Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders, Kgosi Bareki
Di-Kgosi, ke lo dumedisa
Honourable Premier of the Northern Cape, Mme Sylvia Lucas
Honourable Speaker of the House, Kenny Mmoiemang
Deputy Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders, Kgosi Toto
Deputy Speaker, Honourable Beukes
Fellow Honourable Revolutionaries, ANC Members of the Provincial Legislature
Stalwarts and Veterans of our Struggle
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Executive Mayors, Mayors, Speakers and Councillors
Chairperson of SALGA, Re Willie Johnson
Our Partners in Local Government and Human Settlements
Distinguished Guests
Comrades and Friends
Ladies and Gentlemen

Ke lo dumedisa lothle batho ba bantle ba ANC
Ke fela batho ba ANC ba ba kgonang go nna bantle
ANC ke yona mokgatlo o le mongwe yo e leng wa batho.

Ek groet al die mooi mense van die ANC
Dit is slegs ANC mense wat mooi kan wees
Die ANC is die enigste organisasie wat vir die mense is

I am once again humbled, privileged and honoured to present the 2016 / 2017 Budget Vote to the 5th Provincial Administration under the visionary stewardship of the African National Congress as the leader of society precisely because the African National Congress has fervently advanced its hegemony in society by advancing the idea of a united, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous society.

Honourable Speaker, the "Scramble for Africa", a deliberate European Project of invasion, occupation, division, colonization and annexation of African territories has always been met with fierce resistance from liberation movements. In celebrating Africa Month, under the theme “Building a better Africa and a better world” we dip our banners to combatants of Rwandan Patriotic Front, Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, South West Africa People's Organization, Zimbabwe’s People Revolutionary Army, Chama Cha Mapinduzi and the African National Congress.

African countries are microcosm of the broader African continent and no individual sacrifice can supersede an organisational conviction, however Honourable Speaker, during Africa Month I would be failing if I do not recognize the colossal contribution of Julius Nyerere, Oliver Tambo, Toivo ya Toivo, Nelson Mandela, Patrice Lumumba, Nkwame Nkrumah, Thomas Sankara, and Amilcar Cabral. Africa Month in essence calls for African Unity, Sheik Anta Diop, a Senegalese historian had this to say about African Unity “The African who has understood us is the one who, after reading of our works, would have felt a birth in himself, of another person, impelled by an historical conscience, a true creator, a Promethean carrier of a new civilisation and perfectly aware of what the whole earth owes to his ancestral genius in all the domains of science, culture and religion.  Today each group of people, armed with its rediscovered or reinforced cultural identity, has arrived at the threshold of the post-industrial era. An atavistic, but vigilant, African optimism inclines us to wish that all nations would join hands in order to build a planetary civilisation instead of sinking down to barbarism." 

Honourable Speaker, A German Philosopher, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel once quipped, “We learn from history that we do not learn from history”.

Honourable Speaker, The African National Congress National Executive Committee in its January 8th Statement delivered by President Jacob Zuma deliberately declared 2016 as a “THE YEAR OF ADVANCING PEOPLES’ POWER: LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS IN YOUR HANDS”. This clarion call is entrenched deeply within the society within which the ANC exists. The centrality of the ANC in advancing people’s agenda has been a preoccupation of the ANC since its inception and moreover so in the maturing democracy. The Freedom Charter remains the revolutionary guiding compass with intent of accelerating the program of the ANC of Unity in Action towards socio-economic freedom. The National Development Plan remains a concrete strategy of emancipating the lives of ordinary people and reducing poverty, inequality and unemployment.

The Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs being firmly grounded around its vision of People of the Northern Cape living in integrated human settlements, with responsive, accountable and highly effective municipalities and traditional institutions has been rated second in the Province for improved service delivery by the Department of Public Service and Administration.

TITLE DEED RESTORATION
Honourable Speaker, on the 3rd of May 2016, the Minister of Human Settlements during the Human Settlements Budget Vote made a clarion declaration that the title deeds backlog in the Province will be eradicated. The Department has been aware of the growing challenges and has taken action to address the backlog in a coordinated approach.

The Estate Agency Affairs Board’s role in terms of the Title Deed Restoration Project is to secure tenure and clear property rights the housing beneficiaries in order to improve their economic participation in the property market, as means of poverty alleviation and wealth creation. The EAAB mandate in the project ensures that rightful occupiers of state housing receive legal proof of property ownership in the form of the title deed, in a timely and affordable manner with a purpose of:

• Beneficiaries being able to use their properties as their means and factors of production.
• Beneficiaries being able to use their housing asset as a shelter, investment vehicle and also part of the estate and legacy to be inherited by their future generations.
• To transact with their property in an informed and empowering manner;
• Enabling the State to maintain a cadastre and Deeds Registry which has integrity, creditability, economic value and thus converting “dead assets” into investment assets;
• Municipalities can effectively manage land use, installation and maintenance of services and amenities, and maintain a mutually beneficial and symbiotic rates’ payer base.

Recent reports from Housing Subsidy System indicates that the Northern Cape COGHSTA has a backlog of 21 160 for Post-1994 properties. Pre-1994 stock is estimated at 3 705 but this figure might increase due to many “older” areas currently being formalized Post-94. The backlog presented to the National Department of Human Settlements in the Implementation Plan is 24 865. In order to fast track and monitor the Title Deed Restoration Project the Department and all the Municipalities have appointed dedicated conveyancers to the complete the process.

The following progress has been achieved to date:

• 2014/2015 Financial Year = 648 Title Deeds
• 2015/2016 Financial Year = 2 380 Title Deeds
• Title Deeds ready for handover = 2 829
• 2016/17 Financial Year = 8173 properties

Honourable Speaker, from transferring only 648 title deeds in 2014 to being able to transfer over 8000 title deeds per year, tell me, is that not a good story to tell? Somlomo, ayilo e bali elihle lokubalisa ?

The Title Deeds Restoration Project is not an end to itself, over and above the fact that title deeds confirms ownership and improves the livelihood strategies and traction to secondary market.

In terms of the Housing Consumer Education Programme, 3000 homeowners were trained in regard to modules on maintenance of their houses, roles and responsibilities of home ownership, the importance of a title deed and testaments.  Our Housing Consumer Education Programme will further advice our people that has been given a free house to never ever sell it, even it they are allowed to after eight years to do so.  A house must be appreciated as being a Anti-Poverty mechanism, which is an Asset able to destroy intergenerational poverty.

Honourable Speaker, the Freedom Charter proclaims: “All people shall have the right to live where they choose, be decently housed, and to bring up their families in comfort and security; Slums shall be demolished, and new suburbs will be built where all have transport, roads, lighting, playing fields, crèches and social centres; Fenced locations and ghettoes shall be abolished, and laws which break up families shall be repealed”.

Provision of sustainable human settlements restores the dignity and affirms a sense of belonging, security, identity and ultimately a place called home.

Honourable Speaker, one wise man once remarked that we should “hide nothing from the masses of our people”.  Our track record of delivering free houses is unparalleled, our track record to provide free houses is unmatched.  We have over the period of freedom and under ANC stewardship delivered more than sixty seven thousand (67 000) free houses, to the working class and the poor. The wise man said “Hide nothing from the masses of our people” and may I rephrase him, by stating “Hide nothing from the masses of our people tell your good story”.

The Human Settlements Development Grant (HSDG) was reduced at the beginning of the financial year from FOUR HUNDRED AND ONE MILLION (R401M) to THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHT MILLION (R380M) due to budget constraints in the National Budget Cut. However, the Department received an additional HUNDRED MILLION (R100m) re-allocation from under spending provinces. With this total budget we achieved the following:

• 66 houses rectified
• 1337 houses built
• 660 households provided with basic infrastructure and
• 2621 properties transferred

Honourable Speaker, The Department also embarked on an extensive Asbestos Rectification programme for the entire province. The first leg has been completed wherein thirty one thousand (31 000) apartheid-build houses has been examined and confirmed to have been constructed with contaminated asbestos material.

The Department funded seven municipalities that are delegated to perform certain housing functions, in terms of the Municipal Accreditation Programme; with a Capacitation Grant of SIX MILLION AND FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND (R6, 4M) .The funding was used by the municipalities to augment their operational funding to perform their delegated housing functions. The municipalities are Francis Baard District Municipality, Z.F Mgcawu District Municipality, John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality , Sol Plaatjie Municipality, Emthanjeni Municipality , Pixley ka Seme District Municipality and Khara //Hais Municipality.

Pre-accreditation assessments were conducted for the following municipalities that applied to be considered for various levels of accreditation:

• John Taolo Gaetsewe and Namakwa District Municipalities; and
• Emthanjeni and Nama Khoi Local Municipalities

These municipalities will be assessed in future by the Capacity and Compliance Assessment Panel to be appointed by the National Department of Human Settlements.

HONOURABLE SPEAKER, THE HUNTER IN PURSUIT OF AN ELEPHANT DOES NOT STOP TO THROW STONES AT BIRDS. SIYAQHUBA.

The HUMAN SETTLEMENTS DEVELOPMENT GRANT for the financial year is THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY THREE MILLION AND ONE HUNDRED AND NINE THOUSAND (R373 109 000) of which THIRTY FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TWO THOUSAND (R35 582 000) is ring fenced for mining towns and ELEVEN MILLION AND NINE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THOUSAND (R 11 960 000) for title deeds pre and post 1994.

HONOURABLE SPEAKER, Mining towns of Sesheng , Bankhara , Kuilsville , Postmasburg , Marateng , Galowe in  Gamagara , Ga Segonyana , Kgatelopele and Tsantsabane will be direct beneficiaries of the THIRTY FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TWO THOUSAND.

ASIMANGA

HONORABLE SPEAKER, The Northern Cape Human Settlements Project List for 2016/2017 is resolutely spread throughout the province with a resolve of providing sustainable human settlements in all our 5 Districts.

• In Francis Baard we have allocated EIGHTY FIVE MILLION SEVEN HUDRED AND FORTY TWO THOUSAND.
• Z.F Mgcawu , the total allocation is SEVENTEEN MILLION ONE HUDRED AND THIRTY NINE THOUSAND
• John Taolo Gaetsewe is standing at TWELVE MILLION SEVEN HUDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND
• Namakwa we have allocated TWENTY MILLION THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND.
• And Lastly Pixley ka Seme is standing at FIFTY TWO MILLION NINE HUNDRED AND TEN THOUSAND.

Honourable Speaker, Lerato Park, our catalytic Project will receive a total allocation of EIGHTY ONE MILLION.

The planned targets for this budget is to transfer 8173 properties, plan and survey 5663, service 3320 sites with civil engineering services and build 1152 houses to qualifying beneficiaries. The delivery of houses to Military Veterans is a phenomenal quest and I am delighted to announce that the construction of 50 houses will be completed in the 2016/17 financial year to all eligible candidates from the one thousand two hundred and thirty three houses planned.

Honourable Speaker, the wise man once remarked that we should “Mask no difficulties, mistakes, or failures.” The first come, first free housing allocation methodology has been a mistake, a mistake which gave us more difficulties as a caring peoples government, and a difficulty which has regarded our sincerity as a failed project.  Fortunately we are reminded by the wise man that I “must have the courage of my responsibilities.”  Our new approach, to remedy the past weaknesses is to prioritise the aged and the disabled or those living with families who are disabled. For under 40 years of age women and youth to qualify, they must possess particular vulnerabilities, for example child-headed households, victims of crime, etcetera. In addition, families where there is rampant poverty, as identified by our Balelapa household profiling. 

Honourable Speaker, rona e tshwanetse go nna mmogo.  Ons moet verenig wees hieroor…  retshwanentse gona mogo, rekopane.

I am pleased to announce the Lindelani project which is indeed a feather in the hat is nearing completion with an envisaged 303 units successfully constructed.

The Youth Brigade Programme will be extended to the Lerato Park Integrated Programme in order to empower 200 youth in the built environment disciplines. This is an extension of a similar programme that was previously implemented at the Lindelani Project, during youth month in the previous financial year, whereby 200 youth engaged in activities that empower and expose them to the construction sector whilst entrenching the culture of service. The Youth Brigade Programme will be implemented in partnership with the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).

The accredited municipalities will continue to be supported through the provision of the Capacitation Grant, a process that will be annually reviewed in terms of performance.

Through the National Upgrading Support Programme, in partnership with the Housing Development Agency (HDA) and National Department of Human Settlements, upgrading plans will be developed for municipalities with large concentrations of informal settlements as per the provincial informal settlements strategy.

The Department, in partnership with the National Department of Human Settlements, will assist the Sol Plaatje, //Khara Hais and Phokwane Local Municipalities with project implementation plans as part of the National Upgrading Support Programme, this entails the implementation of upgrading plans, programmes and strategies that were previously developed. The Housing Development Agency (HDA) will continue to be responsible for project implementation of informal settlements in mining towns through the Revitalisation of Mining Towns Programme in partnership with the department.

The Department is also allocated the amount of TWO MILLION (R2M) an Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) grant from Public works in terms of helping to create more job opportunities.

BACK-TO-BASICS

Honourable Speaker, the people of Côte d’Ivoire usually proclaim the following when they speak of determination “The river may be wide, but it can be crossed”. This has been a consistent approach embarked upon by the Department since the ushering of the Back-to-Basic Approach by President Jacob Zuma during the Presidential Local Government Summit.  The Back-to-Basics approach is a strategic intervention meant to enable municipalities to respond effectively and efficiently to the plight of people. The Back-to-Basic Approach is informed and driven by phases and deliverables. To date TWENTY EIGHT (28) Municipalities have adopted Action Plans, which is a good indication, and affirmation that Municipalities are adhering to the developmental process that is set out in phases. I can confirm honourable Speaker that SEVENTY PERCENT (70%) of Municipalities are reporting on Back-to-Basics Indicators. In terms of showcasing best practices municipalities, 2 are doing well and 9 improved municipalities are identified for showcasing as per B2B deliverables.

Key Interventions and Secondments have been made to a number of Municipalities with a view of turning around the state of affairs, which differs on merits from one Municipality to the other. We have seconded EIGHT functionaries to turn around state of affairs in various Municipalities. A plethora of factors were mitigating:

• Institution of section 106 investigation and assessment of financial problems.
• Declaratory order & Institution of Forensic investigation to deal with alleged fraud & corruption cases
• Improvement of administration
• Unlawful appointment of Municipal manager

The Municipal Finance Management Act Audit Outcomes remains critical in evaluating the financial performance and viability of municipalities. For the 2014/2015 Financial Year, we have:

• 2 Financially qualified with no matters
• 9 Financially Qualified with matters
• 13 Qualified
• 6 Disclaimers
• 2 Outstanding

Our top financially performing municipalities is the District Municipalities of Frances Baard and Zwelentlanga Fatman Mgcawu.  Municipalities where the narrative of good governance is within reach are municipalities of John Taolo Gaetsewe, Pixley ka Seme, Namakwa, Umsobomvu, Khai Ma, Emthanjeni, Sol Plaatje, //Khara Hais and Kareeberg - this is municipalities which received unqualified reports, with findings (or emphasis on matters which must be corrected).

Municipalities which were qualified, meaning that no conclusive basis existed for many elementary processes such as spending money, and having due regard for checks and balances, has been amplified. These municipalities are as follows: Joe Morolong, Gamagara, Kai !Garib, Mier, Richtersveld, Siyancuma, Siyathemba, Ubuntu, Karoo Hoogland, Kamiesberg, Thembelihle, Hantam and Kheis.

The municipalities, which are currently confronted with a deficit in leadership, where the syndrome of cognitive dissonance is present, are Dikgatlong, Ga-Segonyana, Kgatelopele, Magareng, Phokwane, Siyathemba and Tsantsabane.

We are highly optimistic that the 18,75% percent improvement in audit outcomes will be the turning point.  The singular barometer details progress of good news, as in 2011/12 disclaimed municipal audits were recorded in 18 municipalities, as opposed to the 6 disclaimed municipalities currently.  This coupled with a renewed collaboration between Provincial Treasury and Coghsta, through the conclusion of the Memorandum of Agreement, which details that Treasury will on a full time basis augment with substantive support, will enabled a turnaround…. in our lifetime!

Honourable Speaker, the wise man reminded us to “expose lies whenever they are told.”  The narrative that everything black is bad, and everything white is good belongs to the dustbin of history. Five years back we had 18 municipalities disclaimed, today 6 were disclaimed; this is the ABC of mathematics literacy. The wise man encourage us to continue to “educate ourselves, to educate other people (and to educate our people)”. A good story has no short legs, unlike lies that has a long imagination and a short memory.

Honourable Speaker, in 2015, the Minister of COGTA requested the Municipal Demarcation Board to investigate amalgamating Mier Local Municipality with //Khara Hais Local Municipality with a view to optimizing the financial viability of the new municipality. We can confidently report that after our submission the new municipality has been endorsed and the Section 14(5) Notice of the Municipal Structures Act has been published.  The tax base of the have’s will subside increasingly the tax base of the have’s not, meaning that the more abled taxpayers of the Upington area will augment the less abled of the Kalahari.  Weer eens agbare Spreaker, retshwanentse gona mogo, rekopane.

Honourable Speaker, Amilcar Cabral once warned us to “Always bear in mind that the people are not fighting for ideas, for the things in anyone's head. They are fighting to win material benefits, to live better and in peace, to see their lives go forward, to guarantee the future of their children” 
In the spirit of service delivery I can report that:

• Water provision remained the same at 97.4%;
• Sanitation improved to from 75% to 86%;
• Electricity improved to from 85% to 88%; and
• Refuse remained the same at 64%

Northern Cape has been allocated an amount of just under FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION AND NINE HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR THOUSAND (R 450 944 000.00) in 2014/15 financial year with additional TWELVE MILLION (R12 000 000) after stopping and reallocation.  The expenditure on MIG by the end of June 2015 was 85.3%, which showed an improvement of 8.8% as compared to 2013/14 financial year.  The total allocation for MIG for 2015/16 is FOUR HUNDRED AND FOURTY EIGHT MILLION AND FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO THOUSAND (R448 552 000) of which TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY TWO MILLION AND TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE THOUSAND (R242 253 000) (54%) has been spent.  About TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY SEVEN MILLION AND EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY ONE THOUSAND          (R 297 851 000) has been transferred to municipalities, of which 81% of it has been spent. The stopping and re-allocation process with National Department of COGTA and affected municipalities has been concluded and awaiting National Treasury decision.  The Department has further assisted these affected municipalities to put measures in place in order to ensure that they are able to spend the current transferred monies in their bank accounts.

Most municipalities are currently faced with the challenge of raising funds for counter funding on MIG projects due to low revenue collections and high indigence level within the municipalities. This impact negatively on the acceleration of service delivery provisions responsible for infrastructure though the other sectors (Public Works, Sports & Recreation etc.) are not participating even after receiving invitations.

The Department has established district infrastructure coordinating forums which is comprising of all sector departments and will be collaborating with Provincial Treasury to support and assist municipalities with updating and review of indigent policies and registers in the next financial year.

During 2015/16, after Spatial Planning & Land Use Management Act (SPLUMA) became effective on the 1 July 2015, the Department worked with the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) to prepare municipalities to be SPLUMA compliant. Almost all municipalities have land use management by-laws in place, they all either established single or belong to a joint or District Municipal Planning Tribunal (DMPTs) in line with the requirements of SPLUMA. Furthermore, Municipal Spatial Development Frameworks (SDFs) were assessed, and almost all of them are partially compliant with SPLUMA and therefore need to be reviewed. The Act requires that within five years from the date that SPLUMA became effective, all municipal Spatial Development Frameworks should be compliant with the Act (SPLUMA). The department’s focus for 2016/17, in relation to the implementation of SPLUMA, will be the training of Municipal Planning Tribunals as well as supporting municipalities in reviewing their Spatial Development Frameworks.

Honourable Speaker, in 2016/17 financial year, the Department will continue to work with the Office of the Premier (OTP) as well as South African Local Government Association and all other sector departments including National Departments that operates within the province, to improve municipal planning in the Province.  As we all know, 2016/17 is the last year of the current Integrated Development Plans (IDP) cycle. We will ensure that municipalities are supported in developing a new generation of Integrated Development Plans that reflects sectoral and spatial convergence. In addition, the department will work together with COGTA to support and capacitate district municipalities to develop District Integrated Development Plans that position district municipalities to be development facilitators. Through proper municipal planning, the service delivery challenges will be addressed and gradual local municipal economic growth will be achieved.

The Department is mindful of the fact that municipalities are having different planning capacities; one size fit all approach will defeat the efforts of the department.  In an effort to support municipalities, a differentiated approach will be used. Therefore, during 2016/17 financial year, in order to understand the planning needs of each municipality a study will be commissioned. The department will use internal capacity to conduct the study as it is filling all most of its vacant positions in Development & Planning sub-programme with registered professional planners. The outcomes of the study will help the Department structure its support to municipalities to be in line with planning needs of individual municipalities.

Furthermore, the Department will enhance the coordination of Disaster Management and Fire Services by elevating Disaster Management Centre to a level of the sub-programme. Filling the position in the fire service unit as well as the development of Provincial Disaster & Risk Management Plan will strengthen the operations of the centre.

The Northern Cape Province currently has 17 Community Works Programme (CWP) Sites operating in the Province, and is being implemented in the following Municipalities:

1. Dikgatlong	Barkly West	1000
2. Magareng	Warrenton	1000
3. Phokwane	Hartswater	1000
4. Sol Plaatje	Kimberley	1000
5. Kai !Garib	Kakamas	1000
6. Kgatelopele	Daniëlskuil	1000
7. Siyancuma	Douglas	500
8. Ubuntu	Victoria West	1000
9. Umsobomvu	Colesberg	500
10. Renosterberg	Petrusville	1000
11. Mier	Mier	500
12. Khâi-Ma	Pofadde	1000
13. Richtersveld	Port Nolloth	1000
14. Emthanjeni	De Aar	1000

15. Kareeberg	Carnarvon	1000
16. Joe Morolong	Kuruman	1500
17. Gamagara	Kathu	1000

The target for 2015/16 ending 31 March 2016 was 16 000 job opportunities. The target stood at 14 848 by the end of February 2016.

The Province’s target for the financial year 2014/15 ending 31 March 2015 was 14 300 Community Work Programme opportunities.

The Community Work Programme is on track to ensure that a meaningful contribution to the national target of providing a million work opportunities by the end of 2019. The Province’s contribution will be 30 000 Job opportunities.

Honourable Speaker, The Community Works Programme has been expatiated to 10 Municipalities in the Northern Cape for the 2016/ 2017 Financial Year. The following Municipalities will be beneficiaries of the Community Works Programme:

Ga-segonyana	500
Hantaam	500
Nama Khoi	500
Karro Hoogland	500
Nama Khoi	500
Siyathemba	500
Thembelihle	500
Kheis	500
Khara //Hais	500
Tsantsabane	500

Im elated to announce that from 2016 to 2019 we will be introducing Local Implementing Agencies to participate in the programme. 

Honourable Speaker, We are soon entering the initiation season, we are very resolute when we say the commercialization of the initiation must fall. Profits should never be a motive force at the expense of ruining the lives of young initiates and degrading the rite of passage tradition. The Northern Cape Initiation Schools Bill, which aims to regulate and enforce Initiation practice and curb illegal initiation in the Province, will be enacted in 2016.

Honourable Speaker, the Traditional and Khoi-San Bill is in its the final stages of promulgation and soon public hearing in line with section 76 Bill process through the National Council Of Provinces will commence. This will repeal the current Traditional Leadership and Framework Act 41 of 2003 and incorporate the Khoisan Traditional leadership.

I am also pleased to announce that we have agreed on a substantive agreement regarding ‘Tools of Trade’ with the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of Northern Cape House of Traditional Leaders with an intention of enabling the traditional leadership to perform their functions optimally.  More work will be done with our traditional leadership to ensure all are capable and able to dispense with their community responsibility. Re tla dula rethabile.

Honourable Speaker and Members;
I would like to take this opportunity and acknowledge the visionary leadership of our Premier, Mme Sylvia Lucas who is at the helm of driving the developmental agenda in this Province. Her continued resilience and conviction of bettering the lives of ordinary people of Northern Cape with passion and enthusiasm is inspiring.

To the Members of the Portfolio Committee responsible for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs led by Honourable A.J Beukes, all I can convey is nothing but gratitude in a manner in which you assisted to steer the Department.

May I also acknowledge the COGHSTA team under the stewardship of the Head of Department, Mr Van Heerden who has been instrumental in championing ferociously the hopes and aspirations of Northern Cape and her people.

To my wife, Roschelle Botes, who continues to be an unwavering pillar of strength and support. The wise man said “Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies.” You have crystallised what is meant by our wedding vows “to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse”.  We have gone through the worse of mankind, through the most severe difficulty people could subject us too. I will return your loyalty and this is my solemn vow. As Amilcar Cabral said in 1965, “Nothing of this is incompatible with the joy of living, or with love for life.”  The wise man has spoken.

Honourable Speaker

It is my pleasure once again to present to you Budget Vote 9 of the Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs for appropriation.

Honourable Speaker, Our budget allocation for 2016/17 amounts to a total of SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX MILLION ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND, reduced from SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE MILLION SIX HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND for the corresponding period last year. This represents a negative growth of 5, 6 percent from 2015/16 financial year.  Administration receives 13 percent or EIGHTY NINE MILLION NINE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SEVEN THOUSAND, Human Settlements receives 64% or FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE MILLION SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR THOUSAND, Co-operative Governance receives 20% or ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR MILLION FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY EIGHT THOUSAND and Traditional Affairs receives 3% or TWENTY MILLION AND SIXTEEN THOUSAND, respectively.