Thebe Mabanga and Bongani Majola run through a check list of President Thabo Mbeki’s undertakings
President Thabo Mbeki will inaugurate the political year next Friday when he outlines the government’s agenda for the year ahead in his annual state of the nation address. How much of what he earmarks for action will happen? A comparison of last year’s speech with government performance in 2001 gives a mixed picture of achievement and failure, progress and delays. Among others, Mbeki made the following undertakings last year:
“The objectives we seek to achieve are moving the economy on to a high-growth path, increasing its competitiveness and efficiency, raising employment levels and reducing poverty and persistent inequalities”
Gross domestic product growth for 2001 was 2,3%, as compared with 3,1% the previous year, according to Standard Bank. Statistics South Africa’s Survey on Employment and Earnings shows employment in the formal non-agricultural private sector fell by 1,5 %, a rate the Reserve Bank describes as “more muted” than in the preceding five years. Stats SA’s Labour Force Survey estimates the unemployment rate at 37 %.
“The work that will help us move to a higher phase with regard to rural development has now been concluded … the nodal points for the implementation of these programmes has been identified”
After battering the Mail & Guardian from pillar to bureaucratic post, the Ministry of Provincial and Local Government was unable to provide any details of this programme, designed to install infrastructure at 12 rural sites to provide short-term jobs and spur economic activity.
“A gas Bill will be tabled in Parliament and gas from Mozambique … will provide a new energy source for industry and domestic consumers”
The Bill, regulating the supply and distribution of gas from new fields in the region, was passed late last year. This week a R1,7-billion contract was awarded to a consortium led by Aveng to construct an 865km pipe to draw gas from the Temane gas field in Mozambique to Sasol’s plant in Secunda.
“We will go ahead with the public listing of Telkom … The outstanding matter of the third cellular licence will be resolved in time … A degree of certainty will be reached with regard to the policy and regulatory regime”
Telkom was not listed because of unfavourable market conditions, according to the government. Regulatory uncertainty in telecommunications was at least as serious an obstacle, with Minister of Post, Telecommunications and Broadcasting Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri’s vacillation between one and two additional national operators. A single national operator will be licensed in May this year. The third cellular licence was awarded, after a lengthy court wrangle, to Cell C. Earlier this month the state raised $479-million by selling Transnet’s 20% stake in M-Cell in a buy-and-hold deal.
“In the transport sector … new investments will be made and restructuring effected in the rail, road and port infrastructure, including the new port at Ngqura or Coega”
Progress has been made by Spoornet and the port authorities, and in the rail sector there have been investments in rolling stock, fixed infrastructure and signalling, according to the Department of Public Enterprises. No details of the scale of the investment were provided. This week tenders were invited for the first phase of construction of the Coega port. Investment of R5-billion has been committed to the project. New infrastructural investment was also made at Richards Bay, Durban and the port of Saldanha.
“Immigration laws and procedures will be reviewed urgently to enable us to attract skills into our country”
The Immigration Bill, five years in the making, has still not been passed, apparently because of continued political problems between the African National Congress and the Minister of Home Affairs, Mangosuthu Buthelezi. The Bill was tabled in Parliament in August and is being processed by the home affairs committee, which plans to invite further input by interested parties.
“… introduction of a new leadership at correctional services …”
Linda Mti, the former head of the national intelligence coordinating committee, was installed as the new national commissioner of correctional services in September.
“… government to intensify its offensive against corruption among its own personnel …”
A corruption Bill, tightening the definition of corruption and rationalising existing law, was published for comment late last year but has not been processed by Parliament. A commission of inquiry into corruption, maladministration, violence and intimidation in prisons was established in August, headed by Judge TSB Jali, and is due to report next year. Public service corruption remains a serious and worsening problem, according to the Department of Public Service and Administration.
“… increasing the number of police personnel …”
The Department of Safety and Security says 1 200 entry-level police officers were recruited for 2001/2002. There are about 14 000 vacancies. Minister of Safety and Security Steve Tshwete recently announced plans to recruit a further 5 800 officers.
“…the government will lift the moratorium on crime statistics …”
After a controversial six-month ban the moratorium was lifted in June last year.
“… continue with measures … to reduce and eliminate the unduly large backlog of [criminal] cases …”
According to the safety and security department, the case backlog in district, regional and high court stood at 157 928 in October last year, compared with 171 321 in October 2000. The introduction of Saturday courts in February this year has cut the number of awaiting-trial prisoners by 12% in areas where the system applies.
“New initiatives by national parks to improve and increase the tourism infrastructure … and bring in private sector investment …”
The total number of entries (tourists) by December last year improved by 5,9% compared to December 2000. National parks where work is under way to improve the tourism infrastructure include parks in the Pondoland area, and the Kruger to Canyon park at Blyde River in Mpumalanga. The new Namaqua National Park was opened last year. National parks have outsourced a number of restaurants and shops, and allowed private operators to build and operate tourism facilities in parks. However, the announcement of the winning bidders for the second phase of this commercialisation programme, due in July last year, did not take place.
“… encourage the opening of transfrontier parks with our neighbours …”
Six projects are under way. The Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park was proclaimed, but plans are still in progress to open the Zimbabwe-South Africa-Mozambique border park. The government is working on opening the Richtersveld Ais-Ais park on the South Africa-Namibia border.
“… the government commits itself to the agreement between itself and the public sector unions …”
The reference was to an alleged agreement between the government and unions at the public service job summit early last year, where, it soon emerged, there was no meeting of minds. Subsequent negotiations on a framework for retrenchments and staff transfers have been long and hard, and have yet to yield a settlement.
“… special attention will be paid to a more vigorous extension of the system of sanitation …”
In July the government introduced its free basic water system, designed to give each family 6 000 litres of free water every month. The target was 14-million people; to date, seven million have access to running water. About R360-million was budgeted for sanitation delivery over 10 years. All subsidy houses about 175 000 looked set to be delivered last year come with proper sanitation. However, serious outbreaks of cholera and sanitation-related diseases were reported both last year and this year, particularly in rural KwaZulu-Natal.
“… we will establish two bodies to assist the government as it works to ensure that we do not fall further behind the rest of the world as a result of the digital divide. The first of these will be a presidential national commission on information society and development … The second will be a presidential international task force on information society and developement”
The first commission was not established last year. Names of its members have been submitted to the president and he is likely to announce them in the state of the nation address next week. The international task force held its first meeting in October.
“… the proper definition of the role of traditional authorities …”
The provincial and local government department tabled a Bill in April that was rejected out of hand by the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa). Several meetings between Minister of Provincial and Local Government Sydney Mufamadi and traditional leaders yielded no agreement, and a Cabinet committee was formed to drive the process. Contralesa president Phathekile Holomisa described the process as a total failure.
“… with regard to these areas [earmarked for urban renewal] we will act immediately with regard to Alexandra township and KwaMashu”
About 7 000 households have been relocated from Alexandra, amid resistance. Three blocks of flats have been built, but much work remains to be done and negotiations are continuing for more land. In KwaMashu work has begun, but progress has been slow because of red tape and a land shortage.
“… effective functioning of our new municipal councils … the South African Police Service will give all required assistance to establish municipal police services where these do not exist … the remuneration of councillors and other outstanding matters are receiving urgent attention …”
Councils have been established across the country in terms of the new demarcation, but many are under financial pressure and there is a lack of clarity on the allocation of powers and functions in municipalities. Cape Town and Johannesburg have established metropolitan police services, while work is under way to establish others in Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Port Elizabeth. No serious progress seems to have been made regarding rationalisation of councillors’ remuneration.