The newly appointed Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, along with Deputy Ministers Dickson Masemola and Prince Zolile Burns-Ncamashe, convened a meeting today with the Executive Committees (EXCO) of both the Departments of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. The meeting also included the CEO and the DDGs of the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA) as well as the CEO of the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB).

The primary purpose of the meeting was to facilitate a meet and greet session and to provide a high-level introduction to the Department’s programmes to the new executives. The Directors General of the Departments led the session, pledging their commitment to work with the Minister and Deputy Ministers in fulfilling the Departments’ mandates.

Deputy Minister Burns-Ncamashe, speaking at the session, briefly highlighted the challenges faced by the institution of traditional leadership. He expressed his commitment to supporting the Minister in promoting cooperative governance and strengthening traditional affairs.

Deputy Minister Masemola indicated his eagerness to work with both the Minister and Deputy Minister, as well as the COGTA team, to address the challenges faced by local governments. He emphasized the importance of stabilizing and supporting municipalities to ensure they can deliver on their Constitutional mandates. Additionally, he called for increased collaboration with traditional leaders to advance South Africa’s development.

Minister Hlabisa expressed his gratitude to the Deputy Ministers for their support thus far. He assured that he and the Deputy Ministers are committed to working closely with the Department’s officials, using their experience in local government and with traditional leaders. The Minister emphasised the need to respond rapidly to challenges at the local government level by leveraging all experiences. He urged for a proactive and diligent approach, emphasizing the importance of striving to “do things right the first time.”