Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet says her government will display zero tolerance when it comes to bad performance by public servants.
Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet says her government will display zero tolerance when it comes to bad performance by public servants.
Kiviet was speaking during her State of the Province Address in Bhisho on Friday, in front of thousands of people. Among the invited guests were ex-Eastern Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile, now the national Sports, Arts and Culture minister, as well as Foreign Affairs minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.
“In this term we will return back to basics and pay particular attention to those issues that define the experience that ordinary people have when they access government services,” said Kiviet. Among other things her government will ensure is that members of the public receive timely responses and dignified service. “We will display zero tolerance to non-performance and we will comply with the guidelines of paying our service providers within 30 days.” The premier said she was appalled while reading responses from one of the provincial departments recently and found that most of the responses merely read “noted”. She said this was “passing the buck”, and would not be tolerated. “Kiviet said: “The public service is the engine of government and its posture is fundamental for the overall performance of the state.”
Building a developmental state and improving public service is one of Kiviet’s eight priorities for the province. She also promised that all funds will be spent.
Speaking mainly in English but often ad-libbing in isiXhosa, the premier explained that her five-year term will be based around a Provincial Strategic Framework (PSF) which articulates eight priorities. Speeding up growth and transforming the economy to create decent work and sustainable livelihoods is the first priority, she said. “In this area we seek to grow the economy and to ensure equitable distribution of the benefits and quality job opportunities for our people.”
Kiviet acknowledged that the Eastern Cape has been hit by the global economic recession and said her government will seek to develop measures to immediately preserve existing jobs and create new ones. Employment in the public sector will also be increased through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). Through the EPWP, the province is looking to create 480 000 job opportunities over the next five years, with 60 000 planned for the current financial year.
The EPWP will also be linked to the National Youth Service with an aim of employing 1 000 young people to work in the maintenance of clinics, hospitals and schools.
Kiviet said that a massive programme to build social and economic infrastructure, with the focus on fast tracking the construction of access roads in rural areas, will be underway soon. Education, sport and health infrastructure as well as affordable housing will be given priority.
Kiviet said rural development, land agrarian reform and foood security is another focus. The objective is to improve the quality of life of rural people in a province who encompass a “legacy of endemic rural poverty”.
Education and health are the province’s fourth and fifth priorities respectively. The premier said that the strengthening of education, skills and human resource base is vital, considering that scarcity of skills has been an impediment in the province until now.
The management of the controversial School Nutrition Programme will also be improved. The premier also undertook to take measures to improve the matric pass rate, placing focus on under-performing schools.
On the health front, Kiviet said that the government will focus on the functionality of the health system at clinics and hospitals. Issues of “availability of drugs at all times” will be ensured and the refurbishment of clinics and other institutions will be accelerated. HIV/Aids and TB which are “unacceptably high in the province” would also receive much needed attention. The fight against crime would also be intensified. The last of the priorities is building cohesive, caring and sustainable communities.
She said that members of her executive council would provide more specific details of the programme in their respective policy speeches which take place from 18 to 19 June.
