of the Executive Council (Exco) Lekgotla held 22 and 23 August 2007
28 August 2007
The mid-year Exco Lekgotla was held on 22 to 23 August 2007 in Mafikeng. It
was attended by MECs, Mayors, South African Local Government Association
(Salga) North West, Acting Director-General, Heads of Departments, Municipal
Managers, Dikgosi and Chief Executive Officers of state-owned enterprises.
This briefing highlights key issues discussed by Lekgotla and the proposals
that we need to take forward in order to deepen the progress we have already
made. More detailed briefings would be made in due course by the relevant MECs,
Mayors and Salga North West on some of the issues.
The main objective of the August Lekgotla was to assess progress made in
implementing government's Programme of Action and to identify interventions
that may be necessary to unlock identified blockages in order to accelerate
progress.
The overall assessment was that, despite current challenges and constraints,
government at both provincial and local government level, is making progress in
implementing its electoral mandate, and that government programmes were making
a qualitative impact on the lives of our people.
As we are all probably aware, the provincial Lekgotla was preceded by the
national Cabinet mid-year Lekgotla. Makgotla are a platform for both the
political leadership and administrative echelons to conduct an honest and
critical appraisal of our performance as a country. Through Makgotla, we seek
to subject our own performance to intense internal scrutiny, so that we can
determine areas that require consolidation and identify areas of concern to
enable more focused intervention.
Within the context of an integrated system of government, Exco Lekgotla was
mindful of the criticality of ensuring alignment between the national
government's directives and the provincial programmes. In short, ours was to
give concrete provincial expression to the national policy imperatives and
developmental agenda, taking into account our own dynamics and unique
challenges and opportunities.
Just as the Cabinet Lekgotla did, we too reflected on key initiatives to
speed up service delivery, enhance our economic performance, break the back of
poverty, consolidate our capacity as government and confront the skills
challenge.
Mid-way through the current term of government, the imperative remains the
building of a national partnership to create a better life for all. Halving
poverty and unemployment by 2014 remain the defining national challenge. This
is the context that informed the discussions and presentations during the
two-day Lekgotla.
Whilst noting major strides being made in many areas, particularly in the
delivery of basic services and the fight against poverty, Lekgotla was
conscious of the challenges and constraints that needed to be overcome if
government was to reach the objectives and targets that it has set for
itself.
Informed by the pledge that we have renewed with our people to build a
better life for all, and inspired by our collective determination to succeed,
we adopted an approach of doing more, faster and in a more proactive, focused
and positive approach. Government and its partners refuse to assume a defeatist
posture in the face of daunting challenges, but to remain focused in the
knowledge that constraints and obstacles in the way of progress are never
insurmountable. We will pay focused attention to those challenges that we think
are catalytic.
Collectively, we identified a number of initiatives which would accelerate
service delivery, improve the performance of the provincial economy, intensify
the onslaught on poverty, and strengthen the capacity of the provincial
government and municipalities to deliver. As a province, we have identified
certain issues as catalysts for faster movement across all areas of
government.
Governance and administration
Lekgotla noted that significant progress has been registered towards meeting
the targets for universal access to water, sanitation, electricity and
housing.
As at June 2006, 25 124 buckets were still in use in the North West.
Government allocated a budget of R100 million for the eradication of buckets by
the end of 2007. To date, a total of 10 000 buckets have been eradicated in the
remaining municipalities over the last twelve months. A total of 14 402 buckets
are to be eradicated by end of 2007 in Matlosana.
Lekgotla received a report that showed that municipalities in the province
experienced considerable improvements in their Municipal Infrastructure Grants
(MIG) expenditure and performance. In 2004/05, only 52% of MIG allocation was
spent, compared to an 85% in 2006/07. This shows massive improvement and
progress in this area.
However, as a province we remain confident that we will meet the
Presidential target in this regard.
Lekgotla reiterated its position that local government is the front desk of
service delivery and agreed to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the local
sphere is well-capacitated to discharge its mandate. The view of Lekgotla was
that if local government fails, the whole of government fails. Amongst other
things, all approved and funded posts will have to be filled as a matter of
urgency and project teams "war rooms" will be set up to unlock bottlenecks. The
project management approach and "war rooms" will be applied across all clusters
and levels of government.
In the coming months, government across all spheres will intensify
communication, especially direct interaction with the citizenry as part of
deepening government-community partnership in the implementation of
government's programme of action.
Economic development and infrastructure
In the context of the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS) and
Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA), Lekgotla
focused on what needed to be done in order to meet the provincial economic
growth targets. The issue of skills development was identified as the single
most important determinant of our capacity to sustain our momentum in economic
growth.
The need to review the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy targets
was presented in the light of the following developments: changes in the
provincial boundaries which led to changes in the demographic profile and
economic structure of the North West; availability of more detailed and
scientific information (e.g. North West SAM) as well as new policy imperatives
such as AsgiSA. The PGDS review will be taken through the cluster system to
Exco for adoption.
The following were identified as high impact projects:
* The need to strengthen the Western Frontier corridor with anchor projects
along the way as one integrated and sustainable approach.
* Beef and mineral beneficiation were identified as potential catalysts for
sustainable economic growth and job creation.
* Lekgotla noted that the automotive sector in the North West demonstrates
great potential which can be unleashed by focused short, medium and long term
projects.
* Lekgotla noted that a complete integrated transport network from rail, road,
air, public and taxi transport is the backbone for growth and development and
require urgent attention, maintenance and upgrade.
* Employment and skills demands in the economic sectors must receive focused
analysis and response.
* The adoption of a project management model to ensure speedy implementation of
projects.
* The relationships with the mining industry and projects agreed upon in
negotiations with mines must be followed up urgently.
* Support package to municipalities: For example in Maquassie Hill, the
provincial government is providing a hands-on support for the development of
spatial plan and land use management plan, as well as develop an investment
strategy for the municipality. We are also mobilising funding to address
backlogs in basic service delivery in areas such as water and sanitation.
The following projects will be implemented within the framework of the
National industrial policy framework which was adopted by Cabinet Lekgotla.
Mafikeng Industrial Development Zone Company (MIDZ)
The expansion and refurbishment of the Mafikeng Airport is at an advanced
stage. The Bulk Sewer Pipeline has already been completed; the Bulk Water
Project is 46% complete. The expected completion date is 30 September 2007. The
Bulk Electricity Project is expected to be 40% complete by 31 March 2008. In
addition, the Mineral Park Building involves the construction of 10 000 square
metres building by a private investor. A Concession Agreement for the
development of this building will be signed in the near future. We expect
construction to start before 31 March 2008.
An application for an Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) operator permit and
to have the International licence of Pilanesberg transferred to Mafikeng has
already been made to national government. We hope that such a transfer will be
concluded by 31 March 2008.
* The automotive sector in the Madibeng area was identified as having great
potential.
* The strengthening of the Western frontier with its anchor projects such as
the Taung irrigation scheme and cattle beneficiation. Its fundamental objective
is to unleash economic growth in the Bophirima area.
In the context of AsgiSA, a number of challenges need focused attention,
including sustaining performance, reaching the marginalised poor, maintaining
momentum on key areas like skills programmes, and constraints on public sector
capacity to implement key programmes.
With regard to infrastructure programmes, attention will be given to more
integrated infrastructure planning across spheres; 2010 and public transport;
and to the implementation of EPWP rural access road programmes.
More rapid development of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME) and
co-operatives has been identified as a priority. In this context a proposal on
targeted procurement from SMMEs and enterprises owned by youth, women and
people with disabilities was noted.
2010 programme
Consistent with our commitment to make this an African World Cup, we will
ensure collaboration with neighbouring Botswana in this regard. There are very
strong cultural and historical ties between Botswana and South Africa. Lekgotla
noted that Botswana authorities have already set up a committee that is
exploring possibilities to ensure that the citizens of their country are also
part of the 2010 Federation International Football Association (Fifa) World Cup
atmosphere right in their own background.
The provincial government will investigate sharing of legacy and other
regional projects with Botswana and neighbouring provinces. We will also use
the by-products of the meat industry and collaboration with Botswana to create
legacy projects for 2010.
In addition, Lekgotla expressed satisfaction with provincial preparations
for 2010, but agreed to explore ways of addressing some of the most crucial
challenges and resource needs faced by 2010 co-ordination.
MIDZ, social cluster
Reducing poverty remains one of the fundamental and most urgent challenges
facing society as a whole. Government remains on course to achieve the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to halve poverty and unemployment by
2014.
Government's approach deals with poverty on multiple fronts: basic income
security, aimed at providing safety nets for the most vulnerable; basic
services and other non-financial transfers (social wage), including free basic
municipal services like water, electricity, refuse removal, education and
primary health care for the poor; addressing asset poverty by accelerating
delivery of houses and land reform programmes; human resource development
initiatives which focus on skills development of the poor to improve employment
prospects; and second economy initiatives such as EPWP, AsgiSA, SME
initiatives.
As part of a comprehensive poverty eradication strategy, the following were
identified; the need to promote community-based co-operatives; focus on skills
development, provision of basic services which must be delivered through EPWP
as well as a centralised integrated nutrition programme. The key objective of
our onslaught on poverty is to take as many people as possible off the social
grant net.
Lekgotla noted efforts at expanding access to a better life for all and
agreed to speed up provision of social infrastructure such as schools, clinics,
libraries, community care centres, etc. Government across spheres will focus on
basic needs delivery to the poor.
Within the context of a developmental state, interventions to promote entry
into the First Economy will be accelerated as part of our offensive on poverty.
Government will also focus on the provision of social infrastructure to create
economic growth and job opportunities.
The poverty eradication policy interventions and proposals identified at
last year's Social Indaba would be implemented in a focused way. Proposals on
using the procurement process to open opportunities for special provincial
intervention would be investigated.
With regard to anti-poverty programmes, Lekgotla agreed that in a
developmental state the partnership with civil society and communities is
crucial if we are to make a dent on poverty. The scale and the nature of the
poverty challenge require a strong partnership between government, business,
labour, and civil society and the mobilisation of society as a whole. Such a
partnership will help co-ordinate and align all anti-poverty initiatives to
maximise impact.
Lekgotla reached consensus around the need for a special PGDS Working group
to focus on social cohesion as a vehicle to continue building a united,
non-racial, non-sexist, democratic society held together by common values.
Lekgotla further agreed on the need for programmes to promote and strengthen
social cohesion with a special focus on social, economic and cultural factors
that tend to diminish social cohesion.
The programme will also seek to instil a sense of patriotism amongst
school-going children as well as respect for our national symbols, the
constitution and state institutions. It will also seek to promote tolerance and
respect for fellow citizens. Pride amongst citizens in being South African and
optimism about the future of the country; trust and pride in the new democratic
institutions; and public participation in social dialogue on issues of material
interest were seen as critical indicators of social cohesion.
The ultimate objective of the social cohesion programme is to contribute to
the building of a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic society held
together by common values.
Conclusion
During the course of our Lekgotla, we constantly and consistently posed the
fundamental question to ourselves: "Are we on track?"
The meeting concluded that the direction we are taking as a province and
country remains correct and valid, but that there is a need to increase the
pace of efforts, in partnership with society, to ensure that we move as fast as
possible towards the goals that we have set for ourselves as a nation and
province.
Enquiries:
Cornelius Tanana Monama
Tel: 018 387 3456
Cell: 082 578 4063
Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
28 August 2007
