PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Tel: (021) 403-2556/2110
Fax: (021) 461-9460
National Council of Provinces
PO Box 15
Cape Town  8000
E-mail: mtyumre@parliament.gov.za
DRAFT CONCEPT DOCUMENT FOR FOLLOW-UP VISIT TO
KWAZULU-NATAL
15 – 19 August 2005
On the week of 1-5 November 2004 the National Council of Provinces (NCOP)
held its programme Taking Parliament to the People at Empangeni, KwaZuluNatal, as part of its drive to promote public participation in the affairs of
Parliament.
A number of issues were raised during public meetings. The NCOP has
dedicated the week of 15 August for a follow-up visit to look at progress, or lack
of, on the issues raised by the people and where government was expected to
act.
The visit will focus on those issues that the NCOP has identified as critical and
where action is expected to have been taken. The rest of the issues will still
remain part of a follow-up by select committees and these will be expected to be
reflected in the committee reports.
Areas to be covered:
Education

Lack of ablution facilities or running water at schools
The NCOP visited a number of schools and the issue of water and
sanitation was raised during site visits and at public meetings. It is
recommended that follow-up visits be made to the schools, especially
Macekane, Tholokuhle and Bhekulwazi which had serious water and
infrastructure problems. There is a need to establish what support from
the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry is being rendered to ensure
access to water and sanitation at schools in the province.

Lack of sufficient classrooms including school laboratories and libraries
Members must assess the classroom backlog in the province and look at
what government plans are in place to address this challenge.
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
Shortage of educators or teachers, especially in relation to Mathematics
and Science
Members must assess the reported shortage of educators (focusing on
Mathematics and Science) in the province and in the particular schools
that were visited by NCOP delegations.
Health

Increasing rate of teenage pregnancies
This was reported as one of the things that impacted on education as a
number of teenage learners fall pregnant and are disturbed from, or
discontinue, their studies. Members must assess whether there are
systems in place to ensure that learners are equipped with life skills
through education and whether sex education is offered in schools.

High rate of HIV/Aids infections
Members must assess the impact of the spread of the disease and
whether government interventions are being implemented, such as the
roll-out of antiretrovirals and support to families affected by the disease. It
is important to also look at the provision of education about the disease.
[NOTE: These issues to be dealt with together with issues pertaining to
education as they relate mainly to schools or schoolchildren.]
Social Development

Insufficient support for orphaned and/or child-headed homes due to the
scourge of HIV/Aids
Members must assess the nature of support government provides for
orphaned children and/or child-headed homes and whether this support is
provided to all affected homes and how does it assist the families. It might
be important to identify at least five child-headed households in the
Uthungulu District, and in other districts in the northern part of the
province, for purposes of visits by the delegation. The issue must be dealt
with when dealing with education as it affects mainly schoolchildren.
[NOTE: These issues to be dealt with together with issues pertaining to
education as they relate mainly to schools or schoolchildren.]
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Safety and Security

Lack of security and high crime rate in the vicinity of schools
Members must establish the nature of crime that is reportedly committed
around schools and whether government and communities are employing
the necessary measures to fight crime in and around schools.
[NOTE: These issues to be dealt with together with issues pertaining to
education as they relate mainly to schools or schoolchildren.]
Local government

Lack of capacity by some municipalities resulting in service delivery
backlogs
Members must meet with representatives of organised local government
to look at how the issue of lack of capacity is practically being addressed.
Organised local government should also give an assessment of the impact
of programme Project Consolidate in affected municipalities. KwaZuluNatal has a total of 29 priority municipalities under the programme (see
attached list of all municipalities under Project Consolidate). The
delegation will also need to visit at least two municipalities under the
programme.

Strengthening of community participation through ward committees in
local government affairs
Organised local government must brief the delegation on mechanisms to
promote community participation in municipalities (through ward
committees) as envisaged in the Local Government: Municipal Structures
Act and which municipalities do not have ward committees as well as
municipalities where ward committees do not function properly and
reasons for this.

Absence of or insufficient Local Economic Development (LED) strategies
to support and develop local entrepreneurship and/or small
businesspeople
What strategies are there to support local economic development and
local entrepreneurship projects/programmes supported by government? A
meeting with local entrepreneurs, or their representative bodies, should be
planned and the relevant municipality or Salga should assist in preparing
for the meeting.
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Presidency

Women in rural areas are continuously engaging in small businesses but
lack the information and support on business and marketing strategies
What strategies are in place to assist women in small businesses and to
ensure that their businesses are sustainable?

Absence of disability desks that are sensitive to people with disabilities
within municipalities.
Organised local government must brief the Members on measures taken
in all the municipalities in the province to ensure that buildings and offices
are friendly to people with disabilities and what challenges municipalities
face in this regard.
[NOTE: These issues to be dealt with together with issues pertaining to
local government as they affect this sphere of government.]
Agriculture

Lack of capacity building and skills training programmes leading to poor
management of women co-operatives
Members must establish the nature and form of capacity building and
skills training for local entrepreneurs and how (practically) has the training
or support assisted them, as well as any future needs.

Unsustainability of farming projects due to lack of funds
Members must establish the nature of financial assistance that is provided
to farmers and how this has assisted farmers to develop.

Lack of adequate infrastructure such as access roads hampering access
to and from cane fields
Members must establish what government needs to do to assist farmers
by improving access to farms and what government is currently doing in
this regard. The delegation should also visit the farms visited last year,
Phezukomkhono Women’s Co-operative, Thathunyawo Cane and Citrus
Farm and Jabulani Centre.
Water Affairs and Forestry

Insufficient water supply to farms and schools.
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Members must investigate challenges experienced by government with
regard to the supply of water to farms and schools in the province and
what government needs to do to address the issue.
Trade and Industry

Problems pertaining to access to finance that face women in business and
the new initiatives that are looked at in order to address these constraints
Members must establish what form of assistance is provided to enable
women in business to have access to finance and to also look at
recipients of such support, how they accessed it and how has it assisted
them, as well as challenges being experienced.
Public Works

The roll-out of Expanded Public Works Programme
Members must assess progress with regard the roll-out of Expanded
Public Works Programme in the province and what impact does the
programme have in reducing unemployment. The delegation must visit at
least two projects under the programme which have been successfully
implemented.
Public Service and Administration

Lack of details with regard to the commencement and training of
Community Development Workers
Members must assess the roll-out of the programme for Community
Development Workers and the training of such workers, as well as
mechanisms of engaging communities.
Draft programme outline for the follow-up visit.
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
14h00-16h00
08h30- 13h00
08h30 – 13h00
08h30 – 12h30
08h30-10h30
Meeting with
provincial
leaders
(MECs and
Chairpersons
of Standing
Committees)
to look at
education
Meeting with
Salga on
capacity
building and
state of
municipalities
under Project
Consolidate
(meeting to
Visits to schools
(Macekane,
Tholokuhle and
Bhekulwazi)
and farms
(Phezukomkhono
Women’s Cooperative,
Thathunyawo
Visits to two
municipalities
under Project
Consolidate
(proposed
Mbonambi and
Ntambanana)
Visit to
Amangwe
Village and
Sokhulu
Community
Garden
5
09h00 –
12h00
Public
Meeting
14h00
Departure
of all
SUNDAY
issues (to
include social
services,
health, safety
and security
issues linked
to schools or
affecting
schoolchildren
as identified in
the concept
document)
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
involve MEC
responsible for
local
government
and relevant
Councillors)
Cane and Citrus
Farm and
Jabulani Centre)
14h30 – 17h30
14h30-16h30
Visits to two
Expanded Public
Works Projects in
the infrastructure
sector (to be
identified in
consultation with
province)
Visit to child
and femaleheaded homes
14h00 – 17h00
Meeting with
Salga and
representatives
of small
business to
look at local
economic
development,
financial
assistance to
women in
business and
other
strategies to
assist women
(meeting to
involve
relevant MECs,
Chairpersons
of Standing
Committees
and
Councillors)
14h30 – 17h00
Meeting to look
at agricultural
issues
(government
assistance to
farmers and
building of
infrastructure
such as roads to
assist farming
communities)
delegates
N.B:
The NCOP must request national Ministers to assist with providing reports in line
with the areas identified in the concept document to enable the NCOP delegation
to effectively follow up on the issues when visiting KwaZulu-Natal.
The NCOP delegation will be divided into two.
Dated 27 July 2005
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