Date: 08/09/2009

Source: Democratic Alliance

Title: DA: Trollip: Speech by the DA Parliamentary leader on the Strategic Planning Green Paper, National Assembly

The DA appreciates this initiative and the manner of its introduction to political parties. Also that it amounts to an unfamiliar admission of failure. The duration of this debate however detracts from the value and importance of this initiative.

The debate around the national planning strategy is currently essentially abstract and esoteric as the appointment of the National Planning Commission and the establishment of a 2025 national vision will be a key to its success.

Recent presidential appointments and the manner in which they have been made hardly bode well for the appointment of an appropriate diversity of experience and expertise. The appointments of the SABC interim board, JSC members and the Chief Justice are instructive in this regard. Furthermore, the status of this ministry currently has a veneer of credibility due to the image of the incumbent minister. Will this hold under the leadership of someone like Julius Malema?

The determination of a national vision must be inclusive and transparent. If it becomes a vision for "our" people, rather than "all" the people the initiative will be stillborn. Essentially this means we need a "national" vision not a "nationalist" vision.

Therefore the vision and the planning model must be based on the outcome of a national debate on what kind of country we want our children and their children to live in, in 2025, and on the nation's needs and aspirations.

Recognising that 6,3 million South Africans voted for opposition parties this vision cannot simply reflect that of the ANC's Polokwane conference. Minister you would also do well to recognise that "the road to hell is paved with both good and bad intentions" and that national, international and economic realities determine what can realistically be achieved.

The current lack of "cohesive nationhood" is caused by the cognitive dissonance brought about by the perceptions and experiences of citizens regarding the current state of governance and service delivery in our country, despite perennial ANC electoral promises.

For example the political and administrative meltdown in the North West Province has been ascribed to the ANC's provincial executive's factional deployment of incompetent cadres, nepotism, corruption and secret looting. I assume and trust that this was not planned.

Die stand van sake kan net toegeskryf word aan power politieke leierskap, swak dissipline en onverantwoordelikheid in die Staatsdiens. Minister Chabane het onlangs gesê dat die nodige strukture en maatreëls om mense vas te vat reeds bestaan, ons stem saam! - en dat sy ministerie uiterste gevalle na sulke strukture sal verwys - En wat dan?

Julle twee kan beplan en monitor so veel as julle wil, indien julle nie die inkoop, ondersteuning, vertroue van die President, die kabinet, Parlement, die provinsies en Plaaslike Regering kry nie, sal die hele inisiatief in duie stort.

Planning priorities will require tradeoffs and careful arbitration will be required both within the tripartite alliance, the public and private sectors. This will be complicated by the widening division between government, trade unions and the private sector. It is imperative that trade unions understand the often unpalatable realities and also to take the private sector on board with you by ensuring transparency and developing trust. Both sectors need to understand the role of the "developmental state" and that it should be a "helping hand" as opposed to an "iron fist."

For example government promised 500 000 new jobs by the end of the year. This is just not materialising whilst on the other hand a war of words has erupted between government and the DA on the matter of banning labour broking. This R23 billion sector is actually creating jobs that though casual; after an average of 8 months, 30% become converted into "decent jobs". Now surely in this economic climate and considering the unacceptably high rate of unemployment you should be planning how to improve and regulate this sector rather than shutting it down.

My recent visits to sites of poor service delivery including Thokoza and Mthatha, confirm that poor planning and performance monitoring, results in ineffective, inefficient and uneconomic expenditure. This state of affairs will compromise the R5 billion capital/infrastructure investment in the King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality, which is intended to address the collapse of the infrastructure network, and which should not only ensure proper service delivery but assist in attracting economic investment to an extremely depressed area.

Many municipalities in the most depressed areas do not have coherent IDP's and LDP's yet have spent a fortune on consultancy proposals that are unrealistic, unaffordable and frankly unachievable. (An example of this is the Port St Johns so called "master" plan which is as fictional as its is fanciful)

In conclusion the DA does support this initiative in principle and appeals to all concerned to support it honestly and to commit to ensuring its success. For example newly appointed COO in the Presidency, the "spinning" Jessie Duarte will have to confine herself to reality and not become a reincarnation of "Essops" fables.

This initiative will mean that the ANC government will have to be prepared to take tough management decisions to make a difference - are you?