local governments
12 December 2007
The government has received well over a hundred submissions from the public
responding to the call for contributions towards the review of policies on the
provincial and local government systems.
At a media briefing in Pretoria today the Minister for Provincial and Local
Government Sydney Mufamadi said that the majority of the submissions came from
the civil society, community organisations and the private sector.
Minister Mufamadi however added that the limited response from national and
provincial government departments was a particular area of concern.
* the roles of provincial government and two-tier local government
* refining the intergovernmental roles, functions and fiscal frameworks of
spheres
* strengthening capacity to meet basic needs and enable sustainable
development
* making co-operative governance work more effectively improving oversight,
performance management, and the monitoring and evaluation system
* deepening local democracy, accountability and participation.
Minister Mufamadi however added that the limited response from national and
provincial government departments was a particular area of concern. However,
all municipalities had made a consolidated submission under the banner of the
South African Local Government Association (Salga) and this constituted about
22% of all the 135 submissions received.
"The second largest contributions came from ordinary people, members of the
public who also wanted to be part of the process and there were also many
submissions that were consolidated into one, and these mainly came from
municipalities," said Minister Mufamadi. He said most of the submissions had
been vigorously analysed and this would now allow his department to take the
process into its second phase which also will still be characterised by
intensive consultation.
Several non-governmental organisations also held their own conferences or
seminars during this period, to which the department of provincial and local
government was invited to make an address on the process. Numerous other
consultative meetings were held with practitioners and stakeholders. According
to the Deputy Director-General for Governance, Policy and Research of the
Department of Provincial Government (dplg) who also is overseeing the process
Derek Powell, the research and public submissions provided some new insights
about the operation of the provincial and local government systems over the
past thirteen years. They also confirmed the findings of assessments undertaken
by the department and other state departments over the past years.
To this end, the department has classified the relevant issues and lessons
that would be considered further in the process into five main thematic
clusters. These themes form the framework and basis for the policy review,
targeted research and further consultation, and will inform the structure of
the white paper. They are substantially informed by research, submissions and
experience.
The five thematic areas are the following:
* the roles of provincial government and two-tier local government,
* deepening local democracy, accountability and participation,
* strengthening capacity to meet basic needs and enable sustainable
development,
* refining the intergovernmental roles, functions and fiscal frameworks of
spheres,
* making co-operative governance work more effectively and improving oversight,
performance management, and the monitoring and evaluation system.
Further research and consultations will examine these and other issues under
this theme to determine whether additional measures are needed. The next phase
of the review would be undertaken under each of these areas, leading to the
release of a draft white paper in mid 2008 for further public
consultation. Comprehensive geo-spatial modelling for clusters one and
two is underway and will enjoy priority in 2008.
The department of provincial and local government would publish on its
web-site selected research undertaken during the first phase. "It should be
stressed, and the public is requested to take note, that the views expressed by
the researchers in these papers belong to the authors, and should not be
attributed to the department or government. The overall process will culminate
in early 2009 when a white paper is submitted to Cabinet," said Powell.
Issued by: Department of Provincial and Local Government
12 December 2007
Source: Department of Provincial and Local Government (http://www.dplg.gov.za)
