Agb Voorsitter, dit is ironies dat di departement, wat deurgaans aan die monitering en evaluering van prestasie toegewy is, direk onder die Presidensie val, gegewe die feit dat die Presidensie self in gebreke bly om hom aan enige soort gereelde monitering en evaluering van prestasie, hetsy direk of indirek, deur hierdie Parlement te wil blootstel.
Dit wil ook voorkom asof die Presidensie genoe neem met die feit dat dit toesig hou, asook 'n oorsigrol speel, oor die res van die regering, maar self weier om toe te gee sodat sy eie aktiwiteite van naby deur 'n toegewyde portefeuljekomitee onder die loep geneem kan word. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Mr J J MCGLUWA: Hon Chairperson, it is ironic that this department, which is dedicated to the monitoring and evaluation of performance all the time, falls directly under the Presidency, given the fact that the Presidency itself remains in default of exposing itself to any kind of regular monitoring and evaluation of performance, whether directly or indirectly, by Parliament.
It would also appear as if the Presidency is content with the fact that it is supervising, as well as playing an oversight role over, the rest of the government, but that it is refusing to have its own activities subjected to scrutiny from close up by a dedicated portfolio committee.]
It seems that the Presidency is happy to watch over the rest of government, but is not so inclined to have its own activities closely scrutinised. And why would it, with a bloated budget and reputation for reckless spending, and with the National Youth Development Agency being one of them? Far from seeking to set an example in terms of accountability and transparency, the Presidency goes about its business free from scrutiny by a dedicated parliamentary committee.
This lack of respect for accountability is an attitude that has permeated this government from the Presidency downwards. This government may establish a department devoted to performance monitoring and evaluation, but if it were serious about improving service delivery, it would have taken tough decisions necessary to ensure that nonperformers were held accountable.
A culture of accountability should extend from the President to his Ministers, to every official in their departments. If government employees are not held accountable for misconduct and inefficiency, service delivery will never improve, no matter how much performance monitoring and evaluation take place. We need action where noncompliance exists.
Part of holding government accountable involves the public knowing the targets according to which our Ministers and their teams are appraised. Minister, much has been said about the performance agreements this department has rolled out to Ministers, whilst most of your speech was about monitoring. But these Ministers should have been compelled to publicise their agreements so that we, as South Africans, could see what standards they were being held to. You have rightfully said, Minister, that this is of great concern to the citizens. These performance agreements seem to be little more than a public relations exercise - the Presidency's attempt to create an illusion of accountability.
In the same way, the Presidential Hotline, which is run by this department, has cost the South African public millions of rands with little to show for it. Its primary function seems to have been acting as a backdrop for a PR exercise with pictures of President Zuma taking calls from the public.
Initiatives which seek to improve government's responsiveness should be welcomed. However, with a history of questionable performance statistics, the R62 million allocated to the hotline in this year's budget seems hard to justify.
More than two years ago the DA proposed that a presidential portfolio committee be established to oversee the activities of the Presidency. [Interjections.] Yes, I am John McGluwa, divorced from the ANC, married to Helen Zille's DA. [Applause.]
We will not give up on getting this presidential portfolio committee established to oversee the Presidency. We will not give up our fight of putting this proposal back on Parliament's agenda, because one of the greatest impediments to the Presidency in terms of improving the performance of Ministers is the absence of regular oversight by a dedicated portfolio committee.
The splurging of millions on the President's lifestyle and the pricey PR exercises must come to an end. If there is going to be a change, Minister, it needs to come from the top and that means a more accountable Presidency, a portfolio committee for this Presidency, and a more accountable President. I thank you. [Applause.]