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Commendable target can become a trap
Emerging from their two-day lekgotla last week, President Jacob Zuma and his Cabinet have adopted a new programme of action, setting a number of new performance targets in what is partially designed to be a bold display of a new focused, hands-on approach. And, it seems following from this, a number of non-performing ministers may be in for the chop in a possible Cabinet reshuffle.
All this is necessary and very commendable – if, indeed, it achieves what it aims to achieve. Two things are of concern, however. One is the politically dangerous setting of possibly unrealistically high targets and deadlines. The other is that the same was done a year ago by the Zuma administration – with most of those targets and deadlines not having been met.
While successive presidential State of the Nation addresses in recent years have been heavily criticised for announcing an array of wonderful initiatives without setting specific or detailed targets – thus allowing them to drift off into political oblivion – the opposite can be equally problematic. A fine and reasonable balance is required.
The danger of missed targets was aptly demonstrated by the recent recession having sunk many earlier well-intentioned government initiatives. Protests such as the service delivery protests seen across South Africa are also born out of the frustration created by such failed programmes and targets. With the unwelcome prospect of a possible double-dip second recession still hovering on the horizon, it would be unwise to again link the latest programme of action to targets that are too rigid or too ambitious.
However, the new programme of action and its targets should not be seen in isolation, and neither is this entirely new. The programme and its targets are part of a process started at the previous Cabinet lekgotla in January when Cabinet agreed on sets of high-level outputs, indicators and targets for each of 12 specified outcomes. These formed the basis for the performance agreements which President Zuma then entered into with ministers at the end of April.
Ministers were then asked to work with key partners to negotiate a Delivery Agreement which would clarify who does what, when and with what resources to achieve the particular outcome. President Zuma promised that once the Delivery Agreements were finalised, there would be careful monitoring of their implementation. Last week, he said the contents of the Delivery Agreements will form the basis of the government’s new Programme of Action that emerged from the latest lekgotla.
It is thought that this process will be used to inform any Cabinet reshuffle that may be on the cards – an anticipated development over which there is much current speculation in political and media circles.
However, while a number of new initiatives and targets have been announced in terms of the latest government programme of action, a number of those announced up to a year ago have either not been completed, are not progressing on schedule, or have missed their deadlines and targets altogether.
Among the latest targets are the following:
Education
The government aims to get 200 000 children between the ages of 7 and 15 into school before 2014 to promote universal access to education. Targets have been set for the improvements in results at various grades over time through providing all schools with appropriate learner and teacher support materials.
Health
New initiatives and further rollouts in terms of the Health Delivery Agreement aim to address diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and others, as well as performance problems in the public health system. A major focus will be early treatment of patients who are HIV positive. Nothing was said of the proposed National Health Insurance plan.
Crime
President Zuma again promised to employ further the successful policing and justice arrangements used for the Fifa Soccer World Cup to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the justice system and crime prevention. The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster has been mandated to create an Anti-Corruption Task Team which is tasked with fast-tracking the investigation and prosecution of cases of corruption.
Human settlements
One target set by the government is to “positively impact on the quality of life” of 400 000 households by 2014 by upgrading informal settlements. President Zuma said this will provide households with security of tenure as well as access to essential services in sites which are close to economic and other social amenities. Each province has indicated what its contribution to the national target would be, he said.
Rural development and land reform
President Zuma said the government will focus on the expansion of commercial farming and agri-processing opportunities to stimulate local economic growth and employment, while also increasing the number of small-holder farmers and their market share. In addition, a parallel strategy of providing predictable income for the poor through work in the Community Work Programme will be intensified.
Infrastructure development
The president promised that the government would build on the successful delivery of World Cup infrastructure, by forging ahead with the delivery of major projects including various power station and renewable energy projects, the Ingula pump storage scheme, the Mooi-Umgeni water transfer scheme and other water projects, the completion of the new petroleum pipeline, the completion of the Gautrain in the next year, and the countrywide expansion of bus rapid transit systems.
Youth development
There was a particular focus on the challenge of youth unemployment and skills, and a number of proposed initiatives were discussed in this regard, including increased access to post-school education and training, and post-Matric access to programmes that are occupationally directed.
Economic growth and development
A presentation on the draft developmental economic growth path document that has been compiled since January was presented to the lekgotla. It was agreed that a special Cabinet meeting will be held shortly to focus on developing the document further, with the focus to be on large-scale employment creation. No major new promises were made on job creation, as this will be addressed in the developmental economic growth path document.
Many have urged the government to embrace the very effective project management approach used to complete various construction and other projects on time for the 2010 World Cup. President Zuma himself has since also expressed the wish that the government should tackle its challenges in this way. However, the incompletion or missed targets and deadlines of various programmes create a high degree of uncertainty around the government’s intended programmes and outcomes.
(For full report, click here)
