Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, says to improve the quality of the lives of all South Africans requires a capable and developmental state.
She said this when she participated in the debate on The Presidency Budget Vote on Wednesday.
“The work to build a prosperous and equal society requires a capable and development state. The President…has clearly articulated that this Presidency is seeking to restore the capability of the state and engender a developmental approach to the work of the state and that this is our topmost priority,” she said.
Ntshavheni said the Presidency has anchored its work of restoring state capacity on five focus areas:
– A better coordinated and focused government;
– An integrated government;
– A competent government;
– An ethical government; and
– A developmental state.
District-based development model rolled out to all districts
Ntshavheni said to strengthen the implementation of the intergovernmental coordination framework, the 6th administration has introduced and is currently embedding the District–based Development Model to foster a unitary approach in the implementation of national priorities.
“The Sixth Administration adopted the District-based Development Model as an approach to break silos among state institutions and foster collective investment in district spaces through partnerships with all stakeholders including private sector in a particular district.
“The District-based Development Model, which was initially piloted in the Ethekwini Metro, Waterberg District Municipality and O.R. Tambo District Municipality, has since been rolled out to all districts in South Africa.
“The President designated all Ministers and Deputy Ministers as district champions who work closely with the leadership at provincial and local government levels.
“We are starting to register progress in developing One Plan with One Budget for each district informed by the national priorities of government and the material socio-economic conditions of the particular district,” she said.
Ntshavheni said government is implementing the District-based Development Model to mobilise all stakeholders in society towards investing in communities.
She said the District-based Development Model “one plans” will contain commitments by all citizens in a particular district towards better delivery of services and government’s realisation its development aspirations in aspects such as health, housing, water, sanitation, environment, local economic development, tourism, and so forth.
“Through this model, the Presidency and mobilise national and provincial governments, as well as business and civil society, to support municipalities to perform their mandates.
“The Presidency is working closely with the Department of Cooperative Governance and other transversal departments like the National Treasury, to ensure better implementation of the District-based Development Model.
“Improved District-based Development Model institutional arrangements will also help ensure that when the new leadership of municipalities comes into office after the 2021 local government elections, it can build better and capable municipalities that serve our people,” she said.
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