Inter-Ministerial Task Team on North West intervention progress

IMTT on North West meet to discuss progress on the intervention

The Inter-Ministerial Task Team (IMTT) under the Chairpersonship of the Minister in The Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, met together with the Premier, members of the North West EXCO, and Administrators on Friday, 23 November in Pretoria, to assess the work that has been done to implement the North West Intervention since its inception.

The intervention in the province is in its fourth month of implementation, with the intervention teams now fully embedded in the complex environment in which they must restore governance and service delivery.

To date, there has been endorsement of Section 100(1) intervention by the NCOP, enabling the intervention to extend beyond the 180-day limit imposed by the Constitution.

The President established the IMTT also known as the Intervention team after the province was engulfed in violent public protests, which threatened to disrupt the rule of law and order and affected the delivery of basic services in the province.

The provincial government was put under administration of Section 100 (1a) and (1b) which meant that national government took control of all powers that normally reside within the provincial government as well as municipalities. This intervention took place in order to combat the looting and maladministration that was prevalent in many government departments.

The decision to have the provincial government under administration was taken in order to ensure that the prescripts of the Public Finance and Management Act were fully observed and respected.  It underlined the fact that the national government cannot standby when things that are against the constitution and our hard won freedoms and democracy are being threatened. 

The IMTT, welcomed the processes undertaken by the NCOP Ad Hoc Committee on the intervention in the North West Province, which presented its report to the National Council of Provinces on 31 October 2018, in terms of Section 100(2) of the Constitution. This followed the committee's visit to the North West between 15 and 19 November 2018. The NCOP Ad Hoc committee found that the intervention is warranted and recommended to the NCOP that the intervention be approved. All nine Provinces represented in the NCOP voted in favour of the Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendations. As part of continued reporting, as the IMTT we will present a progress report to the Ad Hoc Committee on 4 December 2018.

“Visible progress has been made in stabilising the provincial departments in the North West and the provision of basic services has been prioritised. We are also pleased to note that various government departments are working together to promote good governance. The critical point of the intervention by national government in the North West is ensuring that a clean administration and efficient service delivery are in place to achieve a better quality life for all residents of the province”, said Minister Dlamini-Zuma  “We can safely indicate that there is now stability and progress in a number of departments, which were negatively affected by protests”, the Minister added.

The IMTT also noted protests by various communities and individuals who are unhappy over the delivery of services. Communities are urged to express their dissatisfaction through a number of constructive platforms. Government has created various avenues that communities can use to raise issues such as the Presidential Hotline.

Government reiterates that any form of intimidation or looting by protestors is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Protestors should act responsibly and within the bounds of the law. Government will at all times ensure that protests are peaceful and do not violate the rights of others. Acts of violence, intimidation and destruction of property are criminal offences and the police will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute those who commit such crimes.

The IMTT, reiterated that they remain committed to the task of restoring trust and confidence between labour and government, assisting the province to upgrade its systems and capabilities to a new normality. The intervention is also ensuring that there is compliance with the legislative and regulatory framework of government that enables sustainable service delivery and improved financial management.

The IMTT wishes to appeal to the people of the North West to work in partnership with government and to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.  The destruction of the existing infrastructure while protesting for improvements of certain issues is counter-productive. It is the role of communities to protect the existing infrastructure like clinics, schools and libraries.

To ensure that intervention by the IMTT in the North West succeeds, national government has put in place a capable team of specialist officials who will work closely with the North West Executive. The work done thus far is because of cooperation from dedicated civil servants in the North West, who have ensured that essential services are not disrupted. The IMTT further expresses sincere gratitude to the nurses, teachers, emergency service workers and doctors who remain committed to ensuring that critical services continue.

Enquiries:
Phumla Williams 
Cell: 083 501 0139

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