http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/national.aspx?ID=BD4A527459
PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki has told communities protesting at inadequate service delivery that it is “physically and practically impossible” for the government to provide housing overnight.
“We can only do so much, no more,” the president responded to questions yesterday about service delivery protests.
Mbeki, briefing media on government’s programme of action following a cabinet lekgotla, said councillors should not make “false promises”.
“Councillors must go to communities and say ‘this is the budget’. I t is very important to communicate with people; they are not fools,” said Mbeki.
Although the African National Congress (ANC) received 70% support in the latest national elections, its credibility has been battered for not delivering on promises to voters. Community protests have increased in recent years but the government has insisted that communities be patient in their demands for basic services such as housing, electricity and water.
In the past few weeks, there have been violent protests across the country, during which a councillor was killed.
Steven Friedman, an analyst at policy think-tank the Institute for Democracy in SA, said yesterday the government’s approach to the protests was likely to worsen the volatile atmosphere.
“The president’s approach that the councillors should be the voice of national government to the people is wrong. Councillors should be the voice of the people to government,” he said.
Friedman warned that there were major problems of trust between communities and councillors. The problem was not speedier implementation of services, but rather the lack of effective representation, he said.
“People are not unreasonable in their demands. However, they do expect to be taken seriously by the government,” said Friedman.
Over the past months, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and the director-general in the Presidency, Frank Chikane, have conducted a tour of the provinces to review and monitor progress of the government’s programme of action and to examine the red tape which is slowing delivery.
The lack of capacity in the provincial governments to implement programmes and projects due to a lack of skills is the biggest impediment to service delivery.
The cabinet lekgotla noted that there was a “gap analysis” which revealed insufficient integration and co-ordination to implement governmental policy and a lack of protocols to clarify who was responsible for delivery at the different tiers of government. Delivery is also hamstrung by the system of governance and there is renewed discussion in national government about the future of the provinces.
Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi is overseeing the change in policy . However, any changes will have to be negotiated with communities and within the ANC.
Provincial governments have spawned complex political patronage networks and any attempt to rearrange provinces will be met with stiff resistance in the ANC.