THE NATIONAL SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT

FORTIFYING GOVERNMENT BY TRAINING LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCILLORS AND OFFICIALS

The National School of Government (NSG) has taken the lead in strengthening government’s foundation by training councillors and municipal officials who are the representatives of government at service delivery level.

Through a ground-breaking collaboration between the NSG and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), the Local Government Leadership Development Programme (LGLDP) came to fruition with the overall intention of improving capacity development in the local government sphere.

NSG Principal, Prof Busani Ngcaweni explains, “The NSG offers a range of accredited and non-accredited training programmes that are tailor-made for officials and executives in the public sector. The LGLDP is taught as part of our efforts to build a capable developmental state and the professionalisation of the public sector, as directed by Cabinet.” The one-year LGLD programme is specifically offered to political office bearers and officials employed by municipalities. It is aligned to a qualification accredited by the Local Government Sectoral Training Authority (LGSETA).

“We joined hands with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and entered into a partnership to build capacity in municipalities,” Prof Ngcaweni explains. “The LGLDP is designed to enable political office bearers and managers in municipalities to provide effective governance. It provides skills that will enable executive and political leaders to structure governance arrangements so that municipalities are politically stable, well-administered, financially sustainable and able to deliver municipal services optimally.”

In February the Deputy Minister for Public Service and Administration Dr Chana Pilane-Majake officiated at the certification ceremony of 19 current and former councillors of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality who were awarded Further Education and Training Certificates by the NSG for successfully completing the Local Government Leadership Development Programme (LGLDP).

Honourable Dr Chana Pilane-Majake who delivered the keynote address at the ceremony said, “Government is serious about building a capable state and a public service that has the requisite skills to economic unemployment effect overcome the socio-economic pandemic The platform these quest serve the public efficiently, effectively and with courtesy. We will continue to invest in the training and development of public servants so that they can fulfil their tasks empowered by the necessary knowledge and expertise. We invite municipalities to make use of this opportunity and enrol officials for this much-needed training.”

The Deputy Minister added that the training and professionalization of Local Government was critical to meeting the government’s commitment to delivering efficient services to the people.

She added that, “Councillors are on the ground representing government at community level, so the importance of their role needs no further statement,” she added. “We must train every councillor at every municipality, so that we meet our commitment to delivery of effective services at grassroots level.”

Prof Ngcaweni adds, “The Economic Governance Winter School is part of the Executive Education Portfolio launched by the NSG early in June 2020. The Executive Education Programme is targeted at high level executives in the public sector, both political office bearers and senior public sector managers and executives.”

Speaker of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Council Ms Colleen Makhubele congratulated the graduates on their achievement and commitment to the programme, which they juggled with demanding political work.

“I am sure that this programme has assisted and will continue to help you and our other colleagues better understand the role of local government,” Hon Makhubele said. “I am deeply honoured that you have taken it upon yourselves to acquire requisite skills that will enable you to better manage public resources and to lead our people to a better life,” she added.

Nature of the programme

The inaugural programme was held as a Spring/Summer School in November 2020, the second iteration as a Winter School in July 2021. These learning engagements were hailed as a resounding success with over forty members of the executive having attended the virtual sessions in compliance with lockdown regulations of the time.

The Certificate Programme is accredited at NQF Level 4, which makes it portable and accreditable for further education and training in any formal educational institution in the country. Over a period of one year, the course offers students practical skills in;

• Municipal Government Legislation and Policy Framework

• Cooperative Governance and Intergovernmental Relations

• Leadership, Governance and Ethics in Municipalities

• Political Oversight and Communicative Functions

Prof Ngcaweni further said, “The NSG has been delivering a range of executive programmes for several years. The NSG has responded to the growing demand within public institutions by introducing a range of initiatives to attract participants from the political and administrative levels of government across the country and region. For example, high-level masterclasses have been attended by the President, Ministers, DirectorGenerals and many senior officials. We have formally launched this portfolio of programmes and are quite excited by this development.”

• Systems and Processes in a Municipality

The Honourable Councillor added that the Johannesburg Metro Council which had piloted the programme in partnership with NSG and the LGSETA was pleased with the outcome and was calling on other municipalities to use it to their benefit and the benefit of the country’s citizens. The Johannesburg Metro Council would definitely continue to support the programme.

Commitment to service delivery

NSG Principal Prof Ngcaweni emphasised that the primary purpose of the LGLDP was to provide skills to leaders at grassroots – municipal – level that will equip them to provide effective governance to the

The combination of attendees from different countries at the 2022 Economic Governance Winter School municipalities they run. This will ensure that such municipalities are politically stable, financially sustainable and able to provide efficient, affordable and effective services to their citizenry.

“This programme will furnish municipal leaders with the ability to meet and deliver on their service delivery objectives in a complex local government environment, whilst enabling them to share ideas with various stakeholders, regardless of political affiliation,” Prof Ngcaweni adds.

Deputy Minister Dr Pilane-Majake said, “In the development of the curriculum, the NSG took into cognisance Municipal Planning which is critical in the effective working of municipalities as well as their abilities to deliver effective services.

“This is not the end of the journey, but a completion of a phase. The journey for the participants begin as they go on to apply what they have learned and the road for the NSG and LGSETA begins as we offer more support to our local government.

“Local government is the pillar on which government stands since it is where services are delivered and interaction with the citizenry occurs; and everyone knows that the strength of a house is based on how solid its foundation is,” the Deputy Minister concluded. 