Speech by John Steenhuisen, MPP, leader of the Democratic Alliance Caucus in the KZN Legislature, in the debate on Premier Zweli Mkhize's State of the Province Address, February 25 2010
Madam Speaker
The Premier
MEC's
Invited guests
Reverend Clergy
Fellow members
Yesterday we had the opportunity of listening to our Premier deliver his second state of the province address (see here). The speech left many of us disappointed, disappointed at the lost opportunity, disappointed by the lack of concrete plans and disappointed at the large swathes of critical issues affecting the state of our province which were either omitted entirely or barely mentioned. Reviewing the speech I was left with the same feeling about the lack of direction and strategic focus as Winston Churchill must have felt back in 1935 when he described the government of the day thus:
"and so they go in strange paradox,
decided to be undecided,
resolved to be irresolute,
Adamant for drift,
solid for fluidity,
all powerful to be impotent"
Don't get me wrong, there certainly were some excellent points raised by the Premier and many aspects we wholeheartedly support, it's just that we were left with the distinct feeling that the speech was a rather pedestrian mish-mash of the same old policy initiatives and leftover planks from election platforms past all tacked together into one. For sure the virtuous ends announced are admirable and the sentiments expressed were noble, but the announcements of virtuous ends and noble sentiments alone can never be a substitute for effective strategy and measurable targets.
Mr. Premier we did not get the sense of the decisive steps required to reach your big vision, you spoke about building a better future but you did not explain how that future will be different from the present. It seems as though you have launched an armada of good intentions, programmes, agencies and initiatives but that there is just no co-ordination of the direction in which they should be going or indication on how they fit in to the bigger strategy whatever that may be. If there is a strategy then it's not being explained properly and the benefits are certainly not being seen or felt. We were expecting exciting plans with measurable targets to which we could hold you and your executive to account; instead we got vague and ambiguous nods to more of the same.
The Provincial Recovery Plan
At the outset we would like to commend the Premier and his MEC for finance for the interim results on the provincial recovery plan. The plan has had a mixed set of results. Some departments and MEC's have complied with the plan, others have not. Whilst the projected overspend by the province has decreased, it still remains unacceptably high and we are not yet out of the woods as a province. It is unfortunate to note that, despite requests from treasury, some departments are still making use of 5 star hotels as venues for functions, launches and izimbizo and we are spending far too much still on lavish catering for members and outside functions. Far more discipline is going to have to be exercised if we are to truly make a dent in the overspending and overdraft of our province. The DA also believes that the province needs to take a transversal look at the staffing of a number of departments. Utmost priority must be given to service delivery posts and rationalisation options should be explored in administrative posts where this is necessary.
Fighting Corruption
Mr. Premier you devoted a derisory four lines in your 24 page speech to the issue which you termed, and I quote "the perception of corruption". I want to say to you today Mr. Premier, in case you have not noticed, that corruption in this province is not a perception, it's a reality. You know it, I know it, the public knows it and if your cabinet publicly released the many outstanding forensic reports and investigations which currently lie buried by this governments bureaucratic Praetorian Guard, then we would all be proved right.
Not a word from you Mr. Premier on how you intend dealing with the hundreds of your civil servants who are running numerous businesses on the side wheeling and dealing with tenders and contracts with their own departments and others?
Not a word from you Mr. Premier on how you intend dealing with the many senior civil servants who, according to the Public Service Commissions latest report, have not submitted their declaration forms of their business interests, shareholdings, directorships and the likes, some for two years now. Knowing what businesses civil servants own on the side should surely be the first step, Mr. Premier, of rooting out this scourge.
Not a word from you Mr. Premier on your former head of provincial treasury and current Ithala CEO, Sipho Shabalala. He still has serious allegations hanging over his head, yet remains at the helm of an organization with a track record of being pilfered by the political elite. Why is he being protected Mr. Premier, what does this man know that makes him untouchable, who are his business partners, does this province even know the extent of his web of business holdings.
And that is why we wholeheartedly welcome your adoption of the suggestion which we made in this house last year for the introduction of lifestyle assessments. You have indicated that these will be introduced for senior management and those involved in procurement. We believe this is a constructive step forward, because we too would like to know how certain civil servants are able to pay of multi-million Rand bonds on farms in the space of a year.
But Premier we must ask why you stopped short, surely what is good for the goose is good for the gander? Why is this great initiative not extended to senior office bearers and members of this house as well? How can we hold senior staff to one set of principles and standards and not ourselves? I would be very interested to see what falls out of that tree once its been given a good shake and to show that this is not grandstanding I volunteer to be the first member of this house to undergo such an audit when you establish it and challenge every other member in this house to do the same!
On that subject, it would be good to hear just how many civil servants, senior managers or HOD's have been jailed for corruption in the past 5 years, I bet the list could fit onto my fingernail!!. Instead those at the apex of patronage networks and corruption cases seem to slink out of here without a word, often with a golden handshake to boot! Why is it that people like former agriculture head, Advocate Mannya, gets given a confidential settlement only after he starts rocking the boat and threatening to finger other senior individuals? Time and time again this government sends the message that corruption pays and the more people are seen to get away with this, the more it entices other civil servants into the web.
Combating corruption in the public service requires a political resolve not yet displayed by this cabinet. Their needs to be systems and procedures in place to deal with those caught and we need to make corruption a far more dangerous exercise than it is currently. We need a Multi-disciplinary task operating on a transversal basis to combat corruption and throw the book at those caught. This unit must have the power to manage investigations, gather evidence and prosecute civilly and criminally. Unless we do something drastic the rot will continue.
That being said you referred in your speech to building a team of "motivated cadres" in the civil service. I would urge you to use caution when using this word as it has a number of different meanings. If you want good service delivery in this province then we would urge that you avoid the trap of cadre deployment based on political loyalty rather than ability to do the job. Dr. Maphele Ramphele's recent remarks on this bear repeating in this house, I quote "The deployment policy of the ANC that has packed public services with incompetent politically connected individuals has undermined the institutional culture of our public service. The good officials are demoralized and may have left, or are leaving the service" sage words indeed!
Education
A large proportion of our provincial budget goes towards education, this is correct and our focus should be directed like a laser beam onto this important area. Unfortunately the results in this area are not near where they should be and is clear evidence that expenditure alone does not achieve results unless it is coupled with specific target outcomes and specific designated lines of accountability.
Whilst last year's matric pass rate improved slightly it was nowhere near where we should be as a province. Of particular concern were the very low pass rates in key subjects such as accounting, Mathematics and Physical science. Truth be told, we are simply not producing enough school leaving learners who possess the correct level of literacy and numeracy to enter the economy productively.
The translation of our financial commitment to measurable results will be dependent to a political will that holds teachers and officials to account no matter how politically uncomfortable that may prove.
A recent article by Nick Taylor, senior research fellow at JET education services perhaps summed it up best when he said, and I quote "schools suffer because the power wielded by teacher unions facilitates the appointment of teachers and officials not according to their experience and credentials, but their political and personal relationships with senior unionists".
We must also develop turnaround strategies for the dysfunctional schools in our province and hold management to account for the targets. We support your target of an 80% pass in 2014, but if this is to become a reality we must start immediately as each District Director reports back on the results of term exams in grade 3, 9 and 12. There must be a monthly report to the portfolio committee from every District director on pass rates per sector, teacher absenteeism, pupil numbers and drop-out rates.
Local Government
Local government in our province is in a freefall, municipalities are racked with financial problems, skills shortages and political infighting over positions. The decisive action being taken by the MEC for Local Government must be welcomed and supported. We need to strenghthen our oversight role over local government to ensure that corruption and maladministration is stamped out and that competent people are appointed to key positions.
Economic Development
Mr. Premier, your portion detailing economic development did not differ substantially from your remarks in last year's address. Since those remarks, a further 49 000 jobs were shed and around 8000 small business have closed down. We support your initiatives for microfinance instruments as access to capital remains one of the largest obstacles to entrepreneurship and business progression. However this will only work if this microfinance is available fairly across the board to all citizens who qualify regardless of their political affiliations or connections to the political elite. What we need is effective access to finance opportunities, what we don't need is hundred of mini iThalas being utilised to dispense political patronage based on connectedness to a crony network rather than on sound business principles.
Many industries are just starting to find their feet again as we slowly climb out of recession, they are however going to be badly affected by the recently announced 24.8% increase in electricity costs. For many of these industries in our province, particularly the manufacturing and textile industries, this tariff hike could well deliver a mortal blow. They are faced with a few choices: relocation, retrenchment of workers or price hikes on their products. Any one of these, or any combination of these, would prove devastating for our economy and even more real jobs would be lost. The South African chamber of commerce indicates that some 250 000 real jobs will be lost, how many of these will be here in KZN? And I say real jobs to distinguish these from the public works exercises that these days is being passed off by the ANC as a ‘job" when in fact it amounts to nothing more than holding a flag or digging a trench for few days, abantu abatholanga imisebenzi kepha bathole amatoho.
Many job creation opportunities are linked to large construction projects or developments many of these are now at risk. Members should be aware of the devastating "go slow" in the Surveyor general's office in our province. The dispute arises out of an absurd OSD agreement which has seen lower ranking technicians being paid more than those who supervise them. The result of this is that some 4 Billion Rands worth of property transactions and development projects are being held up and placed at serious risk as a result of this situation. Whilst the Surveyor Generals office is not a provincial one I would urge the MEC as well as the Premier to address this matter urgently at a MINMEC level to get it resolved before we lose many of these projects.
Infrastructure
Underpinning any economic development strategy has to be access to a well planned and maintained road network. The state of many of our roads in our province is in a shocking state and I wholeheartedly concur with His Majesty the King's sentiments on this matter. I do find it odd that the Premier did not indicate any plan to address the massive backlog in maintenance of our road network and I sincerely hope that the Premiers silence on this matter does not mean that he ascribes to the "Hlabisa Doctrine" and feels that residents of our province should feel lucky that they have roads to travel on and not complain about the state that they are in. Taxpayers pay vast sums in taxes to ensure that roads are maintained, we need to see a clear and comprehensive strategy on how the backlog is to be addressed and the implementation of an asset register of all provincial roads with dates for scheduled maintenance. Spending smaller sums on routine and regular maintenance is far more cost effective than the massive outlays required to replace disintegrated roads.
The Premier boasted about the 5500 housing units which have been built, however like many things in life, when it comes to housing its often quality rather than quantity which counts. I do hope that the MEC of human settlements and the Premier have had sight of the appalling pictures of the homes built by a certain connected contractor in Umlazi. Many of these are so shockingly built that they are unfit for human habitation. Obviously there must be some perverse pleasure in sitting in a fancy house with a garage full of exotic cars and entertaining the political elite whilst the houses your company has built (and I use that term very loosely) bring misery and suffering to the poorest of the poor. 300 Million of our money appears to have been poured down the drain (or perhaps an exotic car dealership!) with poor build quality. But the bigger question is - where was the provincial monitoring? Surely the department doesn't dispense such large sums of cash and close its eyes to what is happening? Perhaps when the MEC comes out of hiding and deigns to answer the parliamentary questions I submitted weeks ago we may have an answer?
But seriously we have to ensure that there is proper monitoring and control of all projects done under our auspices or which we fund, it is simply not cost effective to spend hundreds of millions of Rands on building houses only to have to spend even more repairing the shoddy workmanship further down the line. We need teams of engineers, building inspectors and technicians constantly monitoring build quality. Contractors who don't comply must be booted out and not given access to government contracts again, no matter how many times they change their names!
Agriculture and Rural Development
The Premier spoke extensively on this subject and we welcome his admission that what has happened before has not worked; acknowledging failures and mistakes is the first step to rectifying the problems. We concur with the Premier that this should be strategic focus and that great opportunities lie ahead. But the key lies in capacitating individuals with the skills necessary to farm productively. We need to think smart here, whilst we may not be able to feed people with laptops, we can use them to feed people with the knowledge they need to produce crops effectively.
Upskilling and modernization of farming techniques can produce terrific results; we just need to think a little differently. With a laptop connected to a 3g or dialup even the most rural farmers could be connected to a network of knowledge through the internet or access the department's website or tutorial discs. I remain unconvinced that co-operatives are the way to go and we will continue to monitor the progress of these, especially given their track record previously. Again regular reports on their progress and sustainability need to be made to the portfolio committee so that the necessary oversight is provided.
The Agribusiness development Agency needs to be set measurable targets against which their effectiveness can be measured, the last thing we need is for them to become just another government quango. We are also watching very closely to see who the new head of the Agriculture department will be. We sincerely hope that it will be a strong principled person with the relevant agricultural qualifications, given the importance you have placed on the Agrarian revolution, to appoint anybody different would be pure folly.
Crime
The March 2009 crime statistics pointed to some worrying trends with increases in crime in carjacking, robbery at business and residential premises, burglary at business premises and perhaps most concerning a massive jump in sex-related crimes. Whilst the SAPS is directed from a national level, we believe the Premier must push for far greater influence over developing more localized strategies for dealing with crime and the causes of crime. There also needs to be a far more stringent and co-ordinated programme of oversight for the SAPS by the provincial legislature. At nearly every school we visited during the school functionality monitoring week, principals spoke about the effects of drugs at their schools; I would urge the premier and the relevant MECs to develop a comprehensive plan to tackle the scourge of drugs, particularly in our schools. In all categories mentioned above it is worth noting the devastating impact that the disbandment of the specialised units has had on these categories of crime. As regards Rural safety I have a copy of the DA's policy alternatives for this area and I hope you will read it and give some consideration to the ideas contained therein.
Health
Turning now to health, Premier, we welcome your announcements around circumcision as a tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS. We would, however like to sound a warning bell that it must not be portrayed as some kind of panacea to deal with the high rate of infection. We would beseech you and your cabinet never to speak about this issue without simultaneously reinforcing the ‘Abstain Be wise Condomise' message, a responsible lifestyle and the use of condoms is still the surest way to prevent infection and that message must never be lost or obscured by other tools in the fight. Superficially there seem to have been a number of improvements at the department of Health under the able stewardship of MEC Dhlomo. I don't however believe that we have drilled down to the coalface of service delivery problems at many of our hospitals and clinics. Far too many public health patients are treated badly and receive indifferent or sub-standard care at public health facilities.
Working Together
In closing Premier, you exhort us to "work together" and yes the DA relishes this opportunity, we want to make a constructive difference. But Premier unlike your national counterpart, you have not called one single meeting with leaders of opposition parties in this house since your election nearly a year ago. I was quite disconcerted to hear you say that you have held meetings with the leaders of parties who carry no electoral mandate from the people of this province, yet you have failed to meet with the leaders of parties that do. Don't be afraid of us, we are committed to serving the best interests of the people of this province, we want to play a constructive role, but it's just that, in the immortal words of John Lennon:
"You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan"
Issued by the Democratic Alliance KwaZulu Natal February 25 2010
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