Local Government Budget Speech 2013

Honourable Speaker
Honourable Premier of the Western Cape
Provincial Cabinet Colleagues
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Executive Mayors
Municipal Managers
Partners in Local Government
Invited Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Speaker,

There are few things as nice as sitting down to watch a sports match. I am a great supporter of the Stormers and the Proteas and Bafana Bafana. The one thing I know about sports is that it is the team that plays together as a team that wins the match.

When I think about the work of my Department, I know the same is true: whatever we achieve, we are achieving as a team. This is a team that includes my Department, other government departments, municipalities, communities, and the Standing Committees.

If we want to continue improving the lives of our people, we will have to do it together. 

We now have one plan that we are following, which is the National Development Plan. 

We have a common Provincial Strategic Objective, which is to integrate service delivery so we can maximise impact.

We have the same goals, and now we must pull in the same direction.

Improving Basic Service Delivery

Speaker,

The Census 2011 results have been released. What is very striking is that our population has increased by 28.7% over the last decade.

At the same time, access to basic services has increased in the Western Cape. In 2001, access to piped water was 98,3%, and now it is 99.1%.

Access to flush toilets was 88.5%, and it has increased to 91.6%, and the number of people with no toilet facilities has been reduced from 7.7%  to 4,7%.

Access to electricity for lighting has increased from 78,8 % to 93.4%.

This means that despite the huge increase in the number of people in the Western Cape, access to basic services has not only kept up with this increase but has improved.

This was achieved because we all worked together: national government provided the funding, provincial government provided technical support, and municipalities implemented the projects that made this possible.

Speaker, my Departement het oor die afgelope paar jaar groot klem op die opgradering van water en sanitasie infrastruktuur geplaas.

Ons het in 2010 ’n Water en Sanitasie Plan vir alle distriks- en plaaslike munisipaliteite in die Provinsie voltooi en ons het munisipaliteite aktief ondersteun om projekte te implementeer.

Ek is trots om te sê dat afvalwater behandelingswerke tans gebou word, en ander is reeds voltooi, in onder andere Paarl, Wemmershoek, Swellendam, Worcester, Uniondale, Robertson, Citrusdal, Knysna, Piketberg, Struisbaai, Paternoster, Lambertsbaai, Malmesbury en Saldanhabaai.

Afvalwater projekte sal tydens 2013 in Velddrif, Ladismith, George, Wilderniss, Barrydale, Nelspoort, Stellenbosch, Montagu, en Klapmuts gebou word. Water-verwante projekte sal in Worcester, Struisbaai, Napier, Calitzdorp, Albertinia, Thembalethu in George, en Kwanokuthula in Plettenbergbaai gebou word.

Dit is ’n baie lang lys, en demonstreer die munisipaliteite se toewyding daaraan om ’n veilige en gesonde omgewing te skep.

My ingenieurspan ondersteun munisipaliteite deur die projek beplanning- en implementeringsproses en munisipaliteite het weereens meer as 99% van die Munisipale Infrastruktuur Toelaag toewysing spandeer.

Ek wil ons vennote wat dit moontlik gemaak het, bedank.

Verteenwoordigers van die Departemente van Watersake, Kultuursake en Sport, Omgewingsake en Ontwikkelingsbeplanning en die Nasionale Departement van Samewerkende Regering ontmoet maandeliks met Munisipale Ingenieurs om struikelblokke tot implementering te identifiseer en te verwyder.

Ons sou dit nie bereik het as ons nie as ’n span gewerk het nie.

Speaker, ons het in die laaste jaar daarop gefokus om veral vyf munisipaliteite met infrastruktuur beplanning by te staan. Die uitkoms was ’n eenvoudige, implementeerbare infrastruktuur plan vir Theewaterskloof, Kannaland, Stellenbosch, Matzikama en Cederberg.

Elke plan behandel die stand van massa infrastruktuur, ruimtelike en ekonomiese perspektiewe, prioriteitsprojekte en finansiële kapasiteit. Ons sal in die komende jaar bystand aan ’n verdere sewe munisipaliteite bied. 

Wanneer infrastruktuur in plek is, moet dit onderhou word en gemeenskapslede wat die dienste gebruik wat deur die infrastruktuur voorsien word, moet vir die dienste betaal.

Ek is verheug dat die meerderheid van inwoners in ons Provinsie vir hul dienste betaal en ek doen beroep op dié wat nie betaal nie om deel van die span te word en ons te help om dienslewering te befonds.

Verbetering van Regering en Administrasie

Speaker, ’n munisipaliteit kan slegs doeltreffend en volhoubaar funksioneer as daar goeie regeringstelsels in plek is. 

Een van hierdie is ’n stelsel wat nakoming van die wette en regulasies wat op munisipaliteite van toepassing is, te verseker.

Ek het verlede jaar belowe dat ek munisipaliteite met ’n nakomingsmodel sou bystaan. Ons het hierdie jaar vier munisipaliteite gehelp om hierdie model te implementeer. Dit is ’n hulpmiddel wat baie voordele inhou: dit laat munisipaliteite toe om na te speur hoe hulle aan die 16 mees belangrikste plaaslike regerings wetgewings voldoen, en dit stel vir my in staat om my monitering- en ondersteuningsfunksies uit te voer.

Hierdie nakomingsmodel sal slegs werk as ons almal daaraan toegewy is. Munisipaliteite moet nakoming ernstig opneem, aangesien dit ’n steunpilaar van goeie regering is en dit sal bydra tot beter oudit uitkomstes.

Die nakomingsmodel sal in die toekoms 44 wette hanteer en later sal dit uitgebrei word tot meer as 100 wette.

Ons sal volgende jaar nog vyf munisipaliteite bystaan om hierdie model te implementeer en ek is verheug dat baie munisipaliteite die inisiatief neem om dit sonder ons finansiële ondersteuning te implementeer.

I also promised that my Department would help municipalities to compile one set of by-laws for all the towns that previously had separate Councils. This is called a Municipal Code, and my Department compiled 10 Municipal Codes using historical records.

Next year, we will compile another 10 Municipal Codes and hand them over to municipalities. In addition, working together with the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, we have been able to provide training in by-law enforcement to four municipalities.

It is also important for municipalities to root out fraud and corruption.

My Department has worked together with the Hanns Seidel Foundation to provide anti-corruption awareness training in all the Districts and to assist 11 municipalities in implementing their anti-corruption strategies.

Two hundred and forty-eight (248) municipal councillors and officials attended these sessions.

During 2011 this house finalised the Western Cape Privileges and Immunities Act. Information sessions on the implications of this Act were held in this financial year and reached 21 municipalities and 204 councillors.

The importance of the impartiality of the Speaker, order and respect in council, and the oversight responsibility over executive and administrative action were fully canvassed in these sessions.  

These messages are important because these are but a few of the obligations placed on councillors before they can rely on the protection of privilege and immunity.

Die werk van raadslede is van die uiterste belang om goeie regering te verseker. My Departement het die derde fase van raadslid opleiding voltooi.

Ons het die Provinsiale Tesourie en Departemente van Menslike Nedersettings en Omgewingsake en Ontwikkelingsbeplanning saamgebring en hulle het sektor-spesifieke opleiding oor finansiële bestuur, menslike nedersettings en omgewingskwessies gebied.

My Departement het saam met baie belanghebbendes gewerk om die hulpbronne te voorsien wat munisipaliteite benodig vir goeie regering.

Saam met hulpbronne kom daar egter verantwoordelikheid: munisipaliteite moet daaraan toegewy wees om die nakomingsmodel te implementeer, om hul verordenings toe te pas en om bedrog en korrupsie na te speur en uit te wis. 

Dit is my werk om te moniteer of munisipaliteite goed regeer word. Ek sal wetgewing ter tafel lê om Artikel 106 van die Wet op Munisipale Stelsels te versterk en om sodoende my oorsigsrol te versterk. Hierdie wetgewing sal my instaat stel om sekere inligting van munisipaliteite te versoek en om vinnig op te tree indien daar belangrike kwessies is.

Ek moes reeds in Swellendam optree. Dit is ’n voorbeeld van ’n span wat nie ’n gemeenskaplike doelwit het nie, en wat nie saam speel nie.

Ek het saam met die Minister van Samewerkende Regering en Tradisionele Sake, Richard Baloyi, gewerk om stabiliteit in Swellendam te bring.

Ek het een van my Hoof Direkteure as Waarnemende Munisipale Bestuurder ontplooi, en ons maak vordering op sommige sleutel kwessies. Die Waarnemende Munisipale Bestuurder word aktief deur ’n aantal eenhede in my Departement ondersteun, insluitende Openbare Deelname en Munisipale Regering.

Speaker, wanneer mense nie saam werk nie, neem dit ’n lang tyd om die probleme wat ontstaan, uit te sorteer en dit sal vir Swellendam tyd neem om hul finansiële- en regeringsprobleme te oorwin.

Daar is ook bekommernis oor ander onstabiele koalisies en ek het binne my magte opgetree om in te gryp en om ondersteuning te bied. Ek vra egter vir raadslede en amptenare om hul mense eerste te stel en om saam te werk. 

Speaker, ek is baie bekommerd oor die hofsake teen munisipaliteite oor kwessies soos Eiendomsbelasting. My Departement het ’n gebruikers vriendelike gids oor eiendomsbelasting vir munisipaliteite vrygestel en bied nou bystand aan munisipaliteite om aan die wetlike vereistes deel te neem.

Die Eiendomsbelasting Fokusgroep, wat bestaan uit betrokke munisipale beamptes, speel steeds ’n belangrike rol in die deel van beste praktyke en om kwessies oor nakoming te onderstreep. 

Saam met hierdie hulpbron kom verantwoordelikheid. Munisipaliteite moet stelsels in plek sit om nakoming te verseker en belasting betalers moet hul eiendomsbelastings betaal.

Verbetering van Volhoubaarheid

Speaker, ek is baie bekommerd oor die langtermyn finansiële volhoubaarheid van munisipaliteite en die bekostigbaarheid van munisipale dienste. Dit is duidelik dat munisipale uitgawes styg en munisipaliteite kan min doen om hierdie stygings in te perk soos salarisse bo inflasie verhoog.

Inkomste word op dieselfde tyd minder as gevolg van die sukkelende ekonomie en die groeiende aantal mense op Deernisregisters.

Ek bring voortdurend hierdie kwessies onder die aandag by die verskillende forums wat ek bywoon, insluitende die Samewerkende Regering MinMEC.

Een spesifieke bydrae wat my Departement kon maak is in die area van Gedeelde Dienste. Ons het beperkte vaardighede, veral in die landelike gebiede, en hulle is duur.

Dit maak sin vir munisipaliteite om kundigheid te deel. Ons kon oor die afgelope jaar bystand aan twee distrikte bied om gedeelde dienste te implementeer.  

Munisipaliteite in die Weskus het ’n Risiko Bestuurder aangestel wat in die volgende paar weke sal begin werk, terwyl die Sentrale Karoo munisipaliteit ’n regsgeleerde aangestel het om met basiese regsondersteuning en dissiplinêre kwessies hulp te bied en die interne oudit funksie word ook gedeel.  

Ek is verheug dat die Duitse donateur GIZ onderneem het om vir ’n verdere twee jaar ondersteuning te bied in die uitbreiding van gedeelde dienste en inter-munisipale samewerkingsmodelle in die Provinsie. My span het ook begin om hul beste praktyke met kollegas van ander Provinsies te deel.

Ek glo dat ons ook kleiner munisipaliteite meer volhoubaar kan maak deur die tipe munisipaliteit van die Uitvoerende Burgemeester stelsel na die voltallige tipe te verander.

’n Groot gedeelte van hierdie munisipaliteite se begrotings word op die vergoeding van raadslede spandeer en in sommige gevalle dien die meeste van die raadslede op die Burgemeesterskomitee. Ek sal in die komende jaar ’n voorsteI oor hierdie kwessie voor Kabinet ter tafel lê.

Improving Planning

Speaker, I believe that we have taken integrated development planning (IDP) to the next level in the Western Cape. Through our successful IDP Indaba, over 15 departments and agencies are sharing their projects and plans with municipalities on an annual basis. These projects are now reflected in most IDPs. The same departments work together with us in assessing the draft IDPs of every municipality.

This is a fantastic example of a team that has one goal and works together. I would like to thank every one of the departments that has participated actively in the process and made such a difference in municipalities. I would like to ask municipalities to use our IDP assessments and project information to improve planning and delivery on the ground.

My Department will take IDP support to the next level this year.

We are assisting municipalities to create their own “spatial investment maps” that show where government investment is taking place, and have just convened a workshop with municipalities on this. Many people don’t understand how IDPs are relevant to their daily lives, and a focus in the coming year will be to assist municipalities to develop neighborhood development plans.

These plans reflect specific community projects that are identified through public participation processes, and responsibility for implementing these projects is clearly identified in the municipality.  

We will assist the targeted municipalities to develop and implement ward operational plans and neighborhood development plans. We will do this in partnership with municipalities and their ward committees, and we expect that communities and their organisations will respond by participating and committing their own resources.

We are also improving our risk reduction measures. Every district has been supported to update and maintain their Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, and planning for disasters is based upon this Assessment.

We have supported eighteen municipalities over the past three years to develop a disaster risk reduction chapter in their IDPs. In addition, a total of 32 hazards have been identified that could cause disasters in the Province.

The priority risks are fires in informal settlements, wild fires, and flooding.

Through risk reduction measures, the Centre mitigated the impact of these hazards, such as repeated flooding in the Montagu area, and we will work with the relevant authorities to develop a specific mitigation plan for each risk.

Improving Disaster Preparedness and Response

Speaker, in previous years I have highlighted the sterling work of the Provincial Disaster Management Centre in responding to fires and other disasters.

The Disaster Management Centre coordinated the response to farmworker wage protests that started in November and extended into January.  

There was close coordination and cooperation between the key stakeholders, including the SAPS, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Transport and Public Works. Based upon our experiences, we are putting in place mechanisms to detect and respond to similar protests proactively.

The fire team continues to provide aerial response within one hour of a fire being reported during daylight hours, and they will soon fly their hundredth sortie of the season.

At least 66% of fires were either extinguished or contained within the first hour, enabling ground support teams to gain access and control these fires.

Some extended attack operations also took place.

In the Hermanus fire during December, aerial fire-fighting continued beyond the first hour and prevented large scale destruction. A total of 26 runways were established throughout the Western Cape to provide logistical support to the 8 fixed-wing bombers, thereby reducing the turn-around and ensuring shorter response times to fires.

We will continue with these partnerships into the next year, but will be placing a particular focus on the prevention of informal settlement fires. To prevent and respond to shack fires, it is necessary to create public awareness, enforce building regulations, and ensure rapid response. We have already provided training to Fire and Life Safety Educators.

The Centre does a lot of other work that you may not know about.

We trained emergency officials with Special Operations Response. This means that if buildings collapse, we have the expertise to extricate people safely. This is a highly specialised training course that has been provided twice, with 60 people qualifying.  

Rescue South Africa has been a key partner in this process, and together we have developed a national resource that can be deployed anywhere in the country if required.

Speaker, we can provide much support to municipalities and the public in preventing and responding to disasters, but at the end of the day, every person must take individual responsibility.

Stompies should not be thrown into the veld. Candles and paraffin stoves should not be left untended near children.

Municipalities must constantly enforce building regulations and the public must respect these regulations to ensure that there is adequate space between shacks.

Verbetering van Toegang tot Dienste

Speaker, ek het verlede jaar baie besonderhede oor die Thusong Program gegee. Die Wes-Kaap gee 76% van sy hulpbronne aan die arm mense en dit is een van menigte departementele programme wat slegs op die arm mense gefokus is.

Ons het Thusong Liggingsplanne vir elke distrik ontwikkel en ek is gelukkig om aan te kondig dat 83% van die inwoners van hierdie Provinsie tans ten minste een keer per jaar toegang tot ’n Thusong Sone, Sentrum, Satelliet, Mobiele Thusong of Uitbreidingsdiens het. 

Ons Mobiele Thusong program het baie uitgebrei. Ons het oor die afgelope jaar meer as 42, 044 mense deur 39 Mobiele Thusongs bereik.   

Ek kan nie begin om die impak in ’n persoon se lewe, wanneer ’n Mobiele Thusong na hul gemeenskap kom, te beskryf nie.  

Mense kry toegang tot baie regeringsdienste in een plek in een dag en dit beteken dat hulle dienste en voordele van die regering kan ontvang.

Munisipaliteite en regeringsdepartemente is kritieke vennote in beide die Thusong Sentrum en die Mobiele Thusongs en ons sal in die komende jaar voortgaan met hierdie program.

Daar word elke jaar meer Thusong Sentrums gebou. Sentrums is oor die afgelope jaar in Langeberg (Robertson), Drakenstein (Paarl Oos) en Prins Albert Munisipaliteite voltooi.

Dit is egter nie genoeg om ’n Sentrum te bou nie: dit moet doeltreffend wees in die lewering van dienste. My Departement het funksionaliteit aanwysers ontwikkel om aan te dui waar ’n Thusong Sentrum moet verbeter.  

Sentrums is in sommige gevalle as gevolg van swak bestuur nie volledig funksioneel nie en ons vra dat munisipaliteite die bestuur van hul Sentrums voorop moet stel.

Ons het 72 Thusong Bestuurders en administrateurs in bestuur en kommunikasie opgelei.

Ons Gemeenskap Ontwikkelingswerkers (GOWs) kom uit arm gemeenskappe en hulle dien arm gemeenskappe.  

Die span het oor die afgelope jaar alle teikens wat in die Jaarlikse Prestasie Plan gestel is, oortref en hulle het meer as 300 inligtingsessies gehou, 14 regeringsinisiatiewe ondersteun, meer as 20,000 mense met spesifieke navrae bygestaan en 54 gemeenskapsprojekte ondersteun.  

Hulle is van onskatbare waarde vir gemeenskappe.

Mnr Speaker, ons ondersteun verder die Gemeenskap Werkersprogam (GWP), wat deur die Nasionale Departement van Samewerkende Regering en Tradisionele Sake in die provinsie geïmplementeer word.

Die aantal terreine het vanaf 3 tot 13 gegroei en die aantal deelnemers aan die program is naby aan die teiken van 9000. Ons rol is om munisipaliteite en ander vennote aan boord te kry om die Program by te staan om die teikens te bereik.

’n Opwindende program soos die Gemeenskap Werkersprogram dra ook egter enorme risiko’s. Baie deelnemers aan die program het vir my oor die afgelope weke gebel om te kla dat hulle nie betyds betaal word nie. 

Hiermee doen ek ‘n beroep op die nasionale departement en die implementeringsagente om te verseker dat mense betyds betaal word vir die werk wat hulle verrig.

Conclusion

Speaker, I am confident that as one team we can achieve everything we have set out to do. But in any sports match, it is also important to have a strong opposing team. It raises our game and focuses us even more.

I would like to acknowledge the Opposition, as well as the Standing Committees, to the work of the Department. You ask challenging questions and you offer suggestions. This holds us accountable and makes us a stronger team.

Sometimes a team loses members, and it is a sad time. Three of our colleagues have passed away in the last year.

Oerson Herder was a Community Development Worker serving the Matjiesfontein Community. He assisted the community to get ownership of Transnet Houses and mobilised R3 million for a nursery and herb garden project which now provides employment for 79 temporary workers.

Paul Klaase was a CDW from Klawer who assisted the community to buy two farms through the land reform programme. Through his partnership, hundreds of children are being fed and clothed in the area.

Corne Booyens was the office manager in the Head of Department’s office for six years. She managed the Thusong Mobiles during the past year and assisted more than 30,000 people.

I express my condolences to the families and would like to thank them for making it possible for their loved ones to serve the people of the Western Cape with such skill and dedication.

When I look back on the last year, I can see that we have achieved much together. Looking forward, the challenges are enormous, but I know that we can tackle them together.

Media Enquiries: 

Peter Pullen
Spokesperson for Minister Bredell
Tel: 021 483 2820
Cell: 082 574 3773