Admin
20 Aug, 2019
Bantu Holomisa’s address at the Colloquium on Civil Military Relations in South Africa
• Honourable Chairperson • Honourable Minister and Deputy Minister • Secretary of Defence • Fellow Committee Members and Parliamentarians • Ladies and gentlemen 1. Thank you Allow me this opportunity to thank our Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, Mr VC Xaba, MP, for the opportunity to address you today. 2. Introduction In a time of war, the politics and society are willing to accept that the military has a just cause and its own set of values and standards, because we believe that they act for a higher good. The majority of the populace is happy to believe that the military is acting on its behalf and that it will do so with honour and justness. We have two familiar examples in our history where this is true: The South African Border War and the Armed Struggle. In both cases “the people”, or at the very least, certain sections of society, approved of, and supported and believed in, those armed actions. However, upon the dawn of true democracy, government was challenged by the necessity to make a paradigm shift, in which the South African National Defence Force simultaneously had to build an institution that is transparent, accountable and representative of the societal demographics. In addition, the former statutory and non-statutory armies had to be moulded into one united force. Both tall orders and as I discovered in my work with the Defence Force Service Commission, we, after 25 years, are still struggling to get right. As a quick example, many defence force men and women, who came from the various former armed forces retained their force numbers. There is no uniformity in the system and it has led to discrimination in promotions. We can, however, all agree that there must be a balance between having a well-funded and strong military to defend the state’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and well-being of its citizenry, and one that is subservient enough to not threaten the state and the people. But most of all, we need to guard against a military that is abused by government to quash dissent and destroy human rights and freedoms. We just have to look at our own history to understand how serious such a situation can be. 3. Parliament and laws keep us from running the risk of repeating the past The relationship between the military and civil society is sometimes a fickle one. On the continent, it has happened that the people look to the military to almost “save” them from the abuse of severe governmental corruption and looting of resources. In South Africa, there has for good reason, been a marked constitutional shift from “doing things the old way”, where military decisions were taken at security council level without consulting parliament. Which, in a certain way, meant that the military held government and the people at ransom. We can be thankful that our constitution now dictates that parliament has an imperative role to play in terms of monitoring our defence force’s readiness and sanctioning military action should the country be in imminent danger. Parliament must be kept abreast of the goings-on in the military, such as budget and operational needs, which talks to civilian oversight in its strongest and purest form. The laws governing the military and defence reviews (1998 and 2012/3) are the tools used to ensure that the civil-military relations in South Africa are healthy, trustable and that this relationship is kept stable and intact. 4. What could the business of the defence force be if we are not at war Not all threats are what we could traditionally consider the business of a defence force. The role of the defence force is not only to protect our people from outside military threats as, sometimes, the problem arises from within our borders. That is why the military should from time to time work in support of the police. Serious crime in various guises threaten the internal safety of our citizens and the security of our country. • There is a form of “economic espionage” where the intellectual property of Denel and Armscor is pillaged. • South Africans with links to foreign countries make use of our porous borders to fuel the drug trade to where it has become a pandemic. • Hijacked vehicles find their way across our borders in a matter of hours. Aside from the obvious role the defence force, for instance, plays in peacekeeping operations and emergency assist in case of natural disasters, it is clear that we need to let our minds go to see where the defence force can also play a meaningful role. 5. Secretary of Defence: is the civilian component inside the department effective? I want to zone into a very specific mechanism of civilian oversight in terms of the department of defence. As the system stands, for day-to-day administration and the coordination of strategic processes, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans relies on the Defence Secretariat; which is the civilian component within the department. The system of having a Secretary of Defence primarily works well in developed countries, which have their own military conscription programmes, which in turn means there is a general understanding of how the military works. There is therefore a deep appreciation for the basic underpinnings of defence, which are speed, control and discipline. Even so, normally, the person who holds the post of Secretary of Defence has likely studied defence as a profession and is steeped in military culture. We need to understand that in a country where this is not the case, this leads to tensions. For instance, during my period of service on the Defence Force Service Commission, many frustrations were registered with us regarding the Secretary of Defence. On our tours across the country, interacting with the defence professionals and military careerists, the delays in decision-making and implementation was a hot topic. Commanders reported that they were constantly embarrassed when they were forced to go to the rank and file to try and explain why certain decisions were not yet implemented. This is not military culture. The Defence Force Service Commission quite often heard of scenarios where the office of the Secretary for Defence was blamed for delays. It seemed to them that the Secretary spent far too much time outside the country, for whatever reason, and was not preoccupied with making the defence force a well-oiled machine. We can all agree that the work of our defence force is by its very nature based on its ability and need to make quick decisions and ensure effective implementation. It is therefore counter-intuitive, that a civilian non-professional would be the lynchpin in this process. As currently implemented, civilian oversight has evolved into the appointment of civilians in the highest decision-making positions in a manner that undermines the ability of the security forces to manage their operations effectively. In my view, we need to take a look at the practicality of the current system of civilian oversight in the department of defence. Do we still need the Secretary of Defence to be an accounting officer? I personally favour that the commander of the defence force plays this role. Civilian oversight can reside with the office of the minister with constant liaison with parliament. Because, after all, how can the Secretary of Defence play the role of oversight and be the accounting officer? It’s just not common sense. In addition, it would be good if the defence force leadership could directly indicate their budgetary requirements to National Treasury. This will go a long way in making it an effective force that can serve this country well, and keep us safe. 6. Closing We can all agree that there is a careful, if not sometimes precarious, balance between the legislature, civil society and the military. Given our country’s history, it is all the more important that we continue to maintain this balance that we have struck over the past 25 years, but we must also be realistic about what works and what does not. It is of no use to cling to that which does not work at the expense of our country’s safety and the ability of the defence force to fulfil its constitutional mandate, in particular that “The defence force must be structured and managed as a disciplined military force”. I thank you.
Admin
16 Aug, 2019
Eastern Cape Legislature: Mr Mncedisi Filtane, MPL’s contribution to the debate on violence against women and femicide
Eastern Cape Legislature: Mr Mncedisi Filtane, MPL’s contribution to the debate on violence against women and femicide on 16 August 2019 A very emotional issue indeed. The United Democratic Movement supports the support given by this House to fighting violence against women. Accordingly, we propose that the Zizipho Apleni be invited to come and address this house. We shall have made a powerful statement to our women that we are wholly against their abuse women by men. Not all men ill-treat woman, but men need to get together and maybe form a men’s parliament where they can freely deliberate on issues of this nature and others. The idea is to adopt a holistic approach to all issues. I had the opportunity to see and experience first-hand, the power and brilliance of women in my very first five years of work. My attitude about the digits and intelligence of women has never changed. Women should be encouraged to just walk away from a relationship if it goes to sour. The justice system alone won’t help as it is just too soft. Rather a social change is needed.
Admin
15 Aug, 2019
Eastern Cape Legislature: Mr Mncedisi Filtane, MPL’s contribution Vote: transport
1. Transportation plays a very critical role in the economy and livelihoods in our province. It’s all about moving goods and passengers. 2. The hot and cold relationship that this department has with the taxi industry remains, not just a matter of ongoing concern, but a risk to the above-mentioned scenario. Finally, a lasting solution needs to be found. 3. The atrocious conditions of the majority of road networks, mainly in the rural areas, makes it least interesting and attractive to venture out there for any purpose at all. Yet we are in a predominately rural province. This inhibits the development and growth of the rural economies. These conditions have a direct and significant impact on the drive towards urbanisation. The consequence of which is the burdening of local government with early arrivals of urban dwellers. 4. As a member of the economic cluster, the department is expected to play a significant role in the creation of both work and business opportunities. However, the MEC sends contradicting messages in her policy speech. On page 4, she starts off by pencilling: “We will implement a procurement strategy that seeks to contribute to SMME and Local Economic Development”. Then four paragraphs further down, she laments the fact that road infrastructure is driven, in the main, by external service providers instead of the department’s internal teams. “We want to ensure that external service providers complement our internal teams instead of the current scenario where they do the bulk of our work”. Asazi ke ukuba masise eyiphi Komkhulu. Then she goes on to pain the Eastern Cape economy by telling us that she has splurged R252 million on one or a same suppliers of plant items. Had that budget been spent on actual operations, so many of local entrepreneurs would have benefited. As a result, so much of our taxes are going to be tied up in depreciating machinery which must be maintained. whereas this would have been the responsibility of the private sector. 5. The much-anticipated roads masterplan has yet to be presented to the committee. Consequently, there is just no indication of the direction which this department is going. No details are being availed at all about the roads which are going to be improved. This feud situation lends itself very much vulnerable for the mishandling of funds. 6. There are no new road-making methodologies being explored yet some have been available from as far back as 2006. 7. Further signs of a confused department are in programme for transport regulation. A whopping R2,5 million has been set aside for road safety prayers, but the budget for the Law Enforcement function has been reduced by 9.2%. It looks like this department is more ready for prayers, which lend no technical expertise on traffic management. To put an icing on the ongoing confusion there is a budget of R50 m for no specific activity. Cash is just being splashed about. Hayi kumnandi Kwa Transport VHAA!!!
Admin
15 Aug, 2019
Eastern Cape Legislature: Mr Mncedisi Filtane, MPL’s contribution Vote: Education
1. The MEC’s commitment to further improve the matric results is most appreciated. The United Democratic Movement commits to support all efforts that will take our Eastern Cape learners to greater heights. However, education always exists in a world in transition. Accordingly teaching methods and curricula have got to constantly change to adapt to the changing environment both inside the classroom as well as in the outside world. 2. Let’s look at the past, present and the future, there are critical factors here: (i) The purpose of education (ii) The curriculum (iii) The teacher (iv) The classroom (v) The community environment which the learning and teaching takes place (vi) The workplace 3. (i) All the above are driven by two things, namely: • The brain, which produces systems and • The budget, which pays for goods and services. (ii)(a) The brain gets sharper with more use and the budget gets diminished with more use. 4. Let’s look at how best to optimise the budget in order to address the core functions of this department, which are teaching and learning. Here the guiding principles should be that you can’t do it alone. (i) Welcome to the science laboratory where we are going to • Mix • Synthesise • Filter and • Crystalize (ii) When you do that within the lab (i.e. the brain) each one of the original products (ideas) loses some of its originality in order to accommodate the necessary partner (i.e. a different and new idea). Philosophical rigidity is not going to help us here. (iii) Such a process has taken place in the right room temperature, crystal clear ideas will be the outcome. 5. Here are some suggestions which hopefully, will clear the congestion (of activities) in this department. (i) (a) The MEC for Education is loaded with many functions which are no more than merely supporters of the core functions of the department. (b) These are: feeding scheme, infrastructure, social services, and security. (ii) The legislative committee researcher has identified self-provision of infrastructure as a huge drawback and time consumer in this department. Even the DG Department volunteered a statement and said on the evening of the 16th July: ‘’I must confess that I spend most of my time on infrastructure issues’’ This was during committee proceedings. (iii) The results of the synthesis here is that the premier is called upon, suggestively though to re-assign the infrastructure function to public works. This will be in accordance with the latest National policy position. Here section 137 of the constitution the premier mandates to do so. However minor but critical and urgent repairs may still be a function of this department. But routine maintenance should also go to public works. (iv) There should be a direct link between the natural attractions of scholars, the curriculum and the potential career of the learner. Their interest should be identified quite early. Then they should be linked to potential funders on a group basis. (v) Teachers should be subjected to psychometric tests, at least bi-annually. They seem to have lots of personal challenges that tend to demoralise them. (vi) The depreciating socio-economic factors in society are the root cause of population migration from area to area. The department should keep a live barometer of these societal changes and prepare itself accordingly. (vii) Health, social and nutritional services should be totally outsourced to the relevant departments. This department should be a mere recipient of these services, instead of having to manage them. This will relieve the DG so he can focus on improving teaching and learning.
Admin
15 Aug, 2019
Eastern Cape Legislature: Mr Bongani Mahlati, MPL’s contribution the budget debate on Cogta
Honourable Speaker Honourable Premier Honourable Members of the Executive Council Honourable Members of the Legislature Government officials Distinguished guests Ladies and gentleman I greet you all in the name of the Mighty Lord Jesus Christ (i) Honourable MEC you said that your priorities have been embedded into the B2B programme that your government adopted in the 5th term to consolidate support to municipalities and traditional institutions. It is only municipalities benefiting; neglecting traditional leaders, because ward committees and councillors are African National Congress (ANC) children. These must not be separated, because chiefs are to be informed of everything happening in their areas. (ii) People had to voice out their grievances because they belong to the municipalities which is ruled by the ANC. The reason why the people are protesting is because you don’t fulfil your promises; you only need them during the election period; making too many promises because you need their votes. (iii) ANC ward committees and ward councillors must not favour their ANC party members. They must service everybody in the community irrespective of party affiliation. (iv) The service delivery is the main concern because of the challenges ranging from water and sanitation to electricity. Some of the municipalities are still using bucket system or have no sanitation at all. (v) Madam Speaker, the MEC is talking about free FBG which consists of provision of free water, sanitation, electricity and refuse removal to indigent households, while our people are crying over paying high rates, access to clean water. Government does not care about rate payers, they are only interested in their taxes. (vi) This “we will” recitation is not nice to our ears; you were singing this recitation since 1994. And I understand the house resolutions and findings are not being implemented. Next year you will be talking the same thing. Your government is government of many dreams yet can’t accomplish any of them. Please don’t dream whilst our country is drowning in the sea. The government needs to prioritise implementation, rather than these empty promises in order to stop these occurring service delivery protests (vii) The Central Supplier Database (CDS) of the Eastern Cape shows an increased number of government officials who are doing business with government, yet the MEC is talking about good governance and says that the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is at work to fight corruption and maladministration. As the UDM we want see the suspension and dismissal of those corrupt officials found abusing government resources and they must not be paid during their suspension and their case must be finished within four months. And pre-screening is a must, because this will lead to the collapse of our government. The UDM supports the budget. I thank you
Admin
15 Aug, 2019
Eastern Cape Legislature: Mr Bongani Mahlati, MPL’s contribution the budget debate on Health
Honourable Speaker, Honourable Premier and Honourable Members of the Executive, Honourable members and government officials, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) is of the view that the budget of R25,189 billion allocated to the department of Health, if it is utilised effectively and efficiently, can go a long way in improving the quality of health services to the people of the Eastern Cape. There is an alarming increase in the number of legal claims against this department as a result of failures to comply with certain procedures laid down in the treatment of patients. This is consuming millions of rands and this department has now become a lucrative business centre of the legal profession. Honourable Speaker, the department cites a 13 % vacancy rate. This unemployment rate is affecting this department because our youth gets frustrated and become the victims of substance abuse and harmful use of alcohol, thus putting strain on the budget of this department. The shortage of medical doctors, nurses and staff general is core problem in this department. Shortage of human resource is the results of working long hours and non-payment of their over time, this will affect the morale of the staff and that will lead to unnecessary protests. The UDM calls the government for the training of more nurses and medical doctors, as well as the provision of porters in hospitals should be addressed as matter of extreme urgency in those hospitals which lack the services of these officers. The Honourable MEC talks of infrastructure backlog dating back to the times of homelands; what have you done over this democracy when you failed to maintain the hospitals built in the homelands. Our hospitals and clinics are dilapidated and we believe it is not because there is no money for maintenance of these properties. What delays the progress is the implication of management and officials in epidemic corruption and maladministration. The UDM is of the view that the department must tighten the security system in our hospitals. Our doctors, nurses and patients are being the victims of rape and robbery.
Admin
14 Aug, 2019
Eastern Cape Legislature: Mr Mncedisi Filtane, MPL’s contribution Vote: Office of the Premier
1. This is the engine of the provincial administration which carries the aspirations of the citizens of the Eastern Cape. It is supposed to be the centre of policy formulation, implementation and coordination. It has to ensure that social and economic practise of the provincial administration are effected. However, it faces the challenge of a subdued economy inter-sphere policy conflicts, rampant maladministration, inability of both the municipalities and the government departments to manage finances well. The fact that we have over 100 000 unemployed graduates confirms that our education curriculum is not informed by industry needs, and so the expenditure on such education is almost tantamount to being fruitless and it does not take the graduate anywhere. This assertion is further supported by the fact that, even after obtaining those tertiary qualifications, these graduates must still be further skilled. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) suggest that the office of the premier facilitates some kind of partnership between industry and the Education Department at a much lower level rather than wait until tertiary level. 2. The role of ECSECC has become diminished in the recent past. Given its strategic position in the economic development of the province, every effort should be made to strengthen it one more time. 3. The economic transformation trajectory must needs have a strong element of business ownership. No matter how much experience one has in operating someone else’s business, but to run your own is a totally different ball game altogether. This is why intergenerational farm labourers struggle to run the very farms they have previously worked on, once they own them. 4. This department should focus more in coordinating the work of other government departments and be less involved in implementing its own programmes, especially in construction. Who oversees them, other than the Legislature? 5. The 2016 survey reveals that unemployment is at 38% and food insecurity is at 28% and the geni coefficient is very sharp, a situation which persuades the Eastern Cape government to allocate over 75% of its budget to health and education collectively, yet individually these departments are not succeeding in resolving poverty and unemployment, let alone touch inequality. One of the reasons for this failure is that there is no synergy. The missing catalyst is obviously then, this budgetary trend is short termed reactionary and visionless. The UDM suggests a budgetary approach that will be in favour of economic development. People who have a healthy economic lifestyle are more self-reliant rather than government dependent. All the above listed social ills will be simultaneously addressed. For this to be realised in the medium-to-long-term, this department must clamp down on civil servants who continue not to come to work, yet continue to draw salaries. At 54% work attendance you will not even be able to take off. New labour policies supported by appropriate legislation, must be developed. Only then can this department turn the Eastern Cape into transformation mode, from a socio needs focus to an economic pursuits focus. 6. (i) The UDM has deliberately steered clear of dealing with the budgetary terms on a rand by rand approach when the amount is so small anyway. We have chosen to follow the scientific route of cause and effect, because this is the prime overarching department. (ii) A regular evaluation of the progress made on the economic front needs to be effected. Only then shall we know if we are progressing or not. Such evaluation should not be done internally but rather by an external party. 7. So, we say, think on these things and consider your verdict.
Admin
14 Aug, 2019
UDMYV: Return of “drug mule” Babsie Nobanda
The United Democratic Movement Youth Vanguard would like to congratulate Nolubabalo “Babsie” Nobanda for taking her destiny into her own hands whilst imprisoned in Thailand for drug smuggling. She is returning home with a degree in communications obtained from the University of South Africa. However, we are concerned that she is coming back to a country with an alarming 29% youth unemployment, which is one of the major contributing factors to our young people finding themselves in conflict with the law and in dire trouble as Ms Nobanda did. The South African government needs to heed the call of the United Democratic Movement for an urgent Economic Indaba, where all stakeholders can converge under one roof and come up with a solution to the major economic and socio-economic challenges facing this country. Government alone will not in any way help the youth of South Africa out of poverty and unemployment. We call on all South Africans to stand up for their own country and take it back into our own hands and build it with greatness. Let us have a country where our youth are not forced to make irrevocable decisions to their own detriment, as Ms Nobanda did. Ms Noloyiso Nontenja National Task Team Secretary
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