The Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr. Namane Dickson Masemola, today (09 September 2024), officially started a series of Ministerial support and intervention engagements with priority districts, beginning in the Eastern Cape’s Chris Hani District.

The Ministerial outreach comes in the wake of the 2022-23 Municipal Audit Outcomes and the findings of the State of Local Government Report, which highlighted several challenges related to, amongst others, accountability, service delivery, and governance.

Guided by the District Development Model (DDM), the Ministerial visits to priority Districts encourages an all-of-government and all-of-society approach to governance that emphasizes the need for collaboration and coordinated efforts to ensure efficient service delivery at the local level.

The engagement with Chris Hani District’s municipalities provided the six local municipalities and the district an opportunity to raise issues of concern requiring intervention, assistance and support by other spheres of government (National and Provincial).

Local government, being at the forefront of responding to community needs, plays a critical role in this model. It is within this context that engagements that ensued today with Chris District focused on identifying areas of support necessary to enhance their operations and fulfil the municipalities mandate. Amongst some of the challenges raised are – (1) Financial Challenges; (2) Equitable Share shortfall; (3) Eskom Debts; (4) Lack of revenue base; (5) youth unemployment; (6) Poverty and Inequality; (7) dilapidated infrastructure; (8) Connectivity challenges, etc.

The Deputy Minister, Dr. Masemola emphasised that the engagement today was able to tackle critical areas such as administrative performance, financial management, and infrastructure maintenance, with the goal of ensuring that all municipalities deliver on their mandate of improving the lives of the people.

Deputy Minister, Dr. Masemola reiterated the Constitutional obligation of national and provincial governments to support municipalities through legislative and other measures, ensuring they have the capacity to perform their duties effectively.

These important engagements which are part of CoGTA’s broader efforts to assess and provide targeted support to priority municipalities will surely ensure that their constitutional mandate is fulfilled and thus improving service delivery to local communities.

As these sessions which begins today and will cover all the nine (9) provinces are not merely talk shops but strategic engagements. It is within this context that these engagements have emerged with a clear, actionable programs that will be continuously monitored to ensure they yield positive results for local communities.

Under the CoGTA theme “Every Municipality Must Work,” Dr. Masemola emphasized that these engagements are not “talk shops” but focused interventions aimed at making a tangible impact.

The collaborative nature through the DDM approach, was a key highlight of the engagement, with all stakeholders agreeing that working together is crucial to ensuring that municipalities are functional and effective in driving local development.

In closing the session, Deputy Minister Dr. Masemola expressed gratitude for the valuable insights gained regarding municipal issues within the District. He emphasized the need for strengthened collaboration between municipalities and traditional leadership institutions. Additionally, Dr. Masemola committed to continuing efforts with both the District and local municipalities to ensure effective service delivery for the residents.

Following today’s successful visit to Chris Hani District Municipality, Dr. Masemola will lead a similar engagement tomorrow, 10 September 2024, in the Amathole District Municipality. These ongoing Ministerial visits reflect CoGTA’s commitment to working hand-in-hand with municipalities across the country to ensure that local government operates efficiently, delivers essential services, and ultimately enhances the quality of life for all South Africans.

Through these efforts, CoGTA will continue to reinforce the message that Every Municipality Must Work.
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