ISSUE 11 – JULY 2014 MUNICIPAL WATER SERVICES BENCHMARKING ISSUE 11 ISSUE MANAGING WATER RESOURCES 2014 SMOOTH ELECTIONS Municipal support MAINSTREAMING SERVE AND DELIVER YOUTH DEVELOPMENT Local government at the coalface of A hands-on policy approach service delivery Voice11Cover_2.indd 1 2014/07/08 5:28 PM Untitled-1 1 2014/06/19 3:06 PM CONTENTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 3 EDITORIAL DELIVERY: Local government’s valuable input 5 FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CEO 6 National Municipal Benchmarking Initiative for Water Services: Improved service delivery 8 Mainstreaming Youth Development: Youth development within local government capacity 14 Making sense of the 2014 National and Provincial General Elections: Overview of the event and the municipal influence leading to its success 19 Movers and Shakers: Go-getters moving onto new challenges Mainstreaming Youth Development: 20 Turning inwards to create jobs: Economic and development Government initiatives 8 planning strategy 24 Devolving human settlements to metros: A new task for municipalities 29 A word from Parliament 30 When the province takes the reins: Section 139 interventions 34 Development Bank of SA: Higher education infrastructure programme 38 Meet the most equal municipality in SA: Mossel Bay Local Municipality’s take on gender equality Turning inwards to create jobs: EDP 40 Auditor-General SA: Building public confidence through 20 auditing 42 United Cities and Local Governments of Africa: SALGA discusses decentralisation and the Afro-Cities Summit 44 7th World Urban Forum: Held in Medellin, Colombia 49 Serve and deliver 59 Technology: Connecting Local Government and the youth via social media 62 SALGA Scene and Heard: Social activities 64 SALGA’s Induction Programme for Municipal Senior Managers Technology: Social 59 media ISSUE 11 VOICE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT 1 Contants.indd 1 2014/07/09 9:10 AM PICASSO_Ad_InsuringSA_Municipality.pdf 1 12/11/2013 1:07:40 PM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K _ToCheck_fcp.indd 2 2014/06/23 4:13 PM EDITORIAL DELIVERY SALGA’S VALUABLE INPUT hat an eventful quarter SALGA has had, with many signi cant events occurring and momentous achievements reached. Voice covers numerous stories depicting the Wimportance of local government involvement and the invaluable service it delivered. SALGA Editorial Team: SALGA has been working hand-in-hand with the Water Research Commission, towards the launch Executive Editor: Seana Nkhahle, SALGA’s Acting Executive of the national municipal benchmarking initiative on water aimed at improving local government Manager, Office of the Chief Executive Officer performance in the area of water management. Marketing: Buhle Ngwenya Editorial and Content Management: Karen Reyneke Our country recently celebrated yet another free and fair democratic election. The process was Content Coordinator: Emelda Pheko smooth sailing with the support of local government, which played a crucial role by setting up voting Marketing Officer: Valerie Setshedi stations and making those in rural areas easily accessible. Municipalities ensured that all citizens had Communication Officer: Bongani Masango the opportunity to vote. Media Relations Officer: Sivuyile Mbambato Furthermore, SALGA has been reviewing its policies aimed at developing our youth. The policies Managing Editor: Natasha Smith-Maneveldt serve to encourage municipal involvement beyond ad hoc initiatives. Municipalities have to protect Content Manager: Raina Julies the youth by moulding skills and monitoring their progress, as they are the country’s future. We follow Copy Editor & Proofreader: Mike Scarth up with a piece on how municipalities can use social media tools to reach the youth and keep the Head of Design Studio: Jayne Macé-Ferguson channels of communication open by using mechanisms that appeal to young adults. Designers: Mfundo Ndzo, Leo Abrahams Project Manager: Jerome van der Merwe SALGA assists with projects in local communities assisting members to start small businesses [email protected] which add to the country’s economy. The aim is to take small towns and transform these into Sales Consultants: Clinton Vurden, Frank Simons, economic hubs. Thembeni Mahlangu, Vic Nandlall, Yoliswa Stivin Our article pertaining to settlements shows how local government jumps at the opportunity to Production Editor: Shamiela Brenner Content Coordinator Advertising: Merle Baatjes assist national government in its quest to decrease the numbers of the homeless by assisting in Business Manager: Robin Carpenter-Frank housing development. [email protected] Voice brings you an article on the senior managers’ municipal induction programme, where Financial Accountant: Lodewyk van der Walt administrative skills are re ned to ensure best practice in the management of our municipalities. Our international arena segment focuses on two events that were attended by SALGA to share knowledge around topics such as decentralisation, urban development and much more. Times Media Building SALGA Editorial Board Central Park, Black River Park Fir Street, Observatory 7925 Interact with us: send your letters, comments or reactions to [email protected] Tel: +27 21 469 2400 Fax: +27 86 6822 926 ABOUT SALGA GM: Sowetan, SW & Magazines: Mike Tissong Associate Publisher: Jocelyne Bayer he South African Local Government Association (SALGA) is an autonomous association of municipalities with its mandate derived from the 1996 constitution of the Republic of Printed by TSouth Africa. This mandate de nes SALGA as the voice and sole representative of local government. SALGA interfaces with parliament, the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), printers CTP CAPE TOWN cabinet as well as provincial legislatures. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND DISTRIBUTION The association is a unitary body with a membership of 278 municipalities. Its national of ce is Shihaam Adams E-mail: [email protected] based in Pretoria and it has of ces in all nine provinces. SALGA’s strength lies in the intellectual Tel: 021 469 2400 capital it has acquired through its people over the years, and in its values to be Responsive, Copyright: Picasso Headline and SALGA. No portion of this Innovative, Dynamic and Excellent. magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the publishers. The publishers are not responsible for SALGA’s mission of being consultative, informed, mandated, credible and accountable, unsolicited material. Voice of Local Government is published quarterly by Picasso Headline Reg: 59/01754/07. The opinions expressed ensures that it remains relevant to its members and provides value as it continuously strives to are not necessarily those of the SALGA or Picasso Headline. All advertise-ments/advertorials and promotions have been paid for and be an association that is at the cutting edge of quality and sustainable services. therefore do not carry any endorsement by SALGA or the publishers. SALGA National Offi ce SALGA Eastern Cape SALGA Free State SALGA Gauteng SALGA KwaZulu-Natal SALGA Limpopo SALGA Mpumalanga SALGA North West SALGA Northern Cape SALGA Western Cape Menlyn Corporate Park Berea Terrace Offi ce SALGA House 3rd Floor Braampark 4th Floor Clifton Place 127 Marshall Street SALGA House Jade Square, Suite 400 Block Two, Montrio 7th Floor Block B Building 36 McGregor Street Forum 2, 33 Hoofd Hurst Grove Polokwane 11 van Rensburg Street Cnr OR Tambo and Corporate Park, 44 Strand Street 175 Corobay Avenue First Floor, Suite 3 East End Street Musgrave 0699 Nelspruit Margaretha Prinsloo 10 Oliver Road, Cape Town Cnr Garsfontein and Berea Bloemfontein Braamfontein Durban Tel: 015-291-1400 1200 Streets Monument Heights, 8000 Corobay East London 9300 2017 4001 Fax: 015-291-1414 Tel: 013-752-1200 Klerksdorp Kimberley Tel: 021-446-9800 Waterkloof Glen, Ext 11 5214 Tel: 051-447-1960 Tel: 011-276-1150 Tel: 031-817-0000 Fax: 013-752-5595 2570 8301 Fax: 021-418-2709 Pretoria Tel: 043-727-1150 Fax: 051-430-8250 Fax: 011-276-3636 Fax: 031-817-0034 Tel: 018-462-5290 Tel: 053-836-7900/8 0001 Fax: 043-727-1156/67 Fax: 018-462-4662 Fax: 053-833-3828 Tel: 012-369-8000 Fax: 012-369-8001 ISSUE 11 VOICE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT 3 Editorial Note Credits.indd 3 2014/07/09 9:11 AM Partnering our skills with the public sector to manage, support and maintain the projects that move our country forward. As primary banker to major players in the public sector, Standard Bank is providing world-class expertise to finance local progress. This allows the industry to deliver the solutions that will uplift our country. For more information visit www.standardbank.co.za/business Authorised financial services and registered credit provider (NCRCP15). The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (Reg. No. 1962/000738/06). SBSA 147102 06/13 TM Moving Forward is a trademark of The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited. Moving Forward _ToCheck_fcp.indd 1 2014/04/14 12:06 PM CEO’S OVERVIEW A GOOD STORY OF OUR OWN A note from SALGA CEO Xolile George More crucially, the fact that we are celebrating 20 years of democracy has given us the opportunity to look back and evaluate the successes and challenges of these first two decades. By plotting the democratic trajectory of our country, we are able to see just how well we have succeeded in delivering the message of development to the nation. In particular, as we celebrate this milestone, it should be noted that local government has played a key role in ushering in these democratic and development dividends of the past 20 years. From our perspective, these dividends include improved delivery of basic services, such as water, electricity, sanitation, and roads, as well as the improvement in the general wellbeing of our citizens as a whole. Local government has played a major role in building social cohesion over the last 20 years. At the same time, we must pause to appreciate the fact that much more still needs to be done. There are many people and communities that have yet to taste the true fruits of our democracy – people who still have no access to water, sanitation, electricity or decent shelter.