MEDIA STATEMENT

05 MARCH 2007

GOVERNANCE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM CLUSTER

Representatives of the media houses present here today, when the Premier delivered his State of the Province Address on 23 February, he gave us the line of march for the coming financial year. This Cluster strives to improve the quality of life of the people of Mpumalanga by ensuring that it improves the organization and capacity of government for efficient and effective service delivery.

The main objectives of this cluster are the

•  Accelerated capacity building,

•  Branding of the Province,

•  Improving safety and security for communities,

•  International relations,

•  Development of Integrated Human settlements

•  Supporting municipalities to achieve integrated service delivery and sound financial governance.

HIGH IMPACT PROJECTS

High priority areas for this cluster will be the delivery of the following high impact projects:

•  Sanitation in line with water blue print

•  Integrated human settlement to achieve 2014 MDG

•  Accelerated Access to Government Services through MPCC and CDW's

•  Service delivery on farms

•  Marketing and Branding Mpumalanga

•  Reduction of crime by 7-10%.

The cluster takes a cue from 2005 local government election manifesto, when the African National Congress pledged to make local government work for all. We have already made achievements in some of the following areas: -

MUNICIPAL TRANSFORMATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A total of 20 out of 21 Municipal Managers have already been appointed. There are currently only 27 vacant posts of Section 57 Managers, an improvement from a total of 157 vacant posts as at July 2006. All Municipal Managers have signed their Performance Agreements (PA's) and about 80% of the appointed Section 57 Managers have also signed their PA's in terms of the Performance Management Regulations.

BASIC SERVICE DELIVERY

Our onslaught on accelerating service delivery is uncompromising. As the Premier indicated in his State of the Province Address, we have eradicated bucket toilets in the province. A total 18 617 households have benefited. We have learnt a number of valuable lessons from this programme. These lessons will be beneficial to us we roll out other projects of this magnitude.

More than 474 000 households have access to free basic water and a total of 551 649 households have access to electricity.

MUNICIPAL FINANCIAL VIABILITY AND MANAGEMENT

All 21 municipalities adopted their IDP's and 2006/07 budgets in time before 30 June 2006. 16 municipalities out of 21 have submitted their 2005/06 Annual Financial Statements in time.

We have deployed financial experts to Bushbuckridge and Nkomazi with positive turnaround results on revenue generation.

Msukaligwa has been identified as a pilot for the rollout of the Municipal Property Rates Act. Lessons learnt from the pilot shall be beneficial to other municipalities that would only be able to rollout from the subsequent financial years.

We are still faced with challenges of Excessive accumulation of Municipal Debtors, under performing Municipal Finance Departments, e.g. strict credit control measures and a number of qualified audit reports from the Auditor-General's Office. In an effort to address these challenges Credit Control and Debt Management System initiated from the DPLG will be proposed to all under performing municipalities, using Municipal Systems Improvement Grants (MSIG).

DEPLOYMENT OF TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

We have sourced some engineering capacity from service providers and the DBSA's Siyenza Manje Project, who were deployed to acute municipalities. The Department will also establish a Programme Facilitation Unit during 2007/08 to assist municipalities to expedite their targets on Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) programme especially on water and sanitation. Our MIG programme will use the labour intensive approach, as part of Expanded Public Works Programme. This will enable us to create more job opportunities for our people.

We have deployed a number of technical engineers to our municipalities. We have already seen some positive spin offs through these deployments especially on the MIG spending patterns. 90% of the currently committed projects in MIG were developed through the assistance of external interventions. Expenditure levels have been raised from 8 % to the current 35% so far. This progress would have been far better if more deployments had happened earlier. Plans are in place to deploy assistance in all municipalities to strengthen their Project Management Units (PMU's).

MULTI PURPOSE COMMUNITY CENTRE (MPCC's)

8 Multi Purpose Community Centres (MPCC's) are being renovated and that will be brought into use in the new financial year. Staff will be recruited, especially the Centre Manager and the IT Specialist for these 8 MPCC's. The cluster will ensure that optimal operations are achieved in the current 4 MPCC's . These MPCC's are Casteel, Leandra, Mpuluzi and Matsamo.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE

The Governance and Criminal Justice System cluster has the task of establishing a Disaster Management Centre. The Province will commence with the construction of the State of the Art Provincial Disaster Management Centre. The construction is earmarked to commence just before June 2007 and to be completed early in 2009. It should be ready in time for the 2010 World Cup dry run.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WORKERS

Since the inception of the Community Development Workers CDW's) programme, the province has appointed 360 CDW's. Due to the redemarcation of boundaries the province transferred some CDW's to Limpopo, some have resigned due to getting better job opportunities, whilst others have passed away, thus leaving the province with 327 CDW's. These have been deployed to all municipalities in the province. We have begun a process of recruiting an additional 40 CDW's from Bushbuckridge Local municipality and we will begin a process of filling the other vacant posts that have been left by those who have left the programme.

Our CDW's are a very important cadre of our government. We must use them effectively to assist us reach our communities effectively. As a province we will begin to use them to assist us with monitoring our projects, verifying information from our communities and also to address to the obstacles that hinder service delivery in our communities.

FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

The Governance and Criminal Justice Cluster also deals with two of the “big five” flagship projects which are meant to improve service delivery and development of the province to the highest level. As the Premier stated in the State of Province Address these flagship projects must be like development sunbeams of the African Sun in our province. The following flagship projects fall under this cluster:

1. ACCELERATED CAPACITY BUILDING IN GOVERNMENT

In this regard the Premier talked about the Accelerated Capacity Building Programme in government. This program seeks to capacitate the leadership and management team of Mpumalanga Provincial and Local Government in generic management and leadership competencies to enhance service delivery. Through this programme, we will among other tings, establish a permanent Mpumalanga Management Centre for management development, ensure alignment between capacity building project and performance management system and develop a recruitment, retention and succession strategy for scarce and critical skills.

2. WATER FOR ALL

This Project will provide infrastructure to ensure all people have access to the basic water. It will also progressively move people up the water services ladder (basic levels to higher levels). This shall be achieved by first targeting areas that have no accessibility of water to get the least supplies of basic water by 2008.The project will further accelerate provision to reach the higher level of service by 2010. There are 171 586 households in backlogs that are affected. A collective approach shall apply with the District and local municipalities implementing assisted by the Province and DWAF.

HOUSING PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED AND PLANS TO ADRESS CHALLENGES FACED

From 1994-to date, the province has completed 111,963 housing units. As on 31 March 2006, we had 3,593 incomplete houses of these we have completed 3,555 and 35 are outstanding. However during the year we have identified an additional 4,332 units that are incomplete . We take note of the issues raised by the Premier in the SOPA regarding the challenges of completing the incomplete housing projects.

Our housing delivery has been unsatisfactory this financial year. From April 2006 - January 2007 we have only managed to deliver 4 984 units from a target of 12,940 and we have only transferred 452 units from a target of 5,500.

As part of addressing challenges we have faced under the housing programme, will look at implementing the multi year planning system. This means that for each financial year we will plan six months earlier, for the next financial, we have also appointed Project Management Consultants to assist the Department with planning and project management.

The department has also started a process to review the organogram in order to deal with all the issues of capacity, in the Department.

The province is also looking at purchasing land and properties in some of the 8 municipalities that have been identified as economic development areas. The modes of delivery in these areas will be Social Housing including Rental Stock, Up Market Housing and Low Cost Housing in the areas closest to the economic activity.

PROGRESS ON ACCREDITATION OF MUNICIPALITIES ON PROVISION OF HOUSING

Emalahleni Municipality has been given level 1 accreditation, which allows them to carry out housing functions. Level One accreditation entails beneficiary subsidy administration, which include capturing of applications and verification on system. The approval of the beneficiaries vests with the province. The accreditation of municipalities will assist the department in its efforts to accelerate housing delivery.

The Department has received a business plan from Dr Moroka Municipality. The other municipalities are still working on their business plans. They are all in line for Level One accreditation.

SCHOOOL SAFETY PROGRAMME

The Cluster plans to intensify the School Safety Programme by increasing the number of Crime Information Boxes in schools. The intention is to reduce crime not only to schools but to the community at large. This exercise will be done in partnership with the Department of Education and SAPS in ensuring that the School Safety Forums and the Adopt-a-Cop programme are sustained in identified schools.

SECURITY VOLUNTEERS PROJECT (MASUPATSELA)

In an effort to decrease crime in our Province the cluster had introduced security volunteers to assist in fighting crime. 105 youth volunteers were trained through phase 1 of police reservists' training. These volunteers are patrolling crime hotspots in conjunction with the police as a pilot project to fight crime.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

The cluster will add more impetus in respect of mobilizing the communities against crime with more emphasis on crimes against women and children. This cluster will eradicate the scourge where a husband sees no crime in bashing the wife and where all the intoxicated and drunk sees the prey in children.

AFRIKA CONCEPT

SAPS have started with the restructuring process to strengthen capacity at police station level. Area offices are phased out and a total of 704 personnel from provincial and area levels have been deployed to the police stations to enhance service delivery on the ground. The management of the stations has been capacitated through this process and senior managers have been deployed specifically at high crime police stations. This will actually assist in the deployment of resources where they are mostly needed.

The on-going implementation of the Provincial Crime Prevention Framework is also a priority for the next financial year which will see the Department engaging municipalities with a view to introduce Municipal Safety Plans as part of the municipal planning processes. The intention is to align municipal development strategies within a crime prevention framework thereby ensuring that development at local level takes into account crime prevention principles.

COMMUNITY POLICING FORUMS

Governance and criminal justice system cluster will continue fighting crime through community participation. The tremendous assistance from the community structures will never be undermined, as our service will not win the battle against crime without them. Training of the community policing forums in the drive to fight crime in the communities remains key. The structures will work hand in hand with the ward councilors to root out crime in our communities.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

To improve international relations the cluster will ensure that all current MOU's are regularly coordinated and monitored. Currently we have got twinning agreements with the following Provinces: - Alberta ( Canada ); Maputo ( Mozambique ); North Rhine Westphalia ( Germany ), Chongqing and Chichuan (both in China ). We are also working towards convening Provincial International Marketing fair in November 2007.

I thank you

ISSUED BY

Hon MEC KC Mashego-Dlamini

Chairperson: Executive Council Committee on Governance and Criminal Justice System Cluster

Mpumalanga Provincial Government.

Contact Persons: Simphiwe Kunene 082 413 3931

Nosisa Sogayise 083 960 1078

Mokope Taiwe 082 802 8460