service delivery
7 March 2007
Gauteng municipalities have signed a mutual aid agreement to assist each
other during disasters. The mutual aid agreement signed by the Head of
Department (HOD) of the Gauteng Department of Local Government Oupa Seabi and
representatives from the three metros and three district municipalities in
Gauteng, would lead to municipalities collaborating on fire and emergency
services. The signatories of the agreement are the City of Johannesburg,
Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality, Tshwane and Sedibeng, West Rand and Metsweding
Districts.
Speaking at the signing ceremony in Johannesburg, Seabi described the
agreement as a step in the right direction, moreover since Gauteng is pursuing
the global city region perspective. He said the global city region perspective
fosters co-operation and integration between all municipalities and the
province. "This is a good initiative from the perspective of service delivery
from the provincial point of view since there is an agreement for working
together between municipalities and the province. This agreement is a step in a
right direction towards alignment of various projects by municipalities in the
province and it came at a time when Gauteng is moving towards a global city
region perspective. It is important on how Gauteng would like to work as a
unit, flowing from the global city region perspective. It is a case of
municipalities working together, supporting one another in order to achieve the
goals of a global city region," Seabi said.
The agreement stipulates the mechanism whereby local authorities in the
province should assist each other during major emergencies with manpower and
equipment. Gauteng Local Government Director for Disaster Management Colin
Deiner said the agreement means that when a major disaster strikes,
municipalities would be able to assist one another. "For example, the fire in a
major high-rise building in the Munitoria building in Pretoria in 1997
necessitated the Pretoria emergency services to request assistance from the
Johannesburg, Sandton and Boksburg Fire departments respectively. "This would
ensure better co-operation and co-ordination of emergency services, especially
during disaster incidents, most importantly that such incidents would be
co-ordinated at the central point with the establishment of the Provincial
Disaster Management Centre," said Deiner.
He added that since providing emergency services required specialised
equipment, municipalities with resources would then assist those with no
specialised equipments. Commenting on the agreement, Moshema Mosia of
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan municipality said the agreement will ensure that
municipalities work together and share resources on certain projects and also
enable them to align their various projects. Dr AN Gule from the City of
Johannesburg said, "We have been working well as municipalities in Gauteng in a
"gentlemen's agreement but now I am glad that we finally signed a proper
framework that will guide us on going forward," she said.
Wiek Alberts of the City of Tshwane said the agreement came at the right
time in which the province and all municipalities have to work together to make
Gauteng a global city region. "The agreement would fast track the process of
making Gauteng a globally competitive city region since there will be clear
understanding as outlined in the mutual agreement document," he said.
For more information, contact:
Themba Sepotokele
Tel: (011) 355 5111
Cell: 082 490 9869
Issued by: Department of Local Government, Gauteng Provincial
Government
7 March 2007
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government (http://www.gpg.gov.za/)
