The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Ms Thembi Nkadimeng is set to host the Summit on Ethical Leadership in Local Government, marking the culmination of three years of collaborative efforts within the Local Government Ethical Leadership Initiative.
The Local Government Ethical Leadership Initiative (LGELI) – a partnership between The Ethics Institute (TEI), the Department for Cooperative Governance (DCoG), the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), and the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM) – was established to develop the Code for Ethical Leadership in Local Government as envisaged in the Local Government Anti-Corruption Strategy. It is a five-year project that commenced in October 2019 and is convened under the Chairpersonship of Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa.
The rich contigent of speakers will comprise of the Deputy Ministers Tau and Burns-Ncamashe of CoGTA, Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders - Kgosi Seatlholo, President of SALGA - Cllr Sofile, Father Mkhatshwa of MRM, Professor Fikeni of the PSC, Advocate Mothibi of the SIU, Professor Rossouw of the Ethics Institute, Ms van Donk of the Isandla Insitute among others.
The existing governance frameworks and standards, including the Codes of Conduct for Municipal Councillors and Municipal Staff Members, all deal with issues of integrity. They are however frequently silent on some of the most pressing ethical challenges facing municipal leadership. The King Code for Corporate Governance successfully addresses structural challenges to good governance in the private sector, but nothing similar exists to support local government leaders.
An urgent need was therefore identified for a strategic conversation among municipal leaders and broader societal role-players to systematically identify the ethical challenges of local government leadership, as well as the structural factors that give rise to them.
The primary objective of the Summit is to launch the Code for Ethical Leadership in Local Government and facilitate discussions on its implementation and integration within the sector. Key stakeholders expected to participate include members of the LGELI Advisory Committee and working groups, project partners, municipal leaders, civil society representatives, traditional leaders, as well as national, provincial, and local government officials.
Members of the media are invited to the Summit scheduled to take place as follows:
Date: Friday, 01 March 2024
Time: 09h00
Venue: Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre, Boksburg
To RSVP, kindly send your details to Ms Neliswa Chiloane: NeliswaC@cogta.gov.za/066 333 0014
Media enquiries:
Legadima Leso
Cell: 066 479 9904
Tsekiso Machike
Cell: 078 237 3900
