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The DA led Provincial Government has demonstrated very poor leadership in its handling of the Provincial Development Council. The PDC is a statutory obligation of government to ensure consultation and cooperation between the social partners in the Province - labour, business and civil society. Government has a special responsibility to ensure that the PDC functions optimally within the provisions of the Act which establish the PDC, including with respect to adminstrative and management issues.

Given this special responsibility, for government to withdraw from the PDC citing administrative reasons is an abdication of its responsibilities. It is also highly irresponsible at a time of economic decline when everything possible should have been done to strengthen the PDC to enable government to work closely with labour and business to minimise the effects if the recession.

Under pressure from the social partners and united opposition from business and labour the Provincial Government decided to reinstate its participation and good sense has prevailed. But it bodes ill for the future. Will the Provincial Government withdraw its participation in future when there are adminsitrative problems or when agreement cannot be reached between the social partners.

The Provincial Government must make clear its intentions for the PDC in order to provide certainty and stability going forward. Time has been wasted because the PDC has been dysfunctional and important functions, including the work of the Rapid Response Unit, have been needlessly neglected. The Provincial Government should in addition to providing a clear statement of certainty about the PDC for the future should facilitate a process to fast track functions which have not been fulfilled during the period when it boycotted the work of the PDC.