Honourable SpeakerMembers of the Executive Council
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Barolong boo Seleka Traditional Council
Executive Committee members of the leadership of ANC structures
Comrades and Friends,
I appreciate the opportunity today to present the budget vote of the Department of the Premier for the 2012/13 financial year in the rural village of Ga-Motlatla, one of the 37 villages that constitute the broader geographical area of Thaba Nchu.
Today, honourable Speaker, I return to the home of the Magashule’s. For some of us, the commitment to achieving political and economic freedom in our lifetime, runs in our blood. We are from the history of Solomon Magashule who worked unselfishly and tirelessly with Sol Plaatje and others to bring about a better life for all the people of South Africa.
We know the history of our people. We know and respect our culture and traditions. We know where we come from. We were schooled and shaped by this living and vibrant organisation, the African National Congress.
Through its history of 100 years, this organisation has set the tone for the founding values and principles that we have always been prepared to defend at all costs. These values and principles will always include an unwavering and selfless commitment and dedication to the struggle for a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society, concern for the will and interests of the people as well as the implementation of the policies of the movement and the decisions of the collective.
We cannot today be impressed with foreign tendencies that undermine and devalue the contribution of those men and women who through decades of struggle delivered the creation of the democratic South Africa. Our public political discourse must reflect our respect for the institutions of government, our leaders and communities. Anything less betrays the heritage of the men and women who have led the path towards achieving the gains of the liberation movement.
Honourable Speaker, we will be well-advised to learn from the history of Thaba Nchu when we work towards the establishment of a truly non-racial society. Did the Batswana people not accept the Voortrekkers as allies during the difaqane. This alliance was created out of necessity – out of the realisation that working together, a better quality of life can be achieved.
Translating this into our modern day realities, we – all the people of the Free State – must create yet another alliance that will ensure that we defeat our common enemies, namely poverty, under-development and unemployment.
Working together, the Free State provincial government and state-owned enterprises will realise the development of the Thaba Nchu urban and rural areas. Let me use our approach to development in this area to illustrate the Operation Hlasela methodology.
The Department of Health kick-started our development process with the re-opening of the Thaba Nchu School of Nursing in 2010. Our Human Settlements Department is implementing a number of special projects.
This includes 50 units for emergency housing to address the consequences of natural disasters, the completion of 100 incomplete houses and 79 land restitution units. In addition, a further 600 RDP units are under construction in the broader Thaba Nchu area.
In the next financial year, the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs will undertake renovations at the Maria Maroka Game Reserve. The Department of Police, Roads and Transport will be attending to the public transport route whilst the Department or Public Works will address the Thaba Nchu access road through the township revitalisation programme. The Eureka Rehabilitation Centre will be developed by the Department of Social Development.
In the spirit of our Operation Hlasela methodology, Standard Bank, the RAG organisation of the University of the Free State and the Office of the Premier will make a financial contribution to assist the Motlala Intermediate School to provide school shoes and jerseys for learners.
This, honourable Speaker, is a practical illustration of our belief that; “Working together, we can do more”. We are simply aligning and coordinating our planning, budget and implementation processes to ensure that we bring about real change in the communities where our people live.
Mandate of the Department
Honorable Speaker,
The Office of the Premier is indeed at the centre of the provincial government. We continue to draw our mandate from the Constitution and other relevant legislation. The budget must enable the effective execution of this mandate as we provide strategic leadership and direction as well as coordinate and integrate the provincial government’s programme towards achieving the 12 priority outcomes of government.
As indicated last year, the dynamics of the Office of the Premier can no longer be appropriately accommodated by the current budget structure as prescribed. The matter has been elevated to the Forum of Provincial Directors-General to engage the relevant Provincial Treasuries as well as National Treasury. Their task is to review and develop a budget programme structure for Offices of the Premier that will create synergy with our developed priority areas for implementation in the 2013/2014 financial year.
General overview of the budget
The total budget allocation to the Department of the Premier for the 2012/2013 financial year amounts to R253.11 million. This amount is allocated to three Programmes as follows;
Programme 1: Administration receives R120.746 million
Programme 2: Institutional Enhancement is allocated R84.825 million and
Programme 3:Policy and Governance receives R47.542 million.
Programme 1 – Administration
The objective of Programme 1 is to provide executive support to the Premier, the Executive Council and the Director General in respect of strategic and operational management in fulfilling their legislative and oversight functions and in promoting good corporate governance.
The major increase in the budget allocation to Programme One is a result of the transfer of Community Development Workers (CDWs) from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to our Department, specifically the Intervention Unit, from the beginning of the new financial year.
Our continued improvement in resolving complaints lodged on the Presidential Hotline is evident from the fact that we increased our resolve rate from 77% in February 2011 to 91.03 % at the end of February 2012. Our planning around the Provincial Call Centre, in conjunction with the State Information and Technology Agency (SITA), will result in the Call Centre becoming functional during the new financial year. This will add a new dynamic to our interaction and engagement with the people and communities of the Free State.
Ditlhatlhobo tsa tsamaiso ya rona ya ditjhelete di bontshitse ntlafalo e kgolo. Selemong se fetileng sa ditjhelete sa 2009/2010, re fumane tlaleho e mpe, empa selemong sa 2010/2011, re fumane tlaleho e hlwekileng. Katleho ena e fihletswe ka lebaka la melabaleba a kopanetsweng ke bahlanka bohle ba Lefapha la ka, tshehetso ya Lefapha la Ditjhelete la Provense le mosebetsi o tswileng matsoho waKomiti ya Joint Audit.
This budget programme also accommodates the cooperation and coordination of provincial security and anti-corruption initiatives between ourselves, the South African Police Services and the State Security Agency.During the past year, a number of instances were exposed where the logo and letterhead of the Department were fraudulently used by unscrupulous public servants. These joint efforts have resulted in the arrest of individuals and the necessary legal processes are now unfolding.
Our work with the Public Service Commission to address complaints lodged through the National Anti-Corruption Hotline will remain one of our priority focus areas in the new financial year.
I wish to announce the persons who constitute the Premier’s Advisory Council as follows:
- The Chairperson of the Advisory Council is Ms Jesse Duarte
- Mr Frans Baleni of the National Union of Mine Workers
- Mr Whitey Basson of Shoprite Checkers
- Pastor At Boshoff of the Christian Revival Church
- Dr Robert Brand who is an environmental scientist
- Ms Nonku Hlongwa of the private sector
- Dr Irvin Khoza who is one of our most eminent persons in the sporting community
- Mr Ben Deysel of the Highway Group and the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut
- Prof Kobus Loubscher of Grain SA
- Dr Vincent Mphai of the private sector, specifically SAB and BHP Billiton
- Mr Brian Molefi of Transport
- Mr Ashok Naryan who is from the IT sector
- Prof Andre Venter who is a professor in paediatrics.
The Advisory Council is scheduled to the meet with the Executive Council during the forthcoming week and we expect that they will be actively assisting and advising the provincial government to achieve our objectives.
The Office of the Premier and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs will be leading the municipal support team initiative. This initiative will comprise of a multi-disciplinary team comprising of professionals from all sectors relevant to the local government sector, including engineers, financial, accounting and audit professionals and human resource specialists.
The enthusiasm of former town clerks, our retired Auditor-General, academics and other individuals from the private sector to contribute to this initiative has been inspiring. We invite all interested parties and stakeholders to join this effort that will practically assist our municipalities to deliver quality services to our towns and communities.
Provincial Skills Development
Honourable Speaker, we are in the process of de-linking the Provincial Skills Development Unit from the Free State Training and Development Institute. The focus of the Provincial Skills Development Unit will include coordination with the Department of Education on the provincial bursary scheme, the implementation of learnerships and internships, the facilitation of experiential training programmes in conjunction with our tertiary institutions and the management of the unemployed graduate database.
For the year 2012, 84 students from Thaba Nchu, including six orphans, were awarded bursaries under the Provincial Bursary Scheme. One aspect that requires our further attention is ensuring that bursary holders complete their studies unhindered by poor living conditions and this will be one of our focus areas in the new financial year.
The provincial government has in the past been the main employer for the internship programmes. During 2012, we will be transcending the confines of the Province and the Country when we, in partnership with the Jobs Fund, will be sending 250 young people to the United States and Europe to gain work experience mainly in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector. This programme will be formally launched in June 2012 as part of our dedication to the youth of 1976 who sacrificed their lives for the education of youth in South Africa.
As indicated in the State of the Province Address, the database of unemployed graduates has been developed. We are actively seeking placement in the private and public sector for these graduates. As indicated, Eskom has already taken 150 of our unemployed graduates and we will be publicly releasing the names of these placements. Various municipalities have already employed graduates from this database. There will be more opportunities for unemployed graduates to find employment in the provincial government during the new financial year.
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, ke se ke boletse hore selemong sena ho tla cha kgong ho sale molora! Ya senang sekaja Mmae a tele, a telle motella ruri!Ka lona lenane lena la ho isa batjha mose ho mawatle, re boetse re tla isa batjha ba bang ba lekgolo le mashome a mahlano (150) dinaheng tsa Europa, India le America ho ithuta hara tse ding, katemo, mahlale a kgwebo, thuto ya bana ba banyane (ECD), thekiso ya matlo (Real estate). Tsena re tla di fihlela ka tshebedisano le Jobs Fund and Ubuntu Institute. Ha re sebetsa hammoho re ka fihlela tse ngata!
Honourable Speaker, a commitment to implement sound was articulated in the State of the Province address 2012 career guidance programmes. In the spirit of delivering services faster to the people of the Free State, the Department of the Premier, in partnership with the Department of Public Service and Administration and the Xhariep District Municipality, launched a Rural Career Guidance Programme.Through this programme, youth in and out of school are exposed to a myriad of career opportunities available to them. 2 500 people including 800 learners participated in the event.This programme will also be facilitated in other districts of our province.
The Provincial Skills Development Unit will also initiate an extensive skills audit of all provincial departments to ensure that we create synergy between requirements for professional services and the management thereof. This will inform the implementation of our strategy to ensure the placement of appropriately skilled people in the right positions. We should take the example of the Minister of Health who insists that health professionals should be responsible for the delivery of health services. To further illustrate this point, we should be clear that a social worker cannot be in charge of clinical practitioners.
Last year we also announced our Laptops for Bursary holders programme. We will be handing over the first laptops that we have received from various individuals and the private sector immediately after the Easter holiday period when the our tertiary institutions re-open. I wish to express my gratitude for all the laptops we received to date and I want to encourage further participation and support for this innovative project.
Programme 2 - Institutional Development
Honourable Speaker, the strategic objective of this programme is to guide and coordinate Provincial Departments with regard to transverse corporate support functions and to attend to Departmental-specific matters. Key focus areas in this regard include;
- Strategic Human Resources
- Information Technology
- Legal Services and
- Communications
Organisational Development
The re-configuration of the Office of the Premier is still subject to the ongoing consultative processes between the DPSA and ourselves. It is anticipated that this matter will be brought to finalisation during the first quarter of the new financial year.
The current debate around the allocation of responsibility for the performance management of Heads of Department and the Senior Management Service throughout government should be noted. This is currently part of the responsibilities of the Public Service Commission. Future developments may include the re-assignment of this responsibility to the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency.
During recent weeks, the Office of the Premier facilitated workshops with respectively the Public Service Commission and the DPSA for Heads of Departments and the Senior Management Service of the provincial government on the requirements of appropriate performance management agreements and processes of the public service.
This process was undertaken to ensure that the Senior Management Service of the Free State provincial government improves its compliance with the appropriate regulatory framework and, more importantly, to ensure that the performance management framework is effectively translated from theory into practice throughout our government. We understand, however, that performance management and development is a continuous process that requires the active commitment and involvement of the relevant executive authorities of provincial departments.
Honourable Speaker, performance management is of course also intrinsically linked with training and development. The Free State Training and Development Institute, working in collaboration with PALAMA, will continue to execute its mandate to enhance the competency levels of the public service through facilitating appropriate and relevant training and development opportunities.
Information Technology
The Office of the Premier and the State Information and Technology Agency (SITA) has established an enhanced working relationship that will continue to improve the coordination and cooperation on information technology. This will undoubtedly benefit the broader provincial government sector.
In addition to the standard scope of work that provincial government conducts with SITA, our other areas of cooperation have been extended to include certain transversal projects such as the Call Centre, the major review and redevelopment of the on-line presence of the broader government sector, the piloting and anticipated roll-out of the new Integrated Financial ManagementSystem (IFMS) and the rendering of advice and support to identified local municipalities identified as part of the broader municipal support initiative.
Diphatlhalatso
Ho kengwa tshebetsong ha maano a matjha a diphatlalatso a entse merero e akaretsang mafapha ya mefutafuta, e sa tswella selemong se tlang sa ditjhelete. Profensing ya Free State e fumanwe e na le bokgoni ba ho phatlhalatsa ka tsela e tswilengmatsoho.
Our public participation and community outreach initiatives will continue to include our Operation Hlasela initiatives in identified localities in the Free State. We will also be launching a process to invite the general public to submit proposals to appropriately name what is now generally known as the Free State House.
One of the most promising and rewarding programmes we launched last year in collaboration with the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation and the sport community was the Reconciliation Week. Our collaboration with all sectors, including the private, broadcasting and sport communities, will continue this year and we will extend it to other sectors to ensure the maximum participation of our communities in this programme. We will pay specific attention to ensure the inclusion and participation of the youth sector in this programme.
Programme 3 - Policy and Governance
Leano le Tsamaiso
Motsamaisi wa dipuisano, phumantsho ya ditshebeletso e atleha ka baka la ho kopanela merero nakong eo ho entswang ditlhophiso tsa phaano e tjhorileng ya ditshebeletsoke mafapha a fapaneng a mmuso. Hona hape ho etsa hore ho be bobebe nakong eo ho lekolwang tshebetso ya mmuso. Lefapha la Tonakgolo le ikarabella ho ntshetsapele melawana ya Ntlo ya Ketsamelao e amanang le tshebedisanommoho mmusong wa profensi.
Unit on Women, Children, People with Disabilities and other Focal Groups
One of the major changes in the internal focus of the Department was the de-linking of what was previously known as “special programmes” from the Intergovernmental Relations Unit. A Unit on Women, Children, People with Disabilities and other focal groups was established as advised by the corresponding national Department.
The objectives of the Unit include the development and implementation of transverse policies and strategies and the management of related events in the province. This is achieved by facilitating the implementation and monitoring of programmes relating to Gender, Disability, Children, Military Veterans, the Elderly and HIV and AIDS through the relevant offices. We will continue to improve and strengthen the functions of the Provincial AIDS Council together with the Department of Health.
We will continue to rely on the Youth Affairs Management Office to coordinate the implementation of our programmes and initiatives with the National Youth Development Agency. The Youth Indaba will convene in the first quarter of the new financial year and we will engage intensively with the youth sectors from all organisations in our province. The youth is one of the greatest assets of the Free State and we must ensure that this asset is protected and promoted in all the programmes and initiatives that we undertake as the provincial government.
Allow me to express my gratitude to the youth of our province for their unwavering support of the provincial government and our initiatives to bring about real change in their lives. We continue to draw inspiration from the boundless energy and creative that the youth contribute to our communities.
Provincial Planning
During 2011, the National Planning Commission released its Diagnostic Report and the draft National Development Plan. Consultations with key stakeholders and communities were facilitated in Sasolburg whilst further presentations were facilitated at the Provincial Budget Lekgotla. The Office of the Premier will continue to coordinate the provincial input and response and to engage with the National Planning Commission.
The review of the Free State Growth and Development Strategy is at an advanced stage.Initial consultations on the review process culminated in the hosting of three provincial workshops on the economy, social sector and governance. Further engagement on sectors including agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing and transport are in process. We are eager to continue our interaction with stakeholders on the development of Free State Vision 2030 which is currently included in the review process. It is anticipated that the proposed revised Free State Growth and Development Strategy will be released by the end of June 2012.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The activities of the Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Branch will be closely aligned with national and provincial priorities to enhance service delivery. The main focus areas for monitoring and evaluation will include;
- Outcome Based Priorities,
- Frontline Services,
- Measuring of the internal efficiency and effectiveness of provincial departments to deliver services,
- Development of data management systems and
- Provincial priorities such as the monitoring of infrastructure projects.
Another critical focus area of the PME Unit is to ensure greater credibility and reliability of performance data and information. Through our collaboration with the National Department of Rural Development and Land Reform’s geographic information system, we are busy improving on performance data and information. This will assist us to make more accurate and focused management decisions as well as to ensure that we address our shortcomings.
During February 2012, the Office of the Premier, co-hosted with the Department for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) in the Presidency the launch of the Cabinet approved Management Performance Assessment Tool (MPAT).The MPAT assesses the level of development of strategic management, governance and accountability, human resource systems management and financial management within provincial departments.
The self assessment of Provincial Departments commenced after the launch and the information obtained with this tool will be used in the new financial year by the PME Branch to assist the Province to determine baseline information with regard to the key performance areas, set targets for improvement of the capacity of the state and to develop interventions to address areas of concern.
Intergovernmental Relations
We continue to facilitate the participation of the province in the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC), MINMECs, FOSAD and other relevant clusters at national government level. Within the province we continue to facilitate and coordinate meetings of the Premier’s Coordinating Forum (PCF).
Hon. Members will remember that we envisaged hosting ‘FAIR 15’ during 2011. This endeavor was aimed at ensuring that the Free State province, collaborating with our international partners, steps up its ability to promote trade and investment; negotiate co-operation and exchanges; conduct exhibitions and cultural programs from which our communities and businesses could benefit. As a result of the hosting of COP 17 during the same period, we were advised to postpone our programme. The celebration of our international partnerships will take place in the new financial year.
Baemedi ba mmuso wa profensi ya Free State, mafapha a ikemetseng a tshebeletso tsa setjhaba mmoho le borakgwebo ba tla tswela pele, ho re emela ketelong ya bona dinaheng tse kantle, selemong se tlang sa ditjhelete.
Ketelo ya rona dinaheng tsa kantle e tla tsepamisa maikutlo dinaheng tsa BRICS, e leng Brazil, China, India, Russia mmoho le Cuba. Diketelo tsena di tla etsa bonnete hore Free State e une molemo menyetleng ya dikgwebisano le matsete.
I am pleased to announce that through these relations, the Jiangsu Provincial Government of China has offered University Scholarships for 2 of our students to pursue their studies in China.
Conclusion
Honourable Speaker, on 22nd April 2009 our province and country voted in the fourth democratic elections since the advent of democracy in 1994. The Free State Legislature was inaugurated on the 6th of May 2009. We have truly reached the mid-term mark of this electoral term. We will be celebrating the achievements of the provincial government during this period and continue to our relentless pursuit to achieve our electoral mandate.
As part of this programme, I will be leading various programmes to towns and communities in the Free State together with our stakeholders and the media. This programme will be launched on 22nd April 2012.
As I conclude Honourable Speaker, let me emphasise, encourage and urge all of us to ensure that we work together to realise a better life for all our communities. Let us join hands with all sectors, including the youth, academic, arts, culture, disability, labour, religious, professional, private, sport and social sectors. Indeed, we must form the broadest coalition possible to defeat our enemy of poverty, unemployment and under-development.
Let me take this opportunity to thank the Members of the Executive Council and the Legislature for their support of our work and to acknowledge the contribution of the team in the Office of the Premier for their dedication to serve the people of the Free State.
I request the House to support the 2012/2013 budget vote of the Office of the Premier.
I thank you
