By SALGA President Cllr Bheke Stofile has emphasized the importance of cooperation among the three spheres of government as a key ingredient to the success of municipalities during his address at the two-day Council of Mayors and Speakers in Polokwane on Wednesday, 07 August 2024.
“This can only become a reality if we work together and build a strong partnership. The foundation of our nation’s functioning must include cooperation among the spheres of government. Section 41 of the Constitution, which outlines principles of cooperative government and intergovernmental relations, states that all spheres of government and all organs of state within each sphere must, among other things, cooperate in mutual trust and good faith,” Cllr Stofile said.
The 2022 SALGA National Conference resolved to establish the Council of Mayors and Council of Speakers to strengthen SALGA’s representation role and ensure focused support to municipalities.
“At the core of establishing these Councils is the creation of a formalized structure within SALGA. This structure will meet at least annually to address challenges experienced by Mayors and Speakers, providing a platform for learning, sharing, and reflecting,” Cllr Stofile added.
He continued, “Mayors and Speakers from across the country will focus on addressing practical challenges, providing an opportunity for the SALGA NEC to receive feedback, thus enabling SALGA to become more effective in its advocacy work.”
The two-day gathering of mayors and speakers brought together representatives from all 257 municipalities across South Africa, leaders and officials from both national and provincial government, under one roof, to tackle critical issues in municipal governance and service delivery. The agenda included discussions and strategic reflections featuring keynote addresses from prominent leaders, including Limpopo Premier Hon. Dr. Phophi Ramathuba, Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance Hon. Dr. Namane Dickson Masemola, and Auditor General of South Africa Ms. Tsakani Maluleke.
Cllr Stofile noted that in practice, cooperation was “not happening” at the moment. He highlighted that disjointed and narrow-minded actions by the spheres of government, through their departments and other organs of state, manifest negatively at a local level, suffocating local government and making it impossible to achieve its objectives.
He cited recent developments in the water and electricity distribution sectors, where national and provincial governments have increasingly encroached on the powers and functions of local government.
“There have been developments regarding the reconfiguration of Water Boards and proposed amendments to the Water Services Act without meaningful consultation with local government structures. SALGA leadership recently had positive discussions with the new Ministers of Energy and Electricity and Water and Sanitation.”
“Since municipalities have constitutional executive authority for both water services and electricity reticulation, and the proposed amendments directly impact water services authorities and electricity utilities, SALGA believes that formal engagement between the Ministry and SALGA structures was
necessary before the amendments were approved by Cabinet. We continue to draw comfort from the commitment shown by both Ministers to work collaboratively with SALGA in addressing these challenges,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr. Namane Dickson Masemola delivered a keynote address highlighting the Government of National Unity, good governance, and the crucial role of Operation Vulindlela in improving local government and service delivery. The second phase of Operation Vulindlela, a joint initiative created by President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Treasury in 2020, focuses on municipalities.
Deputy Minister Dr Masemola assured delegates of the government’s support in delivering essential services to the community, including key legislative initiatives critical to enhancing the local government framework and promoting good governance and sustainability.
The Premier of Limpopo Provincial Government, Hon. Dr. Phophi Ramathuba, warmly welcomed delegates to the beautiful City of Polokwane, the City of Stars! With Women’s Month in full swing, the Premier’s opening remarks highlighted the importance of prioritizing women, not because it is a favour but because they were in the trenches during the liberation that led to the birth of the new South Africa.
She passionately urged the government to ensure that women are at the forefront of budget allocation, planning, and policies, calling on delegates to let this gathering be a testament to their commitment to serving the people.
The occasion also saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SALGA and the Moral Regeneration Movement. These two organizations have been working together over the years to promote ethical leadership in local government.
One of the key panel discussions included: “The Role of Mayors and Speakers in Strengthening Local Government to Deepen Democratic Participation and Accountability; Providing Basic Services; Promoting Sustainable Development; Promoting Financial Management and Financial Recovery; and Contributing to Cooperative Governance.”
The panelists included:
Hon. Dr. Namane Dickson Masemola, Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Ms. Tsakani Maluleke, Auditor General of SA
Cllr. Bheke Stofile, SALGA President
Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, Former Executive Mayor of Tshwane and Chairperson of the Moral Regeneration Movement
Hon. Thabo Manyoni, Former President of SALGA and Executive Mayor of Mangaung, and current Chairperson of the Municipal Demarcation Board.
Following the panel discussion, delegates engaged in a robust debate, raising critical concerns and issues that need immediate attention. One significant comment highlighted the struggle for municipalities to collect revenue. With the country’s high unemployment rate, many residents are unable to pay municipal rates, resulting in insufficient funds for municipalities to provide services effectively.
In her input, Ms. Tsakani Maluleke, the Auditor General of SA, emphasized the importance of clarity and accountability in leadership roles. She said: “While it is very clear what the roles of a Speaker, a Mayor, and the Administration ought to be, the question is, are we investing in ensuring that every single mayor knows exactly what they’re supposed to do?
There should be no mayor who’s unclear about their roles. Section 52 of the Municipal Financial Management Act (MFMA) is very clear, as are other governance arrangements and prescripts. There should be no Mayor who consistently gets away with not doing what they’re supposed to do, especially when all of you are there as colleagues to hold them accountable and drive the type of peer pressure that can only make one better.”
Ms. Maluleke extended an invitation to SALGA to consider how to better equip political leadership across the system to fulfill their responsibilities. She asserted that with proper support, better appointments would be made, accountability processes would improve, and administrative stability would increase as interference is reduced.
More on the agenda includes the review of the Local Government Fiscal Framework, Standard Transfer Specification (STS) and Token Identified (TID) Rollover and Debt Relief Programme, as well as the South African response to Climate Change and the role of Local Government in the implementation of the Just Energy Transition.
