Committee Study tour Reports: discussion

PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
17 August 17, 2005
COMMITTEE STUDYTOUR REPORTS: DISCUSSION

Acting Chairperson: Mr Baloyi (ANC)

Documents handed out:
None.

SUMMARY
The Committee shared their impressions of their oversight visits to provinces. The Committee had been divided into two groups, and had been accompanied by Ministry officials for the first time. The first group had gone to Limpopo and North West, and the second group had travelled to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Members decided that follow-up oversight visits would be necessary. Areas of special concern were communication problems and the lack of facilities and good management in schools, and the shortage of doctors at hospitals. The Committee would communicate with the provincial departments via telecommunications. They would do this before drawing up a report. Members agreed that the report should be further circulated before discussion at their meeting of 24 August.

Members were concerned with a lack of co-ordination and communication within this Committee. Members felt that the process of finding a Committee Secretary should be expedited.

MINUTES
In KwaZulu-Natal, Members had encountered many logistical problems. Some Members had not come along due to transportation difficulties.

Furthermore, most facility officials visited had not known that the Committee was coming, such as the Limpopo Housing Department and the Eastern Cape Premier’s office. Members complained that they had had to continuously explain the purpose of their visits. One Sunday workshop in KwaZulu-Natal had to be cancelled.

In some provinces, officials had confirmed they would attend workshops but did not arrive. On 19 July 2005, the Committee had communicated their visit plans with four legislatures. The pairing of provinces had been changed. KwaZulu-Natal had been paired with the Eastern Cape and Limpopo with North West Province. This should minimise costs and facilitate more participation.

The delegation had met with the MEC of Education and other officials in Limpopo. From their meeting, it had become clear that there were many loopholes in the daily operation of schools. For instance, Members and the Circuit Manager had visited a high school in Giyana. This school produced great academic results, but struggled to control pupils coming to school on time. They also had a problem with pupils and teachers coming to school under the influence of alcohol and drugs. More than 70% of that school had no furniture. The teachers had been working well in a team and their efforts had seen the school making a name for itself despite the challenges.

Members had also conducted an unannounced visit to Sijankabo High School in North West Province. There had been no alarm system when they visited and only two teachers arrived at 8.30 a.m, the school start time. The pupils could not ring the bell as the principal’s office was always closed due to his late arrival. Sijankabo was a well-built and fully furnished school. The Committee had visited that school again on the second day. That time about 50% of the pupils arrived late for school. The educators had also arrived late again, even though they knew the Committee would be visiting. Together with the Area and Regional Managers, the Committee had held discussions with the school management, governing body and the Student Representative Council. The Committee would write recommendations to the Portfolio Committee of Education about their findings in Limpopo Province.

In the Eastern Cape, Members had learned that the Department of Education was R600 million in debt. This signalled a disturbing mismanagement of government funds. Members felt that the unions were stumbling blocks in the development of schools in that province. They had visited Wongalethu High School in the former Ciskei region, which was also not functional due to lack of management discipline of teachers.

About 19 Eastern Cape schools had not submitted their project budgets to the Department of Public Works early enough, and so projects were not started a month before schools started writing exams. The province’s Premier commented that the situation was worse in the former Transkei that the former Ciskei region.

The Committee had also held valuble meetings with the province’s main water stakeholders. Members expressed the importance of engaging more stakeholders about poverty alleviation.

Discussion
Mr Minnie (DA) and Dr Luthuli (ANC) complained the lack of Committee administrative support. The Acting Chairperson said they would have to quickly hire a Secretary.

The Chairperson continued that the national Parliament had decided to commence oversight visits on a Sunday. Members who had been absent from the visits would have to face disciplinary action. Negligence by MECs and Heads of Departments was not the responsibility of the Committee. The Committee had the legal right to visit provinces without notification.

Mr Gcwabaza commented on discussions with the Departments of Public Works and Education. The Department of Public Works had complained that they were not paid after buildings were finished. The Department of Finance should intervene. Repayments back to departments was a problem. Important public works projects were not being planned in time, so the Department could not deliver on time. Dr Roopnarain added that KwaZulu-Natal was the only Public Works Department housed with the Department of Transport.

Mr Sikakane (ANC) expressed concern about the late submission to the Department of Public Works. Departments needed to submit their budgets a year earlier. The Committee had met with the Minister of Health in the Eastern Cape and discussed complaints received from staff at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital that clinic patients needed transport to the Frere Hospital. Staff felt the hospitals in the region were divided and used along racial lines. The Committee needed to expedite its recommendations report.

The Acting Chairperson reported that Members had visited to Sijankabo High School two years previously. Recommendations to improve management had been made, but there had been no improvements. The principal blamed the government, educators and learners. He was currently attending a court case for beating a teacher on school premises. The Student Representative Council blamed the teachers for in-fighting, and were afraid of writing a report to the Minister. A learner who had reported an incident to the Minister’s office had committed suicide as result of pressure from allegedly guilty parties.

Dr Roopnarain (IFP) said the matriculation pass rate of Sijankabo high school of 13% was unacceptable. Drastic measures should be taken to improve that school and the management of teachers.

Dr Luthuli asked whether there had been a change of management in that school. She gave an anecdote of a similar situation where both teachers and pupils had thrown the school into chaos. She had suggested the dismissal of the Principal. Upon the appointment of a new Principal, the school had improved drastically. The Committee should be firm insisiting on the dismissal of staff who did not abide by the law.

The Acting Chairperson replied that there had not been any change of management at that particular school. There was total lack of discipline and educators were not following protocols.

Mr Gcwabaza said there had been an alarming shortage of scarce skills in provinces like the Eastern Cape. As a result, many vacancies were left unfilled. Eastern Cape authorities felt KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and the Western Province should stop poaching their skilled staff.

Some departments had established bursary funds for high school learners. They would continue funding learners until they finish tertiary education, whereafter they would be expected to work for government. There had been no contracts to retain scarce skills in these provinces. The Government should attract skills within South Africa instead of looking beyond the border.

The Acting Chairperson commented on the shortage of doctors in Limpopo Province. In Messina, one doctor was managing a hospital alone. They needed clarity on yardsticks utilised for grading hospitals in order to receive rural allowances. The Public Commission would investigate further on that issue.

Dr Luthuli said doctors should concentrate on using their clinical expertise instead of doing administrative work that was the responsibility of nurses. Currently many hospitals required assistance with the rollout of AIDS antiretrovirals.

Members agreed that the recommendation report should be circulated before their meeting of 24 August.

The meeting was adjourned.