OPENING REMARKS BY HONOURABLE PREMIER R.M. MTSHWENI ON THE OCCASION OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL LEKGOTLA AT SKUKUZA REST CAMP (30 October - 01 November 2018)

31 October 2018

Honourable Members of the Executive Council Honourable Executive Mayors;

Senior Government Officials from all spheres of Government, led by the Acting Director General, Mr Mathew Mohlasedi;

Chairpersons and CEOs of State Owned Entities

Invited guests from SALGA and Other related Organisations

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you all to this Lekgotla. Normally we convene a Lekgotla in order to ensure that we centrally coordinate the programmes of our Government in an effort to ensure that the programmes of the government are concomitant with priority areas aimed at tackling the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality whilst ensuring that our people continue to have access to the most basic of services


2. The objective of this Lekgotla is two-fold. The first being that we must ensure that we continue to align intergovernmental relations with the priority areas outlined above. Secondly, it is important to take cognizance of the fact that we must outline and collate our achievements , as Government, as we approach the end of this 5th democratically elected administration


3. I recently had an opportunity to partake in the Presidential Coordination Council meeting, wherein His Excellency, the President of the Republic implored Provinces to ensure that basic service delivery along with health, education and social infrastructure are prioritized in the remaining months of this administration


4. To this effect, the medium term budget policy statement to be delivered in a couple of weeks by the Honourable MEC for Provincial Treasury shall give effect to these areas of prioritization. This forum must also serve as a platform through which we interact honestly about the challenges confronting the different spheres of government in order to ensure structural coordination in the identification and implementation of the requisite remedial actions


5. Following the special sitting of Cabinet on the 17th of October 2018 with the purpose of affording the Provincial Office of the AG an opportunity to present the PFMA audit findings for the 2016/17 Financial Year, we are all aware of the challenges various Departments face, especially in the arena of weak internal controls as well as deficiencies with the budgeting processes. This platform must advise on the steps that have been undertaken at technical level to ensure that forums such as the CFO forum have deliberated on the issue of poor financial statements and performance reports. Accounting Officers must also ensure that they play an active role in ensuring the financial health of the Departments and that consequence management is implemented


6. In the analysis of the implementation of the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF), we must be furnished with an updated and holistic process plan outlining the timeline for the operationalization of the Nkomazi Special Economic Zone (SEZ). In order for Government to achieve the goals of sustainable development, it is imperative to foster collaboration with the Private sector. To this end, the SEZ plan must further outline the incentives for private investors in order to encourage Public Private Partnerships


7. With the identification of the agricultural sector as one of the avenues through which the Provincial economy may be grown and job opportunities created, it is imperative that DARDLEA and MEGA utilize this forum to outline how both have coordinated operations in order to ensure that emerging and established farmers are afforded an opportunity to supply produce for the International Fresh Produce Market


8. Furthermore, DEDT, DARDLEA and Provincial Entities must present the revised nine point plan aimed at stimulating economic growth and creating jobs. The plan must correlate with the stimulus package as announced by the President of the Republic


9. We shall incorporate Local Government on the third and final day of this Lekgotla. We do so, acutely aware of the pertinent challenges within some Municpalities


10. As you are aware, we have had to recently intervene in the Emalahleni Local Municipality in accordance with section 139 of the Municipal Finance Management Act. A task team, led by Provincial Treasury and encompassing specialists in every element of the financial management ecosystem has been dispatched to the Municipality and are currently working tirelessly to develop and implement a financial recovery plan


11. In an effort to proactively manage financial management challenges within Municipalities, the Provincial Government shall incorporate discretionary intervention in accordance with s137 of the Municipal Finance Management Act in a further four Municipalities, which are:
    
    Govan Mbeki,
    Thaba Chweu,
    Lekwa, and
    Msukaligwa LM
    
    
12. This is in an effort to ensure that we collectively address the issues of financial mismanagement in these Municipalities before the situation becomes untenable and results in service delivery being adversely affected


13. In essence, ladies and gentlemen, let us utilise this platform to discuss challenges and remedial actions openly and ensure that we continue in efforts to centrally coordinate the provision of basic services

I thank you.

Issued by Zibonele Mncwango
Spokesperson: Mpumalanga Premier
Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Office of the Premier
Tel: (013) 766 2453
Mobile: 082 616 6698
E-mail: zmncwango@prem.mpg.gov.za