JUNE 2019 EDITORIAL COMMENT Non-Governmental Organisations Unveiled the State of Readiness for the Winter Initiation Season
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COGTA JUNE 2019 non-governmental organisations IN THIS ISSUE unveiled the state of readiness for the EDITORIAL COMMENT TRADITIONAL INITIATION DOES NOT Winter Initiation season. The session KILL - SAYS MEC NQATHA P3 which was held at Alfred Nzo District THE BASIS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION municipality was aimed at updating the OF THE DECENTRALIZATION PROJECT P3 Member of Executive Council about the state of readiness for the winter INTEGRATED DISTRICT PLANNING ENSURES ALIGNMENT WITH THE P4 season as well as for the task team PROVINCE members to make pledges committing to support the initiation campaign to SERVING THE PUBLIC INTEREST IS A PRIORITY FOR MEC NQATA P5 save lives. Find out more about this event on page 3. COGTA REVIVES PROVINCIAL MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE FORUM P6 Also of significance in this quarter was Minister Mkhize’s oversight visit to Keiskamahoek P6 the ushering in of the 6th administration and the swearing in of new members MINISTER MKHIZE HANDS OVER P7 Editor: Ms Thando Sonjica of the legislature which saw MEC BRIDGE TO THE MPAME COMMUNITY Xolile Nqatha being deployed to the SPU ROLLED OUT DISABILITY department of Cooperative Governance STRATEGY P8 and Traditional Affairs MEC Nqatha in 16 June marked the 43th anniversary MEC XASA PROMISES COMMUNITY his first address to senior departmental TO CLEAN SENQU MUNICIPALITY P9 of the Soweto uprisings that spread officials as well as staff emphasized to other parts of the country. This on professionalism, renewal of the “PLANS TO ENGAGE COMMUNITIES MUST BE PRIORITISED AT THE LOCAL P9 profoundly changed the nature of department and following of due SPHERE, COMMUNICATORS TOLD South Africa’s struggle for freedom processes. He said officials who cannot and democracy. The sacrifices of those PROMOTING THE AGENDA OF A do their work must take the fall. “We DEVELOPMENTAL STATE THROUGH courageous young people who fought are here to work professionally and let THE DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARD P10 for equal education will forever be us treat ourselves as such,” said MEC. OPERATING PROCEDURE engraved in the country’s history. “SERVICE DELIVERY IS A BASIC NEED P11 MEC Nqatha further urged the FOR OUR PEOPLE” SAID MEC XASA The Province of the Eastern Cape also management and staff of the TRADITIONAL LEADERS URGED TO celebrated the Youth Month where the department to work together to SPEAK AGAINST WOMEN ABUSE P12 Premier of the Eastern Cape, Oscar serve our communities. We welcome COGTA AND NATIONAL LOTTERY CO- Mabuyane and the Members of the MEC Nqatha and wish him all the FUNDED LUGELWENI COMMUNITY P12 Executive Council handed over a best in this term. Let us all strive R500 000.00 cheque to the youth, RURAL DEVELOPMENT SPEARHEADED for professionalism and service our THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS P13 which will be shared amongst the five communities. The story about the youth projects in OR Tambo. MEC’s first address to management COMMUNITY DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE TO IMPROVE P14 and staff can be found on page 5. RESPONSE TO DISASTERS Linked to the youth month events the Department of Cogta in conjunction MINISTER MKHIZE BRINGS WATER TO Find out about other stories that took NKANTOLO VILLAGE P15 with the House of Traditional place during this quarter and happy Leaders, sector departments and Quarterly performance awards for the reading. P15 Cogta Finance Branch GALLERY P16 EDITORIAL TEAM: Mr Mamnkeli Ngam, Ms Thando Sonjica and Ms Siphokazi Nonyukela Contributors Mr Vuyani Mr Dumisani Sibene in this Mr Siphiwo Lindi Ms Bongiwe Stemele edition: Ms Nowethu Maseti Ms Siphokazi Goniwe Nonyukela Tel:+27 (0) 40 609 5337 • Fax: +27 (0) 40 635 0439 • E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.eccogta.gov.za • Facebook: Cogta Eastern Cape • Twitter: @ECogta PHYSICAL ADDRESS: Tyamzashe Building • Phalo Avenue • Bhisho • 5605 • Eastern Cape • Republic of South Africa • Private Bag X0035,Bhisho, 5605 This is a quarterly newsletter published by the Directorate: Corporate 2Communications • JUNE 2019 of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. COGTA NEWS TRADITIONAL INITIATION DOES NOT KILL - SAYS MEC NQATHA By: Siphiwo Stemele Newly sworn in MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Xolile Nqatha, Traditional Leaders, various stakeholders and Cogta officials gathered at Alfred Nzo District Municipality to get an update on the state of readiness for the Winter Initiation season. Welcoming the attendees at the session, Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana, the Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders said they welcomed everybody assisting the government to fight or minimise the death of initiates. “Our fifth government want to see change for better though we know that tradition or custom does not kill and black people are nothing without custom. Our kids are vicious of people who are against this custom,” said Chief Nonkonyana. He also said that since 2012 more than 400 boys have MEC Nqatha handing over vehicles died due to negligence of parents and Traditional nurses in practising this custom. “Today we are announcing officially the department should prepare or coin a competition for best that the winter initiation is on and it is so unfortunate that performing district, best coordinator, and best municipality fourteen(14) to sixteen (16) boys have been circumcised at with zero death or least deaths of initiates per season. He Lusikisiki before the season was declared open,” said Nkosi promised to approach the Premier for funding and the head Nonkonyana. of the HoTL for the budget figures to his proposal. He said on that morning a seven (7) year old Siphamandla He said all plans discussed on the day should try meet Dadeni was circumcised by a thirty five year old male in halfway the practise of early circumcision before season was Tsolo in the Nyandeni local municipality. “Fortunately the officially opened. “We should also revisit the law that says culprit has been arrested. What is important is to make sure 18 years should be eligible for circumcision in an endeavour that initiates are not dying,” said Nkosi Nonkonyana. to cover those under age initiates”, MEC Nqatha continued. District Initiation Forums were given platform to give an He further applauded the increase of vehicles allocated for update on their state of readiness for the winter season. They the season by various stakeholders from 63 the last season gave assurance that they were ready for the commencement to 81 and said this was an indication that much work has of the winter season and promised that no initiates will die been done. In closing he said when government celebrates during the season. Speaking at the session MEC Nqatha said June 16, it must try its best to meet the needs of youth who he appreciated the fact that everybody was hell-bent to keep have been injured during initiation including those that have the custom ongoing. “We have noticed your dedication to been amputated. make this custom a success,” said MEC. He proposed that THE BASIS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECENTRALIZATION PROJECT Rationale Department resuscitated decentralization process through • The basis upon which decentralization project is project planning approach. implemented comes from the recommendations of the Objectives of Decentralization 2009 Fever Tree Report on the Eastern Cape’s State of Local Government. The report observed a huge gap that The decision to establish District Support Centres and exist when the Department is supporting municipalities decentralise the core service delivery functions took into and recommended a narrowing of the gap between the account various factors. municipalities and the department. • A need to strengthen weak municipal institutional capacity • In 2010, National Treasury and the DPSA diagnostic in all forms ; investigation on the departmental mandate, priorities and service delivery recommended establishment of District • A need for deepening vertical and horizontal coordination Support Centres (DSCs) to support municipalities and of the totality of government support to municipalities. traditional institutions. • An appreciation of the fact that municipal incapacity is not • In 2011, the Eastern Cape Executive Council, guided by a static. developed concept document, made a resolution for the • A need for a differentiated approach in supporting the Department to establish DSCs. municipalities. • In 2014, following this approved strategic shift, the • A need to create a developmental local government Department approved a decentralised Organizational system due to local governments inability to achieve its Structure. constitutional mandate; • Between 2015 and 2018 all the Policy Speech documents • Support traditional leadership institutions; and of the department committed to implement a decentralized service delivery model. • Support District Municipalities to fulfil their legislated role in supporting local municiplaities, Monitoring and Evaluation. • In 2017 , after noting some lull on this project, the COGTA 3 • JUNE 2019 NEWS INTEGRATED DISTRICT PLANNING ENSURES ALIGNMENT WITH THE PROVINCE By: Siphokazi Nonyukela The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional must seek to address the uncoordinated, disintegrated and Affairs (CoGTA) through its Strategic Planning Directorate unstructured support that usually translate to poor service recently convened Integrated District Planning and Budgeting delivery in our municipalities,” he said. Sessions for the 2019/20 financial year throughout all the District Municipalities in the Eastern Cape. He explained