TERN CA EAS PE P R E O UR Legibrief VI AT Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature Newsletter NCIAL LEGISL Issue 6 March 2012 Legislature receives Clean Audit Award from AG Nombembe 2012/13 Policy Speech Education Committee assesses school readiness in province 2012 STATE OF THE PROVINCE ADDRESS a mix-masala of glamour & cultural activities marks the official opening of the Legislature A people’s assembly for good governance contents regulars Editor’s note .................................................................................................. 2 Message from the Speaker ................................................................. 2 Letter from the Secretary to the Legislature .......................... 2 Profile on Noxolo Abraham-Ntantiso ............................................. 3 feature Advancing the goal of gender equality ...................................... 4 Colour abound at State of the Province general news Address, pg 5 Infrastructure boost for economic growth ................................ 4 State of the Province Address unfolds ................................................ 6 SOPA provincial schools debate rich in content ....................... 6 Pupils excell SOPA cocktail party ....................................................................................... 7 at SOPA Legislature clinches clean audit award ............................................ 7 debates, 2012 school year kicks off with visit by education committee 8 pg 6 Policy Speech .................................................................................................... 8 Crowds flock to Port Alfred for Human Rights Day celebrations 9 Speaker sponsors soccer tournament in Dutywa ...................... 10 MPLs get to grips with emotional intelligence ............................ 10 upcoming events Public hearings on the Traditional Courts Bill ............................ 10 Parliament for People with Disabilities ........................................... 10 Back to school as MPLs assess school EDITORIAL TEAM readiness, pg 8 Political approval: Deputy Speaker Bulelwa Tunyiswa Chief Editor: Wilton Ngwanya Editor : Nombulelo Mosana Production : Tanishka du Plessis Writers : Bulelwa Jela, Tanishka du Plessis, Velisile Bukula Photography : Thulani Tempi and Legislature archive photographs Publisher : Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature Editorial Enquiries: Nombulelo Mosana Tel: 040-6080039 Fax: 040-6350016 Email: [email protected] 1 Message editor’s from the note Speaker ollowing the conclusion of 2011, the first three months of 2012 Fmarked achievements attributed Fikile Xasa to the Speaker as the political head of the institution. This became significant when the institution was Last year the Legislature closed in a jovial mood of sustainable service delivery. Government presented with a clean audit award at for the festive holidays. Our hard work, efforts institutions must be fully prepared to confront the Legislature in February 2012. With and dedication as both Members and staff paid challenges affecting communities and promptly accolades such as this from society off when the Auditor-General officially presented offer solutions to social ills for better livelihoods in and foremost the Auditor-General the institution with a Clean Audit Award. The our constituencies. Terence Nombembe, the Eastern Cape institution prides itself on such an achievement, Provincial Legislature can build on its an indication that it has indeed improved in areas Inspired by an African National Congress that is now goal to become a people’s assembly of management and performance. 100 years, we will continue to strive for the following in the coming years and position priorities: education, health, rural development, itself as a distinct Legislature that has It is equally pleasing to pronounce that the job creation and crime. It is important to note successfully achieved its goals. Legislature has demonstrated a stronger sense that the Legislature positioned itself as a people’s of responsibility in the use of public funds and assembly for good governance and as such aims The clean audit rating is based on efficiency for 2011/12 financial year. We have thus to discharge its responsibility to achieve precisely a professional audit undertaken made a clarion call to provincial departments and that. In response to our constitutional mandate, by experienced auditors who use entities to direct all their energies towards improved efforts to intensify public engagement, public methodology applicable in the process service delivery. education and capacity building of our Members of auditing of financial statements as can not be ignored. well as performance information. This This coming financial year we want to connect award ranking therefore defines the government with the people. The Legislature will As the current financial year rapidly draws to an level of commitment and dedication by staff, more especially those in place more emphasis on public participation, end, the Legislature would like to encourage financial management and Human and in doing so, will host the following all relevant stakeholders to play a meaningful Resource section, who handle sectoral parliaments: Parliament for People contribution in the development of our issues that are always subjected to with Disabilities, Children’s Parliament, People’s communities. The people of the Eastern Cape audit purposes. Reflections on the Assembly and Taking Legislature to the People. province rely on us for the betterment of their presentation of clean audit award are Public attendance at all House sittings and livelihoods. Our aim should be to respond to their published here. Committee meetings have also been identified as needs as this will strengthen public confidence in important. We intend elevating public hearings our democracy. The official opening of the Legislature is to a higher level and we are going to pilot a new another prestigious event in which our way of doing public hearings. As we continue to observe national days and our stakeholders look forward to attending. institutionalized days let us always remember At the same time organisers are always While the institution persists in making strides that we are a privileged country that respects the anxious to present a seamless and to promote improved performance, we also rights of its citizens and we must never take our successful event to its stakeholders. This reaffirm our oversight role for the provision freedom and human rights for granted. issue of Legibrief contains facts on the State of the Province Address, including the cocktail function held on the eve of the formal event. From the State of the Province Address was the culmination of policy speeches presented by Letter various departments as well as that of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature. from the Lastly we have our feature story which offers important pointers to successful realization of gender issues Secretary in our country and sends a message to those female leaders that are in high echelons of decision making. Pumelele Ndamase The message talks to those women as the world celebrates International Government is concerned about the difficulties In February 2012, the Auditor-General Terence Women’s Day on the 18th of March faced by the rate of unemployment that continues Nombembe presented a Clean Audit Award to and Human Rights Day respectively on the 21st of March. to beleaguer our country. To assist the national Speaker Fikile Xasa. This was a significant moment call for job creation initiatives,the Legislature had for the institution as it was the first institution to Lastly various activities of the receive this award from the Eastern Cape. This since the beginning of this year embarked on a institution and those which the job placement drive; several posts have thus far however poses a challenge to the institution; that Legislature participated on, feature been filled. of maintaining the status quo which can only be in this newsletter. These include achieved through teamwork. Working as a team school visits by MPLs, Speaker Xasa The Legislature focused on populating the has been an integral part of the value system that embarking on social responsibility organogram in a manner that would assist continues to make our environment succeed. activities, training programmes, and towards the realization of institutional goals. Human Rights Day activities in Port Whilst supporting national efforts to curb the As the new financial year approaches, management Alfred. scourge of unemployment, the Legislature has at of this institution will ensure, via the filling of vacant the same time made it a point that the institution posts in the organogram, that there is increased Enjoy receives a clean audit. performance in different divisions. Nombulelo Mosana 2 PROFILE: Noxolo Abraham-Ntantiso VISION STATEMENT OF Deputy Chairperson of Committees THE LEGISLATURE By Tanishka du Plessis A dynamic people’s assembly for good governance to deepen and advance or exuberant MPL Noxolo Abraham-Ntantiso, serving in the Legislature would not be about her, but sustainable and education is one of the single best investments that about the people in her constituency and the province. transformative Fone can make in one’s life. As a former educator development towards who gained ample experience as an English lecturer and MPL Abraham-Ntantiso was sworn into the Legislature effective service principal respectively, it is no surprise to learn that MPL in 2000 as a Member