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MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCES

We started the first meeting of the Provincial Executive Committee for the year 2023 on a sombre note.

We had to pause and remember our comrades who departed this month.

We know the thousands words of sympathy are not enough to mend the broken hearts of families and the loved ones of the departed comrades.

We fondly remember the following comrades:-

Cde Nkosikhona Mdlalose – Mzala Nxumalo Region

Cde Mpendulo Khumalo – Mzala Nxumalo Region

(Both comrades were involved in an accident on their return from NASREC)

Cde Phumlile Mthiyane - Mayor of Ugu District Municipality

Dr Sibusiso Michael Ntombela – Municipal Manager of Ugu District Municipality

This past weekend we laid to rest our veteran of our struggle Cde Edgar Zondi AKA Chris Mutendere.  Our chairperson Cde Siboniso Duma represented the ANC.

This was in recognition and appreciation of the role played by veterans who ushered in a new chapter in the lives of millions of our people.

We have accordingly mandated the ANC government provincially to rollout the military veterans programme to various districts municipalities with all government departments and municipalities playing a critical role.

It cannot be correct that military veterans are left destitute under a democratic government which they established through years of sacrifice. 

Most of the veterans have no work, no medical assistance and no housing or education and training. This is a matter that must be addressed urgently.

ANC IS HOME FOR ALL

The instructions are clear – members of the PEC in KwaZulu-Natal are ready to act collectively – in partnership with alliance partners – SACP, COSATU and SANCO.

We emerge from the PEC meeting with an understanding of the importance of ANC structures across the branches as agents of transformation.

We do not want members of the ANC to be left behind. No member of the ANC or alliance partners must feel that their contribution towards building this province is insignificant.

Our message is that the ANC is a home for all.

It is for these reasons we have undertaken to visit branches to ensure that ANC members and alliance partners participate in programmes aimed at strengthening the movement.

All programmes of service delivery and transformation of the economy requires understanding and involvement of ANC structures and alliance partners.

We must take a stand that ensures that no one feels marginalized, isolated and prevented from taking part in the programmes of the congress movement.

To augment the work of the PEC we have taken a decision to co-opt the following comrades into the PEC:-

• Cde Mthandeni Dlungwana;
• Cde Fikile Masiko;
• Cde Nandkishor Singh.

These are seasoned cadres of the movement whose extensive experience both organizationally and in government will help bridge the gap between the PEC and structures of the movement.

Cde Nandikishor Singh is a young energetic cadre who is part of the ANC Youth League Regional Executive Committee in General Gezenga Region.

In addition, the PEC elected Cde Zinhle Cele to be part of the Provincial Working Committee. This follows the election of Cde Lindiwe Nkabane into the National Executive Committee of the ANC.

We congratulate these men and women of the congress movement and wish them well in their work.

PEC MEETING AT A GLANCE AND OUR INTERACTION WITH THE PRESIDENT

At this stage, we wish to turn our attention to our interaction with the ANC President Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa.

We wish to state that we had a frank, robust and no-holds-barred discussion with Comrade President.

This was indicative of our quest towards finding long-lasting solutions to the challenges of loadshedding, the collapse of water infrastructure and hight rate of unemployment.

As the PEC we have resolved to ensure that the people of this province see visible action that takes us beyond these challenges.

It will be an indictment on all of us as the PEC and the NEC if we fail to act against the  reversal of the gains we have made since attaining democracy in 1994.

We must hasten to point out that the participation of the president in the PEC was aimed at inculcating the culture of accountability by leaders elected by the structures.

We want to entrench this culture in the regions and branches.

ANC deployees must be held accountable by the structures and communities for their actions on inability to act.

It is important to ensure that those that are deployed by the ANC into different spheres of government are supported by all. Equally, this support must be reciprocated by hard work and the willingness to account to the structures of the movement.

The PEC believes that the support extended to the deployees of the ANC will be augmented through the integration of the work of all spheres of ANC-government – national, provincial and municipalities.

Our view is that a democratic government elected through the will of the people must deliver jointly on the positive outcomes since success depends on several departments cooperating.

The PEC has also agreed that monitoring and service delivery unit, which is located in Presidency and in the Office of the Premier, will continuously make reports available to ensure that targets are met.

This will start with the president, to the Premier, MECs and the Mayors.

Speed is also critical in this regard

Speed, in the sense that, out there - there is clear impatience as demonstrated by sporadic service delivery protests in our province.

Speed, because people say they have been waiting for water, electricity, houses, access roads and overall betterment. They argue that they waited for liberation to come with these basic needs.

They feel that loadshedding and the collapse of water infrastructure is taking them backward.

As a listening organization we must be seen to be acting.

All in all - we extend our revolutionary appreciation to the President. We thank him for spending the whole day with PEC members. He answered all questions posed to hm and undertook to unblock any blockages  that stands between the people of KwaZulu-Natal and prosperity.

RISING ELECTRICITY TARRIFS, CRIPPLNG LOADSHEDDING AND ENERGY SECURITY FOR KZN

Ladies and gentlemen of the media – let us turn our focus to the issue of rising electricity tarrifs, crippling loadshedding and energy security in KZN.

The PEC in KZN has unanimously rejected the implementation of the 18.65% tariff increase by the national energy regulator (NERSA) for the coming financial year and a further 12.74% for the next year.

The rejection is based on the following factors:-

• The negative economic conditions look set to impose hardships on millions of people in KZN;
• Rising electricity tariffs have heightened the public’s fears and anxiety;
• Confidence in the ANC-government elected by the people has been undermined;
• A growing number of forecasts have revealed rising food prices;

Fuel prices are set to increase next week as announced by the Central Energy Fund yesterday. According to the fund  - all fuel types – except diesel - will rise;

Unfortunately salaries have not increased. In addition, many people are languishing home in abject poverty as a result of trail of destruction left by COVID-19 and devastating floods.

The PEC has observed that in terms of the constitution, Eskom  has an obligation to supply electricity to ensure socio-economic wellbeing of all South Africans.

Our targets on job creation and industrial growth are dependent on the availability of electricity. Equally, the general delivery of better health for all of our people is based on our ability to be able to bring the access of electricity and water very close to their lives.

Eskom’s sustained supply of electricity is dependent on the management’s ability to ensure the energy availability factor (EAF) across all power stations.

Regrettable, achieving EAF is something that the outgoing Eskom CEO Andre De Ruyter and COO Jan Oberholzer have failed dismally to do. The inability has resulted in the rampant loadshedding that has crippled the economy.

Having received a comprehensive presentation from President Cyril Ramaphosa on government’s interventions to stop loadshedding, the PEC has resolved:-

To support ANC President’s call for the Eskom to halt the implementation of 18.65% tariff increase in April. If Eskom board fail to do so, we are calling upon ANC led communities together with members of society to take the matter to court;

To support the National Energy Crisis Committee, which is located in Presidency, in pushing for emergency legislation. This will speed up the approval for the construction of new power plants.

This support is promised based on adherence to clear deadlines, transparency and accountability.

In addition,  the PEC has discussed and agreed on the need to ensure energy security in KwaZulu-Natal. The meeting resolved as follows:

ANC-led national and provincial government, using the available legislations, must support municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal to access and acquire alternative sources of energy for both households and industries;

The ANC and ANC government will have consultation with stakeholders in the public and private sectors to ensure a collective approach and one energy plan to benefit the people of this province;

While conventional (thermal, hydro and nuclear) energy generation plant would take many years to install, an immediate solution to the energy crises would be to encourage the use of renewable energy sources.  

We are encouraged by the fact that towards the end of last year, national government through COGTA, announced that Harry Gwala District Municipality had been earmarked for the establishment of an electricity plant. The ANC-government cited an appetite from potential investors who pledged to in invest through the Eastern Seaboard Development project. The intention is to ensure that the district becomes the supply of electricity to local municipalities.

The PEC supports eThekwini Municipality’s long term plans to procure  2 600 Megawatts from mixed power sources such as coal, natural gas, photovoltaic solar power, off-shore wind-power plans, nuclear, biomass, waste-to-energy plants and hydropower. We are encouraging the sharing of skills by eThekwini municipality’s Energy Office with other municipalities – with the provincial government playing a co-ordination role.

WATER MANAGEMENT CRISIS AND INTERVENTIONS

On the water management crisis, the PEC acknowledges that access to water is a basic human right.

In addition, the PEC is alive to the fact that whenever the ANC government is condemned – it is on the basis of the non-availability of water.

Moving forward, the ANC in KZN wants ordinary members of society to be integrated into the entire value chain of the management and delivery of water.

In this regard, the PEC has resolved as follows:-

To support Cde Senzo Mchunu’s efforts, in his capacity as the Minister for Water and Sanitation to radically champion the delivery of water services in a manner that ensures ownership by the community through water associations;

To encourage the duplication of Makhathini Lower Phongolo Water User Association in other districts;

The Makhathini Lower Phongolo Water User Association, which consists of various stakeholders, including civil society and the business sector, will ensure that all water users in the uMkhanyakude and Zululand District catchment areas are part of decision making processes in the corridors of power – especially regarding water management.

It is through the ANC that the community of uMkhanyakude and Zululand districts will be actively involved in the management and operations of water infrastructure - including a 350km pipeline network in their districts.

We must hasten to point out that the formation of the Water User Association comes hot on the heels of great progress towards the awarding of a water abstraction license to the uMkhanyakude Municipality by the Department of Water and Sanitation.

These massive strides mirror the ANC's stance that social transformation and redress can never be complete without access to dignified water and sanitation. More importantly, we are also aware that rural development and job creation are fundamentally linked to bulk water availability.

Cde Senzo Mchunu will, during the upcoming ANC Lekgotla, make detailed presentation on the sustained availability of water to communities around the following dams:-

• Shongweni Dam;
• Hazelmere Dam;
• Pongolapoort Dam;
• Jozini Dam.

It is a well-known fact that for more than 41 years, Jozini dam has been used to ferry water through villages of uMkhanyakude District to far away destinations without the surrounding communities benefiting.

The ANC-Government is now ensuring that water from the dam is blended to the surrounding communities, for the benefit of all residents.

Lastly, the PEC has resolved to mandate the ANC-led  in the Department of Water and Sanitation, Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to ensure that Water Utilities are strengthened to rapidly increase bulk water supply.

They are expected to establish more water treatment plants and storage facilities across all municipalities in the province.

eThekwini Municipality

We all remember that eThekwini, as a coastal city, was the hardest hit by ravaging floods.

As the ANC we continue to receive reports from the leadership of the ANC in eThekwini Region on the work of comrades deployed to serve in as councillors and in various capacities.

We continue to monitor the political oversight work performed over administration to ensure efficiency and speed towards the repair of damaged socio-economic infrastructure. 

The relocation of families from mass-care centres by the national, provincial department and the municipality was augmented by the support from NGOs, religious and traditional leaders. Where there are areas of concerns by some families, we have called on ANC councillors to be the point of contact and alert leadership.

We pause to express our appreciation to all categories of staff who have worked flat out since floods last year. We also thank leaders of organized labour for their co-operation.

Having highlighted this progress - we understand the impatience of residents who are often subjected to power outages and water supply interruption in areas such as Umlazi, Folweni, KwaMakhutha, Phoenix, Inanda and many others. Everything is being done to turn around the situation.

The official recommissioning of Aqueduct 1 and the opening of Reservoir 3 at uMngeni's Durban Heights Water Treatment Plant is a welcomed relief.  The continued repair of waste-water treatments works will be speeded up by the budget re-engineering and refencing of 8% of budget infrastructure maintenance by the municipality.

As the ANC we commit to strengthen an integrated approach involving other spheres of government in order to accelerate effective and solid service delivery of water. The involvement of the Ministerial Committee on Water and Sanitation involving three spheres of government is a classic example.

We are also combining resources and skills required to ensure improvement in the restoration of electricity, running water and road infrastructure.

The people of eThekwini deserve access to a quality living environment that is  safe, healthy and secured.

We have seen the results of  the cleaning up of operations in the Central Business District and other residential areas. The clearing up of drains by a multi-disciplinary team must be supported by members of the public who must not litter nor use illegal dumping sites.  

As the ANC we fully support the enforcement of by-laws as part of ensuring that responsible residents and visitors are not inconvenienced in anyway. The visibility of Metro Police in the CBD will help ensure the safety of residents, visitors and businesses 

ANC KZN IN SUPPORT OF BBB-EE AND NEW PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal is firmly behind the broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE). This is an instrument designed to fast-track the entry of indigenous people into all sectors of the economy as owners and creators of wealth.

The ANC has noted comments on various social media platforms that the ANC government is abolishing BBB EE.

Unless, otherwise stated, the ANC understands that Public Procurement Bill, which the National Treasury submitted to the President and Parliament repeals the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework, or Preferential Procurement Regulations of 2017.

The Bill is aimed at unifying the currently fragmented laws dealing with public sector procurement by creating a single regulatory framework for local, provincial and national governments, as well as State-owned enterprises.

The 2017 regulations under the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act were in contravention of Section 217 of the Constitution.

The Constitution is very clear regarding the role of the state. It says:  “The State must implement a preferential procurement policy that advances people who have been disadvantaged by unfair discrimination.”

The new Preferential Procurement Regulations are therefore aimed at addressing these issues.  

Regarding BBB EE, for our part as the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal we have resolved the following:-

The national government will be lobbied to move with speed to ensure the passing of the new Public Procurement Bill;

Rollout of province-wide awareness roadshows to explain and promote the implementation of the new preferential procurement regulations;

Ensure that stricter measures are put in place to deal decisively with corrupt elements involved in the looting of state resources using new Preferential Procurement Regulations;

ANC will mobilize communities and all stakeholders to join hands and fight the practice of fronting using BBB EE. Fronting is not only unethical but is fraudulent  and a criminal offence. We have witnessed the practice of using domestic workers to sustain this practice. We want law enforcement agencies and the court of law to come hard on those who are defrauding government through this practice.

ANC KZN’S FOCUS ON THE ROLL-OUT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AS PART OF JOB CREATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Ladies and Gentlemen of the media – we are now turning our focus to the rollout of infrastructure, job creation and economic development.

The PEC spent the greater part of yesterday and Sunday discussing the rollout of infrastructure as part of job creation and economic development.

By and large, the PEC re-called that manufacturing is one of the sectors - hardest hit by recession, COVID-19 and floods year.

Ahead of COVID-19 lockdown, about 315,000 people were employed in manufacturing, representing just of 12% of total formal and informal employment. More than 30 000 jobs were lost during floods.

After deliberation by the PEC, key targets on job creation will be processed during the ANC Lekgotla.  These will be further outlined in the State of the Province Address.

In addition, the provincial treasury will further elaborate on the infrastructure budget. There will be special focus on supporting the implementation of the ANC resolutions on economic transformation.

Towards the end of last year, the overall infrastructure budget over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework amounted to R18.6 billion, R19 billion and R18.7 billion across all 14 government departments.

When the ANC government made this budget allocation, the focus was on reconfiguring the structure of the economy of the province post the Covid-19 period.  

In view of the fact that the PEC has resolved to intensify the roll out infrastructure development projects located in various parts of the province, clear budget allocation will be announced.

The ANC in KZN reiterates the need for a better coordination of infrastructure projects irrespective of the sphere of government that is the custodian of the plans in question.

It should be remembered that the national government, together with the private sector  identified 276 projects with a total investment value of more than R2.7 trillion. Furthermore, government gazetted 50 of these Strategic Integrated Projects with a value of R340 billion.

Such projects are in the areas of human settlement, water and sanitation, energy, transport, digital infrastructure, maritime industry and the development of our Durban Harbour.

Throughout  2023, the ANC in KZN commits to ensure the develop thriving local economies and to position townships as focal points of government interventions.

At the heart of the infrastructure rollout is to get municipalities to be at the forefront of industrial development, including the revitalisation of industrial parks. Co-operatives representing different sectors will be the main focus.   

The PEC agreed that the ANC will monitor its deployees in various spheres of government to ensure that the budget allocated is spent wisely as part of job creation.

Under-expenditure and the return of money to the National Treasury will not be tolerated. In this regard, we support ANC President’s commitment to ensure that a senior official in Presidency is assigned to monitor under-spending to ensure that funds are not returned to Treasury.

Speed and quality in the construction of public infrastructure will be monitored closely.

DELAYS IN THE PAYMENT OF SERVICE PROVIDERS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED

The ANC in KZN will not tolerate failure to pay service providers within 30 days. We are very clear – deliberate delays in the processing of invoices must result in the disciplinary processes of those involved irrespective of their positions.

This is not only the abdication of their responsibilities but a deliberate sabotage of the agenda of socio-economic transformation.

For too long, we have been stating that failure to pay suppliers has dire consequences for sustainability of small businesses. But we have not acted against those involved.

The ANC in KZN undertakes to be firm on this matter.

OBITUARY

In conclusion, as the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal we send our heartfelt condolences to the New Covenant Fellowship following the untimely departure of Dr Basil Tryon – the founder and Senior Pastor.

Tributes are pouring in from different parts of the world ahead of the Homegoing Service of our leader who played an important role in shaping communities.

He achieved that through his teachings and devotion. He encouraged self-discipline and constantly strived to improve the lives of our people.

He promoted social cohesion and love for this country. We equally draw inspiration from Dr Tryon’s strong views on social justice, voluntarism and caring for those less fortunate.

He mentored many religious leaders across the province. He was respected by the young and old – throughout Durban and the whole province.

We join thousands of people in sending our heartfelt condolences to his wife Pastor Anne, the Tryon family, NCF church and the body of Christ as a whole.

We draw inspiration from 2 timothy 4: 7-8

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Delivered on behalf of the African National Congress Provincial Executive Committee by Provincial Secretary Cde Bheki Mtolo