Address by Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile during the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) National Executive Committee Lekgotla, Cape Town

Programme Director;
Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa;
SALGA President, Cllr. Bheke Charles Stofile;
SALGA Deputy Presidents present;
Members of the SALGA National Executive Committee;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon!

To begin, let me take this opportunity to thank you for inviting me to address you today at this important National Executive Committee Lekgotla.

I consider this Lekgotla an important platform to improve intergovernmental integration for service delivery, an aspect that is in line with my delegated responsibilities.  

Amongst other things, President Cyril Ramaphosa has delegated me to assist him in the implementation of the rapid response intervention on service delivery and in the roll out of the District Development Model (DDM) through effective coordination.  

As representatives of various sectors, we have a shared responsibility to collaborate and work together towards the common goal of serving our communities effectively and efficiently.

Since the formation of organised local government in 1996, SALGA has been able to support, and lobby for its member municipalities to receive targeted grant funding from the national fiscus, and also to implement strategies that will assist municipalities to improve service delivery in local communities.

SALGA, in particular, has an entrenched responsibility to represent organised local government at various levels of Government, including its representation in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

In this regard, SALGA has been influential in the passing of critical legislation that is intended to improve service delivery at local government level. These include the Electoral Laws Amendment Act of 2021 and the Municipal systems Amendment Act, to mention a few.

Now, as we move towards 30 years of SALGA’s existence, we are aware that the journey you have travelled has not been easy. However, you have made significant contributions to the improvement of the lives of our communities at the coalface of government. 

SALGA has effectively advocated for the sector in numerous intergovernmental forums. Over the years, SALGA has made significant contributions to the legislative framework that provides members with support in a variety of areas. 

This includes areas such as water management, transport management, electricity, disaster and waste management, safety and security, local government funding, and international relations. SALGA has also been committed to the transformation agenda with women occupying key leadership positions.  

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa establishes local government as a distinct field of governance within a framework of cooperative governance, where the three spheres being distinctive, yet interconnected and mutually dependent.

Given that local government comprises 257 municipalities, effective engagement in intergovernmental relations necessitates that local government operates collectively. 

In other words, this necessitates that SALGA be at the centre of this coordination. Local government can act collectively only through organised local government structures, as recognised and entrenched in the Constitution and other enabling legislation.

Therefore, as SALGA, you are expected to play this representative role as the voice of local government across a number of intergovernmental structures.

Intergovernmental integration is critical for promoting collaboration, coordination, and communication across different levels of Government. Through coordinating our efforts and resources, we can solve the complex difficulties that our communities face and, ultimately, provide better services to our residents.

Together, we can streamline processes, and leverage each other's strengths to achieve greater impact. It is through this collaborative approach that we can unlock innovative solutions and drive sustainable development across our nation.

Compatriots,

As we engage in conversation during various sessions of this Lekgotla, we must do so frankly in order for us to be able to come up with strategic direction that will improve service delivery in our municipalities.

We are all aware that the local government sector continues to grapple with a multiplicity of challenges.

These challenges include weaknesses in service delivery planning; failing municipal infrastructure; and the increasing pressure on local government finances. 

Furthermore, issues of poverty, inequality, and underdevelopment can only be effectively addressed through collaborative efforts by government across all levels.  

After the 2021 Local Government elections, we have witnessed an increase in municipalities with hung councils. This has forced many municipal councils to be governed through coalitions. However, in practice, coalition governments have been unstable and are often terminated before the end of their term of office.

Instability in local government coalitions has contributed to severe inefficiencies and service delivery challenges. Coalition arrangements have compromised the ability of municipalities to adopt policies, pass budgets, adopt by-laws, and make senior management appointments.

This has resulted in the development of a Framework for Coalitions in Local Government by SALGA. We have since used this framework as part of our source documents, amongst other, to develop a discussion document during the National Dialogue on Coalition governments I convened in August 2023 at the University of the Western Cape. 

To this end, with the assistance of the Dullah Omar Institute and MISTRA, we have been able to develop a Coalitions Framework for South Africa. This framework has been handed over to Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs as a basis for the development of the Municipal Structures Amendment Bill 2024 (Coalitions Bill) by CoGTA which will be submitted for Cabinet approval and introduction to Parliament this year.  

We must all be committed to our clearly defined vision to promote the interests of local government. In doing so, we must appreciate the increased effectiveness and efficiency of SALGA’s support of municipalities in intergovernmental structures, including the NCOP.

We are all now cognisant of the fact that many entities have been unable to pay their bills. It is obvious that a municipality's capacity to pay its bills, including those to Eskom and Water Boards, is directly related to its capacity to collect revenue for the services rendered to households, businesses, and Government departments.

In response to the increasingly complex situation faced by municipalities, we urge SALGA to continue working with Government and other social partners to find suitable solutions to these challenges.  

With regard to payment of water boards, the Minister of COGTA proposed a one-stop solution to resolve the interlinked financial challenges between municipalities, water boards, and other stakeholders. This approach would involve streamlining the payment system through the National Treasury. Under this model, funds owed by Government departments to municipalities would be directly routed through the Treasury, which would then allocate payments to water boards and other creditors like Eskom.

As Government we understand that addressing the innate issues plaguing municipal finances is not only essential for improving service delivery and infrastructure, but also for restoring public trust in local governance. 

We therefore encourage municipalities to explore new models to effectively collect revenue, thus ensuring their financial sustainability. In this regard, we encourage municipalities to enter into that space by bringing in the IPPs and buying from them. 

However, as we are focusing on finding new revenue streams, SALGA should work with us to address the core issue of leadership and financial discipline in local government. 

In doing so, it is important that we consider strengthening municipal public accounts committees to ensure oversight powers on procurement processes, expenditures and compliance with financial regulations.  

I believe that our municipalities can be fixed. We just need more concerted efforts in the implementation of the Professionalisation Framework which applies to the National, Provincial, Local Government, and SOEs. The Framework focus on accelerating service delivery, addressing poor performance and skills gap in the public service.

Professionalisation is critical to ensuring that Government is capable of delivering essential services to its citizens. 

As SALGA, you should work with National Government in the local sphere as the driver of professionalisation. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

We must prioritise the speed of execution, which includes enhancing coordination across Government.

As Government, we are harmonising planning and budgeting as part of adopting the District Development Model, which is based on One Plan-One Vision, to obtain the best results in developing a better life for everyone.  

The Water Task Team is seized with addressing the issue of water supply challenges in various parts of the country. 

As you would know, we are implementing a Public-Private Partnership model in water supply with the National Treasury and the Department of Water and Sanitation to ensure that we resolve the current water crisis facing a number of communities. 

Therefore, the successful implementation of the District Development Model lies in the speed of execution as our modus operandi, which should be adopted across the three spheres of Government.  

Consequently, as we gather here today, we must ensure that we sharpen and crystallise a common understanding of the three overarching policy priorities of the 7th Administration. We must equally develop a common appreciation of a monitoring and evaluation framework in line with the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act.

Regarding the issue of land, I want to point out that the ownership of land is one of the most important mechanisms to achieve the objectives of economic inclusion, food security, social cohesion, inclusive spatial patterns, and rural development. 

Because of this, we need to move quickly to find solutions to the unequal and unfair patterns of land ownership that exist in our country. The resolution of this issue is not only a matter of social fairness, but it will also assist us in addressing other issues, such as instances of illegal land invasions and occupation. 

The enforcement of by-laws to address land invasions must be combined with measures for spatial transformation to reverse economic apartheid. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me remind you that, last year in August 2024, we discussed the plan to launch a clean city campaign at the Three Line Whip Meeting. I implore you to come up with a plan and approach for how we can start this programme.

We must establish a committee that will evaluate cities' cleanliness every year and give out prizes in collaboration with COGTA and SALGA. 

Let me conclude by restating that it is important that SALGA and all three spheres of Government collaborate in order to find solutions to service delivery challenges. On Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the State of the Nation Address, an important message to the nation about where we have come and most importantly where we are going. 

As we deliberate on the key issues at hand today, let us keep in mind the importance of this address and the impact that it will have on the day to day activities of local government. 

I believe that this Lekgotla will have robust discussions that will advance our collective aspirations in a way that is united in purpose.

Let us harness the power of intergovernmental integration to build a more responsive, effective, and inclusive system of governance that truly serves the needs of our people.

I thank you.