Parties review EC provincial departments
WITH 2017 in the past, opposition parties in the provincial legislature have painted a mixed picture of how different departments have performed. Political reporter spoke to the DA, UDM and COPE, and this is how they scored the departments out of 10. The
Office of the Premier (OTP)
UDM MPL Thando Mpulu said there was weak monitoring and evaluation at the OTP. “There should be a performance centre where the premier [Phumulo Masualle] can walk in any time and with the press of a button he can understand what a particular department is doing,” he said. Mpulu added that if Masualle were asked to name one big accomplishment in the three years of his premiership he would have nothing to say. The DA’s Bobby Stevenson said the OTP was failing to provide leadership and enforce consequence management. “There are still lengthy delays in payments to suppliers which impact on small businesses. It has failed to set the standard that it should,” he said. Department of health
Stevenson said health was in a state of collapse with shortages of staff, equipment and medication. He said the large number of medico-legal claims faced by the department was a problem as they made it difficult for the department to deliver its mandate. Mpulu echoed Stevenson’s sentiments, saying the medico-legal claims were crippling the department financially. “It’s a tricky situation because in terms of infrastructure in places like Cecilia Makiwane [Hospital] they have done well, but the general state of health is not up to standard,” Mpulu said. COPE MPL Lievie Sharpley said there were people filling positions they did not qualify for as a result of staff shortages and rural clinics without medical supplies. Department of education
Mpulu said a huge infrastructure backlog added to the department’s poor performance. “However, they have improved in the coordination of work and this might be because of the new superintendent-general, Themba Kojana. If they keep up on this, there will be improvement in other areas as well,” Mpulu said. Stevenson said apart from problems with infrastructure, there was a shortage of libraries and IT centres. “There is a shortage of teachers due to a high attrition rate and ongoing problems with delivery of books and stationery to schools,” he said.