Statement by the Premier Willies Mchunu of the Province of KwaZulu-Natal during the swearing-in of the new Members of the Executive Council
First and foremost I want to express my personal appreciation to the Deputy Judge President M.I Madondo for presiding over this swearing-in with dignity.
Today marks yet another milestone in the history of this province.
Over the years the African National Congress, as the ruling party, has deployed the finest men and women to lead this democratic government.
We are confident that over the next few days, weeks, months and years, the new members of the executive council will work as a collective to realize the vision of the forbearers of our democracy.
John Langalibalele Dube, Inkosi Albert Luthuli, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela and many more other leaders too many to mention dreamed of a prosperous country.
It was Tata Nelson Mandela as a first democratically elected President of the Republic of South Africa who used government as an instrument to transform the lives of our people.
As new executive council, guided by the vision of Tata Madiba, we will double our efforts to create a responsive government.
We fully understand that we are expected to strengthen service delivery in a rather challenging environment. Economic challenges are beginning to inflict a serious crunch in the economy of our country and caused the fiscus to shrink and budgets to be revised downwards.
In the face of these challenges, we will ensure that we cushion members of society against any negative impact of economic challenges.
The broad principles that should govern our response to the economic challenges should include avoiding the risk of unfairly placing the burden of the downturn on the poor and vulnerable.
We will be taking a principled stand to manage expenditure very tightly and direct all resources to priority projects and ensure that service delivery is protected and prioritized. This is an approach that will reflect a sense of responsibility and commitment to dealing with triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
We will ensure that operate to the highest standards of good governance and social responsibility. There is an urgent need to refrain from wasteful expenditure and to adhere to prudent financial management practices.
Work must not stop!
I must take this opportunity and wish all outgoing members of the executive all the best.
I salute them for their contribution in creating a stronger province, socially and economically.
I must hasten to point out that we will build on the solid foundations already laid by our predecessors by putting greater effort in implementing what we have agreed to do in delivering our electoral mandate as guided by the National Development Plan and the Provincial Growth and Development Plan.
Without detracting from the priorities identified in the MTSF and PGDP, we will have to prioritise the existing priorities in ways that will minimise negative impact on service delivery.
In this prioritisation we will have to:
- ensure that the 9 Point Plan is implemented unhindered
- expedite our Infrastructure Development Programme;
- deliver a free, fair, peaceful and credible Local Government Election; effect significant budget cuts to reduce government expenditure; and
- Do our utmost to meet the expectations of the people of KZN and relate this to the results of the 2015 Citizen Satisfaction Survey ( i.e. Jobs and Housing)
Civil Servants – central
We will do our utmost best to ensure that civil servants remain motivated. We appreciate them engines of change central in our efforts aimed at ensuring solid service delivery.
Critically, we thank all categories of staff for their loyalty to the government of the day and to the service to the people of KwaZulu-Natal.
We acknowledge that they have been part of the smooth transition from the old executive council to the new executive council which has just been sworn in. We count on them for ongoing support as we usher in a new era in this province.
First Cabinet Meeting
Tomorrow we will welcome the new members of the provincial executive council to their first meeting of the executive council. This will mark the beginning of the work of this new council during this term of office.
Their second engagements will be the sitting of the Provincial Council on Aids which is scheduled to take place at the Royal Showgrounds at 14h00 tomorrow. I will chair this sitting in my capacity as the Chair of the Provincial Council on Aids.
Induction for the new Executive Council
In addition, I must point out that we will allow the new MECs to meet with management and staff in their respective departments. This will enable them to deal with administrative matters and after that we expect them to hit the ground running.
Critically, we will set aside time for their induction so that they become familiar with their portfolios.
On top of the agenda of their induction programme is a focus on good governance.
Good governance is about being exemplary and it’s about adhering to the highest ethical conduct.
As members of the executive council we are expected to provide leadership to Heads of departments, CFOs, Mayors and the entire government on issues of financial management practices. This is the issue that has always been emphasized by the Auditor General.
Without going into details, I want to highlight items that will dominate the agenda for their induction and these are the following:-
- Public Service Act
- Public Service Regulations
- Executive Members Ethics Act
- Public Finance Management Act and the role of the MEC as the Executing Authority of a Department
- Ministerial Handbook
An understanding of all these prescripts will ensure that we provide leadership to our respective departments such that we achieve a clean bill of health.
It has been proven all over the world that a clean bill of health not only improves the public image of government but it attracts national and foreign direct investments. This is what all members of the executive council must seek to achieve.
Intergovernmental relations
I also wish to point out that we will also pay special attention to the intergovernmental relations matters.
Throughout intervening years, the ANC has remained the only political organization capable of providing citizens with a distinctive set of ideas and goals which anchor their expectations on what a democratic government should do and provide to the citizens.
Importantly, the ANC has used all organs of the state to ensure that citizens feel part of the process of the creation of a better life for all. Government has the responsibility to make policies and laws about the rights and responsibilities of citizens and the delivery of government services.
Government collects revenue (income) from taxes and uses this money to provide services and infrastructure that improves the lives of all the people in the country, particularly the poor.
A clear understanding of all these aspects will enable the new executive to discharge its responsibilities seamlessly and as a cohesive unit.
To the new MECs, welcome to the world of governing with you success.
I thank you!
Enquiries:
Ndabezinhle Sibiya
Spokesperson for the Premier
Cell: 082 375 4742
