Issued by: Ministry for Provincial and Local Government
The Ministry for Provincial and Local Government will be hosting a SADC Local Government Conference from 28-30 July 1999 at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre. The theme of the conference is "Towards co-operation on Local Government matters in the SADC Region: An African Renaissance Initiative," The Conference will bring together Ministers responsible for local government from the 14 SADC countries. The Ministers will be accompanied by their delegation of senior officials.
The Conference is a follow up to a meeting between SADC Ministers of Local Government who attended the African Union of Local Authorities' Conference held in 1997 at Mafikeng, North West province. At this Conference, the SADC Ministers identified a need to establish an institutional mechanism for Ministers for Local Government from the SADC member states through which they will interact with a view to enhance regional co-operation on local government matters. This Conference will therefore focus on mechanisms to enhance co-operation on various aspects of local government in the SADC region.
The Conference is also part of the bigger drive to co-operate on critical local government challenges facing the region. It follows closely on the two other SADC Conferences held over the past few weeks. The first was the SADC economics Summit held in Durban and the second was the SADC Conference on Trade and Industry held in Gaborone, Botswana. The Conference is also part of the President's programmes in support of the African Renaissance vision. It also forms part of the President's first hundred day's programme.
This Conference comes at a critical time when a number of the SADC member states are undergoing major local government restructuring and when local government is increasingly given the responsibility to regenerate local economies, build and maintain infrastructure for improved services delivery inspite of financial crisis, decline in regional economies, massive job losses and increasing poverty in the region. The Conference will therefore create an opportunity for the SADC countries exchange with these challenges at a regional level.
The Conference will find mechanisms to co-operate around critical areas including local government development and constitutional frameworks, infrastructure investment and sustainable service delivery, local economic development, development planning and disaster management.
Officials accompanying the Ministers will meet over the first two days to deliberate on the above issues and prepare resolutions or declarations to be presented to the Ministers who will only meet on the last day of the conference. It is expected that the conference will pass a resolution on institutional mechanisms for continued and structured exchanges of experiences and development of region-wide strategies to improve local government in the SADC region.
It is also planned that the Ministry for Provincial and Local Government will launch a new Policy framework on Municipal International Relations for South Africa which sets out framework regulating involvement of municipalities in international engagement. The policy has recently been approved by cabinet. Further, the Conference will also see the launch of the SADC Local Government Information Centre. The Centre based in Zimbabwe, is a recent initiative supported by the Common Wealth Local Government Forum to connect the region on common local government issues.
The key highlight of the Conference will be the opening of the Conference of Ministers by the President of South Africa, Mr TM Mbeki at a banquet to be hosted by the Mayor of Johannesburg, Mr Isaac Mogase at the Johannesburg Civic Centre on the evening of 29 July 1999.
The Conference will be graced by the presence of the Secretary General of SADC, Dr Kaire Mbuende, the new President of IULA, Colonel Patrick Ngandwe, the president of AULA, Mayor Patric Namawar Wanyeraw and the Secretary General of AULA, Mr Charls Katiza. A number of key African local govnerment experts have been invited to speak on various topics. Several cabinet Ministers and Local Government MECs have been invited to the launch of the Municipal International Relations Policy Framework and the banquet.
Issued by: The Ministry for Provincial and Local Government
26 July 1999.
Enquiries: Onkgopotse J J Tabane at 0824656165
Sledge Sekele at (012) 334 0663 or 082 7812964 Gerson Masakona at (012) 334 0797 or 082 4601850