Deputy Speaker, the one problem that the DA has with this oversight report is that the most important department of this portfolio did not submit itself to the budget review and recommendations report process, BRRR process. Once again the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Cogta did not submit its annual report in time; it missed the deadlines.
Let's consider what this department is meant to do in terms of the Constitution and our very sophisticated municipal laws. The Department of Co-operative Governance
and Traditional Affairs within this portfolio has to monitor that other spheres of government - provinces and municipalities - fulfil their obligations, deliver services, have financial controls, and implement the rigorous supply chain management laws that are written into the Municipal Financial Management Act. Yet, it does not have its own house in order.
So, no wonder municipalities are falling apart: because the department for provincial government and municipalities is effectively dysfunctional. If we look at what has happened with irregular expenditure, with section 139 interventions that have failed, with municipal funds unlawfully deposited and lost in VBS Mutual Bank and with certain municipal officials not only keeping their jobs but in fact job hopping to avoid disciplinary consequences and being employed in other municipalities, it is clear that this department is in deep trouble and it is no wonder that municipalities do not have an example to look up to.
So, as for the rest of the content of this report, we are satisfied that most of the entities that report to Cogta
have their house in order. However, with the most important department being absent from oversight, we cannot possibly support this report. In fact, Deputy Speaker, we really call on the Minister to please report to the next portfolio committee what she is going to do with this director- general who didn't even attend committee meetings where he was called upon to account for his behaviour. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
By the look of things, we have objections here. Ride, hon member, it is fine.
Deputy Speaker, we reject the Portfolio Committee on Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs' Budget Review and Recommendations report. We do so because the report is based on the same assumption that informed the Division of Revenue Bill between spheres of government, which has not worked in the last 20 years.
The reality is that the ruling party and the committee have reached a point where they cannot think or see how
municipalities can be reorganised to drive service delivery, become centres of localised industrialisation and creation of jobs.
We have put firm and clear proposals, which if we are listened to, should have formed part of the key recommendations. We need to revive the Division of Revenue Bill to ensure that municipalities get the majority of the revenue raised nationally.
The assumption that municipalities collect revenue enough to deliver services for residents, whom many are unemployed, is misguided. Our people are jobless, landless and homeless. Majority of them cannot afford municipal services.
Municipalities must buy locally produced goods - Goods produced in their own areas, where they reside. Also, municipalities must insource cleaners, security guards, plumbers, artisans and other general workers.
We always hear about municipalities owing Eskom and water boards but no one tells us about the monies that are owed
to municipalities by national and provincial governments, and state entities. We must recommend that all monies owed to municipalities by national and state agencies be paid directly. Without these recommendations, we reject this report. [Applause.]
Hon House Chair, its mandate to improve the state of co- operative governance across all spheres of government, there must be a strengthening of capacity of the local sphere of government, so as to empower municipalities to manage their own affairs, exercise their powers and perform their functions.
Silo approach-based governance will never work in today's interrelated public service domain. The department therefore must take corrective action in this regard in order to ensure information sharing across all levels becomes a norm rather than an exception.
Department's legal fees incurred during this period are excessive and the IFP agrees that such must be investigated to ensure that fees are not inflated. Repeated late tabling of reports, such as the Department
of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs' annual report must not occur again as such disruptive practices have a knock-on effect and slow down the planned work of the portfolio committee.
Intergovernmental relations must function efficiently and this must be extended to traditional leadership whose leadership role in socioeconomic development and government programme must be strengthened. This department must support municipalities to deliver on the duties provided. [Interjections.]
Point of order!
Thank you, hon member!
On a point of order: The backbenchers of the ANC are busy calling each other there. [Interjections.] A phone in Parliament! [Interjections.] Backbenchers! [Interjections.] Backbencher behaviour! [Interjections.]
Shluthu!
Order, hon members!
Backbencher syndrome! [Interjections.]
An EFF backbencher!
Hon members, please! Hon members!
House Chairperson, on a point of order. On a point of order, House Chairperson!
Yes, why are you rising, hon member?
We humbly request that you take charge of the House. There are people who belong in early childhood development centres. [Applause.] They must stop attacking some people here. Can we have order in this House? [Interjections.] We need to open a preschool for these
people who like to play. He is very playful; he is a kid! [Interjections.]
Hon members! Hon members, order! Hon members! Hon members, please! Hon members, can we continue? The motion is that the report be adopted. Ooh, I am sorry. Hon members, you are disturbing the House. Your behaviour is unacceptable. Please!
Hon House Chair, section 154 of the Constitution states that the national government must support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage their own affairs, to exercise the powers and perform their functions. Yet, all ANC-governed municipalities are in total distress.
The question then arises: Does the department do their constitutional duty? The Department of Co-operate Governance and Traditional Affairs did not even have an annual report due to noncompliance - the same department that has to help and assist municipalities to comply with their financial and legislative duty.
In the lack of accountability and a laid back attitude of some officials - officials that have performance contracts - the ANC is not man enough to take stand and address the issues by firing such officials because they are also members of the ANC.
The same can be said about municipalities in the ANC that are not willing to act against their officials - officials that do have performance agreements in terms of the Municipal Financial Management Act. If you look at the Auditor-General's reports it states that municipalities have no political will and it shows by not acting.
Afrikaans:
Munisipaliteite in Suid-Afrika is slegte af as wat dit nog ooit in die afgelope 25 jaar was. Daar is munisipaliteite se dienste wat skipbreuk ly weens swak bestuur, wanadministrasie, tjo-tjo geldjies [money for bribes], korrupsie en die uitbuiting van staatskoffers. Dit wil voorkom dat, indien mense openbare gelde wil plunder en steel, dan moet 'n mens net goeie verbintenisse h. In
die geval van Suid-Afrika moet 'n mens net lid word van die ANC en ontplooi word om sulke beskerming te geniet.
Ek daag die ANC uit om my verkeerd te bewys en ontslae te raak van die amptenare, op alle vlakke van regering, wat nie voldoen aan hul prestasiekontrakte nie; waar mens duidelik kan sien dat daar agteruitgang is, soos in Emfuleni Munisipaliteit. Die ANC is dit verskuldig aan die belastingbetaler van Suid-Afrika. Dankie ... [Onhoorbaar.]
HON MEMBER: Chair, Ndlozi is going to the crche! [Interjections.]
Order, hon members! Hon members, order, please. Can you respect the speaker on the podium, please?
Hon House Chair, the ACDP notes that the main aim of the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs is to improve co-operative governance across the three spheres of government. If the three spheres or tiers of government could be viewed in a
linear progression, then certainly the significance of the tiers on the polar ends must be emphasised.
The Auditor-General of South Africa audited 257 municipalities and 21 municipal entities for the 2017-18 financial year. Of the audited municipalities, only 18 received a clean audit. The Auditor-General stated that irregular expenditure remain high, at R25,2 billion.
As Cogta fails to improve co-operative governance at a national and local government level, the ACDP calls on the Auditor-General to implement the authority that it now has in terms of the Public Audit Amendment Act, which gives his department the powers to act on corruption and the abuse of public funds.
The fact that Cogta Portfolio Committee was unable to assess the service delivery, financial performance, audit findings, the report achievements and challenges of the department largely because it had not tabled its annual report at the time of the BRRR process is shocking. This is an appropriate time to implement consequence management.
The ACDP also notes that the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, CRL Commission, incurred irregular expenditure of over R2 million and calls on the commission to get its house in order before attempting to force regulation on the church. The CRL Commission is for the promotion and protection of religious rights, not the impoverisation and the persecution of religious groups, and in particular, the church!
The ACDP cannot support this report and calls on members of the portfolio committee to hold and bring errant members of this department to account. I thank you.
Welcome, hon member!
IsiXhosa:
Mandibulele Sihlalo weNdlu, siyi-ATM siyayixhasa le ngxelo kodwa sinezinto eziphambili esifuna ukuzithetha ukuze zijongwe yikomiti. Okokuqala masivuyisane naba masipala bali-18, kodwa ndincome ngokukodwa uMasipala weNgingqi iSenqu. Oko wasekwa
usoloko ufumana uphicotho-zincwadi olungenachaphaza. Lo ngumasipala wasemakhaya, ezilalini phaa kooSterkspruit. Izinto aphuma phambili ngazo zii...
English:
... internal controls, credit control policy, debit collection policy and indigent policy that are in place.
IsiXhosa:
Kwakhona ingxaki yam ikula Masipala weNgingqi iMafube eFree State osoloko unechaphaza kuphicotho-zincwadi kulandelelana iminyaka ekubeni kukho ungenelelo phaya lwecandelo le-139. Eyona ngxaki yile ibikhe yakhankanywa yokungabeki iliso kuba ufumanisa ukuba...
English:
... the administrator that is deployed there...
IsiXhosa:
... zange wangena e-ofisini. Umasipala usasokola ngolaa hlobo wawusokola ngalo kungekabikho mlawuli abe phofu ehlawulwa. Loo nto ithetha ukuba...
English:
... close monitoring is of vital importance. Again, ...
IsiXhosa:
... kule nto yoomasipala abadityanisiweyo ufumanisa ukuba kusekho ingxaki, bayakwazi ukudityaniswa babe bathathu bengenangeniso bonke. Xa uyijonga isabelo sabo nezibonelelo abazifumana kwiphondo uye ubone ukuba zilingana nomasipala omnye phambi kokuba badityaniswe. Loo nto ithetha ukuba abancediseki kwaye kufuneka sibuye umva sijonge ukuba senze into elungileyo kusini na. Mhlawumbi siphinde siyiqwalasele laa nkqubo kuba basokola ngakumbi oomasipalala abebesokola ngaphambili. Xa sisiya kwingxaki yamanzi atyalwa ngoomasipala...[Kwaphela ixesha.] Enkosi kakhulu.
Hon House Chair, the NFP welcomes the report tabled here today. Chair, this particular department has quite a nice name: Cooperative Governance. This means it has a responsibility to ensure that governance in the particular structures that it deals with is of the highest level and standard.
Yet, if you look at the Auditor-General's report, you would find that only 18 of these municipalities performed well. So, the question that we ask is: Is this department doing justice to achieve success in terms of the delivery of services on the ground to ensure that resources are used optimally to cut down on corruption and wasteful expenditure.
I think I have said it previously, that over R240 billion a year is lost in this country as a result of not getting value for money. Despite drawing this House's attention to that, very little or nothing is being done by this particular department to try and correct that.
Now, whilst we welcome the unqualified audit report - and I am not sure how they got that to be honest with you - what we find is that the consequence management as a result of the failures has not materialised. Very little or nothing seems to have happened about that.
However, more importantly, I want to talk about the issue of the Khoi and San since it falls under this department. There is an outcry from the Khoi and San community that
leaders are being imposed on them; they are not elected by the large masses of the Khoi and San community. I think it is matter that we need to deal with. [Time expired.] Thank you very much. The NFP will support the report.
Chairperson of the House, the ANC rises to support the Budget Review and Recommendation Report of the Portfolio Committee on Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. Strengthening co-operative governance and integrated planning, implementation, reporting and monitoring is one of the ANC's apex priorities for the sixth administration.
Our people have spoken and called on government to move faster in service delivery. Cogta therefore plays a critical role in overseeing and promoting co-operative governance within the state. The department has achieved a clean audit for the financial year under review.
In supporting this budget, the ANC reiterates that Cogta should develop mechanisms to ensure that there are consequences for inadequately explained failures to
adhere to the prescribed timeframes for the tabling of the annual reports.
This call also includes that the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities should improve the implementation of the post-audit action plan to prevent stagnation of the audit opinion.
We urge the department to address the human resource capacity to respond to the increased demand for the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities. The ANC notes and congratulates the Municipal Demarcation Board, MDB, and the Municipal Infrastructure Support Service Agent, Misa, for obtaining clean audits for the first time since establishment.
The ANC further appreciates SA Local Government Association, Salga, and the Department of Traditional Affairs for sustaining their clean audits and for quality of the information presented to the committee. [Time
expired.] The ANC supports this BRR report. Thank you. [Applause.]
Question put: On the motion that the report be adopted.
Motion agreed to (Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Freedom Front Plus and African Christian Democratic Party dissenting).
Report accordingly adopted.
Hon members, can I have your attention? Thank you very much if I have. I really appreciate that. Due to the absence of a number of members of the executive owing to engagements which include Questions in the National Council of Provinces and the investment summit, the Whips have agreed that Members' Statements scheduled for today will stand over until a date to be determined by the programme committee. This means that, as was the case previously, hon McGluwa, we will have two sessions of Members' Statements. The matter of Members' Statements is currently receiving the attention of the Rules Committee and we are confident
that these engagements will resolve the current challenges. Thank you very much.