(NCOP), Honourable Mninwa Mahlangu, on his election
7 May 2009
Mr Chief Justice
Honourable members
I would like to thank you for electing me to the position of Chairperson of
the National Council of Provinces. I am both honoured and humbled by your
confidence in me.
I wish to thank my party and my province for giving me this opportunity to
lead the NCOP in the fourth Parliament. I take the responsibility they have
given me very seriously.
I thank my colleagues and members in the previous term for their support. I
cannot forget the former Chairpersons of the NCOP who laid the foundation for
the work we did in the third Parliament.
I would be failing if I do not extend a word of appreciation to the former
speakers of the provincial legislatures, with whom I worked closely. We had a
cordial and special working relationship. Together we laid the ground for the
new NCOP in the fourth Parliament. We will build on the work that was done, but
increase our pace as we tackle new challenges.
Honourable members, the NCOP has a different mandate. Its mandate is to
represent the provinces to ensure that provincial interests are taken into
account in the national sphere of government. Central to carrying out this
mandate is the challenging task of harmonising the interests of the three
spheres of our government.
Needless to say, the new NCOP will need to further enhance liaison and
working relationship with provincial legislatures. Its permanent delegates must
serve as agents for promoting a dynamic link with their provinces. The work of
the NCOP in the previous term provides a springboard from which to launch such
a vibrant partnership in pursuit of our development goals.
The NCOP is however a small house in terms of size. In order to make an
impact, we need to understand and focus on our mandate especially in the areas
of concurrent national and provincial competence such as education, health,
agriculture and rural development. Our approach to oversight should be informed
by these realities and the nature of this house.
The activities of the last NCOP were informed by the expectations which were
solicited from the provinces at the beginning of the term. These were contained
in our programme 2009, which served as our guide throughout the term.
As we start our journey in the fourth Parliament, our first task will be to
establish from the provinces the broad key issues they would like us to focus
on during this term. This will inform our own planning, which must respond to
the challenges faced by our people at this stage of our democracy.
I would also like to see us work more closely with the South African Local
Government Association, which has ten seats in this chamber. This will help us
understand and respond better to the challenges facing our people. Local
government is the sphere of government that is at the coalface of service
delivery.
As new and returning members, I hope that your induction over the next two
weeks will prepare you for the work ahead. We are aware that the majority of
permanent delegates in the fourth Parliament are new.
Let me take this opportunity to welcome you as permanent delegates to the
National Council of Provinces in the fourth Parliament. I expect this to be the
most challenging but exciting term for this house.
I am hopeful that we will all live up to our responsibilities. I also hope
that together we will push for less talk and more action.
Thank you
For inquiries, please contact:
Khuthala Mabece
Cell: 073 144 6158
Issued by: Parliament of South Africa
7 May 2009
Source: Parliament of South Africa (http://www.parliament.gov.za)
