Chairperson, to achieve our goals we must hold ourselves to the highest standards of service, probity and integrity. Together we must build a society that prizes excellence and rewards effort.
This is what President Jacob Zuma said in his inauguration speech at the Union Buildings. The DA wholeheartedly agrees with these principles of achieving high standards and rewarding excellence.
However, Minister Richard Baloyi, Minister for the Public Service and Administration, recently acknowledged that there are difficulties in reaching these ideals when he said, "The quality of service the public receives needs much improvement in many areas." The DA also agrees with the Minister on this score.
Sadly, the Public Service Commission revealed that between 2006 and 2007 there was a 46% increase in cases of corruption reported to the national anticorruption hotline. Therefore, we were glad that President Zuma highlighted his commitment to fighting corruption in the Public Service.
Further, year after year, the Auditor-General highlights financial mismanagement by various departments, seemingly without consequence. These problems are linked to not signing performance contracts with senior management staff. A Public Service that cannot measure the performance of its officials cannot hold them accountable for failures. It also cannot acknowledge the hard work done by the many dedicated officials. A responsive government will ensure that senior managers enter into performance contracts and are held accountable for service delivery.
In sy staatsrede het president Zuma gehaltedienslewering juis verbind met Batho Pele - mense eerste. Wat 'n treffende beginsel! Hoe kan ons dit ten beste uitleef? Deur by elke gemeenskap se unieke behoeftes aan te pas. As owerhede eiesoortige stelsels in die verskillende provinsies toepas, sal 'n mens sien watter metodes werk die beste. Stelsels wat werk vir die Noord- Kaap is nie noodwendig die antwoord vir Gauteng nie. Die diversiteit van gemeenskappe moet lei tot die diversiteit van stelsels.
Die gedagte van een gesentraliseerde staatsdiens vir al drie sfere van regering waarin minister Collins Chabane - ek sien hy's nie nou hier nie - die mag gaan h om prestasie in 9 provinsies, 56 distriksmunisipaliteite, 6 metro's en 283 munisipaliteite landwyd te moniteer, is egter gevaarlik. [Tussenwerpsels.] As Ministers dienste in hul eie departemente nie kan verseker nie, hoe gaan een sentraal beheerde staatsdiens vir nege provinsies dit regkry? [Tussenwerpsels.]
Hiermee haal die regering homself 'n las op sy hals wat selfs die kommunistiese Sowjet-Unie met miljoene amptenare nie kon baasraak nie. [Tussenwerpsels.] Kort voor lank stort alle dienste in duie. [Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[In his state of the nation address, President Zuma specifically linked quality service delivery to Batho Pele - people first. What a striking principle! How can we best realise this? By adapting to the unique needs of every community. Should the authorities apply distinct systems in the various provinces, one would be able to ascertain which methods would be the best. Systems applied successfully in the Northern Cape are not necessarily the answer for Gauteng. The diversity of the communities should bring about diverse systems.
The idea of having a single centralised public service for all three spheres of government where Minister Collins Chabane - I notice that he is not present at the moment - would have the authority to monitor performance in 9 provinces, 56 district municipalities, 6 metros and 283 municipalities throughout the country, however, is dangerous.[Interjections.] If Ministers are, however, unable to guarantee service delivery within their own departments, how could this be accomplished with a single centralised public service that caters for nine provinces? [Interjections.]
The government will hereby saddle itself with a burden that not even the communist Soviet Union with its millions of officials could cope with. [Interjections.] Before long, all services would collapse. [Interjections.]]
The biggest problem with service delivery is at local government level. Minister Baloyi once again acknowledged this when he said, "It is clear that local government faces a challenge that is sometimes met by filling posts with people who do not have the suitable skills." Once again the DA agrees with the Minister. Service delivery depends on having the right people in the right positions. We must fill the many vacancies with suitably skilled people.
In provincial government, at senior management level there was a 16% vacancy rate in the North West, 19% in the Free State and 31% in the Northern Cape. In local government in January this year there were 32 vacant municipal manager posts. Often these positions are not filled because there are no suitably qualified candidates in the required racial category. Surely, it is better to fill the position with a suitably qualified person of any colour in the interests of service delivery. [Applause.]
In conclusion, the DA follows the three principles I have emphasised here, namely accountable performance, diversity and merits. In fact, President Zuma pleaded for this once again when he said:
We do not seek conformity. We set ourselves a task of ensuring that we create a state that is responsive to the needs of all the people of the country, a state that will ensure that basic services were available to all regardless of race, colour, gender or creed.
President Zuma also gave sound advice when he spelt out his vision. He said: We must build a society that draws on the capabilities, energy and promise of all its people.
Mr President, if you ensure that proper services are provided by all the people, regardless of race, colour, gender or creed, to all the people, regardless of race, colour, gender or creed, the DA will support you. Siyabonga. [Thank you.] [Applause.]