Excellence Awards
5 December 2007
Three municipalities in Gauteng have scooped seven awards at the national
Vuna Awards, signalling that the province was on course in pursuing the Global
City Region Perspective.
Municipalities were judged on five key performance areas (KPAs): service
delivery, local economic development, financial viability, institutional
transformation and good governance. The City of Johannesburg walked away with
R2 million, a trophy and a plaque for being named the overall winner in the
Category A: Municipality (Metros). The municipality also won in the category of
institutional transformation and good governance and awarded certificates.
The West Rand District Municipality shared the second position with Ugu
District Municipality in Category C: Municipality (District). They were both
presented with plaques. The overall winner in that category went to Bophirima
District Municipality and was presented with R2 million, trophy and a
plaque.
Although Gauteng municipalities did not win in the Category B: (Local), the
West Rand District Municipality walked away with the Financial Viability and
Institutional Transformation and awarded certificates and Sedibeng District
Municipality for Service Delivery in the Category C.
Presenting the awards, Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney
Mufamadi said although the participation by municipalities has decreased from
220 in 2003 to 141 in 2007, the benchmarks set by previous participants have
set a high standard for this year. "In a situation where the gradient of
contestation is becoming steeper, 141 municipalities constitute a significant
confirmation of the welcome fact that in our fledgling democracy, outstanding
municipalities are not unsustainable exceptions.
"All our 283 municipalities are replete with conditions that make them a
theatre of struggle a zone of combat maladies that plague humanity. These range
from problems of inadequate access to basic services, subjection to grinding
levels of poverty, to high levels of insecurity which our communities suffer in
the hands of criminals. "Even the apparently well endowed municipalities did
not have an unambiguous head start. They also faced and continue to face, the
challenge posed by the reality of us having significant numbers of households
that are without easy access to critical life-sustaining resources," said
Mufamadi.
Gauteng Local Government MEC Qedani Dorothy Mahlangu congratulated the 2007
winners, adding that Gauteng has set a trend which other municipalities should
follow. "During the Provincial Vuna awards three weeks ago, we said Gauteng
municipalities should win these awards to show the rest of the country and the
continent at large that we are indeed a smart province. We are trendsetters in
Gauteng and we want to continue in that regard.
"This marvellous performance by the three municipalities who managed to
scoop seven awards is a step in the right," Mahlangu said. City of Johannesburg
Executive Mayor Amos Masondo said the city's vision was to build a Johannesburg
into a world class Africa city. "I can safely say that our finances are
improving. We have recently launched the Municipal Bonds where citizens can
invest money and we continue to raise money through the private sector.
"Our urban renewal and rejuvenation strategy is working well and we have
also formed partnerships with civil society and the churches. We are dealing
with issues of crime and we have plans to make the inner city safe. Business is
coming back to Johannesburg. "We have done excellent work in tarring all the
roads in Soweto and currently we are expanding the project to other townships
including Alexandra, Ivory Park, Diepsloot. We are building houses in
Pennyville near New Canada railway station and in Lehae near Lenasia," said
Masondo.
For more information contact:
Themba Sepotokele
Department of Local Government
Tel: 011 355 5111
Cell: 082 490 9869
Issued by: Department of Local Government, Gauteng Provincial
Government
5 December 2007
