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Eighteen months before the 2006 Local Government Elections, the ANC government embarked on a drastic intervention programme into local government, the purpose of which was to turn around those municipalities that were malfunctioning and to improve the standard of service delivery. That project was called Project Consolidate. It was launched with much fanfare, and with a huge amount of capital put behind it. Leading up to the 2006 Local Government Election, it was the ANC government's flagship programme on local government. The moment those elections passed, however, the impetus systematically drained away, until its impact was completely indistinguishable from normal day-to-day programmes. The devastating failure of Project Consolidate is evident in the fact that many of our municipalities remain in a chronic state of decline, that none of its strategic aims were achieved, and that municipal service delivery protests grow increasingly frequent and violent.

It appears a little like history is repeating itself, then, to note that in his State of the Nation address, President Jacob Zuma promised the nation that "we will work to improve the effectiveness of local government, infrastructure development and human settlements" and that "cabinet [has] approved a turnaround strategy for local government [which] will ensure that local government has the correct management, administrative and technical skills."

This might as well have been taken out of a Project Consolidate press release. The timing, just over a year from Local Government Elections, only adds to the sense of déjà vu. And while the objectives are of course laudable, this local government turnaround strategy cannot do any of the things it aims to achieve, if there remains no strategic framework, implementation timetable or designated funding, or indeed any acknowledgment of the broader problems impeding service delivery in South Africa - such as the ANC's disastrous cadre deployment policy, and the chronic lack of measures for transparency and accountability.

If the President wants to demonstrate that this strategy can actually work, and isn't simply political gimmickry, he needs to tell the nation far more about the actual logistics of this turnaround strategy for local government. At the moment, we have sweeping statements without any vision as to how the aims of the strategy will be achieved. President Zuma's ‘plan' to address service delivery shortcomings was outlined as follows: "We will undertake a number of key activities towards the achievement of these outcomes." Well, what activities exactly?

President Zuma's comment that "local government must work" is similarly vague, though this is, at least, an admission that previous attempts by the ANC government to improve on the delivery of housing, water, sanitation, electricity, waste management and roads have dismally failed. While the administration of many municipalities may be sound, they are unable to provide the much needed services to our nation as they have no capacity (infrastructure) to do so. The latest of dozens of examples of service delivery dissatisfaction since President Zuma's term in office began last year is evident in Balfour.

I will be putting these matters before the portfolio committee and will raise the issue with Minister Shiceka.