Programme director,
Municipal Managers
Municipal CFOs
Senior Government Officials
SALGA representatives
DWA representatives
MISA representatives
Good morning,
Programme director,
Today, offers us an important opportunity to make a diagnostic analysis and assessment on our ability to implement Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) in our municipalities in an endeavour of pushing back the frontiers of poverty. It is incumbent upon this collective wisdom to sharpen and determine mechanisms of accelerating infrastructure development in our communities. The fundamental question is what occasioned this workshop and how best we can do to improve MIG performance.
The marked increase in service delivery protests clearly indicate that is not well in how we conduct our business and this can be worse if the report depicts this gloomy scenario of under expenditure and surrendering of MIG. We all need to urgently occupy ourselves with how we can correct this unpalatable situation and we should not degenerate into labelling the underperforming municipalities as failures. It is a fact that the more integrated our co-operative governance is, the more effective we will be as state and the greater will be our capacity to deliver services and ensure development
This strategic dialogue must serve as platform of collective learning, in which we share experiences, learn from each other, assess what is working and empower each other. We must make sure that we recognise excellence where it exists and build on it but we are duty-bound to provide concrete programmes to unlock systemic blockages. It is our responsibility to deepen efforts to transform the economic patterns of the present in order to realise our vision for the better future and ensure that we place service delivery at the centre of our transformation and development agenda. We are meeting to sharpen government's efforts towards reconstruction and development of our province.
This occasion, the workshop on Municipal Infrastructure Grant Best Practices becomes very important. It also becomes very important because it is time we sent a message to millions of our people who have been promised clean running water, decent ablution facilities, roads and other important basic needs. The message must be clear and it should be that we are local government, a sphere of government by its nature, is at the coalface of service delivery. We are constitutionally obliged to provide basic services and the massive under-expenditure on MIG despite high levels of service backlogs is a worrying trend that should get everyone here thinking long and hard.
Greatly encouraging is to witness a gathering of this nature where the administrative leadership of our local sphere of government unite with one mission in mind, that is, to strategise on how best to deliver on the mandate and most importantly to reflect on the lessons learned in the utilisation of Municipal Infrastructure Grant. It shows your determination and commitment to make a contribution towards our programme of building integrated and sustainable communities and breathing life into the five key pillars of our manifesto.
This day should literally help all of us chart a progressive righteous way forward towards ensuring that quality service delivery in our province becomes a reality. It should be a reality in the lives of our people who remain destitute and do not have access to services such as water, electricity and decent houses. These are the people who said in an overwhelming voice back in 1994 that the ANC is our only hope to lead us to a better life. Since then they have been renewing our mandate to deliver services and improve the lives of people where it matters the most.
Programme director,
At the centre of our deliberations today should be a focus on infrastructure development and its relation to service delivery, particularly, at this important sphere that is closest to our people and in touch with the people on a daily basis. Obviously, the approach to these deliberations and thought provoking discussions should be informed by policies, which all of you are aware of. It will also be informed equally by the need to implement such policies with greater and sheer efficiency, effectiveness and integration. This integrated and collective approach to implementation is what our people require from the administrative arm of government. Gathered here today as the representatives of this arm of government that is ready to ensure that our people in 30 municipalities will benefit from the allocated Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG).
With service delivery protests being a regular feature in South African life, we should feel the pressure in this workshop to share best practices, sharpen each other's capacities and capabilities to progressively roll out this important infrastructure initiatives through the astute use of the MIG. This grant is intended to assist municipalities with providing basic municipal infrastructure and community services to low-income households and promoting economic development. As we deliberate, we must ask ourselves tough questions: Are we extremely proud of what we have achieved with this programme in this province? Have we excelled with delivery of basic services? Have we utilised the grant for infrastructure programmes in disadvantaged areas as intended?
Let us as we deliberate think hard and answer these questions. This we must do because there are still massive backlogs in service delivery that are a result of South Africa's apartheid legacy and the backlog should not be as a consequence of our failure to spend the grant. What we need going forward is a world class infrastructure which is an important first step in building a world class province. The key to achieving and meeting these needs is the determination to the creation and maintenance of quality municipal infrastructure like good roads, bridges, reliable supply clean water and the provision of sufficient electricity.
We must through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) continue to develop and upgrade existing infrastructure for the disadvantaged communities and with the provision of infrastructure, the ANC led government can restore human dignity and self- respect to the poor. Through the incisive use of the allocated MIG we can to a certain extent make a difference and impact our people yearn for. My call therefore on our municipalities is to grab this opportunity that has been eluding this important sphere of government and let us together make that much needed difference in the lives of our people. So it cannot be business as usual.
Programme director,
Our people are aware that there is this grant and it is up to us to convince them that their money is efficiently utilised. We have to prove that we can be trusted in the handling of taxpayers' money and use it for what it is meant for. We must not forget that our infrastructure programme has its roots and origins in the Reconstruction and Development Programme (the famous RDP) a programme we have consistently pursued since 1994. Looking back, we can recognise that strides of significance have been made in infrastructure provision. More still needs to be given the massive levels of service delivery backlogs.
We emphasise the spending of the grant at this local sphere of government because it addresses two important areas that are critical in nature. The provision of basic services to our people is addressed when we spend the grant. The second important area is the commitment of our government to create conditions for sustainable local economic development. We know that in the process of constructing infrastructure, manpower is needed and jobs will be created, be it temporary or permanent. This should tell us how important infrastructure development is and the opportunities it brings. Let us make sure that our people are not the ones to miss out as and when these opportunities present themselves.
Our commitment to the Millennium Development targets stipulates that by 2014, all households must have access to clean water, sanitation and reliable energy source. Indications are that, if current trends are anything to go by, it will need exceptional and credible leadership, commitment and dedication to achieve stipulated. This commitment will require us to among others efficiently spend all the available resources dedicated to Municipal Infrastructure Development.
The provincial picture with regard to spending MIG is not impressive and has been declining since 2010/11 financial year with over R 983 million remaining unspent. What does this say about us as a sphere whose function is to deliver services? Doesn't it give people an impression that our municipalities do not the requisite capacity to execute these programmes? It gives an impression that this is a government that leaves the responsibility of delivering services in the hands of people who are not bothered to do their jobs. To have spent 60% by the end of 2012/13 translates to having robbed our people of 40% of their better lives, something that our people rightfully deserve.
It is this workshop that must find ways and means of improving this unimpressive trend in a quest improve the lives of the poorest of the poor. This platform is perfect for exchanging ideas on how to fast track infrastructure development in the province. It also a perfect platform for all of us to open each other's eyes and be alive to the fact that our people are watching and want that important service at their doorsteps. It emerged in our meeting with mayors two weeks ago that one of the reasons of this poor expenditure is delay by DWA in approving technical reports. I am happy that DWA is part of this workshop and this issue will trashed out once and for all.
Programme director,
It is a mammoth task but all of us when we return to our municipalities, should ensure that the technical team, engineers, planners, and administrative staff go to great length in getting projects approved in time, then we can talk a different language the next time we meet. We must work towards spending every cent and we must be able to describe in details what is proposed in terms of each project that has been submitted.
Equally crucial is to ensure that site visits are conducted to evaluate the merits of the project and whether it fulfils the purpose of the MIG programme not forgetting to monitor expenditure on a monthly basis. There can certainly be progress if we also jerk up our planning and project management capabilities and various other skills that a municipality possess. We must be totally committed to service delivery and enforce the position that MIG is a team effort. The establishment of MISA must assist us to enhance spending capacity on MIG/RBIG.
It is important for each one of us gathered here to work very hard towards creating conditions in which those who continue to be marginalised can also enjoy the fruits of our democracy. This can only happen if careful planning and decisive leadership is the order of the day when utilising these funds for the intended purpose. This is a responsibility which is grounded in ensuring that we accelerate the delivery of services, particularly to the poor and at the same time create conditions for economic development. It is about holistic sustainable infrastructure delivery mechanism. The current policy framework encourages integrated development and forward planning. I have to admit at this stage that forward planning is still elusive generally in Public Service. It is our responsibility as representatives of the people to ensure that these policy imperatives are implemented without fail.
Programme Director, the National Findings on Municipal Capacity Assessment in the year 2010/11, have revealed a high staff turnover in municipalities' Strategic Management Positions. This is a major concern to all of us and it can't continue unabated. On average, a Municipal Manager and a CFO spend 3 years in their positions. Percentage of Section 57 managers that left during the financial year 2011 is 15.7% while those that resigned are at 63.8%. These are worrying figures because the loss of these skilled personnel disrupts the capacity of the Democratic Government to provide service delivery.
We need clear plans to ensure that municipalities are in a position to guarantee uninterrupted provision of basic services. Surely, municipalities cannot have uninterrupted provision of services while we encounter high staff turnover at the strategic level. Our plans should also include emphasising compliance with the minimum competency levels when appointing senior managers in our municipalities.
Programme director,
The Auditor General's latest report on Local Government painted a dismal picture with only 17 of the country's 278 audited municipalities receiving clean audits for the past financial year. Clearly, there is slow progress towards attaining clean audits and as municipalities you know what your respective outcomes are. The question is, are you happy? The report also revealed sadly that most of our municipalities are dysfunctional, lack effective internal controls and are plagued by rampant corruption. It also revealed lack of skills and accountability as well as little revenue base.
Auditees incurred unauthorised, irregular as well as fruitless and wasteful expenditure. This is happening while MFMA clearly requires Accounting Officers to take reasonable steps to ensure that such expenditures are prevented. I believe you will agree that these serious anomalies should not be happening while 2014 is around the corner. It is therefore critical that strong and effective and credible leadership is urgently needed. We need an uncompromising credible leadership to deal with corruption and maladministration fearlessly.
In conclusion, Programme Director, let me emphasise the importance of building partnership and where they are already in existence, they should be strengthened to ensure that municipalities function to their full capacity and manage to deliver services to all communities effectively and efficiently. The challenges are great. However, we believe that gathered here are capable men and women who are equal to the task. As agents of change, let us utilise this opportunity to share experiences and exchange views to advance and lay a firm foundation of a Developmental State.
Each and every participant in today's programme has a role to play, not only in this workshop, but in each and every municipality. I call on you to strengthen one another as we continue to increase our efforts to serve our people.
Thank you very much and I wish you success in your deliberations.
Thank you.
