KZN govt reviews administration's performance

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Pretoria - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Dr Zweli Mkhize and leaders of the provincial government on Tuesday started a process of reviewing the current administration's performance over the past four years.

According to a statement by the provincial government, the review includes devising plans for service delivery over the next few months to the end of the current government's term of office during the Cabinet Lekgotla held at the Public Service Academy in Durban.

“This is a very important gathering of all key players in the provincial and local government sectors, where we can take stock of what has been done over the past four years and what still needs to be done in order for this administration to fulfill its electoral mandate,” Mkhize said.

Mkhize said all the delegates at the lekgotla had a responsibility to guide each other as to where this government was going and how it would achieve its objectives.

“One important issue we will have to discuss is the National Development Plan,” he said.

In his State of the Nation Address last week, President Jacob Zuma said the National Development Plan (NDP) was a "roadmap to a South Africa where all will have water, electricity, sanitation, jobs, housing, public transport, adequate nutrition, education, social protection, quality healthcare, recreation and a clean environment."

Mkhize said the NDP was not a political document, but a living document that would guide government and all its stakeholders on the path to rebuild society.

“Part of what we have to do here is to look at how each one of us will participate in the effective implementation of the National Development Plan,” he said.

He explained that a critical element of the plan was how all the values enshrined in the country's constitution become part of society's daily culture.

“As we move forward, we are still trying to build a society that is non-racial, non-sexist, where everyone is treated with dignity. There is still a lot more to be done to fully achieve these values,” Mkhize said.

He said rural development, land reform and food were issues that were important in realising these values.

“In this regard, we need to be able to pull resources of all government departments because these issues are not sectoral and go to the core of our fight against poverty and inequality,” he said.

Mkhize said another issues for discussion will be health services, and how this government will ensure a secure, healthy and skilled community.

“The health of the nation is dependent on what we do from grassroots level up. Failure in one section of the community will have an effect on the health status of the whole country,” he said.

On the issue of fighting crime and corruption, Mkhize said a lot has been achieved, particularly in the campaign to rid communities of drugs and drug dealers.

He thanked the communities for partnering with government and the police in this campaign, which has seen a number of people arrested for possession of drugs.

Mkhize also said an assessment will be done on other critical areas of service delivery, including education, economic development and job creation. – SAnews.gov.za