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Government and communication

Programmes

Local Government Strategic Agenda (2006 - 2011)

The implementation of the LGSA from 2006 onwards was a logical extension of Project Consolidate, initiated in 2004. The three core pillars of the LGSA are:

  • mainstreaming hands-on support to local government to improve municipal governance, performance and accountability
  • addressing the structure and governance arrangements of the State to better strengthen, support and monitor local government
  • refining and strengthening the plicy, regulatory and fiscal environment for local government and giving greater attention to the enforcement
    measures.

In 2007, national government together with all provinces, Salga, individual municipalities and key partners outside of government gave active support to implementing this agenda, which focuses on the five key performance areas of local government transformation, namely:

  • municipal transformation and institutional development
  • basic services and infrastructure
  • financial viability and finacial management
  • local economic development (LED)
  • good governance and community participation

In terms of the five-year LGSA, 164 municipalities have been receiving hands-on support as from April 2008, an increase of 56 municipalities since 2007. National sector departments, namely the Department of Provincial and Local Government, National Treasury, and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, have mobilised 626 technical experts in support of municipalities. The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has also dedicated 51 technical experts to focus on water-related services, particularly in the Free State.

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Integrated development plans (IDPs)

In terms of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act 32 of 2000) [PDF], all municipalities are required to prepare IDPs. Integrated development planning is a process by which municipalities prepare five-year strategic plans that are reviewed annually in consultation with communities and stakeholders.

The aim is to achieve service-delivery and development goals in municipal areas in an effective and sustainable way. National and provincial sector departments, development agencies, private-sector bodies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and communities all have a key role to play in the preparation and implementation of municipal IDPs.

The IDP Nerve Centre provides a single, web-based information system that allows multiple stakeholders, involved in municipal service delivery, to access, capture, revise and report a core set of planning, funding, programme and project-based information over a multi-year period in a consistent manner.

By May 2008, the IDP analysis sessions were underway in all nine provinces. The objectives of the IDP analysis sessions are to:

  • develop a concrete programme, as part of the five-year LGSA
  • provide clarity on how sector departments can accelerate their support to municipalities, based on master sector plans.

The engagement of some national departments in the analysis and improvements of IDPs remains a challenge. There is a need for national sector departments to participate actively in IDP analysis sessions to ensure the development and improvement of master sector plans.

The Department of Provincial and Local Government distributed the IDP Format Guide and IDP Analysis Framework to sector departments, provinces and municipalities. The provincial and sector reports were presented at the National Development Planning Forum in May 2008.

In terms of integration of planning, the IDP analysis sessions were held in all provinces in April and May 2008. A winter school was opened in July 2008 at the University of Pretoria to planners from municipalities that had poor IDPs.

A partnership with the South African Planning Institute has been established on a mentoring programme for municipal planners on development administration.

In 2007/08, 79% of IDPs received a credibility rating of between high and medium compared with 40% three years before. Of major significance in this regard is the 100% adoption rate of IDPs as a result of concerted effort of all spheres over the last three years.

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Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG)

The largest infrastructure transfer programme is the MIG, currently administered by the Department of Provincial and Local Government. The MIG has shown strong real growth over the period, averaging 6,4% between 2004/05 and 2006/07. Real growth is projected to accelerate to an average of 21,4% over the medium term.

The MIG was introduced in 2004/05 through consolidating various sector infrastructure grants, each administered by different departments, into a single programme. This was intended to make the system of transfers to municipalities simpler, more certain and more supportive of municipal infrastructure priorities. The programme is designed to supplement the capital budgets of municipalities, with a focus on providing basic infrastructure services to the poor, while stimulating and job creation over the medium term.

Funding for electrification has not yet been incorporated into the MIG, due to uncertainties associated with the restructuring of the electricity distribution industry. MIG funds are distributed to all municipalities based on a formula that accounts for existing backlogs in service delivery as well as the functions assigned to individual municipalities.

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Local Economic Development (LED)

LED is a key feature of government’s overall strategy to address economic challenges.

All metropolitan and district municipalities have convened growth and development summits. The focus in most municipalities is on implementing the decisions and outcomes of these summits.

The National Framework for LED for stimulating and developing sustainable economies promotes a strategic approach to the development of local economies and a shift away from narrow municipal interests focused only on government input and ad-hoc projects, which do not have impact in terms of scale.

There are two major policy thrusts identified in the framework, namely: public-sector leadership and governance and sustainable community investment programmes. Four key strategies emanate from these policy thrusts with accompanying main actions. These are:

  • Improving good governance, service delivery and public and market confidence in municipalities
  • spatial development palnning and exploiting the comparative advantage and competitiveness of districts and metros
  • enterprise support and business infrastructure development
  • introducing sustainable community-investment programmes focusing on organising communities for development and maximising circulation of public spend in local economies.

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Project Consolidate

In 2004, Project Consolidate, a hands-on support and engagement programme focusing on targeted municipalities, was launched.

The mainstreaming of Project Consolidate into the Local Government Strategic Agenda has seen a total of 359 experts deployed to 105 Project Consolidate municipalities by the end of 2007.

By Augusts 2008, 1134 experts had been deployed to 268 municipalities (including the Project Consolidate municipalities). Key partners, such as the Siyenza Manje initiative of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), played a valuable role. Deployed experts provide technical assistance in areas such as engineering, finance, town planning, project management and human-resource (HR) development. The involvement of national and provincial sector departments in supporting local government has improved. However, professional vacancy rates remain relatively high.

Source: South Africa Yearbook 2008/09
Editor: D Burger. Government Communication and Information System

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Last modified: 07 July 2009 11:52:52.

 

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