Committee Provincial Visit: Planning; Interim Management Team Report: postponement

PUBLIC SERVICES AND ADMINISTRATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
10 June 2005
COMMITTEE PROVINCIAL VISIT: PLANNING; INTERIM MANAGEMENT TEAM REPORT: POSTPONEMENT

Acting Chairperson: Mr M Baloyi (ANC)

Documents handed out:
None

SUMMARY
Due to time constraints, the Committee decided not to consider the Interim Management Team (IMT) report. Consideration of the report was rescheduled for Wednesday 15 June 2005.

The meeting instead addressed planing issues surrounding the proposed Committee factfinding mission on service delivery in the provinces. The mission would take place between 1 August and 12 August and would examine service delivery issues relating to water supply, educational infrastructure, social services, and staff discipline in the public health sector. The mission would be split into two teams, each visiting two provinces between the North West, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

It was decided that a workshop would be held prior to the factfinding mission’ s departure, to which the relevant departments, Select Committees, Treasury and Auditor-General would be invited. The workshop seemed likely to be held on Friday 24 June. Members from the Select Committees would accompany Members on the factfinding missions. At the next Committee meeting, a draft proposal would be presented, which would include possible mission team members. The researcher would also give a presentation on the mission’s focus areas.

MINUTES
The Chairperson, Mr P Gomomo (ANC), was unable to attend the meeting due to illness. In his absence Mr M Baloyi (ANC) performed the functions of the Acting Chairperson.

IMT Report: Consideration
The Acting Chairperson noted that there was a National Assembly Joint Sitting at 11 a.m., which meant that the Committee meeting would be shortened. As a result, the Acting Chairperson proposed that the consideration of the Interim Management Team's (IMT) report should be rescheduled for 15 June 2005. He also suggested that the Committee should rather use the meeting to plan the Committee’s factfinding mission to the provinces. The Committee approved these proposals.

Committee provincial visits
The Acting Chairperson noted that due to the findings of the Public Protector’s Report No. 19, the Committee had decided to undertake a factfinding mission to the provinces. The Public Protector's report had found that there was a lack of communication in the public sector that negatively impacted service delivery. The Committee therefore planned to visit service delivery points in seven provinces. Their focuses included water supply, social services, staff discipline in the public health sector, and the construction of schools. The Committee would undertake the mission from 1 August to 12 August. The Committee needed to prepare for the mission, which included formulating specific questions.

Mr R Ntuli (DA) suggested that the Committee researcher be involved in the process of formulating questions. The Acting Chairperson agreed that the researcher should be involved in the process. The Committee, however, needed to decide how the factfinding mission team should be constituted. He asked whether the mission team should be divided into two groups, with each group visiting different provinces. In the past there had been difficulties with such an approach.

The Acting Chairperson stated that the Committee had decided to invite the relevant Select Committees to participate. They also needed a workshop with these Committees before departure. The Committee researcher needed to prepare information on focus areas, questions and suggestions prior to the workshop. The Committee could perhaps hold the workshop on Friday 17 June or Friday 24 June.

Mr M Sikakane (ANC) felt that representatives from the relevant departments should be invited to the workshop. They could advise the Committee on focus areas and sites to be visited. This would avoid possible duplication and would allow the mission to focus on specific problem areas. It would also enable the mission to use its time effectively. Indeed, if the departments were present, it would enable the Committee to receive background information on service delivery issues. One problem was that the Treasury had allocated the bulk of the budget for service delivery to the provinces and not to the departments. For example, the Treasury had allocated funding for education to the provinces. If the provinces wished, they could redirect those funds to other priorities. This situation needed to be examined, and perhaps the provinces needed to be compelled to use the funds that the Treasury allocated for their intended purposes.

Mr S Simmons (NNP) commented that the Treasury should be represented at the workshop as it had all the information on budget allocations and expenditure. The Auditor-General and the Public Accounts also had information available on some of the reasons why there had been service delivery problems. The Auditor-General and Public Accounts could assist the Committee researcher in identifying specific problem areas.

The Acting Chairperson agreed. The effected Departments should be represented at the preparatory workshop. Similarly, the Treasury, Auditor-General and the Public Accounts could be involved in aiding the researcher. The mission should not be visiting sites randomly. The mission needed to be involved in the ‘turn-around strategies’ of areas affected by poor service delivery. The mission also needed to visit actual service delivery sites and not merely meet officials in boardrooms.

Mr Sikakane and Mr Ntuli felt that the workshop should not be held on 17 June as logistics would be problematic. This was because many of Members would be attending 16 June celebrations. The Acting Chairperson noted this concern and stated that the workshop could be held on another day. The exact date of the workshop would be communicated to Members.

Mr Ntuli commented that perhaps the Committee factfinding mission needed to focus on only four provinces. He felt that visiting seven provinces would not allow the Committee enough time to thoroughly examine specific service delivery issues.

The Acting Chairperson replied that focusing on four provinces instead of seven would be beneficial. The mission could then split into two teams. These two teams could visit two provinces each. Mr Sikakane added that the Committee needed to visit the rural areas. The Acting Chairperson noted that the Parliamentary media report programme had already visited Mpumulanga province. The Acting Chairperson, therefore, suggested that the mission visit KwaZulu-Natal, the North West, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape.

The Acting Chairperson would provisionally apply for all the Members of the Committee to be included in the factfinding mission. However, not all of the Members could be included in the actual mission team for various reasons. For example, some Members had other commitments, which included attending meetings of other Portfolio Committees. At the next Committee meeting, a draft proposal would be presented, which would include possible mission team members. The researcher could also give a presentation on the focus areas, which the factfinding mission would concentrate on.

The meeting was adjourned.