LIMPOPO VOWS TO IMPROVE ITS SERVICES
THE Limpopo government has renewed its commitment to provide quality services to its people and to strengthening good governance.
At the centre of its determination is the provision of integrated housing in line with the needs and rights of its citizens.
Building on the tenets of the National Development Plan, the government has pledged to make sure that the people of Limpopo work, play and pray where they stay.
The department’s budget for this financial year stands at just over R2.2- billion, with more than half set aside for human settlement development.
Among the challenges facing the provincial government is to change the legacy of apartheid, which led to people being placed in areas determined by their race, class and ethnicity. DECENT HOUSING
The multi-year development plan identified more than 15 000 houses needed for the current financial year.
However, because of the reduction of the conditional grant, only the appointments for the building of 12 815 units were finalised.
The department has several categories of housing programmes, for which it has allocated budgets.
The incremental housing programme focuses mainly on rural housing development.
Last year the department built 12 009 houses, and an additional 12 815 are to be built by the end of the current financial year.
The department also confirmed the existence of 36 informal settlements in the province and developed a programme that is in line with national policy to eradicate informal settlements.
Informal settlements in the Modimolle, Elias Motsoaledi and Greater Tubatse municipalities in Limpopo were identified as priority areas for providing basic services and securing tenure in households.
The department also developed plans to transform single-sex hostels into more dignified family residential units.
One such development was the Seshego community residential units completed last year. Another hostel re-development programme is planned for Tshikota in the Vhembe district.
The department has also embarked on the Lephalale community residential units project. This programme involves the demolition of existing hostels, site rehabilitation and the construction of stand-alone units.
The existing Lephalale Hostel Complex will receive major upgrades in terms of the national community residential units policy.
The Ga-Rena rental housing project is the first social housing project that falls under the government’s “Breaking New Ground” initiative. The project provides housing for those who earn more than R3 500 a month.
The first phase – which involved the building of 508 housing units – has been finished.
Another 492 units will be built during the second phase of the project.
The government recognises the role that municipalities can play in ensuring that services are delivered faster to communities.
The Polokwane local municipality has been prioritised for accreditation, a process that will expand the role of local municipalities in the management and development of human settlements that are sustainable and integrated.
The establishment of new settlements for the poor has previously meant building houses on land situated on the outskirts of urban areas.
This added to the costs of developing these settlements because it entailed bringing basic services to these new areas.
It also deprived or made it more expensive for the poor to get access to opportunities for work and other socio-economic rights.
The department therefore acquired strategically placed privately owned land parcels for the construction of more inclusive and integrated communities that are not only closer to areas of employment but also have better access to other amenities.
The department believes this not only encourages inner city regeneration but also results in more integrated development planning as well as better urban management and service delivery.
Parallel to the government’s failure to meet national land redistribution targets, the province also failed to acquire more than 200 hectares of land it had earmarked for the development of human settlements last year.
It also failed to gain various housing instruments for middle-income earners.
The department is determined that these targets will be achieved in the next financial year.
The department recognises the role that municipalities play in providing services such as sanitation, water and electricity to communities.
The delivery of these services can be achieved by municipalities that function well.
Twelve municipalities were identified for revitalisation as part of the municipal turnaround strategy. These are the Capricorn, Lephalale, Sekhukhune, Elias Motsoaledi, Greater Tubatse, Vhembe, Makhado, Musina, Mopani, Ba-Phalaborwa, Maruleng and Greater Tzaneen municipalities. IMPROVING SERVICE DELIVERY
The latest data from Statistics SA shows that the province has made great strides in providing basic services to the people of Limpopo.
More than 80% of the population have access to water and electricity. However, the province lags behind in providing adequate sanitation, which is accessible to only 21% of the population.
The successful installation of flushing toilets in Dan village in Mopani district has shown that this can be achieved in other villages.
The department is concerned by municipalities’ failure to spend their municipal infrastructure grant, delaying the delivery of municipal services. About 44% of the grant had been spent by municipalities at the end of March.
The construction of the De Hoop Dam in the Sekhukhune district municipality was completed. The dam will improve the livelihoods of rural communities that had inadequate access to water in the past, industries and surrounding towns. It will also contribute to the economic development of the district by supplying water to the mining industry.
Work on the bulk water supply pipeline from Nandoni, outside Thohoyandou, to Nsami Dam in Giyani resumed in September last year. This project will be completed in March next year. Reports on the province ’ s waste water treatment works are currently being assessed for securing funding.
CREATING JOBS
The department exceeded its target of creating 15 500 jobs through two programmes implemented in 17 municipalities, namely the integrated and sustainable human settlements programme as well as the community workers programme.
More than 22 000 jobs were created in the 2011/12 financial year – 6 916 more than was expected.
BOOST FOR TRADITIONAL LEADERS
According to Statistics SA’s Census 2011, Limpopo province houses nearly 60% of the traditional authorities in South Africa.
This highlights the importance of maintaining a cordial relationship with traditional leaders in the province and the significant role they play both in the community and in government.
It is therefore important for their salaries to reflect their value in our government.
The salaries of kings, headmen and senior traditional leaders were adjusted last year in accordance with the recommendations of the Seriti Commission.
However, more money was needed to cover the payment of salaries as from April 2011, the actual date which the salary adjustments were meant to have taken effect.
Traditional affairs still requires R93-million to establish traditional councils and purchase vehicles for senior traditional leaders and kings.
The drafting of a new bill to replace the Northern Provinces Circumcision Schools Act is in progress.
The province awarded 314 permits to traditional leaders to operate circumcision schools. More than 40 000 boys and girls enrolled at these schools in 2012.
Four boys died – tragedies that cemented the department’s commitment to reducing deaths at circumcision schools to zero next year.
STRENGTHENING RESPONSE TO NATURAL DISASTERS
Floods in January left many homeless and damaged bridges, schools, houses and roads.
Areas in the Vhembe and Mopani district municipalities were the most affected.
The province’s disaster management team and non-governmental organisations brought food, blankets and tents to help those affected.
More than 300 houses were built at a cost of R15-million under the province ’ s emergency housing programme. CLEAN AUDITS AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
The Govan Mbeki Excellence Awards that were introduced by the national department of human settlements have played a significant role in driving growth in the province and the rate of service delivery.
Though the Limpopo government is committed to good governance, transparency and accountability, poor financial management continues to plague municipalities.
Ten municipalities received disclaimers from the auditor-general in the 2010/2011 financial year.
But the Waterberg district municipality must be commended for being the only municipality that got clean audits for the two financial years.
The department has commissioned, over a three-year period, the services of financial accounting firms under the resident accountant project to provide technical financial management and handson support to municipalities.
A provincial audit outcomes and oversight forum was established to provide political leadership and guidance towards achieving clean audits in all municipalities.
The department has also committed to filling the many vacancies in municipalities in line with the Municipal Systems Act.
Strong measures are needed to prevent and deal with fraud and corruption in municipalities because they limit the opportunities for the government to improve the lives of its people.
Those who uncover acts of fraud and corruption in our municipalities are encouraged to report them to the police.
The presidential and premier hotlines, as well as the departmental housing call centre, are also available to receive reports about fraud and corruption.
Municipalities should ensure that they comply with all statutory reporting requirements, including the submission of reports to municipal public accounts committees.
All of our 30 municipalities have internal audit committees.
Municipal councils are expected to ensure that there is sufficient oversight.
Communities should also play an oversight role in ensuring a transparent and accountable local government.
This is a summarised version of the 2013/14 budget vote speech of the department of cooperative governance, human settlements and traditional affairs, delivered by MEC Motsepe at the Limpopo legislature.
For more information please contact spokesperson Dieketseng “Tseng ” Diale on 083 652 5276 or 015 294 5582 or fax 015 291 5068