mayors and councillors at the roundtable discussion on infrastructure service
delivery
23 March 2007
Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi addressed over five
hundred mayors, councillors responsible for Integrated Development Planning
(IDP), finance and infrastructure implementation, South African Local
Government Association (SALGA), Members of the Portfolio Committee on
Provincial and Local Government, MECs for Local Government and government
officials at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Gauteng today in a roundtable
discussion on infrastructure service delivery.
The Minister shared with delegates, government progress in providing
services such as water and sanitation to the poor, since the launch of Project
Consolidate just over two years ago.
"We have succeeded in surpassing our own targets especially in the area of
the provision of water," said Minister Mufamadi.
Over 281 Service Delivery Facilitators (SDFs) to 85 of the 139 Project
Consolidate municipalities have been deployed. These SDFs have since their
deployment unblocked a number of projects that have begun to improve the lives
of the people.
Minister Mufamadi confirmed the targets as part of Government's vision 2014,
and reminded municipalities that all the targets must be met.
"Targets that have been set are not open for review and no municipality will
be exempted from meeting them," said the Minister.
However, the Minister acknowledged the need to enhance government's
institutional capacity to cope with the challenges of meeting the targets.
"In order for municipalities to increase the pace to redress the
infrastructure backlogs, we need to know as we leave this round table, which
national department is going to do what, which provincial department is going
to do what and what will be done by municipalities," said the Minister.
The delegates committed to the five-year Local Government Strategic Agenda
and interventions to enhance infrastructure service.
Sector departments also committed to sector support strategies that are
aligned to lessons learnt from Project Consolidate and adequately address
municipal challenges. Sector departments are now expected to finalise their
Master Sector Plans by May 2007. These will help provinces and municipalities
to spend and invest in infrastructure more effectively to achieve sustainable
human settlements.
These Sector Master Plans are expected to be aligned with the IDPs and
Infrastructure investment plans to be finalised by Municipalities by the end of
June 2007.
Mayors and councillors committed to meeting the government target with more
emphasis on the 2007 eradication of the bucket system of sanitation.
The Department of Provincial and Local Government (the dplg) will be tabling
the Municipal Infrastructure Support Strategy and the Infrastructure Policy
Principles for the Sustainable Delivery of Services and the Roles and
Responsibilities of the three spheres of government for the implementation on 1
April.
These guidelines will ensure that municipalities structure and manage their
administrative, budgeting and planning processes to give priority to the basic
needs of the community and to promote the social and economic development of
the community.
For more information, please contact:
Luzuko Koti
Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: (012) 334 0699
Cell: 083 391 0073
Issued by: Department of Provincial and Local Government
23 March 2007
