New term for 'service delivery' mooted

2010-09-24 08:11

Bongani Mthembu

Durban - Delegates attending the ANC national general council feel that the use of the term "service delivery" should be stopped because it inculcated a sense of entitlement among people.

"Delegates raised concerns that the term should no longer be used because it encourages dependency. The term makes people believe that they will get everything from government," said Bathabile Dlamini, African National Congress (ANC) national executive committee member.

She was addressing the media on the resolutions of the ANC's social transformation commission at the NGC in Durban on Thursday evening.

"South Africans were mobilised people before 1994. They were hard workers but that has changed. They are now demobilised because
they think that government will do everything for them.

"They don't contribute anything. They destroy what they have when they demand something," she said.

Dlamini said they had been tasked by delegates to come up with a new term which would replace "service delivery".

Grants and dependency

There were also concerns that social grants created dependency.

"It was suggested that economic activity should be created through co-operatives to ensure that we ease pressure on social grants," she said.

Delegates had also raised concerns about the growing number of informal settlements in towns and cities.

"It was said that they should be discouraged at all costs so that we can deal with housing backlogs," said Phumulo Masaule, member of the social transformation committee.

"Although we have made significant progress in the profession of housing the challenge never stops because there is an influx of
people to towns and cities," he said.

Action was needed against the illegal occupiers of land as soon as they occupied land, he said. "They said as soon as it happens it should be acted upon," said Masaule.

Delegates had also raised concerns that people sold or rented out houses they received from government.

"They leave houses and go back to informal settlements."

The NGC also accepted the draft Gender Equity Bill, intended to ensure a 50/50 representation in key positions.

The bill would enforce gender parity measures across all sectors.
 

- SAPA