The dawn of developmental local government that is responsive, accountable, efficient and effective came into being with the unanimous voting of the Local Government Municipal Systems Bill into law by Parliament today.
The Municipal Systems Amendment Act, 2011, is aimed at professionalising local government for improved service delivery and performance management, while also inculcating a people centred local government mindset in municipalities.
“One of the key objectives of the bill is to progressively align government systems of municipal administration and human resource management with that of the public service in national and provincial government,” Acting Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Mr Nathi Mthethwa, told MPs when the Bill was presented to Parliament last month.
“Local government will never be the same again. This Bill will open a new chapter in local government and help turn it around into a responsive, accountable, efficient and effective local government system that will help accelerate service delivery and the building of a better life for all,” he added.
One key objective of this legislation is to progressively align the systems of municipal administration and human resource management with that of the public service in national and provincial government. In addition, in some cases Municipalities, regardless of the political party in leadership, are staffed with employees who are not necessarily qualified to undertake their duties.
“It is for this reason that this Bill makes it mandatory for Municipalities to employ appropriately qualified and competent people,” Minister Mthethwa said.
The aim of the Bill, amongst others, is to professionalise local government by ensuring that the administrative apparatus of municipalities is staffed by appropriately qualified and competent persons to improve on service delivery.
Require employment contracts and performance agreements of municipal managers and managers directly accountable to municipal managers to be consistent with the uniform systems and procedures set nationally.
Extend the Minister’s regulatory power to make regulations relating to macro benefits such as medical aid and pension benefits after consultation with the Minister of Health and Finance.
The Local Government Municipal Systems Act is aimed at learning from the lessons, and addressing the weaknesses, of democratic local government since 1994 and 1998 in particular, which was when the country adopted the White Paper on Developmental Local Government. It further focuses squarely on the key issues that arose from the State of Local Government in 2009 Report.
Minister Mthethwa called on all political parties who are running municipalities to ensure that the Act is implemented fully in each municipality.
For more information, contact:
Ms Vuyelwa Qinga
Ministerial Media Liaison Officer
Tel: 012 334 0993
Cell: 082 887 3898
Source: Department for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
