ADDRESS BY HON O.B KUNENE, MPL
31 JULY 2019
Honourable Chairperson,
Honourable Speaker,
Honourable Leader of the Official Opposition, Honourable Members
The IFP notes the Budget allocation of R598.8 million allocated to the KZN Legislature. The manner in which this Legislature functions has a wide-reaching impact on the functioning of every Department, which in turn impacts on the lives of citizens of this Province. All Departments and Honourable Members of this House depend on the efficient functioning of the Legislature for them to be able to perform their role functions effectively.
1. FUNDING
The IFP proposes that the funding to perform core mandates of the Legislature should be increased. By providing adequate funding to focus on the oversight role and encouraging public participation, Members of this Legislature will be able to fulfil their oversight responsibilities with the aim of ensuring that the government is able to account and deliver services effectively to all the citizens of the Province.
2. OLD LEGISLATURE BUILDING IN ULUNDI
The people of KwaZulu-Natal were misled when the idea of moving the Legislature from Ulundi to Pietermaritzburg was mooted. We say so because in Ulundi there is a state-of-the-art building that was left unutilised in favour of this Legislature building that is currently being utilised which fell far short of meeting the needs of the Legislature. One day we are going to ask Hon Speaker how many buildings are being rented by both the Legislature and the Executive here in Pietermaritzburg and what has been the rental costs that has been paid ever since the Legislature was moved from Ulundi.
There are pressing service delivery needs which the government has to attend to in order to change the lives of our people for the better. We do not think it is prudent therefore to rob our people of the services they so desperately need in favour of building a legislature precinct.
3. TRAINING
The IFP proposes that the Provincial Legislature should consider revising the current induction programmes for Members of the Legislature. We feel the current programme is not adequate in helping members to execute their duties effectively, therefore more training and capacity workshops should be introduced.
4. ACCESSING INFORMATION FROM THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE LEGISLATURE
The IFP feels that the provincial legislature administration needs to tighten its operations since we have experienced a difficult in accessing Hansard from the administration of the Legislature whenever we need it.
5. TAKING LEGISLATURE TO THE PEOPLE
We are concerned that when this programme takes place it is the Executive that dominates the whole programme except only when Members of this House participate in debates which roughly amounts to 10% of the whole session of Taking the Legislature to the People.
We therefore call for a review in the manner in which this programme is implemented. It also does not assist the whole programme of getting community inputs when views of one political party are given priority. It will help this programme if Leaders of political parties represented in this Legislature are also given an opportunity to make presentations when this programme takes place.
6. EXCLUSION OF LEADERS OF POLITICAL PARTIES FROM MEETING HIS MAJESTY THE KING
It was unfortunate that only the MECs including the Premier and the Speaker went to introduce themselves to His Majesty the King at the beginning of the 6th Administration. We wonder why Leaders of political parties which serve in this Legislature were not invited to be introduced to His Majesty the King?
We want to reiterate that the delegation that met with His Excellency the King was a delegation from one party which is not a true reflection of this Legislature where many more parties are represented.
7. MOTIONS THAT ARE MOVED IN THE HOUSE
We call for a review of the cycle system that is being used to debate motions that have been moved in the House. We say so because the current system stifles debates on issues affecting the Province because other parties get an opportunity to debate their motions long after the majority party has had an opportunity to debate motions that the majority party has proposed.
I THANK YOU
