The chairperson of SALGA, Mr Manyoni,
Mr David Makhura, Premier of Gauteng province,
Mr Pravin Gordhan , Minister of COGTA
Premiers, Deputy Ministers, MECs, Executive Mayors, Councillors,
Members of Parliament and provincial legislatures,
The leadership of the governing party and those of other parties present,
Let me also extend a warm welcome to our esteemed special guests;
The President of the Pan African Parliament;
The President of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa;
The Secretary General of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa; and
The Leadership of Local Government Associations in Africa.

Good morning to you all.

Thank you for the opportunity to address the South African Local Government Association National Members Assembly today.

We have come together because we recognise the importance of local government as the sphere that is closest to our people.

You have chosen the theme for this year’s National Members Assembly, as “Celebrating 15 years of Democratic Local Government. Going back to basics to consolidate and deepen a developmental and people centred local democracy.”

The theme reminds us of the progress that the country has made over the past 20 years, and specifically in local government over the last 15 years.

We are meeting in a free democratic South Africa because we fought relentlessly and dismantled apartheid colonialism.

That is a major achievement that we should never lose sight of.

Let us reflect on specific elements of the progress we have made in building a non-racial society and the promotion of reconciliation:

We have adopted a democratic Constitution that contains many of the freedoms articulated in the Freedom Charter.

The Constitution is a bold declaration by all South Africans that the injustices of the past should not be allowed to continue into the present.

It places the achievement of equality among the values on which our new democratic state is founded. It promotes healing and reconciliation.

We have made significant progress since the dawn of democracy to respond to the injunction that “there shall be houses, security and comfort”, cited in the Freedom Charter.

Progress has already been achieved in the provision of services to many communities.

The release of the 2011 Census confirmed the great strides made in providing basic services. This upward trend is reinforced by the last report on the non-financial census of municipalities which was released on 2 September 2014.
This report confirmed that the services rendered by municipalities have reduced poverty.

The report focuses on basic services namely water, electricity, sanitation services and solid waste management services offered by the 278 municipalities across the country.

The report shows that 11.8 million basic water services are provided to households, with 5.3 million receiving free basic services.

Of the 11.8 million who receive basic water services, 2.5 million benefitted from indigent support. As you are aware, indigent households are those that qualify for rebates or services subsidies.

Ten million consumer units were receiving sewerage and sanitation from municipalities in South Africa and 31, 1% of these consumer units had access to free basic sewerage and sanitation.

These are just a few examples of positive developments mentioned in the report.

Yet there is so much more that we still need to do.

To quote from the Diagnostic Report of the National Planning Commission:
“Our successes so far are significant given both our history and international comparisons. These successes should in no way be underestimated or glossed over.”

The report also underlined the fact that the human cost – and the social cost – of apartheid are still firmly with us.

Poverty, inequality and unemployment remain a stark reminder of the work we must continue to do, to bring about meaningful change.

Our task at this assembly is thus to reflect and celebrate the achievements while also identifying the weaknesses and challenges that still remain on the path of improving the quality of life of all.

Work is still continuing in earnest towards meeting the goal of establishing a prosperous, united, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa with opportunities for everyone, irrespective of race or gender.

While the lives of millions have improved meaningfully, there are many others who are still waiting, who still need to see their lives changing for the better.
They want water, electricity, housing, roads and decent schools near their homes.

In dealing with these challenges, we are motivated by the Good Story that has unfolded in South Africa during 20 Years of Freedom.

This is a story of a caring, effective government that has worked wisely and diligently with scarce resources to make deep, positive changes in people’s lives.

This is a story of good work and centres of excellence that have emerged across the length and breadth of our country, in provinces and in the local sphere.

In the majority of cases, these centres of excellence have produced locally developed solutions.

In the spirit of cooperative governance and of building the capable state as stated in the National Development Plan, there is a need to share lessons we have learnt.

Some of these lessons can be found in many municipalities across the country.

There are municipalities that are functioning effectively, with effective political and administrative systems, with strong internal audit and financial management structures.
There are municipalities in which Councils are actively involved in monitoring the implementation of all governance resolutions.
The daily and monthly financial management disciplines are strictly observed, and the annual financial statements are signed off on a quarterly basis.

These municipalities are characterised by clean administration where the staff complement as a collective prioritise fraud prevention, and risk management.

These municipalities also have a zero tolerance to poor performance, and conduct regular performance reviews and implement corrective measures where needed.

This is what all municipalities should do, because local government exists to serve the people. That is the bottom line.

I would therefore like to congratulate all municipalities, the councillors and municipal staff, who have made a difference in changing peoples’ lives. Your work is acknowledged and appreciated.

Now is the time to do even better, and work harder to make South Africa a better place for all.

We should do better in improving services such as water infrastructure, solid waste management or the provision of electricity.

Other services such as refuse removal, the cleaning of the streets, the provision of parks and recreational facilities remain critically important, and contribute to building a better life for all.

These are simple basic services that, when provided efficiently, will make our people’s experience of local government a pleasant one.

Colleagues

As we deliberate today, on the remaining challenges and how local government can assist in addressing these, we do this against the background of the country’s socio-economic blueprint up to 2030, the National Development Plan.
The Plan has identified a number of areas for targeted action in improving governance and administration.

Some of the priority areas to improve delivery include achieving a clearer separation between the roles of the political principals and the administrative heads of municipalities.

In addition, accountability and oversight in local governance must be improved or reinforced.
Management systems must improve.

There should be improved audit reports for each local authority each year from the Auditor-General.

Government has responded to improve professionalism and the management of local government by introducing amendments to local government legislation, for example the Municipal System Amendment Act.

There should be no compromise in ensuring that officials possess the necessary minimum skills.

Chief financial officers should be skilled in what they are doing, engineers and other technical staff should also be experts in what they have been employed to do.

That is key solution to the problems facing local government.
In this regard, Municipalities must take more decisive action to involve communities and community organisations in the matters of local government.

On 18 September 2014 at the Second Presidential Summit at this same venue local government practitioners made the commitment to support all struggling municipalities.

We all agreed that every municipality in South Africa must be fully functional and efficient, for the sake of our people who need reliable and efficient services.
We furthermore agreed that every single individual in our three sphere dispensation must know his or her responsibilities to make local government function better.

We agreed to go back to the basics in the real sense.
We committed to ensuring that municipalities are able to provide water, electricity, parks, street lighting, refuse removals, repairing of potholes, dealing with the frustrating interruption of services and billing problems affecting households.

We jointly agreed to go-back-to-the–basics.

What does that mean? Let us remind ourselves.

Going back to the basics means a recommitment to provide municipal services in a professional and caring manner, and to in our daily conduct recognise each resident as a valuable client.

It means that each municipality must actively interact with the community and promote ongoing two way communication in every ward.

Municipalities must ensure that all programmes which are implemented at local level are clearly communicated and reported to communities.

Going back to the basics means reviewing tendering systems and dealing with corruption systematically within the supply chain system in local government.

Going to the basics also means working harder to expand poverty alleviation programmes such as the Community Work Programme, which provide skills and work opportunities for our people.

Back to basics also enjoins municipalities to boost rural development by supporting small enterprises, co-operatives and smallholder farmers in rural towns and villages.

As recommit and rededicate ourselves to serving our people diligently in all three spheres of government, we should always remember that effective public administration is not a privilege in a democratic society. It is a fundamental right.

Citizens have a legitimate expectation that services will be provided in a timely manner and close to where they live. Where payment is required, these services should be affordable.
They must be delivered efficiently and effectively through appropriately trained public servants.

That is the type of governance we should all strive for, in all three spheres.

Compatriots

As we deliberate at this Assembly we should also bear in mind what the National Development Plan says about what constitutes a decent standard of living for our people through the elimination of poverty and reduction of inequality.

The core elements of a decent standard of living identified in the National Development Plan are the following:

•     Housing, water, electricity and sanitation
•     Safe and reliable public transport
•     Quality education and skills development
•     Safety and security
•     Quality health care
•     Social protection
•     Employment
•     Clean environment; and
•     Adequate nutrition

The Plan also highlights the need to strengthen the ability of local government to fulfil its developmental role so that people can achieve the improved standard of living that we talk about.
This requires that Municipal Integrated Development Plans be used more strategically to focus attention on critical priorities in the NDP that relate to the mandate of local government such as spatial planning, infrastructure and basic services.

Compatriots and friends,

We have achieved a lot in local government in the past 15 years.

We still have a lot of work to do to improve the quality of life and reverse the legacy of apartheid colonialism.

More importantly, we should unite our people behind the vision of building a better life, of building a prosperous South Africa and an inclusive society.

I wish you fruitful deliberations and a successful Assembly.

Working together, we move South Africa forward.

I thank you.