The second MinMEC meeting hosted by Minister Lechesa Tsenoli and Deputy Minister Andries Nel was held in Atteridgeville in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. The meeting was attended by all provinces and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA),
By holding the meeting in Atteridgeville, a former African group area, all spheres of government - national, provincial and local - were sending a powerful message that they were committed to transforming the spatial geography of apartheid in line with the National Development Plan. Last week CoGTA released a discussion document, Towards an Integrated Urban Development Framework, to address these matters.
The MINMEC started with a brief tour of key infrastructure projects in Atteridgeville for media and delegates. The sites included the first 110 completed units in a highly successful mixed income RDP housing project in the Elandspoort-Danville area, the first of a planned 407 units; a sports field greening project at the Mbolekwa Stadium, and the upgrading (to dual carriageway) of Maunde Street between Khoza Street and the Quagga Road intersections, which will ease congestion on this busy road.
“These are examples of cooperative governance in action”, said Minister Tsenoli. After that it was down to formal MinMec business. And serious business it was; included on the agenda were:
- The Draft Broadband Policy and its probable impact on municipal ICT systems; (On this subject, Minister Carrim, newly installed at the Department of Communications felt so strongly about the importance of broadband to the future of municipalities that he came in person to present his case.)
- Further discussion on proposals related to the Framework on Tools of Trade for Traditional Leaders;
- A report on the Department of Public Works’ National Contractor Development programme;
- A progress report on the implementation of the resolutions of the 2013 Women in Local Governance Conference; and, possibly most importantly,
- Extensive discussion on the challenges facing municipalities following the 2011/2012 Municipal Audit Outcomes report – a highly critical document from the Auditor General.
CoGTA’s response has been equally dramatic. The department has appealed to municipalities to redouble their efforts to comply with Operation Clean Audit’s goal of achieving unqualified opinions from 100% of municipalities and municipal entities by the time of the next audit in 2014. In response, all provinces are springing into action, by providing coordinated support packages; forming dedicated committees to coach and monitor their municipalities. In addition, some provinces have taken remedial steps by staffing up their municipal entities at provincial expense, while others are bolstering municipal management.
At a press conference Minister Tsenoli stressed that CoGTA would accept no more excuses for lack of adherence to Treasury rules. There would be consequences for infringements and harsh retribution for fraud and corruption.
CoGTA itself, in partnership with SALGA, National Treasury, DPSA, the DoC and the Auditor General, is championing a coordinated programme to greatly improve ICT at local government level in all provinces.
For more information and enquiries, contact
Tsakani Baloyi
Cellt 082 052 0892
