27 September 2001
Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP
Deputy President of the Republic
Honourable members
From the input of the Deputy President, it is clear that we are discussing our system of governance not because we doubt its correctness and appropriateness. The purpose of this debate is to find ways and means to enhance co-operation and co-ordination among the three spheres of government to ensure that they function effectively for the benefit of the people of South Africa.
Since the constitution came into force, both the national and provincial spheres of government have had time to grow, clarify their roles and create the necessary capacity to fulfil their obligations and functions. We now have new municipal structures, some of which are still going through a similar growing process that the other spheres had to go through.
A challenge for all of us as we look at how we could enhance co-operation among the three spheres, is to assist this newly established sphere of government in its growing phase and ensure that it has the necessary capacity to fulfil its obligations and functions.
In Gauteng we have already started a process of working together with all municipalities to ensure that they go through the growing phase much quicker and create the necessary capacity to serve their communities.
Of the six metropolitan areas in the country, three are located in Gauteng. The viability of the country's economy is intrinsically linked to the success of these municipalities. As the provincial government we therefore have a duty, working together with the municipalities, to ensure that the economic growth potential of these areas is fully exploited.
We also have three District councils that bring together key towns and cities in the province.
Over the past year, we appointed transformation managers to help transform these municipalities into centres of excellence in service delivery. Together with national government we have also assisted in building the capacity of councillors and officials.
We have set aside resources to enhance the viability and sustainability of these new municipalities. We are currently finalising the establishment of the Municipal Institutional Support Centre (MISC) to assist with change management, development of new financial systems, debt control and revenue regeneration, building treasury capacity in municipalities and creating effective municipalities.
The last Gauteng Intergovernmental Forum (GIGF) meeting also agreed on a range of measures aimed at strengthening the capacity of local government and working together to ensure the effective delivery of services, including the provision of minimum amounts of free water and electricity, and improving the billing system.
As part of our efforts to align policies of all spheres of government for effective economic growth, development and service delivery, we have examined Integrated Development Plans (IDP's) of various municipalities and suggested ways and means in which they can be linked to provincial strategies and plans.
One of the challenges we face in the province is that of cross border municipalities. It is the challenge of how to provide uniform quality services across provincial boundaries. Together with the provincial governments of Mpumalanga and North West, we will continue to look at effective ways to manage cross border municipalities in ways that are beneficial to the citizens of the respective provinces.
We would want to suggest that the NCOP visit some of our cross border municipalities to see how they are functioning to ensure that no province, ourselves included, abdicates its responsibility or dumps it on another province, particularly in areas that are not shared responsibilities such as health, education, housing and roads.
Together with national and local government we need to find a response in a multi-disciplinary way to respond to the fact that an estimated 25% of Gauteng households do not yet have access to water borne sewerage, clean running water and electricity.
We are currently working on a plan to ensure the provision of these basic services to all Gauteng residents within the next three years. Its success however will rely on a close working relationship and joint planning by all three spheres of government.
There is also a need to discuss the sometimes controversial issue of the powers and functions of all spheres of government. There may indeed be powers and functions that currently reside at national and provincial government levels, which may be better performed by local government. This is in addition to powers and functions that may currently reside with national government but require to be devolved to provincial government. This will in turn reduce the amount of conditional grants usually made available to provinces and municipalities.
The argument is sometimes raised that we should scrap provinces because most of them are not able to rise up to the challenge of service delivery. We disagree with this position.
We need to recognise first and foremost that South Africa has emerged from the transition with one of the best Constitutions with a system of government unprecedented anywhere in the world, albeit a hybrid of many systems of western democracies. We must work hard to ensure that it works. We must not allow the little hurdles and teething problems to distract us from this resolve.
The problems of capacity to deliver services effectively and efficiently are problems we must acknowledge. What most provinces are experiencing are indeed problems also faced by a number of national departments. It would be wrong to suggest that national departments struggling to find their footing must be dissolved. What is required is for the system of South Africa's governance to be consolidated.
We must be proud of the nature of our democracy, including how it was attained and how it is evolving day by day. A South African brand of democracy is being born here and many nations are watching to see how it prospers so that they too can learn from it. The South African Constitution is stronger in many areas. An attempt to dislodge one of its fundamental aspects, namely the structure of government, will not only send wrong signals to our citizens and the world, but does indeed shake our commitment to see our democracy mature.
Provinces serve not just practical functions of service delivery, as has been the focus of some critics. They serve even political imperatives such as political representation of a spectrum of people. We still have a highly divided country, geographically, economically and even socially. Its physical structure in many ways still represents apartheid's separate development patterns. Doing away with provinces will serve to perpetuate this reality.
What is required is to confront the real issues of the weakness of provinces and to continue to seek ways of addressing them. National government has an obligation to play a role in this work too.
Local government, on the other hand, plays an important role in our system of governance, conceived largely as a delivery and developmental organ. Section 153 of the Constitution requires that local government "structure and manage its administration and budgeting and planning processes to give priority to the basic needs of the community, and to promote the social and economic development of the community".
Seen as a developmental and delivery sphere of government, local government is accorded by the Constitution what can be referred to as administrative functions as opposed to policy and legislative functions which are explicitly accorded to the national and provincial spheres of government.
Although municipalities have powers to make by-laws, this is limited to making their "administrative" functions possible to carry out, thus limited to their delivery and developmental functions, evident in the kinds of issues both Parts B of Schedule 4 and 5 stipulate.
Together with municipalities in Gauteng, we are aware of the fact that our people cannot be spectators in policy formulation and service delivery. That is why we continue to give expression to our commitment to people-centred governance through a sustained programme of direct interaction and engagement with the people of this province, where they live.
This year alone, we have visited Randfontein, Zenzele and Bekkersdal on the West Rand, Van der Bijl Park, Evaton and Ratanda in Sedibeng, Bronkhorstspruit, Zithobeni and Rethabiseng in the Metsweding district, Daveyton in Ekurhuleni, Atteridgeville in Tshwane and Ivory Park in Johannesburg.
This programme is a living expression of direct government accountability to the people. It gives effect to people's right to know what government is doing and plans to do. It enables citizens to make their voices heard and impact directly on service delivery in their areas.
The cooperative nature of the South African system of government requires that each sphere of government does not act in isolation and that the country's resources are used in a way that balances the differing interests of each sphere of government as well as geographical areas by emphasising issues of shared interests to ensure maximum efficiency.
I thank you.
For more information contact:
Thabo Masebe at 082 410 8087