MEDIA STATEMENT OF THE KZN PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL - 09 OCTOBER 2019
The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Executive Council (Provincial Cabinet) met on Wednesday, 09 October 2019, in Pietermaritzburg to assess the progress on the implementation of the provincial government transformation programme.
The Executive Council was chaired by Premier Sihle Zikalala and discussed the following key governance matters.
• Piloting the District Development Model
In line with the decision of the National Cabinet to pilot the District Development Model, the provincial executive assessed and affirmed its readiness in rolling out the programme in the province.
The programme of the District Development Model will be officially launched on the 18th of October 2019 by His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa. The launch will be at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu in eThekwini.
The eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality has been selected together with O R Tambo District in the Eastern Cape and Waterberg District in Limpopo as municipalities where this project will be piloted.
The District Development Model seeks to ensure an efficient, integrated development planning and improved delivery of services of all municipalities which are under one Council while making certain that the provincial and national governments plans are aligned and complementing the plans of District Municipalities.
This Model will bring together all spheres of government to work in tandem to make a greater impact through shared services and fast-tracking of implementation.
This launch will be preceded by a ceremony wherein the President and Provincial Government will unveil the first smart phone manufacturing facility in Africa. This manufacturing facility which is owned and operated by the Mara Group will be unveiled on the 17th October 2019.
• 2018/2019 Provincial Audit Outcomes
The Executive Council remains resolute in its commitment to promoting and preserving good governance. The Executive Council invited the office of the Auditor-General to present the 2018/2019 PFMA Audit Outcomes.
The report which covered the last financial year of the previous 5th administration is crucial in ensuring that the current 6th administration builds on successes that have been achieved but also addresses shortcomings that prevailed.
The report highlights non-compliance with supply chain management legislation as one of the key challenges facing governance. It also lists unfair or uncompetitive procurement processes that often exclude preferential suppliers as one of the issues undermining the country’s social transformation goals. The report recorded that irregular expenditure increased and noted general failure on accountability. It cites the lack of consequence management for poor performance and transgressions as one of the reasons for poor performance on accountability.
The Provincial Executive commended the Provincial Treasury and the Department of Social Development who achieved unqualified audit outcomes with no findings (clean audits). The Executive Council tasked the Governance and Administration Cluster to develop a comprehensive plan that will ensure that all departments implement the AG’s recommendations, improve their audit outcomes, and ensure efficient and effective governance that is optimised to transform the lives of the people of KwaZulu-Natal.
This draft plan will form the basis of KZN Operation Clean Audit which will be consolidated and finalised by the Executive Council in its special meeting scheduled for the 23rd October 2019. Operation Clean Audit will be subsequently presented to the Provincial Legislature on the 24th October 2019.
The Executive Council pledged its commitment to improve and ensure good governance and address adverse findings by the Auditor-General going forward.
• Provincial Budget Adjustment
The Executive Council received a report on preparation for the Provincial Budget Adjustment which will focus on ensuring minimum reduction of funds for government priorities.
The adjusted budget will cover allocation for key priorities identified by the Provincial Government towards the May 2019 General Elections.
The Executive Council is satisfied by all preparations, and the adjustment to the Budget will be presented to the Legislature in November 2019.
• Operation Sukuma Sakhe
The Executive Council continue to ensure monitoring of services to communities through Operation Sukuma Sakhe which helps ensure direct interaction of government with the people.
The provincial executive received and endorsed plans to hold the Operation Sukuma Sakhe Cabinet Day at uMlalazi Local Municipality in the King Cetshwayo District on 30 October 2019. The activities of the Cabinet Day will focus on addressing service delivery backlogs and social ills in the district while promoting road safety awareness.
• State of readiness for Matric Examination
As part of preparing for the National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examinations, the Executive Council received a detailed report on the state of readiness for Exams.
The NSC examinations are due to start on 15 October with the Computer Applications Technology Practical paper and conclude on 28 November 2019.
On behalf of the provincial government, the Premier thanked the Department of Basic Education in the province for conducting an effective academic year and thorough preparations for Exams.
The Premier underlined his message stating that, “We have witnessed the commitment and hard work of the Department and its stakeholders throughout the year. As a province and a country, we are invested in the success of our learners. We wish all of them great success in their preparation and performance. We are confident that they will do well and take available opportunities for further development.”
Landfill Site Fire in the City of Pietermaritzburg
The Executive Council noted with great concern the continuing fires at a landfill in Pietermaritzburg. It supported efforts by the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) aimed at dealing with the ongoing fires at the New England Road Landfill in the city.
The toxic smoke emanating from the fires has compromised the quality of air around the area, with schooling affected as a result. In order to deal with the fires, the Executive Council noted that additional fire-fighting teams from adjacent municipalities, including eThekwini Metro, have to be enlisted to support firefighting at the landfill site.
The Executive Council tasked the department to work with the Msunduzi Municipality to assess this Landfill and find possible ways of ensuring that this incident does not recur in future - this should include the possibility of closing or relocating the Landfill site.
The Executive Council also supported plans to involve the Department of Home Affairs to manage the issue of immigrants living in shacks around the area.
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