Report on the Nodal visits that took place on 24 April 2003 1

1. Nodereferencenumberandname:

Node11:Central

2. Dateofvisit

24April2003

3. Purposeofvisit

Todeterminethestatusquoandprogressmadeinthenode

4. Listofattendees

Nationa lChampions :MinisterMoosa(EnviromentalAffairsandTourism), DeputyMinisterZondi(PublicWorks) Provincial: ProvincialMinisterDowry(LocalGovernment) Chairperson :DeputyMinisterBotha(Provi ncialandLocalGovernment) Local: MayorGouws(LaingsburgMunicipality), MayorRossouw(PrinceAlbertMunicipality), SpeakerVisser(CKDM)and SpeakerPiti(BeaufortWestMunicipality)

Attendanceregisterattached

1DPLG -IDTprovincialteamswouldberesponsibleforpreparingindividualministerialvisits’reports.

Thecompositereport,asynthesisofthethirtee n(13)individualreports,willbecompiledbythenationalprogrammemanagers/team. 1 Action 5. Opening&Welcome

5.1IntroductionofPoliticalChampions,NationalandProvincial DepartmentsandMunicipalities:MayorRossouw MayorRossouwinhiswelcomenoteemphasizedthedevelopmentofthe CentralKaroo.HenotedthechallengeofdevelopingtheCe ntralKaroo as a district. He also welcomed the NDT, the Mayors, the Municipal Managers, Independent Development Trust (IDT), the national and provincial champions, Minister Valli Moosa, Deputy Minister Zondi, DeputyMinisterBothaandProvincialMinister Dowry.

5.2WelcomeAddress:SpeakerVisser Speaker Visser welcomed everyone in her address, especially the national and provincial ministers. She stressed the importance of the meeting and the rationale ofwhytheCentralKaroowasidentifiedasa node aswellasthereasonwhyeveryonehastobuyintothisidea.She alsopointedouttheimportanceofunderstandingeveryones’rolesand thatifCentralKaroofailseveryonefails.SheillustratedhowtheCentral Karooisapoorarea,thegeographical distancebetweenthetowns,with the furthest being 160 km, 150km and Matjiesfontein 200km plus from Beaufort West. She thanked all departments and pointed out that the purpose of the meeting is to determinehowthenodeisdoinga swellaswhatthenodeissupposedto do.

Sheurgedallthedepartmentstobeinvolvedbothatnationaland provincial,pointingoutthatthepinchisfeltlocally.Sheraisedthe questionastowhatwecandoasateamtomakethenodegoforward.

5.3Purposeofthemeeting:ProvincialMinisterDowry Provincial Minister Dowry explained the purpose of the meeting and its significance in addressing poverty. Minister Dowry indicated that the meetingisthefirstofitsnatureinthenode.Hestressedthatbytheend ofthemeetingguidanceanddirectionsshouldbegiven.Theintegrated approachisawaytoaddressdevelopment. 2 approachisawaytoaddressdevelopment.

ThisprogrammeinCentralKaroo,asoneofthe13nodesisbasedonco- operation between national, provincial andlocalgo vernment.Thefocus of the programme in the Central Karoo node is on sustainable rural development. The main goal and purpose of the Western Cape Government is to address poverty in the Central Karoo. Basic Infrastructureislackinginthenode.Theprog rammeispartofanoverall strategy of Government working in a new integrated way to produce results.Theideaofintegratedgovernanceisalsotoputinplacesystems of accountability and partnership, for the success of the programme is dependentonal lstakeholdersworkingtogether.

He pointed out that the five pillars of the ISRDP are integration, coordination, partnership, decentralization and demand -driven delivery anddiversity.Itisimportanttoformpartnershipswiththeprivatesector that can contribute to the conclusion of the anchor projects. He highlightedtheneedforjobcreationtocombatpoverty.CentralKaroois attheforefrontofdevelopmentandthisrequiresaconcertedeffort.

5.4NationalDevelopmentPrioritiesandtheISRDP :MinisterMoosa Since1994SouthAfricatooktremendousstridesinstabilizingthecountry andtoimprovethelivesofpeopleofthecountry.In1994SouthAfrica’s economywasmoreorlessbankrupt.SouthAfricahadahugeoverdraft and national debt was out of control. TheGovernmentborrowedmore moneyforthebusinessofgovernmentandwasmovingintoadebtcrisis. TodaytheSouthAfricaneconomyisregardedasonofthemostresilient economies in the world. The South African rand is one of the best performingcurrenciesintheworld.Themostimportantthinginspiteof lots of insecurity, South Africa remained stable. The Government has achievedagreatdealinattendingtoneedsofthepoor.34%OfSouth African households had electricity. Today 72% households have electricity.Therewasahugebacklogofpeoplewithouthomes. Todate1.3million.RDPhouseshavebeenbuilt.Itisnotveryniceand big, but homes has been provided free of charge. The Government is 3 big, but homes has been provided free of charge. The Government is making huge progress. South Africa is the most popular tourist destination.SouthAfricaisexportingMercedesBenztoJapanthathas beenmanufacturedinEastLondon.

SouthAfricaishoweverstillinthesituationwherepeoplearepoorand unemployedandmanychallengesa refaced,like,crime,familyviolence, and drug abuse. The Government raised questions about the rural peopleofSouthAfrica.CentralKaroowasidentifiedbyGovernmentasa placetocometoinordertoconcentrateashardaswecantoimprovethe lives ofpeople.Itcannothappeneverywhereatonce.TheGovernment had to start somewhere. It started of as a pilot project in the MunicipalitiesofBeaufortWestandPrinceAlbert.Adecisionwastaken that other areas should form part of the node. Thi s program is one of best ways to get all government departments to agree on a common programme.Therehasbeenreasonableprogress.Therewasaneedfor a critical mass of government intervention which will result in social upliftment.

TheDepartmento fEducationdoeswhatithastodoinitsarea,Safety andSecurityhastobringcrime,down,DepartmentofSocialServicesis toplayanimportantroletoaddressthesocialdimension.Tourismwilldo somethingaboutthetourismpotentialinthisundiscoveredparadise.The Ministerexpressedhisconcernonwhatthestrategyis.Acollectionof projectdoesn’tconstituteastrategy.Needtogobeyondthat.Whathas Minister tobedonetocreatejobsandopportunitiesforpeople,especiallyyoung Moosa people?Willt heenvironmentbechanged?Shouldalleffortsbeplaced ontourismorsomethingelselikeagriculturalactivities?Heurgedallto thinkaboutaneconomicstrategyfortheregion.Championsshouldget the message about what the departments are not doing or what they shouldbedoingandeachdepartmentmustexplainitspresence.They cangototherespectiveministerstoaddresstheseissues.

4 Thechampionswillgotothedepartmentstomakethemdowhattheyare supposedtodo.Thechampionsneeddir ectionfromtheimplementers. TheChampionscangetgovernmentdepartmentstodolotsofthings.

5.5ProvincialGrowthandDevelopmentStrategyandtheISRDP: Mr.ShaunByneveldt(MemberofProvincialParliament) Mr. Byneveldt apologized f or Provincial Minister Rasool who was attending a long planned conference. The vision of the Cape as a growingCapeandiscontainedinastrategyforgrowthanddevelopment. iKapaelihlumayo:Hope,DeliveryandDignityfortheNextDecade is driven by th e president’s call to reduce the number of peopleonsocial grants. Thestatebudgetshouldbeusedtoimprovethequalityoflife, especiallythoseofthepoor.TheProvinceisreactingonthePresident’s call. Key elements in cooperation between ANC an d NNP is building a deracialized society; developing a unity of purpose to confront the challengesofpoverty,unemployment,homelessness,crimeanddisease; workingtogethertochangethemindsetsofSouthAfricans;developthe countryandthecontinent.

TheStrategicObjectivesoftheWesternCapeProvincialGovernmentis believing in caring and representative government, ensuring basic services, coordinating HIV/AIDS and other diseases, deracialise and integrate all state financial institutions, develop the capacity of local government,stimulateeconomicgrowth,focusonagricultureandtourism towardruraldevelopment,promotepolicieswhichwillmaintainahealthy balance between protecting the environment and the developing economy, containing and er adicating crime through good intergovernmentalcooperation,nurturediversity,

KeypoliticalImperatives Broad front for reconstruction and development, Economic growth and equity, Comprehensive social security, Deliver Service. Mr. Byneveldt elaborated ontheProvincesshort,mediumandlongtermstrategies

5 5.6DevelopmentChallenges,OpportunitiesandInterventionsinthe CentralKaroo:SpeakerPiti TheKarooisrichwiththepotentialforgrowthandprosperity,butis challengedbydifferentf acesofpovertyandeconomicstagnation,for example; 1)ClosureofGovernmentDepartmentsinBeaufortWest 2)Visiblebeggarsandstreetchildren 3)Thedependencyoftrafficonthe 4)Distancesandfewresourcesthatisoffered 5)Limitedwaterresou rces 6)Youthcrime 7)Substancerelatedproblems 8)HIV/AIDS 9)Largedependencyongrants

Thesewerehighlightedaseconomicobstaclesoftheregion.However SpeakerPitialsocameupwithstrategiesofhowthiseconomicdecline canbereversed.The sesheidentifiedas:

1)government’sabilitytodecentralizeandbringingbackofficesto theregion, 2)improvedusageoftheN1toattractmoretourists, 3)findingwaysofutilizinglocalresourcesandrecyclingofscarce resources, 4)development oflargeinstitutions, 5)marketingBeaufortWestasagatewaytotheWesternCape, 6)integrationbetweenrelevantdepartments, 7)improvementofcorrectivefacilities, 8)improvededucationandskillsdevelopment.

Bypromotingalternativeactivities ,hebelieved,thiswouldincrease opportunitiesfortheregion.

6 5.7OverviewoftheCentralKarooIDPandUpdateonProgressin theNode:CouncilorJonas Shortfallof+/ -R17millionishighlightedaswellasthelinkagesbetween theIDPandISRDP isstressed.ShementionsthatSANRA,DPLG: CMIP,SocialService,HealthandtheNGOScorehascontributed towardstheanchorprojectsinthenode.

5.8NationalGovernmentCommitments:Mr.E.Africa,Deputy DirectorGeneralofProvincialandLocalGov ernment MrElroyAfricapointedoutthatanationalworkplanhasbeenprepared thatwillbesharedwiththenodesbytheweekof27 th April03 –1 stMay 03.HenotedthatthePresidenthasendorsed4keydevelopment prioritiesattheJanuary2003CabinetL ekgotla.Healsotoldthenodal meetingthat: • CommunityDevelopmentWorkers willbeappointedineach DPLG node –theDPLGisfinalizingaworkplanonhowtoputthese peopleinplace. • Implementing NationalSkillDevelopmentProgramme ,driven byNationalDepar tmentofLabour. • Gettingdepartmentstoworkcloselyon anchorprojects and10 clusterareashasbeenidentifiedwithdepartmentsidentifiedto coordinatetheseclusters:Theseare: 1. Transportandroads:Dept.ofTransport 2. Landreformandmunicipalinfr astructure:DLA 3. CapacityBuilding:DPLG 4. Foodsecurity:Agriculture 5. Basicservice:DPLG 6. JobcreationandLED:PublicWorksandTradeand Industry 7. BasichealthcareandHIV/AIDS:Health 8. Educationandculture:EducationandCulture 9. Safetyensecurity:Socia lDevelopmentandSAPS 10. Environmentalissues:DEAT

7 • He also pointed out that DPLG wants to provide structured supportandwillthusbevisitingthenodes.Workhastobedone with provinces and local municipalities to align IDP’s and Provincial G rowth and Development Strategies . R5million from the allocated Equitable Share has been increased for the nodes.HealsonotedthatDEAThasagreedtosupporttheFlood Hiking Route (Laingsburg) and the Recycling projects (Beaufort West).DEATcommittedR 1,5milliontowardstheseprojects.

5.9ProvinicialGovernmentCommitments:Ms.Marinavander Merwe(DirectorLocalGovernment:Development) DEAT Ms.VanderMerwepointedoutthatthebiggestproblemsoftheprovince are to align IDP’s with budgetsa ndplanningcycles.Theprovincehas taken Central Karoo as a pilot to see how to unlock the IDP with Provincial Departments. A shift to socio -economic development projects in the node is essential for creating jobs and adding to the human capacity and making them players within their communities. Provincewilldraftaneconomicprofilethatwillidentifythenichemarket. The Dept of Education is already active in training of adults and using schoolfacilitiesforthis.TheIDPthen,shouldbeusedas atooltobring coreprovincialdepartmentsonboard.PDLGwillhavea breakdownof funds from departments to the node that will include the anchor and priorityprojects.Thechallengeatinstitutionallevelistoensuresufficient capacity coordination to bring department’s on board of the process. Morecapacityshouldbecreated.

5.10DISCUSSIONS: QuestionraisedbyDep.Min.Botha: a)WhataretheinstitutionalarrangementsinusingtheIDPasatoolfor alignmentwiththeProvincialGrowthandDe velopmentStrategy.Is thereateamthatisdealingwiththecoordinationandIDPalignment?

TheresponsewasthatthereisaProvincialIDPAssessmentCommittee inplace.Atprovinciallevelallmunicipalmanagersfromthenodehave

8 beenbroughtinto participateintheassessmentoftheirIDP’s.Thereisa needtotakeithigherintheprovince.

AnotherquestionwasaroundtheLandreformactionwithlongtermand sustainable objectives, and how budget is hampering the process becausemoremoneyis neededtoletthisprojectproceed.

MinisterMoosaaskedthegrouptoprovidehimwithareportforhimto takethismatterup.

Eachdepartmentwasaskedtocomment/commit

SocialServices

SocialServicesareoftheopinionthatactivitiesshouldbe coordinatedat locallevelandthatalldepartmentsbecalledintoplanandworktogether. The NDT can support this as district level. A coordination structure shouldbeestablishedwhereallprogrammescanbediscussed.Social Services are funding a number of projects in the area, multi -purpose centers, Food security and flagship number of projects funded at provincial level. The HOD for Social Services pointed out the lack of supportfromdepartmentsandtooktheresponsibilityuponhertoinform thesocialcluster.Theissueofcoordinationatprovinciallevelcouldbe resolved through cabinet and the departmental clusters. She therefore proposed that the ISRDP should be an item on the agenda of the ProvincialCabinetandtheLocalCouncil.

SAP S

SAPS have a concern around the IDP process and assessment that is only done at provincial level and departments are not involved at local level.TheDepartmenthasTwohundredthousandRand(R200000)that isavailabletotrainfarmworkersinfarmwatc hesandtakingtheyouthon youthcamps.

9 TheDepartmentofHealth

The Department of Health expressed that their department is never represented on forums like these. The local representatives are compilingareportwhichtheywishtohandintotheMinis ter.

TheNationalDevelopmentAgency

The NDA Regional Manager emphasized that there shouldbemoreon socialandeconomicdevelopment.Attemptstoworktowardsaclustered approach should also include the community. The NDA is concerned aboutanove rallstrategyandiswillingtopartofthisstrategy.

DepartmentofWaterAffairsandForestry :

TheDepartmentofWaterAffairsandForestrysupportsthemunicipalities inthenodewiththeirwaterservicesplan.

COMMENTSBYTHECHAMPIONSANDSPEAK ERS

SpeakerPiti

The biggest problem in the Central Karoo is the availability of water. Wool manufacturing needs water, agriculture needs water, and establishingfactoriesneedwater.

SpeakerVisser

Speaker Visser indicated that water research has b een done on transferring water from the Gariep dam in the Northern Cape to the CentralKaroo.

10 DeputyMinisterZondi

DeputyMinisterZondiraisedthefollowingquestions 1. whatwillbedoneaboutthelackofcoordination 2. andwhatisgoinghappenafte rthismeeting 3. Whichdepartmentsdidnotcomeonboardtofund the17millionshortfall?

MinisterMoosa

The land reform programme should be given higher priority in to the node.Thereportsfromthedistrictareencouraging,practicalandshowa great dealofprogress.ThesituationintheCentralKarooismuchbetter than what was expected. Closure of government Departments will be takenupbytheMinisters.Hecouldnotpickuptherelationbetweenthe provincialstrategyandthatofthenode.

Ontourism,theN1shouldattractmoretravelers.WesternCapemostis the most successful region for tourism in the South Africa. Why this successisnotalsofunneledtotheCentralKaroo.Researchinthisarea isnecessaryandshouldincluded: Brandin goftheCentralKaroo .The provinceshouldbeinpositiontoprovideimmediateleveragetothenode. Nothinghasbeensaidonagriculture.Whatisthepotential?

DeputyMinBotha

The Deputy Minister responded to the SAPS first. She stressed that Depart ments cannotbringintheirownprojectsinnodesiftheyarenot alignedtotheIDP.Whateverisdoneinthenodeshouldbelinkedtothe IDPandshouldbelinkedtowhatisgoingonthenode.

11 WaterAffairsandForestry

WaterAffairsstatedthat Section13oftheWaterservicesActwasbeing operationalized in order to align provincial plans to nodal IDP’s. They support the Region with their Water services Plan. The Dep. Minister requestedthatthedepartmentworkwiththenodeonwhattheywill doin thenodeandthatthisworkshouldbelinkedtotheIDPofthedistrictand requestedafullreportonthismatter.

CoordinationandIntegration

Deputy Minister Botha reminded everyone that the purpose of the meetingthatitisaboutlearning toworktogether,aboutcoordinationand integration. She urged participants to be creative and think about how resources can be used. She also stressed that coordination is the problem: who are doing what in relation to the node. It is important to know who is the other Stakeholders who is doing work in the node. Municipalities should knowwhattheyhavebudgeted,andshouldwork on their IDP’s and Province should align these IDPs totheirstrategies. Province should also be responsible for pulling Prov incial Departments together.Nationalshoulddothesame.

Stakeholders

TheDeputyMinisterstressedthatalldepartmentsandstakeholdersare requestedtosubmitreportstoDPLGtodeterminewhoisdoingwhatin thenode.Afollow -upmeetingwillbehel dtodetermineastrategyforthe node.WhattheISRDPwantstoachieveistopushbackthefrontiersof poverty. Structures should be put in place at all levels. A political structureshouldbeputinplacewiththeCentralKarooMayorheadingthe pol iticalstructureandthetechnicalstructurechairedbytheCentralKaroo MunicipalManager.CoordinationwillbedonebyDPLG.

12 6.SummaryandWayForward DeputyMinisterBothainsummarisingthedeliberationsstatedthat: 1. Co -ordinationhasbeenident ifiedisamajorchallenge. 2. Thereforweneededtoidentifyactivitiesofvariousentitiesinthe node. 3. Inordertoidentifytheseactivitiesanefficientreportingsystemon National,ProvincialandNodalgovernmentplansmustbeputin place. 4. ReportingS ystemmustindicateprogressonplansandSocio – economicimpact. 5. MobilisationofStakeholdersisakeychallenge.Whatrolefor farmersUnions. 6. Assessmentoftheextenttowhichlocaleconomicdevelopment prioritiesarecateredinthemunicipalbudgetsi simportantand carefullyrequired. 7. Clearoutlineofnodaldevelopmentstrategy. 8. Clearlyspeltoutdepartmentalinterventionsandprogresson these. 9. Astructurethatincludesgovernmentalofficialsandpolitical championsheadedbythemayorandthemunicipalmanager respectivelyisnecessary. 10. SuchstructuresmustmakerecommendationstotheNational Departments.

It was agreed that a follow -up meeting be held on Monday, the 26 th of May 2003. MinisterMoosa,DeputyMinisterZondiandDeputyMinister Botha andMinisterDowryareavailableforthismeeting.

7.VoteofThanks:MayorGouws The Mayor of Laingsburg, Councilor Gouws thanked everyone for attending the meeting and a special word of thanks to the national politicians.

OtherIssues: • Therebeingnofurtherissues,themeetingadjournedat14h00.

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