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Policy Speech for 2005/6, by Premier Nosimo Balindlela, delivered
in the Provincial Legislature
Madam Speaker
Members of the Executive Council
House Leaders and Members of the Provincial Legislature
Honoured Guests
Government Officials
Ladies and Gentlemen
Comrades and Friends
I take this opportunity to present to the House the road map of the
Office of the Premier in consolidating governance and
administration in the Province. I now present this policy speech
together with the Strategic and Operational Plan of the Office of
the Premier which encapsulates the framework of how, when and what
the office will be delivering with the allocated budget.
The ten year review report of the province demonstrated the ability
of government to deliver quality services to our people and
progress made is visible and tangible. The next 10 years is guided
by principles of a caring government, one that is transparent,
accountable and responsive to the service delivery needs of the
vulnerable especially those in rural areas.
Madam Speaker, we set ourselves specific timeframes within which to
deliver our specific projects and programmes. This is to ensure
that delivery of services retains the character of being pro-poor,
task orientated, whilst ensuring sustainable growth and
development. This, we will achieve through maintaining the social
dialogue we have with our people, using Imbizo’s and outreach
programmes, in partnership with the traditional leadership, public
sector, organised business and labour and various community
structures.
We are also engaged in a process of analysing the capacity at our
disposal and our ability to carry out the developmental functions
expected of us. Realising the magnitude of the task assigned to
government and expectations of our people, ours is to deliver
quality services on time, efficiently and effectively, managing any
risks that may accrue and reporting on progress.
For us to be able to progress on this journey with speed, we have
aligned our strategic goals and are involved in the final stages of
consultation with our internal stakeholders on our organisational
structure. This is meant to support and provide leadership to the
departments in the implementation of the 27 programmes in our
Provincial Growth and Development Plan.
Government has consolidated its clusters to be able to administer
our service delivery strategy whilst ensuring synergy and cost
effective use of the limited resources. This cluster approach of
governance will ensure that we all move succinctly and avoid
duplications, whilst addressing any gaps in the transformation,
reconstruction and development of our Province.
OVERSIGHT
Government appreciates the interaction that we have with the
following institutions.
These are:
* STANDING COMMITTEES
* AUDITOR GENERAL
* PUBLIC PROTECTOR
* HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
* GENDER COMMISSION
. NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Madam Speaker, their interaction with us on an ongoing basis will
surely translate into an informed government programme that is
anchored on delivery of services that benefits even the poorest of
the poor. In cases of poor performance or non compliance by any
department including municipalities, it will be our collective
responsibility to address those delimitations, because to our
people, there is only one government in the Province of the Eastern
Cape.
Monitoring and Evaluation
With the advent of our organisational structure that is being
crafted with a focus on, Institution Building and Transformation
& Provincial Co-ordinating and Monitoring Unit (PCMU). The
office will be monitoring performance and evaluate the impact of
PGDP programmes implemented at Provincial, Metro, District and
local municipalities.
The following are our areas of focus:
* Co-ordination and integration of government programmes at
Provincial, District and local municipality levels
* Monitoring and evaluation of government delivery programmes
ensuring delivery of quality service and value for money
* Stakeholder forums that are programme driven with action
plans
* Financial management and reporting systems which are integrated
and monitored, so that expenditure is informed by business and
procurement plans of departments
* An Information Technology and Communication Strategy that informs
all our public and private partners on key areas for implementation
so as to bridge our digital divide and have Eastern Cape
online
* Cluster approach with my office playing a co-ordinating and
oversight role in the creation of a seamless administration
* Building leadership and management capacity with a bias on women,
youth and the disabled.
Madam Speaker, let me now address each of our programmes as
informed by our strategic and business plans of the various
sections in the Office of the Premier, within the allocated budget
of R259 1974 million to be expended within this financial year of
2005/06.
Programme One: Management
This programme is focused at providing support to the
Premier’s schedule of activities, in executing the broad
mandate defined by the Constitution, that of ensuring that the
contract between the people of the Province and Government is given
meaning by:
* Strengthening and ensuring the co-ordination of government
programmes that are also informed by the people’s mandate,
the outcomes of the outreach and Imbizo programmes
* Building and providing strong team work and leadership
* Being at the forefront of supporting initiatives that are
innovative and meant to fight poverty, hunger and build the social
and moral fibre of our communities. This will also be through the
discretionary and poverty alleviation funds
* Updating our tracking and monitoring system on issues raised for
the Premier’s consideration or for non-responses by relevant
Departments
* Promoting the Batho- Pele principles where Government is seen and
felt working as a team, strengthening and promoting
intergovernmental forums, caring for the people we are serving and
going beyond the call of duty, putting people first.
A budget of R9.859 million has been allocated for this
programme.
Programme Two: Cabinet Office
Strengthening the office of the Premier as the centre of
innovation, governance, coordination, planning, monitoring,
evaluation and reporting is central in the formation of a seamless
Provincial administration.
We are to develop systems, which creates synergy within the
province, districts and local municipalities on monitoring,
evaluation and reporting capability of government. A seed fund of
R4 million has been made available for this programme. The
accumulated reports will be made available to our departments,
various stakeholders and communities. All have a responsibility to
give us feedback as they monitor the quality of work delivered in
our localities as it has clear focus areas with time frames and
budgets allocated per project.
Redefining and refocusing the role and impact of public entities to
support the work of the office of the premier in the delivery and
provision of strategies and action plans aimed at fighting poverty,
developing systems and targeting various sectors of our society
especially the youth, disabled and women.
R39 million has been allocated to the following entities, Eastern
Cape Appropriate Technology unit, Eastern Cape Youth Commission,
and Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Council. They are to be hubs of
innovations, conduct action research and provide value adding
development services. ECATU is to continue piloting appropriate
technology and develop skills of the local people, for example, in
making bricks using local raw material, an example is Bantwanana
Primary School in Mqanduli. The success of this project will be
rolled out to the other areas to eradicate mud schools and other
community infrastructure backlogs in the Province.
ECSECC will continue to enhance capacity of public servants through
provision of technical assistance in collaboration with tertiary
institutions. They are to manage the R10 million poverty
alleviation fund that was launched by the premier to be managed by
the House of Traditional Leaders, Eastern Cape Council of Churches
and other Inter-faith Organisations, Gender Commission and Eastern
Cape Non-Governmental Coalition.
They are to document experiences and innovative practices that are
to emerge from the manner in which they are to implement their
projects. Our strategy is that of building partnerships between
government and civil society as we fight poverty. ECSECC is to
partner with Fort Hare Institute of Governance, to train public
servants on all aspects of the PGDP. There is as programme of
aligning priorities of the Medium Term Strategic Framework, the
Provincial Growth and Development Plan and Integrated Development
Plans in the Eastern Cape.
The Eastern Cape Youth Commission will be repositioned in a manner
that ensures development and implementation of youth policies and
plans, to better the lives of our young people. The commission is
currently working with departments in ensuring that youth
development programmes are part of the business plans of
departments and municipalities. Targeting youth in our under
developed areas is central in their scope of work whilst
identifying projects that the youth can participate in, using their
acquired skills during their learnership experiences.
It is worth noting that all these public entities are part of the
restructuring process, repositioning them to deliver services that
are inline with the 27 PGDP programmes and the strategic plan of
the office of the Premier. We also have the rural livelihoods
programme in which we are supported by the German Technical
Cooperation (GTZ). It is a programme aimed at coordinating and
integrating service delivery to benefit our rural
communities.
This approach seeks to strengthen partnership with governmental and
non-governmental organisations and the private sector, in
responding more creatively to community demands that centre on
wealth creation and poverty reduction.
Models and best practices that are evolving through this programme
are to be disseminated for up scaling and out scaling, ensuring a
wider impact, especially in our rural areas.
Intergovernmental Relations and Protocol services
Particular focus will be on deepening inter-governmental relations
and cooperative governance. The Office of the Premier will step up
the support to the Inter-governmental forums at District, Metro and
local municipalities, for them to be fully functional. The
Premier’s Co-ordinating Forum, consisting of Executive
Mayors, MECs and a representative of SALGA, chaired by the Premier
will emerge with a programme of action on how best to coordinate
the national and provincial policies and legislation that affects
the three spheres of government. It will also monitor the
implementation of the national priorities to ensure coherent
governance.
Special Programmes (SPU)
This is a fundamental shift in the special programmes unit focus of
work and approach as our leverage programme, inclusive of the
children, youth, women and the disabled is being undertaken
inclusive of all departments. This is to ensure that its work is
integrated, mainstreamed, working with other government
institutions like human rights, gender and the youth commissions to
mention but a few. We will now focus on integrating the work of the
units into the business of departments whereby the unit will attend
to various abuse cases as raised in various platforms and be part
of providing plans and strategies to combat these abuses.
Madam Speaker, the main focus areas will be:
* Development of an implementation plan driven by the departments
in the Social Needs Cluster on child trafficking, abuse, child
headed households and the safe schools project working with Human
Rights Commission and UNICEF
* Celebration of institutionalised days and campaigns (children,
elderly, disabled, women)
* Raising awareness on Deaf, Blind, Epilepsy and Mental
Disabilities
Total Budget to be expended is R 3 564 339million to consolidate
the work of this unit.
Communication and Information Management
For us to be able to meet government communication needs and give
information to the public, a communication and technology plan will
be drafted and relevant stakeholders consulted, to ensure that it
is comprehensive. This is to improve access and means of
disseminating information to the internal and external clients and
the general public. Our approach on Information Communication and
e-government will be outward looking and augment technology
targeting our under developed communities.
We also have tele-media and video- conference centres that make us
overcome distance barriers that inhibit both intra and inter
government communication in the province.
Branding the Eastern Cape
To address the significant image deficit of the Eastern Cape, an
integrated Branding strategy is being conceptualised and
participation of various partners is fundamental in crafting a
brand that is marketable and sought after by various tourists and
investors. The programme will seek to leverage resources allocated
for communication and marketing by many government departments and
a buy –in by the private sector agencies will be pursued on
various platforms. R800 000 has been set aside for this
programme.
Government Talking with the People
The enhancement of the implementation of the government outreach
programme and mobilisation of local stakeholders for the success of
key government programmes is to be maintained. The focus in this
financial year will be on ensuring follow up strategies and giving
feedback to both the executive council, mayors, councillors and
various community workers out of the outreach programmes and
national Imbizo’s.
The programme is assisted by fully established district offices
with Amagosa Engcaciso currently deployed in each category A and C
municipality, including Alfred Nzo, Cacadu, Amathole, Nelson
Mandela metro, Chris Hani, Ukhahlamba and OR Tambo.
Cabinet Secretariat
The key function of this division is to provide secretarial and
administrative support to the Executive Council, Cabinet Committees
as well as Executive Council Outreach Programme.
The priorities for the new financial year will be to enhance the
implementation of the executive council resolutions ensuring their
integration into the departmental programmes and to monitor their
implementation. There is a process of reviewing the Cabinet
Handbook to ensure it is aligned with the legislative mandate given
to the Executive Council.
Departments will then be workshopped on aspects that are relevant
to them, with the Director General pivotal in the co ordination of
the provincial administration. This will enhance the manner in
which the departments relate to the Executive Council and Cabinet
Committees. It will also increase awareness and ensure compliance
with the provisions of the handbook. All memoranda to be presented
to the Executive Council will be screened to ensure that the PGDP,
State of the Nation and Province priorities are factored into the
planning processes of the departments.
The planning and management of the Executive Council Outreach
Programme will be integrated into the programmes of the government
clusters so as to ensure interactive governance and follow
–up on issues raised.
Anti-Corruption Unit
Madam Speaker, I want to remind the house that out of the
recommendations of the Public Service Commission’s
Anti-Corruption Study of 2002 which were adopted by the Executive
Council, an Anti-Corruption Unit was created in the Office of the
Premier in 2004. This is meant to strengthen the fight against
corruption, develop an updated database on all cases of corruption
including their resolutions. This is in line with the Public
Service Anti-Corruption Strategy and R1 520 159million is available
to ensure the implementation of this strategy.
The Unit will co-ordinate all anti-corruption work and initiatives
in the provincial departments focusing on the following
areas:
* Creation of a centralised database for collation of all
information regarding Fraud and Corruption. This system will also
assist in analysing trends regarding corruption cases in the
Province
* Facilitate the development of the strategy to fight corruption
and ensure implementation, monitoring and evaluation thereof
* Effective implementation of the Professional Ethics Code through
building the capacity of our officials and holding workshops in our
communities
* Facilitate development of Fraud Prevention Plans in departments
which are packaged and published for awareness using pamphlets,
stickers, radio adverts and to monitor their implementation
* Maintain, manage and market the National Anti-Corruption
Hotline
* Provide secretarial support to the Provincial Anti-Corruption
Council and Forum
The total budget for this program is R79 872 million including
transfers to Public entities.
Programme 3: Corporate Services
The Finance and Procurement Branch has been allocated an amount of
R16m for the 2005/2006 financial year.
The branch will focus on the following:
* Strengthening of internal controls through re-organisation of the
existing Internal Control Unit which is also responsible for risk
management within the financial division
* System notes are currently being documented with flow charts to
assist officials to understand the processes and procedures of the
department
* All these will be made available and accessible to all, through
the electronic document management system (EDMS) that is being
implemented in the department
* Implementation of supply chain management enhancing our just on
time and commodity based procurement. With the in-house travel
agency already in place, the department will have an in-house
stationery agency for all its stationery requirements
* Review and improve our Supplier Database to ensure that the
suppliers are credible and able to deliver and be paid on time for
their goods and services.
A provincial Supplier Day will be held in Mthatha with the aim of
empowering Black Economic Empowerment sector with a focus on women,
youth and the disabled to assist them understand the processes
involved in providing services to the provincial
administration.
Training and re-skilling of staff will be a priority to ensure that
the department continues to improve in financial management and
thereby reducing the number of queries raised by the Auditor
General and adhere to the thirty days payment cycle prescribed by
the PFMA.
Madam Speaker, during this financial year we will shift our main
focus to the information management systems and consolidation of
our ICT strategy, aiming at ensuring cohesion in the delivery of
services which can be accessed online.
To this end, PGITO and ECSECC will develop a fully integrated
computer system on monitoring and evaluation that will enable the
province and individual departments to be linked and able to
monitor the progress made in the implementation of PGDP
programmes.
We will implement a provincial intranet, linked to our current
provincial website that will allow us to share valuable information
within a secure environment.
This intranet will also serve as a tool to access provincial
policies and programmes.
Although we are fully aware of the enormity of the task, we will
tackle the digital divide in our province head on, and succeed in
bringing information in a user friendly manner to all our
people.
The total budget for this program is R92 592million.
Programme 4: Organisational Development & Governance
(ODG)
Human Resource Development
During 2005/06 we will ensure that we provide quality training and
development opportunities for all opportunities to speed up Service
Delivery and to make transformation a reality in the public
service.
To date we have trained more than 15 000 of our employees in our
agreement with the Fort Hare Institute of Government. This is an
average of more than 7 000 employees per year.
During 2005 we want to consolidate our gains, provide more targeted
training and strengthen our management capacity in the Eastern Cape
Provincial Administration.
We want to focus on the development and implementation of a
Management and Leadership Programme to improve competency levels of
provincial leadership. A study to determine the feasibility of
establishment of a Management and Leadership centre will be
conducted to ensure a more focused approach to leadership
development.
As the Office of the Premier we will continue to support
disadvantaged students from the province, who are studying in
institutions of higher learning, pursuing key subject areas in line
with the PGDP programmes. Funding to the tune of R14m will be made
available to NSFAS to support 4000 students in need informed by a
criteria based on principles of equity.
In an attempt to contribute towards promoting employability of the
youth in the province, 1000 unemployed learners will be placed in
various departments to pursue various learnerships.
Employment Equity and Affirmative Action
The Office of the Premier will embark on vigorous monitoring of the
implementation of Employment Equity Plans of the various
departments, to ensure that representative targets are met. We will
be embarking on a programme that is targeting women in the various
departments, aimed at empowering them for senior management
positions.
The “Women in Leadership” programme will be internally
focused and targeting women at management positions who have
demonstrated, through their performance, ability, skills and
competencies to be nurtured in preparation for senior management
positions.
Improving performance and service delivery
Strengthening performance of departments to promote achievements of
objectives and targets will be enhanced in the coming financial
year. The focus will be on improving performance contracts of HODs
to ensure that critical provincial priorities are included in their
performance agreements. Of importance is the strengthening of
performance reviews of HODs to ensure that they deliver on
provincial priorities informed by the PGDP. Where non performance
has been identified, the office will develop a programme to address
any noticeable limitations. We will monitor and support departments
in the roll out of the Performance Management and Development
Systems to all officials in the employ of government so as to
institutionalise a performance culture.
Roll-out of productivity and service delivery improvement and
quality assurance initiatives such as Batho Pele, the Change
Engagement Programme, and Premiers Good Governance Award will be
enhanced.
HIV and AIDS
As the Office of the Premier we will continue to ensure that HIV
and AIDS workplace programmes are intensified. To this end,
approximately R7m of the provincial equitable share has been
allocated to departments to enable them to implement workplace HIV
and AIDS programmes. The key focus areas for 2005/06 being:
* Research on knowledge, attitudes, behaviour and practices as well
as determining prevalence among the ECPA workforce in order to
inform programme development and implementation
* The establishment of a wellness centre for employees where
Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres will be provided. This
will be done in collaboration with Department of Health and Social
Development.
Building capacity of management to be able to develop strategies to
manage HIV and AIDS in the workplace so as to limit impact on
productivity and service delivery in the workplace.
* Programme implementation to ensure comprehensive education and
awareness, treatment, care and support programmes are in place for
infected employees
* Disclosure and acceptance campaigns led by political
leadership.
The total budget for this program is R51 241million.
Programme 5: Legal Advisory Services
Madam Speaker, the process of rationalisation of old order
legislation is to be taken a step further, for example, the
Traditional Leadership Bill currently introduced in the legislature
is targeted for finalisation and passage into law early in this
financial year;
Interventions previously made in the Departments of Education,
Health and Social Development, are to be extended to other
Provincial departments, so as to improve compliance and thereby
reduce incidents of litigation and costs thereof.
An audit of all contracts and agreements of the Provincial
Administration and departments is to be conducted and finalised in
order to improve their management and reduce incidents of
litigation.
Access to legislation is to be improved by drafting it in simple
language, through translation into languages like isiXhosa and make
copies available
As the Office of the Premier we will continue to support
disadvantaged students from the province, who are studying in
institutions of higher learning, pursuing key subject areas in line
with the PGDP programmes. Funding to the tune of R14m will be made
available to NSFAS to support 4000 students in need informed by a
criteria based on principles of equity.
In an attempt to contribute towards promoting employability of the
youth in the province, 1000 unemployed learners will be placed in
various departments to pursue various learnerships.
Employment Equity and Affirmative Action
The Office of the Premier will embark on vigorous monitoring of the
implementation of Employment Equity Plans of the various
departments, to ensure that representative targets are met. We will
be embarking on a programme that is targeting women in the various
departments, aimed at empowering them for senior management
positions.
The “Women in Leadership” programme will be internally
focused and targeting women at management positions who have
demonstrated, through their performance, ability, skills and
competencies to be nurtured in preparation for senior management
positions.
Improving performance and service delivery
Strengthening performance of departments to promote achievements of
objectives and targets will be enhanced in the coming financial
year.
The focus will be on improving performance contracts of HODs to
ensure that critical provincial priorities are included in their
performance agreements. Of importance is the strengthening of
performance reviews of HODs to ensure that they deliver on
provincial priorities informed by the PGDP. Where non performance
has been identified, the office will develop a programme to address
any noticeable limitations. We will monitor and support departments
online, public institutions and in the Multi Purpose Community
Centres (MPCCs).
The total budget for this program is R10 342 million.
Programme 6: Shared Internal Audit Services
The overall goal of this programme is to give the provincial
government assurance that the government systems of internal
control, risk management and governance processes are effective,
efficient and economic. The focus for this year will be evaluating
the performance audits of all departments to identify weakness and
strengths, so as to develop Improvement Plans.
The risk assessment tender is already out and risk assessment will
soon be conducted in all departments. The support of external
service providers where necessary will be sought, and they are to
transfer r the required skills to the officials deployed in the
audit sections of departments.
Training of staff and appointment of the new Provincial Audit
Committee will also be prioritised to ensure that we have views of
experienced people that will be serving in our committee.
The composition of the new Provincial Audit Committee will also be
improved to ensure diversity of skills from dynamic individuals who
will play a vital role in carrying out the Internal Audit Strategy
of the Provincial Government. The total budget for this program is
R15 265 million.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Madam Speaker, we believe that Government has the
best policies, strategies and legislation fundamental in the
transformation of our country. We need not, therefore, relate to
the citizens of our Province as passive recipients of government
delivery. We must deliver as a collective the policy thrusts
assigned to us inclusive of the views of our people as active
participants who benefit from Government services.
I therefore commit the office of the Premier to deliver on its
mandate, of bringing a better life to the people of the province
and we will remain bias in our strategy to those that were in the
periphery of development. We want to leave a legacy of clean
government and go an extra mile in serving our people.
I thank you.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Eastern Cape Provincial
Government
16 March 2005
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government
(http://www.ecprov.gov.za)
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