Honourable Chairperson of the Session,
Honourable Minister in the Presidency for Planning,
Monitoring and Evaluation, Ms Maropene Ramokgopa,
Honourable Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on
Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ms Teliswa Mgweba,
Honourable Members of the Portfolio Committee on
Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation,
Honourable Members of the House,
Deputy Chairperson of the National Planning Commission,
Professor Tinyiko Maluleke
Director General of the Department, Dr. Robert Nkuna and his team,
Acting Secretary of the National Planning Commission,
Ashraf Kariem
Distinguished Guests,
Members of the media and fellow South Africans
Good Afternoon
It is indeed a pleasure to participate in this inaugural Budget Vote of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) under the 7th Administration. I am particularly honoured to have joined such an important
Department, which is appropriately located at the centre, to drive and facilitate the implementation of developmental outcomes in accordance the National Development Plan (NDP).
I am certain that this Government of National Unity (GNU) will benefit immensely from the work of this Department, which is undoubtedly crucial for coordination of our work through the planning, monitoring and evaluation.
Honourable House Chairperson,
The Frontline Monitoring work of the Department remains important. As I was going through various reports on the work of DPME, I was particularly drawn to the Department’s increasing monitoring visits to various service delivery sites, which demonstrates the Department’s commitment to generating objective evidence, assessment of the citizenry’s experience as they interface with government.
In this regard, it is worth noting that during the last financial year, the Department visited a number of designated special economic zones and industrial parks to assess their effectiveness in building an inclusive economy and create the much-needed jobs.
Accordingly, industrial development plays a pivotal role in Africa’s journey toward greater integration and economic transformation.
Furthermore, the Department has been to a number of schools to assess our children’s learning experiences and conducted monitoring visits to various hospitals to track progress in improving access to health care. Equally, the Department has also visited a number of disaster-stricken part of our country to monitor government interventions.
Honourable Members,
As you are aware, some parts of our country in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu- Natal and North West Provinces, have been adversely affected by the natural disasters and many of the people lost their homes and valuable – in the worst cases
situations, they lost their family members.
The Department’s observation is that although there are areas of improvement in the management of disasters, progress has been made to restore the dignity of families in Deelpan, North West. The monitoring team has observed
that approximately 103 houses have been built for affected residents, internal roads are being fixed, provision of water and sanitation and other socio-economic measures are on course.
Building social compacts is one of the priorities of our Department. This commitment is further solidified with efforts to coordinate various stakeholders and stimulate intervention. Constant interactions with various
stakeholders create an opportunity for the Department, and government broadly, to build working social compacts and foster collective efforts to mitigate service delivery challenges and policy gaps.
For instance, in partnership with the National Disaster Management Centre and the United Nations, the Department has engaged in an International Performance Monitoring & Evaluation Dialogue in Disaster Management.
This initiative allowed the Department to learn from the experiences of other countries in preparing for and responding to disasters.
The Department also conducted a survey of bilateral and multilateral international countries to consolidate support for the implementation of our National Anti-corruption Advisory Strategy.
Honourable House Chairperson,
In order to bridge the gap between academics and the public sector, we have established a partnership with the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. This collaboration promotes interdisciplinary approaches to evaluation and research work, ensuring that our policies are evidence-based and effective.
We have also prioritised the continuous professional development of our government officials in Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E), covering the DPME staff and in other parts of government including provinces
and local government.
Through partnerships with organizations like the South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM) and the National School of Government, we have provided training and workshops to strengthen PM&E capabilities and systems.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We have piloted the State Owned Enterprises (SOE) Monitoring Framework in collaboration with oversight Departments, to assess entities under their portfolio. This initiative has enabled us to identify areas for improvement and pathways to facilitate the turnaround of State-Owned Enterprises. We have also organized successful forums to bring together stakeholders and address challenges facing SOEs.
The implementation of District Development Model (DDM) would have never been possible without the collaboration of all stakeholders. The model seeks to promote integration and unison amongst all spheres of government in planning
and development.
We are making inroads in the implementation of this model and accordingly, most districts have now developed their One Plans, which is the central programme of action for a district.
Citizen government engagement
We invite all South Africans to use available resources to constantly engage with public representatives on any issue that affects their participation in the economy and access to government services.
The Presidency and the Government Communication and Information System have coordinated a number Presidential Izimbizos to provide a platform for citizens to engage with government representatives.
As the DPME, we view these Izimbizos as effective platform for gathering of essential feedback on the experience of the citizens as they interact with government institutions and representatives.
We also invite citizens to reach out to government through the Presidential Hotline and to share their experience as they attempt to access basic services in any government facility.
We are consistently striving to reach as many people as possible to test their perspective of government performance and provide feedback. Our hope is for all the people of South Africa to take ownership of the development of the country.
We want to turnaround the experience of citizens who are reaching us through the Presidential Hotline by introducing new channels of communication. The Presidential Hotline is a critical facilitator of citizen-government engagement.
It is therefore necessary that we continue to upgrade it to ensure that it is accessible to the majority of the people.
Our plans benefit immensely from the complaints and compliments that are received through this channel.
Building a capable state
These improvements in our systems will contribute in building a Capable, Ethical, and Developmental State. The task of building a capable state is central to the attainment of the NDP developmental goals. We will be monitoring
the implementation of all programmes that are aimed at building capacity and professionalising the work of the state.
Honourable Chairperson,
As I conclude, I would like to urge all Honourable Members to support the budget that is allocated to the Department as it will assist all of us in generating critical evidence through various monitoring methods and promote collaborative efforts through social compacts to improve the living condition of the citizenry.
Thank you!!
