Admin
15 Jul, 2014
Budget Vote 31 – Human Settlement (MTEF 2014)
– Contribution made by UDM Member of Parliament, Ms CN Majeke, in the National Assembly Honourable Chairperson Minister and Deputy Minister Honourable Members The United Democratic Movement (UDM) welcomes the strategic thrust of the policy statement by the Minister as captured in her foreword of the departmental five year strategic annual performance plans 2014/19. We believe that there can be a working relationship between the provision of houses as a basic shelter, quality accommodation and shorter delivery turnaround time. The delivery of houses through community based cooperatives as an option will make a significant intervention in creating job opportunities, transfer skills to communities whilst creating value to property ownership. UDM support community housing building programmes. Housing policy should also be located within the larger economic strategy as one mechanism of creating jobs towards combating and eradicating homelessness and poverty. Ownership of houses without jobs has proven to be unsustainable and sometimes destructive as owners tend to either sell or rent them out in exchange for a short term relief from hunger. The commitment of the Minister to “decent accommodation” is well appreciated, as UDM we believe that houses ought to be a shelter, enough to accommodate a family. This means, future human settlements should enable communities to find and or create jobs and get access to social services within their area so that we can create communities that are economically viable and self-reliant. The performance and service delivery information is raising a number of issues some of which we are concerned with and in this regard, we invite the honourable Minister to take action on those matters. Amongst those is the reported low performance by the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces which have high housing backlog both for urban and rural communities. Statistics shows that the backlog on sanitation is largely accounted for by rural areas, in this regard; the department cannot afford to under spend on the Rural Housing Infrastructure Grant. Traditional leaders as role players in the housing sector must be brought closer to this process and avoid repeated under expenditure when services are desperately needed by communities. The municipal human settlement capacity programme should come as a mitigating factor in the increasing substance and travel expenditure. In the same vein, the projected increase on compensation of employees for the financial season 2014/15 to 2016/17 must reverse the increase on consultants and professional expenditure as reported under programme 3. This means the department must as it reduces vacancies, targets technical skills, amongst others, to provide the required technical assistance provided to the 53 municipalities. Programme four expenditure will require dedicated monitoring and evaluation with early warning systems and we hope the Minister will ensure that such transfers are used within a specified financial season for intended purposes. Thank you
Admin
15 Jul, 2014
Vote 15 Basic Education (MTEF 2014)
Contribution made by UDM Member of Parliament, Ms CN Majeke, in the National Assembly Honourable Chairperson Minister and Deputy Minister Honourable Members The United Democratic Movement (UDM) believes that the major intervention if any is to be made in the Basic Education Sector, must mainly be on • School Leadership, Management and Governance; • Teacher content and knowledge – knowledge of the subject matter / content; • School Environment and • Learner discipline – a culture of reading and writing In this regard, we wish to make the following recommendations for further consideration and prioritisation by the Ministry as part of enriching the departmental five year strategic plan as well as the annual performance plan for the financial season 2014 /15. Some of these matters have been raised however; we strongly feel that they deserve to be lifted up in the prioritisation process. In line with the DBE MTEF priorities, the critical activities and targeted outputs for the next five years, the department needs to: • Improve the quality of early childhood education and primary schools including implementation of the foundation for learning campaign emphasising the promotion of language and numeracy. • Conduct external test for all Grade 3 and Grade 6 learners every year and provide results to parents for further engagement and practical role to be played by parents. • Investigate a system of effective evaluation of all learners based on the extent to which learner performance improve, with results influencing occupationally specific dispensation pay for teachers. • Ensure that teacher unions have a formal and funded role in teacher development. • Strengthen management capacity to ensure working districts and schools. This entails bringing in management capacity from the private sector, civil society and elsewhere in the public sector. Phase in a process of measurable improvements through targeting efforts selected education districts and dysfunctional schools. Use of infrastructure budget as an incentive for schools that deliver improved teaching and learning. • We further welcome the decision to improve national – provincial alignment and efficiency of education expenditure, through amongst others, procuring textbooks nationally and allocating resources to improve district capacity and the use of conditional grants to ensure alignment. • Develop a social compact for quality education. This will include a National Consultative Forum dedicated to clarifying the “non-negotiable” and performance targets for key stakeholders and the monitoring thereof. • Mobilisation of communities at all levels should be given priority to raise awareness and participation in education issues. An example includes graduates assisting former/dysfunctional schools, corporate social investment, and party branch campaigns to clean up schools, supporting food gardens and encouraging young graduates to enter teaching. • Implement poverty combating measures that improve the environment for learning and teaching, such as nutrition programmes, basic infrastructure for schools, and social support for children. Thank you
Admin
07 Jul, 2014
Land redistribution in South Africa
Statement in Parliament by Mr LB Gaehler, UDM Member of Parliament Honourable Chair and Honourable Members Land redistribution aims to correct the injustices of the past. The Natives Land Act of 1913, a piece of legislation which ratified and legalized the exclusion of South Africa’s black majority from land ownership in favour of the white minority. This has left behind a legacy of both dispossession and oppression. Citizens however have voiced out their grievances, post 1994, with regard the lack of post-settlement support, creating a situation where some individuals have had to sell back land given to them by government. The United Democratic Movement firmly believes that land should be restored to their rightful owners with support and skills development, so there is no uncertainty and tension. When this is done, we believe that the needs of South African farmers need to be prioritized by developing policies to subsidize farmers that will enable them to fairly compete against their international counterparts. We believe in the creation of the necessary infrastructure that will create jobs and encourage the growth of more employment-creating agricultural-related enterprises to ensure that migration to urban areas is slowed down. Build infrastructure to support agricultural activity, such as irrigation schemes that have been proven to be successful in the past. One stop Agricultural Service Centres should be established in rural areas, where emerging farmers can ask for advice, veterinary services, access the necessary tools and knowledge to run their farms as businesses and also have a market for their produce. I thank you
Admin
02 Jul, 2014
Eastern Cape: UDM response to the State of the Province
Address delivered by Mr Tsengwa in the Provincial Legislature Honorable Speaker and Deputy Speaker Honorable Premier and the Executive Honorable members of the legislature Kings and Chiefs present here Chairperson of the house of the traditional leaders Ladies and Gentlemen Madam Speaker the UDM wishes to welcome the state of the province address as the step in the right direction, we cannot disagree with spirit of the speech especial the need to reactive the economic activities in the rural areas, we welcome the commitment to plough 300 000 hectares of land, we also believe that when the premier refers to ‘’WE’’ in the speech does not necessarily refer to government as actual implementer rather as a facilitator. Our understanding is that late 2009 government had initiated a program in partnership with Prof Raatz from University of Fort Hare that was called Ilima program- this program Madam speaker had the following objectives as outlined in the founding documents Among the key aims of the Programme was therefore to establish and build such community enterprises to rank among government’s preferred quality providers for certain determinate goods and services, in line with guidelines of the state in this regard [1]. This intended bias in government procurement, it is felt, holds significant potential for i) contributing to a community-anchored economic development and growth, ii) the creation and enhancement of local capital, employment creation and attendant multipliers for boosting local investment potential, A societal reorientation towards a more collectively-owned and moral economy, and iii) a deepening and consolidation of the democratic and egalitarian sentiment in the functioning of the political economy in this province and beyond We do not want to assume that this project was abandoned; however the lack of mentioning of this program in the address is worrying us especially when you referred To the support that government wants to give to smallholder farmers because we thought that such program responds to the following issues. 1) Difficulty of accessing markets by small-scale farmers 2) Insufficient scale for meaningful sustainability and growth 3) Lack of necessary integrated support from government and other institutions We shall await Madam Speaker with keen interest for the premier response in this matter. The UDM appreciates the fact that the premier has tasked the MECs concerned to come up with the plan to address government capacity to construct and maintain rural roads within three months and we have begun the count down. The UDM understands this directive from the premier as more than just building the roads, we understand this instruction as saying that there is an urgent need to link rural economy with main stream economy, this has become urgent because the migration of people from rural areas to urban areas is posing a serious threat to social cohesion. We say this because we know that those who go to urban areas with intention to get jobs get disappointed to realise that there aren’t enough job opportunities as perceived and resort to other survival tactics such as crime and some get subjected to different levels of abuse because of vulnerability. We need serious economic activities as a matter of urgency to encourage rural economy to be vibrant through infrastructure development; I’m expanding this point premier deliberately to amplify the urgency of your call. Lastly on this point we wish to appeal to the MECs designated for this task to consider in their planning to broaden participation especially on the maintenance of the roads, that local labourers must be empowered enough to maintain those roads even after the contractors have left. The cost benefit analysis is likely to be in favour of those communities in the medium to long term. UDM welcomes the budget of 70 million that has been allocated for the new milling hubs in Lady Frere and Mbizana, we hope and trust that these will be bankable projects that will have economic spin offs, we shall await on the relevant department to pronounce on the business plan of the project Madam Speaker the UDM wishes to call upon the premier to reintroduce or intensify the services of the Agricultural extension officers who have been of great value in the past with knowledge in this field but we also to propose that a mentorship program must introduced for black farmers, Madam speaker ifarming ayifani nokulima isitiya sakho ekhaya, we need all the support in this regard. We also wish to call upon for the re-introduction of agricultural shows where small farmers are displaying their produce, this gesture Madam Speaker will motivate our people and promote the spirit of Uzenzele as against this phenomenon of food parcels and dependency syndrome. Khulula abantu bakho endlaleni premier weliphondo.
Admin
01 Jul, 2014
Eastern Cape: Budget vote SOPA 2014
Speech by Mr Mhlati, leader of the UDM in the Eastern Cape Legislature The Honourable Speaker, Honourable Premier, Honourable Members of the Executive and Honourable Members, the Premier has been a Member of this Legislature for over 12 years as least, which clearly shows that he is well aware of the shortcomings facing the provincial government, he had been pulling the strings of power behind the curtains as chairperson of the ruling party in the Province. The UDM does not expect the premier to re-invent the wheel, government policies are there and no one can fault them, we expect effective and efficient rendering of services to our people which are accompanied by value for money and transparency principles which are enshrined in our Constitution. South Africa is where it is today because of the struggle fought and sacrifices made by the Leaders produced in this province without which we should not be enjoying this freedom we are having, let us not fail them. It is the honourable belief of the UDM that the Eastern Cape should take its rightful place of being the centre of good governance in South Africa. For that to happen we need you as Premier to display a will and commitment to pull the strings in the administration of the departments who are expected to provide quality services to our people on the ground. I for one do not doubt your humility but your position now needs the adoption or cultivation of the strong character to enable you to enforce compliance with the prescripts for good governance. Given the calibre of the Members of the Executive who form nucleus of this administration, the UDM hopes that their elevation is based on merit and nothing else, we do not need tokens but people who will add value to the onerous task lying ahead. When accountability gets hot in Committee Rooms there should be no cry-babies to Calata House. The call for accountability on the Executive is not the sole responsibility of the opposition parties. We are in this Legislature for the same common purpose of providing quality services to our people and to see to the compliance with laws and regulations governing the use of public resources. The failures of your team Honourable Premier in the execution of your responsibilities will compromise our integrity among the communities as we are all painted with the same brush of being Members of the Eastern Cape Legislature. You must deal decisively with issues of maladministration, corruption, incompetence and flouting of supply chain procedures without fear or favour. I can assure you Honourable Premier of our full support in all the endeavours you undertake to uplift the living conditions of the people of the Eastern Cape in all aspects of their needs. Of cause Honourable Premier you will only be able to achieve this if you can devote more attention on the performance of Municipalities which are on the verge of collapse due to corruption and maladministration. To take this crusade of good governance further the Honourable Premier should consider the advisability of getting time slots from the Public Broadcaster on certain days where the people can air their views on issues of service delivery by departments. This will promote transparency and accountability. Honourable Speaker, the Honourable Premier should please indicate to this Legislature what are his short term achievable goals and long term goals in this menu of goals so as to monitor whether the targets are met or not. We are termed a Province of Legends and our performance should commensurate that status. I thank you
Admin
18 Jun, 2014
SONA 2014 – Bantu Holomisa reacts on behalf of UDM
Address by Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP in the National Assembly during the State of the Nation debate (SONA 2014) Chairperson of the NCOP, Mister President and Deputy President, Honourable Members; I wish to thank all the people, who gave us the mandate to once more contribute in building a better South Africa. We will do our best to serve you. Chairperson of the NCOP, To achieve meaningful socio-economic transformation, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) believes that South Africans of all races should engage in a structured debate about our policy direction and priorities. This debate would, in addition to other issues, discuss the need to review the current over reliance on population size as a major determining factor in the allocation of resources. We believe that when allocating resources more emphasis should be placed on the developmental needs and economic disparities of each Province. This will go a long way towards addressing past imbalances and backlogs. Given the increased role the state now plays in the economy, it is important for us to reach some form of consensus about the macroeconomic blue print that will help take the country forward. We call for this because we are of the view that State intervention that results in higher public debt, high inflation and more inefficiency defeats the purpose of the exercise. A discussion on how best Government should pursue our developmental needs and objectives through state intervention would help locate the National Development Plan (NDP) in the right context. It would also ensure that steps are taken to provide the essential policy details necessary for the implementation of the NDP. The recently approved Defence Force Review should also form part of this broader discussion as it together with peacekeeping missions has cost implications for the country. Mister President, We welcome steps Government has taken to ensure sustainable mining and to improve the socio-economic conditions of the mine-workers. We however believe that they do not go far enough. To deal decisively with mining, the UDM calls on Government to set up a Commission on mining to, among others, investigate and advise on the following: a. the socio-economic conditions of the workers and surrounding communities. b. mine-workers’ access, or lack thereof, to a provident fund worth billions of Rands. c. how the workers’ money has been invested, especially in cases where the workers were retrenched, or have retired or passed away. d. the ownership of mines and mineral wealth, the allocation of mining rights, as well as who benefits from these mines and, e. the much talked about beneficiation programme. Finally, to turn around the local government, we believe that Minister Gordhan needs to conduct a proper skills audit to ensure that the right people are employed in the right places. We further call on Minister Gordhan to ensure that politicians are not involved in the awarding of tenders. Nxamalala, we look forward to join you in your cleanup campaign for our environment during Nelson Mandela Day. Thank you.
Admin
07 Jun, 2014
Condolences with the passing away of Mama Epainette Mbeki
We today say a sad farewell to a daughter of the Transkei; Mama Epainette Mbeki. She was unyielding in her support of her husband, Govan Mbeki, during the struggle years. After Oom Gov was sentenced to life imprisonment, she had to make yet another enormous sacrifice when her children were forced into exile. To say that Mama Epainette was a strong woman is an understatement; she was a rock upon which the apartheid regime broke itself. How happy she must have been to again see her family after those troubled years and to see her surviving children rise to such great heights. She had a role to play and she did it with unflinching determination. She was a proud but humble soul and her words about her sons spoke volumes: “They are grown men. They are very busy and I am also busy. But they always call every now and then when they want advice from their mother.” For my part, I will always remember when she came for a visit at my office when I was the head of Transkei. She would walk straight to the guards at my door and ask them whether “that boy”, referring to me, was inside. The guards let her through without blinking. After taking a few minutes to talk about the purpose of her visit, we would launch into an in-depth conversation about politics. At private functions at home, after everyone had left, I would invariably find myself engaged with Mama on the topic of politics. This habit of hers continued even after 1994. During the time when Thabo was President she would not shy away from directly asking me what we were doing to improve the quality of life of our people. To the Mbeki Family, God sent you and South Africa, an angel. After having led a meaningful life, she has now gone back to our Father. It brings a smile to our faces to know that she will be reunited with her beloved husband for all eternity. Our condolences with her loss. May her soul rest in peace.
Admin
15 May, 2014
Looming labour problems in entire mining industry
The protracted labour unrest at Marikana is probably a taste of what is soon to hit the entire mining industry. Mining houses in other sectors must prepare for the likelihood that their employees will soon follow suit and go on strikes – or even wild cat strikes – especially if Lonmin and Amcu find resolution on the remuneration of Lonmin’s workforce in the platinum sector. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) is of the view that the so-called “BEE partners” – in other words the ruling party elite – have a sizable stake in the success of the mining conglomerates. The implication thereof is that government cannot mediate in good faith. Why? Because the very same government mediators and the BEE partners meet each other at the ruling party’s NEC meetings. We must realise that South Africans who have been employed in mines since the advent of democracy are of a different generation. Their fathers and grandfathers were exploited in the worst possible way and the workforce of today have strong views about reasonable employment and what they consider a decent wage. The mining houses must wake up and smell the roses. The UDM has long advised, and reiterates its call, that unions and mining houses should deal directly with each other to counter the erosion of constructive negotiation. We implore the leaders of both the unions and mining houses to take responsibility and act in a mature way to reach agreement that is to the benefit of all parties. Regarding the future, it would be prudent for the leaders, in all the different mining sectors, to be proactive and start their discussions early before they are caught in untenable situations.
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