National Local Government Turnaround Strategy Framework

Based on the report, the National Local Government Indaba agreed to a declaration committing participants to cooperating in addressing the local government challenges and supported a National Local Government Turnaround Strategy Framework.

The Declaration noted:

“We acknowledge the indispensable role local government has to play in consolidating democracy and advancing service delivery and development, and our responsibilities to ensure that it effectively fulfils this role. We recognise that the success of our democracy depends crucially on an efficient, effective, responsive and accountable local government sphere. We agree that local government is everyone’s business.    

We note this historic opportunity to reflect upon the state of local government in our country, and welcome the frank and significantly accurate report compiled by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the provincial departments of local government. We particularly welcome the unique process through which this report was drawn, and the fact that it is substantially an outcome of a hands-on and inter-active assessment of every municipality in our country.”

The Indaba agreed on the need for a National Turnaround Strategy Framework, which should be based on the following considerations:

a)     Understanding and addressing root causes of problems faced by municipalities

b)     Learning from previous local government support programmes and interventions

c)      Making local government everyone’s business

d)     Promoting “good citizenship” that is underpinned by governance values such as ethical behaviour, transparency and accountability of public office, loyalty to the Constitution, volunteerism and community service amongst others.

e)     Building ward-based systems and developing effective, efficient and accountable municipalities wherever we live and work.

f)       Laying a differentiated framework for each municipality to identify and adopt its own turnaround and/or improvement strategies and actions.

It was also agreed that the strategy should address the following, among other, issues:

a)     Strengthening  political accountability to citizens while building inclusive communities that are partners in their own development and destiny.

b)     Developing a common classification of municipalities and a differentiated approach for  municipalities, because the current one-size-fits-all approach will not address our challenges appropriately.

c)      Reviewing the legislative and regulatory framework of local government.   

d)     Addressing poverty arising both from urban growth and migration and the persistent legacy of rural under-development.

e)     Reviewing the financial and fiscal model to respond to asymmetrical economic patterns.

f)       Strengthening financial management and accountability.

g)     Rooting out corruption in all its forms.

h)     Ensuring an appropriate role for traditional leaders in local government.

i)       Identifying and addressing areas of dysfunctionality amongst municipalities, including through improved managerial practices and relevant and quality training and education.

The National Local Government Turnaround Strategy is being developed further through more consultations with key stakeholders over the next few weeks before it’s finalised by government. In a limited sense, my engagement with you today is part of our further consultation process, but, of course, we will also engage with the DBSA more formally.