Following the recent launch of the handbook for Facilitating Development and Governance Responses to HIV and AIDS by Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Sicelo Shiceka, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and partners have now upped the stakes by embarking on a massive training programme to pave the way for municipalities and provinces to implement the key tenets of the handbook to curtail the impact of the disease.
The weeklong “Train the Trainer” programme for provincial service providers took place during the week of 22 to 25 February 2010, and came at a time when Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs was maximising its presence in municipalities to support local government in developing their turn around strategies.
One of the key pillars on which the turnaround process will hang on is the ability of the human resources component’s response in tackling the identified challenges. The training of trainers as part of the implementation process of the HIV and AIDS handbook is a clear demonstration of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ commitment to mitigating against what could be the debilitating impact of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in local government and the vision of a developmental state.
The involvement of the established powerful national task team involving Medical Research Council (MRC), South African Local Government Association (SALGA), German Technical Corporation (GTZ) and Centre for Municipal Research and Advice (CMRA) together with the provincial AIDS councils, has given credence to the training of the facilitators who will go to municipalities to strengthen their efforts in the battle against the epidemic.
Various appointed service providers from the provinces received training, which they will cascade to municipal officials who are expected to employ strategies to mainstream HIV and AIDS related matters in their municipalities and the communities they serve.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ focus on the epidemic follows a sobering realisation that local government has a huge role to play to mitigate the impact of HIV and AIDS in their communities hence the call for municipalities to consider the epidemic in their day to day development and governance decisions.
Following last week’s successful training, a massive training of integrated development planning managers and AIDS coordinators in all municipalities in Mpumalanga, Free State and Eastern Cape will ensue. The three provinces have been targeted as pilots before a full roll-out across the country.
Issued by: Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
25 February 2010
Source: Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (http://www.cogta.gov.za/)
