Speech by Deputy Minister Andries Nel - Cooperative Governance And Traditional Affairs - at the International Nelson Mandela Day celebration at the Community Work Programme in Sol Plaatje Municipality, Northern Cape
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Northern Cape Province, Alvin Botes
Executive Mayor of Francis Baard District Municipality, Khadi Moloi
Mayor of Sol Plaatjie Local Municipality, Kagisho Molusi
Mayor of Phokwane, Robbie Tsikwe
SALGA Provincial Chairperson, Cllr Willie Johnson
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is good to back in this beautiful province so soon again in this municipality named after Sol T Plaatje, a founder member and first Secretary General of the African National Congress to celebrate the life of President Nelson Rolihlala Mandela, Madiba.
In four days, on 18 July we mark International Mandela Day. This day has been recognised by the United Nations (UN) and is observed in countries around the world. The UN calls on people to devote at least 67 minutes of their time to make a difference in communities where they live and serve others.
The theme of Mandela Day is to ‘Take Action and Inspire Change.’ Which is what we are here to do today.
It was uTata Mandela himself who said: “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice…It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.”
This government is committed to keeping the ideals of Madiba. We are committed to tackling poverty, unemployment and inequality.
The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ Community Works Programme (CWP) is aimed at giving a hand up to the poorest in our community.
The CWP is a government programme that is aimed at tackling poverty and unemployment. The CWP gives the youth an opportunity to work and earn an income. The CWP will give them work experience so that they can apply for other jobs or start their own business.
Across South Africa the CWP has provided 202 634 work opportunities. In the Northern Cape the CWP is assisting 13 000 participants at 14 sites across the province. Every month CWP puts R8.4 million into the pockets of participants.
We are aware that there were challenges with the timely payment of some participants. We are confident that these problems have been sorted out.
We can announce that three new CWP sites are being established at Siyancuma, Umsobomvu, and Phokwane bringing the total number of CWP participants to 14 000.
I was here in the Northern Cape just over two weeks ago at the provincial Local Government Summit with Premier Sylvia Lucas and MEC Alvin Botes for the launch of the Northern Cape Back to Basics Programme.
President Jacob Zuma convened a Presidential Local Government Summit in September 2014. The summit agreed with the assessment presented by Minister Pravin Gordhan that that one third of our municipalities were doing well, one third were getting many things right but faced challenges and one third were dysfunctional.
The perception that local government is one big, unmitigated, disaster zone is false - and destructive. There are many well functioning municipalities and there are many hard working councillors and officials.
We would like to express our appreciation for the clear and strong leadership shown by the Mayor Re Molusi and the Municipal Manager Goolam Akharway of the Sol Plaatje Municipality in turning the municipality in line with the Back to Basics approach. The successful completion of the first phase of upgrading the municipality's water supply system over the past weekend is but one example of these efforts.
However, the bottom third of dysfunctional municipalities face serious challenges and require urgent intervention and support to get the basics right.
These dysfunctional municipalities are characterised by corruption, dysfunctional councils, no structured community engagement and participation systems, as well as poor financial management leading to continuous negative audit outcomes.
They also have a poor record of service delivery and service management functions such as fixing potholes, collecting refuse, maintaining public places, fixing streetlights, etc.
Most of the problems are as a result of a lack of capacity in administration, poor leadership and oversight by councils and political infighting and conflicts.
The analysis conducted by our joint national and provincial Back to Basics team indicates that of the 32 municipalities in the Northern Cape 2 are doing vey well; 15 are doing OK and 15 are dysfunctional. This situation requires urgent and concerted action.
It is in these municipalities that there is a need to intervene urgently to ensure that they:
- put people first
- deliver a basket of basic services
- practice good governance
- practice sound financial management
- build capable and resilient institutions.
We commend the commitment and leadership of the Northern Cape province to work with national government to ensure that we get the basics right in these municipalities.
We are very happy to be here with so many CWP participants today. We are proud of the work that you are doing.
We are looking forward to joining in painting the classroom at Kim-Kgolo Primary School and cleaning the local cemetery at Greenpoint.
The clean and green campaign is having a huge impact on this community. It is more than just cleaning up the cemetery and community center. You are restoring pride and dignity to this community.
The community vegetable garden and recycling project are also initiatives that you can be proud of.
The CWP is realising the vision of Mandela Day, everyday.
Together we are uplifting communities and ourselves. We are aware of the challenges such as drug abuse and gangsterism in the community here. The CWP offers you a way to end these community ills and improve your own lives.
Sol Plaatje, after whom this municipality is named, was a journalist, an activist and an intellectual, a founder member and Secretary-General of the African National Congress.
One of the main themes of Plaatje's novel Mhudi is that the resilience of the human spirit will triumph over difficult circumstances.
Sol Plaatje also wrote Native Life in South Africa where he described the pain and suffering experienced by black South African after they were disposed if their land by the 1913 Land Act.
Plaatje wrote: "Awaking on Friday morning, June 20, 1913, the South African Native found himself, not actually a slave, but a pariah in the land of his birth."
Apartheid forced the majority of our people to live far away from economic and social opportunities and services. This legacy of separation, division and exclusion must be defeated.
Back to Basics also means ensuring that our municipalities have the basic capacity required to manage South Africa’s rapid urbanisation and to transform apartheid spatial patterns.
We need a new deal for our cities and towns. The legacy of apartheid spatial patterns and the challenges of rapid urbanisation must be confronted through integrated urban development that is linked to the development of our rural areas. In doing so we must recognise the inextricable link between rural and urban development.
We must de-racialise communities so that a new and more cohesive society can be built. All residents, black and white, must equally enjoy the benefits of development.
This is why government has developed an Integrated Urban Development Framework in line with the vision of the National Development Plan.
One of South Africa’s newest universities, the Sol Plaatjie University, is being built right here in Kimberley. Let us use these opportunities.
The tombstone erected over Sol Plaatjie’s grave reads: "I Khutse Morolong: Modiredi Wa Afrika – Rest in Peace Morolong, You Servant of Africa.”
The Community Work Programme is Mandela Day in action, every day.
I am sure that Madiba would be proud of the Community Work Programme. It is the community and government working together to create a better life for all.
Let us honour Madiba by making the most of the CWP initiatives and keep on Moving South Africa Forward.
