By Seshoane Masitha

THE National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will devote much effort over the next five years to monitoring the extent and pace in which government policies are implemented.

NCOP chairperson Joyce Kgoali said the council's vision in this term also encompass ensuring that set deadlines were met as directed by President Thabo Mbeki in the State of the Nation Address.

President Mbeki last month highlighted that government's programme for this third democratic term would emphasise accelerating service delivery to build a better country and improve the lives of all South Africans.

"We have set a time frame of three years to reach the 70 percent [delivery] target. In 2004 we must devote at least 30 percent of time doing oversight work, at least 50 percent in 2005 and (we) must reach the 70 percent target by 2006," said Kgoali during a media briefing today on the NCOP's five-year plan called Vision 2009.

The five-year plan also commits the council to investigate the nature and levels of support needed for small-scale agriculture against the support provided by government and provides a report within a year. Kgoali also announced that the NCOP would review the backlog in the provision of classrooms and access to clean water and sanitation to schools in all the provinces and table a report before the end of this year.

The NCOP would also consider a report on the launch of the Extended Public Works Programme in all provinces by October and assess the impact of the programmes and resources deployed by the end of next year. It would monitor progress made in achieving the target of putting 53 000 HIV/Aids patients on treatment by March next year.

She said the NCOP would also conduct a review on housing delivery and monitor spending of allocated resources focusing on sustainability of housing projects, the quality of houses and the rate of delivery across the country.

"This year, in association with Salga (South African Local Government Association), we will determine the extent of the delivery of free basic services and problems being experienced in the interest of injecting more impetus in this area. "Before the end of the year we will consider the revised regulatory for further growth and the creation of a unified enterprise development agency as well as initiatives that are in place for knowledge sharing and participation of recipients," she said.

Kgoali also said parliamentary committees would be required to scrutinise government's programme and develop detailed plans and programmes for oversight work and mechanisms for feedback. "We also alert to the possible challenges pertaining to capacity because of our limited numbers and will engage voluntary researchers for province-specific work in particular areas, such as housing," she said.

Kgoali and the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP Mninwa Mahlangu are scheduled to meet provincial Speakers of Parliament, Chief Whips, Chairpersons of Committees, Programme Whips, Provincial Administration and Salga next week to ensure coordination and adherence to the programme.

"Our people must constantly engage with Parliament and we must make sure that they are able to do so, no matter in which part of the country they live," Kgoali said. By the end of this financial year, the NCOP aim to visit KwaZulu-Natal and Free State. Mahlangu said the NCOP had a duty to see the 'harmonisation of the role of the three spheres of government', their inter-relatedness and inter-dependency.

Mahlangu said: "A lot of legislation has been passed, it is now time to focus more of our time to actually oversee that legislation whether function on the ground and change the lives of our people. "The third Parliament begins then effectively and in a fast manner to begin to realize that there should be faster delivery on the ground because the laws are in place and those laws have to work."
Source: BuaNews