President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency (ANA)
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has set performance targets for his ministers in a move to increase their accountability between now and 2024.
This emerged from the performance agreements that were recently published on the government website after they were signed by Ramaphosa and individual ministers.
In February, Ramaphosa promised to sign performance agreements that were based on the targets set in the medium-term strategic framework to instil transparency and accountability.
While each minister has his or her targets specified, there is a common thread in so far as the expenditure and auditing of finances are concerned.
Most ministers are expected to ensure there is 100% elimination of wasteful and fruitless expenditure, 75% reduction of irregular expenditure and maintain unqualified audit opinion by 2024.
In terms of the agreement signed by Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola, he must ensure there was an audio-visual remand system rolled out in 60 courts and virtual court hearings in 21 chief magistrate courts.
Lamola must also provide resources to ensure, establishing Specialised Commercial Crime Courts in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Eastern Cape and Free State within five years.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula is tasked to upgrade, refurbish and ensure maintenance of approximately 20,OOOkm of road network and ensure 10% of road freight is transferred to rail by 2024.
Amid the challenge of the non-payment of toll fees, Mbalula has to develop a strategy for the implementation of the “user pay principle” and ensure that there was 100% compliance by 2024.
Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu is mandated to ensure improved coverage of social grants for orphans and vulnerable children through the extended child social grants.
Zulu has until 2021 to come up with legislation and regulation.
“With concurrence of the Minister of Finance ensure implementation of the extended child social grant,” reads her performance agreement.
Also among her targets are increasing by 20% the number of children accessing early childhood development and 20.1 million eligible beneficiaries were recipients of social grants by 2024.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille is tasked to create jobs through Job Summit commitments, Operation Phakisa and other public sector employment programmes.
She has been given a target of five million expanded public works programme work opportunities created by 2024.
De Lille, along with Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, has to ensure that the R100 billion Infrastructure Fund is established and operationalised by 2024.
She also has a task of ensuring that all schools identified through the SAFE programme have sanitation meeting minimum infrastructure norms by 2024.
“In consultation with the Minister of Basic Education, develop minimum infrastructure norms and standards and related modular designs for schools,” reads De Lille’s performance agreement.
De Lille will also lead the process for the establishment of the New City in South Africa along with Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has to provide leadership and resources to ensure that the Border Management Agency is incrementally rolled out and operational by 2024.
Motsolaedi will also ensure there was 100% of 106 foreign missions equipped with the eVisa system by 2025.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has been assigned to ensure that the National Health Insurance fund is established as a public entity and operational in 2021/22.
Mboweni targets include capacitating Sars through the establishment of an illicit economy unit and ensure that the R100 billion Infrastructure Fund was constituted.
Cogta Minister Dlamini Zuma together with Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams is tasked to lead and co-ordinate the refurbishment and transformation of identified cities into smart cities.
Also among Dlamini Zuma’s targets is supporting adequate municipal spending on the Municipal Infrastructure Grant fund to address infrastructure backlogs.
She must also support National Treasury incentives and support for municipalities to increase expenditure on repairs and maintenance as well as oversee the implementation of Municipal Public Accounts structures.
Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has been mandated to ensure 5G spectrum licensing and commencement of roll-out by March 2024.
She is expected to issue policy direction for 5G by December 2021 and ensure 80% of the population have access to the internet by 2024.
– Political Bureau