Date: 08/12/2005
Source: Department of Provincial and Local Government
Title: Africa: Preview on Metsweding Municipal Imbizo
Project Consolidate – Municipal Imbizo - Preview on Metsweding District Municipality by the Deputy Director-General of Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG), Mr Elroy Africa, at Metsweding Municipal Imbizo, Pretoria
Introduction
The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, accompanied by Cabinet Ministers, will visit the Metsweding District in the Gauteng province on Thursday, 8 December 2005. This is part of the Municipal Izimbizo programme, an integral part of Project Consolidate and will focus specifically on interacting with elected representatives in local government, senior municipal officials and members of ward committees.
Background
Project Consolidate, a hands-on local government support and engagement programme, was launched in October 2004. It is targeted at 136 municipalities throughout South Africa that need support to enhance service delivery and good governance. Since the launch of the Project, government has been focusing on the service delivery challenges and capacity constraints that are facing individual municipalities. This was informed by a detailed assessment of challenges according to each province and the municipalities concerned.
In the context of Project Consolidate, the President, the Deputy President and Cabinet Ministers are pursuing the Municipal Izimbizo programme, whose objective is to support municipalities in the achievement of these key performance areas and to deepen local government transformation
Brief profile of Metsweding District Municipality
Metsweding District has urban and peri-urban localities but it is largely rural. Most of the land is privately owned, which poses some challenges.
It accounts for 159 891 people of Gauteng and has 44 392 households. Males make up 52,42% of the population while females make up 47,57%. With regard to education 37,30% of the population had either no schooling or only up to the level of primary education.
Kungwini is the only local municipality in the District identified for support under the auspices of Project Consolidate. The Municipality will be supported in the areas of corporate governance, municipal debt billing systems, municipal management, local economic development and performance management.
Metsweding District Municipality is made up of two local municipalities, namely:
* Kungwini and Bronkhorstspruit, Ekangala, Kungwini, Rethabiseng
* Nokeng Tsa Taemane, Cullinan, Baviaanspoort, Kekana Gardens, Onverwacht, Premier Mine, Rayton, Sonderwater, Vergenoeg
The municipalities are facing challenges with regard to upgrading and maintaining existing infrastructure and to address backlogs in water, sanitation and infrastructure. Other challenges are with regard to providing basic services in new housing projects and new townships.
Key Performance Areas (KPAs) of Local Government Transformation
The main areas that require intervention in Metsweding District under Project Consolidate are summarised below:
Government, together with its partners (state-owned enterprises, the private sector and development agencies), will be supporting these municipalities targeting the following five KPAs:
* Basic Service Delivery and Infrastructure;
* Local Economic Development;
* Municipal Transformation and Institutional Development;
* Municipal Financial Viability; and
* Good Governance and Community Participation.
Basic Service Delivery and Infrastructure
The Metsweding District Municipality has recorded significant progress with regard to provision of water, sanitation and electricity. However, some challenges remain as the general provision is still below the provincial average.
The total number of households with water below the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) standards is 7 546 (14% of the total households).
On sanitation, the total number of households with sanitation below RDP standards in the District is 15 670 (29% of the total households).
All the local municipalities within the District have adopted indigent policies and are providing Free Basic Electricity (FBE) and Free Basic Water (FBW). About 20 468 households have been provided with FBE in the District.
The District received R12,928 million from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) allocations in 2004/05 financial year. For this period, local municipalities did not receive allocations and will only receive in 2006/07.
Although there has been some progress in the area of housing delivery, 71% of households in Metsweding live in formal housing, 25% in informal housing and 5% in traditional houses. Since 1 April 1994 to 30 September 2005, 33.84% of 7 558 units have been completed which represent approximately 2 550 units. Furthermore, 6 101 subsidies have been allocated to specific beneficiaries.
Land reform issues are regarded as some of the main development challenges for the District. There are currently 754 land claims which are still being investigated in Wallmansthal and at the Berlin mission in the area of jurisdiction of Nokeng Tsa Taemane Local Municipality.
Local Economic Development
The competitive advantage of Metsweding is its proximity to large consumer markets of Gauteng but with lower costs than the rest of the province. The main activities are maize and cattle with flowers, especially roses developing as a niche market.
The manufacturing industry provides most jobs, although the District Municipality recognises that the sector may face an uncertain future. The greater part of manufacturing is concentrated on downstream agricultural processing such as wood, maize and egg production.
The mining industry employs about 2000 people and centred around Cullinan in the Nokeng Tsa Taemane Local Municipality.
The District has a general low skills base compared to urban areas in Gauteng. The District has no Local Economic Development (LED) strategy, but has a clear focus in developing the Tourism sector and creating better opportunities for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). The approach includes:
* Access to Finance
* Training and capacity building
* Coordination with Department of Trade and Industry
* Provision of information to SMMEs
* Creation of a database of Tourism SMMEs
* Preferential Procurement of SMMEs services.
Municipal Financial Viability The Metsweding District Municipality has a positive financial record as it has received unqualified audit reports from the Auditor General for the 2001/02 and 2002/03. The two local municipalities have received negative reports from the Auditor-General.
The District and the two local municipalities budgeted for R305 million for 2004/05 financial year. Municipal debt challenges are uneven in the District.
Municipal Transformation and institutional development
The District and its local municipalities have proved to have uneven levels of political instability over this past term.
With regard to powers and functions it has been noted by the Municipal Demarcation Board that municipalities are performing a good number of functions with some capacity and there was general improvement on the number of functions performed from 2002 to 2004.
There still needs to be more focus on the representation of women, the disabled and the youth to meet the employment equity standards. There is still high vacancy level in the District and the municipalities.
The District still needs to implement a PMS. Kungwini Local Municipality is implementing a performance monitoring system to monitor their performance.
Good Governance and community participation
There are currently 18 wards established in the District. Community Development Workers (CDWs) have been deployed in the District.
The District has developed a Public Participation Strategy that is used as a guide for the local municipalities in developing their own strategies. This is meant to intensify government’s efforts in informing and capacitating communities about government’s programmes.
Conclusion
It is within this context that the Imbizo on Thursday, 8 December 2005, will directly engage with local elected representatives, senior municipal officials and Ward Committee representatives in the implementation of Project Consolidate.
Project Consolidate is intended to provide increased opportunities for the different spheres to work together with communities in addressing challenges of poverty and underdevelopment.
Issued by: Department of Provincial and Local Government
8 December 2005
Source: Department of Provincial and Local Government
Title: Africa: Preview on Metsweding Municipal Imbizo
Project Consolidate – Municipal Imbizo - Preview on Metsweding District Municipality by the Deputy Director-General of Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG), Mr Elroy Africa, at Metsweding Municipal Imbizo, Pretoria
Introduction
The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, accompanied by Cabinet Ministers, will visit the Metsweding District in the Gauteng province on Thursday, 8 December 2005. This is part of the Municipal Izimbizo programme, an integral part of Project Consolidate and will focus specifically on interacting with elected representatives in local government, senior municipal officials and members of ward committees.
Background
Project Consolidate, a hands-on local government support and engagement programme, was launched in October 2004. It is targeted at 136 municipalities throughout South Africa that need support to enhance service delivery and good governance. Since the launch of the Project, government has been focusing on the service delivery challenges and capacity constraints that are facing individual municipalities. This was informed by a detailed assessment of challenges according to each province and the municipalities concerned.
In the context of Project Consolidate, the President, the Deputy President and Cabinet Ministers are pursuing the Municipal Izimbizo programme, whose objective is to support municipalities in the achievement of these key performance areas and to deepen local government transformation
Brief profile of Metsweding District Municipality
Metsweding District has urban and peri-urban localities but it is largely rural. Most of the land is privately owned, which poses some challenges.
It accounts for 159 891 people of Gauteng and has 44 392 households. Males make up 52,42% of the population while females make up 47,57%. With regard to education 37,30% of the population had either no schooling or only up to the level of primary education.
Kungwini is the only local municipality in the District identified for support under the auspices of Project Consolidate. The Municipality will be supported in the areas of corporate governance, municipal debt billing systems, municipal management, local economic development and performance management.
Metsweding District Municipality is made up of two local municipalities, namely:
* Kungwini and Bronkhorstspruit, Ekangala, Kungwini, Rethabiseng
* Nokeng Tsa Taemane, Cullinan, Baviaanspoort, Kekana Gardens, Onverwacht, Premier Mine, Rayton, Sonderwater, Vergenoeg
The municipalities are facing challenges with regard to upgrading and maintaining existing infrastructure and to address backlogs in water, sanitation and infrastructure. Other challenges are with regard to providing basic services in new housing projects and new townships.
Key Performance Areas (KPAs) of Local Government Transformation
The main areas that require intervention in Metsweding District under Project Consolidate are summarised below:
Government, together with its partners (state-owned enterprises, the private sector and development agencies), will be supporting these municipalities targeting the following five KPAs:
* Basic Service Delivery and Infrastructure;
* Local Economic Development;
* Municipal Transformation and Institutional Development;
* Municipal Financial Viability; and
* Good Governance and Community Participation.
Basic Service Delivery and Infrastructure
The Metsweding District Municipality has recorded significant progress with regard to provision of water, sanitation and electricity. However, some challenges remain as the general provision is still below the provincial average.
The total number of households with water below the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) standards is 7 546 (14% of the total households).
On sanitation, the total number of households with sanitation below RDP standards in the District is 15 670 (29% of the total households).
All the local municipalities within the District have adopted indigent policies and are providing Free Basic Electricity (FBE) and Free Basic Water (FBW). About 20 468 households have been provided with FBE in the District.
The District received R12,928 million from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) allocations in 2004/05 financial year. For this period, local municipalities did not receive allocations and will only receive in 2006/07.
Although there has been some progress in the area of housing delivery, 71% of households in Metsweding live in formal housing, 25% in informal housing and 5% in traditional houses. Since 1 April 1994 to 30 September 2005, 33.84% of 7 558 units have been completed which represent approximately 2 550 units. Furthermore, 6 101 subsidies have been allocated to specific beneficiaries.
Land reform issues are regarded as some of the main development challenges for the District. There are currently 754 land claims which are still being investigated in Wallmansthal and at the Berlin mission in the area of jurisdiction of Nokeng Tsa Taemane Local Municipality.
Local Economic Development
The competitive advantage of Metsweding is its proximity to large consumer markets of Gauteng but with lower costs than the rest of the province. The main activities are maize and cattle with flowers, especially roses developing as a niche market.
The manufacturing industry provides most jobs, although the District Municipality recognises that the sector may face an uncertain future. The greater part of manufacturing is concentrated on downstream agricultural processing such as wood, maize and egg production.
The mining industry employs about 2000 people and centred around Cullinan in the Nokeng Tsa Taemane Local Municipality.
The District has a general low skills base compared to urban areas in Gauteng. The District has no Local Economic Development (LED) strategy, but has a clear focus in developing the Tourism sector and creating better opportunities for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). The approach includes:
* Access to Finance
* Training and capacity building
* Coordination with Department of Trade and Industry
* Provision of information to SMMEs
* Creation of a database of Tourism SMMEs
* Preferential Procurement of SMMEs services.
Municipal Financial Viability The Metsweding District Municipality has a positive financial record as it has received unqualified audit reports from the Auditor General for the 2001/02 and 2002/03. The two local municipalities have received negative reports from the Auditor-General.
The District and the two local municipalities budgeted for R305 million for 2004/05 financial year. Municipal debt challenges are uneven in the District.
Municipal Transformation and institutional development
The District and its local municipalities have proved to have uneven levels of political instability over this past term.
With regard to powers and functions it has been noted by the Municipal Demarcation Board that municipalities are performing a good number of functions with some capacity and there was general improvement on the number of functions performed from 2002 to 2004.
There still needs to be more focus on the representation of women, the disabled and the youth to meet the employment equity standards. There is still high vacancy level in the District and the municipalities.
The District still needs to implement a PMS. Kungwini Local Municipality is implementing a performance monitoring system to monitor their performance.
Good Governance and community participation
There are currently 18 wards established in the District. Community Development Workers (CDWs) have been deployed in the District.
The District has developed a Public Participation Strategy that is used as a guide for the local municipalities in developing their own strategies. This is meant to intensify government’s efforts in informing and capacitating communities about government’s programmes.
Conclusion
It is within this context that the Imbizo on Thursday, 8 December 2005, will directly engage with local elected representatives, senior municipal officials and Ward Committee representatives in the implementation of Project Consolidate.
Project Consolidate is intended to provide increased opportunities for the different spheres to work together with communities in addressing challenges of poverty and underdevelopment.
Issued by: Department of Provincial and Local Government
8 December 2005
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