Local government in the Eastern Cape is festered with fraudulent and fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
In a written response to a parliamentary question, it emerged that 21 municipalities incurred fruitless and wasteful expenditure while 13 others incurred some fraud activity in the 2009/10 financial year. The combined amount of the fraud and waste was a staggering R82.482 million. For the response, click here:
Of the 45 municipalities in the province, 34 (or 75%) are implicated in this fiasco.
This issue highlights the seriousness of how the government’s policy of cadre deployment has resulted in unskilled and ill equipped financial officers being appointed to run municipal finances in many of these municipalities. Read more ...
26 February, 2011
25 February, 2011
Notule van die Wyk 3-komiteevergadering, gehou op 18 Januarie 2011
Verwelkoming
Die Voorsitter heet lede van die komitee asook genooide gaste baie welkom en open met gebed.
Goedkeuring van die vorige notule
Die notule die vorige notule (23 November 2010) word as gelees beskou en goedgekeur. Voorsteller: H Retief; sekondant: Charles Womersley.
Sake voortspruitend
• Huisvergaderings realiseer nie. Doen weer ‘n beroep op komiteelede.
• Finale afbakening van Wyk 3 bekend. Grense word aan die vergadering voorgehou: Poplar, AD Keet tot by Noorsekloof, af tot by die see, tot by Tecoma en dan Da Gama tot by Poplar.
Aspirant-kandidate - Wyk 3:
Die sekretaris vra ‘n spreekbeurt en meld dat mnr. Brenton Williams, woonagtig in Marina Martinique, en syself nou as goedgekeurde aspirant-kandidate vir Wyk 3 benoem is. Daar bestaan ook die moontlikheid van onafhanklike kandidate. Die sekretaris vra raad van die vergadering oor hoe om die situasie van twee kandidate in ‘n wyk te hanteer. Raadslid Botha sê dat die DA geen kandidate wil ontmoedig nie en kyk na potensiaal. In hierdie stadium is die komitee se standpunt dat hy vir die DA werk.
Die vergadering meen dat dit onverstaanbaar is dat twee kandidate wat hulle vir dieselfde posisie beywer, moet saamwerk.
Die vergadering het voorbehoude ten opsigte van die feit dat die sekretaris mnr. Williams moet skakel en nooi om saam te werk.
Die vergadering voel dat ‘n onbekende kandidaat die wyk baie stemme sal kos. Aspirant-kandidaat Thiart is welbekend in Wyk 3 as een wat haar as voorsitter van die Jeffreysbaai-belastingbetalersverenigingen toegewy het aan dienslewering aan die gemeenskap.
Daar word besluit dat daar wél met mnr. Wlliams kontak gemaak sal word en dat hy genooi sal word om insette te lewer en te help met herregistrasie.
Verslag - Raadslid dr. Nico Botha.
• Fred Dennis en Japie Jansen is terug in hul poste. Die DA is die mening toegedaan dat die saak so gou moontlik afgehandel moet word.
• Die omstrede kontrak vir 2500 huise in Kruisfontein gaan voort. Kontrakteurs is reeds op die terrein. Daar is gerugte dat die ROD, wat magtiging verleen vir die bou van die 2500 huise, nie bestaan nie. Daar is ‘n opname gemaak vir die bou van nog 1726 huise in Jeffreysbaai. Die vraag word gevra wie die oprigting van die bogenoemde huise befonds? Raadslid Botha antwoord dat die Staat die finansies voorsien.
• Kouga Munisipaliteit is by name genoem dat hulle nie hul ESKOM-rekening kan betaal nie. Die Provinsie sal moontlik hulp verleen.
• ANC-raadslid Stuurman is nou die hoofsweep van die ANC in die plek van Me. Cameleo-Benjamin .
Nuwe sake
• Die sekretaris deel die vergadering mee dat sy toestemming gekry het om ‘n DA-kennisgewing saam te stel wat besonderhede bevat oor die herregistrasie wat op 5 en 6 Februarie 2011 sal plaasvind. Kwotasies sal by die drukker verkry word en dan aan die DA-struktuur voorgelê word. Barry Vosloo bied aan om die sekretaris met die opstel van die dokument te help. Op ‘n vraag van Charles Womersley oor hoe ons die wyk se kiesers gaan bereik, word besluit dat die kennisgewing van deur tot deur afgelewer moet word.
• Herregistrasie op 5 en 6 Februarie 2011 is nou die party se prioriteit. Klem sal geplaas word om jong mense wat pas 18 jaar oud geword het, aan te moedig om te registreer en te stem. Dieselfde geld vir nuwe intrekkers.
Volgende vergadering
Die datum vir die volgende vergadering sal later bepaal word.
Die Voorsitter heet lede van die komitee asook genooide gaste baie welkom en open met gebed.
Goedkeuring van die vorige notule
Die notule die vorige notule (23 November 2010) word as gelees beskou en goedgekeur. Voorsteller: H Retief; sekondant: Charles Womersley.
Sake voortspruitend
• Huisvergaderings realiseer nie. Doen weer ‘n beroep op komiteelede.
• Finale afbakening van Wyk 3 bekend. Grense word aan die vergadering voorgehou: Poplar, AD Keet tot by Noorsekloof, af tot by die see, tot by Tecoma en dan Da Gama tot by Poplar.
Aspirant-kandidate - Wyk 3:
Die sekretaris vra ‘n spreekbeurt en meld dat mnr. Brenton Williams, woonagtig in Marina Martinique, en syself nou as goedgekeurde aspirant-kandidate vir Wyk 3 benoem is. Daar bestaan ook die moontlikheid van onafhanklike kandidate. Die sekretaris vra raad van die vergadering oor hoe om die situasie van twee kandidate in ‘n wyk te hanteer. Raadslid Botha sê dat die DA geen kandidate wil ontmoedig nie en kyk na potensiaal. In hierdie stadium is die komitee se standpunt dat hy vir die DA werk.
Die vergadering meen dat dit onverstaanbaar is dat twee kandidate wat hulle vir dieselfde posisie beywer, moet saamwerk.
Die vergadering het voorbehoude ten opsigte van die feit dat die sekretaris mnr. Williams moet skakel en nooi om saam te werk.
Die vergadering voel dat ‘n onbekende kandidaat die wyk baie stemme sal kos. Aspirant-kandidaat Thiart is welbekend in Wyk 3 as een wat haar as voorsitter van die Jeffreysbaai-belastingbetalersverenigingen toegewy het aan dienslewering aan die gemeenskap.
Daar word besluit dat daar wél met mnr. Wlliams kontak gemaak sal word en dat hy genooi sal word om insette te lewer en te help met herregistrasie.
Verslag - Raadslid dr. Nico Botha.
• Fred Dennis en Japie Jansen is terug in hul poste. Die DA is die mening toegedaan dat die saak so gou moontlik afgehandel moet word.
• Die omstrede kontrak vir 2500 huise in Kruisfontein gaan voort. Kontrakteurs is reeds op die terrein. Daar is gerugte dat die ROD, wat magtiging verleen vir die bou van die 2500 huise, nie bestaan nie. Daar is ‘n opname gemaak vir die bou van nog 1726 huise in Jeffreysbaai. Die vraag word gevra wie die oprigting van die bogenoemde huise befonds? Raadslid Botha antwoord dat die Staat die finansies voorsien.
• Kouga Munisipaliteit is by name genoem dat hulle nie hul ESKOM-rekening kan betaal nie. Die Provinsie sal moontlik hulp verleen.
• ANC-raadslid Stuurman is nou die hoofsweep van die ANC in die plek van Me. Cameleo-Benjamin .
Nuwe sake
• Die sekretaris deel die vergadering mee dat sy toestemming gekry het om ‘n DA-kennisgewing saam te stel wat besonderhede bevat oor die herregistrasie wat op 5 en 6 Februarie 2011 sal plaasvind. Kwotasies sal by die drukker verkry word en dan aan die DA-struktuur voorgelê word. Barry Vosloo bied aan om die sekretaris met die opstel van die dokument te help. Op ‘n vraag van Charles Womersley oor hoe ons die wyk se kiesers gaan bereik, word besluit dat die kennisgewing van deur tot deur afgelewer moet word.
• Herregistrasie op 5 en 6 Februarie 2011 is nou die party se prioriteit. Klem sal geplaas word om jong mense wat pas 18 jaar oud geword het, aan te moedig om te registreer en te stem. Dieselfde geld vir nuwe intrekkers.
Volgende vergadering
Die datum vir die volgende vergadering sal later bepaal word.
DAtanet wórd gelees!
Volgens die jongste inligting op die sitemeter word DAtanet gereeld in Kuweit, die VSA, Indië, Duitsland gelees - vermoedelik deur Suid-Afrikaners wat daar woon. Hierbenewens spog ons met lesers vanoor die hele Suid-Afrika.
A budget of opulence for the deployed
By George Annandale
2011-02-24 15:05
In South Africa the principle of paying more for less is a firmly established one and the principle was again reinforced by Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Finance and Money Wastage, when he announced his latest budget. Read more ...
2011-02-24 15:05
In South Africa the principle of paying more for less is a firmly established one and the principle was again reinforced by Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Finance and Money Wastage, when he announced his latest budget. Read more ...
Bhisho heads for clash over temoprary teachers: The Herald
THE Eastern Cape Education Department is heading for a collision course with the Bhisho High Court over the reinstatement of temporary teachers whose contracts were summarily cancelled in December.
It emerged yesterday that the department was unlikely to comply with an interim order granted on Tuesday, which ruled that thousands of temporary teachers be reinstated within five days.
Read more ...
It emerged yesterday that the department was unlikely to comply with an interim order granted on Tuesday, which ruled that thousands of temporary teachers be reinstated within five days.
Read more ...
DA verwelkom inwoners se besluit.
Die voorsitter van die koördinerende komitee van die Demokratiese Alliansie in die Jeffreysbaai-streek, dr. Nico Botha, het die lede van die Jeffreysbaai-inwonersvereniging geloof omdat hulle besluit het om voorlopig nie hulle eiedomsbelasting as ‘n vorm van protes teen swak plaaslike munisipale dienslewering te weerhou nie.
“Dit was gewis ‘n verstandige stap,” het Botha gesê.
Hierdie besluit is tydens die vereniging se algemene jaarvergadering op 22 Februarie geneem.
“Ons lede twyfel of so ‘n stap wettig is,” het die voormalige voorsitter, dr. Barry Vosloo, aan DAtanet gesê. Hy het verwys na ‘n bevinding van die Community Law Centre van die Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland wat ondersoek ingestel het na die verskynsel van belastingweerhouding deur vyf Suid-Afrikaanse munisipaliteite. Die volledige verslag kan op http://www.ldphs.org.za/publications/publications-by-theme/local-government-in-south-africa/withholding-of-rates/Withholding%20of%20rates%2015Nov010.pdf gelees word.
Dié ondersoek het bevind dat, selfs al is die redes vir belastingweerhouding hóé geldig, enige optrede wat nie deur ‘n hof goedgekeur is nie, onwettig sal wees.
“Ons lede sien nie kans vir die regskoste wat so ‘n stap noodwendig sal meebring nie,” het Vosloo gesê.
Hierbenewens het die lede kleinkoppie getrek vir die administratiewe implikasies van belastingweerhouding. Die eiendomsbelasting wat weerhou word, sal in ‘n trustrekening gedeponeer en noukeurig bestuur moet word.
Volgens Vosloo het hy verneem dat die St. Francisbaai-inwonersvereniging, wat klaarblyklik reeds ‘n besluit geneem het om hulle belastings te weerhou, voornemens is om ‘n voltydse betaalde administratiewe beampte vir hierdie doel aan te stel. Hiervoor sien Jeffreysbaaiers nie kans nie.
Vosloo is van mening dat inwoners hulle altyd kan wend tot alternatiewe vorms van protes. Dit kan nie-gewelddadige verset insluit soos byvoorbeeld besetting van munisipale kantore (sit-ins), plakkaatbetogings en Black Sash-tipe vigils. Hierbenewens kan protesbriewe aan die burgemeester en die plaaslike media gerig en openbare protesvergaderings gehou word.
“Dit was gewis ‘n verstandige stap,” het Botha gesê.
Hierdie besluit is tydens die vereniging se algemene jaarvergadering op 22 Februarie geneem.
“Ons lede twyfel of so ‘n stap wettig is,” het die voormalige voorsitter, dr. Barry Vosloo, aan DAtanet gesê. Hy het verwys na ‘n bevinding van die Community Law Centre van die Universiteit van Wes-Kaapland wat ondersoek ingestel het na die verskynsel van belastingweerhouding deur vyf Suid-Afrikaanse munisipaliteite. Die volledige verslag kan op http://www.ldphs.org.za/publications/publications-by-theme/local-government-in-south-africa/withholding-of-rates/Withholding%20of%20rates%2015Nov010.pdf gelees word.
Dié ondersoek het bevind dat, selfs al is die redes vir belastingweerhouding hóé geldig, enige optrede wat nie deur ‘n hof goedgekeur is nie, onwettig sal wees.
“Ons lede sien nie kans vir die regskoste wat so ‘n stap noodwendig sal meebring nie,” het Vosloo gesê.
Hierbenewens het die lede kleinkoppie getrek vir die administratiewe implikasies van belastingweerhouding. Die eiendomsbelasting wat weerhou word, sal in ‘n trustrekening gedeponeer en noukeurig bestuur moet word.
Volgens Vosloo het hy verneem dat die St. Francisbaai-inwonersvereniging, wat klaarblyklik reeds ‘n besluit geneem het om hulle belastings te weerhou, voornemens is om ‘n voltydse betaalde administratiewe beampte vir hierdie doel aan te stel. Hiervoor sien Jeffreysbaaiers nie kans nie.
Vosloo is van mening dat inwoners hulle altyd kan wend tot alternatiewe vorms van protes. Dit kan nie-gewelddadige verset insluit soos byvoorbeeld besetting van munisipale kantore (sit-ins), plakkaatbetogings en Black Sash-tipe vigils. Hierbenewens kan protesbriewe aan die burgemeester en die plaaslike media gerig en openbare protesvergaderings gehou word.
24 February, 2011
Local governance declines even further in Jeffreys Bay
The Chairman of the Co-ordinating Committee of the Democratic Alliance in the Jeffreys Bay Region, Dr. Nico Botha, recently expressed his party’s concern about the apparent recent further decline in effective local governance.
“Six issues stand out,” Botha told DAtanet. “Tender irregularities appear to be rife; the working relationship between senior managers has deteriorated to such an extent that efficient administration of the municipality is likely to break down soon if there is no intervention; the adjustment budget was approved in a way that is not consistent with current legislation; in order to fund a significant increase in staff expenditure (from R147 million to R171 million), spending on repair and maintenance would be reduced by 40%, thereby allowing the town’s infrastructure to deteriorate even further; both the CFO and the Mayor are of the opinion that providing jobs to locals is one of the primary functions of the municipality, thereby effectively relegating effective service delivery.”
Dr. Botha repeated his warning that the municipality is finding it increasingly difficult to pay their creditors on time, if at all. This includes the monthly payment to ESCOM.
“The time for a change in local government is long overdue,” he said. “The Democratic Alliance is ready, willing and able to come to the rescue of the people of the Kouga if elected during the 2011 municipal election.”
“Six issues stand out,” Botha told DAtanet. “Tender irregularities appear to be rife; the working relationship between senior managers has deteriorated to such an extent that efficient administration of the municipality is likely to break down soon if there is no intervention; the adjustment budget was approved in a way that is not consistent with current legislation; in order to fund a significant increase in staff expenditure (from R147 million to R171 million), spending on repair and maintenance would be reduced by 40%, thereby allowing the town’s infrastructure to deteriorate even further; both the CFO and the Mayor are of the opinion that providing jobs to locals is one of the primary functions of the municipality, thereby effectively relegating effective service delivery.”
Dr. Botha repeated his warning that the municipality is finding it increasingly difficult to pay their creditors on time, if at all. This includes the monthly payment to ESCOM.
“The time for a change in local government is long overdue,” he said. “The Democratic Alliance is ready, willing and able to come to the rescue of the people of the Kouga if elected during the 2011 municipal election.”
Eastern Cape Education: DA welcomes reinstatement of 6,000 teachers
23 February 2011
The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the decision of the Eastern Cape High Court to grant an interim order for the reinstatement of 6,000 teachers. Their reinstatement is a positive development. The High Court order will bring great relief to the parents who have been up in arms about the atrociously bad start to the school year which left their children without teachers, texts and schooling. A great deal more needs to be done to rebuild the shambolic education department in this poor province.
At the end of 2010, 6,000 teachers were axed by the Eastern Cape Education Department (ECED) because of lack of funds. The medium term budget of R24 billion was exhausted because of maladministration and corruption. The Auditor-General (AG) issued a disclaimer, the worst finding the state institution can make about an organisation’s financial affairs. The result was that the ECED was in the red to the tune of R1.6 billion and, to get itself out of trouble, it committed the worst offense by taking much needed teachers out of the classroom.
The reinstatement of the 6,000 teachers is the first step. But a lot more needs to be done to rebuild the Eastern Cape’s shambles of an education system. The nutrition programme for children coming from very poor families (where the school meal is often the only proper one) has been suspended. Except for the farm schools, where the much maligned farmers have continued to provide support, bus transport for children has also been suspended. The R300m set aside for transport has disappeared.
A parliamentary committee oversight visit confirmed that fraudulent practices were rife in the tendering process, with the result that at least 1,100 schools had no textbooks or workbooks. The committee found dumped stationary to the value of R3 million. It is well known that the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) has ingratiated and inserted itself into the education department to the extent that government has surrendered its responsibility to manage to a union incapable of running anything but its own misguided revolutionary project.
Minister Angie Motshekga has rightly apologised for this appalling state of affairs. She has said she intends to intervene in the province to save the day. The DA believes that though emergency measures clearly ought to be taken, our much cherished and constitutionally entrenched provincially based school system should not be taken over by the national department (which in any event also lacks the capacity). Instead, Minister Motshekga should request Kwazulu-Natal, Free State and Western Cape, neighbouring provinces that are in any event dealing with the consequences of Eastern Cape’s collapse, to help her rebuild the education department into a working and functional institution.
Dr. Wilmot James MP
Shadow Minister of Basic Education
The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the decision of the Eastern Cape High Court to grant an interim order for the reinstatement of 6,000 teachers. Their reinstatement is a positive development. The High Court order will bring great relief to the parents who have been up in arms about the atrociously bad start to the school year which left their children without teachers, texts and schooling. A great deal more needs to be done to rebuild the shambolic education department in this poor province.
At the end of 2010, 6,000 teachers were axed by the Eastern Cape Education Department (ECED) because of lack of funds. The medium term budget of R24 billion was exhausted because of maladministration and corruption. The Auditor-General (AG) issued a disclaimer, the worst finding the state institution can make about an organisation’s financial affairs. The result was that the ECED was in the red to the tune of R1.6 billion and, to get itself out of trouble, it committed the worst offense by taking much needed teachers out of the classroom.
The reinstatement of the 6,000 teachers is the first step. But a lot more needs to be done to rebuild the Eastern Cape’s shambles of an education system. The nutrition programme for children coming from very poor families (where the school meal is often the only proper one) has been suspended. Except for the farm schools, where the much maligned farmers have continued to provide support, bus transport for children has also been suspended. The R300m set aside for transport has disappeared.
A parliamentary committee oversight visit confirmed that fraudulent practices were rife in the tendering process, with the result that at least 1,100 schools had no textbooks or workbooks. The committee found dumped stationary to the value of R3 million. It is well known that the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) has ingratiated and inserted itself into the education department to the extent that government has surrendered its responsibility to manage to a union incapable of running anything but its own misguided revolutionary project.
Minister Angie Motshekga has rightly apologised for this appalling state of affairs. She has said she intends to intervene in the province to save the day. The DA believes that though emergency measures clearly ought to be taken, our much cherished and constitutionally entrenched provincially based school system should not be taken over by the national department (which in any event also lacks the capacity). Instead, Minister Motshekga should request Kwazulu-Natal, Free State and Western Cape, neighbouring provinces that are in any event dealing with the consequences of Eastern Cape’s collapse, to help her rebuild the education department into a working and functional institution.
Dr. Wilmot James MP
Shadow Minister of Basic Education
23 February, 2011
South Africa: Only a matter of time before the bomb explodes
By Moeletsi Mbeki: Author, political commentator and entrepreneur.
I can predict when SA’s "Tunisia Day" will arrive. Tunisia Day is when the masses rise against the powers that be, as happened recently in Tunisia. The year will be 2020, give or take a couple of years. The year 2020 is when China estimates that its current minerals-intensive industrialisation phase will be concluded.
For SA, this will mean the African National Congress (ANC) government will have to cut back on social grants, which it uses to placate the black poor and to get their votes. China’s current industrialisation phase has forced up the prices of SA’s minerals, which has enabled the government to finance social welfare programmes.
The ANC inherited a flawed, complex society it barely understood; its tinkerings with it are turning it into an explosive cocktail. The ANC leaders are like a group of children playing with a hand grenade. One day one of them will figure out how to pull out the pin and everyone will be killed.
A famous African liberation movement, the National Liberation Front of Algeria, after tinkering for 30 years, pulled the grenade pin by cancelling an election in 1991 that was won by the opposition Islamic Salvation Front. In the civil war that ensued, 200000 people were killed.
The former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, once commented that whoever thought that the ANC could rule SA was living in Cloud Cuckoo Land. Why was Thatcher right? In the 16 years of ANC rule, all the symptoms of a government out of its depth have grown worse:
A wise government would have persuaded the skilled white and Indian population to devote some of their time - even an hour a week - to train the black and coloured population to raise their skill levels.
What the ANC did instead when it came to power was to identify what its leaders and supporters wanted. It then used SA’s strengths to satisfy the short-term consumption demands of its supporters. In essence, this is what is called black economic empowerment (BEE).
BEE promotes a number of extremely negative socioeconomic trends in our country. It promotes a class of politicians dependent on big business and therefore promotes big business’s interests in the upper echelons of government. Second, BEE promotes an anti-entrepreneurial culture among the black middle class by legitimising an environment of entitlement. Third, affirmative action, a subset of BEE, promotes incompetence and corruption in the public sector by using ruling party allegiance and connections as the criteria for entry and promotion in the public service, instead of having tough public service entry examinations.
Let’s see where BEE, as we know it today, actually comes from. I first came across the concept of BEE from a company, which no longer exists, called Sankor. Sankor was the industrial division of Sanlam and it invented the concept of BEE.
The first purpose of BEE was to create a buffer group among the black political class that would become an ally of big business in SA. This buffer group would use its newfound power as controllers of the government to protect the assets of big business.
The buffer group would also protect the modus operandi of big business and thereby maintain the status quo in which South African business operates. That was the design of the big conglomerates.
Sanlam was soon followed by Anglo American. Sanlam established BEE vehicle Nail; Anglo established Real Africa, Johnnic and so forth. The conglomerates took their marginal assets, and gave them to politically influential black people, with the purpose, in my view, not to transform the economy but to create a black political class that is in alliance with the conglomerates and therefore wants to maintain the status quo of our economy and the way in which it operates.
But what is wrong with protecting SA’s conglomerates?
Well, there are many things wrong with how conglomerates operate and how they have structured our economy:
The second problem with the formula of BEE is that it does not create entrepreneurs. You are taking political leaders and politically connected people and giving them assets which, in the first instance, they don’t know how to manage. So you are not adding value. You are faced with the threat of undermining value by taking assets from people who were managing them and giving them to people who cannot manage them. BEE thus creates a class of idle rich ANC politicos.
My quarrel with BEE is that what the conglomerates are doing is developing a new culture in SA - not a culture of entrepreneurship, but an entitlement culture, whereby black people who want to go into business think that they should acquire assets free, and that somebody is there to make them rich, rather than that they should build enterprises from the ground.
But we cannot build black companies if what black entrepreneurs look forward to is the distribution of already existing assets from the conglomerates in return for becoming lobbyists for the conglomerates.
The third worrying trend is that the ANC-controlled state has now internalised the BEE model. We are now seeing the state trying to implement the same model that the conglomerates developed.
What is the state distributing? It is distributing jobs to party faithful and social welfare to the poor. This is a recipe for incompetence and corruption, both of which are endemic in SA. This is what explains the service delivery upheavals that are becoming a normal part of our environment.
So what is the correct road SA should be travelling?
We all accept that a socialist model, along the lines of the Soviet Union, is not workable for SA today. The creation of a state-owned economy is not a formula that is an option for SA or for many parts of the world. Therefore, if we want to develop SA instead of shuffling pre-existing wealth, we have to create new entrepreneurs, and we need to support existing entrepreneurs to diversify into new economic sectors.
Mbeki is the author of Architects of Poverty: Why African Capitalism Needs Changing. This article forms part of a series on transformation supplied by the Centre for Development and Enterprise.
I can predict when SA’s "Tunisia Day" will arrive. Tunisia Day is when the masses rise against the powers that be, as happened recently in Tunisia. The year will be 2020, give or take a couple of years. The year 2020 is when China estimates that its current minerals-intensive industrialisation phase will be concluded.
For SA, this will mean the African National Congress (ANC) government will have to cut back on social grants, which it uses to placate the black poor and to get their votes. China’s current industrialisation phase has forced up the prices of SA’s minerals, which has enabled the government to finance social welfare programmes.
The ANC inherited a flawed, complex society it barely understood; its tinkerings with it are turning it into an explosive cocktail. The ANC leaders are like a group of children playing with a hand grenade. One day one of them will figure out how to pull out the pin and everyone will be killed.
A famous African liberation movement, the National Liberation Front of Algeria, after tinkering for 30 years, pulled the grenade pin by cancelling an election in 1991 that was won by the opposition Islamic Salvation Front. In the civil war that ensued, 200000 people were killed.
The former British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, once commented that whoever thought that the ANC could rule SA was living in Cloud Cuckoo Land. Why was Thatcher right? In the 16 years of ANC rule, all the symptoms of a government out of its depth have grown worse:
- Life expectancy has declined from 65 years to 53 years since the ANC came to power.
- In 2007, SA became a net food importer for the first time in its history.
- The elimination of agricultural subsidies by the government led to the loss of 600000 farm workers’ jobs and the eviction from the commercial farming sector of about 2,4-million people between 1997 and 2007.
- The ANC stopped controlling the borders, leading to a flood of poor people into SA, which has led to conflicts between SA’s poor and foreign African migrants.
What should the ANC have done, or be doing?
The answer is quite straightforward. When they took control of the government in 1994, ANC leaders should have:
- identified what SA’s strengths were;
- identified what SA’s weaknesses were; and
- decided how to use the strengths to minimise and/or rectify the weaknesses.
A wise government would have persuaded the skilled white and Indian population to devote some of their time - even an hour a week - to train the black and coloured population to raise their skill levels.
What the ANC did instead when it came to power was to identify what its leaders and supporters wanted. It then used SA’s strengths to satisfy the short-term consumption demands of its supporters. In essence, this is what is called black economic empowerment (BEE).
BEE promotes a number of extremely negative socioeconomic trends in our country. It promotes a class of politicians dependent on big business and therefore promotes big business’s interests in the upper echelons of government. Second, BEE promotes an anti-entrepreneurial culture among the black middle class by legitimising an environment of entitlement. Third, affirmative action, a subset of BEE, promotes incompetence and corruption in the public sector by using ruling party allegiance and connections as the criteria for entry and promotion in the public service, instead of having tough public service entry examinations.
Let’s see where BEE, as we know it today, actually comes from. I first came across the concept of BEE from a company, which no longer exists, called Sankor. Sankor was the industrial division of Sanlam and it invented the concept of BEE.
The first purpose of BEE was to create a buffer group among the black political class that would become an ally of big business in SA. This buffer group would use its newfound power as controllers of the government to protect the assets of big business.
The buffer group would also protect the modus operandi of big business and thereby maintain the status quo in which South African business operates. That was the design of the big conglomerates.
Sanlam was soon followed by Anglo American. Sanlam established BEE vehicle Nail; Anglo established Real Africa, Johnnic and so forth. The conglomerates took their marginal assets, and gave them to politically influential black people, with the purpose, in my view, not to transform the economy but to create a black political class that is in alliance with the conglomerates and therefore wants to maintain the status quo of our economy and the way in which it operates.
But what is wrong with protecting SA’s conglomerates?
Well, there are many things wrong with how conglomerates operate and how they have structured our economy:
- The economy has a strong built-in dependence on cheap labour.
- It has a strong built-in dependence on the exploitation of primary resources.
- It is strongly unfavourable to the development of skills in our general population.
- It has a strong bias towards importing technology and economic solutions.
- It promotes inequality between citizens by creating a large, marginalised underclass.
The second problem with the formula of BEE is that it does not create entrepreneurs. You are taking political leaders and politically connected people and giving them assets which, in the first instance, they don’t know how to manage. So you are not adding value. You are faced with the threat of undermining value by taking assets from people who were managing them and giving them to people who cannot manage them. BEE thus creates a class of idle rich ANC politicos.
My quarrel with BEE is that what the conglomerates are doing is developing a new culture in SA - not a culture of entrepreneurship, but an entitlement culture, whereby black people who want to go into business think that they should acquire assets free, and that somebody is there to make them rich, rather than that they should build enterprises from the ground.
But we cannot build black companies if what black entrepreneurs look forward to is the distribution of already existing assets from the conglomerates in return for becoming lobbyists for the conglomerates.
The third worrying trend is that the ANC-controlled state has now internalised the BEE model. We are now seeing the state trying to implement the same model that the conglomerates developed.
What is the state distributing? It is distributing jobs to party faithful and social welfare to the poor. This is a recipe for incompetence and corruption, both of which are endemic in SA. This is what explains the service delivery upheavals that are becoming a normal part of our environment.
So what is the correct road SA should be travelling?
We all accept that a socialist model, along the lines of the Soviet Union, is not workable for SA today. The creation of a state-owned economy is not a formula that is an option for SA or for many parts of the world. Therefore, if we want to develop SA instead of shuffling pre-existing wealth, we have to create new entrepreneurs, and we need to support existing entrepreneurs to diversify into new economic sectors.
Mbeki is the author of Architects of Poverty: Why African Capitalism Needs Changing. This article forms part of a series on transformation supplied by the Centre for Development and Enterprise.
22 February, 2011
ANC seeks to intervene in Malema case
2011-02-21 22:25
Johannesburg - The ANC is to apply for leave to intervene in the hate speech case brought by AfriForum against ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.
ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe on Monday said the application would be heard in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
"Yes we are intervening because songs of liberation are not a Malema issue," Mantashe said.
"The songs are at the heart of what we [the ANC] stood for and what we fought for. It's dishonouring our heritage. We can't pretend it is a Malema issue, the songs are older than him." Read more ...
Johannesburg - The ANC is to apply for leave to intervene in the hate speech case brought by AfriForum against ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.
ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe on Monday said the application would be heard in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
"Yes we are intervening because songs of liberation are not a Malema issue," Mantashe said.
"The songs are at the heart of what we [the ANC] stood for and what we fought for. It's dishonouring our heritage. We can't pretend it is a Malema issue, the songs are older than him." Read more ...
Kiesers reageer mooi
"Op 5 en 6 Februarie 2011 het die kiesers van Jeffreysbaai en omgewing wonderlik gereageer en in groot getalle geregistreer en herregistreer."
So sê dr. Nico Botha, voorsitter van die koördinerende komitee van die Demokratiese Alliansie in Jeffreysbaai en omgewing.
Hy sê dat die doelwit om 'n groot aantal kiesers vanaf Wyk 3 na Wyk 8 te verskuif, bereik is. Gevolglik is dit nie meer nodig om so baie aandag aan die herregistrasie van kiesers in Wavecrest te gee nie.
"Kiesers is nietemin steeds welkom om tydens die volgende registrasie-naweek op 5 en 6 Maart 2011 te herregistreer," sê dr. Botha.
DAtanet het verneem dat nuwe intrekkers wat nog nie in die Jeffreysbaai-omgewing as kiesers geregistreer het nie, die geleentheid sal kry om dit op 5 en 6 Maart 2011 te doen.
Dr. Botha beklemtoon die feit dat kiesers wat nie in die wyk woon waarin hulle geregistreer is nie, nie bekommerd hoef te wees nie. Dit beteken nie dat hulle hulle stem sal verloor nie. Hulle moet net seker maak dat hulle in die wyk stem waarin hulle geregistreer is.
Hy raai kiesers aan om na bladsy 2 van hulle ID-boekie te blaai. Daar sal hulle 'n plakkertjie vind met 'n VD (voting district)-nommer daarop. Dié nommer verskyn tussen die persoonlike ID-nommer en die stafiekode. As daar meer as een plakkertjie is, kyk na die plakkertjie waarop die mees onlangse datum verskyn.
Die stempunte is soos volg:
So sê dr. Nico Botha, voorsitter van die koördinerende komitee van die Demokratiese Alliansie in Jeffreysbaai en omgewing.
Hy sê dat die doelwit om 'n groot aantal kiesers vanaf Wyk 3 na Wyk 8 te verskuif, bereik is. Gevolglik is dit nie meer nodig om so baie aandag aan die herregistrasie van kiesers in Wavecrest te gee nie.
"Kiesers is nietemin steeds welkom om tydens die volgende registrasie-naweek op 5 en 6 Maart 2011 te herregistreer," sê dr. Botha.
DAtanet het verneem dat nuwe intrekkers wat nog nie in die Jeffreysbaai-omgewing as kiesers geregistreer het nie, die geleentheid sal kry om dit op 5 en 6 Maart 2011 te doen.
Dr. Botha beklemtoon die feit dat kiesers wat nie in die wyk woon waarin hulle geregistreer is nie, nie bekommerd hoef te wees nie. Dit beteken nie dat hulle hulle stem sal verloor nie. Hulle moet net seker maak dat hulle in die wyk stem waarin hulle geregistreer is.
Hy raai kiesers aan om na bladsy 2 van hulle ID-boekie te blaai. Daar sal hulle 'n plakkertjie vind met 'n VD (voting district)-nommer daarop. Dié nommer verskyn tussen die persoonlike ID-nommer en die stafiekode. As daar meer as een plakkertjie is, kyk na die plakkertjie waarop die mees onlangse datum verskyn.
Die stempunte is soos volg:
- VD-nommer 1014001700: Tecomapark-tent.
- VD-nommer 1014006200: NG Kerkkompleks.
- VD-nommer 1014002800: Newtonsaal..
- VD-nommer 1014003900: Astonbaai-gemeenskapsaal.
- VD-nommer 1014004000: Pellsrus-gemeenskapsaal.
- VD-nommer 1014005100: Tokyo Sexwale
21 February, 2011
Comment: Eastern Cape State of the Province Address
19 February 2011
The Premier correctly focused on jobs and development. However, she did not make any game changing announcements. One would have expected something very substantial in relation to the education crisis in this province. For example, we would suggest a skills audit to root out the poor management in that department.
There was also nothing said about the possible financial over-expenditure in the province of R3.7 billion.
There was also nothing said about the water crises in this province. The Nelson Mandela Metro could run out of water in August if there is no intervention.
She simply glossed over the problems at local municipal level.
Although she correctly focused on improving the attitude of civil servants to service delivery she said nothing about cadre deployment, which is the root of many of the problems in this province.
With regard to rooting out corruption one would have expected something significant in relation to tender reform. The Democratic Alliance in the Western Cape has outlawed provincial civil servants from doing business with the government.
What this province needs is a cohesive vision that can galvanise all roleplayers to putting it on the high road to prosperity.
Bobby Stevenson
The Premier correctly focused on jobs and development. However, she did not make any game changing announcements. One would have expected something very substantial in relation to the education crisis in this province. For example, we would suggest a skills audit to root out the poor management in that department.
There was also nothing said about the possible financial over-expenditure in the province of R3.7 billion.
There was also nothing said about the water crises in this province. The Nelson Mandela Metro could run out of water in August if there is no intervention.
She simply glossed over the problems at local municipal level.
Although she correctly focused on improving the attitude of civil servants to service delivery she said nothing about cadre deployment, which is the root of many of the problems in this province.
With regard to rooting out corruption one would have expected something significant in relation to tender reform. The Democratic Alliance in the Western Cape has outlawed provincial civil servants from doing business with the government.
What this province needs is a cohesive vision that can galvanise all roleplayers to putting it on the high road to prosperity.
Bobby Stevenson
DA’s record in local government is a game changer
Lindiwe Mazibuko, DA National Spokesperson
17 February 2011
Three months from now, South Africans head to the polls to vote for their local government representatives. This is an important election, and also quite a unique one. It is important because of the acute service delivery failures that plague municipalities across the country, and unique because, for the first time in our democratic era, a political party that is not the ANC has a comprehensive record in municipalities across the country against which its commitment to service delivery can be gauged. Read more ...
ANC conference to be 'worse than Polokwane'
2011-02-19 18:37
Johannesburg - The ANC's 2012 conference will be "worse than Polokwane" as tension between the party and its alliance partners continues, Beeld newspaper reported on Saturday.
The newspaper reported that according to a diplomatic cable published on Wikileaks, ANC treasurer general Mathews Phosa told US ambassador Donald Gips on 17 December 2009 that he was worried about "continuing tension" between the ANC and its alliance partners.
The conversation took place amidst a bitter dispute between senior members of the ANC led alliance. Read more ...
Johannesburg - The ANC's 2012 conference will be "worse than Polokwane" as tension between the party and its alliance partners continues, Beeld newspaper reported on Saturday.
The newspaper reported that according to a diplomatic cable published on Wikileaks, ANC treasurer general Mathews Phosa told US ambassador Donald Gips on 17 December 2009 that he was worried about "continuing tension" between the ANC and its alliance partners.
The conversation took place amidst a bitter dispute between senior members of the ANC led alliance. Read more ...
ANC a 'complete mess' - WikiLeaks
2011-02-20 17:41
Johannesburg - The ANC is a "complete mess" and its young cadres have no interest in history, but simply want access to jobs and personal enrichment, according to a United States embassy cable obtained by City Press through the whistleblower website WikiLeaks.
According to the cable, the ANC's Gauteng spokesperson Dumisa Ntuli told a US diplomat that crippling divisions were plaguing the ruling party.
Ntuli, who has denied discussing internal ANC issues with the US embassy, did not mince his words about the party, according to the cable, which is dated October 29 2009.
He reportedly said the party was deeply divided not only between supporters of Zuma and former president Thabo Mbeki, but "along multiple other lines", City Press reported. Read more ...
Johannesburg - The ANC is a "complete mess" and its young cadres have no interest in history, but simply want access to jobs and personal enrichment, according to a United States embassy cable obtained by City Press through the whistleblower website WikiLeaks.
According to the cable, the ANC's Gauteng spokesperson Dumisa Ntuli told a US diplomat that crippling divisions were plaguing the ruling party.
Ntuli, who has denied discussing internal ANC issues with the US embassy, did not mince his words about the party, according to the cable, which is dated October 29 2009.
He reportedly said the party was deeply divided not only between supporters of Zuma and former president Thabo Mbeki, but "along multiple other lines", City Press reported. Read more ...
16 February, 2011
More good news - SA profile grows as host of international events
Since the final whistle blew at Soccer City, now known as the FNB Stadium, South Africa has been riding a tidal wave of success post World Cup. Ridding itself of a myriad of stigmas amongst international visitors, the country has proven to the world that it’s a business tourism destination of choice. Read more ...
This week's good news - Direct access to top cops' numbers
South Africa’s National Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele has made it easier for South Africans to report crime by giving out his personal mobile phone number and encouraging other top officials to do the same. Read more ...
Draft Land Tenure Security Bill
Whenever proposed legislation poses a real threat to property rights and the rule of law, it’s by definition unconstitutional and poses a real threat to the fundamentals of democracy. The Draft Land Tenure Security Bill is a classic example of such proposed legislation.
The Bill being proposed by the ruling party and strategically tabled with the National Council of Provinces shortly before the Local Government Elections aims to arm farm workers with the right to farm with their own livestock on their owner’s land and give them the right to commercial farming practices – again not on their own property. When reading the Bill one should automatically ask yourself who will provide and pay for water, grazing and all the other costs related to farming practices? Read more ...
The Bill being proposed by the ruling party and strategically tabled with the National Council of Provinces shortly before the Local Government Elections aims to arm farm workers with the right to farm with their own livestock on their owner’s land and give them the right to commercial farming practices – again not on their own property. When reading the Bill one should automatically ask yourself who will provide and pay for water, grazing and all the other costs related to farming practices? Read more ...
Tip of the iceberg
The angry demonstration that took place outside the Port Elizabeth District Education Offices recently by parents of learners from the Northern Areas is the tip of the iceberg with regard to the mounting anger at the state of education in the Port Elizabeth District and the Eastern Cape in general. Read more ...
100 ideas that can help South Africa
Athol Trollip, DA Parliamentary Leader released 100 ideas that would help to build a better South Africa. Trollip said that change is achievable and involves the implementation of a series of actionable policy measures, the adoption of which would not only improves the quality of life for all South Africans, but would also address some of the most glaring problems that have hampered service delivery and good governance under successive ANC administrations. Read more ...
Ons stand van sake
Pres. Zuma het veel meer ontspanne en vol selfvertroue voorgekom toe hy [onlangs] sy Staatsrede gelewer het. Die toespraak self was beter as in vorige jare. Daar was dalk ’n gebrek aan ’n breë visie, maar daar was enkele belangrike – en welkome – beleidsaankondigings.
In ’n ontluikende demokrasie is dit baie belangrik dat ooreenstemming oor beleid op bepaalde terreine tussen die regering en die opposisie na vore moet tree. Dan draai die politieke debat om HOE resultate die beste bereik kan word.
Wat sommige beleidsterreine betref, beweeg ons in daardie rigting. Ons moet dié verwikkeling verwelkom. Die DA en ANC stem albei saam dat werkskeppende groei Suid-Afrika se belangrikste prioriteit is. Die vraag is: hoe kan ons dié doelwit die beste bereik?
Dit was bemoedigend om te hoor hoe die President verskeie van die DA se belangrike beleidsvoorstelle in sy toespraak aankondig. Dit toon dat jare se navorsing, debat en ingrepe deur die DA as opposisie ’n uitwerking begin toon.
Om verkiesings te wen, is selfs belangriker as om die regering se beleid uit die opposisiebanke te beïnvloed. Dit is wat die DA al hoe meer begin doen. Ons doen dit sodat ons Suid-Afrika se talle uitdagings doeltreffender uit die regeringsbanke kan aanspreek.
Soos verwag, het werkskepping die kern van die President se toespraak uitgemaak. Hy het bemoedigend na die rol van die private sektor in werkskepping verwys. Hy het ook voorgestel dat Khula, die Apex-fonds en die NOK se kleinsakefonds in ’n enkele eenheid saamgevoeg word, met die klem op steun aan kleinsake – ’n baie goeie plan. Dit lyk egter asof die meeste van sy beleidsvoorstelle bloot ou aankondigings met nuwe baadjies aan is.
Die “R9-miljard-fonds” lyk baie na die Jeug-loonsubsidie wat die President verlede jaar aangekondig het, maar moontlik met ’n nuwe etiket om vakbonde se teenstand te systap. Dis baie jammer dat ideologie weerstand teen dié idee binne die ANC-alliansie verhoed het dat die subsidie tot dusver ingestel kon word, maar dit is steeds ’n goeie plan. Dit maak al baie jare lank die kern van die DA se arbeidsbeleid uit.
Pres. Zuma het ook verwys na die “12i-Inkomstebelasting-toeslagaansporing” wat Rob Davies, die Minister van Handel en Nywerheid, in November verlede jaar aangekondig het. Dié aansporing beloop R20 miljard se belastingtoegewings om belegging, uitbreiding en opgraderings in die vervaardigingsektor aan te moedig. Ons het dit verwelkom toe dit aangekondig is, en verwelkom dit vandag steeds.
Indien dié planne reg in werking gestel sou word, sal dit sorg dat mense makliker werk kan kry, en meer werksgeleenthede skep.
Die probleem is dat dié beleid waarskynlik ondermyn gaan word deur ander beleid wat dit ten doel het om die ANC se alliansievennote te paai. Die omskepping van die staat in ’n arbeidsburo gaan werkskepping byvoorbeeld in die wiele ry omdat dit meer staatsbesteding vereis. Dit gaan feitlik seker in rompslomp en ondoeltreffendheid verstrengel raak.
As dit die voorbeeld van sommige ander ondernemings in staatsbesit volg, gaan dit ’n ramp wees. In plaas daarvan om nog ’n massiewe burokrasie op die been te bring, moet die President daarop konsentreer om Transnet en Telkom reg te ruk. Dit sal meer help om werk te skep as feitlik enige ander ingryping deur die staat.
Hoewel die President lippediens aan die rol van die private sektor in werkskepping bewys het, kom sommige van sy aankondigings neer op ’n onwelkome inmenging deur die staat in sektore waar ondernemings baie doeltreffender sal optree, meer belasting sal skep en meer werkers in diens sal neem. Die twee sprekendste voorbeelde is die skepping van ’n staat-mynmaatskappy en die opgradering van die Posbank in ’n volwaardige bank in staatsbesit. Myn- en bankwese is twee sektore wat gereguleer moet word om ekwiteit en ekonomiese doeltreffendheid te maksimaliseer, en waar die staat belasting en tantièmes moet invorder. Enige verdere staatsbetrokkenheid sal die private sektor opsy druk, ondoeltreffendheid laat posvat en ekonomiese waarde vernietig.
Pres. Zuma se woorde oor die onderwys was meer bemoedigend. Hy het verpligte geletterheid- en syfervaardigheidtoetse vir alle leerders in Graad 3, 6 en 9 aangekondig. Die DA het dié beleid reeds jare gelede in die Wes-Kaap ingestel toe hy ’n kort rukkie aan bewind was. Hy het ook melding gemaak van “onderwysers, handboeke en tyd”. Dit was my slagspreuk toe ek van 1999 tot 2001 provinsiale minister van onderwys was. Ek het dit sedertdien by talle Kabinet-lekgotlas herhaal, en dis bevredigend om te besef dat die President luister.
Daar blyk ’n gewilligheid deur die nasionale regering te wees om beleidskepping pragmaties te benader. As dit duidelik is dat beleid werk of op ’n gesonde idee gegrond is, moet dit aanvaar word, maak nie saak van watter party dit kom nie.
Daar is byvoorbeeld die DA se beleid oor maatskaplike ontwikkeling wat knap voor verlede jaar se verkiesing bekend gemaak is. Die beleid het onder meer voorgestel dat Kindersteuntoelaes toegeken word op voorwaarde dat die kind ingeënt is, genoeg kos het, en gereeld skool toe gaan. Dit is om te sorg dat die kinders die voordele van die toelaag regstreeks voel, en dat die kind mettertyd al hoe minder op die toelaag hoef te steun. In sy rede het die President iets soortgelyks belowe: “... die maatskaplike toelaes sal aan ekonomiese bedrywigheid en gemeenskapsontwikkeling gekoppel word, sodat korttermynbegunstigdes in die lang termyn selfonderhoudend kan word.”
Op die terrein van beleidsamevloeiing wat ek hierbo genoem het, moet die debat die klem laat val op verskillende strategieë om belangrike uitkomste te bewerkstellig. Dit moet boonop die klem veral op inwerkingstelling en lewering laat val.
Tydens die mees onlangse Kabinet-lekgotla het ek kans gekry om informeel met die President te gesels oor hoe belangrik dit is om te sorg dat die Wes-Kaap sy grondwetlike mandaat ten volle vervul sodat elke Suid-Afrikaner die gevolge van beleid kan vergelyk. Ek het aan die hand gedoen dat die ANC die Wes-Kaap met die DA aan bewind as ’n geleentheid vir Suid-Afrika se demokrasie moet beskou, en nie as ’n bedreiging nie. Met sy weergalose sjarme het hy saamgestem. Ek is van plan om te sorg dat hy by sy woord staan.
Volgende Vrydag gaan ek in die Provinsiale Rede aandag bestee aan die Wes-Kaap se plan om ons visie van ’n oop geleentheidsamelewing vir almal te bevorder. Deur saam met ander regeringsfere te werk, en in vennootskap met die private sektor en die burgery, gaan ons ons grondwetlike magte tot die maksimum inspan om ’n beter lewe vir almal te bewerkstellig.
Helen Zille
In ’n ontluikende demokrasie is dit baie belangrik dat ooreenstemming oor beleid op bepaalde terreine tussen die regering en die opposisie na vore moet tree. Dan draai die politieke debat om HOE resultate die beste bereik kan word.
Wat sommige beleidsterreine betref, beweeg ons in daardie rigting. Ons moet dié verwikkeling verwelkom. Die DA en ANC stem albei saam dat werkskeppende groei Suid-Afrika se belangrikste prioriteit is. Die vraag is: hoe kan ons dié doelwit die beste bereik?
Dit was bemoedigend om te hoor hoe die President verskeie van die DA se belangrike beleidsvoorstelle in sy toespraak aankondig. Dit toon dat jare se navorsing, debat en ingrepe deur die DA as opposisie ’n uitwerking begin toon.
Om verkiesings te wen, is selfs belangriker as om die regering se beleid uit die opposisiebanke te beïnvloed. Dit is wat die DA al hoe meer begin doen. Ons doen dit sodat ons Suid-Afrika se talle uitdagings doeltreffender uit die regeringsbanke kan aanspreek.
Soos verwag, het werkskepping die kern van die President se toespraak uitgemaak. Hy het bemoedigend na die rol van die private sektor in werkskepping verwys. Hy het ook voorgestel dat Khula, die Apex-fonds en die NOK se kleinsakefonds in ’n enkele eenheid saamgevoeg word, met die klem op steun aan kleinsake – ’n baie goeie plan. Dit lyk egter asof die meeste van sy beleidsvoorstelle bloot ou aankondigings met nuwe baadjies aan is.
Die “R9-miljard-fonds” lyk baie na die Jeug-loonsubsidie wat die President verlede jaar aangekondig het, maar moontlik met ’n nuwe etiket om vakbonde se teenstand te systap. Dis baie jammer dat ideologie weerstand teen dié idee binne die ANC-alliansie verhoed het dat die subsidie tot dusver ingestel kon word, maar dit is steeds ’n goeie plan. Dit maak al baie jare lank die kern van die DA se arbeidsbeleid uit.
Pres. Zuma het ook verwys na die “12i-Inkomstebelasting-toeslagaansporing” wat Rob Davies, die Minister van Handel en Nywerheid, in November verlede jaar aangekondig het. Dié aansporing beloop R20 miljard se belastingtoegewings om belegging, uitbreiding en opgraderings in die vervaardigingsektor aan te moedig. Ons het dit verwelkom toe dit aangekondig is, en verwelkom dit vandag steeds.
Indien dié planne reg in werking gestel sou word, sal dit sorg dat mense makliker werk kan kry, en meer werksgeleenthede skep.
Die probleem is dat dié beleid waarskynlik ondermyn gaan word deur ander beleid wat dit ten doel het om die ANC se alliansievennote te paai. Die omskepping van die staat in ’n arbeidsburo gaan werkskepping byvoorbeeld in die wiele ry omdat dit meer staatsbesteding vereis. Dit gaan feitlik seker in rompslomp en ondoeltreffendheid verstrengel raak.
As dit die voorbeeld van sommige ander ondernemings in staatsbesit volg, gaan dit ’n ramp wees. In plaas daarvan om nog ’n massiewe burokrasie op die been te bring, moet die President daarop konsentreer om Transnet en Telkom reg te ruk. Dit sal meer help om werk te skep as feitlik enige ander ingryping deur die staat.
Hoewel die President lippediens aan die rol van die private sektor in werkskepping bewys het, kom sommige van sy aankondigings neer op ’n onwelkome inmenging deur die staat in sektore waar ondernemings baie doeltreffender sal optree, meer belasting sal skep en meer werkers in diens sal neem. Die twee sprekendste voorbeelde is die skepping van ’n staat-mynmaatskappy en die opgradering van die Posbank in ’n volwaardige bank in staatsbesit. Myn- en bankwese is twee sektore wat gereguleer moet word om ekwiteit en ekonomiese doeltreffendheid te maksimaliseer, en waar die staat belasting en tantièmes moet invorder. Enige verdere staatsbetrokkenheid sal die private sektor opsy druk, ondoeltreffendheid laat posvat en ekonomiese waarde vernietig.
Pres. Zuma se woorde oor die onderwys was meer bemoedigend. Hy het verpligte geletterheid- en syfervaardigheidtoetse vir alle leerders in Graad 3, 6 en 9 aangekondig. Die DA het dié beleid reeds jare gelede in die Wes-Kaap ingestel toe hy ’n kort rukkie aan bewind was. Hy het ook melding gemaak van “onderwysers, handboeke en tyd”. Dit was my slagspreuk toe ek van 1999 tot 2001 provinsiale minister van onderwys was. Ek het dit sedertdien by talle Kabinet-lekgotlas herhaal, en dis bevredigend om te besef dat die President luister.
Daar blyk ’n gewilligheid deur die nasionale regering te wees om beleidskepping pragmaties te benader. As dit duidelik is dat beleid werk of op ’n gesonde idee gegrond is, moet dit aanvaar word, maak nie saak van watter party dit kom nie.
Daar is byvoorbeeld die DA se beleid oor maatskaplike ontwikkeling wat knap voor verlede jaar se verkiesing bekend gemaak is. Die beleid het onder meer voorgestel dat Kindersteuntoelaes toegeken word op voorwaarde dat die kind ingeënt is, genoeg kos het, en gereeld skool toe gaan. Dit is om te sorg dat die kinders die voordele van die toelaag regstreeks voel, en dat die kind mettertyd al hoe minder op die toelaag hoef te steun. In sy rede het die President iets soortgelyks belowe: “... die maatskaplike toelaes sal aan ekonomiese bedrywigheid en gemeenskapsontwikkeling gekoppel word, sodat korttermynbegunstigdes in die lang termyn selfonderhoudend kan word.”
Op die terrein van beleidsamevloeiing wat ek hierbo genoem het, moet die debat die klem laat val op verskillende strategieë om belangrike uitkomste te bewerkstellig. Dit moet boonop die klem veral op inwerkingstelling en lewering laat val.
Tydens die mees onlangse Kabinet-lekgotla het ek kans gekry om informeel met die President te gesels oor hoe belangrik dit is om te sorg dat die Wes-Kaap sy grondwetlike mandaat ten volle vervul sodat elke Suid-Afrikaner die gevolge van beleid kan vergelyk. Ek het aan die hand gedoen dat die ANC die Wes-Kaap met die DA aan bewind as ’n geleentheid vir Suid-Afrika se demokrasie moet beskou, en nie as ’n bedreiging nie. Met sy weergalose sjarme het hy saamgestem. Ek is van plan om te sorg dat hy by sy woord staan.
Volgende Vrydag gaan ek in die Provinsiale Rede aandag bestee aan die Wes-Kaap se plan om ons visie van ’n oop geleentheidsamelewing vir almal te bevorder. Deur saam met ander regeringsfere te werk, en in vennootskap met die private sektor en die burgery, gaan ons ons grondwetlike magte tot die maksimum inspan om ’n beter lewe vir almal te bewerkstellig.
Helen Zille
15 February, 2011
ANC faction vandalises Eastern Cape offices
Feb 14, 2011 8:19 AM By Sapa
An ANC regional council meeting in the Eastern Cape had to be cancelled at the weekend after a fight broke out between rival factions.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Mlungisi Matidane said the meeting had been due to start at 2pm on Sunday in Mount Ayliff but was cancelled after a fight broke out between various faction members at the African National Congress office, the Dispatch Online reports.
"We then heard they [three meeting convenors] were being beaten... we rushed there only to find a vehicle belonging to a councillor had been damaged," Matidane said.
The meeting at the Alfred Nzo district municipality was cancelled and police were called in to disperse the crowd.
The meeting would have revolved around a decision by the national ANC on the constitution of an interim regional committee for the Alfred Nzo region. Read more ...
Is this a case of 'n benoude kat maak benoude spronge (desperate people clutching at straws)?
An ANC regional council meeting in the Eastern Cape had to be cancelled at the weekend after a fight broke out between rival factions.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Mlungisi Matidane said the meeting had been due to start at 2pm on Sunday in Mount Ayliff but was cancelled after a fight broke out between various faction members at the African National Congress office, the Dispatch Online reports.
"We then heard they [three meeting convenors] were being beaten... we rushed there only to find a vehicle belonging to a councillor had been damaged," Matidane said.
The meeting at the Alfred Nzo district municipality was cancelled and police were called in to disperse the crowd.
The meeting would have revolved around a decision by the national ANC on the constitution of an interim regional committee for the Alfred Nzo region. Read more ...
Is this a case of 'n benoude kat maak benoude spronge (desperate people clutching at straws)?
ANC-led councils in dire straits
Feb 12, 2011 8:37 PM
By Sunday Times Politics
Some 90% of the municipalities under ANC control in North West are dysfunctional, largely owing to in-fighting between party members.
This was revealed in a report to delegates at the party's provincial congress in Rustenburg on Friday.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe warned the 750 delegates that the collapse of service delivery in most of the municipalities had given the DA confidence that it could try to wrest control of the province.
The report, prepared by a task team set up by Luthuli House to revive ANC structures, paints a picture of chaos in the province, where municipal resources are diverted to funding factional battles. Read more ...
Is this also the situation in the Kouga?
By Sunday Times Politics
Some 90% of the municipalities under ANC control in North West are dysfunctional, largely owing to in-fighting between party members.
This was revealed in a report to delegates at the party's provincial congress in Rustenburg on Friday.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe warned the 750 delegates that the collapse of service delivery in most of the municipalities had given the DA confidence that it could try to wrest control of the province.
The report, prepared by a task team set up by Luthuli House to revive ANC structures, paints a picture of chaos in the province, where municipal resources are diverted to funding factional battles. Read more ...
Is this also the situation in the Kouga?
08 February, 2011
Cover up on SIU reports on municipal corruption
The Eastern Cape Department of Local Government is to appoint service providers to further delay findings on municipal corruption by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU).
The municipalities of Koukamma, Kouga, Alfred Nzo and Sundays River Valley were fingered by the SIU for investigation — a process that started some 18 months ago. Read more ...
The municipalities of Koukamma, Kouga, Alfred Nzo and Sundays River Valley were fingered by the SIU for investigation — a process that started some 18 months ago. Read more ...
Gas exploration in the Karoo: DA wants moratorium on “fracking”
Gareth Morgan MP, Shadow Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs has called for a moratorium on any exploration or mining activity that involves “fracking”. Read more ...
Jy mag net kla as jy stem
Helen Zille, die leier van die DA, het Atlantis in die Wes-Kaap en Mamelodi in Gauteng vandeesweek besoek om inwoners aan te moedig om vir die komende munisipale verkiesings te registreer. Lees meer hier ...
Werkskepping vereis taai keuses
Niemand was verbaas toe pres. Zuma die jaar afskop deur te verklaar dat 2011 die “jaar van werkskepping” gaan wees nie. Werkskepping gaan ook die belangrikste tema van volgende week se Staatsrede wees. Voor elke verkiesing verskerp die ANC sy retoriek oor werkskepping. Hy weet werkskepping is die aangeleentheid waaroor Suid-Afrikaners die meeste omgee.
Die DA ook. Beleid wat werkskeppende ekonomiese groei aanmoedig, moet Suid-Afrika se hoogste prioriteit wees. Dit was nog altyd die kern van die DA se beleid aan bewind en as opposisie. Ons beleid is daarop gemik om dit makliker te maak om werk te skep, en makliker om werk te kry.
Dis goed om met ’n landswye konsensus weg te spring, naamlik dat werkskeppende ekonomiese groei Suid-Afrika se hoogste prioriteit is. Die debat moet draai om hoe dit die beste bereik kan word. Min mense verstaan dat die keuse van ’n beleidsprioriteit gevolge dra vir elke besluit wat ons aan bewind maak. Gans te dikwels word die prioriteit ondermyn deur ander, skynbaar onverwante, besluite wat nogtans ernstige implikasies vir werkskepping het.
Lees meer hier ...
Click here to read the English text
Die DA ook. Beleid wat werkskeppende ekonomiese groei aanmoedig, moet Suid-Afrika se hoogste prioriteit wees. Dit was nog altyd die kern van die DA se beleid aan bewind en as opposisie. Ons beleid is daarop gemik om dit makliker te maak om werk te skep, en makliker om werk te kry.
Dis goed om met ’n landswye konsensus weg te spring, naamlik dat werkskeppende ekonomiese groei Suid-Afrika se hoogste prioriteit is. Die debat moet draai om hoe dit die beste bereik kan word. Min mense verstaan dat die keuse van ’n beleidsprioriteit gevolge dra vir elke besluit wat ons aan bewind maak. Gans te dikwels word die prioriteit ondermyn deur ander, skynbaar onverwante, besluite wat nogtans ernstige implikasies vir werkskepping het.
Lees meer hier ...
Click here to read the English text
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