Chairperson, the first one was the maiden speech. This one is now the farewell speech. [Laughter.] Once again, let me extend our sincere appreciation to this House and, as I have indicated, particularly to the committee for having dealt with this Bill and now for the support that we have received from this House.
We trust that it is now up to us to ensure its implementation, and I have heard this in speech after speech - everybody has emphasised the importance of making sure that the money that has been allocated is buying what it is meant to buy.
A number of concerns have been raised, and I know most of these concerns are also in the report of the committee, which we take very seriously, and we have indicated that we will take into account most of the issues that have been raised.
One of the issues that was raised by the hon Robinson was the issue of the refusal to accredit the City of Cape Town. The hon member would know that this is a process that needs to be linked to the Department of Provincial and Local Government's review process on provincial and local government. I would imagine that the member, in her campaign, will also educate the nation on the importance of this process, without necessarily pointing fingers at government.
On the issue of the formula, also, that underestimates populations in metropolitans, two issues need to be taken into account. There have been substantial increases that were made to the local government equitable share allocations, which take into account the increases in service delivery responsibilities that have been assigned to local governments. Regarding the other issue, we require a fair basis for the allocation of required resources from the central source, which currently is Statistics South Africa and no other. I know that hon Robinson also raised the issue of how outdated the statistics are that Statistics South Africa still has on record, which is the 2001 statistics. We take note of that.
On the issue of the Libraries Conditional Grant, we agree that it is a priority. I did indicate in my speech that we have prioritised it, but all we want is that, together, we ensure that funds are spent for this particular purpose.
The Chairperson raised the issue that these allocations will be governed by the new Act of Parliament from now on, which is a constitutional requirement in terms of section 77(3) which has since been passed. We thank Parliament for having asserted its voice and ensuring that we have this piece of legislation. We look forward to its implementation, and we trust that you will all participate and make sure it achieves its intended objectives.
Other than that, Chairperson, I do not want to spoil this beautiful day. I want to take this opportunity, once again, to thank you all for the support and wish you well. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Bill be agreed to.
IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape. Bill accordingly agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.