SALGA April 2022 Edition

ISSUE 38

www.salga.org.za

Bheke Stofile

New SALGA NEC

TOUGH CHALLENGES AHEAD FOR SALGA'S LEADERSHIP INSIDE: THE FIRST 100 DAYS AFTER THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS I GENDER TRANSFORMATION I CAPE TOWN'S ELECTRICITY PROGRAMME I GAUTENG'S TOWNSHIP ECONOMY I A COALITION FRAMEWORK FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT

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ADVERTORIAL | CEMENT AND CONCRETE SOUTH AFRICA

Concrete is the essential component for local government mass housing settlements throughout South Africa.

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS NEED CONCRETE TRAINING Local government employees need to be trained in concrete at all levels to facilitate the country’s growth and build infrastructure

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IMAGES: SUPPLIED

oncrete will play an essential role in the government’s plans to implement long-awaited infrastructural projects this year, says John Roxburgh, senior lecturer at Cement & Concrete South Africa’s School of Concrete Technology. He says concrete is the most vital building material for creating the infrastructure needed to sustain South African urban and rural settlements, as well as the road networks that link these areas.

“Apart from being the essential material to erect the presidentially-proposed new ‘smart cities’, concrete is also essential for housing, dams, bridges, warehouses, roads, airports, water and sewerage treatment plants, to name just a few important civic facilities. Therefore, it is essential that local government’s staff are trained in all facets of concrete construction and design,” Roxburgh states.

Such training has been provided by the School of Concrete Technology (SCT) for well over 60 years. Its consulting division is constantly involved in the writing of standards, publications and assessment of the latest technologies.

The SCT 2022 Training Programme includes courses on a wide range of topics starting from a basic introduction to concrete and continuing to cover the role of concrete in housing, concrete practice, training for ready mixed concrete and batching plant personnel, concrete industrial floors on the ground, concrete road design and construction, as well as high-technology training that includes the globally respected Advanced Concrete Technology diploma course with examinations set by the Institute of Concrete Technology in London.

“Two courses to be offered by SCT in 2022 should strongly be considered

by South African municipalities: SCT20 Concrete Practice and SCT30 Concrete Technology. Both regularly attract strong enrolment, necessitating several presentations every year.” – John Roxburgh

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Successful graduates of all SCT’s courses receive certificates of attendance/competence, and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points are awarded on certain courses.

Roxburgh says two courses to be offered by SCT in 2022 should strongly be considered by South African municipalities: SCT20 Concrete Practice and SCT30 Concrete Technology. Both regularly attract strong enrolment, necessitating several presentations every year.

“The four-day SCT20 Concrete Practice course is excellent for foremen and supervisors who are applying concrete technology on-site for staff responsible for quality assurance. Successful completion of this course earns four CPD points. The more advanced SCT30 Concrete Technology five-day course – which earns five CPD points – is aimed at civil and structural engineers and experienced technicians and technologists, and is ideal for gaining detailed knowledge of how cement and concrete works.”

The School of Concrete Technology will continue to run its successful online e-learning courses in 2022, but will also offer select classroom-based lecture courses in Midrand, Durban and Cape Town while COVID-19 lockdown restrictions permit. “The live classes will be kept small, and high demand for specific courses will be met by scheduling additional presentations.

However, the online platform and selfstudy courses are here to stay as they are aligned with modern trends in remote learning and offer increased access to both data and smart delivery devices. E-learning and its associated benefits will form an integral part of the SCT’s training in future, this means that local government in even the most remote parts of the country can now enrol staff for training,” he adds. ▪

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Cement and Concrete SA website.

For more information: 011 315 0300 rennisha.sewnarain@cemcon-sa.org.za. www.cemcon-sa.org.za

VOICE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

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CONTENTS ISSUE 38, INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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The price of electricity will increase by 9.61 per cent, as approved by The National Energy Regulator of South Africa, which rejected Eskom’s proposed tariff increase of 20.5 per cent following the municipal outcry over the proposed hike

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UPFRONT 3

EDITORIAL DELIVERY

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FROM THE CEO The next five years

THE PULSE

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SALGA’S NEW LEADERSHIP FACES TOUGH CHALLENGES Held in Cape Town in March this year, SALGA’s National Conference saw new leaders elected, who will have the responsibility of consolidating the work done previously and dealing with new challenges

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A UNIFIED VOICE TO ADVANCE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECTOR A summary of the discussions and presentations at the 2022 SALGA National Conference

IN THE HEADLINES

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OPINION PIECE

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MUNICIPAL MATTERS

CITIZEN’S SATISFACTION INDEX 2021 The South African Citizen Satisfaction Index dropped to a five-year low before the 2021 local government elections were held. We highlight the main service delivery challenges

34 THE FIRST 100 DAYS Many of South Africa’s executive mayors inaugurated after the 2021 municipal elections have completed their first 100 days in office. We take a look at the priorities for the executives mayors in Cape Town, Mangaung, Rustenburg, Ekurhuleni, and UThukela

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GAUTENG TOWNSHIP ECONOMY The Gauteng Township Economic Development Bill hopes to create a new kind of economic geography: the township enterprise zone

URBAN REJUVENATION With 70 per cent of South Africa’s population set to be urbanised by 2030. Craig Turner from Urban Lifestyle Investment shares what this now means for the importance and future of urban rejuvenation in South Africa

THE LONG VIEW 30

WATER RESTRICTIONS AND THROTTLING IN GEORGE George’s reservoirs are drying up due to high water demand versus water supply.

The water treatment works cannot meet the current potable water demand or ensure adequate reservoir storage volumes to meet the emergency storage volumes required

GENDER TRANSFORMATION

Lead us to safer cities, Madam Mayor.

Lebogang Lechuba challenges the past year’s cohort of women leaders to put safety first

FUNDING SOUTH AFRICA’S INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING GAP Government is making critical headway in paving the way for private sector involvement in infrastructure investment, but there are outstanding factors that still need to be resolved if South Africa is to close its substantial infrastructureinvestment gap

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Achieving gender parity in local government is easier said than done.

We investigate why this is the case

PLUGGED IN

HOW CAPE TOWN IS LEVERAGING SOLAR POWER Floating solar power generation is a win-win in water-stressed South Africa, reducing evaporation while generating sustainable,renewable power

DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT It’s been 20 years since the Disaster Management Act was enacted into law. We take a look at its challenges and successes

Towards a better South Africa

MUNICIPALITIES PUT THEIR FOOT DOWN

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ETHEKWINI GOES SMART My Smart City empowers residents to accelerate positive service delivery turnaround in eThekwini

THE BULLETIN SALGA IN ACTION

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CONNECTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO AFCFTA AfCFTA is expected to boost regional income by seven per cent or $450-billion and reduce nontariff barriers, according to SALGA’s inaugural dialogue aimed at connecting local government to the African Continental Free Trade Area

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BUILDING A COALITION FRAMEWRK FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT SALGA calls for a coalition government framework to end “palace politics” in councils

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A BETTER LIFE, A BETTER SOUTH AFRICA

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SALGA Eastern Cape Berea Terrace Office Building First Floor, Suite 3 Berea East London 5214 Tel: 043-727-1150 Fax: 043-727-1156/67

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Director, Marketing & Communication: Tebogo Mosala Communication & Marketing Officer: Marelda Boshielo Marketing Officer: Valerie Setshedi Content Writer: Bonolo Selebano

PICASSO EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION TEAM Content Manager: Raina Julies, rainaj@picasso.co.za Contributors: Trevor Crighton, Ryland Fisher, Brenda Kok, Lebogang Lechuba, Levi Letsoko, Denise Mhlanga, Tiisetso Tlelima,

he first 100 days of any local government structure is significant. Not only because your voters are keen to see if their best interests are being catered for, but also because it sets the tone for the commitment our leaders promise to show during their term in office.

We’ve just come through 100+ days of our newly elected local government officials and in this issue, we delve into five local metropoles’ first 100 days to figure out what their priorities are, what they feel their biggest challenges are and how they intend going about fixing those. We’re happy to report that it seems that the City of Cape Town (which incidentally won big in the 2021 Consulta Citizen Satisfaction Index survey – read more on page 30), Ekurhuleni, Rustenburg, UThukela and Mangaung executive mayors have a clear priorities list and are ready to tackle the major challenges of homelessness, housing, flooding and sewerage problems that continue to plague our people.

We’ll be keeping an eye on the programmes they’ve committed their office to, and we’ll be visiting many of the other municipalities around the country that haven’t provided the best service to their constituents over the past few years to see if a change in leadership echoes a renewed vigour and commitment to better service delivery.

SALGA National Office Menlyn Corporate Park Block B 175 Corobay Avenue Cnr Garsfontein and Corobay Waterkloof Glen, Ext 11 Pretoria 0001 Tel: 012-369-8000 Fax: 012-369-8001

UPFRONT

EDITORIAL DELIVERY

SALGA Free State SALGA House 36 McGregor Street East End Bloemfontein 9300 Tel: 051-447-1960 Fax: 051-430-8250

Local government hasn’t been the only seat for new leadership changes though, SALGA has just elected a new NEC and on page 8 we find out what the plans are to strengthen the deliverables of the association. SALGA’s newly elected president, Bheke Stofile, is resolute in his resolve to: “Be more inclusive in our approach to dealing with matters of national interests. Our challenge is to work together and to make sure that we can resolve matters affecting our communities. ” While by no means a new sentiment, it is encouraging to note that president Stofile is keenly aware that SALGA’s “solid foundation must be protected, it must be nurtured, it must always be used to mirror the way forward from the new challenges we are facing. ” We wish president Stofile all the success needed to ensure that the good work already done by the association doesn’t go unnoticed and that the areas of challenge we still face, which come with every new dawn, are met head on. We hope that we will experience a new set of capable local government leaders and programmes to prioritise and enhance service delivery so that we see a positive impact on the lives of our most vulnerable communities.

We need to start, as a collective citizenry, demanding better from our political leaders.

We deserve a better life, better opportunities, and a better South Africa. ▪ Raina Julies

SALGA Gauteng 3rd Floor Braampark Forum 2, 33 Hoofd Street Braamfontein 2017 Tel: 011-276-1150 Fax: 011-276-3636

SALGA KwaZulu-Natal 4th Floor Clifton Place Hurst Grove Musgrave Durban 4001 Tel: 031-817-0000 Fax: 031-817-0034

SALGA Limpopo 127 Marshall Street Polokwane 0699 Tel: 015-291-1400 Fax: 015-291-1414

Rodney Weidemann, Conway Williams Copy Editor: Brenda Bryden Content Co-ordinator: Vanessa Payne Head of Design: Jayne Macé-Ferguson Senior Designer: Mfundo Archie Ndzo Advert Designer: Bulelwa Sotashe Cover images: Supplied Sales Project Manager: Jerome van der Merwe, jeromem@picasso.co.za Sales Team: Jacqueline Bezuidenhout, Frank Simons Production Editor: Shamiela Brenner Advertising Co-ordinator: Shamiela Brenner Subscriptions and Distribution: Fatima Dramat, fatimad@picasso.co.za Business Manager: Lodewyk van der Walt Lodewykv@picasso.co.za Management Accountant: Deidre Musha General Manager, Magazines: Jocelyne Bayer Published by Picasso Headline, a proud division of Arena Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Hill on Empire, 16 Empire Road (cnr Hillside Road), Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193 Postal Address: PO Box 12500, Mill Street, Cape Town, 8010 www.businessmediamags.co.za Printing: CTP Printers, Cape Town Follow and like us to keep up to date with SALGA news.

Copyright: Picasso Headline and SALGA. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material. Voice of Local Government is published quarterly by Picasso Headline. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of SALGA or Picasso Headline. All advertisements/advertorials and promotions have been paid for and therefore do not carry any endorsement by SALGA or the publisher.

SALGA Mpumalanga Salga House 11 Van Rensburg Street Nelspruit 1200 Tel: 013-752-1200 Fax: 013-752-5595

SALGA North West 56 William Street Witkoppies Klerksdorp 2571 Tel: 018-462-5290 Fax: 018-462-4662

SALGA Northern Cape Block Two, Montrio Corporate Park, 10 Oliver Road, Monument Heights, Kimberley 8301 Tel: 053-836-7900/8 Fax: 053-833-3828

SALGA Western Cape 7th Floor 44 Strand Street Cape Town 8000 Tel: 021-446-9800 Fax: 021-418-2709

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The Digital Council Africa believes that the development and deployment of digital access will enhance the quality of life for citizens in South Africa and Africa as a whole, providing African countries with a digital footprint which will increase their effectiveness and competitiveness within the global marketplace. www.digitalcouncil.africa

Covid-19 lockdown has meant that more people are working from home. This has led to a shift in lifestyle and priorities in South Africa and the world and one of the biggest trends to emerge is the semigration away from big cities to smaller towns in search of a more affordable lifestyle and a better work-life balance.

What are these semigrants looking for in their new location? The top consideration is a good telecommunications and internet connection. Since many of them will be working remotely it is imperative that they can still connect to meetings and stay productive.

Connectivity is the utmost booster for economic growth.

Several small and remote towns have seen waves of South Africans settling there permanently, sparking substantial economic developments in infrastructure, the establishment of good schools, new healthcare facilities and recreational options which makes the towns more suitable for permanent residence.

Position your municipality to be part of the Zoom-town movement.

CEO’S FOREWORD

UPFRONT

OUR FOCUS FOR THE

NEXT FIVE YEARS Led by its recently elected leadership team, SALGA has committed to inspiring service delivery, strengthening its systems and processes to become more consultative, credible and accountable, and serving its members with pride and excellence, writes Xolile George

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or the past 25 years, SALGA has continuously played a vital role in supporting the country’s municipalities and championing the needs of citizens and communities across South Africa.

As part of our ongoing efforts to provide such support, SALGA recently held its national conference under the theme “Consolidating the role of local government in rebuilding local communities to meet their social, economic and material needs”.

As with anything, revitalisation is a key element of growth and development, and this national conference allowed SALGA to undertake a process of renewal: electing new leadership, reviewing and strengthening systems and processes, and adopting a new organisational strategy for the next five years.

Following on from the key findings of the South African Citizen Satisfaction Index for 2021, which showed that the Citizen Satisfaction Index dropped to a five-year low as most municipalities failed to deliver on the fundamentals of service delivery, we aim to change things in this next period.

SALGA is committed to ensuring that the next five years will be a period of inspiring service delivery, as we follow a strategy that will give the organisation a solid vision, mission and a set of key objectives to achieve over the next five-year term between local government elections.

STRATEGY AND VALUES ALIGNMENT

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This strategy must align closely with SALGA’s values of being dynamic, flexible and adapting to change to serve its members

effectively with pride and excellence; to be quick and flexible in responding to member needs; and to be innovative in exploring new ways of doing things and providing members with fresh and unconventional services.

In line with SALGA’s mandate, which is to be an association of municipalities that is at the cutting-edge of quality and sustainable services, we intend to be more consultative, informed, mandated, credible and accountable to our membership and to provide value for money to members who we know tend to struggle financially.

In light of the challenges many municipalities face concerning finances, we have submitted an application to the Pretoria High Court for a declaratory order that will give our municipalities exclusive rights to administer, distribute and sell electricity throughout South Africa.

GOING FURTHER, EXTENDING OUR SUPPORT We believe that we will also have a role to play assisting the other tiers of government in making critical headway in paving the way for private sector involvement in infrastructure investment. It is necessary to resolve the outstanding factors slowing things down in this respect to enable the country to close its substantial infrastructure investment gap.

Although South Africa has been easing into what is increasingly coalition rule at local government level, following the elections held in November 2021, coalition governments have not become institutionalised and remain without a

SALGA will continue to strive for the highest levels of quality, governance and service delivery from our members.

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SALGA CEO Xolile George

proper guideline. It was highlighted during SALGA’s five-year provincial conference, hosted in February, that there were no rules in the Constitution or legislation that define the principles, rules, procedures or sanctions that apply to the political parties and independent councillors that attempt to govern together.

While this remains a challenge, SALGA continues to ensure that all who serve in these municipal governments are properly upskilled and trained – whether they are new or returning councillors in the fifth democratic term of local government.

We have been continuing our Integrated Councillor Induction Programme, rolled out after every municipal election, to ensure that our councillors have the relevant skills and expertise to ensure effective service delivery across the 257 municipalities in our country.

As we move into this new five-year cycle, we are well aware of the challenges ahead for both the organisation and its member municipalities, but SALGA will continue to strive for the highest levels of quality, governance and service delivery from our members. We look forward to working with all role players in the local government arena in this next phase, as we seek to deliver a better life for all. ▪

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SIZWE HOSMED AIMS AT

76% MEMBER VACCINATION RATE

With national COVID-19 vaccination numbers sitting well below the half-way mark of our population, Sizwe Hosmed Medical Scheme has added it’s voice and resources to the national campaign to achieve herd immunity from the global pandemic.

The impact of COVID-19 on South Africa has been staggering, and there has been a relatively slow uptake of voluntary vaccination by South Africans. As at 29 March 2022, nearly 21 million South Africans were recorded to have received only one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Approximately 17 800 000 people were recorded to have received two doses of the vaccine, while a mere 2 100 000 were recorded to have received a booster dose as well.

the country. That is why we are actively encouraging all our members and indeed all South Africans to get informed about the COVID-19 vaccine, and get vaccinated,” he said.

These figures equate to less than half of the population, which is estimated at 60 million people (2021).

This therefore means that the rate at which people in South Africa are getting vaccinated falls below the levels required to reach herd immunity, which will only be reached when enough people have been vaccinated against the virus and have developed protective antibodies against future infection.

Through a robust campaign that is aimed at reaching every person in South Africa using a multi-pronged platform approach, Sizwe Hosmed Medical Scheme is punting the pro-vaccination messaging with the hopes of inspiring action from their members and the general public. “We would like to commend all of our members who have actively stepped forward to receive their COVID-19 vaccine doses as this puts themselves and their families at less risk of suffering from complications should they get infected with COVID-19,” Dr Mangcwatywa said.

He emphasised that the COVID-19 vaccine is globally tested and proven to be safe - even for those as young as 12 years old.

As an active player in the medical aid sector, Sizwe Hosmed Medical Scheme has made the decision to add its voice and resources to the national campaign to get as many South Africans vaccinated as possible.

The Principal Executive Officer of Sizwe Hosmed, Dr Simon Mangcwatywa, has taken the front seat in this campaigning as a demonstration of the commitment of the scheme to taking every necessary step to support the national drive. “We believe that as leaders, we must demonstrate that we are at the forefront of ensuring the health and safety of our staff and members around

Sizwe Hosmed Medical Scheme’s clinical operations team is moving full steam head with the COVID-19 vaccination drive. “We must emphasise that vaccines are effective in preventing the spread of communicable diseases such as COVID-19 and influenza,” said Dr Lebohang Maroo, the Executive - Clinical Operations at the scheme.

She explained that the scheme has been running the COVID-19 vaccination drive campaign for over a month, and acknowledged that vaccine hesitancy still remains a challenge.

“In general, the up-take in our country for the COVID-19 vaccine has so been poor, especially with the young ones, so parents must also educate their teen and young-adult dependants on the need to get vaccinated,” she said. As a scheme, Sizwe Hosmed has recorded 26 976 vaccinated persons, which falls below the targeted number of members. “We would like to achieve the same percentage of vaccinated members as the government target, which is at least 76%,” Dr Maroo added, saying that would allow the scheme member base to reach herd immunity and contribute to national herd immunity targets.

Recently, the government mandated that the attendance of social gatherings may now require people to produce proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result prior to access being granted. The scheme is therefore encouraging its members to ensure that their freedom of movement is not hindered in any way. “It is imperative that our members get their next COVID-19 vaccine dose as soon as possible to ensure they can continue to attend family and social gatherings safely and freely,” Mangcwatywa added.

IF ONE OF US IS NOT VACCINATED, WE ARE ALL AT RISK! It is up to each and every one of us to make our family, friends and co-workers understand that the COVID-19 vaccination is safe and that it could save their life.

Get educated! Get vaccinated! Stay safe!

Vaccines are safe and do work.

ccinate va d o to

In order to register for the COVID-19 vaccine, members can use the easy online registration platforms on the SA Coronavirus website to register; or simply SMS *134*832# to register via USSD. For registration via WhatsApp, members can send the word ‘register’ to 0600 123 456, or alternatively, call the national toll-free call centre on 0800 029 999.

“To those of our members who are not vaccinated, who are hesitant or who just don’t know enough about the vaccine, and have some concerns - we encourage you to contact us on 0860 100 871 for more information.

Our teams are ready to assist you and support you,” concluded Dr Mangcwatywa.

I am

Dr Maroo said studies have shown various reasons as the causes of vaccine hesitancy. “To remove that hesitancy, we really have to go out and provide members with relevant and scientific information that will make it possible for them to make proper decisions for themselves and their families,” she said. That is why the Sizwe Hosmed’s COVID-19 vaccination drive has, as its main objective, the requirement to provide facts and accurate information to all members to ensure they feel safe and well-informed.

There are many vaccination centres that are also taking walk-ins, so members are encouraged to go to the closest centre to them and get vaccinated.

Embracing your choice for quality care. www.sizwehosmed.co.za

Newly elected SALGA NEC members seated on stage.

TOUGH CHALLENGES AHEAD FOR SALGA’S NEW LEADERSHIP Held in Cape Town in March this year, SALGA’s National Conference saw new leaders elected, who will have the responsibility of consolidating the work done previously and dealing with new challenges. By Ryland Fisher

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he new leadership of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) will have a tough task over the next five-year local government term, restoring the credibility of a sector whose image has been wracked by corruption scandals, fraud, irregular expenditure and qualified audits.

Speaking shortly after his election, the new SALGA president, Bheke Stofile, said that his first priority as president would be to consolidate the work that had been done by the previous leadership.

This work had been outlined by the outgoing acting president of SALGA, Deon de Vos, in his opening remarks to the conference. “It is our collective task to support local government to respond to the complex and rapid changes of the 21st century, and use the opportunities that it and the fourth industrial revolution present for modernising governance centred on people’s development.”

Stofile, who is also speaker of the Matjhabeng Local Municipality in the Free State, said the “solid foundation must be protected, it must be nurtured, it must always be used to mirror the way forward from the new challenges we are facing.”

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PRIORITISING PEOPLE, TRAINING AND FUNDING One of the new challenges, Stofile said, was how to deal with the growing number of coalitions at local government level.

“If we do not do it correctly, it will be disastrous when it comes to issues of service delivery and governance in general.

“We have also learned that we need to be more inclusive in our approach to dealing with matters of national interests.

Our challenge is to work together and to make sure that we can resolve matters affecting our communities. We need to hold each other’s hands and be part of the

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One of his other priorities, Stofile said, would be to persuade government to have a conversation about the levels of municipal funding.

“We need to improve the funding model for municipalities. Currently, municipalities receive 9 per cent of the budget but they are responsible for more than 46 per cent of the functions outlined in the Constitution.”

Florence Maboa-Boltman, Mayco member in the Gert Sibande District Municipality and former mayor of the Govan Mbeki local municipality, is one of the new deputy presidents.

She said she was excited about this new position. “I was chairperson of the Women’s Commission for SALGA nationally and we advocated for women to take up more leadership and decision-making roles.

“At SALGA, our priority should be to make sure that the municipalities sector works and that we provide proper services to communities. We can only help to train Bheke Stofile councillors after they have been deployed by their political parties. We try to help them understand the legislation they must apply. In “We need to be more inclusive in our approach to dealing with matters of national interests. Our challenge is to work together and to make sure our training, we also try to put more emphasis on ethical behaviour. that we can resolve matters affecting our communities.” – Bheke Sofile “It is important to talk to the communities that you serve. The Minister (of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma) spoke at the conference about learning to ensure that new councillors solution, rather than individuals standing receive proper training. SALGA has produced the need for councillors to answer their phone. on the side, looking in.”

They must give feedback to the community. The training manuals for new councillors.

Stofile said that when government wrote communities’ needs must determine your priorities But, he said, there should be a conversation the White Paper on local government in 1998, in council. If you do this, you will not have an issue with political parties about how to avoid losing they assumed that municipalities would years of experience after every municipal election. of underspending your budget.” be able to collect more than 90 per cent of revenue and use it to fund their programmes.

“They did not anticipate that the unemployment rate would be so high and that many millions of our people would not be employed and unable to pay for services. People are not paying because they do not want to pay, but because they can’t. It is because of the economic conditions that they are facing.”

Key to this, said Stofile, was to employ the best possible people to run municipalities.

“They must be people of stature, people of knowledge, people of skill. If you bring people with those characteristics, then the service delivery, understanding of the oversight role, and management of the resources prudently, will become easier to achieve.”

Referring to the fact that about 70 per cent of the current crop of councillors is new, Stofile said SALGA will continue its SALGA CEO, Xolile George, formally introducing newly elected SALGA NEC members at the organisation’s 6th national conference in Cape Town. relationship with institutions of higher

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Maboa-Boltman said the new SALGA leadership’s success should be judged on whether there is an improvement in the audit outcomes and in service delivery.

“I will be happy at the end of five years if there are consequences applied in areas where they are supposed to be taken because plenty of monies is missing and there are many corruption issues. The only way to deal with corruption is if people know there will be consequences.”

Another new deputy president is Buffalo City executive mayor Xola Phakati, who was a bit more circumspect in his assessment of his role in SALGA and of municipalities in general.

“My election to serve as a deputy president of SALGA is humbling and it comes with great responsibility. I am willing to serve the people of our country to the best of my ability.

“The reality is that municipalities are very complex institutions and when you are governing one, you need to always do things with precision and have enhanced interactions with others – hence the important need for SALGA. “The other area of the complexity of a municipality is derived from the fact that it is a highly legislated sphere of government.

“We have over the years worked to manage a very complex Buffalo City metro

Buffalo City Municipality executive mayor, Cllr. Xola Phakati, addressing delegates at SALGA’s 6th national conference after his election as the organisation’s Deputy President.

and it is therefore humbling that our peers in other municipalities are watching, believing that we can play a further role in the national executive committee (NEC) of SALGA. “What makes the governance of Buffalo City metro even more complex is the fact that it is a

city that is urban on the one hand and rural on the other, with all the accompanying backlogs.

The urbanised space itself has clear apartheid divides, needing deep strategic thinking, decisive leadership and vigilance all the time.

We are undertaking the various developmental

“The new SALGA leadership’s success should be judged on whether there is an improvement in the audit outcomes and in service delivery.” – Florence Maboa-Boltman

COGTA deputy president ,Thembi Nkadimeng, MDB chairperson, Thabo Manyoni and SALGA COO, Lance Joel, in a panel discussion titled, “SALGA as an agile force of influence for local government efficiency”.

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THE PULSE

PLUGGED IN | NATIONAL CONFERENCE

SALGA COO, Lance Joel, opens the floor for report backs from commissions.

Seated next to him is Vuyo Mvoko, who facilitated the session.

tasks in the municipality and we can say that our municipality is a work in progress.

“As we build our city and the entire South African municipal landscape, there will always be a realisation that municipalities and cities are interconnected.

“While legislation requires that we govern our municipalities in terms of the demarcated municipal boundaries, the reality is that the movement of people, animals, rivers and tributaries happens across boundaries. Our role in SALGA will be to ensure that we push everyone towards seeing local governance as an interconnected and interdependent ecosystem. The reality is that the people of South Africa move across municipal boundaries daily and this is the case in all municipalities.”

The third new deputy president is Xanthea Limberg, Mayco member in the City of Cape Town. She said she believes that “SALGA will need to focus on improving support to municipalities across the board, from assisting with capacitating municipalities to get the basics right to driving innovation and pushing the boundaries in finding ways to render services in a more effective and efficient way that addresses the challenges in a more sustainable manner.

“SALGA’s voice in lobbying, advocacy and fighting legal battles on behalf of the sector will need to be strengthened to meaningfully mitigate the threat municipalities face in being able to deliver on their constitutional responsibilities.”

“SALGA’s voice in lobbying, advocacy and fighting legal battles on behalf of the sector will need to be strengthened to meaningfully mitigate the threat municipalities face in being able to deliver on their constitutional responsibilities.” – Xanthea Limberg

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The two-day national conference at the CTICC was held in a hybrid manner, with a few hundred people attending in person and many others joining online.

TAKEAWAYS FROM PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA’S KEYNOTE ADDRESS In his keynote address, President Ramaphosa outlined the many successes achieved by local government, but pointed out that there were still plenty of challenges. He reiterated the message he delivered during his State of the Nation address, that no one should be left behind.

“Over the past 28 years of democratic government, we have made commendable progress in delivering basic services to the people, especially the poor and vulnerable.

“We have provided clean and safe water, decent sanitation and electrified homes. We have built houses, clinics and hospitals. We have provided free basic and tertiary education and free primary healthcare. We have an extensive social security net. The task before us now is to consolidate these gains, to deepen them and to ensure that we realise the aspirations of the South African people.”

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Ramaphosa said municipalities were the first point of contact between government and the people and when there are local government failures, the effects are felt immediately and are far-reaching.

“A report prepared by the Department of Cooperative Governance in June last year noted that only five per cent of our country’s municipalities were financially stable. Others are in financial distress, with insufficient revenue to meet their expenses. Some 64 municipalities are considered to be dysfunctional. This dysfunction is rooted in poor governance, weak institutional capacity, poor financial management, corruption and political instability.

“By June last year, some 26 municipalities had been placed under administration. This number has now risen to 31 municipalities under administration. We continue to hear about municipalities under threat of administration. Many residents have lost faith in the ability of local government to meet their needs.”

Ramaphosa pointed out the need for municipalities to address poor revenue collection.

“Municipalities are owed billions by businesses, government entities and households for services rendered. We should encourage good citizenship and promote a culture of payment for services.

“This conference should make a call to all who use municipal services – beginning with government entities – to lead by example and ensure that their municipal accounts are paid.”

Ramaphosa said that, in the State of the Nation Address, he had reiterated government’s commitment to the District Development Model to grow local economies, create jobs and deliver services better and faster.

“The District Development Model aims to improve co-ordination between national, provincial and local governments, and between government and its social partners. Through this model, we aim to energise our entire system of co-operative governance and bring coherence to planning and implementation. Once it is fully operational, we will know at all times what is needed, where it is needed, how it will be done, by whom and exactly how much it will cost.” ▪

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SALGA’S NEW LEADERSHIP

SALGA’s new leadership has many decades of experience in local government business and politics.

Bheke Stofile, who was elected president of the SALGA at its recent national conference in Cape Town, has an impressive track record in politics, business and local government.

Currently the speaker of the Matjhabeng Local Municipality in the Free State, Stofile was born in the small Eastern Cape town of Alice and later moved to Stutterheim. After finishing his schooling at Njongozantu Senior Secondary school, he began work as a labourer at St Helena gold mine in the Free State.

He became involved in the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and soon became a shop steward and later served on NUM’s national executive committee.

At the same time, he was climbing through the ranks in the company, becoming senior manager for stakeholder engagement and economic development. He was also part of the NUM team negotiating with the Chamber of Mines for improved conditions for mineworkers.

He served on many boards, including the Free State Development Corporation, Teba Investment Trust, Teba Bank, Mineworkers Investment Trust and the Mineworkers Development Agency, among others.

Politically, he served the African National Congress as its branch chair and at regional and provincial level. He had also been provincial chair and provincial secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and became an ex officio member of the SACP’s central committee.

He left business to join local government in 2011 and was appointed council speaker a few months later. He was soon elected a member of SALGA’s provincial executive committee. Later on, he became a member of the SALGA national executive committee, with responsibility for governance and councillor welfare and empowerment. After the local government elections last year, he was re-elected as speaker in his municipality and was asked to lead a process to take provinces to their provincial SALGA conferences as a build-up to the national conference.

Deputy president Xola Pakati is in his second term as the executive mayor of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, having started in the role in August 2016.

He currently serves as the chairperson of the South African Cities Network Council, a strategic research and advocacy entity in the local government space. He has served SALGA in many different capacities over the years. Phakati served 23 years in the leadership ranks of the trade union movement and, in seven of these years, he was the provincial secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the Eastern Cape.

Deputy president Florence Maboa-Boltman has previously served as the executive mayor of the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, before becoming a Mayco member in the Gert Sibande District Municipality. She also has a foundation that was formed in 2016 with the sole purpose of improving the lives of poor people in the Govan Mbeki municipality. She was a deputy president of SALGA from 2011 to 2017 and has served the organisation in many capacities.

Deputy president Xanthea Limberg has served in a range of elected political positions for more than a decade, including Mayco member for the largest directorates within the Cape Town municipality, focused on providing and enhancing basic services. She says her most challenging and politically public role has been managing and overcoming Cape Town’s worst drought in recorded history. In the previous term, she represented Western Cape municipalities on the national executive committee at SALGA. She also served as SALGA’s national chairperson for the Municipal Innovations and Internet Communications Technology working group.

The 12 members of the NEC, nominated via SALGA’s provincial conferences, are Nonkosi Pepping (Eastern Cape); Mapaseka Nkoane (Free State); Mluleki Nkosi (Gauteng); Lerato Maloka (Gauteng); Minah Bahula (Limpopo); Pule Shayi (Limpopo); Lesetja Dikgale (Mpumalanga); Brenda Mpamba (Northern Cape); George Masegela (Northern Cape); Sebang Motlhabi (North West); Nikiwe Num (North West); and Dr Annelie Rabie (Western Cape).

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

THE PULSE

PLUGGED IN | NATIONAL CONFERENCE

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PLUGGED IN | NATIONAL CONFERENCE

THE PULSE

A UNIFIED VOICE TO ADVANCE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECTOR The SALGA national conference held in March was timely and significant, coming hot on the heels of the 2021 local government elections. This article provides a summary of the discussions and presentations

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onvened under the theme, “Consolidating the role of local government in rebuilding local communities to meet their social, economic and material needs”, the national conference took place from 2–4 March in Cape Town.

It provided an opportunity for mayors, councillors, local government representatives and representatives of provincial and national government to reflect on what has been happening in councils and their communities, share experiences, perspectives and responses to those challenges, and, at the same time, influence the future direction of local government.

A new SALGA national executive committee (NEC) was also elected at the conference. This leadership team is tasked with reviewing and strengthening SALGA’s systems and processes and adopting a new strategic plan to provide SALGA with a solid vision, mission, and objectives to achieve over the five-year term of democratic local government.

All are aimed at championing the needs of SALGA’s member municipalities and assisting them in their mandate to create diverse, equitable and more inclusive communities that will pave the path to national success.

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

WORDS OF WISDOM Former SALGA national chairperson Father Simangaliso Mkhatshwa told the delegates, “you are the face of government. You are giving visible and tangible leadership to the people who see you every day and speak to you every day”.

Councillor Geordin Hill-Lewis, executive mayor of the City of Cape Town, acknowledged SALGA’s efforts to lobby and campaign for changes in national policy for its member municipalities, thereby allowing them to better meet their communities’ needs.

“It’s important that local government has a strong, independent voice speaking up for the things we need to see happening,” he said.

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SALGA CEO, Xolile George standing alongside SALGA NEC members, Cllr. Xola Phakati, Cllr. Bheke Stofile, Cllr. Flora Maboa- Boltman and Cllr. Xanthea Limberg.

In her address, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma expressed how central and essential local government was to social, economic, and cultural development in South Africa, saying: “We must continually acknowledge that there is no community that is national, all communities are local, that is why we must all have an interest in local government. “ The same message was carried in President Cyril Ramphosa’s speech, where he highlighted the indispensable role of local governments in facilitating economic growth and social change.

“Local government is the most important enabler of economic growth and development. By providing reliable water supply, sanitation, energy and refuse services, and through road and infrastructure maintenance, local government enables our economy to grow and create employment,” he said.

Ramaphosa also stressed that local government was everyone’s business. “From participating in local decision-making process to paying for municipal services, citizens and communities are important stakeholders in local government.”

Timothy Matlala, head: public sector business clients SA at Standard Bank,

acknowledged how local government was the first point of contact between government and communities and as such, the banking sector, which supports local economic development, also had an important role to play. “We believe in supporting the sector that supports us. Our relationship with this sector spans decades, and we want to support municipalities as they embark on their new terms of office,” he said.

Closing the conference, SALGA’S new president Bheke Stofile, said: “Despite the complexities of our different interests and challenges, we all agree that the unity of the organisation is at the epicentre of advancing the interests of local government. We must not only adopt and embrace the conference resolutions, but also take bold and proactive steps to implement and accelerate it.” ▪

RESOURCES:

Conference Declaration

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ASSET REGISTERS AND ASSET MAINTENANCE: EMPOWERING MUNICIPALITIES TGIS empowers municipal staff to maintain asset information with a system embedded inside the very affordable PlanetGIS software

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GIS’s system includes information relevant to asset registers, and, more importantly, for sustainable service delivery, asset maintenance planning and execution information and processes.

Many municipalities are not performing well on their constitutional mandate of sustainable service delivery. Many also obtain poor audit outcomes. This has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the economy, with shrinking revenue streams and resultant diminishing capacity to maintain assets.

The Municipal Standard Chart of Accounts requires that these are all seamlessly linked with the financial system and other relevant peripheral systems and that processes are executed seamlessly within the entire set of systems.

Achieving this requires high levels of skill in surveying, town planning, engineering, IT, and finance, and capability with integrating technologies and systems, such as document management, workflow, process automation, the cloud, field data capture, maintenance processes, and many others.

This is a big ask from financially struggling municipalities on an unfunded mandate.

CHALLENGES One challenge is that the foundations of revenue (property information, deed owner data, occupant data, town planning data, building control and consumer meters) are technically complex, and difficult to create and maintain. The external sources of some of this data (the Surveyor General and the Deeds Office) provide this data with significant levels of error.

Another challenge is that a good audit outcome (unqualified or clean) demands a complete, maintained, GRAP (generally recognised accounting practice) componentised register of all assets, including infrastructure, property and moveable assets, which is also difficult to create and maintain.

TGIS SUCCESS TGIS has proven success with its systems, with two clients among the “Top Ten” municipalities achieving clean audit outcomes.

Clients who use our tools or services for asset registers typically improve their audit outcomes or maintain a good outcome.

Similarly with our revenue enhancementrelated systems that manage land, town planning, building control, and deeds data.

CAPACITY-BUILDING SOLUTION “But our greatest achievement,” comments Jo Engelbrecht, senior manager for built environment information management at TGIS, “is that the system has been built to simplify the management of the processes

and the data. This has enabled us to train municipal staff to do the work themselves.”

This is done using the powerful database and scripting management capabilities of PlanetGIS, which means that a solution can be adapted to a specific client simply through changes to the developed scripts.

MAINTAINING DATA To maintain data requires people and tools with a field capability, and a structured maintenance activity aligned programme, that can comply with submission deadlines, such as for the annual financial statements (AFS).

“Another aspect critical to success is comprehensive quality control of data.

This has been built into both the database and the processes we have designed, and ensures a reliable result when we run reports,” says Engelbrecht.

FIELD DEVICES TGIS has deployed its solutions on rugged tablet devices that can survive years of working in rough field conditions. The solutions can run on other devices, but this is the hardware platform we recommended to ensure good, consistent, and sustainable results.

The devices must include a GPS, camera, 3D barcode scanner and adequate mobile capability for connection to the internet.

PLANETGIS AND THE CLOUD

Menu of reports to assist with process and data quality control.

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PlanetGIS’s data is held on a local stand-alone device, allowing data capture and update regardless of network connectivity. But when connectivity is available, it synchronises with a cloud defined data location for the specific project.

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ADVERTORIAL | TGIS

PlanetGIS showing document attachments linked to an asset, with a viewing window of the selected document.

This means that all authorised users see data as it is being captured, regardless of which device captures it, in other words, “instant backup” and data replication, protecting your investment in data capture and making project data accessible to whoever needs to use it.

Access rights and update rights are defined at setup, limiting access to specific data and ensuring reliable data.

The cloud also enables real-time collaboration between users, whether in the field or office. “It’s like having your supervisor or an engineer with you in the field,” says Wietske Venter, GIS specialist.

3D MOBILE MAPPING) DATA Venter adds: “3D mobile mapping data (3DMM) is the key to low-cost, reliable data capture on assets, building condition, land use and so much more. PlanetGIS now incorporates this data natively, so you can capture features from this data right inside your GIS. That’s a big advantage!”

• Lost or never-obtained documents (approvals, invoices, plans, completion certificates, reports).

• Missed deadlines because of slow data capture and processing.

• Mismatch between register data, journals, and supplied financial summaries.

LINKED DOCUMENT “PlanetGIS allows documents to be linked to projects, assets or their components,” says Engelbrecht. “This makes unbundling easier and more accurate and keeps the auditors happy because we can find everything for them at the click of a button. We’ve found,” he continues, “that when auditors find they can trust your systems and

processes, audits proceed more rapidly, have fewer queries, and cost the municipality a lot less.”

ANNEXURE B TO THE AFS When last-minute changes are made to the GIS, the register, the journals, or Annexure B, then chaos is often unleashed. It’s very difficult to ensure alignment and synchronisation when data lies in unlinked separate systems.

We generate all the required reports from the asset register database in the GIS, after quality controlling all changes.

This ensures that the register, the journals and the AFS are always in sync with the GIS, where ground-verified data resides.

PlanetGIS’s data is held on a local stand-alone device, allowing data capture and update regardless of network connectivity.

AUDIT FINDINGS Typical problematic audit findings are: • Limitation of scope because of incompleteness (missing items or unlocated items).

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Extract of report for assets for Appendix B to the Annual Financial Statements.

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ADVERTORIAL | TGIS

INTEGRATION TO IMIS The Planet GIS data structure and data are used in our flagship Integrated Management Information System (IMIS).

This provides another whole level of data integration and workflow because IMIS has the application programme interfaces in place to enable integration with any system that will permit integration.

ASSET MAINTENANCE: FAILURE TO RECORD There is seldom an effective process in place to connect maintenance staff activity in the field with the actual assets in the GIS register or in finances. This problem is solved by issuing maintenance instructions in the system, and in allowing maintenance staff to record actions, in a simple interface, on a selected asset or component, including the GIS (location), a photograph (evidence) and a barcode (identifier).

ASSET MAINTENANCE: OPERATIONAL VERSUS CAPITAL DISCONNECT Asset maintenance is usually seen as an operational expense. However, when components are replaced or upgraded, this changes to capital expense. This often causes a huge disconnect, with financial data not being correctly updated, because of expense classification errors, or simply an absolute failure to communicate. This problem disappears when using the PlanetGIS-based TGIS Asset Management Module.

PlanetGIS showing floor plan of the 1st Floor, with a room selected, and list of assets in the room.

MOVEABLE ASSETS We have now included the moveable asset solution in the PlanetGIS-based asset solution.

This allows the municipality to run a single system for both fixed and moveable assets.

The great practical advantage is that the location of buildings containing the assets is shown in the GIS, making them easy to find.

Similarly, the rooms in the layout are shown, and if the building does not block GPS signal, it will show you which room you are in, and what assets you should find there.

“The greatest thing about this is that we can add multiple storeys by capturing the floor plans one on top of the other in space on different “layers”, and you can see just your floor-of-choice’s data if you choose.”

Says Kokesto Masotla “This makes things really easy for asset counts. We have trained municipal staff with no GIS experience to do this; they have found the software and the process easy to learn. It doesn’t even take a morning for them to be up and running.

“Of course, the cloud collaboration helps hugely. We can assist them from anywhere.

So, if they need a GIS expert in Pretoria or an engineer in Cape Town or a financial person in Johannesburg, we simply connect them in real-time, and problems are solved as they arise,” he explains.

IN CLOSING TGIS offers a customised asset register and asset management module in PlanetGIS that enables municipal staff to record maintenance actions, as well as keep the asset register up to date with additions, disposals, impairments, and changes of condition, greatly reducing the reliance on consultants. ▪

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the TGIS website.

For more information: PlanetGIS with cloud messages window, showing live interaction between office and field.

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012 991 3624 info@tgis.co.za www.tgis.co.za

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People Processes Systems Data Technology

FUNDING SOUTH AFRICA’S

INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING GAP

Conway Williams, head of credit at Prescient Management, shares why it is crucial to crowd in the private sector

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overnment is making critical headway in paving the way for private sector involvement in infrastructure investment, but there are outstanding factors that still need to be resolved if South Africa is to close its substantial infrastructure investment gap.

Just over a year ago, the Government’s Reconstruction and Recovery Plan identified infrastructure development as a key generator of poverty alleviation, job creation and economic growth. In a similar timeframe, exacerbated by the pandemic, investment in South African infrastructure fell from an already dismal 18 per cent in 2019/20 to just 14 per cent in 2020/21, compared to the 30 per cent “benchmark” of our emerging market peers.

A step in the right direction, the establishment of the Investment and Infrastructure Office (IIO) aims to improve collaboration between all industry stakeholders such as development and commercial banks and financiers, as well as the private sector. Chaired by the President and supported by the Ministry of Public Works, it provides a co-ordinated approach to speed

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Conway Williams

up the planning, implementation and delivery of the country’s infrastructure projects.

But while the foundations have been laid, the government will only have the private sector’s full support once several stumbling blocks that still exist are addressed, including greater political and regulatory certainty and a credible, bankable pipeline.

HOW DID WE GET HERE? Until now, there has been a substantial underspend on national infrastructure, by all spheres of government, from state-owned enterprises to municipalities. This, in our view, can be attributed to a lack of national direction and scattered oversight and governance, which have led to local authorities being unable to deliver proposed infrastructure projects to a feasible state. Further to this, the lack of a credible infrastructure pipeline, understanding of the relevant roles and responsibilities, and how risk-sharing will work, has hindered the investment by relevant parties.

Combined with this underspend is the South African government’s current fiscal position, which affords limited capacity for the government to successfully carry out all projects on the table. The latest infrastructure plan outlines an investment of R2.3-trillion needed, with a funding gap of around half a trillion rand noted. In looking at the reported project pipeline presented to the market, the project numbers themselves reveal the dire consequences for the everyday South African if not executed. Of 276 interprovincial infrastructure projects currently in the pipeline, only 88 (32 per cent) have reached post-feasibility phase. Taking this one step further, our analysis shows that almost

With the government hamstrung in its ability to deliver on its infrastructure priorities, drawing on private sector investments is the only viable answer to an improved economic outlook.

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two-thirds (64 per cent) are priority type items that fall under three main categories of human settlements (housing), transport, and water and sanitation. These projects alone, if successfully implemented, will make a meaningful difference to poverty alleviation on a national scale, by attracting money into the economy, creating jobs and improving access to basic services.

With the government hamstrung in its ability to deliver on its infrastructure priorities, drawing on private sector investments is the only viable answer to an improved economic outlook. At present, and based on recent Association for Savings in South Africa (ASISA) data, assets under management by members total cR4.4-trillion, with exposure to unlisted infrastructure currently at a mere 2.3 per cent (cR102-billion) with a further 4 per cent exposure to listed infrastructure bonds (R176-billion). Given the sheer size of this industry (in excess of R6.2-trillion, per ASISA figures), by addressing investor requirements as a means to allow for further investment by the private sector, that a simple doubling of this meagre investment, a material amount of capital can be unlocked for the infrastructure ecosystem, and will have a material economic and developmental impact.

THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY For the private sector to take on a more active role, it must be confident that the government is moving in the right direction. A key change that engenders confidence is the single-entry point for all infrastructure initiatives in South Africa, created by the Infrastructure Investment Office.

Eliminating the previously scattered approach, the idea is that the IIO builds a concentrated infrastructure pipeline and provides greater transparency on the ins and outs of projects, that is their phases of development, how funding will be raised and how the process will work.

One area that still raises concern for investors is the lack of a credible pipeline or a pipeline that has the appropriate governmental backing. While there is much talk about the total investment into the economy and the amount needed from an infrastructure perspective pre-and post-feasibility stage, the visibility of a credible and bankable pipeline has been a very slow-moving approach to date and still raises many question marks. Further to this, additional legal and technical expertise is needed to assess projects from a feasibility perspective, as well as various frameworks, industry and infrastructure bodies to facilitate ease of doing business.

It is equally important that political and regulatory certainty follow suit. This means that an appropriate governance framework must be put in place to eradicate the negatives that have hindered the infrastructure roll out thus far. Private sector investors, and importantly, those with fiduciary responsibilities, have a duty of care when managing client funds. In our view, investing without factoring in the stability and reliability of regulatory and legislative frameworks is tantamount to reckless investing.

A BLENDED FINANCE APPROACH IS KEY To make infrastructure investment more attractive to the private sector, we are of the view that a blended finance approach that makes use of public finance, developmental financiers and private finance will go a long way in creating the much-needed certainty on roles and responsibilities, and on risk-sharing, for the private sector. Simplistically, this will compel all stakeholders to engage constructively and, in doing so, understand the roles and responsibilities of each party, including what sort of capital is to be provided, under what circumstances, who will take first losses should these arise, and when.

THE PULSE

IN THE HEADLINES I ECONOMIC MATTERS

Prescient’s Clean Energy and Infrastructure Fund is a real example of a fund doing just that. To date, it has deployed just short of R2-billion of capital that supports 17 wind, solar and hydro energy projects. It has added 1.5GW of clean power to the grid, servicing between 50–100 000 homes, at a time when South Africans are facing ongoing blackouts due to load shedding. What’s more, these projects have created jobs in these communities, enabled local procurement spend, and importantly, the projects have invested meaningfully in the local communities.

Infrastructure development is fundamental to economic growth and poverty reduction.

The results to date of the above-mentioned fund help to illustrate the potential longer-term impact from the private sector. And for now, while the current infrastructure plan is enough to put the private sector’s initial fears to rest, the success of the next implementation stage is of critical importance. Where there is policy certainty and a framework that works, it makes it easier for the private sector to raise and invest capital in infrastructure and, ultimately, improve the lives of everyday South Africans. ▪

RESOURCES: Government’s Reconstruction and Recovery Plan

CLEAN ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE FUND

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

While investing in infrastructure is a key driver of economic growth and poverty alleviation in South Africa, for the private sector it is just as vital to be able to make an impact without compromising on client returns.

Investment and Infrastructure Office

While there is much talk about the total investment into the economy and the amount needed from an infrastructure perspective pre-and post-feasibility stage, the visibility of a credible and bankable pipeline has been a very slow-moving approach.

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SBS – YOUR TRUSTED WATER STORAGE SOLUTIONS PARTNER SBS is helping municipalities to provide water to local communities by supplying easy-to-install water storage tanks of varying sizes for a range of uses.

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he SBS Group, as a leading provider of innovative and technologically advanced water storage solutions, has partnered with SALGA and South African local and national government bodies with one common goal – to deliver water and sanitation services to the people of South Africa.

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SBS offers a range of over 500 sizes of water storage tanks that meet the need for a variety of uses, from rainwater harvesting, domestic storage and commercial storage on limited footprints to municipal water supply and storage and effluent or process water storage. Tank capacities range from 7 000 litres to 4.4 million

litres offering a comprehensive and effective solution that can be installed in a few days.

“We are proud that our water storage tanks have been installed all across South Africa, into Africa and across the world,” says Mava Gwagwa, director: new business development. “We can confidently say that we make a difference – fast. One of the many benefits of an SBS tank is its modular nature, which ensures quick installation with no heavy lifting equipment, making it suitable for remote areas with limited or no road access.”

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ADVERTORIAL | SBS GROUP

SBS tanks can be installed rapidly in event the most remote locations.

SBS tanks have a life expectancy of 65 years, with the internal liner keeping the water away from the tank structure and carrying a 10-year warranty.

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WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CLIENTS AND PARTNERS?

• SBS can install large-scale water or liquid storage solutions in a few days, delivering on the promise of “water for all” quickly.

• Despite the speed of installation, SBS tanks have a life expectancy of 65 years, with the internal liner keeping the water away from the tank structure and carrying a 10-year warranty.

• The modular nature of the tank, built from Zincalume panels, means that tanks can be installed anywhere – no matter how remote

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the location and even if there is no existing access road. Panels and equipment can be transported to the site on light delivery vehicles or carried by hand.

SBS tanks are built from the ground up, using a jacking system, which prevents the need for heavy equipment on site. This reduces the overall cost to client, including that of site establishment and speeds up installation time.

Tanks can be dismantled and relocated if necessary, for example, at projects where new pipelines are installed and municipal flush tanks are required, or for operational site camps where infrastructure construction is taking place over a long distance and long period of time.

SBS water storage tanks maximise storage capacity on a limited footprint, utilising vertical space effectively. This is ideal for established sites or sites where space is at a premium.

In projects where mass storage is required, multiple SBS tanks can be installed and connected, allowing for fast and continuous water supply to communities

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

“One of the many benefits of an SBS tank is its modular nature, which ensures quick installation with no heavy lifting equipment, making it suitable for remote areas with limited or no road access.”

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even during routine system maintenance ensuring ongoing service delivery.

• As a Proudly South African business, SBS is Level 2 BBEEE, SABS ISO9001 and SABS ISO45001 compliant.

SBS has delivered water storage solutions to the African continent and beyond for almost 25 years and looks forward to the next 25 years of partnering with SALGA and municipalities to deliver on the mandate of water for all. Together we can overcome the challenges faced and bring water and sanitation services to people living in communities.

Talk to your SBS partner today, and let us take care of your next water service delivery project. ▪

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the SBS Tanks website.

For more information: +27 317161820 +27 86 048 2657 info@sbstanks.co.za www.sbstanks.com

Mfundo Ngcobo: +27 82 888 9144

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HOW EFFECTIVE IS SOUTH AFRICA’S DISASTER

RISK MANAGEMENT? It’s been 20 years since the Disaster Management Act was enacted into law. Tiisetso Tlelima looks at its challenges and successes

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n 15 January 2003, South Africa took an essential step towards strengthening its disaster reduction capabilities with the promulgation of the Disaster Management Act (DMA) 57 of 2002. The DMA is an integrated and co-ordinated disaster management policy that focuses on preventing or reducing the risk of disasters and mitigating the severity of disasters. The aim of the act is to ensure that there is emergency preparedness, rapid and effective response to disasters and postdisaster recovery and also to establish national, provincial, and municipal disaster management centres and disaster management volunteers. It applies to all sector departments, municipalities and organs of state.

“The act complements the multidisciplinary and multisectoral character of efforts to improve management of disaster risks, as well as potential and actual disaster situations,” explains Dorah Marema, portfolio head for municipal sustainability at SALGA. In addition, it underlines the need for wide-ranging partnerships between government, the private sector, civil society, and particularly those communities most at risk.

early warning system networks across all spheres of government has not been without challenges.

Head of the National Disaster Dr Mmaphaka Management Centre Tau (NDMC), Dr Mmaphaka Tau cites inadequate resource allocation and lack of understanding of disaster management by stakeholders as some of the challenges that have been experienced. “A lack of co-operation and involvement by government and civil society, and the lack of integrated strategies to address existing risk and the formation of new risk largely represent the challenges faced,” says Dr Tau.

CHALLENGES While functioning disaster management centres have been established across the country, implementing the development of disaster management plans and evolving

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Dorah Marema

Marema concurs, adding that lack of funding and the issue not being taken seriously enough by some municipalities is a major challenge in the implementation of the act. The language previously used in the DMA, which says municipalities may instead of must, also presented problems because it meant there was no way of enforcing the legislation. “For example, in Chapter 5, section 44 (b) it says municipal disaster management centres may act as an advisory and consultative body on issues concerning disaster and disaster management in the municipal area for organs of state statutory functionaries, this makes it difficult for municipalities to force sector departments and organs of state to execute disaster risk management issues,” explains Marema.

This blunder in the document, however, has been reviewed and led to the act being amended in 2015. Today, the act asserts that municipalities must have disaster management centres. In addition, the DMA was amended to address the need for better co-ordination, more involvement of sectors, improved disaster management planning capacity of local municipalities, better mainstreaming in development policies, plans and programmes, and more emphasis was put on preventive measures.

Despite these amendments, a hydrologist at Ncuma Disaster Risk Management Consultancy, Dingaan Mahlangu, thinks the DMA still doesn’t check to ensure the legislation is being followed. Mahlangu

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laments that the DMA is reactive and should take a more proactive approach. “Unlike the National Water Act of 1998, which guides you, gives you the dos and don’ts and even goes as far as not approving a development on a floodplain, the DMA just says you must limit and minimise the risk,” says Mahlangu.

He says disaster risk management is more effective if the government is proactive and makes sure people comply. The country’s disaster risk management should be about trying to save lives, building the correct infrastructure and maintaining structures against potential failures. For example, if streams aren’t properly maintained or there are rocks blocking a bridge, that bridge will overflow and cause potential flooding for people. “The reactive approach our government uses has a lot to do with recovery and that’s costly, but most importantly, if someone dies you cannot raise them from the dead,” explains Mahlangu.

Furthermore, Mahlangu states that the government doesn’t have the capacity to deal with natural disasters as some departments such as hydrology are understaffed. Making reference to stormwaters and recent floods in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, he adds that the data that has been gathered has plenty of gaps and there are no proper warning systems in place. “The government just goes around extinguishing fires and declaring national disasters everywhere there’s flooding because there was no proper planning and preparation for such disasters,” he says.

HYOGO FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

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However, Tau believes the implementation of the DMA has been successful in reducing disaster-related losses in the country. “The NDMC strives to achieve the outcomes of the international Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) conventions, such as the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) and the more recent Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), which is aimed at reducing losses caused by disasters,” he says.

In 2015, 187 member states of the United Nations pledged their support for taking the DRR agenda beyond the HFA (2005–2015).

“There’s a serious need for us to overhaul and restrengthen the disaster risk function in the entire country to see the projected climate change impact for South Africa and Africa as a whole.” – Dorah Marema This translated into adopting the SFDRR (2015–2030) which aims to build on the successes of the HFA with an emphasis on resilience.

According to Marema, the disaster management legislative and policy framework in South Africa aligns well with the objectives of the SFDRR. An assessment in 2018 showed there is general compliance with the act in areas such as institutional capacity, risk assessment, risk reduction, education, training and research with areas for improvement ranging from risk quantification, risk reduction, compliance with bylaws, funding for risk reduction and recording of disaster losses.

“In some aspects, yes there are challenges on disaster damages and losses, for instance, the recent flood incidents in December 2021 are estimated to have cost billions of rands in response and recovery,” says Marema. “Some people lost their lives or property and there was damage to infrastructure in the East London Mdantsane floods as well in the recent floods in Gauteng.”

DISASTER MANAGEMENT DURING THE PANDEMIC Marema admits that the country’s disaster management systems have in recent times been tested by the increase in climate change-induced weather events such as droughts, cyclones, infestations of army worms and locusts, and now the COVID-19 pandemic. “A lot of our systems were not designed with some of these things in mind, as a result, there’s a serious need for us to overhaul and restrengthen the disaster risk function in the entire country to see the projected climate change impact for South Africa and Africa as a whole,” she explains.

When it comes to COVID-19, Marema believes the government responded in accordance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines to combat the spread of the virus, which required a multidisciplinary

approach across all sectors. Based on statistical data produced by the Department of Health on COVID-19-related infections and fatalities reported, there has been a decline in the spread of the virus. “In terms of effectiveness of the response, probability indicators show that response measures introduced by government were effective from when a local state of disaster was declared.”

Tau agrees, saying that given the capacity, resources and infrastructure available and the unpredictability of the virus, the country’s overall response to COVID-19 has been good.

With any disaster it’s important to always have post-disaster recovery plans in place and as such COVID-19 is no different. According to Tau, the government is already working to implement post-disaster recovery measures that include a R20-billion “bounce back scheme” to support SMMEs, R5.2-billion in tax relief to help support economic recovery and R44-billion set aside for a 12-month extension of the R350 grant. An additional R15.6-billion will be allocated to provincial health departments to support continued response to COVID-19 and to bridge shortfalls in essential goods and services.

Tau warns that there is always the likelihood that epidemics, pandemics, floods, drought, veld fires, severe weather, earthquakes, and landslides could happen in the future and as such, disaster management plans and contingency arrangements should be developed and implemented to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience. “Disaster management is everybody’s business and each person should do what they can to prevent and prepare, and where this fails, respond to and recover from disasters,” concludes Tau. ▪

THE PULSE

IN THE HEADLINES I POLICY ANALYSIS

RESOURCES: Disaster Management Act 2002

“Disaster risk management is more effective if the government is proactive and makes sure people comply. The country’s disaster risk management should be about trying to save lives, building the correct infrastructure and maintaining structures against potential failures.” – Dingaan Mahlangu

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IN THE HEADLINES I GENDER TRANSFORMATION

THE PULSE

MORE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN

IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEEDED Achieving gender parity in local government is easier said than done. Tiisetso Tlelima investigates why this is the case

and the advancement of their political careers.

Gouws adds that the situation is worsened by the fact that the local government level is the space where patronage networks are strong. “Most people working in municipalities are not interested in service delivery he 2020 UN Women paper, Women’s Representation in Local Government: A Global so if women are seen to be serious about good Analysis asserts that women’s representation in local government is higher than in governance they will be deterred by men in positions parliaments, but is still not on equal terms with men. of power and kept in their place through intimidation Data from 133 countries shows that women constitute 36 per cent of elected and sexual harassment,” explains Gouws. members in local government. Only two countries have reached 50 per cent and an additional How will government improve women 18 countries have more than 40 per cent. The highest levels of women representation are in representation in local government Antigua and Barbuda (67 per cent) and Bolivia (50 per cent). and key positions? Maboa-Boltman South Africa is ranked 18 out of 133 countries with 41 per cent, based on the thinks political parties are saying 2016 local government elections. Although this figure was an increase from the right things about gender the 38 per cent in 2011’s local elections, it’s much lower than the 57 per cent equality and achieving equal representation in women that was achieved in 2006. societies, but unfortunately, this While the audit for 2021 local government elections has not yet been doesn’t translate into policies, completed, the chairperson of SALGA’s Women’s Commission, Florence strategies and actions. In her view, Maboa-Boltman, thinks the future looks bleak. In KwaZulu-Natal, out of the government should implement 1 906 council seats that were contested, women only occupy 602. Out of 673 councillors in the Free State, only 262 are women. Even though Mpumalanga legislated gender quotas for women Florence Maboa-Boltman seems to be doing much better with two out of three districts led by women, representation so that it’s not left to Maboa-Boltman says the general outlook is concerning. the whims of political parties. “The IEC “The under-representation of women at any level of governance and decision-making has to be empowered to reject party lists that do not reflect 50 per cent women,” she results in democratic deficit, we know that diverse groups make better decisions,” she says.

Local government often makes important decisions that affect the lives of both women says. “Currently, some parties such as the ANC and EFF have adopted gender transformative and men, and so both should be represented fairly. Maboa-Boltman says that women’s equal policies that have resulted in increased women’s participation in local government is not only a demand for simple justice or democracy, but election into local government, however, women can also be seen as a necessary condition for women’s interests to be taken into account. should be protected by law first.”

“Without the active participation of women and the incorporation of women’s perspectives at Gouws thinks the whole local government system all levels of decision-making, the goals of equality, development, peace and social cohesion needs to be overhauled because it’s marred by failed cannot be achieved.” governance. “There’s no point in setting women up for failure,” says Gouws. ▪ NOT EASY TO PROMOTE

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GENDER-EQUALITY AGENDA

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Professor in political studies and SARchi chair in gender politics at the University of Stellenbosch Amanda Gouws takes that further by insisting that substantive representation where women put women’s needs on the agenda is important, but hard because they can’t do it alone. Whether women will be able to promote gender equality or improve women’s lives depends on whether they can cultivate networks in which men are allies. A difficult task indeed, considering women in positions of power are often not taken Professor Amanda Gouws seriously by men who are their subordinates.

Sexism, patriarchal attitudes and violence against female candidates and elected representatives is a major barrier to elected women’s effective participation in local government

RESOURCES: Womens representation in local government

ABOUT SARchi

“The under-representation of women at any level of governance and decision-making results in democratic deficit, we know that diverse groups make better decisions.” – Florence Maboa-Boltman

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LEAD US TO SAFER CITIES, MADAM MAYOR Lebogang Lechuba, South African Cities Network’s marketing and communications manager, challenges the past year’s cohort of women leaders to put safety first

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he problems of women and safety are worldwide; the urban landscape is still a discriminatory and violent place for women and girls. Designing urban spaces with a gender perspective helps identify the diversity of interests, daily experiences and social realities that can drive the agenda on more equal and inclusive cities, free of violence against women and girls.

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In South Africa, over two-fifths (41.8 per cent) of households are female-headed (Stats SA, 2020). These households are “more likely to experience complete household nonemployment” and have a higher

incidence of poverty than male-headed households (Nwosu & Ndinda, 2018: 13).

In many cases, women are responsible for multiple households and send their earnings to other provinces.

Cities and local communities are a fundamental part of fast-tracking actions towards a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable future for all.

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To continue moving forward on the safety of women and girls in public spaces, cities need to include women’s voices in city-making processes.

Women are also disproportionately affected by spatial inequality and inequitable economic participation and shoulder more responsibility for unremunerated work, such as household tasks and care work, exacerbated during COVID-19 (Deloitte, 2021). COVID-19 also amplified existing gender-based income inequalities. Furthermore, unsafety and gender-based violence are more acutely felt in cities and towns, where higher rates of crime occur (SACN, 2017; 2020a).

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WE NEED WOMEN LEADERSHIP The world needs women’s leadership.

According to United Cities in Local Government, around 20 per cent of mayors worldwide are women. While overall global numbers of female participation in politics are rising, there is much work to be done. Cities and local communities are a fundamental part of fast-tracking actions towards a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable future for all.

The need for gender-sensitive planning cannot be emphasised enough; so rife is this problem globally; it is Goal 5 of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which focuses on gender equality, and Goal 11 that aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The clock is ticking to achieve these goals, but time continues to run out on improving conditions for girls and women in South African Cities.

Research has shown that when women ascend into leadership roles, they bring a unique experience into government that leads to gender-inclusive public policies, economic growth, safer environments, infrastructure development and overall improvement of citizens’ quality of life for both men and women.

Cities have to plan for the most vulnerable in society. In designing the public realm, city-makers should put themselves in the shoes of a young girl travelling on her own to school. We need to reach a place where this young girl’s safety to and from school is safe for her today and tomorrow. The only way to do that is to have the right people at

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the policy and planning level, which means having women at the table. City planning models globally were engineered by men, as were governance models and systems.

These developers were not thinking about gender differences and today, we have an architecture that does not respond to women’s needs. We need leaders who can see the future and take risks. A few countries in the world are doing this, investing resources to enable women’s safety and, in turn, allowing them access to opportunities, work, and education. But we are not yet there in South Africa. We are stuck in a planning system that is not being shaped by women’s voices for the type of future that we want – and need.

To continue moving forward on the safety of women and girls in public spaces, cities need to include women’s voices in city-making processes proactively. In a time of massive institutional failure, where the foundations of our social, economic, ecological, and spiritual wellbeing are floundering, female leadership in building community resilience offers balance in an unbalanced history. It represents the possibility of true co-creation of the next phase in the push to reimagine the world for the next generation of citizens. The presence of women in local government impacts female political representation at

other levels. Local government provides a pipeline of candidates for national office.

Closing the gender gap in parliaments and national executives will depend heavily on removing the bottleneck at local level.

Mpho Phalatse was chosen as mayor of Johannesburg, the nation’s largest city and economic hub, and Tania Campbell was appointed to rule the industrial centre Ekurhuleni. Nelson Mandela Bay municipality also has a female mayor in Eugene Johnson.

Let’s give these new leaders all our support to make the country safe for all citizens.

When we invest in women, the returns are multiple across the board. ▪

THE PULSE

IN THE HEADLINES I OPINION PIECE

RESOURCES:

Strong Cities, Strong Female Leadership

Locally Elected Women

Women Mayors And Gender Equality

Women Mayors Are Ready

Women Mayors Make A Difference

Lebogang Lechuba

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CITIZEN SATISFACTION INDEX The South African Citizen Satisfaction Index dropped to a five-year low before the 2021 local government elections were held. We highlight the main service delivery challenges. Report by Consulta

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onsulta’s eighth South African Citizen Satisfaction Index (SA-csi) shows that citizen satisfaction and trust in local municipalities to deliver basic services has dropped to its lowest ebb since the index’s inception. Of the eight metropolitan municipalities polled in the SA-csi in 2021, it is clear that they are falling far short of meeting citizens’ expectations with the results being a direct reflection of the dire picture painted by numerous auditor-general and media reports of the dysfunctional state of many municipalities across the country.

The SA-csi for Municipalities 2021 measures the citizen satisfaction and trust in service delivery in eight category-A municipalities (metros) as a snapshot – Buffalo City, Cape Town, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, Johannesburg, Mangaung, Nelson Mandela Bay and Tshwane. The total sample size was 2 537 and interviews were conducted online and telephonically during Q3 of 2021 across the metros.

In the 2021 South African Citizen Satisfaction Index, Cape Town again emerges as the leader on overall citizen satisfaction for the fifth consecutive year. Cape Town recorded a score of 61.9

out of a possible 100 – although showing a four-point decline on its previous score (2020) of 66.0. Cape Town is also more than 10 points above the same level score of 51.1 for all municipalities and well ahead of all other metros polled, which perform either on or below par. The South African Citizen Satisfaction Index 2021 also shows that municipalities recorded the lowest satisfaction scores by a far margin for all industry sectors tracked by the SA-csi and Consulta.

“The results show that citizens’ expectations of local government delivery of services are very far from being met. The 10-point decline in citizen expectations compared with 2020 is a significant red flag. Lower expectations are typically the driver of drops in all other metrics of citizen satisfaction, including

In the 2021 South African Citizen Satisfaction Index, Cape Town again emerges as the leader on overall citizen satisfaction for the fifth consecutive year.

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THE LONG VIEW

MUNICIPAL MATTERS I SERVICE DELIVERY

overall quality (perceived by the citizen), meeting their needs and reliability. Overall, the below-par performance is driven by the widely held negative perception of reliability of services, many of which are teetering on or have collapsed in many local councils,” explains Natasha Doren, senior consultant at Consulta.

“When you look at what the drivers are behind satisfaction levels – or lack thereof – citizen mentions related to the basics that underpin the very existence of a municipality: water supply and management, electricity supply, garbage/refuse disposal, road maintenance, clean streets and suburbs, and reliable billing. These are the fundamentals of why local governments exist yet these are the areas that citizens most flag as their pain points. Local government structures are the only sphere of government in South Africa where our constitution stipulates a clear mandate: a functional body that ensures that citizens are provided with quality transport and roads; adequate spatial planning and housing; economic opportunities and development; essential services ranging from utilities to fire services as well as recreation and an environment to work, live and thrive in. For millions of citizens, this mandate is nowhere close to being realised,” she adds.

“The 2021 index indicates that local government is fast running out of road. Service

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“The results show that citizens’ expectations of local government delivery of services are very far from being met. The 10-point decline in citizen expectations compared with 2020 is a significant red flag.” – Natasha Doren delivery has decreased to substantially below acceptable benchmarks in any industry or sector.

For example, Mangaung’s rapid decline represents catastrophic levels in citizen satisfaction by any measure. The reality is that if the satisfaction scores across all metros were present in any private sector, such entities would not exist in any shape or format in a competitive market environment where consumers, or citizens, have freedom of choice,” says Doren.

KEY FINDINGS Overall citizen satisfaction score: • The overall citizen satisfaction level, as an average across all metros, is low at 51.1 – further declining from 55.7 in 2020 and reaching the lowest point in five years. This score indicates that citizens’ satisfaction levels are exceptionally low, and trust in the municipalities’ ability to deliver is severely eroded.

• All metros showed a decline in overall citizen satisfaction scores compared with 2020, except Nelson Mandela Bay, which showed a marginal improvement of 0.7 index points, pointing to a slight positivity increase.

• The only metro performing above and significantly ahead of par is Cape Town at 61.9 – also the only leader in the South African Citizen Satisfaction Index.

• Ekurhuleni is on par at 52.2 and losing its previous leader position after declining by a significant -6.2 on its 2020 score. Nelson Mandela Bay (50.5) and Ethekwini (50.1), and Tshwane (50.0) are also on par, while City of Johannesburg (47.2), Buffalo City (44.0) and Mangaung (32.6) come in well below par.

• Mangaung, already on a very low satisfaction score in 2020, decreased a further 6.3 index points to the lowest score recorded across all sectors in South Africa and any of the indices in the 23 international markets where the model is utilised. Mangaung shows a marked and rapid decline over a five-year period from 51.3 in 2017.

• Overall, all metros polled show a consistent decline in citizen satisfaction over five years.

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THE LONG VIEW

MUNICIPAL MATTERS I SERVICE DELIVERY

Citizen expectations and perceived quality: • The overall satisfaction score is heavily influenced by the significant gaps in the citizen expectation versus perceived quality. This measures what citizens expect versus what they actually experience in terms of service delivery. The overall expectations index has declined by an alarming 10 index points to 63.2, from a par of 73.4 in 2020 – the sharp decline in citizen expectations signals a worrying breakdown in citizens’ trust in their metro’s ability to deliver services.

• What is notable is that the gap between citizen expectations and perceived quality remains wide at -8.5 as a sector par score, even though citizen expectations have actually declined. Essentially it means that most metros are not meeting their citizen expectations even off a significantly lower base. Lowered expectations indicate that many citizens have lost trust and given up on expecting anything better from their metros.

• City of Johannesburg (-9.2), Ethekwini (-10.3), Tshwane (-11.3) and Mangaung (-15.9) reflect substantial lapses between expectations and actual perceived quality of service delivery.

• The actual perceived quality measure (what citizens perceive to get) is at a par of 54.8 - also showing a sharp decline from 2020’s score of 60.5.

• Cape Town leads on perceived quality at 64.4 and is well ahead of par (54.8).

• On perceived quality, Mangaung has plummeted to its lowest ebb at 34.3 and Buffalo City 43.6 – both significantly below par of 54.8.

• Ekurhuleni follows at 58.4 and Nelson Mandela Bay at 56.3 – the only other metros on par on perceived quality. eThekwini (54.2), Tshwane (52.2), Johannesburg (51.3), Buffalo City (43.6) and Mangaung (34.3) all perform below par.

• Customer expectations are highest in Cape Town (71.3) and lowest in Mangaung (50.2) and Buffalo City (51.6).

Detailed service quality evaluation: • The key drivers of citizen satisfaction and the aspects under evaluation in the index include refuse removal, maintenance of and building new roads, keeping parks neat and tidy, providing clean drinking water, access to electricity, sewage and stormwater drainage management and street lighting.

• According to the survey, Cape Town is the only metro that delivers on every one of these measures at margins significantly above par.

• Ekurhuleni follows on par with most of the scores on aspects under evaluation.

• Mangaung performs well below par on all these scores, indicating a collapse in all service delivery aspects that matter to citizens.

Complaint incidence and handling: • Mangaung has the lowest complaint handling score of 21.9, well below the par score of 35.7 and a high complaint incidence of 53.9, which indicates that citizen complaints remain largely unresolved.

• Ethekwini has the highest complaint incidence rate (57.9 per cent), followed by Tshwane (54.7 per cent), Mangaung (53.9 per cent), Ekurhuleni (52.3 per cent), Cape Town (47.9 per cent), Johannesburg (47.4 per cent), Buffalo City (40.9 per cent) and Nelson Mandela Bay (34.4 per cent) with the lowest incidence rate.

• Buffalo City has the best complaint handling score (48.1) followed by Cape Town (43.9) and Ekurhuleni (38.1), Nelson Mandela Bay (37.9) and Tshwane (36.6). Ethekwini (32.6), Johannesburg (28.6) and Mangaung (21.9) all perform below par on complaint handling.

• In terms of citizens’ top-of-mind mentions or complaints, water supply and management is the leading issue for all citizens, followed by electricity supply and then refuse removal.

• Ekurhuleni (54.8), Nelson Mandela Bay (53.7), Tshwane (53.4) and Ethekwini (52.1) follow on par, while Johannesburg (48.4), Buffalo City (44.3) and Mangaung (38.4) are well below par.

• All metros show a sharp decline in citizen trust scores compared with 2020, some with 10 index points and more, except for Nelson Mandela Bay, which remained the same.

“Citizen trust in the ability of municipalities to deliver to expectations shows a continued sharp decline year-on-year and should be cause for significant concern and intervention. The results pose an important question on whether service delivery is a priority for numerous municipalities and whether they can justify their existence to its citizens. Citizens want responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government.

The results of this index point to a growing dissatisfaction over the past couple of years of a decreasing trend in value for money on service delivery that citizens fund through payment of utility accounts, rates and taxes. The time has come for local government management to take accountability for their mandated functions and responsibilities or face the growing defection of residents and businesses from dysfunctional municipalities to run better councils resulting in continuous erosion of servicing revenue streams – all of this has massive implications for local economies,” concludes Doren.

The bottom line is local government is the sphere of government closest to the people.

It follows that the focus of local government should be on its citizens and delivering what the people need and expect as protected in our Constitution. An index like SA-csi serves a purpose in that it provides local government with a scorecard that is marked by the voice of their citizenry. The latest SA-csi result is another negative narrative alongside several other indicators pointing to an urgent need for all role players to take decisive action to change the trajectory of local government failures and outright catastrophes. ▪

RESOURCES: South African Citizen Satisfaction Index 2021

Citizen trust:

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• Citizen trust has declined to its lowest point since the index’s inception, dropping to a par of 53.6 in 2021, from 60.7 in 2020 and 64.9 in 2017.

• Cape Town is the outright leader on the trust index at 65.1 almost 12 index points above par and at least 10 index points ahead of any other metro.

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THE FIRST

100 DAYS

Many of South Africa’s executive mayors inaugurated after the 2021 municipal elections have completed their first 100 days in office. By Trevor Crighton

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ut of South Africa’s 278 local municipalities, 213 were contested in the 2021 municipal elections in November, with 10 461 councillors voted into power.

Some of the executive mayors have already completed their first 100 days in office and offered a glimpse of what they’ve found, struggled with and achieved during that period.

CITY OF CAPE TOWN City of Cape Town executive mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says that he has used his first 100 days in office to get Cape Town back on track and onto a new path of prosperity and success. “I am loving this job! Every minute of it. I feel deeply privileged to hold this office – without doubt, one of the best jobs in South African politics, and frankly, one of the coolest jobs in world politics,” he says. “The problems are profoundly difficult and intellectually stimulating. Every single decision matters in the real world and each small step in the right direction gives one a profound sense of personal meaning and purpose.”

His expectations were made clear at the outset of his stint as executive mayor: to spend significantly more on capital investment in the coming five years, particularly on sewer, water, public transport and electricity infrastructure.

“Throughout December and January, the

Affordable housing in Cape Town.

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City’s treasury team and I collectively spent hundreds of hours ensuring our adjustment budget reflected our promise to make Cape Town a more caring city that invests in the infrastructure needed to improve basic service delivery,” he says.

Having declared load shedding “unacceptable”, Hill-Lewis and his colleagues opened the City’s first round of power procurement from independent power producers (IPPs) in late February. “The city will be considering proposals from IPPs for projects that will allow us to access an affordable and reliable electricity supply, especially those that can help us reduce our reliance on Eskom during peak usage times,” he says. “We will consider proposals from a range of projects, including generation-only projects, generation-plus-storage projects, and storage-only projects. We have taken bold steps towards energy security in Cape Town that will over time protect residents from the failure of Eskom and provide the biggest possible boost to our economy.”

He recognises that the city’s most serious infrastructure and service delivery issue is its sewer network, particularly in the most densely populated parts of the city. “We have managed the crisis in the short-term through significant spending on jet-vac trucks in the adjustment budget, but frequent sewer blockages and leaks in the most dense parts

Geordin Hill-Lewis

of the city are long-term issues that seriously threaten the dignity of residents. It is going to take a major infrastructure investment to sort it out. In these first 100 days, we have put in place an ambitious, multifaceted plan for dignified sanitation. ” This plan includes the existing multibillion rand upgrades to wastewater treatment works, but also nearly quadrupling the kilometres of pipe replacement annually, more preventative jetting to clear sewers, more budget for critical sewer pump station upgrades and full replacements, and more vehicle and manpower to respond to sewer spills.

He’s also tackled the complex issue of homelessness, committing his administration to address it in a caring and sustainable way, which affirms the dignity of homeless residents and offers them assistance and opportunities to improve their stations in life.

“As a first step to addressing this problem, we have added R10-million to our Care Programme in the January adjustment budget to help people off the streets sustainably, and expand the Safe Spaces that are already doing important dignity-affirming work,” he says. “Cape Town’s Streets and Public Places bylaw has also been amended to align with our country’s Constitution and Bill of Rights, requiring that alternative accommodation be offered and ensuring that sleeping and

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camping overnight in public places is no longer classified as an automatic offence if no other choice is available to a person.”

Other areas of focus have included negotiations around rezoning, releasing and prepackaging land for release to increase the size of the land pipeline for affordable housing along key transport routes and close to key economic nodes; getting the N2 MyCiti Express route running again; engaging with national government on the state of the rail service; and prioritising funding for safety and security in the adjustment budget, augmenting alreadyexisting programmes to combat crime in Cape Town where SAPS has failed.

“I am confident that when we further reflect on how we are doing – when enough time has elapsed to see our policies and bold initial steps bear fruit – we will all agree that Cape Town is a more caring, more inclusive, more prosperous, more united, more respectful, safer, and freer place,” he says.

Ekurhuleni Executive mayor Tania Campbell marked 100 days in office on 2 March, having successfully constituted an inclusive seven-party coalition government.

“As a minority government, a crucial objective to ensure functioning government is getting budgets passed. In this regard, we were happy to secure an adjustment budget in council for the remainder of the 2021/2022 financial year,” she says. “The adjustment budget is focused on supporting better service delivery in crucial and long-neglected areas, such as security of water and electricity supply; roads and stormwater infrastructure maintenance; solid waste removal; environmental management; and sanitation.

Tania Campbell

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“The city will be considering proposals from IPPs for projects that will allow us to access an affordable and reliable electricity supply, especially those that can help us reduce our reliance on Eskom during peak usage times.” – Geordin Hill-Lewis

THE LONG VIEW

MUNICIPAL MATTERS I LEADERSHIP ANALYSIS

Cleaning stormwater drains in thembisa.

It does this while at the same time reining in spending in nonservice-delivery-focused areas to reverse the perilously depleted state in which we found the city’s finances.”

A back-to-basics approach to service delivery provision has seen the council allocate R117-million to the energy department to promote energy security in the city, along with a further R40-million for maintenance and R77-million for new infrastructure to minimise power outages caused by ageing and poorly maintained infrastructure in the city. “On environment and waste, 112 illegal dumping spots have

been cleared throughout the city and significant progress has been made to clear hyacinth and rehabilitate the Benoni lakes and dams; maintenance was done on 2 100 stormwater drains; and 48km of roads have been rehabilitated. Some 550 road signs were installed and maintained and 29 000m2 of potholes have been patched throughout the city,” she says.

Construction commenced on 152 units at the Leeuwpoort development with a further 188 units on track for completion at the Vosloorus Urban Renewal project by 30 March. At Chris Hani Phase 2, 157 out of 197 units have been completed for allocation. The city has also concluded contracts with 1 100 Public Employment Programme beneficiaries with a further 220 Expanded Public Works Programme work opportunities created in roads and stormwater maintenance.

“Much progress still needs to be made to comprehensively extricate the City of Ekurhuleni from the low base of service delivery on which it functioned before the local government elections,” says Campbell.

“However tough the journey ahead may be, the multiparty coalition is resolute in continuing to restore proper service delivery to the City of Ekurhuleni in line with our back-to-basics ethos.”

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Rustenburg road rehabilitation is a key focus areas for the new executive mayor.

RUSTENBURG Fixing sewerage spillage is a top priority in Mangaung.

MANGAUNG Water losses due to old infrastructure sat atop the to-do list of Mangaung Metro executive mayor Mxolisi Siyonzana during his first 100 days in office. Service delivery was also a pain point for the people of the metro, including refuse removal, public cleansing and sewer spillage.

“Part of the metro’s problem with the water utility stems from a significant amount of procured water that is not billed because it was lost to leakages,” he says. “In essence, our plan outlines projects involving the fixing of sewage spillages and broken water pipes,” he says. “We have focused on the commitment to creating a listening city. We vowed not to govern against the will of the people. Since then, moving forward we are engaging all stakeholders in building a city that is safe and attractive to live, work, and invest in. Political organisations, especially the opposition parties in the council, civil society organisations, and organised labour can all attest to this.”

Siyonzana says that the city is committed to accelerating service delivery and open communication channels between the residents and the executive mayor’s office, but said that getting people to pay their rates and taxes remained a problem. “We understand that

Mxolisi Siyonzana

people cannot pay if they are not working, so we have prioritised the creation of 15 000 jobs through various infrastructure programmes in the area. Once you create more jobs, people will be working and able to pay their services and the city will grow”.

“A focus on local economic development and job creation will be achieved by developing a vibrant and diversified world-class local economy through high-value-adding economic sectors.” – Sheila Mabale-Huma

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Executive mayor Sheila Sheila Mabale-Huma Mabale-Huma has based her first 100 days in office on creating unity of purpose, aiming to have the governing party forging harmonious working relations with all political parties in council. “This will ensure effective and efficient service and inspire the municipality’s officials to work with dedication and commitment,” she says.

Performance contracts have been signed with members of the mayoral committee and senior managers, and the qualifications of all senior managers have been vetted to ensure that qualified and experienced people are placed in the right management positions.

“We have also focused on maximising revenue collection through aggressive education awareness to communities about the importance of paying their bills and containing costs by reducing the outsourcing of service and rather skilling and capacitating the current workforce.”

The administrative leadership of the municipality has decided to channel a lot of municipal resources for the attainment of the 100 days programme and beyond.

“Our focus is on human settlements; water and sanitation supply; electricity supply; roads and stormwater; and refuse removal,” says Mabale-Huma. “A focus on local economic development and job creation will be achieved by developing a vibrant and diversified world-class local economy through high-value-adding economic sectors; creating an enabling and conducive business environment to promote the area as a destination of choice for tourism,

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investment and trade; supporting B-BBEE through the development of sustainable small medium and micro enterprises; enabling transformation of the local economic landscape through development of the township and rural economies; and maintaining strong stakeholder relations and public-private partnerships with local industries in support of local economic development programmes”.

She lists the greatest successes of her first 100 days in office as the resuscitation of memorandums of understanding with traditional authorities within the council’s jurisdiction, an R89-million road infrastructure development in Bethanie and Makolokwe villages, the RDP housing project in Boitekong Ext 16 and enforcing current contracts in the project management unit, dealing with the construction of roads and stormwater and upgrading of pump stations. Her greatest challenges have included dealing with constant power failures and water shortages in the city, the deaths of two municipal employees due to electrocution, and a decline in service delivery.

In terms of measuring success, the executive mayor has put in place weekly and monthly monitoring of activities by the monitoring and evaluation unit, and reports for the political and administrative leadership.

“Work done will need to be physically verified and photographic evidence will have to be attached to all reports,” she says.

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

UTHUKELA In his first 100 days in office, UThukela District Municipality executive mayor Inkosi NB Shabalala focused on eliminating wasteful and fruitless expenditure; phasing out the area’s private water tank supply system; decisively addressing matters pertaining to excessive overtime and standby allowances; introducing an employee shift system to eliminate overtime abuse; and channelling resources in line with the legislative framework, ensuring that the municipality’s core function is adequately adhered to and constantly liaising with communities in line with Batho Pele principles.

“To have satisfied customers, one must ensure that employees are doing their job diligently. I believe that a happy employee will work towards achieving our goals as their morale will be better and more positive,” says the executive mayor. “Every team of workers

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THE LONG VIEW

MUNICIPAL MATTERS I LEADERSHIP ANALYSIS

Flood issues in UThukela are being tackled as a major deliverable.

must prioritise their work to satisfy clients. If our clients are satisfied with our services, then our employees are doing a good job meeting our main goal of providing good service to our valued clients.”

Some of the more powerful engagements he led in his first 100 days included a stakeholder meeting to mitigate flood issues and ensure shelter provision and food supply to the victims with the assistance of Alfred Duma Local Municipality and Al Imdaad Foundation, and engaging with managers to establish a financial recovery plan and develop methods to enhance revenue generation, as he says the municipality was operating on a zero budget.

“We held provincial meetings with the office of the Auditor-General and other stakeholders to establish the municipality’s financial status and the implementation of the previous audit action plans,” he says.

“Official engagements with top management to address strategic priorities yielded results including the identification of the need to verify the number of water trucks owned by the municipality against those that are hired. This assisted decisions around water tanker contract termination with a focus on establishing the means to repair those owned by the municipality and eventually purchasing new ones. This was deemed financially savvy, compared to exorbitant prices charged by contractors.” He also held Integrated Development Plan and budget consultative meetings with different communities.

Shabalala says that his administration’s greatest success so far has been introducing a water scheme contractor for the construction of protected springs, which will be supplying water to the communities of oBonjaneni and uBusingatha, and identifying numerous

Inkosi NB Shabalala

springs around oKhahlamba Municipality with the aim to protect them for community consumption. “We have also introduced smart water meters that will be installed at no extra cost to consumers,” he says. “Having to take decisions as difficult as terminating contracts to achieve some goals is deemed an achievement as it alleviates strain on our limited budget.”

Floods in the district provided one of his first challenges. “Apart from disrupting our day-to-day operations because the municipal building was flooded, the floods also interfered with the functioning of our main plants: pumps were flooded, silted and engines broken. This disrupted water supply in many areas within our jurisdiction. It took some time to restore water supply,” he says. “Infrastructure vandalism where our water pipes were broken and valves tempered with has caused much agitation among our people as it interrupts their water supply. Ageing infrastructure also contributes immensely and negatively impacts service delivery. The unavailability of proper maps that determine the layout of water and sewage pipes to allow water staff to rapidly respond to water and sewer spillage issues is also a challenge,” he explains. ▪

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Untitled-3 1

2022/04/12 12:43 PM

ADVERTORIAL | BONITAS

TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FLU VACCINE The season is changing, heralding the arrival of winter and the “flu season”. Dr Morgan Mkhatshwa, head of operations at Bonitas Medical Fund, tells us why the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the flu vaccine

Why should I get a flu vaccine?

Although the flu vaccine will not eliminate your risk of developing flu, it helps reduce your chances of severe infection. Annually, seasonal influenza (flu) kills around 11 500 people in South Africa.

How are COVID-19 and flu viruses similar?

The WHO says that COVID-19 and influenza viruses are similar in disease presentation. “First, they both cause respiratory disease, which presents with a wide range of illnesses from asymptomatic or mild through to severe disease and death.

“Second, both viruses are transmitted by contact, droplets and any material that can carry infection. As a result, the same public health measures such as hand hygiene and social distancing are recommended.”

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

What are the essential differences between COVID-19 and flu?

Flu is an acute viral respiratory infection, transmitted by the influenza virus. There are three types of influenza – Influenza A, B and C. COVID-19 and influenza

are essentially different viruses with SARS-CoV-2 being a newly discovered coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Why do I need a flu shot every year?

The flu virus changes every year, this means last year’s vaccine will not keep you safe this year. The vaccine helps your immune system fight off the virus by producing antibodies.

What vaccines have been developed for 2022?

The flu vaccines for 2022 are: Vaxigrip Tetra, Influvac and Influvac Tetra.

Bonitas.indd 39

Who should NOT have the flu vaccine?

You should not use the vaccine if: • allergic to eggs or egg proteins as the vaccine manufacturing process involves the use of chicken eggs • under six months of age • you have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past • you are suffering with flu symptoms already.

Will the flu shot give me a mild flu?

A flu shot cannot cause flu. Flu vaccines are currently made either with flu vaccine viruses that have been “inactivated” and are not infectious or with no flu vaccine viruses at all. Common side-effects from the vaccine are soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given.

Still not convinced?

Flu viruses spread very quickly from person to person. Even if the flu vaccine is not 100 per cent effective, it will reduce your risk of getting flu and, if you do get it, it will be a great deal milder.

More importantly, by having the flu vaccine you protect others. As with COVID-19, the more people vaccinated, the closer we can get to “herd immunity”. ▪

How similar are COVID-19 and flu viruses?

Can I get the flu vaccine and a COVID-19 vaccine together?

Yes. However, it is recommended that if you decide to have both vaccines at the same time, they should be administered in different arms.

Who should get a flu vaccine?

Anyone in the high-risk groups, including: • healthcare workers • individuals over 65 years

“COVID-19 and influenza viruses are similar in disease presentation. They both cause respiratory disease, which presents with a wide range of illnesses.”

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• individuals with chronic diseases – or comorbidities – for example, cardiac disease, diabetes, asthma, kidney disease • pregnant women • people living with HIV/AIDS.

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Bonitas website.

For more information: 0860 002 108 www.bonitas.co.za @BonitasMedical

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BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE TOWNSHIP The Gauteng Township Economic Development Bill hopes to create a new kind of economic geography: the township enterprise zone, writes Trevor Crighton

T

he Gauteng Township Economic Development Bill proposes interventions that target everything government can do at these zones – funding, procurement, better bylaws, tax breaks, dedicated programmes, “stacking” the benefits to the people who live and work in these zones and for the businesses that operate there.

The Bill is designed to bring opportunity to many and confront inequality at the spatial level by: • Changing how townships are regulated and governed to transform them into zones of widespread, job-creating commercial activity. This is to be done through new draft standard bylaws and streamlined regulations.

• Set up better procurement rules and programmatic support that allow government and its main contractors to buy from large groups of township-based firms, with systems linking them so they can supply as if they were one large firm – this includes manufacturing cluster pilots.

Businesses that receive contracts from the Gauteng government, or the government itself, need to first source products, services or materials from townships.

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• Deploy a dedicated financing mechanism for firms engaged in the Gauteng’s Township Economic Revitalisation Programme activities through a legal framework that establishes an SME fund to provide wholesale, blended finance to intermediaries that can de-risk lending to township-based firms, including community banks.

• Provide legal framing for the taxi economy initiatives, including the Taxi Economy Fund to set up investment vehicles to commercialise taxi ranks and other taxi economy nodes using blended finance and zoning overlays to incentivise development around ranks, transforming them into township CBD nodes.

• Provide legal framing for a commercial rapid land release initiative to release publicly owned land for best, most developmental use in township areas.

• Provide legal framing for the township backyard real estate initiative – including provisions to establish township commercial precincts and high streets in areas targeted for precinct-level backyard real estate upgrades.

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IMAGES: SUPPLIED

THE AIM Effectively, the aim is to make it easier, faster and cheaper for formal and informal small township businesses to be fully licensed to operate and connect with all the benefits of the formal economy. It also means that businesses that receive contracts from the Gauteng government, or the government itself, need to first source products, services or materials from townships.

“There a need for a greater pull of small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), especially in manufacturing, to draw investment into the township, but also enhance the productive capacity of the economy,” says Parks Tau, Gauteng provincial member of the executive council (MEC) of economic development, environment, agriculture and rural development.

“By promoting more inclusive human settlements in our existing urban areas and forging a more transformative destiny for new city nodes such as Lanseria, we are legitimately putting a great deal of effort into bringing people closer to opportunities – but it is inevitable and mandatory that we should also bring opportunities closer to people,” says Tau. “This charges us with transforming the largely informal bedroom communities apartheid created – and all the deprived informal areas that we have failed to integrate under democracy – into truly diversified economies, including developing them as industrial clusters.”

The taxi economy initiative aims to develop formalised CBDs around major taxi ranks. It is estimated that more than six million commuters pass through taxi ranks on a daily basis in Gauteng, making it the dominant mode of public transport for over 80 per cent of commuters using public transport, who in turn make up over 70 per cent of commuters in Gauteng. This means that taxi ranks provide a suitable space for both big retailers and informal traders or hawkers. The industry currently provides limited value chain economic empowerment and transformation and very limited income stream diversification, with over 90 per cent of revenue accruing to associations drawn from fares.

The bill also talks to the integration of municipalities, all government departments and state-owned enterprises in empowering communities by sourcing from them first. It hopes to assist in expanding government’s

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The bill is the first of its kind in the country, but has already drawn interest from the Western Cape and North West provinces.

2016 pronouncement on using 70 per cent local production in procurement, setting the country on the path to ensuring that the majority of its people are part of the bigger economy. “At the heart of the bill is the intention to really create inclusivity. The reality in the economy is that 25 years after the advent of democracy, many people are still excluded economically,” says Gaethijwe Letlhaku, senior advisor: economic development and investment at SALGA Gauteng.

“To bring marginalised people into the economy, it prioritises the search of internal resources within an economic hub, before external resources are sought.” In terms of inclusion of foreign nationals in the process, Tau says that foreigners’ rights to trade are protected by the Constitution, but the Gauteng provincial government will implement programmes aimed at prioritising local suppliers and funding, which can only be accessed through formal channels for local suppliers.

SALGA’S ROLE SALGA’s role in the bill began in 2014, after having been vocal about the need to uplift and create economies in townships for

convenience and inclusion. “It took us a while to define aspects and the shape of the document, but today we are satisfied that we have a working document at the level of provincial legislature, which has received the attention of the Presidency and the Minister of Small Business Development,” says Letlhaku. “SALGA has been instrumental in lobbying that the powers and functions of the bill, as developed, should not encroach on local government.” He says a challenge that remains to be ironed out is the description of the land use management, spatial planning issue and designation of township areas.

“The bill currently allows for encroachment on the establishment and declaration of townships, giving the MEC the ability to declare a township. The 2010 Constitutional Court ruling made municipal planning a function of the municipality, not a provincial one. Our proposal to the MEC is that if the provincial government wishes to declare a particular spot an economic establishment township, it must be done through local government.”

The bill is the first of its kind in the country, but has already drawn interest from the Western Cape and North West provinces, according to Letlhaku. “Enacting and monitoring the effects of what we hope will be passed as an act will give us the opportunity to broaden participation in the economy, across the country.”

Tau says that most provinces are replicating some of the projects that the bill proposes to implement, but not at the level that is being pursued by Gauteng. ▪

THE LONG VIEW

MUNICIPAL MATTERS I TOWNSHIP ECONOMY

RESOURCES: The Gauteng Towship Economic Development Bill

Parks Tau

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THE LONG VIEW

MUNICIPAL MATTERS I ELECTRICITY

MUNICIPALITIES PUT THEIR FOOT DOWN The price of electricity will increase by 9.61 per cent, as approved by The National Energy Regulator of South Africa, which rejected Eskom’s proposed tariff increase of 20.5 per cent following the municipal outcry over the proposed hike. Denise Mhlanga finds out more

FAIR INCREASE SAY CITY OFFICIALS City Power and the City of Tshwane have welcomed the single-digit increase approved

by Nersa saying that this is a fair increase to cater for electricity generation and transmission needs.

They say that although the tariff is still high for financially constrained customers, it is better than the 20.5 per cent initially requested by Eskom.

According to the Municipal Finance Management Act No. 56 of 2003 (MFMA), Eskom is not allowed to increase its tariff to municipal entities until 1 July 2022. Eskom

must still recover the revenue it would have recovered from municipal entities over its own financial year.

Mangena says the increase will become effective from 1 July following the city’s budget processes.

“The limited Eskom tariff increase is not just good news for City Power, but also its customers as City Power will transfer the benefit to customers. We believe the decision is prudent and will not necessarily be to the financial detriment of Eskom,” he says.

Mangena says Nersa’s decision is in line with City Power’s expectations based on its assessment of the application and the submission the company made to Nersa during the hearings in January.

However, Nersa must still announce how the increase will affect municipalities and their customers, pointing out that this is expected to be lower than the 9.61 per cent on the back of a 17.80 per cent for the previous financial year.

“The city rejected Eskom’s 20.5 per cent MYPD tariff increase, and we are happy with Nersa’s decision to approve a single-digit increase,” says Selby Bokaba, City of Tshwane spokesperson.

He explains that the City of Tshwane purchases its electricity from Eskom on Time of Use (TOU) and seasonal tariffs. Through Nersa’s approved tariffs for municipality, the city passes these increases to different customer categories including business (TOU), residential, rural and agricultural users, as well as resellers that sell to residential blocks of flats or estates at the rates approved by Nersa.

“The limited Eskom tariff increase is not just good news for City Power, but also its customers as City Power will transfer the benefit to customers. We believe the decision is prudent and will not necessarily be to the financial detriment of Eskom.” – Isaac Mangena

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Selby Bokaba

He says the City of Tshwane’s budget was guided by inputs from National Treasury, adding that the projected revenue is subject to Nersa approval.

“As a result, the city is confident it will keep the lights on and is taking action to recover outstanding bills to cater for bulk purchase.

This in turn produces reasonable returns and surplus to cross-subsidise the poor households within the municipality,” he says.

Mangena says the City of Johannesburg was clear in its submission to Nersa that its residents should not be made to pay for mismanagement and lack of planning at Eskom.

“The city is working hard to cut its over-reliance on Eskom, especially given the load shedding our residents have had to endure.”

In March, the City of Johannesburg will host an Energy Indaba and has invited independent power producers (IPPs) and other stakeholders to find solutions to ensure the city no longer relies on Eskom for electricity supply.

He says that, as an example, Nersa limited Eskom’s application for purchases of electricity from IPPs by R9.533-billion as it is of the view that some of the IPP projects will not achieve commercial operation during the financial year 2022/2023. Therefore, Eskom will need the funds during the next financial year.

“These IPPs will provide stiff competition for Eskom and enable the city to supply sustainable and reliable electricity at affordable prices,” says Mangena. ▪

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

L

ast month, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) granted Eskom a 9.61 per cent electricity tariff increase, saying that in making the decision it had to balance the interests of the economy, consumers and Eskom. Eskom had applied for a 20.5 per cent tariff increase, which was rejected by the Nersa.

The increase, which is effective from 1 April 1 2022 until 31 March 2023, is part of the multiyear price determination revenue (MYPD). In 2021, this tariff increase was 15.0 per cent while the increase to municipal entities was 17.80 per cent due to the impact of three months’ delay in the implementation of Eskom’s increase to municipal entities including City Power.

By limiting the increase to 9.61 per cent, Nersa reduced Eskom’s revenue application

by R26.531-billion, almost half of what it had requested, says Isaac Mangena, spokesperson for City Power.

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The floating solar installation at Kraaifontein.

HOW CAPE TOWN IS LEVERAGING SOLAR POWER

Floating solar power generation is a win-win in water-stressed South Africa, reducing evaporation while generating sustainable, renewable power, Trevor Crighton finds out more

I

n October 2021, the City of Cape Town became the first municipality in the country to install a floating solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The innovative research study will see data being collected over 12 months to potentially inform the design of similar, larger-scale floating projects over the next few years.

Partnering with Floating Solar (Pty) Ltd, the Water Research Commission’s WADER accelerator and the University of Cape Town, the City of Cape Town has established the pilot project at its Kraaifontein Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW). The system includes a floating solar PV array as well as an adjacent ground-mounted PV system to compare and determine evaporation savings and relative energy generation performance of floating solar PV technology.

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LOOKING TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE “This exciting pilot project not only looks at the amount of energy that can be generated by floating panels, but also investigates how much can be generated compared with the ground-mounted panels,” says Beverley van Reenen, the city’s mayoral committee member for energy. “The other important pillar of the research is to see what impact the floats have on water evaporation. Generating clean power and reducing evaporation rates of water bodies could be a great double-win for sustainability. This type of project is a tangible example of how we can build a more sustainable future city and how the green economy can be harnessed for the sustainable and inclusive economic recovery we require especially after COVID-19.”

Beverley Van Reenen says that the Kraaifontein site was used as an alternative van Reenen to the preferred natural water body due to permitting issues. “A decision was made to use a city-owned site and erect ponds to try and simulate a natural water body for the experiment. We had been investigating options for floating solar and were grateful to be approached by UCT/Water Research Commission and Floating Solar.”

Floating solar power has rapidly become the third pillar of the solar PV industry. The dual benefit of producing power while reducing evaporation and preserving land for other commercial use are both wins for a water-stressed country.

There are approximately 1 000 water treatment works across South Africa that are well suited to floating solar due to significant on-site power demand, which would benefit from a sustainable energy source.

Floating Solar is the local agent and distributor of the Ciel et Terre International Hydrelio® floating solar PV system, which has been rolled out globally in dams, quarry lakes, irrigation or water reclamation reservoirs, and water treatment holding ponds. Installation of the floating

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THE LONG VIEW

MUNICIPAL MATTERS I THE ENERGY CONUNDRUM

solar PV system offers environmental, economic and social benefits and presents no risks to wildlife and surrounding habitats when implemented.

Van Reenen says that the power generated by the system is used to feed into the local Kraaifontein WWTW network, offsetting usage.

“If bigger plants are rolled out at other water works, they would be installed for the same objective,” she says. The project is part of the city’s Future City plans, which sees it targeting 300MW of renewable energy generation by 2030, with 50MW of this comprising of city-owned solar PV plants. The aim is to help move away from reliance on Eskom’s power supply and to diversify the energy mix for cleaner and more affordable and secure power for all. “If feasible, the city will look at the utility-scale implementation of floating solar at suitable plants across the metro, as one of the options,” says van Reenen.

The cost of vacant land in Cape Town proved prohibitively expensive to use for the project and rooftop solar PV systems were deemed too small in terms of capacity, so the city is exploring these kinds of floating solar PV systems for larger-scale solar PV installations. “The Water and Sanitation Department continues to explore a range of innovative concepts that could in future enhance water security and sustainability of its operations. City officials are willing to think outside the box, and this is so important for ongoing adaptability and resilience. The more we research and understand, the stronger and better prepared we become,” said van Reenen. ▪

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2022/04/14 3:09 PM

ADVERTORIAL | DEMARCATION BOARD

MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY PROCESS GETS UNDERWAY The Municipal Demarcation Board concluded the ward delimitation process for the 2021 local government elections in December 2020 and is busy implementing the municipal boundary process

T

he Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) concluded the ward delimitation process for the 2021 Local Government Elections (LGE) in December 2020. The ward boundaries used for the 2021 local government elections will only be reviewed and amended in 2024/25.

The MDB is currently implementing the municipal outer boundary process and not the ward delimitation process. The determination of municipal boundaries has been a recurrent feature every five years between local government elections.

The MDB opened the outer boundary redetermination process for proposals immediately after the local government elections in November 2021. The period for the public to submit proposals opened in November 2021 and closed on 31 March 2022. Proposals submitted must be motivated in terms of sections 24 and 25 of the Municipal Demarcation Act (MDA) and section 2 of the Municipal Structures Act (MSA) for recategorisation of municipalities. The proposals received are currently being analysed and will be placed in the following classes for further processing: • Class 1, technical and minor boundary redeterminations. This redetermination entails a small-scale boundary adjustment and alignment with a minor impact on the geographic area, a negligible or no impact on the number of voters and no impact on the capacity of the affected municipalities.

• Class 2, consolidation and annexations. This is a medium-scale boundary redetermination, that may impact a sizeable geographic area, and a number of voters in one or all the municipalities affected. This type of determination may impact on ward arrangements, but will not materially impact on the capacities of the affected municipalities to deliver services.

• Class 3, amalgamations. This type of redetermination entails a major and large-scale municipal boundary redetermination, which will have a significant impact on the geographic areas, the number of voters, and the capacities of the affected municipalities. The

Thabo Manyoni, chairman of the MDB.

redetermination includes the merging of adjacent municipalities or the splitting of municipal areas to create other municipal areas.

• Class 4, categorisation. This is a type of redetermination that involves the categorisation of any new Category A Metropolitan, Category C District and Category B Local municipalities, with or without boundary changes. Category A must satisfy section 2 of the MSA and sections 24 and 25 of the act respectively. The board will categorise an area that qualifies to be a Category A municipality after consultation with the national minister responsible for local government, the MEC for local government in the provinces concerned, and SALGA. During June and September 2022, the proposed boundaries for Class 1 redeterminations will be published for public views in terms of section 26 of the MDA. During October and December 2022, the proposed boundaries for Class 2–4 redeterminations will be published for public views in terms of section 26 of the MDA. ▪

emarcation board

➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Demarcation Board website.

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For more information:

The determination of municipal boundaries has been a recurrent feature every five years before the national elections.

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Demarcation Board.indd 45

012 342 2481 | WhatsApp: 072 819 8220 Info@demarcation.org.za www.demarcation.org.za Municipal Demarcation Board @MunicipalBoard Municipal Demarcation Board

VOICE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

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2022/04/19 1:31 PM

WATER RESTRICTIONS AND THROTTLING IN GEORGE George’s reservoirs are drying up due to high water demand versus water supply. The water treatment works cannot meet the current potable water demand or ensure adequate reservoir storage volumes to meet the emergency storage volumes required. Denise Mahlanga finds out more

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he Garden Route Dam – currently at 100 per cent capacity with raw water for the municipality – is augmented by the Malgas and Kaaimans pumping schemes, as well as the effluent reuse scheme introduced in 2010.

Towards the end of November and beginning of December 2021, the George Local Municipality was hit by two devastating floods, which damaged critical water infrastructure in the area requiring extensive repairs over the festive season.

This resulted in the municipality requesting the curtailing of water consumption and throttling was implemented to reduce water flow to areas on a rotational basis, according to acting municipal manager Dr Michele Gratz who says the public was not aware that this was being implemented.

Gratz says the loss of water pipelines led to the system becoming very constrained and the water treatment works and potable water storage reservoirs were unable to recover sufficiently over the peak season.

“On average, the daily water demand for George before the water restrictions last year increased incrementally from January 2021–November 2021 to approximately 36/37 Ml/d, with an approximate current peak December/January flow at 39/40 Ml/d.”

She says the R1.1-billion potable water security and remedial works projects over four financial years will eradicate the current sludge spillage in the river and dam water sources while also improving quality.

DISRUPTING LIVES The water shortage was disruptive to the communities within the municipality, visitors and businesses alike.

Neil Gopal, CEO of the South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa), an industry body representing commercial property owners, says it is important to understand and assess the actual reasons for water shortages.

He notes that the 2021 statistics show that most municipalities are not spending their budgets on maintaining infrastructure.

Eighty-eight municipalities spent between one and eight per cent of their infrastructure budgets in 2021 while 111 municipalities didn’t spend this budget.

“The failure to spend allocated funds to maintain infrastructure will result in the investment community abandoning that municipality to locations where their investments would be secure,” he says.

Gopal says fewer developments mean a diminishing tax base for municipalities and this is also not an ideal situation.

“We believe in most instances, particularly in badly run municipalities, the lack of any infrastructure upgrades and ongoing maintenance has led to these problems.

Importantly, we believe that the necessary skills, such as engineers to attend to infrastructure-related issues, are sorely lacking in most municipalities in this country,” he says.

Desireé du Preez, environmental scientist and chairperson of the Garden Route Dam Action Group (GARDAG), says George has

“To a large extent, water restrictions have resulted in a water-saving lifestyle. More recently, the floods had a major impact on the treated water supply of the city even though the dam was full.”– Desireé du Preez

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Dr Michele Gratz

had water restrictions for the longest time regardless of the dam levels, adding that water supply in George will continue to be a challenge in future.

GARDAG is a community organisation concerned about the environment and the municipality’s rezoning of land at the Garden Route Dam to allow for a commercial waterfront, residential and tertiary educational development.

“To a large extent, water restrictions have resulted in a water-saving lifestyle. More recently, the floods had a major impact on the treated water supply of the city even though the dam was full,” says du Preez.

She says the damage caused by the floods disrupted the treatment of raw water resulting in neighbourhoods within the greater municipality sharing water at different times, and often without warning.

“It would help if the municipality warned citizens before turning off the taps. Rotating neighbourhoods for short periods of time would reduce negative effects on any community.”

Moreover, du Preez doesn’t believe that water tankers are a cost-effective way to manage water shortage, since water still needs to be supplied at a high cost, rather than just throttling water pressure or reducing the water-shedding period.

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THE LONG VIEW

MUNICIPAL MATTERS I WATER

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

Garden Route Dam

Gopal concurs with du Preez that, often, the government does not engage with industry bodies such as Sapoa and GARDAG, or the community when numerous disruptions – be they water or electricity cuts – occur.

“Unplanned disruptions of this nature are a sign of a bigger problem. If such massive disruptions are felt by the business community, we cannot plan adequately or accordingly, and this will result in a steady decline in investments into municipalities,” points out Gopal.

Even after the emergency repairs to the water pipes, du Preez says the municipality struggled to fill reservoirs thus resorting to water throttling.

She says shortage in chlorine for water treatment was cited as a reason for the slow water supply. However, by late December and January, the water treatment works were working at full capacity and were producing barely enough treated water for George. “The municipality did not manage to build up spare capacity.”

Du Preez says as it is, George is quite vulnerable to drought and has water restrictions most of the time adding that it is surprising that George Local Municipality has major plans for expansion and building a megacity.

GARDAG’s concerns over the proposed university precinct development and the already approved waterfront development mainly relate to water quality, but also the

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assurance of supply to the large number of residents proposed for the development.

The Garden Route Dam is the only raw water reservoir in use by the municipality. Du Preez adds that a pollution incident in the Touw River during the holiday period caused major disruption to tourist-related businesses.

The George Local Municipality says the dam should remain accessible to all citizens and believes that responsible, sustainable, mixed-land-use development will celebrate the qualities of this site.

“The development will address negative issues associated with large tracts of densely vegetated land – such as illegal occupation of land, sheltering of vagrants and criminals, cost of vegetation management and fire risk.”

WATER-SAVING INITIATIVES Water supply disruptions are an inconvenience to communities. In George, many households, businesses and organisations have installed water tanks during the drought experienced around 2010. Some have connected their tanks to toilets and washing machines, says du Preez.

Gratz explains that to alleviate the demand for potable water, the municipality installed two-litre plastic bottles in its toilets flushing systems in its facilities in February. She says one toilet flush equates to 12–15 litres of water. The municipality has 54 facilities ranging from municipal buildings, offices and recreational facilities to community halls

Neil Gopal

and libraries. Using the bottle system will result in a considerable saving of water at no discomfort to any staff, she explains. To date, the municipality has collected more than 1 000 two-litre plastic bottles to install in its facilities. Henque Waste, a recycling company in George, donated more than 800 bottles to the municipality.

Gratz says the municipality is leading by example and hopes that residents and businesses can consider this as an option to achieve a reduction in water consumption.

Traditional water taps were also replaced with pushdown taps in all the municipality’s facilities and at beaches. Pushdown taps switch off automatically and they offer more control over the flow of water as users wash their hands for less time resulting in lower water consumption in the long run.

The taps replacement campaign started in the ablution facilities of beaches in the George municipal precinct in areas including Leentjiesklip, Gwaiing, Herolds Bay and Victoria Bay. “We challenge and urge the community of George to explore more creative ways to save water and also follow the water restrictions,” concludes Gratz. ▪

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2022/04/14 3:17 PM

THE FUTURE OF INNER-CITY LIVING With 70 per cent of South Africa’s population set to be urbanised by 2030. Craig Turner from Urban Lifestyle Investment shares what this now means for the importance and future of urban rejuvenation in South Africa

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he Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) has said that 70 per cent of the country’s population will be urbanised by 2030, with more than 60 per cent already urbanised.

With urban densification taking a front seat in the eThekwini Municipality, these new, inner-city residences have led to a unique take on property ownership that solves a range of challenges faced by South Africans. We have been fortunate enough to be spearheading the conversion of underutilised, existing commercial buildings into residences driven by proximity, convenience, lifestyle and affordability – having recently completed a 247-unit office-to-resi conversion in the Durban inner-city.

CREATING SPACES THAT ANSWER NEEDS Working with award-winning property marketing specialists, Rainmaker Marketing, we conducted extensive market research, which found that, as a result of the pandemic, consumers’ mindsets had shifted significantly in terms of living and accommodation priorities. Due to COVID-19 fast-tracking the likes of working from home and co-living – consumers saw lifestyle, building amenities, security and location as key determining factors when choosing where to live. Survey results also indicated that more emphasis is being placed on the quality of people’s living environment, which means as developers it’s vital that we create spaces that will appeal to these needs.

Based on this intel, we have purposefully pushed the boundaries with The Watt Club project in Durban in giving new life to an existing 17-storey building while creating a community-focused shared economy lifestyle offering 24-hour high-tech security, facial recognition access control, gym, co-working spaces, games rooms and communal lounge areas, and an unrivalled rooftop communal space with 360-degree views of the city – all for an affordable monthly cost. By creating more appropriate post-pandemic buildings with free Wi-Fi and co-working spaces, more communal and entertainment areas, we will encourage the city centre as an address of choice.

All the buildings we are working on in cities across the country aim to give individuals a space to thrive within central city locations. Developers and property owners will need to be more competitive in their offering to attract purchasers and tenants.

Taking consumers changing needs into consideration and deliberately implementing solutions that cater to the market, we also sought to offer competitive pricing, as well as creating options that address the fact that many new homeowners do not have the capital to pay towards a deposit or transfer and bond costs – particularly, in the aftermath of the riots and the financial strain of the pandemic.

MAKING PROPERTY OWNERSHIP MORE ACCESSIBLE The Watt Club in Durban Central is Urban Lifestyle Investment’s most recent flagship development project that has made property ownership more accessible to a market that has traditionally struggled to get a foot on the property ladder. According to Rainmaker Marketing’s National Residential Property Trends survey for 2021, the benefits of densifying in urban areas

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The Watt Club

is that it will inevitably mitigate sprawl and lead to lower land-use requirements as well as prevent urban decay. The survey also revealed that currently a large number of rural residents commute to their decentralised and suburban places of work in well -located areas, but at high travel costs.

The Watt Club is injecting new life into the inner city with energy, innovative spaces and easy access to local amenities.

It unequivocally sets the standard of what large-scale inner-city rejuvenation can become. With our new Rent-2-Own product, we are proud to present a solution that enables individuals to increase a property portfolio without upfront capital and without extending debt exposure with banks. By creating solutions for property ownership and wealth creation, rather than driving the longstanding rental market demand, we will create a greater sense of ownership and pride in city dwellers – this will translate to better run and maintained city buildings. There really is no comparison in the market to date.

The rejuvenation of these buildings is in turn pulling up the buildings surrounding them. Other developments breaking the boundaries in urban rejuvenation are the likes of the old Garlicks Building in Durban Central and “Society on Church Square” in Pretoria Central. What we are doing is setting a precedent for inner-city living.

This is just the beginning of what Urban Lifestyle Investment has in the pipeline, and sets the benchmark for how South Africans will be able to live and invest going forward. ▪

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THE LONG VIEW

MUNICIPAL MATTERS I URBAN REJUVENATION IN DURBAN CENTRAL

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2022/04/19 6:12 PM

CONNECTING LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO AfCFTA AfCFTA is expected to boost regional income by seven per cent or $450-billion and reduce nontariff barriers, according to SALGA’s inaugural dialogue aimed at connecting local government to the African Continental Free Trade Area

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he inaugural dialogue aimed at connecting local government and the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has been welcomed as a progressive platform to stimulate continentwide inclusive and sustainable industrial development amounting to $450-billion for regional income.

The two-day hybrid inaugural dialogue on the AfCFTA was attended by eWamkele Mene, secretary-general of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, secretary-general of the United Cities and Local Government of Africa, Parks Tau, MEC of economic development, environment, agriculture and rural development, Bheke Stofile, SALGA president, Jongisizwe Dlabathi, SALGA Gauteng PEC chairperson, economists, policy and trade experts, and local government representatives, among others. Presenting on the progress of the AfCFTA negotiations and implications for local government, chief director Niki Kruger of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, said: “According to the World Bank, the AfCFTA will boost regional income by seven per cent or $450-billion, speed up wage growth for women, and lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty by 2035.

“While some of the benefits of the AfCFTA would be derived from reduced tariffs, the biggest gains are expected from lowering trade costs by reducing nontariff barriers and improving hard and soft infrastructure

at the borders (trade facilitation measures).

By 2035, the volume of total exports is expected to increase by $560-billion (29 per cent) with intra-Africa exports increasing by 81 per cent, and exports outside of the continent by 19 per cent.”

ALIGNMENT Tau says the implementation of the AfCFTA treaty will take place at the local government level. Tau, who delivered a keynote address at the inaugural dialogue, said the AfCFTA initiated by SALGA would align the sphere of local government to the Free Trade Agreement. “It is logical that municipalities are adequately capacitated and resourced to leverage the attendant opportunities from the Free Trade Agreement. Since this Free Trade Agreement signifies a game-changer, its impact rests in the integration of Africa into a single continental market for trade and exchange of goods and services with an accompanying free movement of entrepreneurs and enterprises.”

Tau added the Free Trade Agreement is not the only flagship of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, but it is also a platform to attain a continent-wide inclusive and sustainable development.

“As the Gauteng Provincial Government, the objectives and intended outputs from the Free Trade Agreement certainly find practical expression through the Growing Gauteng Together 2030 plan of action. This

“Since this Free Trade Agreement signifies a game-changer, its impact rests in the integration of Africa into a single continental market for trade and exchange of goods and services with an accompanying free movement of entrepreneurs and enterprises.” – Parks Tau

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Parks Tau

pragmatic provincial blueprint has specific action plans to expand intra-Africa trade, investment and commerce.”

Acknowledging the landmark moment that the treaty brought to the African continent, Stofile says the AfCTA was the largest trade area in the world in terms of participating countries since the World Trade Organization was formed. “The agreement will create a single market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments across borders, which will strengthen trade and intraAfrican investment and co-operation.”

It is estimated that the agreement will boost intra-African trade by 52 per cent by 2022. Ultimately, the treaty will lead to the creation of an integrated African market and the realisation of the African Union Agenda 2063 towards an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa.

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the bulletin

SALGA IN ACTION

The secretary-general of the United Cities and Local Government of Africa, Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, has called for the continent’s leaders to put local government at the centre of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Mbassi called for the continent’s leaders to understand that every development is local. “To be efficient in any action pertaining to the integration of the continent should be departing from the local level.

The bulk of jobs and transformation for this continent lies at the end of small, medium enterprises (SMEs). The SMEs are the lifeblood of local government. This is why involving local government at the inception phase of the implementation of the AfCFTA is proof that this journey will be successful.”

INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING The dialogue also included discussions around innovative infrastructure financing instruments – unlocking infrastructure financing for a successful AfCFTA, cross-border trade, investments, networks, and free movement in pursuit of an integrated African market.

The anticipated large investments that will be precipitated by the AfCFTA will undoubtedly put municipal infrastructure to the test.

Moreover, municipalities need to be ahead of the curve in creating an enabling environment for possible inward investments arising from the AfCFTA, particularly as it relates to infrastructure development and the streamlining and simplification of business processes. ▪

RESOURCES: Afcfta Rules Of Origin

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Issue 38

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A COALITION GOVERNMENT FRAMEWORK SALGA calls for a coalition government framework to end “palace politics” in councils, writes Brenda Kok

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ocal government coalitions comprising councillors from political parties and independent candidates with various shares of the vote running local councils increased after the November 2021 municipal elections.. No political party or candidate scored the majority of the votes in 66 councils, resulting in the formation of coalitions to govern those councils. However, currently, there is no framework or legislation to guide and manage coalition formation, setting out principles, procedures, rules and sanctions for political parties and individuals that enter into coalitions. Further, it is unclear who oversees these coalitions once they are formed as they are handled between the agreed parties.

Because of the lack of a framework, SALGA national executive committee representative Xola Pakati says the association has observed that some councils governed by coalitions were unable to pass budgets, which affects service delivery negatively. He adds: “When you have a deeper look, you realise that the challenges or the reasons for the impasse are not service delivery, but egos and palace politics. There needs to be a guiding framework, which in a way, co-ordinates the relationships of coalition partners so that they do not frustrate service delivery.”

The mixed electoral system, unique to local government elections, uses both the ward system and the proportional representation system. In this mixed system, 50 per cent of councillors are elected from the ward system, with the other 50 per cent from a list on a proportional representation basis in accordance with section 22 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act 117. This system allows independent candidate election to the municipal council without affiliation to a political party. Since some candidates are elected via a party list system, initiation and negotiations for local government coalitions often take place at the national or provincial leadership level of organisations entering the coalition. This means that the local realities and the communities involved are often overlooked. SALGA notes that in practice, coalitions are quite dynamic because councillors elected from different organisations agree to vote with each other on certain matters. It is a given that, from time to time, they will differ, thus affecting the stability of council as the ultimate governing body

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Xola Pakati

“There needs to be a guiding framework, which in a way, co-ordinates the relationships of coalition partners so that they do not frustrate service delivery.” – Xola Pakati

of a municipality. Each elected councillor participates as an individual in council, but different political parties have caucuses and, based on their respective manifestos, usually agree on what position to take regarding an item before council. These differing priorities and overlapping commitments should not stall the governing process and the ultimate mandate of local government.

DISCUSSION AND RESEARCH NEEDED How a framework for coalition governments will look is still uncertain, and requires more research and discussion. Pakati indicates that, “deeper research on the existing coalitions, particularly from the period 2016 to 2021, and the experiences in these coalitions will determine the framework to be developed; this framework will guide the management of coalitions”.

Some opinions have been voiced, saying that new legislation is unnecessary and it would be better to rather make more use of the executive committee system, already set out in the Municipal Structures Act, which is better at facilitating co-operative governance. Pakati shares his thoughts on this, saying, “there is no clear cut answer in this regard because the executive committee system has its own challenges and can never be thought of as a simple way of managing a coalition government.”

A look beyond our borders to how other countries such as Canada have dealt with coalition formation, its management in terms of legislation, and its accompanying ethics is important. However, South Africa has a unique set of circumstances and therefore any coalition framework and agreements must balance the accountability of councillors to political parties with accountability to the electorate; take into account historical fissures and deep inequalities; and centre the service delivery mandate of local government. ▪

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THE BULLETIN

POLICY ISSUES

ISSUE 38

2022/04/14 3:25 PM

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