House Chair, Chairperson of the NCOP, Deputy Chair, colleagues and friends.
The local Government week was convened over three days under the theme, Land Use: Towards Integrated Spatial Planning. Mayors and executive mayors from local and district municipalities respectively, as well as the leadership of South African Local
Government Association, SALGA, and the NCOP converged to share experiences in an atmosphere which was characterized by a spirit of openness and great camaraderie. This openness is evident in the report, as Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports, ATC, which we wish to table before this House today.
Whereas there is a sense that municipalities are making strides in ensuring that service delivery finds its way to the people that most deserve it, there is also an acknowledgement that more still needs to be done to eradicate poverty, inequality and unemployment.
As we shared experiences during the local government week on how we have fared as a country in the past few years, it became clear that the legacy of apartheid still looms very large. It is a monkey that we need to get off our backs.
Since time immemorial, apartheid's model of spatial planning prevented our communities from working, playing and praying where they live and this picture needs to change. We recognise that for this to happen we need to take note of and respond to all the distress signs, which characterize some of our municipalities as they battle eroded revenue and skills basis.
We also examined and affirmed the critical role which all three spheres of government need to play in ensuring that, going forward, we work together in revitalizing rural areas and make them attractive to investors. This, we surmised, we can achieve when all three spheres of government subscribe to an integrated model of spatial planning.
The report also notes that SALGA's participation in the NCOP is not funded, thus calling for an urgent intervention in this area as we view SALGA as an important agent in repositioning local government to drive social change.
As I indicated, the detailed report has been ATC so allow me, House Chair, to so table the report. Thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.