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Date : 09/09/2003
Source: The Presidency
Title: J Zuma: Answers to questions in NCOP


ORAL REPLIES BY DEPUTY PRESIDENT ZUMA TO QUESTIONS IN THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES, 9 September 2003

QUESTION NUMBER: 1

Mr L G Lever to ask the Deputy President:

Whether, in his capacity as leader of the moral regeneration campaign in South Africa, he is taking any steps to end corruption in Government; if not, why not; if so, what steps?

REPLY

Honourable member, I would like to point out at the outset that the country's moral regeneration campaign is a multi-sectoral initiative, which is spearheaded by the Moral Regeneration Movement, chaired by Father Simangaliso Mkhatshwa, the Executive Mayor of the Tshwane Metropolitan City.

It is an initiative of civil society and government and is civil society driven. I had the privilege, representing government, of launching the MRM on 18 April 2002 in Pretoria and later accepted the honour of being its Patron.

The Moral Regeneration Movement is about reinforcing values and morals in the all-encompassing sense. Preventing and fighting corruption is one of the key priorities of the MRM. Government's anti-corruption work and the Moral Regeneration Movement are interactive and mutually supportive.

As far as Government is concerned, combating corruption is a major government priority. At its Lekgotla in January 2003, Government defined its programme of work for the rest of 2003 in respect of corruption. The priorities include:

* The finalisation of the Prevention of Corruption Bill currently before Parliament
* The establishment of the Corruption Management Information System
* The building of departmental capacity to fight corruption
* The establishment of a revised whistle-blowing framework
* The strengthening partnerships against corruption
* The continued implementation of the Public Service Anti-corruption Strategy
* The roll-out of these strategies to local government, and
* An intensification of a public education programme.

The implementation of these strategies is proceeding well. These and other measures are a testimony to the commitment with which this Government seek to uphold the constitutional principles of transparency and accountability. We would like to appeal to all to assist us in all these endeavours.

QUESTION NUMBER: 2

Mr N M Raju to ask the Deputy President:

Whether the Government intends deploying SA National Defence Force troops to address the spate of murders in the taxi industry in KwaZulu-Natal; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

REPLY

The answer to the question is No.

The SANDF is scaling down the deployment of its troops inside the country. It is the South African Police Services that is primarily responsible for our internal security and it is only in certain extreme circumstances that the SANDF can assist on request from the SA Police Services.

Up until the end of June this year, there had been a significant decline in taxi violence in KwaZulu-Natal. This trend was, however, disrupted by an internal conflict within the taxi industry. The provincial department of transport has however taken steps to address the concerns that have given rise to the recent conflict.

The situation is being monitored by the Provincial Operational Co-ordinating Office Committee, which involves the SANDF, the SAPS, Intelligence, the Department of Transport and the Road Traffic Inspectorate amongst others.

The Provincial Operational Co-ordinating Office Committee is of the view that at this stage the South African Police Service and the Provincial Taxi Enforcement Unit of the Provincial Department of Transport are in a position to handle the taxi violence.

QUESTION NUMBER: 3

Mr B J Tolo to ask the Deputy President:

(1) What progress has been made by the Government to initiate dialogue, guided by the principles of NEPAD and the Constitutive Act of the African Union, with various countries, institutions and decision-makers in Africa in order to develop common definitions of what constitutes good governance and democracy;

(2) Whether the current level of engagement with local and international media and agencies is sufficient to identify and promote the positive developments that are taking place in respect of the above initiative; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

REPLY

1. As Honourable members will recall, the African Union, at its launch in Durban, adopted a Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa which, amongst others, endorses the development of clear standards of accountability and participatory governance at the national and sub-regional levels.

In order to take the discussions further, a conference on Elections, Democracy and Governance was held in Pretoria from 7- 10 April 2003 and was attended by a wide spectrum of experts from continental electoral management bodies, parliaments, civil society sectors and academics. The conference was organised jointly by the African Union Commission and the South African Independent Electoral Commission.

Significant outcomes from the conference included the endorsement of a Draft African Union Declaration on Elections, Democracy and Governance, as well as the Conference Statement, which provided for the establishment of a Forum of Electoral Management Bodies.

The Assembly of the African Union at its 2nd Ordinary Session in Maputo decided that the outcomes of the Pretoria Conference should be circulated to member states for consideration and comments. It was also agreed that the Commission should convene a meeting of experts to examine and enrich the documents.

Arrangements are also in place to launch the African Peer Review Mechanism. The Panel of Eminent Persons has been appointed and sixteen countries including South Africa have signed the Memorandum of Understanding of the African Peer Review Mechanism. The Panel of Eminent Persons has indicated that the first three countries will be reviewed before the end of this year.

(2) Strides have been made over the recent past in turning around perceptions in and outside the continent. The media have been engaged on almost every process that is taking place in the continent and reports about efforts aimed at enhancing good governance and democracy have been independently made and verified. However, there is still more to be done especially in conscientising the African citizenry about the NEPAD initiatives and the Constitutive Act of the African Union.

QUESTION NUMBER: 4

Ms L Jacobus to ask the Deputy President:

Whether, in his capacity as the chairperson of the SA National AIDS Council, he will make a statement on the strategic plans that have been developed to deal with the pandemic in a comprehensive and integrated manner?

REPLY

I believe the Honourable Member is referring to the five-year HIV/AIDS/STI Strategic Plan for South Africa that was developed by the Department of Health, in collaboration with various other role-players. The plan is a comprehensive strategy dealing with four focus areas namely: prevention; treatment, care and support; research, monitoring and surveillance, and human and legal rights.

The Strategic Plan, which is being successfully implemented, is a concrete action plan for the country as a whole, and not the health sector alone. We move from the premise that the fight against HIV/AIDS is the responsibility every individual and sector of our society.

All of us should make it our business to raise awareness and consciousness. Our ultimate goal is to see less and less people infected by HIV, that those already infected live healthy lifestyles, and that no discrimination towards living with HIV or Aids is tolerated.

Some sectors see the response to HIV and AIDS solely in terms of the supply of antiretroviral drugs. Unfortunately, as there is no cure for HIV and AIDS, antiretrovirals can only be one component of an AIDS strategy.

We believe strongly in forging partnerships against the disease. The South African National AIDS Council is an embodiment of such partnerships, and advises government on HIV and AIDS related matters. Part of its mandate is to monitor and coordinate implementation programmes and strategies of various sectors within the framework of the National HIV/AIDS/STI Strategic Plan.

It is only through partnerships that any significant progress will be made in the fight against HIV/AIDS and all other infectious diseases. On 10 October, we will be celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Partnership Against AIDS. We invite Honourable Members to on this day, rededicate themselves to the campaign against HIV/AIDS and to improving the quality of life of those infected and affected by the disease.

Issued by The Presidency
9 September 2003

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