Chairperson and hon members, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for participating in such a constructive debate. I was most impressed, because this sphere of government is the most important one of all, as it touches the heart of our people. I really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I am not going to say much, but I just want to alleviate the chairperson's concerns regarding consultation processes. I think you raised it very sharply and I think the issues that you have raised about which you are concerned - the role of provinces and the power of provinces, etc - during the review process, are issues that need to be thrashed out very strongly and vigorously, as you did earlier on with the officials in the select committee. I think we must be alert that those issues will be dealt with, and I wish to thank you also for raising a number of very strong issues.
The second thing I also want to alleviate is the concern of the hon Le Roux regarding the working relationship between the Department of Provincial and Local Government and Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi's department. You see, it is important, hon member, that as government we talk to one another. We shouldn't work above each other. We need an intergovernmental relationship. It is for consultation. If there is an area that affects a particular department, let's consult, let's talk to one another so that we can best bring about results to the advantage of our people. I think it is just consultation and working together and it is necessary for us to do so, and these two Ministries should work together.
There is another concern that worried me about the hon Le Roux. Perhaps that is my concern at the moment. Maybe when we deal with the process, we will be able to work out these concerns much better. My concern is with an official who is helped to become a candidate, but who is employed by the municipality. Now, the suggestion is that he should not resign until he is appointed or has won whatever position he is standing for. The concern is the resources of government, because then it would be unfair to another person who is, perhaps, unemployed, who is also a candidate and who doesn't have access to those resources. Then he has full access to these resources. It is a bit unfair, but we can still debate it. That is the concern at the back of my mind.
Hon Ntuli, I fully agree with you, sir, that this is something that has been raised a number of times, namely the issue of these different financial years. The financial years of local government and national are not the same; local government's is much later and they also complain about fiscal dumping. When it is the end of the financial year, a particular department will simply throw in the money and say that we have given you a lot of money, so what have you done with the money? We regard that as fiscal dumping. So, I agree with you, and maybe it is something that we should actually look into and also review during the review process.
To the hon member from the ID, you know, sometimes it is very easy for people to throw accusations around. I always say to people - when they say that the councillors are corrupt, the mayors are corrupt, there is a lot of nepotism taking place, and also in terms of tendering processes - go to the police station. The easiest thing is to go to the nearest police station and report those cases. Don't make wild allegations here. Go to the nearest police station. You are a politician. Go to the nearest police station and say: So-and-so has done this. Thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.