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23 October

Salutations

Chairperson of the NCOP, Honourable Mr Mahlangu,
Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Honourable Ms Hollander,
Minister of Education, Ms Naledi Pandor,
Head of Constitutional Law at the University of Western Cape, Prof. De Vos,
Honourable members of the NCOP,
Honoured guests,
Ladies and gentlemen:

It is a great pleasure to join you as we collectively reflect on the first ten years of this important institution since it came into effect in February 1997.

I wish to congratulate the NCOP for its illustrious achievements over the past decade and for being an instrument of strengthening our democracy.

I applaud all those who took part in building this house by putting in place systems that ensure that we focus on the role in promoting co-operative government, as well as the principle of intergovernmental relations.

The NCOP has lived up to its vision of a house that represents the interest of provinces. For this reason we are glad that this has culminated in the launch of this book, which will enlighten our citizens about the role and duties of the NCOP.

I also believe the NCOP has provided a national platform where our municipalities are represented through the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).

It is through this house that national legislation reflects the interests of provinces and the aspirations of all South Africans, and we have to continue to deliver to the people who elected us to serve their interests through the institution of Parliament.

We have a responsibility to assure the country and the world that we are making significant progress in solidifying our constitutional democracy.

May I remind you that our constitution enjoins us to provide effective, transparent, accountable and coherent government for the republic as a whole and to respect the constitutional status, institutions, powers and functions of government.

As a country, we have many challenges and key among these is to widen as possible the democratic space for our society. This means deepening democracy by not only talking about it, but through strengthening the systems that are in place to engage with out people.

I have to emphasise that it is our responsibility to ensure much heightened public participation in the NCOP processes by increasing the level of interaction with our constituencies.

Your involvement is indispensable and will be much needed after the elections next year in 2009. We need you to stay put in your workstations to amplify the importance of resolute intergovernmental relations and a sound system of co-operative governments. Unlike the National Assembly, the council remains in place until it is replaced after the elections.

To all the honourable members of the NCOP, the management and staff; you must all be proud that your collective efforts have given birth to this well-oiled machinery, which will without any doubt continue to function effectively in years to come.

Even though the reality is that politicians come and go, the fact remains that the institutions remain. The responsibility we have collectively is to play a role in the further improvement of the role of the NCOP in deepening democracy.

Through the launch of this book, we are witnessing an endeavour that seeks to retain the institutional memory of the NCOP and we are witnessing the continuance of an institution that:
* serves as a platform for the expression of the interests of provinces;
* acts as one of the central vehicles in the provision of quality service delivery; and
* entrenches co-operative governance across the three spheres of government.

Therefore, clearly, even those who come after us will, through this comprehensive book, realise the hard work that has been done in the NCOP since 1997 and we trust they will certainly work towards consolidating this legacy.

For those who will come after us, theirs will be to suggest and implement innovative measures to build on the achievements that already exist. This book will help them understand how the NCOP has evolved, functions and how it has come to be where it is today.

As public servants and elected representatives, we operate in a broader scope of ensuring a better life for the people guided by our 2004 election mandate and the legislative framework.

It therefore becomes important that the institutions we represent document all the critical decisions, policies and programmes for purposes of smooth transition and continuity.

Beyond documentation, we have capable officials in this institution who have kept it going for many years, whose loyalty to South Africa we can count on in future.

Government programmes throughout the three spheres continue to progress in a smooth manner and we remain committed to the objectives of fighting poverty, joblessness and crime.

The NCOP remains a channel for enhancing participatory democracy and co-operative governance

Furthermore, the book will hopefully arouse more interest from the broad range of civil society, academics and ordinary men and women, for it shows the extent to which government has been fed back through a reciprocal consultative and engagement process.

It is my wish that this book will also invite robust engagement from the media so that the media informs the wider population about the durability of our democratic establishments such as the NCOP.

In conclusion, I urge and encourage the officials of the NCOP to remain in their workstations because we value greatly your expertise and skills so that this institution keeps on ensuring that provincial interests are taken into account in the national sphere of government.

In this regard, I applaud and commend the work you have done by introducing in 2002 the valuable programme of “Taking Parliament to the People” since this has guaranteed that we:
* educate and inform citizens about the work of Parliament;
* provide the citizens with an opportunity to see the national Parliament, in the form of the NCOP, in action and to speak to its members and the executive, directly;
* make citizens aware of the impact that public participation can have on the political process; and
* enhance the ability of the NCOP to oversee the implementation of national policies and programmes.

As you may know, a wise man once said that the problems and challenges of democracy are solved by imposing more democracy.

The NCOP book is truly a good legacy that future generations will build upon and can be proud of.

I thank you

Issued by: The Presidency
23 October