Military Ombudsman Bill, submitted by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.
Referred to the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and the Select Committee on Security and Constitutional Development.
Constitution Eighteenth Amendment Bill [B 8 - 2011] (National Assembly - proposed sec 74(3)(b)) [Bill and prior notice of its introduction published in Government Gazette No 33945 of 21 January 2011.
Military Ombudsman Bill [B 9 - 2011] (National Assembly - proposed sec 75) [Explanatory summary of Bill and prior notice of its introduction published in Government Gazette No 33969 of 28 January 2011.
The Portfolio Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs considered the Budget Vote and Annual Performance Plan of the Department of Co-operative Governance and the Strategic Plan of the Department of Traditional Affairs on19 April 2011. The committee considered the Strategic Plans of the entities reporting to it on 19 April and 24 May 2011.
develop, promote and monitor mechanisms, systems and structures to enable integrated service delivery and implementation within government; and monitoring and evaluation of co-operation amongst government stakeholders to achieve improved service delivery.
An integrated, responsive and highly effective governance system working with communities to achieve sustainable development and improved service delivery.
achievement of social cohesion through the creation of enabling mechanisms for communities to participate in government; and monitoring and evaluation of co-operation amongst government stakeholders to achieve improved service delivery.
The Minister signed a performance agreement with the President on Outcome 9, and the MECs and Mayors signed an agreement with the Minister on Outcome 9.
The Strategic Plan 2011/12 of the Department of Cooperative Governance has been developed as a national plan with national targets and indicators which are informed by Outcome 9.
This Strategic Plan sets the basis for the development of Provincial Annual Performance Plans in order to ensure expression of Outcome 9 throughout the Provincial Annual Performance Plans.
The 2009-2014 Strategic Plan was reviewed in light of Government's outcomes- based approach and the Minister's performance contract with the President.
The Department conducted an alignment exercise and reviewed its five Strategic Objectives as set out in the Strategic Plan 2009-2014. It replaced them with Strategic Goals that are in line with the Minister's Delivery Agreement.
The seven outputs of the Minister's Delivery Agreement for Outcome 9 are now the new Strategic Goals and the Sub-Outputs are now the Strategic Objectives defined per programme.
Strategic Goal 6: To improve administrative and financial capability; Strategic Goal 7: To implement a Single Window of Co-ordination; Strategic Goal 8: To improve co-operative governance across the three spheres; and Strategic Goal 9: To strengthen the capacity & capability of the department to deliver on its mandate.
The Department is undergoing changes to suitably address structural and systemic challenges in local government. The Department had only five programmes in the year just ended and, due to the reorganization, there are currently seven programmes. This means that there are many budget shifts in relation to programmes. The two additional programmes, albeit the functions are not new, are Provincial and Municipal Government Systems, on one hand, and Infrastructure and Economic Development, on the other.
The total allocation of the Department is R48 billion in the 2011/12 financial year which represents a 9.56% increase from the R41.7 billion in the year just ended.
Administration 197.9 212.6 216.0 222.3 3.4 -6.5 1.60 -3.
Policy, Research and Knowledge Management 48.2 46.0 47.6 50.2 -2.2 -4.3 -4.56 -8.
Governance and Intergovernmental Relations 30 666.4 34 213.9 37 684.1 40 077.5 3 547.5 1 980.5 11.57 6.
Disaster Response Management 293.2 821.2 558.0 594.3 528.0 490.4 180.08 167.
Provincial and Municipal Government Systems 251.2 248.3 260.5 274.7 -2.9 -14.3 -1.15 -5.
Infrastructure and Economic Development 10 217.5 12 307.9 14 986.2 15 804.9 2 090.4 1 526.7 20.46 14.
Traditional Affairs 74.1 83.8 90.4 97.0 9.7 5.9 13.09 7.
There are three programmes that take up a larger share of the budget. Governance and Intergovernmental Relations has R34.2 billion which represents a 6.4% real increase from the previous year. The Disaster Response Management programme also received a substantial increase, from R293 million to R821 million in the current year. And finally, the Infrastructure and Economic Development receives R12.3 billion, which increases to R15.8 billion by 2013/14. The municipal infrastructure grant allocation for 2010/11 is R9.5 billion, and it increases to R14.7 billion in 2013/14. The targets for 2013/14 are: basic water: 2 million; sanitation: 1.2 million; roads: 1.
improving the strategic management and governance process; and strengthening relations with international agencies.
This programme is the apex of the Department. It is supposed to steer and provide impetus to the strategic direction of the Department in order to achieve the results of Outcome 9, as well as the MDGs. The growth was due to inflation- related salary adjustments and the increase in funded posts. In the previous financial year the overall budget for this programme was R197.9 million which increased to R212.6 million in the 2011/12 financial year. Over the MTEF period, expenditure is expected to increase from R197.9 million in 2010/11 to R222.3 million in 2013/14, at an average annual rate of 4%. The growth is attributed to the establishment of provincial offices and inflation-related adjustments to salaries. In addition, this programme encompasses the Legislation Review and Drafting sub-programme which receives approximately R10.6 million.
providing effective and responsive ICT support to municipalities as outlined in the Local Government Turn Around Strategy (LGTAS); and creating knowledge-based decision making.
The budget for this programme has actually declined from R48.2 million in 2010/11 to R46 million in the current financial year. As indicated in the table above, the real percentage change is -9.13%. Increases are accrued in the Information, Communication and Business Technology sub-programme. This increase is mainly for goods and services which are computer services, and which accounts for R5.9 million, and R8.8 million for consultants and professional services.
reviewing Local Government policy and legislation; and providing support measures to ensure functionalities of ward committees by 2014.
This programme involves transfers to municipalities through the Local Government Equitable Share, as well as transfers to statutory entities such as the South African Local Government Association and the Municipal Dermacation Board. Needless to say, the largest portion goes to transfers, particularly the Local Government Equitable Share, which takes up R34 billion in the current year. Expenditure in this programme is dominated by the equitable share transfers to municipalities, which make up 73.2% of the department's budget allocation in 2010/11. Expenditure is expected to increase to R40.1 billion over the medium term, at an average annual rate of 9.3%. Over the MTEF period, the programme will focus on contributing to a responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government system (outcome 9). Expenditure will be directed at the transfers, the management of conditional grants, the development of the Green Paper on Co-operative Governance, and support for the establishment of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) local government desk and the consolidation of the SADC local government agenda.
supporting the establishment of disaster management centers in all provinces, districts municipalities and metros; and developing of the National Indicative Risk and Vulnerability Model.
In January 2011, the country experienced floods and droughts and thus twenty eight municipalities were declared national disaster areas. All sub-programmes had a decrease in their allocations with the exception of the Disaster Relief Transfers, which rose from R214.4 million in 2010/11 to R821.2 million in the 2011/12. Expenditure is expected to decrease to R594.3 million in 2013/14 from R821.1 million in 2011/12, at an average annual rate of 14.9%. The programme is dominated by transfers, at 94% of the budget. Allocations for disaster relief amounting to R1.8 billion have been projected over the MTEF period. The aim is to provide immediate relief for disasters through the disaster allocations to provinces and municipalities. Expenditure on goods and services has also declined from R60.7 million in the previous year to about R24.6 million in the current year.
implementation of a new approach to co-ordination of support and capacity; and facilitating the development of credible and simplified IDPs informed by the unique nature of municipalities.
There are two sub-programmes that have decreased substantially ie Management: Provincial and Local Government Support, which declines from R10.5 million allocation in 2010/11 to only R3.2 million in 2011/1. Another substantial decrease lies in the Development Planning sub-programme which declines from an allocation of R14.5 million in 2010/11 to R5.9 million in the current financial year. The Municipal Systems Improvement Grant has actually increased from R212 million in the year 2010/11 to R219.4 million in the current year and is set to increase further over the MTEF period. The total budget for this programme has declined from R251 million in 2010/11 to about R248.4 million in the 2011/12, which represents a -5.61% decrease. Over the MTEF period, expenditure is expected to increase to R274.7 million, at an average annual rate of 3%. The increase is mainly due to inflation-related adjustments to compensation of employees, and goods and services.
creating jobs through a system supportive of Private Sector Sustainable Employment at local level in all district municipalities; and increasing access to basic electricity, refuse removal, water and sanitation.
This programme is one of the most critical programmes in order for government to be able to expedite service provision and meet the MDGs by 2014. It is through vigorous infrastructure investment, maintenance and development planning that this will be achieved. The Special Purpose Vehicle or Government Component is expected to eliminate infrastructure backlogs through dedicated technical capacity to municipalities in order to intensify infrastructure development and thus improve service provision as well as the provision of free basic services. This programme has received R12 billion, of which a large portion is for the Municipal Infrastructure Grant, amounting to a total of R11 443.5 billion.
Expenditure is expected to increase from R10.2 billion in 2010/11 to R15.8 billion in 2013/14, at an average annual rate of 15.7%. This is mainly in the Community Work Programme, in which expenditure grew by R406 million, as part of government's job creation initiative. The Special Purpose Vehicle is allocated R192.1 million which increases to R202 million over the medium term. The programme will spend a total of R253 million on goods and services of which R193.4 million is allocated to materials and supplies. Under this programme the Department will support the distribution of basic water services to 96% of households.
2.1 Mandate The new Department's mandate is a multi-faceted mandate.
Recognition of traditional healing and medicines.
Upon realization of these new imperatives, the Executive Leadership decided to review the 2009 - 2014 strategic plan and align it with this new mandate. This process provided an opportunity to review the vision, mission, and values, and develop new strategic objectives for the department.
the undertaking of periodic research and development on Traditional Affairs matters; and the monitoring and evaluation of performance of DTA and its entities.
Three main programmes namely: Administration; Research, Policy & Legislation; and Institutional Support and Coordination programmes have been established. This establishment phase is expected to be concluded in 2013/14 financial year with a fully functional department. The entrenchment of Chapter 12 of the Constitution and the White Paper on Traditional Leadership and Governance and the enactment of national and provincial legislation heralded a new era, which added a new dimension in the evolution of the governance systems in South Africa.
The Constitution, policy and legislative frameworks accord a place and role of the institution of traditional leadership within the broader system of governance and require that the institution be fully integrated into the democratic governance system, as well as being integrated within the development and service delivery processes.
Earlier in 2011, the Department embarked on a process of assessing the state of governance within traditional affairs in South Africa to establish baseline information. To this end, the Department has concluded a series of consultative workshops covering six provinces. There has been overwhelming support received from different provinces during the assessment process. The results of the assessment process will lead to the development of the state of governance report, the partnership strategy, the capacity-building strategy and, where necessary, a review of legislation and policies. Furthermore, the findings will support Outcome 9, which focuses on a responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government system by co-ordinating amendments to section 81 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act of 117 of 1998. The findings will also support Outcome 12, which focuses on an efficient, effective and development-oriented Public Service and an empowered, fair and inclusive citizenship by establishing effective partnership models at local government level, promoting collaboration and constructive dialogue and protocols between elected officials and traditional leaders, including development of capacity-building systems and promoting best practice models, as well as interventions to strengthen the institution of traditional leadership.
To enhance Knowledge Management within traditional affairs.
The function, therefore, of this programme is to manage the transition period in order to ensure a functional Department and thus enhance synergetic collaboration with other spheres of government as well as departments.
Expenditure is expected to increase to R97 million in 2013/14, at an average annual rate of 9.4%. This growth is the result of building capacity over the medium term for the programme to establish itself as a standalone department. The bulk of the increase is reflected in spending in compensation of employees, which is expected to grow by R13.7 million over the medium term.
The main focus of SALGA in the first quarter will be to manage the transition of leadership in municipalities. The new leaders will be trying to implement their elections manifestoes, while the public continually demands better service delivery. Part of this process would be the management of labour relations. It is the third year of the three-year wage agreement between SALGA and SAMWU and related unions. SALGA, together with other role-players, will have to manage the process of wage negotiations.
SALGA's achievements in 2010 were in terms of municipal service delivery, social cohesion, economic development, labour relations, municipal governance and inter-governmental relations, capacity building and institutional development, climate change response, and internal capacity and corporate governance. The SALGA Annual Performance Plan 2011/12 was aligned to the delivery agreement of the Minister: COGTA. The ten priorities and their outcomes were outlined. For each priority, five targets had been set and these were explained. Finally, its role in the local government elections was discussed. SALGA had developed a Transition Management Framework to support municipalities through this period: both pre-, during and post- election.
The councillor induction programme will commence in July with various learning events to cross-pollinate municipalities on areas of HIV/AIDS, climate change and public participation. SALGA is involved in various climate change events like COP17, for which the city of Durban will be the next host. SALGA has contributed to the Green Paper on Climate Change, bringing to the fore the implications for local governments in the Climate Response Plan. SALGA has been involved in various climate change initiatives, amongst others the COP17, the Greening Summit and an expo focussing on entrepreneurial opportunities around climate change.
SALGA has a pre-, during and post-election plan. Post election, the councilor- induction plan will be implemented. SALGA's work is undermined by its dire lack of resources. It has to scrounge for resources in order to perform its constitutional role. SALGA is engaging with CoGTA and National Treasury in its quest to resolve its financial difficulties. It has some relief in certain instances when there are challenges. It has developed a comprehensive funding model. It remains optimistic about a positive outcome.
On 19 April 2011, it had received only 7% of levies due. Only after municipalities have passed their budgets, some as late as August, will levies be paid. Even then, municipalities might not pay the full amount. SALGA's membership is voluntary. This places SALGA in a compromised situation. SALGA has appealed for collective support to reverse the current untenable situation.
The 61 municipalities in KZN form KWANALOGA. This organisation operates as an entity on its own and does not pay membership fees to SALGA. Political processes have been deployed in order to resolve the situation. Thus far it has caused a lot of harm.
MDB has existed for 11 years and has sometimes carried out contentious work. The Board carried out demarcation work prior to the local government elections and were the silent partners to the Independent Electoral Commission in the conduct of those elections. The Board aims to restructure itself to optimise its work in future. The Board needs to have interaction with COGTA in order to discuss legislation needed to assist in the process of municipality demarcation. The issue of demarcation is emotive and the process needs to be streamlined.
The Board aims to perform in such a way as to empower municipalities to fulfill their constitutional mandate. The MDB established six themes for its strategic plan.
Theme 1: determination and re-determination of municipal boundaries and categorisation and re-categorisation of municipalities.
The Board has resolved to adopt the position on the size of municipalities as espoused by the research work submitted. It will develop and clarify the work on demarcation criteria to enhance buyin from stakeholders and hold public hearings for every boundary redetermination request case. In 2011/12, the MDB allocated a total of R6.
Theme 2: assessment of the capacity of metropolitan, district and local municipalities.
The Board will shift to a new and revised model of municipal capacity assessments following a comprehensive review of the previously used model. The Board will pursue a new approach to capacity assessments that will seek to address the limitation that there is insufficient information on which to make recommendations on reassuring a function. It will position capacity assessment as a strategic resource and revise the capacity assessment model. The Board will allocate R5.1 million to the attainment of Theme 2.
Theme 3: implementation of effective and efficient organisational processes, systems and practices.
MDB will seek to build its internal capacity to meet Theme 3. It will outline a plan of action to implement changes to its organisational structure. It will lead a full process to effect the changes that will be needed to restructure the Board's internal machinery. The Board will allocate R13 013 million on staff salaries and R195 205 on staff training from a total allocation of R13 2 million set aside for Theme 3.
Theme 4: ensure good governance.
MDB will improve compliance with legal frameworks.
Theme 5: ensure sound financial management.
The Board will allocate R4.2 million for this programme. The Board will institute sound financial management by managing resources to accomplish strategic goals in accordance with Theme 5. It will improve its financial planning and continue to ensure the adherence to laws, regulations and contractual obligations. The Board has allocated R2.9 million for 2011/12 for this theme.
Theme 6: improve stakeholder relations.
The Board will prepare a stakeholder management and governance framework. It will set up a stakeholder management unit including a budget for the entire service.
The MDB has received a budget allocation of R37,1 million for the 2010/11 MTEF period and has reported R37,9 million at its disposal as of 31 March 2011. The MDB has spent R36 million of its budget allocation and has a surplus of R1,9 million. The Board has spent within its budget. The Board has been allocated R39,9 million for the 2011/12 MTEF period, R40,8 for 2012/13, and R43,058 for 2013/14.
The Commission is mandated to strengthen constitutional democracy and to protect and promote cultural, religious and linguistic community rights. The Commission will seek to institute seven programmes in order to meet its strategic objectives. The Commission was unable to provide budget allocations for each of its proposed programmes. The business plan will be formulated after the Commission has received additional funds which it anticipates.
Programme 1: Investigation and conflict resolution will focus on complaints submitted to the Commission. The aim will be to investigate 80% of complaints it received within a 60-day period.
Programme 2: Research and Policy development the aim is to develop policies which could improve the focus and work of the Commission.
Programme 3: Public Education and Advocacy aims at creating more public awareness of the work of the Commission in communities.
Programme 4: Community Engagement aims at increasing recognition of the values and impact of cultural diversity and increasing community engagement in the work of the Commission.
Programme 5: Secretariat and Corporate governance focuses on increasing the Commissions compliance with governance rules and implementation of approved decisions by management. The Commisssion aims at having four plenaries.
Programme 6: Corporate Services aims to fill funded vacancies within the Commission.
Programme 7: Financial Administration will seek to align the Commission with financial regulations and practices.
The biggest challenge for the Commission has been funding. As a result of this the Commission could not perform its constitutional mandate. The Commission is looking at ways of cost cutting and one of its suggestions is to cut telephone costs by cutting out outgoing calls.
CRL Commission stated that it had received R3 million after the intervention of the committee towards the end of 2010. The allocation had been spent by the Commission within two months.
The SACN exists to promote good governance and management in South African cities, to analyse strategic challenges facing cities, and to promote shared learning partnerships between the different spheres of government to support the management of South African cities.
In the period 2011-16, the SACN will endeavor to understand member city typology. It will place emphasis on broadening its programmatic reach to non-traditional SACN member cities including cities in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The Network will seek to change policy response and practitioner behavior across the spheres of government by deepening knowledge-sharing. The SACN has been allocated R26 million for the 2011/12 fiscal year and has stated that this is R1.2 million below its required target. Member municipalities have mostly paid up their subscriptions, with some exception.
The SACN described how it views the typology of South African cities. There are five categories which exist in the typology of the country. The first is city-regions characterised by large multi-nodal urban complexes with more than one million people and with significant and diverse economies. The second is cities characterised by multi-nodal areas with more than 400 000 people serving a bigger region and with high service indexes. The third is regional service centres made up of medium or high order towns, relatively high service indexes and towns which offer key service functions in more remote areas. The fourth is service towns with a narrow range of services and serve to fulfill a service function for communities within the vicinity of that town. The fifth is local/niche towns, smaller in terms of population and economic activity and which differ in economic rates.
The SACN highlighted the urban corridors and mega-regions in the world and showed how South Africa and the SADC region compared to the rest of the world in terms of urbanisation. The Network highlighted the spatial and population density gaps in certain municipalities where services were not provided to people living on the outskirts of urban centres due to a disparity in infrastructure development. Most major urban centres receive more funding than rural centres.
Adopting an urban development policy regime which strengthened productive and sustainable urban spaces.
Providing local government indicators that allowed better governance and interpretation at varied scales.
Addressing issues of land and land-use management and increasing city efficiency by improving public transport.
This aims at understanding better and improving its financing model, improving management of its natural resource base and improving its understanding of rural/urban interdependence & interface. It will have to build dedicated and focused human capacity and promote sociopolitical stability. It will have to address land and land-use management. It will have to ensure dedicated and focused human capacity for local government. It will have to improve the public transportation system, and work with the Department of Human Settlements to create social cohesion.
The SACN will look to implement four programmes which will target different areas to help it conduct its operations. Programme A will target metro cities; Programme B will target 21 of South Africa's large municipalities. Programme C will target SADC and the African Continent and Programme D will target international cities.
Assistance to municipalities where disasters occurred, moves at a slow pace.
Compliance with the Disaster Management Act, No 57 2002 has been poor, eg not all provinces and districts have disaster management centres.
Senior Management level in the Department of Co-operative Governance was not gender representative.
The management and treatment of the Khoi-san community by the Department of Traditional Affairs has not been decided upon.
Some of the policy that they want to make an input on, like ukuthwala and initiation, is within the scope of other departments like the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Health.
Funding allocation to the CRL Commission is not sufficient even for basic resources. 7 The committee notes that Kwanaloga operates as a separate entity from SALGA.
The committee also notes that some of the infrastructure constructed is of poor quality as a result of poor supervision and monitoring.
E. RECOMMENDATIONS 1 Steps should be taken to speed up post-disaster assessment processes, so that resources are speedily sent to disaster areas to avoid the late disbursement of resources. The question of outstanding disaster management funding should be resolved within three months. 2 After completion of the report of the commission dealing with traditional leadership, the committee must be briefed on the commissions' findings. 3 The role and effectiveness of the CRL Commission, and its funding, must be reviewed. 4 The matter of Kwanaloga's relationship with SALGA should be resolved by September 2011. 5 Debts owed to municipalities by government should be paid in the first year of the new councils' existence. New councils should sort out the billing systems, etc., and a progress report should be submitted to the committee by October 2011. 6 The monitoring and supervision of infrastructure rolled out must be monitored more robustly and on a regular basis. Proactive planning on where people should reside when moving from rural areas to cities must be done. Areas identified must be people sensitive.
Report of the Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs on the International study tour to the Republic of India, dated 7 June 2011 1.
The Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs undertook an International Study Tour to India from 12 - 21 February 2011. The delegation consisted of the following members of Parliament, Ms AND Qikani (Chairperson, ANC), Mr GG Mokgoro (Committee Whip, ANC), Ms BP Mabe (ANC), Mr DA Worth (DA), Mr O De Beer (COPE) and Mr M Makhubela (COPE) as well as Parliamentary support staff, Mr AA Bawa (Committee Secretary) and Ms D Pillay (Content Adviser).
The aim and objective of the visit was to meet with the relevant government Departments responsible for addressing the issue of climate change, rural development, and food security with an emphasis on rural communities.
The Committee wished to observe how a developing country like India is balancing economic development with sustainable development to ensure a better life for all their citizens. The emphasis on using agriculture to reduce poverty and ensure food security whilst developing the rural economy was also discussed. The Committee also held discussions with the relevant authorities around the Implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
The visit to India was undertaken in two stages, with the first stage occurring in New Delhi where the delegation was invited to attend a parliamentary meeting by the Standing Committee on Rural Development. The Delegation together with officials of the South African High Commission met briefly with the Chief Minister of Rural Development and Secretary of State for Rural Development.
Other stakeholders that the delegation interacted with were the Secretary General of the Afro - Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) and officials, who gave the Committee a briefing on the organization, its activities, collaborative partnerships and projects..
The second stage of the trip was undertaken in the city of Hyderabad, in Andra Pradesh State, where the committee met with officials and visited projects of the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), the National Academy of Agriculture Research Management (NAARM) and the Swamy Ramananda Tirtha Rural Institute.
The delegation also visited the Rural Technology Park at the NIRD campus, where examples of different rural technologies for renewable energy, water recycling and recycled waste products were specifically showcased for use in rural areas.
During this meeting the Chairperson of the Standing Committee briefly explained the structure of the Indian Parliament stating that it comprises of two houses, the Rajah Sabah and Loch Sabah. The Standing Committee was constituted from members from various parties and the primary function of the committee was to scrutinize budgets, oversee programmes and projects pertaining to their portfolio and advise the Indian Parliament accordingly.
The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs gave a brief presentation on the objective of the visit of the South African parliamentary committee and the role of the National Council of Provinces in the South African context.
The two Committees exchanged views on the empowerment of indivuals living in rural areas; land claims issues and the dissemination of information in light of the many languages spoken in India. The delegation was told of how the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act guarantees an individual 100 days of work and that it has proven to be a huge success in rural areas of India (e.g. in Narida region). The committee also stated that many other projects are currently under way in this region, such as a rural road works programme and a water purification projects.
It was the opinion of both Committees that a closer working relationship should be established between the two countries and other countries such as Brazil, where knowledge can be shared and transferred.
The delegation met with the Secretary General of AARDO, Dr Abdalla Yahia Adam who briefed the Committee on the organisation and its mandate and achievements.
Dr A Y Adam further explained that the organisation was formed in 1962 as an autonomous inter-governmental organisation comprising of thirty member countries from Africa and Asia. The mandate of the organisation is to address both agricultural and rural development, by ensuing that development of member countries as a main goal was achieved.
The organization functions to facilitate agricultural and rural development in African and Asian member countries by providing the funding to promote these projects.
The delegation raised issues around monitoring and evaluation mechanisms of the projects and management of the funding allocated to the projects as well the criteria used for selection of projects.
It was further noted that the main objective of AARDO is (i) to act as a catalyst in the Afro - Asian region for promoting social change and develop cooperation amongst member countries; (ii) provided assistance in evolving an integrated approach which is conceived to be the crucial pre-requisite in rural settings of Asia and Africa; (iii) to facilitate exchange of propositions which have proved successful in the field of rural development and the flow of technical assistance amongst member countries; (iv) to provide direction and take up relevant pilot work to demonstrate the feasibility of selected propositions.
serve as a clearinghouse and data bank for communication and information on agriculture and rural development and promote dissemination of such information through multimedia approach; and pursue environmental and climatic changes in the context of rural development.
During the delegations interactions with the Minister, Mr Pradeep Jain Aditya, issues pertaining to projects currently being run by the government to address the issue of rural development and specifically the national rural development employment guarantee scheme were discussed.
what types of unskilled work qualifies under the scheme (ii) is the programme sustainable in the long run (iii) what happens once the worker has completed the allocated 100 days (iv) what is being done to stop the migration of people from the rural areas to urban areas (v) what is being offered in terms skills development to the rural communities, (vi) was genetically modified(GM) crops grown in India and what was the government's view on the use of GM crops for food security?
B.K Sinha stated that sustainable agriculture was the main focus of the governments plan. Sustainable agriculture also looked at more organic and environmentally friendly ways of farming. The government has also started to introduce technology and more effective and efficient farming methods in rural areas in an attempt to prove that one does not have to migrate to urban areas in order to provide for one's family.
To further address the issue of rural development and sustainable agriculture the government guaranteed 100 days work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which could be extended to a further 100 days according to the availability of work in a particular area.
The aim of the programme was to show rural farmers that farming can become profitable if done properly, such as by employing proper irrigation methods compared to "flooding" when growing rice crops, for example. This way water can be used sparingly and so that others may also benefit from the scarce commodity. By using these new techniques and the MGNREGA, the local communities benefit from technology transfer whilst creating jobs for the unemployed.
According to the information presented the MGNREGA scheme provides a safety net for the rural poor and has, since it's implementation been well received in many rural communities. This programme is also demand driven but can be accessed by all unemployed persons wanting to participate and is implemented by the local authorites. People living below the poverty line are targeted and skills are imparted according to the needs of the area.
The programme has produced laborers that can now work in commercial farms, following the skills gained during the programme.
In response to the question concerning the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's), the Ministry stated that they were not for or against the use of GMO's as their preliminary research was as yet inconclusive. However, for now, only traditional seeds are used and supplied to farmers in rural areas.
The delegation was met by the Director - General (DG) of the institution, Mr M C Kunnumkal who facilitated introductions and welcomed the delegation. Mr Kunnumkal proceeded to give the delegation a brief background of the institution by means of a short film followed by a verbal presentation.
Mr M C Kunnumkal conveyed that the primary aim of the NRID was to examine and analyse the factors contributing to the improvement of economic and social well-being of people in rural areas on a sustainable basis with focus on the rural poor and the other disadvantaged groups. The institution is primarily responsible for undertaking training, research, action research and consultancy assignments in the rural development sector in India, acting as an autonomous organization supported by the Ministry of Rural Development and Government of India. The NIRD attempts to facilitate rural development through various governmental and nongovernmental initiatives.
The Institute is located in the rural surroundings of Rajendranagar, in the city of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh state. The NIRD is governed by a General Council headed by the Union Minister for Rural Development, with an eleven-member Executive Council appointed to oversee the implementation of policies. The institution also has an academic committee comprising of experts that assist with planning, training and research programs.
The DG then made a presentation to the delegation elaborating on the mandate of the Institute. The vision of NIRD is to focus on the policies and programmes that benefit the rural poor, strive to energize the democratic decentralization process, improve the operational efficiency of rural development personnel and promote transfer of technology through its social laboratories and Technology Park whilst creating environmental awareness.
The mission of NIRD is to examine and analyse the factors contributing to the improvement of economic and social well-being of people in rural areas on a sustainable basis with focus on the rural poor and the other disadvantaged groups through research, action research and consultancy efforts.
The main objective of NIRD is to organise training programmes, conferences, seminars and workshops for senior development executives; (2) undertake, aid, promote and coordinate research on it's own or through other agencies; (3) analyze and find solutions to problems encountered in planning and implementation of the programmes for rural development, decentralized governance or panchayati raj1 , and related issues; and (4) disseminate information through periodicals, reports and other publications in furtherance of the basic objectives of the Institute.
The DG and each of the division heads then facilitated a discussion session with the members of the delegation,.
As part of the visit to the Institution the delegation undertook a field visit to the Rural Technology Park situated on the campus at the NRID. The techno-park was established in 1999, in an area spanning 65 acres . The intention of the park was to be an instrument for the transfer of technologies to neighboring villages and foreign countries. The approach used was to illustrate and disseminate the information pertaining to appropriate and affordable technologies available to the rural population in a practical manner.
The transfer of technology takes place through the assistance of self help groups, individuals visiting the park on behalf of other rural villages, consultants from the institution visiting rural communities and visiting delegations who take back to their respective countries knowledge gained from visiting the park. Technologies used at the park include rural sanitation models; water harvesting for hot humid terrain; solar energy harvesting and usage.
The park also boasts a number of rural enterprises and business ventures such as recycled hand made paper; dyeing using natural products; honey processing; bio technology; as well as garment and pattern making.
1 Panchayati Raj is a system of governance used in India, in which gram panchayats are the basic units of administration. It has 3 levels: village, block and district levels and governance structures are more consultative because the communities are involved at all levels.
The delegation was met by the Director of the institution, Dr PK Joshi who introduced the delegation to officials from the institution. Dr Joshi gave the delegation a brief background of the institution and the aims and objectives of the institution.
The institution was established by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) at Hyderabad, in 1976, to address issues related to agricultural research and education management. During the initial years, the primary function of the academy was to train new officials from the Agricultural Research Service of ICAR.
3.2.3., This role later diversified to include research, capacity building of professionals in agricultural research, education management, as well as policy and consultancy support to research institutions. Recently the Academy has set up post graduate education programmes and an Agribusiness Knowledge Centre. The scope of functions of the institution has been further enhanced with the introduction of tailor-made training programmes for international developing countries, such Asia, Africa and Latin America.
forge and strengthen partnerships, linkages and networking at regional, national and global levels; and take up other related activities for fulfilling the mandate.
Most academics that complete their Masters Degrees and wish to continue their studies in the field of agricultural research approach the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management to further training. The institution has to dated trained approximately 30 000 individuals and has extended an offer to award scholarships to students from South Africa.
During the discussions with the delegation, the members once again raided the issue of GM crops and Dr Joshi re-iterated that the institution was not totally apposed to the use of GMO;s as they have already used this in cotton crops, with resounding success. They are also looking at using GMO's in other crops, but have been asked by the Indian government to hold off using GMO's in anything other than cotton harvesting as the GMO tests have proven to be inconclusive thus far.
The delegation was welcomed by the Chairman of the institution, Dr MS Reddy who introduced the officials present. The Chairperson, Mrs Qikani, then made a presentation on the objective of the study tour and raised issues for discussion between the delegation and the officials of the Institute.
The primary role of the institute was to create an appropriate platform for pro-active rural development in the region which was started in 1995. Today, the institute is one of the leading institutions in India working for rural empowerment through suitable educational and vocational training initiatives.
The philosophy of the Institute is based on an approach where rural people are provided with access to skills in the latest sustainable technologies using improved tools and equipment for enhanced productivity and quality dimensions. Special emphasis was put on capacity building and income generating of the underprivileged, women, unemployed youth, and other vulnerable sections of the rural community.
The primary focus is to make use of technology that is sustainable and rurally friendly so as to enable the rural poor to earn sustainable incomes and lead quality of life, thus installing confidence in rural communities to embark on even bigger sustainable projects. The institute aspires to fulfilling the dream or if one can say the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi's, of making rural India the focal point of holistic development.
play an pro-active role for the cause of Rural Development and Rural Transformation following the Gandhian principles and Bhoodan Movement to promote the principles of equality, social justice and integrated rural development.
provide skill advancement and skill refinement training to rural youth and women for improved living standards; and focus on entrepreneurship for self - employment promotion in rural areas.
The delegation then visited the training centre and viewed the various training programmes that were being run at the Institute.
The Committee met with Mr Raidu who made a presentation on the organisations mandate and function. The Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) is an autonomous society, run under the Department of Rural Development, Government of Andhra Pradesh and is chaired by the Chief Minister as the ex-officio Chairman of the General Body (GB).
The SERP has broad representation from key stakeholders, government and NGOs. The GB consists of twenty-five members, with five ex-officio government officials and 20 representing leading agencies and individuals contributing to rural development, community mobilization and poverty alleviation.
improve household food and nutritional security; by providing livelihoods to the landless poor through land lease and shops ; the enhancement of natural resource base; and feminization of agriculture and rural livelihoods.
Mr Raidu further explained that the success of the society depended on key elements such as the management by women's organizations; "decentralized extension system", being accountable to grassroots women's organizations; exploiting locally available natural resources; reducing the cost of cultivation without compromising on yields; radical soil/moisture conservation; biodiversity and poly cropping; unique collaboration between womens organizations, farmers, N.G. Os, and government; knowledge sharing with emerging farmers; intervention prioritiesn and decision making by farmers, not by the board of the society; Infrastructure support for reducing drudgery; and the combination of traditional wisdom together with cutting edge technologies.
Mr Raidu stated that the aim of the society was the expansion of the programme and knowledge base of the local inhabitants, with the piloting of food security programmes in twenty more rural villages. The society wants to encourage rural villages to explore carbon credits, whereby they would then form partnerships with companies. Also the marketing and development of organic and pesticide free agriculture commodities is another avenue to be explored.
The Department of Rural Development should consider conducting a feasibility study on the establishment of a Technology Demonstration Park, where rural technologies can be used to train communities in a practical manner.
The Committee should investigate further the impact of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and evaluate the application of the scheme in the South African context.
The Committee should commission a comparative analysis of the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme models used in South Africa and India.