MBOMBELA – President Cyril Ramaphosa says outsourcing decapacitates local government.
He was speaking during the closing ceremony of the provincial African National Congress 14th Provincial Conference on Saturday this afternoon at Mbombela Stadium.
When addressing delegates, Ramaphosa touched on a variety of issues, including the procuring of services in local government stating that corruption often happens in the procurement space, particularly in the tender system the country currently has.
“One of the biggest mistakes we have made, is to outsource everything and in the end, we rely on companies and entities that cannot do the work. We need to make use of services internally because outsourcing weakens the capability of the State. It just takes away the capability, the energy, and the innovation that should reside in the municipalities and government.”
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He added that municipalities should be assisted in strengthening service delivery in order to serve communities.
“We must make all efforts to promote the growth of our economy. That is the renewal that will help strengthen local government and make sure that through the action plan, we are able to strengthen local government and accelerate service delivery,” he said.
Ramaphosa also warned against government departments underspending, saying money must be spent in the interest of people. He said it is a crime not to spend the money and give it back to National Treasury.
“The money is not spent because of lack of capacity, but because comrades are fighting amongst themselves. We know why it is happening and it must end so that the focus could be in the interest of our people. That is what the ANC lives for. This is what the ANC was established for, to always advance the interest of the people, not individuals,” he warned.
He commended ANC Mpumalanga for hosting a successful conference from March 26 to 28 where the Top 5 was elected, including Mandla Ndlovu (Chairperson), Speedy Mashilo (Deputy Chairperson), Muzi Chirwa (Secretary), Nompumelelo Hlophe (Deputy Secretary) and Sibongile Makushe- Mazibuko (Treasurer).
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Meanwhile, Chairperson, Mandla Ndlovu called for unity emphasising on implementation, leading and rebuilding trust within communities.
