Madam Speaker,

We have in recent votes tried to be as fair as possible in evaluating the department's performance, and although we have been highly critical in respect of certain issues, by and large we have tended to consider the department one of the better run departments, especially compared to some of the disasters masquerading as purportedly functional units of government.

There is no reason not to continue this approach in approving the vote of this department as we do. We are after all, a loyal opposition and a constructive opposition.

However, in the light of the fact that we are approaching the end of the Mbeki era, it is necessary to qualify one's approval of the vote with an observation that holds true for government as a whole, including this department.

The time for non-delivery, colleagues, has long been over but there are too many senior administrative and political office bearers who don't understand this.

The people of South Africa, including those that vote for the ruling party, are sick and tired of much of what this government is doing or is failing to do, and it is about time they recognised that promises are no substitute for delivery.

Our purpose as the IFP is to serve the people of South Africa in the spirit of ubuntu/botho. The ANC's purpose, it would appear, is to rule as it sees fit, regardless of the consequences.

If we are frank about our country, we must recognize that we are facing a crisis, or more accurately a series of crises.

Take a look at health. At education. At law and order. At foreign affairs. At home affairs. At communications. And so on. Look at just about every department of state and what do you see?

You see disasters, one after another, with little hope of things improving in the immediate future.

Year after year, the country has to suffer poor political leadership, poor administrative leadership, poor policy and poor execution, often, of even the basics.

That utter incompetents can be rewarded with the highest office beggars belief, but does it make any difference? What has been done to remove from office, those responsible for the disastrous load shedding situation creating chaos in our Country?

What has been done to deal with those who have run health into the ground? And so on.

Does the President see any link between the holding of office and performance, or is high office granted merely to reward loyalty and for not rocking the boat?

Whatever the reasons, the country has to live with this creaky circus knowing full well that in its lofty arrogance, the ANC listens only to what it wants to hear.

Unfortunately, this department is not immune to this sad syndrome. I say unfortunately because while one wants to give credit where credit is due, one needs also to speak frankly.

It is important to state for the record therefore, that the IFP has a lot of respect for the individuals working in the department, who are doing their best to improve the system of local government and its ability to perform in line with expectations.

But when I say that the ANC only listens to what it wants to listen to, this is applicable to the ANC in government across all three spheres of government.

For the national department, the Matatiele saga was a brutal wake up call for romantics in and out of the ANC who naively believed that the reason government consults the people is that this process should inform if not underpin, the decision-making process.

As Matatiele amply demonstrates, the government does not in fact give a damn about what the people think. Its so-called consultation process is a sham which it uses to justify what has already been decided.

Look at the nonsense now happening in KZN where the provincial ANC is playing dangerous and stupid games on a very sensitive matter. It is trying to use legal technicalities to force a situation in which Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi will be compelled by law to either cease being an MP or the chair of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders, and it underpins its illegitimate arguments with the statement that this is simply giving effect to the wishes of those it consulted - the very people and institutions objecting to its actions.

And look at Durban, in which the ANC is steamrolling a name-changing process which reflects such arrogance and disdain for those ostensibly being consulted that it beggars belief that the ANC can even claim to be listening to what is being said to it.

Does the arrogance of the ruling party have no limits? Does it relish the hatred being fostered by its petty but tyrannical petulance? And does it actually care about the consequences of what it intends doing?

I now wish to deal with the future of South Africa's provinces.

It is common cause that during the negotiations in the early nineties for a New South Africa, it was the IFP and its President who fought for and won the struggle to have provincial legislatures.

We did so because we believe that political power should vest as close as possible to the people on the ground, as is being successfully done in many countries of the world, such as the USA, Australia, Canada, Nigeria, India and others.

The ANC, on the other hand, favours a system where political power vests as high as possible in government. It is becoming clearer by the day that the ANC wants to do away with provincial legislatures. Legislative powers will progressively diminish so that the central government effectively dominates from the centre.

Our IFP President has said in this House that the failures of many African countries occurred because political power was concentrated at the centre. Because of the heavy burdens governments carry, the centres of those countries eventually collapsed under the weight of its burdens. Chaos followed.

The IFP gives notice that we will strongly oppose the drive to weaken the provincial legislatures.

In conclusion, it needs to be said that in respect of virtually every area of government except the fiscus, it is time now for wholesale change.

This government has stopped listening to the people and we're all in trouble as a result.

The people have told the ANC what to do about Zimbabwe. They have pronounced on HIV-Aids. They know how to deal with crime.

But government hears without listening. Government looks tired. It has lost its way. Mired in a quicksand of lethargy, incompetence and corruption, it is time to go.  

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Sybil Seaton MP: 083 412 0075