The report before us presents all the steps taken so far and tabulate specific areas of achievements and those that are

still outstanding. These are welcome, not only to this House, but to the community of the North West province.

We must also welcome and take full cognizance and care that the targeted directives and close monitoring takes place to avoid any chances for regression which may negatively taint the stability that has been achieved. Continued monitoring, reporting and the evaluation of progress and impact achieved should be adopted to standard operation procedures. Of particular interest as well is the support that the province should continuously receive through its Department of Co- operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to stabilise municipalities through the District Development Model approach.

Hon members, I am convinced as much as we are convinced in the Mpumalanga province that the North West province has much to benefit in turning the tide against the teething and stubborn service delivery challenges. Other areas for support that should not escape closest monitoring and should always be placed on the oversight radar include the following: Building in-house institutional capacity, and capability in the Department of Human Settlements to enable it to successfully run its own affairs and to relieve it from over-reliance on

its performance monitoring unit, PMU. A close monitoring and pressing of the implementation pedal to deal decisively with criminal cases.

The hostility towards the intervention is unwarranted and should be avoided at all costs and the administration should further ensure that the disciplinary processes are dealt with decisively without fail and that all transgressions should accordingly be brought to book in order to justify that wrong doing can never be tolerated and does not pay. We must also agree with the highlighted areas of achievements which include, amongst others, the filling of key management posts to improve the capacity for service delivery, the termination of wasteful and poorly managed outsourcing contracts and empowerment of officials to do the work they were employed for, and the turnaround in audit outcomes that resulted in improved opinions for the first time in five years. These are positive developments that we should all welcome and must be applauded.

Hon Chairperson and members, the report also highlights some outstanding matters that are handed to the next administration to further pursue and fulfil. Of particular to note, is the appointment of the director-general and the establishment of

an effective provincial labour relations framework. These I have particularly noted because they form the critical basis for stability and labour harmony in an institution. Since we do this exercise today when it is the Africa Public Service Day to honour all the committed public servants who continue to serve the people of this country.

Chairperson, let me share with you the words of encouragement by Margareth Chase Smith who was the first woman to serve in both Houses of the United States Congress who once said and I quote:

My creed is that the public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation with full recognition that every human being is entitled to the courtesy and consideration, that constructive criticism is not only to be expected but sought, that smears are not only to be expected but fought and that honour is to be earned not bought.

As I conclude hon Chairperson, this Report does not only provide the relief and hope for the