Honourable Speaker, Madam Premier, Honourable MEC’s, esteemed Members of this House, department officials, the press and visitors.
The ongoing local government chaos in this province is as a result of the failed Cadre Deployment policy of this government.
Cadre deployment is illegal and immoral.
Honourable Speaker in a recent court case Vuyo Mlokoti vs Amathole District Municipality and Mlamli Zenzile, the judge confirmed the illegality of the so called practise of “cadre deployment”
Cadre deployment is an evil that is driving this country into the ground.
The report before the house proves this beyond any doubt.
Honourable Speaker let us see from the report some example s of how cadre deployment has ruined the lives of thousands of citizens in this province due to appalling service delivery.
Citizens in this province who have a daily battle to survive have an additional problem of trying to survive under appalling levels of service delivery throughout the province!
For citizens to have to endure such hardship on a daily basis, emotionally and physically, will – over time – emotionally wear the morale and spirit down.
This is already been evidenced by the numerous service delivery protests that have occurred in parts of the country in recent months.
When studying the committee report Honourable Speaker, it is noted that several common problems emerge from the municipalities visited in the province.
Honourable Speaker, one of the most serious findings in the report is finding (a) of the Buffalo City Municipality visit which states and I quote :
“ There is a report of investigation valued at R5.1 million for Waste Licensing and Implementing Waste Management by-law of BCM; another contract to the tune of R28.6 m was awarded for a three year period without any council resolution.”
The current status of Buffalo City Municipality under cadre deployment is a joke!
How can a contract for Waste Management valued at 28.6 million be awarded without a council resolution?
Honourable Speaker, such action is both illegal and improper and criminal charges should be brought against those responsible for this unauthorised expenditure.
It must be questioned whether the BCM is in fact ready to have Metro status after the council elections in 2011.
Another example of cadre deployment failure appears in the report under “General Findings” is finding d) which states and I quote:
“Various government departments owe municipalities for services rendered”
Earlier this year, on behalf of the DA, I raised as a motion in this legislature the issue of all Provincial departments having to pay outstanding monies due to municipalities.
However Honourable Speaker, the ANC decided to reject the motion on a technicality.
As a result, the people of this province continue to suffer the indignity of poor service rollout because less money paid and collected by municipalities means less money for services to the citizens of this province.
The rejection of this motion by the ANC was illegal as the MFMA and PFMA are clear about the fiduciary responsibilities municipalities have regarding their responsibility to collect revenues owed to them!
The ANC is not serious about service delivery!
If it was, the policy of Cadre deployment would be stopped forthwith.
It is however pleasing to note that the new proposals for employment of staff in municipalities is highlighted in the new Municipal Systems Amendment Bill to be tabled in parliament later this year.
However, as the Bill speaks only of applicability of senior office bearers in political parties .
The Bill fails to address deployment of other cadres in levels of government.
Speaker, the idea of Cadre Deployment as part of some perverse plan of the ANC National Democratic Revolution plans to hold the country to ransom over every aspect of South African life reminds one of the evil apartheid days of the old Nationalist government!
Honourable Speaker, even the Constitution denounces cadre deployment!
If we refer to Section 197 of the Constitution and I quote:
“No employee of the public service may be favoured or prejudiced only because that person supports a particular political party or cause”.
Speaker I quote from the book “Chasing the Rainbow South Africa’s move from Mandela to Zuma” by Anthea Jeffrey – when referring to cadre deployment she says and I quote:
“The ANC’s attempt to control the public service has severely weakened the State’s ability to deliver goods and services, especially to the poor.” She goes on to say and refers to an article in The Economist in 1999 “no country is likely to develop and prosper without an independent class of public servants who can detach themselves from their political, ethnic or other loyalties. The state machinery which the ANC inherited in 1994 could have served this purpose. Instead, as cadre deployment has taken effect, both its capacity and its impartiality have been badly weakened.”
Honourable Speaker citizens of this province have a choice.
The people can choose between the “closed chronie society” of the ANC which cadre deployment embraces or the “open opportunity society” of the DA which embraces choice efficiency and “fitness for purpose”
“Fitness for purpose is a concept that stresses the need to meet or conform to generally accepted standards such as those defined by or accredited or quality assured with the focus being on the efficiency of the process in the institution or programme fulfilling the stated given objectives”.
Speaker the opposite of absolute control as envisaged by cadre deployment is one of choice and opportunity.
Privatisation of non essential services to a few contractors will allow for competition between service providers and allow value for money competition for residents and inhabitants of municipalities.
If the services provided are not up to scratch, let the citizens choose another value for money supplier.
Speaker, despite interventions, Turnaround Strategies and the like . . . the people on the ground are still angry at lack of services delivery.
Honourable Speaker we must replace cadre deployment with public servants fit for purpose now!
This process must be treated as a matter of extreme urgency.
This province cannot afford to delay in changing the system of cadre deployment.
Do it now before the citizens revolt against you!
I thank you.
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