The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) will next week, hold a seminar under the theme "Accelerating Service Delivery and Addressing Challenges through effective Cooperative Governance" as part of the new local government week initiative.
The aim of the local government seminar is to provide an opportunity for national reflection on issues affecting local government and to seek solutions to those challenges, in order to improve the lives of South Africans through accelerated service delivery.
The initiative is a culmination of a series of consultations between the leadership of the NCOP and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) which led to a concrete programme of engagement between the two institutions earlier this year.
The objectives of the local government week are as follows:
- to showcase successes and challenges confronting municipalities in the execution of the developmental mandate
- to assess the adequacy of the support framework from national and provincial government, as envisaged by the Constitution
- to explore means of enforcing the constitutional support framework and
- to facilitate dialogue on local government issues and foster a
- to reach common understanding on the challenges at hand, as well as to propose short-term, medium term and long-term solutions.
The deliberations will focus on the following topics proposed by SALGA and considered by the NCOP for the 2012 round of engagement:
- Sound policy and legislative framework to accelerate service delivery
- Building the capacity of local government to accelerate service delivery
- Sustainable human settlements and municipal infrastructure
- The role of local government in stimulating local economic and rural development
- Sustainable financial systems and appropriate fiscal framework for local government
- Addressing the fiscal challenges for effective service delivery
Parliamentarians, senior members of the national and provincial SALGA leadership, national Cabinet and Provincial Executive Councils, Mayors of selected metropolitan, district and local municipalities, the Auditor-General, independent analysts and strategic entities have been invited.
The outcomes of the deliberations will be the subject of a special sitting of the NCOP on Friday, 3 August, that will focus on local government matters.
This initiative is an important milestone in the history of engagement between the NCOP and SALGA. It will serve as an important means towards fulfilling the constitutional injunction that national and provincial government must support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities.
It provides an opportunity to SALGA to heed the call to take its rightful place and utilise its voice in the NCOP more meaningfully, as required by the Constitution.
The local government week seminar is part of a number of initiatives planned to mark the 15th anniversary of the NCOP.
Details of the seminar:
Date: Tuesday, 31 July to Friday, 3 August 2012
Time: 08h30
Venue: Old Assembly Chamber, Parliament
Click here to view the programme.
Members of the media wishing to attend the sessions should forward their details, to Nolizwi Magwagwa, nmagwagwa@parliament.gov.za; copying Khuthala Noah, knoah@parliament.gov.za, and Milisa Kentane, mkentane@salga.org.za by Monday, 30 July 2012 at 14h00. Details required are full name, ID or passport number, name of media house, designation (photographer, journalists for example).
