"Participation Builds Unity"
"MADE IN AFRICA - FOR AFRICA"
who supports the premise
PROUDLY PRESENTS
UNDERSTANDING
THE COMPREHENSIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TURNAROUND STRATEGY IN
SOUTH AFRICA
On 02 December 2009, the South African Cabinet approved a comprehensive Local Government Turnaround Strategy.
This Turnaround Strategy was presented to Cabinet by the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr. Sicelo Shiceka.
It is underpinned by two important considerations.
The first is that a “one size fits all” approach to municipalities is not useful or acceptable. The internal factors relate to issues such as quality of decision-making by Councillors, quality of appointments, transparency of tender and procurement systems, and levels of financial management and accountability.
The (second) and twin over-arching aim of the Turnaround Strategy is to:
This comprehensive 79 page document addresses all the who; why; what; where; when; how and a host of other well researched criteria impacting on this new strategy.
Why?
What?
Unless we nurture a Process of Positive Participation (PPP) – none of the above will materialise –
Where?
When?
How?
Each municipality faces different social and economic conditions and has different performance levels and support needs. Thus a more segmented and differentiated approach was required to address the various challenges of municipalities.
Cabinet recognized that the problems in Local Government are both a result of internal factors within the direct control of municipalities as well as external factors over which municipalities do not have much control.
The external factors relate to revenue base and income generation potential, inappropriate legislation and regulation, demographic patterns and trends, macro and micro-economic conditions, undue interference by political parties and weaknesses in national policy, oversight and Inter-Governmental Relations (IGR).
Restore the confidence of the majority of our people in our municipalities, as the primary delivery machine.
Re-build and improve the basic requirements for a functional, responsive, accountable, effective, and efficient developmental local government.
To fully comprehend the implications associated with this ‘turnaround strategy’ one has to take a close look at the strategy submitted to the South African Cabinet.
Who?
Who are we?
Unless you measure and fully comprehend your current situation you will not be in a position to move on to the next level – local governments (municipalities) are provided with precise guidelines as to where they ‘fit in’ (classification) and are given criteria for the ‘ideal municipality’ with an understanding that local government is everyone’s business and that the system is still young and forever evolving.
The people gave the ruling party a mandate – deliver service!
However - No economic development will be possible without investment – no investment will take place without service delivery – service delivery needs discipline and LEADERSHIP – LEADERSHIP needs vision and this vision needs to fit into 'the bigger picture' – for now the bigger picture must be The Millennium Development Goals (2014).
Municipal IDP’s must fit into this bigger picture – these IDP’s have to be prioritised!
What needs to happen? The ‘turnaround strategy’ has set five objectives:
Ensure that municipalities meet basic needs of communities.
Build clean, responsive and accountable local government.
Improve functionality, performance and professionalism in municipalities.
Improve national and provincial policy, support and oversight to local government.
Strengthen partnerships between local government, communities and civil society.
“None of us is as good as all of us”
There is a dire need to address the back-log of basic services in the rural areas – however this 'turnaround strategy' addresses all three categories of municipalities: (A) Metro; (B) Local and (C) District.
Time lines have been set:
Municipalities have to submit ‘tailor made’ strategies alongside their IDP’s (Integrated Development Plans) by end March 2010, while full implementation of the ‘turnaround strategy’ is expected in July 2010.
The strategy aims to renew the vision of local government and to methodically implement a differentiated and targeted support system.
Local governments have to focus on their own performance and remove constraints.
'Turnaround Strategies' at local level must include the community and be 'guided' by provincial/national strategies
Source: The South African Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA)
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A ‘tactical’ approach with a practical ‘scope of works’ mixed with motivation, encouragement, and long-term vision will be required to ensure this ‘turnaround’
IT CAN BE DONE!
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Herewith the final Local Government Turnaround Strategy:
TURNAROUND STRATEGY FINAL DOCUMENT
PLEASE NOTE
This file is around 1,2MB in size and with ADSL it takes 45 seconds to download - it may take longer with normal dial-up!
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THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA (FDA)
is proud to present you with a
SUSTAINABLE LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
and therefore proudly supports and endorses:
The following TOWNS and CITIES, are partly or considering, participating in the
'I SUPPORT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT' PROJECT:
SEE OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PARTICIPANTS
An Africa initiative – solving an African problem!
TRULY MADE IN AFRICA!
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"Participation Builds Unity"
"MADE IN AFRICA - FOR AFRICA"
THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA (FDA)
All the FDA projects and its interconnected websites are used to promote business development throughout Africa and are currently ranked on the front page of most international search portals when searching for "business development africa" - creating substantial exposure for organizations and individuals serving Africa.
However -
a non-membership, private, not-for-profit organization has, for more than 10 years, been promoting networking, business and investment opportunities, special projects, and joint venture initiatives in Africa to realize its vision and trademark phrase:
"Less Aid - Let's Trade".
We firmly believe that sustainable development is a process that must start from within - Africa needs to "partner" with herself first!
We also prefer the phrase: "Lets create wealth" rather than "Lets alleviate poverty"
Our initiatives include enabler 'showcasing'; networking opportunities; business opportunities; investment opportunities; promotion of special projects; dissemination of business information; joint venture initiatives and a range of value added services - all to serve
AFRICA!
THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA (FDA)
proudly supports
WHO SUPPORTS THE PREMISE:
We facilitate processes, including networking sessions that would lead to sustainable development, hence our motto:
"Sustainable Development is the action and/or act of bringing people and/or processes into position for the effective use in the support and/or delivery of efforts, conducts and the cause!"
HOW THEN CAN I SUPPORT AFRICA?
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES SERVING AFRICA
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PLEASE NOTE:
Peter METCALFE
Websites:
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COMMENTS RECEIVED
Dear Peter,
Some of us work with communities, and can clearly indicate what may need to be done to quickly add real and tangible value to government’s proposed turnaround strategy. Public/private sector partnerships, in the first instance, should also include identified community-based organisations and proven drivers of sustainable development and publicly accountable community-based organisations. We must all now be prepared to learn from one another and from other countries.
The kind of partnership I am proposing would then focus more attention on human skills development, particularly development of skills required for economic growth and development. Education would obviously form the base of this strategy. We need, among other skills, a system of education that enables high school and tertiary institution graduates to write and present scientific and understandable documents, social researchers, engineers, bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians and others.
I know that Training and Instructional Design Academy of South Africa (TIDASA) is currently looking seriously at some of the issues I have raised in the above paragraphs. We could certainly consult with them, and try to make a difference, no matter how small that difference could be.
I believe we now need to establish and develop in various parts of the country institutions we could use as typical examples of institutions we use to turn the proposed government turnaround strategy into an operational programme. May be we also need to consult with our National Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Sicelo Shiceka, to share with him our ideas on how we feel these excellent proposals could immediately start benefiting all: government, local communities and private sector organisations.
Sincerely,
"Nothing is as ‘powerful’ as the Human Network"
PETER METCALFE
1999
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PETER METCALFE
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I am responding and thanking you for sharing this communication with us. We all need to add our voices to positive steps government appears to be taking in the process of improving service delivery at local government level in South Africa, and on principles based on fairness, sustainability, transparency, justice, continuous assessment of achievements and capabilities of municipalities and individual councillors, merit appointments, and public accountability and ethics.
Chris Mkhize
Chief Executive Officer
UThungulu Community Foundation
South Africa