Honourable Speaker
Traditional Leaders
Members of the Executive Council
Members of the Legislature
Executive Mayors, Mayors and Speakers
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Comrades and friends
On 15 June this year, we defined the mission of our generation and of this ANC-led government as the complete eradication of the accumulated deficits of Apartheid. We pledged to do our part in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of halving poverty and unemployment by 2014.We committed ourselves to do all in our power to implement the overwhelming mandate received from all of those who voted for a better life during the recent 22 April elections.
Honourable Speaker, the process of the budget votes is now a practical elaboration of our Operation Hlasela. We are now unpacking programmes into measurable and implementable plans and projects which are linked to time frames and resources.
For us in the Department of the Premier it is even more of a crucial element of the Medium Term Strategic Framework, whose strategic oversight and direction resides with us. Our department has to ensure that through legislative, programmatic and political interventions the Free State provincial government, working together with the people of the province attains:
* The transformation of the economy to create decent work and sustainable livelihoods.
* The implementation of a comprehensive rural development strategy, agrarian reform and measures to ensure food security.
* The provision of universal, affordable education which empowers our people and promotes self development.
* The creation of a healthcare system which promotes a healthy nation able to participate in a developing society.
* The implementation of a comprehensive strategy to fight crime and corruption.
Honourable Speaker, although the various Members of the Executive Council will elaborate on their departments' specific injunctions of the State of the Province Address, it is important to indicate that to date we have already:
* reconfirmed the Free State as a Province with the passion for the game by successfully hosting the Confederations Cup which included the world's greatest soccer nations such as Brazil, Spain, the USA, Egypt as well as our own Bafana Bafana. We also successfully hosted the Persian tour with the Iran National Team and Kaizer Chiefs.
* repealed the Free State Youth Commission Act and established a transitional committee which will phase in the National Development Agency as per the prescripts of the National Youth Development Agency Act; Act 54 of 2008.
* convened a multi stakeholder Provincial Health Summit which articulated a turnaround strategy and programme for the overall improvement of health care in the province.
* met with all Mayors, Speakers and Municipal Managers to lay a basis for the Township Revitalisation programme.
* finalised an agreement with the national Department of Energy in terms of which a project to install solar geysers in 40 000 households has been concluded.
* concluded a business case study to clean all Ventilated Improved Pit toilets across the Province by the beginning of August.
* secured funding and appointed project managers to kick-start all eleven high impact projects announced during the State of the Province Address, as the basis to create 50 000 jobs by the end of December.
* established the Premier's Strategic Advisory Council.
The past two months have been characterised by intense strategising and re-priotisation which can only translate into a mean, efficient and business orientated and activist administration. Our very first responsibility was to clean the system of entrenched tentacles of alleged corruption and maladministration. To achieve that, we had to request all departments to process all claims and invoices through the Department of Treasury which has the capacity to authenticate all claims submitted for payment. This process was also meant to determine the actual size of our debt to service providers, as well as to determine adherence to our policies of Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE).
The response we received has been overwhelmingly positive, because not only did we intercept fraudulent invoices, we also discovered a strong network of alleged corrupt officials who connive with unscrupulous business persons to defraud government of millions of Rands. I am sure Honourable Speaker that once we make our full findings public, there will be even greater appreciation of this move on our part, and those who are purported to be champions of small business and the vulnerable will eat humble pie.
One should take note of the Auditor-General's report of August 2008 on a performance audit of government employees and/or their spouses who are doing business with their own departments and other departments of the Free State Provincial Government. The report mentions that 36 officials are doing business with their own departments, whilst 10 employees' spouses are doing business with the departments where they are employed. And as if that is not enough, an even worse scenario is the fact that 80 employees in the Free State provincial government are doing business with other Free State provincial departments.
Part of what we also did as a matter of priority, was to initiate a process of macro and micro organisational redesign. This we did to ensure alignment with national departments as well as repositioning to successfully attain the new priorities of government as outlined in the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) of 2009 to 2014.
We prioritised the filling of critical posts to ensure that the core business of government, which is to provide service to the people, is not hampered. To date we have finalised the appointments of Heads of Departments for Public Works and Rural Development, Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs and the Department of Police, Roads and Transport. We have also appointed Chief Financial Officers in all departments. We are happy to indicate that with these appointments, we have made great strides in attaining gender equity at senior management level. Furthermore, on 1 August 2009 the Head of the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit will commence duties.
Honourable Speaker, the department's focus between 2009 and 2014 will be to align all the programmes to the five priorities identified in the Election Manifesto by:
* maintaining high levels of public investment in infrastructure through expanding and building rail networks, public transport, roads, public health and education infrastructure and housing construction.
* intensifying public sector employment programmes by increasing employment in areas where there is a clear need to do so especially in the police, education and health sectors.
* implementing the second phase of the Expanded Public Works Programme in areas such as health services, construction, maintenance and environmental protection projects
* scaling up social interventions to address the jobs challenges and ensuring social protection.
This will be achieved through the re-aligned and strengthened Cluster Programmes and the uncompromising implementation of Operation Hlasela Campaign.
The role of the Department of the Premier remains mainly to coordinate the activities of the provincial government and to provide political guidance to departments and municipalities in developing their strategic activities - although this will be done at a higher, strategic and more hands-on level
In the State of the Province Address we outlined seventy injunctions of which the Department of the Premier will take a direct leading role in the implementation of eighteen of them. Amongst the priority areas that we mentioned in the Address is the establishment of the Planning Commission in line with the National Planning Commission located in the Presidency.
The Planning Commission will amongst others, ensure integrated planning regarding social, economic, infrastructure, transport and spatial planning. All the plans will be developed within the framework of the electoral mandate to ensure a people-driven and people-centred approach.
To date a task team headed by MEC Mohai has been formed, and progress made thus far includes the development of the concept document. A workshop will be convened with all stakeholders in two months' time to agree on a framework. This will coincide with the release of a green paper at the end of July, by national government, to allow the public to provide inputs. We intend to launch the Planning Commission in January 2010.
Mohlomphehi motsamaisi wa dipuisano, ntumelle ke hona ho bontsha ka moo karolwana ya rona ya ditekanyetso bakeng sa selemo sena se hodimo sa ditjhelete, etlong ho sebediswa ka teng.
Programme 1: Administration (R61 054 000) – 38,7%
Under this programme, the Premier and the Executive Council are provided with flawless administrative assistance and support to ensure that they execute their responsibilities effectively. The programme also provides strategic direction and advice on matters relating to institutional enhancement, security, risk, audit and financial management.
The Internal Audit Unit will be contributing towards Operation Clean Audit 2014. This unit is using the latest technology of team mate Audit Software for capturing audit workings and reports, and distributing them to management to address weaknesses identified. The unit also complies with international standards on professional practice of Internal Auditing as set out by the Institute of Internal Auditors.
During this financial year, the Security Management Unit will coordinate the implementation of the recently approved Fraud Prevention Strategy. In line with the injunctions pronounced in the State of the Province Address, the component will monitor data on housing beneficiaries in municipalities to eliminate possible corruption. The unit will continue to monitor anti-corruption units in other provincial departments to ensure that regulatory systems regarding supply chain management are followed.
Following the pronouncement that we made during the State of the Province Address, officials in the Supply Chain Management component will be all be vetted.
Programme 2: Institutional Enhancement – R42 908 000 (27,2%)
This programme's main priority is to strategically guide and coordinate transverse corporate functions in the Free State provincial government. The responsibilities attached to this strategic goal are implemented by the following sub-programmes: Strategic Human Resources, Information Technology and Legal Services, and the following components: Human Resource Advice and Co-ordination Management, Free State Training and Development Institute (FSTDI) and Organisational Development.
In its quest to curb the provincial Human Resource turnover, the department has finalised the Exit Interview Framework for the entire Free State provincial government, which is currently being implemented. The Human Resource Advice, Coordination and Management Directorate made important strides towards providing provincial government with an optimal work force in order to achieve its objective. The policies that were developed during the previous financial year are now being entrenched whilst the HR coordinating forums are all operational. The directorate will continue to monitor the implementation of the filling of critical funded posts in the Free State provincial government.
The Free State Training and Development Institute facilitates and co-ordinates the building of transverse capacity within the FSPG through skills development. During the MTEF period, the Directorate, in consultation with the Department of Education will take a lead in coordinating the Premier's Bursary on Scare Skills, the restructuring of the Free State Skills Development Forum and capacitating officials in priority municipalities. The Skills Development Forum will be launched in August 2009.
The Directorate Information Technology, despite serious capacity problems and an outdated network and equipment, will ensure that information communication technology (ICT) services are still provided and even expanded to facilitate the achievement of e-government.
Our Legal Services Component will render legal expertise and support with regard to the establishment of a shared service centre, the introduction of the Provincial Fund and the reviewing of the regulatory regime in relation to combating corruption.
The outcome of the Lekgotla that was held on 4 to 6 June 2009 has placed communication at the heart of policy development and direction, to meet its service delivery targets. With the envisaged changes underway, government communication in the province will be responsible for a broader range of functions that support both the corporate work of government, as well as our interface with municipalities.
The corporate communication component strategically oversees the development and implementation of provincial communications and media strategies, including the intergovernmental and interdepartmental annual communications Programme of Action. During the MTEF period, the sub-programme will play a pivotal role in the finalisation of the 2010 Communication Strategy. The unit will also be responsible for the following:
* strengthening the Provincial Newsletter and Government Website
* reviewing public participation programmes which include the Izimbizo, and the implementation of Operation Hlasela Campaigns
* integrating departmental toll free lines into a modern call centre for better service to the public
* sustaining coherent messages on government's mandate
* creating a stronger communication that drives its agenda from the centre
* launching of a Government Directory of Services which will be distributed in rural areas and which will be linked to the call centre
Programme 3: Policy and Governance – R53 706 000 (34,1%)
The programme is responsible for integrated and coherent provincial policy development and coordination. This includes integrated provincial planning, research, monitoring and evaluation, intergovernmental and international relations, major government programmes, accelerated shared growth initiatives and participatory democracy.
Major government programmes coordinated by the Policy and Governance Unit are special programmes (HIV and AIDS, Gender and Disability), Thusong Service Centres (TSCs), Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme (ISRDP), Urban Renewal Programme (URP), Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA), Integrated Development Planning (IDP) and Project Consolidate.
The Policy Unit succeeded in performing its policy role in the last financial year. It achieved a number of successes, which certainly had an impact on service delivery in line with policy developments. Through stakeholder consultations, the gaps which existed between the Free State Growth and Development Strategy and the IDPs were identified and therefore narrowed down.
During 2009/10 the focus will again be on the popularisation and review of the Free State Growth and Development Strategy throughout the province, and the alignment and incorporation of the FSGDS into departmental and municipal plans.
The Cluster System was rolled out to district municipalities. The department played a major role in monitoring the implementation of the Programme of Action and the FSGDS, as well as providing reports to relevant management and executive structures. In addition, a report on the injunctions with respect to eleven vote speeches was also compiled to indicate levels of progress.
In 2009/10 the special programmes directorate will continue focusing on the advancement of the rights and interests of children and the aged, whose rights have been neglected for a long time. The promotion of entrepreneurial projects for the benefit of rural women, promotion of employment opportunities for persons with disabilities as well as mainstreaming and integration of the National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan will still remain of utmost importance.
In line with their mandate, the directorate will play a crucial role in the achievement of the following injunctions:
* provision of housing for widows, military veterans, farm workers and the elderly who continue to fall through the cracks of the housing programme
* strengthening the Provincial Council on AIDS.
* launching a National Youth Service (NYS) project to clean and rehabilitate our public hospitals and other public facilities.
* Premier’s Bursary on scarce skills.
The department coordinated numerous visits to and from other countries which resulted in direct and indirect benefits for the province. The relations built, provided a platform for future opportunities. The establishment of Inter-Governmental Relations structures within the Province were also completed and supported as required.
The Government Programme Implementation Monitoring Directorate will play a supportive role in coordinating the implementation of Operation Hlasela through District Steering Committees of Clusters. Furthermore it will also focus its efforts in updating the M&E system in respect of performance monitoring of Operation Hlasela. It also strives to improve the ways of working of the provincial cluster system. The major constraint of this component is the high vacancy rate in its monitoring and evaluation unit.
There was marked improvement in coordinating the major government programmes; for instance, in respect of service delivery backlogs, the 2005 water and sanitation target has been addressed in the Free State.
The Government Programme Coordination Component will continue to strengthen all coordinating mechanisms affecting major government programmes including main areas of focus as outlined in the Operation Hlasela such as:
* township revitalisation
* review of the school nutrition programme
* implementation of the 2nd phase of EPWP to contribute to creation of 50000 jobs
It will also play an important role in the implementation of the second phase of EPWP which will contribute to the creation of 50 000 jobs. The component needs to be strengthened to enable it to effectively coordinate major government programmes.
Thusong Service Centres are vehicles for the dissemination of information about government programmes, policies and projects. Through community liaison, the sub-programme brings government into face-to-face interaction with communities and creates an opportunity for communities to engage government on issues that impact on their lives and development.
Honourable Speaker, we have and will continue to strengthen the Department of the Premier especially our planning, monitoring and evaluation responsibilities. The Premier's strategic advisory group is also finalised and will immediately engage in sector specific round-tables to solicit the broadest possible support and inputs on the key government deliverables.
Looking at our initial days in office, we are convinced that we have the necessary vision and energy to make a difference. The confluence of possibilities is huge and the feedback on the ground remains positive.
We are however cognisant of the bargaining council processes which sometimes leads to workers' strikes and we are also alive to sporadic service delivery protests which may also affect our province. Whilst we respect the rights of people to strike, we do however want to caution that such actions must be carried out within the confines of the law. Any form of hooliganism will not be tolerated and the full might of the law will be unleashed on those who wish to hijack legitimate grievances for criminal and ulterior motives.
All government departments will with effect from August, unleash an all-out project implementation, community mobilisation and participation programme, in terms of which our people will be engaged to play an active role and work together with us to realise our objectives. This programme will be supported through a multi-faceted communication strategy aimed at keeping our people informed.
I wish to thank all South Africans, black and white, for celebrating the 91st birthday of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, former President of the ANC and the country. We shall continue as a Province during this financial year to engage and embark on projects of humanity in recognition of Nelson Mandela.
Honourable Speaker, we are definitely on the right road and Operation Hlasela is well on course.
Working together we can do more! Mmoho re ka fihlella tse ngata!
I thank you very much, Ke a leboha, Baie Dankie.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Free State Provincial Government
24 July 2009
Source: Free State Provincial Government (http://www.fs.gov.za)
