Department of Provincial and Local Government, Nomatyala Hangana, at the
National Assembly
24 May 2006
Chairperson
Honourable Minister for Provincial and Local Government
Honourable members
Allow me to acknowledge the presence in the gallery of eminent friends and
partners of the Ministry and the Department for Provincial and Local Government
(dplg). Amongst those whose partnership is indispensable to our functional
efficacy are:
* Honourable MECs responsible for local government and traditional
affairs
* National House of Traditional Leaders led by iNkosi Mzimela and other
traditional leaders of our people
* The leadership of the South African Local Government Association
(SALGA)
* Representatives of the Local Government Sector Education and Training
Authority (LGSeta)
* Members of the Audit Committee
* Representatives of the Development Bank of Southern Africa
* Representatives of the Financial and Fiscal Commission
* Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Commission for the Promotion and
Protection of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities
* CEO of the Commission for Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims
* CEO of the Cities Network
Public participation
The Local Government elections held on 1 March marked the beginning of a
second term of office for elected mayors and councillors since the introduction
of our new system of local government in 2000. This is an important milestone
in strengthening the democratic participation, on which our Constitution is
founded. Our system of local government is based on social dialogue, wherein
communities and the public at large are required by legislation to influence
and direct policy and development within their municipalities.
Indeed the last term of local government was marked by both achievements and
challenges. Achievements in that more of our communities now have access to
basic services; the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) notes that at least
a total of 374 733 household connections were made in the rural nodes from 2002
up to September 2005 despite the challenges experienced in this sector. These
connections have contributed differently towards improving the livelihoods of
these communities. For instance provision of electricity for cooking, lighting
and heating translates to lesser time being spent in collecting wood in some
rural communities.
It is indeed undeniable Chair that more people share in the hope of where we
are headed as government. Although we experienced challenges, which manifested
themselves in a manner and nature of public disturbances evidenced prior to
elections, the dplg report on the review of the past five years of local
government performance confirms that more effort should be directed towards
improving greater public participation. Ward Committees have been established
so that all social groups in wards are represented, including youth, women,
children and people with disabilities. In rural areas the geographic model is
used for the election of these representative structures, thereby, ensuring
that each ward has a voice in how its municipality should be governed.
In our development and democracy, South Africa recognises that culture,
religion and language are a central factor in the holistic development of a
nation. It was befitting therefore that in 2004, we saw the Commission for the
Promotion and Protection of these rights come into operation. We urge the
Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) to utilise existing government
structures such as Ward Committees and Integrated Development Plans (IDPs)
Forums to entrench their role of facilitating communication between communities
and government as it pertains to such issues.
In 2005, we started the municipal izimbizo programme, targeted at engaging
national, provincial, local and ward committees. Whilst we learnt that most
ward committee members had been trained in understanding their critical role as
linkages between the municipality and the community, we equally noted areas
that inhibited the operations of ward committees. We continue to encourage
communities to participate in these structures and support our Local Government
system. A handbook and a resource book were launched in February 2006 to close
some of these gaps. Structured and accredited training programmes will also be
rolled out in this term of office to make certain that we create a local
government environment that is responsive, transparent and accountable to our
communities.
Chair, current legislation has transformed the composition of traditional
councils to provide for elements of democracy (40 percent of members to be
elected) and gender representivity, one third of members must be women. We are
equally encouraged that traditional leadership now play a part in the national,
provincial and local spheres of government development initiatives and
programmes. We envisage a partnership with traditional leaders that must lend a
hand in uplifting the standards of living for an estimated 14 million people in
the rural areas.
Local economic development and the role of women
In the same vein that we need to bring government closer to communities, it
is necessary that we create conditions under which the local economy can grow
and increase the flow of incomes and stock of wealth and target support to
disadvantaged communities. Women have a considerable role to play in making
local economies work, and in many instances it is a decisive role. Around the
world women are the drivers of small enterprises, co-operatives and social
enterprises owing to their ability to plan and budget, which often derives from
their experience as carers and supporters of their families.
The Government�s �Framework for Stimulating Local Economies� clearly
indicates the need for sustainable community investment programmes, and
municipalities have a large responsibility for seeing that available
opportunities particularly from the myriad of government-financed programmes
are fully utilised at local level. There is ample scope for innovative ideas
and practices in this regard, which can frequently be developed through
community stakeholder participation.
Sustainable Community Investment Programmes look at how resources move
through a neighbourhood or a community and what impact that movement has on the
people within the community. The majority in the second economy are women who
are also in the remote rural areas and are still trapped in high levels of
poverty. This group is a priority for sustainable community development
programme.
Typical of the type of approach to encourage Sustainable Community
Programming is the Moutse Cotton Umbrella in Denilton, Mpumalanga. The Cotton
Umbrella is a representative community-based organisation comprising 14 cotton
farming associations in rural South Africa. Funded by the Labour Job Creation
Trust; after identifying the area as a "poverty pocket", It will benefit over
130 women farmers and has already created 150 new jobs, having begun producing
cotton despite a severe drought in the region.
Urban and rural development nodes
Due to the immigration of men to the urban areas in pursuit of employment
opportunities, women head most families in rural communities or most families
have one adult. Related to this is poor access to services and time spent
obtaining water and fuel. This makes it difficult for women to participate in
structures outside the family, as they are faced with the burden and
responsibility of looking after children. This situation is worsened by the
increase in number of families that are affected by HIV/AIDS.
These factors have combined and are noticeable in the negative effect on
participation of women in governance and development. We believe that the newly
elected and increased representation of women in local government will reverse
this undesirable trend. The interaction with community groups and enriching
local governance and local ownership of development processes including
participation in the initiatives that are aimed at the identification and
prioritisation of developmental needs is a critical cornerstone that defines
our system of social dialogue.
It is against this background that in the implementation of Integrated
Sustainable Rural Development Programme (ISRDP) / Urban Renewal Programme
(URP), government emphasised the need for developmental programmes to provide
benefits and opportunities to the vulnerable groups; more particularly, women,
youth and the disabled. Although minimal the analysis undertaken on nodes,
there is an indication that women and the youth do benefit from these
programmes directed towards geographic spaces.
According to the Department of Social Development 1 103 685 people were
receiving grants in the rural nodes in October 2005. This amounts to a total of
R498 million per month.
Eighty four percent of the people who receive grants are females. Majority
of the people who receive grants are children and pensioners. It must be noted
that by virtue of being primary childcare givers women become indirect
recipients of grants.
Several income generation projects that are being implemented in all the
nodal areas have provided benefits to the vulnerable groups. Another example is
the Goxe Cut-Flower in Alfred Nzo that involves the cultivation of cut flowers
for the local and export market, and that has created employment for 111 people
i.e. 27 women, 43 youth and 41 men.
Disaster management
The heavy rains that occurred in the North West Province between January and
April 2006 resulted in flooding, causing extensive damage to infrastructure in
the Greater Taung Municipal area, and leaving communities isolated with six
lives lost; was evidence of the vulnerabilities that we are still exposed to,
and challenges us to continuously find smarter ways of responding to these
unforeseen hazards. Apart from the fact that approximately 1 500 homes were
completely destroyed and several thousand people were left without shelter,
food or clothing, vulnerable groups such as women and children could not reach
clinics or schools.
Good early warning systems need to consider community vulnerabilities as
well as the hazards. The early warning signs for vulnerability are growing
poverty, environmental degradation, populations crowded in risky locations,
civil strife, and lack of knowledge and preparedness. Often there are warning
signs well ahead of a hazardous event, and we are confident that our National
Disaster Management Centre is gradually enhancing its capacity to detect and
respond timeously
We equally recognise good governance as a pre-requisite for effective
disaster management and, more broadly, for sustainable development. Significant
advances have been made to keep up with international standards and the
paradigm shift from response and recovery to that of prevention and mitigation.
However, there are a significant number of challenges that still need to be
addressed.
The dynamics of disaster management at the local, provincial and national
levels should be built through strong advocacy design and supported by
continuous management and distribution of information. And our integrated
development planning processes and legislated structures such as Ward
Committees need to be better utilised to achieve effective management of
disasters, natural or otherwise.
More and more countries are incorporating disaster prevention policies into
development plans. They are focusing on the value of improved risk assessments
and effective early warning systems. Reducing our vulnerability to natural
disasters is the best way to implement sustainable development strategies. We
must ensure that natural hazards, which are inevitable, do not necessarily turn
into major economic and social disasters.
In conclusion; all these factors have a particular effect on participation
in local government structures and generally. Interaction with community groups
and enriching local governance and local ownership of development processes,
including participation in developmental needs in this term of local government
is going to be the priority.
Notably Chair, are the challenges we have to address in the next term. These
relate to how we balance the need of self determination of communities as
desirable for the development of identity and confidence of which one is, and
the legitimising of historically entrenched privileged cultures. At what point
does self-determination promote exclusion and undermine nation building?
Chair, if we all agree that poverty is not just a lack of physical resources
for development but also implies powerlessness or inability to exert influence
upon those forces, which shape our livelihoods. It is therefore important to
create opportunities for all our communities to participate and contribute in
structures of governance, including women and youth. Local Government plays a
pivotal role in this realisation.
Thank you
Issued by: Department of Provincial and Local Government
24 May 2006
