Qedani Mahlangu, on the strategic agenda on track in Gauteng
22 February 2007
Following the 2005 local government elections, a plan to make local
government work better was developed. This plan aims to ensure that by 2011 we
will have viable and sustainable local government.
Some of the initiatives taken to support municipalities have been:
1. Deployment of senior engineers, graduates and students
So far 24 senior engineers have been deployed in municipalities such as
Merafong, Randfontein, Kungwini, Emfuleni, Nokeng tsa Taemane, Lesedi,
Westonaria, Sedibeng and Metsweding district municipalities. A total number of
14 graduates and 34 students have undergone training and successful candidates
have been deployed permanently in these municipalities.
These engineers have supported municipalities in:
* developing master plans for water, sanitation, roads and waste
disposal
* project management
* infrastructure master planning
* engineering advice.
2. Deployment of Suitably Qualified Accountants (SQAs)
To support efforts to improve financial management in municipalities, the
department has deployed finance experts in municipalities. So far 15
accountants have been deployed in all municipalities. Progress has already been
made in areas such as assets registers, assets verification process and debtors
and other issues raised by the Auditor-General (AG).
A key assignment of these deployees is to support municipalities in their
efforts to obtaining unqualified audits by 2009.
3. Competency assessments
The department has conducted competency tests for Section 57 posts in most
municipalities, to ensure that the skilled and right people are appointed.
So far 150 candidates have undergone competency testing for Section 57
posts.
In addition all municipal managers have undergone these assessments prior to
employment. The current state of municipal manager employment in Gauteng is
that we have municipal managers employed on five year contracts in all but
Kungwini and Westonaria. Tshwane is in the process of filling its vacant
municipal manager post.
4. Capacity building and skills development
The department is providing executive leadership and management development
training programmes to 60 Members of Mayoral Committees (MMCs). This programme
is implemented in partnership with the Pretoria University School of
Government. Areas of training are:
Municipal policy, integrated development planning and municipal service
provision, public management and technique, managing municipal finance,
municipal budgeting and development, human resource (HR) management and
personnel and professional development.
Municipal finances:
The state of municipal finances remains a concern for the department. Aside
from the deployment of skilled support people very detailed studies have been
concluded into the state of municipal finances in Gauteng by the advisory
committee that I established last year. I am expecting a comprehensive report
and recommendations from this committee by the end of March on how best to
ensure municipal financial viability.
5. Gauteng Municipal Finance Summit
The department in partnership with Provincial Treasury will hold a summit on
municipal finance with all relevant stakeholders where the recommendations of
the advisory committee will be deliberated on. The main objectives of the
summit are:
a. to build a collective understanding of the state of municipal finances
and what financial challenges are faced by municipalities
b. develop an action plan for implementation of strategies to address and
respond to municipal finance challenges.
6. Governance and accountability at local level
The department has initiated a programme to deepen accountability mechanisms
at local government level. The aims of these programmes are to ensure that the
council exercises oversight on the work of mayoral committees. This will be
done through the establishment of:
* municipal public accounts committees
* municipal oversight committees.
So far all municipalities have agreed in principle to establish the Public
Accounts Committees by end March 2007. To support this process the department
will provide an intensive introductory course for the newly appointed Monetary
Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC) members.
6. Women empowerment
In a bid to empower women councillors and officials, the department will
this year embark with training and learnership for women councillors. We have
obtained the support of the first lady of the country, Mrs Zanele Mbeki, the
first lady of the province, Mrs Wendy Luhabe, Independent Electoral Commission
(IEC) Chairperson, Dr Brigalia Bam, and many successful businesswomen to mentor
women councillors.
The department has also embarked with the training for councillors and
officials responsible for gender mainstreaming in municipalities to assist them
in managing diversity.
7. Eradication of buckets
The department is on track in its programme to eliminate the 12 332
identified bucket systems in Gauteng and replace them with water borne or
ventilated improved pit-latrines (VIP) systems.
So far, 12 303 buckets have been eradicated and the remainder will be done
by June 2007.
8. Co-ordination of municipal Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) to improve
service delivery
The Premier alluded during his State of the Province Address that, "The
success of the Gauteng city region lies in our ability to integrate our plans
and maximise our socio-economic growth across various spheres of government and
move seamlessly on a common development path."
The department will ensure that work towards integrated planning is
significantly taken forward in the coming year. Particular attention will be
paid to improving the planning co-ordination between provincial government
departments and municipalities in the province. We will also be looking at the
roll out of community based planning models to ensure that municipal IDPs are a
proper reflection of genuine community development plans.
9. Powers and functions
In line with implementing the Global City Region (GCR) perspective the
Premier has stressed the need to ensure greater co-operation, co-ordination and
integration across administrative boundaries in order to ensure that
government's capacity to deliver is further improved.
Together with municipalities we have therefore undertaken a review of the
current allocation of powers and functions between local and provincial
government in Gauteng. Both provincial and local government including organised
local government, South African Local Government Association (SALGA), in
Gauteng, are currently engaged in internal discussions on the proposals.
As indicated by the Premier, our decisions will be guided by the need to
increase effective service delivery, the imperatives of the Constitution, the
capacity of municipalities and the need to work towards a metropolitan type of
local government in the province. In certain instances, assignment or
devolution of powers will be asymmetrical focusing on those municipalities with
capacity first, while building capacity where none exists.
10. Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC)
The PDMC that would co-ordinate all the activities of municipalities will be
fully operational by August 2007.
The PDMC will also play a pivotal role during the 2010 World Cup Soccer
tournament.
11. Public perceptions
In June 2007 we will release the results of the first ever Gauteng municipal
business satisfaction survey. We will also be commencing with the second
citizen satisfaction survey and expect the results thereof by early 2008.
12. Service delivery
Provincial plans to ensure that the national service delivery targets are
met in Gauteng will be a key priority in the next financial year. These targets
have to be met within a context of increasing urbanisation. Further
announcements on these will be made in due course.
A significant development to note is that Department of Local Government
(DLG), Department of Water Affairs and Forestry and Rand Water Board have
entered into a partnership to develop a comprehensive strategy to deal with the
problem of the huge water losses in Gauteng. The pilot project in Emfuleni has
already indicated that this challenge can be met and should result in
considerable savings for municipalities.
For more information contact:
Themba Sepotokele
Tell: (011) 355 5111
Cell: 082 490 9869
Issued by: Department of Local Government, Gauteng Provincial
Government
22 February 2007
