BUDGET AND POLICY SPEECH FOR THE OFFICE OF THE PREMIER 2006/07
09 June 2006
Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker
Honourable Members of the Provincial Legislature
Distinguished Members of the Executive Council
Dear Colleagues and Comrades
The House at large,
On this day last year, when we addressed this august house to solicit support for our work programmes in the Office of the Premier, we referred to the observation by the political economist, Alan Ehrenhalt, that “ When government has the right people, and the right systems, and the right intentions, many good things are possible. The trick is knowing which ones they are .”
Madam Speaker, because, over the past year, we have continued in a disciplined way to direct ourselves to this fundamental challenge to the success of our mission, we are more confident than at any other time before, that we will realise our goals. As we table the priorities of the Premier's Office this morning for the current financial year 2006/2007, we are buoyed up by the considered view that the deployment in this office now consists of incumbents whose gene-pool is equal to the challenge of its mandate.
Furthermore, Madam Speaker, we are inspired in our poise by the fact that these plans are tabled in the wake of successfully conducted local government elections, which resulted in the constitution of even stronger municipalities we believe, which enjoy a fresh mandate. The important place of local government in our delivery system of government cannot be over-emphasised. Our newly elected municipalities must indeed promote people's power through democratic local government. Our councils everywhere must translate into reality programmes of action around economic development and job creation, and the provision of houses, water and sanitation, and electricity, among others.
Honourable Members, when we presented our plans for the 2005/2006 financial year, we indicated that we were engaged in a process of strategically repositioning the Office of the Premier to ensure greater operational efficiency and effectiveness. This was done to enable the Office to effectively play an improved leadership role as the strategic centre for cooperative and good governance in Mpumalanga. I am happy to report that we have made remarkable strides in enhancing our internal capabilities to discharge our responsibility for overall macro strategic co-ordination and facilitation of the transversal programmes in the Province, performance management, monitoring and evaluation.
Part of the progress we have made in building these capabilities is that, in the main, the majority of senior managers in key management positions are appointed. The new senior management cadre, under the leadership of the Director-General, are enabling the Office of the Premier to provide strategic leadership to key interventions aimed at improving the quality of service delivery to our people. We have just completed the appointment of top most senior managers this week with the successful filling of the post of DDG for the 2010 World Cup programme, and interviews for the DDG Macro Policy. Progress has been made also in improving the capacities of the Macro-Policy and Corporate Strategy divisions in the Premier's Office to provide leadership and support to the implementation of provincial flagship projects.
Internal Renewal and Corporate Governance
Change management and the reorientation of staff to the new working model and culture have been undertaken and will continue as part of the ongoing internal renewal programme of the Office.
Madam Speaker, we want to further strengthen internal control and financial management systems in the Office of the Premier. As part of the internal renewal programme, we will continue to focus on building the integrity of our systems and enhance corporate governance principles.
We must continue to deliver quality shared audit services to selected Departments, and support the implementation of risk management strategies in Departments. One of the major objectives will be to assist Departments in dealing with the emphasis of matter issues raised by the Auditor-General from time to time.
There is going to be focus on compliance so that appropriate systems are put in place to ensure accountability for the delivery of quality services to the people of this Province. It has also become apparent that we must continue to improve our regime of checks and balances to address issues of fraud and corruption that impact negatively on service delivery.
Madam Speaker, we have supported Departments in the drafting of legislation. Furthermore, as part of the ongoing repeal of outdated Provincial legislation, a further 47 pieces of “old order” legislation were expunged from the Provincial Statute Book during the previous Financial Year.
Accelerated Capacity Building Initiative
Madame Speaker, last year we reported the findings of the Skills Audit that was conducted to evaluate the skills of senior and middle managers in the province. We have acknowledged that one of the key determinants of state capacity to improve the quality of service delivery is leadership and management capability. The provincial Skills Audit for senior and middle managers pointed out several shortcomings in the leadership capabilities of our senior and middle managers in the Province. We all agree that if not systematically addressed, insufficient skills may pose a serious threat to the Province's capacity to deliver its mandate to the people.
Therefore, it became necessary to respond to the findings of the skills audit with the implementation of a package of targeted interventions in the short to medium term. One of the critical interventions during this financial year is the roll-out of the Executive Development Programme (EDP) targeted specifically at equipping senior managers with the requisite skills and competencies to perform better in their positions. 250 Senior managers will commence their further training this month.
As part of improving the skills base of our administration, we will focus on enhancing the rigour of our selection processes when identifying suitable candidates for appointment. In this regard, the Executive Council introduced competency assessments for senior and middle management appointments. This will ensure that interview results, competency test results as well as experience and qualifications, are taken into account when appointment decisions are made. In addition, we are strengthening the implementation of performance management systems by ensuring that all senior managers sign performance agreements.
Madame Speaker, as part of empowering senior managers in the Province, the Director General convened an inaugural provincial Senior Management Conference in March 2006 in Witbank. This will become a feature in the Provincial calendar with a view to creating space for senior managers to reflect on their roles in the growth and development agenda of the Province. The annual conference will enable senior managers at provincial and local government levels to discuss a range of development and service delivery issues facing the Province. It will design solutions that will take the Province to higher performance levels.
We will continue to sustain the implementation of the KHAEDU initiative in partnership with DPSA to create opportunities for senior managers to be exposed to the coalface of service delivery through deployment in service delivery institutions. This should assist in creating a baseline for Batho Pele implementation. It will also inform the service delivery improvement plans of departments and municipalities in responding to issues captured in the KHAEDU reports.
Living Heritage, Branding and Marketing
Madame Speaker, during the past year we have made progress in the project to reconstruct the true image of our Province, and its exposure as a province that is awash with possibilities because of its fascinating heritage treasures which define the identity and make-up of the people of Mpumalanga. Throughout the work leading to the launch of the Provincial Heritage Manuscript in March this year, we have come to realise that it is in heritage that a sense of nationhood is constituted. The interest and approval that this initiative has received is humbling and overwhelming. We must seize with both hands this opportunity to showcase the human dynamic that defines the people of this region within the universal entity that is our country, South Africa.
The heritage we have researched enables the Province to utilise the uniqueness of Mpumalanga's heritage to leverage the development of our tourism product further. The post-launch programme we are rolling out presents exciting prospects of taking the Province to majestic heights, only if we can carefully and with passion work on our strategies and plans.
Among the things we must achieve is the generation of positive energy about our non-antagonistic numerous identities, and to celebrate our diversity in our homogeneity. Secondly, our researched heritage must give new impetus to our economic endeavours as a Province through, among others, the benefits to tourism, and the attraction of new investments. Furthermore, it must stimulate the intellectual debate across the spectrum of sociological themes touched upon in this heritage research project.
Last but not least, this researched heritage presents us with the opportunity for an authentic and credible branding of our Province.
In the 2006/2007 budget, we have allocated sufficient resources to the branding and marketing of the Province. We envisage that the future returns on the marketing investment that we are consciously making now, will yield tremendous benefits to the Province. Part of the return on marketing investment will be growth in the tourism market share and increased trade, resulting in the much needed jobs for poverty eradication. To the people of the Province, a good image of the province will also provide an intangible value of pride in the projection that defines them as they know themselves in the not so frequently visited subconscious mind.
Taking Government to the People
Madam Speaker, Honourable Members, we continue to enhance access and communication with our people through the Cabinet Outreach Programme. The programme enables the Executive of the province to interact with communities on matters of development and service delivery in their areas. We must strengthen a structured and coherent system of tracking issues raised by communities so that these are factored into government programming and delivery. In the past, improved communication with communities through the Cabinet outreach programmes and izimbizo has enabled government to respond to service delivery blockages.
PGDS Implementation Processes
We have in the past year been facilitating, coordinating, and monitoring the implementation of the Growth and Development Summit agreement between government and its social partners. This year, we will present a comprehensive review of progress made and lessons learnt in the collaborative partnership towards the implementation of the Summit resolutions. This will form part of the review of the PGDS and enhancement of the institutional arrangements for the effective implementation of PGDS objectives. We would like to see an increased participation of organised business, organised labour and civil society formations in the government efforts to improve the quality of service delivery.
Madame Speaker, we value partnerships with government's social partners in a quest to collectively shape the destiny of the Province. We are enjoying very fruitful partnerships with organised business and organised labour in addressing critical issues of economic growth, development and service delivery. Last year, we held a successful conference with Organised Labour focusing on shaping a collective vision and commitment to improving the quality of service delivery in the Province. We recently held a successful conference with NAFCOC focusing on ways to improve the quality of service delivery by service providers to government, especially emerging Black businesses, in support to the government delivery programme. The conference also discussed issues related to the role of government in promoting Broad Based Economic Empowerment with respect to using government procurement spend to support small businesses. We are committed to taking the recommendations of the conference forward in the broad context of commitments made at the Growth and Development Summit in February 2005. Our challenge is, at all times, to keep these pacts alive. In this regard, there is much room for improvement.
In 2006/7, we have committed resources to review the PGDS to ensure that provincial planning takes into account the framework and principles of the revised National Spatial Development Perspective (NSDP). This review will provide further insight into the nature of the provincial space economy, and will indicate which areas have high economic potential. This will indicate where infrastructure investment should be prioritised and focused in order to achieve maximum growth and development impact. The review will provide an opportunity for meaningful discussion and direction on various investment options appropriate for areas with low economic potential, and suggest appropriate strategies to promote economic activity and sustainable livelihoods. Macro-Policy and Planning will be working closely with District Municipalities to ensure that the IDPs and PGDS initiatives are informed by integrated spatial planning, so that development interventions achieve maximum impact.
The Office of the Premier will continue to support Departments in ensuring that their plans are aligned with the priorities of the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy. During the Executive Council Lekgotla in February 2006, a number of provincial flagship programmes were identified as key to propelling the Province to higher levels of economic growth and improved service delivery. Some of these projects will make direct contribution to the achievement of ASGI-SA objectives. It will, therefore, be necessary to ensure that these programmes are effectively implemented and monitored to achieve desired results and impact.
Programme Management Unit
Honourable Members, while the Provincial Administration is steadily building programme delivery capacity, it is critical to provide implementation support to flagship programmes aimed at meeting the targets of the Millennium Development Goals. To this end, targeted programme management interventions will be implemented this year to complement the capacity of departments.
Together with the Department of Local Government and Housing, the Office of the Premier is in the process of establishing a provincial Programme Management Unit (PMU). The PMU will create the necessary capacity for effective programme design, project planning and implementation, as well as providing targeted support in key projects where instances of non-delivery occur. In doing this, the PMU will enable the mobilisation and deployment of technical support to high profile programmes such as bulk water infrastructure and sanitation delivery.
2010 World Cup Coordination
Madame Speaker, the Executive Council took a decision that the Office of the Premier should play a coordination role in the 2010 World programme. This came out of a realisation that the contribution of the 2010 World Cup to stimulating economic growth is immense and needs to be exploited maximally. Because of its potential to add value to the achievement of PGDS objectives, it has also become critical for us to build the necessary institutional infrastructure and capacity to support the implementation of the 2010 World Cup programme. We are working closely with the host city, Mbombela, to provide the necessary leadership and coordination in the preparation of the 2010 World Cup. The Office of the Premier will ensure that an integrated plan for hosting the 2010 World Cup is in place, and mobilise key sector Departments in ensuring that government guarantees in respect of hosting the 2010 World Cup, are implemented. The appointed ‘DDG 2010' will now expedite these processes.
We believe that the 2010 World Cup will contribute to unlocking growth opportunities in the value chain of economic activities in the province. These opportunities will, in turn, contribute significantly to the achievement of the PGDS objectives. We will, in time, unfurl our integrated 2010 development programme to energise our push in government.
Target Groups
The work on improving service delivery to target groups remains a priority for the Office of the Premier. We are building the necessary capacity for policy development, analysis and mainstreaming of critical issues affecting target groups, into the government's delivery agenda. The Executive Council has taken a resolution that senior management appointments should prioritise the appointment of women in order to ensure gender representivity at senior management level. In the year ahead, the Office of the Premier will also focus on achieving its gender equity targets, and preference will be given to the appointment of suitably qualified women into managerial positions. In addition, the Office will also explore the creation of a learnership programme designed and focused on people with disabilities so that they too can benefit from this endeavour.
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the Sofunda Secondary School in Middelburg, for coming first in an essay Competition co-coordinated by the Office of the President through the Office on the Rights of the Child in my Office. Four other schools received cash prizes in this competition, which is a great achievement for our Province.
Yet again we celebrated, honoured and awarded the disabled people of our province, and recognised their valuable contributions to society in removing barriers that inhibit development and integration of people with disabilities within society.
The Service Delivery Innovation Project implemented at Thaba Chweu Municipality in November 2005, raised awareness on disability issues and appraised the community on what government is doing to address the backlogs in certain services to people with disabilities, especially the provision of assistive devices. It is important that we bring Government closer to people with disabilities.
The establishment of a functional Gender Machinery remains a critical priority. With all departments having managed to appoint Gender Focal Points, the challenge is to make these Focal Points impact zones for accelerated transformation in a manner that promotes women empowerment within the Provincial Administration and beyond.
During this financial year, the three sub-programmes for target groups in the Office of the Premier, viz, the Office on the Status of Disabled People, the Office on the Status of Women and the Office on the Rights of the Child, will adopt an integrated approach towards rolling out their programmes to guarantee maximum utilisation of resources. We will ensure heightened inter-sectoral participation and commitment to children's rights issues. In 2006/2007, the three programmes will focus on the establishment of the Provincial Children's Rights Advisory Council, the Provincial Disability Advisory Council and the Provincial Women Empowerment and Gender Machinery.
Honourable Members, the Office of the Premier will be finalising the process of de-linking the Youth Commission from the Office of the Premier so that it assumes the status of an independent public entity, with financial support from government. This process must be moved faster than we have been doing. During 2006/2007, we will be supporting an intervention where all Departments will identify at least one flagship project that will be targeted at youth empowerment and development. This has already started, albeit with less than inspirational performance by some departments. In this regard, it is proper that we must remind one another of the stake South Africa's youth holds in our democratic dispensation, lest we forget the enormous price our youth paid to get us where we are today.
International Partnerships
Madam Speaker, we will continue to sustain our international partnerships to achieve the objectives of our PGDS. We are currently building capacity in the newly established International Relations Directorate to manage all twinning agreements. As a Province, it is essential that we make significant contributions to the implementation of NEPAD programmes. To this end, we are conducting research and exploring possibilities for more provincial twinning partnerships in countries on the African continent. The Executive Council has assigned the responsibilities for political oversight on matters of international relations to the MEC for Local Government and Housing and the Cabinet governance and administration cluster.
During this financial year, there is going to be greater focus on strengthening institutional systems for monitoring and evaluating implementation progress on identified areas of cooperation in each of the twinning agreements concluded. Efficient institutional arrangements are critical in planning and programme design necessary for effective implementation of twinning agreements. This will be done through the establishment of technical committees responsible for the coordination of each of the twinning agreements in place.
Through these technical committees, which comprise of representatives from different departments, it is hoped that further impetus will be given to developing project specific action plans that will align the areas of co-operation of each agreement with PGDS priorities. This process will be continuously monitored and evaluated as part of the progress to be made in servicing these agreements.
Madame Speaker, Honourable Members, we humbly believe that all the work above deserve your spirited support, and therefore this House will find it easy to garner the political will to support the budget of the Office of the Premier for this financial year . Without these funds we will not be able to carry out our mandate.
It is perhaps poignant that we deliver this Budget Proposal a few days before we celebrate the 30 th Anniversary of the Soweto uprisings. If anything we owe it to the youth of this country to ensure that the better life that they so gallantly fought for, is indeed realised. We also owe it to the women who predicted in 1956 that Strydom's agenda would be defeated, and to the patriots who completed the race ten years ago when they delivered the Constitution we are all so proud of today.
On that note Madam Speaker, honourable Members, let me evoke the pertinent words of Franklin Theodore Roosevelt when he said,
“Its not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with the sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause and who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
Madam Speaker, in the humble strides we have made in the Office of the Premier and the administration as a whole, very many well meaning and responsible citizens have come to the party. I wish to take this opportunity to thank all government social partners in this province and to wish them strength and the enthusiasm to carry on.
Allow me to put the spotlight on Members of the Executive Council by saying the obvious, without their ever-present sense of duty, none of the work accounted for here would have been possible.
To the senior management in my office, ably led by Director General Mr Khaya Ngema and all the functionaries in the Premier's Office, to the inner office staff and advisers stoically coordinated by Lidia Pretorius, who I receive accolades for all the time, without acknowledging them but whose failures I don't have to claim. Thank you for putting up with me. I really wish I was different.
Madam Speaker, I proceed to table the following documents for perusal and approval by this august House:
- The Operational Plan of the Office of the Premier for the year 2006/2007;
- The Organogram of the Office of the Premier.
- The Strategic Plan of the Office of the Premier for the year 2006/2007;
- The Budget of the Office of the Premier for the year 2006/2007;
I thank you.
The struggle continues!