng go khomišinare wa tikologo goba wa profense goba le re leletšeng le rena kua Motse-Kapa. Le tšee dinomoro tša dikoloi tšeo. [Legofsi.] (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)

[… they are dangerous. Let us report them to the police, so that they are arrested. If the police are not doing their work, like those police officers who use government cars when they go to shebeens, report them as well. [Applause.] Not all the police officers are corrupt, but there are some who are doing that. If you see them, report them to the local or the provincial commissioner, or you can even call us in Cape Town. Take the registration numbers of those cars. [Applause.]]

We have to deal with some of these things.

Taba ye nngwe ye bohlokwa yeo ke nyakago go e kgwatha ka pela ke ya gore re na le moeno wa rena woo gape e lego maikemišetšo a tshepedišo ya rena, e lego Batho Pele. Rena re le maloko a Palamente, re kgethilwe ke lena gore re le emele kua Palamenteng. Ke rata go kgopela Makhanselara a rena, maloko a Palamente le a diprofensi gore a šomišane le setšaba se. (Translation of Sepedi paragraph follows.)

[The other significant issue that I would like to quickly highlight is that we have our slogan that is the aim of our proceedings as well, which is Batho Pele. We, the members of Parliament, were elected by you so that we represent you in Parliament. I would like to make an appeal to our councillors, members of Parliament and provincial representatives to work with this nation.]

We are in Parliament because we have been elected by the community and therefore we are accountable to you. We are not saying that we will address all the things that you are demanding or in need of overnight, but we are there to talk on your behalf.

Ngoba umphakathi ngeke ukwazi ukuzikhulumela kakhulu le phezulu, yithina okufanele sikhulume, sithathe izicelo zawo ukuze siqinisekise ukuthi uyakuthola lokho okucelayo, futhi siziphindaphinde kaningi ukuze zifike esiphethweni. Kufuneka singalali ubuthongo kodwa sijule ngengxoxo ngaso sonke isikhathi.

Kunabanye-ke abantu okuthi uma sebeqashiwe emsebenzini babone ukuthi bona sebenamandla angaphezu kwawabantu, sebeyizikhulu. Umuntu uthi angathola isikhundla esiphezulu sokuba ngumabhalane omkhulu noma athole isikhundla esikhulu njengokuba uthisha omkhulu noma-ke ubani, ashintshe ngisho nokuhamba, angabe esahamba ngendlela esimjwayele ehamba ngayo, ashaye isitayela esizokwenza sibone ukuthi usemkhulu yena, unamandla. Kunabanye abashintsha nokukhuluma bangabe besakhuluma ngendlela esibazi bekhuluma ngayo. Bakhuluma isilungu bebe bekhuluma nabantu bakubo.

Nayi into engiyithole lapha kuleli sonto lonke. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[Because communities cannot speak for themselves, especially to higher authorities, it is us who must speak for them and consider their requests and make sure that they get what they ask for. We need to make sure that we constantly pursue the communities’ requests until they are met. We should never sleep, but we must always deepen the debate.

There are people who, after being employed, feel that they have more power than the masses. They think of themselves as being better. Whenever a person gets a higher post like a senior clerk or a school principal or any other position, he changes even his style of walking, and never walks the way we usually see him walking, and uses his gait to make us see that he is now a senior, that he now has authority. There are those who even change their style of talking, who no longer speak the way they did before. They speak English when speaking to their own people.

This is what I discovered here this week.]

I have discovered that the flow of information from our government institutions to the people is not correct – Tshedimošo ga e fihle gabotse mo bathing. [information does not reach the people properly]. [Applause.] It is not acceptable that after so many years you still do not know how to apply for tenders. That can’t be right. There’s something wrong!

It is not right that up until now …

… ga le tsebe gore mananeo a mmušo ao a lego gona ke a mohuta mang [… you are not aware of the kind of government programmes which we have].

There is something wrong, either with our communication or with the flow of information to the people.

Kubalulekile ukuthi ngaso sonke isikhathi sihlangane nomphakathi, sikhulume nawo, senzele ukuthi izinto zonke okufanele uzithole, uzithole ngesikhathi esizobe sisibekile ukuthi lezo zinto zizokwenzeka ngaso. Sengiphetha, ngoba isikhathi sami sesiphelile – ningikhumbuze ngoba angifuni ukudlula esikhathini bese ngithethiswa - ezikhungweni zethu zezempilo kukhona lapho kushoda khona abahlengikazi. Siyikhulumile le ndaba nePhini likaNgqongqoshe Wezempilo. Kukhona futhi lapho kushoda khona othisha; sikhulumile noNgqongqoshe wesifundazwe ngalokho. Sizozibhekisisa zonke lezi zinto umphakathi okhulume ngazo njengokubhekelwa kwezidingo zabantu, izindaba zemigwwaqo, ezezindlu, ezokuthuthwa kwendle.

UNdunankulu ungithembisile ngoMsombuluko ukuthi uma kuphela lo nyaka ka- 2007 amabhakede azobe engasekho ngoba akufanele kunuke lapho kuhlala khona umphakathi. Ungithembisile uNdunankulu ukuthi azophela amabhakede. Sizobuya- ke thina namakomiti ethu ukuzohlola ukuthi lezo zinto ziyenzeka na. Ubaba uShiceka ukhona lapha futhi uyena ophethe ikomidi lezohulumeni bezifundazwe nabasekhaya. Ubaba uTau ukhona lapha neNkosi uMokoena ikhona lapha – yona ekwikomidi elibhekene nezobugebengu. Bonke laba bangosihlalo bamakomidi abhekene nalezi zindaba. Umama uMasilo ukwelibhekene nezempilo.

Ngifuna ukuthi ngoMeyi babuye lapha bazosebenzisana kanye nomasipala namakomiti esifundazwe. Ngifuna bazobheka ukuthi sekuqaliwe yini ukwenziwa kwalezo zinto okuthiwe zizokwenziwa.

Ngibonga abasebenzi baseGauteng nabasebenzi boMkhandlu Kazwelonke Wezifundazwe; ngibonge kubo bonke abenze lo mcimbi ukuthi uphumelele - amaphoyisa kanye nani nonke enihlelile. Ngithi, ngiyabonga. Nisale kahle. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[It is imperative that we meet regularly with the community and talk to them, so that they get everything that they are supposed to get, at the time we shall agree upon.

In conclusion, as my time is up now – please remind me, because I do not want to exceed the time that I have been given, lest I be shouted at – we still have health centres which do not have enough nurses. We have discussed this issue with the Deputy Minister of Health. There are also places where there is a shortage of teachers; we have discussed this with the relevant provincial minister. We shall pay attention to all these things which the community has spoken about, like paying attention to basic services to the public, such issues like roads, housing and sanitation.

The Premier promised me on Monday that by the end of this year, 2007, the bucket toilet system will have ended because there should be no stink where a community resides. The Premier promised me that the bucket system will come to an end. We will come back with our committees to see whether those things have happened. Mr Shiceka is here. He is the Chairperson of the Select Committee on Local Government and Administration. Hon Tau is also here, as well as Kgoshi Mokoena who is on the safety and security committee. All the above-named are chairpersons of committees concerned with these issues. Mrs Masilo is on the health committee.

I want them to come back here in May and work with the municipality and the provincial committees. I want them to come and check whether the things that are supposed to be done have started or not.

I want to thank the public servants of Gauteng and the staff of the NCOP; all those who made this event a success – the police and all of you who were involved in the arrangements. I say thank you. Good bye. [Applause.]]

Ms Q MAHLANGU (Gauteng): Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Deputy President, hon Premiers present here, my colleagues, MECs, members of the provincial legislatures, hon members of the NCOP, executive mayors, councillors, the community of Sebokeng at large, ke a le dumedisa. Lotshani. Sanibonani. Goeie môre. [I greet you.]

When we came to power in 1994, we defined the vision of democracy that we sought to achieve in the reconstruction and development document. The Constitution of our country also recognises public participation as an essential element of a broad representative democracy. As the Constitution and the principles outlined in the RDP continue to guide our work, it is therefore appropriate to go back to this document to respond to the theme of this debate, which is to strengthen participatory democracy at local government for effective and sustainable service delivery.

Democracy is not something that South Africans should take for granted, because it did not come easy. In five days’ time we will be commemorating Human Rights Day in Sharpeville. This is the day on which we remind ourselves of the supreme sacrifice made by many for the democracy we enjoy today. It was on this day that gallant men and women stood up and challenged the pass laws that sought to entrench the exclusion from participation in decision-making processes that affected their lives.

Ngicabanga ukuthi abantu balesi sifundazwe bayakhumbula ukuthi kwenzekani ngo-1960, mhla zinga-21 kuMashi. Sithi-ke uMashi inyanga ebalulekile kakhulu, ikakhulukazi uma sikhuluma ngamalungelo esintu. Sithi masingayithathi kancane ngoba sithi sesikhululekile. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[I think people of this province remember what happened on 21 March 1960. Therefore we are saying March is a most important month, more especially when we talking about human rights. We must not take this month for granted and simply say we are now free.]

In 1994, on coming to power, the new democratic government had an enormous task of bringing the oppressed and the marginalised majority of our people into meaningful decision-making processes and wealth-generating activities.

Ngalokho sisho ukuthi uma sisondeza iningi labantu ababebekwe eceleni, sisuke sisho abantu abafana nami nawe ababengavunyelwe ukuvota kodwa abavota okokuqala ngo-1994, nokuthi abanye abantu abamnyama babengenamathuba emisebenzi futhi bengenawo namabhizinisi abo abaziphathele wona. Sathi uma sithatha umbuso ngo-1994 sathi thina bantu abamnyama sinelungelo lokubamba iqhaza, ukuze sikwazi ukufinyelela kuzo zonke lezi zinto engikhuluma ngazo. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[By that we mean - if we bring closer the majority of people who were marginalised - people like you and me were previously not allowed to vote, but we voted for the first time in 1994. Other black people were not employed and they also did not have their own businesses. When we took over the reins in 1994 we said that we, the black people, have a right to play a meaningful role in all these things, so that we will be able to achieve all these things I am talking about.]

The local government is the sphere that is closest to the people and that should provide us with an important lever to ensure that this type of development takes place.

Even though we have one of the most progressive constitutions in the world and our laws enable democratic participation at all levels of government, we need to acknowledge that there are people who still live under poor conditions.

IPhini likaMongameli likhulumile ngalabo. Siyazi ukuthi lapha eGauteng sisenabantu abasebenzisa amabhakede, ikakhulukazi e-Evaton. UNdunankulu ushilo ngoMsombuluko ukuthi sinohlelo lokukuqeda konke lokho. Omasipala banayo imali yokwenza isiqiniseko sokuthi lawa mabhakade asekhona ayidlanzana ayancipha, ngoba kwakunamabhakede ayi-12 000 eGauteng kanti okwamanje sisele nayi-1 256. Sizibophezele ngokuthi uthi uma uphela lo nyaka kungabi namuntu eGauteng ongenayo i-VIP toilet uma ngabe ehlala emkhukhwini, kungabi namuntu ongenalo ithoyilethi elishaywayo uma ehlala endlini ye-RDP nanoma iyiphi enye indlu ejwayelekile yaselokishini. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[The Deputy President has spoken about these people. We know that here in Gauteng we still have people who use the bucket toilet system, mostly in Evaton. The Premier stated on Monday that we have a programme to finish all that. Municipalities have the money to ensure that the small number of existing buckets is minimised, because of the initial 12 000 households who were identified as using the bucket toilet system in Gauteng, only 1 256 households are still using it. We are committed to making sure that, at least towards the end of this year, every household in the informal settlements in Gauteng has a VIP toilet, and every family in an RDP house and any other normal township house has a flushing toilet.]

These challenges are exacerbated by migration.

Siyazi ukuthi baningi abantu abeza eGauteng. Beza ngezizathu ezingefani. Beza ngoba befuna umsebenzi, befuna amathuba angcono. Kodwa-ke thina njengohulumeni wesifundazwe senza isiqiniseko sokuthi, kuzo zonke izinhlelo esinazo, sibambisene nomasipala bethu nokuthi abantu abakhona eGauteng bayahlomula, ikakhulukazi laba abafanele ukuhlomula emisebenzini abayilethelwa uhulumeni.

Ezinye izinselelo esizibonayo eGauteng ukuthi akukho ukuxhumana kahle, ikakhulukazi kithina bomasipala nabasebenzi bakamasipala, abahlali, abasebenzi bakamasipala namakhansela athintekayo. Ngaphandle nje kokuthi sinomqulu nemithetho ekhuluma ngezinto zikahulumeni, ikakhulukazi imithetho kahulumeni wasekhaya, amakhansela kufuneka ahlale ebuyela njalo kubantu bawo afike abanikeze izincazelo. Kufuneka futhi abike ukuthi yini ayenzayo emihlanganweni ayibambayo maqondana nezinto azithunywayo. Ezinhlelweni zama- IDPs, kufuneka kubanjwe imihlangano ezophathwa yikhansela elingusihlalo wekomidi lesigceme.

Sibonile ukuthi lezo zinto ziyinkinga. Yingakho sitshala izimali eziningi njengohulumeni wesifundazwe ekuqeqesheni amakomidi ezigceme. EGauteng sesisungule amakomidi ezigceme anga-410. Kodwa noma sesiwasungulile awasebenzi ngale ndlela esifuna ukuthi asebenze ngayo. Yiziphi izizathu ezenza ukuthi lawa makomidi ezigceme angasebenzi ngendlela efanele?

Ezinye zezizathu ezibangela lokho ukuthi, njengoba bengishilo ngoMsombuluko, amakomidi ezigceme ngabantu abakhethwa umphakathi abaphuma ezikhungweni ezihlukene, emabhizinisini, kubantu abasha, nasematekisini njalo njalo. Uma sebekhethiwe labo bantu base bengena emakomidini ezigceme, baye bengabe besabuyela emuva baye kobika ngalokho abakwenzayo. Umphumela kuba ngukuthi nabo basuke bengasathunywe muntu futhi namakhansela nawo aba nomthelela ekutheni amakomidi ezigceme angasebenzi kahle. Yingakho sifaka izimali zokuqeqesha amakomidi ezigceme ukuze akuqonde ukuthi yimuphi umsebenzi wawo. Sisuke sifuna futhi nokugcizelela kumakhansela angosihlalo bezigceme ukuthi anesibopho sokuqinisekisa ukuthi ahlale eyibiza imihlangano ukuze umphakathi wazi ukuthi yini ayenzayo ngaso sonke isikhathi.

Yingakho-ke lapha eGauteng, ukuze sibe nenqubo yentando yeningi ebandakanya wonke umuntu kanye nentuthuko eqhubekayo, senze isiqiniseko sokuthi zonke izigceme zinabasebenzi ababhekela intuthuko yomphakathi - laba iPhini likaMongameli elikhulume ngabo. Kungumsebenzi walaba basebenzi ababhekela intuthuko yomphakathi ukusebenzisana namakhansela ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi labo bantu abangazitholi izinsiza ezivela kuhulumeni bayazithola, kodwa hhayi ukulwa namakhansela namakomidi ezigceme singekho isidingo. Lokhu kubaluleke kakhulu futhi sizoqhubeka ngoba amakomidi ezigceme nabasebenzi bezentuthuko babalulekile ekuqinisekiseni ukuthi abantu bawazi umsebenzi esiwenzayo singuhulumeni, sizwe futhi nasebantwini ukuthi bona bafuna kwenzekeni ezindaweni abahlala kuzo. Lezi yizikhonkwane ezibalulekile zokuqinisekisa ukuthi inqubo yentando yeningi iyajuliswa, kanye nokuthi abantu bakuqonde ukuthi yimaphi amalungelo abo nezibopho zabo. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[We know that there are many people who come to Gauteng. They come for different reasons. They come for job opportunities and a better life. However, we in the provincial government, together with our municipalities, must make sure that in all the programmes that we have, our people in Gauteng benefit, particularly those who are supposed to benefit from government services.

One of the many challenges we encounter here in Gauteng is that there is no proper communication amongst the municipalities, the workers, the residents and the councillors concerned. Besides the fact that we have a charter and pieces of legislation about government services, especially legislation pertaining to the local government, councillors must always go back to their people and explain these things. They must also give reports on the meetings they are mandated to attend. When it comes to the writing of the IDPs, meetings must be chaired by a councillor who is the chairperson of the ward committee. We have realised that these things are problematic. It is against this background that we in the provincial government are pumping more money into the training of ward committees. In Gauteng we have established 410 ward committees. Despite their existence, these ward committees are yet to function the way we want them to. What are the causes for these ward committees not working as they should?

One of the many causes is that, as I explained on Monday, ward committees consist of people nominated by the communities, people who come from different walks of life, who could be from business, youth, taxis, etc, and when those people have been chosen to join the ward committees, they do not go back to report about what they are doing. They end up having no mandate, and the councillors also play a role in making ward committees ineffective. That is why we are injecting more funds into the training of ward committees so that they can understand their role. We also want to emphasise to the ward committee chairpersons that they have a responsibility to frequently convene meetings so that the community can be kept abreast of what the councillors do at all times.

That is why here in Gauteng – where we practice an all-inclusive democracy and where we have progressing development - we made sure that all the wards have community development workers, the ones that the Deputy President spoke about. It is the duty of community development workers to work with councillors to ensure that those people who do not get certain services from government, get them. They should, however, not needlessly fight with councillors and ward committees. This is very important. The presence of the community development workers is also equally important in ensuring that people know what we in government are doing. We also need to hear from the people about their needs in their respective areas. These are the important pillars of making sure that democracy is indeed deepened. People also need to know their rights and responsibilities.]

In Gauteng we are working towards a global city region, as the Premier said on Monday. We are looking at the region perspective as a means of improving access to service delivery and growing the economy in the province, fighting poverty and accelerating development.

In 2004, after the elections, the executive council adopted a five-year strategic programme of action which, amongst other things, talked about ensuring that we build Gauteng into an integrated and globally competitive city region where the economic activities of the different parts of the province complement each other in consolidating Gauteng as an economic hub of Africa and an internationally recognised global city region.

Kubaluleke kakhulu lokho ngoba esikhathini esingaphambilini kwenzekile ukuthi omasipala nohulumeni wesifundazwe bangasebenzisani ngokubambisana. Lokho kudale ukuthi thina nabomasipala singayiboni inqubekela-phambili, ikakhulukazi ezintweni esizenzayo. Yingakho le-global city-region iyinto ebaluleke kakhulu kithina ngoba yenza siqinisekise ukuthi sisebenza ngokubambisana ngenhloso yokuthuthukisa abantu baseGauteng. Ngiyabonga kakhulu. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[That is very important, because it has happened before that municipalities and provincial government did not work hand in hand. That hugely hampered progress, especially in what we are doing. It is against this background that this global city region is so important to us, because it ensures that we work co-operatively in developing the people of Gauteng. Thank you very much.]

Mrs J N VILAKAZI: Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy President in absentia, hon Ministers, hon Premiers, MECs, hon members, all protocol observed, the IFP maintains that the new democratic government’s sharing of power within the co-operative government authority will achieve effective and sustainable service delivery. The IFP also believes that greater diversity and flexibility functioning in co-operative government is a major prerequisite for sustainable development and improved service delivery. The central government, therefore, should not only gain more powers, but also adequate resources to increase its capacity to fight the escalating levels of poverty and unemployment.

The IFP believes that it is only a capacitated and adequately resourced system of local government that has the ability to build an effective and sustainable service delivery to undeveloped communities. It is therefore incumbent upon the national government to ensure that local government operates within an enabled framework and is structured in a way that best enables it to promote development of impoverished communities.

Ukusebenza ngempumelelo kuhulumeni wasekhaya kuncike obambiswaneni olungunxantathu: uhulumeni omkhulu, owesifundazwe nowasekhaya. Kudingeka ubambiswano olunzulu kulo mkhakha ukuze kulunge izinto. Siyambonga uhulumeni wethu osivezela leli thuba lokuhambisa iPhalamende kubantu. Kuvela ithuba elihle lokuxhumana, kuboniswane ukuze kusetshenzwe kahle; uma kukhona okungahambi kahle, kusheshe kulungiswe kungaze konakale kakhulu.

UXoshindlala useyinkinga kuhulumeni wasekhaya, yena ohlezi eduze nabantu futhi obona usizi lwabo. Umphakathi awuluthole uxhaso maqondana nokwenza imisebenzi onamakhono kuyo, okungaba umsebenzi wezandla onhlobonhlobo, ezolimo, izingadi, nokunye. Abaluthole abantu uxhaso. Kusenesikhalo esikhulu kulo mkhakha.

Okwesibili kumaqondana nokwakhiwa kwezindlu. Yebo kuyenzeka kodwa isekhona inkinga. Uhulumeni onxantathu akabhekane nayo nqgo, athi ukwenyusa izinga kosekwenziwe. Okunye ngukuthi umlilo oshisa imijondlolo nawo useyinkinga. Maqondana nemigwaqo engenela emakhaya kuseyinkinga lokho, futhi nakhona emadolobheni kunezigceme ezinemigwaqo engahambeki.

Ubugebengu osekukhulunyiwe ngabo nobudlova osebudlulele emiphakathini eminingi buyinkinga enkulu kakhulu. Mayelana negciwane leNgculazi, libikile lapha iPhini likaMongamei wezwe ukuthi liseyinkinga enkulu kakhulu. Konke lokhu nokunye engingakubalanga kuncike kulo hulumeni onxantathu ukuze uhulumeni wasekhaya asebenze ngempumelelo. Masijuleni ngengxoxo ukwenza isimo esingcono emhlabeni wokhokho bethu. Ngiyabonga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[The success of local government rests on the full co-operation amongst the three spheres of government, namely the national, provincial and the local government. There is a need for serious co-operation in this sector so that things can go well. We are grateful to our government for giving us this opportunity of taking Parliament to the people. This is a good opportunity for proper communication and the sharing of ideas. It also helps in working coherently to correct whatever wrong there may be just before it gets worse.

Poverty eradication is still a problem for local government, which is the government closest to the people, and it is able to witness the people’s misery. Communities should be given grants to upgrade the skills they have. The skills could include, among others, different handcrafts, agriculture, gardening and many others. Let the people be given grants. There is a great complaint in this sector.

Another point is about the building of houses. We accept that houses are indeed built, but there is still a problem. All three spheres of government should pay more attention to this problem, and put more effort into what has already been done. Another problem is the fire that burns down the shacks. We still also have a problem with the roads going to villages. Even in towns there are still wards which have roads that are not in good condition.

Much has been said here about crime and disorderliness which seem to be so extreme in many communities and they still cause a big problem. Concerning HIV and Aids, the Deputy President mentioned that it is still a big problem. All these things and many others that I have not mentioned here will only be solved if the three spheres of government work co-operatively which would make things easier for the local government. Let us deepen the debate in order to create better conditions in the country of our ancestors. I thank you.]

The PREMIER OF THE EASTERN CAPE (Ms N Balindlela): Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Premiers present here today, hon guests, comrades and friends …

… lelona he batho bahesu kea dumedisa, le kae? Lenna ke teng. [… and to you, fellow citizens, I convey my greetings. How are you? I am also fine.]

Chairperson, thank you very much for taking Parliament to the people. This slogan that you brought to us is really a practical slogan. Taking Parliament to our people is true to the spirit of our Freedom Charter and, in the Eastern Cape, it is also true to what we have done to launch operation Ixingephi from the presidential outreach programmes and izimbizo.

Recently we also launched a survey that covered 12 000 households. We asked our people to tell us how they felt about the third term. Indeed …

… abantu bakowethu abasoze bangayithethi inyaniso xa befumene ixesha lokwenza oko. Bayixelile into yokuba bayabona ukuba kusafuneka sibengathi siyakhawuleza kwiimeko ngeemeko ezithile. […our people will never stop speaking the truth when they have an opportunity to do so. They have appealed that we move fast in different situations.]

That survey is going to help us to speed up once more on service delivery. However, we do get best practices from other provinces and I would like to recognise so many of my comrades here, particularly the Premiers and representatives of those provinces in which we have remained focused because we got best practices from such provinces.

Phaya eFreyistata sahamba, saya kujonga ukuba benza njani nge-monitoring tool safumanisa ukuba ingasinceda nathi. Kangangento yokuba sine-monitoring tool okanye isixhobo sokuenamandla, eyenza ukuba sikwazi ukuyibeka esweni into yokusa kwethu iinkonzo ebantwini, nto leyo sayikopayo.

NaseLimpopo safika saya kujonga ukuba benza njani bona ngale mfundo yabo, njengokuba besoloko bephuma ekuqaleni size thina siphume ekugqibeleni. Saye safumanisa ukuba zikhona izinto esinokuzifunda seba ke ngoku sade seba nala mlawuli jikele wayentloko yabo, DG, waya kungena phaya kuthi eMpuma Koloni, satsho saphezilwana kancinci. [Kwaqhatywa.] Into ethetha ukuba siyafunda kwezi-best practises esizifumana kwiindawo ngeendawo.

Izolo elinye besingaphaya eRhawutini sifuna ukujonga i-shared services yabo ukuba bayenza njani na. Siye ke sayijonga kuba kaloku bona basoloko benee- audits eziphambili, sakhangela safumanisa ukuba singancedakala kakhulu kwiRhawuti ngolu hlobo. Ngoko ke ndifuna ukuthi siyafundisana ezi best practises. Nabo bayeza kuthi baze kufunda. Isincedile ke loo nto, ngoba… (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)

[We went to the Free State to see how they are using their monitoring tool, and we discovered that it would help us too to have one. We now have a monitoring tool that enables us to monitor service delivery to the people, which is something we learnt from them.

We also went to Limpopo to see what it is that they are doing with their education, as they always come first and we last. We discovered that there are things we could learn from them, and we eventually poached their director–general. We have improved a bit since he joined the Eastern Cape. [Applause.] We learn from the best practices that are applied in the different provinces.

The day before yesterday we were in Gauteng, to look at how they deal with their shared services. We did this because they always have unqualified audit reports. We discovered that we can benefit a lot from interacting with Gauteng in the way we do. So we are learning from each other about these best practises. They also come to us to learn. That has helped us, because …]

… it works well with this acceleration of service delivery. One other thing that we have done as a province was to focus on governance. We wanted to focus on this, because …

… ininzi imali etyalwa phaya ngurhulumente. Khangela nje phaya kwi-goods and services. […a lot of money is invested by the government there. Just look at the goods and services.]

We have a budget of about R13 billion that we can use to improve our people’s lives, in order to remove them from the poverty trap. Therefore we made use of that and we actually delegated this to our directors-general to look at how they can unblock the supply chain. Our supply chain is too sophisticated for our ordinary poor people.

Kwaye inkulu ingaka, ungafika ingamaphepha angama-32, ayifundeki. Abakwazi ke ngoku aba bahlelelekileyo ukuba bakwazi ukuzuza nto … [Because it is such a big volume - you will find that it is about 32 pages - it is difficult to read. Therefore, the disadvantaged do not benefit from it …]

… because they will be told to fax this and that. So we have tried to say we must unblock the supply chain. We must also have centralised supply data services. I will tell you why we decided on this.

Umntu uyakwazi uye kusona kwiSebe lezeMfundo … [You find that a person approaches the Department of Education, gets a tender …]

… and does not deliver. When such a person gets the tender, and is given the money, he is expected to deliver. On the last day when we are expecting the schools to receive the support material, the same person will tell us, “I have no warehouse, and I have no bakkie“.

Njani kaloku, ebethe nje uyakwazi ukuzisa iinkonzo eluntwini? [How come? He said that he could bring services to the community!]

So if we had centralised data, it means we will be able to track the person down, and realise that we should not consider the person for a tender again in other departments. However, if we do not have a centralised databank, the person will go and do the same thing in education, or housing and go to other departments. So it is a very complicated thing that we are trying to bring together so that we can know the people who help us.

I would also like to say we have projects that we have identified, such as Umzimvubu.

Sihlalo ukuba kukho igama endifuna laziwe apha eSibokeng … [Chairperson, if there is a name that I want people to know here in Sebokeng …]

… aketsibi hore nkareng kaSesotho impa kaSiXhosa ke Umzimvubu. [… I do not know what the word is in Sesotho, but in isiXhosa it is called Umzimvumbu.]

It is a huge project. It is where we can tap our water, and where we can even get energy for Eskom, for Gauteng and all other places. It is an undiscovered area which we are now trying to reveal to our people. We will be building dams, a catchment area and, of course, a hydroelectricity scheme which will help our people.

Ndiyavuya ke, ngoba uSekela Mongameli uwukhankanyile umkhankaso we- HIV/Aids. O hayi ke! Asikwazi ukungatsho bantwana bam ukuba buthandeni ubuntombi benu! Ilula lento, noSekela Mongameli uyibeke kakuhle wathi, thatha isigqibo uthi, “ndiyabuthanda ubuntombi bam, kwaye andizi kuvuma ukuba buthathwe ngumntu ngobuqhinga.” Yinto elula bethu. Ngoko siyazama ukukhuthaza amantombazaza asakhulayo. Nathi kaloku sisuka kwezi meko, kudala sihamba sibhulwa ngapha nangapha singamantombazana, kodwa uyakwazi ukukhetha abantu, utsho uthi, “hayi lo, hamba hamba ecaleni kwam, andizi kukunika… niyazi kudala nathi sichithelwa zi-emele zamanzi. Siyazazi ezi zinto, asithethi nje, bantwana bam.

Ihlebo linye lelokuba uzithande wena. Ndiyayivuyela ke loo nto. Phaya kwamanye amalinge ethu esithetha ngawo sithi, uloliwe uyabuya kweleMpuma Koloni. La loliwe wawukade usuka ngapha, ngoku niza kuthatha ibhaskithi zenu zemiphako, nemileqwa nihabe, niye kwiihambo zenu, ngoba uloliwe uyabuya. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraphs follows.)

[I am glad, because the Deputy President mentioned the HIV/Aids campaign. Oh no! There is no way, my children, that we cannot tell you that you have to keep your virginity. This is simple, and the Deputy President has put it nicely and said: “Take a decision and say, ‘I like my virginity, and I will not allow anybody to take it away from me by devious means.’ It is that simple, fellow people. Therefore we are trying to encourage young girls to strive to keep their virginity. We have, ourselves, been through these experiences as young girls, with many young men proposing to us. However, you should know how to reject this one, by saying: “You can walk beside me, but I am not going to accept your proposal”. You know, we have had enamel buckets filled with water fall off our heads as we resisted forceful suitors. We know these things, my children. We are not all talk. There is one secret, and that is to love yourself. That would make my day.

One other initiative that is worth mentioning is that we are restoring the train service in the Eastern Cape; the very same train that used to depart from here. Now you are going to take your provision baskets – containing traditionally cooked chicken, etc - and go and travel, because the train is coming back.]

Finally, we are then saying these things can only happen if we identify the poorest towns and municipalities. In our province we have identified the 10 poorest areas like Nyandeni and Ngqushwa, amongst others. You all know them. We want to focus all our energies …

… ekubeni ke baphume ke ekuhluphekeni [… on removing them from poverty].

That is why we have established monitors to help the ward committees follow up on some of those decisions and responses that were taken, so that when the President arrives in the Eastern Cape, he will not ask us again: “Ixingephi?” [Where is it stuck?]. He must know that we have tried and put in monitors to go around and assist people, because we even have the service charter.

We have launched the service charter because we want people to be closer to us …

… ukwenzela ukuba abantu bakwazi umzekelo, xa umnxeba ukhale kwakahlanu uwubeke phantsi, uye komnye umntu, ngoba kaloku … [… so that, if the telephone rings five times, you move on to the other person, because … ]

… you do not have to wait for such a long time.

Siyabulela kakhulu ngale mbeko siyifumeneyo. [Kwaqhwatywa.] [We would like to thank you for the honour you gave us.] [Applause.]

The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms P M Hollander): Hon members, I would like to make an announcement, and that is that we apologise to hon members for the inconvenience in the changes on the speakers’ list.

The PREMIER OF THE NORTHERN CAPE (Ms E D Peters): Chairperson, I would like to recognise the hon Deputy President in absentia, the Chairperson of the NCOP and the Deputy Chairperson, hon Premiers – and I want the chairperson to note that most of the time it’s the women Premiers who respond to his call - MECs, mayors and councillors, the leadership of Salga, batho ba Sebokeng, batho ba Gauteng [people of Sebokeng and Gauteng]. Washington Irving once said: “Great minds have purpose, little minds have wishes.” [Applause.]

I am here today to inform you that the Northern Cape has a purpose and not a wish. I have been sent by the people of the Northern Cape to assert that the initial source, which provided the funds for the greater expansion of the South African mining industry, should be accorded its rightful place.

Ke tlile Gauteng ke romilwe ke batho ba Kapa Bokone gore ke tle go le gopotsa, batho ba Gauteng le batho ba Aforika Borwa, gore leina la Teemane le tswa ko le tswang teng, kwa Kimberly, kwa teemaneng kwa ba neng ba e bitsa Liberos. Diteemane di ne di tswa kwa Kimberly, gompieno Kimberly ga e na se e ka se supang ka gonne e setlhefetse.

Ke tlile mo gompieno go tla go le gopotsa gore Poresidente ka 16 Ngwanatsele 2004 o ile a ya kwa Antwerp kwa diteemanene tsa lefatshe di beilweng teng, tse di tswang gona mo Aforika Borwa. Tse dingwe tsa tsona tse kgolo tse di tswang kwa Kapa Bokone di beilwe teng. A ya go ba bolelela a re, o tlile go tsaya maemo a teemane a a busetsa kwa Aforika Borwa, kwa Kapa Bokone kwa Kimberly e leng teng.

Ke batla go le gopotsa gore … (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)

[I came to Gauteng, sent by the people of the Northern Cape, to remind you, the people of Gauteng and South Africa, that the name Teemaneng, previously called Liberos, originated from Kimberley. Diamonds were mined in Kimberley, but today it is so poor and it has nothing to show.

I came here today to remind you that on 16 November 2004 the President went to Antwerp where all diamonds from South Africa are kept. Some of those were mined in the Northern Cape. He told them that he was intending to reclaim the status of mining diamonds to South Africa in the Northern Cape, where Kimberley is found.

I would like to remind you …] … since the discovery of this precious stone, which is the diamond, the city and province have had little to show for these priceless gems. These have benefited other centres around the country and the world. This is despite the fact that it was that city which hosted the first stock exchange, the embryonic stage of the University of Witwatersrand, and the first streetlights, to mention only a few firsts for Kimberley. We don’t want those things back. We are saying there are important things that we want.

Taking cognisance of all these issues mentioned, and that the Northern Cape is currently contributing 36% in value to South Africa’s diamond production, which includes the best quality marine and alluvial diamonds in the world, one could rightfully ask: Where does all this wealth go?

With the announcement by De Beers of the closure of the three diamond mines in Kimberley, including one in the Free State, in Koffiefontein, only the CTP plant continues to date. That CTP plant employs only 14 people. The headlines of newspapers across the world were saying “Kimberley has lost its sparkle”. Now we are saying, together with the leadership of Gauteng and the leadership of South Africa, we need to return the sparkle to where it belongs, and that is in Kimberley.

We are saying today, as the Northern Cape, that, based on the Asgisa principles, the Northern Cape has developed a diamond strategy and a business plan. Three key objectives were identified: firstly, we need to ensure that we develop a cutting and polishing centre of world standard in Kimberley; secondly, we need to develop Kimberley into a jewellery centre of excellence; and, thirdly, we need to develop Kimberley into an international service centre with all the necessary ingredients that go with diamond mining.

It was considered critical that relevant critical mass be created in terms of the full diamond pipeline. We have been told that just one cutting and polishing centre will be able to create more than 2 500 jobs. Regarding these initiatives, that is why we say, with the diamonds having gone, we want to return those diamonds to the Northern Cape so that we can add value, beneficiate them and bring the sparkle back to where it belongs. [Applause.]

It was identified as critical that a relevant critical mass be created in terms of the full diamond pipeline. This includes the actual traders, beneficiators, service providers, statutory bodies and, finally, the wholesale and tourism sector. Combined with this is an establishment of a specific brand. Where else would you find Kimberley, except in the Northern Cape? Where else would you find Kimberley being associated with diamonds, except in South Africa and the Northern Cape?

Therefore, we say the Northern Cape government has identified seven wonders of the Northern Cape diamond strategy to realise the above-mentioned. These are: diamond cutting and polishing, jewellery making, the Kimberley International Diamond and Jewellery Academy, the Kimberley diamond gemmology and jewellery hub, branding, tourism and the relocation of statutory bodies - the State Diamond Trader.

I am here to emphasise that the relocation of the State Diamond Trader to Kimberley is critical to the successful implementation of the Diamonds Amendment Act. The trader will have to ensure these: close access to rough sources in order to minimise risk, cost and infrastructure implications for the government; equitable distribution and access to rough diamonds; lowering of barriers to entry and ensuring that initiatives by PDIs and SMMEs can take place; positioning of the trader where the full diamond pipeline can be accessed; that diamonds, combined with gold and platinum jewellery, have maximum benefits and impact in the national context.

Kimberley has given assurances regarding the security and safety of diamonds so that they are not seen as conflict diamonds, in accordance with a process called the Kimberley Process. Nowhere in the world will you be able to sell a diamond if the source is not known, so as to make sure that diamonds are not used to create conflict in our continent. Therefore we are saying, if we can give credibility in terms of the city’s name to a process that ensures that diamonds are clean, then we are the rightful place for the state to trade in diamonds and to make sure that there is access to rough diamonds from the source itself - Kimberley. We should not just remain with the Big Hole, which is a reminder of the more than 14,5 million carats of diamonds that were removed from this part of the country called the Northern Cape.

We are saying to you that we want your support in the NCOP to make sure that, through this initiative, which is actually carrying the full support of the Minister of Minerals and Energy, as well as the Deputy President and the President, we can address these industrial imbalances.

We are saying it is important that the benefit of industrialisation in South Africa be felt all over. Let us make sure that the lives of the people in the Northern Cape are equal to the lives of the people of Johannesburg. Let the lives of the people of Limpopo or Polokwane be equal to the lives of the people in Johannesburg. Let the people of Qunu also feel that they are as important as the people of Johannesburg. [Applause.]

We are saying, if we speak about equality before the law, then we must also speak about equality in industrialisation. It is therefore important to support the Northern Cape. It is important for us to make sure that our people are not moving from these poor provinces to come and create burdens regarding housing in Gauteng by staying in shacks. Let us enable them to go back and create jobs and benefit from the opportunities that are created in their communities.

We are saying Gauteng can be a catalyst for industrial decentralisation. We are appealing to the leadership of Gauteng to say, “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white.” Let umnotho [the wealth] of South Africa belong to all who live in South Africa, irrespective of which province amongst the nine you come from. [Applause.]

Mr A WATSON: Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy President in absentia …

… alle ander hooggeplaastes, dames en here, ek groet julle. [… all other dignitaries, ladies and gentlemen, I greet you.]

Dumelang Maloko a Palamente le bontate le bomme ba Gauteng! [Interjections.] Le kae? [How are you?] [Interjections.] [Good day, Members of Parliament, ladies and gentlemen from Gauteng! [Interjections.]]

Sanibonani nonke. [Ubuwelewele.] [Greetings to you all. [Interjections.]]

Go monate mo go rona gonne re le etetse. Ke a leboga. [Interjections.] [It is a great pleasure for us to have visited you. Thank you.]

The word “participatory”, as used in our topic for today, is not recognised in any of the dictionaries that I looked at, but I accept that it is derived from the word “participate” which means to take part, to contribute, to share, to involve yourself and to play a part.

In the context of our Constitution, I understand it to imply participation by all stakeholders, including other spheres of government, but predominantly the primary stakeholders in local government, namely the people that are being governed.

What the word “participatory” simply doesn’t mean is to obstruct or interfere, whether it be by an individual, government or a political party. Effective and sustainable service delivery on the one hand is the golden thread that runs through government as a whole, but it is unquestionably also the primary mandate of local government.

Other spheres of government, particularly provinces, must therefore, in the words of our Constitution,

… support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs, to exercise their powers and to perform their functions.

Why am I saying all of this? Precisely because there is growing evidence that the opposite is happening. Municipal councils are passing resolutions and adopting bylaws that have adverse effects on their ratepayers and the business sector as a whole, without prior and proper consultation. On the other hand, when councils are proactive in ways that may not suit their party bosses, legitimate decisions are cast aside by structures outside of council, with total disregard for due process and the rule of law.

Let me explain this one by referring to a very recent and very relevant example. Just last week in Nelspruit, in my constituency, in the council of the Mbombela Municipality, the capital of Mpumalanga, a unanimous vote of no confidence in the executive mayor was carried. When I say “unanimous” I mean just that.

More than 60 ANC councillors, including the members of the mayoral committee, together with the DA and other opposition councillors, supported the motion. But why? These councillors recognised economic growth and development as being of paramount importance in ensuring sustainable service delivery and job creation. They are also very proud of their great opportunity as a hosting city of the 2010 Fifa World Cup and proud of their R920 million soccer stadium project. I am sure the Deputy President will applaud that.

However, they have grown tired of being sidetracked in their various attempts to get to the bottom of the underlying major financial irregularities regarding this project. The recent forensic investigation now indicates that no less than R43 million of a R70 million payment was unauthorised and in breach of the Municipal Finance Management Act. This sparked their actions. They hold their executive mayor responsible for these problems. His inability to find and communicate solutions has finally resulted in their vote of no confidence in both the mayor and the municipal manager. This meant that both were legally removed from office by resolution of the council, and along with them, of course, also the members of the mayoral committee. However, the mayor was back in office the very next day, because the ANC party bosses from outside of council decreed the legal and binding resolutions of council as invalid, because the ANC …

Mr R J TAU: Chairperson, on a point of order: I wanted to check if the member is prepared to take a question. He is debating a Mpumalanga issue, but we are in Gauteng.

Mr A WATSON: No! I said the mayor went back to the office because the ANC decreed the legal and binding resolutions of the council invalid. The ANC councillors reportedly exceeded their political mandate. Is this what the ANC means by participatory governance and is this how they intend to strengthen service delivery? I say no! Ke a leboga. [Nako e fedile.] [Legofi.] [Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]]

The PREMIER OF FREE STATE (Ms B Marshoff): Deputy Chair, members of the NCOP, the Premiers present here this morning, members of the legislatures, Chairperson of Salga, our executive mayors and councillors, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I bring with me greetings from the people of the Free State who had an opportunity and the honour to interact with the NCOP last year from 6 to 10 November in the Fezile Dabi district, not too far from here. We also had the honour of participating in the tabling of the NCOP report to the Free State during the plenary of 9 March 2007, which was last week Thursday.

Also, we had a follow-up visit by the members of the NCOP to the province. This was done just to ensure that the issues that were identified during the visit of the NCOP and the recommendations that were tabled in the report to the NCOP would be attended to by the working committee which will ensure that those recommendations are taken on board. That delegation met with members of the district council, members of the local municipality and our MECs who were present. A programme of action is coming out of that follow-up visit.

I would also like to report to this gathering here today that, out of that visit and out of the follow-up visit and the report that was tabled, the provincial government will also work on a programme of action with the provincial departments and the municipalities. We are also linking this programme of action to the performance management system of our municipal managers and our HODs. For us, this is part and parcel of ensuring that interactive and co-operative governance becomes a reality in our province.

These visits of the NCOP to the provinces are indeed a practical expression of our participatory democracy. We want to urge the communities of Gauteng to also ensure that follow-up visits do take place; that the implementation plans out of the recommendations are made known to them, as well as that they participate in those processes. They must continue to hold us accountable, because without that process we cannot speak about the deepening of democracy. We need to involve our communities to ensure that democracy actually gets deepened through that participation. These are not mere symbolic or public relations exercises, because not only do our people have an opportunity to interact at a personal level with their public representatives, but they also empower the NCOP to exercise its oversight role more effectively.

We firmly believe that the NCOP, as a public representative of our people, does indeed play an important role in ensuring that all spheres of government do not just pay lip service to the legislative imperative of the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act. Through its lawmaking and oversight functions, the NCOP is best placed to support the realisation of co-operative governance in a manner that advances the government’s commitment to service delivery and the attainment of the 2014 vision of halving levels of poverty and unemployment by the conclusion of our second decade of freedom. Through the tabling of our state of the province address, as well as our budget, we also want to report to this gathering here today that, in the Free State, we have ensured that those imperatives are taken on board; that through the tabling of the budget we have made sure that in halving unemployment and creating jobs, our budget is indeed a developmental budget that concentrates on investment and creating those opportunities for our people.

As a provincial government, we are quite aware of all the challenges presented by the imperative of building effective capacity at local government level to improve on service delivery. However, as many speakers before me have said, improvement in service delivery is not just about improvement at local government level. We all have to ensure that we work hard to make this a reality; that we put service delivery at the cornerstone of what government has to do; that we improve service delivery through effective health services and effective education programmes, through interaction with our school governing bodies, our hospital committees, our community policing forums; and that our people are given the opportunity to interact with us at all levels.

In the province, through the Premier’s co-ordinating forum, we have ensured that we roll out all of these programmes to assist local government to achieve its objectives. They had to be given not just financial but also non-financial support at various levels to create opportunities for our people to be able to realise those hopes.

We are also making sure that the implementation of our programmes remains within communities and that our communities take ownership of these programmes through participation of the community development workers and ward committees, and also through the strengthening of ward committees to enable them to work in the communities and fulfil their responsibilities.

To facilitate and to ensure that these programmes are implemented effectively, we have established a dedicated unit in the provincial government known as a provincial government programme co-ordination unit. Among other things, this unit co-ordinates all government and private interventions at municipal level to ensure that the credibility of our municipal IDPs, especially the extent to which they respond to community needs, is not only in line with our growth and development strategy, but is also in line with the local economic development programmes.

We also have our own outreach programme in the province through our Exco Meets the People campaign, which is similar to what the NCOP is doing, where we visit communities in the Free State, go to the municipalities and have izimbizo where we listen to what people are saying to us. When we come back, we implement and draw up a programme. We also go back, to report to those communities on our achievements, as well as our way forward on how we are going to interact with them.

Through our Exco Meets the People campaign we have been able to reaffirm the notion of a single government located at different spheres, and we have further succeeded in strengthening the confidence of our people in local government. We use this campaign to present a united front of government’s service delivery and we undermine all intentions of isolating any sphere of collective ownership concerning problems and successes.

There is a lot more that can be said about our interaction with the people of the Free State and their successes and challenges they are confronted with. We are using this opportunity intended for the deepening of democracy and the opportunities that are being created for us at various levels of government. Let us deepen the debate to ensure that all of us take ownership of what needs to be done, where it should be done and the way in which we have to do that. [Time Expired.] Thank you very much. [Applause.]

Ms N M MADLALA-MAGUBANE: Chair of Chairs, Madam Deputy President in absentia, Premiers present here, hon Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, members of provincial legislatures, special guests, people of Gauteng, all protocol observed, once again we have convened our Council in one of the communities that, under apartheid, would not have had the opportunity to directly interact with its elected leaders.

Our programme of Taking Parliament to the People by visiting various communities throughout the country continues to give a voice to the plight of our people. Throughout the week, our hon members visited various sites and communities around the Sedibeng district. The jubilation and various proceedings during the week have affirmed that our people are indeed honoured and are appreciative of the suggestions that our hon members continue to make in order to ensure that they get quality and sustainable services.

We are honoured to be here during the month of the anniversary of Human Rights Day after the Sharpeville massacre which happened in March 1960.

As the ANC, we committed ourselves to ensuring that our people take part in the governance of their affairs and that they play an integral role in shaping strategies to fight the appalling conditions, a legacy of the long years of apartheid in their communities.

Amongst some of the key pillars of the national democratic revolution was our reassessment that the transformation of the South African society would be incomplete unless our people are able to interact with their elected leaders and government in the very communities where they live.

It is occasions like these that give concrete expression to such principles that are found in the Freedom Charter and the national democratic revolution. As part of our commitment to strengthen participatory democracy and citizens’ involvement, our Parliament has adopted the overall theme for this year, including this event, which is Masijule Ngengxoxo Mzansi. It means “Let’s deepen the debate, South Africa - ha re tibiseng moqoqo Afrika Borwa”.

This occasion demonstrates our continued political commitment as the elected representatives of our people in the NCOP to recognise the leading role that our people should play in our quest to push back the frontiers of poverty, and to ensure that they are all emancipated from the social and economic ills of the apartheid legacy.

We are grateful for the theme of the Deputy President’s annual address, which is: strengthening participatory government and local government for effective and sustainable service delivery. Indeed, experience has shown that community participation is an essential part of effective and accountable governance at all local government levels. It serves as affirmation of our commitment to ensure that our people are given access to quality and sustainable services. It ensures that our people are part of the solution to address their challenges and it reassures them about our unshakeable commitment to addressing those challenges.

While we are conscious of the challenges ahead of us, we are proud that our government has made great strides in ensuring that our people have a better life. This week we have been reassured that while some of our people have no jobs, shelter, water and sanitation and live in abject poverty, plans and projects have been put in place to address these.

In this regard, we are grateful for the commitment made by the hon Premier of Gauteng, Mr Mbhazima Shilowa, to report back to our Council within the next six months on the progress that the government of Gauteng would have made to implement the recommendations and suggestions that were made by our hon members and the people of Sedibeng District Municipality.

As the ANC we are proud that our movement is well on course in dealing decisively with the scourges of poverty, poor health and underdevelopment that have been confronting our people for many years. We will continue to ensure that proper mechanisms and programmes are put in place to ensure that all the challenges faced by our people, including the people of Sedibeng, are addressed.

The issues of access to basic services and economic opportunity were raised on several occasions during the course of this week. We who represent the poor know as a matter of fact that our communities are increasingly becoming impatient because of the pace of service delivery. We are now aware of that. Let me say to our leaders and officials of our local government that we are not going to tolerate the cutting of services to our poor communities without due consideration of their social conditions.

Asisoze neze sikuvume lokho singuhulumeni kaKhongolose. [As the ANC-led government, we will never allow that.]

Hohang re ka sedumele. [We will not accept that at all.]

We will continue rooting out corruption that continues to prevent the delivery of quality services to our people. We will not tolerate nepotism in any structures of our government. Indeed, we say that those who do disservice to our people should not be part of our government. We will do away with lazy and uncaring public servants.

Sifuna ukuthi kubasebenzi bakahulumeni abavilaphayo, abangogombela kwezabo izisu, abanganaki lutho ngokwenzeka emphakathini, asisoze sigoqe izandla sibukele amahhovisi ethu ecekelwa phansi. Izifiso nezidingo zomphakathi mazifezwe. [Ihlombe.] Abasebenza emahhovisi omasipala abadede uma bengazimisele ukusebenza. [Ihlombe.] [Ubuwelewele.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[We want to say to the lazy and greedy public servants who disregard our communities that we will never fold our arms and watch them ruin our offices. The interests and the needs of the community should be served. [Applause.] Those who work in municipal offices should resign if they are not prepared to work. [Applause.] [Interjections.]]

Ha re ba batle hohang. Ha ba suthe. [We don’t want them at all. They must go.]

Ngikusho lokhu ngoba omasipala yibona ababalulekile emphakathini futhi yibona abangenza izinguquko ezibonakalayo ngokushesha, ngaphandle kokungabaza. Ngakho siyabadinga omasipala abazimisele ngokuguqula izimpilo, babuye babuyise isithunzi sabantu bonkana. Kubalulekile ukuthi sizimisele sonke ngokusebenzisana, sizikhandle ukuze sifeze ukubhekelwa kwazo zonke izidingo zomphakathi.

Mangisho ngithi noma beyingcosana abantu abasasebenzisa izindlu zangasese ezibizwa ngokuthi yi-bucket system kuleli laseGauteng, nginethemba lokuthi, kuwo lo nyaka ophezulu, zizoqedwa nya. Nginethemba futhi lokuthi ugesi uzofakwa ngokuphelele ngonyaka ka-2012 ukuze phela kuhlomule abesimame, izintandane kanye nabo abakhubazekile.

Abantu mabangabuyiselwa emuva emitholampilo ngenxa yokuthi imithi ethize ayikho, noma kuthiwe sekufinyelelwe enanini elithize elidingekayo. [Ubuwelewele.] Abantu banelungelo lokulashwa ngokuphelele, nezingane ngokunjalo zinelungelo lokufunda. Lokhu sikusho ngokungangabazi siwuKhongolose, kanti futhi abantu banelungelo lokuthola izindlu. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[I say this because municipalities, without any doubt, are the most important sphere of government in communities and as such they can make rapid visible changes. We need municipalities which are prepared to change the lives of all the people and bring back their dignity. It is important that we all work together tirelessly to achieve the needs of the people.

I must also say that although there are only a few households with a bucket toilet system in Gauteng, I have hope that this system will be completely eradicated this year. I have hope that electricity connections will be completed entirely by 2012, so that women, orphans and people with disabilities can benefit.

People should not be turned away from clinics due to a shortage of medication or just because they have exceeded the number of patients to be seen per day. [Interjections.] People have a right to a complete medical treatment. Children also have a right to education. As the ANC we say this without any hesitation, and people also have a right to housing.]

In the past few days, the opposition parties and some of the beneficiaries of long years of apartheid in South Africa have challenged our commitment to ensure that our people are economically empowered through the BEE policy. As articulated by one of the fathers of our liberation movement, Chief Albert Luthuli, “the road to freedom Is via the cross”, we will not compromise the emancipation of our people, even if it means going via the cross – emunqamulezweni [the cross].

We will not be deterred from our commitment to ensure that our people are empowered to confront the long years of apartheid capitalism. We will never lose sight of the fact that poverty and unemployment remain the biggest threat to the progress that our country has made. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the empowerment of our people remain central to our quest for a better South Africa.

The contributions of hon members and the people of Sedibeng have renewed our vigour to work tirelessly to push back the segment of society that still lives in poverty and appalling social conditions. [Time expired.]

USIHLALO WENDLU (Nk M N Oliphant): Sicela ukuthi uma amalungu omphakathi ekhuluma ehlise amazwi kancane, kanjalo naMalungu ePhalamende sicela nawo ehlise amazwi kancane uma ekhuluma. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M N Oliphant): We would like to request the members of the public to kindly lower their voices when speaking amongst themselves. Members of Parliament are also requested to do likewise.]

Rre J O TLHAGALE: Motlotlegi Modulasetilo, motlotlegi Motlatsa- Mopresidente wa lefatshe la rona yo o senang le rona, batlotlegi botlhe ba ba fano le bagaetsho ba poroferense ya Gauteng, lantlha, ke rata go lebogela kamogelo ya maemo a a kwa godimo e re e boneng go tswa mo Palamenteng ya porofense ya Gauteng. Dithulaganyetso tse re di diretsweng tsa mokoloko wa di tente, ke tse di sa gaisiweng ke dipe, mme re itumelela matsapa a lona bagaetsho.

Thulaganyo e, ya go isa Palamente kwa bathong ka maikaelelo a go ba utlwa, go utlwa dilelo tsa bona le go di arabela, ke motheo wa temokerasi. Fa re bua nnete, ga ise e ke e diragale mo dipusong tsa maloba tsa tlhaolele. [Legofi.]

Thulaganyo e, e tlhagisetsa bagarona sebaka sa go bolela le go tlhagisa ditlhokego tse ba di labalabelang, jaaka matlo, metsi a a phepa, motlakase, thulaganyetso ya kgelelo ya leswe, twantsho ya botlhoki le lehuma. Kana Setswana sa re, ngwana yo o sa leleng o swela tharing.

E rile ka Laboraro maitsiboa, motlotlegi Tonakgolo ya Gauteng Mbazima Shilowa, a patilwe ke motlotlegi Meiyara wa Sedibeng le Motlatsa-Tona motlotlegi Elizabeth Thabethe, ba buisana le bagwebi ba merafe yotlhe ka ga ditlhabololo tsa kgaolo eno, le dikgato tse di ka tsewang go tlhamela bagarona ditiro gore bagarona batswe mo lehumeng le le kanakana. Matsapa a a ntseng jalo, a a tsewang ntle le tiego a a lebosega. Kwa bokhutlong, ke lebogela thologelo e e kanakana ya bagarona ba ba tswang mo Gauteng. Re a leboga. [Legofi.] (Translation of Setswana speech follows.)

[Mr J O TLHAGALE: Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy President in absentia, all distinguished guests who are here and fellow countrymen from Gauteng province, firstly I would like to thank you for the high-class reception we received from the Gauteng legislature. The manner in which the marquee tents have been erected, is out of this world and we really appreciate that.

This programme of taking Parliament to the people is aimed at listening to their concerns and responding to their needs, which is a foundation for democracy. Truly speaking, it never happened in the previous apartheid regime. [Applause.]

This programme gives our people a chance to speak and to delineate their needs, such as houses, clean water, electricity, sanitation and the fight against poverty. There is a saying in Setswana that the child who does not cry dies in the papoose skin.

On Wednesday evening the hon premier of Gauteng, Mr Mbhazima Shilowa, together with the hon mayor of Sedibeng and Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe had a meeting with the businesspeople of all races regarding developments in this region and steps to be taken to create job opportunities for our people in order to alleviate poverty. This immediate response without delay is highly appreciated.

Lastly, I would like to thank many people in attendance who come from Gauteng. Thank you. [Applause.]]

Cllr A MASONDO (Salga): Sanibonani! Dumelang! Avuxeni! Môre! Morning! Molweni!

Mangiqale ngokusho ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika iyizwe elingaphansi kwabantu bonke abahlala kulona. Ngibingelela uSihlalo woMkhandlu Kazwelonke Wezifundazwe, ubaba u-M J Mahlangu; iPhini likaMongameli weRiphabuliki yaseNingizimu Afrika, uNk Mlambo-Ngcuka - yize noma esehambile; aMalungu ePhalamende akhona lapha; oNdunankulu uDipuo Peters, Balindlela, Marshoff; uNgqongqoshe wohulumeni basekhaya u-D Mahlangu; izimeya naboSomlomo; ozakwethu abangamakhansela; abaholi baka-Salga oSomyo noJohnson abakhona lapha … (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[Let me begin by saying that South Africa is a country which belongs to all people who live in it. I greet the Chairperson of the NCOP, Mr MJ Mahlangu; the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Mrs Mlambo–Ngcuka in absentia; Members of Parliament present here; Premiers present, Dipuo Peters, Balindlela and Marshoff; the MEC for Local Government, hon D Mahlangu; Mayors and Speakers; colleagues who are councillors; leaders of Salga, Somyo and Johnson who are present here …]

… distinguished guests, members of the community, the media, ladies and gentlemen, we salute this effort, an unprecedented initiative to bring Parliament to the people.

Siyabonga. Sibonga ukuba iPhalamende lilethwe ebantwini, ngoba siyazi ukuthi selokhu kwathi nhlo, ayizange yenzeke into enje eNingizimu Afrika. [Thank you. We are grateful that the Parliament has been brought to the people, because we know that this is something which has never happened before in South Africa.]

We are meeting this afternoon to demonstrate, not only that local government is that sphere of government that is closest to the people, but also to affirm it as local democracy in action. We believe that its local practitioners should at all times be preoccupied with bread-and-butter issues, service delivery imperatives, and seeking always to address the day- to-day needs of local citizens and residents.

Uhulumeni wasekhaya unguhulumeni osondele kakhulu ebantwini. Yingakho thina njengabantu baseNingizimu Afrika kufanele sihlale njalo sithe njo ngeso kohulumeni basekhaya. [Local government is the government closest to the people. That is why we, the people of South Africa, must always monitor the progress in the local government sphere.]

These local issues have far-reaching implications. Lack of delivery of water, electricity, roads, health care, safety and other basic services can have a serious negative impact on the economic, social and political realm of life.

Ohulumeni basekhaya-ke kufanele baqinisekise ukuthi izinhlelo zikahulumeni ezifana nokuletha ugesi, amanzi, ezezindlu zangasese, ezempilo njalo njalo kuyafinyelela ebantwini. Sithi uhulumeni akafake isandla kwezentuthuko nemisebenzi kanye nezinhlelo ze-Asgisa. Sithi asihlale njalo sithintene nabantu. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[Local government must always ensure that government services, such as electricity and water supply, sanitation, health facilities, etc, reach the people. We are saying government must help in development, job creation and Asgisa programmes. We are saying let us keep in touch with the people at all times.]

In addition, we are saying that, in the context of this debate, it is important that the participatory processes aimed at deepening democracy should indeed be strengthened even further. Participation does not mean token consultation or manipulation.

To us as Salga, to participate means to take part in or share in. Public participation means creating a platform to enable the public to participate in matters of government in general and local government in particular.

UMthethosisekelo nawo wanda kabanzana ngalolu daba lokuthi ohulumeni basekhaya kufuneka babuyele ebantwini. UMthethosisekelo uthi masikhuthaze abantu ukuba babe yingxenye yokuletha intuthuko nezinhlelo zikahulumeni emphakathini. Ake sikhumbuzane ngoMthethosisekeko. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[The Constitution also elaborates on this matter, that local government must report back to the people. The Constitution states that we must encourage people to be part of the team bringing development and government programmes closer to the community. Let us remind each other about the Constitution.]

It says that we should provide democratic and accountable government for local communities; that we must ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner; promote social and economic development; promote a safe and healthy environment; encourage the involvement of communities and community organisations in matters of local government; and that the municipalities should strive within their financial and administrative capacity to achieve these objects.

One of these aspects, just to emphasise, is the question of encouraging the involvement of communities and community organisations in matters of local government. The basic assumption regarding this public participation matter is that, firstly, there must be an open and transparent process – ukusebenzisana ngokusobala, zingafihlwa izinto [that is to work co- operatively and transparently, not to hide anything]. It means that people and groups can influence decision-making.

Kusho ukuthi abantu bangaba nezwi ezinqunyweni ezithathwa uhulumeni. [It means that people can have a voice in decisions taken by government.]

It means that people are active participants in development.

Kusho ukuthi, ukuze kube khona inqubekela-phambili nentuthuko, kufanele abantu bakwazi ukufaka isandla emsebenzini owenziwayo. [It means that, for progress and development to take place, people must lend a hand in service delivery.]

The question however, can be posed: Why do we engage in public participation? We do so, I’ll argue, to ensure that we sensitise the elected public representatives, the managers and officials on key concerns of communities at that particular point in time.

Kusho ukuthi kufanele siye njalo ebantwini. Ngoba ngezikhathi ezihlukene, izinto abantu abakhala ngazo azifani ncamashi. [It means that we must always go back to the people. This is so because people would always want different things at different times.]

To enable people to get an understanding of what government is …

… ngiye ngisho ngithi kwesinye isikhathi siye sicabange ukuthi indaba kahulumeni yinto elula nje. Kufanele sikhumbuzane, bantu bakithi. Kunendaba engihlala ngiyixoa lapha ngithi omunye umkhulu owayesemdala wake wabuza umbuzo kwabanye abafana abafundile. Wathi kubo: Bantabami, ake nisho kahle, ingabe uhulumeni lo owakabani isibongo? (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[… I often say, sometimes we simply think that government is just an easy thing. We need to remind each other as fellow Africans about this. There is a story I always tell which is about an old man who once asked some educated boys a question. His question was: My children, tell me, what is the surname of the government?]

What the old man really meant was that this question of the state and government can indeed become very complex, and unless it is brought to a practical level and brought as close as possible to the understanding of ordinary people, indeed, we might get lost in a complex maze.

We engage in public participation to promote the values of good governance and human rights; to annul the social distance between an electorate and those elected; and to allow citizens to have a voice in local politics in order to influence all the decisions, discussions and engagements that take place in informal political institutions.

However, what are the structures and mechanisms for public participation?

Angizukungena kabanzi kule ndaba ngaphandle kokugcizelela nokufaka izwi lokugcwalisela kulokho osekukhulunyiwe ekutheni masisebenzisane namakomiti ezigceme. Masiyihambele imihlangano ebizwa emiphakathini nezimbizo njalo njalo. Masisebenzise izindlela zokwenza izinto ekuhleleni nokuqinisekisa ukuthi izinhlelo zikahulumeni zihamba ngendlela okuyiyonayona. Izinhlelo zentuthuko ezihlanganisayo, ama-IDPs, izingqungquthela zentuthuko …

USIHLALO WENDLU (Nk M N Oliphant): Khansela elihloniphekile, isikhathi sakho sesiphelile.

Khansela A MASONDO: Sihlalo, awuthi ngivale ngokusho ukuthi imigomo-ke efana ne-inclusivity, diversity, transparency, flexibility, accessibility, accountability …

USIHLALO WENDLU (Nk MN Oliphant): Khansela, isikhathi sakho sesiphelile. Khansela A MASONDO: … nokuthi asijule ngengxoxo emzansi … Phambili! [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[I am not going to dwell much on this issue, except to emphasise what has already been said about us working together with the ward committees. Let us attend community meetings and izimbizo, etc. Let us follow the proper channels to make sure that government programmes reach the intended recipients. The developmental programmes, the IDPs, the developmental forums …

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M N Oliphant): Hon Councillor, your time has expired.

Cllr A MASONDO: Chairperson, let me conclude by saying principles such as inclusiveness, diversity, transparency, flexibility, accessibility, accountability …

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M N Oliphant): Councillor, your time has expired.

Cllr A MASONDO: …and that we should deepen the debate in South Africa…Forward! [Applause.]]

Ms K C MASHIGO-DLAMINI (Mpumalanga): Chairperson, my greetings to the Chairperson of the NCOP and the Deputy Chairperson, the Deputy President in absentia, Premiers who are here, members of the executive council, hon executive mayors, hon delegates of the NCOP, and the community of Sebokeng.

Our people cannot fully enjoy true democracy and a better life until we deepen our democracy. This must remain a priority that will guide us in our endeavours of ensuring that everyone enjoys the better life that we promised our people. As we continue in our effort to improve the lives of our people, we must seek to ensure that we involve them in all issues in their areas.

We need to promote conditions of heightened and vibrant public participation in all community matters. It is for this reason that our Local Government: Municipal Systems Act and the Intergovernmental Framework Act put emphasis on public participation at local government level. We need to engage our people vigorously. They must tell us what they think of our system of local government and what they think needs to be done to make the system function more effectively and efficiently. Most importantly, they must tell us what they think their role is in all this.

Communities must not only be consulted, but they must participate and give input in all processes and activities undertaken by the municipalities. Community participation is a fundamental pillar on which our democratic government is built. It is a principle that must be implemented without fail. Municipalities need to work hard to encourage their communities to participate in the different structures that promote public participation. We must remember that this is a legislative requirement.

Sihlalo, iProvinsi yaseMpumalanga ingitfumele kutsi indzaba yekucedza emabhakede emiphakatsini yaseMpumalanga seyentiwe yaphela. [Tandla.] Kodvwa kunye lesifuna kukusho kutsi iMpumalanga Provinsi ingaba ngulapho iNingizimu Afrika ingafundza khona kwekutsi Lubambiswano Lwemiphakatsi lwentiwa njani.

Emphakatsini wetfu siye satfola kutsi kukhona bantfu labangawafuni emathoyilethi etitatanyiswa, nekutsi kunalabangafuni kususwa etindzaweni letihlelenjiswe kahle bayiswe etindzaweni kuletihlelekile, satfola kutsi kunebantfu labangafuni kwemukela bemagontilaki labangachamuki kumavileji abo. Loko kusifundvo kutsi kube umhlaba wonkhe waseNingizimu Afrika ungatimisela kutsi ususe emabhakede emiphakatsini, kuncono ucale eMpumalanga utewufundza sifundvo. (Translation of Siswati paragraphs follows.)

[Chairperson, the Mpumalanga province has mandated me to report to this House that the existing bucket system has been eradicated. [Applause.] We would also like to say one thing, that the Mpumalanga province is setting an example for the rest of South Africa, demonstrating how community participation is carried out. We have found, in our communities, that there are people who do not want the modern toilets, and there are those who do not want to be moved from informal settlements to areas that have been developed instead. There are also those who do not accept building contractors who come from unfamiliar areas or areas other than the surrounding villages. This is a valuable lesson in that if the whole of South Africa wants to commit itself to eradicate the bucket system in the communities, we in Mpumalanga province had better start learning how to do it.]

We have yet another opportunity to improve that initiative of participatory governance and deepening of public participation through encouraging the participation of lower-ground structures that are closer to the people, such as community-based organisations, ward councillors, ward committees and community development workers. Accessibility of information through multipurpose community centres can assist in proper planning and management processes.

It is for these reasons that, in the Water for All flagship project in Mpumalanga, which aims to accelerate the eradication of water backlogs in the province, we must make public participation and consultation a priority. We shall mobilise and involve the communities in this project from the beginning to the end.

Our province has taken good governance and public participation very seriously. We established 363 ward committees out of 365 soon after the local government elections. Further, we have been able to make a positive impact with the Community Development Worker Programme, where a total of 360 city CDWs have been employed at level 6, from the financial year 2006- 07, and were successfully deployed to the different wards in all the municipalities. What we need to carefully look at is how to use them effectively to reach our communities. We must use them to assist us in monitoring our projects, verify information in our communities and also address the obstacles that hinder service delivery in our communities.

Linked to this is a need to make further inroads for the development of our communities in the rural areas through the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme, ISRDP. There are areas that rely on active participation and responsible ward committees. The izimbizo programmes at national, provincial and local government levels are very crucial to our governance and participation matters. The departments, in consultation with the office of the Premier, will form partnerships with the district municipalities to ensure the success of those programmes.

Chairperson, I would really like to respond to issues that have been raised by hon member Watson regarding Mbombela municipality. What I can say now is that we have communicated with all structures, especially the NCOP. The Mbombela municipality falls under section 106 of the systems Act. The NCOP, as a structure, will be informed accordingly about developments. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mna A MOTSOALEDI (Limpopo): Modulasetulo, kea tamiša! Good morning! Môre! Molweni mawethu! Sanibonani! Avuxeni! Ndi matsheloni! Thobela magagešo!

Taba ye ya go tliša Palamente setšhabeng ke taba ye bohlokwa ya go dira gore batho ba sepedišane le pušo ya bona. E sepelelana le mokgatlo wa rena wa tikologo e bile e kwana le lengwalo la Freedom Charter leo le rego setšhaba se tla buša. Ke lenaneo leo le dirago gore kontaraka yeo re e saennego le setšhaba ya go lwantšha bodidi le go hloka mešomo, e phele. (Translation of Sepedi paragraphs follows.)

[Mr A MOTSOALEDI (Limpopo): Hon Chairperson, I greet everybody!

This issue of bringing Parliament to the people is significant because it updates people about what is happening in their government. It is in line with our movement and the Freedom Charter which states that the people shall govern. It is the programme which makes our contract with the people alive.]

The President, in his state of the nation address in February this year, aptly captured the essence of the urgent task when he said:

None of the social problems we have to solve is capable of resolution outside the context of the creation of jobs and the alleviation and eradication of poverty.

This relates to everything from the improvement of the health of our people to reducing the levels of crime, raising literacy and numeracy, and opening the doors of learning and culture to all. We are pleased that the NCOP programme responds to these challenges. In our interaction with the people of Gauteng over the past four days we have confirmed the urgency of addressing these challenges, and these have further served to enrich our understanding of what needs to be done to speed up the process of delivery.

In our previous sessions we noted that most of the concerns raised in these platforms are not new, but are common with those we normally encounter in our various provinces during outreach programmes and government’s izimbizo. These challenges usually centre around the delivery of basic services such as water, housing, electricity, sanitation and roads. Most of our municipalities are building capacity to address these issues as part of Project Consolidate, as outlined by the Minister for Provincial and Local Government.

Job creation continues to be an overarching challenge for most provinces and the entire country. In our Limpopo province, there is a commitment by big mining houses to invest not less than R14 billion in expansion of programmes during the course of this year. So, in terms of mining we want to warn Kimberley, Northern Cape and Gauteng to watch out because Limpopo has arrived. [Applause.] We have no doubt that this major capital investment will lead to improved economic growth and an increase in our labour absorption capacity as a province.

Despite this, there is ongoing conflict between mines and their surrounding communities. In the recent past, we have seen communities up in arms against mining houses in the Tubatse and Mogalakwena areas of Limpopo. Their concerns range from lack of meaningful partnerships, inadequate corporate social investment, and insufficient compensation over land, as well as failure to engage local labour. We believe that there is a need for all these affected parties to resolve their conflicts amicably in order to build long-lasting relationships that are mutually beneficial to all the parties concerned.

The trends in race relations in Limpopo province are showing signs of improvement, more especially in the agricultural sector. This can only mean that we have been working in the white communities, particularly Afrikaner communities. That work is starting to yield positive results.

Despite this noble progress, we know that there continues to be horrible isolated incidents such as the one in which a boy was shot by a farmer after being allegedly mistaken for a rabid dog in Thabazimbi; and one in which a man was shot after being allegedly mistaken for a baboon in Messina. We all have a responsibility to condemn in the strongest terms this type of criminality. To this effect, we would like to reiterate what we always say, that white communities have the responsibility to make the loudest noise when the victim is black, and that, similarly, black communities should do the same when the victim is white. This will obviously serve to discourage racist perpetrators who might be thinking that they are advancing a white cause by killing black people and the opposite would be true for black people, as well.

Chairperson, when we speak about the eradication of poverty, let us remind this House that the surest and most secure way in which to bring an end to poverty in all households in our country is through education, but the most unfortunate and most vulnerable person in this time and era of democracy is the black learner.

Black learners are exposed to drugs like their white counterparts but there is also something that they are exposed to which exists only in black communities. Every time there is a conflict in a village or township, there is a potential for closing schools and bringing teaching and learning to a complete standstill. In rural areas when two kgoshis [chiefs] fight over bokgoshi [chieftainship] they are likely to close schools. When two bishops fight over a church they are likely to close schools. When two adults fight over their sexual partners they are likely to close schools.

I had the dishonour of presiding over a meeting of a kgoshi who came with his village to inform me that there is going to be no school in their area because the principal had slept with two lady teachers in that school. One of them was a wife of a very powerful man in the village and there would be no education. The fight of unscrupulous people over provincial and municipal boundaries is likely to cause schools to be closed, as we have seen. The fight over availability of water concerning municipalities is likely to cause schools to close, and the fight over mining rights is likely to cause schools to close. We want to call upon leaders to prevail on black communities to address this because it is very counterproductive.

While our province has HIV and Aids prevalence rates which are low compared to the rest of the country, we are still worried, as the Deputy President said. We are worried, Deputy President and Chairperson, because the present generation of learners is a generation of three Cs: cellphone, cash and a car. These things expose them to all these tendencies.

I want to tell the Deputy President, the MEC from the Eastern Cape and the Chairperson of the NCOP, because they raised these issues, that there is no amount of cajoling, no amount of shouting that we can do as leaders that will improve the situation in our schools if we don’t take drastic steps about drugs.

When a learner has taken drugs, no matter how decent the family from which they come can be, they will sleep anywhere in full view of the public because they stop being human beings and become animals, and some of their actions are even worse than those of animals.

So, I want to prevail on the MPs that they must pass very strict and harsh laws about the distribution of drugs, especially in our schools. I thank you, Chairperson. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Mnu S N MTHETHWA (KwaZulu-Natal): Sihlalo, mangibingelele iPhini likaMongameli noma lingasekho, ngibingelele oNgqongqoshe bonke abakhona lapha, uSihlalo woMkhandlu Kazwelonke Wezifundazwe nePhini lakhe, ozakwethu ngezikhundla zabo, osodolobha abakhona lapha namakhansela, nezicukuthwane zalo mcimbi ubukhona bethu obungeke buphelele zingekho, okungamalungu omphakathi. Sanibonani nonke! [Ubuwelewele.]

Angixolise-ke Sihlalo, ngixolisele uNdunankulu wakithi KwaZulu-Natali ukuthi akabanga khona ngenxa yokuxakwa umsebenzi omningi abhekene nawo.

Namhlanje ngikhuluma lapha ngimele isishayamthetho saKwaZulu-Natali kukhona zonke izishayamthetho zaleli zwe. Ngikhuluma eSebokeng. Lokhu nje kukodwa kuxoxa indaba, mphakathi wale ndawo. Siyabonga Sihlalo ukuthi le nkonzo ulokhu uqhubeke nayo njalo. Baningi abasizakalayo.

Enye indaba engiyizwe izolo nakulezi zinsuku ezidlule ngesikhathi kukhona abakade beveza uma bekhuluma ukuthi bona bangobani, basuka kuphi, ukuthi bengilokhu ngizwa osihlalo bethi, “Cha bo, asikho emhlanganweni wenhlangano ethile ethinta u-ANC kodwa sisemcimbini kahulumeni. Ngakho, uma ukhuluma bhekisa kuhulumeni.” Lokho kukhombisa ubuholi obuhle obukwazi ukuphatha le micimbi ngendlela ekwazi ukuhlukanisa izinto, ingaxovi. [Ihlombe.]

Uyabona, lokho kungikhumbuze ngesikhathi abantu bakha usomqulu wabo ngo-

1. Uma usuwucubungula lowo Somqulu Wenkululeko, uzothola ukuthi uchaza ngalo mcimbi esikuwona, ungowabantu futhi. Yilokho engikunakile, Sihlalo wethu, namhlanje. Angidlule-ke.

Manje ngifuna ukuthinta kancane, Phini likaMongameli, njengokusho kwesihloko sengxoxo yanamhlanje yokuthi sikhuluma lapha ngokuqinisa uhulumeni osebenza ngokubambisana nohulumeni wasekhaya ukuze alethe intuthuko engenamkhawulo. Ube esefuna-ke ukuzwa ukuthi sithini ngezinye izihlokwana. Angikuqinisekise Phini likaMongameli nawe Sihlalo woMkhandlu kaZwelonke Wezifundazwe ukuthi KwaZulu-Natali sisaqhubeka siya phambili noZibambele – lapho omama nezintokazi, abondli bemizi, benikwa amathuba okuba basenge lapha kuhulumeni. Angifuni-ke ukukhuluma ngezinhlangano zobambiswano ama-co-operatives ngaphandle kokuthi ngithi luyaqhubeka uhlelo. Kuma-SMMEs luyaqhubeka uhlelo, emisebenzini yama-BEE luyaqhubeka uhlelo. [Ubuwelewele.]

Kodwa ngiyafuna ukuthinta futhi ukuthi abasebenzela ukuthuthukisa umphakathi, ababizwa ngama-CDWs, sebekhona. Ngoba phela ukuze uqinisekise ukuthi noma iyiphi inhlangano futhi noma yisiphi isakhiwo siyaphila, kufanele kuphile izakhiwo zakhona. [Ubuwelewele.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[Mr S N MTHETHWA (KwaZulu-Natal): Chairperson, the Deputy President in absentia, all Ministers present here, Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces and his Deputy, my colleagues in their respective positions, the mayors present here and councillors and the most important guests whose absence would have made this gathering a fiasco – I am referring here to the members of the public - greetings to you all! [Interjections.]

Chairperson, the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal sends his apologies for not coming here because of his many commitments.

I am talking today, representing the legislature of KwaZulu-Natal in the presence of all the legislatures of this country. I am talking in Sebokeng. To the members of the community here, this alone tells a tale. We thank the Chairperson of the NCOP for continually spearheading this mission. Many people are helped.

Yesterday, even during the previous days, when people were given the platform to say something, they would start by telling us who they are, where they come from, etc. I would constantly hear the programme directors keeping them in check by saying, “No, we are not in a meeting of an ANC- aligned political party, but we are part of a government event. Therefore, if you speak, direct your concerns to the government.” That shows good leadership by those who deal with these events in a proper way without mixing up issues. [Applause.]

You see, that reminded me of the time when people wrote their Freedom Charter in 1955. When you look closely at the Freedom Charter, you will see that events such as these are catered for. This event is for the people. Chairperson, that is what I noticed today. Well, let me continue.

Now I want to touch a bit - through your permission, Deputy President - on today’s main topic which is about the strengthening of co-operation amongst the different tiers of government so as to deliver everlasting development. Let me assure the Deputy President and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces that in KwaZulu-Natal we are making progress with the Zibambele road maintenance programme where women and young women, breadwinners, are given opportunities to gain from the government. I do not want to talk about the co-operatives except to say that the programme is progressing. With the SMMEs, the programme is progressing, as well as with the BEE projects. [Interjections.] However, I want also to mention here that we now have community development workers, the CDWs, and it is evidently true that for every organisation or structure to be functional its formation must be functional. [Interjections.]]

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M N Oliphant): Order, please!

Mnu S N MTHETHWA (KwaZulu-Natali): Amakomidi ezigceme akhiwe futhi ayasebenza. Kodwa ngifuna ukunitshela ngalokho okusha KwaZulu-Natali. Njengoba nazi ukuthi lesiya yisifundazwe esinobuholi obuningi cishe kunazo zonke izifundazwe uma kuza ebuholini bendabuko noma bomdabu, kuthe uma sidlula ekwakhiweni kwezakhiwo zentando yeningi kubaholi bendabuko sathi, cha, akwenele ngoba kukhona abanye abaholi abangemuva kwabo: izinduna. Lezo yizinduna okungaba yizinduna zamakhosi, izinduna zezinsizwa namaqhikiza. Sabe sesithi ake sivule inkundla yabo nje abaholi bomdabu. Sahlangana-ke sathi kubo, “Nani niyingxenye yaleli zwe. Niyingxenye yalesi sifundazwe.” Ababekhona banganixoxela, mina anginaso isikhathi sokuthi ngixoxe ngoba iwashi lakho lizokhala khona manje. [Uhleko.]

Malungu ahloniphekile, siyavuma siwuhulumeni ukuthi esikufisayo nenikufisayo kuyenzeka kodwa akukapheleli. Kodwa noma kungakapheleli kunjalo, uhulumeni okhona, ngazo lezi zimbizo nangezinye izakhiwo, useyazi ukuthi uma ekhuluma ngokuthi abantu bonke ezweni kufanele bawathole amanzi, ayobe esekhona nini kubantu bonke. Lokho ukwenza ngokuqhathanisa isabiwomali kanye nangobuka izidingo zabantu. Useyazi ukuthi uma ekhuluma ngogesi, eqhathanisa nesabiwomali nangokwezidingo zabantu ezibalulekile nezijahekile, uyoba usukhona nini kubantu bonke lowo gesi. Ngalokho, ngiyafisa ukuthi nihlale ethembeni, nazi ukuthi nakunina kuyeza lokho ngoba phela thina asisayisaphazi imali njengoba kwakwenzeka kuqala. Imali ikhonela ukuthi ithuthukise abantu abaya phambili.

Ngiyafisa futhi ukuthinta ukuthi KwaZulu-Natali – ngibonile abanye behleka uma ngithinta, kanti ngizothinta futhi … [Uhleko.] Ngifuna ukuthinta lapha ukuthi KwaZulu-Natali siyaxoxa njengamanje sithi sifuna ukuyishintsha kancane indlela yokuya ebantwini, kungagcini nje kuphela ngokuthi silalele abantu, ngoba kunezinto eziningi esesizenzile singuhulumeni, okungaba owasekhaya, owesifundazwe noma kazwelonke, maqondana nalokho okungaba yimithetho eshayiwe ezohlomulisa abantu kodwa abangayazi. Uma-ke uthi, Phini likaMongameli, kufuneka sijule ngengxoxo, sithi-ke sizoke siphume manje sikhulume ngemithetho ethinta abantu …

USIHLALO WENDLU (Nk MN Oliphant): Mhlonishwa, isikhathi sakho sesiphelile.

Mnu S N MTHETHWA (KwaZulu-Natali): Ngiyazibongela. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[Mr S N MTHETHWA (KwaZulu-Natal): Ward committees have been formed and they are functioning. However, I want to tell you about what is new in KwaZulu- Natal. As you all know, our province has the largest number of amakhosi and traditional leaders in the country compared to other provinces.

And after having revived the traditional structures, we felt that, no, we had not done it all because we still had other traditional leaders who were left out which are izinduna - headmen. We had different izinduna, those working under amakhosi, those responsible for regiments as well as female izinduna responsible for young girls of marriageable age. We then decided to open a forum for all traditional leaders. We duly met and said to them, “You are also part of this country. You are a part of this province.” Those in attendance would tell more because unfortunately, your watch would just tell me that my time is up. [Laughter.]

Hon members of the public, we in government admit that what we wish for and what you also wish for is happening, but it is not yet complete. Be that as it may, the present government - through these izimbizo and other structures - knows that when it says that everybody in the country should get water, when that will happen. It becomes aware of all this by weighing its budget against the needs of the people. The government knows when it talks about electricity, weighing it against the budget, when electricity will be made available to all the people. With that in mind, I want you to have faith, and know that all these good things are also coming to you too, because we are not wasting money anymore like before. The money is there to develop people who are moving forward.

I also wish to mention something in passing about KwaZulu-Natal. I saw others laughing earlier on when I spoke of KwaZulu-Natal. Anyway, I will touch on it again. [Laughter.] I want to say that in KwaZulu-Natal we want to change a little about the way we go to the people. We felt that it should not only be confined to listening to the people - because there are many things that we have done as local, provincial or national government - but it will also be about the laws that have been passed, aimed at benefiting the people. We often find that they are not aware of them. Therefore, Deputy President, if you say we need to deepen the debate, we on the other side say we will go out now and talk about laws that concern people …

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms M N Oliphant): Hon member, your time is up.

Mr S N MTHETHWA (KwaZulu-Natal): I thank you. [Applause.]]

Mr N D HENDRICKSE: Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy President, all protocol observed, good morning Gauteng. The Houses of our intergovernmental system may strike some as a boring and merely philosophical matter. In fact, the importance of a well-functioning intergovernmental system can hardly be overstated. We cannot achieve the broad goals of cutting red tape, putting customers first, empowering employees to get results and cutting back to basics without a new approach to intergovernmental partnership in delivering services to our people. The same applies to dealing with the problems of duplication and overlapping.

Unfortunately the myriad of mandates and regulations that accompany grant programmes are cumbersome and very costly to administer. The lack of a co- ordinated implementation strategy between levels of government is not achieving the intended outcomes. Each separate programme has its own array of rules and regulations that must be observed. Regardless of the impact or effectiveness and quality of customer service, we need goals of change.

Governments at all levels, but especially the national government, must reduce the degree to which unfunded mandates are imposed on other levels of government. Programme rules and regulations must be fundamentally rethought, and the focus changed from compliance to outcomes and from sanctions to incentives.

Intergovernmental collaboration must be actively facilitated if any real improvement in government’s credibility is to be successful. We need to cut red tape and eliminate bottlenecks by allowing waivers of regulations that detract from accomplishing programme objectives or interfere with effective service delivery. We need to simplify costly reimbursement procedures, thereby saving time and money. The NCOP, as the custodian of intergovernmental relations and co-operative governance, has a major task in ensuring that we work together effectively across the different spheres and sectors of government. Co-operative governance between different spheres of governments and between large departments is not easy to achieve. It requires commitment, leadership and a strong drive towards common objectives.

In terms of the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Bill, various departments are strengthening their own structures of intergovernmental relations, and also participating in the structures of intergovernmental relations at provincial levels, such as the Premiers’ co-ordination forums and the mayoral forums. There is a responsibility to ensure that the system regulating intergovernmental relations is effective in meeting our country’s developmental needs. This means achieving our targets on time, which is a fundamental shortcoming.

There is, however, a need for specific accountability; proper management of delivery and integration of the policies; policy programmes and service departments in the region; balancing priorities and objectives of departments and regions; overseeing the management of allocated departmental assets and resources; and establishing associated performance measurements and accountability frameworks. The challenge is daunting, but not insurmountable. I thank you. [Applause.] USIHLALO WOMKHANDLU KAZWELONKE WEZIFUNDAZWE: Make silalelaneni sonke. Kunabantu ababanga umsindo laphaya emuva. YiPhalamende leli. Asiwubangi umsindo uma sisePhalamende, siyathula silalele. Ngicela-ke ukuthi nithule size siqede. Sizoqeda khona manje. Uma ufuna ukukhuluma, phumela ngaphandle. Lapha akukhulunywa, masithule nje sithi cwaka. (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)

[The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Let us please listen to each other. There are people who are making a noise there at the back. This is Parliament. We don’t make a noise when we are in Parliament. We keep quiet and listen. I therefore ask you to keep quiet until we finish. We will finish just now. If you want to talk, go outside. Here we don’t talk. Let us be dead quiet.]

Rre H D YAWA (North West): Moradisi Rre Mahlangu, Motlatsa Moradisi wa ntlo ya gago, le Motlatsa-Mookamedi wa rona yo o setseng a re siile a tsamaile, le maloko otlhe a ntlo ya gago, le bao ba tlotlilweng ba ba tshwanetsweng ke tlotlo … (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)

[Mr H D YAWA (North West): Chairperson Mr Mahlangu, your Deputy Chairperson in this House, the Deputy Director who has already left, all members of this House and all distinguished people who command respect …]

… on the occasion of the opening of the North West provincial legislature and during the state of the province address, we made an observation that we stand at the mid-term point of this government since the elections in

1. It is appropriate that we use this historic mark to take stock of how far we have travelled in our historic journey since 12 years ago.

The third term of the democratic government began in 2004 with a solid mandate for further and faster transformation, building on the foundations of the first decade of democracy. We committed ourselves to the 2014 vision built on three pillars: building a social security net to meet the objectives of poverty alleviation; promoting growth and development of the first economy, thus increasing possibilities to create jobs and address the problem of unemployment; and adoption, as well as implementation of the interventions and programmes to address the challenges of the second economy.

As the government, we are collectively mindful of the huge backlog that we have inherited from our historic past, and fully agree that we have to live up to the expectations of the majority of our people.

As we pursue our vision for a better life for all and the goal of transforming the legacy of our past, it is helpful that at certain historical intervals, like today, we should pause to remind ourselves of where we began this journey. Let us take stock of the distance we have traversed, not only since 12 years ago, but also in the two-and-a-half years into this term of the government.

In our province we recently observed violent protest and unruly behaviour from some community members. We have since indicated that government respects the democratic and constitutional rights of all South Africans to exercise their democratic rights to legitimate protest. At the same time, government maintains that this should be expressed through peaceful and legitimate channels.

Government is always prepared to engage all our communities around issues of government and service delivery. However, the law-enforcement agencies will continue to act firmly against any form of lawlessness, damage to property and any threats to human life.

We believe that one of the issues giving rise to the situation is inadequate communication. In some instances, members of our communities do not know the progress and challenges municipalities are making with regard to service delivery. Therefore, it is always important that our communication channels are strengthened.

To address this, we are focusing on strengthening the capacity of municipalities in the province and departments to communicate effectively with the public. This enables communities to understand the extent to which government is succeeding in improving their living conditions. It also enables them to know some of the development programmes that are in the pipeline and to appreciate some of the constraints that stand in the way.

Government believes that effective communication is critical for stability, effective governance and service delivery. Accordingly, government appeals to all our people to take advantage of all available democratic platforms such as izimbizo and ward meetings to express their views, and to influence the content, pace and quality of service delivery.

The new dispensation requires not only that societal institutions be transformed but, most importantly, that the dispensation itself be transformed. We are in a constitutional dispensation. We have established a number of institutions that support democracy. Citizens can exploit many avenues to exercise their right to protest without resorting to criminality. Indeed, the courts have played a critical role in their jurisdiction of societal and individual disputes. The question is whether we have transformed enough to take advantage of the freedom that we recently enjoyed.

With freedom comes responsibility. Those who cherish freedom and democracy cannot afford to be seen to encourage and celebrate mayhem in society. Democracy demands a particular conduct of citizens and those in public offices. Inasmuch as we speak of the need to transform our institutions into those befitting the new dispensation, the same is demanded of our conduct.

Contrary to these actions, during the state of the province address, we, as the government, made progressive observations. We inherited a province that was characterised by generally low levels of service delivery, coupled with huge backlogs.

Irrefutable evidence tells the story of the people and its provincial government at work to create a better life for all. As we do this, we have also redefined a new milestone that we need to accomplish towards the full realisation of our historic mission of creating a better life for all our people. We welcome the NCOP in bringing government to the people.

During our African Peer Review Mechanism exercise there was a belief that we need to improve the process of participatory democracy, thus contributing immensely to the objectives of fostering the adoption of policies, standards, high economic growth, as well as identifying deficiencies and assessing the need for capacity-building.

As we move forward, mindful of the fact that government needs to move in a coherent manner, we need to improve our safety. We also believe that in Asgisa we have a model that makes our target of halving unemployment by 2014 possible. In this regard, we are proud to tell this House that, regarding this endeavour, our Expanded Public Works Programme in the North West has been able to create 40 000 job opportunities and 14 000 training opportunities for our people. [Applause.] Since this programme started, we have been able to create entrepreneurs and learner contractors who have today reached level 3 of the Construction Industry Development Board rating. We are therefore on the march.

We are very heartened that this sitting of the NCOP has been dedicated to addressing this important call on all of us to increasingly consider ways of sharing the wealth of the nation and the growth of our economy among all our citizens. In this regard, success is our only option, failure is not. I thank the House, once again, for the opportunity to say a few words. Thank you very much. [Applause]

Mr Y GABRU (Western Cape): Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy Chairperson, I want to thank you for the opportunity to participate in this debate. For me it’s a great honour and a privilege to participate in a debate taking place in this region which has played a historic and decisive role in our struggle for liberation.

I also want to take the opportunity to congratulate the NCOP on organising this event, Taking Parliament to the People. It’s the first time that I have participated and seen such an event. I want to say that I have been exceedingly impressed with what I’ve seen here during my interaction with people. I want to agree with all those people who said yesterday that this was truly democracy in action. For me, what was most significant about yesterday in particular – and that was my first day to attend – was to see people, many of whom I assumed were government supporters, who criticised government. I think it is absolutely significant that supporters of government are able to come and say: These are the problems.

What I think was more important, perhaps, was the response from some of the people at the table. I was really impressed with our Deputy Minister of Safety and Security. When people raised issues about police stations that she agreed with, she would say so. However, when she thought that in some cases the issues the people raised in their objections were not accurate, she would challenge them.

I think that what we had yesterday was the essence of participation, with people raising issues, debating them with government and resolving to do something about them. I want to say, therefore, that I hope sincerely that all those people who did bring their issues to the forum yesterday, especially the ones who were directed at the Table, will indeed have all their issues attended to.

I think that what we have to do is to make sure that participation is meaningful, and participation will begin to grow when we respond to the issues that people raise.

Hon Chairperson, as you are aware, all of us in provincial legislatures are currently involved with the Division of Revenue Bill. We’ve had a briefing on it and we also organised a public hearing on it a few days ago. We publicised it quite well, and we individually invited all the 30 municipalities in our province to attend. Unfortunately only three municipalities attended, together with a representative from Salga.

I’m not sure why that was the case. Perhaps it was because it was the first time this had been done, or perhaps they imagined that they would not be able to intervene in the process. It would seem to me that in all the different legislatures in our country, including national Parliament in the form of the National Assembly and the NCOP, as well as the provincial and local governments, we must make a major effort to ensure that when people do participate, it is meaningful and consistent.

I think that one of the important things is that it must also be regular. The citizens must know that at a certain point in time they will be able to go to the government and raise their issues. It is fundamental that people’s participation is consistent and regular, and not a one-off thing, in such a way that if you come to a meeting one day and you do not raise your issue, you are not going to have another opportunity to raise it again.

Of course, as I have already suggested, it must also be a meaningful process. I’ve said what I understand by that, that when people come and raise issues, we must respond to those issues. If we can’t respond to them, we should be able to tell the people why we are unable to respond to their issues.

We must also make sure that the participation that we do develop with our citizens happens on the basis of people understanding the issues. I want to refer to the example of the budget again. I think that the budget, which we all accept is one of the most important instruments of government in deciding what it is going to do in the course of the year, must be understood by all our citizens at every level.

In our province we have changed the manner in which we interrogate the budget in the provincial legislature. We now have a situation in which, if a standing committee is considering its budget, each section of the budget is divided into three parts. The first part allows the relevant department to justify and defend its budget to the standing committee. The second part allows the standing committee to interact and challenge the budget. The third and last part allows for public participation in a way we never had before.

They are also allowed and entitled to question government officials about the budget. I must say that initially departments were not very excited about that, and they were a bit wary, but the process is now becoming entrenched. When we advertise for this budget that we are dealing with now, we will go through the same process. We will invite and allow the public to participate in the budget process and to challenge facts and figures in the budget itself.

Furthermore, when a standing committee writes its report, the comments of the public are taken into account. It is my view that municipalities can do much more to explain their budgets to the citizens and allow them to participate in the budget process in a much more meaningful way.

I think that citizens need to understand and to appreciate why, on the one hand, we are building stadiums for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, but we are not in a position to build hospitals, on the other hand. I think that by discussing budgets with our citizens we will be able to explain those issues and indeed debate them.

Government on its own can’t solve all the problems; government on its own doesn’t have all the answers. It’s only through successful participation that we will be able to deliver to our communities. I thank you, hon Chairperson. [Applause.]

The PREMIER OF THE EASTERN CAPE (Ms N Balindlela): Chairperson, the Deputy President, as we all know, had to leave and has asked me to say a few words. Firstly, she said that she is very much encouraged by the interaction that has happened here today. Uyivuyele kakhulu into yokuba sonke sibe sihleli apha, siyaxoxa. [She was very happy that we are all sitting here, discussing issues.]

She felt that this is how we are going to improve the co-ordination between municipalities and the provinces, through service delivery.

Into ke ayibetheleleyo phambi kokuba ahambe yeyokuba … [What she laid more emphasis on before she left was the fact that …]

… she has been encouraged by the report that was given by the Chairperson of the NCOP, particularly about the feedback that the committees of the NCOP will be engaging in. She also stressed the aspect of following up on these issues and to really have timeframes …

… ukwenzela ukuba zide ziqhubeke ezi zinti. Uthe ke enye into emandiyigxininise yeyokuba … [… for addressing them. One other thing that she said I should emphasise is the fact that …]

… economic development cannot happen without the involvement and co- operation of the neighbouring provinces.

Ngoko ke nje ngokuba singamaphondo nje, uyibalule ke into yokuba, elinye iphondo liyakuthi ukuze likwazi ukuhluma lincedwe yinto yokusokolo sibanye, ukuba siyiFreestate sidibane neLimpopo, neMpumalanga, kunye neloMntlantshona. [She also made the point that in order for us to develop, as provinces, we should work in partnerships. For example, the Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape will have to work together in partnership.]

That is what she emphasised.

Another issue that encouraged her was the participation of community-based organisations such as CPFs, SGBs, home-based centres, early childhood development centres and organisations for veterans and retirees.

Uthe, Sihlalo, ndize ndikhumbule ukuyibeka into yokuba kubalulekile ukuthi … [Chairperson, she said that I must remember to highlight the fact that it is important …]

… when we go back to our community-based structures, we must make sure that we attend the meetings. We must also make sure that we strengthen our critical structures there.

Ndiyabulela kakhulu, Sihlalo. [Kwaqhwatywa.] [I thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]]

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Order! Order in the House!

Bab’uMasondo, mangixolise kakhulu ngokuthi ekuseni ngenkathi ngiqala inkulumo yami bengingabonanga ukuthi ukhona. Ngiyaxolisa kakhulu. Ubaba uMasondo unguSihlalo we-SA Local Government Associaiton ezweni lonke laseNingizimu Afrika. Uyena osimele kwezohulumeni basekhaya. Niyazi ukuthi basebenzisana kahle noMkhandlu Kazwelonke Wezifundazwe ukuze kudingidwe izindaba zohulumeni basekhaya.

Ngixolisa kakhulu futhi kumama uQedani Dorothy Mahlangu. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[Hon Masondo, let me apologise that when I started my speech this morning, I did not recognise you because I had not seen that you were present. I am very sorry about that. Hon Masondo is the Chairperson of the SA Local Government Association, and he is representing us in local government. You all know that Salga works very well with the National Council of Provinces and they both discuss issues concerning local government.

I also extend my heartfelt apology to the hon Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu.]

She is an acting Premier, and I did not announce that. [Applause.] We have an acting Premier of Gauteng with us, Dorothy Qedani Mahlangu.

Kunezinto lapha ebezilahlekile kodwa esizitholile. Ngicela ukuthi umnikazi wazo aye kozilanda ehhovisi lethu laphaya. Izicathulo eziphinki zikaNkk Mokgoro sizitholile, futhi nesikhwama sakhe esimnyama naso sisitholile. Sicela ukuthi aye laphaya ehhovisi lethu aye kozilanda khona lezo zimpahla. Noma-ke uma engekho, uSodolobha uTsotetsi - hhayi utsotsi - ngikholwa ukuthi uyamazi uNkk Mokgoro, angamphathela zona bese ebuye emazisa ukuthi zikhona futhi ehhovisi likasodolobha.

Incwadi kaMazisi ka-Mothibedi R Moses nayo siyitholile, ikhona laphaya ehhovisi lami. Angimazi-ke yena ukuthi ungowakuphi. Ungathola mhlawumbe ukuthi ungowaseBenoni noma eSoweto. Kodwa-ke sicela ukuthi usodolobha asisize futhi maqondana nokuhlela ukuthi uma engekho lapha umnikazi angawuthola kanjani uMazisi wakhe. Kunendaba enye engithanda ukuyimemezela. Kunomndeni ohlupheke kakhulu laphaya kwa-9726 Madileng Street, Zone B, eSebokeng. Uma ngingaphosisi, omunye walowo mndeni uSusan Plaatjie. Sithole lapha-ke ukuthi umama uMargaret Nziba ohlezi laphaya … Ake asukume uMargaret. Nanguya uMargaret Nziba. Uye wabazwela ubuhlungu kakhulu.

Kube yisimemezelo lesi esibe khona phakathi nesonto. Bathe-ke laba bantu bakulowaya mndeni abanayo ngisho into yokudla, kwazingubo zokugqoka nezingubo zokulala, abanalutho. UMargaret Nziba ongaphansi komkhandlu kaMamabolo uthe uzonikela ngezingubo kulo mndeni. [Ihlombe.] Abasebenzi boMkhandlu Kazwelonke Wezifundazwe bazomsiza ngemoto ukuze balayishe lezo zingubo bese bezihambisa kulowo mndeni, uma siqeda kulo mhlangano. [Ihlombe.]

Kukhona nokunye-ke ebengithanda ukukwazisa amalungu e-NCOP … (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)

[There are several items which had gone missing here, but they have since been found. I am appealing to the owners of the same to come and collect them in our offices. Miss Mokgoro’s pink shoes have been found. We have also found her black bag. Could she please go to our offices and collect her items? If she is not here, Mayor Tsotetsi - well, not tsotsi - whom I believe knows Miss Mokgoro, can collect these items on her behalf and she can inform her later on that they are in the mayor’s office.

The identity document of Mothibedi R Moses was also found. It is there in my office. I am not sure where he comes from. Perhaps you can find out if he is from Benoni or Soweto. We request the mayor to help us with arrangements for the owner to get his identity document back, if he is not here.

There is another thing that I want to announce here. There is a very poor family at 9726 Madileng Street, Zone B in Sebokeng. If I am not mistaken, one of the members of that family is Suzan Plaatjie. We have found out that Mrs Margaret Nziba, who is sitting over there … can Margaret stand up, please? There she is, Margaret Nziba. She felt pity for them.

This announcement was also made during the week. Members of this family said that they don’t have anything to eat. They don’t even have clothes or blankets. They have nothing. Margaret Nziba, who is from Mamabolo’s constituency, said that she was going to donate clothes to this family. [Applause.] The staff of the National Council of Provinces will help her with the transportation of these clothes to the family when we adjourn this meeting. [Applause.]

There is another thing that I want to announce to members …]

… so that you do not leave here with the impression that the provincial government is not doing anything about the Mbombela issue. The MEC of local government in Mpumalanga, hon C Mashego, has already written to me under section 106 of the Municipal Systems Act to say that they are investigating allegations of fraud, corruption, maladministration and other irregularities against the affairs of the Mbombela local municipality.

The letter arrived in my office on 23 February 2007, and the irregularities are listed in the letter. The letter is available to all members of the NCOP who may want to scrutinise it. However, normally, in terms of our processes, you know that with this type of letter, we send it to the chairperson who is in charge of the provincial and local government, so that the committee would then go into that matter.

You also know that, in terms of section 106, there is not much that we can do, but we can monitor that those things actually happen. So, the provincial government is doing something about that issue. The letter is available to those members who would like to have an insight into it.

Lastly, Mr Gabru, the Deputy Speaker of the Western Cape, we are coming to the Western Cape in November when we take Parliament to the people. So, you will see it in action in your province. We are coming. I am announcing this well in advance so that people can get ready.

Debate concluded.

The Council adjourned at 11:44. ____

            ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS

                        MONDAY, 12 MARCH 2007

ANNOUNCEMENTS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

The Speaker and the Chairperson

1. Translation of Bill submitted

   (1) The Minister of Finance

   a) Finansiewetsontwerp [W 5 – 2007] (National Assembly – sec 77).
   

   This is the official translation into Afrikaans of the Finance Bill [B 5 – 2007] (National Assembly – sec 77).

TABLINGS National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. The Minister of Public Works

(a) Strategic Plan of the Department of Public Works for 2007 to 2009.

                       TUESDAY, 13 MARCH 2007

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. The Minister in The Presidency (a) Strategic Plan of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) for 2007 to 2010.

2. The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development

   (a) Draft Amendment of Regulations made in terms of section 92 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (Act No 2 of 2000).

3. The Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry

   (a) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Rand Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (b) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Namakwa Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (c) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Botshelo Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (d) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Lepelle Northern Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (e) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Bloem Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (f) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Umgeni Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (g) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Magalies Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (h) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Sedibeng Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (i) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Pelladrift Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (j) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Mhlatuze Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (k) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Bushbuckridge Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (l) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Amatola Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (m) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Albany Coast Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

   (n) Increase in water tariffs for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008 by Overberg Water, tabled in terms of section 42(4) of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No 56 of 2003).

                   WEDNESDAY, 14 MARCH 2007
   

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. The Minister of Finance

   (a) Regulations issued under section 13 of the Small Business Tax Amnesty and Amendment of Taxation Laws Act, 2006 (Act No 9 of 2006), prescribing the circumstances under which the Commissioner may waive any amount of additional tax, penalty or interest payable by specific persons.

2. The Acting Minister of Health

   (a) Strategic Plan of the Department of Health for 2007/08 to 2009/10.

3. The Minister in The Presidency

   (a) Strategic Plan of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) for 2007 to 2010.

4. The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development

   (a) Report on the provisional suspension from office of Mr I X Masimini, an additional magistrate at Queenstown, in terms of section 13(3)(b) of the Magistrates Act, 1993 (Act No 90 of 1993).

   (b) Report on vacancies in the offices of magistrates, in terms of section 9(5)(b) of the Magistrates’ Courts Act, 1944 (Act No 32 of 1944).

5. The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

   (a) General Notice No 8 published in Government Gazette No 29528 dated 9 January 2007: Extension of the deadline for public comments on the Draft Subsistence and Small-scale Commercial Fisheries Policies, in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998 (Act No 18 of 1998).

   (b) General Notice No 1832 published in Government Gazette No 29487 dated 12 January 2007: Publication of National Environmental Management: Waste Management Bill – for general comment: National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No 107 of 1998).

   (c) Government Notice No 147 published in Government Gazette No 29647 dated 23 February 2007: Waste tyre Regulations, in terms of the Environment Conservation Act, 1989 (Act No 73 of 1989).

   (d) Government Notice No R.150 published in Government Gazette No 29657 dated 23 February 2007: Commencement of threatened or protected species Regulations, in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No 10 of 2004).

   (e) Government Notice No R.151 published in Government Gazette No 29657 dated 23 February 2007: Publication of lists of critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable and protected species, in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No 10 of 2004). f) Government Notice No R.152 published in Government Gazette No 29657 dated 23 February 2007: Threatened or protected species Regulations, in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No 10 of 2004).

                       THURSDAY, 15 MARCH 2007
   

ANNOUNCEMENTS

National Council of Provinces

The Chairperson

1. Message from National Assembly to National Council of Provinces in respect of Bills passed and transmitted

(1)     Bill passed by National Assembly on 15 March 2007 and
     transmitted for concurrence:


     (a)     Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment
          Bill [B 1 – 2007] (National Assembly – sec 75)


     The Bill has been referred to the Select Committee on Public
     Services of the National Council of Provinces.


(2)     Bill passed by National Assembly on 15 March 2007 and
     transmitted for concurrence:


     (a)     Finance Bill [B 5 – 2007] (National Assembly – sec 77)
     The Bill has been referred to the Select Committee on Finance of
     the National Council of Provinces.

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. The Minister of Finance

(a) Report of the Registrar of Short-term Insurance for 2005.

(b) Report of the Registrar of Long-term Insurance for 2005.

(c) Government Notice No R.186 published in Government Gazette No 29681 dated 1 March 2007: Amendment of Regulations in terms of the Long-term Insurance Act, 1998 (Act No 52 of 1998).

1. The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development

(a) Report on the confirmation of the provisional suspension of Magistrate K Suliman, a magistrate from Durban, in terms of section 13(4)(b) of the Magistrates Act, 1993 (Act No 90 of 1993).

1. The Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry

(a) Report and Financial Statements of Magalies Water for the year ended June 2006, including the Report of the Independent Auditors on the Financial Statements for the year ended June 2006.

                        FRIDAY, 16 MARCH 2007

TABLINGS

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces

1. The Speaker and the Chairperson

(a)    Special Report of the Auditor-General on the status of tabling
     of annual reports and consolidated financial statements of national
     government departments and public entities for the financial year
     ended 2005-2006 as at 31 October 2006 [RP 260-2006].

(b)    Performance audit report of the Auditor-General on consultants
     at the Department of Trade and Industry – January 2007 [RP 9-2007].

1. The Acting Minister of Transport

(a)    Strategic Plan of the Department of Transport for 2007 to 2010.