the Drakensberg
28 March 2007
The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Provincial Government Executive Council held an
executive council Lekgotla from 27 to 28 March 2007 at Alpine Heath resort in
the Drakensberg.
The main purpose of the Lekgotla was to take stock of the advances made last
year as well as to prioritise priorities for the current financial year based
on the State of the Nation Address, the state of the province address, the
national cabinet Lekgotla held earlier this year as well as the provincial
growth and development strategy.
Delivering the opening address KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sibusiso Ndebele told
the executive council that the citizens of the province wanted only three
things - "excellent service delivery, excellent service delivery and excellent
service delivery."
The Premier asked the following questions to members of his executive
council:
* What steps are being taken to ensure that each and every public servant in
the province clearly understands government's Batho Pele principles as well as
the Citizen's Charter?
* Are we giving adequate support to national departments (such as Home Affairs)
against which there are several complaints?
* Are we giving support to co-operatives?
* Is the Agrarian Revolution working?
* Ladysmith�relationship with farm workers - are we replicating this unique
experiment elsewhere?
*Why is Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment still a challenge in the
province?
* What are we doing about the State of the village?
* Crime on the person is a challenge. Are we ready to intensify the Popular
front against crime?
The Executive Council agreed that the two most important priorities for the
province were reducing poverty and stimulating economic growth. The
Masifundisane campaign is on track to eradicate illiteracy by 2008. The meeting
also noted the effects of global warming and the fact that urgent steps will
have to be taken to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions into the
atmosphere.
Resolutions adopted by the executive council included the following:
1. to improve the capacity of the state to deliver
2. to accelerate access to service delivery
3. to improve good governance and accountability
4. to improve government wide performance monitoring
5. to formulate a five year local government strategic agenda.
Senior officials in the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs
facing charges of misconduct.
The two officials, Head of Department Dr Jabulani Mjwara and Chief Financial
Officer Petrus Mahlangu face charges of financial misconduct under Section 81
of the Public Finance Management Act and also general misconduct under the Code
of Conduct of the Public Service Act. They however remain innocent until proven
otherwise at the hearing.
It is important to protect the integrity of the process by ensuring that the
employees and the presiding officer are not unduly influenced through public
debate of the matter that is still a subject of hearing.
The decision to charge these two officials follows an audit report by the
Provincial Treasury into allegations mismanagement of funds of over R100
million.
Enquiries: Mandla Msomi
Cell: 072 671 0775
Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
28 March 2007
