A befitting quote, as we observe in this Month of July, former President Nelson Mandela's birthday month and reminded us of the task and responsibility of the ANC in partnership with all South Africans to guard and continue to contribute to the freedom we now enjoy under the ANC-led government.
Hon Chairperson, in the ANC's 2019 manifesto, has clearly out lined how a capable, honest government looks like and what it takes to get there, starting with putting an end to state capture, restoring the
integrity of public institutions and tackle corruption, while ensuring that government has the capacity, resources and people to serve citizens effectively.
I am confident standing here to report that, the commitment is already taking shape and I share some of the developments as captured in the Portfolio Committee Report on the Strategic Plans, Annual Performance Plans and Budget allocations of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and its entities namely: Government Communication and Information System; Media Development and Diversity Agency and Brand South Africa, tabled by the Minister in the Presidency for Planning Monitoring and Evaluation in terms of the Public Finance Management Act.
On behalf of the portfolio committee, I will start the report with an overview of the 2019-20 financial year, with a keen focus on observations and recommendations. Being conscious of my time, I will therefore begin by putting what I think will not finish my time.
The portfolio committee is encouraged that the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation's Annual Performance Plan, APP took into account the 2019 February and June Sonas, and aligned them with its Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of government
programmes and functions. The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation developed the following seven priorities emanating from the two Sonas. These are the observations we are making as the portfolio committee. The department relinquished the National Youth Development programme which used to conduct oversight over and be the conduit of the budget of the National Youth Development Agency. The department transferred the above mentioned to the Department of Women, Youth and People with Disabilities as per the proclamation made by the President.
We urge the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, to publish 25-year review of government performance on its website.
The main purpose of the 25-year review is for government to reflect, monitor and evaluate its performance over the past years and to determine whether services were delivered as promised in improving the lives of the citizens. The 25-year review will assist legislatures to strengthen its oversight accountability in weak areas identified by the report.
We welcomed and noted the decision of the department to assess bi- annual performance agreements of the Directors-General and heads of department aligned to the Medium-Term Strategic Framework as
outlined in the National Development Plan. The committee was of the firm view that the department together with the National Treasury has to play a meaningful role in enforcing alignment and co- ordination of plans across the spheres of government, more particularly, when analysing departmental strategic plans and Annual Performance Plans.
The portfolio committee welcomed the introduction of a revised framework for short-term and medium-term planning which introduces new requirements for Strategic and Annual Performance Planning, Operational Planning, Program Planning and Implementation, Infrastructure Planning and monitoring, reporting and evaluation. The final draft framework will be finalised in 2019. The department was urged to present such reforms to the committee.
The Committee urged the department to finalise the process of transferring the spatial planning function from the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reforms. Transferring of this key component to the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation would strengthen effective planning by illustrating the desired patterns of the land use and direction for socio-economic growth in order to attract investors.
The committee was concerned about the slow progress in implementing Special Presidential Package to improve living and working conditions in and around mining towns. The committee highlights that the emphasis on the distressed mining towns should focus on implementing comprehensively the Special Presidential Package rather than provision of low-cost housing.
The committee notes the role of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in assessing performance of the Directors- General and heads of department in the public service. The department has to monitor adherence of the timeframes encapsulated in the approved Policy on Performance Management and Development System for senior management. The committee welcomes the announcement by the Minister in the Presidency that the department would embark on introducing initiatives aimed at building a capable, ethical and development state.
The approved Communication Policy will assist government to mitigate contradictory statements issued by various government institutions. The Government Communication and Information System, GCIS has the responsibility to monitor compliance with regard to government-wide Communication Policy prescripts across all levels of government. The committee was concerned about the vacancy rate in the GCIS. The
committee urged the Minister to attend to the vacancy rate in the institution and ensure all positions are filled timeously.
The GCIS has to ensure government's important statements and messages are conveyed, updated and published timeously on the website. The GCIS has the responsibility to ensure all citizens across the country have access to government information. [Interjections.] [laughter.] The committee welcomed the initiative to conduct a skills audit in the Media Development and Diversity Agency to assess the readiness of the community radio stations in responding to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The committee was concerned with the vacancy rate at the board level. The matter will be attended to by the Committee in collaboration with the Portfolio Committee on Communication since they have commenced with the recruitment processes in the Fifth Parliament.
High turnover of the chief executive officers in the agency is alarming and shocking. The Minister is urged to stabilise the agency through filling strategic funded vacancies. Community radio stations are the cornerstone to communicate government messages to the people. Therefore, the agency has to provide adequate funding and mentoring to these radio stations. The committee was alarmed about the lack of transformation in advertising and urge the agency to
lobby local companies to market their products on the community radio stations in order to boost their revenue streams.
On Brand South Africa, the committee was pleased and applaud the Brand South Africa's Play Your Part movement which has progressively gained recognition as an outreach initiative for inspiring, empowering and celebrating active citizenry meant to lift the spirit of the nation. Brand South Africa needs to collaborate with institutions aimed to promote young people innovative ideas to the international investors. Brand South Africa has to create platforms in the country and in the international stages to market brands developed by youth.
On the recommendations, we are putting the following; the department should ensure all stakeholders interested in the Integrated Planning Framework Bill are thoroughly consulted more specifically the South African Local Government Association before the Bill is tabled in Parliament. The Bill should foster coherence, integration, co- ordination and alignment of planning across the three spheres of government with main purpose of achieving the objectives of the National Development Planning and National Spatial Development Framework.
The Department should finalise its consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reforms on the transfer of the spatial planning function to the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. Transfer of the spatial planning function to the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation should be prioritised urgently in order to guide the spatial planning of land development and direct long-term investment in the country.
The department should strengthen its capacity to monitor adherence of the Policy on Performance Management and Development System for senior managers more particularly performance assessments of the Directors-General and heads of departments across the public service. The department should ensure the payment of performance bonuses correlate with the departmental performance when assessed by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation. The department should intensify its monitoring activities in government facilities through the Frontline Service Delivery Monitoring Tool as a way ... [Interjections.]