[South Africa] ANC poverty relief boast shot down by opposition

from The Dispatch

CABINET ministers hailed ANC achievements in Parliament yesterday, claiming victory in poverty relief efforts but opposition parties held opposing views.

"I don't know how any sane person can vote for the ANC," IFP deputy chief whip Sybil Seaton told the National Assembly on the second day of debate on President Thabo Mbeki's State of the Nation address last week.

Like speakers from other opposition parties, she cited poor municipal service delivery, public service incompetence, and corruption. "I want to advise voters to exercise much more caution this time round," she said about the upcoming local government elections.

Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi described as dishonest those who described local government on the whole as dysfunctional. Not all municipalities were badly run, he told the assembly.

The minister listed successes with the provision of water, electricity and sanitation services, among other things, and reiterated plans to focus more national and provincial government efforts on helping municipalities with resources and expertise.

Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota dismissed claims that the ruling party was threatening judicial independence. It went so far as to "lock up behind bars senior and very respected cadres and leaders of our organisation where the courts had found them guilty".

"Today, we sit in this House, without the deputy president of our organisation (Jacob Zuma), to a large measure, out of our deference to the ruling of the judiciary."

Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula hailed progress in achieving gender representation in government, while Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma proclaimed "nobody can deny that we are improving the lives of all South Africans".

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder said rendering quality services to citizens was more important than the ability to boast about racial transformation.

A lack of expertise and experience, not money, was the major cause of bad municipal service delivery. Sound management principles had been thrown overboard with the appointment of new personnel since 1994.

"We are now paying the price," Mulder said. "This should not be seen as a racial argument, but as a simple truth of management."

According to PAC leader Motsoko Pheko, the government was showing disrespect to citizens through ongoing corruption and the appointment of incapable officials with political connections.

"This nation deserves respect. If it is served by this kind of official, any hope of halving poverty by 2014 will turn out to be far-fetched, wishful thinking."

Every citizen should have decent housing, clean water, healthcare, education and other basic services, Pheko added.

Democratic Alliance Cape Town mayoral candidate Helen Zille blamed "rampant corruption" in ANC-run municipalities for poor service delivery.

A total of 203 municipalities were unable to provide sanitation for 60 percent of their residents, she said. A further 182 were unable to remove refuse from 60 percent of houses, and 155 could not provide water for 60 percent of households.

"The result on the ground is that five million South Africans still have no access to any basic sanitation - It is time for - real delivery," Zille said.