Date: 12/03/2003
Source: The Presidency
Title: J Zuma: Answers to questions in NA


REPLY FROM DEPUTY PRESIDENT ZUMA TO QUESTIONS FOR ORAL REPLY IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, 12 March 2003

QUESTION NUMBER: 1

Mr ES Magashule (ANC) to ask the Deputy President:

Whether any measures are being implemented to encourage the participation of the mass of the people in development programmes; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what measures and (b) how successful have they been?

REPLY:

This Government believes it is very important for the masses of our people to be involved in programmes regarding the development of the areas in which they live and work.

As local government is the sphere of government most accessible to the people we have made it a legal requirement that municipalities must involve their communities in the development of their Integrated Development Plans or IDPs.

An assessment that was conducted on the Integrated Development Plans in June 2002 concluded that the rate of community participation in the process was in the region of 65%. The assessment is being studied with a view to ascertaining how to deepen public participation in the future.

Apart from this programme, we are involved in a number of initiatives to encourage the participation of the public in development programmes. An important element of this is the imbizo programme, which has been rapidly expanded to allow more and more people to share their views on the improvement of their lives with the President, Deputy President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Premiers, MECs and councillors. The imbizo focus weeks last year involved almost 800 events in different parts of the country. This year's first focus week runs from the 31st of March to the 5th of April.

The imbizo system is one of the most effective means of bringing about people's participation in government programmes.

QUESTION NUMBER: 2

Mr DHM Gibson (DP) to ask the Deputy President:

(1) Whether the Cabinet Code of Conduct contains a prohibition on Ministers soliciting money, either for themselves or their party, from any person or organisation having official business with the Government; if not, (a) why not and (b) what mechanisms are in place to prevent corruption with regard to persons and organisations seeking contracts, permits or other favours from the Government; if so, how is the relevant clause enforced;

(2) Whether any Cabinet members have transgressed this code of conduct; if so, what are the relevant details?

(3) Whether Members of the Executive Committees of the provinces are bound by this code; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

REPLY

Honourable Member, the answers to your questions are contained in the Executive Members Ethics Act of 1998 and the Executive Ethics Code, which was tabled in this House for comment. However, as you have put the questions to me, let me provide you with the answers as contained in those documents.

1. The Executive Ethics Code prohibits members from soliciting gifts or benefits, which are in return for any benefit received from the member in the member's official capacity; or which constitute improper influence on the member, or which constitutes an attempt to influence the member in the performance of the member's duties.

2. No. Breaches of the Code are investigated by the Public Protector after a complaint by the President or a Member of Parliament. I am not aware of any complaints against Cabinet Ministers having been made.

3. Yes. The Executive Ethics Code also applies to Members of a Provincial Executive.

QUESTION NUMBER: 3

Mr MF Cassim (IFP) to ask the Deputy President:

(1) Whether the Government has identified which department or departments will be given the responsibility of ensuring the multipurpose community centres achieve the standard envisaged by the President in his State of the Nation Address; if not, why not; if so, which department or departments;

(2) Whether these departments will report to Cabinet and to Parliament; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

REPLY:

1. The Multi-purpose Community Centres are a milestone development in terms of bringing government to the people, and in assisting people in remote areas to access government information and apply for services such as identity documents and social grants without having to travel long distances.

The Multi-purpose Community Centres programme, or One Stop Shops as they are called in communities, are coordinated by the Government Communication and Information Service under the guidance of Cabinet. It involves both national and provincial departments. The Department of Public Works is responsible for the physical development of the building housing the centre. Other national departments involved are the Departments of Arts and Culture, Science and Technology, Communications, Public Service and Administration, Home Affairs and Labour. Coordination takes place through local, provincial and national structures established by GCIS in partnership with their national and provincial counterparts. The structures ensure the coordinated roll out of government programmes and services through the Multi-purpose Community Centres and promote integration in providing services at these centres.

There are currently 34 operational MPCCs, which are being used by a growing number of departments for programmes and service delivery. As the President has stated, the number of centres will be increased so that there is at least one centre in each district.

2. GCIS reports on the rollout and establishment of MPCCs via the Minister in the Presidency both to Cabinet and Parliament. As the MPCC programme is intergovernmental, individual departments, which provide government services in the MPCCs, also report to Parliament and reflect these activities in their annual reports.

QUESTION NUMBER: 4

Ms MC Lobe (ANC) to ask the Deputy President:

Whether the objective of co-operative governance has been achieved between national, provincial and local government spheres; if not, what have been the obstacles and (b) what can be done to encourage co-operative governance; if so, to what extent?

REPLY

We included a chapter on Cooperative Governance in our Constitution in order to emphasise the importance of the three spheres of government working together to improve the lives of our people. From 1994, we have both in policy and in practice, striven to make the concept of cooperative government a workable reality.

We have created an interacting network of institutions at national, provincial and local levels some of the different structures that came into being are:

* The President's Coordinating Council (which consists of the President, the Deputy President, the Minister for Provincial and Local Government and the Premiers of the provinces)
* The MinMecs which have promoted cooperation between national and provincial government departments in areas of concurrent jurisdiction
* The Cabinet and Directors-General Cluster committees have reduced the fragmentation of governance within and between government spheres.

There are also policy processes and programmes of government that ensure that government works together in an integrated manner. For example all spheres participate in the planning framework of government. Another example is the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development and the Urban Renewal Programme, which seeks to demonstrate how sustainable development, can be attained through integrated governance between national, provincial and local spheres.

It needs to be noted that it is relatively easy to create structures and mechanisms for intergovernmental cooperation, but that it requires a longer-term process and commitment to create a new culture or way of working together as different government spheres. Significant progress has been made in this regard though, and government is fully committed to extending and building this culture of intergovernmental cooperation as the best way of bringing about improved service delivery and a better life for all.

Issued by The Presidency
12 March 2003