(Second
Reading Debate)
Vote 9 – The Department of Public
Works, Roads and Transport: R576 103 000
#The ACTING SPEAKER: I want to believe, hon Member, that
your statement was an independent one and not a response to the statement made
by the hon MEC, Mr Mokitlane. As you know, in terms of our Rules, we do not
allow a debate on statements by hon Members in the House. I want to believe that you were not
responding to his statement.
Any further
statements by hon Members? None.
We now
proceed to Motions. Motion 1 reads as
follows:
That
the Second Reading Debate on the Appropriation Bill be continued.
The Vote
before the House is that of Public Works, Roads and Transport. The hon MEC, Mr Malebo.
Mr S. M. A. MALEBO (MEC): Hon Premier, hon Members of the
Executive Council, hon Members of the Legislature - may I also give special
recognition to my colleague, the hon MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport
in our sister Province, the Northern Cape, the hon Mr John Block. Madam Premier, I must assure you, he is not
here because...
*... I am married to a
girl from the
#It
is purely for professional reasons.
*Our leaders and the
community...
#...distinguished guests
and fellow Free Staters, the future of this Province is bright. When we reflect on the last financial year,
we are satisfied that our resolve to turn the tide has paid good dividends.
The Budget for 2001/2002 presents a
total shift from the previous budgets.
It is a Budget of a Department that has emerged unscathed from the
difficulties of addressing major infrastructural development and the apartheid
legacy. With this Budget, we recognise
the first budget aimed at addressing the key infrastructural questions that
face our Province. For the first time,
special budget allocations to address the maintenance backlog are made towards
our roads and key social infrastructure in the Province.
This year,
our Budget is an honest attempt to budget according to our provincial
priorities. This Budget is a developmental
budget that will focus on capital investment and improvement. Though this is realigned, we strive to
address not only the backlog, but also job creation and growth. This Budget will assist us to begin to turn
the tide against poverty and joblessness.
It will begin to restore the dignity of those who depend entirely on the
state to improve their lives.
In this
Budget, we recognise an overall increase in the Budget of the Department. This increase does not equal the backlog that
must be addressed. Neither will it close
the gap between the poor and the rich or eradicate joblessness and poverty, but
it is a start.
Before I deal
with the new Budget, allow me to give a brief synopsis of the achievements and
drawbacks of the previous year’s Budget.
A major
criticism against the Department in previous years, was that a major percentage
of the Departmental Budget was spent on personnel and other overhead
costs. Our commitment to address this
situation has improved the departmental allocation percentages of overhead
charges versus capital budgets.
Since I have
started in this Department in 1997, the number of personnel has decreased from
7 500 in 1997 to 6 407 in 1999, with a further reduction to 5 462 in January
2001. This reduction is taking place amidst
efforts by the Department to retain its most experienced personnel, while
addressing questions of representation, gender and disability.
In the
2001/2002 financial year, 42,5% will be spent on personnel and 51,5% will be
allocated for developmental purposes. In
order to improve the expertise and capacity of our personnel, many officials
attended various in-house training sessions where they developed their
skills. This training will remain a
priority.
As a result
of the restructuring of state assets - where some redundant assets were
disposed of – property was allocated to various municipalities in the
Province. The purpose of this was to
further enhance the capacity of our municipalities to advance the process of
democratising our Province. An example
of such a transfer is portions one and nine of the farm Randfontein 1880, known
as Tshiame B, to the Transitional Local Council of Harrismith.
This was an
important event, as the community of Tshiame will now, for the first time ever,
have an opportunity to obtain title deeds for their properties. Apartheid legislation denied them the right
to own the land on which their houses, churches and businesses were built. Similar transfers were made to Jagersfontein
and Matwabeng.
With regard
to the disposal of assets: The process
of selling houses at De Bult has, after many stumbling blocks, finally been put
on track. Of the 25 houses that have
already been sold, the State Attorney has finally transferred the first house
in February this year. It is expected
that the Office of the State Attorney will expedite the transfers of other
houses. This process continues with the
sale of redundant state houses at Kensitown and Modulaqhowa in
Maluti-a-Phofung.
The provision
of buildings and various social functions of Government were boosted by the
major maintenance projects at nine hospitals and seven clinics. Buildings were renovated and revamped and new
structures were built. For the
Department of Welfare, Tshirelletsong Centre in
Major
maintenance work was carried out at the Barend van Rensburg Children’s Home and
Boiketlong Old Age Home at Thaba Nchu.
Five new
libraries were built at Mashaeng, Tikwane, Mamafubedu, Role-le-a-Thunya and
Matlwangtlwang in support of improving the culture of reading and
learning. A large part of the
Department’s efforts towards poverty eradication concentrated on the completion
of various community-based public works projects that could not be completed
before. This was due to the fact that the requirements of the Public Finance
Management Act (PFMA) impeded the continuation of new projects. These issues were addressed.
Together with
the National Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport and the South
African Breweries (SAB), the Department contributed towards the reduction of
unemployment by creating jobs through the implementation of the Clean and Green
Programme within the informal settlements of Chris Hani and Bloemside. The
programme is aimed at, among others, the development of a waste removal system
in under-serviced communities, to enhance the physical environment by planting
flora and fauna and to create awareness of the benefits of a clean environment.
The programme
has succeeded in providing municipal services where they did not exist. More than 10 000 households received refuse
removal services. Illegal dumping sites
are being cleaned.
Through the
realigned Community-Based Public Works Programme, aimed at providing
much-needed infrastructure while also creating jobs and alleviating poverty,
the Department, together with the National Department of Public Works,
successfully implemented 17 projects in the nine wards of the Maluti-a-Phofung
District.
Eight emerging
contractors were employed through Public Works programme projects. Of the 480 people employed, 48% were female,
40% were youth and 7% were disabled.
About 68 sustainable jobs have been created. These projects have increased access to
health facilities, economic activities and have greatly improved social
cohesion. Projects implemented in
various communities were crèches, bridges, halls and roads. Five projects, aimed at generating income,
were implemented, and four vegetable gardens and the upgrading of Witsie’s Cave
improved tourism.
The National
Department of Public Works has increased its commitment in the
·
Land rehabilitation of areas devastated
by floods in Qwaqwa - twelve projects are being implemented there; and
·
Rapid delivery – 20 new projects are
being implemented in areas falling outside of Qwaqwa, but still within the
Maluti-a-Phofung District Council.
About 500
jobs have been created. Women fill 228
of these positions. These two projects
have created employment for 264 youths and twelve disabled people.
Planning as
it relates to roads, remains the key function.
This function was scaled down, as the money allocated for roads
infrastructure and maintenance continues to be cut. In order to facilitate integration and
mobility, the following access roads were designed at Itumeleng: Ipopeng, Road 2, in Qwaqwa, and the P1/2
Thabong bypass.
Planning and
design was made with regard to bridges and roads infrastructure damaged by
floods in Qwaqwa. The Department is busy
with in-house designing and planning with regard to the access roads. These plans concentrate on key roads that
will improve linkages, give access to various services, and generally improve
mobility in the Province.
With regard
to road maintenance within the Province, there is no-one in the Free State who
can honestly declare that, despite the kind of Budget we had, we did not live
up to our promise to carry out road maintenance with the aim to reduce road
accidents as a result of lack of maintenance.
Due to an
inadequate budget allocation during the previous financial year, we were
compelled to adopt a “robbing Peter to pay Paul” strategy. In order to ensure a safe and accessible road
network, the Directorate concentrated on the safety aspect of road
maintenance. The repair of potholes was,
therefore, the highest priority, followed by other activities, as well as
necessary tasks, Budget allowing.
Various roads received specific attention due to the advanced state of
deterioration of their pavement layers.
*The contract for road
signs was put in effect after one year of no activity. At present, about 1 300 kilometres of road
signs have been rehabilitated.
Sections
along the road that were subject to soil erosion as a result of floods, were
again covered with gravel.
An amount of R38 million was allocated
for the reconstruction of damaged areas and was received this year. After visiting the affected areas on
In an attempt to improve the safety on
our roads, links were forged between the Province and the 24-hour service centre
in
Road signs, which will indicate the
number of accidents on our Province’s roads, are still being designed. The public will be able to report incidents
of corruption by traffic officers as well as traffic conditions on the
roads. I am proud to report to this hon
House that since the speed limit for buses and minibus taxis was reduced from
120km/h to 100km/h, there has been a decline in the number of accidents of
these kinds of transport.
During the period December last year
and January this year, approximately 87 people died on the roads of our
Province, compared to the 125 who died during the festive season last
year. This represents a decrease of 38
road deaths, which, in monetary terms, accounts for a saving of R12
million. The source of this research is
the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research), which estimates the
cost for each death as a result of road accidents at R340 000.
#This year, a new strategy
that follows in the footsteps of the Arrive
Alive campaign, will be launched.
This is a national strategy that will help us to spread the message of Arrive Alive daily.
The transport of school children is one
of the major stumbling blocks as far as accessibility to education is
concerned. During the previous year,
nearly 350 bicycles were distributed among several schools as part of the
Bicycle Demonstration Project.
Project
Kaizen was undertaken to update the full asset register and to ensure that data
of the Fleet Management Service Contractor is correct. The success of this project can be seen as a
milestone for this Department. The
client’s invoicing system has been fully computerised and this greatly enhances
the efficiency of income recovery.
The Vehicle
Information Technology Project is designed to limit the misuse of fuel
cards. The Free State Government Garage
is one of the first government garages in the country to implement the
system. The hardware was installed in
90% of the fleet, and the installations at fitting stations are continuing.
These humble
achievements will not be as successful as they are without the valuable experience
that we have picked up as we continue to search for the most appropriate ways
of providing adequate and timeous quality services with limited resources. This search continues as a result of our
strategic plan, Free State on the Move.
Free State on the Move has not only
exposed our weaknesses, but our strengths as well. Was it not for the hurdles created by the
Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), we would be far in terms of the
implementation of Free State on the Move.
The
Department of Public Service and Administration convened a seminar, entitled
Free State Learning Network Summit, in
In the 2001/2002 financial year, the
Department received R576 103 000, which is an increase of R105,5 million
compared to the previous financial year.
Although the allocated amount is far less than the absolute minimum
needed to address the backlog, the Department aims to redirect the proposed
Budget in a manner that would focus our strategic programmes on economic
growth, development and a safer transport system. This must be done without neglecting other
social programmes.
At item
level, the increases are as follows:
·
Personnel Expenditure: 5,5%;
·
Administrative Expenditure: 17,3%;
·
Stores:
34,3%;
·
Equipment: 21,3%;
·
Land and Buildings: 11,5%;
·
Professional Services: 79,6%;
and
·
Miscellaneous: 7,9%.
The total is
24,4%.
This means
that:
·
Corporate Service receives a total
budget of R24,5 million;
·
State Assets receive R62,7 million;
·
The Public Works Programme receives
R8,4 million;
·
Road Planning receives R7,7 million;
·
Road Infrastructure receives R216,1
million;
·
Traffic Management receives R77,6
million;
·
Transport Management receives R10,2
million; and
·
Free State on the Move receives
R7,9 million.
The total is,
as I have said, R567,103 million.
If we exclude the increase of R13
million for personnel expenditure in Traffic Management, it means that the
personnel expenditure of the Department increased by only 0,58%, while in real
terms, it decreased with 5,5%.
By limiting
our expenditure on overheads, it was possible to raise our Budget on capital
infrastructure by nearly R105,5 million.
In response to this, the Department reprioritised its Budget to focus on
capital expenditure, the maximisation of its revenue and its legal
obligations. The main focus of this
Budget is to increase capital expenditure to maximise revenue.
Capital
expenditure will increase by R101,7 million, which is 24% of the total
Budget. It was 8% last year. Of the total capital expenditure, 21% and 68%
will be invested in buildings and roads infrastructure, respectively.
Revenue
growth will be assisted by the increase in the allocated Budget of the Traffic
Directorate. The extensive use of labour
intensive methods through the Public Works Programme Initiative should see a
decrease in poverty and an increase in job creation for the people of the
This
Programme’s capital expenditure increases by R4,9 million, compared to the
Budget of the previous year. This Budget
enables us to see that our resources concurred with our priorities of
infrastructure development and our pursuit for an integrated development
strategy. However, if compared to the
Budget for 1999/2000, this only leaves us with fewer resources than what was
supposed to be the case.
The hon MEC
for Finance is smiling, which means I am right.
Allow me to
present the Budget, programme by programme, concentrating on key strategic
projects and deliverables:
Corporate Services
In its
endeavour to adhere to the requirements of Public Service Regulations that
require certain critical outputs as part of our management plan, the Department
will continue to:
1. Align its Strategic Management Plan to the
Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF);
2. Align its organisational structure to the
Strategic Management Plan;
3.
Implement service delivery improvement
programmes; and
4.
Implement a comprehensive human
resources plan.
The Directorate: State Assets
Properties
earmarked for disposal during the financial year include, among others,
Modulaqhowa and Kensitown in Maluti-a-Phofung.
This process will assist in containing costs associated with management
and the maintenance of superfluous properties.
In an attempt to enhance the economic development of newly demarcated
regions and to contribute towards rural development, my Department will
continue to transfer under-utilised properties to various municipalities.
Land at
Phuthaditjhaba, Tshiame and Botshabelo will be transferred to the Free State
Development Corporation (FDC) in order to enable the parastatal to develop
commercial facilities to provide beehive facilities for SMME’s (Small, Medium
and Micro Enterprises) and other businesses.
Works Infrastructure
This
Directorate will play an indispensable role in the economy of the
Province. It will also increase and
extend the provision of infrastructure in the country, which is fundamental to
the ongoing development of our Province.
In support of improving our health, Public Works will undertake major
capital maintenance projects at the following provincial hospitals:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Moroka Hospital Phase II at Thaba Nchu,
as well as the MDR (Multi-Drug Resistance) Unit of that hospital;
5.
6.
Upgrading at the
Eight new
schools or new classrooms will be built at existing schools this year. These are:
·
·
Ipetleng Combined School at Petrusburg;
·
·
Re-feng-thabo at Tweeling;
Are you
happy, hon Chief Whip?
An HON MEMBER: Yes.
Mr S. M. A. MALEBO (MEC):
·
Kgotso-Uxolo at Reitz;
·
Nkarabeng at Kestell;
·
Katiso at Dewetsdorp; and
·
Dieketseng at
Two libraries
will be built; one at Fouriesburg and
the other at our Provincial Headquarters at Lebohang. We will be guided by black economic
empowerment, job creation policies and the principles of value for money in
procuring services from the private sector.
Community-based Public Works Programme
(CPWP)
This
Programme is one of Government’s key strategic responses to rural poverty and
underdevelopment. It is a programme that
is driven by the community’s needs and is aimed at targeting poor communities
through the creation of community assets and job opportunities by applying
labour intensive construction methods.
In her
Opening Address in this House, our hon Premier indicated:
Through our Community-based Public Works Programme, we will focus on identified pockets of poverty within the rural areas and target female-headed households with dependants.
The
Department takes part in poverty eradication and infrastructure investment by:
1. Targeting identified poverty pockets within
rural areas;
2. Targeting rural women, female-headed
households with dependants, in particular;
3.
Constructing useful infrastructure to
provide access to trade opportunities;
and
4.
Identifying projects for execution
during the coming financial year.
It is against
this background that 80% of the projects to be undertaken are in
poverty-stricken and economically depressed areas. Our aim is to alleviate the hardships of
poverty. To this end, projects envisaged
for the coming financial year are:
·
A community hall at Phillipolis;
·
A crèche at
Rouxville;
·
A crèche at Wepener;
·
A community hall at Bethulie;
·
The renovation of a hall at Theunissen;
·
A storm water drainage system at
Kroonstad;
·
A community centre at Luckhoff;
·
A community hall at Fauresmith;
·
A bridge at Thaba Nchu; and
·
A community hall in the outlying areas
of Thaba Nchu.
The Directorate: Road Maintenance and Construction
*It
is important to realise that if we do not protect our investments in roads and
infrastructure by re-sealing our tarred roads and preventing water from
eventually penetrating lower levels, the estimated cost of retaining these
roads, will be eight times higher.
Therefore, R10 million is made available for the reparation and
re-sealing of a number of our tarred roads.
We are all
aware of the fact that agriculture is a vital part of the
It is against
this background that R28 million – although it is not sufficient - will be
spent on the regravelling and grading of dirt roads. This should contribute immensely to the
reparation of main roads that service these industries and will thereby improve
access to markets for our agricultural products, hon MEC, Mr Makgoe.
Traffic Management
#Apart from infrastructure
maintenance, our priority for the current year relates to safety on roads. That is the most urgent aspect in the eyes of
millions of Free Staters. We cannot and
will not allow the current system of anarchy and the carnage on our roads to
continue. A drastic intervention needs
to be made.
The Arrive
Alive Campaign, which is basically a communication campaign with enhanced
law enforcement and a programme designed to change the attitudes and behaviour
of road users, has been successful with its limited framework of
objectives. However, it is not a
substitute for a comprehensive road safety programme. This matter was discussed by Transport MEC’s
at the Minister’s Committee for Transport, known as MINCOM, under the
chairmanship of the National Minister of Transport. We have agreed to proceed as speedily as
possible to present a comprehensive road safety campaign to the country.
Given the fact that road safety is a
24-hours-a-day and seven-days-a-week activity, our law enforcement officers
cannot afford to become complacent. To
this end, this Province will have an ongoing law enforcement programme that
focuses on speed, overloading control, drinking and driving, safety belt
compliance, and moving violations to induce compliance with Road Traffic Laws.
It is against
this background that I am happy to announce that vacant key traffic posts will
be filled during the coming financial year, as opposed to the Arrive Alive Campaign, where the emphasis was on
holidays. Intensive law enforcement will
be maintained throughout the year.
In order to
ensure responsible drivers in the future, the
From October
1997 until April 2001, the Arrive Alive campaign was partly funded by the Road Accident Fund (RAF). The latter has since indicated its intention
not to proceed with the funding of the Arrive Alive activities. Arrive Alive has secured the approval
of the Executive Council to approach the private sector for funding of both
publicity and promotional materials.
During the launch of the current
vehicle registration plates, I indicated that a holistic study pertaining to the
licence plate programme for the Province will be introduced as a second
phase. I am pleased to inform this House
that the Executive Council has endorsed the introduction of the Vehicle
Registration Plate Programme for the Province.
This programme will be introduced in this financial year.
Road Planning
As we are
committed to the Rural Development Strategy, the Department will continue to
play a pivotal role in urban renewal in the Province by addressing the
imbalances in infrastructure, transportation and basic services in our
areas. The plans defining the
appropriate road network for the Province will ensure adequate accessibility to
existing urban areas or potential development areas, whilst protecting the movement
function of our network. For example,
access improvements in the Sasolburg area are planned to facilitate
densification and infilling, which will benefit the region as a whole in the
long run.
A number of
possible corridor studies and developments are also contemplated to facilitate
development within the Sasolburg area.
Transport Management
Several
projects will be undertaken to ensure adequate infrastructure that is aimed at
economic development. The
transport-planning role of integrated development plans must be enhanced. So, the total departure from fragmented
planning and the introduction of an integrated planning process, will result in
the promotion of public transport and higher density, as well as the
integration of the different residential and business areas.
This year, we
will intensify our efforts regarding the Provincial Land Transport Plan. This task has become more urgent in the light
of developmental objectives by various municipalities.
The
This year, we
are going to intensify our efforts to root out illegal taxi operators and to
shut down illegal ranks. We are
finalising our strategy regarding this aspect with the police and other law
enforcement stakeholders. Special
measures will be taken to cope with inter-provincial operators, especially
those from the