President Jacob Zuma, accompanied by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, will tomorrow meet with executive mayors and mayors from all the country’s 283 municipalities, to discuss the strengthening of the local government sphere.
Taking place at the Oliver Tambo Hall in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, the meeting will be attended by the highest level of government representation and the three spheres of government, in the form of eleven national ministers, nine Premiers and all the nine MECs responsible for local government, as well as the South African Local Government Association. Also attending will be municipal managers from all 283 municipalities as well as Directors-General.
"The meeting highlights government’s determination to improve local government capacity. It forms part of government’s commitment to search for solutions to these challenges, building on progress made over the past few years, but acknowledging that a lot more still needs to be done. This meeting is a sequel to previous service delivery improvement sessions that the President has had with various stakeholders to improve dialogue and action within the public service, such as recent encounters with school principals and the police,” said Government spokesperson Themba Maseko.
In The Presidency budget vote, he indicated the need to re-organise government to ensure coherence in the way it carries out all its functions. "The last fifteen years have exposed serious gaps in inter-governmental coordination. Too often we have observed different spheres of government acting in a manner that is sometimes contradictory," President Zuma said.
Media are invited to cover the event as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Venue: OR Tambo Hall, Khayelitsha, Cape Town
Time: 09h00: Opening addresses
Media briefing: 13h30
Directions to the venue:
From Cape Town city centre: Take N2 Somerset West. Take the Mew Way off ramp and turn right. At the first robot turn left. The hall is on your left.
For more information contact:
Themba Maseko
Cell: 083 645 0810
Zingaphi Jakuja
Cell: 082 766 3940
Vincent Magwenya
Cell: 072 715 0024
Issued by: The Presidency
19 October 2009
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/)
