Ladies and gentlemen,
All Protocol is observed.
Once again, thank you for gracing us with your presence at this media briefing. In a few minutes from now we will deliver our 4th budget policy speech before the legislature, which largely documents the journey we have travelled since 2009 towards creating a KwaZulu-Natal fit for her people in line with the Manifesto of the ruling party adopted by the people of South Africa through their votes.
Indeed the budget policy speech is a bag full of good news. Our good news, like a ray of light, breaking through a forbiddingly gloomy sky.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Service Delivery Index
In our presentation today, we highlight the fact that in the last four years, the province of KwaZulu-Natal has become the trailblazer in the delivery of key services surpassing all other provinces. Recent statistics backed up by the census data demonstrates that the biggest improvement in the delivery of water, electricity and sanitation to poor households is in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
As the province we are sitting at over 86% of households with access to water, 88% of household with access to dignified sanitation and 78% of households with access to electricity. We also announce that the following municipalities are on the verge of achieving universal (100%) access to their residents and are set to be among the first in the country to achieve such an important feat:
- Sanitation: Ezinqoleni, Umngeni, Mkhambathini, Richmond, Imbabazane, Endumeni, Dannhauser, Big 5, Hlabisa, Mthonjaneni, Kwa Sani, Greater Kokstad, Ubuhlebezwe.
- Water: Umdoni, Big 5, KwaDukuza, Kokstad, Kwa Sani.
- Electricity: Impendle, Umhlathuze, Kwa Sani
These figure bear testimony to the tangible achievement that has been made since 2009. To give you some idea of the sheer impact of it, when you consider that the average poor household consists of five people, this would mean we have provided key services to millions of citizens. We have now broken through the backlog barrier and produced more people with access to services than there are backlogs. Put differently, we have provided services to more people than those still needing them.
Although we were confronted by the global economic meltdown when we assumed office, which definitely impacted on our ambitious programmes, we sailed through the troubled waters and cushioned our development programmes.
We have succeeded in these programmes because we do not merely put policy proposals in place and simply allowed them to collect dust. Today you are all witness to the numerous strides that have been made in far-flung rural areas of this province.
Areas that have in the previous dispensations been horrendously sidelined and deprived of any development or infrastructure. Today, in places like Nquthu and Ezinqoleni, in Mtubatuba and Estcourt etc, you will see the fruit of true democracy and nation-building.
Electricity Islands
When we took over this portfolio in 2009, we found a very unique situation in some municipalities in this province where electricity has a political membership card. We discovered the existence of despicable electricity “islands” – which represents the shocking ad un-constitutional practices where-in certain municipalities deliberately excluded certain areas from accessing electricity simply because they were perceived not to be loyal to certain political formations.
Good progress has been made in the eradication of these electricity islands. To date 7 662 consumers have been connected in communities who have been victimized in the incidence of electricity islands in KwaZulu-Natal. In addition, projects are in the process of construction to provide a further 8 725 consumers with an electricity connection.
These will be completed by 2014. The total cost of completed projects and those in construction is approximately R240 million. Approximately 6 000 households still remain. We hold a view that all citizens in a municipality deserve and have the right to access services irrespective of who they are perceived to have voted for.
State of Local Government
Our analysis on the state of local government reflects that municipalities have turned around for the better. In KwaZulu-Natal we have a stable local government system that complies with all legislative prescripts. Its agenda is firmly focused on development. The confidence of our people has been restored.
The voice of the community is heard more in the governance of municipalities through the strengthening of ward committees. The IDPs are representing the visions of communities and there is stronger alignment of plans with all spheres of government. We have professionalized local government by ensuring that competent people with requisite skills are employed (no section 56 or 57 employees occupy political positions).
No persons with bad records including (criminal, maladministration and corruption) are being employed in our municipalities. There is strong monitoring and evaluation of service delivery which has led to the improvement highlighted above.
Operation Clean Audit
We are announcing that the deadline for this important goal ends in December 2014 and as KwaZulu-Natal, we are on the correct path with 70% of our municipalities having achieved good audit reports. Although 16 didn’t do well but on National percentage KZN is still a star performer. We have already had serious and frank engagements with errant municipalities and we have developed support interventions.
We are taking drastic measures including, among others, reprimanding the CFOs and Accounting Officers. We are on the point of introducing compulsory training programmes with relevant modules for officials in municipalities that have received poor audit reports. We believe this route will re-orientate the officials and help improve performance. They have all received reprimand letters from their Mayors.
As for councillors, we are exploring whether poor performance by municipalities should not be a compelling case for breaching the councillor code of conduct. We have already taken a decision that there will be no bonuses or salary increases to both the administrators and councillors of those municipalities who have received poor audit outcomes.
We must also appreciate the positive developments such as our high standards of compliance and tight administrative checks and balances. This is clear proof that our high ideals of clean administrations are indeed on course.
Job creation
We also highlight the point that our labour intensive programmes have created a lot of job opportunities for many people in this province particularly in rural areas. Our Community Works Programme alone that we are implementing in 29 municipalities has created 30 500 jobs, I repeat 30 500 jobs!
Disaster management
The impact of disasters poses a serious challenge to the service delivery progress we are making as a country as we have to rebuild damaged infrastructure that had already been delivered by this government. It slows our advance. With the recent incidents, a total number of 13 415 houses were affected wherein at least 1 721 were completely destroyed whilst 7 256 were partially damaged.
These incidents affected at least 62 609 people, with 122 sustaining serious injuries whilst unfortunately 176 people lost their lives, 2 of which are still missing as we speak. We are prone to lightning strikes, floods, hail, snowfall, tornadoes and possible cyclones. This is a reality we must face.
We deeply regret and send our deepest sympathies and condolences to those families that have lost their loved ones. Our Disaster Management Centre and its partners continue to deliver relief measures to help affected households to continue with their lives despite the calamities.
District centres are being constructed with grant funding availed by the department. Already District Disaster Centres are at various stages of construction in the following municipalities: uThukela, Amajuba, Ugu, iLembe, uMkhanyakude, Sisonke.
The state of the art Provincial Disaster Management Centre is currently under construction and is due for completion by January 2014. Notably this centre is a hybrid facility which combines both local and international best practices and will be equipped as such.
Fighting fraud and corruption
Our Anti-Fraud and Corruption efforts are yielding positive results, slowly but surely we are ridding our governance institutions of rogue elements whose pre-occupation is self-enrichment as opposed to serving the interest of the communities.
To date 134 officials have been prosecuted and undergone disciplinary procedures. Nine dismissals have been carried-out while others resigned before processes could be concluded. In other cases civil recoveries are still underway as they are separate legal processes that are the responsibility of the Municipality or the Asset Forfeiture Unit in conjunction with the department. In the case of Uthukela District which we reported last year, R4 million was recovered and returned to the municipality.
In respect of criminal cases, 7 cases were reported, 13 arrests were made, 2 successful prosecutions have occurred with one municipal official receiving a sentence of 6 years and the repayment of monies to Uthukela District. As a proactive intervention to improve ethics, we are intensifying anti-corruption strategies to all 61 municipalities in the province during this financial year.
Forensic Investigations – criminal matters
Thirteen (13) Cases, 5 arrests with two convictions and three matters still before the courts. Nqutu: Four (4) criminal cases have been reported and are still ongoing:
- Nqutu CAS 123/02/2010– Official.
- Nqutu CAS 124/02/2010 – a former Mayor.
- Nqutu CAS 125/02/2010 – former CFO.
- Nqutu CAS No.128/02/2010 – former MM.
Umhlabuyalingana: A report has been made available to the SAPS for possible criminal charges on various issues. Umhlabuyalingana CAS No: 80/05/2010 was registered at Manguzi Police Stationan is on-going. Zululand District: A criminal case was registered with the SAPS, Ulundi CAS 212/06/2009 and is on-going.
Emadlangeni: Criminal case was reported by the Department as per MEC’s instruction, SAPS Utrecht CAS No: 42/02/2010 refers. The matter will be heard in July 2013 and the departmental investigator has been subpoenaed to appear before the court to give evidence.
A clerk who was implicated in the misappropriation of funds in the amount of R 864 000.00 was charged criminally and convicted. He has been sentenced to 6 years imprisonment. Indaka: A criminal case was registered with the SAPS Ekuvukeni CAS 31/05/2011 and the Investigating Officer has been provided with affidavits from departmental investigators who also assisted with preparation of draft charge sheets and a comprehensive list of all evidence files, preparation of section 205 subpoenas and will provide expert testimony and witness in the subsequent criminal proceedings.
Mandeni: A criminal case was registered with the SAPS by the Department Sundumbili CAS 80/06/2011 refers. The SAPS have indicated that, given the scale of the fraud and corruption uncovered, a number of Investigating Officers have been appointed to deal with this matter lead by the Commercial Crimes unit.
Uthukela District: A number of arrests have been made and the perpetrators have appeared before the Court, as follows:
- Ladysmith CAS 596/01/2011; Ladysmith CAS 78/08/2011 and Ladysmith CAS 76/08/2011 against the same service provider. Individual paid back R4 000 000 to the municipality.
- Ladysmith CAS 77/08/2011 registered against a service provider.Arrest made and matter before the court. Individual out on R10 000 bail.
- Ladysmith CAS 79/08/2011 registered against senior manager of the municipality. Case to be heard on the 15th -20th July 2013 at Ladymith Magistrate Court. Individual out on R10 000 bail.
- Ladysmith CAS 784/11/2012 against the CFO for receiving benefits from service provider and influencing the award tender of a tender. Individual out on R10 000 bail.
Release of the Manase Report:
We have noted media reports and speculations around the release of the Manase report. We note with concern that this report has become a matter of cheap political point scoring and grand-standing by opportunists. Some are clutching at straws and hoping the report will help revive their flagging fortunes in their spheres of endeavour.
Today we want to end the speculation by confirming that the report will be released in accordance with the legal prescripts. We will in the next few days advise you of the official date.
Thanks!
